Shen Mingshu clenched her fingers, aching to rush in and beat Liu Xingde to a pulp. But she held back. She had to wait; only if Yun Niang truly feared Liu Xingde would she take her words to heart in the future.
The small courtyard was thick with yin energy. After taking a few steps inside earlier, Shen Mingshu had sensed the aura of a formation beneath her feet: a Yin-Gathering Array. No wonder the yard was full of petty ghosts, chattering and shrieking incessantly. In her memories, Yun Niang loved her dearly and possessed a kind face; this array was certainly not of her making. Someone was clearly targeting both of them. To catch the culprit behind the scenes, she needed to win Yun Niang’s absolute trust.
Seeing Liu Xingde grab Yun Niang’s sleeve, Shen Mingshu watched as Yun Niang pleaded in a low voice, "Doctor Liu, I will give you whatever money you want, just please let me go! My Shenshen is still sick in the next room!"
"You little vixen, I've had my eye on you since the day I first met you. Finally, you’ve delivered yourself to my doorstep!" Liu Xingde sneered. "Look at how you and your daughter have been living alone all these years without a man—it’s pathetic. Today, I’m going to let you taste what it’s like to be with a real man! Once I'm done with you, I’ll go and taste your fair, tender daughter, heh heh heh..."
Furious, Yun Niang raised her hand and slapped Liu Xingde across the face. "Shut your mouth! Don't you dare speak of my daughter! You beast!"
Stung by the blow, Liu Xingde flew into a rage. Cruelty flared in his eyes as he gripped Yun Niang’s throat. "You bitch, you dare hit me? I’ll beat you to death!"
*Bang!* The door was kicked open with a thunderous crash. Shen Mingshu stood there, her pale, pretty face cold and severe. "Stop!"
Immediately, a dark, ghostly shadow lunged into Liu Xingde’s body. "Liu Xingde" shook his head, hurriedly releasing his grip on Yun Niang’s neck. Yun Niang snatched up a broom from the side and struck the man hard. "Get out! Get out now!"
"Liu Xingde" scrambled to cover his head, darting around while casting fixated glances at Shen Mingshu, waiting for her orders.
Shen Mingshu’s phoenix eyes narrowed, her voice frost-bitten and cold. "Get back to the Liu family at once!"
Receiving the command, "Liu Xingde" rushed out of the courtyard.
Yun Niang dropped the broom and pulled Shen Mingshu into a tight embrace, patting her back soothingly. "Shenshen, don't be afraid. Mother is here. Mother will protect you... I will certainly keep you safe."
Enveloped in that warm embrace, Shen Mingshu’s eyelashes fluttered. A nameless warmth flowed from Yun Niang into the depths of her heart, spreading throughout her entire body. Yun Niang truly loved her, even though she clearly was not the original owner's biological mother. From the first moment she saw her, Shen Mingshu had realized there was no blood relation between them.
Shen Mingshu patted her back gently and asked in a soft voice, "Mother, do you believe me now?"
Yun Niang reacted belatedly. "Shenshen, how did you know what kind of person he was? Has that beast laid a hand on you before?" Her expression darkened, eyes brimming with hatred. "I’ll kill him!"
Shen Mingshu quickly calmed her. "He hasn't. I just saw it."
"You saw it?"
Shen Mingshu led her to the table and sat down, pointing to her own eyes. "After I woke up from falling into the water, my Heavenly Eye opened."
Yun Niang was shocked. "What is a Heavenly Eye?"
Shen Mingshu gripped her hand. "If I tell you, will you be afraid of me?"
"Never! I love and cherish you too much. No matter what you become, you are still my most precious daughter!" Yun Niang reached out to stroke her hair. "Don't say such silly things."
"Mother, the Heavenly Eye can see the past and future, perceive spirits and demons, and easily read fortunes and faces. Whoever stands before me, I can tell at a glance whether they are good or evil."
Hearing this, terror flickered in Yun Niang’s eyes.
Shen Mingshu continued, "Perhaps the heavens pitied me, seeing me tormented by ghosts night and day. After I threw myself into the river, I was granted this Heavenly Eye, so that I might live in some comfort."
Yun Niang looked at her, her heart aching as tears welled up. "Ever since you were little, you said something was haunting you. I couldn't see or touch it, so I thought you were just ill. Was it all true?"
Shen Mingshu nodded. "Mother, do you want to see this courtyard? There are many ghosts here."
"I..." Yun Niang felt a wave of fear. She swallowed hard and said, "I’ve never seen them... I’m afraid I’ll faint from fright..."
"You can watch me get rid of them with your own eyes, and then you won’t be afraid anymore." Shen Mingshu pulled her out into the yard.
As soon as Shen Mingshu appeared, the ghosts floating in the courtyard trembled in terror. They had been drawn there by the Yin-Gathering Array and found themselves unable to leave, forced to haunt the original owner day and night. The reason they hadn't plagued Yun Niang was that the original owner possessed a Yin-Ultimate Body; under the reinforcement of the array, her body became increasingly pure, radiating an essence that was a potent tonic to spirits. But because the original owner lacked the Heavenly Eye, she could only feel the ghosts drawing near, driving her to act like a madwoman.
*These evil ghosts must die tonight.*
Shen Mingshu swept a cold, icy gaze over them. The twisted faces of the ghosts instantly contorted in panic, and one by one, they fell to their knees, begging for mercy.
"Mother, close your eyes."
Yun Niang nervously shut her eyes and felt two warm fingers press against her brow. A searing heat surged into her forehead, flowing down into her eyes.
"You can open them now."
Yun Niang slowly opened her eyes and was so startled by the sight that she gripped Shen Mingshu’s arm tightly. "These... all these wandering souls..."
Shen Mingshu pinched her fingers and flicked them, sending several sparks of fire flying forward. The flames landed on the shadows, igniting them instantly. Yun Niang’s eyes widened in shock; it was her first time witnessing such a bizarre and terrifying spectacle. The wailing of the ghosts pierced her ears, making them ache.
Shen Mingshu raised her hands to cover Yun Niang’s ears. "Mother, the sound of ghosts is sharp; ordinary people cannot endure it."
Within moments, the entire courtyard was clean.
Yun Niang’s chest heaved as she asked nervously, "If you treat them like this, won't they come back for revenge?"
"This is a divine flame bestowed upon me by the heavens. Any ghost burned by this fire will be reduced to ash and dust." Shen Mingshu curled her lips slightly and whispered, "Mother, actually, there are many things I still want to ask you..."
"They're coming! They're coming again!" Yun Niang suddenly pointed ahead, her finger trembling.
Shen Mingshu turned to look. It was the little ghost she had controlled earlier. It had possessed Liu Xingde, allowing it to leave the array, but because it was under Shen Mingshu’s control, it had been forced to return.
"Mother, don't be afraid." Shen Mingshu ignited a wisp of flame on her fingertip, but just as she was about to strike, the ghost’s pleading voice stopped her.
"Master, have mercy! This lowly one has an urgent report!"
Shen Mingshu withdrew the flame. "Speak."
"I brought Liu Xingde home, but his wife caught him by the ear and beat him! I left his body and watched from the side—he actually turned the tables and claimed that you two seduced him! Now that shrew is leading a crowd to march over here!"