Chapter 186
Chapter 186
Before everyone’s shocked eyes, Taoxi stared at the fresh human heart and said softly, “So even someone like you has a ‘heart’…”
Master Tianji’s face filled with astonishment, his pupils widening. Words hovered on his lips, but he was already dead.
Silence fell all around.
The scene was so bloody that Yu Lang swallowed the words already on his tongue.
At that moment, the Baleful Qi and resentment surrounding Taoxi began to dissipate, and her soul body started turning transparent.
Xia Ximo, who had seemingly watched coldly from the side all this time, quietly stepped forward.
A streak of white drifted from beside her, wrapped around Taoxi’s fading soul, and vanished in a flash.
Yan Zhengchu started in surprise and was about to speak, but Xia Ximo walked directly to “Ren Yao” and asked, “Can you break the curse?”
“Ren Yao” had actually noticed her from the very beginning.
Now that she stood before him, he studied her intently for a moment, a deeper meaning in his gaze.
Xia Ximo met his eyes. She knew he was not Ren Fengjue, yet being looked at by “him” that way still made her strangely uncomfortable.
The moment she frowned slightly, “Ren Yao” cleared his throat and answered, “I cannot break it, but Xiaochu can…”
“Me?”
Yan Zhengchu was even more shocked. “Martial Uncle, are you joking? I have never even heard the name of this curse…”
“Ren Yao” smiled faintly. “That is easily solved. Simply do as I tell you. The most urgent task is to find Miss Taoxi’s body.”
Yan Zhengchu was startled again. “Isn’t she already dead? Wouldn’t her corpse have decayed?”
“Bai Qingyan sealed away her soul, but if he wanted to perform Lifespan Borrowing on her, he had to preserve her body.”
Yu Lang listened with pricked ears, then could not resist asking softly, “This Lifespan Borrowing sounds terribly sinister. How exactly is it done?”
When everyone cast suspicious looks at him, he immediately explained, “This Young Master is merely curious! I have no intention of learning it!”
“Ren Yao” explained, “Everyone is born with an allotted lifespan. Judging by Miss Taoxi’s fate, she was blessed with longevity and should have lived a very long life.”
“Bai Qingyan must have chosen to ‘borrow’ her lifespan for that reason.”
“If I am not mistaken, preserving her body without altering her fate requires a particular array.”
Yu Lang only half understood, but his mind was quick. He immediately said, “Miss Taoxi mentioned a place called Yunxi Rock and said Bai Qingyan often cultivated there. Could it be…”
Approval appeared in “Ren Yao’s” eyes. “Exactly. You had the same thought I did.”
Xia Ximo suddenly spoke. “Only two hours remain.”
Though the remark came without explanation, everyone immediately understood her meaning.
The pressure on Yan Zhengchu was immense. He hurriedly said, “Then we must go now…”
As he spoke, he looked back at the gruesome corpse of his master, Master Tianji. In the end, he said nothing and turned to leave the secret chamber.
Yu Lang followed behind him.
Xia Ximo was about to do the same when she noticed “Ren Yao” walk to Master Tianji’s side and cast a spell.
She did not ask about it. But after she turned and took only two steps, he had already caught up.
“Ren Yao” asked with studied casualness, “Is there truly no possibility at all between Miss Xia and my nephew?”
Xia Ximo stopped. Looking sideways at the familiar face, she felt an even stranger sensation in her heart.
“He and I have already broken off our engagement.”
After replying indifferently, she continued walking.
“Ren Yao” immediately followed. “I can sense my nephew’s heart. He did not truly wish to end the engagement. At the time, he merely… wanted to respect your wishes.”
“…”
When Xia Ximo did not answer, “Ren Yao” continued, “The men of our Ren Family have always been devoted in love. Just look at my elder brother. He fell in love with my sister-in-law at first sight, and from then on, no other woman ever entered his eyes…”
“…”
Xia Ximo stopped again and glanced at him. “What does any of that have to do with me?”
“Ren Yao” smiled at her. “I do not have much time left in the mortal world. Naturally, I hope the sole heir of the Ren Family can win the beauty he loves as soon as possible…”
Xia Ximo had no desire to entertain him. She quickened her pace, but he swiftly followed and whispered, “I will tell you a secret about my nephew. Would you like to hear it?”
“No.”
“Ren Yao” insisted on leaning closer and murmured beside her ear.
“The reason my nephew was born missing one po soul may have something to do with you.”
Xia Ximo’s expression changed instantly.
As though his scheme had succeeded, “Ren Yao” added in a tone that made it impossible to tell truth from falsehood, “That is all I can reveal. Protect my nephew well. The truth will come to light in time.”
Yan Zhengchu raced all the way to Yunxi Rock. Seeing the moon sinking in the west and the night nearing its end, he grew even more anxious.
Fortunately, the view across Yunxi Rock was broad and unobstructed. A single glance revealed everything.
After looking around, Yu Lang said, “The only place here that could hide someone should be that cave.”
Yan Zhengchu nodded and hurried inside with him.
Unexpectedly, the cave that appeared shallow from outside proved to be a labyrinth within, extending in every direction with numerous branching paths.
The faint sound of water could be heard somewhere inside.
While the two men remained at a loss, Xia Ximo walked past them and said lightly, “Follow me.”
Yan Zhengchu was startled by her confidence.
Yu Lang, in contrast, trusted her completely and eagerly trotted after her.
Guided by Wuyou inside the Soul-Ferrying Lantern, Xia Ximo passed through one maze-like stone passage after another as the sound of water grew clearer.
Then she discovered a small pool. A stone coffin appeared to lie at its center, with a Black Talisman pasted upon it.
Although Yan Zhengchu had never heard of the Soul-Seizing Curse, he could roughly discern the function of the Talisman drawn upon the Black Talisman and the arrangement of the array.
Flowing water circulated, moisture gathered, and a Black Talisman suppressed what lay within, both righteous and wicked at once.
When they opened the stone coffin, they indeed found a figure inside who appeared to be peacefully asleep.
Even if a ghost envoy from the Underworld Administration came and took a single glance, the envoy would probably believe that a living person slept inside.
“Martial Uncle, we found Taoxi’s body.”
“Ren Yao,” who walked at the rear of the group, nodded. “Carry her body out first.”
Yan Zhengchu and Yu Lang exchanged a look. “Young Master Yu, I will need your help.”
Yu Lang walked to the edge of the pool, but the moment he touched Taoxi’s body, he started in surprise.
“Her body is still warm?”
The two men worked together to carry Taoxi onto the bank.
“Ren Yao” stepped forward and examined her for a moment, his expression growing unusually solemn.
He said to Yan Zhengchu, “The Soul-Seizing Curse cannot be broken. It can only be transferred. Can you… bring yourself to do it?”
Yan Zhengchu immediately understood. “You mean transferring the curse onto… my… Bai Qingyan?”
“Ren Yao” nodded. “Only then can we save Miss Taoxi’s soul and give her a chance to enter reincarnation.”
Yan Zhengchu sighed, but said, “Do not worry, Martial Uncle. I can still tell right from wrong. Bai Qingyan sowed these bitter consequences himself. It is only right that he bear them.”