Physician Lv tried to keep her composure when she was called back a second time. She took a deep breath and turned to the seven people, who were all waiting for her evaluation of the Young Lord. She forced a bright smile and slowly packed her things.

“The Young Lord is very healthy.”

When these words touched the six Saints and the Devil Lord’s ears, the atmosphere in the room grew heavier.

“I see,” Ge Jinsheng said. “Thank you for your service as always, Physician Lv.”

“Not at all,” Physician Lv said. She smiled as she pulled her bag on and turned to the Young Lord. “Young Lord, is there anywhere else that feels uncomfortable?”

“My head especially,” Ge Nianlan murmured.

“Then, I will also prescribe a medicine that will help with headaches,” Physician Lv promised.

“We’ll walk you out, Physician Lv,” Ge Jinsheng said. He glanced at Ling Tong. “Ling Tong, stay here to watch the Young Lord.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

The heavy doors slowly closed behind the group. Once silence settled over them, Physician Lv’s expression changed into one of panic. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ge Jinsheng held up a hand.

“Let’s head to my study first.”

The walk to the Devil Lord’s study felt longer than usual. Their heavy hearts weighed down their every step, as they tried their best to not assume the worst of the situation. Physician Lv in particular, had grown quite pale in the face. When they finally arrived at the Devil Lord’s study, the disciples who accompanied them were dismissed, leaving only the five Saints, the Devil Lord, and the physician.

“What is the meaning of this?” Ge Jinsheng asked.

Physician Lv wasn’t sure if she should fall to her knees or puff out her chest. When Guan Yongqin offered her a chair to sit on, she politely declined. She glanced around the room uncertainly and then looked back at Ge Jinsheng before lowering her gaze respectfully.

“The Young Lord is normal.”

“Normal?”

“His responses are like that of a child his age, if only a little more intelligent. This humble servant cannot find anything unwell or out of the ordinary,” Physician Lv said.

Ge Jinsheng’s gaze darkened as understanding took over him.

“There are cases where someone who hasn’t been mentally sound can be…shocked back into a more natural state,” Physician Lv slowly explained. “However, it is so rare that it is almost a mere rumor. In this case, it is a miracle that the Young Lord not only managed to survive but also regained his sentience…”

“I see,” Ge Jinsheng said. “And you say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with him?”

Physician Lv nodded. However, there was clearly confusion and doubt in her eye. “He is perfectly fine, Your Excellency.”

“What else is it that you want to say? Do not hesitate,” Ge Jinsheng prompted.

Physician Lv’s gaze darted around the room uncomfortably. “If…if any of the Lords would also want to investigate on their own terms, I suggest that they do so with the utmost care. Although the Young Lord seems healthy, his psyche and his mind has gone through a lot at a young age. This humble servant fears that if anything else traumatizing happens, he truly would not be able to recover. There is a high chance that…ahem.”

“What?” Ge Jinsheng asked.

“That…that the Young Lord will become an invalid or that he will fall comatose with a chance of awakening,” Physician Lv squeezed out. She quickly supplemented her statement: “However, if those around him carefully nourish him, he will be able to grow stronger again. It is like how if you break your arm, you simply need to exercise it more after it has healed, and you will regain that strength. If you allow the Young Lord’s mind to heal, and slowly expose him to things again, he will be fine.”

“I see,” Ge Jinsheng hummed. After another moment, he nodded again. “I understand. Thank you, Physician Lv.”

“Not at all, Your Excellency. It is my honor to serve you.”

“May I request that you come visit the Young Lord once every week?” Ge Jinsheng asked. “I would like you to keep an eye on his psyche.”

“Of course, Your Excellency.”

“Good. You are dismissed.”

Physician Lv bowed low and quickly left the room.

The moment she left, a heavy pressure was released from the six people within the room.

“We have to check,” the Bull Saint finally spoke.

“Are you crazy?” Zhao Cuihong snapped. “Were you not paying attention to a word Physician Lv was saying, Lord Wen? She said that the Young Lord is fragile right now. If we check, we risk losing him for good.”

“Then, what?” Wēn Yùqīng (温玉青) snapped back. She looked around the room. “Are we going to take the risk that the Young Lord might be possessed?”

The silence grew heavier. Zhao Cuihong wanted to retort, but Jia Chiying quickly grabbed Zhao Cuihong’s hand and held him back. When he met his gaze, Jia Chiying softly shook his head. The pair glanced at Ge Jinsheng, who remained completely silent.

“I agree,” Nie Chenhui said. His head tilted, as if threatening to fall from his neck. He subtly righted his head. “I understand that the Young Lord’s health is important, but if he truly was possessed, then that would mean someone has successfully infiltrated our ranks. The Young Lord is important, but His Excellency is more of my priority.”

