Chapter 12 – An Unreasonable Request

The sudden turn of events was so unexpected that even the battle-hardened little charlatan couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned. He couldn’t resist asking, “What Talisman Jade?”

Zeng Jingxuan also seemed surprised. “You don’t know? The jade pendant hanging around your neck is a ritual instrument made only by the true heirs of Longhu Mountain. It has talismanic inscriptions carved into the jade, which can ward off evil and protect the wearer. The reason you survived the encounter with the Yellow Husk unscathed is entirely due to this Talisman Jade. Where did you get this?”

Wei Yang was truly dumbfounded. He subconsciously reached up and gripped the jade pendant that lay against his chest. This jade had been with him since he was a child, a keepsake left by his deceased parents. Although the jade’s quality was mediocre and the craftsmanship somewhat inexplicable, he had never let it leave his body. It was the only thing he had to remember his parents by. How could this seemingly ordinary jade pendant suddenly become a Longhu Mountain ritual instrument? Yet, when the Yellow Weasel spirit had tried to kill him, there had indeed been a blinding flash of white light that blocked the attack…

Meeting Zeng Jingxuan’s probing gaze, Wei Yang steadied himself and explained, “This jade is a keepsake from my parents. No one ever told me anything about Longhu Mountain…”

“Wait, this is a keepsake?” Zeng Jingxuan was taken aback and suddenly interrupted him. “Your parents passed away twenty years ago?”

Wei Yang didn’t answer but instead looked back with a defensive expression. Zeng Jingxuan let out a bitter laugh. “It seems you truly know nothing. Even within the Longhu Mountain sect, there are few who can create Talisman Jade. This jade contains the true power of my brother-in-law, Zhang Huaiyan. The last piece of Talisman Jade he made was supposed to be worn by his only son. But when I found Xiao Qi back then, he wasn’t wearing the jade. This means that before my brother-in-law met his tragic end, he must have encountered your parents and given the jade to you. And that was exactly twenty years ago.”

“Impossible!” Wei Yang’s mind was in complete disarray. Instinctively, he retorted, “My parents died in a car accident! They were just small-time counterfeit dealers in their lifetime. How could they have any connection to Longhu Mountain?!”

“A car accident?” Zeng Jingxuan countered. “Who told you that?”

“My grandfather told me personally…” Wei Yang suddenly hesitated. In that moment, he remembered something. His grandfather, Wei Changfeng, had never told him any mysterious or supernatural stories. In fact, he had taught Wei Yang that most tales of the supernatural were scams. Yet, at the same time, the old man had repeatedly warned him to protect the keepsakes left by his parents and never let the jade pendant leave his body.

If the old man didn’t believe in the supernatural, why would he insist that Wei Yang keep a Longhu Mountain talisman with him at all times? And if the old man did believe in such things and knew the truth, why had he never mentioned it? After all, Wei Changfeng was a former “Golden Point” master from the old society, and his wife had been a well-known shamaness in the area. If anyone had the means to understand these matters, it would have been him. Could it be that his grandfather had been hiding something from him?

His lips trembled slightly as Wei Yang clenched his teeth. “But my grandfather passed away long ago. He never told me anything about this.”

“What about you? Do you remember anything from back then?” Zeng Jingxuan seemed unwilling to give up and pressed further.

“I was seriously ill as a child and lost all memories from before I was three…” Wei Yang couldn’t continue. Only now did he realize that everything he thought he knew and trusted might be false. Why had he never questioned these things? Why had no one ever told him… No, wait, someone had. His grandmother had once said he was a jinx, a curse to the family…

Zeng Jingxuan also fell silent. Looking at the young man before him who was gripping the jade pendant and staring blankly, he let out an almost imperceptible sigh. Once again, the trail had gone cold. He had thought he’d finally found a lead, but now it seemed like he’d drawn water with a bamboo basket. If only his sister were still alive… Closing his eyes, the trace of sorrow vanished, and Master Zeng regained his usual composure. In a calm voice, he said, “I see. It seems you’re also unaware of what happened back then. We’ll have to find another way…”

“Wait!” Wei Yang suddenly spoke up. “There must be someone else who knows, right? Didn’t you say that the Talisman Jade was originally meant to be worn by the son of that Celestial Master Zhang? You saved him. What about him? Doesn’t he know what happened back then?”

