When I returned to Yiqing Courtyard, Xiao Ji had indeed fallen ill. Wrapped in a fine snow fox fur cloak, he was writhing in pain on his bed. His mind was delirious, and the maidservants were so frightened they trembled and dared not move.
I quickly activated the fire spirit power to suppress the cold energy. Just as the cold energy was being subdued, a strange force suddenly surged. Just as I was about to investigate, that force disappeared without a trace, as if it had never appeared. I couldn't help but feel both surprised and relieved. I was relieved to confirm that Xiao Ji's illness had been caused by someone's spell; however, I was also startled, wondering whether my treatment had already alerted the culprit.
As I treated Xiao Ji, I couldn't help but think about that mysterious force: a spell that could make someone unaware of its presence for years would undoubtedly require a powerful and domineering array to support it.
The array...
Could it be the Symbiosis Array recorded in the ancient books?! A chill ran down my spine.
The Symbiosis Array can cause the victim to suffer from an incurable illness without being detected by even the most skilled practitioners. The array's user can only escape once the victim dies. If the victim is saved midway, the array user's soul will be destroyed. This array is extremely dangerous, and those who use it often cannot resist its power and end up dying themselves, which is why it is called the Symbiosis Array.
Thinking about this, I couldn't help but feel puzzled. Xiao Ji was only seven years old when he fell victim to it. Who would go so far as to sacrifice their own life to put Xiao Ji in this perilous situation?
Since my cultivation was still shallow, in order to safely save Xiao Ji, I would need to find the location where the array was set up and break it when the array was at its weakest. However, if I had already alerted the culprit, it might prompt them to activate the array early, causing Xiao Ji to die along with them.
This is the cruelty of the Symbiosis Array—whether to save or not, one wrong move could lead to an irreversible catastrophe. It seemed that I had to visit Li Yan and Li Jun; as a witch and a saintess, they should be able to help Xiao Ji.
Because I feared Xiao Ji's illness might relapse at midnight, I stayed by his bed all night. Qiuer brought me a pillow to rest on, and I quietly lay down. When I woke up the next morning, I found myself lying on Xiao Ji's bed.
Lying so close to Xiao Ji's handsome face, I panicked and quickly sat up. He was still asleep, and I couldn't help but slap myself lightly in frustration. I carefully pulled back the blanket and tiptoed out of the bed.
I looked back at Xiao Ji and saw he was still asleep. I hurriedly grabbed the pillow and left. However, just as I reached the screen, Xiao Ji lightly chuckled and called out to me, "What's this? You plan to leave just like this?"
"No, no, I didn't..." I nervously grabbed the pillow and turned to smile. "Actually, I didn't take advantage of you. I must have been confused and accidentally climbed into your bed."
"Really?" Xiao Ji smiled, his lips curving up. After falling ill, his face was somewhat pale. He propped himself up on the bed and feigned sadness, "We slept in the same bed for the whole night, and yet you say such irresponsible things. It's really heartbreaking."
"Does that mean I have to marry you?" I was startled.
Oh my god, what exactly happened yesterday!
"Marry you? You're a girl, you should marry me," Xiao Ji replied with a mischievous grin. His soft, black hair fell over his flawless face, making him appear quite charming.
I slowly realized something was wrong and asked with a stern expression, "Did you put me on the bed?"
Xiao Ji nodded. "I woke up in the middle of the night and saw you sleeping on the edge of the bed. I thought you would feel sore if you slept like that all night. Since we were already alone together in the room, I decided to carry you to bed. But don't worry, we're innocent."
Thankfully, it wasn't me climbing onto his bed. With how handsome he is, if others found out, they would think I was taking advantage of him. I let out a relieved sigh. "As long as I didn't take advantage of you, it doesn't matter what others think. I'm a cultivator, and I'm not concerned with these trivial matters."
Xiao Ji covered his lips and coughed lightly. "Why are you so worried about taking advantage of me? Didn't you touch me for quite a while the first time we met? And you were muttering something."
"Don't overthink it, I was using magic to check your condition," I said as I tossed the pillow at Xiao Ji's face.
