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墨書 Inktalez
After returning from the tea house, Liu Ying found it difficult to sleep. She took out the note and examined it repeatedly, recalling every word Xu Yuan had said. He was no madman; he was clearly a wise man with hidden depths. His expression when he mentioned the Bronze Mirror made her feel that there was more to the story.
Early the next morning, she instructed A Fu to investigate the background of Xu the Madman while she took out the Bronze Mirror left by her grandfather and studied it closely. The mirror appeared ordinary at first glance, but upon closer inspection, she noticed some faint engravings. For years, she had thought these were merely marks left by time, but now they seemed to align with celestial phenomena.
"Miss," A Fu rushed in, "I've gathered some information. Although Xu the Madman has been selling fortunes at the Drunken Immortal Tavern for many years, he only appears on specific days each month. The strangest part is that those days…"
"What about them?" Liu Ying asked.
"They coincide with changes in celestial phenomena," A Fu lowered his voice. "The neighbors say that every time he appears, there are unusual occurrences, just like the sighting of Tai Bai during the day a few days ago…"
Liu Ying pondered this. No wonder Xu Yuan understood celestial events so well; he had been observing them in secret.
"There's one more thing," A Fu continued. "While I was gathering information, I met an old man selling candy. He mentioned the fire at Xu Mansion twenty years ago…"
"The fire at Xu Mansion?" A hoarse voice suddenly interrupted. "That's quite a remarkable story."
They turned to see a hunched old man leaning on a cane at the entrance of the courtyard. It was Tang Ren Zhang, who had lived at the end of the street for most of his life.
"Old Zhang, what do you know?" Liu Ying quickly invited him inside.
"Ah…" The old man sighed. "I remember that incident very clearly. General Xu's family was loyal and honorable; everyone in that household was good people. One night, a great fire broke out, with cries of rebellion… but who would believe such things?"
"Were there any survivors?" Liu Ying asked cautiously.
The old man's gaze flickered. "Well…," he suddenly caught sight of the Bronze Mirror in Liu Ying's hand and his expression changed dramatically. "Miss, that mirror…"
"It was left by my grandfather," Liu Ying probed. "Do you recognize it?"
"I wouldn’t dare say I do." The old man waved his hands repeatedly. "It just reminds me that there was a similar Bronze Mirror in Xu Mansion back then. After that great fire, someone claimed to have seen an old servant running north with a child in his arms, clutching what seemed to be a Bronze Mirror…"
Liu Ying's heart stirred. Was this what Xu Yuan meant by "the child who was carried away from the burning mansion"?
Just as she was about to ask further questions, a commotion erupted outside. It turned out Xu Yuan was once again selling fortunes on the street, shaking his head and dancing around a group of children.
However, Liu Ying noticed that although he was putting on a show, his eyes occasionally darted toward them. When he spotted Old Zhang, his manic smile seemed to freeze for a moment.
"It's getting late; I should be going," Old Zhang suddenly stood up and trembled as he walked out with his cane. Before leaving, he gave Liu Ying a meaningful look. "Miss, it's best to keep that Bronze Mirror safe. Sometimes knowing less is safer."
Watching the old man leave, Liu Ying fell into thought. She looked back toward the street only to find that Xu Yuan had vanished without a trace.
In the evening, she visited the library again. While sifting through texts, a tattered copy of the Xu Clan Genealogy caught her attention. It recorded that the Xu family had been skilled in observing celestial phenomena for generations and once possessed a Bronze Mirror said to predict fortune and misfortune…
Closing the family genealogy, Liu Ying gazed out the window. The setting sun cast a warm glow, and a single star appeared faintly in the sky—it was Tai Bai.
At that moment, a gust of wind swept through, causing the note in her sleeve to fall silently to the ground. As she picked it up, she suddenly noticed a nearly invisible line of small text on the back: "On the night of the full moon, East Suburb Stargazing Platform..."
Could this be an invitation?
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