Tang Li turned back to her with a puzzled look, their postures somewhat intimate, barely ten centimeters apart.
"That act was terribly clumsy. The moment you stepped through the doors, I saw right through your flaws." The person in black fixed their eyes steadily on Tang Li.
Deepening her expression of confusion, Tang Li tilted her head, looked down at her own captured hand, and frowned coldly. "Please show some self-respect."
The person in black stared at her for a full two minutes before releasing her. "My apologies. I was too forward just now."
Without answering, Tang Li turned her head back to inspecting the documents on the table.
"It's just..." The person behind her suddenly drew out their voice.
Turning a deaf ear, Tang Li focused entirely on gathering the information from the documents.
Seeing that she had no reaction, the person in black felt a bit deflated. She awkwardly licked her lips, yet she still hadn't dropped her suspicions regarding Tang Li—always believing her own intuition to be infallible, she assumed this time would be no exception.
With a minute left before the deadline, Tang Li slipped out of the main hall, vaulted over the wall, and in an instant changed back into her original clothes. Altering her voice, she cried out at the top of her lungs, "Catch the thief!"
The two people still left at the scene hadn't expected her to be so untrustworthy, breaking their agreed alliance the moment it suited her.
The person in black knocked over an oil lamp, tossed down a fire starter, and ran straight into the guards rushing in from the manor to help.
Some of the guards gave chase, while others stayed behind to fight the fire.
To shake off any suspicion, Tang Li took a wide detour, pretending to have heard the cries to catch the thief, and came over to protect Tumi—after all, on the surface she was still Tumi's attendant.
Seeing Tang Li show concern for her made Tumi's skin itch terribly, forcing her to silently endure the awkwardness.
Tang Li paid no mind to Tumi's expression. What astonished her at that moment was that the City Lord was a woman, and she felt a bit vexed at how she had been led astray by the stories Uncle Liu had told her.
Even if the City Lord had an illegitimate daughter, that didn't necessarily mean the City Lord had to be a male.
"Mother, are you alright?" A squad of people in black flew back. Their leader hurried anxiously to the City Lord's side to check if she was injured.
Tang Li silently hid behind Tumi. It was that strange cultivator who had insisted on giving her a sugar figurine; she had no desire to get entangled in some inescapable, major trouble.
Tumi glanced back at her and deliberately shifted her body to the side. Her braid was caught by the person behind her, sending a sudden, prickling numbness through her scalp that refused to subside, waxing and waning.
She turned her head to glare at Tang Li.
Tang Li spread her hands with an innocent air.
The City Lord's husband emerged from the burned main hall. After inspecting it, he confirmed that everything inside had been destroyed.
The City Lord stepped in at the right moment to smooth things over, and the banquet resumed.
Tang Li now wanted to leave the City Lord's Mansion and head to Flying Dragon City, the main city of Central Prefecture, to investigate. Yet leaving right now would likely draw unwanted attention.
Walking at the very tail end of the procession returning to the banquet, she reached the main courtyard. Two lines of maids carrying fresh dishes passed by her, and one of them lightly brushed against her sleeve as she walked away—a movement so subtle that Tang Li wouldn't have noticed had she not been paying attention.
The steward approached and, with a deferential manner, invited her to join the side tables to drink with the other guests.
Tang Li declined the seat on the grounds of her status, choosing instead to stand guard to the side. On the surface she was protecting Tumi, but her true intention was to quietly observe everyone present.
The steward hesitated, wanting to say more, but ultimately yielded to her, telling her to call out whenever she wanted food.
Three large tables and seven small tables were set up in the courtyard. Since only the City Lord and her husband had dealt with the fire earlier, Tang Li hadn't seen the other guests yet; seeing them now, she instantly felt that the situation had grown rather tricky.
There were quite a few people here whose cultivation far surpassed her own. Her only trump card for overcoming superior strength with weakness was electrical current, but anyone who had studied physics knew that electricity could only be transmitted through direct contact. Not every expert fought using weapons, and some fought at a distance; if she couldn't use her electricity, certain death was guaranteed.
Death itself didn't matter. What truly mattered was finding out who had murdered the villagers in Xiaozhu Village and Liuye Town.
Snapping out of her thoughts, she realized her mind had wandered too far. Right now she needed to leave the City Lord's Mansion, but she would have to wait until the banquet dispersed to slip away along with the guests.
