Physician Lv tried to keep her composure when she was called back a second time. She took a deep breath and turned to the seven people, who were all waiting for her evaluation of the Young Lord. She forced a bright smile and slowly packed her things.
“The Young Lord is very healthy.”
When these words touched the six Saints and the Devil Lord’s ears, the atmosphere in the room grew heavier.
“I see,” Ge Jinsheng said. “Thank you for your service as always, Physician Lv.”
“Not at all,” Physician Lv said. She smiled as she pulled her bag on and turned to the Young Lord. “Young Lord, is there anywhere else that feels uncomfortable?”
“My head especially,” Ge Nianlan murmured.
“Then, I will also prescribe a medicine that will help with headaches,” Physician Lv promised.
“We’ll walk you out, Physician Lv,” Ge Jinsheng said. He glanced at Ling Tong. “Ling Tong, stay here to watch the Young Lord.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
The heavy doors slowly closed behind the group. Once silence settled over them, Physician Lv’s expression changed into one of panic. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ge Jinsheng held up a hand.
“Let’s head to my study first.”
The walk to the Devil Lord’s study felt longer than usual. Their heavy hearts weighed down their every step, as they tried their best to not assume the worst of the situation. Physician Lv in particular, had grown quite pale in the face. When they finally arrived at the Devil Lord’s study, the disciples who accompanied them were dismissed, leaving only the five Saints, the Devil Lord, and the physician.
“What is the meaning of this?” Ge Jinsheng asked.
Physician Lv wasn’t sure if she should fall to her knees or puff out her chest. When Guan Yongqin offered her a chair to sit on, she politely declined. She glanced around the room uncertainly and then looked back at Ge Jinsheng before lowering her gaze respectfully.
“The Young Lord is normal.”
“Normal?”
“His responses are like that of a child his age, if only a little more intelligent. This humble servant cannot find anything unwell or out of the ordinary,” Physician Lv said.
Ge Jinsheng’s gaze darkened as understanding took over him.
“There are cases where someone who hasn’t been mentally sound can be…shocked back into a more natural state,” Physician Lv slowly explained. “However, it is so rare that it is almost a mere rumor. In this case, it is a miracle that the Young Lord not only managed to survive but also regained his sentience…”
“I see,” Ge Jinsheng said. “And you say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with him?”
Physician Lv nodded. However, there was clearly confusion and doubt in her eye. “He is perfectly fine, Your Excellency.”
“What else is it that you want to say? Do not hesitate,” Ge Jinsheng prompted.
Physician Lv’s gaze darted around the room uncomfortably. “If…if any of the Lords would also want to investigate on their own terms, I suggest that they do so with the utmost care. Although the Young Lord seems healthy, his psyche and his mind has gone through a lot at a young age. This humble servant fears that if anything else traumatizing happens, he truly would not be able to recover. There is a high chance that…ahem.”
“What?” Ge Jinsheng asked.
“That…that the Young Lord will become an invalid or that he will fall comatose with a chance of awakening,” Physician Lv squeezed out. She quickly supplemented her statement: “However, if those around him carefully nourish him, he will be able to grow stronger again. It is like how if you break your arm, you simply need to exercise it more after it has healed, and you will regain that strength. If you allow the Young Lord’s mind to heal, and slowly expose him to things again, he will be fine.”
“I see,” Ge Jinsheng hummed. After another moment, he nodded again. “I understand. Thank you, Physician Lv.”
“Not at all, Your Excellency. It is my honor to serve you.”
“May I request that you come visit the Young Lord once every week?” Ge Jinsheng asked. “I would like you to keep an eye on his psyche.”
“Of course, Your Excellency.”
“Good. You are dismissed.”
Physician Lv bowed low and quickly left the room.
The moment she left, a heavy pressure was released from the six people within the room.
“We have to check,” the Bull Saint finally spoke.
“Are you crazy?” Zhao Cuihong snapped. “Were you not paying attention to a word Physician Lv was saying, Lord Wen? She said that the Young Lord is fragile right now. If we check, we risk losing him for good.”
“Then, what?” Wēn Yùqīng snapped back. She looked around the room. “Are we going to take the risk that the Young Lord might be possessed?”
The silence grew heavier. Zhao Cuihong wanted to retort, but Jia Chiying quickly grabbed Zhao Cuihong’s hand and held him back. When he met his gaze, Jia Chiying softly shook his head. The pair glanced at Ge Jinsheng, who remained completely silent.
