Capture the Jade

Jue Sheng and Qizhi shook their heads, and immediately became clear-headed.

Lin Chengyou went back into the formation, dragging the old spirit who had lost its powers to the front, and asked with a smile: “Playing so many tricks, is it that you want me to let you go?”

The old spirit’s eyes rolled and rolled, shivering while nodding desperately.

“You answer a few of my questions honestly. If I am satisfied with your answers, I can consider not beating you back into your original form.”

The old spirit whimpered, as if it was eager, but could not do it.

“A few months ago, you were still a tree spirit at Liquan Mountain, and could not become a demon as your powers were very ordinary. Ever since you infiltrated into Chang’an, you have killed more than a dozen women in the past three months. Who is it that enlightened your cultivation into becoming a demon? And who was it that taught you how to seize away a person’s soul? Tonight, you sneaked into the bamboo forest by the river, was it that someone was waiting there for you, or were you simply there just for doing evil things?”

The old spirit’s expression was complex, hesitated for a moment, and pointed to its throat.

Lin Chengyou snapped his fingers, and the old spirit coughed several times, in a hoarse voice: “It was all by chance, no one has ever pointed out that I was training hard in the mountains. That night, there was a thunderstorm, and I intruded into a cave in order to avoid it. Unfortunately I encountered a landslide, and was trapped in the cave for several months. Inadvertently, I saw through the road of heaven. The reason why I seized people’s souls was because I wanted to be enlightened. Tonight, the reason why I went to that bamboo forest was because I did not want to put up with using my powers to replenish Mrs. An Guogong’s life. I just wanted to change into a new body of fresh beauty.”

Lin Chengyou smiled and nodded. With a wave of his sleeve, the old spirit’s body started to burn again. Every bone was drilled in with thousands of ants, making one be in so much pain as to not want to live anymore.

The old spirit painfully wailed in grief: “If the prince does not believe me, one can personally go to the back of Liquan Mountain to see for oneself. That mountain has not had any visitors for thousands of years and now is just an empty mountain and valley.”

Lin Chengyou simply had a heart of stone, so instead of stopping, he instructed Jue Sheng and Qizhi to recite faster.

The old spirit could not bear the disgrace and humiliation, and bitterly scolded: “Lin Chengyou! You nasty person! We have come to an agreement that you would let me go after I answer your questions. How can you go back against your words?”

As soon as her words fell, the talisman transformed into a fiery dragon and climbed up the old spirit’s legs, and this time, even the lower part of her body turned into a tree root.

Lin Chengyou’s smile was full of cruelty: “You have slaughtered so many people, do you still expect not to suffer? I won’t give you many opportunities, so it’s best that you don’t try to play any tricks on me. Tell me honestly, who is the person that enlightened you?”

The old spirit knew that if he was to have to ask her again, she would definitely be beaten back into her original form. She endured for hundreds of years, how could she be willing to return to being an ignorant old tree. Struggling and struggling, swallowing her hatred: “I’ll say, I’ll say….”

It swallowed its saliva and was just about to speak, when the sky suddenly lit up. The sound of rumbling came from the overhead of the sky, and before everyone could react, a light as bright as snow rolled down.

Lin Chengyou’s complexion changed. This thing went straight for the formation, clearly coming to save the old spirit.

With quick eyes and quick hands, he hurriedly dragged the tree spirit backwards. The talisman dragon lost its control and instantly knocked the old spirit back to its original form.

That strange thunder seemed to have a sense of awareness, and turned into a cloud of white mist and disappeared into mid-air, as if it had never appeared before.

Jue Sheng and Qizhi recalled the Thunder Altar Instrument, picked it up and held it close. Looking down to look at the original form of the old spirit, a young tree that is not thick or thin, with green moss wrapped around it, and an exotic odor assailed the nostrils.

The two of them were still terrified: “Senior brother, that strange thunder came to save the old spirit?”

Lin Chengyou stared closely at the direction in which the light came from, and took out the Soul Locker from his arms, tied it to the young tree, and threw it to the two of them: “Go back to the “Broken Knot” and stay there.”

Then he said to the guards who were still busy wiping their sweat: “Quickly send the wounded people and Mrs. An Guogong to Zhaole Pavilion to settle them down. I will return in a little bit.”

