Everyone was startled. Qian Xingzhi felt her heart skip a beat, yet her first reaction was to say to Wei Yang, "Look, Lord Wei, there really is a ghost."
Qian Xingzhi realized she was more vengeful than she thought.
Wei Yang was on the verge of collapse. "Let's go back, seriously."
Lu Yu took the oil lamp and walked straight ahead. "What nonsense. It's just a tree."
There was no person or ghost at all—just a thick, half-broken branch hanging across the path. Qian Xingzhi breathed a sigh of relief.
Wei Yang absolutely refused to go further. He looked ready to kneel and beg, "Let's go back! Really!"
Did he think he could order them here and then order them to go back in the dead of night, only to come again at dawn? Dream on!
Qian Xingzhi's temper flared. Tonight, come what may, she had to drag Wei Yang up the mountain. "Governor Wei, since we're here, finding the Third Prince is the priority. We can't delay. Let's go up together. What could go wrong?"
She threw his own words back at him, patted his shoulder, and signaled him to lead the way.
Lu Yu quickly added fuel to the fire, "Exactly, exactly, Lord Wei. Finding the Third Prince is crucial."
Qian Xingzhi shoved the oil lamp into Wei Yang's hands and pushed him to the front of the group, ensuring he would be thoroughly frightened. Lu Yu and Yuan Bai took the rear. Not far along, Qian Xingzhi heard the two whispering behind her.
"You really didn't see clearly?" "No, I just saw Lord Qian and you scaring Governor Wei, so I joined in the fun."
Qian Xingzhi: ...
They trekked in silence. Qian Xingzhi was on high alert, ready to trigger some memory, but nothing happened.
Chengxin Temple now, though not in ruins, was permeated with a deathly stillness, nothing like its former bustling incense-filled days. The four stared blankly at each other in front of the temple, until Qian Xingzhi pushed open the door and entered first.
Inside, only a single statue of some unknown deity sat on the altar. They had sweated profusely climbing the mountain, and now standing in the courtyard, each of them shivered in the cold wind.
Wei Yang looked around warily, obviously not yet recovered, but he had lost the desire to mock Qian Xingzhi. "Lord Qian, what preparations do you need to make at this temple?"
She couldn't exactly say she was just here to try her luck, could she?
As Qian Xingzhi was thinking of an excuse, a gentle female voice seemed to drift into her ear from afar.
"In Chengxin Temple, the sincere seek a perfect match..."
Who is speaking? Qian Xingzhi looked around puzzled. "I heard a woman say..."
Before she could finish, everything went black. Lu Yu moved swiftly and caught Qian Xingzhi as she collapsed limply.
Just before she completely lost consciousness, Qian Xingzhi heard Wei Yang's scream: "A ghost possessed her! Qian Xingzhi is possessed!"
*
Chengxin Temple always had the most visitors in the first month of the lunar year. It was a temple for praying for matrimonial harmony, beloved by lovelorn men and women. Many believed its talismans could protect them and bring good fortune, so at the start of the new year, they would come to seek an auspicious sign.
Yan Zhaoshuang obediently followed her mother, kneeling on a cushion.
"In Chengxin Temple, the sincere seek a perfect match..." Her mother stroked Yan Zhaoshuang's head. "What kind of husband would our Shuang'er like to marry in the future?"
She was only ten years old, how could she understand the concept of a perfect match? So she remained silent, only hoping to eat some sesame balls soon.
The weather was fine and sunny, a rare good day in the first month. Outside the temple, somewhere, there was a stall selling sugar paintings, and the air was thick with the sweet smell of syrup.
Yan Zhaoshuang tried to rise with her mother, but tripped over the cushion and kowtowed heavily. When she looked up again, everything around her had suddenly lost color. The temple was empty and desolate, leaving only herself.
"Please, Bodhisattva, let Father come back. Please, Bodhisattva, keep Father safe and bring him back..."
Qian Xingzhi understood—this was where the last memory had been cut off.
Yan Zhaoshuang kept knocking her head heavily. It had been a day and a night since she had hidden in the secret passage of Chengxin Temple. There was still enough dry food and water in the passage, so she didn't have to worry about survival.
Afraid to disturb the temple's monks, she whispered a few more prayers and crawled under the altar. On the wall behind the altar, there was a row of round raised patterns. Counting from left to right, the third one, when turned, revealed a downward path. After she reached the bottom and turned the first candle holder, the secret door closed again.
This secret passage had no other exit. Its end was at the foot of an outer wall of Chengxin Temple, where several cracks allowed a glimpse of the outside. The lower level was about the size of a room, stocked with dry food and water skins. Yan Zhaoshuang curled up on a makeshift bed made of piled quilts in the corner.
The Bodhisattva did not answer her prayers. She never saw her father again.
*
Qian Xingzhi opened her eyes. She was sitting leaning against a wall, with Lu Yu's outer robe draped over her.
None of the three noticed she was awake. Wei Yang was still shaken. "This temple is cursed! She didn't fake fainting. If it's not a ghost, what is it?"
Lu Yu, though not scared, sounded worried. "We've waited the time it takes to burn an incense stick. We can't delay any longer. Let's take Lord Qian back immediately, or at least find someplace warm."
"Um..." Qian Xingzhi weakly spoke up. "I think I know a place where we can rest temporarily."
"You're awake?" Lu Yu leaned in. "Are you feeling unwell?"
Qian Xingzhi joked, "Oh, just my yin constitution acting up. Governor Wei, guess how many ghosts I saw?"
Ignoring Wei Yang's reaction, Qian Xingzhi followed her memory, and under the scrutiny of the other three, crawled under the altar. After some manipulation, a secret passage appeared.
Inside, the passage surprisingly had no musty smell, and the steps were dust-free, as if someone had carefully cleaned them. Qian Xingzhi was full of suspicion but led the way down.
They dawdled and finally reached the bottom. Qian Xingzhi immediately saw a disheveled, wild-looking person chained in the corner.
Everyone froze. Wei Yang quickly shoved the oil lamp back into Qian Xingzhi's hand, signaling her to check it out.
How could he be such a coward? Qian Xingzhi shot Wei Yang a contemptuous look, then handed the oil lamp to Lu Yu.
"Third Prince...?"
Qian Xingzhi looked by the light—wasn't this wild man the Third Prince?