Chapter 26

Chapter 26: One Problem After Another (Part 1)

Though it was already late, Water Street outside Dust Warden Manor was only just reaching its liveliest hour.

Stalls packed the road—folding fans, water lanterns, candles, oil-paper umbrellas, pastries and sweets, dried goods, roasted chestnuts, boiled peanuts. There was nothing you couldn’t buy, and Song Wei Chen’s eyes went wide as she took it all in.

“I have to say, your nightlife is incredible!” she exclaimed.

She pointed as she walked, talking nonstop to Gu Yu beside her. “Look—you’ve got taverns, theaters, restaurants, inns, tailors. You’ve even got bars, De Yun Society, Michelin, Hilton, and high-end custom shops. In my hometown we’d call this top of the line. If I had my phone, I’d be posting this on Moments like crazy.”

“Top of the line…” Gu Yu repeated softly, amused. “The way you speak is so interesting.”

They passed a stall covered in wooden masks. Song Wei Chen picked one up, curious. “What’s this?”

Before Gu Yu could answer, the stall owner bowed and said ingratiatingly, “My lord, these are Nuo opera masks. If you like them, please pick a few to take for fun.”

Song Wei Chen blinked. “You recognize me?”

“My lord jokes. On this street, who wouldn’t recognize that White Robe? Not just this street—anyone in Dust Slumber who doesn’t recognize you is blind.”

Song Wei Chen glanced around. He wasn’t exaggerating. Anyone who met her eyes nodded, saluted, or bowed.

Startled, she returned every greeting.

Then she sighed and slipped a mask over her face. “Even like this, everyone still knows it’s me, right?”

Gu Yu smiled. “What do you think?”

Song Wei Chen took it off and set it back down.

“Let’s go back.”

Just like that, her excitement dimmed.

—

“Boss, I’ll take this one.”

A man stepped forward and picked up the very mask Song Wei Chen had worn.

He was dressed in jade-green robes, hair half-tied while the rest fell loose like ink. Refined and elegant, he looked like a banished immortal dropped into the mortal world by mistake.

He lifted the mask to his face and breathed in slowly, savoring the faint trace of her scent, then put it on. Only his eyes showed, watching the slender figure in white from afar with a look that lingered too long.

—

At the hour of Chen, in the Council Hall of Dust Warden Manor, everyone was already gathered—including Song Wei Chen. She’d run a slight fever again after returning from Water Street last night, but it hadn’t been serious, so she came early anyway.

Only Mo Ting Feng was absent.

Since the day he became Dust Warden, that had never happened.

“Brother Wei,” Ding He Ran whispered beside her, “you’re with the Dust Warden all day. Do you know what’s going on?”

“Watch your mouth,” Song Wei Chen muttered, shooting him a glare. “Who is with him all day?”

Before the bickering could go further, a sharp falcon cry sounded from the roof. Ding He Ran flickered—one spell, one breath—and vanished from the hall.

Song Wei Chen blinked, still trying to understand what she’d seen.

Ye Wu Jiu stepped close and spoke near her ear, voice low. “That was Shuang Jiang. The Dust Warden’s personal shadow guard. Lord must have sent a message.”

Almost immediately, Ding He Ran returned through the Council Hall doors, face perfectly calm.

“Lord is at Minister of Works Manor discussing urgent matters. Morning council is canceled today. All other business will proceed as usual.” He paused, then looked directly at Song Wei Chen. “The Dust Warden also instructed that you rest and recover, and not… run around.”

Song Wei Chen nodded along with everyone else. “Understood.” But her mouth had already puffed into a sulk.

The first half sounded reasonable. The second half sounded like he was scolding her in front of the entire hall. Run around? He was the one skipping work.

—

After the crowd dispersed, Ye Wu Jiu returned to Ding He Ran’s side.

“What is really going on with the Dust Warden?” Ye Wu Jiu asked, expression flat.

“Shh.” Ding He Ran glanced around and lowered his voice. “I knew I couldn’t hide it from you.”

He took a breath. “Last night, Shuang Jiang found Lord collapsed in the courtyard—unconscious. It didn’t look like an ordinary injury. He rushed him to Minister of Works Manor.

“You know Lord Si Kong—Zhuang Yu Heng—is the Dream Realm’s first Medicine King. There’s no illness he can’t treat. But our lord still hasn’t woken up.”

Ye Wu Jiu’s gaze sharpened. “This is serious. Should we tell Venerable the truth?”

Ding He Ran’s expression turned strange. “Only one sentence I said in there was true. Lord said it himself, in the brief moment he woke up. Guess which one.”

Ye Wu Jiu froze.

Ding He Ran exhaled, all playfulness gone. “Before Lord returns, you and I have to steady the situation. No one can speak of this.”

Ye Wu Jiu nodded once. The two of them walked out of the Council Hall side by side.

Ding He Ran glanced back, watching Song Wei Chen’s retreating figure. “Don’t you think our lord cares about Brother Wei a little too much? In a way that isn’t normal?”

“Not normal how?” Ye Wu Jiu asked.