Chapter 13: This Is No Time for Such Matters  

With the departure of the ferocious Sealed Palace Master, the chilling aura dissipated, and the table full of dishes regained their steaming warmth.  

Li Changsheng, already half-full from eating, was eager to leave now that Feng Hui had spared his life.  

Before he could stand, a waiter approached respectfully. “The esteemed guest from earlier left something for you.”  

Li Changsheng instantly grew wary.  

If Feng Hui had left him with an unpaid bill, he swore he’d make that bastard pay.  

The waiter bowed his head and presented the item.  

Li Changsheng glanced at it and sighed in relief.  

Thank goodness—it was just that persistent bone dagger.  

Having survived a meal with the Sealed Palace Master, Li Changsheng’s courage had grown. Without hesitation, he took the bone dagger—since it would return no matter where he threw it, he might as well keep it.  

The waiter nodded and withdrew.  

Li Changsheng had no interest in the vengeful spirits of Tantai City Lord’s residence or the reincarnation of Chong Jun. Now that he was separated from Yu Qingjian and the others, he could continue playing dead.  

The Ghost Festival was just three days away.  

Li Changsheng toyed with the bone dagger under the candlelight, its golden patterns resembling intertwined snakes reflecting on his fingertips.  

The inky tattooed serpent on his wrist seemed to sense something, silently slithering out to coil around his fingers, chasing the golden threads of light.  

Li Changsheng wasn’t afraid of snakes—in fact, he rather liked them.  

Propping his chin lazily, he watched the serpent weave between his fingers, his mind inexplicably recalling Feng Hui’s gaze when they first met.  

Was that… hatred?  

Li Changsheng had little interest in the world. He wanted to know who he was, yet deep down, he seemed to fear the answer. So he drifted through life in a daze, like a transient passerby in the vast mortal realm.  

As long as he was alive, that was enough.  

Pain, hunger, memories—none of it mattered to him, not enough to stir even a flicker of curiosity.  

Setting the bone dagger aside, Li Changsheng instinctively reached into his sleeve for his pipe.  

But the moment he moved, he finally realized something was off—since when had his clothes changed?  

To maintain the mystique befitting a “Master,” Li Changsheng usually wore flowing moon-white robes that made people exclaim, “Now that’s a true Master!”  

This time, perhaps due to falling into the water, his Master robe and Yu Qingjian’s cloak had vanished. Instead, he was dressed in layered black robes with wide sleeves adorned in golden patterns, the waist sash even embroidered with gold thread.  

Li Changsheng: “?”  

Did the Sealed Palace Master change his clothes for him?  

He reached out and felt the layers—one, two, three, four.  

Of course Feng Hui wasn’t that kind. In the sweltering summer heat, he’d deliberately dressed him in such thick robes, probably hoping he’d die of heatstroke.  

Fortunately, though his clothes were gone, the loose silver and pipe in his sleeve remained.  

Adaptable as ever, Li Changsheng untied the heavy cloak and tossed it aside. Tapping his pipe impatiently, he realized that after all the recent misfortunes, his tobacco had long since burned out.  

Craving a smoke, he frowned and bit down on the jade mouthpiece, pressing his lips until they turned pale, trying to ease the restless discomfort.  

Just then, a familiar voice drifted up from below.  

“Nether Capital envoys? The City Lord only sent invitations to the Punishment Enforcement Bureau. Do you two belong there?”  

Li Changsheng glanced down and nearly shattered the jade mouthpiece between his teeth.  

At the entrance of Tantai City Lord’s residence, a man and a woman stood on the steps, confronting the steward.

The man was tall and slender with striking, heroic features, carrying a long saber on his back that exuded an imposing aura. The woman beside him stood a full head taller, dressed in a gaudy ruqun with her face veiled, her expression impatient as if she were itching to snap at someone.

—It was unmistakably Yu Qingjian disguised as a woman and Zou Ji disguised as a man.

Li Changsheng: “…………”

Is this how you two are doing your disguises?!

Yu Qingjian was being interrogated warily by the steward, who demanded the Nether Decree and the invitation, even insisting they step under the lamp to verify they weren’t ghosts. His fists clenched tighter, his voice straining to maintain its forced pitch.

Zou Ji growled in a deep voice, “What, you think we’re from the Bureau of Tribulation Transference?”

Yu Qingjian: “…”

…This colleague was utterly single-minded!

A vein throbbed on Yu Qingjian’s forehead—he was seriously considering just barging in.

Nothing was going right.

Yesterday, the soul-ferrying ship had capsized for half an hour. Zou Ji, with her immense strength, had righted it with a single flick of her saber. The Soul Retrievers had clustered around her, weeping with gratitude, promising the Bureau free passage on their ship from then on.

