Capture the Jade (Attacking the Jade) - Chapter 22-Part 3
Chapter 22-Part 3
The officials looked uneasy.
“Your Highness, it’s been many years since anything demon appeared in Chang’an, but in just a few months, there have already been several major incidents. Last time, it was a tree demon that stole the bodies of beautiful women, and now this time, the demons are somehow connected to a courtesan.”
Though they didn’t dare say it out loud, the unspoken question hung in the air: Why are these powerful demons appearing so frequently during what should be a time of peace and prosperity?
Lin Chengyou easily guessed their thoughts and gave a faint smile.
“I’ll soon uncover the origins of these demons. The two demons that broke free last night have vanished for now, but they could reappear at any moment to harm the people. To prevent any injuries, I will be requesting that monks and Taoist priests from various temples patrol the streets daily. Just a heads-up so you’re all prepared.”
The officials nodded obediently.
“In addition to cooperating with the monks and Taoist priests on patrol, you must also inform every household: unless absolutely necessary, people should stay indoors at night.”
“We will begin arranging it immediately,” they responded.
Seeing Lin Chengyou focused solely on giving orders and not yet starting his meal, Qi Zhi quietly pushed the bowl of soup toward him.
Jue Sheng, drenched in sweat from eating, finally lifted his head and spoke, “Senior brother, you’re making sure we eat, but you’re not eating yourself. If you don’t drink the soup now, it will get cold.”
Only then did Lin Chengyou pick up his chopsticks.
“You’re right, I am hungry.”
However, the officials kept interrupting to ask for his guidance, making it impossible for him to eat in peace.
Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi, having finished their breakfast, sighed while resting their chins in their hands.
“Poor senior brother. Good thing we’re here, or who else would look after his meals?”
Prince Cheng and his consort had left Chang’an half a year ago, taking the second son with them.
They had said that Lin Chengyou had traveled enough with them in his youth, so now it was the second son’s turn, Ah Shuang.
They also mentioned that since Princess Zhi had fallen behind in her studies due to her travels in Jiangnan, she would need to remain in Chang’an this year to focus on her education.
As it turned out, Princess Changyi had missed her too much, so Princess Zhi was now staying in the palace with her.
That was all fine, but even Lin Chengyou’s master had left Chang’an under the pretext of traveling.
So, Lin Chengyou was now left with only his two younger disciples for company.
This was unprecedented, as his master had often said that Lin Chengyou, being mischievous and unruly, needed constant supervision by an elder.
Yet this time, both his master and Prince Cheng’s family had left the city.
It was puzzling—could it be they wanted Lin Chengyou to face more challenges on his own?
The two young disciples sighed again in unison, switching hands to prop up their round faces.
Though the Emperor and Empress were still in Chang’an, and they treated Lin Chengyou like their own son, the Emperor was known for his leniency and the Empress for her gentle nature.
Both lived in the palace and were fully capable of overseeing Princess Zhi’s studies, but supervising Lin Chengyou seemed a bit out of their reach.
While they were lost in their sighs, E Ji led Juan Erli over.
E Ji bowed and smiled at Lin Chengyou, saying, “Your Highness, our Juan Erli is still a bit dazed. Could Your Highness check if there’s any lingering demon poison inside her?”
Juan Erli, standing beside E Ji, looked somewhat vacant.
Her skin, already as pale and delicate as jade, now appeared even more fragile after her illness, with a hint of pitiful charm.
She seemed to have dressed up a bit, wearing a high-waisted apricot-yellow ruqun.
Lin Chengyou glanced over at them.
“Hasn’t she already taken the Qingxin Pill?”
Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi were also confused.
Juan Erli could walk and speak; apart from some lingering fatigue, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with her.
They got up to take a closer look and found her eyes to be clear, with no sign of residual poison.
Juan Erli, feeling embarrassed, said, “Thank you, Daozhang. Actually, I don’t feel unwell at all…”
But E Ji kept pushing her toward Lin Chengyou, insisting, “It’s just that, unlike Young Master Wang, Juan Erli has been slow to recover her strength and still feels lightheaded. I was worried something might be wrong, so I thought I’d trouble Your Highness to take another look.”
“Oh, is that so?” Lin Chengyou said.
“Jue Sheng, Qi Zhi, why don’t you both take another look at Juan Erli? As for E Ji, well, something doesn’t seem right with you either.”
E Ji’s face went pale.
“Me as well?”
“Yes, why don’t you take a few more Qingxin Pills too?”
Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi scratched their heads in confusion.
Clearly, their senior brother was growing tired of E Ji’s nagging.
The Qingxin Pill was meant for people poisoned by demons; if a healthy person took it, they’d end up with an upset stomach for days.
“Young Daozhang, please give me a few more pills,” E Ji pleaded, now visibly nervous.
Qi Zhi, with good intentions, only handed her one, but E Ji reached out and grabbed several more.
The two disciples tried to take them back, but Lin Chengyou stopped them.
“Oh, it’s just a few Qingxin Pills. If E Ji wants them, let her have them. Why be so stingy?”
E Ji quickly swallowed all the pills at once, but she hadn’t forgotten her original intention.
She smiled and gently pushed Juan Erli forward again.
“Could Your Highness perhaps take a look personally? Just now, she mentioned seeing illusions…”
Lin Chengyou chuckled, about to say something, when a thought seemed to cross his mind.
He looked up at Juan Erli.
E Ji’s heart leapt with hope, her eyes bright with anticipation.
“Your Highness, Juan Erli…”
But Lin Chengyou’s gaze passed over them both and landed outside the door.
There, in the golden morning light, stood a tall, graceful Hu man; it was Teng Yuyi.
“Illusions…” Lin Chengyou murmured thoughtfully, his eyes still on Teng Yuyi.
Suddenly, he turned to Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi.
“The young lady, Ge Jin, should be awake by now. Go to her room and check something for me.”
***
Teng Yuyi let down the carriage’s curtain, admiring the jade sword in her hand.
The more she examined it under the morning light, the clearer and brighter it seemed, leaving her feeling refreshed.
After a whole night of chaos, the spell was finally lifted.
This sword was no ordinary weapon; with its protection, she wouldn’t have to endure those dreadful nightmares again. And if she ever encountered the strange beings who had murdered her and her servant in her previous life, she now had a powerful tool to dispel their dark art.
“Back to the Du residence,” she instructed Huo Qiu with satisfaction.
But before they got far, the carriage suddenly stopped.
Huo Qiu called out, “My lady, Taoist Jue Sheng from Qingyun Temple is here.”
“Jue Sheng?” Teng Yuyi lifted the curtain, and sure enough, she saw a small carriage parked by the roadside.
Jue Sheng hopped down and hurried over to her.
(T/N: I’m sorry if it took so long for me to update this novel because the chapter is super long. Each chapter can have up to 7000+ words, plus I need to check some of the terms properly as the novel is closely related to Taoism.)
