Chapter 61

Mentioning Wen Yu, Lü Jing’s face showed confusion as she uncertainly said, “Probably… yes. Miss Wen herself has never come out to perform opera, but her mother is so good at singing, so she might have taught her.”

Children were always easily influenced by their elders; this was true in all aspects and could not be erased or escaped. Even if she herself had no interest in opera, she must have heard her mother sing at least a little, leaving some impression.

“Good, got it.” Jiang Yuanqi stood up. “Your husband needs to rest quietly for a while afterward. Don’t go out running or jumping; in about half a month, he can fully recover and won’t need to worry anymore.”

The two thanked him profusely upon hearing this. Gao Yuan’s eyes welled up with tears again as he bowed repeatedly. “Thank you, benefactor! If not for you, I might have been like this for the rest of my life, a madman without sensation. Good thing, good thing you came! May the immortals bless you abundantly!”

Lü Jing still looked a bit scared, her eyes red as she fiercely patted her husband. “Such a coward, yet you dared to run outside. Overestimating yourself!”

“What was I supposed to do? She was so close to you—should I just watch her eat you? Impossible! I couldn’t stand it!” With tears on his face, Gao Yuan angrily said, “If that thing dares come next time, I’ll still chase it away!”

Lü Jing spat. “Pah! Stinky mouth—there won’t be a next time!”

“Looks like your energy has recovered,” Jiang Yuanqi smiled and cupped his hands. “You two rest well. We have other matters, so we’ll take our leave first.”

“Hey, wait,” Gao Yuan patted his sleeves, coming up empty, and turned to the side. “Wife, did you give the consultation fee to the immortal master?”

Lü Jing said, “Not yet. I’ll go get it now.”

“No need.” Jiang Yuanqi waved his hand. “Just helped with a little favor.”

Seeing his firm attitude, Lü Jing hesitated when Shang Shan raised her hand. “I want some.” She held up her thumb and index finger. “I think I did a tiny bit of work too, so I want my labor fee.”

“Sure thing.” She turned and took out a small money box from the bedside cabinet, opening it. Then the girl said, “I want five copper coins!”

The price was so cheap it nearly broke someone’s back; even a bowl of food outside cost more than that. Lü Jing hesitated for a moment but still took out five taels of silver and handed it over. It wasn’t a small sum for their family, but repaying a life-saving favor was worth any amount.

Shang Shan looked down at it and shook her head, spreading her five fingers. “You heard wrong. It’s five copper coins, not five taels.”

Lü Jing still couldn’t believe it and confirmed while refusing several times, but the girl shook her head like a rattle drum, unwilling to take it. She had no choice but to pick five coins from a small box nearby and hesitantly place them in the girl’s palm.

Shang Shan happily closed her fingers, tossed the money into her sleeve, and said cheerfully, “Thanks, boss!”

They politely declined the Gao Family’s invitation to stay for a meal and walked out the door, continuing until they left Pinecone Alley. Sunlight poured down, warming their bodies.

Compared to early morning, the streets finally had some people, but just like the past few days, everyone walked quickly, hurrying about their business without stopping. There were also some rogue cultivators holding magical tools, squatting dazedly by the roadside, occasionally chatting—probably discussing where to stake out glamour corpses that night.

After walking a bit further, Jiang Yuanqi smiled. “I never expected Miss Shang to ask for a consultation fee.”

Shang Shan said, “This isn’t a consultation fee; it’s labor pay. But why didn’t you expect it? Is wanting money strange?”

“Not strange, just…” Jiang Yuanqi chose his words carefully. “Most people traveling the jianghu have one of two attitudes toward charging for demon exorcism: they either charge a lot, opening their mouths like lions, or they don’t charge a single coin, treating it as accumulating merit and virtue. I’ve never seen someone like Miss Shang, asking for just five copper coins at a time.”

“To be frank, Brother Wen, this way you neither make money nor gain the good reputation of not taking a penny for good deeds. The Gao Family is kind and won’t say much, but if it falls into the hands of those with ulterior motives, being too cheap isn’t good—it gives others reason to mock you.”

