Chapter 32 Premortal Stone

More than half a month has passed since Chen Xuanqing left the capital with Gu Jinchao.

Chen Li, on the other hand, still hadn't received any news of finding Master Kong.

That morning, Chen Yanyun sat by the window, clutching a letter sent by Chen Li in his hand, his fingertips turning white from the pressure.

The letter contained only a few words, saying that Master Kong's whereabouts were uncertain. After a brief stay at a temple in the southwest last month, he disappeared again, and the search area could only be expanded.

"Useless!" Chen Yanyun slammed the letter onto the table, the paper fluttering to the floor. His chest heaved violently, his eyes filled with barely suppressed anxiety.

Half a month was enough time for Chen Xuanqing to establish a foothold in Suzhou with Gu Jinchao, enough time for them to get away from the control of the capital, and enough time for the unease in his heart to grow stronger day by day.

He originally thought that although the seven-day deadline was tight, Chen Li was always reliable and would be able to find Master Kong's whereabouts.

"Third Master, should we extend Chen Li's request for a few more days?" the servant standing by asked cautiously, afraid of angering him.

Chen Yanyun closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said in a hoarse, cold voice, "Tell Chen Li that if he can't find Master Kong within three days, he doesn't need to come back."

Whether it was good luck or not, Chen Li managed to find Master Liaokong in Jiangnan and bring him back to the Imperial Temple in the capital on the last day of the deadline.

When the news arrived, Chen Yanyun's exhaustion from a sleepless night vanished instantly. He immediately changed into a neat, dark-patterned brocade robe, not even bothering to conceal the dark circles under his eyes, and hurriedly rushed to the Imperial Temple.

The door to the meditation room was ajar. Chen Yanyun gently pushed it open, and a rich yet gentle sandalwood fragrance wafted into his nostrils.

The room was dimly lit, with only a few lamps burning dimly. Master Liaokong, dressed in a gray monk's robe, sat cross-legged on a futon, exuding a serene tranquility that contrasted sharply with his anxious state of mind.

He subconsciously slowed his steps, afraid of disturbing the master, but amidst the lingering sandalwood incense, he suddenly remembered a dream—in his and Gu Jinzhao's bedroom, there was always a similar calming incense burning, only it was sweeter than the sandalwood in this meditation room.

The moment the thought crossed Chen Yanyun's mind, her heart tightened, and the urgency in her eyes deepened.

Master Liaokong slowly turned around, saw the dark circles under Chen Yanyun's eyes, and sighed, "Why bother...why bother..."

Chen Yanyun was taken aback, and a bitter smile appeared on his face. "Master, I had no choice but to do this."

He took a few steps forward and gently sat down on the futon opposite Master Liaokong, his hands clasped together, his fingertips slightly clenched due to his unsettled emotions.

Looking at the master's serene profile, he finally poured out all the confusion and obsession that had been weighing on his heart for days: "Master, I am tormented by dreams day and night. Sometimes I feel that the dreams are too real, and I can't tell which is real and which is fake?"

He paused, his voice becoming slightly hoarse: "If the dream is false, why do I keep having this dream? The people, events, and even her eyes in the dream are so clear, as if they happened just yesterday... Master, I went to great lengths to invite you here, just to ask you, is my dream a result of my past life? If it is, why can't I be with her in this life?"

Master Liaokong slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the man's clenched fist. He gently shook his head: "Too much attachment will only bring trouble. Benefactor, some things will always be yours, and what is not yours, you cannot force."

"Master, I, Chen Yanyun, have never believed in fate!"

Just as Master Liaokong was about to speak, he was interrupted urgently: "Master, I, Chen Yanyun, have never asked anyone for anything in my life. Today, I only ask you to enlighten me and help me this once!"

Seeing the bloodshot eyes and his unyielding expression, Master Liaokong sighed helplessly, finally got up and called out to the door, instructing the young monk to bring a simple wooden box.

The box is engraved with a simple lotus pattern, and the edges are worn, indicating that it is quite old.

