Immortality, Immortality

Chapter 33

On the earthen embankment beside the mountain path outside the Su residence's gate lay a mangled corpse. The flesh on the head and neck appeared to have been gnawed away; the throat and flesh were gone, leaving only a bone connecting the body and head. The eyeballs and ears were also missing, and beneath the hair was only a bloody skull. The clothes were disheveled, and a large cloth bundle lay scattered nearby...

—This is the scene Ye Changsheng saw when he walked out of the Su residence following the shouts.

Master Su had arrived before her, and this pale-faced man was now cowering like a frightened bird, his hands tightly gripping the maidservant beside him, muttering incessantly as if terrified. Ye Changsheng walked over, pointed to the corpse on the ground, and asked in confusion, "Uh... um... what happened?"

The maid-like woman was also pale. After a long while, she heard Ye Changsheng's question. Suddenly, she lunged forward, grabbed Ye Changsheng's hands, and said in a trembling voice, "I was washing clothes in the courtyard when I heard someone shouting outside the door. I was puzzled, so I went out to check... and there was a person lying motionless not far from the door. When I got closer, I saw... I was so frightened that I rushed back to the mansion. From the time I heard the shouts to the time I left the mansion, only a short while had passed, and the murderer had vanished without a trace... Could it be... could it be a mountain demon... Mountain demons eat people. Lately, people in the mansion have been disappearing one by one. Who knows if we'll be next... Waaah... Miss, please save me..."

At first, Ye Changsheng just listened without saying anything, but in the end, her eyebrows furrowed without her realizing it. The woman was crying with tears streaming down her face, and although she looked gentle and weak, her grip was surprisingly strong. Ye Changsheng was pinched painfully, and she finally managed to pull her arm out of the woman's hand. She felt a burning sensation, and her arm was definitely bruised from being pinched.

She smiled apologetically, squatted down beside the corpse, and carefully examined it from head to toe. Then, she cautiously rummaged through the corpse's clothes—a "clink" sounded, as if something had fallen from the corpse's sleeve. Ye Changsheng reached out and picked it up, finding it strangely familiar—after a moment, she suddenly realized and pulled out the hairpin she had found earlier in the corridor—it perfectly matched the silver-gilt lotus petal hairpin in her hand—could this corpse be the girl who had bumped into her earlier?

Ye Changsheng was filled with sorrow and confusion. How could she have died so quickly, in just a short while? And right at the gates of the Su residence? Had she left the Su residence to escape the carnage, or had she been killed after leaving? As if she had discovered something, she turned around and looked at the two people behind her for a moment, then exclaimed "Ah!" and slowly stood up. She dusted off her sleeves and said gently, "This young lady seems to have been bitten to death by something... like a dog, a wolf, uh, a tiger... or something..."

Master Su slowly turned around, his ashen face gradually calming down. He glanced around, pondered for a moment, and said, "We don't keep any dogs in the manor... It's not uncommon for wolves to roam these deep mountains... Poor Hui Niang, she's gone just like that..."

Ye Changsheng nodded repeatedly in agreement, showing no curiosity about how Master Su could recognize a corpse without a face or neck at a glance... Just then, a person ran out of the gate. It was Jia Ling. He waved and greeted everyone with a smile, saying, "I think I heard someone calling out just now... Where? Where?"

Ye Changsheng pointed behind him with a friendly expression—Jia Ling followed her finger and was horrified to see a mangled, bloodied female corpse! He yelled "Wow!" and slammed his fist into Ye Changsheng's shoulder: "You...you damned liar! You're trying to scare me to death!" Ye Changsheng nearly vomited blood from the blow and quickly pulled away, rubbing his shoulder. "You're the one who asked..." Jia Ling, her back to the corpse, said viciously, "You answer whatever I ask! When did you become so honest!"

“Um… Master Su…” Ye Changsheng coughed lightly, ignoring him, and turned to ask Su Du, “This woman is carrying such a bundle, she’s probably leaving… If I may ask, does Master Su know about this? Or did she run away on her own? And who is this Hui Niang…”

Master Su readily agreed, then sighed and said, "Hui Niang only entered the manor a year ago. Like us, she wasn't originally from this Gutuo Town. She sold herself into slavery in Yingkou, and when I saw her, I redeemed her. She was originally meant to be Agong's concubine... This girl is usually quite virtuous, so why did she set her sights on the manor's wealth and even try to escape? Alas, the world is fickle, and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be..."

