Chapter 20: Youth and Yaoju.

The city never sleeps, and the house is being unblocked.

The murders of Jie Duyan and his son have left the prefectural government with no leads after several days of investigation. Two murders, two killers, committed their crimes almost simultaneously, yet left no trace. It was as if they appeared out of nowhere, killing their victims and then vanishing without a sound.

The Xie family was very dissatisfied that the case remained unsolved, but Madam Xie neither argued nor made a scene, and no mourning hall was set up at home. Instead, she rented a courtyard house next to the government office, removed the gate, and placed two black coffins side by side in the yard. Every day, when the officials and yamen runners went on their way, they would pass by the gate and could see the two black coffins at a glance, which was undoubtedly the best way to put pressure on the prefectural government and demand that they arrest the murderer as soon as possible.

Some people criticized Madam Xie's actions, saying that the ancients believed in burial for peace, and that since the person had died so tragically, why should their soul not rest in peace?

Madam Xie kept wiping away her tears, saying, "Once the culprits are brought to justice, the souls of the deceased will naturally find peace. When the deceased will be buried depends entirely on when the authorities close the case."

The body wasn't at home, but at least the house was clean. Madam Xie disliked the smell of white linen, the flying paper money, and the eerie smell of burning incense and candles. Placing the coffin outside would both urge the authorities and ensure that out of sight, out of mind. The coffin wouldn't be buried until the case was solved; the longer the delay, the better, to negotiate with the prefectural government and even the capital to see if the orphan and widow could have their taxes reduced for two years.

The taxes collected by Nevernight City over two years were enough to support a prominent family for twenty years. The sheer number of carts transporting this money each year from the banks was enough to make one's heart bleed.

The youngest daughter of the Xie family was still weeping over the deaths of her father and brother. Seeing this, Madam Xie became furious. "They're dead, what's there to cry about? Isn't it a good thing that your father-in-law and brother are gone? The family business will be in your hands in the future. You'd better learn how to manage a household and how to keep accounts. Don't just marry a man and become a hands-off manager, letting outsiders control such a large family business. I won't forgive you!"

The young lady of the Xie family raised her red, tearful eyes. She was the youngest daughter of Madam Xie, only seventeen years old, and truly knew nothing. She had always lived a peaceful life, and even when there was chaos and turmoil outside, she was never harmed in the slightest.

Looking at her daughter, Madam Xie felt discouraged and disappointed. Her biggest regret in life was not being able to give birth to a son. Xie Duyan's eldest son was left by his first wife. If she had a son, her youngest daughter would not have been forced to take over the family business and could have continued to embroider and write in her boudoir, never having to witness the cunning and treachery of merchants.

Now that Jie Duyan has died prematurely, though at an inopportune time, she has stepped from behind the scenes to the forefront with little effort. Her only worry is her fading youth; she doesn't know how much longer she can hold on. The title of the Nightless Marquis is like a colossal beast; once it falls, it will attract all sorts of rats and ants to swarm out and devour her from all directions. What will happen to this foolish young woman then? What if she marries an uncontrollable husband who seizes her family fortune and abuses her?

"Go back to your room, and don't cry in front of me." Madam Xie frowned and chased her away.

The steward handed her the account book and leaned down to say, "Madam, it's time to collect the two accounts from Yuliang."

She knew about Yu Liang's accounts without even looking at the ledgers; they were two messy debts. Because the head of the family had died, his wife and children were unable to pay and were resorting to defaulting. They had agreed to pay this year, but if she wasn't mistaken, it would be delayed again this year.

Madam Xie spat, "Send more people, we must take them in this time. I am not your master, who keeps extending the time limit only because he has something to do with that woman."

The butler hesitated, "What if we still don't have a penny?"

Madam Xie gave him a reproachful look. "When did you become such a philanthropist? If you're broke, you sell people and buy houses. What's the value of that house anyway? Just kick everyone out, put the deeds on the ghost market, and let the highest bidder win."

