Mirror Lake Moon
The last clue
After a long silence, neither of them spoke. Tang Zhou broke the silence first: "We looked around the estate, but we don't know if Master Shen's body is still there?" Yan Dan said weakly, "Tang Zhou, ever since I started walking with you, I've been having bad luck every single moment." Tang Zhou was taken aback. Yan Dan staggered through the rubble and broken walls, running towards the backyard: "Once you find Master Shen's body, you can also help me collect it."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a series of hurried footsteps sounded nearby, and someone shouted, "Everyone be careful, the arsonist might still be inside!"
Upon hearing the voices approaching, Yan Dan quickened her pace, intending to reach the backyard first before running out, as the path she had come in through was definitely impassable. Previously, with her demonic powers, she wouldn't have feared a few mere mortals, but now she was no different from an ordinary woman and had no choice but to flee.
Before she even reached the backyard, she heard someone shout behind her, "There are people inside! They're running towards the back!"
Yan Dan glanced back and saw the townspeople brandishing hoes and shovels as they chased after her, a bitter taste forming on her lips. Suddenly, she felt a tightening on her wrist; Tang Zhou had grabbed her and whispered, "To the right."
Yan Dan looked to her right and saw a wall that was half burned away. Before she could speak, she felt herself being lifted up by Tang Zhou, and instinctively reached out to grab the wall. She heard the townspeople's shouts of battle growing closer, and, drawing strength from who-knows-where, she suddenly flipped over the wall and jumped down without thinking. Although the top of the wall was blackened by smoke and had a gap, it was still nearly three people high. Yan Dan landed on the ground, and without paying attention, she fell. Without even checking if her ankle was sprained, she immediately got up and ran.
Seeing how brave she was, Tang Zhou swallowed his words, "I'll carry you."
Yan Dan ran until she was out of breath, but her strong will to survive kept her going until she ran out of the town boundary of Qing Shi Town.
Looking at the stone tablet in front of her with the words "Xiangdu" engraved on it, she knew that the territory of Xiangdu extended for a hundred miles from here. Her legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground. She had run too fast, and when she stopped, she hugged her knees and coughed. After coughing, she gasped for breath.
Tang Zhou said sincerely, "You're quite capable."
After a long while, Yan Dan calmed down and turned to look at him, saying in a gloomy voice, "I twisted my ankle..."
Tang Zhou remained silent.
"I twisted my ankle when I jumped down from the wall..."
"Cough cough, you're really amazing, you can keep running for half an hour."
Yan Dan gritted her teeth in anger: "Your ankle is all swollen, you bastard!"
Tang Zhou walked to her side and slowly bent down: "Let me see." Yan Dan slapped his hand away and said angrily: "Don't touch me! It's all your fault! I told you to leave earlier, but you wouldn't leave, and you even made me jump over the wall, causing me to twist my ankle!"
Tang Zhou sighed and didn't argue with her: "If you don't let me see, what if I hurt my bones?"
Yan Dan thought about it and realized it made sense; it was the last thing she wanted to do, to make things difficult for herself. Tang Zhou gently pressed his hand on her ankle: "It's swollen, but thankfully the bone is fine. We'll go see a doctor when we get to the next town." He turned to the side: "Come on, I'll carry you." Yan Dan suddenly realized this was a good opportunity to escape, and immediately clung obediently to Tang Zhou's shoulder.
She leaned on Tang Zhou's shoulder, finally appreciating the benefits of his steady, light steps; she could barely feel the bumps. After a moment's hesitation, she spoke softly, "Tang Zhou?"
Tang Zhou hummed in agreement.
"Actually, you don't need to carry me like this. It's just a sprain, I can handle it myself," Yan Dan said slowly. "As long as I have even a little bit of magic..."
After a while, Tang Zhou asked, "Why do you insist on becoming a demon?"
"Ah? Well..." Yan Dan thought for a moment, "If I don't become a demon, and I'm neither a mortal nor an immortal, wouldn't I be wandering outside the Three Realms? In this world, without my own kind, wouldn't I be very lonely?"