"Who is Agong?" Jia Ling asked with his back to Su Du, he just didn't want to see the corpse.

“Agong is indeed my son…” Master Su explained to Jia Ling’s back.

"Ah—" Jia Ling suddenly turned around, staring intently at Master Su. Recalling the hunched figure of Su Xing, with his pus-filled, yellowish eyes, she slowly exhaled and murmured, "In that case—it would be better if he died..."

Ye Changsheng's brow twitched, and he quickly pulled Jia Ling aside, giving the suddenly expressionless Master Su an apologetic smile, and continued to ask, "Has Miss Huiniang mentioned going back to her hometown recently? Or...where is she going?"

“This…” The maid in plain clothes behind Su Du suddenly spoke up, her expression hesitant, and said timidly, “Sister Hui hasn’t been doing any work these past few days, and she’s been nowhere to be seen all day… She won’t say anything when we ask her. I thought it was because her wedding day with the young master was approaching, and she was putting on airs like a concubine, or maybe she was troubled—but I never expected that she would run away today and die so inexplicably in front of the mansion gate…”

Ye Changsheng nodded and slowly asked, "Since this Hui Niang was originally a concubine, why is she doing the work of a maid?"

Su Du looked somewhat embarrassed and stammered, "My Su family moved to this ancient town three years ago and bought this house. We have nothing else of value, and in recent years we've only been living off some ancestral property... We're already short-handed with maids and servants... If they don't want to stay, they'll leave on their own, and I won't stop them..."

Ye Changsheng couldn't help but admire Master Su greatly. In ordinary households, if even one or two servants or maids ran away, they would be punished with broken arms and legs. It was clear that Master Su was kind and benevolent, and he didn't care at all that his servants were running away one by one...

Jia Ling, his eyes half-open, cautiously glanced at the corpse a few times, still feeling a chill run down his spine and his heart pounding. Suddenly, he remembered the dark figure from the previous night, and for a moment, the eeriness of the Su residence was indescribable—he truly didn't want to stay a moment longer—ignoring the gazes of Su Du and the others behind him, he mysteriously dragged Ye Changsheng to the deep pool beneath his room's window. Young Master Jia looked around, making sure no one was watching, and then lowered his voice, saying, "Yesterday—I saw a shadow of varying heights outside this window..."

Ye Changsheng looked at him with bright eyes, uttered an "Ah..." and then fell silent. Jia Ling was incredulous: "Aren't you going to ask me what kind of shadow it is?" Ye Changsheng smiled, looking at Jia Ling without speaking—the young master Jia took a deep breath, deciding to be magnanimous and not argue with her at this critical moment: "That shadow has no lower body, and it's floating in the air, sometimes high, sometimes low—look, there's a pool of water outside the window. Even with unparalleled lightness skills, it's impossible to float over there so slowly... I must be seeing a ghost... I must be seeing a ghost..."

"...Actually..." Ye Changsheng turned his head and stared at the dark pool for a long time before slowly and quietly speaking, "This morning, I saw a dead person here..." "Ah—" Jia Ling was indeed startled and grabbed Ye Changsheng's arm warily: "Where? Where? How come there are dead people everywhere in this wretched Su mansion!"

Ye Changsheng finally managed to pry Jia Ling's arms off her neck, and said with a sigh of relief, "You, you come with me..." She pulled Jia Ling to a clump of bushes by the pool, picked up a branch, cleared away the ant nest, and said lightly, "Look..."

Unsure what Ye Changsheng wanted her to see, Jia Ling craned her neck and peered out. Beneath the dense swarm of black ants lay a rotting, festering hand with exposed white bones—Jia Ling jumped three feet away in a flash, her face pale and nauseous: "You mean... what was outside my window yesterday... this corpse?"

Ye Changsheng shook his head and honestly said, "I don't know!" Jia Ling slammed his fist down and said, "I know! No matter who did it, the most important thing is for us to leave here. No matter how wicked these people are, they can't chase us all over the country. As long as we leave this Gutuo Town, let the people of the Su family die if they want!" Before Ye Changsheng could speak, Jia Ling's face was full of understanding, and he muttered to himself, "That's right, that's right... That's exactly it. I'll go pack my bags right away and tell Ninth Young Master and the others that we should all leave together..." As soon as he finished speaking, he walked straight out without changing his expression.

