Chapter 47

Chapter 47

After work at the teahouse ended, Ji Pingan told Shen Yuan to head home and not to worry about him.

He also needed to go home and explain things clearly to his parents.

Shen Yuan nodded in agreement. He took the food Auntie Chun had prepared and left with Wang Sanhu.

After riding for so many days, Wang Sanhu had gotten used to the bumpy ride and no longer got dizzy.

After seeing Wang Sanhu off at the village entrance, Shen Yuan said, "Brother Sanhu, you go on ahead. Tell Dongdong and the others not to wait up for me tonight. I'll leave a bit later in the morning and have breakfast with them."

Wang Sanhu understood that Shen Yuan needed to handle matters related to the teahouse and urged him to be very careful. "Leave everything at home to me, don't you worry."

Shen Yuan acknowledged with a smile and then rode off.

Meanwhile, at the Ji household.

Zhao Yueyun dabbed the tears from her face with a handkerchief. "Pingxin wrote saying she's being targeted everywhere in the Xie family, even her meals are being withheld."

Ji Mingfeng, standing nearby, also looked grim, his face full of concern. "Enough, stop crying. What good does crying do now? Will it put food in Pingxin's belly, or will it solve the Ji family's crisis?"

"Now, the Liu and Xu families have suddenly been investigated for involvement in the private salt trade, a grave crime punishable by confiscation of property and execution. They just formed ties with our Ji Family Teahouse, and now this happens. We should be thinking about how to cut them loose and protect the Ji family."

Zhao Yueyun frowned. "The Ji family, the Ji family, the Ji family! That's all you ever think about! Isn't Pingxin's life a life too? She's your daughter!"

"She's far away in Youyang, inside the Xie family compound. Even if I had all the power in the world, my reach doesn't extend into the Xie family!" Ji Mingfeng slammed the table, making loud banging noises. "You were the one who wanted her to become a concubine in the Xie family. So why the pity now? Didn't you have any idea what kind of life Pingxin would have in the Xie family?"

Zhao Yueyun broke down, crying. "Ji Mingfeng! You told me to do it! You said we had to cling to the Xie family by any means necessary!"

Ji Mingfeng grew exasperated. "What's done is done. What's the point of arguing about it now? You'd be better off spending this time thinking about how to preserve the Ji family. If the Ji family falls, Pingxin's life will only get harder."

Hearing this, Zhao Yueyun calmed down somewhat, but she couldn't stop the tears, weeping softly.

A servant's announcement came from outside, "Master, the Seventh Young Master is here."

Hearing it was Ji Pingan, Ji Mingfeng said urgently, "Quick, let him in."

The information from the yamen was crucial; he needed it to decide his next move.

However, what Ji Mingfeng hadn't expected was that while he had thought the Liu and Xu families were a burden on them, it turned out their Ji family was the millstone around the necks of the Liu and Xu families.

He said, disbelieving, "You can't be mistaken, can you? Maybe Magistrate Pang really is ill, and the matter is indeed serious. It's not unreasonable to hand it over to a superior official to manage. It just so happens that Prefect Wang is from the Xie family's Second Branch."

"Otherwise, this move is just too obvious. Aren't they afraid of angering Fifth Uncle?"

Ji Pingan said, "Father, do you think just because they hide it a little deeper, Fifth Uncle won't find out? Doing it this way actually leaves Fifth Uncle with no recourse."

"What do you mean by that?" Ji Mingfeng didn't understand.

"To put it bluntly, the Liu and Xu families have no fundamental relationship with our Ji family. As you said, Prefect Wang handling this matter is reasonable and proper. But this way, the continuation of the storytelling at Ji Family Teahouse will become very difficult. Everyone will get the message: whoever gets close to the Ji family—no, rather, to the Ji Family Teahouse—will be unlucky."

"Confiscation and execution are not out of the question. Before long, everyone will be fearful for their own safety and dare not have any connection with the teahouse."

"Not to mention tea customers, I'm afraid even a dog on the roadside wouldn't dare come near our teahouse."

Ji Pingan knew Xie Yulin wanted Shen Yuan's help. Connecting all the incidents, it wasn't hard to guess the root cause.

