Chapter 165: I Told You Not to Cough Blood
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Yu Zhi Yi retrieved an item wedged in the corner of the wall and held it in her hand for a moment of examination. In the faint light, she quickly identified it—a pearl. Not just any pearl, but a fine Heaven-Sea Pearl.
In the Great Sheng Empire, the most prized pearls were South-Sea Pearls, with Heaven-Sea Pearls coming in as a close second. The latter were rare, with an annual yield of less than a thousand jin. From this yield, the finest hundred pearls would be sent to the palace to honor the emperor, empress dowager, concubines, princes, and princesses. Only the remainder would trickle into the market.
Even then, such pearls were beyond the reach of commoners. It wasn’t just a matter of money; it was a matter of status. Only officials ranked Fifth Grade and above, along with their families, were permitted to wear accessories made of Heaven-Sea Pearls.
Yu Zhi Yi resumed her search around the room. Suddenly, she turned toward the doorway, where a little boy from the household stood beneath the curtain. The room’s lighting was peculiar; while light was visible, the more distant corners seemed veiled in an inky shadow. Without stepping closer, it was impossible to discern what lay hidden in the dark. The boy’s figure almost merged with the murkiness of the curtain. If not for Yu Zhi Yi’s exceptional perceptiveness, she might not have noticed him at all.
“Little brother, why are you still awake so late?” she asked.
The boy grinned broadly and, without waiting for her permission, dashed into the room. “Sister, do you want to be my new mother?”
Yu Zhi Yi raised a brow. “Why would I want to be your mother?”
“You were looking at my father earlier,” he replied with a cheeky smile.
Yu Zhi Yi sighed, exasperated. “I only happened to glance his way. I’m already married; there’s no way I’d become your mother.”
The boy’s grin widened. “Then I’m relieved.”
Yu Zhi Yi’s gaze sharpened. “Why would you think I’d want to be your mother? What about your own mother?”
The boy’s expression dimmed. “My mother was killed.”
Just as Yu Zhi Yi was about to inquire further, the curtain shifted, and the stern gaze of the household’s matron, Madam Cao, bore down on her. Her icy glare seemed to be a silent warning. But when she turned to the boy, her demeanor softened into a doting smile. “Yao Zu, your mother abandoned you, but Grandma loves you. You’re Grandma’s precious grandson, and Grandma will find you a new mother.”
The boy suddenly screamed, “I don’t want a new mother! I only want my own mother!”
Yu Zhi Yi pursed her lips and continued her search around the room.
Meanwhile, in another part of the village, a disturbance stirred the night. Yu Zhi Yi’s expression changed as she glanced outside. The ink-black night sky seemed to roil as though something had agitated it, twisting and writhing like thunderous fury. A foreboding crimson hue spread across the village like an ominous shroud.
The boy and Madam Cao’s argument halted abruptly, their screams piercing the air. Madam Cao fell to her knees, wailing, “I was wrong! I was so wrong! Spare me! Ahhhhh!”
Yu Zhi Yi gazed at the churning darkness with a cold expression. “Incompetent fools,” she muttered.
At the edge of Cao Nan Village, where a small river once flowed, the landscape had long since been altered. Following a murder thirty years ago, the villagers, fearing vengeful water spirits, had filled in the river, redirecting it to the back of the village. But now, the once-clear waters glowed with a sinister red light, resembling blood trickling slowly.
You Bing Yue, staring at the crimson river and the black mist rising from it, felt a chill despite her normally fearless nature. “Brother Ou Yang, is there really something in the river?” she asked nervously.
Ou Yang Shuo sneered. “It’s just a female ghost. Taking her down is as easy as drinking water.”
Relieved, You Bing Yue exhaled. “That’s good to hear.”
Beside them, Li Chang Huai unfolded his fan with a flourish. “Miss You, rest assured. No matter how powerful this fiend may be, I won’t let it harm you in the slightest.”
When Du Zi Heng and Liu Fei Yang arrived, the first thing they heard was Li Chang Huai’s resolute promise. Alongside this, they saw Ou Yang Shuo tossing a talisman script into the crimson river.
“Break!”
With a low shout from Ou Yang Shuo, the talisman erupted into golden light, tearing a hole in the black mist. For a moment, everyone felt the oppressive aura slightly diminish.
You Bing Yue’s face lit up with delight. “The black mist has weakened! Ou Yang-brother, you’re amazing!”
Remaining composed, Ou Yang Shuo accepted the praise. He then retrieved another talisman. “No matter how powerful that female ghost is, she’s no match for the Ghost-Exterminating Talismans of Dragon-Tiger Mountain.”
He continued confidently, “Just a few more of these, and she’ll dissipate into thin air.”
Even as he spoke, his hands didn’t idle. He threw another Exorcism Talisman into the fray.
Then… Bang!
An explosion of black mist erupted from the river, shredding the talisman to pieces. Although the talisman released a burst of golden light, it was quickly devoured by the overwhelming black aura.
Ou Yang Shuo staggered as though struck by an invisible hammer, his body flung far back. Instantly, blood surged to his throat.
Just as he was about to spit out the blood, a cold and commanding female voice rang out:
“Don’t you dare!”
Startled, Ou Yang Shuo’s body stiffened. Reflexively, he swallowed the blood back down.
The group turned to look and saw Yu Zhi Yi stepping out of the darkness, a radiant light seeming to accompany her.
You Bing Yue frowned. “If he doesn’t expel the clotted blood, it will hinder his recovery.”
Already struggling to maintain his composure, Ou Yang Shuo could no longer hold back. With a violent cough, he spat the blood out.
Yu Zhi Yi’s expression turned icy. “Fool!”
Before You Bing Yue could retort, she noticed something unusual. The oppressive atmosphere of the village, though unpleasant before, was now bone-chilling. It felt as though her body had been bound by invisible chains, leaving her unable to move.
“What… is going on?”
Even speaking required effort, her voice barely squeezing out from her throat.
Ou Yang Shuo’s face turned pale. “The ghost’s power has grown stronger!”
Yu Zhi Yi sneered. “Thanks to you. If not for that mouthful of pure yang-infused blood, the entity in the river would have remained dormant. Now, it has fully awakened!”
A fierce gale howled through the area, cutting like knives and bringing an unbearable chill. The surrounding trees bent as though they might snap, while Li Chang Huai and Liu Fei Yang struggled to stay grounded, their bodies nearly swept away by the wind.
Looking ahead, they saw Du Zi Heng and the others clinging on desperately, their forms barely holding against the tempest. Only Yu Zhi Yi stood unmoving, her stance as firm as a mountain.
Among the six present, she appeared the frailest, yet her unwavering posture spoke volumes.
“What’s happening?”
Li Chang Huai and Liu Fei Yang leaned on each other for support, using their combined weight to resist being blown away.
“It feels like this eerie wind is trying to push us into the river!”