Chapter 64

The interior of the villa was even more luxurious and grand than the exterior, but Yang Chen had no heart to examine the cultural artifacts, paintings, and antique ceramics displayed in the living room. As soon as he stepped through the door, he felt a massive repelling force surge from a bedroom on the second floor!

His expression changed slightly, and Yang Chen made a hand sign with his right hand, slowly releasing a stream of energy from his body to counteract the repelling force.

Zhang Bingyu walked up to his side and asked, "Did you feel it too?"

"It's the Holy Descent Ritual of the South African Skalan tribe," Yang Chen's expression grew even more serious. "What did your friend's father do in South Africa? The other party is using life to counteract him, determined to kill him!"

"What is the Holy Descent Ritual?" Zhang Xiaoman asked in surprise from behind. "How do you know so much about it?"

Yang Chen took a deep breath and slowly said, "The Holy Descent Ritual is a spell practiced by the priests of the Skalan tribe, located near the Mandar Mountains in southwestern South Africa. This tribe has a long history and a prestigious reputation in South Africa. The Holy Descent Ritual is primarily used by the tribe's priests to heal, exorcise evil, and treat injuries..."

"Ha... That's not the point!" Zhang Xiaoman sneered. "If it's for healing and exorcising evil, how can it harm someone?"

"What do you know?!" A sharp gaze instantly fell on Zhang Xiaoman, and Yang Chen said sternly, "The principle of the Holy Descent Ritual is very similar to the 'Great Freedom Realm' of Buddhism, both involving the soul leaving the body. Any spell is a double-edged sword; it can save lives, but it can also take lives! The cost of using the Holy Descent Ritual to kill is... the soul that leaves the body will never find its way back!"

Hearing this, Zhang Bingyu was moved. She asked, "Your point is, a priest from the Skalan tribe used the Holy Descent Ritual to kill Qin's father, at the cost of his own life? In other words, the soul of that Skalan tribe priest..."

"Is inside your Uncle Qin!" Yang Chen said firmly. "The Skalan tribe has always advocated peace and revered nature, representing the typical white witch doctors in Africa. They would never use the Holy Descent Ritual to kill unless it was absolutely necessary!"

Zhang Bingyu felt a heavy weight in her heart, as if she couldn't breathe. She had originally thought it was just a simple case of being cursed when she received her friend's call for help. So, she had packed her bags and rushed from Beijing to Wenzhou City.

But when she and Zhang Xiaoman arrived last night, Qin Zhengrong, who had been somewhat lucid, was already in a deep sleep, like someone with a high fever, muttering incomprehensible words.

Worse, with her mid-third-stage strength, she couldn't get within three steps of Qin Zhengrong! The repelling force emanating from him left Zhang Bingyu at a loss, unsure of what had happened to him!

Only after hearing Yang Chen's words did Zhang Bingyu realize why the wife of Qin Zhengrong had been vague and unwilling to explain the situation directly when she asked her last night. Now it seemed she wasn't unaware but afraid to speak!

Zhang Bingyu came from the Celestial Master's Mansion on Dragon Tiger Mountain, a place of high status and prestige. Although she wasn't very familiar with the mystical world outside of China, she had heard some stories passed down by the elders.

Africa was the land of witch doctors, divided into white witch doctors and black witch doctors. The black witch doctors, commonly known as 'black witches,' were a group of violent, insane madmen with a notorious reputation in Africa, akin to demons.

As for the white witch doctors... Zhang Bingyu understood what these four words meant without Yang Chen needing to explain further!

She stood there, stunned for nearly half a minute, then suddenly smiled bitterly and shook her head, saying, "If the situation is really as you say... we might as well not help!"

"No," Yang Chen shook his head. "We must help!"

"Why?" Zhang Bingyu looked at Yang Chen in surprise. Wasn't this aiding a tyrant?

"Whether your Uncle Qin lives or dies is none of my concern," Yang Chen raised his head and looked at the room on the second floor where the repelling force was coming from, speaking slowly and deliberately. "But I must save that Skalan tribe priest!"

In his previous life, the Chinese Daoist Alliance had a close relationship with the White Witch Council in Africa. As the Grand Elder of the Chinese Daoist Alliance, Yang Chen had frequent interactions with the higher-ups of the White Witch Council, and the white witch priests of the Skalan tribe led the entire White Witch Council!

Whether from a personal or professional standpoint, Yang Chen couldn't stand by and do nothing.

