Chapter 82 Congratulations, young master, your wish has come true.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Bai Xiuming stood up and bowed, saying, "This humble official, Bai Xiuming, greets Commander."

Qin Heng glanced at him and said coldly, "Wait here. I'll settle things with you later."

Bai Xiuming walked calmly to the foot of the hall and stood with his hands at his sides.

Upon seeing Qin Heng sit down in the hall with an air of authority, Madam Xue loudly proclaimed, "Please, Commander, uphold justice for me!"

"If Lady Jinyang has any grievances, you may speak to me, and I will do my best to help you."

Lady Xue glanced at the Marquis of Jinyang beside her, a hint of barely perceptible joy flashing across her face. Then she took a deep breath and said to the people in the hall, "Two days ago, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my chest and couldn't sleep all night. I consulted several doctors, but none of them could help. I suspect that I am under a curse."

Qin Heng narrowed his eyes: "Why do you specifically suspect it's a curse?"

Madam Xue's expression suddenly stiffened, but she quickly recovered: "I only heard people say that these symptoms are very similar to a curse, so I had some doubts."

"I see. Lady Hou is indeed wise." After saying this, Qin Heng beckoned to the old man who had examined Madam Xue earlier. "Zhao Chun, tell me, could this situation be a curse?"

The old man hesitated for a moment, glanced at Bai Xiuming, and then said, "Reporting to the Commander, Black Mirror has not found anything unusual."

Qin Heng looked displeased and slammed his large, fan-like hand heavily on the table: "All you ever think about is Black Mirror. Don't you have your own judgment?"

The old man wiped the sweat from his brow, thinking to himself, "I never even get to see the commander in the past. What's gotten into him today?"

He dared not conceal the truth and could only tell the truth: "Judging from the symptoms described by Madam Hou, there is indeed a possibility that she has been cursed."

Qin Heng seemed quite satisfied with the answer and asked Madam Xue, "Madam Hou just mentioned that you have someone you suspect. Who is that person?"

Lady Xue looked at Marquis Jinyang, who paused for a moment before speaking, "This woman is named Ji Chan. Because her bloodline is unknown, I have expelled her from the manor."

Qin Heng raised an eyebrow, then heard Madam Xue add, "Ji Chan has always harbored resentment towards the Marquis and me, and has clashed with the Marquis's mansion several times. I can assure you that this matter is definitely related to her."

"Judging from the Marquis's statement, this woman is indeed highly suspicious." Qin Heng pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned to Zhao Chun, "If we bring her here, could you find out if she has recently cast a curse?"

After a moment's thought, Zhao Chun said, "If the other party is casting a spell on Lady Hou, we can trace the source by taking blood from both of their fingertips."

"Then what are we waiting for? Bring them here immediately!"

At this moment, Bai Xiuming spoke up: "Sir, your actions are unreasonable."

"With me here, it's not your place to be presumptuous," Qin Heng said coldly.

Seeing the two locked in a stalemate in the hall, the other guards of the Mingjing Division dared not utter a sound.

While waiting for Ji Chan, Qin Heng specially had a chair brought out for Xue Shi, who was pregnant, to sit on.

After waiting for less than half an hour, they finally brought the person over.

Achan was escorted to the hall by two Mingjing Guards. She glanced at the burly man sitting in the hall whom she did not recognize, as well as Bai Xiuming standing below, and the Marquis of Jinyang and his wife. She already had a bad feeling.

"Who is below?" Qin Heng asked.

"This humble woman, Ji Chan, greets Your Excellency." A Chan bowed respectfully.

“Ji Chan, Xue has accused you of using evil magic to harm people. If you confess now, I may consider mitigating your crime.”

Achan's eyes widened, her face full of astonishment: "Sir, are you joking with me? Do you have any evidence that I've harmed someone?"

"Ji Chan, do you dare to swear in public that you have never harmed me?" Madam Xue found A Chan's innocent face extremely irritating and couldn't help but speak up.

