Oriental Odyssey 49 - Rain is Coming

Young Mu Le followed his master home. He thought that since she had saved him before, she already understood the truth. However, he raised his eyes to find her staring at him in anger. Mu Le expected a scolding, but to his surprise, Yuan'an took out the medicine box to dress his wounds. The two sat on the grass in the stables, and Yuan'an rolled up Mu Le's sleeves. There were wounds and scratches from before, Yuan'an used a small cotton stick to apply medicinal powder gently. Then she inspected the wounds more closely, she squinted her eyes and blew gently, her pouting mouth resembled that of a pig's.

Mu Le, watching her, felt that the troubles of being beaten, deceived, and wrongly thrown into prison were all worth it. It was like a winding road, and the ultimate goal of this road was to be close to her, to see her squinting eyes and pouting mouth, and to smell her sweet childlike scent.

The person with the pouting mouth suddenly shook her head and said, "Hey?"

Mulue asked, "What's wrong?"

Yuan'an said, "I feel there's something strange about you."

"What's wrong?"

"You've grown a lot in the past few days. Also, the wounds on your arms and hands, even if the ointment from the old man in the basement storage is effective, shouldn't there still be traces of redness or scars. What's going on?"

Mu Le's thoughts were not on himself. He said, "I don't know."

Yuan'an looked at him carefully. "You're not a demon, are you?"

Mulue scoffed.

Yuan'an laughed and said, "Well, even if you are a demon, it's alright. You are my demon, my servant." She took out the waist tag and said, "Here, keep this. Regardless of everything, the cause of this matter lies with me. I apologize to you. If it wasn't for me driving you out without distinguishing right from wrong that day, there wouldn't be so many complications. Rest assured, with me in this house, no one will dare to bully you again. No one will dare to drive you away again!"

Mu Le nodded, took back the waist tag from her hands, looked at her, and shyly smiled.

Yuan'an also smiled at him but still felt uneasy. "Oh, by the way, that old man in the basement, he's a lunatic. Don't go to see him again. Just leave the food at the door in the future. Don't go inside. Stay far away from him, understand?"

"Alright."

He looked so honest and simple, with an innocent appearance, completely trustworthy. Lowering his head, with a round chin and fluffy eyelashes, he looked extremely cute. How could someone like him not be easily bullied?

Yuan An rolled her eyes and said, "Ah, no, that old man almost caused you a big loss. I can't let him off so easily. I have to teach him a lesson!" She leaned close to him and whispered instructions.

It was time to deliver the food again. Mu Le placed the meal box at Tian Shu's door.

The door suddenly opened from the inside.

My Le was curious and didn't leave.

The door opened a bit more from the inside.

Mu Le cautiously entered.

Suddenly, he fell, rolling into the basement.

Mu Le, dizzy from the fall, opened his eyes, and Tian Shu was right in front of him, grinning, "You're back? I missed you! I've improved the formula of my medicine, been waiting for you to try it."

Me Le leaned back, waving his hands, "No, no." 

Tian Shu slowly approached, "Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid." He took out a small tube from his pocket with two pills in it, and said, "Come, open your mouth, and I'll blow it in for you!"

Unexpectedly obediently, Mu Le opened his mouth and held one end of the tube.

At that moment, Yuan'an suddenly rushed down from above and shouted, pointing at the two, "Mu Le! What did I tell you?!"

Just as Tian Shu was distracted, Mu Le blew back, and the medicine pellets in the tube went into Tian Shu's mouth. Unprepared, he swallowed them in one gulp.

Smartly outsmarted, Tian Shu was shocked, holding his throat with both hands, "Ah! It's over! Poisoned!"

Yuan'an clapped and laughed, "Well, now you've got it! Let this be a lesson to you!"

Tian Shu, lying on the ground, yelled, "Quick, get me some ice water for a bath! Otherwise, I'm done for!"

This day, to counteract the strong force of the medicine pellet, Tian Shu soaked in ice water for three hours, muttering, "Calamity, calamity, it's your fate."

Yuan'an, Mulue, and the monkey used for testing were jumping for joy.

One medicine pellet rolled on the ground, and Mu Le picked it up and put it in his pocket.

At the Luoyang County Office, Zhao Lanzhi, who had solved the case of the hooligan Nigu, discussed the case with the old investigator Yang. The conclusion of the old Yang surprised Zhao Lanzhi: "You mean this person is not the murderer?"

The investigator said, "The fatal wound is in the victim's abdomen, not in the throat as the suspect claimed. Look here, there is no blood, indicating that the person was already dead when he stabbed. The blood had coagulated. Moreover, the wound on the eunuch's abdomen is irregular, not neat. It wasn't a precise, one-strike fatal blow, it was stabbed without preparation. So, more than one person has been to the crime scene. And the real killer is not the one you brought in."

Zhao Lanzhi contemplated, recalling the crime scene on the rainy night.

In a dark room, someone familiar exchanged a considerable amount of silver with the eunuch Cao Yi for the stolen painting.

Seeing the money, that person took advantage of the opportunity, stabbed him to death, and neatly sat him at the table.

The job might not have been finished yet. The hooligan Nigu and Me Le entered the room through the window. The murderer, hearing the noise, avoided the two then jumped out of the window.

Zhao Lanzhi calculated, "So before Nigu and Mu Le entered the room, the eunuch Cao Yi had already been killed. The painting stolen from the palace was taken away, but why didn't the killer take the silver coins?"

It wasn't for the money, but to silence him. The person who instigated Cao Yi to steal the painting must be someone he knew! Unfortunately, this clue had been cut off! Where should he go to find that painting?

Outside the city, tombstones flickered with ghostly lights.

Princess Xinghui ignited candles in front of Jiang Ren's grave, pulling out weeds, and moving bricks and stones until her fingertips bled.

She spoke softly, "Jiang Ren, Jiang Ren, are you there? Are you cold? Are you hungry? Still drinking wine? I often miss you. I miss the time when you were by my side. Rest assured, you are my servant, I won't let you die in vain! I will definitely get rid of Ye Yuan'an and Zhao Lanzhi. I must avenge you!"

Princess Xinghui gritted her teeth, blood flowing from her hands.

Someone flew down behind her, watching her with a smile.

It was Luo Tian, the master of the Luo family assigned by the national teacher.

Princess Xinghui didn't turn around, as if she didn't know there was someone behind her.

Luo Tian finally urged, "Princess Xinghui, the national teacher is summoning you."

After completing the mission with difficulty, Princess Xinghui, who had come with Luo Yang, presented the scroll in her hand to national teacher Tian Qiao. Tian Qiao opened it and looked at it. It was a painting of a man and a woman reading under a banana tree.

The national teacher frowned, observing for a long time without discerning any mystery. Suddenly, he became nervous and agitated, like a neurotic: "What's going on? I can't see it. The Buddhist beads in that person's hand will be exchanged for this painting?"

Princess Xinghui answered, bowing her head: "Reporting to the national teacher, it is this painting. It is the most cherished painting of the Empress, she always takes it out to look at it. A few days ago, the person who came to sell Buddhist beads in Luo Tian Cave wanted to exchange this painting."

The national teacher praised, "Hehe, it's rare, only you, Minghui, can have such clever tricks. You managed to steal it from under her nose."

Minghui smiled insidiously, "It was nothing impossible. I just bribed an eunuch and had him steal it for me."

It was exactly like the imagined murder scene Zhao Lanzhi had.

If the veil shrouding the hidden truth was lifted, it was Princess Xinghui who made a deal with the eunuch Cao Yi and killed him afterward to silence him.

All for the Empress' painting 'Under the Banana Tree'!

The national teacher said, "Is it cleaned up now?"

Princess Xinghui replied, "Rest assured, national teacher, I left no loose ends."

The national teacher nodded, took the painting, and looked at it repeatedly, puzzled and suddenly becoming somewhat manic: "What's going on? I still can't figure it out. Why would this person want this painting?!"

Princess Xinghui reassured, "National teacher, rest assured, our goal is the three heavenly Buddhist beads in his hands. Whatever he wants, as long as we give him this painting, we can get the beads."

The national teacher returned the painting to Princess Xinghui, seeing the bloody wounds on her fingers: "You did a good job, but I still want to remind you, collecting the Three Treasures Buddhist beads is a matter of public interest, a matter of utmost importance. Don't let your private affairs, trivial matters, distract you and confuse your mind."

"I understand." She lowered her head, she said she understood, but she hid her fierce expression, invisible to anyone.

Princess Xinghui bid farewell to the national teacher, left the main hall, and instructed Huo Yang, who was waiting outside to run an errand: "Help me with something."

Miraisaesang's notes: The National teacher did address her as Minghui, guessing Princess Xinghui is her honorary title, while Minghui is her real name...Also to clarify, she's not a legit or actual princess, meaning not a daughter or sister of the current ruling royal, rather it's a honorary title bestowed to her by the royals...In Chinese, her princess is Junzhu and a ruling royal's princess is Gongzhu; they are different, but there isn't really a good distinction in English. 

Previous Chapter

Oriental Odyssey 48 - Truth Comes Out

It went like this, on the day Mu Le was besieged on the street and rescued by Yuan'an, his master asked him to go home, but he vehemently refused, leaving Yuan'an alone with a frown, and returned to the broken temple in a daze.

Nigu, who had taken him in, greeted him with concern: "Where did you go? I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Mu Le didn't speak and just laid down on the grass.

Nigu grabbed him, "Don't be lazy, there is a big deal tonight. Come with me!"

Involuntarily, he dragged Mu Le and walked outside.

In the small restaurant, Xiao Er brought some wine and vegetables to Mu Le and Nigu.

Taking cover, the two of them observed the plump, fair, beardless man that Nigu had been eyeing in the gambling hall.

Nigu said, "There, it's him! Let's go to the inn with him in the evening. You give me a hand, and I will smoothly take his bulging package!"

Mu Le was depressed, "I- I don't want to do this kind of thing anymore."

Nigu stared at him, "Are you backing down? Brother, it's not righteous for you to do this! Who has been providing you with food and clothing these days? Who has taken you out to play with girls? Although you didn't stay, you also looked, right? Won't you help me with this?"

Mu Le was very unhappy in his heart, but he also unfavorably said, "This is stealing, it's robbing. I don't want to do it."

Nigu rolled his eyes and thought about it, "What is stealing, robbing? It's my fault for not explaining the original story to you, this person is my enemy!"

Mu Le raised his head and was about to believe it.

Nigu added, "My parents, it was him, he killed them! When I saw him, I couldn't wait to split his tendons and skin him! What is there if I take his money? Am I not already compassionate enough?"

The boy, how could he know that he was lying. He only felt that since he had received this person's favor, he believed that he did have a deep hatred here, so he said, "Okay, I'll help you."

It rained heavily that night, it was like a hole had opened in the sky.

