Chapter 144 The Tip of the Knot (Part 10) Divination Technique
The next day, as dawn broke.
After tidying up briefly, Song Qiling and Gu Lianzhou headed straight for the Duke's mansion.
The vermilion gate stands tall, flanked by imposing stone lions.
The gatekeeper, seeing that the two were dressed plainly and looked unfamiliar, began to scrutinize them.
Song Qiling straightened his clothes, stepped forward, and, following the words he had prepared the night before, clasped his hands and said loudly, "Please inform them that my brother and I are wandering sorcerers, skilled in predicting good and bad fortune, and especially adept at finding lost items. We heard that your daughter's beloved cat has gone missing, so we have come to offer our assistance."
The gatekeeper sized them up and down, then replied with a forced smile, "Thank you for your kindness, but lately there have been too many 'talented individuals' like you. The master of the manor has already given orders that no one will be seen without an invitation and introduction. Please leave."
Song Qiling, unwilling to give up, raised her hand to stop him: "Young man, wait a moment. I see a faint red glow between your brows. There might be a slight fluctuation in your finances this afternoon. If..."
"Go away, go away!" The gatekeeper waved his hand impatiently to interrupt. "Don't give me that! Yesterday there was this guy who claimed to be able to predict the future. He cheated an old woman at the second gate out of her tip and then ran away. If he doesn't leave now, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Seeing that the man was about to call for the guards, Gu Lianzhou quickly pulled Song Qiling, who was still trying to argue, and whispered, "Senior brother, we can't force our way in. Let's think this through."
The two were unceremoniously "asked" to leave the front of the Duke's mansion. Standing on the street corner, looking at the imposing gate, Song Qiling felt somewhat embarrassed.
"How outrageous! Judging people by their appearance!" she said sullenly. "I should have found a Taoist robe to wear."
Gu Lianzhou smiled helplessly and looked at the high walls of the Duke's mansion: "If the main gate doesn't work, we'll take the side path. Senior brother, we can come back at night."
That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.
Two dark figures silently crept to the outer wall of the Duke's mansion's backyard. This place was far from the main street and was hidden by trees, making it even more concealed.
Gu Lianzhou looked up and estimated the height of the wall, then whispered, "I'll go up first, and then I'll pull you up once I'm settled."
He took a few steps back, ran, pushed off the wall, gripped the brick seams with his fingers, and with a little effort, flipped himself up. He then crouched down to observe the movements inside the courtyard.
A moment later, he turned around and reached out his hand to Song Qiling. Song Qiling waved his hand dismissively, took a few steps back under the puzzled look of the other party, and then rushed forward, using both hands and feet to nimbly climb onto the top of the wall.
Gu Lianzhou was speechless and awkwardly withdrew his hand.
Without delay, the two slid quickly inside the wall and landed on the soft grass.
The pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and flowing water in the courtyard were vaguely outlined in the night. The two people carefully made their way into the inner courtyard, using the pillars for cover.
“The residence of the Duke’s daughter must be deep within the inner quarters, where the guards are likely even tighter,” Song Qiling murmured as she observed the architectural layout by moonlight. “We must be extremely careful.”
Sure enough, the further they went in, the more often the night patrol teams appeared. With no other option, they had to hide behind a rockery.
The two men breathed a sigh of relief once the guards had gone far away.
Just as Song Qiling was about to take a step, her foot stepped on a loose pebble, making a soft "crack" sound.
"Who's there?!" Not far away, a guard who was at the back of the group, with sharp ears, suddenly turned around and shouted.
In an instant, several gazes swept over along with the beams of light from the lanterns!
"Go!" Gu Lianzhou reacted quickly and grabbed Song Qiling's wrist. The two of them shot off like arrows, running in the opposite direction from the guards.
"stop!"
"A thief has broken in at night!"
Shouts and footsteps broke the silence of the night, and countless torches lit up from all directions, surrounding them.
