As the wind chimes above the entrance rang out, a woman walked in wearing red. Her hair fell in loose waves, and a hat, sunglasses, and face mask concealed her features.
A young man in a white shirt and jacket was mixing drinks behind the counter. He looked up at her and said warmly, “Hello, welcome. How can I help you?”
The woman in red glanced around nervously. Only after confirming that the area was safe did she answer in a trembling voice, “The ghosts walk by night and tell their tales of injustice.”
The young man at the counter replied, “When yin and yang alternate, justice is served and right prevails?”
“Investigate the wrongs and pass judgment,” the woman in red said.
The young man stepped out from behind the counter and gestured for her to follow. “This way, please. The Judge of my house has been waiting for you.”
The woman in red followed him through a series of hidden passages behind the counter. Fire-lit lanterns illuminated the path ahead.
Before long, they arrived at a cozy, silent room decorated in an antique style. Through another door lay a quaint bamboo pavilion.
A young man in his twenties sat in the pavilion, dressed in blue and white. His striking features and cool, phoenix-shaped eyes gave him an aloof, mysterious air. His hair was silver-white. As he prepared tea, he said in a chilly voice, “Have a seat.”
The woman in red froze for a moment, then cautiously sat down. Bai Yejing poured a cup of tea and personally placed it in front of her. “Tell me what injustice you’ve suffered.”
At those words, all the woman’s pretense crumbled, and she broke into tears. She took off her hat, sunglasses, and mask, revealing her injured face. Her trembling voice rang out: “My name is Xie Yuying.”
