Chapter 36

Undercurrents surge, distant concerns linger

"Why are they fighting like this?" Shi Mei observed the deadly seriousness of the conflict, clearly more than a mere skirmish.

"Interesting," Bai She remarked, a trace of fascination crossing his face.

Shimei looked up at him, "What's so interesting about that?"

"Fu family and Duan family," Bai She stated calmly, "They have been allies for generations. What made them turn against each other?"

"Could it be a fight over wealth or resources?" Shi Mei speculated, "This doesn’t look like a staged fight."

Bai She raised an eyebrow, "That's possible."

"Are you going to help them?" Shi Mei asked, assessing the situation. It seemed the Fu family had the upper hand, owing to their larger numbers.

Duan Yan, protecting his sister disguised as a boy, was retreating step by step along with the family craftsmen.

Just then, Xiao Fu Zi, perhaps alarmed by the sound of clashing swords, meowed and buried his head in Shi Mei's armpit, refusing to look.

This sound also caught the attention of the combatants.

“Hehe.”

Shi Mei then heard a somewhat familiar laugh. A man emerged from a hidden spot in the woods and said sarcastically, "Master Bai, meeting twice in one day, what a coincidence."

Shi Mei looked in the direction of the voice and saw it was Fu Ying, who had earlier impersonated Fu Si.

Fu Ying, with an ivory-handled folding fan in his hand, pointed at Duan Yan's sister and ordered his men, "Teach that girl a lesson."

Shi Mei remembered the girl from the Duan family, possibly named Yue.

Duan Yan was quite skilled in martial arts, constantly protecting Yue'er. In her urgency, Yue'er exclaimed, "Brother, don't worry about me!"

Shi Mei, often bullied since childhood, always wondered, what if she had a brother?

If she had a brother, her father might not have resented her for being a girl and leaving the Chen family without a male heir. With a brother, someone would have stood up for her when bullied, just like Duan Yan protecting his sister. The more Shi Mei watched, the more she envied them, feeling a slight bias towards the Duan family and wishing they wouldn't be at a disadvantage.

Seeing the Duan family losing, Shi Mei couldn't help but challenge Fu Ying, "What's the skill in many against few? Fight one-on-one if you dare!"

Fu Ying looked surprised and turned to Shi Mei, "You know martial arts too?"

Shi Mei shook her head, "I don’t."

"That makes them no different from common thugs," sneered Fu Ying, pointing at Yue, "That girl just revealed my identity in front of that Demented Elder, ruining my half-month's worth of planning. I won’t rest until I give her a good slap to quell my anger."

“Brother,” seeing the tide turning against her, Yue'er said to Duan Yan, “Stop fighting, she wants to hit me, I’ll let her!”

“No way!”

A Duan family craftsman stepped in, blocking Yue'er from rushing forward, “The young lady of our Duan family is not someone to be trifled with!”

Shi Mei found Yue'er's personality refreshingly straightforward and her youth explained why her elders and brother were so fond of her.

Bai She watched for a while, then turned his horse around to leave. Shi Mei grabbed his sleeve and asked, "Aren’t you going to help?"

Before Bai She could reply, Fu Ying laughed, "Ah, pretty lady, Master Bai here can't afford to clash with us from the Fu family."

Shi Mei found her arrogance unsettling and felt a surge of defiance.

Seeing Shi Mei's stern face, Bai She whispered in her ear, "Do you know the best way to teach an arrogant person a lesson?"

Shi Mei, puzzled, looked up at him. Bai She smiled faintly, "First, raise them to the highest point, then let them fall hard."

Shi Mei sensed something amiss in Bai She’s words. On closer inspection, she noticed that Duan Yan's sword had never left its sheath and that he appeared calm and composed, not at all disoriented.

After a moment of thought, Shi Mei understood and, agreeing that Fu Ying was excessively arrogant and deserved a setback, said, "Hey, Fu Ying."

Fu Ying looked up at her.

Shi Mei smiled, "Do you know martial arts?"

"Jokes," Fu Ying laughed arrogantly, "Even the cooks in the Fu family know martial arts!"

