Chapter 43: This Scholar Seems Familiar
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
“Finished shopping, let’s go.”
Yan Shu Yi ran her hand across her cheek and murmured absentmindedly as she descended to the first floor of the Celestial Radiance Pavilion.
As she passed by Lu Qing Qiu, Du Zhu, and Qian Yun Xiao, her mind cleared suddenly. She scanned the trio briefly, and the air around her grew sharp with sword intent.
At Spirit Sword Mountain, the cultivation of swordsmanship focuses primarily on honing the Heart of the Sword. Even when spiritual qi isn’t actively emitted, the sharpness alone is enough to make others shiver.
The trio froze in place, their breaths caught as their pupils shrank involuntarily.
They had seen this woman once before on the White Jade Terrace of Ascension, their impressions shaped by her breathtaking beauty and mysterious, noble bearing. Today, seeing her buying goods for Ji You, they thought she seemed more like a vivacious young lady.
But now, face to face, they felt an oppressive aura that made them uneasy. This was not merely a matter of cultivation but an inherent superiority in demeanor.
Du Zhu and the others could only think: Who is she? How could this woman, with just a turn of her head, exude an entirely different aura, one so piercing it seemed to whistle through the air?
What they didn’t realize was that had the Mirror Master not been whimsically in the mood to play around, they might never have had the chance to see her in their lifetimes.
Fortunately for them, the icy and razor-sharp woman in front of them made no further moves. She simply turned and descended the stairs.
Unbeknownst to them, she had considered drawing her sword to strike a few blows. She wanted Ji You to know that she was, in fact, a very dignified individual.
“Ji You, I want candied fruit.”
“…”
Ji You followed her downstairs, watching as the Mirror Master walked steadily, hands clasped behind her back, her demeanor vastly different from when they arrived.
However, her dignified air didn’t last long before she started strolling lazily and carefree once again.
What a strange woman, Ji You mused to himself. Then suddenly, he noticed a scholar passing by, who was also staring at him with a peculiar expression.
Ji You paused, feeling the man looked somewhat familiar but dismissed the thought. It doesn’t matter.
“Brother Ji, what are you doing here? I was just about to deliver a message to you at Mount Ni.”
“?”
Behind the bustling Almond Blossom Alley, near a corner of Spring Blossom Alley, stood a humble tiled house. This was the residence of Kuang Cheng, newly employed at the Immortal Overseer Office.
The small room offered little more than a three-foot-wide sleeping space, accompanied by a desk and a floor scattered with books.
Behind the house was a tiny courtyard piled with fallen leaves that hadn’t yet been cleared.
Ji You followed Kuang Cheng into the house and sat by the desk, while Yan Shu Yi, knowing they had matters to discuss, obediently sipped tea in the courtyard.
“I’ll be leaving the capital for a while to investigate the Malignant Beings case,” Ji You began, “I don’t know when I’ll return, but I wanted to let you know.”
Kuang Cheng glanced at him. “Oh? Yet when we crossed paths in the street, you acted like you didn’t recognize me.”
Ji You straightened his posture. “That was merely part of my disguise.”
“Brother Ji is ever so cautious—understandably so…”
“By the way,” Ji You asked, “what was so urgent that you wanted to send me a message?”
Kuang Cheng lowered his voice. “Do you recall how I mentioned the Immortal Overseer Office was investigating Wei Li for embezzlement? We’ve made progress. Amid the inquiry, I also unearthed leads on the missing children from the Home for Orphans and the Disabled.”
Ji You’s expression turned solemn. “Have you identified who’s behind it?”
“I led my colleagues to investigate the Wild Goose Relay Station outside the city,” Kuang Cheng replied, clenching his fist. “We discovered that a batch of infants had been sent to the Mystic Origin Immortal Palace.”
His tone turned bitter. “Of all the sects known for refining humans into medicine, the Mystic Origin Immortal Palace is the worst. We witnessed their cruelty firsthand in Yuyang County. When you become headmaster, Brother Ji, don’t let them go unpunished.”
