Chapter 59

Xu Yan glared at Chen Yaoyu, who, knowing she was in the wrong, turned her face away, not daring to meet Xu Yan’s eyes.

Xu Yan ignored her and turned to Secretary Li, saying, "Secretary Li, since you have invited me with such enthusiasm, I have no choice but to do my best. However, there is one thing I need to inform you first: the illness of the elder in your household is not an ordinary one..."

At this point, Xu Yan paused, silently looking at Secretary Li, who felt a slight tremor in his heart but maintained his composure on the surface: "Master Xu, please speak your mind. I am open to anything and can accept whatever you say."

"Since that’s the case, I will be frank with you, Secretary Li. The elder in your household is not suffering from an illness, but from a condition caused by the invasion of yin evil—"

Secretary Li frowned: "A condition caused by the invasion of yin evil? Master Xu, what exactly is this yin evil, and what does it mean?"

Xu Yan deliberately paused for a moment, then said, "Secretary Li, I have already said that this is not an illness. We mortals live in the world of yang, while the underworld is the world of yin. The two worlds are separated by the netherworld, but occasionally, they intersect, and the yin evil from the underworld can seep into the human world through some cracks. If a mortal comes into contact with this yin evil, they will fall ill and eventually die. The matter is too complex, and if I explain too much, you might not understand."

—Actually, it wasn’t just a matter of whether Secretary Li understood; Xu Yan himself didn’t fully understand. If he continued, he would run out of the theories he had acquired from Zhu Youxiang, and his bluff would be called.

"Let me put it simply. The elder in your household has been affected by yin evil, which has invaded his body. Secretary Li, as you know, yin and yang are opposing forces. When yin evil invades the body, it erodes the elder’s vitality and yang energy, causing him to gradually weaken and eventually die. There are some signs that everyone can see, such as the black aura on the patient’s face and body, which is the yin evil that has invaded his body."

As Xu Yan spoke, the faces of those present changed slightly. When Chen Yaoyu introduced Xu Yan, they had already been prepared for something like this, suspecting that Grandpa Wen’s illness was not ordinary. However, when they heard words like "underworld," "netherworld," and "yin evil," they couldn’t help but feel a chill.

Chen Yaoyu’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at Xu Yan in surprise. She couldn’t tell if what Xu Yan was saying was the truth or just a lie to play the role of a mystic.

Secretary Li’s brow furrowed, and his face turned serious. His first instinct was to criticize Xu Yan for spreading such baseless feudal superstitions, but as the words were about to leave his mouth, he realized it was inappropriate. This was not the time to show his ideological awareness. If he offended Master Xu, it would be a serious problem!

He interrupted Xu Yan decisively: "Master Xu, what you are saying is too profound and complex for us laymen to understand. We just want to know one thing: can our Grandpa Wen be saved? Can you save him?"

Xu Yan could see that Secretary Li was very averse to hearing about such feudal superstitions, which was why he had rudely interrupted him. This was clearly a case of burying one’s head in the sand!

He suppressed a laugh and said sincerely, "Secretary Li, I will do my best since you have invited me with such sincerity. However, I need to make one thing clear: the elder is quite old, and the yin evil has deeply invaded his body, leaving his vitality very weak. When I perform the exorcism, it is uncertain whether his body can withstand it.

So, Secretary Li, I need to be upfront with you. If you want me to proceed, I cannot guarantee that I can save the elder. It might be that the medicine works and he is cured, which would be the best outcome. However, it is also possible that the patient might... pass away on the spot. I really have no certainty about this."

Hearing Xu Yan say this, the faces of those present changed again, and they all looked at Secretary Li. He pondered for a moment and then asked Xu Yan, "Master Xu, forgive me for asking, but based on your estimation, if you proceed, what are the chances of saving the elder?"

Xu Yan pretended to think for a moment and then answered, "If we had started earlier, I would have had a fifty percent chance. However, it has been almost an hour, and the elder’s vitality has weakened further... The chances of success have dropped to about forty percent. If we delay any longer, the chances will become even smaller."

Secretary Li’s face changed dramatically. He turned and glared fiercely at Li Yuan, who was so frightened that he quickly shrank back, hiding behind his older brother and muttering, "How was I supposed to know..."

Secretary Li turned his gaze back to Xu Yan and said firmly, "Forty percent... That’s enough! Master Xu, I entrust the elder to you! As long as you do your best, we will be grateful, regardless of whether you can save him or not. We will not blame you."

In such a critical matter, Secretary Li’s decisiveness and determination surprised Xu Yan. He asked, "Secretary Li, this is a big decision, and forty percent is not a high chance... Don’t you want to think about it or consult with your family?"

Secretary Li shook his head: "No need to think about it. The medical team from Beijing and the local experts have said there is no hope. Master Xu, your forty percent, though not high, is still a glimmer of hope, better than waiting for death. The longer we wait, the less hope the elder has!

The elder’s other children are not in Jincheng, and it’s too late to wait for them to arrive. Tongdan is his daughter, and I am his son-in-law. Here, we are the closest family to the elder. I will take the responsibility and make the decision!

Master Xu, I entrust the elder to you! We should not delay any longer. Let’s go!"

