Flower Whispers, Nightmare Suppression

After all, this was a matter of the inner household. Zhang Jian could not pry directly, but he was still very curious. At the same time, he felt this might be an opportunity to open up the situation.

As this family banquet underwent its sudden change, everyone's interest gradually faded.

Yet Qi Wanshi still extended an invitation to Zhang Jian.

Zhang Jian did not refuse.

He had come this time to celebrate his maternal grandfather's birthday, and he had not brought gifts solely for his grandfather. Naturally, he had not neglected his uncles and aunts' shares.

Before coming, Zhang Jian had deliberately spent heavily in the prefectural city to purchase many fashionable items.

They came in handy now.

"Jian'er, why be so courteous?"

Qi Wanshi glanced at the gift boxes that had been presented. Inside were many of the newest cosmetics and powders on the market, silks and satins, as well as a century-old mountain ginseng.

He had clearly put considerable thought into them!

A faint smile unconsciously appeared on her face.

She knew her goods well. Century-old wild mountain ginseng was a rare and excellent tonic even on the market, especially for martial artists who followed the body-tempering path.

The Qi family came from a military household of distinguished service. Such century-old medicinal treasures were among the scarcest resources.

Besides her three daughters, she had two sons as well.

Zhang Jian smiled. "They are merely modest gifts. Every time Second Uncle came to Fengxi, he took great care of this nephew. My mother had also instructed me long ago that when I came to the Qi family, I must first pay my respects to Second Aunt."

Qi Wanshi nodded. Her eyes were exceedingly bright, though she carried an air of authority. Zhang Jian understood somewhat. With such a shrewd and forceful mother, it was no wonder his two cousins were both exceptionally clever and had learned so many ways to protect themselves at such a young age.

Zhang Jian did not take the initiative to mention the matter of a marriage alliance. It was not suitable to raise it now, and besides, he himself was not in any hurry over it.

But after some thought, Zhang Jian brought up what had happened at the family banquet earlier.

"Second Aunt, I heard several of my cousins from the Qi family discussing earlier that First Aunt's health has apparently been unwell for quite some time?"

Qi Wanshi narrowed her eyes slightly at his words. She looked at Zhang Jian, then shook her head and sighed. "Elder Sister Zhou's illness only appeared in the past two or three years. People eat the grains of the earth, so it is inevitable that all kinds of ailments may arise. But do not spread this matter around. Your maternal grandfather does not like people discussing it!"

Something strange surfaced in her eyes, along with a trace of mockery.

Zhang Jian's gaze shifted. Although he had only just entered the residence, he more or less understood the Qi family's situation. Ever since First Uncle Qi Yuanwu had entered the Imperial Guard, the first branch's position had become incomparably secure. He was unquestionably the next clan head of the Qi family.

And now, the future mistress of the Qi family had suffered a mad illness. If word spread, there would inevitably be endless gossip, damaging the Qi family's reputation and harming the marriage prospects of the Qi family's young ladies and gentlemen.

Having received Qi Wanshi's warning, Zhang Jian temporarily gave up the thought of meddling.

At this moment, Qi Wanshi called out her two daughters to pay their respects. There were also two young boys under ten, prim and proper in appearance and exceedingly lovable.

"Greetings, Brother Zhang!"

"Brother Zhang, do we have gifts too?"

The two young ladies were gentle and delicate. The latter was the one Qi Yuzhu had mentioned. Zhang Jian could not help laughing and immediately said, "Of course you do!"

He took two exquisite pearl hairpins from his sleeve and offered them to the girls. These hairpins differed from the other gifts he had prepared. Each bore either an emerald gemstone or a red jadeite, beautiful and captivating.

He had also prepared gifts for his two younger cousins: two famous calligraphy copybooks and a fine set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone!

One look told the two girls that the gifts were valuable. Qi Yuhua quietly tugged Qi Yuzhu, stopping her from accepting one, while Qi Yuzhu's eyes brightened as she looked toward Qi Wanshi. Only after receiving Qi Wanshi's approval did she joyfully accept it.

She was, after all, still a young girl. Though Qi Wanshi usually kept her under strict discipline, she could not conceal that innocence and liveliness.

Qi Yuhua was somewhat older. Seeing her younger sister accept the gift, she could only helplessly raise her hand and take it as well, giving a slight curtsy at the same time.

"Yuhua thanks Brother Zhang!"

"Young Sister Yuhua is too polite!"

Zhang Jian glanced at this delicate cousin of his. Though the young lady constantly made herself appear meek and submissive, he knew that deep in her heart she was strong and unyielding. She merely used this appearance to conceal her radiance.

Zhang Jian found it somewhat strange. By rights, being born into a prominent family like the Qi family and as a legitimate daughter, it was already admirable enough that she had not been raised spoiled and willful. Why, then, was she so cautious in every step?

As this was the inner household, Zhang Jian could not linger for long. After leaving the gifts behind, he departed from the second branch.

But just as he left the rear courtyard where the second branch resided, Zhang Jian's eyes suddenly flickered.

His extraordinarily keen divine sense detected the presence of spiritual energy in the garden beside the corridor pavilion.

That wisp of spiritual energy fluctuated with exceptional faintness. Had Zhang Jian's divine sense not been so sharp, he might not have sensed it at all.

He walked toward the corridor pavilion beside him. The servants behind him did not know why this young master cousin had suddenly changed paths, but assumed he was curious and merely followed along at his side.

Zhang Jian noticed a vast flower bed nearby, while on the other side lay a large artificial lake filled with lotus flowers.

The spiritual energy came from the flower bed. The Myriad Worlds Spirit Orb within his divine sense stirred slightly, and he heard two strange, melodious voices.

His ears twitched as his gaze turned toward a rockery nearby.

Two hushed voices reached his ears.

"Sister, what do you think that old woman was doing just now? Why did she bury that iron canister beside us? That thing is filthy, ugly, and disgusting! It feels so uncomfortable!"

"Little Sister, endure it for now. That should be an evil object! That old woman Zhang is vicious indeed, and there are traces of unorthodox arts on her. We absolutely cannot let her notice us, or danger will be hard to avoid!"

They were two vivid crimson water hibiscus flowers.

They concealed their spiritual energy and were extraordinarily lively.

They had become spirits?

Zhang Jian was slightly surprised, but he pretended not to notice!

He merely pondered the information he had gained from the two hibiscus spirits.

"An iron canister?"

Zhang Jian's brows furrowed lightly. A kind of unorthodox technique surfaced in his mind!

Nightmare suppression!

Since ancient times, the Nightmare Suppression Technique had been a curse method passed down among the common folk. It was exceedingly vicious. Those cursed might suffer calamity in mild cases and lose their lives in severe ones. It was sinister and venomous, difficult to guard against.

If it was the Nightmare Suppression Technique, however, it could indeed ignore the protection of dragon-tiger aura. This was one of the few sinister methods capable of bypassing dragon-tiger aura, designed specifically to harm the noble and exalted.

Zhang Jian had not expected that a casual stroll would lead to such an unexpected discovery.

Yet he did not act rashly. He merely said that he wished to walk around the Qi family residence alone and dismissed the servants beside him.

Zhang Jian pretended to pass by the two water hibiscus flowers. He sensed that the pair were faintly nervous, afraid he would pick them and end their lives.

This made Zhang Jian sigh inwardly.

Many demons were not actually as powerful as people imagined.

Some were even inferior to ordinary people.

Zhang Jian had no intention of holding it against two little demons who lived from day to day, but in the darkness, he saw someone wiping away tears at the edge of the flower bed.

It was a slender, graceful figure.

He had seen her not long ago.