CHAPTER 755: CHAPTER 737: PILLOW GHOST, SURRENDER WITHOUT FIGHTING

"Mentioning her daughter’s strange behavior, Princess Rong’an felt a deep sense of shame and unease from her heart. After all, which noble family’s unblemished young lady would display such seductive, fox-like charms?"

Suddenly, Mu Shiyun had changed just like that.

Initially, Mu Shiyun merely altered her dressing style, favoring flamboyant colors like bright reds and purples. Her mother did not pay much attention to this since her daughter was at the peak of her youth, where wearing such vibrant colors seemed appropriate, especially given that the daughter herself possessed a naturally radiant beauty.

But gradually, her attire became too revealing, which raised Princess Rong’an’s concerns. What frightened her the most was that her daughter’s previously rosy and luminous complexion had turned pale and sallow, with dark circles under her eyes. Yet in her movements, there was a hint of allure and charm. One time, she even noticed a spring-like desire in her daughter’s eyes.

That spring-like desire, as someone who had experienced it herself, she knew all too well—it was the come-hither look of a woman who had been intimate with a man.

This scared Princess Rong’an to the point of going weak at the knees, her face turning deathly pale.

Her daughter’s name had already been submitted to the imperial draft list, but now she was exhibiting such spring-like allure. How could she possibly attend the selection in Shangjing, let alone dare to step outside? A noble lady from a prestigious family, yet to marry, displaying such seductive demeanor, if seen by others, the young ladies of the Mu Family wouldn’t be able to marry at all.

Terrified, Princess Rong’an immediately confined the servants of her daughter’s quarters to question them, but they all claimed the young lady had never met with any man.

Then a maid mentioned that one night, it seemed she heard her young mistress moaning and laughing softly. She went to peek and found her simply lying quietly asleep in bed, which made her think she had misheard.

Growing even more uneasy, Princess Rong’an called for the house doctor to diagnose her daughter, but nothing abnormal was found—she was only slightly deficient in vital energy, and a prescription to replenish it was provided.

Still not reassured, she secretly gave Mu Shiyun a dose of a sleeping potion, and had Nanny Huanxi thoroughly examine her body, which still remained intact.

This only deepened Princess Rong’an’s sense of the supernatural. If her body was unharmed, what then could be the cause of her pallor and the suggestive demeanor that was peeking through?

That allure could not be mistaken for anything but that of a woman who knew the pleasures of physical intimacy.

Watching Mu Shiyun’s mental state deteriorating further day by day, wishing only to sleep and growing increasingly irritable—even calling out the name ’Zhou Lang’—Princess Rong’an could not stay still any longer.

Her daughter must have been bewitched by some evil entity!

Princess Rong’an dared not openly call for high monks or nuns to come to their house, for fear that it might ruin her daughter’s reputation. If word spread, not only would her chance of a prominent match in the capital be destroyed, but marrying into a suitable family at all would become problematic.

So, she sent out people to seek the assistance of more inconspicuous Heavenly Masters, which brought the old Taoist and his disciples to her.

Who would have thought that the old Taoist, while appearing to possess an air of immortality, might just be all show with his performance of wielding the Peach Wood Sword, impressive to look at but ineffective at the end of the day.

And as for this one that had appeared out of the blue, her abilities might be real, but her temperament was indeed strange and vexing, and she had to be appeased, for the evil spirit still lingered.

Upon hearing Princess Rong’an’s story, Qin Liuxi said, "Her body may be unharmed, but in her dreams, she has truly been intimate with the Evil Ghost..."

"Cough cough cough." Lu Xun coughed incessantly.

Qin Liuxi glanced at him, saying, "Struck by autumn dryness so quickly?"

Lu Xun replied, "You’d better take down that Evil Ghost, as it has tormented Miss Mu in such a manner, it will surely harm other young ladies as well."

Princess Rong’an’s face shifted between shades of green and white, pleading, "Yes, please, Master, save my daughter."

Qin Liuxi stepped forward, entering the small building, with Lu Xun quickly following.

