Mortal Dawn and Dusk, My Eternal Life - Chapter 10

Since Su Mingyue set the rules and deadlines for the Huang family, the entire Huang Mansion became like a tightly wound clock, bustling with activity.

Huang Baiwan had given a death order: not a single detail of Daoist Su’s instructions could be overlooked! If anyone messed up and delayed the treatment of the eldest young lady, he would flay them alive!

Thus, everyone in the Huang Mansion, from the butler to the cook, from the maids to the household guards, all sprang into action.

Fasting for three days, that wasn’t difficult. The Huang family was wealthy and usually indulged in delicacies, so switching to plain porridge and simple dishes was a different experience. However, it was hard on the household guards and servants who usually couldn’t go a day without meat; they were all starving and clawing at their hearts, but only dared to complain in secret.

Burning Daoist Su’s special calming incense three times a day, morning and evening, in the eldest young lady Huang Yingying’s room was personally overseen by Madam Huang. It was truly strange; after the calming incense was lit, the entire room was filled with an indescribable clear and subtle fragrance. Madam Huang, who had been anxious day and night and suffering from terrible headaches due to her daughter’s illness, found her mind much calmer upon smelling this fragrance, and she could even sleep soundly at night.

What surprised the Huang family even more was that ever since the calming incense was lit, Huang Yingying’s nocturnal attacks noticeably decreased. Although she still remained unconscious, at least she no longer cried and screamed and tormented the entire family as before.

“The incense Daoist Su gave us is truly miraculous!” Madam Huang exclaimed to Huang Baiwan more than once.

Huang Baiwan also nodded repeatedly, gaining more confidence in Su Mingyue’s mysterious methods.

As for the items Su Mingyue requested, they caused the Huang family quite a bit of trouble.

“Three qian of blood from the comb of a rooster that has crowed for at least three years, ensuring it is fresh blood from a living rooster, and the rooster must not die after the blood is taken”—this stumped Huang Zhong, the butler responsible for procurement. There were many chicken farmers in Wushui Town, but whose rooster could guarantee not crowing for three years? This was ridiculous! Huang Zhong ran all over the town, inside and out, pleading and spending a lot of silver. Finally, in a remote mountain village, he found an old rooster that was supposedly born “mute.” The rooster looked majestic, but its eyes were a bit dull. Regardless, Huang Zhong quickly bought it at a high price, carefully extracted the blood from its comb, and then kept the “mute” rooster well-fed, fearing it might die before Daoist Su made her move. “Let’s make do with this for now!”

“A section of peach wood that has grown for over a hundred years facing the sun, carved into a peach wood sword one foot and three inches long, with no carvings on the blade”—this wasn’t easy either. There were indeed several old peach trees behind the Huang mansion, but no one could be sure which one grew facing the sun or if it was over a hundred years old. Finally, Huang Baiwan personally led several experienced old carpenters up the mountain. They checked the orientation, counted the tree rings, and after half a day of effort, barely managed to find a section of peach wood that looked about right. They hired the best carpenter in town to meticulously carve it into a simple peach wood sword according to Daoist Su’s specified dimensions. The sword was smooth, without any patterns. Huang Mingyuan, watching from the side, curled his lip, thinking, What good is this thing? It’s not even as sharp as the fruit knife I bought from the Western store.

Huang Yingying’s personal clothing worn at birth and the hair she had shed in the past three days—these were not difficult. Madam Huang personally rummaged through a chest and found a small red bellyband Yingying had worn as a child. She then meticulously collected a few strands of hair scattered on her daughter’s pillow, carefully wrapped them with red thread, and gave them to Huang Baiwan.

Ten catties of top-grade glutinous rice, vermilion, yellow paper, a new brush, and new ink—with the Huang family’s wealth, these were naturally no problem and were quickly procured.

These past few days, the entire Huang Mansion was enveloped in an atmosphere of both tension and anticipation. Although Huang Mingyuan didn’t vocalize it, his attitude towards Su Mingyue was quietly changing. Especially after seeing his sister’s condition improve after the calming incense was lit, his “science-first” theories seemed to lose their footing. He began secretly observing the “strange” items his father and the butler were preparing, wondering what meaning these things held.

Su Mingyue, meanwhile, remained in the Yuelai Inn these past few days, living in seclusion. On the surface, she was “in seclusion,” but in reality, she was constantly monitoring the movements in the Huang Mansion and the entire Wushui Town. She could feel that as the “Jiazi day” approached, the ominous aura beneath the Huang Mansion was becoming increasingly restless. It was like a volcano about to erupt; although the surface was calm, destructive power was accumulating deep underground. The faint aura of death hanging over Wushui Town also seemed to have intensified. The plump auntie told her that in the past two days, several families in town had children crying inexplicably at night, and some people said they could always hear strange noises at night, like someone digging underground.

“It seems that thing can’t hold back much longer.”

She knew that Jiazi day was not only the day she chose to act, but probably also the day the underground entity was about to “break ground.” This battle was inevitable.

In a blink of an eye, it was the day before “Jiazi day.”

That evening, the sky over Wushui Town suddenly became unusually eerie. The western horizon was burned blood-red by the sunset, the red so deep it was inseparable, as if some ominous entity was trying to break free from within. The eastern sky, however, was covered by pitch-black storm clouds, pressing heavily overhead, making it hard to breathe. Red and black intertwined in the sky, forming a strange and terrifying picture.