The butler, now having made up his mind, readily agreed and hurried off to take charge.

After a busy day, Madam Xie finally had a moment to rest, leaning against the couch in front of the flower-patterned window.

The moon in the sky shines coolly on everything on earth. A merchant, after all, is driven by profit; how many people will be displaced because of her ruthlessness? She doesn't care at all. Does the death of her husband give her the right to renege on her debts? She herself has also lost her husband; they are both in the same boat, and the other party should understand that she is a newly widowed woman and still has to live her life.

Sigh, I'm getting old, my back aches a lot. She turned over and rubbed her back with her hand.

Suddenly, a strange wind blew in from nowhere, making the candles pop and the fire flags flutter rapidly before going out in no time.

She propped herself up, intending to get up and check, when suddenly a sharp pain shot through the back of her neck, and she lost consciousness. When she awoke, she found herself locked in a pitch-black place, unable to see anything, only vaguely hearing footsteps outside and occasional casual conversation—

"Don't let her starve to death."

"How many more days do we need to let it rest? The chicken soup is ready..."

She couldn't distinguish between day and night, and in her desperate attempt to escape, she screamed for help. Unfortunately, this place was like a vat, amplifying every sound she made. She screamed for a long time, until her voice was hoarse, but it was all in vain.

Three meals a day, a small window in the door would open, and a hand would push in a ceramic pot containing chicken soup. She drank chicken soup for more than a dozen meals, until the smell made her nauseous. That day, she decided that she would rather starve to death than drink it again, but she was roughly dragged out of the dark room.

Suddenly being in bright light, the sunlight outside was so bright that she couldn't open her eyes at all. Afraid of being blinded, she had to cover her eyes. When her eyes were finally able to adjust to the light, she found herself being taken into a room filled with lights.

A young woman stood inside, beautiful and charming, especially with eyes that sparkled like stars. He gave her a warm smile and said gently, "Please forgive me for neglecting you, Madam, for the past few days."

Madam Xie was furious. "Who are you people? What do you want with me here?"

The woman smiled even more broadly, her eyes crinkling. "We are the ones who killed the Xie family father and son. We kidnapped you here because we're going to kill you next."

Madam Xie was startled, then terrified out of her wits. "I have no grudge against you..."

“There are too many grudges and injustices to count, so there’s no need to count them.” The young woman remained gentle. “Logically speaking, now that Jie Duyan is dead, you should be reunited with him. But I know that your relationship as husband and wife is not very close, so there are two paths for you now. It’s not necessary for you to die.”

Madam Xie was completely baffled as to what she was trying to do. She had thought she was doomed, but when she suddenly learned that there was a chance to live, she naturally wanted to fight for her life. So she said in a trembling voice, "Please instruct me, young lady."

The young woman strolled slowly, saying, “Everyone calls you Madam Xie, but no one knows that you also have your own name. Your surname is Luo, and your given name is Xuejie. You married Xie Duyan at the age of twenty-four, and it has been thirty years since then. As you grow old and your beauty fades, your vast fortune has no successor, which is Madam’s biggest worry right now. After all these years of painstaking effort, what you fear most is seeing the family fortune fall into the hands of others. Your daughter is unreliable, and you are unwilling to hand it over to your nephews and nieces. So why not keep it yourself for a long time, for twenty years, thirty years, fifty years… until you cultivate an excellent successor.”

Madam Xie listened intently, her expression darkening as she analyzed the situation. Only at the end did she manage a mocking laugh, "Is the young lady joking with me? I'm already at the age of fifty; if I live another thirty or fifty years, I'll only become a spirit."

“There’s no need to become a spirit,” the woman said. “Not only do you not need to become a spirit, but you can also regain your youth. Would you like to give it a try, madam?”

The more Madam Xie listened, the more mysterious it seemed. She hesitated and said, "What method do you have, young lady? Since you're helping me, I must pay a corresponding price, right?"

The young woman didn't speak, but reached out and pulled back the cloth covering the long table, revealing a young body underneath. She then gestured for her to take a look.

