Chapter Seven, The Soul Returns.

Tan Lingyin, seeing that he did not believe her, explained, "My lord, I truly lost my soul. I feel weak all over, drowsy, and listless... It was clearly you who threw me down!"

Comfortable! Tan Lingyin felt as if she were a tangled ball of thread, and Qingchen's hand was like a large comb, smoothing her out. Now her body relaxed, her eyes closed, swaying gently, and gradually she fell asleep.

"I have said that I am well-read in poetry and literature," Tan Lingyin scoffed, "It would be a waste of talent for me to be your assistant. If it weren't for—" At this point, she stopped speaking

A group of people returned to the county office. Tan Lingyin circled around the entrance of the county office and saw her brother Tan Qingchen standing under the ginkgo tree in deep thought, so she did not return to the county office but turned around to find her brother.

Tan Lingyin was very pleased to teach him the specific method. When Qingchen first arrived at their home as a child, he was often frightened, and the shamans would use this method to call back his spirit, which was always effective.

Tang Tianyuan felt that she must have worsened her already poor mental state when she fell. How could she, a dignified member of the imperial court, dare to speak such nonsense

Tan Lingyin has quickly crouched onto his back

Tang Tianyuan raised an eyebrow and looked down at Tan Lingyin, "You seem to know quite a lot"

Tan Lingyin urged Tang Tianyuan to call her soul again

Tan Lingyin sluggishly turned her head to look at him

Tang Tianyuan held her handkerchief, standing at the edge of the stone slab, looking down the slope. It is said that Tan Lingyin's soul was lost there. Following her instructions, he flicked the handkerchief, resulting in a layer of goosebumps. Thus, he had no choice but to clasp his hands behind his back and, facing the gentle breeze passing through the mountains, spoke aloud, "Soul, return!"

That would not be good...

"Sir, how are you and Master Tan?" came the inquiry from Zhao Xiaoliu.

He was too busy having fun, and Tan Lingyin was very unhappy, "Don't talk nonsense, what if you summon someone else's soul? Also... are you Qu Yuan?!" "Soul, return" is precisely what Qu Yuan wrote to King Huai of Chu.

Tang Tianyuan thought that "scaring someone out of their wits" was merely an exaggerated rhetorical expression, but he did not expect her to continue by saying, "My lord, why don't you help me call my soul back?"

What is it then?" Tang Tianyuan pressed for an answer

Tan Qingchen smiled, moved a stool to sit behind the recliner, and began to massage Tan Lingyin's shoulders

Their commotion woke Tan Lingyin. As soon as Tan Lingyin opened her eyes, she saw her younger brother holding a brick, ready to hit someone. She sprang up from the lounge chair and stood in front of Tan Qingchen, angrily exclaiming, "Who dares to bully my brother!"

Tang Tianyuan sat cross-legged on the ground, lowering his head to gaze at Tan Lingyin's sleeping face. He had calculated everything, yet he never expected that Miaomiao Sheng would be a woman, and such an eccentric one at that. Before coming to Tongling, he was filled with ambition, eager to teach Miaomiao Sheng a lesson. However, upon arriving here, he realized that he had been the one being taught a lesson by her; no, more accurately, he had been subjected to her inappropriate advances. In that moment, Tang Tianyuan felt a profound sense of tragedy, akin to the phrase 'setting out on a campaign only to meet an untimely end'.

It is indeed remarkable that at least three parties have already intervened in this substantial sum of money, and one cannot help but wonder what other malevolent forces may be attracted in the future

"I will help you summon your soul," Tang Tianyuan replied, turning his face away. A slight warmth rose at the back of his ears.

The two individuals are positioned on a steep slope, and Tan Lingyin's actions effectively pull Tang Tian and the book further back. The latter, carrying a person, has compromised balance, causing him to lose his footing and fall backward due to her pull

Even if I tell you, you would not understand

Apart from this, Tang Tianyuan could not discern anything else. He was not a forensic expert, and this was his first time observing a corpse up close

Tang Tianyuan had no choice but to shout repeatedly, "Tan Lingyin, come back quickly!" Tan Lingyin was lying peacefully at his feet, and he felt that his actions were truly reminiscent of a madman

No

"You should just walk by yourself," Tang Tianyuan said, preparing to let her down.

Tan Lingyin sat still, "I ... ... my legs are weak ... ..."

"No, sir, you do not understand," Tan Lingyin said with a mournful expression, "I just rolled down and fell right into her arms. The suddenness of the situation startled me so much that I lost my wits."

She is still in a daze, previously like an unsettled mouse, but now suddenly has become a sick cat. Tang Tianyuan shook his head, "What a disappointment!"

Tan Qingchen removed the half-eaten watermelon from Tan Lingyin's lap. He took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped Tan Lingyin's hands clean. Just as he finished wiping, he looked up and noticed an additional person present.

Tang Tianyuan, feeling helpless, said, "Then please do not stand too close to me"

Zhao Xiaoliu and the others arrived with the coroner and the constable. Tan Lingyin was awakened by Tang Tianyuan. The effect of the soul-calling was evident; Tan Lingyin came back to life, full of spirit. She watched them go down, and after a while, they brought the body up, intending to transport it back to the county office

Tang Tianyuan looked at her pale face and felt a twinge of compassion. Although this person was quite annoying, she was still a girl after all. He then squatted down and said, "Let me carry you on my back"

Tan Lingyin sat in the lounge chair, enjoying the cool and sweet watermelon, feeling relaxed both physically and mentally. She reached her arm back and patted Tan Qingchen's small arm, saying, "Qingchen, I didn't love you in vain."

