The Secret Letter

“Now that Fourth Sister mentions it, this Han fellow does have some real ability!” Second Mistress Li said softly, her brow slightly furrowed.

“In fact, aside from everything else, his mental fortitude is far stronger than the last impostor. I recall that Master Wu, that young dandy, was completely entranced by my Heavenly Fox Technique for an entire day before he recovered. This Han, however, was only briefly dazed at the start, but then immediately snapped out of it. His mental strength is exceptional, far from ordinary!” Third Mistress hesitated for a moment, sighed, and finally spoke her honest thoughts.

This statement brought a silence among the three women. Each seemed lost in thought, as if they had something to say but found it difficult to voice.

After a long pause, Madam Yan gave a bitter smile and finally took the initiative to speak. “With such a formidable person, it’s hard to say if he will be a blessing or a curse for our Mo Estate.”

“Just retrieve the secret letter. Then we’ll know!” Before Madam Yan’s words had faded, the cold, beautiful Fifth Mistress’s voice cut in from outside the room, and she slowly walked inside.

“I’ve already checked. There’s no one within two hundred paces, and I’ve doubled the guard posts,” Fifth Mistress said, her expression unreadable.

Madam Yan lowered her head in thought for a moment before finally speaking. “You all surely remember what our husband said before he left. If, after his departure, he sends a letter that is an open letter without a secret letter, it means he is safe and we need not worry. If the letter indicates that a secret letter is hidden within, then nine times out of ten, there is bad news, and we must prepare ourselves. As for this letter…”

“We all saw it. The letter clearly marks that a secret letter is hidden. Whether it’s good news or bad, it’s something we have to face sooner or later. Let’s just retrieve the true message and have a look,” Third Mistress’s voice was no longer charming, but filled instead with pain.

“Very well! Since everyone is prepared, let’s make the secret letter visible!” Madam Yan said decisively.

Without further hesitation, she brought a teacup from the nearby table over, picked up the kettle, and poured half a cup of cold water into it. Then, she twisted the dragon-shaped ring on her finger a few times before snapping it into two halves, revealing the white medicinal powder hidden in the inner compartment.

Madam Yan carefully poured the powder into the teacup. Then, she looked towards the others.

Under Madam Yan’s gaze, Second Mistress Li was the first to stand up. She walked lightly over to the table, raised her hand slightly, and revealed an identical ring on her pristine finger.

Li poured another dose of powder from her own ring into the teacup. However, her powder was red, different from Madam Yan’s.

Next, Third Mistress and Fifth Mistress each performed the same action in turn. They, too, had a dragon-shaped ring, with powders of yellow and black hidden inside respectively.

After everyone had done their part, Madam Yan picked up the teacup and swirled it gently. The multicolored liquid inside had, with the gentle shaking, become clear and transparent.

“Good, the revealing water is prepared. Second Sister, you are the most nimble-fingered and clever with your hands. It’s best if you handle the letter,” Madam Yan said modestly to Second Mistress.

Li heard this, smiled slightly, and did not decline. She took the medicinal water and the letter, lowered her head, and began to work.

For the next period of time, except for Li who was applying the medicinal water to the letter, the others were silent, making the atmosphere in the room grow more and more tense.

“It’s done. The entire sheet of paper has been wiped. Now we need Fifth Sister’s help to dry it with her internal techniques!” Li straightened up, wiped the sweat from her brow, and said to Fifth Mistress with a smile.

The cold, beautiful young woman nodded, nimbly taking the now-damp sheet of paper. She then extended her other hand, slightly channeling her energy to make her palm emit a faint wave of heat. She held the paper an inch or two above her palm and kept it there, slowly drying it.

Before long, the letter was completely dry. The black ink had vanished without a trace, and in its place, faint red writing had appeared. This was the secret letter that Doctor Mo had painstakingly schemed for Han Li to deliver to his wife and daughter.

Han Li knew nothing of what was happening in the room after he left. He was currently feeling a massive headache from the little imp in front of him. This Third Miss Mo was openly demanding a welcoming gift from him, her senior martial brother, right in the middle of the road.

“What kind of gift does Junior Sister want?” Han Li asked helplessly, preparing to pinch his nose and satisfy her request.

“Any jewelry, accessories, fun or interesting things will do. I’m not very picky! If you really can’t think of anything, seven or eight thousand taels of silver would be a passable substitute. That would count as you passing the test!” Mo Caihuan blinked her big, jet-black eyes, speaking with innocent naivety.

“Seven or eight thousand taels of silver?” Han Li nearly fell over on the spot. ‘This little imp really has a lion’s mouth, and no fear of a stranger, either!’

‘Even if I scraped together every coin I had on me, I wouldn’t have that much silver. And even if I did, I couldn’t possibly give it to her. Does she really take me for a complete mark?’ Han Li thought to himself. Though his expression remained unchanged, his eyes betrayed this sentiment as he looked at the girl.

Mo Caihuan was also sharp as a tack. She could read a bit of Han Li’s thoughts at a single glance. She pouted deliberately and exclaimed in a fussy tone, “Brother Han, you’re not going to give a gift to your lovely junior sister on your first meeting, are you? You know, that Master Wu who came the year before last gave me over ten thousand taels in silver notes as pocket money the moment we met!”

Han Li was furious when he heard this. ‘That Wu fellow was trying to get your family’s money and your hand in marriage! I don’t have any such ideas, and on top of that, your father has planted a poison in me, and I could lose my life any day now!’

In a fit of pique, Han Li simply stood motionless, looking up at the sky. He wanted to see how this little imp could get the better of him.

Seeing that this dark-skinned, rustic Han fellow was just pretending to be a fool and not saying a word, Mo Caihuan began to feel a bit anxious. Since a year ago, when she had swindled a large sum of private money from the last impostor, she had dreamt every night of another easy mark walking through the door.

Now, she finally had another chance, but this guy, who was supposed to be her father’s true disciple, was impervious to both flattery and force. His face was thicker than a city wall. How could he be so heartless as to play dumb in front of a cute girl like her? Didn’t he see her eyes were about to well up with tears? He was still unmoved! How infuriating!