Chapter 264

Chapter 264

◎The Evil Spirit◎

Jiao Xian's condition could no longer be delayed. His life force was almost completely overwhelmed by death energy. Even though Ji Nanxing had dispelled some of it, the death energy was creeping back at an unstoppable pace.

Ji Nanxing laid out a protective array around the area while asking Jiao Wusheng, "Do you have anything your son has used or worn for a long time?"

Jiao Wusheng quickly took out a white jade gourd pendant from his pocket. The gourd (a homophone for 'fortune and status') was one he had bought at great expense and had it consecrated. However, since hospital examinations required the removal of accessories, Jiao Wusheng had taken off the pendant his son had worn since childhood.

Ji Nanxing took the pendant. "Later, I'll use astral projection to search for him. Stay in the room and don’t be afraid of any sounds or movements—especially these talismans. Under no circumstances should you tear them off. If you hear your son’s voice telling you to remove them, don’t believe it. That’s the evil spirit’s trick."

Jiao Wusheng nodded solemnly, committing his words to memory.

Xiao Ye walked up to Ji Nanxing. "Isn't astral projection dangerous? Can you take me with you?"

Ji Nanxing: "No. Your yang energy is too potent, and your soul is too heavy. I can’t carry you. Don’t worry—no matter what, I’ll return safely. Stay here and watch Jiao Wusheng. Don’t let him be deceived."

Xiao Ye nodded, following Ji Nanxing’s instructions.

Since this was the Bureau's medical facility, some physician-Taoists were present. Ji Nanxing informed a few of them in advance so they could step in if needed.

However, this was just a backup plan. If things escalated to the point of needing backup, the situation would already be extremely dire. Not long ago, even Yang Hengzhou’s soul-capturing array hadn’t reached that level, and this evil spirit certainly wouldn’t either. Ji Nanxing was just wary of incompetent teammates.

He trusted Xiao Ye, but Jiao Wusheng loved his son dearly. Could he withstand hearing his son cry in pain, beg for help, or beg him to remove the talismans?

If Xiao Ye failed to stop Jiao Wusheng from falling for the evil spirit’s tricks and tearing off the talismans—the very conduit for Jiao Xian's return—Ji Nanxing himself could return, but Jiao Xian would be lost forever. So, Ji Nanxing had to take precautions.

With everything prepared, Ji Nanxing lay down on a bed and told Xiao Ye, "This time might take a bit longer. Don’t worry—no matter what, I’ll return safely. I promise."

Xiao Ye nodded. "Don’t worry. I’ve got things here."

Ji Nanxing smiled, gripping the jade Jiao Xian had worn for over a decade. Closing his eyes, his soul left his body and flew away.

Once Ji Nanxing successfully departed, Xiao Ye covered him with a blanket, then turned and tied Jiao Wusheng up with a rope.

Jiao Wusheng: "???"

What was happening? Wasn't this a bit excessive?

Xiao Ye wrapped the rope around him again and again, even tying a constrictor knot that would only tighten if he struggled. "Relax, this is for your son’s sake. Evil spirits can take any form—they might even look like your son to deceive you. Could you resist that? To ensure nothing goes wrong, we’ll keep you tied up for now. Bear with it. When this is over, you’ll see your son alive and well."

Jiao Wusheng believed he could resist, but being tied up like this just made him more nervous. Still, for his son’s sake, he endured, hoping against hope his son would recover.

Truthfully, Xiao Ye would have preferred knocking Jiao Wusheng unconscious, but the force was hard to control—too light and he wouldn’t pass out, too heavy and he might get hurt. So, tying him up tightly was the safer option.

After Ji Nanxing’s soul left his body, he followed the faint traces of Jiao Xian’s lingering vitality into the rift between dimensions. In the blink of an eye, the scenery around him transformed into a shadowy, mist-laden forest.

The mist everywhere was the tangible condensation of Yin energy. This was no longer the mortal realm, nor did it belong to the underworld—it was a realm between yin and yang.

Most earthbound spirits couldn’t reach this place, but living humans could easily wander in by accident. However, leaving afterward was far more difficult.

Exiting the mist-shrouded forest, Ji Nanxing arrived at a village suffused with a palpable deathly miasma.

Standing on a hillside, he looked down. The village was utterly devoid of life, and the sky was gloomy. If a horror movie were filmed here, they wouldn't need sets or special effects.