"There's no need to hide it. You owe me a favor. Even if you really took advantage of me, I wouldn't tell anyone," Xiao Ji said seriously, removing the pillow and looking at me with a serious expression.
"Alright, you still have the energy to joke around. You're not feeling unwell anymore, right? I'm leaving now!" I glared at him and turned to leave.
"Thank you, Wuxie." Xiao Ji's tone grew sincere as he said, "You didn't care about your own reputation to help me. I, Xiao Ji, will never forget it."
"No need to thank me. This is my duty," I yawned. "I need to find somewhere to rest for a bit."
"Is it just a duty?" Xiao Ji asked, slightly startled. I nodded, and a flicker of light appeared in Xiao Ji's eyes. "Then promise me you'll come back after finishing your duty. Otherwise, I won't help you."
"Alright, alright, I'll do as you say," I replied casually, but Xiao Ji looked at me seriously. "I'm not joking. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you. Otherwise, I won't marry anyone, and you'll be the one responsible for my lack of descendants."
"There's a saying, 'Of the three unfilial deeds, having no descendants is the greatest.' Looks like I've really committed a great sin," I said with a smile, patting Xiao Ji on the head. Just as I was about to leave, Xiao Ji grabbed my sleeve, hesitated, and asked, "Are you really not Li Wan?"
"Why, you still don't believe it?" I sighed. Unexpectedly, Xiao Ji smiled softly, seemingly relieved. "It's fine as long as it's not her."
"Strange," I muttered, pulling my sleeve free and leaving without looking back.
At noon, I arrived at the Wa Huang Temple. Li Jun wasn't there, but Li Yan received me.
Li Yan had married a prince and become a princess, but after Li Wan left, she returned to Wa Huang Temple to oversee the Saintess matters. I told her my suspicions, and she frowned, saying, "My brother and I suspected that the third prince's illness was caused by a spell, but we couldn't find any traces of it despite repeatedly checking."
"According to the records in the books, the Symbiosis Array leaves almost no trace. It can only be detected if one happens to encounter the array user performing the spell. Especially when the array is first formed, even an accomplished practitioner may not detect it unless under special circumstances. So I was really lucky last night."
"In that case, based on what Wuxie says, what should we do?" Li Yan asked with a hopeful expression.
"Uh, I'm not sure. That day, my senior brother cooked, and he's very good at it. I didn't see the method for breaking the array before going to eat. However, I do know that if the victim's cultivation or spiritual power suddenly increases, the Symbiosis Array will temporarily fail. Since I've already alerted the enemy, I want to ask you, Li Yan, to use the Twin Souls and Shared Fate spell to link my life with Xiao Ji's—"
"No! This is too dangerous," Li Yan interrupted me in shock. The so-called Twin Souls and Shared Fate spell means binding the fates of two people together. In other words, Xiao Ji would be able to share my spiritual power and cultivation, and I would bear the same pain from the Symbiosis Array.
"I know, but this is the only way to save Xiao Ji's life. I grew up on Kunlun Mountain and have a special constitution. I should be able to withstand the array. I've thought it through before proposing this," I said sincerely.
"Wuxie, you must think carefully. If you use the Twin Souls and Shared Fate spell, you'll have to endure the same unbearable suffering as the third prince," Li Yan said with sorrow, holding my hand tightly.
"Don't worry, my cultivation isn't high, but it should be enough to hold on for a while. We just need to break the array as quickly as possible," I said with a bright smile.
"I hope so... but since the third prince just fell ill, it would be best to wait a few days for him to recover before performing the spell. I will also discuss it with Jun'er," Li Yan said after some thought, reluctantly agreeing to my request.
"Do you think the Witch King will oppose this?" I hesitated and asked.
"He shouldn't," Li Yan shook her head. "But Jun'er has known that you're not Wan'er. He's been in the inner temple cultivating. He loves Wan'er dearly, so now he's probably heartbroken."
It must be very painful to have false hopes. I couldn't help but feel a little sad, but the truth was, I wasn't her.