Ch12 – The price

Translator: Abo Dammen

Jing Liansheng’s reaction was faster than any mortal’s. With one hand, he swiftly grabbed Bai Qing and pulled him sharply aside, avoiding the collapsing Young Master Chen. 

Young Master Chen, thus deprived of support, fell directly to the ground, landing painfully. However, the fear in his eyes at this moment far outweighed the physical pain. He sat rigidly on the ground, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on the fallen corpse.

Bai Qing, on the other hand, reacted quickly. Realizing Jing Liansheng had pulled him, he promptly let himself stumble towards Jing Liansheng. “Ah, I’m so weak—”

Jing Liansheng remained just as quick to react, stepping aside half a second before Bai Qing could fall, resulting in Bai Qing joining Young Master Chen on the ground. Young Master Chen and Bai Qing fell one after the other before the mall entrance, while Jing Liansheng calmly and elegantly opened the large black umbrella.

Just as Bai Qing was about to complain about his sore bottom, he suddenly felt a yin-cool shade envelop his head. 

He looked up to see Jing Liansheng standing beside him, the black umbrella in his hand perfectly shielding him from the harsh sun.

Bai Qing was instantly happy, satisfied. His bottom didn’t hurt anymore, and he felt energized all over.

Young Master Chen’s face was deathly pale, as if he might faint at any moment. His lips trembled, only managing to squeeze out broken fragments. “This… this…”

Bai Qing stood up and peered forward. 

The midday sun poured down in great sheets, enveloping the body that had fallen from the high-rise in a golden glow, yet mercilessly illuminating the twisted, familiar face in the pool of blood. Bai Qing was astonished. “It’s… Tong Yiwen!”

Tong Yiwen, Jiang Shuizhi’s husband.

Bai Qing had met him before, even sharing two meals with him.

Recalling Young Master Chen’s words that everyone who married into the Jiang family met an unnatural end, Bai Qing’s heart tightened. He turned to look at Jing Liansheng, thinking inwardly, ‘Dead ghost, it seems your great-grandson might be a real piece of work!’ 

Jing Liansheng also realized this, a shadow gathering between his brows.

The Jing family was holding another funeral.

Jing Liansheng, naturally, was absent, not appearing anywhere outside the west wing of the Jing residence.

The other Jing family members, deeply believing the premise that “the Eldest Young Master cannot meet relatives until he is married,” raised no objections. 

Bai Qing, however, as the future eldest young mistress, attended the mourning hall. The funeral was not a grand affair, attended only by family members.

Bai Qing had heard from Young Master Chen that those poor people who married into the Jing family and died unnatural deaths had neither grand weddings upon entry nor lavish funerals upon death. Both the red (wedding) and white (funeral) events were handled very discreetly, as if these sons- and daughters-in-law had never existed.

Thus, the ordinary citizens of Luocheng knew nothing of these incidents. Only the wealthy circles passed the stories around by word of mouth as after-dinner talk.

In the mourning hall, the old butler stood beside the portrait of the deceased, quietly watching Jing Shuizhi. Dressed entirely in plain white mourning clothes, her face haggard, tears silently slid from the corners of her eyes, dripping onto the thick stack of paper money in her hands. Flames flickered, and paper ashes flew about. 

Jing Er, Jing San, and Jing Si also wailed in grief.

And Ying Zhili stood in a corner of the mourning hall, wearing a neat old-style long gown, calmly and intently arranging various items, like a dutiful staff member maintaining an aloof distance from the surrounding sorrowful atmosphere.

Bai Qing walked over to Ying Zhili’s side. Sensing his approach, Ying Zhili smiled. “Nephew, you’ve come.”

“Is there anything I can help with?” Bai Qing reached out, skillfully adjusting the position of some incense and candles. 

Having worked for his Shifu for ten years, Bai Qing was adept at handling tasks in a mourning hall.

Ying Zhili smiled. “You are the eldest young mistress. There’s no need to do such menial work.”

“I’m not quite yet.” Bai Qing chuckled softly. “I heard that everyone who marries into the Jing family meets an unnatural end. I didn’t pay it much mind before, but now it seems it might be true?”

