AYM Chapter 15

Li Jiang really invited a Daoist priest.

 

However, after giving the man a once-over, Yan Yihuan had his doubts. The priest’s attire was refined, and his demeanor exuded calm confidence. At first glance, he appeared quite impressive. But upon closer inspection, he seemed very young, almost the same age as Yan Yihuan himself.

 

“Eunuch Li, this…” Yan Yihuan pulled Li Jiang aside, lowering his voice. “How could you fool me? Can such a young Daoist priest really handle it?”

 

After all, the spirit or demon had to be incredibly powerful to dare trespass in royal grounds. This fresh-faced young Daoist looked like an easy target. Instead of subduing the demon, he might end up falling victim to it himself.

 

“Third Young Master may not know this, but the age of a Daoist practitioner is not easily discernible,” Li Jiang’s eyes narrowed slightly, his tone serious. “You should know that this one was invited from Qingxiao Temple. I believe you have heard of the skills of those there.”

 

Qingxiao Temple is the royal Daoist temple, located right next to the retreat.

 

No wonder they managed to bring someone over so quickly. Anyone who could enter Qingxiao Temple was no ordinary individual. Despite the priest’s youthful appearance, he might truly have some real abilities.

 

“Then I’ll trouble Eunuch Li to give us some space, I would like to speak with the Daoist priest alone.”

 

Li Jiang set up the tea before leaving, thoughtfully closing the door behind him. As soon as the door shut, Yan Yihuan strode over to the priest, glanced around suspiciously, then hurriedly shut the half-open window as well.

 

“I am Tong Ziruo of Qingxiao Temple, greetings to Third Young Master Yan.” Tong Ziruo was somewhat taken aback by Yan Yihuan’s anxious behavior but maintained his composure and offered a polite bow.

 

“Greetings, Daoist Tong.” Although his thoughts were a mess, Yan Yihuan still returned the gesture with proper etiquette before abruptly grabbing Tong Ziruo by the arm and dragging him towards the bed.

 

“Th-Third Young Master, what are you trying to do?” Tong Ziruo froze in confusion, unsure whether to follow or resist. “If you have anything to say, you may speak directly.”

 

“That demon appeared last night in the sedan chair parked right outside this door. Daoist Priest, do you sense anything unusual?”

 

Demon?

 

Tong Ziruo’s expression turned serious as he replied, “Third Young Master must be joking. This is a royal sacred place, protected by the emperor. How could there possibly be a demon?”

 

“There really is!” Yan Yihuan was clearly anxious, “He was here last night, he… he…”

 

Yan Yihuan was too embarrassed to describe such matters to a stranger. Could it be that Zhao Chufeng’s cultivation was too high for this young Daoist to perceive? Thinking of this, his expression instantly fell.

 

If this continued, he might end up drained of his life force by that demon. That’s how it always happened in those supernatural stories.

 

Forget it, this person in front of him obviously wasn’t of much use. But since the priest is already here, he might as well try something else.

 

“Daoist Tong, do you have any talismans for suppressing demons? Might I trouble you for a few?”

 

“This, I do have,” Tong Ziruo said with a smile. “If the Third Young Master would provide me with your birthdate and time, I can write a few for you.”

 

Tong Ziruo could obviously sense that there was nothing wrong with the room. But seeing how frightened Yan Yihuan was, he decided to write a few protective talismans for peace of mind.

 

Yan Yihuan nodded and wrote down his birth information on a piece of paper. Tong Ziruo initially took it and began to calculate casually, but soon his expression changed instantly. He furrowed his brows, checking the information again and again, before looking up to ask,

 

“May I ask if the Third Young Master was not in good health during childhood?”

 

“Ah, you can tell that?” Yan Yihuan perked up immediately. It seemed that Qingxiao Temple’s reputation was indeed well-deserved.

 

“Then do you know the reason?”

 

“This… I do not,” When he was young, he only knew his parents were worried about him, but as he grew older, his health gradually improved. Yan Yihuan had asked them about it before, but didn’t get a clear answer.”

 

“The Third Young Master’s fate is quite special. I am ashamed to say that I truly cannot decipher it.” Tong Ziruo said, cupping his hands together. “If the Young Master does not mind, I would like to take your birth chart back for my master to examine.”

