Strength Creates Miracles

The infant wrapped in the cloth struggled incessantly, trying to break free. But in the face of Su Qianqian's sorcery, all its efforts were in vain.

Ning Xiu walked over to Su Qianqian and asked curiously, "My lady, what kind of malevolent spirit is this? I've never read about it in the Compendium of Demons and Evil Spirits."

Su Qianqian replied, "It's a Grievance Yin Fetus. It's formed from a fetus that condensed into human shape within a woman's body but didn't fully form. The birth condition requires the mother to die and be discarded in a place of yin energy for a Grievance Yin Fetus to possibly appear, but the chance is extremely small. It's considered a low-tier malevolent spirit."

Hearing Su Qianqian's words, Ning Xiu felt a sense of strangeness. "My lady, could it be that malevolent spirits have ranks?"

"Of course. Demonic entities and malevolent spirits are divided into nine ranks. Those like this Grievance Yin Fetus, formless and bodiless, are considered low-tier. The malevolent spirits in the Huang Zone that you executed in the Demon Subduing Prison before were mostly Ninth or Eighth Rank ones that had completed their formation."

"What about the malevolent spirits in the Xuan Zone?" Ning Xiu asked.

"That place mostly detains Seventh and Sixth Rank ones. Anything above Fifth Rank has to be sent to the regional prisons, otherwise, they can't be subdued."

Ning Xiu was speechless. It was only then that he realized how much of a benefit it had been for him to be an Executioner in the Demon Subduing Prison.

Malevolent spirits of Sixth and Seventh Rank were like chickens and ducks, left to his slaughter. Outside the Demon Subduing Prison, that would be absolutely impossible.

It's just a shame that the past is like smoke. Those good old days where he could get Universal Proficiency for free were gone forever.

Looking at the constantly squirming cloth bundle, Ning Xiu said, "My lady, how do you plan to deal with this Grievance Yin Fetus? Do you need me to handle it?"

Although the Grievance Yin Fetus was a low-tier malevolent spirit, it could still bring him Universal Proficiency. No matter how small the amount, Ning Xiu didn't want to miss it.

But Su Qianqian stopped him, "No rush. The real hidden danger hasn't appeared yet. Be ready to act."

Seeing Su Qianqian's serious expression, Ning Xiu dared not be negligent. Could there be other malevolent spirits besides this Grievance Yin Fetus?

"Wah! Wah! Wah!"

The Grievance Yin Fetus, trapped inside the cloth bundle, struggled incessantly. Its cries were so loud they could be heard clearly outside the house. The Yun Heng family members exchanged puzzled glances, their expressions full of confusion.

Where was this infant's crying coming from?

Suddenly, a gust of yin wind swept through the courtyard, and the door to Ning Xiu's room was directly pushed open from the outside. A fierce wind surged in, causing the entire room to whistle and howl.

Candlesticks, fruit plates, and tea sets all tumbled from the table, clattering noisily.

Blocking his face with his arms, Ning Xiu's gaze fell upon the female corpse that had long been hanging from the beam. From within it, a woman in a white dress, her feet three feet off the ground, silently emerged.

Her long hair reached her waist, obscuring her entire face, making it impossible to see her true features. However, the sharp claws on her ten fingers were enough to indicate that this woman was by no means simple.

"There really is another malevolent spirit!" Ning Xiu exclaimed inwardly.

"I didn't explain it in detail earlier. The chance of a Grievance Yin Fetus appearing is very small, but once it does, it means the mother who failed to give birth to it will also turn into a vengeful spirit. This is the 'Resentful Yin Woman.' Grievance Yin Fetuses and Resentful Yin Women always act together. If you see one, the other is definitely nearby."

The moment the door was blown open from the outside, Su Qianqian retreated three steps, positioning herself directly behind Ning Xiu. "This malevolent spirit is for you to deal with. Let me see your true strength."

It had formed a solid body, visible to the naked eye. It was a Ninth Rank malevolent spirit, just as Su Qianqian had mentioned.

Ning Xiu immediately became serious. At the same time, the Resentful Yin Woman leaped up and struck towards the crown of Ning Xiu's head with her palm.

The Resentful Yin Woman's long hair swayed in the wind. At this moment, Ning Xiu finally saw the face hidden beneath her hair.