Hearing this, Ying Zhili answered without changing expressions. “Nephew, you transcend life and death. No need to worry about this.” 

Bai Qing raised an eyebrow. “So, you have heard about this matter?”

Ying Zhili smiled without speaking.

Bai Qing knew he wouldn’t get any useful information from Ying Zhili. So, while pretending to focus on helping, he pricked up his ears to listen to the hubbub in the mourning hall.

He heard Jing San say in a low voice, “Wuwu… Mr. Tong has been here for about five years… I originally thought the previous ones were all accidents, he should be safe… but how… how could he end up like them too?” 

Upon hearing this, Jing San’s face instantly stiffened. He pressed his lips tightly together, a flash of helpless struggle in his eyes, eventually only murmuring, “But… These are all accidents… No one could predict them, no one could stop them.”

Jing Er, head bowed, muttered nearby, “Could it be… that we, like the Eldest Young Master, have fate-illness, harming our kin?”

Listening to these young masters and ladies whispering, Bai Qing understood. These young people know nothing.

But then again, they probably grew up in the Jing family and have been brainwashed. That night when Jing Liansheng’s soul returned, the situation was so bizarre, they instinctively felt fear, yet were easily brushed off by Jing Shuizhi’s casual explanations. 

These elegant young men and women were like carefully pruned branches and leaves; no matter how beautiful and lush, they had merely grown into the shape desired by the gardener.

Jing Shuizhi collapsed in the mourning hall, weeping as if her heart would break, as if she had truly lost her most beloved man. Jing Er, Jing San, and Jing Si anxiously comforted her, urging her not to grieve excessively.

Jing Shuizhi wiped her tears with a handkerchief, saying, “Could it be… our fate is truly bad? Wuwu… wuwu…”

Bai Qing was utterly speechless. Is your fate bad? You get promoted, get rich, and your husband dies? 

Watching Jing Shuizhi cry until she nearly fainted, Ying Zhili’s face showed appropriately concerned sympathy. “No one wanted something like this to happen, Family Head. You must take care of your health, don’t grieve too much.”

As he spoke, he turned to look at the old butler.

The old butler nodded understandingly, walked to Jing Shuizhi’s side, and gently advised, “Family Head, you’ve been keeping vigil here for a long time. Please go rest for a while. Your health is important.”

Jing Shuizhi shook her head tearfully, her voice trembling. “No, no, I want to stay with him…” 

Jing Er, Jing San, and Jing Si also urged Jing Shuizhi to rest. It took about two or three minutes of persuasion before Jing Shuizhi was willing to put down the paper money and leave the mourning hall reluctantly.

Watching this scene, Bai Qing was dumbfounded. What kind of act is this? Mourning Hall Grand Stage, coming here just to perform?

And the audience for this grand stage…

Bai Qing’s gaze fell upon Ying Zhili…. My Shibo is clearly watching with great relish. 

Receiving Bai Qing’s gaze, Ying Zhili smiled slightly and leisurely approached, asking in a low voice, “What is it, Nephew?”

Bai Qing coughed, controlled his expression, and asked quietly, “Shibo, these sinister matters… they couldn’t be related to you, could they?”

“Nephew, choose your words carefully!” Ying Zhili replied. “I am a cultivator. I never get involved in the karma of others.”

Bai Qing: Oh, I see. So you’re just here for human observation, right? 

He completely understood why Jing Liansheng had used that tone to describe Ying Zhili’s “unsavory hobby.”

Ying Zhili really looked like he was just short of cracking sunflower seeds while enjoying the show.

Bai Qing was truly speechless. Other things aside! But now… now someone has died!

Someone died! 

He used to think his Shifu was utterly unscrupulous, but compared to his Shibo, Shifu was an innocent little white flower.

Ying Zhili, as if seeing through Bai Qing’s thoughts, smiled slightly and said, “Speaking of which, you’ve been drawn into the conflicts of the Jing residence, yet Xiao Ze still refuses to set foot inside. This sufficiently proves that he and I uphold the same principle.”

Bai Qing thought privately. Xiao Ze… refers to my Shifu?

