Jiang Xingyan didn’t notice Yun Chunfeng’s unusual reaction. She ordered Wang Qi to go to the side courtyard and fetch Yinzhu.
This was a perfect opportunity to turn former master and servant into lifelong enemies—how could she not seize it firmly?
Suddenly, she wondered, Where’s Huo Ci?
Brother Yun said he had come over early, so why couldn’t she see him…
As she was thinking, a tingling itch crept over her scalp, as if a small insect were crawling there.
Jiang Xingyan reached up to touch it, and her fingers came away stained red with blood.
Wang Qi, who had just returned with Yinzhu, looked up and cried out in alarm, “General, your head—!”
Yun Chunfeng snapped back to attention instantly and turned to look. A trail of fresh blood was slowly trickling down from Jiang Xingyan’s head.
“This is bad!”
Both men rushed simultaneously towards the now-ruined main room.
As they got closer, they saw Huo Ci buried under a pile of wood splinters and rubble.
Jiang Xingyan gritted her teeth, speechless: No wonder the old hag is completely unscathed, just dusty—it’s because this idiot took the hit!
If you two have such a deep mother-son bond, why must I get hurt along with you?
If the Taoist priest hadn’t carved things up precisely enough, and this guy got crushed to death here today, whose fault would it be?
“Someone! Get the Young Madam out of there, now!”
Jiang Xingyan followed the guards to the side to check on her own body.
A storm gathered in Yun Chunfeng’s eyes.
His finger twitched slightly, and Jinzhu’s head broke free from its restraints, flying straight towards Old Madam Huo.
“Ah! Priest, save me!”
How could Yun Chunfeng’s Fifth Senior Brother not know he had nearly caused a disaster?
He was currently frowning, eyes closed, pretending to divine. Even if he heard, he had to pretend he didn’t.
Jinzhu’s head chomped down firmly on the left side of Old Madam Huo’s face, tearing off a chunk of flesh.
It was about to bite again when Fifth Senior Brother hurriedly intervened: “Little Junior Brother!”
He really didn’t want to see his little junior brother tied to the Immortal-Slaying Platform again, enduring eighty-one heavenly thunderbolts.
The bloodthirst in Yun Chunfeng’s eyes abruptly cleared.
In this life, he couldn’t act recklessly.
Otherwise, there would be no one left to protect the Young Lady.
Thump, thump, thump.
Jinzhu’s head rolled away and came to a stop right at Yinzhu’s feet.
Yinzhu scrambled over, picked up the head, and cradled it in her arms, already choking with sobs. “Sister, you’ve suffered so much.”
“I beg the Young General to grant my sister a proper burial! I, Yinzhu, am willing to pay with my own life!”
“Perhaps you think you should be running the General’s household now?
You have no respect for your superiors! Slap her face!”
Yinzhu, failing to see that the Young General was already furious, received the beating for nothing.
Jiang Xingyan had just finished carefully examining her body.
Although aside from being covered in dust, there didn’t seem to be any other damage, Huo Ci’s careless disregard for her physical well-being infuriated her.
She reached out irritably, wanting to hit Huo Ci, but suddenly remembered that any harm they inflicted on each other’s bodies would be transferred.
She could only let her hand drop in frustration.
Just you wait until we switch back.
She instructed a nearby maid to take Huo Ci away to bathe and change clothes.
“General Huo, this humble Taoist is known as Fuhai. The situation is critical. I request your decision on how to proceed.”
Hearing the solemn, righteous voice, Jiang Xingyan turned and finally got a clear look at the Taoist priest’s face.
Dashing eyebrows and bright eyes, peerlessly brilliant and open.
Compared to Yun Chunfeng—that untouchable flower of a frozen mountain, radiating an aura of sinister coldness—Priest Fuhai was like the blazing midday sun, terrifyingly righteous.
If, throughout all ages and across all kingdoms, there was one person who would never succumb to demonic cultivation, it would undoubtedly be him.
Jiang Xingyan clasped her fists in salute, showing deep respect. “Senior Brother Fuhai, what is the solution here?”
Priest Fuhai placed his treasured sword behind his back, his expression grave. “This person died with deep resentment. After death, her corpse absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, giving birth to spiritual awareness. It is truly difficult to resolve peacefully.”
“Unless a close relative sincerely makes a vow, and this humble Taoist performs a forty-nine-day salvation ritual here to guide her towards rebirth and an early reincarnation.”
“Otherwise, we can only use the Demon-Slaying Art to eradicate her.”
Yinzhu, her voice trembling, asked even through her beating, “Venerable Priest, what does ‘eradicate’ mean?”
“It means her soul will scatter to the winds, utterly erased from existence among all things in this world.”