Zhao Cuihong’s glare grew more venomous. How dare Nie Chenhui spin it in this manner?!

“I agree as well,” Guan Yongqin said after a moment of deliberation. She glanced at Zhao Cuihong and Jia Chiying. “It’s just all too suspicious. The cursed artifact and then the Young Lord’s sudden awakening? It feels like an elaborate scheme. The things in this world don’t ever go in such a pleasant direction. I’d believe in something more concrete like possession rather than a miracle.”

Zhao Cuihong’s lips pressed together. “Are you all hearing yourselves? You want to search the soul of a child! A child that just came back from the dead. He should be given the time to recover after something so traumatic!”

“Fox Saint, I understand that you’re attached to the Young Lord, as his nanny, but your loyalty is first to His Excellency and then to his heir,” Wen Yuqing said. Her eyes narrowed. “You should remember where your allegiances lie.”

Zhao Cuihong’s mouth hung open speechlessly. He turned to Jia Chiying, as if searching for any sign that he was on his side. Jia Chiying met his desperate gaze and softly cleared his throat.

“Chiying,” Zhao Cuihong whispered pleadingly.

“The final decision is made by His Excellency,” Jia Chiying said. He squeezed Zhao Cuihong’s hand reassuringly in the process. “We do not have a say.”

The five Saints turned to Ge Jinsheng, who had been sitting silently behind his desk. His fingers had been quietly drumming the tabletop until the discussion rounded back to him. He slowly looked up at the Saints in front of him.

The Saints of Black Mane Palace swore loyalty to the Palace Master upon the Palace Master’s coronation. They gifted the Palace Master the key to their life. If they were to ever deceive or betray the Palace Master, the Palace Master would be able to kill them with as little as the snap of their fingers. The five people who stood in front of him and the three others who were not present in this room were Ge Jinsheng’s most trusted, loyal subjects. They were dedicated and always had Ge Jinsheng’s best interests first and foremost in mind.

However, that did not always mean they were right.

“I suppose it is my fault for not making it clear last time,” Ge Jinsheng said. He sat up and looked at the group in front of him. “I can protect my own life. I don’t need nor trust anyone else to do that for me. However, I’m not always around to protect my son.”

The words sank into the hearts of three of the saints, like a boulder sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

“Therefore, it is your job to care for him in my place,” Ge Jinsheng said. “If even a hair on his head is touched then that is equivalent to harming me.”

Guan Yongqin, Nie Chenhui, and Wen Yuqing fell to their knees. Their foreheads touched the ground.

“Please forgive us, Your Excellency!”

 Ge Jinsheng hummed. “Of course, I would. You three only had my best interest at heart.”

He slowly turned his gaze to Zhao Cuihong. “Cuihong.”

“…Yes, Your Excellency.”

“I was right to assign you as the Young Lord’s caretaker,” Ge Jinsheng said.

Zhao Cuihong lowered his gaze. “I am only doing my best to follow your orders, Your Excellency.”

Ge Jinsheng hummed mildly. His gaze flickered over to Jia Chiying. “Chiying.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“You are to stay at Black Mane Palace for the time being, as the Young Lord grows. First, evaluate his current intelligence level—then, the two of you will be his tutors, along with Lord Nie.”

Zhao Cuihong and Jia Chiying placed their hands into a deferential salute. “Yes, Your Excellency.”

“As for you three,” Ge Jinsheng turned his attention back to the kneeling Saints. “Don’t do anything rash. I don’t want to punish you.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Ge Jinsheng stood. “You are all dismissed.”

The five Saints bowed and quickly left the Devil Lord’s study.

Zhao Cuihong breathed a sigh of relief as the group made it further away. “Thank Heaven and Earth. I was scared of how His Excellency would react today.”

“Aren’t you happy?” Nie Chenhui scoffed. “Isn’t it great that things went your way?”

“Why do you make it sound like I’m trying to tout His Excellency?” Zhao Cuihong asked.

“You’re already his favorite,” Nie Chenhui said. “Now, you’re even more so.”

Zhao Cuihong grew red in the face. “What are you implying?”

“Lord Nie, don’t overstep,” Wen Yuqing said with a look of distaste in her eyes.

At that moment, the group of disciples who had been waiting not too far away rejoined them.

“Shizun,” one of the girls softly greeted.

Wen Yuqing’s expression softened. She gently patted Yao Wenyu’s head, as if she was being comforted by a pet of hers after a long day at work. She sighed. “I’m also glad that we didn’t have to soul-search the Young Lord.”

“But we still have to remain cautious,” Guan Yongqin said, her eyes showing a flash of distrust. She looked at the Saints. “A miracle like this doesn’t come without a price.”

“A fool suddenly turned intelligent is definitely a miracle of Heaven! And we…don’t associate with them, do we?” Nie Chenhui asked, with a small smirk.