Chapter 406: Scalp Tingling

They had already reached the palace gate; turning back to go to work would make them look foolish.

Seeing the emperor's party vanish into the distance, Yin Song turned and walked out of the palace, heading home after work.

No sooner had he entered the alley than he saw Pan Yun surrounded by a group of women, with Seeing Miao Zhen and the others beside her—the scene was as lively as New Year's Day.

Pan Yun's banner stood upright against the wall, and Pan Xiaohei was crouched beneath it, basking in the sun and dozing off.

Yin Song walked over, and the women greeted him with proud smiles, "Master Yin's back! Your junior sister and her disciples are giving us fortune-tellings and healing right now."

Seeing Miao Zhen, trapped in the center, weakly replied, "I'm just a junior niece…"

But no one paid attention; the women continued proudly, "You won't give us readings, but plenty of others will—we think your junior sister's skills are even better than yours! Look at her banner: 'Immortal Child Enduring Trials'—she's an Immortal Child, and it's only one cash!"

"Yes, yes, yes—an Immortal Child for one cash!" Yin Song nodded vigorously, struggling to break free; only after running three or five steps did he dare look back.

Seeing Pan Yun and Seeing Miao Zhen surrounded in the center, he exhaled deeply, heart still pounding, and hurried inside.

As he pushed open the door, he was met by Wang Cong and Yin Qingjun peering out curiously.

He snapped, "What are you two doing? You didn't even go out to help your little aunt and cousins when they were surrounded?"

Yin Qingjun: "Why are you back so early? Didn't you help?"

Yin Song's face turned serious: "I'm the elder—I can't be pulling and tugging with them like that. You're the juniors; you're the ones who should act."

Wang Cong: "Master, haven't you noticed they're enjoying themselves?"

Yin Song froze, then turned to peek outside.

The three of them leaned against the doorframe and peered carefully—"Their expressions definitely don't look embarrassed."

Yin Song frowned and stood up, puzzled. "What do they gain from this?"

"Experience," Wang Cong said. "They're using the women as practice subjects. Conveniently, it's only one cash—and the women are using them as practice too."

What could Yin Song say?

One willingly plays, the other willingly suffers.

Yin Song shook his sore hand, about to head inside, then stopped, turning to look at the two with a deep gaze: "They're younger than you, yet they know to go out and gain experience—what are you two doing?"

Yin Qingjun: "Master, why are you back so early today? Did you skip work?"

Wang Cong: "Do you think we still need one-cash experience?"

Who hasn't been through this stage?

Suffering you've already endured doesn't need to be endured again.

Yin Song couldn't help sighing, "Seeing Miao Zhen and Tao Yanbai are more likable—they never talk back, never defy their master."

The two pretended not to hear.

Yin Song said to Yin Qingjun: "I'm back now—you don't need to stay home. You still have half a day; go report at the Imperial Astronomical Bureau."

Yin Qingjun: "I've already taken leave—how can I report now?"

Yin Song waved dismissively: "If they ask, I'll say I sent you to research documents. You've already missed two days this month—if you miss one more, do you want your salary docked?"

Yin Qingjun immediately turned: "I'll go at once."

Wang Cong stared, dumbfounded, then finally found his voice: "Master, is this how you officials behave in Jingcheng?"

He frowned, frowned again, then couldn't help muttering low, "Like a corrupt official."

Yin Song glared at him: "We finish a full day's work in one hour—how is that our fault?"

"We've completed our duties—why shouldn't we be paid?" Yin Song said. "The imperial court shouldn't fix rigid attendance hours. As long as we finish our required workload, the rest of the day should be ours to manage freely."

Wang Cong: "But aren't you freely home now?"

"That's because I was promoted and can now decide for myself," Yin Song sighed. "Before my promotion, I was just like Qingjun—required to report every morning and evening. Miss one, and it counted as absenteeism—salary docked. Do it too often, and you get demoted."

Yin Song's expression turned plaintive: "Do you think it's easy being this official, just to be your shield?"

Wang Cong was deeply moved: "Master, if it's too tiring, just return to Huishan—hand this job to Second Brother."

Yin Song's expression vanished instantly: "No, I'll bear the hardship myself."

He looked around. "Where are Red Beauty Miss and Little Red Miss?"

Wang Cong: "Asleep inside."

Little Red's schedule was reversed; Red Beauty had learned to stay up late too—she couldn't sleep at night, couldn't wake up by day.

