Chapter 107

Chapter 107

Chapter 107: Exorcism

The sky had fully darkened. By rights, Bai and Mei, as visiting guests, should not have gone to see the seriously ill young lady of the household.

But after Mei Yinghan displayed that skill at the dinner table, the Chengs treated them even more like a lifeline capable of saving their daughter.

Seeing their daughter every day, fearing she might not hold on until tomorrow, they no longer cared about the etiquette of “nightfall is not suitable for visitors.” The sooner Bai and Mei were brought to Yao’nang, the better.

Lady Cheng even felt a faint trace of regret.

She did not realize that the “internal force” Mei Yinghan had used on her was actually “spiritual energy.” Yu Han and Han Shu had left Tianshan too early and had not yet mastered this ability, and so merely assumed that all Jianghu heroes possessed such skills.

On the way to her daughter’s quarters with Bai and Mei, Lady Cheng kept thinking: if she had noticed Yao’nang’s unusual condition earlier, and had asked for treatment the last time someone from Tianshan stayed over, would Yao’nang have avoided reaching her current state?

…But it was impossible to be certain. After all, the hero Yu had truly interacted with Yao’nang, and at the time had not noticed anything wrong with her condition.

Thinking this, Lady Cheng sighed, finally letting go of those torturous thoughts.

As for Bai and Mei:

In the front courtyard, they had detected no trace of yin energy. But as they reached the inner courtyard, the situation began to change.

In the darkness, something vaguely lingered, shrouded and drifting. But whenever the swordsman and the blade master’s gaze swept over it, those wavering presences dissipated.

The deeper they walked, the tighter Bai and Mei’s brows drew together.

The Chengs led the way, with the two heroes walking side by side behind. They did not speak, yet the rustle of their sleeves and their exchanged glances conveyed a mutual understanding: they had both noticed it—there was something wrong with the Cheng household.

For a moment, Bai Zhengliu’s mind was conflicted.

There was the relief of finally having certainty, and the tension of what they would face next.

But it didn’t matter—he was not alone.

With that thought, they arrived at Cheng Yao’nang’s courtyard.

As Bai and Mei had anticipated, this spot was where the yin energy was thickest along their journey.

Crossing the threshold, Bai Zhengliu even felt the faint tremors of the Twenty-Eight Generals.

He kept his expression calm, gripping the sword hilt, stepping slightly behind, and lowering his gaze.

A stream of light spread from the Twenty-Eight Generals, dispelling the surrounding darkness.Bai Zhengliu’s gaze flickered slightly, his heart steadied further, thinking: “I am not the same blade master who faced evil spirits blindly at Guang’an Prefecture, uncertain how to act. With prior experience, Mei and I can surely handle matters at the Cheng household.”

Thinking this, he lifted his feet and followed the group ahead.

Once again walking side by side with his beloved, Mei Yinghan slightly turned his head, his eyes fixed on Bai Zhengliu’s face.

Seeing concern in his eyes, Bai Zhengliu smiled, silently telling Mei Yinghan: “See, I’m fine.”

A hint of warmth appeared in Mei Yinghan’s expression—just as Lady Cheng and Master Cheng stopped in front of them.

They both turned, looking at the two Jianghu heroes behind them, saying: “Yao’nang’s quarters are just ahead. Please, two heroes, wait a moment while we go in first to see the situation.”

The main reason was to let Lady Cheng go in first. Bai and Mei understood this completely, nodding and waiting outside as instructed.

It wasn’t long before the room lit up. Master Cheng entered, inviting them inside. During this, he remarked, “Yao’nang’s room… why is it so cold?”

Even though there was clearly a charcoal fire burning.

Master Cheng worried, but Bai and Mei knew the reason.

As they had seen in the ice crevices of Tianshan, Yao’nang’s room was almost entirely filled with yin energy. And the source of that yin energy was, without doubt, the young lady being supported by Lady Cheng, slowly rising to lean against the head of the bed.

She truly was as emaciated as Lady Cheng had described—thin, with a waxen complexion, and eyes that seemed hollow and dazed. She stared blankly at the two visiting gentlemen.

For a moment, a spark appeared in her eyes as she called out: “Song Lang…”

Halfway through her voice, Cheng Yao’nang seemed to realize something, and her gaze dulled again, murmuring: “You’re still not coming to marry me?”

Lady Cheng watched her daughter, tears in her eyes. Master Cheng, busy with daily labors outside, knew his daughter was unwell but had not realized how dire it had become.

He was slightly shocked, followed by a surge of fear and distress. Turning to Bai and Mei, he asked: “Two heroes, our Yao’nang… what exactly is—”

Mei Yinghan said: “Let me diagnose the young lady first.”

Master and Lady Cheng quickly replied: “Of course, hero, please go ahead.”

Mei Yinghan slightly furrowed his brows and approached Cheng Yao’nang’s bedside.

Bai Zhengliu followed closely behind, warily observing the yin-enshrouded Yao’nang.

Once she realized the visitors were not her beloved, the young lady sank back into her melancholy. Even with the sword master’s hand resting on her wrist, Cheng Yao’nang felt nothing.For Mei Yinghan, though he said he was checking Cheng Yao’nang’s pulse, placing his hand there now felt more like touching a cold, dead piece of wood. He carefully searched for a long while before finding the young lady’s pulse beneath her gaunt flesh.

It was very bad.

