Once the female ghost entered, I immediately sealed the blood spike. Inside it, there were 108 spirit servants, and she had no chance to change her mind.
Of course, I had already given instructions to the ancestors inside to not make things difficult for her.
I exhaled, only to realize my back was soaked with sweat.
This was my first time negotiating with a ghost, and every moment had me worried she might suddenly attack.
I let go of Huang Jiu's mouth, and it immediately jumped to embrace the copper mirror, its eyes shining brightly. A ghost with the legacy of nine tails and the strength of three was enough to make anyone, including myself, envious. If only I were a demon.
I sighed in relief, but when I looked at Shen Weiguo, who was standing there in a dazed state, like a puppet, I quickly used my spiritual eyes. My brows furrowed instantly.
All three of his yang flames were extinguished, and his energy was nearly depleted.
It was like dry wood set on fire, constantly being consumed without rest.
Mr. Qian asked anxiously, "Li Yang, is Weiguo going to be okay?"
"He still has a life, but you..." I was about to ask Mr. Qian to help, but then I hesitated.
Shen Weiguo's condition was too frail; even the smallest mistake could cause the last of his yang energy to dissipate.
I stored Huang Jiu and the copper mirror back in the cat bag. It wasn't that I didn't want to separate them, but Huang Jiu refused to let go of the mirror.
It was completely absorbed in the copper mirror now. I called out several times before it finally snapped out of it and helped Shen Weiguo return to the dorm.
Inside the dorm, I used white paper to concoct a mixture of vermilion, astragalus, and realgar, three types of traditional medicine, and asked Mr. Qian to send someone to buy a kilogram of each. I then placed them in a large basin filled with water and had Huang Jiu make Shen Weiguo soak in it.
Once the ghostly energy left his body, I instructed Huang Jiu to wake him up.
Shen Weiguo woke up with a confused look in his eyes, and it took him some time to regain his senses. When he saw Mr. Qian, he lowered his head in shame.
He clearly understood what he had done.
At that moment, I briefly explained the situation to him.
Upon hearing that the female ghost had left willingly, a pained expression appeared on his face as he muttered, "She promised that we would never be apart."
Seeing him like this, I was speechless.
Fortunately, Huang Jiu had come out of its joy and immediately slapped him with one paw, saying, "I can see you've really lost your mind from all that studying. How can you not know what's going on? What were you even thinking? With your conditions, you can easily find someone else! I know a fox spirit just east of my house..."
Before it could continue, I quickly covered its mouth to shut it up.
Once Huang Jiu quieted down, I and Mr. Qian spent some time convincing Shen Weiguo before his emotions finally stabilized.
But now, reigniting his three yang flames was going to be difficult.
First of all, he had no Taoist energy in him, so he couldn't use the method of gathering yang to reignite the flames.
Second, all three of his flames were extinguished, and without the fire source, reigniting them was even harder.
After thinking for a while, I decided to call Hu Wenhui.
If this little sun came over, the task would be much easier. He wouldn't even have to do anything; just standing nearby would be enough for me to reignite Shen Weiguo's flames.
But when I tried calling him, no one picked up.
Huang Jiu, still holding the copper mirror, immediately grew anxious and said, "Why don't I get my wife to come blow on him? That should light up the three flames. It's a bit green, but looks pretty!"
I shot Huang Jiu a glare.
Shen Weiguo said, "Li Shifu, if it doesn't work, it's fine. I don't care about living anymore. If I die, I'll be with Shishi. That sounds pretty good."
Before I could respond, Mr. Qian began to scold him.
Looking at Shen Weiguo's lifeless eyes, I had a bad premonition.
With his will to live gone and his yang flames extinguished, to the underworld officials, he might as well be dead. As soon as night fell, they could come to collect his soul.
At that point, there would be no saving him.
I glanced out the window. The sun was setting, with a faint red glow still remaining. I urged Shen Weiguo to put on his clothes and come with me outside to stand in the sunlight. I would try my best to reignite at least one flame for him, so he wouldn't be mistaken for a lost soul.
But Shen Weiguo seemed indifferent, moving slowly. I raised my voice, "Shishi said, 'Love is like flowing water, we'll meet again in old age.' If you die now, she'll be separated from you forever after reincarnation."
The moment he heard that, a spark of life returned to his eyes, and he looked at Mr. Qian for confirmation.
Mr. Qian nodded, and Shen Weiguo hurriedly put on his clothes.
The setting sun cast a reddish glow, but there was life in Shen Weiguo's eyes now, a desire to survive. Using all the Taoist energy I had left, I finally reignited one of his flames.
With yang energy returning to his body, his complexion improved significantly.
Exhausted, I weakly said, "The items in the museum are inherently malicious. With only one yang flame left, you're more susceptible to encountering evil things. Don't stay here tonight. Go to a busy hotel and come to my shop tomorrow. I'll ignite the other two flames for you, and then you can meet Shishi."
Upon hearing he would get to meet her, Shen Weiguo jumped up in excitement.
Since my Taoist energy was drained, I couldn't stay much longer. I had Mr. Qian drive me back home.
Once I got home, Huang Jiu immediately took out the copper mirror. The evil energy from the mirror seemed to vanish once it was near Xiao Cui.
Huang Jiu bounced around excitedly, "Wife, there's a nine-tailed spirit trapped inside, but it's weakened after being sealed for thousands of years. Now it only has the power of three tails. You should help me swallow it."
Huang Jiu was so excited that it lost control, shouting, "I want to transform, I want to be on top..."
Before it could finish, Huang Xian'er kicked it out.
"Li Yang, is what Huang Jiu said true?" Huang Xian'er asked me.
Seeing the look in her eyes, my heart skipped a beat.
It is said that demons lose their souls when they die because their soul is the source of their power, the root of their wisdom. Once their body is slain, the soul becomes visible.
The spirit inside the copper mirror wasn't strong, but it had the incredible memory of a nine-tailed demon.
This was something rare, even for Huang Xian'er.
I could see the look in her eyes—this soul might not be destined for Huang Jiu.
I hesitated, then said, "Inside the mirror resides a female ghost. She told me this when I sealed her today."
Huang Jiu still didn't realize the severity of the situation, excitedly running over, "Wife, just help me suppress a little, and I'll swallow it whole."
"Okay!" Huang Xian'er said flatly, taking the copper mirror and standing up. "Come to my room, I'll assist you."
Huang Jiu, oblivious to the danger, happily followed her, unaware of what lay ahead.
I was already feeling anxious. I quickly called out, "Xian'er, the power of a three-tailed fox demon isn't weak. Should I call Second Uncle back?"
Huang Xian'er replied, "No need."
Upon hearing this, I quickly asked Huang Jiu if it wanted to wait for Second Uncle to return.
As long as it agreed, I could take the copper mirror away.
But Huang Jiu, full of confidence, replied, "Don't worry, a mere three-tailed demon is no match for my wife!"