The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 331: Seizing the Soul and Life

Chapter 331: Seizing the Soul and Life

The carriage had long departed, yet Cangan remained standing at the door, lost in thought.

He had been sent to the Sanqing Temple by his family merely to have a full meal each day. Now, with enough to eat and a good night’s sleep, he began to compare himself with his fellow disciples, aiming to be the best among them. But then what?

Did he have other goals?

Cangan fell into deep contemplation.

---

At the Heir’s Palace.

Nanli arrived at the palace gates just as Li Da, who had brought Zhi Mi, also arrived, as they had come on horseback, which was twice as fast as the carriage.

Li Da led them straight to the study.

Inside the study, Ye Chengyan and Xie Beihan sat on one side, along with two other officials from the Heir’s Palace. Song Zihan’s body, dead from sudden illness, lay on the floor, undisturbed, while the coroner conducted a brief examination.

Seeing Nanli and Zhi Mi, Qin Zheng immediately approached them: "Princess, Master Zhi Mi, you’ve finally arrived."

By this time, the coroner had already risen and said, "Based on my initial examination, Registrar Song died of a sudden heart attack. I found nothing unusual."

Ye Chengyan glanced at Xie Beihan, "Cousin, are you sure you didn’t see it wrong?"

Song Zihan was known for his diligent and conscientious work. It was possible he had simply overworked himself, leading to his untimely death. Ye Chengyan, aware of Nanli’s many responsibilities, worried that she might have made this trip in vain and wasted her time.

In truth, he did not trust Xie Beihan’s abilities.

"I didn’t see it wrong!" Xie Beihan insisted, his face reddening, "I saw it clearly."

Zhi Mi questioned, "But Lord Xie, you usually can’t see such things, can you?"

Xie Beihan’s face turned redder, unable to explain how he had seen what he had.

Nanli approached Song Zihan’s body, examining his youthful yet deathly pale face. She explained casually, "He’s wearing Kunlun Divine Wood, which can temporarily allow him to see such unclean things."

"Oh, I see!" Xie Beihan patted the Kunlun Divine Wood hidden in his clothes. "Then I didn’t see it wrong. Registrar Song didn’t die of an illness but was murdered!"

Initially reluctant to wear something taken from a dead person, he was now grateful for his choice, realizing its significant utility. Otherwise, the Royal Heir might have hastily sent the body back to the Song family, rather than calling Qin Zheng to investigate.

Ye Chengyan urgently asked, "Aunt, was Registrar Song truly murdered?"

Nanli continued to stare at Song Zihan’s face, her expression grave.

It was strange. She had previously observed Song Zihan’s face as one destined for longevity and high status, but now he looked like one with a short life span.

Although facial and palm readings can change with circumstances, Song Zihan now seemed as if someone had altered his fate, leading to his untimely demise.

She nodded, "It appears so. Zhi Mi, would you take a look?"

"Sure." Understanding that his senior sister was giving him a chance, Zhi Mi agreed readily.

Unable to see any residual black aura around Song Zihan, Zhi Mi checked his sachet and pouch, but found nothing.

Sweat beaded on Zhi Mi’s forehead, "Senior sister, I..."

Nanli didn’t want to waste everyone’s time, so she suggested, "Cut open his official robe."

Ye Chengyan signaled, and a servant brought over scissors.

Zhi Mi cut open several sections of the robe and indeed discovered something—a charm hidden in the lining of the robe!

Upon unfolding it, his face changed dramatically: "Senior sister, it’s a Soul-Seizing Charm!"

This charm was a powerful evil spell that, once worn for three days, would seize the bearer’s soul and consume it completely.

No wonder Song Zihan’s soul hadn’t appeared despite his death!

Xie Beihan, having read many books on charms, was also secretly alarmed and explained the dangers of the Soul-Seizing Charm.

Ye Chengyan, his face turning red with anger, said, "Registrar Song was a kind person and diligent worker. How could he have provoked such a deadly disaster? Qin Zheng, you must investigate this thoroughly!"

Qin Zheng bowed, "I will obey."

Nanli’s gaze turned icy.

Song Zihan was a kind and diligent person, who had studied hard for years to finally achieve success, only to be murdered in such a cruel manner, his soul entirely devoured. The perpetrator was not only vicious but also extremely malicious!

Holding the Soul-Seizing Charm, Nanli felt the residual evil energy trying to consume her soul, but her soul was far from easy prey, causing the evil energy to retreat.

Seeing her thoughtful expression, Xie Beihan mistook it for sorrow and tried to console her: "Sister Six, Lord Qin will catch the culprit. Don’t be too upset."

The murderer, who could tamper with the official robe, must be someone from the Song family, making the culprit not difficult to find.

Nanli shook her head gently, "The evil energy hasn’t fully digested Song Zihan’s soul yet. I might be able to gather his soul back and restore it."

Zhi Mi’s eyes widened, "Isn’t that very difficult, senior sister? It requires a lot of power."

"If we don’t try, how will we know?"

Nanli immediately took out her celestial brush and drew a soul-gathering formation on the floor.

She then formed several hand seals, a beam of golden light shot onto the Soul-Seizing Charm, forcing the evil spirit attached to it to scream and expel a black mist.

Nanli commanded, "If you don’t want to suffer, spit out the soul."

Reluctant to give up its tasty prey, the evil spirit tried to escape the study.

Nanli cursed, darting to the door and grabbing the spirit, slamming it to the ground.

She stomped on it repeatedly, the spirit, unable to speak, emitted ear-piercing screams of pain.

Unable to bear it any longer, the spirit finally expelled the soul.

Nanli immediately called out, "Zhi Mi!"

Zhi Mi reacted quickly, using a charm to protect the fragmented soul from being damaged by the sun’s energy.

Nanli then cast a charm into the formation, which lit up with golden light, its complex runes slowly rotating.

Warm golden rays enveloped Song Zihan’s fragmented soul, gathering it in the center of the formation and slowly nourishing and restoring it.

As a result, a slight change appeared on Song Zihan’s pale, lifeless face!

Those present were all amazed at the sight.

Ye Chengyan remarked, "Aunt, your skill is incredible. This is like defying fate, snatching someone from the hands of the King of Hell!"

"If the Book of Life and Death decrees his death today, I cannot go against fate. Song Zihan has a chance now because his life wasn’t supposed to end yet," Nanli explained. "But whether he survives depends on how well his soul recovers."

"Just having a chance is already very fortunate," Xie Beihan said excitedly.

Nanli nodded, "Royal Heir, I need to stay here for the next few days to maintain the formation."

"No problem. If you need anything, just let me know," Ye Chengyan responded, immediately ordering the imperial guards to ensure the study was guarded well and that Nanli was not disturbed.