Cultivation Retirement Plan (BL)

Su Shimeng, Mo Yixuan, and Nan Wuyue landed in quiet succession inside the courtyard of Su Manor. Lanterns had been lit and the windows were a welcoming hue of golden light. Before the trio could step forward, they saw a figure hurry to greet them with brisk steps.

“There you are at last!” Once again, Bai Tingyao was the first to meet them, Ting’er following dutifully by her side. “It was getting dark so I was worried—why Mengmeng, what’s happened to your robes?” Her eyes picked out his grimy clothes with some concern before sweeping past Mo Yixuan and Nan Wuyue, who looked dusty as well. “Did you all get into a fight?”

Before leaving, Su Shimeng had carefully transferred his hat and bundle of bones into a spatial ring, leaving his hands free. They clenched at his sides now until he clasped them firmly behind his back.

“Nothing, sis. I’m going to go change,” he mumbled and walked past her. 

“Daoist Su, wait!” Abruptly, Nan Wuyue chased after him. When Su Shimeng instinctively turned, Nan Wuyue suddenly tripped and crashed into the man, one hand clapping him on the shoulder while the other smacked into his arm.

“What’s the matter with you?” Su Shimeng grumbled as he helped Nan Wuyue upright. “Did you lose your footing after flying that little way?”

“Sorry,” Nan Wuyue mumbled quickly. His left hand brushed casually past the handle of Su Shimeng’s sword before withdrawing into his sleeves. “There was something in your hair, so I thought it best to take it out.”

His other hand drew back from Su Shimeng’s shoulder and opened up to reveal a clod of earth that he dropped onto the ground. 

“How did that get there?” Su Shimeng muttered as he started combing through his hair.

“Probably from the digging,” Nan Wuyue said innocently. “Considering where we came from...it’d be best if Daoist Su doesn’t bring that into the house.”

Finding the remains of a dead body was bad enough, but one that had been left without a proper burial in the wilderness until it turned into a ghost would naturally absorb high amounts of yin energy until the surrounding air and soil were affected. Thinking of this, Su Shimeng quickly pulled out a cleaning talisman and dusted himself from head to foot to get rid of the surface grime.

“Thanks,” he gave Nan Wuyue a grudging look before stalking off.

Nan Wuyue only stared after him—specifically, at the tendril of ghostly qi he’d wrapped around the handle of Su Shimeng’s sword. Without other high-level cultivators present besides his master, it should be undetectable through normal means. Although he regretted slipping the very same tendril into Mo Yixuan’s heart in the past to blackmail him, he had no qualms about monitoring Su Shimeng with the same methods.

Su Shimeng wasn’t quite at the level where he could recall his weapon from qi without a trace, so he’d definitely keep it close at hand while he changed. That way, if anything threatened him to draw out his sword, he’d come in contact with the tendril of qi and by extension, alert Nan Wuyue as well. This was the best precaution he could come up with on such short notice.

“Ting’er, go wait on Mengmeng in case he needs help.”

Behind him, Nan Wuyue heard Bai Tingyao’s voice. He turned back to join his shizun, passing by the servant girl at the same time. Their glances met for a second before the girl ducked her head shyly, her skirts fluttering about her as she hurried past.

A yellow dress… Nan Wuyue’s eyes fixated on the fabric suspiciously.

Meanwhile, Bai Tingyao was doing her best to be hospitable. “You must be tired after a long day,” she smiled apologetically at Mo Yixuan, “Sir Daoists, I’ll have the servants draw you both a bath—”

“No need,” Mo Yixuan said quickly. When Nan Wuyue joined him, he too used a cleansing talisman to get rid of the grime on their clothes. He had no idea what his disciple was up to with that awkward trip and hug, but he could always ask him later. “We still need to reinforce the array around Old Madam Su’s quarters before nightfall.”

“Of course,” Bai Tingyao demurred as she began to walk, “Then I’ll lead the way.”

