Chương 8: Two Parts
Once they were out of the Book Pavilion, Song Huo locked the door with a key.
She remembered that this Book Pavilion cannot be accessed by anyone without the Clan head's permission.
"I've made duplicates of the key for you, your uncle and your father so you can enter whenever you wish to. But since you're walking around here under the guise of your uncle's junior, don't use your own key. Enter this place with your uncle so no one would suspect. The door can be locked inside so once you go in, you can lock the door behind you. Also, at the back of the mountain is a small house where you can stay while you cultivate. Your maidservant, Lu Ping, would go with you." Her grandfather instructed. No wonder he is revered in the Empire. He has thought of everything.
"Grandpa, I can take care of myself though." She tried to reason out. She still needs to investigate her changes.
"Child, I would feel more assured that you have someone with you to arrange your necessities. She can cook for you, and help you with other things too. Anyway, like I said, she has already taken an oath to not bring you harm and to be loyal to you. If she would break her oath, her soul would pay a price."
She heaved a sigh. "Okay. I'll listen to you then. Thank you, grandpa."
Chuckling, he patted her head affectionately. "Go ahead and get some rest. Ah.. You can't use your own courtyard at the moment. Lu Ping has already prepared a courtyard for you."
She massaged her nape, easing the tension.
"Come. I'll take you. I'll see you later, father." Song Huo left with Song Jia walking behind him.
General Song Qing looked at the backs of his second son and first son's daughter. He was grateful to have Song Huo who cares for Song Jia like his own. Especially now that Song Xia is still unconscious. They had to watch their backs even when they're in their own residence.
He glanced at the Book Pavilion and thought of how they constantly reminded everyone in the clan not to enter it without permission. Although everyone was curious as to what was inside, they didn't dare disobey and be punished for it. What if it's only a bunch of old books inside? Are they willing to be punished just because of a bunch of books?
The underground chambers were built almost a hundred years ago and since the death of General Song Jia, and the book pavilion built on top of it, the people have long forgotten its existence. Except for the Clan Head and his main family, nobody would be able to know about it. Even if they would by chance find a way to enter the Book Pavilion, they could only look in that area alone. They wouldn't be able to go underground.
Song Qing strode towards his own courtyard. On his way there, he saw Song Yimu and Huang Dan from a distance. The two looked to be in conversation and didn't even notice that somebody was looking at them.
He wondered why Huang Dan seemed to favor Song Yimu more than Song Jia. Both girls are supposed to be her daughters as neither one of them came from her own womb. She should have treated them equally. When he found out that the highest suspect as the mastermind of the ambush was Huang Dan, he wondered what she would gain from it.
He went ahead to his room before the two people noticed him.
"Zi Ping." A second later, a man in black robes appeared before him.
"Master." Zi Ping kneeled with one leg and bowed respectfully.
"Investigate Huang Dan's relationship with Song Yimu. I want to know why I could see that she has preferential treatment with her."
"Understood, Master."
"That's all." He waved his hand in dismissal. Zi Ping disappeared a second later.
As Song Qing was taking a seat, he saw the letter, saying the 5th Prince Ding Wu had decided to cancel their engagement. He saw this a few days ago and days after that, the residence received an edict saying that Song Yimu would now be engaged with the 5th Prince.
If this happened before Song Jia went to get tested in Tranquility Conservatory, he would have gone to the Emperor to seek justice for him and his granddaughter. But when he heard what happened prior to the ambush that the 5th prince humiliated Song Jia in front of so many students, he was angered. The news of Song Jia being dead isn't even cold and already Ding Wu has attached himself to Song Yimu, Song Jia's adoptive sister of all people.
He had no idea if Song Jia had any feelings with her former fiance. But because of this turn of events, he only wants her to forget about him. Such a person is not deserving of his granddaughter, even if he is a prince.
Meanwhile, at the courtyard where 'Shi Jin' was to stay, Lu Ping had already drawn a bath and prepared the garments 'Shi Jin' was still leaning against the wall, looking up at the setting sun. The sky was colored with hues of red, orange and yellow.
"Young Master, the bath is ready." Lu Ping bowed. She was only 2 years younger than her but was already well-trained by the Butler of Song Clan, Pan Tu.
'Shi Jin' nodded and went inside. She noticed a talisman glued against the wall. It was a Sound Isolation Talisman.
Noticing that the person's eyes glanced at the paper on the wall, Lu Ping explained. "It was Master Song Huo who placed it there."
"I see…" She muttered, walking towards a room where a bathtub was. Lu Ping was about to assist her when she stopped her from doing so. "Ah.. I can manage by myself. I'll call for you when I'm done."
Lu Ping only frowned slightly but didn't insist. She withdrew from the room as Song Jia began to take off her clothes, hanging it up.
Sighing, she missed the things she had back when she was living as Cynthia Dorsey.
Entering the bathtub, she was thankful that it was at least warm.
'Ah.. this feels like being at a camp where technology is not allowed. Now that the souls from my two lives have merged, it would take some adjusting. As Jia, this would be called normal. As Cynthia, this is quite backwards. I had a heater and a shower head in my bathroom. I had my shampoo, conditioner, body wash, my sponge..'
She saw the soap on the side of the tub, smelled it and was about to tear up. She remembered her body wash and other hygiene products. Just days before she died, she replenished her stock in the house. So she still had a full bottle of body wash, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, mouth wash, deodorant spray and perfume among others. She even bought a few packages of toothbrushes and bath sponges.
These are all things that were ordinary to her when she was still living as Cynthia. Now, if these things were to appear here, it would be like treasures.
Sighing, she could only imagine those things that were in her bathroom. If she could take those out and bring it here. What a waste of money to not be able to use it before she died. 'Damn that Ronan Underwood! He better be dead from their own bombs!'
'Plop! Plop! Plop! Plop!'
Suddenly her hygiene products appeared and dropped inside the bathtub one by one. She was shocked to see it appear and thankfully was able to catch the package of toothbrushes and deodorant spray before it got wet inside the bathtub.
"WHAT?????? No… Seriously?! HAHAHAHA" She laughed heartily as she exclaimed in surprise.
"Miss? Are you okay?" Lu Ping asked outside of the room. She was preparing her mistress's bed when she heard her laugh.
Song Jia gasped and slapped her mouth. 'She didn't hear what I said, right?'
"Ah. I'm okay." She steadied her voice when she spoke, trying not to alert her further. Earlier, she accidentally spoke in English. It would be tricky to explain if someone would hear her speak it. As Jia, she hasn't met any caucasian who spoke this language. But as Cynthia, be it English or other languages, she was quite proficient as she needed it to be able to infiltrate anywhere.
When the parts of her soul merged, it was only like a missing piece of herself was finally found. She has both memories and feels the emotions within. She understood that once she died in the world where Cynthia Dorsey lived, it only meant that a chapter has ended and another has begun. The Song Jia that her family knew was only a dormant version of her. Her soul was sealed within and was broken when she was heavily injured by the assassin. That part of her was already faint and was about to disappear when it met up with the part of the soul that was once in Cynthia Dorsey.
Perhaps, if the identity as Cynthia Dorsey or Luna was not created and she has lived her normal life as Selah Spencer, this change would have been really confusing. It could be said that it was a blessing in disguise that she was thrust into a world where she had to learn everything there is to survive. She contemplated many times about the possibility of the afterlife, of a multiverse, and other theories. She may have been confused for a moment before but once her parts of soul combined, she was able to understand it. After all, she was the so-called genius assassin before, Luna.
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