Wang Yong stopped the car, and Shui Miao asked him to wait here, keeping an eye on the entrance of Jing Shui Village, as Jiang Zhihao and others should be arriving soon.
After Shui Miao got out of the car, he immediately used his mental power to summon Bai Feng.
After Bai Feng learned the situation, she went ahead to inspect the small building first.
When Shui Miao arrived at the small building, Bai Feng had finished her investigation and returned. She whispered to Shui Miao, “It seems a powerful Taoist practitioner has tampered with Old Master Lin. The soul on him is not a ghost, but the soul of a living person. Living souls have yang essence, which allows him to remain alive.”
“Let me go in and see.”
Eagerly, Shui Miao immediately turned and knocked on the door.
Lin Qing’er hurriedly ran out, “Who is it?”
“It’s me, Shui Miao.”
The gate opened, and when Lin Qing’er saw Shui Miao, her mood was complex. She hesitated slightly before quickly inviting Shui Miao inside.
Shui Miao said nothing and went straight upstairs after entering.
Lin Qing’er hurriedly went to the kitchen to turn off the stove and followed Shui Miao upstairs.
Old Master Lin was sitting on a reclining chair, tilting his head and looking toward the stairway. When he saw Shui Miao, a look of fear appeared on his face.
Shui Miao coldly stared at Old Master Lin and walked directly in front of him.
The two stared coldly at each other…
Seeing this scene, Lin Qing’er felt a slight chill run down her spine.
Suddenly, Shui Miao spoke, “Who are you?”
“…”
Lin Qing’er knew that Shui Miao practiced Taoist arts, and was quite skilled. Seeing his unusual behavior and hearing this question, combined with her father’s recent oddities, Lin Qing’er immediately suspected that her father might be possessed by something unclean. She was instantly terrified, covered her mouth, and took a few steps back.
Old Master Lin blinked his eyes, “Shui Miao, what do you mean? Don’t you recognize me anymore?”
“Pretending? Do you want to die?”
Suddenly, Bai Feng appeared, glaring at Old Master Lin.
“Ahh!”
Seeing someone suddenly materialize in front of her, although the person looked like a fairy, Lin Qing’er was still greatly startled.
“Don’t be afraid, little sister. I’m Bai, Shui Miao’s older sister. I won’t hurt you. Also, your dad has actually been dead for a while now. There’s a young man’s soul possessing your dad’s body. Do you want me to help you capture him?” Bai Feng smiled at Lin Qing’er, giving a warm and friendly feeling.
Seeing Bai Feng, Old Master Lin quickly began chanting incantations.
“The soul-returning spell… trying to escape?”
Suddenly frowning, Bai Feng extended her hand and grabbed the young man’s soul possessing Old Master Lin, holding him by the back of his neck like a chicken.
Under Bai Feng’s yin energy, Lin Qing’er saw a hazy figure appear before her.
This figure was very familiar to her.
He was her first love, the man who had been appearing in her dreams recently, urging her to commit suicide so they could be together in the afterlife.
“How could it be you?”
Lin Qing’er finally recognized the soul.
From the moment Bai Feng appeared, Shui Miao had closed his eyes, concentrating his mind to sense the soul’s memories. After getting a general understanding, Shui Miao slowly opened his eyes, sighed deeply, and said, “What a heartless fraud! For money, he actually plotted such a scheme!” Shui Miao frowned deeply, looked at Bai Feng, gently waved his hand, and coldly said, “Bai, let him go first. His real body and the mastermind are nearby. I will go capture them myself.”
“Alright then.”
As Bai Feng released her grip, the young man’s soul immediately disappeared.
He had recited the soul-returning spell. If Bai Feng hadn’t been holding him, he would have escaped already.
Wang Yong brought the car to a halt. Shui Miao instructed him to wait there and keep an eye on the entrance of Jingshui Village, as Jiang Zhihao and the others were expected to arrive soon.
After getting out of the car, Shui Miao immediately communicated telepathically, summoning Bai Feng.
Upon understanding the situation, Bai Feng went ahead to investigate the small building.
