Chapter 79: The Exorcism Array
Being unable to sense the other party's presence didn't mean they had vanished. It was highly possible they had concealed their Yin Qi through some method and hidden themselves.
"Ghost Eye, Soul-Gathering Bead. I didn't expect you to be an Underworld official, Uncle. No wonder your Yin Qi is so heavy. " Ma Ling's face showed a look of realization as she scrutinized Yang Haoran.
Compared to Yang Haoran and Wang Yiming, Ma Ling appeared much more relaxed. Whether it was because she was brimming with confidence in her own strength or simply because she was naturally carefree, she didn't seem to take Yang Haoran's recent words to heart.
Neither Ma Ling nor Wang Yiming had been certain of Yang Haoran's identity before, but now, both had discerned his origins.
The Underworld Office's Soul-Gathering Bead and Ghost Eye were the hallmarks of an Underworld official. Just like Wang Yiming of the Talisman Order, his talismans and the Talisman Pouch at his waist were equally distinctive, easy to recognize.
Ma Ling was merely curious about Yang Haoran's identity as an Underworld official, while Wang Yiming was astonished, harboring a hint of apprehension.
Ma Ling had no divine being she believed in, but Wang Yiming did. As a Talisman Master of the Talisman Order, he only worshipped their Talisman Ancestor. He held little reverence for other deities, but one God was an exception: the Death God.
The Death God governed all Wánglíng; any living being, once deceased, fell under his dominion, and Wang Yiming was no exception. Underworld officials were the Death God's representatives in the mortal realm, hence his wariness towards an Underworld official like Yang Haoran.
"Now isn't the time for chatter. Let's first draw out that big guy who's hiding. His strength far surpasses those two ghosts from earlier; we need to work together to eliminate him."
Furthermore, he didn't close his Ghost Eye. Having just dealt with the two ghostly entities, the most powerful one might still be lurking in the shadows, so he maintained utmost vigilance.
"Uncle, aren't you an Underworld official? Your perception of ghostly entities should be the keenest. Just pinpoint his location and lead us there to get rid of him. Simple as that. " Ma Ling said nonchalantly.
Upon hearing this, Yang Haoran shook his head, frowning deeply. He said, "I don't know what method the other party used, but I can't sense his presence right now."
As he spoke, Yang Haoran's gaze fell on Wang Yiming. "Do you still have any Ghost-Chasing Talismans on you? " he asked.
Wang Yiming nodded. With a flick of his hand, a Ghost-Chasing Talisman appeared between his two fingers.
Without further ado, he flicked his wrist and activated the Ghost-Chasing Talisman.
The talisman hovered in the air, then ignited. The same fiery glow seen before reappeared, but this time, unlike the last, the glow didn't shoot off in a particular direction. Instead, it remained quietly suspended in the air.
Yang Haoran was not a Talisman Master and didn't understand talismans, but he could guess what this scene meant. If the Ghost-Chasing Talisman wasn't moving, did that mean there were no more ghostly entities in this villa?
"Are you certain there are still ghostly entities in this villa?"
Wang Yiming's gaze landed on Yang Haoran, his face filled with bewilderment. As a Talisman Master, he naturally understood the current state of the Ghost-Chasing Talisman. Remaining still in the air meant there were no ghostly entities nearby.
"You two stay here and protect them. I'll go look around."
Yang Haoran didn't give up. He believed his sensory ability couldn't be wrong. Since he had sensed a powerful presence when he first entered the villa, it surely wasn't a mistake.
"Uncle, I'll go with you. If an Underworld official like you gets eaten by a ghost, it would be a huge embarrassment for your Underworld Office."
Ma Ling didn't want to stay with Wang Yiming. She picked up her Black Leather Case and followed Yang Haoran out.
Yang Haoran didn't refuse. He wasn't entirely sure of Ma Ling's full capabilities yet, but he couldn't deny that she was definitely capable. With Ma Ling accompanying him, if any unexpected situation arose, they could at least look out for each other.
Wang Yiming didn't leave with Yang Haoran. The events that had just transpired were still vivid in his mind. If anything were to happen to Old Master Wu's family, things would become truly troublesome.
An hour later, Yang Haoran and Ma Ling returned to the living room. Ma Ling still wore her nonchalant expression, carrying her Black Leather Case as if she were simply out for a stroll.
Yang Haoran, on the other hand, had re-embedded the Soul-Gathering Bead into his ring and retracted his Ghost Eye, his eyes returning to normal. Yet, his brows were tightly furrowed, his expression puzzled, as if something was baffling him immensely.
"How did it go? " Wang Yiming quickly went to meet them as they returned, asking.
Yang Haoran gently shook his head, saying nothing.
Ma Ling patted her long legs and said with resignation, "We thoroughly checked the entire villa, even the toilets. There were no discoveries."
Ma Ling wasn't lying or exaggerating. In that hour, they had conducted a carpet search of the villa, and indeed, found no issues whatsoever.