He jumped on the wall and instantly melted into the night.

***

The courtyard of Zhaole Pavilion was cramped and crowded. In total, there was only one room. The Teng and Dong family had no choice, but to settle in the same place.

Most of the servants from the palace were almost frightened to death. The guards also had lingering fears in their hearts, and until everything was settled down, there were still some people who were scared out of their wits.

Both of Madam Du’s legs were trembling, and she embraced Teng Yuyi tightly while comforting her. Teng Yuyi recalled back to the situation when Lin Chengyou confronted the old spirit, as there were simply many doubts and suspicions. Not only did Lin Chengyou ask why the old spirit would go into the bamboo forest, but also speculated that there was someone waiting for the old spirit in there. She had never thought of this before, and at that time, when she arrived with Duan Fu and the others, there was only the old spirit and her biao jie1Biao Jie = older female cousin, master and servant, in the forest. She only knew that her biao jie suffered an attack, but was completely unknown about the cause of it.

What if the old spirit had not accidentally broken into the bamboo forest, but had actually gone in there to meet someone. Where was that person hiding? The old spirit attacked biao jie, so could it be that biao jie accidentally saw something that she was not supposed to see?

She pondered back and forth for a while. The more she thought about it, the more fearful she became. Suddenly, she overheard yi mu2yi mu = aunt calling biao jie softly, and only then did she come back to her senses.

The medicine given by Lin Chengyou was marvelously effective, as the strange golden color on her biao jie’s body all gradually faded away. Although Bai Zhi and Maid Hong were still unconscious, they already showed signs of improvements.

Duan Fu was placed under the corridor, and when Teng Yuyi came to look at him, his breath gradually became more and more steady.

On the bed by the window, Mrs. An Guogong and the second lady of the Dong County family were laid down next to each other. One showed signs of unstable breathing, and the other one was still unconscious, because she had not taken the medicine.

The steward narrowly escaped death, and after calming down, she remembered that the medicine given by Lin Chengyou was all taken away by Lady Teng, and now those from the Teng family that have taken the medicine, all showed signs of improvements. It was only her second lady’s life that was still hanging by a thread. She could not help, but worry, and while she was taking care of Dong Erniang3Erniang = second lady , she once in a while glanced over at Teng Yuyi. Her eyes were secretly filled with accusation and resentment.

Teng Yuyi sensed the pair of eyes behind her, and turned her head to see what was the matter. However, at this time, the servants from the palace came in and spoke: “Before the prince left, he had said that he still needed to verify something. The few people in this room are all unmarried young ladies, so he had the maids make some arrangements in advance.”

Madam Du had vaguely heard some of the words spoken, only that Lin Chengyou came over to check on the injuries. She was originally worried about how to guard against women and men, but at this moment, she was completely relieved and hurridenly replied: “yes.”

The steward was looking forward to seeing Lin Chengyou. She wanted to ask for a few more life-saving pills; therefore, by every means, she agreed: “It is all up to the prince’s arrangement.”

The servants from the palace then placed the five female injured victims side by side on a bed, and blocked the bed with a thick curtain, leaving only the bottom exposed.

When Teng Yuyi helped pull the curtain, she inadvertently looked at Dong Erniang, and unexpectedly found that her face was not golden or ashy gray, and her breath was actually quite stable.

Ah, wasn’t she poisoned by that old spirit? She was about to take a closer look when the steward blocked the curtain because she was afraid that the wind would get in.

Teng Yuyi simply went around to the other side of the curtain, and silently looked closely again. It was at this moment that there was the sound of footsteps outside that came in heavy and fast. Someone in the front of the room spoke, and the servants from the palace replied with a few words, lifted up the curtains and walked in: “General Duan of the Duke Zhen’s mansion and the madam of the Marquis of Yong’an are here.”

Madam Du was surprised: “General Duan and the madam of the Marquis of Yong’an?”

General Duan’s name was Duan Ningyuan, the eldest son of Duke Zhen and the future fiancee of Yu’er. Duan Wenyin, the wife of the Marquis of Yong’an, is also Duan Ningyuan’s blood older sister. When Duan Wenyin was seventeen years old, she married into the mansion of the Marquis of Yong’an in Luoyang.