Once the banquet began, the guests exchanged toasts and pleasantries in a scene of total harmony. Tang Li slipped away quietly, made her way to the nearest garden, and pulled the note the maid had secretly slipped her out of her sleeve.
As evening approached, the sun had only a few minutes left before setting completely, and her vision would fade with it; already she was affected to the point where she could only see hazy, dark silhouettes.
The writer had used an official standard script, keeping the characters tiny. Because of her eyes, Tang Li couldn't see them clearly, but she knew this was information transmitted by Jiufang. If it weren't important, Jiufang would never have taken the risk to send it inside.
Growing slightly anxious because she couldn't see the words clearly, she hurried over to the candleholder beneath the pavilion eaves and brought the note close to the flame. The information was written in an orderly fashion, and she narrowed her eyes, straining to make out every single character.
[The Prince Regent will soon arrive in Azure Dragon City accompanied by Su the Top Courtesan. The exact date remains unknown.]
[The Man-eating Ogre of Meicheng has staged a comeback, and many commoners in the city are suffering. The resentment and Miasma generated by the ogre have engulfed the entire city, trapping the citizens so they cannot take a step and plaguing them with severe illness. Food House, one of the branches of Jiufang, is trapped within the city. We specially request the Workshop Master to lead the members there to rescue them.]
[Recently, rumors have been spreading in Fangcao Town of Azure Dragon City that the City Lord's adopted daughter is an orphan of the former dynasty. The source of the rumor is unknown, and it has not yet reached the city.]
The first message was likely connected to the third. What she needed to deal with right now was the second. Although she had long known that accepting the position of Jiufang Workshop Master would inevitably bring her trouble, she hadn't expected it to arrive quite so soon—she hadn't even been Workshop Master for more than a few days.
Tang Li swiftly scanned through the three pieces of important information, burned the note just as footsteps approached from behind, and clenched the ashes in her hand.
"What are you... doing?"
Following the voice, Tang Li turned her head. The final ray of sunlight was swallowed by the mountain peaks, and she lost her sight completely, forced to rely on her senses to perceive her surroundings.
Looking at the cultivator who had previously given her a sugar figurine, she knew deep down that she would inevitably be tracked down. This was her intuition, and her intuition was always accurate.
"Bored. Just came out for some fresh air," she replied coolly.
The cultivator stared blankly at Tang Li's eyes, which were unobstructed by any hair ribbon.
They were breathtaking—black pupils carrying a hint of frost, yet free of any chill, brimming with spirituality.
Her long eyelashes resembled raven feathers, casting a shadow beneath her eyes when she lowered her gaze. Her demeanor was detached and aloof, just like an immortal who had forsaken mortal food.
Tang Li frowned, then, as if recalling something, relaxed her brow and spoke in a seemingly casual tone, "Anything else?"
Coming to her senses and realizing that staring intently at someone was terribly impolite, the cultivator hurriedly offered a bow and apology. "My apologies, how rude of me. I, I, I..."
Finding an excuse, she rambled incoherently, "I saw that you hadn't eaten anything, so I wanted to come over and ask if the food wasn't to your taste. And, and, I am the eldest young miss of this manor. Regardless of anything, you are a guest here, and it is only right for a host to show concern for a guest. Truly, it's only right."
"Practitioners of the Dao can subsist on spiritual energy alone," Tang Li replied flatly, the tone of refusal practically leaping off her words.
"Are you also a cultivator? How come I couldn't sense it? Oh, maybe it's because you're much stronger than me. What kind of Dao do you cultivate? Could I ask for your guidance?" The cultivator's eyes lit up, delighted to have found a common topic of conversation with her.
"It's inconvenient." Tang Li put on a faint, strained smile and politely refused.
"Oh, alright then. Are you troubled by something? You can talk to me, I'll definitely help with whatever I can." The cultivator stared curiously at her fine features, thinking to herself how anyone could possibly look so stunning—even better-looking than the vixen she had once captured.
Seeing the fish take the bait, Tang Li didn't rush to reel the line in; instead, she let the fish run a little. Remaining silent, she let out a sigh filled with bitter pity.
"What's wrong? Is it something very difficult? Does it have to do with your eyes? Please don't be sad. I know a senior martial sister from the Hundred Herbs Sect known as the Hundred-Ghost Divine Doctor. She's amazing, and she can definitely cure your eyes. She'll be arriving at the estate in a few days, and I'll beg her to take a look at you." The cultivator affectionately linked her arm through Tang Li's, then, realizing she was being overly familiar, pretended she was just helping her sit down.
