Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 21

Gu Xiyan hadn’t fully emerged from her dream yet and sat on the bed in a daze.

Ye Qinming, usually cold and composed, couldn’t help but frown. “What’s wrong?”

Gu Xiyan shook her head, feeling a bit helpless as she recalled her dream—she had dreamed of a tea tree. She wasn’t sure if it was because of her deep love for tea or because she now had a beautiful girl who also happened to be a tea tree by her side.

“I was just startled in my dream, but it’s nothing. Have you been waiting long? Sorry.”

Ye Qinming noticed she had broken out in a sweat and turned toward the table, picking up a cup of water. “You didn’t sleep for long, but it was restless. You’re drenched in sweat—have some water.”

“Thank you.” Gu Xiyan did feel parched. She reached out to take the cup and was surprised to find the tea was warm rather than cold, as she had expected. She looked up in slight astonishment.

“Drinking cold water isn’t good. I warmed it for you,” Ye Qinming said casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. But Gu Xiyan felt a warmth in her heart. Using spiritual energy to warm tea—only Ye Qinming could say it so lightly.

She sipped the tea in small mouthfuls, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

Once she finished getting ready, Ye Qinming glanced at her. “Alright, let’s go. I’ll hide on you and go with you.”

Before Gu Xiyan could react, a breeze swept past her, and she felt something lightly settle at her waist. Instinctively, she reached down and touched her belt, discovering that her jade pendant now had an additional hanging ornament. As she ran her fingers over it, she recognized the shape and couldn’t help but smile softly. “Is this a tea leaf?”

Ye Qinming huffed. “So what if it is? I am tea itself.”

Gu Xiyan shook her head. “It looks beautiful.”

“You can’t even see it.” The words slipped out before Ye Qinming could stop them, and she immediately regretted it, unsure how to explain.

But Gu Xiyan didn’t seem to mind. The corners of her lips curled up. “I can feel it.”

She stepped out of the room, where Ah Qi and Xiao Wu were already waiting. Pausing briefly, she figured Ye Qinming must have blocked any sound, so they hadn’t heard their conversation inside.

Seeing Gu Xiyan emerge looking more at ease than before, Xiao Wu and Ah Qi finally relaxed. “My lady, have you rested well?”

Gu Xiyan knew they were worried about her and spoke gently. “Yes. I want to go check the eastern wing.”

Ah Qi frowned. “My lady, that place is too ominous. If you want to know something, just give me the order.”

“It’s fine. There are some things I need to see for myself. Even though I can’t see, I can still sense things you might overlook.” Even if Ye Qinming hadn’t said anything, she had wanted to go. Everything had happened too quickly and chaotically before, and she had a hunch she hadn’t yet verified.

Unable to dissuade her, Ah Qi sighed and exchanged a glance with Xiao Wu before following Gu Xiyan to the eastern wing.

The eastern wing was now heavily guarded by the Gu family’s sentries, with a guard stationed every four steps, ensuring no one could enter to tamper with any evidence.

“Xiao Wu, Ah Qi, you two stay outside and keep watch. There’s no need for you to come in. I want to examine things quietly on my own. If I need help, I’ll call for you.”

Ah Qi and Xiao Wu exchanged uncertain looks. Gu Xiyan relied on her other senses to investigate, and while solitude might help her focus, her blindness would also make things more difficult.

Still, they trusted her judgment. Watching her step inside, Ah Qi softly reminded, “My lady, the sleeping mats with the tile jars are four steps in front of you and five to the left. Please be careful.”

Gu Xiyan smiled slightly. “Got it. Thank you, Ah Qi.”

Her warm smile made Ah Qi’s face flush red. She couldn’t help but grin foolishly as she shut the door.

Seeing Ah Qi’s lovestruck expression, Xiao Wu rolled her eyes and flicked her forehead. “Look at you! The moment the young lady is kind to you, you turn into a fool.”

Ah Qi huffed. “Last time, when she praised you and smiled at you, weren’t you all smug about it? Who’s the fool now?”