Achan turned to look at Madam Xue: "How can the Lady of the Marquis slander someone's innocence out of thin air?"

"Alright, someone come and get their blood tested."

Qin Heng was too lazy to listen to their argument. With a command, Zhao Chun immediately walked to the hall. Behind him was a Mingjing Guard who held a black and white skull the size of a washbasin, which contained black liquid.

Achan recognized the skull's origin at a glance. Judging from its shape, it resembled the head of a Gu eagle. Gu eagles were known to be skilled at cursing and could also recognize curses. The black liquid was probably mixed with the blood of a Gu eagle.

Zhao Chun first approached A Chan, who had met him just a few days prior. Zhao Chun nodded slightly to her: "I need to take blood from your fingertip, young lady. Please bear with me for a moment."

Achan did not refuse. She raised her hand and let him prick her with a silver needle. Then she squeezed out a drop of blood that fell into the black liquid.

Then, Zhao Chun used another silver needle to prick Xue's fingertip.

The two drops of blood fell into the black liquid and remained clearly separated at one end, showing no tendency to move closer together.

After waiting for about fifteen minutes, the blood was still divided into two parts as it had just dripped in. Zhao Chun then said to Qin Heng, "Commander, after examination, it has been found that Miss Ji did not use any curse on Madam Hou."

"No way, it must be her!"

She stared intently at Achan, who turned her head and smiled at Xue Shi. In Xue Shi's eyes, that smile was clearly a provocation.

Qin Heng had the Gu Diao's head brought up. He peeked at it before turning to look at the crowd below.

"After investigation, Ji Chan did not use evil magic to harm Lady Jinyang. Ji Chan, you can leave now."

Achan was somewhat surprised; she always felt that the commander of the Mingjing Division acted rather strangely.

He seemed like someone who didn't follow the rules and couldn't distinguish right from wrong, but after the results were obtained, he suddenly became so reasonable that he didn't even try to frame himself.

However, since she's already been let go, Achan won't stay any longer.

She bowed again to the people in the hall and said, "This humble woman takes her leave."

As she left, her gaze fell on Madam Xue's slightly protruding belly, her eyes filled with understanding: "Madam, please take good care of yourself."

"My lord, she's threatening me!" Madam Xue hissed, grabbing the Marquis of Jinyang's arm.

"Don't worry," Marquis Jinyang reassured him.

"Even you don't believe me?"

"Don't overthink it." Marquis Jinyang was a little irritated. Because of Xue's words, he had specially invited Qin Heng, but now that the investigation was complete, it was clear that this matter had nothing to do with Ji Chan. What else could he do?

After the court session ended, the guards of the Mingjing Division left one by one. Qin Heng escorted the Marquis of Jinyang and his wife out of the courtroom. Xue Shi was still unwilling to give up. Seeing the tense relationship between Qin Heng and Bai Xiuming, she said, "My lord, Ji Chan and Bai Xiuming have a close relationship. Perhaps Bai Xiuming helped her fabricate the story."

Qin Heng looked at Madam Xue and said, "Madam, the Marquis of Jinyang saved my life when I was young, and I am willing to uphold justice for you. However, I cannot disregard the evidence and call a deer a horse."

Marquis Jinyang quickly said, "Brother Qin, you are too kind. Madam was just unwell and misspoke."

Qin Heng patted the Marquis of Jinyang on the shoulder: "Brother Ji, as you know, I am just a third-rank commander. There is a Chief of the Department above me. All cases, big and small, must be reported to the Chief of the Department. I can't go too far, otherwise I'm afraid I will lose my official hat."

"Brother Qin is right," Marquis Jinyang nodded repeatedly.

After seeing the Marquis of Jinyang and his wife off, Qin Heng returned to the inner hall with a sullen face. Soon after, the sound of arguing erupted from the inner hall.

That afternoon, the news spread throughout the Mingjing Division.

