This Elder Is Cursed to End His Bloodline

It's said that every person is born with three souls and seven spirits.

The three souls—Yōujīng (Phantom), Shuǎnglíng (refreshing), and Tāiguāng (Fetal light)—are innate and exist even in the fetal stage. The three souls are indispensable; if even one is missing, the result is a stillborn child.

In comparison, the seven spirits are more obscure. They are Fúshǐ (Hidden Arrow), Shīgǒu (cadaver dog), Chòufèi (Stinky lungs), Fēidú (Non-toxic), Tūnzéi (Swallow a thief), Quèyīn (Sparrow's Shadow), and Chúhuì (Remove filth). For instance, Chòufèi governs the body's respiratory function, while Chúhuì oversees metabolism and waste discharge.

While losing one of the seven spirits won't immediately end one's life, it will cause significant physical defects.

In the case of Gu Wei, the missing spirit was Tūnzéi, the one responsible for digestion and absorption. Without it, no matter how much nutritious food he consumed, his body couldn't absorb anything. Over time, his body grew progressively weaker, and his appearance became skeletal—skin and bones.

"...Yāoyāo, do you have any way to help Xiao Wei recover the missing spirit that he lost?" Chen Hui, looking at her grandson's emaciated face, felt her heart ache terribly.

She had always wondered why things seemed off. Despite the family's endless supply of rare delicacies, all carefully prepared to nourish Gu Wei's body, his condition remained unchanged.

"Yāoyāo, your big brother is begging you. If you can do something to help, just tell me what you need. I'll make it happen, no matter what," said Gu Heng, Gu Wei's father, his voice filled with urgency.

Gu Heng doted heavily on his firstborn. Given the boy's frail health, his attention and care for him had only intensified over time.

Initially, Gu Heng had resigned himself to thinking that Gu Wei's condition was due to some congenital deficiency, an unchangeable fate. But now, learning that his son's condition was caused by a lost spirit, he couldn't sit still.

At this moment, the entire family turned their attention to Yāoyāo, eagerly awaiting her response. Even Gu Wei himself curiously watched his aunt with his round, dark, and glimmering eyes.

"Big Brother, Mom, if I can help, I definitely will," Yāoyāo replied, shaking her head. "But let me make something clear first: once a soul or spirit leaves the body, it doesn't last long in the outside world—it dissipates quickly. If Wei Wei lost his spirit from birth, it might already be too late to retrieve it."

The world is divided into yin and yang energies. Souls and spirits are of pure yin. Without the protection of a physical body, they are obliterated by the yang energy of the human world in mere hours or, at most, three to five days.

"Let's try anyway. If we can't find it, we'll figure out a different solution," Gu Heng said after a moment of silence, holding on to a sliver of hope.

"Alright, I'll give it a shot," Yāoyāo nodded. She instructed a servant to bring her some yellow talismans and cinnabar ink from her room.

Once the tools were brought, she began drawing the talisman right in front of everyone.

The Gu family held their breath, not daring to make a sound for fear of disturbing her. They watched intently, but the intricate symbols she painted on the talisman were incomprehensible to them.

"All done," Yāoyāo announced, stopping her brush after just two breaths' time.

Her mastery of talisman crafting was evident. From the talisman head to the tail and the infusion of spiritual essence into the talisman's core, every step was smooth and efficient.

"Will this really work?" Gu Li, one of the family members, couldn't help expressing his doubts, his eyes flashing with skepticism.

He had always found the claims of Yāoyāo's extraordinary abilities hard to believe.

"This is a Soul-Searching Talisman. If Wei Wei's spirit is within ten miles of this talisman, it will sense it," Yāoyāo explained.

She didn't mention what would happen if the spirit was outside that range, but everyone was smart enough to understand the implications.

To activate the talisman, she needed something personal from Gu Wei, such as a strand of hair or a piece of clothing, to establish the connection.

"Let's begin," Gu Heng said without hesitation, plucking a strand of his son's hair and handing it over.

