What kind of karmic debt have I incurred?

It was quite late by the time Lin Yuejiao returned from the Yunsheng Water Pavilion. Outside the residence, the carriages of those seeking an audience with Rong Yu remained packed tightly along both sides of the street, a truly spectacular sight.

Seeing Lin Yuejiao emerge after spending such a long time inside, there were no telling how many people were burning with jealousy. Lin Yuejiao headed straight back to the Lin estate.

"Miss, you were inside for so long today. Iris and I were so worried. Thankfully, you and the Heir Apparent had such a pleasant conversation," Tu Mi said with a smile.

Iris added, "I never expected you to have such superb chess skills, Miss. To play several games with the Heir Apparent and end in draws—it seems we won't need to worry about the chess portion of the six arts when the Zhaohuang Academy examinations arrive."

"He was just letting me win," Lin Yuejiao said with a faint smile, then asked, "Has there been any news in the residence today?"

Iris replied with a serious expression, "I was just about to report to you, Miss. The Chi family has come to propose a marriage, seeking to take the Third Miss, Lin Qingsheng, as a concubine. For a legitimate daughter of the Lin family to become a concubine is a complete disgrace. However, the rumors of the Third Miss's dalliances with several men have spread throughout Xinzhou; the Chi family naturally would not marry her as a primary wife. In the end, the Old Matriarch and the First Branch agreed to the marriage."

"Taking her as a concubine..." Lin Yuejiao mused. "Although it is only a concubineship, if she can secure the Chi family's support in officialdom, Lin Qingsheng might still have some utility. The Jiangnan Administration Commissioner has close ties with the Chi family; no doubt the Chi family used the promise of furthering my eldest uncle's career to convince them to hand over Lin Qingsheng to Chi Zixian."

Iris nodded. "You are absolutely right, Miss. The Third Miss was unwilling and tried to threaten them with death, weeping incessantly, but her objections were futile. It is said that the wedding date will be set within these two days; both families feel that sooner is better than later to quell the rumors outside."

"Lin Qingsheng would naturally be unwilling. That scene at the Goddess Temple will surely be a shadow over her for the rest of her life. If she were happy to marry Chi Zixian, she would truly be more shameless than a common streetwalker. A noble lady's pride would make such humiliation feel worse than death. However, she lacks the resolve to commit suicide for her chastity, and she lacks the determination to abandon wealth and glory to enter a nunnery—though becoming a nun would not have been a bad retreat."

"As long as she temporarily left this whirlpool of the Lin estate, she could have waited for the scandal to die down in a few years. With Qian Yaoxian's doting love for her, she could have saved a sum of money and lived the life of an ordinary commoner elsewhere, passing her days in peace," Lin Yuejiao remarked. "Even on a path to death, one can often find a way to live. Therefore, one chooses one's own destruction."

Tu Mi said with admiration, "You are right, Miss. I heard the First Madam did suggest that the Third Miss become a nun, but she refused, stubbornly clinging to her position. Now that she is to be Chi Zixian's concubine, she is still unwilling to become a nun."

Lin Qingsheng could not endure the hardship of a life of incense and cold Buddhas.

"With the wedding date approaching, once Lin Qingsheng marries into the Chi family, it will be difficult for Lin Qingliu to make a move. Before the wedding, Lin Qingliu will certainly strike. You must keep a close watch. Report any movement from the First Branch, especially the activities of those two sisters, to me immediately," Lin Yuejiao commanded.

Iris and Tu Mi responded in unison.

As the night deepened and the maids retired, Lin Yuejiao felt a wave of sleepiness. She set aside her book, intending to extinguish the lamp and sleep. Suddenly, a cold breeze swept through the room, and a black-clad figure appeared.

"The Masked Man?" Lin Yuejiao looked up at him, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "Why are you here so soon?"

She had thought that even if Rong Yu notified him, it would take days to make contact. She had only mentioned it to Rong Yu that afternoon, and yet he appeared that night.

