Mr Zhang leaned in with a fawning smile, "Miss, could you sell me some of those talismans you used to dispel the evil spirits earlier?"
"The Exorcism Talismans are quite expensive, three thousand silver per piece."
Yu Nianzhao glanced at him, raising the price on the spot.
"Alright, I’ll buy them!"
Mr Zhang agreed without hesitation, "I want to buy five pieces!"
Five pieces would be fifteen thousand silver, and Yu Nianzhao was surprised that Mr Zhang bought them without a blink, thinking she might have priced them too low.
True to her word, Yu Nianzhao took out five Exorcism Talismans and made the exchange with him on the spot.
"The spiritual power in these talismans is so profound, truly incredible! Did you really draw these talismans yourself, Miss?"
Mr Zhang lovingly caressed the runes on the talisman, his eyes fixed on Yu Nianzhao as if she were a tempting piece of fresh meat.
"Would you be interested in considering coming to our Heavenly Master Mansion? With skills like yours, you could definitely rank among the top three there, an invaluable position."
Mr Zhang attempted to tempt her, his eyes glinting with shrewdness, and leaned in closer, lowering his voice, "To tell you the truth, if you make it into the top three Heavenly Masters, your reputation will skyrocket, allowing you to earn quite a fortune. Look at me, just being in the top hundred has already filled my pockets, and making it to the top three, well, Miss, it’s worth considering carefully."
Mr Zhang apparently saw through Yu Nianzhao’s penchant for wealth, his words indeed carried great temptation.
Yu Nianzhao also thought, if someone with limited abilities like Mr Zhang could easily shell out fifteen thousand silver, he really must be raking in the money.
However... she wasn’t particularly interested in what the so-called Heavenly Master Mansion had to offer.
"Stop trying to entice our Princess here, she has no need to join the Heavenly Master Mansion."
Dongfang Chenyuan theatrically opened his fan near Mr Zhang, purposely distancing him from Yu Nianzhao.
Joking aside, how could he allow someone to court the Princess right in front of him? If the Prince found out, he’d surely skin him alive.
"Heh heh, it’s worth considering, after all, such innate talent is rare to come by in a lifetime. You’re skilled in the mystical arts yourself, so you should understand my intention to cherish talent, right?"
Mr Zhang winked and beamed at him.
Of course, Dongfang Chenyuan understood. He snorted lightly, "Naturally, I understand. Even if the Princess truly needs to choose a place, she can well choose our Dongfang Family!"
Mr Zhang shook his head, "The Heavenly Master Mansion encompasses outstanding disciples from all mystical families. Doesn’t the Dongfang Family also have people ranking top there?"
Dongfang Chenyuan rolled his eyes and said, "Alright, stop fantasizing here. Get past the Prince first, then we’ll talk."
Mr Zhang, "..." Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveI(F)ire.net
That Prince Su, decisive and imposing?
"It’s quite late, we should head back."
Yu Nianzhao pulled out several talismans, "These are Exorcism Talismans, keep them safe, wear them close, especially you."
She looked seriously at Liu Yue, "Your life fate is variable. If you want to remain in the Duke Luu Mansion, you must wear the talisman well."
Liu Yue carefully held the talismans and nodded, "Yes, I understand."
Mr Liu had someone bring out the promised reward for Yu Nianzhao, arranging them neatly in a line.
Gold, silver, and some jewels, bringing Yu Nianzhao sheer delight.
"Move them, load them all onto the carriage for me."
Yu Nianzhao directed them, filling the carriage to the brim, leaving just enough space for two people to fit.
After Yu Nianzhao and the others left, Liu Yue wore a worried expression, "Father, do you believe everything Miss Yu said?"
Mr Liu replied gravely, "She does have remarkable skills. Whether or not she’s deliberately aiding Prince Su, there’s definitely something wrong with Duke Luu. That shroud, I never saw where Han’er brought it from. The one thing I remember is when Han’er went out with Duke Luu’s eldest son Chu Wenjun, he came back holding a set of new clothes, proudly telling me they were a gift from Chu Wenjun, made of top-quality silk, saying Chu Wenjun was a true friend worth trusting. Back then I thought their good relations were a blessing, now it just chills me to the bone."
The steward came from Liu Han’s room, shaking his head, "I didn’t find those clothes in the young master’s room."
Liu Yue gasped, "Could those clothes have been part of an Eye-blocking Skill? Oh my, I always thought Chu family’s eldest was peculiar, even with smiles every day, I felt like he was a smiling tiger, sometimes his stare just gave me the creeps."
Mr Liu sneered, "Unless they’re celestial immortals, one can’t kill or harm without leaving some trace. Yue’er, we must avenge your elder brother!"
The pitch-black night road on the way back to Prince Su Mansion.
The carriage suddenly stopped.
Dongfang Chenyue was getting sleepy, she yawned and asked, "Why did we stop? Are we there already?"
She lifted the curtain, and a gust of cold wind blew in, sweeping away her drowsiness.
White paper money flew in the wind, drifting into the carriage, sticking to Dongfang Chenyue’s face.
"What the heck! What’s going on? Who’s throwing paper money on the street instead of sleeping at this hour?"
Dongfang Chenyue, exasperated, tossed the paper money off her face and jumped out of the carriage.
The empty street was deserted, even the coachman was nowhere to be found.
"Cousin? Dongfang Chenyuan? Where are you?"
Not just the coachman, Dongfang Chenyuan was missing as well.
The sound of bells echoed, shadows flitted at the end of the street, moving swiftly, fixing their blood-red eyes on them.
"Zhaozhao, what’s happening here? Why are the coachman and cousin missing? Where are the people? It’s not even midnight, why’s the street so empty?"
Dongfang Chenyue finally sensed something was wrong, she gradually stepped back, nervously gripping Yu Nianzhao’s hand.
"This is a ghost realm created with the Five Elements Bagua Formation!"
Yu Nianzhao leaned against the carriage, her eyes gleaming, she calculated with her fingers, "Someone has set us up; it’s not that Dongfang Chenyuan disappeared, but we’ve been isolated in another space!"
Dongfang Chenyue swallowed, panicked, "I’ve heard of ghost realms before, stronger than Illusion Talismans, like enclosing us in a barrier full of ghosts? Wh-who could have the power to do this? Why target us?"
"They’re targeting me!"
Yu Nianzhao said softly, "But the ghost realm doesn’t have a direct effect on me, so they used you as a breakthrough and dragged me in with you."