The Oriole Behind

(Brain Storage)

Furina turned around, her azure heterochromatic eyes filled with surprise, anger, confusion, and grievance.

"Traveler! Where did you run off to?! Why did you leave me all alone?!" As though she had seen a hope of survival, Furina climbed back to her feet and hid behind Lin Yiyi.

She did not want to face something so terrifying by herself anymore.

"When we first summoned the Pen Fairy, I noticed that it did not dare appear because of my presence."

"So I had no choice but to quietly climb out the window and make it think I had left."

"At the same time, I was preparing to set up an array and wipe it out in one stroke."

"But well, I had to make you suffer a little, Fufu."

Lin Yiyi explained as he fended off the Pen Fairy's attacks.

"Ah, my bad. Sorry, Fufu."

Seeing Furina pouting and sulking, Lin Yiyi raised the Bagua mirror in front of himself and coaxed her.

"I'll take you out for dessert once this is over."

"Really—cough, cough... Since you're so sincere, I forgive you!"

"Next time, you are not allowed to leave me behind again. Otherwise, I'll... I'll have Neuvillette deal with you!"

"Holy crap, seriously?"

"Do I look like someone who jokes around?!"

"My mistake, sis! Damn it, wait—Soldiers, warriors, fighters, all form ranks and march forth. Vanquish evil!"

As the Pen Fairy raised its hand and sent several pens stabbing toward him, Lin Yiyi hurriedly pulled out a talisman. He recited the Six Jia Secret Blessing Spell, then flung the talisman out to block the attacks.

When the Pen Fairy withdrew its offensive, Lin Yiyi shouted, "She bears you no grudge. Why are you harming her?"

Empowered by Daoist true qi, his shout pierced through the Pen Fairy's entire body, leaving it frozen in place.

"Yeah, yeah! I only asked how you died. Why have you been chasing me the whole time?!"

"What????" Lin Yiyi stared at Furina behind him in stunned disbelief. "Didn't I tell you that asking the Pen Fairy how it died was taboo?"

"What? When did you ever tell me that?"

Lin Yiyi was at a loss for words, but he quickly turned back to the Pen Fairy. "The living and the dead walk different paths and owe each other nothing. If you continue persecuting her, you will only lose your chance at reincarnation!"

Yet the Pen Fairy seemed unwilling to listen. It raised its hand, and the branches on the ground flew toward him.

A cold gleam flashed through Lin Yiyi's eyes. He took out the Calamity Queller he had placed on the ground earlier and rapidly spun the shaft, knocking away every branch.

"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!" The young man hurled the Calamity Queller straight ahead. Its name meant to quell all calamities, and the power contained within the spear was not something a mere Pen Fairy could endure.

Perhaps the energy was too overwhelming, for the Pen Fairy simply stood there without moving.

The spear pierced its body. Then, the Pen Fairy's form began to burn and turned to ash.

Lin Yiyi looked up at the sky, only to find that the black fog overhead still lingered.

That meant the Pen Fairy had not completely vanished.

As Lin Yiyi pondered this, his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Damn it! I fell for that bastard's diversion!"

"Beep—beep—"

At midnight, the cardiac monitor in the pitch-black hospital ward recorded the girl's stable vital signs.

Fang Yaya lay peacefully on the bed, still asleep. Yet under the effect of Lin Yiyi's talisman, her furrowed brow had relaxed considerably.

"Whoosh—" A gust of wind suddenly blew outside, pushing open the window.

"Creak—" The door slowly opened, but strangely, no one stood outside.

At some point, a lifeless woman in red had appeared beside Fang Yaya's bed. She tried to approach the defenseless girl, like a starving wolf pouncing on a lamb awaiting slaughter.

But she was deeply wary of the talismans pasted beside the bed. They were like layers of firewalls, preventing her from crossing the line.

"Strange, why is the door open?" A nurse walked in, straightened Fang Yaya's blankets, then noticed the talisman papers stuck along the bedside.

"Who put these here?" With a frown, she tore down the talismans one by one and left the ward.

Click. After locking the door, the woman appeared once more.

She stretched out her deathly pale hand and walked step by step toward the person on the bed.

"Where is this... Is anyone there..."

Everything around her was pitch-black, and she could not see the path. Fang Yaya could only run in one direction.

She felt neither exhaustion nor fatigue. There was only the fear brought by the unknown.

"Is anyone there? Can someone help me?" With almost no sense of security, she looked around, but there was no exit in sight.

She was lost in the fog.

Suddenly, a hand reached out before her and clutched her throat.

"Ah!!!" She desperately broke free, only to find more and more hands reaching toward her, seemingly trying to devour her completely.

"Help!" Fang Yaya crouched down in terror.

After a while, when nothing happened, Fang Yaya tremblingly opened her eyes and saw that the pale hands had retreated far away.

She discovered several streaks of golden light circling her body, forming a protective ring.

Feeling slightly safer, Fang Yaya did not have time to think and began running again.

Yet she still could not find the end. Guided by the golden light, she changed directions this time and ran onward.

Her legs felt incredibly light, and she ran very fast. It seemed to be the effect of the golden light as well.

Gradually, Fang Yaya saw a glow in the distance. She wept with joy and ran toward it.

However, the golden light around her vanished, while that glow grew farther and farther away.

The despair that followed hope was like a biting winter wind, piercing to the bone and heart; it was also like endless darkness, swallowing everything. It was more terrifying than the initial despair, because it had once given people hope, only to leave them powerless at the crucial moment, as though fate were mocking them and dragging them into a deep whirlpool of despair.

Suddenly, Fang Yaya felt a chill behind her, and fear struck again. She turned around, only to see a gigantic hand streaked with blood rushing toward her.

"Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!" Fang Yaya ran desperately, but two hands seized her feet and forced her to the ground.

The gigantic hand then descended to swallow Fang Yaya whole.

"No, no!!!"

"Whoosh—"

At the critical moment, a green beam pierced through the enormous palm and reduced it to dust.

Immediately afterward, green light began to swirl around her as well—clean, pure jade-green light.

Fang Yaya found this power familiar. It seemed that she knew its owner.

But she still had no time to think about it. Following the green light's guidance, she ran in another direction.

"You are the Pen Fairy?" The young adeptus who had pursued her to the hospital rooftop looked coldly at the red-clad female ghost, who stood a head taller than him.

A moment ago, Xiao had sensed the aura of evil spirits within the hospital. He had not been far from the hospital during this time, so he quickly rushed back.

Concerned for that girl's safety, he had come to inspect the place. Sure enough, he discovered a woman seemingly preparing to strike a fatal blow.

With a single Lemniscatic Wind Cycling, he shot forward like an arrow loosed from the bow, piercing through with lightning speed.

The Pen Fairy possessed some intelligence after all. Sensing danger, she transformed into a cloud of mist and fled at once. Without hesitation, Xiao became a streak of pure green light and chased after her.

For a brief time, his elemental power no longer contained karmic corruption—thanks to the talisman Lin Yiyi had given him.

Thus, the Vigilant Yaksha intercepted the resentful ghost atop the hospital roof.