"Is anyone here?"
"I am an attendant from the Bureau of Palace Sustenance, assigned to clean Lengxiang Palace. Noble Consort Lan, this humble servant pays his respects to you..."
After entering the courtyard, Luo Wei called out.
Then, he stood waiting for a moment.
The main hall was quiet, with no response.
Luo Wei curled his lips, took out his tools, and began cutting the weeds in the courtyard with a sickle. He wasn't fully focused on the work, straightening his back from time to time to look around. Even though the warm sunlight shone on him, he still felt a bit frightened.
Although having reached Body Tempering Realm Perfection meant his vital energy and blood were abundant, it was still useless against powerful vicious ghosts and evil spirits.
Inside the hall.
Noble Consort Lan hugged Gu Xinchao, hiding behind the bed, trembling all over.
Her face was pale, her forehead covered in glistening beads of sweat, and her eyes darted incessantly around their sockets, filled with terror.
One hand covered Gu Xinchao's mouth and nose.
"My child!"
"You must not cry!"
"Those bad men have come to take you away, you must not cry! If you make a fuss, your mother won't be able to protect you..."
Noble Consort Lan said tremblingly, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
Her gaze, amidst the terror, was twisted with a hint of madness, as if she had recalled some horrifying event, filled with utter despair.
Her hand involuntarily tightened its grip.
Terrified that the infant would cry, she pressed harder and harder.
For a moment, Gu Xinchao found himself unable to breathe.
Ah!
He sighed softly in his heart.
If he had truly been a physically weak, ordinary infant, he most likely would have been smothered to death by Noble Consort Lan right then and there.
She thought she was protecting her child.
In reality...
...
"Luo Wei..."
Laifu's head poked out from behind the door, whispering into the courtyard.
"Get in here, it's fine!"
Luo Wei straightened up and said impatiently.
"In broad daylight, where would there be any ghosts?"
"Oh!"
Laifu acknowledged, walking in cautiously. His steps were very slow, and as he walked, he looked left and right.
"Where is Noble Consort Lan?"
He asked softly.
"Didn't see her!"
Luo Wei replied with annoyance.
"Then..."
Laifu stopped in his tracks.
"Laifu!"
Luo Wei turned around and stared at Laifu.
"You weren't absent when Noble Consort Lan was brought in. The Ninth Prince is gone, and she has already lost her mind..."
"Why do you care so much about a madwoman?"
"That's not our concern. Our task is very simple: clean Lengxiang Palace, and don't let any trash stain the Consort's eyes!"
With that, he pointed at the weeds on the ground.
"I've already cut quite a few weeds. Take them out and put them on the cart, finish the yard, and then we'll go into the hall together to tidy up inside. Best to get it done early..."
With that, he lowered his head and went back to work.
"Alright!"
Laifu replied.
He scooped up the pile of weeds on the ground and scampered out.
Before long, the front yard of Lengxiang Palace was cleaned up. The two of them then went to tidy up the side rooms. After clearing the surrounding areas, they stood in front of the main hall, exchanging glances with undisguised nervousness.
Both of them had entered this place before, and they had even carried corpses out together.
Some people had died in extremely gruesome ways, not looking like it was done by human hands...
"Damn your mother!"
Luo Wei clenched his fists.
He turned to look at Laifu.
"Let's go!"
"Together!"
By the look of it, if Laifu refused, Luo Wei's pot-sized fist would land squarely on his head.
"Mm!"
Laifu's legs shook, and he gave a bitter, helpless nod.
"Noble Consort Lan, the little ones are coming in..."
Luo Wei called out, taking the lead as he walked inside.
Laifu followed nervously behind him. Although his steps were hesitant, he didn't desert his post.
Stepping onto the veranda, they entered the main hall.
The sunlight was left behind, blocked by the protruding eaves, and a cold breeze swept over them, causing Laifu to shiver involuntarily.
The two men looked around.
The bed was hidden behind a screen, in front of which stood a daybed and a brocade stool. The interior furnishings were similar to those in other palaces.
