Chapter 940: Averting Evil Art

Sang Qian was startled and quickly stepped forward, calling out, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"

No matter how she called, Zheng Dan continued to writhe in pain, showing no signs of waking up.

Zu An quickly stopped her, then took Zheng Dan's hand and slowly infused her with warm vital energy.

Sang Qian didn't even notice their close contact at this point; she was simply staring at Zheng Dan nervously, hoping to see an improvement.

Zu An continuously channeled vital energy into Zheng Dan, but unfortunately, she showed no signs of improvement.

His brows were tightly furrowed, and just as he was utterly perplexed, he suddenly detected a bone-chilling coldness within her.

Due to Chu Chuyan, he was quite familiar with ice-elemental energy. He immediately recognized that this strange, icy coldness was not an ice element; rather, it was something else he was familiar with—something like a ghost or malevolent spirit.

His previous experiences in various secret realms had brought him into contact with undead creatures multiple times, even encountering powerful entities like Xu Fu, who had existed for thousands of years. The sensation was almost identical, though, of course, the coldness in Zheng Dan was much weaker compared to those formidable beings.

Understanding this, Zu An immediately switched to cultivating the Primordial Genesis Sutra, channeling Primordial Qi into Zheng Dan. Primordial Qi was the most effective against malevolent entities.

As expected, upon sensing the Primordial Qi, the malevolent energy seemed to encounter something terrifying and instantly retreated deeper within.

Zu An naturally pursued it relentlessly. Then, he seemed to hear a scream in his ear, and the malevolent energy vanished instantly.

However, Zu An couldn't feel happy, because he sensed that he hadn't successfully eliminated it; instead, he had allowed it to escape.

This wasn't his fault; the undead entities he had encountered before were almost all refined beings, usually possessing distinct forms. But this entity was too weak and formless, making it impossible for him to grasp.

Just then, a soft moan came from his embrace, and Zheng Dan slowly awoke. However, her forehead was covered in fine sweat, and even her back was drenched, indicating how weak her body was.

Sang Qian thoughtfully took out a handkerchief to wipe her sweat and quickly asked, "Sister-in-law, are you feeling better?"

Zheng Dan mumbled a "hmm," but still looked visibly shaken.

Zu An quickly asked, "What exactly happened just now?"

"I'm not quite sure," Zheng Dan said, her eyes a little unfocused. "It seemed I fell asleep very quickly with you by my side, but then a terrible nightmare began almost immediately... I wanted to open my eyes, but I couldn't, as if countless hands were pulling me into an abyss."

"What were the specific contents of that nightmare?" Zu An pressed, not letting any detail escape him this time.

"I dreamed..." Zheng Dan's face flushed, and she secretly glanced at Sang Qian, hesitating to speak.

Sang Qian was amused, thinking, "It's inconvenient to tell me, your sister-in-law, but you can tell an outsider?"

She stood up expressionlessly and said, "I'll go inform Father. Zu An, please take care of my sister-in-law here."

"Okay," Zu An replied, secretly admiring the girl's thoughtfulness.

After Sang Qian left, a worried expression crossed Zheng Dan's face. "Xiao Qian seems to know about us."

"Don't overthink it, it's fine," Zu An said, patting her hand reassuringly. He actually had a faint suspicion himself, but some things were better left unsaid. "Now, quickly tell me what your nightmare was about."

A blush spread across Zheng Dan's pale cheeks, and she gave him a playful glare. "I dreamed that our secret was discovered, and we were taken to be drowned in a pig cage. Everyone was pointing fingers and cursing us, and even the Zheng family suffered..."

Zu An was speechless.

"Were there any evil spirits or similar entities in your dream?"

"How did you know?" Zheng Dan gasped. "Usually in the dream, just when we managed to escape prison, everyone around us would turn into ghosts and try to catch us."

"Just as I thought," Zu An mused. "Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

Zheng Dan looked embarrassed. "How could I tell you this in front of Xiao Qian? Besides, at first, I thought ghosts and such were absurd, so I didn't think it was necessary to mention."

"But that's most likely where the problem lies," Zu An said with a serious expression.

Just then, footsteps were heard outside. Sang Hong, having been informed, also arrived. Zheng Dan quickly got up from Zu An's embrace. After all, she was still the Sang family's daughter-in-law, and appearances had to be maintained.

"Ah Zu, what exactly happened?" Sang Hong asked from the outer room after entering, avoiding the bedroom to prevent suspicion.

Zu An also felt a bit awkward and motioned for Zheng Dan to join him outside. He then gave a brief account of what had just happened.

After listening to his description, Sang Hong was startled. "That sounds like a curse of 'Yansheng'."

