Chapter 25: The Mirror that Devours Souls

After Xiao Ping finished her phone call, the hallway fell silent.

I shook my head, immediately forming a hand seal and whispering the incantation to summon Huang Liulang.

"Brother Liu, how do we resolve the situation here?"

As soon as Huang Liulang's ethereal form appeared, he replied in a youthful voice: "Xiao Fang, it’s not that I want to lecture you, but isn't this kind of work your specialty? Why waste so much time?"

I froze. This was the first time he had spoken to me, and he certainly didn't stand on ceremony.

"Brother Liu, what do you mean?"

"Third Aunt’s signature skill is soul-calling. Did you learn even a scrap of it?"

My brow furrowed. Soul-calling and invoking immortals for assistance were indeed the hallmark skills of a shaman, but my temple had no celestial soldiers. Where was I supposed to summon help from?

I said awkwardly, "Brother Liu, you know my situation. Other than you, there’s only me. How could my temple possibly have soldiers or horses to command?"

"Damn, I forgot. You, Xiao Fang, are an anomaly—a commander with no army."

I said urgently, "Brother Liu, don't I still have you?"

"Pfft! If it weren't for my own gluttony back then, I wouldn't be hanging out with you. All these days, I’ve realized what it means to possess a Nine-Vein Pure Yin constitution. Even practicing with you requires caution; if you don't breathe steadily, you’ll be choked to death by the yin energy."

Hearing this, I asked puzzled, "Brother Liu, I don't feel cold. Aren't you exaggerating?"

"Hmph! That’s because you have the protective power of an expert. Once that energy is completely drained, you’ll know what a chilling heart truly feels like."

I was stunned. The implication of these words was significant; the expert’s power Huang Liulang referred to must be extraordinary. I recalled Grandma mentioning that my great-grandfather had once intervened on my behalf, only to leave home shortly after.

I channeled my energy throughout my body again and discovered a strand of power lingering around my heart meridian, but I couldn't command it at all. Even the energy I cultivated would flow around that area when it reached my heart meridian. I had never noticed this before, assuming it was normal for everyone. Thinking about it now, I realized that despite my grueling practice, very little energy was actually being refined. I would feel a strong surge of qi upon starting, but it would always dissipate into the meridians.

I realized today that what I thought was being absorbed was actually being devoured by my yin meridians. My training over these days had yielded almost no progress. The reason I felt empowered when I started practicing was simply because that foreign energy protecting my heart meridian was running on its own.

"Hurry up and cultivate, kid. If that expert's power runs out, both our lives will be forfeit," Huang Liulang added sarcastically.

My heart sank. I had been practicing diligently every day without pause, but there was no real effect. With my current experience, I had no idea what to do. My mind raced; since Huang Liulang knew all this, he must have a solution. But now was not the time. I would discuss it with him after resolving the immediate crisis.

"Brother Liu, let's talk about cultivation later. How do we handle this right now?"

"Pfft! This is easy. You call her soul back into her body, and I'll destroy the thing inside the mirror. Isn't that it?"

I asked in surprise, "Brother Liu, is there something strange inside the mirror?"

"Pfft, Xiao Fang, you don't think the mirror collects souls on its own, do you?" Huang Liulang said dismissively. "It's obvious. Either the mirror itself is flawed, or someone tampered with it. What exactly did you learn from Third Aunt?"

I was embarrassed and speechless, not knowing how to answer. Grandma had taught me everything, but I only knew the theory and lacked practical experience. When the two collided, I didn't know how to proceed with anything complex.

I forced myself to calm down. Nearly ten minutes had passed, and I couldn't just stand there. I began to recall the cases and methods from the manual in my mind. Huang Liulang didn't press me, likely knowing my situation. My mind raced, and suddenly, clarity washed over me as the contents of the manual flashed through my thoughts.

I found a case similar to this one. The woman had indeed lost her soul—the human soul, one of the three components: heaven, earth, and human. Heaven governs intellect, earth governs wisdom, and without the human soul, one has no roots. The woman was obsessed with the mirror because the vanity had become her crutch; if left unchecked, she could lose her life.

I needed to call her human soul back and then sever her connection to the vanity. The latter was the main problem.

"Brother Liu, what’s in the vanity? How do I deal with it?"

"Sigh, that vanity has been tampered with. It once sealed a woman's soul. Now that the seal is broken, the ghost inside wants to escape, which is why things are like this."

I was taken aback. "How do I resolve it?"

"There are many ways. The simplest is to call the soul back and destroy the thing in the mirror."

I nodded; that was the method I had considered.

Huang Liulang added, "But I heard my father say that Third Aunt believed in karma. She would always consider whether her actions would damage her karmic merit. If it were her, she wouldn't do it that way."

My brow furrowed. "What would Grandma do?"

"Pfft! What else? Call the soul back and then perform a rite to send the spirit to reincarnation!"

That was a good plan. It would solve Xiao Lan's problem while also granting the ghost passage. However, it was much more difficult, especially for a novice like me.

"Xiao Fang, you're not planning to do that, are you? It's extremely difficult! I can't do it. To send a ghost to reincarnation, she must be willing."

To perform such a rite required setting up an altar, a complex process. But if I was going to do it, I would do it right. I glanced around the room. Grandma always established contact with the spirits first. I decided to follow suit. I put Huang Liulang away, gathered my energy, and placed my hand on the vanity, a faint light glowing from my palm.

"I don't care what kind of wandering spirit you are, come out and speak with me!"

My energy surged into the mirror, causing it to vibrate slightly as black mist roiled within.

"If you don't come out, don't blame me for being impolite."

"Hmph!" A woman's cold scoff emanated from the mirror, accompanied by a tremor that threw my hand back.

I was shocked. Just as I prepared to strike again, the old man’s voice came from the door: "Young man, have you found a solution?"

I saw him approaching. I contemplated for a moment; even if I wanted to send the spirit to reincarnation, I needed to prepare supplies. I nodded, walked out of the room, and said to the old man, "The situation is complex. Her human soul has been absorbed by the ghost in the mirror. I need to prepare a few things."