The Old Capital became the Old Capital because the spiritual vein beneath the city had been destroyed by demonic cultivators.
During the middle of the Great Demon Slaying War, the demonic army had once pressured the borders and directly breached the city walls.
Although the spiritual vein was ruined and the Old Capital was no longer the center of power and prosperity, some great families still refused to move away.
Among them were the Wang, Zheng, and Cui families of the Nine Surnamed Kings.
Relatively speaking, the Zheng clan’s power was the weakest.
Rumors circulated in the streets that the Zheng family was willing to marry their precious daughter to the Wang family’s sickly sprout just to use the Wang family’s influence to consolidate their position among the Nine Surnamed Kings.
After all, that sickly sprout’s eldest brother, Wang Jinghong, not only possessed the aptitude of a supreme Spiritual Root but also had incredibly high comprehension.
He was very likely to become the strongest person beneath the Five Emperors.
With a backer like Wang Jinghong, the Zheng family naturally wouldn’t have to worry too much about their future.
The plan was originally quite sound.
However, rumors claimed that Miss Zheng had actually fled the wedding.
With the wedding date approaching, the bride-to-be’s whereabouts remained unknown.
“Fled the wedding? Truly…”
Wang Sandong smiled bitterly.
“It’s understandable. After all, no one wants to become a widow the moment they marry into a family.”
At this, Wang Sandong remembered something: he hadn’t written the annulment letter yet.
Mr. Yi’s fingers rested on the pulse point of Wang Sandong’s wrist.
His white beard trembled slightly as he said, “The Zheng family denies it vehemently, saying the young lady has been home all along. The so-called flight is purely a false rumor.”
Wang Sandong gave a bashful smile upon hearing this but didn’t respond.
Mr. Yi withdrew his hand and looked at Wang Sandong.
“The Third Young Master was always out of the house these past few days, causing this old man to make several trips in vain. You were deliberately avoiding me, weren’t you?”
“I suppose I was,” Wang Sandong replied.
He had indeed been hiding.
After all, there had been traces of Demonic Qi under his fingernails during those days, and it wasn’t until today that he had finally “cleared” them out.
Mr. Yi sighed.
Wang Sandong asked, “Sir, how is my physical condition? Please speak plainly.”
Mr. Yi shook his head.
Wang Sandong pondered for a moment and asked, “Is it worse than before?”
Mr. Yi hesitated briefly before nodding.
“Forget making it to autumn; I fear this summer will be difficult to pass.”
The meaning was clear: Wang Sandong’s health had deteriorated further.
This answer made Wang Sandong quite uneasy.
Although Empress Yuan had clearly stated that *Huitian* could only keep him hanging on by a thread, if that thread became increasingly frayed, it was truly worrying.
Mr. Yi noticed Wang Sandong’s pale complexion and couldn’t help but feel a secret sorrow.
‘He is a young man after all. Even if he is naturally free-spirited, indifferent, and elegant, it is hard to remain unperturbed when truly facing death.’
He stood up and took his leave.
As he neared the main gate of the Wang Mansion, he ran into Wang Yunteng.
Mr. Yi also recognized the noble young master traveling with Wang Yunteng.
“Young Master Wang, Young Master Cui.”
“Mr. Yi,” the two replied in unison.
Before the highly skilled Mr. Yi, no one dared to forget their manners.
After all, there was no telling when they might have to rely on him to save their lives.
“Mr. Yi, are you here to check ‘Little Girl Wang’s’ pulse? Do we need the Wang family to start preparing the funeral arrangements immediately? I feel like Little Girl Wang is…”
The one speaking was Young Master Cui.
Before he could finish, someone kicked him.
Wang Yunteng withdrew his foot and snapped, “Get lost.”
He then smoothed his expression and looked at Mr. Yi.
“Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Yi. I wonder how my third sister… my brother Sandong’s condition is?”
Mr. Yi shook his head slightly and cupped his hands.
“Farewell.”
Wang Yunteng’s brow furrowed tightly.
He raised a hand toward Mr. Yi’s departing back, appearing as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
“Don’t think too much,” Young Master Cui said.
“16 years ago, everyone in the world said Little Girl Wang wouldn’t live long. From what I see, she’s as stubborn as they come.”
With that, he hooked an arm around Wang Yunteng’s neck.
“Come on, let’s go see her. I heard she’s been frequenting Fengyue Tower lately; she truly has elegant tastes. Sigh, it’s not that I want to nag you, but she’s your cousin… no, he’s your cousin, you should manage him more. Hanging out at brothels all day is ruining the reputation of us rich second-generation heirs.”
Wang Yunteng pushed him away with a look of disgust.
