Chapter Forty-Six: Liao Zhong and the Bandaged Woman

"Ugh..."
"Fan... Fanzi, what is happening to me?"
As the black aura surrounding him completely dissipated, Old Man Wang's expression froze in astonishment. The pitch-black darkness and chaos previously in his eyes abruptly receded, turning remarkably clear.
As a ghost influenced by the "Three Corpses," he should have been consumed by violent tendencies born from negative emotions, his consciousness constantly drifting between "chaos" and "lucidity." Yet at this moment, he only felt all his negative emotions vanish like smoke, leaving him exceptionally clear-headed.
"Old Man, this is a newly acquired ability of mine. It can help purge the impurities from your soul, expel your violent nature, and completely awaken you." Facing the old man's confusion, Xue Fan responded with a smile.
That's right, this was precisely the new ability bestowed upon him by the "Mount Tai Pill" refined by Xia Ye. It allowed him to thoroughly purify the souls he gathered, freeing them from the torment of negativity and chaos so they could attain true clarity!
Not only that, but after being purified and fully regaining their consciousness, these souls could reside within Xue Fan's Soul-Summoning Banner, utilizing the power of the magical artifact to absorb natural energy and thus strengthen themselves...
And because they gathered together through Xue Fan's innate ability and established a connection with him, their increased power would feed back into Xue Fan himself. With the growing number of collected souls and the passage of time, Xue Fan's strength would advance by leaps and bounds!
However...
"Old Man Wang, now that you are awake, I want to ask you again: are you still willing to follow by my side? If you wish for liberation, I will send your soul back to the heavens."
The next second, looking at the awakened Old Man Wang, Xue Fan asked with a solemn and serious expression.
As he spoke, he didn't quite dare to look at Xia Ye, because this matter was his own arbitrary decision. He knew very well that the more ghosts he had around him, the stronger he would become, but...
He didn't want to force them!
"This..."
Hearing this, Old Man Wang froze once again. Previously, his mind had been buried in chaos, leaving him with little capacity to ponder such matters, but now things were different.
Looking at Xue Fan before him, he widened his eyes and fell into deep thought. For him, this was indeed a question that required careful consideration.
However, very soon...
"Fanzi, old man though I am and somewhat muddle-headed, I remember that it was you who helped me stay behind..." Old Man Wang spoke up.
"These past days, I've also been watching by your side. You are a good kid, and I have no remaining ties in this world anymore. What happens after returning to the heavens, I do not know, nor do I care to think about it. If you need me, I'll stay and keep you company."
With that, the old man broke into a wide grin toward Xue Fan, his smile as benevolent and warm as it had ever been. It made Xue Fan's pupils tremble and his expression melt with deep emotion...
Before he could say another word, the old man transformed back into a wisp of cyan smoke and drilled into the Soul-Summoning Banner. The banner pole trembled gently, and a wave of warmth circulated outward.
"Old Man..."
Seeing Old Man Wang act this way, Xue Fan was instantly moved. He tightened his grip on the Soul-Summoning Banner in his right hand, his gaze growing even more resolute.
***
Only at this moment did he remember Xia Ye standing off to the side. He slowly turned his eyes toward him, a trace of guilt on his face:
"Brother Ye, about that..."
"No need to say more. You did well. You truly are the person I chose—keep up the good work!"
Just as Xue Fan wanted to apologize, he saw Xia Ye smile faintly and pat him on the shoulder.
"I told you before, I will bear everything together with you. Naturally, I support the choice you've made. You just need to remember one thing: the most important principle for a practitioner is to be 'true to oneself' and 'clear of conscience'!"
"Brother Ye..."
Seeing that Xia Ye was entirely sincere, Xue Fan was even more deeply touched. He immediately indicated that he understood, and then cooperated with Xia Ye to undergo various checkups.
A moment later, the examination concluded, and Xia Ye waved his hand. "There are no issues for now, and no adverse reactions have appeared. Go back, find Old Xiao and the others to continue your studies, and I still have some matters to attend to here."
"Oh, alright, Brother Ye!"
Acknowledging the instruction, Xue Fan didn't linger any longer and departed. At this moment, he had many insights within his heart that he needed to calm down and digest, and he also wanted to seek guidance from Xiao Zirai and the others.