"Now I've sealed your sorcery, and from now on you'll be no different from a mortal. Isn't that good?"
Yan Dan then realized that she was being led by the nose by him, and said decisively, "If I turned you into a demon, would you feel good about it?"
Tang Zhou avoided answering the question and instead said something completely unrelated: "I left my luggage at the inn. I only have a few silver notes on me, and silver notes are probably useless in a small town."
Yan Dan replied without hesitation, "That's simple. Just rob any merchants or travelers you see on the road."
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard the sound of carriage wheels turning in the distance, and soon they arrived behind her.
As the carriage sped past, it slowly came to a stop. The four horses pulling it were all fine specimens, and even the dark-skinned man driving it wore exceptionally fine clothing—it was as if he had the words "I'm rich, come and rob me!" written all over his body. Unfortunately, Yan Dan was currently in a precarious state; only others could rob her. Tang Zhou wouldn't make a move, and she didn't have the guts to force him to. The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a pair of calm, indifferent eyes behind it.
A beautiful woman jumped out of the car and said in a melodious voice, "Young Master Tang, my master invites you both to come in for a meal."
Yan Dan thought Tang Zhou would definitely refuse, but to her surprise, he readily agreed: "Thank you so much." When the beautiful woman reached out to help her up, she felt even more sad: such strength, she was clearly a trained martial artist, and she was now no match for even an ordinary woman.
The carriage owner sat inside, holding a celadon teacup in his hand, his fingers long and strong. He nodded slightly to Tang Zhou, then turned his gaze away, staring intently at the other side.
Yan Dan followed the man's gaze and saw that the other side of the carriage wall was adorned with an embroidered carpet. She stared at the carpet for a long time, noticing only that the embroidery threads and velvet were of high quality and were a unique style of embroidery from Yizhou, but nothing else particularly remarkable about it. She turned back to look at the man, who was still staring at the carpet, lost in thought.
Tang Zhou said softly, "This Brother Liu is quite close to my master and often comes to play chess with him."
Yan Dan immediately lowered her voice: "Is that young master Liu's chess skill really that bad? He loses every time, but he feels very unwilling to accept it, so he often comes to your master to play chess?"
Tang Zhou fell silent.
The woman who had helped Yan Dan into the carriage earlier smiled slightly and said, "What you said is mostly correct, but there is one thing that is reversed. The one who has terrible chess skills and loses every time, yet feels very unwilling to accept it, is actually Young Master Tang's master."
Yan Dan was filled with respect. In her mind, those who were skilled at chess were rare geniuses, strategizing and planning three steps ahead. She looked at the young master Liu with a completely different mindset than before, but he remained motionless, still staring at the embroidered carpet opposite him.
Yan Dan had no choice but to look at the tapestry more closely. Apart from noticing a knitted mistake in one corner, she couldn't see anything special and was immediately at a loss.
That young master Liu, whose given name is Weiyang and courtesy name is Situi, is from Liuzhou. He enjoys traveling around the world and has just returned home from his trip to Youzhou at the beginning of the year. He is also visiting Tang Zhou's master on the way.
These were all said by his personal maid, Xu'er.
At this moment, Liu Weiyang sat half-reclined on the cushion, holding a teacup in his hand. He lifted the lid, slightly moved his sleeve, and gently blew away the tea leaves floating on the surface. He then slowly and elegantly took a sip, appearing even more unfathomable. Yan Dan, however, knew that even if you gave a fool a cup and taught him to observe the color and taste of tea, no one would be able to tell that he was foolish.
Xu'er said softly, "Young master, Anping Town is just ahead. Should we get off the carriage for a meal, or have someone bring the dishes to the carriage?"
Liu Weiyang raised his eyes and nodded slightly.
The carriage lurched, and Yan Dan, unable to sit properly, bumped against the carriage wall with a thud.
Xu'er lowered her head and said gently, "Xu'er understands."
Yan Dan couldn't help but ask, "What exactly did you understand?"
Xu'er smiled slightly: "My young master said he wants to get off the carriage for a bite to eat."
