Chapter 67 It Begins to Be Clear: I've Come to Find My Wife
The lobby was still the same lobby, exactly the same as when Jiang Geyun last came. Jiang Geyun was sitting in the same spot as last time.
Today is no different from any other summer day; the light is distinct. This place faces south and has excellent natural light, making it a first-class place to entertain guests.
The lantern was practically useless; under the bright light, only a tiny, flickering candlelight, no bigger than a little finger, could be seen inside.
Jiang Geyun deliberately followed Cui Ni's gaze, glancing at the lantern she had placed on the table. After looking away, she asked, "I wonder if I will be able to see Governor Cui today?"
Judging from her expression, she clearly knew that Cui Ni was uncomfortable because of carrying the lantern in broad daylight, and she spoke, but did not mention the lantern at all.
With a forced smile, Cui Ni said, "My father is preoccupied with important matters, and I'm afraid he won't be able to see Lord Jiang this time. I will convey to my father that the Cui family looks forward to Lord Jiang's next visit."
Madam Xue said the same thing last time.
However, at that time, Madam Xue acted like a numb puppet programmed with a fixed routine, showing no emotion towards Jiang Geyun. But this time, Cui Ni's words seemed more like a mockery of Jiang Geyun than an explanation.
The fact that she was not present on both visits, or that the visit was a deliberate attempt to show contempt for her, undermine her morale, and create obstacles for the investigation, is self-evident.
Why bother?
If the truth about the appearance of the white-clothed ghost had been reported to Xuandujian in the first place, even if it would have resulted in punishment, it wouldn't have been too serious. At most, it would have resulted in a demotion or a reduction in salary. Neither Cui Ni nor Prefect Cui would have been in any danger of losing their lives.
Even if they did something that could have taken her life.
However, they insisted on covering it up layer by layer, unwilling to bear even this small price compared to what Liu Zhuozhi had suffered.
Jiang Geyun lowered her head, smiled, and shook her head.
Cui Ni was puzzled.
His gaze darted between the Night Watcher before him and the lantern on the table, his unease growing ever stronger.
He kept complaining about his mother.
In the past, my mother would have finished worshipping Buddha by this time and come out of the annoying Buddhist hall. Why is she still nowhere to be seen today? Is it because he has to take on the task of facing the Night Grim Reaper?
He's still heartbroken.
Cui Ni forced a smile and said, "Lord Jiang, if there's nothing else, please forgive me for not seeing you off further."
Jiang Geyun smiled and waved her hand, saying, "Don't rush, it's not me who wants to see him and you."
She reached out, but this time she didn't stroke it; instead, she pressed down on the lantern.
A sudden gust of wind arose.
Unbeknownst to them, layers of dark clouds drifted in from nowhere, pressing down on the bright hall. The once clear and bright room suddenly became incredibly dark, as if night had fallen prematurely.
The surroundings were dim, so the lantern naturally became brighter.
The candle flame, which had been flickering steadily and slowly, suddenly began to flash much faster, as if it had been affected by a strong wind, or as if someone was becoming excited and eager to try.
The only light source in the dimly lit hall was the lantern, which flickered menacingly, distorting the figures of everyone in the hall.
Cui Ni took a few steps back, forcing himself to remain calm, and said, "Lord Jiang, the governor's mansion is protected by the Xuandu Supervisor, you, you..."
He was about to come up with something to threaten Jiang Geyun and tell her not to do anything rash, but the words that came out of his mouth made him unable to continue.
"The protection of Xuandujian"?
Should we first take a look at who this person is?
He quickly stopped himself from saying that and replaced it with another sentence: "Becoming a Nightbringer is not an easy thing, so don't ruin your future so easily!"
Although a strong wind has risen, it cannot reach this hall.
The design of this place is quite sophisticated.
Jiang Geyun rested her chin on her hand, looking at the branches of the trees twisted and turned by the wind in the distance, and casually replied, "Really? Why are you telling me this?"
Cui Ni pointed at her and said, "Playing the fool! What are you doing! Stop right now! Guards—"
As soon as Cui Ni finished speaking, the servants who had entered the hall with him looked at each other, unsure whether they should step forward.
If the servants don't step forward, what can they do?
Just then, Jiang Geyun chuckled and shoved the lantern away.
The lantern, shaped like a head, rolled around to Cui Ni's feet, startling him so much that he jumped back again.
However, the scene he had envisioned did not appear. The lamp did not turn into a bloody, mangled head, nor did it shatter and burn, and the flames within did not reach him.
Silence.
Cui Ni hesitated and looked up.
After Jiang Geyun pushed the lantern down, she did nothing but smile and raise her hands.
This action is really inexplicable.
Cui Ni was about to say something when he caught a glimpse of the lantern out of the corner of his eye, and his movements froze completely.
A wisp of white smoke-like substance was drawn from the lantern, first tentatively peering out, and then rapidly spreading, roaring like a wildfire, growing as fast as it was exposed to the wind, engulfing everyone present!
The servants dared not move and were thrown into a panic.
As for Cui Ni, his face was blank and his eyes were vacant.
His current predicament is the same as that of the dozen or so victims, and as that of Jiang Geyun not long ago.
Bai Yan didn't touch Jiang Geyun, whether because she knew what Jiang Geyun had been doing these past few days, or simply because she was afraid of being beaten by Jiang Geyun.
Jiang Geyun got up, walked over to a servant who looked completely bewildered, and patted her on the shoulder.
The servant was startled, clutching the shoulder where he had been patted, and looked at Jiang Geyun with eyes full of panic.
Jiang Geyun asked, "Does the governor's residence have Buddhist halls or temples?"
The servants were unsure what was happening.
However, apart from her vision being shrouded in white smoke, she felt no discomfort.
This Lord Jiang doesn't seem like a bad person. Is he here to resolve this strange phenomenon?
She looked around; all she saw was white smoke, creating a hazy, indistinct scene.
The servant said, "This..."
Seeing the servant's reaction, Jiang Geyun understood and said, "Just tell me the general direction."
The servant stammered, "...to the west."
Jiang Geyun expressed her gratitude.
She picked up the empty lantern and headed towards the deepest part of the white smoke.
...
The unusual celestial phenomenon was quite obvious. The rest of Lianzhou Prefecture was cloudless, but the governor's mansion was shrouded in dark clouds, making it hard to miss. Today was also a special day, so everyone gathered around to observe the phenomenon from a distance, whispering among themselves.
The same is true of the Bailong Temple in the distance.
Master You was sitting at his desk, carefully piecing together the broken ever-burning lamp on it. It was this very lamp that had fallen from a great height, been pierced by the divine weapon, and shattered on the ground.
The one who presented this lantern was none other than the Cui family.
Thanks to the abbot's tireless efforts over the past few days, the lamp was reassembled to its original state, and unless one looked closely, no trace of the piecing together could be seen.
She was just about to breathe a sigh of relief.
The newly assembled lamp made a creaking sound that made one's teeth ache; after a series of sounds, it shattered again, leaving it in a terrible state.
The abbot was taken aback.
In the end, she shook her head helplessly.
She got up and opened the door to meet Governor Cui, who had come to visit Bailong Temple, but the strange phenomenon in the sky caught her attention first.
In the vast expanse of blue sky, only a black cloud interspersed with electric sparks surged and shifted, like a cluster of flowers in full bloom with one flower crawling with aphids, rotting and drooping, eerily strange.
The old abbot stood in front of the door and sighed deeply.
...
White smoke had enveloped the entire governor's mansion, and the servants inside were all hiding in their rooms, relying on and comforting each other.
Jiang Geyun did not encounter a second person along the way.
Following one of the wisps of white smoke westward, before long, a person and a wisp of smoke arrived at the front of the Buddhist hall.
Jiang Geyun remembered the sandalwood scent on Madam Xue.
Xuan Du Jian's power comes from the same lineage as Jiang Ge Yun's, so there's no need to worry. But the Buddhist hall is different. A single act of mercy from the enshrined gods or immortals can completely nullify this one and only chance to succeed in one go.
Jiang Geyun looked up, silently read the words "like dew, like lightning" above her head, and pushed open the door of the Buddhist hall without any expression on her face.
White smoke followed her up the steps.
Then, she and Bai Yan both stopped.
—Madam Xue is dead.
She lay slumped over the table, as if in a dream, her face serene. Only the bloodstains at the corner of her mouth and the broken cups on the floor proved what had just happened.
Jiang Geyun took a few steps forward and entered the Buddhist hall.