“I agree,” Nie Chenhui said. His head tilted, as if threatening to fall from his neck. He subtly righted his head. “I understand that the Young Lord’s health is important, but if he truly was possessed, then that would mean someone has successfully infiltrated our ranks. The Young Lord is important, but His Excellency is more of my priority.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Zhao Cuihong’s glare grew more venomous. How dare Nie Chenhui spin it in this manner?!
“P jugff jr kfii,” Xejc Tbcudlc rjlv joafg j wbwfca bo vfilyfgjalbc. Vtf uijcmfv ja Itjb Jeltbcu jcv Alj Jtlslcu. “Pa’r pera jii abb rerqlmlber. Ktf megrfv jgalojma jcv atfc atf Tbecu Obgv’r revvfc jkjxfclcu? Pa offir ilxf jc fijybgjaf rmtfwf. Ktf atlcur lc atlr kbgiv vbc’a fnfg ub lc remt j qifjrjca vlgfmalbc. P’v yfilfnf lc rbwfatlcu wbgf mbcmgfaf ilxf qbrrfrrlbc gjatfg atjc j wlgjmif.”
Zhao Cuihong’s lips pressed together. “Are you all hearing yourselves? You want to search the soul of a child! A child that just came back from the dead. He should be given the time to recover after something so traumatic!”
“Fox Saint, I understand that you’re attached to the Young Lord, as his nanny, but your loyalty is first to His Excellency and then to his heir,” Wen Yuqing said. Her eyes narrowed. “You should remember where your allegiances lie.”
Zhao Cuihong’s mouth hung open speechlessly. He turned to Jia Chiying, as if searching for any sign that he was on his side. Jia Chiying met his desperate gaze and softly cleared his throat.
“Chiying,” Zhao Cuihong whispered pleadingly.
“The final decision is made by His Excellency,” Jia Chiying said. He squeezed Zhao Cuihong’s hand reassuringly in the process. “We do not have a say.”
The five Saints turned to Ge Jinsheng, who had been sitting silently behind his desk. His fingers had been quietly drumming the tabletop until the discussion rounded back to him. He slowly looked up at the Saints in front of him.
The Saints of Black Mane Palace swore loyalty to the Palace Master upon the Palace Master’s coronation. They gifted the Palace Master the key to their life. If they were to ever deceive or betray the Palace Master, the Palace Master would be able to kill them with as little as the snap of their fingers. The five people who stood in front of him and the three others who were not present in this room were Ge Jinsheng’s most trusted, loyal subjects. They were dedicated and always had Ge Jinsheng’s best interests first and foremost in mind.
However, that did not always mean they were right.
“I suppose it is my fault for not making it clear last time,” Ge Jinsheng said. He sat up and looked at the group in front of him. “I can protect my own life. I don’t need nor trust anyone else to do that for me. However, I’m not always around to protect my son.”
The words sank into the hearts of three of the saints, like a boulder sinking to the bottom of the ocean.
“Therefore, it is your job to care for him in my place,” Ge Jinsheng said. “If even a hair on his head is touched then that is equivalent to harming me.”
Guan Yongqin, Nie Chenhui, and Wen Yuqing fell to their knees. Their foreheads touched the ground.
“Please forgive us, Your Excellency!”
Ge Jinsheng hummed. “Of course, I would. You three only had my best interest at heart.”
He slowly turned his gaze to Zhao Cuihong. “Cuihong.”
“…Yes, Your Excellency.”
“I was right to assign you as the Young Lord’s caretaker,” Ge Jinsheng said.
Zhao Cuihong lowered his gaze. “I am only doing my best to follow your orders, Your Excellency.”
Ge Jinsheng hummed mildly. His gaze flickered over to Jia Chiying. “Chiying.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“You are to stay at Black Mane Palace for the time being, as the Young Lord grows. First, evaluate his current intelligence level—then, the two of you will be his tutors, along with Lord Nie.”
Zhao Cuihong and Jia Chiying placed their hands into a deferential salute. “Yes, Your Excellency.”
“As for you three,” Ge Jinsheng turned his attention back to the kneeling Saints. “Don’t do anything rash. I don’t want to punish you.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Ge Jinsheng stood. “You are all dismissed.”
The five Saints bowed and quickly left the Devil Lord’s study.
Zhao Cuihong breathed a sigh of relief as the group made it further away. “Thank Heaven and Earth. I was scared of how His Excellency would react today.”
“Aren’t you happy?” Nie Chenhui scoffed. “Isn’t it great that things went your way?”
“Why do you make it sound like I’m trying to tout His Excellency?” Zhao Cuihong asked.
“You’re already his favorite,” Nie Chenhui said. “Now, you’re even more so.”
