Chapter 29

 

Si Lan and Haowei hurriedly made their way to Baixiang Garden. As they approached, they heard a melodious tune resonating within the courtyard.

 

“Behind the red gates, a young lord leans gracefully, sipping wine from a jade goblet.”

 

The voice was as smooth as water, gentle and pleasant, resembling a woman’s, yet more enchanting than one.

 

Si Lan and Haowei squeezed through the crowd and saw the courtyard adorned with lanterns, casting dancing shadows. Taoyuan, dressed in a red wedding gown, had a delicate and slender figure. His movements were graceful and tender, as if he were on a stage. With half-closed eyes, he sang a song with an absentminded look.

 

“Ask the music-loving lady and her lord, love and anger make a perfect couple. The young lord flees with flushed cheeks, the lady dances, enchantingly and smiling…”

 

The song seemed to narrate the first encounter of Taoyuan and Peijia.

 

Peijia leaned against the wall, watching as the lovely Xiao Lian sang the song next door. He teasingly asked if Xiao Lian was a man or a woman, and Xiao Lian playfully scolded him as her husband, which sent Peijia running in a fluster.

 

Peijia slowly reached out his hand towards the singer, his arms trembling slightly due to excitement. He embraced Taoyuan and choked out his name.

 

“Taoyuan…”

 

But Taoyuan seemed oblivious to his words, continuing to sing intermittently.

 

“Taoyuan, I’m Peijia. Look at me…”

 

Peijia called Taoyuan softly, but Taoyuan remained in a dazed state, showing no response. Peijia looked at Si Lan with teary eyes. “Doctor Si, what’s happening to him?”

 

Si Lan approached Taoyuan, placing his hand on Taoyuan’s Baihui acupoint, and realized that Taoyuan’s body was now under the control of a strong obsession.

That was a lingering obsession of Taoyuan that persisted even after his death.

 

Previously, Taoyuan’s body had been overtaken by impurities, preventing this obsession from entering his body. Later, Si Lan eliminated all the impurities near the General’s Mansion, allowing this obsession to regain control over Taoyuan’s body.

 

Si Lan didn’t respond to Peijia’s question. Instead, he asked, “General Pei, what is the song that Taoyuan is singing?”

 

“It’s ‘Playing with Peijia,'” Peijia replied with a moment of melancholy in his expression. “It’s a song Taoyuan composed himself to commemorate our first meeting.”

 

Si Lan frowned, realizing that Taoyuan’s obsession was related to their initial encounter. Resolving this obsession might briefly restore Taoyuan’s consciousness. Perhaps only Taoyuan’s words could make Peijia accept the fact that Taoyuan was already gone.

 

“Be careful,” Si Lan warned.

 

While Si Lan was deep in thought, Haowei suddenly grabbed his elbow.

 

In the next instant, a surge of malevolent energy rushed towards them, causing everyone to be knocked down by the energy, screaming in fear. The malevolent energy swept through the crowd and swiftly took Taoyuan’s body as if it were lightning fast.

 

Si Lan, followed by Haowei, immediately used their magic to chase after the malevolent energy. In the distant sky, a massive black cloud of malevolent energy roiled, and once Taoyuan’s body was absorbed into it, it quickly disappeared.

 

Si Lan entered the malevolent energy, and in an instant, everything turned black, with no visibility. Si Lan swiftly used his techniques to dispel the rolling malevolent energy, clearing the sky.

 

However, Taoyuan’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

 

“He went back,” Haowei said in a low voice and turned back.

 

Si Lan followed him without hesitation. As they got closer to the General’s Mansion, he felt the familiar malevolent energy again.

 

This cunning demon knew that the most dangerous place was often the safest!

 

Haowei landed in the General’s Mansion’s backyard, with Si Lan landing behind him.

 

The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, the walls were dilapidated, and the cold moonlight cast eerie shadows, making the surroundings appear sinister. It seemed to be an abandoned garden.

 

Si Lan spoke in a hushed tone and stepped forward, asking, “Are you sure it’s here?”

 

“Yes,” Haowei replied.

 

Si Lan concentrated and carefully observed the surroundings.

 

Tattered pieces of burial paper rustled in the night wind, a wooden door lay on the threshold, and the room was half bathed in moonlight, half drowned in shadows. Cobwebs swayed from the ceiling, and dust covered the floor, giving the appearance of nothing unusual.

 

But just as he turned to leave, he suddenly struck a palm at the person hidden behind the door crack.

 

The person had hidden their form, thinking they were safe when Si Lan turned away, but they were taken by surprise and struck by Si Lan’s palm.

 

The person grunted and quickly transformed into a black mist, trying to escape.

 

Si Lan, however, accurately seized the essence of that black mist with his hand. A cry of pain came from within.

 

“My lord… It hurts…”

 

The black mist gradually dispersed, revealing a man in white clothes with black hair. The man’s neck was still being held by Si Lan, and he was gasping for breath, his expression distorted and his face red from choking.

 

Si Lan released his grip, and the man in white clothes immediately clutched his throat, gasping for air.

 

“My lord, you were quite ruthless,” he complained.

 

Si Lan was astonished that the intruder causing chaos in the General’s Mansion was none other than Song Ye, who had been paralyzed for over a hundred years.

 

Si Lan gritted his teeth and looked around.

 

Then, another person, presumably realizing that they could no longer hide, revealed their form and silently approached Si Lan.

 

“I greet my lord,” Song Cheng said, with no signs of embarrassment at being caught, and he made a respectful bow.

 

Si Lan was getting increasingly furious. “What are the two of you doing here?”

 

“My lord, we came to the General’s Mansion to remove the Dayong Curse,” Song Ye explained after catching his breath.

 

“Oh, I see. So why were you sneaking around and not willing to meet me?” Si Lan asked.

 

Song Ye glanced at Song Cheng as if they were coordinating their stories, but Song Cheng seemed unwilling to continue the deception and said, “We seek your forgiveness, my lord. The Dayong was released when Song Ye and I were fighting, and we accidentally broke the seal on it.”

 

Song Cheng explained that while they were pursuing each other, they had reached Dayong Mountain. During their fight, they inadvertently shattered Dayong Mountain, which released Dayong. After realizing the gravity of the situation, they followed Dayong into the human realm and arrived at the General’s Mansion.

 

For the past few days, they had been hiding in the General’s Mansion, trying to find a way to break the Dayong Curse. When they sensed Si Lan’s presence, Song Ye suggested concealing their presence and acting discreetly.

 

After all, if Si Lan found out that the malevolent creature causing havoc in the human realm was released by them, he might have executed them immediately.

 

Song Ye had no reservations but was concerned about his brother. After all, his brother was deeply fond of Si Lan.

 

Thinking of this, Song Ye closed his eyes and looked desperate. “My lord, it has nothing to do with my brother. It was I who inadvertently broke the seal on Dayong Mountain.”

 

Song Cheng, with an expressionless face, continued, “My lord, it’s not his fault. It’s my recklessness; otherwise, Dayong wouldn’t have been released.”

 

“No, it’s my mistake. It’s all my fault. It’s because I couldn’t control my sword for a moment that I accidentally split Dayong Mountain open.”

 

Si Lan watched the touching scene of these two brothers, who usually had a poor relationship, now fighting to take responsibility when trouble arose. He wasn’t sure whether to be moved or angry.

 

These two brothers were always like this, having a strained relationship in their daily interactions, but once something happened, they would compete to shoulder the blame.

 

Si Lan was about to speak when Haowei, who had been silent all along, suddenly said, “The Dayong matter has nothing to do with them.”

 

Song Ye looked at Haowei, not knowing who this mysterious figure with the veil was, but upon hearing him speak in their favor, his face immediately lit up with a smile. He was about to express his gratitude, but then Haowei added coldly, “Their cultivation is too low to break the seal on Dayong.”

 

Song Ye remained silent.