The two fled in panic, weaving through the intricate courtyard. The sound of their pursuers grew closer and closer. Just ahead was a moon gate. Gu Lianzhou pulled Song Qiling and yanked them through, only to find a dead end behind the gate, with a row of large water vats, each half a person tall, piled up in the corner.
In a moment of desperation, Gu Lianzhou lifted the lid of an empty water vat and jumped in. Song Qiling didn't care about anything else and curled up and crawled in as well.
Gu Lianzhou quickly closed the lid, and the pursuers had already reached the Moon Gate.
Where are they?
"Search separately! They can't have gone far!"
Disordered footsteps lingered outside the door, and the flickering light of torches swayed through the gaps in the jar lid.
The space inside the tank was cramped, and the two were almost pressed together, able to clearly hear each other's rapid heartbeats and suppressed breathing.
The faint musty smell lingered around Song Qiling's nose as she looked at the inside of the water vat. She smiled bitterly to herself: she had just escaped from the stinking woodshed last night, and tonight she was trapped in this cramped water vat. This search for the cat was truly full of twists and turns.
She looked up and, in the almost complete darkness, could only vaguely make out the outline of Gu Lianzhou's jaw, which was very close to hers. His body was tense, one hand was pressed tightly against the cylinder lid, and the other hand was instinctively protecting her in front of him, listening intently to the sounds outside.
After a long while, the noise outside gradually faded away, and the guards seemed to have searched in another direction.
The crisis has been temporarily averted, but the predicament remains.
Although they successfully infiltrated the area, they also exposed their whereabouts, making it even more difficult for them to get close to the young lady now.
The air inside the water tank gradually became stagnant.
Gu Lianzhou listened intently, making sure the footsteps outside had completely faded away, before gently pushing the cylinder lid open a crack.
A cool night breeze swept in, carrying the dampness from the grass and trees in the courtyard.
“The person is gone.” He leaned out first, then helped Song Qiling out.
Song Qiling stretched his stiff limbs, his brows furrowed: "Now that our whereabouts have been exposed, the manor will surely strengthen its defenses. Finding that young lady again will be as difficult as climbing to heaven."
Gu Lianzhou glanced at the drainage vat in the corner, then looked at the towering courtyard wall, and pondered, "Not necessarily."
The most dangerous place may be the safest place.
"Since they have already searched this place, they should not come back anytime soon. We might as well hide here for now and wait for the guards in the mansion to be relieved of their duties before trying to find Miss's residence."
The two then hid in the shadows deep in the alley, using a thick clump of bamboo to conceal themselves, and waited patiently.
Time passed slowly, and the night dew grew heavy and cold.
Just as Song Qiling felt her hands and feet getting stiff, she heard the faint sound of a wooden clapper in the distance.
It's time to change the value.
The hustle and bustle of the mansion had long since subsided, and silence flowed freely in the courtyard like ink.
Gu Lianzhou said in a low voice, "It's about time, let's go."
They were even more careful on this trip, choosing to walk through dimly lit corridors and along paths lined with flowers and trees.
After passing through several courtyards, a particularly exquisite pavilion came into view, with lanterns hanging under the eaves, their warm light illuminating the three characters "Jinxiu Pavilion".
Light was still faintly shining from the second floor of the attic, suggesting that the owner had not yet gone to bed.
The two were overjoyed and were about to approach when they saw not only maids guarding the entrance to the pavilion, but also two guards with swords in the shadows.
"Heavily guarded." Song Qiling pulled Gu Lianzhou aside and hid behind a rockery. "We can't force our way in."
Her gaze swept over a tall osmanthus tree next to the building. Its branches were lush and some of them stretched towards the second-floor window. On a whim, she pointed at the tree.
Gu Lianzhou understood and nodded.
The two went around to the other side of the artificial hill, avoiding the guards' line of sight.
Song Qiling, with her nimble movements, was the first to climb the tree trunk as if walking on flat ground, with Gu Lianzhou following closely behind.
Climbing to a height parallel to the second-floor window, through the half-open hinged window, one can see the elegant interior furnishings. A girl in her nightgown is sitting in front of a dressing table with her back to the window, softly sobbing over a small, sachet-like object, her shoulders trembling slightly.
