Ink Stains on White Paper Reveal the Human Heart

A thunderclap out of nowhere!

Chen Cuo had been concentrating on his recollections with bated breath. The sound startled him so badly that his brush dropped onto the paper. Ink seeped across it, forming a sinister outline, but as the stain spread, the shape quickly vanished.

He drew a deep breath. Without bothering to tidy the desk, he got up and pushed open the window. Lamps were coming on outside. Above them stretched a clear, star-filled sky without a cloud in sight.

"Strange. Where did that thunder come from?"

As Chen Cuo puzzled over it, Cui Ju's voice sounded outside the door. "My lord, supper is ready. Would you like to eat?"

Her voice was as clear and pleasant as ever, but it sounded entirely different to Chen Cuo now.

"I have important business," he said. "No one is to disturb me. I'll eat later."

Outside, Cui Ju hesitated. She wondered whether she should press him to show her attentiveness and keep him from truly holding a grudge. Before she could speak, Chen Cuo called out again.

"Did you hear thunder just now?"

Cui Ju paused, then shook her head. "I didn't." She looked up at the sky. "There won't be a storm tonight, either."

No thunder?

Chen Cuo stood stunned inside the room. He touched his forehead, wondering if he had overtaxed his mind, or if concentrating so hard on recitation in the Dream Marsh had left him dazed and hearing things.

He had been too anxious to notice before. Now, looking himself over, he realized that not only was his forehead covered in cold sweat, but his clothes were soaked through at the back.

He could not tell whether recalling so much had exhausted him or the sudden fright had done it.

He was about to ask Cui Ju to bring him fresh clothes when he remembered her conduct. After a moment's thought, he said, "You may leave. Didn't I tell you not to come over without my permission?"

Cui Ju's heart sank further. She wanted to say something, but feared making matters worse. She could only acknowledge the order and turn away, hoping to make amends once his anger had passed. Regret and unease consumed her, leaving her oblivious to her surroundings.

As she left, a chilly gust swept past. Cui Ju shuddered, cold all over, as if she had plunged into an ice cellar. Startled, she came to her senses and looked around. Everything seemed normal, and the cold had gone. She dismissed it as her imagination, glanced back at the room resentfully, then walked away.

Inside, Chen Cuo decided to write while his thoughts were clear and his memory fresh.

"Five days isn't much time. Choosing what to write and recalling it has already taken until nightfall. I can't afford any more delays."

With that, he returned to the desk and lit a lamp. He picked up his brush, glanced at the ink stain, and shook his head. Setting that sheet aside, he spread out a fresh one and began to write.

Scratch, scratch, scratch...

The room was silent except for the brush moving across the white paper.

Whoosh...

A cool breeze suddenly blew in. The candle flame flickered, twisting Chen Cuo's shadow on the wall.

"..."

Meanwhile, at Prince of Nankang's Residence.

"Hmm?"

Zhou Youzi, who had been sitting in meditation, frowned and opened his eyes. He touched his chest, then took out a talisman. After running a fingertip across it, he tossed it into the air and made a quick calculation with his fingers. The talisman swiftly crumpled into a ball, fell beside the bed, and rolled a few times.

Zhou Youzi studied it and nodded to himself.

"Something has happened, just as I thought! Master gave me the Heart-Guarding Diagram not only to protect my mind and Divine Soul, but also to sense good and ill fortune. This residence belongs to the imperial clan and is protected by the fortune of the Underworld Dragon Court. For it to be affected, the matter must involve someone connected to Prince of Nankang's Residence."

As he spoke, he formed a hand seal, took out another piece of Talisman Paper, and pressed it against his chest.

The Talisman Paper's edges immediately blackened, sending up thin curls of smoke. Brow furrowed, he lifted it for a closer look.

"The Heart-Guarding Diagram burned the edges of the talisman to produce smoke? Does that foretell someone laying the foundations for Incense offerings? This is the Southern Dynasty's capital. Whoever is establishing a path so openly must have something to rely on. Has the Reincarnated Immortal partly awakened, seized the body under cover of night, and begun casting spells to restore his cultivation?"

A thought struck Zhou Youzi. He recalled the many Buddhist Temples he had passed on his way here and felt he understood.

"Of course. Since Emperor Wu of Liang, Jiankang has been full of Buddhist Temples. Perhaps a powerful figure from one of them intends to establish a Buddha Land at the heart of the Southern Dynasty for cultivation. The master of this residence may have burned incense there and received protection. That would explain the connection."

Zhou Youzi glanced out the window, growing more certain of his conclusion.

"There's no sign of anything unusual in the city. Even if that isn't precisely what happened, it can't be far off. Better not invite further trouble. The proper course is to escort the Reincarnated Immortal to the sect as soon as possible..."

