Am I Really Possessed!?

Xie Residence's West Courtyard.

It was already dusk, the twilight dim and heavy.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Sharp blows rang out in rapid succession as Xie An and Zhou Ji sparred.

When Xie An threw a Mountain-Shaking, Peak-Suppressing punch, Zhou Ji was jolted half a step back.

Although Zhou Ji had only used thirty percent of his strength, being forced back even one step left him deeply shocked.

At first, Zhou Ji had taken Xie An for nothing more than a flashy pretender, assuming he would give up after suffering a little hardship. He had never expected this young master to be truly training like a madman!

They had exchanged blows for a full two hours today. Not only had Xie An grown fiercer the longer they fought, he had not paused for even a single breath in between.

For the first time, respect rose in Zhou Ji's eyes.

Xie An let out a long breath and waved his hand. "We'll stop here for today. Go to the estate storehouse and collect a dose of Tiger-Viscera Essence Decoction."

Zhou Ji's eyes widened, filled with disbelief.

Tiger-Viscera Essence Decoction was an indispensable medicinal aid for breaking through the Four Barriers and tempering the viscera. A single dose sold for ten taels of silver.

As a guard at the Xie Residence, he only received twenty taels a month. Even by scrimping and saving, it took him a long time to gather enough for one dose of Tiger-Viscera Essence Decoction.

Ever since becoming the young master's sparring partner, he had just been given two Vital Blood Pills, and now he was receiving Tiger-Viscera Essence Decoction as well.

The tremendous rise and fall left Zhou Ji dazed.

"Young Master Xie!"

Zhou Ji cupped his hands, then picked up the broadsword beside him and hurried out.

Xie An watched Zhou Ji's departing back, his eyes narrowing slightly.

A good sparring partner was hard to find.

Most of the guards in the residence fawned over him and deliberately held back during sparring. Zhao Hu, for instance, was like that.

When Xie An had first begun training, he truly had needed that gentler kind of sparring.

But once he had entered the path, such restraint would greatly drag down his progress.

Zhou Ji was just right.

"Young Master, the bath barrel and medicinal decoction are ready. Shall you take your medicinal bath now?" Qiu Lan came over with a towel to wipe Xie An's sweat.

"Mm."

Xie An entered the room, removed his clothes, and lowered himself into the bath barrel, letting the Tiger-Skin Essence Decoction temper his skin.

According to Uncle Shui, medicinal baths were most effective after one had worked up a sweat from training.

At such times, the pores across the body were fully open, allowing the medicinal power of the Tiger-Skin Essence Decoction to swiftly penetrate the skin membrane.

Xie An closed his eyes and replayed the events at Li Family Village in his mind.

He had initially only wanted to see whether Returning Dragon Abbey had any methods for dealing with ghosts and evil spirits, yet Li Yunfeng had died outright!

Especially after hearing Uncle Shui say that Grain-Collecting Ghosts had appeared in other counties as well—and that some of them would even follow the vine to the melon and track down landlords' homes to collect taxes...

What if the Grain-Collecting Ghost from Li Family Village came knocking at the Xie Residence to collect taxes...

How was he supposed to protect himself then?

These times truly gave a person no sense of security.

"Still, Uncle Shui's Dark Force technique when he killed Li Yunfeng today was truly formidable. If I can cultivate Dark Force soon, I should gain another measure of protection."

As he thought, Xie An gradually drifted off to sleep.

When he woke again, Qiu Lan was calling him.

"Young Master, the time for the medicinal bath is up."

Xie An stepped out of the bath barrel, took the towel prepared nearby and dried the water from his body. He put on split-crotch drawers, then silk trousers, and only afterward allowed Qiu Lan to dress him.

With practiced hands, Qiu Lan dressed Xie An in a cloud-brocade robe, fastened his belt, hung a sachet and a Buddhist pendant from it, then combed his hair and inserted a mutton-fat jade hairpin.

As Xie An sat in the chair and accepted her ministrations, he casually asked, "Did Zhao Hu come by today?"

