The commotion outside caught Shen Mingshu's attention. She opened the door and stepped out, asking, "What is going on?"
Leng Feng jumped down from the courtyard wall, drew his sword, pointed the tip at Mother Zhang on the ground, and said, "This old woman was sneaking around outside just now, peeking in. She doesn't look like any good!"
When Mother Zhang caught sight of Shen Mingshu, she hurriedly said, "Mingshu, my girl, I came to look for you all, but when I saw two strange men in the courtyard, I thought they might be bad people, so I didn't dare make a sound."
Shen Mingshu recognized Mother Zhang's face, walked over, and said, "Oh, it's Mother Zhang. It's mealtime, so why aren't you eating at home? Is there something you need us for?"
Mother Zhang glanced at Pei Jingheng and lowered her voice, asking, "Who are these two gentlemen?"
"They are friends I met in town earlier. Mother Zhang, please speak freely," Shen Mingshu said with a warm smile, though her eyes were filled with scrutiny.
Mother Zhang widened her eyes in a panic and asked, "Could they be here to propose marriage?"
Seeing that she was stalling and refusing to state her purpose, Shen Mingshu bypassed her question altogether. "Mother Zhang, since you have nothing else to say, please head back. I need to go make dinner."
Seeing that Shen Mingshu was about to close the door, Mother Zhang hurriedly pressed her hand against it. "Mingshu, my girl, I saw your clothes were thin, so I sewed a thick padded jacket for you. Hurry up and try it on to see if it fits."
With that, she tried to put the red padded jacket onto Shen Mingshu, but Shen Mingshu pushed her away forcefully. "Mingshu, my girl, are you looking down on Dama's clothes?"
With a smile that didn't reach her eyes, Shen Mingshu said, "Mother Zhang, the fabric of this garment is far too fine. I cannot accept it. Please go home."
With that, she shut the door right in her face.
Mother Zhang slapped the door. "Mingshu, my girl! This is Dama's kind intention!"
Shen Mingshu gave Leng Feng a look, and Leng Feng immediately said in a cold voice, "Stop knocking, or my sword won't be so polite!"
Frightened, Mother Zhang clutched the jacket and scurried home.
Goodness gracious, this young man in black was terrifying! Who knows where Shen Mingshu made such friends!
Shen Mingshu said softly, "Come inside and get ready to eat."
Leng Feng walked over to Pei Jingheng's side, just in time to hear his freezing voice carry a low chuckle, "You certainly know how to take your cue from others."
"Master, this subordinate doesn't know how it happened either. The moment she looked at me, I just knew what she meant..." Leng Feng scratched his head, somewhat baffled by his own performance just now.
The three of them entered the main hall. Yun Niang hurriedly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and asked with a smile, "Shenshen, what did Mother Zhang want just now?"
"She brought me a red padded jacket, but I didn't take it," Shen Mingshu said, then added a warning, "Mother, you are not allowed to take her things either."
"Mother certainly won't take anything from others. Eat someone's food and your mouth is soft; take someone's gifts and your hands are short." Yun Niang waved her hands toward Pei Jingheng and Leng Feng. "Please take a seat, both of you. We were delayed a bit, but dinner will be ready in a moment."
Before long, four bowls of clear porridge and two plates of stir-fried green vegetables with eggs appeared on the table.
Shen Mingshu ate with great relish. "We actually have eggs today!"
Yun Niang picked out some food for her and said gently, "You earned fifty taels of silver today, so we can afford to eat a little better. That's why we used four eggs for the four of us."
Pei Jingheng ate in silence, his expression showing not a shred of disdain for the humble meal.
He hadn't expected this family to be so poor that they couldn't even afford eggs on ordinary days. Truly destitute.
***
In the dead of night, Shen Mingshu saw that Yun Niang beside her was fast asleep, so she quietly got up and went out into the courtyard.
She realized she was already capable of breaking the Yin-Gathering Array.
She glanced toward the guest room next door—that used to be Yun Niang's room, but today she had given it to Pei Jingheng and Leng Feng.
