Chapitre 11: Can an Official Capture Ghosts?
The next day, news spread from the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion that the second young master had fallen critically ill and passed away.
Upon learning the truth, Chu Shuo sighed deeply.
He rarely had a stern looking on face and now it was clouded with concern.
“Marquis Zhenbei only had two sons. It seems someone wants to uproot the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion,” he remarked.
Nanli was organizing yellow paper talismans and a hint of surprise flickered in her eyes.
“Second brother, it seems you are not only good at spending money, but your mind is also quite sharp at times,” she commented.
Chu Shuo smirked, “A sharp mind is always needed in business. Don’t underestimate me.”
“If you have such suspicions, we should inform Heir Xie and Marquis Zhenbei and let them be prepared,” Nanli suggested.
“Rest assured, Beihan is as clever as I am,” Chu Shuo replied unconcernedly.
Now that the cat was out of the bag, that person wouldn’t employ sinister tactics in the short term.
However, Chu Shuo wondered who it was that Marquis Zhenbei had offended. And that individual hated him so much that desired to see the Marquis bereft of heirs.
Chu Shuo returned to his own courtyard to review the account books, while Nanli began drawing talismans.
Drawing talismans required concentration, as different symbols had different effects, and the cultivator’s level of cultivation would also affect the efficacy of the talismans. After an hour, tiny beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
As she wiped away the sweat, Madam Shen entered with a tray of refreshments. “Li’er, come and have some refreshments. Now that you’re back home, there’s no need to tire yourself out,” she said, her eyes glistening with moisture.
Her daughter had suffered a lot at the Xu family and had to run around constantly after arriving at Xuanyue Temple.
“Mother, I’m not tired,” Nanli replied, cleaning her hands and sitting down with Madam Shen.
The refreshments handmade by Shen were delicious and Nanli quickly devoured several pieces.
Madam Shen watched her daughter eat to her heart’s content, feeling satisfied.
“You’re still the same as before, always fond of date cakes,” she remarked.
Among the pastries on the plate, Nanli had eaten the most date cakes.
Nanli paused for a moment and asked, “Did I love eating them when I was young?”
Shen nodded, smiling. “Yes, when you were young, you don't like eating regular meals and would always clamor for date cakes.”
The memories of Nanli's childhood were already quite hazy, so she didn’t dwell on it. However, she noticed that Shen’s face looked somewhat tired, with dark circles under her eyes.
She couldn’t help but ask, “Mother, have you been experiencing headaches and ringing in your ears lately? Do you have trouble sleeping at night?”
Shen was taken aback. “Yes, how did you know?”
“By looking at your complexion,” Nanli replied and reached out to feel Shen’s pulse. “Mother, you have accumulated years of pent-up emotions, and your energy and blood are not flowing smoothly. You must have been worried about me these years.”
Shen nodded and her eyes turning red. “Yes, whenever I thought of you, I couldn’t sleep the whole night. Even now, I sometimes fear that this is just a dream.”
Nanli held Shen’s hand, letting her feel the warmth of her palm. “It’s not a dream, Mother. Your daughter has truly returned. Let me refine some pills to help alleviate your emotional blockage. Take them everyday and you will soon feel better.”
Madam Shen felt that the heavens had been kind to her. Not only had she found her daughter, but her daughter was also so considerate.
To buy medicinal ingredients, they went to Madam Qian’s medicine shop.
Nanli wanted to ask Chu Shuo for company, but he seemed preoccupied and said, “You should let Biddy Zhang lead the way. Chunxi Tower was smashed up and I need to go and check it out.”
Chunxi Tower was also belonged to Madam Qian. As one of the top five taverns in the capital, it was incredibly profitable and such accident would result in significant losses.
Nanli thought it was some ordinary conflicts or arguments which was quite common for poplular taverns like Chunxi Tower. So she didn’t pay much attention.
The Old Biddy Zhang led her to Qian’s medicine shop to purchase the medicinal ingredients. But soon they found that it was closed as well.
