Wen Yan had already thought about becoming a teacher, so he had been very nervous about studying in the past few days. He said to Jiang Zhou, “What if Mr. Zhuo wants to test my knowledge?”

Jiang Zhou couldn’t laugh or cry: “You’re just a teacher, how could you be so nervous?”

Wen Yan was still buried in a pile of books, saying, “Engage in a profession, love a profession. Not to mention, I haven’t read these books in a long time. Most of the books I usually read are miscellaneous notes and traveling accounts. I’ve almost forgotten the Four Books and Five Classics.”

“A five-acre house with mulberry trees?” Wen Yan reflexively continued, “A person in his fifties can wear silk…”

Jiang Zhou smiled and said, “Look, you obviously haven’t forgotten; you’re just too nervous.”

Wen Yan felt a little embarrassed, “I just want to remember more. Master Zhuo must be a wealthy scholar to hold his current position. I’m afraid he’ll look down on me, a mere shuanger.”

“Don’t worry,” Jiang Zhou reassured, touching his head. “Master Zhuo is a rare good official. He won’t embarrass you or look down on you. And as I’ve said many times, my wife and son are the best.”

.

The next day, Jiang Zhou took Wen Yan to the inspector’s house.

Having been there many times, he was familiar with the road. The person at the door who knew him directed him to the backyard, saying, “The masters are dealing with official business and will be here soon.”

“Thank you,” Wen Yan responded reservedly.

He possessed a gentle and elegant personality, exuding a bookish air, and wasn’t one to talk much. He preferred sitting quietly and rarely ventured out.

Entering the inspector’s house for the first time, he felt a bit uncomfortable. Fortunately, Jiang Zhou accompanied him in conversation.

After sitting for a while, before Lord Zhuo Bang arrived, Lu Heng entered.

Since knowing Jiang Zhou was coming, he rushed over as fast as possible. He considered Jiang Zhou his only fellow countryman in the world, feeling a close bond.

Expecting Jiang Zhou to be alone, he found someone he knew sitting beside him when he arrived, making him a bit embarrassed.

After a moment’s hesitation, he approached without acknowledging Wen Yan and said, “Brother Jiang, what brings you here today? Is there anything I can help with?”

Wen Yan felt somewhat odd, as if he were an unnoticed living person. Though strange, he said nothing and observed Jiang Zhou’s response.

“It’s nothing serious. I just want to bring him to meet the inspector,” Jiang Zhou replied straightforwardly, avoiding more contact between Lu Heng and Wen Yan.

“That’s it!” Lu Heng frowned, “My father originally said he couldn’t find a new teacher, so he asked me to take over for a while. If you find a better candidate, that would be ideal.”

He subtly signaled Jiang Zhou.

Having forgotten most of the books he had read, he knew the Four Books and Five Classics but wasn’t familiar with it. If he had to step in, he might expose himself, which concerned him.

His soul was already a little unstable, and if it happened again, it would probably kill him directly.

Despite not liking Wen Yan much, he maintained a rare good look on his face, willing to regard him seriously.

Wen Yan only felt he looked familiar but couldn’t recall where he had seen him before, developing a negative impression.

Jiang Zhou aimed to test him again: “Is the method mentioned by Brother Lu last time really effective?”

Lu Heng’s face changed, reproaching Jiang Zhou: “Brother Lu? Which Brother Lu?”

Jiang Zhou had a sudden realization, “Hey! Look at my memory, I remembered it wrong.”

Wen Yan sensed something was amiss. With the best memory, how could Jiang Zhou forget? Perhaps he was using this opportunity to hint at something? A sense of vigilance arose.

Lu Heng was momentarily speechless.

Zhuo Bang arrived, interrupting their conversation.

.

“Brother Jiang has informed me. Do you wish to be a teacher in the town?”

Although Wen Yan was a bit nervous, he responded calmly and generously, “Yes, I heard there’s a teacher vacancy in the town. I want to give it a try.”

