Chapter Twenty-Five: Scheming

Shen Hua, carrying her medical kit, had not gone far before she sensed someone tailing her. She did not need to turn around to know who it was. Instead of taking the main road, she veered into a secluded, difficult-to-navigate path.

The tail remained close. Seeing that the area was deserted, Shen Hua suddenly stopped and spun around. The person behind her was caught completely off guard, with no time to react.

"Come out!" Shen Hua’s voice was icy.

"Doctor Shen..."

Shen Hua looked at Wen Yingxue, the second young lady of the Wen household, who was following her. This time, however, she was without the maid who usually accompanied her.

"Is there something you need, Miss Wen?"

Wen Yingxue nodded.

"What is it?"

"I would like to ask for your help. It won't be for free; I will pay you."

"State your business first, then I shall decide whether to accept." Shen Hua maintained a distance of several paces.

"I have a young niece staying with me these past few days. For some reason, she keeps saying someone is following her. I suspect my sister is missing her daughter, so I wanted to ask for your help."

Wen Yingxue seemed less lively and spirited than when they had first met, appearing more composed. Little did she know that Shen Hua’s perception of her had changed; Wen Lun, her father, was now someone Shen Hua intended to settle scores with.

Shen Hua found it strange. Wen Yingwan had already left, and logically, she should not have returned. However, thinking this was a perfect opportunity to enter the Wen residence and perhaps encounter Wen Lun, she readily agreed.

Wen Yingxue was surprised by the swiftness of the agreement, having prepared several persuasive lines that were now rendered unnecessary.

"The price for this, however, will not be the same as that day."

"Here." Wen Yingxue stepped forward and handed a weighted money pouch to Shen Hua. "There are fifty taels inside; it is what I have saved up."

"Go back first. I will come to your manor in two hours."

"Very well."

"Wait." Shen Hua called out as Wen Yingxue began to walk away.

Wen Yingxue looked worried and anxious. "The money has been accepted, so you cannot go back on your word. That is the rule of the Ghost Doctor, Shen Hua."

"It is not safe for a young lady of your status to walk these paths alone. It will be dark soon. I will accompany you to the main road."

Shen Hua changed her route, heading toward the main thoroughfare, and Wen Yingxue followed.

"Thank you, Doctor Shen."

Shen Hua’s expression softened slightly. Once she saw Wen Yingxue safely to the main road, she turned and left in the opposite direction.

"Senior Brother, it is up to you now."

Jiang Huaiyu and Chi Li appeared behind Wen Yingxue. The two exchanged a glance before parting ways. Chi Li was the eldest disciple of Ye Cang and a member of the 'Ghost Wind,' specializing in the crafting of various hidden weapons.

The Nether Pavilion currently had only seven members of the Ghost Wind, each with different skills but all highly proficient. Chi Li had arrived in Nanjing two months ago, intentionally getting captured by the Imperial Guard to save someone in the imperial prison. However, the person he sought was not there, so he had to rely on Shen Hua to carry out the rescue; otherwise, the Imperial Guard might eventually dispose of the captive if they deemed him useless.

"Miss."

Wen Yingxue turned around.

Chi Li picked up a sachet that had fallen to the ground and hurried to her. His smile appeared gentle but masked a sharp edge. Wen Yingxue checked her waist, thanked him, and took the sachet.

"It was no trouble at all." Chi Li kept his smile.

Wen Yingxue seemed quite attached to the sachet, dusting it off repeatedly. She thanked him again and prepared to leave, but Chi Li blocked her path. She looked alarmed. "What are you doing?"

"I merely noticed you looked troubled. I happen to be a conjurer of tricks; perhaps I can help ease your worries."

Though Wen Yingxue had a cheerful nature, she had been raised with strict discipline. She refused bluntly, "No, thank you."

***

Seeing his attempt rebuffed, Chi Li felt a flash of annoyance but quickly adopted the obsequious smile typical of a street performer. He did not give Wen Yingxue a chance to refuse again, pulling out a retractable, bamboo-like tube with mirrors on either end.