As Shui Miao approached the building, Bai Feng returned from her reconnaissance and whispered to him, “It seems a powerful Taoist has tampered with Old Master Lin. The soul inhabiting his body isn’t that of a ghost but a living person’s soul. Since a living soul possesses yang energy, it allows him to continue living.”
“Let me go in and see.”
Unable to wait any longer, Shui Miao turned and knocked on the door.
Lin Qing’er hurriedly ran out. “Who is it?”
“It’s me, Shui Miao.”
The door opened, and Lin Qing’er saw Shui Miao. Her emotions were mixed, and after a slight hesitation, she quickly invited him inside.
Without wasting words, Shui Miao entered and went straight up to the second floor.
Lin Qing’er rushed to the kitchen to turn off the stove before following him upstairs.
Old Master Lin was sitting in a recliner, his head tilted as he looked toward the staircase. When he saw Shui Miao, a trace of fear flickered across his face.
Shui Miao, on the other hand, stared coldly at the old man and walked directly up to him.
The two locked eyes in a chilly standoff…
Witnessing this scene, Lin Qing’er felt a slight chill run down her spine.
Suddenly, Shui Miao spoke. “Who are you?”
“…”
Lin Qing’er knew Shui Miao was skilled in Taoist arts, and deeply so. Seeing him act so unusually and ask such a question, combined with her father’s recent odd behavior, she suddenly realized that her father might be possessed by something unclean. Terrified, she covered her mouth and took two steps back.
Old Master Lin blinked. “Shui Miao, what do you mean? Don’t you recognize me?”
“Stop pretending. Do you have a death wish?”
Suddenly, Bai Feng materialized, glaring angrily at Old Master Lin.
“Ah!”
Though the person who appeared out of thin air looked like a fairy, Lin Qing’er was still startled.
“Don’t be afraid, sister. I’m Shui Miao’s friend, Bai Feng. I won’t harm you. Also, your father has been dead for a while now. There’s a young man’s soul possessing his body. Should I help you pull it out?” Bai Feng smiled warmly at Lin Qing’er, exuding a comforting and亲切 presence.
Seeing Bai Feng, Old Master Lin immediately began muttering incantations.
“Returning Soul Curse… trying to escape?”
Bai Feng frowned, reached out, and grabbed the young man’s soul from Old Master Lin’s body by the scruff of its neck, as if handling a chick.
Under the influence of Bai Feng’s yin energy, Lin Qing’er saw a faint, blurry figure materialize before her.
This figure was all too familiar to Lin Qing’er.
It was her first love. Lately, this man’s soul had been appearing in her dreams, urging her to commit suicide so they could be together in the afterlife.
“How could it be you?”
Lin Qing’er finally recognized the soul.
From the moment Bai Feng appeared, Shui Miao had closed his eyes, focusing his intent to sense the memories of the soul. After grasping the general situation, he slowly opened his eyes and let out a long sigh. “What a emotional deceiver! For money, he actually orchestrated such an elaborate scheme!” Shui Miao frowned deeply, then glanced at Bai Feng and waved his hand lightly. “Bai Feng, let him go for now. His real body and the mastermind are nearby. I’ll go catch them myself.”
“Alright.”
As soon as Bai Feng released her grip, the young man’s soul vanished.
He had been reciting the Returning Soul Curse; if not for Bai Feng holding him, he would have escaped long ago.
“Shui Miao, sister, you two talk. I’ll go deal with that expert first.” Not wanting to be a third wheel, Bai Feng quickly used Earth Escape and left.
“Shui Miao, what exactly is going on?”
Lin Qing’er glanced at her father. Old Master Lin lay motionless in the recliner, now truly deceased. Perhaps because she knew her father had already passed, Lin Qing’er felt not a shred of sorrow. Instead, she gripped Shui Miao’s arm, feeling scared, panicked, and utterly lost.
