Chapter 587 585: Soul-Suppressing Wood

"Young Master, you're awake."

"Jiang Chen."

Everyone immediately drew closer to Jiang Chen.

Their expressions were grave. Not only was Jiang Chen's face pale, but the black smoke above his head was growing thicker.

Jiang Chen opened his eyes, and an exceptionally beautiful face came into view.

It was a face he knew well.

It was Murong Xiangming.

He managed a weak smile. "You're here."

Murong Xiangming nodded and asked urgently, "Jiang Chen, what can I do for you right now?"

Jiang Chen was even weaker than before, but for the moment, his mind was still perfectly clear.

He thought for a moment. He was now almost certain he had been cursed.

Although he didn't know much about curses, he still had some basic knowledge.

A curse takes time to manifest, and it was even possible to extend that period.

But now, the curse on him had been discovered too late. It had already reached the eruption stage.

Curses have an incubation period and an eruption period.

The incubation period began the first time Jiang Chen felt that sharp pain in his heart; that's when the curse had taken root.

The second time was just now, when the piercing pain in his mind caused him to faint. That was when the curse began to erupt.

To delay the eruption of a curse, it was best to find a way to slow it during the incubation period.

But it was too late now; the curse had already begun to erupt.

However, it could still be delayed somewhat.

Jiang Chen knew his time was short. If he could buy himself a little more time now, he would have a glimmer of hope for survival.

He quickly said to Murong Xiangming, "Can you help me get some Soul-Suppressing Wood?"

"Soul-Suppressing Wood can help delay the curse and let me live for a few more days."

Jiang Chen stated a solution and also revealed the situation he was facing.

It was critical.

When everyone heard Jiang Chen say it would only let him live for a few more days, their hearts sank.

They knew Jiang Chen must be in an extremely dangerous period.

"Jiang Chen, wait for me. I'll go look for it right now. Just wait for me."

Without another word, Murong Xiangming rushed out of the estate and headed for the Treasure Elephant Pavilion to find the Soul-Suppressing Wood.

With the others left behind, JinLing took the opportunity to approach Jiang Chen's side.

"Help me up."

Jiang Chen felt like he didn't even have the strength to sit up.

This made him feel even more dazed.

'I can't believe I'd encounter such a terrifying, life-or-death calamity in this life.'

It was almost enough to kill him.

JinLing helped Jiang Chen up. Looking at him, her heart ached.

Seeing Jiang Chen like this was painful for her.

Once seated, Jiang Chen said to the group, "Don't worry. I won't die that easily."

Despite his words, their faces were etched with worry.

But at that moment, it suddenly occurred to Jiang Chen… Curses, a form of dark magic, weren't generally so easy to cast successfully.

This was because a curse usually required the caster to have had personal contact with the target.

But Mr. Gu had no opportunity to get close to him.

Yet he was still cursed.

'He must have gotten his hands on something related to me.'

Thinking of this, Jiang Chen reviewed the recent events. He hadn't given Mr. Gu any openings at all.

'So where did the problem arise?'

'How exactly did Mr. Gu manage to curse me?'

As he racked his brain, Jiang Chen couldn't find any loopholes. Then, suddenly, his heart jolted.

A thought struck him: his blood.

Immediately, he looked at JinLing.

He asked, "JinLing, the drop of blood I gave you… do you still have it?"

JinLing froze.

She had taken Jiang Chen's blood and given it to the black-robed man, Witch Bone.

It was long gone from her possession.

Moreover, she had been waiting for a reply from him these past few days but had heard nothing.

And Jiang Chen showed no signs of falling in love with her at all.

This made her even more suspicious.

She had a feeling she'd been tricked.

Now, Jiang Chen was cursed, his fate uncertain.

She had a feeling she would never see the day Jiang Chen fell in love with her; he might leave this world before then.

Her heart was filled with bitterness.

Hearing Jiang Chen's question, for a moment, she didn't know how to answer.

At that moment, all eyes turned to JinLing.

JinLing hesitated for a moment before speaking the truth. "Jiang Chen, I'm sorry. I lied to you before."

"I took your blood because someone told me that if I got it, I could make you fall in love with me."

"I gave your blood to that person. I don't have it anymore."

In that instant, everyone else's jaw dropped.

Everything seemed to be related to that drop of blood.

They had a bad feeling.

Jiang Chen's body trembled slightly.

He sighed. "You… you were tricked."

"Me being cursed… it's related to that drop of blood you gave him."

"Do you remember that person? Was he completely covered in a black robe?"

Jiang Chen already knew everything. It had to be Mr. Gu.

JinLing said in a panic, "Yes, it was a man completely covered in a black robe. He's called Witch Bone."

Jiang Chen closed his eyes.

'It truly was a fated calamity.'

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Jiang Chen."

"I… I didn't do it on purpose."

"I…"

JinLing was truly panicking. She had originally thought she could win Jiang Chen's heart, but instead, she had ended up harming him.

Zhan Yang, Niu Tuo, and Lu Beifeng could only manage bitter smiles.

But Xiao Jun, Mr. Jiao, and Mr. Qiu Shui all glared at JinLing with murder in their eyes.

"You venomous woman!"

Mr. Qiu Shui stepped forward, grabbed JinLing, and shoved her aside.

"Get out! You harmed the Young Master! A woman like you is despicable!"

Mr. Jiao and Xiao Jun immediately drew their Magical Treasures, ready to strike.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

JinLing, pushed to the ground by Mr. Qiu Shui, didn't get up. She just kept repeating, "I'm sorry."

Tears streamed down her face.

The atmosphere in the room turned strange.

Zhan Yang watched his sister with a bitter expression. He knew his sister liked Jiang Chen, but she had done something terribly wrong.

Even as Xiao Jun, Mr. Jiao, and the others were about to kill his sister, he didn't know if he should step in to stop them.

"Stop."

Jiang Chen barked out the command.

"She's innocent. Don't make things difficult for her."

Jiang Chen knew that JinLing was just a bit naive and had been used by Mr. Gu.

And JinLing certainly had no intention of harming him.

Xiao Jun and Mr. Jiao had no choice but to stop, but they continued to glare at JinLing with hostility.

At this, Jiang Chen sighed once more.

'This is fate.'

'Impossible to guard against.'

As for that Mr. Gu, killing intent erupted from Jiang Chen.

'If I can survive this ordeal, I will definitely kill Mr. Gu.'

Before long, Murong Xiangming came running back.

"Jiang Chen, I found it! I found the Soul-Suppressing Wood!"

She quickly took out a piece of black wood, about the size of her palm.

It turned out their Treasure Elephant Pavilion had Soul-Suppressing Wood.

Jiang Chen nodded.

"Just tie it to my body."

With the Soul-Suppressing Wood, he could delay the curse's eruption for a few days.

But it was only a delay. If he couldn't find a way to lift the curse, Jiang Chen would still face certain death.

Soon, Murong Xiangming had tied the Soul-Suppressing Wood to Jiang Chen's body.

The moment it was on him, Jiang Chen felt a sliver of strength return, his feeling of weakness diminishing slightly.

"Qiu Shui, take me back to the Jiang Family first."

"I have to make a trip back to the Jiang Family."

Jiang Chen made up his mind to return to the Jiang Family.

Mr. Qiu Shui quickly tried to dissuade him. "Young Master, it would be best if we found a way to lift the curse before returning to the Jiang Family."

"Time is of the essence."

Jiang Chen shook his head. "It's fine. I still have a little time. We'll go to the Jiang Family first, then look for a solution."

"If I'm really beyond saving, then it won't matter whether I go to the Jiang Family or not."