This matter is very complicated.
Wu Zi naturally realized that Xu Yi's fear had resurfaced, so he tacitly allowed her to enter the room with him.
After resting briefly in the house, the two went out again at midnight to investigate, but they searched the entire opera troupe without finding anything unusual.
Xu Yi wanted to probe further, but Wu Zi had already given up: "Forget it, let's go back and rest."
"Aren't you going to investigate anymore?" Xu Yi asked, puzzled.
“This theater is spotless, there’s nothing to see here. Let’s head back tomorrow,” Wu Zi decided.
Xu Yi obediently nodded: "Okay."
After a good night's sleep, the next day, after bidding farewell to the opera troupe leader, Wu Zi took Xu Yi to town to look around and try various things, showing no sign of being in a hurry to go back.
"Aren't we... in a hurry to go back?" Xu Yi asked, her words muffled as she ate a small steamed bun.
"No rush. Didn't the butler say that his master had an accident after returning home in the middle of the night? We'll go back tonight and retrace Master Qi's steps."
"Oh, okay." Xu Yi started eating the steamed bun with peace of mind.
After Xu Yi had eaten almost all the local delicacies and leisurely drunk four bowls of sweet soup, it was still not dark... She really couldn't drink anymore, so she asked Wu Zi, "Shall we find another place to sit?"
Wu Zi didn't look up, only asking Xu Yi, "Where are we going?"
"How about we sit at the town gate? Don't people usually like to chat about this and that at the town gate?" Xu Yi had heard her nanny say that before.
"Hey, that's a good idea." Then Wu Zi took Xu Yi to the teahouse where the storytellers were, and ordered a plate of peanuts, a plate of melon seeds, and a pot of tea.
The storyteller was recounting history when Wu Zi started to jeer, "What's so interesting about history? Give us some more engaging and beautiful stories..."
Xu Yi didn't know why the people in the teahouse were laughing so hard after hearing Wu Zi's words, so she asked Wu Zi, "Is what you said so funny?"
Wu Zi glanced at Xu Yi and said, "You don't understand."
But the storyteller understood. He slammed his gavel and laughed twice: "I understand what you want to hear, sir. If we're talking about something pleasant and eloquent, then we should talk about eternal and undying love."
After saying that, he began: "Speaking of love, there are countless tales in this world, such as the tragic Farewell My Concubine, the well-known Cowherd and Weaver Girl, and the bolder Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying... But since you've come to this town, you should naturally hear the local love stories. Coincidentally, I know just one. The story begins with a woman casually saving a young man..."
Xu Yi became more and more engrossed in the story. When she heard that the woman was earning money to support her husband's studies and examinations, she felt admiration. When she heard that the husband's family objected, she felt nervous for the two of them. When she heard that the two of them were eloping despite the objections, she felt brave.
Xu Yi's heart rose and fell with the story's twists and turns, oblivious to Wu Zi's amused gaze beside her... When she heard the storyteller say that the two had finally overcome all difficulties and settled down in the small town, she was so moved that she cried her eyes out...
Wu Zi couldn't help but laugh and comforted Xu Yi, "It's just a story... don't take it seriously."
Before Xu Yi could speak, the storyteller interrupted, exclaiming, "I'm talking about the Huaiyuan couple from the small town! The wife there is a real star!"
Wu Zi hadn't reacted at first, but when he heard the storyteller say that Lady Huaiyuan was a star, he immediately became alert: "Which opera troupe's star is she? I've never heard of her before?"
"It's that opera troupe in town. If you don't believe me, go ask the troupe owner."
Xu Yi also sensed something was wrong. The opera troupe had such a talented performer, but they had never heard the troupe leader mention him. However, they hadn't asked the troupe leader about the performer at all, so it seemed normal that the troupe leader didn't mention him.
Wu Zi and Xu Yi exchanged a glance, then left the teahouse and returned to the opera troupe. The troupe leader was greeting customers. Wu Zi stepped forward, stopped the troupe leader, and went straight to the point: "I heard that Lady Huaiyuan is a famous actress performing in your troupe. I wonder if the troupe leader could introduce us?"
The troupe leader looked confused for a moment, then suddenly realized and said, "Oh, yes, Lady Huaiyuan does sing very well. It's normal that you two honored guests haven't seen her before. She only performs on the stage her husband built and doesn't usually live in the theater."
What kind of actor wouldn't live in the troupe? Wu Zi raised an eyebrow and asked the troupe leader, "Then... where does Lady Huaiyuan perform?"
"It's about a quarter of an hour's walk along the river to a stage by the lake."
"The stage by the lake? Roughly in that direction?" Wu Zi pressed.
Unexpectedly, the boss mechanically repeated the address again: "It's a 15-minute walk along the river, at a stage by the lake."
Xu Yi and Wu Zi both realized something was wrong. It's impossible for a normal person to answer two questions with the same sentence in a row. Even if the answers are the same, it's impossible for every word to be exactly the same... Besides, the troupe leader's expression didn't change at all, as if he was frozen at the moment they asked the question...
Wu Zi sneered and deliberately steered the conversation elsewhere, asking, "Which direction? Is it in the first half or the second half of the stream?"
"It's a short walk along the stream, about 15 minutes, to a stage by the lake," the troupe leader said, repeating the same thing.
Wu Zi had a pretty good idea of what was going on, so he cupped his hands in thanks to the troupe leader and said, "Thank you for informing us, troupe leader. We won't disturb you any longer."