Lord Bai Xiuming has been suspended from his post for disrespecting his superior.

However, some people privately say that he defended the suspect indiscriminately, which led to him being caught by the commander and thus suspended from duty.

Having failed to file a complaint, the Marquis of Jinyang remained grim on the way back to his residence. Seeing Lady Xue clutching her chest and crying out in pain, he couldn't bring himself to utter any words of reproach.

The carriage stopped outside the mansion. Marquis Jinyang helped Lady Xue out of the carriage. Before they even entered the mansion gate, they saw a carriage approaching from afar, bearing the insignia of the Marquis of Ningyuan.

"Brother Ji." The Earl of Ningyuan got off the carriage and greeted the Marquis of Jinyang with a big smile. The Earl of Ningyuan's wife also got off the carriage behind him.

"What brings you here, Earl of Ningyuan?" The Marquis of Jinyang and the Earl of Ningyuan were not particularly close, but as both were nobles, they often had dealings with each other.

"Today I am here on someone's behalf to discuss something with Brother Ji."

Upon seeing the Lady of Ningyuan, Lady Xue immediately thought of the marriage proposal for Yingying that she had mentioned a few days ago, and a bad feeling immediately arose in her heart.

In front of the Marquis of Ningyuan, she could not stop the Marquis of Jinyang from inviting people into his mansion, nor did she dare to let them talk in private, so she could only grit her teeth and follow them.

After the Earl of Ningyuan and his wife were seated, the Marquis of Jinyang asked, "I wonder what the Earl of Ningyuan has to say?"

The Earl of Ningyuan chuckled and said, "Yesterday, the second young master of the Prince of Xiling's mansion came to my residence with his chief clerk, saying that he wanted to ask me to propose marriage to the Marquis on behalf of a friend of his."

Marquis Jinyang did not refuse outright, but instead inquired, "May I ask what their background is?"

"Brother Ji, you are a man of great knowledge and experience. I suppose you have heard of the demon-hunting clan among the common people?"

Marquis Jinyang nodded: "I have heard of it."

"The Shen clan is the legendary demon-hunting clan. They have lived in Xiling for a long time. Although they have never served as officials in the court, they have an excellent reputation among the people. Moreover, the current clan leader has only one son, who is a good friend of the second young master of the Xiling Prince's Mansion and also the adopted son of the Xiling Prince."

The Marquis of Jinyang's expression softened slightly, and he then asked, "How did they know about my Yingying?"

The other party didn't mention this, so the Marquis of Ningyuan rolled his eyes and casually made up a story: "Although they are far from the capital, they still have some relatives and friends. Moreover, they are close to the Prince of Xiling's mansion, so they can ask about anything they want. Besides, Yingying has been raised by the Lady of the Marquis to be dignified and proper, and she is both beautiful and talented. Even my wife once thought of asking my good-for-nothing husband to marry Yingying, let alone them."

"This..." Marquis Jinyang pondered for a long time. His Yingying was indeed very good, but there were not many families in the capital who could arrange a marriage with her.

The lady was absolutely unwilling to let Yingying marry down, but for her to marry up, someone had to be willing, and the issue of social status alone would be difficult to resolve.

Although the Shen family can't help in officialdom, they might be relied upon by the Prince of Xiling. They are also the eldest son of the clan leader, so they are not unworthy of Yingying.

Madam Xue knew the Marquis of Jinyang so well that she could tell from his expression that he had been persuaded, and she couldn't help but get angry: "My Lord!"

She had only said one sentence when she suddenly clutched her chest and slumped down.

Fortunately, a maidservant nearby caught her quickly, preventing her from falling directly to the ground.

Seeing this, the Marquis of Ningyuan asked in surprise, "What's wrong with the Lady Marquis? Has she suddenly fallen ill with a heart ailment?"

Marquis Jinyang stepped forward to inquire about Xue's condition and replied, "It is not a heart ailment."

