"Are you perhaps hiding your true strength, and 'Chun Se Man Yuan' is your family's establishment?"
This person was far more capable than he had imagined, and Xia Zeshi decided he needed to re-evaluate her.
"That doesn't seem right either."
Before Xie Jiang could speak, Xia Zeshi negated it himself, muttering, "Chun Se Man Yuan is said to have powerful backing, rumored to be connected to Cui Shan Sect. It's unlikely Cui Shan Sect is yours as well."
Cui Shan Sect, as it were, was a mysterious and powerful organization that almost no one, whether official or from martial sects, dared to provoke.
It was called mysterious because no one knew the location of Cui Shan Sect's headquarters. Theories abounded, with people claiming it was in various places.
But no one could be certain.
It was called powerful because anyone who dared to challenge Cui Shan Sect met a grim end.
In short, they were untouchable.
A young maid brought tea. Seeing Xie Jiang accept the cup, she blushed and scurried away happily.
Xia Zeshi took a sip of tea, his mood complicated. He had been in the backyard of Chun Se Man Yuan for so long, and no one had paid him any attention. He was just an afterthought.
"What if Cui Shan Sect is mine?" Xie Jiang said, circling the courtyard. Finding nothing more to add, she started to leave.
"Heh heh." Why didn't you say you could fly?
However, he had to admit that Xie Jiang was indeed remarkable.
Could it be that powerful figures like Xie Jiang naturally commanded reverence from everyone?
Otherwise, the people of Chun Se Man Yuan, acting like obedient little wives, made no sense.
But considering how Xu Hengyi acted like a subordinate in front of Xie Jiang, and how he himself had no princely demeanor in front of her...
The behavior of the people in Chun Se Man Yuan didn't seem so abrupt after all?
What was more bizarre than the people of Chun Se Man Yuan bowing to Xie Jiang was that the male escorts and laborers in Chun Se Man Yuan could actually write!
Regardless of whether the calligraphy was good or bad, being able to write was rare.
And they were willing to do such lowly work in Chun Se Man Yuan?!
Xia Zeshi's sleep-deprived eyes grew hazy.
Seeing Xie Jiang about to leave, Xia Zeshi pressed, "Where are you going?"
Xie Jiang, hands behind her back, replied as she walked, "To check on Yi Shan's situation."
Xia Zeshi asked curiously, "What did you send Yi Shan to do?"
Xu Hengyi hadn't followed, indicating he was under house arrest.
He and Xu Hengyi, he wondered who was in a worse predicament.
He was unloved by parents, but at least, to some extent, he was freer than Xu Hengyi.
"To have him find families who have lost children over the years, and to tell them the story of Wu Hongyun. Lu Baofang has such a good appetite; who knows if their children, like Wu Hongyun, became Lu Baofang's meals or ghosts in his belly."
"I have a feeling Lu Baofang is finished this time."
"Remove the 'feeling' and 'likely'."
"But Lu Baofang isn't finished yet, is he? After tomorrow, when scandalous news flies all over the capital, Lu Baofang will know it was you just by using his toes to think. You..." Xia Zeshi was more concerned about her safety.
Xie Jiang was indifferent. "When I left the Duke Wei's mansion, I was already being watched by Lu Baofang's men."
Xia Zeshi exclaimed, "Lu Baofang is going to make a move on you? Are you alright?"
He quickly examined Xie Jiang from head to toe, only to find her perfectly fine.
Then he looked around, as if he could see something, "And where are the people Lu Baofang sent?"
Xie Jiang said lightly, "They're probably... inside wild dogs by now."
Xia Zeshi was a little shocked. "You... killed them?"
It was hard to imagine what Xie Jiang, someone so favored by Nuwa, would look like when she killed.
"However, Lu Baofang clearly underestimated your strength this time. It's hard to say what he'll do when he's cornered after tomorrow. You must not let your guard down..."
"You haven't seen Lu Baofang. This, this, this beast. If you had seen him, you'd know. This beast is cunning, cruel, and troublesome... I've already arranged for two fast horses. If the situation turns bad, you must leave the capital immediately, board a ship from Tianxing, and head out to sea..."
...
Hundreds of thousands of flyers, like snowflakes, covered the capital inside and out overnight.
Elderly people who slept little and those who woke early to make a living, seeing the white paper with black characters plastered everywhere, all felt a jolt in their hearts.
Without portraits, they didn't look like wanted posters for great bandits. With only words, they wondered if war was coming or if taxes were to be raised.
Could it be that the Emperor was out of money for alchemy materials again?
Why didn't the immortal lords quickly take the Emperor to heaven?
However, those who couldn't read could only mutter a few words. Just as they walked out of the alley, someone rushed over, stuffed a flyer into their arms, and ran off.
"Hey, hey, what does this say?"
Along the way, they met several neighbors and found that everyone, like themselves, was holding paper filled with writing.
"Huh? You have one too? Was it forced into your hands?"
"None of us can read. Why would they stuff it to us? What does it say?"
"My eyelids have been twitching since this morning. Has something happened?"
Similar scenes unfolded in different places within and outside the city.
"Does the paper in your hand say the same thing as what's posted on the wall?"
"How could they be the same? The writing in my hand is neat, while the writing on the wall is bigger than my fist..."
"Old Jia Zhang, please come and see what this says!"
Finally catching sight of someone literate, a group of people rushed over, pushing him towards the wall where the flyers were posted.
No one dared to take down what was written, not knowing what it was. What if it was something deadly?
Old Jia Zhang, hands behind his back, cleared his throat, preparing to read it to the growing crowd as he usually did.
However, as soon as he saw the content, his expression gradually changed. Then, with a frown, he waved his hand at everyone.
"Disperse, disperse. Don't crowd around here. It has nothing to do with us..."
Old Jia Zhang's reaction made everyone even more curious. "Old Jia Zhang, tell us, what does it say?"
"It's all stuff that has nothing to do with us. It's probably a prank by some rich young master. Knowing too much will bring disaster."
Old Jia Zhang's wrinkled face was full of solemnity. He didn't go to his usual breakfast stall to eat. He went straight home with his hands behind his back and closed the door.
Those waiting for Old Jia Zhang's explanation were fidgeting.
Old Jia Zhang left too quickly.
What was it? Knowing it would bring disaster?
Cao family's breakfast stall, two streets away, was several times livelier than usual, all because Old Cao's son had some education.
The refined young man took the flyer and, after only two glances, exclaimed in surprise.
Inside and out, several layers of people were crowded around, busily asking, "What's wrong? What does it say?"
"A man-eating demon has appeared in the capital. To strengthen his body, he specifically eats young children..." The young man's face turned pale.
"Ah? This? Is it true?"
"Isn't it about raising taxes?"
"What does 'eats' mean?"
"Yes, what does it mean?"
Could it be what they were thinking?
But it sounded exactly like what they were thinking.
The tofu pudding in their hands no longer tasted good.
The young man continued to read, "It means they're cooked and made into dried meat. This says Lu Baofang has eaten several children to strengthen his body."
"The most recent victim was just a few days ago. A child named Wu Hongyun from Wu Family Alley, sold to the demon's mansion by her own father. They thought she was bought as a maid, but who knew..."