When the message Zhan Zhao had entrusted to someone reached Nan Zhi's ears, she knew the day the Qu family's case would be overturned was not far off.
Upon suddenly learning such monumental good news, Wanniang couldn't contain her emotions and dissolved into tears. She huddled inside her umbrella, weeping and sobbing, beyond any comfort Nan Zhi tried to offer.
Just as Nan Zhi was racking her brain for what to do, she heard commotion outside the small building.
Nan Zhi pushed open the window and looked down to see Xu Zi standing below, dressed in a woman's hairpin gown and skirt, waving at her joyfully:
“Nan Zhi, have you heard! This morning, Lord Bao of Kaifeng Prefecture submitted a memorial to the palace, raising thirteen grievances on behalf of the Qu family!
Even the Emperor, with his gentle nature, flew into a rage and ordered Lord Bao to thoroughly investigate the Imperial Wine Case from back then!”
“I've heard. Guard Zhan had someone bring me a message before leaving the capital. Since Lord Bao is willing to take on this case, our long journey with Wanniang hasn't been in vain.”
Nan Zhi glanced back at the oil-paper umbrella floating inside the room, then propped her hands on the windowsill and leaped down with utmost agility, landing right beside Xu Zi:
“The Ghost Festival is in two days. A-Zi, coming to see me dressed like this today, I take it you're planning to investigate that Ghost Market human trafficking case?”
“You're so smart! You guessed it right away!”
Xu Zi tugged at her dress and giggled. “Though there are still two days until the Gates of Hell open, the Ghost Market is already active these past couple of days.
If we go investigate wearing our demon suppressor uniforms, those little ghosts and demons will scatter before we even say a word.
I had someone prepare several sets of clothes tailored to your size. Take a look and see if there's anything you like to change into. Once night falls, I'll take you to the Ghost Market to open your eyes!”
Saying that, Xu Zi pushed Nan Zhi into the ground floor of the building, retrieved several luxurious outfits from the sachet at her waist, and noisily urged her to change.
The sachet was likely a spatial item like a Sumeru mustard seed; it looked exquisite, embroidered with two longan-sized pearls that emitted a faint treasure glow.
Looking at the outfits Xu Zi brought out, every piece was delicate and magnificent. Though the fabric was unrecognizable, it was cool to the touch, and upon closer inspection, even granted stat bonuses.
【Kunlun Heavenly Silk Garment - Black (Blue Quality): Made from the silk of snow silkworms residing on the Kunlun Snow Mountains. Impervious to fire and water, unharmable by mortal blades and swords. (Constitution +5, Agility +5)】
【Kunlun Heavenly Silk Garment - Red (Blue Quality): Made from the silk of snow silkworms... unharmable. (Constitution +5, Agility +5)】
【Kunlun Heavenly Silk Garment - Purple (Blue Quality): ... (Constitution +5, Agility +5)】
【Kunlun Heavenly Silk Garment - Pink (Blue Quality): ... (Constitution +5, Agility +5)】
【Kunlun Heavenly Silk Garment - Brown (Blue Quality): ... (Constitution +5, Agility +5)】
Aside from being extraordinarily gorgeous, these clothes were actually all Blue Quality!
Nan Zhi couldn't help taking another look at the girl before her.
These outfits were indeed tailored to her measurements, made from precious materials.
A single bolt of Heavenly Silk required a hundred merit points to exchange on the Demon Suppression Division's merit board.
Yet the girl casually gave them away as gifts, proving her extraordinary family background.
Nan Zhi didn't say much, nor did she decline. She simply picked the black garment and put it on.
—Entering the game using the "Strange Pause Button," Nan Zhi could no longer exploit system loopholes, meaning equipment stats could not stack with reality.
Thus, she could only take off her plain cloth skirt and shed her Azure Sea Sky Garment, switching instead to the conspicuous black Kunlun Heavenly Silk Garment.
To be safe, she kept her Azure Sea Sky Boots on her feet, allowing her to run away at any time if she encountered an unbeatable enemy.
“Look, look!”
