Chapter 188: Miss You, Do You Have Money?
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Yu Zhi Yi displayed an expression full of admiration. “Vice-Minister Fan is truly a sage of our times. To so casually give away a jade pendant worth a fortune, this official pales in comparison.”
“No, wait, who said I was giving it away?” Vice-Minister Fan’s face turned anxious.
Madam Fan couldn’t hold back any longer and interjected, “Why are you talking nonsense to Official Yu? You should be asking Miss You to return the jade pendant!”
Vice-Minister Fan suddenly remembered that the jade pendant was in You Bing Yue’s possession. Turning toward her, he said hurriedly, “Miss You, may I trouble you to return my family heirloom?”
You Bing Yue blinked in confusion. “?”
Wasn’t it agreed that what she picked up was hers?
She was reluctant to return it. After all, the reason she had pocketed the jade pendant was that its quality was exceptional, and she was sure it could fetch a good price.
But now, with the rightful owner standing before her, she had no choice. Even though she harbored hostility toward Yu Zhi Yi, she had to admit that since Yu Zhi Yi had identified the jade pendant as belonging to the Fan family, it undoubtedly was.
If Yu Zhi Yi could hear her thoughts, she would surely roll her eyes.
This matter didn’t require any mystical insight—just common sense. You Bing Yue wasn’t an ordinary village girl. Anything she deemed valuable enough to take from the village was undoubtedly extraordinary.
South Cao Village was remote and notoriously poor. The villagers couldn’t scrape together a single wealthy ancestor even after tracing back five generations. How could such a place produce anything of great value?
In the past century, the only notable visitors to South Cao Village were the Fan siblings. Hence, there was a high likelihood that anything valuable originated from them.
Under the scrutiny of several pairs of eyes, You Bing Yue reluctantly produced the jade pendant.
Vice-Minister Fan’s eyes lit up upon seeing it. Indeed, it was his family’s heirloom!
Though he had been too young to recall the exact design, the jade pendant’s extraordinary origin ensured it was detailed in the family’s genealogy records.
For years, he had painstakingly searched for his younger siblings not only to fulfill his parents’ dying wishes but also to recover this jade pendant.
He gazed at the heirloom with unrestrained joy, as if he were ready to embrace and kiss it.
But then Yu Zhi Yi’s calm voice cut through the moment: “The two evil spirits currently reside within the jade pendant. Is Vice-Minister Fan certain he wants to bring it home like this?”
Vice-Minister Fan froze mid-celebration, his hand trembling as though he might drop the pendant. For a moment, he even considered abandoning it altogether.
Yu Zhi Yi, entirely unsympathetic, added indifferently, “No need to panic. For a mere one thousand taels, I can help you exorcise the two evil spirits.”
A thousand taels—an astronomical sum for the average person—was hardly a significant burden for a fourth-rank official.
Although their official salaries weren’t high, most officials supplemented their income through side ventures. Furthermore, Vice-Minister Fan’s father, the former Minister of the Court of Ceremonies, often represented the court on diplomatic missions abroad.
The elder Fan had a knack for commerce, buying goods cheaply from foreign lands and reselling them in the Great Sheng Empire at many times the original price.
Simply put, the Fan family was wealthy.
Yu Zhi Yi’s fee was entirely reasonable. If it had been a poor family, she wouldn’t have charged as much. But with Vice-Minister Fan’s dubious motives, she had no qualms about exploiting him.
Vice-Minister Fan’s mind was spinning. Something felt off, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint it. However, the thought of parting with such a valuable heirloom made him clench his teeth and prepare to pay up.
When he handed over the banknotes, Yu Zhi Yi’s calm voice halted him. “I only accept payment in gold or silver.”
Vice-Minister Fan was speechless.
Did he look like the kind of person who carried a thousand taels of silver on him?
Yu Zhi Yi, aware that he didn’t, didn’t push the matter. Instead, she said lightly, “I’ll first help Miss You dispel the lingering yin energy. Afterward, we can visit Vice-Minister Fan’s residence to collect the silver.”
Vice-Minister Fan clenched his jaw, almost hissing through his teeth, “… Fine.”
Not wanting to stay here a moment longer, he felt his patience stretch thin, fearing it might just snap and he’d perish from sheer frustration.
Regret clawed at him — deep, biting regret. He cursed himself for plotting against Chancellor Du by involving Official Yu in his schemes. Why, of all people, had he chosen her? This woman was a force of nature, fearless enough to disregard even the mighty Duke Courage’s Mansion. And here he was, merely a lowly fourth-rank Vice-Minister.
Madam Fan suddenly recalled something, breaking the tense silence. “Since the situation in South Cao Village was resolved by Official Yu, shouldn’t the reward money go to her?”
With a faint smile, Yu Zhi Yi replied, “That’s only fair.” There wasn’t a trace of false modesty in her tone.
Though she hardly lacked for wealth, her principles were clear: what was hers was hers, and unless she chose to give it, no one had the right to take it.
You Bing Yue’s face turned crimson, nearly choking on her fury. This wretched woman!
Yet, talk of money triggered a sudden thought in You Bing Yue’s mind. “If Vice-Minister Fan has taken the jade pendant, those two ghosts won’t bother me anymore, will they?”
Yu Zhi Yi’s tone remained indifferent. “You can test your luck.”
You Bing Yue’s throat tightened. As much as she wished to believe the ghosts would leave her be, the terror of being haunted again froze her resolve. The relentless nightmares, filled with curses and torment, had drained her body and soul.
She sighed heavily, conceding, “Alright, I’ll trouble you, then.”
Yu Zhi Yi’s lips curved into a sly grin. “The fee is one thousand taels.”
“Are you robbing me?” You Bing Yue cried out, incredulous.
With a shrug, Yu Zhi Yi countered, “Technically, you don’t need my help. Just stand under the sun for an hour every day at noon, for an entire year. That’ll gradually dispel the yin energy affecting you. Or, perhaps, another practitioner might charge less.”
Without waiting for a response, she turned and began walking away.
The sight of her unshakable confidence brought flashes of Ou Yang Shuo’s humiliation back to You Bing Yue’s mind. He had crumbled before the female ghost in mere moments, while Yu Zhi Yi had subdued her with ease. Grinding her teeth, You Bing Yue suppressed the urge to scream. “Fine, I’ll pay!”
Yu Zhi Yi’s next question landed like a hammer. “Do you have the money?”
Silence.
It was Du Zi Heng who broke the awkward pause. “I’ll cover the cost.”
Yu Zhi Yi inclined her head slightly. “You know the procedure.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Du Zi Heng sighed. “I’ll arrange for the silver to be exchanged immediately.”
Yu Zhi Yi added coolly, “Have it delivered directly to Graceful Phoenix Charity. Send someone back to confirm with me.”
Du Zi Heng felt a pang of disappointment. Was she doubting his integrity? They had known each other for so long, had even been married once. How could she not trust him?
If only Yu Zhi Yi could hear his thoughts. She’d gladly gift him a scornful look and retort: “Should I list your transgressions? Why should I trust you?”
Half an hour later, a representative from Graceful Phoenix Charity arrived to report that the funds — all one thousand taels — had been delivered and verified.
Only then did Yu Zhi Yi nod in satisfaction. From her sleeve, she drew a talisman. Holding it between her fingers, she chanted softly. The lifeless paper seemed to come alive, standing upright before flying toward You Bing Yue in a flash of golden light.
Startled, You Bing Yue recoiled. “What are you doing?!”
But the talisman stopped just short of her, hovering briefly before dissolving into a gentle glow that sank into her body.
The transformation was immediate. The ghostly pallor that had clung stubbornly to You Bing Yue’s swollen, reddened face vanished, leaving only the lingering traces of inflammation. Everyone present stared, struck speechless.