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墨書 Inktalez
My Tenant is a Female Ghost
As the sun rose, the yang energy gradually increased, marking the time of day. It was the best moment for Miao Long to extract the Soul-Piercing Nail. However, it was rather awkward because Bai Zhuo knew what the Soul-Piercing Nail was, but he had no idea how to remove it. Elder Ge's phone had been unreachable, and although Ge Shui Lian was Elder Ge's granddaughter and a member of the Yin-Yang Family, when it came to yin-yang techniques and knowledge, she was even less competent than the half-baked yin-yang master Bai Zhuo.
Bai Zhuo asked Ge Shui Lian, "Do you have Zheng Ming's number?"
"Zheng Ming? Why are you looking for him?"
"My master is unreachable. Do you know how to extract the Soul-Piercing Nail?"
Ge Shui Lian shook her head vigorously like a rattle drum and pulled out her phone to call Zheng Ming. She handed the phone to Bai Zhuo, and after a few beeps, it connected.
On the other end, Zheng Ming's cheerful voice came through, "Lian Lian? What made you think of calling your senior brother?"
"…"
"Junior sister?"
Bai Zhuo took a deep breath and said, "It's me, Bai Zhuo."
Now it was Zheng Ming's turn to fall silent. After a long pause, he finally spoke up, "What’s going on?"
Zheng Ming's tone was unfriendly, and Bai Zhuo could only brace himself and ask, "I just wanted to know how to remove the Soul-Piercing Nail."
"What! The Soul-Piercing Nail! Who is it? Is it Ge Shui Lian? What happened to her? Where are you?" Zheng Ming asked urgently.
"Um... calm down, Shui Lian is fine. It was someone else who was hit by the Soul-Piercing Nail and became a lamp for the Seven Star Life-Extension Technique."
Zheng Ming let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Seven Star Life Extension? Hmph, I can't concern myself with other people's matters. You should ask someone else."
"Zheng Ming, do you like Ge Shui Lian?" Bai Zhuo asked.
"..."
Ge Shui Lian's expression changed, and she shouted angrily, "You crazy person with the last name Bai! Why are you dragging me into this? Give me back my phone!"
Bai Zhuo dodged Ge Shui Lian's hands and said, "Tell me how to remove the Soul-Piercing Nail, and I'll return the Five Elements Plate to you."
"Fine, it's a deal!"
"I'm currently with Ge Shui Lian in Yun Province. A friend of ours has become a lamp for the Seven Star Life Extension technique. I've already forced the Yin spirit out of his body, but the Soul-Piercing Nail in his forehead hasn't been removed yet. I'm worried that if we wait too long, he won't be able to hold on."
"It's quite something to encounter such trouble all the way in Yun Province... Wait, what are you and Shui Lian doing in Yun Province?"
"...There really is something going on between you two!" Bai Zhuo exclaimed.
Ge Shui Lian was furious, grabbing Bai Zhuo by the neck and shouting, "Bai, when will you be done with this nonsense?"
Bai Zhuo raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, let's get back to business. What should I do?"
"Extracting the Soul-Piercing Nail is simple yet complicated," Zheng Ming pondered for a moment. "As the name suggests, the Soul-Piercing Nail is meant to seize the soul. Your primary task now is to summon his living soul back. However, the closer the living soul is to the Soul-Piercing Nail, the greater its threat becomes. Therefore, while summoning the soul, you must protect it from being harmed by the Soul-Piercing Nail. Otherwise, not only will your efforts be in vain, but it will also condemn the living soul to eternal suffering."
Bai Zhuo furrowed her brow and asked, "Is it that serious? What should we do afterward?"
"If you can accomplish those two points, then it will be easier. The Soul-Piercing Nail is an evil object; you just need to place an exorcism talisman on it and sprinkle a bowl of Rootless Water over it. If you don't have Rootless Water, you can use Child's Urine instead. Black Dog Blood is a killing substance and won't be as effective as Rootless Water or Child's Urine."
"Understood. So, how powerful is the Soul-Piercing Nail?"
"Well... that depends on how strong the caster's power is. The stronger the borrowed power, the greater its might."
"Got it. When I return, come find me; I'll give you back the Five Elements Plate."
"Sure, I'll wait for your return. Make sure to bring Shui Lian back safely; things have been unstable in Listening Cloud Province lately."
After hanging up, Ge Shui Lian eagerly grabbed the phone back. Bai Zhuo glanced at her curiously and said, "You two... have a story?"
For some reason, Ge Shui Lian felt uncomfortable hearing that and shouted loudly, "What nonsense are you talking about? What story could I possibly have with Zheng Ming?"
