Chapter 143: The Stone Fish is Emerging: Exorcism, Soul-Calling, and Human Favors

A precious medicine worth over thirty taels of silver was no small sum for anyone in the village.

That his father was willing to give him such a treasure was, firstly, out of deep affection, and secondly, because the family happened to have one on hand.

Of course, alongside these reasons was the fact that he was an only child, and his mother had not yet shown signs of another pregnancy.

Constant martial arts practice is a remarkably tedious endeavor.

The villagers' enthusiasm for a spectacle lasted only briefly before they were drawn away by other matters.

Chen Yushu, meanwhile, began practicing other martial arts techniques.

The Eighteen Continuous Sabers, the Raging Wind Saber Technique, the Heavy and Light Saber Styles, the Eight-Step Chase of the Cicada, the Gecko Wall-Climbing Art...

Naturally, to avoid attracting widespread attention once more, Chen Yushu deliberately retrieved several formation flags from his storage pouch and arranged them around the courtyard.

Instantly, the commotion of his training grew quiet and serene, remaining so until his father approached him.

"Yushu, go call Uncle Zhong over. Now that you're back, we must thank him properly.

Oh, and by the way, head over to the east end of the village and invite the village head, your Uncle Xu.

Though he probably won't come; his grandson fell into the water a couple of days ago. Although he's mostly recovered now, he still needs looking after.

Still, you should go make the trip."

"Fell into the water?"

Hearing this, Chen Yushu paused, asking with a hint of curiosity.

"Yes, right not far downstream from the wooden bridge.

The strangest thing, too. The water is shallow enough, yet he simply couldn't climb out. It wasn't until someone on the bank spotted him and called for the adults that he was pulled up.

Even so, he was terribly frightened and hasn't been out of bed for days."

Chen Baihe shook his head as he spoke.

"Is that so?"

Chen Yushu nodded, almost instinctively thinking of that stone fish.

Without asking any further, he stopped his movements and stepped out through the courtyard gate.

Before long, he reached the wooden bridge. Following the stream downward from the bridge, Chen Yushu immediately laid eyes upon the stone fish.

At this moment, the stone fish was vastly different from when he had last seen it.

Not only had its head completely emerged, but the upper half of its body was now largely exposed as well. At a glance, it looked like a massive fish about to leap out of the water, poised in a predatory stance, as if ready to pounce and devour someone.

"It has already emerged from the water this much?"

A jolt went through Chen Yushu's heart, and he hurriedly activated his Qi-Observing Technique.

At a single glance!

Endless black mist surged upward instantly, nearly shrouding the entire village. The stone fish below now appeared as though it had completely come to life, constantly thrashing and leaping about.

Yet, for some reason, numerous heavy chains were bound around its body.

These chains, twelve in total, crossed and anchored into both banks of the river. However, eight of them had already been snapped by its relentless thrashing, leaving only four remaining chains wrapped tightly around its form, anchoring it beneath the bridge deck.

Suddenly.

The stone fish seemed to sense something, and its exposed eyes locked onto Chen Yushu in the span of a single breath.

A tremor ran through Chen Yushu, and he immediately dispelled the Qi-Observing Technique.

Even so, he was left with a lingering, eerie sensation that he had been "discovered" by the entity.

"Specter-tier!

This stone fish is unquestionably an entity above the Specter-tier."

Chen Yushu's heart hammered wildly, and he felt a genuine, pressing tension.

Even though he had always known such a stone fish existed in his village, he had not practiced cultivation before and thus lacked a deep awareness of it. But now, wielding the strength of a Three-Incense Dao foundation, he had truly "seen" the creature and genuinely grasped its might.

The power it radiated felt far superior to that of Little Red's grandfather, the ancestor of the Zuo family.

It was an all-encompassing suppression.

A terrifying certainty that if they were to face each other head-on, he would undoubtedly be no match for it.