Could it be because she had grabbed Pei Jingheng's hand earlier, and her body had been nourished by the Purple Dragon Qi on him?
Shen Mingshu could only think of this one possibility.
Breaking the Yin-Gathering Array required the moment when the yin energy was at its peak during the day—namely, the Hour of the Rat.
This exact time was also the optimal moment for setting up the Yin-Gathering Array.
Shen Mingshu paced back and forth in the courtyard and quickly located the eye of the formation.
She walked to the spot right outside the courtyard gate facing the main hall, formed hand seals in front of her chest, and began to chant under her breath.
No candles were lit inside the house, so Pei Jingheng and Leng Feng looked through the window at Shen Mingshu outside.
"Master, what is she doing?" Leng Feng gripped his sword tightly and said in a deep voice, "I keep feeling like she's up to no good."
Pei Jingheng narrowed his eyes, his voice laced with chill. "Let's watch and see."
When Shen Mingshu finished her incantation, two balls of flame ignited in the palms of her hands.
She slowly rolled the two flames into a single mass and then violently struck them against the ground.
The fireballs landed and rapidly scattered into thread-like strands, spreading in all directions like a spider's web.
Seeing the threads of fire drill into the house, Leng Feng hurriedly pulled Pei Jingheng back to dodge. "Master, be careful! This fire is surrounding us like a giant net!"
"This subordinate will go out and stop her!"
With that, he bolted straight out the door, his blade flashing coldly in the moonlight. "What are you doing?!"
Shen Mingshu looked at him with a calm expression. "I am breaking the array. Calm down, I would never harm you."
She knew these two were vigilant, but she hadn't expected them to be still awake this late.
The threads of fire quickly permeated the entire Yin-Gathering Array, and a slight tremor rippled through the courtyard.
With her current strength, breaking the Yin-Gathering Array should have been effortless, but she hadn't expected this array to be bound to her Yin-Ultimate Body!
If she died, the array would break; if she lived, the array would endure!
The person who set up the Yin-Gathering Array would know whether she lived or died without even having to show their face.
Feeling the tremors begin, Leng Feng stepped back to protect Pei Jingheng. "Master, the ground is shaking!"
However, Pei Jingheng noticed that Shen Mingshu's complexion didn't look right. He pressed a hand on Leng Feng's shoulder and said, "Earlier we heard her mention a Yin-Gathering Array in the courtyard. She must be breaking that very array."
Gritting her teeth, Shen Mingshu dropped to one knee, pressed her palms firmly against the ground, and channeled the Chiyang Gold Fire deep underground. The flames abruptly surged upward, transforming into a half-person-high wall of fire!
It was nothing more than crooked, heretical sorcery; they had no right to make her risk her life!
The shaking ground abruptly stopped, and something in the courtyard seemed to dissipate in an instant.
Pei Jingheng suddenly felt the surrounding temperature rise slightly, and the chill in the air vanished.
Shen Mingshu clutched her chest and looked up toward Pei Jingheng's position. "Help me... *cough*..."
Before she could finish her sentence, a mouthful of blood sprayed out.
Her vision went black, and she pitched forward. Just as her consciousness was about to fade, she felt herself fall into a warm embrace.
Pei Jingheng picked her up horizontally, carried her back into the room, and said in a deep voice, "Go call Yun Niang."
Far away in Shengjing, Yin Zhuo snapped his eyes open from deep sleep.
"*Pfft*—" Before he could even sit up, a mouthful of blood sprayed out.
Droplets of blood fell onto his face, making his gloomy expression even more terrifying.
"The Yin-Gathering Array has actually been broken!"
His connection with the Yin-Ultimate Body was severed as well.
Yin Zhuo hurriedly got up, wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve, and walked unsteadily to the table to begin drawing talismans.
He had to notify Chen Yang immediately and tell him to keep a close eye on that girl. Before the plan commenced, he must not let whoever broke the array take her away from Huaihua Village!