What purple aura, what luck, what defying fate against all odds. Ye Wanmian was numb with shock at what he said. Could there really be such mysterious things in the world?
But if not, how could one explain what that Daoist Yuanqi had done?
Qi Wen was so anxious that he scratched his head and ears. "Then, Master Daoist, do you think he can be saved?"
Daoist Yuanzheng said, "Logically speaking, his lifespan should have ended four days ago. But there were some variables that turned the dead end around. Just at the last moment, one of his souls and one of his spirits returned, barely preserving this physical body."
What he didn't say was that it was also fortunate that another physical container had nourished his soul and spirit. Otherwise, he would surely have died that day.
Ye Wanmian couldn't help but recall that night when she and Qi Wen had dug open the tomb under the lightning and fished the man out of the black coffin.
So, was that variable referring to her and Qi Wen?
Yuanzheng put away the joking look on his face and said seriously, "Fortunately, you found me in time. There is only one soul and one spirit left in his body now. It's difficult to support and maintain this body. If his soul and spirit can't return for a long time, he will surely die of weakening qi sooner or later."
"I've truly benefited a lot from what the Master Daoist said," Ye Wanmian said with a complex expression. "The Master Daoist must have already thought of a way to save him, right?"
"Of course." He waved his hand. "Both of you step back."
Ye Wanmian had seen Daoist Yuanqi perform magic and was also curious about Daoist Yuanzheng's abilities. She stared at him without blinking, wanting to see how he would call back the scattered soul and spirit of the Crown Prince.
只见 Daoist Yuanzheng made a hand gesture. The gesture was extremely complex, with his fingers intertwined, making it hard to tell them apart.
He quickly chanted incantations that others couldn't understand. His hand gestures changed with the incantations. The patched Daoist robe fluttered up and down with his movements, looking quite imposing.
More importantly, when he performed magic, he didn't make people feel disgusted or afraid. Instead, a sense of righteousness came over them, which was completely different from Daoist Yuanqi who had drawn talismans with chicken blood in the graveyard.
Qi Wen was greatly impressed and extremely excited. He lowered his voice and said to Ye Wanmian, "Madam Jiang, this Master Daoist seems really powerful. Do you think His Highness the Crown Prince can really be awakened by him?"
Ye Wanmian didn't say a word. She watched as Daoist Yuanzheng took out three incense sticks and inserted them about the width of a palm above Xiao Jingcheng's Baihui acupoint on his head.
Miraculously, the incense sticks ignited without fire. The curling smoke rose up and drifted towards Xiao Jingcheng's body with Yuanzheng's movements. Vaguely, it condensed into a human form.
Yuanzheng held up two fingers of his left hand to his lips. He took out a string of thumb - sized bells from his waist. While shaking the bells, he murmured something:
"The spiritual smoke is vast and connects the three realms. Your disciple is sincere. I pay respects and invite the Three Pure Ones, the divine soldiers and generals. Search for the soul above the sky and below the earth. In great haste, as per the law of the immortals, gather the three souls and lead the seven spirits. Let the soul return—"
His right hand quickly smeared some cinnabar and then, with lightning speed, pressed it on Xiao Jingcheng's glabella. Then he slid his hand down along his nose until he reached the Tanzhong acupoint in the middle of his chest.
The next moment, the black wine jar that Daoist Yuanzheng had placed beside the couch suddenly shattered with a "pop". A pool of extremely stinky black water flowed out. Vaguely, a black mass could be seen among the broken ceramic shards, but no one knew what it was.
Just as the wine jar shattered, it seemed as if a gust of wind blew in the room. The human - shaped smoke that had gathered on Xiao Jingcheng condensed into a visible wisp, like unwound silk, and drifted towards the door crack.
Everything they saw was challenging Ye Wanmian and Qi Wen's perception. Ye Wanmian felt her heart pounding heavily and fast in her chest.
Qi Wen was so scared that he shrank behind Ye Wanmian. He covered his mouth tightly with one hand and grabbed Ye Wanmian's sleeve with the other, not daring to breathe a word.
In the courtyard just beyond the door.
Dahuang was in charge of guarding the yard. After Ye Wanmian had led Daoist Yuanzheng into the room, it had consciously come and lain down in the middle of the yard.
It was already midnight. Almost the whole town had fallen into a deep sleep, so the only sounds around were the chirping of insects and the howling of the wind.
Dahuang was lying bored on the stone table, eyes closed as if dozing, but actually poking the purple little figure inside its body.
Suddenly, the purple little figure moved slightly. Dahuang happily pricked up its ears. But then the purple little figure gradually disappeared in front of its eyes.
Dahuang smelled a special fragrance through its nose. It suddenly opened its eyes, stood up from the stone table, and looked at the white smoke slowly flowing into the room in the air. It tilted its head and barked, "Woof?"
I don't know how much time had passed, but the scattered smoke actually shrank back and re - condensed into a little figure in front of Xiao Jingcheng.
Ye Wanmian wasn't sure if it was just her illusion, but she always felt that the smoke seemed much more solid.
The three incense sticks by the bedside had burned to the end. Yuanzheng snapped his fingers and waved his hand. The wind from his sleeve scattered all the smoke.
"It's done," Yuanzheng said with a light sigh. Looking down at Xiao Jingcheng, whose expression had become much calmer, his brows also relaxed a lot.
"Is it really done?" Qi Wen gasped. "But why hasn't he woken up yet?"
Ye Wanmian also looked at Yuanzheng. "Yes, why doesn't he show any signs of waking up?"
Yuanzheng turned around and looked at the two of them. He rolled his eyes, completely ruining the image of an other - worldly Daoist he had created just now.
"How stupid. His soul and spirit were imprisoned by others for almost forty - nine days. His three souls and seven spirits have all been damaged to a certain extent. When they suddenly return, they will surely feel uncomfortable."
"Then... how do I know you weren't just putting on a show?" Qi Wen mumbled. "What if you just wanted to swindle a hundred taels of silver from us?"
Good heavens! That was a hundred taels! He couldn't earn that much money in two lifetimes! Madam Jiang probably couldn't afford it either!
Ye Wanmian thought for a moment and felt that there was something more to Yuanzheng's words. "According to what the Master Daoist said, is there still something else to be done later?"
Yuanzheng looked at her appreciatively. "Madam is truly extremely intelligent. Please find three lamps for me."
Ye Wanmian nodded in agreement. She took the key from Qi Wen, opened the door, and walked out. She searched each room and found three unused lamps. Then she came back to the room and gave them to Yuanzheng.
Yuanzheng took the lamps, poured in the lamp oil and inserted the wicks. Then he said to Ye Wanmian, "Please Madam pierce your middle finger and lend three drops of your essence blood. Drop them on the wicks respectively."
"Why me?" Ye Wanmian clenched her fist.
Yuanzheng explained, "Madam has extremely good luck. Burning the wicks soaked in Madam's essence blood for three days and three nights can help him burn his life fire and stabilize his soul and spirit."
I see.
Ye Wanmian took a deep breath. She used the small blade she carried with her to cut open her finger and dropped the blood beads on the wicks one by one as Yuanzheng instructed.
Then, Yuanzheng lit the three oil lamps stained with blood and placed them respectively above Xiao Jingcheng's head and on both sides of his shoulders.
"You'll see the result after three days and three nights," Yuanzheng said with a hint of pride.
Ye Wanmian wrapped the injured finger with a piece of gauze. She looked at Yuanzheng and asked,
"I wonder, what's the relationship between Daoist Yuanqi and the Master Daoist?"