"Yuanbao...where have you gone..." The girl's voice, trembling with sobs, could be faintly heard.
Staying up late at night.
It seems that this is the owner of the tabby cat, undoubtedly the daughter of the Duke's mansion.
Song Qiling and Gu Lianzhou exchanged a glance, and the latter mouthed silently, "I'll distract the guards down below, and you can go in while I'm at it."
Before Song Qiling could object, he had already slipped down the tree trunk, his figure quickly disappearing into the shadows of the corner of the wall.
Song Qiling held her breath and concentrated, feeling that time was passing exceptionally slowly, each breath stretching out for an eternity.
Suddenly, a sharp "crash" came from the base of the west courtyard wall, like the sound of an earthenware pot being smashed, which was particularly jarring in the quiet night.
What's that noise?
"Go check over there quickly!"
The footsteps of the guards downstairs immediately converged on the source of the sound, and even the maids guarding the door peeked out.
Song Qiling took a deep breath, grabbed the windowsill with both hands, used her waist and abdomen to nimbly flip herself inside, and rolled as she landed to dissipate the impact.
The candlelight flickered in the room. The young lady, who was weeping in front of the mirror, was startled by the commotion behind her and turned around abruptly. She saw a strange woman rushing in through the window and turned pale with fright. She opened her mouth to call for help.
"Miss, don't shout!" Song Qiling rushed forward, gently covering her mouth with one hand and making a shushing gesture with the other, saying in a low voice, "Disturbing others will not help you find the cat!"
Feeling the person under his palm stiffen and breathe rapidly, Song Qiling immediately whispered in her ear, "I am a cultivator, skilled in the art of divination and finding lost objects. I heard that Miss's beloved cat was lost, so I came to help. However, the manor has strict security, so I had no choice but to resort to this method. Please forgive any offense caused."
She loosened her grip slightly and saw that although the young lady was still shaken, the fear in her eyes had subsided somewhat. She continued, "I only need a wisp of Yuanbao's hair as a guide to use my magic to find its trace. If you don't believe me, I can try it on the spot to prove it to you."
The young lady's chest heaved slightly. Her gaze lingered on Song Qiling's face for a moment, then fell on the brocade box on the dressing table. Finally, the urgency of finding the cat overcame her fear and doubt, and she slowly nodded: "You...you really can find the gold ingot?"
"I will do my best," Song Qiling solemnly promised, before finally letting go completely and taking a half-step back to show that she meant no harm.
The young lady walked to the dressing table, opened the brocade box, picked up a few strands of jet-black cat hair, hesitated for a moment, and then handed them over: "These are what I saved when Yuanbao was molting last year..."
Song Qiling took the few soft black hairs with both hands. Without delay, she took out three slender reeds that she had prepared in advance from her sleeve and asked the young lady to prepare a bowl of water.
She dipped her finger in water and sketched a simple map on the table. Then, holding her breath, she carefully wrapped the cat hair around the middle of a reed stalk.
In the candlelight, she looked solemn, her fingertips lightly touching the end of a reed stalk as she murmured something.
At first, the reeds did not move at all.
Just as the young lady began to have doubts, the reed stalk trembled very slightly and began to slowly rotate on its own on the table. The speed gradually increased, creating a slight airflow that stirred the candlelight.
After a few laps, its spin slowed down, the clubhead wobbled, and finally, trembling yet determined, it pointed to the northwest and stopped moving.
"This..." Song Qiling was stunned, her brows furrowed, and she murmured subconsciously, "How could this be?"
She looked up at her mistress and exclaimed in surprise, "The divination indicates that the gold ingot is in the northwest of the mansion...it has never left the Duke's mansion?"
But the notice said that Yuanbao was clearly lost in Guihua Lane. Could this news be false?
"The northwest direction?" The young lady was equally astonished upon hearing this. "That's where the servants live. How could Yuanbao have gone there? And if it's in the manor, why has it been missing for so many days? I've sent people to search everywhere..."