That should have been a good thing—except when they searched the entire vessel afterward, they discovered the Director was missing.

If not for the Hex Suppression Command still being intact, Yu Qingjian would have thought Li Changsheng had been devoured soul and all by the Fragmented Corpse-Eater.

Zou Ji’s blurted mention of the “Bureau of Tribulation Transference” nearly exposed them, and the steward grew even more insistent. “Please, both of you, step under the soul-searching lamp to verify your identities.”

Zou Ji was shocked. “We’re not from the Bureau, why should we—mmph?!”

Yu Qingjian had finally had enough and clamped a hand over her mouth.

The steward narrowed his eyes, pointing at Zou Ji and declaring gravely, “During the city lord’s birthday banquet recently, a Warden from the Bureau cleaved half the ancestral hall with a single saber strike. Looking at the portrait… you bear a striking resemblance.”

Yu Qingjian: “?”

What cleaving? Zou Ji hadn’t mentioned any such details when she returned!

Zou Ji said solemnly, “You’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m a man.”

Yu Qingjian closed his eyes in despair.

The steward instantly grew wary. “I never said that Warden was a woman.”

Zou Ji: “…”

Zou Ji’s eyes widened, her face screaming, “You humans and your convoluted schemes!”

The steward’s suspicions deepened. “Step forward, both of you!”

Servants nearby, sensing trouble, immediately closed in to surround them.

Yu Qingjian: “…”

His hair ribbon silently coiled around his wrist.

It seemed they wouldn’t be able to slip in so easily after all. Fine—time for an escape.

As tensions reached a breaking point, a clear, unhurried voice drifted over. “Is this how Nanyuan City treats its guests?”

Everyone froze, turning toward the sound.

Yu Qingjian’s eyes narrowed slightly, the ribbon around his wrist loosening and transforming back into a hair ornament.

Li Changsheng, unusually clad in a loose black robe that clearly wasn’t his, wore it with a uniquely disheveled charm. He had somehow procured a ferocious Nuo mask, revealing only his snow-pale chin.

The steward from the city lord’s manor was taken aback.

Who wore such heavy clothing in the height of summer?

Li Changsheng’s imposing demeanor made the steward hesitant to offend. Tentatively, he asked, “Might I ask who you are, honored guest…?”

Li Changsheng glanced at him. “You’re not qualified to ask my name. Tantai Cong sent me three invitations—let him come out and greet me personally.”

Yu Qingjian and Zou Ji: “…”

How audacious.

Hearing him address the city lord so casually, the steward grew even more deferential. “A distinguished guest such as yourself naturally warrants the city lord’s personal welcome. If you could present your invitation…”

A flicker of impatience crossed Li Changsheng’s eyes. With a sudden motion, he flicked out a streak of golden light.

Clang—  

The intricately carved bone dagger embedded itself three inches deep into the gates of the City Lord’s residence, its golden patterns shimmering as a serpentine ghostly sigil writhed menacingly in the air.  

The steward startled.  

The Nether Palace?  

Now thoroughly cowed, the steward bowed respectfully. “Esteemed guest of the Nether Palace, please follow me inside.”  

Li Changsheng scoffed. “No longer demanding an invitation?”  

The steward forced a laugh. “Y-You jest. The presence of a distinguished guest from the Nether Palace brings immense honor to the Tantai residence. The City Lord is currently welcoming an Immortal Lord from Snow Jade Capital—I hope you won’t take offense.”  

Li Changsheng sneered. “Hah, Snow Jade Capital…”  

Everyone in the Three Realms knew of the enmity between the Hall Master of the Nether Palace and the leader of Snow Jade Capital. The steward dared not comment further, merely offering an apologetic smile as he ushered them in.  

Li Changsheng couldn’t be bothered to argue either, flicking his wide sleeves as he strode forward.  

Yu Qingjian and Zou Ji exchanged a glance before quickly following.  

The steward hastily blocked their path, hesitantly asking, “My lord, these two…”  

Li Changsheng, already standing on the steps, turned to glance down at them. The loose sash around his waist tightened slightly with the movement, outlining a subtly slanted waistline.  

His masked gaze swept over Yu Qingjian and Zou Ji, his impatience palpable even through the disguise. “Fools. Can’t even handle such a trivial matter? Go kill yourselves as penance.”  

The steward fell silent.  

Was the Nether Palace truly this terrifying?  

With the grand ceremony approaching, if word got out that someone had died at the City Lord’s gates, it might disturb the esteemed guests inside.  