He hadn't expected it to be a delicate-looking young lady.

Bang!

Catching the Resentful Yin Woman's palm, Ning Xiu abruptly dragged her over, pressed one palm against the back of her head, and forcefully slammed her head towards the ground.

Giving the malevolent spirit no time to react, he channeled all his Internal Energy into his palms and began a rapid barrage of punches against the Resentful Yin Woman's body.

In less than a few moments, the ground was covered in cracks, and a concavity was forcefully blasted beneath the Resentful Yin Woman.

The impact of this pile-driver-like assault stunned Su Qianqian, who was watching from the side. In her more than four years of joining the Demon Subduing Bureau, she had never seen any newcomer deal with malevolent spirits like this.

Didn't you cultivate the martial path?

Where were the martial arts punches? The leg techniques? The weapons?

After enduring dozens of Ning Xiu's punches, the Resentful Yin Woman was on the verge of death. In her dying moments, she turned her head to look at the Grievance Yin Fetus, still crying inside the cloth bundle. A tear inexplicably rolled down from the corner of her eye.

The moment the tear fell to the ground, it transformed into a white pearl.

Upon seeing the pearl form, Su Qianqian exclaimed in surprise, "Ghost Tear!"

With Ning Xiu's final punch, the Resentful Yin Woman completely ceased to move.

[Killed Malevolent Spirit, Universal Proficiency +700]

"My lady, what is a Ghost Tear?" Ning Xiu asked, picking up the pearl.

Su Qianqian looked astonished. "Malevolent spirits are devoid of emotion, hence they rarely shed tears. Witnessing it even once is considered extremely fortunate. When a malevolent spirit sheds tears, they transform into a very rare treasure. If Ghost Tears are added to the crafting of weapons or magical artifacts, they significantly enhance their power. I've been a Demon Subduing Captain for four years, and I've never seen a Ghost Tear form. You have quite good luck."

"Is that so?" Ning Xiu nodded and handed the Ghost Tear to Su Qianqian. "Then, my lady, I'll give this treasure to you. If you hadn't brought me here today, I wouldn't have encountered this."

Su Qianqian was somewhat tempted, but she remembered that Ning Xiu was the newcomer she had personally selected, and the Ghost Tear was produced because he dealt with the Resentful Yin Woman.

As his superior, how could she so readily accept her subordinate's fortune?

No, I should politely refuse first. If he offers it again, I'll accept it graciously. Su Qianqian thought to herself, already mentally planning a whole process of polite refusal.

"My lady?" Seeing Su Qianqian's lack of reaction, Ning Xiu looked puzzled.

"No need. The appearance of the Ghost Tear is your merit. If I had dealt with this Resentful Yin Woman, the outcome might have been entirely different. Keep it for yourself." After saying this, Su Qianqian inwardly rejoiced. Her image as a good superior was firmly established. Now, all she needed was for Ning Xiu to make another polite offer, and it would be a perfect conclusion.

"Alright, thank you, my lady." Ning Xiu pocketed the Ghost Tear, patting his clothes with satisfaction.

"Hmm... Huh?" Su Qianqian blinked in surprise. Why is he thanking me so readily?

The commotion in the house abruptly ceased. Yun Heng and his family, who had been waiting outside, finally gathered the courage to enter.

"Your Excellencies, what was the cause of my son's death?"

"Ah! It was a Malevolent Spirit!"

"How could there be a Malevolent Spirit in our house? It must have killed my brother."

Upon seeing the Resentful Yin Woman lying dead on the ground, killed by Ning Xiu, the crowd erupted, arguing incessantly.

Ning Xiu shouted, "All of you, shut up."

The Yun Heng family immediately fell silent, not daring to speak further.

"I ask you, have you seen this woman?" Ning Xiu asked, lifting the Resentful Yin Woman's long hair to reveal her delicate face.

A woman standing beside Yun Heng's face contorted in shock. "Isn't this that..."

Before she could finish, Yun Heng's wife quickly reached out and covered the woman's mouth, not wanting her to say more.

Yun Heng couldn't help but wipe his forehead. "Sir, we don't know her."

"Heh!" Ning Xiu was amused. Did they think he was stupid? Yun Heng had a daughter and two sons, and that woman was the wife of his eldest son. Judging by her reaction, she clearly recognized the Resentful Yin Woman.

