148 all are illusions

ht"He reached out and yanked me T-shirt up to my shoulder.There were purplish bruises on her collarbone, chest, and even the upper edge of her breasts.That wasn't a hickey, it was the faint red marks...The son of heaven returns, to the quiet south mountains.

This is from the Book of Songs, "Tao Yao" and "Si Gan". Jiang Qiyun picked out these two lines to name his children. He wouldn't have done it casually, there must be a deeper meaning behind it.

After hearing my words, my brother was stunned for a long time and then asked, "Does this mean you're going to marry into the mountains"

Poof…

I almost had a nosebleed.

Nearby, Huqing the monk who was eating instant noodles also choked and coughed for a long time before smiling and saying, “You still have the nerve to say you're from a prestigious university You're not even as cultured as me, a graduate of a third-rate university!”

"Get out of here! I'm a science major!" My brother was furious.

"The daughter of a man returning to her parents' home refers to a woman getting married. "Mountains far and near are shrouded in mist" is an excerpt from "Rows upon rows of pines, misty southern mountains", which describes Ling Shan's serene and tranquil scenery with overlapping layers of greenery.

What did he mean...

My brother said it doesn't matter, he just wants to express anything, the most important thing is to be surnamed Mu.

"Why does it have to be the surname Mu" I asked, confused.

"Nonsense, with my surname being Mu, I wouldn't even consider IVF for the sake of incense!" My brother burst into laughter. "That saves us some money!"

"Bro, can you be serious for once" I looked at him helplessly.

"Alright, Xiao Qiao, some things might not be clear right now, so don't worry about them. When the time comes, you'll naturally understand! Come on, let's eat noodles." My brother handed me a bucket of instant noodles.

Here the conditions are limited, there's no exquisite food, and I don't have time to cook. As long as it fills my stomach, that's enough. Besides, all the oil packets from the instant noodles were thrown away. Regardless of whether one is a monk, a cleric, or a layman, they must fast and bathe before performing rituals.

I also need to fast and bathe. Jiang Qiyun said that he will come to cast a spell this afternoon.

At noon, in the common understanding, it should be the hottest time of day with yang qi at its peak. However, in the eyes of yin-yang scholars, noon is the moment when yang qi reaches its zenith and begins to decline; it is the time when yin turns into yang.

Formerly, beheadings were also carried out at different times. For ordinary executions, it would take place at noon when there was still a shadow, allowing the condemned to become a ghost. However, for serious criminals or those who committed heinous crimes, they would be beheaded at the third hour of noon. This was the time when yang energy was at its peak. After beheading, the soul and spirit would immediately dissipate, leaving no chance for even a ghost to form.

There are no beds in this house, not even one, only a single cot where you can only sleep on your side.

My lower abdomen isn't as flat as it used to be, a slight rounded curve has formed, just big enough for Jiang Qiyun's hand to cover.

Outside, the wind howled, carrying an eerie chill. This wooden house was occupied only by me and Jiang Qiyun, while the rest lived in military tents outside. The emptiness inside the house was truly frightening.

“Terrible” Jiang Qiyun listened to me and asked with a hint of amusement, “Where is it terrible”

"The old wooden house felt very gloomy, and the wood wasn't ordinary. I took a closer look just now, it's golden nanmu! This house is worth at least hundreds of millions, but golden nanmu is a kind of yin tree, it looks especially eerie in this place..."

"Besides, this house is built on a hillside. No matter how much attention you pay to feng shui, it's no use. From the perspective of geomancy, it's terrible. It faces a place where negative energy surges into the sky. Even if you build a thatched pavilion to block it, it can't stop the massive evil spirits in front. If an ordinary person lives in this kind of house, something will definitely happen."

"It seems that Zhi's talent for architecture surpasses his aptitude for cultivating the Dao." Jiang Qiyun chuckled softly.