Ji Mingfeng slumped into his chair, muttering blankly, "So this is the Xie family members fighting among themselves, using the Liu and Xu families to make an example, forcing our Ji family to choose sides?"

Then he added, puzzled, "But our Ji family has nothing to offer. We're just small merchants in Qingyun County. Even if we could dominate Qingyun, outside of it we are nothing. What does the Xie family want from us?"

"It's not the Ji family they want, it's Shen Yuan." Zhao Yueyun wiped her tears dry, her eyes showing determination as she looked at Ji Pingan. "Pingan, your sister's life is in your hands."

Ji Mingfeng suddenly understood and also looked at Ji Pingan. "So, does that mean if we hand over Shen Yuan, our Ji family will be safe?"

"What are you talking about?" Ji Pingan frowned. "We needed Shen Yuan to stay for the storytelling to make money. Wasn't that what you thought before? Now that trouble has come, you want to hand him over again?"

"What else can we do!" Zhao Yueyun cried and shouted at Ji Pingan. "Don't you want your sister's life? Shen Yuan isn't your real brother, but Pingxin is your real sister! Ji Pingan, can't you tell who your real family is!"

Ji Mingfeng, having witnessed Ji Pingan's stubbornness before, feared he might actually choose Shen Yuan and also angrily said, "The Ji family is your home. You wouldn't really sacrifice the entire Ji family for an outsider, would you?"

Ji Pingan closed his eyes wearily. "You're always like this."

"Fine. Then who do you want to give Xiao Yuan to? Xie Yulin or Xie Shaoqing?"

Hearing Ji Pingan directly utter the names of the Xie family's legitimate grandson and the head of the Second Branch, Ji Mingfeng was so frightened he slapped the table. "You are utterly audacious! Do you have a death wish, daring to call them by their names!"

Ji Pingan felt he was going mad. "Can't I even speak my mind at home? Xiao Yuan just wants to take care of his younger siblings, help the people of Dashu Village live peacefully in Qingyun County, and wants me and everyone at the teahouse to be well. I also just want Xiao Yuan to be safe and smooth-sailing. Why is everyone forcing him! Why is everyone forcing me!"

"What do my sister and the Ji family have to do with Xiao Yuan? Isn't the current situation caused by Father and Mother wanting to climb onto the Xie family back then?"

"Ungrateful son!" Ji Mingfeng glared angrily at Ji Pingan and, with a slap, struck him across the face.

Ji Pingan's head snapped to the side from the blow, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

He pressed his tongue against the stinging cheek and said mockingly, "If you lack the capability, don't try to climb. Sister died the moment you sent her into that Xie family member's room."

"Otherwise, she would have married the man she loved, become a wife and a mother. It was you who broke faith, who destroyed her good marriage, who killed her for power and fame. What does that have to do with me? What does it have to do with Xiao Yuan?"

Ji Mingfeng's face flushed red with rage. He raised his hand again, but Ji Pingan blocked it. "Going to hit me again? Angry because I hit the truth? Father, Mother, when will you see clearly that the Ji family's current predicament is entirely self-inflicted."

Because they chose to cling to the Xie family, the Ji family's fate was sealed. They were to become sacrificial pawns in the Xie family's internal strife.

Unless the Xie family's Second Branch remained obedient and without ambition, or unless they could crush Xie Yulin in one go, the Ji family would suffer sooner or later. After all, the Ji family's legitimate daughter was a concubine to a son of Xie Shaoqing.

Ji Mingfeng and Zhao Yueyun slumped dejectedly into their chairs. Yes, their family's outcome had long been decided. Whether there was Shen Yuan's storytelling or not, it was the same. It was inevitable.

It was just very, very hard to admit they were wrong.

The two fell silent. Ji Pingan stood up to leave.

Ji Mingfeng asked warily, "What are you going to do?"

"To beg Fifth Uncle."

Zhao Yueyun asked Ji Pingan, "Beg him for what?"

Ji Pingan felt exhausted, not wanting to make any more choices. "What does Mother want me to beg for? To spare Sister or to spare the Ji family?"

"To spare Pingxin."

"Let the Ji family go."

Zhao Yueyun and Ji Mingfeng spoke in unison. Ji Pingan gave a light laugh.

"How about you spare me first?"

At the Xie family ancestral residence.

