Metaphysical Rebirth: The Phoenix Rises Against the World

Chapter 2: Probing the Celestial Secrets

At the entrance of the Celestial Pavilion, Su Jinxuan gazed upward at the ancient, three-story wooden structure. Bronze pixiu statues perched on the upturned eaves, glistening faintly in the sunlight. As a modern master of metaphysics, she instantly recognized that the building aligned with the Bagua positions, and the placement of the stone lions before the door harbored the principles of array formations.

"Does Miss Su also have an interest in feng shui?" Xiao Jinghan's deep, melodious voice came from beside her, unnoticed until then.

Su Jinxuan withdrew her gaze and replied softly, "A little. Isn't Prince Xiao a merchant? Why the interest in metaphysics?"

She deliberately highlighted the discrepancy in his identity. Earlier on the street, the arrogant Chen** (Young Master Chen) had addressed him as "Seventh Master Xiao," yet there was an air of reverence for the powerful, not the attitude one would take toward a mere merchant.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Xiao Jinghan's lips, and a glint of admiration flashed in his phoenix-like eyes. "Miss Su is perceptive. Indeed, I engage in some silk trading and occasionally collect ancient books and rare manuscripts. The Celestial Pavilion boasts a rich collection, so I frequent it."

As they spoke, they stepped inside. A thick aroma of ink and sandalwood wafted over them, and Su Jinxuan took a deep breath, feeling the ancient jade pendant at her chest grow warm. She was all too familiar with this sensation—there must be a powerful artifact or metaphysical text nearby.

"Seventh Master Xiao is here." An elderly man in a gray robe emerged from behind the counter, his white hair and beard neatly trimmed, his eyes sharp despite his age. "The fragment of the Qing Nang Jing you requested last month has been found. It's in the elegant chamber upstairs."

"Thank you, Elder Mo." Xiao Jinghan bowed, then gestured toward Su Jinxuan. "This is Miss Su, who has quite some insights into metaphysics. She's come to visit today."

Elder Mo's cloudy eyes lingered on Su Jinxuan for a moment before suddenly sharpening. "Miss Su's facial features are extraordinary, as if she bears a dual destiny. I've never seen anything like it in my life."

Su Jinxuan's heart skipped a beat. Could this Elder Mo see through her identity as a time-traveler? She calmly returned his bow. "Elder Mo flatters me. I've merely read a few miscellaneous books. I dare not claim any 'insights.'"

"Haha, modesty becomes you." Elder Mo chuckled and retrieved a tortoise shell from beneath the counter. "Since Miss Su is versed in metaphysics, why not divine when the misfortune of that Young Master Chen from earlier will befall him?"

It was a test. Su Jinxuan knew it well but didn't flinch. She took the tortoise shell, her fingertips brushing over the cracks. Instantly, a series of images flashed through her mind: Young Master Chen arguing with someone in a gambling den, being stabbed in the right shoulder, blood gushing...

"Tomorrow at the hour of the rooster, in the direction of flowing water." She set down the tortoise shell. "There will be bloodshed, but no threat to his life."

Elder Mo and Xiao Jinghan exchanged a glance, their surprise evident. Xiao Jinghan suddenly extended his hand. "Could Miss Su also take a look at me?"

His palm was broad and slender, with distinct knuckles, but a strange blue line wound its way up his wrist. Su Jinxuan hesitated for a moment before gently placing her fingertips on it.

In an instant, she felt as though she'd fallen into an icy abyss!

Countless fragmented images surged over her like a tidal wave: the imperial palace at night, a beautiful woman bleeding from her seven orifices as she died; a young Xiao Jinghan being forced to drink a bowl of black medicine; a b****y battlefield, him standing tall despite being pierced by multiple arrows; and finally, five dragon-shaped earth veins bound by chains, emitting painful roars...

What shocked her the most was that her own figure occasionally flashed through these images—though dressed differently, she was certain it was herself!

"Miss Su?" Xiao Jinghan's voice snapped her back to reality. Su Jinxuan realized her hand was trembling slightly, her back drenched in cold sweat.

"Prince Xiao..." She forced herself to remain calm. "You're afflicted with a strange poison that causes unbearable pain every full moon night, is that not so?"

Xiao Jinghan's pupils contracted sharply, and the air around him suddenly turned dangerous. Elder Mo even knocked over a teacup, exclaiming, "How do you know?"

This was Xiao Jinghan's greatest secret. The imperial family only knew the Seventh Prince as weak and sickly; only a few trusted confidants were aware that he'd been poisoned since childhood and remained uncured.

Su Jinxuan didn't answer but stared at the space between Xiao Jinghan's eyebrows. There was a wisp of black qi invisible to ordinary eyes, twisting eerily and resonating subtly with the ancient jade pendant at her chest.

"This poison is named 'Heart-Devouring Gu.' It's not an ordinary d**g but a gu poison cultivated through metaphysical secret arts." She murmured. "The poisoner must be someone from the metaphysical world, and they bear a deep blood feud with you."

Xiao Jinghan's expression changed completely. He grabbed Su Jinxuan's wrist tightly. "Who exactly are you?"

Pain shot through her wrist, but Su Jinxuan remained unflinching. "I've already said, Su Jinxuan, the daughter of Su Mingyuan, the Minister of Rites." She met his gaze directly. "And the only one who can cure the gu poison in your body."

Her words struck like a hammer. Xiao Jinghan released her wrist, his expression complex. Elder Mo quickly intervened. "Why don't the two of you go upstairs and discuss this further? I'll prepare some tea."

In the elegant chamber, the scent of agarwood lingered. Su Jinxuan took a small sip of tea to calm her nerves after the earlier shock. She hadn't expected to be embroiled in such a complex situation so soon after her rebirth, but her intuition told her that the mystery surrounding Xiao Jinghan was closely tied to the reason for her time-travel.

"Miss Su." Xiao Jinghan had regained his composure. "I apologize for my earlier rudeness. But even the head of the Imperial Hospital couldn't diagnose this poison, yet you saw through it at a glance. It's truly astonishing."

Su Jinxuan set down her teacup. "Prince Xiao needn't test me. I do possess some special abilities, but I'm not someone with ulterior motives. As for why I can see your poison..." She lightly touched the ancient jade pendant at her chest. "Perhaps it's related to this."

Xiao Jinghan's gaze fell on the jade pendant, his brow furrowing slightly. "This jade..."

"A keepsake from my late mother." Su Jinxuan said half-truthfully. The jade was indeed left by this body's mother, but it was identical to the one she'd worn in her previous life. The connection between them was still a mystery to her.

Elder Mo suddenly interjected, "Miss Su just said she could cure this poison. Are you truly confident?"

"For now, I can only alleviate it." Su Jinxuan spoke the truth. "To eradicate it completely, we must first ascertain what secret arts the poisoner used and then find a counteracting method." She looked at Xiao Jinghan. "If you trust me, I can perform acupuncture to ease your suffering during the next poisoning episode."

Xiao Jinghan fell silent for a long time before suddenly breaking into a light laugh. "Interesting. Miss Su, do you know that the last person who claimed to be able to cure this poison is already three feet tall in grass at his grave?"

"Because he was a fraud, and I am not." Su Jinxuan didn't back down. "The gu poison in your body has already infiltrated your heart meridian. The next full moon night will be ten times more painful than usual. Without relief, your life could be in danger."

She wasn't exaggerating. Through their earlier contact, she'd sensed that the gu poison in Xiao Jinghan's body was undergoing mutations, likely due to the poisoner's remote manipulation.

Silence descended on the elegant chamber. The hustle and bustle of the street outside only heightened the tension indoors.

Finally, Xiao Jinghan spoke. "Very well. In three days, I'll send someone to fetch you to my manor. If you can truly provide relief, I'll be heavily indebted to you."

Su Jinxuan breathed a sigh of relief and was about to respond when a commotion erupted downstairs. The sound of footsteps on the stairs followed, and Baizhi rushed in, panicked. "Miss! It's not good! Someone from the mansion came to say you must return immediately. Lady An is furious, saying you left the mansion without permission..."

Su Jinxuan's brow furrowed. Lady An was certainly well-informed; she'd sent someone to fetch her within less than two hours of her departure.

"Does Miss Su have trouble?" Xiao Jinghan raised an eyebrow.

"Family matters only." Su Jinxuan stood to take her leave. "See you in three days." She paused, took a talisman paper from her sleeve, quickly drew a few strokes, and handed it to Xiao Jinghan. "Carry this with you. It can temporarily calm the restlessness of the gu poison."

