After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

Master Qingcheng stepped forward, bent down to carefully examine the constable's face, and then opened his eyelids to look at his pupils. His brows furrowed more and more tightly.

He took a step back, raised his hand and made a hand seal. A faint golden light condensed at his fingertips, and he drew several runes on the man's forehead in mid-air.

The moment the golden light entered the yamen runner's forehead, the man trembled, let out a muffled whimper, and then shrank back into the corner.

Master Qingcheng withdrew his hand, his expression grim. He turned to the crowd and slowly said, "He was indeed possessed by an evil spirit. Half of his three souls and seven spirits are missing."

Upon hearing this, everyone present turned to look at him.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Master Qingcheng assumed they were waiting for his explanation, so he cleared his throat and said solemnly, "Humans have three souls and seven spirits, as you all surely know."

"The three souls are: Tai Guang, Shuang Ling, and You Jing."

"The seven souls are named Corpse Dog, Hidden Arrow, Sparrow Yin, Devouring Thief, Non-Poison, Purifying Filth, and Stinky Lung, each governing one of the seven orifices in the body."

"This person's soul is incomplete, and his yin energy is extremely heavy, which explains why he is mentally unstable and acting erratically. His remaining soul is no longer able to govern his mind."

Monk Huiming couldn't help but chant a Buddhist prayer, then shook his head and sighed.

This method is truly vicious. A mortal's life is only a hundred years, and extracting a soul is even more ruthless than killing.

Lin Zhixu raised an eyebrow; this Qingcheng really had some skills.

Why does it feel like it suddenly went from a fantasy channel to a supernatural horror channel?

The magistrate, already weak in the knees, turned deathly pale after hearing Master Qingcheng's words, his lips trembling as he asked, "Then... what should we do? Is there any hope?"

Master Qingcheng remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "There's nothing we can do. If we could find his lost soul in time, there might still be a glimmer of hope. But so much time has passed, those separated souls have probably long since dissipated."

The magistrate sighed in disappointment and gestured for the bailiffs to take the man away and take good care of him.

He watched the hunched back of the bailiff being escorted out of the courtyard and added in a low voice, "This man has no wife or children, only an old father who passed away last month. Now he doesn't even have any relatives to take care of him."

The others were surprised to find him in this situation and couldn't help but feel pity for him.

However, looking at it from another perspective, this might not be such a bad thing.

If this constable is truly the breadwinner of his family, with elderly parents and young children to support, how will his wife and children survive after such an incident?

Now he is all alone, but he has no ties to him.

After Wen Wuqing changed his clothes and returned, he listened to their explanation, remained silent for a moment, then a look of pity appeared on his face. He said, "He is a pitiful man. Once this matter is settled, my Wen family will pay for his care until he passes away."

The magistrate was taken aback for a moment, then quickly bowed and thanked him, "Thank you, Master Wen. However, there's no need. He is a yamen runner in this county, and he was injured in the line of duty. It is only right and proper that the county yamen should take care of him. If Master Wen were to spend money on him, I would lose face."

Wen Wuqing was taken aback by his refusal and then smiled, "I misunderstood. Then I will do as the magistrate says. If there is any need, just let the Wen family know."

Lin Zhixu glanced at the county magistrate. Although the official was somewhat cunning, he was responsible when things went wrong, so Lin Zhixu thought more highly of him.

After discussing the arrangements for going up the mountain, everyone agreed to go back and rest for a while, and then meet at the foot of the mountain before dark.

……

As night fell, the group walked up the mountain path.

Wen Wuqing walked at the front, taking on the role of leader, and occasionally turned back to give a few words of advice, telling everyone to stay close and not get separated.

Others, out of respect for his status, were also reluctant to disrespect him.

Lin Zhixu walked unhurriedly in the middle, his divine sense quietly spreading out, taking in all the movements within dozens of feet around him.

The mountain road became narrower and narrower, and the trees on both sides became increasingly dense.

As we reached a bend halfway up the mountain, a faint shout suddenly drifted from ahead.

Intermittent, it sounded like crying, yet also like laughing, carried by the night wind through the woods, sending chills down one's spine.

Master Yunhe's young attendant's legs went weak on the spot. He grabbed his master's sleeve, his voice trembling, "Master... there's a ghost, there really is a ghost!"

He said he didn't want to come, but his master insisted on bringing him just to show off. He doesn't have any skills, so what if he really dies here?

Master Yunhe's sleeve was almost torn by his tugging, but he forced himself to remain calm and pulled it out, his voice sharp but weak: "What's the panic? With your master here, how could anything happen to you?"

Even so, his other hand had already quietly reached for the compass at his waist.

Wen Wuqing picked up a talisman between his fingers and stared warily into the darkness ahead.

Lin Zhixu listened intently, then suddenly raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

He looked closely for a moment, then his brow furrowed slightly: "Don't panic, it's a person. Someone is calling for help."

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances as the voice gradually became clearer; it was indeed a man's hoarse cry for help.

Wen Wuqing and Lin Zhixu exchanged a glance and rushed towards the direction from which the sound came, with the others quickly following.

The cries for help came from below the cliff not far ahead.

Wen Wuqing lit a torch and shone it down.

The firelight illuminated a figure clinging tightly to the cliff face, desperately trying to climb up through the cracks in the rocks.

Hearing the noise, the man suddenly looked up, revealing an exceptionally handsome face.

He had handsome features, and his eyes and brows held a hint of pitiful fragility. His clothes were torn in several places by the rock wall when he fell, and his fair skin could be vaguely seen under the half-open collar. In the firelight, he looked even more pitiful.

The group exchanged glances, showing they weren't swayed by the allure; instead, they became even more vigilant.

In the dead of night, in the desolate wilderness, where did such a handsome man come from?

It's either a demon or a ghost!

Lin Zhixu: "..."

Upon seeing people, the handsome man cried out excitedly, "Brothers, please help me! I'm a hunter from the village at the foot of the mountain. I chased a wild deer into the mountains before dark and got lost. I slipped and fell, and I think I hurt my leg. I can't climb back up..."

Master Qingcheng lowered his voice: "In my opinion, this person should not be trusted."

The monk Huiming rarely agreed: "In such a desolate place, with all the rumors circulating, how could an ordinary hunter dare to venture into the mountains alone? In my opinion, it's most likely a demon in disguise."

Everyone nodded, unanimously agreeing that this person was suspicious.

Lin Zhixu fell silent because he felt the scene was strangely familiar.

Lin Zhixu: "...He doesn't look like a demon to me. Maybe he really is a lost hunter?"

The others looked at him with disapproval.

Master Qingcheng said with a serious expression, "Fellow Daoist Lin, you are mistaken. The demon's illusionary arts are superb. Do not be deceived by beauty and cause a great disaster."

Others also tried to persuade him.

Lin Zhixu had no choice but to give up his "hero saves the damsel in distress" plan.