Xie Yulin had just bathed when a servant came to announce that Shen Yuan had arrived with the jade token, requesting an audience.

"Let him in."

The servant outside received the reply and led Shen Yuan into the room.

Shen Yuan hadn't expected Xie Yulin to be fresh from a bath. The man wore a loose robe of fine silk brocade, his ink-black hair cascading down to his waist. His face was peerlessly handsome, his eyes holding the same unfathomable, icy coldness as always.

Yet, there was a difference from the daytime—a touch of languidness that made him seem less distant and unapproachable.

"Seen enough?" Xie Yulin said coldly.

Shen Yuan nodded and greeted him politely, "Yes, yes, I have. Greetings, Fifth Granduncle. Good evening, Fifth Granduncle."

Xie Yulin moved a finger, signaling a servant to serve Shen Yuan tea.

"What brings you here? Who is trying to harm you?"

The shadow guard had reported Shen Yuan's whereabouts not long ago; no one had posed a threat to him.

Xie Yulin was also curious. What life-or-death emergency, so urgent, had driven him to gallop here so late at night?

"It's not about harming me," Shen Yuan answered truthfully. "The Second Branch of the Xie family is holding the life of my brother's sister to force the Ji family to make a choice. I'm here to beg Fifth Granduncle if it's possible to rescue her from their hands."

Shen Yuan had galloped all the way here; the night wind had tousled his hair and rumpled his clothes.

He had tidied himself a bit outside, but a stray strand of hair still hung down. However, it was at the back of his head, so Shen Yuan couldn't see it and didn't feel it.

It bothered Xie Yulin; his gaze occasionally fell on that stray strand. He said offhandedly, "The jade token is for saving your life. The lives of others are not included."

After a moment of silence, Shen Yuan said, "Then, Fifth Granduncle, can I use this jade token to exchange for my sister's life?"

"I thought you were afraid of death? Without the token, you won't be able to enter the Xie family ancestral residence freely in the future." Xie Yulin studied Shen Yuan. "Think carefully before you speak."

"I've thought it over. It's fine if I can't. As long as my sister can be rescued, that's enough."

Shen Yuan's fingers fidgeted with the square jade token. Xie Yulin's presence was too overwhelming, truly intimidating.

He took a deep breath to ease his tension. "He said that if I encountered something even Song Zijun couldn't resolve, I could come to him. Words once spoken are like water spilled; it's not good to go back on one's word."

A flicker passed through Xie Yulin's eyes. His tone was low, betraying no emotion. "The token came from me. The promise made to you naturally stands. However, this single jade token alone isn't worth enough for me to rescue someone from the Second Branch. What else can you offer?"

The servant behind Xie Yulin, drying his hair, trembled slightly.

It was unclear whether he was frightened by Shen Yuan's words or by Xie Yulin's.

Just then, a servant served tea. Shen Yuan took a sip. It was the same tea he had drunk during his previous visit—very delicious.

The familiar tea fragrance calmed Shen Yuan considerably. He remembered what Song Zijun had told him: he must let Xie Yulin see his value.

His value...

The storytelling collaboration was already in place; that was useless now.

What else could persuade someone like Xie Yulin to intervene and save an unrelated person?

After half a cup of tea, Shen Yuan's eyes lit up.

He looked at Xie Yulin, his gaze bright. "Yes, yes, I know of a technique called papermaking that can produce paper for writing. With it, people won't need bamboo slips or silk for writing."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yulin said to the servant behind him, "Leave us."

The servant immediately bowed and withdrew.

Only Shen Yuan and Xie Yulin remained in the outer room. Xie Yulin asked, "How do you know about this?"

Years ago, someone in Westmoon Country had created something similar for writing, said to be as thin as a cicada's wing and easy to carry.

However, Westmoon Country failed to protect this person, who was seized by North Country. Paper had long been in use within the North Country royal court, but it was rare among the common people.

Shen Yuan gave his usual answer, "A celestial encounter in a dream told me."

Xie Yulin stared at Shen Yuan for a while, making him somewhat uncomfortable. That gaze was both cold and profound, its meaning elusive, causing a strange unease.

Fortunately, Xie Yulin let it go and didn't press further. "That could indeed be exchanged for a life."

Shen Yuan said happily, "Thank you, Fifth Granduncle!"