Her face turned deathly pale, and she collapsed to the ground.
Didn’t that mean even after she died, she would never see her sister again?
Yun Chunfeng’s finger, hidden in his sleeve, flicked slightly.
Old Madam Huo gasped sharply and regained consciousness.
Her first words were: “Venerable Priest, quickly destroy this vile creature for me! Eliminate her for good!”
Only then did Jiang Xingyan notice the missing chunk of flesh on Old Madam Huo’s face. It made her own teeth ache in sympathy.
No wonder the old woman hated Jinzhu so much she wanted her completely gone.
Yinzhu no longer begged the Old Madam for mercy as she used to. Instead, she stared fixedly at her, not saying a word.
Unnerved by the stare, Old Madam Huo flew into a rage. “Ci’er, for your mother, gouge out this wicked slave Yinzhu’s eyes!”
“What an ungrateful dog!”
“Don’t forget, you and your sister are both this old woman’s slaves. If your master wants you dead, you must die!”
“Heh.”
A cold laugh suddenly escaped Yinzhu.
She stood up, placed Jinzhu’s head back on the corpse’s neck, and kowtowed three times each towards Jinzhu and Old Madam Huo.
“My sister’s body is at your disposal.”
“From now on, Yinzhu severs all ties of gratitude with the Old Madam. I am merely a servant of the General’s household.”
Old Madam Huo found it ridiculous. “A mere slave dares to act this way towards her master?”
“Venerable Priest, act quickly!”
Yinzhu watched helplessly as her sister’s corpse instantly turned to dust, scattered by the wind without a trace.
From that moment on, she had no family left in this world, only enemies.
Jiang Xingyan sneered inwardly.
The famously strict master-servant relationship has finally reached the point where the dog bites the dog?
How laughable.
“The main courtyard buildings are destroyed. Please, Mother, endure staying in the side courtyard for a few days.”
“Once your son confirms an auspicious date for construction with the Venerable Priest, we will begin repairs.”
Hearing the words “side courtyard,” Old Madam Huo immediately looked disgusted. “Ci’er, your mother is old. I can’t walk that far.”
“It will be fine if I stay in one of the side rooms of your own courtyard.”
Jiang Xingyan refuted her with a stern expression. “How could there be any reason for my honored mother to stay in a side room while her son occupies the main house?”
“Would that not condemn your son to bear the charge of filial impiety!”
Old Madam Huo was left speechless. She was about to argue further, but Jiang Xingyan didn’t let her speak. “Baozhu and Yinzhu are both injured now, I fear their service would be lacking.”
“Mother, going to the side courtyard has two benefits. First, Matron Yinzhu is there and can help look after you.”
“Second, your niece can keep you company and relieve your boredom. It’s a perfect solution.”
“Someone, escort the Old Madam to the side courtyard.”
Wang Qi, perceptive as ever, had already prepared several household guards. They flanked the Old Madam, lifted her by the arms, and swiftly marched her away.
Baozhu could barely manage to follow. Yinzhu was worse off.
The old wounds on her body hadn’t fully healed yet. Trying to keep up at a jog made the congealed scabs split open instantly.
Blood soaked through the back of her clothes, the sharp pain immediately covering her head in cold sweat.
Just as she prepared to stop and catch her breath, Yinzhu grabbed her arm from behind and yanked her forward. “Hurry up, Yinzhu! Didn’t you always love following the Old Madam around the most?”
Jiang Xingyan had a feeling a good show was about to unfold in the side courtyard, but she had no time to watch it.
The most urgent matter now was to find the silver notes the old hag had hidden away in the ruins of the main courtyard.
She had only glanced around a couple of times when Yun Chunfeng, as if reading her mind, nudged his chin towards Priest Fuhai. “Fifth Senior Brother, stop hiding it. Bring it out.”
Priest Fuhai splayed his right hand, recited a few incantations, and two neatly stacked nanmu wood boxes appeared on his palm.
They were identical to the one Old Madam Huo had previously given Jiang Xingyan.
Jiang Xingyan, both shocked and delighted, took the boxes and opened them. Sure enough, they were full of silver notes.
This time, the amount finally matched up.
Overjoyed, she directly grabbed a handful and stuffed it into Priest Fuhai’s arms.
“Venerable Priest, you have helped me immensely!”
“Please, do not refuse me. You must accept this!”
Dazed, Priest Fuhai found his arms full of a million taels worth of silver notes.
He had no words.
While Jiang Xingyan went back to her room to put the boxes away, he grabbed Yun Chunfeng’s shoulder earnestly. “Good Junior Brother, if you have this kind of lucrative work next time, call me again.”