Holding a lantern, guiding souls across, Lady Hou comes from the underworld.

Yan Zhengchu almost blurted out, "Every disciple of Yunhe Mountain has a sword."

After he finished speaking, he realized that Ren Fengjue was trying to trick him into revealing information.

He grunted again, "Why are you asking this?"

Ren Fengjue only knew that his uncle had a connection with Yunhe Mountain, but he didn't know what kind of "connection" it was.

He knew Yan Zhengchu wanted to hide the truth, and in order to prevent him from doing so, he told the truth: "Last night in that illusion, the ghosts inside asked me about my uncle's 'sword'."

"They seem to be looking for something like this..."

As he spoke, he deliberately pointed to the peach wood and the coin sword hanging on the wall and asked, "Are these the two?"

Yan Zhengchu was still regretting his slip of the tongue.

But he really couldn't just sit idly by and do nothing about it.

After a moment's thought, he changed his approach and said, "These can indeed be used to exorcise ghosts and ward off evil spirits, but anyone can use them."

"What that ghost is looking for must be something that only your uncle can use."

Ren Fengjue thought about it carefully.

Does my uncle carry a sword?

It seems not.

He always wore loose robes and wide sleeves, free and unrestrained, and especially loved wine.

When have I ever seen him carrying a sword?

"I don't remember my uncle having anything like that..."

Yan Zhengchu gave him a deep look, but did not reply.

Ren Fengjue paused for a moment, then asked, "The jade sword on your person, Daoist, should only be for your own use, right?"

Yan Zhengchu didn't hide anything from him: "When I started practicing Taoist magic, my master gave me this sword, and I've never parted with it all these years..."

"So, my uncle also has a sword like this?"

Yan Zhengchu sighed deeply, but said, "Young Marquis, to tell you the truth, it's best not to ask me about your uncle. Actually... I want to know just as much as you do."

"What I know is certainly less than what your father knew."

"It's better to just ask him directly..."

Hearing him say that, Ren Fengjue fell silent again.

He knew his father's temperament all too well; unless he took the initiative to speak, asking him anything would be useless.

Just then, a servant ran to the outside of the South Courtyard and reported to the servants inside: "Young master, the Marquis has instructed that you and this Taoist priest be invited to the study together."

Ren Fengjue was somewhat surprised and asked, "He wants to see this Taoist priest?"

Yan Zhengchu immediately panicked, "Why does the Marquis suddenly want to see me? I'm not going!"

Seizing this opportunity, Ren Fengjue was not about to let it slip by. He deliberately threatened, "My father is not as good-tempered as I am. If you don't go, the guards will be coming soon."

Yan Zhengchu declined, saying, "My master instructed me to..."

Before she could finish speaking, Ren Fengjue pulled her outside, saying, "Your master wouldn't let you into the Marquis's mansion, but you did anyway. Since that's the case, let's just get to the bottom of things."

Seeing this, Yu Lang couldn't help but ask the servant, "Didn't the Marquis invite me?"

The servant politely replied, "The Marquis said that Young Master Yu may make himself at home."

"..."

Yu Shaoqing was subtly displeased and called out to Ren Fengjue's retreating figure, "Sir, may I take one item from here?"

-

The study of Marquis Renxuan was named "Jingguan Hall".

Yan Zhengchu was half-pushed and half-forced into the hall by Ren Fengjue. Looking up, he saw Ren Xuan sitting upright at his desk, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

He reluctantly stepped forward and, in his capacity as a Taoist priest, performed a fist-and-palm salute.

"Greetings, Lord Marquis."

Ren Xuan snorted through his nose and said, "You little Taoist priest from Yunhe Mountain, you've got quite the airs. Why did you avoid seeing me last night?"

Upon learning that Yan Zhengchu already knew his identity, he could only explain, "These were all instructions from my master before he left the mountain; I dared not disobey..."

"Oh?" Ren Xuan feigned surprise. "Who is your master? And why did he give you those orders?"

Yan Zhengchu answered truthfully: "My master is the head of Yunhe Mountain—Tianji Zhenren."

Ren Xuan smiled knowingly and asked, "So, what's your name?"

"My surname is Yan, and my given name is Zhengchu."

After hearing the name, Marquis Renxuan seemed to ponder for a moment before saying, "I've seen you before; you're the oldest among those children."

"..."

Upon hearing this, not only Yan Zhengchu, but also Ren Fengjue was taken aback.

My father actually met Yan Zhengchu?

So he had been to Yunhe Mountain?

"Father…"

Ren Xuan glanced at his son and said, "I still remember what you said to me in front of Tingxue Lake last time."

"So many years have passed, it's really time to give you an explanation."

Ren Fengjue unconsciously clenched his fingers.

Yan Zhengchu, standing to the side, didn't dare to say a word.

"Let's go see your uncle and junior uncle."

These words made Ren Fengjue involuntarily glance at Yan Zhengchu: "Junior Uncle?"

Yan Zhengchu simply admitted, "Your uncle is indeed my junior uncle..."

"..."

But soon, the two of them realized the same thing at the same time.

"Father! Is my uncle still alive?"

Ren Xuan remained silent, but stood up and walked directly into the small garden behind "Jingguantang".

Ren Fengjue and Yan Zhengchu immediately followed.

The two followed Ren Xuan, quickly passing through the small garden and arriving at a rugged and peculiar artificial hill.

Ren Xuan pressed down on one of the protruding rocks with his palm and gently pushed it. The two main peaks then shifted to the sides, revealing a downward staircase.

Ren Fengjue had never known that there was such a place in the Marquis's mansion.

Yan Zhengchu stared at the stones on the artificial hill for a long time.

If he wasn't mistaken, this should be a formation made of stones, but it could only serve as a shield to isolate the outside world.

Going down the stairs, there was another stone door, which Ren Xuan opened using the same method.

Next, what came into view for the two of them was a spacious stone chamber.

But inside, there was only one bed.

There was a person lying on the bed.

From a distance, Ren Fengjue and Yan Zhengchu both stood frozen in place, hesitant to move forward.

At that moment, they already had a general idea of ​​the answer.

Ren Xuan said, "Let's go take a look."

Ren Fengjue felt a mix of emotions, and with slightly heavy steps, he approached the person on the bed.

As they got closer, the person's face became clearer.

It was almost exactly the same as I remembered.

My uncle hasn't gotten old.

At this moment, he was as if he were fast asleep.

"Father, is my uncle... still alive?"

Ren Xuan's expression was also somewhat complicated. He said, "They seem to be alive, but there's no difference between them and the dead. They're just living dead."

"How could this happen?"

Ren Fengjue stepped forward and took his uncle's hand.

It was completely cold, devoid of any human warmth.

With neither a pulse nor breathing, it was indeed no different from being dead.

But he has been lying here for a full fifteen years.

Ren Xuan sighed and said, "It was his own idea to place him here."

"He also instructed that when he absolutely had to tell you something, he would bring you here."

"And tell them the truth as well."