Chapter Eighty: Secretly Consuming Souls

"Nonsense comes at a price!" Ma Zhenhai snorted coldly as he spoke.

I strode toward Ma Zhenhai and replied, "Ma Zhenhai, you strike people at will and torment children—there will be consequences for that too!"

Hearing my words, Ma Zhenhai laughed. "Really? I don't believe it. In Baiqiao Town, who could possibly make Ma Zhenhai pay the price?"

With a gesture, Ma Zhenhai summoned a dozen men, who quickly surrounded both me and Niu Dahuang.

These men carried no magical implements, only black clubs. Their ferocious demeanor was less that of wandering Taoists and more like a gang of thugs.

"All of you, attack together. Don't hold back—beat them within an inch of their lives, leave them barely breathing!" Ma Zhenhai commanded, then turned away from me, signaling the two who had pinned Tong'er earlier. "Only the last yin-yang child remains. Tomorrow the River God takes a bride; the Ma family promised a hundred yin-yang children as tribute—none must be missing!"

A hundred yin-yang children as a wedding offering—clearly, this so-called River God was nothing proper.

I asked Niu Dahuang if he could handle these dozen men. He smiled, saying, "As long as their heads aren't harder than my pipe, it's no problem."

The men swung their black clubs at us, but I ignored them and walked straight toward Ma Zhenhai. Seeing me unarmed and refusing to defend myself, they sneered and rushed forward, swinging their clubs at me. I raised my arm to block, and the club shattered instantly.

They were stunned. In their moment of shock, I slapped each one aside, sending them flying. If this were before, a slap might not have done much, but now it was different. They crashed heavily to the ground, blood gushing from their mouths, faces twisted beyond recognition, unable even to rise.

They were no match for me. I surged forward, quickly reaching Tong'er and knocking aside another attacker, sheltering him behind me.

"Tong'er, are you alright?" I asked.

"Big brother, you're amazing! Tong'er doesn't want to drink blood!" he replied, blood smeared across his chin, tears streaming down his face.

"Don't worry, with me here, they won't dare force you to drink blood again," I assured him, then turned to Ma Zhenhai. He glanced at the men I'd sent flying and sneered, "Brat, I didn't expect you to have such brute strength!"

With that, Ma Zhenhai formed a spell with his fingers.

As his gestures shifted, I saw a dark aura twist between his palm and fingers. The black energy was sinister and harmful to the soul—clearly some evil art meant to wound the spirit.

Suddenly, Ma Zhenhai lunged at me, throwing a punch. I met it head-on, sending him staggering, but he didn't retreat. With a swift spin, he brought his other hand down, releasing a stream of black energy toward me.

It darted like a snake, hissing straight for my brow.

"Careful! That thing harms the soul!" Bai Akun shouted through clenched teeth.

But I was already prepared.

---

With a sidestep, I summoned my strength, and before the black energy reached my brow, I struck Ma Zhenhai's forehead with a punch. The black aura vanished before it could harm me, and Ma Zhenhai collapsed headfirst to the ground. He tried to rise, but blood seeped from all seven orifices.

He spat a mouthful of blood, fell, and lay still.

Turning back, I saw the dozen men who had surrounded Niu Dahuang now sprawled on the ground, clutching their heads, writhing and screaming, utterly unable to stand.

Only four remained, those holding Bai Akun and Bai Cui hostage.

Seeing Ma Zhenhai defeated, they lost their nerve. Though they still gripped Bai Akun and Bai Cui, their legs trembled, unable to hold their daggers steady.

Still, they tried to stand their ground, pressing the blades to their captives' throats to threaten us and save themselves.

Niu Dahuang and I approached, fixing them with our gaze. Niu Dahuang tapped his pipe against the sole of his shoe and said coolly, "Gentlemen, shall we see who is faster—you or us?"

That broke their resolve. The four immediately dropped their daggers, fell to their knees, and begged for mercy, insisting they were forced by the Ma family and would never have committed such evil otherwise.

Niu Dahuang came forward, producing a small porcelain bottle. "Well, since you were coerced, I see you all look pale and exhausted. Smell this—it'll clear your mind."

