FVN #298 - A thousand miles of marriage
#298 - A thousand miles of marriage
Chapter 297: A Thousand Miles of Marriage Tied by a Thread
Zhang Chen felt a little uneasy. He had a guilty conscience: ‘Could it be that my stealing of the power of incense has been discovered?’
But thinking about it, it was impossible. If my stealing of points had been discovered, it wouldn't be the Law Enforcement Elder calling me to a friendly stop, but rather a master of the Yellow Sky Dao directly arresting me.
So, Zhang Chen calmed himself, looked at the Law Enforcement Elder, and asked with a smile, “I wonder what instructions the Elder has for me?”
“The Heir Apparent wants to see you. Come with me.” After speaking, the Law Enforcement Elder turned and walked towards the backyard.
Zhang Chen was stunned when he heard this, but he didn't say much and silently followed behind the Law Enforcement Elder.
Now, in Zhang Xiaohua's small building, three days ago, Zhang Xiaohua was beaten violently in her sleep. When she woke up, her whole body was bruised and swollen, and she directly became a pig's head. A scream alarmed the entire Taoist temple. Liu Feng and Gu Mingyue and others quickly came forward to check, but they couldn't find the reason why Zhang Xiaohua was secretly attacked.
This continued for three days. Despite Gu Mingyue guarding her side, she still couldn't stop Zhang Xiaohua from being beaten black and blue in her sleep. The people of the Yellow Sky Dao were helpless. The fox spirit Nannan rolled her big eyes and, seeing Zhang Xiaohua suffering day and night, directly used a secret method to enter Zhang Xiaohua's dream and mentioned Zhang Chen to Zhang Xiaohua.
At this time, Zhang Xiaohua remembered Zhang Chen's methods of driving away the blood-sucking evil spirits and the ability to overturn the fox spirit Nannan, so her eyes lit up, and she quickly asked someone to invite Zhang Chen over.
Zhang Chen came to Zhang Xiaohua's small building and looked at Zhang Xiaohua, who was lying on the bed, covered in bruises, unable to find intact skin, and with a swollen and bruised face like a pig's head. He couldn't help but twitch his eyelids.
At this time, Zhang Xiaohua could no longer see her original appearance, and her face was ferocious and very scary.
‘No wonder I haven't dreamed these past few days. It turns out that my rebellious grand-niece has really found Zhang Xiaohua and entangled her. This kid doesn't have my Blood Control Technique, so he doesn't have the ability to quickly relieve bruises and injuries. It's reasonable for him to be beaten like this now.’ Zhang Chen muttered to himself: ‘So, my grand-niece can understand human speech? Well done! Very well done!’
“Greetings, Heir Apparent.” Zhang Chen performed a salute to Zhang Xiaohua with a blank expression, pretending not to know and said, “Why has the Heir Apparent become like this?”
“Save… me… Please… save me!” Zhang Xiaohua's voice was hoarse and choked, her eyes were so swollen that she couldn't open them. At this time, seeing Zhang Chen arrive, she tried hard to open a slit:
“Please! Save me! I know you have the ability to do so.”
The red-haired fox transformed by the fox spirit Nannan was also anxiously circling around Zhang Chen. It could be seen that the fox spirit Nannan was very anxious. After all, Zhang Xiaohua was beaten like this, although she wouldn't die, it was simply worse than death.
Most importantly, Zhang Xiaohua absorbed the aura of the Emperor's Daughter, and there was a mark of the Emperor's Daughter in her spirit, energy, and soul. The Emperor's Daughter wanted to control Zhang Xiaohua's dreams and harm Zhang Xiaohua, which was easier than harming Zhang Chen.
Even Zhang Chen couldn't resist the Emperor's Daughter's methods, so how could Zhang Xiaohua resist?
“Zhang Chen, the Heir Apparent said that you have the ability to help her resolve disasters. Quickly use your methods to relieve the Heir Apparent's misfortune.” Liu Feng turned his head to look at Zhang Chen at this time, his voice full of urgency.
Zhang Chen smiled bitterly when he heard this: “Abbot, you are really grasping at straws. Even the Celestial Masters and High Adepts in the Taoist temple are helpless, so how can I have such abilities? I am just an ordinary person. You overestimate me.”
Zhang Chen wasn't a fool, so why would he treat Zhang Xiaohua? He had finally managed to get the Emperor's Daughter to shift her target, so why would he foolishly stir himself back in?
He couldn't agree even if he was beaten to death!
Moreover, he and Zhang Xiaohua were mortal enemies, it could be said that their hatred was as deep as the sea, so why would he help his enemy?
When Zhang Xiaohua heard Zhang Chen's words, a look of helplessness appeared in her eyes, and in the end, she could only wave her hand, signaling Zhang Chen to retreat.