"Please don't be hasty, benefactor." Master Liaokong gently placed the wooden box on the low table between the two of them. The wood grain matched the Zen-like patterns on the tabletop. His voice was as calm as the stream outside the temple. "There is something inside that might be able to help you."

No sooner had he said that than Chen Yanyun could no longer contain himself and reached out to unfasten the clasp of the wooden box, his movements so fast they were almost urgent.

But when the lid was lifted, the anticipation in his eyes faded instantly—inside lay a palm-sized stone, grayish-brown, with even some fine pebbles on its surface, looking no different from any random rock that could be picked up by the roadside.

“I obtained this stone by chance, and I named it the Stone of My Past Life.” Master Liaokong’s voice rang out at the right time, breaking Chen Yanyun’s daze.

Chen Yanyun reached out and took the stone in his palm. His fingertips touched the rough surface of the stone, and a cool sensation spread from his fingertips. He examined it from all angles, finding it ordinary, and couldn't help but look up at Master Kong. "Master, this... this stone can really help me find the answer?"

“Benefactor Chen, this Past Life Stone can allow you to see images of your past life.” Master Liaokong turned the prayer beads in his hand, his tone calm but solemn. “The premise is that you need to nourish it with your heart’s blood for forty-nine days before you can glimpse the cause and effect of your past life.”

"Third Master!" Chen Li, who was standing to the side, suddenly changed his expression and hurriedly stepped forward to stop him. Nourishing the artifact with his heart's blood had already damaged its foundation, and forty-nine days had caused even greater depletion. He really couldn't bear to see Chen Yanyun tormenting himself like this.

But as soon as he took a step, he met Chen Yanyun's cold and sharp gaze.

The determination and warning in his eyes made Chen Li stop moving instantly, and he could only retreat with worry.

Chen Yanyun stopped looking at Chen Li and turned to Master Kong, his brows furrowed and his tone full of urgency: "Master, forty-nine days is too long. Can we shorten the time?"

He feared that things might change if he waited too long, and he was even more afraid that Chen Xuanqing and Gu Jinzhao in Suzhou would develop more entanglements in the next forty days.

Master Liaokong slowly shook his head and bluntly said, "Benefactor Chen, the images of your past life need to gradually appear over time. If the time is too short, you will understand less about your past life, and you may even miss the key causes and effects."

Chen Yanyun remained silent for a moment, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the stone of his past life in his palm. The cool surface of the stone calmed him down slightly. He knew that what the master said was true; the way to see one's past life could not be rushed.

Finally, he slowly nodded, carefully put away the Stone of Past Life, and once again clasped his hands together and bowed to Master Kong: "Thank you for your explanation, Master. I apologize for disturbing your meditation."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and left the meditation room with Chen Li.

Master Liaokong returned to his meditation cushion, formed a mudra with his hands, and began chanting scriptures again. The sandalwood incense and the sound of the scriptures mingled in the meditation room, as if adding an unknown footnote to this deeply entrenched cause and effect.

As soon as the two stepped out of the meditation room, Chen Li couldn't help but catch up, his voice full of urgency: "Third Master."

Chen Yanyun didn't stop walking. He raised his hand and waved it, his tone resolute and unwavering: "My mind is made up. You don't need to say anything more."

Chen Li followed behind him, watching his tall but somewhat stubborn back. In the end, he still steeled himself and stepped forward, insisting on dissuading him: "Third Master, your body has just recovered and you are already weak. You must not use your heart's blood to nourish this stone! If you damage its foundation, what will happen in the future?"

Seeing that Chen Yanyun still did not turn around, Chen Li gritted his teeth and added a touch of desperate pleading in his voice: "If you insist on doing so, please forgive this humble servant for being disrespectful—this humble servant will immediately return to the manor and report this matter to the old lady, asking her to make a decision!"

Chen Yanyun finally stopped and turned to look at Chen Li.

He naturally understood that Chen Li had followed him for many years, and his advice was entirely for his health, without any selfish motives.

Despite understanding, his obsession with the dream and Gu Jinchao had long since outweighed his concerns about his own safety.

