Chapter 11
Chapter 11
That evening, Ren Cong reported the day’s events to Ren Fengjue in detail.
When he reached the part about the four sets of winter clothes, his tone became quite indignant.
“That woman truly has no sense of restraint!”
“She accepted a hundred taels of silver in cash without so much as a word of thanks, and then she had the nerve to demand four sets of winter clothes in one go!”
“Four sets of winter clothes from Brocade Garment Manor could cover the entire household’s expenses for a whole year!”
“Regardless of whether her identity is real or fake, in my opinion, she clearly… sees you as a mark to be fleeced, Young Marquis!”
Ren Fengjue, however, was completely indifferent to the money spent.
With his eyes lowered, he watched as his servant, A’qiu, bandaged the wound on his shoulder. Instead of commenting on the cost, he asked, “You said she ordered last year’s winter styles? And she even asked about the artist who drew the samples?”
Ren Cong nodded. “It was quite eerie. She just took one look at the patterns and asked outright if the artist was already dead…”
“Dead?”
Ren Fengjue’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Judging by Shopkeeper Liu’s expression, it seems she hit the nail on the head.”
How could a foreign woman who had just arrived in the capital know such things?
Ren Cong glanced at the Young Marquis’s face. “Do you suspect something, Master?”
Ren Fengjue shook his head, a slight smile playing on his lips. “Not really. I find it hard to believe she could have any connection to Brocade Garment Manor when she’s only just set foot in the capital.”
***
“How do I get to Brocade Garment Manor?”
A voice suddenly came from behind, making A’chun jump so hard she nearly dropped the tray in her hands.
“Miss… Miss Xia?”
She turned around and patted her chest, still shaken. “How do you… walk without making a single sound?”
Under the veranda, Xia Ximo was still dressed in coarse hemp clothes, her silhouette almost merging with the night.
She asked again, “I want to go to Brocade Garment Manor. How do I get there?”
“Brocade Garment Manor?”
A’chun was utterly confused. “At this hour, the Clothing Manor has long since closed. What are you going for, Miss?”
On second thought, she remembered that the steward, Ren Cong, had invited a tailor over to measure her for clothes earlier that day.
Perhaps she was just anxious to get her new clothes?
She quickly explained, “The ones you selected today have to be handmade by the seamstresses. It will take at least three to five days.”
“If there’s something you’d like to change, just tell me. I’ll make a trip there for you first thing tomorrow morning.”
She thought these words would persuade the other woman.
To her surprise, Xia Ximo’s expression didn’t change. “I’m going now. You only need to tell me how to get there.”
There was no curfew in the capital, and many people ventured out at night.
Still, for a young woman to go out alone was far too bold!
A’chun didn’t dare say more. Suppressing her urge to talk the girl out of it, she pointed toward the east.
“Turn left out the door, and once you’re out of the alley, go straight to the main street. Then just head east until you reach the end…”
“If-”
She wanted to give more detailed directions, but the other woman had already walked out of the courtyard without looking back.
“…”
Staring at that thin back, A’chun stood frozen for a long moment before remembering something. She hurried off toward Ren Fengjue’s study.
***
The capital after dark was a completely different sight.
The lights were hazy and the streets were crowded with people; it was even more prosperous and bustling than during the day.
Looking at the peace and prosperity before her eyes, an image of the exact opposite flashed inexplicably through Xia Ximo’s mind.
A land filled with the cries of the grieving, where people struggled to survive.
In her sealed memories, that seemed to be the norm.
The lotus lantern in her hand suddenly trembled.
A dark shadow arrived gracefully, floating by her side.
“The mortal realm has actually become like this now.”
The dark shadow spoke, its tone filled with a touch of sentimentality.
This was a formless spirit of the lantern. Unlike ordinary ghosts, it did not fear yang energy, nor did it need to hide in dark corners.
As long as the lantern body was present, it could come and go as it pleased.
The lantern spirit was named Wuyou. Half an hour ago, it had suddenly appeared in Xia Ximo’s room.
According to its own words, whenever the Soul-Ferrying Lantern encountered a wronged soul it wished to ferry, the lantern spirit would take the initiative to manifest.
And that deceased Unknown Painter was precisely one of its targets.
Perhaps because it had not seen the world for a long time, Wuyou was deeply moved. After announcing its name, it didn’t get straight to business, but instead seemed eager to recount all its past experiences.
Xia Ximo had no patience. She swept a cold gaze over it and cut straight to the point.
“And?”
Wuyou gave a light cough before saying, “You saw it just now. That painter only has a scattered soul, and it was even sealed within the painting. Clearly, the three souls have been separated and the seven spirits dispersed. This is definitely the work of a mortal sorcerer!”
“She has lingered for a long time and cannot enter the Underworld. There must be a great grievance behind this!”
“However, this scattered soul doesn’t have much consciousness. We must find the Primary Soul to know the full story.”
It touched its non-existent nose, intentionally building suspense as it asked, “That scattered soul kept chanting a name. Did you hear it clearly?”
Xia Ximo did not answer. She picked up the lotus lantern beside her and walked outside.
Wuyou could only sigh silently. As expected of the Nine Abyss Soul Prisoner who was famous throughout the Underworld-she certainly had a personality!
At this moment, its sigh naturally received no response from the other party. It let out a yawn and quietly drifted into the crowd.
Xia Ximo watched the spirit with cold eyes, seeing it lean on people’s backs one moment and perch on their shoulders the next.
Taking advantage of being undetectable, it acted as wantonly as a mischievous child.
It wasn’t until they bypassed the crowd and the voices of people gradually faded that it finally settled down.
At the end of the street, the sign for Brocade Garment Manor finally came into view.
A lantern hung before the entrance, but the gates were tightly shut. There was no one around, and the area was shrouded in silence.
Without hesitation, Xia Ximo stepped forward and knocked on the door.
After a short while, a young servant came to open the door, his attitude relatively polite.
“Is there something you need, Miss?”
Xia Ximo spoke directly. “I am looking for someone named Ren Dongxing.”
The servant’s expression changed slightly. He looked her up and down carefully before saying, “Our Young Master is not in the manor. You should come back tomorrow, Miss.”
He was about to close the door after speaking, but Xia Ximo reached out a hand and pressed it against the wood.
The servant looked up, only to see a pair of deep, icy eyes staring back at him. They carried an indescribable sense of pressure that sent an inexplicable chill down his spine. His limbs went stiff, refusing to obey his commands.
It wasn’t until someone behind him asked, “Who is outside?”
The servant couldn’t help but shiver. Only then did he snap back to his senses. Seeing it was Shopkeeper Liu, he let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly reported the truth. “Shopkeeper, someone is looking for the Young Master. It’s a young lady.”
Shopkeeper Liu frowned slightly, intending to say something to send the person away. However, when he saw the woman’s face through the gap in the door, he was instantly shocked.
This…
This was that lady from the Young Marquis’s estate!
A smile plastered onto his face, and his attitude immediately became respectful as he rushed forward.
“Miss? Why have you come in person? Please, come in quickly!”
Seeing Shopkeeper Liu’s attitude shift so rapidly, the servant knew the visitor was no small figure, yet he remained bewildered in his heart.
What kind of status could such a disheveled young woman possibly have?