Fairy

Lin Zhiyue sat by the stone table in the side courtyard, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the tabletop.

What had her stuck was the first quest—the cause of Su Jinyu's death.

She couldn't directly ask the emperor, the Noble Consort was even less likely to speak, and she couldn't break into the Su Manor by force.

While she was staring blankly at the patterns on the table, Cen Xi'er walked out of the room, placed a plate of spiritual fruit on the stone table, and watched her for a moment. “If only we could get Minister Su to speak of his own accord.”

Lin Zhiyue looked up, finding that reasonable.

Minister Su was Su Jinyu's father and also Su Qing'er's father. No matter what had actually happened in that past event ten years ago, even if he didn't know everything, he would at least know more of the inside story than anyone else.

But the problem was, why would Minister Su open up to a Tiance Palace disciple he had never met before?

Besides, based on the web novel tropes she had read in the past—Madam Su was a concubine promoted to the main wife, and she was also Su Qing'er's biological mother. The secrets hidden within this were bound to run deep.

She thought for a long time, not even touching the spiritual fruit on the table until they grew cold. Once a complete idea formed in her mind, she finally sat up straight.

“Minister Su saw me at the welcoming banquet. He knows I am a disciple of Tiance Palace. If I take the initiative to visit and claim that I accidentally sensed an unusual aura in his manor and came specifically to investigate—with Tiance Palace's reputation, he won't completely disbelieve it.”

Lin Zhiyue paused, lowering her voice slightly. “If I also have Master help me build up some momentum, claiming that I have a special sensitivity to sinister yin energy and impurities, Minister Su will have even more reason to believe I've genuinely come to inspect his manor, rather than having ulterior motives.”

“Furthermore, if he has absolutely nothing to do with Su Jinyu's death, he might even feel that befriending a cultivator from Tiance Palace is a tremendous blessing. But if he is unwilling... then it proves he has a guilty conscience.”

“Junior Sister, do you mean... Su Jinyu's death was actually...?” Cen Xi'er's tone carried obvious surprise.

“Who knows,” Lin Zhiyue said. “But my intuition tells me—this matter is definitely not that simple.”

Cen Xi'er listened quietly beside her, nodding slowly. She didn't ask further questions, only pushing the plate of cold spiritual fruit a bit closer to Lin Zhiyue.

Lin Zhiyue took one and ate it. After chewing and swallowing, she stood up and walked toward Qi Yan's room.

She stood at his door, knocked twice, and after hearing a “Come in,” pushed the door open and entered. After explaining her intentions, she waited quietly for Qi Yan to speak.

Qi Yan leaned back in his chair and listened to her finish. After a brief moment, he set down the jade slip in his hand and said in a calm tone, “Tomorrow at noon, I will let the emperor know that you sensed an anomaly near the Su Manor. If Minister Su is unwilling to cooperate, you can simply claim it is by the emperor's order.”

Lin Zhiyue gave an affirming nod, thanked him, and turned to walk out. The palace lanterns under the corridor had already been lit, casting a warm yellow glow across the pillars and the ground, stretching her shadow long and thin.

...

The next day, just after noon, Lin Zhiyue left the palace gates with Cen Xi'er and Xiao Yuan.

Instead of her ordinary clothes, she chose the Jinyao Fairy set from her Wardrobe—a moon-white long dress embroidered with gold-threaded phoenixes. Under the sunlight, the gold-threaded phoenixes on the hem shimmered with delicate luster, and the entire outfit draped over her like a soft, enveloping lunar halo.

Honghong transformed into a pure white spirit deer, its four hooves stepping on faint spiritual light as it walked by her side. Only a shallow, silver-gray stripe remained on its back. At first glance, the deer exuded an overwhelming spiritual aura.

As the three of them and the deer walked along the main street toward Minister Su's manor, pedestrians and vendors along the road turned to stare.

Someone whispered by the roadside, “Where did this fairy come from?” Others put down what they were holding and stared for a long time without recovering. An old man selling candied haws froze in place with his bamboo pole, even forgetting to take the copper coins offered by a child next to him.

Lin Zhiyue walked down the street without looking aside, her back straight, her steps neither hurried nor slow. Her expression was solemn and serene, carrying a natural sense of distance, looking like a Jade Pool Fairy who had stepped right out of a painting.

Seeing that she had achieved her goal, the corners of Lin Zhiyue's lips curled up slightly—she had dressed up like this on purpose. It was all to build up her presence.

Although Minister Su recognized her, he didn't know her true background. Ordinary Tiance Palace disciples wouldn't have such a grand display; only someone of extremely high status or profound cultivation could raise such a spiritually vibrant spirit deer and afford a dharma robe of this quality.

She to wanted exactly this effect.

