Chapter 74: Ascending the Heavenly Steps to Fetch Water

Old Madam Tang stepped forward and gently patted Tang Mi’s hand in comfort, whispering, “Grandmother has already checked. That person hasn’t been around these past two days. Go fetch the water with peace of mind. I’ll personally wait for you at the foot of the mountain.”

Tang Mi looked at her concerned expression and sighed softly. “You could’ve just sent someone to wait for me. You didn’t need to come in person.”

She couldn’t bear to let her grandmother, at such an old age, still worry about her.

Old Madam Tang gave her a reproachful glance. “How could I feel at ease leaving it to someone else? I have to watch over you myself.”

Knowing her grandmother was truly worried, Tang Mi turned helplessly to Gui. “Prepare a thicker cloak for Grandmother. Don’t let her catch a chill.”

“Yes, miss,” Gui replied quickly and handed her the lantern. “Young Miss, it will be hard on you.”

Gui herself didn’t really believe in Master Jingkong’s fortune-telling, but she understood the old madam’s feelings. The old madam only had two sons in her life, the eldest and the second. The second son was idle and unambitious, while the eldest was always her pride.

When the eldest son died in battle, the old madam was stricken with grief and nearly passed away herself. It was only because the madam brought the young miss and the third young master to her that she was able to hold on.

Now that the eldest was gone, the old madam lived for the sake of his two children, protecting them in his stead. Tang Mi had been raised dearly in her hands. How could she not dote on her? But because it concerned the eldest son, the old madam dared not dismiss it.

Taking the lantern from Gui, Tang Mi looked at the old madam. “Don’t worry, Grandmother. I’ll be careful.”

The old madam nodded silently. Though worried, she tried not to show it.

Ban Xia draped the cloak over Tang Mi’s shoulders with concern. “Miss, please be careful.”

Though the cold fragrance of the night surrounded her, it brought Tang Mi a sliver of warmth. She pulled the cloak tightly around her and turned to climb the Heavenly Steps.

The old madam kept her eyes fixed on Tang Mi until she disappeared from view.

Tang Ying smiled smugly as she watched Tang Mi ascend the steps.

After tonight, Tang Mi would enter the Duke Yu’s manor, and she, Tang Ying would become the most useful woman beside Ye Junyu.

Gui brought over a chair for the old madam, who then sat below the Heavenly Steps, waiting for Tang Mi.

Since the old madam stayed, Tang Shuanghu and Madam Qin didn’t dare leave either.

Madam Qin wasn’t happy about staying in the cold. Tang Mi wasn’t her daughter, why should she keep her company?

Displeased, she nudged Tang Shuanghu to suggest leaving, but he didn’t dare offend the old madam. After being pushed twice, he angrily shoved her back.

Madam Qin stumbled and nearly fell, if not for Tang Ying catching her.

Noticing the commotion, the old madam glanced over with disdain. “You can all go back. No need to keep this old woman company.”

Madam Qin was secretly delighted and was about to respond when Tang Shuanghu gave a forced laugh and said, “You’re waiting here yourself, how could we just go back and rest?”

The old madam gave him a rare look. “Well, for once you’re thoughtful. If you want to stay, then stay.”

Tang Shuanghu hadn’t expected her to agree and instantly had the expression of having gained nothing from his scheming. He reluctantly replied, “Yes.”

Madam Qin was furious but couldn’t do anything about it. She went up to the old madam and said, “Mother, Shuanghu and I will stay here with you. Let Ying’er and Song’er return. They didn’t bring cloaks, I don’t want them catching a chill.”

The old madam did love her grandchildren. Hearing this, she looked at Tang Song and Tang Ying. “You two go back first. Your parents can stay with me.”

Tang Ying’s eyes flickered, and she curtsied. “Then we’ll head back first.”

She still had things to do tonight and couldn’t stay here.

After bowing to the old madam and her parents, she left with Tang Song.

The old madam looked again at the Heavenly Steps, but Tang Mi was already out of sight, she had climbed far up.

Tang Mi had spent about half a stick of incense’s time climbing and had finished the first section. The Heavenly Steps had ten sections in total, each with 999 steps, making a total of 9,999 steps. At her current pace, it would be dawn before she reached the heavenly pool at the summit.

Tang Mi turned to look back. She had climbed so high that she couldn’t see anything below anymore, the steps blocked everything.

She didn’t continue upward but instead turned into the nearby mountain forest.

She didn’t know whether Ye Junyu was waiting for her on the upper steps or directly at the heavenly pool, but she couldn’t fall into their trap.

She remembered there was a small cave halfway up the mountain where rainwater often collected. She could fetch some water from there, and no one would know it wasn’t divine water.

Those stories were fabricated by Tang Ying in the first place to fool others. She hadn’t expected the abbot, Master Jingkong, to go along with their scheme, maybe not for Tang Ying and Madam Qin, but for Ye Junyu.

Jingkong was one of Ye Junyu’s people!

This thought made Tang Mi’s heart grow cold and bitter.

After her incident, she had been in despair, and it was Tang Ying who stayed by her side, pretending to care, even suggesting she live in Baima Temple.

It was also in Baima Temple that Ye Junyu had the opportunity to frequently appear and play the devoted suitor. He came and went from the temple like it was his own home, no wonder, since the abbot was one of his men.

Clearly, Baima Temple wasn’t the pure, sacred place it claimed to be, it was more like a den of corruption! She would have to warn her grandmother to avoid coming here again.

Tang Mi carried the lantern and struggled to climb upward. Initially, she thought it would be easy, just reach halfway up, fetch a bit of water, and return.

But she had underestimated it. It took her half an incense stick’s time to climb one section of steps, but in the forest, the steep and rugged mountain paths made it even harder. An hour passed, and she hadn’t made it far. She had already slipped several times and nearly fallen.

Her hands could barely hold the lantern anymore. She extinguished it and hung it on a tree, then used both hands to climb.

After another hour, she was exhausted, nearly collapsing. She squatted beneath a tree, wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, and looked up pitch black, nothing in sight.

She glanced down in fear, also pure darkness.

She didn’t know how high she’d climbed or how much farther she had to go. She regretted not taking the main steps halfway up, detouring to fetch water from the woods, and then going back down via the steps.

Frustrated, she knew she couldn’t turn back now. She had to grit her teeth and keep going.

Just as she stood up to continue, her legs gave way from crouching too long. Her vision went black, and she fell backward.

Pain shot through her, and before she could scream, she saw a shadow rushing toward her, someone had come to catch her.