Chapter 75: Revealing Talisman
Wang Yiming originally intended to carry out the exorcism outside the villa. The spacious outdoor area would provide ample room to maneuver, and the sunlight would naturally suppress ghosts.
However, considering the potential impact, he ultimately decided to conduct the operation indoors.
Wang Yiming's decision made Yang Haoran shake his head instinctively. He understood that even now, Wang Yiming probably hadn't realized the gravity of the situation.
Still, he said no more. Since Wang Yiming had made up his mind, he would let him proceed unhindered. Besides, Wang Yiming was clearly annoyed with him at the moment, so he certainly wouldn't listen to any of his advice. Given that, why bother speaking?
As for Wang Yiming's decision, Ma Ling seemed utterly unconcerned, either because she hadn't sobered up yet or because her skill granted her exceptional courage.
In the villa's living room, a spacious area had been cleared according to Wang Yiming's request.
Yang Haoran, Wang Yiming, and Ma Ling stood within this spacious area, while the Wu family and Guan Hai, among others, kept their distance.
It was clearly impossible for them to claim no fear concerning such an unknown presence, yet beyond their dread, curiosity lingered. Thus, despite their apprehension, they still wished to witness the entire process firsthand.
Of course, their curiosity managed to outweigh their fear at that moment only because Yang Haoran and the other two were present. Without them, how could they dare harbor any curiosity? They would surely be utterly consumed by terror.
When Wang Yiming first entered the villa, he had been carrying a cloth bag. However, now his hands were empty, save for a small, exquisite cloth pouch at his waist.
This pouch was only the size of a fist, exquisitely crafted, and embroidered with a mysterious rune.
The bag Wang Yiming carried when he first entered the villa had been an ordinary one, but the pouch now hanging at his waist was no common item; it was a Talisman Pouch, an artifact only a Talisman Master from the Talisman Order could possess.
Yang Haoran also recognized a Talisman Pouch. As for what it truly was, as the name implied, it was a bag specifically used to hold talismans, and simultaneously, a symbol of a Talisman Master's status.
This Talisman Pouch was quite small; hung at the waist and concealed by clothing, it was impossible to tell that a pouch was even there.
As for Ma Ling, she clutched a Black Leather Case in her hand. She hadn't let it leave her side since entering the villa, and it remained firmly in her grasp now.
Yang Haoran didn't know what was inside Ma Ling's Black Leather Case, but seeing her constantly carrying it, he could tell how important it was to her.
As for Yang Haoran, his hands were casually shoved into his pockets. He carried no pouches or leather cases, not even his self-made yellow shoulder bag was on him.
Wang Yiming stood in place, forming hand seals and muttering an incantation. Suddenly, a wave of power erupted from his body.
Sensing this power fluctuation, Yang Haoran's expression showed a hint of surprise. When Wang Yiming first entered the villa, he hadn't detected any power fluctuations from him. He had found it strange then, but now it seemed Wang Yiming must have used some method to conceal his power, making it imperceptible to outsiders.
"I'll first use a Revealing Talisman to make the ghost visible," Wang Yiming said with a serious expression. "You two, observe every corner carefully. Once you spot its presence, immediately hit it with your strongest attacks!"
"Why bother with all that trouble? But if you want to play that way, I'll humor you," Ma Ling replied, holding her Black Leather Case with an indifferent expression.
Yang Haoran said nothing. He simply withdrew his hands from his pockets, subtly twisted the ring on his left pinky finger a few times, and then nodded with a smile at Wang Yiming.
The ring on Yang Haoran's left pinky finger, if observed closely, would reveal something extraordinary: its peculiar magic lay within the embedded gem.
Receiving confirmation from Yang Haoran and Ma Ling, Wang Yiming wasted no more words. With a swift sweep of his right hand from his waist, a talisman appeared, firmly clamped between his two fingers.
This was a Yellow Talisman, adorned with intricate runes. Because it was clasped between Wang Yiming's two fingers, only a portion of it was visible.
This talisman was, presumably, the Revealing Talisman Wang Yiming had just mentioned.
Wang Yiming gave his wrist a slight flick, and the talisman between his two fingers ignited spontaneously. He released his grip, but the talisman remained suspended in mid-air, not falling to the ground, and continued to burn.
The Wu family members, without exception, gaped with wide eyes at this sight. Though the Wu family was wealthy, none of them possessed such abilities. These extraordinary methods held a powerful allure for them.
Guan Hai fared a little better; he had already witnessed Yang Haoran's palm emitting black smoke and his Ghost Eye, so a floating, self-igniting talisman didn't surprise him much.
In the blink of an eye, the talisman turned to ash, and an invisible force erupted from it, spreading outwards. Wherever this force reached, things seemed to subtly shift.
Yet, at that very moment, Wu Xiaoxiao, who was watching from afar, suddenly let out a terrified shriek.
Her scream startled the other Wu family members, making everyone involuntarily tremble as their gazes collectively shot towards her.
"There! There! There's. . ."
Wu Xiaoxiao pointed at the wall to the side of Yang Haoran and the other two, speaking incoherently, her face filled with terror, her finger trembling.