After confirming the place was safe, the two slept soundly all day and climbed to the roof each night to cultivate under the moonlight.

"Where's Hu Daixia?"

Wang Cong: "He's recuperating."

Yin Song nodded, pulled him aside, and whispered: "Keep an eye on Hu Daixia—stay indoors to recover, don't go out."

Pan Yun stormed in, banner slung over her shoulder, and demanded: "Have the people searching for Hu Jing arrived in Jingcheng?"

Yin Song released Wang Cong, seeing Pan Yun drenched in sweat: "You're soaked—looks like you made a fortune today."

"Not bad," Pan Yun said proudly. "In just two days, I've questioned all sixteen households in this alley, and another sixteen in the next alley—I've dug up their ancestors eight generations back."

"Thirty-two households—nineteen are official families; the other thirteen are gentry or relatives of officials. Second Brother, you've chosen a brilliant place to live—you're a Daoist Priest, and information is one of the greatest treasures in the world. Lucky you're just a Daoist Priest, or else…"

"Or else your wanted poster wouldn't have slowly degraded from a portrait into a vague written description," Yin Song tapped her head, changing the subject, and nodded toward the back courtyard. "You're acting so excited—does that mean you don't mind Hu Daixia knowing?"

"Why should I mind?" Pan Yun said. "I should tell him outright—so many want to capture him; only by staying with us is he truly safe."

"He's only here once in Jingcheng—don't hinder your senior nephew from going out. Hu Daixia certainly won't enjoy being watched," Pan Yun added. "He's an adult—he doesn't need us arranging his future."

"But did you discover that the people searching for Hu Jing have arrived in Jingcheng?"

"I didn't notice anything myself—but when I left the palace, I overheard several Embroidered Uniform Guards talking. They said the number of martial artists arriving in the city has increased these past two days. When I heard that, my chest tightened—I knew they were after Hu Daixia."

Yin Song studied Pan Yun from head to toe, now certain, and nodded: "Good. You look like you've been cursed—definitely targeted. Go check Hu Daixia's face now—he must look even more cursed than you."

Pan Yun immediately grabbed Seeing Miao Zhen and went to see Hu Jing.

"Go look quickly—rare learning material! I'm a healer who can't heal myself—if I could, I'd hold up a mirror and examine my own face closely."

Seeing Miao Zhen turned and studied Pan Yun carefully. "But I still can't see anything wrong with your face…"

Pan Yun: "That's because we're too close." Yin Song: "That's because your studies aren't up to par."

The two senior and junior siblings exchanged a glance.

Yin Song changed his tone: "Your little uncle is right too—perhaps it's because you're too close, but ultimately, it's still because you haven't mastered your skills."

He said: "Starting today, I'll assign you coursework. After finishing it, you must go out and meet ten people. Unfinished tasks accumulate. If by any day the total exceeds twenty people, don't go to the Imperial Academy anymore, don't return to Huishan—stay in Jingcheng. I'll supervise your studies myself."

Seeing Miao Zhen shuddered, lowering her head in assent.

She missed her master dearly, longed to be with him—but she missed her eldest uncle even more, and loved being with her little uncle Seeing Miao Zhen; she didn't want to leave them for Jingcheng.

Several people stood before Hu Jing's bed, bowing their heads to carefully study his face.

Hu Jing felt his hairs stand on end: "Why are you all staring at me? Has my wound gone wrong?"

They looked at the nearly overflowing black qi on Hu Jing's face and nodded gravely.

Pan Yun: "This is bad. The moment I stepped in, my talent activated automatically—someone is about to face great disaster."

!. Read

Seeing Miao Zhen nodded along: "It's very bad—even someone as unskilled in face-reading as I can see Hu Daxia's third eye is dark, foretelling bloodshed."

Hu Jing: "... And more? My wound isn't even healed yet—doesn't that count?"

Wang Cong sighed too: "If you add injury upon injury, Hu Daxia, you're in grave danger."

Tao Yan Bai: "Hard to treat."

Seeing Miao Zhen asked Yin Song directly: "Master, what's the usual way to resolve this?"

Yin Song: "There are two methods—one from our Daoist tradition, one from folk practice."

Even Pan Yun perked up her ears to listen.

Yin Song extended one finger: "First, perform a ritual to conceal his qi and traces—as if he never existed in this world. Perhaps he can evade this disaster."

He extended two fingers: "Second, strike first. Eliminate everyone coming to Jingcheng to capture him. If we win, we evade disaster. If we lose, we're all wiped out."