Mr. Xue was feeling unwell and kept fussing over it, and he was also in a bad mood. Now that someone had asked him, he began to complain: "This illness came on strangely, and we can't find the source. I only have chest pain, which is not serious but extremely torturous."

At this moment, Lady Ningyuan said, "My lord, this sounds like an evil illness to me. It just so happens that the Shen family is skilled in this. Why don't we invite their young master to the manor to take a look at the Lady?"

"This..." Marquis Jinyang hesitated slightly.

Marquis Ningyuan clapped his hands: "That's a good idea. If he can't cure the Lady of the Marquis, we can just drive her away. If he can cure her, wouldn't that be a good thing?"

Madam Xue did not want to have anything to do with Madam Shen, but her body was too weak to take it anymore, so she could only remain silent.

When she heard that the Marquis of Jinyang had asked the Earl of Ningyuan to invite the young master of the Shen family to his residence, she felt a sense of relief for some reason.

The Xue family's situation was not good, so the Earl of Ningyuan and his wife did not dare to delay and quickly took their leave. About an hour later, the steward came to report that the young master of the Shen family had come to visit.

After settling Lady Xue in, the Marquis of Jinyang hurriedly went out to greet her. Outside the mansion, he saw a young man dressed in a blue robe, with a pale face and a somewhat sickly appearance. Behind the young man were several guards and a maid.

"My name is Shen Yingxiao, and I am the Marquis of Jinyang." The young man allowed the Marquis of Jinyang to examine him before he greeted him.

Seeing the other party's weak appearance, the Marquis of Jinyang's earlier interest waned somewhat.

However, considering that the other party might be able to cure Xue Shi, he politely said to Shen Yingxiao, "Young Master Shen, please come in."

Marquis Jinyang led Shen Yingxiao toward the main house. On the way, while talking with the young man, he found that although the young man looked rather frail, his speech and manners were quite refined, no less than those of the noble sons in the capital. This made him think more highly of him.

Upon arriving at the main courtyard, several guards stood watch outside. Shen Yingxiao, accompanied by her maid, entered the house with the Marquis of Jinyang.

Xue, who was sitting on the soft couch, recognized the maid at a glance. She then looked at Shen Yingxiao and thought that the man's appearance was rather ordinary and his complexion was not as good as her own, so she became more and more resistant to him.

Shen Yingxiao noticed that the Lady Hou's expression was unusual, but he did not delve into it. He only gave her a deep look before saying to the Marquis of Jinyang, "The Lady Hou's health seems to be abnormal. My Shen family also possesses some secret techniques that are not known to outsiders. If Your Excellency does not mind, I may be able to take a look at the Lady Hou."

Hearing him say this, a glimmer of hope flashed in Madam Xue's eyes, and she said, "My lord, let's hear what he has to say."

"Then I'll leave it to Young Master Shen."

Shen Yingxiao nodded slightly and said, "May I ask my maid to investigate for the Lady of the Marquis first?"

After Xue nodded, Shen Yingxiao gestured for a maid to come forward and examine her, and then asked Xue a few more questions.

"Does Madam suffer from a heart ailment?"

Madam Xue shook her head, her tone somewhat urgent: "No, the imperial physicians have already come, I'm not sick at all."

"Has the lady shown any marks on her body in the past few days?"

Madam Xue shook her head again: "There was no trace."

Shen Yingxiao pondered for a moment before saying, "There are no traces of the curse on the lady's body, but the symptoms are exactly like those of the curse. I've never heard of such a method before..."

Seeing that Madam Xue's expression had calmed down, he continued, "However, I do have a way to alleviate this."

"What method?"

Shen Yingxiao didn't keep him in suspense and said directly, "I can prepare a substitute for you, Madam. No matter what symptoms you have, the substitute can bear them. However, this method only treats the symptoms and not the root cause. I don't know how long it can last."