Seeing the genuine smile on Shen Yuan's face, Xie Yulin suddenly asked, "Why go to such lengths to save someone? Ji Pingxin has no relation to you, does she?"

Shen Yuan: "She does. She's my brother's sister. I don't want to see Brother Ping'an torn between two sides, unable to make a choice."

"Merely for Ji Ping'an?" Xie Yulin confirmed. "That brother you've acknowledged, who shares no blood relation with you?"

"Isn't that enough? Brother Ping'an has been very good to me." Shen Yuan seemed somewhat puzzled. "So, I want Brother Ping'an to be able to be himself, not be coerced."

Xie Yulin silently drank his tea, lost in thought.

Shen Yuan also finished the remaining tea in his cup. Then, mustering his courage, he said in one breath, "Fifth Granduncle, I was also wondering if it's possible to investigate the matter of the Liu and Xu families' involvement in salt smuggling? If they truly committed crimes, handling it according to the law is reasonable. But if they were wrongfully accused and lost their lives because of it, that really shouldn't happen."

"What relation do these two families have to you?" Xie Yulin asked Shen Yuan. "Do they also have brothers you've acknowledged?"

Shen Yuan shook his head repeatedly. "No, no. It's just that I feel something is off about the situation, that it was done deliberately. What if they kill the wrong people? Wouldn't that be a sin?"

"That would be someone else's sin." Xie Yulin remained unmoved.

Shen Yuan had interacted with Manager Liu and Manager Xu; both were good people. He had even met the Family Head, the mistress, and the young master of the Xu family. They came to the teahouse to listen to storytelling and tipped generously every time.

If this matter were true, then let the law take its course as it should. But clearly, the situation was full of inconsistencies. To confiscate property and exterminate families without even investigating... Shen Yuan simply couldn't convince himself to stand by and do nothing.

"Then I'll offer something else to exchange with Fifth Granduncle," Shen Yuan said.

This time, Xie Yulin didn't nod. Instead, he asked the same question as before, "Why save them?"

Shen Yuan: "No particular reason. I just know them, feel something is wrong, and want to know the truth."

"Just for that, you're willing to pay a price to seek a sliver of hope for them?"

"Yes."

Xie Yulin’s gaze remained fixed on Shen Yuan. After a moment, he said, “Come here.”

Shen Yuan was puzzled, but he still got up as told and approached Xie Yulin.

He stopped at a distance of five steps.

Xie Yulin said flatly, “Closer.”

Shen Yuan had no choice but to shuffle forward again, stopping two steps away.

Xie Yulin said, “Turn around.”

Shen Yuan obediently turned around. He felt as if Xie Yulin had stood up—he felt his hair shift slightly, and then his head was pinned down by a hand, making it impossible for him to turn and look.

After a moment, the person behind him seemed to sit back down, and that oppressive, stifling presence faded.

Shen Yuan cautiously turned his head. “Fifth Granduncle, just now…”

Xie Yulin cut him off. “Give me the recipe for steamed milk custard, and I’ll help you uncover the truth.”

Shen Yuan’s mind raced as he asked uncertainly, “Fifth Granduncle likes sweets?”

Xie Yulin’s hands, which were changing into his silk gloves, paused slightly. He looked up at Shen Yuan, his tone dangerous. “Say something improper again, and you’ll be punished.”

Shen Yuan realized this counted as probing his preferences and immediately shook his head, making a zipping motion over his mouth. “I won’t say another word.”

Faced with Shen Yuan’s odd gesture, Xie Yulin didn’t pay it any mind.

“Is there anything else? If not, go to the study next door, dictate the papermaking method and the steamed milk custard recipe to the page, and then leave.”

“Nothing else, nothing else.” Shen Yuan handed the square jade token to Xie Yulin with both hands. “This should be returned to Fifth Granduncle.”

Xie Yulin glanced at the token. “What I give away, I never take back. If you don’t want it, throw it away.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll keep the token and keep coming in?” Shen Yuan tested him subtly.

Xie Yulin finished putting on his gloves and said coldly, “Quit your scheming. Since the token is in your hands, you may enter. From now on, no more testing. Understood?”

“Understood.” Shen Yuan happily held the token and bid farewell. “Thank you, Fifth Granduncle. I’m off now!”