"'Yansheng'?" Zu An had never heard of it.

Sang Hong explained, "It's a sinister, unorthodox art that can suppress people or objects through curses."

Zu An suddenly understood. It must be similar to the witchcraft or voodoo he knew from his previous life.

"This art is extremely malicious and ruthless. In earlier times, it often appeared in palace infighting, where people would go to extreme lengths. Later, it was strictly forbidden by the imperial court, and any books or individuals associated with 'Yansheng' were executed without mercy upon discovery. That's why 'Yansheng' has been absent from the capital for a very long time. How could it suddenly reappear now?" Sang Hong's expression was grave.

"Is there a way to break it?" Zu An quickly asked.

Sang Hong shook his head worriedly. "Because it disappeared for so long, very few people understand it now, let alone its remedies. There are hidden talents in the capital, so someone must know how to resolve it, but it's a taboo. Fearing the imperial court's punishment, even those who know wouldn't dare admit it."

Knowing this background, Zu An thought it would indeed be difficult. He wondered if anyone at the academy knew about it; given his connections with them, they might be able to help.

"By the way, what's the principle behind 'Yansheng' curses? Does it require something from the target's body or personal belongings?" Zu An asked. In his previous life, similar curse methods usually required the target's hair, nails, birth date, or long-term personal items. If 'Yansheng' was similar, it would be much easier to identify the culprit.

"No, not necessarily. Generally, the practitioner cultivates malevolent entities, like minor ghosts, to harm people," Sang Hong, with his impressive knowledge, immediately explained. "It's said that 'Yansheng' originated from the demon race. Powerful beings among the demons can even kill people in their dreams."

"Demon race?" Zu An's heart stirred, and he suddenly thought of the woman from the Red Sleeves Pavilion. "I think I might know how to break it now."

Sang Hong and his daughter looked at him in surprise, clearly not understanding how he had come up with a solution so quickly.

Zu An said, "Dan... ahem, Miss Zheng, please rest here for a while. That malevolent entity I scared away shouldn't return anytime soon. I need to go out for a bit."

Zheng Dan bit her lip and shook her head. If Sang Hong and his daughter hadn't been present, she might have even tugged on his sleeve.

Evidently, after what she had just experienced, she no longer dared to stay or rest alone.

Zu An also had a bit of a headache. Seeing her reaction, he said, "Alright, then you can come with me."

Considering the Sang family's reputation, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to take their young mistress out alone. So he said to Sang Qian, "Xiao Qian, you should come along too."

"Alright!" As expected, hearing him say that significantly improved the expressions of Sang Hong and his daughter.

Sang Hong said, "My dear nephew, do you need my help?"

Zu An chuckled awkwardly. "No, not yet. I'll ask for your help when the need arises, Uncle."

That particular place was truly not suitable for an upright old man like him.

Sang Hong didn't show any suspicion; instead, he sighed with emotion, "My dear nephew, you've always been reliable. I feel at ease."

At the same time, a touch of sadness entered his heart, wishing that if his son Qian had possessed even half of Zu An's abilities, he wouldn't have met such a fate.

His mood was low, and after a brief chat, he departed.

Only Zu An and the two women remained in the room. Sang Qian asked curiously, "Where are we going? Shall we leave now?"

Zu An, however, didn't move. "I'm afraid you'll need to change your clothes first."

Hearing him suggest they change into men's clothes, Sang Qian was initially puzzled, but then immediately started speculating: it must be to conceal their tracks—first, to prevent the mastermind from noticing them prematurely, and second, to avoid gossip about a sister-in-law and her husband's sister accompanying an outsider.

Although I'm not as stunning as my sister-in-law, I'm still considered a beauty. Walking together on the street would easily attract too much attention.

So, she naturally agreed without resistance. As for Zheng Dan, as long as she could stay by Zu An's side, she didn't mind dressing as a man.

Sang Qian was about to go find men's clothes when Zheng Dan said, "I have some here."

She was, after all, once the formidable leader of a major gang; such attire was readily available to her.

Sang Qian then ushered Zu An into the outer room, while the two women rustled inside as they changed their clothes.

When the two emerged, Zu An's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but exclaim admiringly, "With your fair skin, red lips, and handsome faces, you'll definitely make many girls turn their heads on the street, wondering which noble young masters you are."

Sang Qian's face flushed slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed by his praise. She quickly said, "Let's go."

"Alright!" Zu An's smile was a little odd, making Sang Qian feel strange, but it wasn't long before she understood why he was smiling that way.

Looking at the striking signboard of the Red Sleeves Pavilion in the distance, she trembled all over. "You brought us to *this* kind of place?"