Pan Yun straightened up: "Neither seems like a good solution."

Yin Song: "What's your opinion, little sister?"

Pan Yun said: "The first method only fools those who practice mystic arts—it hides from the underworld, but our trail here won't truly vanish."

"The second method—even if we eliminate them all, we'll inevitably leave traces, dragging ourselves deeper into the whirlpool, entangling more karmic threads."

Yin Song: "Then what's your suggestion?"

Pan Yun: "Respond to change with stillness. Let Hu Daxia stay home to recover. If they find him, I'll take him out of Jingcheng."

She said: "I'm experienced in this. Don't worry—I'll get him out."

Yin Song narrowed his eyes, then turned to Hu Jing, whose face was filled with sorrow and guilt: "That's actually a viable plan. Hu Daxia, rest easy—we'll protect you."

Hu Jing: "I can't drag you all into this..."

Pan Yun: "The map's already in our hands—what's this talk of dragging you into trouble?"

She winked at Hu Jing: "If it comes to the worst, we'll just hand over the map."

Hu Jing:... But the map is fake.

Meeting Pan Yun's gaze, Hu Jing sighed. Fine—fake or not, at this point, everyone hunting him isn't some selfless good soul.

Deceiving them isn't something to feel guilty about.

Having settled the matter, Yin Song led them to set up an array in the courtyard.

A confusion array nested within a killing array, with arrays within arrays—just two courtyards front and back, yet Yin Song layered sixteen arrays, all combinations of confusion and killing arrays.

Pan Yun stared, dumbfounded.

The most ingenious part: no need to avoid them. Before activation, the arrays and hidden traps in the courtyard wouldn't trigger at all.

Indeed, beyond the sky lies higher sky, beyond the person lies greater person—and right now, Second Brother was her greater person.

Pan Yun gave Yin Song a thumbs-up, eyes sparkling: "Second Brother, can you teach me this skill?"

"Of course," Yin Song smiled. "I devised this array layout last year in the Southern Frontier. Once you and Seeing Miao Zhen learn it, you'll be the second and third people besides me who can use it."

"Innovation! Second Brother, you've gotten even stronger." Pan Yun was fascinated by his creative process: "What gave you the inspiration? In such a tiny space, how did you stack sixteen arrays, each a fusion of two types? And even more insane—every pair overlaps, forming nested arrays. In this tiny space, you've created a hundred and twenty nested arrays..."

Pan Yun clicked her tongue: "Just imagining stepping forward into another nested array makes my scalp tingle."

Seeing Miao Zhen nodded vigorously: "And outside the array, hidden traps await—if anyone breaks in violently, the traps activate and might pierce them full of holes."

Pan Yun clasped her hands, eyes shining: "Second Brother, you're amazing."

Seeing Miao Zhen copied her, gazing at Yin Song with sparkling eyes: "Master, you're amazing."

Both said in unison: "We want to learn."

Yin Song lifted his chin proudly: "Fine—I'll teach you!"

Hu Jing, leaning against the doorframe, nearly stumbled, muttering: "Is this my bloodshed disaster—or theirs?"

Now Hu Jing stopped worrying for himself—he started worrying for the people coming to capture him.

Only when everyone had dispersed and night grew still, and Xiao Hong and Hong Yan drifted out to cultivate, did Yin Song find time to speak privately with Pan Yun.

"Before the second day of the second month, don't think about meeting the Emperor," Yin Song said. "I've calculated it—after Dragon Raises Its Head comes the provincial examination; soon after, the palace examination. Before April, the Emperor won't likely leave the palace."

"Your Imperial Academy reporting is at the end of March, right?" Yin Song suggested. "Why not wait? End of this year—or next year?"

Pan Yun: "It's fine—I can wait. This trip to Jingcheng wasn't fruitless—I found two allies. One is Xue Shao, nephew of Xue Xuan, and this year's examinee. He said that if he passes the metropolitan exam, he'll petition the Emperor after the palace examination."

Yin Song immediately changed his mind: "Forget it—I'll handle it. I'll drag the Emperor out myself if I have to. Don't stir up such big trouble on the court."

The imperial examinations are among the state's greatest affairs; any case tied to them becomes a bloodbath, brutally harsh.

Even if this old case has nothing to do with the exams, once raised during the palace examination, it instantly becomes a major, critical case.

Just imagining it made Yin Song's scalp tingle.

(End of Chapter)