Cao Shaozheng’s vile, private instructions were spoken in a hushed whisper, but every single word still drifted into Lu Yun’s ears.
Such sordid affairs were common in these chaotic times. Cao Shaozheng was merely one of the countless warlords who preyed on the populace.
The group hurried to the East Courtyard.
More than a dozen fiercely burning pine-resin torches were stuck in the four corners of the courtyard, their flames bathing the entire area in an orange-red glow.
Eldest Young Master Cao, Cao Quan, was not in his room. He was lying on a simple, makeshift wooden bed set up right in the center of the courtyard, a thick quilt covering his body.
Cao Shaozheng, leading Housekeeper Zhou and a few trusted soldiers, rushed to surround the bed. The Jianghu Wanderer and the middle-aged monk followed close behind.
Lu Yun, meanwhile, stopped just ahead of the rest of the group, close enough to see the situation clearly but far enough to maintain a safe distance.
Zhang Daowang, his expression grave, was directing his apprentice in a relatively open corner nearby, where they were setting up a simple altar.
The altar was adorned with an incense burner, command flags, talisman paper, a Copper Coin Sword, and other various objects.
Cao Shaozheng peered at his son on the wooden bed and spoke urgently.
"Masters, quickly, take a look! What in the world is wrong with my son?"
Cao Quan’s eyes were shut tight. His face was a ghastly, bloodless white, and even his lips had taken on a cyanotic hue.
If not for the faint, almost imperceptible rise and fall of his chest, anyone would have mistaken him for a freshly dead corpse.
Anxious at the sight, Cao Shaozheng instinctively reached out to check for his son’s breath.
Housekeeper Zhou, standing beside him, was scared witless. He grabbed Cao Shaozheng’s wrist in a death grip. "Military Governor! No! Absolutely not! Have you forgotten what I told you?"
The firm grip snapped Cao Shaozheng back to his senses, and he immediately recalled Housekeeper Zhou’s prior warning.
Just two days ago, three servants who had tried to care for Cao Quan, as well as the esteemed Elder Doctor Huang, had all died violently within a short period of time, merely for having touched Cao Quan’s body.
Their deaths had been gruesome and horrific. Their bodies had corroded and putrefied from the inside out.
At the thought, a cold shiver ran down Cao Shaozheng’s spine, and he began to curse.
"Damn it... That was a close call!"
The Jianghu Wanderer and the middle-aged monk had also completed their initial examination. They exchanged a look, their expressions grim.
The Jianghu Wanderer was the first to speak. "Governor Cao, your son is not suffering from any illness. Yin energy has invaded his body."
The middle-aged monk put his palms together and intoned gravely, "Amitabha. This foul yin energy is exceptionally dense. If an ordinary person were to be tainted by even a trace of it, they would fall gravely ill at best. At worst... they would die on the spot."
"If you had truly touched him just now, Governor, the consequences would have been disastrous."
He paused, his brow furrowed in deep confusion. "But there is something strange. Given the intensity of this yin energy, the young master’s life force should have been extinguished long ago."
"How he’s managed to cling to this final thread of life defies all logic."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Cao Shaozheng, Housekeeper Zhou, and the surrounding soldiers all scrambled back several steps in unison, instantly putting more distance between themselves and the wooden bed.
After a moment, Cao Shaozheng collected himself and hurriedly addressed the Jianghu Wanderer and the monk. "Masters, since you’ve seen through the problem, I’m counting on you completely!"
"As long as you can resolve this wicked business, I’ll give you anything you ask for!"
While his words were pleading, he shot a resentful glance at the barely breathing Cao Quan on the bed and cursed inwardly.
’This damn brat... he almost dragged me down with him!’
’I have more than a dozen sons and daughters. Losing one won’t end my line.’
’It’d be best if he can be saved, of course. But if not... Hmph. I can always make more!’
Lu Yun, who had been standing quietly and observing from a distance, suddenly felt a sharp twitch between his brows.
In the next instant, Lu Yun slid backward, swiftly positioning the crowd between himself and the bed.
Cao Quan, who had been lying as still as a corpse, suddenly began to swell. Like an inflating leather pouch, his body expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye!
His skin stretched taut until it was translucent and shiny, revealing countless streams of black energy writhing madly beneath.
Then, a visible, icy chill erupted from every pore on his body.
Once the swelling reached its limit, with a loud BANG, Cao Quan’s body exploded!
A red mist of blood and gore splattered violently in all directions.
"HYAH!"
The Jianghu Wanderer reacted with incredible speed. In the nick of time, he whipped out the brass Compass that hung from his waist.
Gripping it with both hands, he held it upright before him. The Celestial Pool Needle on the Compass spun wildly as a faint, almost invisible, pale yellow halo materialized around it.
The middle-aged monk swiftly pulled the string of smooth Bodhi Beads in his hands taut, holding it like a rigid chain across his chest.
He then began a rapid Sanskrit chant, and a faint golden light flowed along the string of beads.
As for Cao Shaozheng, who was closest to the explosion, he didn’t hesitate for a second. His thick, powerful arms shot out, yanking Housekeeper Zhou and a nearby guard in front of him as human shields!
The gory mist, thick with a cold, corrosive power, rained down upon them!
The halo of the Jianghu Wanderer’s Compass and the golden light from the monk’s beads flickered violently, SIZZLING as they made contact with the spray. The light dimmed and flared, barely managing to block the foul torrent.
The force of the impact and the residual yin energy sent both men stumbling backward, the light from their Magical Artifacts dimming rapidly.
Meanwhile, Housekeeper Zhou and the unlucky soldier let out blood-curdling screams.
Thick, pungent white smoke instantly billowed from the parts of their bodies touched by the bloody mist.

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