Volume One, Chapter 67: The First Meeting

The car stopped at the gate of the small villa, and Chi Xingwan got out with Wei Shian. Grandma Xiao greeted them with a smile and said to Chi Xingwan, "Xingwan, thank you for making the trip." She then extended her right hand to Wei Shian, "Hello, I am Xiao Ruhuan. My eldest daughter-in-law and grandson, Xiao Yue, like you, are descendants of the Nalan family."

As the head of the powerful Xiao financial conglomerate, Wei Shian had certainly heard of Grandma Xiao’s reputation. She hadn’t expected to meet such a distinguished figure and immediately shook Grandma Xiao’s hand. "Hello, my name is Wei Shian. It’s an honor to meet you."

Chi Xingwan took the initiative to wheel Xiao Yue forward and said to them, "Grandma, Shian, let’s go inside and talk in detail."

Grandma Xiao instructed the servants to leave them alone. In the small sitting room, only Chi Xingwan, Xiao Yue, Grandma Xiao, Wei Shian, and Secretary He remained.

Chi Xingwan took out a tower-shaped object from her inner space and placed it on the table.

Grandma Xiao and Secretary He were already accustomed to seeing Chi Xingwan retrieve items from her inner space, but Wei Shian sat there stunned, amazed and wishing to ask how Chi Xingwan managed such a feat. Yet her reserved nature kept her silent.

Chi Xingwan took the initiative to explain, "This is my inner world. Once a spiritual master reaches a certain level, they may be able to open their own inner world—a space that belongs solely to them."

What she didn’t mention was that even three thousand years ago, it was rare for a spiritual master to form an inner world, and now, not a single spiritual master could achieve it. Even Xu Hengyang, an ultra-class master, had not managed it.

Chi Xingwan had touched upon the topic of spiritual masters from the Mystical Sect on their journey, and Wei Shian still found it all remarkable.

"This is the Nine-Tier Demon Suppressing Tower. To lift the Nalan family curse, we must locate the nine evil artifacts crafted by Miaoxuzi, the caster, before his death. By refining the spirits within those artifacts and combining them with the blood of a Nalan descendant, we can succeed."

After Chi Xingwan’s explanation, the three immediately turned their gaze to the tower. Its lowest tier glowed, while the upper eight remained dark.

"Even though we've found only one artifact spirit and can't break the curse yet, there are still things we can do."

Sensing good news, Grandma Xiao eagerly asked, "Xingwan, what should we do?"

Chi Xingwan pointed to the tower's tip. "Xiao Yue and Shian, drop your blood on it."

She wasn’t very specific, but Grandma Xiao didn’t press for details. She raised Xiao Yue’s hand to the Demon Suppressing Tower, and Secretary He fetched a needle. Without hesitation, Grandma Xiao pricked Xiao Yue’s finger.

A drop of blood fell onto the tower’s tip, producing a brief burst of light.

Wei Shian wasted no time. She took the needle from Secretary He and pricked her own fingertip, letting her blood drip onto the tower.

After another flash of light, the Demon Suppressing Tower became calm.

But this was only the beginning.

Chi Xingwan said, "Please step back a bit, I'm about to cast a spell."

The three stood up, wheeled Xiao Yue back, and stood against the wall behind Chi Xingwan.

Chi Xingwan rose, formed seals with her hands, and began to cast her spell. The Demon Suppressing Tower floated up from the table, suspended in midair.

The lowest tier shone with a dim green light, while the top glowed gold.

Chi Xingwan continued her incantation, and the tower began to shake in the air. Soon, a piercing shriek issued from within, sharp and unsettling.

Even though Grandma Xiao and the others wore jade amulets that Chi Xingwan had given them for protection, they still felt dizzy and disoriented, though they managed to keep their composure.

The Demon Suppressing Tower changed again. A figure with a fox face and human body appeared behind it, bound in chains, its expression twisted in agony, the shriek coming from its mouth.

As Chi Xingwan’s spell progressed, the fox-faced figure became more and more indistinct, its cries weakening until finally, it faded away.

At the moment it vanished, Wei Shian swayed, suddenly losing consciousness and collapsing, luckily caught by Secretary He.

Grandma Xiao immediately turned to Xiao Yue in his wheelchair and saw that he too had fallen unconscious.

Meanwhile, Daidai, who was flying around the estate, suddenly felt dizzy. Its whole bird body swayed and finally plunged into the flowerbeds, losing consciousness.

Xiao Yue opened his eyes. His gaze was clear, nothing like before.

Grandma Xiao, having watched him closely, was overjoyed and asked, "Ah Yue, are you awake?"

Xiao Yue stood up. He recalled his memories as Daidai, realizing he’d been flying outside all along, completely unaware of what had transpired indoors.

He then asked Grandma Xiao, "Grandma, it’s still daytime. How am I awake?"

Tears glistened in Grandma Xiao’s eyes as she explained everything to him.

Xiao Yue looked at Chi Xingwan, feeling a whirl of emotions.

This was his first meeting with Chi Xingwan as himself.

Chi Xingwan packed away the Demon Suppressing Tower, stowed it back in her inner space, then turned around and met the deep gaze in Xiao Yue’s eyes.

Ah, this man is my fiancé.

For some reason, this sentence floated through Chi Xingwan’s mind.

She stepped forward and extended her hand to Xiao Yue, "Hello, I am Chi Xingwan."

Xiao Yue smiled as he took her hand. "Hello, I am Xiao Yue. Thank you."

The atmosphere was a little awkward.

Just then, Wei Shian woke up. She rubbed her head, still dazed.

Chi Xingwan asked, "Do you feel your mind is much clearer?"

Wei Shian nodded repeatedly. She suffered from a mental illness, with daily episodes, but even when she wasn't having an attack, she still felt uncomfortable. Over time, she adapted, and outsiders could rarely tell when she was well.

But now, her mind was comfortable, her whole body relaxed—something she hadn't felt in five years.

Wei Shian’s eyes reddened, her nose tingled, and she struggled not to cry.

How embarrassing, she thought, that such a small thing made her want to weep.

Secretary He smiled, stepped forward, and embraced her, gently patting her back in comfort.

Once the two had calmed a little, Chi Xingwan spoke, "Since the curse is not lifted, your issues haven’t been fully resolved."

The four listened anxiously to Chi Xingwan’s words.

"Xiao Yue, you suffer from soul-loss syndrome. Now, you should be able to control your waking hours, and your daily periods of clarity should increase."

Holding back his excitement, Xiao Yue smiled at Chi Xingwan, "Xingwan, thank you."

Grandma Xiao and Secretary He were equally elated, both pressing their hands together in prayer.

Chi Xingwan then turned to Wei Shian, "You have a mental illness. It still seems you can't control the timing of episodes, but when you're well, you’ll be just like a normal person."

Wei Shian could already feel it. With tears in her eyes, she thanked Chi Xingwan, "Xingwan, thank you. Thank you for helping me."

In that moment, she felt profoundly grateful that she’d followed her impulse to trust Chi Xingwan and come with her to Yanjing.