Wang Xicai began to recount the events.
Wang Xicai had two sons and a daughter. The elder son was named Wang Yiqian, the younger son was named Wang Yikun, and the daughter was named Wang Rusheng. For three generations, the Wang Family were merchants, making a living by earning a profit from selling the brocade and embroidery of the villagers. By Wang Xicai's generation, they were a wealthy and prominent family.
The family possessed immense wealth, enjoying a life of luxury.
Three years ago, Wang Yiqian kept a mistress outside. This mistress was a woman Wang Yiqian met while visiting brothels. Wang Xicai knew that it was normal for his son to take a few concubines at his age; as long as she was not brought home, it was not a major issue. He didn't give it much thought, believing that they could arrange a proper marriage with someone of equal status in the future.
It's been three years, and the mistress had two children with Wang Yiqian. Wang Xicai heard of this and secretly went to take a look — the children were indeed very adorable and delightful.
However, children from a brothel were of low status, and the Wang Family could never accept someone like that as the main wife. Eventually, they forced Wang Yikun to marry the eldest daughter of the equally prestigious Su Family, Su Keqing.
Su Keqing, despite being from a noble house, was extraordinarily arrogant and willful, intolerant of any flaws. Once she learned about Wang Yiqian's mistress, she would cause a major uproar every three days, and a minor one every two, causing great unrest in the family.
The Su Family also threatened Wang Yiqian to sever ties with his mistress.
Unexpectedly, the woman from the brothel was fiercely strong-willed. On the Ghost Festival, she set herself and her two children on fire, committing suicide. From that point on, the Wang family's residence knew no peace. At night, the mournful cries of a woman could always be heard, and someone in the house would meet a sudden death every day. His poor elder son died because of this! The authorities investigated but found nothing, and many Daoists and experts were of no help.
"Immortal Venerable, I beg you to save our Wang Family! I would give anything, be it gold or jewels, beautiful women or power, I will do anything!" Wang Xicai cried out, kneeling and weeping uncontrollably in front of Shen Yanli and Mo Bai.
Shen Yanli remained calm. In her previous life, she would have politely asked him to rise, but in this life, knowing all the causes and effects beforehand, she felt no sympathy, only cold laughter and mockery.
Mo Bai looked at Shen Yanli with a sense of wonder; he knew that while his master was usually cold, she was never indifferent to others' pain. The person before him seemed very different from how he remembered.
"Master!" Mo Bai softly called Shen Yanli twice to bring her back to her senses.
She then invited Wang Xicai to stand up and gently asked, "Can you take me to see your eldest daughter-in-law?"
Wang Xicai dusted off his clothes, nodding vigorously with a deeply sorrowful expression: "Yes, I'll take you there, but she is in a strange state, as if possessed by a ghost. Please, don't be alarmed."
Shen Yanli responded, her expression very composed as she followed Wang Xicai. Mo Bai walked softly by Shen Yanli's side.
Passing through winding corridors, the three arrived at the residence of the Su Family. The house was built grand and stern, lavishly decorated, truly befitting a prominent family's dwelling, and indeed looked imposing.
Wang Xicai led them inside, urging them with heartfelt instructions before entering the door. Once they agreed, Wang Xicai finally brought them in.
Mo Bai silently thought that the condition of the Su Family member seemed severe, possibly making this case very tricky.
Wang Xicai led them in front of Su Keqing. They saw her tied up on a carved solid wood bed. Her face, which should have been beautiful, was instead extraordinarily pale, twisted, and ferocious. The veins on her forehead were protruding, her eyes popped out abruptly like dead fish, and saliva uncontrollably dribbled from her mouth. Her body contorted into a strange posture as she moved laboriously on the bed, mumbling something endlessly.
"Master, how did she become like this?" Mo Bai asked in shock.
Shen Yanli explained, "She is possessed by an evil spirit."
"Is it that woman from the brothel?" Mo Bai continued to inquire.
"Perhaps it is," Shen Yanli replied indifferently.
Mo Bai was a bit confused. Either it was or it wasn't. Why say perhaps? Could there be more to this?
Shen Yanli closed her eyes, chanting, and from her palm appeared a talisman. After a few movements with her fingers, the talisman seemed to come to life, floating in the air.
"Go!" The talisman she conjured flew onto Su Keqing's bulging forehead, and she instantly became quiet, appearing to be asleep.
"Immortal Venerable, this is…" Wang Xicai pointed at Su Keqing, somewhat overjoyed.
"I used the talisman to suppress the evil spirit within her temporarily, allowing her some rest. Otherwise, if the evil is not removed, she might die suddenly," Shen Yanli explained.