Hongfu looked coldly at the corpse on the ground. "The Red Plum White Jade Umbrella."
Cangshu Fenming also said, "Yes, we also saw that the Third Young Master died by the Red Plum White Jade Umbrella, and this is the magical artifact of Old Man Longsword."
But did that old geezer, Old Man Longsword, who was being hunted down, really still have the strength to slaughter the people of the Cangshu family?
Hongfu remained silent. Naturally, she couldn't say that she had already killed Old Man Longsword herself.
Cangshu Fenming raised his hand and waved it. His subordinates lit a stick of incense on the ground.
Hongfu asked, "What is this for?"
Cangshu Fenming replied, "Every time the members of the Cangshu family leave home, they must leave behind a drop of blood. If they die, this drop of blood will be made into Soul-Burning Incense. Using this trace of their remnant soul, it replays the scene right before their death, making it easier for us to track down the murderer."
Of course, ordinary disciples did not receive the treatment of having the Cangshu family avenge them. Only those with the noble bloodline of the Cangshu family enjoyed this privilege.
As the incense smoke curled upwards, a misty drizzle appeared in the surroundings. In the blink of an eye, the scene actually returned to the day of Cangshu Haoxue's death.
However, since it was just Soul-Burning Incense made from a single drop of blood, the images that emerged were somewhat fragmented.
"So what if the Eldest Young Master is known as a rare genius seen only once in a century? No one actually submits to him."
"And the Second Young Master, with his background... Tsk, there's no need to say more about that."
"The Fourth Young Master is still young, just a good-for-nothing."
"Only the Third Young Master is truly the one everyone looks up to."
Cangshu Haoxue laughed and said, "Once I take the position of the family head, the first thing I'll do is conquer Chiyan Peak and make Hongfu my bed-warming concubine."
The two maids flared up on the spot.
"Arrogant!"
"Shameless!"
A hint of coldness crept into Hongfu's eyes.
The next moment, someone shouted, "It's a trap!"
The Red Plum White Jade Umbrella suddenly appeared. The figure under the umbrella was blurry, but that touch of cyan clothing looked even more ethereal in the misty rain of the bamboo forest.
Hongfu's gaze shifted.
The Soul-Burning Incense burned out, and everything returned to normal.
Cangshu Fenming cupped his hands and apologized to Hongfu. "The Third Young Master used foul language, but now that he is dead, it is like a lamp being snuffed out. Please don't take offense, Fairy Hongfu."
Hongfu said coldly, "If he were still alive, even with Zhenyue Mountain City backing him, I would definitely rip out his tongue."
Cangshu Fenming didn't comment on that. Instead, he said, "That was indeed the Red Plum White Jade Umbrella, but was the person holding it definitely Old Man Longsword?"
Hongfu was displeased. "Are you questioning me?"
Cangshu Fenming lowered his head again and said respectfully, "The Third Young Master was brutally murdered right after speaking disrespectfully about you, Fairy. I merely thought that the person who struck couldn't bear to see you insulted with such words, and thus couldn't help but take action."
His words stirred Hongfu's emotions slightly, but since she was wearing a veil, others couldn't see any change in her expression.
Cangshu Fenming secretly observed Hongfu for a moment, then said, "I was just joking. You are as pure as ice and jade, Fairy. If anyone dared to disrespect you, I suppose bystanders wouldn't be able to stand it either. Not to mention, although Old Man Longsword betrayed the sect, he still shared a master-disciple bond with you in the past. Furthermore, the Third Young Master was hunting down Old Man Longsword, so it makes perfect sense for him to strike a lethal blow."
Hongfu did not reply.
Cangshu Fenming bowed again. "We still need to return and report back. We will take our leave now. Farewell."
The people of the Cangshu family collected the corpses from the ground. A short while later, they opened a scroll and vanished from the spot.
The two maids looked at each other in dismay.
"Fairy, did that old geezer Longsword really kill them?"
"No matter who killed them, they disrespected the Fairy, so they deserved to die."
