Rong Zhi quickly found a place that was both away from the hustle and bustle of the city and less than a fifteen-minute walk from Bai Cao Ge. It consisted of two independent small courtyards, one for each of them, allowing them to live together without causing gossip while still being able to look out for each other.
The landlord was an old acquaintance of the Shi family. During their conversation, he mentioned the recent miraculous recovery of the young master of the Shi family. Upon learning that Rong Zhi was the one who had helped the Shi family, the landlord, wanting to do them a favor, offered a fifty percent discount on the rent.
Rong Zhi helped them pay for a year's rent, and the deal was finalized.
"Doctor Lin, I'm truly sorry to trouble you so much. You've taken care of us all the way here, and now you're even paying for our rent," Zhang Yajing said sheepishly.
"Who told you to be so honest and donate all your family's assets as you said, without keeping anything for yourself? When you've established yourself and earned money, don't forget to pay me back," Rong Zhi said, half-jokingly, quickly easing Zhang Yajing's burden.
Chu Qing, on the other hand, said, "I won't be polite with you. I hope you find Brother Xia soon."
Speaking of which, Rong Zhi's expression turned somber. She had been back in the imperial city for several days, but she hadn't seen any sign of Xia Yunting. Could it be that he wasn't in the imperial city at all?
"You two rest here. I'll go out and look around."
"Okay."
Knowing she had business to attend to, Chu Qing helped Zhang Yajing tidy up their room.
Rong Zhi arrived at the entrance of the General's Mansion.
After so much time, the General's Mansion had been completely renovated, showing no trace of the previous fire. It was deserted outside, yet one could feel a strong aura of killing intent, as if thousands of soldiers were guarding it.
Rong Zhi tidied her clothes and stepped forward to knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Xia Jin opened the door and, seeing a stranger dressed as a commoner, waved her away. "Anyone dares to come to the General's Mansion? Get out, get out..."
He stopped mid-sentence as Rong Zhi revealed her waist token, on which was a strong and powerful "Xia" character, personally inscribed by Xia Yunting.
"May I ask which of my General's old friends you are, and what brings you here today?"
Unsure of her identity, Xia Jin could only smile and inquire.
"I am a friend of General Xia. We agreed to meet in the imperial city, but he never showed up, so I came to inquire if your General has returned and where he might be."
A flicker of light appeared in Xia Jin's eyes. "My General has indeed returned, but he has gone out on an errand. Why don't you come in and have a seat? The General will be back shortly."
He gestured to the side, clearing a path. Rong Zhi looked inside; the courtyard was empty, yet it exuded a palpable sense of danger.
Very well, she would go in and take a look.
"Please," Rong Zhi bowed and walked straight in, her head held high. She felt as if countless weapons and hidden darts were aimed at her, poised to strike.
She tensed her internal energy, ready to use her Qinggong to escape at any moment.
Fortunately, the path was clear. She reached the reception hall and saw screens and partitions, with antique tables and chairs that looked expensive at first glance.
Xia Yunting's family was indeed wealthy; it was difficult to imagine him living in Yunshui Village with her for so long.
"Please have some tea." Xia Jin brought a cup of tea. Rong Zhi picked it up, smelled it, and, finding no trace of poison, drank it with relief.
"Miss, may I ask how you know my General and for how long?"
Rong Zhi raised her eyelids and sneered, "Is this something a steward should ask?"
Xia Jin was taken aback by her response. After a moment, he slapped himself lightly. "I was too talkative. I was merely worried about my General. You don't know, but on the night the General got married, an accident occurred at the General's Mansion. My General disappeared for several months, and we didn't know if he was alive or dead. We servants were worried, so I couldn't help but ask a few more questions."
"I do know about his experiences during that period," Rong Zhi said, deliberately creating suspense.
"Oh?" Xia Jin's eyes lit up.
"However, you must answer three questions for me."
"What?"
"First, when did Xia Yunting return to the mansion? Second, have any positions been reduced in the mansion recently? Third, have any suspicious individuals visited the mansion recently?"
The question about reduced positions was, of course, about Chen Xing. After Chen Xing left last time, his fate was still unknown. The third question was to inquire about the reason for Xia Yunting's sudden return, implying that he must have encountered someone or something difficult, which led him to leave without a word.
Xia Jin hesitated for a moment, then put on a fake smile. "Miss, we servants wouldn't know about these things. You should wait for the General to return and explain it to you personally. I have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
"Please do."
Watching Xia Jin leave, Rong Zhi frowned. She had a premonition that the steward knew more than he let on and was simply wary of her identity, as a single waist token was insufficient to determine whether she was friend or foe.
Such caution was befitting of someone loyal to Xia Yunting.
Just as she was about to wait for Xia Yunting to return with peace of mind, a whistling sound came from all around. Countless hidden weapons shot towards her. Rong Zhi leaped into the air, grabbed a beam on the roof, and with a powerful kick from her spinning motion, sent a figure tumbling down.
The person was dressed in black, with a veil covering their face. Even through the clothes, one could discern the outline of well-developed muscles.
"The General's Mansion's secret guards?" Rong Zhi recognized them instantly. They were identical to the guards who had been stationed at the General's Mansion during the wedding.
"Do you know what this is?" she asked, displaying her token.
"You think a mere token can get you into the General's Mansion? Do you think we're all fools? You're clearly an assassin, surrender now!"