Being Madam Qian’s maid, Zhang was acquainted with the shopkeeper. After inquiring, they learned that the shop had also encountered trouble.
“Miss, someone came in the middle of the night and poured water all over the shop. The medicinal ingredients are soaked and cannot be sold. Shall we go to another shop?” Zhang suggested.
“Chunxi Tower was attacked, and now this shop has been soaked. Could it be the same group of people who did it?” Nanli wondered aloud.
Furrowing her brows, Zhang sighed, “Madam has already reported it to the authorities, but even if they catch the culprits, the losses will be severe.”
Nanli lifted the curtain of the carriage and glanced inside. Faint ghostly energy emanated from the medicine shop.
She smiled faintly, “The authorities may be adept at catching criminals, but I doubt they are skilled in capturing ghosts.”
“Huh?” Old Biddy Zhang shivered. “Are there ghosts haunting the place?”
“Yes, let’s go to Chunxi Tower and have a look,” Nanli decided to confirm her suspect.
Upon hearing the instructions the coachman drove the carriage and headed towards Chunxi Tower.
The Old Biddy Zhang looked at Nanli, who appeared young and wore a light green silk dress. Her hair was still tied up with a wooden hairpin, and she carried a small cloth bag. She didn’t look like a wealthy young lady at all.
In this moment, she truly resembled a ghost-catching celestial master.
“Miss, can you really catch ghosts?” Zhang asked cautiously.
Nanli modestly replied, “I have some knowledge in that area.”
Upon hearing this, the old woman couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease.
After all, Miss Nanli is too young, and how could she possibly contend with evil spirits if she were to encounter them?
They soon arrived at Chunxi Tower.
As soon as she entered the tavern, she felt a chilling aura.
Tables, chairs, bowls, and cups were smashed to pieces, leaving a chaotic mess on the floor.
It wasn’t just on the first floor; the same things happened on the second and third floors as well.
To renovate and purchase new furniture and utensils alone would cost tens of thousands of taels. Not to mention the other shops that also suffered heavy losses.
Madam Qian’s eyes turned red with tears, urging the officials to find the culprits.
The leading official, named Chen, said, “The ones who vandalized the shops must be skilled in Qinggong. They entered through the window on the third floor, which was left open.” (Notes: Qinggong is a technique in Chinese martial arts that is visually reminiscent of parkour.)
There were no signs of forced entry on the windows of the second floor or the front door on the first floor.
“No, they floated in,” Nanli retorted.
The three of them were taken aback. Floated? How could they float?
It was Chu Shuo who first realized what she meant and asked, “Are you saying it’s haunted?”
“Exactly,” Nanli nodded solemnly.
Chen, the head constable, chuckled while clutching the handle of his knife at his waist.
“Haunted? Where did this little charlatan come from, daring to obstruct our investigation here!”
Chu Shuo immediately stepped in to protect her, saying, “Constable Chen, this is my younger sister. She is not some charlatan, but the renowned… Master Chu of Xuanyue Temple!”
Chen paused for a moment.
If it weren’t for the fact that she was the young miss of the Marquis Mansion, he would have mocked them for having water in their brains.
How could a little girl be qualified to be called a master?
He said to Madam Qian, “We will do our best to investigate this case. Madam Qian, please take them back home.”
Nanli stared directly at him and said, “No matter how much you investigate, it will be in vain. But I can lead you to the real culprit.”
Chen, suppressing his anger, coldly replied, “Miss Nanli, you should go home and embroider flowers and play the zither, instead of spouting nonsense.”
With that, he turned and left.
“Since it’s a ghost causing trouble, what should we do?” Chen didn’t believe it, but Madam Qian believed it wholeheartedly.
“Don’t worry, I can also catch ghosts,” Nanli pondered for a moment. “You should make a detailed list. Tonight, once I find who's behind this, I will make him compensate you.”
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone