Chapter 160: Performing the Rite

Under the moonlight, a cluster of flames rose within the green forest, spinning in mid-air. Although it was a ghost fire, the flames glowed with a bright and warm light, bearing not the slightest resemblance to a netherworld phantom fire, so no one would mistake it for a visitation of the nether fires of the underworld.

Looking closely at the light, one could discern the outlines of five or six people illuminated by the blaze.

Among them was a young man in a Taoist robe. Though he lacked the classic features of arched eyebrows and starry eyes, his appearance was striking and upright, giving the immediate impression of a man with a strong sense of justice.

The flames were actually circling a woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties, yet her grace and charm were exceptional. Though her attire was plain, it was far from rustic. As the fire danced around her, she showed not the slightest trace of fear or worry, but instead watched the flames with curiosity. In contrast, the handsome, mature gentleman nearby—with his sword-like eyebrows and dashing demeanor—wore a face full of anxiety.

These three individuals were Chen Jin, Wei Sangzi, and Lu Dongbin, respectively.

"#[email protected]&***%￥#..."

Chen Jin kept mumbling in a strange, incomprehensible language.

This was by no means any sort of spell or incantation; it was simply Chen Jin yielding to a whim of mischievous humor, chanting whatever came to mind. Of course, Chen Jin could guarantee that this gibberish would never summon any spirits or monsters. Even if it did, Chen Jin had nothing to fear, for anything attracted by such nonsense could hardly be a formidable entity.

The ritual had actually begun long ago—ever since Chen Jin prepared the paste-like liquid in the wooden basin.

The fireball swirling around Wei Sangzi was not merely a decorative accompaniment like Chen Jin's chanting, but a genuine spell. This fireball would draw out the aura surrounding Wei Sangzi's body, and subsequently extract the curse and malevolent sorcery hidden within her.

Of course, this did not truly extract the curse entirely. Chen Jin sensed that the malevolent sorcery within her had been planted for far too long, having thoroughly integrated with Wei Sangzi's physical body, which was why he had devised this paste-like liquid.

Chen Jin intended to pull out a wisp of aura belonging to the curse from Wei Sangzi's body and guide it into the paste-like liquid, thereby creating something akin to an antidote—much like snake venom antiserum.

Since it could not be completely eradicated, he would turn it to her advantage, making it beneficial to Wei Sangzi. This fit the Taoist philosophy quite well, and Chen Jin felt his idea was brilliantly conceived...

Whoosh...

The flames orbited Wei Sangzi eighteen times (please trust Chen Jin's memory). After the eighteenth circuit, the fire began to contract, shrinking into a perfectly round spherical shape. This fiery orb was guided away from Wei Sangzi's body by Chen Jin and brought before him.

Chen Jin caught the fireball with one hand, not gripping it physically, but holding it in the empty air.

The flames slowly faded within Chen Jin's grasp, transforming into a clump of invisible tainted qi. Amidst this tainted qi lingered a strand of white vapor as thin as a hair. The grayish tainted qi represented the curse and malevolent sorcery, while the light white vapor was precisely Wei Sangzi's human essence.

Merging these two elements together, he tossed them directly into the wooden basin on the table.

To the mortal eyes of the others present, it merely appeared as though Chen Jin was making a grand show of tossing a handful of empty air into the wooden basin.

Plop...

However, the moment Chen Jin cast the 'air' into the wooden basin, a sound akin to a heavy stone dropping into a deep well rang out.

Following this 'splash', the sticky paste-like liquid in the wooden tub instantly dissolved and dispersed, transforming into a basin of clear water steaming with white mist.

Chen Jin reached out, effortlessly picked up the basin of water, and handed it to the standing, dazed Wei Sangzi.

"Drink it," Chen Jin said.

"That's it?" Wei Sangzi asked in a daze.

"Drink it and sleep for a night, and you'll be fine," Chen Jin nodded.

"..." Wei Sangzi remained somewhat dumbfounded. Her stupefaction, however, was no longer due to the phrase "drink it and sleep for a night, and you'll be fine," but rather because of the wooden basin Chen Jin had handed her.

This wooden basin was as wide as a person's belly, and the water inside was by no means scant—it was half-full.

If she drank a whole wooden basin of this, Wei Sangzi feared her small belly would look 'pregnant'.

Upon seeing this and hearing the exchange, Lu Dongbin walked over. Inspecting the water inside the basin, his expression also turned somewhat troubled; the amount of water was indeed rather excessive.

Yet, seeing Chen Jin's deadpan, serious expression, he knew his wife could hardly escape drinking this entire basin of water.

"My wife, drink it, and your ailment will be cured. Drink," Lu Dongbin urged soothingly.

"Al... Alright then," Wei Sangzi resigned herself to fate. She took the wooden basin and lifted it to her lips. Fortunately, her vitality had recovered somewhat; otherwise, she truly would not have been able to lift this basin of water.

Gulp... Gulp...

Wei Sangzi first took a tentative sip and found the water to be quite sweet, whereupon she began to swallow it in large mouthfuls, guiding it past her throat and down into her stomach.

Before long, all the water in the wooden basin had been entirely consumed by Wei Sangzi. Yet, despite drinking a whole basin of water, her stomach did not swell in the slightest, as if the water had never entered her belly at all. Wei Sangzi only felt a profound sense of satisfaction in her heart, completely free of any discomfort from bloating.

"Rest for the night, and you will be well," Chen Jin took the wooden basin back.

Afterward, Lu Dongbin called over the maidservant hiding and watching from the rear, instructing her to escort Wei Sangzi to rest. He himself remained behind to accompany Chen Jin, waiting for whatever else Chen Jin might have left unsaid.

"Brother Chen, is she fully cured now?" Lu Dongbin asked cautiously.

"Not yet," Chen Jin did not shake his head, merely placing the wooden basin back on the table.

"Not yet?!" Lu Dongbin was immensely astonished. Although he had considered the possibility of such an answer, it was also the exact answer he least wished to receive.

"Brother Lu, do not be impatient. We are short of just a fraction; the curse still lacks a crucial trigger," Chen Jin comforted him.

"A trigger?" Lu Dongbin was at a loss.

"We still lack the incantation," Chen Jin replied.

"Then... does this mean... we still have to go to Yuzhou to find that person?" Lu Dongbin asked dejectedly.

"There is no need for that. In fact, that person has been by our side all along. He transformed into a malevolent spirit long ago and has been hiding within your wife's body. I have actually been waiting for him to show his face, but this fellow is exceptionally cunning and has refused to appear. That is why I had to use this ritual to lure him out," Chen Jin said with the confident air of someone holding victory in the palm of his hand.

In truth, Chen Jin had long faintly sensed that this entity was nearby. However, his cultivation realm was not deep enough previously to perceive much, so he had kept his silence.

Now that his cultivation had broken through, Chen Jin's perception of this fellow grew increasingly clear. He could vividly sense that the creature was parasitizing Wei Sangzi, and quite possibly entrenched within her very consciousness.

This fellow must have harbored a deep-seated hatred for the Wei family. Nearly all members of the Wei family had been harmed by him, leaving only Wei Sangzi alive. Thus, driven by a merciless resolve, he had transformed his own soul into a curse, attaching himself to Wei Sangzi's body to slowly drain her physical vitality, tormenting her soul and letting her slowly perish in agony.

Just thinking about this plot development made one excited.

However, Chen Jin did not voice these thoughts to Lu Dongbin; he merely revealed that tonight, they would be able to capture this mischievous wretch.