Since the original leader misjudged the situation, he naturally decided not to pursue the matter further.
Du Zhengnian had woken up under Dong Li's treatment. In the end, Ning Xian was too soft-hearted and only let him take a few heavy punches. Now that he was awake, he naturally didn't get the treatment of being "carried" and could only follow behind the others slowly back. Every step he took was painful all over his body.
He both hated and feared certain individuals.
However, he was surprised to find that they were not heading in the direction of the Fang family's house. He couldn't help but ask, "Where are you going?"
Ning Xian stopped and looked at him, saying, "There's no need to go back to the Fang family anymore—go to the clinic, fix your bad habits, and then we'll find someone to send you back to the Du family."
"If we don't go back—if we take them away like this, Master Fang won't let us off!" "Don't worry, you don't need to worry. We'll talk to Master Fang clearly. We should pray to Buddha to protect us from being found by Master Fang before we leave."
"You promised you wouldn't!" Du Zhengnian struggled again, but Ning Xian grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back, saying sternly, "Do you still think Ci Sheng is dead? Is that just a joke? He's not here, so you have to go back! Change all your bad habits and take on the responsibility of being the eldest son of the Du family!" He didn't let go and just pulled him back by the collar. Du Zhengnian didn't struggle anymore, as if he finally listened to what Ning Xian said—but was Ci Sheng really dead? He still couldn't process the news; it felt completely unreal.
Bao had spoken with Mr. Dongli in detail, and Dongli agreed to entrust him with dealing with Master Fang. Now was not the time to confront Master Fang directly, otherwise he might immediately come knocking on their door demanding the imposter who was posing as his son. It was better to wait until after Du Zhengnian had left to tell Master Fang the truth. Whether Master Fang believed it or not, let him find out the truth for himself.
Bringing Du Zhengnian back to the clinic was a true form of imprisonment. He couldn't step out of the courtyard; chopping wood, drying herbs, grinding medicine—he had to do all the work himself—Du Zhengnian was the kind of person who would rather die than work. But living meant facing many hardships. He wasn't given food or an antidote if he didn't finish his work, and he was even deprived of sleep. So he had no choice but to work, enduring the humiliation and resentment towards Ning Xian, while being subjected to all the arrangements made for him.
Ning Xian finally understood that dealing with this kind of person through persuasion was utterly impossible. All his previous education in literature had gone to waste; what he needed wasn't moral cultivation, but labor, endless labor—no wonder prisoners in jail were sent to labor camps like Shiyao—it was definitely a good remedy for some. Mu Yuan's eyes would need another month to improve, and he would need that month to teach Du Zhengnian what it meant for labor to be glorious.
Watching Du Zhengnian listlessly chopping firewood in the yard, Ning Xian leaned back lazily in his chair and asked, "Uncle, isn't there some kind of medicine that can transform someone into a fine young man just by taking it?" Dong Li knew it was just a joke and replied with a light smile, "If such a thing really existed, would the world be the way it is now?"
"Tch, I don't believe it. If you can drive someone crazy, you can drive them to be good!"
Mr. Dongli seemed to have thought of something and hesitated before speaking: "Regarding this, some of my former fellow disciples had quite a few insights on this, but I haven't heard much from them. If you are interested, I can share them with you."
"Oh, oh, oh, uncle, where did you hang out before? How do you know so much?" "..." Mr. Dongli just smiled, speechless. The only one who still didn't understand his identity was the girl.
What Mr. Dongli taught Ning Xian remains to be studied, but his attitude towards Du Zhengnian seems to have intensified, though many aspects have improved. For example, regarding sleep, he was initially allowed to sleep, but each time he would be dragged out of bed after less than half an hour, groggily going to work. The work wasn't much, but he could only go back to sleep after finishing it. As for meals, if he finished his work, he would not only get food, but sometimes even a couple of pieces of meat; if he worked faster than before, he would be praised. And there were many other small things…
I just didn't quite understand why Mr. Dongli's "former fellow disciple" named the method "Ape Training Method." After Mr. Dongli explained it, the gist was that when a person's consciousness is clouded by drugs, how they are treated is very important—if you treat them like someone important, they will unconsciously become arrogant; similarly, if you treat them like a dog, their consciousness will become confused, and they will accept their situation.
Of course, this refers to the effects of specific medications. But even Mr. Dongli didn't know what those medications were.
Ning Xian studied what Mr. Dongli had described, combined it with his own understanding of horse and dog training, and pondered it himself, finally devising a detailed plan. First, weaken the person, then raise him. He needed to find ways to make him obedient, praising him appropriately to give him a sense of satisfaction, and always patting his head when praising him, treating him like a good boy. He needed a combination of punishment and reward, not just physical punishment—and, when appropriate, even using sedatives—
Life goes on, and so does Du Zhengnian's life.
