The two decided to investigate the small building once more.
Although the jade pendant had been recovered, many cultivators remained at the Jian estate. Wary of the lingering resentment, they agreed after some discussion to wait until nightfall before scaling the walls to re-enter the building.
Shen Zhuo and Xie Yuan set a time and returned to their respective rooms to wait for the deep of night.
Shen Zhuo changed out of his usual green robes, opting for a dark, close-fitting outfit suitable for night travel. After securing his long sword, he pushed open his door, intending to meet Xie Yuan. To his surprise, the neighboring door swung open at the exact same moment.
Pei Chuan was dressed only in his inner robes, with an outer cloak draped loosely over his shoulders. His dark hair was unfastened, spilling down his back. He had clearly just woken up for a late-night break, only to be met by a sharp-looking Shen Zhuo, evidently dressed for departure.
Sleep vanished from Pei Chuan’s eyes, replaced by bewilderment. “Still awake so late? Where are you going, Xiao Zhuo?”
Shen Zhuo had not expected to run into his senior brother and froze for a moment. Unwilling to drag Pei Chuan into this, he replied in a casual tone, “I did not quite understand some clues from earlier. I want to take another look at the west side.”
“The west side?” Pei Chuan’s gaze swept over him, lingering for a moment on the sword at his hip. “You are not referring to that small building in the West Courtyard, are you?”
Just as Shen Zhuo was considering how to respond, a light, teasing voice drifted down from the top of the wall. “Pei the Just is truly as sharp as they say, but Daoist Shen is merely accompanying me for some moon-watching.”
The newcomer was Xie Yuan. He landed gracefully in the courtyard, his fan snapping open with a flourish.
Seeing Xie Yuan intruding upon the courtyard, Pei Chuan’s expression darkened. He pulled his cloak tight and stepped forward to block Shen Zhuo. “Xie Yuan? It is the middle of the night. Where are you trying to take Xiao Zhuo now?”
“Brother Pei, you wrong me,” Xie Yuan said with a smile, swaying his fan. “Daoist Shen and I are practically strangers. How can you say ‘now’?”
Pei Chuan’s brow furrowed the moment he looked at Xie Yuan. “At the Immortal Sect Assembly twelve years ago, who was it that made off with Xiao Zhuo, leaving me to search frantically?”
Xie Yuan had a moment of realization. “So that was the case. I wondered why Brother Pei always scowled at the sight of me. That child was actually Daoist Shen?”
Pei Chuan gave a cold snort. “You seem to have forgotten your own ridiculous antics quite cleanly.”
Xie Yuan looked at Shen Zhuo, smiling innocently. “It was hardly ridiculous. Back then, I saw a child whose features resembled my master’s. I thought my master had transformed himself to tease me. Who knew it was actually Daoist Shen? A misunderstanding, purely a misunderstanding.”
Shen Zhuo suddenly spoke up. “I look like your master?”
Xie Yuan looked into Shen Zhuo’s eyes. “Your features do bear a certain resemblance.”
Pei Chuan was not buying it. “That is not what you said back then. You said the little brat was good-looking and asked the Xuanyun Sect to lend him to you for two days.”
Having been exposed by Pei Chuan, Xie Yuan smiled even more broadly. “It has to be Brother Pei. What a memory. I was young and spoke without thinking; it was all a joke. I hope Pei the Just will not take offense.”
Though he said “do not take offense,” his tone lacked even a hint of apology.
“Regardless, you will not be taking Xiao Zhuo tonight,” Pei Chuan said, turning to place a hand on Shen Zhuo’s shoulder. “Xiao Zhuo, go back to sleep. Do not listen to him.”
Shen Zhuo knew he could no longer simply brush this off. He had to tell the truth. “Senior Brother, the person living in that building is the original owner of the jade pendant. We must investigate.”
“If you want to investigate, wait until dawn. We will inform Master Jian and go with everyone else,” Pei Chuan said firmly. “Sneaking in like this in the middle of the night is far too dangerous.”
