Bright red cinnabar was used to draw intricate Spirit Patterns on the talisman paper. Yin Zhuo held the paper between two fingers, his beard twitching as he chanted an Incantation.
"Disciple, go at once to Huaihua Village and secure the Yin-Ultimate Body!"
"Go!"
Once the message was delivered, the communication talisman instantly transformed into a small yellow bird, which fluttered out through a crack in the window.
Yin Zhuo slumped back against his chair, panting, his eyes clouded with gloom. Who on earth was meddling in his affairs, destroying his Yin-Gathering Array? He had been only days away from initiating his plan, yet at this critical juncture, he had been injured by the backlash from the formation. Yin Zhuo closed his eyes; it seemed he had no choice but to take another risk.
He stood up slowly and walked to a display rack. He reached out to turn a white bottle, and the shelf slowly parted, revealing a stone door that swung inward. A frigid, chilling aura surged forth, yet Yin Zhuo did not show the slightest fear.
...
Shen Mingshu slept until morning. As she slowly lifted her eyelids, she saw someone sitting on the edge of the bed, and she was clutching his hand. As her blurry vision cleared, she realized the person beside her was not Yun Niang, but Pei Jingheng. A flush of heat rushed to her face, and she hurriedly pushed his hand away from her chest.
To think she had held his hand against her chest while she slept for so long...
Pei Jingheng slowly opened his eyes, tilting his head to look at her with half-lidded gaze. "You're awake. Do you feel better?"
He was still thick with sleep, and his usually cold, deep voice was slightly hoarse, sounding unexpectedly gentle.
Shen Mingshu sat up, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I was holding your hand again..."
Pei Jingheng’s black eyebrows lifted slightly, his voice returning to its usual ice-tempered quality, though it held a hint of a smile. "Perhaps it is because of the fated marriage you mentioned."
Shen Mingshu bit her lip in silence. She knew she couldn't let go of him because of the Purple Dragon Qi he possessed, but she dared not say it aloud, fearing that Pei Jingheng would never let her near him again. After all, he surely knew how vital that Purple Dragon Qi was to him.
Pei Jingheng braced himself to move, but discovered that half of his body was numb. "Miss Shen, you held my hand all through the night and wouldn't let me leave. Now that my side is sore and numb, could I trouble you to massage it for me?"
"Of course." Shen Mingshu nodded hurriedly, reaching out to knead his shoulder and arm gently.
Pei Jingheng pursed his thin lips, his long eyelashes casting a shadow over his dark pupils, concealing the joy in his eyes. He wasn't wrong—whenever she touched him, the discomfort in his body dissipated slightly. Master Qingxuan had told him that this discomfort was caused by the dense Death Qi within him, which made his body feel heavy at every moment. Yet this young woman before him could actually dissolve the Death Qi. If he kept her by his side and held her hand every day, the Death Qi would surely be cleared away entirely.
She truly was his fated partner.
Yun Niang entered from outside, carrying a steaming bowl of medicine. "Shenshen is awake! Mother watched over you all night, and I've reheated this medicine three times."
Shen Mingshu quickly stopped massaging Pei Jingheng, her cheeks burning. "Mother... were you here all night?" That would mean she had seen her holding a man's hand to her chest—cough, cough.
Yun Niang looked at Pei Jingheng apologetically. "I am truly sorry, Young Master Pei. My Shenshen has caused you trouble. You must not have rested well; why not go sleep in the next room for a while?"
"That would be best," Pei Jingheng replied indifferently, rising to leave.
Yun Niang hurriedly handed over the medicine. "Drink it quickly. You vomited so much blood on the floor last night, you scared me to death!"
Shen Mingshu cradled the bowl and frowned as she drank; the decoction, having been boiled three times, was bitter in the extreme. Once she finished, Yun Niang whispered, "What is the matter with you, child? Why do you cling to Young Master Pei and refuse to let go every time you faint? I wanted to pry your hands apart but was afraid of hurting you, so I could only fret."
"You are sixteen now; you must understand the boundaries between men and women. How can you grab a man's hand and pull it to your chest? It is fortunate that Young Master Pei is a gentleman who didn't look or act improperly, otherwise, how could I, a lone woman, fight off two men?"
Shen Mingshu’s earlobes turned crimson at her mother's words. She said softly, "I don't know either. Perhaps it's because we are a fated match..."
Yun Niang sighed. "Even if it is ordained by heaven, you must at least settle the marriage first. You cannot go on in this improper way..."
"Mother, I'm hungry." Shen Mingshu interrupted her nagging. Talk of betrothals was far too early.
Yun Niang hurried away. "Alright, Mother will go make you a bowl of egg noodles."
Shen Mingshu went to the courtyard to stretch. With the Yin-Gathering Array gone, the sunlight in the yard felt much warmer than before.
Mother Zhang’s voice sounded at the gate. "Little Mingshu!"
Shen Mingshu squinted, seeing Mother Zhang peeking at her through the crack in the door. She opened it and asked, "Mother Zhang, is something the matter?"
"Little Mingshu, I've brought you two chickens. Have your mother stew them so you can nourish your body." As she spoke, she tossed the two chickens into the yard.
Shen Mingshu hurriedly protested, "Mother Zhang, we don't need these!"
Mother Zhang’s eyes crinkled into a smile, and she waved her hand dismissively as she turned to leave. "Once they've entered the gate, they are yours! Don't you dare try to return them!"
The two chickens ran and flapped about the yard, and Shen Mingshu couldn't catch them at all. Leng Feng stepped out of the house and covered his mouth to stifle a laugh as he watched her chase the birds.
Shen Mingshu looked at him. "Come and help me catch them!"
Leng Feng was about to refuse, but remembering that he was living and eating here, he hurried over to help. After a long struggle, they finally managed to tie the chickens' feet. Shen Mingshu grabbed them and rushed toward the gate, only to find Mother Zhang returning with a group of people in tow.
As soon as Mother Zhang saw Shen Mingshu holding the two chickens, she announced loudly, "Look! Those two chickens in my daughter-in-law’s hands are the betrothal gifts from my family!"
Those who didn't know the situation offered their congratulations. "That’s wonderful, Mother Zhang! Congratulations on gaining such a pretty daughter-in-law as little Mingshu."
"So that’s why you’ve been so concerned about her! It turns out she was already promised to be your daughter-in-law!"
"When is the wedding? We’ll be sure to come join the celebration!"
Mother Zhang smiled so wide her crow's feet deepened. "We’re holding the ceremony today!"
Shen Mingshu watched them approach with a cold expression. She threw the two chickens onto the ground and said, "Take these beasts of yours and get out."
The chickens let out shrill, piercing cries, their wings kicking up dust from the ground.
Mother Zhang’s eyes widened. "Little Mingshu! You accepted my family's betrothal gifts, so why are you going back on your word? Since you took them, you are my daughter-in-law!"
"Exactly! No backing out now!" A sallow-faced young man beside her stepped forward to grab Shen Mingshu's hand. "Come, go home with me to perform the wedding ceremony!"
Shen Mingshu looked at him with revulsion and scolded sharply, "You are forcing a woman into marriage!"
As she stepped back, she felt a hand gently press onto her shoulder. She turned to see Pei Jingheng. He stepped forward to shield her behind him, his cold eyes sweeping over the group. His voice, ice-cold and tempered with steel, rang out: "Leng Feng."