Alley entrance.

Pei Xiao hung his head, anxious and worried.

Hearing hoofbeats approach, he rushed out to look. Indeed, it was Xie Wushi.

“Xie, your body just recovered and you run off. You don’t come back even at midnight. Are you crazy?”

Xie Zhifei dismounted: “I ran into Xie Daozhi at the city gate. It delayed me a bit.”

Xie Daozhi?

Pei Xiao was startled: “Did he say anything?”

“Nothing much. Told me to come home.”

Xie Zhifei’s face showed extreme fatigue: “Why are you waiting here?”

“Today your eldest brother and sister-in-law came to the estate. Yan Sanhe said she didn’t recognize them. They clearly just came a couple days ago. Oh right, she doesn’t even remember the Zhu family matters anymore.”

Pei Xiao swallowed: “That incense is wrong. Very wrong, Xie Wushi.”

“What does Yan Sanhe say?”

“Her?”

Pei Xiao felt angry just mentioning it.

“She’s like nothing’s wrong, strolling in the back garden, even telling us not to disturb her. I say she’s wrong too.”

Xie Zhifei’s heart suddenly tightened: “I was fine before I left. Come on, let’s hurry back.”

…

Returning to the estate, Yan Sanhe had already returned to the study.

Before Xie Zhifei could ask, she spoke directly.

“I truly don’t know what’s going on with that incense stick. In all my previous demon-dispelling experiences, I’ve never encountered anything like it.

Second, my memory has deteriorated badly these past two days. I don’t remember many people and events. My mind feels very empty.”

Xie Zhifei was stunned momentarily, then immediately asked: “Where did we first meet?”

Yan Sanhe: “At the alley entrance by the inn.”

Pei Xiao: “Where did we first meet?”

Yan Sanhe: “I was in the carriage, you were outside. I kicked you.”

“I just tested her.”

Li Buyan smiled bitterly: “Her mind only has the few of us left. She’s even forgotten who Lanchuan is and where he came from.”

Xie Zhifei walked before Yan Sanhe: “What about Lu Shi? Do you still remember?”

Yan Sanhe shook her head.

Xie Zhifei’s pupils contracted: “Tang Jianxi, Tang Mingyue, Shan Eryi?”

Yan Sanhe still shook her head.

Xie Zhifei: “Yan Xing, Shen Duruo, the former Crown Prince, the Crown Princess… you’ve forgotten them all?”

Yan Sanhe: “Yan Xing is my grandfather. Shen Duruo is my mother. The former Crown Prince is my father. The Crown Princess is my mother… I remember all these.”

Xie Zhifei’s entire body suddenly went cold.

Those related to her, she remembered.

Those unrelated to her, she’d forgotten.

“There’s something I didn’t want to say, but at this point, I must.”

Li Buyan glanced at Pei Xiao: “Because of the incense, I forced Young Master Pei to go to the Zhu residence today to divine fortune and misfortune. Who knew…”

“Yan Sanhe’s fortune and misfortune can’t be divined at all.”

Pei Xiao took over: “The three of us all divined great misfortune.”

Li Buyan: “Young Master Pei and I both think the root lies in the incense.”

Pei Xiao: “We plan to visit various temples starting tomorrow to worship, see if we can resolve things. A desperate attempt.”

Li Buyan: “Does Third Master have any better ideas?”

Xie Zhifei shook his head, indicating he didn’t.

His large palm settled on Yan Sanhe’s head: “Aside from memory deterioration, is anything else uncomfortable?”

Yan Sanhe looked up at him: “Feeling a bit drowsy now—does that count?”

“Then sleep first.”

Xie Zhifei looked at the red veins in her eyes: “Everything can wait until after you’ve slept.”

Yan Sanhe: “To let me sleep well, tell me first—did today’s paper burning go smoothly?”

Go smoothly?

He’d wept bitterly before Grandfather’s grave, crying out all the grievance, suffocation, and pain in his heart.