Zhuo Bang’s attitude was gentle, “Brother Jiang has briefed me on your situation, but teaching is crucial. I’d like to assess you first, alright?”

“Of course.”

Wen Yan followed him into the study, while Jiang Zhou and Lu Heng stayed outside.

Lu Heng’s expression changed, “Brother Jiang, you almost exposed me!”

Jiang Zhou pretended to question, “Why do you say that?”

“Why call me Brother Lu in front of outsiders?” Lu Heng was annoyed. “Are you trying to expose me?”

Jiang Zhou secretly sneered. Though it wasn’t his body, his actions and words were full of mistakes, yet he blamed others for exposure. Why didn’t he consider that he was taking advantage of someone else? What about the body?

Outwardly, Jiang Zhou remained composed, “I just misspoke, and Wen Yan won’t suspect you or me.”

“Why wouldn’t he suspect?” Lu Heng was anxious, “Brother Jiang, didn’t I warn you? Be cautious with Wen Yan. He may seem quiet, but he might unleash a significant move on you at any moment! It will be too late to regret then!”

Jiang Zhou maintained his smile, “Don’t worry. Even if he knows, he won’t say anything.”

Seeing his persistence, Lu Heng sighed, “Well, if something happens to you later, don’t blame me.”

Jiang Zhou shook his head, “I won’t blame you. I just want to know if the method you mentioned is effective.”

Lu Heng pondered for a moment and realized something. He expressed surprise, “You’re not in love with him, are you? Is that why you want to fix your soul in your body?”

If it was solely for the purpose of money, he couldn’t fathom why someone would make such a significant sacrifice.

The more he considered it, the more he believed in his idea. He cautioned, “Think carefully. Despite Wen Yan’s current affection for you, if he senses something wrong, he might pose a real threat.”

Jiang Zhou responded with a smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll make him fall in love with me too.”

Lu Heng shivered, showing an indescribable expression. As a heterosexual man, he struggled to accept the idea of two men falling in and out of love. “Anyway, just be cautious with your intentions.”

“The method I mentioned is indeed effective,” Lu Heng continued. He looked around and lowered his voice, “The Fox Demon told me that it’s actually a spell. Consider all those elements – doesn’t it sound like a peculiar curse?”

Lu Heng whispered, “I believe that’s what it is. The Fox Demon also mentioned that this spell was specifically created for me, designed to work on one person only. If used again in the future, its effectiveness diminishes. It can no longer bind the soul, at most, it reassures the soul.”

Jiang Zhou was surprised, “So, if the spell is used again, it only has the effect of calming the mind?”

To ensure Lu Heng heard clearly, Jiang Zhou analyzed, “For instance, if I use this spell initially to bind my soul to this body, using it again in the future won’t bind the soul but will calm the mind?”

Lu Heng proudly confirmed, “Exactly! That’s precisely what the Fox Demon told me!”

Jiang Zhou’s excitement grew, but he pretended to be upset, “How could you share this method without any precautions? So, your plan was for me to give you the spell first, and once you use it, you stabilize your soul with it?”

Lu Heng sneered, “Isn’t this a mutual benefit? You want to bind; I want to stabilize. What’s wrong with that?”

After thinking for a while, Jiang Zhou found something peculiar, “But there’s a contradiction here. If you want to stabilize the soul, the premise is Master Zhuo doesn’t know the person in this body is you. Yet, doesn’t that spell reveal to Master Zhuo that you’ve replaced the original Zhuo Yan?”

Raising his eyebrows, Jiang Zhou questioned, “Are you lying to me?”

Lu Heng shook his head, “I wouldn’t dare to lie to you, and I don’t want to. I need to keep some means to save my life, so I can’t disclose everything to you. But I assure you that what I’ve told you is accurate and has no side effects.”

Though not overly intelligent, Lu Heng understood the need for a backup plan.

Jiang Zhou didn’t press further, saying, “I understand. I’ll test it later and let you know when it’s done. Then you can focus on stabilizing your soul.”

“You have more immediate concerns—figure out how to make that person believe you first.”