Zan Ling was immensely surprised, for the immortal sect had long been closed, and there were no more cultivators in the mortal realm.
Yet this woman possessed a trace of spiritual power flowing within her, and Zan Ling used hand seals to force her out.
If the immortal sect had not closed, this woman would have surely been taken as a disciple by a celestial sect.
"I mean no offense, I merely wish for you to release the soul you have taken," said Nanli politely.
Zan Ling sneered, "She offered her own soul in exchange for a taste of sweetness, this has nothing to do with me..."
Nanli raised her gaze, emanating a chilling aura, and said, "Your strength as Zan Ling is weak. With a single talisman from me, I can easily disperse you. I was being courteous when I spoke to you earlier, but do not mistake yourself for being formidable."
After all, the hairpin was a failed treasure, far from being a genuine one.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t casually snatch the souls of mortals.
Upon hearing her words, Zan Ling was both shocked and annoyed, unwilling to comply. She attempted to retreat back into the hairpin, seeking refuge.
Nanli, no longer polite, conjured a fire talisman and set the golden hairpin ablaze. Flames immediately engulfed Zan Ling, causing her to scream in agony.
How could this girl’s talismans be so powerful, capable of harming her true form?
With no other choice, Zan Ling pleaded, "Stop! I will do as you say!"
Nanli did not remove the fire talisman and said, "Then do it quickly."
Realizing her trickery was futile, Zan Ling reluctantly released the soul.
Nanli kept her word and removed the fire talisman, using a copper coin to guide Lu Yanyan’s soul back into her body.
However, as the soul had been separated for a long time, it would take a while for it to fully integrate and awaken.
Although the flames on Zan Ling’s body had extinguished, she still felt pain everywhere. She glared at Nanli before swiftly retreating back into the golden hairpin to recover her spiritual energy.
Nanli checked on Lu Yanyan’s condition once again and said, "She will be fine in a couple of days."
The Prime Minister and his wife expressed their gratitude.
However, witnessing the earlier scene, they didn’t understand the concept of Zan Ling, but the fact that it could manipulate souls was truly eerie.
"Miss Chu, it might be best to destroy this hairpin to prevent further harm," suggested the Prime Minister.
The golden hairpin, placed on the table, suddenly trembled, clearly protesting.
Nanli casually picked it up and said, "There’s no need to destroy it. I can transform it into a useful and harmless treasure."
Since she spoke with such confidence, the Prime Minister refrained from saying more.
After all, this hairpin was a gift from her second brother, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for Nanli to accept any silver coins this time.
Upon returning to the Marquis’s residence, Nanli drew several detection talismans and handed them to Doctor Guan, before immersing herself in seclusion to modify the golden hairpin.
Fortunately, the spiritual pearl had been reattached, although the repaired cracks were minimal, it could still harness a bit of spiritual power.
Zan Ling, who had been resisting, flew out once again upon sensing the aura of the spiritual pearl. She scrutinized the pearl for a while before asking, "How did you obtain this thing?"
Nanli pondered for a moment and replied, "I’ve had it since birth, why? What’s wrong with this spiritual pearl of mine?"
Zan Ling looked at her with disdain and said, "You’re young and inexperienced, I don’t blame you. But this is no ordinary spiritual pearl, it’s a cultivator’s inner core!"
Now it was Nanli’s turn to be astonished, "An inner core?"
Zan Ling circled around Nanli, sensing the slightest fluctuations of spiritual power emanating from her.
"Yes, that’s your inner core. I can sense it," Zan Ling said, noticing the crack and feeling a sense of regret, "But your inner core is damaged, it’s shattered and can no longer exert its full power."
Subsequently, she inquired about the reason behind the shattering of the spirit pearl. Nanli provided a brief response.
"In that case, it is highly likely that you are a reincarnation of a disciple from the sect, for mortal bodies cannot withstand the power of the inner elixir. Hence, the elixir detached from your body and manifested in this form," Zan Ling explained. "Originally, the spirit pearl, formed from the elixir, is incredibly sturdy. However, your pearl was previously stolen and tainted with malevolent energy, which led to its destruction by that woman’s strike."
Zan Ling pondered that the young girl must have been a formidable figure in her past life, as only then would there be a possibility of repairing the shattered spirit pearl.
If the woman were to learn of this, she would likely be infuriated to the point of spitting blood.
Zan Ling immediately made a decision and approached Nanli, sweetly calling out, "Master."
Nanli was taken aback and looked at Zan Ling with a speechless expression. "Have you bumped your head?" she asked.
"No, I simply feel a deep affinity with you and willingly offer myself as your servant," Zan Ling replied.
Nanli gave her a disdainful glance. "Clearly, you only wish to join me because you believe I am a reincarnation and possess a spirit pearl. It has nothing to do with affinity."
Having perused numerous ancient texts, Nanli understood the strength of these sword spirits, known as Zan Ling, and their close connection to their contract holder.
With the immortal sect currently closed and Zan Ling being a failed creation, she had chosen to follow Nanli out of necessity.
Zan Ling saw through her thoughts but remained unabashed, continuing, "Master, if you cultivate diligently, you will undoubtedly ascend once again, and the doors of the immortal sect will open for you."
However, Nanli had other thoughts.
The woman who shattered her spirit pearl was truly formidable, possibly hailing from the immortal realm.
It seemed that the two of them had some unresolved enmity from their past lives. Mortals may have their limits, but even more so for cultivators.
The woman couldn’t directly harm her, so she resorted to shattering her spirit pearl, likely to avoid the scrutiny of the heavens.
Nanli desired to expose this woman, but ascending to the immortal realm was no easy task, and there were people here whom she couldn’t abandon.
"Everything depends on fate," Nanli said. "Enough with the idle talk. Let me think about how to transform you."
She had some insights into forging treasures and, after some research, could only transform the delicate golden hairpin into a soul-nurturing hairpin.
It had no substantial use, but when her physical body was damaged, her soul could take refuge within the hairpin. It was commonly known as a hairpin that allowed one to cling to life for a little longer.
Zan Ling thought that following a master would lead to great success, but little did she expect to be even more useless than before.
"If you are unable to do it, you don’t have to transform me. Isn’t that cursing yourself to death?" she remarked.
Nanli inserted the delicate golden hairpin into her hair bun and examined herself in the mirror before saying, "Endure it for now. After all, my spiritual power is limited at the moment, and this is the best I can do."
Zan Ling wanted to take back her words, but it was already too late.
Meanwhile, Chu Shuo felt frustrated upon learning that the hairpin he had given had encountered problems in the hands of Lu Yanyan.
He intended to make amends, but he dared not give any more gifts.
With the imperial examination approaching, he assisted Qian Wenwu and Chu Huan in preparing the necessary items for the examination hall.
He was afraid of making any more mistakes and insisted that Nanli personally inspect everything before he could feel at ease.
"No problem," Nanli reassured after a thorough inspection, addressing Chu Shuo.
Relieved, Chu Shuo said, "Then, when Ruolan arrives, I will have her take it back."
As for Chu Huan, he would personally deliver his own later.