Chapter 334 Don't Underestimate Your Sisters
When Shen Liu and Lu Pengpeng escaped, Wan Qi asked Wei Ren if they should chase after them, but Wei Ren stared at Sheng Fei without turning his head and said with a serious expression, "There are more important things to figure out now than them."
"What's going on?" Wan Qi asked, puzzled. "If we let Shen Liu go now, they'll be in the shadows while we're in the open. If..."
Wei Ren said impatiently, "Don't talk! I'm thinking!"
Wan Qi shut up, feeling wronged. Yu Sui didn't give him a signal, and he wasn't sure whether he should go over to help.
In his current state, Sheng Fei could only curse. Soon, Wan Qi saw Sheng Fei faint, realizing that he couldn't even curse anymore.
As soon as Sheng Fei fainted, Wei Ren immediately used his Wind Riding Technique to rush over.
Upon getting closer, Wei Ren cursed, "Damn it, it's the Earth Punishment Formation."
He can't get in, and the people inside can't get out.
The Earth Punishment Formation cannot be broken through from either the inside or outside; it can only disappear on its own after twelve hours.
Yu Sui, who had been staring at Sheng Fei's shadow, finally looked up at Wei Ren.
Wei Ren raised his hand to shield himself from the sandstorm swirling outside the formation. He approached the formation and said to Yu Sui inside, "Dean Shen told me about the phantom beast. Because it's a forbidden technique, the outside world has limited knowledge about it."
"Farmers possess the ability to control beasts, but those are real insects and beasts. Forbidden magical beasts are phantoms that are nurtured by qi. Although they are difficult to cultivate, they are much more powerful."
“These phantoms, formed from qi, follow their masters in their cultivation once they take shape. To some extent, they can be considered as independent entities.” Wei Ren paused, then put it in a simpler way, “That is to say, they understand people’s seven emotions and six desires, and know what joy, anger, sorrow and happiness are.”
Yu Sui looked back at Sheng Fei's shadow: "What does this have to do with his shadow?"
“The phantom beast can be separated from its master, devour the marrow of others, and then control that person’s joys and sorrows, replacing him.” Wei Ren also looked at Sheng Fei.
Yu Sui laughed: "You mean his marrow sea was devoured by the phantom of a phantom beast, and the one controlling this body isn't my third brother, but a phantom beast cultivated by someone else?"
impossible.
Nangong Ming and Madam Sheng would never allow such a thing to happen.
There are so many saints and instructors in Taiyi... well, there aren't many serious saints among the farmers in Taiyi, so it's not surprising that I didn't notice.
Wei Ren hesitated and said, "Sheng Fei's marrow sea may not have been devoured, but he may have also been affected by the phantom beast's image, which is why..."
Yu Sui calmly said, "If you insist that he was influenced by the phantom beast, then find the phantom beast out of his body and see."
She had previously suspected that Sheng Fei's irritability and temper might be due to a curse, but she had never considered any other methods.
"Are you really going to find him?" Wei Ren asked. "Given Sheng Fei's status and position, the only person who could plant the phantom beast image in his body so quietly without anyone noticing is probably that person."
They all thought of Madam Su.
Yu Sui still remembered Wei Ren saying that Madam Su was a genius at cultivating phantom beast images. While others' limit was three phantom images, Madam Su's limit was five.
Each phantom beast possessed the strength of the thirteenth realm.
Wei Ren disagreed with many of the things Lady Su did, but he could not deny her abilities.
If asked who the owner of the phantom beast within Sheng Fei's body was, Wei Ren would only suspect it was Lady Su.
But Yu Sui believed that Madam Su had no reason to do so.
Yu Sui said, "No matter who the owner of the phantom beast in his body is, we have to find out first before we can confirm it."
Wei Ren stared at Sheng Fei and said, "He is so weak now, that phantom may not be able to hold back any longer. You can try to disrupt his qi and blood again."
Yu Sui lifted her eyelids: "If we don't save him soon, he'll die. Why do we have to keep disrupting his blood and energy to make him die even faster?"
After saying that, he looked in Wan Qi's direction and said, "Tell him to come and save people."
Wei Ren called Wan Qi over, and as soon as Wan Qi entered the sandstorm, Sheng Fei showed signs of abnormality.
He was completely drained of color, suffering from the chill of the Dark Lake and the depletion caused by the Blood Burning Technique. He was already severely injured, yet he still irrationally forced himself to activate the Blood Burning Technique a second time, sacrificing his life.