Fortunately, the creature was still bound by the chains and unable to move freely.

Once it broke free from all the restraints, neither the bridge nor the river would be able to hold it back any longer. It would inevitably leap out and wreak havoc upon the land.

And the very first to bear the brunt of its wrath would be the entire Beijiao Village.

"No wonder Sister Qiaoer said I needed to step in and help suppress this stone fish... The truth is, time is running out.

That much is clear just by looking at how it went from exposing only half its head to now having almost its entire body ready to leap out."

Thoughts raced through Chen Yushu's mind as he stepped off the bridge, his expression growing notably serious.

Furthermore, he was now almost certain that the village head's grandson had fallen victim to this stone fish.

Because of the seasonal winter drought, the river had dwindled to a shallow trickle, with its deepest points barely reaching around knee-height.

Could water that shallow drown someone?

Ordinarily, it was entirely impossible.

Lost in thought, he soon arrived at the entrance of Uncle Zhong's home.

The front gates stood wide open, and with a single glance into the courtyard, he spotted a divine statue enshrined just inside the threshold.

Incense was burning before the statue. Uncle Zhong appeared to be offering a prayer, his lips moving in silent incantation, followed by three deep bows before he finally placed the incense sticks into the burner.

"Uncle Zhong, my father asked me to invite you over for a meal."

Seeing this, Chen Yushu finally spoke up.

"Ah, it's Yushu.

I heard you were back yesterday, but I didn't cross paths with you then. Looking at you now, you've clearly grown taller and sturdier. It seems things are going quite well for you at the Liu Family Pharmacy?"

Upon seeing Chen Yushu, Uncle Zhong's eyes lit up as he said with a smile.

"Thanks to your good wishes, things are indeed going quite well."

Chen Yushu replied, though he refrained from stepping across the threshold.

Inside, he had noticed a minor ghost crouching beneath the table of the divine statue, casting a gloomy gaze toward him.
This minor ghost had a pale complexion faintly tinged with a greenish hue, and it was likely raised by Uncle Zhong himself.

Unless invited by the host, it was best not to casually step into a residence where ghosts were kept, as it could easily spark misunderstandings.

Though with his current strength, a mere minor ghost was nothing he needed to care about.

However, since he had come to invite Uncle Zhong to dinner, he naturally would not overstep boundaries.

"Indeed, I heard you were even taken in as a disciple by the proprietor of your pharmacy?

I have heard of that manager of yours, Su Ming; his martial arts are said to be extraordinary. To become his disciple means your future prospects are boundless."

Uncle Zhong smiled as he spoke.

"My master's martial arts are indeed formidable.

I am still far inferior to him."

Chen Yushu offered a polite remark before leading Uncle Zhong toward his home.

On the way back, their path naturally required them to cross the wooden bridge.

This time, however, he deliberately avoided looking at the stone fish beneath the bridge. Only after crossing did he speak up: "That stone fish is becoming more and more exposed.

I've heard that thing is terribly malignant; shouldn't we do something to take precautions?"

"Precautions against what?

That stone fish has been there since our village was founded. All these years, nothing has ever happened.

If something were going to happen, it would have happened long ago. Don't listen to nonsense."

Uncle Zhong waved a hand dismissively, issuing a warning.

***

Chen Yushu glanced at him, unsure whether the old man was ignorant of the danger or simply didn't want to alarm him. He merely nodded and casually said, "Uncle Zhong, please head on to my house first. I still need to call for Village Head Uncle Xu, so I won't walk with you just yet."

"Village Head Xu Qing's place? What a coincidence.

His grandson happened to be struck by evil forces recently. By chance, I've been away these past few days and only returned last night, so he invited me over bright and early this morning.

I had already agreed to go over shortly anyway. Since you're headed that way, we might as well go together."

Hearing this, Uncle Zhong hurriedly offered an explanation.

"Very well then!"

Chen Yushu nodded, having no objections, and walked with him toward the village head's residence.

