Chapter 31: A Horde of Demons in Frenzied Dance (Part 24)

Inside the room, Shi Xianyu’s heart was sweet and tender, unable to sleep. She turned over, recalling Lin Yuan’s gaze fixed steadily upon her—so attentive, so earnest—as if his beautiful golden eyes could hold only her. She turned again, remembering the gentle way Lin Yuan held her hand, his palm so warm, as if he wished to walk hand in hand with her, loving and inseparable for a lifetime.

She burrowed deep under her quilt, a little figure in her heart shrieking excitedly! How exhilarating! Could it mean what she thought it meant? What now—what now? At last, a boy liked her! Even if he wasn’t human… she didn’t mind; love was sacred, never meant to be confined by race!

But what preparations did one need to make for a romance with a beast spirit? Could their views on life, values, or even the particulars of intimacy align? Was it all happening too fast? Had she been too quick to settle things, not reserved enough? And he had amnesia—what if he already had a spouse? What if he even had children?

Such worries! Shi Xianyu rolled about beneath her quilt, sometimes joyful, sometimes anxious, emotions tumbling over each other, too restless to sleep.

Then she thought, who could say how long she’d live? Without the support of her wish-force, she might go to see her great-great-grandfather any day. Why bother with thoughts of everlasting love? The most important thing in life was to cherish the present, savor every moment!

With this idea, she felt suddenly magnanimous, as though her perspective had expanded. Shi Xianyu slowly exhaled, closed her eyes.

Sleep, sleep—tomorrow would be a beautiful day…

…

The room was silent. Shi Xianyu tossed and turned, unable to sleep for reasons she couldn’t name. Strange, she was so tired—why couldn’t she drift off? It seemed almost too quiet, so quiet it unnerved her.

That faint, uneasy sense of being watched crept back… Near the table leg, atop the beam, behind the screen, in the cracks of door and window—everywhere, it felt as if something was watching her.

What was happening?

Shi Xianyu could no longer bear it—the sensation of being stared at was intolerable, her back cold, the warmth of her bed failing to comfort her. She sat up, slipped out of bed to put on her shoes. At the bedside, there was a footstool—just as she set her foot atop it to slip on her shoes, she saw a bulge in the wooden stool. The grain split open, revealing a palm-sized eye!

Shi Xianyu: …

She pretended not to see, finished putting on her shoes, and rose to head toward the door.

After only a few steps, she saw two or three eyes pop open on the floor tiles, their pupils rotating, fixing her with unwavering stares.

Shi Xianyu looked toward the door—there were eyes there, too. With her peripheral vision, she saw eyes on the walls and table. She held her breath, lifted her gaze slightly—

The beams overhead were thickly covered with eyes!

Shi Xianyu felt herself collapsing. Her knees weak, she couldn’t muster the strength to step forward; even if she could, she dared not touch the door adorned with eyes!

“Help… help…” She drew a shaky breath, clenched her fists, and summoned all her strength to shout, “Help! Help, ahhhhhhh!!!—”

Her scream pierced the house, not only reaching Lin Yuan and Shen Xiao, but every member of the Xu family!

The door was slammed open!

Lin Yuan was the first at the threshold. At the sight of him, Shi Xianyu felt courage surge—regardless of whether she trod upon the eyes on the floor, she shrieked and threw herself into his arms!

Shen Xiao arrived next, followed by the governor of Xu, Madam Xu, Xu Xiangyun, Xu Qingfeng, and a host of servants.

Shen Xiao surveyed the room, found nothing, then emerged and asked Shi Xianyu, “What happened?”

Shi Xianyu lifted her head from Lin Yuan’s embrace, terrified. “There were so many eyes in the room! On the floor, the walls, the beams—even the bed!”

Her words startled the Xu family and their servants, who instinctively stepped back a few paces. Only Miss Xu was bold, not retreating but stepping forward to peer into the room.

“There’s nothing,” Xu Xiangyun said, frowning in doubt. “Where are the eyes? There’s nothing here—did you have a nightmare?”

Shi Xianyu protested, wide-eyed, “I wasn’t even asleep!”

Shen Xiao silently entered the room again, scanning all around. The guest chamber was reserved for visitors, seldom used but regularly cleaned, so it was spotless, free of filth, and he detected no trace of demonic energy.

Yet Shi Xianyu would not be frightened without cause; since she could sense the location of Spirit Mountain and hear spirits’ voices, seeing eyes must imply something hidden.

After several rounds of inspection, Shen Xiao’s gaze finally settled on the beams.

He summoned a fire talisman, lighting the candles in the room, then took a candle in one hand, bent, and leapt up to the beam.

Everyone stood outside the door, watching as he jumped down, candle in hand, and walked out, holding a paper figure—

The figure was white, cut from some unknown sheet into a human shape; in the center was drawn a large eye.

“This is a puppet spell,” Shen Xiao placed the paper figure into the flame, which quickly reduced it to ash. “Puppet spells are favored by rogue Taoists; the eye is drawn for surveillance. It won’t harm anyone, but from now on, every move made here will be watched.”

Shi Xianyu’s scalp tingled, burrowing deeper into Lin Yuan’s arms. “Why would anyone want to watch me?”

Shen Xiao gazed gravely toward the opposite side of the estate. “Perhaps it isn’t you alone. Perhaps the entire Xu family is being watched.”

The others were aghast.

Governor Xu exclaimed, “You mean, Master Taoist… every room in this house is surveilled by puppet spells?”

Shen Xiao spoke firmly, “Do not panic, Governor Xu. Let me investigate Miss Xu’s chamber.”

He strode quickly away. Xu Xiangyun hesitated, then her expression changed abruptly and she hurried after him.

“There are no eyes in my room! No need to check!”

“Whether there are eyes or not, I’ll see for myself.”

Shen Xiao moved as if the wind aided his steps; though his motions seemed slow, in a blink, he was far ahead. Xu Xiangyun, with no alternative, lifted her skirts and ran along the stone path.

The others followed in turn.

Upon reaching Xu Xiangyun’s chamber, Shen Xiao pushed the door open and swept his gaze around, finally settling on a scroll of ink painting by the window—

The painting depicted the willow-lined riverbank outside Green Mountain City, the brushwork elegant and lively, full of meaning. But as the painting continued, the strokes became wild and agitated, finally ending with a crude circle drawn in thick ink—a turtle, with the shell inscribed heavily with two characters: Shen, Xiao.

Shen Xiao: …