Chapter 12: Conspiracy

Yu Ruoyin spent a long time digesting it alone before she finally convinced herself to accept that her newlywed wife was a liar.

She steeled her resolve to ask Jiang Huaining what was true and what was false.

But seeing the exhaustion all over Jiang Huaining’s face, she really couldn’t bear to open her mouth.

As she hesitated, Jiang Huaining was already seeing her off. “A’yin, you should stay in the same room you stayed in before.”

“Okay!” Yu Ruoyin jumped to her feet at once. She was just about to head out when her eyes suddenly caught sight of the redwood bookshelf Jiang Huaining had stacked against the wall. The exceptionally vivid red lacquer was a few shades deeper than blood, drawing Yu Ruoyin’s gaze involuntarily for a couple more looks.

The books on the shelf all looked quite old, with many having frayed corners, but for some reason, just looking at those books made Yu Ruoyin feel inexplicably calmer.

She examined them closely and barely made out a few titles.

Maoshan Talisman Compendium

Pinghu Mountain Secret Art

…

Those seemed to be the legendary Yin-Yang Arts, from more than one school.

Yu Ruoyin felt a surge of interest. “Auntie Ning, can I learn them?”

Jiang Huaining opened her eyes and saw Yu Ruoyin staring fixedly at the books on the shelf. She refused swiftly. “No.”

Given Yu Ruoyin’s personality, the moment Jiang Huaining refused, she should have just left.

She wasn’t one to pester endlessly.

But compared to her pride, she was more afraid of ghosts.

If she could learn even one of those books, she would be much safer.

“Auntie Ning, I probably need some power to protect myself too, right?”

“No need.”

Jiang Huaining’s tone brooked no argument, and Yu Ruoyin felt a bit down.

She slowly backed toward the door, but Jiang Huaining helplessly called her back. “You have spiritual energy. Infuse it into any object, and it becomes your weapon. Just hack at the ghosts with it.”

“…” Jiang Huaining’s tone was a bit too casual.

Yu Ruoyin wanted to say more, but then she remembered that chainsaw that had flown from her hand and injured quite a few ghosts.

She believed Jiang Huaining’s words. “How do I do it?”

“Just hold it.”

Was Jiang Huaining being too perfunctory?

Yu Ruoyin unwillingly turned back.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her bright eyes wide open, staring unblinkingly at Jiang Huaining.

They held a silent standoff until Jiang Huaining compromised first. “What do you want to learn?”

…

Jiang Huaining had stumped Yu Ruoyin. She really didn’t know what was most effective against ghosts. Suddenly, those Chinese horror movies she’d watched flashed through her mind. She remembered Zhuang Ciyue saying back then that the Palm Heart Thunder Talisman was cool, and Yu Ruoyin had corrected her that it was the special effects that were cool. Now, she suddenly felt tempted.

“In movies, they always use talismans to fight ghosts!”

“Not neces…” Jiang Huaining saw the light in Yu Ruoyin’s eyes dimming bit by bit and swallowed the rest. “You really want to learn?”

“Yeah!”

Jiang Huaining pressed down that bobbing head. “Fine, I’ll teach you tomorrow.”

She shifted her neck against the pillow, leaning up a bit, and looked at Yu Ruoyin with playful teasing. “Can you go to sleep now?”

“Yes.” Yu Ruoyin agreed immediately, her face full of satisfied smiles.

Jiang Huaining’s low chuckle reached her ears, and only then did Yu Ruoyin realize she had been acting overly childish. The way she had just pestered Jiang Huaining made her look just like a kid begging for candy.

No.

She wasn’t a kid. Even if Jiang Huaining didn’t give her candy, she wouldn’t throw a tantrum.

Probably.

It had been a long time since anyone had been willing to indulge her like that.

She couldn’t help wanting to get closer to her, even closer, to tell her everything and throw all her little moods at her.