Their whispered exchange was easily overheard by the two inside the room. Ye Qinming cast a small spell to muffle their voices from the outside and leisurely commented, “It seems the Gu family’s young lady has quite the charm. One smile, and the little maids are completely mesmerized.”

Gu Xiyan remained composed and answered calmly, “They grew up by my side and have kind hearts. I treat them well, so they are simply grateful. It’s not about charm.”

“I don’t think so. If you were a young master instead of a young lady, you’d probably be drowning in admirers.” Ye Qinming’s words were teasing, but Gu Xiyan’s cheeks heated slightly. She dismissed the comment as nonsense but didn’t argue, instead kneeling beside the patterned floorboards where Ye Qinming was already examining.

“Nan Gongpei said this formation was designed to extract human vitality, gather spiritual energy, and enhance the caster’s abilities using four extremely yang-infused infants and the blood of a heavily yin-infused heart. Additionally, it was meant to bring prosperity to the residence.”

Ye Qinming studied the formation carefully, tracing the patterns with her fingers before bringing them to her nose for a sniff. She then shook her head. “Something’s wrong.”

“What’s wrong?”

“The formation’s purpose matches what Nan Gongpei described, but it isn’t working as intended.” Ye Qinming’s tone was serious.

“What’s the issue?”

“The formation wasn’t infused with spiritual energy when it was drawn. Also, there’s blood mixed into the cinnabar ink. From my sense of it, this formation was drawn at least three days ago, which means it wasn’t just created yesterday. Furthermore, it hasn’t been activated. The four tile jars are suspicious. Unfortunately, they’ve already been taken away, or we could confirm where the real problem lies.”

Gu Xiyan hesitated briefly before speaking in a soft voice. “Actually, I managed to take something from the tile jars during the commotion.”

“What?” Ye Qinming was stunned. This woman was far too bold.

“I knew from the start they were trying to frame the Gu family, but the officials clearly weren’t going to side with us. The sudden appearance of those tile jars was too strange, and they were quickly confiscated. Just in case, I used a handkerchief to collect some of the blood.” As she spoke, her face paled slightly, as if the memory still disgusted her.

“You’re both brave and reckless.” Ye Qinming’s tone was half-admiring, half-exasperated. Messing with such an ominous ritual was beyond reckless. “Let me see it later.”

Gu Xiyan nodded. She leaned in slightly, inhaling deeply. The formation carried a pungent, metallic stench of blood, mixed with a faintly rotten odor. As she ran her fingers across the dried patterns, she suddenly felt a soft patch of dirt. Startled, she carefully wrapped it in a handkerchief and lifted it to her nose.

Noticing her action, Ye Qinming frowned. “That seems to be from the tile jars. What did you find?”

“There’s an alcohol scent… It smells familiar.” She hesitated for a moment, then rubbed the dirt between her fingers before sniffing again. “It seems like peach blossom wine—it has a delicate sweetness.”

Ye Qinming leaned in and took a sniff herself. She could vaguely detect the alcohol, but more than anything, the dirt’s earthy scent overpowered it. As for the peach blossom wine, she couldn’t tell at all.

“Gu Xiyan, do you recognize people by scent, like a puppy?”

Hearing Ye Qinming’s teasing, Gu Xiyan smiled helplessly. “Mostly by their voices, but…”

“But what?” Ye Qinming loved teasing her, especially when she showed that resigned yet patient expression—it was unbearably cute.

“But when it comes to recognizing you, I rely more on scent.” A gentle smile appeared on Gu Xiyan’s face, warm and soft, her lips curving into two shallow dimples, as if illuminated by a faint glow.

Ye Qinming found herself unable to look away. She quickly snapped back to reality, furrowing her brows slightly and pressing a hand against her chest. Why did her heart feel so strange?

