"So, that's what it is..." Zhao Yunxiao exchanged a quick look with Gu Qiansi before turning back to Cai Caoyuan. "Could we take a closer look?"
"Oh, of course! Just be careful with it," Cai Caoyuan carefully picked up the pendant and handed it over with both hands. "Heh, don't misunderstand. It's not that I am doubting you, but this is an heirloom of the city. Even though it is in my possession, I still have to answer to the authorities if it gets damaged!"
"Don't worry, we won't damage it," Zhao Yunxiao picked it up and looked it over.
Outwardly, there did not seem to be anything strange about it. The silver pendant was hanging from a thin silver chain, engraved with a simple carving of a sword.
But the moment Zhao Yunxiao tried to send a wisp of his spiritual sense into the pendant, it became clear that there was more to it than met the eye.
It felt like there was an invisible barrier surrounding the pendant, completely blocking his spiritual sense from entering. That said, he could still try to force his way in, but he decided against doing so for now.
Zhao Yunxiao thought back to the performance earlier.
What was it again?
Right, it went like this...
"If this is what it takes, then I shall gladly give up my life to protect my friends, my people, my world."
Short of the emotions that Ling Jiping had invested into portraying Lei He's character, Zhao Yunxiao perfectly recited Lei He's line as he watched the Night Emperor unleash its ultimate attack – his final words that had become so popular that even the crowd would chant along.
The moment he completed that line, faint energy undulations started to rise up from within the pendant. Now that he was holding it in his hand, Zhao Yunxiao could be absolutely sure that it did not originate from elsewhere.
And almost at the exact same moment that the energy undulations appeared, Ling Jiping started to rub his temples in pain.
"What's wrong?" Gu Qiansi asked with a frown.
"It's nothing much – just a chronic headache that has probably resulted from all those sleepless nights," Ling Jiping waved it off nonchalantly.
Zhao Yunxiao let out a cold smirk.
There was no way that an ordinary mortal like Ling Jiping could sense the energy undulations coming from the pendant, but the timing was too much of a coincidence.
"Do you get these headaches whenever you play your role?" Zhao Yunxiao asked.
"Not just that. They come when I am both on and off stage, though I am good at hiding it while on stage," Ling Jiping answered.
"Let me rephrase my question. Do you get these headaches whenever you recite the line that I just said?" Zhao Yunxiao probed further.
"Eh?" Ling Jiping seemed to be caught by surprise. "Well, that is a point in the performance when the headaches always come, yes. I do remember always ending my role with a headache. That said, I have always imagined that it is because of the pressure finally leaving my body since that is effectively my last line. But are you saying that...?"
"What should we do next? Do we destroy the pendant?" Nie Hanchang asked, clearly having come to the same conclusion that the pendant was the source of the problem.
"Wait, what? Destroy? No, no, no, no, no! No! Why are we even talking about destroying the pendant?" Cai Caoyuan immediately interjected. "This is an heirloom of the city!"
"That's not a good idea," Zhao Yunxiao addressed Nie Hanchang while ignoring Cai Caoyuan. "I can sense a spiritual barrier within the pendant that is similar to the defence mechanism of a soul. If a soul is truly residing within, then it has probably already bound itself to Ling Jiping. Depending on the situation, such a move could result in a backlash to him. Not to mention that he is just an ordinary mortal, the fact that his physical and mental conditions are currently in such a poor state means that a backlash like that could prove fatal."
"I hear my name, but I don't quite understand what is being said. However, it does sound a little grim," Ling Jiping said with a bitter smile. "Does that mean I will be in danger if we want to solve this problem?"
"T-There's a soul inside this thing? Is that the cause of this curse?" Cai Caoyuan subconsciously took a step back. "I-I know! It has to be the Night Demon! That monster must have possessed the pendant after being slain by Sir Lei, wanting to take revenge against him by preventing us descendants from spreading his glory!"
"I share the same thoughts," Zhao Yunxiao agreed. "Considering the story of the city's origin, that is the most likely scenario."
"Is there an alternative?" Gu Qiansi asked.
"Naturally," Zhao Yunxiao nodded. "The Soul Suppression Shell Array can limit the soul's connection to Ling Jiping while forcing it out of the pendant. As long as we are aware of its identity, there shouldn't be a problem purging it without hurting Ling Jiping."
"And if we were wrong about the identity of the soul?" Lu Zhiying asked.
"Then our friend here would just have to bear with the situation until we figure that out," Zhao Yunxiao gave Ling Jiping a light pat on the shoulder.
"That's not too bad for consequences," Lu Zhiying remarked.
Ling Jiping: "..."
"Don't worry, you will be fine," Zhao Yunxiao assured. "It's decided then. Let's do this tomorrow at noon; that's when souls should be at their weakest due to the strong yang energy from the sun."
"Wait, tomorrow?" Cai Caoyuan interjected. "Why don't we just do it now? We already know how to go about doing it, don't we?"
"T-That's right!" Ling Jiping added. "Let's not waste anymore time. This is really driving me crazy!"
"I understand how you feel, but we should not rush into things since potential failure could trigger the soul's aggression," Zhao Yunxiao said with a sigh. "Yes, it is possible for us to just go ahead with it now, but doing it at noon will increase the chances of success. That way, the risk to you will be minimised."
"...Risk?" Ling Jiping swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "What kind of risk?"
"Who knows? That depends on the soul within," Zhao Yunxiao shrugged. "If you are lucky, nothing will happen. If you are not..."
"T-Tomorrow then!" Ling Jiping almost shouted in his bid to cut off Zhao Yunxiao, clearly not wanting to hear him speak of the worst-case scenario.
"What difference will a few hours that make? Let's just get it done now so we can all sleep easy tonight," Cai Caoyuan insisted.
"You might be the one who sent in the request, but you are not the one whose life is in danger," Zhao Yunxiao glared at him. "We will be doing this tomorrow."
Faced with Zhao Yunxiao's sudden change of mood, Cai Caoyuan immediately lost all intentions to keep pushing his course. "Fine, tomorrow at noon then..."
"We will let you know the result tomorrow," Zhao Yunxiao nodded as he turned to leave.
"Wait, wait, wait," Cai Caoyuan called out urgently. "Lord Zhao, the pendant..."
"Just to be safe, we will be bringing it back with us tonight," Zhao Yunxiao explained. "Don't worry, it will be back in your hands by the end of tomorrow."
"That... you can't bring it back, Lord Zhao. That is an heirloom of the city and our most prized possession..."
"Are you hinting that we are trying to steal your pendant?" Zhao Yunxiao narrowed his eyes.
"No, of course not! Lord Zhao is misunderstanding my point!" Cai Caoyuan hurriedly denied. "It's just that if we are doing this tomorrow, there's really no reason to take it away tonight, is there?"
"Of course, there will be a difference," Gu Qiansi interjected. "If we bring it back with us, we can at least study it before trying to exorcise it tomorrow."
"If that's the case, then I don't mind staying up here all night while you study the pendant. But I really can't have it leave the possession of the performance group," Cai Caoyuan stood his ground with an unexpected firmness.
"If we really want to bring it away, do you really think you can stop us?" Zhao Yunxiao scoffed.
"Lord Zhao is right. I definitely can't stop you," Cai Caoyuan's voice was nervous, but filled with a strong determination. "But at the same time, I really cannot afford to lose the pendant that is the main draw of our performance. I have invested my entire life into this. If anything goes wrong with the performances, there's no need to worry about the curse anymore. I will be the first to commit suicide since my life would essentially be ruined!"
Zhao Yunxiao narrowed his eyes at Cai Caoyuan, who actually managed to match Zhao Yunxiao's gaze despite his fingers trembling from fear.
"...I understand," Zhao Yunxiao sighed after about half a minute. "We will return and perform the exorcism here tomorrow. Prepare an enclosed space so that we can do so without disturbances."
With that, Zhao Yunxiao's group turned around and left the shophouse, much to Cai Caoyuan's relief.
Not everyone operated according to logic and reason.
While it would definitely be safer for them to hold onto the pendant for now, there was no need for them to insist on doing so if Cai Caoyuan was going to be this uptight about it. Rather than risk this man going all hysterical on them, they would just have to be more careful during the exorcism process the next day.
