The Wangsheng Hall, being a place for storing coffins, naturally housed no braziers or heating of any kind, lest the warmth accelerate decomposition. The hall’s position even blocked direct sunlight, so as not to disturb restless spirits. As a result, the interior was deeply cold and permeated by a smell that defied easy description.

Lang Jiuchuan gave Shen Qinghe a small nod and offered New Year’s greetings. Shen Qinghe instinctively reached toward his chest, then caught himself, and said quietly, “I will give you a New Year’s red envelope later.”

Those in the hall — mostly practitioners of various Daoist paths, with sharp eyes and ears — heard this, and glanced over.

Of course. Lang Jiuchuan was still a child, after all.

Lang Jiuchuan handed Shen Qinghe a talisman, then moved to stand beside Gong Qi and the others, glancing at the body now draped in a shroud: “Has the examination been completed?”

Shen Qinghe followed along behind her, a relaxed smile still on his face.

Gong Qi caught a glimpse of the corner of a yellow talisman tucked at his waist, averted his gaze, and said in a low voice: “All blood drained from the body, flesh shriveled, spiritual soul and Yin essence entirely gone. If this had been done by a human hand — to drain a person’s blood entirely through only two puncture wounds alone would be impossible. Even if you bled someone dry through a thousand cuts, the body could not become a dried husk in the same instant of death.”

Not human, then. The work of a malevolent entity.

Lang Jiuchuan was unsurprised: “Then why did you call me here? Is it not enough with the Xuan Clan present? Is that not so, Daoist Shan Gong?”

Shan Gong: “?”

What was that directed at him for? He had not said a word.

Gong Qi had already learned from Gong Qi that Shan Gong had managed to offend her. The corner of his mouth gave a slight twitch. “I looked into the case records. There are indeed several women who have gone missing — all with pure-Yin birth charts. That is only within Wu Jing. As for the other districts and prefectures…”

He looked toward Shen Qinghe, who said, “I have already dispatched people out of the capital to investigate missing persons cases within two hundred li of Wu Jing. For anything beyond that range, official documents will need to be sent instructing the local prefectural offices to conduct their own investigations.”

Daoist Huatong said, “Women of pure-Yin constitution — what is the connection between them and this malevolent entity?”

“Any malevolent entity feeds primarily on Yin energy. A woman born with a pure-Yin birth chart has an entirely Yin constitution, and consuming her spiritual soul and Yin essence is like consuming a great tonic — immensely fortifying to oneself.” Gong Qi said: “And beyond malevolent entities, there are those who follow deviant paths of cultivation and will also capture such women — either for dual-cultivation, or for use in refining implements. Should such a woman die, she may be used to forge a Yin ghost.”

Entities of extreme Yin and extreme malevolence are all wrathful and fierce — extraordinarily difficult to subdue. Deviant practitioners who refine such great instruments of destruction can use any Yin element as material. And because women are inherently Yin by nature, one born at a pure-Yin hour, if further touched by auspicious or cursed phenomena, may become a furnace vessel coveted by every manner of malevolent force.

The expressions of Daoist Huatong and the others all darkened.

Lang Jiuchuan said, same as before: “Then investigate where the bodies of these missing women are — whether they all died the same way as she did. That will clarify matters.”

Everyone followed her gaze toward the shrouded corpse, and fell silent.

If they all shared the same fate, the trouble ahead was immense. There was no knowing where the entity was hiding, nor how many more victims it would claim.

Gong Qi caught Lang Jiuchuan’s eye and tilted his head. The two of them walked out of the Wangsheng Hall and stood under the covered corridor to speak.

“What did you mean when you said that to my elder brother? This death definitely was not done by a human hand. But if the malevolent entity has not yet emerged…” If it hasn’t emerged and something this sinister is already happening, could something else be feeding it?

Lang Jiuchuan’s brow furrowed: “If a being of extreme Yin and extreme malevolence were to emerge into the world, there would be signs and omens. But everything has been calm of late — no omens at all. Either I am inadequately skilled and my divination was wrong, and the creature emerged long ago. Or this malevolent entity is simply not the one I divined — it is not the one that drains women of their vital essence.”

Gong Qi went a shade of green: “Then I would rather you have made an error.”

If the being of extreme Yin and extreme malevolence had not yet emerged, and there was already a separate terrifying creature draining women of their vital essence, how much capacity would be left to deal with both?

“To eradicate evil and uphold the Way is the very foundation of the Xuan Clan. The peace of the common people rests entirely with you all.” Lang Jiuchuan gave a faint smile.