“Don’t be afraid, Sister Lin. I’m here. Let’s go catch them first.” Shui Miao took a deep breath, grasped Lin Qing’er’s hand, and led her outside. As they walked, he explained what he had discovered. “That young man’s real name is Lin Tao. From sensing his memories, I found out he’s actually your uncle Lin Ronghai’s illegitimate son. Your uncle Lin Ronghai went to great lengths to seize your father’s assets. He even had Lin Tao disguise himself to get close to you. You fell for it and were kept in the dark about their scheme. You thought he was dead, but he wasn’t. They used this relationship to drive a wedge between you and your father, so they could exploit the situation. But they didn’t expect your father to divide the assets into three parts: one donated, one for your brother, and one for you. Since you’re the most vulnerable, they started targeting you. They colluded with an evil practitioner to have Lin Tao’s soul possess your father and used dark arts to haunt your dreams every night, trying to push you to commit suicide early. Then they planned to forge a will to transfer all your assets to themselves.”
After saying all this in one breath, Shui Miao pulled Lin Qing’er along the village’s north-south road, quickly heading north.
Lin Qing’er was shocked and found it hard to believe.
But deep down, she chose to believe Shui Miao’s words because she did have a good-for-nothing uncle, though she knew nothing about Lin Tao.
About three hundred meters north stood another small building.
At that moment, a Taoist priest in robes, holding a peach wood sword, rushed out of the house. He appeared to be in his fifties, with a mustache and one dog-like eye. He swung his sword left and right, engaged in combat with Bai Feng.
Shortly after, five more people rushed out of the house: besides two young Taoists, there were two men and one woman. The men were an old and a young one—the old man had graying hair and was around sixty, while the young one was only about twenty-seven or twenty-eight.
Shui Miao arrived at the front of the house with Lin Qing’er just as these people emerged.
An elderly Taoist and two younger ones were besieging Bai Feng.
Suddenly, Shui Miao saw the old Taoist wave his hand, and a beam of white light flashed through the air, striking Bai Feng. Hit by the light, Bai Feng cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.
“Haha! Die!”
Seizing the advantage, the old Taoist pressed forward relentlessly, thrusting his peach wood sword at Bai Feng, aiming to kill her.
At the critical moment, the old Taoist’s peach wood sword suddenly caught fire. The flames quickly engulfed the sword and then spread to his robes. Terrified, he dropped the sword and threw off his burning robes. His two disciples rushed to help put out the fire.
Shui Miao stepped forward with a cold demeanor, retrieving Bai Feng into the Sacred Yuan Ring to allow her to recover.
“…”
Beside him, Lin Qing’er was stunned. She looked at the two men and one woman, tears welling in her eyes as she shook her head in disbelief.
The old man was her uncle, Lin Ronghai.
The young woman was Lin Ronghai’s daughter, Lin Feiyan.
The young man was Lin Tao, the first love she had been pining for and worrying about all this time.
Seeing Shui Miao and Lin Qing’er, Lin Ronghai suddenly barked coldly at Lin Tao, “Tao’er, things have come to this. There’s no need to hesitate anymore. Kill them for me.”
“Alright!”
Lin Tao immediately drew a pistol from his person and aimed it at Shui Miao.
Shui Miao closed his eyes.
The three Taoists exchanged glances and stepped back, afraid of getting blood on their clothes.
Lin Qing’er quickly stepped in front of Shui Miao, crying to Lin Tao, “Tell me this isn’t true. This isn’t true…”
“Sister Qing’er, I’m sorry, but it’s all true. I am your younger brother, not the fool you once loved. All I desire is what rightfully belongs to my father. So I’ll give you one final opportunity: either surrender the money to my father, or both of you will perish here.” Lin Tao’s voice was cold and unwavering.
Suddenly, Shui Miao opened his eyes, having gleaned some of Lin Ronghai’s memories.
He pulled Lin Qing’er away from in front of him, shook his head slightly at Lin Tao, and then turned to Lin Ronghai. “Lin Ronghai, you’re truly deranged, worse than a beast. Do you remember when you were very young, you stole your mother’s bracelet and framed your younger brother for it?”
“Uh…”
Hearing this, Lin Ronghai was shaken. This was his secret, and no one else knew about it.
