Chapter Seven: Unbelievable! The Priest Conducting the Ritual Is Actually...?
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When Li Yan saw Xue Huaiyuan and the others gradually waking up, he thought Liu Meng was still too kindhearted—claiming to make them experience pain, it was nothing more than a long dream with no real harm. Frowning, Li Yan stared at them.
They didn’t understand his gaze and thought everything was fine, so they knelt down and kowtowed to him, thanking him for saving their lives. Li Yan didn’t tell them to get up; he wanted to speak up on Liu Meng’s behalf.
He solemnly addressed Xue Huaiyuan and his wife and concubine. “If you want to express your gratitude, thank Liu Meng. It wasn’t me who stopped her; she came to her own realization and spared you.”
Xue Huaiyuan and the others nodded, thanked Liu Meng again, then tried to rise. But Li Yan suppressed them with his energy, holding them firmly to the ground. He looked at them coldly and said seriously, “I will avenge Liu Meng.”
Without another word, he forced Xue Huaiyuan and the others to repeatedly slam into the wall, continuing until their heads were bloodied and bruised, then released them. Terrified, they froze in place, watching Li Yan’s next move.
But he did nothing.
Xue Huaiyuan took a hesitant step forward, lowered his head, and bowed deeply. “Master, thank you for saving my life. May I ask if you could stay here a little longer? I promise the best wine, the finest dishes, and the utmost hospitality.”
Li Yan understood that Xue Huaiyuan wanted his protection for a while longer. Initially reluctant, he considered that it was only his second day at the Xue estate and that Xue’s proposal suited his needs.
He smiled and said, “Very well, but my time is limited. I can only stay here for three more days.”
Xue Huaiyuan breathed a sigh of relief and nodded eagerly, but soon his brow furrowed again, hesitating as if something was difficult to say.
Li Yan noticed his discomfort and asked, “Is there something else? If not, I’m going to rest. It’s getting late.”
Xue Huaiyuan nodded and then said, “Master, do you know how to perform rituals? There have been quite a few deaths in the estate recently, and I fear it will disturb the peace here. We want to comfort the departed souls.”
Li Yan thought for a moment, shook his head to indicate he didn’t know, and then left.
Xue Huaiyuan arranged a fine room for him.
Li Yan slept soundly.
He woke the next morning to find the entire Xue estate bustling with activity.
He guessed they were preparing for the ritual.
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He paid it no further mind and returned to his room.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Li Yan looked puzzled—had something else happened?
He quickly opened the door; it was the steward again.
“Master, our lord requests your presence. The ritual is about to begin, and everyone must be present.”
Hearing it was just a ritual, Li Yan relaxed and followed the steward.
They arrived at the ritual site.
Li Yan observed the surroundings—it was the courtyard where Liu Meng met his misfortune.
A long table had been set in the center, laden with various meats, fruits, vegetables, and an incense burner.
At each corner of the courtyard stood water jars, and talismans were pasted on every door.
A man in Taoist robes entered, holding a large rooster and carrying a backpack.
He walked directly to Xue Huaiyuan and said sternly, “When the ritual begins, you all go inside the house. Leave one person outside to assist me.”
Xue Huaiyuan nodded but hesitated over whom to leave behind.
Li Yan stepped forward. “I’ll stay.”
The ritual began.
Li Yan stood beside the Taoist, waiting for instructions.
“Help me kill this rooster. Catch its blood in this basin, then sprinkle the blood evenly around the courtyard. Understand?”
Li Yan nodded and replied, “Understood.”
He took the rooster, picked up a small knife from the ground, and began to slaughter it.
While Li Yan did this, the Taoist tried to light incense but couldn’t get the flame to catch, no matter how many times he tried.
Even as Li Yan finished killing the rooster and began sprinkling the blood, the incense remained unlit.
The Taoist grew anxious and called Li Yan over.
Li Yan noticed the Taoist’s hands trembling uncontrollably. The sky was overcast with thick clouds, thunder rumbled, and it looked like a storm was imminent.
Li Yan approached and asked, “What’s wrong? Do you need my help?”
The Taoist instructed Li Yan to light three joss sticks and place them in the incense burner.
Li Yan complied, took the sticks, and struck a match.
It took several attempts before the incense finally caught fire and was placed in the burner.
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However, the incense, once placed, quickly burned down unevenly—two sticks short and one long.
The Taoist panicked further, fumbling as he began the ritual.
Dressed in his robes, he jumped around the table muttering incantations.
The words sounded like spells.
Li Yan stood silently, watching.
Strangely, as the Taoist finished his incantations, the thunder grew louder and lightning struck down.
To Li Yan’s surprise, the lightning did not target any evil spirits but struck the Taoist himself.
He was stunned—it was the first time he had seen a Taoist struck by lightning.
The Taoist screamed and desperately fled, but the lightning relentlessly followed, striking him wherever he went.
After being struck eight times, the thunder ceased, and it seemed the ordeal was over.
But then a gust of wind overturned the offering table, scattering the tributes everywhere.
The blood on the ground vanished entirely.
Rather than panic, the Taoist grew excited. “Excellent! Excellent! It worked!”
Li Yan frowned, sensing something was amiss. He grabbed the Taoist firmly and demanded, “What worked? What have you done?”
The Taoist said nothing, didn’t resist, only smiled with a terrifyingly sinister gaze. Something seemed to be moving beneath his skin.
In the next instant, his skin cracked, transforming him from a man into a grotesque monstrous creature composed of countless disgusting small insects.
Li Yan had never seen such a bizarre form before; his scalp tingled.
Thinking quickly, he remembered insects feared fire and decided to try it.
He lit some wood in the courtyard and threw the burning sticks at the monstrous creature.
Unable to dodge, the creature screamed as it was engulfed in flames.
Soon, it was reduced to ashes.
Li Yan thought it was finally over—but it was not.
Though burned to ashes, the creature did not die; instead, it revived, taking the form of the Taoist once again.
Why did it return as the Taoist?