"Is your martial arts skill better than Yue's?" Shi Mei looked at her with some disdain, "Why hide behind others, letting a bunch of men attack a young girl?"

Duan Yan glanced at Shi Mei, his face expressionless, but a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.

Hearing this, Yue immediately raised her sword towards Fu Ying, "Fu Ying, if you dare, fight me one-on-one, instead of hiding like a coward!"

Fu Ying's face turned cold, "Duan Mingyue, with your mediocre skills, you think I fear you?"

"Then come on!"

Shimei watched the commotion from atop her horse, thinking to herself, "Oh, so her name is Duan Mingyue."

"Let's do this!" Fu Ying drew her sword, and a flash of cold light streaked through the forest like a bolt of lightning.

Shimei, surprised, asked Baisha, "Her sword seems very good!"

"That's the Reincarnation Sword, the Fu family heirloom," Baisha whispered, "It belongs to Fu Si."

"With such a weapon, isn't she at an advantage?" Shimei worried for Duan Mingyue.

"Swords and blades aren't advantageous just because they're good," Baisha shook his head, "One must be able to wield them properly. Using a sword that's beyond one's control can backfire."

In the midst of their conversation, Duan Mingyue drew her sword and advanced to meet Fu Ying in battle.

Fu Ying's martial arts were aggressive, attacking fiercely. In contrast, Duan Mingyue, who appeared more impulsive, adopted a defensive strategy, countering with calculated retreats and advances, eventually gaining the upper hand.

Shimei was puzzled and noticed Fu Ying's growing desperation.

"Fu Ying can't handle that sword; it's too fierce and the sword energy has backfired. Also, have you noticed the others?" Baisha pointed out to Shimei.

Shimei glanced over and saw Duan Yan suddenly counterattacking. The Fu family's artisans were no match for him, quickly defeated and forced to retreat.

"Oh…" Shimei realized, "Fu Ying must have noticed that she fell into Duan Yan's trap. When the situation turned against her, she panicked and couldn’t hold her ground against Duan Mingyue!"

Bai She nodded in agreement.

"What will happen next?" Shimei asked. "Will Fu Ying lose? Knowing her character, if she suffers a loss, she might cause trouble for the Duan family, right?"

Baisha chuckled, "You're quite perceptive. But don’t worry, they are old family friends. They'll stop before it goes too far."

No sooner had Baisha finished speaking than Duan Yan subdued the Fu family artisans, calling out leisurely, "That’s enough, Yue, stop teasing Miss Fu of the Fifth."

Duan Mingyue immediately sheathed her sword and leapt out of the fray. Seeing Fu Ying exhausted and gasping for breath, she felt satisfied and ran back to Duan Yan, "Brother, you really have a way!"

"Don’t run! The fight isn’t over yet!" Fu Ying, feeling defeated without a clear outcome, was unwilling to give up and pursued further. But then, a voice came from the forest, "Ying, accept defeat gracefully. Why act so petulantly?"

Hearing this, Fu Ying's face flushed with embarrassment, stomping her feet and shouting back into the woods, "You’re one to talk, allowing your sister to be bullied like that and just watching the spectacle!"

Shimei also looked towards the woods and saw a black horse emerge, ridden by a young man in his twenties, dressed in black, with a fair complexion and a scholarly appearance.

"Fourth Young Master…"

The Fu family servants immediately went forward and knelt in respect.

Upon hearing the term "Fourth Young Master," Shimei scrutinized the man, realizing this was the real Fu Si that Baisha had mentioned.

This Fu Si, indeed, appeared as good as Baisha had described him, a person who seemed quite virtuous at first glance.

Having spent time with Baisha, Shimei had encountered many people from the martial world. Most had a certain fierceness about them, like sharp blades, more pronounced in those with higher martial skills. Fu Si, however, was an exception, appearing exceptionally refined and gentle.

After observing for a while, Shimei thought that in terms of handsomeness, Fu Si was far from Baisha, but his charm lay in his unassuming nature and affable demeanor.

While Shimei was observing, she felt her horse nudge slightly. Looking up, she saw Baisha’s eyes lowered, watching her.

"Is that Fu Si?" Shimei asked. "What's his real name?"

