Upon hearing the voice, Shen Suxin immediately grabbed the sword beside her and asked sharply, "Who?!"
I made a shushing gesture: "Me."
Shen Suxin lowered her voice and asked, "Why are you here at this hour? What happened?"
"Of course there's something going on. We need to leave the Shen family quietly now, and you'll understand when the time comes." Shen Suxin changed into night clothes, and the two of them left the Shen family under the cover of night.
5
As I helped Shen Suxin through the backyard of the Shen family home, a crowd gathered there, with many villagers pointing and whispering. Officials had arrived, and the coroner was there to examine the body.
"Who could have done such a thing? Their head is completely smashed."
"Yes, it must have been someone from the Shen family. He was always going to the Shen family to steal things, and now he's dead right at the gate of the Shen family."
"Don't talk nonsense. Master Shen was once an official in the imperial court. Do you want your head?"
Old Monster Qi lay on the ground, his brains splattered, his eyes bulging like copper bells; his death was quite gruesome. Shen Suxin clutched her chest, and I supported her, saying, "Suxin, let's hurry back to the manor."
Madam Shen was taking a walk in the garden early in the morning when Shen Suxin spat out a mouthful of blood onto the white roses. I cried out in alarm, "Auntie, Suxin has suffered internal injuries! Quickly, send someone to fetch a doctor!"
Madam Shen frowned and settled Su Xin in a clean room. I ordered someone to bring a basin of hot water and loosened her clothes. There was a purple handprint on her chest. Her face was pale and she was breathing heavily.
"Who could have done this to us?"
"We were surrounded by a group of martial arts practitioners in the mulberry fields, and Su Xin was injured while protecting me."
The doctor arrived quickly. After taking her pulse, he shook his head: "Such a vicious palm strike! This girl has suffered such a serious injury that she probably won't be able to get out of bed for at least three months. I'll prescribe some herbal decoction. Boil three bowls of water down to one bowl and drink it. This will only preserve her vital energy; the rest will depend on the girl's own recovery."
"Thank you for your help, Doctor." Madam Shen returned after seeing the doctor off and asked anxiously, "Miss Liu, what happened?"
"It's like this. Last night, I came to Suxin to search for a missing girl near the mulberry fields outside the town. At that time, a group of martial arts practitioners surrounded us and said that if I didn't hand over the Ice Silk Heavenly Robe, I would die here. So we fought desperately. As dawn broke, they reluctantly dispersed, and Suxin was seriously injured."
Madam Shen asked in surprise, "The Ice Silkworm Robe? Why do they want you to hand over the Ice Silkworm Robe?"
"I don't know either." I decided to keep the innkeeper's matter a secret: "Besides, Ruyan has no idea what the Ice Silkworm Heavenly Garment is."
Madam Shen sighed: "No wonder you don't know. The trouble caused by the Ice Silkworm Heavenly Robe has been going on for over twenty years. You were just born back then."
"Does your aunt know about this?"
"Yes, back then, when you were the magistrate of this bustling city, a large number of martial arts practitioners flocked to Sangxiang Town to seize the Ice Silkworm Heavenly Robe. That robe was made by a woman named Mei Niang over five years. She had obtained a kind of ice silkworm by chance. Ice silkworms live in extremely cold places and melt when exposed to sunlight or heat. She managed to extract the silkworm silk and made it into ice silk satin, which she then used to make the Ice Silkworm Heavenly Robe. This robe has a magical effect. If you wear it, the sick will be cured, martial arts practitioners will achieve twice the results with half the effort, and even the dying may be rejuvenated."
"Oh?" I asked, "How did Auntie know about these things?"
"This is one of the cases that the master solved back then. Mei Niang died on the back mountain, and the Ice Silkworm Heavenly Robe disappeared. The master and his men searched for several months without any clues, and in the end, it could only become an unsolved case."
“That’s how it is.” I nodded. “However, recently news has been released that Dugu Liang and a mysterious person know the whereabouts of the Ice Silkworm Robe, so martial arts figures have rushed here again.”
“No wonder the town has been much more lively lately.” Madam Shen smiled slightly. “Miss Liu, you should stay here in the mansion. It’s the safest place here now.”
