Chapter 78 I’m Tired of Hearing That. Change the Words Next Time…

Chapter 78: I'm Tired of Hearing That—Use Different Words Next Time...

Having decided to report to the authorities, A Chan needed to leave some evidence for the Bright Mirror Bureau. So, instead of cleaning up the water stains in her room, she simply moved to another to continue sleeping.

Without the water monster disturbing her peaceful dreams, she finally slept soundly.

It wasn't until the end of the *chen* hour that A Chan contentedly opened her eyes.

Pushing open the door, bright sunlight streamed into the room. She stretched languidly in the sun—today's weather was perfect for mischief.

After washing up, A Chan went to the kitchen and found the spring rolls Chen Hui had made for her. Each finger-sized roll had wrappers as thin as cicada wings; some were filled with shredded meat, others with crisp vegetables.

A Chan squatted by the stove, plate in hand, devouring the rolls like a little mouse stealing oil. Only after finishing the entire plate did she head to the front of the house.

Chen Hui had just seen off two customers who came to buy perfumed powder. Noticing A Chan emerging from the back door, she turned and asked, “Do you want me to take you to the *yamen*?”

“No need,” A Chan waved her hand. “Stay at the shop. I’ll be back soon.”

“Alright, be careful on your way.”

The Bright Mirror Bureau wasn’t particularly close to Changping Lane, and A Chan had recently grown accustomed to being chauffeured. After walking less than halfway, she began to feel lazy, and her pace slowed.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats and loud shouts suddenly came from nearby: “Move aside, everyone move aside!”

Following that was the sharp crack of a whip cutting through the air.

Pedestrians on the street, unaware of what was happening, hurriedly stepped aside. A Chan had already been walking in the shade by the roadside, so she didn’t rush to move further aside. Instead, she stopped and strained to see, just like the others.

Before long, a long procession appeared on the street.

At the front, riding sleek horses to clear the way, were a group of formidable guards. Judging by their commanding presence, they likely possessed cultivation.

Behind these dozen or so guards followed several spacious and luxurious carriages, each bearing the same emblem. A Chan didn’t recognize which family the emblem belonged to, but the onlookers by the street seemed to know the convoy’s origin.

She heard someone in the crowd ask, “Whose convoy is this, acting so arrogantly?”

“The Prince of Xiling’s household. Haven’t seen them in years.”

At that moment, the curtain of one carriage’s window was lifted, revealing a young girl peering out curiously. Beside her sat a young man with an otherworldly air. He didn’t turn his head, but the profile of his face gave A Chan an inexplicable feeling of recognition.

Soon, the convoy passed down the street. The onlookers dispersed, and A Chan still had to go to the Bright Mirror Bureau.

After walking for about half an hour, she finally arrived at the entrance of the Bright Mirror Bureau.

The guard stationed at the gate saw A Chan approaching and said sternly, “This is a restricted area of the Bright Mirror Bureau. Do not linger without reason.”

A Chan flashed a smile at the guard who had spoken. “Sir, I’m here to report a case.”

The guard looked her up and down before asking, “What happened? If it’s an ordinary case, go to the Capital Prefecture Office.”

“I may have encountered a water monster.”

Hearing her mention a water monster, the guard’s expression changed slightly. “Wait a moment.”

With that, he turned and went inside to report.

Not long after, the guard returned and said to A Chan, “Follow me.”

A Chan followed him into the Bright Mirror Bureau’s *yamen*. Noticing they weren’t heading toward the inner hall, she couldn’t help but ask, “Sir, who are we going to see?”

The guard glanced at her and replied, “The duty *Qianhu*.”

“Can’t you take me to see Lord Bai instead? Or is he not here today?”

“You know Lord Bai?” The guard halted, turning to her in surprise.

“I’ve dealt with Lord Bai a few times. We have some familiarity.”

“I see…” The guard hesitated, seeing that A Chan didn’t seem to be lying. “Lord Bai has been in a poor mood these past two days. I can take you to him, but if you upset him, you’ll be on your own.”

“Thank you for the warning, sir. Please take me to Lord Bai.”

“Fine.” Seeing A Chan’s confidence, the guard led her toward the inner hall.

At the moment, the doors to the inner hall were tightly shut, and no guards were stationed outside.

Standing at the door, the guard licked his dry lips and knocked.

For a long while, there was no response from inside.

The guard looked at A Chan, already regretting bringing her here.

A Chan paid no mind to whether the person inside was angry. Holding up her skirt with one hand, she stepped onto the stairs and banged on the door with the other. “Lord Bai?”

No sound came from inside.

A Chan tilted her head to listen but heard nothing. She knocked twice more, but there was still no reaction.

