Chapter 113: The Peachwood Sword

Jiang Lan hopped into his courtyard just as the morning light began to break. Qingli quickly emerged from the wooden hairpin and poured a cup of tea.

He drained it in one gulp. "Another."

Qingli hurriedly poured a second cup. "Great Immortal, what happened? Why have you only just returned?"

Having returned in quite a rush, he drank three cups in succession.

"Following your instructions, Great Immortal, I dared not leave for fear of being discovered. When your maid came at the hour of the dragon, I took on your appearance and voice, claiming I was unwell and would rise late, so I didn't let her in."

Setting down the teacup, Jiang Lan nodded. "You did well. Very good."

Qingli’s mouth widened into a grin, delighted.

"However, from now on, you are not to call me 'Great Immortal'."

"Then what should I call you? Young Master?" Qingli tilted her head and asked.

Jiang Lan nodded, handing her the mask to store away. "Just call me Young Master."

"Whatever Young Master says goes."

Qingli took the mask, found a box in the cabinet, placed it carefully inside, locked it, and put it back into the cabinet.

"I will find an excuse to bring you into the household today so you can serve openly in the courtyard."

"Thank you, Young Master." Qingli thoughtfully fetched a change of clothes. "Young Master looks best in the cyan-white robe with the straight collar."

"Are the two in the courtyard still behaving? Have they caused any trouble for you?" As Jiang Lan changed behind the screen, Qingli took the clothes hanging on the frame and placed them into the bamboo basket she was holding.

Qingli pouted. "That one with the long gray hair—"

"Call him Mister."

"Yes, Mister. That Mister Xie has been fussing since daybreak, demanding snacks and pastries. I hadn't slept all night and was busy guarding against anyone discovering your absence, so I ignored him. That old man—no, no, Mister Xie—is currently quite furious."

Jiang Lan tied the sash of his robe. "Oh, make some for him later when you have time. And the other one?"

"That one? He hasn't come out yet. Who knows what he's doing in there? You spent all night working yourself to the bone for his sake, and he hasn't even offered a word of concern. He’s definitely not a good person; he’s just a great treacherous official!"

Jiang Lan nodded. If those two were the only issues, the household would remain relatively peaceful.

"Was it quiet at my sister’s last night? And did the children, Ming and Lan, cause any fuss?"

"Little Miss Lan is at that age where she just eats and sleeps. Last night, when those spirits were being siphoned, I took extra care to shield her so she wouldn't be frightened. Young Master Ming, however, is too diligent. Even when everything outside had gone quiet, his room's candle remained lit; he has been studying by candlelight all night."

Jiang Lan emerged and looked at Qingli, who wore a silly expression of pride as if she were talking about her own children. He tapped her forehead and shoved the remaining clothes into her basket.

"And my sister?"

Jiang Lan walked to the window, pushed it open, propped it up with a rod, and then went to the dressing table. He picked up a comb and handed it to Qingli. "Come here and fix my hair."

Qingli immediately set down the basket and walked over with a cheerful step.

"Which style does Young Master prefer?"

Jiang Lan didn't care much for such things; usually, Xichi handled it. "Anything. The one I usually wear is fine."

Qingli carefully groomed Jiang Lan’s long hair. "Young Master hasn't reached the capping ceremony yet. While your usual tight hairstyle looks dignified, it lacks a bit of youthful spirit. I was thinking of leaving some strands by your temples—it would look elegant and spirited. How about wearing this purple-gold crown?"

Seeing the crown Qingli retrieved from the box on the table, Jiang Lan nodded.

Qingli happily tended to his hair, delighted to see the increasingly radiant Young Master in the mirror.

"Did anything happen at my sister’s place last night?"

Qingli’s hand faltered. "As I’m sure you know, the West Courtyard is the most wary of spirits and demons. There are no talismans or magic mirrors on the doors or corridors there, so how could I have dared to go near?"

Jiang Lan looked at the aggrieved girl. "Did you hear any news, then?"

"I did hear a thing or two."

Seeing the Young Master watching her through the reflection, Qingli sighed. "I wanted to be certain before telling you, but now I can only ask you to discern the truth yourself."

"According to that gossipy maid, in the first half of the night, she seemed to be plagued by nightmares and kept screaming. Fearing she had been frightened by something during the day, the maids on night duty stayed by her bedside and left a lamp burning. Later, it was said to be a haunting!"

"A haunting?"

"Yes. That maid described it as quite terrifying. But in the end, something emitted a golden light, and then everything went still. In my opinion, the 'haunting' was likely those demons outside trying to siphon human spirits, only to be blocked by some treasure in her room. But exactly what that treasure was, I cannot say for sure."

By now, the purple-gold crown was in place, and Jiang Lan rose.

"Where are you going, Young Master?" Qingli asked.

"To the Si Yuan Pavilion."

"I need to prepare some food later. Would you like to eat something, Young Master?"

Jiang Lan initially shook his head, but after a moment of thought, he said, "Send some to the Si Yuan Pavilion."

"Young Master, you forgot—there is no such person as 'Qingli' in the household yet."

"Then... never mind."

Upon reaching the West Courtyard, Jiang Lan saw his third uncle propping up his head, sitting on the stone wall of the flower garden in a snow-white robe. He held a peach-wood sword, one eye closed and one open, staring fixedly at Jiang Si’s residence. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked quite exhausted from the ordeal.

"Third Uncle."

Jiang Yu yawned. "Oh, it’s Lan-ge'er. Why didn't you sleep a little longer? Were you frightened by what happened yesterday? Your sister is still young, and with the commotion all night, I’m afraid her soul was startled."

Though his words carried a hint of complaint, his demeanor and actions were full of concern. The way he gripped the peach-wood sword suggested that he hadn't been able to hire a Taoist priest last night and had been forced to face the threat himself.

That was true; all the cultivators had been tied up with him, so they could hardly have honored his Third Uncle's request.

Moreover, such matters couldn't be made public. He would need to find a suitable excuse to bring someone in properly, ensuring no rumors spread to damage his sister's reputation.

Still, with his own blood-stained jade-bone fan, his sister was safe from any evil.

"It is broad daylight now; surely those demons wouldn't dare cause trouble under the bright sun. Third Uncle, go back to your room and rest. Don't ruin your health."

"But what about your sister?"

"Don't worry, Third Uncle. I will go watch over her. Later, when the sun goes down, I'll have someone fetch a master to take a look. We'll tell everyone that I was the one frightened by yesterday's events, and it wasn't until today that we realized she had been startled as well."

Jiang Yu stood up, yawned, patted Jiang Lan on the shoulder, and solemnly handed the peach-wood sword to him. "Yes, do your best."

Looking at the peach-wood sword in his hand, Jiang Lan flicked his wrist, and the sword flew through the air, embedding itself straight into the ground.

Chunming, having received word from the maids, came out to greet him. Seeing Jiang Lan seated in the lacquered wooden chair on the left side of the hall, she bowed. "Greetings, Young Master."

"How is my sister doing now?"

"She was restless all night. She only just fell asleep as the sky brightened and hasn't woken yet. Please forgive her, Young Master."

"Was it a haunting? Did everyone see it yesterday, or just your mistress?" Jiang Lan looked at Chunming, and seeing the deathly pallor on her lowered face, he already had his answer.