Both Luo Wei and Laifu were very familiar with them.
There was dust on the floor and footprints, and a fair amount of grime on the daybed and brocade stool. Even the pillars and walls bore various stains, and there were even dried blood splatters.
"When was the last deep clean?"
Luo Wei asked.
"Must have been Xiao Guizi, right?"
Laifu replied.
"That fellow must have slacked off and never came in to clean..."
With that, Laifu wore an indignant expression.
Then, he smiled gloatingly.
"Serves him right for having such terrible luck. He did too many wicked things and suffered a deviation in his cultivation—good for him!"
"Heh..."
Luo Wei gave a cold chuckle and glanced at Laifu.
"Do you really think he died from a cultivation deviation?"
"No?"
"Then how do you think he died?"
"Made a mistake and angered the foster father?"
Laifu frowned.
"I didn't say that!"
Luo Wei waved his hand irritably.
"Who cares how he died? It's none of our business. Don't slack off, do your work properly, and get out of here early..."
With that, he too shivered.
"Damn it!"
"Why is it getting colder?"
"Hurry up, move!"
With that, Luo Wei resumed his work.
About a foot in front of him, Xiaohong, who had been staring straight at him, pulled back the black hair that had almost wrapped around Luo Wei.
The next moment, she drifted up to the rafters.
Before these two fellows had even entered the door and had just stepped onto the veranda, Xiaohong had already made her move, blinding their eyes.
Ghost-blinded.
This trick was an innate divine ability of vicious ghosts.
It could disrupt a person's perception and cause their magnetic field to malfunction, forcing them to see only the scenes the vicious ghost wanted them to see.
Folksy ghost-walls were the exact same thing.
Ghost-blinded.
Ghost-wall.
Just different names for the same phenomenon!
Of course, this trick wasn't omnipotent; martial artists like Wei Xiaobao, who had cultivated inner qi, were very difficult to deceive.
With inner qi circulating, the spirit remains steadfast in the heart.
Luo Wei was merely at the Body Tempering Realm; although his vital energy and blood were abundant, he would still fall for the trick.
It was just that, compared to Laifu, making him fall for it was harder, and Xiaohong had to exert a bit more effort. After subduing Luo Wei, her aura had dimmed considerably.
"Hungry!"
She transmitted a message back.
In recognition of her contribution, Gu Xinchao very magnanimously bestowed a portion of energy upon her, restoring her to normal.
At the same time, Noble Consort Lan relaxed.
Because of Xiaohong's spell, even though she and the two men were in the same room, they were unable to interact, as if they existed in different dimensions.
Earlier, while the two fellows were outside, Xiaohong hadn't been able to cast her spell.
She had just heard the commotion.
"My child!"
Noble Consort Lan released her grip.
Seemingly remembering something, her complexion suddenly turned deathly pale.
"Clatter..."
Her teeth chattered uncontrollably, clashing together.
Gu Xinchao opened his eyes and flashed a toothless grin at her.
"Ah..."
Noble Consort Lan exhaled a long breath of stale air, her whole body completely relaxing, and tears gushed like a fountain from the corners of her eyes.
"My child!"
She cried out in sorrow.
...
Outside the Cold Palace gates.
A group of people approached.
The composition of the procession was somewhat complex, consisting of imperial guards, attendants, and Imperial Directorate of Astronomy daoists wearing ritual robes.
Wu Dafu hurried forward and greeted them with a smile.
"Eunuch Xi, why are you leading the team in person?"
Twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old Xi Qing wore a genial expression and smiled with narrowed eyes.
"Concerning Consort Mei, it is only proper for little Xi to run errands. Besides, since we must trouble Master Cang, it would be terribly impolite if I did not accompany you myself..."
Cang Zhengkong wore multicolored ritual robes and a tall crown.
He was stern and solemn, with no intention of exchanging pleasantries with Wu Dafu, instead squinting at the Cold Palace ahead.
"Such heavy yin qi!"
He muttered to himself.