Night Visit to the Pan Household

"The moonlight passed through my soul body, giving me a sense of ease and coolness. No wonder people called it Moonlight Essence."

Bathed in moonlight, Qiu Yan's Living Soul steadied. Where was there even a trace of its former frailty? Forget currents of air or a breeze—even a gale might not be able to tear the Living Soul apart.

"That talisman paper was truly incredible. I wonder how it was refined, what mysteries it contained, that it could actually strengthen the soul. According to the City God, there are three main ways for a Living Soul to grow stronger. This talisman paper must have been refined based on one of them, but I do not know which method it used."

At this thought, his mind stirred, and several passages of writing flowed from the depths of his Living Soul. When it had been weak, he had not noticed anything, but now he clearly felt the places through which the passages flowed becoming crisp and refreshing, lively and vibrant.

"When I heard the City God speak, I had already guessed as much. When the Spirit-Calming Incense manifested just now, my suspicions deepened. Now that I can feel these passages flowing, I can basically be certain. This should be the third method the City God mentioned for strengthening one's own soul. It is a primitive method that uses the writings of Sages as a guide to stir one's own will and emotions, thereby strengthening the Living Soul. I stumbled upon it by chance, and I will need to study and refine it further in the future."

The sentences flowing within his Living Soul were naturally not physical objects, but concepts formed from memories intertwined with soul and thought. They flowed through his soul much as thoughts turned in the mind, yet to Qiu Yan they felt like sweet rain and clear springs, brimming with profound mysteries. His thoughts suddenly opened up, but Qiu Yan still remembered what he had planned to do tonight, so he did not immerse himself in them.

A Living Soul had no eyes, but with a sweep of perception, it could grasp every scene around it. In fine detail, it was even more precise than sight. Qiu Yan's Living Soul identified its bearings, then drifted upward, turned, and floated into the adjacent room.

Inside, the exhausted and grief-stricken Liu-shi lay asleep at the table. Strands of thoughts and fragments of emotion swirled around her head, revealing desolation and sorrow.

"These thoughts and emotions are naturally scattered when someone falls asleep and their mind enters dreams. If my Living Soul pounced on them, it could devour them. But the thoughts before me are mostly bleak and negative. Consuming them would bring harm without benefit."

With that thought, Qiu Yan's Living Soul drifted deeper into the room. On the bed in the inner chamber lay the still-unconscious Pan Rongniang.

Qiu Yan's Living Soul circled Pan Rongniang once, then lunged toward her head and vanished into her forehead. Yet before long, it reappeared.

"My first attempt at entering a dream failed. There is no soul within this body, and thus no memories, emotions, or consciousness. Naturally, it cannot produce dreams, so all I saw was darkness—empty and void. Still, souls and spirits are intertwined. In the end, I found a trace of connection within it. It may be weak, but it is still a clue."

Thinking this, Qiu Yan's Living Soul left the room and drifted deep into the night.

The city was silent. Now and then, the sound of a night watchman carried through the air. Streets, wards, and clusters of homes all lay immersed in darkness.

Drifting onward, Qiu Yan's Living Soul followed the faint connection he had caught within Pan Rongniang's body and arrived near an estate.

The Pan Household.

"So it is here. My divine true body can also move with a thought, but it glows all over. I still have no way to conceal that light, and once I go out, I would easily be noticed. Compared to that, the Living Soul is far more discreet."

As he thought, Qiu Yan's Living Soul turned, crossed the courtyard wall, and entered the Pan Household.

The Pan Household at night was not as quiet as it appeared. Servants could occasionally be seen passing through, while low snores came from some cramped rooms. Yet whenever an order came from the inner residence, the snoring immediately ceased, and servants in green rushed out in haste.

"The wealthy households of this world are truly extravagant. Even when they wake in the middle of the night, they need servants on hand at all times."

Drifting along, the Living Soul followed the route Qiu Yan remembered from the daytime, but soon reached unfamiliar ground.

As he flew, Qiu Yan remained extremely cautious. This was only his second Spirit Projection. Although the talisman had strengthened his Living Soul enough to withstand the wind and roam the entire city at night, he knew nothing at all about the methods of Nature Cultivation and Soul Dao. He could not help but be careful.