"Alright." Before Marquis Jinyang could even speak, Madam Xue had already eagerly agreed. She was driven crazy by the torment and could no longer endure it.

Shen Yingxiao smiled slightly: "Please give me your birth date and time, a lock of your hair, and a bundle of dry grass, Madam Hou."

The items were delivered quickly. Then, he held Xue's hair and chanted incantations. The originally soft hair stood up and became very tough.

He then rolled the yellow paper with the Xue family's eight characters written on it into a paper roll, and then used dry grass and strands of hair to make a straw figure, which was then wrapped inside the paper roll.

The straw figure looked very sloppy, and Xue was somewhat disappointed when she saw it. Just then, Shen Yingxiao raised his hand and pointed at the straw figure, and the straw figure suddenly sat up from the tea table like a person.

Startled by what she saw, Xue couldn't help but peek out. The straw figure, mimicking her movements, also peered forward.

"My lord, look! That straw figure is actually moving!" Xue exclaimed in surprise.

Marquis Jinyang glanced at the straw figure, then looked at Shen Yingxiao: "Young Master Shen, your methods are extraordinary."

"I don't deserve your praise, Marquis." After saying that, he turned to ask Madam Xue, "Does your heart still hurt, Madam?"

Xue pressed one hand to her chest, and the throbbing pain that had haunted her like a nightmare for the past two days had miraculously disappeared.

"No, it doesn't hurt anymore!" Madam Xue was stunned at first, then her face was filled with joy. "My lord, it doesn't hurt anymore."

At this moment, Shen Yingxiao looked down at the straw man, and a piece of dry grass at the straw man's chest suddenly snapped off.

After Lady Xue finished expressing her joy, Marquis Jinyang saw Shen Yingxiao sitting in a chair with a smile on his face and suddenly felt that it might not be a bad idea to form a marriage alliance with the Shen family.

He couldn't help but ask, "I've heard that Young Master Shen is an only child?"

Shen Yingxiao nodded in agreement: "Years ago, there was an accident in my family. My two brothers died one after another. Now my father only has me as his son, and I also have a younger sister who came to the capital with me this time."

"May I ask how Young Master Shen learned of my daughter?"

"I heard from a distant relative that Miss Xue is very skilled at playing the zither?" Shen Yingxiao didn't say much, just mentioned it briefly, which immediately convinced the two of them.

Xue Ying was indeed very skilled at playing the zither, and she had even competed with other girls at banquets.

"May I ask how old you are, Young Master Shen?" Madam Xue interjected.

I am twenty-five years old this year.

Madam Xue's smile faded slightly as she said to Shen Yingxiao, "I am very grateful for your help, Young Master Shen, but my daughter has only recently come of age, and I plan to keep her here for another two years."

Shen Yingxiao looked at Marquis Jinyang: "Does Your Excellency also mean this?"

Marquis Jinyang was still hesitating when Xue pinched him hard. He endured the pain and said, "Thank you very much, Young Master Shen. How about we discuss this matter another day?"

Shen Yingxiao wasn't annoyed, but a hint of disappointment appeared on his face: "In that case, I won't disturb you any longer. I'll take my leave now."

After saying that, he got up to leave. As he turned around, Shen Yingxiao subtly flicked his finger, and the straw figure that was originally on the table suddenly started to smoke and caught fire.

Upon seeing this, Xue cried out in alarm and rushed forward, pouring the tea from the teacup onto the person.

At this moment, in the incense shop, Achan had just finished telling Chen Hui what had happened at the Mingjing Division that day. Chen Hui glanced at the wooden puppet and suddenly asked in confusion, "Why isn't this wooden puppet bleeding anymore?"

Achan noticed it only after being reminded, and leaned over to take a look. Before she could get a good look, a flame suddenly burst into flames from the puppet's body.

Chen Hui quickly knocked the puppet to the ground, but flames were still burning on its body.

"What's going on?" Chen Hui asked.