The dogs in town barked madly and incessantly for no reason, their cries shrill and unsettling.

Within the Huang Mansion, people were even more panicked.

In the evening, Huang Yingying, whose condition had previously stabilized, suddenly had a severe relapse! She abruptly sat up in bed, her eyes wide open, pupils a terrifying blood-red! She let out genderless roars, possessing astonishing strength. Several strong matrons, usually robust, couldn’t hold her down; she scratched their hands until they bled. As she roared, she frantically clawed at her face and neck with her fingernails, as if trying to tear herself apart!

“Kill you! All of you must die! All of you must die!” she shrieked incoherently, her voice sharp and piercing, completely unlike her usual delicate demeanor.

“Yingying! Yingying! What’s wrong with you?!”

Madam Huang was terrified out of her wits. She lunged forward to embrace her daughter but was shoved away by Huang Yingying and fell to the ground.

Huang Baiwan was also at a loss, sweating profusely with anxiety.

“Quick! Quickly go invite Daoist Su! No! Daoist Su said she’ll only come tomorrow! What are we to do! What are we to do!” Huang Baiwan paced like an ant on a hot griddle.

Just then, Huang Mingyuan, who had been standing by, pale-faced, suddenly gritted his teeth and rushed out.

“Father! Mother! Hold little sister steady! I’m going to find Daoist Su!”

He threw out these words and ran out of the mansion without looking back. He didn’t know why he was doing this. Perhaps he was terrified by his sister’s current horrifying appearance, or perhaps he subconsciously felt that only the seemingly younger Daoist Su could save his sister. He no longer cared about “science” or “superstition”; he only knew that he couldn’t just watch his sister be ruined like this!

Huang Mingyuan ran frantically, paying no mind to the eerie sky outside or the surprised stares of passersby, running all the way to the Yuelai Inn in one breath. He burst into the inn, not even bothering to greet the plump auntie, and ran directly upstairs.

“Daoist Su! Daoist Su! Please save my sister! She… she’s dying!” Huang Mingyuan shouted as he ran, his voice choked with tears. He rushed to Su Mingyue’s room door, not even bothering to knock, and tried to push the door open directly. However, the door didn’t budge, as if it was locked from the inside.

“Daoist Su! Are you in there? Please open the door! My sister, she…” Huang Mingyuan was so anxious that tears were almost streaming down his face.

Just then, the door creaked open from the inside.

Su Mingyue, still in her blue cloth gown, stood calmly at the doorway, looking at the breathless, anxious Huang Mingyuan.

“Why so agitated?” Her voice remained clear and cold, showing no emotion.

“Daoist Su!” As soon as Huang Mingyuan saw Su Mingyue, he clutched at her like a last straw, disregarding all manners. He grabbed Su Mingyue’s wrist and spoke urgently:

“Please! Please come with me to the Huang Mansion now! My sister… she’s dying! She just… just now she was like a different person, scratching and biting, and saying she was going to kill us…”

He spoke incoherently, his face full of fear and despair.

Su Mingyue let him hold her wrist, her gaze calmly fixed on him. She could feel that Huang Mingyuan’s emotions were extremely agitated at this moment, and the faint demonic qi on him seemed to have intensified slightly.

“It seems the demon within Huang Yingying has begun to affect those around her,” Su Mingyue thought.

She gently pulled her hand free from Huang Mingyuan’s grasp and said lightly: “What’s the panic? The time has not come yet; going now would be useless. Have you prepared all the items I asked for?”

“Prepared… prepared! All prepared!” Huang Mingyuan nodded repeatedly. “Daoist Su, please, now…”

“I said, Jiazi day, Zishi hour,” Su Mingyue interrupted him, her tone undeniable. “Not a moment earlier, not a moment later. Go back now, and tell your father to hold your daughter steady and prevent her from harming herself. I will come myself at that time tomorrow.”

Although her voice was calm, it carried a power that commanded belief.

Huang Mingyuan looked into Su Mingyue’s bottomless eyes, and the anxiety and fear in his heart miraculously subsided somewhat. He opened his mouth, wanting to say more, but seeing Su Mingyue’s undeniable gaze, he ultimately swallowed his words. He knew that pleading further would be useless. This Daoist Su, once she decided something, would not easily change her mind.

“Then… then my sister, she…”

Huang Mingyuan was still somewhat worried.

“It’s fine,” Su Mingyue said lightly. “The thing inside her is merely making its final struggle. She won’t die.”

She paused, then added: “Tell your father to burn a few more sticks of the calming incense. Tonight, the Huang Mansion probably won’t be peaceful.”

Huang Mingyuan’s heart tightened upon hearing this. He didn’t know why Su Mingyue said that, but he knew that Daoist Su’s words were never baseless. He dared not delay any longer. He bowed deeply to Su Mingyue: “Thank you for your guidance, Daoist Su! I… I’ll go back now!”

With that, he hurriedly ran downstairs again.

Su Mingyue watched Huang Mingyuan’s disappearing back at the staircase, her eyes slightly narrowed.

“It’s time,” she murmured to herself, and also began to pack her things, preparing to head to the Huang Mansion!