Eighty-six: Disappearance

“Is it really... Is it truly the Goddess of Mercy who transformed me like this?”
Ke Shaorong stroked Zhang Xiaoman’s head, speaking in disbelief.

“Of course it is,”
Zhu Erdan nodded emphatically.

“But why did this happen?”
Zhu Erdan’s father asked, unable to believe it.

“I asked the Goddess of Mercy myself. She said our Shaorong is not only diligent and kind, but always does good deeds and accumulates virtue. To reward you, she granted you beauty like flowers and the moon.”
Zhu Erdan embraced Ke Shaorong, smiling as he spoke, making Shaorong blush shyly.

“Shaorong, you truly are more beautiful than before,”
Zhu Erdan’s father said from the side after listening.

“Yes, Father, when I saw how beautiful you were this morning, I thought I was dreaming.”
Zhu Erdan looked at Ke Shaorong with affection, lifting her chin with his finger.

“Husband, I still find this too unbelievable, too extraordinary,”
Ke Shaorong laughed joyfully, then put away her smile.

“That’s right, it’s incredible and too strange for anyone to believe. To avoid gossip, we mustn’t let this spread,”
Zhu Erdan saw an opportunity and voiced his agreement.

Ke Shaorong and Zhu Erdan’s father nodded in earnest.

“Father, from now on, it’s best Shaorong doesn’t go out. I’d like you to find several maidservants, so Shaorong won’t have to leave home,”
Zhu Erdan continued.

“Very well, I’ll go right now,”
Zhu Erdan’s father replied and left.

Ke Shaorong happily turned back to the basin, gazing at her reflection, laughing with delight.

“Husband, am I beautiful?”
Ke Shaorong couldn’t help but ask Zhu Erdan.

“Beautiful, very beautiful, especially so,”
Zhu Erdan watched her, lost in thought.

The Chen residence.

Li Xintian had just tidied his bedding when he sensed something in the sky and rushed out.

“Qiu Yan, while I’m away, I’ll leave my grandfather’s family in your care. I have to go out for a while,”
Li Xintian bumped into Hu Qiuyan as he exited.

Man and fox looked up together. In the sky floated a creature with a tail longer than its body, a feline face like a white-furred, black-striped tiger, as large as an actual tiger, with brilliant, multicolored stripes, dazzling fur, large round eyes, and four sharp fangs curving out of its mouth.

The Zou Wu walked on air, its body seeming transparent, hidden within a haze of resentment, red eyes fixed on Li Xintian.

“Isn’t that the ancient mythical beast Zou Wu? How could it appear here?”
Hu Qiuyan stared wide-eyed, paying no attention to Li Xintian’s words.

“Did you hear what I said?”
Li Xintian grabbed Hu Qiuyan’s shoulders in urgency, shaking her.

“Don’t shake me. What did you just say?”
Hu Qiuyan broke free.

“It seems to be after me. I must divert it away quickly. Please take care of my grandfather’s household,”
Li Xintian declared, ignoring Hu Qiuyan’s calls, leaping out of the Chen residence and sprinting toward the outskirts of the city.

The Zou Wu immediately followed him, walking on air.

The Zhang residence.

“Uncle, Aunt, has cousin’s illness improved?”
Ren Yuanwu arrived at the Zhang residence early in the morning.

“Actually, it’s nothing serious,”
“That’s right, Yuanwu, you needn’t worry about visiting Xiaoman,”
Lady Zhang and Prefect Zhang spoke in turn.

“I was anxious yesterday when cousin didn’t come,”
Ren Yuanwu followed Lady Zhang and Prefect Zhang to Zhang Xiaoman’s room. The knocking startled Xiaowei, who had spent the night propping herself up on her hands, instantly waking her.

“Xiaoman, your father, cousin, and I have come to see you. Open the door quickly,”
Lady Zhang knocked as she spoke.

Xiaowei woke and looked at the bed, feeling a chill—Zhang Xiaoman had not returned all night.

“Master, Madam, Miss went out,”
Knowing she couldn’t hide it, Xiaowei spoke truthfully.

“Open the door immediately!”
Prefect Zhang ordered sternly.

Trembling, Xiaowei opened the door. Lady Zhang rushed in but found the room empty—no sign of Zhang Xiaoman.

“Master, Xiaoman is really gone!”
Lady Zhang cried out in panic, realizing it was not just Xiaoman avoiding them and Ren Yuanwu; she had truly disappeared.

“Tell us, where did Miss go?”
Prefect Zhang demanded.

“Yesterday, Miss went to meet Young Master Bai and hasn’t returned yet,”
Xiaowei confessed, unable to conceal anything.

“Bai Yang!”
Prefect Zhang’s face darkened with anger.

“You wretched girl, how dare you hide this from us? I’ll beat you to death!”
Lady Zhang slapped Xiaowei hard.

Xiaowei clutched her face and cried out in pain.

“Madam, spare me!”
Xiaowei fell to her knees, begging.

“Aunt, the priority now is to find cousin,”
Ren Yuanwu stepped in to stop Lady Zhang.

“Master, Young Master Bai requests an audience,”
A servant entered.

“Well, before we could go find him, he’s come to us,”
“When we find Miss, I’ll ruin him. For now, let’s see Bai Yang,”
Prefect Zhang said furiously.

“Uncle, Aunt,”
Bai Yang greeted Prefect Zhang and Lady Zhang with a respectful salute.

