Revealing Her Cards

Uncle Shui stood at the doorway, silently watching the father and daughter speak inside. His eyes had long since filled with tears.

He knew that the skinned woman who had hidden in that wooden jar for ten years was Xie Zhengtang's first child—and Xie An's full-blooded elder sister, Xie Yu!

Inside the room, father and daughter murmured to each other.

The woman in the jar listened intently as Xie Zhengtang finished his account. At last, she sobbed. "Mother was still holding my hand before she died, telling me to take good care of my little brother. Why did Father not tell me sooner...?"

Xie Zhengtang had already burst into tears. "Yu'er has suffered far too many grievances these years. How could Father bear to trouble you further?"

"I only have this one brother. If anything were to happen to him, how could I explain myself to Mother when I met her in the underworld...? Father, wait outside. Once I put on a new skin, I will come out."

"Yu'er..."

"Father, do not look at Yu'er. It will frighten people."

Xie Zhengtang trembled as he walked out of the room. Leaning against a wooden pillar beneath the eaves, he covered his face and wept.

Uncle Shui went over to console him. "Master, do not grieve too deeply. Mingxi still needs you."

Xie Zhengtang sobbed through his tears. "If not for that single wrong thought of mine, Yu'er would not have been skinned alive, nor would those damned people have used that Beast-Making Art on her, forcing her to hide in that pitch-black jar... Those beasts from Returning Dragon Abbey!!"

Uncle Shui said, "Master, take care of your health. We still have a chance!"

Creak!

Before long, the door was pushed open.

Xie Yu emerged, dressed in a black cloak with its hood drawn over her head.

The pungent odor of the wooden jar was gone from her body. She had a face now, with powder applied to it, and looked like a valiant jianghu woman of twenty-five or twenty-six.

Uncle Shui cupped his hands. "Eldest Miss."

Xie Yu returned the salute. "Uncle Shui."

"Father." Xie Yu instinctively wanted to reach out and take Xie Zhengtang's arm, but when she recalled her condition inside the jar, she withdrew her hand.

Xie Zhengtang saw it and took the initiative to grasp Xie Yu's hand. Xie Yu stepped back.

Xie Zhengtang could only give up. "Did Yu'er notice anything?"

Xie Yu said, "Li Family Village has over seventy households, no more than three hundred people altogether. Even if the grain official slaughtered the village, it should not have bred an evil presence capable of entering dreams to kill. Most likely, someone is making mischief behind the scenes."

Uncle Shui was greatly startled. "Can Eldest Miss be certain?"

Xie Yu raised her head to gaze at the rain curtain stretching across the heavens. "In my early years, I studied methods for dealing with evil presences at Returning Dragon Abbey, one of the three great sects of the inner city. I naturally know something about demons and evil spirits. But this is only my guess. We will need to visit the Zhao Residence before reaching a conclusion."

Uncle Shui gestured ahead. "The carriage is ready at the shrine entrance. Eldest Miss, please."

The group left the Xie family's White Goddess Shrine, boarded the carriage, and swayed their way toward the Zhao Residence.

Xie Yu seemed deeply concerned for her younger brother Xie An, questioning Uncle Shui about Xie An's recent affairs all along the way.

Uncle Shui told her everything about Xie An's past, then could not help sighing. "When Mingxi first told me he wanted to practice martial arts, I did not take it seriously. I gave him the Taishan Fist... intending to let him retreat when faced with difficulties. Yet in just one month, Mingxi reached Full Muscle-Tendon Tempering and mastered the Taishan Fist. I just heard from the guard Li Dao that Mingxi opened all four hundred and eighty-five great tendons throughout his body. He truly is a martial arts genius rarely seen in a hundred years."

Xie Zhengtang was greatly comforted by this. "This boy has finally learned to work hard. If his mother knew in the underworld, she would smile in peace."

Tears already welled in Xie Yu's eyes. "My little brother has finally become promising. His elder sister waited ten years for this day! Uncle Shui, have the driver turn toward the Xie Residence. Since my brother is material worth molding, I want to bring him into this matter."

Xie Zhengtang nodded. "Mingxi should also know that he has an elder sister. It would be good for you two to meet."

But Xie Yu shook her head. "Father, I do not have many days left. There is no need for my brother to know my identity, lest he be saddened when I leave."

Xie Zhengtang was shocked. "How can that be...? He is your full-blooded younger brother, born of the same mother."

Xie Yu's expression was resolute. "Precisely because he is my only little brother, because the same blood flows through us, I do not want him to be sad."

Xie Zhengtang still hesitated. "But..."

Xie Yu had long prepared her explanation. "Father can say that I am a wandering Daoist nun from the jianghu whom you hired at great expense, specifically to teach my brother martial arts. My brother can endure hardship and has great talent. During the few days I have left, I can teach him everything I learned from the three great sects. When I finally let go and depart, he will have a few more means to protect himself. Then, when I meet Mother in the underworld, I will have an answer for her as well."

After a pause, Xie Yu added, "As for tonight's matter at the Zhao Residence, I want to take my brother through it from beginning to end. Let it serve as his first lesson."

Xie Zhengtang covered his face and wept.

Unable to bear listening any longer, Uncle Shui turned his head away. Tears swirled in his eyes as he gritted his teeth and shouted to the driver outside, "Change course for the Xie Residence."

West Courtyard, Xie Residence.

Xie An returned to the reception hall in his courtyard and sat in the seat of honor, drinking tea in gloomy silence.

Chen Mo and Li Dao stood listlessly in the middle of the hall. From time to time, they turned to look at Xie An, their eyes full of alarm and worry.

The two of them roughly knew that Zhao Hu had died because he had gone to Li Family Village.

Zhao Hu was already dead.

Then what about Xie An, who had gone to Li Family Village with Zhao Hu?

Xie An, meanwhile, worried about when that nightmare would advance onto him...

Before long, hurried footsteps sounded outside.

Uncle Shui and his father entered through the ornamental gate, followed by a tall woman wrapped from head to toe in a black cloak.

Xie An immediately went out to greet them. "Father, Uncle Shui!"

Xie Zhengtang nodded and examined Xie An. "I just heard from Uncle Shui about the Zhao Residence. Mingxi, do not panic. Father has invited an expert from the jianghu... This is a wandering Daoist nun who has come here from elsewhere."

Xie An knew that female Daoists in Great Qian all wore yellow crowns. Ordinary women did not wear crowns; only female Daoists did, hence the name female-crowned Daoist.

Female Daoists were also called Kun Dao, corresponding to the Qian Dao of male Daoists.

A female Daoist personally invited by both his father and Uncle Shui was surely no ordinary person.

Xie Yu looked at Xie An with kindly tenderness all over her face. "This poor Daoist's religious name is Yusu. Young Master Mingxi may simply call this poor Daoist Yusu."

Xie An immediately cupped his hands. "Mingxi greets Daoist Master Yusu."

Xie Yu gazed at her younger brother for a long while, her eyes shimmering with tears. "This poor Daoist has known your esteemed father for many years. Young Master Mingxi need not be so formal. This poor Daoist has come tonight to settle matters for the Xie Residence. I need Young Master Mingxi to accompany this poor Daoist to the Zhao Residence once more and explain what happened. Does Young Master Mingxi have the courage?"

Xie An did not trust this female Daoist, but he trusted his father and Uncle Shui. Seeing them both nod, Xie An agreed. "I will lead the way for Daoist Master Yusu at once."