 

For some reason, Si Lan felt an inexplicable trust in Haowei’s words. Relieved that it wasn’t his two subordinates’ fault, he still maintained a stern expression and asked, “Where is Taoyuan, and why did you capture him?”

Song Cheng cast a spell, and Taoyuan’s physical body gradually appeared, hovering in mid-air.

 

At this moment, Taoyuan had closed his eyes, his face pale, but his cheeks were unusually red, like a human puppet.

 

Song Ye explained, “My lord, we suspect that Dayong was summoned by him after his death. That’s why we wanted to capture him and force him to break the curse.”

 

Si Lan glanced at Song Ye but didn’t confirm or deny it. He walked to Taoyuan and noticed that the lingering obsession inside him was gone.

 

Perhaps it had been frightened away by Song Ye, or perhaps its time had expired.

 

The obsession could enter the physical body, but the time it spent inside was limited, and the presence of excessive Yang energy around the body prevented the obsession from entering.

 

“You two…” Si Lan sighed. “You’re becoming bolder and bolder.” If he hadn’t received a message from the Heaven-Sent Monkey Spirit to come to the mortal realm to investigate, they might have continued hiding it from him.

 

While they hadn’t directly released Dayong, they should have informed him as soon as they discovered the malevolent creature wreaking havoc in the mortal realm, rather than keeping it hidden due to fear of punishment.

 

If their actions caused harm to the mortal realm, both Si Lan and they would be held accountable.

 

Song Cheng immediately knelt and bowed, apologizing, “My lord, I was wrong in this matter. Please punish me.”

 

Song Ye looked at Song Cheng, hesitated for a moment, and reluctantly knelt as well, saying, “My lord, you can punish me.”

 

“Don’t worry,” Si Lan said sternly, “Both of you will face punishment, but for now, return to the Demon Realm. Each of you will receive 100 lashes and be banned for three years.”

 

“My lord, can we stay by your side and serve you until the Dayong curse is lifted, and then we’ll accept our punishment?” Song Cheng raised his head, his eyes slightly red, pleading.

 

Song Ye heard his brother’s plea and added, “Yes, my lord, we can assist you in any way you need.”

 

“You shouldn’t think you can make amends by helping. Even if you manage to lift the Dayong curse, you will still face punishment when you return,” Si Lan warned. While he generally didn’t get angry, when he did, it was not easily appeased.

 

Song Cheng, upon hearing this, immediately thanked Si Lan, and Song Ye pursed his lips, following his brother’s lead in apologizing.

 

At this moment, Peijia heard the commotion in the backyard and led a group of servants to investigate.

 

When he saw Taoyuan, Peijia rushed over, embraced him tightly, his eyes filled with obsession. “Taoyuan… Taoyuan… How can this happen? Lord Si Lan, why has Taoyuan fallen asleep again?”

 

Si Lan explained, “General Pei, don’t worry. Lady Taoyuan will wake up again.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“That’s good, that’s good,” Peijia muttered, seemingly lost in his own world, where only Taoyuan existed, and there was no one else.

 

“General Pei, the Yin energy is strongest at the third quarter of the night,” Si Lan said. “At that time, Lady Taoyuan may wake up again. But it would be helpful if you could recreate the scene of your first encounter, which could stimulate her consciousness.”

 

The lingering obsession in Taoyuan had been singing “Playing with Peijia” repeatedly, suggesting that it was deeply attached to their initial meeting. If Peijia played the role of the young man on the wall, it might trigger the obsession and awaken Taoyuan.

 

“Alright,” Peijia responded, and he quickly left with Taoyuan in his arms. His attention never strayed from Taoyuan, and he seemed to have not noticed the two extra people who had appeared suddenly or perhaps noticed them but was too preoccupied with Taoyuan to question who had taken Taoyuan’s body away.

 

Si Lan watched Peijia’s distraught appearance with mixed feelings. Once Taoyuan’s consciousness returned, he and Peijia would be separated again.