Ah Chan squatted down beside her and stared at the scene with great interest for a while before saying, "It seems that the Xue family has found a master, and someone has found a way to break the curse."

Aren't you in a hurry?

Achan rested her chin on her hand and answered lazily, "Although fire can break the spell, the spirit wood has been processed with the Nine-Leaf Vine, making it difficult to burn completely. Once the fire is lit, it will burn for at least three days. Moreover, once the puppet sees the fire, it will attract yang fire, which is a kind of illusory fire. It won't kill people, but it can cause them unbearable pain. I originally intended to use it last, but who knew it would be set on fire ahead of time."

At the Marquis of Jinyang's residence, the tea that Xue poured on the straw figure not only failed to extinguish the fire, but instead caused it to burn even faster, and in the blink of an eye, the flames engulfed the straw figure.

After the straw figure was burned to ashes, Madam Xue suddenly screamed, "It's so hot, it hurts so much, my lord, save me..."

The Marquis of Jinyang attempted to transfer his inner energy to Lady Xue, but this only exacerbated her suffering, causing her to scream in agony.

Shen Yingxiao looked at Xue Shi with some surprise. He only wanted to burn the straw figure with ordinary flames to teach the Marquis of Jinyang and his wife a lesson. Who knew that Xue Shi would turn into this? What exactly did his little fire attract?

At this moment, the maid beside him whispered, "Young master, it seems that Madam Xue has been aroused by yang fire."

Shen Yingxiao knew that her maid had a pair of spiritual eyes that could see things that ordinary people couldn't, so she asked, "What color is that fire?"

"Red is burning Madam Xue's soul."

Shen Yingxiao's eyes darkened slightly: "It seems that Madam Xue's enemy is quite cunning."

It was just a curse, yet it contained hidden yang fire, clearly because it was attracted by his own actions. However, he would never tell the Marquis of Jinyang and his wife about this.

Upon hearing Xue's screams, Marquis Jinyang was momentarily flustered. Seeing Shen Yingxiao about to leave, he called out to him, "Please, Young Master Shen, lend me your assistance."

Shen Yingxiao did not refuse. After turning around to check, he said to Marquis Jinyang, "The Marquis's condition is not good. The person who cursed your wife has added Yang Fire to the cursed object. Your Excellency is a cultivator and should have heard of Yang Fire."

Marquis Jinyang's expression changed slightly. Of course, he knew about that thing and how powerful it was.

It has long been rumored that Yang Fire can forge the soul, but the pain involved is so intense that even cultivators find it hard to endure, let alone Xue Shi, who is just an ordinary person.

"Does Young Master Shen have a way to extinguish the Yang Fire?"

Shen Yingxiao looked at Marquis Jinyang and said gently, "There is indeed a way, but you should know that many methods come at a great cost, so they are kept secret within the clan."

"We will not tell anyone else, so please be accommodating, Young Master Shen."

Shen Yingxiao smiled and shook his head: "But there is absolutely no room for compromise on this matter. Your Excellency should know that there is a trade-off; whatever price you pay, you will surely receive a corresponding reward. I do not wish to coerce Your Excellency with this matter. Your Excellency should seek another solution."

Marquis Jinyang's expression changed several times: "Young Master Shen, could you perhaps change your terms?"

Shen Yingxiao persisted: "It's not that I'm indifferent to Miss Xue, but the elders of my clan require that we get married this year. I think Miss Xue is suitable, so I came to propose. If the Marquis agrees, Miss Xue will have to return to Xiling with me after the Mid-Autumn Festival. If the Marquis does not agree, I can find someone else."

When the Marquis of Jinyang heard that he wanted to save Lady Xue, he not only wanted to marry his daughter to him, but also didn't give him any time to prepare, since the Mid-Autumn Festival was just a few days away.

But he had no time to think. Madam Xue slid to the ground, trembling with pain. The maids beside her dared not touch her, and all they heard was her cry for help.

He could hear his wife's cries for help on one side, and his daughter's wedding on the other.