Bai Zhuo chuckled lightly. "Ge Shui Lian, you're too easy to read. Every time you try to cover something up, you end up acting like this—shouting to divert attention... Don't be too nervous; I'm just a bit curious. By the way, what's inside that coffin Zheng Ming is carrying? Isn't it heavy?"
"Mind your own business and take care of yourself. So, do you have confidence in saving him?"
"It's a bit tricky... Let's go; I need to discuss this with Great-Grandmother and Qi's family."
Miao Long had been moved to his parents' room. When Bai Zhuo entered, Alasha and Father Miao, who were in the mountains, instinctively made space for him. Great-Grandmother looked haggard and asked, "Zhuo, do you have a solution?"
"I do have a plan... but I need to consult with you first."
Alasha gently took Bai Zhuo's hand. "Bai, you're being too polite. Just tell us what you need."
Bai Zhuo nodded and glanced at Great-Grandmother. "A Long is currently not in life-threatening danger. I've expelled those foreign souls, but now there are two options. The first is that I can remove the Soul-Piercing Nail from A Long, but I can't guarantee my success rate; conservatively speaking, it's about fifty-fifty. If I succeed, everything will be fine, but if I fail, Miao Long will fall into an abyss from which he cannot return, and he won't even have the chance to be reincarnated. The second option is for you to find a highly qualified Yin-Yang Master since this concerns A Long's life. However, we need to act quickly; I'm afraid A Long won't hold on much longer."
"No need for that, Zhuo. Just you do it; I believe in you!"
Great-Grandmother didn't hesitate at all and nodded decisively. Her decision represented the entire Miao Family, and Bai Zhuo suddenly felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.
"Then let's get started. Bring A Long out to the yard; I'll prepare in my room and be right back."
Without much more discussion, a table was set up with a yellow altar cloth marked with several Curse Seals laid on top. Miao Long lay with his eyes closed on the table while Bai Zhuo set up another table at the other end, taking out several items from his backpack and arranging them neatly. As a qualified Yin-Yang Master, these essential tools were always on hand.
The Five Elements Plate, Yin Yang Mirror, Soul Banner, along with a stack of Golden Talismans, Purple Talismans, and Black Talismans—three types of high-level talismans—were all laid out. What Bai Zhuo didn't know was that any one of these items thrown into the Yin Yang Realm would cause significant upheaval within it. As for the Map of Mountains and Rivers, after hearing Great-Grandmother's words last night, he had committed her instructions to memory and felt fortunate that this treasure was hanging in Su Meiniang's room. With Su Meiniang guarding it, ordinary people truly couldn't do anything against her Thousand-Year Fox or Thousand-Year Ghost.
"Qi, do you have a larger bell at home?" Bai Zhuo asked.
"A larger bell?" Miao Xiaoqi thought for a moment before replying, "Yes! But Brother Bai, what do you need the bell for?"
"It’s essential for summoning souls; ideally, we would use the Primordial Bell. If we don't have that, we can draw some Curse Seals on a regular bell as a temporary measure. Hurry and bring it here! Oh, and also fetch a Black Umbrella."
The Black Umbrella stood in front of Miao Long, shielding him from the sun. The best time for summoning souls was at midnight, but time was running out. If they didn't act quickly, who knew what other tricks the enemy had up their sleeve.
The sunlight poured down, and the air in the courtyard gradually warmed. Bai Zhuo was fully prepared, holding a golden talisman in both hands. With the high-level Golden Talisman forming a seal, he placed the Soul Summoning Talisman into the already prepared Black Water.
"Clink, clink, clink..." As the sound of bells rang out, the Golden Talisman ignited on the surface of the water in the bowl. True to its high-level status, the talisman consumed the Black Water in an instant. Seeing this, Bai Zhuo quickly raised the Soul Banner and chanted, "All laws of heaven and earth, Yin-Yang Ancient Banner, summon souls and capture spirits, Miao Village, Miao Long, bring forth the soul, Urgent Command!"
Bai Zhuo's voice resonated ethereally. The incantation of the Golden Talisman seemed to be very effective. A gust of cold wind swept through, and Miao Long's spirit appeared beneath the Black Umbrella. However, Bai Zhuo could clearly see that fear was etched on its face; it was evidently terrified of the Soul-Piercing Nail!
Bai Zhuo pressed his palms together and formed intricate seals. After completing the incantation, he slammed his hands on the table, causing two purple high-level talismans to stick to his palms. At that moment, a barely visible black smoke erupted from Miao Long's physical forehead, transforming into a sharp black sword that pointed directly at Miao Long's brow!
Bai Zhuo leaped onto the table and soared into action. The two Purple Talismans landed firmly beneath Miao Long's feet. "Heavenly Sunlight, Rising Sun in the East, Purple Qi Comes from the East, sweeping away misfortune to drive away evil! I command you! Protect me, Ding Chou! Grant me mercy... conceal and hide... Upper Clear Respect... Pfft..."
