Chapter 68: Three Solutions

After listening to Princess Changle, Fan Li fell into deep thought. No wonder, even after his spiritual roots were restored, he only barely stepped onto the path of cultivation. The original host had suffered a double blow back then—not only hidden injuries to his roots, but even wounds to his very soul.

“Is there a cure for celestial injury?” Fan Li asked Qingqiu directly.

It was a strange feeling. Qingqiu was theoretically his enemy, yet Fan Li could not muster the slightest hostility toward her. Instead, he felt an inexplicable closeness.

Qingqiu did not disappoint him and gave an immediate answer. “The requirements for casting the Celestial Injury Secret Art and for curing it are similar. Besides sacrificing one soul fragment, there are also special demands regarding fate. The caster, the afflicted, and the healer must all share the same type of fate.”

“For example, among Confucian cultivators, their fates align with stars like Wenchang and Wenqu. Thus, only Confucian cultivators can use the Celestial Injury Secret Art on their peers; it is ineffective and unusable on those with other fates.”

After hearing this, Fan Li fell silent.

Fate? He possessed the fate of an Emperor. So, as the Fan family suspected, was it truly the late Emperor of Chu who had acted against him?

“The original Fan Li was born with the extraordinary omen of ‘Wind, Cloud, Dragon, and Tiger’—a natural noble. Coupled with the Fan family’s great influence, no wonder the late Emperor felt threatened.”

Fan Li was at a loss for words. To heal a soul wound, must he find a master with the Emperor’s fate? That was an impossible condition! Under heaven, aside from the reigning Emperor and royal bloodlines, who would dare claim to possess the Emperor’s fate? If exposed, the three Emperors would surely join forces to hunt that person down.

As a child, Fan Li’s fate was revealed due to the ‘Wind, Cloud, Dragon, and Tiger’ omen. It was likely the late Emperor had planted spies within the Fan household.

“What is your fate?” Qingqiu asked. “If it matches mine, I can heal you.”

Fan Li could only smile wryly. He wished their fates were alike, but it was impossible. Qingqiu had cultivated her entire life in the Pure Land, untouched by worldly dust. How could she have the fate of an Emperor?

He shook his head. “Thank you for your kindness, but I am sure our fates differ. If I encounter someone with my fate, how should I ask them to help me?”

“There are at least three methods,” Qingqiu replied, which immediately piqued Fan Li’s interest. As expected of the Pure Land’s Holy Mistress—her knowledge was vast.

“The first method: the healer must possess an extremely high cultivation, at least of the First Rank Mahayana Realm. By sacrificing an entire major realm, they can cure your soul wound.”

Fan Li gave a bitter laugh. To fall from First Rank Mahayana to First Rank Harmonization Realm? In the whole world, perhaps only his eldest brother, third brother, and younger sister would be willing to pay such a price for him. But none of them shared his fate.

Qingqiu continued, “The second method: find the original caster of the art. By sacrificing another soul fragment, they can heal you without losing cultivation.”

Fan Li shook his head repeatedly. The late Emperor of Chu was already dead, and even if he were alive, he would never heal Fan Li. Humans have three souls and seven spirits; unless driven by utter resolve, who would sacrifice a soul fragment so easily?

The three souls are Fetal Light, Shining Spirit, and Nether Essence, governing life, fortune, and calamity, respectively. The seven spirits—Corpse Dog, Hidden Arrow, Sparrow Shade, Swallow Thief, Non-Toxic, Purifier, and Foul Lung—correspond to joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire.

“A person is called human because of three souls and seven spirits. All beings must cultivate to human form; thus, humanity is the leader of all spirits. The Heavenly Dao tempers cultivators through tribulation; only the worthy become immortals. To harm me by wounding my soul, forsaking the chance to ascend for the sake of suppressing my growth—how ruthless the late Emperor was!”

Fan Li bowed. “Qingqiu, may I ask the third method?”

Qingqiu was silent for a moment, a rare trace of embarrassment flitting across her ethereal face.

“The third method is to find someone of the same fate but of the opposite sex. If your souls meld and you unite in body and spirit, there’s a chance to dispel the hidden injury within your soul.”

Fan Li was momentarily stunned and blurted out, “What does it mean to meld souls and unite body and spirit?”

No sooner had he asked than understanding dawned. His face turned crimson, and he realized why Qingqiu, the Holy Mistress, had looked so embarrassed.

“Hahaha!”

Princess Changle, evidently more worldly, burst out laughing at Fan Li’s naivety. Her laughter only deepened Fan Li’s discomfort, though he failed to notice the fleeting glint in her eyes between peals.

Before Fan Li could dig a hole to hide in, Princess Changle finally stopped laughing.

“Hmm? Qingqiu just said she’s willing to heal me. But which method does she intend to use—the first, or the third?”

Fan Li was not so self-absorbed as to imagine the Pure Land’s Holy Mistress harbored secret affection for him. He quickly dismissed the thought, knowing Qingqiu must mean the first method. Even so, he was astonished.

Qingqiu was a Seventh Rank Mahayana master. If she helped him, she would fall to Seventh Rank Harmonization. Even the iron rules of the Pure Land, when investigating someone, required their safety be preserved as much as possible, but this was extreme.

Fan Li could only smile in exasperation, unable to fathom Qingqiu’s logic.

Yet Qingqiu seemed to see his thoughts at a glance. “I have a secret art: once one has reached a certain realm, even if the realm is lost, it can be fully restored within ten years.”

“Unbelievable...” Fan Li could only admit that the world was full of wonders.

A realm ordinary people could never attain in a lifetime, Qingqiu could restore with ease?

“Don’t be surprised,” Princess Changle whispered lightly in his ear, her warm voice making Fan Li’s chest tighten. “When I entered the Pure Land, all nine Holy Mistresses wanted me as a disciple. Yet I chose Qingqiu’s master—do you think I lack discernment?”

She added, “Earlier... did you just imagine something improper?”

“Absolutely not!” Fan Li replied instantly.

The princess let out a mischievous giggle. “Why so quick to deny it, unless you’re guilty? Master, he’s so bad!”

Fan Li wished fervently for a hole to crawl into.

Qingqiu, however, remained calm and ignored Princess Changle’s teasing.

...

In the Grand Chu Palace, within the Hall of Illumination, Xiang Ning was reviewing memorials.

Empress Dowager Li and Xiang Chong entered the hall without notice.

“Mother, what brings you here?” Xiang Ning put down her brush but did not rise, fixing her gaze on Xiang Chong.

Having been granted a minor fifth-rank post, Xiang Chong now had to wear official robes when entering the palace. Standing between the emperor and empress dowager in his fifth-rank robes, he inevitably looked somewhat humble.

Xiang Chong’s face flushed. “Your mother comes to see you, and you don’t rise to greet her? What kind of unfilial daughter are you?!”

Xiang Ning’s eyes flashed with anger.

Because of the Holy Mistress of the Blood Phoenix incident, she had not openly broken with the empress dowager, but there was an unspoken agreement between them—not to expose each other’s faults.

There were still palace maids and eunuchs present, some of them new.

By revealing her identity so bluntly, Xiang Chong had clearly come with ill intentions.