She grinned, her face quickly sprouting long red fur as a fluffy fox tail appeared behind her. Arrogantly, she sneered, “So what if I did it? Do you think you can catch me? I can just switch bodies and keep living!”
The scene terrified the Fan family, who huddled together, trembling in fear.
Shen Mingshu said sternly, “Evil creature! Now that I’ve found you, I won’t let you harm anyone else!”
She reached out to grab Fan Jiaojiao’s arm, but a dark shadow shot out of the girl’s body and leaped onto the roof. Shen Mingshu initially wanted to hurl flames at it but hesitated, fearing the fire might spread to nearby houses. In that split second, she flicked a talisman from her fingertips, striking the shadow with precision. The fox spirit instantly materialized, hopping away across the rooftops.
Without its soul, Fan Jiaojiao collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Shen Mingshu clenched her fist, drawing the flames in the courtyard back into her palm. She said grimly, “The fox’s spirit escaped. I have to chase it down.”
She slapped a talisman onto her leg, then lightly sprang onto the roof as agilely as if using qinggong.
From the tree, Yue Ying’s lips twitched. He thought bitterly, What’s the point of all my years of qinggong training when a single talisman from an arcane master can do the same? With a sigh, he leaped after her.
Under the moonlight, Shen Mingshu chased the fox straight into the Fulai Inn.
The moment she stepped inside, she sensed something was wrong.
The inn was thick with yin energy, someone had set up a Yin Gathering Array here. No wonder the fox had fled here. As a spirit, it was drawn to the concentrated yin energy.
The clerk at the counter was slumped over the desk, fast asleep, while a small ghost clung to his back, greedily sucking his yang energy with a blissful expression.
The fox scurried up to the second floor, vanishing from Shen Mingshu’s sight.
With no time to spare for the clerk, she hurried toward the stairs. Through the talisman’s resonance, she could sense the fox’s location, it was in the room at the far end of the second floor.
Ghostly figures lurked everywhere in the inn, all fixated on Shen Mingshu’s pure yin body.
A small ghost lunged at her, but the moment it touched her, its spirit burst into flames, shrieking as it was incinerated into nothingness. The other ghosts recoiled in terror, not daring to approach.
Shen Mingshu kicked the door open, and a figure lunged at her.
A woman with disheveled hair brandished a pair of scissors.
With the Swift Movement Talisman enhancing her speed, Shen Mingshu dodged effortlessly and swiftly kicked the woman to the ground, pinning her wrist underfoot. “Evil creature, you possess bodies fast enough!”
“Damn arcane master! Let me go! There are so many ghosts here, why bother with me?” the woman shrieked, thrashing and cursing.
Shen Mingshu couldn’t risk harming the body, the woman’s soul still hovered nearby. Channeling arcane energy into her fingertips, she swiftly drew a spirit talisman and slapped it onto the woman’s body. The fox spirit was violently expelled.
Before it could escape, a burst of flames engulfed it, setting it ablaze. The fox’s screeches were ear-piercing.
Covering her ears briefly, Shen Mingshu turned and beckoned to the woman’s drifting soul. “Come back.”
Once the woman’s soul returned to her body, she kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude. “Thank you, Great Master, for saving me! This humble woman is willing to serve you in any way to repay your kindness!”
Shen Mingshu helped the woman up and said gently, “No need to thank me. Tell me, have you seen an old man with white hair and a white beard, who looks like an immortal?”
The woman quickly nodded. “He’s staying in the room across from mine.”
Shen Mingshu kicked open the opposite door, but the room was empty.
It seemed Yin Zhuo had left after setting up the Yin Gathering Array. Why would he do that? Didn’t he know she had already checked out and gone to the Fan residence?
Shen Mingshu went downstairs, frowning at the minor spirits lingering in the hall. “Instead of moving on to the afterlife, you’re all here sucking the life force out of people.”
She flicked her fingers, sending out small flames that reduced the spirits to ashes before turning her attention to dismantling the array.
The Yin Gathering Array couldn’t be left intact. With so many people staying in the inn, more and more malevolent spirits would be drawn to it.
…
At the Fan residence, everyone stared at Fan Jiaojiao, now covered in fur and sporting a tail, unsure of what to do.
Fan Fangfang suggested, “Let’s wait for Mingshu to return before deciding.”
By now, even Old Master Fan and the others believed Shen Mingshu’s words and nodded in agreement.
Madam Fan held Fan Fangfang’s hand, her eyes red as she caressed her daughter’s face. “My child, you’ve suffered all these years. If not for this monster’s mischief, you wouldn’t have had to marry into Huaihua Village and endure that scoundrel Liu.”
Concubine Feng said guiltily, “It’s all my fault. I gave birth to this abomination…”
Fan Fangfang comforted her, “This isn’t your doing, Auntie. You lost your own child too, I should have had a younger sister.”
Concubine Feng couldn’t hold back her tears, and Old Master Fan pulled her into an embrace.
Suddenly, Liu Cheng’s voice rang out, “Stop right there, you old thief! This is the inner courtyard, women’s quarters! Thief! Someone catch this thief!”
Ever since his encounter with the peach tree spirit, Liu Cheng had needed medicine to sleep at night. He had gotten up to relieve himself when he spotted a white-haired old man passing by his courtyard gate.
Since no such person lived in the household, he assumed it was a thief and gave chase.
Yin Zhuo strode forward, sensing the presence of the extreme Yin physique within this courtyard.
Pei Jingheng turned, puzzled, at the newcomer.
Yin Zhuo took in Pei Jingheng and Leng Feng’s attire, weren’t these the two mystics who had been with Shen Mingshu?
He had seen them walking with her from the second floor of the inn and recognized them immediately.
How was this possible? These two should still be at Fulai Inn!
As mystics, how could they have failed to notice the overwhelming Yin energy there?
Before he could react, Pei Jingheng ordered, “Leng Feng, apprehend the thief.”
Leng Feng charged at Yin Zhuo. Though Yin Zhuo lacked martial skills, he was a mystic.
With a flick of a talisman, he immobilized Leng Feng on the spot.
“My lord! He’s a mystic!” Leng Feng’s sword was only half-drawn.
Old Master Fan frowned. “Who are you? Why are you trespassing into the Fan family’s inner quarters?”
Hidden shadow guards emerged from all sides, surrounding Yin Zhuo.
Yin Zhuo studied Pei Jingheng intently and noticed a faint aura of imperial purple surrounding him.
His pupils contracted, this man was a wielder of great fortune, surely under the protection of powerful figures!
With so many shadow guards present, there was no way he could take Shen Mingshu tonight.
Liu Cheng shouted, “Speak up, you old thief! You barged straight into the inner quarters, are you some kind of lecher?”
Yin Zhuo scanned the area but didn’t spot Shen Mingshu. Instead, his gaze fell upon the tailed corpse on the ground. With a faint smile, he flicked the whisk in his hand and said, “I am a wandering mystic who happened upon this place and sensed overwhelming demonic energy. In my haste, I barged in uninvited, my apologies to all present.”
Old Master Fan gave a slight bow. “I see. But the creature has already been dealt with, so there’s no need to trouble you further, Master.”
Yin Zhuo stroked his beard and replied, “Indeed, this fiend appears thoroughly vanquished. In that case, this old Daoist shall continue on his way.”