Xiangzhou Arc: Soul Transmigration to Another World, Chapter 23: The Four Symbols Origin-Returning Array

Unseen by Ye Qiaoqiao, a man stood in the shadows of a street corner. He was dressed in an exquisitely crafted robe of deep ink-black, embroidered with intricate patterns of clouds and water that swayed gently with the breeze, underscoring his extraordinary status and bearing. His gaze was deep and focused as he silently observed every move the woman made.

He was the eldest son of the current Emperor, titled Prince Yu after the Queen’s son was named Crown Prince. The dark gold threads woven into his robe shimmered with a subtle, luxurious luster, befitting his noble royal lineage. Knowing that Shen Jianzhou was traveling to Xiangzhou, he had followed him there in secret. According to his attendants' reports, Shen Jianzhou had recently presided over a legal case, and this woman was someone connected to that case—and had also encountered the Crown Prince. He had not expected to witness such an intriguing scene upon his arrival.

"Your Highness, this woman truly has a sharp tongue; she actually managed to provoke that old hag into a fainting spell," an attendant behind him remarked, his tone tinged with faint surprise.

"Her tongue is so sharp, I suspect she could talk the dead back to life," Prince Yu scoffed. It was impossible to tell whether he was offering praise or disdain.

Soon after, Shen Mochen seemed to recall something and asked the attendant, "Is the Crown Prince still staying at the magistrate's residence?"

"Yes, Your Highness," the attendant replied respectfully.

Hearing this, Prince Yu’s expression grew colder. If Shen Jianzhou were not the Queen’s son, his own talent would have secured him the title of Crown Prince. Yet, because the position fell to Shen Jianzhou, he was relegated to the status of a mere provincial prince. A flash of contempt crossed his eyes as he murmured, "He lingers away from the Eastern Palace; does he truly believe the throne is something easily within his grasp?"

"Your Highness, the throne will be yours sooner or later," the attendant flattered him.

A look of grim determination flickered in Shen Mochen’s eyes. "Keep a close watch on him."

"As you command, Your Highness," the attendant replied.

Shen Mochen vanished into the corner of the street. A gust of wind blew past, leaving nothing behind, yet the air was thick with an uneasy tension, as if a storm were brewing.

Meanwhile, after Zheng Qianjuan fainted from rage, she was treated by a physician and regained consciousness in less than half a day. Upon waking, she did not immediately return to the capital. Instead, a venomous scheme began to brew in her heart: *Ye Qiaoqiao, I will make you pay a painful price for your actions! I will make you kneel and beg for my mercy.*

Clinging to this thought, she left the physician’s residence and made her way to a dilapidated, secluded house. She knew that a group of notorious, villainous thugs lived there, but they were known to be men of their word; as long as the price was paid, the task would be done. However, to enlist their services, she would have to pay a steep cost: her own body. She was already middle-aged with a grown son, and her late husband had long since passed away. Since this body was of little account now, why not use it to take revenge on Ye Qiaoqiao?

Hatred and resentment festered within her. Steeling herself, Zheng Qianjuan pushed open the rotting door. The burly men inside, seeing a woman in a drab brown jacket cinched with a coarse cloth belt, were momentarily stunned before bursting into crude, boisterous laughter.

"You’re already so old, a withered flower; do you expect us to find pleasure in you?" a brawny man with a face full of flesh sneered, his eyes raking over her with lewd, insolent contempt.

Zheng Qianjuan suppressed her inner disgust and fear, her voice weak but firm. "My mind is made up."

"What kind of deep grudge could make you come to us?" The thugs’ eyes turned greedy and wicked—they hoped this woman wouldn't die on them too quickly. Noting her meager figure, one added, "But before we strike a deal, we must enjoy ourselves first."

Zheng Qianjuan felt a shiver of dread at their malicious glares, but the thought of Ye Qiaoqiao’s sharp, insufferable tongue steeled her resolve. To have her revenge, she would sacrifice her flesh, and she knew this place was her only option. "Very well, it's a deal."

The next day, sensing that someone would come to cause trouble at her home, Ye Qiaoqiao instructed Uncle Zhang to stand guard and forbade anyone from leaving the residence alone. She then retreated to her room to consult ancient texts. The black mist clinging to the Crown Prince was a matter of grave importance. The reason for this miasma was, in large part, that his fate had been stolen and replaced. Whoever had swapped fates with him must have originally been a person of high status, destined for power.

As she flipped through the ancient books, her eyes lingered on a forbidden technique known as the "Four Symbols Divine Arts for Altering Destiny and Changing Fortune." The ritual required seven copper coins, seven strands of hair, a fingernail clipping, and Yin-Yang water. The coins were arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper, each wrapped with a strand of hair. The nail clipping was placed in the Yin-Yang water, which was then set at the center of the array. When black mist began to emanate from the nail, the fate would be altered.

Ye Qiaoqiao was horrified. No wonder the Crown Prince was shrouded in black mist; such an ancient technique for swapping fates truly existed. She felt a chill run down her spine. *But how can it be reversed?*

She continued to search, but found that the records concerning the "Four Symbols Divine Arts" were sparse, and the final page of the text was torn away. Suppressing her anxiety, she took a deep breath to calm herself. She recalled the fragments she had read and remembered how Shen Jianzhou suffered agonizing pain every full moon. It was clear his fate had indeed been swapped.

She suddenly remembered that in the modern world, some had attempted to alter their fortunes, but lacking the profound cultivation of the ancients, they usually died before the swap could be completed. This raised a possibility: when Shen Jianzhou suffered on the night of the full moon, did the person who stole his fate also experience some strange affliction?

Guided by the wisdom of her ancestors, she began to study the matter deeply. In another ancient text, she discovered a ritual called the "Four Symbols Return to Origin," involving the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. This array was designed to dispel black mist. If Shen Jianzhou’s fate had been swapped by external force, the "Four Symbols Return to Origin" could use a unique mechanism of energy harmonization to repair the damaged destiny, stabilize his original fortune, and strengthen his path.