Shui Miao glared coldly at Lin Ronghai and continued, “Your character is despicable. When you were young, you often spied on your stepmother while she bathed and stole her undergarments. At thirteen, you began associating with thugs, engaging in all sorts of unsavory activities. Later, you became addicted to gambling, frequently stealing money from home to gamble and then framing your younger siblings for it. You even caused your sister to be beaten to death by your father, yet you felt no remorse or guilt. Eventually, you killed someone for money and ended up in prison. Your brother, who had achieved success in his career, spent money to secure your release. Instead of repaying his kindness, you bit the hand that fed you, meticulously plotting to seize your brother’s assets. You even deceived your own son and daughter, telling them that your brother had stolen your财产, turning these innocent children into your accomplices. In your eyes, family means nothing. If someone offered you ten million, you wouldn’t hesitate to kill your own flesh and blood.”
“Nonsense! You demon, spouting filth! Tao’er, kill him!”
Lin Ronghai became somewhat hysterical.
Lin Tao immediately pointed the gun at Shui Miao’s head, ready to shoot.
But Shui Miao turned to look at Lin Tao, sensing the changes in his heart. He realized that this Lin Tao was just as ruthless and cruel as his father!
Lin Tao panicked. He tried to pull the trigger but found he couldn’t.
“Indeed, like father, like son. The father is a beast, and the son is a brute.” Shui Miao felt a deep sense of despair toward Lin Tao. He had hoped that Lin Tao might possess some shred of conscience, but he found none, as Lin Tao was solely fixated on killing for wealth. Therefore, Shui Miao used his willpower to forcefully take control of Lin Tao’s mind and body, compelling him to slowly turn the gun toward Lin Ronghai. Through Lin Tao’s mouth, he coldly declared, “Old beast, evil deeds bring retribution. Today, I will act on behalf of heaven, first killing you, then obliterating your soul!”
“Bang!”
A gunshot rang out.
“Whoosh!”
However, just as Shui Miao was using all his mental strength to control Lin Tao into killing his father, the dog-eyed Taoist launched a sneak attack, hurling a glowing talisman at Shui Miao!
“Shui Miao, what exactly is going on?”
Lin Qing’er looked at her father, who was now lying motionless on the reclining chair—this time, he was truly dead. Perhaps because she knew her father had been dead all along, Lin Qing’er felt no sadness at all. She grabbed Shui Miao’s arm, feeling scared, panicked, and lost.
“Don’t be afraid, Lin Qing’er. I’m here. Let’s go catch them first.” Taking a deep breath, Shui Miao grabbed Lin Qing’er’s hand and pulled her outside, explaining what he had learned from the soul’s memories as they walked, “This young man’s real name is Lin Tao. I sensed his memories just now. He’s actually the illegitimate son of your uncle Lin Ronghai. Your uncle wanted your father’s fortune so badly that he went to great lengths. He even had Lin Tao pretend to be someone else to get close to you. You fell for it, completely unaware of their scheme. You thought he died, but he didn’t. He used your relationship to create discord between you and your father, so they could take advantage of the situation. However, they didn’t expect your father to divide his fortune into three parts—donating one, giving one to your brother, and leaving one to you. Since you were the weakest, they turned their attention to you. They colluded with evil people to have Lin Tao’s soul possess your father’s body and used dark magic to appear in your dreams every night, trying to push you to commit suicide so they could forge a will and take over your share of the inheritance.”
Shui Miao finished explaining in one breath, pulling Lin Qing’er quickly northward along the village’s main road.
Lin Qing’er was shocked and found it hard to believe.
But deep down, she chose to believe Shui Miao, because she indeed had an unworthy uncle, although she didn’t know about Lin Tao’s story.
About 300 meters north was a small building.
At this moment, an old man in a Taoist robe, holding a peach-wood sword, with a mustache and one eye resembling a dog’s eye, rushed out of the house. Wielding his sword left and right, he was fighting Bai Feng.
Then, five more people rushed out of the house—besides two young Taoists, there were two men and one woman. The older man had gray hair and was around sixty, while the younger man was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight.
Shui Miao and Lin Qing’er ran to the front of the house just in time to see them coming out.
An old Taoist, two young Taoists—they were surrounding Bai Feng together.
Suddenly, Shui Miao saw the old Taoist wave his hand, and a white light flashed through the air, hitting Bai Feng directly. Bai Feng screamed in pain and fell to the ground.
