Ye Siheng used lightness skill to approach her, adjusting her cloak’s collar to shield her from the night chill. "His Taoist arts don’t seem stronger than yours, why couldn’t your talisman stop him?"
Nanli replied honestly, "His teleportation talisman has an added protective mechanism, quite ingenious. If he crafted it, his skills are not to be underestimated." Her eyes showed a hint of admiration.
Ye Siheng, rarely seeing her , remarked, "Unfortunately, he’s also of ill intent." Nanli nodded, tying her hair up with a wooden hairpin.
The array had stirred her from sleep earlier, but she was puzzled about how Ye Siheng arrived so quickly. She asked him, and he explained, "The moat encircles the palace and extends in all directions, connecting with various water channels, allowing the water ghost to move around. I suspected that from the moat’s initial construction, there was a plan involving water ghosts to harm people. So, when you set up the array to catch ghosts, someone was bound to try and sabotage it."
Nanli was astonished, "I see. This person must be quite capable to influence the moat’s design."
Ye Siheng’s expression grew graver as he nodded. "Indeed, and it’s been over a decade or two. Even if we investigate, it might be hard to trace back to them."
Though it was summer, the night wind was still chilly, especially with a bound water ghost nearby. Nanli turned to the ghost, her gaze intense.
The water ghost felt a wave of pressure, swallowing nervously. "W-what do you want?"
"Relax, just a few questions," Nanli said.
The ghost trembled, "Ask away, just don’t look at me like that." She knew the rules; Nanli had saved her from annihilation.
"What’s his name, and who is he? What’s your relationship?" Nanli asked.
"He’s name is Chong Jiu. I don’t know much about him. I was a water ghost in a lake outside the city until he captured me a few years ago to lure souls and gather energy in one place," the ghost answered truthfully. "There are other water ghosts working for him too."
Nanli squinted slightly. Gathering souls and energy underwater was a clever way to disguise drownings as natural accidents. If it weren’t for her second brother’s protective talisman, she might not have noticed this plot.
But why was Chong Jiu having the water ghosts gather souls and energy? Given his age, he was just a child when the moat was built. Ye Siheng cut in, "Where is this place?"
The water ghost shrank back, finding his presence even more intimidating. "Underground, connected by a narrow waterway. You can’t fit through it."
Nanli glanced at the bright moon, raising an eyebrow. "Well, no need to worry about that, just lead us there and stay put when we arrive."
She pulled out a tracking talisman, effective on ghosts too. It seemed she wouldn’t be sleeping tonight.
The ghost contemplated escaping once free of the array, but Nanli anticipated this, adding another talisman. The ghost felt a strange sensation and paled further. "What is this talisman?!"
"It’s a timed ghost-extinguishing talisman. If you don’t complete this task by dawn, the ghost fire will consume you entirely," Nanli said.
The ghost, if alive, would’ve been furious to die. The talisman integrated deeply into her ghostly form, beyond Chong Jiu’s ability to remove. Despairing, she reluctantly agreed, "Are you sure you can remove it?"
"I made it, so I can remove it," Nanli assured, lifting the array.
Freed, the ghost slipped back into the water, momentarily considering rebellion but quickly discarding the idea. She led them through the waterways, deciding to cooperate.
Qing Feng and the others, soaked, came ashore. Nanli handed them cleaning talismans, drying them swiftly. When ready, she used a paper crane to guide them.
The crane weaved through the streets, stopping at a cluster of shops. Nanli examined the surroundings, her face growing serious. "What’s wrong?" Ye Siheng sensed something amiss.
"This place converges extreme yin and yang energies. It’s not ideal for business but perfect for crafting talismans and setting up arrays," Nanli explained.
Underground, where water converges and no sunlight reaches, it’s even more efficient. Ye Siheng asked, "Are we sure of the location?" Nanli nodded at the crane. "Below these shops."
Ye Siheng ordered Qing Feng to act immediately. Any innocent shopkeepers affected would be compensated later. The black-armored guards swiftly found a hidden entrance in a fabric store.
Opening it, a chill wind emanated, making everyone uncomfortable. Nanli, frowning, used a fire talisman for light and to dispel the cold.
"A’Li, I’ll go first," Ye Siheng wouldn’t let Nanli take the risks.
Qing Feng interjected, "Your Highness, let me lead!"
It was a guard’s duty, especially after their failure at the moat. Nanli shook her head. "Chong Jiu’s skills are formidable, and we don’t know what’s below..."
"But... Your Highness...I..."
"You stay up here in case he attacks again." Ye Siheng said.
Qing Feng was disheartened but obeyed, "Yes, Your Highness."
As long as he had something to do, he was content.
Without delay, Ye Siheng and Nanli descended the stone stairs, the fire talisman lighting their path and repelling the occasional ghostly breath.
The staircase twisted and turned, growing colder the deeper they went. After about half an hour, they heard the sound of flowing water. Ahead was an arched doorway.
Ye Siheng wanted to go first, but Nanli stopped him. "Let me."
He reluctantly agreed, aware she was more adept in this realm.