A piece of Japanese incense

My mother gently covered my lips and smiled apologetically to the master's wife, "I'm sorry, my little daughter is ignorant, please continue."

The witch stared at me intently, walked towards me, and shouted at me condescendingly: "Witch!"

As he spoke, he poked my forehead with his thumb, and a burning sensation rose from the soles of my feet to my scalp.

"What are you doing?" I took a few steps back and wiped my forehead desperately.

"He'er! Master, what do you mean?" My mother hugged me and stroked my forehead with a handkerchief. It seemed that there was some mark that could not be wiped away.

"She is not your daughter!" The witch pointed at me with a stern tone. Her eyes were like a ferocious beast in the dark night, full of wildness and ferocity, as if she would pounce on me and devour me at any time.

My scalp tingled and I looked at her in disbelief, speechless.

(Can she really see what's wrong?)

I didn't dare look at her anymore, so I buried myself in my mother's arms and never looked up again.

"He'er, don't be afraid." Mother stroked my hair and wanted to say something else.

"Auntie, we are already dressed. When are we leaving?" Aunt Hong changed the subject.

The witch pinched a handful of dirt and dust from Yu Nian's shoes and placed it on Yu Nian's chest, then put on a scarlet plain satin long-sleeved shirt that she had found for Yu Nian, and put red dates in the pocket of the shirt.

Jueming and Liming carried Yu Nian out of the door, and everyone followed him to the alley where Yu Nian was frightened.

The beheaded horse had been disposed of, but there was a pool of dried blood on the ground, which still exuded a disgusting smell of rust. The pool of blood on the ground was like a deep red carpet, shocking to the eye.

Several maids and servants who were cleaning the bloodstains saw the crowd approaching them and they immediately hid aside.

The witch took the bucket from a servant and poured all the water toward the corner. The brown-red blood spread in the water and gradually lost its original shape.

The old nun drew a cross on the ground, and Yu Nian was supported by Jueming Liming and stood on the cross.

Aunt Hong stood aside. The witch recited a few words, then stretched out one hand to the sky as if grabbing something, and shouted, "Yu Nian is back!"

Then he stretched out his hand towards Yu Nian, and Aunt Hong shouted from the side: "It's on you! You're back!".

Repeat this seven times.

They were so loud that, despite it being early in the morning, they still attracted quite a crowd of onlookers.

My cheeks were slightly hot, and I had already started to scratch the castle with my feet. If it weren't for the two absurd words that the old woman had just said, which frightened me into fear of her, I would never let Yu Nian be taken out of the house.

Listening to the cries of Aunt Hong and the others, I couldn't bear to look at them, so I had to bury my head deeply in my grandmother's back.

When he lowered his head, he caught a glimpse of someone in the crowd with his lips slightly raised and a hint of sarcasm flashing in his eyes.

This person is someone close to Bai Xuan.

(Why is he here? Could it be that he is related to Bai Xuan and intends to take revenge?)

"Yu Nian, go home soon for dinner! Don't be afraid anymore!" The witch's voice pierced the clouds and split the rocks.

Aunt Hong and the others also shouted loudly, "We're back." and turned around and walked towards home. They shouted every time they took a step, and Aunt Hong and the others responded.

Finally arriving at the gate of the mansion, I thought everything was over, but the witch put Yu Nian's left hand on the door bolt, put his left foot outside the threshold, and his right foot inside, and called Yu Nian's name three times.

Of course, every time she called, Aunt Hong in the mansion would respond: "I'm back."

Finally returning to Yu Nian's room, the witch took off the clothes on her shoulders and spun them around Yu Nian's head, muttering something. Then she took out the red dates from the pocket of the clothes and put them in Yu Nian's mouth.

"Wu-niang, why is there no response yet?" asked my grandmother.

"Now we have only called back the soul and attached it to its owner's body. It will take another day to call it back and then it will be cured." The witch answered while wiping the sweat off her face.

Aunt Hong sat by the bed, touching Yu Nian's forehead with one hand, holding Yu Nian's hand with the other, and said softly, "It seems that you really don't sweat anymore."

I pouted my lips, leaned back in the seat, and wondered why Yuzhu hadn't come back yet.

"Witch! Who are you?" Suddenly, the witch raised the golden sword and pointed it at me. Everyone's eyes were focused on me. For a moment, everyone in the room was shocked.

I curled up in the chair. My grandmother stepped forward quickly, held me in her arms, and pushed away the golden sword with her hand. She said in a cold tone, "Thank you for your help, Master, Yan Liu!"

Yan Liu took out a bag of money and handed it to the witch. The witch took it and still looked at me viciously.

Jueming led the witch out of the door. I glanced at her back and she suddenly turned around with eyes as sharp as a knife.

"Ah!" I screamed in fright.

My grandmother touched my head to comfort me: "Touch the fur, it won't scare you~"

"mother……"

"She's so jumpy. It would be fine if Nian'er could be cured. But if Nian'er can't wake up, I will put her in jail and make her reflect on herself for ten days or half a month!" said the grandmother angrily.

"Grandma, I'm fine." I hugged my grandmother. "I asked Yuzhu to wait outside the palace gate. Once the palace gate opens, I will notify grandpa."

"He Bao'er is so good!" Grandma hugged me tightly.

In the evening, my grandfather came back. Without even taking a rest, he felt Yu Nian's pulse and gave him acupuncture.

I don’t know whether it was because of my grandfather’s superb medical skills or because the witch’s soul-calling technique really worked, but before the second watch, someone came to report that Yu Nian had woken up.

When I rushed over, Yu Nian had just finished vomiting and was rinsing his mouth. When he saw me come in, he forced a smile and waved for me to come over.

"Ah He, I heard what mom said. Are you scared too?"

I held his hand and shook my head firmly: "I'm not as timid as you!"

He tapped my nose and sighed, "I witnessed with my own eyes the horses that I rode with every day being hacked to death. I really..."

"Do you see who the murderer is?" I asked hurriedly without waiting for him to become sentimental.

"No, it was too dark. I could only see his shadow. When I rushed to the corner of the alley, I saw that Fa Cai had been beheaded, but his limbs were still standing and struggling." Yu Nian closed his eyes and rubbed his temples tiredly.

"Alright, alright! Don't think about it anymore. When you have rested, we will hold a memorial service for Fa Cai and pray that he will not be reincarnated as a horse in his next life."

Yu Nian patted my head and said sadly, "I don't know who is so cruel. It would be fine if they just disliked me, but why did they hurt Fa Cai and take his life!"

"This is what they call killing the chicken to scare the monkey. Guess who I saw at our doorstep this morning?"

"Who?"

"He's the one who followed Bai Xian and asked you to kowtow and apologize."

"Is it Bai Xian!?" Yu Nian sat up straight with excitement.

"Hush! Keep your voice down! You might attract my mother and your mother here."