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""Master Gu, please take a look at me, I'm afraid I might have attracted some Evil Spirit, don't you think?"
If I have indeed attracted an Evil Spirit, I must find a way to drive it out, but at this moment, as the ship sails on the river, I cannot simply abandon it and go ashore, can I? From here to Twin Sages City, there's still a ten-day journey. If I can't sleep for ten days, I might just die!
Upon hearing this, Gu Shi Yi's originally somewhat mocking smile faded, and he examined the ship owner from top to bottom. Seeing the black aura lingering between his eyebrows, he had indeed attracted something unclean. Gu Shi Yi then glanced at the corners of his eyes and had him show his palms, his expression turning strangely immediately,
"Owner Yu, you... you have... indeed attracted the Peach Blossom Evil!"
The ship owner was greatly alarmed upon hearing this,
"What should I do then? I've heard that Monk Miao Lian from Guangci Temple in Twin Sages City is a Senior Monk who has attained the way. He possesses the 'Buddha's Light' that shines upon all, and as long as the Buddha's Light shines, no matter what Evil Spirit it is, none can hide. But we're still ten days away from Twin Sages City, how can I endure these ten days!"
The ship owner was clearly anxious, but Gu Shi Yi reassured him with a smile,
"Owner Yu, don't worry. Tell me first what you did in Xuancheng City, I suspect that you attracted this thing there..."
Gu Shi Yi did not finish the latter half of his sentence,
"It's very likely you owe someone's daughter, and she is clinging to you now!"
The ship owner pondered deeply, muttering to himself,
"I didn't do much. I just transported some goods to Xuancheng City, then took on a shipment of tea leaves. The cargo was a bit light, so I thought about waiting..."
At this point, his expression suddenly froze, and upon observing his face, Gu Shi Yi immediately understood,
"What is it, have you remembered something?"
The ship owner also began to look peculiar, and after a long moment, he stuttered,
"But... but I... I only stayed on the flower boat for two nights..."
"Oh... so this is what you attracted on the flower boat?"
Gu Shi Yi's expression shifted, realizing he had gotten to the heart of the matter—it was indeed because of a woman!
The ship owner shook his head,
"I didn't attract any trouble. It was just business networking; I invited two acquaintances to have some drinks..."
He paused,
"At first I was too scared to take a good look at the woman in the dream, but now that I think about it, that woman in red, isn't she the Oiran from the flower boat? Her price was steep; just the overnight fee was one hundred and eighty taels of silver. I'm just a small businessman; one trip doesn't earn me much, and I have a family to support..."
As he mentioned the Oiran, Gu Shi Yi began to feel uneasy,
"Oiran... Red Robes..."
The ship owner continued,
"Those two nights, I just went to see the singing and dancing, and gave some silver as a tip. She came over to toast me a drink and exchanged a few words, that's all..."
Upon reflection, he suddenly remembered something else,
"That flower boat caught fire that night. Later, I heard that although the boat was burned down, everyone was fine except for her... She was the only one missing..."
Upon hearing this, Gu Shi Yi's expression changed,
"Missing her, what does that mean?"
The ship owner thought for a moment and shook his head,
"I don't know, but I heard the old procuress of the flower boat say, after they counted everyone, all the girls, the guards, and the Servants were there, except her. They thought she had been burned to death on the boat, yet two girls claimed they had jumped into the river with her. They were rescued and brought ashore but never saw her again..."
The more he spoke, the more furrowed Gu Shi Yi's brows became, and by the end, they were knotted in deep concern. She remembered clearly that she herself had helped her up to the third floor. Although she had jumped off the boat first, there were already quite a few rescue boats around, so how could that woman disappear?
Thinking up to this point, Gu Shi Yi asked again,
"Boat Owner Yu, what did that woman say to you in the dream?"
The ship owner thought for a moment and said,
"She just kept asking me to let her go, I... I... I didn't really do anything to her... I only saw her twice. When the fire happened, I wasn't on that boat. How could it... How could it be related to me?"
Boat Owner Yu was completely baffled!"
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