Zhao Cuihong grew red in the face. “What are you implying?”
“Lord Nie, don’t overstep,” Wen Yuqing said with a look of distaste in her eyes.
At that moment, the group of disciples who had been waiting not too far away rejoined them.
“Shizun,” one of the girls softly greeted.
Wen Yuqing’s expression softened. She gently patted Yao Wenyu’s head, as if she was being comforted by a pet of hers after a long day at work. She sighed. “I’m also glad that we didn’t have to soul-search the Young Lord.”
“But we still have to remain cautious,” Guan Yongqin said, her eyes showing a flash of distrust. She looked at the Saints. “A miracle like this doesn’t come without a price.”
“A fool suddenly turned intelligent is definitely a miracle of Heaven! And we…don’t associate with them, do we?” Nie Chenhui asked, with a small smirk.
“Watch your mouth,” Jia Chiying scolded. “Don’t go around calling the Young Lord a fool. If His Excellency hears you, he’ll grind your bones into dust.”
Nie Chenhui shuddered. He glanced around. “But don’t you all find it odd?”
“Of course, we do!” Wen Yuqing said. “We just…have to wait and see. If the Young Lord truly is…you know…then, we’ll act.”
“Until then, let’s not jump to any conclusions,” Zhao Cuihong said. “It’s fine if you all don’t care about a child’s safety, but at least worry about incurring His Excellency’s wrath.”
The remaining four Saints nodded.
“Ah!”
“Huh!?” the four Saints looked at Wen Yuqing.
“We have to go back! The one we left with the Young Lord is Ling Tong!” Wen Yuqing exclaimed.
The five Saints remained frozen in shock for a moment before they hurried back to the Western Wing, where the Young Lord resided.
The small boy stared at the strange girl, who had been silently watching him for the past hour. He shifted uncomfortably. His hands kneaded the comforter that kept him warm and he glanced uneasily at the unblinking girl again.
“Jiejie, do you know when Father is coming back?” Ge Nianlan timidly asked.
Ling Tong shook her head. “No.”
“Um…then, do you know when Zhao-jie is coming back?” Ge Nianlan asked.
“No.”
“Um…what about…my biaoge?” Ge Nianlan tried again.
“No.”
Ge Nianlan wiggled uncomfortably. “Then, jiejie, can you take me to the restroom?”
“Just use the pot,” Ling Tong said. She pointed to the pot at the corner of the room without any sign of leaving.
Ge Nianlan followed her finger and gulped. “I think…I think I can wait…”
The fear that had propelled him to need to relieve himself had subsided significantly after he had grasped his surroundings. Although he still wasn’t sure about all the memories in his mind, he was more certain that he was indeed the ten-year-old version of himself. He was the most comfortable with this thought. But another part of him was also confused. How was he like before? And why did he feel like he had just woken up from a long, muddled dream?
He glanced at Ling Tong once more. “Jiejie, what’s your name?”
“Ling Tong.”
“Ling-jiejie,” Ge Nianlan called out with a sweet smile.
Ling Tong observed him silently. “You weren’t like this before.”
Ge Nianlan tilted his head curiously. “What was I like before?”
“A fool.”
Ge Nianlan felt like a large stone fell from the ground and crashed onto his head. How could you be so blunt to a child!? Well…was it okay if the other party was also a child?
However, from the external memories that had been shoved into Ge Nianlan’s head, this girl was not actually a child! In fact, she was a puppet turned demon! The Python Saint of Black Mane Palace! In Ge Nianlan’s fuzzy memories, Ling Tong had little presence, but he did know that Ling Tong was constantly by his side, watching over him until the bad things started to happen.
And when the bad things happened, Ling Tong was nowhere to be seen. Ge Nianlan wasn’t sure what happened, but when he looked at Ling Tong’s face, he felt a deep sorrow within him.
“Ling-jiejie.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Do you protect me?” Ge Nianlan asked curiously.
Ling Tong thought about it for a moment. “If His Excellency orders me to.”
Ge Nianlan let out a soft hum. “Then, if Father told you not to protect me, then you won’t?”
“That wouldn’t happen.”
“Why?”
“Because His Excellency has told me to always protect you,” Ling Tong replied confidently.
“Always?” Ge Nianlan asked.
“Always.”
Ge Nianlan realized why he felt so sad then. If Ling Tong didn’t appear after all the bad stuff happened, it probably meant that she had died in a place that Ge Nianlan didn’t even know about. The theory made his head hurt again. He doubled over. His hands gripped his head as cold sweat beaded against his back. He heard Ling Tong stand and then felt a hand against his back.