When his vital energy and blood were depleted and he was on the verge of death, the golden mark hidden deep within Sheng Fei's body flickered on his forehead.
A warm golden light enveloped Sheng Fei's body, and the five elements of energy bursting from the void began to repair his injured body.
After reading it, Wan Qi exclaimed in surprise: "A life-saving technique bestowed by a master, what a grand gesture! He doesn't need our help; he can recover on his own."
Wei Ren was taken aback, then said sarcastically, "As expected of a young master from a prestigious family, he even received a blessing and life-saving technique."
After saying that, he glanced at Wan Qi and said, "The life-saving techniques of famous masters are far more useful than the lowly techniques of you medical practitioners. Isn't this stealing our livelihood? Can you tolerate this?"
Wan Qi said, "I just want to learn."
What a spineless coward.
Wei Ren inwardly grumbled.
Sheng Fei was saved by a life-saving technique bestowed by a master. Wei Ren was just about to think of another way to capture the phantom beast when he turned around and caught a glimpse of the shadow twisting on the ground.
The black snake, writhing in Sheng Fei's shadow, flashed and instantly appeared in another person's shadow.
"Watch out!" Wei Ren shouted in fright, trying to stop them, but was pushed back by the rebounding sandstorm.
Just as Yu Sui was about to bend down to observe the blessings bestowed by the famous figures, he suddenly felt dizzy and fainted to the ground.
The girl's shadow remained in place, maintaining her standing posture. A serpentine phantom coiled around the girl's shadow from low to high, and the raised snake head bit her on the back of the neck before disappearing in an instant.
Wan Qi stood outside the Earth Punishment Formation, watching this scene in shock.
Qingyang, the imperial capital.
When the sage of Yan passed away, torrential rains continued in Qingyang.
Lady Su entered the palace to meet the emperor and received orders to go to the six prefectures of Yan. Now that her eldest daughter had just returned and Yan Manfeng had just died, Lady Su was not very willing to go to the six prefectures.
After returning to the Prince's residence, Nangong Ming went to Mingxuan Hall to continue the meeting. Madam Su hadn't slept all night and was also hesitating whether to ask Nangong Ming for help.
Before she could make up her mind, her maid, Chun, brought new news, saying that Xuan Kui's people had made a move, and some of Xuan Kui members hiding in the capital had been ordered to go to Taiyi.
The only one who could mobilize those people was the eldest daughter.
Madam Su rubbed her forehead, her eyes showing signs of fatigue. After closing her eyes for a few moments, she got up and went to the west building to find her eldest daughter.
Chu Jin was strolling around listening to the rain. Although she was still under house arrest, only the gates of the Prince's mansion were closed to her.
Due to her injuries, she hadn't even left her own courtyard much for a while. Now that her injuries have healed, Chu Jin has begun to familiarize herself with the layout of the Prince's mansion.
The Prince's Mansion has many empty courtyards, but each one is carefully maintained and cared for, showing no signs of desolation.
As Chu Jin strolled around, she came to an empty courtyard and saw a mute woman pruning flowers in the yard.
The mute woman was someone close to Madam Su, so she didn't need to do this kind of work herself.
Other maids were also going in and out of the house cleaning. Yu Sui's courtyard was very large, with two treasure pavilions on each side. The pavilions were filled with gifts that people had given her over the years. She chose the ones she liked and kept them in the treasure pavilion in the courtyard so she could play with them at any time. The others that she didn't like were kept in the storeroom of the Prince's Mansion.
Some precious items need to be taken out and aired every day, otherwise their quality will be ruined.
The maids would always ask the mute woman for permission before moving these things.
Chu Jin stood outside the door for a while and had already guessed who the owner of this courtyard was. She stepped inside unhurriedly, and upon noticing her arrival, the mute woman and the others stopped what they were doing and bowed to her.
The jasmine flowers blooming in the courtyard are as white as snow, clustered together in the green flower trellis, appearing exquisite and elegant.
Chu Jin reached out and gently plucked a jasmine flower, playing with it as she looked at the mute woman with a half-smile: "Even though the person is no longer in the mansion, you still remember them and take good care of this flower."
The mute woman lowered her head, responding silently: "It's my duty."
"You guys go ahead with your work, I'll just wander around by myself." Chu Jin glanced at the layout of the courtyard and headed towards the main house.
The mute woman stepped forward to stop them: "The princess instructed us before she left that no one may enter the house without her permission."
No one usually comes to Yu Sui's courtyard.
Chu Jin was somewhat displeased when she was stopped: "You're so eager to protect your master. What, is there something shameful in her room that makes you so nervous?"
The mute woman lowered her head and said, "I am responsible for taking care of the princess, and I dare not disobey her orders."
Chu Jin bent down slightly, getting closer to look at the mute woman's lowered eyes: "Has your master changed from my mother to Nangong Sui?"
The mute woman's silent face remained unchanged: "Taking care of the princess is the madam's order."
"Is that so?" Chu Jin laughed. "Then what can you do if I insist on going in?"
The mute woman simply stood silently in front of her.
After a brief standoff, Chu Jin turned and left without making things too difficult for her.
After the mute woman and her group tidied up everything in the courtyard and left, Chu Jin slowly walked out from the corner.
She arrived at the tightly closed door, about to make a move, when someone behind her called out, "I've been looking for you for a long time."
Chu Jin paused in her raised hand and turned around. Madam Su stood in front of the flower stand, with the mute woman and Ah Chun standing behind her.
The mute woman kept her head down, her expression silent.
Chu Jin glanced at the mute woman without changing her expression, then fixed her gaze on Madam Su: "What do you want with me?"
Madam Su dismissed the mute woman and Ah Chun, then stepped forward and asked, "Did you send someone to Taiyi?"
"Are you spying on me?" Chu Jin asked unhappily.
“I’m just worried about you. Your father won’t give you a second chance. If even he…” Before Madam Su could finish speaking, Chu Jin interrupted her, “It’s none of your business how I do things. Stop being so self-righteous.”
Lady Su took a deep breath and softened her tone: "Taiyi is currently guarded by people from six kingdoms, just waiting for Xuan Kui's people to show up and take action again. If you send people over now, aren't you just giving them an opportunity?"
Chu Jin stood under the eaves, looking at her coldly, without answering.
Madam Su added, "You just need to wait a little longer and let the people from Taiyi come out on their own."
Chu Jin said, "I don't even have the desire to explain to you right now. Think what you want, but you'd better not stop me from doing things."
A hint of helplessness flashed in Madam Su's eyes as she said softly, "Regarding the Zhongli family matter, another force is secretly targeting you, which means they've been watching you for a long time. Do you know who they are?"
“Those are people from the Yan state.”
"They already knew your identity, so they deliberately forced you to come out of the shadows. If we consider the worst-case scenario, they not only know you are Nangong Ming's daughter, but also that you are one of Xuan Kui's most trusted followers."
"Do you think I wouldn't think of what you can think of?" Chu Jin said coldly. "So what's wrong with having them eliminate those still in Taiyi?"
Madam Su said, "This is too risky. If we're not careful, we'll give those people a second chance. You bring Xuan Kui's men back, and I'll send others."
Chu Jin paused upon hearing this gaze. Before he could think further, he saw Madam Su, who was about to reach him, suddenly turn pale, spit out a mouthful of blood, and stagger backward, nearly falling.
"What happened?" Chu Jin stepped forward to support her, and then grabbed Madam Su's wrist to examine her.
The internal energy is in disarray, and the five elements are flowing in reverse.
As Lady Su felt dizzy, her vision went black, and deep within her soul, pairs of golden beast eyes lit up.
The Enchanting Fox and the Remnant Dragon are still asleep and recuperating, the Tiger and the Monkey are still recovering from their injuries, and the Unseen Serpent, which was accidentally separated from them, has been hiding in Sheng Fei's body to heal its wounds all these years.
At this moment, the four illusory beast phantoms all looked at the Formless Serpent, which was the last to open its eyes, and they all saw its weakness and irritability.
If the madness that occurs when a creature is on the verge of death cannot be transferred or suppressed in time, it will begin to turn against its master.
Is Sheng Fei about to die?
Madam Su was deeply shocked.
He was in Taiyi, arguably the safest place in the world, how could this be...?
"Is there something wrong with your phantom?" Chu Jin frowned and questioned Madam Su. "If you don't do something soon, you'll be attacked by it. Summon it now."
Madam Su, her face deathly pale, said, "It's not with me."
"What do you mean?" Chu Jin was stunned.
