“Could it really be a malevolent entity at work?”
Liu Qingyan sniffed the air and whispered to Lu Zheng, “There’s a stench and a hint of corpse qi, but no trace of netherworld qi. It seems to be a type of ghost, yet it hasn’t entered the netherworld?”
Lu Zheng blinked, subtly forming a hand seal to cast an aura-observing spell.
Then…
Lu Zheng shook his head. “It’s daytime. The entity is hiding too well. I can’t find it.”
“Shall we wait until night?” Huangfu Ning asked.
Lu Zheng nodded. “Let’s wait for night to see if it shows up.”
As he spoke, a series of footsteps approached from the entrance.
Lu Zheng turned and saw a man in his fifties enter the courtyard.
Lin Zhijing, Xiao Yuzhen, and the weary-looking woman hurried to greet him.
“Father!”
“Master!”
The man reached the doorway, met Lu Zheng’s gaze, and quickly cupped his hands. “Lin Kongzhu of the Lin family greets Young Master Lu.”
“Greetings, Master Lin,” Lu Zheng nodded.
“Young Master Lu…”
Lu Zheng waved a hand. “Could I trouble Master Lin to send someone to inquire around and see if anyone else is in the same condition as your son?”
“Hm?” Lin Kongzhu was taken aback.
“Last night, your son had some of his vitality and yang energy drained by a ghost, causing him to fall into a coma, weak and frail,” Lu Zheng explained. “I want to know if this ghost has targeted anyone else besides your son.”
“What?”
Despite Lin Zhijing’s report, Lin Kongzhu, like his son, had assumed this was Lu Zheng’s excuse.
But seeing the situation now…
Was it too convincing to be a ruse?
Lu Zheng frowned. “Please, Master Lin, send someone to inquire.”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
Lin Kongzhu nodded hurriedly, instructing servants to ask around the neighbouring households before returning to the room.
“Does Young Master Lu have any further instructions?”
“No further instructions. We’ll wait until night, and I’ll take another look,” Lu Zheng said.
Lin Kongzhu nodded, glanced at Lin Zhidong on the bed, then back at the pleading, expectant woman at the door.
“Er, Young Master Lu, about Zhidong…”
Before Lin Kongzhu could finish, Liu Qingyan had already approached Lin Zhidong’s bedside, untying a small leather pouch.
Opening it revealed dozens of silver needles.
“Master Lin, your son isn’t ill, nor is he cursed. He’s had his vitality and yang energy drained. Moreover, the entity left some corpse qi in his body, causing his coma and worsening his condition.”
Liu Qingyan inserted the silver needles one by one into Lin Zhidong’s head and neck.
“I’ll expel the corpse qi from his body to prevent his condition from deteriorating further. This will ensure his life is no longer in danger, though he’ll need proper nourishment to restore his vitality.”
“Good, good, good! Thank you, Miss Liu!” Lin Kongzhu nodded repeatedly, his doubts deepening.
“Thank you, Qingyan!”
Xiao Yuzhen, who had entered the room, served tea to everyone.
While Liu Qingyan was busy, Xiao Yuzhen stayed by her side, holding tea and waiting.
“You’re welcome,” Liu Qingyan replied with a smile, then flicked her fingers. Soon, everyone in the room caught a faint stench.
“Open the windows for ventilation,” Lu Zheng ordered, and the Lin family servants promptly opened all the windows in the room.
“Miss Liu’s family knowledge is profound. Truly a medical lineage!” Lin Kongzhu praised, now believing eight parts of what Liu Qingyan and Lu Zheng had said.
“I was petty before. Please, Young Master Lu, forgive me!” Lin Kongzhu bowed deeply.
Whether true or not, they had gone to such lengths, and he had to acknowledge it.
Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan saw through Lin Kongzhu’s thoughts but couldn’t be bothered to care. They were only helping because of the circumstances, and Liu Qingyan’s kindness.
Of course, no matter how kind, Liu Qingyan would only expel the poison from Lin Zhidong. Restoring his vitality? That was a pipe dream…
Likewise, Lu Zheng, upon learning of the malevolent entity, had shifted his focus to reaping some karmic fortune.
