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After Zhong Xu and Wu Rui’an escorted Di Jiang and her servant back to the pharmacy, they each returned to their respective homes. Zhong Xu still had Meng Laotaiye to care for, while Wu Rui’an went home to change clothes before heading to the imperial palace with the Jingzhao Prefect to report on recent events.
The incident at Yangchun Manor had shocked all of Taiping Prefecture, and within half a day, rumors were spreading like wildfire. By now, everyone in Yangchun Manor was being painted as man-eating demons. Even the Empress herself was deeply alarmed. If the case wasn’t resolved quickly, it would surely destabilize the hearts of the people and jeopardize the empire.
Though Prince Rui’an held no official post, the matter had been sparked by his actions, so the responsibility naturally fell to him. Through this ordeal, the Empress finally realized that her son was no longer the frivolous prince who indulged in wine, women, and debauchery.
Prince Rui’an lamented inwardly, shuttling between court sessions and the Jingzhao Prefecture for two consecutive days. Even his visits to check on Di Jiang were brief, squeezed in just before returning home late at night.
Two days later, the unconscious Di Jiang slowly opened her eyes.
Wen Yao was overjoyed upon seeing this and exclaimed, “Shopkeeper, you’ve finally woken up! How did you end up so badly injured? Though you always tell us that non-humans can live like humans, there’s no need to push your body to such extremes!”
Di Jiang weakly shook her head. It wasn’t as if she had chosen this fate—it was clearly someone else’s scheme that had left her in such a sorry state. She couldn’t voice her grievances but sighed inwardly, wondering what could possibly undo the Fanti Yin. In her current condition, she might as well have been reduced to an invalid…
Her face filled with regret, Di Jiang closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep shortly after. Wen Yao remained by her side, refusing to leave even for a moment, until the third day when Prince Rui’an arrived to relieve her for rest.
Wu Rui’an approached the bedside and noticed that Di Jiang’s lips were dry and cracked. He moistened his fingers with water and gently wiped her lips.
Through her hazy vision, Di Jiang saw someone hovering over her, the warmth of fingertips brushing against her lips. The intimacy of the scene exceeded her comfort zone.
Summoning her strength, Di Jiang forced her eyes open and realized it was none other than Wu Rui’an. Suddenly, she began coughing violently.
“Cough, cough, cough—” Each cough drained her entire body of energy, as though she were trying to expel her very lungs.
During her time in the cellar, the cold had seeped into her body, penetrating her meridians and severely depleting her vitality. Now, back in the pharmacy with a charcoal fire burning in the room, the sudden shift between cold and heat had triggered the release of the accumulated chill within her.
Di Jiang’s coughing left her gasping for air, and soon she collapsed toward the edge of the bed.
Fortunately, Wu Rui’an acted swiftly. His steady, strong hands caught her shoulders and pulled her into his arms, preventing her from hitting the floor.
“Doctor Di, how can you be so weak?” Rui’an looked deeply troubled, blaming himself repeatedly: “It’s all our fault. We passed by that room countless times without noticing such obvious clues, leaving you trapped in the cellar for so long and causing such severe injuries…”
As he spoke, he gently rubbed her back, his palms emanating waves of warmth that instantly alleviated some of Di Jiang’s discomfort.
“Your Highness, I am fine now. Please do not worry…” Di Jiang managed to whisper weakly, struggling to pull herself out of his embrace.
Understanding Di Jiang’s nature—casual yet principled, with strict boundaries regarding physical contact between men and women—Wu Rui’an did not press further. He helped her adjust the bedding, carefully placing her back onto the bed, then tucked her in snugly before sitting down on a low stool beside the bed.
Di Jiang felt grateful. Even the lofty Prince Rui’an paid meticulous attention to detail, ensuring there wasn’t even a gap between her neck and the pillow. Such attentiveness would surely make any ordinary woman swoon.
But she was no ordinary person.
Feeling mentally exhausted, Di Jiang lay quietly for a while before falling back into a deep sleep. Wu Rui’an stayed by her side for some time longer, only leaving when daylight fully illuminated the room.
________________________________________
The next day, when Di Jiang opened her eyes again, she clenched her fists experimentally and found that all her senses had returned—and her magical power seemed even more expansive than before.
She felt something square in her hand and sat up abruptly, pulling back the blanket. There, resting in her palm, was a blood-red seal, perfectly sized to fit within her grasp.
The seal was entirely crimson, as red as cinnabar, engraved with a mythical bird holding a sphere in its mouth. This bird had a human-like head and two legs; it was known as Zhuque Goumang. The sphere it carried symbolized the perfect harmony of yin and yang—the round sky encompassing the square earth—and represented universal dominion.
This was the Fanti Yin , a relic capable of destroying heaven and earth.
Di Jiang was stunned. This was one of the ancient artifacts that once governed the Pure Land of Brahma and upheld the ten directions of the world—the legendary Fanti Yin .
There were four such seals in total, each engraved with one of the Four Symbols: Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise. Each corresponded to the colors blue, red, white, and black, respectively. These seals were forged by the ancestors in the chaotic primordial era before Emperor Shitian divided the thirty-three heavens. They served as pillars supporting the four corners of the universe. Although their original purpose diminished after the division of the celestial realms, these seals remained coveted treasures among gods and immortals due to their immense power.
The Ghost King must have unearthed such a divine weapon to use against her… Truly, she had let her guard down and fallen victim to his schemes.
Di Jiang glared at the seal, muttering bitterly, “You’re wise to have released my bindings now that I’ve survived this calamity. If you’d played more tricks, I wouldn’t have shown mercy in the future.”
Given her meticulous and vengeful nature, the first thing she planned to do once her powers fully recovered was settle the score with the Ghost King!