A cool stream of energy flowed into his system. It eased the pain in Ge Nianlan’s brain, but at the same time, it stirred up new memories. The memories crashed against the walls of Ge Nianlan’s mind, threatening to break them down. A part of Ge Nianlan knew that if that were to happen, he would be gravely injured. After all, these were memories of several decades. Ge Nianlan had already taken in a great chunk of them. If he took in anymore, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to handle it.
“Ling Tong!”
The doors burst open at that moment and five people came barreling in.
The puppet demon released Ge Nianlan and looked at the new arrivals with a rare spark of confusion.
“Ling…Ling Tong,” Wen Yuqing awkwardly choked out. She glanced at Ge Nianlan, who was keeled over. “Everything okay?”
“He’s in pain. I was trying to ease the pain like Master does, but it isn’t working,” Ling Tong explained.
“That’s because the Young Lord is a child who hasn’t cultivated,” Nie Chenhui explained. “Obviously, it wouldn’t work on him.”
Hasn’t cultivated?
For some reason, the sentence made Ge Nianlan irritated. A part of him wanted to lash out, but what reason would he have? At this point, he truly hadn’t cultivated. However…did that mean that, in the future, he also won’t have cultivation? Was that why the intruding memories taught him to react so negatively?
“Young Lord,” Zhao Cuihong knelt down beside Ge Nianlan. “Young Lord, can you hear me?”
Ge Nianlan glanced at Zhao Cuihong. The moment he saw the man’s face, his expression pinched slightly. His gaze flickered up to Jia Chiying. The pain grew so intense that he wanted to yell out.
Horrendous images flashed through his mind of the two people. Some showed their severed heads while others showed scenarios of them together or apart. No matter what it was, it was all horrible. They were either dead or suffering. It was as if these were the fates they would endure because they were allied with someone as useless as Ge Nianlan.
Thoughts that weren’t his bashed into his mind, confusing him until he wanted to lash out. He felt multiple hands on him, but when he screamed again, everyone quickly stepped back.
The six Saints watched as Ge Nianlan slowly calmed himself back down until the boy was only sitting silently with a heaving chest. He slowly turned his gaze to the remaining four behind Zhao Cuihong and Ling Tong. He slowly accepted the information that poured into his mind with a bit more familiarity and less frustration.
However, after receiving such information, his mind remained confused.
“Young Lord,” Wen Yuqing softly spoke. “Are you okay?”
Ge Nianlan nodded listlessly. A moment later, he spoke.
“Where is the book that I read?” Ge Nianlan asked.
The Saints glanced at each other.
“Young Lord, that thing was a cursed artifact, meant to hurt you and His Excellency. After you collapsed, His Excellency already destroyed it,” Guan Yongqin said.
“Destroyed it?” Ge Nianlan echoed.
The boy fell into a daze. The Saints glanced at each other nervously.
“Young Lord, whatever you saw in the artifact isn’t real,” Zhao Cuihong gently said. “Just treat it as a bad nightmare.”
But how could Ge Nianlan treat it as a bad nightmare if his heart and his mind tells him that everything was real. He sat uncomfortably on his bed and slowly nodded.
He looked up at the Saints. “I’m tired. Can I rest?”
Zhao Cuihong immediately nodded. The Saints stepped back and bowed.
“Rest well, Young Lord. If you need anything, do not hesitate to call for us,” Zhao Cuihong said.
Ge Nianlan watched the six people file out. Once he was alone, he slowly stood and walked over to his desk. He pulled out paper, grinded ink, and brought out his brush. He stared at the blank sheet of paper for a long time before he started writing.
In his muddled memories, he does not know how to write. For whatever reason, his father had deemed him unsuited for learning. Despite being the only heir in the Ge Clan, he was not given a tutor. In normal circumstances, people might think that his father was trying to thwart him, but no one seemed to think that way. But after waking up, Ge Nianlan could now read and write—not only that, he could do it quite well.
He stared at the words that came from his brush and paused.
The cursed artifact followed him from two months old until his untimely death, at twenty-two.
That’s right. According to the cursed artifact, Ge Nianlan will only live two decades.
mmm mysteries around Ge Nianlan and that book!! ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ
also i didn’t look too deeply into Zhao Cuihong swooning into Jia Chiying’s arms cause idk maybe he is just Like That (genuinely dramatic no matter who is near) buT THEY SQUEEZED HANDS HERE and im 👀 👀
CHIHONG yesssss…..i love them…thanks for reading!
I’m loving the premise