The moment his words left his mouth, murmurs broke out among the common folk gathered below. A woman holding a vegetable basket said,
“Sounds fair to me! Half his family fortune—with that kind of money, a person wouldn't have to worry for the rest of their days. If only he were accusing me! Then that money would end up right in my purse.”
Another woman beside her spat in contempt.
“Keep dreaming! You only say that because you know you didn't do it—a straight shadow fears no crooked sun. But who's to say the He family is innocent like you?”
“Exactly. Either way, I'm sticking around to see how this plays out.”
“The County Magistrate ought to agree to it. That man doesn't seem to be lying. Look at him weeping like that in court; his sister must truly have lost her life.”
Someone in the crowd shouted,
“Your Honor, agree to it!”
One after another, the other onlookers raised their fists in the air.
“Your Honor, agree to it!” “Your Honor, grant his request!”
County Magistrate Yu’s brow furrowed slightly. Raising the gavel, he brought it down heavily upon the desk.
“Silence!”
“Bai Shuyuan, since the common folk below support you, this magistrate shall grant you a chance. I accept your petition.
“However, if the matter does not turn out as you claim, half your family fortune shall be forfeited entirely to the falsely accused, and you shall be fined two hundred taels of silver and punished with thirty strokes of the heavy paddle to answer for disrupting this court. Do you accept or not?”
Bai Shuyuan knocked his head against the ground three times in resounding kowtows.
“Thank you, Your Honor. This commoner accepts!”
County Magistrate Yu rose to his feet.
“Zhang San, Li Si, both of you proceed to the He residence at once. Guard the front and back gates and order everyone in the He household to remain inside.”
“Understood!” Zhang San and Li Si acknowledged the order and strode swiftly outward. The crowd before the hall parted on their own accord, watching them depart.
County Magistrate Yu looked down at Bai Shuyuan on the floor.
“Bai Shuyuan, lead the way to the place where your sister’s body was discarded.”
Catching sight of Gu Qingyun standing behind a pillar, County Magistrate Yu pointed a finger at her.
“Constable Gu, you shall accompany us.”
...
At the He residence.
He Yuan sat on a chair with a gloomy expression, casting anxious glances outside from time to time. His parents emerged from the inner courtyard and came straight up to him.
“Son, what on earth has happened to us? Why are there yamen runners guarding outside? Even our cook was barred from going out to buy food!”
He Yuan shook his head.
“Father, Mother, neither of those two will say a word. Even trying to slip them silver did no good.”
Zhang Xiaoxiao clutched her handkerchief tightly in both hands, constantly reassuring herself in her mind. It's fine. During this whole past year, hasn't the He family failed to realize I'm not who I say I am? There's no way they could uncover anything now. No need to scare myself.
He Yuan’s gaze fell upon Zhang Xiaoxiao’s face.
“Zhu'er, do you know anything about this?”
His parents looked at her suspiciously as well. Zhang Xiaoxiao looked up calmly and offered the three of them a smile, her eyes filled with bewilderment.
“Father, Mother, Husband, I am just a woman who stays home day in and day out. How could I know anything about what's happening outside? Don't worry; perhaps by tomorrow, the yamen runners will leave on their own.”
He Yuan sighed and looked away, yet an uneasy flutter lingered in his chest. His gaze lingered darkly on Zhang Xiaoxiao for a long while before finally turning aside. Hopefully, I'm just overthinking things.
Never mind. I haven't done anything to weigh on my conscience, so there's no reason to be afraid, He Yuan thought.
Perhaps it was just as Zhu'er said—merely a misunderstanding by the yamen.
...
Zhang Xiaoxiao returned to her room. Sitting before the bronze mirror, she gazed upon the face that was identical in every way to Bai Zhu'er's. Her expression twisted, and a vicious glint filled her eyes.
Bai Zhu'er, don't blame me. Blame yourself for wanting to marry my cousin! In this lifetime, Cousin can only belong to me. Who told you to smile so innocently before me, going on and on every single day about how good he was to you?
