Throughout the welcoming banquet, Yusang couldn’t remember what she had eaten, nor did she hear a single word of everyone’s conversation. She kept observing Master Sang’s every movement, trying to find flaws or abnormalities to understand what was happening. She even used magical secret speech to contact him, but Yan Qige showed no reaction whatsoever. Watching him laugh and exchange pleasantries with everyone, occasionally sharing knowing glances with Helian Yu beside him, Yusang felt both amazed and dejected.

When the sun slanted westward, the banquet dispersed. Helian Yun said he had invited acrobatic troupes and dancing girls to perform in the evening, asking Zi Feng and Yusang to come to the rear hall later. As Helian Yu arranged for servants to clean up the tables and chairs after the banquet, Yusang seized the opportunity and suddenly grabbed Master Sang, pulling him to the wall outside the great hall.

“Miss, what is the meaning of this?” Master Sang looked at Yusang with a face full of surprise.

“Stop pretending. There’s no one here.”

“What are you saying, Miss?”

“I admit that leaving without saying goodbye was indeed lacking in loyalty, but now you’re pretending not to know me in front of everyone—consider it revenge enough.”

“Miss, I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I don’t know you.”

Master Sang spoke earnestly. The smile on Yusang’s face gradually stiffened. She looked directly into Master Sang’s eyes and frowned, asking, “You don’t remember me?”

“Have we met?”

Master Sang’s puzzled counter-question stunned Yusang. Suddenly remembering something, she raised her wrist and presented the jade bracelet Yan Qige had given her, asking, “Then do you remember this?”

“This bracelet is a fine piece of ancient jade, but I’ve never seen it before.”

“What about Red Pearl Village, Huadu City, and Yunsui City? Do you remember them?”

Master Sang shook his head, showing an embarrassed smile—a kind of bewildered expression that was immediately transparent and devoid of any scheming, one that Yusang had never seen on Yan Qige’s face.

This wasn’t Yan Qige. Yan Qige would never smile like this. Yusang was startled by this realization, but she still wasn’t ready to give up. She reached out to grab his sleeve and asked, “What about the Soul Collector lantern?”

“What lantern? It’s still early—what would you need a lantern for, Miss?”

Master Sang’s answer shattered Yusang’s last bit of hope. She looked at him in disbelief, remembering that Yan Qige usually kept his demon-subduing magical implements at his waist. Just as she reached toward his waist, this Master Sang’s face turned deathly pale as he retreated several steps, looking at Yusang with terrified eyes, “Men and women shouldn’t have physical contact. Please conduct yourself properly, Miss.”

“What are A-Sang and Miss Yusang chatting about?” Helian Yu emerged from the great hall with a charming smile, linking arms with Master Sang.

Yusang met Helian Yu’s gaze and felt a chill rise down her back. She quickly looked away, saying, “Nothing much. Seeing that Master Sang isn’t from the Western Regions, I was curious about how Miss Helian met Master Sang.”

Helian Yu smiled and looked sideways at Master Sang, saying gently and slowly, “I met A-Sang in the Northern Prefecture half a year ago. He had fallen seriously ill and collapsed by the roadside. I saved him, and when he woke up, he couldn’t remember anything from before. But he’s very good to me—he’s a good person, so we became engaged.”

“Miss Yusang, do you think we’re well-matched?” Helian Yu turned to ask Yusang with a smile.

Yusang’s mind went blank for a moment. She opened her lips but couldn’t speak.

“Miss Helian and Master Sang are a talented man and beautiful woman—naturally perfectly matched.” Zi Feng came out from behind, fanning his paper fan as he spoke, resolving Yusang’s embarrassment.

“Miss Yusang and Master Zi Feng are also handsome men and beautiful women, perfectly complementing each other.” Helian Yu looked toward Zi Feng with laughing eyes.

Yusang is a bit tired. I’ll take her to rest briefly.” Zi Feng smoothly mediated with a smile, then lightly embraced Yusang’s waist as they left.