I readily agreed, saying, "Thank you, Auntie. I'll gladly accept your offer."
As Madam Shen spoke, she left with her maid. Shen Sujun rushed in, disregarding the decorum expected of a young lady from a prominent family: "Suxin, Suxin." Her eyes were red from crying: "What happened? What is this?" I gently pulled her aside: "She is already asleep. Her injuries are very serious. Miss Sujun, there's no need for this."
Shen Sujun cried even harder. I sighed and said, "Miss Sujun, are you so sad because there is something else on your mind?"
"Dugu Liang..."
"He'll be alright." After I said that, Shen Sujun stopped crying, her face turning ashen. Her clever maid, Xiao Hong, ran over and supported her, saying, "Miss's illness has flared up again. Quickly, take her back to her room."
I was bewildered for a long time, feeling that something was amiss. I had just visited Old Monster Qi yesterday, and this morning he lay dead in the street. The innkeeper didn't know martial arts; he must be acting on someone's orders. The room smelled of Chinese medicine, so I went outside and strolled around the vast Shen family compound.
The Shen family's residence is quite large, boasting a rather sizable lake. Moreover, considering its location, it's rare for wealthy families to build their mansions at the foot of a mountain. The Shen family's residence is situated near Hongyan Mountain, with a high wall separating the mountain from the house. According to feng shui masters, this is called "shading," something that wealthy families consider extremely unlucky.
On the side facing Hongyan Mountain, a row of very neat houses was built, which looked even more out of place according to the layout.
The door to the room was ajar. Pushing it open, a blast of cold air rushed in, and I couldn't help but shiver. The room was simply furnished: a table, a chair, and a spinning wheel.
"What are you doing here?" A kind voice sounded from behind me. I turned around and saw Madam Shen standing right behind me, without me even noticing.
"I just wandered around and came across this row of houses with a very strange layout. Please forgive my rudeness, Auntie."
"No wonder, no wonder. This row of houses is located at the foot of the mountain, so it is exceptionally cool even in summer. Therefore, these oddly shaped houses were built to store food and also to provide shade during the hottest days of summer."
"It shelters us from the wind in winter and keeps us cool in summer. Mr. Shen is truly a shrewd man."
Madam Shen smiled slightly, proudly acknowledging this. She took my arm and said, "Jun'er just woke up and has been clamoring to see you. Let's hurry to the Lakeside Cottage now."
"I wonder what illness Su Jun has?"
"A strange illness she was born with, many doctors can't cure it." Madam Shen sighed, a hint of melancholy in her eyes. I quickly shut my mouth and didn't ask. When we arrived at the lakeside cottage, the woman named Cherry, whom I had rescued a couple of days ago, was also there serving me. The injury on her arm was no longer a big problem, and Shen Sujun took a liking to her and kept her by her side as a maid.
Shen Sujun was, after all, a young woman, and it was inappropriate for her to talk about men in front of her mother. It wasn't until Madam Shen had asked about her well-being many times and left that she hurriedly asked, "Ruyan, do you know where Dugu Liang is?"
I patted her hand to comfort her and said, "Don't worry, we do have a location for Dugu Liang. He's safe in the inn. It was just a little trick of switching him with someone else. You should keep this a secret so as not to alert him."
If nothing unexpected happens, there should be action tonight.
6
As night fell, the sound of the night watchman's gong echoed through the empty, desolate streets.
The weather is dry; please be careful with fire.
It's past midnight.
As soon as I entered the guest room, Dugu Leng immediately blew out the candles and asked in a low voice, "Is everything arranged?"
"Alright." I quietly lifted a crack in the floorboards. Dugu Liang was asleep on the bed, and sure enough, a short while later, the innkeeper sneaked in with someone. The person was wearing a black cloak, covering him from head to toe, which was quite frightening.
"Qin San, I wouldn't have come in person if it weren't for the urgency of the matter," the man said coldly in a hoarse voice.
"Master is right to reprimand me; it was my fault for not handling things properly."
"Liu Ruyan doesn't have the Ice Silkworm Heavenly Robe on her at all!" The man slammed his hand on the table. "Before they discover this fool, move him to another place immediately."