Hugging New Year’s Money, Shang Shan pressed her face against the cat face and tilted her head. “If others want to mock me, whether I charge or not, charge more or less, they’ll mock anyway. That’s got nothing to do with me; it’s their own badness.”

“I did the work, so wanting pay is perfectly justified. Like if I catch rats—if I don’t take money, how do I feed myself? Don’t those long-mouthed gossips also need to earn money to eat?”

“Besides, you saved Uncle Gao. I just followed behind and ran a bit. I didn’t do much, so I take little— just my share is enough. I don’t think I’m wrong.”

Jiang Yuanqi said, “Miss Shang, that’s not wrong; it’s just some common little tricks for getting along in the world.”

Shang Shan asked, “Then you not charging—is it to gain a good reputation?”

Her words were innocently candid, her eyes clear. Even somewhat offensive sentences from her mouth were just pure questions, without any aggression. Jiang Yuanqi laughed heartily and shook his head. “You’ve got me not knowing what to say.”

“Is that so? Oh, and…” Holding the cat with one hand, Shang Shan shook her sleeve, the five coins jingling. “I wanted five coppers because that’s enough.”

Jiang Yuanqi’s lips curved. “Enough? Does Miss Shang want to buy something?”

She sneaked a glance at the woman behind her and grinned, showing her small white teeth. “Yeah, to buy! After we catch that glamour corpse, then go buy!”

Mentioning the glamour corpse inevitably recalled the earlier conversation in the house. Shang Shan doubtfully said, “Why did you just ask if Miss Wen can sing opera?”

Jiang Yuanqi lowered his head to adjust his black iron bracer, his gaze darkening slightly. “That glamour corpse might be related to her.”

Shang Shan rejected. “Impossible. Didn’t her legs break? That glamour corpse could run and jump, super agile, and shook us off!”

Jiang Yuanqi said, “Legs broken doesn’t mean legs gone. She’s in a wheelchair—is it truly broken or faked? Without seeing it ourselves, we can’t be sure.”

True enough. They’d only seen Wen Yu twice total, from a distance, so they couldn’t tell. If she was faking the broken legs, it wasn’t impossible. Shang Shan said, “But she’s a living person! The one last night was definitely dead.”

Jiang Yuanqi smiled. “So I only said it’s related to her.”

Recalling the blue-clothed woman seen yesterday in front of the coffin shop—so gentle and elegant, hard to connect to the blood-eyed glamorous woman at night. Shang Shan rubbed her cheeks and muttered, “But wasn’t she delivering coffins? She seemed so gentle.”

As if thinking of something amusing, Jiang Yuanqi’s smile became more sincere. “Killing at night, delivering coffins by day—why not? Still, that glamour corpse should be someone else, but this Miss Wen from the Wen Family definitely needs checking.”

They decided to investigate right away. The three first went to the coffin shop but didn’t see Miss Wen come out. No coffin delivery today, so she was home. They arrived at the Wen Family residence. Learning from yesterday’s lesson, they didn’t plan to enter through the main gate but circled to the side with more courtyards, flipped over the wall.

Behind the wall was a rockery courtyard, blooming flowers everywhere, water gurgling.

The goldfish in the water were fatter than arms, swimming lazily. They showed no fear even when someone approached, clustering over instead, like waiting to be fed—a big colorful patch.

Voices talking came from the courtyard entrance; someone approached this way!

The first two to jump down quickly hid behind the rockery. Shang Shan cupped her hands around her mouth, mouthing for her to hurry down. Mu Qian Tan stood on the wall and leaped down unhurriedly, light as a snowflake.

She casually flicked an ice shard into the water. The fish crowd that gathered for food upon seeing the shadow scattered in an instant, like a giant flower blooming and fleeing. She crossed her arms and leaned lightly against the rockery from behind as the two walked in from the entrance, chatting and laughing through the courtyard.

Shang Shan looked up at the woman so close by, hands over her lips, whispering, “Master, you’re so smart. You scared off the fish—they won’t notice people hiding behind.”

