Chapter Eighty-Eight: A Person of Profound Daoist Arts (Today’s update ends here. Thank you all for your support.)

I had already prepared for the worst and had even stepped up to the table to shield the others.

But the instant the dagger in Miao Renhuan’s hand pierced the bamboo effigy, I was still standing there unscathed, while the life had already drained from Miao Renhuan’s face opposite me, leaving it white as blank paper.

Miao Renhuan slowly lowered his head. With great difficulty, he raised a hand and felt at his chest. A wound, as though torn open by some sharp weapon, appeared there, driven straight through from front to back. Through that gaping hole I could even see Ouyang Cuo sitting behind him.

Miao Renhuan had already fallen to the ground. From the blood pouring endlessly from his chest, snakes were even writhing their way outward. At the very moment he drew his last breath, his mouth was still wide open. I never understood why the fatal curse of the Five Venom Death Generals ultimately took effect upon him.

From his two hollow, rotting eye sockets seeped black water. Just as with the feeling in Miao Renhuan’s heart at the moment of death, he would never rest in peace.

Under the gaze of everyone in the courtyard, his body slowly began to split apart. At first there were only a few, then more and more snake heads tore through his skin and slithered out, beginning to devour his corpse. Through the already torn-open abdomen, one could clearly see that the abdominal cavity was completely empty, with no organs at all—only a great heap of venomous snakes coiled together, interlaced and twisting.

Ouyang Cuo suddenly rose to his feet and swept the courtyard with a wary look, his cold gaze passing over every face there.

Then he gave me a meaningful glance. There was even fear in his eyes, though I knew it was not because of me. In the end, he left without another word, not even looking back, and departed from Gu Xiaotian’s villa.

The rule of the final match was that whoever remained would win. Now that Ouyang Cuo was gone, the dust had settled, and it seemed I had truly won the last contest—but I felt no joy at all.

I understood why Ouyang Cuo had left. He had never even intended to fight me. It was not that he feared me. Rather, there was still someone else in that courtyard whose mastery of the arts was unimaginably profound. Even if Ouyang Cuo knew he might not be my match, he would probably still have fought me.

But for someone who could silently and effortlessly break Miao Renhuan’s deadly curse of the Five Venom Generals, he must have known in his heart that against such a person, he had not the slightest hope.

I did not even watch Ouyang Cuo and Su Lengyue leave. Yesterday someone had helped me dispel the snow and restore clear skies; today someone had helped me break Miao Renhuan’s death curse. Such profound mastery was beyond my reach, yet I could not understand why anyone would help me.

One thing was certain: that person had to be somewhere in the courtyard. But I quickly abandoned the idea of searching for them. As the saying goes, the face reflects the heart—but someone with such high attainment in the mystical arts was likely already beyond form itself. With my meager skill, how could I possibly see through them?

Yue Qianling was still unconscious. Before Gu Xiaotian even announced the result, I carried her back to the room. The curse Miao Renhuan used was a chain curse; Lan Qing had been struck by the snake curse, while Yue Qianling had fallen under a soul-snatching curse. Although Miao Renhuan’s spell had been broken, three parts of Yue Qianling’s soul had been taken, which was why she remained unconscious.

“Brother, you’re so capable—hurry and get Qianling’s soul back!” Yue Leiting said anxiously.

“There’s no need to look for it. From the start, I used peachwood chopsticks to hold the stolen soul in place. As long as I send it back into Qianling’s body, she’ll be fine!”

“Then what are we waiting for? Yanhui, hurry and save Qianling,” Yue Leiting said urgently.

“It’s not that I won’t save her, it’s just... it’s just...” I rubbed my forehead, hesitating in embarrassment.

“If there’s something to say, just say it. At a time like this, what are you still worrying about?” Yue Leiting said in anguish.

“Qianling is female, so she has an yin constitution. Her soul was taken. If it is to be returned to her body, a person of pure yang constitution must help guide it back.” Lan Qing, leaning weakly against Yue Leiting, spoke with effort.

“Aunt Lan, what’s a pure yang constitution?”

“You really are hopelessly stupid.” Gu Anqi’s face reddened. She shot Xiao Lianshan a glance and said softly, “It means a man who has never had relations with a woman. In other words, a virgin.”

“A virgin...” Xiao Lianshan thought for a moment, then looked up and asked, “Brother, are you not a virgin anymore?”

“Nonsense, of course I am!” I said without hesitation.

“Then why are you hesitating? Since you are, hurry up and save Qianling!”

“Yanhui, you’re only saving Qianling. You needn’t be bound by trifles. I know what you’re worried about.” Lan Qing, gathering what strength she had, said kindly, “A soul must be borne by pure yang energy. Qianling has an yin body, so her soul must be carried back with yang energy. Only you can save her here. I believe Qianling would not fault you for it.”