Zhang Chen walked out of Zhang Xiaohua's small building, a hint of schadenfreude appearing in his eyes, but he quickly restrained it, so as not to be noticed.
After Zhang Chen left, Zhang Xiaohua's room was silent, with only Zhang Xiaohua's painful groans. Zhang Xiaohua looked at Gu Mingyue, her voice full of pleading: “Ancestor, save me!”
Gu Mingyue sighed faintly when she heard this: “Now, there is only one way left.”
She saw Gu Mingyue take out a red string from her sleeve: “This is the mystical object, ‘A Thousand Miles of Marriage Tied by a Thread,’ refined by the Great Virtuous Teacher before he went into seclusion.”
Zhang Xiaohua smiled bitterly and said: “Although this thing is good, it is useless for my current situation.”
“If you can tie the red string on Xie Lingyun's body, then when the power of love takes effect, you and Xie Lingyun will achieve a good thing. Naturally, you can use Xie Lingyun's fortune and power to suppress the evil spirits on your body.” Gu Mingyue said.
Zhang Xiaohua groaned in pain at this time: “But what kind of person is Xie Lingyun? How can I have the ability to tie the marriage thread on her body? I'm afraid that before I can even take action, I will be beaten to death by Xie Lingyun.”
“Crude, how can ‘A Thousand Miles of Marriage Tied by a Thread’ be used like that? It's simply too crude.” Gu Mingyue shook her head: “Tying it on the body is the fastest way, but it is also the most difficult way. The Great Virtuous Teacher has already prepared a solution, so you don't need to worry about this.”
As she spoke, she saw Gu Mingyue take out two straw dolls from her sleeve and handed them to Zhang Xiaohua: “The Great Virtuous Teacher has already personally taken a strand of Xie Lingyun's hair and put it into one of the straw dolls. You only need to take down your own hair and put it into the other straw doll, and then tie the ankles of the two straw dolls together with a red string. As long as seven days have passed, you can achieve a good thing.”
Zhang Xiaohua's face immediately showed joy when she heard this, and she quickly asked someone to take down her hair, and then tied the red string to the ankles of the two straw dolls.
After everything was done, everyone dispersed, leaving Zhang Xiaohua to rest alone, falling into a deep sleep.
The fox spirit Nannan, seeing the straw dolls and ‘A Thousand Miles of Marriage Tied by a Thread’ placed in the room, couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. Then, she turned her head to look at Zhang Xiaohua and said to herself: “If Zhang Chen knows about this, he will definitely fight her to the death. At that time, you kid will be dead. Kid, listen to your aunt's advice, you can't handle this.”
After saying this, the fox's eyes turned and it jumped out of the small building, running all the way towards the direction where Zhang Chen was. Along the way, no Taoist priests made things difficult for it. These days, the large and small Taoist priests in the Taoist temple had already received instructions that the Heir Apparent of the Prince of Peace liked to raise foxes, and everyone must not be rude to the foxes, so as not to offend the Heir Apparent and cause trouble.
Now, Zhang Chen had just returned to the courtyard and was pondering his wicked niece and the misfortune of Zhang Xiaohua when he suddenly heard footsteps. The red-haired fox darted from afar, leaping directly onto Zhang Chen's shoulder.
Zhang Chen didn't stop the red-haired fox, but asked, "Why are you here?"
The red-haired fox held a few strands of white hair in its claws, inconspicuous among its fur. Then, Fox Immortal Nannan's soul left her body, her big eyes glaring at Zhang Chen: "You're just watching someone die! I promised to monitor Zhang Xiaohua, so why are you ignoring her plight? This is our deal."
Hearing Fox Immortal Nannan's accusation, Zhang Chen sat down in his deck chair: "You really think too highly of me. Do you know what kind of terrifying existence Zhang Xiaohua has provoked? How could I possibly deal with that existence? If I help Zhang Xiaohua, I'm afraid I'll be dragged down with her."
Hearing Zhang Chen's words, Fox Immortal Nannan realized he seemed to know something, and her eyes lit up: "You seem to know something?"
Zhang Chen's mind raced, and a conspiracy took shape. He didn't hide anything: "Zhang Xiaohua is being beaten in her dreams because of the power of the female corpse in the tomb. That tree coffin is very important to the female corpse. If you want her to stop, you have to find the tree coffin and invite her back. Otherwise, I'm afraid Zhang Xiaohua will be in big trouble. Tell me, with my meager abilities, how dare I offend a female corpse?"
"Is that true?" Fox Immortal Nannan's pupils shrank. Her lair was on the edge of the tomb, and she had been following Zhang Chen, so she knew how terrifying the female corpse was.