After saying this, he didn't pay attention to the reactions of Zhang Bingyu and Zhang Xiaoman, and directly went up the stairs, heading quickly toward the bedroom on the second floor... hoping it wasn't too late!

Qin Zhengrong's wife, Chen Sumei, was sitting by the bed, and his children were gathered around, their faces full of anxiety.

When Yang Chen quietly pushed the door open and entered, everyone in the room turned to look at him...

"Who are you?" Chen Sumei wiped the tears from her eyes and asked Yang Chen.

"Who let you in?" A young man who looked a lot like the bedridden Qin Zhengrong frowned.

"Out!" Qin Zhengrong's eldest daughter-in-law shouted rudely.

But Yang Chen's gaze remained fixed on Qin Zhengrong, his brows furrowed.

This was a middle-aged man in his fifties, balding, round-faced, with large earlobes and a prominent blue mole below his left nostril. He was lying in bed, drenched in sweat, his lips trembling slightly, but no sound came out.

After staring at Qin Zhengrong for about ten seconds, Yang Chen raised his head and scanned the room, asking the family members, "Who is his wife?"

"I... I am," Chen Sumei answered, though puzzled by Yang Chen's age, she still responded.

"When did your husband go to South Africa, and when did he return?" Yang Chen asked.

"He went to South Africa ten days ago and returned two days ago... He was like this as soon as he got home," Chen Sumei said, tears welling in her eyes. "He was still somewhat lucid until yesterday afternoon, but by last night... he was talking nonsense, and this morning, he stopped speaking altogether..."

"What did he do in South Africa?" Yang Chen asked sternly. "You'd better tell me everything, or in three hours, your husband's condition will worsen, and even a great immortal would be helpless!"

Chen Sumei was at a loss, looking at Yang Chen hesitantly, "What does this have to do with saving him..."

"Aunt, you'd better do as he says," Zhang Bingyu stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Yang Chen. "You can't possibly be unaware of what your husband did in South Africa, right?"

"..." Chen Sumei's eyes darted around, hesitating, "What could it be... just some trouble at the mine... a few African natives were killed..."

"How many?" Yang Chen's heart sank. "Speak clearly!"

"About twenty or so..."

"How many?"

"Maybe thirty or so..."

"Really?"

"Alright, seventy or so African natives were killed, but so what?!" Chen Sumei, feeling the pressure from Yang Chen, was almost red-eyed. She straightened her neck and said, "These ungrateful wolves, taking salaries and allowances, dared to rob the mine, killing several mine employees. What's wrong with giving them a lesson?!"

"What were the killed employees' roles at the mine?"

"They were supervisors..."

"So your husband hired people to kill seventy miners?" Yang Chen took a deep breath, his face turning cold. "Nonsense! Since you won't speak clearly, I'm sorry... your husband has at most six hours left. You can start preparing for his funeral!"

With that, he turned to leave.

Chen Sumei panicked and quickly said, "Wait... I'll talk, I'll talk, alright?!"

Zhang Bingyu and Zhang Xiaoman exchanged a glance... and Qin Zhengrong's daughter, Zhang Bingyu's friend, turned her head away, feeling very awkward.

"This... this happened because a native tribe near the mine stole a diamond from us..." Chen Sumei lowered her head, hesitating, "We didn't just take it, we hired people to take it... No need to hide it, tell me how many people died?"

"All the people in a village... are... are dead..." Seeing that she couldn't hide it anymore, Chen Sumei finally told the truth.

"Excessive!" Zhang Xiaoman gasped, spitting at Chen Sumei.

Zhang Bingyu's face turned white with anger, gritting her teeth, "Killing an entire village for a diamond? What the Japanese did in the past, your family can also learn so well!"

"That diamond was very large..." Chen Sumei said weakly, "And of high quality. They were unreasonable. My husband originally planned to buy it, but they refused to sell and even attacked us, so..."

"Enough, stop talking!" Yang Chen felt his temper rising and shouted, "Everyone, out!"

"You..." Qin Zhengrong's children and their spouses couldn't stand Yang Chen's tone and were about to say something.

But before they could speak, they were intimidated by the fierce aura emanating from Yang Chen and fled the bedroom in a hurry...

"Bang!" Yang Chen slammed the door shut.

Chen Sumei, still pale, looked at Zhang Bingyu with worry and asked, "Xiao Zhang... your friend... he won't harm Old Qin, will he?"

"Hmph." Zhang Bingyu responded with a light snort...

After understanding the whole story, Zhang Bingyu had no interest in even talking to her!

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