Chapter 28

Chapter 28

In the past, the courtyard was always eerily quiet, and one could even say that the entire Shi family was filled with a deathly silence. Tonight was the Ghost Festival, so it should logically be even quieter.

As Wu Heng emerged from the well, he heard the sound of gongs and drums coming from the Shi family's small building, accompanied by the occasional chanting of rituals.

As he dried his hair with a towel, Wu Heng silently counted the number of different sounds he could hear. It seemed there were several groups of people—Taoist priests, Buddhist monks, spirit mediums, and sorceresses—all the well-known figures in the capital city who dealt with the underworld had likely gathered here.

Wu Heng felt puzzled. What kind of grand occasion required so many of his peers to be present?

The surroundings were thick with ghostly energy. Tonight, during the Ghost Festival, when spirits roamed freely, the Shi family seemed to be enveloped in an unusually heavy aura of ghosts. Was his father, who worked as the butler for the Shi family, really safe here?

Assuming there were too many people inside the small building, Wu Heng walked toward the wall facing the windows. The bell in his arms had long since stopped ringing, probably because it had ceased to sway.

Wu Heng lightly stepped on the wall, kicked a few times, and climbed up, hanging halfway as he peered through the window.

Shi Xuan's hands and feet were bound with red cloth strips tied in special exorcism knots, with the strips extending to the four corners of the room. Shi Xuan's face was deathly pale, exuding a chilling aura, as he silently endured the exorcism rituals performed by the various masters before him.

This was the first time Wu Heng had seen Shi Xuan's room, and he immediately recognized that it had been arranged by a master with considerable skill.

This new friend of his was surrounded by an overwhelming aura of death, and it seemed his family was aware of it, which explained tonight's events.

Shi Xuan tightly gripped the string of bells in his left hand, feeling the suffocating sensation as the collar around his neck continued to tighten.

"The yin energy on Young Master Shi is even heavier than last year!" the lead Taoist priest exclaimed in shock.

Another old man added, "If this continues, he will become a mindless monster controlled by evil spirits."

Shi Xuan indifferently accepted their comments. Someone like him truly didn't deserve to have friends.

"Hiss—"

A fierce snake's hiss suddenly came from the window. Everyone turned to look and saw a massive white serpent with blood-red eyes coiled on a tree branch outside, staring at them.

"This is bad. It's an evil entity, undoubtedly attracted by the yin energy emanating from Young Master Shi during tonight's Ghost Festival," the lead Taoist priest said with a grim expression, immediately drawing his conclusion.

"Quick, after it!"

A group of exorcists and Taoist priests rushed after the giant serpent, leaving only a few disciples behind at the door.

The bedroom suddenly fell silent. Shi Xuan, who had been standing stiffly, finally bent over, coughing dryly and looking disheveled.

A faint rustling sound came from the window, but Shi Xuan didn't look up.

Every year during the Ghost Festival, spirits and ghosts would inexplicably be drawn to him. He was used to it by now, so he assumed it was just more of the same.

Suddenly, a hand appeared in front of him, its fingers slender and pale, holding a brown pill in its palm.

Shi Xuan was momentarily stunned when he saw the hand. He looked up sharply and saw Wu Heng standing before him, holding a small gray snake. Wu Heng was dressed in the traditional attire of the village, with a large silver snake-shaped earring swaying in the wind on his left ear.

It was Wu Heng.

He had actually... come.

Shi Xuan was momentarily lost in thought.

Wu Heng said, "This isn't a mud ball. It's made from medicinal herbs to restore your energy."

Wu Heng stared at Shi Xuan, whose eyes were slightly red from suffocation, complementing his cold and sharp features in a way that was indescribably handsome.

This guy... is really good-looking. If it weren't for the yin energy clinging to him, he'd definitely draw in a crowd of admirers.

Noticing his hands were still tied with the red exorcism strips, he fed him directly with his own hand.

The fingertip touched his cold lips, but he didn't open his mouth, only his deep, cold eyes stared fixedly at him.

Dr. Wu: "Open your mouth."

Shi Xuan opened his mouth, and the pill slid down his throat.

Dr. Wu untied the red strips, and Xi Xi licked the red marks on Shi Xuan's wounds, which actually faded quite a bit.

Shi Xuan: "...Doesn't the Li Family have a well?"

Dr. Wu: "?"

Why is the first thing he says so strange?

You nearly shook that bell to bits!

Dr. Wu didn't ask about what happened in the bedroom. Instead, he patted Shi Xuan's shoulder and said, "Hey, wanna come with me tonight?"

Shi Xuan stared at him, feeling something he couldn't quite put into words. Tonight was his worst day, the one he never wanted anyone to see, and yet, here he was.

Shi Xuan nodded.

Dr. Wu grabbed Shi Xuan's wrist and dragged him to the third-floor window, "Jump."

Dr. Wu muttered a shamanic spell under his breath to make sure they'd land softly. Without a second thought, Shi Xuan jumped, not even worried about breaking his legs.

Dr. Wu led Shi Xuan to the courtyard gate, scoffing at the talismans on the door, not even bothering to break them, and just walked out with Shi Xuan.

Once they were outside, Dr. Wu let go of Shi Xuan's wrist. Shi Xuan glanced at it but didn't say a word.

It was the first time he'd ever had the chance to sneak out on Ghost Festival. Even though the night was creepy, the moonlight was just like last night's, but somehow it felt even more beautiful.

Dr. Wu led him in the direction of the He Family.

He Yunxiao had gotten the heads-up and was already waiting in the car with the driver.

Once in the car, Dr. Wu handed Xi Xi to He Yunxiao and said, "A certain snake wanted me to tell you it took a risk to draw attention away from Xi Xi."

A simple illusion made the little white snake look like a massive python.

He Yunxiao looked down at his goofy, happy snake daughter Xi Xi, and with Dr. Wu's words, he felt a bad vibe. Alarm bells were going off!

"Head to the Li Family."

Li Hao and his crew, cameras in hand, were set up by the well, eyes full of excitement.

Li Hao watched the bubbles in the well and yelled, "Come on out, Dr. Wu, and give that idiot He Yunxiao a taste of shamanic power!"

A white snake, out of breath, crawled out of the well.

Li Hao and his crew were shocked, and then a servant came running, "Young Master He brought Dr. Wu Heng and Young Master Shi."

Li Hao and his crew froze: "Huh?"

He Yunxiao?

Holy crap! The world is ending.

Before Li Hao and the others could react, Chen Zhao, upon hearing the report, dashed to the main gate in a few steps. He bowed three times to Wu Heng and loudly exclaimed, "I, your junior, pay my respects to you, senior!"

Seeing that Wu Heng didn't speak, Chen Zhao hesitated for half a second and said, "I am willing to kowtow three times and bow nine times, no problem at all, to thank you, senior, for your guidance and kindness!"

Wu Heng: "..."

Chen Zhao really knows how to bend with the wind.

Chen Zhao then asked eagerly, "Do I really get 5,000 RMB for helping with the treatment? Should we make a written agreement?"

Wu Heng looked at Li Hao, who was on the verge of a breakdown but no one knew why, and said, "Give me 5,000 in cash, and I'll transfer it to you via WeChat."

Five minutes later, Chen Zhao, trembling, received fifty crisp red bills, more money than he had ever held at once in his life.

At that moment, Chen Zhao had the wicked thought of turning his back on his master.

Wu Heng was so generous with money; why did he put on such airs when they first met? He should have knelt down and worshipped him as a master right then and there.

Caught up in the moment, Chen Zhao couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Forget treating him; I'd even give him my organs."

Wu Heng: "Really? Would you even be willing to transplant a man's... you know?"

Chen Zhao was stunned for a moment, "Huh?"

He pondered, is it really a choice between being sterile and being rich?

Wu Heng looked at He Yunxiao, who was holding Xi Xi and shifted his cautious gaze away from the eager little white snake, and recounted the incident involving Wang Qiang and the graduate student.

Chen Zhao looked at the stack of red bills and belatedly realized—this was a real hot potato.

Would he have to give it back before he even got used to it?

Wu Heng asked administrator He Yunxiao to help him start a live stream, while engaging in a medical discussion with Chen Zhao.

"His... part was severed by ghosts and demons, and it just needs to be reattached using a yin instrument."

Chen Zhao stared at Wu Heng in complete shock; his master had never taught him such a treatment method.

Chen Zhao couldn't help but size up Wu Heng. Was this really just a trainee Daoist Physician?

Before leaving the mountain, Chen Zhao had seen a few of Wu Heng's live streams that amazed netizens, but he thought they were just so-so.

Exorcism dances are a necessary skill in this industry; it's just that Wu Heng danced more beautifully and made the audience more impulsive. The medicine that cured Huang Zhigang's swollen throat was just a mildly spiritual emetic, nothing extraordinary.

His mosquito repellent worked well, but such ointments could very well be passed down from his master or ancestors, not necessarily self-developed.

But now, the treatment method Wu Heng mentioned made Chen Zhao have to take him seriously.

This... this must be a family secret, or maybe an even older shamanic recipe.

He had just called Wu Heng 'senior' for the money, and maybe... he was right.

Chen Zhao stroked his chin and pondered, "The method you mentioned is definitely worth a try, but the tools you mentioned are not available. These would be the prized artifacts of various sects, wouldn't they?"

Wu Heng had Li Hao fetch another needle and handed it to Shi Xuan, who was sitting quietly in a corner, almost unnoticed.

Shi Xuan was confused but reached out and took it anyway.