Following the direction Wu Xiaoxiao indicated, they saw a head hanging on the wall. It appeared to be a woman's head, her long hair covering her entire face, cascading downwards like a black waterfall.
A piercing, eerie cackle emanated from her mouth. Then, her hair, like a black waterfall, seemed to come alive, each strand lashing out towards Wu Xiaoxiao and the others.
Wu Xiaoxiao's mother gasped, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted on the spot from fright. While others weren't as frail as her mother, they were also considerably terrified, especially the elderly Old Master Wu, who found himself struggling to breathe.
Strange occurrences had plagued the villa for days, and they had witnessed several terrifying scenes, turning them into startled birds. This was why their reaction was so intense now.
Amidst the shrieks, the Wu family members turned to flee the place. It was at this moment that Wang Yiming's voice rang in their ears.
"Don't be afraid! It's an illusion! She can't harm you!"
Before, the Wu family would naturally have heeded Wang Yiming's words, but now their hearts were so utterly consumed by terror that they could hold nothing else. Their only instinct was to escape, so how could they possibly listen to him?
Wu Xiaoxiao spun around, about to flee, only to realize her mother was still lying on the ground. She paused, then quickly grabbed her mother with one hand, hoisted her up, and slung her over her shoulder before running off—a simple and brutal method.
Just then, Ma Ling, who had been standing beside Yang Haoran, let out a burp of alcohol, then hurled the Black Leather Case in her hand towards the Wu family members.
Ma Ling seemed to exert little strength, yet the reality was quite the opposite: when she flung the Black Leather Case, it shot out like an arrow from a bowstring, instantly appearing behind the Wu family members and colliding with the densely packed, steel-wire-like strands of hair.
There was no explosive sound. The strands of hair, upon striking the Black Leather Case, melted away as swiftly and silently as snow meeting the scorching sun.
"What's all the panic for? I told you it was an illusion! I don't know what you're so scared of."
Ma Ling's voice also reached the Wu family's ears at that moment. Wu Xiaoxiao, in her terror, glanced back and saw that the horrifying strands of hair had actually been blocked by Ma Ling's Black Leather Case. Her steps faltered immediately.
Seeing Wu Xiaoxiao's reaction, the others also turned back. After understanding the situation, they all trembled as they halted their steps. Their eyes were still wide with terror, and their vigilance had not relaxed. If things took a turn for the worse, they would undoubtedly choose to flee again at the first sign.
Thud
The Black Leather Case finally dropped from the air. The densely packed strands of hair vanished, and the head hanging on the wall was no longer in its terrifying form from moments before; it revealed a face.
It was a woman's face, ethereal and utterly unreal. Yang Haoran, seeing this clearly, understood it was the woman's Spirit Body. Her head protruded from the wall, while the rest of her Spirit Body was concealed within it.
"With me here, there's no need to be scared. Just enjoy the show, treat it like watching a horror movie."
Ma Ling didn't seize the opportunity to subdue the female ghost. She didn't even spare a glance for the ghostly head on the wall. Instead, with a flick of her hand, the Black Leather Case, which had fallen to the ground, flew back to her, and she caught it firmly.
"Don't waste time, get rid of her first!"
Wang Yiming reminded them with a serious expression, then let out a low shout.
"Ghost-Slaying Talisman!"
His voice carried a commanding presence. Between Wang Yiming's two previously empty fingers, another talisman appeared.
The talisman he retrieved this time was no longer the Revealing Talisman used to expose the ghost's true form, but rather a Ghost-Slaying Talisman, possessing formidable destructive power against ghosts.
The Ghost-Slaying Talisman, upon appearing, did not ignite. Instead, it stood upright between Wang Yiming's two fingers, like a rigid iron plate.
Wang Yiming intended to unleash the Ghost-Slaying Talisman to heavily wound the female ghost. However, before he could even activate the talisman, the ghost's head retracted into the wall. Yet, before vanishing, her gaze inexplicably shifted towards Yang Haoran.
Indeed, she didn't look at Ma Ling, nor at Wang Yiming. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Yang Haoran, displaying a bizarre smile.
That smile was like a hungry wolf spotting its prey.
"Uncle, she seems to really like the Yin Qi on you. How about you stick close to me? I'll guarantee your safety," Ma Ling teased Yang Haoran with a smile.
At this moment, Yang Haoran also felt a pang of confusion. The heavy Yin Qi on him was due to his affiliation with the Underworld Office. Yet, precisely because he was an Underworld Office agent, all the ghosts he had encountered recently had been extremely afraid of him, many even sensing his presence and fleeing far away.
But the ghost just now seemed completely unafraid of him. That smile, that expression, it was as if she regarded him as food.
This ghost was indeed different. Not only was her strength far superior to all the ghosts he had subdued recently, but her courage was, too. . .
"Are you two here to deal with the problem, or to chat?"
Wang Yiming put away his Ghost-Slaying Talisman, his gaze at Yang Haoran and Ma Ling betraying his displeasure.
At this moment, Wang Yiming was clearly getting angry.
Comments