Gu Zhenguan’s reaction completely exceeded Gu Huaixiu’s expectations. She was already shocked at how furious Gu Zhenguan was, let alone Gu Yaofang.

In the backyard, Gu Yaofang was reclining in a deck chair, listening to the commotion outside that had gone on for quite some time. She glanced sideways at Qingxi. “Did you make things clear to the Taoist?”

Qingxi lowered her head respectfully. “I explained everything very clearly. It’s the same Taoist from two years ago, and when he heard that Miss still sought him out, he was overjoyed. Right now, he’s putting on quite a show at the front. I doubt he’ll mess things up.”

Gu Yaofang smirked with a hint of smugness. “They think they can force me to marry? And to the Zhang family of all people? What a joke! You go and keep an ear out for any more news.”

“Yes, Miss.” With that, Qingxi turned and left.

Gu Yaofang looked at her nails, stained with juice from impatiens flowers, and chuckled quietly to herself. These people were all fools. Did they really think that marriage would be theirs to decide? She had ambitions far greater than that. With her own abilities, there was no shortage of good matches. Why should she lower herself to marry into the Zhang family? The second son of the Zhang family was someone she’d barely heard of back in the capital. At most, she’d heard that Zhang Tingzan, the eldest son, was a respectable man. But his younger brother, Zhang Tingyu, what was he? A man with no talent, no reputation, and a family on the verge of ruin. He was more suited to marry Gu Huaixiu, who’d always praised the Zhang family for this or that.

Later, she would speak with her father. Then, let’s see if her third sister would be laughing.

Whether Gu Huaixiu would still be laughing was uncertain, but Gu Yaofang’s laughter was short-lived.

Qingxi discreetly went to gather information, and when she sent a servant out to check, she realized things had gone terribly wrong.

When Gu Zhenguan learned from Old Xu that the Taoist had returned, years of suppressed anger finally erupted. He tossed aside his brush and stormed out, moving so quickly that he didn’t even notice Gu Huaixiu standing nearby, who hadn’t had time to leave.

Gu Huaixiu couldn’t help but feel a knot of anxiety form in her stomach. Her mind raced, recalling incidents from Tongcheng. Back then, Gu Zhenguan had discussed her own marriage prospects and spoke with a strange tone. She had dismissed it as her imagination at the time, but seeing Gu Zhenguan react like this now made her reconsider. It was clear now that Gu Zhenguan wasn’t as clueless as he had seemed. Being a woman, it wasn’t proper for her to go out and see what was happening, so she sent Qingdai to inquire.

Meanwhile, at the front gate, a commotion had already begun. Although the Gu family wasn’t particularly prestigious, it was still well-known. Gu Zhenguan had once been an official and was a renowned scholar. His fame might not have been due to his official career, but his reputation among intellectuals was held in high regard. Hence, everyone in Wuxi knew the Gu family.

Two years ago, the Gu family had already experienced a strange incident. Right after Emperor Kangxi had departed on a southern tour, a Taoist had shown up at their doorstep claiming that the eldest daughter of the family was destined for disaster. To everyone’s astonishment, the prophecy came true, and the incident became well-known. However, that was two years ago, and now Gu Yaofang’s frequent illnesses were hardly a surprise anymore. No one expected a repeat of the spectacle today.

In front of the Gu family mansion, a Taoist standing pompously between the two stone lions at the entrance was facing the gate. A side door had been opened, and many Gu family servants were now standing around to watch, along with curious passersby craning their necks.

The Taoist, with his thick broom-like eyebrows, a flat nose, and small squinty eyes, was so thin he looked like a stick of kindling. He waved his whisk in the air. “What are you looking at? Hmph! I already said, the eldest young mistress of your family is definitely in grave danger. She won’t live much longer!”

The crowd murmured and gossiped, and those who knew the tale started recounting the story, spreading the news farther afield.

When Gu Zhenguan appeared, he saw the crowd, thickening in the afternoon. Memories of the troubled past few years with his household rushed back to him.

