Chapter 142: Saving Lives Comes First

Looking at those little sketch figures, I was stunned.

How could this be? I carefully went through the notebook. There were ninety-nine people in all, including many I knew: Wei Qi, Wang Ying, and even Wei Qi’s friends Long Yu and Ye Zi. The two of them were Yin-walkers as well, and they had helped us when we opened Shang Xiaoyun’s husband’s coffin. Farther in, I found a sketch portrait and the name of Li Danian.

All these people had one thing in common: they were Yin-walkers.

No, that was not quite right. Wang Ying was not a Yin-walker.

I could not make any sense of it. Why would an old woman spend her days drawing little figures like these? And why add their names? There had to be a reason.

“Mayor Cao, let me ask you—do you know any of these people?” I pointed at the figures and names in the notebook.

“No. My mother stays at home all day, scribbling and drawing nonsense. I have no idea what she writes or what she draws,” Mayor Cao said.

“Mayor Cao, this is very serious. I suspect your mother has been controlled by something. Every person she drew is a Yin-walker—and there are ghosts among them.” I had to tell him.

“What? Is that really true?” Mayor Cao’s mouth fell open in astonishment.

“It’s true. Look—this one is me, and this one is my friend.” I pointed at the little sketches.

“My mother hardly ever goes outside. There’s no way she could know these people. But why would she draw them? You said she’s being controlled? My house has security cameras, and this estate is very secure. Who could control her? Besides, I’ve never done anything wrong during my years as mayor. My estate was built with money my younger brother in America gave me.” Mayor Cao clearly did not entirely believe me.

“I don’t think it was a person. I feel that a ghost—or some other evil entity—has taken control of her.” That was what I said aloud, but inwardly I could not understand it either. The old woman could barely move. What would anyone want with her?

If only Wei Qi or Li Danian were here. They could help me analyze the situation. Unfortunately, neither of them was around. My aunt was gone as well, and Fatty Shao was still not as capable as I was. Discussing it with him would not be much help.

“You mean a ghost?” Mayor Cao’s face changed at once.

“Most likely. A ghost must have possessed her and taken control of her body,” I said.

Just as I was discussing the matter with Mayor Cao, notebook in hand, a commotion suddenly erupted downstairs. The old woman’s shrill screams shook our eardrums.

Mayor Cao and I froze for a moment, then hurried downstairs. In the first-floor hall, Yu Fang and Cao Xuan had collapsed on the sofa, nearly unconscious. The old woman stood with both hands raised high. Her fingernails had grown long and sharp, and she was facing off against Fatty Shao.

Fatty Shao held the three-foot Longyuan sword I had given him high in both hands. His entire body was trembling.

“D-don’t come any closer. If you do, I’ll strike!”

“Hahaha! Go ahead! Let’s see how you strike. Before you can even hurt me, you’ll have killed someone. This is the mayor’s mother. If you kill her, you won’t live either. Hahaha!”

The old woman’s voice was extremely sinister, with a distinctly masculine undertone. It sounded vaguely familiar. Listening more carefully, I realized it was Duan Sandao’s voice.

Duan Sandao, Wei Qi’s master, had once been a good man. Later, I suspected that he had betrayed us and gone over to Xingyun. I never imagined he would appear here—and in this form. That could only mean one thing: he was no longer human.

The realization shocked me. I had not seen Duan Sandao since our last encounter. What had happened to him during that time? How had he become a ghost? And how had he ended up here?

“Stop!”

I hurried downstairs and blocked Fatty Shao. He had learned some techniques and was holding the three-foot Longyuan sword, but he was not facing a pure ghost. This was a ghost possessing a human body. To kill it, he would have to kill the old woman as well. Never mind that she was the mayor’s mother—even if she had been an ordinary old woman, we still could not do that. It would be murder.

“Master Duan, how did you end up here?”

I reached out and seized the old woman’s hand. The instant I grabbed it, I felt an immense force. Fortunately, I had absorbed a great deal of the essence of the sun and moon. My inner cultivation and physical strength were no longer comparable to those of an ordinary person—or even an ordinary ghost.

