Because Sang Wan had reverted to her original form, Nanli buried her under the peach tree in the government office’s courtyard. She thought she wouldn’t be affected, but that very night, she was caught in a nightmare.
In her dream, she seemed to be deceived by a man and gravely injured. Her body was covered in wounds, bleeding profusely. Each step she took caused her wounds to tear open, bringing excruciating pain.
Finally, she stood before the man, her voice icy: "Dare to deceive me? You’re courting death."
"You are already at the end of your strength and still want to resist?" The man stood tall, exuding an aura of nobility. His clothes fluttered gently in the breeze. He sneered, lifting his sword again, ready to deliver a fatal blow.
The mist seemed to clear.
As the sword pierced her, Nanli, in immense pain, finally saw the man’s face clearly.
His features were delicate, his expression serene as always. But now, in addition to physical pain, Nanli felt her heart being torn apart, so much so that she could hardly breathe.
Then, everything went black, and the dream abruptly ended.
Nanli awoke with a start, finding herself still in the guest room of the government office. Sweating from the nightmare, she shivered in the cool, damp night air. Her heart was still pounding, and she breathed heavily, placing her hand over her chest as if her heart was twisted in pain.
Sensing her distress, the spirit of the golden hairpin emerged from her pouch. A soft silver light filled the room.
"Wow, that dream wasn’t auspicious at all," the hairpin spirit said, hovering in front of Nanli.
Nanli frowned slightly, looking at the spirit with some annoyance. "Can you enter my dreams?"
"I only did it to make sure you didn’t die in your sleep," the hairpin spirit replied. "Your nightmare was so intense that it left your mind unguarded, allowing me to easily enter your dream."
Nanli snorted. "Seems like I should destroy you."
"Don’t! I serve you loyally; I was only concerned, not spying on your privacy. But really, that dream is a bad omen." The spirit’s voice lowered as she blinked. "Sometimes dreams are premonitions. You should be careful."
Nanli glared at her. "Careful of what? He is my husband; why would he harm me?"
"Tsk tsk, don’t trust men too much," the hairpin spirit warned. "Look at what happened to that cat demon. I’ve had spiritual awareness for over a thousand years and have seen this too many times. I could tell you stories for five days and nights."
Nanli’s heartbeat had steadied. She sat up, her expression and tone resolute. "A married couple must trust each other to live together happily. But if he ever betrays me, I won’t forgive him."
"You better mean what you say," the hairpin spirit said, reconsidering. If Nanli were to defy the heavens, the spirit would suffer too. So she quickly changed her tone. "But there’s no need to be like that cat demon. Just kick him away and enjoy your life."
Nanli didn’t want to hear her nonsense. With a flick of her finger, she sent the spirit back into the hairpin.
Lying down again, the night’s chill seeped into her bones. Was that dream a premonition?
But she knew Ye Siheng well; he would never harm her. It must have been an inconsequential dream, not worth worrying about.
The next day’s matters were handled without Nanli’s involvement. Xie Beihan and Fan Shizhong took care of everything.
The townsfolk, learning that the demon affair was orchestrated by He Wen to scam them into buying talismans, cursed him vehemently.
Then they turned to thank Fan Shizhong. "Sir, thanks to you for seeing through his wicked scheme."
For some, three or two silver coins were enough to live on for months. With the demon gone and the villain captured, they could now live without fear.
Fan Shizhong modestly replied, "It was the Ninth Princess who uncovered his plot; I only assisted."
Xie Beihan, standing nearby, suddenly coughed loudly, making it clear what he meant.
Fan Shizhong discreetly rolled his eyes. "And let’s not forget Noble Prince Xie here. He lost a thousand taels in this scheme and relentlessly pursued He Wen. You should thank him too."
Xie Beihan would have preferred Fan Shizhong to keep quiet. The townsfolk turned their attention to Xie Beihan, stifling their laughter. Despite being a distinguished person from the capital, he didn’t seem much smarter than they were.
Wanting to save face but unable to express his frustration to the townsfolk, Xie Beihan huffed and prepared to leave. Fan Shizhong quickly added, "The Princess tasked you with identifying the talismans and returning the money. Your work isn’t done yet."
Fan Shizhong and the constables knew little about the talismans and could easily be tricked by others trying to swindle them. If the funds were insufficient, they would have to be covered by the public treasury or Fan’s family. Therefore, Fan Shizhong was meticulous in handling the matter.
Xie Beihan was resigned. Since his younger sister had given him the task, he had to do it well. Ignoring the townsfolk’s laughter, he began carefully examining each talisman to prevent any attempts to cheat.
As evening approached, the number of people exchanging talismans for money dwindled. Xie Beihan was diligent, scrutinizing each talisman to ensure it was one of He Wen’s demon-suppressing talismans and not some random drawing.
Initially, some townsfolk tried to deceive him, but Xie Beihan, even if he couldn’t tell immediately, could identify the authenticity after careful examination. He had prepared truth-telling talismans, which ensured everyone admitted the truth, proving his accuracy.
After a few instances, no one dared to try their luck, and the exchange process sped up significantly. Fan Shizhong, who previously thought Xie Beihan was unreliable and frivolous, began to see him in a new light.
It made sense why the Ninth Princess had brought him along; he proved to be quite dependable.
Finally, the work was done, and Xie Beihan returned to the government office just before Nanli. As soon as he saw her, he started to complain and seek praise. "Sixth Sister, today was exhausting! I didn’t make a single mistake with the talismans, and the silver matched perfectly."
Nanli gave him an approving look. "It seems you’ve learned a lot over the past six months."
"I’ve memorized many talisman patterns," Xie Beihan said, proudly lifting his chin. The patterns varied greatly; even a small difference could result in a different talisman with a different effect. Despite his lack of talent, his memory was decent.
"Well done. Even Zhi Mi sometimes confuses the talisman patterns," Nanli said.
Xie Beihan beamed with pride but quickly sobered. Despite his memory, he couldn’t draw a single talisman himself due to his lack of talent. Seeing Nanli in her travel attire, he curiously asked, "Where did you go today? You didn’t come to help."
Nanli replied, "My reputation has spread in Ruyang City. Naturally, I set up a stall."