Why would his master go back on his word?
Lin Zhijing truly wished he was wrong about this…
But he didn’t have the courage to confirm it.
Lin Zhijing could accept that his junior apprentice sister might never be able to bear children—but if it was Soul-Stealing…
That was something that could drain a man’s very life!
If he touched his junior sister, he would one day die on her body…
Pain clouded Lin Zhijing’s eyes. He had a sinking feeling that his guess was correct.
He even began to think that his master had sent him away from the capital all this time just to get him out of the way.
To let his junior sister… walk straight into eternal damnation…
“Senior Brother—”
Sheng Mingzhu’s voice cut off abruptly, and her body went limp, collapsing onto Yuluo.
Because Yuluo could tell from Lin Zhijing’s expression that he had guessed what had happened to Sheng Mingzhu. Without hesitation, she struck the back of Sheng Mingzhu’s neck with a knife-hand chop, knocking her unconscious.
Yuluo scooped Sheng Mingzhu up in her arms, laid her on the bed, and turned to look at Lin Zhijing.
“Does Junior Sister… have the Soul-Stealing Curse placed on her…?”
Lin Zhijing asked with great difficulty.
Yuluo gave a curt nod. “It was our master’s order.”
In that instant, Lin Zhijing felt as though he had been struck a vicious blow to the head.
It split his skull in two, his vision went dark, and all sound faded from his ears.
Why—?
Why was Heaven doing this to him?
Why was his master so cruel?
His master knew full well how deeply he loved his junior sister.
His master had promised him—
Why would his master do this to him?
He had done so much dirty, grueling work for his master his entire life…
He had dedicated his whole being to his master, and yet…
When Lin Zhijing finally found his voice again, he let out an enraged roar.
“Why?”
Yuluo’s eyes sharpened. A murderous aura burst from her as she hissed in a low voice.
“Shut up! Do you want the whole world to know?
“If you ruin our master’s plans, you know the consequences!”
Never before had Lin Zhijing felt so acutely that he was nothing more than Dale’s slave.
Resentment surged through him like a breached dam, flooding his heart. That force overpowered his fear of Dale.
It consumed his body, giving rise to… a murderous intent…
Lin Zhijing stood there, doing his best to conceal the killing desire within. It took him a long while before he could finally move to the bedside.
He had to see for himself…
He pricked the girl’s fingertip with a silver needle, and a single pink bead of blood welled up.
Lin Zhijing’s eyes instantly reddened…
He knelt halfway by the bed, lips trembling, wanting to speak but unable to utter a single word.
Yuluo watched the entire scene from the side, a flicker of mockery in her eyes.
What was there to be sad about?
Sure, Sheng Mingzhu had become a vessel, a tool—without freedom.
But if their master didn’t draw too much of her blood, Sheng Mingzhu herself could gain immense benefits.
If Sheng Mingzhu knew the truth, she might even be grateful to their master!
Of course, their master never did a losing deal. It was certain that Sheng Mingzhu’s days wouldn’t be easy.
But as long as she made herself useful, Sheng Mingzhu could live for a very, very long time…
Lin Zhijing fled in a panic just before Sheng Mingzhu’s eyelashes fluttered and she was about to wake up.
He even forgot to leave the gift he had so carefully prepared for Sheng Mingzhu…
The next day was New Year’s. Early in the morning, the ground was covered in a thick layer of snow.
Servants all donned their newest clothes, looking neat and festive, sweeping and cleaning with beaming smiles.
Some had even put on powder and rouge, looking years younger.
The entire household buzzed with a cheerful, joyful atmosphere.
Only Sheng Mingyi’s courtyard felt tense.
Because Sheng Mingyi had had another nightmare.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, his expression twisted in agony. Yannian called out to him frantically, but the man on the bed wouldn’t wake up, and the servant was growing desperate.
Sheng Mingyi had returned to Peach Blossom Village again—back inside that girl’s body.
He could clearly sense that he was dreaming, and the time in the dream was also around New Year’s.
But everyone in the dream looked several years older than last time.
That girl seemed to be around eleven or twelve.
But hadn’t she already returned to the manor at six or seven?
Why was she still with the Feng family?
Sheng Mingyi was confused…
He also saw Taoniang. In this dream, Taoniang had both legs intact, her face was exceptionally well-preserved, and she looked down on everyone with an air of superiority.
That girl bustled about, fawning over Taoniang excessively…
But Taoniang had brought gifts for everyone except that girl.
The girl was filled with bitterness, yet she kept saying things like “it’s okay” with her own mouth.
It made Sheng Mingyi’s blood boil, because he could see the mockery on the Feng family’s faces and the sheer malice in Taoniang’s eyes…
Taoniang had done it on purpose—was this girl an idiot?
Later, Sheng Mingyi was kept so busy he couldn’t stop, spinning like a top.
Finally, night came, and he could rest for a moment—only to find that the “bed” in the woodshed was just a thick pile of straw.
No blankets. The so-called bedding was just a “mat” woven from straw…
All night long, Sheng Mingyi was exhausted, freezing, and unbearably itchy…
It itched so much he couldn’t sleep and wanted to scratch, but he couldn’t move…
He felt that even the tortures of hell couldn’t be worse than this…
On New Year’s Day, he watched the Feng family feast on meat and fish, yet they gave “him” only a bowl of rice soaked in soup.
But in that girl’s heart, there was no anger—only gratitude.
As if that bowl of soup-soaked rice was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted…
Sheng Mingyi felt like he was losing his mind…
The owner of this body could not possibly be that girl from Haitang Courtyard.
Could it be… a past life?
Then, Sheng Mingyi felt time suddenly speed up, racing forward.
“He” was sold by the Feng family to a household surnamed Zhang for a single dan of grain, to be their “wife”…
How old was “he”?
Heaven knows—Sheng Mingyi was so furious he wanted to skin the Feng family alive.
When he saw the Zhang family’s situation, he was so enraged he nearly vomited blood.
The Zhang parents were bedridden, lying on a pitch-black “bed” that reeked of filth.
That “bed” was utterly revolting.
The Zhangs’ son was scrawny, short, and looked like he was in his forties or fifties, with a gloomy gaze…
Countless times he tried to wake up, and countless times he failed…
Sheng Mingyi once again felt utter despair.
And he began to hate that person in Haitang Courtyard!
Hating them for perhaps doing something to him?
Was that why he was trapped in these nightmares?
But as time passed, he gradually found it hard to keep hating.
Because in the Zhang household, there was even more work than in the Feng family.
In the Zhangs’ place, “he” not only had to do all the housework, take care of two disabled people, but also work in the fields…
The Zhang family was a den of devils.
One day, two days, three days, one month—
Sheng Mingyi was so exhausted every day that he didn’t even have the energy to curse in his heart—and naturally, the hatred faded too…
All that slowly grew in him was a desire to kill himself, and it became stronger and stronger.
Living like a beast like this—better to just die—
But he had no control over the body—
He truly experienced what it meant to feel worse than death—
Sheng Mingyi broke down sobbing hysterically in his heart—
Later, he wept his way awake.
“Call Qiuju here. I want to see Taoniang and the Feng family—”
After confirming that he was back, Sheng Mingyi wiped away his tears and spoke these words.
As he spoke, a fierce murderous glint flashed in his eyes.