The cyan-clad figure still floated before Hongfu's eyes, as if crossing two hundred years of time, overlapping with the figure who had grabbed her in the secret realm back then and pushed her into the formation.
Beneath her veil, she bit her lip slightly. A sour and scalding breath blocked her chest, striking her so hard that her very soul trembled.
If it weren't for him, her Dao heart wouldn't have been affected, giving rise to her inner demons.
She cast aside that inexplicable emotion in her heart and made up her mind.
If they were to meet again one day, she would either kill him, or die by his hands—aside from that, there was no third path.
"Godfather, you were right. Old Man Longsword escaping from Hongfu's hands was a setup from the start. Hongfu used this opportunity to kill many cultivators, absorbing their cultivation bases and seizing their magical artifacts. I guess it won't be long before Hongfu breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage."
"Although rumors outside say that those dead cultivators perished together with Old Man Longsword, many of the deceased were elite disciples from major sects. I'm afraid those sects won't let Hongfu off the hook in secret."
"This woman, Hongfu, really has tricks up her sleeve and a ruthless heart. I think this matter is far from over. You were right to take Godmother away."
If Cangshu Bai had stayed in that precarious, storm-tossed town, this fire would have eventually burned him. If Cangshu Bai were still the same Cangshu Bai from before, he wouldn't have feared the wind and rain, only believing in the principle that the bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish. But things were different now; he was a family man.
"Jinzhi, what are you thinking about?"
Cangshu Bai leaned against the carriage door, still holding the reins in his hands. Hearing this, he opened his black eyes. The girl's face was clearly reflected in his vision, adding a touch of bright and cheerful color to his dark eyes.
"I'm thinking that it might snow again soon, and the road will probably be hard to travel."
Mu Ran smiled and said, "I bought a map. There should be a town ahead. If the road is hard to travel, let's find a place to rest."
He nodded, then grasped the fur cloak draped over her, pulling the lapels tight so the cold wind wouldn't blow in. "Go stay inside the carriage. Don't come out and catch a chill in the wind."
But Mu Ran said, "You bought me such an expensive fur cloak, I'm not cold at all. I was bored sitting idle inside, so I wanted to come out to keep you company and talk to you."
She held his hand. "Jinzhi, your hands are so cold."
For the past five days, Cangshu Bai had been driving the carriage. With the cold wind blowing right in his face, she was afraid he would freeze, but he kept saying it was no problem. After a few more days of travel, they would arrive at his hometown.
Cangshu Bai lowered his eyes; his hand was currently being cupped by both of hers. He said, "They're not cold anymore."
Mu Ran tucked this hand of his under her fur cloak, then shifted both of her hands to cover the hand he was using to hold the reins, muttering, "Your hands are so beautiful, it would be awful if you got chilblains."
He said softly, "I won't."
"How do you know you won't?" Mu Ran reasoned logically. "Minor ailments appear right when you aren't paying attention. You're a doctor, how can you not understand this principle?"
He had a very good temper. "It is my foolishness."
Mu Ran slipped back into the carriage. A short while later, she popped out again with something in her hands. "Use this to warm your hands. Don't be reluctant to spend money; our family has quite a bit of savings now."
A hand warmer was stuffed into his hands. Unlike ordinary hand warmers, this one was exquisitely carved with a scene of little fish playing and frolicking in the water beneath lotus leaves. It was a small wooden sphere powered by spirit stones to emit warmth, displaying superb craftsmanship.
She was usually reluctant to use items that consumed spirit stones, yet now she had brought this out just to warm his hands.
Cangshu Bai asked, "Did you make this?"
Mu Ran nodded. "Yes, I made it."
He asked again, "Am I the only one who has one?"
Mu Ran chuckled. "Mhm, I only made this one. I didn't plan on having Boss Song sell it for me, so in the entire world, only Jinzhi has one."
Cangshu Bai traced his fingertips over the small, warmth-radiating object. It almost felt as if the carved lotus leaves upon it were gently swaying, and the little fish had come to life.
He said, "Ranran, I really like it."