“How exactly do you use yang energy to send a soul back?” Xiao Lianshan asked, thoroughly puzzled.

Gu Anqi blushed and said quietly, “Just mouth to mouth is enough...”

“Just kissing! My, you’ve all been beating around the bush with fancy words for ages.” Yue Leiting breathed a sigh of relief. So the method was that simple. “What are you afraid of? You’ve already seen Qianling bathing; what difference does it make if you kiss her?”

“I... when did I ever see her bathing?” I stared blankly, feeling utterly wronged.

“I explained it to you so clearly. In ancient times, if a man so much as looked at a woman’s arm, she could have her arm cut off. You saw Qianling bathing—if this were the old days, she’d only have had death to prove her innocence. Of course, that’s not necessary now. I’ve long wanted to bring you two together, and besides, I can see Qianling is deeply fond of you too. Think of this as getting on the train first and making up the ticket later!” Yue Leiting said loudly.

I looked at Yue Qianling, lying unconscious on the ground, and then at Yue Leiting and Lan Qing’s expectant expressions. I knew that if Qianling ever found out about this today, she would surely want my life. And besides, to do such a thing in front of so many people, under all those watching eyes, even if I knew it was to save her, I still could not bring myself to do it.

Clenching my teeth, I carried Yue Qianling back into the room. I had never looked at her from such close range before, and certainly not while she was at her quietest. Only then did I suddenly realize that Yue Qianling was actually quite beautiful: long eyelashes, a high bridge of the nose, and delicate lips.

The lower I bent, the closer I came to Yue Qianling’s body, and the more intensely I could smell the intoxicating fragrance drifting from her. It was the first time I had ever been so close to a girl, and I could hear my own heartbeat clearly.

When the final soul fragment was sent back into Yue Qianling’s body, she slowly opened her eyes.

Crack.

A clear slap rang out. I covered my face and walked out, while behind me came Yue Qianling’s furious shouting and cursing.

Yue Leiting let out a long breath and said to Lan Qing, “Since she can still hit Yanhui and curse at him, that means she’s fine. Heh heh.”

I covered my face and smiled awkwardly. “There was just a small disagreement in our communication, but it’s nothing serious.”

“Brother, look how red your face is. Saving Qianling must have cost you a lot of energy,” Xiao Lianshan said very seriously. He had never been one for jokes, and Gu Anqi couldn’t help bursting into laughter.

Because I had saved Yue Qianling, Gu Xiaotian deliberately postponed announcing the result of the contest. The next day, in front of everyone, Gu Xiaotian solemnly declared that I was the victor. From that day on, all fortunes and misfortunes concerning the Tombs of the Fourteenth Ming Emperor would belong to Yue Leiting, and no one else was permitted to interfere. Whoever disobeyed would be killed on the spot.

All five contests had been fair from beginning to end. Since Yue Leiting had won, he naturally could not stop smiling, while the others accepted their defeats with complete conviction. Even if some were still unwilling in their hearts, with Gu Xiaotian having spoken so decisively, no one would dare act rashly.

The heavy stone in my heart finally fell away. It was not because I had won the contest, but because I could at last give Wei Yong an explanation. After all, what was at stake in this contest was not merely win or lose. Wei Yong held the power of life and death in his hands, and I fully believed that he was not bluffing. If he said he could do it, he absolutely would.

After returning from Gu Xiaotian’s villa, everything had seemed to be over, yet I felt as though I had crossed from one world into another. This brief week had been far too thrilling and perilous, especially the final battle of magic. To this day I still could not understand why someone had helped me. What fascinated me even more was that such a person of unfathomable mystical power truly existed. If I ever had the chance to meet them again, beyond expressing my gratitude for saving my life, I would want to ask them earnestly for guidance in the occult.

The day after we returned, Yue Leiting told me someone wanted to meet me and handed me a slip of paper.

I unfolded it. The handwriting on it was graceful and delicate.

Mountains and Rivers by the Riverbank.

Aside from those five words, nothing else was written—but the moment I saw them, I stood up at once.

At Qingyang Temple, I had seen that Mountains and Rivers by the Riverbank was a fake, and in order to prove it publicly, I tore it apart. Because of that, I had been arrested and taken to the police station. If someone had not produced the genuine painting, I truly could not have said how that matter would have been handled.

The person who had sent this note need not be guessed at all; it could only have been the one who had revealed the authentic Mountains and Rivers by the Riverbank that day.

A single drop of kindness deserves a fountain’s return, let alone a person who had acted generously and given so freely. No matter how one looked at it, I owed them a favor.

“Brother Ting, I’ll meet this person.”

“No need right now. A car will come for you tomorrow.” Yue Leiting said with a mysterious smile. “Yanhui, you should seize this opportunity. If you can earn their favorable regard, your future will truly be limitless.”