How did you know?
Xu'er looked bewildered, as if she didn't understand why she asked that: "Because my young master nodded."
Yan Dan completely gave up and shrank back into the corner. Tang Zhou glanced at her but didn't say anything. About half an hour later, the carriage slowly came to a stop, and Xu'er lifted the curtain and looked out: "We've arrived at Anping Town."
Yan Dan carefully alighted from the carriage and took a few steps on solid ground. She realized her swollen ankle had almost fully healed. Speaking of which, she really had to thank Liu Weiyang. When Tang Zhou mentioned going to town to find a traditional Chinese medicine doctor specializing in bone injuries, that young master Liu immediately reached out and grabbed her ankle. Yan Dan swore to heaven that in that instant, she absolutely heard a crisp, pleasant "crack" from her bones. For a good half-cup of tea's time, she was immersed in that state of excruciating pain, yet unable to even cry out.
Yan Dan never dared to look him in the eye again. This man was definitely more ruthless than Tang Zhou.
The four entered the town's tavern. Xu'er followed closely behind Liu Weiyang, and even after they sat down at the table, she remained standing behind him. Yan Dan guessed that this young master Liu's identity must be quite extraordinary. Liu Weiyang, Liuzhou Weiyang—even parents wouldn't be so lazy as to combine two place names as their child's name, would they?
Liu Weiyang looked at Tang Zhou and said in a low voice, "Brother Tang, why don't you order the food?" Tang Zhou shook his head and declined, saying, "Brother Liu, please do it. I've troubled you for so long, this meal should be on me."
Liu Weiyang nodded slightly and recited the names of several dishes in a low, pleasant voice. It was the first time Yan Dan had heard him speak so many words in one breath, and she was deeply moved.
The meal was utterly dull, taking the principle of "no talking while eating or sleeping" to its extreme. Liu Weiyang's dishes were excellent, and the chef's skills were superb, but the diners were simply too uninteresting. In the Yelan Mountain region, such a thing would never happen; one would gradually develop a habit of feeling uncomfortable if they didn't speak at least a hundred words a day.
After missing their lodging, they had to spend the night by the fields. Yan Dan was tormented all day. Apart from Xu'er answering her a few times, she didn't want to talk to Tang Zhou. Liu Weiyang probably didn't say more than fifty words a year, and the dark-skinned coachman was just as taciturn as his young master.
Yan Dan felt unwell and had to go for a walk in a distant place.
A gentle evening breeze swept across the paddy fields, carrying the scent of earth. The silvery moon hung peacefully by the edge of the fields. It was still springtime; if it were summer, there would probably be the chirping of insects, adding a completely different atmosphere.
Yan Dan walked a few steps along the country path when suddenly a gray figure darted out, causing her to involuntarily take a few steps back. The person met her gaze, and both were startled. Yan Dan felt the person looked strangely familiar and immediately remembered: "You—" The person covered their face, shouting as they fled, "It wasn't me, it wasn't me…"
With a whoosh of wind, Tang Zhou, his sleeves fluttering and his robes billowing in the wind, swept past the man's head, slashed with his sword sheath, and pinned him to the ground: "Tell me, did you start the fire at the Shen family's residence?"
The man immediately smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Why would I burn down my own house?"
This person was none other than Master Shen.
Yan Dan stepped forward and smiled slightly: "Since you didn't set the manor on fire, you must have killed Miss Shen."
Master Shen smiled bitterly and said, "Miss, please don't joke. How could I possibly harm my own flesh and blood?"
With a sharp clang, Yan drew the longsword from Tang Zhou's hand, only to realize how heavy it was. She stumbled, nearly bringing the sword down on Master Shen's face. Tang Zhou caught her from behind, deflecting the blade so it landed right next to Master Shen's cheek. Master Shen, drenched in cold sweat, pleaded gently, "Miss Yan, be careful, be very careful, don't let your hand tremble. This sword is too heavy; it's safer for Young Master Tang to hold it."
Yan Dan pouted slightly: "You're still talking nonsense. Miss Chen is not your biological daughter."
