64. Water drop

She was the only one who didn't like him.

As he listened, Zhao Zhonggan felt his brain was overwhelmed again.

He ran his fingers through his hair. Sigh, it had been thick and lush just a few days ago, but now it was showing signs of desertification. He looked at the two people in front of him; both had long, glossy, black hair that exuded the same faint scent of herbs.

Does hair oil have the effect of enhancing intelligence? Should I shamelessly ask Young Master Amo for a bottle?

Senior sister certainly wouldn't care about these trivial matters; her food and clothing were all taken care of by Young Master Amo along the way.

Ying Jianhua said, "Wu Ti was first possessed before we entered the capital. The map showed no reaction on the first and second days after we entered the capital. The second time she was possessed was because the demon heard the rumor of 'people coming from Dengxian Mountain,' and it couldn't wait to verify the truth of the matter."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhonggan slapped himself in frustration: "It's my fault. I was only thinking about showing off to the old man, which caused my senior sister to expose her identity."

Ying Jianhua said, "It's not a bad thing. This has actually prompted the demon to reveal its true colors; otherwise, we would probably still be in the dark."

"But it hasn't taken any further action yet, whether it has backed down or was originally planning to remain inactive."

This is indeed a difficult problem. If that demon is determined to play the coward and stall them, there's nothing they can do.

There are still half a month until the Marquis of Jianchang gets his next dose of medicine. Too many things can happen in half a month.

The room was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop. All three were racking their brains, and finally, Ying Jianhua and Zhao Zhonggan simultaneously turned their gazes to Du Zhijin, awaiting her decision.

As the one with the highest combat strength among them, they were still used to listening to her on important matters.

After a long pause, Du Zhijin spoke, making a decisive statement: "We'll split up. We need to find out as soon as possible what happened in the capital over the past three years, especially the year you were gone, Xiao Zhao. Amo, you continue following Wu Ti's lead, and I'll go find Madam Hou."

When his mother was mentioned, Zhao Zhonggan volunteered, "I can take care of my mother!"

She explained, "With me here, even if Lady Hou is possessed, I can suppress it immediately."

He was relieved then and asked, "What about me? How can I help?"

Du Zhijin: "Go find the old man... I mean your father, and tell him you still want to learn martial arts. See if he can invite that 'Tianshui Master' over again." She's been hearing Zhao Zhonggan call him "old man" every day, so she's gotten used to calling the Marquis of Jianchang that too.

Ying Jianhua had no objection to her arrangement. On the contrary, Zhao Zhonggan, unwilling to yield to the old man, had the audacious idea to ask Ying Jianhua: "Young Master Mo, do you have any medicine that can make someone delirious and unable to answer any question after just one dose?"

Ying Jianhua: "...Read less storybooks, those kinds of things don't exist. If you feel you can't kneel down to your father, you can tie two soft pads to your knees."

"Will this work?" Zhao Zhonggan glanced down at his legs, half believing his words.

Du Zhijin casually remarked, "Isn't that how it's written in storybooks? It's about how a princess who was picked up wasn't used to the palace rules and was afraid of being punished by kneeling, so they tied two soft pads to her knees."

Zhao Zhonggan exclaimed, "Wow, Senior Sister also likes to read storybooks! Young Master Mo, why don't you mention it to her?"

When accused in person, Du Zhijin was not angry; in fact, he smiled.

Hmph, Ah Mo will definitely side with her.

As expected, Ying Jianhua pretended not to hear. Zhao Zhonggan felt ostracized and muttered resentfully several times before Ying Jianhua finally had to give an explanation: "Those with weak character will be swayed by such nonsense. Your senior sister's cultivation is far above yours; she truly came from Dengxian Mountain, and reading storybooks is a form of entertainment for her. As for you, you're wasting your time on trivial things."

Zhao Zhonggan covered his ears and wailed, "Why do you talk like a teacher in a school?"

Ying Jianhua ignored him completely; he was like a mischievous monkey, not even as clever as Honghua. If Zhao Zhonggan were his student, he would be furious.

Despite his reluctance, Zhao Zhonggan had to settle things with his father, leaving only him and Du Zhijin in the room.

He was trying to figure out what excuse to use to get information out of Wu Ti when Du Zhijin suddenly moved over hesitantly.

She cleared her throat, her voice low and soft, lacking confidence: "Um, Amo, could you call me 'um' again...?"

Ying Jianhua found it strange: "What is that?"

Her gaze darted around: "It's the one you just called me."

He paused, recalling what he had just said, and repeated, "Those with weak character will have their minds swayed by such nonsense. Your senior sister..."

"Yes!" she replied cheerfully, a smile spreading across her face.

She didn't feel anything when Zhao Zhonggan called her "senior sister," but she was very happy when Amo called her "senior sister."

Ying Jianhua realized what was happening and glared at her: "You're taking advantage of me."

Du Zhijin sighed regretfully, "If only you were my junior brother, Amo, it would be so much better. It's a pity that our master has passed away. Even if we were to enter the sect, it would only be me who could take you as my disciple."

He thought about it for a moment, following her words. If he were her disciple, wouldn't he have to call her Master?

Instantly, scenes of masters and disciples from various stories flashed through his mind. His face flushed, his cheeks turning red, and he cursed, "You're so improper!"

She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, thankful that Gu Zhang Zhenren was also a woman.

Du Zhijin was puzzled. What was so improper about this?

She tentatively changed her address: "Then it's okay if I call you Master?"

Anyway, Amo always exudes the air of an elder from time to time, so she calls out to him without any psychological burden.

As a result, Ying Jianhua's blush deepened.

Du Zhijin smiled.

I was glared at, but...

hey-hey.

————

Time was of the essence, so they acted immediately. The two split up: Du Zhijin went to find Madam Hou, while Ying Jianhua took her medicine chest and went to Jiaolan Pavilion.

This time, the maid at the gate recognized him and didn't stop him. Before entering, he glanced at one of the people.

It was the maid who brought Wu Ti with her on the day he came to discuss cooperation. Wu Ti believed he was "sleepwalking." Didn't this maid describe his state at that time to him?

Before he could think it through, Wu Ti heard that it was him and assumed that there was progress on the matter of the Hibiscus Beauty Pill. He greeted him, "Young Master Mo, please come in."

He nodded, deliberately lifting the medicine box. Sure enough, Wu Ti was drawn to the medicine box and quickly asked, "Did you see something?"

He didn't answer immediately, but instead kept her in suspense by probing, "Are beauty pills popular in Beijing?"

Wu Ti: "It's not a matter of whether it's fashionable or not, it's just that everyone has their own methods for maintaining youth and beauty. But my beauty pills are unique, no one else has them."

In an instant, she guessed his intention: "Could it be that Young Master Mo also wants to make some beauty pills to sell? That's easy to do. I have a few close female friends and I know some pharmacy owners. I can help you make connections."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Miss." Ying Jianhua opened the medicine box, took out a small bottle of pills, and handed it to her.

He knew all too well what these shrewd people were thinking. Unlike pure businessmen like Huo Bai and Huo Qing, Wu Ti and Prince Cheng Duan were the same kind of people. They wouldn't trust anyone to work with them unless they had leverage over them. They needed someone to keep the puppet in check; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

On both occasions, Ying Jianhua chose to portray himself as a greedy and petty person. How wonderful it is to be a petty person! They understand the true nature of petty people best, and are ruthless in discarding them after they've served their purpose.

See, after he finished speaking, Wu Ti immediately took the medicine.

Even though he was disdainful in his heart, he disguised it well on the surface: "I know that I am not qualified, and I dare not be presumptuous under the emperor's nose. I would like to ask Miss Biao to enlighten me, which family is in charge of the medicine business."

Wu Ti, as expected of someone who had studied household management for eight years, spoke of these matters with ease: "There are four families: Bai, Cheng, Lu, and Gong. Among them, the Bai family is the most powerful..."

Ying Jianhua listened from the side, occasionally offering a word or two in agreement. Suddenly, he interrupted, "Then, what about the miracle doctor?"

This was his real purpose: he wanted to know who "True Man Yu Nie" sold his medicine to.

Wu Ti paused, mentally assessing whether he was worth her telling the truth, and after a moment said, "You don't need to worry about that. Divine doctors don't conform to worldly ways, and very few families have elixirs. Apart from the Marquis's mansion, there are only the Huang and Gu mansions. They have few women in their families, so you can't do business with them."

Finally, they had a definitive list. Ying Jianhua knew when to stop and didn't press Huang Gu about which two households he belonged to. Any further questioning would erode the little trust he had just built.

Ying Jianhua chatted with her for a while longer to prevent her from getting carried away with filial piety and going to see Lady Hou, which would ruin Du Zhijin's plans. Wu Ti was also patient, occasionally asking him about ways to maintain health, which he answered one by one.

"I hope my aunt is healthy and lives a long life." She clasped her hands together and even chanted "Amitabha." Ying Jianhua thought to herself, she may not really want to harm Lady Hou, but unfortunately she has become a knife for the demon to stab her own family.

If Wu Ti knew the truth, how would he react?

A short meow came from outside the window. He was startled and recognized it as the signal from Du Zhijin. He got up to take his leave.

Wu Ti had no suspicions and even instructed her maid to prepare some snacks for him, which was her usual way of winning people over.

After leaving Jiaolan Pavilion, Du Zhijin's eyes immediately fell on the food box in his hand. Ying Jianhua, thinking she was hungry, casually handed it to her, saying, "Take this and eat."

He's been trying to control his weight lately and doesn't eat snacks anymore.

Du Zhijin took the food box but didn't eat it. He asked suspiciously, "Why aren't you eating?" After thinking for a moment, he suddenly realized, "It's been hot lately, and you've been busy traveling. It's normal that you can't eat this greasy food. I'll cook some medicinal food for you when we get back. You're not allowed to complain about the bitterness."

Upon hearing this, she happily agreed, and planned to give the snacks to Zhao Zhonggan when he returned.

We can't waste food, so let's leave it to Xiao Zhao, who's my cousin, to handle!

After realizing her own feelings, she found herself becoming unusually concerned about certain things. For example, right now, she was unwilling to accept the food that Wu Ti had given her.

What's this? Jealousy? Such an unreasonable feeling.

She asked herself the same question, occasionally stealing a glance at the person beside her. Once or twice, Ying Jianhua pretended not to see it, but after a while, he couldn't help but ask, "What are you looking at?"

He looked in the bronze mirror this morning and there was nothing wrong with his body. Could he have gained weight?

Thinking this, he couldn't help but touch his face, feeling slightly deflated.

Du Zhijin tilted her head and threw the question back at him: "How did Amo know I was watching you? Were you watching me the whole time?"

Ying Jianhua was somewhat annoyed. He was annoyed by her flirtatious words, and also annoyed at his own inability to control his heart; a single sentence could make him flutter. He could only stride forward to try and distance himself from her, but she caught up with him in a few steps.

He glared at her.

So what if a sword cultivator can walk fast?

Du Zhijin blinked, as if she hadn't quite gotten over being disliked. She suddenly leaned closer, and in the sunlight, the fine downy hairs on her face were clearly visible.

The painter should see that he is holding his breath.

Why are you standing so close?

"Don't move."

The two words, though seemingly light and casual, sounded like an incantation she uttered, leaving him rooted to the spot.

He even closed his eyes.

The shadows covered his face, but he could feel her getting closer and closer.

Du Zhijin's hair brushed against the side of his neck, tickling him a little, but soon it became more than just an itch. That strand of hair was like a bright flame, igniting the candle in his heart all the way upwards. Ying Jianhua could imagine how red his face would be without even opening his eyes.

She had to point it out: "Your face is so red."

He gritted his teeth, stubbornly refusing to utter a sound, letting his cheeks burn. But soon, this shame was replaced by a bittersweet determination.

Should she kiss him?

Kiss me, Du Zhijin.

He thought.

I will act as if nothing happened, and you will remain untouched by worldly affairs, still the carefree hermit of the mountains.

So, Du Zhijin, kiss me. Give me a little something to dream about in the dead of night, a touch of sweetness, so that even if endless suffering follows, I can deceive myself into believing that you are not entirely without feelings for me.

Their breaths were so close, he could feel her gaze on his face, so light yet so heavy.

She drew closer.

Then, she plucked a fallen leaf that had landed on his temple.

She hoped he would open his eyes and see the feelings in them.

Even the leaves like you. So do I.

But he took a half step back, not looking at her, and naturally missed her expectation and disappointment.

Ying Jianhua smiled self-deprecatingly.

Yes, she never hesitates to praise him; in her heart, the stars like him, and the leaves like him.

She was the only one who didn't like him.

————

Du Zhijin originally wanted to take advantage of their time alone to show off his reliability as a Daoist partner. However, not long after the two returned to Shuyu Zhai, Zhao Zhonggan rushed over in a great hurry.

He took a big gulp of water and was glared at by Du Zhijin for no reason, which made him feel quite wronged.

How come my senior sister has also learned to glare at people? Is glaring contagious?

Looking at Yingjian's painting again, he seemed normal, but he appeared somewhat absent-minded.

He was completely baffled by the affair between the two, so he decided to focus on the important matter: "The old man said that Master Tianshui returned to Dengxian Mountain two months ago."

Du Zhijin didn't believe it: "There's nothing important, why would he go back?"

However, they also guessed that it wouldn't be that easy. If they could catch the person so easily, they wouldn't be frantically piecing together information here.

Ying Jianhua waited for a while, and seeing that the thing in his mind showed no intention of speaking, he simply told what he knew: "Wu Ti said that the elixir of immortality is only in the hands of three families."

"The Marquis's Mansion and the Huanggu Family."

Du Zhijin nodded: "Liulijing has a magic array to suppress demonic power, so it can only possess you three or four times a month, which is probably its limit."

"Xiao Zhao, do you know which two families own Huanggu?"

After listening, Zhao Zhonggan hissed and pondered: "There is only one family with the surname Gu, namely Gu Qian, the former tutor of the crown prince and now the Grand Tutor. But there are quite a few people with the surname Huang. It is a large surname, with at least a dozen or twenty households."

That's true; even in Wuling Village, there are four or five different Huang families.

The truth was right before their eyes, yet they couldn't grasp it; the feeling was truly unbearable. Zhao Zhonggan tugged at his hair, forcing himself to recall prominent figures in the capital, but he disliked associating with the powerful and influential; otherwise, he wouldn't have run away alone.

Ying Jianhua pondered for a moment: "Let's put that aside for now and start with the two families we already know about. What do you think the Marquis of Jianchang's mansion and the Grand Tutor Gu family have in common?"

After a moment's thought, Du Zhijin replied, "Are they all top-tier powerful figures?"

One was the Empress's younger brother, and the other was the Emperor's tutor; both came from prominent families.

Zhao Zhonggan followed her train of thought: "So it's a nobleman surnamed Huang? But I don't remember him. At most, he's a fourth-rank Imperial Academy Director, not worth mentioning."

To say that a fourth-rank Imperial Academy Director is insignificant is probably a rare feat in the entire capital. But Zhao Zhonggan has the authority to say so, and Ying Jianhua agrees with him.

The trail went cold again. He slumped onto the table in despair, sighing deeply.

Du Zhijin spoke up to boost morale: "It's just that I didn't think of it for a moment. No, I've also heard some news from Madam Hou. Why don't you listen to what I have to say before drawing a conclusion?"

He asked curiously, "How could my mother have information I don't know?"

Ying Jianhua glanced at him and said, "You are your mother's precious son, which is why there are some things I can't tell you."

He could tell that Lady Hou was very satisfied with Du Zhijin, her "prospective daughter-in-law." Besides Zhao Zhonggan's fondness for her, another reason was that she came from Dengxian Mountain.

Just like when he decided to save Du Zhijin, her origin from "Dengxian Mountain" indicated that she had a certain deterrent effect on demons. Lady Hou was very clever; she could sense the abnormality within herself and naturally understood that it was the work of demons. Although she desperately sought help from Buddhism, it didn't mean that Dengxian Mountain was completely condemned in her mind.

As for why she trusted Du Zhijin... he probably knew something Zhao Zhonggan had told her.

In short, if Lady Hou wanted to save herself, she would definitely let Du Zhijin know.

As expected, Du Zhijin was invited in by Tan Xue as soon as she appeared at the courtyard gate. Madam Hou, who was tidying up the accounts, immediately took her hand and invited her to sit down upon seeing her.

"Good boy, you've come! I was just about to send someone to find you."

Before Du Zhijin could answer, she asked many more questions, such as whether he slept well, ate well, and whether he was frightened that day. Finally, she sighed and said that she was not in good health and was afraid that she would not be able to stay with her son for much longer.

Zhao Zhonggan panicked upon hearing this: "Could it be that the monster is going to harm my mother?"

Ying Jianhua shook his head, signaling him to stop talking and continue listening to Du Zhijin. He could only suppress his panic and sit down anxiously.

"Hmm...then they told me Xiao Zhao's birth date and time, and asked for mine too." Du Zhijin scratched his head. "I've noticed that everyone likes to reveal their birth date and time, but Amo, didn't you tell me that this thing shouldn't be easily revealed, or I'll get cursed? So I changed it a bit."

Ying Jianhua was surprised that she even remembered this. It was a topic that arose when they were in Wuling Village because of Lu Ping's birth chart.

She smiled at him, as if seeking praise, her invisible tail wagging. He sighed helplessly, yet the corners of his lips unconsciously turned up slightly.

Zhao Zhonggan pointed at himself: "So, aren't you afraid I'll be cursed with voodoo dolls?"

Unfortunately, nobody cared whether he would be cursed with voodoo dolls.

"After telling me my birth date and time, Lady Hou asked me where my ancestral home was and if I still had any family members. I told her that I was an orphan. She said she felt sorry for me while feeding me some snacks. The snacks were delicious."

She had a good impression of Lady Hou, perhaps because she lacked maternal care from birth, and she felt a little envious when she saw Lady Hou doting on Zhao Zhonggan. Therefore, she decided to do her best to find out the truth and relieve Lady Hou of her worries.

"Then, for some reason, the conversation drifted to Xiao Zhao's ancestors? They said that their family's previous generation were just minor officials of a few ranks, but because their daughter was virtuous, Xiao Zhao's aunt became the empress, and that's how they gradually rose to prominence. Hmm, they even talked about Empress Zhao and the emperor's past. Is that something we can talk about?"

Even under the emperor's nose, Du Zhijin had to be cautious, for fear of saying the wrong thing.

Zhao Zhonggan waved his hand and said, "It's alright, Senior Sister, please speak freely."

She glanced at Ying Jianhua again, and seeing that he showed no sign of surprise, she continued, "...Oh, okay, there's one thing that I find quite strange. The Lady of the Marquis said that the Emperor hasn't attended court for many years, and he doesn't even go on the autumn hunt. During the Ghost Festival and Qingming Festival, he only sends relatives to offer sacrifices, while he himself stays in the capital."

The painting shows a furrowed brow.

Throughout history, there have indeed been incompetent emperors who did not attend court, but none of them even went on autumn hunts or ancestral sacrifices.

Zhao Zhonggan testified: "That's true, I haven't seen my aunt for a long time."

Du Zhijin asked curiously, "Even the Empress is confined in the capital? How boring must that be?" "You're right. When I was five or six years old, I could see my aunt often, and occasionally I could go to the Summer Palace with her."

After being reminded, Zhao Zhonggan remembered something else: "Actually, the court banquet has changed a bit in the last five years. We only watch the emperor and empress from afar in the hall, and their appearance is very brief, no more than a quarter of an hour. But why is my mother bringing this up? She's not a gossipy person."

"The Lady of the Marquis was not gossiping; she was reminding us."

Ying Jianhua pinched her palm hard to calm herself down.

He took a deep breath and asked Zhao Zhonggan, "Are there any eunuchs in the palace, especially those who are favored by the emperor, with the surname Zhou?"

Zhao Zhonggan was taken aback, thought for a moment, and shook his head: "No. My family gives me a reward every year, there's no mistake about that."

Du Zhijin: "Amo, do you mean that the demon's target is the emperor?"

He nodded, then hesitated: "That's what I originally thought. But then he said there were no people with the surname Zhou among the eunuchs, so..." "Wait! There are! There are people with the surname Zhou!"

Zhao Zhonggan suddenly stood up and said excitedly, "The adopted son of the Grand Eunuch Hu Yude is surnamed Zhou! He is a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, not a eunuch, so he did not change his surname."