Rescued

The chill in the courtyard had yet to dissipate, and the terror of the crowd had reached its peak.

Following the trembling finger of the gang member, they saw two more twisted, blurred grey-black figures outside the moon gate, slowly coalescing into form under the pale red moonlight.

They seemed even more solid than the one before, and the resentment they radiated was enough to freeze the very air.

Lei Tiger felt a jolt of horror; having just survived a perilous struggle, the meridians in his arm still throbbed with pain.

Facing these relentless, bizarre attacks, even a man of his fierce resolve felt a sense of profound helplessness.

"Form up! Back to back! Use fire!"

He roared, his voice raspy, attempting to steady their footing.

A few bold henchmen gathered together with difficulty, some frantically lighting torches.

However, ordinary flames seemed to have little effect on the solidified vengeful spirits, merely forcing them to retreat slightly without actually driving them away.

Just as one spirit shrieked and lunged toward the terrified Scarface...

Jingle...

A crisp sound of a copper bell rang out in the courtyard without warning.

The chime was not loud, yet it carried a strange, piercing quality, as if it could reach straight into the depths of the soul.

The two spirits lunging at the crowd froze in unison, their twisted faces turning toward the source of the sound as they let out wary hisses.

Lei Tiger whipped his head around.

He saw that under the eaves connecting to the front hall, a person had appeared out of nowhere.

The newcomer was tall and thin with a gaunt face, looking to be about forty years old.

He wore a cyan long gown, an old black satin vest over it, and a matching old-fashioned cap, dressed much like a clerk or advisor from an old-style yamen.

Most striking was the white paper lantern he held; the candlelight inside was a ghostly green, casting a greenish hue over half his face.

In his other hand, he gripped a dark yellow copper bell engraved with dense, intricate runes.

Lei Tiger recognized this man. When he had gone outside the city to welcome the new magistrate, Zhou Wenren, a few days ago, this man had been standing right beside him. Was his name Song?

The man ignored the miserable state of the people in the courtyard, his gaze sweeping calmly over the two spirits before finally landing on the Ghost Head Blade in Lei Tiger's hand, a flicker of imperceptible understanding crossing his narrow eyes.

"Resentment gathering into form, spirits haunting a residence. Gang Leader Lei, your estate is not very peaceful tonight." His voice was flat, devoid of inflection, yet it clearly overpowered the hissing of the spirits.

"Mr. Song!" Lei Tiger grabbed onto him like a lifeline. Though he was wary of this mysterious figure beside Magistrate Zhou, he could no longer afford to care. "I beg you, sir, save me! Lei will surely reward you handsomely!"

Mr. Song did not respond, instead taking a few steps forward into the courtyard.

Wherever he passed, the white frost on the ground quietly melted away.

"Resentful spirits driven by human hands—crude methods, yet somewhat interesting." He observed them for a moment with a frown. "A wild path of using objects to lure resentment and gathering malevolence into a weapon. Is there really someone in Linhe who understands this?"

The two spirits seemed extremely wary of Mr. Song, turning their primary focus toward him as grey-black yin energy surged toward him like tentacles!

Mr. Song's expression remained unchanged as he gave the green lantern in his left hand a slight shake.

The ghostly green light suddenly expanded.

The incoming tentacles of yin energy touched the range of the green light and dissolved as rapidly as snow meeting a warm sun, far more thoroughly than the Sha Qi of the Ghost Head Blade had managed.

At the same time, he shook the copper bell in his right hand again.

Jingle... jingle...

The rhythm was different this time—sometimes rapid, sometimes long, carrying a special cadence.

As the bell sound entered their ears, Lei Tiger and the others felt the panic and agitation in their hearts forcibly smoothed over, while the two spirits seemed bound by invisible ropes, their movements becoming sluggish as the grey-black yin energy on their bodies churned violently, their forms beginning to destabilize.

"Souls refusing to depart, born of resentment." Mr. Song chanted a vague incantation before shouting, "Disperse!"

Under the dual effect of the green light and the bell, the bodies of the two spirits disintegrated rapidly, like sandcastles crumbling in the wind.

