The Mysterious Young Master

After walking for about a quarter of an hour—

"Here we are, Yu'e's teahouse." Ye Mingnan stopped in her tracks and spoke leisurely.

Unknowingly, the two had arrived at their destination.

Qi Nian looked up and saw a building with white walls and dark green tiles, standing distinctly among the surrounding flat houses and watchtowers. Its traditional Han-style architecture, with intricately carved beams and painted eaves, made it all the more striking.

Under the main entrance's beam hung a large plaque with neat caliography:

Emerald Pavilion.

Ye Mingnan then ascended the steps and knocked lightly on the door knocker. Before long, the crisp sound of bells accompanied a melodious laugh drifting from within.

A woman pulled the door open. Dressed in a crimson silk blouse with a deep blue skirt, she exuded both grace and charm. Her long hair was parted into two locks, coiled into buns resting on her chest, with strands flowing gently in the breeze.

"Your Highness Mingnan, forgive me for not welcoming you earlier. Come in, have a seat!" Yu'e greeted with a radiant smile to Ye Mingnan.

To Qi Nian's surprise, Ye Mingnan casually draped an arm around Yu'e's shoulders. "Everyone calling me 'Your Highness' feels so distant. Just call me Mingnan, like before."

Then, she turned her head slightly and gave Qi Nian a helpless look. "Oh, but you never call me 'Your Highness' anyway."

Qi Nian shot her a disinterested glance. "The Underworld doesn't do such formalities."

At that moment, Yu'e noticed the unfamiliar woman standing at the door. "Your Highness Mingnan, who is this?" She examined Qi Nian closely, a strange sense of familiarity nagging at her.

Feeling uncomfortable under Yu'e's gaze, Qi Nian instinctively averted her eyes and lowered her head slightly.

Damn it.

She had encountered Yu'e before—back when she was investigating a murder case in Baiyu City. Their meeting hadn't exactly been pleasant, and Yu'e wasn't the kind of person one could call easygoing.

"Qi Nian, a new friend. She works in the Underworld and is out with me today for some fun."

Qi Nian stared at Ye Mingnan in disbelief. But remembering the need to keep their mission confidential, reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Yu'e arched a brow. "Since when did you start mingling with people from the Underworld?"

"You know me, I make friends everywhere…" Ye Mingnan replied nonchalantly. "Anyway, let's not talk about that. How's here lately? I saw a grand funeral procession on the streets just now."

At the mention of the funeral, the smile on Yu'e's face stiffened.

Though her eyes flickered with a complicated emotion, she maintained her composure. "You both must be tired. Come inside, I will serve you some tea."

—

"Qingya, do we have any Mount Meng Sweet Dew? Please prepare some."

A young girl, around twelve or thirteen years old, wearing a light green dress, approached with a tray of nuts. After placing the tray on the table, she took a seat before the tea set and began brewing the tea.

Ye Mingnan beamed upon seeing the girl with delight: "Qingya, you've grown so much! It really is like one day in heaven, ten years on earth. Your tea-making skills are excellent—has your medical training improved as well?"

Qingya hesitated momentarily before offering a soft smile. "Thank you for your praise, Ms.Ye. Ms.Yu has taught me much over the years, and I've benefited greatly."

As she carefully poured warm water into the tea bowls, Ye Mingnan suddenly leaned forward and lifted the lid of one. "Don't let it steep too long, or it'll turn bitter."

Before Qingya could respond, Ye Mingnan had already changed the subject, turning to Yu'e with a playful smile. "I haven't had time to visit lately. How's Emerald Pavilion doing?"

Yu'e snapped out of her thoughts, wiping down the tea utensils on the shelf as she replied, "Better than in past years, and I've gathered a wealth of information from all sorts of travelers."

Even though immortals didn't need to eat and drink as frequently as mortals, they still partook occasionally. Given their long lifespans and cultivated energy, they could go without food or sleep for extended periods.

Yu'e's teahouse wasn't meant for profit but rather to collect information—making it easier for her, as a local guardian spirit, to maintain order in the mortal world. Since profit wasn't her main concern, the prices for tea and snacks were quite reasonable, and the elegant environment naturally attracted many visitors.

"The human government has been improving its administrative systems. Do they still need you to exert yourself so much?" Ye Mingnan asked.

To Yu'e, this question was no surprise. In the mortal world, even the sons of nobles and princes had to command armies and serve in official positions. The heavens were merely a pro max version of the mortal realm—as she once heard from a western 'immortal' who can control spider webs, "With great power comes great responsibility". Everyone had a role to play like human civil services, the only difference is the immortals possess supernatural abilities like object manipulation, longevity, and, in Yu'e's case, formidable combat skills.

Ye Mingnan, however, was an exception. As the only daughter of the Celestial Empress and the sole princess of the heavens, she lived a life of leisure—

No siblings to fight for inheritance.No need to command troops.No arranged marriage for political alliances.

Her daily routine consisted of traveling, playing, and doing as she pleased—naturally, she was clueless about the struggles of governance.

"The city's management has indeed improved, but Baiyu City is filled with dark energy. Dealing with supernatural threats beyond human understanding still requires considerable effort."

The two chatted away, cracking nuts as they talked.

Meanwhile, Qi Nian sipped her tea and gazed out the window, discreetly observing the city for any useful clues.

From the second-floor lounge of Emerald Pavilion, she had a clear view of the main streets and the city's core district. But given that today was the Ghost Festival, the streets were a striking mix of red and white decorations, a glaringly disharmonious sight.

