As the last word fell, Wu Shunian extended his hand and placed the incense over the candle flame.

Everyone’s breathing stopped, all gazes falling on that stick of incense.

Pei Xiao gripped Xie Zhifei’s arm tightly. Even through the clothing, he could feel all his body hair standing on end.

“Xie Fifty?”

“Shut up!”

Xie Zhifei stared at that stick of incense without blinking.

In the courtyard, a deathly silence—not even the slightest breath could be heard.

Time in this moment was infinitely magnified, stretched out. Just a few breaths, yet slow as if passing through an entire lifetime.

The incense tip gradually caught the candle flame, a wisp of white smoke curling upward.

“Yan Sanhe, it lit!”

The old madam’s inner demon was found correctly!

The Ji family was saved!

Pei Xiao was wild with joy. He turned his head and found Yan Sanhe looking like she’d been pulled from water, her entire body soaked in cold sweat.

“You…”

“Shut up!”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze never left that stick of incense.

At this moment, Wu Shunian inserted the incense into the burner, turned his face, and looked at Yan Sanhe inquiringly.

Yan Sanhe gave a slight nod.

The spine he’d been keeping straight collapsed instantly as if crushed by a heavy weight.

Zhou Ye quickly pushed the wheelchair forward, supporting the trembling Wu Shunian into it.

What came next was waiting.

The incense burned bit by bit.

So quiet.

Quiet enough to hear one’s own heartbeat.

Gradually, Xie Zhifei’s two sword-like brows knit together.

Something’s not right!

Last time when lighting incense, it didn’t take this long. Once the incense was placed in the burner, a gust of wind suddenly blew through, and in the blink of an eye, the incense had finished burning.

Today’s stick…

Why is it burning so slowly?

Xie Zhifei couldn’t hold back anymore and lightly nudged Yan Sanhe with his elbow. Yan Sanhe jumped as if startled, her whole body shuddering.

Just then, Pei Xiao suddenly shouted: “What’s happening? Why did the incense suddenly go out?”

Without the slightest breeze, the half-burned incense had extinguished itself?

What kind of supernatural event was this?

Everyone felt their scalps tingling, cold sweat pouring out.

Pei Xiao let out an “Aowu” sound and tightly embraced Xie Zhifei from behind.

All of Xie Zhifei’s blood rushed to his head. How could he care about that now? He grabbed Yan Sanhe’s arm.

“Yan Sanhe, what’s happening?”

Yan Sanhe’s mind buzzed, bean-sized sweat drops falling from her forehead. Her lips opened and closed several times before she finally found her voice amid the chaos.

“Don’t panic.”

She broke free from Xie Zhifei’s hand, walked to the incense burner, extended her hand, picked up the half-burned stick of incense, and examined it over and over.

Li Buyan stepped forward. “Miss?”

Yan Sanhe looked up.

Their gazes met for a moment. Li Buyan sighed, then took the incense from her hand and put it back in the bundle.

Seeing him collect the incense, Zhou Ye was completely stunned. “Miss Yan, what’s happening?”

Yan Sanhe smiled bitterly. “This incense is specifically for lighting to dispel obsessions and resolve demons for the dead. Three situations can occur with this incense.”

Zhou Ye: “Which three?”

“First, the incense won’t light—this means the person lighting it isn’t sincere.

Second, the incense suddenly breaks—this means the inner demon was wrong from the root.

Third, it lights halfway then goes out—this means…”

Yan Sanhe smiled bitterly: “Hu Sanmei’s inner demons aren’t limited to just Wu Guanyue.”

What?

What?

What?

“My maternal grandmother has other inner demons?”

Pei Xiao was practically pulling his hair out in frustration, his heart in chaos, his insides wanting to burn up. “Yan Sanhe, if the inner demon is only half resolved, then our Ji family…”

“There will be no changes whatsoever.”

Yan Sanhe: “Only when all inner demons are resolved will the Ji family’s misfortune stop.”

Resolving half had already taken so much effort, and there was still another half…

My dear, dear maternal grandmother, you were silent in life—why after death do you have one inner demon here, another inner demon there? Are you trying to torture your grandson to death?

Pei Xiao wanted to wail.

“Miss Yan!”

Wu Shunian in the wheelchair called out softly. “Can we… help with anything?”

“Don’t worry, let me think, I need to think this through!”

Yan Sanhe walked out of the courtyard expressionlessly, leaving everyone’s gazes behind.

“Hey, why are you leaving? Shouldn’t we discuss this together?”

Pei Xiao was about to chase after her but was grabbed by Xie Zhifei: “Settle down and let her have some quiet.”

…

Not knowing where to walk, she just followed the bluestone path.

Afraid of getting lost, after walking a distance, she turned back.

The weather was swelteringly hot without a breath of wind. The insect chirping rose and fell continuously, yet none of it entered Yan Sanhe’s ears.

Her mind right now was a thousand-li horse galloping across wilderness, starting from Hu Sanmei rescuing that black dog and racing toward the endpoint where she took her last breath.

Besides Wu Guanyue, what else could make Hu Sanmei’s obsession become a demon?

Had she overlooked something?

“Shunian!”

“Master!”

Yan Sanhe’s feet halted. She froze for a moment, then dashed back quickly.

In the courtyard, Wu Shunian lay motionless in Zhou Ye’s arms in the wheelchair.

“What happened to him?”

Zhou Ye: “He fainted from pain.”

Yan Sanhe’s voice rose: “Then quickly carry him inside to a room—what are you standing around for?”

Zhou Ye looked up at Yan Sanhe and smiled gently. “Before coming, he instructed that he didn’t want to return to the room. Before you all came, he’d been confined to that room for a full year.”

Yan Sanhe felt a sharp pang in her heart. Without thinking, she said: “Huang Qi, go get those Soul Revival Pills, quickly!”

Would taking them now help?

Huang Qi couldn’t decide and looked up at his young master.

Hearing Yan Sanhe mention Soul Revival Pills, Pei Xiao knew this Wu Shunian was still useful to them. “Idiot, hurry up!”

“Wait!”

Ah Qiang stepped forward, blocking the path.

“At this critical moment, you turtle’s son still suspect we’ll sell you out?”

Pei Xiao cursed. “Move aside—the Soul Revival Pills I brought are at least ten times better than what you bought.”

Ah Qiang stomped his foot. “I wanted him to come with me—I know a shortcut.”

Huang Qi: “Let’s go!”

Pei Xiao’s feelings were indescribable as he said sheepishly: “Lord Zhou, carry him to the reclining chair—he’ll be more comfortable that way.”

Xie Zhifei also suggested quietly: “Do you have any medicine at home? Give him some more.”

Zhou Ye’s arms holding Wu Shunian trembled slightly.

Shunian, you were right—these three young people are truly all good people.

“Someone come!”

Zhou Ye gave calm instructions: “Bring a reclining chair, go brew medicine, and fetch a blanket.”

“Yes!”

After a flurry of activity, the courtyard fell quiet again.

Pei Xiao looked at Wu Shunian’s complexion and hesitated for a long while before saying quietly: “He probably doesn’t have more than a few shichen left. Lord Zhou, have you prepared for the aftermath?”