Underworld Emissary

The bizarre scene left everyone present stunned. The Zhao family had been involved in feng shui for so many years and had seen all sorts of things, but the sight before them left them speechless for a long time.

Old Man Zhao's eyeballs rolled up, leaving only white visible. His fingers, thin as bamboo sticks, resembled chicken claws and trembled as if trying to snatch a life.

I had already concluded that Old Man Zhao was dead. His Lingering Spirit had left his body, his lifespan was gone, and the Underworld Emissary would probably come to take his soul soon.

But I noticed the Lingering Spirit near Old Man Zhao's body had a heavier concentration of Yin energy. It seemed something was coming to claim him. The Underworld Emissary carried a Lingering Spirit with a Yin-world talisman, so even with Yin-Yang eyes, it was different from a regular Lingering Spirit, its color slightly lighter.

The Lingering Spirit that arrived this time looked like a little old man, but he stayed far away, afraid to approach, shrinking to the side. Even his own Lingering Spirit was unstable.

The strength of a Underworld Emissary was not much different from other dead people's Lingering Spirits. Most were assigned tasks by the Yin world, so tasks like soul-snatching were very dangerous. If they encountered a Lingering Spirit with deep resentment, they could even be backlashed, making it difficult to return.

If someone deliberately placed a Ghost Repelling Talisman or two, it wouldn't even dare to snatch a soul. It could only stare, waiting for an opportunity. The little old man who came to snatch the soul was probably in this situation.

Moreover, don't expect Black and White Impermanence, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, or anyone like that to help. What were their statuses? Unless ordered from above, ordinary people couldn't possibly move them.

However, the Yin world had been around for a long time. With so many Lingering Spirits consumed, they weren't inflexible. Most of those sent to snatch souls had a past connection with the person whose soul was to be snatched, such as deceased relatives or friends.

When the person whose soul was to be snatched saw a familiar face, their soul would follow. This method had always worked. That's why the elderly had heavy Yin energy before death. Upon seeing their ancestors beckon, they would mumble their names, saying someone they knew had come to pick them up, and soon after, the person would pass away.

The old man hiding by the bed was either Old Man Zhao's ancestor or a sworn brother.

Of course, those who died with strong killing intent wouldn't care who the incoming Lingering Spirit was. They would directly retaliate. Those who killed Underworld Emissarys, without any Yin world introduction, would become wandering spirits or become earth-bound spirits that harmed people. Some particularly fierce ones, after absorbing enough vital energy, would transform into fierce ghosts, making them difficult to deal with.

The Yin world had many affairs and couldn't afford to consume so many Lingering Spirits. Generally, if they couldn't snatch a soul on the first try, they wouldn't bother anymore. After all, if they couldn't get it the first time, sending another Underworld Emissary would likely mean they couldn't find the wandering Lingering Spirit. If they encountered a fierce ghost, it would be a complete loss. They wouldn't do that.

Of course, Underworld Emissarys had records in the Yin world. If an important Underworld Emissary was killed by someone deliberately, it would be a huge problem.

My Spirit Communication Talisman had lost its effect long ago. I had thought of several reasons why I could still see ghosts these past few days, and finally concluded that it might be due to my own heavy Yin energy.

I couldn't see them before because Sister Wife was here. Now, she seemed to have expended a great deal of energy, so I had reverted to seeing ghosts like when I was a child. Moreover, on the way back from Kang Long Village, I almost got possessed by a ghost, didn't I? This was enough to prove it.

The Underworld Emissary hesitated to come, leaving Old Man Zhao's Lingering Spirit bewildered, watching his own body thrash about without any reaction.

"Zhao Qian, quickly go and remove those Ghost Exorcism Talismans!" I urged.

Everyone thought Old Man Zhao was not dead, but now that he was, the Ghost Exorcism Talismans could very well scatter his new soul. Seeing his Lingering Spirit was unstable, I didn't care why his physical body was still moving.

Zhao Qian didn't react immediately, but Old Lady Zhao panicked first. She didn't believe her husband of decades would die at this moment. Seeing Old Man Zhao thrashing wildly and even standing up, she instinctively ran over to see what was happening.

I frowned, but it was too late to stop her. Old Lady Zhao rushed over to embrace Old Man Zhao.

Old Man Zhao seemed not to recognize her at all. His chicken-claw-like hand grabbed her neck before she could get close, squeezing with all his might!

Old Lady Zhao couldn't breathe, and like Old Man Zhao, her tongue was sticking out!

"Grandpa! Grandma!" Zhao Qian cried out, forgetting my words and only wanting to pull them apart.

I immediately ran to hold Zhao Qian back tightly, not wanting her to get hurt.

Seeing me and Zhao Qian at the bedside, Zhao Xi, Zhao Yuan, Zhao Zhou, and other relatives reacted and rushed over.

However, before they could get close, they heard the sound of bones snapping. Old Lady Zhao had broken Old Man Zhao's hand!

Old Lady Zhao had been a leader in the Red Guard's martial arts faction back then. The Zhao family was largely spared persecution because of her. Even now, she was still very strong. Her strength far surpassed Old Man Zhao's, and coupled with his osteoporosis and calcium deficiency, a simple twist was enough to break his hand.

Old Man Zhao's one hand hung limply, while the other still tightly choked Old Lady Zhao. His unkempt nails dug into her neck, drawing blood.

Old Lady Zhao became fierce. Seeing her two sons and daughter hadn't rushed over yet, she yelled, "What are you standing around for! Save me! You ungrateful wretches! Can't you see your father is choking me to death!"

A group of people immediately pounced, pinning Old Man Zhao down. Old Man Zhao struggled continuously, muttering incomprehensible gibberish.