 

However, if they didn’t wake her up, Taoyuan’s body and obsession wouldn’t remain in the mortal realm for long, and sooner or later, they would have to deal with the situation of separating the two lovers.

 

Peijia instructed his servants to set up a simple stage in the inner courtyard, repaint the walls, and plant green bamboo to recreate the scene of their first meeting.

 

When the third quarter of the night arrived, Taoyuan, who had been lying in bed, slowly sat up. His eyes seemed clouded, unfocused, and lacked expression.

 

He walked to the stage, swaying his slender figure, and gently waved his sleeves. His voice was as clear and melodious as pearls and jade.

 

“At the vermilion gates, under the carved window, Peijia leans against the par4p3t…”

 

However, it seemed that Taoyuan hadn’t seen Peijia leaning against the wall. He continued singing the song, seemingly oblivious to Peijia’s presence.

 

Peijia descended from the wall, his eyes red, and his lips quivering slightly. He stared at Taoyuan, who remained unresponsive, seemingly unaffected.

 

“Taoyuan… Please, stop singing,” Peijia suddenly embraced Taoyuan from behind, his back slightly hunched, his chin resting on Taoyuan’s shoulder. “Please, stop singing…”

 

Peijia closed his eyes and a tear rolled down his pale and sunken face.

 

Taoyuan still didn’t react to him until the lingering obsession finally left his body and fell into Peijia’s embrace.

 

The steward asked, “Lord Si Lan, what’s going on? Why hasn’t Lady Taoyuan awakened?”

 

“The lingering obsession of Lady Taoy

 

uan doesn’t seem to be related to their initial meeting,” Si Lan said, furrowing his brows. He couldn’t understand why Taoyuan had been singing the song commemorating their first encounter repeatedly.

 

Peijia, looking at Si Lan, with a hint of despair in his eyes, said, “What should we do to save Taoyuan now?”

 

“Find the root of her obsession,” Si Lan said. “So, General Pei, you need to carefully think about what in that song could be Lady Taoyuan’s obsession.”

 

Peijia raised his head, his lips curled in a self-deprecating smile. “Alright, allow me to think about it carefully.” He then carried Taoyuan and walked toward the Lakeheart Pavilion, focused on his beloved, with no attention spared for the two unexpected figures in the courtyard.

The servants each returned to their rooms, and Si Lan and his companions also retired to their quarters.

 

After the commotion, everyone felt a bit exhausted. However, due to the influence of the Dayong curse, they were both fatigued and unable to sleep, their bodies feeling extremely uncomfortable.

 

Si Lan rubbed his temples, trying to ease his headache, while still wrestling with the matter of Taoyuan. “We did nothing wrong. Why can’t we resolve that lingering obsession?”

 

Haowei looked up at Si Lan and calmly stated, “That General Pei’s words can’t be trusted.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Those affected by the Dayong curse have unstable Qi, their spirits are weak, and they appear fatigued. However, General Pei maintains stable Qi and doesn’t show any sign of fatigue. He should be the one who summoned Dayong.”

 

Only the person who summoned Dayong remains unaffected by the curse.

 

Haowei had noticed General Pei’s unusual condition when he first saw him. At that time, he believed it was due to General Pei’s profound inner energy and robust physical strength. However, after another day had passed, it was impossible for even a healthy human body to maintain such stable Qi after two days without rest.

 

Si Lan asked, puzzled, “Can a living person like Pei summon Dayong? I thought only the lingering grudges of the deceased could do that.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Si Lan contemplated, “I remember you said that Taoyuan was trapped to death by someone. Is General Pei trying to seek revenge for Taoyuan?”

 

“Or perhaps he wants to make the entire mortal realm pay the price for Taoyuan’s death.” Haowei’s voice turned cold.

 

Si Lan’s heart sank. He realized that they couldn’t delay any longer. Their immediate priority was to awaken Taoyuan and break the Dayong curse.

 

Taoyuan’s lingering obsession still lingered near his body. Si Lan planned to capture that obsession to understand what it was fixated on.

