Shen Luohe was about to speak when he noticed Hua Xijian’s expression turn to one of confusion.
“This worm is acting unusual today.”
She reached for her waist and pulled out the red-skinned gourd that held the female worm from her sash.
The others followed her gaze and saw that the red-skinned gourd was shaking incessantly. Whatever was inside was desperately trying to crawl out.
“As Fellow Daoist Shen mentioned, these wine worms were bred by your master and come in pairs of male and female.”
Nan Zhi thought for a moment and quickly understood. “They have been separated for a long time, but they must still have some connection. Now that the male worm is here, the female is naturally restless.”
“Master said so himself.”
Hua Xijian nodded and explained, “Wine worms come in pairs, born as a set.”
“Throughout their lives, they never betray each other to find another mate. If one dies, the other will soon stiffen and perish as well. Compared to other spirit insects, wine worms are much harder to raise.”
“Even insects can be so loyal and devoted, yet some people are worse than vermin.”
Shen Luohe shook his head, his expression heavy. He looked at Nan Zhi and asked, “Fellow Daoist Nan, you took on this case. According to the rules, it is yours to handle. What are your plans?”
“I have plans, of course, but I must first ask Wanniang if she is willing.”
Nan Zhi looked at Wanniang beside her and said seriously, “Wang Fugui may be dead, but the truth cannot vanish with him. I plan to report this to the Lord Commissioner first, explaining every detail to overturn the Qu family’s case. This will also prevent anyone from using this incident against us in the future.”
“Furthermore, I must cooperate with the nearby county yamens to announce the truth about the corpse-worm wine. Ordinary people who drink too much of this wine will accumulate Yin energy in their bodies, making them prone to attracting evil spirits. There may be lingering consequences.”
“Lastly, I want to see what Wanniang wants for her future. If she wishes to be reincarnated, I will seek out a fellow cultivator skilled in the arts of Yin and Yang to find a way. If she has other unfulfilled wishes, I, as her friend, will naturally help her.”
“The events of back then were so long ago. Reopening the case would cause a massive stir. The official who presided over my family’s trial was bribed by Wang Fugui, and he has since risen through the ranks to become a high official.”
A small flicker of hope lit up in Wanniang’s eyes, but it quickly faded. “What commoner doesn’t know that officials shield one another? Those lords are more cunning than the last. What official in this world would be willing to take on an old case with no witnesses and no living victims?”
She was right.
The Qu family had been wealthy once. Without a powerful benefactor, Wang Fugui could never have swallowed their estate just by framing them. Although they couldn't know the exact truth of the past, they could guess a few things.
The person who collaborated with Wang Fugui back then had spent thirty years in the bureaucracy. Even if they were dull-witted, they would have ground their way to the top by now. The old Qu family case involved many people; for most, it was already settled once and for all.
If Nan Zhi stepped forward now to seek justice for the Qu family, she would be cutting off the path to high office for those people.
She would inevitably become a target for everyone involved.
Thus, while avenging Wanniang was easy, overturning the Qu family’s case would be difficult beyond measure.
Shen Luohe waved his fan and sighed softly.
Hua Xijian’s eyes were filled with even more sympathy.
Cultivating the Dao did not mean being detached from the world and its affairs. They had seen their fair share of official darkness and corrupt governance.
“Who says the Qu family case has no victim?”
Nan Zhi shook her head mysteriously and grinned at them. “I have heard of the Prefect of Kaifeng, Lord Bao Zheng. He has a crescent moon mark on his forehead and was born with natural spiritual sight. He is said to judge the living by day and the dead by night.”
“Because he is upright and incorruptible, and hates the injustices of the world, he has earned the beautiful name of Justice. The people of Dongjing call him Justice Bao. An ordinary official might not dare to take this case, but if it is him, as long as Wanniang is willing to testify, he will surely return justice to the Qu family!”
“So it’s that gentleman?”
Shen Luohe’s eyes lit up, and he tapped his forehead with his fan. “That is a brilliant idea. It is rumored that Lord Bao is a star lord descended from the heavens. He holds great prestige in both the cultivation world and the mortal realm.”
Noticing that both Wanniang and Hua Xijian looked bewildered, he added, “You might not know, but this Lord Bao has great abilities. It is said he can walk through the Underworld, and even the Underworld Judges must treat him with respect.”
“Once, there was a wealthy merchant who was robbed and murdered by a couple who made pottery. They burned his remains into a pottery basin and sold it on the street. Later, the man’s soul attached itself to the basin and entered Kaifeng Prefecture with a passerby to beat the drum and cry for justice. Lord Bao can see ghosts; after hearing the case, he had the criminals arrested and interrogated. The truth came to light soon after.”
“Does Kaifeng truly have such a miraculous person?”
Upon hearing that there was hope for overturning the case, boundless hope burst forth in Wanniang’s eyes. She was like a withered piece of wood that had absorbed a bit of nourishment, her limbs seemingly sprouting new buds.
“Sister Zhi! I am willing! As long as I can overturn my family’s case and strip away this murderer’s brand so that I can leave this world as cleanly as I entered it, I would go through fire and water!”
“In that case,” Hua Xijian said, frowning slightly as she looked at Manager Wang and Wang Chen, “since you have decided to go to Kaifeng, you should set off as soon as possible to avoid any complications.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
Nan Zhi nodded, her gaze sweeping over Manager Wang and Wang Chen. “I plan to take these two to Dongjing to seek justice before anyone else can react. It will take at least two or three days for news to leave Dingyuan. By then, I will already be on the road. Even if someone wants to cover this up, they won’t be able to find me.”
“Perfect. I was wondering how to explain this to you.”
Shen Luohe clapped his hands and sighed. “The case my junior sister and I are chasing is also quite troublesome. We might have to stay in the Shouzhou area for a while longer. It is a pity we cannot travel with you. However, I will send word to my friends in Dongjing to have them meet you on the road. Once we finish our business here, we will surely head to Kaifeng to support Lady Wanniang.”
“Thank you. I do have one more request.”
Nan Zhi patted the skull in her arms with a serious expression. “This thing should serve as physical evidence. I’ll take it with me for now and return it to you when we meet again, how about that?”
Shen Luohe: “...”
Do I look like I really want that thing back?
...
...
Once the decision to go to Kaifeng was made, Nan Zhi did not waste a single moment.
A carriage, dry rations, water canteens, axes, oil barrels, fire starters, waterproof tarps, cold medicine, thick quilts, cotton clothes, hemp rope, oil-paper umbrellas...
She bought everything she could think of in one go.
In any case, she had her backpack, so she wasn't worried about whether the carriage could hold it all.
The Azure Sea Sky Boots could allow her to travel a thousand miles in a day to reach Kaifeng, but Manager Wang, Wang Chen, and Wanniang—two humans and one ghost—could only travel honestly, step by step, to get there.
According to what Wanniang said, when she used to sell wine, merchants from Dongjing mentioned that the round trip took more than two months. By that calculation, even with a carriage, it would take at least a month to reach Kaifeng.
And that was assuming everything went smoothly.
When her family saw her packing her luggage, they were confused. But as soon as they heard Nan Zhi intended to go on a long journey, Chen Jingui was the first to explode.
Rate on N.U.