Ji Nanxing had never visited Jiao’s ancestral village, but it wasn’t hard to see that this place matched its layout exactly. The evil spirit had been born here, and its awareness was probably limited to this small domain, so the boundary it formed could only reflect what it knew.

Ji Nanxing descended the hillside and stepped into the desolate village. Weathered stone walls and broken pathways stretched before him. Some houses had their doors wide open, with dried corn and mugwort drying inside. Others had kitchens where steam still rose, with hot soup and dishes laid out on tables.

Ji Nanxing pushed open the doors of each house as he walked, but he couldn't find Jiao Xian anywhere.

Just as he was about to search for signs of life, a hand suddenly reached out from behind a door.

Ji Nanxing had already sensed movement behind the door but didn’t react, allowing the hand to grab him.

The one who pulled him was none other than Jiao Xian. He dragged Ji Nanxing behind him, cautiously peering outside for a moment before turning to face him. "Who are you? How did you get here?"

Ji Nanxing was about to answer when Jiao Xian, impatient, hissed urgently, "This village is haunted. You were making too much noise opening doors—it might attract the malevolent ghost. How did you end up here? Did you get lost?"

Ji Nanxing asked, "What about you? How did you get here? Did you get lost too?"

Jiao Xian shook his head. "No, I wasn’t lost. One second I was with my dad, the next I was here."

The terror of that moment—talking to his father and then finding himself alone in a desolate mountain—still sent chills down his spine.

He looked at Ji Nanxing, relieved to no longer be alone, but that relief quickly turned to worry. Even with another person, they might not stand a chance against the ghost in this village. Another person just meant another potential victim.

Ji Nanxing asked, "How long have you been here?"

Jiao Xian shook his head again. "I don’t know. There’s no day or night here. I’ve tried every way out, but nothing works."

Ji Nanxing: "You said there’s a demon here. Have you seen it?"

Jiao Xian nodded. "Yes. It can mimic someone you know to lure you out. If you see anyone familiar, don’t trust them."

Ji Nanxing raised an eyebrow. "Then how do you know I’m not the demon in disguise?"

Jiao Xian glanced at his face. "The demon can’t pull off a face this handsome. Besides, once you see it, you’ll understand why I know you’re not it."

No sooner had Jiao Xian spoken than a slow, scraping drag echoed outside, accompanied by a rotten, soil-tinged stench.

Jiao Xian’s expression changed. He grabbed Ji Nanxing and ran deeper into the house, pushing him into a closet. "Stay in here and don’t make a peep. No matter what you see, stay quiet."

Ji Nanxing: "What about you?"

Jiao Xian: "I’ve got my own spot. Just stay put."

He didn’t know how this kid had gotten here, and there was no time to explain. Right now, survival was all that mattered—they could figure out an escape plan together later. Two heads were better than one.

Not wanting to risk both of them being caught, Jiao Xian quickly moved to another room to hide. He didn’t actually need to hide—the demon couldn’t touch him—for whatever reason. As long as he kept his eyes shut and didn’t look at it, it couldn’t harm him.

But the demon was grotesque and bone-chilling, and if it ever broke through that barrier, he wouldn’t have time to escape. So whenever it prowled, he hid.

Though it always found him, as long as he didn’t open the cabinet door, it was powerless.

He didn’t know if the spirit could harm the kid, but he’d drilled into him: *Don’t open the door.* He just hoped they’d both survive this.

His mind raced about the kid who’d materialized out of nowhere, running through the clues he’d pieced together during his previous escapes, planning how to share them later so they could find a way out together.

The reek thickened, and Jiao Xian quickly pushed aside all other thoughts, focusing entirely on the approaching malevolent ghost.

Clutching the closet door, he assumed this time would be like the others—as long as he stayed hidden, the ghost couldn’t touch him. But this time, it yanked the door open.

The patchwork face, twisted and wrong, loomed over him. Its features looked stitched together from different people, its nose and eyes mismatched.

Even when it mimicked someone familiar, its expression screamed *wrongness,* making it unmistakably inhuman. That’s why Jiao Xian had known Ji Nanxing was real.

But now wasn’t the time to think about that—because for the first time, the demon could reach him!

As the snarling ghost reached out with clawed hands to grab him, Jiao Xian rolled away to evade its grasp, then bolted for the door without a backward glance.

But this was the ghost’s territory—there was no way he could escape. Doors crashed open and shut with deafening bangs, sealing off any path Jiao Xian might have taken.

