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Wan Shaobai arrived at Ting Feng Pavilion.
The owner of Ting Feng Pavilion, Ting Yu, had already set up the table and tea utensils in the courtyard. She brewed a pot of steaming, fragrant Bi Luo Chun tea and sat there leisurely, quietly waiting for Wan Shaobai's arrival.
A gentle breeze brushed by, and Ting Yu keenly heard the approaching footsteps. She tilted her head slightly, took a delicate sniff of the air, and a smile crept onto her lips as she softly murmured, "The fish is hooked; I can already smell it!"
Sure enough, after a short while, Wan Shaobai stepped into the courtyard of Ting Feng Pavilion. There, beneath the Peach Blossom Tree in the center of the yard, sat a girl in a light green gauze dress, beaming at him.
For some reason, Wan Shaobai suddenly felt an ominous premonition.
However, every time he met Ting Yu, this feeling seemed to follow him like a shadow, impossible to escape. Ever since he discovered her special nature, each visit had been driven by a request. When seeking someone's assistance, one must be prepared to be "butchered," as Ting Yu would say.
If one set aside Ting Yu's mischievous personality and her smile that hinted at hidden schemes, she appeared rather charming at this moment.
Wan Shaobai realized his thoughts had wandered astray and quickly cleared his throat twice, trying to regain focus. He silently prayed that Ting Yu's request today would not be too difficult as he walked toward her.
After Wan Shaobai sat down, Ting Yu skillfully poured him a cup of Bi Luo Chun tea. Then she fell silent, merely watching him with a mysterious smile on her face.
Feeling uncomfortable under her intense gaze, Wan Shaobai finally broke the silence. "Ms. Ting Yu, I come to bother you again."
Seeing Wan Shaobai's awkward opening line made Ting Yu chuckle softly. "Hero Wan, have you encountered another unsolvable dilemma that brings you to this flower of Ting Yu?"
"Hehe... You guessed correctly; I have an important matter to discuss with you." Wan Shaobai thought for a moment but decided to set aside his concerns for now and asked, "First, may I ask what you need me to do this time?"
"Ha! Hero Wan, you've become quite cunning! However, this time I don't mind."
Ting Yu gently pulled out a folded piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it to Wan Shaobai. "Open it and take a look."
Wan Shaobai carefully accepted it and slowly unfolded it. He saw that it contained a poem.
The elegant handwriting clearly indicated that it had been prepared by Ting Yu long in advance. Did she already anticipate his visit and know why he came?
Wan Shaobai looked at Ting Yu with suspicion, while Ting Yu, seemingly indifferent, poured herself another cup of tea, completely ignoring Wan Shaobai's probing gaze. Wan Shaobai tentatively asked, "Ms. Ting Yu, do you want me to read this poem aloud for you?"
At this, Ting Yu choked on the tea she had just sipped. After a moment of composure, she replied, "I can't read, so I need you, Hero Wan, to read it for me? This is my work! I want you to sing it, sing it out loud!"
Wan Shaobai's face turned pale and then flushed red; he awkwardly said, "I am tone-deaf and truly cannot bear to embarrass myself."
"I want to hear something beautiful. I can't just hire a courtesan to sing for me! Just sing whatever comes to mind. If you don't sing, then leave my Ting Feng Pavilion and don't ask me about your matters—I don't know either," she said with a helpless expression.
Wan Shaobai felt exasperated by Ting Yu's attitude. He opened his mouth but was unable to produce any sound upon seeing the mischievous smile on her face.
He wanted to refuse again, but Ting Yu had already turned her back to him, signaling that she had nothing more to say. Gritting his teeth and steeling his resolve, Wan Shaobai finally began to sing casually.
"Drumming resounds, soldiers rally with zeal. In the Earth Kingdom City Canal, I travel south alone. From Sun Zi Zhong, I traverse Ping Chen and Song. If I do not return, my heart is filled with worry. Love where one dwells? Love where one loses their horse? How shall I seek it? Beneath the forest. The Life and Death Contract, we speak of it together. Holding your hand, with you until old age. Alas, how vast it is; will I not live? Alas, how true it is; will I not be believed?"
His off-key singing elicited hearty laughter from Ting Yu while Wan Shaobai's face turned crimson. Ting Yu laughed so hard she clutched her stomach and said, "Hero Wan, from now on you won't need to lay a hand on any criminals; your singing alone will likely make them collapse!"
Wan Shaobai slammed the paper down on the table and lifted his teacup for a large gulp. Once Ting Yu had calmed down somewhat, he spoke up, "Now can Ms. Ting Yu listen to what I have to say?"
Ting Yu nodded with a smile. Wan Shaobai then recounted the details of the incident thoroughly. After listening, Ting Yu asked, "Hero Wan, have you considered that Madam's words might be correct?"
"You mean that a water ghost is committing crimes?"
Ting Yu nodded and said, "Haven't you heard the faint singing that drifts through the city at night recently?"
Wan Shaobai shook his head and replied, "That's impossible; how could there be ghosts in this world?"
"There are many things in this world that you don't know! For instance, didn't Hero Wan initially doubt my ability to control sound?" Ting Yu teased as she looked at Wan Shaobai.
After hearing Ting Yu's words, Wan Shaobai had to admit that there were indeed some things in this world that he was unaware of.
Ting Yu was an elusive person, difficult to grasp. A chance encounter had woven a complex web of connections between them.
Ting Yu could hear sounds in the wind that others could not, and smell unique scents. More importantly, Ting Yu had the ability to control people's voices, compelling them to speak the truth. This was a shared secret between them.
This uniqueness brought many conveniences to him as a Constable, but each time he obtained information, it required him to perform some bizarre tasks as per Ting Yu's requests.
Wan Shaobai pondered for a moment and said, "What Ms. Ting Yu says is not without merit, but why would a ghost demand a life? A ghost is an ethereal being; how could it cause someone to drown and then return itself? Possession?"
Ting Yu smiled faintly and replied, "Talk of ghosts and monsters is fine for casual conversation after a meal, but it shouldn't be taken too seriously. Let me mention something; see if you recognize it."
"Please go on."
"Dragon."
"That is a divine creature; how could it kill?"
Ting Yu smiled gently and said, "Indeed, this divine creature does not kill. However, there is another being in the water that resembles a dragon. It can swim freely and transform into human form on land, though its shape is indistinguishable from that of a person."
"What being?"
"Shark People."
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