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"Madam, with such a long sigh, are you perhaps thinking of something sorrowful?"
Xing Ruyi poured a cup of tea and handed it to Madam Liu.
"I was just thinking about Shengzi. Such a good child, yet he shares the same unfortunate fate as his father."
"What do you mean by that, Madam?"
"Does Ruyi not know?" Madam Liu was about to take a sip of tea when she heard Xing Ruyi's question. She held the teacup but did not move: "No wonder, the shop has been so busy lately; the young lady probably hasn't had time to stroll around the streets."
Seeing Xing Ruyi's anxiousness, Madam Liu did not delay and immediately shared everything she knew with her. Just as she finished speaking, she noticed Master Liu hurriedly passing by the door, followed by an apprentice.
"Master!" Seeing this, Madam Liu quickly stood up.
"Madam!" Master Liu turned back upon hearing her call, "Madam, I was looking for you."
"What does Master need me for in such a hurry?" Madam Liu asked with concern as she wiped the sweat from Master Liu's forehead. "Is there another troublesome female customer at Jishengtang?"
"It's not Jishengtang; it's from the Sheng Family. Constable Chang just sent someone to call for me. That child from the Sheng Family couldn't even get out of bed this morning. I thought this might not be an ordinary illness, so I came to inform you."
"Master can go ahead; I will take care of things at home. As for Jishengtang, with Xian'er and the others looking after it, there shouldn't be any problems for a while." Madam Liu added and then leaned over to instruct the apprentice, "Take good care of him."
The apprentice responded and followed Master Liu out of the Ruyi Workshop.
Madam Liu watched as Master Liu and the apprentice walked away. Turning back to Xing Ruyi, she smiled and said, "I originally wanted to chat with Ruyi a bit longer, but now that my husband is going to see the Sheng Family for a consultation and there are matters at home and Jishengtang that need attention, I won't disturb you any longer. I'll come again another day."
"Madam, you're too polite. Since there are matters at home, the Fox Demon won't dare to keep you any longer. Could it be that the Sheng Family mentioned by Mr. Liu refers to Shengzi?"
"Indeed, just the other day, my husband went to check on him. He caught miasma in the woods. At that time, he looked a bit pale and weak, so he prescribed a remedy." Madam Liu said, clasping her hands together and bowing towards the outside, "Buddha bless, may there be nothing wrong with the prescription given by my husband."
"Mr. Liu is known as a master healer; his prescriptions are certainly reliable." Xing Ruyi comforted Madam Liu from the side, "Please don't worry."
"I hope so." Madam Liu placed her hand on her chest and, after bidding farewell to Xing Ruyi, left slowly.
Once Madam Liu had departed, Xing Ruyi did not delay either. She immediately closed the shop door and hurried towards the Sheng Family. As she approached within seven or eight meters of the Sheng Family residence, she felt a strong chill in the air. Looking up at the Sheng Family courtyard, she noticed a dark mist hovering above it.
"This damned Shengzi, what kind of trouble has he stirred up?" Xing Ruyi instinctively rubbed her arms and lowered her head as she walked towards the Sheng Family.
When she reached the entrance and was about to knock on the door, it opened from within. Standing behind the door was a girl in a red dress, around fifteen or sixteen years old, with willow-like brows, apricot-shaped eyes, and a cherry-like mouth. Her slender face appeared somewhat pale. As their eyes met, Xing Ruyi felt an even stronger chill and took another look at the girl. Though she had a human form, there were no bones; though she had human skin, there was no flesh.
"The paths of Yin and Yang are different; do you have a grudge against the Sheng Family?"
At this statement, the girl tensed up.
"If there is no grudge, then there must be resentment. Are you perhaps a childhood friend of Shengzi? Rest assured, if Shengzi has wronged you, I will teach him a lesson on your behalf. I only ask that you spare him for old times' sake. You see, he still has an elderly mother to care for; it seems rather inappropriate for you to come here seeking reunion at this time."
"Who are you?" The girl softly parted her lips; her voice was sweet and melodious.
"I am Xing Ruyi, specializing in Rouge and Face Powder. If you are willing to let Shengzi go, I would like to invite you to be my agent in the Underworld. Rest assured, my products work well for both the living and the dead; I guarantee you'll have prosperous business without any loss." Xing Ruyi winked at the girl.
"I am asking, what is your relationship with Brother Sheng?" The girl bit her lip tightly. "I know you are not looking for Common People; I can feel it. You have magic and can capture me. It's just that I never intended to harm Brother Sheng or Consort Sheng; I only wanted to repay a debt of gratitude."
"Repay a debt of gratitude?" Xing Ruyi pointed at the dark energy surrounding the Sheng Family. "Is this what you call gratitude?"
The girl continued to bite her lip, speechless for a moment. Looking into her eyes, they were filled with red liquid, which could only be the tears of a ghost.
When she wiped them away, they felt like human tears—moist but somewhat cold.
"Can you save Brother Sheng?" The girl bit her lip, her eyes filled with longing. "Since you can see me, you should be able to save Brother Sheng, right? I don't want to harm him; I never thought of harming him. I just... just..."
"Just want to offer yourself," Xing Ruyi interjected, wrinkling her nose, causing the girl to blush suddenly.
"There are ways for humans and ways for ghosts. Don't you know that Daoist ghosts who become intimate will absorb each other's yang energy and cause each other to die untimely deaths?"
"No, I don't!" The girl shook her head repeatedly, her face flushed. "I want to offer myself, but I also know that I am no longer human. If I insist on this, it will only harm Brother Sheng. I also know that Daoist ghosts are on different paths; I won't be able to stay with Brother Sheng for long. I just want to take care of him and help him look after Consort Sheng before my soul disperses."
"What a naive child," Xing Ruyi shook her head and gestured for the girl to step aside. "Even if there is no marital bond, living together as a human and a ghost or even sharing a bed has the same effect. Moreover, you are still a fierce ghost who died untimely. If you truly wish to repay your debt of gratitude, keep your distance from Shengzi. Oh, by the way, what is your name? From your accent, it seems you are not from Luoyang."
"My name is A-Ling; my ancestors are from Chang'an."
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