"Yu Hu’s condition is rather grim."
Yin Shanhe frowned, his tone contemplative. "Xu Qing, I don’t know if you were aware of this beforehand, but a ’Nine Yin Spell’ has been planted inside Yu Hu’s body."
"A Nine Yin Spell?"
Xu Qing shook his head and said, "Lord Yin, I only knew that a spell had indeed been planted in him, but I didn’t know what kind of spell it was."
"If you know, Lord Yin, I would ask that you please enlighten ."
"When I was young, I heard of this spell in Moon River Prefecture City."
Yin Shanhe said slowly, "It is an extrely wicked Evil Technique called the Nine Yin Secret Technique. It is also known as the Nine Yin Secret Text."
"First."
"To cast the Nine Yin Secret Technique, one needs ninety-nine children and youths born in a yin year, a yin month, and on a yin day. They must be no older than fifteen. The ’Nine Yin Spell’ is then planted inside these children’s bodies."
"However."
"The caster cannot plant the ’Nine Yin Spell’ directly into the victim’s body. It must be done through a dium. Then, one of the victim’s closest relatives must make the victim wear this dium at all tis."
"This way."
"Once the dium for the ’Nine Yin Spell’ has been worn for over two years, the spell will be completely embedded deep within the victim’s body, connecting to their very soul."
"This..."
Xu Qing fell into deep thought.
Because...
Everything Yin Shanhe described perfectly matched what had happened to Yu Hu. And before yesterday, Yin Shanhe didn’t even know Xu Qing or Yu Hu.
This proved one thing.
Yu Hu had, without a doubt, been afflicted by the ’Nine Yin Spell’.
"After the ’Nine Yin Spell’ is completely embedded in the victim’s body, it begins to draw upon their life and soul, cultivating a ’Nine Yin Secret Text’ from within the spell."
Yin Shanhe continued, "And during the process of cultivating this ’Nine Yin Secret Text,’ because it’s siphoning the victim’s life and soul, it’s like an overdraft on their Life Potential."
"As a result."
"The victim will feel a sense of all-around enhancent. Their constitution, mind, Talent, and so on will all feel like they’ve been improved."
"It’s like a sudden awakening."
"In reality."
"It’s just burning through their Life Potential."
"I see."
After listening to Yin Shanhe’s explanation, Xu Qing finally understood completely. No wonder Yu Hu seed to have a sudden awakening after the ’spell’ fully embedded itself in his body, his Talent and aptitude seemingly jumping several levels. The reason was that the ’Nine Yin Spell’ was burning through Yu Hu’s potential.
"Correct."
Yin Shanhe nodded. "Xu Qing, your eldest disciple, Yu Hu, has already had far too much of his Life Potential burned away. On top of that, the ’Nine Yin Secret Text’ has entered his body. His situation is now perilous."
"This..."
Xu Qing frowned.
"Co with ."
Yin Shanhe turned and walked toward the residence in the back courtyard. "Your disciple is inside. You should see Yu Hu’s condition for yourself."
"Alright."
Xu Qing nodded and followed Yin Shanhe into the residence. The County Magistrate and several other gentlen followed them into the bedroom.
"Master!!!"
Inside the bedroom.
Dian Anhua, who was unhard, was keeping watch by the bed. Hearing the noise, he turned and saw Xu Qing, Yin Shanhe, and the others. "You’re finally back!"
"Sen... Senior Brother... he..."
Dian Anhua’s voice was choked with tears.
"Don’t worry."
Xu Qing patted Dian Anhua’s shoulder, comforting him in a gentle voice, "Rest assured, Yu Hu will be fine. Your master is here for everything."
"Yes."
Dian Anhua nodded, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes.
HUUU...
Xu Qing took a deep breath and walked over to the bedside, where he saw Yu Hu lying unconscious on the bed.
"This..."
Xu Qing’s expression filled with shock. He saw that Yu Hu’s hair had turned completely white—as if overnight. He was clearly a teenager, yet he exuded an aura of twilight.
Moreover.
Yu Hu’s face was covered in wrinkles, as if he had instantly beco an old man with one foot in the grave. Too much of his Life Potential had been burned away.
"Xu Qing, you see it now."
Yin Shanhe walked over. "Too much of Yu Hu’s Life Potential has been exhausted. He’s just a teenager, but now he looks like this."
"Lord Yin, is there any way to save him?"
Xu Qing asked.
"There is."
Yin Shanhe nodded. "I don’t know whether to call Yu Hu lucky or unlucky. Elder Qingyun attempted to use the ’Nine Yin Secret Technique’ to step into the ’Second Realm,’ but he failed. Furthermore, he was killed last night by that mysterious Sword Immortal, ’Li Bai’. At the very mont of his death, the ’Nine Yin Secret Text’ that Elder Qingyun had condensed was drawn to the ’spell’ inside Yu Hu and entered his body."
"Right now."
