Strong Winds Return Home

Tong Ou said: “Yu Manor has behaved too cleanly and innocently these years. It stands to reason that this sort of big, local family should be the first target of the Baifu Sect, so we have not relaxed our attitude toward the Yu Cong father and son, but nothing has been discovered, and it seems that no cult disciples have come to lobby the Yu family.”

Liu Xian’an understood what he meant. There was nothing wrong with being clean and innocent, but that would have to be the cleanliness after the Baifu Sect failed to win them over, not like now. It was obviously a fat sheep, but the cult seemed to ignore it entirely.

Liang Shu asked: “So you haven’t found any flaws in them?”

“None existed at first,” Tong Ou said, “but then I found Uncle Wan and heard from him that Master Yu had donated the coffin and hired a wizard to urge an early burial. I felt that this was unreasonable, and reported it to the commander again. A new round of investigations was launched toward the Yu family, and this time we finally found a secret account, which revealed a little bit of the relationship between the Yu family and the Baifu Sect.”

“Only a little bit?”

Tong Ou was ashamed when asked: “Yes, only a little bit, not enough to be used as evidence.”

This time, it was also because of the story of the haunting and Wan Yuan’s tomb being struck by lightning that Tong Ou led his troops here ahead of schedule. Otherwise, according to the original plan, the “bait” and spies that lured in the Yu father and son would have to search for evidence for several more months.

But then “Wan Yuan” crawled out of the grave. When Tong Ou heard about it, he was in a daze, and even thought a little extravagantly. Perhaps his lover from back then was not dead, just persecuted so that she had nowhere to go, so she feigned death and fled to another place. According to her character, she would definitely come back for revenge, which was why the “haunting” was causing trouble all over the city.

“But as soon as I came, I saw that skeleton.” He looked forward to a miracle all the way, but didn’t receive it. Tong Ou said in a hoarse voice, “I killed her.”

“It was the murderer who killed her,” Liu Xian’an corrected. “Commander Tong has investigated the cult for more than ten years, so he naturally knows that they are either extremely self-interested and clever people, or extremely ignorant devotees. When the latter is manipulated by the former, the only ones who suffer are the normal people who only want to live in peace.” Wan-guniang, for example, and the girls who disappeared mysteriously and couldn’t crawl out of their graves, along with thousands of others.

Tong Ou hesitated: “I really don’t understand. Who would pretend to be a ghost and cause this mess?”

Liang Shu said: “That depends on what the other party’s purpose is.”

“Purpose, ah.” Liu Xian’an analyzed, “There used to be a Many-Color Festival in Huaizhen City, but because of the haunting, it has not been held so far. Could it be that the purpose of the ghost is to prevent this Many-Color Festival?”

Liang Shu sent someone down to inquire, and after a while, a guard went upstairs to report that the Many-Color Festival was really proposed by the Yu family. The purpose was to drive away illness. That Old Master Yu was not in good health recently, and hadn’t played shuttlecock on the streets for a long time.

Liu Xian’an turned and asked, can the Many-Color Festival also drive away evil spirits?

Tong Ou was a native of the Southwest. He explained that a Many-Color Festival could be big or small. As long as someone in a village or town proposed it, and was willing to set up the wine and banquet, then even if it was just to celebrate their good mood, they could also have a party.

“So perhaps the ghost doesn’t want Master Yu to successfully exorcize a demon.” Liu Xian’an stood by the table. “Could it be that Yu Cong’s enemy wants to curse him to die quickly, so they created this farce?”

There were many absurd reasons, because of course there were indeed all kinds of people in the world, but the evidence must be found before it could be counted. Liang Shu asked Tong Ou to return to the government office first, and Liu Xian’an asked: “What is your plan?”

Liang Shu originally wanted to say that first, people would be ordered to Yu Manor to investigate, but when the words came to his lips, he changed them calmly and said: “I’ll go to Yu Manor first tonight.”

“The prince intends to go in person?”

“Yes.”

Liu Xian’an made an affirmative sound and walked slowly down the street with him. After walking for a while, Liang Shu asked, “Do you want to go?”

Liu Xian’an didn’t have to think about it. I want to.

“Then let’s go together tonight.”

“Okay, ah.”

The question-and-answer was smooth and natural, as if Yu Manor was a famous tourist attraction that foreigners must visit when they come.

There were a few more shops on both of the streets than there were yesterday. Everyone still had to make a living. Liu Xian’an didn’t wake up until noon today, and hadn’t eaten anything after waking up. At this time, he was surrounded by the aroma of cooking and frying, and his stomach growled immediately. Liang Shu bought him a piece of sweet and salty pastry on the side of the street: “Save some room, and we’ll go eat at Bi Yinglou later.”

Bi Yinglou was the largest restaurant in the city, and had not been open for a few days. Liu Xian’an held the pastry in his hand and took two bites, then didn’t eat the rest. Liang Shu naturally took it from his hand and ate two or three bites himself.

Liu Xian’an looked at his big hand holding the pastry and couldn’t help but think of that dream this morning.

Although His Royal Highness Xiao Wang often ran to his Three Thousand Worlds without saying hello, and didn’t wear clothing eight out of ten times, he soaked in the hot springs in order to wash away the bloody slaughter and exhaustion from his body. It was not ambiguous, but even a little desolate and tragic.

But to touch him unclothed clearly had nothing to do with war. Liu Xian’an was engrossed in his thoughts. Even though he had already lived forty-eight thousand years, there was a strange realm that he had never experienced before, and he seemed to be floating amongst a thousand waves.

After surfing for a while, Liu Xian’an exhaled a bit and turned his head to glance at Liang Shu.

