CHAPTER 81: HIDDEN IDENTITY

Inside Qingyi Temple, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense and charged. Li Yanchu hadn't expected this mysterious and cunning woman to actually appear as a young girl of around twelve or thirteen and to have such a deep connection with Bai Hongtu.

At this time, Li Yanchu frowned. “What exactly is going on here?”

The girl Bai Hongtu called Lingsu smiled sweetly. “Everything I said earlier was true. I really do wish to ask for your help, Daoist Master Yanchu.”

Bai Hongtu sighed, “Lingsu, how did you learn these kinds of techniques?”

Xu Lingsu blinked her eyes innocently, her voice soft and sugary. “A master taught me, of course. Why is it that only you, Hongtu, get to have fortuitous encounters, but not me?”

Bai Hongtu said, “Why didn’t you tell me directly? Why go through all this, taking on a different identity?”

Xu Lingsu walked up and wrapped her arms around Bai Hongtu’s, looking every bit the sweet, playful younger sister. “Didn’t you always enjoy spending time in pleasure houses and listening to operas? I was just teasing you a little.”

At this moment, Li Yanchu was dumbfounded. The eerie, ghostly red-clad bride from earlier had suddenly turned into a cheerful, innocent girl? The shift was just too abrupt.

The word enchantress suddenly flashed through Li Yanchu’s mind.

He kept his tone casual. “Hongtu, can this girl really be trusted? Be careful you don’t fall into someone’s trap.”

In response, Xu Lingsu giggled. “What he says makes sense. Hongtu, do you trust me?”

Hearing this, Bai Hongtu sighed helplessly. His arm was still wrapped in hers, but he didn’t pull away.

“She’s someone I can recognize at a glance, and I don’t believe she would harm me,” Bai Hongtu said with a nod.

Li Yanchu raised an eyebrow. From that one sentence, he picked up on a lot more than what was being said aloud.

“So you really do trust this little girl, and you’re quite close, huh?”

Li Yanchu took a step forward, positioning himself directly in front of Xu Lingsu and Bai Hongtu, and said with a pleasant smile, “Since we’re all on the same side, that makes things easier to talk about. I was a bit rude earlier, please don’t take offense.”

Xu Lingsu replied, “But... Daoist Master Yanchu, you were about to cut me with your saber.”

Li Yanchu chuckled, “How could that be? Since you’re Hongtu’s sister, you’re like a younger sister to me too. Why would I ever draw my saber on you?”

Xu Lingsu’s voice grew aggrieved. “But there was killing intent in your eyes, and you were obviously ready to strike at any moment.”

Her eyes turned red as if she were about to cry. “It’s my fault. I must’ve angered you just now, which made you so guarded. And besides, I’m not his sister. I’m Hongtu’s betrothed, his wife-to-be.”

A girl of such delicate, refined beauty stood with tears welling in her eyes, looking as fragile as a spring blossom in the wind... It stirred a natural urge to protect her.

Why does she give off such strong manipulative vibes...? Li Yanchu silently assessed the demure and gentle little girl before him.

Immediately, Bai Hongtu quickly tried to smooth things over. “Yanchu didn’t mean it like that. Earlier you really gave us quite a scare. You could’ve just told us plainly what was going on.”

Xu Lingsu lowered her head and whispered, “It’s all my fault.”

Wow... Li Yanchu blinked in surprise. She’s only twelve or thirteen, huh?

Bai Hongtu gently consoled her, and soon Xu Lingsu’s face lit up with a sweet smile.

When introducing her, Bai Hongtu only said she was Xu Lingsu, the young lady of the Xu family and an old family friend of the Bai family. They had indeed been betrothed as children, but the engagement was later called off for some reason. He’d always regarded her more like a younger sister.

Li Yanchu smiled, choosing not to pursue the matter, and Bai Hongtu quietly let out a breath of relief.

Just then, Li Yanchu slowly slid the Jiaoslayer back into its sheath. His eyes turned sharp as he looked at Xu Lingsu.

