Chapter 14: Transcending Thoughts

Chapter 14 - Transcending Thoughts

Yan Sanhe did not collapse.

She took the scroll, turned to the sixth page, and read each character meticulously before settling into her chair.

There she sat.

The candlelight cast a sorrowful glow upon her, making her appear like a lifeless statue, frozen in time.

Xie Erli still wished to speak, but a cold glance from his father deterred him, forcing him to step back quietly.

Though Xie Daozhi had been vindicated and gained the upper hand, he should have felt relieved. However, a sword still hung over his heart—

the true purpose behind this woman's plea for justice had yet to be revealed.

"Miss Yan, I understand that this truth may be hard to accept, but it is what it is."

This time, Xie Daozhi resolved to take the initiative.

"Whether it's a matter of ill fate or coincidence, in any case, it has nothing to do with me."

Yan Sanhe was pulled back into reality by these two cold words.

She lifted her head slowly, gazing into Xie Daozhi's eyes.

"Would you have allowed them into the manor if not for that case, if not for the 16th of July?"

"That question holds no relevance."

Xie Daozhi's expression darkened. "I've given you the explanation you sought. Now, it's time for you to fulfill your promise."

"Father, Miss Yan only wishes to uncover the truth. Putting aside other matters, her persistence alone is touching," Xie Erli said with a sigh. "There's no need for an apology through kneeling. Please, Miss Yan, reveal your true intentions."

One played the hardliner, the other the soft-hearted one; their act was well-coordinated.

Looking at the father and son, Yan Sanhe's gaze was indescribably cold. She suddenly knelt down, not waiting for their response, and knocked her head on the ground three times with a loud thud.

"I don't like owing anything to others."

Yan Sanhe stood up, straightening her back and asserting firmly, "Once it's repaid, one can rest easy in their heart."

Her eyebrows and eyes were the most captivating features among her features, yet also the ones that stirred the most unease. The father and son from the Xie family, gazing at her cold expression, found themselves momentarily stunned.

"There's something rather peculiar I need to share with you. It'd be best if you prepare yourselves mentally."

Yan Sanhe's voice was devoid of any emotion as she continued, "When my grandfather passed away, we kept his body for seven days. On the final night, the coffin lid suddenly cracked open."

"What?!"

Xie Erli blurted out in shock.

Yan Sanhe gave him a fleeting, indifferent glance. "There's an old folk tale that says if a coffin won't close, it's because the deceased had unspoken wishes or regrets. Over time, these unfulfilled desires turn into malevolent spirits."

"This, this, this..."

Xie Erli was utterly astonished. He turned to look at his father, only to find an even more startled expression on the elder's face.

"I consulted an esteemed sage, and they revealed that before Grandfather passed away, his mind was preoccupied with a letter," Yan Sanhe said.

Xie Daozhi was startled, pointing at the letter on the desk. "Is it this one?"

Yan Sanhe replied, "I've gone through Grandfather's belongings, and he didn't have many letters. The one that could have occupied his thoughts must be this one."

Feeling a weakness in his legs, Xie Daozhi began to piece together a theory. "So you came to the Xie family…"

"The sage mentioned that to close the coffin, we must dissipate the lingering attachment," Yan Sanhe continued, gazing steadily at him. "And that is the true reason for my visit to the Xie family!"

Xie Daozhi was utterly astonished. In his long life, he had never encountered such an extraordinary matter.

But...

Why did this young lady, standing with her hands behind her back and speaking confidently, seem so composed and mature?

Was she not afraid at all?

"What is the art of resolving thoughts?" he asked.

"In essence, it's about identifying the knots in his heart and finding a way to untangle them," she replied.

"How do you go about doing that?" he inquired.

"The one who ties the knot must be the one to untie it," she answered cryptically.

"I... I am the knot in his heart?"

"The letter is the knot, a message intended for you. Your grandfather was unaware of the truth behind the three lives lost before he passed. In his heart..."

Yan Sanhe paused, "You are the one who tied that knot."

Xie Daozhi felt a sudden jolt in his heart. "What must I do?"

"Bathe, change your clothes, light incense, and within the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn, you must recount the entire story from beginning to end."

Staring into her piercing eyes, Xie Daozhi hesitated before asking, "By doing so, will the coffin be closed once more?"

"On one condition..."

Yan Sanhe: "That you willingly take on his karma for him."

Xie Daozhi's heart skipped a beat. "What if I'm not willing?"