To return Xie Ling's soul fragment to his body was just only a simple matter for Qingwu.
No elaborate rituals or flashy preparations were required. She blew on her palm, pressed her thumb against the talisman paper containing the soul fragment, and slapped it forcefully onto Xie Ling's forehead.
A crisp smack echoed in the room, leaving a red handprint squarely in the center of his forehead.
"All done!" Qingwu flexed her hand with a satisfied expression.
The room fell with silent. The Duchess of Dingguo stared, wide-eyed. "That… that's it?"
She wasn't doubting Qingwu, but this method seemed far too casual…
When the Baimei Taoist had summoned the fox demon into her son's body, he had used talismans and a peachwood sword, performing a lengthy ritual for hours.... This? This was practically slapdash.
A soft groan redirected everyone's attention.
Xie Ling's previously vacant eyes now sparkled with life. Though he still appeared a bit dazed, but his gaze was clear and focused.
Like someone had just waking up from a deep sleep, he looked around the room, his eyes finally settling on the Duchess. In a soft voice, he called, "Mother…?"
The Duchess's nose stung with emotion. Rushing forward, she held him close. "Ling'er! Is it really you?"
Xie Ling blinked, nodded timidly, and began to call out to the others, "Father, Brother…"
Even the Duke of Dingguo's eyes glistened with suppressed tears. Taking a deep breath, he said, "It's good you're awake. It's good you're back."
Xie Ling then turned his gaze to Qingwu and Xiao Chenyuan. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "I remember you two..."
Tilting his head slightly, he looked around as if searching for something.
The Duchess noticed and asked, "Ling'er, what are you looking for?"
Gesturing faintly, Xie Ling replied, "My younger brother… Yulang…"
The room fell silent with exchanged glances. Qingwu chuckled, "He's already returned to his mother's side. Do you still remember him?"
Xie Ling nodded and fixed his gaze on Qingwu. "Elder sister killed the monster and saved me."
"And elder brother…" His eyes turned to Xiao Chenyuan, and he spoke slowly but clearly, "Thank you."
The Duchess wept tears of joy. "Ling'er can say so much now—he's truly recovered!"
Xie Ling's mind, once damaged to the point where he spoke like a young child, had now improved to the extent he could form complete sentences. This was an unexpected and joyous turn for the Xie family.
But Qingwu's mind was elsewhere. "Xie Ling, do you remember why your soul left your body?"
Xie Ling blinked, his expression blank. After a long pause, he said, "I saw gold… lots of gold. Those one-legged monkeys were carrying crates of it into a temple. They… saw me… and chased me…"
The Duchess of Dingguo went pale.
Xiao Chenyuan looked thoughtful, glancing at Qingwu. "The monkeys he mentioned—are they mountain demons?"
"Likely," Qingwu nodded. "What is this temple he spoke of? Where did you go before this happened?"
The Duchess's voice trembled as she answered, "Temple of Cloud's Origin. I took Ling'er to stay there for a while. The incident happened on our way back."
Qingwu exchanged a glance with Xiao Chenyuan.
The clues were falling into place, and the so-called "windfall fortune" had also shown itself.
"It seems Xie Ling stumbled upon something and was targeted," Qingwu concluded.
The Duchess, now drenched in cold sweat, was filled with horror and anger. "Why didn't those monsters come after me instead of harming my child? What did Ling'er even know?"
Qingwu laughed softly. "Madam, perhaps you were just lucky. Mountain demons hold grudges and won't leave witnesses alive unless someone distracts them."
She looked at Xie Ling's clear, innocent eyes and sighed. "Madam, you have a good son."
By now, everyone understood. Xie Ling's soul fragment had voluntarily left his body, luring the demons away to ensure his mother's safe return. And the Duchess had been completely unaware.
Qingwu's earlier doubts were now resolved. No wonder Xie Ling's soul fragment had evaded capture for so long—it had been hiding all this time.