"Yes, sir, I'll take care of it right away."
The innkeeper wiped the sweat from his brow before softly calling towards the door, "Little Liu, come in quickly and carry this kid out... Little Liu... Hey, Little Liu, are you dead or something...?"
The inn door slammed open, and Xiao Liuzi lay on the ground with a man in black standing next to him.
"Who...who are you?" The innkeeper was so frightened that he quickly hid behind his master.
"I'm going to kill this kid. Anyone who tries to stop me will die."
"Killing him won't be that easy!" The man in the black cloak stood in front of him. "But if you can have a few days to recover, I might help you."
"Ye Hongling, you've already obtained the Ice Silkworm Heavenly Robe, so why are you still clinging to the matter of the Ice Silkworm Heavenly Robe?"
"You..." The man in the black cloak trembled violently. "Who are you? Who exactly are you?"
The man in black slowly pulled down his mask. Both Dugu Leng and I recognized the face; it was none other than Old Monster Qi, who had died that morning. Dugu Leng patted my shoulder, signaling me not to act rashly.
The woman in the black cloak stumbled back in shock, her voice trembling slightly. She finally revealed her womanly side: "Weren't you dead? Didn't you die last night?"
"I am dead. From this day forward, Old Monster Qi is already dead."
"Why? Why did you do this? I didn't want to kill you, but anyone who tries to ruin my plans, I will kill." The woman turned around: "I'm sorry to Mei Niang, but I will make it up to her."
Old Monster Qi sneered, "Compensate a dead man? Hmph, if you really want compensation, hand over the Ice Silkworm Heavenly Robe to my poor Blade." The innkeeper, Qin San, knew the less he knew about the secret, the safer he would be, so he quietly went out and closed the door. Seeing this, the woman in the black cloak sighed and took off her hood, revealing her fair face.
It's Madam Shen!
Madam Shen shook her head: "Impossible, I cannot hand over the Ice Silkworm Heavenly Robe to you now. Because I cannot watch my Jun'er suffer such pain."
"Then you'll only die."
Madam Shen sneered, "Even if I die, you still won't get the Ice Silkworm Heavenly Robe. You've searched for so many years, turning every room in the Shen family upside down, but in the end, you still can't get it."
"Then you may die." Old Monster Qi said, his knife already slashing down. Madam Shen closed her eyes, and the knife stopped an inch from her heart. A sword appeared in front of her, blocking the menacing blade.
Dugu Liang stood in front of him, a cynical smile playing on his lips: "It's not too late to die after you've answered my question."
"Silly boy?" Old Monster Qi sheathed his sword and paused for a moment before bursting into laughter: "So you were just pretending to be crazy. You really fooled this old man and everyone in the martial arts world."
"I have no past grudges or recent enmity with you, so why do you want to harm me? You spread rumors in the martial arts world that only I and a mysterious person know the whereabouts of the Ice Silk Heavenly Robe. You are the one, Old Monster Qi, right?"
Old Monster Qi sneered: "A playboy like you who flirts with women deserves to die. Since Ren'er is so devoted to you, I would rather kill you and let Ren'er hate me for the rest of her life than let Ren'er be with someone like you!"
"Mei Ren'er?" Dugu Liang was momentarily dazed.
"Yes, Ren'er's mother was poisoned by the cold because she raised ice silkworms. Ren'er was born with the cold poison in her body. Mei Niang made an ice silkworm celestial robe out of ice silkworm satin so that she wouldn't suffer from the poison if she wore it. But at that time, Mei Niang was one of the best embroiderers in Sangxiang Town. The Madam Shen in front of you admired Mei Niang's embroidery the most. Over time, the two of them became friends. It's my fault for not paying attention at the time. Mei Niang actually told Ye Hongling about the ice silkworm celestial robe. To prevent the cold poison in her body from recurring, Mei Niang wore that robe all the time. Who would have thought that Ye Hongling would kill Mei Niang when she went to Hongyan Mountain to pick wild mulberry leaves and steal Mei Niang's ice silkworms. All these years, I haven't killed Ye Hongling because I was afraid that if she died, the ice silkworm celestial robe would be lost. Every year when Ren'er grows up, the cold poison in her body will become more severe. One day she will freeze to death. That robe was left to our daughter by Mei Niang. I must get it back."
