Ning Bu’mo’s lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he stopped himself. Mu Wan, however, inexplicably guessed the man’s thoughts; observing Ning Bu’mo’s expression, he spoke on his behalf: “Actually, it can be considered a blessing in disguise. Ning Bu’mo and I are quite well now; it is far more carefree than in the Mu estate.”
Sure enough, the person beside him immediately showed a happy expression and nodded in agreement. He is too easy to read.
Mu Wan couldn’t help but curl his lips. Liaowu had been observing him, and naturally, he saw the subtle interaction between him and Ning Bu’mo. He was stunned for a moment, but eventually, he felt a sense of relief. Forget it, as long as the Young Master is happy.
With Liaowu’s identity revealed, Mu Wan finally brought up the business at hand.
“Do you know if the Mu family has recently been looking for many people to conduct rituals?”
“I asked Ning Bu’mo to observe the Mu family. I noticed this recently, and later he discovered that you seemed to be observing them as well, which is why he asked you to come over for a chat.”
Who would have thought it would also reveal a long-buried past? If there was truly someone working in the shadows behind Chu Guangyuan’s death, then who was the person behind it? Who was the Taoist priest who told Chu Guangyuan everything? Why was Liaowu being hunted down, and was Chu Xueqing’s death truly just from extreme sorrow? And what of that talisman given to Mu Wan?
He was certain this talisman had no harmful effects, indicating the person who drew it had no malice. However, Liaowu was vague about the talisman and the situation regarding the Prince’s estate, clearly hiding something important.
After Liaowu was sent off, Mu Wan and Ning Bu’mo discussed the matter.
“He shouldn’t have told the whole truth, but he is truly partial to you. It’s just that this Young Master’s husband is not very favored by him.” Ning Bu’mo was still muttering about this, his tone weird and sour. He wasn’t targeting Liaowu, but he felt a sense of dissatisfaction; clearly, he and Mu Wan were the closest, yet a mother’s family member had appeared out of nowhere and was not very satisfied with their marriage.
However, this sourness vanished with Mu Wan’s next words.
“The night I woke up was the day we were married; you were the first person I saw.” Mu Wan smiled and teased, meeting Ning Bu’mo’s suddenly intense gaze: “So, petty Prince Jing, you are still the one I am closest to.”
“Only for now?” Ning Bu’mo was overjoyed in his heart, but still greedy in his speech.
“That depends on your behavior.” Mu Wan stood up and reached out a hand: “Let’s go; it is time to see those Taoist priests and high monks.”
Ning Bu’mo gripped his hand tight, hiding his unspoken answer in his heart. There won’t be anyone else; no one can take my place by Wan-wan’s side.
Yunhua was a wandering Taoist. If his name were mentioned, others might not recognize him. But if he said he had traveled for a period with that famous Master Meng Song, who helped Prince Jing find the source of his calamity, those around him would immediately show a look of realization. They would repeatedly ask him for news about that Master.
Whenever this happened, although Yunhua smiled, his heart felt incredibly bitter. He was not lying; he had indeed had some dealings with Meng Song. But at that time, it was mostly Meng Song flattering him and asking him about charms to ward off evil and seek good fortune to build his own reputation.
At the time, Yunhua hadn’t even thought much of Meng Song. Who would have guessed that the other party would transform into a guest of honor at the Prince Jing estate and gain fame throughout the capital? Unfortunately, since then, Meng Song had disappeared without a trace, leaving many who wanted to hire him empty-handed. Instead, Yunhua, who had once traveled with him, benefited and received many invitations.
But with Meng Song’s success as a precedent, the merchants and nobles in the capital seemed too ordinary, and they couldn’t help Yunhua achieve his goal of stunning the world. Why is Meng Song so lucky to make a name for himself, when I clearly have much more ability than that charlatan? Instead, I cannot even encounter a master.
The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable Yunhua felt; it nearly became his heart-demon. Fortunately, his efforts did not go to waste; he did have some real skills. With the recommendation of a past employer, Yunhua finally received a decent job. The identity of this new employer was Mu Zhe, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
Although his status was not as noble as Prince Jing, he was still an important official. Coupled with the fact that Mu Zhe’s son was the Prince Jing Consort, when he received the news and entered the Mu estate, Yunhua felt he was finally having a change of fortune. What Meng Song could do, he could certainly do, and even do better.
But he never expected that things would not be so simple. Not to mention that there were already four or five other Taoist priests and monks from different places and backgrounds in the Mu estate, Mu Zhe himself truly looked like someone in need of an exorcism.
“Impossible, are you sure there is nothing in this estate?” This Minister, who was gentle and refined in public and had gained quite a reputation, was now repeating these words neurotically, his eyes sweeping over the masters with eyes full of suspicion.
Everyone looked at each other. One monk spoke up: “Minister, why do you not believe us? We were invited separately to investigate the estate. One or two could lie, but could five or six all maintain the same story?”
In his words, the monk was already quite dissatisfied. Or rather, who among those present could be satisfied? Not to mention that their Buddhist and Taoist paths were different, even among monks of the same school, there were different sects and methods. As a result, Mu Zhe showed them no respect, inviting one after another to investigate his estate and showing complete distrust in their judgments; it was extremely rude.
Yet, Mu Zhe was like a man possessed; no matter how they tried to persuade him, he did not trust them.
Yunhua actually didn’t have the patience to serve such a fool, but he valued this opportunity, so he came up with a method and said: “Actually, if you are worried, Minister, I can perform a few rituals to protect the Mu estate, ensuring that those evil objects dare not act recklessly.”
He was the first to propose this, and Mu Zhe’s expression improved: “According to your opinion, what kind of ritual should be held?”
“That depends on what aspect you are worried about, Minister, and where you want to start. Whether it is praying for blessings, warding off disasters, or driving away evil and seeking good fortune, there are different methods. The more precise it is, the better the effect will be.”
These words finally moved Mu Zhe; after a moment of thought, his gaze fell on Yunhua: “In that case, Master, please step aside and speak.”
At this point, Yunhua thought he had finally convinced Mu Zhe to let him handle the matter. He never expected this person to be such an idiot; not only did he let him perform a ritual, but he also let the others perform one each, and the purpose of every ritual was different. Some were to transcend the souls of the dead, some were to pray for blessings… instead, Yunhua, who had proposed the idea, was left out in the cold.
“So, what rituals did you all perform, and exactly where? Did Mu Zhe give you any instructions before you performed them?”
The question interrupted Yunhua’s train of thought. He looked up at the two people sitting opposite him, his heart beating violently. Who would have thought the situation would turn around? He had not been able to showcase his skills to Mu Zhe, but he had attracted the attention of Prince Jing’s estate. These two people in front of him were none other than the Prince Jing couple who had made Meng Song famous and a Master.
“I did indeed perform a ritual, but it was just the most ordinary ritual for praying for blessings and warding off disasters. If the two Highnesses need it, I can immediately draw it for you.”
“That would trouble you, Master.” Ning Bu’mo waved his hand, signaling the attendants to lay out everything needed before Yunhua.
Yunhua was busy trying to impress them, and before long, he had laid out the formation. Ning Bu’mo stood up and pulled Mu Wan toward the formation. He didn’t understand these things himself, so he cast his gaze at Mu Wan. Although Yunhua didn’t understand, during his time at the Mu house, he had occasionally heard rumors that the Prince loved his Consort dearly, so he also fixed his gaze on Mu Wan. Although he really didn’t want his future to depend on this dazed Consort, since the Prince was willing, he had no choice.
After a long pause, Mu Wan finally spoke: “Meng Song, useless.”
“Master Yunhua, very good.”
These two sentences alone made Yunhua incredibly happy; his previous dissatisfaction with Mu Wan deciding his future vanished completely. Who said the Prince Jing Consort was dazed? He is clearly smarter and has better insight than anyone else.
Suppressing his joy, Yunhua couldn’t wait to show off: “To be honest, besides the formation I drew myself, I have also observed the formations of the other companions. If the two Highnesses need them, I can draw them immediately.”
“Oh, the Master actually has such skills?” Ning Bu’mo said with a smile, “It seems Wan-wan is right; Master Yunhua truly has some ability. In that case, I will trouble the Master to draw them.”
“As for the reward, please rest assured, it will definitely not be lacking.”
“The reward is a small matter; I don’t care about these things. As long as I can help the two Highnesses, I will be satisfied.” Yunhua didn’t consider himself a short-sighted person; what was a mere reward compared to the benefits he would gain after his reputation spread? He immediately declined with humility.
However, things could not really proceed according to his words. When he finished drawing the formations, Ning Bu’mo immediately ordered people to arrange a residence for him and sent rewards, food, and drink to entertain him. This sincere attitude formed a stark contrast to Mu Zhe, which made Yunhua increasingly satisfied, feeling that everything he had done today was extremely worthwhile.
After he left, Ning Bu’mo spoke: “It really is as the intelligence reported; Yunhua has always been dissatisfied with Meng Song.”
“Perhaps it is because he did nothing but gained a great reputation, which is why Yunhua is so resentful,” Mu Wan said, looking at the formation drawn by Yunhua, which clearly carried a faint trace of spiritual energy.
And it was precisely by using this psychology that he had belittled Meng Song, which, sure enough, led Yunhua to bring out the information. Now, it remained to be seen what the purpose of the formations Mu Zhe had been messing with truly was.