…
After Liu Qingyan finished her acupuncture, Lin Zhidong’s face remained pale as paper, but the dark, ashen hue had faded, and his breathing had stabilised, though he remained unconscious.
“His soul has been too heavily drained. He’ll likely sleep for another day,” Liu Qingyan said.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Liu Qingyan glanced at Xiao Yuzhen, then addressed Lin Kongzhu. “Master Lin, yesterday’s matter was resolved on the spot. My husband is an upright scholar with connections to the Yizhou Bureau of Anomaly Suppression. Having already driven your son away, he wouldn’t resort to underhanded spells over such a trivial matter. Your son’s condition today has nothing to do with us. I’m helping not because of your misunderstanding, but because Yuzhen is my childhood friend, and Lin Zhidong is her betrothed.”
Lin Kongzhu’s eyes narrowed, understanding her meaning.
“Rest assured, Miss Liu. The household adores Yuzhen, and I’ll ensure Zhidong doesn’t betray her deep affection.”
“Qingyan…” Xiao Yuzhen’s expression was complex.
Meanwhile, Lu Zheng had just taken a sip of tea when a Lin family servant returned with news.
No one else had been affected besides Lin Zhidong.
“How strange…” Lu Zheng rubbed his chin, muttering to himself. “Why target only Lin Zhidong?”
If Lu Zheng couldn’t figure it out, Lin Kongzhu was even more clueless.
It was nearly noon, and Lin Kongzhu stood to invite Lu Zheng and the others to dine.
“Master, another batch of meat and vegetables in the kitchen storeroom has gone bad,” a servant reported. “Chef Liu just discovered it while trying to fetch a pig’s leg for cooking.”
Lin Kongzhu frowned and scolded, “If it’s spoiled, buy fresh ones! Don’t you see we have guests?”
“Yes!” The servant agreed and hurriedly left.
Lu Zheng’s eyes gleamed. “Master Lin, what’s this about?”
Lin Kongzhu shook his head. “It’s nothing. The meat and vegetables we procure keep spoiling for no reason. At first, we thought the buyer was cutting corners, but replacing them didn’t help. Then we thought the storeroom was faulty, letting in summer heat, so we had it rebuilt. Still no good. I was thinking the craftsman’s work might be shoddy and was about to…”
He paused, looking at Lu Zheng.
Lu Zheng asked calmly, “How long has this been going on?”
Lin Kongzhu felt his heart race. “About… two months…”
“I think… I might know what’s going on…” Lu Zheng nodded.
Lin Kongzhu, apprehensive, asked cautiously, “Should we check the kitchen?”
“No need. We’ll wait until night.”
…
At night, in the Lin residence.
Lu Zheng stood in the front courtyard, holding a qi-tracking talisman, and slowly walked forward, soon arriving at the servants’ rear courtyard.
Liu Qingyan, Huangfu Ning, Lin Kongzhu and his sons, and a group of armed retainers followed. Seeing Liu Qingyan, Xiao Yuzhen had also joined the group.
As they entered the rear courtyard, they found a woman in a coarse cloth dress standing quietly in the centre, seemingly awaiting their arrival.
“It’s you?” Lin Kongzhu exclaimed.
“Who is she?” Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow.
Lin Kongzhu, eyes filled with fear, said, “She calls herself Wei Niang. A few months ago, she fainted outside the Lin residence, pregnant. I took pity on her and took her in as a servant… Wait, her belly…”
“Master…”
Wei Niang spoke softly. “I was grateful for your kindness and intended to leave with my child once he recovered, keeping our fates separate. But yesterday, Lin Zhidong had traces of true qi on him, which my child sensed. In his excitement, he disobeyed my instructions. Now that my presence is exposed, I’m afraid you’ll all have to help my child recover.”
The next moment, a howl came from the woodshed behind her.
*Bang!*
With a loud crash, the woodshed shattered, and a grotesque, large-headed, emaciated corpse infant burst out.
