"I don't believe what I saw was an illusion."

At that time, Chen Yiming stopped Kong Xi partly because he felt sorry for the young woman, and partly because he knew she wouldn’t dare offend him. It was just a small effort on his part. He hadn’t expected that, even in these circumstances, the girl would still think to warn him. A deep sense of guilt welled up in Chen Yiming’s heart.

“In truth, I knew Kong Xi was reckless. If I’d asked more questions about what happened afterward, or had the manager transfer her first, maybe none of this would have happened,” Chen Yiming said, growing more remorseful, his voice tinged with dejection.

Xie Qingfa patted him comfortingly and said, “No one could have imagined Kong Xi would dare go so far. He’s gotten his comeuppance now.”

Even so, Chen Yiming’s heart was heavy. “Sister Ningzhao, is there anything we can do to make her resting place more comfortable, or help her find a better next life?”

The girl’s family, feeling her death was less than dignified, had not wanted to bring her body home for burial. When the Special Division took over the case, they arranged for her to be laid to rest in a public cemetery.

Since Chen Yiming had this wish, Ji Ningzhao nodded toward Xie Qingfa. “Doesn’t your sect perform rites for the departed? You can sponsor a lamp at his temple.”

As the three of them spoke, they took the elevator downstairs. Once outside, Chen Yiming grew troubled again. Now that he was sure the girl had nothing to do with his predicament, where had the thing haunting him come from?

He simply couldn’t figure out when he’d provoked such a powerful entity. After the incident, his family had thoroughly checked their own affairs. No exaggeration—his parents had even sent people to inspect their ancestral graves, suspecting the problem might have come from there.

Chen Yiming felt lost. Could it really just be bad luck—his fate to suffer?

When they reached the parking lot, Ji Ningzhao suddenly asked, “Do you have another friend connected to all this? May I meet him?”

Chen Yiming snapped out of his thoughts and answered honestly, “Yes, I think so, but I’ll need to ask my father first.”

The friend involved in Chen Yiming’s case was from a family with longstanding ties to his own. Their relationship had always been good. Though this friend lived in a highly private convalescent home, where outsiders weren’t usually admitted without permission, if Chen’s father spoke to them, they would surely make an exception.

While Chen Yiming stepped aside to call his father, Xie Qingfa sidled up to Ji Ningzhao and whispered, “Sister Ningzhao, don’t you actually have a way to get rid of what's haunting Yiming directly?”

Xie Qingfa had mulled it over these past days. Given Ji Ningzhao’s abilities, dispelling the yin energy clinging to Chen Yiming’s soul-lamp shouldn’t be difficult, so why bother with all these extra steps?

Ji Ningzhao glanced at him. Xie Qingfa shivered under her gaze, about to say he’d drop the subject, but Ji Ningzhao looked away and said meaningfully, “If you strike a snake and don’t kill it, you invite disaster.”

She could, of course, have simply dispersed the yin energy from Chen Yiming, thus fulfilling the Chen family’s request. But the malicious spirit behind it would still be at large, perhaps latching onto someone else, or even finding a way back to Chen Yiming.

Ji Ningzhao’s aim was to identify and deal with the entity at its root, in one decisive move.

Besides, a suspicion gnawed at her; she sensed there might be a deeper purpose behind all this.

But there was no need to explain that to Xie Qingfa.

Just then, Chen Yiming returned from his call. “Sister Ningzhao, Brother Xie, let’s go—my father has arranged everything with them.”

The friend involved was named Wen Ruyi. Wen’s father knew the Chen family had hired a powerful master to help Chen Yiming, and of course, if possible, he hoped someone could save his own son as well. After all, Wen Ruyi was only in his twenties; he couldn’t spend his whole life in a convalescent home.

This high-end facility was nothing like an ordinary institution. Nestled beside mountains and water, it resembled a holiday villa more than a sanatorium.

With arrangements in place, Ji Ningzhao was able to meet the young man rumored to have lost his sanity from fright.

Hospital tests indicated Wen Ruyi suffered from severe panic and anxiety, requiring treatment and rest, with the hope that he might recover one day. When he wasn’t having an episode, Wen Ruyi could communicate normally. Though he and Chen Yiming weren’t the closest of friends, the long-standing connection between their families made their relationship deeper than most casual acquaintances.

After introducing everyone, Wen Ruyi paused briefly when he saw Ji Ningzhao, but his upbringing was good—even if he was surprised, he quickly averted his eyes out of politeness.

Chen Yiming chatted with Wen Ruyi for a while. Though Wen had grown noticeably thinner, he seemed mentally stable, which eased Chen Yiming’s worries somewhat.

Wen Ruyi, however, gave a wry smile. “I don’t know if I’ll have to spend the rest of my life here.”

Chen Yiming tried to reassure him. “Don’t think like that. I was scared out of my wits not long ago myself. Look at me now—I’m fine. Once this is over, you’ll get better too.”

Wen Ruyi sighed deeply. “I certainly hope so.”

Truth be told, though Wen Ruyi had an older brother, he and this brother were born of the same mother, and he was cherished in the family—if not quite to the extent of Chen Yiming, still highly valued. His family had tried everything, sought out every master, but nothing had worked. Wen Ruyi had lost hope.

During their conversation, Ji Ningzhao watched Wen Ruyi intently.

He did look well, and his brow was not clouded with the muddy green-black she’d seen on Chen Yiming. Yet the two shoulder-lamps flickered unsteadily, and the black energy coiled around them was clearly of the same origin as that which haunted Chen Yiming.

Xie Qingfa, though unable to perceive as directly as Ji Ningzhao, could sense it too. He stole a glance at her, eyes questioning.

Ji Ningzhao gave him a slight nod, then turned to Wen Ruyi. “Mr. Wen, may I ask you a few questions that might be a bit intrusive?”

Until now, Wen Ruyi had assumed Xie Qingfa was the master the Chen family had hired. But seeing how things were, it was clear Ji Ningzhao was in charge.

“Of course,” he replied. Whoever was leading, Wen Ruyi wanted to be free of his affliction.

Ji Ningzhao considered for a moment before asking, “I’ve heard your symptoms involve severe hallucinations that occur at a fixed time each day. Could you tell me exactly when these episodes happen, and what you see during them?”

Wen Ruyi managed a bitter smile. “There’s no need to be so formal, Miss Ji. In front of you all, I’ll be honest. Even now, I don’t believe what I’m seeing is just a hallucination.”