Princess Rong’an wanted to stop them but was too late. She could only watch them enter apprehensively and then followed suit.

"Quick, let’s go take a look too," the old Taoist nudged Sanyuan.

Qin Liuxi hardly needed guidance and went straight to Mu Shiyun’s bedroom, her gaze falling upon a white jade pillow carved with mandarin ducks and lotus flowers on the elaborate canopy bed.

"Where?" Lu Xun asked.

Qin Liuxi pursed her lips: "It’s a Pillow Ghost."

Princess Rong’an caught her breath, looking toward the Jade Pillow and asked, "Pillow Ghost, but isn’t this a jade pillow? Isn’t jade supposed to calm the spirit and ward off evil?"

"To calm the spirit, one can also nurture the soul." Qin Liuxi said indifferently: "This Pillow Ghost is either the original owner of the Jade Pillow or something that was drawn into it. While nurturing within the Jade Pillow, it strengthens its own ghost power, then uses it as a medium to fabricate a small illusory world. It lures the woman into the dream to make merry with it, doing as it pleases, drawing out the woman’s yin yuan."

Princess Rong’an’s body swayed, her complexion turned pale as death.

"So in reality, Miss Mu is indeed pure, but once she enters the dream, she indulges with the Pillow Ghost day and night. This leads to excess indulgence, depleting her yin yuan and spirit, resulting in insufficient Kidney Water and her body being half-emptied."

Princess Rong’an gnashed her teeth in shame, daring not to look at Lu Xun beside her.

Is my daughter’s future over just like this?

After all, Lu Xun is the Saint’s nephew; what face will our family have if he mentions this?

The old Taoist and Sanyuan listened. Is that so? They craned their necks to look at the Jade Pillow but couldn’t make anything out.

Is the difference between people really that great?

Princess Rong’an was already seething with hatred for the Evil Ghost, saying, "Master, there is no need to say more, just quickly annihilate that evil spirit."

Qin Liuxi took off the Heavenly Pearl from her neck, stepped forward, picked up the Jade Pillow, and was about to tie it up when a wisp of black smoke emerged from the Jade Pillow.

"Spare me, Lord Heavenly Master, spare my life." The Pillow Ghost knelt before Qin Liuxi, trembling with fear.

Princess Rong’an was so frightened that she hid behind Lu Xun.

The old Taoist and the others were grinding their teeth in anger. This Evil Ghost was not so aware of the situation and weak just moments ago.

Now, just by Qin Liuxi taking a strand of Beads in her hand, it obediently came out to kneel, surrendering without a fight.

That’s too disrespectful!

Your arrogance, your insolence, where is your evil ghost’s spirit?

At least put up a fight for three hundred rounds. Even though it probably wouldn’t last that long, it’s still better than surrendering without fighting, right?

Sanyuan felt somewhat sorry for the two drops of Cow Tears he had guarded for ten days, a total waste.

Qin Liuxi looked at this androgynous Pillow Ghost and sneered: "You sure know how to cling to life."

The Pillow Ghost forced a laugh, looked fearfully at the Heavenly Pearl she was playing with in her hand, and said, "The lesser one knows it is no match for the Lord Heavenly Master. As long as the Master spares me, I’m willing to be a ghost slave for the Master, willing to carry out any task, with only the Master to follow."

A joke, if it didn’t beg for mercy, was it waiting to be obliterated by the Emperor Fengdu’s Heavenly Pearl?

Whether alive or as a ghost, it was always one that knew how to read a situation and assess the environment.

Princess Rong’an scolded furiously: "Nonsense, you’ve caused my son such misery, and you still dare to ask the Master to spare you? Master, quickly obliterate it."

The Pillow Ghost swiftly looked over, its eyes red as blood, leaking out ghost energy, frightening Princess Rong’an into rigidity, trembling slightly.

Qin Liuxi waved the bead, dispersing its ghost energy: "Daring to spread ghost energy in front of me, do you want to die?"