"What is it?" The Masked Man's voice was hoarse and concise.

Lin Yuejiao rose from the couch, her eyes curving into crescents. "I need your help. You should know of the Four Seas Trading Firm; it is the largest firm in our Great Zhao Dynasty. I have a shop opening soon and I want to list it under the name of the Four Seas Trading Firm. You should have connections for that, right?"

"Why ask me for help?" the Masked Man asked.

Lin Yuejiao smiled. "Because I don't want others to know that this shop is mine, so I cannot show my face. Otherwise, as a daughter of the Lin family, I wouldn't even be able to meet the manager of the Xinzhou branch of the Four Seas Trading Firm."

"And how did you know I know them?" The Masked Man’s gaze fell upon her face with some suspicion.

Lin Yuejiao was certain the Masked Man knew people from the Four Seas Trading Firm; she feared he was even closely related to the higher-ups, or he wouldn't possess the Plum Blossom Token, their token of authority.

Of course, she could not reveal that she knew such secrets, so she laughed. "I don't know, but as far as I know, because the Four Seas Trading Firm has all kinds of miraculous healing medicines, many people in the martial world have dealt with them. I just want to meet their manager through you and secure the rights to use their name for one year."

"One year?" The Masked Man raised an eyebrow.

Lin Yuejiao lazily stretched her arms, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Of course. It’s not like you don't know the rules of the Four Seas Trading Firm—they take forty percent of the net profit. If I weren't worried about others devouring my shop, I wouldn't want to hand over forty percent of my income for nothing. I’m no philanthropist. Who knows what things will be like after a year?"

A year later, her father would return. With the backing of the Dongping Marquis estate, she would no longer need the Four Seas Trading Firm as a shield.

"I have some friendship with the Four Seas Trading Firm, but they don't accept just any shop." The Masked Man looked her up and down. "What are you selling?"

Lin Yuejiao knew she had an opening. As she suspected, the Masked Man’s possession of the Plum Blossom Token meant he was deeply connected to the firm.

"Naturally, it’s something worth its weight in gold. If I weren't afraid of others coveting it, why would I be so eager to send money to the Four Seas Trading Firm?" Lin Yuejiao smiled and reached out a hand, her fingers translucent and delicate. "What about the banknotes you extorted from my grandmother last time? Two thousand taels—bring them out, and I'll give you a twenty percent share."

The Masked Man was stunned. "What?"

"The money, hand it over. Letting you invest now is a huge bargain for you; I wouldn't let just anyone buy in." Lin Yuejiao flicked her index finger, her delicate face shedding its usual composure, radiant with spirit. "The ingredients for the beauty formula are too expensive. A bit of Ganoderma or snow lotus costs hundreds of taels. I've already spent most of that thousand taels from last time. If you add two thousand, it will be just enough for us to develop two more types of rouge and powder."

The Masked Man couldn't keep up with her jumping thoughts. When did he say he wanted to invest two thousand taels? How did it become "our shop" in just a few words?

"The shop is ready. I even had the scholar Li Moqian write the plaque today. Everything is prepared, just waiting for the opening." Lin Yuejiao looked at him with a bright smile. "It’s our shop; you’re one of our own, so I'll leave the business of hanging it under the Four Seas Trading Firm to you."

She wondered why he had resorted to robbery last time—it seemed he was short on money. Was he a killer precisely because he was broke? That was why she had decided to make him a partner.

"Why... why are you asking me to join in?" the Masked Man asked curiously. Based on what he knew of Lin Yuejiao, she was a woman who never acted without profit. She wouldn't do a losing deal. The fact that she was willing to give up forty percent of her profits to the Four Seas just to hold onto that shield meant she anticipated that the money she would earn would make many people greedy. For such a lucrative shop, she was being incredibly generous with the shares—that didn't sound like her at all.

"Aren't you short on money?" Lin Yuejiao asked, her expression one of complete justification.