"Ten years ago, in order to suppress the effects of the Breath of Earth, I released the phantom for a period of time. Sheng Fei happened to pass by outside and was possessed by the Formless Serpent." Madam Su explained in a trembling voice, "At that time, I was too weak. Suppressing one phantom less would reduce a lot of pressure for me, so I did not recall it immediately."
Chu Jin couldn't believe it: "Your fifth illusory image is on Sheng Fei?"
Madam Su certainly wouldn't dare let the phantom do anything to Sheng Fei; she simply had the Formless Serpent possess Sheng Fei and hide him away to recuperate.
Unfortunately, the weakened Formless Serpent coveted Sheng Fei's healthy host, and since Lady Su was in a weakened state, she couldn't suppress it enough to immediately recall it.
However, as time went on, the Formless Serpent, aided by Sheng Fei's power, grew stronger, and Madam Su could no longer control it at will.
A few years ago, when Madam Su's condition improved, she thought about recalling the Formless Serpent, but Sheng Fei always stayed in Taiyi and did not return to Qingyang, so she could not find an opportunity.
Sheng Fei still hasn't returned, but something happened in Taiyi.
Sheng Fei was about to die, but the Formless Serpent wouldn't stand for it. It didn't want to die, so it was struggling frantically, calling out to its master and starting to torment Madam Su.
Lady Su suppressed her churning blood and qi, awakened the other two illusory figures who were still recuperating, and together they put pressure on the rampaging Formless Serpent.
Seeing the blood trickling from Madam Su's lips, Chu Jin grabbed her hand to help stabilize her five elements: "First, find a way to subdue the Formless Serpent."
If it backfires on the phantom beast... I wonder if that half of the Breath Soil will be of any use.
Lady Su made a hand seal with one hand and closed her eyes to gather her energy.
With Chu Jin's help to stabilize the five elements, Madam Su began to suppress the Formless Serpent.
If Sheng Fei is really dead, she must not let anyone discover the existence of the Formless Serpent.
However, she could not kill the Formless Serpent, as that would severely injure herself. These five illusory beast phantoms were proof of her peak strength, and Madam Su could not abandon them.
She had no choice but to move.
Fortunately, there were other people around Sheng Fei at that moment.
The snake didn't want to die, so it actively cooperated with its owner and successfully transferred to a new target.
The new host was both strange and familiar.
The moment the Formless Serpent entered its new host's body and hid, it abandoned its master. Meanwhile, Madam Su suffered severe internal damage from forcibly waking the recuperating phantom beast, vomiting blood and falling into a coma.
Chu Jin supported the unconscious person and called out to Ah Chun and the mute woman to come and help take Madam Su back to rest. She followed closely behind.
As noon approached, the meeting at Mingxuan Hall finally adjourned.
Nangong Ming led his two sons at the back, telling them about the upcoming arrangements. As soon as they stepped onto the corridor, a mark triggered by a master's blessing appeared on the back of his hand.
He raised his hand, looked at it, and stopped.
Su Feng noticed this and frowned, but because of his previous argument with his father, he didn't dare to ask questions. Instead, he nudged his older brother beside him with his elbow.
“It’s the mark of the life-saving technique that has been triggered.” Han Bing said, replying to his younger brother in the first half and to his father in the second half, “At this time, it is the Taiyi Hundred Families Night Parade Trial, and it seems that my third brother has encountered some trouble during the night parade.”
Nangong Ming lowered his raised hand.
My two sons and daughter are all ambitious and should go out and explore the world. They should know that there are always higher levels to reach and more capable people to rely on.
One needs to work on their character and temper to truly grow.
His son had been in Taiyi for several years, and if he didn't return even halfway through his life, he would be somewhat disappointed.
That's what he thought, but Nangong Ming still said to Cao Yan beside him, "Tell the people in Taiyi to have something to eat."
Cao Yan bowed his head: "Yes."
Han Bing followed behind Nangong Ming and said calmly, "Now that Yan Manfeng is dead, and the Hundred Families Night Walk doesn't restrict life-or-death private duels, the situation is very unfavorable for Sui Sui. Should we let her come back from Taiyi first?"
“This is the second time you’ve suggested she come back,” Nangong Ming said with a smile.
Su Feng glanced at his brother without showing any emotion.
Han Bing's face showed no emotion, and when he spoke again, his tone remained flat: "Her current situation is too dangerous for her."
Nangong Ming said, "Don't underestimate your sister."
Su Feng hesitated for a moment, but couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out, "Which sister?"
Nangong Ming didn't even turn his head, and said calmly, "Two."
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