The sky remained overcast, as if it were about to drip water. A gust of wind blew, causing the branches to tremble. The air was filled with the strong scent of orchids. Ye Changsheng stood there, watching Jia Ling's departing figure, and suddenly fell into deep thought—she realized that she hadn't seen Su Xing since yesterday...

Light footsteps sounded behind him, a breath stirred, and a faint fragrance of lotus wafted through the air. Ye Changsheng didn't turn around, as if talking to himself, "How long has Master stayed in this Su residence? A month... half a month?"

“Half a moon…” the person behind him said gently.

"Master has been poisoned..." Ye Changsheng turned around, looked up and slowly said, "Is it because Su Xiao'e wants to marry you? Or... to trap you in this Su mansion to lure us out? What about Ye Junshan? Is he going to deal with us—or—deal with Li Huangyin? The Su mansion has the Medicine King, the Medicine King can save me, so—the Medicine King can also restore Ye Junshan's internal strength and heal the tendons in his hand that Li Huangyin severed..."

Helan Ronghua frowned slightly, looking into Changsheng's eyes as he slowly said, "You mean... Ye Junshan is also in Gutuo Town..." Ye Changsheng smiled slightly, "Perhaps... he's still in this Su residence... As for why he didn't invite the Medicine King but came in person, perhaps it's just to show his sincerity, or perhaps—the Medicine King has some reason for not wanting to leave..."

“It’s understandable that Ye Junshan wants to recover his internal energy. His left tendon was severed by Li Huangyin, so naturally he needs to find a way to heal it… We know his character all too well—he feels that we, the people he raised, have betrayed him, and he will not let it go. Whether it’s a disgrace or hatred for him, he certainly won’t let us off easily…” Helan Ronghua smiled faintly, “I’ve already guessed… perhaps he has already joined forces with the Medicine King… but it seems that this might not be impossible to stop…”

Ye Changsheng shook her head and sighed softly. She reached out and grasped Helan Ronghua's wrist. She slowly said, "Master, do you remember? You once said that everyone in the Miao region of the southwest firmly believes in Gu poison, and every Miao woman is a master of using Gu poison—you also said that those afflicted with Gu poison are undetectable to others, and sometimes even they themselves are unaware of it, but no matter what kind of Gu poison they are afflicted with—they will have a pale blue dot on their left hand..." Ye Changsheng's fingers moved swiftly, and she swept up Helan Ronghua's sleeve. Sure enough, on his fair wrist, there was a blue spot no larger than a copper coin—Ye Changsheng clenched her fist, looked up, and her eyes darkened: "...What kind of Gu poison is this..."

Helan Ronghua withdrew his hand, slowly lowering his sleeve. He closed his eyes and sighed softly, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you—this is Shaoguang." Ye Changsheng's face suddenly darkened. Helan Ronghua placed his hands on her shoulders, looked up, and said, "So... I can't leave the Su family, or rather, I can't leave within a mile of Su Xiao'e... otherwise, the Gu worms will devour my heart, and I will die..." Ye Changsheng looked directly into his eyes and asked, word by word, "Is there a cure for Shaoguang?" Helan Ronghua smiled faintly and shook his head, "Even if there is a cure, she won't give it to me..."

Ye Changsheng's face was pale. She took a step back and looked directly at Helan Ronghua, but smiled slightly: "So, Master has no choice but to grow old with Miss Su. Is this another condition? The condition you're making in exchange with the Medicine King? Wait until he heals me, and then you leave, disregarding your own life? I don't ask you to do anything for me, not before, and not now. You've never understood... You always make decisions behind my back, never telling me anything... I don't actually want anything..." Ye Changsheng spoke with extreme indifference, each word piercing Helan Ronghua's heart. A deep melancholy filled his eyes. Suddenly, Helan Ronghua stepped forward and slowly embraced Ye Changsheng, his arms tightening. He spoke with great difficulty: "It's precisely because I understand that I can't watch you continue like this..."

Under the gloomy winter sky, Helan Ronghua's embrace was warm, with a faint fragrance of sandalwood as pure as lotus flowers. Ye Changsheng closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Helan Ronghua's shoulders.

They embraced each other on the desolate shore of the lake—for a long time…

Night falls quickly; in winter, the nights are always longer than the days.

Helan Ronghua returned to his own room.

He opened the door, took a deep breath, and closed it behind him.

