The bone-bell stilled its spinning and fell from mid-air. Lang Jiuchuan opened her eyes and reached out to catch it, turning it over and savoring the sensation. Compared to before, the spiritual energy within the bell was far more abundant — she could even feel that pure power settling and consolidating within it.

This object was greatly nourishing.

She examined the bone-bell closely. With the addition of that unknown bone fragment and the water spirit attached within, the originally lustrous white bell had transformed entirely to a fresh, pale blue-green — shallow and clear, of extraordinary moistness and luster. Looking closely, fine and intricate patterns drifted across the surface of the bell. When it moved, it shimmered with flowing light, and the spiritual energy emanating from within was refreshing and soul-cleansing, sweeping away the fatigue accumulated over days in an instant.

Lang Jiuchuan looked at the luminous, glowing bell and tossed it lightly into the air before catching it again. Warm and smooth as jade to the touch. She turned and asked: “Water spirit, how do you feel?”

The water spirit floated out from the bone-bell — a round, soft sphere of water shimmering with translucent pale blue-green light, more pleasing to the eye than before. It was so excited it could barely form coherent words: “Such a clean, pure energy — I could drown in it with joy.”

It had suddenly understood the virtues of the bone-bell — especially this one, which had advanced naturally, without being forced. That vivid, pure energy truly made it feel cleaner than anything else.

Lang Jiuchuan saw that its water-sphere was indeed more crystalline than before, and poured a cup of plain water. “Purify this for me a little.”

The water spirit: “!”

What unrelenting exploitation!

But it signaled it had no problem with this — it only feared Lang Jiuchuan would no longer allow it to attach to the bone-bell.

Ding-dong.

It transformed into a small, round, crystalline droplet, translucent and light-catching, and fell into the water cup. Spiritual energy spread outward.

After a moment, it flew out again. Lang Jiuchuan lifted the cup and drank. The water was sweet and refreshing — like the legendary spirit-spring water, of extraordinary purity.

Though she noticed the water spirit appeared less crystalline than it had just moments before, she said: “Cultivate well. Whenever I prepare medicine or incense, I will have you purify the water.”

She would not exploit the water spirit to its breaking point, but for her own use — she would absolutely press as needed.

The water spirit huffed and said neither yes nor no.

Jiangche said in delighted surprise: “What is this thing? Its spiritual energy is so abundant!”

It licked its lips — it wanted very much to swallow that bone-bell whole.

Lang Jiuchuan, watching its fur grow glossy and sleek before her eyes, toyed with the bone-bell and said: “Whatever it is — it is certainly something good.”

Jiangche wholeheartedly agreed. In an age as spiritually sparse as this one, having such a treasure at one’s side for cultivation was like a tiger given wings — effort halved, results doubled.

That Lang Jiuchuan had some dog-luck about her. Falling into a lake like that, and still managing to fish out a treasure — even a heaven’s chosen would not fare better.

Though — no. A heaven’s chosen would not need to scrape by on accumulated merit and good fortune like patching rags together just to survive.

One could only say it was compensation from heaven above.

The water spirit, meanwhile, had eagerly reattached itself to the bone-bell — the water spirit’s essence and the bell’s energy merged into one, making the bell appear even more lustrous and moist. It asked: “So are you still going to engrave those Gathering-Spirit patterns?”

Lang Jiuchuan shook her head. “Without knowing its origin, it is better not to alter the bell’s nature. The patterns I will not engrave — but my soul-mark, I will leave.”

Her belongings — even if lost, they remained hers.

Lang Jiuchuan placed the bone-bell on the table, formed an intricate series of Dao seals with both hands, condensed her soul-mark into a technique, and struck it into the bone-bell.

As she formed the seals, the bone-bell began to spin once more, with the bearing of something trying to burst out through a door and flee.

Jiangche’s murderous energy surged outward, sealing every door and window in the entire room. There was absolutely no possibility of letting it escape.

Lang Jiuchuan struck three soul-mark imprints into the bone-bell in total. Whether it was her overwhelming force of presence, or something else — once the bell found it could not escape and the soul-marks had landed, it began to circle around Lang Jiuchuan.

