Ch 208: Contemporary Soul Shifter

Prince Huai thought, “Father Emperor probably doesn’t suspect that matter!”

Immediately, his spirits lifted, his mind cleared considerably, and his speech became as smooth as usual. “Four years ago, I gave it to a cultivator named Zhu Yan. I was initially reluctant to part with it, only intending to let him see it. Unexpectedly, he became infatuated with it upon seeing it. Father Emperor, he is a rare expert, and as I often handle special matters by imperial decree, I needed someone like him by my side. To win him over, I had to give it to him.”

He looked up at Emperor Depei’s expression, and indeed, the emperor’s face had lost its anger. Prince Huai breathed a sigh of relief and straightened his back.

“Zhu Yan? Bring him to see me.”

“Father Emperor, four years ago, when I bestowed the Crimson Sun Jade upon Zhu Yan, I also gave him a mission. After he left, he did accomplish several tasks for the country. Since the disappearance of the Heavenly Soldiers, I intended to send him to investigate secretly, but I could no longer contact him. I wanted to find him, but he is a bachelor and I have not heard that he has any teachers or friends. My panic just now was due to this. Could he have done something detrimental to the country?”

Emperor Depei “heh”ed. He took out the Crimson Sun Jade from his bosom, looked at it for a while, and remained silent. After a moment, he said, “Get up. You don’t have to kneel anymore.”

Prince Huai stood up and asked, “How did Father Emperor obtain it?”

“See for yourself!” Emperor Depei presented Tian Weihu’s confession. Prince Huai took it with both hands and read it carefully, finally understanding the situation. He felt a bit more relieved, thinking, “How did it end up in the hands of a jewelry merchant? Could Zhu Yan still be alive and have sold it to the merchant? No, that’s impossible! Then, was it picked up by someone and then sold to the jewelry shop? It’s very possible that a cultivator gathering herbs in the mountains found it.”

Prince Huai’s mood became more relaxed. He said, “I can investigate along this lead and perhaps find Zhu Yan. He accomplished several confidential tasks for the country and his mysterious disappearance has worried me.”

The emperor said, “I have already handed this matter over to Tian Wenhai for interrogation. If you want to investigate, go ahead. Remember, you must not interfere with cases related to the Tian family. You are to find Zhu Yan.”

About three miles from the imperial palace, there was a small courtyard called Qingping Residence. The courtyard’s owner was the world’s only Soul Shifter.

Soul Shifting is a very mysterious profession, and most people in the world are unaware of the Soul Shifters’ existence.

It is said that their ancestor can be traced back to the Heavenly Beings of Double Moon Star, and on this planet, they have upheld a tradition of single-line transmission for generations.

However, this generation’s Soul Shifter has made significant advancements in abilities compared to previous ancestors.

In his early years, he studied in the West Land Country. During his studies, he not only mastered the foreigners’ hypnosis techniques but also learned modern psychological knowledge and studied various methods of concocting mind-altering drugs from foreign wizards.

In his interactions with foreign wizards, he became interested in the secret history of the Papacy. By chance, he met the then Eldest Prince, now Prince Huai, and they established a deep relationship, which they kept strictly confidential.

Soul Shifters of previous generations were imperial sorcerers, and in this dynasty, they were considered members of the noble circle. This generation’s Soul Shifter was even a close minister of the emperor.

He often played chess with the emperor, always managing to lose by one or two pieces or, after winning a round, losing the next two. When he recited pastoral poems to the emperor, his melodious and unique voice always gave the emperor a sense of immersive experience, allowing him to forget the troubles of the nation.

However, such an extraordinary person appeared utterly ordinary.

His appearance was so average that people would forget him after several encounters. Yet, he had a peculiar ability to make those who looked at him feel pleasing to the eye—a subtle feeling that would be forgotten upon turning away. Although he dressed elegantly, the overall effect was merely clean and simple.

Generally, outside the top noble circles, almost no one knew of his existence. Within the top noble circles, he was a seemingly dispensable presence—exactly the effect he desired.

He existed as a faint, solitary shadow. His body accompanied the emperor, but his soul was sold to Prince Huai.

Soul Shifter Lin Yangming, the emperor’s attendant, was a bachelor and lived alone without a single servant.

That night, Lin Yangming was preparing a liquid that would instantly vaporize upon contact with air. He sat by the lamp, smoking a small cigar while waiting for a precipitate to form. Later, he would filter out the precipitate.

At this moment, he heard someone ring the doorbell. He immediately extinguished the alcohol lamp and paused the experiment.

The doorbell rang three times, two short and one long—the signal he had agreed upon with a special person. Lin Yangming turned off the kerosene lamp and hurriedly went out.

A four-wheeled carriage was quietly parked at the courtyard gate. The coachman, wearing a cloak, remained silent.

Lin Yangming locked the courtyard gate and climbed into the carriage. As expected, his soul’s master, Prince Huai, was inside.

The carriage started immediately. Lin Yangming sat opposite Prince Huai and bowed.

“Your Highness, I thought you had forgotten about me, a small person.”

“Humph! Forget you? Don’t even think about it! I haven’t lost my memory. As long as I remember, I will not forget you.”

“Your Highness, rest assured. Even if you do lose your memory, I have ways to awaken it. In a sense, people never truly lose their memory…”

“I know you are a rare talent. Have a drink!” Prince Huai picked up a wine bottle, pulled out the cork, poured half a glass, and handed it to Lin Yangming.

The carriage’s exterior was ordinary, but the interior was extremely luxurious. Wall lamps using fire crystal oil emitted a soft, bright light.

Lin Yangming swirled the grape wine in his glass under the light, admiring its ruby-like color. After a moment, he tilted his head and drank the wine in one gulp.

“Aren’t you afraid it’s a glass of poisoned wine?” Prince Huai asked.

Lin Yangming paused. “Your Highness, even if you ask me to drink poisoned wine one day, I will drink it without hesitation.”

“Perhaps that day will come. Yangming, when Father Emperor bestows poisoned wine upon me, I will not forget you…”

“Your Highness, why do you say that?” Lin Yangming was shocked.

“Humph! I ask you, is Zhu Yan dead or alive?”

“Your Highness, Zhu Yan turned into mincemeat three years ago. I can assure you of that.”

“But today, someone took the Crimson Sun Jade and filed an imperial accusation with Father Emperor. Father Emperor was furious with me and wants to investigate this matter.”

“This…” Lin Yangming looked at Prince Huai’s expression, thought for a moment, and smiled. “Your Highness, I guess you narrowly escaped danger. Since Zhu Yan turned into mincemeat more than three years ago, the Crimson Sun Jade, being an indestructible treasure, naturally could have fallen into someone else’s hands. And the person’s accusation should be about another case. As far as I know, top-grade treasures are like beautiful women, always causing bloodshed. Your Highness, who is the person who filed the imperial accusation with the Crimson Sun Jade?”

“That’s what I’m worried about.” Prince Huai sighed. “His name is Lin Tao, about seventeen years old, a person from Zifu Mountain…”