His fingers trembled slightly as he closed the door. He leaned against the door and took a few quick breaths. After closing the window, his sleeve swept across the table as he poured a glass of water, his heart aching as if a hand was tearing it apart. He hadn't left the Su residence yet, so why was this happening? Could it be that Su Xiao'e was already outside the confinement?

Surrounded by danger, only he and Changsheng among them knew martial arts; the rest were powerless to protect themselves. Attacking them would be far too easy. He stared at the dim candlelight for a long time without moving. Suddenly, he felt a tightness in his chest, his heart skipped a beat, and his vision blurred. He lost all feeling from his wrist to his shoulder and then to his chest. In a moment, he struggled to breathe and collapsed…

Suddenly, the door opened, and a bright red wedding robe billowed in the night breeze—it was none other than Su Xiao'e, dressed in her wedding gown. Smiling, she slowly bent down and helped Helan Ronghua onto the bed. Without a word, she began to undress, a strange smile playing on her lips. With one arm around Helan Ronghua and the other gently loosening his sash, she chuckled softly, her tender touch caressing his cheek, and then, forcefully, kissed him…

She whispered softly in Helan Ronghua's ear, "I saw it all—at noon today. What should I do? I don't like you holding another woman… I want you to be mine from head to toe… Don't worry, I promise you, I am the Medicine King, I will heal Ye Changsheng's old wounds… Sigh… Someone asked me to kill you all, but I refused. I treat you like this, don't you even want to look at me?" Su Xiao'e removed Helan Ronghua's last undergarment, her eyes filled with deep resentment. "Since that's the case, I have no choice in the matter…"

The candlelight was extinguished, the shadows of the trees swayed, and the moon and stars shone brightly.

As soon as Jia Ling came out of Pan Xijin's place, he went straight to knock on Helan Ronghua's door, but no one answered for a long time. He hesitated for a moment, then gently pushed the door open with a "whoosh." The room was pitch black. "Master, Master?" Jia Ling peeked into the room and walked into the inner room. By the moonlight from the window, he saw that Helan Ronghua was lying on the bed. His gentle and elegant eyes were looking at the carvings on the ceiling. His clothes were draped over his body in a mess, but his expression was very calm.

"Ah... this master?" Jia Ling called out.

After a long while, the person on the bed slowly turned her head and looked at him calmly, as if asking him what was wrong.

Jia Ling understood that people who played the zither and made music were generally aloof, and she immediately felt that the person in front of her was far less kind than Ye Changsheng's embroidery master.

He took out his folding fan, tapped his hand, and said, "I am very ashamed to have disturbed Master's rest. However, I am thinking of leaving this Su residence tomorrow. What do you think, Master?"

Helan Ronghua was slightly moved. He straightened up and got out of bed, sat down at the table, poured a glass of water, and slowly took a sip. Jia Ling followed closely behind, blinking until her eyes were sore, but he didn't answer. Just as she was about to ask again, he coldly said, "No."

Without a word, Jia Ling flicked her folding fan and jumped up: "Could it be that Master can't bear to part with that beautiful lady...? As the saying goes, even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman, no wonder, no wonder... Actually, you could also..."

With a loud "bang," Jia Ling quickly stopped talking, because he saw that the white jade cup in Helan Ronghua's hand had turned into powder...

Young Master Jia's brow twitched, and he twirled his folding fan, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Could it be that I hit the nail on the head?" Before Helan Ronghua could reply, Young Master Jia abruptly stepped back, saying, "It's getting late, Master, please rest. I'll take my leave now."

"Remember this..." Helan Ronghua's voice drifted from behind, "Don't try to leave this place, or I don't know what will become of you..."

Jia Ling frowned, gazing at the vast starry sky, and a genuine sense of fear welled up from the bottom of her heart.

Yunxiang Black Gu

This was the third day that everyone had spent at the Su residence.

Under the eaves, Peony was brewing tea for Young Master Pan. Before her eyes, bamboo shadows swayed and branches danced, creating a somber scene. Inside the room, however, the air was still and quiet, with the sound of a needle falling.

Pan Xijin and Ye Changsheng were playing chess. They ultimately didn't leave. Although the past three days hadn't been exactly comfortable, nothing particularly frightening had happened. The woman who had died mysteriously that day was left unpunished; according to Su Du, it was assumed she had been killed by wild wolves in the mountains.

