Yu Yang turned her head.
From within the lush green forest, a man stumbled out—it was none other than Shizi Xie Chi, whom she had just sent away through the secret passage that very morning!
Xie Chi’s left arm hung limp.
Blood had pooled all over the ground.
Yu Yang’s expression shifted abruptly.
“Shizi!”
She rushed forward in a few quick strides, catching Xie Chi just as he was about to collapse.
Once supported, Xie Chi gasped weakly, “I… I think… I killed Pei Chiye…”
Yu Yang nodded repeatedly. “It’s alright, it’s alright. I’ll help you dispose of the body and cover the traces.”
Xie Chi’s eyes seemed to widen slightly.
Then they quickly closed again.
Yu Yang finally snapped back to reality.
She said, “Shizi, who did you kill? Speak clearly—who did you kill??”
Pei Chiye—that was the young master of the Pei Family.
The Pei Family was the ancestral home of the current Chief Pei, and also the largest power in the southwest.
Chief Pei now wielded immense authority in the court and had long been at odds with Duke Su’an Manor.
If Xie Chi had killed Pei Chiye, wouldn’t that hand the Pei Family a perfect excuse to retaliate? Not to mention bringing disaster upon the Yu Family, since this area was technically under their jurisdiction.
Yu Yang lamented inwardly, “The Shizi really has grown twisted. He looks harmless, but who knew he was a madman inside?”
Since it had already happened, she stopped dwelling on it.
Regretting not bringing her shadow guard when she went out today, she first laid Xie Chi on the ground.
Her gaze fell on his still-bleeding arm, then moved to his pale face, darkened eyes, and blackened lips. She realized the wound was laced with a potent poison.
There was no time to rush back for treatment.
She settled Xie Chi on the ground.
Taking out the Hundred Herb Bottle she always carried with her.
The Hundred Herb Bottle was the name Yu Yang had given her own medicine bottle, as it contained various medicinal pills.
Each pill was wrapped in medicinal paper.
She first took out one marked with the character for “heart,” unwrapped it, and forced the pill into Xie Chi’s mouth.
Then she fetched her water pouch, pouring water to rinse the wound on Xie Chi’s arm.
Once the blood and grime were washed away, she saw that the blade mark on the flesh was tinged with black, and a rusty smell wafted up when she leaned closer.
“Mixed with Smelting Water…” Yu Yang murmured.
She quickly retrieved a pill marked with a stalk of grain, crushed it in her palm after unwrapping, and sprinkled it over the wound.
After waiting a moment and confirming the bleeding had stopped, she searched Xie Chi’s person for medicine and, sure enough, found the Golden Sore Medicine that every martial artist carried.
Skillfully applying the medicine to the wound and wrapping it with a strip of cloth, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Just as she was about to carry Xie Chi on her back, a faint rustling sound suddenly caught her attention.
She immediately looked toward a nearby bush, raising her arm and aiming her sleeve arrow in that direction.
“Who’s there? Come out!”
Without waiting for a response, she fired a warning shot with her sleeve arrow.
“Ah—!”
A woman’s scream rang out.
Immediately after, a girl of about seventeen or eighteen ran out from the bushes.
“Don’t shoot! I’m not a bad person!”
Yu Yang stared at the girl, dumbfounded.
The girl had a double image.
The double image was of a woman wearing a nurse’s uniform.
【Taiyin Black Ledger】
【Xu Jiatong, born February 11, 2003, currently 27 years old, remaining lifespan not yet exhausted. Recorded evil deeds in the Black Ledger: 0】
【Refrain from all evil, practice all good. Meritorious Renovation Extends Life. Judged accordingly, Xu Jiatong, returned to the human realm】
Xu Jiatong?
Yu Yang inexplicably felt the name was somewhat familiar.
Even the face in the double image gave her a sense of familiarity.
Yu Yang asked expressionlessly, “Who are you? Why were you hiding there?”
Xu Jiatong said helplessly, “I, I’m Yang Heying. I just saw that person didn’t look well, like they were about to faint, so I thought I’d follow.”
Yu Yang remained silent for a moment before saying, “You can leave now.”
Xu Jiatong suddenly asked, “Um, could you take me in? My stepmother at home is forcing me to marry an old widower. I originally went out today to hang myself, but the rope broke… I don’t dare go back home.”
Yu Yang said, “No. Leave.”
Xu Jiatong glanced at Yu Yang, then at Xie Chi on the ground, and turned around.
