The windows, which had been tightly shut, were suddenly blown open by a gust of sinister wind.
The glass panes slammed against the wall, shattering with a sharp, rhythmic clatter. The temperature in the room, previously normal, plummeted, turning icy and eerie. Several dark shadows surged in through the windows, heading straight for Shang Jingchen.
Ye Zhixing narrowed her eyes, a dangerous aura radiating from her.
"Having a death wish, are we?" she murmured coldly. She pulled Shang Jingchen behind her in one swift motion, then whipped out several talismans, throwing them the moment the shadows drew near.
The talismans struck the clusters of black mist with pinpoint accuracy.
A sizzling sound followed, quickly replaced by the stench of burning. The dark shadows seemed to be in excruciating pain, emitting mournful, raspy wails that set one's teeth on edge.
Against Vengeful Spirits of this level, Ye Zhixing’s exorcism talismans were more than enough. Before long, she had driven all the dark shadows away. The room’s temperature seemed to return to normal almost immediately, a change Shang Jingchen could clearly feel.
Ye Zhixing used a few more talismans to reinforce the room, ensuring that even if those Vengeful Spirits risked their very existence, they would not be able to get back in.
On the other end of the phone, Zheng Ying was growing frantic.
"President Shang? What’s going on over there? Are you in danger?"
"President Shang? Can you hear me?" Receiving no response from Shang Jingchen, Zheng Ying was losing his composure.
As Shang Jingchen’s assistant, he was usually never this impulsive. But his boss’s life was at stake, and he had been out of contact for nearly twenty-four hours while the family back home tightened their grip!
"What are you howling about?" Shang Jingchen’s voice remained low.
"Uh—"
"What is your Eight Characters of Birth Date? Speak quickly, and be precise," Shang Jingchen said, cutting straight to the point.
"Huh?" Zheng Ying was caught off guard.
"What? Do you need me to say it a second time?"
Even through the phone, Assistant Zheng could feel his boss’s overwhelming presence. His mind went blank for a few seconds before he quickly recited his birth details. His boss would never ask for this without a reason; it had to be of vital importance. He was lucky his mother had always been a firm believer in the supernatural.
Shang Jingchen hung up. By then, Ye Zhixing had finished sealing the room with exorcism talismans. Combined with the formation already present in the villa, no evil entities would dare approach.
Still, this place was incredibly hostile to Shang Jingchen. They needed to leave as soon as possible.
"I have Zheng Ying’s Eight Characters of Birth Date," Shang Jingchen informed her. He paused before adding, "I haven't asked yet, what is your name?"
"Ye Zhixing," she replied coolly.
"I am Shang Jingchen."
Ye Zhixing nodded, her face completely void of ripples. Shang Jingchen was somewhat surprised; many people would show awe or fear upon hearing his name, but this young girl displayed none of it. She seemed to have heard a name as mundane as any other.
Shang Jingchen pressed his lips together and said nothing.
Knowing Zheng Ying’s birth details, she began writing on several sheets of yellow paper, sketching runes around them. He didn’t know what they were. Seeing her deep concentration, her long lashes fluttering as if she saw nothing but the talismans in her hands, he recalled how she had pulled him behind her at the first sign of danger, shielding him with her own body.
Aside from the bodyguards he paid for, she was the first person to protect him without hesitation. Thinking that she likely had her own motives, Shang Jingchen didn't dwell on it.
About ten minutes later, Ye Zhixing finished the talismans and placed them on the room’s only table. She stood before the table to observe, and Shang Jingchen stood beside her to see what she was doing. Standing next to the tall, imposing Shang Jingchen, Ye Zhixing looked much more petite, reaching only to his shoulder.
Although Shang Jingchen’s face remained deathly pale, he felt much better after taking Ye Zhixing’s medicine and receiving her talismans; his mind had cleared.
Zheng Ying was likely on his way to the villa. At first, the talismans showed no reaction. But about twenty minutes later, Shang Jingchen saw the talisman bearing Zheng Ying’s name and birth details begin to fade visibly.
Due to his physical condition, he had been feeling drowsy, but at that moment, he snapped wide awake.
He watched as one talisman turned from bright yellow to grey, and Ye Zhixing immediately applied a new one. A single talisman could only last five to six minutes, yet she repeated this task over and over, focused and calm.
Another twenty minutes passed before Ye Zhixing’s phone rang. It was Assistant Zheng.
Ye Zhixing handed the phone to him.
"President Shang, I’ve arrived at the villa entrance. I’m coming up to get you now." His breathing was ragged and uneven, sounding genuinely terrified.
Shang Jingchen had the speakerphone on, and Ye Zhixing heard him. She spoke up immediately in a cold tone: "Don't. Just wait at the entrance. No matter what happens, do not get out of the car."
Zheng Ying didn't expect a girl to be there, and her voice sounded strikingly similar to his boss’s.
Shang Jingchen took over: "Did you hear that? Do exactly as she says."
"Oh, right, I understand," Assistant Zheng said, sensing something was wrong. He quickly agreed.
Without delay, Ye Zhixing grabbed Shang Jingchen’s wrist and led him toward the door, not forgetting to give a cold warning: "Hold onto the talisman I gave you. Aside from me, no matter what you see in the villa or who calls your name or speaks to you, do not respond."
Shang Jingchen glanced down at her hand on his wrist and immediately replied, "Okay, I understand."
Ye Zhixing led him out of the room. The moment they stepped out, Shang Jingchen felt a familiar chill. The spacious villa was empty. It had undergone some simple renovations, but it still looked crude and bare, not like a normal home.
Ye Zhixing kept a fast pace. Shang Jingchen felt a barrage of noises echoing in his ears—heart-wrenching cries that made one’s mind chaotic. There were also voices calling his name, sounding like people he knew well. If his mind had been even slightly wavering, he might have fallen into the trap.
Fortunately, Shang Jingchen’s willpower was ironclad, and he kept Ye Zhixing’s warning firmly in mind. Perhaps because Ye Zhixing was clearing the path, those entities dared not act rashly.
She realized, however, that there were originally Vengeful Spirits in this villa, trapped by the formation. They had hidden well when she first entered, but now, seeing that they were trying to leave, they couldn't hold back and emerged, all trying to seize their final chance.
If one were to search carefully, they would surely find skeletons here, but Ye Zhixing had no time for that now. She only wanted to get Shang Jingchen out; his condition remained critical.
Shang Jingchen didn't know what was going through her mind; he just felt as if this walk lasted forever. Everything in the villa seemed sinister and terrifying. Finally, Ye Zhixing pulled him to the front door.
But just as she was about to open it, they encountered a thorny problem.