Mu Le and Nigu sneaked into the inn room where the plump, fair man was staying from the window.

The room was dark, and the two of them were feeling around the room. Suddenly, a flash of lightning struck. The room became as bright as day in an instant. Mu Le and Nigu saw the man sitting facing them at the table wide-eyed, blatantly staring at them! They were stunned, Nigu was almost about to pee, and he didn't care about anything, he stabbed the man without saying a word. The plump, white man was stabbed in the neck without resisting, and he fell to the ground without even uttering a word.

When he saw him start to kill, Mu Le was shocked for an instant, then he grabbed Nigu's wrist: "You, what are you doing? Didn't you say - didn't you say you are not here to kill?"

Nigu was furious: "He saw us, if he don't kill him, we will be done for! Hurry up, hurry up, find his money bag! Fast!"

Mu Le was shocked and had no time to react. Nigu found the purse behind the dead man and opened it to see that it was full of silver.

The murder fell to the back of his mind, and Nigu was elated: "He didn't play for nothing. Didn't play for nothing!"

There was movement outside the door.

It was the inn servant who knocked on the door outside: "Sur, the wine and vegetables you ordered, sir?"

Nigu was about to jump out of the window and escape, but was dragged back by Mu Le, "Let's go! Idiot! Are you stupid?!"

Mu Le was still stunned.

Nigu thought to himself: "Hmph, this idiot. This is my fate with you, just do something for me again!"He quickly stuffed the knife in his hand into Mu Le's hand, then jumped out of the window and fled.

At the same time, Xiao Er pushed the door in, and there was another flash of lightning. Xiao Er saw the corpse on the ground and Mu Le holding a knife. He was so frightened that he shouted loudly, and the wine and vegetable tray also fell and spilled all over the place: "Murder! Someone killed someone!"

A group of people rushed in when they heard the sound, and Xiao Er fell to the ground, pointing at Mu Le: "This is the person! Don't let the murderer run away!"

Mu Le told his little master what happened on the night of the heavy rain in this way. Yuan'an was quite shocked when she heard it, frowning and holding her chin. She was shocked for a second, then she relaxed again, changed her face, clapped her hands and said, "Forget it, you come home with me first. I'll hide you first, save the officers trouble."

She didn't care about who died and who ran away right now. Getting Mu Le back was more important than anything, better than anything.

The two of them were about to run, but then someone flew down from the roof and stood in front of Yuan'an and Mu Le. This person was tall, dressed in black, and his thin white face was not smiling. Wasn't this Zhao Lanzhi?

"You fake cook, robbing criminals under my nose again, where else do you want to go?" 

Yuan'an was taken aback and smiled: "It turned out to be Constable Zhao. That's right, it's me again. I stole a criminal again. By the way, you people are really not clever in doing things for the court. Why did you let me succeed again?"

Zhao Lanzhi also smiled: "Don't look down on people. Miss, if you really did succeed, will I be here?"

Yuan'an remembered that he had received the news that Mu Le was in prison because the people from Luoyang County office sent his waist tag to the mansion, she seemed to understand something: "Ohh, Constable Zhao, did you send Mu Le's waist card to me? Did you deliberately inform me to let me rescue Mu Le? When we met just now, you knew it was me at a glance, did you let me go on purpose?"

Zhao Lanzhi: "You figured it out."

Yuan'an curled her lips: "These methods are so boring, what do you want to do?"

Zhao Lanzhi took a step forward: "Two purposes. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid this kid wouldn't talk to people as clearly and honestly as he did just now. I couldn't grasp the case either. Besides, do you know who the person who died was?"

Yuan'an said: "Who was it?"

Zhao Lanzhi: "Eunuch Cao, an eunuch of the imperial library."

Yuan'an was quite shocked: "Eunuch? Why did an eunuch come out of the palace?"

Zhao Lanzhi pondered a little, then decided he could tell the girl in front of him what he couldn't say to others: "This matter is a big internal secret, and it can't be investigated in the open, and too many people can't know about it. I deliberately asked you to bring him out, just to avoid people's eyes and ears."

Yuan'an nodded: "That's it. So, you believe as much as I do that Mu Le is not the murderer anymore?"

Zhao Lanzhi glanced at Mu Le and smiled coldly: "Stupid kid. If you have the mind to kill, how can you not know to run away?!"

Mu Le stood up after hearing this, and confronted Zhao Lanzhi tit-for-tat: "Who is a stupid kid?!"

Yuan'an pressed Mu Le back: "What should we do now?"

Zhao Lanzhi: "We must find the Nigue he mentioned right away! He is the murderer, I want what he took from Eunuch Cao!"

Yuan'an was suddenly excited: "I just happened to be so free that my arms are uncomfortable from idleness! Since you want to avoid people's eyes and ears, you can't bring helpers from the office. I'll help you!"

Seeing that she was like this, Mu Le also said: "I'll go too."

Zhao Lanzhi looked at these two people, and somewhat helplessly said: "You treat handling cases as a game, right?"

Not long after, in the small hall of a brothel, Yuan'an, dressed in men's clothing, dangled two big golden balls in front of the old Madam, playing with them in her hand.

The old Madam was greedy and leaned forward: "You, if you have any requirements or hobbies, just tell me directly. The girls will definitely satisfy Young master."

Yuan'an said: "I am a dedicated person. I have been here for a few months to do business. My friend brought me to you to meet a beautiful woman named Chunhua. Madam can just to bring Miss Chunhua out to meet me."

The old Madam said: "Looking for Chunhua, Young master is really good at seeing people. Chunhua is our best here. But you are a step late, she has just been redeemed by her former patron."

Yuan'an pondered for a while, then looked at the old Madam and smiled: "Madam, I know your business. There are so many girls that you have to take care of, right? You don't need to bring someone else for me, so please tell me directly how can I find Chunhua? I will give you these golden balls in my hand to play with."

The old Madam turned her eyes: "Chunhua has a chronic headache and can't run far after redeeming herself. She has to go to a clinic in the east of the city to get medicine on the 15th day of each month. If it won't work, can just go there and wait for Chunhua."

After the old Madam finished speaking, she took the golden balls in Yuan'an's hand, took a bite, and it broke. It turned out to be eggs painted gold!

Yuan'an laughed as she quickly rushed off. 

Chunhua was actually the lover of the ruffian Nigu. This kid never does good things, but he is romantic.

After taking the silver from the dead man, the first thing he did was to go to the brothel and redeem Chunhua. Chunhua has had a headache since childhood, and she had another attack during the day. She was lying on the bed and was dying. Nigu came in from outside: "The medicine is here, the medicine is here, I bought it for you!"

Nigu served Chunhua water and medicine. After she took the medicine, she seemed to be better, she leaned on his shoulder and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Nigu said, "Chunhua, there is no need to be so polite. If you follow me, you can rest assured. As I told you, now that I have money, you can stay with me and live a good life, I won't let you suffer."

Chunhua threw herself into Nigu's arms: "Darling, Nigu!"

Suddenly, a voice came from outside: "Is the money you have earned from good deeds?!"

Before the voice fell, Zhao Lanzhi, Yuan'an, and Mu Le broke in.

Nigu was shocked and pointed at them: "Who are you? Who are you? I see Mu Le, ah, how come it's you?"

Zhao Lanzhi, with a calm face, pressed the blade to his neck: "You plotted to gain wealth and harm lives, framed others, but you can't hide on the fifteenth. Do you still want to talk nonsense? What did you take from the dead? Hand it over quickly!"

Nigu denied: "Officer, I don't understand a word of what you're saying. Did you make a mistake? What dead person are you talking about? I don't know, I don't know anything!

Mu Le, angered, rushed up and grabbed Nigu's collar fiercely: "You, you used me! You killed someone!"

Nigu was almost strangled to death by Mu Le, but Yuan'an came up and dragged Mu Le away.

Nigu fell to the ground, and Zhao Lanzhi pressed him on the bench, sitting on him himself: "I'm just asking you questions, but since you won't talk..."

Nigu still refused to beg for mercy: "I don't know anything, really!"

The prostitute Chunhua on the bed cried when she saw this, tumbled out of bed, and took out a large bag of silver from the partition hidden under the floor tiles, and shouted at Nigu while crying: "You value wealth over your life! How can you enjoy it if you really die!" She knelt at Zhao Lanzhi's feet, "My Lord, officer, spare him, this is the silver he stole, we used a few ingots, and the rest are here. All for you!

Zhao Lanzhi glanced at the silver, not interested: "And the painting?! What about the painting he brought with him?!"

Nigu said: "Painting? What painting? I don't know! The silver is all here, what else do you want?"

Zhao Lanzhi sneered, raised the sword, and was about to stab Nigu in the eye.

Nigu: "No! Really don't!"

Zhao Lanzhi didn't retract the sword, the tip of the knife was about to stab into Nigu's eye. Yuan'an and Mu Le became nervous.

Nigu yelled: "Ah! I remember! I have seen it, I have seen it!"

Zhao Lanzhi retracted the sword and stood up. Nigu rolled over and started vomiting. Panic had turned his stomach upside down.

Zhao Lanzhi was experienced, under the stimulation of death, not only did he recall what happened a few days ago, but he could recall what he saw and heard when he was still breastfeeding as a child.

Nigu panted heavily: "My Lord, I remember. When I was scoping out this person in the casino, I saw that he was also carrying something long and round, like a scroll wrapped in it. But I was not interested in that, I just wanted his money!"

Zhao Lanzhi: "The day you killed him, didn't you see that painting?"

Nigu shook his head: "No! No! Never seen it! Your methods are really good! Good methods! My life is yours! I dare not lie! I dare not!"

Zhao Lanzhi felt that it was almost enough. This person probably only knew this much. He took the silver in one hand and pulled up Nigu with the other: "Let's go, go to the county office to talk."

He walked up to Yuan'an and Mu Le: "Thank you for your help. I have caught the criminal, there will be no more problems for Mu Le. You can take your horse slave home."

The excitement just now made Yuan'an very excited. He got closer and said to himself: "Constable Zhao Zaotou, what kind of painting are you looking for?"

"It has nothing to do with you."

Yuan'an leisurely: "I think there's still a long way to go, we are partners."

Zhao Lanzhi looked down at Yuan'an. She was really beautiful and adorable. When asking for a favor, she wrinkled her brow, pouted her lips, huddled her shoulders, and clasped her hands together—a cute and slightly mischievous appearance. Zhao Lanzhi stared at her for a while, contemplated for a moment but he couldn't bring himself to refuse her. However, he remained silent and left with Nigu.

Yuan'an understood the unspoken rule of asking someone to do things in the background, she gritted and looked back at Mu Le, and suddenly became angry again: "Let's go home! See if you dare to run around again in the future!"

Previous Chapter              Next Chapter

Oriental Odyssey 47 - Deceived!

