“Buzz buzz~” Amidst the lively parade of the ceremonial team passing by the thatched cottage of the elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. He, they casually stopped a curious onlooker from the same village, old Uncle Zhang. 

“Old Zhang, who’s trying to exorcize evil spirits?”

“Neighbor Liu’s family…” Uncle Zhang said, his expression becoming mysterious when he mentioned ghosts and spirits. 

Whenever ghosts were brought up, people instinctively became cautious and secretive while speaking, “Just yesterday, Liu Qiang also went up the mountain, claiming he was troubled by a monster, even ate his intestines! And now, the Liu family has brought Li Xiangu from town to exorcize.”

“Oh my!” The old couple’s hair stood on end at the mention of someone’s intestines being eaten.

Lian Youyou glanced at Uncle Zhang, the playful expression gone from her face and replaced by realization. She whispered to herself, “Oh no, trouble ahead!” With that, she immediately followed the immortal’s ox-drawn carriage.

He Shiqi saw Lian Youyou chase after the carriage and hurriedly followed suit.

Meanwhile, Uncle Zhang continued, shaking his head, “Then Liu Dong, their second son, went up the mountain to search as well. He got so frightened by the monster that he lost his soul. He’ll probably need to call it back later. Come on, let’s go watch the commotion.” Uncle Zhang told Mr. He to join him and watch the spectacle

Commoners would talk about these things with caution and fear, yet they would still eagerly join the crowd to see what was happening.

After hearing the story, the elderly couple felt uneasy, involuntarily glancing in the direction of Lian Youyou. But where was she? They couldn’t see her anywhere. Even their son was nowhere to be found.

Now they were panicking. Could this Lian Youyou really be a monster? Did she scare away the immortal and take their precious son along as a snack for the road?

“Ah Qi! Ah Qu!” The elderly couple shouted in alarm.

“Ah Qi is up ahead!” Uncle Zhang pointed with his hand. Indeed, their son Ah Qi was happily hopping along behind the ox-drawn carriage, tossing flower petals in front of a girl, precisely Lian Youyou.

The old couple breathed a sigh of relief, but their nerves were still on edge. They hurriedly followed, not letting the supposed monster take away their precious son.

In Pingshan North Village, the villagers had already gathered at the village entrance to welcome Immortal Li Xiangu.

Everyone feared that the monster which had harmed Liu Qiang might target them next. So, they greeted the immortal like pilgrims, hoping that her divine aura would protect them from the monster’s attention.

Li Xiangu had some reputation in the Qin Prefecture. It was said that she had the Yin-Yang eyes and could communicate with spirits.

Of course, in the realm of spiritual practices, there were different levels and tiers. The higher the cost, the more skilled the exorcist. Those with money would hire a group of monks and Taoists. Ordinary folks would call upon someone like Li Xiangu.

Li Xiangu had studied Taoist arts under her predecessor since childhood, specializing in exorcism. She was now around forty years old. Once someone became a Taoist, they devoted themselves to serving the spirits and couldn’t marry.

Hearing the sounds of gongs and drums, the villagers looked up and saw a green ox-drawn carriage approaching slowly.

The villagers bowed respectfully. Li Xiangu sat atop the green ox-drawn carriage, passing through the respectful crowd like a true deity among mortals.

Lian Youyou observed the villagers bowing and felt amused. True gods didn’t pay their respects to false gods, but well, she could consider them worshiping her today. With that thought in mind, she raised her head proudly and walked forward with an air of indifference.

A bunch of flower petals drifted down from above her head. He Shiqi seemed quite fond of her.

She beckoned to He Shiqi, who immediately came to her side with a radiant smile and asking, “Master, what’s the matter?”

“Who is Liu Qiang?” Lian Youyou lightly brushed away the peach blossom petals on her head.

Hearing Liu Qiang’s name, He Shiqi pouted unhappily. The expression on his face resembled that of a child being bullied by an older child. Having been taken advantage of by the older children, he summed it up in three words, “Liu Qiang, bad!”

Lian Youyou nodded slightly, and murmuring to herself, “I need to check her body and see what happened.”

He Shiqi stared at Lian Youyou for a while. Then he quickly picked up more flower petals and joyfully scattered them over her head. His eyes are full of smiles. His master was so beautiful.

In Liu Qiang’s home, they had already set up an altar with candles, incense, and sacrificial offerings as instructed by Immortal Li Xiangu.

A rooster was tied to one corner of the table, and a black dog was tied to a tree nearby.

Animals possessed spirituality; the rooster and the dog seemed to anticipate their fate and lay on the ground shedding silent tears.

In front of the altar lay Liu Qiang’s body, covered in white cloth. Bodies harmed by monsters required monks, Taoists, or priestesses to drive away the evil before they could be placed in the ancestral hall.

This was because such bodies carried residual evil energy that could harm people and attract further supernatural trouble.

The statement held some truth, but whether this “evil” could truly be driven away remained known only to the supernatural.

Liu Dong huddled in a corner of his home, trembling and covered in cold sweat. He didn’t respond to anyone; he appeared to have been frightened out of his wits.

“Buzz buzz~” Suona horns sounded at Liu Qiang’s door, and the flower children showered the last petals. The sound of gongs and drums finally ceased.

Two flower children lay beside the ox-drawn carriage, and Li Xiangu, who had been sitting on it, stood up. Instantly, the villagers around her bent over respectfully, making way for her.

Li Xiangu slowly opened her eyes. They were pale, almost resembling Yin-Yang eyes. The villagers dared not meet her gaze, while the children hid behind the adults in fear.

Li Xiangu stepped onto the back of one of the flower children who had been lying down, then descended from the ox-drawn carriage. The flower children stood up and helped Li Xiangu inside.

“Li Xiangu, please save my son, save my son…” Liu Qiang’s mother sobbed as she fell to her knees in front of Li Xiangu, bowing and kowtowing.

Li Xiangu raised her chin imperiously, speaking with a commanding tone, “Mmm, the malevolent aura is indeed strong. Have you prepared everything I asked for?”

“It’s all ready.” Liu Qiang’s father hastily stepped forward. “The rooster is tied to the table, and the black dog is by the tree.”

“Good~ Everyone else, step aside. I will begin the ritual.” Li Xiangu raised both hands, and two attendants from her entourage brought in a large red wooden box.

Lian Youyou peeped out from Liu Qiang’s door, taking in the scene. She spotted Liu Qiang’s body and furrowed her brows in regret. “I caused trouble, I caused trouble.” She turned her eyes and quietly entered the courtyard behind the flower children.

The yard was bustling now, with many people present to witness the ritual. Even the wall surrounding Liu Qiang’s home was occupied by spectators. It was as if they were scrambling to get front-row seats to a show, and no one noticed the secretive entry of Lian Youyou.

Seeing Lian Youyou sneak in, He Shiqi naturally followed suit. However, halfway through, he heard sobbing.

“Wu~~ Wu~~~” He Shiqi looked to the side and saw the big black dog, Wang Cai.

Although He Shiqi was somewhat limited in social interactions due to his simple nature, he had an affinity with dogs.