Chapter 10

Because I had to perform a soul-summoning ritual for Old Zhou, it was no longer appropriate to stay at Zhang Yang's place. I didn't want him to see me setting up the altar to summon Old Zhou's soul, especially if it was necessary to do so. However, I couldn't ask Zhang Yang to stay out all day, and I certainly couldn't ask him to stay out all night.

With this in mind, I finished some trivial matters and called Zhang Yang. I told him that I had taken Old Zhou to a famous shaman, who definitely had a way to cure him, and that he would be fine by tomorrow, so he shouldn't worry.

Upon hearing my words, Zhang Yang, though helpless, couldn't help but express his concern, saying, "Just don't delay Old Zhou."

I didn't want to argue with Zhang Yang, so I simply said, "Don't worry," and hung up. I then turned to look at Old Zhou, who had a clean towel I had found with difficulty stuffed in his mouth. Surprisingly, this gave me some comfort.

However, I couldn't take Old Zhou out like this. Although the elevator went directly to the underground parking lot, it usually had surveillance cameras. If the security guard saw Old Zhou bound and gagged, I couldn't guarantee he wouldn't be alarmed.

So, I had to knock Old Zhou out again, which was a bit cruel. I then took a pot of cactus and carried Old Zhou out of Zhang Yang's home.

The journey went relatively smoothly, and I brought Old Zhou back to my place. It's generally better to perform a soul-summoning ritual in a familiar place, as the wandering soul is more likely to return instinctively when called.

I laid Old Zhou on my bed. To prevent him from making too much noise, I had to tie him up again and stuff something in his mouth. It was still early, around 11:00 AM, and I had to go home to get some things before it was too late.

It was already past 11:00 AM, and the sunlight was blinding. It was almost noon, the time of extreme yin. Most people think that yin energy is strongest after 11:00 PM, but my master taught me that the 45 minutes after noon are also very yin, especially at exactly 12:00 PM.

Old Zhou had lost his soul here. If he were seen by a passing spirit at this time, it would be disastrous, as this is when possession is most likely to occur.

Thinking of this, I sighed and took a chain from around my neck, hanging it around Old Zhou's neck.

This chain was given to me by my master. According to my years of practice on the mountain, I couldn't identify what it was made of, but the chain was made of irregular small jade beads, all of which were high-quality jade. If an expert saw them, they would likely be furious, as it was a waste to grind such jade into small beads.

But I knew these jade beads had been placed on my master's ancestral altar and specially nurtured for many years, longer than I had been alive. They were strung together to highlight the strange object in the middle of the chain.

This object, in the middle of the chain, was a black, strange sphere. It didn't feel like metal or jade; it was slightly soft and would indent slightly when pressed, but it wouldn't actually deform.

In the middle of the black sphere, there was a white ring, forming a perfect circle. Fortunately, it was just a ring, not a dot, or it would have looked like an inverted eye.

After coming down the mountain, I learned a lot about antiques and collectibles, but I still couldn't identify what this object was. I had once asked my master, but he said, "It cannot be said, it cannot be said," which always made me angry.

But I remembered that he once said, "This object can ward off all evil. If any evil dares to approach you, you will feel it." Of course, "approach" doesn't mean physical proximity but rather any evil trying to invade your body.

I am a practitioner and a Taoist, yet I couldn't sense any protective aura from this strange object. But it was the first thing my master gave me, and it was my second most precious possession after the dog hair keychain.

Given Old Zhou's condition, I didn't have much choice. I hung the chain around his neck. Even if the jade beads alone could help protect him from evil.

After doing this, I stood up and noticed how blinding the sunlight was in the room. I walked to the window, thinking I shouldn't let the soul-losing man get sunburned. If he lost another soul, what would I do? So, I decided to draw the curtains.

Suddenly, I noticed a large white cat with yellow spots sitting on the windowsill across from Old Zhou, staring at me.

It was almost noon, and the cat's pupils were almost slits, making its gaze even colder. It stared at me, and I sensed a hint of amusement in its eyes.

Who am I? I am Ye Zhengling, the famous "Three Stupid" as my master calls me. Would I be afraid of a cat? I didn't avoid its gaze but narrowed my eyes and stared back for two seconds. Even my dull spiritual sense could tell that the cat wasn't evil, but it was still unusual.

The cat yawned, and in the sunlight, its small fangs looked menacing. My calm heart suddenly tightened. I felt as if it was mocking me.

When animals display human-like expressions, you might find them cute, but they can also be terrifying, depending on the expression. This provocative behavior made me angry, and I finally shouted, "Go away!"

Perhaps because of my tension, my power flowed, and a bit of the Taoist roar technique mixed in.

"Three Stupid's soul power is too strong, and he sometimes can't control it, so his techniques flow naturally. So, you, Three Stupid, should not get excited or impulsive. Always keep your mind calm. Once you fully control your soul power, you can be passionate again," my master had once told me. I thought I had fully controlled my soul power, but now I realized I was far from it.

Now, I had used a bit of the Taoist roar technique on a cat, which was ridiculous.

The cat stopped yawning, looked at me deeply, and then leaped off the windowsill and disappeared.

I felt a strange relief, drew the curtains for Old Zhou, and was about to leave when I suddenly remembered something that made me tense up. If I remembered correctly, Old Zhou lived on the 16th floor. Could a cat, no matter how agile, jump directly from the 16th floor?

Thinking of this, I rushed to the window and pulled back the curtains. The sunlight was blinding, and the windowsill was empty. There was no sign of the cat.

At this moment, I couldn't control my anger and cursed, "Damn it!" My spiritual sense was weak, and I couldn't predict the outcome of events, which is why I was known as "Three Stupid" on the mountain.

After coming down the mountain, I had tried to cultivate my character, but my old temper couldn't be suppressed. Without my spiritual sense, I relied on my wisdom and judgment. I was almost certain that the strange cat was there to monitor Old Zhou. My hand, gripping the curtain, trembled with anger, and I wanted to rush downstairs to see if the cat was still there.

But I held back, still holding the pot of cactus. Everything was just beginning, and I would see who would laugh last.

With this in mind, I drew the curtains, glanced at the still unconscious Old Zhou (I had hit him a bit harder this time), and, suppressing my emotions, calmly left his room.

My car was parked in the courtyard below Old Zhou's building. I needed to go home quickly to get the things I needed. Why would some mysterious entity go to such lengths to monitor Old Zhou?

Lost in thought, I walked to my car and saw a few aunties staring at it with concern.

Curious, I approached and saw a bloody cat carcass on the hood of my car.