After he left, Xia Ye took out his computer, clicked open the "Experiment File No. 004," deleted the "Not Yet Initiated" status, and began editing:
[Experiment Stage: Initial (First Course of Treatment)]
[Materials Used: True Meaning of Binding Spirits, Yin Gods and Yang Spirits, Qi of Utmost Yin, Spirit-Yang Jade Body of the Jade Bone Sect, Heart of Divine Grace, Qi of the Five Sacred Mountains, Cleansing Heart Spell Patterns]
[Experimental Records:]
[Record 1: The experimental subject took the Mount Tai Pill for the first time with no adverse reactions whatsoever; body and medicinal properties adapted perfectly.
The "True Meaning of Binding Spirits" took effect, successfully refining and sublimating the subject's innate ability, elevating the soul-summoning power of "bearing banners and buying water" to its absolute limit.
The "Yin Gods and Yang Spirits" took effect, vastly enhancing the subject's perception of yin spirits and the strength of their sexual energy, strengthening comprehension in this domain.
The "Qi of Utmost Yin" took effect, successfully transforming the subject's constitution into the Body of Utmost Yin, drastically increasing the subject's attraction to yin spirits.
The "Spirit-Yang Jade Body" took effect, successfully remodeling the subject's physical body. Supplemented by yang-tonifying medicine, it vastly enhanced the subject's physical strength and internal yang fire, achieving a balance between yin and yang.
The "Heart of Divine Grace" took effect. The subject is now able to successfully receive the wishes of spiritual entities and strengthen themselves through them. The toxicity of the wishing power can be neutralized by the sublimated innate ability; no problems for now.
The "Qi of the Five Sacred Mountains" took effect, successfully integrating into the subject's essence and life force, rendering their mind and spirit as unmovable as a mountain while imbuing them with the aura of mountains and rivers. It elevates the subject's destiny to a certain extent, causing them to grow close to mountains and rivers and receive their shelter.
The "Cleansing Heart Spell Patterns" took effect, successfully transforming into the subject's ability. It can cleanse the minds of yin spirits and expel violent traits, allowing yin spirits to restore complete consciousness and engage in cultivation.
Additionally: It is observed that the subject's willpower far surpasses the ordinary, with a firm mind and an aspiration that pierces the heavens. Continued observation is required; perhaps assistance can be provided in this direction.]
***
After editing this file and checking it to ensure there were no errors, Xia Ye opened "Experiment File No. 000," just as he had done previously:
[Experiment Four: Death]
[Progress of Experiment Four: Observation Stage]
[Experimental Records:]
[Record 1: The death experiment has officially commenced. The observation subject, "Experimental Subject No. 004—Lord of Mount Tai," has entered the experimental procedure. The objective of this stage is: while ensuring the safety of the experimental subject, allow them to gather as many souls from the outside world as possible for cultivation to enhance their strength, and accumulate sufficient experimental data.]
"Hmm..."
Thus far, the "treatment" for Xue Fan could be considered officially underway. For now, there were no problems; he just needed continued cultivation and observation.
"Now, that leaves Tu Junfang..."
Saving the document and closing the computer, Xia Ye murmured softly to himself. Everything was going smoothly so far. Once he observed and studied "Old Man Wang," who was a ghost of pure clarity, a bit more, Tu Junfang's "prescription" could also be finalized.
However, just as Xia Ye was resting in his chair and deep in thought, suddenly—
Jingle ling! Jingle ling!
A string of bell chimes suddenly rang out within his mind.
"Hm?"
Immediately following that, a thought stirred in his mind, and a surveillance feed of a location one kilometer away from the medical clinic surfaced in his consciousness. It showed a man and a woman walking on foot and approaching his direction.
"These two are..."
Xia Ye first looked at the woman. She wore a black hat, and her face was wrapped in bandages, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed. Her curvaceous figure was encased in tight black clothing, and her exposed skin was likewise tightly wrapped in bandages, making her look like a wounded patient.
As for the man...
"Liao Zhong?"
He recognized him instantly. This fellow was none other than Liao Zhong, the regional director of the company's South China branch. Xia Ye narrowed his eyes slightly...
"Could it be..."
He began to speculate inwardly.