The village head's home was a wealthy estate within Beijiao Village—a secluded courtyard compound, spacious and featuring its own estate steward.

Hearing that Uncle Zhong had arrived, the steward eagerly welcomed them inside.

Chen Yushu naturally followed. Before long, they crossed a tall threshold and entered an antique-styled room.

"Uncle Zhong, come and take a look at what on earth is wrong with my grandson!

It's been two days already, and his fever still hasn't broken, nor has he woken up."

The village head was an elderly man with a receding hairline, dressed in fine silk robes that visibly set him apart from ordinary villagers.

Yet, upon seeing Uncle Zhong, a look of respectful deference appeared on his face.

Whether in the countryside or the town, people held a certain reverence for "capable" individuals like Uncle Zhong.

After all, one never knew when they might encounter supernatural "trouble," and when that day came, they would inevitably have to beg for help from people like him.

And such was clearly the case at present.

As the village head, Xu Qing held immense prestige within Beijiao Village. Coupled with the fact that he controlled nearly half of the village's farmland, most of the villagers were actually his tenant farmers who relied on him for their livelihood.

Consequently, while the villagers harbored secret grievances and muttered complaints against him behind his back, they remained deeply fearful and respectful on the surface, considering it an honor to invite him to dine at their homes.

Because doing so also signaled that one possessed social standing in the village.

When Chen Yushu's father had extended the invitation, it was precisely for this reason.

The reason he sent Chen Yushu to deliver the invite was twofold: first, he feared he lacked the personal standing himself, being merely an ordinary village herb-gatherer who was typically quiet and unassuming; and second, he felt Chen Yushu now held a different status and might command enough respect for the village head to give face. Just in case, however, he had deliberately mentioned that the village head might not come due to his grandson's condition...

Chen Yushu felt a quiet sense of helplessness at this, knowing that changing his father's mindset overnight would be no easy task.

Fortunately, he had already purchased a courtyard in Jianghuan Town.

All he needed to do in due course was persuade his parents to move there, lifting them out of their current environment, and their perspectives would naturally begin to shift accordingly.

"His soul has been lost.

Furthermore, a trace of baleful qi has adhered to his body.

Unless that baleful qi is dispelled, even if you manage to 'call back' his soul, it will be very difficult for him to wake up."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Zhong stepped forward to closely examine Xu Qing's grandson, speaking only after a long moment.

"I must ask Uncle Zhong to spare no effort."

Startled by this, Xu Qing gave a slight hand gesture, and the steward beside him hurriedly handed over a pouch.

The pouch was plump, and as it shifted, a faint sound of clinking silver coins echoed from within.

"What is Village Head Xu saying? We're all villagers here; of course I couldn't bear to watch the child lie unconscious like this. You are treating me with too much formality."

Uncle Zhong shook his head and said.

"Just a small token of appreciation.

I truly hope Uncle Zhong will give this your utmost attention."

Xu Qing hurriedly spoke.

"Very well then!"

Uncle Zhong nodded, his expression turning serious as he continued: "To dispel baleful qi, one must use antique objects to anchor it.

Once the baleful qi is anchored and gradually neutralized and absorbed, it will naturally dissipate over time."

With that, he retrieved several items from his bundle:
A whip, a teapot, and two oil lamps, which he placed around Xu Qing's grandson respectively.

Standing to the side, Chen Yushu watched closely.

He could see that Xu Qing's grandson, Xu Zheng, was indeed afflicted with baleful qi.

However, this baleful qi was not ordinary bloody or fierce qi, but rather cyan baleful qi.

This cyan baleful qi was a form of grievance qi, which was notoriously troublesome once it entangled someone and could not be purged by ordinary methods of expelling baleful qi.

Sure enough.

Even though Uncle Zhong placed the four antique objects around Xu Qing's grandson, they only managed to draw out a tiny fraction of the baleful qi, leaving the vast majority of the grievance qi still entangled in Xu Zheng's body.

