Chapter 180: Rare

As Bai Lingmiao, clutching the drum, tried to calm her nerves, Er Shen had silently appeared behind her, quietly gazing at the distant, bolted main door.

"I know I can't rely on Senior Brother Li for everything. I wasn't planning to rely on him, so stop talking," Bai Lingmiao whispered, complaining softly.

"I get it, just stop, okay? And he has nothing to do with you anyway."

No sooner had Bai Lingmiao finished speaking than Er Shen's sharp fingernails pressed against her neck.

"You know very well, this is highly relevant…"

Bai Lingmiao's expression darkened, and she said nothing more.

The renewed silence in the hall made Bai Lingmiao anxious, so she broke it by asking, "What will the Immortals do to me if I don't help them?"

"It's not that I don't want to help them," she added, "it's just that sometimes I might not be available, or have my hands full."

Hearing the voice in her mind, Bai Lingmiao's face involuntarily fell. "Is that so… then what's the solution?"

Just as she spoke, a sudden, loud knock on the door made Bai Lingmiao jump.

*Bang!* The wooden door was violently struck again from the outside, instantly splitting open. Through the new crack, Bai Lingmiao saw a pair of wide, lifeless eyes.

"It's here!" Bai Lingmiao quickly shoved the drum into Er Shen's arms, then snatched up her red veil and draped it over her own head.

A remarkably thin female voice pierced far into the dark night: "Inviting the Gods!"

*Bang!* Another heavy impact, and with a loud groan, the wooden door crashed to the floor.

An ancient, white-haired woman dressed in red burial robes appeared before Bai Lingmiao. Her mouth was a bloody mess, her expression stiff, and her eyes vacant. Standing in the darkness like a zombie, she sent shivers down one's spine.

*Thump!* The old woman hopped forward, leaping over the doorframe and directly into the room. Her feet were bound together by ropes at the ankles, with her shoes also tied, forcing her to move by hopping.

"The sun sets in the west, the sky darkens. Nine out of ten homes are locked, only one door remains open…"

Despite the rapid, urgent incantation, the old woman remained completely unresponsive, her unblinking eyes scanning the room as if searching for something. Failing to find what she sought, the old woman's gaze fell on Bai Lingmiao, and she began hopping towards her.

"East Dipper, West Dipper, pressed alike. North Dipper at noon judges fine dust. Spring born, autumn died in a desolate shop. Winter, summer, eternal life in a dense pine forest. One star dimly in the sky, falls to the ground, a handful born!"

Four incense sticks appeared in Bai Lingmiao's hands. With a forceful sweep, their tips spontaneously ignited.

"Heaven has auspicious and wishes-fulfilled heavens, Earth has the ghost gates of Fengdu. In past yang times, you took too much; in this yang time, you shall covet less!"

Following the rhythm of the divine melody, the burning incense sticks, trailing white smoke, struck towards the old woman. Yet, upon touching her burial robes, they instantly extinguished, as if plunged into water. The old woman suddenly opened her mouth wide and bit Bai Lingmiao's hand fiercely. The skin broke, revealing black hedgehog spines underneath. The sharp spines pierced through her chin.

"Boom, boom, boom! Red Grandfather, send forth your troops! Boom, boom, boom! First drum, battle meal prepared! Boom, boom, boom! Second drum, tighten battle robes! Boom, boom, boom! Third drum, swords unsheathed! Boom, boom, boom! Fourth drum, deploy the soldiers!"

As the drumbeats echoed, masses of soft, white fur rapidly extended from Bai Lingmiao's sleeves and from beneath her veil. From beneath her skirt, a fox tail began to sprout, constantly splitting and reforming. The fur, as if alive, burrowed into the old woman's seven orifices. The old woman tried to struggle against them, but she had no chance to retaliate, and her movements grew weaker and weaker.

Suddenly, the old woman's body went limp, and a large, dark mass wriggled out from beneath the legs of her burial robes. It swiftly vanished into the dim light outside the door.

"Boom, boom, boom! If you wish to leave, I won't hinder you! The Overlord leads his horse to the trough, first unties the reins, then saddles up. The old Immortal whips his horse, returning to the mountains! Boom, boom, boom!"

Bai Lingmiao, back to normal, removed the red veil. After a sigh of relief, she laughed excitedly. It was her first time handling such an ordeal by herself, and she had resolved it perfectly. This boosted her confidence, making her believe she could assist Senior Brother Li if he ever encountered trouble again. As a loyal partner, she couldn't complain about Senior Brother Li's troubles; her only option was to lend a hand whenever he faced difficulties.

"How can I become better at 'Jumping God'? I feel like I'm still not strong enough."

"Hmm? Why do you want me to learn singing techniques? You were the one singing, weren't you? Oh... alright then, I'll try."

Seeing the old woman no longer moving on the ground, Bai Lingmiao squatted down and carefully tidied her disheveled burial robes. "It seems I was right; something indeed possessed her body. It fled so quickly just now that I couldn't get a clear look at what it was."

After tidying up, Bai Lingmiao called the father and son from the backyard. Having received her fifty *wen* coins as payment, she hurried back. However, just as she stepped out, a black figure beside her startled her. "Who's there!" she cried.

The figure stepped forward, took her hand, and started walking towards their lodging. "Next time something like this happens, inform me in advance so I can be there to help."

Seeing that Li Huowang had been waiting outside for so long, worried about her, Bai Lingmiao's heart instantly swelled with sweetness, and she shyly leaned against him. "Mm..."

The two walked silently along the somewhat muddy village path, heading back. Neither spoke, relishing the quiet moment.

This peace was soon broken, however, as an old woman approached them, her back hunched, a basket hooked over her wrist, and a bamboo pole in her hand. *Tap, tap, tap* went the bamboo pole, sweeping erratically on the ground as it guided her path; she was blind.

Hearing their footsteps, the blind woman stopped, turning an ear towards them. "Youngsters," she asked, "do you know where Qian Niusheng lives? His family has a 'guest' they need me to drive away."

"Oh? Granny, you're too late. Their evil spirit is gone."

"What?! Are you toying with a blind woman?!" The exasperated blind woman put her hands on her hips, and a torrent of vulgar curses instantly spewed forth, every one a scathing insult to Qian Niusheng's ancestors for eighteen generations. This provoked the surrounding dogs to bark as well.

Observing the formidable old woman, Li Huowang suddenly found himself intrigued. "You're still performing exorcisms at your age? May I ask your name and which school you learned from?"

Upon hearing this, the aggressive blind woman instantly dropped her intimidating demeanor. "My surname is Cui, you can just call me Immortal Aunt Cui," she said. "Do you have a problem? Do you need my help?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Immortal Aunt Cui's expression grew puzzled. She tucked the bamboo pole under her armpit and, stumbling, began to feel her way towards Li Huowang. Li Huowang tried to step away, but to his surprise, she followed, directly pressing her bony, hawk-like hands onto his face.

"You... what terrible, immoral deed did you commit in your past life? This is truly peculiar!" she exclaimed. "Other people, well, they might lack water or fire. At most, if they're truly unlucky, they'll lack two elements. But you, young man, good heavens, you completely lack all five elements!"