After searching everywhere with worn-out shoes, success comes effortlessly.

Zhao Lanzhi heard that the person who killed the eunuch Cao Yi had been caught and rushed to the cell to see several officers interrogating the suspect. Zhao Lanzhi took a closer look: a child's face, tanned boy, with a face full of grievance and ignorance, wasn't this Yuan'an's little slave boy, Mu Le who once saved his life?

The officers were interrogating him. When they saw Zhao Lanzhi coming in, they quickly saluted. Mu Le looked up at Zhao Lanzhi but seemed not to recognize him and lowered his head again.

Zhao Lanzhi also kept his expression and asked: "Is this the murder suspect who was just arrested?"

An officer replied: "That's right. He was the one who killed the nameless eunuch in the inn. The waiter was going to deliver wine and food, right when he had just killed the man. Before he could escape, several people went up and caught him. Look, this is the murder weapon."

Zhao Lanzhi: "Where are the stolen goods?"

The officer replied: "We haven’t found it yet."

Zhao Lanzhi said: "Nine times out of ten, there is an accomplice. He stayed to hold the bag while his accomplices took away the property and ran."

Why did Official Zhao, who never said a word before the case was solved, lay out the facts of the case so quickly? The officials hesitated a little but did not dare to say anything more, so they said: "Official Zhao probably has it right."

Zhao Lanzhi raised his head and signaled: "Continue to ask him questions."

The officers turned to Mu Le: "Boy! Hurry up and admit the truth. Do you have any accomplices? What are their names?"

Mu Le thought about it: "Nigu."

The officer was stunned for a moment, then his face turned red with anger, and he went up to beat me: "How dare you scold me?! Who are you talking about?! Your mother! Brothers, give him a beating. He won't tell the truth if we don't beat him!"

**(LOL Nigu means stick-in-the-mud)**

Zhao Lanzhi smiled secretly.

The officers rushed up to beat Mu Le, but Mu Le dodged a few times.

He suddenly became fierce. His posture was clumsy, and he had no tricks, but his energy was so powerful that he pushed everyone down in one fell swoop. When Mu Le got free, he ran out. The officers suddenly threw out iron chains and trapped him. Mu Le was tied up with several chains and could not escape.

The officers who had just suffered a loss angrily said: "Oh, didn’t expect this little bastard to be quite energetic. It is indeed the material of a murderer!"

Zhao Lanzhi, who had been silent, picked up an object that Mu Le had dropped to the ground, and then shouted to everyone: "Stop it! Come and take a look at this."

When Mu Le saw it, it was the waist badge with his name engraved on it, which was a gift from Yuan'an. He immediately became anxious, he grabbed the chain and rushed forward: "That's mine!"

The officers stepped forward and held him down fiercely.

Zhao Lanzhi pretended to hold the badge in his hand: "Mu Le, Ye Mansion, oh, this must be a servant of Minister Ye's household. Hm, brothers, I don’t think this kid can handled randomly. What if he has backing? Then, in this case, you take this badge and go to Ye Mansion to ask. The person who died has no name or surname, we shouldn't offend someone powerful over this, right?"

The officer immediately agreed: "Your Excellency is right."

Zhao Lanzhi looked at Mu Le: "Give him some food and drink."

Mu Le looked at Zhao Lanzhi without making a sound.

It is said that Mu Le's waist badge was quickly sent to Ye Mansion by Zhao Lanzhi's messengers, and was delivered to Yuan'an. Yuan'an holding Mu Le's waist badge and was shocked: "It was sent by people from Luoyang County office?"

Uncle Xia replied: "Replying to little owner, that’s right."

Yuan'an was anxious: "Tell me, what did they say?"

Uncle Xia rubbed his hands: "That Mu Le killed someone, he is currently in prison."

Yuan'an paced back and forth for a few steps: "Go reply to them, just say that this badge was lost by one of our servants a few days ago, and thank them for sending it back, but that the person inside has nothing to do with us!"

Uncle Xia went down to reply. Yuan'an held the waist tag and clenched her fist, but made up her mind in her heart, and angrily said: "This fool refused to come back with me, he has really caused trouble!"

That night, at the door of a wine shop in Luoyang City, a disheveled, ragged, and unscrupulous thief dragged a tall horse out. The horse was unwilling and neighed. Two officers from the Luoyang county office came out of the wine shop and shouted: "Hey! So bold! Are you blind? How dare you steal an officer's horse?!"

The thief wanted to run away but was stopped by another officer: "Let’s go! Catch him!"

The officers grabbed the thief and threw him into the county prison.

In Luoyang County prison, Mu Le was locked up and was bored. He was watching cockroaches fighting when he saw two officers pushing and shoving a disheveled short man along. The officers threw the man in the cell, and then they sat together to drink and eat pig ears. The boy was in a ball so Mu Le couldn't see his face, suddenly the boy walked up to him and lowered his voice: "Hey, you stinky kid! Do you still recognize me, your master?"

Mu Le was startled and turned to look.

The man took off the messy wig on his head, raised his eyebrows, and looked at Mu Le with gritted teeth. That white face, dark eyes, and red lips, wasn't this Yuan'an, but how?

When he saw her, Mu Le suddenly became nervous and stammered: "Why are you here? How come it's you?"

Yuan'an covered his mouth: "Nonsense. If not to save you, why else would I be here? Don't make a sound!"

Mu Le didn't dare to make any more noise. Yuan'an looked around carefully and found that the window above had been sealed. Yuan'an said in a low voice: "These government officials in Luoyang County could still be considered to be earning their living. They were robbed by me last time, and as expected, the cell was completely blocked. Hmph, do you think everyone would keep using the trick? Fortunately, I have something new!"

Outside the cell, the two officers were eating, drinking, and toasting. Yuan'an took out a small blowpipe and blew two puffs at them.

Two small pills dropped into the wine and instantly dissolved, becoming invisible. The government officials drank it and fainted immediately.

Yuan'an chuckled, took out a small pair of tweezers from her sleeves, and opened them into two long tweezers and grabbed the keys from the officer's waist. She opened the cell door, Mu Le's hand and foot shackles, and the two escaped from the prison!

Yuan'an chuckled and took out a small pair of tweezers from her pocket. She folded and unfolded her two feet with the tweezers, turning them into long-legged tweezers. She grabbed the keys from the yamen officer's waist, opened the cell door and Mu Le's handcuffs and foot shackles. The two escaped from the cage!

Wearing the officers' coats, Yuan'an hastily walked out with Mu Le, but they ran into Zhao Lanzhi, Xiaohu, and others who were heading inside.

Seeing Zhao Lanzhi, Yuan'an thought, 'This is bad! Meeting enemies on a narrow road' She turned to Mu Le and whispered, "Lower your head!"

The two lowered their heads and walked past Zhao Lanzhi and the others.

Xiaohu stopped them from behind, saying, "Hey! You do not even greet your senior officers when you see them."

Yuan'an turned around, muffled her voice and whispered, "My lord, please forgive us. We two just joined the station as operational servants, so we lowly ones did not recognize those above us. Greetings, greetings."

Zhao Lanzhi asked, "Just arrived?"

Yuan'an replied, "Yes!"

Zhao Lanzhi continued, "What position are you in?"

Yuan'an said, "Cook."

Zhao Lanzhi remarked, "By the way, the food you served tonight was too salty."

Yuan'an replied, "I understand, sir. I'll use less salt tomorrow."

Zhao Lanzhi said, "Go."

Zhao Lanzhi didn't recognize them. Yuan'an breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took Mu Le away.

Little did Yuan'an know that Zhao Lanzhi was looking at their backs with a smile on his face.

An officer rushed over in a panic, saying, "Sir, it's not good. The prisoner, we lost the prisoner again!"

Zhao Lanzhi asked in a pretentious manner, "Who was lost? The kid who killed the eunuch?"

The officer replied, "Exactly! How did the senior officer know without going there? Our two officers were drugged, and the prisoner was kidnapped."

Zhao Lanzhi ordered, "Don't panic! Go and save the people! I'll go catch the criminal!"

Meanwhile, Yuan'an and Mu Le slipped away under Zhao Lanzhi's nose, running for their lives through the alleys. After running for a long time, they looked back and saw no pursuers.

The two stopped. Yuan'an bent down, gasping for air, and looked up at Mu Le. She deliberately kept her distance from him. He slightly turned away, glancing at Yuan'an. Under the moon, Yuan'an's pair of slanted round eyes were slanted and her cheeks were puffed up. Yuan'an was exhausted, meanwhile, his breath was calm and even, still looking unconvinced. Yuan'an suddenly became very angry.

She rushed forward, grabbed Mu Le's collar, intending to hit him in the face.

Mu Le didn't dodge, looking straight into her eyes and pursing his lips tightly.

Yuan'an couldn't bring herself to do anything, instead, she pointed a finger at Mu Le's face and gritted her teeth for a long time, before saying, "Alright! Why didn't they kill you?!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Le's mouth flattened, his jaw twitched, and he was about to cry.

Yuan'an became fierce, "Hold it back!"

Mu Le held it back, his eyes red.

Yuan'an shook him, demanding, "What's going on?! Why were you arrested and thrown into prison? Why are you causing trouble and getting involved in a life-threatening case? How did you end up like this? What about all the things you said to me that day? Weren't you happy? Weren't you comfortable? Weren't you unwilling to go back to the mansion with me? Oh, so you just wanted to go to prison?"

Mu Le said, "No, didn't"

Yuan'an became even angrier, "What's going on? Explain it clearly!"

Mu Le had held it in for a long time and finally cried, "I was lied to, I was deceived!"

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Oriental Odyssey 46 - Missing Banana

In other words, Mu Le bid farewell to Yuanan. He felt discomfort in his chest, his breath wasn't smooth, and it felt like there was a lump in his chest. He fell down again, feeling uneasy all over. The young boy didn't understand that he was heartbroken over a girl, he just thought he was sick. He felt so sick that he furrowed his eyebrows, lowered his head, and lost his soul as he entered the broken temple where he lived with Nigu.

Nigu had been waiting for him for a long time. He rushed to greet Mu Le, asking, "Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Mu Le didn't speak and he laid down in the grass.

Nigu said, "Don't be lazy; there's a big deal tonight. Come with me!"

Mu Le, grabbed by Nigu, didn't know how to refuse and was in a daze. 

He was facing a murderous disaster!

Two days later, a few days before Empress Wu's birthday, a massive rainstorm hit Luoyang City.

A lightning bolt struck, causing the imperial library's beam to collapse into a corner.

It was raining heavily.

The on-duty eunuchs didn't dare to neglect their duties and trotted through the imperial library.

The person in charge, a middle-aged eunuch named Li Cheng, whispered to the little eunuch next to him, "What did I tell you? Check it carefully early and ensure everything is in order. Is the window broken? Let me tell you, if we lose something, we can't afford to lose our heads!"

