Out of the frying pan, into the fire, was the thought that slapped around MingYu's mind as he made his way out of the innkeeper's reach and stepped right into the vicinity of Wang FenFen. Her delicate features were drawn tight, her eyebrows slightly furrowed as FenFen shot an icy glare at MingYu from the bottom of the inn's staircase.
What did I do to deserve this? MingYu thought as he forced a relaxed smile. "Is everything alright, FenFen?"
"We need to talk, uncle MingYu." The tone was demanding and not the least bit friendly. MingYu stopped himself from frowning at his niece. If anything, this was most likely ZhiYi's fault and his parenting skills. MingYu reminded himself to scold ZhiYi later – a swat or two over his hard head should suffice.
MingYu dejectedly passed his niece, climbing up the steps he headed across the hallway to his own room, with FenFen tightly clued to his side every step of the way. As the door clicked close behind them, FenFen paced the room with swift strides, looking around aimlessly. Finding himself uncomfortable with the awkward situation, MingYu finally asked, "What is it you wanted to talk about, FenFen?"
FenFen stopped her pacing and sat down at the little chair beside the table with a huff. "Why are you here, uncle MingYu?"
"Your father hasn't told you?" MingYu raised his brow in surprise. Somehow, the question had come out of nowhere. He had expected ZhiYi to elaborate to his daughters why they were dragged from city to city after him, MingYu of all people.
Wang FenFen raised her perfectly arched eyebrow at him and MingYu sighed. "I'm currently being punished for messing up my last reincarnation."
"But it has nothing to do with us."
FenFen's words seemed cold and harsh. MingYu frowned as he thought over it. He wasn't so sure ZhiYi and PingZe had nothing to do with it. Keeping two demons as generals under Wu TianLan's reign, they must have been largely involved with Wu TianLan's tyrannical rule. That would explain the two's incessant need to accompany him. Guilt, that must be it, MingYu grimaced at the thought.
"I don't know if it has anything to do with your father, but I'm sure it has nothing to do with you, FenFen. I'm sorry you were dragged along." MingYu meant it. It must have been exhausting traveling and accompanying an ancient fossil like him for this long.
FenFen's eyes softened a little as her shoulders relaxed from their tense posture. "It's – I'm sorry, uncle MingYu. But father never tells us anything. It's unfair."
"ZhiYi probably didn't want to bother you two. It's really my own personal problem after all." MingYu offered. Curiosity peaked its head in FenFen's eyes as she hurried to say,
"Uncle MingYu, why the Jiangs? What did you do to them?"
"Oh, from what I understood, I forced official Jiang to commit suicide." MingYu must have said it too nonchalantly as FenFen's face first flashed deep crimson before all blood escaped her cheeks and left her nearly white as a ghost.
"It's terrible, I know. I must have been a horrible emperor back then." MingYu hastily added but FenFen still looked like she was going to faint. Her eyes had now widened into the size of plates, the unblinking orbs fixated on MingYu as if she had never seen him before.
"What- what did you just say?" FenFen's words came out in a whisper. MingYu was having a bad feeling about the situation. Judging by FenFen's reaction, the news was a shock, to say the least. He hadn't killed FenFen's mother as Wu TianLan, had he? The thought was daunting on MingYu and a cold sweat crept over his skin. Maybe that was why ZhiYi hadn't told the girls the truth. But if that was the fact, wouldn't ZhiYi had strangled him the moment he realised who MingYu was?
"Impossible!" FenFen suddenly snapped, her eyes blazing with an overflowing mixture of feelings. MingYu flinched as he cautiously rummaged around his belongings on the bed and brought out the punishment roll, offering it to FenFen.
"It's all there in the scroll, but I have no memories of my time as Wu TianLan. I'm sorry, FenFen if he did something to you – or your family." MingYu braced himself for a punch, a kick in the balls – anything at this point. But nothing happened, FenFen was reading through the scroll, her eyes swept over the words over and over again. It felt like an eternity had passed by before FenFen finally raised her eyes, a determination with a tinge of hopelessness present in them.
"Uncle MingYu, you really don't remember anything?" FenFen asked softly, her tone suddenly incredibly vulnerable. It took MingYu by surprise.
"No." MingYu had an urge to say sorry, but he held himself from uttering those words.
"Your soul will be shattered if you fail?" FenFen's voice was now trembling slightly, like a mournful pluck of a string of an instrument.
"It's the final punishment if I fail again." MingYu said slowly.