Chapter Seventy-Two: Let's Go Back to the Demonic Cult (from "My Wife Climbs the Wall") by Lian Zhi Qingting.
After being forced to wrap her eyes with medicated bandages for ten days, it was finally time to remove them. Because Hua Hua was both vain and concerned about her appearance, she often complained that the bandages were unsightly and smelled of medicine, so Mr. Dongli had to put in a lot of effort to prevent her eyes from being ruined.
Having finally made it through the ten days safely, Ning Xian couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
She slowly drew water and said to Feng beside her, "Feng, I'm thinking of going back to the Netherworld."
"That's true, we've been out for a while now."
Ning Xian seemed not to hear his reply and continued, "Back in the Netherworld, everyone was busy with their own things, so even if we hadn't seen each other for a long time, we didn't feel it... But after being away from there for so long, I really miss those people. What do you think will happen if Hua Hua's eyes don't get better? Will he still be the same as before?"
"...Can you please stop using that name?"
Speaking of Huahua, one immediately thinks of Ah Huang; she really does get the name right.
Feng took the basin of water from her. "Let's go. You don't want him to keep that bandage wrapped around his neck, do you?"
That makes sense.
They carried a basin of water into the house, where Mr. Dongli had already begun to unwrap the bandages covering Muyuan's eyes layer by layer. The pungent smell of the medicine made people keep their distance.
"Try opening your eyes, can you see?"
"Yes... there is a little light, but it's very blurry..."
"Take it slow, you can't rush things when it comes to your eyes. It seems there's no longer any danger of complete blindness, but it's hard to say how well it will recover. Remember not to overwork your eyes."
As soon as Mr. Dongli left Ningxian, he circled around him like he was a rare animal, "Hey, Huahua, can you see me?" "Don't worry, even if I can't see your face, I won't forget what Xianxian looks like." He tapped Ningxian's head with the handle of his fan. If he could be considered to be able to see in his current state, then that was all.
Light, and the swirling, dark shadows.
"I've finished chopping firewood! The herbs are all dried, and everything that needs grinding is ground. What should I do now?" Du Zhengnian suddenly appeared at the door and asked Ning Xian. After thinking for a moment, she said, "There's food for you in the pot in the kitchen. Boil the water after dinner, and then go clean the clinic." "Okay." Du Zhengnian turned and left. Although she had dark circles under her eyes, her steps were a little unsteady, and she seemed thinner but her flesh was very firm, giving people an unusually strange and contradictory feeling. It's only been a month, how come this person seems... rather than a complete transformation, it's more like she's possessed by a ghost.
"Ning Xian, what did you do to him?" Even Feng, who usually doesn't meddle in other people's business, couldn't help but ask.
"I have successfully inherited and carried forward the essence of a certain 'predecessor's' research on the mutual influence between human spirit and personality." "...?"
"…Duanxian'er," Mu Yuan patted her shoulder and said earnestly, "Now that you are already a member of the Demonic Sect, don't be misled and join any mind-bending cults."
"Huh?"
Completely different from a chicken talking to a duck...
"Hey, Hua Hua, your eyesight is probably a little better now, do you want to go back?"
"don't want."
"...You don't want it yet?"
“I smell like medicine all day long, how can I go back like that? It will ruin my image.”
"………………|||| Whatever you want..."
Ning Xian looked up at Feng standing by the door—but if they didn't go back, with Hua Hua around like a big oil lamp, they wouldn't have any time to properly "improve their relationship"... It completely changed their original intention of coming out.
Just then, Feng suddenly walked over, pulled Ning Xian along, and led him outside—"Feng? What are you doing?"
"Do what we're supposed to do."
"Why?"
"We've wasted enough time on Mu Yuan and that spendthrift."
Where are you taking me?
"Let's go somewhere where there are no wooden kites and spendthrift brats!"
………………
Although they ran off without saying goodbye, the two returned on time for dinner, not keeping anyone waiting. Mu Yuan smiled knowingly and teased, "Oh, back from your tryst?"
Feng ignored him and sat down with Ning Xian, saying to Mr. Dongli, "I think it's time for Ning Xian and me to move out and stay at an inn."
"Huh?" Mu Yuan was taken aback, and even Du Zhengnian hurriedly put down his chopsticks, seemingly a little nervous.
Mr. Dongli didn't react much, only nodding and smiling, "That's right, the weather is gradually getting cooler, we can't always let Young Master Du sleep in the shed outside the woodshed." Mu Yuan would naturally stay; whether she could be used as an oil lamp was another matter, but it would be more convenient for him to stay here for treatment. "Then, then what should I do? I'll go with..." Du Zhengnian had just started to speak when Ning Xian sternly reprimanded him, "You do what you're supposed to do! Do I need to tell you what you do every day?"