"Place this before your eyes and look into the distance. I guarantee you a surprise."

Though hesitant, Wen Yingxue took the strange object. She had never seen such a thing before. She followed his instructions, placing the smaller end to her eye.

"What is this? Why does it seem as if the distant scenery is right before me?" Wen Yingxue was intrigued, a smile finally gracing her face.

Chi Li explained, "I exchanged this with a foreigner. They call it a 'thousand-mile mirror'."

"How interesting. I never knew such a thing existed in the world. How much is it?"

"Not much, twenty taels."

"Twenty taels..." Wen Yingxue checked her pouch, finding only a dozen or so taels. She whispered, "I didn't bring enough money today. Could you come to my house tomorrow? I will buy it then."

Chi Li smiled. "No need. If you like it, I can lower the price for you, but it cannot be less than fifteen taels."

Wen Yingxue counted her money—thirteen taels. She frowned slightly. "I am still two taels short."

"How about this? I have business today, but I truly cannot lower the price further. If you trust me, you may leave something of yours as collateral. When I deliver the item to your manor tomorrow, you can give me the remaining two taels."

Wen Yingxue considered the proposal but grew worried; as a young lady, she could not easily hand over her personal belongings to a stranger. Sensing this, Chi Li pointed to the sachet he had just returned. "This will do. It is not overly valuable; even if it were damaged, I could afford to compensate you."

Wen Yingxue hesitated but eventually handed it over. "Tomorrow at the hour of the dragon (7-9 AM), go to the gatehouse of the Ministry of Personnel's Wen residence. I will have someone meet you there."

"The Ministry of Personnel? So you are a lady of high status!" Chi Li feigned surprise and bowed deeply.

Wen Yingxue felt embarrassed. "No need for such formality. It is just a transaction."

"Yes, yes, of course."

Once she left, Chi Li’s expression turned cold. He handed the sachet—along with a strand of hair he had stealthily plucked from her—to Jiang Huaiyu, who had been hiding nearby. "Jiang Huaiyu, if your senior sister finds out you are meddling in her mission, you will be in serious trouble."

"I am helping her! Relying on her alone to investigate those people is too slow. I’m just giving her a boost." She held the hair and the sachet. "Hair, birth date, and a personal item—everything is complete."

Jiang Huaiyu did not seem to care about Shen Hua’s potential anger. If she wanted to do something, no one could stop her.

"Aren't you the most afraid of our Master and Senior Sister Shen?" Chi Li asked pointedly.

"Senior Brother, don't worry. As long as you don't say anything, they won't know. Besides, even if they do, it won't matter. I have my own discretion when it comes to using these."

"Discretion?" Chi Li shook his head helplessly. "Junior Sister, take care of yourself."

Jiang Huaiyu swung the sachet triumphantly. "Remember, deliver this to the gatehouse at the hour of the dragon tomorrow, and collect the two taels, or the ruse will be exposed."

Chi Li vanished in an instant.

Jiang Huaiyu was born in the Yunnan-Guizhou region; her ancestors were practitioners of Gu poison. Beyond her mastery of toxins, she was skilled in witchcraft. Most importantly, despite her young age, she was ruthless. For an assassin, having no scruples meant having no weaknesses—which was the main reason Ye Cang had taken her as a disciple.

***

Shen Hua had intended to return to the clinic, but the business with Wen Yingxue had delayed her. She grabbed a quick meal and, having time to spare, decided to buy snacks for the Kunlun slave. She asked a waiter for a nearby candied fruit shop, and he pointed her toward a large sign in the distance.

"Customer, look there. That is the best candied fruit shop in Nanjing. My master buys from there often."

Shen Hua thanked him and headed toward the shop, but was intercepted just a few steps later.

"Miss, out alone at night?"

*How unlucky,* Shen Hua thought. *Why are there so many petty thugs in Nanjing? I dealt with a few yesterday, and here are more.*

The man seemed to read her mind. "We are from the Five Cities Patrol, not the kind of thugs you're thinking of."