“Let go.”
Young Master Cui ignored him completely.
The two of them, alternating between huddling and shoving, arrived at Anzhi Courtyard.
As soon as they entered the courtyard and saw Wang Sandong from a distance, Young Master Cui started shouting with a laugh, “Little Girl Wang, you have guests!”
The morning sunlight was warm but not intense.
Wang Sandong was lying on a rocking chair, sunbathing while contemplating his next move.
Once he finished writing the annulment letter, he could proactively find Hongxiu and have her deliver it to the Zheng family.
In the process, he could test Hongxiu’s reactions.
Furthermore, what exactly was the Zheng family planning?
The wedding date was nearly here, yet they claimed Miss Zheng had been home all along.
‘Miss Zheng is already dead.’
Even if she wasn’t, with no person to be seen and no corpse to be found, they couldn’t complete the marriage.
Could they really keep a lid on this?
Just as he was thinking, he suddenly heard a loathsome voice.
He couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
He wanted to curse, but he was too lazy to respond.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
Young Master Cui released Wang Yunteng’s neck and took a folding fan from his waist, fanning himself elegantly.
“That little eye-roll was truly overflowing with charm.”
Wang Sandong really couldn’t hold back anymore.
He greeted Wang Yunteng.
“Brother Teng, if you’re coming over, just come. Why did you bring a dog on a leash?”
Wang Yunteng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Alright, alright. You two haven’t been able to stand each other since you were kids, honestly.”
As he spoke, he walked closer.
Seeing Wang Sandong’s lethargic appearance, he felt both sorrowful and relieved.
“Third Sister, you didn’t go out to play?”
“No.”
The sunlight was a bit piercing.
Wang Sandong raised a hand over his eyes to block the light.
Looking at Wang Yunteng, he said, “Brother Teng, you aren’t busy anymore?”
As he spoke, he suddenly noticed the pinky of the hand he was using to shade his eyes was slightly curled, almost like an elegant “orchid finger” gesture.
He quickly tucked it in.
Seeing Young Master Cui’s grinning, petty face again, he frowned with a bitter smile.
He was about to speak when Young Master Cui interrupted.
“Little Girl Wang, rumor has it you’ve taken a liking to Yueniang from Fengyue Tower. Is it true or false?”
“No, I was planning to introduce Yueniang to you,” Wang Sandong said.
“A slut and a rogue—a perfect match.”
Young Master Cui didn’t get angry.
Instead, he laughed, folded his fan, and tapped it against his palm twice as if applauding.
“I just love your sharp-tongued personality. If you were a woman, I would certainly marry you.”
Wang Sandong looked completely disgusted and shouted for Wang Tong.
“Wang Tong, serve some tea to Young Master Cui. Let him drink a lot so he can use his own piss as a mirror.”
Hearing this, Wang Tong hurried to brew the tea.
Young Master Cui let out a loud laugh, but as he looked at Wang Sandong’s pale face, his brow furrowed slightly, and his smile lost some of its mirth.
“Can you hold on or not? Didn’t you say last year that you wanted to piss on my grave? Make sure you don’t die before me.”
Wang Sandong’s hand grew tired from being raised, so he let it drop and closed his eyes.
He said lazily, “Don’t worry. My character is decent enough; I’ll at least do what I say.”
Young Master Cui nodded with a smile and pulled a porcelain bottle from his robes, handing it over.
“Take this.”
Wang Sandong opened his eyes against the glaring sun and instinctively took it.
“What is it?”
“Medicinal pills. They’re a bit inferior to the Heart-Nurturing Pill, but they’re still good stuff.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t be polite with me,” Young Master Cui said.
He reached out to pat Wang Sandong’s forehead, then looked at the sky.
“Yunteng, if you have nothing to do at noon, why don’t we have a few drinks here?”
Wang Yunteng smiled and replied, “Sure.”
Hearing this, Wang Sandong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
These two really didn’t treat themselves as outsiders.
In his own Anzhi Courtyard, without the permission of the owner, they were already planning to eat and drink.
He had originally intended to go test Hongxiu after writing the annulment letter.
Now, it seemed he wouldn’t be able to leave for a while.
Since it was still early for the meal, Wang Yunteng and Young Master Cui sat beside Wang Sandong, keeping him company while they sunbathed and chatted.
Young Master Cui laughed.
“Yunteng, I heard someone gave your uncle a 100-year-old golden snake. If it were used for stew, it would definitely be excellent.”
Wang Yunteng shot a glance at Young Master Cui.
Seeing him nudge toward Wang Sandong, he immediately understood his sinister intentions.
After a moment of thought, he said, “Yes, that is indeed good stuff, very hard to come by.”
Young Master Cui nodded.
“Yes, if we could get a taste, that would be wonderful. How about you ask your uncle to spare a bit for us?”
“Forget it, I don’t have that much face,” Wang Yunteng said.
“True, you definitely wouldn’t be able to get it. Hiss… Little Girl, how about…”
As Young Master Cui spoke, he looked at Wang Sandong, only to meet his disdainful gaze.
Wang Sandong snorted in annoyance.
“Singing the same tune, aren’t you? Truly impressive.”
With that, he looked at Wang Yunteng and kindly warned, “Brother Teng, they say you become who you associate with. I suggest you stay away from this rogue Cui.”
He then raised his hand.
Wang Tong quickly came over to help him up.
“Just wait.”
Wang Sandong left Anzhi Courtyard.
Watching Wang Sandong’s frail back, the smiles on both Young Master Cui and Wang Yunteng’s faces vanished.
Taking a sip of tea, Young Master Cui sighed.
“I asked someone to find that ‘Rejuvenating Hand’ in the Southern Borders. He said that without a Spiritual Root, death is certain, and it’s absolutely impossible to live for 16 years.”
Wang Yunteng sighed along with him.
“The fact that my sister could live this long is a miracle.”
As he spoke, his eyes turned slightly red.
Young Master Cui was silent for a while before saying, “That piece of *Suihan Wood* at my house…”
He pursed his lips before continuing.
“3 years ago, she asked me for it, saying it was the most suitable material for making a coffin.”
He gave a miserable smile.
“If it’s needed, go take it.”
“Mm.”
Wang Yunteng felt a lump in his throat.
He took a deep breath and changed the subject.
“The Day of Universal Celebration is coming soon. Do you have any plans?”
The Day of Universal Celebration was the anniversary of the victory in the Great Demon Slaying War, named for “the whole world celebrating together.”
Young Master Cui replied, “I’m going to the New Capital.”
“A date?”
“Yeah.”
“Since it’s already settled, it’s best to get married early.”
“It’s not my call.”
Young Master Cui gave a sheepish smile.
“She said she’ll wait until she breaks through her rank before we marry.”
“That should be soon, right?”
“Who knows? Cultivation isn’t something you can predict.”
The two chatted idly, and as the sun rose higher, the heat made them drowsy.
***
Outside Anzhi Courtyard, the paths of the great family estate were long and quiet.
On the veranda, Wang Sandong happened to run into the mansion’s old butler.
“Third Young Master,” the butler greeted with a smile.
“Is my father home?”
“What a coincidence; he just left for the Cui residence,” the butler said.
“The Day of Universal Celebration is approaching, so preparations for the grand ceremony are underway. The Master has been leaving early and returning late lately, busy beyond belief.”
“Oh. I heard someone gave my father a 100-year-old golden snake. Send someone to the Cui residence to ask my father if he can spare some for me.”
“There’s no need to ask,” the butler laughed.
“The Master dotes on the Third Young Master the most. If there is something the Third Young Master wants, there is no way he would refuse.”
This was true.
Everyone in the Old Capital knew that Master Wang doted on his youngest son, Wang Sandong, more than anyone else.
Some even joked that Wang Sandong was the “apple of his father’s eye.”
Perhaps…
It was only because of guilt.
Wang Sandong looked at the butler’s fawning smile and remembered that night 16 years ago.
“Master, you must be decisive!”
Those were the words the butler had said to Wang Sandong’s father that night.
As he spoke, he had handed over a cold, glittering, specially crafted knife—used for stripping away a Spiritual Root!
Wang Sandong broke into a smile and said to the butler, “Brother Teng and Rogue Cui are drinking in my courtyard at noon. Arrange for the kitchen to stew that golden snake soup.”
“Understood, this old servant has noted it down,” the butler agreed with a chuckle.
Looking at the white hair at the butler’s temples, Wang Sandong sighed.
“I heard you caught a cold a few days ago? You’re getting older; be careful.”
Imagine, if the butler eventually died of old age and illness, he would surely be very…
Sad!
Ignoring the butler’s touched words, Wang Sandong turned and left.
Actually, he really wanted to ask the butler: *When you look back on the events of that year, does your conscience ever bother you?*
He had heard his eldest brother, Wang Jinghong, say that this old butler was not simple and held many secrets.
Secrets?
Under Soul Snatching, what secrets could there possibly be?
The sun rose higher.
The heat made one’s spine feel chilled.
Wang Sandong squinted against the dazzling sunlight and shook his head with a sigh.
If he weren’t from another world, he would never have known—beneath all the warm appearances lay a bone-deep cold!