Mr. Shen answered decisively, "Yes, Yijun is indeed not my biological daughter, but I have always treated her as my own. Even when she is sometimes crazy and foolish, I still treat her the same way. How could I possibly kill her?"
Tang Zhou took the long sword from Yan Dan's hand and slowly said, "So, you should know that this villain is someone else?"
Master Shen immediately shut his mouth, his face ashen: "Where are the criminals... It's dry and windy, a fire isn't unusual, why do you..." He seemed terrified, and no matter what Tang Zhou asked, he remained silent.
Tang Zhou sighed and had no choice but to sheath his sword. Suddenly, Yan Dan's voice, tinged with laughter, spoke softly and gently: "You really don't intend to tell the truth? That's fine then. Just don't confess anything later." She had been holding back all day, with no one to talk to. Now that someone had come to her, she naturally couldn't let them go so easily.
Mr. Shen simply closed his eyes, determined to ignore them.
Yan Dan squatted down beside him and said leisurely, "There is a high-ranking official in this dynasty who is very proficient in criminal law. He holds the official position of Minister of Justice, and no one dares to refuse to confess under his command. This Minister's surname is Chi, and his name is Chi Jun. Have you heard of him?" She pointed at his eyelids: "Minister Chi said that gouging out eyeballs is nothing. The real skill is to cut off the eyelids cleanly while keeping the eyeballs intact." Her cool fingers slid from his eyelids to his nose: "What's so great about cutting off the nose? As long as it's cut perfectly and you can still breathe as before, that's good. As for keeping the tongue, it's useless. Removing it will prevent the screams from being too shrill."
Yan smiled faintly: "Do you know what live skinning is? I heard that you put a person on a fire and roast them until they are three-quarters cooked, then the skin and flesh will loosen. As long as you cut a little bit with a knife, you can peel it off..." Master Shen opened his eyes and said in a trembling voice: "I will tell you, I will tell you everything!"
Yan Dan shook her finger lightly: "No, no, you'd better not say it. Senior brother, go and light a fire, let's try and see if the punishment of skinning alive is really the same as what that Lord Chi said, and then slowly, little by little, we'll cut it."
Master Shen cried out in a trembling voice, "Shen Yijun and I are both... his subordinates. We all act on his orders. Young Master Tang's soul is pure. If we could get our hands on him, we wouldn't be controlled by anyone anymore. We all wanted him... but then... that person discovered our disloyalty, so, so..."
Tang Zhou asked softly, "Who are you talking about?"
Mr. Shen's eyelids twitched, and he made a few guttural sounds, but he couldn't speak.
Yan Dan sighed: "It seems we should get a fire going first and talk while we roast. I've heard that once human skin is peeled off, the underlying tissues are still intact, and you can clearly see the meridians and veins. You must really want to see that, right?"
Suddenly, a few coughs were heard, and an old farmer with a hunched back walked slowly from the edge of the field, a pipe dangling from his lips, his hands behind his back. Tang Zhou dragged Master Shen into the bushes by the roadside and pulled Yan Dan back to the grass five steps away. Yan Dan sighed, "I was treated like a criminal the other day, and now I'm going to be a petty thief."
Tang Zhou lowered his voice and said, "You seem to know those criminal laws very well."
Yan Dan smiled lightly: "I have long admired Lord Chi. The ghosts in the underworld with missing limbs have always remembered his kindness. I've heard about it for days and my ears are about to fall off. Throughout history, he should be considered the number one cruel official."
Tang Zhou couldn't tell if she was talking nonsense or telling the truth. As they spoke, the old farmer slowly walked over, puffing on his pipe; the embers glowed faintly red in the darkness. Suddenly, a flash of light appeared, so fast it was almost invisible. Tang Zhou immediately stepped forward and pushed aside the bushes: "Oh no!"
By the soft moonlight, Yan Dan could clearly see that Master Shen had a fatal wound between his eyebrows, the blood still wet on the wound. The two followed the path the old farmer had taken and found several coarse clothes and a pipe at the end of the path.
The old farmer had disappeared.
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