Ji You thought of Qiu Ru, gripping his teacup tightly. “Rest assured, I won’t.”
“But there’s one more baffling detail among the clues,” Kuang Cheng added.
“?!”
Lowering his voice further, Kuang Cheng explained, “The disappearance of infants didn’t start with the Home for Orphans and the Disabled. This has been happening for three years now. Some were taken right from the delivery room—snatched from beneath their parents’ eyes.”
“To this day, I’ve uncovered 138 cases in total. The archives from several offices in Sheng Jing hold records of these incidents, with the official reports relatively consolidated.”
“The most perplexing part is that three princes from the palace have also gone missing in succession.”
“But when I examined the departure records from Yan Xing Relay Station, I found that the number of transfers doesn’t match. Half of the children were not sent to the Mystic Origin Immortal Palace.”
Ji You furrowed his brow slightly. “If not the Mystic Origin Immortal Palace, then who else?”
After saying this, Kuang Cheng pulled a slip of paper from his robes. “I found some locations based on the records from Yan Xing Relay Station. Something about them seems off.”
Ji You unfolded the slip and scanned its contents. His brow tightened further as he read.
Having taken up a civil role at the Immortal Overseer Office, Kuang Cheng rarely handled investigative work and led a relatively idle life. However, like Ji You, he couldn’t stand idleness and felt compelled to act. That was why he began investigating the missing infant cases.
The reason was simple. During his first visit to deliver quilts to the Home for Orphans and the Disabled, he encountered a skeletal child. The boy’s name was Hu Wa, and he asked for nothing but to kneel and kowtow, pleading with Kuang Cheng to help him find his sister, the one family he had left.
Even before investigating, Kuang Cheng had an inkling that the theft of infants might be linked to the Immortal Sects. In this world, where even commoners struggled to feed themselves, who else would have the means to abduct hundreds of children?
Even so, Kuang Cheng felt he owed Hu Wa an answer. He had unearthed traces of the Immortal Sects, but knowing his limits, he turned to Ji You for help.
What he didn’t expect was the cold chill that crept down Ji You’s spine when he glanced at the paper. It wasn’t its length or complexity—it bore just the names of three towns: Qiling Town, Yuhe Town, and Beisha Town.
Ji You was silent for a long time, instinctively clutching the slip tighter in his palm. “Why did these places stand out in the records from Yan Xing Relay Station?”
“One of their carriage teams visits these locations far too frequently. These towns are remote; even if supplies were needed from the capital, monthly trips wouldn’t be necessary. Moreover, their movements coincide closely with the timing of the disappearances.”
Kuang Cheng watched him, puzzled. “Do you know these places?”
Ji You crushed the paper in his hand. “No, never seen them. But I’ll check them out and let you know what I find.”
“Many thanks, Brother Ji.”
“You’ve already done all you can with your ability. Focus on securing your promotion; the future of the Kuang Clan depends entirely on you.”
Kuang Cheng nodded. “The corruption case of Wei Li is almost concluded. The Ministry of Revenue has replaced a large batch of officials. His Majesty seems determined to enforce these reforms, even changing the era name from Tai Wu to Tai Yuan. Now, I have more chances to serve the people.”
Ji You lifted his head. “The court is no safer than the martial world. Avoid drawing too much attention, and don’t let others use you as a pawn. Remember what I said last time—marry Wei Li’s granddaughter or even a princess!”
Kuang Cheng glanced at Yan Shu Yi, who was seated in the courtyard. “Is that the granddaughter of your sect master?”
At that moment, Yan Shu Yi was perched on a stone stool, gazing at the lone withered leaf hanging from a tree, her expression serene.
Ji You followed his gaze and chuckled softly after a while. “No, just an adorable little girl.”
“…”
Before they could say more, a subtle but sudden surge of energy lashed out. In that instant, the lone leaf snapped from its branch, taking part of the tree limb with it.
The Mirror Master sipped her tea without a word, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly.