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It was night, and the coffee shop was shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by the streetlights outside. Inside, the place was a mess. Bai Zhuo and his companions were hiding in the changing room of the café, where several talismans were stuck to the door. Outside, loud banging echoed as something pounded against the door. Bai Zhuo crouched in the corner, panting and contemplating their next move. Zhu Cong stood nearby, sweating profusely, cursing under his breath, "What on earth did you do, Bai? I've seen that ghost too; it was clearly an Earthbound Spirit six months ago. How did it suddenly turn into an Evil Spirit?"
"How would I know? You've seen this Earthbound Spirit before; why didn't you exorcise it?" Bai Zhuo retorted.
"Hah! If only it were that simple. Exorcising a spirit isn't easy; if you mess it up, you'll face consequences!"
Bai Zhuo asked curiously, "Is exorcising spirits really that difficult?"
Zhu Cong looked at Bai Zhuo in disbelief, speechless as he pondered how Bai had managed to win the Yin-Yang Tournament.
The banging at the door grew louder. Ning Chen stood protectively in front of Nie Qian and Peng Lulu, backing away slowly with the two girls behind him. Zhu Cong shouted, "Hey, Bai Zhuo! This isn't going to work! We didn't bring any weapons tonight, and the talismans won't hold much longer!"
Bai Zhuo checked his phone for the time; there were still about ten minutes until his meeting with Zheng Ming. He pulled out another talisman, performed a hand gesture while chanting a spell, and threw it against the door where it stuck firmly. The banging subsided momentarily before resuming with renewed vigor.
"Repeated Exorcism Talismans won’t work unless we have higher-grade talismans! Think of something fast; otherwise, we're all done for tonight!"
"I can't believe such things really exist in this world; it's truly eye-opening," Ning Chen suddenly spoke up.
Nie Qian sniffled, "Ning Chen, Lulu, I'm so sorry for dragging you into this. If it weren't for my curiosity, we wouldn't be in this situation."
Ning Chen glanced at Nie Qian but said nothing. Although Peng Lulu was terrified, she remained composed and clung tightly to Ning Chen, forcing a smile and shaking her head.
"Hey now, don't lose hope," Bai Zhuo said. "Just hang on a little longer; help will arrive soon! I was too flustered earlier; all my weapons are in my bag outside. As long as we can get to them, we still have a chance!"
Zhu Cong replied, "Bai Zhuo, you're too optimistic. I've called for backup too; what I'm afraid of is not making it in time!"
Bai Zhuo checked the time again, anxiety creeping into his heart. He felt the few remaining talismans in his pocket and gritted his teeth as he pulled out a Black Curse. Just as he was about to throw it out, Zhu Cong snatched it from him and held on tightly without letting go!
"Hey! What are you doing?" Bai Zhuo exclaimed. Zhu Cong trembled as he clutched the Black Curse, murmuring, "This is... this is the Black Talisman... made of excellent material, rich in Spiritual Energy... it's top-notch! Yet it's ruined by this exorcism Curse Seal... what a waste, what a waste!"
Bai Zhuo wasn't quite sure about the market value of the Black Talisman, but judging by Zhu Cong's reaction, it was indeed very valuable. Zhu Cong was the Young Master of the Zhu Family, one of the four great Yin-Yang Families in Ningcheng, and someone who had seen a lot in life. Yet he was humbled by this single Black Curse. Bai Zhuo pondered for a moment, tightening his grip on the several Black Curses in his pocket. "Hey, Young Master Zhu, if you keep hesitating, we're done for. What's more important, your life or the talisman?"
Zhu Cong shot Bai Zhuo an angry glare but eventually relented. He quickly performed a hand gesture and chanted a spell, throwing the Black Curse onto the door panel. Bai Zhuo could see that there was reluctance in Zhu Cong's eyes.
As soon as the black Exorcism Talisman touched the door panel, it adhered to it like a magnet. The power of the black Exorcism Talisman was evidently strong; the knocking from the Evil Spirit outside ceased instantly, suggesting that this black Exorcism Talisman had temporarily repelled the Evil Spirit.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Bai Zhuo said, "I’ve arranged for Zheng Ming to come; he should arrive by midnight. I hope he can handle this Evil Spirit."
Zhu Cong asked curiously, "Zheng Ming? Isn't he your senior brother? I've heard rumors that you two don't get along. Is he really coming to help you?"
"Well, if nothing unexpected happens, he will help me because I have something very important to him."
"What is it? That coffin?"
"…Not exactly. It's his Five Elements Plate."