Xiao Jinghan took the talisman paper, a flash of surprise in his eyes. The talisman patterns were unlike any he'd seen before, yet upon contact, he felt the raging gu poison in his body calm down slightly.

After Su Jinxuan and her maid left, Elder Mo murmured, "Your Highness, this woman is no ordinary person. The patterns on that talisman paper bear a seven-point resemblance to the 'Calming Spirit Talisman' hidden in the Imperial Astrologer's mansion, yet they're even more exquisite."

Xiao Jinghan stared at the talisman paper, lost in thought. "Investigate Su Mingyuan's legitimate daughter. I want to know everything about her past sixteen years."

On the other side, Su Jinxuan had just returned to the mansion when she was escorted to the main hall. Lady An sat at the head of the table, her face dark, with Su Jinlan, her younger half-sister, standing beside her, looking smug.

"Kneel!" Lady An barked. "A young, unmarried lady leaving the mansion without permission! What kind of conduct is that? If word gets out, where will the Su family's reputation be?"

Su Jinxuan straightened her back, neither humble nor arrogant. "I informed Father of my departure. Besides, Baizhi accompanied me. How is that 'leaving without permission'?"

"You!" Lady An was taken aback by her defiance. Where had the timid Su Jinxuan gone?

Su Jinlan chimed in, her voice sharp, "How dare you talk back to Mother? She's disciplining you for your own good!"

Su Jinxuan cast a cold glance at her. This younger half-sister had a mean, thin-nosed appearance, typical of a petty person. In the original host's memories, she'd often helped Lady An bully her.

"Sister is mistaken." Su Jinxuan smiled faintly. "I'm merely stating the facts. How is that talking back? It's you, an unmarried young lady, who's always gossiping and causing trouble. That's truly damaging to the Su family's reputation."

Su Jinlan's face turned ashen with anger, and Lady An slammed the table. "Outrageous! Come here, administer the family discipline!"

Two burly servants stepped forward with canes, ready to restrain Su Jinxuan. Baizhi fell to her knees. "Please, Lady, spare my mistress! She's just recovered from her illness and can't bear the family discipline!"

Su Jinxuan, however, remained unperturbed. She took out a scroll from her sleeve. "Mother, feel free to punish me, but don't damage the Zhou Yi Zhu Shu (Commentary on the Book of Changes) Father just lent me. He said he'd test me on my understanding in three days."

Lady An's hand froze mid-air. Su Mingyuan valued scholarship above all else. If he found out his borrowed book had been damaged...

"Hmph, this time, I'll let it slide." Lady An forced down her anger. "But you're grounded for three days and must copy the Female Precepts ten times!"

Su Jinxuan bowed and took her leave, a faint smile on her lips as she turned. This was just the beginning. She'd collect every debt Lady An owed the original host, one by one.

Back in her chamber, Su Jinxuan immediately inspected all her belongings and indeed found signs of tampering. Lady An was trying to find dirt on her?

"Miss, you took a big risk today." Baizhi closed the door and whispered, "Lady An won't let this go."

"I know." Su Jinxuan sat down at her dressing table, looking at her reflection in the bronze mirror. "Baizhi, have you ever heard that before Lady An married into the Su family, she had a son?"

Baizhi's eyes widened. "How does Miss know? No one in the mansion dares mention it... It's said that when Lady An was a young lady, she had an illegitimate child with someone, who was always kept outside."

So it was true! Su Jinxuan's eyes glinted. The son indicated in Lady An's children's palace—where was he now? And what connection did he have to Lady An's poisoning of the original host's mother?

As she pondered, a soft sound came from the window. Baizhi went to investigate and returned with a letter in her hand.

"Found it at the door. Didn't see anyone."

Su Jinxuan opened the letter, which contained only one line: "Chen Mingyuan will be assassinated at the hour of the rooster and three-quarters tomorrow at the western city gambling den. The assassin is a lackey of the Crown Prince."

There was no signature, but the forceful, vigorous handwriting was unmistakably Xiao Jinghan's.

This was both a test and a warning—he was telling her that her every move was under his surveillance.

Su Jinxuan held the letter to the candle flame, watching it turn to ashes. It seemed that these three days of grounding would be the perfect time for her to research a cure for the poison.

The ancient jade pendant at her chest grew warm, as if foreshadowing something. Su Jinxuan lightly touched its surface and murmured, "Don't worry, the truth will be revealed soon."

Outside the window, dusk fell, and a new moon rose quietly.