The aroma of tea wafted through the air, and the soft sunlight streaming through the window cast a striking contrast on the black and white pieces of the chessboard. All was quiet except for the soft clatter of pieces being placed.

Suddenly, the door slammed shut, and Su Xiao'e pushed it open and entered. The two players who were playing chess did not look up and continued to place pieces as usual. Su Xiao'e just stood there, silent, looking at Ye Changsheng and Pan Xijin with a strange expression. After a moment, she turned to leave.

The moment she started to move, Pan Xijin placed his piece with a "snap" and asked with a smile:

"What did you hear that brought you here, and what did you see that led you away?"

Su Xiao'e paused, changed two words, and slowly said:

"They come because of what they hear, and they leave because of what they see."

Pan Xijin raised his head, his eyes smiling: "So, Miss Su is upset that I haven't been hospitable enough?"

Su Xiao'e smiled sweetly and turned around: "I came here specifically to invite Miss Ye to my home for a chat—as the saying goes, a refined host attracts many guests. Since Miss Ye is with this young master, it would be inappropriate for me to disturb you. On this fine occasion, with such a beautiful scene, talented men and beautiful women brewing tea and discussing chess, I must apologize for my impetuousness..."

Upon hearing this, Ye Changsheng looked up at Su Xiao'e and said happily, "Since you have invited me, I will definitely pay you a visit later. I will get up after I finish this game of chess." "That would be best." Su Xiao'e smiled charmingly and bowed, "Then I will take my leave." "Take care, Miss... Peony sees the guest off..." Pan Xijin also nodded to her.

After Su Xiao'e left, Pan Xijin remained motionless with his chess piece. After a long while, he smiled and spoke, "Doctor, would you mind if I accompanied you?" Ye Changsheng's sleeve touched the corner of the chessboard. She slowly gathered her sleeve and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Since Young Master Jiu is willing to accompany me, that would be excellent, excellent."

Dusk fell in the blink of an eye. With a "snap," Pan Xijin placed his last piece. Ye Changsheng looked at the chessboard, which was almost entirely filled with black pieces, and said sincerely, "As expected of the Ninth Young Master, your chess skills have reached the pinnacle of perfection. You truly didn't leave me even a single corner..."

After washing and wiping his hands with a silk handkerchief, Pan Xijin smiled slightly upon hearing this, "Miss Ye is too modest. Your skill and compassion are far beyond the chessboard." Peony, standing nearby, served freshly brewed tea, saying playfully, "Young Master, Miss Ye, please have some tea. This is Yangjue tea, brewed before Grain Rain, a tribute item. Luckily, I brought some with me before leaving the manor. My young master loves it." She glanced at the chessboard and chuckled, "Miss Ye's chess skills are also superb; you still have a few pieces left. Princess Xuanci always loses completely when she plays chess with my young master..."

Ye Changsheng found it quite amusing—not that she was laughing at Princess Xuanci's chess skills, but rather she was puzzled by how young Master Pan showed no mercy or humility, utterly crushing her. She took a sip of tea and casually teased, "The princess is probably like Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai, willingly accepting the loss..." Peony grasped Ye Changsheng's hand, nodding repeatedly, feeling she had met a kindred spirit. Her eyes widened as she sighed, "Who says otherwise? At first, you were letting her win by a point or two, but this princess is unforgiving, refusing to let anyone give her a break!" Ye Changsheng smiled, suddenly thinking of Princess Xuanci of Bianliang. She wondered what she would think upon learning of Pan Xijin's disappearance? Grief...sorrow? Or would she realize that life went on even without him...?

As the two walked back to the courtyard along the long corridor, passing the locked room in the west wing, Ye Changsheng suddenly turned around, pointed at the room, and said to Pan Xijin behind him, "Ninth Young Master, look, look at this room, isn't it completely bare—"

Pan Xijin paused, following Ye Changsheng's finger, and saw a plain wooden door with a long, gleaming copper lock hanging on it—it was truly bare. He stared at it for a moment, then looked at Ye Changsheng, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "—So?"

Ye Changsheng lowered his voice and asked, "Do you find anything strange?"

Pan Xijin examined the door closely for a moment, paced back and forth along the corridor a few times, and softly exclaimed, "Ah, it is indeed a bit strange..."