The needle in Shi Xuan's hand instantly rusted.

Everyone stared at Shi Xuan in shock, instinctively backing away from him.

The rumors about Shi Xuan being creepy were spot on!

Chen Zhao stared at Shi Xuan, his eyes gleaming, thinking if this guy could rust needles every day, he'd make a killing.

"Wait, they're actually going to treat him? That poor unborn girl is doomed to a miserable life."

"Can we just stay out of this family's business? If her son recovers, he'll just pressure her to have a boy."

"That old lady is awful, but doctors can't pick and choose their patients, can they? Even prisoners have the right to medical care. Besides, that grad student is innocent. No guy wants to end up a eunuch, right?"

"If you were one of the women in that family, you wouldn't be saying this. Dr. Wu's being way too nice."

Wang Da Sao, even though it was Ghost Festival, stayed glued to Shark Video Platform and jumped right into the live chat.

Seeing the comments flying by, she got pissed: "What's it to you? Whether my family gets a golden grandson is none of your damn business!"

Wang Da Sao whipped her head around and glared at her pregnant daughter-in-law, yelling, "If you'd had a boy, I wouldn't be begging the doctor to treat Ah Lang! You good-for-nothing!"

The daughter-in-law went pale, too scared to say anything, and ducked behind her masked husband.

The grad student helped his wife sit down, pissed off, and shot back, "The baby's gender is up to me, the man. Mom, are you saying I'm useless?"

Wang Da Sao didn't get it—how could the man decide the baby's gender? The baby comes from the woman, so isn't it her fault?

Out of arguments, Wang Da Sao just gave her son a pleading look.

As long as her son recovers and they get a golden grandson, she could take all the scolding in the world.

Chen Zhao scratched his head, realizing that 5,000 yuan wasn't easy money. He thought for a moment and said, "We still need something to stitch with. Should I run out and grab some yarn?"

Would the yarn even work after Shi Xuan touched it? Chen Zhao wasn't sure.

Worst case, he'd be called a fraud, but he was dead set on making this cash.

Dr. Wu grinned and said, "Why bother going out? I've got it right here."

When Dr. Wu pulled it out, everyone's jaws dropped.

"Wait, isn't this the spider silk we grabbed last time at the top hospital?!"

"Holy crap, that's creepy. So Dr. Wu knew all along? That's why he made us collect this spider silk?"

"I was wondering why Dr. Wu wanted this. I thought such sinister stuff should be burned, but he collected it! Turns out he knew all along. Impressive, my Dr. Wu!"

Chen Zhao opened his mouth in shock: "Do we... have to pay for this?"

Dr. Wu: "Is there anything in this world that's free?"

Chen Zhao almost cried. He knew it couldn't be as simple as earning 5,000 yuan!

No wonder his master said the outside world was full of traps he couldn't handle. He wanted to return to the Xuan Sect!

Seeing Chen Zhao's expression as if his father had died, Dr. Wu stopped joking and said, "Reusing medical waste doesn't count as a charge."

Shi Xuan took a few more glances. Does he even joke with others? It didn’t seem like he had. Chen Zhao clearly met him later than others.

Chen Zhao couldn’t help but say, “Senior, since you’ve got everything ready, you must have a solid plan, right? Why bother with me?” Just handing him money for no reason?

Wu Heng said, “I’m just an intern Daoist Physician; how could I compare to you? Of course, I’m here to assist you.”

If he steps in, there’d be nothing left to do about this illness. How’s that possible?

The words sounded good, but Chen Zhao sensed something was off. Wu Heng’s methods didn’t seem like those of a low-level intern Daoist Physician. And he was assisting him?

Chen Zhao felt only his master could hold an equal conversation with him.

Wu Heng had someone bring a basin of well water, and everyone used it to wash their hands.

The graduate student couldn’t help asking, “Is it going to hurt a lot?”

Chen Zhao casually replied, “Of course, my abilities are limited. It might hurt so much your soul could scatter.”

Seeing the graduate student ask what it meant for the soul to scatter, Chen Zhao patiently explained, all for the sake of five thousand yuan, “It means becoming mentally disabled, an idiot.”

The graduate student’s face went pale, and he immediately said, “Then I won’t go through with it. Let’s just leave it at that—I’m fine as I am.”

He was usually swamped with his research, and he wasn’t very concerned about such matters, especially since his wife was pregnant. Moreover, from the outside, he looked just like a normal man.

As soon as these words were spoken, Wang Da Sao, sitting nearby, couldn’t stay seated any longer and shouted, “How can that be?! I’m still waiting for you two to give me a second golden grandson!”

“…These two are like baby-making machines.”

“If this old lady wants a baby so badly, why doesn’t she have one herself?”

“Thinking about it, I might choose the same. I’d rather stay single forever than turn into an idiot.”