A finger pushed away the warm head. Mu Qian Tan was full of disgust in her eyes, thinking, ‘I have to just follow them like this?’

Li Biyuan said, ‘What’s wrong, Sister Tan? Isn’t it nice just watching without working?’

Mu Qian Tan rolled her eyes and said nothing.

As a side character, she was supposed to obediently be the System’s camera, observing the male and female protagonists’ “adventure,” yet she did something habitual like driving away fish that those two should have noticed but didn’t, just because she spotted it.

She clearly had better, more efficient ways to find where the glamour corpse was—even knew where it was already—yet had to waste time acting, watching others’ full-of-holes performance. Where was the fun? Only endless irritation from being forced in place and suppressing her strength.

Li Biyuan said, ‘No choice, Sister Tan. If we don’t watch the Female Protagonist with our own eyes, what if she suddenly turns into the Black Dragon in some detail and destroys the world? Have a bit more patience—like going to work, okay?’

Mu Qian Tan coldly said, ‘Clock in when eyes open, off only when closed—who runs a shift like that?’

Li Biyuan said, ‘Agh, how about this: I’ll apply to the higher-ups for what workers love most—little money! Raise your salary, how’s that?’

After a silence, Mu Qian Tan slowly said, ‘So, that money you promised before isn’t even the max you can apply for me.’

Not expecting her to say that, Li Biyuan stammered, ‘Uh… yeah, it is.’

Mu Qian Tan said, ‘Proves you lowballed me from the start, then talk about raises—pretending to be nice.’

‘Cough cough cough.’ Li Biyuan dry-coughed to ease the awkwardness. Really wanted to slap herself—why keep chatting with her when idle? ‘Um… so, want it or not?’

Mu Qian Tan bluntly said, ‘Want.’

‘Got it, Sister Tan.’

The people over there had already left the courtyard. The few emerged from behind the rockery. Shang Shan looked around the vast courtyard and asked, “Feels like there are lots of rooms here. Do we search room by room?”

“Of course not.” Jiang Yuanqi took out that veil again. New Year’s Money automatically hopped in front of him, sniffing the lowered veil. It raised its head, tilted it, then sniffed again, repeating several times before confidently heading in a certain direction.

Shang Shan said, “She’s so smart. After this ends, I gotta treat her to dried fish!”

“Haha, then I’ll thank you on New Year’s Money’s behalf first, Miss Shang.”

The Wen Family courtyards were indeed intricate and complex, all buildings looking similar. Following New Year’s Money, they twisted and turned so much their eyes nearly blurred. Not long after setting out, servants bustled by again, and the three hid behind another rockery.

New Year’s Money was extremely perceptive. Seeing them all hide, it swayed its waist and lay down on the spot, tail whipping like a snake. The approaching servant was a woman who clutched her chest in surprise, then stroked its belly and head with purrs all over before leaving with a smile.

The conical hat cat narrowed its eyes and glanced toward the rockery, its expression saying: See? I don’t even need to hide.

Shang Shan cupped her face and whispered, “I’m taking her home!”

Jiang Yuanqi was at a loss for words. “This…”

The servants gradually walked away. The three continued. This time, they didn’t go far before stopping at an especially spacious courtyard. A row of willows hung soft branches at the gate, old green swaying, making the dark house seem somewhat gloomy.

No guards here, not even a servant—silent as if no one lived there. Getting closer revealed doors and windows tightly shut, as if pasted over from inside to block any light. Overall, it didn’t look like a residence but more like a yin-qi filled coffin.

Having followed the veil’s scent here, it was basically certain: the glamour corpse hid inside.

Jiang Yuanqi slowly approached the gate, with Shang Shan one on each side, making no sound as they quietly reached the door and pressed their ears against it, listening for movement inside.

Beneath the thick door panels came the faint sound of a woman crying and singing opera, intermittent, sorrowful and melodious, full of grief and pain. Mixed in the tune was a dull thumping bang bang, like someone bound and struggling, bumping into things!