"I am from a family of demon hunters, and I have mastered all the demon-hunting arts in our ancestral texts. I can try," Shen He said.
Shen He stepped forward to Pei Yu, her heart aching at the sight of Pei Yu's pained expression. She closed her eyes for a moment, then reopened them, her gaze resolute. She was determined to save Pei Yu—and in doing so, save the "her" of her past!
With a wave of her hand, she began to draw a talisman.
The demon-hunting families primarily relied on mystical arts, with talismans being one of their principal methods, powered by magical energy.
Unlike immortal energy or elemental forces, magical energy could only power mystical arts and was effective against malevolent spirits. Besides talismans that could amplify one's own abilities, it possessed no offensive power against enemies, serving as a weaker version of immortal energy.
As time passed, Shen He completed the talisman. Gazing at the shimmering symbol before her, a flicker of sorrow crossed her eyes. In a voice barely audible even to herself, she murmured, "Father, Mother, I will now carry on your duty."
Her gaze sharpened. She sent the talisman flying. The evil spirit possessing Pei Yu's soul sensed a power that made its core tremble. Acting decisively, it abandoned nearly half of its strength and broke free from Pei Yu's soul, transforming into a ball of black mist and rapidly fleeing behind Pei Yu.
Shen He frowned, about to give chase. A sentient evil spirit capable of escaping was a significant threat that could wreak havoc if allowed to flee. She would not allow the tragedy that befell her family to repeat itself! Not everyone could endure such profound grief, and not everyone possessed the strength to combat evil spirits.
"You wish to escape? I have been waiting," Ling Feng said, having appeared as if from nowhere to block the evil spirit's path. The 'Earth Fire' in his hand bloomed like a flower, its flames brilliant.
The evil spirit paused, surprised, but did not stop. Instead, it accelerated, attempting to break through.
"Earth Fire is the most yang and potent of fires, capable of incinerating souls, especially a malevolent spirit like you. Go!"
The petals of flame from Ling Feng's hand detached and shot out like a volley of darts, flying in all directions towards the evil spirit.
Being incorporeal, the evil spirit was exceptionally agile and swift. It dodged desperately, not a single flame touching it. However, the 'darts' seemed to possess a tracking ability, circling back after being evaded and continuously returning. Even the evil spirit could not escape.
In less than half a minute, the black mist that was the evil spirit was utterly consumed by the Earth Fire.
Seeing this, Ling Feng retracted his right hand, which had been holding a 'Wrathful Thunder Talisman,' and stored it back into his spatial dimension.
With the evil spirit dealt with by Ling Feng, Shen He finally let out a long sigh of relief. The remaining half of the evil spirit's power had also been thoroughly eliminated by her demon-hunting talisman.
Pei Yu knelt on the ground with her eyes closed, her gaze unfocused. Her consciousness seemed not yet fully restored, but the pained expression had vanished from her face. The black mist that had previously hovered around her body gradually dissipated.
[Ding! Wish Task Stage One "Exorcism" complete. Rewards have been distributed. Stage Two "Obsession": Please fulfill Pei Yu's obsession. Reward: Daoist Art "Ghost Slaying Mantra" +100 Wish Energy.]
Hearing the system notification in his mind, Ling Feng rejoiced. He had been lacking abilities to deal with ghosts and spirits, and acquiring these Daoist arts addressed a significant deficiency.
After some time, Pei Yu's consciousness fully returned, and her ethereal body solidified once more. Her first words were, "Thank you, big brother, big sister, for saving me."
"It was nothing," Shen He replied, shaking her head. Saving Pei Yu had fulfilled a childhood wish of hers. She hoped that if she ever fell into darkness, someone would bring her light.
Pei Yu looked at Ling Feng and Shen He. Although she had been struggling with the evil spirit, she had witnessed everything that had transpired.
"Big brother, big sister, are you the Immortals my grandmother spoke of?" Pei Yu asked softly, a hint of nervousness in her voice. The skills displayed by Ling Feng and Shen He were far beyond those of ordinary people. She had seen those with 'God's Eyes,' but this was different. The otherworldly aura emanating from Shen He reminded her of the Immortals her grandmother had described.
Recalling her own situation, she thought, if they were Immortals, perhaps they could help... Hope flickered in Pei Yu's eyes.
"We are not Immortals, merely disciples of an Immortal sect," Shen He said, shaking her head again, but revealing their true identities.
Pei Yu's eyes dimmed slightly upon hearing they were not Immortals, but Shen He's subsequent statement caused the light in her eyes to rekindle. Even if they weren't Immortals, as disciples of an Immortal sect, they might still be able to help her. She opened her mouth to speak, but ultimately remained silent. She felt hesitant to ask for further assistance after having already troubled Ling Feng and Shen He to save her, but she was unable to resolve her matter on her own.
"Speak your mind freely," Ling Feng and Shen He said, noticing Pei Yu's hesitant expression. Pei Yu fiddled with her fingers, as if burdened by a secret. After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke.
"Big brother, big sister, can you do me a favor?"
Ling Feng and Shen He exchanged glances. Ling Feng smiled, crouched down, and gently patted Pei Yu's head. "Just tell us what it is. If we can help, we will."
"Can... can you take me home? I want to see my grandmother," Pei Yu whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
"The departed and the living are separated by a gulf; you have passed away and become a wandering soul. You should be reincarnated at the borders, not in the world of the living," Shen He said, crossing her arms. As a disciple of an immortal sect and from a lineage of demon hunters, she was aware of the 'borders,' the boundary between the Yin and Yang realms. Over the past twenty years, she had encountered many departed souls like Pei Yu who wished to return home. However, the mortal world had its order, and the underworld had its own, a fundamental law of the cosmos. If a wandering soul lingered in the mortal world for too long, it would be unable to cross the borders and would become a lonely ghost. Unless! Someone escorted them. In Liyue, besides Immortals, only one organization could accomplish this: the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and only its current head. The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was established by the Geo Archon himself to maintain the order between Yin and Yang.
"I know, but my parents have passed away, and it was just my grandmother and I."
"My grandmother is old and frail. To support our household, I would gather herbs in the mountains daily and sell them at the Wangshu Inn the next morning via Uncle Chen's horse carriage."
"Just yesterday, Uncle Chen had something to attend to and told me to stay put and not wander off, instructing me to seek help from the Millelith soldiers nearby if I encountered danger."
"Everything was going fine until a monster attacked the marketplace. The crowd panicked, and in the chaos, someone grabbed me. Afterwards, I realized that person was a human trafficker, and worse, a devil."
As she spoke, Pei Yu's pupils contracted, and her body trembled uncontrollably, a clear sign of her fear. Ling Feng, seeing this, comforted her, "Calm down, don't be afraid. We are here."
Ling Feng's gentle words calmed Pei Yu, who had been on the verge of panic. She continued her story.