Don't Pick Up Disciples Randomly by the Roadside - Chapter 8

Xiangyun lacks the charm of Tiesheng’s melody, yet without needing to say more, Shen Chunyi understood that the emotionally charged man was the master of the Zhao household, who had recently lost his mother.

He couldn’t recall the man’s full name, but the mission scroll provided some background on the client for reference. It mentioned that the Zhao family had two sons, with the eldest having died young, leaving the second son as the remaining heir. For now, he could simply refer to him as Zhao the Second.

The one lying in the coffin was Zhao the Second’s mother. His father, heartbroken by his wife’s early death, had been weeping day and night, his spirit worn thin. He was now resting in the inner room and not present in the courtyard.

Shi Yun’s unyielding attitude only stoked Zhao the Second’s anger further, his temper flaring to new heights. He raised his hand, ready to grab her collar and argue properly. Just as Shi Yun lifted her arm to block him, a hand that seemed unhurried but carried immense force pressed down on her.

It was the youth in black. Zhao the Second hadn’t noticed anyone standing nearby, and the sudden appearance of Xuan Shuangxu genuinely startled him.

Shi Yun wasn’t faring much better either. She looked as though she might suddenly fall ill and follow the poor old woman to the afterlife. She likely never expected Xuan Shuangxu to intervene on her behalf—a righteous act so out of character it was like a pig climbing a tree, an iron tree blooming, or the sun rising from the west. It made one suspicious of his sinister intentions, sending chills down the spine upon deeper thought.

Xuan Shuangxu seemed to see through her thoughts, casting her a slightly disdainful sidelong glance before slowly stepping aside to reveal someone strolling leisurely behind him.

Dressed in white robes and holding a folding fan, he wore a faint smile.

Shen Chunyi said with a smile, “There’s no need to rush, sir. This is my junior from the same sect, still inexperienced and lacking in knowledge. If you don’t trust her, perhaps I could give it a try instead.”

Shi Yun had no desire to comment on terms like “junior” or “lacking in knowledge.” She merely snorted and took a step to the side.

Zhao the Second appeared slightly older than Shen Chunyi, though not by much. His skin was slightly tanned, as if he had spent years laboring outdoors for a living, with calluses on his palms and fingers—unlike a pampered master of a wealthy household.

Originally intent on continuing his argument with Shi Yun, Zhao the Second was momentarily interrupted, his anger simmering. Though Shen Chunyi’s words somewhat soothed him, he couldn’t hide his sarcasm. “If you know you’re inexperienced, you should stay on the mountain. Your line of work deals with matters of life and death—how can you manage without studying for eight or ten years?”

Shi Yun couldn’t be bothered to respond, treating his words as nothing more than the barking of a dog.

Shen Chunyi waved his hand, signaling the youth in black to step forward.

Shi Yun glanced at Xuan Shuangxu, feeling that talking to this man hadn’t given her a headache before, but now the mere sight of him made her feel as if she had aged ten years, discomfort washing over her entire body. She twisted her face and retreated several more steps, trying her best to distance herself from the two of them.

The youth clasped his hands behind his back, took two steps forward, tilted his head to listen to Shen Chunyi’s whispered instructions, nodded, and then stepped back with a smile. He circled the coffin in the hall twice with light steps, examined it for a moment, and finally spoke cheerfully, “Uncle, didn’t you anticipate this situation when accepting the mission scroll? Your lack of preparation leaves room for criticism—truly a lapse in judgment.”

Shi Yun felt her teeth ache with frustration. Xuan Shuangxu held a grudge against the Taiwu Mountain Sect and seemed to dislike everyone from the mountain except Shen Chunyi. To make her suffer, he spared no effort in mocking her from every possible angle.

Shen Chunyi said gently, “Ignore him.”

His words might sound fair and impartial, but in reality, his heart was biased to the extreme. If he truly didn’t want the two of them to argue, why didn’t he tell Xuan Shuangxu to shut up from the start? Only when it was Shi Yun’s turn to retort did he step in to play the peacemaker.

Shi Yun knew this man’s character all too well. Hearing this, she took another step back, wishing she could put eight zhang of distance between herself and the two of them. The young man laughed heartily a couple of times, refrained from further sarcasm, then turned and formed a hand seal. With a slight nod to the mansion’s owner over there, he began searching room by room.

