Chapter 943: This Night, This Person, and This Heart

“Then may I trouble you to rewrite it?”

Sister Hong looked conflicted.

“If I told you I only have enough strength to write one more character, would you want it written on your boss or you?” Ye Wenxin asked.

Sister Hong paused. After a moment, she replied, “Better write it on the boss. He’s more important.”

Her expression was as resolute as that of a warrior dying for some greater cause.

But there were no romantic feelings in it. It was more like a sense of duty shackling Sister Hong.

Ye Wenxin found it intriguing but relented. “Alright, I’ll accompany you to the Treasure Pavilion tomorrow.”

Sister Hong nodded, thanking her again. She carefully pulled her sleeve back down, hiding the precious golden charm.

Seeing Sister Hong wasn’t too shaken, Ye Wenxin added a dramatic flair.

“But let me be clear. These evil spirits are becoming more aggressive. If you’re stuck there another night, you’d become another meal in their bellies.”

Sister Hong smiled wryly. “If that is my fate, I will accept it.”

She looked troubled, the thought of her imminent death causing fear and unease within her.

Ye Wenxin stopped testing her and stood up. “Where will I be staying, Sister Hong?” she asked.

Sister Hong got up as well and gestured to her room.

“My room is the best one in the entire Fang household. You will stay here, Celestial Master Ye.”

Ye Wenxin hadn’t expected such arrangements. “Then where do you plan to sleep?”

Sister Hong smiled and pointed next door.

“I’ll be staying in the guest room next door. Don’t worry. The bedding and everything else have been freshly changed. My room is just the largest in our household.”

Sister Hong led Ye Wenxin into the bedroom.

The interior was clean and tidy, though slightly different from the sitting room. Several landscape paintings hung on the walls, and a large embroidered tapestry adorned one side.

Ye Wenxin didn’t sense anything special about the room. Sister Hong noticed her confusion and pointed toward her bed.

“There’s nothing remarkable about the room itself, but try the bed, and you’ll understand.”

Ye Wenxin gave a quiet “Oh.” The moment she neared the bed, she could discern something different about its frame.

“A spirit wood bed frame?”

“Yes.” Sister Hong nodded proudly. “I expected someone as well-informed as you to recognize it, Celestial Master Ye. A bed made from spirit wood does the body wonders.”

Ye Wenxin had never seen a bed made entirely of pure spirit wood. Such extravagant furniture was unheard of even among the sects. Her hand brushed over the covers. She could tell the fabric was unusual, too.

“This is flower cotton?”

Flower cotton was one of the Hundred Flowers Dynasty’s signature products. They were a nation that revered demonic beasts and focused on agriculture. However, due to the harsh conditions required to cultivate flower cotton, the dynasty was reluctant to use it freely.

And yet, here it was, in the home of a store manager.

“You never cease to amaze, Celestial Master Ye,” Sister Hong praised with a nod, her interest in Ye Wenxin growing.

Ye Wenxin almost suspected she was trying to draw her into the emperor’s faction, given how much effort she put in.

But Sister Hong didn’t ask anything more of her. “Alright, I won’t disturb your rest any longer,” she said, excusing herself.

The room fell silent. But Ye Wenxin didn’t relax. She extended her divine sense over the entire space. Sure enough, she discovered several talismans beneath the mattress. They had been drawn in a rudimentary style, looking like ordinary charms meant to ward off supernatural creatures.

However, Ye Wenxin was quite familiar with talismans and, with the assistance of Celestial Master Zhong’s memories, quickly discerned their true purpose.

They were mind-control talismans that could induce brainwashing. Judging by its age, Ye Wenxin realized the target wasn’t her but Sister Hong.

“How pitiful,” Ye Wenxin muttered with mockery. “She thought she was a loyal subordinate, not knowing she’s just a dog on a leash.”

Sister Hong’s lack of awareness and the extravagant bed told Ye Wenxin all she needed to know about the perpetrator’s intentions.

If Sister Hong hadn’t offered Ye Wenxin the bed to please her, she might have gone to her grave never realizing she’d been under control. Considering Sister Hong’s character, Ye Wenxin took out her golden pen and made a few changes to the talismans.

She reversed the original effect. The more loyal Sister Hong was toward that person, the more doubt would take root in her mind.

After confirming the alterations had taken hold, Ye Wenxin washed up and finally went to bed.

For once, she didn’t dream of the damnable Immortal Lord Taohua. The bed and blanket’s special properties helped her sleep more soundly than ever.

Morning came, and Ye Wenxin didn’t want to get out of bed. It wasn’t just because the bed was so comfortable. She would have to face Long Qingyue again today, which made her resist getting up.

Based on her observations yesterday, her arrival had disrupted Long Qingyue’s plan. Although they were best friends, Long Qingyue’s cold, emotionless ability to separate public and private matters left Ye Wenxin uneasy. She’d rather not get any more involved if she could help it.

“Celestial Master Ye, are you awake? Breakfast is ready.” Sister Hong’s voice came from outside the door, giving the much older woman no chance to sleep in. Ye Wenxin sighed but got dressed.

Ye Wenxin walked out looking energized, while Sister Hong appeared sleep-deprived.

She assumed it was her fault and felt apologetic. “Miss Hong, you couldn’t sleep well in the guest room?”

“It’s not that. I just had too many things on my mind to sleep last night. Celestial Master Ye, please make yourself at home—” Sister Hong yawned but tried to keep it subtle, not wanting Ye Wenxin to feel bad.

Ye Wenxin didn’t push the matter and followed Sister Hong toward the living room, where several people were already seated and waiting. Besides those who had come with Ye Wenxin, Sister Hong’s younger siblings had also shown up. When they saw Ye Wenxin, they looked at her curiously.

They all seemed shy, only managing a timid “Celestial Master Ye” in greeting. Ye Wenxin didn’t say much in response but felt quite awkward sitting at the head of the table again.

Ye Wenxin then learned the children’s parents had passed away long ago. Sister Hong was not only their older sister but also their mother figure. Now thirty, she still hadn’t married.

The storyteller immediately grew interested. “What type of man do you prefer, Miss Hong?”

“I’ve always believed in leaving that sort of thing to fate. But I haven’t had any fateful encounters so far.”

Sister Hong brushed off the question with a smile, but Ye Wenxin noticed a slight displeasure behind it. Perhaps she’d been through something and now felt a strong aversion to romance.