“That’s precisely why it’s all the more suspicious.” Song Qiling’s expression turned serious. “I’m afraid it didn’t run off on its own, but was deliberately hidden by someone. Miss, we shouldn’t delay. We need to go and check it out immediately, or things might change.”
Perhaps it was Song Qiling's calm attitude and the miraculous phenomenon she had just witnessed that convinced her. The young lady bit her lower lip and finally made up her mind: "Okay, I'll go with you."
She quickly straightened her clothes and tried to calm herself down. "I said that you were the aunt my grandmother had asked to help me find my things and to accompany me on night patrols of the courtyard."
With the young lady traveling with them, the guards they encountered along the way, though they looked surprised, did not dare to stop or question them.
The closer Song Qiling got to the servants' quarters, the more noticeably the reed stalk in her hand trembled, as if being pulled by an invisible thread.
The courtyard was sparsely lit, and most of the servants had already retired for the night, making it exceptionally quiet.
Following the guidance of the reeds, the group stopped in front of a low house that appeared to be in a corner and rather secluded.
Just then, with a creak, the door was pushed open a crack from the inside, and a slightly overweight middle-aged man dressed in a steward's uniform peeked out furtively, coming face to face with the group of people outside.
His guilty conscience and panic were clearly visible under the lantern light. When he saw that the person in the lead was Miss, his expression changed drastically, and he quickly shrank back, trying to close the door!
"Stop him!" Song Qiling shouted sharply, and at the same time, she took a step forward and blocked the door.
The guards reacted quickly, rushing forward and grabbing the steward who was trying to escape.
The young lady turned pale and ordered, "Open the door!"
The door was forcibly pushed open, and a pungent, fishy smell wafted out.
The room was small, dark, and simply furnished.
Everyone's gaze swept quickly across the room, finally settling on the bamboo basket under the bed that was swaying slightly and making a very faint scratching sound.
At the young lady's signal, a guard bent down and carefully dragged out the bamboo basket, lifting the old cloth covering it.
The sight before them made everyone gasp in shock.
Inside, a black tabby cat was curled up.
His hair was dull and tangled, he was so thin that his spine protruded, and he was extremely listless.
It was a world apart from the smooth, plump figure in the portrait.
Its mouth was tightly bound by a gag made of rough cloth strips, and it could only utter extremely weak whimpers.
"Yuanbao!" The Duke's daughter cried out in shock, falling to her knees as she trembled as she tried to untie the shackles. Tears streamed down her face. "My Yuanbao... how... how could you be here? Who could be so cruel..."
The restrained steward was ashen-faced, limp, and began to stammer and beg for mercy.
Now that things have come to this point, the truth will soon come to light.
It turns out that when Yuanbao was frightened and ran away in Osmanthus Lane that day, it was indeed this steward who accompanied him who was the first to find him.
He intended to send the cat back immediately to claim credit, but when he returned to his residence, he saw the large reward notice that the gatekeeper had just posted. Greed arose in his heart, and he thought that if he went through all the trouble to find the cat again in a few days, the reward would be even more generous. So he hid the gold ingot in his room.
To prevent the cat's meowing from attracting others, he came up with the terrible idea of putting a gag on it.
Unexpectedly, Yuanbao was strong-willed and frightened after being trapped. He refused to eat for several days and was on the verge of death. Sending him back would arouse suspicion, so they dragged it out day by day until now.
Looking at her beloved cat, so weak in her arms that it could barely lift its head and could only whimper softly, and then at the servant who had almost caused a disaster because of his own greed, the young lady felt both heartbroken and furious. She immediately ordered him to be kept under strict guard and await his punishment.
By the time Yuanbao was carefully carried back to Jinxiu Pavilion and the invited veterinarian began to treat him, the sky was already showing the first light of dawn.
Song Qiling and Gu Lianzhou politely declined the generous reward offered by their young mistress and quietly left before most of the people in the mansion had gotten up.
