Chapter 29: Partridge Sky (Part 4)
Ni Su had dealt with medicine women in Que County and heard stories of those who caused deaths and fled. She knew that poor women in the countryside usually consulted familiar midwives or those recommended by relatives, not strangers.
“Did the Yin Ye Si release everyone?” she asked, peering towards the alley entrance.
“Miss, are you buying anything?” the old vegetable vendor asked, puzzled. She was holding a bunch of bok choy but staring blankly ahead, seemingly talking to herself.
Ni Su, watching the Yin Ye Si officers emerge from the alley, turned to the vendor, her face flushing slightly. She was about to put down the bok choy when she heard a voice beside her. “Ni Su, don’t put it back.”
She paused, meeting the young man’s gaze.
“I’ll make soup for you,” he said, his figure faint as mist in the sunlight.
Ni Su obediently placed the bok choy in her basket.
“What did you hear?” she asked as they walked away.
She had chosen this stall specifically because it was close to the alley, allowing Xu Zi Ling to observe the Yin Ye Si officers without being noticed.
But she was still worried, constantly glancing at him. “Are you sure you’re not in pain?”
“No,” Xu He Xue said, noticing the curious stares of passersby. “Ni Su, stop looking at me.”
“If you appeared with me openly, they wouldn’t stare,” she whispered. “Like at Jin Xiang Shi’s house. I can give you a veiled hat.”
Xu He Xue didn’t reply. Even at the Xie Chun Pavilion and on the boat, he hadn’t fully materialized.
“A-Zhou’s neighbors have been released. Chao Yi Song said they didn’t recognize the medicine woman A-Zhou’s mother consulted, but A-Zhou’s father said she seemed close to the midwife who delivered A-Zhou,” Xu He Xue answered her earlier question.
“So they’re looking for the midwife?”
“She died a few days ago,” Xu He Xue said, walking beside her. “They examined her body. She died of illness, not foul play.”
How could they find the medicine woman now? Ni Su frowned, then noticed Xu He Xue stop. She stopped too and looked up at him.
“If you’re not afraid,” he said, his pale lips pressed together, “we can go to the midwife’s house tonight. The Yin Ye Si has finished their examination. Her family might hold the funeral tonight.”
“Just visiting her house? Why would I be afraid?” Ni Su asked, confused.
“Because we might have to open the coffin,” Xu He Xue explained. “The recently deceased retain some soul fire. If I see her soul fire, I…”
“Don’t use your powers,” Ni Su interrupted.
Xu He Xue blinked, seeing her serious expression. After a moment, he said, “I won’t.”
“When a person dies, their remaining soul fire seeks out their loved ones, just like when I met you outside Da Zhong Temple,” Ni Su remembered the incident in the cypress grove.
He had been carrying her brother’s soul fire, which had manifested upon seeing her.
“This beast bead can absorb soul fire. It will be enough,” he said, opening his hand to reveal the carved bead.
Because the Yin Ye Si had taken the midwife’s body for examination, the funeral banquet was held tonight. Afterwards, her son and daughter-in-law would take her body outside the city for burial.
“Aren’t the city gates closed at night?” a neighbor asked the daughter-in-law, Pang Shi, at the banquet table. “How can you hold the funeral at night?”
Because the midwife, Yang Po, had been implicated in a murder case, the city guards were on high alert, and her portrait was posted everywhere.
“If we don’t hold the funeral soon, what about my mother-in-law? She can’t wait in the coffin any longer,” Pang Shi said, her face pale with grief. “We were supposed to hold the funeral a few days ago, but the Yin Ye Si officials were kind enough to allow us to proceed after their examination.”
“I hear the Yin Ye Si is a terrifying place. Did you see anything inside?” an old man asked curiously.
“No…” Pang Shi shook her head. “They only asked us a few questions and released us.”
“I heard the Yin Ye Si officials are busy with a case. They probably didn’t have time to question you thoroughly. It’s good that you were released,” the old man continued. “It’s all that wicked Yang Po’s fault. If she hadn’t caused trouble, you wouldn’t have to go through this.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Pang Shi’s expression changed at the mention of “Yang Po.” She forced a smile and turned away to greet a young woman who had just arrived.
The woman wore a simple double bun, her clothes plain and unadorned. She held a lantern and peered inside.
Pang Shi, not recognizing her, approached her. “Who are you looking for, Miss?”
“I heard about Granny Qian’s passing and wanted to pay my respects,” the woman replied.
“Who are you?” Pang Shi asked, scrutinizing her.
“Granny Qian helped deliver many babies in Yun Jing. It’s not surprising that you don’t know me. My mother said that if it weren’t for Granny Qian, she and I might not have survived. My mother is unwell and unable to come, so she asked me to offer incense for Granny Qian.”
Pang Shi, not being a midwife, didn’t know how many people her mother-in-law had helped. She didn’t suspect anything and welcomed the young woman inside. “Since you’re here, join us for the banquet.”
A black coffin lay in the simple main hall, an oil lamp burning on the altar. Ni Su, following Pang Shi, sighed in relief.
Pang Shi lit an incense stick and handed it to her. Ni Su bowed before the altar and placed the incense in the burner.
“Come, sit here, Miss,” Pang Shi led her to an empty table. Ni Su sat down, ignoring the curious stares, and placed her lantern beside her.