Liang Shu was still holding the last bite of pastry in his hand, and when he noticed his gaze, he asked, “Do you want to eat it?”

Liu Xian’an replied: “No.”

Liang Shu said: “You resent me.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You just resent me.”

Liu Xian’an was so quarreled with that he had no choice but to open his mouth and eat the pastry, wanting some peace and quiet. But Liang Shu looked at his soft, moist lips and thought of something else. It was often said in poems and books that a beautiful woman’s lips were like red clouds and her face was like snow. Liang Shu had thought at first, white and red, this is like a ghost, what is good about it? In the end, he realized that he had never seen the world before. They looked really good together, like snow and cherry blossoms. The ancients were sincere and did not deceive him.

Liu Xian’an asked: “What is the prince looking at?”

Liang Shu reached out and used his thumb to wipe off some pastry crumbs from his face.

There was a thin callous on his thumb. Liu Xian’an had already experienced such a rough yet tender touch in his dreams. He didn’t say a word, and continued to walk and think, why did he dream of the prince? Although anyone seemed to be able to, this was rather too much.

Liang Shu asked: “Are you thinking about Yu Manor?”

Liu Xian’an replied: “I’m thinking about my dream.”

“A dream again.” Liang Shu put his arm around his shoulders. “What did those old white-bearded men surrounding you say now?”

Liu Xian’an answered silently, they weren’t surrounding me, this time I ignored them.

As the two walked close together, the aroma of sandalwood naturally became stronger. Liu Xian’an thought, if this continues, I will probably have another dream tonight. The doctor knew that too many of this sort of dream would hurt his health, so he dodged a little to the side, only a step away. But for His Royal Highness Xiao Wang, who was just beginning to fall in love and wished he could spend twelve hours with his sweetheart, this step was comparable to stepping from the royal city to the Northwest. He retracted his hand with dissatisfaction and injury: “Speak, why are you ignoring me?”

Liu Xian’an said “Wu.” Don’t want to talk about it, I’m lazy.

And Liang Shu loved his laziness very much. When he saw him, he wanted to tease him and poke at him, so that even if the Sleeping Immortal was very capable, he couldn’t continue to float on the clouds anymore. Liu Xian’an had no choice but to pull his thoughts back and sigh. This was too different from His Royal Highness Xiao Wang in the dream, he had best continue to sleep.

Liang Shu asked again: “Why are you sighing?”

Liu Xian’an covered his ears with his hands.

Liang Shu smiled and hugged him, admitting defeat: “Okay, okay, I won’t say anything.”

Liu Xian’an thought: He is a little like the one in the dream.

The two had a meal together, and both thought that this sort of time alone at sunset was splendid, so they didn’t mention the case or the Yu family father and son. The waiter who served the food recognized them and whispered while they paid the bill: “The two of you are going to Yu Manor after dinner, right?”

The content of the question, the pinched off breath, and the atmosphere created by the two was clearly related to the haunting. Liu Xian’an looked at him sideways, and Liang Shu also set down the teacup in his hand: “Yu Manor?”

“Yes, ah, aren’t you two here to catch the ghost?” The waiter swiftly settled the accounts. “The wizard invited by Master Yu has also arrived, why don’t you all sit together and discuss it?”

Liu Xian’an said: “No, we will do it alone.”

“Do it alone, ah? Doing it alone is good, talented people can do it alone.” 

The waiter was good at talking, so Liang Shu gave him some extra money. “I hear that the wizard is also very powerful?”

“Yes, subduing demons and praying for rain, he is very effective,” the waiter said. “I heard that the ceremony is scheduled to be in three days.”

The news had spread all over the city, and everyone was discussing it. When the time came, they would go see it together. Even A-Ning had heard about it. After his young master came back, he said to him: “It is more lively than an opera, and you must bring a bench to get a seat in the front row. This time, there is no fear of ghosts.”

“All the people of the city will be gathered together, and the so-called ‘very powerful’ wizard residing in town will naturally be bold.” 

Liu Xian’an set the bundle in his hand on the table, and A-Ning asked, “What is this?”

“Clothes, a gift from the prince.”

“The prince has started to send clothes to the young master again?” A-Ning didn’t think it was strange, since there was a quilt in the front and a pillow in the back, but Liu Xian’an explained, “They are disguising clothes. I am going to visit Yu Manor with the prince tonight.”

A-Ning was puzzled: “Young Master doesn’t know martial arts.”

“It’s fine, I’ve made a night visit before.”

“That time in Chixia City, the young master went to investigate the plague since he’s a doctor, but there is no plague in Yu Manor.”

“Then I will still go.”

Liu Xian’an picked up his night clothes, went behind the screen, and changed by himself. The guards of Xiao Wang Palace all had night clothes, so Gao Lin had found this suitable new set for him. 

A-Ning sighed deeply and belatedly helped him. Of course, the night clothes wouldn’t be very good-looking, but Second Young Master Liu would look good in a sack. His whole person was covered in black, but he was even more white. A-Ning squeezed a few times and felt that the clothes were too thin, so he took another cloak out of the cabinet and brainwashed his family’s young master, saying, “This is also a gift from the prince, and happens to match the night clothes.”

Liu Xian’an commented: “Unless all the guards in Yu Manor are suffering from an eye disease, it will be difficult for them not to see it.”

“They won’t.” A-Ning tried to forcefully wrap him up. “The prince is so capable, even if the young master goes there with a set of drums and firecrackers, no one will notice. Does the young master not believe in the prince’s abilities?”

Liu Xian’an was so wrapped up that it was difficult to breathe, and thought, I believe in them too much.