________________________________________
In her dream:
Di Jiang stormed into the Ghost King’s chambers, wielding the Dreamweaver Bell in her left hand and the Fanti Yin in her right. The chamber was still shrouded in layers of black gauze curtains, and scorched marks on the walls hinted at the remnants of past fires.
Di Jiang placed the bell on the table and tapped it lightly, raising her voice: “Come out here!”
The Ghost King was clearly startled by her shout. He crouched low, peeking out from behind a tall cabinet, no longer the haughty figure he had been in the mortal realm. Bowing and scraping with an ingratiating smile, he said, “Aunt Di... you, you’re already out?”
“Aunt Di?” Di Jiang sneered. “Hmph. When you bullied my mortal body on Earth, you called me Doctor Di. Now that my spirit has entered your Ghost King’s Hall, you call me Aunt Di. Your change of attitude is rather abrupt—and obvious.”
“Aunt Di, please forgive me! It’s all because I’m young and foolish. Please overlook this minor offense!”
“So you’re not calling yourself ‘this sovereign’ anymore?” Di Jiang snorted again.
“How dare I in front of you!” The Ghost King furrowed his brows, regretting deeply as if his insides were turning green.
Seeing him so humbled, much of Di Jiang’s anger dissipated. Unable to hold back, she burst into laughter with a “pfft.”
The little attendant watched her reaction, feeling a whirlwind of emotions, unsure what exactly had caused her amusement.
While he was internally conflicted, Di Jiang spoke again: “Actually, I didn’t come here for anything else. I just wanted to return your bell.”
“Aunt Di is too kind! If you like it, feel free to keep it. There’s no need to go through all this trouble!” The Ghost King relaxed, smiling broadly as he walked over to retrieve the Dreamweaver Bell from the table and carefully tucked it away in his robes.
At that moment, Di Jiang raised the Fanti Yin in her right hand and asked, “Wasn’t using this against me taking things a bit too far?”
“This… even I was deceived,” the Ghost King stammered.
“Oh? How were you deceived?”
“He assured me that whoever was imprisoned wouldn’t be able to escape!” Realizing his slip-up, the Ghost King quickly added, “No, no—he meant it as a prank, just some harmless trickery.”
Di Jiang looked at the now visibly flustered Ghost King, stifling a yawn. “Very well, considering you’ve undone the Fanti Yin , I’ll let this slide.”
“I undid the Fanti Yin?” The Ghost King paused, then laughed nervously: “Regardless, as long as Aunt Di is safe, I can rest easy.”
“Is that so? However…” Di Jiang smiled mischievously, “I rather fancy this Fanti Yin . What if I don’t want to return it?”
“This…”
“Not allowed?”
“Of course it’s allowed! No problem at all! Aunt Di can play with it for as long as she likes!” Desperate to send her off, he agreed to whatever she said. The longer she stayed, the more uneasy he felt—his already battered palace couldn’t withstand another upheaval…
“Very good. With your words, I’ll accept them graciously.” Smiling faintly, Di Jiang stored the Fanti Yin away before turning to leave the room.
Just before departing, she accidentally flicked her wrist, sending a few sparks flying onto the black gauze curtains. Soon enough, flames engulfed the hall, reducing the bedchamber to ashes once more…
The little attendant watched her retreating figure, trembling with suppressed rage but unable to utter a single word.
________________________________________
By midday, after waking up from her nap, Di Jiang found Wen Yao immediately bringing her a bowl of pitch-black medicinal soup. At the sight of it, Di Jiang’s tongue recoiled at the imagined bitterness, let alone drinking it down.
“The shopkeeper spent several days in the cellar without food or water. The doctor said these medicines must be consumed entirely—not a drop should remain,” Wen Yao explained earnestly.
“Doctor? Aren’t we doctors ourselves? Why should we heed others?” Di Jiang rolled her eyes, pushing the bowl aside. But Wen Yao persisted, insisting that she worried about Di Jiang’s health and that every drop must be consumed.
To silence Wen Yao’s incessant nagging, Di Jiang reluctantly picked up the bowl and forced herself to take a sip. She intended to pinch her nose while swallowing, only to discover that the medicine tasted sweet and warm, unlike ordinary remedies.
Noticing Di Jiang’s surprised expression, Wen Yao clarified, “Shopkeeper, these are top-grade herbs brought from the imperial palace by Prince Rui’an. They’re nothing like the fake medicines we sell here…”
“Who told you we sell fake medicines?” Before Wen Yao could finish, Di Jiang gave her a sharp rap on the head.
“Oops, oops, oops! It slipped out, alright? Besides, there’s only the two of us here—it’s not like anyone else will hear,” Wen Yao pouted defensively. “Anyway, these are imperial medicines from the palace, vastly different from those used by common folk. Prince Rui’an sent two carts full of such herbs, instructing us not to skimp on anything!”
“Is that so…” Di Jiang took a few more sips, finishing the bowl. Stretching lazily afterward, she declared, “These herbs are excellent. Keep them all—I won’t need them. Tomorrow, mark them up tenfold in the shop. That way, my suffering won’t have been in vain.”
Wen Yao nodded blankly, utterly astonished.
“What are you staring at? Don’t you know who I am?”
“Oh, I understand…” Wen Yao stopped talking and left with the tray. Moments later, she returned with a plate laden with sliced fruits. In the center lay a dozen pale, fleshy spheres.
“What are these?”
“The prince said they’re called lychees, transported from afar.”
“Him again?”
“Yes, and he peeled them all himself. I saw his ten fingers bleeding from the effort.”
“Cough, cough, cough…” Di Jiang choked slightly, hurriedly drinking the water Wen Yao handed her. Once she recovered, she ordered, “Take these away quickly.”
“What a pity…”
“Take them away!”
“Alright.” Wen Yao nodded obediently and removed the plate.
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