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Be it deity, ghost, demon, or monster; whether they sought her life or her servitude.

As long as her child could regain consciousness, she was willing to pay any price.

She held the child, trembling, and her tears fell like a torrent onto the concrete ground, her head bowed deeply in its cold embrace.

"The child fell ill, and his father left us both behind. We've spent every penny we had trying to cure him, nine thousand yuan was the last from selling off appliances from our rental home."

"Please, the child is still breathing, as if he's merely sleeping. How could I bear to give up on him?"

"Could I perhaps owe the payment for now? I promise I'll find a way. Please, I implore you, masters, give it a try."

Mu Rongshan had already signaled for Yu Jiqing to lead the team in clearing the area, yet the other two Masters remained unmoved.

Such situations were all too familiar to them.

Yu Jiqing was at a loss as well. He summoned the cameraman and attempted to usher the mother and son aside, struggling to say, "Miss, please compose yourself. We're in the middle of filming. I kindly ask that you not block the front of the stall."

Guan Yuanxiang sobbed, her body limp as she clung to the child, struggling to rise. How could the weight of a seven-year-old be something a woman, after having carried him for such a distance, could easily lift herself up with?

In the next instant.

Guan Yuanxiang suddenly felt a lightness in her arms, and her struggling movements abruptly ceased.

All eyes witnessed the girl reading the comic book setting it aside, carefully wrapping up the unfinished sugar cane skewers once more. She stretched, massaging the back of her neck before rising to her feet.

And then ——

She approached Guan Yuanxiang and gently lifted the unconscious child into her arms.

The slender frame seemed to harbor boundless strength, defying all expectations.

Gently lay the child on the table.

Chu Yuening once again placed the obstructive teacup on the ground, her gaze shifting to the distracted Guan Yuanxiang not far away, tilting her head inquisitively.

Perplexity.

"Isn't she coming yet?"

Chapter 111

Silence fell upon the entire audience.

The citizens were left wide-eyed in astonishment.

Three masters, each of them renowned, dared not take on the job for fear of karmic repercussions. Yet, a newcomer in her twenties actually had the audacity to do so?

Was she blissfully ignorant? Or was she fearlessly daring?

The cameraman followed behind, adjusting the camera to focus on the little boy lying on the table. His tiny face was flushed with healthy color; if it weren't for Guan Yuanfang's prior mention of him being in a coma for over a month, one would think he was perfectly fine.

The cameraman was even more perplexed. "Brother Ji Qing, is the child really sick?"

Yu Jiqing, gazing at the child, also felt a pang of heartache.

Having just witnessed Guan Yuanfang's despair, his heart too felt pierced by an unseen needle. Unfortunately, the masters had made it clear that insufficient funds could not offset the karma, and he couldn't compel them to take on the task.

Clutching the microphone, he hurried after Chu Yuening, watching as she took off her coat and tucked it under the little boy's head.

He handed the microphone over with agility.

All three masters have mentioned that if the payment is not sufficient, one may incur the backlash of karmic repercussions, ranging from severe consequences such as loss of life to lighter outcomes like injuries. Is Master Chu familiar with this concept?

Currently, Guan Yuanfang only has nine thousand yuan, which is undoubtedly insufficient.

If Chu Yuening were to accept it, she would inevitably have to endure the backlash of karma.

Chu Yuening wiped the boy's life gate, noticing it was still free from the taint of death. She casually responded with an, "Mm."

Hm? It's quite clear, isn't it?

Yu Jiqing was taken aback, "Master Chu... Master Chu, aren't you afraid?"

Chu Yuening, however, said coolly, "If they cannot even bear the karmic consequences of summoning souls, I believe they might as well close their doors and cease their endeavors altogether."

The faintly disdainful words were like a resounding slap, tearing through the air to shred the fig leaf of dignity concealing the three masters.

Each wore a grim, ashen expression.

The act of soul-calling doesn't entail significant karmic consequences. Humans have three souls and six spirits; in fact, retrieving a child's wandering soul is considered a virtuous deed that accrues merit.

For the three masters, all those reasons were mere pretexts.

Zhang Shikai's face flushed with embarrassment. "Driven mad by the prospect of profit, they claim there's no such thing as causality, without knowing if they even have the fortune to bear its weight."

"Let her have her exaggerations then," Mu Rongshan scoffed with a cold smile, his gaze shifting to the boy. "Unconscious for a month, with even the main soul gone who knows where—how could a mere youth simply rouse him?"

Zhao Cong and Chu Yuening are roughly the same age, and it's estimated that awakening for both of them would require considerable effort and time.

Mu Rongshan was firmly convinced that Chu Yuening's magical abilities were nothing remarkable.

His gaze shifted to Guan Yuanfang as she climbed back to her feet. He had always held contempt for those who clung to life without the means to negotiate its terms. A cold smile played on his lips. "Miss Guan, I would advise you to act with more prudence. Resorting to a half-baked feng shui master for a soul-summoning ritual could prove unwise; lest what returns is not your son."

Upon hearing this.

All present fell into a reverent silence.

Such incidents are not without precedent. In the past, when the young scion of the renowned Hao family fell into an unconscious state, they summoned a master to perform a soul-calling ritual.

Well, it turned out that the master was incompetent. Not only did they fail to retrieve the young master's wandering soul, but they also summoned the spirit of a deceased elder who had been dead for decades.

The elderly man had reincarnated within the corpse and, upon awakening, steadfastly refused to relinquish possession of the body.

In the end, it was the Huo family who spent a considerable sum to hire the current chairman of the Profound Sect to resolve this matter.

Guan Yuanfang swiftly approached Chu Yuening's side, her eyes warily fixing on Mu Rongshan.

"Very well," Mu Rongshan said magnanimously, "Miss Guan, I observe that your son can still afford to wait one more week. If you can gather the funds within a week, I am willing to make an exception and assist in awakening your son without the need for a prior appointment."

Upon hearing that her son had only one week left, Guan Yuanfang's eyes instantly welled up with tears. She looked at Chu Yuening and, with hands trembling, handed over the nine thousand yuan.

"Master Chu Da, I have faith in you. You will surely be able to help my son awaken."

She was no fool; all the masters present were wary of incurring karmic consequences, yet only Master Chu Da fearlessly offered to save the child.