When Qilin woke up, he was utterly shocked—he was lying comfortably on a bed, completely unharmed. He reached out to touch his body and found that all the wounds from the centipede’s attacks had vanished. Even the gaping hole in his neck was gone.
For a moment, Qilin wondered if he had already died and crossed into another world—perhaps the Heavenly Court. But the feeling of lying on a bed was far too real, and the breath of life around him was unmistakably vivid.
He got up and walked out into the hall beyond his bedchamber. There, he found a full-length dressing mirror, which reflected his image clearly—he was spotless, whole, wearing a white silk night robe, soft and featherlight.
Qilin tried hard to recall his hazy memories before he lost consciousness. The last thing he remembered was Zhang Qi Shan sealing him inside the Jade Effigy. The effigy did indeed have the power to heal wounds and fuse flesh—was that what had saved him?
Then why didn’t Zhang Qi Shan let the centipedes devour me? Qilin wondered. He put me inside the Jade Effigy to take over my body, didn’t he?
The more he thought about it, the more puzzled he became. Who had such power to rescue me without leaving a single scratch?
Maybe it was King Mu. Qilin thought.
If it really was King Mu, then he must have captured Zhang Qi Shan and avenged me. He must also be able to help me find my father, Zhang Qiling.
The thought that King Mu might be nearby filled Qilin with excitement. Forgetting that he was only wearing a thin night robe, he hurriedly pushed the door open and rushed out to look for him.
It was mid-afternoon, and the sun was blazing hot. The courtyard was deserted.
Qilin crossed a covered walkway and suddenly overheard voices coming from behind a screen wall.
“I never expected Lord Xiao Wang to be so skilled in Daoist arts. He defeated that giant centipede in a single move.”
Qilin’s heart clenched—Wang Cang Hai had killed the giant centipede?
Zhang Qi Shan was already dead?
Then did I just lose my only lead to finding my parents?
Qilin stopped in his tracks, choosing to listen instead of stepping forward.
“Lord Xiao Wang was enlightened by an immortal in his youth. Haven’t you heard how Old Master Wang personally took him up Immortal Palace Mountain to find a teacher?”
Qilin recognized the voice—it was Wu Ma Nan Sheng.
“More than his Daoist skills, something else surprised me even more,” Wu Ma continued.
“What is it?”
“General Nan Gong, I’m only telling you this—don’t you dare spread it around.”
So the other person was Nan Gong Yu.
Nan Gong Yu chuckled. “Master Wu Ma, perhaps it’s better if you don’t say it. If the rumor spreads, you’ll just assume I was the one who let it slip.”
Wu Ma Nan Sheng hesitated for a moment, but couldn’t hold back. “It’s not really a secret… but I was still shocked when I saw it. Yesterday morning, I went to deliver shoes to Lord Xiao Wang, and I saw Miss Xia Xia applying powder and painting his eyebrows…”
Nan Gong Yu let out another laugh. “And that surprised you?”
Wu Ma Nan Sheng muttered under his breath, “Aren’t you surprised? A thirty-year-old man… wearing makeup…”
Nan Gong Yu’s tone suddenly became stern. “Master Wu Ma, mind your words. Do not speak disrespectfully of Lord Xiao Wang.”
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