Tang Li shook her head and gave a self-deprecating smile. "It's not because of my eyes. After all these years I've gotten used to it, it's no trouble."
With pity in her eyes, the cultivator looked at her and probed cautiously, "Then what is it? Is there anything I can do to help?"
"If I were to tell you, I'm afraid you'd throw me in the dungeon," Tang Li said, half-mysterious and half-mournful.
"I would never... Master said that true harmony in the world comes from appreciating different beauties together. Unless it's an absolute last resort, violent enforcement is not permitted."
Tang Li wanted to roll her eyes. Exactly how many modern people had transmigrated to this world? And why did every single one of them act so ostentatiously, genuinely treating themselves like protagonists in a novel?
In this era where law and order had collapsed, everyone was merely a small fish in a torrent, constantly in danger of being swallowed by a bigger fish if they weren't careful about surviving.
"So what is it? Can't you tell me? It's fine, just tell me what I need to do to help you." The cultivator gazed at her with eager anticipation.
Tang Li gave a light cough and nodded slightly. "Thank you. It's just that seeing such a lively scene outside the courtyard made me feel a bit sorrowful for my friends who couldn't be here."
"What happened to your friends? You can invite them to come along! Where are they? I'll have someone invite them over." The cultivator tilted her head slightly in confusion.
With a look of fond nostalgia, Tang Li spoke softly, "Ah, ever since I stumbled onto the Dao by chance, I've always been on my own, and over all these years I grew used to life as a rogue cultivator. A few years ago, when I was passing through a small town, the Demon Race was brutally slaughtering the commoners there. I couldn't bear to watch, so I fought them, but unfortunately we were outnumbered. Just as I was about to die, I was saved by several fellow Daoists."
"In the years that followed, we roamed about upholding justice and became confidantes who shared everything. A short while ago, we ran into Tumi, who was being hunted down, and we decided to escort her here. However, halfway through our journey, we heard that a heinous Man-eating Ogre had appeared in Meicheng."
"We decided to split up: I brought Tumi here, while the others rushed to Meicheng to investigate the situation with the ogre. Just now, when we contacted each other via our voice-stones, they said the situation there was extremely tricky, and even told me not to look for them. Before they could finish speaking, I heard a scream from the other end, and the connection was cut. Right now I have no idea how they're doing, and I'm burning with anxiety, wishing I could rush right over there."
Once she finished speaking, she even used her sleeve to dab at her eyes.
The cultivator tightly knitted her brows. "Meicheng? Is it Meicheng in Central Prefecture? How could something like this happen, and why hasn't it been resolved after all this time? If something happened to Meicheng, Mother must know about it."
"This is precisely why I didn't want to tell you." Tang Li delivered this sentence with a sharp edge.
The cultivator gave her an aggrieved look.
"You suspect... that Mother knew all along, and deliberately refused to send anyone to help?" The cultivator summarized Tang Li's conjecture with a face full of doubt.
Remaining silent to signal her tacit agreement, Tang Li watched her quietly, waiting for her reaction.
If the girl lost her head and went to find the City Lord, she would undoubtedly expose Tang Li, and if she killed her, there would be nowhere to hide the body.
Tang Li admitted that her current move was a hazardous gamble; the slightest misstep would expose her.
"Mother isn't that kind of person. You must have a misunderstanding of her," the cultivator shook her head and said.
Tang Li stayed silent. Just as she was about to reach for her sword, she heard the other say, "I'll go with you to find your friends. They'll definitely be fine, and Meicheng will be fine too. You're just overthinking things."
Tang Li lowered her gaze to conceal a smile and quietly reeled in her net. "Alright."
"I won't tell Mother about this for now. If Meicheng is fine, you'll have to apologize to Mother when you get back."
"And if Meicheng is in trouble? With your level of cultivation, I'm afraid you won't be coming back." Tang Li didn't mock her; she was simply stating a plain fact.
"No, I won't. I have a magical artifact given to me by Master, and I'll also leave a written message in my room. A maid goes in to tidy the bed every day at noon, and when they see it, they'll naturally hand it over to Mother. My artifact can hold out until Mother comes to rescue us. It's now three quarters past the Rooster hour; if we set off for Meicheng now, we can arrive as early as tomorrow morning."