Chapter Thirty-One: Soul Vanishes and Spirit Dissipates
"Huh?" Zhang Xianzhu was taken aback at first, then said, "Master, didn't you say that the ghost in this painting is the one haunting my husband?"
“Yes.” Jingwu nodded, looking at her seriously and said, “The ghost that’s haunting your husband is a male ghost.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xianzhu thought she had misheard. Seeing that the person in front of her didn't seem to be joking, she immediately staggered.
My husband has fallen for another man?!
Jiang Yu was taken aback at first, then immediately disbelieving. He looked disdainful and said coldly, "You're saying there's a ghost in this painting? Where's the ghost? Where is it? Catch it and show it to me!"
Seeing that the person in front of him did not make a move, he assumed that she was guilty and immediately spoke up with even more confidence.
"You're so young and you're not learning anything good. You're learning from those swindlers to cheat us out of our money. Just tell me how much you want, and I'll give it to you."
Jiang Yu became more and more excited as she spoke, pointing at the painting and saying, "Do you know how much this painting cost? I bought it for ten taels of silver. It's a relic of a master from a previous dynasty! You think it's ghostly just because you say so?"
As he was talking, he suddenly thought of something and leaned close to her: "Were you sent by that bastard Lao Zhang? Just to get me to sell this painting to him at a low price?"
Jingwu tried to open his mouth several times, but was stopped each time. Finally, he lost his temper and sealed his mouth shut with a hand seal.
Immediately, she chanted a spell quickly in a low voice, pulled the ghost out of the painting, and threw it on the ground.
This ghost was Yang Yan. He was dressed in red, his hair was disheveled, and he fell to the ground. His eyes looked at Jiang Yu pitifully.
Jiang Yu's mouth was sealed shut, preventing her from speaking. Seeing that her beautiful confidante had truly been pulled out of the painting, she immediately began to mumble incoherently.
He reached out to pull his wife, who was already frozen in place, gesturing and making muffled noises.
This was the first time Zhang Xianzhu had ever seen this ghost. Seeing his fair skin, delicate features, and tearful eyes, she couldn't help but feel soft-hearted.
Her tone softened slightly: "You... are Yang Yan?"
Yang Yan nodded and said softly, "This concubine greets Madam."
Upon hearing this voice, Zhang Xianzhu was stunned for a moment. Just as she was about to turn her head to ask the girl next to her, she was suddenly pulled by a force. When she came to her senses, she found herself in Yang Yan's arms, with a sharp armor pressed against her neck.
"you……"
"Shut up!" Yang Yan dropped the pretense and said fiercely, "Speak again and I'll kill you!"
The voice that came out was a genuine, rugged male voice.
Hearing this sound, Jiang Yu felt her heart break.
He really was a man; with such a rough voice, he simply couldn't look at his pitiful face anymore.
Immediately, he realized that his wife was in his hands, and quickly went to the girl's side, making a few "uh-huh" sounds with his hands and gestures.
Jingwu found his noise annoying and frowned in displeasure.
He then looked over there and said coldly, "If you hurt her, your crime will be compounded."
Yang Yan looked at her, a sinister smile appearing on her stunning face: "I know you are a sorcerer. As long as you perform a ritual to help me pass on to the next life and send me to reincarnation, I will release her!"
"Impossible. You have harmed countless people. I cannot help you find peace." Jingwu looked at the bloodstains on his body, and his eyes grew even colder.
"I had no choice. If I didn't kill them, I wouldn't be able to live either! This is not what I wanted." Yang Yan's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her beautiful face, making her look incredibly pitiful.
Jingwu sneered: "In your previous life, you were the emperor's favorite male concubine, extremely favored, and no one dared to bully or humiliate you. That cold winter, you merely saw that a minister's daughter looked somewhat like you, and pushed her into the pond to drown her. Was that because you didn't want to?"
"Furthermore, when a minister stood up for his daughter, you instigated the emperor to execute their entire family, resulting in the deaths of over a hundred people overnight. Was this because you couldn't bear to live anymore?"
Jingwu's expression grew colder as he spoke. Looking at the utterly wicked man before him, he couldn't help but clench his fists: "You have countless lives on your hands, and you still think I can help you pass on to the afterlife? Before it gets dark, go to the underworld and have a daydream."
