"What voluntary sacrifice? You lied to her, didn't you?" Yuan Qi cast a spell, and with the scorching sunlight, the female ghost's soul hissed and smoked, and the black mist thinned considerably. She was clearly about to collapse.
She noticed that Yuan Qi was only about ten years old, yet he possessed a golden aura of merit, and she couldn't quite figure out just how capable this child was.
"She made a wish before me, and I granted it. She should sacrifice her soul. Little child, you are too young to understand. I am acting on behalf of Heaven. Feng Zhaolin was betrothed to her since childhood and married her. He shouldn't have disliked her because she was ugly. She is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Her poetry and painting skills are among the best for women. She is also quite good at managing a household. Such a wonderful woman, yet he can't see her other merits just because she is ugly."
Although Yuan Qi was not one to judge people by their appearance, he knew that people judge others by their looks first. Beautiful women were more likely to win people's hearts, and even if they had no talent, they could still make a name for themselves because of their outstanding appearance.
But it is extremely difficult for a woman with great talent but an ugly appearance to rise to prominence; such is the nature of human nature, and she cannot control it.
Therefore, the allure of beauty is too great.
The female ghost was furious, and the black energy began to churn again: "Little brat, do you think this kind of man deserves to die? What's wrong with me acting on behalf of Heaven? Little brat, if I were you, I would kill Feng Zhaolin right away!"
Yuan Qi had no interest in discussing with the female ghost whether men judge by appearance. She put one hand on her hip and pointed at the female ghost with the other: "Whether Feng Zhaolin is wrong or not is another matter. He has his own destiny, and it's none of your business. Even if he has committed sins, the King of Hell will judge him after he dies. It has nothing to do with you. If you are willing to release Fu Lingxi, I can let you enter the underworld. If you are stubborn, don't blame me for beating you to pieces."
"Hahaha, little brat, you've got quite the nerve. I've been wandering for a thousand years, devouring countless ghosts," the female ghost said, sticking out her blood-red tongue as she lunged at Yuan Qi. Yuan Qi's physical body was in excellent condition, and he had accumulated merit. If she could possess his body, perhaps she could truly walk in the sunlight.
Yuan Qi took out several exorcism talismans and threw them at her without paying. The female ghost's body was shaken by the impact and realized how powerful this little girl was. She dared not go forward again: "If you hit me again, I won't tell you where Fu Lingxi is."
The female ghost had made up her mind. Once she returned to the ancient temple, she could regain her ghostly power and defeat Yuan Qi without any problem.
"Little Celestial Master, what's your name?" The female ghost kept a distance from Yuan Qi, not too close and not too far, so that she could run away if he threw another talisman at her.
Yuan Qi chuckled and asked in a childish voice, "You're a thousand-year-old ghost too, haven't you heard of Celestial Master Yuan Qi?"
The female ghost trembled even more violently than if she had been struck by the Five Thunder Talisman. Celestial Master Yuan Qi, how could she be so unlucky as to run into such a demon?
Celestial Master Yuan Qi is the most terrifying being in the underworld. The ghosts of the underworld may not know the name of the King of the Nine Nether Hells, but they cannot be unaware of Celestial Master Yuan Qi.
Seeing her speechless expression, Yuan Qi knew that she had seen some of the world: "Tell me, what is your name, and why have you lingered in this world for the past two years without entering the cycle of reincarnation?"
The female ghost's soul, exposed to the sunlight, became increasingly ethereal, transforming from a dark red, malevolent spirit back into a beautiful young woman in a floral-patterned jacket and skirt: "My name is Miao Xiuniang, Celestial Master. I'm leaving now. Could you let me go back to my place and talk to you there?"
Yuan Qi took out the Soul-Suppressing Bottle from his cloth bag: "Come in first and tell me where you live, and I'll take you there."
Miao Xiuniang darted inside with a "whoosh".
The Feng family members then gathered around.
Fu Lingxi's body had already been caught by servants and placed in the shade to the side.
Vice Minister Feng and his wife turned pale as they watched the changes on Fu Lingxi's face. Originally, after the female ghost took over her body, she used her ghostly power to remove the birthmark on Fu Lingxi's face. Fu Lingxi was indeed a stunningly beautiful woman.
But now the birthmark is reappearing, and it's getting darker and darker. In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the birthmark has turned into a very dark red color, just like when she first married into the family.
Fu Lingxi's personal maid came from the Fu family and always carried a veil. She skillfully put the veil on Fu Lingxi.
Madam Feng's heart pounded, and her hands felt cold. Although she couldn't see anything, she knew that the young Taoist priest had some real skills. She squatted down to check Fu Lingxi's breathing, but there was no breath. She quickly withdrew her hand and walked up to Yuan Qi: "Young Taoist priest, is my daughter-in-law... dead?"
Yuan Qi did some quick calculations, then raised her small face and explained earnestly, "No, her soul should be with Miao Xiuniang. Don't worry, let me try to call her back."
Vice Minister Feng had heard of the Taoist practices to some extent. They required burning incense to invite the gods, using a peach wood sword, and setting up an altar to perform rituals. In short, it was very troublesome.
He immediately instructed his servants: "Prepare an offering table, incense burner, sacrificial animals, and yellow paper, and have the young Taoist priest perform the ritual."
"No need," Yuan Qi smiled sweetly. "It's not that complicated."
She then bent down and took out a talisman from her cloth bag, holding it between two fingers. Finding an open space, she stepped out in accordance with the five elements, chanting, "Wandering souls, where do you linger? May your three souls descend, may your seven spirits arrive..."
"Feng Zhaolin, why aren't you calling your wife's name?" Yuan Qi suddenly looked at Feng Zhaolin, signaling him to call back his wife's soul. Feng Zhaolin was a little dumbfounded and didn't react.
Bai Youhui kicked him: "I told you to call your wife by her name!"
Feng Zhaolin then realized: "Fu Lingxi, Fu Lingxi..."
"Now I beseech the Mountain God, the Five Wandering Generals, the Local Earth God, the Kitchen God of the Household, and I, your servant, to diligently search for and retrieve the soul, to possess the body, and to rouse its spirit. Open the Heavenly Gate, open the Earthly Gate, and let the child from a thousand miles away deliver the soul. I respectfully request the Supreme Lord Laozi to grant this command immediately."
Even after the soul-summoning ceremony ended, Fu Lingxi's spirit did not return.
Yuan Qi said, "We're trapped and can't come back."
Fu Lingxi's maid burst into tears, kneeling at Yuan Qi's feet and pleading, "Young Taoist priest, please save my young lady! Please! My young lady is kind-hearted and has done so many good deeds. She shouldn't have died so young... Waaah..."
The Feng family members didn't cry, after all, they weren't blood relatives. The only person who cared about and was close to Fu Lingxi, Feng Zhaolin, avoided her like the plague, so it was no wonder they were worried.
The Feng family simply felt that if Fu Lingxi died, they wouldn't be able to explain it to the Fu family.
Madam Feng also stepped forward: "Young Taoist priest, you've gone to so much trouble. Please help us find it."
Yuan Qi asked Miao Xiuniang, who was inside the Soul-Suppressing Bottle, as a cluster of red lotus karmic fire ignited at his fingertips and slowly approached the bottle: "Where have you imprisoned her soul?"
Even through the bottle, she could feel the power of the Red Lotus Karmic Fire; her soul was almost being roasted apart. She quickly told the truth: "In a desolate ancient temple with a thousand-year history on Mount Yuehua in the north of the city."
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