After answering, Feng Li added coldly, “I hope you understand—emotions and affection only serve to distract and weaken a person. Once entangled, they corrupt. You’d best not let others lead you astray.”
Feng Li had always been immune to persuasion or sentiment. He disliked romantic entanglements. Jiang Luo responded smoothly, “You’re right, sir.”
He agreed so easily that Feng Li went quiet for a moment. Then he said mildly, “The two families that framed you have already been punished by the Heavenly Masters Residence. They won’t dare touch you again.”
Jiang Luo listened silently and mocked inwardly: If it hadn’t been for your permission, they wouldn’t have dared touch me in the first place. But on the surface, he said gratefully, “Thank you for your protection, sir.”
“As for the malicious ghost who broke your virgin yang energy,” Feng Li’s voice grew even colder, “I will kill him myself.”
Feng Li had no personal grudge against Chi You. On the contrary, he even admired Chi You—a prodigy who had outshone his peers in life and retained formidable power in death. Feng Li had once wanted to capture Chi You and refine him into a weapon or a shikigami. But after Chi You repeatedly entangled himself with Jiang Luo, that intention had quietly turned to murderous rage.
He had once said, If I ever catch you with Chi You again, I’ll break your legs. That wasn’t a joke. If Jiang Luo persisted in his folly, Feng Li truly would break his legs, then lock him away for months until he cried red-eyed and realized his mistake. Only then would Feng Li summon the Lian family to heal him again.
Feng Li rarely took a personal interest in his disciples. Those who were chosen as his students were already elites—raised from childhood with all the best resources. Talented, well-trained, they required no hand-holding. Feng Li would only occasionally take them on missions.
These disciples were always stiff and cautious around him. They never dared act familiar, let alone cause trouble. Feng Li, in turn, remained distant.
But Jiang Luo had made Feng Li worry about everything.
Though exceptionally gifted, Jiang Luo had been wasted by Chen Pi for over twenty years. He was completely ignorant—like a blank slate. Feng Li had to teach him everything from scratch. Worse, Jiang Luo had gone astray and entangled himself with a malevolent ghost, which only fueled Feng Li’s fury and forced him to focus even more tightly on Jiang Luo.
Feng Li had never personally mentored a disciple so closely. Beyond assigning books and talisman practice, he hadn’t yet figured out how best to train Jiang Luo.
But the more he cared, the stricter he became. So strict that he even tried to regulate Jiang Luo’s clothes, the length of his hair, and that tassel earring he didn’t know when Jiang Luo started wearing—it all irked him.
And after finding out that Jiang Luo and Chi You had spent the night together, he finally couldn’t take it anymore.
Chi You had to die. Not just die—his soul must be annihilated. Reincarnation was not an option.
But just after he said that, the disciple who had already parted ways with the vengeful ghost turned his head and smiled reservedly, “Master, there’s no need for you to act.”
The handsome Heavenly Master frowned slightly.
The black-haired youth had righteousness and duty written all over his face. “Your disciple has already come to his senses. Looking back now, I only find my former self pitiful and laughable. To rid the world of vengeful spirits, I will stop at nothing. There’s no need for you to step in, Master. I will…” His brows arched, the corners of his lips curled slightly, and a hint of mischief hid in his smile, “personally kill him.”
The wind suddenly howled even more fiercely.
The plastic sheet covering the firewood pile was whipped up into a wild frenzy. Suddenly, the brick holding the plastic down was blown off by the wind and came crashing down toward Feng Li’s head.
Feng Li stepped back in time. The red brick smashed to the ground and shattered into pieces.
The wind sent a chill through Jiang Luo. “Master, let’s head back.”
Feng Li glanced at the brick on the ground and gave a small nod.
***
The wind atop the mountain blew without pause—it kept blowing for a whole day.
When Daoist Wei He finally remembered that Jiang Luo hadn’t soaked for even an hour today, the wind outside was already sweeping across the ground in fierce spirals. He couldn’t in good conscience force Jiang Luo to go to the hot spring anymore.
With nothing else to do, Jiang Luo practiced summoning the twelve zodiac spirits from the Yin-Yang hoop. Except for the dragon, he summoned all the others one by one. Each had their own temperament, and to his surprise, the monkey was the most fiery.
The moment the Monkey Brother appeared, it flared its nostrils and glared, chattering angrily at Jiang Luo for half an hour. Then it began wreaking havoc, leaping and rolling around in chaos—even chickens wouldn’t be as noisy.
Jiang Luo could understand its meaning—it was scolding him: “You didn’t summon me first, or second, or even third? You have no taste!”
In just a few minutes, the once-tidy room was a mess. A vein bulged on Jiang Luo’s forehead. With a blank face, he stood up and prepared to forcibly catch the monkey.
The Monkey Brother crouched on top of the wardrobe, looking down on Jiang Luo with disdain.
After a fierce struggle, Jiang Luo finally managed to stuff the monkey back into the Yin-Yang hoop and began cleaning up the mess in resignation.
