Chapter 18-Part 2

Teng Yuyi pointed out the window, and Juan Erli and Bao Zhu followed her gaze. Amid the bustling crowd below, two round-faced little Taoist priests suddenly appeared.

The street was filled with young men and women in bright, flashy attire, making the two Taoist priests, dressed in dark robes and straw sandals, stand out like weeds in a pot of colorful meat stew, impossible to ignore.

The little Taoist priests walked boldly towards Caifeng Tower and attempted to enter. Unsurprisingly, they were stopped and refused entry, despite their insistence.

Teng Yuyi watched from above as Huo Qiu nodded, seized the opportunity, and caught up to Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi , whispering something to them.

The little priests looked puzzled for a moment and then glanced up at the building.

Teng Yuyi smiled calmly at the scene below but spoke to the two girls, “Why would Taoist priests appear in a brothel? Now that they’ve been stopped downstair, word will surely reach your master. If your master is not stupid, they will realize that this matter has already been spread. If you tell me everything now, neither your master nor your madam will suspect you, and I promise, if you please me, I can ensure the madam won’t dare to beat or scold you again. This is a very good deal. Think it over.”

Juan Erli and Bao Zhu’s expressions softened slightly. Teng Yuyi took a sip of wine and glanced at the door, wondering why E Ji hadn’t returned yet after investigating the man’s background.

She touched the large beard on her face, stood up, and said, “I’m going for a walk and will return to hear your story.”

She looked to the left as she reached the door; the corridor was empty. There were two private rooms along the corridor, both with closed doors. Inside, the sounds of merrymaking could be heard.

Recalling the eerie scene of the burning talisman, Teng Yuyi hesitated to investigate further. She stood for a while before deciding to return to her room, only to meet E Ji coming up the stairs.

“Why aren’t you listening to music in your room?” E Ji wiped the sweat from her face with a handkerchief, “Are Juan Er Li and Bao Zhu not serving you well? I will go in and discipline them.”

Teng Yuyi said, “No need; they are serving well. But why did it take you so long to inquire about the man I mentioned?”

E Ji pointed to the end of the corridor, “I checked both private rooms and didn’t see the man you described. I asked around downstairs, and although there are many men adorned with flowers tonight, none matched the description you gave in terms of clothing or age. Perhaps you were mistaken?”

Teng Yuyi looked towards the end of the corridor. She was certain she hadn’t been mistaken, but how could someone disappear so suddenly?

Unfortunately, she hadn’t paid attention to the appearance of the two young girls with the man. If she had, she could have asked E Ji if they were musicians from the building.

No matter, with Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi here, they could handle any evil spirits.

She estimated that Huo Qiu had already arranged things downstairs and said to E Ji, “It’s stuffy in the room. I want to take Juan Erli and Bao Zhu for a walk on the street. I’m informing you first.”

E Ji blinked rapidly. In Chang’an, there was a tradition of taking courtesans out for a stroll, sometimes for drinking games or composing poetry, and as long as enough money was paid, they could go out for a few days.

However, Juan Erli and Bao Zhu had never officially accompanied guests. If they went out and something happened…

She forced a smile, “This private room is perfect for enjoying the view and the moon. Why go elsewhere—”

Teng Yuyi took a bead from her scented pouch and said, “I have an eccentric temperament and dislike listening to music indoors. If you agree, this pearl is yours.”

E Ji’s eyes widened. It was a multicolored pearl, more dazzling than any gem she had ever seen.

Teng Yuyi smiled and tossed the pearl to E Ji. She had bought these seven-colored pearls from a food merchant in Yangzhou five or six years ago. The Hu merchant, unfamiliar with the market, sold a whole package for only twenty coins, and she had bought two packages at once.

Later, the merchant realized the rarity of these pearls in the Central Plain and regretted it deeply. The remaining ones were now worth ten thousand coins each.

E Ji carefully accepted the pearl, her face lighting up with joy, “I’ll call Juan Erli and Bao Zhu right away, but they rarely go out. Please don’t take them too far.”

Teng Yuyi led Juan Erli and Bao Zhu downstairs and noticed two burly men following them. E Ji must have sent them to keep an eye on them.

Huo Qiu approached and said, “Master, I’ve stopped the two Taoist priests by the carriage, but they seem impatient.”

“I understand,” Teng Yuyi said, “Those two men following us need to be diverted. Make sure they don’t see me with the priests.”

Huo Qiu acknowledged and went to handle it.

After waiting for a while outside, Teng Yuyi saw that the two burly men had been diverted. She took the two girls to her carriage and found Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi standing by, their chubby faces illuminated by the lantern light, resembling two furry peaches.

“Long time no see, masters.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi were momentarily taken aback, though Huo Qiu had already told them that the bearded man was Teng Yuyi in disguise. Seeing her up close still amused them.

They maintained serious expressions, “Teng—”

“Call me Wang,” Teng Yuyi interrupted with a smile.

Understanding her intention to conceal her identity, they quickly corrected themselves, “Young Master Wang, why did you stop us here?”

Teng Yuyi turned to Juan Erli and Bao Zhu and said, “Wait in the carriage for a moment.”

Then she led Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi aside, saying, “I followed your instructions to break the spell. Where is your senior brother?”

Jue Sheng scratched his head, “Our senior brother told us to come first while he tidied up at the temple. But we’ve been here for half an hour and haven’t seen him.”

He craned his neck to look into the crowd.

“Tidying up?” Teng Yuyi remembered what her aunt had said.

“No wonder my uncle found your temple closed this morning. Did something happen?”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi exchanged glances.

Yesterday noon, their senior brother and a high-ranking official worked together to retrieve Madam Anguo’s soul. Unexpectedly, opening the “Xuanpin Gate” would attracted many fierce ghosts.