 

So, Si Lan, Haowei, and the Song brothers discreetly concealed their presence and, as if they were thieves, approached the Lakeheart Pavilion.

 

Inside the room, General Pei was applying powder to Taoyuan’s face.

 

“I know you love to be beautiful, even when you’re asleep, you can’t slack off.”

 

After General Pei carefully applied the powder, he leaned down and meticulously painted Taoyuan’s eyebrows. When he made a mistake, he reached out to wipe off the makeup expertly.

 

“I promised you in the past that I would paint your eyebrows for you every day. Now I’ve fulfilled my promise. But what about you? You said you wanted to stay with me for a long, long time, didn’t you?”

 

General Pei touched Taoyuan’s cheek gently, his eyes filled with deep affection.

 

“Is your lingering obsession staying for him?” He? Who was he?

 

The four eavesdroppers in the room were puzzled. They wanted to hear more but General Pei fell silent. He simply held Taoyuan’s hand tightly, and his body remained motionless, like a statue.

 

Si Lan cast a spell, causing General Pei in the room to fall into a deep sleep. Then, Si Lan and Haowei stealthily entered the room, while the Song brothers were left outside to stand guard.

 

Though the Song brothers initially considered joining the action inside, they refrained from doing so as they thought about the time when Song Ye had faked a disability. He had feigned it for a hundred years, deceiving Song Cheng into doing his work for him. Song Cheng couldn’t help but clench his teeth when he remembered it.

 

However, Song Ye, who always seemed carefree, now wanted to talk with his brother. He used his elbow to nudge Song Cheng and asked, “My lord seems to trust that man with the veil.”

 

Song Cheng ignored him.

 

Song Ye saw the change in his brother’s expression and continued, “My lord, if that man is the same one you found on Mount Quansha, what do you think?”

 

Song Cheng’s expression stiffened, and he glared at Song Ye. His eyes were fixed firmly on his brother, who was standing very close.

 

“Song Ye, if you do anything foolish, don’t involve me.”

 

“Brother, if it makes you happy, I don’t mind killing him for you, right away.”

 

“Song Ye, if you continue to do foolish things, don’t drag me into them.”

 

“Brother, why pretend to be so virtuous? Do you know what happened to my lord’s three consorts? I’m sure you understand better than anyone…”

 

Song Cheng’s face gradually became tense as he heard this, and he stared at Song Ye intensely.

 

Song Ye smiled nonchalantly, “I want my brother to be happy. If you don’t want that person to approach my lord, I’ll kill him immediately.”

 

 

Inside the room, General Pei had dozed off beside the bed.

 

Si Lan performed a secret technique, and above Taoyuan’s physical body, a wisp of Taoyuan’s lingering obsession floated. It carried the memories Taoyuan didn’t want to forget.

 

Si Lan and Haowei simultaneously reached out for the obsession, and the next moment, they saw the scenes held within.

 

Before the break of dawn, Taoyuan was already practicing on a dilapidated stage.

 

At this time, Taoyuan’s face appeared slightly young, with undeveloped features, but his figure was slender and graceful, exuding a hint of femininity.

 

He twirled his sleeves, swayed his body, and sang slowly, “Gazing upon the distant Qí, where the green bamboo is lush and dense. The gentleman there, he works on himself, as if carving and polishing, as if cutting and grinding…”

 

He sang with great enthusiasm but didn’t notice there was someone lying on the par4p3t.

 

The clear and melodious voice woke General Pei, who was rubbing his temples. His face still carried the remnants of

 

 a blush, as if he had just woken up from a drunken stupor.

 

Listening to the tune in the courtyard, General Pei couldn’t help closing his eyes, crossing his legs, and occasionally nodding in appreciation.

 

Si Lan hadn’t expected that General Pei also had such a carefree and playful side. Just as he was feeling surprised, the song ended, and he saw General Pei turn his head, his gaze fixed on the figure on the stage.

 

Although the two were separated by some distance, General Pei looked closer and squinted his eyes, asking, “Young lady, what song are you singing?”