Although this Yin-Yang hoop was made by the Fated One, it was already branded inside and out with Jiang Luo’s spiritual imprint. No matter the original purpose behind gifting it, Jiang Luo had no intention of returning it.
As for the elusive dragon he still couldn’t summon, Jiang Luo could only envy it for now and wait for the day it would finally appear.
That afternoon, since it was still early, Jiang Luo laid down for a nap.
But his sleep was restless—he kept feeling an eerie chill seeping around him. After just an hour, he opened his eyes, unable to sleep any longer.
“Senior Brother?” someone knocked at the door.
Why was Lian Xue here?
Jiang Luo got up and opened the door. Lian Xue stepped in, wrapped in layers, shivering from the cold. After Jiang Luo closed the door, she had already placed some items on the table.
Jiang Luo glanced over—some snacks and a few books.
Lian Xue’s nose was red, her hair slightly disheveled, but her smile was still gentle. “I thought Senior Brother must be bored these days, so I brought you some books.”
Jiang Luo thanked her blandly, showing neither happiness nor displeasure. Lian Xue hesitated, then murmured, “Senior Brother… you’ve really changed these past few days…”
Since the wind was strong outside, Jiang Luo invited Lian Xue in for a cup of tea.
Lian Xue sipped the hot water and looked out at the wind in curiosity. “This weather is so strange. First a blizzard, and now this sudden sinister wind—it’s one thing after another.”
Jiang Luo asked, “Has there ever been such a heavy snowstorm in past years?”
“Never,” Lian Xue shook her head. “Since I was born, this is the only time it’s snowed so heavily and so suddenly.”
Jiang Luo smiled faintly. “How are Duanzi and the others?”
At the mention of this, Lian Xue sighed repeatedly. “Still the same. We’ve tried everything, but they just won’t wake up.”
“Tried everything?” Jiang Luo echoed, thoughtful.
Lian Xue nodded. Jiang Luo asked again, “Is it always Daoist Wei He treating them?”
“Yes,” Lian Xue’s tone grew heavy, and her smile faded. “I offered to help Martial Uncle, but he said he didn’t need me. These past days there’s been no progress at all. If even he can’t do anything, then we certainly have no way.”
Jiang Luo picked up his cup and took a few sips. “If you were treating patients like them, how would you go about it?”
“There are many methods, but whether they work is another story. First, I’d have to examine their souls and spirits, and then analyze based on their condition—draw blood, use talismans, spirit statues… I’d try all sorts of things.”
“Draw blood?” Jiang Luo asked casually.
Lian Xue smiled, “In witch medicine, skin, hair, blood, and flesh are all among the most commonly used and essential materials.”
So if they were truly being treated, their blood would’ve been taken.
But when Jiang Luo examined them, he’d looked as closely as the tips of their fingers—and he saw no injuries on those three “paper people.”
That’s right, Jiang Luo was already convinced that all four of them, including Li Xiao, were paper effigies.
What he didn’t know was how they could still appear human without waking up.
Could it be that they could maintain a human form only if they remained unharmed?
A paper figure is, after all, just paper—like a balloon filled with air. Once pricked, there’s nothing inside, no blood or flesh.
It was probably the same with paper people. If damaged, they would reveal their true form.
Jiang Luo glanced thoughtfully at Lian Xue and smoothly shifted the topic back to the books.
Lian Xue, bright with enthusiasm, set her cup down and was about to introduce them to him—when Jiang Luo casually nudged the table.
With a clang, the teacup fell off the edge and shattered on the ground.
“Ah,” Lian Xue gasped softly and quickly crouched down to pick up the shards. “Sorry, Senior Brother.”
Jiang Luo helped her clean up and said good-naturedly, “It’s alright. Be careful not to cut your hand.”
Before the words had even left his mouth, Lian Xue suddenly felt a sharp pain at her fingertip. Blood oozed out as she hissed and pulled her hand back.
Jiang Luo brought out the first-aid kit and treated her wound. She’d broken someone else’s cup and ended up hurting herself—Lian Xue looked a little embarrassed. She didn’t feel right staying any longer and quickly said her goodbyes before leaving.
Jiang Luo threw the bloodstained tissue into the trash and murmured, “Lian Xue isn’t a paper effigy…”
In that villa, aside from himself and the three members of the Lian family, as well as Chi You and Steward Yan, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, everything else was probably a trap set by the Fated One.
***
Outside the window, the gloomy wind howled.
Since breaking the formation and entering the mountaintop, master’s expression had been gloomy and unsettled.
Ge Wuchen vaguely sensed the reason. Looking at Chi You’s expression, he thought for a moment, then gave a faint smile and stepped forward to offer, “Master, I have an idea…”
He approached and whispered his plan, “If you’re willing, leave this to me. I’ll make sure Benefactor Jiang becomes especially close to you.”
Especially close?
Thinking of Jiang Luo trying to please him, the malicious ghost overlapped his long legs, the leather shoes lightly swaying. Propping his chin in his hand, he chuckled softly. He’d always trusted Ge Wuchen’s ability to get things done.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
