{"id":3538,"date":"2026-05-23T10:51:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T10:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pursuit-of-jade-28\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T10:51:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T10:51:23","slug":"pursuit-of-jade-28","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/chapter\/pursuit-of-jade-28\/","title":{"rendered":"Pursuit Of Jade 28"},"content":{"rendered":"

The lattice window was half-open. The sun hanging in the sky was only a pale white blur without much warmth, casting down a few faint strands of golden light.

Half of Xie Zheng\u2019s face was illuminated by the sunlight, while the other half remained hidden in shadow. His eyes were calm and unreadable.

Fan Changyu wanted to deny it, but meeting his gaze, she found herself unable to speak. Hugging her knees, she sat on a low stool nearby, her voice muffled.

\u201cThe disasters in my family have already dragged you into danger twice. You don\u2019t owe me anything anymore. If you draw a clear line between yourself and my family, maybe you\u2019ll be safer.\u201d

Xie Zheng asked, \u201cDo you believe those words from that ignorant old woman?\u201d

Fan Changyu pressed her lips together and remained silent.

Of course she did not truly believe them. But her parents had died, Fan Da had been killed, Changning and Yan Zheng had nearly been harmed as well. If the soldiers had not arrived in time last night, perhaps Aunt Zhao and Carpenter Zhao would have been implicated too.

Maybe\u2026 just as Mother Song and Old Madam Kang said, she really did possess the fate of a lone heavenly fiend, and everyone close to her would meet a terrible end.

Seeing her silence, Xie Zheng understood immediately. His handsome brows knit slightly as he asked, \u201cYou think distancing yourself from me is for my own good, but what about your younger sister? Are you going to distance yourself from her too?\u201d

Fan Changyu tightened her clasped hands around her knees, her thoughts tangled into a complete mess.

That was right. To avoid implicating the Zhao couple and Yan Zheng, she could try to stay away from them.

But what about Changning?

Changning was only five years old. In this world, she had no other family besides her.

As she remained silent, Xie Zheng slowly said, \u201cWhat\u2019s more frightening than ghosts, gods, and destiny in this world is the human heart.\u201d

Fan Changyu raised her almond-shaped eyes, looking somewhat confused.

The corners of Xie Zheng\u2019s exquisite lips curled faintly with mockery.

\u201cThere are no such supernatural things in this world. Even talk of heavenly fate and national destiny is merely used to fool people, much less fortune-telling and destiny.\u201d

Fan Changyu still did not understand.

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d

Xie Zheng lifted his eyes and said, \u201cSome people commit evil deeds and like using ghosts and spirits as cover for themselves. Just like when you frightened that old woman earlier by saying she had fallen because something supernatural struck her. Since she didn\u2019t know the truth, she became frightened and half believed it. But you and I both know she fell because she was hit by a pine nut candy.\u201d

Fan Changyu lowered her eyes. After a long moment, she said, \u201cOf course I know the Song family only brought up my supposed fate because they wanted to break off the engagement. But it\u2019s also true that disasters keep happening to my family. That\u2019s why my heart feels unsettled.\u201d

Xie Zheng said, \u201cYour parents made enemies years ago. They didn\u2019t provoke ghosts or gods. What\u2019s there for you to feel unsettled about?\u201d

Fan Changyu stared blankly at him, thinking this man truly had a poisonous tongue. Yet the suffocating gloom in her chest really did ease somewhat.

She sighed and simply gave up trying to hide her feelings.

\u201cI understand everything you\u2019re saying. I just felt bad for a moment after hearing those words. Once this feeling passes, I\u2019ll be fine.\u201d

Xie Zheng showed no mercy at all.

\u201cWhoever made you feel bad, go teach them a lesson. Saying those things to me is one thing, but if you start distancing yourself from this elderly couple too, just wait and see whether they feel sad or happy about it.\u201d

Fan Changyu lowered her head and muttered, \u201cSorry. I acted impulsively earlier.\u201d

His eyelashes cast a graceful curve at the corners of his eyes, and only then did his expression brighten slightly.

\u201cYou\u2019re not someone who quietly accepts bullying. Yet after getting splashed with water this morning, instead of teaching them a lesson on the spot, you came back here to sulk by yourself. Impressive.\u201d

Fan Changyu stayed silent for a moment before saying, \u201cI once heard a saying: \u2018The law does not punish the masses.\u2019 It means when too many people commit the same crime, the authorities won\u2019t punish everyone together. Right now, everyone in town fears my so-called cursed fate, and the whole town talks about me behind my back. Even if I can teach one person a lesson, can I teach everyone a lesson?\u201d

Xie Zheng froze slightly.

Some hidden corner of his heart was stirred by her words, unlocking old memories covered in dust.

He had lost both parents at a young age and grown up in the Wei residence. Naturally, his road to this day had never been smooth.