Although he had already guessed this from Yao’nang’s appearance, confirming it again left Mei Yinghan troubled by the extreme frailty of her pulse, as if it would vanish the next moment.

This was not merely a matter of prescribing medicine; it required long-term, patient care. Drinking the medicine alone would not suffice—diet and exercise were crucial… but if Yao’nang’s yin energy wasn’t cleared, even these measures were useless.

Mei Yinghan exhaled deeply and began channeling the spiritual energy from his dantian, guiding it through his chest and arms all the way to his fingertips.

The Cheng couple could not see any of this, but Bai Zhengliu saw it clearly.

As the spiritual energy spread from Mei Yinghan’s fingertips toward Cheng Yao’nang, Bai Zhengliu unconsciously held his breath.

He stepped slightly forward, always alert to any sudden problems with Yao’nang.

Besides him, the Cheng couple stood around their daughter’s bedside. The dim lamplight cast their shadows over Yao’nang.

Seeing this, Bai Zhengliu grew even more tense—already night, and now this situation… Just as he was thinking, Cheng Yao’nang reacted!

She screamed and tried to withdraw the hand Mei Yinghan was holding.

The Cheng couple was shocked, unsure how to respond. Bai Zhengliu acted first, holding Yao’nang’s shoulders to prevent any movement.

Not only that—

He, like his beloved, concentrated spiritual energy in his palms to help purge the yin energy from Cheng Yao’nang!

Seeing this, the Cheng couple struggled inwardly—were these people really treating their daughter? They trusted the Tianshan heroes’ martial skills and character, and they knew their daughter’s condition was abnormal. That was why they did not intervene immediately when Yao’nang cried out. Yet seeing her grow more pained, her face increasingly twisted, their hearts ached. They could not help but call out: “Two heroes—”

But the words never came out.

Bai Zhengliu had anticipated the Cheng couple’s unsettled state and preemptively acted.

He remained silent, letting the spiritual energy radiate outward. Tiny points of shimmering light floated, and unknowingly, two points entered the Cheng couple’s eyes.

For the Cheng couple, in the blink of an eye, the scene completely changed. Their daughter’s side was not just occupied by two Jianghu heroes; vast dark shadows tangled with the bright energy from the heroes. Their daughter had become a battlefield. All her pain and struggles were because the light tried to expel the dark shadows, while the shadows resisted leaving her body.

And that was not all!

Lady Cheng noticed the scene beside her daughter first. Were those dark areas truly shadows? Or were they sinister yin entities identical to what existed inside their daughter? Once this thought occurred, her mind spiraled uncontrollably. Her face went pale as she looked around—what had been a reasonably bright room was now shrouded in darkness. Even she and her husband were subtly enveloped by the black evil mist.

This realization made Lady Cheng nearly faint, her eyes rolling back. Master Cheng noticed and hurriedly steadied her, finally calming her down.Even so, having been so severely shaken, she weakly asked her husband, “Did you see it? Around Yao’nang… those—”

Following his wife’s gesture, Master Cheng’s gaze swept around, his pupils suddenly shrinking.

The couple stood there, stunned, hearts racing. In that moment, their trust in Bai and Mei deepened—they felt these two were not mere “Tianshan disciples,” but divine beings descended from heaven! The light radiating from their sides seemed to dispel any lingering darkness upon touch, leaving only warmth.

Their movements went unnoticed by the two Jianghu heroes, but Bai Zhengliu had been paying attention.

Hearing Master Cheng reassure his wife with words like, “With these two heroes here, Yao’nang will surely be safe,” Bai Zhengliu slowly exhaled, the tension in his chest loosening.

—Taking this step, though sudden, had been carefully considered by Bai Zhengliu.

Given Cheng Yao’nang’s reaction and the overall situation of the Cheng family, if they wanted to perform the ghost-slaying and exorcism here, they had to secure the Cheng couple’s support.

But how to obtain it?

Should they just tell the truth outright? Would the Chengs believe them? If they did, how would they react—grateful for the heroes’ help, or trying to exploit the spiritual stones and energy they carried for their own gain?

Bai Zhengliu was no naive newcomer; he knew many such stories. But since Master Cheng had remembered a past favor from Ling Yunzi for many years and still held goodwill toward all Tianshan disciples, Bai Zhengliu felt that he and his beloved could at least try.

The Cheng couple’s reaction now, to Bai Zhengliu, counted as “passing the test.” Meanwhile, Yao’nang’s yin energy had been flushed out. Though still weak, her consciousness gradually returned. She stared blankly at the two Jianghu heroes before her.

She asked in confusion, “You…?”

Before she finished, Bai and Mei stood, and the Chengs rushed forward, crying as they embraced their daughter: “Yao’nang, how could you have suffered so much!!!”

Bai and Mei listened to the middle-aged couple’s cries. After a short while, seeing Master Cheng and his wife calm down, they spoke again, asking Yao’nang, “Cheng lady, could you tell us what exactly is going on with that ‘Song Lang’?”

At the heroes’ words, the Cheng couple stopped crying, both looking at their daughter.

Yao’nang paused for a moment, then softly said, “Song Lang…”

Author’s note:

Finished =v=

See you tomorrow!

Happy New Year to all the little angels!! There’s a red envelope for comments on this chapter—it’ll be sent tomorrow~!

Wishing everyone a new year of everything going well, progress in studies, smooth work, and daily happiness!