The Masked Man: ?

Who told her I was short on money? Oh, right—when he robbed her last time, he seemed to have said exactly that. But because I'm short on money, you want me to give you money? The logic was... perfect?

"Within three days, I will send someone to contact the Xinzhou branch of the Four Seas Trading Firm to register your shop. You won't need to hand over forty percent of the profits," the Masked Man said.

Now it was Lin Yuejiao's turn to be shocked. "W-what?"

"No need to hand it over." The Masked Man repeated in his cold, hoarse voice. He reached into his robes, pulled out two banknotes, and handed them to her with an air of nonchalant indifference. "Two thousand. Take it."

Lin Yuejiao’s eyes flickered, shimmering like autumn water. She took the banknotes, still struggling to wrap her head around it.

"Masked Man, you are too incredible," Lin Yuejiao said with genuine sincerity. "If we don't have to hand over the forty percent, we'll split the extra."

"No need." The Masked Man curled his lips. He wasn't short on money, and a few shares meant nothing to him. It was her calling him "one of our own" that was the reason he begrudgingly accepted the twenty percent share.

The Zhaohuang Academy exams were approaching; other noble ladies were giving their all, with no time to think of anything else. He hadn't expected her to be so preoccupied with making money. This young woman was becoming more and more interesting.

Just as Lin Yuejiao was about to speak, the Masked Man cut her off with four cold words: "Objections are overruled."

"You..." Lin Yuejiao looked at him and smiled softly. "Understood."

That twenty percent share was already a lot. If he ever truly needed money, Lin Yuejiao was never stingy with her own people.

Having settled the matter, the Masked Man’s figure flickered to the window, ready to leave.

"Wait, can you tell me your name this time?" Lin Yuejiao asked.

The Masked Man paused. "Whatever you like."

In the next moment, he had vanished without a trace, as if he had never appeared at all. Lin Yuejiao looked at the empty room, frowning to herself. "Even if you won't tell me your name, you should at least tell me how to find you next time, right?"

***

The marriage between Lin Qingsheng and Chi Zixian was set. Because it was a concubineship, it was not a grand affair like a wedding, and the Lin family had no face to send out mass invitations. Thus, it was quietly scheduled for half a month later, just waiting for a sedan chair to carry her away.

Lin Qingsheng resisted violently, but she lacked the resolve to fight to the death, and could only wallow in self-pity at home.

Seeing her so distressed, Lin Qingliu invited her to go boating on Moon Lake in the south of the city to clear her head.

Lin Estate, Youran Courtyard.

Tomorrow was the first day of the Zhaohuang examinations. Now, only Lin Yuejiao and Lin Zijin remained as legitimate daughters, and they would be going to the Jinghua Palace together for the exam. The two sisters sat together, chatting idly about tomorrow's opening.

"Miss, a catastrophe!" Iris rushed in, breathless. "The First Madam and the Third Miss have been carried back, and they are severely injured! When the Old Matriarch saw their tragic state, she fainted on the spot. The Lin estate is in chaos; you must go and see!"

"Grandmother?" Lin Yuejiao and Lin Zijin’s expressions changed simultaneously. They stood up in unison, and Lin Yuejiao said, "Lead the way."

They arrived at the Narcissus Building. Servants were rushing in and out with medicinal herbs and hot water. The Old Matriarch was sitting in a grand armchair; she had just regained consciousness after the doctor had applied needles.

"Grandmother," Lin Zijin’s eyes turned red the moment she saw the Old Matriarch slumped there. "Are you alright?"

The Old Matriarch looked at the only two remaining legitimate daughters of the Lin family and managed to rally a bit. She forced herself to ask, "I am fine. Go and see how the eldest daughter-in-law and Sheng’er are doing first."

"Yes." Lin Yuejiao cast a worried glance at the Old Matriarch and went into the inner room.