"Then one day, Ren'er told me you'd gone mad. She was so heartbroken she considered giving up on finding the Heavenly Robe. So I spread rumors throughout the martial world that you and a mysterious person knew the whereabouts of the Heavenly Robe. People in the martial world were quick to react, so I hijacked the carrier pigeons of Dugu Manor and altered the contents of the letter. As soon as this news spread, sure enough, Ye Hongling, you also took action. I suppose for so many years, you've wanted to make another set of Ice Silk Heavenly Robes but haven't found a way to extract the Ice Silkworm silk. So you really believed that Dugu Liang could lure out that mysterious person and learn the secret to extracting the Ice Silkworm silk. That's all nonsense. Because if I kill Dugu Liang today, I can spread the word tomorrow that the mysterious person is actually the Madam of the Shen family."
Madam Shen sneered: "After going through all this trouble, you still won't get the Ice Silkworm Heavenly Robe!"
"Hehe, if I'm not mistaken, you started raising ice silkworms before your daughter was born, and your daughter was also afflicted with cold poison. If the Ice Silkworm Heavenly Robe isn't on you, it's on your daughter."
"You...you can kill me, but don't touch my Jun'er!"
Dugu Liang shook his head: "This is your business, I can't interfere. Old Qi, you are indeed clever. You made us come to you, and then you were afraid that we would find out that you were the mastermind, so you used death to escape responsibility. Once you're dead, it's all over."
"Of course you should care!" A melodious female voice came from the doorway, and Shen Sujun pushed the door open and came in.
"Jun'er, how did you find your way here?" Madam Shen's expression softened immediately upon seeing her daughter, and she pulled her daughter behind her anxiously: "It's dangerous here. It doesn't matter if I die, but you can't be hurt."
"Mother, I'm fine." Shen Sujun smiled charmingly, "Dugu Liang, it's been a long time."
"It's been a long time, Mei Ren'er."
Mei Ren'er?! Madam Shen stepped in front of her daughter again and said loudly, "What nonsense are you talking about? She is my daughter, Shen Sujun."
“She is Mei Ren’er,” Dugu Liang said. “I remember her voice.” Old Monster Qi smiled smugly and said, “Ren’er, come to your father’s side. It’s a disservice for you to spend all your time with the woman who killed your mother.” Shen Sujun, oh no, it was Mei Ren’er. A complete mask peeled off her face. Such exquisite disguise was so well that even Madam Shen couldn’t see through it.
Although Mei Ren'er wasn't a stunning beauty, she was still quite pretty. She walked shyly to Dugu Liang and said, "I don't want you to die. I won't let my father kill you. If you die, I won't be able to live either."
"What on earth is going on? Where is my Jun'er?" Madam Shen was almost driven mad.
"Your Jun'er is dead. It's all thanks to my mother's Ice Silkworm Heavenly Robe, otherwise how could my cold poison be flaring up more and more slowly?"
“Dead…dead…” Madam Shen murmured repeatedly.
7
"No, Shen Sujun isn't dead!" I removed the partition and jumped downstairs. Everyone except Mei Ren'er and Dugu Liang looked slightly surprised, but anything could happen in this situation. I chuckled, "Old Monster Qi, you didn't expect this, did you? Actually, Dugu Liang's madness has been cured for over a month. We were just curious about who Old Monster Qi was and why he lured Dugu Liang here. It's because my master, Master Canghai, always has an invisible seal under his signature on his letters. It can be seen even when submerged in water. This was a method we came up with to prevent letters from being switched, and we didn't expect it to actually come in handy."
Old Master Qi snorted and turned his head away defiantly. Madam Shen, finally regaining her composure, asked in a daze, "Not dead? Where is my Jun'er?"
"Why don't you ask Shen Suxin?" As soon as I finished speaking, the door opened, and Shen Suxin walked in dressed in black. She winked at me and said, "Little girl, everything's taken care of! My cousin is at the Lakeside Lodge now."