At the same time, ever since entering the Pan Household's grounds, Qiu Yan had felt an inexplicable pressure enveloping his soul. A strange sensation rose from the ground, as though some magnetic force were faintly drawing his Living Soul downward.

"...the Liu Household... already... rest assured..."

Suddenly, the voices of two people conversing reached him, stirring Qiu Yan's thoughts. Their words clearly involved Liu Huai's family.

"Someone is discussing what happened during the day? I should go listen."

The voices came from a spacious room in the inner residence. As he drew closer, Qiu Yan soon recognized one of them as Third Young Master Pan, whom he had met during the day. The other voice was entirely unfamiliar, with the faint air of old age.

However, the identity of the old voice's owner was quickly revealed by Third Young Master Pan's words—

"Father, the Liu Household was in the wrong to begin with. If Sixth Sister followed Tang Yi and won his favor, she would not merely rise to the heavens in a single step herself—the Liu Household would also be regarded differently, and our Pan Household could benefit as well. What a pity, what a pity."

It was Third Young Master Pan's voice.

"Zhi'er, do not look at matters too one-sidedly. Tang Yi enjoys hunting beauty; he will not truly take Rongniang seriously. But that daughter is utterly useless and cannot help me in any way. Even if she died, there would be nothing to regret. Still, I handed this matter to you because I wanted to see your judgment. As expected, you have not disappointed me." The owner of the aged voice was none other than the master of the Pan Household, Pan Yuanwai.

Drawing closer, Qiu Yan extended his perception through the window. The Living Soul's senses were like sight, and Third Young Master Pan's appearance became clear. He stood respectfully, without the slightest trace of the arrogance and insolence he had displayed during the day.

Across from Third Young Master Pan sat an old man with a long beard. A small cap bound his hair, a purple cloak draped his body, and his square face and temple-reaching brows gave him an air of authority without anger. Naturally, he was the master of the Pan Household, Pan Yuanwai.

"Of course. Though I value Liu Yue, he is merely a servant. It is not as though he cannot be replaced. Tang Yi, however, is different. The Upper Spirit Sect behind him has connections with the Official Path, the bandit path, and the white path alike. Rumor has it that there are even Earth Immortals among them, capable of flying through the sky and burrowing into the earth. Such people should be courted with all our strength. How could we make him unhappy?" Third Young Master Pan looked utterly confident.

Pan Yuanwai took a sip of tea and said mildly, "It is good that you understand. People are divided into high, middle, and low ranks. The Liu Household is lowly; their lives are worthless. How can they compare to a disciple of the Upper Spirit Sect? But do not fear Tang Yi too much either. Put plainly, people like them are outsiders beyond the secular world. No matter how great their Divine Abilities, they cannot surpass the imperial court. You must grasp the proper measure here. Do not become a sycophant. Our Pan Household has passed down poetry and books through generations, and our ancestors have served as officials for generations. Do not belittle yourself."

"I understand, Father." Third Young Master Pan nodded repeatedly.

Pan Yuanwai smiled faintly. "Good. It is enough that you understand. Your eldest and second brothers have both taken the Official Path and cannot spare their attention. In the future, this family estate will still depend on you to manage it. Do not fail my expectations."

By the window, Qiu Yan secretly shook his head. "I never expected my uncle's family's misfortune to mean nothing at all in the eyes of this father and son. It was even merely a test for the son. That young man of the Pan Household is not old, yet from his words, it is clear that he does not regard other people's lives as anything at all. He treats everyone around him as chess pieces..."

Qiu Yan was still thinking when a warning surged within him. An extreme sense of danger erupted in the depths of his heart.

"Hmm? Not good—I have been spotted!" With a turn of thought, his Living Soul moved, shooting rapidly upward. But before he had risen several yards, a burst of laughter rang out—

"Ha ha ha! I never expected that setting up the Soul-Guiding Formation Diagram out of habit would let me stumble upon a Soul Dao cultivator by sheer luck. Since you are here, do not leave. Come down obediently and become this young master's soul material!"