Yun Heng's deliberate concealment suggested some unspeakable dealings behind the scenes.

Just as Ning Xiu was preparing to use intimidation to force the family to reveal the truth, Su Qianqian finally emerged from her distress over the Ghost Tear.

"A Resentful Yin Woman has the ability to possess a woman's body. Once formed, it will try its best to take revenge on its killer through any means possible. If I'm not mistaken, this woman was killed by your youngest son in her previous life."

Su Qianqian picked up the cloth bundle containing the Grievance Yin Fetus and said, "You'd better tell me the truth now so I can record the case file. If you refuse to talk to me, the authorities will come and escort you to the yamen."

The Demon Subduing Bureau was only responsible for slaying demons and eradicating evil. Deception, fraud, murder, plunder, and lust were outside their jurisdiction; other relevant personnel would handle those matters.

As for whether the methods would be gentle or cruel, Su Qianqian had no idea.

Upon hearing the word "yamen," Yun Heng trembled all over. He could no longer maintain his composure and immediately knelt down, kowtowing. "Sir, I was wrong. It's all my fault for indulging my unruly son too much, causing him to take a life. If there is any crime, let me bear it all, and do not implicate my family."

Under the watchful eyes of Ning Xiu and Su Qianqian, Yun Heng confessed everything he knew.

Huang Lu was originally a weaver at the Yun Family Cloth Shop. Because of her delicate and lovely appearance, she caught the eye of Yun Hao, Yun Heng's youngest son. Before any proper marriage ceremony, Yun Hao used both persuasion and force to take her virginity.

However, Yun Hao already had a childhood betrothal. His fiancée's family was of comparable status to the Yun family, so Huang Lu naturally could not become his official wife.

Several months later, Huang Lu, who was already pregnant, accidentally learned of this. One night, she had a heated argument with Yun Hao. During the quarrel, Yun Hao accidentally killed her.

Finally, with the help of his entire family, they disposed of Huang Lu's body in the desolate mountains outside Chaotian Capital, jointly concealing this unspeakable secret.

"The annihilation of humanity, the degeneration of morality," Ning Xiu shook his head.

"Sir, I was the one who orchestrated this matter. If there is any punishment, please assign it to me alone."

Su Qianqian threw the cloth bundle to Ning Xiu and walked towards the courtyard gate without looking back. "Your family should go to the yamen to confess and accept your judgment. How you are punished is of no concern to me. In any case, don't even think about escaping, or your crimes will be doubled."

Yun Heng's face immediately fell into despair.

Watching Su Qianqian's graceful departure, Ning Xiu immediately followed her, carrying the cloth bundle. "Adult, are we leaving just like that? Aren't we staying to supervise them?"

"The Demon Subduing Bureau is busy, how could I have the time? Besides this matter, I still have four or five cases to handle. But don't worry, I'll send someone to notify the yamen to keep an eye on things here. The Yun family won't be able to run."

"Alright, then how should this Grievance Yin Fetus be handled?" Ning Xiu dangled the cloth bundle.

"Send it to the Demon Subduing Prison. They have specialized personnel there to deal with the bodies of Malevolent Spirits. Also, don't forget to notify them to come to the Yun Family Cloth Shop to collect the Resentful Yin Woman."

Su Qianqian patted Ning Xiu's shoulder with satisfaction. "I thought new recruits would need some training before they could be put to use, but you're an exception. You performed well today. I had a case I planned to give you to investigate later, but now there's no need for further testing. I'll assign it to you early."

Taking a letter from her waist, Su Qianqian handed it to Ning Xiu. "You can rest for two more days. You must depart after two days and head to the location specified in the letter."

Although he didn't know the contents of the letter, Ning Xiu guessed it was related to Malevolent Spirits.

Ever since his body was injured by the techniques of the Three-Faced Demon last night, Ning Xiu realized that his Golden Bell Shield cultivation realm was not as strong as he had imagined. It was still not enough when facing demons.

To increase his safety margin and enhance his survivability, he had to further improve the realms of the martial arts and cultivation techniques he already possessed.

So, Ning Xiu asked, "Adult, can you arrange for me to return to the Demon Subduing Prison as an Executioner for these two days?"

Su Qianqian: ?

What a strange request, she had never encountered anything like it in her life.