"I am Fu Mingzhi."

Fu Si’s hearing seemed extraordinarily sharp, answering Shimei from a distance.

Shimei was taken aback, surprised that he could hear her from so far away.

Turning back, she saw Fu Si giving Baisha a slight bow, "Brother Bai, long time no see. You haven’t changed a bit." He then bowed to Duan Yan, "Brother Duan, I apologize for my sister’s lack of discipline." His manners were impeccable.

Duan Yan smiled back, not saying much. Mingyue looked at Fu Si, who also bowed to her, "Miss Mingyue’s skills have greatly improved."

Duan Mingyue blushed slightly, immediately becoming more demure. Shimei noticed the change – the airs of a young lady.

"Fourth Brother! That woman knows where the other half of the Jade Buddha is!" Fu Ying approached Fu Si, pointing at Shimei.

"Oh?" Fu Si turned, scrutinized Shimei, and smiled, "May I ask your name, Miss?"

"Brother... that's the renowned Perfume Lady, haven't you heard of her?" Fu Ying's tone was a bit peculiar, holding a grudge against Shimei for provoking her to duel Duan Mingyue, which had embarrassed her.

Fu Si nodded to Shimei, "So, you are the princess."

"What princess... she’s just a widow," Fu Ying muttered.

Shimei frowned slightly, annoyed. Despite being a maiden, she was being referred to as a widow.

"Hey!" Standing next to Fu Ying, Duan Mingyue, having just been assisted by Shimei and feeling grateful, also sensing a desire to oppose Fu Ying, interjected, "Can you watch your mouth?"

Fu Ying shot her a glare, but Duan Mingyue, noticing her apparent animosity towards Shimei and quickly changing her tone, suddenly smiled and said, "Oh my, I've heard the Perfume Lady is exceptionally beautiful, and seeing her today, she indeed surpasses those who claim to be the foremost beauties of the martial world, with a grace and refinement they lack."

Duan Yan stood behind her, shaking his head in resignation. Fu Ying looked displeased, but Duan Mingyue was not done yet, adding, "It’s true, you can only tell who the real beauty is when you compare them! And sitting on a horse next to someone like Baisha, they indeed make a fitting pair."

As Duan Mingyue spoke, she noticed Fu Ying's stern face and couldn't help but feel more joyful. Duan Yan patted her shoulder from behind, saying, "Here, have a drink. You must be thirsty after talking so much, right?"

Duan Mingyue wrinkled her nose and glared at him, choosing to remain silent.

Fu Ying was quite renowned in the martial arts world, famed for her exquisite beauty and noble family background, earning her the title of 'The Foremost Beauty in Martial Arts'.

Originally, the elder Fu planned to betroth her to Bai She, but he declined. Fu Ying then announced a martial contest to choose a suitor, which Bai She also ignored, infuriating her to the point of cancelling the event. Bai She's double refusal embarrassed Fu Ying greatly, leading her to frequently speak ill of him. Recently, rumors had spread that Bai She had fallen for Xiang Fen Niang Niang. Hearing this, Fu Ying, incredulous at first, intended to mock Bai She, but upon meeting Shi Mei, she was struck by her beauty, intensifying her sense of rivalry.

"Haha," laughed Fu Si, teasing Shi Mei, "Princess, don't be offended. You've monopolized the dream lover of all the martial arts beauties. No wonder they're upset with you."

"Brother! What are you talking about?" exclaimed a blushing Fu Ying, who then ran off in a huff.

Shi Mei's cheeks reddened too. She glanced at Bai She, who didn't deny it, simply bid farewell with a "I must leave now," and walked away with Shi Mei.

"Ah, Brother Bai, about the half jade Buddha my sister mentioned..."

"We don't have a jade Buddha," Shi Mei shook her head in reply, "I don't know anything about it. It's all just fabrications by people in the martial world."

Upon hearing this, Fu Si nodded lightly, understanding, "I see."

Bai She led his horse away, leaving the Fus and the Duans to continue their conversation, indifferent to whatever they were discussing.

