Prince Duan's eyes were full of expectation.

He said evenly, "Ghost Doctor, you're not to go out for this month!"

The old creature's art of remaking a face had no equal in the world. The trouble with him was that he was far too fond of women.

The shabby old man gave a strange snickering laugh. "Set your mind at rest, my lord prince. With this ugly carcass of mine, who would want to look twice at this old man?"

Prince Duan's eyes went cold. "Bear it for a month... This prince gives you his word. When the thing is done, Ning Chen's women are all yours."

The shabby old man could not help swallowing, and his eyes burned.

Then he laughed his strange laugh. "The world reveres Shang Lu the Physician Immortal and spits on me... They don't know that this old man's medicine goes far past Shang Lu's."

"But Shang Lu is dead, so this old man will have some fun with his disciple, and get the sourness out of my chest."

Out of the corner of his eye Prince Duan looked at the ugly, shabby old man, and a killing light went through his eyes... When the thing is done, everyone who knows of it, not one left alive.

The next day, in the morning.

Ning Chen came to the Inspectorate.

When he saw Geng Jing he asked, "How did the questioning go?"

Geng Jing shook his head. "That Ding Qian seems to know nothing at all."

"Ning Chen, it's time I went into the palace and confessed... At court today the Grand Commandant and the censors and inspecting officials fell on me in a body, and the Grand Commandant and those censors and inspecting officials are kneeling outside the imperial study this minute, asking His Majesty to punish me hard."

"There's no dodging this one... The Inspectorate is yours after this!"

Ning Chen smiled bitterly. "Another student is dead, so I have to go into the palace and confess too... It's time they replaced me as chief examiner."

The two of them looked at each other…