Chapter 10: Qi Eating Spirit (5)

She undid the fastener, took out the talisman paper inside, and opened it. Sure enough, she thought.

The talisman paper was brand new, and the talisman drawn on it was missing several strokes. Not only did it have no power to ward off evil, it would instead summon evil spirits.

Zhou Xin stuffed the talisman paper back into the pouch, closed the door, and turned around. Seeing Madam Shen standing in front of Shen Jibai’s door, she walked over and asked, “Madam Shen, was this blessing pouch something Tannu carried with him at all times?”

Madam Shen answered, “Yes. He only takes it off when bathing.”

“Then did Tannu bathe before he fell ill?”

The other woman frowned and thought for a moment before nodding repeatedly. “He did! Fourth Young Master was off duty that day, and he was the one who bathed Tannu.”

“Did anyone come to the house that day?”

She shook her head slightly. “I don’t think anyone came... That’s right. No one came!”

Zhou Xin propped one elbow with one hand and rested her chin on the other, taking on a thoughtful pose as her mind worked continuously.

That day, Shen Jibai had been off duty and at home. With his skills, if anyone had snuck into the courtyard, he would have noticed immediately.

So the one who tampered with the talisman pouch definitely was not human.

The talisman paper itself was meant to ward off evil. Demons and evil spirits could not get close, much less replace the talisman paper inside.

Therefore, it was not an evil spirit either.

That left only one possibility.

A paper effigy.

A paper effigy was not a living thing. It carried no demonic or evil aura and was not within the talisman’s range of effect. It could swap out the talisman without anyone noticing, and could even come and go freely from any place.

In other words, the person who had deliberately tried to harm Tannu was the evil cultivator who had taken the Fox King’s inner core, caused the hamster demon to go berserk, and stolen the pouch that imprisoned the qi-eating spirit.

But why would he harm Tannu?

The child was only eight years old this year. What kind of grudge or hatred could make someone choose to target a young child?

“Fourth Young Master?”

The knocking continued, but no one answered.

Madam Shen grew even more anxious and knocked harder. “Ah Mo?”

A light cough came from inside the room. “Aunt, your nephew is fine.”

Hearing this, Madam Shen’s expression eased slightly, and she let out a heavy breath.

“Madam Shen, this talisman was tampered with. It no longer has any power to ward off evil. Don’t let him wear it again in the future.” Zhou Xin casually tucked the talisman pouch into her robe.

Madam Shen was startled again. “Daoist Master, you mean... it wasn’t a coincidence that the evil spirit targeted Tannu?”

Zhou Xin nodded. “Exactly. This poor Daoist would like to ask, if it is not too rude: do you or Tannu have any enemies?”

Madam Shen shook her head. “I have always believed myself to have lived a life of kindness and virtue, and I have never made enemies with anyone. Why would someone deliberately harm Tannu? He is only eight years old. He is still a child.”

With a creak, the door was opened. Shen Jibai walked out wrapped in a fox-fur cloak that would only be worn in winter.

“Could they have been targeting Shen? Shen often deals with desperate criminals and has imprisoned many troublemaking demons and evil beings. I have more than a few enemies.”

Zhou Xin glanced at him, thinking that she had not expected this man to have such self-awareness.

“We do not know yet.”

“It is the height of summer. Why has Fourth Young Master brought out a fox-fur cloak?” Madam Shen looked at him suspiciously.

Shen Jibai turned and closed the door. “It is nothing. Aunt, please don’t overthink it.”

Before he had even finished speaking, Madam Shen lifted the cloak and immediately saw the belly hidden beneath it, already swollen and round as though he were seven months pregnant.

She cried out in alarm, “Th-this... what is going on?”

Shen Jibai pressed a hand to his forehead, his face full of helplessness. “This matter... your nephew is not entirely sure either.”

Madam Shen: “?”

“I woke up, and it was like this.” Shen Jibai looked bewildered, his expression extremely innocent.

