Chapter 15: The Inquiry Spirit

Dongfang Yueli held a small pair of silver scissors, focused intently on cutting a paper figurine. Paper scraps fell with a soft rustle onto the table. As her fingers danced, a paper doll the size of a palm gradually took shape—a round head, slender limbs, and even delicate floral patterns trimmed into the hem of its skirt.

She didn’t look up as she asked casually, “What hairstyle do you prefer on a woman? A double-bun, a spiral bun, a side-coil, or a lily bun?”

Jiang Xiaoyu propped his chin in his hand, looking bewildered. “You said you were going to cut an Inquiry Spirit, right? Why are you asking me what kind of bun I like on a woman? Just cut whichever one.”

Dongfang Yueli gave a faint, enigmatic smile and cast a meaningful glance toward the door, her tone tinged with teasing. “You are destined to be plagued by peach blossoms (romantic entanglements). Since we have an Inquiry Spirit at hand, I’ll help you resolve a few—consider it saving two or three heartsick maidens from being wasted on you, lest they sigh in vain over their blooming years.”

“Oh, give it a rest!” Jiang Xiaoyu retorted immediately. “I’ve had zero luck with women since I was a kid. What kind of peach blossom luck am I supposedly plagued with?”

“Less talking, just pick.”

“I don’t even know what those hairstyles look like, how am I supposed to pick?”

“Follow your heart! Pick!”

“Fine, the lily bun then. That name sounds pretty nice.”

Dongfang Yueli gave a soft “mhm” and lowered her head to continue snipping. Whether it was the glow of the oil lamp or something else, her cheeks had turned faintly pink.

In a short while, a paper noblewoman, hair styled in a lily bun with a dangling ornament on the left and a jade hairpin on the right, stood in her palm.

She held her hand out toward Jiang Xiaoyu.

Jiang Xiaoyu was confused. “What for?”

Dongfang Yueli rolled her eyes at him. “You’re asking the obvious! You’re a practitioner of the Dao; surely you know that an Inquiry Spirit requires a strand of hair to lock onto one’s destiny before it can distinguish truth from falsehood?”

Jiang Xiaoyu plucked a hair and handed it over, grumbling, “You, honestly, you’re just too full of yourself! I’ve explained it so many times: I don’t know any Daoist arts, I don’t know any Daoist arts—you just won’t listen.”

Dongfang Yueli scoffed as she took the hair. “Hmph… fine, keep your secrets. Those who pretend to be pigs to eat tigers are the most treacherous; that’s a consensus in the cultivation world for centuries! That’s exactly why I insist on using the Inquiry Spirit to converse with you—to guard against a cunning villain like you!”

“What a massive misunderstanding!” Jiang Xiaoyu spread his hands. “In this horror instance, you are my wife, my only kin. Why would I lie to you? Honestly!”

Dongfang Yueli hummed. “It better be that way.”

As she spoke, she wound Jiang Xiaoyu’s hair around the paper doll’s left wrist and rapidly formed hand seals, chanting: “Inquiry Spirit, lock onto destiny. Truth brings uprightness, lies bring imbalance. Spirit Child, reveal the omens and report clearly. By the order of the law, hurry, hurry!”

As the words fell, the paper doll actually leapt to its feet, jumped onto the table, and stretched. Then, it turned its head, twisted its waist, and performed a set of calisthenics. Finally, it bowed formally to Dongfang Yueli, then turned and bowed formally to Jiang Xiaoyu.

After the formalities, it plopped down in the center of the table, dangled its paper legs, and began playing with its own fingers.

Dongfang Yueli’s brows furrowed slightly. She murmured, “Why is it so vivid? It seems… something is wrong.”

Jiang Xiaoyu asked, confused, “What is it?”

“Nothing.” Dongfang Yueli set aside her surprise and said solemnly, “Let’s begin.”

Before the words had even faded, the doll on the table suddenly bounded three feet high, pointed a finger at Dongfang Yueli, and hopped around, its paper feet stamping on the table with a tap-tap-tap.

Jiang Xiaoyu was astonished. “What powerful Daoist art! How did you do that? Can you teach your husband?”

Dongfang Yueli ignored him, assuming he was merely flattering her; with his level of cultivation, how could he possibly not know such a simple spell?

Dongfang Yueli looked embarrassed and hurriedly said to the doll, “You’re monitoring him, not me! What do you care whether I’m telling the truth or not?”

The doll remained relentless, continuing to hop and point at Dongfang Yueli.

Dongfang Yueli sighed, defeated. “Fine, fine! I admit it! I lied just now. I was surprised because this Inquiry Spirit is so vivid; it feels wrong. That was my true thought just now. I’ve spilled everything, happy now?”

The doll finally lowered its finger, sat back down on the table, and crossed its paper arms, looking for all the world like it was saying, “That’s better.”

Jiang Xiaoyu shouted, “Well, look at you, Dongfang Yueli! So the Inquiry Spirit only targets me! Oh… so I’m forbidden from lying, but you can say whatever you want?!”

Upon hearing this, the doll pointed at its own hair, then at the lily bun on Dongfang Yueli’s head.

Dongfang Yueli scoffed. “I’m a woman of integrity; why would I fear a mere Inquiry Spirit?” With that, she plucked a strand of her own hair and wrapped it neatly around the doll’s other wrist. “There, Madam, I’ve tied my own hair on too. That’s enough, right?”

The doll looked down at the hair strands on its two wrists and finally nodded, satisfied.

Jiang Xiaoyu nodded as well, adding bitterly, “That’s more like it.”

Dongfang Yueli said sharply, “Begin. I’ll ask first.”

Jiang Xiaoyu leaned back comfortably in his chair. “Ask away. I will speak the truth.”

Dongfang Yueli stared directly into his eyes. “Who are you?”