Chapter Seven: The First Signs of Conspiracy

A sharp hiss came from the side, and three writhing worms dropped to the ground, only to be instantly crushed under someone’s foot! Overjoyed, Ye Dong turned to see where the noise had come from. There, a tall and a short figure were gripping a bottle of powerful insecticide, their fingers pressed together as they pointed at the crushed worms, rebuking, “Monsters, with this mage here, you dare run wild!”

Everyone was startled and delighted, seeing how cleverly the pair had dispelled the crisis, and they all breathed a long sigh of relief.

Liang Lingzhi, caught between joy and terror, felt the energy within his chest dissipate, and the counter-curse formation ended with it.

“At last, we’ve escaped this calamity!” Liang Lingzhi took a deep breath and patted the shoulders of the tall and short figures. “Thank you, my friends.”

The two exchanged a smile. Xiaobao said, “Heh, it’s always wise to be prepared. No need to thank me, just wire the money to my bank account—Industrial and Commercial Bank is best, makes withdrawal easier.”

Nianxue looked at them with approval. “Science has truly come to our rescue this time!”

It turned out that, after hearing Nianxue describe the curse in such terrifying detail, the pair had looked up information online and specially prepared two bottles of the latest powerful insecticide—never expecting it would prove so useful.

“It’s finally over.”

With Nianxue’s words, everyone at last relaxed completely. Officer Li and his two colleagues holstered their pistols. Seeing the three culprits unconscious, he asked, “Nianxue, how are they now?”

Nianxue replied, “Once they wake up, you can interrogate them. I believe you’ll get valuable testimony from them!”

Officer Li thanked her. “Alright, you really saved us this time!”

Nianxue smiled. “Don’t mention it, it’s our duty. There’s no time to lose—get ready for your questioning.”

After wiping the cold sweat from their brows, the group bid farewell to Officer Li and his team, each going their own way.

“Nianxue, is there anything we can help with?” Ye Dong asked.

Nianxue shook her head. “Those three are too strange, and extremely cunning. Without spiritual training, you’d be in danger. Leave this to me.”

Liang Lingzhi protested, “You’ll be at a disadvantage facing three of them alone. Think again—is there nothing the four of us can do to help?”

Nianxue sighed. “If only my father were here. Not to mention his great power—if he could take you four as disciples, you’d be my junior brothers, and then I could teach you true Daoist arts.”

The four understood. Matters of cultivation were solemn and demanded the utmost seriousness. They exchanged glances, seeing disappointment in each other’s eyes.

After Ye Dong brought Nianxue back to the paper effigy shop, he prepared to drive home. But Nianxue called after him, “Ye Dong, let’s talk.”

Ye Dong entered the house. “What is it?”

Nianxue asked, “From an ordinary person’s perspective, what was it like to experience this case?”

Ye Dong sighed, gazing out the window. “Endless anger, and a deep, abiding fear.”

Nianxue sat in her chair, clenching her fists. “Even a grown man like you was terrified—imagine what Xiaoting must have felt. She could have been driven mad.”

Ye Dong glanced at the little oil-paper umbrella in the inner room and speculated, “Could she have been so frightened that she lost her memory?”

“What do you mean by that?”

Ye Dong considered. “I took some psychology courses at university. The professor said that if someone is frightened badly enough, they can faint, and when they wake, they may have selective amnesia—forgetting the traumatic event as a defense, because the memory is too painful to bear. Isn’t it possible that Xiaoting passed out from fear and lost some of her memory?”

Nianxue frowned and nodded. She closed the door, slowly opened the little oil-paper umbrella, and summoned Xiaoting.

“Xiaoting, are you feeling any better?”

Xiaoting smiled faintly. “After a few days of rest, my burned spirit is slowly recovering. Did you manage to break the curse at the police station?”

Nianxue nodded. “It was a bit complicated, but we managed. With Officer Li’s abilities, they’ll soon get important clues.”

Seeing that Nianxue hesitated, Xiaoting asked, “Ye Dong, what’s wrong?”

Ye Dong hesitated, then said, “Xiaoting, we wondered if you might have suffered selective amnesia from being so frightened, and forgotten some crucial clues.”

Xiaoting’s spirit trembled slightly. “I’ll try to remember—see if I can recall anything.”

Ye Dong and Nianxue felt a pang of sorrow. “Poor Xiaoting.”

Xiaoting forced herself to relive the agonizing memories she had wished never to recall.

One scene after another flashed through her mind. Her expression turned from anger to terror, from pain to regret. Ye Dong and Nianxue felt their hearts ache to witness it.

Suddenly, Xiaoting’s face changed—her fists clenched, cold sweat pouring down. She muttered, “I remember… there were two men and a woman standing beside those butchers. Each held a timer, grinning at me with twisted smiles. But I couldn’t see their faces clearly! I heard them say, ‘This woman’s life force is stubborn. We’ve taken so many organs, and she still won’t die!’”

Ye Dong’s palms grew clammy. “They were timing it?!”

Xiaoting, drenched in cold sweat, nodded frantically, her voice trembling with fear. “Yes! They were timing it! They were counting down to see when I would finally die!”

She shook her head desperately, crying out, “They’re too terrifying! A thousand times more frightening than ghosts! They’re not human—they’re cold-blooded! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to hear that ticking timer! I don’t want to!”

Seeing Xiaoting on the verge of collapse, Nianxue shouted, “Xiaoting! These are only memories!”

But Xiaoting seemed not to hear. The ticking of the clock on the wall filled her with dread. With a scream, her spectral hand lashed out, releasing tangible energy that knocked the clock to the floor!

“Oh no!” cried Nianxue. Her hands flashed through gestures, and she chanted quickly, “May wisdom shine clear, and the mind be at peace. May the three souls endure, the spirit never falter. By urgent decree of the law—so be it!”

Ye Dong recognized the closing lines of the Calming Spirit Incantation. As Nianxue finished, Xiaoting seemed as if struck by a powerful sedative, sitting dazedly on the floor.

Nianxue exhaled deeply. “Help her up,” she told Ye Dong.

Ye Dong was puzzled. “She’s a spirit—I have no power, I can’t help her.”

Nianxue glared. “If I say you can, you can!”

Ye Dong didn’t argue. He approached Xiaoting, gently mimed supporting her shoulders, and tried to lift her.

“What’s going on?!”

To his astonishment, he actually managed to help Xiaoting to her feet—her form now felt entirely real to his touch.