Hearing this, Madam Shen’s face clouded over with worry, and she let out a heavy sigh. “What sin is this? Tannu has only just recovered, and now something has happened to you. How am I supposed to explain this to my late brother...”

She bit her lower lip, her eyes rippling with tears, as though they might fall at any moment.

“Madam Shen, don’t get worked up. Court Minister Shen is not in serious danger.” Zhou Xin feared seeing people cry the most and tried to steady her emotions before the tears could fall.

Shen Jibai echoed, “Aunt, don’t worry. Perfected Linghe will certainly have a solution. Your nephew will go and return quickly.”

Madam Shen lowered her head slightly, seemingly trying hard to restrain her emotions, and said nothing.

Just then, the coachman entered the courtyard and said, “Minister, the carriage is ready. We may depart at any time.”

Shen Jibai nodded slightly.

Zhou Xin said, “This poor Daoist will take her leave.”

Only then did Madam Shen raise her head. Mist filled her eyes, and she swallowed before saying hoarsely, “Take care, Daoist Master.”

The two walked one after the other through the corridor and turned into the passageway leading to the outer courtyard. Shen Jibai’s steps were much slower than usual, so Zhou Xin could only slow down as well, following closely behind him.

Madam Shen walked beside her, her gaze fixed to the back of the person walking ahead. The longer she looked, the tighter her brows furrowed.

The carriage was stopped at the courtyard gate. Shen Jibai got in first. Zhou Xin followed, stepping onto the carriage board. She had just lifted the curtain and was about to duck inside when she heard a rather childish, incredibly soft and adorable voice behind her.

“Pretty big sister!”

Zhou Xin paused and turned her head to look. She saw that Tannu had snuck out at some point and was hiding behind the courtyard gate, tilting his head out and smiling brightly at her. His round pupils were clear and bright, untouched by even the slightest trace of worldly dust.

She was a little surprised. “When did Tannu wake up?”

Madam Shen said, “He woke up last night. It was already very late then, so I didn’t have time to tell Daoist Master. And this morning...”

Zhou Xin smiled and nodded. “It’s good that he woke up.”

While the two of them were speaking, Tannu quietly slipped behind Madam Shen, grabbed her skirt with both hands, poked his head out, and smiled at Zhou Xin.

“Thank you, Big Sister, for bringing Tannu home. Big Sister has to come visit Tannu often!”

“Tannu is such a sensible child.”

Madam Shen praised him and stroked his head, explaining to Zhou Xin, “When Tannu woke up, he said he had been in a pitch-black place and couldn’t get out no matter how he walked. Then a pretty big sister drove away the darkness and brought him home. He is very grateful to you, Daoist Master.”

“Daoist Master must come often,” she said. “I can make wontons with other fillings too.”

“All right,” Zhou Xin said. “Madam Shen’s wontons are very delicious.”

“Goodbye, Pretty Big Sister!” Tannu waved at her.

“Goodbye.” Warmth filled Zhou Xin’s heart, and she smiled back.

The carriage window was pushed open. Hearing the sound, Tannu looked over. When he met those black-and-white phoenix eyes, he hugged Madam Shen’s leg tightly.

“...Cousin Ah Mo looks so fierce. Did Tannu do something to make you angry?”

Shen Jibai said coolly, “Remember to make up the lessons you missed these past few days.”

Tannu: “?”

He hugged Madam Shen’s leg and rubbed against it. “...Mother.”

Madam Shen gently stroked his head. “Listen to your cousin.”

At those words, the smile on his face vanished instantly.

Closing the carriage door, Zhou Xin sat down in the side seat by the window.

Shen Jibai lowered the carriage window, his voice cold. “Lord Lingyun is quite good at winning the favor of other people’s relatives.”

Sensing Madam Shen and Tannu’s goodwill, Zhou Xin was in a very relaxed state. Used to spouting nonsense offhand, she opened her mouth and said, “There’s no helping it. My personal charm is too strong. People love me when they see me, flowers bloom when they see me, and even carriage wheels would spin three times in place at the sight of me.”

“Lord Lingyun is quite self-aware.”

