Chapter 79: Evil-Dispelling Array
Not sensing the opponent's presence doesn't mean they've vanished; it's highly likely they've concealed themselves using some method, hiding their Yin Qi.
"Ghost eye, soul gathering bead... I never thought Uncle, you're from the Yin Division. No wonder your Yin Qi is so heavy," Ma Ling's expression revealed realization as she scrutinized Yang Haoran.
Compared to Yang Haoran and Wang Yiming, Ma Ling appeared much more relaxed. Whether it was because of her confidence in her own strength or her naturally carefree demeanor, she seemed unaffected by Yang Haoran's earlier words.
Neither Ma Ling nor Wang Yiming dared to confirm Yang Haoran's identity before. But now, both of them discerned his origins.
The soul gathering bead and ghost eye of the Yin Division were symbols of the Underworld Envoy, just like Wang Yiming of the Fu Sect, with his talismans and talisman bag, equally recognizable.
Ma Ling was curious about Yang Haoran's identity as an Underworld Envoy, while Wang Yiming was astonished, and there was also a hint of wariness.
Ma Ling didn't follow any spirits, but Wang Yiming did. As a talisman master of the Fu Sect, he only worshipped their Fu ancestor, not showing much reverence towards other gods, except for one - the Death God.
The Death God governed all undead, claiming ownership of any spirit after death, including Wang Yiming. The Underworld Envoy was the spokesperson of the Death God in the mortal realm, hence Wang Yiming was wary of Yang Haoran, the Underworld Envoy.
"Now is not the time for discussion. Let's first deal with the big guy hiding here. His strength surpasses those two ghosts from earlier; we need to join forces to get rid of him," Yang Haoran said, waving his hand towards the hovering soul gathering bead in the air. He didn't put it away but let it float above his palm.
Furthermore, he didn't retract the ghost eye either. Having just subdued two ghosts, the most powerful one might still be lurking in the shadows. So, he remained highly vigilant.
"Uncle, since you're an Underworld Envoy, your sensitivity to ghostly entities is the most acute. Lock onto his location, and we'll go together to take care of him," Ma Ling said casually.
Upon hearing this, Yang Haoran shook his head, frowning. "I don't know what method the other party used, but I can't sense their presence now."
With that said, Yang Haoran turned to Wang Yiming and asked, "Do you still have any ghost chasing talismans on you?"
Wang Yiming nodded, waved his hand, and conjured a talisman between his fingers, precisely the ghost chasing talisman.
Without further ado, he flicked his wrist and activated the ghost chasing talisman!
The talisman floated, then ignited. Unlike before, where the fire chased in a specific direction, this time it simply hung silently in the air.
Yang Haoran wasn't a talisman master, nor did he understand talismans, but he could guess the meaning behind this scene.
If the ghost chasing talisman remained motionless, did it mean there were no more ghosts inside the villa?
"Are you sure there are still ghosts in this villa?" Wang Yiming looked at Yang Haoran, puzzled. As a talisman master, he knew exactly what the current state of the ghost chasing talisman implied - if it stayed still in the air, it meant there were no ghosts nearby.
"You two stay here to protect them. I'll go and take a look," Yang Haoran said, not giving up. He believed in his sensing abilities; if he sensed a presence upon entering the villa, then it must be there.
"Uncle, I'll accompany you. If, by any chance, you get eaten by a ghost, it'll be a disgrace to your Yin Division," Ma Ling said, not wanting to stay with Wang Yiming, carrying her black suitcase as if she were going shopping, following Yang Haoran out.
Yang Haoran didn't refuse; he wasn't sure of Ma Ling's abilities yet, but he couldn't deny she definitely had some. With Ma Ling by his side, there would be mutual support in case of any unexpected situations.
Wang Yiming didn't accompany Yang Haoran; the recent events were still fresh in his mind. If something happened to Master Wu and his family, things would get complicated.
An hour later, Yang Haoran and Ma Ling returned to the living room. Ma Ling still wore her indifferent expression, carrying her black suitcase as if she were on a leisurely stroll.
Yang Haoran had re-embedded the soul gathering bead into his ring, and he had also put away the ghost eye. His eyes were back to normal, but his brows were furrowed, a puzzled expression on his face, as if something was bothering him.
"How did it go?" Wang Yiming hurriedly approached them, asking.
Yang Haoran shook his head lightly, saying nothing.
Ma Ling tapped her long leg with a hammer in frustration, saying, "We thoroughly searched the entire villa, not even sparing the bathrooms, but found nothing."