This method is quite simple. The person who has been frightened should lie flat and relax, close their eyes, and place a bowl of clear water on their head. The shaman, holding a handkerchief, calls out at the door, "XXX, quickly—come—back!"

It would have been better if he hadn't said that; after he did, Tan Qingchen's expression became even more unpleasant. As a mute, Tan Qingchen was unable to verbally express his anger, leaving him with no choice but to resort to physical action. He glanced around and picked up a piece of brick from the roots of a tree, aiming it at Tang Tianyuan.

Tan Lingyin is a young woman, and now her chest is pressed against his back. The softness of her chest, which is entirely different from that of a man, compresses against his spine, causing a wave of heat to rise on his face, lingering and refusing to dissipate

Then forget it, he said, preparing to stand up

He bent down and tugged at Tan Lingyin's arm, "Can you walk"

Tang Tianyuan clapped his hands, took a few steps back, and looked down at Tan Lingyin on the ground

Thus, she chose to straighten her back and desperately leaned her body backward

Tang Tianyuan supported her leg bend, gave it a slight bounce, and then steadied her before beginning to climb the slope. After only a few steps, he felt quite uneasy

Upon hearing these three words, Tan Qingchen's expression darkened instantly, and he stood up, coldly staring at Tang Tianyuan

He still does not know that the two people in front of him are siblings

Then can you help me call the soul

Now they do not have bowls, and using a water bag is passable. Tan Lingyin lay on the ground, placed the water bag properly, closed her eyes, and waited for Tang Tianyuan to take action

The corpse is that of a young girl, adorned with a hairpin and dressed in coarse clothing, which bears several marks of being torn by branches and stones. There is a dark bruise around the girl's neck, suggesting that she may have been strangled to death.

Tang Tianyuan felt that the young boss had probably misunderstood. He pointed at Tan Lingyin with his fan and explained, "I am referring to her."

Tang Tianyuan did not expect that this young master, who appeared gentle, had such a violent temper. As the head of a county, he could not oppress ordinary citizens, so he was unwilling to truly engage in a fight with this young boss. Thus, he took a few steps back and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, alright, it was my mistake, I apologize." While he spoke these words, he felt somewhat puzzled in his heart; Tan Lingyin and this person were behaving intimately, and this person was so protective of Tan Lingyin. What exactly was their relationship?

Tang Tianyuan thought to himself, even without your words, I already know. If it is not for the purpose of becoming a clerk, then it is most likely for the sake of gold

At this moment, Tan Lingyin finally took notice of the poor girl. The girl was exceptionally beautiful, with fair skin, a high nose bridge, slender eyebrows, and a small cherry-like mouth. Even with her eyes closed, one could tell that she had been a great beauty before her birth, evoking even more pity from the onlookers

Without my soul, my legs are weak; please carry me back.

I don't. It's much more comfortable to walk on my own than to be carried by someone else

Tang Tianyuan looked at the wilted Tan Lingyin and said, "With such little courage, how dare you sneak into the county office at night?"

Since childhood, Tan Qingchen has been Tan Lingyin's exclusive confidant. She loves to share everything with him. At this moment, seeing Qingchen, Tan Lingyin hurriedly poured out her troubles, recounting the miserable experiences of the day.

Oh, so they are just siblings. Tang Tianyuan turned around with an impassive expression, hands behind his back, and left behind a remark, "Hurry back to work, this official's office does not support idlers"

Only Tang Tianyuan and Tan Lingyin remained on the large stone slab

Tang Tianyuan looked at Tan Lingyin with disdain, saying, "You have no shame." A young lady, no matter what, should not be casually touched by a man, even if that man is her boss.

Tang Tianyuan had already observed the actions of the two individuals. He had just returned to the county office to deal with matters related to a murder case and had no time to pay attention to Tan Lingyin. By the time he thought of using her for a task, she had already disappeared without a trace. Tang Tianyuan felt that Tan Lingyin was not fulfilling her duties as a secretary, so he went out to look for her, intending to give her a few words of reprimand, and happened to witness the scene before him

Subsequently, Tang Tianyuan briefly explained the situation at the foot of the slope to Zhao Xiaoliu and Li Dawang, instructing them to quickly return to the county office to summon the coroner. In such hot weather, the body is prone to rapid decomposition, making it imperative to examine the scene and transport the body back for preservation as soon as possible. Upon learning that a murder had occurred, the two hurriedly returned to gather the personnel.

I apologize, it was not my intention

Tan Qingchen frowned deeply upon hearing this. He felt distressed when his sister was in pain. He moved a reclining chair for Tan Lingyin to sit under the shade of the ginkgo tree to cool off, then turned and went to the backyard, took out a freshly picked watermelon from the well, cut it in half, inserted a small copper spoon, and served it to Tan Lingyin

Indeed, it rolled over again. Tan Lingyin felt somewhat dejected. She looked at Tang Tianyuan with reproachful eyes, conveying the meaning of, how could you be so foolish

Tan Lingyin fell asleep in his call.

Tan Lingyin suddenly understood his concerns, and her face turned red. However, she did not want to climb such a steep slope by herself, fearing that she might roll down again. After all, she was pushed down by him, so it was not unreasonable for him to carry her back up.

It's nothing

Tang Tianyuan truly did not know what sins he had committed in his past life that led him to encounter such an extraordinary person as Tan Lingyin. He patted his clothes, stood up, lifted Tan Lingyin onto his shoulder, and began to walk briskly up the steep slope, climbing with great determination.

Tan Lingyin was thrown to the ground by him, as if she were a discarded sack