Chapter 278
Chapter 278
Looking at his wife before him, Zhu Peng was heartbroken.
“Don’t alter it, Xiaoyun. I don’t want new clothes. I only want you. I only want you alive!”
At those words, the seemingly dazed Xiaoyun appeared to be moved. Bright tears gathered in her eyes.
Yet she remained fixated on his new clothes, her voice full of guilt.
“The New Year is almost here. You’ve worn your old clothes for three years. It’s time for new ones. Peng, I’ll make you something…”
As she spoke, though her hands held nothing, she began sewing stitch by stitch as if wielding her old needle and thread.
At the sight, Zhu Peng’s heart felt as though it were bleeding.
Anger rose within him. “Who killed you? Which bastard killed you? I’ll cut your killer into a thousand pieces!”
His roar made Xiaoyun freeze.
Outside the array, Yan Zhengchu immediately warned him, “Don’t shout. You’ll frighten her!”
But Xiaoyun was clearly already frightened. She clutched her head in pain and suddenly crouched on the ground. Blood began seeping from her…
Then great patches of blood soaked her previously clean clothes.
“Peng, save me! Peng, come back and save me!”
As she cried out, flames appeared at the hem of her clothes. In moments, her whole body began burning.
Horrified, Zhu Peng nearly dropped the candle in his hand. At that critical instant, a force pulled him out of the array.
“Daoist Master! Save Xiaoyun!”
Yan Zhengchu’s expression was grave. “Her soul was weak to begin with. Frightened like that, it scattered…”
Overcome with guilt, Zhu Peng said, “I… I didn’t mean to. Just now, I…”
“I forgot to warn you beforehand.”
Daoist Yan sighed.
He had intended the young couple’s reunion only to ease the pain of longing. Perhaps it could even resolve Xiaoyun’s attachment.
He had not expected the opposite result, making matters more complicated instead.
By then, Xia Ximo had hurried over at the commotion. Afraid of disturbing the Yin Soul, Ren Fengjue stayed outside the door of his own accord.
At a glance, she saw that Xiaoyun’s soul was no longer in the room. Her expression chilled. “What happened?”
Zhu Peng looked anguished. “I frightened Xiaoyun’s soul away…”
Then he rushed outside and told Ren Fengjue, “Young master, I’m certain Xiaoyun was murdered! I saw so much blood! And fire! You must help me find the killer!”
Ren Fengjue understood. He merely said, “I won’t stand by and do nothing. You can be sure of that.”
Though Yan Zhengchu had acted promptly, he had retrieved only one of Xiaoyun’s po souls. He told Xia Ximo, “It was only a trace of attachment that brought Xiaoyun’s soul all this way. The fright scattered it. Now we must find her Three Hun and the remaining Six Po as quickly as possible…”
Zhu Peng felt even more guilty. “Daoist Master, it’s all my fault. I was too rash.”
“There’s no use saying more,” Yan Zhengchu replied. “I bear responsibility too. The urgent thing now is to find her souls.”
He checked the sky. It was almost dark. “I’ll make the preparations first.”
Daoist Yan immediately laid a Soul-locking Array in the rear courtyard. Then he placed Xiaoyun’s single po soul into his compass, using its ghostly energy to judge the others’ approximate locations.
Following the compass, he roughly marked where the Three Hun and remaining Six Po were. Apart from the Primary Soul, all were still within the mansion.
This left Yan Zhengchu somewhat troubled. He could not help glancing at Xia Ximo.
Noticing his gaze, she looked back at him.
Yan Zhengchu immediately smiled and admitted, “I may have to trouble you, Miss Xia.”
“Say what you mean,” Xia Ximo said.
“Xiaoyun’s Primary Soul has left the mansion. It’s roughly to the southwest…”
Xia Ximo understood at once, but asked, “Can you handle the others?”
“Leave them to me,” Yan Zhengchu hastily replied.
She gave a quiet acknowledgment, turned, and walked out.
Only then did Yan Zhengchu breathe a little easier. Turning to count the places where the souls had scattered, he realized that he would need at least eight people.
Counting the three men from Zhu Family Village, plus Yu Lang and Axia, he had only five.
Ren Fengjue’s yang qi was too strong. He certainly could not be included.
That left three more people needed…
As he pondered the difficulty, several figures entered the courtyard.
Zhao Wan led them.
The princess had come to call them to prepare for the New Year’s Eve dinner. Seeing such elaborate preparations, she thought ghosts must be causing trouble again.
Fortunately, she had witnessed far more dramatic scenes by now. Puzzled, she asked, “Are ghosts stirring up trouble in my mansion again?”
Yan Zhengchu immediately explained the whole matter to Zhao Wan.
He added, “I was just hoping to borrow a few people from Your Highness.”
At that, the servants who had been watching curiously slipped away, afraid of becoming involved.
Knowing that they feared the supernatural, Zhao Wan immediately had Xiaoxizi summon the Golden Plume Guards.
The guards had felt deeply guilty for failing to help the princess in the underground chambers last time.
Now, hearing her summons, their commander brought his men over at once.
Daoist Yan selected three whose yang qi was less strong. Together with the three men from Zhu Family Village, that made five people.
He took out a copper coin, cast a spell, and passed it over each person’s eyes in turn.
Then he wrote down where they needed to go and handed out the papers.
“Go to the places written on your papers. Use a Soul-Guiding Candle to lead the soul back into this array.”
“Remember, when you see her, don’t frighten her. Don’t speak. Once she sees the Soul-Guiding Candle, she will naturally be drawn to its light.”
“Take care. You have only two hours.”
They nodded and departed.
They had barely left when servants brought Yu Lang and Axia to the rear courtyard.
Vice Minister Yu had been all smiles before entering. Only after hearing Yan Zhengchu’s explanation did he realize this was nothing pleasant…
“Does it really have to be us?”
Daoist Yan said, “These last two po souls are unusual. I’m afraid the others wouldn’t be able to handle them.”
Yu Lang was speechless.
Having been left behind in the guest courtyard before, Axia was quite interested this time and came closer. “What do you need me to do, Daoist Master?”
“The method is the same,” Daoist Yan explained. “But she died with an unresolved attachment that turned into resentment. It will manifest more strongly in the aspects of anger and aversion among the Seven Po.”
“The po souls cannot hurt people, but they can frighten them. As long as you understand that, you can manage.”
Axia nodded at once.
Knowing he could not get out of it, Yu Lang could only agree reluctantly.
Yan Zhengchu gave them Soul-Guiding Candles. Using the copper coin, he channeled one of Xiaoyun’s po souls into their eyes, then reminded them, “Souls favor yin. Search places with more yin energy, especially beside water, beneath trees, and in cool, shaded corners by walls.”
“Remember to return within two hours.”
Only after the two left did Yan Zhengchu truly relax. Seated within the array, he thought of talking to Ren Fengjue, but when he turned, he discovered that the Young Marquis had long since disappeared from view.