The room smelled thick and choking with blood and medicine. Qian Yaoxian was lying face down on the bed, and the doctor was bandaging her. Lin Qingsheng lay on another bed to the east. She had no other injuries, but her face had been skinned—a bloody, unrecognizable mess. Not only were the servants trembling in fear, but even the doctor treating her looked on with terror, unable to start.

"Doctor, how are the First Madam and the Third Sister?" Lin Yuejiao asked.

The doctor shook his head hurriedly. "Forgive me, Fourth Miss. The First Madam’s injuries are extremely severe, almost fatal. She has barely been saved, but she will need to recuperate in bed for several months. As for the Third Miss's face... I am truly powerless. She is disfigured."

Lin Yuejiao was about to report to the Old Matriarch when Qian Yaoxian heard her voice. She grabbed Lin Yuejiao’s hand, her voice filled with hatred. "Lin Yuejiao, was it you? It was you, wasn't it?"

No matter how foolish she was, she understood that someone had been pulling strings behind the scenes.

"I don't know what you are talking about, First Madam," Lin Yuejiao said, her tone calm.

Qian Yaoxian gave a bleak smile. "You were the one who sent the anonymous message telling me to go to Moon Lake, right? You were afraid that Lin Qingliu would kill Lin Qingsheng and the Lin family would say she committed suicide to save face. So you made me go to disrupt Liu’er’s plan so she couldn't kill her, and you even made the Chi family go. You wanted this to become a public scandal, didn't you?"

If Lin Qingsheng had been dead when the family found her, a marriage with the Chi family would have been impossible; they would have claimed she died to protect her chastity, earning a memorial arch from the imperial court to maximize their benefits.

"I don't understand a word of what you are saying. But as you said, someone sent you a message to stop the Third Sister from being harmed; surely you are grateful to that person? Otherwise, she would have lost her life. As for you going yourself and failing to stop it—who is to blame for that?" Lin Yuejiao smiled brightly, but there was no warmth in her eyes.

Qian Yaoxian trembled with rage. "You knew I couldn't stop Liu’er..."

"Exactly. You were never a match for Eldest Sister. Perhaps the person who told you to go just wanted you to witness the pain of losing a loved one, the despair of siblings turning on each other, and the agony of an impossible choice," Lin Yuejiao murmured, her features still gentle. "I truly don't know what sins you committed to deserve such retribution."

"You..." Qian Yaoxian vomited a mouthful of blood and fainted.

Ji Yi called out, "Doctor, come quickly! Our Madam has fainted!"

Lin Yuejiao turned and walked out, her eyes cold. In the outer room, the Old Matriarch sat in her chair, listening to the servants recount what had happened. Once they finished, Lin Yuejiao said, "Grandmother, the First Madam is severely injured and barely survived; she needs three months of bed rest. The Third Sister’s face... cannot be saved."

"Sigh." The Old Matriarch had already prepared herself for the worst. She sighed, looking as if she had aged several years in an instant. "Yuejiao, listen to what they said. What kind of monstrous act is this, Lin Qingliu? Fratricide and attempted matricide—she is so vicious. How did I not notice that she had such a snake-like heart?"

Lin Yuejiao said, "Grandmother, after the Eldest Sister’s face was ruined, her temperament became extreme. No one could have foreseen she would do something so irreversible..."

"Do not call her Eldest Sister anymore. From this moment on, Lin Qingliu is expelled from the Lin family and struck from the family register. She has no connection to us whatsoever." The Old Matriarch felt deeply wounded; the granddaughter she had raised had done such things, making her feel as though she had been truly blind.

Lin Yuejiao was stunned. "Expelled?"

"The Chi family witnessed it all, and Chi Zixian was even stabbed by Lin Qingliu. News just arrived that they have reported it to the authorities. The news of Lin Qingliu trying to kill her mother and sister has likely spread through all of Xinzhou. We must cut ties with her immediately, or the century-old reputation of our Lin family will be ruined by this wretch." The Old Matriarch’s tone grew cold and stern as she spoke the final words.