That wasn’t wrong. Shifu never wanted to get involved in these matters. After learning the Jing family had problems, he kept his distance, unwilling to inquire further. However, Bai Qing didn’t feel this could be lumped together. He always felt Ying Zhili was a far more cunning character. 

Bai Qing couldn’t help but retort, “Is that so? But Shifu, at the very least, wouldn’t casually hand over a secret manual like The Canon of Yin-Yang Rites to an ordinary person.”

Hearing Bai Qing mention The Canon, Ying Zhili smiled composedly. “Madam Jing was thirsty for knowledge. I merely complied with her wishes, opening a door to knowledge for her.”

Hearing this, Bai Qing’s heart confirmed: So, you really were the one who gave her the book.

Bai Qing clenched his fist, wanting to say more, but Ying Zhili seemed to sense something and looked up. He then said to Bai Qing, “The Eldest Young Master has returned. Shouldn’t you go accompany him?” 

Bai Qing was taken aback. He knows Jing Liansheng went out? And can sense his return?

Early this morning, Bai Qing and Jing Liansheng had agreed to split up.

Bai Qing would come to the mourning hall to sound things out, while Jing Liansheng would go out to investigate. Now that Jing Liansheng was back, he must have gained some findings. Bai Qing glanced at Ying Zhili, smiled, and said, “Then I’ll head back first, Shibo.”

Ying Zhili nodded. “Go ahead.” 

Bai Qing walked westward through the central courtyard of the Jing residence. As he crossed the waterside corridor, his steps halted. He saw that the originally mirror-smooth water surface had, at some unknown time, quietly sprouted fresh green shoots, revealing curled initial leaves.

Bai Qing’s heart shook. Could it be… the sprouting of the legendary millennium-old lotus?

However, he had no time to ponder further and quickly quickened his pace towards the west wing.

Arriving at the west wing door, Bai Qing pushed it open and saw Jing Liansheng already sitting in the round-backed armchair, eyes closed, seemingly deep in thought. Hearing the sound of the door turning, Jing Liansheng slightly opened his eyes, revealing their red hue. 

Bai Qing went straight to the point. “Did you find something?”

Jing Liansheng’s expression was inscrutable. “The Jing family descendants are quite… accomplished.”

Bai Qing detected the coldness in Jing Liansheng’s tone and asked, “Could it really be Jing Shuizhi who…”

Jing Liansheng said coldly, “The ancient lotus’s blessing lasts for one hundred years.” 

This statement seemed abrupt at first, but Bai Qing instantly recalled what Ying Zhili had said. “With careful cultivation, this ancient lotus blooms once every hundred years. And when it flowers, it can fulfill one wish for the cultivator. It is said the Jing family has been prosperous for a hundred years precisely because the Jing family’s old patriarch once successfully made a wish upon this ancient lotus.”

Bai Qing also remembered Young Master Chen saying the Jing family was incredibly successful, making money in everything they did…

“The Jing family’s century of prosperity was granted by the ancient lotus?” Bai Qing asked.

“Yes. It was the wish they made to the ancient lotus one hundred years ago,” Jing Liansheng responded. “They wished for the Jing family to be the richest in the city for the next hundred years, enjoying endless wealth and luxury.” 

Bai Qing’s ears keenly caught the word “they.”

He recalled what Ying Zhili had previously said—”the Jing family’s old patriarch once successfully made a wish”…

Bai Qing looked intently at Jing Liansheng, a new speculation forming in his mind: Could it be that Ying Zhili gave wrong information? Jing Liansheng never made this wish; the wisher was someone else… Or perhaps, the ‘old patriarch’ Ying Zhili mentioned wasn’t Jing Liansheng?

Come to think of it, although Jing Liansheng was the Jing family’s eldest young master a hundred years ago, that doesn’t mean he was the only young master, right? 

In fact, any young master from that generation could, with the passage of time, be respectfully referred to by descendants as ‘old patriarch.’

This thought was like a clear stream, suddenly clarifying Bai Qing’s previously confused state of mind. He realized he might have been stuck in a certain mindset, overlooking this obvious possibility.

Jing Liansheng didn’t notice the turmoil in Bai Qing’s heart and continued slowly, “However, making a wish… always comes with a price.”

“What is the price?” Bai Qing immediately asked.