 

At this time, Taoyuan had disheveled hair, was dressed in a colorful dress, and his facial features hadn’t fully developed yet, making it hard to distinguish his gender. Upon hearing General Pei’s question, Taoyuan felt embarrassed and raised his head, glaring at General Pei.

Later, Taoyuan, for some unknown reason, raised his eyebrows slightly and deliberately deepened his voice, saying, “Good husband, the title of the song I just sang is ‘Qí Ào’.”

 

It’s unclear whether General Pei was startled by the term “good husband” or the sudden change in Taoyuan’s voice, but he stumbled and fell from the par4p3t, then hastily fled.

 

Seeing this, Taoyuan couldn’t help but cover his face and chuckle.

 

Si Lan, upon seeing this, couldn’t contain his laughter either.

 

General Pei had tried to flirt but ended up being teased instead.

 

Across the room, Haowei heard Si Lan’s laughter and glanced at him through the black veil.

 

The second scene depicted by the obsession was the troupe leader holding a thick stick, similar to a baby’s arm, and repeatedly striking Taoyuan.

 

Taoyuan knelt on the ground, his delicate body jerking with every blow, but he refused to admit that he had stolen the jade pendant.

 

General Pei, as usual, was sunbathing on the par4p3t when he saw the scene of Taoyuan being beaten. He immediately leaped into the courtyard, taking the stick from the troupe leader.

 

“Why are you beating him?” General Pei asked.

 

“This rebel stole my jade pendant, hid it in his room, and won’t admit it!” The troupe leader recognized General Pei, as he was the eldest son of General Pei. He had no choice but to explain.

 

General Pei asked with a cold face, “Is it the jade pendant carved like a big cabbage?”

 

“Yes… Master Pei, how do you know about it?”

 

General Pei chuckled and pointed to a little actor in the corner, saying, “I was sunbathing on the par4p3t, and I saw him sneaking into Taoyuan’s room with a cabbage-shaped jade pendant.”

 

As General Pei finished speaking, the little actor’s face changed instantly. He quickly knelt down, begging for mercy. The troupe leader became furious and began beating him with a broom.

 

For a moment, everyone in the theater troupe’s room was focused on the troupe leader and the actor who was begging for mercy.

 

Only General Pei watched Taoyuan, who was still kneeling on the ground.

 

General Pei helped Taoyuan up, but Taoyuan blushed slightly and avoided his touch, thanking him with a lowered head.

 

After this incident, General Pei and Taoyuan’s relationship grew much closer. To express his gratitude, Taoyuan made soup for General Pei.

 

General Pei opened the porcelain bowl with excitement. However, when he saw that it contained meatball soup with radishes, his expression changed for a moment, but he still smiled and finished the soup.

 

In truth, General Pei hated two things in his life: radishes and meatballs.

 

But General Pei knew that this was the best thing Taoyuan could offer him.

 

Their friendship from their youth blossomed quickly, and they became the closest of friends, sharing every aspect of their lives despite being from entirely different worlds. Thanks to a par4p3t wall, they were closely connected.

 

Unfortunately, these good days didn’t last long. The Pei family was summoned back to the capital by the Holy Yu family.

 

Before leaving, General Pei found Taoyuan and brought a jug of wine. He poured it for Taoyuan, saying, “This wine is remarkable. Drinking it will strengthen your body. You’re so thin; you should have more nourishment.” Seeing Taoyuan’s skeptical expression, he added, “Even my elder brother, who has been bedridden for many years, can get up and take a few walks after drinking it.”

 

Taoyuan chuckled and broke his abstinence from alcohol that night.

 

In his drowsy state, Taoyuan heard General Pei say, “I really want to take you with me to the capital. The snow in the capital is beautiful.”

 

Taoyuan reached out to touch General Pei’s face and fell into a deep sleep.

 

When Taoyuan woke up, General Pei was already gone. In a rush, Taoyuan ran outside, leaving behind one of his shoes. He didn’t care about it and chased after the Pei family’s procession.