Old Man Zhao was indeed dead, and his Lingering Spirit was about to disappear. These people still thought Old Man Zhao was alive. I shook my head and, amidst the chaos, collected two Ghost Exorcism Talismans and a Calming Talisman. I then silently returned to my original position. Although I could draw talismans, Layman Shengyun's were clearly better than mine, and their effects were much stronger. It would be foolish not to take them.

Without the Ghost Exorcism Talismans, the Underworld Emissary's Lingering Spirit stabilized and took Old Man Zhao away. Old Man Zhao showed no resentment for his death and left obediently. I felt like I understood something, but couldn't quite grasp it.

Instead, the old master brought by Zhao Zhou glanced at me, a hint of surprise in his eyes. I glared back, frowning: Old bastard, if you could see, why didn't you come and take these cursed talismans? Don't think I'll consider you a good person again. And I haven't even settled the score with you for cursing my Zhao Qian yet! You'd better not let me catch you!

The old master seemed to have read my mind and no longer looked at me, standing calmly by the side.

"Old Mr. Zhao has passed away..." Layman Shengyun sighed, glancing at Zhao Xi.

Zhao Xi froze on the spot: "How could this be... How could this be? Didn't you cast the Calming Talisman and the Ghost Exorcism Talisman! How could my father still be possessed?"

"No... Oh no! My Ghost Exorcism Talismans will scatter the old gentleman's new soul!" Layman Shengyun wasn't a bad person, but he hadn't encountered many fierce ghosts and lacked combat experience. He had forgotten about this crucial detail in his haste and was now covered in cold sweat.

"My heavens! You damned old nine-bearded fool! Bring back my old man's soul!"

Upon hearing that not only was he dead, but his soul was about to be lost, everyone's eyes turned fierce. Old Lady Zhao burst into tears. If his soul was gone, he couldn't be reborn, and reincarnation would be impossible. Old Lady Zhao's eyes turned green, and she grabbed a broom, swinging it at Layman Shengyun's nose.

Layman Shengyun's nose bled profusely, but clinging to a sliver of hope, he couldn't afford to make another mistake. However, when he ran to the bedside, he saw that several talismans were gone, which immediately astonished him.

"The talisman paper... is gone!" Layman Shengyun stammered. It had been there just moments ago.

I remained silent. After all, I was like a philanthropist, doing good deeds without seeking recognition. I wouldn't tell them.

Without Yin-Yang eyes, and without burning incense, they couldn't see the faint Lingering Spirit. Unless other people's Yin energy was as heavy as mine, they couldn't see it. Therefore, including Layman Shengyun and the others, none of them saw that Old Man Zhao's soul had already been snatched and taken to the Yin world.

"Get lost! Get the hell out of here! You killed my father! I'll burn down your Sanxian Temple one of these days!" Zhao Zhou was furious and kicked Layman Shengyun's backside. The other relatives looked indignant. If Old Man Zhao hadn't been struggling so fiercely, they might have even beaten Layman Shengyun's disciples.

"Brother! Look at the kind of people you hired! They're all about ghosts and spirits! Our father must have been harmed by his rituals. And he dares to say Dad is dead? Isn't he blind to be lying like this!" Zhao Yuan chased after Layman Shengyun with Old Lady Zhao's broom, wanting to beat him while he was down, but was stopped by several relatives.

Layman Shengyun shook his head and gave a wry smile. He had originally wanted to help Old Man Zhao drive away the fierce ghost possessing him, but now, it seemed staying would only lead to his death. He sadly led his disciples and fled.

Zhao Xi had no choice but to watch Zhao Zhou kick Layman Shengyun away, stunned. Now, not only had she not gained the title of Family Head, but her father was also dead. The Zhao family was about to undergo a major change!

Old Man Zhao was definitely dead, and his body had been possessed by a fierce ghost. There was little room for doubt. I could have asked the little fierce ghost to deal with the possessing ghost, but what I couldn't figure out was when the fierce ghost possessed him from the start. Otherwise, I could have stopped it before Old Man Zhao was possessed.

"You took the paper talismans... then Grandpa's soul..." Zhao Qian looked at me tearfully. Grandpa had doted on her since she was little and even taught her the ancestral feng shui techniques passed down only to males. Therefore, at home, she was the little princess everyone envied.

"Your grandfather was very kind. He went to the underworld safely and will be reincarnated," I said to comfort her. Although I didn't know what would happen to Old Man Zhao in the underworld, saying this would make Zhao Qian less sad. Perhaps his spirit in heaven would agree with me.

Zhao Qian immediately started crying, wanting to go see her grandfather, but I grabbed her. "There's still something on him. Wait until Master Wu over there deals with you before you go."

I had saved Zhao Qian's grandfather's soul, and she now trusted me implicitly. I hadn't acted for my own reasons, so she watched on, wiping away her tears.

"Too much time has passed. Brother Zhao is already gone. The dead cannot be brought back to life. Little sister, you must accept your grief. What the children are holding now is only Brother Zhao's body; he is no longer inside. Do you understand, little sister?" The old master walked in. He hadn't brought any disciples, only a satchel. He looked like an immortal, and his words were certain, making people have no choice but to believe him.

"Brother Wu... Brother Zhenghua, since the old man is dead, please just take a look and see what needs to be done. I truly regret not having you come sooner. I originally wanted you to stabilize the situation, to deal with things after the children couldn't, but I never expected to be harmed so badly by two children with no real skills..." Old Madam Zhao immediately started crying, glaring at Zhao Yuan and Zhao Xi in between sobs, her blame evident. The monk brought by her third daughter had caused trouble all day, nearly killing the old man. As for Layman Shengyun, brought by her eldest son, he was even more troublesome than Monk Jishi, directly causing his own father's death.

If she had known earlier, she should have trusted the Wu family's Taoist master, Master Wu Zhenghua.