After a moment of silence, under the guard’s stunned gaze, A Chan’s voice suddenly took on a tearful tone. “Lord Bai, are you there? A monster broke into my house… I’m so scared—”

Before she could finish, the door opened.

Bai Xiuming stood inside, expressionless, his gaze icy, radiating cold intensity.

A Chan sneaked a glance at him. His face was so grim—it seemed his mood truly was bad today.

“What kind of case is so important that the Bright Mirror Bureau’s *Qianhu* can’t handle it, that you had to come to me?”

He turned his gaze to the guard beside them. The guard trembled, not even attempting to explain, and immediately knelt to admit fault. “I-it was my mistake, sir. Please punish me.”

“Lord Bai, I was the one who asked him to bring me to you,” A Chan quickly interjected.

“He certainly listens to you well.”

Bai Xiuming’s icy stare settled on A Chan’s face. Those beautiful almond-shaped eyes were quite intimidating when devoid of warmth.

A Chan looked away slightly and said, “It’s a matter of life and death. I don’t trust anyone else.”

Looking at the energetic A Chan before him, Bai Xiuming said with a sneer, “Then explain carefully to me—what kind of matter of life and death is this?”

Ignoring the mockery in his tone, A Chan said, “These past few days, I’ve suddenly begun having nightmares. I dreamt of something climbing out of the well in my courtyard. But on the first night, I couldn’t make out what it was—I could only hear footsteps.”

Before she could finish, the indifference on Bai Xiuming’s face disappeared.

This situation could be caused by a monster that haunts dreams or a curse delivered through dreams. Given the rarity of the former, the latter seemed more likely.

Seeing him deep in thought, A Chan’s mouth quirked slightly, and she continued, “On the second night, I saw the monster—a fish that had grown limbs. It looked terrifying. By the time I woke up, it had already made it to my doorstep.”

“Today is the third day?” Bai Xiuming asked.

Curses can last for varying lengths of time, but judging by A Chan's description, the curse would probably kick in by the third day—which is why he asked.

To his surprise, A Chan smiled and replied, "No, today is the fourth day."

"The fourth day, and you're just reporting it now?" Bai Xiuming frowned.

A Chan put on her most innocent look. "But I heard Lord Bai has been in a bad mood lately, and I shouldn’t bother you unless it’s a matter of life and death."

Having his own words used against him, Bai Xiuming merely gave her a deep look. "Come on."

"Where to?"

"First we'll figure out how to lift the curse on you." With that, he strode out of the room.

"What if it can’t be broken?" A Chan hurried after him.

The Bright Mirror Bureau headquarters was sprawling, and Bai Xiuming walked at a leisurely pace. Hearing her question, he replied coldly, "Then go home and prepare to die."

"Lord Bai wouldn’t be so cruel."

A Chan tossed out some flattery, but as she glanced up, she suddenly realized why the side view of the man she’d spotted in the carriage earlier had seemed familiar—his features bore some resemblance to Bai Xiuming’s.

Recalling the origin of that convoy, she began to suspect. Could that man be Bai Xiuming’s brother?

Given his background and his recent foul mood, it might well be connected to that group.

Her eyes gleamed with mischief as she probed, "Has something unhappy happened to Lord Bai recently?"

Perhaps he’d share—for her entertainment.

"The most unpleasant thing to happen to me recently is having my day off interrupted for a case."

A Chan pretended not to understand and praised, "Lord Bai is such a caring official who cares for the people like his own children."

Bai Xiuming scoffed lightly, clearly unwilling to indulge her further.

They arrived before a pavilion, where he led her inside and pushed open a door. A black-robed elder stood before a corpse, intently studying something.

Hearing the door open, the elder grumbled irritably, "I said no disturbances—oh, Lord Bai? Why have you come?"

Upon seeing Bai Xiuming, the elder’s face lit up with a smile.

"Examine her. What kind of curse is she under?" Bai Xiuming stepped aside, revealing A Chan.

The elder studied her, sniffed the air around her, then circled her before stepping back. "Smells like water magic—probably a water curse."

He then asked, "Have you had nightmares these past few days? How many nights? What did the creature in your dreams look like?"

A Chan thought the Bright Mirror Bureau really knew their stuff. "Three straight nights of nightmares. The monster had a fish’s body, limbs, and human facial features."

The elder immediately recognized the creature from her description. "A nixie. Those don't show up often."

He then said to A Chan, "This way, miss."

Leading her into an inner chamber, he examined her with a black mirror that occasionally emitted white light. He also asked whether she’d been injured recently, if the nixie had left traces in her home, and so on.

After A Chan answered each question, the elder checked the wound on her hand—already healing—before bringing her back out.