Zhang Chen shook his head: "Believe it or not, I dare not interfere in the karma. If you want to cure the young master, you'd better find the Evergreen Tree Coffin. Otherwise, it won't just be the young master; I'm afraid everyone in the Pingbian Manor will soon be in trouble."
Fox Immortal Nannan thoughtfully said: "I was wondering before, the Pingbian Prince's heir has the protection of the ancestral dragon vein's aura, so he shouldn't be harmed by this nightmare technique. But if he provoked an ancient demon god, that would explain it."
"Thank you for your guidance. I will definitely repay you and give you a chance to attach yourself to the Dragon Gate." Fox Immortal Nannan looked at Zhang Chen with a proud expression, subconsciously tightening the few strands of hair in her claws:
"Don't worry, I, Fox Immortal Nannan, am definitely not an ungrateful, unappreciative beast."
After speaking, she left with a heroic and righteous air, leaving Zhang Chen dumbfounded. He scratched his head, looking at the departing red ball of fur: "Is that how you use the word 'beast'?"
How strange it felt for a fox spirit to say the word 'beast,' Zhang Chen thought.
However, his guidance to the fox spirit, and the fox spirit's pointing out the Evergreen Tree Coffin, were the result of his own secret deductions and deliberations.
When Zhang Xiaohua asked him to come, he pretended not to know, not mentioning the Evergreen Tree Coffin or the Emperor's Daughter's dream. This was because, with his current status, if he said it, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to explain it clearly, and he would be suspected, putting himself in danger. How would he continue to steal incense and aura then?
But through the mouth of Fox Immortal Nannan, there wouldn't be so many worries.
However, Zhang Chen didn't know that a red thread was about to be tied to him.
Fox Immortal Nannan returned to Zhang Xiaohua's pavilion and found Zhang Xiaohua already unconscious. Then, Fox Immortal Nannan looked at the two straw dolls on the counter. The next moment, she quietly jumped up, took out Zhang Xiaohua's hair, and stuffed Zhang Chen's hair into the doll.
Then, looking at the two straw dolls, Fox Immortal Nannan suddenly had a thought: "What would happen if Zhang Chen and Zhang Xiaohua were tied together? Would they no longer have to kill each other, and would all their grievances be resolved?"
Fox Immortal Nannan stared at the two straw dolls, her eyes flashing with strange light: "Although tying a man and a man together doesn't conform to the way of yin and yang and would delay Zhang Xiaohua's life, according to Zhang Chen's current growth rate, Zhang Xiaohua will eventually die at Zhang Chen's hands… It's better than letting Zhang Xiaohua die at Zhang Chen's hands, right? Although she might be bent, at least she can survive, right?"
But then she thought of Zhang Chen's temperament, and the fox spirit shook her head vigorously, throwing the thought out of her head: "How could Zhang Chen's dog-like temper submit to the red thread of fate? He might even kill Zhang Xiaohua directly to get rid of the red thread. Zhang Xiaohua would die even faster. I'd better not mess around. That kid is too wicked."
But thinking that this good marriage would be a waste on Zhang Chen, the fox spirit was unwilling. Then, Fox Immortal Nannan smiled sinisterly and looked towards the back of the Taoist temple. She darted out and came to a large tree, directly plucked the leaves, took out Xie Lingyun's hair, and stuffed the leaves into the wooden doll.
Not long after Fox Immortal Nannan left, Elder Chuan Gong led three carpenters to the tree: "This tree was planted by the founder himself and has been nourished by incense for decades. It has already become spiritual. Now that the sculpture for the Water God's consecration ceremony hasn't been found yet, this tree is just right. Quickly cut down the tree and make a sculpture."
The three carpenters didn't dare to neglect and hurried forward to cut down the tree.
Three days later
In the main hall of the Yellow Heaven Taoist Temple, Elder Chuan Gong directed the disciples to erect a new sculpture in a hall.
The sculpture had no face, only a rough outline, indistinguishable in gender.
"The Water God's consecration ceremony is about to begin, and the Water God's sculpture is finally ready. I hope the abbot will be satisfied," Elder Chuan Gong said with a smile.
As he spoke, he inconspicuously stuffed a piece of jade into the sculpture's mouth.
If Zhang Chen were here, he would definitely notice the clue, because this piece of jade was the same piece that Zhang Xiaohua used to steal incense and faith.
Time rewinds. After Fox Immortal Nannan finished everything, she jumped off the counter and came to Zhang Xiaohua. Seeing Zhang Xiaohua's bruised face and the new injuries constantly appearing on her body, she suddenly had another headache: "Is this guy dreaming again?"
Seeing the injuries on Zhang Xiaohua's body constantly increasing, Fox Immortal Nannan couldn't sit still: "Speaking of which, I also have the art of entering dreams. I wonder if I can help Zhang Xiaohua."