Chapter 56: Thunder in the Palm

A dense, chilling aura shrouded Lady Xiao, her resentment so profound that it far surpassed any ordinary specter. Zhao Qingqing couldn’t help but say, “Darling, use your tongue! Every time you use your tongue on me, it hurts so much. It must work on Lady Xiao too!”

Yan Yu was stunned. “What?!”

Liu Sen was equally bewildered. “...What?!”

Master Cao, still in a daze, mumbled, “Brother, lick her!”

“Lick your sister!” Yan Yu shouted back in exasperation.

If Lady Xiao still had a head, he wondered whether she’d be looking at him with expectation or dread at that moment.

Yan Yu, of course, knew Zhao Qingqing was referring to the blood from his tongue tip, but the way she put it left much to be desired! Besides, if he had to use the blood from his tongue every time he fought a ghost, his tongue would have rotted away long ago!

Liu Sen gave a command, “Lady Xiao, seize this boy’s soul!”

Obeying, Lady Xiao bared her claws and lunged at Yan Yu. He turned and ran for his life!

A vengeful ghost’s form could briefly take on physical substance. In other words, Lady Xiao could very well flay and dismember him right now!

“Stay...”

Her voice was mournful and terrifying, like the strings of an instrument played by death itself. Yan Yu glanced back and spat, “Bah!”

His defiance seemed to enrage Lady Xiao, quickening her pace. In an instant, she was in front of him, her headless form blocking his way.

“Dragon’s Claw!” Yan Yu unceremoniously reached out and grabbed—after all, Lady Xiao was headless; she couldn’t possibly bite him, could she?

Just as he was about to succeed, Lady Xiao’s body turned transparent, and Yan Yu’s hand grasped nothing but air.

Witnessing the scene, Liu Sen sneered, “This kid is so depraved, he won’t even spare a vengeful ghost!”

Yet Yan Yu’s momentum didn’t falter as he passed through Lady Xiao’s body; he kept running, as if he’d never intended to fight her in the first place.

“Something’s wrong—he’s up to something!” Liu Sen’s expression changed.

Lady Xiao turned to see Yan Yu had reached the toppled scooter. He reached into its storage compartment and pulled out a stack of yellow talisman paper.

Though Master Cao had no real abilities, the talisman paper was genuine. Yan Yu, having seized it, bit open his middle finger and swiftly drew three talismans.

Liu Sen mocked, “Do you really think you’re a master of Maoshan? Talismans drawn so casually can’t possibly work!”

By this time, Lady Xiao had closed in, her nails lengthening into claws sharp as a wolverine’s, threatening to tear Yan Yu in two.

At that moment, Yan Yu flung the three talismans forward, chanting, “By the order of Pure Jade, I command the gods. Thunder of the Upper Saint, obliterate the soul! Sever their heads by the thousands, cut their forms by the tens of thousands. Disobey, and be utterly destroyed!”

“By decree!”

The talismans seemed to sprout wings, instantly attaching themselves to Yan Yu’s right arm. As he finished the incantation, a golden bolt of lightning shot from his palm, striking Lady Xiao directly.

“Aaah—!” Lady Xiao’s scream pierced the night as the lightning enveloped her, rendering her form nearly transparent.

Liu Sen’s face drained of color. “Palm Thunder?! Are you Maoshan? No, even a grandmaster of Maoshan couldn’t draw talismans and use them so effortlessly!”

“You don’t need to know that much,” Yan Yu replied coldly, advancing with crackling thunder gathering in his hand.

Panic-stricken, Liu Sen hastily recited an incantation, recalling Lady Xiao’s nearly dissipated spirit back into the hairpin. He scrambled into his car and sped away, vanishing in an instant.

“He runs pretty fast,” Yan Yu muttered with relief.

Zhao Qingqing asked, “Darling, why didn’t you chase him?”

Yan Yu managed a weak smile before sinking to the ground, his face turning ashen. “You think I didn’t want to?”

Only then did Zhao Qingqing realize that the Palm Thunder had exhausted all of his strength. Yan Yu’s true aim had never been to capture Liu Sen or Lady Xiao, but simply to frighten them away.

Now, Yan Yu was so drained he seemed ready to faint at any moment. Zhao Qingqing hurried to support him.

“That Liu Sen...”

“He was after you,” Yan Yu said gravely. “I didn’t expect the Li family to have such a character on their side. If it hadn’t been for Master Cao’s stack of talismans, we might not have survived.”

Master Cao finally regained consciousness. He clutched his head, gazing around in confusion. “Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to be doing?”

“Cao, are you hurt?” Yan Yu asked.

“Me? I ache all over, like I got tackled by a gorilla...”

Master Cao’s little scooter was a wreck, utterly smashed and beyond repair. With no other options, Yan Yu dialed Zhou Xiaowan’s number.

It was already early morning. Zhou Xiaowan, roused from her sleep, didn’t hesitate to agree when she heard Yan Yu needed help.

About twenty minutes later, Zhou Xiaowan arrived in her father’s Cayenne and found Yan Yu and Master Cao lying by the roadside.

Naturally, she couldn’t see Zhao Qingqing.

“Brother Yan, Master Cao?! Did you get into an accident?” Zhou Xiaowan asked in surprise.

“It’s nothing serious. Please, just help us into the car,” Yan Yu replied, his face pale as death.

She quickly helped them inside. Zhao Qingqing quipped, “Darling, this little cutie seems nice. Maybe you should consider sharing a bed with her too?”

Yan Yu shot her a glare.

Back in the car, Zhou Xiaowan asked, “Brother Yan, you look awful. Shouldn’t we go to the hospital?”

“It’s just low blood sugar, nothing to worry about. Please take us to Apricot Blossom Community.”

“All right...” Zhou Xiaowan, knowing Yan Yu wasn’t like ordinary people, did as he asked. Though her driving was shaky, she managed to get them to the community gate.

After a brief rest, some color returned to Yan Yu’s face.

Zhou Xiaowan helped them upstairs, Master Cao groaning and moaning the entire way. Yan Yu examined him and found only minor scrapes, which finally put Master Cao at ease.

After a night of chaos and expending his essence to draw talismans, Yan Yu was utterly spent. As soon as he sat on the sofa, he collapsed into a deep sleep.

Zhao Qingqing, having used too much of her power during the night, also retreated into her Hello Kitty plush to recover her yin energy.

Watching Yan Yu snoring softly on the sofa, Zhou Xiaowan sighed, sat quietly beside him, and played on her phone. Before she knew it, she too drifted off to sleep, leaning gently against Yan Yu’s side.