Halfway to the door, he stopped again. “Fifth Granduncle, about the papermaking method… could you please help by not revealing me as the source? I’m afraid if people find out, I’ll be in danger.”

The matter was of great significance. Shen Yuan had no background or foundation; exposure would do nothing but harm. Xie Yulin also understood it couldn’t be disclosed, so he nodded. “However, His Majesty cannot be kept in the dark.”

“Alright, then please also ask His Majesty on my behalf not to reveal me.” Shen Yuan clasped his hands together, swaying them back and forth, his delicate features slightly scrunched together.

Was this… acting cute?

Xie Yulin frowned, turning his head away from Shen Yuan and shooing him off. “Understood. Now go.”

…

Shen Yuan was led to the study by a shadow guard, and soon a servant came to announce that Ji Pingan was outside requesting an audience.

Xie Yulin, seemingly thinking of something, initially didn’t want to see him but still nodded in agreement and had him brought in.

Upon seeing Xie Yulin, Ji Pingan knelt directly, pleading sincerely, “This junior, Ji Pingan, earnestly beseeches Fifth Granduncle to protect Shen Yuan.”

“You’re not begging me to save Ji Pingxin, but to protect Shen Yuan?” Xie Yulin let out a cold laugh, as if hearing something absurd.

“Fifth Granduncle may not know. My parents wish to use Shen Yuan as a bargaining chip—one wants to exchange him for my sister’s life, the other for the Ji family’s survival. If Shen Yuan is handed over to the Xie Clan Second Branch by my mother, I beg Fifth Granduncle to rescue and protect him. This junior is willing to offer my life in exchange. I earnestly plead with Fifth Granduncle.”

Xie Yulin said lightly, “What use is your life to me? So, you are willing to sacrifice your sister’s life?”

Ji Pingan shook his head, voicing his inner thoughts. “This junior will go to Youyang, find a way to rescue my sister, and injure members of the Xie Clan Second Branch. This journey will surely end in my death. My life can serve as a blade in Fifth Granduncle’s hand.”

One was willing to offer up a life-protecting jade token for the other; the other was willing to die for him.

Xie Yulin looked with interest at Ji Pingan kneeling below. “You and Shen Yuan—is it truly just brotherly affection?”

Ji Pingan wasn’t sure why Xie Yulin asked this, but he answered truthfully, “Yes. Shen Yuan is this junior’s brother.”

“Ah, I see…” Xie Yulin sighed softly, seeming to lose interest in the conversation, and directly informed him, “Shen Yuan is in the study next door. He pleaded for you before you arrived. Keep your life for yourself. Now leave.”

Ji Pingan’s heart shook. He hadn’t expected Shen Yuan to come, but upon reflection, it was exactly something Shen Yuan would do.

Panic gripped him, and he dared not rise. “I do not know what transaction Shen Yuan made with Fifth Granduncle. He still has younger siblings to support, and he is still young. If it involves risking his life, please use me instead.”

Xie Yulin stated succinctly, “He is fine. Leave.”

Hearing this, Ji Pingan had no choice but to respectfully withdraw. Under the servant's guidance, he waited outside the study for Shen Yuan to emerge.

Before long, Shen Yuan came out, waving goodbye to the person inside.

Seeing Ji Pingan, Shen Yuan was surprised. “Brother, why are you here?”

“Xiao Yuan!”

Ji Pingan’s eyes reddened as he pulled Shen Yuan into a tight embrace, holding him firmly.

“Why are you so foolish? What are you doing coming here? What if something happened? Have you thought about your younger brother and sister?”

Shen Yuan patted Ji Pingan’s back. “I have. I’ve been thinking about it all along. Fifth Granduncle isn’t an unreasonable person, so I dared to come. Nothing serious would really happen.”

Ji Pingan realized then that Shen Yuan hadn’t taken his words to heart after all—still believing Fifth Granduncle was a good person, hence his boldness in coming to make requests.

He was filled with lingering fear, his voice trembling. “My matters, let me handle them. Don’t do this again next time. You could lose your life.”

“Ah, you’re my brother. If something happens to you, I definitely can’t just sit back and do nothing.” Shen Yuan took two breaths of fresh air, finally unable to hold back. “But brother, if you keep squeezing like this, your brother will be strangled to death.”