Xie Yuan let out a tsk and tapped the closed fan against his palm. “Pei the Just, your reach is a bit too wide. Daoist Shen is not a three-year-old child. Besides, with me looking out for him, what danger could there be?”
Pei Chuan shot back without hesitation, dropping his usual cool demeanor. “It is precisely because you are there that it is unsafe.”
As it looked like they were about to start bickering again, Shen Zhuo sighed and interrupted. “Senior Brother, this is urgent and cannot wait until tomorrow. Master Jian is already aware of the situation. My mind is made up.”
His gaze was clear and steady as he looked at Pei Chuan, showing no intention of backing down. Pei Chuan was stunned; he had rarely seen his junior brother so resolute. Seeing the seriousness in Shen Zhuo’s eyes, Pei Chuan suddenly turned and went back into his room. Shen Zhuo and Xie Yuan thought he had given up and were about to leave, but Pei Chuan reappeared a moment later, fully dressed and holding his long sword.
“Let’s go.”
Both of them were taken aback. Shen Zhuo asked in surprise, “Senior Brother, what are you doing?”
Pei Chuan glanced at Xie Yuan. “Since Xiao Zhuo insists on going, I will go with you.”
Xie Yuan raised an eyebrow with a half-smile. “Having Pei the Just along is, of course, a welcome addition.”
Thus, the duo became a trio with a very subtle atmosphere. The three of them, each with their own thoughts, moved silently toward the three-story building in the west. Since he could no longer hide it, Shen Zhuo gave Pei Chuan a brief overview of his findings on the way.
“So you are saying the jade pendant in Master Jian’s possession originally belonged to Song Yan?”
“Exactly,” Shen Zhuo replied. Noticing the change in Pei Chuan’s expression, he asked, “Does something seem wrong, Senior Brother?”
“I met Song Yan a few times years ago. The Xuanyun Sect used to have dealings with the Song family.”
As they spoke, Pei Chuan had already skillfully picked the lock on the building’s window. He frowned and asked, “Why must we climb through a window? Can we not use the main door?”
“The main door is locked, and Butler Chen has the keys,” Shen Zhuo explained.
Xie Yuan was the first to slip through the window, with Shen Zhuo following close behind. Both turned back to look at Pei Chuan, who was still standing outside. After a moment of hesitation, Pei Chuan finally stepped over the sill and into the room. He quickly scanned the outside to ensure they had not been spotted before pulling the window nearly shut.
Shen Zhuo and Xie Yuan led him toward the stairs to the third floor, where they were once again blocked by the iron gate. Shen Zhuo stepped forward, gripping the iron bars, and called out, “Miss Song.”
Silence met them from above.
Shen Zhuo continued, “We mean no harm. We only wish to verify something regarding the jade pendant. Please, show yourself.”
There was still no response in the stairwell. Shen Zhuo looked back at Xie Yuan and Pei Chuan. Xie Yuan stepped forward and tapped the iron gate lightly with his white jade fan. “This gate is sturdy, but it is not unbreakable.”
Shen Zhuo shook his head and whispered, “No. This door has been welded shut. Forcing it open would be too loud and might damage the building’s structure.”
Since Song Yan refused to come down or respond, even with all their skills, they were at a loss. Just then, Pei Chuan stepped forward and raised his voice. “Miss Song Yan, I am Pei Chuan of the Xuanyun Sect.”
After a brief silence, the faint sound of footsteps finally drifted down from above. A thin, raspy female voice spoke with a hint of uncertainty. “Brother Pei Chuan?”
“It is me,” Pei Chuan replied, his tone certain. “Miss Song Yan, you remember me.”
“I, I remember.”
The sound of stumbling footsteps grew closer. A moment later, a slender figure appeared behind the gate. It was a pale, haggard, yet beautiful face. Her eyes were hollow and sightless, and tear tracks remained on her cheeks. She looked so fragile she might break at a touch.
Pei Chuan was stunned. The young lady of the Song family in his memory, though blind from birth, had always been cherished by Master Song. He had never seen her look like this. If Master Song knew his daughter was in such a state, he would be heartbroken.
