Xiao Xie

After telling the story, Zhao Fengnian added, "Brother, my current methods are mostly fighting and killing. When I encounter ghosts that don't harm people, I don't know how to deal with them."

"Now that you possess the Yin Fire, you might as well go and take a look. Cold is better than burning; perhaps you can keep the ghost there to question it and figure out where this part of the story is at."

Liu Jin closed his notebook and readily agreed, "We'll leave tonight." His quick agreement surprised Zhao Fengnian, who blinked in surprise.

But he quickly realized that although his elder brother said he was just going to see the practical effects of the Yin Fire, he was actually curious. After all, he had seen the story of waiting for an answer under a tree before.

As night fell, Liu Jin solidified the Taiyin gauze robe even further. A cold, silvery light slowly flowed across the surface of his robe, continuously absorbing the moonlight into the warp and weft of the gauze, making it appear from a distance as if it were covered with a very thin layer of frost.

The aura of Samadhi Fire was completely sealed inside, replaced by a cool, refreshing sensation that was not piercing.

He tried taking a few steps, his gauze robe fluttering gently with each step, leaving behind a few faint silver-white afterimages, giving him an air of ethereal elegance.

The two walked westward towards Jinhua City under the moonlight.

The Jiang residence was located in a quiet alley in the west of the city. The courtyard walls were high, and the vermilion gate was tightly closed, with a layer of green rust on the copper rings on the gate. The faint chirping of crickets and the rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind could be heard from inside the courtyard, making it look no different from any other abandoned old house.

But when Liu Jin stood in front of the door, the silver light of the Taiyin gauze robe increased slightly for a moment. It sensed the energy that was also of the Yin nature. Although it was weak, it was indeed present.

At the base of the wall, a few wild grasses that were almost dead condensed tiny frost flowers as the gauze dress fluttered by, and then slowly melted away after the dress passed by, repeating this process like silent breathing.

The two walked towards the west of Jinhua City under the moonlight. The Jiang residence was located in a quiet alley in the west of the city. The courtyard walls were high, and the vermilion gate was tightly closed, with a layer of green rust on the copper rings on the gate.

Zhao Fengnian stepped forward and pushed the door, but it didn't budge. He peeked through the crack in the door, but it was pitch black and he couldn't see anything.

He went around to the side of the courtyard wall, found an old locust tree against the wall, climbed up using both hands and feet, and waved to Liu Jin from the top of the wall.

Liu Jin did not climb the tree. He leaped lightly, his gauze robe leaving a silvery-white afterimage in the moonlight, and landed silently in the courtyard.

Zhao Fengnian also climbed down from the wall. When he landed, he slipped and almost stepped on a broken flowerpot at the base of the wall. He hurriedly steadied himself and gave Liu Jin an embarrassed smile.

The two walked through the overgrown front yard and made their way along the gravel path to the study, which was lit by candlelight.

The carved wooden window of the study was half-closed, and candlelight shone through the cracks, casting warm yellow stripes of light into the courtyard.

Liu Jin didn't push the door open; he simply stood by the window and peered through the crack. Zhao Fengnian squatted down beside him and also went to look.

In the study, a young scholar dressed in a faded blue shirt sat at his desk, holding a well-worn copy of the Book of Rites in his hand, muttering to himself.

He was in his early twenties, with delicate features and a scholarly air about him.

The candlelight flickered in front of him, and he reached out to adjust the wick.

The lights went out.

It wasn't the wind that made it; it was two slender fingers that reached out from behind and gently pinched the candle flame.

The owner of the finger was a girl who looked no more than seventeen or eighteen years old. She wore a light blue gauze dress, her black hair was draped over her shoulders, and her face was so white that it was almost transparent. Only her eyes were surprisingly bright, like two obsidian stones immersed in a stream.

She quickly withdrew her hand after extinguishing the candle, hiding in the shadows of the bookshelf and covering her mouth to chuckle.

The scholar exclaimed "Eh?" and groped for the tinderbox.

With his other hand, he reached out from the other side of the bookshelf and moved the tinder to the top of the bookshelf.

The owner of this hand was a few years older than the girl from before. She wore a light purple dress, had a cool and aloof expression, but a barely suppressed smile played on her lips.

As the scholar reached for the tinder, she gently blew on it, sending the Xuan paper on the table flying and smearing it all over the scholar's face.

The scholar frantically grabbed the Xuan paper, but tripped over the inkstone that had somehow ended up lying on the ground. He fell backward, chair and all, onto his back, his head hitting the blue brick floor with a dull thud.

The two girls laughed at the same time. Their clear laughter echoed in the empty study, one like a silver bell gently jingling, the other like a stream splashing over stones.

The scholar lay on his back on the ground, rubbing the back of his head with one hand and pointing towards the bookshelf with the other. His lips trembled several times before he managed to stammer out, "Miss Qiu Rong! Miss Xie! You...you're here again!"

Qiu Rong, wearing a light purple dress, emerged from behind the bookshelf, arms crossed, looking down at the scholar on the floor: "Tao Wangsan, didn't you say you were going to read the Book of Rites all night tonight? The floor is much more spacious than the chair."

Xiao Xie, dressed in a light blue gauze dress, peeked out from behind the bookshelf, holding a tinderbox in her hand, and added with a smile, "Young Master Tao, how did your tinderbox end up on top of the bookshelf? Did it grow wings?"

Tao Wangsan got up from the ground, straightened the chair, and picked up the scattered Xuan paper one by one. When he picked up the last one, Xiao Xie suddenly appeared from behind him, gently blew on the Xuan paper, and the Xuan paper flew three feet away.

Tao Wangsan sighed, straightened up, solemnly straightened his clothes, and bowed deeply to the two girls.

Qiu Rong leaned back half a foot, her tone tinged with wariness: "What are you doing?"

Tao Wangsan said earnestly, "I have a suggestion. Instead of going through all this trouble every time, why don't Miss Qiu Rong and Miss Xiao Xie set some rules? If you want to play pranks, you can do it during the day, and I can study in peace at night. That way, you two can have your fun, and I can finish reading these chapters. It's a win-win situation."

Qiu Rong and Xiao Xie exchanged a glance.

Xiao Xie blinked, seemingly seriously considering the feasibility of the proposal.

Qiu Rong, however, wasn't buying it. She snorted coldly, "Rules? The Jiang residence is our home. You, a tenant, move in and expect to set rules for the owners? Tao Wangsan, have you gone mad from reading the Book of Rites?"

As she spoke, she raised her hand as if to strike, and Tao Wangsan instinctively shrank back, his lower back slamming against the edge of the desk. He winced in pain, but still refused to admit defeat: "Miss Qiurong, you are mistaken! The Book of Rites says, 'Courtesy demands reciprocity; to give without receiving is impolite.' You two have teased me so many times; I only ask that you set some rules. Is that too much to ask?"

A very faint laugh came from outside the window. It wasn't from the study, but from outside.

Tao Wangsan suddenly turned his head to look at the window. Qiu Rong and Xiao Xie also took two steps back at the same time, their eyes fixed on the half-open carved wooden window.