At that moment, he recalled his parents’ words. He truly couldn’t distinguish anymore who was truly family.

After the two left the Xie ancestral residence, the shadow guard reported every move of the brothers in detail to Xie Yulin.

As the shadow guard finished, the attendant had just finished drying Xie Yulin’s hair.

Xie Yulin opened his eyes and paced into the inner chamber to prepare for sleep. As he was about to turn past the screen, he suddenly said, “Send a jar of tea leaves to Shen Yuan.”

The attendant was momentarily stunned, then quickly understood and bowed his head. “Yes, this servant will see to it immediately.”

On a moonless and windy night, an exquisite porcelain jar appeared by Shen Yuan’s bedside, filled with the tea leaves he had drunk that day at the Xie ancestral residence.

Early the next morning, Shen Yuan held the porcelain jar in a daze. He examined the tea leaves inside carefully once more, the aroma slowly clearing his mind as he inhaled.

Could it have been sent by Fifth Uncle Gong's shadow guard while he was asleep?

After thinking it over, that seemed the only possibility. After getting up, he called out to the empty courtyard, "Appreciate you running the errand and delivering the tea!"

The shadow guard on a nearby tree gave a solemn nod in response.

After having breakfast with his younger siblings, Shen Yuan was about to go to work at the teahouse with Wang Sanhu.

Shen Yuan had thought it would take a few days to resolve the matter, but in just one night, the managers of the Liu and Xu family teahouses had already been released.

Early in the morning, when Ji Pingan arrived at the yamen, he heard that the Liu and Xu families' illegal salt case was to be thoroughly investigated, with Xie Yulin personally overseeing it.

As for the tea supply issue at the Ji family teahouse, a servant wearing a wooden "Xie" token at his waist arrived at the teahouse in the morning while Shen Yuan was storytelling.

The servant presented Ji Xingwang with a contract for tea supply.

However, there was a condition in the contract: it would only remain valid as long as Shen Yuan worked at the teahouse.

Ji Xingwang understood that this was a gesture made out of regard for Shen Yuan, meant to address their urgent need.

Otherwise, with no tea merchants in the area daring to sell them tea, how could they run a teahouse without any tea leaves?

Ji Xingwang immediately signed the contract, buying ample time for the Ji family to find a stable tea source.

Although the heads of the Liu and Xu families had been arrested, their businesses still needed to continue. This was especially true for the Liu family; if they stopped their teahouse operations, they wouldn't even have money for bribes or expenses.

Having gone through the ordeal of imprisonment, the two managers now harbored deep resentment toward the Xu and Chen families.

They weren't foolish; they knew these two families were behind the scheme.

The more these families tried to prevent them from keeping their teahouses open, the more determined they were to fight back.

The matriarchs of both families shared this sentiment. Currently, Xie Yulin was overseeing the illegal salt case. Although he was known for being unapproachable, he was also the most impartial person.

With Xie Yulin in charge, they no longer feared being framed or slandered by hidden forces.

With a clear conscience, they had nothing to fear. Retreating now would only play into the villains' hands.

The two teahouses, which had been closed in the morning, reopened in the afternoon.

They were determined to compete with the Xu and Chen families for customers.

Shen Yuan, never one to shy away from stirring up excitement, wrote out two recipes: one for pudding and another for glutinous rice egg cake.

He presented them to the Xu and Liu families, signing contracts with both for a fifty-fifty split on profits from pastries and desserts.

These two families also offered unique snacks not found elsewhere in the market. To get a taste, customers would specifically choose these two teahouses.

Meanwhile, at the Ji family teahouse, *Love Between Human and Ghost* reached its final chapter.

At the end of the story, Liu Mingqing, the ghost of Chu Qi, and the old Taoist traveled together, searching for the whereabouts of the Taoist who had cast the soul-binding curse on Chu Qi.

Along the way, they encountered many vengeful spirits, both good and evil, uncovering long-buried secrets.

They saved many people and animals, experiencing joy and happiness along the journey, as well as sorrow and tears.

The listeners followed their adventures, seeing and hearing everything, immersing themselves in the story and experiencing its joys and sorrows.

Finally, after piecing together various clues, they found the hiding place of the evil Taoist.

