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Wan Shaobai arrived at Ting Feng Ge.
The owner of Ting Feng Ge, Ting Yu, had already set up a table and chairs in the courtyard, complete with tea utensils. She brewed a pot of steaming, fragrant Bi Luo Chun tea and sat there leisurely, quietly waiting for Wan Shaobai's arrival.
A gentle breeze brushed by, and Ting Yu keenly heard the approaching footsteps. She tilted her head slightly, took a delicate sniff of the air, and a smile crept onto her lips as she murmured softly, "The fish has taken the bait; I can already smell it!"
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Wan Shaobai stepped into the courtyard of Ting Feng Ge. There, beneath the peach blossom tree in the center of the yard, sat a girl in a light green gauze dress, beaming at him.
For some reason, Wan Shaobai suddenly felt an ominous premonition.
However, every time he met Ting Yu, that feeling always lingered like a shadow, impossible to escape. Ever since he discovered her special nature, every visit had been driven by a request. When seeking help from someone like her, one naturally had to be prepared to be "butchered," as Ting Yu herself had put it.
If one set aside Ting Yu's mischievous personality and her scheming smile, she actually appeared quite charming at this moment.
Realizing his thoughts were wandering, Wan Shaobai quickly cleared his throat twice, trying to shake off the feeling. He silently prayed that whatever request Ting Yu had today would not be too difficult as he walked toward her.
Once Wan Shaobai sat down, Ting Yu skillfully poured him a cup of Bi Luo Chun tea. After that, she fell silent and simply watched him with a mysterious smile on her face.
Feeling uneasy under her direct gaze, Wan Shaobai finally couldn't hold back and said, "Ting Yu, I have come to bother you again."
Seeing Wan Shaobai's awkward opening line made Ting Yu chuckle softly. She teased him, "Wan Daxia, what unresolved doubts have brought you to seek out this flower of Ting Yu?"
"Hehe... You guessed correctly; I have an important matter to consult you about." Wan Shaobai thought for a moment and decided to set aside his concerns for now. "But first, could you please tell me what you need me to do this time?"
"Ha! Wan Daxia, you've become quite cunning! But this time, I don't mind," Ting Yu replied with a playful glint in her eyes.
She gently pulled out a folded piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it to Wan Shaobai. "Open it and take a look."
Wan Shaobai carefully accepted it and slowly unfolded it. He saw that it contained a poem written in elegant characters.
The graceful handwriting clearly indicated that it had been prepared well in advance by Ting Yu. Did she anticipate his visit and know why he came? Had she prepared this ahead of time?
Wan Shaobai looked at Ting Yu with a heart full of suspicion, while Ting Yu, seemingly indifferent, poured herself another cup of tea, completely ignoring Wan Shaobai's probing gaze. Wan Shaobai tentatively asked, "Do you want me to read this poem aloud for you?"
Upon hearing this, Ting Yu suddenly choked on the tea she had just sipped. After a moment's pause to regain her composure, she replied, "Miss, I cannot read. Must I trouble you, Wan Daxia, to read it for me? After all, I wrote it! What I want is for you to sing it—sing it out loud!"
Wan Shaobai's face turned pale and then flushed red; he awkwardly said, "I am tone-deaf and truly cannot bear to embarrass myself."
"If you want to hear something beautiful, I don't know how to hire a courtesan to sing for me! Just sing whatever comes to mind. If you won't sing, then leave my Ting Feng Ge and don't ask me about your matters; I don't know either," she said with an exasperated expression.
Ting Yu's helpless demeanor left Wan Shaobai feeling utterly at a loss. He opened his mouth but seeing the mischievous smile on Ting Yu's face, he found himself unable to make a sound.
Wan Shaobai wanted to refuse again, but Ting Yu had already turned her back to him, signaling that she had nothing more to say. With a deep breath and a firm resolve, Wan Shaobai finally began to sing casually.
"Drumming resounds, we march forth in battle. In the land of earth and city moats, I journey south alone. From Sun Tzu Zhong, I pacify Chen and Song. If I do not return, my heart is filled with worry. Where shall I dwell? Where shall I lose my horse? How shall I seek it? Beneath the forest. Life and death are vast; we make our vows together. Hand in hand with you, we grow old together. Alas, how vast it is! Will you not let me live? Alas, how sincere it is! Will you not believe me?"
His off-key singing drew hearty laughter from Ting Yu, while Wan Shaobai's face burned with embarrassment. Holding her belly as she laughed uncontrollably, Ting Yu exclaimed, "Wan Daxia! In the future, if you encounter any criminals, you needn't lift a finger; your singing alone would likely bring them down!"
Wan Shaobai slammed the paper onto the table and took a large gulp from his teacup. Once Ting Yu had calmed down somewhat, he spoke up. "Now can Ting Yu listen to what I have to say?"
Ting Yu nodded with a smile. Wan Shaobai then recounted the events in detail. After listening intently, Ting Yu asked, "Have you considered that Madam's words might be correct?"
"You mean that the water ghost is behind this?"
Ting Yu nodded and said, "Haven't you heard about the faint singing that has been drifting through the city every night recently?"
Wan Shaobai shook his head and replied, "Impossible! How could there be ghosts in this world?"
"There are many things in this world that you do not know! For instance, me—didn't you initially doubt that I could control sound?" Ting Yu teased as she looked at Wan Shaobai.
Hearing her words made Wan Shaobai reluctantly admit that there were indeed some things in this world that he was unaware of.
Ting Yu was a person difficult to grasp. A chance encounter had woven countless threads of connection between them.
Ting Yu could hear sounds in the wind that ordinary people could not, and smell unique scents. More importantly, Ting Yu had the ability to control people's voices, compelling them to speak the truth. This was a shared secret between them.
This uniqueness brought many conveniences to him as a Constable, but each time he obtained information, it required him to perform some bizarre tasks as per Ting Yu's requests.
Wan Shaobai pondered for a moment and said, "What Ting Yu says is not without reason, but why would a ghost seek to claim lives? A ghost is an ethereal being; how could it cause someone to drown and then return itself? Is it possession?"
Ting Yu smiled faintly and replied, "Matters of ghosts and spirits can be discussed casually after a meal, but they should not be taken too seriously. Let me mention something; listen closely and see if you recognize it."
"Please go on."
"Dragon."
"That is a divine creature; how could it kill?"
Ting Yu chuckled softly and said, "Indeed, this divine creature does not kill, but there is another being in the water that resembles a dragon. It can swim freely in the water and transform into human form on land, yet its shape is indistinguishable from that of a person."
"What being?"
"Jiao Ren."
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