Only after watching the young man’s figure disappear into the inner chambers did Shi Yun seize the chance to speak to Shen Chunyi alone. Frustrated, she said, “You’re truly beyond saving.”

Shen Chunyi pretended not to hear.

Seeing that Xuan Shuangxu would still be a while, she finally got down to business, firing off a rapid series of questions: “Why is he here? How did you end up with him? You’re not having another episode, are you? Why is he following you? Could he possibly—”

“Stop.”

Shen Chunyi patted her hand, which was clutching his sleeve, his tone flat and unemotional. “A chance encounter. It’s a long story. It’s not a relapse—it never got better. I don’t know.”

Shi Yun hesitated, hesitated again, and still felt the young man harbored ill intentions. After holding back for a long time, she finally said, “Aren’t you worried…”

“It’s what I deserve,” Shen Chunyi interrupted her again, his voice gentle. “Whether he kills me or cuts me to pieces, it’s all up to him.”

Shi Yun stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words. Many thoughts swirled in her mind, only to be swallowed back down. It wasn’t that she didn’t know how to advise him. For a fleeting moment, she had the rebellious thought that letting him face death with such resolve might not be so bad—at least it made him seem more human compared to the years he spent in seclusion on Taiwu Mountain.

After a long while, she managed to squeeze out a sentence: “Then… are you going back to Taiwu Mountain? Master hasn’t seen you in a long time. He—”

This sentence was also cut off directly by Shen Chunyi: “No.”

Shi Yun grumbled, “Why do you keep interrupting me lately?”

Shen Chunyi smiled. “Because I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”

She actually had a less pointed question she could ask, like where he had been these past few months or how the two of them had met. After all, the three years Shen Chunyi spent in seclusion had left a rather unhealthy impression. But asking such questions risked triggering him. As a physician, she found people with psychological issues the most troublesome—every word had to be chosen as carefully as dancing on a silk thread.

Shen Chunyi, however, seemed to sense what she wanted to ask and said directly, “I’ve been doing alright.”

As they exchanged words, Shen Chunyi resumed his usual faint, indifferent smile, pretending nonchalance as he said, “I’ve found that wandering the world with a sword isn’t so bad. When I run out of money, I help people exorcise ghosts and demons to earn some spare change. It’s not as much as before, but it’s much freer than being on Taiwu Mountain. If you find life on the mountain boring, you could come join me. I hear that wandering physicians like you don’t have to worry about medical disputes—just treat people and move on. You still haven’t learned your lesson from last time…”

“Everyone is worried about you,” Shi Yun finally couldn’t hold back.

Shen Chunyi fell silent for a moment, feeling that Shi Yun truly had a knack for bringing up the most inconvenient topics. Just as he was about to say something, Xuan Shuangxu seemed to materialize out of thin air, floating up behind Shen Chunyi and suddenly speaking up: “Master, I’ve finished checking.”

Shi Yun hadn’t noticed when he had arrived at all, and was genuinely startled. Her gaze fell upon the young man’s face, meeting those dark eyes that held a faint glint of gold, and she felt another shiver run down her spine.

Shen Chunyi stopped mid-sentence and turned his head. “Is there anything unusual?”

Xuan Shuangxu glanced at Shi Yun and smiled faintly. “I am but a humble junior with shallow knowledge, but from what I can see, there likely isn’t.”

Shi Yun snorted. Shen Chunyi nodded, flicked open his folding fan, and addressed Zhao Er, who was dressed in mourning clothes and following behind the young man. “In that case, you should seek another coroner. From what we have observed, there is no malevolent ghost at work here.”

Zhao Er’s eyes widened. Just moments ago, he had thought Shen Chunyi was some formidable figure, but now he felt they were just a bunch of youngsters playing around. He couldn’t understand how these people could resolve the matter just by emitting some light. “What difference does this kid’s conclusion make compared to hers? Why didn’t you go take a look too?”

Shen Chunyi replied indifferently, “You’re mistaken. The ‘kid’ you speak of is actually the most capable among us. If he says there’s nothing, then there’s nothing.”