Mo Yixuan was about to ask her about the deaths in town when they entered the inner courtyard. Instantly, a strong scent of peonies and medicine assaulted his nostrils—Bai Tingyao’s signature scent. He reeled at the intensity of it, his steps faltering slightly. It took Nan Wuyue’s hand on his elbow to make him realize he had almost stumbled.

“This fragrance…” he trailed off, perplexed. Why didn’t I smell anything until we passed through the second set of gates?

It’s as if an invisible wall is stopping the scent from going any further...

“It’s strong, isn’t it?” Bai Tingyao bit her lip. “I’m sure you’ve heard by now, but a few workers died today. Some of their families brought the bodies here and—well, the smell was so overpowering I had to cover it up somehow.”

Mo Yixuan’s ears fixated on her words. “What kind of smell?”

“Death,” Bai Tingyao sighed. “In the end we had to burn their bodies, but the wind carried the stench so badly that I had to resort to extreme measures.”

Mo Yixuan recalled Su Shiyu smelling the same way when he and the rest bid him farewell that morning. “A very distinctive scent,” he said.

“It doesn’t bother you, I hope?” Bai Tingyao asked with some trepidation. “It’s something I mixed up myself because of its calming properties.”

Mo Yixuan took a deep breath and glanced at Nan Wuyue, but the boy seemed preoccupied in his thoughts. He shook his head and said, “No, it’s fine.” It’s just flowers and medicine, nothing strange. “How many bodies came in today?” They had only confirmed six deaths back in town. “Are there any intact corpses left?”

“Oh, the head steward would know the numbers better,” Bai Tingyao murmured, “but I suppose it was around a dozen or so? I—I really don’t think any are left by this point, Sir Daoists. We were in a hurry to burn them in case they attracted unwanted company on the Ghost Festival.”

A dozen. A dozen dead. Mo Yixuan stilled again. So many so quickly...what’s going on?

“Daoist Mo?” Bai Tingyao stopped to look at him. “Are you all right?”

“Lady Bai, was anything recovered from the bodies?” At this moment, Nan Wuyue spoke up. “Were the workers all carrying jade?”

“Jade? It’s common enough to carry those around,” Bai Tingyao turned towards him instead. “You’d be hard-pressed to find a man, woman, or child not having a piece as a pendant or charm in Stonecut Valley.”

“Did you keep the pieces?” Nan Wuyue pressed.

Bai Tingyao shook her head. “It’d be better off accompanying the dead to the afterlife. We burnt the victims, clothes and all. Perhaps—something could’ve been left in the ashes?”

“Shizun,” Nan Wuyue turned to Mo Yixuan. “I can go check, it won’t take long.”

“No need,” Mo Yixuan shook his head. “It’s getting late. We can search tomorrow in daylight if need be.”

Nan Wuyue’s expression turned serious as he nodded.

“Then Sir Daoists, let us make haste,” Bai Tingyao urged, sensing the tension in the air.

They reached Old Madam Su’s quarters without much delay, where the master and disciple confirmed once again that all the wards were intact and the woman inside the bedroom still sleeping peacefully. Mo Yixuan left Nan Wuyue to clean up after the work was done, only to tense as Bai Tingyao appeared to offer him a cup of tea.

“Ting’er will bring Mengmeng’s to the main hall when he’s done,” she said calmly. “Once Yu-lang is back, perhaps we can talk about everything that happened today.”

Mo Yixuan took the cup but didn’t drink. “You’re very calm about all of this,” he observed offhandedly.

“It isn’t the first time I’ve seen death,” Bai Tingyao said matter-of-factly. “I’ve outlived my entire family, Daoist Mo. Of course, I have a new one now, but…” She trailed off, but her self-deprecating smile spoke volumes. “In any case, I’m not afraid of anything as long as I keep them safe.”

Mo Yixuan suddenly thought of his mother and felt pain prick his chest. Without a word, he downed the contents of the teacup, which was hot but refreshingly bitter. “You’re very similar to Su Shimeng’s descriptions,” he said when he was done.

Bai Tingyao looked surprised at that. “What did Mengmeng say about me?”

“A woman who puts her family above all else,” Mo Yixuan murmured back. At least in words.

Bai Tingyao’s expression faltered at that, but she kept up her smile. “That boy’s always praised everyone who treats him well. I only regret that I couldn’t help him sooner…”

“You care about him very much,” Mo Yixuan muttered.

“I’ve felt a connection ever since I set my eyes on him,” Bai Tingyao admitted quietly. “Mengmeng and me...I think we’re very similar.”

Mo Yixuan wanted to ask what she meant by that, but Nan Wuyue arrived at their side in that instant. “Shizun, I’m done cleaning. I checked one last time and everything looks fine.”

Fine again. Even though nothing’s gone wrong, I can’t shake off the sense that we’re in more danger than ever.

“Good,” Mo Yixuan straightened up and set the teacup aside. “Lady Bai, we’ll make ourselves presentable before meeting you in the main hall.”

Bai Tingyao got the hint to leave and nodded politely. “Then I shall prepare more refreshments in the meantime, Sir Daoists.”

Once she was gone, master and disciple quickly headed for their own chambers. Although they lived in separate rooms, Mo Yixuan gestured Nan Wuyue into his own this time before closing the door behind them.

“I left a tendril of my qi with Su Shimeng so I could track him,” Nan Wuyue blurted out as soon as Mo Yixuan finished weaving a sound barrier. “It won’t last long, but it should hold out until we see him again.”

He quickly explained his setup and how it was all for caution’s sake.

“You suspect Su Shimeng?” Mo Yixuan only asked afterwards.

Nan Wuyue shook his head and thought back to the future where the IRS cultivator had simply vanished into thin air. “No, I think he might be a target.”

Mo Yixuan paused and thought it over. The sudden discovery of a baby’s corpse with dubious origins, a strange family ghost, a comatose mother...certainly, all the odd facts they uncovered so far had to do with the Su Clan, but the revelations probably affected Su Shimeng the most.

“Even if his sect never got an appeal for help, he heard of the hauntings easily enough once the other sects raised a stir,” Nan Wuyue went on. “And the heart of this matter concerns Old Madam Su, his mother.”

“If that’s the case, why not write to him directly?” Mo Yixuan asked. “Why lure him back with such a roundabout tactic?”

“It’s less obvious if he comes back on his own,” Nan Wuyue argued. “Even if Bai Tingyao’s letters raised a row, it’s not extraordinary when one considers the Su Clan and their established jade trade. They have the means and the wealth to send couriers with their request to different sects simultaneously. It’ll be forgotten and buried by the time the next interesting piece of gossip rolls around.”

“Then who do you think wanted to summon him back? Bai Tingyao?”

“I don’t know,” Nan Wuyue shook his head. “She seemed determined to avoid telling him what was going on, although her ploy failed. Or maybe she meant it to fail in the first place. As for Su Shiyu—he didn’t even want us investigating in the first place, but maybe he was holding out for Su Shimeng to show up instead.”

“The forged letters from Bai Tingyao were signed using Su Shiyu’s seal,” Mo Yixuan went on. “It’s possible he knew what Bai Tingyao was planning and let her borrow his stamp so she could lure him back while he stayed undetected in the background.”

“There’s also Ting’er, Bai Tingyao’s servant girl,” Nan Wuyue added. “I heard she’s only been here a year but in both her masters’ good graces. That’s unusually fast for any servant. And shizun, she’s been wearing yellow both times we’ve seen her. You remember the story of the little boy who died?”

“You said he followed a ‘big sis’ in a yellow dress to the quarry,” Mo Yixuan nodded. “You think that might have been Ting’er?”

Nan Wuyue nodded. “First, the incident happened during daytime—no ghost would be able to stand the direct sunlight. Secondly, who else would have open access to the Su Clan mines beyond members of Su Manor? There’s no reason for the womenfolk of the workers to go there. Even the workers themselves go home for meals or bring them to the quarry themselves.”

“But no one else saw her, according to the reports,” Mo Yixuan pointed out. “That’s why she was referenced as a potential ghost sighting later.”