Confirming the newcomer was indeed Pei Chuan, Song Yan relaxed slightly. She asked softly, “Brother Pei Chuan, why are you here?”
“The Xuanyun Sect was commissioned by Master Jian to find a lost jade pendant.”
“The jade pendant,” Song Yan said, a shadow of sadness crossing her face. “Did Uncle Jian lose my pendant? My father obtained that specifically from the Immortal Lord for me.”
Xie Yuan asked, “Which Immortal Lord are you referring to, Miss Song?”
Song Yan turned blankly toward the source of the voice. “It was Lord Taoheng.”
Xie Yuan’s eyes flickered. “So it really was him,” he whispered.
Song Yan’s fingers unconsciously tightened around a small key at her waist. After a moment of hesitation, she asked in a small voice, “Do you want to come up?”
The three of them were taken aback. Pei Chuan asked gently, “Miss Song Yan, do you know where the key to this gate is?”
“Butler Chen gave the key to me some time ago.”
Shen Zhuo was surprised. “Why would he give the key to you?”
“Uncle Jian’s temperament has changed drastically in recent years. He hits and scolds everyone; even Butler Chen is often punished. He could not bear to see Uncle Jian pressure me so, so he secretly gave me the key.”
“If that is the case, why haven’t you left?”
Song Yan shook her head. “I cannot see, and without the jade pendant, I find it difficult to move at all. If I left the Jian estate, I fear I would meet with an accident immediately. Besides, I keep thinking that my father might still be alive. If I leave, what if he returns and cannot find me?”
The three fell silent, their hearts heavy with a weight they could not express. Song Yan felt her way down the stairs and handed the small key through the iron bars. Together, they ascended to the third floor.
As soon as they reached the top, Xie Yuan asked, “Miss Song, how did you come by this jade pendant? Do you know the current whereabouts of Lord Taoheng?”
Song Yan asked in return, “Are you Lord Taoheng’s disciple?”
Xie Yuan was startled. “How did you know, Miss Song?”
Song Yan replied, “When Lord Taoheng came to see my father years ago, he said he needed to support his disciple and was forced to sell the jade pendant to my father for some funds.”
Xie Yuan said, “I only heard my master mention that he once sold a jade pendant to a merchant named Song.”
“That was indeed my father,” Song Yan continued. “I have suffered from an eye ailment since childhood, and my father spent a fortune seeking famous doctors to treat me. But Lord Taoheng said my blindness was innate, an arrangement of the Heavens, and even he could not force a change.”
Xie Yuan was puzzled. “If it was for an eye ailment, what does that have to do with the jade pendant?”
“Lord Taoheng wore that pendant for many years. He has cultivated for a long time, and the pendant has already gained a spiritual nature. Lord Taoheng said the spiritual energy within it could help me perceive the world through Qi. Although I cannot see normally, it is enough to avoid danger.”
Perceiving the world through Qi? Xie Yuan could not help but look at Shen Zhuo, as Shen Zhuo had mentioned this technique before. “Daoist Shen, do you happen to know my master?”
Sensing Xie Yuan’s gaze, Shen Zhuo answered honestly, “I have never heard the name Lord Taoheng.”
Following Song Yan’s lead, he asked, “Then, Miss Song, do you know why this jade pendant is currently shrouded in resentment?”
To his surprise, Song Yan looked bewildered. “Resentment? What resentment?”
Shen Zhuo paused. In the end, he did not mention the blood feud of the Song family. He only said, “There is resentment attached to the jade pendant, which seems to have some connection to the Song family. To purify it, we must resolve this karma from its source.”
Xie Yuan asked, “You mean the jade pendant can be restored?”
Shen Zhuo nodded. “Once the injustice is brought to light, the resentment will vanish on its own.”
Listening to their conversation, Song Yan could not help but ask, “What injustice are you talking about?”
The three quickly exchanged glances, wordlessly agreeing not to reveal the truth yet.
Shen Zhuo softened his tone and said, “I merely noticed something unusual about the jade pendant. Since Master Jian mentioned it originally belonged to you, I felt I should ask. Perhaps something went wrong while it was in Master Jian’s care.”