The patrol was responsible for the security and gatekeeping of Nanjing. Shen Hua wondered if the people she had dealt with the day before had left behind something suspicious that had caught the attention of the authorities. Seeing that they were not interrogating her aggressively, she asked, "Officers, is there a problem?"

One of them waved his hand. "No problem. Just saw a young woman wandering alone and wanted to offer a reminder."

"Many thanks, officers. I am just buying some snacks before heading home."

Shen Hua bypassed them, but she felt wary. There were plenty of people on the street, yet they had singled her out. She entered the shop quickly. Just as she was about to pay, two people entered. The shopkeeper, ignoring Shen Hua, greeted them with a smile.

Shen Hua paid for her goods and turned to leave.

"Old Madam Lu, it has been a long time."

Old Madam Lu did not respond immediately, her eyes fixed on the direction Shen Hua had gone. Only when her maid nudged her did she snap out of it.

"I had some free time to enjoy the night view and thought I’d stop by to buy some snacks for my granddaughter."

The shopkeeper smiled. "Of course. The usual?"

The old lady nodded. The shopkeeper asked if she knew the girl who had just left. He shook his head. "No, a new customer." As he spoke, he noticed the money Shen Hua had left on the counter and tucked it away.

Old Madam Lu and her maid exchanged a look, both appearing puzzled.

Shen Hua stopped a short distance away. When she had left the shop, she had sensed the shadows of two people behind the elderly woman, who was clearly a noble. The bell at Shen Hua's waist would have chimed incessantly had she not suppressed it; such a presence usually meant the person had blood on their hands, just like the day at the imperial mausoleum.

"Truly a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers," Shen Hua sighed. "Even the ladies in the inner chambers are like this."

***

Wen Manor—

"Auntie, I want to eat this." Su Su pointed at the mung bean cakes, pouting at Wen Yingxue.

"You've already had one. I snuck that to you; if your grandfather finds out, I will be scolded." Wen Yingxue was rummaging through her wardrobe as she spoke.

"How strange. I remember putting it here. Where could it have gone?" She pulled out a medium-sized box filled with jewelry.

"Auntie, what are you looking for?" Su Su skipped over, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the jewels. "Auntie, you have so many! Can you give me one?"

Su Su was clever and precocious. Wen Yingxue couldn't help but laugh. "Your Lu family is wealthy. In your father's eyes, these are but a drop in the ocean."

"But Father told me he would only give me jewelry when I grow up."

Wen Yingxue smiled. "Exactly. These were gifts from my parents." She searched the box again, frowning. "It was just a wooden doll; it wasn't worth anything. Who would take it?"

"Miss."

Zhu’er entered carrying a servant's uniform. She whispered in Wen Yingxue’s ear, "I have already smoothed things over with the maid by the Old Madam's side. When Doctor Shen arrives, have her put this on, and you can lead her over."

"Good."

Wen Yingxue’s mother, Zhang, had been a concubine until the grandmother passed away, at which point Wen Lun made her the official wife. She had been a capable mistress until a sudden, severe illness two years ago. Wen Lun had invited imperial physicians, but none could help. Zhang would often lose her sanity, failing to recognize even her own daughter, sometimes even mistaking Yingxue for her elder sister, Wen Yingwan.

*Click.*

The window of Wen Yingxue’s room suddenly opened. Shen Hua leaped inside, startling the two servants and Lu Su Su, who all gasped but instinctively covered their mouths to remain silent.

Shen Hua couldn't help but smile, though she restrained it, her gaze locking onto Lu Su Su. After a moment, her expression darkened. She said coldly, "Miss Wen, you lied to me?"

"I... I didn't mean to, but I had to..." Wen Yingxue was flustered. It was true she had deceived her, but it was the only way to get Shen Hua there; by the rules of the Ghost Market, the doctor was not allowed to leave the district to see patients.

"Pretty sister." Lu Su Su looked up at Shen Hua, her flushed face full of childlike curiosity.

Shen Hua asked, "Do you know me?"

"I saw your portrait on Father's desk."

A rare, identical expression of shock appeared on the faces of both Wen Yingxue and Shen Hua.