He was still harming people, binding souls.

Liu Mingqing went to rescue the victims, while Chu Qi and the old Taoist fought the evil Taoist.

During the battle, the evil Taoist released two spirits, one male and one female.

Although Liu Mingqing couldn't see spirits, the moment these two souls appeared, her gaze instinctively turned in their direction.

It was as if something unseen was guiding and connecting them.

Chu Qi suspected these two spirits were likely Liu Mingqing's parents and dared not attack them.

Having spent considerable time with Liu Mingqing, the old Taoist also knew her background and similarly held back.

Both were on the defensive, afraid to attack, fearing they might scatter the spirits beyond recovery.

At this point, the listeners' hearts were also gripped with tension.

Faced with this dilemma, what choice could they make?

The old Taoist was struck in a vital meridian, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Chu Qi, being too close, felt the control of the soul-binding curse grow stronger, and he was gradually losing his grip.

Just as Chu Qi was about to be captured by the evil Taoist, the old Taoist used his blood to draw a talisman on a bamboo slip, desperately trying to keep Chu Qi anchored.

The evil Taoist realized that to control Chu Qi completely, he had to make him lose his sanity.

And the root of Chu Qi's remaining clarity was the female physician.

If the physician died, Chu Qi would lose all reason.

The evil Taoist commanded the female spirit to attack Liu Mingqing. Already injured and struggling to hold onto Chu Qi, the old Taoist had no strength left to save Liu Mingqing.

Hearing this, all the listeners focused intently, waiting for Shen Yuan to continue.

"Father, Mother, is that you?" Liu Mingqing looked into the empty space, her face tilted upward as tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. "It's Mingqing."

She had lost both parents at a young age, with no remains to bury.

Initially, she only knew her parents had treated a noble, and because they failed to save the patient, they were killed by that noble.

Her grandfather had erected a cenotaph to guide their spirits home.

Later, she learned the noble family was the Chu family and accidentally discovered her parents' spirits might still be suffering under a curse.

Liu Mingqing's cry of "Father, Mother" suddenly halted the two fighting spirits.

A daughter yearned for her parents, and parents yearned for their daughter.

One of their lingering obsessions before death was to see their daughter's face once more and hear her call them "Father" and "Mother" again.

The vengeful spirits, shrouded in ghostly energy and disfigured, slowly shed the dense aura surrounding them.

The words "Father" and "Mother," unheard in life, now traversed the boundaries of life and death after many years, awakening the pure, slumbering souls.

"Mingqing."

"My daughter."

The tears at the corners of Liu Mingqing's eyes were gently wiped away, and she affectionately nuzzled against the cold palm pressed to her cheek.

She was embraced—a sensation both chilling and warming.

The feeling vanished in an instant. She knew her parents were afraid of harming her, but she so wanted to ask them to hold her longer, to tell them that she wasn't afraid at all.

By a twist of fate, the evil Taoist had inadvertently allowed Liu Mingqing to awaken the bound spirits. Facing three vengeful ghosts and his senior brother alone, he was no match at all.

In the end, the old Taoist purged the sect, fulfilling his master's final wish.

Chu Qi and Liu Mingqing's parents had also exacted their revenge.

With the old Taoist's help, Liu Mingqing's parents learned to control their ghostly aura and accompanied her back to their hometown.

The story stopped here. The tea guests, with tears in their eyes, cheered and applauded loudly.

The villain was punished, vengeance was served, and loved ones were reunited.

Even though they were separated by life and death, there was still a thread of hope to cling to.

For the final performance, the amount of tips was simply too much to calculate all at once.

Ji Xingwang, along with the four helpers hired later, made seven or eight trips back and forth before collecting all the gratuities.

Just as the collection ended, the tea guests began asking, "What is a cenotaph?"

Shen Yuan explained, "It's a tomb that allows the spirits of the deceased to return home, even if their remains are missing."

He went on to elaborate in detail about how they were constructed, just as he had previously told Old Xu Tou.

Hearing this for the first time, many tea guests were astonished, and quite a few were moved to tears.

These were people who had loved ones who died far from home, with no remains to be found.

An old man wiped the corner of his eye, murmuring excitedly, "Going home... going home is good."

After answering the tea guests' questions, it was time to tally the reward board and distribute the prizes.

