5 First Entry into the Mountain Villa (2)

Jiang Xiaoman was startled. She turned around to find herself face-to-face with a pale, weary-looking man.

"Who are you, and what are you doing lurking here?" The man held a lantern, its eerie glow making his features look even more sinister. Though he appeared ghastly, his facial features were those of an ordinary mortal.

A mortal—and a living one at that. To her, this was truly harder to deal with than a demon.

She stood frozen, blinking, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

The spirit bird on her shoulder stared at the man with great curiosity.

"She is the medicine servant of the divine doctor from earlier; she’s a mute," a gruff voice rang out from the side. It was the head guard, Ma, who had come to her rescue.

"Young lady, you must have gotten separated from the divine doctor. I shall take you to him." Head Guard Ma strode over, bowed to the man, addressed him as "son-in-law," and made to lead her away without further argument.

So this was Cen Yuan, the man who had married into the Cen family as a matrilocal son-in-law. The Zhou family of Hebei, once illustrious for their timber trade, had long since fallen into decline, and after his marriage, Zhou Yuan had taken the surname Cen.

Taking advantage of the moment Ma was explaining things to Cen Yuan, Jiang Xiaoman sneaked a few more glances at the wall beside her. She had clearly sensed the strongest concentration of demonic energy here; the source of the "Tricky Sound" must be hiding behind this wall—

No, she couldn't retreat now. She was so close; she had to get inside and take a look.

"Let’s go, young lady." Head Guard Ma’s expression was stern, offering her no chance to refuse.

She was anxious but couldn't speak. She looked at Ma with a hesitant, pitiful expression.

As they stood in a stalemate, a sudden knocking sounded from the main gate.

*Thump, thump, thump!*

It grew louder and louder.

"Who is it?" Ma shouted, clearly annoyed.

*

Head Guard Ma frowned, his eyes full of suspicion. Leaving Jiang Xiaoman aside, he turned and headed toward the gate, hand on the hilt of his blade.

Jiang Xiaoman curiously hid to the side, peeking out.

When the doors swung open, a man in a black robe stood there leisurely. He wore a hairpiece adorned with bright jade, fine floral-patterned boots, and a yellow brocade cloak trimmed with sable fur. Half his face was covered by an iron-and-jade mask, revealing only his chin. He twirled a satin folding fan in his hand, looking incredibly ostentatious.

With his appearance and attire, it wouldn't have been a surprise if he had started singing an opera right then and there.

The iron-masked man smiled slightly, gently waving his fan, and nodded in greeting to the stunned Ma.

Seeing the man's getup, Ma stared, scanning him from head to toe several times.

Jiang Xiaoman was also dumbfounded, but then she heard Cen Yuan shout excitedly from behind her:

"It’s the person I sent for! Quick, please, come in!"

Cen Yuan hurried over in two or three strides and welcomed the iron-masked man inside.

However, the moment he stepped through the threshold, the spirit bird on Jiang Xiaoman’s shoulder lost control, fluttering about frantically. She had to quickly tuck it back into the accessory used to seal it.

Fortunately, the three men did not notice the disturbance on her side. She heard Cen Yuan explaining eloquently, "Head Guard Ma, this is the Master Baihua from the Qianji Pavilion whom I mentioned to you the other day. Since the house has been filled with such oppressive, baleful energy lately, I invited him to perform a ritual and dispel the evil spirits."

"Has the son-in-law informed the old madam?"

"Yes, yes. The old madam has given her tacit consent."

Upon hearing this, Ma cupped his hands in a return salute. The three exchanged pleasantries for a moment.

Jiang Xiaoman frowned.

Master Baihua? She had never heard of such a person.

If he wasn't from a cultivation sect, how could he claim to be able to dispel demons? And if a ritual was needed, why would the Cen family bypass the orthodox cultivators of the five great sects and hire this unknown, street-performer-looking wanderer?

She had a hundred questions, but she had to keep them to herself. She quickly scanned her surroundings and, seeing that no one was paying attention to her, leaped lightly like a swallow skimming the water, silently vaulting into the courtyard.

Once inside, she realized that the situation was far from simple.

*

This was the left courtyard.

The courtyard featured eastern and western side wings surrounding a central garden. Both wings were brightly lit, with silhouettes flickering against the paper windows. Servants holding lanterns and maids carrying trays of pastries and fruits bustled between the wings.

She had heard Ling Sichen say that the Meixue Manor was divided into two large courtyards behind the front hall. Other than the old madam, who lived quietly in the right courtyard, the rest of the family resided here.

With such a dense population, finding the source of the demonic energy was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, with people coming and going, if she were discovered, it would be hard to explain her presence, given the persona of a simple, mute medicine servant that Ling Sichen had assigned her.

Jiang Xiaoman thought for a moment and decided that retreating was the better option.

*

Under the cover of night, Jiang Xiaoman circled around to the other side, hopped out of the left courtyard, and crept into the right courtyard along a dark path. She arrived just as Ling Sichen was instructing a maid about brewing medicine in front of the main house.

His silhouette was tall and upright, cast by the soft candlelight spilling from the room.

Jiang Xiaoman walked over silently. Steward Zeng, who was guarding nearby, spotted her and waved her over. He didn't ask many questions, assuming the medicine servant girl had simply gotten lost.

Ling Sichen cast a sidelong glance at her, then acted as if nothing had happened, continuing to discuss the prescription with the maid.

Jiang Xiaoman knew her place and waited quietly on the side.

Once Ling Sichen finished, Steward Zeng led the divine doctor and his servant to the guest rooms behind the right courtyard.

On the way, Steward Zeng remarked that since the medicine servant also needed regular care, he had arranged for the two of them to share a room. Although Jiang Xiaoman felt a bit uncomfortable, it seemed inappropriate to object on the spot.