Shi Yun also nodded, emphasizing, “If you are dissatisfied, you may file an appeal for another sect to adjudicate. However, if it’s just unreasonable trouble-making, we will not refund the commission.”

The master of the house opened his mouth as if he still had something to say, but ultimately remained silent. Shen Chunyi sensed that he indeed had unspoken words, but just before he could voice them, Xuan Shuangxu shot him a sharp glance.

That single glance made him shut his mouth, visibly shaken. Shi Yun’s eyes darted back and forth between the two. Seeing that Shen Chunyi was already preparing to wrap things up, it seemed he intended to leave all the follow-up work to her. Even though she really didn’t want to get involved in their affairs, she still spoke up. “Where are you two planning to go?”

“Not sure,” Shen Chunyi replied casually. “Why? Want to come along?”

Xuan Shuangxu raised an eyebrow.

Shi Yun chuckled dryly. “No, thanks.”

“Oh, right,” Shen Chunyi suddenly remembered, shaking his sleeve and pulling out the case report from his robe. “You’ll still be the one to write the closing summary.”

Shen Chunyi declared shamelessly, “I’m not on duty right now, so of course, you write it.”

For a moment, she was speechless. But she still reached out and took the report.

Shen Chunyi waved at her and strode out of the courtyard, leading the young man away.

Xuan Shuangxu followed half a step behind. Without turning his head, Shen Chunyi asked, “Were there any anomalies in the east and west wings or the inner chambers?”

Xuan Shuangxu paused thoughtfully before replying meaningfully, “No ghosts or demons.”

“Hmm?” Shen Chunyi found this intriguing. “So, there’s something else?”

Xuan Shuangxu nodded.

Shen Chunyi snapped his folding fan shut and tapped it against his left palm. “What is it?”

Xuan Shuangxu answered truthfully, “In the east wing, I saw a lotus flower. Its petals were lush, fixed upon the tabletop. It was a living flower, yet it had no leaves or stem. It was neither planted in soil nor nourished by water. I tested it with a talisman, but there was no trace of ghostly or demonic energy.”

Shen Chunyi asked, “How many days has it been since the old man passed away?”

“Four days.”

Shen Chunyi continued, “Have the relatives been mourning for four days as well?”

Xuan Shuangxu shook his head. “No. I inquired. Only the old woman’s son was keeping vigil the day before yesterday. The relatives, believing the house was haunted, all made excuses not to go. They only dared to go today after hearing that cultivators had arrived.”

The elderly woman in the household passed away suddenly at noon yesterday. With the elder just deceased, the children would naturally halt all activities to set up the mourning hall and announce the death. The household is currently holding a funeral banquet, and according to custom, no signs of joy should be present. If there were bright red flowers, they could not have been picked after the death—they must have been placed in the household for at least four days. Yet, the lotus flower, without being kept in water, showed no signs of wilting. Instead, it remained vibrant and fresh, which was truly peculiar.

Shen Chunyi tapped his folding fan against his palm a few more times and said, “Did you notice the wreaths beside the coffin earlier?”

The person who sent the wreaths had a rather peculiar taste—the flowers were a garish mix of reds and greens, utterly lacking in refinement, making it momentarily difficult to discern whether it was for a joyous or a sorrowful occasion. If the lotus flower had been brought in later, hidden among the wreaths, that could explain it.

Xuan Shuangxu blinked and smiled, “I did notice, but I believe this lotus flower has nothing to do with the wreaths in the courtyard.”

Indeed. Although the wreaths were gaudy in color, each flower was of the chrysanthemum variety, typically associated with mourning and sorrow. Lotus flowers, on the other hand, are symbols of joy, often representing continuous blessings and good fortune. Who would send such a thing to a funeral banquet?

Moreover, Zhao Er didn’t seem like the type to suffer in silence. If someone had actually done such a thing, he would have surely pulled it out, crushed it underfoot, and then pointed at the person’s nose to curse them out. He wouldn’t have let it slide so easily.

Shen Chunyi asked, “Did you sense any yin energy on the lotus flower you mentioned?”

Xuan Shuangxu shook his head, “No yin energy, nothing at all.”

But the wreaths were heavily laden with yin energy. This further confirmed that the lotus flower had no connection to the wreaths; otherwise, it would have been tainted as well.

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