In the Gu family's villa, Hong Jiu was reporting her findings.
Yaoyao listened, nodding silently, not saying a word. This day was destined to come for the other party from the moment they made their wish; now, it was merely an early arrival.
In contrast, Xuan Jiu, who was sprawled at her feet, looked over with surprise, his words laced with a hint of playful mockery. "Truly a fox spirit," he remarked, "your cunning is quite profound."
"Always having a backup plan; how could ordinary mortals ever contend with such minds?"
"'As if your Xuan Cat Clan's thoughts are simple!'" Hong Jiu retorted, her bright fox eyes sweeping disdainfully across him. After all, we are all spirits of several centuries; how could we not know the true nature of fellow spirits? What's more, the Xuan Cat Clan's reputation has long preceded them.
Xuan Jiu: "..."
He hadn't expected to encounter such a sharp-tongued individual, and for a moment, he felt an almost physical itch in his teeth.
"Alright, alright, no bickering! You two must get along well!"
Yaoyao earnestly patted the cat and fox before her. The tension that had been building between them instantly dissipated, and they immediately became docile.
"Yes!" they answered in unison.
This behavior might have seemed cowardly, but neither mocked the other; after all, both had personally experienced the true terror of this little doll. As for those who dared to resist? Their grave mounds are now three feet high. When one's skills are inferior, one must obey; there's nothing shameful in that.
"I still have to draw peace talismans for Martial Uncle, so I won't be minding you two anymore!"
Yaoyao swallowed the last black grape in her hand, then happily wiped her hands with a tissue before bending over her desk, ready to draw talismans. Martial Uncle had mentioned that the number of visitors to the temple had increased in the past few days. This was because the young man who had sought help at the Taoist temple last time was tirelessly promoting the efficacy of the talismans online.
Initially, netizens remained skeptical: 'This talisman just came out, and you, kid, already tested its effectiveness?'
'It must be a shill!'
However, once the Municipal Public Security Bureau issued its official statement, the news completely corroborated what the young man had said. This instantly ignited an intense demand for the peace talismans. After all, this was a life-saving treasure. So what if the distance was a bit far? For the sake of one's life, crossing several provinces was well worth it.
Yaoyao was naturally delighted by the current surge in tourists. To ensure nothing went awry, she added a new compulsory lesson to her daily midday routine: drawing talismans.
"You stay with this little ancestor," Xuan Jiu said, "I'm returning to the formation to rest."
Xuan Jiu cast a disdainful glance at Hong Jiu, then proudly lifted its head. Although its injuries had long since healed, those restless souls still required its vigilant guard. With that, he vanished from the spot without a trace.
"Stinky furball!" Hong Jiu huffed a breath through her nostrils, harboring an inexplicable aversion to that pesky Xuan Cat. She lazily shifted to the edge of the table, comfortably settling down. The warm, comforting sun bathed her in such pleasant light that she couldn't help but doze off.
Yaoyao quietly drew for half an hour, then considered taking a short break to slowly sip some milk tea.
Just then, a figure came rushing towards her.
"Fourth Brother?" She paused, surprised by the person who had come looking for her.
"Yaoyao, Fourth Brother had such a hard time finding you! Fourth Brother has an urgent request for your help. Would you come with me?"
Gu Qiao wiped the sweat from his forehead, his expression anxious, and his voice still slightly breathless.
Yaoyao hadn't expected any trouble. After a brief pause, she nodded and said, "Alright!" She didn't even ask for a reason, immediately hopped off her stool, slung her shoulder bag across her body, and was ready to leave with him.
But just as she was about to take a step, she turned her head and saw Hong Jiu looking at her with expectant eyes.
Yaoyao paused, then immediately turned to her Fourth Brother and asked, "Fourth Brother, can I bring Little Jiu along?"
Gu Qiao also noticed the "dog" by his sister's side. This was Hong Jiu's illusion, as openly keeping a red fox as a pet wouldn't be advisable for parading through the city. This illusion, in fact, also served to save Yaoyao unnecessary trouble.
"Alright, then bring it along." Although Gu Qiao was surprised by when his sister had acquired a pet, he wasn't particularly bothered. For the Gu family, buying a pet for their youngest daughter was a completely trivial matter.
Yaoyao happily followed him, and during their journey, she asked her Fourth Brother the reason he had sought her out.