The moment Xu Jiatong turned, Yu Yang stepped forward and knocked her out with a chop to the neck.
Immediately after, she dragged the unconscious Xu Jiatong into the bushes.
“Lucky I didn’t bring any shadow guards today.”
She looked at the unconscious Xu Jiatong, then returned to Xie Chi’s side.
Not long after.
Cheng Liu returned.
Cheng Liu was startled to see Xie Chi on the ground.
“Miss, why has the Shizi returned again?”
Yu Yang said, “Take the Shizi back quietly. Use the underground passage directly to Cloud Abode Courtyard, then have Doctor Xi prescribe some emetics to cleanse the poison from his system.”
Cheng Liu was puzzled.
“Miss, aren’t you coming back? Should I have Mo Ying and the others come over…”
“Go back first. Don’t worry about me,” Yu Yang said directly.
Cheng Liu reluctantly acknowledged with a “Yes” and lifted Xie Chi onto his back.
“Then, Miss, take care of yourself.”
Yu Yang waved her hand. “Get lost quickly.”
Only when the place was empty did Yu Yang return to the bushes.
She crouched in front of Xu Jiatong, took out a needle, pricked Xu Jiatong’s Yintang Xue, smeared a prepared talisman over it, and began chanting.
“Soul, oh soul, I wish to return. With blood as guide, see the myriad lights; with thought as bridge, seek to cross yin and yang. Soul, return, back to your former dwelling.”
The familiar scene reappeared.
A lamp floated before Xu Jiatong—
[Xu Jiatong, born February 11, 2003. Tongtong, wake up quickly, ahhh, don’t be like this, I’m scared]
Yu Yang was somewhat surprised it actually worked.
She didn’t ignite the talisman paper.
She just pinched Xu Jiatong’s philtrum to wake her, then immediately pressed a dagger against Xu Jiatong’s neck.
“Don’t scream.”
Xu Jiatong blinked in terror.
Yu Yang asked, “Tell me, who are you?”
“Y-Yang Heying…”
Yu Yang pressed the dagger closer.
Xu Jiatong quickly cried out, “Xu Jiatong, I’m Xu Jiatong! I just time-traveled here! Don’t kill me!”
Yu Yang’s gaze flickered.
She asked, “How did you come through?”
Xu Jiatong’s eyes widened.
“You’re also a time-travel…”
Yu Yang: “Answer me.”
Xu Jiatong said, “I don’t know either. I just went to sleep and suddenly traveled. Don’t know the reason. This year, many people suddenly lost consciousness. Some say aliens are experimenting, others say it’s the apocalypse, something about Netherworld work errors, parallel world wormholes… just all kinds of nonsense…”
Yu Yang thought of that black hole.
She asked, “Do you know the number of affected people?”
Xu Jiatong thought for a moment. “I scrolled through Douyin this morning. Seems like over two hundred people have suddenly fallen unconscious this year, and the number is still increasing. But that video said there were actually cases in previous years too, just very few. This year it suddenly increased, and some predict there will be even more next year…”
Yu Yang asked, “Do the authorities have any solutions?”
Xu Jiatong said, “Not really. At least I haven’t heard of any. Some experts claim it’s a meteor passing by, and as it gets closer, the radiation affects humans, causing them to fall unconscious. Others say it’s due to people eating something from a certain country that caused physical mutations… But there are also videos saying that the capital has the most Taoist gatherings. Now that I’ve traveled here, it seems it has to be metaphysics…”
Yu Yang fell silent.
Two hundred people sounded like a lot.
But in a country, it was very few.
Yet in just two days, she had encountered two of them…
Unconsciously, Yu Yang recalled what Xie Chi had said that day—
“The National Preceptor’s words: only those with extraordinary fates can encounter the Celestial Child.”
Come to think of it, when the courtesan was here half a month ago, Lu Huaice was also present.
And when the drunkard appeared that day, Lu Huaice was there.
Today, Xu Jiatong came out with Xie Chi.
Both Lu Huaice and Xie Chi had that yellow paper marked with “Good and Bad Omens” behind them…
Yu Yang thought for a moment, then looked at Xu Jiatong again.
“Where are you from?”
Xu Jiatong stammered nervously, “Ch-China…”
“Which city?”
“Qihe City…”
Yu Yang’s gaze flickered slightly, and she asked as if testing her luck, “Then… do you know Xu Shiyue?”