There really was a ghost

Xiao Yan drew a deep breath. He could not let things spiral any further. He stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Xiao Zhan in the seat of honor.

"Father, esteemed elders." Xiao Yan's voice broke the silence, echoing clearly through the hall. His back instinctively straightened a little as his gaze swept over their uncertain, startled faces.

"As for what happened last night, I believe there may have been some misunderstanding. My sworn elder brother... Xiao Yi, though his behavior last night seemed... well, out of the ordinary, did not intend to harm me."

Xiao Yan paused, seemingly gathering his words, then looked at Xiao Yi, who was still somewhat dazed and rubbing his eyes as he tried to make sense of the situation. Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

"In fact... he was trying to help me!" An uproar swept through the assembled crowd, and questioning, bewildered gazes shot toward Xiao Yan in unison.

Ignoring their reactions, Xiao Yan continued with unprecedented certainty in his voice. "You all know that my Dou Qi has been disappearing for no reason, causing my strength to regress. I always thought something was wrong with me, but last night, my sworn elder brother Xiao Yi opened my eyes!"

He raised his ring-bearing hand slightly. Though he did not explicitly point it out, his meaning was clear. "My Dou Qi did not vanish into thin air. Instead... instead, it was sucked away by a 'thing' lurking on my person! An existence... something like a 'ghost'!"

"A ghost?" Still muddleheaded, Xiao Yi instinctively chimed in at the word, his eyes blank. "Oh~ that Qi-Sucking Ghost. Last night, that ghost even called himself Yao... mmph..."

Beside him, Xiao Yan discreetly stepped on his foot. The pain made Xiao Yi bare his teeth, and he swallowed the rest of his words, merely looking at Xiao Yan in confusion.

Forcing himself to remain composed, Xiao Yan continued his "explanation." "That's right! A ghost! My sworn elder brother Xiao Yi seems to know some special methods of exorcism. The Wooden Sword and Talisman Paper he used last night were all meant to deal with the 'ghost' stealing my Dou Qi! And... he actually succeeded! Last night, he really did knock that 'ghost' out of... out of me!"

These shocking claims sent the entire council hall boiling over! Everyone sucked in a sharp breath, staring at Xiao Yan in disbelief as though he had lost his mind. Ghosts? Exorcism? This was sheer Arabian Nights fantasy! Quite a few people began whispering among themselves, wondering whether Xiao Yan had suffered some shock or fallen under some bewildering spell cast by Xiao Yi to make him spout such nonsense.

Inside the ring, Yao Chen, who had just felt a little relieved that Xiao Yan was helping them out of this predicament, nearly choked upon hearing these "correct" claims that were "almost identical" to the "actual situation." Even his ethereal soul staggered. This brat... he really would make up anything!

Xiao Zhan knitted his brows tightly, his piercing gaze moving back and forth between Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi, who still looked utterly out of the loop, as though weighing the truth of this account. The Second Elder was so furious that his beard bristled and his eyes bulged. He was about to refute it when Xiao Zhan raised a hand to stop him.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the council hall grew even more delicate. Every gaze focused on Xiao Yan, waiting for further "evidence" or the Clan Head's final ruling.

Faced with a hall full of doubt and bewilderment, Xiao Yan did not retreat. He knew empty words alone would never convince them. He had to provide "evidence" that would both protect Xiao Yi and explain the changes in himself. Bowing again, he looked earnestly at Xiao Zhan.

"Father, I know this sounds inconceivable, difficult to believe. But that is what happened. My sworn elder brother Xiao Yi truly does possess some unusual abilities. Though his methods last night were drastic, they were meant to completely eradicate the 'thing' attached to me."

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and presented his solution. "I suggest that we first... temporarily house my sworn elder brother Xiao Yi within the estate, restrict his outings, and keep a close watch on him. Give him a chance to calm down and reflect, and give us some time to observe."

Then Xiao Yan shifted his approach, a glimmer of confidence flashing in his eyes. "More importantly, now that the 'ghost' stealing my Dou Qi has been removed, I should be able to cultivate my Dou Qi normally again! Give me some time. Once my cultivation improves, that will be the best proof! Proof that I spoke the truth, and proof that my sworn elder brother Xiao Yi was not harming me last night, but lending me a helping hand!"

Those words, especially the final sentence, exploded like thunder in Xiao Zhan's heart! His son's disappearing Dou Qi was his greatest torment! If Xiao Yan could truly resume cultivating because of this, that mattered more than anything! No matter how bizarre the process, no matter how eccentric Xiao Yi's behavior, none of it mattered as long as Xiao Yan could recover!

"Resume cultivating?" Xiao Zhan's eyes instantly lit up. The gloomy expression on his face vanished, replaced by barely concealed excitement and anticipation. He stared intently at Xiao Yan, as though seeking confirmation of the news in his eyes.

"Good! Good! Good!" Xiao Zhan repeated the word three times and struck the armrest of his chair, a smile appearing on his face for the first time in a long while.

"We'll do as Yan suggests! First, settle Xiao Yi... ahem, comfortably, and assign people to look after him. As for exorcism, such matters are inherently profound and mysterious, beyond ordinary understanding. A few peculiarities are only to be expected!" With a broad wave of his hand, he settled the matter outright, his tone carrying unquestionable authority and the ease of a great burden lifted.

"Yes, Clan Head!" With the head of the clan having clearly stated his position, the atmosphere in the hall eased considerably. Though quite a few people remained skeptical of Xiao Yan's explanation and Xiao Yi's behavior, feeling this was more likely an excuse the Clan Head had forcibly concocted to preserve his son's dignity, no one dared openly oppose Xiao Zhan's authority. They could only nod their agreement.

Xiao Yi stood where he was, his head still a little fuzzy. Listening to Xiao Yan and Xiao Zhan's conversation, he gathered that he seemed to be out of trouble for the moment. Though all this talk of "exorcism" sounded ridiculous, the outcome seemed... pretty good? He looked at Xiao Yan, who discreetly gave him a reassuring glance. Xiao Yi blinked and decided to keep his mouth shut for now and see how things played out. After all, compared with being treated as a lunatic or a murderer, being a mysterious "master exorcist" did not seem entirely unacceptable.

Following Xiao Zhan's final decision, the oppressive atmosphere in the council hall gradually dissipated. Harboring their own thoughts, everyone left the hall one after another. Some still looked at Xiao Yan with scrutiny and disbelief, but above all, they obeyed the Clan Head's decision.

After bowing once more to his father and the elders, Xiao Yan also turned to leave. Just as he reached the doorway, he saw two guards, one on either side, "escorting" Xiao Yi out. Though Xiao Yi was no longer limp as a puddle of mud, his steps were still unsteady, and his face wore a bewildered look of Who am I? Where am I? What happened?

Seeing Xiao Yan emerge, Xiao Yi's eyes shifted, as though he had remembered the string of "ghostly nonsense" Xiao Yan had used to get him out of trouble. He winked at Xiao Yan and lowered his voice, mumbling quietly enough that only the two of them could hear.

"Hey, thanks, buddy! I have no idea what nonsense you were spouting back there, with ghosts and sucking away Dou Qi and all... but it seemed to work pretty well? At least I won't get beaten up."

With that, the guards pushed him along, and he stumbled toward the quarters "arranged" for him, still muttering things like, "House arrest? Does that include room and board...?"