Start with acting, and you'll achieve immortality!

Ye Xiang entered the alley, and the sound of bronze instruments clanging came from the dry well.

When the carriage stopped outside the side courtyard, Li Ping touched the wooden box in his sleeve.

The fingertip pressed against the oil paper through the fabric.

One by one, the lights inside the prefectural governor's mansion began to illuminate.

Li Ping did not go to see Chen Boyong.

He first returned to his room and bolted the door shut.

Then he took the oiled paper out of his sleeve.

The oil paper had been soaked in blood, making it appear somewhat dark in color.

There are only three recognizable characters on it.

well

册

That jade pendant

The stain-removing powder that Su Wan had given him was currently placed in the corner of the table.

The small porcelain bottle was dazzlingly white.

She made her point very clear.

Sprinkle it down, and half an hour later...

The words will fall apart

This wasn't helping him hide the things.

Ultimately, it's up to him to decide whether or not to preserve this clue.

Li Ping stared at the oil paper for a while, then suddenly placed it on the candle flame.

The burning flames licked the corner of the paper.

The blood-red lettering rolled up, releasing a foul, burnt smell.

When only half of the sheet remained, he raised his hand and extinguished the flames.

The edges of the oiled paper were already charred black, but the characters "井" (well) and "玦" (jade) were still visible.

He stuffed the remaining paper into an empty tea canister and then poured the stain remover into the water.

Finally, it spilled under the table.

After doing all this, Li Ping pushed open the door and went out.

Da Niu and Er Hu were huddled in the lower part of the corridor, eating cold pancakes.

The two men immediately stood up upon seeing him.

"My lord, you're finally back!"

"Is that chamber pot I asked you to prepare this afternoon still here?"

The biscuit in Da Niu's mouth almost fell out.

"I'm here! I washed it three times this afternoon, and the smell is completely gone."

Li Ping looked in his direction.

"Who ordered you to clean this thing?"

Da Niu reached out and scratched his hair.

"I am somewhat afraid... afraid of offending the important figures in this mansion and thus bringing shame upon your honor."

"Go to the kitchen and dump all the swill, rotten vegetable leaves, and animal manure in there."

"I want it to smell even worse than before."

Da Niu's facial features were all squeezed together.

"My lord, do we... really still need to go to that brothel alley?"

"I have to go"

"But Miss Su just warned us earlier today that the well must never be touched."

She only stated that touching was not allowed, but did not say that watching was not allowed.

Erhu whispered

"Sir, I've been thinking about it."

"Miss Su probably saw right through us a long time ago."

Li Ping stopped walking.

Why would you say that?

"The way she looked at adults was just like my mother stared at a child thief who had stolen meat."

"They knew we had no good intentions."

Da Niu nodded in agreement from the side.

"That's certainly true."

"Miss Su seems to know that you've never been to Willow Lane before."

Li Ping turned around and peered into the depths of that secluded courtyard.

Night pressed down on the eaves

There was no one there.

But every brick and tile in the prefectural governor's mansion seemed to have eyes.

If Su Wanruo really wanted to stop him, then this afternoon when they were in the mortuary...

She was already able to carry that piece of oiled paper away.

However, she did not do such a thing.

That is tacit consent.

From another perspective, she also deeply longed to know.

What exactly exists inside that well?

"Her knowing this is actually to our advantage."

Li Pingdao

"If she really manages to cause a major disaster, then it will be Miss Su who has to bear the brunt of it."

Da Niu and Er Hu exchanged a glance.

Neither of them understood what he meant.

However, since Li Ping had spoken, they complied.

Half an hour later

A wooden cart loaded with night soil slowly made its way out from the back alley of the prefectural governor's mansion.

Da Niu was wearing a short brown robe and had a dirty cloth wrapped around his head.

Walk in front and hold the rope

Erhu huddled behind the cart, clutching a broken urn in his hands.

Like a errand boy

Li Ping wore a straw hat and carried a wooden bucket on his shoulder.

Walking at the very back of the line

The bucket was half full of sewage.

The smell was extremely pungent.

However, in Jiangning city at night, no one would be willing to make the move to approach this type of vehicle.

The patrolling soldiers saw it from afar, covered their noses, and moved aside.

"Stop right there! What are you doing here?"

After passing two streets, a group of blue-armored cultivators stopped the cart.

The person walking at the front had a token belonging to the Shangguan family hanging from their waist, and their cultivation level was at the fifth level of Qi Refining.

He glanced at the wooden barrels on the cart, and his expression darkened.

"In the dead of night, pulling this stinking object on a handcart"

"Which direction is it being transported in?"

Da Niu immediately bent down

"Master, please calm your anger! We servants are here to collect night soil for Huai'an Ward, and we are currently preparing to transport it outside the city to irrigate the farmland."

"I would absolutely not dare to cause any delay to you, my esteemed guests."

"Huai'anfang? You guys certainly know how to pick a location."

The cultivator narrowed his eyes.

"There are important people conducting business in that place tonight. If you dare to take a step closer..."

"We'll skin you alive."

"How dare I enter the brothel?"

Da Niu pointed to a narrow alley next to him

"We only go to Old Master Zhang's house at the east end to collect the buckets; his old lady has been holding back all day."

"They're really pushing us..."

"Get out of here right now!"

The cultivator's face darkened even further.

Da Niu nodded repeatedly and led the cart to the side.

He didn't dare to breathe heavily until he had walked about a hundred paces.

"Sir, the checks ahead are very tight."

"It's really sealed off."

"This was entirely expected."

"The more the Shangguan family blocks the road, the more it proves that there's something strange about that well."

Huai'anfang was not a particularly wealthy or prominent place.

There were no lights at night, only a few gambling dens had dim yellow paper lamps shining outside their doors.

The wind blew in from the end of the alley, carrying the smell of swill and incense ash.

No. 7 Liuxiang is located in the very back, deepest part of the alley.

The small courtyard looked quite desolate during the day.

But now it's no longer barren.

A horse-drawn carriage with a black canopy was parked at the entrance of the alley.