After seeing off Imperial Physician Pei, Wu grabbed her son, worried. “We must quickly send someone to notify your father.”

“Mother, I’ll go.”

Xie Daozhi had been recuperating in his study these past days, seeing no one except the Old Madam and his eldest son.

Wu didn’t let go. “Is your father hiding something?”

Xie Erli equivocated, “Mother needn’t worry. I’ll handle Father’s matters.”

“Are you two hiding something from me?”

Though Wu didn’t manage affairs, she had a few informants in the manor and knew it must be related to that “demon woman” the master had mentioned that day.

“Mother.”

Xie Erli’s tone became slightly heavier.

“At a time like this, don’t let your imagination run wild. Taking care of the Old Madam is what matters. If something really happens, Father will be in mourning for three years—his career will be finished.”

Hearing about her husband’s career, Wu dared ask nothing more and hurried in to attend to her.

Xie Erli swept his sleeve and headed straight for his father’s study.

…

In the study.

Xie Daozhi was half-reclining, a headband wrapped around his forehead. Seeing his son arrive, he didn’t rise, looking as if his spirit had been drained from him.

Xie Erli repeated Imperial Physician Pei’s words and asked, “Father, what do we do now?”

Xie Daozhi’s expression was numb. “You ask me what to do—what can I do?”

“Father!”

Xie Erli grew anxious. “You must make a decision!”

“Make what decision? Without finding his heart demon, what decision can I make? I… I… it shouldn’t be… this is retribution, this is all retribution!”

Xie Daozhi suddenly began coughing violently, his old face turning bright red.

“Master, Young Master!”

Steward Xie burst through the door urgently. “Third Young Master just sent word—they’re on their way back.”

“Why would they come back for no reason?”

Xie Erli was shocked. “Yan Sanhe—where is she?”

“They say she’s returning together!”

“But did they find…”

Halfway through, Xie Erli’s brow suddenly furrowed.

Something’s wrong!

She said herself that Yan Hang’s heart demon had nothing to do with the Xie family—why return to the capital?

Could it be…

This heart demon is still in the Xie family?

Xie Erli was completely bewildered. “Father, what do you think…”

He couldn’t finish his words again.

His father’s lips were moving but not a single comprehensible word came out. The man was completely immersed in his own world.

Seeing even the master in this state, Steward Xie panicked even more.

“Young Master, what’s the plan here?”

Though shocked, Xie Erli quickly recovered. “Prepare the carriage. I’ll go out of the city to meet them.”

“Young Master!”

Steward Xie grabbed his robe. “But what if…”

“Master, Master, this is terrible, truly terrible.”

A servant stumbled in. “The Old Madam won’t even take medicine now. Madam sent this slave to fetch the master.”

“What?”

Xie Erli’s face changed dramatically. He turned to the bed and vigorously shook Xie Daozhi, shouting loudly, “Father, the Old Madam is in trouble. Wake up!”

“Fate, it’s all fate. He’s come to claim my life.”

Xie Daozhi smiled miserably at his son.

“Do you believe it? I’m next. It’s me!”

“Father—”

“Shh, don’t shout.”

Xie Daozhi threw off the covers and, supporting himself on the bed frame, climbed up trembling.

“Someone, help me change clothes. I’m going to see off the Old Madam.”

“Master—”

Steward Xie fell to his knees with a thud, tears immediately flowing.

“Why cry now?”

Xie Daozhi glanced faintly at Steward Xie. “After the Old Madam and I are gone, you can cry all you want.”

Xie Erli felt the sky collapsing and earth shattering, everything before his eyes violently shaking.

Chaos!

Everything had descended into chaos!

…

Raindrops mixed with ice pellets pounded down viciously.

Xie Zhifei wiped the rainwater from his face, raised his whip and cracked it, quickly drawing his horse alongside Yan Sanhe’s.

“Yan Sanhe, the rain’s getting heavy. Should we find shelter?”

Yan Sanhe turned her head to look at him. Just as she opened her mouth, she choked on a mouthful of wind and rain.

She shook her head painfully, indicating no need, and continued on.

Xie Zhifei saw her clothes were soaked through and shouted loudly again, “Are you cold?”

Yan Sanhe still shook her head.

Xie Zhifei frowned deeply.

She dressed so thinly yet wasn’t cold. He was nearly frozen—was this person made of iron?

“Young master, look quickly.”

Zhu Qing pointed to a distant pavilion. “There are lights—looks like there’s a carriage too.”

At this hour?

Xie Zhifei said very cautiously, “Go investigate.”

“Yes!”

Zhu Qing clamped his legs on the horse and charged forward.

In just moments, he rode back, his face excited. “Young master, it’s Eldest Young Master.”

Xie Zhifei’s face brightened. He raised his whip and rode to Yan Sanhe’s side again. “Yan Sanhe, my brother came to meet us.”

Yan Sanhe looked at him indifferently, saying nothing.

But Xie Zhifei clearly saw the hand gripping the reins begin to tremble uncontrollably.

His heart lurched.

What’s happening?

…

The originally spacious pavilion suddenly became crowded with people.

Seeing his brother drenched like a drowned rat, Xie Erli felt terribly distressed. Just as he was about to speak, his peripheral vision caught sight of Yan Sanhe’s appearance, and the words stuck in his throat.

“Brother, why did you come?”

Xie Erli waved him off.

“Miss Yan, I have clean clothes in my carriage. Though they’re men’s clothing, they’re better than wet clothes. Please go change first. In this cold weather, you’ll fall ill.”

“No need!”

Yan Sanhe wiped the rainwater from her face. “Your waiting here means something happened at the Xie manor.”

Xie Erli looked at her silently for a while, then nodded. “The Old Madam won’t last much longer.”

“The old ancestor won’t last.”

All the blood in Xie Zhifei’s body rushed to his head as he looked sharply toward Yan Sanhe.

She had rushed back urgently, not stopping for a moment on the road, continuing to gallop on horseback even through wind and rain—had she predicted the Old Madam wouldn’t make it?

Also.

Why the Old Madam? Shouldn’t it be her first?

“Rather than stare at me, you’d do better to send someone with quick feet back to deliver a message first.”

Yan Sanhe’s voice was three degrees colder than the bitter wind and freezing rain.

“Prepare the altar as it was originally, set up a rain shelter over it, have Xie Daozhi bathe and change clothes, and prepare brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.”

These words were even more shocking than five thunderbolts striking.

“You mean…”

Third Master Xie’s heart leaped to his throat. “Your grandfather’s heart demon is still with my father?”

“I’d rather hope not.”

A cold glint flashed through Yan Sanhe’s eyes as she turned to walk out of the pavilion. “If you don’t want your family’s Old Madam to die, hurry up. Stop dawdling.”

Xie Erli recovered faster than anyone and said urgently, “Zhu Qing, hurry back to report. Find Steward Xie directly and have him make preparations.”

“Yes!”

“Wait!”

Third Master Xie stopped Zhu Qing.

“Have Old Xie ask my elder sister for a set of clothes—new ones, warm ones, everything from inside to outside, plus shoes and socks.”

In the distance.

Yan Sanhe was just about to mount her horse when she heard these words. The hand supporting the saddle tightened.