They were busy until dawn, sorting out books and pictures against the list.

A little eunuch reported, "Reporting to Gonggong, most of the books and pictures are well preserved. However, six paintings and calligraphy from the Jin Dynasty have water damage and need repair."

Li Cheng asked, "Which six are they?"

The little eunuch presented him with a list.

Li Cheng calmed down a little, saying, "Fortunately, it's not the paintings that the masters love. There's time for repair."

The little eunuch hesitated and then said, "Gonggong, it seems there's a painting missing."

Li Cheng inquired, "Which one?"

"That one..."

Li Cheng understood instantly, shocked, and quickly went through the scrolls he had sorted out, becoming more and more impatient.

The painting had indeed disappeared!

The painting, which was kept in a copper cabinet to protect it from water and dust, was gone!

Li Cheng exclaimed, "How is it possible? How could it be?"

The eunuchs were extremely frightened, looking at each other, racking their brains for ideas.

Li Cheng calmed down a little, lowered his face, and ordered everyone, "Listen, no one is allowed to spread this matter!"

The little eunuch was about to cry, saying, "Gonggong, the painting is gone, but we can't hide it."

Li Cheng's fingers trembled, and he pointed outside, "Go, go and invite Zhao Lanzhi!"

Zhao Lanzhi, the head constable of Luoyang County government, received the news and rushed to the palace quickly, following an eunuch straight to the imperial library.

When Li Cheng saw him, he seemed to settle down, closed the doors and windows, turned around, and walked in front of Zhao Lanzhi. He wanted to say something and suddenly knelt down.

Zhao Lanzhi put down the teacup and hurriedly stopped him, "What is Gonggong doing? If you have anything to say, please say it, if you kneel like this isn't this killing me?"

Li Cheng was helped up by Zhao Lanzhi, "Lanzhi, in three days is the Empress' birthday. If you don't save me this time, I'm afraid my life will really be hard to protect!"

Zhao Lanzhi pondered a little, knowing that the matter was not small, "What is going on, Gonggong, please explain slowly."

Li Cheng said, "Yesterday, the Imperial library was hit by heavy rain. We sorted out the scrolls and books overnight, but found that one of the most important paintings registeredwas missing."

"Which one?"

"Lan Zhi, you must have seen that work when you visited the Empress, it's called 'The Picture Below the Banana Tree.' It's her favorite, one she often browses."

Zhao Lanzhi thought for a while, and there was indeed some impression in his head: "A man and a woman reading a book under a banana tree?"

Li Cheng nodded, "Exactly."

"Then I have a slight impression."

Li Cheng turned around and said with difficulty, "That is the favorite painting. The scroll was a bit worn out, so we had it here to repair it to hang it on the day of the Empress' birthday. But...but, after the heavy rain, it actually disappeared!"

Zhao Lanzhi was not surprised. He knew how many people's disasters it would mean to lose the beloved painting of the Empress.

Li Cheng turned to look at him, "I dare not speak out, but there is no way, so I have to turn to you, Lanzhi! If you refuse to help, not only me, but the lives of dozens of eunuchs in the imperial library will be gone!"

Zhao Lanzhi pondered for a long time, "Don't panic, Gonggong, there are no more than two possibilities for the loss of property, external thieves or internal thieves. The Imperial library is heavily guarded, no one can enter or exit without permission. So has Gonggong investigated all the eunuchs, servants, and any others who entered?"

Li Cheng said, "After the incident, I immediately asked and searched, and no suspicious people were found. Besides, if there is really an internal thief, then they will not be able to hide the connection. What Gonggong said is extremely true; those who stay in the palace will never dare to steal this painting. However, recently, have any eunuchs from the imperial library recently taken leave of the palace?"

Li Cheng: "None"

A timid eunuch cautiously reminded, "Gonggong, what about Cao Yi?"

Li Cheng, recalling, quickly informed Zhao Lanzhi, "Indeed, one person took leave five days ago. He was responsible for repairing furniture here and has been with me since childhood. He said his parents came to Luoyang from their hometown, cried, and requested to go out and meet them. I granted him leave." He turned to the little eunuch, "Hey, when did he say he would be back?"

The little eunuch counted, "Gonggong, he was supposed to return yesterday."

Li Cheng was dumbfounded.

Zhao Lanzhi, had an idea, said, "The loss of this scroll may be related to this person. Li Gonggong, let me help you find the eunuch who took leave and hasn't returned. Do you have a portrait of him?"

Li Cheng quickly found one, "He is plump, without a beard."

With this significant matter at hand, Zhao Lanzhi put aside his current tasks, refraining from involving subordinates, and personally searched for the whereabouts of the eunuch Cao Yi. Unfortunately, there was no news the entire day.

As night fell, Zhao Lanzhi returned to the county government. The gravedigger, Lao Yang, was walking in drunkenly with a jug in his hand, nearly colliding with Zhao Lanzhi.

Lao Yang apologized, "Oops, Constable Zhao, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Drunk again?" Zhao Lanzhi asked.

Lao Yang chuckled, "It's good to be drunk. After getting drunk, looking at dead bodies isn't as unpleasant."

Smiling, Zhao Lanzhi helped him up and was about to leave, when he suddenly thought, if news of the living Cao Yi couldn't be found, could he be dead? So, he asked, "Lao Yang, have you received any peculiar salted fish recently?"

Shaking his head, Lao Yang replied, "Nothing too peculiar. But yesterday morning, I did receive a pickled salted fish."

Unsure, Zhao Lanzhi asked, "I don't understand."

Wide-eyed, Lao Yang explained, "It's a corpse, a castrated corpse!"

"Take me to see!" requested Zhao Lanzhi.

In the mortuary, Lao Yang led Zhao Lanzhi to the so-called pickled salted fish. Comparing the face with the portrait, it was indeed Cao Yi. Zhao Lanzhi thought, Li Gonggong, I've found Cao Yi for you, but he's dead! Turning to Lao Yang, he asked, "What have you found?"

"He was killed, knife wounds in two places. One in the abdomen with no blood, the other in the throat with little blood," reported Lao Yang.

Monitoring the situation, Zhao Lanzhi pondered, "Who is the murderer? Did they take anything valuable from him?"

Lao Yang revealed, "The murderer was caught on the spot. They're currently locked up in the cell."

Zhao Lanzhi was momentarily stunned.

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Oriental Odyssey 45 - Rascal Nigu

Yuan'an returned home laden with worries and went straight to the cellar, where Tianshu was busy feeding pills to a red monkey. The monkey, aware of his ploy, opened its mouth and spat back at him, leaving him covered in saliva.

Tianshu wiped his hands, shook his head, and sighed, "Testing medicine on animals just doesn't work. Hey, kid, where's your little minion Le? Haven't seen him for days."

Yuan'an replied, "I drove him away."

Tianshu scolded, "You fool! If you don't want him, give him to me. I'll use him to test medicine. I tried it once, and it worked well."

Yuan'an sensed something amiss and grabbed Tianshu's collar, asking, "Did you give him the medicine you brewed?"

Tianshu retorted, "So what?"

Yuan'an pressed, "How did it affect him?"

Tianshu explained, "It's a kidney qi medicine. The dead can come back to life after taking it."

Yuan'an questioned, "And the living?"

Tianshu replied, "The living turn into gangsters."

Yuan'an, recalling the day she drove Mu Le away, suddenly understood. She grabbed Tianshu's collar and slammed her head to his chin, but he grinned in pain. Yuan'an rushed out of the basement.

On her way out, she encountered the stubborn Gou'er stealing underwear. Yuan'an confronted him, "Come, we need to talk."

Gou'er was frightened, nearly peeing himself. He spoke, "Little owner, Elder Young mistress, it wasn't me. The young master arranged it all!"

Yuan'an wreaked havoc in Ye Mansion, and even Lord Ye, just returning, was dragged into the chaos. Yuan Ning, dodging Yuan'an's attacks, was eventually cornered. Despite being stopped by others, Yuan'an was powerful, flying up to kick Yuan Ning. Antique flower pots shattered, and Yuan Ning wailed.

Uncle Xia, restrained Yuan'an, advising, "Little owner, control yourself. Don't beat the young master so hard. If things break, how will you explain to the master when he returns?"

Yuan'an, furious, cursed while punching and kicking, "Shameless! Plotting with the little guy to frame my person! Forcing me to drive people away! I'll kill you!"

Yuan Ning cried, accusing the Gou'er, "Gou'er, you smiled when you took the money and then sold me out, didn't you?"

Gou'er pleaded, "Young master, don't scold me! I accidentally let the little owner catch me."

Ignoring their squabble, Yuan'an continued to violently beat Yuan Ning. The family intervened, but Yuan Ning only escaped momentarily. Yuan'an, about to resume, suddenly stopped. Lord Ye had arrived, and Yuan'an stared at Yuan Ning.

Madam Ye helped Yuan Ning up and scolded him, "Useless thing! You're bullied by your sister every day!"

Yuan'an, facing his father, sneered, "What's the fake lamentation, mother? Yuan Ning useless? He's scheming!"

Yuan Ning, tearful and sniffling, denied, "I didn't!"

Furious, Yuan'an clenched her fists, vowing, "I'll make you talk!"

Lord Ye intervened, scolding Yuan'an and questioning if she would beat even her stepmother one day. He ordered Yuan'an to leave, and Yuan'an, seething, ran off.

Madam Ye and Yuan Ning, relieved after Yuan'an's departure, exchanged glances.

Lord Ye, pacing, pointed to Yuan'an's departing figure, "This child will bring me a big disaster sooner or later!"

Quick on her feet, Yuan'an left on horseback, deciding to rectify the injustice against Mu Le.

Around the same time, in Nancheng gambling hall, Mu Le was being watched closely by the rascal Nigu. A person with no beard, fair skin, and a brocade robe had won a significant amount of money. Mu Le, in a corner, fed a brown kitten, unaware of the unfolding drama.

Suddenly, people from a fruit shop attacked Mu Le, accusing him of stealing. In the ensuing chaos, Mu Le tried to escape but slipped. Yuan'an, waiting nearby, used her iron skeleton hand to aid Mu Le in the nick of time.

Yuan'an confronted Mu Le, who looked at her with mixed emotions. She attempted to talk, but he turned away, evidently unhappy.

Ignoring his silent response, Yuan'an tried to understand, "Why were those people chasing and beating you?"

Mu Le remained silent.

"Don't you recognize me anymore?"

He finally spoke, "Yuan'an."

"Then why won't you answer my question? Why were they chasing and beating you?"

"It's none of your business."

"Ah, after not seeing each other for a few days, you dare to talk back?"

Mu Le wasn't used to questions, and about to leave but was grabbed by Yuan'an. She spoke in a hushed voice, "Hey, don't go. I've almost searched the entire Luoyang City looking for you. I want to talk to you."