Upon hearing this, the troupe leader regained his composure and waved to Xu Yi and the others, saying, "You flatter us, distinguished guests."
After saying goodbye to the troupe leader, the two left the troupe as dusk was falling. Xu Yi looked at Wu Zi, who had a sour expression, and asked, "What's wrong, Wu Zi?"
“That thing… it’s really clever…” Wu Zi clicked his tongue twice: “When normal people from the Xuanmen come to investigate, they naturally won’t ask about the actors in the opera troupe like opera enthusiasts. Judging from the way that opera troupe leader looked just now, that thing must have cast a spell on the opera troupe leader, so that it won’t mention her name unless someone specifically mentions it. Xuanmen people who come to investigate and find nothing will naturally leave. It’s like the blind spot is right under your nose…”
"Oh...no wonder the previous people didn't find anything."
Wu Zi's expression hardened, and he pulled Xu Yi away, saying, "Let's go and investigate now."
The two walked along the riverbank to the middle of the stream and found a small path beside the main road. They exchanged a glance and stepped onto the path. After turning a sharp bend, they saw a small lake irrigated by the river. On the lake was a small stage, and opposite the stage was a simple thatched hut.
A faint light flickered inside the thatched hut. As the two approached, they discovered a man dressed as a scholar, engrossed in reading.
Xu Yi knocked on the open door and called to the scholar, "Is this Huaiyuan, young master?"
"Hmm?" The scholar looked up, saw Xu Yi and the other person, and approached with the candlesticks in hand, asking in confusion, "And who are you two?"
Wu Zi cupped his hands in greeting: "I heard from the opera troupe owner that your wife's singing is exceptional, her voice like heavenly music. I have come here because of her reputation. May I invite her to see me?"
"You flatter me, sir," the man smiled, bowed, and then put on an apologetic expression. "However... my wife has been missing for quite some time now, I'm truly sorry."
"Missing?" Wu Zi asked, "When did you go missing?"
"It must have been two or three months."
Two or three months? Just now, when Master Qi had his accident, Xu Yi pursed her lips and secretly looked at Wu Zi. Wu Zi narrowed his eyes and said in an unfriendly tone: "Young Master Huaiyuan, your wife has gone missing, but you are not worried at all... You can still calm down and read books. I really admire your composure."
The tactic of provocation always works. Huaiyuan's anger surged, and even his hands began to tremble slightly: "How could I not worry about Liniang? I reported it to the authorities long ago, but the yamen runners only came to check once, left a message to wait for news, and then left, and there has been no further news... I asked everyone around, but no one knows where Liniang went. How can I find her? I can only stay in this house, hoping that Liniang will come back someday..."
Looking at Huaiyuan's slightly reddened eyes, Xu Yi felt a lump in her throat. She carefully tugged at Wu Zi's sleeve, signaling him to stop talking. Wu Zi was truly impressed by the young woman's empathy, so he bowed again and said politely, "I am Wu Zi from the Imperial Observatory, and this is my friend Xu Yi. We are experts at finding people. If Young Master Huaiyuan doesn't mind, would you allow us to come inside and investigate?"
Huaiyuan looked Wu Zi up and down, but did not move aside.
Wu Ziming understood, took out a token from his pocket and handed it to Huaiyuan. After Huaiyuan looked at it, he respectfully returned the token to Wu Ziming, and his tone softened considerably: "So you are a master from the Imperial Observatory. Forgive my poor eyesight. Please... please come in." He then stepped aside to let the two of them in.
Logically speaking, with the troupe leader under control and Huaiyuan's wife disappearing while Master Qi was unconscious... Huaiyuan's wife is definitely suspicious, but there's no ghostly or demonic aura in the house where the two of them live... Xu Yi was wondering if he and Wu Zi were investigating in the wrong direction...
Then Wu Zi asked Huai Yuan, "I wonder if your lady has any beloved possessions that she is unwilling to part with?"
Huaiyuan lowered his eyes and replied after a long while: "My wife cherishes her things very much, but she doesn't have anything she's particularly attached to... anything she's unwilling to part with."
Wu Zi frowned and relayed a message to Xu Yi: "Release some ghostly energy."
Xu Yi was even more confused, but still obediently released some ghostly energy. Dark, ghostly energy flowed from Xu Yi's fingers, then swirled upwards and disappeared onto the roof beam… Wu Zi leaped onto the roof beam and saw a shallow groove carved into the center of the beam, inside which was a small, flawless white jade stone… Wu Zi clearly saw a wisp of celestial energy flash within the jade stone. Shocked, he silently stored the jade stone in his storage bag, jumped down from the beam, and said to Huai Yuan with a calm expression, “I haven’t found anything unusual in the room, so I won’t disturb you any longer. If I discover anything else later, I will definitely inform you first, young master.”
"Alright, thank you very much, Brother Wu." After saying that, he politely saw Xu Yi and Wu Zi out the door.
On the way back, Wu Zi remained silent, which made Xu Yi feel uneasy, so she asked him, "What's wrong?"
"This matter is quite complicated. We should try to investigate again in a few days."
"Complex? Ghosts and demons, isn't that complex enough? Is there something even more complex?"
“Hmm,” Wu Zi nodded, took out the jade from his pocket and said to Xu Yi, “There is a faint trace of immortal energy on this, which is why no one around can detect anything unusual. If this thing is tainted by ghosts and demons, and also has ties to immortals, it will be difficult to deal with.”
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