Round and round, waves of spiritual energy streamed from the bell and fell back onto Lang Jiuchuan — as though it were trying to ingratiate itself with her.

Jiangche watched with desperate envy.

Lang Jiuchuan withdrew her presence and raised her hand. The bone-bell dropped into her palm. Now with the soul-mark in place, her resonance with the bell was far deeper than before — if anyone else tried to steal or snatch it, they would have to ask whether she agreed first.

She hung the bone-bell from her waist with great satisfaction.

Yet before long, this joy was cut short by a household servant of the Lang Family brought over by Fuqi.

Cui Shi had taken a turn for the worse again.

In Qichi Pavilion, the Chen family physician withdrew his golden needles and let out a long sigh, saying to Lang Zhengping and the others: “Send for the ninth young miss. I have no confidence whatsoever in treating the second madam’s condition.”

Lang Zhengping’s heart sank. “She has already been sent for — just hold on.”

Nanny Cheng lit a calming incense and sat heavy with worry.

When Lang Jiuchuan walked in with quick strides, she caught the Chen physician’s words. She swept a glance across the room and said coldly: “All of you — out.”

Seeing her return, Lang Zhengping and the others felt as though a great weight had been lifted from them. Only Old Master Cui furrowed his brow and looked at Lang Jiuchuan once — but said nothing.

Once the room was cleared, Lang Jiuchuan looked at Cui Shi’s face, which was the color of gold foil, and without a word of preamble, took out her golden needles and applied acupuncture once more.

She had already heard from the Lang household servants everything Cui Shi had done — and why she had fainted. Now, looking at the withered ruin of her expression, Lang Jiuchuan felt anger and frustration rising at once.

Nanny Cheng, seeing the cold, tightly-wound aura around Lang Jiuchuan, dared not speak a single word.

This time Lang Jiuchuan did not use retained needles, but employed a moving-needle technique to circulate Cui Shi’s qi and invigorate her vital energy. Yet even after this entire round of needlework, she still did not wake.

Lang Jiuchuan took her pulse, and after a long, long silence, she sighed. She leaned close to Cui Shi’s ear and said in a tone of outright defiance: “If you no longer wish to see your daughter again, then go ahead and leave. It would save you the torment of tormenting yourself.”

She rose and said to Nanny Cheng: “Feed the medicinal decoction through a reed tube into her mouth — however much she swallows is however much she swallows. As for when she wakes — that depends on whether she herself cares to.”

Nanny Cheng nodded, then said: “Young miss, the madam has formally adopted the fourth young master. From now on, he is the heir of the second branch — which makes him your elder brother by adoption. But the madam said her dowry is to be left to your management.”

“I have no need of these things. When she wakes, tell her to manage them herself.” Lang Jiuchuan said coolly and sharply.

Nanny Cheng heard the coldness and anger in her words, and shrunk into herself, not daring to say more.

Lang Jiuchuan stared hard at Cui Shi for a moment, then reached into her large pouch and withdrew a jade talisman, which she looped around Cui Shi’s neck and settled against her chest. “Leaving it to fate, then,” she said.

Nanny Cheng felt a pang in her heart.

Lang Jiuchuan left Cui Shi’s bedchamber with restless irritation and came to the east wing. Lang Zhengping promptly set down his teacup and asked: “How is your mother?”

“Leaving it to fate.” Lang Jiuchuan glanced at the elder seated to one side, and said coolly: “I can heal the body but not the heart. If she has no will to live, even the finest of my medical skills cannot save her life.”

Old Master Cui heard these words, his brow creasing as he looked at Lang Jiuchuan. This child was far too calm. It must be that Huijun’s conduct over the years had chilled her heart — otherwise, how could a mother and daughter have grown so distant from each other?

Lang Zhengping, seeing the two of them looking at each other, made introductions: “This is your maternal grandfather.”

Lang Jiuchuan gave a cool address of “Old Master.” Calling him maternal grandfather was simply impossible — she called even Cui Shi “my lady,” let alone this grandfather she had never seen and had no feeling for.

Old Master Cui was somewhat taken aback by this, but still said: “These years — you have suffered much hardship.”

Lang Jiuchuan was faintly surprised. He was not going to berate her?