After much deliberation, the steward decided it was better not to offend the Nether Palace’s envoy and stepped aside to let the two pass.  

Yu Qingjian and Zou Ji were left speechless, stiffly trailing after their Director.  

Having effortlessly infiltrated the City Lord’s residence with his little ruse, Li Changsheng cast a sidelong glance at the strikingly beautiful Yu Qingjian and remarked, “So Lord Yu has such… tastes.”  

Yu Qingjian: “…”  

The sliver of admiration Yu Qingjian had just felt for the Director instantly evaporated. With a strained smile, he eyed Li Changsheng’s attire and launched a slanderous counterattack: “How could I compare to the Director? Gone for just a day, and already rekindling old flames with a former lover—so passionately that you even wore the wrong clothes.”  

Li Changsheng: “…………”  

Li Changsheng said, “Now that we’ve exchanged pleasantries, Lord Yu, perhaps you could share the next step of the plan?”  

After their mutual verbal sparring, Lord Yu regained his composure and asked Zou Ji, “Where is the ancestral hall in the City Lord’s residence?”  

Zou Ji pondered. “Either in the east or the west.”  

Yu Qingjian: “…”  

He shouldn’t have asked.  

With the entire Tantai residence occupied in welcoming the distinguished guests from Snow Jade Capital, Li Changsheng and his two companions lurked behind a rockery.  

Yu Qingjian raised a hand, summoning a five-pointed golden sigil. A sinister ghostly aura silently spread beneath his feet, creeping forward to detect traces of vengeful spirits.  

Li Changsheng tilted his head toward the Spring Gazing Golden Ship in the distance.  

Snow Jade Capital was the foremost sect of the Northern Continent. Even the exterior of their golden ship exuded extravagance—the gangway seemed to be made of solid gold, gleaming brilliantly under the candlelight.  

For no apparent reason, as Li Changsheng stared at that golden radiance, fragments of memories flashed through his mind.  

“…Since it’s a birthday gift for Senior Brother, naturally, you should name it.”  

“Hmm. ‘Where peach blossoms fall upon clouds, an Immortal drunkenly gazes at spring.’ How about… ‘Immortal’s Ship’?”  

“…Senior Brother, please spare us your Divine Abilities.”  

Li Changsheng pressed a hand to his forehead, a sharp pain lancing through his skull as the fleeting memory slipped away once more.  

“The ancestral hall has been located.”

Yu Qingjian’s voice snapped Li Changsheng out of his daze. He withdrew his gaze from the golden ship and finally regained his senses.

“Though something’s odd,” Yu Qingjian murmured as wisps of ghostly energy coiled around his fingers like slender serpents, writhing incessantly. “An extremely concealed array has been set up outside the ancestral hall—likely the work of the Punishment Enforcement Bureau.”

Li Changsheng frowned. “Concealed? As in secretly deployed?”

“Unclear for now.”

Yu Qingjian clenched his fist and said gravely, “Head due west. Remember, don’t expose your identities.”

“Understood.”

But no sooner had Lord Yu finished his solemn act than a voice as gentle as flowing water sounded beside them: “Honored guests, have you lost your way?”

The three froze before turning to look.

Night had fallen. A man in purple robes stood there holding a lantern, his delicate features and mild demeanor marking him as the epitome of an easygoing pushover.

Zou Ji’s lips didn’t move as he nearly resorted to ventriloquism: “That’s Tantai Cong. Do we fight?”

Yu Qingjian: “…”

Yu Qingjian glanced at Li Changsheng, hoping the Director would babble their way out of this.

Li Changsheng cleared his throat politely, ready to unleash his full deceptive arsenal. But before he could utter a single word, a familiar figure emerged from behind the Tantai City Lord.

Yu Qingjian: “??”

Li Changsheng: “…”

Punishment Enforcement Bureau official robes. Dark Iron Long Mace.

Gods damn it—it’s that bastard Zhang Que.

Zhang Que was equally surprised, his eyebrows nearly leaping off the back of his head.

After taking that kick from Zou Ji at the Bureau of Tribulation Transference last time, he’d stewed over it endlessly, so furious he’d spent midnight shadowboxing in the Punishment Enforcement Bureau. Never did he imagine that accompanying the Hall Master on official business to Nanyuan would grant him this chance for vengeance.

Director Zhang raised his lantern, its light casting his face into ghoulish shadows from below. Though inwardly overjoyed, he maintained his theatrical facade: “My, these three look rather familiar. Who might they be?”

Zou Ji: “…”

Yu Qingjian: “…”

Li Changsheng: “…………”

Author’s Note:

Li-Zou-Yu trio: [clown emoji][clown emoji][clown emoji]