As soon as she stepped out of the mansion, she sighed softly: "The greed deep in people's hearts is sometimes more terrifying than any demon or monster."
Gu Lianzhou walked beside her, nodded slightly upon hearing this, and looked towards the end of the long street: "Yes, people in this world are too focused on profit, which is why people who value relationships are so precious."
Thinking back to the secret conversation they had just had, Song Qiling became even more disappointed.
I thought this young lady from the Duke's mansion was a person of great loyalty and righteousness. Unexpectedly, when I mentioned the large number of civets captured, skinned and sold for meat in the back alley of the City God Temple, the young lady did not even raise her eyes. She only casually brushed the soft fur on Yuanbao's chin with her fingertips.
"Oh, those stray cats? Sister, you may not know this, but nowadays the government doesn't bother with such trivial matters. They're left unattended, and they've multiplied so much that they're an eyesore in the city. If someone catches them, they can take what they need—their fur, their flesh, and their blood—it's just... making the most of them."
As she finished speaking, she finally looked up at Song Qiling, a well-mannered smile playing on her lips, as natural as if she were discussing the weather: "Although I feel sorry for Yuanbao, I can't control how others deal with those unclaimed items, right, sister?"
Looking at the delicate yet indifferent face before her, and recalling the tearful image of her for Yuanbao, Song Qiling felt a strong sense of disconnect, which made her even more confused.
"Perhaps it was the shallowness of human nature in this illusion that made her think that only her gold ingot was worth a fortune, while all other lives were as worthless as weeds, which could be dismissed with the words 'make the most of everything'."
"Fine, let's not think about this filthy thing anymore," she said, taking a deep breath as she watched the illusion fade away. "Let's go out and settle accounts with Old Master Zhuang!"
As if sensing her presence, the crisp sound of the dice striking the dice cup still lingered above her head. Old Zhuang chuckled and replied, "I didn't expect your journey to be so smooth, young friend. You escaped successfully in just two days. Wonderful, wonderful!"
As the illusion faded and darkness returned, Old Zhuang's face appeared before her, grinning maliciously. "In that case, I win, hahaha..."
"What did you win?" Song Qiling looked around in confusion, her brows furrowing.
The gambling den was still the same gambling den, but something seemed to be missing.
She finally realized what was happening, walked around the gambling table between the two of them, quickly approached Elder Zhuang, and looked down at him, saying, "Where's my junior brother? Why did I come out alone?"
Old Zhuang spread his hands innocently, "Injustice! The bet has been made, how can we not release him? Your junior brother has already left the Monster Gambling House and returned to Lake Stone Alley before you."
What is the logic behind this?
Song Qiling asked in confusion, "When did the bet start? It's only been three dice rolls, you..."
Suddenly remembering something, she stopped speaking abruptly.
The next instant, she grabbed the spider demon's collar in near rage, disregarding all decorum, "Who ordered this? Did that person make a bet with you? What was the stake?"
Old Zhuang leaned back, his face still showing complete indifference. "Young friend, your rudeness is hardly gentlemanly..."
Before he could finish speaking, an electric current surged through the fingertips gripping his shoulder blade!
"Sizzle."
With a piercing sound of flesh charring, the two spider legs on Zhuang Lao's side were melted off at the root, fell to the ground with a "thud," and immediately turned into ashes.
"Ouch! Ouch..." Old Zhuang could no longer maintain his composure. He immediately broke out in a cold sweat, and his face turned ashen. "My leg! Young friend, how could you be so uncivilized?"
"Stop talking nonsense?" Song Qiling's eyes flashed coldly, and lightning patterns flickered in and out of her palm. "I won the bet last time, and I haven't cashed in the reward yet. Now, I'll use that reward to get the truth from you. Will you tell me or not?"
"Stop burning it!" Old Zhuang winced in pain and hurriedly begged for mercy, "I'll tell you!"
Song Qiling leaned down and stared at the spider-like compound eyes that Zhuang Lao had revealed due to pain: "Was that person Chu Yue? What exactly did he make a deal with you? Tell me everything without missing a single word."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com