She didn't examine Madam Xue's death closely. Beyond Madam Xue, she saw the two long and one short incense sticks that were about to burn out.
The appearance of a deadly incense.
This means that karmic obstacles lie ahead, and creditors are demanding repayment.
The white smoke hovered between the two for a while, but unable to find a clear target, it vanished with a hiss and disappeared without a trace.
A sense of sorrow lingered in the Buddhist hall, as if someone's lament was echoing in the darkness.
An unseen, strange power emanated from the opened door of the Buddhist temple, and just before it was about to leave, the door slammed shut.
Jiang Geyun stood in the hall, still expressionless.
She said softly, "Senior, please leave this matter to me. The grievances have their source and the debtors their culprits. I will certainly not allow it to spread."
Golden flames escaped and stood silently at the entrance of the Buddhist hall.
The strange power did not resist her, and after three breaths, the disturbance disappeared.
Jiang Geyun did not move, and the golden flames burned calmly.
a long time.
Although there were unusual phenomena at the governor's residence, it was relatively quiet and there was no noise.
However, this calm lasted for a while before it was suddenly broken, and panicked shouts began to emerge.
Jiang Geyun sighed softly.
Golden flames quickly emerged from the Buddhist hall.
A moment later, Jin Yan returned to Jiang Geyun, accompanied by a wisp of gray, struggling smoke.
The gray smoke let out an extremely hateful roar, which was even more terrifying than what Jiang Geyun had heard before. In fact, with this as a comparison, Jiang Geyun realized that the white-clothed ghost's roar earlier did not have much malice.
It seems that she doesn't want to stop after achieving her goal.
Indeed, it's one thing for Liu Zhuozhi, but she did all this without any awareness.
She followed her instincts to achieve her goal, inevitably becoming tainted by various influences in the process, transforming from transparent to white, then from white to gray. Next, she would follow her instincts to proceed to the next step.
If left unchecked, it will become the next stain on our reputation.
The golden flame, though seemingly only a thin layer, remained completely still, suppressing the trapped gray smoke and slowly stuffing it into the lantern.
The external dark clouds fluctuated violently, with lightning rolling within them.
It took a long time for things to calm down.
Jiang Geyun looked pale as she gazed at the lantern, which was covered in cracks but had not yet shattered.
Just then, someone knocked on the door of the Buddhist hall.
This surprised Jiang Geyun. Who would come to such a strange and unpredictable place?
She turned and stood in front of the door, holding a lantern in her hand.
She didn't go to open the door; it opened silently by itself.
The person outside the door was beyond her expectations, yet she also felt a strange sense of entitlement.
It's Zhang Jing.
Jiang Geyun's gaze was deep, and she was about to speak.
Zhang Jing bowed to her and said respectfully, "The Cui family father and son abused and murdered a young woman, and desecrated the spirits of the dead, causing their resentment to soar to the heavens and triggering divine retribution. In the end, they reaped what they sowed and died a violent death. Although Lord Jiang tried his best to stop the evil spirits, he was ultimately unable to reverse the situation. Now, Lord Jiang has performed a ritual to release the vengeful spirits that were causing the trouble, and the area has been pacified. On behalf of the people of Lianzhou, I thank Lord Jiang."
...Actually, you have a grudge against the Cui family, don't you?
Jiang Geyun looked Zhang Jing up and down.
suspicious.
but……
She was weak and exhausted at the moment and was really unable to fight another battle. Zhang Jing's surrender was exactly what she needed.
Even if it's fake, we'll have to deal with that later; for now, it's real.
Jiang Geyun smiled and said, "Clerk Zhang is intelligent! But not everyone is as intelligent as Clerk Zhang. What am I supposed to do?"
Zhang Jing said, "My lord, there is no need to worry. After tonight, I will teach everyone the truth they need to know."
...
Jiang Geyun carried a lantern covered in cracks as she walked among the bustling crowd.
The lights converge into a long river, a brocade ribbon, and a pearl necklace, and in a daze, they resemble someone's tear stains, shimmering with a light that is both bright and enduring.
She had been chatting with Zhang Jing for a long time until night fell. Zhang Jing needed to make some preparations, and she also had to set off to deal with the lantern that was on the verge of breaking. It was only when Zhang Jing reminded her, intentionally or unintentionally, that she remembered that tonight was the night of Qixi Festival, and she wondered if the lantern festival would be canceled due to the celestial phenomena.