Gu Qiao knew that for his sister to handle the matter, she would at least need to know the full circumstances. He explained everything in detail.
"This matter is actually Fourth Brother's private concern, and it involves your Fourth Sister-in-law, Ye Yan..."
She was a field reporter, and some time ago, her station had an out-of-town project in a city she particularly liked. So, she enthusiastically signed up, and as luck would have it, she was chosen. His girlfriend was overjoyed about this for several days.
Gu Qiao showed great respect for her decision. Knowing his girlfriend was about to depart, he specifically prepared her luggage and supplies. And among these supplies, he inexplicably, as if guided by spirits, placed a peace talisman for her. It was originally just a precaution, but who knew this peace talisman would actually save his girlfriend's life.
"After they finished recording the program, they encountered an anomaly. All the women in the entire team unexpectedly fell into a coma. Of course, your Fourth Sister-in-law was the sole exception. And the reason she was unharmed was because the peace talisman you gave Fourth Brother protected her."
As he spoke, a sigh escaped Gu Qiao's lips. He reflected on his seemingly unnecessary precaution back then; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to speak so calmly now. His visit to his sister this time was, in fact, at his girlfriend's insistence, as she had clearly recognized the talisman's extraordinary nature. Additionally, her female colleagues who had been affected by the anomaly were still in a deep slumber. The hospital had also examined them, and their vital signs were all perfectly normal. To put it bluntly, according to current medical treatment protocols, it was highly unlikely to achieve any substantial effect. If medicine couldn't explain it, then naturally, the explanation had to lie on a metaphysical level.
"Fourth Brother truly had no other choice. This is a matter of life and death, so I could only ask you to come take a look."
Gu Qiao was not one to stand by and watch others suffer. Especially among those affected was the very person who had introduced him to his girlfriend. Regardless of the reason, he felt compelled to make this request of his sister.
After hearing the full story, Yaoyao's expression also grew solemn. In her view, people falling into an unconscious state could only be due to two reasons: either hun soul loss Lost Soul, or po spirit deficit Shaopo. Neither, it was clear, was a good sign.
She didn't rush to conclusions, but cautiously advised, "Fourth Brother, don't rush. Let's discuss it after we've seen the situation."
Yaoyao knew Fourth Brother had a girlfriend, and it seemed their relationship hadn't been formalized yet. This made her even more cautious. Because she couldn't risk causing trouble and holding her Fourth Brother back due to her involvement.
"Alright, we'll see then." Gu Qiao had no idea how much his sister was considering. He nodded in agreement, accepting her explanation.
Once the full story had been explained, Yaoyao then got into her Fourth Brother's car.
Half an hour later, at the hospital, she met her future Fourth Sister-in-law, Ye Yan.
Ye Yan was a girl in her early twenties, sporting a neat, high ponytail. She possessed the classic Jiangnan beauty, with soft features and gentle demeanor in every movement.
"Hello, Fourth Sister-in-law!" Yaoyao didn't even wait for her Fourth Brother to make the introductions; she had already dutifully greeted her.
This made Ye Yan pause in surprise. After all, she wasn't even married yet, and her face couldn't help but flush crimson.
"Hello, Little Sister Yaoyao!" Being a reporter, she was, after all, quite skilled at managing her emotions. She quickly adjusted her demeanor and asked, "Brother Qiao must have already told you why I asked you to come today, right?"
"Mhm, mhm. Where are they?" Yaoyao nodded upon hearing this. Without wasting any more words, she got straight to the point.
"I'll take you." Seeing her directness, a smile appeared on Ye Yan's face. She knew this matter was urgent; if the other party had been slow and leisurely, she would have felt very anxious. On the contrary, this kind of directness was entirely to her liking. She glanced at Yaoyao with a hint of surprise, and then at the Samoyed following behind her.
"So big," was her immediate, subconscious reaction.
However, she quickly dismissed these thoughts.
The two walked for a while, then stopped at the hospital room door at the corner of the stairwell.
Ye Yan reached out and pushed open the hospital room door, allowing Yaoyao to enter first before following her in.
And Yaoyao, who was walking ahead, upon entering the room, her gaze immediately swept over the several girls quietly sleeping on the beds.
She then froze, because she strangely discovered that all these individuals shared the exact same affliction. Namely, incomplete souls and spirits. They all lacked two hun souls and three po spirits!
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