The next day, before dawn had fully broken, Chen Cuo summoned the residence's servants. He had them copy his freshly completed chapter of The Painted Skin into more than a dozen copies. Once he had checked them against the original, he sent the servants to distribute them among Jiankang's teahouses and taverns.

Though he had stayed at home for a month, he had not cut himself off from the outside world. He knew how writing spread and became popular in Jiankang City.

"The Painted Skin?"

Chen Hai, the steward of the marquis's residence, took a copy and gave it a cursory glance. With a disdainful grin, he said, "He thinks he can take the capital by storm with his writing? It's not that simple. Does my lord really think any piece can become popular? Or that teahouses and taverns have nothing better to do all day than wait for an aristocratic clan's son to bring them something to read?"

Hearing his tone, someone nearby approached and asked, "Steward, what should we do? Should we report this to the old madam?"

"No need. We gave my lord our word. How could we go back on it when he gives us an order?" Chen Hai shook his head, looking ready to enjoy the spectacle. "Just do as he says. We needn't do anything more. My lord will soon learn that the world isn't as simple as he thinks. Perhaps the lesson will make him a little more sensible."

He was still speaking when another servant came to ask for instructions.

"Head Steward, my lord has told us to take the writing to taverns and teahouses for distribution. He said to ask you to authorize some money from the storeroom for refreshments and to smooth things over at each establishment..."

Chen Hai froze, then asked in surprise, "He thought of that? He knows to use money to open doors?"

The servant asked, "What should I tell him?"

"We serve the household; we don't own it. How could we forbid my lord from spending money?" Chen Hai shook his head. "I'll write you a note. Go and draw the funds. As long as the sum isn't large, there's no need to report it to the prince's residence."

All money and goods passing through the residence went through Chen Hai, which was why the servant had come to him. Given his earlier verbal agreement with Chen Cuo, he could hardly refuse. He had no choice but to comply.

What surprised him even more was that Chen Cuo used the money not only to smooth things over at the teahouses and taverns, but also to reward the servants and maids.

The young marquis rose considerably in the household staff's estimation. Within half a day, praise for him could already be heard in private.

"How strange. My lord used to look down on everyone. He was kind enough to his friends, but he barely gave us servants the time of day, except for Cui Ju. What brought about this sudden change? He reprimanded us a few days ago and rewarded us today. There's almost a sense of fair rewards and punishments to it, of using both kindness and authority. And then there's this piece..."

His surprise finally prompted Chen Hai to read The Painted Skin carefully.

As steward, he had not needed to deliver the copies himself, but coordinating everyone had still taken effort. Only now did he have a little free time.

"The men who delivered it said that several taverns and teahouses were reluctant to arrange a storytelling performance within the day, even after receiving the money. But once their performers read it, they all praised it and immediately began rehearsing. Two or three teahouses are already telling the story. Could it really be that good?"

With that thought, Chen Hai unfolded the pages to see what was so special about them.

Once he started reading, he could not take his eyes off the words.

At first, he read casually, but his attention soon sharpened. Within moments, his breathing quickened. Gradually, the features of his gaunt face drew together in an expression of dread. At last, he let out a long breath and slowly came back to himself.

When he put the pages down, he was startled to find cold sweat on his back.

"I lost myself in it without realizing. First I was curious, then the plot drew me in. I couldn't explain what makes it good, but the story is masterful. No wonder the performers were so eager! But could my lord really have written this? Did he truly write it? And out of nowhere..."

His thoughts stopped short, and his face suddenly went pale.

He had remembered the evil ghost in the story, which wore a painted skin to lure and harm people. Not long ago, the marquis had accused Chen Hai and the others to their faces of concealing Evil Thought beneath an appearance of friendliness.

"This..."

Cold sweat streamed down Chen Hai's face.

"Could we have inspired my lord to write this as a veiled attack? The story is so good it's bound to spread throughout Jiankang. If people discover what inspired it, what will become of us? The whole city will know we're wicked servants! Even the prince's residence might not dare protect us!"

The more he considered the consequences, the more panicked he became. He looked at the pages again, thoughts tangling in his head. Perhaps it was only his anxiety playing tricks on him, but the words seemed to lift from the paper and rush straight at his face!

"Ah!"

He cried out, dropped the pages, and stumbled back three or four steps. Only then did he calm himself enough to look again. The words lay still on the paper.

"Phew..."

Trembling, Chen Hai picked up the pages. He gulped down air, his clothes soaked with sweat. Once he had steadied himself a little, he frantically searched for a solution. He considered reporting the matter to the prince's residence, but feared its mistress might investigate. For a time, he could not decide what to do.

"I'll wait and see. Perhaps the story won't catch on. Please, don't let it catch on..."