Mu Le stopped but didn't look at her.

Yuan'an struggled, "Come back home with me. I've investigated everything. It was someone else who harmed you, set you up in the maid's bathroom, and hid those things in your sleeping place. The old guy in the basement used you to test medicine, and you were confused that day. Anyway, it's not your fault. They were all making fun of you. Come back home with me."

Mu Le turned his back, shaking his head.

"Don't worry, I've punished them. They won't dare to make fun of you again."

Mu Le finally turned back at Yuan'an, his shoulders were thin with a face resembling two round apples. In his dark brown eyes, scenes from that day appeared—scenes that haunted his nightmares, where Yuan'an struck his cheek with thorns.

He didn't believe her.

Shaking his head, Mu Le fled.

Yuan'an didn't pursue, standing still as thunderclouds gathered in the sky.

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Oriental Odyssey 44 - Louyang Vagabonds

At this moment, Official Ye's idling daughter, Ye Yuan'an, was sitting in a circle with several children in the market, watching a one-eyed man drawing.

Zhao Lanzhi, who was patrolling the neighborhood, saw Yuan'an's sharp little head, and narrow shoulders, still pretending to be a young man, and wanted to tease her. He hesitated, walked towards the painting and calligraphy stall, and looked at Yuan'an. He couldn't help but without realizing it.

Suddenly, a pickpocket approached, snatched Yuan'an's purse, and ran away.

Yuan'an immediately noticed, jumped up, and chased after him.

Not far away, Yuan'an kicked the pickpocket from behind, pressed him to the ground, and started hitting him fiercely. She was very kind to her own people, but ruthless to the bad ones. Now that she caught the thief, she raised her fists and gave him several punches.

Still not satisfied, but the one-eyed artist appeared from nowhere and grabbed Yuan'an's hand, and pressed it down.

It was Xue Han.

He looked at Yuan'an from top to bottom. "This young master has bought my paintings. I always thought you were a good person. Why are you so brutal now hurting people?"

Yuan'an, who had no patience for nonsense, frowned. "Let go of my hand and move out of the way. You're saying I'm hurting someone? The thief just stole my purse!"

The pickpocket stood up, turned around, and surprisingly, he was a child, his nose bleeding from Yuan'an's beating.

Yuan'an was stunned.

Xue Han loosened Yuan'an's hand, and pushed her forward, and Yuan'an stumbled.

Xue Han turned to the thief and said, "Did you steal something?"

The thief nodded.

Xue Han said, "Give it to me."

The thief refused, "My mother is sick."

Xue Han lowered his voice and ordered, "Give it to me!"

Reluctant but not daring to resist, the thief finally took out the purse and gave it to Xue Han.

Xue Han turned around and handed it to Yuan'an. Yuan'an, triumphant, was about to take it.

Yuan'an's hand reached out, but Xue Han dodged a bit. "Young master, he stole your money and returned it to you. But he's still a child. How will you handle it after beating a child like this?"

The people around pointed and discussed, "That's right, how can you be so harsh on a child?!"

"Look at how the child is dressed compared to you. It's a young master of a wealthy family bullying people! This little thief is probably a refugee. Oh, poor thing."

Yuan'an, feeling guilty, and not knowing how to deal with it, regretted in her heart. With a stern face, she asked, "What do you want?"

Xue Han said, "People shouldn't be bullied for no reason. You've beaten the child like this, so let him return it to you. That should be enough!"

The crowd joined in, "Yes! Child, get up, fight back!"

Yuan'an had no way out. Xue Han and the onlookers were staring at her. In this tense moment, Zhao Lanzhi arrived, pushing aside the crowd. "What's the commotion?!"

Xue Han stepped back and nodded, "Constable Zhao."

Zhao Lanzhi surveyed the crowd, "I could see from afar. Mr. Xue, the artist, is a person who understands reason and is a leader among the refugees from the thirteen counties. I want to ask you, the thief stole something, you caught him, and he returned it. Can we consider this matter closed? Pretend it didn't happen? Pretend he never stole anything? How interesting! This child is still young, and stealing is a mistake. He should be punished! Otherwise, when he grows up, he might commit murder and arson! What do you think? Or should I take him back to the bureau to give him some other lessons?"

Xue Han, with discontent, coldly laughed, "You're the official, your words carry weight."

Zhao Lanzhi said, "I say let the child quickly go home and take care of his sick mother!" Zhao Lanzhi squatted down and gave the thief some silver, "Go buy medicine! What are you waiting for?"

The child eagerly took the silver and ran off.

Xue Han laughed, "Constable Zhao, you usually take good care of us, so I'll give you face this time." He glared at Yuan'an, "But this kind of kid who bullies others, be careful in the future, don't let me see him again!"

The crowd dispersed, Yuan'an looked at Zhao Lanzhi, finally relieved, "Thank goodness you came to deal with these troublemakers!"

Zhao Lanzhi said, "They're not troublemakers, they're just unfortunate people."

Yuan'an was puzzled, "What's going on?"

Zhao Lanzhi explained, "They are recent refugees who entered Luoyang. The construction of water conservancy projects in the southern thirteen counties forced them to leave their hometowns. Moreover, all the men in every family were conscripted, leaving only women and children. Unable to sustain their lives, they had to wander around. The child who stole your money, I've seen him before. He and his mother used to sell porridge near Luili street. The one drawing pictures is the one who came up with the idea among these refugees. They do some small business on the street to make ends meet. Even if there's no official approval, we turn a blind eye, letting them get by. After all, we must let people survive, right?"

Yuan'an nodded, feeling sympathetic, "Oh, I see. My impulsiveness caused trouble. Thank you for helping me out."

Zhao Lanzhi smiled, magnanimous. The two walked and talked in the street, looking like old acquaintances, very natural.

Yuan'an asked, "Have you had any new cases recently?"

Zhao Lanzhi looked at her and smiled gently, "My cases might not be as numerous as yours."

Yuan'an waved her hand, "Don't be so polite. You, Constable Zhao, maintain public order and appease refugees. If it weren't so peaceful, how could I stroll around the streets?"

Zhao Lanzhi smiled gently and generously, then asked, "By the way, the little servant boy you bought in the ghost market, how is he now?"

It’s still alright when it's not talked about, but when it's brought, Yuan’an gets angry all over again: "Don't mention it. That boy was unruly, so I kicked him out a long time ago. What? Did you see him?"

"I can't be sure. The other day, I saw him in the brothel, right in front of me, and he escaped."

Yuan'an was relieved but also annoyed, "You went to a brothel? What for?"

Zhao Lanzhi looked at her eyes and smiled, "Naturally, it was for a case."

Yuan'an, relieved on one hand, was still angry, "Hmph, I knew it! This kid is so unruly! Otherwise, how could he go to such a place?!"

Zhao Lanzhi said, "From what I saw, he was obviously scared by the girls there. He couldn't even escape properly."

Yuan'an hesitated, "Is that so? Maybe you saw wrong..."

What happened before was instantly replayed in Yuan An's mind. She suddenly realized that something was wrong with her thinking, and couldn't help but murmur to herself: "But if it wasn't Constable Zhao who saw you wrong, then I must have made a mistake..."

Yuan'an bit her lip, turned around, and threw out, "Constable Zhao, I have something to do. We'll see each other later!"

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Oriental Odyssey 43 - Zijin Cauldron

In the following days, the streets of Luoyang City were turned into chaos by a handsome young man dressed in black.

The scenes at various food stalls, meat shops, and fruit stands were strikingly similar: while the shop owners were busy collecting payments, they would suddenly see a young child holding items like roasted chicken, ham, and peaches. The shop owners would quote the prices, but the child would quickly run away as soon as they turned around. The shop owners would chase after the child with knives in hand. Once they were both gone, Nigu would step in and snatch the cash boxes.

Using the same trick, Mu Le and Nigu had managed to make quite a profit. They rendezvoused in an abandoned temple afterwards. Nigu meticulously counted the money, while Mu Le sat nearby observing. Nigu said, "Great buddy, you're quite thoughtful. Tonight, I'll take you to a fun place, what do you say?"

Now, where would that crafty Nigu take Mu Le? It was a brothel near the South Market. The two of them entered the main hall, and the madam came forward with a sly look in her eyes, neither friendly nor cold, "Isn't this the young master from so-and-so family? You still haven't paid the tea money from last time. What are you here for now?"

Ni Gu casually threw money to the madam: "Cut the nonsense, this is what I owed you last time. Now, call Chunhua for me. And find a sister for this little brother!"

The madam, with the money in hand, immediately changed her expression, very enthusiastic: "Chunhua, your elder brother is here! Qiuyue, come quickly, greet your younger brother!"

The two women named Chunhua and Qiuyue came up, each supporting Ni Gu and Mu Le. Mu Le, who was usually taken care of by Yuan'an in the mansion, naturally had his hair combed and face pinched, but now being held by other women, even with clothes in between, he felt extremely uncomfortable. He dodged, but was pushed and shoved onto the second floor.

At this time, two more guests entered the brothel, the leader of whom had a handsome face and a tall figure, none other than Zhao Lanzhi, the constable from the Luoyang County government, and his subordinate Xiaohu.

The madam hurriedly went forward to greet them: "Two lords, please come over here. I'll arrange the best seats, the best wine, and the most beautiful girls for you. Please come this way."

Zhao Lanzhi waved his hand: "Madam, no need to trouble. We made an appointment with a friend, and he should be here."

Zhao Lanzhi's eyes moved, and he saw at a table inside, a fat man in a blue shirt was hugging two girls, eating and drinking heartily, touching and playing around.

Xiaohu whispered: "Sir, is that him?"

Zhao Lanzhi nodded slightly: "Yes."

The two walked to the table of the fat man in blue, and the fat man looked at them, wary: "These are my girls, my wine and food. I don't know you, you are not my friends. Go somewhere else."

Zhao Lanzhi smiled: "Hey, Mr. Zhou what kind of words are these? If we know each other, can't we be friends?"

The fat man was surprised: "How do you know my surname is Zhou?"

Zhao Lanzhi nodded: "And I know you have what I want."

The fat man asked: "Which is?"

"The Zijin Cauldron."

The fat man took a sip of wine, looked up and down Zhao Lanzhi: "Are you the buyer?"

Zhao Lanzhi nodded: "Yes, that's me. Do you have it with you?"

The fat man said: "Of course, it was discussed with the messenger pigeon. I'll take it out for you now!"

After saying that, the fat man covered his face with the wide sleeves and leaned on the table, his whole person seemed to be in the shape of a turtle shell. However, in the blink of an eye, the robe went down, and Zhao Lanzhi suddenly felt something was wrong. He slapped Zhou Lixian's clothes.

Zhao Lanzhi squinted his eyes: "Hmph, he wants to escape!"