They promptly left the Good Luck Performance Group's shophouse and returned to their inn. After Zhao Yunxiao gave them a brief run-down of what to do the next day, they retired for the night in their respective rooms.
***
First thing the next morning, Zhao Yunxiao's group had an early breakfast at their inn before departing for the Good Luck Theatre Group's shophouse.
It was a rather long distance from their inn to the Good Luck Theatre Group, but they did not rush. Instead, they deliberately took their time walking at their own pace, leisurely breathing in the warm and fresh summer morning air, adjusting their condition in the process.
If things went well later, that would mark the end of their mission here at Demonfall. Even Zhao Yunxiao had not expected that they would discover the source of the curse this quickly. But just because things had fallen nicely into place for them so far, it did not mean they could afford to get careless.
Since time was on their side, they had to be make full use of this advantage and be careful not to rush things. This way, they could at least minimise the risk of screwing things up.
As they were casually making their way towards the Good Luck Theatre Group, they seemed to have wandered into the path of what seemed to be a small parade.
Three men and one woman, all dressed in exquisite apparel that practically broadcasted their wealth status as they casually strolled down the street on horseback.
The man in the lead looked to be in his early fifties, with a shiny bald head and a significantly sized tummy. There was an aura of friendliness about him, made even more distinct by his plump figure that actually looked rather adorable.
Riding beside him was a woman who looked to be in her early thirties, her pretty face complemented with a slim but curvaceous body. Her hair and wrists were clad with a variety of gold accessories, their glittering reflection of the sun enough to blind any passer-by who was careless enough to focus on them.
The two men riding behind them were both young and suave, though one could tell at a single glance that their styles were vastly different.
One was dressed in robes similar to the man in the lead – luxurious and flamboyant. His body was lean and his skin smooth, bearing a demeanour similar to that of a typical young master of a wealthy family.
The other donned exquisite armour, and had a sword studded with precious gems hanging by his waist. His figure looked muscular and tough, and the calluses on his hands were physical proof of just how many hours he had spent with the sword.
As this group of four passed, citizens of Demonfall were hurried to greet them with great respect and admiration, with many even chasing after them to offer up their wares. In return, the group on horseback waved back with amiable smiles on their faces, and gladly accepted the kind gifts from the citizens.
It was an incredible sight, as though they were celebrities who had managed to convert the entire population of Demonfall into part of their fanbase. Though when Zhao Yunxiao overheard how the citizens addressed them, this scene suddenly made that much more sense.
"Please have some of these berries, City Lord Lan! They are in season right now, so they are extremely sweet! You definitely won't regret it!"
"Your robes seem to be getting a little worn out at the sleeves, City Lord Lan. That doesn't reflect too well on someone of your status! I will send a few sets of new clothes to your residence; please be sure to try them on!"
"Here are some precious pearls that have just arrived from the South. Here are some samples for you, so take a look at them and come back to look for us if you like them!"
Zhao Yunxiao let out a chuckle upon seeing this, and led the others in standing inconspicuously by the side of the street while the flamboyant group rode past them.
So, that was the city lord of Demonfall – Lan Huolian. By association, the lady beside him should be his wife Yang Minxin. As for the ones riding behind them, they should be their son Lan Guyue and an accompanying personal guard.
One thing was clear from what they had seen – the citizens of Demonfall truly loved this city lord of theirs.
That was hardly a bad thing. On the contrary, this was actually good news for the city as it often indicated that the city lord was managing the city well. Of course, Zhao Yunxiao also understood that a big part of why the city lord was so beloved by the citizens was simply because of his bloodline – because he was a descendant of the ancient couple Lan Fangyuan and Qian Qiqi.
But right as the group of four passed the current group of citizens and were riding off into the distance, City Lord Lan Huolian proudly whispered something to Yang Minxin – words that made Zhao Yunxiao let out a helpless sigh.
"Heh, we really should do this more often now that summer has arrived. All we have to do is put on a simple show, and these fools would be more than willing to do anything for us! This job is way too easy!"