Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Lin Zhu shuddered with delayed fear. Most instances he had encountered suited his identity as a top student. Their questions were clear and their requirements strict. Rarely did they hide such a vicious trap.
After silently complaining, he abandoned any concern for appearances and hugged the bundle to his chest. “Good thing you knew what musk could do, Sister Miaomiao. Otherwise, we would’ve missed that clue.”
The two entered the Chang Residence through a side gate. Cheng Miao did not hide her reasoning from Lin Zhu. She genuinely liked the boy. He was smart, capable, and took direction well, far more obedient than Qi Jiajia.
“Even if you didn’t know musk’s properties, time matters in every instance. The moment the shopkeeper gave us a two-day limit, you needed to take it seriously whether or not you understood the reason.”
“Besides…” Cheng Miao shrugged and pouted with rare childishness. “I read stories like this all the time. Forget the medicinal uses of musk, I even know a little feng shui.”
Lin Zhu grinned foolishly as he followed, admiration flashing in his eyes. He had cleared several instances and worked with other players, but this was the first time someone like Cheng Miao had accepted him without reservation and actively taught him.
He was poor in a fight, and an instance was not an exam, so his strengths were far less obvious here. Many players would never consider teaming up with him.
Yet Cheng Miao had never excluded or rejected him, even at the Knowledge Library. He could tell that Sister Miaomiao was truly teaching him because she hoped he would survive a little longer, then longer still.
Lin Zhu lifted his head. His gaze was timid at first, but courage soon replaced the hesitation. “Sister Miaomiao, after we leave this instance, could I join you…”
“Miss Qiao, you’re back? This old servant was just looking for you and the young master.”
The steward’s voice cut Lin Zhu off. Cheng Miao saw him approaching from the far end of the covered walkway. Lin Zhu reacted quickly, hiding the bundle behind his back and positioning himself so Cheng Miao concealed most of it.
“I took my brother out for a stroll. This city is certainly lively.”
Since morning, the steward’s gaze had differed from the simple warmth he had shown the day before. Suspicion and wariness mingled with a trace of hunger, creating an expression too complicated to decipher.
“Miss Qiao, that smell on you… What is it?”
Frowning, the steward stretched his neck and sniffed the air. Behind Cheng Miao, Lin Zhu clenched his hand so hard his knuckles turned white. The musk was still too pungent…
“We visited a Taoist temple. Perhaps the smell of incense clung to us.” Cheng Miao let her smile fade, showing a hint of displeasure.
The steward seemed to realize he had overstepped. He gave an awkward laugh. “Madam was just asking about you. If you and the young master aren’t tired, please come see her.”
Cheng Miao nodded. “We bought a few local specialties. We’ll put them in our room first, then come.”
It was as if some restraint on a puppet had suddenly been lifted. The steward looked past Cheng Miao toward Lin Zhu. His eyes fixed on the bundle without a trace of human feeling.
The abrupt change left Lin Zhu paralyzed. If Cheng Miao had not been beside him, he would have turned and fled.
She backed away with him by two steps. When the steward merely remained where he was, staring rigidly at Lin Zhu, she whispered, “Go.”
Lin Zhu turned at once, gripping the bundle with one hand and Cheng Miao’s sleeve with the other. None of the horrifying scenes racing through his mind came true. Yet even after they had walked a great distance, he could still feel the steward’s cold gaze clinging to his back.
After pushing open the door, Lin Zhu carefully searched the room for anything strange. Finding nothing, he tossed the bundle onto the table, collapsed into a chair, and fanned himself. “That scared me to death. I thought the steward was going to eat me. Why did he suddenly change? What switch did we trip?”
Cheng Miao took several snap poppers from the bundle and tucked them into her clothes. She handed a few to Lin Zhu, then told him to put the rest into his Space Backpack. “The steward probably noticed the firecrackers in your bundle.”
She lifted a hand and smelled the heavy sulfur clinging to her skin. “Judging by his reaction, he fears or hates the smell.”
Cheng Miao divided the musk into two portions and gave one to Lin Zhu. Even from a distance, it released a powerful fragrance. Changing clothes would not conceal it now, nor could they discard the one substance capable of suppressing Gejin.
“I told you to buy firecrackers because they’re intimidating to humans and demons alike. I didn’t expect us to stumble onto another weakness.” Cheng Miao rubbed the ring on her finger. “Now it seems the steward may not be human either.”
They dared not talk for long before heading to the main hall. Master Chang was there, looking more drained than when Cheng Miao first met him. His eyes lit up when he saw her, but he made no move and merely remained in his chair drinking tea.
Beside Madam Chang sat a woman every bit as beautiful, though slightly younger. By all appearances, she was Gejin’s younger sister, Yuban.
The Second Madam smiled at Cheng Miao and Lin Zhu. “Such an impressive pair. No wonder my sister likes you.”
Cheng Miao offered several polite compliments. Lin Zhu sat ramrod straight, not daring to let his back touch the chair.
Madam Chang’s beautiful eyes lingered on Cheng Miao. “You smell quite pleasant, Shui’er. The steward said you visited a Taoist temple, but that isn’t what I’m smelling.”
Without changing expression, Cheng Miao lifted her sleeve to her nose and pretended to sniff. “Really? Perhaps it’s the Qiao family’s incense. We arrived in such a hurry yesterday that I hadn’t yet perfumed my clothes.”
Madam Chang smiled with pursed lips. A clever woman knew when not to press. Besides, she did not believe this delicate young lady possessed any extraordinary abilities.
The woman had survived last night through sheer luck. Her behavior today was more surprising. The women who had escaped with their lives in the past had usually gone half-mad by now…
Madam Chang settled her thoughts. These two were not the priority. The two damned Taoist priests were.
“Why did you summon us so urgently?” Cheng Miao let a suitable trace of confusion enter her cool eyes. Nothing in the women’s conversation suggested they were mortal enemies.
Madam Chang pouted and nudged Master Chang, who had been pretending not to hear anything. “It’s all because of my mother-in-law. Second Brother has been ill for so long that she invited Taoist priests to conduct a ritual and cleanse the household of bad luck.”
Madam Chang dabbed delicately at the corner of her eye with a handkerchief. “I’m timid and easily frightened. I can’t bear noise, but it seems I’ll simply have to endure it.”
The Second Madam rose to comfort her. Of everyone else, two remained expressionless while one desperately drank tea. No one responded, and Madam Chang’s face darkened for a fraction of a second.
“The two Taoist priests are staying in the outer courtyard. You likely won’t encounter them, but I wanted to warn you. With outsiders in the household, things won’t be as they usually are.”
Cheng Miao nodded. At least in public, she and Lin Zhu could not approach Li Cheng’s pair.
Clearing her throat, Cheng Miao frowned slightly and looked at the Second Madam. “I heard two skilled traveling physicians are staying in your courtyard. My throat feels uncomfortable. Could I ask them to examine me?”
The Second Madam paused, then shook her head apologetically. “My husband’s condition requires constant care. Besides, my courtyard isn’t auspicious. If you need treatment, Miss Qiao, you should summon a proper physician from outside.”