“What exactly is your relationship with Lady Qingyi? And is the blood money that’s been appearing all over Wei City connected to her?”

Xu Lingsu blinked her bright, luminous eyes and giggled sweetly. “I don’t have any special connection to Lady Qingyi, but the blood money is indeed related to her. It’s a method wrought by the leaked demonic will, which corrupted some of the copper coins in Wei City. It drains the living’s three souls and seven spirits to suppress the divine will.”

Li Yanchu pressed further, “Is the issue of blood money resolved now? Will more appear in Wei City?”

Although Xu Lingsu appeared gentle, naive, and obedient, Li Yanchu was far from fooled. Her methods were too strange and deceptive, and she was the puppeteer behind the red-robed bride who’d tried to trick them.

There was Guo Caiyun from the paper boat, the red-clad bride in the wedding chamber, and the yellow-robed woman in the illusion. Just the aliases he’d personally encountered, there were already three.

Definitely an enchantress.

Xu Lingsu remained close to Bai Hongtu, practically glued to his side, looking all well-behaved and sweet. She shook her head and said softly, “With the divine and demonic wills tangled, setting up that kind of technique was already the limit. Now that the blood money scheme’s been disrupted, its source has suffered as well. There won’t be any more blood money showing up in the near future.”

Hearing this, Li Yanchu gave a slight nod. “Is there any way to help Lady Qingyi purge the demonic will?”

Xu Lingsu glanced at him. “Would you be willing to lend a hand?”

“Of course,” Li Yanchu said seriously. “If the demonic will isn’t dealt with, who knows what kind of disaster it’ll cause.”

Bai Hongtu interjected, “I can help too.”

Xu Lingsu gently shook her head and replied, “Only Daoist Master Yanchu can take on this task. His fate is unique, and he’s the only one who can bear the karmic consequences. Hongtu, you were born under an auspicious star, destined for great things, but this task isn’t suited to you.”

Her words left the two young men in thoughtful silence.

Bai Hongtu nodded slowly, seemingly deep in thought. Meanwhile, Li Yanchu narrowed his eyes slightly, sighing inwardly.

Look at that. Knows exactly how to flatter and reassure. What a cunning little girl.

“When will it be time to act?” Li Yanchu asked.

Xu Lingsu replied, “When the moment comes, I’ll come to invite you personally. The heavenly will is intricate, and if we speak of it too soon, we may disrupt the timing.”

Li Yanchu nodded, though inside he was a little surprised. The more I look at this girl, the more complicated she seems.

***

That night, Li Yanchu learned a great many things from Xu Lingsu, several of which confirmed suspicions he’d already harbored. Though he remained curious about Xu Lingsu’s true identity, Li Yanchu didn’t press Bai Hongtu for answers.

After all, friends don’t pry into each other’s secrets, and it was clear Bai Hongtu had been on the verge of saying something but ultimately held back. By the customs of the Kingdom of Qian, it wasn’t unusual for a girl her age to already be married.

Xu Lingsu, the little enchantress in Li Yanchu’s eyes, did not return with the two of them. Instead, she vanished into the night-shrouded streets of Wei City.

Bai Hongtu was deep in thought and said nothing along the way.

When they reached the gate of the Daoist temple, he suddenly spoke, “Aren’t you curious about me and Lingsu?”

He knew Li Yanchu was calm, rational, and decisive. There was no way someone like him wouldn’t be at least a little curious about someone so obviously mysterious, especially since his own explanation had holes in it that Li Yanchu would no doubt have noticed.

Did he really trust him that much?

However, Li Yanchu just gave a light laugh. “Hongtu, that’s your wife. Why would I go digging around about your wife?”

“...” Bai Hongtu froze for a second, and any flicker of emotion he’d just felt was instantly gone.

“I told you that she’s my sister,” he corrected stiffly.

Li Yanchu grinned. “Got it. She’s your wife.”

Hearing this, Bai Hongtu was speechless.