Plum Blossom Seal
The conversation came to an end, and although it was brief, it yielded some unexpected gains.
Shangguan Qin was very pleased, after all, if it weren't for her wild imagination, no one would have thought of it that way.
When they came out of the reception room, it was already dark. Shangguan Zheng invited Wen Ya and Si Mucheng to have dinner, and Wen Ya did not refuse.
Unexpectedly, the restaurant was large, with large tables and food already laid out. When they entered, many people were already seated at the tables, but none had touched their chopsticks, seemingly waiting for someone. Upon their arrival, they all stood up and respectfully greeted, "Master."
Startled by the commotion, Si Mucheng whispered in Wen Ya's ear, "There are so many people in his family." Wen Ya replied softly, "That's not many."
Unlike the Zhao family, the Shangguan family doesn't openly accept apprentices. Instead, they select a few children from collateral branches each year to learn skills from the main family. However, there aren't many people willing to learn this skill in the world, and since the Shangguan family doesn't accept outsiders, their numbers are dwindling.
The profession of Celestial Master emphasizes family inheritance, but cultivation ultimately depends on the individual.
Shangguan Zheng gestured for Wen Yasi Mucheng to sit down. He smiled slightly and was no longer so serious. He said in a kind tone, "I don't know if the food suits your taste. It's just home cooking, please don't mind."
Si Mucheng was adept at handling this situation. He smiled and said politely, "It's delicious, thank you for the treat."
The meal was quiet. Si Mucheng guessed that the Shangguan family had many rules, but he found it unpleasant; eating in such a somber atmosphere made him worry about indigestion. Wen Ya, on the other hand, was quite used to it, but she was naturally quiet. Si Mucheng sighed inwardly; she was a real taciturn person, and there were advantages to being taciturn. For example, right now, he really wanted to talk…
He thought of Wen Xiaofeng, who had gone off to play by herself before entering the villa. He leaned over and whispered to Wen Ya, "Doesn't Xiaofeng need to eat?"
Wen Ya shook her head slightly: "Never mind it."
Si Mucheng suddenly realized that he had never seen Wen Xiaofeng eat anything. Could it be that it could go out and peck at insects on its own? Oh well, since Wen Ya said not to worry about it, it wouldn't go hungry. But he still really wanted to talk…
The meal ended awkwardly, and Shangguan Zheng even invited them to stay overnight. After all, the Shangguan family manor was very large, with guest rooms in addition to this villa, more than enough for two guests. But Wen Ya refused. She possessed the Soul-Returning Lamp, and she did not intend to tell the Shangguan family about it at the moment.
Although the Shangguan family is wealthy and powerful, they may not necessarily covet her family's treasures, but one should always be wary.
Moreover, things are different now. Previously, everyone knew that the Wen family's Soul-Returning Lamp, despite its name suggesting some kind of heaven-defying magical artifact, was actually just a decoration. Everyone knew it had probably broken long ago; a useless artifact could only serve as a lucky charm. But now, the Soul-Returning Lamp is behaving strangely, and no one can say for sure what its purpose is. Before figuring out what's going on, Wen Ya doesn't want more people to know about it.
Seeing that they insisted on refusing to stay overnight, Shangguan Zheng did not force them and instructed Shangguan Qin, "Xiao Qin, you are responsible for taking the guests back."
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Qin pouted, his face showing extreme reluctance. However, since it was Shangguan Zheng's order, he could only grumble and agree.
As soon as they stepped outside, Wen Xiaofeng suddenly appeared out of nowhere, strolling over with her brightly colored outfit that was quite eye-catching. Si Mucheng laughed and said, "Oh, where did Xiaofeng go?"
Wen Xiaofeng glanced at him sideways, ignored him, and flew straight to Wen Ya's shoulder.
Shangguan Qin said irritably, "Only you would dare to bring a chicken into my car."
It was that flamboyant pink G-Wagon again. Si Mucheng was still thinking about Wen Ya's condition on the way here, so he said to Shangguan Qin, "Don't drive fast on the road."
Shangguan Qin was furious: "You really think I'm just a driver?!"
"How could I dare?" Si Mucheng smiled, his eyes crinkling. "I'll leave it to Miss Shangguan."
Wen Ya said softly, "I'm fine. I was probably just a little hungry before."
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Qin snorted, "So delicate." With that, he turned the steering wheel and drove away from the manor at a steady speed.
Upon seeing this, Si Mucheng understood that this young lady was like a mule that could be stroked; although she was spoiled, she would be fine again as long as a few kind words were spoken to her.
Fortunately, Wen Ya seemed to be right; those unusual symptoms were caused by hunger. However, Si Mucheng knew that these were just excuses.
Shangguan Qin dropped them off at the hotel. As soon as they got out of the car, she sped off as if she had shaken off some bad luck.
Si Mucheng watched the taillights disappear into the traffic, both amused and exasperated: "They don't seem to like us at all."
Wen Ya didn't hear it; she was still preoccupied with the matter of the Soul-Returning Lamp.
Seeing that they were about to enter the hotel, Wen Xiaofeng flew off Wen Ya's shoulder again, and then disappeared into the roadside green belt amidst the gasps of passersby. Even though he had seen it several times, Si Mucheng was still worried: "Won't it... have been captured?"
