Chapter 149: Stripped of Providence While Still Alive

Li Shun carefully examined Fang Han with his divine sense.

The young man seemed to have completely lost consciousness. Only the last flicker of his life remained, wavering like a candle in the wind, as though it could be extinguished at any moment. More importantly, this decline did not originate from any particular part of his body.

It was all-encompassing.

From the inside out.

Even within Fang Xun's memories, Li Shun had never encountered anything this strange.

For a moment, he found himself at a complete loss.

Strictly speaking, he had never shared any particularly deep bond with Fang Han.

Yet Fang Han was still "Fang Xun's" nephew. Not long after Fang Xun's death, the boy had already fallen into such a miserable state.

That alone left Li Shun deeply displeased.

Just then, he noticed Kong Zhao standing nearby, his brows tightly furrowed as though he had thought of something.

Li Shun immediately lowered his voice and asked, "Senior Brother Kong, do you have any idea what's happened?"

Kong Zhao remained silent for a moment before replying softly, "I can't be absolutely certain, but judging from Fang Han's condition... I'm afraid it's almost certainly the case."

"If I'm not mistaken..."

"He has had his Providence forcibly stolen."

The words struck like a bolt from the blue.

"What?!"

Li Qing's eyes flew wide open, flames of fury burning within them.

"Someone dares steal another person's providence and take their life in broad daylight? How can such a thing exist? Is there no law left in Great Qian? Who did this?!"

Unable to suppress his rage, he immediately prepared to hunt down the culprit and fight them to the death.

Li Shun, however, remained far calmer.

He reached out to stop Li Qing before taking a deep breath.

"Please explain in greater detail, Senior Brother Kong."

Kong Zhao glanced at Fang Han, who lay on the bed on the verge of death, before sighing.

"In truth, this sort of thing isn't uncommon among certain great clans."

"Occasionally, a collateral branch will produce an exceptionally gifted descendant. When that happens, the main family will employ a secret art to forcibly seize that person's Providence, transferring their talent onto one of the clan's direct heirs."

"In this way, even after a thousand years of inheritance, the main lineage can ensure its prosperity never declines."

Kong Zhao spoke calmly, as though such a horrifying practice was perfectly ordinary.

Li Qing, who had spent his entire life inside the Imperial Mausoleum, had never heard of anything like it before.

His face filled with disbelief.

"Every person is born with their own fate. Those so-called prestigious clans actually use secret arts to steal another person's destiny..."

"And the Great Qian court simply allows this?"

Li Shun was far less surprised.

"These are internal clan affairs. Since such methods are used, both parties involved are usually willing, at least on the surface. Great Qian's laws may be numerous, but they cannot interfere in matters like these."

"However..."

"Who exactly targeted Fang Han?"

"Could there really be a hidden villain lurking within Dongshan Town?"

Kong Zhao pondered for a while before slowly shaking his head.

"That's the part I can't understand either."

"Ordinarily, this secret art of stealing Providence requires the victim's blood essence as its medium."

"According to what you've told me, Fang Han hasn't suffered any serious injuries these past few days. Besides, he's only at the Mortal Physique realm and doesn't appear to possess any particularly special physique..."

The moment he heard those words, Li Shun suddenly understood.

His thoughts immediately returned to Fang Han's unusual immunity to the countless rumors and slanders brought about by the Celestial Phenomena Tribulation.

'Everything that happened during the great upheaval in Guling Commandery, Fang Xun's death, the dispersal of the Heavenly Dao's Severance Qi... every single detail was recorded and reported directly to Heaven's ears.'

'Including every action taken and every word spoken by everyone present.'

'Fang Han's unusual behavior must have been among those records.'

'Naturally, it wouldn't escape the notice of someone paying close attention.'

'As for the blood essence required to cast the secret art...'

'Dongshan Town is currently under the scrutiny of the imperial court. It shouldn't have been possible for anyone to secretly infiltrate and steal his blood essence. Nor has Fang Han shown any abnormalities these past few days.'

'Unless...'

A possibility suddenly flashed through Li Shun's mind.

Fang Han's father's family.

Fang Han's father had not been surnamed Fang.

His surname had been Fan.

However, he had come from an impoverished background and believed himself unworthy of Fang Xun's younger sister. After their son was born, he voluntarily allowed the child to take his mother's surname instead.

Three years after their marriage, he died from illness.

With two husbands dying young in succession, Fang Xun's younger sister had secretly earned the reputation of bringing misfortune to her husbands.

The Fan family had already been dissatisfied over the matter of the child's surname.

After her husband's death, her life became even more difficult.

Not only did she receive no support whatsoever, but she was frequently subjected to all manner of humiliation and hardship.

Fang Xun had once urged his sister to return home with her child.

She had politely refused.

'I remember Fang Xun mentioning that his sister once told him... when Fang Han was born, a small portion of his blood essence was taken.'

'It was supposedly a custom of the Fan family.'

'The Fan family...'

As every loose thread came together, Li Shun's expression gradually darkened.

Kong Zhao naturally noticed the change in his expression, but chose not to ask.

Li Shun likewise kept his suspicions to himself.

After all, nothing had yet been confirmed.

"Senior Brother Kong, is there any way to save him?"

He looked at Kong Zhao with complete seriousness.

Kong Zhao let out a long sigh and slowly shook his head.

"Even immortals cannot save him."

"Providence is the very foundation of one's life. Once it has been stolen, the entire body becomes like an empty shell."

"His body is simply too fragile now. It cannot withstand even the slightest external stimulation. Any attempt to treat him with medicine or therapeutic techniques would only hasten his death."

"Whether he survives this ordeal depends entirely on himself."

"In truth, even if he miraculously survives..."

"He will remain permanently frail."

"His path of cultivation has already been severed."

"He is destined not to live much longer."

The room fell into deathly silence.

Li Qing clenched both fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"He was still so young, yet he has suffered such a cruel fate."

"The one behind this... truly deserves neither mercy nor forgiveness."

Only after a long silence did Li Shun finally speak.

"Brother Kong, I'm afraid I'll have to postpone our departure for a few more days."

Kong Zhao nodded in understanding.

With Fang Han's life hanging by a thread, there was no way they could simply leave.

Over the following days, Li Shun and Li Qing took turns caring for Fang Han.

Yet Fang Han's aura continued to weaken day by day, visibly fading before their eyes.

Li Shun silently gazed at the young man lying on the bed, his breathing so faint it seemed death could claim him at any moment.

His mind drifted back to the image of Fang Han traveling countless miles to Dongshan Town to seek refuge with Fang Xun.

Then he remembered how the young man had desperately defended Fang Xun amidst the chaos of the calamity.

'Fang Han is a good child.'

'He shouldn't die like this.'

'"Even immortals cannot save him..."'

'Then...'

'I'll save him.'

'If becoming a puppet within Fangcun can still be called salvation.'

Li Shun's expression shifted several times before finally settling into unwavering resolve.

It was also the first time he had ever felt such complicated and conflicting emotions about turning someone into a Fangcun puppet.

He gently placed his hand upon Fang Han's forehead.

His consciousness instantly flowed into the young man's sea of consciousness.

'Fang Han.'

'Do you still wish to live?'

'Do you... want revenge?'

Li Shun truthfully told him everything about how his Providence had been stolen.

Not long afterward, a weak, yet incomparably resolute ripple of consciousness answered him.

'I do!'