He didn’t want to reprimand Yaofang for a variety of reasons. Partly because, in her lifetime, Yaofang’s mother had been particularly fond of her, while being less warm towards Gu Huaixiu. His late wife had been the picture of grace and wisdom, and out of respect for her, Gu Zhenguan had always been lenient towards Yaofang. Furthermore, his eldest was indeed in poor health, not entirely an act.

But the matter with the Taoist… it had already happened once two years ago. Back then, Gu Zhenguan had known what was going on but chose not to expose the truth, hoping one day Yaofang would come to her senses, and perhaps the sisters would reconcile. However, the recent talks regarding the marriage to the Zhang family made everything clear to Gu Zhenguan.

The large main door opened with a harsh, grating creak that sounded almost like it was made of rust.

Gu Zhenguan stood at the doorstep, his face expressionless, yet cold fury gleamed in his eyes, prominent within his deeply creased face.

The moment the Taoist saw Gu Zhenguan, his beady eyes rolled, and he bellowed, “Master Gu! Do you remember this poor Taoist? Two years ago, I passed by the grand Gu mansion and foresaw an aura of misfortune around it. I calculated back then, and I helped your eldest daughter evade calamity. Now, as fate would have it, I find misfortune is once again looming over your eldest daughter.”

His speech was smooth, almost as if reading from a scripted play.

Gu Zhenguan listened for a while longer and then nonchalantly called out to Old Xu, “Go and fetch me a basin of water from the kitchen, the kind they clean pots with.”

Old Xu stood there, confused, recalling the thunderous expression on his master’s face just moments before. Fear crept into him, and he hesitated. “Master, what…”

“Go! Why so much nonsense? Just do as I say,” Gu Zhenguan snapped, without even making eye contact with the old servant, his gaze fixed straight ahead on the Taoist still ranting energetically.

“The affairs of this world are all about cause and effect, effect following cause, cause leading to effect. Helping your eldest daughter overcome calamity was the cause, and my return today is the effect. As they say, karma is inevitable, and the cycle cannot be escaped…”

The Taoist prattled on, his speech rolling deftly off his tongue, mesmerizing the crowd. His words seemed to sparkle, leaving the gathered audience entranced, as if witnessing something magical.

Yet Gu Zhenguan remained unmoved, only the slightest hint of a smile forming at the corners of his lips after a while.

Old Xu soon returned, carrying a grimy basin of used washing water. “Master, I’ve brought it, just as you asked.”

The Taoist down below suddenly stopped talking. Why was this whole situation turning out quite differently from what he had imagined?

Last time, he had saved the eldest daughter of the Gu family, and logically, the Gu family should have treated him as an honored guest by now. Yet, after shouting outside for so long, not only did no one say a word, but they were smiling at him. And what was with that basin?

Gu Zhenguan waved his hand: “Pour it.”

Pour it?

Pour?!

Old Xu’s eyes widened. Did he hear that right?

Gu Zhenguan turned back and saw that Old Xu seemed unusually slow today. Feeling impatient, he grabbed the wooden basin, “If you don’t pour it, I will!” With that, he poured the contents of the basin directly towards the Taoist standing at the bottom of the steps.

Now, this development was truly bizarre.

With a loud splash, even though the Taoist knew something was wrong, he couldn’t dodge. He was standing too close, and the water wasn’t just a single stream but a whole sheet. Immediately, he was soaked through and through.

That water—stained with a murky blackish-yellow hue—was wash water from cleaning the pots. The Taoist screamed in dismay, drenched and utterly embarrassed, “What are you doing! What is the meaning of this? I came here in good faith to save your daughter, and you repay me with this? You’ll face retribution for this!”

“Bah! You’re full of nonsense! What gibberish are you spouting?!”

Old Xu finally snapped out of his daze and regained his senses. After all, this was happening right in front of the Gu residence. If the Taoist kept saying things like “facing retribution,” what would the neighbors think? If people heard this nonsense, the family would be a laughingstock!