However, the shirtless fat man suddenly rolled out from under the table, fell at Zhao Lanzhi's feet, forehead down, and climbed up embarrassingly, wanting to run outside.

On the second floor, Qiuyue rushed to the railing on the second floor: "Hey, little brother, don't run! Don't run outside!"

The person was extremely scared, covering his chest with both hands, and rushing out.

Zhao Lanzhi was very surprised: "That's Mu Le, Yuan'an's little slave!"

Qiuyue returned to her room, dissatisfied: "Ah, such a handsome little brother, why did he run away? And it's you, the dirty rascal, who stayed behind."

Ni Gu laughed with money in hand: "I'm the dirty rascal, but aren't I generous?"

Chunhua poured him some wine: "You've made a fortune. Lucky you. Tell me honestly, how did you earn so much money?"

Ni Gu said: "Well, that little kid just helped me a lot."

Chunhua said: "When will you save up and redeem me?!"

Ni Gu drank, pondering: "People don't become rich without a windfall. This money, I have to think about making it big."

Whether you are a commoner in the market or a high-ranking official in the court, life is not easy for anyone. This includes Ye Fucheng, the Ministry of Revenue's deputy minister, in charge of thirteen counties in the south.

In the council today, the chief secretary was discussing the celebration of the empress dowager's birthday. Official Ye entered from outside, looked around, turned half a circle, and found that there wasn't even a seat left for him.

The chief secretary saw him and asked: "Oh, it's Official Ye. We are discussing the celebration of the empress dowager's birthday. Do you have any good ideas?"

Official Ye shrugged his shoulders and honestly replied: "Sir, about this matter, this lower official has no ideas."

The chief secretary asked: "What do you have in your hand?"

Official Ye answered: "It's a petition from the people in thirteen counties requesting a reduction in hard labor."

The chief secretary stretched out his hand, and Official Ye presented it. The chief secretary flipped through it and threw it aside: "The Empress' birthday is approaching, and we need to report some good news. Regarding the thirteen counties in the south, we need to report that the construction is progressing smoothly, and the people are living and working in peace. The matters in your petition can be put on hold."

Official Ye spread his hands, there was nothing he could do.

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Oriental Odyssey 42 - Jin Yun Mountain, Luo Tian Cave

The young household servant of the Ye Family, Mu Le, was framed by Gou Er and Yuan Ning, and was personally driven out of the mansion by Yuan'an. 

Temporarily setting this matter aside, let's go over to a mountain located thirty miles southwest of Luoyang city – Jin Yun Mountain. Legend has it that the name of the mountain was given by Emperor Wen of Sui, as the mountain, although not tall, was densely covered with ancient trees, lush and verdant, resembling clouds. Jin Yun Mountain was not only abundant in trees but also in caves, ranging from small to large, numbering in the hundreds. 

These caves were interconnected through winding paths and hidden channels. One could enter from a cave opening on the northern side of the mountain and possibly exit from another opening on the eastern side, or one might never be able to leave, perishing inside. There's a tale that in a previous dynasty, over a thousand soldiers from the Sui army were trapped here by the Tang army, eventually starving to death. Their remains nourished the vegetation, and their vengeful spirits pierced through the rocky soil, creating the lush Jin Yun Mountain and its numerous caves.

However, this place of uncanny legend held a secret that ordinary townspeople were unaware of.

Inside a narrow secret passage, Huo Yang, a trusted aide of the National Teacher Tian Qiao, was leading a person forward, occasionally looking back. The person following him was a thin individual, blind in the left eye and wearing a black eyepatch. Other than this, they were in their forties, with a handsome yet unremarkable face, dressed plainly. On the street, they would be the most inconspicuous figure. It was a mystery how they found their way to Huo Yang.

At the end of the secret passage, a vast expanse of light emerged, accompanied by faint bustling noises. Huo Yang stopped and simultaneously halted the person.

He was a competent emissary deeply trusted by National Teacher Tian Qiao, well aware that appearances can be deceptive. However, the thin individual who calls himself Xue Han, was unlike any guest he had received before. If he were to introduce this person, there were a few things he needed to make clear.

Huo Yang asked, "Do you know where this is?"

Xue Han, with the eye as fluid as water, answered, "Jin Yun Mountain's Luo Tian Cave."

What does 'Luo Tian Cave' mean?

It's a net that captures heaven and earth, harboring a secluded paradise.

They say you can sell anything here, and everything can be bought here.

Huo Yang chuckled softly, "And you? Why have you come?"

Xue Han also smiled, "I've told you, I'm selling pearls."

Huo Yang nodded, "Alright, as long as you understand. When selling things, don't come across as too haughty. Earning money, helping those in need – that's better than anything. I also rely on the fees I earn from intermediaries like you. Isn't that right?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Han, with one eye, immediately took out a silver ingot from his sleeve and handed it to Huo Yang, "Here's your intermediary fee. But I must wait for a buyer who has a connection with these pearls."

This was unexpectedly someone reasonable. Huo Yang thought to himself, accepted the silver, and extended his hand, "Please proceed."

He unexpectedly turned out to be a reasonable person, Huo Yang thought, as he accepted the money and gestured, "Please."

At the end of the secret passage was a chamber measuring eight zhang in diameter. White stalactites radiated a soft and splendid halo, reflecting various colors. There were emerald pedestals and a purple-gold wooden table adorned with exquisite delicacies and rare fruits. The guests, each dressed extravagantly, exuded an air of grace and elegance. Some found the chill emanating from the natural stalactites uncomfortable, so they warmed their feet on the skins of gold tigers and purple leopards. Some female guests even found this insufficient and had well-built, handsome slaves lie bare-skinned on the stone to warm their feet.

What were these people doing in such an extravagantly decorated place?

In reality, Luo Tian Cave was an auction house.

In the transparent jade water tank undulated a red-haired mermaid. After two rounds of bidding, Huo Yang struck the gavel, declaring, "Young Master Yang, the rare mermaid is yours!" The precious creature had found a new owner.

The other bidders nodded to Young Master Yang, who smiled with pride. However, his thoughts were not on the mermaid; he turned his gaze toward the woman standing on the male slave: he had spent a large sum to acquire the mermaid, hoping to capture the attention of this proud lady.

However, the lady didn't spare him a glance. She gently fanned herself, her light-colored eyes having witnessed countless treasures. What was a mermaid to her, or a wealthy and frivolous young man with mere riches?

This was Princess Xing Hui, waiting for her prey in the Luo Tian Cave auction house in cahoots with Huo Yang.

Huo Yang wiped his hands with a silk handkerchief, "The next item up for auction is a pearl. Mr. Xue, please."

Xue Han stepped onto the auction stage in the chamber. He held a wooden box, and upon opening it, revealed its contents to the crowd.

Princess Xing Hui tensed the moment she laid eyes on it. She took a sip of tea and clenched her teeth in secret. She thought, the Heavenly Buddhist Pearl! Another one! The Grand Master was right. Luo Tian Cave has truly collected the treasures of the world. It's finally here!

The other bidders, however, were far from being as discerning. Someone from below shouted, "Is that a Buddhist pearl?"

Xue Han affirmed, "Indeed."

"The material is good, and the craftsmanship is fine. However, the pearls aren't strung together, just like the leftover corners of jade. It's not valuable."

Xue Han replied, "Different perspectives, different values."

"So, how much are you asking for it?"

Xue Han replied gently yet firmly, "One thousand gold coins."

The bidders grew restless and some even burst into laughter.

Young Master Yang, who had just acquired the mermaid, jovially remarked, "Hey, Huo Yang, did you bring in an entertainer? Is this a comedy?"

"Is this a performance?"

"Emperor Han Wu's jade scepter only cost how much? And he wants a thousand for this pearl?!"

"Move on! Move on!"

Amidst the laughter of the crowd, Xue Han calmly stowed his pearl and the box, as if he had anticipated such reactions. He turned and left, seemingly unconcerned.

At the same time, Princess Xing Hui put down her teacup and shifted her feet from the male slave, rising from her seat.

In a small room behind the auction hall, Xue Han, with his single eye, collected his belongings, preparing to leave. Huo Yang stood nearby, dissatisfied, "You don't seem very sincere about selling. You asked for a thousand as soon as you got up there. Was that a joke?"

Undisturbed, Xue Han replied, "I told you, it depends on fate."

Huo Yang sneered, "Fine, since you've made the effort to come, I'll see you out."

The two turned to leave through the original path but encountered Princess Xing Hui standing behind them.

Huo Yang, who had been assigned by the National Teacher to assist this royal princess, remained respectful and bowed, "It's you, Princess."

Princess Xing Hui looked at Xue Han and said, "I'd like to have a conversation with you about that pearl."

Xue Han quickly assessed her, "Of course."

"How did you come across that pearl?"

"It was a fortunate coincidence, something I stumbled upon."

Princess Xing Hui continued, "You didn't originally know what it was, yet you dared to ask for a thousand gold coins?"

Xue Han explained, "I didn't know initially, but I was certain it was a valuable item. But when you asked, I figured I might not be asking for too much."

"Well, how much were you asking for?"

Xue Han replied gently yet firmly, "One thousand gold coins."

Xue Han quickly assessed her: "Sure."

"I didn't know originally, I just knew it must be something precious. But when you asked, I figured I might not be asking for too much."

Upon hearing this, Princess Xing Hui laughed, "You are not asking for too much. The price you want, I'll pay. Sell me the bead."

Xue Han also smiled, "You're willing to pay a thousand gold coins? Are you very wealthy? Are you nobility? You wouldn't be a princess, would you?"

"Don't mind who I am. Your treasure is worth the price."

Xue Han inquired, "Why didn't you mention this during the auction just now?"

"My habits are different from others."

"Well, I'm sorry, there is no such store after passing this village!" Xue Han resolutely held the box in his arms.

Xinghui's face instantly darkened, "What do you mean?"

"I won't sell it!" Xue Han repeated firmly.

"Not selling? What if I take it by force?" Xinghui threatened.

Xue Han: "Do you think I don't know? This is a Buddhist bead. If you take it forcefully, you'll be defying the Buddha."

Xinghui pondered for a moment, realizing that this person might not be as easy to deal with as she initially thought. "State your conditions."

"Before I came here, I heard people say that those who come to Luotian Cave to search for treasures are all people with hands and eyes as high as the sky. If you are such a person, then I do have one thing to ask of you. If you help me accomplish this, my Buddhist bead will be given to you for free!"

Hearing this, Xing Hui seemed to be more interested: "Oh? Tell me, I'm listening."

Xue Han whispered, and Xing Hui’s face changed slightly.

*

In a corner in the city of Luoyang, on the streets, a ragged little slave named Mu Le nestled in a corner and slept.

Sleeping poorly, he had a nightmare. In the dream, he was pulled by the old monster in the basement, and medicine was pushed into his mouth. The old maid stabbed a silver needle into his head, and the fierce maids chased and beat him. Finally, the girl he had always trusted, Yuan'an, used a cane to beat him.