 

“Take it, take it,” Yan Yihuan didn’t mind this at all. He looked eagerly at the talisman papers already spread out and said, “Daoist Tong, you must write plenty of demon-suppressing talismans for me.”

 

Yan Yihuan insisted on making Tong Ziruo write all the talismans he had on him before letting him go. He then tinkered alone in the room until evening. Only when dusk fell, and the room became quite dim, did he realize he had even forgotten to light the lamp.

 

“A-Ying?”

 

No response. That boy was always vanishing when he needed him. Yan Yihuan didn’t know where the fire starter was, he lowered his head to search for it while calling out,

 

“Attendants! Is Eunuch Li outside?”

 

The door creaked open, letting in a faint sliver of light from behind him. Without turning around, Yan Yihuan asked, “Where’s the fire starter? Quickly, come help me light the lamp.”

 

No one answered. With the sound of the door closing, the only bit of light was shut outside, plunging the room into an oppressive darkness.

 

“What’s the meaning of-” Yan Yihuan turned around, and a chilling dread shot up his spine, his face went ashen. The figure in front of his eyes if not Zhao Chufeng, who else could it be!

 

“Why, you can’t even muster a word of joy upon seeing me?”

 

That voice was clearly pleasant to hear, but to Yan Yihuan’s ears, it was as terrifying as a soul-collecting reaper. Yan Yihuan watched as he walked to the cabinet by the door, opened a drawer, and casually retrieved the fire starter with great familiarity.

 

With a cha, a flame the size of a bean sprang to life, illuminating his face. At the same time, the small flame cast a flickering glow across the room, drawing Li Xuanming’s attention to the bed canopy, which was covered with yellow talismans fluttering gently in the breeze.

 

Li Xuanming’s face darkened immediately, his expression growing increasingly grim. 

 

“What’s wrong? Are you so scared of this ‘unclean’ that you can’t even move?”

 

He… he knows everything!

 

At this moment, Yan Yihuan’s soul was nearly scared out of him. But no matter what, he couldn’t allow himself to be at the mercy of that man again tonight. Clutching his waist, he stumbled forward in a panic. Believing himself agile, he dodged past the figure holding the candlestick and bolted out the door.

 

In truth, even though Li Xuanming was holding the candlestick, it would have been a piece of cake for him to stop Yan Yihuan. However, the hot wax from the candle was easy to spill if he shook it, so he simply watched as Yan Yihuan rushed out.

 

Once outside, Yan Yihuan was taken aback. He had assumed there would be no one stationed outside the door, but to his surprise, five or six palace attendants stood neatly on both sides. Li Jiang was among them, and pairs of eyes all turned to him in unison.

 

Seeing the attendants was like spotting a lifeline. Yan Yihuan couldn’t be bothered to question why no one had responded earlier. He grabbed hold of Li Jiang and hid behind him.

 

“Eunuch Li!” Yan Yihuan leaned close to Li Jiang’s ear and whispered in a trembling voice, “That unclean thing has returned!”

 

This time, it was Li Jiang’s turn for his legs to feel weak. Of course, he knew exactly who had gone into the room earlier. This Young Master Yan was really too bold. “Third Young Master, perhaps you’ve misunderstood something. That’s…”

 

Before Li Jiang could finish, a soft cough sounded from inside the room, cutting him off mid-sentence. Those who could serve in this place all had sharp wits, and Li Jiang immediately stopped talking. When he turned back to Yan Yihuan, a puzzled expression appeared on his face.

 

“This servant saw nothing at all,” Li Jiang said. He then turned to the other attendants, “Did any of you see anything in the room?”

 

The palace attendants didn’t dare to speak and merely shook their heads in unison.

 

But that’s impossible?

 

Although Yan Yihuan felt uneasy in his heart, he was more confused. He stepped back into the room to take a look. With just one glance, he spotted Zhao Chufeng standing by the candlelight. Startled, he instinctively wanted to retreat, but before he could move, the door behind him shut with a heavy thud.

 

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Seris: Noo! Don’t go back in 😭