“You’re the one spouting nonsense! How could you people throw dirty water on me, a Taoist? Is there no justice left in this world?!” The Taoist, red with anger, looked like he was about to shoot flames from his eyes.

The stench clinging to him was overwhelming. People nearby pinched their noses and stepped back, looks of disgust crossing their faces.

Gu Zhenguan looked at him, crossing his hands behind his back, and said calmly, “If you don’t leave, I’ll have someone beat you and throw you out.”

“You!” The Taoist was indignant but also a little scared, his aura of confidence faltering. He had been bribed by people close to Gu Yaofang, intending to play this same trick again. All he had to do was shout here, and Gu Yaofang would naturally cooperate on her end. After all, two years ago, the Gu family had treated him like a divine messenger. He had expected to sponge off them for food and drink by simply showing up. Who could have imagined this disaster?

Coming here hadn’t gained him anything, but instead, he’d been doused in filthy water!

What in the world was Gu Yaofang thinking?!

This woman was going to drive him crazy!

Clearly, confronting them wasn’t an option. Running away was.

The Taoist’s eyes darted around, and he said, “Fine! Fine! Fine! It’s your Gu family that is unkind and unrighteous. Let’s see how Heaven punishes you. Today, I won’t stoop to your level, but remember, evil people always meet their end! Let’s just wait and see!” He turned to stomp away.

Plonk!

Gu Zhenguan, uninterested in the Taoist’s rambling, tossed the wooden basin after him, intending to strike him.

Sensing danger, the Taoist swiftly tucked down his head and, with his robe lifted, bolted away. As he ran, he cursed angrily, “Old bastard! Neither you nor your daughter will end well, you decrepit old fool!”

Gu Zhenguan showed no reaction to the words, but Old Xu was fuming. “Master, this filthy Taoist is spouting nothing but lies. Should I take some men and give him a good lesson?”

Sigh… Gu Zhenguan shook his head dismissively. He casually gestured at the crowd that had gathered to watch. Who knew how the rumors about the Gu family would spread? He had initially been inclined to marry Miss Fang to the second son of the Zhang family, partly as a test. Having been left to raise his daughter after his wife’s death, he had always been extra cautious in his dealings, not wanting to damage the father-daughter bond. Yet now, it was clear that he had been gravely mistaken.

“There’s no need to chase him. Let’s go back.”

With that, he turned and, dragging his weary body, walked back through the heavy doors of the house, passing through the corridors, heading towards the rear courtyard.

This whole encounter had resulted in Gu Zhenguan driving away the Taoist in an unanticipated way. Gu Huaixiu had not expected this at all. Listening to Qingdai recount the tale with lively detail, Gu Huaixiu teased her: “You didn’t even see it yourself. How can you describe it like you had a divine revelation? Look how smug you are!”

Qingdai’s eyes were gleaming with excitement. “This servant thought that Master would surely treat that old fraud with kindness and offerings. Who would’ve expected he’d serve him with a basin of dirty wash water instead? Miss, what do you think Master was thinking?”

What was he thinking? He had probably just come to his senses, that’s all.

Perhaps Gu Zhenguan had initially thought that Gu Yaofang was still salvageable, or that the situation was not so dire. Even if she had been involved with someone before, he didn’t believe it would stop her from a proper marriage. But as soon as Yaofang heard the word “marriage,” she became terrified—no ordinary fear, but a deep, intense rejection. Now, Gu Zhenguan must have sensed that something much worse had happened.

Gu Huaixiu’s fingers lightly traced a string of red agate prayer beads, her eyes lowering to conceal the dark thoughts within. “Where has the Master gone?”

“They say he went to the East Courtyard to see Miss Yaofang,” replied Qingdai, adding, “What could he be going there for?”

Gu Huaixiu smiled faintly. “I’d say there are a lot of people who are more surprised by this situation than we are.”