When Shi Mei saw that no one was behind them and Xiao Fu Zi had fallen asleep in her arms, she turned back to look at Bai She, who remained silent. She felt he was troubled by something. He was a good person in many ways, yet enigmatic in his thoughts.

The two smoothly made their way back to the entrance of the Xiang Fen residence, where they saw carvings being made on the door, based on designs by Xu Xian. Shi Mei had seen them before and found them exquisitely detailed.

As soon as Bai She's horse arrived, Qin Dai emerged from the Bai residence with a rare serious expression, gesturing to Bai She, who frowned slightly and set down Shi Mei, saying, "I need to go back."

"Sure," Shi Mei nodded, "Just send someone if you need any help."

Bai She nodded and, just before leaving, turned back to add, "Remember what I just told you. Be extra careful."

Shi Mei raised an eyebrow, "Which part?"

Bai She looked exasperated, but then saw Shi Mei grinning mischievously, "Got it, I was just teasing you."

Bai She returned to his mansion, and Qin Dai followed him inside, "The people I sent out have returned, with some news..."

The rest of the conversation was muffled behind the closing doors of the Bai residence, leaving Shi Mei unable to hear. Turning around, she saw Hong Ye and Zan Yue standing at the door, looking at her with complex expressions.

"You two..."

"Sigh, we've been standing here for quite a while, but you didn’t even notice us, your eyes were only for Bai She," they teased Shi Mei.

"Not at all," Shi Mei said, carrying Xiao Fu Zi into the house, and she briefly recounted the day’s events.

"Fu Ying?!" Hong Ye laughed, "Everyone in the martial world knows she fancies Bai She and has been rejected several times. Little Mei Zi, you're in trouble now. Fu Ying must certainly hate you."

"Mei Zi, you’re not part of the martial world, better stay out of these matters," Zan Yue expressed concern for Shi Mei, "By the way, Chakak’s people came by earlier, asking if the early-rising son’s fragrance powder is ready."

"Oh no!" Shi Mei exclaimed in shock, handing the dozing Xiao Fu Zi to Xiang Er beside her and running towards the fragrant workshop, repeatedly muttering, "This is bad, I forgot!"

……

In the afternoon, Shi Mei busied herself in the fragrance workshop until late at night, making several packets of fragrant powder according to Chen Shimei’s recipe. This fragrance could resist sleeping drugs and invigorate the mind; lighting a burner of it ensured alertness all night.

The next day, she sent the fragrance to Chakak, reminding him that it was just an invigorating concoction, its success uncertain, and to try it out without too high expectations.

Unexpectedly, on the third day, Chakak sent back a generous amount of gold and silver, proclaiming success — he had consummated his marriage the night before.

Shi Mei and the others were puzzled, could it really have worked so easily? However, they moved on, unaware that this incident would sow the seeds of significant trouble in the future...

In the following days, Shi Mei found herself with unexpected free time. Bai She stopped visiting her, and Zan Yue, learning cooking from Aunt Huo daily, reported that Bai She wasn’t in his residence and seemed to have gone on a long journey.

Shi Mei would occasionally drift into daydreams, but soon found herself overwhelmed with the opening of her fragrance powder shop.

In the blink of an eye, four or five days passed, and the fragrance powder shop was finally ready for business.

By this time, the entire capital was abuzz with news of the princess opening a shop, selling the rare and exotic fragrance powder, piquing immense curiosity among the townspeople.

On the first day of opening, many customers visited, mostly daughters of wealthy families.

Hong Ye talked up the fragrance powder extravagantly, leaving the young ladies dazed by its allure. Additionally, Zan Yue’s decision to package the powder in beautiful boxes and commission exquisite small incense burners was highly praised. Soon, carrying these burners became a new trend among the capital’s young ladies.

After three days, Shi Mei, Zan Yue, and Hong Ye counted their earnings and found themselves exceedingly prosperous. This success even allowed them to significantly increase the monthly wages of their housemaids and servants, bringing smiles all around.

Good business meant even busier days at the fragrance powder house. Time flew so quickly that when Shi Mei finally had a moment to think about Bai She, she realized it had been over half a month since their last meeting.

"Has Bai She not returned yet?" On a rare quiet day in the shop, the three girls sat chatting in the back room. Shi Mei inquired of Zan Yue.

Zan Yue shook her head, "No, I specifically asked Aunt Huo yesterday. She said Bai She went to Guizhou to follow up on the case of Lao Kuan Qiao."

"Really?" Shi Mei felt relieved and happy to hear there was progress in the case.

While they were talking, they heard a girl outside conveying a message, "Hong Ye, a customer has arrived."

Hong Ye quickly got up to attend to the customer, and with Shi Mei and Zan Yue having nothing else to do, they followed, carrying Xiao Fu Zi to help out.

After bypassing the screen and lifting the beaded curtain to the front room, Shi Mei was startled to see the visitors.

The arrivals were two people: a man in black and a girl in a lotus-colored long dress, previously seen, Fu Si and Fu Ying.

A sense of apprehension struck Shi Mei. What were these two doing here?

"The business is doing well, I see," Fu Ying observed around, her eyes drawn to the exquisite items in the shop. True to her youthful nature, she leaned in for a closer look. Hong Ye introduced her to several of the best-selling incenses, and Fu Ying, clearly liking them, bought quite a few and also picked out an incense burner.

Fu Si gave Shi Mei a slight bow, "Princess."

Shi Mei regretted coming out but couldn’t retreat now, so she greeted them with a smile, "No need for formalities, Sir. My surname is Chen."

"Miss Chen," Fu Si addressed her directly, getting straight to the point, "I have a matter for which I would like to ask Miss Chen's assistance."

Shi Mei thought to herself, quite forward of him to ask for help upon arrival.

"What is it?" Xiang Er offered tea and said, "Our mistress is very busy. If it’s too troublesome or difficult, we might not be able to help."

Fu Si nodded, "Of course, it's nothing too bothersome. I just want Miss Chen to help me identify something." He then took out a piece of wood from his sleeve and handed it to Shi Mei, "I want to know if there's anything unusual about this wood."

Shi Mei took it, feeling its lightness in her hand… Was this really wood? She examined it closely; though it resembled wood, complete with growth rings, it felt softer than ordinary wood.

"Isn't this just fast-growing wood?" Zan Yue also came over to take a look.

"Can you tell what kind of wood it is?" Fu Si pressed.

Shi Mei shook her head, somewhat embarrassed. Truthfully, she had never seen anything like it. Perhaps Chen Shimei could have identified it at a glance, but she lacked that expertise.

"Ah, sir, you’re putting our mistress in a difficult position," Xiang Er said, "Maybe a carpenter should be consulted."

"Exactly." Fu Ying, holding the incense burner, joined in, "Brother, I told you it's just a piece of ordinary wood. Stop fussing over it."

Fu Si, still not convinced, said to Shi Mei, "...the wood has a fragrance."

"Really?" Shi Mei brought it close to her nose and indeed detected a unique scent, similar to musk but lighter...

Handing the piece back to Fu Si, Shi Mei suggested, "Master Fu, this might be a piece of wood, or it could be a dried medicinal herb. Why not take it to a pharmacy for inquiry? I’ve never seen anything like this."

After receiving the wooden piece, Fu Si nodded, thanked Shi Mei, and then left with Fu Ying, paying the silver fee.

After they left, Shi Mei stood pondering for a moment before turning back to the fragrance workshop to consult some books.

Chen Shimei’s notebooks, thick with records of medicinal herbs and spices, were many. Shi Mei went through them one by one until she found something similar by lamplight.

After reading the note carefully, Shi Mei furrowed her brows. The piece Fu Si had was likely a dried Mo Xiang Qin!

Mo Xiang Qin is a poisonous mushroom that, when dried, resembles a piece of wood and has a faint fragrance. Once boiled in water, it looks similar to a mushroom and tastes delicious but is extremely toxic, causing fatal bleeding from all orifices if consumed. Mo Xiang Qin can also be ground into powder for making incense, producing significant hallucinogenic effects. It's a rare and precious item, seldom seen.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Shi Mei wanted to warn Fu Si not to misuse it, but how to reach him? As she pondered, Xiang Er burst in, panicked, "Mei Zi, something terrible has happened!"