Now that you're dead, all that goodness belongs to me. You were right—Cousin truly is wonderful. Once I bear him a son or daughter, you can watch from beneath the earth as we live in perfect harmony, surrounded by children and grandchildren.
At the thought, she turned her head toward the door.
“Xiao Huan, is the fertility decoction still not ready?”
Xiao Huan replied, “Young Mistress, you still need to wait a while longer. If it isn't simmered long enough, its medicinal potency will easily be lost.”
Zhang Xiaoxiao cut her off impatiently.
“Then go keep an eye on it, and bring it over the moment it's done! All right, leave us. No one is to enter without my permission.”
The moment the maid stepped out, Zhang Xiaoxiao could no longer hold back a muffled groan. Convulsions racked her entire frame from sheer agony. Clenching her teeth so hard they threatened to shatter, cold sweat drenched her from head to toe.
Every single breath felt like pure torment, and black spots danced across her vision. Over the past year, the bouts of pain had initially struck once every three months, but now they occurred every two months, with each agonizing episode lasting longer than the last.
Once the pain finally receded, she leaned against the bed for a while to catch her breath, tidied herself up, and tremblingly retrieved a wooden plaque. She squeezed a drop of blood onto it. Instantly, the talisman incised upon the plaque flared to life, and a chilling, raspy voice emanated from within:
“What is it? Do you not know this wooden plaque can only be used once?”
Zhang Xiaoxiao clutched the wooden plaque tightly.
“Master, I beg you to save me! The pain strikes every two months now—I can't bear it any longer!”
“Heh. That plaque was given to you so you could keep a constant watch on Jiangyin County and notify me immediately should anyone discover an immortal's relic—not for you to pester me over personal trivialities. Do you have any idea how difficult that plaque was to craft?” The person on the other end sneered.
“Master, money! I can give you all the money I have! I beg you to save me, please ease my pain!” Zhang Xiaoxiao’s voice bordered on hysteria.
“Heh. I told you back then that this was the backlash of the True Qi Face-Swapping Technique. Once begun, there is no remedy for regret. Since the wooden plaque has been activated, it seems the time has come to collect my payment.”
As the voice fell silent, black qi erupted violently from the plaque. Zhang Xiaoxiao felt something being torn from her body, flowing through the plaque toward the practitioner thousands of li away.
“What is this?!” Zhang Xiaoxiao threw the wooden plaque away, scrambling backward on hands and knees, her face deathly pale.
“Hahaha! What did you think it was? Your lifespan! Was it not thirty years of your lifespan that you traded for me to change your face? Otherwise, why would I have been so generous as to squander my true qi to alter your visage? After tomorrow, your face will change to reflect your shortened lifespan. Many thanks for your years!”
“By the way, there is still one way to maintain your appearance—the method I told you about before.”
With those parting words, the wooden plaque shattered into pieces.
Zhang Xiaoxiao sat dazed, clutching her knees and trembling all over. It took a long while before she regained her senses. Screaming, she scrambled toward the bronze mirror in hurried strides, nearly collapsing as her knees buckled beneath her.
Seeing that her face was still unchanged, she breathed a sigh of relief. Yet at the thought of what the mysterious person had said about three days later, she paced in frantic circles. Then, her expression darkened, and she muttered under her breath,
“Don't panic. There must be a way. I can't panic. If it comes down to it, I'll just have to use that method.”
...
Along the Huai River, the waters surged from the horizon, rushing downstream like a stampede of ten thousand horses. Waves crashed upon waves in endless layers, their deafening roar reverberating across both banks and shaking the very marrow of those who listened.
Gu Qingyun watched the river in silence. The water had been calm and placid just last night, yet today it had turned into this.
The corpse-retrievers whom Bai Shuyuan had hired with a handsome reward began to beat a retreat. In such torrential currents, diving in would mean certain death. Exchanging glances, the men didn't even want the deposit he had paid them; thrusting the silver back into his arms, they offered a bow.
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