“Isn’t it just a little pain? Can’t you tough it out?” Wang Da Sao scolded with frustration, “If I could bear the pain for you, I would!”

Wu Heng said, “Then you do it.”

Everyone was stunned and looked at Wu Heng in unison.

Wu Heng patiently explained, “Mother and child are connected. Just write their birth details on the same little paper figure.”

Chen Zhao gaped in shock. He… Wu Heng really could diagnose through the eight characters remotely?

All the Daoist Physicians in Xuanmen who saw the video said that Wu Heng had diagnosed He Yunxiao’s possession based on the “observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking” of traditional Chinese medicine plus some eight-character fortune-telling, and it wasn’t remote pulse-taking at all.

So their conclusion was wrong. Wu Heng really could?!

The graduate student frowned, about to say something, but Wang Da Sao eagerly agreed.

As long as it was for the future golden grandson, she would do anything! Isn’t it just a bit of pain? Simple!

But the pain was vastly different from what she had imagined. When Chen Zhao clumsily used silver needle spider silk to sew on the little paper figure, with one stitch—

Wang Da Sao screamed in pain and collapsed on the spot.

A searing pain shot through her entire body, straight to the crown of her head.

Wu Heng indifferently watched this scene, standing beside Chen Zhao, with one hand on Chen Zhao’s shoulder, whispering the sewing method.

Chen Zhao’s originally scattered energy, at the moment Wu Heng’s hand pressed on his shoulder, began to gather continuously again.

Motivated by the five thousand yuan, his hands suddenly moved with lightning speed.

The entire courtyard echoed with Wang Da Sao's agonizing screams, as if they were wrenched from the depths of her soul. Each stitch felt like divine retribution.

Chen Zhao was baffled—how could his mediocre skills make the middle-aged woman writhe in agony with every stitch?

Wang Da Sao, drenched in sweat, whimpered, "I can't take it anymore, I... I don't care if they have grandsons or granddaughters, stop sewing, stop sewing..."

Wu Heng gave a faint smile, "It makes no sense to stop halfway."

Wu Heng lightly uttered two words, "Continue."

Chen Zhao: "...Yes."

The young man in light blue traditional attire smiled faintly, but that subtle smile and his offhand remark sent shivers down everyone's spine.

This was supposed to be a treatment for her son, but it felt more like a punishment!

And it came from Wu Heng.

Not just the live-stream viewers, but even He Yunxiao, Li Hao, Wang Dong, and the guy with dyed hair were chilled to the bone.

Wu Heng was strikingly handsome and seemed like a decent guy upon closer interaction, but now they vaguely felt that Wu Heng was far more mysterious and ruthless than they had imagined.

Li Hao suddenly dropped to his knees before Shi Xuan, sobbing, "Shi Xuan, we’re just mouthy at school, we really haven't done anything bad, except for that one time we were stupid enough to scare you with a snake, just that one time. Please don't blame us, we don't want to be stitched."

Wang Dong and the guy with dyed hair quickly followed, dropping to their knees.

Is Doctor Wu Heng using them as an example? Most likely.

Shi Xuan: "...Yeah."

Shi Xuan glanced at Wu Heng, the corners of his lips slightly curved.

The daughter-in-law was startled by her mother-in-law's ordeal, and the graduate student quickly covered his wife's ears, urging her not to look.

He was fine, just a slight, ant-bite-like pain in his finger—uncomfortable but bearable.

But his mother was suffering so much...

"...I take back what I said about Wu Heng being kind—what kind of monster is this?"

"This isn’t stitching—it’s like being struck by lightning, isn’t it?"

"Give her a soul-shaking shock, hahaha. Wu Heng’s a legend."

"But if she survives this and her son recovers, won’t she still demand a grandson? Old habits die hard—eye roll."

Chen Zhao finished the last stitch and hesitantly asked Wu Heng, "Senior, should I pull out the needle?"

Wu Heng nodded, and with permission, Chen Zhao removed the needle.

Wang Da Sao lay on the ground like a limp rag, too weak to move, but there was no trace of the ordeal on her body, and no one could find fault with Wu Heng.

The graduate student released his wife and went to help Wang Da Sao up—after all, she’d endured the pain for his sake.

"The illness is cured," Wu Heng delivered the final blow, "but your son likely won’t be able to father sons."

Wang Da Sao wept, too afraid to speak, her wide eyes fixed on Wu Heng.

Wu Heng said, "Your son carries a disease in his blood, which is hereditary, leading to premature death."

He Yunxiao added, "In modern medicine, is it called a genetic disease? It seems that some boys are carriers, and some girls are carriers. Hospitals can detect this through genetic testing."

Wang Da Sao stared blankly at Wu Heng—was her dream of a precious grandson shattered?

Wang Da Sao screamed in despair, "Why didn't you say so earlier?!"

Wu Heng smiled slightly and retorted, "What do you think about that?"