Chapter 13: The Price of Peace

Lu Hongzhuang stopped in her tracks.

She glanced at her senior sister’s determined face, then registered the almost weightless burden on her back, her thoughts in turmoil.

Her senior sister was right; the Demon Prison housed only the most vicious of fiends, its rules were ironclad, and outsiders were strictly forbidden.

But…

She had witnessed Su Qinghan’s methods firsthand.

They were far beyond the capabilities of any mortal physician.

Perhaps she truly could uncover some clue from within the Demon Prison.

To go, or not to go?

On one hand was the inviolable law of the Exorcism Division; on the other, the hope of uncovering the truth.

Lu Hongzhuang was caught in a fierce internal struggle.

Just then, Su Qinghan, draped over her back, stirred and let out a lazy yawn.

“Never mind.”

She patted Lu Hongzhuang’s shoulder, her voice betraying no emotion.

“If they won’t let us in, then we won’t go in.

It’s not like we absolutely have to see it.

Come on, carry me home.

I’m exhausted.”

Her nonchalant attitude instantly eased the charged atmosphere.

Lu Hongzhuang was stunned.

Liu Ruyan was stunned as well.

The bellyful of rebukes she had prepared was now lodged in her throat, leaving her in agonizing suspense.

She had fully expected this mysterious woman to spin some clever tale and coax Lu Hongzhuang into forcing her way through, but never imagined she would give up so readily.

It made her feel as if she had gathered all her strength only to punch a wad of cotton.

“Hmph.”

Liu Ruyan snorted coldly, removing her hand from the hilt of her blade.

She approached Lu Hongzhuang and lowered her voice, her tone a mixture of frustration and disappointment.

“Hongzhuang, I watched you grow up.

Your talent is a rarity in the Exorcism Division, something seen once a century.

Our late master had such high hopes for you.

Don’t let yourself be led astray by these questionable people and ruin your future!”

She shot a glance at Su Qinghan on Lu Hongzhuang’s back, her eyes filled with scorn and an undisguised warning.

Lu Hongzhuang pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

She simply turned in silence and, with Su Qinghan on her back, started walking in the direction of home.

Liu Ruyan watched her retreating figure, opened her mouth to speak, but ultimately just let out a sigh.

The streets of Greenstone Town were bustling with people, and the cries of vendors rose and fell in waves.

Lu Hongzhuang walked silently along the stone-paved road, carrying Su Qinghan on her back.

Liu Ruyan’s words still echoed in her mind.

She knew her senior sister meant well, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Su Qinghan wasn’t the ‘questionable’ sort of person her sister had described.

Just as she was lost in thought, the person on her back suddenly stirred.

Su Qinghan sniffed the air lightly, then patted Lu Hongzhuang on the head.

“Hey.”

“What is it?” Lu Hongzhuang retorted irritably.

“I want to eat that.”

Su Qinghan pointed a finger at a nearby inn from which steam was billowing.

“Soup dumplings.”

Lu Hongzhuang followed her finger and her mouth twitched.

“Those are called steamed buns, not soup dumplings.”

“They’re the same thing.

Hurry up, I’m hungry,” Su Qinghan declared confidently.

Unable to win the argument, Lu Hongzhuang had no choice but to carry her into the inn.

After finding a table by the window, Lu Hongzhuang placed the cane within Su Qinghan’s reach.

A waiter came over, deftly wiped the table with a rag, and greeted them warmly.

“What can I get for you two ladies?”

“A basket of steamed buns,” Lu Hongzhuang said, then looked at Su Qinghan.

“What else do you want?”

Su Qinghan ignored her, instead looking up at the waiter.

“What are your house specialties?”

The waiter chuckled, wiped his hands on the towel draped over his shoulder, and pointed to a wooden plaque hanging on the wall.

“If you’ll look here, miss, all our signature dishes are written right up there!”

Su Qinghan followed his finger with her gaze.

And then, she fell silent.