The top three on the reward board were: third place, Zhao Yufeng, who ran a restaurant; second place, Qin Wanjin, who owned a money house; and first place, Xie Yulin.

According to the rules set previously, the first-place winner could "make an appearance" in the next story and receive items related to *Love Between Human and Ghost*. The second and third-place winners would also receive related items, with the second-place winner getting slightly more than the third.

Shen Yuan had prepared character illustrations and scene paintings from *Love Between Human and Ghost*.

The first-place winner would get a cameo in the next story, along with both character and scene paintings.

The second-place winner would receive both character and scene paintings.

The third-place winner could choose between a character or a scene painting.

Upon hearing that paintings were involved, the tea guests were even more shocked than when they learned names could appear in the next story.

The cameo for the top donor had been known since the reward board was announced, but no one had known what the *Love Between Human and Ghost* items would be.

Everyone had speculated privately—some thought it might be steamed sugar pastry, others guessed manuscript copies.

No one had expected it to be paintings.

In Wu Country, there were no renowned master painters.

In Qingyun County, only two families were known for painting. Their works were rarely seen—once a painting was completed, it was quickly snatched up for private collections, with few willing to display them publicly.

They were too precious, and there was always the fear of theft during an exhibition. They could only be hidden away for personal appreciation.

To build momentum for his next project and to undercut the Xu and Chen family teahouses, Shen Yuan announced publicly, "In five days, the teahouse will exhibit nine character paintings and nine scene paintings from *Love Between Human and Ghost*. After the exhibition, they will be given to the winners to take home."

Instantly, the hall buzzed with discussion.

"They're really giving away paintings?"

"Who was commissioned to paint them? The Wang family or the Liu family?"

"Who knows? Neither family has mentioned anything."

"An ordinary painting can cost hundreds of taels, a slightly better one thousands. Famous paintings are priceless. Even if Young Shen's paintings are the most ordinary, eighteen of them would be worth eighteen hundred taels. He's really going all out."

"I'm a bit luckier—I saw one from afar many years ago. It was truly remarkable, looking just like real scenery."

"Wow, what could that be like? I can't even imagine."

"If you've never seen a painting, of course you can't imagine."

"Let's go to the Chen family's place this afternoon and ask if they're giving away paintings too."

"I'll go to the Xu family's and ask the same."

The helpers roaming among the tea guests reported everything they overheard to Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan smiled, sipping tea to soothe his throat. Let them ask—the more, the better. It would be best if it forced the others to offer paintings too.

He hoped they'd lose all the money they'd earned.

He had previously asked Ji Ping'an to show him the Ji family's collection of character and landscape paintings. From what Ji Ping'an said, these were considered fine works.

Looking at them, Shen Yuan felt his basic painting skills would rank as above average here. He wasn't sure about the entire Wu Country, but in Qingyun County, he certainly was.

Originally, Shen Yuan hadn't planned to exhibit paintings, but now he wanted to make things difficult for the Xu and Chen families. Not only would he exhibit them, but he'd also make the event as grand as possible.

Compared to the Ji family's collection, his painting skills were respectable. If sold, his works wouldn't be cheap.

Now it was up to the Xu and Chen families to decide whether they were willing to spend a fortune commissioning paintings.

Five days were enough to build up the hype.

When the Liu and Xu families heard that Shen Yuan was giving paintings to the top three on the reward board, the two managers came seeking advice on what they should give.

Shen Yuan had already thought it through. "Give painting albums. Nine character paintings and nine scene paintings each. For the eighteen paintings, you can split them among the top three winners based on their ranks. I'll provide the paintings for you, just on a smaller scale."

Shen Yuan hadn't intended to charge for this—it was just a simple favor for him.

But Ji Xingwang insisted on collecting fifty taels as a "brush fee" on his behalf. According to Manager Ji, in business, one could charge less but should never work for free.

Shen Yuan provided the dimensions for the album fabric, leaving it to the two families to customize them. Once ready, they could deliver them to him.

When Manager Liu and Manager Xu left, they felt as if they were dreaming.

Even for a small painting, fifty taels wouldn't buy a single one. Yet they were getting two sets of painting albums—eighteen paintings in total!

They both wished they could be the top donors themselves just to keep the paintings!