Hearing the white cat's words, Ouyang Rui's eyes instantly widened like a pair of brass bells. His lips trembled, and he couldn't speak for a long time.
"Father—Father, you can't die—"
With a wail, he threw himself at the bedside, sprawling there and crying bitterly, his face covered in tears and snot.
If someone else had said this, he might not have taken it seriously. But coming from Alchemist Ji, it was more than likely a certainty.
From childhood to adulthood, every step he had taken was paved by his father. He had never worried about food or clothing, had whatever he wanted, and never had to deal with the slightest trouble.
If his father really passed away just like this, what would he do in the future?
The butler stood aside with a miserable expression. With the master collapsing and those few barbarians mysteriously disappearing, the work at the mining vein had also come to a halt.
Alchemist Ji had taken it upon himself to send all those workers home, saying it was to accumulate some final good karma for the master.
Now that the master's life was in imminent danger, he had no choice but to cooperate.
Ouyang Rui was weeping sorrowfully.
"Rotten wood! Barren field! It really infuriates me to death!!!"
This sudden roar was like a clap of thunder on a clear day.
Not only did it startle both Jiang Zhiyu and Song Yueyao, but it also made Ouyang Rui freeze in place. His crying abruptly stopped, and he turned his head blankly with two trails of tears hanging on his face.
"Alchemist, Alchemist Ji, I didn't mean to cry so loudly, I just couldn't hold it back."
"It's none of your business." The white cat waved its paw, its face full of irritation. "You go ahead and cry. The one who angered me is someone else."
Jiang Zhiyu and Song Yueyao exchanged a glance.
What exactly had happened to make him so angry?
Song Yueyao lowered her voice and leaned close to Jiang Zhiyu: "Where is Wu Li?"
Busy looking after the Ouyang father and son last night, they hadn't paid attention to anything else. Seeing the white cat burning with anger now, they could almost instantly guess who had provoked him.
But Wu Li's words were just a bit infuriating, and Alchemist Ji was not one to hold a grudge. He wouldn't be angered to the point of looking like a sick cat, would he?
Jiang Zhiyu pondered for a moment: "I don't know either, he probably went back to find Xiaomi."
His sudden departure was unexpected, yet not entirely surprising.
Wu Li had never liked meddling in other people's business. Coming to help set up the formation was already somewhat condescending for him.
Fortunately, the soul had returned to Ouyang Rui's body, and the matter was considered settled.
Only regarding the accident last night, he had asked his master repeatedly, but the master had never explained why he was immobilized.
Hearing the word "Xiaomi", Song Yueyao suddenly slapped her forehead.
Oh no!
Before leaving last night, she had struck Xiaomi's acupoints. It was already dawn now, she guessed she must be suffering terribly from holding her bladder, right?
She could already imagine the other party's resentful and pitiful look.
A myriad of apologies flashed through Song Yueyao's mind.
"I need to hurry back, it's extremely urgent!"
"Yaoyao, what's the rush?" Jiang Zhiyu's eyes were full of reluctance. "Can't you stay a little longer?"
"No! Wu Li entrusted me to take good care of Xiaomi."
Song Yueyao's face was filled with shame. How had she taken care of her? Heavy drinking, going crazy, and even forcing her to sleep...
Saying so, she turned to leave.
Suddenly, an arm stretched across the air, blocking her path right in the middle.
She looked sideways.
Wu Li had appeared here at some unknown time. He withdrew his hand, crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned obliquely against the door frame.
His brows were relaxed, a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth, and his whole being was lazy, as if he had just soaked up enough sun: "She's sleeping, don't wake her."
Hongjiao, who had been waiting in the garden for a long time, saw its master and immediately slithered obediently back into his sleeve.
Wu Li lightly raised his fingertips, and that crimson streak turned into a tattoo on his forearm, lying dormant quietly.
And the white cat, who was slumped dejectedly, instantly became energized with anger upon hearing Wu Li's voice. It jumped up, grabbed the cups and saucers on the table with its paws, and hurled them all in that direction.
"Hah! You little brat! You still have the nerve to come back!"
Jiang Zhiyu instinctively dodged sideways, and only after dodging did he realize that those cups were not aimed at him.
This was his master's usual way of educating him. Whenever he did something wrong or failed to learn a spell, the master would grab whatever was at hand and throw it at him.