“When wine is left exposed, it easily evaporates. For the scent to be absorbed into the soil, this clay jar must have been placed somewhere that was constantly soaked in wine. Now is the best season for brewing peach blossom wine, and there aren’t many distilleries in the city. If this was done by someone, we can check who took the jar.” Gu Xiyan paused to let Ye Qinming catch up before continuing, “But if, as you said, the formation has failed, then I’m afraid the four jars don’t contain the four children who went missing yesterday at all. After all, the ten-plus people whose hearts were gouged out have been dead for more than half a month. If someone wanted to complete the formation, there would be no need to wait so long. In that case, this jar might have simply been stolen, making it difficult to trace.”

Ye Qinming glanced at her, unable to hide the admiration in her eyes. After a moment of thought, she asked, “I’ve examined everything here carefully. There’s nothing particularly unusual. Is there anything else you want to check?”

“There’s no demonic aura here, right?”

“None. If a demon had come, how could I not have noticed?”

“Then let’s go back.” Gu Xiyan stood up and waited for Ye Qinming to hang onto her again. 

Seeing her expectantly waiting for her to transform into a leaf, Ye Qinming found it amusing. “You’re quite used to this, aren’t you?”

Gu Xiyan pursed her lips, slightly embarrassed. “Aren’t you going to hang on me again?”

Ye Qinming thought to herself, Why does she sound a little disappointed? With an expression of helpless resignation, she transformed into an ornament and attached herself to Gu Xiyan’s waist.

Gu Xiyan’s lips curved subtly as she reached down to touch the ornament before walking out.

Ye Qinming, after being touched again: “…”

“My lady, did you discover anything?” The two people waiting outside immediately gathered around when they saw her emerge.

Gu Xiyan thought for a moment. “Send people to all the distilleries in the city and buy some peach blossom wine—get as many kinds as possible and record where each one comes from. Also, pay special attention to the shape of the clay jars. If any are similar to the one we found in the guest room yesterday, be extra vigilant.”

“Understood, my lady.” Ah Qi wasn’t foolish. She had a vague idea of what Gu Xiyan had discovered. Though this approach seemed somewhat absurd, she inexplicably trusted her.

Gu Xiyan returned to her room and took out a small box, revealing a handkerchief stained with blood. The fabric was soaked with a dark red, sticky substance, giving off an indescribable odor.

Ye Qinming examined it carefully, then traced her fingertips over the bloodstain, channeling a strand of spiritual energy through it. “Just as I expected. The power within has been completely drained. Now, there’s nothing left but useless, foul-smelling blood. Not a trace of demonic energy or spiritual power remains—it can’t be used for a formation anymore.” She let out a cold snort and tossed the handkerchief back into the brocade box.

Turning around, she noticed Gu Xiyan covering her nose uncomfortably and suddenly remembered—this woman had an even keener sense of smell than she did. With a quick hand seal, she eliminated the stench.

Gu Xiyan’s nose twitched slightly. “Why did the smell suddenly disappear?”

“What, do you regret not being able to smell it anymore? Should I lift the spell?” Ye Qinming couldn’t resist teasing her. 

Gu Xiyan’s heart stirred slightly at her words, but she simply shook her head. “Thank you.”

Ye Qinming turned away. “I just thought it smelled terrible. It wasn’t for you.”

Gu Xiyan only smiled and said nothing more.

Ye Qinming tapped her fingers lightly on the table. “The biggest problem now is that no one can verify what I’ve said. I’m a demon—no one will believe me. And the only person who understands Daoist techniques is Nangong Pei, the one framing your family, so he certainly won’t speak up.”

Humans were such a hassle—always scheming and framing each other. Even rescuing people required jumping through hoops. If this were the Demon Realm, she would simply take the person and deal with any accusations by beating the accuser to death.

“Perhaps someone can.” Gu Xiyan suddenly thought of someone.

“Who?”

“My father once invited an old friend from Dongzhou, a cultivator, to come to Danyang for my sake. Based on the timing, he should be arriving soon. With Dongzhou’s reputation, he could clear my father’s name. But as for those four jars…I’m worried they’ll just destroy them outright.” This was Gu Xiyan’s biggest concern—if the evidence was destroyed, things would become much more difficult.

Ye Qinming spoke in a relaxed tone, rubbing her sleeve. “Don’t worry. They won’t.”