Chapter 199: with translation of chapter title

We were all waiting for Tang Xun's soul to be brought out by the Ghost King Butterfly breaking its cocoon, and then to follow the Ghost King Butterfly into the Soul-guiding Lamp.

From the moment the Ghost King Butterfly appeared, this was taken for granted by everyone.

So our gaze remained fixed on the chrysalis mark on Tang Xun's lower back.

We waited like that for a full half hour, but saw only that the chrysalis mark grew fainter, with no sign of breaking its cocoon.

On the contrary, during this process Tang Xun seemed especially pained.

She lay prone on the bed, arched her back, clenched her lips, and emitted a whimpering moan.

At this moment we all realized something was wrong.

The men were all guarding downstairs, leaving only me, Tang Tang, and Yu Nian in the room.

Tang Tang worriedly said, "Xiao Jiu, Auntie's condition feels a bit strange."

Yu Nian pinched her fingers and calculated again, puzzled, "How could this be?"

My heart skipped a beat, and I almost asked in unison with Tang Tang, "What's wrong?"

"I can't calculate Auntie's eight characters," Yu Nian said, head down, her fingers flying nonstop.

The more she calculated, the more her hand trembled: "Clearly, when I helped her calculate her eight characters before, the astrological threads were very clear; how come I suddenly can't calculate them?"

As she spoke, a stream of bright red blood flowed from Yu Nian's right nostril.

"Senior sister, stop calculating," I hurriedly reminded, "Your nose is bleeding."

This scene reminded me of when Master Huichuan calculated my eight characters for me— the more he calculated, the tighter his brow furrowed, until finally his nose bled profusely.

I pulled out a tissue and handed it to Yu Nian, asking, "Is it because Auntie's soul is being sucked out by the Ghost King Butterfly that you can't calculate her birth characters?"

Yu Nian shook her head: "This time calculating Auntie's eight characters gave me the feeling that the eight characters are illusory and elusive, as if…"

As Yu Nian spoke, she unconsciously glanced at Tang Tang, seeming somewhat reluctant to speak.

Tang Tang urged, "Ah Nian, go ahead and say it—I can bear anything."

"It seems… it seems as if this eight characters simply does not exist."

A perfectly healthy living person, yet her birth characters seem not to exist—this is too unbelievable.

Tang Tang shook her head firmly: "Auntie has lived with us for many years; although she often runs about outside, she is truly a living person—how could her eight characters not exist?"

Yes.

It's too hard to accept.

A non-existent eight characters would mean that this person never existed in this world, right?

But Tang Xun has flesh and blood!

However, Yu Nian's error rate in calculating eight characters is extremely low.

Since she said that, it's likely eight or nine times out of ten that this is indeed the case.

The atmosphere in the room instantly became oppressive.

Just then, Tang Xun suddenly let out an extremely suppressed and painful moan.

We instantly snapped back to attention, and when we looked at Tang Xun again, we were startled.

Tang Xun's entire skin took on a clear, translucent hue, obscuring her original features, yet we could feel her body stirring beneath this sheath.

This strange phenomenon made our scalps tingle, and for a moment we didn't know what to do.

The three of us just stared motionlessly at the person on the bed.

Watching her skin shift from initially clear and translucent to gradually yellow and withered, until a hiss… sound, the skin on Tang Xun's nape suddenly split open.

The tearing sound wasn't loud, yet it made all three of us jolt simultaneously, frightened enough to lunge to the bedside.

That crack grew larger and larger…

It spread from the nape toward both ends, until an extremely faint figure drifted out from within, hovering dazedly above… that was Tang Xun's soul.

But her soul was too faint, somewhat like Fu Wan's soul when it had just coalesced into form.

Fu Wan had originally been offered as a soul sacrifice to the Soul-guiding Lamp, which should have scattered her soul and spirit, yet inexplicably a thread of essence remained, and under the nourishment of Merit it gradually solidified into a soul.

What is this situation with Tang Xun?

"Ah, I see!" Yu Nian exclaimed, suddenly enlightened, "Auntie's soul is deficient, lacking at least half of the three hun and seven po; it's strange how such a fragmented soul could sustain Auntie's existence in the mortal world for so many years."

She then turned to me and said, "Xiao Jiu, hurry, collect the soul!"

I quickly bit my finger, letting a bead of blood well up, pointed it at Tang Xun's soul, then pressed it onto the chamber of the Soul-guiding Lamp.

Tang Xun's soul trembled in midair, and the next moment it entered the Soul-guiding Lamp.

Within the Soul-guiding Lamp, filled with Merit Light, a faint green soul body wandered, nourishing her soul.

At the same time, the sheath on Tang Xun's body split completely, sagging to both sides, revealing a brand-new Tang Xun!

Yes, it's brand-new.

She remained prone, her whole skin like a peeled egg, tender enough to seem as if water could be squeezed out.

"Huh?"

Tang Tang leaned in, staring at Tang Xun's right shoulder again and again: "Auntie's right shoulder used to be injured, with a scar several centimeters long like a centipede—how is it gone?"

Never mind the scar, Tang Xun's exposed skin doesn't even show a mole.

The chrysalis mark of the Ghost King Butterfly on her lower back also vanished completely.

She lay there quietly, motionless.

We were a bit afraid to touch her.

Yu Nian said, "Turn her over, please be careful."

Then I and Tang Tang reached out, gently turning Tang Xun's body over.

As we turned her, a faint medicinal fragrance spread, and the Ghost King Butterfly that had originally been lying on her lower back as merely a mark was now perched on Tang Xun's lips.

It really is huge, lying there, its wings swaying slightly.

That scene was eerie yet absolutely beautiful!

Tang Tang instinctively raised her hand to fan the Ghost King Butterfly: "How did this Ghost King Butterfly end up perched on Auntie's mouth? Could it be sucking Auntie's vital energy?"

"Don't touch it!"

Yu Nian spoke up to stop them: "If I'm not mistaken, it's helping Auntie Tang maintain her vital signs. Before Xiao Jiu and the others return from the Nether Realm, we must protect this Ghost King Butterfly."

Although I was startled, I also agreed with Yu Nian's view.

Tang Xun's soul had already been drawn into the Soul-guiding Lamp, although that soul was somewhat strange.

What lies here now is merely Tang Xun's body.

In a sense, Tang Xun is already dead.

But the current situation is that Tang Xun seems like a newborn.

She actually shed a layer of skin right before our eyes.

No, it's not shedding skin; it's breaking out of a cocoon!

Like a butterfly pupa breaking out of its cocoon to become a butterfly—a rebirth!

Her chest rose and fell slightly; her overall state was like that of a sleeping beauty.

And maintaining Tang Xun's condition should be entirely credited to that Ghost King Butterfly perched on her lips!

I sighed again—it's utterly unbelievable!

Thud—thud……

The door was knocked, and immediately I heard Liu Junyan outside reminding: "Xiao Jiu, the time has come; we should set out…"