When Xiao Xiang returned to the General's mansion, she had regained her composure, her eyes still a little red, showing no other abnormalities.
"Second Miss is back," the Fourth Concubine asked with a smile when she chanced upon Xiao Xiang. However, upon seeing Xiao Xiang's slightly red eyes, she didn't pry further and took another path, disappearing gracefully.
"Miss," Yuanyang looked at Second Miss with some worry.
Xiao Xiang's expression was listless. From the moment her purity was destroyed, she knew she could never marry. A marriage built on deceit could not be happy. It was better to have none. "Let's go back. I'm fine."
Xiao Man was still troubled by the matter of Daoist Priest Tianyi. Yan Shi's sudden desire to invite a Daoist priest to perform a ritual must have had a purpose. She couldn't think of any reason other than to deal with her.
"What on earth have I done that is so wicked that everyone in this mansion is trying to take my life?" Xiao Man muttered to herself.
"Sometimes it's not about what you've done that makes others want your life, but simply that you are alive and they find you an eyesore." A voice drifted over. Xiao Man turned to see Prince Qin, Nangong Yu, climbing in through the window.
"Since when did Prince Qin learn from those scoundrels and break into private dwellings?" Xiao Man asked with amusement.
"My wound has reopened, and the imperial physician is not here, so I had to come to you." Nangong Yu sat down as if it were natural and reached to unbuckle his belt. Xiao Man, helpless, got up to get the medicine box.
"You must take good care of this wound. If it splits again, it will leave a scar," Xiao Man instructed. "Try not to engage in martial arts to avoid reopening the wound."
"Alright," Nangong Yu readily agreed. At this moment, his undergarment slipped, revealing Nangong Yu's shoulder. Xiao Man's gaze fell upon the bite mark on Nangong Yu's shoulder. The wound seemed to have been specially treated, leaving a deep imprint.
Seeing Xiao Man looking at the bite mark on his shoulder, Nangong Yu's face turned slightly red. He quickly pulled his clothes back to cover the bite mark. "You seem very troubled."
Xiao Man's thoughts stirred. "Your Highness, are you familiar with Daoist Priest Tianyi?"
"We have some acquaintance."
"Then can Your Highness invite Daoist Priest Tianyi to the General's mansion to perform a ritual?"
"You want to invite him to perform a ritual?"
"No, it's not me, it's Yan Shi." Xiao Man's lips curved into a flattering smile. "I wonder if Your Highness can do me this favor?"
"What do you want Daoist Priest Tianyi to do?" Su Dan Novel Network
"It's not what I want Daoist Priest Tianyi to do, but what Yan Shi wants him to do. If she does nothing, that's fine. But if she tries to do something, then we will naturally act against her!"
Nangong Yu smiled. "A small matter. I promise you."
After Nangong Yu left, Xiao Man's thoughts remained on the bite mark on Nangong Yu's shoulder. She was the one who had bitten him. Back at the hot springs in the forbidden area of Gan Ye Temple, she had bitten Nangong Yu fiercely to escape.
But why did Nangong Yu specially treat the wound to keep that bite mark? A thought flashed through Xiao Man's mind, and she immediately shook her head, denying it. How could it be? Nangong Yu, the Prince of Qin, was such a proud man. How could he possibly like a woman he had never even met?
Xiao Man's heart was filled with doubt. Could it be that Prince Qin kept the bite mark on his body to remind him that the woman who left it was his enemy?
Xiao Man felt she had uncovered the truth and couldn't help but shiver. She swore that she would never let Nangong Yu know that she was the one who bit him!
It must be said that Nangong Yu was very efficient, which also indicated how eager the people in the General's mansion were to get rid of Xiao Man.
The next day, Daoist Priest Tianyi arrived at the General's mansion, clad in a Daoist robe and holding a whisk, truly possessing the aura of an immortal and a recluse.
Yan Shi, with a look of piety, invited Daoist Priest Tianyi in. "Daoist priest, things have been going poorly in our mansion lately. It's likely we've offended something. Please perform a ritual for us to ward off bad luck."
Daoist Priest Tianyi nodded, holding the whisk in his left hand and making a calculation with his right. Then, he opened his eyes and said, "Your mansion has offended a malevolent star, which is why disasters have been continuous."
"Malevolent star?" Yan Shi's face turned pale, as if she couldn't believe it. At this moment, Old Madam, supported by Xu Momo, entered. Hearing the words "malevolent star," her face turned white.
"Daoist priest, you must save us," the Old Madam said tremblingly. "What is this malevolent star, and how can we find it?"
Daoist Priest Tianyi calculated carefully. "Once I set up an altar and perform the ritual, the malevolent star will reveal its true face."
"We are in your debt, Daoist priest."
Yan Shi was exceptionally diligent, preparing the items needed for the ritual for Daoist Priest Tianyi as quickly as possible.
A crowd gathered on the periphery to watch Daoist Priest Tianyi perform the ritual.
Daoist Priest Tianyi was a learned master, so Xiao Man naturally had to go and watch. Led by Qiu Tong and Ying Xue, she also came to the back garden, where the ritual was set up.
Daoist Priest Tianyi wielded his peach wood sword beautifully. Yellow paper burned in his hand as if from nowhere. Daoist Priest Tianyi chanted, "Exorcise evil spirits, remove malevolent influences, by the decree of Lord Laozi, haste!"
Qiu Tong looked curious. "Miss, is there really a malevolent star in the mansion?"
"Daoist Priest Tianyi is a learned master. Since he says there is, then there is!"
"The malevolent star is in the southeast direction!" Daoist Priest Tianyi declared.
"Southeast direction..." Everyone's gaze turned towards Xiao Man, who was cracking melon seeds, because Xiao Man's courtyard was located in the southeast.
"Why are you looking at me? Have you forgotten that the courtyards of all legitimate sons and daughters are in the southeast direction? It's not just me; my elder brother's and third sister's courtyards are also in the southeast direction."
Upon hearing this, the Old Madam quickly looked at Daoist Priest Tianyi. "Daoist priest, how can we distinguish who the malevolent star is?"
"We only need the birthdates of the young ladies and masters in the southeast direction."
The Old Madam immediately sent someone to fetch the birthdates of the three. Daoist Priest Tianyi first looked at Xiao Luo's birthdate. "This person's birthdate is auspicious. They are a manifestation of the Wuwu Star, with an unlimited future!"
The Old Madam leaned forward to look. It was Xiao Luo's birthdate.
The Old Madam had some doubts, so she provided the birthdates of three people but did not specify whose was whose. Seeing that Daoist Priest Tianyi declared Xiao Luo to be a reincarnation of the Wuwu Star, her smile became radiant.
"This birthdate..." Daoist Priest Tianyi's expression was somewhat hard to describe. He then looked at the last person's birthdate and said after a long pause, "Old Madam, Madam, the birthdates of these two individuals are both exceptionally good, destined for immense wealth and honor."
The Old Madam's gaze fell on Xiao Ling, who was standing beside her. Xiao Man, on the other hand, was nonchalantly cracking melon seeds. Everyone else was tense, but she was casually eating seeds.
"Then who is the malevolent star?" the Third Concubine asked anxiously. If Xiao Man were the malevolent star, the Old Madam would likely try every means to expel Xiao Man from the mansion, leaving them, mother and daughter, truly isolated and helpless.