Rong Zhi chuckled. "If I surrender just because you say so, wouldn't I lose face? If you have the ability, catch me yourself."
She suddenly took out a handful of powder from her embrace and sprinkled it onto the man's face. The man let out a howl of pain. Rong Zhi seized the opportunity to escape into the courtyard, only to find a group of similarly dressed secret guards waiting for her, all radiating murderous intent.
"There are so many of you bullying one person, are you not ashamed?"
Her question was answered by a flurry of sword and blade attacks.
Rong Zhi dodged left and right, fighting them while making her way towards the entrance. Unfortunately, they were too numerous and their attacks too fierce. Rong Zhi's attempts to leave several times failed.
As numerous cold blades descended from above, Rong Zhi fell backward onto the ground and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike. She then leaped into the air and, looking down at the sea of heads below, stepped on each one as if walking on level ground. Despite their martial prowess, the secret guards were still slower than Rong Zhi. Every time they were about to catch her, she would evade them, toying with them like a cat playing with mice.
Xia Jin watched the battle from behind a pillar, his heart filled with trepidation. This woman, who looked so frail and petite, was actually fighting evenly with the General's personal guards. Could she truly have some connection to the General?
After about half an hour, Rong Zhi began to feel tired. Her stamina was decent, but this kind of fight would never end. So, she threw a handful of powder in all directions.
The secret guards, caught off guard, inhaled the powder and immediately felt their limbs go weak, their movements slowing down.
Rong Zhi seized this opportunity to scale the wall and escape, running far away. Only when she realized no one was pursuing her did Rong Zhi recall the appearance of the secret guard from the room.
If she remembered correctly, he was one of the secret guards who had visited Yunshui Village. He must have met her before, yet he didn't recognize her and had attacked her without hesitation.
She refused to believe that they had forgotten her in just a few days unless it was at Xia Yunting's instruction or due to some other hidden reason that forced him to act this way.
Since she couldn't get any information from the General's Mansion, she had to find another way.
Just as she was about to head to the bustling market, she noticed fragrant smoke wafting from a nearby medical clinic. An old doctor was reciting something in front of a wall, seemingly praying to something.
This matter was of no concern to Rong Zhi, but she saw a portrait on the wall, and the person in the portrait looked somewhat familiar.
Upon closer inspection, Rong Zhi's lips twitched involuntarily.
It was her again.
She was being worshiped again.
"Uncle, what are you doing?" Rong Zhi asked, pointing at the portrait.
"You're young, girl, no wonder you don't know. This is the Divine Physician, who once saved countless lives."
"Divine Physician?" Since when did she have such a nickname? Rong Zhi couldn't help but laugh and cry. "Looking at this portrait, she doesn't seem to be from the Central Plains."
"Of course not. She was the former Valley Master of Medicine King Valley. She founded Medicine King Valley with her own hands and trained countless excellent doctors. She also resolved two major plagues. Any doctor knows this senior. Young lady, I detect a medicinal fragrance on you. Are you also one?"
Rong Zhi nodded. "I am indeed a doctor, and I've heard of the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley. However, I've never heard her referred to as the Divine Physician, nor have I seen anyone worship her, so I find it novel."
"Of course, no one dared to worship her before," the old doctor said, looking into the distance through the doorway with a hint of emotion in his voice. "In the past, regulations were strict. Apart from ancestors, even the God of Wealth and the Kitchen God were not allowed to be worshipped. But recently, something happened, and the authorities have slightly relaxed this prohibition. While praying to deities is now permitted, matters related to monks, Taoists, and ghost extermination are still forbidden."
"What happened?" Rong Zhi remembered Huang Lian. The night he was captured, he was also praying to a memorial tablet, and she didn't know about any new orders.
"I heard that something happened in the Grand Tutor's mansion. The Grand Tutor was impeached for worshipping ghosts and deities, and the Emperor was enraged and wanted to execute him. It was only after much pleading that his life was spared."
Rong Zhi knew this Grand Tutor. He was the former Emperor's teacher, held great power and prestige. She was surprised that the Emperor would so easily sentence him to death.
"Later, civil and military officials petitioned the Emperor, stating that ordinary families worshipping the God of Wealth, the Kitchen God, and the like were merely seeking peace of mind and would not cause any harm. Why be overly strict? It would be better to lift the ban. The Emperor agreed, and this order was issued. Just like us doctors, by worshipping the former Valley Master of Medicine King Valley, we hope to emulate her past achievements, learn her medical skills, and heal the sick and save people from hardship."
Rong Zhi was touched. "That's a good thing." It was just a little strange to see herself hanging on the wall.
"By the way, Uncle, could you tell me if you've heard any recent news about the General's Mansion?"
"The General's Mansion? You mean the General Xia who just returned?"
Rong Zhi nodded.
"That Xia Mansion is always closed off. Passersby find it eerie. Who dares to approach? However, I've heard that the General is in trouble now. If he's not careful, he might lose his head too."
"What exactly is the trouble?" Rong Zhi asked urgently.
"That I don't know. The affairs of the imperial court are not something we common folk would know about. Miss, you shouldn't spread rumors, or you might bring about your own demise."
"Thank you, Uncle." Rong Zhi thanked him and left with a heavy heart.
Xia Yunting had indeed encountered trouble, which explained his abrupt departure.