The servant at the gate of the Su Manor froze completely when he saw the three people and the deer approaching from a distance.

He opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it again, his gaze lingering on Lin Zhiyue for a good while before he snapped out of it. Upon hearing the fairy say she wanted to see Minister Su, he bowed and immediately turned to run inside.

A moment later, Minister Su walked quickly out of the manor. He had originally intended to see what kind of commotion was outside, but when his eyes landed on Lin Zhiyue, his steps visibly faltered.

He recognized her—she was the accompanying disciple of Tiance Palace from the banquet a few nights ago. At the time, he had assumed she was just an ordinary disciple who had tagged along.

But now, with her long dress shimmering like moonlight, the pure white spirit deer overflowing with spiritual energy by her side, and the dignified bearing of the two companions behind her, she looked nothing like an ordinary disciple.

Minister Su stood at the entrance for half a breath before coming forward to greet them. When he spoke, his tone was already far more respectful than before. “So it is the fairy of Tiance Palace who has graced us with her presence. Forgive this old man for not welcoming you sooner. Does the fairy have some important matter in coming to my Su Manor? Please, quickly come inside the inner hall to have some tea.”

Lin Zhiyue nodded slightly. Without saying much, she rested her hand on Honghong's back as she crossed the threshold, stepping into the main gates of the Su Manor with a composed stride.

Cen Xi'er and Xiao Yuan followed half a step behind her, one on each side. Xiao Yuan's face was calm while Cen Xi'er's expression was indifferent. Their positioning naturally drew Minister Su's gaze away from Lin Zhiyue.

Minister Su followed behind, wiping away sweat the entire way. Having heard the commotion, Madam Su had already rushed from the backyard to the entrance of the main hall. When she saw Lin Zhiyue enter, her eyes swept back and forth across her clothing and the spirit deer at her feet. A fleeting trace of tension flashed in her expression, but it was quickly masked by a smile.

After they entered the main hall and sat down, a maidservant served tea.

Lin Zhiyue picked up her teacup, using the lid to gently brush aside the floating tea leaves. She was in no hurry to drink. When she set the teacup back on the table, her movement wasn't heavy, yet the crisp clink sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet main hall.

She raised her eyes to look at Minister Su, her voice steady. “Minister Su, I have not come today for any other matter. A few days ago, when I passed by the eastern side of your esteemed manor, I sensed an unusual, sinister yin aura.

“As a disciple of Tiance Palace and an honored guest invited to the capital by His Majesty, I felt it necessary to pay a visit and inform you. I fear there is an unclean entity lingering within the Minister's manor.”

Minister Su's hand holding his teacup tightened slightly. The tea sloshed against the rim of the cup before stabilizing.

Beside him, Madam Su was about to pour more tea for Lin Zhiyue. Hearing these words, the spout of her teapot tilted, splashing a few drops of tea onto the table. She hastily set down the teapot and wiped it with her sleeve, her movements noticeably more flustered than before.

Lin Zhiyue took in these details, her face remaining unchanged.

The smile on Minister Su's face almost crumbled, and his voice tightened slightly. “The fairy must have mistaken it, right? The Minister's manor has always been clean and peaceful. How could there be any sinister yin entities...”

To the side, Cen Xi'er and Xiao Yuan secretly exchanged a glance—Junior Sister truly predicted things like a god. This Minister Su indeed had a problem.

Lin Zhiyue knit her brows slightly, appearing somewhat displeased. She picked up her teacup and set it down again, making a slightly heavier clink than before.

When she spoke, her tone was a fraction colder than before. “Is Minister Su doubting my judgment? I am naturally sensitive to impure things. Since I have said there is an anomaly in your manor, I am not speaking without basis. His Majesty is already aware of this matter as well. I have come here on imperial orders, not making an uninvited intrusion without reason.”

Minister Su's expression shifted several times.

He glanced at Madam Su beside him, then at the two calm-faced disciples behind Lin Zhiyue, and finally let his gaze fall back on Lin Zhiyue's cold, solemn face.

He remained silent for a moment, raising his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, his voice somewhat dry. “The fairy must be joking. How could this old man dare to question your abilities? But this old man's manor has never had any mishaps for over thirty years... How could this be...”

Lin Zhiyue didn't reply immediately. She raised her eyes to look at Minister Su, her gaze not heavy but unyielding. “Minister Su, whether there have been any mishaps, you should know better than anyone else in your heart.”

After saying this, she fell silent, resting her fingers gently on the rim of her cup without pressing him further.

The main hall was so quiet that one could hear the faint rustle of Madam Su's clothes from her nervousness, as well as the barely perceptible swallowing sound from Minister Su's throat moving up and down.

Honghong crouched quietly at her feet, its pure white fur shimmering with a soft luster under the sunlight filtering through the window lattice.