A preordained encounter

Tang Feng didn't reply, but followed Su Zili into the backyard. Inside, there were only two bamboo chairs and a small square table. Su Zili put the cat aside, sat down herself, and poured Tang Feng a cup of tea. "Sit down. The house is simple, not as nice as outside." Tang Feng stood to the side, and only after hearing Su Zili's words did he slowly sit down, take the tea Su Zili offered, and drink a sip before asking, "Can I tell you now?" Su Zili smiled slightly and handed Tang Feng the bell at her waist. "You should be very familiar with this from when you were at the pawnshop." Tang Feng took the Spirit Bell, finally able to examine it closely. It was entirely golden, trimmed with gold thread and adorned with ghost grass. When the wind blew, it would emit a silvery bell-like sound that lingered for a long time, its echo resonating. Tang Feng stared at the bell for a while, then turned to Su Zili. "You seem to know me very well."

Su Zili smiled faintly, "I wouldn't say I understand him, but I know the real Tang Feng in Yanyun, the Tang Feng who was ridiculed as cowardly by everyone, the Tang Feng who disappointed his father, and the Tang Feng who would risk everything for Zhou Ziliang."

Tang Feng frowned, his expression somewhat displeased. "What exactly are you trying to say? I don't have time to play guessing games with you." Su Zili smiled, not angry. "If you really want to talk about it, you should start with that child begging me." Seeing that Tang Feng didn't interrupt and seemed willing to listen, Su Zili spoke again. "The original owner of that body was cowardly but liked Zhou Ziliang, you know that well, right?" Tang Feng pondered for a moment and nodded. He didn't actually know much about the original owner of his body. He was afraid of Zhang Mobai and the others suspecting him, so he hadn't asked. However, piecing together fragments of their past conversations, he guessed that person was probably cowardly, incompetent, and timid. As for liking Zhou Ziliang, that was even less of a question. Bad news travels fast, and he knew about it when he first arrived in Xiling. He even went to ask the Cloud Emperor for a marriage decree for Zhou Ziliang. "I know some..."

Su Zili sighed, "That child was pitiful. His mother died prematurely after giving birth to him, and Zhao Nan favored his wife, pushing all the blame onto the child, so naturally he didn't care much about him. The child was premature, born with congenital deficiencies, and was weak. Coupled with Zhao Nan's indifference towards him, naturally his personality became somewhat timid." Tang Feng had heard some of these stories before, but he hadn't expected the original owner to be so pitiful. "Then... what happened next?"

"Later..." Su Zili paused, looking at Tang Feng, "That Mid-Autumn Festival, when the moon was full, he met Zhou Ziliang." Tang Feng was taken aback at first, then scratched his head, "I thought they were childhood sweethearts, acquainted since childhood." "Not exactly childhood sweethearts, but they were quite similar since childhood. He was ten years old that year." Su Zili idly fanned himself with a palm-leaf fan, holding the black cat in his other hand, "But you must also know very well that with such a timid nature and no outstanding qualities, it would be difficult for Zhou Ziliang to like him." Thinking back to his first meeting with Zhou Ziliang at Lishan Academy, Zhou Ziliang's dark face as he rode on horseback, he couldn't help but chuckle. But thinking of the original owner of this body who had worked so hard to obtain a marriage decree, only to receive the news that Zhou Ziliang had abandoned him, he sighed, "Thinking about it... he also had a hard life, but... what does this have to do with my coming to Yanyun?"

"Through countless trials and tribulations, through three lifetimes of destiny, Zhou Ziliang was his destiny, but he was not Zhou Ziliang's destiny." Su Zili took a sip of tea and slowly looked at Tang Feng. "Of all things in this world, only love cannot be forced. Therefore, they needed a special opportunity, and you... are that opportunity."

"Me?" Tang Feng seemed to have heard a joke. "How can you be so sure that Zhou Ziliang and I will resolve this? I'm with him because we've been through life and death together, endured hardships. Did you just say it out loud?" Seeing Tang Feng's anger, Su Zili quickly soothed him, "It's not that I'm sure, nor did I randomly put you two together. It's just fate. I'm just following destiny." Tang Feng didn't say anything more after hearing this, glanced at Su Zili, and asked, "And then?"

"And then? Then he met me, and I did a divination for him. The East Four repairs the West, and the West Four repairs the East. The auspicious star turns into an inauspicious star. Although both the external and internal aspects are auspicious, it is all useless. The two of them are incompatible and destined to be together but not to be together. Their deep affection will not last long. So I asked him... if he would like to borrow my soul."

"Soul transfer?"

Su Zili nodded. "Simply put, it's about transferring your soul into his body. Once it's done, I'll choose an auspicious day to switch you back. However, this soul-borrowing is very difficult, and I'm not 100% sure I can do it."