It appears that the lantern festival has not been affected.
Not to mention celestial phenomena, the news of the governor's death has not even spread yet. Perhaps the people will only find out when those who know the news figure out how to respond.
Regardless, the place was brightly lit and filled with a festive atmosphere.
In the distance, the occasional sound of fireworks exploding could be heard; nearby, there were vendors hawking their wares, the sudden sound of arrows being thrown into pots, shouts of surprise and laughter mingling together, and the expectant whispers of young people passing by.
Some of the young people wore masks, perhaps because they were still young or because they were raised with strict discipline, so that they could hide their appearance and have fun among the crowd.
The night sky was clear, with stars and the moon shining brightly.
This is Liu Zhuozhi's hometown, a place she has never understood.
Jiang Geyun carried a lantern and walked through the crowd for a long time.
She stopped by the riverbank.
Thousands of lights in the river illuminated the dark waters, turning them into a shimmering blue tapestry. Shy prayers, sincere wishes, and beautiful aspirations floated on the water, drifting far away among the white clouds.
Jiang Geyun removed the handle from the lantern, held the lantern which seemed about to shatter in the next instant, and put it into the river. The broken lantern and the wishes merged into the river, flowing away into the distance, surrounded by beauty.
She stared silently at the lamp, remaining motionless for a long time.
Suddenly, a laugh rang out beside me.
Jiang Geyun turned her head and saw a girl of similar age, wearing a mask askew on her head, about to fall off.
That girl was perfect for a smile; her eyes and eyebrows curved, making you want to smile along with her.
The girl pointed to the lantern in her hand and said, "Why did you just put a lantern down?"
The lamp in her hand was indeed quite unique, shaped like a begonia, its light pink color turning a pale gold under the candlelight inside, vibrant yet elegant.
Jiang Geyun smiled and replied, "Isn't that so? I'm from Yingzhou, and I've never seen a lantern festival before."
“That’s how it is,” the girl nodded to herself, then continued, “There are many stalls selling lanterns on the bridge. You can pick any one and buy one. You can write your wish inside, so that the fairy sisters will know. If you just leave a lantern out, they won’t know what you want. What can we do then?”
Jiang Geyun seemed to realize something and said, "Thank you for the reminder, I'll go right away."
As she spoke, she pointed to her head.
The girl didn't understand what she meant. She touched her head and bumped into the mask that was about to fall off her hair. She exclaimed in surprise and quickly tied the loose rope back up.
After resolving the mask issue, the girl relaxed a bit and smiled even more brightly.
She said, "I thought you were unhappy just now, and I was wondering if I should bother you... But thankfully, thankfully, what's there to be unhappy about today? Go ahead! If you have the energy, remember to walk a few more steps, the ones closer to the riverbank are more expensive!"
Jiang Geyun smiled and waved goodbye to her, then turned and walked towards the nearby bridge.
She walked against the flow of people, not asking the vendors about the price of the lanterns, just walking on and on. The hustle and bustle of the crowd had nothing to do with her. Even though she wasn't wearing a mask, no one looked closely at her face, and no one was saddened by her. Everyone was heading towards their destination, which they knew in their eyes. Everything on the road was just a rough and blurry background.
Suddenly, a glimpse of a green robe appeared in his eyes.
Jiang Geyun stopped and looked up.
The man in blue was wearing a mask, so his expression was not visible. Only the slight upturn of his lips suggested that he was happy.
She was graceful and elegant, standing tall and poised amidst the crowd, attracting everyone's attention.
She stopped, but he didn't. He walked towards her with the flow of people, then stopped in front of her. He said:
"This time, it is I who have come to find my wife, not the other way around for her to return before the deadline."
"...How should it be calculated?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: I'm late because I was trying to end this little side story and lead into the romance [crying emoji]. As usual, there will be red envelopes in the comments, muah!
Also: While writing the new chapter and reviewing the previous one today, I realized that Xue Chenbi's name was completely misspelled in the last chapter! Damn it! I genuinely didn't notice it at all while typing on the computer! And although she should theoretically be called Madam Cui, according to SZXY's logic, she can be called Madam Xue. This isn't a bug; it's just the author's preference and a personal world-building concept!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
