Flowers in the Mist, Tracking the Tiger's Trail

"Xiao Luo, go back to your room and rest. On the way, call Xiao Huan over for me. She and I will go to the county office together. The authorities won't ignore matters of demons and monsters." Chen Xuan grabbed Chen Luo's hand and spoke.

Chen Luo looked at Chen Xuan and sighed inwardly. His predecessor, Chen Luo, had been a complete man-child—ears deaf to the world outside, heart set solely on reading the sages' texts. Unfortunately, he had no talent. After over a decade of study, he had nothing to show for it, yet he still clung to the dream of sudden enlightenment and topping the imperial exams. In name, he was the head of the household, but in reality, he was a parasite. All family matters, big and small, were handled by Chen Xuan herself. So even though Chen Luo had now summoned Zhong Kui, Chen Xuan still instinctively saw the person before her as her useless younger brother and naturally wouldn't send him to report to the officials.

"Sister, let me go instead. You've had a long day too," Chen Luo replied. Chen Xuan was blind, and even with Xiao Huan accompanying her, Chen Luo felt uneasy.

"You've just woken up; your body isn't ready yet. Xiao Huan and I will go. Don't worry, I'll be fine!"

As Chen Xuan was speaking, a startled cry rang out: "Miss, your eyes... are your eyes blind?"

It was the maid Xiao Huan, who had fainted earlier, now awake and rushing over. Her eyes were fixed on Chen Xuan's pale pupils.

Chen Luo felt Chen Xuan's grip on his hand tighten!

Exposed, Chen Xuan quickly regained her composure. Since the signs of her blindness were so obvious, she stopped trying to deny it.

"I'm really not fit to show my face like this. Alright, Xiao Huan, go call Uncle Ping. Have him go to the county office with Xiao Luo." Chen Xuan gave orders while sending the sobbing Xiao Huan off. She said nothing about Chen Luo not having called her out earlier.

Chen Luo nodded. Uncle Ping's full name was Chen Ping, the steward of the Chen estate. It was said that Chen Luo's nominal father had saved his life, so he had joined the household—a rare loyal servant...

"Then it's settled." Chen Xuan quickly set the matter in stone and added, "Xiao Luo, Magistrate Cai loves fine tea. There's a cake of Tanzhou's 'Purple Dragon Gall' in the study. Take it when you go to the county office. Also, remember this: the gatekeeper at the county office is Advisor Li's nephew. Don't slight him, but don't be overly courteous either. Have Uncle Ping tip him one tael of silver. The person who comes out to guide you will most likely be Advisor Li himself. Tell him there's an antique from the previous dynasty and ask him to come appreciate it another day. Later, I'll have someone send that 'Jianhu Brush' to his private residence..."

Listening to Chen Xuan's detailed instructions, Chen Luo realized there was a whole art to reporting to officials. It wasn't that such formalities were strictly necessary—after all, the Great Xuan Dynasty's governance was still fairly clean—but Chen Xuan was eager to get the authorities to deal with the Tiger Demon and free the Chen estate from its life-or-death crisis. This "expedited handling" relied not on the officials' duty, but on their goodwill.

Chen Luo carefully memorized all of Chen Xuan's instructions. He helped her back to her private chamber, where Xiao Huan came to say that Uncle Ping was already waiting in the study. Chen Luo took his leave, told Xiao Huan to take good care of Chen Xuan, and turned to head for the study.

"Xiao Huan, do you think Xiao Luo has changed?" Chen Xuan asked after hearing Chen Luo leave. She vaguely sensed that Chen Luo was different from the arrogant, childish, somewhat distant brother he had been before. But this change carried a hint of closeness toward her, and a feeling of sudden maturity—she wasn't sure if it was good or bad.

"Change? Not fatter, not thinner, not taller, not shorter, not darker, not paler... no change at all!" Xiao Huan replied while tidying the bed.

"You're just heartless!" Chen Xuan scolded with a laugh.