After walking some distance, Yusang unconsciously looked back and saw Master Sang smiling as he brushed fine hair from Helian Yu’s forehead, his manner gentle, clearly deeply in love with the woman beside him.

“It looks like someone has sealed his memories,” Zi Feng observed.

“Though he’s mortal, his magical cultivation is extraordinary. Who could seal his memories?” Yusang turned to look at Zi Feng.

Zi Feng fanned himself as he walked toward the rear courtyard, “Among the six realms, there are many strong people. Though this kind of magic is rare, there are quite a few who know it. However, since the Soul Collector lantern is no longer with him, we shouldn’t worry about him. Let’s first find the soul artifact here, then we’ll go look for the Soul Collector lantern. Then we’ll have nothing to do with him.”

After Zi Feng finished speaking, he heard no response from Yusang. He closed his fan and looked sideways, only to discover she was walking with her head down, lost in thought. Zi Feng’s fan tip touched Yusang’s forehead. Only then did Yusang suddenly look up and complain about the pain, “I know, I know! You’re nagging. We’ll look for the soul artifact tonight and leave once we find it, as long as you can bear to part with Miss Helian.”

“You dare tease me, Yu Wensang!” Zi Feng raised his fan to strike at Yusang. Yusang laughed and dodged to the side, then ran ahead toward the rear courtyard.

As the two figures disappeared on the path to Helian Fortress’s rear courtyard, the entire front courtyard of Helian Fortress suddenly fell into silence—not even a breath of wind could be heard, as if dead still. Master Sang, standing outside the door, froze in place, his smile rigid, his eyes vacant and lifeless, like an unfeeling clay sculpture.

Inadvertently, a slight sound occurred. A window somewhere in the corner where they had just stood cracked slightly. A pair of beautiful eyes blinked twice, and a Qiang flute made of azure jade spun lightly between two slender, pale jade fingers before being put away. The luxurious decorations inside the great hall revealed a weathered and decayed appearance, with tables and chairs turning to dust.

That night, Helian Fortress was extraordinarily lively. The Loulan acrobatic troupe’s performance was very exciting, and the Loulan dancing girls were all beautiful and passionate. Yusang sat beside Zi Feng but had no interest in watching the performance on stage, her thoughts always on Master Sang who was seated several places away.

After the song and dance performance ended, a barbarian fiddle began to play, followed by drum sounds. Dozens of men equipped with various weapons leaped onto the high platform and began displaying their techniques one by one. The moves were beautiful, and the music was stirring and soul-moving.

Suddenly, the music on stage changed. The originally high-pitched music suddenly became as thin as gossamer. All instruments stopped, with only a Qiang flute floating in the night air. Though light, slow, and gentle, it was like a thin needle with a curved hook that tugged at people’s hearts. Listening to it, one couldn’t help but lose focus with the music and be drawn by it. Yusang supported her forehead, feeling her eyelids grow heavy and her head become drowsy and unable to think, as if she was about to fall asleep.

“Steady your mind. Don’t let it bewitch your consciousness.” Zi Feng harshly jabbed Yusang’s nape with his fan tip. Yusang felt pain and suddenly came to her senses as if someone had slapped her.

Realizing her reaction just now, Yusang felt cold sweat seeping out from her back. She slightly widened her eyes and looked up at Zi Feng with some fear and some delight. Zi Feng also looked at her with joy on his face. The two smiled at each other and nodded.

“Something with such soul-hooking and spirit-capturing power can be nothing other than a soul artifact. Now we don’t need to waste effort searching—it’s delivered itself to our door,” Yusang said in a low voice.

Just as the two were talking in low voices, suddenly a white gauze dropped from the eaves in front, and a woman in an azure long dress descended on the white gauze, floating down. The woman’s face was covered with red gauze, and she held a Qiang flute at her lips, lightly playing—the source of that soul-capturing music just now.