After being ejected from the bracelet's space, Wei Yunqing immediately lost consciousness. At the same time, Wei Yunxi intensified her divine sense, planning to wipe the spiritual imprint from the bracelet in one go. But just then, someone activated the formation around her courtyard.
Wei Yunxi frowned. She had no intention of responding. However, whoever was outside seemed determined to see her, continuing to tap on the formation.
Dian Dian sent a voice transmission.
"Master, it seems to be a steward from the Feng family. He looks anxious. Probably something urgent."
Wei Yunxi had no choice but to pause the process of erasing the spiritual imprint. Still, she didn't want to let Wei Yunqing off easily. Her divine sense forcefully invaded the space inside the bracelet, grabbing everything Wei Yunqing had stored and pulling it all out at once.
Spirit stones, spirit herbs, jade boxes, robes, ores—an assortment of items—buried the unconscious Wei Yunqing completely.
Wei Yunxi transmitted to the Flying Mist Butterfly.
"Gather everything I pulled out of the bracelet."
"Yes, Master."
The Flying Mist Butterfly flapped its wings, circled once around the room, and swept all the items into its internal space. Then, wrapped in Wei Yunxi's divine sense, it was carried out of Wei Yunqing's room.
Wei Yunxi withdrew her divine sense ahead of time, waved her sleeve to open the formation, and frowned.
"What matter disturbs me in the middle of the night and interrupts my cultivation?"
The Feng family steward bowed respectfully as soon as he saw her.
"Forgive me, Wei Zhēnrén. I came on the Feng ancestor's orders to summon you."
Hearing that ancestor Feng was looking for her, Wei Yunxi knew something must have happened. She stepped out at once.
"What's the matter?"
The steward wasn't clear on the details. He only knew that something had gone wrong during the family head's seclusion, but what exactly had occurred, he couldn't say.
"I understand. I'll find the ancestor myself. You may return."
Wei Yunxi's figure flickered and disappeared from her courtyard.
The next moment, she appeared in the rear courtyard of the Feng estate, where she found the Feng ancestor, Feng Feng, with a grave expression.
"Ancestor, what happened?"
Feng Feng looked serious as he spoke.
"Jia Qing was stabilizing his cultivation in seclusion, but now he's showing signs of deviation into evil."
Wei Yunxi's face darkened.
"Deviation? Was Uncle targeted by someone?"
Feng Feng shook his head.
"I don't know. I sensed a surge of spiritual energy, then noticed that Feng Jiaqing's aura was in chaos, showing signs of falling into evil. I intervened just in time to protect his sea of consciousness and his dantian. From here on, it depends on him."
Hearing that Feng Jiaqing's condition had at least stabilized, Wei Yunxi asked further.
"When did the spiritual fluctuation occur?"
Feng Feng thought for a moment.
"About two incense sticks ago. Once I stabilized him, I sent the steward to find you. If he does fall into evil, we'll need to subdue him together. I'm skilled in alchemy, not combat. I was counting on you to handle it."
Wei Yunxi's heart sank. That timing felt far too coincidental.
Dian Dian's voice rang in her mind.
"Master, wasn't that around the same time you were trying to seize Wei Yunqing's space?"
A whole herd of alpacas ran through Wei Yunxi's mind. She clenched her teeth and ignored Dian Dian's voice, instead focusing her full attention on Feng Jiaqing.
At that moment, Feng Jiaqing's face shifted through a range of expressions like he was acting in a silent play—at times joyful, at times startled, then despairing, then dazed again, as if he were reliving an entire story.
Wei Yunxi frowned.
"Ancestor, I feel like Uncle's mind has been clouded by something."
Feng Feng also furrowed his brow.
"It seems so. I forcibly suppressed the chaos in his body just now. As long as he can break free of this state, his mind should return to normal."
The two of them silently observed Feng Jiaqing. After half an hour, his expression gradually settled, and the spiritual energy around him grew calm. Another half hour passed before Feng Jiaqing finally opened his eyes.
Feng Feng and Wei Yunxi both let out quiet sighs of relief and stepped into the room.
Feng Jiaqing blinked in brief confusion when he saw Wei Yunxi. But when his gaze met Feng Feng's worried eyes, his own turned red. He stood up from the prayer mat.
"Ancestor, I'm alright now. Sorry to have worried you."
Feng Feng nodded when he saw that Feng Jiaqing's gaze was clear and his aura stable.
"What happened just now?"
Feng Jiaqing shook his head.
"I don't really know. I was sitting and cultivating as usual, then it suddenly felt like I was pulled into an illusion. I experienced… something."
Wei Yunxi ground her molars again. She now felt sixty percent sure that her guess was correct.
She followed up.
"Do you remember what you saw? Was there anything unusual?"
Feng Jiaqing sighed.
"I can't recall much. The only thing I remember clearly was you."
"Me?"
"Yes."
"What about me?"
"You... were completely different from the you standing here."
"How different?"
"She was more willful. She acted solely on impulse. Her cultivation was far lazier than yours. And she only had a single thunder root."
Wei Yunxi considered this. Something must have tried to interrupt her attempt to steal Wei Yunqing's opportunity and forcibly pulled Feng Jiaqing's soul into the novel's original plot, making him walk through a preset storyline. Fortunately, Feng Jiaqing had broken free. Otherwise, it would've affected his cultivation path.
Feng Feng wasn't aware of all these twists and turns. He simply frowned and asked,
"Jia Qing, were you ambushed by someone?"
Feng Jiaqing immediately tensed up at hearing his childhood nickname.
"Ancestor, I'm already a Golden Core cultivator. Can you not call me that anymore?"
Feng Feng gave him a side glance.
"You're a Golden Core cultivator who still got ambushed. That's a pretty weak Golden Core, don't you think?"
The words stung a little, but Feng Jiaqing could only sigh in resignation.
"You're right, Ancestor. I'll focus on improving my strength so it won't happen again."
"Learn from your setbacks. Stay low-key in the future."
"Yes, I'll keep that in mind."
Seeing that Feng Jiaqing had taken his advice to heart, Feng Feng placed a hand on his wrist to examine him. After a moment, he looked at Wei Yunxi.
"Yun Xi, take a look as well. Make sure there's no hidden danger."
"Alright."
Wei Yunxi understood what Feng Feng meant. With her thunder spirit root, if any trace of evil energy remained, she could drive it out. She sent a thread of divine sense into Feng Jiaqing's body.
After a brief scan, she withdrew her divine sense and said,
"There's no evil energy in Uncle's body."
"Good."
With confirmation that Feng Jiaqing was unharmed, Feng Feng finally relaxed. Still, he frowned again.
"I suspect someone who interacted with Jia Qing in the past few days is responsible, but it's hard to investigate now. Too many people came by to offer congratulations."
Wei Yunxi's expression twitched, but she couldn't explain. She could only say,
"Ancestor, it's best if Uncle refrains from cultivating for the next couple of days. Let him reflect on everything that's happened recently. He might remember something useful."
Feng Feng agreed.
"Yun Xi is right. He's not in a suitable state for seclusion now."
Truthfully, Feng Jiaqing had already recovered after waking, but he knew his family was worried. So he accepted the advice without protest.