Wen Ya remained silent. Si Mucheng looked at her in confusion, only to find her distracted. Worried that she might be feeling unwell elsewhere, he immediately asked anxiously, "What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"
Wen Ya snapped out of her reverie and shook her head. Thinking back to what Shen Guixiang had said during the day, she pondered for a long time before finally saying to Si Mucheng, "Shen Guixiang said today that she seems to have been awakened by the Soul-Returning Lamp. Also, there's something I want to confirm; we'll talk about it when we get back."
Knowing it was related to the Soul-Returning Lamp, Si Mucheng lost all interest in it, nodded, and quickened his pace.
Just as the two were about to enter the hotel, they suddenly heard a few whimpering sounds, like those of small animals.
Si Mucheng heard it clearly and stopped in his tracks: "What's that sound?" He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a dirty little shadow not far away. Because of the darkness, it was not easy to see clearly.
"Is it a puppy?" Si Mucheng bent down, supporting himself on his knees with his hands, trying to get a better look.
Wen Ya frowned.
Perhaps noticing that Si Mucheng was looking at it, the little creature wagged its tail, though the tail was a bit strange, curving into an odd arc. But it still wagged it happily, and at the same time, took a few steps towards Si Mucheng and the others.
Si Mucheng noticed that the little thing was limping a bit when it walked. He exclaimed in surprise, "Is it a stray dog? It looks injured." As he was about to walk over, Wen Ya pulled him back, saying, "Wait."
Wen Ya's attitude was a bit strange. Si Mucheng saw her expression and suddenly understood something: "No way..."
It was at this moment that the little creature walked to a place with light, and Si Mucheng saw its appearance clearly.
It was indeed a small dog, not very big, and it was hard to tell what breed it was. In fact, at first glance, you couldn't even tell what it was. The dirt on its body wasn't mud or dust, but blood. The red blood covered its fur, making it impossible to see its original color. Even its head wasn't complete; a large piece was missing from the left side, along with its ears and eyes. Its mouth and nose looked like they had been burned, charred black, and its mouth was burned so badly that its fangs were showing.
Si Mucheng's pupils dilated, and his lips trembled with shock: "My God... what has this little guy been through...?"
The little creature seemed to realize that its appearance had frightened them, so it stopped and whimpered twice more.
Si Mucheng looked at Wen Ya in disbelief: "Is it a ghost? Shouldn't it be dead?" If it were still alive, how much pain would it be in? It would be in excruciating pain. But given its current state, how could it possibly still be alive?
Wen Ya remained silent; she hadn't expected the little thing to die in such a horrific manner.
"Wait a minute," Si Mucheng asked again, "Can puppies turn into ghosts?"
“All things have a spirit,” Wen Ya said, “but most animals don’t have obsessions because they haven’t developed intelligence. This little dog… is probably very human-like.”
"So that's why it's resentful?" Si Mucheng looked at the puppy, its single, round, black eyes staring at him as if seeking his help. "Did it come to us because its death was too painful?"
Wen Ya shook her head, raised her hand and pressed it against the cloth bag, feeling a slight vibration inside: "It's the Soul-Returning Lamp."
"A Soul-Returning Lamp?" Si Mucheng was surprised again. "Can a Soul-Returning Lamp summon a little dog ghost?"
"It should only be ghosts."
To others, Wen Ya and Si Mucheng standing there, muttering to themselves in the open space, seemed rather strange. After the initial shock, Si Mucheng looked up and realized people were watching them, so he whispered, "Maybe we should go back first. Can we bring the puppy in?"
Wen Ya said, "There are amulets in the hotel lobby to ward off evil spirits, so ghosts can't get in. It's alright, it was summoned by the resurrection lamp, so it won't leave."
Si Mucheng nodded. He originally wanted to look at the puppy again, but he couldn't bear to.
The little creature stood there, its gaze following them. Wen Ya couldn't bear it in the end, so she threw a talisman over. The talisman flew over and stuck to the little creature, instantly restoring it to its original appearance.
This is an ordinary little mongrel with light yellow, curly fur, a tail held high and curled into a circle, droopy ears, and round eyes. It is currently looking at them with its tongue lolling out and its mouth slightly open, as if it is smiling.
Si Mucheng suddenly felt a pang of sadness: "This is much cuter." He tapped it from afar, "Don't run around, I'll come find you again tomorrow."
The puppy barked twice, as if in response.
Si Mucheng couldn't help but sigh, "He really understands human nature."
The two went to Wen Ya's room. As soon as they entered, Si Mucheng asked impatiently, "What did Shen Guixiang say?"
Wen Ya pondered for a moment and told him what Chen Guixiang had said during the day.
Si Mucheng pondered, "Someone is talking to her again. Last time, Zhang Wei also said someone was talking in his ear. Is it the Soul-Returning Lamp? Can the Soul-Returning Lamp talk?"
Wen Ya wasn't sure either, but that wasn't what she needed to confirm. She took out the Soul-Returning Lamp from her bag, and two petals of the six-petaled lotus suddenly lit up.
really.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