"Will there be any ghosts leaking out"

"It happens often. If I catch them, I destroy them on the spot. If I can't catch them, there's nothing I can do. As you can see below, I am always a person from the Underworld. My powers are greatly limited in the mortal realm, and I have no yang energy to break through the yin evil below." Jiang Qiyun propped his head up and lay on his side behind me.

I didn't dare to speak. The sinister aura outside had almost permeated the entire world. Even though this house was protected by his barrier, I could feel something gradually enveloping it.

That feeling, like an army of ants sweeping across the land, a dense tide surging out, devouring all flesh and leaving behind only piles of white bones.

Jiang Qiyun also felt it. He opened his eyes and stared out the wooden window at the dark night outside.

"...we only caught half of the Soul Reapers, the other half is still missing. The Si family is too close to the highest power in the mortal world, they are capable of resisting the Underworld within a short period of time."

"Si Tu Lin also said he came to my house as a guest, and then Mu Yun Liang appeared, and he disappeared. Could there be any connection between them"

Jiang Qiyun let out a cold laugh, slowly sitting up: "Who knows The omniscient and omnipotent deities in the Nine Heavens wouldn't bother with such trivial matters."

"Do true omniscient and omnipotent deities exist" I thought such statements were just descriptions of their boundless divine powers.

"Yes." He answered me in the shortest way possible, and then his figure gradually disappeared.

"No way! You want me to stay all alone in this creepy old house I'd rather go camping with my brother! "

Even though there weren't any ghosts in this house, the whole place was so gloomy and cold, like a giant coffin. Being alone here sent shivers down my spine.

I put on my clothes and walked out of the courtyard. The entire courtyard was deathly silent. The gate was wide open, and I could see several disciples of the Shen family sitting cross-legged in front of it, seemingly forming an array.

As soon as I reached the door, Shen Qingrui spotted me. Her willow eyebrows shot up, and she glared at me angrily, shouting, “What are you doing out here! Go back! Can’t you see we’re all here protecting you!”

Protect me from what

"What's going on out there" My heart was pounding.

Shen Qingrui sneered and said, "People who know nothing are truly happy. They only need to lie by the Emperor's side... What's happening outside Can't you see for yourself"

I looked up, this place was shrouded by Jiang Qiyun's barrier and blocked by Shen Qingrui and the disciples of the Shen family with a warding array to keep out evil spirits. I couldn't see it very clearly.

A flicker of firelight in the darkness, it was the thatched hut by the mountainside.

That pavilion was a feng shui structure built to ward off evil spirits, so why did it catch fire

"The formation's tremors just now broke...the backlash of the formation, lightning and fire destroyed half the mountain pavilion." Shen Qingrui frowned and said, "All the reserve mages have rushed over."

"What about my brother Where's my brother" Everyone went, so did my brother too

Shen Qingrui gave me a withering look, as if she were very displeased with my selfishness. "Mu Yunfan is gone too."

"My brother... he... how could he possibly know anything about sealing evil formations... How could you let him pass!" I was frantic, just about to rush out the door when I was stopped by two Shen family Kun Dao.

He doesn't have to understand, it just matters that we have enough people. Both he and the monk named Huijing are already there.

Enough people

I thought about the meaning of Gua, Gossip: Zhen represents Thunder, belongs to the Wood element, faces East, has a quantity of Four, and represents...the eldest son!

"Four families’ eldest sons, their eldest grandsons, all need to be here. He's also got to participate or do you think we came here for fun! Our Shen family has lost countless people for this formation!" Shen Qingrui's anger flared inexplicably, unleashing a torrent of accusations upon me.

She had both the jealousy of being Jiang Qiyun's maidservant and the anxiety of being the heir to the Shen family.

But that's not my fault, is it

"Shen Qingru, manage your emotions well and don't blur the lines between public and private." I pressed down on my anger and said to her as calmly as possible.

Shen Qingrui sneered—

>rked hard, worked hard, and please make sure my daughter can leave without any worries..."》》》I steeled myself and walked outside. Just a moment ago, I had extended that daring invitation to Jiang Qiyu...