The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 387: Defying Fate or Following Destiny

Chapter 387: Defying Fate or Following Destiny

Qiu Hai squinted, exuding a menacing aura, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Yuan Liang looked Qiu Hai up and down, unaware of the imminent danger. He only saw Qiu Hai’s pale and delicate features, assuming he was not one for women. How could such a person satisfy the beauty before him? Despite his pain, Yuan Liang forced a smile at Nanli, "Beauty, you seem too delicate to be locked up. If a few nights are too much, even one night would..."

Before he could finish, his throat seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand, making him gasp for air. Within moments, his face turned purple as he fell to the ground, clawing at his neck in a desperate attempt to free himself. But as a mere mortal, he stood no chance.

Qiu Hai’s eyes were filled with murderous intent as he glared at Yuan Liang, enunciating each word slowly, "I. Will. Kill. You!"

Ming Ying, worried about her eldest daughter, quickly pleaded, "Young master, please spare his life."

Qiu Hai seemed not to hear her. Suddenly, a talisman flew out and cut off Qiu Hai’s control with a snap.

Yuan Liang finally managed to take a breath, clutching his chest with one hand and supporting himself with the other, coughing violently. His already broken ribs made each cough agonizingly painful.

Qiu Hai turned to Nanli, angered, "Why did you stop me?"

"He’s already a dead man walking. Don’t dirty your hands and invite trouble upon yourself," Nanli replied seriously. As the Hell Lord, Qiu Hai must adhere to the book of life and death and cannot arbitrarily decide one’s fate. Killing Yuan Liang would result in heavenly punishment.

Qiu Hai’s anger dissipated instantly, replaced by a bright smile, "Is the ancestor worried about me?"

"Of course, aren’t we friends?" Nanli said.

Qiu Hai beamed, "Yes, yes, friends."

"Call... call the authorities!" Yuan Liang ordered his servants loudly despite his pain. "Now! Immediately!" He didn’t understand Qiu Hai’s sorcery, but being in the capital, he was confident these two were seeking their own doom by attacking him. With some bribes, he believed he could ensure a harsh sentence for them.

His servants hesitated, fearing Qiu Hai’s powers, but Nanli spoke up, "Sure, we were invited by Mrs. Ming to exorcise evil spirits. Let’s see if the magistrate can distinguish right from wrong."

Yuan Liang sneered, giving his servant a signal. "What are you waiting for? Go!"

The servant understood, quickly fetching a hundred taels of silver before heading to the magistrate’s office.

While waiting for the authorities, both sides paused. Yuan Liang called for a physician to set his bones, screaming curses throughout.

Ming Ying had just given birth and was already weak, but seeing her daughter in danger, she forced herself to stay strong. Now that the immediate threat was over, she felt her strength draining away, and her mind began to blur. The nanny tried to support her, urging her to rest in the inner room.

"No," Ming Ying shook her head gently, her face pale, "The officials are coming soon. I must stay here and testify for Madam."

Nanli had helped her and her daughter; she couldn’t be ungrateful. Even if she only had one last breath left, she had to hold on!

The nanny’s eyes reddened again. "Madam, if you keep pushing yourself like this, you might end up with a chronic illness."

Ming Ying forced a smile. "I’ll be fine. Uncle Yang, prepare some silver and gifts to express our gratitude to the two of them."

Nanli had given her advice that she remembered well, but she didn’t know Nanli’s name or address, so she hadn’t been able to repay her kindness. Her daughter had been extraordinary even before birth, attracting the attention of evil spirits, and it was only thanks to Nanli’s timely intervention that they were saved. Ming Ying was determined to repay this debt of gratitude.

The old servant, Uncle Yang, made a quick decision. "Madam, would 50,000 taels be enough?"

Nanli tightened her hold on the little fourth miss, surprised. "50,000 taels?!"

She hadn’t expected to make any money from this affair, so the 50,000 taels were an unexpected windfall!

Ming Ying immediately felt that wasn’t enough. "Fifty thousand taels won’t suffice; 100,000 taels would better express our sincerity."

Nanli was a little shocked, but what surprised her more was Uncle Yang nodding eagerly. "Madam is right. I’ll arrange it immediately."

There wasn’t a word of objection.

Nanli nudged Qiu Hai with her elbow, chuckling. "Want a share?"

"No need." Whether it was real silver or paper money, Qiu Hai had no use for it. He glanced at Ming Ying and remarked, "It’s rare these days to find someone who knows how to show gratitude."

He could see Ming Ying’s lifespan with a glance. It seemed that the injury she sustained today had shortened her life considerably.

Wait, why was there a change?

Nanli stepped forward, holding the little fourth miss effortlessly in one arm while pulling out the Tianxing brush with the other. "Since you’re offering 100,000 taels, I can’t take the money for nothing. I’ll give you a healing talisman in return."

She had learned to draw this healing talisman from ancient books left by Yao Sheng.

Focusing her mind, she began to draw, the brush moving fluidly in her hand. Within moments, the healing talisman was completed, and she directed its power into Ming Ying’s body.

A warmth blossomed in Ming Ying’s heart and then spread throughout her body. In no time, the pain in her body started to fade, and she felt her energy returning, her complexion becoming rosy.

The nanny, seeing the transformation in Ming Ying, exclaimed, "This is incredible!"

With the talisman, Ming Ying felt her body not just recovering but even better than before! She was filled with strength, and her limbs were warm and comfortable.

"Madam..." Ming Ying was overjoyed but quickly became concerned. "I’ve heard that drawing powerful talismans not only drains one’s energy but also shortens one’s lifespan."

She was merely the lowly wife of a merchant; how could she be worthy of such a sacrifice from Nanli?

Nanli put away the Tianxing brush and said, "It’s nothing. This talisman only consumes more energy, but it won’t shorten my lifespan."

Ming Ying was still skeptical, but before she could say more, Qiu Hai had already pulled Nanli aside, carefully examining her face.

But...

No matter how much he looked, he couldn’t discern anything about her fate, lifespan, or past lives.

He sighed and whispered, "You’re altering fate. How can that not shorten your lifespan?"

Nanli was a bit surprised and replied, "She has the appearance of someone destined for longevity. I’m not altering fate; I’m aligning with it, aren’t I?"

Her expression clearly questioned Qiu Hai’s competence as the King of Hell, wondering how he could fail to see whether a person’s life was destined to be long or short.

Qiu Hai was momentarily stunned, then realized what was going on. He smiled and said, "Ah, I must have been mistaken due to poor eyesight. Congratulations, Ancestor!"