Yu Ruoyin wasn’t one to warm up to strangers quickly, but facing Jiang Huaining, she always felt like they had known each other for a very, very long time.

Yu Ruoyin’s neck flushed red.

She hurriedly dashed out of Jiang Huaining’s room. “Pretty wife, good night!”

While Jiang Huaining hadn’t reacted yet, Yu Ruoyin secretly called her “wife” and then fled.

She shut the door behind her.

“Whoa.”

The sudden voice startled Yu Ruoyin. She pressed her back against the door for support before daring to look up.

Xia Yu, who should have gone to rest long ago, was standing at Jiang Huaining’s door at some point, staring fixedly at her.

Yu Ruoyin inexplicably felt guilty. Before Xia Yu could ask, she explained first. “Just now… Auntie Ning wasn’t feeling well, so I carried her up here to rest.”

Xia Yu tsked lightly. “Not calling her ‘pretty wife’ anymore?”

“I…”

Seeing her stammer, Xia Yu suddenly leaned in closer, squinting to clearly see the flush on her cheeks. “Your face is so red? Did you steal a kiss from her?”

?

Where did that come from?

Yu Ruoyin awkwardly responded. “No, no.”

“Oh.” Xia Yu responded in a strange tone, glancing disdainfully at Yu Ruoyin. “Such a coward.”

“…” Did she look like the type to take advantage of someone’s vulnerability? Or did Xia Yu only feel better if she actually took advantage of Jiang Huaining?

Yu Ruoyin hesitated to speak, and after a long while, she finally blurted out, “Xia Yu, I’m not a thug.”

“You seem like one to me.” Xia Yu brushed off her words and quickly changed the subject. “Hey, get up early tomorrow. I’ll take you to find someone from the Netherworld.”

“But Auntie Ning said she’s going to…”

Yu Ruoyin thought Xia Yu didn’t know about Jiang Huaining’s plans, but Xia Yu cut her off. “With her in that ghostly state, you’d better not bother her. Otherwise…”

Xia Yu’s gaze turned cold as she stared unblinkingly at Yu Ruoyin, enunciating each word. “Otherwise, I’ll start suspecting you’re plotting to take my wealth and life.”

—

Yu Ruoyin had no intention of plotting anything. It was Xia Yu who had ulterior motives.

After a peaceful night’s sleep, Yu Ruoyin suddenly understood.

Xia Yu was clearly targeting her and Jiang Huaining at every turn, so how could she suddenly be so kind-hearted? She definitely had a conspiracy.

Yu Ruoyin had just stepped into the bathroom to wash up when a heavy knocking sounded at the door. “Hey, you’re awake—why aren’t you out yet?”

Xia Yu’s voice came through the door, startling Yu Ruoyin into swallowing a bit of toothpaste foam.

She coughed fiercely a couple times. The dull pain in her throat made her think of Jiang Huaining at once.

Just the uncontrollable coughing must have been miserable enough, let alone coughing up blood. Yet last night, she had patiently talked so much to her and He Meijie.

Yu Ruoyin reflected on herself. The urging from outside grew louder. “Hey, hey, hey!”

So noisy.

Noisy enough that Yu Ruoyin wanted to sew Xia Yu’s mouth shut.

Unfortunately, she could only think about it. She didn’t dare challenge Xia Yu’s strength.

She wanted to hide like a turtle, but Xia Yu wouldn’t shut up. Yu Ruoyin came out of the bathroom, quickly changed clothes, and yanked open the door. “You…”

Where was Xia Yu outside the door? There was only a redwood puppet.

The puppet resembled Xia Yu by about thirty percent. It was clearly carved in her likeness, but the workmanship wasn’t fine—very crude, especially the hair, which was just a few perfunctory strokes. No one knew who had made it.

As Yu Ruoyin observed the redwood puppet, it observed her too. It suddenly opened its mouth. “Downstairs!”

Xia Yu’s voice burst from the puppet’s mouth, scaring Yu Ruoyin back into the room.

