Chapter 24: The Sealed Soul

Suddenly, the surroundings grew noisy. Ahead, an exquisitely luxurious sedan chair approached at a measured pace, its sides veiled by gauzy curtains. Seated at its center was a woman with a veil covering her face; beneath the drifting plum blossoms she appeared breathtakingly beautiful. As the sedan passed by me, she parted the curtain and glanced at Wei Li, her gaze tinged with a faint smile.

“What a grand display!” Wei Li remarked, clearly intrigued.

The fox stared intently at the beauty in the sedan, utterly captivated, his expression full of longing. “She’s the famed courtesan, Miss Zhai Hongyi, the top star of Yishui Pavilion.”

“You seem to know quite a lot,” Wei Li said, raising an eyebrow.

Guangzong, however, did not spare the woman in the sedan so much as a glance, continuing his conversation with Changshu as if nothing had happened. Yet, the sedan stopped directly in front of Guangzong. A servant gently lifted the delicate gauze, and Zhai Hongyi slowly stepped down, her eyes—seductive as a fox’s—fixed on Guangzong. She lightly lifted her veil, revealing a face of such beauty that the men nearby scarcely dared to breathe.

“I’ve heard you are the famous monk, Guangzong,” she said, her voice clear and melodious as a yellow oriole singing in the valley.

“I dare not accept such praise,” Guangzong replied, meeting Zhai Hongyi’s gaze without a trace of distraction. Wei Li silently gave him credit for his composure.

“Lately, I haven’t been able to sleep,” Zhai Hongyi continued, her scarlet gown dazzling and enchanting. “Each night, I hear the cries of children. Master, could you help drive away these evil spirits? I would be forever in your debt.”

“Perhaps you should seek the Buddha’s blessing at White Horse Temple,” Guangzong answered.

Zhai Hongyi moved closer, her slender waist brushing against Guangzong, and spoke softly, “Is it because I am a woman of the world that you refuse to help me?”

“That’s not what I mean,” Guangzong replied.

“Then come to my place and have a look.”

With that, Zhai Hongyi boldly tugged at Guangzong’s arm. This infuriated Changshu, who knocked her hand away with the flat of her sword. “He is a monk! How can you behave so indecently? If it’s exorcism you want, we can do it too. We’ll go with you!” She then pulled the bewildered Wei Li to her side.

Zhai Hongyi looked conflicted. “Well…”

“What? Do you really want a monk to come to your brothel?” Changshu retorted, leaving Zhai Hongyi speechless and storming into her sedan. The servant quickly ushered Changshu into a second sedan behind the first. Changshu shot Wei Li a look. “Come on!”

“I’d rather not. This can’t be anything good.”

“Or would you rather let your senior go with that fox spirit?”

Wei Li reconsidered. Changshu did have a point. She patted Guangzong on the shoulder. “Monk, wait for me at home like a good boy.”

With that, she climbed into the sedan after Changshu.

The atmosphere inside the sedan was unbearably awkward. Neither woman spoke, each ignoring the other. Fortunately, the ride was short. The business at the brothel was as lively as ever; scantily clad women called to customers at the door. Changshu looked at them with open disdain, while Wei Li seemed entirely unfazed. The two followed Zhai Hongyi upstairs to her private chambers.

Zhai Hongyi lounged sensually on a chaise, her eyes glittering like honeyed wine as she looked at them. “To be honest, there’s no haunting here.”

Changshu erupted in anger. “Then why did you bring us?”

“Recently, the madam wants me to entertain a certain commander. I’ve heard he’s violent and cruel, and I don’t want to die in his bed. So I made up the ghost story,” Zhai Hongyi replied, not the least bit apologetic, but rather more at ease. “I’d hoped the monk would come so I could seduce him into helping me, but I didn’t expect you two to show up so eagerly.”

Her words only added fuel to the fire. Changshu grabbed Wei Li, ready to leave, but two men at the door blocked their way. Zhai Hongyi propped herself up, exposing her alluring collarbone, her voice enticing. “Do you really think you can come and go from Yishui Pavilion as you please?”

Changshu and Wei Li were tightly bound and thrown into the woodshed. Changshu called for help to no avail, her cries eventually dissolving into sobs. “I don’t want to die here. I haven’t even married yet…”

“Stop crying,” Wei Li said, closing her eyes, annoyed by Changshu’s sniffling.

“That wretched Zhai Hongyi—why did she tie us up?”

“She wants us to take her place with the commander.”

At Wei Li’s words, Changshu was terrified, her sobs growing louder. “I don’t want to be with that man-eating commander! I don’t! Senior, save me…”

Suddenly, Changshu felt someone working at the ropes around her wrists. She turned her head in panic, only to see Wei Li, already freed from her own bonds. Changshu gasped, “How did you—?”

“Let’s go, quickly.”

“You’re not coming with me?”

“I’m not one to let a grudge go unpunished. Go on ahead.”

Wei Li headed toward Zhai Hongyi’s chambers. It was nearly night; drunken guests jostled about, but no one noticed her. Wei Li pushed open Zhai Hongyi’s door to find her nestled in the arms of a man whose face seemed familiar. “Si… Si Beixu?”

Si Beixu looked different from before. Once dignified and upright, now he was disheveled, his eyes full of violence, the very image of a dissipated scion. He seemed surprised to see Wei Li at Yishui Pavilion. “Wei Li?”

Zhai Hongyi looked up and tried to rise, but Si Beixu held her tightly. “So, you have such tastes?” he said softly, though his tone frightened Zhai Hongyi into stillness. She glanced at Wei Li, her eyes pleading for help.

“What happened to you? Why have you become—”

Si Beixu released Zhai Hongyi and slowly approached Wei Li, tilting her chin up with his finger and leaning in. “Don’t speak to me as if you know me so well.”

Wei Li suddenly smiled. “Are you really Si Beixu?”

She signaled to Zhai Hongyi to leave, for the real trouble was now before her; punishing Zhai Hongyi could wait. Zhai Hongyi straightened her clothes and slipped out, Wei Li shutting the door behind her. This seemed to displease Si Beixu. “You let her go—then who will spend the night with me?”

“I will,” Wei Li replied, sitting at the edge of the tea table.

Si Beixu glanced at her. “Your type doesn’t interest me.”

He turned to go after Zhai Hongyi, but Wei Li smashed her wine cup on the table. The sharp sound made him flinch. The scent of blood filled the air, and he turned stiffly to see blood dripping from Wei Li’s palm.

“Sit down and behave, or I’ll deal with you now!” Wei Li said, still smiling.

Though angry, Si Beixu sat before her. Wei Li’s gaze was piercing. “Soul Binding—how clever.”

The Soul Binding technique was a forbidden art of the Wu clan. Years ago, Wei Li had stolen a forbidden tome from Wen Bai in order to save Yue, but the book had been stolen again, and for a century, she had heard nothing more of it. Yet here, in this small Yishui Pavilion, she encountered the technique once more.

Si Beixu’s heart pounded as he nervously grabbed Wei Li’s hand. “Help me…”

His hand was icy cold, not the temperature of a living person. Wei Li pulled open his clothing—inside, his organs had been hollowed out, leaving only a shell, reeking of disinfectant. Just as she thought: this would prevent the decay of the outer skin.

“Who did this to you?”

“I don’t know… After you left, a man found me. He said he could bring Qingyin back to life. I… Then… When I woke up, I was like this. I have to eat human hearts, or my body keeps rotting. I can’t take it anymore, Wei Li. Help me.”

“But you’re already dead.” Wei Li spoke the truth without a trace of pity.

“That’s impossible! Look at me, I’m right here, I can still talk and breathe—”

“You’re dead!” Wei Li cut him off coldly.

Si Beixu buried his head in his arms, sobbing, yet not a single tear would fall. Just then, the door was kicked open. Guangzong appeared, his face full of worry. He strode in, ready to drag Si Beixu off for a beating, but when he saw the empty cavity inside Si Beixu’s unbuttoned shirt, his brows furrowed. “Soul Binding…”

Guangzong realized the gravity of the situation—they had to find the culprit. He brought Si Beixu back to the temple and conducted a thorough examination. As Wei Li had said, he was already dead. But the man Si Beixu mentioned had vanished without a trace, leaving them helpless. Now faced with a living corpse, should they let him die, or let him live? If he died, he still retained some semblance of humanity; if he lived, he would have to eat hearts or rot away. Guangzong was at a loss.

By the third day without feeding, Si Beixu began to emit a pungent stench of decay; corpse spots spread over his arms, neck, and face. He raged, red-eyed, desperate to eat human flesh. To keep him from harming others, Guangzong chained him to the ancient locust tree in the temple courtyard.

By the fifth day, corpse spots covered Si Beixu’s entire body, not a single clean patch remained. The stench was overpowering, and he was utterly exhausted. Guangzong recited prayers day and night, but to no avail.

One noon, while Guangzong was away washing clothes, Wei Li approached Si Beixu. He looked utterly spent, and finally, his parched lips parted. “Wei Li, kill me. I can’t go on…”