He didn't expect that this time, the victim had changed to Wu Li.
But Wu Li didn't dodge awkwardly like he usually did. Just as the cups were about to touch his clothes, wisps of black mist emanated from his body, swift as lightning, steadily catching those flying objects.
Jiang Zhiyu widened his eyes in horror.
This is... malicious aura!?
"Wu Li, you..."
"Do you have to make that face?" Wu Li glanced at Jiang Zhiyu indifferently, his tone flat. "Is it possible you've never seen malicious aura before? Making a fuss over nothing."
He walked slowly forward, seeing the white cat bouncing around, there was no surprise in his eyes, but instead a hint of a teasing smile: "It seems Alchemist Ji's luck isn't bad, the physical body of this white cat is preserved."
Saying that, his gaze lazily shifted to the unconscious person on the bed, his tone rising slightly at the end, revealing a bit of playfulness: "Heh, there's someone with an even bigger fate, he hasn't breathed his last yet."
As soon as these words came out, Ouyang Rui beside them was so angry that smoke seemed to come out of his ears.
"What does Young Master Wu mean by this?! If you intentionally came to see the Ouyang family's joke, then you are not welcome here!"
"Welcome or not, I come when I want and leave when I want. Do you have the ability to stop me?"
Wu Li smiled wantonly and arrogantly, his gaze leisurely falling on Ouyang Rui's angry face. "Besides, what are you doing here shedding crocodile tears? Those holes on your father's body seem to have been bestowed by you, Young Master Ouyang."
"When your father kicks the bucket and goes to heaven, the vast family fortune will all fall into your hands. From then on, no one will urge you to marry, have children, and carry on the family line. You can take as many concubines as you want. I'll congratulate you in advance here."
Every word was murderous and heartbreaking.
Ouyang Rui opened his mouth in shock, his eyes full of disbelief.
What did he just say?
The injuries on his father's body were actually caused by his own hands!? Why did he have no memory of it at all?
"You, you're talking nonsense! How could I hurt my own biological father?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible..." He stared fixedly at Wu Li's face, but couldn't find the slightest guilty conscience of lying. His voice gradually lowered, like a murmur to himself.
The white cat looked at Wu Li with a complex expression. Seeing his lips move slightly as if he was about to say more to twist the knife, he immediately shouted sternly: "Enough, Wu Li!"
Now this child was becoming more and more unbridled, even showing his malicious aura in front of others without any scruples.
He simply stopped acting altogether.
"So stubborn and unruly, today I will teach you a good lesson on behalf of your father!"
Before his voice died away, the white cat formed seals with its paws and muttered:
"Three inches of the spiritual platform, primordial spirit return to position."
The spiritual pill came out in response, and the cat's body suddenly went limp.
That spiritual pill hung in mid-air, a cloud of white smoke swirling around, and gradually condensed into a human shape. An old man with white hair and a long flowing beard appeared, his kind face exuding an air of a transcendent being.
However, his figure was transparent as water, as if it would dissipate with a gust of wind.
Jiang Zhiyu's pupils shrank suddenly.
Master had actually summoned his true divine soul from his spiritual core!
Yet another act that would damage his core. If he kept tormenting himself like this, it seemed Master had absolutely no intention of ascending to immortality.
Before he could even process the shock, the old man and the youth had already engaged in combat.
As if finding the cramped space too restrictive to unleash their power, the two figures darted straight toward the lake in the courtyard of the Ouyang estate.
The elder stood atop the pavilion in the center of the lake, his body radiating a vast and righteous aura; the youth lounged lazily on the rockery by the water's edge, his expression brimming with unbridled defiance.
One black, one white—two streams of mist intertwined and violently clashed.
In an instant, a fierce gale erupted. The flowers across the courtyard trembled as countless leaves were swept up by the violent winds, spiraling and soaring above the lake like a frantic, uncontrollable dance.
Master! Wu Li! Stop fighting, both of you, stop!
Jiang Zhiyu lunged forward to intervene, only to be violently repelled by an invisible barrier.
He staggered back several steps. Just as he was about to hit the ground, a hand firmly caught him by the collar.
Song Yueyao hoisted him to her side. Her dark, intense gaze was fixed straight ahead as she spoke in a low voice, Leave it. Let them fight.