“There are too many people now. We’ll have to wait until the banquet ends to open the coffin,” Xu He Xue said, sitting beside her on the bench.
“Then what should I do now…?” Ni Su whispered, the conversations around them making it difficult to be heard.
“Eat,” Xu He Xue said.
Ni Su had eaten pastries before coming, but it would be strange not to eat anything now.
“Are the Yin Ye Si officers still following me?” she asked softly, picking up her chopsticks.
“Yes, but it’s alright,” Xu He Xue said, looking around. “If you stay here, they won’t disturb you.”
“Where are you from, Miss?” a woman sitting beside Ni Su suddenly asked, leaning closer.
“The south of the city,” Ni Su replied, startled.
“Oh,” the woman smiled, then whispered to another woman, “She’s so pretty…”
The woman, loud and overly familiar, turned back to Ni Su. “Which part of the south? Are you betrothed yet? If not, I know…”
“I am,” Ni Su interrupted quickly.
“Oh?” the woman was taken aback. “Already?”
Ni Su nodded and, to avoid further questions, focused on her food.
Music and chatter filled the courtyard.
Ni Su shielded her face with her sleeve and turned slightly, meeting Xu He Xue’s gaze. Sitting on the same bench, surrounded by light, only the candle between them was reflected in his eyes.
Ni Su mouthed three words.
“Lying to her,” Xu He Xue’s eyelashes fluttered. He understood.
Ni Su hadn’t realized he could read her lips. Meeting his gaze, she suddenly turned away, took a bite of food without removing the peppercorn, and her tongue went numb.
She grimaced and quickly took a sip of tea.
Xu He Xue watched her shadow on the ground. As she moved, her shadow moved too. But then, he saw his own shadow.
A formless, white light, so different from hers.
With so many people present, Ni Su and Xu He Xue couldn’t open the coffin. The banquet soon ended, and the guests helped Pang Shi and her husband carry the coffin outside for the funeral procession.
Ni Su followed, knowing she couldn’t leave the city. She didn’t want Xu He Xue to harm himself further. Just as she was wondering what to do, Xu He Xue turned to mist, then reappeared before the coffin.
He held the lantern, making him invisible to others.
He examined the men carrying the coffin, his gaze lingering on the black lacquer surface. He reached down and felt the bottom of the coffin.
Air holes.
Ni Su, following the procession, was suddenly pulled into a side alley.
“Miss Ni,” a voice said.
Even in the dim light, Ni Su recognized Commander Zhou Ting.
“Don’t go any further,” he said sternly.
Suddenly, screams and a loud thud came from outside. Zhou Ting drew his sword. “Stay here,” he said, then ran out.
Several black-clad figures dropped from the rooftops, clashing with Yin Ye Si officers in the alley. Ni Su, worried about Xu He Xue, peered out and saw a figure on the roof above.
The figure, unable to see her clearly and assuming she was with the Yin Ye Si, threw a dart.
The dart flew towards her.
Ni Su braced herself for the impact, but an arm wrapped around her waist, and a sword deflected the dart with a clang.
Xu He Xue, using the wall for leverage, leaped onto the roof.
The fight continued below, but the figure on the roof turned to flee. Seeing Zhou Ting notice him, Xu He Xue threw a piece of broken tile, hitting the figure’s leg.
The figure stumbled and fell, landing before Zhou Ting.
The Yin Ye Si officers immediately apprehended him.
Zhou Ting frowned, looking up at the moonlit rooftops. There was no one there.
“Of all places to hide, she chose a coffin, with a rotting corpse. That medicine woman really… ugh…” Chao Yi Song said, running over, retching. “Commander Zhou, you…”
He stopped mid-sentence, seeing Zhou Ting run towards the alley where Ni Su had been.
It was empty.
“Who was watching Ni Su?” Zhou Ting asked, his face grim, turning back.
“Uh…” Chao Yi Song looked around sheepishly. “Sir, we were all busy apprehending the suspect…”
Meanwhile, in someone’s courtyard, behind a wall…
Moonflowers, their blossoms varying shades of pink and white, bloomed luxuriantly in the moonlight.
Ni Su lay on the grass, realizing she was resting her head on someone’s arm.
The candle in the lantern had burned down and died. Fearing Zhou Ting would see them on the roof, Xu He Xue had quickly pulled her into this courtyard. But without the lantern light, he couldn’t see and had fallen with her.
He could smell the moonflowers and had instinctively shielded her.
“Ni Su?” he called softly, when she didn’t speak.
“Mmm,” she replied.
“Moonflowers have thorns,” Xu He Xue explained his embrace, about to help her up.
Ni Su looked up at the moonflower bush behind her. His arm had protected her from the thorns.
She suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
“They seem to be gone,” she said, no longer hearing any noise from outside.
She didn’t move, so Xu He Xue remained in the same position. As they shifted slightly, moonflower petals fell on their hair and clothes.
He didn’t seem to notice.
Ni Su, knowing his propriety wouldn’t allow him to remain like this, moved his hand and shifted away from the thorny bush.
His tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
“Can I watch the moon for a while before we go back?” Ni Su asked, resting her head on her arm and looking at his profile. “I’ll lead you back.”
Xu He Xue couldn’t see the moon.
But he could feel her gaze on his face.
His long fingers curled slightly.
His throat moved. “Alright.”
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