With the truth revealed, the Duchess felt a wave of lingering fear and a growing hatred for Temple of Cloud's Origin.
"That temple was bustling with worshippers, but who knew it hid such evil! Raising demons to harm my son!"
"Xie Ling isn't their only victim," Qingwu's voice carried a chilling note.
At this point, Xiao Chenyuan spoke. "Aside from restoring Xie Ling's soul, we came to discuss for another matter as well."
The Duke of Dingguo's expression grew serious. "Let's talk in the study."
In the study, with the weight of the matter, Xie Ziyuan, now a deputy minister overseeing criminal cases, joined them.
Xiao Chenyuan presented a name list—the one Mu Ying had delivered the previous night—as well as records of Yun Houxing's embezzlement.
After reviewing the documents, both father and son looked grim, their gazes shifting to Qingwu.
Xie Ziyuan, sharp as always, connected the dots and asked, "These families are conspiring to abduct children?"
"Not selling, but killing," Xiao Chenyuan said coldly, describing the discovery of children's remains at Mount Henglu which previously was called Shiying Mountain.
"My men have counted—over a hundred young victims body were found there."
"This is outrageous!" The Duke of Dingguo fumed. "Yun Houxing and that monk treat human lives as grass. What are they trying to accomplish?!"
Xie Ziyuan, calmer, pondered aloud, "What about the embezzled funds? Have you traced them?"
Qingwu's gaze flicked to Xiao Chenyuan, who replied evenly, "Some have been found, but most remain unaccounted for."
He paused, his eyes flashing. "Though we may now have a lead."
"You mean the gold Ling'er saw at the Temple of Cloud's Origin?"
Xie Ziyuan's face darkened as he pieced it together. "Yun Houxing embezzled funds, sent them to that Temple of Cloud's Origin, and they've been using children to feed the mountain demons. The temple controls the mountain demons… but why?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Qingwu set down her snack and drawled lazily, "Raising mountain demons, playing with dark forbidden arts. And as for money… do you think only the living crave wealth?"
The three men stared at her.
Qingwu's smile widened, teasing, "As the saying goes, money can even make ghosts to grind flour—whether in this world or the next."
Her words carried implications that left the Duke and his son deeply troubled. Matters of the living they could handle, but when it involved the supernatural, they were out of their depth.
Qingwu clapped the crumbs off her hands. "You handle the living, I'll take care of the dead."
"But not for free. I expect payment."
Ignoring their reactions, she stood and stretched. "When's lunch? Uncle, do I get a meal?"
The Duke's face twitched briefly before he composed himself. A meal was a small price to pay for saving his son.
"No need," Xiao Chenyuan interjected, rising. "Lingering any longer might arouse suspicion."
After all, the Duke of Dingguo's residence and the Dread King's Manor were officially estranged.
Qingwu pouted but relented. She had hoped to enjoy the Xie family's renowned cooking. The pastries she had sampled earlier had been particularly delightful.
As they prepared to leave, a servant hurried over with a box of pastries, which he handed to Xiao Chenyuan.
Opening the box, he found the very pastries Qingwu had been enjoying earlier, along with a note: A humble gift, may it please you.
In the carriage, Qingwu snatched the note from Xiao Chenyuan's fingers and studied it. "Such elegant handwriting. The young master of the Xie family truly has a refined touch."
She folded the note and tucked it into her pouch, her tone light and teasing. "And so thoughtful too."
Feeling Xiao Chenyuan's intense gaze, she glanced at him. "Why are you staring at me this way?"
Expressionless, he replied, "You seem quite fond of Xie Ziyuan."
"Well, he is charming!" Qingwu clicked her tongue. "Unlike someone who always looks like I owe him thousands of taels."
The carriage fell into an awkward silence.
"Speaking of which, aren't you forgetting something?" Qingwu held out her hand. "Where's the promised agreement?"
Xiao Chenyuan's eyes darkened. "I haven't written it."
Qingwu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Xiao Chenyuan, are you seriously reneging on our deal?!"