Chapter 119: Seeing Through

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Sanmu deliberately took some talisman papers and approached Eunuch Hai with a smile. “Your Highness, would you like one? These are very effective.”
Eunuch Hai glanced disdainfully and clicked his tongue. He looked down on the items in Sanmu’s hand so much that he even curled the tail of his whisk broom, afraid it would get dirty. “Go away! Go away! Filthy!”
Sanmu grinned widely at the elegant eunuch with his pinky raised, cursing the blind, stubborn old eunuch in his heart a thousand times over. “Your Highness, this is truly potent. It’s a talisman I crafted using the blood of a black dog born in an ominous year, month, and day—most fierce and deadly. It repels not only wild spirits but even ordinary demons find it hard to approach.”
As Sanmu spoke, his eyes flicked toward the few eunuchs standing behind.
Eunuch Hai was impatiently waiting for the master and had no interest in listening to a wandering sorcerer’s ramblings. He hurriedly motioned for him to step aside.
“Hey, hey, hey, Your Highness, this is a fine item!”
Sanmu, being dragged to the back by several guards, seized one eunuch’s arm after a few steps. “Hey, isn’t this Master Rong? How come you’re here? I suppose you saw the sorcery I just performed. These talismans are my own work. Master Rong, please have a look!”
Wearing a pale cyan eunuch’s robe, Rong Mu lowered his head as much as he could, folding his hands over his belly while quietly forming hand seals, hoping to silence the man. From afar, he recognized this exorcist invited by the Weiguo Duke’s mansion was the same person shot with three arrows by Rong Qi last night—the ringleader who had caused trouble and defamed others.
Just as he was about to finish the hand seals, a sudden surge of deep demonic energy bound him tightly, rendering him immobile.
Rong Mu was shocked. Could it be that the Duke’s mansion truly harbored a great demon?
Sanmu’s casual utterance of “Master Rong” startled everyone, especially Eunuch Hai, who dropped his whisk broom in fright.
A nearby guard quickly picked it up and dusted it off. “Your Highness.”
Eunuch Hai took it, his voice sharp. “Where did this old rag come from? Throw it out at once!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Seeing this, Sanmu became even more brazen, loudly calling out “Master Rong,” demanding proof that he was no mere rag.
“This Daoist’s words mean nothing; we don’t know you at all,” Rong Mu said in a hoarse voice, struggling to pry Sanmu’s hand away without raising his head.
“Master Rong, if you don’t even lift your head to see me, how can you say you don’t know me?”
The Empress Dowager, watching the scene, was taken aback. The supervising eunuch’s conduct was questionable; he dared not interfere with the Weiguo Duke’s affairs. The chaotic scene stunned her.
“What are you all standing there for? Drag this rogue out now! If this causes a scandal, heads will roll!”
“Yes.”

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Once the Forbidden Army moved, it looked like Sanmu was about to be defeated and dragged away at any moment.
An old steward, summoned by the Jiang household, first bowed to Eunuch Hai.
“Your Highness, please forgive us. This is a well-known Daoist master from Zhongnan Immortal Mountain. Our young master not only invited him to perform a grand ritual but also treated him as an honored guest. Please pardon any prior disrespect.”
He slipped a small red envelope into Eunuch Hai’s sleeve. Though still annoyed by such an unworthy person, Eunuch Hai could not openly throw out the young master’s esteemed guest.
Even when dealing with the young master, proper decorum was strictly observed.
Earlier, the young master had been knocked unconscious and taken to his chamber. Deputy General Yuan still stood guard outside, ready to apologize in person. If Eunuch Hai were to rudely expel the young master’s guest now, no amount of silver would save his life.
“Please take good care of him,” he said, emphasizing the last words with a gritted-teeth tone.
Everyone seemed to share the same unspoken agreement about Rong Mu, falling silent.
After Sanmu left smoothly, he took a careful look at the old steward who had intervened.
The man appeared to be in his forties or fifties, often seen leading the servants but rarely remembered for his face. His tone was gentle, and his demeanor far better than that of a typical old man—he seemed educated, quite unlike the usual officials. These traits left a deep impression.
However, it seemed the young master’s household was unclear about the young master’s true intentions.
“The young master has instructed us to prepare several fine residences for the Daoist to choose from. Why not have him visit now and make an early decision?”
Sanmu nodded. “Much appreciated.”
The steward called his most capable aides and escorted Sanmu to the East Residence, then returned to the group with Eunuch Hai.
Before they could reach them, a servant came running.
“Any news of the young master?”
“The young master is resting in the courtyard, helped into the Mountain Wind Pavilion by Deputy General Yuan. Yuan now guards the entrance; none of the servants may approach.”
“It’s not even past noon. What kind of sleep is that for the young master?”
The servant was terrified. The usually gentle steward was furious, signaling a grave mistake on the servant’s part.
“I also feel something’s odd. According to those attending him, the young master shook off two palace officials and went out the main gate, but somehow fell asleep. The gate is tightly sealed by palace guards, no one can see what happened inside or out.”

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“You all ought to wise up a bit. With your cowardly ways, if the young master had met any villains, he would have been assassinated eight times over by now!” The old steward lamented, frustrated by the household’s unreliability.
Even the servants were untrustworthy.
“Go, send a clever maid to discreetly inform the eldest young lady of the young master’s situation. She’s the only one who can get in now.”
“Yes, yes, since sister holds the title of county lady, they dare not stop her.”
“Hurry up!”
“Right away, old steward, please don’t worry.”
The steward walked toward Eunuch Hai and the others, pondering as he went.
He thought, “Today’s matters are truly strange. How could such a big event leave no trace in the palace? Does the Empress Dowager know nothing, or does she know but keep the news strictly within the palace? Either way, it’s troubling for the young lady’s position inside.”
Since the eldest son’s incident, the second lady’s relationship with the master has grown increasingly strained. They barely meet during festivals, and since the emperor ascended the throne, the master scarcely leaves his estate.
He wondered how the master would react to today’s events.
“You, come here.” The steward summoned a servant.
Outside, Eunuch Hai waited anxiously but dared not recklessly enter to search, recalling the master’s words.
Just as Eunuch Hai was about to send some guards inside to look, the resplendent robe of Kong Kong reappeared.
Eunuch Hai, restless and anxious, finally felt his tension ease.
“Let’s go.”
“Ah, very well, Master, please.”
Eunuch Hai handed his whisk broom to a nearby eunuch and took the delicate fan offered. “Master, there’s no rush. We can take our time.”