Finally, they turned into a few wisps of faint black smoke, which were sucked into the green light of Mr. Song's lantern and vanished without a trace.

The courtyard returned to complete silence.

Only the scattered debris and a few injured, groaning gang members remained.

Everything happened very quickly; from Mr. Song's appearance to the dissipation of the spirits, it had taken no more than a dozen breaths.

Compared to Lei Tiger's fierce struggle earlier, Mr. Song's methods appeared effortless.

Lei Tiger let out a long breath, his back soaked through with cold sweat.

Tonight's battle had been truly perilous, making him even more wary of those who dabbled in the dark arts.

He sheathed his Ghost Head Blade, cupped his hands, and said in a deep voice, "Many thanks to Mr. Song for saving my life! Lei will never forget this kindness!"

Mr. Song put away the copper bell, and the green light of the lantern returned to normal.

He looked at Lei Tiger, his gaze falling on the still-bruised arm, and said calmly, "Gang Leader Lei is too kind. I am here in Jinmen to assist the Magistrate in his duties; protecting the borders and the people is my duty. However..."

His tone shifted. "These are not ordinary wandering ghosts, but vengeful spirits specifically sent to your door, guided by secret arts. Has your gang offended someone you shouldn't have recently?"

Lei Tiger's heart tightened, his thoughts racing as he struggled to identify which enemy he might have offended. "Someone I shouldn't have? I have offended many while making a living in Jinmen, or perhaps... some blind outsiders who arrived recently?"

Mr. Song watched him quietly, those wooden eyes seemingly capable of peering straight into a person's soul.

He did not probe further, however, merely stating, "This technique is insidious, using resentment as a catalyst to damage the foundation of one's soul. Although Gang Leader Lei managed to break one layer of it by relying on the Sha Qi of a fierce weapon, the Sha Qi has now invaded your body. If it is not purged in time, I fear it will shorten your lifespan."

Lei Tiger's expression shifted; he had indeed been feeling a cold, stinging pain in his arm, accompanied by bouts of irritability and auditory hallucinations. "Please, sir, save me!"

Mr. Song retrieved a flat, palm-sized black wooden box from the inner pocket of his jacket. Upon opening it, he revealed several long, thin needles and a small pinch of dark red powder.

"Lie down and roll up your sleeve."

Lei Tiger dared not delay, immediately ordering his men to bring over a bamboo couch and following the instructions.

Mr. Song's movements were lightning-fast. The long, deep-blue needles were precisely inserted into several acupoints on Lei Tiger's arm, while he used his fingernail to pick up a small amount of the dark red powder, drawing two strange symbols on Lei Tiger's chest and forehead.

As Mr. Song performed the technique, Lei Tiger felt the cold, stinging pain in his arm recede like a receding tide, and the blue-purple discoloration faded rapidly.

Yet, at the same time, he felt a trace of an extremely faint aura lingering in some corner of his body, subtly maintaining an indescribable connection to this Mr. Song before him.

This realization shocked him inwardly, though he dared not show the slightest hint of it.

A moment later, Mr. Song withdrew the needles and concluded the technique, saying, "The resentment has been temporarily sealed, and the backlash of the Sha Qi has been diverted. However, the root cause remains. Gang Leader Lei should stay indoors as much as possible for the near future and bask in the sunlight, using your own Yang energy and blood to slowly dissolve the remnants."

"Many thanks, sir!" Lei Tiger flexed his arm, finding it indeed much lighter, and hurriedly offered his thanks while signaling Scarface to fetch the payment.

Mr. Song waved his hand, however, and said with profound meaning, "No payment is necessary. The Magistrate has just arrived, and the peace of Jinmen requires the protection of heroes like Gang Leader Lei. If Gang Leader Lei notices any further anomalies... you may come to the Magistrate's office to find me at any time."

Having said this, he picked up the white paper lantern that cast a faint green glow, ignored the wreckage filling the courtyard, and turned to vanish silently into the darkness along the eaves he had arrived by.