Chapter 256: with translation of chapter title

Xiaoye put in this much effort for my sake this time, and now the Linghai Dragon Clan has even arrested him—how could Liu Junyan just stand by?

But on the other hand, Liu Junyan himself is also a member of the Linghai Dragon Clan; the Dragon King and such are his elders, his mother is still confined in the forbidden area, and they will also try to manipulate Liu Junyan.

I turned and gripped Liu Junyan's hand tightly, feeling both heartbroken and self-reproachful: "I've implicated you."

"Silly Xiao Jiu, helping you is our own choice." Liu Junyan said, "You have no idea how chaotic that big dye vat of the Linghai Dragon Clan is; whether or not you're involved, Xiāo gē and I will eventually have to face what we must—it's just that we've moved up the timing."

Saying this, Liu Junyan gave a wry smile: "Actually, he's been urging me to return to the Linghai Dragon Clan to stir things up; I've just been hesitating to take that step, but this time I've fulfilled his wish."

Up front, Hui Moqiong slapped the steering wheel and said boldly, "I also think Seventh Lord, you lack the decisiveness you once had! What's there to fear? Since we've been pushed to this point, let's give them hell!"

Li Qingying pinched his arm and whispered, "Stop stirring things up, okay? Seventh Lord has his own pace."

Hui Moqiong shrugged and muttered, "True enough—back then he really acted like he had no kin, and in the end he didn't come to a good end."

He glanced at Liu Junyan in the rearview mirror, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately held back and didn't speak.

I instinctively felt that something must have happened at the Dang Pu these days.

Liu Junyan and Hui Moqiong didn't elaborate further, indicating that the matter is mostly still unresolved and a bit tricky.

We chatted about this and that all the way back to the Dang Pu.

What I didn't expect was that a car was parked at the entrance of Dang Pu, and I immediately recognized it as Tang Tang's car.

After entering Dang Pu, I found that not only was Tang Tang there, but Uncle Huo had come as well.

Tang Tang hugged me tightly: "Xiao Jiu, you're finally back, you scared me to death."

Tang Tang is someone who is very good at expressing emotions, so such an enthusiastic hug is quite normal between us.

But this time, my feeling was completely different.

Since Tang Xun is her paternal aunt but also my maternal aunt, we suddenly gained an extra bond of kinship.

This feeling is especially wonderful.

Tang Tang let go of me and pulled me to sit on the sofa: "Uncle Huo, quickly feel Xiao Jiu's pulse, she has quite a few wounds."

Uncle Huo nodded, first glanced at my face, then placed his fingers on my pulse.

He went back and forth feeling for a long time, his eyes narrowing more and more, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter.

After a full quarter of an hour, he withdrew his hand and said to Liu Junyan: "Most of Xiao Jiu Zhanggui's external injuries are burns and cuts; they're not serious, and with some medicine and proper rest she'll recover. But… if I haven't misread her pulse, she has two pulses, the other one faint and unstable…"

Liu Junyan was about to speak when Tang Tang interrupted: "Uncle Huo, what does having two pulses mean?"

Uncle Huo shook his head: "Although this situation is rare, there are many possible causes……"

"It's because of my mother."

Everyone present is my close friend and family, absolutely trustworthy, so I directly told them about my mother.

Including the innate curse and Tang Xun's identity.

After I finished speaking, everyone was shocked.

Tang Tang said in disbelief: "So… my paternal aunt is also your maternal aunt?"

I nodded: "She said it herself; when she was in the Feng Clan, she was called Feng Yixun, and she is my mother's twin sister."

After a moment of silence, Tang Tang suddenly lunged forward and hugged me tightly: "So we're really cousins? I said that when I first saw you at school, I felt an urge to get close, and now I know why."

Her excitement overflowed.

The next moment, however, Liu Junyan pulled her away.

Liu Junyan reached out to shield me in the crook of her arm, reminding: "Don't hurt Xiao Jiu."

Tang Tang then calmed down, sat beside me, wanting to hug me but wary of Liu Junyan, not knowing where to put her hands.

I felt like laughing a little, my heart warm.

Then I asked again: "Uncle Huo, I want to return this remnant soul of my mother to my maternal aunt; can you help me?"

Uncle Huo is a mysterious doctor; since he could detect that I have two pulses, he should be able to help me detach my mother's remnant soul and merge it into Tang Xun, right?

Tang Tang also gazed hopefully at Uncle Huo.

Uncle Huo hesitated for a long time before saying: "According to your description, your mother's remnant soul is attached to your inner elixir; if your own physical condition is fine, I could help you detach it directly, but the difficulty lies in your soul not being whole—forcibly detaching could harm your soul, even causing your soul and spirit to scatter."

Liu Junyan's hand, which had been around my waist, suddenly tightened.

"But if, during the detachment, I simultaneously use acupuncture to stabilize your own soul, the success rate would greatly increase." Uncle Huo pondered, "With my own acupuncture ability, I have about a twenty percent chance, but if I ask Bai Jingmo to perform it, the success rate could rise to fifty percent."

"Fifty percent?" Liu Junyan shook her head, "That's still too low; is there a better method?"

Uncle Huo pondered for a long time before saying: "About thirty years ago, when I was still young and an apprentice to my master, I witnessed a similar case; I vaguely recall that at the time, my master applied a certain liquid to the silver needles to enhance the effect of acupuncture in stabilizing the soul."

Tang Tang's eyes lit up: "What is that liquid? You said the Tang Family has wide connections; they could surely find it in the shortest time."

"It's difficult." Uncle Huo said, "That liquid is called Soul-Stabbing."

Soul-Stabbing refers to the liquid derived from the inward-facing spikes that a porcupine, after cultivating into an essence, grows all over its body every hundred years, which sink into the flesh and torment the cultivator's body and mind.

During this process, the cultivator's disposition becomes unstable, easily making mistakes and succumbing to inner demons; if they fail to pass, their whole body festers, even the skin and spikes rotting together.

If they succeed, the spikes deeply embedded in the flesh will naturally fall off, and Soul-Stabbing is made by extracting the essence and blood from those spikes and refining it.

After Uncle Huo finished speaking, I and Li Qingying looked at each other.

We both thought of the same person—Bai Xian'er.

Bai Xian'er's age is definitely over a hundred years, right?

During the last time she appeared, her body was festering.

Could it be because she failed to overcome a certain hundred-year calamity?

But no matter what, to obtain Soul-Stabbing we must seek the Bai Family's help, whether by buying it with money or exchanging it under some conditions.

Furthermore, having Soul-Stabbing, we still need to ask Bai Jingmo to perform the acupuncture.

I raised a hand to pinch my brow, never expecting that after all these twists and turns we might again become involved with the Bai Family, and I feel somewhat reluctant about it.

Because of the matters involving Bai Xian'er, the little monster, and the Bai Family's old matriarch, I have long held no good feelings toward Bai Jingmo.

As for that White Immortal of his family, I have never come into contact with them, I don't know them, and I refrain from commenting.

Liu Junyan however asked: "If there is a soul stab, then please have Bái Jīngmò administer acupuncture—what are the odds of success?"

Uncle Huo said: "Conservatively, ninety percent..."