Zhu Nanxi put on a mysterious tone, “Because this place is too effective.”
Mu Wan blinked, “Too effective?”
Zhu Nanxi led Mu Wan to the wishing tree at the grounds of Kanyun Temple, a centuries-old tree covered with faded wooden wish plaques, a testimony of its prosperous past. Now, however, the colors of the plaques had faded, and it was clear that no one had made a wish there in quite some time.
“Do you remember Jiaojiao, the daughter of Shangliu Magistrate?”
Mu Wan nodded. Of course, she remembered. The girl was infamous for being a big eater. At only fourteen, she weighed about 70 kilogram, considered very heavy for a girl.
Zhu Nanxi continued, “Two years ago, she came to the capital with her father when he was summoned for his official duties. Hearing that this wishing tree is very effective, she made a wish to lose weight. Six months later, she had lost twenty catties.”
Mu Wan blinked. “Really that effective?”
Zhu Nanxi nodded, “Yeah. But, rumor has it that on the way back from the temple, she ate some random wild fruit by the roadside, fell ill for half a year, and couldn’t eat anything…”
Mu Wan: “…”
Zhu Nanxi continued, “Then there was this lazy ruffian who came here to wish for wealth. A few days later, someone broke his leg, and he ended up receiving a sum of silver as compensation.”
Mu Wan broke into laughter, “So, it only guarantees the outcome, not the process, huh?”
Zhu Nanxi laughed as well, “Exactly!” She eagerly shared more stories, “There was also someone who wished for a promotion in the officialdom.”
“A registrar from Metropolitan Magistrate came here to wish for a promotion. A few days later, he was caught red-handed having an affair with his cousin and ended up becoming a eunuch. Of course, he didn’t escape a good thrashing from his fierce wife.”
Mu Wan’s laughter intensified. “It seems the deity here has a mischievous streak.”
“Who says otherwise?” Zhu Nanxi chuckled. “There are plenty of stories like that, and that’s why people eventually stopped coming here.”
Mu Wan found it amusing and, being in a good mood, went to the temple hall to find a wishing plaque to hang up.
Zhu Nanxi gave a mischievous smile and followed suit.
When Mu Wan saw what Zhu Nanxi had written, she was speechless. “Why didn’t you wish for yourself?”
Zhu Nanxi grinned, “I’m already engaged, it wouldn’t be appropriate. But you still have a chance.” She then put her hands on her waist and proudly admired her work, “Let’s see if it’s really as effective as they say.”
Leaning over to glance at what Mu Wan had written, she burst out laughing, “I didn’t know you harbored such a noble ambition for our country.”
Mu Wan laughed too. “It’s not that I’m extremely patriotic or what, but only when the Great Ying is at peace can I enjoy the best life!” Imitating Zhu Nanxi, she placed her hands on her hips. “We shall wait and see.”
Just as they were laughing, a servant girl Mu Wan left behind in the city came to report some unexpected news—despite Mu Rou’s previous avoidance of Li Yichen, she had sent a letter to the Li family, and now Li Yichen was adamantly demanding to break off the engagement with Mu Wan. At the same time, the Mu family seemed to be planning to send Mu Wan into the palace.
Zhu Nanxi almost jumped, “Send you into the palace? What’s going on?”
Mu Wan was equally surprised. Though she had been too lazy to bother with Shen-shi and Mu Rou, she was aware of their strong ambition. Besides, just the other day, Mu Rou had made it clear that she wanted to distance herself from Li Yichen. Everything should have been settled.
Zhu Nanxi muttered, “Your stepmother can’t make such a decision on her own, and your father wouldn’t agree with this either. After all, you still hold all your mother’s inheritance…” Then, a thought seemed to dawn on her, and she looked at Mu Wan with growing apprehension—What if Mu Wan’s father is the one planning to send her to the palace to get his hands on the inheritance?
However, the person in question remained unfazed, casually hanging the wish plaque. “We’ll find out what’s happening once we return to the city,” Mu Wan said. After a brief pause, she tilted her head and asked, “By the way, there’s an opportunity to make some money—are you in?”
Zhu Nanxi immediately forgot her worries and answered firmly, “Of course!”
“Come closer.”
Zhu Nanxi leaned in, and after hearing Mu Wan’s plan, her eyes widened. “That ruthless?! Won’t your father be furious?”
Mu Wan flashed a charming smile. “Sometimes, pain teaches better than reasoning.”
…
Beneath the desolate temple, separated by a layer of stone bricks, a cold, dark room echoed with soft laughter. A young man stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the candlelight flickering on the wall. The dim glow only illuminated half of his face, which was strikingly handsome, but somehow evoked the image of a terrifying demon god from hell, sending chills down one’s spine.
He watched the moths fluttering around the flame. After a while, he lifted the lampshade, allowing the moths to dive into the fire, where they painfully beat their wings twice before falling lifelessly to join their companions on the candlestick’s base.
After fulfilling the moths’ wish, the man looked down at the wounded woman lying at his feet, her body covered in bruises. “Sometimes, pain teaches better than reasoning. It makes sense, don’t you agree?”
“Where is the Ninth Prince? Or are you waiting for the pain to make you talk?”
Seeing the woman grit her teeth and remain silent, Xie Heng chuckled softly. “Do you believe you are more tight-lipped than the spies sent by the Chi Ling Tribe?” Then, with a calm tone, he ordered, “Start the lingchi.1 If she doesn’t confess after twenty cuts, rub sugar into the wounds. Continue tomorrow. One thousand cuts over five hundred days—eventually, she’ll talk.”
The woman’s expression finally changed.
After a series of chilling screams, Xie Heng obtained the confession and left.
Upon emerging from the dark prison, the wishing tree was already deserted with no one in sight, leaving only two newly hung plaques that stood out among the faded ones.
A young man in skin-tight clothing silently descended upside down from the tree and read aloud the words on the plaque: “May my good sis marry the Marquis Zhenbei and become the lady of the house.”
“Pfft… Nanxi Xiangjun’s good sister? Isn’t that none other than the eldest miss of the Mu family?” The young man, hanging like a bat, turned toward Xie Heng. “My Lord, how do you plan to fulfill this wish? Should we hang a Marquis Zhenbei plaque at someone’s house? Or find another good sister for Nanxi Xiangjun? You can’t possibly marry her, after all…” He trailed off, his gaze shifting to the other plaque. “Huh?”
His confusion was unusual, enough to pique Xie Heng’s curiosity, who also glanced at the second plaque.
[May Great Ying be prosperous, and never know war again.]
The stroke was elegant yet bold. It didn’t resemble the handwriting of an uneducated person, and even the most talented literary woman in the capital might not possess such grandiose skill.
“Could this one be the work of Nanxi Xiangjun?” The young man was puzzled.
Xie Heng had already withdrawn his gaze and walked away, showing no interest.
The young man, however, took a final glance at the two plaques and clicked his tongue. “Two wishes, both are extremely bold…”
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