"Oh, no wonder. I heard that Five Elements Plate is his father's relic; it's quite a treasure that's hard to come by. Are you really willing to part with it?" Zhu Cong asked, suddenly realizing something. He turned to look at the Black Curse on the door panel and gritted his teeth. "Hmph, I almost forgot you're someone who treats high-level talismans like scrap paper; you probably wouldn't even care about a mere Five Elements Plate... Truly, a full man doesn't understand a hungry man's plight."
Bai Zhuo countered, "I'm really poor; look at my phone—it's still a knockoff! I can't afford those big brands."
Zhu Cong was left speechless and shot him a sideways glance before sitting down on the floor to rest.
The night was quiet, with only an occasional car passing outside and no other sounds. In the room were three men and two women; Bai Zhuo casually sat on the floor, quietly waiting for reinforcements to arrive.
The waiting felt particularly long under these circumstances; it was as if time stretched endlessly. Bai Zhuo glanced at Nie Qian, Peng Lulu, and Ning Chen before looking back at Zhu Cong and suddenly understood everything in his heart.
The so-called Bystander effect is often a case of the observer being confused. Peng Lulu and Ning Chen seem like a couple, but Bai Zhuo can definitely sense that Ning Chen's heart is not with Peng Lulu, but rather with Nie Qian! Looking at Zhu Cong, his eyes are fixed on Peng Lulu without blinking, and he wouldn't believe it even if you killed him.
So let's speculate: the truth of the matter is that Zhu Cong likes Peng Lulu, Peng Lulu likes Ning Chen, but Ning Chen likes Nie Qian, who is unaware of any of this. When Ning Chen learns that Nie Qian is going out with another man in the middle of the night, he can't help but follow her; as a friend of Nie Qian and girlfriend of Ning Chen, Peng Lulu has no reason not to come along; and then there's Zhu Cong, the Young Master, who is worried about his beloved's safety, so he follows too... It seems like things are getting quite interesting. What a coincidence, one Nie Qian, one Ning Chen, and then there's also Nie Qian and Ning Caichen. How amusing.
Feeling uncomfortable under Bai Zhuo's gaze, Ning Chen frowned and asked, "Are you Bai Zhuo? How do you know my sister? What is your relationship with her?"
Bai Zhuo didn't like the tone of Ning Chen, but he understood that this was just how he spoke, so he didn't take it to heart. He replied, "Oh, she's a friend of my junior sister. I've met her a couple of times."
Ning Chen nodded, believing him, and asked, "I sense that your aura is quite similar to that of my friend. I'm curious, what does your friend do?"
Talking to Ning Chen didn't interest Bai Zhuo much; he casually answered, "He's in the Special Forces. You two probably work in different fields, so you wouldn't know each other."
Ning Chen fell silent. Thinking that there would be no more questions from him, Bai Zhuo began to consider his next move. However, unexpectedly, Ning Chen asked again, "A few years ago, a special team was just established; I think it was called... the Dragon Abyss Assault Team?"
Without focusing on that topic, Bai Zhuo instinctively nodded upon hearing the name: "Yes, it's led by Cai Wenwu."
"Cai Wenwu?" Ning Chen pondered for a moment before nodding: "So it's him. No wonder. But last time I heard someone mention that he lost a Type 54 pistol and got scolded by his superiors; it wasn't really a big deal."
"What? That happened?" Bai Zhuo exclaimed in surprise. Just as he was about to ask more questions, there was suddenly a loud banging at the door.
"Damn, that was fast!" both Zhu Cong and Bai Zhuo shouted in unison.
It seemed that Bai Zhuo's black Exorcism Talisman had provoked the Evil Spirit outside. They could hear the Evil Spirit's sinister laughter: "Hehehe... You harmed me and my mother; I will devour all your souls! Devour them! Hahaha..."
The terrifying laughter mixed with the banging on the door sent adrenaline surging through everyone present. Standing up to check the time, Bai Zhuo cursed, "Damn it! Not even ten minutes have passed! How did this Cao Xin become so terrifying?"
"Cao Xin"? Upon hearing this name, Peng Lulu asked curiously. Turning back to her, Bai Zhuo inquired, "What? Do you know someone named Cao Xin?"
Peng Lulu hesitated, finally shaking her head. "It might just be a coincidence. Let's wait until we're safely out before discussing it; otherwise, it would all be for nothing."
Bai Zhuo nodded, pulling out an ordinary yellow talisman and preparing himself. He cursed under his breath, "Damn it, where is Zheng Ming? It's already past midnight. If he doesn't show up soon, I won't return the Five Elements Plate!"