Even now, he still remembered the feeling of having his ribs broken by that person\u2019s son and having a brocade boot grind his face into muddy blood.

He had fought across battlefields and survived life and death countless times. The military achievements he earned through scars of blades and axes across his back were still secretly mocked by others because his uncle was Wei Yan. They said he had disgraced the Xie family name and become another man\u2019s hunting dog.

He raised his eyes slightly, thin lips uttering a few words.

\u201cThen have you also heard the phrase \u2018kill the chicken to warn the monkeys\u2019?\u201d

\u201cHuman nature is inherently cruel. If you\u2019re weak and easy to bully, no matter how kind you are, few people will help you. But if you rise to power and prosperity, even if you\u2019ve truly committed unforgivable crimes, plenty of people will still rush to flatter you. Isn\u2019t your former fianc\u00e9 exactly that kind of person?\u201d

Hearing this, Fan Changyu fell silent once more, hugging her knees as she stared wordlessly at the glowing charcoal inside the iron brazier.

The fingers Xie Zheng tapped against the bamboo chair suddenly paused. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his words carried a sharpness even he himself did not notice.

\u201cYou still haven\u2019t let go of your former fianc\u00e9? Mentioning him makes you upset again?\u201d

Fan Changyu looked up at him strangely. Then she suddenly remembered how she had once lied, claiming she still had feelings for Song Yan so he would not misunderstand her intentions toward him.

Lying truly came with consequences.

She opened her mouth, but in the end only sighed.

\u201cI really am a little upset. He\u2019s someone who earned scholarly honors. This year, Qingping County only produced one successful provincial graduate, and it was him. Even the county magistrate flatters him, so you can\u2019t blame others for fawning over him. He truly has risen to great success now. What do I even have to compare with him?\u201d

Xie Zheng let out a soft scoff.

\u201cHe\u2019s only a provincial graduate. The Great Yin Empire has one capital and seventeen prefectures. How many provincial graduates emerge every year? What is your former fianc\u00e9 worth, exactly?\u201d

Fan Changyu could not help glancing at him.

\u201cIt\u2019s fine to say those things in front of me, but don\u2019t say them in front of outsiders. People will laugh at you.\u201d

Xie Zheng frowned.

\u201cLaugh at what?\u201d

Fan Changyu felt this man truly lacked self-awareness and helplessly said, \u201cYou don\u2019t even have a xiucai degree yourself, yet you talk about someone who passed the provincial examination like this\u2026\u201d

She paused before adding, \u201cI know you\u2019re only saying these things to cheer me up.\u201d

Feeling embarrassed after saying all this, Fan Changyu scratched her head.

\u201cActually, I was only speaking casually. I\u2019m not truly that upset inside. Life is still something you live yourself. Him passing the examination and rising to success is his business. What does it have to do with me? And those people who flatter the powerful while stepping on me won\u2019t gain anything from the Song family just by insulting me a few times. They\u2019re only gossiping.\u201d

Xie Zheng\u2019s expression turned strange.

\u201cWhy would I comfort you? A provincial graduate truly amounts to nothing.\u201d

Fan Changyu choked.

\u201cWhat, do you think you\u2019re some high-ranking official or something?\u201d

Xie Zheng immediately closed his mouth and said nothing further.

Fan Changyu secretly found it amusing. Thinking about how he could read and write and even compose examination essays, she actually began planning a future for him.

\u201cI think you\u2019re pretty smart too, and your handwriting is beautiful. Your injuries keep relapsing, and even the doctor said that if they don\u2019t heal properly, you\u2019ll probably suffer chronic problems later on. Escort work is so dangerous. Why don\u2019t you study and take the imperial examinations too? Maybe you could even become a provincial graduate one day and end up becoming an official!\u201d

Xie Zheng: \u201c…My ambitions do not lie in officialdom.\u201d

Fan Changyu sighed.

\u201cThat\u2019s really a pity.\u201d

Half-jokingly, she added, \u201cBut if you ever do become an official someday, and your rank ends up higher than that Song fellow\u2019s, I\u2019m counting on you to make things difficult for him!\u201d

A nearly imperceptible smile rose at Xie Zheng\u2019s brow.

\u201cAlright.\u201d

After joking around like this, all the earlier gloom completely disappeared.

Remembering the chicken soup she still had stewing downstairs, Fan Changyu said, \u201cThe chicken soup in the clay pot should be ready by now. I\u2019ll go bring you a bowl.\u201d

As she stood up, she noticed the candy packets by his bedside had noticeably flattened. Immediately pained, she said, \u201cI\u2019ll find you some pebbles instead. Don\u2019t use candy to hit people anymore in the future. These things are expensive. What a waste!\u201d

After she went downstairs, Xie Zheng stared at the paper packets of candy and frowned.

He disliked sweet foods. In the past, even his food, clothing, and daily life had always been handled by his personal guards. He truly had no idea whether such things were expensive or cheap.

