This term sounded somewhat profound, yet in reality, it was an utterly revolting thing.

The so-called “Wheel Ritual” was, under the guise of cultivation, actually just a sordid revolving act of debauchery.

Zhao Xiaoru was incredibly uninhibited, and she performed all those unsightly actions with ease.

The old man shook the prayer wheel in his hand, its pale color reminding me of human bones.

“His father devoted his entire wealth to the Bodhisattva, and in the end, he offered both his body and daughter as sacrifices. Such a devout believer! Surely, he’ll be reborn in the blissful realms of Shambhala…”

At that moment, Zhao Xiaoru suddenly let out another wild scream—

“Ah… Master, give me bliss quickly—uhh… uhh…”

An evil master shoved his thing into her mouth.

I exchanged a glance with my brother, who had already secretly prepared a talisman.

I pulled out a soul-calming talisman and slapped it onto Zhao Xiaoru’s forehead, and instantly, black smoke began to sizzle out—just as expected, only at this moment did that female ghost appear!

Zhao Xiaoru convulsed, writhing in pain as she bit down hard, snapping what was in her mouth, causing the evil master to scream as blood spurted from him. The old man bellowed in rage, “Those who disrupt the ritual shall be torn apart and have their souls enslaved!”

Immediately, two evil masters rushed toward me, and my brother swung a chair at them, getting into a brawl.

Zhao Xiaoru lunged at me, but suddenly, a burst of red light surged—

She was repelled, and my brother and I stood back-to-back, protected by the red light.

“What is that…” The old man’s sinister eyes widened in shock as he muttered to himself, “Could it be… a Yin-Yang fetus…? To think such a thing exists… If I could consume this treasure, it would surpass centuries of cultivation…”

What? Could the red light be the spiritual fetus protecting me?

I had always thought it was Jiang Qi Yun’s ring that protected me, but now I realize, ever since the dragon inside the ring gradually took form, the ring would emit red light whenever I was under attack by evil forces.

I raised my hand to touch my lower abdomen, and in that moment, I felt an inexplicable attachment and courage.

The old man sneered wickedly, “Do you see those people in the freezer… their bodies serve as food for the saintess, their souls as my slaves. Now, you, too, should devote yourself to me!”

He raised the white prayer wheel, and Zhao Xiaoru’s body trembled violently, collapsing to the ground, as a ghostly female figure appeared, unclothed.

This was the so-called saintess of the dark arts, nothing more than a puppet for these evil masters. Most of them were tortured to death, though a few odd ones actually enjoyed it.

But who was the soul-devoured female ghost from that night? I had seen her—a long-haired girl, emerging dazedly from the corpse of a high school girl.

“That’s the refined soul of the high schooler… She wore a short-haired wig to avoid being recognized, but she was originally a long-haired woman. Just for the sake of selling her first night,” the ghost explained kindly. “I’ve cultivated for over two hundred years… no way would I be weak enough to be controlled by some ordinary evil master. Only the Ghost King can command me.”

She laughed seductively and wrapped herself around the old man.

The old man’s withered chest suddenly swelled, with lumps surfacing, as a blood-red ghostly face appeared once more.

That pair of lifeless white eyes stared straight at me, but it neither spoke nor moved.

The old man touched his chest and said, “The Ghost King hasn’t regained his strength yet… But if I could devour what’s in your belly… even the Han Region’s most skilled would be no match for me!”

As he spoke, he unleashed a multitude of translucent ghosts from his white prayer wheel, each of them blankly staring.

Were these the souls of those who’d died here, extracted from their bodies?

Hiss, hiss…

Two faint hissing sounds echoed beside me, but only wisps of smoke dissipated. Why? Could the ghost officers still not penetrate the barrier?

In my mind, I silently recited the invocation: With a sincere heart, I take refuge… Great Compassion, Great Sage…

Hiss, hiss, hiss…

The blue smoke around me grew thicker, as if countless ghost officers were desperately trying to break through the barrier of this evil master.

This sound gave me courage.

“Old man, don’t think you can bully the Mu family!” I glared at him, repeating my great-grandfather’s words: “You vile fiends of the dark arts will meet a terrible end!”

As soon as I finished speaking, the entire building shook violently, and several bloodied evil masters from outside stumbled in!

These refined souls, blank and icy, moved closer, causing my brother and me to shiver. If not for the red light shielding us, we would have been devoured to bits!

Bang—a bullet flew in, creating a hole in the wall.

A bullet?

I turned around, stunned. A tall, thin man in a black uniform grinned at me, “Xiao Qiao, Yunfan, two years apart and you two little brats have gotten a lot bolder!”

My brother nearly jumped in excitement, shouting, “Uncle! You’re just in time! Damn it! Our family’s getting swarmed! You damn bald scoundrel, don’t you dare run!”

My uncle, holding a gun in one hand and forming a hand seal with the other, shouted, “Break!”

Once again, the scene in front of us shook violently—

Hiss, hiss—

This time, the hissing sound didn’t dissipate into smoke, and I saw two figures, one black and one white, let out a long howl and sweep through the room!

Instantly, wailing ghost cries and gunshots filled the air.

Black and White Impermanence mercilessly bound the raging refined souls, and the police my uncle had brought burst in to restrain the evil masters, naked as they were.

The scene was utter chaos. Afraid of getting hurt, I shrank into a corner, one hand shielding my head, the other instinctively protecting my belly.

Until my back touched an icy chest…

I trembled and looked up. Jiang Qi Yun was standing there, his brows tightly knitted, with a complex look in his deep eyes.

I had never seen him look like this. The helplessness and guilt in his gaze were unmistakable, even the coldest mask couldn’t hide it.

At that moment, my foolish emotions overwhelmed me, and I grabbed his wrist, blurting out, “Qi Yun, the baby is still here. It’s just a minor scare… I, I’ve been taking medicine to protect the baby, please don’t be mad… I didn’t intentionally take risks, I—”

I didn’t even know what I was saying, only that I was inexplicably panicked and began to cry.

Looking back, I can only smile bitterly at the realization: people really can be tamed.

Two cold fingers pressed against my lips, and I fell silent, tears streaming down.

There was a hint of pain in his eyes, barely noticeable, and I thought he cared about this child as much as I did.

“…Don’t be afraid. It’s over now.” His chilly voice whispered in my ear.

How many times had he told me, “Don’t be afraid”?

I foolishly recalled that night when I was sixteen. He had whispered those very words in my ear.

Bai Wuchang floated over, handing a male ghost he held to a ghost officer, grinning with blood-red lips as he shot me a smile—