Chapter 188

Chapter 188: Miss You, do you have money?

Yu Zhi Yi looked full of admiration, saying: “Vice Minister Fan is truly a saint of our time. You can give away a priceless jade pendant just like that. Even I, this humble official, feel ashamed.”

Vice Minister Fan snapped back: “No, who said I was giving it away?”

Madam Fan could not stand it and scolded him, saying: “Why are you talking to Official Yu? You should be asking Miss You for the pendant.”

Only then did Vice Minister Fan remember that the pendant was in You Bing Yue’s hands. He turned to her and said: “Miss You, please return my family’s heirloom jade pendant.”

You Bing Yue blinked: [Wasn’t it agreed that what I picked up would be mine?]

She really did not want to give it back. She had taken the pendant because its quality was so fine that it could be sold for a lot of money. But the owner was standing right here, so she had no choice. Even though she bore a grudge against Yu Zhi Yi, she had to admit that if Yu Zhi Yi said the pendant belonged to the Fan clan, then it must belong to the Fan clan.

If Yu Zhi Yi had heard that, she would have rolled her eyes. This did not even need mystic arts; anyone could reason it out. You Bing Yue was no ordinary farm girl. If she took something out of that village, it had to be good. Cao South Village was remote and poor. For five generations, no one in the whole village had any money. Where would a treasure like that come from? In almost a hundred years, the only nobles who had set foot in Cao South Village were the Fan siblings. So the odds were high that any good item came from them.

Under everyone’s eyes, You Bing Yue pulled out the jade pendant.

Vice Minister Fan took one look and knew at once it was his family’s pendant. He had been small back then and could not remember its exact look, but the pendant’s unusual origin meant it was drawn into the family record. He had worked so hard all these years to search for his lost brother and sister, not only to fulfill his parents’ last wish, but also to get this pendant back. He stared at it, excited enough to almost hug it and kiss it.

Then Yu Zhi Yi’s cool voice cut in, saying: “Those two evil ghosts are living inside the pendant right now. Are you sure you want to carry it home like that, Vice Minister Fan?”

Vice Minister Fan’s face went stiff. He nearly threw the pendant away, and he felt he could hardly stand the hand that had touched it.

Yu Zhi Yi showed no sympathy and said evenly: “Don’t panic. For one thousand taels, I can remove both evil ghosts for you.”

One thousand taels was a huge number for regular people, but not much for a fourth-rank official. Their salaries were not high, but most officials, unless very stubborn, ran side businesses. Vice Minister Fan’s father had served as the head of the Court of State Ceremonies and often went abroad for the Imperial Court. Old Lord Fan had a mind for making money. He bought things cheap in other lands and, once back in the Great Sheng Empire, resold them for several times the price. In short, the Fan clan was rich.

Yu Zhi Yi’s price was fair. If it were a poor family, she would not charge that much. But this Vice Minister had impure motives, and she did not mind cutting a little deeper.

Vice Minister Fan felt something was off, but the pendant was priceless and he could not bear to throw it away. He gritted his teeth and got ready to pay.

Yu Zhi Yi eyed the banknotes and said lightly: “I only take real silver.”

Vice Minister Fan’s thoughts tumbled: [Do I look like someone who can carry a thousand taels of silver on me?]

She knew he could not and did not push it, saying: “I will first help Miss You drive out the yin energy. Then I will go with you to your estate to fetch the silver.”

Vice Minister Fan forced out the word through his teeth, saying: “Fine.”

He did not want to stay here any longer. He worried that anger alone might kill him. He regretted everything. Even if he wanted to scheme against the chancellor, why had he chosen to use this Official Yu as the lever? This woman was so fierce she did not even put the Duke’s Manor in her eyes. He, a mere fourth-rank vice minister, was nothing in comparison.

Madam Fan suddenly remembered something and said: “Since the Cao South Village matter was solved by Official Yu, the reward should go to Official Yu, right?”

Yu Zhi Yi smiled slightly, saying: “It should.”

She would not pretend to be modest. She did not lack money, but what belonged to her would stay hers unless she chose to give it away.

You Bing Yue nearly choked with anger: [That shameless woman.]

Thinking of money reminded her of something, so she asked: “Since Vice Minister Fan has taken the pendant, those two ghosts will stop haunting me, right?”

Yu Zhi Yi looked at her and said: “You can try.”

You Bing Yue fell silent. She believed the ghosts might stop, but she did not dare to gamble. Being haunted felt awful, and the insults and torment in her dreams had left her worn out.

She swallowed her pride, saying: “Fine, please help me.”

Yu Zhi Yi’s lips curved, saying: “Thank you for your custom. One thousand taels.”

You Bing Yue burst out, saying: “You’re robbing me.”

Yu Zhi Yi lifted a shoulder, saying: “I don’t have to lift a finger. If you sun yourself for one hour at noon every day for a full year, the yin in you will slowly fade until it is gone. Of course, you can hire someone else. Maybe they charge less.”

She turned to leave.

You Bing Yue remembered how Ou Yang Shuo could not even withstand one move in front of the female ghost, while Yu Zhi Yi had easily forced the ghost to behave. She clenched her teeth and said: “Fine, I’ll take the treatment.”

Yu Zhi Yi asked the fatal question, saying: “Do you have money?”

You Bing Yue said nothing.

Du Zi Heng could not watch anymore and said: “I will pay.”

Yu Zhi Yi nodded, saying: “You know the rules.”

Du Zi Heng pinched the bridge of his nose and said: “All right. I will have someone exchange for silver at once.”

Yu Zhi Yi said: “Have them deliver it straight to Yiluan Charity. Then send anyone back to report to me.”

Du Zi Heng’s chest tightened: [So you don’t trust me at all?] They had known each other so long and had even been husband and wife. Yet she did not trust him in the least.

If Yu Zhi Yi had heard his heart, she would have rolled her eyes, thinking: [Look at what you’ve done. Why should I trust you?]

An hour later, a worker from Yiluan Charity came to report that the silver had arrived and had been counted in person: exactly one thousand taels.

Only then did Yu Zhi Yi nod in satisfaction. She drew a talisman paper from her sleeve, held it between her fingers, and chanted under her breath. The limp talisman stood upright. A moment later, she flicked it out. It turned into a streak of light and shot toward You Bing Yue.

Startled, You Bing Yue shouted: “What are you doing?”

But the talisman did not hit her. It stopped less than half a meter in front of her and then turned into a golden glow that sank into her body.

Everyone saw the change. Before, her red and swollen face had a stubborn green-black cast that would not fade. Now the green-black was gone, leaving only the swelling.