“Haha! Die!”
The old Taoist seized the opportunity, relentlessly advancing, and thrust his peach-wood sword directly at Bai Feng, aiming to kill her.
At this critical moment, the Taoist’s sword suddenly caught fire. Flames quickly engulfed his sword and then his Taoist robe, scaring him into dropping the sword, tearing off his robe, and throwing it to the ground. His two apprentices hurriedly helped him put out the fire.
Shui Miao calmly stepped forward and returned Bai Feng to the Shengyuan Ring to heal.
“…”
Beside him, Lin Qing’er was stunned. Looking at the two men and one woman, she couldn’t help shaking her head tearfully.
The older man was her uncle, Lin Ronghai.
The young woman was Lin Ronghai’s daughter, Lin Feiyan.
The young man was Lin Tao himself, the first love Lin Qing’er had longed for so deeply.
Seeing Shui Miao and Lin Qing’er, Lin Ronghai suddenly shouted coldly at Lin Tao, “Tao, since it’s come to this, there’s no need to hesitate anymore. Kill them!”
“Alright!”
Lin Tao immediately pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Shui Miao.
Shui Miao closed his eyes!
The three Taoists looked at each other and stepped back, afraid their robes would get stained with blood.
Lin Qing’er quickly stood in front of Shui Miao and cried out to Lin Tao, “Tell me this isn’t real… this can’t be real…”
“Qing’er, I’m sorry. It’s all true. I’m your brother, not the fool you loved. All I want is what my father deserves. So I’ll give you one last chance: either give the money to my father, or both of you will die here.” Lin Tao’s tone was cold and resolute.
Suddenly, Shui Miao opened his eyes, having already accessed some of Lin Ronghai’s memories.
Shui Miao pulled Lin Qing’er aside, shook his head slightly at Lin Tao, and turned to glare at Lin Ronghai, saying, “Lin Ronghai, you’re truly heartless, worse than a beast. Do you remember when you were little, you stole your mother’s bracelet and framed your younger brother?”
“Er…”
Hearing this, Lin Ronghai’s heart trembled—this was a secret he thought no one else knew.
Shui Miao glared coldly at Lin Ronghai and continued, “You’ve always had a despicable character. As a child, you often spied on your stepmother while she bathed and stole her underwear. At thirteen, you started hanging out with hooligans, committing petty crimes every day. Later, you became addicted to gambling, stealing money from home to gamble and framing your younger siblings. This even led to your sister being beaten to death by your father. Yet you felt no guilt at all. Later, you committed murder for money and went to jail. Your brother, who later became successful, paid to get you out, but instead of being grateful, you repaid kindness with malice, scheming to seize your brother’s fortune. You even deceived your son and daughter, telling them your brother took everything from you, making these innocent children your accomplices. In your eyes, family means nothing. If someone offered you ten million, you wouldn’t hesitate to kill your own flesh and blood.”
“Lies! You’re just a demon spewing nonsense! Tao, kill him!”
Lin Ronghai became hysterical.
Lin Tao immediately pointed the gun at Shui Miao’s head, ready to pull the trigger.
But Shui Miao turned his head to look at Lin Tao, sensing his inner thoughts, and realized that Lin Tao was just as ruthless and heartless as his father!
Lin Tao panicked. He tried to pull the trigger but couldn’t move his finger.
“Indeed, a nest of vipers! The father is a beast, the son a monster.” Shui Miao felt despair toward Lin Tao. He had hoped Lin Tao might have some conscience, but instead, Lin Tao had no conscience at all, only thinking of murder and seizing property. So Shui Miao forcibly used his mental power to control Lin Tao’s mind and body, making Lin Tao slowly turn the gun toward Lin Ronghai. Through Lin Tao’s mouth, Shui Miao coldly said, “Old beast, evil deeds bring retribution. Today, I’ll act on Heaven’s behalf, first killing your body, then destroying your soul!”
Bang!
Whoosh!
However, just as Shui Miao was fully concentrating his mental power to control Lin Tao to kill his father, the old Taoist with the dog’s eye suddenly launched a sneak attack, throwing a glowing talisman at Shui Miao!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage