Chapter Thirty-Five
In Baozhu's second life, everything was different. She and Li Zhi separated in Xiandu Prefecture, and she was tricked away by Madam Ge, which led Li Zhi to come to Gejiabao to rescue her. Then, in a daze, they arrived in Jiangbei Prefecture. Baozhu stayed by Li Zhi's side, while Li Zhi became a Celestial Master.
It's not just that her experiences are different from Li Zhi's.
After talking with Li Zhi about the female ghost Lianxin, when it was late at night, Baozhu took advantage of the darkness and climbed onto the roof of the Ji residence.
Facing the scorching wind of Jiangbei Prefecture late at night, Baozhu squatted on a high place, pondering Lianxin's matter. One after another, many solutions to break the deadlock popped into her mind.
She is different from her previous life.
Perhaps because of the trials and tribulations she had gone through these days, Baozhu, who used to act on instinct and act recklessly when faced with problems, actually began to think and plan before solving them.
This should be a good thing, right?
Baozhu gazed deeply at the sleeping Ji family mansion beneath her and sighed softly.
After sighing, Baozhu stood up and headed towards a certain spot in the Ji residence.
The scenes she saw in Lianxin's illusion were blurry, but the latter half should have taken place at the Ji residence. She found Lianxin's manuscript in the small courtyard where she lived with Li Zhi, which confirmed which courtyard in the Ji residence she lived in when she was alive.
Lianxin died, and there were no other masters in the Ji residence, but the servants were still there. Baozhu and Li Zhi's small courtyard was served by several servants together.
In the evening, the servant who usually brought water and food to their courtyard brought the food from the main kitchen as usual. As he left, he unknowingly picked up a trace of fox scent.
Following the scent she left behind, Baozhu quietly made her way to the back room next to the main gate of the Ji residence.
A whole row of houses was built here, one after another, densely packed together.
The servants all lived here in the Ji residence.
Baozhu straightened up and looked up at the distant side of the Ji residence, opposite this place, where the maids of the Ji residence should live.
Speaking of which, Lianxin was Ji Ren's wife, and she should have been served by maids more often in the Ji residence.
However, because Li Zhi was a man and refused to be served by maids, Baozhu did not see many maids in the mansion.
After thinking it over, Baozhu decided to start with the servants. If there were no clues, she would then investigate the maids.
In the quiet and exquisite Ji residence in Jiangbei Prefecture, a fox nimbly slid down from the roof. She cautiously peeked out and explored the servants' rooms one by one.
Four servants lived in one room. Apart from the one who stood guard at the gate at night, this was the entire household of servants in the Ji residence.
The scent of the fox lingered in the leftmost room.
Baozhu groped her way along the wall, leaned against the door, and listened to the loud snoring from inside the house, her eyes darting around.
She had to be careful; the outer residence of the Ijinji Souji was no place where she could be too meticulous, and she absolutely could not leave any loose ends.
Baozhu tilted her head and thought for a moment, then stretched out her front paw and poked a hole in the paper window of the servants.
The fox demon took a deep breath and gently breathed its demonic power into the room through the hole.
The snoring in the room gradually subsided, and Baozhu waited a while longer until the room became completely silent.
alright.
She carefully slipped into the house.
As soon as Baozhu stepped into the room, she glanced around and saw several men lying haphazardly asleep on the large communal bed. She was about to go over and take a look when, before she could even take a step, a strong, pungent smell of stinky socks wafted into her sensitive nose and blasted her out the door.
Baozhu's eyes welled up with tears from the fumes, and she leaned against the doorway, still shaken.
What kind of monsters are these? Stinky sock spirits? Why is it that Li Zhi, being a man, has never smelled like this?
It turns out that among the mortals in this world, it's not only celestial masters who can set up magic arrays.
Baozhu had no choice but to stand outside and take a long, deep breath until her stomach was so full that she couldn't take any more. Then she covered her mouth and nose and went back inside.
She walked around the room on tiptoe twice, looking disgusted.
The room was empty except for some smelly clothes that were better left to be thrown away.
And these four servants, Baozhu felt they all looked pretty much the same, her fox-like scent had become indistinguishable by this point.
"Let's wake them all up."
Baozhu wanted to sigh, but was afraid that too much air she had inhaled would escape.
"Get up, everyone."
The fox demon called out in a high-pitched, theatrical voice.
The four men who had been sleeping soundly inside the room, their eyes still closed, all sat up straight.
They shifted on the communal bed, turning their bodies and faces toward Baozhu.
"Fox spirit, please ask us a question," the four men said in unison, their eyes closed.
"I ask you, who knows Lianxin?"
"Please let the fox spirit know that I know Lianxin," they said together again.
Baozhu was delighted; it seemed she was extremely lucky this time.
"What do you think of Lianxin? Who is she closest to in the Ji family?" the fox spirit asked.
“Being young and cautious, he did not befriend anyone in the Ji family mansion.”
“Lianxin committed adultery with a man outside and secretly sold all the jewelry that the master had given her to support her lover.”
"Stop, stop, stop!" The fox spirit quickly interrupted the servant who was speaking behind her. "Lianxin is keeping a lover? How do you know? Did you all know?"
The other three shook their heads, while only the one who spoke nodded.
"You may leave now," Baozhu waved her hand.
The three servants who had been shaking their heads went limp instantly and collapsed onto the bed.
"Who is this lover you're talking about? Why is it that only you know, and no one else does?" Baozhu asked the last servant who remained.
The servant had his eyes closed, but his eyeballs were rolling around under his eyelids, and his teeth were chattering. He was trembling as if he were possessed.
"Oh dear, why do you have to wake up so soon?" Baozhu had no choice but to lean forward and breathe a long breath on his face.
Enveloped by the fox spirit's demonic aura, the servant calmed down and slurred, "Replying to the fox spirit, I witnessed these things. That day, I drank some wine and fell into a deep sleep in my room. Suddenly, the backyard sent people from inside the room to do something. The other three people in the room went, but I didn't."
It was cold then, and they left without closing the door. A little while later, I woke up from the cold. When I got up, I saw no one in the house, so I went out to look for them. In the distance, near the side gate, I saw them carrying a large sack and throwing it onto a mule cart.
I sobered up instantly and sensed something was wrong, so I hid in a corner. I overheard them talking to the old woman in the backyard. The old woman said that this was Lianxin, the master's favorite, who had been having an affair and had taken the jewelry the master had given her to sell for money to give to her lover. She had been expelled from the manor.
After listening, Baozhu pondered for a moment and then asked, "Did you see Lianxin being put into the sack? Was she still alive then?"
"I didn't see it with my own eyes, but the things in that pocket kept moving."
In other words, if the bag truly contained Lianxin, and she was still alive when she was expelled from the manor, Ji Ren probably didn't kill her at the time.
Baozhu wrinkled her nose, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "Are those servants who went to the backyard still here?"
"They're gone; they were released one after another."
"This is truly a scandal," Baozhu sighed, letting out the last bit of air she had left inside.
She quickly covered her mouth and nose, waved for the servants to collapse onto the bed, and leaped out of the room.
After leaving the room filled with a nauseating stench, Baozhu hesitated and paced back and forth in the small open space in front of the rear building.
The servant was a man, and he only saw that Lianxin was expelled from the Ji residence and heard a bit of talk from the old woman. He didn't know whether the so-called theft of jewelry and theft of men were true.
If Lianxin really has a man outside, why is she reluctant to die? Could it be that she wants to see that man again?
The fox paced back and forth in the yard, feeling that it still needed to find the old woman who was present at the time, as she must know the most.
Baozhu jumped onto the roof, lowered herself, and stepped into the shadows, trying to reach the inner chambers where the maids lived in the backyard.
Halfway there, by the moonlight, she suddenly saw a figure sneakily hiding at the base of the wall in the alley, watching them from outside the high walls of the Ji residence.
Baozhu looked at it from afar and felt that it looked somewhat familiar.
So she crept even more furtively to a spot where she could see the person's face clearly.
He was a boy, his head shaved in crater, with a scar running from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth. He looked up at the high walls surrounding the Ji residence, walls he could never possibly scale, his eyes filled with malice.
Baozhu recognized him!
Isn't this the scarred beggar from Koizumi Village during the day? It's really strange. When we left the city this morning, the soldiers said that the higher-ups had ordered the city gates to be closed and that no one was allowed to enter or leave. How did the little beggar get in from outside the city?
Baozhu looked at him with a face full of doubt.
What is he doing at the Ji residence? If it's because he hates the Celestial Master, Ji Ren isn't here. This is just Ji Ren's outer residence; he only comes here when his mistress is living inside.
Scarface looks at the Ji residence, and Baozhu looks at Scarface.
After a while, Scarface lowered his head and silently disappeared into the darkness.
Baozhu followed instinctively.
Scarface was indeed skilled; when he moved through the shadows of the city, even the fox demon behind him almost lost him several times, requiring him to be extremely focused.
However, as the two chased each other, the more Baozhu looked at his movements, the more familiar they seemed, a kind of familiarity that made her feel uneasy and her hair stand on end.
After walking for quite a while, they finally arrived at a secluded city wall. In front of Baozhu, Scarface ducked into the wall and disappeared without a trace.
Baozhu's eyes widened.
The city wall looks intact, with no dog holes. Where did Scar go?
She waited for a long time, and seeing that the scar seemed to have really disappeared from here, she quickly looked around and carefully approached from behind, wanting to examine the city wall where the scar had disappeared.
but--
As she approached, she immediately knew where the familiarity with Scar came from and the secret of his disappearance from the city walls.
Baozhu covered her nose and backed away repeatedly.
Although a long time has passed, the fox spirit still recognized it!
There was clearly a hole dug by a weasel spirit here, and Scarface's movements also carried traces of the weasel spirit from Baozhu's memories.
Hmph!
Could this little beggar have taken a weasel spirit as his godmother?
It felt like ants were crawling all over Baozhu's body; she was going crazy.
weasel!
Disgusting weasel!
Nearly thirty years have passed in total across the two lifetimes, yet Baozhu can still recall that day, the scene of her battle with an annoying weasel spirit.
At that time, the entire hillside where her family lived, and her whole body, were permeated with the stench of that weasel spirit's farts. In order to protect her home, Baozhu fought the stinky weasel spirit to the death, from dawn to dusk, before finally driving her away.
Even after she chased the weasel spirit away, the stench of its farts lingered in Baozhu's nose for months. No matter what she tried, it was no use. It was as if she had spent months in a latrine.
Memories lingered in Baozhu's mind, and she couldn't help but shudder, her body hair standing on end as if it had exploded.
Li Zhi and the others were all deceived by the little beggars; it was all a conspiracy by the weasel spirit!
Baozhu took off running towards the Ji residence, completely forgetting that she was going to the backyard to find the old woman.
When he returned to the Ji residence, Li Zhi was still awake. An oil lamp was lit on the table, and he was intently studying the Treatise on Heaven.
Baozhu blew into the house like a gust of wind, transformed into a woman, and hurriedly grabbed Li Zhi's arm, complaining, "That little beggar boy, he has taken a weasel spirit as his godmother, don't be fooled."
She looked terrified and rattled off a whole bunch of nonsensical ramblings, making her look rather pitiful.
Li Zhi didn't understand, but he felt sorry for Baozhu, so he quickly put down the book in his hand and carefully asked her what had happened.
Baozhu calmed herself down and told Li Zhi about everything that had happened that night.
After hearing Baozhu's words, Li Zhi's attention was no longer on the weasel spirit.
“If he didn’t have some skills, how could he have raised nine and a half children? But Baozhu, have you ever thought about why he was outside the Ji residence?” Li Zhi said softly.
Baozhu was taken aback upon hearing this, and twisted her fingers shyly, saying, "I originally went after him to find out why, but when I smelled the weasel, I forgot about it."
Li Zhi listened without changing his expression, still smiling as he looked at Baozhu. He said, "It's alright, I just remembered again."
Baozhu's anxious heart was instantly calmed down. She leaned closer to Li Zhi and asked in a drawn-out voice, "Then why do you think Scarface is here?"
Li Zhi moved his chair to make her more comfortable and said, "Those children are hiding in Xiaoquan Village. You also met Lianxin near Xiaoquan Village. If this is a coincidence, then what about Scarface appearing at the Ji residence? How can there be so many coincidences? There must be a connection between them."
Baozhu suddenly realized and nodded, "That's right."
"Next time, come with us out of town to Xiaoquan Village and ask him?"
"OK."
After finishing his business, it was already very late at night. Li Zhi cleansed himself with a cleansing talisman he had drawn, tidied up his books and talismans, and then prepared to go to bed.
Baozhu followed closely behind him, sniffing him every now and then.
Li Zhi wanted to go with her, but he almost bumped into her several times. He turned back to look at Baozhu with amusement and asked in surprise, "What's going on now? Have I turned into a weasel spirit too?"
"Don't mention that wretched thing." Baozhu shivered, her body twisting and contorting into a pretzel shape for some reason. "I'm just curious."
"What are you curious about?"
“I went to the room where the servants lived today, and it stank horribly. They are men, and you are a man too, so why do you not smell at all? You always smell wonderful.”
As if to prove her point, Baozhu leaned closer to Li Zhi and took several deep breaths.
Upon hearing this, Li Zhi's eyes darkened.
He curled the corners of his lips into a smile, and mimicking Baozhu's manner, he lowered his head and gently sniffed her neck.
Li Zhi's hot breath sprayed onto Baozhu's skin, and a strange tingling sensation crept up Baozhu's back. She shuddered and shrank her neck, not letting Li Zhi get any closer.
"What are you doing?" Baozhu asked angrily.
"I'm wondering the same thing. Among so many monsters, why is it that only Baozhu smells so good? Isn't that strange?"
Baozhu blushed deeply, poked Li Zhi's chest with her hand, and pretended to be angry, saying, "You lecherous scoundrel!"
Li Zhi chuckled softly, then placed a cleansing talisman on her forehead. A gentle breeze blew by, dispelling the unsettling aura that had been lingering around Baozhu's nose.
"It's too late, and the little fox isn't sleeping well. How can we help him get better?"
Who is the little fox?
Baozhu retorted to Li Zhi with displeasure, "I am the Fox Fairy and Fox King of Qiling, not a little fox. Watch your words!"
Li Zhi readily admitted his mistake, saying, "Look at my mouth."
He gestured for the fox king to go to bed and rest.
So Miss Baozhu happily transformed back into her fox form and lay down on the soft bed that Li Zhi had carefully prepared.
The ice in the room had run out, and the person next to her, worried that she was too hot, rolled up his sleeves and sat down beside her, holding a large palm-leaf fan and gently fanning her.
In her half-asleep state, she felt the man stop, and then he leaned down and gently touched her forehead.
Baozhu then drifted off to sleep.
She first dreamed of roast chicken and eight-treasure duck, and then the scene in the dream suddenly changed, and a great river appeared in front of the Fox King.
A woman's voice, high-pitched and strained, appeared beside Baozhu's ear.
"Fox demon, how is it?"
Baozhu turned around and saw Lianxin looking at her anxiously, her beautiful face full of worry.
"You asked me to do something during the day, and I'm going to do it for you tonight? You ghost, what kind of good idea are you thinking?" Baozhu was furious.
Seeing this, Lianxin knew she was in the wrong and was afraid that Baozhu would get angry and stop helping her. She pouted and began to sob pitifully, "I'm sorry, good fox spirit, good Baozhu, please don't hold it against me. I come from a bad family and don't know any manners."
She actually used her beauty to seduce the fox demon.
Baozhu remained unmoved. She sneered and said, "Let me ask you, do you have any extramarital affairs with any men in the Ji residence?"
Since Lianxin has come looking for her, it saves her some trouble; she doesn't have to go all the way to Xiaoquan Village to ask.
Upon hearing Baozhu's words, Lianxin's face changed drastically. Forgetting all about crying, she exclaimed, "I'm having an affair with another man? I've been cheating on Ji Ren? Oh dear, wasn't I the one who loved Ji Lang the most?"
"You're still asking me?" Baozhu asked curiously.
"I don't remember. Don't you know? I don't even know how I died." Lianxin felt extremely wronged.
"Do you know a kid this tall with a huge scar on his face?" Baozhu gestured and mentioned the scar again, hoping that Lianxin, this confused girl, would at least remember it.
Looking at Baozhu's expression, Lianxin hesitated and said, "It seems... perhaps..."
"Do you know them or not?"
"I don't remember..." Lianxin said sadly, two tears falling from her eyes.
Baozhu sighed as she looked at the unlucky ghost Lianxin. This female ghost must have been wandering around Xiaoquan Village for a long time, and had forgotten most of her memories of her past life. If Baozhu had arrived any later, she might have forgotten everything completely.
Then they can no longer enter the cycle of reincarnation, becoming a lonely ghost, losing their mind, wandering aimlessly between heaven and earth.
Until even the soul can no longer gather, everything returns to nothingness.
Well, her anxiety was understandable. The Fox King reluctantly forgave Lianxin and comforted her, "Never mind, I'll go find that scarred little beggar tomorrow and ask him. Just wait and see."
Lianxin gracefully bowed to Baozhu, wiped away her tears, and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Miss."
After she finished speaking, her figure began to drift into the distance.
Baozhu was taken aback, then immediately chased after him, shouting, "Don't keep coming to find me! I'm very busy, and I need to rest at night!"
Whether Lianxin truly didn't hear or was pretending not to, she vanished in a flash, feigning deafness and muteness.
Baozhu suddenly opened her eyes.
By this time, it was already broad daylight outside, and Li Zhi, who always got up early, had already brought back ice from outside.
He was sitting at the table, eating his breakfast while reading a book. He looked up and saw that Baozhu had woken up, and said with a smile, "Did you rest well yesterday? You woke up a little late today."
Baozhu wailed, "Did I actually sleep last night?"
After saying that, she collapsed onto the bed and murmured, "No wonder the scholar encountered the female ghost; he would be completely drained within half a month at the latest."
"It seems these unlucky scholars are already fortunate to have encountered us fox demons..."
She mumbled incoherently, her eyelids drooping, and then she drifted off to sleep again.
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