Fortunately, there were two beds in the room.

The guest room was spacious and elegantly furnished, with two beds covered in high-quality velvet placed on either side. An exquisite incense burner sat on a table between them, filling the room with a lingering fragrance.

Steward Zeng gave a brief introduction to the room's layout before closing the door for them.

Once the sound of Steward Zeng’s footsteps faded, Ling Sichen turned around to settle accounts.

"What happened? Didn't I tell you to scout the location and not alert the enemy?"

Jiang Xiaoman was slightly stunned. So, the reason the demonic energy had vanished for no apparent reason wasn't because of him.

She whispered back, "I don't know either."

Ling Sichen hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Did you manage to pinpoint the location of the demon?"

"It’s likely in the left courtyard. Should I use the spirit bird to scout again?" As she spoke, she reached to undo the seal on the accessory around her neck.

Ling Sichen waved his hand, signaling her to put it away.

"Once a high-level demon begins to hide its aura, even the most top-tier spirit beast won't be able to detect a trace of it."

Since things had come to this, it seemed their mission to slay the demon wouldn't be as smooth as expected.

"Do you think it might have already fled?" Jiang Xiaoman asked, looking up.

"The Water Demon was slain some time ago, yet it has remained in the manor. It is not easy for a demon to find a new environment, and since neither you nor I have been exposed, it should still be here."

Jiang Xiaoman nodded. A chill suddenly washed over her, and she couldn't help but shiver.

Ling Sichen appeared much more relaxed. He turned to set down his luggage, showing signs of weariness.

"Let's sleep first. We'll look into it again tomorrow."

*

*Squeak, squeak.*

In the middle of the night, the sound of insects chirping outside was incessant. A cold wind blew irregularly against the windowpanes, making a mournful scratching sound.

Jiang Xiaoman wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, curling into a ball. She shivered, her eyes fluttering open and shut, glancing toward the door every so often.

She had read in the folktales of the Three Realms that the "Tricky Sound" demon would tear off a victim's face to wear as its own, steal their identity, mimic their speech, and hide among their friends and family. It was truly hair-raising.

Could the "Tricky Sound" be that Cen Yuan? Just as the demonic energy had vanished, he had appeared behind her like a ghost, catching her off guard...

Or could it be one of the servants or maids walking around in the left courtyard?

No, everyone looked suspicious...

If Cen Yuan was the "Tricky Sound" in disguise and had already seen through her identity, would he launch a sneak attack while she slept?

No, no, no.

Tossing and turning, Jiang Xiaoman couldn't sleep the more she thought about it. She sat up abruptly, only to see Ling Sichen sleeping soundly in the bed across from her.

As expected of the Second Young Master Ling, to be so calm in such a dangerous place.

After watching him for a while, a thought crossed her mind.

*Why not steal the demon core now? Then I can get out of this haunted place immediately.*

She tiptoed toward the opposite bed, her bare feet touching the wooden floorboards, trying to be as gentle as possible with every step, not making a sound.

When she reached the bed, she saw Ling Sichen fast asleep, resting his head on his bulging travel bag.

Jiang Xiaoman moved to the side of the bed, gently lifted the silk pillow he had placed aside, carefully swapped it for the bag, and slowly pulled the bag out. After a series of fluid, practiced movements, she sat down on the floor and began rummaging through it.

Unfortunately, after going through everything, it was just the bottles and jars he had bought in Yangzhou and a few scrolls of prescriptions.

Apart from that, she found a sachet—exquisitely embroidered with a faint fragrance, the kind of thing a young lady might give.

But that wasn't important. She glanced at it and shoved it back.

The item she was looking for wasn't there.

Bad news. Could he be carrying it on his person? Did she really have to lift his quilt to find it?

Just as she was agonizing over this, she heard the person on the bed mumble softly, his voice as thin as a mosquito’s: "Don't go, Mother."

Jiang Xiaoman frowned. What was he dreaming about? How old was he to still be calling for his mother in his sleep...

She smiled, involuntarily recalling their first meeting a few days ago.

At first glance, she had only thought this man was trouble and decided to keep her distance. Yet, somehow, he had inexplicably become the only person she could speak freely to.

After these few days, she realized that this Second Young Master Ling wasn't actually that hard to get along with.

She had lived a sheltered life, and her impression of the Ling family of Yue Mountain mostly came from childhood memories.

Back then, to slay a high-level demon wreaking havoc in Tuzhou, her father had invited various cultivation sects to gather in their hometown, and the Sect Master of the Ling family had also brought his disciples to pay a visit. In her memory, there were two children following the Sect Master; one of them must have been him, right?

Although Second Young Master Ling's words were usually as sharp as a blade, his peaceful appearance while asleep showed a different side. His clear, fair complexion, sharp features, and firm jawline made her want to look just a little longer.

Jiang Xiaoman’s hand trembled as she reached out, intending to quietly lift the thin quilt covering him.

*This is for finding the demon core!*

As she began, the person in his sleep suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly.

Jiang Xiaoman was shocked and instinctively pulled her hand back. When she looked again, she realized it was just an unconscious reflex; the young man was still sound asleep.

She broke out in a cold sweat, feeling a sense of shame.

Looking at the sleeping man, she didn't know whether to continue or give up, feeling utterly lost...

Just then, a faint melody of a zither drifted in from outside the window.

Though the sound was small, it was clear, winding, and lingering.

Especially for someone from the Jiang family, where disciples practiced the zither day and night at the Miaoyin Pavilion, she was immersed in the sound of music from dawn till dusk. Her senses were exceptionally keen, and even the slightest fluctuation in the zither’s melody could not escape her ears.

But who could be playing the zither in the middle of the night?