Xiangzhou Chapter: Soul Transmigration to Another World Chapter 7: With the Golden Leaf in Hand, All Ailments Dispelled

Dong Feiguang’s eyes glazed over as Ye Qiaoqiao spoke. It was astonishing—truly astonishing. After serving as an official for more than a decade, this was the first time someone had described the ailment in his chest with such precision.

But then he wondered: how could a mere woman know about his condition?

“How did you come to know this?” Dong Feiguang furrowed his brows deeply, staring at Ye Qiaoqiao as if trying to see through her.

Yet Ye Qiaoqiao remained unmoved, calm and composed. She smiled lightly and said, “Sir Dong, I have crossed the gate of the underworld. Your ailment is but a trifle to me.”

Could it be that she had received some secret teachings from the King of Hell? Dong Feiguang pondered in amazement.

Then Ye Qiaoqiao lowered her voice and added, “I’m afraid you won’t live past the year of Yimao next year.”

Hearing this, Dong Feiguang straightened up and almost felt like kneeling. When he had consulted doctors about his illness, they had said the same!

He hurriedly pulled Ye Qiaoqiao aside and sat her down on a chair, eagerly asking about his condition: “Is there a cure?”

Very few who had crossed the realm of the King of Hell returned safely, and he, a man who treasured his life, was only forty and far from ready to surrender his fate to the grave.

Ye Qiaoqiao smiled faintly, knowing that while he cherished his life, he was also willing to spend money to save it. She said, “Of course there is a cure. It all depends on whether you are willing to follow my instructions.”

“Tell me, tell me,” Dong Feiguang said, now convinced she was a living deity sent to save him.

Ye Qiaoqiao smiled, then twirled her fingers.

Immediately, Dong Feiguang understood. Stroking his beard, he laughed, “If you can cure me, I’d gladly offer you five taels of gold—let alone money!”

“Very well, five taels of gold if the pain disappears. Fifty taels if it never returns,” Ye Qiaoqiao bargained.

Watching this, Han Xiang was dumbfounded; she never expected her lady to earn gold with just a few words. Her admiration deepened, yet she dared not ask any questions.

She too valued life and feared offending the King of Hell.

“Agreed,” Dong Feiguang promptly consented and sent a servant to fetch the five taels of gold.

The servant soon returned with gleaming golden leaves, placing them in Ye Qiaoqiao’s hand.

Only then did Ye Qiaoqiao rise from the grand chair, smiling and gesturing for Dong Feiguang to follow her to the courtyard.

In the center stood a massive pillar. Ye Qiaoqiao pointed at it and said softly, “Sir, if you can find a way to remove this pillar, your ailment will be cured.”

“Are you trying to deceive me? Is it really that simple?” Dong Feiguang sized her up skeptically.

Ye Qiaoqiao expected his doubt, but since the gold was already in hand, he would comply regardless. She said, “You are the magistrate of this precinct; who dares disobey you? Even my family, the Ye merchants, must curry favor with you. Why would I lie?”

Seeing his reluctance, she added, “The Chen family estate isn’t far from here. Trust me, within three days after moving the pillar, your heart will no longer ache.”

Her eloquence lifted Dong Feiguang’s spirits, and he immediately felt she had a knack for winning hearts.

Nodding, he said, “Very well, I will have the men dismantle and relocate this pillar today.”

“Good. Keep it clear for three days, and sweep the courtyard daily. No clutter allowed. Your heart ailment will naturally improve,” Ye Qiaoqiao said, her bright eyes sparkling with confidence in the gold she had secured.

Though uncertain of her true abilities, Dong Feiguang recalled that even doctors had been helpless with his illness, yet Ye Qiaoqiao had diagnosed it in mere words.

This lent her words a certain credibility.

After all, even if there were divine healers in this world, none could cure his condition.

With this in mind, Dong Feiguang agreed, “Very well, we shall proceed as you say.”

He then ordered his servants to find a way to remove the courtyard’s large pillar and dispose of it elsewhere.

Pleased, Ye Qiaoqiao pocketed the gold leaves and prepared to leave with Han Xiang.

Before departing, the magistrate fretted aloud, “How shall we explain to the third-rank official the death we have already reported, now that you have come back to life?”

Ye Qiaoqiao smiled, counting on her slender fingers and said, “Don’t worry, tomorrow may be an unlucky day, but it’s also an auspicious day for voicing grievances. I will resolve this matter for you then.”

Dong Feiguang, impressed by her casual divination and aura of otherworldliness, looked at the young woman with newfound respect.

“Very well, I hope you can settle this issue,” he agreed.

Unbeknownst to them, Shen Jianzhou and Zuo Wenshan hung silently from the rafters, their eyes fixed on the calculating girl, lost in thought.

Zuo Wenshan sneered, “I never imagined this magistrate was so afraid of death that he’d be fooled out of five taels of gold by a mere girl.”

Shen Jianzhou, meanwhile, gazed at the courtyard pillar and the slender figure of the departing woman bathed in noon sunlight.

His eyes grew distant, as if recalling a faint familiarity.

“Have we met her somewhere before?” he wondered aloud.

Zuo Wenshan squinted at the duo and replied, “There are too many faces alike in this world; maybe she just seems familiar.”

Meanwhile, Ye Qiaoqiao and Han Xiang left the magistrate’s residence.

Han Xiang glanced at the money pouch in Ye Qiaoqiao’s hand, filled with golden leaves, and couldn’t help but express her admiration, “Miss, how did you know the pillar was the problem?”

Ye Qiaoqiao explained, “The courtyard corresponds to the center of the human body. A pillar there means the heart is pierced, causing sharp, stabbing pain. This is only the early stage, not the late. Once the pillar is moved, peace will return.”

“Oh, Miss, you are truly remarkable,” Han Xiang applauded happily, her admiration growing.

Then concern clouded her face, “But what if after a few days the pillar is gone and the heart still hurts?”

“There’s no ‘what if,’” Ye Qiaoqiao said confidently.

Her mastery of fortune-telling, feng shui, and the Six Lines divination was unparalleled. She had handled dozens of such cases in the modern world. Whenever someone had heart issues, it was always due to problems in the central chamber.

Naturally, with her intervention, the ailment would vanish.

Gold in hand, all ailments dispelled.