Subduing the Infant Spirit

The Madam hesitated for a moment, but ultimately stepped inside.

Following closely behind her were a maid and two servants.

Upon entering the courtyard, the confusion on the Madam's face only deepened.

She had encountered the dwellings of various sorcerers before, but they were always shrouded in gloomy, sinister auras or filled with bizarre, supernatural phenomena that made it obvious at a glance that the occupant was no ordinary person.

Yet, Zhou Yan's place was far too ordinary, resembling nothing more than the home of a typical, common family.

However, the Madam was no commoner; hailing from a prominent clan, she understood that one should not judge a book by its cover, and she knew well that eccentric experts often possessed peculiar temperaments.

This situation suggested that if the man wasn't a fraud, he was a truly formidable master.

She understood the principle of returning to simplicity.

"Madam, please take a seat. Everyone else, leave and wait outside."

Zhou Yan flicked his sleeve and spoke.

The Madam's eyes flickered as she gave a slight nod to the servants, who immediately and obediently retreated.

Zhou Yan sat down and looked at the Madam. "I have already examined your condition. You are indeed plagued by yin energy, and the source of this energy is deeply connected to you, which is why it has caused such an impact..."

He had just secretly activated his Dharma Eye, and the sudden burst of radiance had nearly blinded him.

This woman's background was definitely not simple. Beyond the aura of the several magical artifacts she wore, she was also shrouded in a layer of pale yellow fortune.

Generally speaking, under such circumstances, even powerful vengeful spirits could not easily approach her.

However...

Zhou Yan glanced at the infant spirit at the Madam's feet, its expression shifting between innocent and ferocious.

If he wasn't mistaken, this was the infant spirit born from the fetus the noblewoman had lost, and it had already fallen into a state of semi-demonic possession.

It was precisely because of this that the infant spirit could approach the noblewoman without being repelled by her fortune or her artifacts.

Once the infant spirit fully transformed into a demonic infant, this Madam would likely lose her life.

The noblewoman looked at Zhou Yan and said in a deep voice, "Please, Master, speak plainly."

"An infant spirit!"

Zhou Yan did not stand on ceremony and spoke directly.

The noblewoman's body shuddered violently, and she lowered her head, seemingly trembling.

After a long while, the noblewoman looked up at Zhou Yan, asking hopefully, "Master, may I see my poor child?"

Zhou Yan felt a slight sense of relief.

It seemed this infant spirit wasn't aborted intentionally, but was the result of an accident.

This spared him from getting entangled in the messy, melodramatic conspiracies of a wealthy household.

Doctor Zhuang had likely been so vague precisely because he harbored such concerns.

However, he refused the noblewoman's plea without a moment's hesitation.

"Humans and ghosts walk different paths. Since the bond is severed, why meet? What you must do now, Madam, is cut ties with this fate and live your life in peace. It is best not to dwell on the rest..."

The noblewoman tried to plead further, but Zhou Yan rejected her ruthlessly.

He had experienced quite a lot, witnessing all sorts of grievances and entanglements, and his empathy had long since gradually faded away.

If he were to take every grievance to heart and empathize with them, he would never be able to live his own life.

In the end, the noblewoman had no choice but to take a step back.

"Then I beg you, Master, show mercy and allow my poor child to be liberated."

Only then did Zhou Yan straighten his expression and nod. "Rest assured, Madam. As long as a spirit has not harmed anyone, we practitioners will uphold the heart of Heaven and leave a path of survival for these pitiful souls."

The noblewoman did not know if Zhou Yan was being sincere or not, but seeing his solemn expression, she chose to believe him.

Of course, this also had to do with what she had seen.

Had he been one of those gloomy, sinister sorcerers, she would have remained skeptical.

Once he had the noblewoman's permission, Zhou Yan immediately cast the Ghost-Suppressing Incantation.

The infant spirit was instantly provoked; its once-clear eyes turned pitch black, filled with resentment, hatred, and madness.

"Don't let me reincarnate, I'll kill her..."

"I'll crawl into her womb and be born again..."

"Get away..."

The infant spirit's power was not insignificant, stronger even than some wandering ghosts.

Zhou Yan was slightly surprised; it seemed this wasn't the first time an infant had been lost to her, which explained its immense resentment and strength.

He secretly channeled his soul power, sending forth a thought that rapidly manifested into an invisible Yaksha, which viciously struck at the infant spirit with its trident.

Upon seeing the Yaksha, a trace of fear flickered across the infant spirit's face.

But having already fallen into demonic possession, the fear quickly vanished, its eyes turning even more crazed as it actively lunged toward the Yaksha.

"Waaah, waaah..."

The infant spirit waved its tiny hands, attempting to square off against the Yaksha.

However, the Yaksha was a guardian deity of the Buddhist faith; dealing with a mere infant spirit was child's play.

Without hesitation, the Yaksha thrust its fork forward, pinning the infant spirit directly onto the iron prongs.

The infant spirit struggled to break free, but it was utterly unable to escape. Instead, it was subjected to a brutal beating by the Yaksha, causing much of the malevolence and yin energy on its body to dissipate, leaving its entire form withered and weak.

"Seal!"

Seeing this, Zhou Yan slowly extended his right hand, which held a dharma tablet crafted from locust wood.

Locust wood is known as the ghost tree, and when fashioned into a dharma tablet, it allows spirits to dwell within it temporarily.

Since he had given his word, and given that the infant spirit had not claimed any human lives, he naturally would not simply beat it until its soul scattered into nothingness.

Instead, he intended to seal it away temporarily and then hire someone to perform a rite of transcendence.

As for himself, while his martial prowess was decent, he knew absolutely nothing about performing rites.

"It is done."

Zhou Yan put away the locust wood tablet and spoke to the noblewoman.

The noblewoman felt it herself; as the infant spirit was taken away, she felt a wave of relief wash over her entire body.

Yet, at the same time, a heart-wrenching pain pierced through her.

Although it passed quickly—so quickly that one might mistake it for a hallucination—the noblewoman knew clearly that it was no illusion; it was the realization that her child had been taken away.

Even though that child had never been born, it was still a piece of her own flesh, and in her heart, she had long since regarded it as her child.

It was just a pity...

"My child!"

The noblewoman murmured, tears streaming down her face, her expression indescribably sorrowful and moving.

Zhou Yan, however, felt not a shred of emotion, merely saying indifferently, "The infant spirit has been removed. It would be best for you to leave quickly, Madam."

His tone was flat, yet filled with cold detachment.

The noblewoman nodded slightly.

She composed herself, left behind a banknote, and took her leave with polite farewells.

Once she had gone, Zhou Yan picked up the banknote; it was for a full five hundred ocean dollars.

This job was the most lucrative deal he had ever made since he began exorcising ghosts.