Eighty-four: The Wager Exposed

“He will do good deeds.”
Lu Pan could only respond thus to Lord Situ.

The Chen Residence.

“Cousin, come, let me take you somewhere.”
Chen Yuanwen entered Li Xintian’s room, eager to pull him out, but they ran into Hu Qiuyan and Huo Wanping.

“Grandmother,” they both greeted in unison.

“And where are you two off to?”
Huo Wanping eyed them, her tone mildly suspicious.

“We’re going to study, aren’t we, cousin?”
Chen Yuanwen chuckled nervously.

“Grandmother, my cousin speaks the truth,” Li Xintian nodded in agreement.

“No outings today. Stay home and keep this old woman company,”
Huo Wanping said, taking Li Xintian’s hand and placing it atop Hu Qiuyan’s, paying no heed to Chen Yuanwen’s protests behind her.

“Another plan to go out, ruined,”
Chen Yuanwen muttered. He had arranged a gathering to introduce Li Xintian to his own society of supernatural tales.

The Zhu Household.

“So tired… I need a nap.”
Zhu Erdan, having been busy all day, retreated to his study to rest. He had only just closed his eyes.

Ke Shaorong, heavily made up, tiptoed in, quietly shut the door, and smiled with secret delight before approaching the bed, her fingers poised as if plucking flowers. She tapped Zhu Erdan on the shoulder.

He did not respond, only smacked his lips.

“Husband…”
Ke Shaorong tried again, her voice coy and sweet.

“Who is it?”
Zhu Erdan opened his eyes in a drowsy haze.

“It’s your beautiful wife, of course.”
Ke Shaorong pouted, fluttering her lashes and puckering up as if to kiss him.

“Ah! A demon!”
At the sight of her garish makeup, which made her look utterly spectral, Zhu Erdan jolted awake, shouting.

“Where’s the ghost? Where?”
Ke Shaorong glanced around frantically.

“Are you all right, husband? Did you just call me a ghost?”
She looked at him, feigning hurt.

“I meant—what are you up to?”
Zhu Erdan dared not anger her.

“I only wanted to please you, that’s why I dressed up so beautifully, and you call me a witch.”
She looked bashful.

“Very beautiful, indeed… but I’m so tired, I just want to sleep.”
Inside, Zhu Erdan was retching, but outwardly he forced a smile.

“You think I’m beautiful? Did you notice anything different about me today?”
Ke Shaorong leaned back on her arms, striking a seductive pose.

“Exquisite. A peerless beauty,”
Zhu Erdan replied, picking his nose absentmindedly.

“And?”
She swayed her head, pleased.

“Well… um…”
He noticed a golden hairpin on her head—the one he’d meant to give to Zhang Xiaoman.

“Thank you, husband, you’re so good to me! To thank you, I’ll give you a kiss.”
She licked her lips and moved in.

Zhu Erdan quickly covered his mouth.

“What’s wrong?”
She frowned.

“You should keep your thanks in your heart,”
he replied, muffled behind his hand.

“You’re such a gentleman—so sweet, so interesting.”
She rose, still bashful.

“But I’m really not in the mood right now.”
He scrambled to his feet, heading for the door.

“Husband, if you want to sleep, why go outside?”
She grabbed his arm.

“You’re so energetic, I thought I’d take a walk.”
He was desperate to escape.

“I’ll go with you!”
She hugged him, placing her foot in his hand.

“No, you look too lovely tonight. If others see you, I’ll be losing out.”
He set her foot down.

“You’re right. Then I’ll stay here just for you.”
She blushed.

“Just stay put at home, all right?”
He breathed a sigh of relief, finally appeasing her.

“Of course, no problem. I’ll wait for you here in the study.”
She lay down where he’d just been.

“Remember, don’t move.”

“I won’t budge.”
Zhu Erdan fled the study and reached the main gate, where a crowd awaited.

“Let me in!”
“Let us in!”
“Have some manners, young man!”

Zhu Erdan’s father was unable to hold them back.

“Help us, Zhu Erdan!”
“Seek justice for us!”

Zhu Erdan pulled his father aside.

“Father, what’s going on? Why are all these people gathered at our home?”

“I agreed on your behalf. You’re to plead their cases.”

“What?”

“That’s right, you’re famous now.”

“Father, I don’t handle lawsuits!”

“You’d be helping them seek justice—a virtuous deed!”

“I’ll think about it,”
Zhu Erdan replied, slipping out the back.

“Everyone, quiet! Give him time to consider,”
his father called, restraining the crowd.

This scene was witnessed by Judge Lu and Lord Situ in the underworld.

“Well, Lord Situ, do you see? I told you before, when a fool becomes clever, he doesn’t necessarily turn bad. Zhu Erdan, for instance, is now advocating for the people.”