Meanwhile, the antique objects visibly dimmed—a clear sign that they were saturated with baleful qi and could no longer function effectively.

At this sight, Uncle Zhong's expression sank.

Xu Qing, who had been closely monitoring the situation, instantly wore a look of intense anxiety and asked, "Uncle Zhong, what is wrong?"

"This is somewhat troublesome.

This baleful qi is far stronger than I anticipated.

If it were ordinary baleful qi, these four antique objects of mine would not only remove all of it from him, but at least eliminate half at the very least.

Yet right now, even a tenth of it has not been cleared away..."

Uncle Zhong's expression turned rather unsightly.

"Then what is to be done?"

Xu Qing grew anxious.

"I only have these few antique objects on hand.

They can only absorb qi once a day, after which I must take them home to nourish them, cleansing the baleful qi and gathering spiritual energy."

Uncle Zhong furrowed his brow as well, saying: "In other words, it will take me ten days to completely clear the baleful qi from your grandson.

The tricky part, however, is that your grandson has lost his soul.

When a human soul is lost for more than three days, it becomes very difficult to retrieve.

Once it exceeds seven days, the chance of recovering it vanishes entirely..."

"Ah?

What will happen if it cannot be recovered?"

Xu Qing's expression shifted drastically.

"He will become an idiot."

Uncle Zhong replied.

As soon as these words were spoken, Xu Qing's expression turned profoundly grim.

Xu Zheng was his only grandson; he could naturally never allow him to become a fool. He hurriedly pressed, "Then hurry up and summon his soul back!"

"The problem right now is that even if I summon it back, it cannot return to his body.

Because there is still baleful qi inside him.

Once an external soul enters, it will easily be devoured by the baleful qi.

If that happens, there truly will be no hope of saving him."

Uncle Zhong wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and said, "It's a pity I was away these past few days. If I had returned sooner, perhaps there would have been a way.

As for now..."

"This... this what is to be done?"

Xu Qing grew frantic.

***

"Actually, it's not entirely without a solution."

It was only at this moment that Chen Yushu finally spoke up.

He could tell that Uncle Zhong genuinely had no good solutions left.

Though, upon reflection, that was to be expected.

Judging by his Qi-Observing Technique, he had long since perceived that Uncle Zhong possessed merely a single incense stick's worth of Dao foundation—a level of skill roughly comparable to those practitioners in the town who exorcized baleful qi for martial artists.

The skilled ones among them possessed some technique for dispelling baleful qi, while ordinary ones could only do as Uncle Zhong did: rely on antique items to absorb the qi, then return home to offer incense worship, cleanse the baleful qi, and gather spiritual energy in hopes that the items would function again the next day.

Such methods, however, were blatantly superficial and incapable of effectively neutralizing baleful qi.

"What solution?"

Xu Qing hurriedly looked toward Chen Yushu. It was as if he had only just noticed him; a flash of surprise crossed his face as he asked, "Are you Qinghe's boy from the village, Chen Yushu?"

Seeing Chen Yushu nod, he anxiously pressed, "Do you truly have a way?"

"Naturally I do."

Chen Yushu nodded, speaking with calm assurance.

"Yushu, this is no joking matter."

Uncle Zhong issued a prompt warning from the side.

Though he held Chen Yushu in higher regard because the boy had been taken in as a disciple by Manager Su Ming of the Liu Family Pharmacy, martial arts were martial arts. Exorcising baleful qi and summoning souls were the methods of walking-corpse masters—things that martial arts could never resolve.

Even his master, Su Ming, a master of the Inner Energy Realm, could not accomplish this.

Every trade has its masters!

"Uncle Zhong.

You handle the soul-summoning.

I will simply dispel the baleful qi for him directly."

With that, Chen Yushu thought for a moment, drew a talisman from his tunic, and pressed it directly onto Xu Zheng's forehead.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...