Gong Qi squinted at her: “Those who walk the path of cultivation take the safety of all living beings as their duty — should Ninth Miss not also do her part for the living world?”

Ha. Moral coercion?

“The capable bear the burden — but those without ability are powerless even with the will. Surely I cannot charge headlong in only to serve as food for the malevolent entity? Look at me — frail and without strength. I am hardly in a position to exert myself. Where would I even begin?”

Gong Qi let out a cold laugh: “Stop pretending. You helped Shen Daren resolve the Honglian Evil God case.”

Lang Jiuchuan glanced at him: “And you are not nearly as flippant and useless as you appear on the surface.”

“Evenly matched between us, then.”

The two stared each other down.

Lang Jiuchuan relented: “Fine. Once I have rested and recovered, I will divine again. Beyond that, you will have to rely on yourselves. But let it be said clearly in advance — my capabilities are limited, and even divination can be wrong. Do not blame me.”

Gong Qi gave a light huff: “No one was relying on that slight frame of yours to do the legwork anyway.”

Frail as anything.

“I am weak, my birth chart is light, my spiritual soul is not strong. I noticed the medicine you were taking earlier seemed quite effective — could you give me a little more? With it,” Lang Jiuchuan added as he turned to leave, “my divinations might even be more accurate.”

Gong Qi paused mid-step, reached into a jade bottle, shook it, tipped out a single pill, and handed it over: “That is truly all I have left.”

Lang Jiuchuan, afraid he might change his mind, took it and popped it into her mouth immediately, then asked: “The Xuan Clan has deep resources. If you gave me a few protective spiritual implements, that would be even better.”

“Do not push your luck. You hand out talismans to everyone you meet, yet I notice I have not received a single one. As for reciprocity — have you heard of the concept?” Gong Qi raised an eyebrow, projecting absolute shamelessness: “Give and take, understand?”

Lang Jiuchuan produced a talisman: “Look at you, all put-upon. There — an exchange.”

Gong Qi accepted it without a moment’s hesitation.

“When there is news, we share it.” Lang Jiuchuan gave him a wave and walked back toward Shen Qinghe, the two of them talking as they went.

Gong Qi watched her go. He unfolded the talisman, stilled his mind, and studied its spiritual inscriptions — and then his gaze deepened.

“This talisman…”

Gong Qi swept a glance at it and reached out to take it. Gong Qi hastily folded it back, saying, “The Clan will be sending people soon to work with us in tracing the malevolent entity’s whereabouts. We need to establish a plan.”

He moved toward Shan Gong and the others. Gong Qi watched his retreating figure and curled his lip. It was just a talisman. What harm was there in having a look?

In truth, Gong Qi’s heart was not as composed as he appeared. He even turned to glance in the direction Lang Jiuchuan had gone, then tucked the talisman into his breast pocket. The talisman she had drawn held considerably more spiritual energy than the several demon-suppressing talismans she had previously drawn for the Lang Family.

What did this mean?

Her spiritual cultivation and vital essence had been deeper when she drew this one — because for a talisman to radiate spiritual energy, the Dao intent must be infused into the inscription, transforming it into a true Dao-mark and producing the incantation through Dao intent alone. Only then does it become a genuine spiritual talisman.

Jiang Che did not entirely follow Lang Jiuchuan’s reasoning in gifting the talisman and said, “That young man has a calculating mind. By giving him your talisman, are you not handing him the means to study your cultivation and spiritual strength?”

“I was born with the sacred constitution of offending everyone. As I expose myself to more and more people, the Xuan Clan will inevitably take notice of me — and especially those of the Rong Family, who regard me as a mortal enemy. Since I intend to shelter beneath a great tree, I may as well reveal more of my abilities to it, enough that it will not lightly choose to let go of me.” Lang Jiuchuan said: “Jiang Che — the ones who get abandoned are always those who serve no purpose. Once you are useful, people will not cast you aside so easily. Instead, they will devise ways to draw you in and bring you under their fold. If the Gong Family comes to see me as someone of great value, when I come into conflict with the Rong Family — will they protect me?”

“But you are a stone from a cesspit — foul-smelling and immovable. If they cannot bring you to heel, will they not simply try every means possible to be rid of you?” The Xuan Clan’s nature: if one will not serve them, eliminate them.

Lang Jiuchuan’s expression was composed and proud, her tone unhurried: “By that time, I will no longer be the powerless person at everyone else’s mercy.”

All she needed was time.