“He’s only taking money to solve others’ troubles. It’s not virtue—he’s paid and that’s that,”
Lord Situ retorted.

“But you can’t deny every case he’s taken has involved real injustice,”
Lu Pan replied.

“Our wager isn’t over yet. There are still a few days left,”
said Lord Situ.

The Zhang Residence.

“Xiaoman, why aren’t you ready yet?”
Madam Zhang called to her daughter, who finally emerged.

“Let’s go, Xiaoman,”
she urged.

“Father, Mother, I’m not going. I don’t want to attend my uncle’s birthday feast,”
Xiaoman protested.

“Your uncle invited all three of us especially. It would be rude not to go,”
her mother pleaded.

“Rude? I’m already engaged and about to marry. By custom, I shouldn’t be socializing outside the family, yet you’ve arranged for me to meet my cousin. What are your intentions?”
Xiaoman demanded angrily.

Her mother glanced at her father, who stood grim-faced.

“Daughter, let me speak plainly. Bai Yang is unlucky and has no prospects. Without Li Xintian’s help, he’d have lost everything. Your cousin, on the other hand, is deeply devoted to you and has a bright future—a far better match than Bai Yang. We must break off your engagement.”

“Father, what are you saying? The wedding is already arranged—Bai Yang’s father is out of prison, everything is set!”

“We’re thinking of your future,”
her mother interjected.

“If you truly cared for me, you wouldn’t break off my engagement.”

“You should also consider your father. Your uncle and cousin are high officials—third rank. They—”

“Enough! All you care about is using your daughter to climb the social ladder. You’re shameless!”

“You—!”
Her father shoved her mother aside and slapped Xiaoman.

“Disobedient and unfilial! Marriage is a matter for your parents—not for your willfulness!”

“With parents who act like this, I’m ashamed to be your daughter,”
Xiaoman retorted, returning to her room.

“Miss, are you really going out?”
her maid Xiaowei asked.

Xiaoman nodded.

“Then you must return early. Leave the rest to me—I’ll cover for you,”
Xiaowei promised.

“Thank you, Xiaowei. Don’t worry, I’ll be back before the hour of the dog,”
Xiaoman reassured her.

“Miss, you know if Master and Madam return and find you gone, they’ll beat me to death,”
Xiaowei fretted, patting her chest.

“Don’t worry, I’ll return. I’m leaving now,”
Xiaoman said, taking Xiaowei’s hand before slipping away.

Zhu Erdan, meanwhile, found himself surrounded by members of the Literary Society.

“Brother Zhu, I meant to thank you for helping me clear my name, but you’ve been so busy with lawsuits. Now that I’ve found you, I’m not letting you go,”
one said.

“Brother Cao, I truly have matters to attend to,”
Zhu Erdan replied with a smile.

“Come, just give Brother Cao some face!”

“Yes, indulge us, will you?”

Zhu Erdan ignored their pleas, for he had caught sight of Xiaoman emerging from an alley—utterly captivated.

“Brother Cao, not today—another time,”
he excused himself, hurrying after Xiaoman.

On the west side of the city, Bai Yang made his way to the agreed meeting spot, while Xiaoman, heading east, collided with a burly man.

“Watch where you’re going!”
he barked.

“I’m sorry,”
she apologized quickly.

“Are you all right, miss?”
Catching sight of her beauty, the man’s demeanor turned lecherous as he sidled closer.

“I’m fine,”
Xiaoman replied, frightened, edging away.

He watched her go, a cruel glint in his eye, and began to follow her.

“Where has she gone? She was headed this way—”
Zhu Erdan, now in the east, could not find Xiaoman and continued searching.

Meanwhile, Bai Yang, on the west side, passed vendors hawking fortunes and candied hawthorns until he reached the Temple of King Yue.

“Excuse me, sir, where is the pavilion here?”
he asked a fortune-teller.

“Just behind the temple, not far,”
came the reply.

“Thank you,”
Bai Yang said, heading in that direction.

Elsewhere, Xiaoman saw another Temple of King Yue, but this one was deserted, surrounded by wild woods.

The burly man eyed her, scanning the area. The wind rustled the leaves as Xiaoman pushed through the underbrush and spotted a man at work.

“Uncle!”
she called, but before she could say more, a hand clamped over her mouth, and she was dragged away.

The worker, hearing a noise, looked around but saw nothing.

“Could it be a ghost?”
he muttered, grabbing his firewood and fleeing.

Bai Yang, at the western pavilion, waited long, but Xiaoman did not come. He pulled out a note.

“Urgent matter to discuss—meet at the King Yue Temple pavilion at dusk.”

He sighed at the words.