The wooden plaque on the wall was carved with lines of winding, archaic, and intricate Small Seal Script.

She couldn’t recognize a single character.

The air fell quiet.

Seeing Su Qinghan’s expression—feigning composure but clearly bewildered—Lu Hongzhuang was suddenly struck by a mischievous impulse.

She leaned in close, lowered her voice, and a wicked smile played on her lips.

“So?

Can’t read it, can you?”

“Call me ‘Big Sister Lu,’ and I’ll translate it for you.”

Su Qinghan turned her head to meet Lu Hongzhuang’s teasing eyes.

Far from being embarrassed, she leaned back slowly in her chair, the corners of her lips curling upward as well.

“Alright.”

She extended a slender finger and lightly tapped the ‘Dragon-Tiger Guidance Technique’ manual that Lu Hongzhuang held to her chest.

“You call me ‘Little Husband,’ and I’ll translate this secret manual for you.

I’ll translate it meticulously, from beginning to end.

How about it?”

Boom.

Lu Hongzhuang’s face instantly flushed crimson, the heat spreading from her cheeks all the way to the base of her neck.

She whipped her head away, her voice as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz.

“Pah, shameless!”

*Pfft.*

The nearby waiter couldn’t hold it in and let out a laugh.

Seeing the two bickering beauties before him, he quickly tried to smooth things over.

“Ladies, how about… I bring you a few of our house specialties?

I guarantee they’re delicious!”

“Fine,” Su Qinghan agreed readily.

The waiter, feeling as if he’d been granted amnesty, began listing dishes while adding an extra comment.

“You two ladies are so close.

Bickering like this all the time… the bond between sisters like you is deeper than most.”

The words had barely left his mouth.

Two completely different yet perfectly synchronized voices rang out.

“Who’s sisters with her!”

“I’m not her sister!”

Su Qinghan and Lu Hongzhuang spoke at the same time, then froze, glaring at each other.

“Hmph!”

Once again, they turned away in perfect sync, neither looking at the other.

The waiter scratched his head awkwardly and beat a hasty retreat.

Soon, steaming hot dishes were brought to the table.

Su Qinghan was truly hungry and couldn’t be bothered to stay mad at Lu Hongzhuang, so she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.

And to her surprise, the food at this little inn was actually quite good.

Just as she was savoring her meal, an extremely faint ‘ding’ sounded from her waist.

It was the Three Purities Bell she had crafted from silver and infused with the demonic energy of the fox spirit, Jiu Li.

Only she and Jiu Li could hear its chime.

It was a demonic energy warning.

Su Qinghan’s movements paused.

Without a word, she discreetly pushed open the window and looked down at the street below.

The street was bustling with a throng of people.

Her gaze swept over the many faces until it finally settled on a figure at the street corner.

It was a young girl dressed in coarse linen, looking no older than thirteen or fourteen.

Her face was sallow and gaunt, her hair dry and yellowed.

She was staring intently in their direction, her eyes devoid of the innocence a child should have, filled only with a dazed confusion, as if her soul had fled.

The moment Su Qinghan’s gaze fell upon her, the girl stiffened like a frightened rabbit, whirled around, and vanished into the crowd in a flash.

Su Qinghan withdrew her gaze, calmly picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, and placed it in her mouth.

“Peace won’t last much longer.”

She said faintly.

“Be careful when you’re on duty.

Don’t risk your life for that meager pay.”

Lu Hongzhuang’s chopsticks froze mid-air.

She was silent for a moment, her voice somewhat low.

“But… if we don’t hold the line, how can the common folk enjoy the peace of their countless homes?”

Her voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable conviction.

Outside the window was the lively marketplace.

The calls of the candied haw vendor, the rhythmic tapping of the flatbread maker, the laughter of children chasing each other in play…

All of it wove together to form a vibrant, living tapestry of peace.

Su Qinghan looked out the window, then at the stubborn girl beside her, and suddenly felt that the food in her mouth had lost some of its flavor.

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