At that moment, her eyes locked onto a particular building: the residence was clearly aged, but its grand decor and imposing structure stood out. Its entrance was about twice the height of an average adult, adorned with intricate stone carvings. Among the rows of smaller buildings, it was remarkably conspicuous.

Qi Nian squinted, unable to read the plaque. She turned to Yu'e. "That estate—who does it belong to?"

Yu'e barely needed to look to know what Qi Nian was referring to. She had been speaking casually with Ye Mingnan, but at the mention of the estate, her expression darkened slightly. 

Sensing her reluctance, Ye Mingnan interjected. "That's the Liu family's estate. The Liu family made their fortune through commerce, and their descendants have held various government positions. They aren't the wealthiest, but they're certainly a prominent family."

"Liu Residence?" Qi Nian asked.

"Yes, the home of Liu Rumeng. There's only one Liu family in Jade Town." Ye Mingnan Replied.

"You've really been here before?" Though Qi Nian had agreed to bring Ye Mingnan along, she had remained skeptical. After all, her first impression of her was far from trustworthy. It was surprising that he hadn't been lying about this.

"Why would I lie to you?"

"In that case, let's head over and check it out later," Qi Nian said.

From their conversation, Yu'e deduced that their purpose for visiting was far from simple. She didn't bother to beat around the bush and asked directly, "Are you here to find Liu Rumeng?"

Qi Nian and Ye Mingnan exchanged glances before nodding in unison.

"You've come at the wrong time. You can't visit the Liu residence today," said Yu'e flatly.

Qi Nian turned to look at her, a bit surprised.

Yu'e ignored her gaze and looked out the window toward the Liu estate. "There's a funeral today. The young madam of the household has passed away. No visitors are allowed."

At that moment, the sharp sound of breaking porcelain shattered the air. They turned to see Qingya's white porcelain teacup in shards. Her face was pale with shock, and she hastily bowed. "My apologies, Ms.Yu. I'll fetch a new one immediately."

Yu'e remained calm, took out some paper money from her embroidered purse: "It's fine. In fact, we should get some new tea sets anyway. Take these money and order a few from the East Market."

Qingya hesitated as she accepted the silk pouch. "The new kiln in the East Market does have fine wares, but isn't it a bit far? We've always bought from the South Market."

"We can't always cling to the past," Yu'e mused, lifting her teacup thoughtfully.

Qingya nodded and quietly retreated from the room.

Yu'e got up, closed the door, and returned to the table.

Ye Mingnan pondered aloud, "So that's it. The funeral procession we passed on the way here must have been for the Liu family's young madam. No wonder it was so extravagant."

A thought struck Qi Nian, and she frowned. "Liu Rumeng was married?"

Ye Mingnan also furrowed his brows.

Yu'e, caught off guard by the question, blinked in confusion. "Yes. He married when he was around nineteen."

"Nineteen?" Qi Nian was utterly perplexed. "But Liu Rumeng died when he was fifteen."

Yu'e and Ye Mingnan both spoke at the same time: "What?"

Qi Nian quickly summarized the purpose of their trip to Jade Town.

After hearing her out, Yu'e was just as baffled. "So you're saying Liu Rumeng's record in the Book of Life and Death was stolen? Meaning, he was already dead, but his records in the underworld have vanished?"

Qi Nian nodded.

Yu'e was still trying to wrap her head around it. After a long pause, she hesitantly asked, "Could it be someone with the same name?"

Even she wasn't convinced by her own words. After all, there was only one Liu family in Jade Town.

Qi Nian found the situation increasingly bizarre and wanted to confirm it further. "The Liu Rumeng you know—was he born on the July fifteenth night in the year of Gengchen?"

Yu'e froze for a long moment before nodding blankly.

That settled it.

"There's no way two people in Jade town could have the exact same name, born on the exact same day, at the exact same hour. Something's definitely wrong here."

Ye Mingnan was still struggling to process it. "You're saying Liu Rumeng died years ago? Then this person now..."

"I don't know what's going on with this Liu Rumeng. We won't know until we meet him in person. But I can say for certain—the Liu Rumeng I'm looking for is dead."

Just then, Qi Nian noticed that the main gates of the Liu estate, which should have been tightly shut, had opened. More than fifty armored guards emerged in formation, each carrying a blade at their waist, swiftly dispersing in different directions.

She took a sip of tea and noticed a squad heading toward Yu'e's teahouse.

Qi Nian stood and moved toward the window, her hand instinctively resting on her sword hilt.

Yu'e noticed her tension. "They don't seem hostile. Let's observe for now."

The guards quickly arrived at the entrance of the Emerald Pavilion. Heavy knocks echoed through the building. 

Yu'e hesitated for a moment before cracking the door open slightly. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

"We mean no disrespect, Ms.Yu. We are here on our master's orders, searching for the young master."

"Liu Rumeng?" Yu'e reconfirmed.

"Yes. The young master went missing this afternoon. Please allow us to search inside your building. Even if we don't find him, we must report back."

The three of them exchanged looks.

The Liu family's young madam had just been buried. They hadn't even unraveled the mystery surrounding Liu Rumeng, and now he had gone missing. This was no coincidence.

The head guard was about to enter, but Yu'e subtly blocked his way.

Wanting to gather more information before making a move, she probed, "Hold on. If you want to search my teahouse, I deserve to know why. Besides, he's over twenty now. At most, he wandered off and will come home when he's tired. Is there really a need to make such a fuss?"

The guard hesitated, his face conflicted. "This time is different. The master found something in his room..."

"What did he find? Spit it out."

The guard swallowed hard before finally saying, "Mistress, the master found the young master's last words, written by his blood."