Caught off guard by the question, Zeng Jingxuan remained silent for a moment before pulling over the young man who had been standing beside him the whole time. “He doesn’t remember.”

Wei Yang was stunned and couldn’t help but look at the young man. Although he had been standing there listening to their conversation, his expression hadn’t changed at all, as if what they were discussing had nothing to do with him. Wei Yang had assumed he was a disciple or assistant of Master Zeng, but it turned out he was the very person he’d just asked about.

Opening his mouth, Wei Yang managed to croak out, “What happened to him? Did he also lose his memories from back then?”

“He lost one of his primary souls,” Zeng Jingxuan’s voice was low, tinged with exhaustion. “When I arrived, my brother-in-law had already passed away, and Xiao Qi was severely injured and unconscious. Over the years, Longhu Mountain and the Zeng family have tried everything to summon his soul back, but to no avail. We had to use a secret technique to stabilize his other two souls so he could learn techniques on his own and protect himself. Unfortunately, the technique had some… unintended side effects.”

Without explaining what those side effects were, Zeng Jingxuan paused and then said softly, “I had hoped to find some clues from you, but it seems fate has other plans… Still, it’s not a complete loss. Mr. Wei, this may be a bit presumptuous of me, but could you possibly take care of Xiao Qi for the next few months?”

Zeng Jingxuan spoke slowly and clearly, but after hearing his words, Wei Yang still repeated in confusion, “You want me to take care of him for a while?”

“Exactly. I have some important matters to attend to and won’t have time to take Xiao Qi back to recuperate. Given his condition, I’m genuinely worried about him. So, I’d like to ask you to look after him for a while. Whatever conditions you have, we can discuss them.”

Zeng Jingxuan’s tone was sincere, but Wei Yang couldn’t help but shift his gaze to the young man who was said to have lost his soul. He stood as still as a stone, the sharpness and killing intent Wei Yang had seen earlier completely gone, leaving only a blankness that made his handsome face seem almost lifeless, like an inanimate object.

The jade pendant in his palm felt slightly warm. Forcing himself to look away, Wei Yang said, “I’ve seen him exorcise spirits before. Back then, he didn’t seem like this.”

Zeng Jingxuan nodded. “The injury affected his soul matrix, making his thoughts slower. He might need some time to recover. But don’t worry, Xiao Qi would never harm anyone.”

“What about me? Aren’t you afraid I might harm him?” Wei Yang asked with a hint of sarcasm.

“No ordinary person could harm him. Besides, you’re wearing the Talisman Jade.”

A Talisman Jade made by Zhang Huaiyan himself. Wei Yang understood the implication and pursed his lips slightly.

Zeng Jingxuan, however, seemed to see through something and said lightly, “Think it over carefully. I’ll come find you later.”

A sudden wave of irritation washed over Wei Yang. Shaking his head, he turned to walk back to the hospital room but suddenly stopped and turned back to ask, “Are you really a ‘Yin-Yang Sage’?”

Master Zeng was momentarily taken aback, then smiled with a mix of pride and bitterness. “No, I’m not. The Yin-Yang Sage of this generation was my older sister, Xiao Qi’s mother. She passed away a long time ago.”

The answer was both unexpected and yet made sense. Wei Yang didn’t say anything more and silently turned around, limping back to the hospital room.

Watching his figure disappear around the corner, Zhang Xiuqi, who had been standing as still as a stone, suddenly swayed slightly as if he wanted to follow. Zeng Jingxuan raised his hand to stop him. “Xiao Qi.”

Zhang Xiuqi turned his head and looked back with an expressionless face.

“I know, that’s the Talisman Jade your father made,” Zeng Jingxuan said, his demeanor completely different from when he had been speaking to Wei Yang. Now, he seemed old and weary, as if all his energy had drained away. “You remember the Talisman Jade, don’t you?”

“Talisman Jade,” Zhang Xiuqi repeated in a low voice, as if answering the question or perhaps just murmuring to himself.

Looking at the other’s puppet-like expression, Zeng Jingxuan closed his eyes. “Xiao Qi, you can’t follow me anymore. Your uncle still needs to find the person who killed your father. It’s too dangerous for you…”

Twenty years had passed, and not a day went by that he wasn’t searching for the culprit behind the tragedy, for the reason his nephew’s Heavenly Soul might have been sealed away. But the Soul Stabilizing Formation placed on Zhang Xiuqi had developed some issues. While the formation allowed him to learn Taoist techniques and function normally, it also amplified his obsessions, making his emotions increasingly unstable.

As a descendant of both the Longhu Mountain and Zeng families, Zhang Xiuqi naturally possessed extraordinary talent. The tragedy had robbed him of his most important soul, the one that governed his consciousness, but it had left him with an unshakable obsession: to exterminate all the evil spirits he encountered.

It was unclear whether this change was due to his father’s tragic death or the loss of his Yang Soul making him more sensitive to Yin energy, but Zhang Xiuqi had changed. He had become difficult to control. If he were a normal person, he would simply be a righteous heir of the Celestial Master lineage who hated evil. But he wasn’t normal. He was a puppet who had lost his soul, a sword that was too sharp and yet couldn’t protect itself. With his Seven Po Souls intact and no Six Desires to interfere, his Taoist techniques had advanced rapidly. But if left to his instincts to kill, even his remaining Two Souls and Seven Po might soon dissipate. They had tried many ways to stop him, but after all these years, aside from himself, who shared a blood relation, no one had ever managed to evoke even a hint of familiarity in Zhang Xiuqi, let alone make him follow them closely.

Who would have thought that Xiao Qi would react to that Talisman Jade? Perhaps leaving him here would be for the best. After all, what he was searching for was the person who had disrupted the Forbidden Land’s laws, and that would undoubtedly lead to more dangerous situations. If he brought Xiao Qi along, he might end up putting him in harm’s way.

With a long sigh, Zeng Jingxuan reached out and brushed the soft black hair from Zhang Xiuqi’s forehead. “Xiao Qi, that’s the Talisman Jade your father made. Can you stay by the side of the person wearing it? Be good and don’t wander off. Just for a few months, alright? Once I catch the culprit, I’ll come back for you and help you rebuild your soul.”

As if he understood, Zhang Xiuqi softly called out, “Uncle.” Zeng Jingxuan smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling with fine lines. He gently patted Zhang Xiuqi’s shoulder and said softly, “Don’t worry, that kid is smart. I think he’ll agree…”

This time, his calculations hadn’t been entirely accurate, but they weren’t entirely wrong either. After twenty years, a glimmer of hope had finally appeared. How could he not feel a surge of anticipation…

—

Walking slowly back into the hospital room, Wei Yang slumped onto the bed. He had gripped the jade pendant too tightly earlier, and the wound on his palm had reopened, staining the white bandage with blood. But the pain brought him some comfort, as if it were the only thing keeping him from spiraling further into despair.

Sun Chengfeng, who had been struggling to turn his head, asked anxiously, “Ah Yang, what did Master Zeng say? Is he willing to teach us?”

Wei Yang forced a smile. “I think he’d agree to any price you name.”

“Hey! What’s the use of money? You know what they say, ‘Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.'” The old scammer was clearly frustrated, almost slapping his thigh in agitation. “You’re missing such a great opportunity! Just watch, I’ll make sure we learn something valuable…”

Wei Yang sat quietly for a moment, then suddenly asked, “How did you know he could deal with the White-haired Jiangshi?”

“I saw it with my own eyes…” The old scammer scoffed. “Don’t you believe me? When I woke up, I saw Master Zeng digging a pit and stabbing a headless, gutted corpse into the bottom. I was shocked! That corpse was the one we ran into earlier. It was so decayed, yet there wasn’t a drop of blood. How could it still be human? Master Zeng just hammered five-inch nails into it, and the corpse started burning on its own. If someone else had seen it, they wouldn’t have understood what he was doing, but who am I? I recognized it immediately as the method for dealing with a corpse demon!”

The old scammer spoke with conviction, but Wei Yang’s lips curled into a bitter smile. See? Even something that had happened right in front of him had been twisted into a completely different story when retold. What about the things that had been deliberately hidden from him? Would he ever have a chance to uncover the truth…

Ignoring the old scammer’s ramblings, Wei Yang sat on the hospital bed and slowly clenched his fists again.