In the following days, Lu Tong kept inquiring about news related to the Lu Family with Yin Zheng.
Daytime always passed by swiftly, and as evening approached, the two of them found an inn to stay in.
After the tiring journey by boat and carriage, they had hardly eaten anything. Yin Zheng went to ask the innkeeper to prepare meals, leaving Lu Tong alone in the room.
On the table was a pack of poria cakes that Yin Zheng had bought from a woman, carelessly opened and turned into a dark clump by the flickering light of the half-lit lamp.
Lu Tong’s gaze grew cold.
She had spent seven years in the mountains, carrying a startlingly simple baggage, the most precious item being nothing more than this medical box. She had returned home full of hope, only to be met with tragic news.
Her father was always strict in raising his children, punishing all when one erred. As a boy, Lu Qian fought with his brothers and spoke insolently, leading to twenty lashes with a rattan by their father, who then personally went to apologize with a token whip. The whole of Changwu County knew of the Lu Family’s strict household, how could they be involved in stealing and insulting others?
The death of Lu Rou and their father’s water disaster on the road were even stranger; it was just a journey by water to the Capital City, and there had never been news of a shipwreck before. How could such a mishap occur as soon as her father entered the capital? And then there was her mother... Lu Tong’s gaze darkened further.
One family of four, with frequent calamities within a year—there were no such coincidences in this world.
Lu Tong slowly clenched her palm.
Now that her mother’s remains were not preserved, and the people of Changwu County had unclear testimonies, there must be case files in the Government Office in the Capital City relating to Lu Qian, and then there was Lu Rou...
All the answers might only be found in the Capital City.
Footsteps were heard outside the door, and Yin Zheng walked in with a porcelain bowl, whispering softly, "You haven’t eaten anything since noon, Miss. I asked them to prepare some hot porridge for you... Please, have some to fill your stomach."
She placed the porcelain bowl on the table and then turned back to Lu Tong, "The dishes will arrive shortly."
Lu Tong’s gaze fell on the porcelain bowl, but she made no move for a long while.
Seeing the expression on her face, Yin Zheng hesitated before speaking up, "Miss, please accept my condolences and be strong..."
She knew that Lu Tong had been away from home for many years and that returning to find everything changed must have been distressing. Yet in such a situation, Yin Zheng racked her brains but couldn’t think of any comforting words; she could only offer stiff solace.
Lu Tong asked, "Yin Zheng, how long have you been with me?"
Yin Zheng was momentarily taken aback, replying subconsciously, "... About half a year."
"Half a year..." Lu Tong looked towards the lamp on the table.
Yin Zheng felt uneasy, and after a while, she heard Lu Tong’s voice, "In that case, let us part ways here."
"Miss!" Yin Zheng looked at her in disbelief.
Yin Zheng was a courtesan, sold into the pleasure quarters at a young age by her gambler father. Although smart and beautiful, her fate was fraught with hardships, and she contracted a venereal disease at the age of sixteen.
The madam refused to spend silver on her treatment and, finding her smell unbearable and unfit to continue receiving guests, had the brothel’s servant roll up Yin Zheng in a mat one night and dump her at Chaos Burial Mound near Luomei Peak.
By then, Yin Zheng was on her last breath, waiting to die, when Lu Tong unexpectedly found her at Chaos Burial Mound.
Lu Tong carried her back to the mountain, treated her illness, and after a while, Yin Zheng recovered.
Yin Zheng still didn’t know why Lu Tong had been in Chaos Burial Mound that night, and she never asked too many questions. This cold-looking young girl seemed to have many secrets. However, since that day, Yin Zheng had been following Lu Tong. Lu Tong had told her that she could leave whenever she wanted, but Yin Zheng was different from Lu Tong; she had no home or family and did not wish to fall back into the life of a courtesan. After much thought, she felt safer staying with Lu Tong.
But she had not expected to be driven away by Lu Tong today.
"Miss," Yin Zheng knelt down, "Is there something I’ve done wrong?" She was slightly panicked, "Why do you suddenly want to send me away?"
Lu Tong did not respond to her words and walked to the window.
The sky was already dark, the night had fallen, and Changwu County at night was no longer bustling like during the day but as desolate as in olden times.