Ma Ling wasn't lying or exaggerating. In that hour, the two of them had meticulously searched every corner of the villa, but indeed found no issues.
Moreover, as the two ghostly entities were captured by Yang Haoran into the soul gathering bead, the Yin Qi shrouding the villa gradually dissipated.
This fact was noticed not only by Yang Haoran and Ma Ling but also by Wang Yiming.
Given this situation, it seemed that the villa was now clean, devoid of any other ghostly presence.
"Did you sense it wrong?" Wang Yiming looked at Yang Haoran, asking.
After learning that Yang Haoran was an Underworld Envoy, Wang Yiming's attitude towards him subtly changed, even his tone of speech became more restrained.
To Wang Yiming's question, Yang Haoran still didn't answer, just shook his head again.
"Uncle, if you're still worried, I can set up a simple evil-dispelling array to check. As long as there's any evil presence in this villa, whether it's ghosts or demons, I'll be able to sense it for you."
Before Yang Haoran could respond, Ma Ling turned to Master Wu.
"Old Master Wu, prepare a brush, a bowl of water, and also bring the black cat, black dog, and rooster I asked for earlier."
Master Wu naturally couldn't refuse and quickly instructed the steward to do so.
Though the steward was older, he was efficient. In a moment, everything Ma Ling requested was brought to her.
However, when the black cat, black dog, and big rooster were brought in, they became extremely restless, their gazes towards Yang Haoran filled with fear, attempting to flee multiple times.
Ma Ling wasn't surprised by this reaction. She formed hand seals and recited a spell, calming down the emotions of the three creatures. But they still looked at Yang Haoran with fear, cowering on the ground, unable to move.
"They are so cute, yet you've frightened them so much, especially this rooster, it has even tucked its head into its feathers, how can it stand tall anymore?"
Ma Ling shook her head in exasperation, then picked up the brush and dipped it in the water, starting to draw on the ground.
"An evil-dispelling array not only banishes evil but also senses its presence within a certain range. But setting up a genuine evil-dispelling array is very complicated and requires specific materials. So, for now, I'll set up a simple one."
With those words, Ma Ling continued drawing on the ground while explaining, "If there's any evil presence in this villa, we'll know immediately after the array is completed."
No one interrupted Ma Ling. Ten minutes later, she finished drawing, and there was a triangular formation in front of her.
Although Ma Ling called it a simple evil-dispelling array, the triangular formation looked extremely complex. Its lines were of varying lengths, crisscrossing each other, giving Yang Haoran a headache. Except for some characters within the formation that he recognized, everything else was incomprehensible to him.
However, the array exuded a mysterious vibe. Especially at the moment the formation was completed, Yang Haoran distinctly felt a surge of power emanating from it.
Moreover, Ma Ling had only used water to draw it. Normally, water would quickly dry up and disappear after being drawn on the ground. But at this moment, the water not only didn't dry up but also shimmered, which was quite miraculous.
Putting down the brush, Ma Ling formed seals and chanted a spell. After finishing, she addressed the black cat, black dog, and big rooster in front of her, "Go."
The three creatures, who had been trembling on the ground, suddenly stopped shaking. Their gazes were no longer fearful but fierce, standing up as if they knew what they were supposed to do, each heading to one corner of the array.
The black cat and black dog sat down, while the big rooster stood upright. Its head, which had been tucked into its feathers before, now stood tall like a fierce beast from ancient times.
As the three creatures took their positions, the simple evil-dispelling array was instantly activated, emitting a burst of spiritual light.
Under the spiritual light, the three creatures appeared mighty and dominant, a stark contrast to their previous trembling state on the ground.
However, the three creatures remained motionless within the array, not making a sound.
Yang Haoran couldn't understand what was happening, so he looked at Ma Ling, coincidentally, Ma Ling also glanced at him at that moment.
Their eyes met, Ma Ling chuckled and said to Yang Haoran, "If there's any evil presence in the villa, these three will react. The stronger the evil, the more intense their reaction. From the current situation, their quietness indicates one thing: there's no evil presence in this villa, or even nearby. Uncle, are you sure your sensing isn't off?"
Yang Haoran frowned. Hearing Ma Ling's words, he briefly doubted whether he had made a mistake. But this doubt was fleeting; he still firmly believed in his sensing ability and wouldn't make such a rookie mistake.
However, faced with the facts before him, he couldn't refute them. He couldn't figure out where the problem lay!