When Yang Yan saw that she had revealed all her secrets, her face darkened, and she immediately closed her fingers, pressing her sharp nails against the fair neck.
"Then I'll kill her!"
He's not stupid; the sins he's committed will surely condemn him to the deepest hell, but if a sorcerer performs a ritual to help him pass on, his punishment can be reduced.
Anger also flared in Jingwu's eyes. She rolled her eyes, chanted a spell, and conjured a flame, which she flicked at his skirt.
When Yang Yan saw the flames coming, she hurriedly dodged and didn't notice the person next to her.
Taking advantage of her inattention, Jingwu conjured a spirit rope and swung it out, wrapping it around Zhang Xianzhu's waist.
He then reached out and pulled her back.
After seeing Zhang Xianzhu standing behind him, Jingwu coldly looked at the person in front of him.
"Aren't you going to surrender?"
Seeing that she had been tricked and had no hostages left, Yang Yan was filled with rage and decided to fight to the death.
He'd rather be wiped out than be punished.
He channeled the Yin energy within his body, conjuring a long sword, which he thrust towards them.
Jingwu immediately conjured a protective shield to block it.
Seeing that he remained unrepentant, she continued her attack.
He immediately mobilized the remaining spiritual power in his body, quickly forming hand seals while chanting a lightning-summoning incantation.
In an instant, a bolt of lightning struck, splitting a hole in the roof and landing directly on Yang Yan's head.
In an instant, he vanished into thin air and disappeared from this world.
Upon seeing this, Jingwu immediately withdrew the protective shield.
They really are asking for trouble.
Zhang Xianzhu and Jiang Yu witnessed the whole process and are now staring blankly at the girl in front of them.
Jiang Yu wanted to go back to what she had just said, take back everything she had said, and slap herself twice.
Fortunately, the master didn't hold it against him, otherwise he would have died at the hands of this ghost.
Thinking this, he immediately rushed to Jingwu's feet, knelt down with a thud, and mumbled several words with gestures.
Jingwu disliked others kneeling in worship, so he walked to the other side and used magic to make him stand up.
"Talk things out calmly, don't kneel down at the drop of a hat."
Upon seeing this, Zhang Xianzhu immediately stepped forward to express her gratitude: "Master, please don't take it to heart. He just wanted to thank you."
"No need to be polite, just give me the reward." Jing Wu's face was a little pale, and his tone was a little fast: "Fifty taels of silver."
Zhang Xianzhu was already prepared for a reward of over one hundred taels of silver, so when she heard this, she thought she had misheard.
After confirming it again, she immediately became happy, realizing she wouldn't have to sell her jewelry.
She immediately went into the bedroom, rummaged through a hidden compartment, pulled out a box, and took out fifty taels of silver notes.
He then went back to the study and handed it to the girl.
"Master, thank you for helping us get rid of that ghost."
Jingwu accepted the money, feeling somewhat better. With this money, he should be able to expand the Shao family's property: "No need to be polite."
Then, as if remembering something, he immediately turned his head and dispelled the spell on the person in front of him.
As soon as Jiang Yu was able to speak, she immediately said, "Master, thank you so much. Otherwise, I would still be completely in the dark about this male ghost."
Speaking of this, he felt disgusted when he recalled his time with this man.
Although the two were just drinking and having a heart-to-heart talk, but...
Jingwu seemed to see through his thoughts and chuckled: "Think of something good. At least you and the previous emperor were both flattered by him."
These words only added to Jiang Yu's complicated feelings.
Jingwu didn't stay any longer. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he turned and walked outside.
Zhang Xianzhu and Jiang Yu quickly followed and respectfully saw the person off.
As soon as Jingwu stepped out the door, he keenly noticed the black carriage parked in the corner.
She narrowed her eyes, glanced at him warily, and then, having made up her mind, turned and left.
Just after she disappeared from sight, an elderly woman in a lotus-colored robe was helped down by a young woman and entered the Jiang family home.
Jiang Yu and Zhang Xianzhu were still at the door when they saw the person who came, and immediately knelt down and kowtowed.
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