Mistress of the Underworld and Her Little Celestial Wife - Chapter 8

Mu Yin sat on the bed, unable to snap out of her daze. She couldn’t understand why Si Lingqing had disappeared, only for a little black kitten to appear in her place.

Moreover, the tiny kitten was as black as a little coal ball, unafraid of strangers, its eyes carrying a familiar laziness that Mu Yin recognized.

This was Si Lingqing!

Mu Yin instinctively concluded this was Si Lingqing!

No wonder she had asked Si Lingqing yesterday whether she was human or a ghost. Turns out, Si Lingqing was a cat all along, a little black kitten.

“How could this be?” Mu Yin sat on the bed, watching the yawning little Si Lingqing-cat, feeling utterly bewildered.

Just then, a commotion came from outside the door, reminding Mu Yin that what had woken her wasn’t Si Lingqing’s kitten but the noisy disturbance outside.

“Young Madam!”

Hong Zhuang pushed the door open and hurried in, her face anxious as she said, “Something’s happened. You… where did you pick up this cat?”

Mu Yin sat on the bed, glancing at Hong Zhuang, then at the Si Lingqing-cat, feeling her headache grow even worse.

Though she couldn’t fathom why this kitten had suddenly appeared in the Young Madam’s room, Hong Zhuang had no time to dwell on it. She quickly grabbed the clothes hanging on the nearby rack and said to Mu Yin, “Young Madam, hurry and change. Something’s happened at Nine Stars Gate.”

“What happened?” Mu Yin asked.

On the bed, the little kitten twitched its ears upon hearing this, lifting its tiny head to watch the two women dressing.

Hong Zhuang frowned slightly and said, “Do you remember the servant who led us to the South Courtyard yesterday? He was found dead this morning on the path outside the South Courtyard.”

Mu Yin froze. “Dead? How?”

“I went to see. It seems he was scared to death.”

“What?”

Mu Yin was startled. “How could a perfectly fine person be scared to death?”

She remembered that servant had indeed seemed rather timid, but after escorting them to the South Courtyard, he had left without incident. Could something have happened on his way back?

Hong Zhuang shook her head, indicating she didn’t know either, but for safety’s sake, it was best to take the Young Madam away as soon as possible.

Once Mu Yin was ready, Hong Zhuang turned to look at the well-behaved little black cat sitting by the bed and asked curiously, “Young Madam, what’s the deal with this cat? How did it end up in your room?”

Mu Yin wanted to say it was their family’s eldest young miss, but after glancing at the little black cat, she hesitated and said, “I don’t know either. I woke up this morning and found it on my bed. Maybe a stray cat had kittens in the courtyard, and this one wandered into my room on its own.”

Hong Zhuang found it suspicious. She walked over and locked eyes with the little black cat, then pulled out a talisman from her waist.

“Young Madam, step back,” Hong Zhuang said. “This talisman is specifically for dealing with ghosts and demons. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

Mu Yin glanced nervously at the little black cat, only to see it staring at Hong Zhuang not running away, but even wagging its tail excitedly.

It should be fine, right?

Hong Zhuang raised the talisman, channeled her spiritual power, and then the paper landed directly on the little black cat, only to flutter harmlessly to the ground the next second.

The little black cat twitched its ears again and lazily yawned.

Hong Zhuang let out a relieved sigh and turned to Mu Yin. “Young Madam, don’t worry. This seems to be just an ordinary kitten.”

Mu Yin felt speechless and wanted to shake her head. Si Lingqing could die and then turn into a cat, how was that not extraordinary?

But she figured Si Lingqing had turned into a cat to avoid letting the Five Skandha Sect know. After glancing at her, Mu Yin decided to keep this secret for now and inform Si Lingqing’s parents once they returned to the Five Skandha Sect.

Having settled this matter, Mu Yin stepped out.

She wanted to see the servant who had died the previous night. Though Hong Zhuang disapproved, she said nothing and followed along.

The servant had died by the roadside, where a crowd had already gathered. Even Madam Qin Shi and Mu Xuanzhu had come, standing far off, too afraid to approach. Only a few terrified servants covered the body with a white cloth.

When Mu Yin arrived, she saw the servant’s lifeless eyes fixed on the southern courtyard gate, as if he had witnessed something horrifying his pupils dilated in terror.

Several servants who had known him well wept, their faces etched with sorrow.

“Another death… This is the fourth time someone has died in Nine Stars Gate.”

“What should we do? What can we do?”

“Are we next??”

The murmurs grew louder. Mu Yin heard them, and so did Madam Qin Shi, who stood at a distance. She immediately snapped, “What nonsense are you spouting? This was just an accident! Anyone spreading rumors will be thrown out!”

The steward, trembling beside Qin Shi, pleaded, “Madam, perhaps we should report this to the authorities. Several people have already died in Nine Stars Gate. If this continues, disaster is inevitable!”

Others chimed in, “Yes, Madam. Our disciples at Nine Stars Gate aren’t skilled in exorcism. If this goes on, something terrible will happen.”

Qin Shi’s expression darkened at their pleas to report the deaths. She retorted angrily, “Report to whom? If even Nine Stars Gate can’t handle this, what can the local officials do?”

Her words held some truth, and the crowd fell silent. A few, however, turned their hopeful gazes to Mu Yin and exclaimed, “The Five Skandha Sect is a renowned immortal sect! They must have a solution!”

At this, all eyes shifted to Mu Yin. Hong Zhuang instinctively stepped in front of her, glaring coldly at the onlookers.

Noticing this, Mu Xuanzhu sneered and clung to her mother’s arm. “Mu Yin is already married off do you really think she’ll help us? Don’t pin your hopes on her. ‘Sweep the snow from your own doorstep; leave the frost on others’ roofs alone.'”

Her mocking tone grated on the Five Skandha Sect disciples. Hong Zhuang, an inner disciple tasked with both caring for Mu Yin and upholding the sect’s principles, couldn’t let it slide.

“Fourth Young Lady, your words are unnecessarily harsh,” Hong Zhuang said coldly to her and Qin Shi. “Vanquishing evil is our duty in the Five Skandha Sect. We’ll help where we can, but if some people speak unkindly, we’ll have to reconsider.”

Mu Xuanzhu shot Hong Zhuang a glare, ready to argue, but her mother held her back.

Qin Shi studied Mu Yin and Hong Zhuang, realizing she had no other choice. With a grim expression, she said, “Lives are at stake here. Mu Yin, as a member of Nine Stars Gate, will you truly stand by and do nothing?”

Hong Zhuang sneered coldly, “Is this how Nine Stars Gate asks for help?”

Qin Shi’s expression darkened instantly. However, the steward, adept at reading the room, understood that the mistress wanted their assistance but couldn’t bring herself to ask. He stepped forward with an ingratiating smile, cupping his hands respectfully toward Mu Yin. “Young Miss, please help us. We truly can’t afford any more deaths…”

Seeing the steward plead so humbly, and despite Qin Shi’s sour expression, Mu Yin noticed the hopeful gaze directed at her.

Perhaps… she should lend a hand?

After all, Mu Yin was inhabiting the body of their daughter. It was only right to assist when the original host’s family was in trouble.

Noticing Mu Yin’s hesitation, Hong Zhuang whispered to her, “If the Young Mistress wishes to help, go ahead. It doesn’t seem too difficult to handle.”

Reassured by Hong Zhuang’s words, Mu Yin decided that if the matter proved too troublesome or dangerous, she would decline. After all, she had only just met Nine Stars Gate yesterday it wasn’t worth risking so many lives over.

Hearing it wasn’t a difficult task, Mu Yin turned to the steward and said, “Very well, we’ll take on this matter.”

The steward was overjoyed, repeatedly expressing his gratitude before hurrying to Qin Shi’s side. After a brief exchange, Qin Shi shot Mu Yin a glare and left with her daughter.

Though Mu Yin knew she wasn’t welcome in this household, she couldn’t fathom why Qin Shi despised her so much.

Something about this situation felt off.

After breakfast, the steward arrived at the southern courtyard with a group of people.

Sitting across from Mu Yin, the steward’s eyes darted nervously around, his unease palpable. The disciples and servants who accompanied him huddled together, their faces pale with fear.

“What’s wrong with them?” Mu Yin asked curiously as she poured the steward a cup of tea.

Wiping sweat from his brow, the steward replied, “Young Miss, they’re all afraid of the southern courtyard. They say… it’s unclean.”

Mu Yin raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

The steward explained, “This goes back to before your marriage. No one has ever lived in the southern courtyard before. The sect leader and mistress never assigned anyone to reside here at most, they’d send people occasionally to clear the weeds. Everything was peaceful until…”

“But after you married away, strange things started happening here.” The steward wiped his sweat again. “On the first day, a pair of servants who sneaked into the courtyard for a rendezvous died. Since no one usually comes here, their bodies weren’t discovered until evening. The next day, a laborer sent to clear weeds died. On the third day, a maid perished.”

Mu Yin frowned. “People die here every day?”

The steward nodded. “Yes. Today marks the fourth death. If we don’t resolve this, someone will surely die tomorrow.”

“Have you noticed anything these victims had in common?”

“There… there is one thing…”

The steward lowered his head before finally admitting, “They all came to the southern courtyard.”

Mu Yin’s eyes widened at this revelation.

Hong Zhuang stiffened upon hearing this, then drew her sword in fury, pressing it against the steward’s shoulder. “You knew this place was dangerous, yet you arranged for us to stay here? What exactly are you plotting?!”

The steward, with a sword pressed against his neck, turned deathly pale and hastily waved his trembling hands at Mu Yin. “Miss, spare my life! This has nothing to do with us! It was all arranged by the madam!”

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