"I think you're the heartless one, Miss. Your eyes are blind, and you're still worrying about Young Master Luo's affairs." Xiao Huan pouted, looking at Chen Xuan with a hint of grievance. Xiao Huan had grown up with Chen Xuan like a sister, and with only the two of them in the room, her words were less guarded.

Chen Xuan paused and sighed softly. Chen Luo only knew that the "Silver Needle Soul Crossing" was a forbidden technique of the "Thirteen Needles of the Heavenly Gate," which would cost one of the five senses. But he didn't know that Chen Xuan hadn't practiced the complete "Thirteen Needles of the Heavenly Gate"—using "Silver Needle Soul Crossing" would inevitably cost her sight.

From the moment she inserted the first silver needle into the acupoint, she had known the outcome. Yet she still did it. Though she hadn't killed the tamed ghost outright, she had stalled it until Zhong Kui appeared and destroyed it. So now, she wasn't too disheartened.

"The 'Soul-Stabilizing Jade' Xiao Luo mentioned was left by Daddy. It's not damaged, which means Xiao Luo couldn't have been possessed or soul-seized by some expert. He's still Xiao Luo. Daddy said that between life and death is the best time for enlightenment. Maybe, after this ordeal, Xiao Luo has finally woken up..." Chen Xuan thought to herself.

While Chen Xuan was rationalizing things, Chen Luo was undergoing another identity test in the study.

"Young Master once knocked out one of this old servant's teeth when you were young. Do you remember how old you were?"

"Six. But it wasn't me who knocked it out. You broke it falling while carrying me up Bowang Tower to protect me..."

"The first classic Young Master read was one this old servant brought. Do you remember what it was?"

"It was the Spring and Autumn Annals my father copied. But I couldn't read it, so I tore it up in a rage. You lied to Daddy and said a dog bit it..."

"This old servant has a lover outside. Do you remember who it is, Young Master?"

"Bullshit. Your lover is our cook, Aunt Ma. When I was little, I loved the sugar cakes Aunt Ma made. You used your position to bring her into the house as a cook. It's been fifteen or sixteen years, and you still haven't gotten into Aunt Ma's bed. I look down on you!"

"Ahem..." The old man before Chen Luo choked on his own spit, coughed twice, and looked Chen Luo up and down again with his cloudy old eyes. Suddenly, he let out a wail, lunged forward, and hugged Chen Luo tightly, his voice choked with tears: "Young Master, it really is you, Young Master... Heaven be praised, the master's blessing has brought you back from the dead... Young Master, this old servant has failed you..."

This old man was naturally Chen Ping, the steward of the Chen estate. Chen Luo had long recognized from the hoarse voice that this was the same man who had splashed him with black dog blood and ordered people to nail him with coffin nails. But now, seeing the old man sobbing so hard he could barely catch his breath, he had to calm him down first, lest the Chen estate suffer another tragedy.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Chen Ping finally caught his breath. Sniffling, he listened to Chen Luo recount the whole story of the tamed ghost's harm. He quickly wiped his tear-streaked face and said, "Miss is right. Let's report to the officials. Right now, all the household servants have been sent away by Miss. Only a dozen or so of our old tenant farmers are staying in the front courtyard. I'll go call a few strong ones to escort the Young Master to the county office."

"Uncle Ping, wait!" Chen Luo called out to Chen Ping. "If we go to the county office like this, they'll question us, and we won't know a thing. We'll just waste time. It's better we study this first and find a breakthrough."

"As they say, know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll never be defeated. This Tiger Demon used a tamed ghost to harm our Chen family. There must be some grudge or connection between it and us. Uncle Ping, you're an old hand in the Chen family. Think carefully—have we offended any Tiger Demon?"

Chen Ping paused, racking his brain. "Our Chen family has passed down farming and scholarship for generations. How could we have offended any demon? The late master loved to travel far and wide, but dealing with demons and monsters was someone else's role. It wouldn't have implicated the family. This Tiger Demon..."

Suddenly, Chen Ping seemed to remember something and slapped his thigh hard. "Could it be because of that matter..."

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