"What did you say?"
Qi Xiu looked at Qian Yuhan with suspicion.
"I would like to ask you, Mr. Qi, to prevent this Jade Bodhisattva from harming more people."
Standing up with the help of a short cane, Qian Yuhan's expression was solemn as he bowed deeply to Qi Xiu.
"Ever since that night when I learned that you, sir, have the power to deal with this demon, I have been tossing and turning sleeplessly for several nights. My brothers and I have made a grave mistake. Now that we know our error, we cannot allow ourselves to err again."
Turning to look at his father, whose life the Jade Bodhisattva was sustaining, Qian Yuhan's eyes showed reluctance, which was quickly overshadowed by determination.
"My father has been kind and charitable all his life, and he often taught us that we should always put kindness first. If he knew about this, he would never agree to use others' lives to extend his own. Therefore, I beseech you, sir, to grant my father and me this."
Looking at the sincere Qian Yuhan, Qi Xiu pursed his lips. "You're indeed somewhat better than your two younger brothers. However, my methods may not necessarily be able to stop this demon."
The "Suppress" Character indeed possessed divine power. But he wasn't sure if it was truly effective against all demons and evil spirits.
"It will definitely work, sir. Please look."
Qian Yuhan took out a bell painted with bright red Talisman Scripts from his bosom and gently shook it.
Immediately, the sound of footsteps came from behind the screen.
The ghastly man Qi Xiu had seen before walked out, his face expressionless.
"These are Corpse Children, given to us by Daoist Wu. We have three of them. They are the ones who collect the Blood Meal for the Jade Bodhisattva."
So this was the ghoul I saw before.
Seeing the ghoul that had disquieted him for days up close, Qi Xiu examined it with curiosity.
To the naked eye, the Corpse Child looked no different from an ordinary corpse. But it was enveloped in a chilling aura that made one's skin crawl. Even from several meters away, the chill rushed over him, making Qi Xiu's limbs numb and sapping his strength.
Fortunately, warmth flowed from the "Suppress" Character on his chest, dispelling the chill.
What a sinister cold. Ordinary people, upon encountering it, would probably lose their ability to move at first contact, becoming lambs for the slaughter. No wonder so many have died without anyone escaping. With this area-of-effect control, how could anyone run away?
"Originally, only Yu Ze and I could command the Corpse Children with the Corpse-Control Bell. But as the Jade Bodhisattva's demand for Blood Meal grew, these Corpse Children also began to gradually lose control. Whenever there wasn't enough Blood Meal, the Jade Bodhisattva would directly control the Corpse Children to go out and collect more. This happened with increasing frequency, causing more and more harm. But not this one."
Gently shaking the bell with Talisman Scripts in his hand, the Corpse Child standing beside Qian Yuhan raised its right hand.
In the palm of its hand was a "Suppress" Character, now quite blurred.
Seeing this, Qi Xiu's face showed realization.
So that's it. That night, when this Corpse Child tried to attack me, it was countered by the "Suppress" Character I had affixed to the door. Because of the divine marvel of the "Suppress" Character, this Corpse Child's fierce nature was suppressed, making it uncontrollable by the Jade Bodhisattva. Qian Yuhan noticed this. That's why he sought my "Suppress" Character to subdue this Jade Bodhisattva.
"I can help you with your trouble."
Knowing the cause and effect, Qi Xiu decided to agree to Qian Yuhan's request. After all, being able to truly suppress this demonic Jade Bodhisattva also removed a threat for him. Otherwise, if this demon that feeds on living humans were allowed to grow unchecked, the "Suppress" Character might not always be effective.
Upon hearing Qi Xiu's agreement, Qian Yuhan breathed a sigh of relief. He had truly feared that Qi Xiu would hold a grudge over past events and refuse to help.
Taking the ink and brush Qian Yuhan had prepared, Qi Xiu went into the inner room.
Facing the Jade Bodhisattva, which outwardly appeared sacred but was internally a ghoul that devoured living people, Qi Xiu narrowed his eyes.
BOOM—
In the unseen realm, the statue-like Jade Bodhisattva suddenly came to life. Its compassionate and merciful face turned fierce and vicious. Its fangs, dripping with strands of flesh, seemed ready to pounce and bite off Qi Xiu's neck. Illusory visions swirled, frantically assaulting Qi Xiu's mind.
The continuous warmth from the "Suppress" Character on his chest poured into his body, and the horrifying, hideous illusions vanished in an instant. The Jade Bodhisattva, which had been baring its fangs and claws, once again became a statue with a compassionate face.
It truly is a demon...
Observing the bizarre and uncanny Jade Bodhisattva, Qi Xiu dipped his brush in ink and, with a flourish, made a broad stroke.
A "Suppress" Character.
With majestic righteousness, it was stamped on the forehead of the Jade Bodhisattva.