Taking the hair, Yāoyāo wasted no time. She clasped the talisman, formed the Daoist Treasure Vase Seal with her fingers, and shouted, "Ji!" (Hasten!)

The yellow talisman ignited spontaneously, and trails of white smoke rose, lingering and curling as they floated away.

"This… what…?" Chen Hui murmured in amazement, her eyes wide with surprise.

Unclear whether the spirit had been found or not, she instinctively turned to her daughter. Seeing the grim look on Yāoyāo's face, her heart sank.

"Follow the smoke!" Yāoyāo commanded sharply.

Had they really found it?

Normally, a free-floating spirit wouldn't survive this long. However, if supernatural interference had occurred, it was a different story. This realization was the source of Yāoyāo's unease.

The Gu family, unaware of these complexities, broke into smiles at the news of the discovery. Without delay, they followed the smoke trail as instructed, with a driver quickly starting the car to take them in pursuit.

Not long after, they arrived at the destination and stepped out of the car. Upon seeing where the smoke had led them, the Gu family's expressions darkened.

"Why here?" Gu Yu couldn't help but exclaim.

Before them stood a grand hotel. At the entrance, greeters and security stood dutifully, while a revolving door spun continuously.

The nameplate above the hotel's entrance gleamed with golden lettering that read, "Mingfu Courtyard."

This was none other than the banquet hall they had previously reserved.

The area was already bustling with guests, and some who were nearby recognized the Gu family upon seeing them.

"President Gu, you're here early!"

"This must be your daughter—such a beautiful young lady!"

Normally, compliments like this about their family members would elicit polite responses from the Gu family. But today, none of them had the mind for idle chatter.

Afraid of losing the white smoke trail, they gave only brief replies before stepping into the hotel.

Upon entering, they saw the white smoke curling around a young boy in a neatly tailored suit.

The boy was about the same age as Gu Wei, standing obediently beside a middle-aged man, silent and well-behaved. The white smoke, which had remained unbroken until now, merged into the boy and disappeared entirely.

The missing spirit had clearly been found.

"Third Brother, why are you here so early?"

Hearing the commotion, the middle-aged man turned around and, upon seeing Gu Xuésōng, greeted him with a smile.

This man was none other than Gu Xíngjūn, Gu Heng's elder brother and Gu Xuésōng's second eldest brother.

Gu Xuésōng's generation of the Gu family consisted of three sons and one daughter. Gu Xuésōng was the third son, with two elder brothers above him. After the family had split, however, the brothers didn't interact much. This event was an exception because it was a family celebration, and invitations had been sent to everyone.

"Yāoyāo, what's the meaning of this?" Chen Hui asked, her gaze fixed on the boy. She already had a sinking suspicion but refused to accept it without confirmation.

"Mom, this uncle's Palace of Descendants is dry and barren. He shouldn't have any successors. Are you sure this boy is really his grandson?" Yāoyāo replied coolly.

Her words struck like a thunderclap, and Gu Xíngjūn's expression changed drastically.

"Where did this child come from? How dare you speak to your elders this way?" Gu Xíngjūn barked angrily.

Realizing how Yāoyāo had been addressed earlier, he sneered, "So this is the daughter you insisted on adopting, Third Brother? She's utterly ill-mannered!"

His voice was filled with anger, but those who knew him well would recognize it as a sign of guilt. The louder he yelled, the guiltier he felt.

"Second Brother," Gu Heng interjected coldly, "whether Yāoyāo is well-mannered is none of your concern. What I want to know is this—why is my son's missing spirit in your grandson's body?"

Chen Hui might not have understood all the nuances, but Yāoyāo's words had made things clear enough. If she still didn't understand by now, she'd truly be a fool.

Her question hit Gu Xíngjūn like a thunderclap.

"What… what are you talking about? Spirits? I don't understand any of this nonsense," he said, his voice trembling as he instinctively avoided their gazes.

But his evasive demeanor confirmed the Gu family's suspicions.

Gu Wei's missing spirit was no coincidence.

And it was clear that it had everything to do with this so-called "good uncle."

[--------------------------------------------]

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