"But with so many things to do... which one should I do first?"
Mu Yuan nearly spat out her food, and even Feng choked slightly—what exactly had Ning Xian done to Du Zhengnian in the past month? "—Go on, go on, anyway, it's always the new love who's laughing while the old one is crying. You and Feng can just enjoy your romance, who told him to be the young master?" Mu Yuan waved her hand dismissively, like a washed-up, resentful husband.
Feng continued to ignore her, "We'll stay at the same inn as before. Mu Yuan, you should know the place. You can come over if you need anything—don't come if you don't. We'll come over often to see if we need any help." Although that's what she said... with Du Zhengnian, who's as "diligent" as if possessed by a ghost, around now, there probably isn't anything she needs his help with.
Mu Yuan was clearly dissatisfied. "You mean you want someone who has only recently regained a little sight to go find an inn they visited once when they were blind?"
"That's right." — And you can't find the best one.
Mu Yuan shook her head and sighed, "There's really no camaraderie among fellow disciples."
Chapter Seventy-Three: Let's Go Back to the Demonic Cult (from "My Wife Climbs the Wall") by Lian Zhi Qingting.
Ning Xian and Feng returned to their former bustling town. Not long after entering the town, he suddenly pulled Ning Xian aside. They saw several martial arts figures in gray and black clothes walking by, searching and asking questions from time to time.
"Is it the Xuanlang Sect?"
"It seems so."
"How did they find this place? Are they looking for us?"
Feng shook her head gently, unsure. "Let's go to the inn first."
After the Xuanlang Sect members passed by, they entered the inn. The waiter greeted them and, upon seeing them, clearly remembered them. "You two are back? And you'd like a superior room?"
"Yes. Waiter, I need to ask you something."
"Please speak."
"Who were those men in gray clothes looking for?"
"Oh, they're looking for..." The waiter paused, then gave an awkward laugh, "Judging from their description, they do resemble this customer somewhat..." "And what did the waiter say?"
The cold smile made the waiter shudder, and he hurriedly said, "I'm just telling the truth. Someone similar came by, but they left long ago—"
Feng nodded, indicating that she had no objection to his words, and said, "Take us to the room."
"Yes, yes."
After the waiter left the room, Ning Xian said, "They're still searching. They're being far too persistent." It wouldn't be difficult for the Xuanlang Sect to find out they hadn't returned; they could simply monitor the main road leading to the Netherworld Heaven and understand that Feng and Ning Xian were still outside. But was it necessary to target Feng like this?
"It seems someone has been stirring things up behind the scenes..."
“That young master?” Ning Xian sat down next to him. “Why is he targeting you like this? You know the reason, right?” Feng didn’t answer. She started to ponder. “You two don’t seem to be old acquaintances. He’s the young master of Chongtian Tower, and his cousin is the nephew of the former leader of the Giant Axe Sect. And you almost destroyed the Giant Axe Sect—did you kill someone?”
"I guess so."
“…Feng, you really are the type of person who makes enemies without even realizing it.”
Feng's arrogant ears had an extra function compared to others; for example, she could simply ignore what had just been said. "Judging from the situation, it's not safe to stay near Jiangcheng."
Ning Xian casually asked, "So, where are we going?"
"Where could be safer than the Netherworld?"
"Should we go back?" Ning Xian's face lit up with joy, but then he frowned. "Hua Hua doesn't want to go back." "Then let him stay here. The other side's target is me. As long as he stays here and behaves himself, there shouldn't be any problems. Besides, Mr. Dong Li is here."
Even now, Ning Xian still couldn't recall Uncle Dongli's identity. However, she knew this man was no ordinary person, so she had no objections. Since they had reached a consensus, Feng went out to make preparations—their journey would likely take a whole day on horseback, and the main road to the Netherworld might be under surveillance; just in case, it was best not to stop and give anyone an opportunity. He bought two good horses, prepared provisions, and observed the situation. When he returned, he found Ning Xian hunched over the table, seemingly writing something.
"What is this?" Feng frowned as she looked at the densely packed schedule-like thing.
“I’ll leave this for Du Zhengnian, so he doesn’t forget what he should be doing, what time to eat and sleep each day. It’s alright at the clinic, at least Hua Hua and Uncle are there. But I plan to send him back to the Du family when Hua Hua is willing to come back. Wouldn’t that completely mess up his life? I need to arrange things for him as soon as possible… Do you think the eldest son of the Du family needs to chop wood?”
"..."