“Ghosts aren’t the only things that can hide their presence,” Nan Wuyue argued. “If she was a demon or Yao, for instance…though I haven’t been able to sense anything from her. What about you, shizun?”

Mo Yixuan shook his head. “I haven’t gotten a chance to study her closely enough.”

“She was also at the altar the evening the Jade Ghost attacked,” Nan Wuyue added. “She’s suspicious no matter how you look at it.”

“We can find a chance to interrogate her tonight,” Mo Yixuan concluded. “Su Shimeng is still due to question his sister and brother about the origins of the skeleton.”

“Shizun, instead of waiting for him to show up at the hall, why don’t we pick him up outside his rooms?” Nan Wuyue suggested. “Ting’er left with him. If she tries anything against him, we can catch her in the act.”

“There’s more than one avenue of investigation here,” Mo Yixuan shook his head. “Let’s do this instead. You take a look at the site of the cremations to see if anything feels off, then go ahead to the main hall to keep an eye on Bai Tingyao. I’ll find Su Shimeng and take a look at Ting’er in the meantime.”

“Splitting up…” Nan Wuyue trailed off uncertainly until Mo Yixuan held out the handle of his practice sword. 

“You can put another tendril of your qi here,” he suggested. “It’ll alert you when I draw my sword, yes?”

Nan Wuyue looked up at him, a little at a loss. “Shizun…”

“What? Can you only send out one at a time?” Mo Yixuan asked.

“No, but,” a flash of guilt flitted across Nan Wuyue’s features. “It’s the same thing I...used on shizun’s heart last time.”

“And so? Are you going to use it on me again?” Mo Yixuan asked.

“No!” Nan Wuyue’s rejection was immediate.

“Then do it. With any luck, I won’t have to draw my sword at all before it wears off.”

Nan Wuyue still looked doubtful, but when Mo Yixuan made a sound of impatience, he quickly stepped forward and placed his hand on the sword handle. Seconds later, a wisp of something dark glimmered around the sword before vanishing from view.

“This isn’t from any of Star Pavilion Sect’s teachings I know,” Mo Yixuan observed as he reclipped his sword to his waist.

“No…” Nan Wuyue hesitated. “I—”

“Don’t tell me if it’s inconvenient,” Mo Yixuan cut in. “We’re not that close, remember?”

As Nan Wuyue gaped at him, Mo Yixuan dug around in his sleeves before pulling out a piece of paper. Under his guidance, it instantly folded itself into an origami boat—his exclusive messenger. He bit his finger and dripped a drop of blood onto the ship, where it was instantly absorbed into the folding.

“Here,” Mo Yixuan handed it to Nan Wuyue. “Send this after me if you run into trouble. With the addition of my blood, it should be able to reach me instantly within Su Manor grounds.”

Wordlessly, Nan Wuyue took the boat and tucked it carefully into his robes. “Thank you, shizun.”

He only felt a gust of wind. When Nan Wuyue looked up, Mo Yixuan was already gone.

—

{extra}

Nan Wuyue, picking petals off a daisy: He hates me, he doesn’t hate me, he hates me, he doesn’t hate me…
Shi Feng: Using flowers to predict your master’s thoughts?
Nan Wuyue: Says the guy who gifted shizun a flower hairstick.
Shi Feng: ...that he accepted. :3
Nan Wuyue, still plucking: Tch. It’s just a stupid flower, it doesn’t mean anything anyways.
Shi Feng: Oh, you’re on your last petal.
Nan Wuyue: He doesn’t hate me...eh? Shizun doesn’t hate me, ah…
Shi Feng: But that “doesn’t mean anything,” right?
Nan Wuyue: It does this time!
Shi Feng: Fickle child.
Nan Wuyue: Fussy old man!

Meanwhile, elsewhere:

Mo Yixuan: Hello, my name is Mo Yixuan.
Mo Yixuan: Looking after my juniors, dividing up responsibility...yep.
Mo Yixuan: Today as well, I’m doing my job properly as a master of a recovering delinquent disciple.

—