The Lingxu Temple indeed enjoys thriving incense offerings, but as far as Qin Ruo knew, the temple housed very few highly skilled Taoist priests. Most of them lived reclusive lives, secluded in meditation and cultivation, rarely making public appearances—let alone handing out three highly potent protective talismans.
Just as she was about to inquire further, an anomaly occurred on the back of her hand. After two instances of spiritual energy burns, the spell she had cast on herself began to falter. Her originally fair and smooth skin now bore faint wrinkles.
Such domineering spiritual energy!
Unable to see her own face, Qin Ruo feared it might have aged as well. In the middle of a crowded square, she could no longer afford hesitation. "I don’t like superstitious people," she said. "Throw those talismans away."
Zhang Chengyan obeyed without question, tossing the protective talismans from his pocket into a nearby fountain. The paper talismans, soaked through, lost their power.
"You’re so good to me," Qin Ruo praised, her gaze darkening.
The medicine could no longer suppress the spiritual energy’s erosion of her spell. Now, she had no choice but to take a desperate gamble—otherwise, she would be the one to perish.
Zhang Chengyan grinned foolishly. "Who else would I be good to if not you?"
"Do you love me?"
"Of course!"
"Would you share everything with me?"
"What’s mine is yours."
"Including your vitality? Your fortune?"
"Yes."
Qin Ruo suddenly smiled. She stepped forward and embraced Zhang Chengyan. Though she felt a twinge of reluctance to part with this "walking blood bag," if he could help her survive this crisis, he would have fulfilled his purpose.
Goodbye, fool.
Zhang Chengyan was ecstatic, completely unaware that his vitality and fortune were being siphoned into Qin Ruo.
Meanwhile, two other observers reported back to their employers.
Du Jiaming and Yang Su felt as if their hearts had been pierced, the pain unbearable.
She hugged someone else!
In the square, Qin Ruo released Zhang Chengyan. Watching his eyes grow dull, she felt not an ounce of guilt. "I have things to do. I’ll leave first."
Zhang Chengyan didn’t dare stop her, watching her retreating figure until she disappeared. Listless, he returned home.
Upon entering, he noticed the servants giving him odd looks, but he paid no mind, feeling only exhaustion. He went straight to his bedroom and collapsed onto the bed.
At lunchtime, the servants knocked but received no response. When they opened the door, they found an elderly man with deep wrinkles and graying hair lying on the bed!
A scream erupted, plunging the Zhang household into panic and chaos.
Father Zhang and Mother Zhang rushed to the hospital, rendered speechless by the sight of their son. Though he had aged drastically, they could still recognize him.
Zhang Chengyan had woken up, tears streaming down his face at the sight of his parents.
"Doctor, what on earth happened?" Mother Zhang sobbed.
The doctor was equally baffled. "The patient’s bodily functions exhibit symptoms of accelerated aging—possibly progeria. Further tests are needed for a definitive diagnosis."
"How could he suddenly develop this? Can it be treated?" Father Zhang struggled to accept the situation.
The doctor shook his head. "There’s currently no medication to halt the progression."
Mother Zhang collapsed onto the hospital bed, weeping uncontrollably.
Further examinations yielded no treatment plan. Zhang Chengyan’s aging was accelerating—he didn’t have much time left. Even if they rushed him to a top hospital in the capital overnight, he wouldn’t survive the journey.
Such a bizarre incident couldn’t be kept secret. Soon, word spread among Longjiang City’s elite circles.
Gossip ran rampant in private group chats.
[Sun Yu: This is terrifying. How did he suddenly turn into an old man? If this happened to me, I’d rather die.]
[Qian Kun: My mom thinks it’s a curse.]
[Peng Peng: Everyone knows Aunt Ma believes in that stuff. Remember when she introduced that so-called Taoist master to Aunt Gu? How did that turn out, huh? @Qi Yuan]
[Qi Yuan: None of my damn business.]
[Qian Kun: Then explain this—what kind of aging disease makes someone wither in an hour? I heard Zhang Chengyan was perfectly fine before he got home.]
[Su Nuanuan: Not entirely impossible.]
[Qian Kun: Oh, Sis Nuanuan, please, have mercy and unblock me?]
Su Nuanuan scoffed coldly, setting her phone aside to speak to Su Linhai. "Do you think Zhang Chengyan’s sudden aging could really be a curse?"
Su Linhai frowned. "It’s possible."
He had business ties with the Zhang family. If they fell into crisis, his own family would suffer collateral damage. Moreover, he understood the agony of losing a child.
After some thought, he called Qi Quan first.
Qi Quan had spent the day crafting several sets of clothing—each no larger than a palm, yet exquisitely detailed.
She summoned Su Rong and handed them to him.
Su Rong looked down. Huh???
Was the master pulling his leg?
"Take them."
Su Rong instinctively cupped his hands, and the moment the tiny clothes touched his skin, they miraculously expanded to human size. He was stunned.
Even as a ghost for years, he’d never witnessed such a phenomenon.
"I’ve inscribed these with talismanic patterns. Only my ghost attendants can synchronize with them."
In other words, these clothes were tailor-made for Su Rong alone.
Touched, Su Rong gained a new appreciation for Qi Quan’s unfathomable abilities.
"From now on, you’ll be the household’s head steward."
"Yes."
Su Rong reverently carried the clothes to his room, trying on each set. Every piece fit perfectly. In the end, he chose the most classic ensemble—a white dress shirt paired with tailored trousers.
With his tall, slender frame, he looked even more strikingly handsome.
Wang Hua watched, green with envy.
Before he could comment, the landline rang.
Su Rong floated over to answer.
"Hello?"
Su Linhai’s voice softened on the other end. "Rongrong?"
Su Rong smiled. "Dad, is something wrong?"
Su Linhai wiped away tears, overjoyed to hear his son speaking like any normal person.
"Rongrong, I need to speak with the master."
Su Rong replied, "You can tell me. I’ll relay it to her."
The master disliked disturbances.
"Alright." Su Linhai described Zhang Chengyan’s condition, then lowered his voice. "I wanted to ask if this is a curse—and if it can be treated."
Su Rong relayed the question.
Qi Quan, who had already sensed the talisman’s activation, answered from behind her door: "It is a curse. It can be treated. The hospital is too public. If they want help, bring him to the villa."
With confirmation, Su Linhai called Father Zhang. "How is your son?"
"Thank you for your concern, Director Su. I’m afraid…"
The words "waiting to die" stuck in his throat.
Su Linhai tread carefully. "Have you considered consulting a master? At this point, you should try every possible solution."
"Huh?" Father Zhang’s mother had been superstitious, and Zhang Chengyan, raised by her, had absorbed those beliefs. Father Zhang himself, however, had never bought into such things.
Su Linhai pressed, "If you’re willing, I can arrange for a true master to see him."
Father Zhang steeled himself. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Then I’ll trouble you, Director Su!"