"Uh..."

Though hesitant, they dared not refuse. After inhaling, all four collapsed to the ground. Niu Dahuang repeated the process with the others; none could withstand the contents of his little bottle.

I went over and asked Bai Akun how he was. He said he was fine; the Bai family held no status in Baiqiao Town, so being beaten was common—this was light by comparison.

Then Bai Akun looked at me, visibly moved. "Mr. Lin, I never imagined someone so young could possess such skill. Ma Zhenhai was a Ma family elder, the youngest of them, but ruthless and cunning. His Taoist arts were sinister, yet you prevented him from casting any spells and knocked him out. I truly admire you."

Niu Dahuang interjected, "Bleeding from all seven orifices—he's not unconscious, he's dead."

"Dead?" I was surprised—I hadn't used my full strength.

Niu Dahuang searched Ma Zhenhai's body and found three Maoshan shadow talismans, each bearing the birth dates of his family—these were their shadow charts.

With these, we could save Bai Akun's family. Niu Dahuang said, "Let's go inside. The sunlight outside is too strong, too much yang energy—it could harm the soul. We'll return indoors, I'll help you restore your missing spirit, and afterward, your family will no longer be under the Ma family's control."

"Thank you, Mr. Niu, thank you, Mr. Lin, for saving our lives!" Bai Akun said, and he and Bai Cui knelt in gratitude, Tong'er following suit.

We quickly helped them up. Niu Dahuang said, "Baiqiao Town is not a place to linger. You should leave as soon as you can. I see Tong'er has good potential; once outside, seek out famous mountains and find a master for him—he will surely achieve great things."

"Why not... Mr. Niu, why don't you take Tong'er as your disciple?" Bai Akun suggested.

---

Niu Dahuang waved him off. He said he was just a rustic herbalist, unqualified to be Tonger's master. Bai Akun then proposed I take Tong'er as a disciple, but Niu Dahuang said we had no such fate; becoming a disciple depends on destiny. Once out of Baiqiao Town, they would surely find a good opportunity.

Inside, Niu Dahuang took a drop of blood from each family member, placing it on yellow talisman paper. Then another drop smeared on their brows.

He burned the Maoshan shadow charts, and three faint shadows appeared. Niu Dahuang chanted, the shadows coiled and soon returned to their brows.

Immediately, the color in their faces improved.

Missing a spirit, one can live normally, but suffers from listlessness. Their improved complexion signaled the spirit had returned.

Now, with Ma Zhenhai dead, the Ma family, being Taoists, would soon divine the omen of his absence.

Thus, Bai Akun's family needed to leave Baiqiao Town quickly. After packing, Niu Dahuang and I escorted them out.

In the courtyard, I noticed Ma Zhenhai's body had vanished. The others still lay scattered, lifeless.

"Ma Zhenhai isn't dead?" I asked.

Niu Dahuang shook his head. "Impossible. He's truly dead. When I took the Maoshan shadow chart, I checked his soul pulse—it was gone."

After seeing Bai Akun's family safely out of Baiqiao Town, Niu Dahuang and I returned to the Bai family old residence.

On the way, Niu Dahuang remarked that I seemed destined to cross paths with Tong'er again, and perhaps he could help me accomplish something great.

I asked, "What great thing?"

Niu Dahuang replied, "The time hasn't come. When it does, you'll know."

Well, whether it was Granny Wang, my grandfather, or Daoist Li, they all liked to speak in riddles. I'd grown used to it and didn't bother to probe further.

I expected the Ma family would send more men to the Bai residence, but when we arrived, nothing was amiss. In the backyard, the Ma family men still lay scattered, untouched.

Niu Dahuang frowned slightly. I asked what was wrong.

He said, "They're all dead."

"You hit them that hard?" I asked.

"No. Their souls are gone—the bodies are empty shells. There's lingering yin energy here. If I'm not mistaken, their souls were eaten by ghosts. Normally, ghosts don't dare appear in daylight, but the ghosts in the Bai family residence roam even in broad daylight, devouring souls!"

So he said.