His harsh words did not bring Zheng Ming into view, and when Bai Zhuo called his phone, there was no answer. Zhu Cong's reinforcements wouldn't arrive anytime soon, and the talisman on the door was already beginning to weaken. Bai Zhuo took a scented pouch from his pocket and handed it to Nie Qian. "This is a protective charm; it can hold off for a while. This situation started because of me, so you can't be dragged down by me. When we start fighting, you all should follow Nie Qian and run towards a crowded area. The more people there are, the stronger the Yang energy will be. Even Evil Spirits won't dare to act recklessly. Remember that!"
Though they were mere acquaintances, Nie Qian hesitated for a moment before accepting the pouch. It emitted a refreshing fragrance that cleared her mind significantly. She said, "Just take care of yourself; I’ll return this pouch to you."
Bai Zhuo smiled. "It's not every day I meet a legendary figure like you, Nie Qian. I haven't even asked for your autograph yet!"
No sooner had he spoken than Zhu Cong shouted, "I can't hold on much longer!" The door panel cracked loudly as a gap formed from top to bottom. Everyone turned to look at the opening when suddenly a blood-red eye appeared in the crack, causing two girls to scream in terror.
Zhu Cong formed hand seals and shouted, "Bai Zhuo, I'll distract it; you grab the weapon!"
"Got it!"
The door panel was barely holding up; Zhu Cong kicked it down with one swift motion. The panel flew past Cao Xin and crashed to the ground. Cao Xin looked at Bai Zhuo with a strange smile just as Ning Chen shouted in alarm from behind, "Bai Zhuo! Above you!"
Bai Zhuo's heart raced as he realized that if he looked up and lost his chance, he would surely die! This was one of the most dreaded situations for an Onmyoji. Without hesitation, Bai Zhuo crouched down and rolled away just as a massive shard of glass fell vertically from above. If he hadn't moved quickly, he would have been pierced through by the glass!
A chill ran through everyone’s hearts. Zhu Cong was worried about Peng Lulu's safety; his immediate priority was to divert the Evil Spirit's attention. He threw two yellow talismans into the air while continuously forming hand seals and chanting, "Fire Deity, lend your power! Netherfire Talisman! Supreme True Lord, Urgent Command—Command!"
The Netherfire Talisman was one of the Zhu Family's secret techniques that Bai Zhuo had never seen before. He watched as the two yellow talismans stuck to Cao Xin's back, igniting blue flames that rapidly spread and engulfed him!
"Ahhh... it hurts!" Cao Xin cried out in agony as the ghostly fire consumed him; his mangled head emerged from his chest, screaming wildly.
Cao Xin shouted "Mom! Mom!" before disappearing into thin air.
"Good opportunity!" Bai Zhuo reacted quickly, rushing forward to snatch the backpack. However, Cao Xin, engulfed in flames, appeared right in front of him. The gruesome female head on its chest was wrapped in ghostly fire, continuously screaming in agony. Cao Xin let out a piercing shriek, and an invisible shockwave sent Bai Zhuo flying. He crashed to the ground, struggling to catch his breath, nearly fainting.
"Xin?" Zhu Cong shouted.
Hearing the voice, Bai Zhuo desperately shook his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a heavy iron frame toppling down toward his head!
"Damn it!" Bai Zhuo cursed as he rolled several times on the ground, narrowly avoiding it.
The ghostly flames on Cao Xin gradually extinguished, revealing two faces—one above and one below—displaying a terrifying and sinister grin.
Bai Zhuo was furious and quickly got up, shouting, "What the hell! Just because you're not acting like a tiger doesn't mean you can treat me like a sick cat!" He then conjured a talisman. "I thought you were Cao Xin and showed mercy; I was really foolish! Two Instruments and Four Symbols, Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, Displacement, Fire Separation Talisman, Urgent Command!"
Having suffered from the Netherfire Talisman before, Cao Xin split into two as the Fire Separation Talisman shot out but missed entirely, landing harmlessly on the ground.
"Brother Bai, you’ve brought this upon me... Hehehe, Brother Bai, living souls are truly delicious. I want to eat your soul!"
Bai Zhuo's heart raced with alarm as he asked, "Cao Xin, do you harm people? How will you meet your mother?"
At the mention of "mother," one of the two Caos paused slightly, its expression shifting between panic and ferocity. "I... I didn't..." However, the other Cao Xin grinned wickedly and said, "Isn't your mother right here?" With that, the Evil Spirit cackled and lunged at Bai Zhuo! (To be continued.)
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