Chapter 9: Soul Stabilization 

When Lin Moyu was born, she was different from her younger sister and brother, who were born from the marriage between Lady Lin and Lin Shuiyu. She was even inferior to the illegitimate sister in the household.

Her mother was a shameless woman who seduced a married man, not even qualifying as a mistress. The child she bore wasn’t even considered a bastard. During her childhood, Lin Moyu couldn’t hold her head high in the city, enduring constant scorn and hatred from everyone.

She had once seen the noble and pure “Lady Lin,” Lin Shuiyu’s sworn partner and the mother of Lin Mozhi.

Such a beautiful woman, when she learned of the affair between Lin Moyu’s father and mother, she descended into madness overnight.

It wasn’t until her father married her mother that Lin Moyu emerged from the shadows of disgrace.

The Lin family was the foremost cultivation clan in Feixue City, and no one dared to openly provoke them. The once relentless insults and belittlement gradually faded away.

From the moment she was discovered to possess a heavenly-grade fire spirit root, she was able to crush those who had once humiliated her underfoot, becoming the celebrated second young lady of the Lin family.

But that thorn remained buried deep in her heart, aching every time she saw Lin Mozhi.

As long as Lin Mozhi lived, she was a constant reminder of Lin Moyu’s shameful origins.

Today, she would personally remove that thorn.

Thinking this, Lin Moyu smiled at Lin Mozhi, who was blindfolded with white silk, and with a flick of her wrist, her weapon, Chiyu, shot towards Lin Mozhi.

No one saw how the severely injured Shen Jixue managed to rush in front of Lin Mozhi, using her own body as a shield to block the fatal blow.

Even Luyi, who was closest to her, didn’t react in time.

Lin Mozhi’s bamboo cane fell to the ground. Instinctively, he reached out and caught the warm body that had suddenly thrown itself into his arms. The smell of blood filled his nostrils, and he didn’t need to ask to know how grievously she was injured.

She trembled in pain, not even reaching his shoulder. That desperate lunge had drained all her strength, and now she was about to collapse, dragging Lin Mozhi down with her.

He was at a loss, staring blankly at Shen Jixue’s hand hanging limply to the ground, but his arm around her tightened.

He had never felt so acutely the sensation of a life slipping away in his hands.

And it was all for his sake.

“How naive.”

Lin Moyu was stung by the scene of “deep loyalty between master and servant.” She sneered and lashed out with her whip again. Luyi screamed, trying to push her away, but was kicked aside, writhing in pain on the ground.

The sound of the whip cutting through the air was accompanied by blazing flames, carrying an overwhelming killing intent!

Lin Mozhi raised his arm to shield Shen Jixue in his embrace. The cold fragrance from his clothes brought her back from the brink of unconsciousness. 

Her blood-caked lips trembled as she murmured, “Is it… Mother? Has she come to take me home? I… I want to go home…”

She seemed to be hallucinating, struggling to raise her hand to grasp the sleeve of the person holding her, but her hand fell heavily to the ground before she could reach it, unable to lift again.

Lin Mozhi didn’t answer. 

The corners of his mouth, usually curved in a gentle smile, were now tightly drawn. 

He simply tightened his arm, holding her securely in his embrace, leaving no gaps.

He had been wrong.

In the blink of an eye, the whip wreathed in roaring flames was about to strike. Suddenly, a blue light flashed from the side, and a sword imbued with water spirit energy blocked the whip. The newcomer seized the opportunity to yank the whip, actually managing to wrest Chiyu from Lin Moyu’s grasp.

“Second Young Lady, Songhe Courtyard is not a place for you to cause trouble.”

He sheathed his sword, coiling Chiyu around his hand a few times before looking up. The pressure of a Golden Core cultivator emanated from him, forcing everyone except Lin Mozhi and a few others to the ground, unable to lift their heads.

“Will you leave on your own, or shall I escort you out?”

Lin Moyu was stunned. 

Xu Chang was actually at the Golden Core stage?!

She had never sensed any spiritual energy from Xu Chang, and her father had never mentioned the presence of a Golden Core cultivator in Songhe Courtyard.

Or perhaps, even her father didn’t know.

No.

Lin Moyu clenched her fists, using all her strength to avoid kneeling under the pressure. 

She recalled the look on her father’s face when he had made her apologize that day—clearly, he had been wary of something.

Perhaps it was Xu Chang.

With her weapon taken, Xu Chang wouldn’t dare kill her, but continuing to stand her ground wouldn’t do her any good.

Lin Moyu’s face was cold as she extended her hand. 

“Return Chiyu to me. I don’t need you to escort me; I’ll leave on my own.”

Watching them leave, Xu Chang quickly turned to help Lin Mozhi.

Shen Jixue was tightly held in his arms, covered in blood and unconscious for a long time. Her face had taken on the ashen pallor of the dead, and her breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible.

Xu Chang reached out to check her pulse, meeting Lüyi’s desperate gaze as she crawled over. He shook his head. 

“I’m afraid it’s too late.”

“What… what nonsense are you spouting?!” 

Luyi’s eyes immediately reddened. 

Despite the pain in her abdomen, she grabbed Xu Chang. 

“Check again, you must be mistaken.”

Xu Chang’s expression was helpless. 

Shen Jixue, a mere mortal, faced Lin Moyu, a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage, wielding an earth-grade magic artifact. 

Even without using spiritual energy, those few lashes would have been fatal.

If only he had been faster.

“Master, let’s take Ah Xue inside first.”

Xu Chang reached out, but Lin Mozhi accurately grasped his wrist. The two locked eyes through the white gauze, and Lin Mozhi’s voice, hoarse and low, carried an unyielding determination.

“Fetch the Soul Stabilizing Pill.”

Luyi looked up in shock. 

Xu Chang’s expression shifted, and he nodded. 

“Understood.”

Shen Jixue opened her eyes, her consciousness still hazy. The room was filled with the heavy scent of medicine.

Her body felt as if it had been shattered, and even lifting her hand was an effort. She turned her head towards the window, where the faint light of dawn allowed her to make out the room’s furnishings.

—This wasn’t her room.

Shen Jixue glanced around the room. 

The layout resembled Luyi’s room, but the shelves were empty, as if it had just been cleared out.

She looked away, her gaze aimlessly settling on the slightly drooping bed canopy. Her senses gradually returned, and the pain from the whip wounds began to seep through, sharp and relentless, bringing her long-dormant consciousness into sharp focus.

A faint smile tugged at Shen Jixue’s lips. When Lin Moyu had infused her whip with spiritual energy, Shen Jixue had known that this “life” of hers was likely over.

So she had bet her life.

Taking the whip for Lin Mozhi was genuine, but so was her calculation of his guilt and sincerity. 

And now, here she was, a supposed dead woman, wide awake and alive.

She had gambled correctly.

What Lin Mozhi had experienced in the past, Shen Jixue could only glean from the servants’ whispers.

 But rumors were unreliable, and even if one-tenth of them were true, it was impossible to piece together what had shaped his twisted personality.

He was deeply guarded, cold, and suspicious, with a gentle exterior masking a ruthless core. He seemed like a cold-hearted, black-hearted sesame filling, yet he was fiercely loyal and protective of those close to him, willing to avenge his subordinates.

Such a person, upon realizing the truth, would never allow her to die—especially not after she had sacrificed herself to save him.

As long as she lived, Lin Mozhi’s previous indifference to her suffering would transform into deep guilt, eventually leading to genuine affection.

Shen Jixue endured the pain, touching the small wounds on her palm. They had already scabbed over, indicating she had been unconscious for several days.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching from outside, light and hurried—undoubtedly Luyi.

“Creak—”

The sun had just risen, and the sky was already bright. 

Luyi, carrying a bowl of medicine, pushed the door open and was immediately greeted by Shen Jixue’s dark, alert eyes. 

Overjoyed, she exclaimed, “Ah Xue!”

Her voice was clear and bright, cutting through the morning silence and instantly reaching the neighboring room, where the sound of flipping account books and the murmur of reports abruptly stopped.

Luyi didn’t bother with formalities, quickly stepping inside and placing the dark medicine on the small table by the bed. She leaned over, smiling as she felt Shen Jixue’s forehead.

“Good, good, the fever’s finally gone.”

She grabbed a pillow, carefully propping Shen Jixue up, then lifted the blanket to inspect the bandaged wounds.

Her eyes filled with concern as she asked, “Does it still hurt? Master said this medicine helps with recovery and pain relief. If it hurts, just say the word, and I’ll apply more when I change the bandages.”

Luyi chattered on, but when Shen Jixue continued to stare at her without speaking, she grew anxious. “Say something! Does it hurt? Are you thirsty? Hungry? Or do you want some fruit? I’ll get it for you right away.”

Shen Jixue opened her mouth, then closed it again. 

Facing Luyi’s expectant gaze, she finally shook her head.

“What does shaking your head mean?” Luyi, naturally impatient, was now frantic with worry and didn’t consider other possibilities. 

“You’ve even taken a heavenly-grade Soul Stabilizing Pill! What could possibly go wrong now? Oh, you’re driving me crazy!”

A heavenly-grade Soul Stabilizing Pill?

Shen Jixue watched as Luyi hurried out, her brow slightly raised. It seemed Lin Mozhi had really gone all out for her.

It was said that a heavenly-grade Soul Stabilizing Pill could save a dying person’s soul. Such pills were priceless, rare even in Biyun Sect, which specialized in alchemy, let alone in a small place like Feixue City.

Lin Mozhi clearly had a secret force at his disposal.

But if he could obtain a heavenly-grade Soul Stabilizing Pill, why did he endure such mistreatment in the Lin family? Wouldn’t it be simpler to just leave?

It seemed that either Lin Shuiyu or Lady Lin held something over him, something powerful enough to keep him in check.

Shen Jixue narrowed her eyes. What could it be that made Lin Mozhi willingly stay in the Lin family, unable to even resist?

Before she could ponder further, Luyi returned, supporting Lin Mozhi. 

Behind them were Xu Chang and an elderly man with white hair and beard.

“Doctor Cui, please take another look,” Lin Mozhi said respectfully.

“Young lady, you said she doesn’t respond to anything?”

Seeing Luyi nod, Cui Minglu studied Shen Jixue for a moment. 

Instead of taking her pulse, he extended five silver threads from his fingertips, glowing faintly.

Using spiritual energy to form threads and probe acupoints—he was a Golden Core stage medical cultivator.

The silver threads, under his control, entered Shen Jixue’s Shenting, Yintang, Chengjiang, Lianquan, and Tiantu points. 

After a moment, he withdrew the threads.

“Young Master Lin, although this girl’s injuries were life-threatening, after taking the Soul Stabilizing Pill, she has improved significantly. These external wounds look severe, but with proper rest and medication, she should recover fully in three months.”

Cui Minglu stroked his beard and sighed. 

“Her inability to speak is due to muteness, likely caused by extreme fear.”

His words plunged the room into silence.

Lin Mozhi quickly glanced at Shen Jixue, who was watching them. His throat felt as if he had swallowed burning coal, and for a moment, he couldn’t find any words of comfort.

Cui Minglu, sensing the heavy atmosphere, coughed lightly.

 “This condition has no cure.”

Everyone immediately stared at him, startling the old man into waving his hands hastily. 

“I don’t mean it like that. This condition doesn’t require medicine. With careful guidance and practice, she can recover.”

Luyi let out a sigh of relief. 

“Doctor Cui, don’t scare us like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack.”