He was silent for a moment, his eyes softened a little, but he still didn't budge: "Chen Li, I know you mean well. But the torment of these dreams these past few days will haunt me for the rest of my life. I must get through these forty-nine days."

After uttering those resolute words, Chen Yanyun turned and strode away, the hem of his black robe sweeping across the bluestone slabs in front of the imperial temple without lingering for a moment.

Chen Li was left standing there, stunned, watching his receding figure, his eyes filled with anxiety and helplessness.

*

Inside the study of the Chen family mansion, the flickering candlelight illuminated the room's profound silence.

As soon as Chen Yanyun pushed the door open, he locked it behind him, took out the Stone of Past Life from the wooden box, and gently placed it in the center of the desk.

The dusty stone, still somewhat ordinary in the candlelight, became the only focus in his eyes at that moment.

He bent down and rummaged through the cabinet, pulling out items: a gleaming scimitar, a roll of clean gauze, a small bottle of alcohol, and a small box of wound medicine, all neatly arranged.

Chen Yanyun picked up a piece of plain cloth and slowly stuffed it into his mouth.

He was afraid that if he cried out in pain, the servants outside the door would hear him, and then the old lady would hear it, adding another obstacle to his plans.

Having done all this, he picked up the scimitar and held it close to the candlelight to heat it repeatedly, the cold light on the blade flickering in the firelight.

After taking a deep breath, he held the knife without hesitation and plunged it straight into his heart.

A sharp pain instantly spread throughout his body. He groaned, biting the cloth tightly in his mouth, and cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.

But he ignored the pain and quickly picked up the Stone of His Past Life from the table, pressing it tightly against the wound on his chest.

Bright red blood meandered down the skin of his chest cavity, seeping into the rough surface of the pre-life stone.

At first, the stone showed no unusual movement, but as the blood continued to seep in, the stone slowly emitted a faint warm light, much like a flickering candle flame, which looked particularly strange in the dimly lit study.

As soon as Chen Li arrived at the study door, he faintly heard Chen Yanyun's suppressed groan coming from inside. His heart tightened instantly, and he stopped in his tracks. His hand hovered over the doorknob. He wanted to push the door open to check, but he was afraid of disturbing Chen Yanyun. So he paced anxiously outside the door, pressing his ear tightly against the door panel, afraid of missing any sound.

After a long while, a faint sound of a lock being opened finally came from inside the door.

Chen Li immediately straightened up, his eyes fixed on the door. The door slowly opened, revealing Chen Yanyun, whose face was as pale as paper, lips devoid of color, and hands trembling slightly as he gripped the doorframe. He exuded an aura of weakness.

"Third Master!" Chen Li hurriedly went to greet him, reaching out to steadily support Chen Yanyun's body. His fingertips touched the cold fabric of Chen Yanyun's clothes, and his heart sank even further.

As his dizziness gradually subsided, Chen Yanyun leaned on Chen Li's arm to steady himself. His breathing was still somewhat rapid. He paused for a moment, then, his voice slightly hoarse, he instructed, "Chen Li, forty-nine days is too long. Things could change in the meantime. Arrange for your trusted men to depart for Suzhou immediately. Make sure they keep a close eye on Xuan Qing and..."

He paused here, and the image of Gu Jinzhao involuntarily appeared in his mind. His heart felt as if it had been clenched by something, and he felt a sudden pain, making it hard to breathe.

He took a deep breath before managing to utter the last two words: "...Jin Chao".

“Yes…” Chen Li understood. He knew what Chen Yanyun meant. Since he couldn’t stop Chen Yanyun from nourishing the Stone of the Past Life with his heart’s blood, monitoring the actions of Chen Xuanqing and his wife to prevent them from creating more uncontrollable variables in the next forty-nine days became the only thing he had to do.

He carefully helped Chen Yanyun to sit down on the stool next to him. Looking at Chen Yanyun's pale face and slightly furrowed brows, he couldn't help but whisper and advise, "Third Master, you just injured yourself. You need to rest well and not overwork yourself."

Chen Yanyun waved his hand, closed his eyes, and said in a tired but still firm voice, "I know. Go and make the arrangements as soon as possible."