The Duan family siblings only have a three year difference, and always had a deep bond between each other. In the future when Yu’er marries Duan Ningyuan, she will have to call Duan Wenyin, “older sister”.

Madam Du smiled and was about to get up, but at this moment, the servants from the palace spoke: “Tonight, the Duan family was also here for the banquet in the Ziyun building, and hearing that Lady Teng suffered a fright, General Duan and the Madam of the Marquis of Yong’an hurriedly came to help. The several other madams close to Duke Zhen also heard about this matter and rushed here to help as well. However, the prince sealed the main gate in order to successfully capture the evil spirit. They had to wait in the main hall for any news. Now they heard that the prince had successfully suppressed that evil spirit, so they also went into the inner courtyard. The madam of the Marquis of Yong’an asked while outside if Madam and young lady had something to avoid, and if they could come visit as well.”

When the servants from the palace were speaking, there were many madams chatting in a low voice outside the corridor, but one did not hear Duan Ningyuan’s voice.

Teng Yuyi sneered in her heart, but her complexion looked the same as usual. Madam Du only thought that she was shy, patted the back of her hand, and whispered: “To come here in such a hurry, the Duan family has one at heart.”

The thick curtain was already blocking the front of the bed, and Madam Du no longer had any worries in her heart, straightened the jin pei4jin pei = women’s covering, part of their attire in her hand, and greeted warmly: “Please come in.”

At this time, there was a noise outside, and another person entered the courtyard.

“There are five people injured in total, except for the Teng family. Who is the other family?” It was Lin Chengyou’s voice.

Teng Yuyi was a little surprised. Lin Chengyou came back so fast, and she did not know if he was able to find out about something.

“It is the second lady of the Dong Family in Wannian County. Tonight, she had made an appointment with several officials and noble daughters to drink and feast near the riverside. On the way to the banquet, she unexpectedly bumped into an evil spirit, and rushed back to the city for treatment, only afraid that it was too late. After hearing that the Taoist priest was invited, she was instructed under the care of the Madam of the Marquis of Yong’an, and also entered the Ziyun building.”

After glancing at the curtain meaningfully, she should have soon expected that if there were no invitations from the nobles, ordinary officials could not enter the Ziyun building. It turns out that the “noble” who brought Dong Erniang into the Ziyun building was none other than Duan Ningyuan’s older sister, Duan Wenyin.

This pair of siblings always had a deep bond with each other. In her previous life, Duan Ningyuan broke off the marriage agreement and was almost expelled from the mansion of Duke Zhen. It was all up to Duan Wenyin to come here all the way from Luoyang to say a few good words for her brother.

These few days were to catch up to the Double Third festival, so it was not surprising that Duan Wenying would come back to Chang’an, but when the Dong family had an accident, one did not ask others for help, but seeked help from Duan Wenying. What was even more strange was that the two families were completely unacquainted. For Duan Wenyin to agree to it, it had to be because of her younger brother, Duan Ningyuan. Other than this, Teng yuyi could not think of any other reason.

She counted the days, and it was early spring now. There were still three months before Duan Ningyuan would go to her doorstep to cancel the marriage. It could be seen that Duan Ningyuan had feelings for Dong Erniang even earlier than she expected.

Lin Chengyou spoke: “I am going to go into the room to check on the injuries. Is everything already arranged properly inside?”

When the stewards heard this, she immediately bounced off the bed, and like a wisp of smoke, she ran to the door. She hurriedly knelt down and said: “I beg for the prince to save my second lady. The prince gave the medicine to Lady Teng to make arrangements, but my second lady was unlucky, and was not able to get a single pill. Now my second lady’s life is hanging on a piece of thread, only asking that the prince can help save her.”

Just to hear a young man surprisingly say: “the medicine was not given to your second lady?!”

It was precisely the voice of Duan Ningyuan, containing a concealed form of anger and accusation.

The steward only kept kneeling and kowtowing5kowtowing = the act of supplication made by an inferior to his superior by kneeling and knocking his head to the floor, crying silently.

The author has something to say: “I am here to resist the spirits and devils.” —— from Han Yu’s《Eighteen Conordances of food and Eclipse in the Early South》

Thanks for reading! Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far!