"You heard it today, my entire Lu Family, all gone within a year," Lu Tong said, looking out at the long street through the window, where the lanterns under the eaves swung faintly, casting an exceptionally pure light on the young girl’s face.
"I don’t believe in such coincidences in this world."
"It all started with the news of my sister’s death, and now there is no one in Changwu County who is familiar with the Lu Family. To uncover the truth, the only way is to go to the Capital City and confront the Ke Family."
She said, "There is something fishy about this; I must go to the Capital City."
"To the Capital City?" Yin Zheng forgot her earlier discomposure and said, "This servant can accompany Miss to the Capital City; why must you drive this servant away?"
Lu Tong did not reply, closed the window, turned around, and sat down at the table.
The tuckahoe cakes were laid out on the table, and after running around all day, the cakes stored in her bosom had crumbled. The wind blew the crumbs about, dusting the table as if covered with a layer of white frost.
Her voice was cold and distant, as if coming through a thick fog, carrying a hint of chill, "Didn’t the cake-selling woman say, my second brother went to the Capital City, and he became a rogue who stole from people and insulted women. When my father filed a lawsuit, it just so happened that he drowned in a shipwreck. Even if my mother did nothing, a fire would start in our home, burning everything to the ground."
She looked at Yin Zheng, her black eyes bright and captivating under the firelight, "If I go to the Capital City, how do you know you wouldn’t be the next one?"
Yin Zheng was puzzled at first, but when she grasped the meaning behind Lu Tong’s words, a chill immediately ran down her spine.
The deaths in the Lu Family were mysterious, more like having offended some entity rather than encountering a malevolent force. Who could easily extinguish a whole family’s lives like that if not someone powerful? Could any common household accomplish such a feat?
Lu Tong looked at her, her voice calm, "The journey to the Capital City is fraught with danger. Since I am determined to uncover the truth about the Lu Family, I will inevitably confront those behind it. You are neither kin nor kith to the Lu Family, why get involved? It would be better for you to leave now and lead a good life in the future."
"Then this servant has even more reason to stay!" Yin Zheng lifted her head, seriously saying, "Miss is going to the Capital City to seek justice, and you will definitely need help. Though this servant is not very nimble with hands and feet, I manage dealings with people quite well and might even assist Miss in gathering information. Two people heading to the Capital City is surely better than one for getting things done."
Seeing that Lu Tong remained unmoved, Yin Zheng pleaded earnestly, "Moreover, Miss knows that this servant has nowhere else to go besides following you. Even though my illness has been cured by Miss, who knows if it might recur someday..." As she spoke, a genuine sorrow welled up inside her, "In this world, only Miss does not disdain me."
She was a courtesan who had suffered from a disease of the viscera; ordinary people would avoid her just by hearing of it, or they would look at her with disdain. Only Lu Tong treated her no differently than anyone else. And only by Lu Tong’s side could Yin Zheng feel at peace.
"Miss saved my life; this life is now yours. Even if what lies ahead are dragon’s lairs and tiger’s dens, or climbing up the knife mountain or going down into the sea of fire, this servant will brave it with Miss."
Though the words were spoken boldly, the speaker lacked confidence as she anxiously watched the person opposite her, waiting for a response.
The room was very quiet, and after a long while, Lu Tong said, "Get up. I’ll take you with me."
Yin Zheng’s heart leaped with joy, quickly getting up as if afraid that Lu Tong would change her mind, and hurried outside. She turned back to Lu Tong with a smile, "That settles it then; Miss can’t deceive people... The dishes should be ready soon; I’ll urge them to bring it over quickly. Miss, have a meal and rest early. Since you’re going to the Capital City, we’ll have to travel again soon. You need to conserve your energy; don’t overexert yourself..."
And with that, she continued her prattling as she walked away. Inside the room, Lu Tong stood up.
The half-lit candle on the table was nearly burnt out, only a short wick remained, glowing with an orange flame. Lu Tong picked up the lantern in front of her, the weak flame from the table’s candle flickered and went out.
A spark burst from the dried wick inside the lantern, scattering around it, and at a glance, it looked like a delicate flower.
A bursting wick was considered an auspicious sign.
Lu Tong watched the remaining embers quietly. Her pupils reflected the light of the lantern, like a fierce fire in the dark night.
The wick flowers smiled...
With such a good omen, it seems that the journey to the Capital City ought to go smoothly.