A thick plume of smoke instantly dispersed into the air.

The talisman rapidly blackened into char.

Yet the baleful qi entangled around Xu Zheng's face also consumed rapidly, instantly purging well over thirty percent of it.

"Oh?

What kind of talisman is this?

It actually managed to clear away thirty percent of his baleful qi just like that?"

Uncle Zhong, who had been somewhat skeptical, wore an expression of sheer astonishment as he asked.

"Does that mean this talisman is effective?"

Xu Qing, standing nearby, grew rather excited.

"Whether it's effective or not, didn't you just see it with your own eyes?"

Uncle Zhong, however, paid him no mind, keeping his gaze fixed on Chen Yushu. "How do you happen to have such a talisman? Could it be that your master gave it to you?"

"This is an Exorcism Talisman.

It naturally works against baleful qi as well.

However, this talisman wasn't given to me by my master; I made it myself."

Chen Yushu flipped his hand, producing another talisman, and said, "Such a talisman sells for eight taels of silver apiece in Jianghuan Town.

To completely clear the baleful qi from Xu Zheng will require three of them in total.

Uncle Xu, I won't overcharge you; twenty taels of silver for all three. You can simply hand the silver directly to my father later."

"Good, good, good... No problem at all."

Xu Qing nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, without the slightest hesitation.

To Xu Qing, his grandson's safety was paramount; a mere twenty taels of silver meant nothing at all.

A complex look flickered in Uncle Zhong's eyes, though seeing this, he hastily set to work preparing the ritual for summoning the soul.

"Then I shall continue."

Chen Yushu nodded, took the talisman, and pressed it onto Xu Zheng's forehead once more.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...

The sound of baleful qi being worn away rang out again.

In truth, given Chen Yushu's current capabilities, ridding the boy of baleful qi need not have been so troublesome.

A single Baleful-Dispelling Incantation would have completely neutralized any baleful qi cleanly without leaving a single trace behind.

Yet people are sometimes peculiar: the simpler the manner in which you handle a task, the less value others place upon it, rendering them entirely incapable of recognizing the brilliance of the technique.

Nor would it easily earn their gratitude.

He certainly cared nothing for Xu Qing's gratitude.

But his father did.

Thus, he deliberately produced talismans, using their tangible material value to manifest the weight of the favor.

Blunt, yet remarkably effective.

In this manner, once the third talisman was used, the baleful qi plaguing Xu Zheng was thoroughly worn away to nothingness.

By this time, Uncle Zhong had also completed the soul-summoning ritual. Soon enough, Chen Yushu watched as Xu Zheng's wandering soul was guided over from not far away by Uncle Zhong's green-faced minor ghost.

"It's here!"

Uncle Zhong gave a low shout, formed hand seals, and barked deeply: "Return, soul!"

Then he watched as the minor ghost struck the forehead of Xu Zheng's soul, directly driving it back down into Xu Zheng's physical body.

"Ah..."

A soft gasp followed. Xu Zheng, who had remained unconscious the entire time, suddenly cried out and snapped his eyes wide open.

"Zheng'er, Zheng'er, how are you feeling?"

Seeing this, Xu Qing cried out anxiously.

"Grandfather, I'm fine.

Just... my head hurts a bit."

Xu Zheng shook his head, rubbing his temples.

Internally, Chen Yushu chuckled. Of course his head would hurt.

That green-faced minor ghost certainly hadn't held back its strength when it struck his soul; a blow like that was bound to leave him with a headache for a day or two.

Still, that was of little consequence.

After all, he had truly woken up without any major complications.

"As long as you're fine, as long as you're fine.
This time, we owe everything to your Brother Yushu and Uncle Zhong.

If they hadn't stepped in, you wouldn't have recovered so easily. Hurry up and thank them."

Overjoyed, Xu Qing hastened to speak as he urged his grandson up.