Something else was hitting him now, and it woke him up. Opening his eyes, he saw several children using branches to hit him.

Mu Le jumped up, and the children were startled and retreated. They laughed and said, "He's awake, he's awake! Run! Run!"

The children ran away, and Mu Le chased after them. Accidentally, he fell into a pit that had been dug earlier. The children clapped their hands above, saying, "Haha, he fell for it! He fell!"

However, they underestimated this little fool. Mu Le, who had been bullied, felt angry in his heart. In a moment, he actually stepped on the wall of the pit and jumped out.

The children scattered, and Mu Le continued to chase. They hid behind their mothers. The mothers, pointing at Mu Le, scolded, "What are you doing? This little fool is bullying people again?! Hoe dare you bully our children again?! You thing without parental upbringing, get lost!"

They all came up to beat Mu Le, scaring the little boy, who fled with his head in his hands.

It happened that someone saw this scene. This person was named Ni Gu, twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, a ragged ruffian. He was swaying out of the gambling den and saw Mu Le being bullied by the children and mothers. Ni Gu stood in front of Mu Le and blocked the women: "What are you doing? What are you doing? You group of middle-aged women are bullying people again?! Go! Get out of here! Go."

His reputation was not good, and the women knew to avoid him, so they left with their children.

Ni Gu helped the disheveled Mu Le up: "Little brother, little brother, I drove them away. Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, right?"

Mu Le shook his head.

Ni Gu smiled: "My luck is good today. I just won some money in the gambling den. Are you hungry? Come, I'll take you to eat something? Come, follow me, little brother."

Mu Le hesitated but was pulled away by Ni Gu.

Ni Gu found a small food shop, sat down with Mu Le, and the waiter brought freshly cooked buns. Ni Gu pushed them in front of Mu Le, looking generous: "I'm the kind of person who likes to make friends. Someone with your skills shouldn't be bullied by those little brats, and you shouldn't go hungry. In the future, follow me, okay? Follow me, there will be buns to eat. Hey, do you have a name?"

Mu Le honestly replied: "Yes."

"What is it?"

Mu Le took out his waist tag and showed it to Ni Gu. There were two characters on it: Mu Le.

Ni Gu took it, played with the waist tag, quite curious. Mu Le snatched it back.

Ni Gu smiled, indifferent: "I've seen this kind of waist tag before. Are you from a big family? Let me tell you, the more you work in a big family, the less they treat you like a person. In the future, follow me. Let's be carefree brothers. You don't have to call me elder brother. Just call me by my name. I'm Ni Gu. Go on, call me, call me by my name."

Mu Le didn't respond at first, and Ni Gu urged him: "Say it, call me Ni Gu."

Mu Le hesitated for a long time: "Ni Gu."

Ni Gu was pleased: "Ah, that's right! Call again, eat buns, eat buns."

He picked up a big bun and put it on Mu Le's plate, pouring some vinegar on it as he thought, picking up such a kid wasn't for no reason, maybe he could help him make it big!

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Oriental Odyssey 41 - House Punishment

The story goes that as Mu Le ran ahead, the maids and nanny chased after him, having just left the courtyard of the servants' quarters. They reached the front yard garden, where Yuan'an and Madam Ye were coming from the opposite direction. The two of them were engaged in a rather indifferent conversation.

At the sight of Yuan'an, Mu Le felt a sense of relief and immediately hid behind her.

The maids halted and paid their respects, saying, "Madam, Little owner."

Seeing them in disarray, still holding their tools, and noticing Mu Le's obviously beaten up appearance, Yuan'an's displeasure surged. She immediately wore a stern expression and questioned, "Is there something that can't be discussed with words? Why did you resort to violence?"

One of the maids replied, "Young Master, this child is a troublemaker. He... he was peeping, peeping on us while we were bathing!"

Madam Ye seemed quite intrigued and wanted to get a clearer picture. "Oh? Is that so?"

Yuan'an pulled Mu Le out from behind her and asked, "Is what they said true?"

Mu Le lowered his head, his brows knitted together. Despite his simple mind and his belief that he didn't mean any harm, he couldn't deny that the maids' observation wasn't entirely inaccurate. He nodded and answered honestly, "Yes, it's true."

Given the matter's implications for honor and morality, even if Yuan'an were rebellious, she couldn't condone such behavior. Furthermore, he admitted to it, making her feel even more displeased. She furrowed her brows and scolded, "How could you do such a thing?!"

Mu Le, who had a simple mind and even clumsier words, clenched his hands together and looked distressed. "I didn't..."

The maids wouldn't let him off so easily. "Didn't what? Did all twelve of our eyes deceive us? Wasn't it you?"

Madam Ye added a bit of drama, "Yuan'an, this child... Isn't this the stable boy you brought back a couple of days ago? Aren't you the one who's been causing a ruckus outside? Yet the servants in this house must adhere to certain rules. In this state, haven't things gone awry?"

She said this aloud, but inside, she was pleased, thinking, Hmph, I've caught you this time! Let's see where you can escape now.

Yuan'an lowered her head, gritting her teeth. "According to Mother, what should we do?"

Madam Ye smiled. "What's there to do? Apply the house rules' punishment, give him a good beating with a few dozen cane strokes! Then, expel him!"

Yuan'an turned to look at Mu Le. Mu Le remained clueless, his innocence evident. He had no idea what the house rules' punishment was, let alone what had transpired.

Madam Ye stretched out her hand. "Come here!"

The household servants approached, carrying switches in their hands. They were about to hand them over to Madam Ye.

Yuan'an shouted, "Stop! This child was brought back by me. I will decide his fate! No one else is to touch him!"

Madam Ye and Yuan'an stared at each other, locked in a standoff.

The maids dared not utter a word, aware that this conflict had escalated into a clash between the two women of the house.

What neither of them realized was that their eyes were practically emitting sparks of fire.

After a considerable duration, Madam Ye let out a gentle laugh, turned around, and said to the maids, "Why don't we just let it be? Young Master wishes to protect his servant. Don't make things difficult for her."

Yuan'an gestured with her hand, "Mother, there's no need to intervene. Since he's made a mistake, I'll punish him. But others can't touch him. I'll handle it myself."

With those words, Yuan'an took the switch from the household servant's hand, raised it, and lightly tapped Mu Le's nose. "Kneel."

Mu Le thought this was just another display of her usual assertiveness, so he complied as instructed, as if oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

Yuan'an stared into his round eyes, distinct black and white, twinkling like stars. He seemed like the most obedient little puppy. Yuan'an herself mustered courage for a while, then with determination, she said, "You saved me twice so now you dare to act recklessly? Do you think you're invincible? Today, I will make sure you understand!"

The switch in Yuan'an's hand brushed against Mu Le's face and neck in an instant. Although she hadn't used much force, Mu Le, in his anxious response to her words, instinctively moved forward slightly. The combination of forces resulted in a small cut on his face and neck, and blood appeared.

Mu Le froze, touched the wound, lowered his head, looked at his own blood, and then at Yuan'an, with disbelief in his eyes.

Then he understood. He had been wronged, chased and beaten, and when he had thought he would be trusted and protected, she had done the opposite. She was the one who ultimately punished him severely.

His innocent eyes turned cold, and his reliance and trust in Yuan'an collapsed.

Suddenly, on this sunny day, the weather shifted to wind and rain.

Madam Ye left with the maids.

Yuan'an dropped the switch and left as well.

Mu Le suddenly felt a chill throughout his body. The remnants of the medicinal effect within him seemed to have finally dissipated.

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Oriental Odyssey 40 - Jinxed

As the story goes, Mu Le fell victim to Tian Shu's scheme and accidentally swallowed his pill. He felt like his blood was burning like charcoal, rising to his head, as if it wanted to burst through his skull. Trembling all over, unable to bear it, he dashed out of Tian Shu's cellar like an arrow, circling and running in the courtyard as if it was the only way to alleviate the intense heat that seemed to emanate from his entire body.

In one corner of the courtyard, several servants were repairing a house. Mu Le leaped over and effortlessly lifted a piece of wood that several people couldn't carry. With a swing, he threw it onto the roof, causing the roof to collapse.

Uncle Xia was giving a red horse a bath, but the stubborn creature resisted. As Mu Le dashed by like a small whirlwind, he lifted the horse and threw it into the pond, pulling Uncle Xia along with the reins, both of them landed in the water.

A group of maids were hanging clothes to dry. As the boy ran by, all the clothes flew up in the wind, with several young women's delicate undergarments landing on the old maids' heads and faces.

Young Master Yuan Ning was practicing with rocks near a rockery, muttering, "I'll master martial arts so my elder sister won't dare to bully me again!" Mu Le rushed by him, unintentionally helping by spinning the rocks, and in an instant, two rocks were lodged in Yuan Ning's head like mouse ears. Yuan Ning burst into tears, his face covered in blood and tears, "You rascal! I'm definitely going to kick you out!"

But that wasn't the end of it. Mu le dashed straight to the well, where two maids were taking watermelons out of a bucket. With a sudden gust, Mu Le sprinted over, leaving the maids stunned. One of them wondered aloud what had gotten into the boy, but before she could finish her sentence, Mu Le had already plunged headfirst into the bucket. The previously chilly well water started bubbling up!

The peaceful mansion of Lord Ye turned chaotic due to Mu Le's crazy antics, running rampant all day long and even continuing into the night, where he squatted on the roof, yelling at the moon.

The servants gossiped, "Could Elder Miss Yuan'an have brought a demon into the house? Who knows what kind of trouble that child will cause!"

That night, the maids were taking a bath when one of them suddenly noticed a small round hole in the wall. She leaned closer and saw an eye peering in. She screamed, "Peeping tom!" Several other maids who were bathing with her quickly grabbed their clothes and ran out, ready to confront the intruder. But all they saw was a servant boy's foot disappearing behind the wall. The maids threw brooms at the wall, yelling, "Shameless! If you dare to come back, we'll beat you to death!"

It turns out that among the mischievous servant boys in the mansion was one named Gou'er. He was known for cleaning the soy sauce jars and was about fourteen or fifteen years old, the most troublesome of the bunch. He was the one who had peeped at the maids bathing. Chased outside, Gou'er hid behind the rockery, still frightened. But suddenly, someone grabbed him by the collar from behind. Startled, Gou'er turned around and saw it was Young Master Yuan Ning.

Gou'er laughed nervously, trying to please, "Young Master, what are you doing here?"

Yuan Ning gave his collar a sharp tug, "You scoundrel, were you peeping at the maids again while they were bathing?"

"No, Young Master, I swear I wasn't."

"Don't lie to me, or I'll have the steward break your legs."

"No, please, Young Master. If you break my legs, you won't have a dog's leg to do your bidding anymore."