The world says men’s tears don’t fall lightly, but they simply don’t want to show weakness before the girls they love, before the family they care about.

Actually, men’s tears and women’s tears are the same—sour mixed with bitter, a thousand flavors impossible to express.

“It went smoothly.”

Xie Zhifei: “Bu Liu said when he returns victorious from battle, he wants to kowtow three times to Miss Yan to thank her. I said no need—if you return safe and sound, Miss Yan will be very happy.”

Yan Sanhe smiled wryly: “Third Master understands me best.”

…

Returning to their respective rooms, not one of the four could sleep.

Pei Xiao stared wide-eyed at the bed canopy, silently lost in thought.

He seemed to have heard some eminent monk say before—people whose fortune and fate cannot be divined fall into three categories:

One type is exceptional individuals whose fate lies in their own hands.

One type is cultivators whose fate constantly changes.

The last type is the dead.

Could Divine Priestess Yan be a cultivator? After completing cultivation in the mortal world and forgetting worldly affairs, would she ascend to heaven?

Also.

Xie Wushi wasn’t quite right, calling his own father “Xie Daozhi” constantly. It sounded too jarring.

Also, what right did he have to burn paper at the Old General’s grave? Shouldn’t the proper person be Yan Sanhe?

Li Buyan stared wide-eyed.

Fearing she’d startle Yan Sanhe, she forcibly made herself stiff as wood.

She needed to prepare in advance—have Yan Sanhe write down their acquaintance process. When she truly forgot, she could show her this paper.

She wrote it herself—surely she wouldn’t forget that!

Also.

At the Zhu residence today, she always felt Zhu Yuanmo was holding something back, as if concealing something he hadn’t fully revealed.

Yan Sanhe feared startling Li Buyan and also made herself stiff as wood.

Ding Yi said Third Master’s future prospects were his future prospects. In other words, a master’s future prospects were a servant’s future prospects.

Then for Yan Xi, the Crown Prince’s future prospects also equaled his future prospects.

Old General Zheng’s cause of death concerned the war horses.

His Majesty had entrusted the war horse matter to the Crown Prince.

If handled well, the Crown Prince would gain credit for the war horses—bright future prospects.

If handled poorly, with horses failing to recover and affecting the battle situation, not only that, but the Crown Prince’s future prospects would be shadowed.

So—

How much silver would Xie Daozhi need to pay to make Yan Xi ignore his master’s future prospects, even willing to offend his master, just to lie for Xie Daozhi?

Thinking carefully, this seemed… rather illogical!

Should she discuss this matter with Third Master?

Xie Zhifei thought he’d stare wide-eyed until dawn. Unexpectedly, hazily he fell asleep.

He didn’t know how long passed before he missed his footing in his dream. His entire body jerked awake.

Waking brought irritation. Unable to sleep again, the matters weighing on his heart surfaced one by one.

The Xie family matter could be delayed a bit longer. The urgent priority was that incense stick and Yan Sanhe’s amnesia.

What to do about that incense stick?

What to do about Yan Sanhe’s amnesia?

And what about the Xie family situation?

After the fifth watch, he prepared to rise and practice martial arts. Suddenly, urgent pounding came at the courtyard gate.

Ding Yi in the outer room rose to open the door.

After a moment of silence, Ding Yi stumbled inside.

Xie Zhifei’s heart lurched: “What happened?”

“Master!”

Ding Yi dropped to his knees with a thud, voice trembling: “The Master he… he…”

“What about him?”

“He… is dead.”

“What?”

Xie Zhifei shot to his feet, his body swaying violently before he collapsed back down, then struggled up again and rushed out, grabbing Ding Yi’s collar.

“What did you say? Say it again!”

“The Master he… he’s dead.”

“Impossible. Absolutely impossible.”

Xie Zhifei shoved Ding Yi aside and staggered out.

—