Chapter 55: Yáomèi Pavilion

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Yáomèi Pavilion

Outside the Yáomèi Pavilion, people continued to come and go through the vermilion gates. Among them was a young girl dressed in purple robes who had just stepped outside when a voice suddenly called out from behind her.

"Excuse me, miss. Could we ask you a few questions?"

The girl turned around and found two young men standing behind her. One was tall, his expression cold and distant, while the other was slightly shorter and had a much gentler, softer temperament.

The moment she saw them, a faint blush spread across her cheeks.

She had only come to the Yáomèi Pavilion to pray for a lover, yet the moment she stepped outside, she encountered two handsome young cultivators. Could it be that the Yáomèi Pavilion was truly that effective?

The young man who had called out to her was Sui Sui. The day after their visit to the Shan residence, he and Yizhou had decided to investigate the so-called Matchmaker Association, which had become one of their main leads in the case.

When they first arrived, they were greeted by a large vermilion building standing at the end of the street. A stone plaque beside the entrance bore the name Yáomèi Pavilion.

Compared to the quiet places they had visited earlier, such as the Government Registry Bureau and the City Lord’s Manor, the Matchmaker Association was much more lively. Red lanterns hung beneath the eaves, while auspicious ornaments decorated the entrance. Even the signboard had been carefully designed, giving the Pavilion a warm and elegant appearance.

At first glance, it looked more like a place where people came to arrange marriages and celebrate happy occasions than somewhere that could possibly be connected to a series of murders.

As Sui Sui and Yizhou approached the building, they saw a steady stream of people entering and leaving through the gates. Despite the crisis currently troubling the city, the Pavilion remained remarkably busy. Some visitors arrived with their lovers or family members, while others came alone, their expressions filled with anticipation as they entered the building.

With their sharp eyesight, Sui Sui and Yizhou soon noticed that several of the people leaving the Pavilion were holding small talismans in their hands. The inscriptions on each talisman appeared to be different, and even carried faint traces of spiritual energy.

The sight immediately caught their attention.

Before entering the Pavilion to investigate, the two decided to find out what the talismans were for. If so many people were carrying them, they were clearly something commonly given out by the Pavilion.

After observing the crowd for a while, they spotted a young woman who had just stepped through the entrance and was about to leave. Sui Sui exchanged a glance with Yizhou before calling out to her.

"Yes, sirs? How may I help you?" The young woman asked shyly, one hand nervously playing with the tips of her hair. Her eyes moved between Sui Sui and Yizhou, lingering on them with a gaze that was difficult to decipher.

Sui Sui, however, seemed completely oblivious to her expression. His attention remained fixed on the talisman in her hand.

"Could you tell us what the talisman you’re holding is for?"

"Ah?" The young woman blinked, then looked down at the talisman before glancing back at them. Curiosity soon replaced her initial shyness. "Are you visitors from outside the city?"

"Yes, we are cultivators from outside the city," Sui Sui confirmed with a small nod.

"So that explains why you don’t know about it." The young woman nodded in understanding, the initial curiosity in her eyes giving way to a more knowing expression. She glanced at the talisman in her hand before continuing.

"In our Xuánshuāng City, we mortals often come to the Yáomèi Pavilion to receive blessings for love."

"Blessings for love?" Sui Sui repeated, his curiosity evident as his gaze fell briefly to the talisman in her hand.

"Yes." The young woman nodded, a faint smile appearing on her face. "That is something rather special to our city. The Yáomèi Pavilion isn’t like the ordinary matchmaking associations you might find in other cities. It is also a place of worship dedicated to love."

There was a hint of pride in her voice, as though she held the Pavilion in almost reverent regard.

The young woman continued explaining, and the more Sui Sui listened, the more he realized that the Yáomèi Pavilion was indeed different from an ordinary matchmaking association.

According to her, the Pavilion had originally been nothing more than a simple establishment that helped people arrange marriages and find suitable partners. That changed around twenty years ago, when a new lady boss took over.

No one seemed to know much about her. The young woman had only heard that she was a cultivator who came from a mysterious background. After taking charge of the Pavilion, however, she introduced a new practice.

The Yáomèi Pavilion continued to arrange marriages, but it also became a place where people could pray for matters concerning love.

Inside the Pavilion stood a statue dedicated to this purpose. People could kneel before it and make wishes related to romance—whether they wanted help finding a suitable partner, wished for someone they loved to return their feelings, or simply hoped for a peaceful and blissful marriage.

At first, few people took the practice seriously. After all, there was no reason to believe that a prayer could actually change matters of the heart.

But as the years passed, more and more people began claiming that their wishes had come true.

Some said they had found a lover shortly after praying at the Pavilion. Others claimed that someone they had secretly admired had suddenly fallen for them, while married couples swore that their relationships had improved after coming to pray.

No one could say for certain whether the Pavilion’s prayers truly possessed such power or whether all of it was simply coincidence.

But as more people experienced what they believed to be answered prayers, fewer cared about the distinction.

Word spread throughout Xuánshuāng City, and the number of people coming to worship gradually increased. What had once been an ordinary matchmaking establishment had eventually become what it was today—a place where people came not only to arrange marriages, but also to pray for love.

After getting the information they needed, Sui Sui thanked the young woman and bid her farewell. She watched them leave, her gaze lingering on the two cultivators for a moment as though she was somewhat reluctant to see them go. In the end, however, she said nothing and simply turned to leave.

It seemed her luck in love had yet to arrive.

Sui Sui and Yizhou remained outside the Pavilion for a moment, standing among the steady stream of people entering and leaving.

Sui Sui glanced at the talismans held by the passing visitors before turning toward Yizhou.

"What do you think, Senior Brother? Did you notice anything strange?"

Yizhou did not answer immediately. His gaze remained on the Yáomèi Pavilion, his expression thoughtful as he considered everything they had just heard.

"Hmm. I can’t say for now," he replied after a moment. "I need to see it for myself first."

Sui Sui nodded, since they had already gathered what they could from the outside, there was no reason to linger any longer.

The two exchanged a brief glance before walking toward the vermilion gates and entering the Yáomèi Pavilion.