"Ah!"
In a daze, Qi Xiu seemed to hear a shrill scream, but when he listened carefully, it was as if there was nothing.
Hmm? These blood-red veins seem to have become lighter and thinner.
Noticing the change in the veins on the hand that the Jade Bodhisattva pressed on Mr. Qian's head, Qi Xiu's eyebrows rose.
And Mr. Qian's complexion has clearly worsened. It looks like Mr. Qian's life really is being sustained by this demon. But this kind of neither human nor ghost existence, hanging by a thread, half-dead... Reduced to being a dependency of a demon. Does it really make sense?
Confirming that the "Suppress" Character indeed had an effect on the Jade Bodhisattva, Qi Xiu wrote five "Suppress" Characters in one go on the body of this eerie demon. The "Suppress" Characters, faintly glowing with golden light, connected with each other on the body of the Jade Bodhisattva. The ink began to seep in bit by bit, like a heavy weight pressing down, causing the jade surface of the Jade Bodhisattva to emit creaking sounds as if it couldn't bear the weight.
With the pressure of the five "Suppress" Characters, those blood-red veins dimmed considerably, and the veins at the periphery had even atrophied. Mr. Qian's complexion visibly became paler.
"Completely suppressing this demon is not the work of a single day. I'm afraid it can't be done in a short time."
After roughly estimating the effects of the "Suppress" Characters, Qi Xiu calculated that at least one hundred or more "Suppress" Characters were needed to fully suppress this demon. This process would take at least a month, but he simply did not have the time to stay in the Qian Residence for that long.
"That's no problem. There is a secret passage behind this room that leads directly to a secluded house outside the city, which is absolutely safe. Even Yu Ze doesn't know about such a place. Mr. Qi, you can stay there temporarily. Once you help me stop this demon, Mr. Qi, I will ensure you receive a generous reward."
Leading Qi Xiu to a rockery deep behind the room, Qian Yuhan reached out with his short cane and poked a hidden spot. A series of mechanical sounds vibrated. A passage actually opened up within the seamless rockery.
Standing at the entrance of the passageway, feeling the cool breeze mixed with an earthy smell coming from inside, Qi Xiu looked sideways at Qian Yuhan. "Can I trust you?"
Facing Qi Xiu's question, Qian Yuhan bowed slightly, making a deep salute. "If I wanted to harm you, Mr. Qi, why would I go through all this trouble? If you don't trust me, Mr. Qi, you are free to leave the city. But for the sake of all the lives in this city, I earnestly request that you, Mr. Qi, show compassion and save the people."
Images of Qiao Xuan'er's family, and the neighbors who had taken good care of him these past two years, flashed through his mind. Qi Xiu clenched his fists and, without turning back, walked into the passage. "I hope you will remember the sins your Qian family has committed and do more good deeds in the future. After all, people act, and Heaven watches. Heaven's law is clear, and retribution is certain."
"I, Qian, will indeed bear it in mind!"
...
"Big brother, big brother!"
Not long after Qi Xiu had left, Qian Yuzhe arrived at Qian Yuhan's courtyard in a hurry.
"Quick, give me the account room seal. I need to withdraw ten thousand taels in silver notes."
Seeing his younger brother come back in such a rush and immediately ask for a huge sum of money, Qian Yuhan frowned and said, "What's going on? You're asking for so much money as soon as you come back? By the way, didn't you say you were going to Huayu Observatory to ask Daoist Wu for help?"
"Daoist Wu is currently refining a Rejuvenation Medicine for Father, and he needs ten thousand taels of silver to purchase the medicinal ingredients. Moreover, they must be bought within a month, or all our efforts will be for naught. Hurry and give me the seal. After I get the silver notes, I still need to go to the money lender to withdraw the actual silver to deliver to Daoist Wu."
Looking at his younger brother's anxious expression with a complicated look, Qian Yuhan opened his mouth. He had wanted to tell him that he had already asked Qi Xiu to start suppressing the Jade Bodhisattva, but he feared his brother, already made paranoid by their father's condition, would obstruct it.
After a brief silence, Qian Yuhan took out the seal from his sleeve and handed it to Qian Yuzhe.
With the seal in hand, Qian Yuzhe's expression relaxed.
Once Daoist Wu's Rejuvenation Medicine is ready, Father will surely recover fully. After Father gets better, I'll show him the Monk Huai's Calligraphy I've learned. He'll certainly be very happy.
...
「Meanwhile.」
「Qingtan Mountain, Huayu Observatory.」
A middle-aged Daoist, wearing a gray-blue Taoist Robe, with a long beard flowing down his chest and an air of immortal grace, suddenly opened his eyes. His clear, black-and-white eyes narrowed into vertical pupils in an instant.
The connection to the Jade Bodhisattva has been severed?