Chapter 155: Chapter 155: A Person Dead for Three Years Suddenly Came Back to Life.

’He put my corpse in his own bedroom?’

’Then where does he sleep?’

Cui Lingyao didn’t dare to even think about it. Goosebumps erupted all over her skin.

She had a newfound appreciation for the man’s madness.

She hurriedly sat up. Just as she was about to get out of bed, she felt something in her mouth.

She opened her mouth and pushed it out with her tongue.

A blood-red bead rolled into her palm.

It was beautiful—crystal clear and obviously no common trinket.

’This must be one of the corpse-preserving treasures the system mentioned, the ones Xie Jinbai has spent the last few years collecting.’

And...

Cui Lingyao’s gaze slowly lowered, and only then did she notice that the bed she lay on was a single, solid block of transparent ice.

She didn’t know what the bedding was made of, but it was cold to the touch.

Even the clothes she was wearing...

They were all for preserving a corpse.

Preserving...

Cui Lingyao shuddered. She scrambled out of bed, hastily straightened her collar, and pushed the door open to leave.

She had assumed that with Xie Jinbai away, this important study would be heavily guarded. At most, Li Yong and his trusted aides would be on patrol; there shouldn’t be any other outsiders.

But she had barely taken a few steps out the door when she came face to face with two old men, both with white hair and beards.

They were both dressed in Daoist robes and held horsetail whisks.

The Taiji and Bagua diagram on the front of their robes was impossible to miss.

’Maybe anyone who’s been a ghost is afraid of these things.’ In any case, Cui Lingyao instinctively sidestepped to avoid them.

A few steps away, the two old men—with a combined age of well over a hundred—stopped dead in their tracks.

They stared at her as if they had just seen the greatest monster in the world.

One they had never encountered before.

One of them reacted first. "Princess Consort, you’re awake?"

Seeing her shrink away in fear, he quickly folded his horsetail whisk to cover the Bagua diagram on his robe. "Are you feeling unwell?"

Before Cui Lingyao could speak, the other man added, "Your soul has been separated from your body for three years; it’s still unstable now that it has just returned. The courtyard is filled with protective talismans, so it’s perfectly normal to feel unwell. Please, go back to your room for now. We will clear them away to avoid causing you any harm."

Cui Lingyao didn’t actually feel any discomfort. Seeing how courteously they treated her, her initial panic subsided. She stood her ground, frowning. "Who are you? Why are you here? Where is Li Yong?"

Xie Jinbai had left the Capital City, leaving Li Yong behind to manage all affairs of the estate.

’How could two Daoists be allowed to wander freely in a place as important as the study?’

As she spoke, the sound of several footsteps echoed from the long, covered walkway that connected to the outer study.

The person approaching was none other than the Li Yong she had just mentioned.

He was leading several guards toward the inner courtyard.

When he saw a woman’s figure in the distance, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. But in the blink of an eye, the figure was still there. Li Yong’s expression changed dramatically, and he quickened his pace.

He assumed it was some reckless maid who had dared to trespass in the study. He never expected that as he drew closer and the woman’s form became clearer...

This young man, who had followed Xie Jinbai through campaigns in the north and south, who would remain fearless even if Mount Tai itself were to collapse upon him, froze. His face was a mask of utter disbelief. "Princess Consort?"

"It’s me. I’m awake."

Seeing a familiar face, Cui Lingyao relaxed slightly. She immediately remembered what was important and ordered, "Get me a brush and ink. I’m going to write a letter, and I need you to send someone to Pingzhou on the fastest horse immediately."

Someone dead for three years had suddenly come back to life.

The moment she opened her eyes, she knew their Prince had gone to Pingzhou and that a letter needed to be sent there posthaste.

Thinking back to Miss Pei, whom the Prince had been so sure was the Princess Consort returned in a borrowed body, how could Li Yong not understand?

News of what had happened in Pingzhou had reached the Capital City about ten days ago.

Miss Pei died over there, and their Princess Consort woke up over here.

If they weren’t one and the same person, what else could it be?

This was absolutely wonderful news.

Li Yong was ecstatic. He looked like he was about to weep with joy for his master. "Yes, Princess Consort! Please wait a moment, I’ll get it ready right away," he said, his face beaming with excitement.

With that, he ordered someone to prepare a brush and ink.

Cui Lingyao added, "Also, bring me a change of clothes. Are Xia Zhi and the other girls still at the estate? Tell them to come help me get ready."

"They are, they are!"

Li Yong quickly accepted the order and sent someone to the rear courtyard to summon Cui Lingyao’s former personal maids.

There was no other choice. This area around the study was off-limits to women.

Even the cleaning was handled by Xie Jinbai’s trusted aides.

The Princess Consort had just awoken after three years of being dead. She would certainly need someone to help her change and wash up.

After rattling off the orders, Li Yong turned and finally noticed the two old Daoists standing to the side. His expression faltered. "You... you were unconscious for so long," he said to Cui Lingyao. "Now that you’ve suddenly woken up, is your body adjusting? Perhaps you should let the two Daoists examine you."

"There’s no need." Cui Lingyao was very confident, thanks to the system’s intervention. "Just hurry with the brush and ink," she urged. "We still don’t know what’s happening with your master. The sooner he gets my letter, the sooner he can rest easy."

"Indeed, indeed."

Li Yong was about to press the matter, but one of the Daoists stroked his beard and said, "This old Daoist can see the Princess Consort’s complexion is rosy and full, and her qi and blood are abundant. These are signs that her soul and body are stable and filled with life force. She is in perfect health."

With that, he gave a Daoist salute. "Since our work here is done and we are no longer needed, this old Daoist will now bid the Princess Consort farewell."

’He really couldn’t wait to leave.’

Hearing this, Li Yong stopped trying to persuade his mistress and turned to the two Daoists. A faint, unsmiling smile touched his lips. "I have witnessed your great and arduous efforts. Why be in such a hurry to leave? Wait for my Prince to return, and you will surely be handsomely rewarded."

’—So they still had to wait for that God of Killing to return.’

The two old Daoists’ faces fell, their expressions visibly pained.

Cui Lingyao was beginning to understand.

’Clearly, these two were the capable, strange people Xie Jinbai had rounded up. For him to keep them in the estate, so close to my corpse, they had to be true enlightened masters. Only, it didn’t look like they were here willingly. Perfectly good men who had renounced the mortal world, yet he had captured them and forced them to perform some kind of "Soul Summoning and Rebirth" ritual. And now that they’d seen me wake up for no apparent reason, they were planning to make a run for it.’

’She had no idea what that man had done over the past few years to make such enlightened masters this terrified at the mere mention of his return.’

’Just how many people had he killed?’

Cui Lingyao frowned. "I’m awake now. Let the two Daoists go."

Li Yong dropped to one knee. "Forgive me, Princess Consort, but I really don’t dare."

’If he let them go and something happened later that required their skills, he would be holding up the Prince’s affairs...’

Cui Lingyao didn’t press him further. Instead, she offered a few words of comfort to the two Daoists, deciding to wait until Xie Jinbai returned to address the matter.

She turned to go back to her room but was stopped by Li Yong.

"The Northern Mysterious Ice in that room is far too cold," Li Yong said. "Now that you have... woken up, Princess Consort, it’s no longer suitable for you to stay in there. Please, come with me."

At the moment, nothing was more important than reporting the good news to his Prince.

Li Yong led her into the adjacent room. "For the three years you were asleep, the Prince slept in this very room, separated from you by only a single wall."

"..." Cui Lingyao felt a muscle in her face twitch.

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