“Imperial Physician Pei is here! Make way, make way!”

Pei Yu was practically dragged into the courtyard. Looking up and seeing Yan Sanhe, he didn’t have time to say half a word before hurrying into the inner chamber.

Upon entering, Pei Yu immediately placed three fingers on her wrist without a word. After carefully diagnosing for quite a while, he said, “Chenxiang, get the needles.”

Chenxiang quickly opened the medical case, pulled out a leather pouch from inside, and handed it to Pei Yu.

“Master, here are the needles.”

After inserting three needles at the Baihui acupoint, Madam Mao still showed no reaction.

Pei Yu’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly inserted three more needles, and only then did Madam Mao’s eyelids flutter slightly.

Not good!

Pei Yu rapidly rolled up his sleeves. “Everyone not involved, get out. Remove the Madam’s upper garment to her chest and untie her hair band.”

Zhu Weixi pushed Zhu Yuanmo. “Big brother, you all go out. I’ll handle this.”

Zhu Yuanmo walked out of the inner chamber in a complete daze.

When Mother collapsed, he had been right beside her. One moment she was fine, saying she had an appetite, and the next moment she pitched forward.

“Miss Yan.”

Zhu Yuanmo stopped beside Yan Sanhe.

“My mother has always been in good health. Two months ago when affairs at the manor were this urgent, she never said anything about fainting.”

“I already told Zhu Weixi.”

Yan Sanhe looked up at him. “It shouldn’t happen this quickly.”

“But…”

“Master, Master, something terrible, something terrible!”

A green-robed maid rushed in like a madwoman. “Third Madam just… she just coughed up blood and fainted!”

“What?”

Mother fainted, and now Third Sister-in-law coughed up blood and fainted too…

“Yan Sanhe!”

While shouting, Zhu Yuanmo suddenly reached out with both hands and gripped Yan Sanhe’s arms tightly.

“What, what, what is going on? Explain it to me clearly!”

“Let her go!”

As the voice rang out, a soft sword appeared horizontally.

Everything happened too suddenly.

So suddenly that before anyone could react, a gleaming soft sword was pressed against Master Zhu’s neck.

“Buyan.”

Yan Sanhe called softly.

Li Buyan remained unmoved, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the eldest Zhu master’s hands with their bulging veins. She coldly repeated, “I told you to let her go.”

Zhu Yuanmo didn’t move.

He had knelt.

He had cast aside ancestral rules and sworn loyalty to her. Yet on just the first day…

“Why?”

Zhu Yuanmo roared. “Why did my mother and third sister-in-law have incidents one after another?”

“Zhu Yuanmo.”

Yan Sanhe’s expression was cold. “Rather than questioning me, you’d be better off first checking whether Third Madam can still be saved. If yes, then save her. If not, then drag another coffin in from outside.”

Young lady, please say something more encouraging!

Young Master Pei was so anxious that cold sweat broke out.

At this critical juncture, don’t provoke Master Zhu anymore. Can’t you see his eyes have gone straight, looking like he wants to devour you?

But Yan Sanhe’s harsh words were yet to come.

“Is this how the family head of this generation of the Zhu family behaves when facing problems? I think there’s no need to continue resolving this heart demon. The Zhu family will be ruined in your hands sooner or later anyway.”

“Father, Father…”

Young Master Pei’s voice cracked from shouting. “Quick, quick, go see if Third Madam is alright.”

Pei Yu had heard everything happening outside clearly, but his hands were still applying needles, so he couldn’t spare any time.

After placing the last needle, he hurriedly patted Chenxiang’s shoulder and rushed to his son’s side, then kicked him.

“Fool! Quickly go request other imperial physicians! I don’t have three heads and six arms—the lady inside hasn’t woken up yet!”

Young Master Pei was kicked into confusion.

However, Second Master Zhu had already reacted. “Quickly, go request more imperial physicians.”

A clever servant boy took off running.

Pei Yu pointed at Master Zhu and said with disappointment, “Being anxious is fine, but you can’t blame Miss Yan. If you’re going to blame anyone, blame your own father—what was weighing on his heart? And blame yourself—knowing nothing, what kind of son are you?”

With that, he swung his long legs and ran, shouting as he went:

“Which courtyard is Third Madam in? Someone lead the way! Can you all do nothing but stand there stunned or glare fiercely? Can’t you do anything useful?”

Every time there’s trouble, you blame Yan Sanhe. She doesn’t owe you, Master Zhu, anything. Jumping around like this—for whose benefit? Have you figured out who’s asking whom for help?

And furthermore.

A man over thirty, supporting the Directorate of Astronomy, panicking at every incident, not even as composed as a young girl. No wonder Miss Yan wants to scold you.

Well scolded!

I wanted to scold you too!

For your Zhu family, this old man’s legs have gotten two inches thinner from all the running—I’m exhausted!

Zhu Yuanmo’s hands fell weakly. His whole person was like something beaten down by frost—tired and dejected.

These were all his relatives!

Having incidents right under his nose—how would he face his ancestors when he reached the netherworld in the future?

“Father—”

Due to grief and anger, the muscles in Zhu Yuanmo’s face trembled uncontrollably. “I beg you to show mercy and spare us!”

Spare?

Yan Sanhe’s pupils constricted like needles.

The first thing in resolving demons through transformed thoughts was to commune with the dead.

Before death, a person’s entire life would pass like a panorama through their mind. For those with heart demons, a certain scene would linger in their mind, unable to dissipate.

For Yan Xing, it was a letter.

For Old Lady Ji, it was a black dog.

For Tang Zhiwei, it was a series of gong sounds.

When she saw their heart demons and agreed to help resolve them, it was equivalent to signing a contract with the dead.

Once the contract was signed, the deceased’s resentment would lessen. They would give Yan Sanhe, the demon resolver, time.

She had been able to walk out of Master Zhu’s black mist—the contract had already been signed.

Why couldn’t Master Zhu wait even a moment?

This didn’t make sense!

Yan Sanhe’s pitch-black eyes shifted slightly and looked directly at Pei Xiao.

Pei Xiao felt his blood run cold under her gaze. “Yan, Yan Sanhe, you, you…”

“Tell your father that no matter what, he must keep the Madam and Third Madam alive for me.”

“Why do I have to relay the message?”

Pei Xiao was exceptionally sharp-minded at this moment. “What about you? Where are you going?”

Yan Sanhe took a deep breath and said with exceptional composure, “I need to go down below and commune again.”

Below meant the ice cellar.

Commune again meant with Master Zhu.

Thinking of the eerie scene in the ice cellar yesterday, Pei Xiao’s legs began trembling uncontrollably.

“We, we, we only commune once with everyone. Why, why, why…”

“Because something’s wrong!”

Yan Sanhe glanced at Li Buyan. Li Buyan’s soft sword, which had already been sheathed, flashed out again with a “swish.”

Bodhisattva!

Seeing this, Young Master Pei collapsed to the ground, thinking: Is it too late for this young master to retreat now?

“Miss Yan.”

Master Zhu suddenly reached out to stop her. “Just now I was too hasty and lost my composure. Please don’t hold it against me.”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze sharpened.

“I may not amount to much, but I do understand a thing or two about ghosts and spirits. Miss, take me with you—I might be able to help.”

“Oh, so Master Zhu has suddenly woken up.”

Li Buyan sneered repeatedly.