In the east, Zhu Erdan continued searching.

“The grass is so tall—how will I ever find her?”
he muttered, when suddenly he heard cries for help.

He forced his way through the grass and saw, to his horror, a burly man pinning Xiaoman down, attempting to violate her.

“Let go of me! Help!”
“Stay still or I’ll kill you!”
“Please, help me!”
Xiaoman spotted Zhu Erdan and reached out, pleading.

Terrified, Zhu Erdan glanced around, then collapsed in fright and fled.

“Help me! Save me!”
Xiaoman called after him.

“Stop screaming. Out here, no one will hear you,”
the brute sneered, tearing at her clothes.

Zhu Erdan ran all the way to the Temple of the Ten Judges. It was already night.

“Lord Lu, save Miss Zhang! She’s being assaulted—please, have mercy and save her!”
He shook the image of Lu Pan in desperation.

“Enough, stop shaking me or I’ll topple over,”
Lu Pan appeared, exasperated.

“Please, have mercy—save Miss Zhang!”
Zhu Erdan pleaded, bowing.

“It’s not for lack of mercy. Every life has its fate—blessings and misfortunes intertwined. Her fate is not yours to grieve over,”
Lu Pan answered. Zhu Erdan lacked Li Xintian’s ability to alter destiny.

“You are heartless!”
Zhu Erdan shouted in indignation.

“Heartless? Every man’s fate is written in advance,”
Lu Pan replied, his expression cold.

“What if it were your daughter—would you watch as she was violated by a villain?”
Zhu Erdan pressed on, heedless of Lu Pan’s darkening gaze.

“Such heartfelt words—but I have no daughter,”
Lu Pan said, patting Zhu Erdan’s chest.

“I beg you, please save Miss Zhang,”
Zhu Erdan fell to his knees.

“Don’t beg me—I cannot help,”
Lu Pan replied.

“I beg you, Lord Lu.”

Exasperated, Lu Pan followed Zhu Erdan out of the temple.

In the east, Zhang Xiaoman’s body lay cold in the grass.

“Where am I? How did I get here? Was I not supposed to meet Bai Yang?”
Her spirit drifted, unaware she was dead, until she saw her own corpse, face pale and eyes wide.

“I’m dead? How did I die? Bai Yang is still waiting for me…”
She remembered leaving from the east, bumping into the brute, being dragged into the grass, slapping him in panic, and being strangled in his rage and fear.

“If you don’t know what’s good for you, I’ll send you to the Emperor of the Eastern Peak,”
he had threatened before choking her to death.

Her eyes stared wide, her head lolled, and she was gone.

“So it was you who killed me—you who parted me from Bai Yang forever,”
she thought, recalling the last moments of her life. Then her spirit drifted away.

Bai Yang sat in the pavilion into the night. Xiaoman did not appear. He looked again at her note.

“Perhaps Xiaoman will not come,”
he sighed, rising to leave. He glanced back at the empty pavilion, tucked the note away, and departed.

Zhu Erdan, after a frantic dash, found Xiaoman’s corpse, cold and still, Lu Pan floating beside him.

“She’s dead… I was too late,”
Zhu Erdan said, feeling for her breath.

“A paragon of chastity—she chose death over dishonor,”
Lu Pan observed.

“Death over dishonor? Wasn’t she—”
Zhu Erdan began.

“Such women would sooner die than be sullied. Why are you so distraught? Have you fallen for her?”
Lu Pan asked, eyeing the tears on Zhu Erdan’s face.

“Alas, the dead cannot return. You have a family—look after your own wife,”
Lu Pan sighed.

“Lord Lu, could you return Xiaoman to life?”
Zhu Erdan wiped his tears.

“Don’t even think about it. Bringing the dead back is against the order of Heaven—it’s punished by thunderbolts,”
Lu Pan shook his head.

“Then… could you exchange Xiaoman’s head with my wife’s?”
Zhu Erdan asked.

“What? You have a taste for two-headed monsters?”
Lu Pan stared in shock.

“No, I mean, swap Xiaoman’s head for my wife’s,”
Zhu Erdan clarified.

“Head swapping? Absolutely not,”
Lu Pan said. He’d already angered Li Xintian once by swapping Zhu Erdan’s heart; swapping heads would be out of the question, especially with their wager at stake.

“Why not? You changed my heart for a clever one—why not a dead person’s head?”

“That’s different. I changed your heart because of our wager,”
Lu Pan replied without hesitation.

“A wager? So you gave me a clever heart not for my sake, but for a bet!”

“You have no idea how much I’ve suffered!”
Zhu Erdan cried out, enraged.

“What suffering? With a clever heart, you’ve benefited countless times—what’s there to regret?”
Lu Pan retorted.