Yuan Ning sneered, releasing his grip on Gou'er's collar, "Tell you what, you little scoundrel. I might have a little job for you!"

Yuan Ning whispered a few words into Gou'er's ear, who then winked, "Got it, Young Master. Just watch me!"

Meanwhile, it was already late in the night and the effects of the pills had still not worn off on Mu Le. He lay on his bed, his face still flushed red, and smoke wafted from his mouth. Uncle Xia and the old maid stood by, looking quite anxious and concerned. Uncle Xia said, "I suspect he's been bewitched, don't you think? He's been like this the whole day, and he's not getting any better."

The old maid added, "Doesn't seem like it. I remember people back in my hometown getting this illness, especially during the hot summer days when one's inner fire is high. Let me give him an acupuncture treatment, it should help."

"Well, please go ahead."

The old maid took the largest sewing needle she could find, twisted it in her mouth as if to sterilize it, and then with her eyes wide open and her hands quick, she jabbed the needle into the top of Mu Le's head! Mu Le shot up from the bed, tears streaming down his face, soaking his shirt, but he couldn't even make a sound. If he knew he would be treated this way, even Tian Shu in the cellar might have pitied him.

Whether it was the effect of the medicine wearing off or the efficacy of old maid's sewing needle, by the next morning, Mu Le felt the intense heat dissipate from his body. His trembling had stopped, and he was no longer eager to run, but his face remained flushed. He was still a bit hazy in the head as he fed grass to the horse.

Suddenly, he heard the chirping of a cricket. He turned around and saw a shiny black cricket nestled in the grass. Being a child at heart, Mu Le abandoned the grass in his hand and pounced, trying to catch the cricket to play with. But the cricket hopped away, landing on a long blade of grass, prompting Mu Le to follow suit. He was determined to catch the little creature.

Unbeknownst to him, Gou'er was perched on a beam with a fishing rod in his hand, manipulating the cricket with a thin, transparent thread. Seeing that Mu Le took the bait, Gou'er couldn't help but cover his mouth and laugh, thinking how clever he was.

Gou'er continued to manipulate the cricket, leading Mu Le to the outside of the maids' bathing area.

The cricket landed on the small hole in the door. Mu Le lunged forward, but the cricket jumped away. Curious, Mu Le peered into the hole, which seemed quite spacious, but it was too dim to make out what was inside.

Unable to see clearly, he pressed against the wall and strained his eyes. Suddenly, the object inside the hole turned, revealing that it was indeed a maid taking a bath.

Mu Le had never seen such a scene before. Shocked, he fell back and sat on the ground. At the same time, several fierce maids appeared out of nowhere, each holding a tool, ready to beat Mu Le. They scolded as they attacked, "You little rascal! We've had our eye on you for a while, so you were the one peeping at us while we bathed!"

"Beat him! Beat him!"

"It must have been him who stole my underwear a couple of days ago!"

"Beat him!"

The old maid emerged from the bathing area, dressed in a robe, and was heartbroken at the sight of Mu Le. "Who would have thought? You... I used to think you were a good child."

Mu Le's apple-red face seemed about to burst, "I, I, I didn't..."

The maids paid no heed, closing in to tear at him. Mu Le's buttocks was kicked several times, and his face was scratched, making him finally unable to bear it. He jumped up and dashed outside, but the maids pursued relentlessly.

This scene greatly amused Gou'er, who was still perched on the beam, laughing heartily and clutching his stomach. He then pulled out something from his pocket and thought, "Oh, there's still something important to do."

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Oriental Odyssey 39 - Most Cunning

Yuan'an rode her horse back to the residence, dismounted with a huff, and threw the reins to Mu Le.

The long waiting Madam Ye approached: "Yuan'an, what do you think of that Young master Zhao? Let me tell you, he comes from a distinguished family. Before his father passed away, he was known far and wide as General Zhao Jinglian. I heard that the Empress Dowager holds him in high regard! Ah, I mean, can you give me a word?!"

Yuan'an turned around, her expression full of anger: "I've said it before, don't meddle in my affairs anymore!"

She stormed away, leaving Lady Ye grumbling behind: "Truly like a dog biting a bone, unable to recognize a kind-hearted person!"

Mu Le, the servant boy, watched Yuan'an from a distance, not quite sure what was going on but knowing that she was upset.

Yuan'an angrily entered the cellar. The black-clad person had just finished making some pills and carefully placed one on a plate, offering it to Yuan'an: "Here, try this medicine. It's delicious. It will make you even more beautiful. "

Yuan'an took it and promptly threw it away: "I'm already beautiful enough!"

The black-clad person hurried to pick it up, grumbling in annoyance as they cleaned it: "This child is crazy, using my pills to vent her anger. Aren't you supposed to be meeting someone today? Did they not like you, or did you not like them, or is it something with your... uh, disposition?"

Yuan'an retorted, "Stop saying useless things, I have a question for you. Monk Tian Shu!"

The black-clad person was taken aback by the use of his true name. He hesitated for a moment, then straightened up and removed the hat he always had on: "Monk Tian Shu? Yes, I did go by that name. What do you want to ask?"

Yuan'an clenched her teeth and stared at his eyes intensely for a while: "When Master Sanzang passed away, did you burn down the monastery and kill your fellow disciples?"

Tian Shu was stunned by this question for a while, then sighed lightly, "You've asked me this before when you rescued me in the desert. I told you I was Chen Tian Shu, the fugitive from fifteen years ago. Haven't I already answered you?"

Yuan'an interrupted, "I want to hear it again! I want to be a great hero, I don't want to be an accomplice harboring a criminal!"

Tian Shu closed his eyes in pain.

It was as if he was reliving the painful scene from fifteen years ago: Master Sanzang's passing. The struggle between fellow disciples for the heavenly beads. The raging fire that burned in the monastery.

He slowly said, "I've been asking myself this question for many, many years. Am I a bad person? Master took me in, forgave me, and guided me. He treated me like a father. How could I betray him? But if I'm not a bad person, if I didn't commit murder, if I didn't set fire to Ci'en Monastery and kill my fellow disciples, why did I become a wanted criminal? And the other person, my fellow senior disciple, Tian Qiao, became a National Master. Who is good and who is evil? I don't know anymore."

Tian Shu's hands were rapidly toying with two heavenly beads.

Yuan'an fell silent for a while, then finally asked some idle questions: "What are those beads in your hand? Why do you only have two?"

"Because Master only left me two."

Yuan'an sighed in frustration and turned to leave.

Tian Shu called out from behind, "Why aren't you suspecting me anymore?"

Yuan'an turned away from him: "You are the direct disciple of Master Sanzang. If you were truly a scheming villain, you would have already risen to power. How could you end up in your current miserable state? How could I have taken you in?"

Tian Shu smiled upon hearing this, "You have a point."

That night, Yuan'an lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling as she recalled her encounter with Zhao Lanzhi. Her feelings were a mixture of seriousness and contradiction.

Zhao Lanzhi's words still echoed in her ears: "Chen Tianshu killed his own master, burned down the monastery, and is one of the most cunning and ruthless individuals. You are clever and energetic, yet your heart remains untainted, innocent, and kind, don't let someone... someone corrupt you."

Yuan'an sighed deeply, rolled over, and muttered to herself: "Well, I have to admit, Zhao Lanzhi is actually quite handsome. But I can't stand him, always acting like he knows everything. Hmph, I won't bother with him anymore! Now, sleep well Yuan'an. You still have plans for tomorrow!

The stars twinkled.

The next day had wonderful weather. Mu Le, the young servant boy, was feeding the horse grass while chatting with it, as if conversing with a friend.

Yuan'an bounced over, and upon seeing them, she grinned, "What are you talking to them about?"

Mu Le turned to look, feeling a bit shy. He lowered his head and didn't answer her.

Yuan'an playfully dismissed his shyness, "Oh, having a quiet chat with the horse, and you're blushing? Bring it out for me, I want to go out and have fun."

Mu Le led the horse out and handed the reins to Yuan'an, asking, "Where are you going?"

"There's a circus in the South Market. I want to go see it."

Mu Le pointed to himself, "Can I... can I come too?"

Yuan'an hadn't replied yet when Uncle Xia approached from behind, "Where do you think you're going? Small master has sent Shitou and Xiaoyu away. We're already short-handed. You'll stay home and work! Go, take this food box to the cellar."

Yuan'an mounted the horse and advised, "Listen to Uncle Xia for now. I'll take you out to play another time."

As Yuan'an left, Mu Le muttered in dissatisfaction, "She said the same thing last time."

He took the food box as instructed and walked into the cellar where dim firelight cast shadows. Remembering Uncle Xia's words, he put the food down and was about to leave when he heard a monkey's call. A child at heart, feeling annoyed, turned around, and walked further inside.

Unaware, he entered Tian Shu's secret room. Inside, he saw all sorts of strange things, and in a cage, a monkey was smoking a pipe.

Suddenly, he heard a noise behind him. Mu Le turned around abruptly, only to have Tian Shu grab his throat.

Tian Shu smiled sinisterly but in the next second, he realized that Mu Le had inserted a chopstick into his ear.

Mu Le had a sly smile, completely unafraid, "Let's see who's quicker."

Tian Shu, seeing that the situation wasn't favorable, released his grip, and Mu Le lowered his hands.

The old man's demeanor quickly changed back to warm and friendly, "Little brother, I haven't seen you before. Are you new?"

"Yeah."

"What's your name?"

Mu Le showed him the waist badge.

Tian Shu fumbled with the badge for a moment and praised, "Mu Le. What a good name. Your name reflects your character. Handsome and cute."

"Come, let Uncle check your tongue coating."

Mu Le pushed Tian Shu away.

Tian Shu quickly gestured, "Don't misunderstand. I have no ill intentions. Actually, I'm a skilled physician. I enjoy saving lives. Little Mu, brother, oh no, Le Le, please pardon my directness. You look in good health, and your physique is robust. But you don't know, you're actually sick."

Mu Le frowned, "Nonsense. I'm healthy."

Tian Shu asked, "Have your bowel movements been regular recently?"

"I haven't paid attention."

Tian Shu said, "Let me see your tongue coating. I'll know if your bowel movements are normal."

After saying this, Tian Shu pinched Mu Le's jaw. Mu Le opened his mouth, and Tian Shu pushed a pill into his mouth.

Mu Le swallowed it, stood still for a moment, and then suddenly his eyes went blank, and he collapsed to the ground.

Tian Shu clapped his hands and felt at ease, "Finally found a living subject to test my medicine on!"

"Hey, hey, little Mu, brother, little Le Le."

Suddenly, Mu Le woke up, his face red, hair standing on end, blowing smoke rings in the room, he ran a few laps before dashing out.

Tian Shu's eyebrows danced, his eyes gleaming, "It worked! It works!"

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