She herself was always strapped for money, yet she still bought him candy. Was it only because she mistakenly believed he feared bitter medicine that day?

Xie Zheng closed his eyes, his emotions unexpectedly complicated.

\u2014

Two days later, Zheng Wenchang brought soldiers once again to the small town of Lin\u2019an.

After hearing the news, Fan Changyu went out to greet them at the entrance to her home.

Mounted high atop his horse, Zheng Wenchang said, \u201cThe reasons behind the several murder cases in town have already been investigated thoroughly. They were indeed committed by bandits.\u201d

Hearing this answer made Fan Changyu\u2019s heart skip.

\u201cBut my home was attacked twice by those villains\u2014\u201d

Zheng Wenchang interrupted her.

\u201cYour household was attacked twice because of a shipment your father escorted years ago. Rumor says he was transporting a treasure map belonging to the former imperial family. More than ten years ago, everyone in that escort agency was slaughtered by those trying to seize the treasure map. Your father barely escaped with his life and returned home, which is why he managed to live peacefully all these years. Recently, chaos erupted in Chongzhou, and news about the treasure map surfaced again. Some bandits traced your father\u2019s whereabouts, which is why they repeatedly came searching your home for the map.\u201d

This explanation truly accounted for all the strange incidents that had happened in Lin\u2019an Town lately.

Fan Changyu asked, \u201cThen my parents also died at the hands of those bandits?\u201d

Zheng Wenchang frowned slightly and avoided her gaze.

\u201cOf course.\u201d

Learning the true cause of her parents\u2019 deaths still weighed heavily on Fan Changyu\u2019s heart. Thinking about it now, perhaps her father had taught her martial arts yet forbidden her from displaying them publicly because he feared drawing the attention of those villains.

She said, \u201cI never once heard my parents mention anything about a treasure map. Could there be some misunderstanding?\u201d

Zheng Wenchang replied, \u201cThe rumor that the treasure map was in your father\u2019s possession was naturally false. A few days ago, rebels in Chongzhou released word claiming they had already obtained the treasure map. The bandits won\u2019t come back to town again, so you may rest assured.\u201d

As he spoke, he gestured to a soldier below, who brought forth a tray containing silver.

The look Zheng Wenchang gave Fan Changyu carried a subtle complexity difficult to detect.

\u201cGovernor He of Jizhou cares deeply for the people and specially ordered this official to deliver fifty taels of compensation.\u201d

Fan Changyu sincerely thanked him.

The neighboring townsfolk also praised him enthusiastically.

\u201cGovernor He truly is the righteous official of Jizhou Prefecture! Every family who suffered from those bandits and lost relatives received compensation from the authorities!\u201d

Someone asked, \u201cBut I heard other households only received twenty-five taels. Why did Fan Er\u2019s family receive fifty?\u201d

Someone immediately answered, \u201cThose other families only lost one person. But both Fan Er and his wife were killed, so naturally the compensation is higher.\u201d

\u2026

Now that the case had been closed, the official seals pasted over the Fan residence doors were finally removed.

Fan Changyu cleaned the house from top to bottom, especially the courtyard and rooms where blood had been spilled. She washed them repeatedly with water and even sprinkled them again using boiled pomelo-leaf water, which folk tradition claimed could ward off evil and disaster.

Only after everything in the house had been thoroughly cleaned did Fan Changyu bring Changning and Xie Zheng back from the neighboring Zhao residence.

She lit a stick of incense and placed it before her parents\u2019 memorial tablets, the corners of her eyes faintly red.

\u201cFather, Mother, you can finally rest in peace.\u201d

Only Xie Zheng continued frowning.

He already knew those people were Wei family death soldiers. Naturally, they could not possibly have been the bandits Zheng Wenchang claimed they were, nor were they searching for any ridiculous treasure map.

Still, the authorities had actually fabricated such a convincing lie to close the case and even distributed silver to the affected families. They had truly gone to great lengths.

No matter how much Xie Zheng thought about it, he could not understand.

If He Jingyuan also wanted to obtain the letter for Wei Yan, then he should have sent soldiers to seal off the Fan residence and conduct a thorough search.

But instead, he returned the house to Fan Changyu and painstakingly smoothed over the murder cases, almost as though he did not wish to disrupt her ordinary life and wanted her to continue living peacefully in this town.

What exactly was He Jingyuan trying to do?

Or perhaps\u2026 was he acting this way because the letter the Wei family death soldiers sought was no longer in the Fan residence at all?

Xie Zheng looked toward the two memorial tablets on the ancestral altar.

He Jingyuan likely knew the true identities of this husband and wife.

Perhaps he also knew the secret behind that letter?<\/p>","protected":false},"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"novel":[],"class_list":["post-3538","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3538"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3539,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3538\/revisions\/3539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"novel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel?post=3538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}