As Qiu Lan smoothed the folds in his robe, she replied, "He came once in the morning. Seeing that you were absent, he asked me to pass along a message: he wished to take one month's leave. He said his wife was about to give birth."

Xie An nodded. "That is only proper. When Zhao Hu comes again, give him fifty taels of silver. Tell him it is my reward for his wife's confinement."

Qiu Lan gave an "Mm." "Young Master, you treat Zhao Hu far too well. Ever since we returned from Li Family Village last time, the rewards have never stopped."

Perhaps because they had experienced that life-and-death ordeal at Li Family Village together, and Zhao Hu had continued protecting him even in such dire circumstances.

People's hearts were made of flesh. Xie An naturally treated Zhao Hu with particular generosity.

Xie An smiled and changed the subject. "By the way, has Uncle Shui returned?"

"He just returned. He is in the study in the central courtyard."

"I'll go find Uncle Shui." Xie An left Qiu Lan behind and strode out.

Though the Xie Residence was a seven-courtyard estate, it had been expanded several times and truly covered a vast area. Xie An walked for nearly a quarter of an hour before reaching the central courtyard, where he found Uncle Shui in the study.

Uncle Shui wore a gray long robe and was seated in the study sorting through account books.

Seeing Xie An enter, Uncle Shui looked up with a smile. "Your father has not returned yet. Do you need something?"

Xie An sat in the grand chair opposite the desk. "Uncle Shui, I recall you saying outside Li Family Village during the day that Dark Force experts can sense the moving Vital Breath within living people. If the breath does not move, then they are dead. Is that an ability every Dark Force expert possesses?"

Hearing that it was nothing urgent, Uncle Shui continued sorting the account books and casually said, "Most Dark Force experts possess that ability."

Xie An continued, "Can Uncle Shui sense the direction in which that breath flows inside a living person?"

Uncle Shui raised his head in puzzlement, as though hearing such a notion for the first time. "The direction it flows?"

Xie An said, "For example, whether Vital Breath rises upward or flows left and right?"

Uncle Shui shook his head. "No."

Xie An was somewhat disappointed, but he also confirmed something: his Spirit Sight Qi-Gazing talent was a special ability even rarer than that of Dark Force experts. It allowed him to see the direction in which that breath flowed in minute detail.

Xie An simply activated Qi-Gazing and looked at Uncle Shui's Vital Breath.

Then Xie An was stunned.

What immense Vital Breath!

It was more than dozens of times greater than Zhou Ji's.

Moreover, it surged upward in billowing waves, foretelling an exceedingly vigorous power of slaughter.

But... not a single thread of breath was sinking.

From beginning to end, Uncle Shui had been sorting the accounts and had not noticed Xie An observing him with Qi-Gazing.

Xie An became even more certain of Spirit Sight Qi-Gazing's effects.

Even Dark Force experts could not detect him using Qi-Gazing.

That was certainly a good thing.

But that single strand of breath sinking within him remained deeply unsettling.

"Since Uncle Shui can sense Vital Breath, could you sense the Vital Breath within me?"

Uncle Shui looked up with a smile. "What? Are you still worried about what happened when you left Li Family Village last time? Afraid you have been possessed?"

Xie An smiled. "Just in case."

"Fine, I'll sense the Vital Breath in your body." Uncle Shui set down the account book and came over, gripping Xie An's right wrist with one hand.

In an instant, Xie An felt an incomparably vast inner force enter his body, coursing through his limbs and bones and spreading to every corner.

So this was Dark Force?

If Uncle Shui had been an enemy, Xie An felt that his muscles, bones, and organs could have been shattered in moments.

After a moment, Uncle Shui suddenly frowned. He released Xie An's wrist, pressed both hands against the Baihui acupoint atop Xie An's head, and once more injected Dark Force to examine him.

After withdrawing his hands, Uncle Shui's brows were tightly furrowed.

Seeing Uncle Shui's grave expression, Xie An's heart tightened. He asked, "Am I really possessed?"