Emerging, the elder said to Bai Xiuming, "The water curse on this young lady remains, but for some reason, it hasn’t taken effect."

Bai Xiuming glanced at A Chan, who immediately feigned surprise.

The nixie was dead, yet the curse was still hanging on—persistent little thing.

He turned back to the elder. "How to break it?"

"The caster must lift it voluntarily. If they refuse… the caster dying would work too." The elder added, "This young lady mentioned traces of the nixie in her home. If we act quickly while the aura lingers, we should find the caster soon."

A Chan's face lit up. "Let's go, Lord Bai!"

Bai Xiuming’s gaze swept over her delicate face. "In a hurry?"

"Someone wants me dead. Of course I’m eager to know who." She said it like it was obvious.

Bai Xiuming said nothing more. After leaving the pavilion, he led A Chan back to the front. Passing a certain room, he called out, "Feng Yang."

"Yes, my lord?" Feng Yang emerged, head bowed cautiously. "Your orders, sir?"

"Gather a few men. We’re heading to Changping Ward."

"What happened in Changping Ward—?" Mid-question, Feng Yang spotted A Chan behind Bai Xiuming.

He couldn’t help asking, "Why is Miss Ji here? Trouble again?"

"Yes," A Chan replied. "Somehow got myself cursed."

"What? By whom?" Feng Yang sincerely felt A Chan had terrible luck—always stumbling into trouble.

"Your guess is as good as mine," A Chan sighed. "Maybe someone dislikes Lord Bai and decided I'd make a good target."

She even shot Bai Xiuming a meaningful look.

Feng Yang looked at his lord, not following the logic—why harm Miss Ji if they disliked Lord Bai?

But smartly, he kept that question to himself.

Soon, A Chan led the Bright Mirror Bureau guards to her residence in Changping Ward. The shop was empty, with just Chen Hui keeping watch. The guards streamed in, and Chen Hui closed the shop before retreating to the backyard.

Under Chen Hui’s guidance, the guards quickly collected traces of water left by the nixie by the well and in A Chan’s room.

Supernatural traces, if not deliberately cleansed, could linger for most of a day.

But usually, by the time the cursed realized something was wrong, it was too late—they wouldn’t notice such details, making it hard to collect evidence.

One guard soaked up the water with a red paper, then placed it on a blank compass. Soon, the needle swung to point the way.

With the nixie’s location identified, the guards got ready to move out. As Bai Xiuming swung up onto his horse, A Chan suddenly caught his sleeve.

Bai Xiuming lowered his gaze to her pale fingers gripping his crimson official robe before asking, "What now?"

"Lord Bai, mind if I tag along?"

"What for?"

"I want to look them in the eye and ask—why they tried to kill me."

"Don't trust us to get the truth?"

A Chan ignored the question. She gave his sleeve a light tug: "Sir, please take me with you. As an actual survivor, the culprit might be more willing to talk if they see me. I promise I won’t cause any trouble."

Bai Xiuming studied her in silence for a moment before pulling his hand free and mounting the horse.

Standing beside the towering dragon blood horse, A Chan looked up at him, the corners of her eyes slightly red and her lips pressed down, as if she were either angry or profoundly hurt.

The Bright Mirror Bureau's team had already set off ahead. A Chan slowly lowered her head when suddenly Bai Xiuming leaned down, grabbed her arm, and lifted her. With a hand steadying her waist, she found herself seated on the horse in the next instant.

The dragon blood horse let out a neigh and broke into a brisk trot.

Seated in front of Bai Xiuming, A Chan appeared especially petite; her head only came up to his shoulder. She tilted her head slightly, catching only a glimpse of the man's chin behind her, but that didn't stop her sincere praise: "Sir, you're so kind."

Bai Xiuming, holding the reins with one hand, snorted lightly at her words: "I'm tired of hearing that. Come up with something new next time."

"Oh."

He's so hard to please.

Soon, the Bright Mirror Bureau's team arrived at Kaiming Lane, quietly surrounding the compass-pointed courtyard.

Inside the house, old lady Tian frowned as she pulled the nixie from the water vat, only to find it completely motionless.

Her heart lurched, but before she could think further, the crash of a door being kicked in startled her. She hastily dropped the nixie and had barely taken two steps out of her room when a blade was pressed against her neck.

Staring at the Bright Mirror Bureau Guard suddenly before her, her eyes flashed with panic as she stammered, "S-sir, you must have the wrong person?"

Feng Yang looked at the trembling old lady Tian and sneered, "Don’t you know what you’ve done?"

"Sir, I haven’t—"

Before she could finish, Feng Yang gestured behind him, "Shackles."

Immediately, someone stepped forward and clamped heavy manacles onto old lady Tian, locking her hands and feet. Color drained from her face.