"If you don't want to go back to Heaven, but stay here – what would happen?"
"I have no choice on the matter, FenFen. It is either failing or succeeding. Either I go back to Heaven or be shattered across the three realms." It was indeed unfair, but based on his actions and what terrible fates he had cast over the official families, the punishment was quite fitting if not even mild compared to what he had done. MingYu frowned at the thought. Was Heaven really that nice?
FenFen was silent as she rolled the scroll back up and handed it back. Her eyes looked glossed over now. There were traces of tears fighting their way to the surface but she held them in. "Uncle MingYu, I'm sorry for being a brat."
"FenFen, it's ok." MingYu didn't want to see FenFen cry, he hated seeing others cry.
"AhFen…"
"Huh?" MingYu raised his brows in surprise.
"You can call me AhFen, uncle MingYu." FenFen said, smiling at him. It was the warmest, sincerest smile MingYu had ever received from her. He felt touched at the little gesture and nodded in agreement.
"What do you need me to do with childe Jiang?"
The sudden co-operative nature of FenFen scared MingYu. She seemed to have the abrupt decision-making tendencies as her father. When they made up their mind, they would hone in on it like a beast. But MingYu wasn't going to turn down an offer when it was thrown at him with such enthusiasm. A sly grin crept over his face as MingYu told her of the upcoming rain festival. He also elaborated on the plan he had come up with, a plan that FenFen would play a part in.
"Uncle MingYu. I think it is a terrible plan." FenFen said honestly, drenching MingYu's passionate flame with ice-cold reality. "But I will help you."
MingYu's hope perked up at the words and then was stomped down once more as FenFen continued. "But father will think it's a terrible idea."
***
"It is a terrible idea." ZhiYi said the moment MingYu finished going over his plan with the remaining crew. Like father like daughter, MingYu thought with disdain.
"Which is why it might just work!" MingYu said with eagerness. He was quite proud of his plan if he might say so. ZhiYi looked like someone tried to shove a lemon down his throat.
"No."
"Oh, come on! I think it's a pretty good plan."
"It's a terrible plan and you know it." ZhiYi said drily. "In fact, I don't think even PingZe could come up with a worse plan."
FenFen and FuFu were nodding in agreement with their father. Uncle PingZe was quite reckless and crude, but even he wouldn't think of this.
"If it was up to him, he would just set the place on fire and be done with it." MingYu pointed out.
"And even then it would be a better plan than yours."
MingYu was now pouting as he sat down on the bed, his every movement trailed by ZhiYi's eyes. The rain festival was starting in two days and after racking his brain over the matter, MingYu had finally come up with a brilliant heist to get in the Li household and snoop around. Yet no one seemed to appreciate it!
"But-"
"You are not pretending to be a priest and break into the house to look for a body. Don't be ridiculous. You don't even know how they do the ritual."
"I don't need to perform it. I just need to get in the house."
"No. The place will be crowded; how can you blend in or stay unnoticed?" ZhiYi said as he rubbed his temples with force.
"You do stick out like a sore thumb, uncle MingYu." FuFu pointed out, giggling into her sleeve as she shot glances over his shiny, bald head.
"If uncle MingYu decides on it, I will help him." FenFen said, smiling encouragingly at MingYu. At least someone agreed to the plan, thought MingYu. Although he had never expected that person to be FenFen out of the two girls.
"We must find out the source of that dark energy. If Jiang MeiLin really died, it must have something to do with her. Maybe the remains of her resentment are still lingering in the house." MingYu tried his hardest to persuade the demon. "Even madam Jiang appeared lifeless. That energy must be consuming her slowly. If we don't do something about it soon, she might die."
The girls were looking at their father expectedly. MingYu found himself holding in his breath.
"I don't agree with the plan." ZhiYi said with the tone that indicated that this was the end of the discussion.
MingYu was buzzing with defiance. Crossing his arms over his chest and jutting his chin out, MingYu said, "Fine then! You come up with a better idea."
The tension seemed to thicken like a fog as ZhiYi and MingYu went into a silent battle with their eyes, shooting glares at one another. The girls watched in awe as their father, Wang ZhiYi, yielded before the bald monk in the end.
"Ok, we will do it your way." ZhiYi said with a tired voice. MingYu was humming with satisfaction, his plan was going to work perfectly!
"But it doesn't change the fact that it is a terrible idea."
It will work perfectly! MingYu decided as he grinned cheekily at ZhiYi's unimpressed look.