Chapter Ninety-Nine: Revelation

“Who let her in? Get her out immediately!”

Xie Xiushi’s face darkened with anger the moment Cui Dandan entered the living room and sat down as if she were at home. His sun-darkened complexion flushed red with fury.

“Xie Xiushi, an ordinary fisherman from the South Sea Fishing Village, once delivered fish to the Hongyi Restaurant in Dreamfloat City. He’s naturally not very diligent—fishing one day, drying nets for two. Unless struck by sudden fortune, there’s no way you could have bought a mansion like this in Dreamfloat City.”

Cui Dandan lightly adjusted the silver-threaded, lotus-patterned pale blue gown she wore, then picked up the tea that a maid had just poured for her. Watching the curling steam from the cup, she spoke calmly.

“I never told you to serve her tea!”

Xie Xiushi glared angrily at the maid who had poured tea without his order.

“You may leave now, so as not to further aggravate Master Xie. I doubt he’ll employ you again. Go to the Cui residence and collect your reward from Steward Guo,” Cui Dandan said with a faint smile, setting down her teacup on the side table.

The guards and maids, motionless until then, bowed respectfully to Cui Dandan and quietly exited the living room under Xie Xiushi’s stunned gaze.

“Ya’er, prepare some fresh tea leaves for Master Xie,” Cui Dandan instructed, lightly raising her finger. The maid in blue behind her promptly took the teapot left by the previous maid and headed toward the inner courtyard with practiced ease.

“Even if the newly appointed governor of Nanxi County came to Dreamfloat City, we would have already investigated his background. Do you really think a fisherman who keeps to himself every day can hide any secrets? If it weren’t for the few guards you hired being arranged by me personally, you would have been thrown out of this mansion you just bought long ago.”

Cui Dandan met Xie Xiushi’s frantic attempts to stop the blue-clad maid from going to the inner courtyard with calm eyes.

“Without me, it would be a miracle if you had survived even a month in Dreamfloat City. Even as a fisherman, you should know what Nanhuang Prefecture is.”

“It’s a place for exiling criminals.”

Those words made Xie Xiushi halt in his tracks, clearing his mind somewhat.

She was right—she had the power to make the mansion’s servants completely disobey him and could easily have them kill him.

“Good that you’ve come to understand,” Cui Dandan said calmly, watching him stop.

“You know about that matter too?” Xie Xiushi hesitated before asking, eyeing her composed expression.

“Yes.”

She nodded slightly, gently cupping her own cheek.

“Did you come here today because of that?” Xie Xiushi sighed deeply.

“To me, that crystal coffin is not important. What concerns me is why the monk from Faci Temple came to find you,” Cui Dandan said, lifting her gaze.

The emotions on the fisherman’s face were transparent and unguarded, making it easy for Cui Dandan to discern whether his next words were truthful.

“Master Huiming? He asked me for a pair of golden boys and jade maidens to accompany the ancient Buddha’s lamp,” Xie Xiushi sighed as he spoke.

He was troubled by this very matter and perhaps this beautiful young lady from the Cui residence might help him solve it, so he chose not to conceal it.

“Just one male and one female, or is there a requirement on the exact time?” Cui Dandan asked calmly.

Xie Xiushi hesitated, noticing a hint of mockery at the corners of her lips.

“They must be born in the yang year, month, day, and hour, and the yin year, month, day, and hour,” he said slowly.

Though he did not understand the meaning behind her mocking smile, he had no other choice.

“Oh?”

Cui Dandan finally lowered her hand from her cheek and turned her head, scrutinizing Xie Xiushi with a look of sudden realization.

“Miss Cui, do you know something? What exactly does Master Huiming intend—testing one’s sincerity, or is it some Zen principle I have failed to grasp?” Xie Xiushi asked anxiously.

“Master Huiming has taken a liking to you.”

Cui Dandan raised her hand gently, signaling Xie Xiushi not to come closer, a slight smile playing on her lips.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Xie Xiushi, confused by her gesture, stepped forward, only to feel a sharp pain in his arm before his vision spun and he was forcefully pinned to the ground.

“To put it plainly, the Master you mentioned wants to… consume you.”

Cui Dandan’s finger lightly tapped down. The blue-clad maid pressed down on Xie Xiushi then rose respectfully to replace all the tea cups with fresh ones.

“What does that mean?!”

Despite the pain coursing through his body, Xie Xiushi’s shock and rising terror overwhelmed the physical agony.

“I envy you common folk who understand nothing. It means exactly what it says. Nanhuang Prefecture is not only a place to exile criminals but also a realm where gods and Buddhas pay no heed—a land overrun by demons and monsters.”

Cui Dandan gently lifted a celadon tea cup, lowering her eyes to watch a few emerald leaves bloom and sink in the clear green liquid, taking a small sip.

“You needn’t trouble yourself looking for those golden boys and jade maidens born under the four yang and four yin times. In the entire Nanxi County, within nearly a hundred years, there is only one girl born under the four yin times.”

“So, you’d better lie down on the incense table before the Buddha statue in the main hall of Faci Temple on the tenth day of the tenth month.”

Setting down her cup, Cui Dandan looked down at Xie Xiushi on the floor, whose face was now painted with fear.

“Of course… if you have someone to turn to for help, someone who granted you such wealth and status, perhaps that person might have some way.”

Cui Dandan reached out gently, and the blue-clad maid helped her to her feet.

“Today is the twenty-third day of the ninth month—there are still several days left. Whether you wait to die or try to grasp a chance to survive is up to you.”

Cui Dandan glanced back at Xie Xiushi on the floor before leaving the living room, supported by the maid.

“Miss, your hands are getting colder,” the maid said with concern, lightly holding Cui Dandan’s slender hands.

“Send me back to the residence, then stay here. I worry that even after I make my move, Xu Zhendong might take other actions to interfere with this fisherman.”

Cui Dandan cleared her throat lightly; her lips were pale as death.

“Do you really think this fisherman can find someone capable of eradicating the demons at Faci Temple? Even the Taoist priests of Fufeng Temple refuse to get involved.”

The maid looked at her with pity.

“It doesn’t matter if he succeeds or not. A dying pawn must at least be made to exert some influence. Have you looked inside the crystal coffin in the inner courtyard?”

Cui Dandan whispered.

“Gan Wen and Wu Yang are there; it’s hard to sneak in quietly,” the maid replied softly.

“With Wu Yang’s temper, he’ll clash with Xu’s guard Gan Wen. When they do, seize the opportunity to see what’s inside that crystal coffin.”

Cui Dandan’s expression was weary as she leaned on the maid’s shoulder.

Night was falling.