Madam Xie stared intently, tears welling in her eyes. She knew this face all too well; it was her at thirty, clear and distinct, even the mole between her eyebrows was exactly the same.

The young woman asked, "How about it? Would you like to make a deal, madam, to live in this brand new body?"

The passing of youth always saddens a woman's heart. Madam Xie, being a woman of action, immediately made up her mind: "I have heard that there are puppeteers in Zhongdu who can create lifelike human bodies. Today I have witnessed it firsthand, and it has truly broadened my horizons. Young lady, please name your conditions. As long as I can fulfill them, I will not refuse."

A straightforward person is always honest and straightforward. The young woman said, “I give you my youth, and you will repay me with fine jade. There are many people coming and going in the Nightless City, and what we have in abundance are connections and money. I happen to need both of these, but it’s not time for me to use them yet. So you can pay on credit first and pay later.”

"Is that all?" Madam Xie asked warily.

The woman nodded gently. "That's all."

Madam Xie said, "I am a businesswoman, and I am best at weighing the pros and cons. Money and power are nothing compared to being given a second chance at life. We will do as you suggest, young lady."

The young woman was very satisfied. "Excellent! Let's not delay any longer, let's begin! Is your wife afraid of pain?"

A woman, suffering from chronic backaches and countless minor ailments, had long since grown impatient with her body. Men may have lofty ambitions, but so do women. She only lamented the fleeting nature of youth and the dwindling time left. If she could do it all over again, she'd be ready to tear the sky apart; a momentary pain wouldn't matter!

“As long as you can wake me up.” She lowered her hands. “The rest is up to you.”

Then a bowl of medicine was brought in from outside; the liquid was pitch black, and no one knew what had been added to it. Madam Xie took it, and without a moment's hesitation, tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp. The young woman opposite her exclaimed even more admiringly, "I admire Madam's decisiveness!"

Of course, Madam Xie had no recollection of what happened next. She only knew that when she opened her eyes again, a large bronze mirror was placed directly above her. She saw herself blinking, and the young body in the mirror blinked as well. She tried to speak, and the person in the mirror opened their lips.

"Recovery will take time. Once your heart has fully settled, you can get up and sit up as usual, and eat and drink as usual." The woman leaned against the side and gently instructed, "I forgot to tell you that you need to have your life extended by the puppeteer every ten days. If you miss it, you won't survive. But don't worry, if you are too busy to come, we can send a puppeteer to deliver the medicine to you."

Madam Xie understood that the remaining half of the sentence was unspoken, on the condition that she obeyed and unconditionally accepted the master's assignments.

That's how business is always done. If you have something to ask for, you have to give the seller a corresponding reward. Fair trade is perfectly reasonable.

After resting for two more days, Madam Xie was finally able to speak, and her first question was, "Is the young lady a puppeteer?"

The young woman smiled and said, "I'm just a messenger. You may recognize me today, but you won't recognize me when we meet again. Please remember that."

Madam Xie was a sensible woman; with just a little prompting, she immediately understood.

The woman, with her hands behind her back, leaned over to examine her face closely and said gently, "This body has been aging normally since the day you awoke. You stole twenty years of time, which you can use to fulfill the dreams you didn't have time to complete. If one day you still feel it's not enough, you can change it again, but the price you'll have to pay will be greater. The gains and losses are entirely up to you to weigh. Alright, that's all I can do for you. The rest of the recovery is up to you. Anyway, it will definitely become more and more compatible, so please rest assured, Madam."

Seeing that she was about to leave, Madam Xie, still having questions she hadn't had time to ask, asked, "Where are you going, young lady? How will we find you later?"

The young woman blinked her sly eyes and smiled, saying, "I need to find time to get married; I've already promised someone. You don't need to look for me; if I need anything, I'll come to you."

A note from the author:

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It will be available for purchase tomorrow, with a 10,000-word update on the same day. This book won't be too long, probably around 200,000 to 300,000 words.