Ren Yuanwu wasted no courtesy, grabbing Bai Yang’s collar.

“Hand over my cousin,”
Ren Yuanwu demanded.

“Is Xiaoman not home?”
Bai Yang looked at Prefect Zhang and Lady Zhang.

“Didn’t Xiaoman go to meet you yesterday? How dare you ask me? Where is she now?”
Prefect Zhang shouted in anger.

Ren Yuanwu saw Bai Yang seemed sincere and released him.

“Xiaoman did arrange to meet me, but I waited for hours and she never came. I thought perhaps Uncle stopped her, so today…”
Bai Yang tried to explain but Ren Yuanwu grabbed him again.

“You… you’re full of lies!”
Prefect Zhang raged.

“I’m not lying. I truly came looking for Xiaoman,”
Bai Yang protested, knowing Prefect Zhang misunderstood.

“Keep arguing and I won’t be polite,”
“Aunt, take him to the magistrate—he won’t tell the truth otherwise,”
Ren Yuanwu said, dragging Bai Yang away.

“Don’t pull me—I’ll go myself,”
Bai Yang protested, but Ren Yuanwu ignored him.

“Steward, bring that wretched Xiaowei as well,”
Prefect Zhang commanded before leaving.

“Bai Yang, where did you abduct Miss Zhang? Speak the truth!”
The magistrate slammed the gavel in anger, rubbing his temples—so many troubles lately, and now Prefect Zhang’s daughter was missing, giving him a headache.

“Please, Your Honor, I have not abducted Miss Zhang,”
Bai Yang protested with a salute.

“You sly villain, my maid says Xiaoman went out yesterday to meet you,”
Prefect Zhang sneered.

“Maid Xiaowei, is this true?”
The magistrate asked.

“Yes, Your Honor, she did go to meet Young Master Bai, but I’m sure he didn’t abduct her,”
Xiaowei looked up at the magistrate and then at Bai Yang.

“This court will determine the truth,”
The magistrate struck the gavel.

“Bai Yang, confess now or I’ll have to use harsh measures,”
He warned, turning to Bai Yang.

“Your Honor, if I had truly abducted Miss Zhang, would I be foolish enough to deliver myself to the Zhangs, letting them drag me to court? Why not simply escape with her? Why am I here arguing with you? I came today because I didn’t meet Xiaoman yesterday. Now that she’s missing, she must be in danger, and we’re wasting precious time,”
Bai Yang argued passionately, showing no sign of deceit.

“Prefect Zhang, General Ren, what Bai Yang says does make sense. What kind of runaway lover would turn himself in?”
The magistrate mused, finding the reasoning sound.

“Humph, Bai Yang’s tricks are obvious—crying thief to catch thief,”
Ren Yuanwu sneered.

“Yuanwu’s right,”
Prefect Zhang agreed.

“Xiaoman and I are in love. If we were eloping, it would be understandable, but what abduction?”
Bai Yang mocked.

“Admitting it without being pressed! You wanted to elope with Xiaoman; she refused, so you hid her away—no, you imprisoned her, didn’t you?”
Prefect Zhang cried furiously.

“Uncle, I’m to marry Xiaoman in a few days. Why would I…”
Bai Yang began, but Ren Yuanwu interrupted.

“No, Xiaoman wants to break the engagement, so you resorted to this,”
Ren Yuanwu cut him off.

“Xiaoman would never break off the engagement,”
Bai Yang insisted.

“But I, Zhang, intend to break it with your family. Marriage is a matter for parents to decide,”
Prefect Zhang interjected.

“So Xiaoman wanted to discuss something important with me—that’s what she meant,”
Bai Yang realized why Xiaoman had arranged to meet.

“Bai Yang, knowing you couldn’t have Xiaoman, you forcibly took her, didn’t you?”
Ren Yuanwu grabbed Bai Yang’s collar in fury.

“I didn’t! Don’t slander me or pin false charges on me!”
Bai Yang retorted, but they wouldn’t believe him.

“Speak! Where did you hide Xiaoman?”
Ren Yuanwu pressed.

“I didn’t—I really didn’t!”
Bai Yang was frustrated by their distrust.

“Guards, thirty strokes!”
The magistrate slammed the gavel.

Two bailiffs pinned Bai Yang.

“Injustice, Your Honor! Let me call someone to help me!”
Bai Yang, fearing for his own skin, suddenly thought of Li Xintian, the only one who might help him.

“Who?”
The magistrate raised his hand, and the bailiffs released Bai Yang.

“I beg Your Honor to invite Li Xintian to help me,”
Bai Yang pleaded.

“How could I forget? Last time, it was Inspector Li who overturned Bai Yang’s father’s case. Good thing I didn’t start the beating,”
The magistrate rubbed his temples, thinking to himself.

“Detain him for now,”
He ordered, gavel in hand.

In the prison.

“Could Xiaoman really be in trouble?”
Bai Yang muttered, sitting in his cell.

“What did you do last night?”
“Just went to visit your sweetheart, didn’t you?”

“Did you hear? There’s a new brothel in the west of the city, far better than those in the east—the girls are as fresh as scallions.”

“Really?”
“Absolutely.”

The two jailers finished, laughing uproariously, but their conversation gave Bai Yang an idea.

“Guards! I want to see the magistrate! I must see the magistrate!”
Bai Yang called out.