At that moment, Bai Zhuo suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, a strong wave of dizziness hitting him. He shook his head vigorously to clear his mind and continued chanting: "Upper Clear Respect Urgent Command!"
This was a dual talisman technique that Bai Zhuo had only used once before against a Taotie Ghost with ordinary talismans. Even then, it had drained his soul power completely. Now using high-level talismans without fainting was already a stroke of luck; yet he still sought to draw strength from Upper Clear Respect… If Elder Ge were here, he would surely exclaim: "You fool! A newborn calf is not afraid of tigers!"
A purple light rose before Miao Long, enveloping him completely. The black smoke surged toward Miao Long's forehead but was blocked by this purple light. Suddenly, the talisman in Bai Zhuo's other hand ignited with flames so hot that he instinctively pulled back his head, breaking out in a cold sweat!
"What’s happening?" How could an exorcism talisman ignite without fire?
In Bai Zhuo's astonished gaze, the flames from the spell transformed into a fist-sized fire beast that danced upon smoke and fire as it charged toward the cold black sword. Watching from afar, Great-Grandmother widened her eyes in disbelief as she forgot her own unsteady legs and attempted to stand up while exclaiming in shock, "Fire Qilin? How is that possible!"
The Fire Qilin appeared small—only about the size of a fist—but it did not dare underestimate the black smoke. Originally aimed at Miao Long, it immediately turned around and transformed into a Black Skull with its mouth wide open as if to swallow the Fire Qilin whole!
Black Skull surged with malevolence as it confronted Fire Qilin, swallowing it whole. After a brief pause, a bright light erupted from its jaw, as if its bones were fracturing, and flames scattered through the cracks of the skull.
“Ah—” Black Skull screamed in mid-air. With a loud explosion, the skull shattered, dissipating into a cloud of blue smoke amidst the flames.
“Pfft—” In a nearby cave, a figure sat cross-legged on a stone, spitting out blood, eyes vacant as he murmured, “How… how is this possible? The divine Fire Qilin? Could this child be from the ‘Cultivation Realm’? No, no, no, that’s impossible. The Cultivation Realm has fallen; its successors are long gone… It must be due to the Purple Talisman! It has to be because of the Purple Talisman!”
The Soul-Piercing Nail had dealt a heavy blow; the onmyoji who cast the spell must have suffered backlash. Bai Zhuo lifted his weakened legs and pressed an Exorcism Talisman onto Miao Long's forehead, then took the prepared Child's Urine and sprinkled it over Miao Long's head. As soon as the Child's Urine touched Miao Long's forehead, it sizzled like hot iron in water. Unbeknownst to anyone, Miao Long's soul had already returned to his body and was immediately jolted awake, screaming in agony.
Bai Zhuo desperately held down Miao Long, shouting, “Someone come help me hold him down!”
Watching from the side, Father Miao and Miao Mother rushed forward to restrain Miao Long. They noticed a faint glow of blood on his forehead as a thin black needle emerged from it, pushing up the Exorcism Talisman!
“Ah—” Miao Long cried out in pain. Bai Zhuo pressed firmly on his chest to prevent him from rolling away and shouted, “A Long! A Long! I know you can hear me; hold on! You must hold on! Your father, mother, grandmother, and even your great-grandmother are all waiting for you to come back!”
“Ah!” Tears of blood streamed down Miao Long’s face as he wailed in suffering.
The black needle was long and it was hard to imagine how it could pierce through Miao Long's skull so deeply; it was truly unbelievable.
Hearing Bai Zhuo, Alasha cradled Miao Long’s face and encouraged him, “A Long, you can do it! Hold on! We’re all waiting for you to come back!”
“Ah—”
The next day.
“Brother Bai Zhuo!”
“Oh, it’s A Long. Good morning! How did you feel last night?”
“Brother Bai Zhuo, I’m doing great! I really can’t thank you enough. If it weren’t for you, I might never have seen my parents again,” Miao Long said happily.
“A Long, you were possessed by five evil spirits. Can you tell me what that felt like?”
Miao Long, only thirteen years old, furrowed his brow at the question. Unsure how to describe it, he finally said, “I... I can’t explain it well. All I know is that it was really painful. I just kept running and running until you showed up, Brother Bai Zhuo!”
Bai Zhuo patted Miao Long on the shoulder. “At your age, I was worried you wouldn’t be able to hold on, but I didn’t expect you to persevere until the end! You did really well, A Long!”
“Hehe... Thank you for the compliment, Brother Bai Zhuo…”
“By the way, are you looking for me for something instead of resting properly?”
“Ah! I almost forgot! Great-Grandmother sent me to find you. Let’s go together, Brother Bai Zhuo!”
(To be continued.)
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