"Then why are you still helping him?" Tang Feng didn't quite understand why Su Zili, a person who was like a legend in Yan Yun, would help a young master who was heartbroken because of a failed relationship. Even if 'Tang Feng' was Tang Zhaonan's son and they used to be friends, the rumors he heard in Yan Yun back then were that Su Zili had gone to Han a long time ago and never returned. He had even cut off contact with Tang Zhaonan and others, and his fate was unknown.

"Why? Good question! Perhaps he and I...we were both too foolish...foolish child!" Su Zili smiled bitterly at Tang Feng. "What do you think?" Tang Feng thought for a moment and sighed. "There's something I don't understand...you...why did you leave Xiling? When I was in Shanghan, I saw the box that Emperor Yun gave you at Fu Chenchen's place...Fu Chenchen said it was for him to store the Spirit Orb. At that time...and...Emperor Yun..." Su Zili smiled upon hearing this. "You're very clever...I wasn't mistaken, it's just as you think...That box was carved by His Majesty and given to me personally...He said, 'Why should we care about worldly opinions? If we can stay together, even if we are despised by others, we will have no regrets!'"

"Since that's the case... why did you leave?" Tang Feng realized his words were inappropriate as soon as they left his mouth. Every family has its own troubles, and Su Zili's departure from the Cloud Emperor must have its own untold pain. He recalled how, when the Empress Dowager was seriously ill, he and Zhou Ziliang visited her, and on her deathbed, she mistook him and Zhou Ziliang for the Cloud Emperor and Su Zili. Thinking of this, Tang Feng softly apologized, "I'm sorry... I..."

"It's nothing. Now that you're here, there's no need for me to hide it from you. It's a coincidence that 'Tang Feng' came to me for a fortune telling, and it's also a coincidence that you came to Yanyun. However, I had a purpose in telling 'Tang Feng's' fortune, and I also had a purpose in bringing you to Yanyun."

Tang Feng stared blankly at the Spirit Stones on the stone table, then looked at the black cat. "But... I fell from the window... entirely because of my own carelessness, a fall from a great height... This... isn't a coincidence, is it?" Su Zili smiled. "Of course, your fall was a coincidence. Whatever the reason, before you saw this black cat, everything was an accident caused by your own actions. But after you saw the black cat, what happened next was arranged by me." Su Zili placed the two Spirit Stones together. "The Spirit Stones are considered family heirlooms. Putting them together can open up spacetime. Mortals can travel through time. The two Spirit Stones are a pair, and they attract each other. That means if two different people each hold one Spirit Stone, they can collide. When people from different timelines collide, their souls will be exchanged. Do you understand?" Tang Feng hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Then... this black cat..."

"He is your guide. When you woke up in Yanyun, your family must have told you why you were unconscious."

Tang Feng nodded. "Fell from the horse."

"That's it. The 'Tang Feng' over there lost his soul at noon, the yin and yang are in opposition, and I need to find someone who died at dawn. At that time, Xiling was in the middle of the month of Grain Rain, Grain Buds, and Grain in Ear. In modern times, it's the middle of the month of Great Heat, Autumn Equinox, and Beginning of Autumn... The only one who matches the time... was you."

"So... I saw this black cat... and heard Mireiko's voice."

Su Zili nodded. "Your soul went to Yanyun. Tang Feng's soul will remain here in your place, sleeping until you return."

Tang Feng pondered for a moment before asking, "So... in Yan Yun... I... that is, 'Tang Feng' didn't die, but... we switched back?" Su Zili nodded. "As for your poor health and frequent fainting spells in the later stages, it was because of the soul's rejection. Also, this body is about to awaken. After all, you are the true owner of this body. The body in Yan Yun was merely a vessel for your soul."

Thinking of this, Tang Feng forced a smile, "It's alright... If he didn't die... even if that person is no longer me, Little Crazy. Sister Jiu... Ziliang... I suppose they won't be sad anymore." Su Zili shook her head and sighed. Tang Feng's journey to Yanyun and everything he experienced was all orchestrated by her, without considering the consequences. Although she did choose to help that 'Tang Feng' fulfill his wish before borrowing his soul, the more important thing was Pu Yuan's matter, and she had her own considerations. She just hadn't expected the soul rejection to be so severe, and Tang Feng to fail. "There's something I've thought about... I still need to tell you, but... you should think it over carefully too."

Tang Feng nodded after hearing this, and then Su Zili said, "Sending you back again... isn't impossible, but of course... don't get too excited... it's not guaranteed, and I have conditions... before you came back... you must have suffered a lot under His Majesty's rule."

Upon hearing Su Zili mention the Cloud Emperor, Tang Feng could no longer suppress his anger. He frowned and said, "Extremely suspicious, even wanting to kill his own son... Unreasonable! How can such a person become an emperor!"

Knowing Tang Feng's words carried anger, Su Zili didn't try to dissuade him, but simply continued, "After you go back... you have to do me a favor... help me... save Yan Yun."