Wen Ling sidestepped lightly, her right hand reaching out to catch the flying dagger between her index and ring fingers.
The wind stirred by the blade lifted strands of her hair.
“Get out—!”
A hoarse male voice came from the bed in the main room.
Lying prone on the bed was a tall, frail man with ink-black hair cascading over his shoulders. His face was pale, almost translucent, and exquisitely beautiful.
Even with bloodshot eyes and a furrowed brow, he looked like a male painting demon who had stepped out of a scroll.
On his chest, a golden Binding Seal flickered faintly.
Wen Ling understood—it must have been the seal she had placed on him the previous night that protected him, preventing him from fainting within the Soul-Extraction Array.
But if she hadn’t broken the formation in time, this gradually fading seal wouldn’t have shielded him much longer.
Wen Ling instructed Ting Yin to wait outside and stepped in herself. “It’s me.”
Gu Chenran looked toward the doorway.
The door swung open, letting in a blinding stream of sunlight.
A petite figure stood silhouetted against the light at the entrance, as if haloed by the sun’s glow.
Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he could clearly see the young woman’s face.
It was the same person who had appeared during his desperate moment two nights before.
“Wen Ling…”
Gu Chenran’s voice was raspy, but noticeably more relaxed than before.
Under his gaze, Wen Ling walked step by step to his bedside, stopping beside him.
Well, her intuition from that night had been right—Gu Chenran truly resembled a wounded, weak, yet still snarling big dog.
Wen Ling got straight to the point. “Your manor has been set with a Soul-Extraction Array. The formation’s core was on my side. Before noon today, you and everyone in your manor would have had their soul-spirits and Qi Fortune extracted, leading to sudden death.”
Before Gu Chenran could react, she added, “But I’ve already destroyed the core. The entire Soul-Extraction Array in your manor has been deactivated.”
“Who… who set up the Soul-Extraction Array?! Cough, cough, cough…”
Gu Chenran asked agitatedly, trying to sit up from the bed.
But he was too weak. The surge of emotion triggered a fit of coughing, and he collapsed heavily back onto the bed.
His pale face flushed with excitement, as if tinged with rosy clouds.
Wen Ling thought to herself, Tsk, truly… a feast for the eyes!
As a Word Spirit, she loved two things most in this life: beautiful people and delicious food.
Well, the delicious food part was a new addition after tasting the red date cake this morning.
Gu Chenran was exactly the kind of handsome man that aligned with her aesthetic tastes.
For handsome men, Wen Ling always had a bit more patience.
She sat down by the bedside, placing her hand on Gu Chenran’s chest. Her voice was soft but firm. “Don’t move. You’re too weak. Let me reinforce the seal for you.”
The moment her warm palm touched his chest, Gu Chenran felt as if his chest were burning, freezing him in place.
A warm stream of Spiritual Power flowed from Wen Ling’s hand into Gu Chenran’s chest.
The flickering golden Binding Seal on his chest stabilized once more, emitting a soft, shimmering golden light.
Gu Chenran felt the strength slowly returning to his previously limp body.
His numb legs regained sensation, allowing him to stand and walk again.
He looked up at Wen Ling, unable to hide his shock and delight. “How… how did you do this? Before marrying you, I’d never heard that you knew such things.”
The entire capital knew that Wen Ling was the naturally foolish eldest daughter of the Vice Minister of Revenue, who had brought about her birth mother’s death the moment she was born.
Two years ago, during the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration, out of regard for her late mother’s past affection, she was invited to attend the banquet upon reaching adulthood, only to make a spectacle of herself and lose face at the event.
She was utterly unfit for any respectable occasion.
Gu Chenran married her only because he himself was a discarded prince, and someone wanted to ensure his complete ruin by arranging his marriage to Wen Ling.
Yet, to everyone’s surprise, she was nothing like the rumors suggested.
Not only was she not foolish, but she was also remarkably capable, having saved him twice in a short span of time.
Rather than letting his imagination run wild, it was better to ask directly.
Wen Ling had no intention of hiding anything either.
Her gaze was clear and forthright: “We are married now. Whether we like it or not, having exchanged vows, we are bound as husband and wife—a community of shared fate, sharing both honor and disgrace.
Since our destinies are already intertwined, I might as well be straightforward with you.”
Gu Chenran remained silent, listening intently, his brows furrowed as he nodded slightly, clearly taking the matter seriously.
After Wen Ling had prepared him for what was to come, she continued: “I was indeed foolish before, but on the day of our wedding, after being poisoned to death by my stepmother and younger sister and then awakening, I gained some additional memories in my mind and learned some unusual skills.”
Gu Chenran suddenly understood, and he did not doubt her explanation.
Without having died once, such a transformation would be difficult to explain.
After a moment of contemplation, Gu Chenran said solemnly, “I understand, and I believe you. However, Miss Wen, you must never speak of this to outsiders in the future.
The Dayong Dynasty emphasizes avoiding discussions of supernatural anomalies. Otherwise, I fear you may bring trouble upon yourself.”
Wen Ling was pleased with his reaction and chuckled lightly: “Naturally. From now on, I will only tell others that I am no longer foolish. I shared this with you because, as husband and wife, our fates are intertwined, and hiding things would only cause inconvenience.”
“Mm, that’s good…”
Unlike Wen Ling’s open and candid demeanor, Gu Chenran’s ears flushed slightly at the mention of “we are bound as husband and wife,” though it was subtle enough to go unnoticed.
Having said all she needed to, Wen Ling stood up to leave: “Well, that’s about it. The Soul-Extraction Array has been broken, and those who fainted in the prince’s estate will naturally awaken after a while in the sun. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
Gu Chenran suddenly reached out and grabbed her sleeve: “Wait!”
Wen Ling tilted her head in confusion: “What is it?”
As if mustering great resolve, Gu Chenran took a deep breath and asked: “Last time, you helped me escape the hallucinations tormenting me, and this time, you prevented my episode from worsening. Can… can you cure the strange illness afflicting me?”
“Strange illness?” Wen Ling asked, puzzled. “What illness do you have? You aren’t ill.”
Gu Chenran raised his voice slightly: “I am ill. Ever since I suffered a high fever at the age of eight, I’ve had this strange illness.
People outside say I’m mad, but that’s not true. I simply experience frequent hallucinations—those suddenly appearing Malevolent Spirits, the agony of near-death experiences, the illusions I can never escape…
They all feel so real that I can’t distinguish between illusion and reality, which is why I appear mad.”
Wen Ling said with a serious expression: “But those are real. The Malevolent Spirits and the pain are all real.”
“Wh-what?” Gu Chenran almost thought he had misheard.
Then he exclaimed excitedly, “Impossible, absolutely impossible! They all said it was fake, that when I had my episode and saw the Malevolent Spirit, everyone around me claimed they saw nothing!”
Wen Ling sighed softly. She took out the wooden plaque containing Gao Yueyuan’s soul from her sleeve and gently tapped it. “Yuanyuan, come out for a moment.”
A delicate, doll-like baby emerged from the plaque.
It blinked its big, round eyes and looked at Wen Ling curiously. “Fairy sister, why did you call me out?”
Wen Ling pointed at Gu Chenran, who lay stiffly on the bed. “This big brother doesn’t believe ghosts exist. Scare him a little.”