Chapter 1

In the third month of the Dajin Xining 44th year, it was a time of brilliant spring, with warm breezes turning the land green.

It was a fine day, the sun shining brightly, casting a radiant glow over the world.

In the eastern corridor of the courtyard behind the Tongshan County Office in Yongling Prefecture, a young servant boy, about twelve or thirteen years old, wearing a blue-gray short robe, was running with slightly loose cloth socks, taking three steps as if they were two.

"Thump thump thump..."

The footsteps were somewhat chaotic, following the sunlit corridor to the entrance of the main house. The door was adorned with a silk curtain, featuring a pattern of children playing with birds, embroidered with gold and silver threads, looking vivid in the sunlight.

Faintly, the sound of a young girl singing could be heard from inside the main house, and a subtle fragrance seeped through the gaps in the curtain.

The young servant boy quickly reached the door, seemingly very excited, and without thinking, he lifted the curtain and shouted, "Young Master, Young Master, it really works, they really made electricity!"

The main house fell silent for a moment, as if the shout had shattered the original atmosphere.

Soon, a beautiful maid, about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a dark red floral narrow-sleeved robe, quickly came to the door and scolded the young servant in a low voice, "How dare you shout so recklessly! Don't you fear disturbing Young Master? Do you want to be punished? Get down on your knees and wait for Young Master to decide your punishment!"

"Thud!"

The young servant's face turned pale as if he had been doused with a bucket of icy water in the middle of winter. He finally came to his senses, his legs giving way as he knelt down, panicking, "Ah, I... I..."

"Alright, it's Liangcai, isn't it? Forget it this time, Qiu Yang, let him in. Did they make it?"

A voice, slightly childish, came from deep within the main house, sounding like a young child speaking. This must be the young master of the house.

The maid, hearing this, rolled her eyes at the young servant and gently replied, "Yes! I'll let him warm up a bit before coming in, to prevent the cold from affecting Young Master!"

Then, the maid turned to the young servant, "Alright, get up. Hmph, Young Master has forgiven you this time, but if you dare to be so reckless again, you'll regret it! Come in, but remember to warm yourself by the incense burner first, don't bring the cold in. Young Master has just recovered, and if he catches a chill, we sisters in this room will also be punished!"

"Okay, Sister Qiu Yang, I understand, I won't do it again!"

The young servant knew the maid was serious, so he lowered his voice and thanked her.

He then stood up, dusted off his clothes, and tidied his disheveled attire before entering the room. He stopped by a large incense burner on the right side of the room to warm himself with the heat from the incense, driving away the cold.

At this moment, the maid went to the door of the inner chamber, which was also adorned with a silk curtain to block the cold.

After standing for a while and feeling warm, the young servant turned to the door of the inner chamber, bent his waist, and entered through the curtain lifted by the maid.

The inner chamber was about fifty square meters, with sunlight streaming in through a wooden window covered with white gauze, making the room very bright.

The furnishings were simple, with a changing room hidden behind a curtain, and other common furniture such as a bed, a table, cabinets, and a clothes rack.

There were three people in the inner chamber: two beautiful maids, both about fifteen or sixteen years old. One was half-sitting by the bed, feeding the young master some fruit, while the other was squatting by a table, playing a small zither. She must have been the one singing earlier.

The remaining person was the young master of the house, wearing a white silk robe, half-reclining on a soft pillow, with a blue brocade blanket covering his upper body.

The young master looked somewhat peculiar. His head was completely bald, with not a single hair or eyebrow.

His skin was tender and pink, like a peeled egg, white with a hint of red. Without hair, he looked somewhat unreal and strange.

If it weren't for his lively eyes and the way he opened and closed his mouth to eat the fruit offered by the maid, one might think he was a fake doll carved from jade.

The young master was about eight years old, with a well-proportioned face, suggesting he would grow up to be a handsome young man.

His black eyes turned and fixed on the young servant who had entered the inner chamber. He moved his lips slightly, "Liangcai, did they really make it as I instructed?"

"Yes, just as Young Master ordered, they squeezed some sour fruits and poured the juice into a clay jar, then placed copper and iron inside, connecting them with copper wires. After testing, it really produced electricity!"

The young servant's face showed excitement again, speaking clearly, though what he said seemed out of place in this ancient, elegant setting.

Hearing this, the young master on the bed, with a face like jade, couldn't help but smile, satisfied. "Good, tell everyone they will be rewarded! Liangcai, go and have them prepare, I want to see it!"

The young master then tried to lift the blanket covering him, seemingly eager to see the device that produced electricity.

The maid feeding him fruit quickly stood up and stopped him, "Young Master, have you forgotten Father's orders? Father said you must not be reckless. This time, you almost died, and it was only with the help of the Ancestor that you were saved. How can you dare to practice that deceptive technique again? No matter what, before your body fully recovers, I will not let you leave this courtyard!"

The young master's lively eyes flashed with a hint of something different, but on the surface, he seemed intimidated by the maid's words. He stopped his actions and leaned back on the bed's pillow.

"Chuyang, I just want to see it, not practice that technique. I've learned my lesson and won't be reckless. If I catch that damned old fraud, I won't let him off! Alright, Liangcai, have them test it a few more times, I'll see it next time!"

The young master spoke in a childish voice, making a bored expression and waving his hand at the young servant.

The young servant, hearing this, felt a bit disappointed, but since the young master had spoken, he could only obey. He replied, "Yes, I'll tell them. I'll take my leave now!"

The young master didn't pay attention to the young servant anymore, but instead said to the other maid, "Xiaoyang, continue singing. Sigh, I'm already better, but they won't let me out. It's so boring!"

Everything seemed to return to normal, and the young noble child lay back on the bed, enjoying the maid's service.

But the young master's heart was no longer calm.

Yes, this noble young master was no longer the original. He had been possessed by Zhu Lingwu...