The heavy doors opened slightly, and a head poked out.
“Who are you?”
Changming smiled faintly, bewitchingly charming. “I am an honored guest your family’s Young Master spent a fortune to invite.”
“I ask that you announce me.”
The servant looked Changming up and down.
A pair of peach-blossom eyes brimming with tender affection; two arched willow-leaf brows, lovely and endearing.
Hair reaching her waist; a pair of green eyes, strangely bewitching.
A great beauty indeed.
“Our Young Master has always been upright in his conduct. How could he have gotten entangled with a demoness like you?”
“If you said you were here for the Second Master, that would be somewhat more believable.”
Changming was not angered by these frivolous words.
“Little one, I truly am someone your family’s Young Master went through untold hardships to find.”
“To meet me, he nearly died halfway here.”
Changming’s words gave the servant pause. The Young Master’s health had indeed been poor lately.
Changming continued, “Your entire Yun household is shrouded in black qi.”
“Hearts are divided, and lately there has been a death, has there not?”
The servant’s expression changed, turning somewhat pale.
She was right.
But the Second Master was missing, not dead.
After hesitating for a moment, he still refused Changming’s visit.
“Please go back, miss.”
“Our Young Master least of all believes in such superstitious nonsense, and moreover, he is already betrothed.”
“Recently, there has been nothing of note in the manor.”
With a *slam!*, the great doors shut tight.
Seeing this, Yun Ruosheng quickly apologized to Changming. “It is all due to the Yun family’s lack of discipline. Once I enter, I will surely deal with them properly.”
Changming cast a sidelong glance. “You’re already dead, and still putting on the airs of a dignified master?”
“Do you think they can see you?”
These words made Yun Ruosheng feel deeply ashamed, and he hung his head.
Changming continued knocking on the door.
“Who is it?”
The same servant ran to open the door.
“You again?”
“Didn’t I tell you to leave?”
Changming took out a night pearl and pressed it into his hand.
“I ask that you announce me.”
The servant greedily eyed the pearl for a moment, but quickly reined in his gaze.
He returned the pearl to Changming.
“The Young Master has said that we do not accept items of unknown origin.”
“Miss, you should still go back.”
Changming pressed further. “If the manor truly has nothing amiss, why do you refuse to receive guests?”
“I have come from a thousand *li* away. Shouldn’t your Yun family give me an explanation?”
After hearing this, the servant leaned half his body out and bowed deeply to Changming.
“Recently, the manor has been overwhelmed with various affairs.”
“We truly have no time to entertain guests.”
“Since you are a traveler from afar, you may stay at the Fenglai Inn in Yang City.”
“All expenses shall be borne by the Yun residence.”
“Once the manor has finished handling its affairs, we will without fail come to welcome the honored guest at the first opportunity.”
Changming blinked a few times upon hearing this.
Did this mean she could play around in the mortal realm for two more days?
“Miss, do you have any other questions?”
Changming subconsciously answered, “No.”
With a *slam!*, the door shut again.
Changming looked toward Yun Ruosheng. “Did you teach them this?”
Yun Ruosheng wore a proud expression. “I was born to a farming household. How would I know such etiquette?”
“It must all be Yichu’s idea.”
“Such thorough courtesy, truly—”
Before he could finish speaking, Changming beat him up.
*Rap rap rap!* Changming knocked on the door again.
Yun Ruosheng interjected, “You’re so powerful, can’t you just barge in?”
Changming rolled her eyes at him. “There are divine spirits three *chi* above your head.”
“You’ll suffer heavenly retribution, don’t you know that?”
“Since we’ve come to the mortal realm, we must obey the mortal realm’s rules.”
The servant hurried over.
“Why can’t you understand what you’re told?”
“I already said the manor is not receiving guests recently.”
Suddenly, a gentle and soft voice called out.
“Laifu, what is happening?”
Laifu bent at the waist. “Young Master, there is a young lady who says she is here to see you?”
Hearing this, Yun Yichu quickened his steps and trotted over.
Seeing that it was Changming, he immediately pushed the door open and personally welcomed Changming into the Yun residence.
Changming looked at Yun Yichu and smiled lightly.
“The Yun family’s gates truly are not easy to enter.”
“I knocked three times before getting the chance to come inside.”
Yun Yichu’s eyelid twitched. “It is all Yichu’s fault.”
“It is Yichu’s failure in teaching his subordinates.”
The two walked around the Yun residence.
White lanterns hung before every room.
White mourning silk draped sparsely from the beams.
And in the main hall, a coffin rested.
A simple offering had been placed before the coffin.
Changming knew that inside should be Yun Ruosheng.
She waved her slender fingers, faintly catching a whiff of corpse stench.
She bent at the waist and bowed three times, then lit a stick of incense for Yun Ruosheng.
“Why are you the only one here wearing mourning garb?”
“I heard Laifu say earlier that the manor still has a Second Master, an Eldest Master, and so on.”
After hearing this, Yun Yichu looked somewhat embarrassed.
“Grandfather had three sons in total.”
“I am from the third branch.”
“But because mine is the only male heir in this generation, I am the eldest grandson.”
Changming looked at his bashfulness and felt somewhat uncomfortable. “And then?”
Yun Yichu led Changming toward the garden.
“After Grandfather died, my eldest uncle was overcome with grief and drank all day, not sober for a single day.”
“My second uncle went to the mountain some time ago, saying he was going to find medicine for Grandfather.”
“Many days have passed since, and he hasn’t returned.”
Changming asked, “Did you report it to the authorities?”
Yun Yichu nodded firmly. “We reported it the day after Second Uncle went missing.”
“I expect that before long, Second Uncle will likely return home.”
Changming remembered Laifu’s words and suddenly asked, “Does your Second Master like to visit pleasure houses? Or does he like to bring strange women back to the manor?”
“Ah?” This question stumped Yun Yichu.
When he reacted afterward, his face unconsciously reddened.
“Second Uncle… he is merely somewhat romantic.”
“Miss, where did you hear such gossip?”
Changming pointed at Laifu. “From him.”
Yun Yichu looked at Laifu reproachfully.
But Changming covered her mouth and laughed lightly.
“Miss Changming.”
Changming turned back to see a graceful, refined, and elegantly beautiful woman walking toward her.
Yun Yichu glanced at her and told Changming, “This is my eldest aunt.”
“In the inner chambers, it is inconvenient for me to move about.”
“Going forward, your daily needs will be handled by my eldest aunt.”
Changming looked at the woman before her, but her heart sank slightly.
“I will be troubling you from now on.”
“May I ask your name?”
The woman lowered her eyebrows and nodded. “I am Chunlu.”
“No surname?”
Chunlu shook her head. “From the moment I married into the Yun family, I severed ties with my natal family.”
“I take my husband’s surname, Yun.”
She extended her hand in an inviting gesture. “The west wing has already been cleaned. Please, Miss, follow me.”
Yun Yichu added, “Recently, the manor has indeed been overwhelmed with various affairs.”
“I wish to wait for Second Uncle to return and bury Grandfather together.”
“Then, we can proceed with dispelling the calamity and evil.”
“So I must trouble you to stay a few more days in the manor.”
Changming looked at Yun Ruosheng hiding from the sun beneath the tree.
She thought again that she could steal half a day’s leisure in the mortal realm.
“No matter. We shall do as you say.”
She handed a protective talisman to Yun Yichu.
“Wear this. No matter what happens in the future, I will protect you the moment anything occurs.”
Yun Yichu joyfully accepted this gift.
“Thank you, Miss Changming.”
Changming gave a soft hum, then reminded him, “Don’t forget your promise to me.”