Chang Sheng smiled and said slowly, "A few days ago, I saw Master Su struggling to drag a large bag into the room, then lock the door and leave—that was at the same time Hui Niang was murdered. I stared at this room for a long time, and seeing that the door was locked very tightly, I turned and left. Later, I realized—this room doesn't even have windows..."

Pan Xijin pondered for a moment, then raised his eyes and smiled slightly: "A room without windows and with the door tightly locked is bound to arouse suspicion—I wonder what the owner's answer would be if we asked... Perhaps we could get a peek..."

“If that’s the case… then this difficult request will fall on Young Master Jiu.” Ye Changsheng said.

Pan Xijin thought for a moment and said, "Alright..."

When they arrived at Su Xiao'e's boudoir, the young lady was sitting at her dressing table, applying makeup in front of the mirror. The room was quiet and deserted, with no one else around. Hearing the noise, she didn't turn around, but instead smiled and said, "Miss Ye, do you perhaps distrust me? Have you found a companion...?" Ye Changsheng shook his head repeatedly, then smiled at Su Xiao'e and said, "So, Miss, you're about to speak?"

Su Xiao'e, with her delicate fingers raised, applied crimson rouge to her lips. After a while, she put down the box, stood up, and walked to Ye Changsheng, staring intently into her eyes. "Alas... why is Rong Hua so fond of my disciple? You are truly a clever girl... Since nothing can be hidden from you... then I will speak frankly..." Their eyes met, and Ye Changsheng blinked, saying with utmost humility, "I dare not, I am actually utterly worthless and unworthy of praise..."

Ignoring her, Su Xiao'e continued, "Whether it's a lot or a little, you've stayed for three days now... It's rare for you to come all the way to Gutuo Town, are you just going to waste your time in this humble abode? Or do you have other plans and are about to leave?"

Ye Changsheng then understood. So this Miss Su had come to ask them to leave. Now that she understood, she felt relieved and smiled, "You can go anywhere, from the south to the north. As for when you will depart, that is up to you..."

Su Xiao'e's expression suddenly changed, and she said coldly, "I can restore you to full health, but I don't want to see you in the Su residence again—choose the lesser of two evils, you understand..." "What Miss Su said makes perfect sense." Ye Changsheng smiled slightly, "Now that you have cured my master of the poison, we will naturally leave and will not stay for a moment."

Su Xiao'e looked at Ye Changsheng and said angrily, "Why should I cure him? I love him, he can never leave me, he will grow old with me in this ancient town forever!" Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she stroked her belly and suddenly became charming and lovely, as if she was lost in some fantasy: "I still want to bear his children and raise his offspring..."

Pan Xijin glanced at Su Xiao'e, then at the silent Ye Changsheng, feeling that something was amiss, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Suddenly, Su Xiao'e looked at him, her eyes still fierce: "As for this young master, you should take Miss Ye and leave. This Su residence isn't as easy to deal with as you think—you know Hui Niang is dead. If you accidentally end up like her, it would be extremely bad. It's better to leave as soon as possible."

Ye Changsheng looked at her, still feeling a bit of a headache.

Su Xiao'e looked at her coldly, then curled her lips into a strange smile, and turned to leave.

"Miss Su, please wait—" Ye Changsheng interrupted, "Um—where is Young Master Su? Has he left the manor? Why haven't I seen him for so many days?"

Su Xiao'e turned around slowly and said softly, "Why are you suddenly thinking about my brother, Miss... He's a good-for-nothing... You don't need to worry about him. You should use that time to think about yourself..."

"Ah..." Ye Changsheng smiled slightly: "What you say is true."

Su Xiao'e stood up with delight, turned to look at the two of them, and smiled inscrutably: "Please come with me to see the treasure of my Su family..."

The two followed Su Xiao'e through the flower hall. Pan Xijin smiled all the way, then quietly leaned over to Ye Changsheng and said, "Miss Ye, is this your master? I wonder if the doctor did anything terrible to this Miss Su? This Miss Su really resents you..."

Ye Changsheng said gently, "A master is a master, and as the saying goes, 'A teacher for a day is a father for life'... Miss Su probably doesn't want to be my mother..."

Pan Xijin smiled gently and said nothing.

The two walked back and forth along the corridor, finally stopping in front of a rather inconspicuous house. The courtyard was sparsely populated, and the lacquer was noticeably older than elsewhere. Su Xiao'e stopped and said, "This is my father's house; these things naturally belong to him..."