At this moment, Xue's hoarse voice rang out: "I promise, I promise to marry Yingying to you, save me..."

Shen Yingxiao looked at Marquis Jinyang, who finally nodded: "Alright."

"Please forgive my rudeness, but please write a letter of consent for marriage first, my lord."

Marquis Jinyang felt offended, but since he had already agreed, there was no need to dwell on it. He gritted his teeth and said, "I'll go write it now."

After saying that, he turned and went back into the inner room.

The marriage agreement was not difficult to write; it was just a document. However, once the private seal was affixed, it meant that Xue Ying had become a member of the Shen family. Unfortunately, Yingying was completely unaware of this at the time.

He felt deeply guilty, but there was nothing he could do.

Before long, he took out the marriage agreement he had written and handed it to Shen Yingxiao.

After Shen Yingxiao read it, he handed it to the maid beside him. The maid carefully put away the marriage agreement, and then the Marquis of Jinyang said, "The marriage is settled. Young Master Shen, can you save the person now?"

"My lord, please don't be anxious. Saving Madam Xue is not difficult, but I must tell you the unpleasant things beforehand, so that you won't blame me later."

"you say."

Shen Yingxiao continued, "I possess cold spring water from the Nine Yin Land, which, with the aid of a secret technique, can suppress Yang Fire. That spring water was obtained by our clan elders at great personal risk; it is extremely precious, but also extremely harmful to the body. If Madam were to consume it, I fear the fetus in her womb would be lost."

He originally used the cold spring water to suppress the curse. When the curse took effect, his blood would boil all over his body, and only the cold spring water was effective. He never expected that it would come in handy today.

As for secret techniques... naturally there's no need for such things, but if we don't mention them, how would Marquis Jinyang know the difficulty of suppressing Yang Fire?

The Marquis of Jinyang felt a sudden tightness in his chest; the fetus…

"My lord, save me..." At this moment, Xue's wailing voice reached the ears of the Marquis of Jinyang.

He stared at Madam Xue for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and nodding: "Okay, I agree."

Please, Your Excellency, carry your wife into the inner room and wait for me outside for a moment.

Marquis Jinyang did as he was told and left the inner room.

Shen Yingxiao took out a small jade bottle from his sleeve. After opening the bottle, a chill instantly spread out.

He fed all the cold spring water in the bottle into Xue's mouth, and after a short while, Xue calmed down.

Shen Yingxiao opened the door, and Marquis Jinyang hurriedly entered the inner room. As expected, Madam Xue stopped crying out in pain. She only had time to glance at Marquis Jinyang before fainting.

Shen Yingxiao reminded him from the side, "My lord, please remember to call a doctor. I will come to visit again after the lady of the house has fully recovered."

"Alright." Marquis Jinyang had no time to pay attention to anything else, and Shen Yingxiao, seeing this, led his men away directly.

As the group walked out of the Marquis of Jinyang's residence, he stood at the main gate and took a deep breath.

The maidservant beside him said respectfully, "Congratulations, young master, your wish has come true."

"After I get back, I'll have someone prepare the betrothal gifts. Although this Marquis of Jinyang is a bit tactless, he is still my future father-in-law, so he should still have some face."

“What you say is true, sir.”

"By the way, where did Yingzhu go today?" Shen Yingxiao asked.

The maidservant hurriedly said, "I heard that Miss Yingzhu went to find Shen Huixue."

"Oh? What do you want with her?"

"Miss Yingzhu heard from the Second Young Master that Shen Huixue is deeply favored by the heir of the Duke of Liguo. That heir will soon be going to Xiling, so she wants to rekindle her sisterly bond with Shen Huixue, which might be of help to the Second Young Master in the future."

Shen Yingxiao chuckled lightly: "Yingzhu is indeed getting married, and has become much more sensible. But she is just a lowly half-demon, and it would be a disservice to Yingzhu to call her sister."