"Yu Hu’s only chance of survival is to rge with the ’Nine Yin Secret Text’ that has entered his body. If he succeeds, he will certainly recover all his lost Life Potential. He could even use the ’Nine Yin Secret Text’ to achieve a further breakthrough. His future path of cultivation would be smooth sailing, and he would have a high chance of stepping into the ’Second Realm’ of the Martial Path."
"Lord Yin, since you put it that way, it must be extrely difficult to rge with the ’Nine Yin Secret Text,’ right? It surely can’t be that simple."
Xu Qing said.
"Correct."
Yin Shanhe nodded again. "First, although Elder Qingyun is dead, a remnant of his consciousness inevitably remains within the ’Nine Yin Secret Text’."
"Therefore."
"For Yu Hu to succeed, his first step must be to defeat and devour the consciousness Elder Qingyun left in the ’Nine Yin Secret Text’. Only then can he proceed to the second step."
"The second step."
"This requires Yu Hu to either gain complete control over the ’Nine Yin Secret Text’ himself, or find soone who has reached the ’Second Realm’ to help him suppress it so he can absorb it slowly."
"Xu Qing."
Yin Shanhe continued, "You must understand, there are almost no Second Realm experts in the county. To find one, you would have to go to the Prefecture City."
"Most importantly."
"The price to persuade a Second Realm existence to help is imnse."
"Thank you for the clarification, Lord Yin."
Xu Qing cupped his fists in a salute. "I understand now. May I ask, Lord Yin, in his current state, how long can he hold on?"
"One month."
Yin Shanhe held up one finger. "I had Yu Hu take a ’Life-extending Pill’ last night. The energy from that pill can keep him alive for one more month."
"Of course."
"If his consciousness fails to destroy Elder Qingyun’s consciousness within the ’Nine Yin Secret Text’ while he is in his coma, Yu Hu will die instantly. Elder Qingyun might then reanimate Yu Hu’s body. It wouldn’t be a true resurrection, but it would give rise to a terrifying ’Corpse Deceit’."
"So."
"You must monitor Yu Hu’s condition at all tis. You absolutely cannot let him turn into a Corpse Deceit."
"Understood."
Xu Qing nodded grimly.
"Mm."
Yin Shanhe nodded as well and continued, "Xu Qing, let ask you a question. Do you know why the Blood Demon Sect wanted to slaughter Dian Hongbo’s entire family?"
"I am not entirely sure."
Xu Qing said thoughtfully, "However, Dian Hongbo did co to see the night before he died. He told he had accidentally discovered an enormous secret of the Blood Demon Sect. He even predicted that he wouldn’t live long and would surely die at their hands."
"By my estimation, that is most likely the reason the Blood Demon Sect slaughtered his family, and they probably won’t even spare any close friends or relatives he was in contact with."
"I see."
Yin Shanhe mused, sizing Xu Qing up with a glance before asking again, "Xu Qing, do you truly not know the real identity and origin of the Sword Immortal ’Li Bai’?"
"I do not."
Xu Qing shook his head.
"Very well."
Yin Shanhe waved his hand. "You may go back then."
"Yes."
Xu Qing nodded.
Next.
Yin Shanhe assigned a few n to help Xu Qing move the unconscious Yu Hu and Dian Anhua from the Governnt Office to a new residence.
The courtyard house Xu Qing had bought for the second ti in Qingfeng Town’s Inner City had been destroyed again in yesterday’s battle, so Yin Shanhe gave Xu Qing a new residence.
This new residence was larger, a siheyuan with two courtyards, several tis bigger than Xu Qing’s previous place. It was also quite close to the Governnt Office.
This way.
If anything happened on Xu Qing’s end and caused a major disturbance, the Governnt Office would know quickly, and Yin Shanhe and his n could arrive at the first opportunity.
This would prevent a repeat of last night, where by the ti they arrived on the scene, Jiang Feiying and her group had already escaped.
「Noon.」
Inside Xu Qing’s new courtyard ho.
"Hu’er!!!"
In the bedroom.
Yu Chen and Wang Cuilan had arrived. When the two of them saw the unconscious Yu Hu on the bed, with his head of white hair and wrinkled face, they were overco with imnse grief.
"How could this happen?"
Wang Cuilan was streaming with tears.
"Brother Xu, what on earth happened to Hu’er?"
Yu Chen asked.
HUUU...
Xu Qing took a deep breath and said, "Last night, the old Daoist who put the curse on Yu Hu years ago ca. Although that Daoist has been slain, the spell in Yu Hu’s body has fully activated. His Life Potential has been drained over the years, which is why he looks like this."
"Brother Xu, then... then can Hu’er still be saved?"
Yu Chen asked, his voice trembling.
"He can."
Xu Qing nodded. "Yu Chen, rest assured. No matter what, Yu Hu is my disciple—my very first disciple. I won’t let him die just like this."
THUD!
Wang Cuilan fell to her knees.
"Xu Qing, I’m begging you! I’m on my knees begging you, you have to save Hu’er! Please save Hu’er! It’s all my fault! It’s all because I was foolish for a mont! That’s why I was tricked! It’s what led to Hu’er becoming like this!"
Wang Cuilan wailed, truly devastated.
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