Ming Fu Courtyard, Private Room

  “This matter, you’d better give a clear expnation. The only reason I’m still willing to sit down and talk to you is because of your position as Xue Song's elder brother.”

  “Don’t try to deceive us with falsehoods. You ’t lie here. You ’t fool anyone here.”

  Hui’s voice was cold as she looked at Gu Xingjun. The reason they had e to the private room was twofold: first, to protect the Gu family’s reputation, and sed, because the matter involved metaphysical cepts that weren’t appropriate to discuss openly.

  Moreover, today’s ba was meant for the celebration of their you daughter. They had invited many promi figures from the capital’s elite wives’ circle. If a sdal arose, it would iably harm her social standing.

  Gu Xingjun’s expression at this moment was incredibly dark. He had no iion of admitting anything, especially since a master had performed rituals for him in the past that ensured his methods were obscure enough that even those with simir paths could not see through them.

  Additionally, he had cimed that any stolen soul would remain cealed when nurtured within the body of a grandchild for some time. That was why he had never dared t his grandson out and about.

  Until retly, Gu Xingjun had felt that the timing roag, and he had heard that his third son’s family had foolishly adopted a child with an unknown in. That was utter foolishness.

  Their families were already on rocky terms, and his idle curiosity had led him to observe them mogly. However, his third son’s daughter had mao detect his unusual presence.

  Foolish!

  He cursed the master who had guaranteed his methods inwardly.

  “If Uncle isn’t willing to speak, it’s no problem. I intervene directly arieve the stolen item myself.”

  “I’m not joking, you know. I bsp;do this.”

  A sweet, i voice suddenly interrupted as the baby-like tone spoke up.

  “No. You ’t do this...” Gu Xingjun’s face ged dramatically at these words.

  He had no time to sider anything else. His sole thought now was to stop this child. He koo well the risks if the soul were forced bato its inal form—the possibility of his grandson's survival would bee uain.

  Qingkai was his son’s st bloodline desdant. No matter the cost, it had to be protected.

  “Grandfather...” Qingkai looked fused and frightened.

  He looked up at his suddenly furious grandfather, shivering slightly, his round eyes filled with fear.

  “Qingkai, don’t be afraid. Grandpa just lost his temper momentarily.”

  Gu Xingjun took a deep breath aly rubbed his grandson’s head, calming himself. He turoward his third son’s family.

  “This matter has always been my arra from the beginning. Qingkai has no idea about any of this. I’m asking you to let him avoid hearing more.”

  “sider this my plea.”

  At Qingkai’s age, he was already able to uand reason and logic. If he learhat his life had e from a stolen soul, it would leave deep scars on him.

  Ultimately, it was an adult’s sin, aher Hui nu Xuesong objected much, allowing the third son’s family to take the child out.

  The child kept turning back as they carried him out. Gu Xingjun forced a smile and waved his hand with forced cheerfulness, but as soon as the door closed, his face darkened.

  “You ’t take that item. If you do, Qingkai will die.”

  “He is my family’s st remaining bloodlihird Son, Sister-in-w... are you truly this cruel to let my entire branch be extinguished? Besides, without that item, Xiaowei has still been fine. Why push this?”

  Hui, upon hearing this, nearly ughed with rage.

  “So what? Yrandson’s life is important, but my grandson’s isn’t?”

  “You say Xiaowei is fine? Don’t insult me. He has to eat medie like dy every day just to survive. He should have been running around like a normal child his age, but your selfishness robbed him of that. A you still dare to say such things.”

  At this moment, she no longer cared about propriety or appearances, her words breaking into a furious tirade. No one in the Gu family tried to stop her—everyone shared her anger.

  Gu Heng, especially, was seething. He wanted nothing more than to strike Gu Xingjun down. The image of his wife bming herself during her pregnancy, and their son weak and moaning in pain in his arms, haunted him.

  “Brother, sihis is your attitude, there’s no point in tinuing this discussion.”

  Gu Xuesong’s words cut through the tension. His priorities were familial loyalty over reason. His gaze shifted toward his own daughter.

  “You should act directly, Yanyan.”

  “If we waste more time, Xiaowei’s life will be in eveer danger.”

  Although he wasn’t an expert iaphysical affairs, he could reason. A soul forcibly pced into another body would eventually bee perma due to biological aaphysical cepts of assimition.

  The problem had been discovered by his you daughter. No other would be able to intervene—only she could step in.

  Gu Xuesong couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of gratitude since reizing his daughter into the family had ehey’d mao avoid tless disasters. She wasn’t just his goddaughter—she was their family’s lucky star.

  “Yes, I’ll take Xiaowei over.” Yanyan nodded.

  The moment she met Qingkai, she had already sehe soul's essenearly fadiirely. If not for the guiding soul-binding talismans, and the presence of spiritual death signs, she might never have detected this.

  If they didn’t act, the soul would be lost permaly. The ice would react accly, and this could trigger disaster. A fragmented soul, lost pletely, could leave the person as either a living corpse or meet instantaneous death.

  She didn’t mention these isequences for fear of terrifying the Gu family. But if they hesitated irieving the soul, she would ehey uood the risks.

  Gu Xingjun, upon witnessing her approach, lost trol entirely.

  “You ’t do this. You ’t...” His voice sounded pletely insane as he luoward her.

  However, the Gu family brothers had already restrained him. He was an aging man, nearing his sixties, but they easily overpowered him. His strength was frail pared to theirs.

  “You’re itting murder. I’ll take you to court. I’ll make you pay for this...” Gu Xingjun’s words were enraged, his eyes wild and wrinkled with fury.

  Yanyan ignored him entirely, but as his roar pierced her ears, she hesitated for a moment, turning back toward him.

  “What are you doing?” His voice trembled as he looked at her.

  Even though she was only three and a half, her pierg gaze sent shivers down his spi felt like entering some kind of demonic force.

  “You’re very noisy. I prefer quiet. So, shut your mouth.”

  With that, she pulled talismans from her bag and pressed them onto his body.

  The moment they touched his skin, Gu Xingju his body freeze pletely. No matter how much he tried to yell, no sound emerged from his throat. His body had bee paralyzed.

  Fear surged in him like a tidal wave.

  He realized the third son’s family might indeed have the means to recover the stolen soul, and that knowledge sent him spiraling into panic.

  But he could do nothing but watch.

  [--------------------------------------------]

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