“Thank you for the praise. This poor Daoist deserves it.”

“Chao Nanyi.” Unable to bear it any longer, he spelled it out. “Do you know that you’re truly annoying?”

Zhou Xin froze for an instant, then slowly straightened her back. The expression on her face also became serious.

It was as though her earlier relaxed, softened expression had only been an illusion.

She said earnestly, “I know. Especially to you.”

After saying that, she turned her head away and murmured under her breath, “But it’s not like I took the initiative to get in front of you. No, that’s not right. I’ve never tried to get in front of you at all. Why are you being so fierce?”

Her voice was especially soft, sounding as though she had accidentally spoken the complaint in her heart aloud.

But the speaker was careless while the listener took it to heart. When those words reached Shen Jibai’s ears, they took on a different meaning.

He was silent for a moment. His expression returned to its usual calm as he said, “Shen misspoke. My apologies.”

Only then did Zhou Xin realize what had happened. She quickly covered her mouth, paused, and then said, “...It’s fine.”

On the surface, she looked calm and composed, but her heart was filled with shock. She thought, Are you kidding me? Did he take the wrong medicine? He actually apologized?

Shen Jibai sat in the main seat, his brows and eyes lowered, with no intention of speaking further.

By chance, he noticed the overlapping corners of two robes in the corner, one green and one black. Without a word, he gathered his robe and shifted to the left, putting distance between himself and Zhou Xin, clothes and all.

The faint rustle of fabric broke the silence in the carriage.

Zhou Xin looked over and saw him push open the window on the left, staring fixedly at the bustling street outside.

But upon closer observation, one would notice that his gaze had merely landed vaguely on the corner of the window. He was clearly lost in thought.

With the Shen family suffering one incident after another, his mood was probably terrible.

Zhou Xin turned and pushed open the carriage window. She saw that in the distance, in front of the Shen residence, one adult and one child were still standing there. When Tannu saw her lean out, he waved hard.

Her heart tightened. She sighed and muttered softly, “Who could be so cruel as to harm such an adorable child?”

Hearing this, Shen Jibai seemed to think of something and suddenly lowered his eyelids, closing the carriage window again.

“Does Lord Lingyun have a suspect in mind?”

“No,” Zhou Xin shook her head. “But Chao can be certain of one thing.”

Shen Jibai asked, “What is it?”

“This person knew that it was Taiqing Temple’s safety talisman protecting Tannu. Otherwise, he would not have gone to such lengths to swap it out.”

Her tone was extremely certain. “That means this person must have had contact with Tannu. They may even be someone Court Minister Shen or Madam Shen knows.”

Shen Jibai raised his eyes and looked over, his gaze deepening with a few faint traces of suspicion.

He nodded slightly and said meaningfully, “Lord Lingyun’s words are reasonable.”

＊

Taiqing Temple.

The two passed through Chaoyuan Gate and headed toward the quiet room together. They ran into Changsheng, who had just come out of the dining hall.

Seeing Shen Jibai, he gave a curious “Huh?” and asked, “Why is Court Minister Shen dressed so heavily?”

Shen Jibai spat out one word blandly.

“Cold.”

Changsheng scratched his head, not quite understanding. Then he turned to Zhou Xin. “Senior Sister, where did you go last night?”

Zhou Xin raised a hand and pinched his cheek. “Are you a walking book of ten thousand whys?”

She grabbed his shoulders and turned him around to face the quiet room. “Go inform Perfected Linghe that Court Minister Shen is here to visit.”

Changsheng turned his head back, looking at her with watery eyes. “But Perfected Linghe isn’t here!”

Shen Jibai asked, “Where did he go?”

Changsheng said, “He entered the palace last night. Before leaving, he even took a box and packed quite a lot of things in it.”

How strange.

When she left yesterday, it had already been getting dark, and the palace gates had been locked. Perfected Linghe had left after her, which could only mean that something had happened in the palace, serious enough that the gates had to be reopened to invite him in.

Zhou Xin’s delicate brows drew together slightly. “Junior Brother, do you know exactly what happened?”