The redwood puppet grew impatient, its limbs trembling violently. “Downstairs, downstairs, get downstairs quick!”

Seeing Yu Ruoyin still not moving, the puppet hoisted her up at once.

Before Yu Ruoyin could react, she was already downstairs.

After pinning her down in the seat across from Xia Yu, the redwood puppet gradually disintegrated, turning into a cloud of red mist and vanishing without a trace in a very short time.

Yu Ruoyin pretty much understood.

This redwood puppet wasn’t carved; it was formed from Xia Yu’s spiritual energy.

Spiritual energy really was miraculous. Jiang Huaining had seemed to say last night that she had spiritual energy too. Yu Ruoyin subconsciously touched her neck, where the Red Jade Fruit hung.

“You’re slow.” Xia Yu heard the commotion and casually lifted her eyelids.

There was still wine on Xia Yu’s table. The strong alcohol scent choked Yu Ruoyin so much she didn’t want to speak. She struggled for a while before saying, “How did you know I was awake?”

“Didn’t know.”

“Then that voice…”

“My clone called outside your door all night to make sure you’d hear me the moment you woke up.” Xia Yu hugged her wine bottle and flashed a smile. “No need to thank me.”

Yu Ruoyin had zero desire to thank Xia Yu. She just thought Xia Yu was bored to the extreme, and she was also a bit puzzled. “She called all night—why wasn’t I woken up?”

“Her voice doesn’t enter dreams.”

“I see.”

So Xia Yu was pretty moral, not disturbing her rest.

No.

Xia Yu wasn’t afraid of disturbing her; she was afraid of disturbing Jiang Huaining, whose room was right next door.

Yu Ruoyin suddenly got it. She hadn’t expected Xia Yu to still be so afraid of Jiang Huaining.

Her gaze lingered on the wine bottle on the table. “Auntie Ning said she doesn’t want to see you drinking for the next month.”

“She hasn’t woken up yet.”

Xia Yu smiled indifferently, her light shrug showing her perfunctory attitude.

Hearing that Jiang Huaining hadn’t woken up, Yu Ruoyin caught an even stronger whiff of conspiracy.

She stood up to leave, but without Xia Yu even lifting an eyelid, an invisible force pressed Yu Ruoyin back into her seat.

“What are you doing?”

“Helping you out, of course.” Xia Yu stood with her wine bottle in hand. “Didn’t you want to ask about the Guardian Soul Spirit?”

“Wait!”

Yu Ruoyin called for a stop, but Xia Yu wouldn’t listen to her.

Xia Yu pulled out a Black Jade Token from her pocket, extremely similar in shape to the one Jiang Huaining had used last night, and tossed it out.

The Black Jade Token hovered in midair. Xia Yu took a swig of wine and abruptly sprayed it toward the token. “Come!”

With her words, the Black Jade Token suddenly ignited.

Crimson flames completely enveloped the Black Jade Token, burning more and more fiercely. Strangely, no matter how vigorously the flames blazed, the nearby table and chairs remained unscathed.

“Cough cough cough.” Accompanied by urgent coughing, a mass of black mist tumbled out from the Black Jade Token.

As the black mist appeared, the flames gradually died down.

The black mist rolled on the ground several times before slowly taking human form. Yu Ruoyin stared for a long time before barely making out that it was a black-haired, red-eyed beauty. But her face was charred black, and endless black ash poured from her open mouth, making her look more like a madwoman.

The red-eyed beauty noticed this too. She clawed at her messy hair and screamed uncontrollably. “Xia Yu! I’ve told you so many times—don’t summon me with spirit fire!”

“Oh, but my spiritual power’s origin is fire.”

The beauty grew even more frantic. “I don’t like summer!”

Not satisfied, she added, “Don’t like spring either!”

This voice sounded familiar.

Before Yu Ruoyin could figure out the beauty’s identity, Xia Yu announced it. “Lu Qingzhen, shut up.”