Chapter Thirty-Five: Si Tu Jiu

Anqi was in a hurry to get to Sapphire City. She approached a police officer and said, “Hello, may I borrow your phone? Mine is out of battery.”

The officer found Anqi’s face familiar. Glancing at her license plate, a name surfaced in his mind: Anqi. She was the eldest daughter of the An family. Though the Ans weren’t officially among the Four Great Houses, their influence was in no way inferior. What’s more, the An family had close ties with the Nangong family, one of those four.

As a police officer in Yunhai City—a place teeming with prominent families and celebrities—the first lesson before taking up duty was to recognize the major clans and business magnates, along with their car plates. One could not afford to offend a powerful figure and not even know how one had met their end.

“Miss Anqi, here you are!” The police officer hurriedly handed his phone to her. Then, turning to those nearby, he announced, “This is the eldest daughter of the An family. All of you, be sharp.”

Anqi quickly dialed Nangong Ye’s number. Before he could even speak, she blurted out, “Cousin, I’ve been in a car accident… Don’t worry, I’m fine. Please send a car for me quickly—I need to get to Sapphire City. I’m at…”

Before Anqi could finish, the medical team rushed over. Ignoring her protests, they placed her on a stretcher and carried her into the ambulance. This was the An family’s eldest daughter—not people they could afford to offend. Should anything happen to her, they would all be implicated.

“Let me go! I’m not hurt!” Anqi struggled to sit up, but her arms and legs were held firmly by four young nurses.

A doctor hurried to reassure her. “Miss Anqi, though you show no external injuries, your internal organs may have been shaken. We must do a full examination to make sure there are no hidden dangers.”

The medical staff were firm in their disbelief in miracles. They were the staunchest believers in science. Many accident victims showed no outward injury, but suffered ruptured organs. At first, nothing seemed wrong, but when symptoms finally appeared, it was often too late to save them.

The ambulance was only equipped for basic checks. As Anqi said, there were no signs of injury—not even the slightest abrasion. Still, against her wishes, the medical staff drove her back to the hospital and took her to a ward for a thorough examination. This time, the notoriously slow hospital worked with remarkable efficiency. There was no choice: with the An family’s daughter as their patient, not even the hospital director could afford a mishap.

Of course, if they could guarantee Anqi’s wellbeing, the An family would surely reward them handsomely.

Within half an hour, all tests were completed. The deputy director, who had come in person, stared at the diagnostic report in disbelief. The results showed that Anqi was in perfect health. The only issue, if any, was a bit of dust on her clothes from when she’d left the accident scene in a rush.

“I told you, I’m fine.” Anqi herself was amazed at the protective charm’s power. This only strengthened her belief that, if she could find the expert who made it, her cousin’s illness could be cured as well. With this thought, Anqi dashed out of the hospital and took a taxi away.

The Situ family—one of the Four Great Houses of Yunhai—was the most low-key and mysterious of them all.

Behind their ancient residence stood a bamboo loft. Old Master Situ sat there, cross-legged, holding a teapot, his eyes half-closed as he gazed into the distance, occasionally sipping his tea.

Two servants stood by the door with bowed heads, ready to receive his instructions at a moment’s notice.

“Did the Evil-Dispelling Talisman that the An family girl bought have any effect?” Old Master Situ asked, still staring into the distance, his gaze deep and wise. If Ling Tian were here, he would have recognized this old man as his companion from the street market—the one to whom he had given an Evil-Dispelling Talisman and a Protective Talisman.

A servant replied respectfully, “Master, the news just arrived. Nangong Xue was cured by the Protective Talisman, but perhaps due to her long illness, the Evil-Dispelling Talisman wasn’t strong enough and she fell unconscious again. Currently, Miss Anqi is on her way to Sapphire City to seek help. The Nangong family has also issued a high reward for anyone who can find the talisman-crafting master.”

At this, Old Master Situ’s expression grew strange.

As one of the elder generation among the Four Great Houses, Situ Jiu had seen much in his time—things that defied common sense. He’d even dealt with reclusive clans and ancient martial families. He knew that spiritual talismans truly existed, and had even seen genuine ones with his own eyes.

He had once traveled to Wudang Mountain to study talisman-making.

Situ Jiu tapped the table lightly. Instantly, the servant prepared brush, ink, paper, and inkstone and placed them before him with reverence.

Situ Jiu picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and, in a few swift strokes, painted a portrait on rice paper. Though not perfectly accurate, it bore a strong resemblance to Ling Tian.

“Pass down my command: should any member of the Situ family encounter this person, they must show the utmost respect. Any disrespect will be punished according to the family law.” The old master was now certain that Ling Tian was a hidden expert, likely from a reclusive clan or an ancient martial sect—a man to be treated with absolute sincerity.

Such a relationship could only benefit the family’s future.

“You may go now.” The old man dismissed the servants, then reached up and slowly peeled a flesh-toned mask from his face, revealing a pale, gaunt visage, skeletal and deathly.

His face beneath the mask resembled the surface one—except the former was healthy-looking, while the latter was little more than skin and bone, like a skull.

“I thought I wouldn’t last the year, but it seems fate has spared me,” Old Master Situ murmured with emotion. Years earlier, he had been injured and his body invaded by yin energy, which had caused his health to deteriorate. If not for his profound internal strength and rare medicines, he would already be dead.

Situ Jiu bit his finger, letting blood drip onto the Evil-Dispelling Talisman. He silently recited the first of the Nine-Character Mantras. A faint golden light flashed. For the first time in years, the old master felt warmth—a gentle heat that reminded him of basking in the sun before his injury.

As a wisp of black energy surged from his brow, the golden light shattered it. Situ Jiu let out a long breath; his corpse-like face gradually regained vitality and even a flush of color, and the bone-chilling cold that had haunted him faded away.