 

Fourteen or fifteen-year-old General Pei rode a black steed, his back straight, tall and imposing. He led his family out of the city gates.

 

Taoyuan only managed to give General Pei one last glance.

 

Upon returning to the theater troupe, the troupe leader noticed Taoyuan’s bloodied and mangled right foot. He couldn’t help but sneer, “Young Master Pei has returned to the capital, where there are many beautiful actors and handymen. Do you think he’ll remember who you are?”

 

Taoyuan kept his head down and said nothing.

 

“Your Highness, someone is approaching,” suddenly, Song Cheng’s voice echoed from outside.

 

Si Lan immediately withdrew his hand, and the current scene stopped abruptly.

 

A group of people had arrived, including some practitioners. Si Lan didn’t want to cause trouble, so he pulled Haowei’s arm and disappeared back into their room.

 

Song Cheng and Song Ye also returned using magic.

 

The initial scenes that the obsession revealed were mostly consistent with General Pei’s previous account. However, it was unclear what was wrong, preventing Taoyuan’s obsession from awakening?

 

Furthermore, the “he” mentioned by General Pei remained a mystery. Who was he referring to?

 

In those brief scenes, there didn’t seem to be anyone particularly significant.

 

Si Lan was perplexed and turned to Haowei. “Chongwei, did you discover anything?”

 

Haowei was about to respond when a strange bell suddenly rang outside, echoing with an eerie tone, filling the air above the General’s Mansion.

 

It was a soul-binding bell.

 

Si Lan and the others rushed outside, following the strange bell sound, which led them to the Lakeheart Pavilion. There, several servants were gathered at the edge of the lake.

 

In front of the Lakeheart Pavilion, several practitioners stood with their eyes closed, shaking the soul-binding bells in peculiar postures.

 

Inside the Lakeheart Pavilion, through the official yellow beaded curtains, they could faint

 

ly see several practitioners. Using a thread as a medium, they sent layer after layer of white light into Taoyuan’s body.

 

General Pei was left outside the pavilion, clenching his fists and staring intently at what was happening inside.

 

Seeing this, Si Lan and the others attempted to step into the Lakeheart Pavilion but were stopped by the elderly steward.

 

The steward explained awkwardly, “Doctor Si, the practitioners are performing a ritual. Please refrain from disturbing them. Please don’t misunderstand; it’s not that the General’s Mansion doesn’t trust your medical skills. The General’s Mansion had previously issued a notice, inviting renowned doctors from all over to treat the Madam’s illness. These practitioners just arrived and claimed they could help, so the General allowed them to perform their rituals.”

 

“Ah, I see,” Si Lan nodded and looked at the practitioners ringing the bells in front of the Lakeheart Pavilion, noticing a few familiar figures.

 

Despite their disguises, Si Lan still recognized them as the men who were discussing General Pei and Taoyuan at the teahouse yesterday.

 

Si Lan’s expression grew serious, and he asked the steward, “Are the identities of those practitioners reliable?”

 

“They are reliable; they are all disciples of the Xuanling Sect,” the steward replied.

 

Si Lan fell into thought, and then Haowei suddenly spoke in a low voice, “This is the art of necromancy.”

 

“So, they aren’t planning to revive Taoyuan but turn him into a puppet?” Si Lan inquired.

 

“Yes,” Haowei confirmed.

 

Si Lan was about to speak up to stop them when he heard voices coming from inside the room.

 

“General Pei, he’s awake!”

 

General Pei immediately rushed into the room, and Si Lan and the others followed suit.

 

Inside the room, incense wafted through the air, and the beaded curtains swayed. The person lying on the bed had eyes that slowly moved, as if they had lost focus. After a while, those eyes settled on General Pei.

 

General Pei couldn’t help but grip Taoyuan’s hand, and his chest trembled involuntarily with excitement.

 

“Taoyuan…”

 

The person on the bed had a pale face, and at the corner of their lips, they murmured, “Am I asleep?”


T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

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What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

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