As the ghost closed in step by step, Jiao Xian grabbed a chair from the ground and hurled it at the creature. But before it could hit, several withered branches extended from behind the ghost, like hands sprouting from its back. With a mere flick, the branches shattered the chair into pieces.

At the same time, the ghost hissed, "It’s time… Join me…"

Jiao Xian stared at the branches about to seize him and screamed in terror, "Get away! I won’t stay! Get away!"

He tried to run, but one of the branches coiled around his ankle, sending him crashing to the ground. He felt no pain—just as he’d never felt tired or hungry.

But no feeling didn’t mean no fear.

Just then, a flash of golden light cut through the air. Free of its hold, Jiao Xian scrambled forward, half-crawling.

The ghost, now missing one of its "hands," turned its head. It sensed a new presence invading its domain—something shrouded in Yin energy. Though dim-witted, instinct told it that devouring this intruder would make it stronger. After all, no one escaped its territory. It could take its time feasting.

But this newcomer had dared to wound it.

The ghost didn’t hesitate—it lunged at Ji Nanxing.

Jiao Xian, barely having escaped the ghost’s grasp, shouted, "Run!"

Ji Nanxing swiftly formed a hand seal, golden light swirling around him. Even dim as he was, Jiao Xian could tell this young man was extraordinary. Hope surged through him—if someone could fight the ghost, then he might finally escape!

Ji Nanxing glared at the malevolent spirit, his spiritual energy coalescing into a blade before thrusting straight toward it.

The ghost dodged on instinct. This was its domain—it was the ruler here. This intruder meant business, and the ghost had no intention of engaging in a direct fight. It could trap him here, whittling away his strength, just as it had done with Jiao Xian.

But just as it prepared to retreat, talismans materialized on all sides, sealing off its escape. Once, it had been the one preventing Jiao Xian from leaving—now, it was the one trapped.

Ji Nanxing turned to Jiao Xian. "Come here. Stay behind me."

Jiao Xian scrambled to his feet and rushed to Ji Nanxing’s side.

Ji Nanxing said, "Stay still. I’m getting you out."

All the terror Jiao Xian had choked back threatened to burst forth, but he clenched his teeth, refusing to let his emotions interfere. He nodded firmly.

Trapped, the ghost’s branches flailed wildly, lashing out at Ji Nanxing. But beams of spiritual light shot from Ji Nanxing’s palm, slicing through the branches in a flash.

Changing his hand seal, Ji Nanxing summoned a series of glowing runes that struck the ghost’s body one after another.

As it shrieked piercingly, black mist spewed from the ghost.

At the same time, the quiet hospital echoed with faint sobs. Xiao Ye didn’t recognize the voice, but Jiao Wusheng did—it was his son’s.

Jiao Wusheng grew frantic. "My son’s back! Did you hear that? He’s back!"

Xiao Ye didn’t budge, glancing at Ji Nanxing’s still-unconscious body before giving a noncommittal hum.

Xiao Ye’s strong Yang energy, combined with his youth and vitality, made him nearly impervious to ordinary dark influences. The ghost’s whispers reached his ears like static from a faulty TV—broken and indistinct—so he remained largely unaffected.

But Jiao Wusheng, exhausted from his desperate efforts to save his son, was far more vulnerable. His luck was shot, and the ghost’s influence seeped deeper into his mind.

He clung to Ji Nanxing’s warnings, but the ghost’s mimicry of his son’s voice carried a hypnotic power. Slowly, his thoughts grew muddled, fixated on one idea—his son was returning, but these talismans were blocking his soul’s return.

His son is a spirit, and spirits fear talismans. With these talismans here, his son can't return.

The voice sank deep into his mind, compelling him to stand up and tear off those talismans.

Fortunately, Xiao Ye had tied him up from the start. He could barely stand, much less move—the second he stirred, Xiao Ye yanked the rope tight. "Stop moving! Do you still want to save your son or not?"

Jiao Wusheng seemed deaf to the words, writhing as he tried to rip the talismans away. Only then did Xiao Ye notice his eyes were glazed over, his body rigid.

After a moment's thought, Xiao Ye finally struck the back of his neck with force. Jiao Wusheng's head lolled to the side as he passed out.

Seeing him subdued, Xiao Ye finally relaxed, crossing his arms as he continued guarding the hospital room, waiting for Ji Naonao to return.