“Hahaha! Wang Dachuan, wherever anything happens, there you are! You’ve become quite formidable now. The Purple-Gold Steed, the Phoenix Pool Sword, the Yin-Absorbing Method, the Luoshui Ring… But what can you do to me?”

The old woman laughed wildly in my grip. Her laughter shook the entire house. Mayor Cao was terrified. He could never have imagined that his mother would suddenly speak in a man’s voice.

“Master Duan, I’ve always regarded you as an elder. You are also Brother Wei’s master, and I’ve always respected you. How did you become like this? What happened to you? Can you tell me?”

No matter what had happened, Duan Sandao was still Wei Qi’s master, and someone Wei Qi respected. I had to show him the same respect.

“Dachuan, spare me that act. Don’t try to ingratiate yourself with me. We have nothing to do with each other. You leave, and we’ll remain at peace.”

The old woman’s hand jerked, and she broke free of my grasp.

Of course I wanted peace, but there were still too many questions I had not answered. What did those little sketches mean? Why had he drawn them? The names and portraits of Wang Ying and Wei Qi were in the notebook. Did that mean he knew where they were? And if he remained attached to the old woman, he would inevitably shorten her life.

“Master Duan, I ask you to leave this old woman’s body. And you must tell me why you drew those figures.”

I stepped forward.

“Dachuan, you really are impressive. You discovered me even though I was hiding inside the mother of the highest official in this city. You have some ability. But I still advise you not to wade into these waters. Once you step in, you will not even have the chance to pull yourself out.”

Duan Sandao’s voice came from the old woman.

I was utterly depressed. Why was the world never at peace?

“Master Duan, can you tell me what happened to you? When I saw you a few months ago, you were still alive and well.”

“Dachuan, don’t be so vulgar, all right? Better to die freely and completely than live a miserable life. I’m doing very well now. I only ask that you leave me alone. If you interfere, you will regret it.”

With that, the old woman’s body shuddered. In a flash, she rushed out through the door, crawled through the estate’s fence, and plunged into the Shuhe River.

Several of us hurried outside, but the old woman had already vanished.

Seeing his mother leap into the river, Mayor Cao burst into tears. He took out his phone to call the police, but I stopped him.

“Mayor Cao, don’t make the call. There’s no need. The old woman won’t die for the time being.”

Mayor Cao looked at me through tear-filled eyes.

“Really? My mother is truly all right?”

“Your mother is fine, but your daughter is not. Go inside and take a look at her first.”

Mayor Cao and I went back inside. Yu Fang and Cao Xuan were lying on the sofa, completely unconscious.

“What happened this time?”

Mayor Cao had been concerned only with his mother and had not noticed that his daughter had collapsed. He rushed over, picked her up, and reached for his phone to call emergency services. Once again, I stopped him.

“There’s no need to call. I can handle it.”

When Fatty Shao saw that Cao Xuan was unconscious, he came over and tried to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. I quickly grabbed him.

“Are you sure you want to do that?”

“Yes! Saving her is what matters!”

He may genuinely have wanted to save her. He probably was not trying to take advantage of Cao Xuan.

“No. There’s ghostly energy in her body. She’s been struck by it. If you inhale that energy, it will enter your stomach, knock you unconscious, and put your life in danger.”

I was not trying to frighten him. I was telling the truth.

Fatty Shao slowly let go of Cao Xuan.

“What do we do? What are we supposed to do?” Mayor Cao was frantic. He stood there rubbing his hands helplessly. His mother had suddenly jumped into the river and disappeared, while his daughter had fallen unconscious. How could he not panic?

“Help me carry them into the bedroom,” I said.

The three of us carried Yu Fang and Cao Xuan into the bedroom and laid them on the bed. Only then did I turn to Fatty Shao and Mayor Cao.

“You two go outside. No matter what you hear, do not come in.”

“Brother, what are you going to do?” Fatty Shao glared at me with his huge eyes, as though he suspected I was harboring some sinister intention.

I hurriedly pushed him out.

“I’ll explain later. Go outside first. There’s no time.”