At this critical moment, Li Shangyuan’s ability to quickly analyze the situation, make a firm decision, and act decisively without hesitation impressed Xu Yan. No wonder he could become a high-ranking official; he indeed had exceptional qualities. If it were Xu Yan, even if he knew rationally that this was the best decision, he would not be able to make such a decisive decision when it came to the life of a loved one.

The group got into two cars and returned to Li Shangyuan’s home. They hurriedly went upstairs to the second floor, where the local experts and the medical team were gathered in the ward. Seeing the doctors’ somber faces, Li Shangyuan felt a chill—had he come too late?

He glanced at the bedside and saw that the heart monitor still showed a faint line. He felt a slight relief.

Li Shangyuan grabbed the head of the medical team and asked, "Director Zhong, how is the elder?"

Director Zhong’s expression was grave. He said solemnly, "Secretary Li, Grandpa Wen’s condition is very serious. His heartbeat and breathing are even weaker, and he is on the brink... I’m afraid he might not make it through the afternoon."

Knowing that the elder was still breathing, Li Shangyuan felt a bit more at ease. He turned to Xu Yan and said solemnly, "Master Xu, please proceed. The situation is already this bad; it can’t get much worse. We will treat the dead as if they were alive. If you need anything, just say, and we will do it immediately!"

Xu Yan approached the patient and found that the elder’s breathing and heartbeat were even weaker than Gong Jianguo’s—this was truly a matter of life hanging by a thread. To be honest, Xu Yan was not sure if Zhu Youxiang’s medicine could save him, or even if the elder could swallow it.

Xu Yan said clearly, "Secretary Li, I need two things: a cup of clean water, and for all the doctors and nurses to leave the room. Otherwise, with so many people around, I won’t be able to work properly."

Getting a cup of clean water was easy, and the eldest son of the Li family immediately brought a box of mineral water into the ward. However, getting the doctors and nurses to leave was a bit more challenging.

It was relatively easy to ask the local doctors to leave, as they worked at the local hospital and were under Secretary Li’s jurisdiction, so they dared not disobey. However, when it came to the medical team from Beijing, Secretary Li encountered trouble. The doctors refused to leave.

The head of the team, Director Zhong, argued that they were sent by the General Office and the Health Bureau to treat Grandpa Wen. As long as Grandpa Wen was still alive, they would stay by his side and do their best, recording his condition changes to report back to the Health Bureau. This was their duty, and Secretary Li, though Grandpa Wen’s son-in-law, could not force them to leave.

At this critical moment, encountering such inflexible people was truly frustrating. Seeing Grandpa Wen’s breathing becoming weaker by the second, Secretary Li was extremely anxious. He looked at Xu Yan, who stood there with his eyes closed, clearly unwilling to compromise. Secretary Li did not dare to persuade him further, fearing that this eccentric master might leave in a huff.

After a standoff, Secretary Li finally lost his patience. He called out, and the entire family, young and old, joined in, forcibly pushing the medical team out of the ward. The two Li brothers closed the door and blocked it, ignoring the doctors’ protests outside.

Secretary Li, panting heavily, asked, "Master Xu, can we start now?"

Seeing that the Li family had done their best, Xu Yan did not want to make things harder for them. He nodded, took a bottle of mineral water, approached the bed, opened the patient’s mouth, and poured the medicine and water in. Then, he turned around and clapped his hands: "That’s it, done! Let’s wait and see the results."

For a moment, Secretary Li, Aunt Wen, and the two Li brothers were frozen in place.

What kind of exorcism was this?

Earlier, Xu Yan had made everything sound so terrifying, talking about the underworld, yin evil, and the netherworld, making it seem like a mystical and complex matter. The Li family, though not entirely believing, had some faith in it. They expected Master Xu to perform some elaborate exorcism, whether it involved wearing a Taoist robe, burning incense, chanting spells, or even engaging in a physical battle with an invisible demon. They were prepared to accept whatever he did.

Because they were worried that Master Xu’s exorcism might be too shocking, Secretary Li had decided to remove the medical team, even if it meant a falling out with the Health Bureau, to prevent them from seeing and spreading rumors.

No one expected that Master Xu’s exorcism would simply involve pouring half a bottle of mineral water into the patient’s mouth!

After a long pause, Secretary Li hesitantly asked, "This... Master Xu, you said the elder was affected by yin evil... Aren’t you going to remove it? Have you started?"

"It’s done, I’ve removed it!" Xu Yan said matter-of-factly. "The matter is resolved!"

Hearing Xu Yan’s response, Secretary Li’s mouth twitched. After years in politics, he rarely felt the urge to curse, but at this moment, he was tempted—damn it, why didn’t you say so earlier! You made it sound so mysterious and grand, and I thought you were going to do something earth-shattering! If I had known you were just going to give the patient some water, I could have called the entire city to watch. Why did I have to force the medical team and local experts out?

Secretary Li knew that forcibly removing the doctors would have a negative impact on him. The doctors, unable to witness the treatment, would speculate about what happened behind closed doors. The more they couldn’t see, the more they would imagine, and by the next morning, rumors about "Secretary Li hiring a mystic to exorcise the elder" might spread throughout the municipal compound. If he had known the exorcism was just giving the patient some water, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to remove the doctors.

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