Xu Zi pulled Nan Zhi to the bronze mirror inside the room, preening as if seeking credit:
“I knew black would look perfect on you! It makes you look so spirited!
I saw that you usually either wear your demon suppressor uniform or a coarse cloth skirt, so I had someone make these outfits for you!”
In the mirror stood the dark-skinned girl. The skirt hem barely covered her ankles, while the wide, loose sleeves easily revealed her wheat-toned arms and muscular tone when moving.
Silver guards were strapped to her shoulders and knees, making it very convenient for elbow strikes or knee kicks against enemies.
The night-like color didn't make her look rustic at all; instead, it added a touch of crisp agility, like a leopard. Though her face was devoid of makeup, anyone who looked at her would be drawn in by the gentle yet resilient look in her eyes.
—She resembled a sharp blade resting in its scabbard; though its edge remained unseen, once drawn, blood would surely spill.
“My original outfit was stitched hand by hand, thread by thread, by my sister. It was comfortable and fit well. Besides, clothes are just meant to cover the body—enough is fine.”
Nan Zhi tugged at her collar in front of the mirror, still feeling slightly unaccustomed to her current appearance:
“Although Ma San is dead, he named several people before dying. We don't know if those names are real or fake, so disguise and undercover investigation are the safest bet.
A-Zi, having me dress so glamorously... are you trying to play Jiang Taigong fishing, waiting for the willing to take the bait?”
“Why weren't you born a few decades earlier? Then I wouldn't have been so bored for all these years in the Demon Suppression Division!”
Xu Zi shouted with delight, looking at Nan Zhi as if wanting to become sworn sisters on the spot:
“I knew that as soon as you saw these clothes, you'd guess my plan! The Ghost Market is crowded and full of watchful eyes, making it hard to investigate.
But if we disguise ourselves as wealthy masters, trouble will come knocking on its own. Then, we won't have to waste much effort to catch those scoundrels trading in living people!”
Saying that, fearing Nan Zhi might misunderstand, she hurriedly explained:
“I don't mean to steal your credit! This is a case for your Northwest Circuit Demon Suppression Monastery. I'm just tagging along, at most acting as a side assistant!”
Nan Zhi, however, saw right through it.
What kind of respectable second-class arrest officer acts as an assistant to a fourth-class arrest officer?
The girl before her clearly just wanted to join in the fun!
Still, having someone assist meant she wasn't fighting alone, so Nan Zhi didn't expose Xu Zi's little scheme and merely asked out of curiosity:
“Where is the Ghost Market? Why must we wait until the hour of the Rat to go?”
Xu Zi kept her in suspense, saying she would understand once the hour of the Rat arrived. Saying that, she pulled Nan Zhi into playing the leaf-pulling game.
—In truth, it was picking up fallen leaf stems from the ground and pulling against each other to see whose leaf stem was sturdier.
It was originally a trick played by mortal children, yet unexpectedly, Xu Zi was deeply obsessed with it. She pulled Nan Zhi along, having a blast, laughing aloud when she won and acting petulantly distressed when she lost.
Looking at the green-robed girl cheering and leaping for joy over a win, Nan Zhi really couldn't help letting out a sigh.
She was practically like a child who hadn't grown up.
...
Just after the hour of the Rat began, night watch clappers resounded across Bianjing, pulling back the curtain on Bianjing's night life once more, unchanged for decades.
Glasses clinked and cups overflowed. Singing maidens sang softly, musicians plucked zithers, reckless scholars chanted loudly, and refined literati clapped and sang along, creating a scene of extravagant, intoxicating prosperity.
Night in Bianjing seemed eternally thus, as it had always been.
Avoiding the crowds, Nan Zhi followed Xu Zi into a pitch-black blind alley.
Before she could ask, several grinning ghost faces suddenly poked out from the empty wall nearby. Someone pinched their throat and spoke in a thin, squeaky voice:
“Hehehe...”
“Hahaha...”
“Humans walk the path of light, ghosts walk the road to the Yellow Springs...”
“Hahaha, living people have come to walk the ghost road again!”
Rate on N.U.
