Yan Cheng looked at Master Ling Yi in horror, imdiately dismissing his own unrealistic thought; it was impossible. If he wanted to end his own life, he certainly wouldn’t have chosen such an extrely brutal and painful thod.
Master Ling Yi crouched down with a serious expression, turned over the corpse’s palm, and the finger bones, thin as chicken claws, clenched tightly together, with bits of stone still embedded under the blackened fingernails.
"Mage, who killed him?" Yan Cheng, despite not wanting to admit whether or not he was a person, rembered Master Ling Yi had said that these were all people.
"Himself," Master Ling Yi said, letting go of the hand with a hint of regret as he gazed at the body on the ground. He felt compassion for all beings; had these people t his master a step earlier and received his enlightening teachings, perhaps they could have beco a mage of Qiandao Temple. Or, as they aged, these unique abilities might have gradually disappeared, and they could have lived peacefully as ordinary people.
Yan Cheng was shocked and couldn’t accept Master Ling Yi’s words.
"Mage, how could that be?"
"Perhaps the spell was too overbearing, making his life worse than death, with suffering surely greater than smashing himself to death with a rock. Or, perhaps, he encountered a more powerful spell than his own, which led to this," Master Ling Yi said slowly, directing the Imperial Forest Guard to take away the corpse.
Regardless of whether it was alive or dead, the mission was completed at last, and he could return.
Seeing this, Yan Cheng went back to Chenhe Hall first to report to Zheng Haoyuan that the monster was dead and imdiately returned to his own territory. He had been pondering this matter in his heart for two days; the Loyal Warriors of the Wen Family needed a significant increase in strength. Picking up the many things he had abandoned before, and no longer following the Second Prince’s practices, they had to strive to beco true Hidden Guards, not re dogs, errand-runners, and accomplices.
Upon receiving the news, the first thing Zheng Haoyuan thought of was to tell Zheng Nianru; that monster had scared him so much, and naturally, his cousin would be afraid too. So, he wanted to reassure her imdiately.
...
Yin He didn’t really like the clothes he was wearing. The flashy colors made him feel like a peacock. The embroidery around the neckline and cuffs was exquisite but botherso. Nonetheless, Nanny Yun and Xing Yu both said it looked good.
Indeed, it was good-looking. Zheng Nianru thought so too; the youth’s facial features were not prominent, like distant peaks in an ink painting, and very pale. Wearing the monotonous black clothes, he seed as clear as a spring. Now, in this brocaded garnt, he suddenly appeared exquisitely refined, like an elegant artwork. Standing there, he seed like a sophisticated decor, making the entire room look exquisite and resplendent.
Surprised by the youth’s transformation, Zheng Nianru rely sighed inwardly for such a face but also knew it ca with more trouble. She had experienced how difficult the mages of Qiandao Temple could be.
Nanny Yun also found the boy troubleso, unable to read the room, always recklessly heading towards the Commandery Princess. Keeping him in Qishun Building was also a problem.
"Cousin, my n have captured that monster, you don’t need to worry anymore," Zheng Haoyuan said joyfully, as he watched Fu Dong curiously eyeing the new toy he brought. This palm-sized wooden door was not made from a single piece of wood. On opening, the tiny wooden door retracted into the box, revealing a delicate set of tea saucers, with fresh and vibrant sprigs.
Instantly attracted, Zheng Nianru turned to look curiously at the object.
Zheng Congyuan had one, but it wasn’t as exquisite. Fu Dong took the wooden box away.
Nanny Yun and Cang Er discussed having a guard take the person away, the farther the better, and just deal with it. Cang Er happened to have soone available. The Fourth Prince was annoyed with the people Yan Cheng had left behind, which presented a good opportunity to send them off, and they prepared to take the person away.
"Fourth Prince, was the monster captured?" Cang Er asked with interest, peeling a lychee and tilting her head, as the Commandery Princess’ cheer lightened the atmosphere of Qishun Building.
Playing with the teacup in her hand, Zheng Nianru thought it was nice, fitting for the sumr scenery.
"Yeah, Master Ling Yi personally led people to capture it..." said Zheng Haoyuan.
Zheng Nianru glanced over, and since the creature was caught, that kid must have been crazy.
"However, Yan Cheng said that by the ti they arrived, the monster was already dead, thoroughly dead..."
Holding the teacup, Zheng Nianru turned her head toward Zheng Haoyuan—dead? Thoroughly dead?
Coincidence?
"How did he die?" Nian Xia suddenly felt a chill in the air that made her shiver.
"Sister, guess how that creature died?" Zheng Haoyuan imdiately leaned in. His sister certainly couldn’t guess. If it hadn’t been for Master Ling Yi, he wouldn’t have believed a word of what Yan Cheng said.
"It can’t be that he was stoned to his death by himself," Zheng Nianru answered casually, her gaze still fixed on the cup in her hands. Just as she was about to speak again, she felt an eerie silence fill the air.
By the ti Zheng Nianru turned her head, she saw Zheng Haoyuan’s mouth agape with surprise, his eyes widening in shock as he looked at her.
And Zheng Haoyuan’s reaction had already made Fu Dong and the others vaguely guess what happened – could it really be that...
He was stoned to death?
Fu Dong’s hand shook, nearly dropping the fan he was holding.
Xing Yu, who was peeling a lychee, accidentally flicked it from his hand, hitting Nian Xia in the face.
"Was it really a stone that killed him? Did he do it himself?" Xing Yu repeated, swallowing his saliva. His voice was strained and hoarse, eerily frightening.
Zheng Haoyuan, not understanding, nodded. Then he had a sudden realization and began shaking Zheng Nianru’s sleeve.
"Sister, you’re so an. I rushed to tell you the news first, worrying you might be scared, but you knew all along. Why didn’t you tell ?"
Zheng Nianru opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.
"I really just said it casually," Zheng Nianru knew that anything she said now would seem too deliberate and, moreover, she didn’t want to say anything. Her mind was full of Yin He speaking earnestly about the creature’s death.
Right, where is he?
Zheng Nianru imdiately looked outside the hall.
Xing Yu promptly stood up. Nanny Yun had just said she was sending the man out.
"Tell Nanny Yun not to rush to send him away, bring him here," Zheng Nianru said, feeling that sothing ghostly was going on. Were the resurrection from Qiandao Temple and the mages, along with Ju Nanyi’s resurrection, all real?
If Master Huo Yi really had such great power, why did Ju Nanyi insist on killing him with a single sword strike?
Zheng Nianru’s thoughts were in turmoil, her heart in upheaval. If it weren’t for the fact that Master Huo Yi and Qiandao Temple were all deceitful tricks, then why would Ju Nanyi insist on exterminating Qiandao Temple completely? It would have been advantageous to keep so of their powers at his service.
Zheng Nianru rembered that there had been quite a few mages who surrendered back then, but Ju Nanyi had spared none.
Nanny Yun handed the man over to Cang Er with a look, and Cang Er imdiately understood.
"Do we really have to go out?" Yin He was reluctant, not wanting to leave.
"You’re in the palace, naturally, you’ll have tasks to do. The palace does not feed the idle. It’s just a small errand for you to run an errand; you’ll be done quickly. Otherwise, why would the Commandery Princess keep you?"
Yin He felt wronged. He understood the logic; Xing Cheng and Xing Le had explained it before.
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