The Unruly Immortals

The other party's words caught both of them by surprise. His own wife was in such a state, yet he didn't want to cure her?

Clutching the drum, Bai Lingmiao thought for a moment and then hesitated before persuading, "This venerable master, if she is truly possessed, she must be treated. Being possessed is a terrible experience, and it's a matter of life and death. How about this, I don't need any payment."

Hearing this, Zhao Qin's eyebrows furrowed sharply, and he slammed the tea dish he held in his hand onto a nearby table neither too lightly nor too heavily. "Chengxing, see the guests out."

Wang Chengxing, who was standing by, took a big step forward, positioning himself between his master and the two ladies, and with a slight smile on his face, said, "It's not safe for young ladies to travel at night. Allow me to personally escort you two home. Where do you live?"

Seeing how adamantly the other side was blocking them, Chun Xiaoman sighed softly, no longer insisting, and pulled Bai Lingmiao's hand to head outside the house.

"Aaah~~!" A woman's pitiful scream startled everyone present, and a shade of gloom covered Zhao Qin's face even more.

Hearing the agony in that sound, Bai Lingmiao couldn't bear it and turned around to look at Zhao Qin, who was still sitting there.

"Master Zhao, let me try. I promise that even if I can't cure her, I won't cause any harm. The Immortal Sects are not that unreasonable."

At her side, Chun Xiaoman nodded and chimed in. "Since all other methods have been tried, what harm is there in trying ours? What if it works?"

As she spoke, she seemed to remember something, and her face suddenly became very sad. "Or is it that you don't really consider her—"

Before she could finish, "Bang!" The lacquered table was instantly shattered into pieces by Zhao Qin's fist.

His eyes wide with fury, he stood up like a lion provoked, and a commanding presence instantly enveloped the room.

"This old man never fights with women, but if you dare speak out of turn again, don't blame me for being rude!"

"Hehe..." A light chuckle drifted in from the pitch-dark outside, instantly disrupting the good atmosphere inside.

"Who's there! Form the formation!" With Zhao Qin's low shout, people at the side doors sprang into action.

Dozens of men dressed in short fighting attire, each carrying various weapons, quickly surrounded them.

With shields in front and spears behind, their coordination was impeccable.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, a blood-red embroidered shoe stepped out from the darkness and onto the candlelight.

Following the shoe was a bride with a big red veil over her head.

This eerie scene changed everyone's expression; it was clear something was amiss.

As members of the Escort Agency, always traveling, the bodyguards often encountered evil things, but they had their ways of dealing with them.

"Spread the ink net! Lead out the black dogs!"

Accompanied by the sound of ripping, the cotton thread soaked in black ink quickly formed a large net, sealing off the path ahead.

A few whimpering black dogs were also brought into the midst of the crowd.

"Wait, wait, you've misunderstood," Bai Lingmiao said anxiously, passing through the ink net and pulling Second God into the house.

As Bai Lingmiao approached, the people of the Escort Agency stepped back with their weapons in unison.

"She is... my sister. She means no harm," Bai Lingmiao tried hard to explain, but to little effect.

Just then, a bodyguard with a mustache whispered something into Zhao Qin's ear.

"Master... spirit-medium...

Upon hearing his apprentice's words, Zhao Qin's expression began to change.

Bai Lingmiao felt the tense atmosphere around her and sighed helplessly. "Xiaoman Sister, let's go back."

She really feared that good intentions might lead to bad outcomes. If a fight broke out, Bai Lingmiao wasn't afraid of getting hurt; her concern was that if Brother Li became involved later, the trouble would escalate significantly.

Brother Li already had enough problems, and she didn't want to add to his worries because of her own issues.

Under such circumstances, Xiaoman couldn't care less about her own minor matters. As she stepped out of the ink net, she prepared to leave the Escort Agency with Bai Lingmiao.

"Ladies, please wait!" Zhao Qin, as if he had become a completely different person, walked up to them earnestly.

"I implore you to help with my wife's situation. As long as you can help my wife recover, feel free to name any conditions!"

"This..." The two women exchanged a glance, both surprised by the drastic change in his attitude.

"In that case—" Bai Lingmiao was just starting to speak when Xiaoman suddenly stepped forward. "We need to go back and discuss this with my fellow disciples first."

The different reactions from the other party made Xiaoman think it was better to stick to the conventional approach.

Two incense sticks later, when the two of them, accompanied by all their fellow disciples, were once again invited into the Escort Agency, the treatment they received was clearly different from before.

The entire Escort Agency was brightly lit, and all the bodyguards and apprentices stood there, straight as arrows, welcoming them.

Zhao Qin led them along the corridor towards the house. As he showed the way, he turned and said, "Miss, you are right; some things indeed must be tried. How can you know without trying?"

Bai Lingmiao, looking somewhat tense, nodded with a smile.

Part of her nervousness came naturally from the Escort Agency people's overreaction, but another part was due to the fact that she had never performed an exorcism before.

Moreover, given the other party's attitude, if she failed to cure his wife, it would be incredibly awkward.

The Escort Agency wasn't large; to the left of the previous practice field was a small, isolated house where Zhao Qin's wife was kept.

The creaking sound of the door opening was followed by low sobbing from the pitch-dark room.

A bodyguard nearby extended his lantern inside, and the scene inside was revealed to everyone present in a flash.

The room was small, with thick dry straw covering the floor and walls, appearing quite clean, obviously well-maintained.

A disheveled and filthy old woman with white hair was chained by rusty shackles, wandering around the room while crying, completely ignoring the stares from everyone around her.

"My wretched wife has been like this for the past thirty years; I've been at a loss," Zhao Qin said with a hint of pain showing on his face.

"Master Zhao, rest assured, I will do my utmost."

Bai Lingmiao, looking a bit nervous, glanced at the woman behind her covered with a red bridal veil, took a deep breath, and walked past her.

She gently lifted the red veil with her hand.

To the disappointment of the men curious about what was beneath the red veil, there was yet another red veil embroidered with mandarin ducks underneath it.

Bai Lingmiao pursed her lips, took a deep breath, placed the red veil on her own head, and then handed the drum she was holding to the woman.

Xiaoman used her sword to keep the others at a distance. "Back off, everyone."

Feeling the change in the atmosphere, everyone in the Escort Agency held their breath and dared not even breathe loudly.

Black fingernails gently tapped the drumhead. A sharp, almost piercing female voice came from beneath the red veil. "Please—come—deity."