Not only that, as the male and female ghosts were collected by Yang Haoran into the Soul-Gathering Bead, the Yin Qi shrouding the villa gradually began to dissipate.
This was noticed not only by Yang Haoran and Ma Ling but also by Wang Yiming.
According to this situation, the villa should now be clean, with no other ghostly entities present.
"Did you sense it wrong? " Wang Yiming looked at Yang Haoran and asked.
After learning that Yang Haoran was an Underworld official, Wang Yiming's attitude towards him had subtly changed; even his tone of voice had become much more reserved.
To Wang Yiming's question, Yang Haoran still didn't answer, merely shaking his head again.
"Uncle, if you're still worried, I can set up a simple Exorcism Array to check. As long as there's any evil entity in this villa, whether it's a ghostly entity or a demon or monster, I'll be able to sense it for you."
As her voice fell, without waiting for Yang Haoran's reply, Ma Ling turned to look at Old Master Wu.
"Old Master Wu, please prepare a brush, a bowl of clear water, and also bring the black cat, black dog, and rooster I asked you to prepare earlier."
Old Master Wu naturally couldn't refuse and quickly instructed the butler to arrange it.
Although the butler was old, his efficiency was swift. In a moment, everything Ma Ling requested was brought before her.
However, when the black cat, black dog, and large rooster were brought, these three creatures became extremely uneasy, their gazes filled with fear towards Yang Haoran, repeatedly trying to flee.
Ma Ling was not surprised by this situation. She formed a hand seal, then mumbled a series of incantations. Only then did the three creatures calm down, though their eyes still held terror towards Yang Haoran. This deep-seated fear from their very souls made them lie prone on the ground, not daring to move.
"They're so adorable, look how scared they are because of you, especially this chicken's head; it's practically shriveled into its feathers. How could it possibly perk up now?"
Ma Ling's face was full of helplessness. Then, she picked up the brush, dipped it in clear water, and began drawing on the ground.
"An Exorcism Array can not only dispel evil but also sense the presence of evil entities within a certain range. However, a true Exorcism Array is very troublesome to set up and requires extremely high-grade materials. So, right now, I'll just set up a simple Exorcism Array."
As her voice trailed off, Ma Ling dipped her brush in more clear water and continued drawing on the ground, adding, "Whether there are still any evil entities in this villa, we'll know the result immediately once the array is complete."
No one disturbed Ma Ling. Ten minutes later, Ma Ling put down her brush, and before her lay a triangular formation.
Although Ma Ling called it a simple Exorcism Array, this triangular formation appeared exceedingly complex. Its lines varied in length, crisscrossing in a way that made Yang Haoran's head spin. Aside from a few characters within the array that he recognized, he couldn't comprehend any of the rest.
However, this formation was imbued with a mysterious aura. Especially the moment it took shape, Yang Haoran distinctly felt a wave of power emanating from it.
Most importantly, Ma Ling had drawn the array using only clear water. Logically, water drawn stroke by stroke on the ground should quickly dry and disappear, but that wasn't happening. The clear water not only didn't dry up but also sparkled, appearing quite miraculous.
Putting down the brush, Ma Ling formed hand seals and recited incantations. When she finished, she addressed the black cat, black dog, and large rooster before her, saying, "Go."
The three creatures, which had been trembling on the ground, actually stopped shaking. Their gazes were no longer fearful; instead, they burst forth with a sharp intensity completely opposite to before. They stood up, as if knowing what they had to do, and walked to the three corners of the formation respectively.
The black cat and black dog sat down, while the large rooster stood ramrod straight. Its chicken's head, which had previously been shriveled, now stood tall, like a primordial beast.
As these three creatures took their positions, this simple Exorcism Array was instantly activated, erupting with a burst of spiritual light.
Under the spiritual light, the three creatures appeared mighty and imposing, forming a stark contrast to their previous trembling forms on the ground.
However, the three creatures remained motionless within the array, not making a sound.
Yang Haoran didn't understand what was happening, so he turned his gaze to Ma Ling. Coincidentally, Ma Ling also happened to look at him at that moment.
Their eyes met, and Ma Ling chuckled, saying to Yang Haoran, "If there are still any evil entities in the villa, these three will react. The stronger the evil entity, the more intense their reaction will be. From the current situation, they are so quiet, which can only mean one thing: this villa, and even the vicinity of this villa, has no evil entities. Uncle, are you sure your senses aren't mistaken?"
Yang Haoran frowned. Hearing Ma Ling say this, and recalling the scene when Wang Yiming activated the Ghost-Chasing Talisman earlier, he truly harbored a few doubts about whether he had made a mistake.
But this doubt was only fleeting. Afterwards, he remained firm in his conviction that his senses were not wrong, and he would not make such a basic error.
Yet, the facts were laid out before him, and he couldn't refute them. He simply couldn't figure out what the problem was.
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