"Lien Zhiyuan’s name was written in the Book of Life and Death? How come I didn’t know?" Yu Nianzhao sneered sarcastically, "The normal procedure for a spirit marriage is that both parties are deceased, exchanging birth dates with the agreement of both ghosts. You broke the rules, so it’s already considered a forbidden ritual, yet you have the nerve to say Lien Zhiyuan’s name is written in the Book of Life and Death? Are you the Judge?"
Mr. Yuan stroked his small mustache, arrogance showing in his demeanor, "I am the second disciple under Mage Lianzhao at Qingyun Taoist Temple. Although I might not have the ability to communicate directly with the underworld, my master does possess that power. With your skills in mystical arts, surely you know how money can make anything happen. Once the silver is in place, anything can be done."
Yu Nianzhao bluntly exposed his lie, "I saw the Sealing Talisman as soon as I entered. The Tang Family has gathered enough malevolent things. As for the Book of Life and Death, you’re clearly putting an evil curse on Lien Zhiyuan to kill her. Don’t try to make yourself sound good with the name being in the Book of Life and Death. Huh, Lianzhao Mage, Qingyun Taoist Temple, right? I’ve heard this name many times before. Doesn’t seem like anything good!"
"You can recognize a Sealing Talisman?"
Mr. Yuan was secretly shocked, and upon hearing her belittlement, his anger surged, "Young girl, speak ill of me if you must, but how can you insult my master and Qingyun Taoist Temple?"
"What if I do insult them? I’m going to break the curse on Lien Zhiyuan!"
As the coffin was opened, Lien Zhiyuan was carefully lifted out by Lien Wenhe; she was shivering from the cold, unable to use her legs.
"Zhaozhao, I should have listened to you that day. I underestimated you and valued the future with the Tang Family far too much. I never thought they would hurt me."
Lien Zhiyuan burst into tears, "After they brought me back, Tang Zhishuo replaced Zhiyang and married me. They splattered foul blood on me and forced me into the coffin. Though I grew up with Zhiyang, and was heartbroken by his passing, anyone forced to stay with a corpse would be terrified. Why did they do this to me? What did I do wrong?"
"My poor daughter," Shao held her tightly, trying to warm her with her own body heat.
"You didn’t do anything wrong." Fresh chapters posted on ɴovelfire.net
Ms. Tang approached, trembling as she saw her being rescued, "But you are Zhiyang’s wife. It’s only been half a month, and Zhiyang suffered such a devastating fate. Shouldn’t you accompany him? He cared for you deeply, even in death, always murmuring your name. It shows how much he loved you. Zhiyuan, I know this isn’t fair, but didn’t you love Zhiyang too? Wouldn’t you accompany him? I’m begging you, don’t let my son be lonely. I will provide offerings, ensuring you have everything you need in the afterlife. I’ll even serve you as long as you two are together."
A mother’s love was fully displayed in these words.
But it left Shao trembling with rage, "Your son is precious, but is my daughter nothing but wood? Is your brain filled with filth? Using someone else’s child to accompany your son? Who gave you the face? Who do you think you are? The Jade Emperor or King Yanluo?"
Ms. Tang knelt on the ground, "I’ve bowed to you. They are already married; the ceremony is complete. Let them live together in the afterlife."
Mr. Tang took a deep breath, saying, "Even if we have to exhaust all the assets of the Tang Family, we would!"
Lien Wenhe was infuriated, "Shameless! The Lien Family will never sell their daughter!"
Lien Yanran stood angrily akimbo, "This is murder! We have to report it!"
Lien Zhiyuan, feeling helpless, touched her legs, "Father, Mother! My legs have lost feeling since earlier. In the coffin, I screamed and you heard nothing. I was panicking, scratching at the coffin’s wooden boards, even losing sensation in my hands. Am I really going to die?"
"No, Zhiyuan, you’re going to be fine. Maybe you were stuck inside for too long, and your hands and feet became numb?"
Shao lovingly rubbed her legs and hands.
Lien Zhiyuan trembled, "Still no sensation, Mother. I feel nothing."
Ms. Tang convulsed with laughter, behaving like a deranged woman, hysterically exclaimed, "That’s the power of Mr. Yuan! You’ll die soon and join my son."
"What exactly did you do to Zhiyuan?" Lien Wenhe questioned harshly.
Mr. Yuan haughtily raised his chin, "It’s her fate!"
Yu Nianzhao broke the silence, "I’ve said it before, Lien Zhiyuan is under a curse, possessed by evil spirits."
Mr. Yuan’s smile froze, glaring in anger, eager to see what Yu Nianzhao was capable of.
Lien Zhiyuan nearly fainted.
"Zhaozhao, what should we do?" Shao pinned her hopes on Yu Nianzhao.
"Just pull them out," Yu Nianzhao replied, "But there is a fee for exorcism."
Shao was amused through tears, "Zhaozhao, as long as you save Zhiyuan, I’ll gladly pay any amount."
Mr. Yuan scoffed, "Even if you realize there’s an evil spirit, so what? Give you some time, you won’t help her. When the time comes, even deities can’t save her."
Ms. Tang relaxed, smiling, "Zhiyuan, you are the daughter-in-law of the Tang Family. Rest assured, when you accompany Zhiyang in death, I’ll take care of you both well."
With a click of her tongue, Yu Nianzhao slowly approached Lien Zhiyuan, reaching for her legs and pulling out one, two, three evil spirits... like pulling radishes.
The ease with which she did it wiped the smile off Mr. Yuan’s face, leaving him horrified as Yu Nianzhao pulled out five spirits, his mind in chaos.
"Impossible! How can you dispel evil spirits so easily?"
Mr. Yuan, despite decades of study, could never extract spirits so effortlessly, now his eyes were burning with envy.
"People are different!"
Yu Nianzhao calmly replied with, raising the captured spirits to Ms. Tang’s face, "Do you know the feeling of being possessed by evil spirits? Your son is your flesh, irreplaceable, but Lien Zhiyuan is someone else’s daughter, and they can let go? Do not do unto others what you do not desire yourself! Fond of dark arts, why not try for yourself first?"