"Oh my goodness, is your dad’s soul possessing your mom?" Mr Fang was astonished, feeling as if his worldview had been refreshed again.
"We don’t know either!"
The Yao family was scared to death, stepping back a few steps; such an encounter with ghosts in broad daylight was truly unsettling.
"You know I’m your dad, why don’t you hurry up and tell her to let go!" Mr Yao twisted around, trying to escape.
Yu Nianzhao unceremoniously gave him a slap, "Stop being insolent here, you’re just a lingering obsession, not even a ghost, and you have the audacity to make a fuss?"
Everyone cried out in surprise.
"Yeah, it should be what you mentioned, being contaminated when tending the grave, but since Mrs. Yao took the talisman, it surely means she had this idea; the obsession exacerbated her thoughts, causing all this to happen."
Yu Nianzhao shook the lingering obsession in her hand, heartlessly saying, "Letting your obsession linger in the human world is a curse too, don’t even think about escaping, obliteration is the way!"
She casually tossed it, and the obsession screamed before being completely devoured by Jiu Ying.
"Is it really... gone?"
In the blink of an eye, Mr Yao’s obsession vanished.
"Nonsense, unless you’d rather keep his obsession around to celebrate New Year with you?" Yu Nianzhao clapped her palms, speaking angrily.
"Hehe, that won’t be necessary."
They were all sons, none of them wanted to reside in the same space as their father’s obsession.
"What sin have I committed, Jing’er is my own granddaughter, and I almost killed her."
Mrs. Yao regained her senses slightly, her eyes clearing a bit, she pounded her chest and wailed, "It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have touched that thing at all; it’s only right if you blame me, I deserve it!"
Seeing her repentance, the three sons of the Yao family softened their hearts.
"Mother, if you were influenced by dad’s obsession, it’s understandable, the fault doesn’t entirely lie with you."
"Mother, how do you feel now physically?"
"I’ll help mother sit down, the ground is cold."
The third son of the Yao family supported Mrs. Yao to a chair; after completing this action, he hurriedly bounced away from her, finally releasing the breath he’d been holding.
"I almost thought I was going to suffocate, the smell on mother is just too foul."
"It’s the smell of a corpse."
Yu Nianzhao spoke softly, her words causing the third son of the Yao family to retch, almost vomiting.
"The old matron doesn’t have long left." With a sharp gaze, Yu Nianzhao looked at them, "The story I told truly happened; the unfortunate end is real, aging and dying overnight is just a night’s thing."
"What? Master, please save my mother!" After all, she was their mother, Mr Yao mournfully cried out, kneeling in supplication.
"Yes, master, you’re so powerful, you must have a way to save her."
All three brothers knelt on the ground, that genuine appearance, making the corners of Mrs. Yao’s lips involuntarily raise, seemingly seeing the three brothers as children, protecting her in front of the strict Mr Yao and their grandmother.
"Corpses spots are already appearing on her, saving her now would be defying fate, it requires a sacrifice."
Yu Nianzhao looked down at her delicate fingers, chuckling playfully, "Are you willing to pay a great price for the elderly matron of twilight years?"
The three brothers exchanged glances, hesitantly asking, "What kind of price needs to be paid?"
"The old matron was willing to sacrifice Yao Jing’er’s life to extend her own, now if you want to defy fate, what do you think the cost would be?" Yu Nianzhao replied with a question.
"Then it would surely be more than a life, could it be the lives of the three brothers?"
Mrs. Yao’s face tightened as she spoke fiercely, "Have you no concern for your own lives?"
"Enough, my children, all of this is my sin, I’m old now, it’s time I went down to find your dad."
Mrs. Yao spoke with surprising clarity, the white membrane in her eyes disappeared, she tremblingly lifted her hand, wanting to touch their faces, "I must go beat up the old man; if it weren’t for his desire, I wouldn’t have discovered this method. Seeing him bedridden and suffering, I couldn’t help but think how wonderful it’d be to live healthily; it’s because of this thought that his obsession found a chance with me. No matter what, I’ve hurt Jing’er, my age is advanced, I’m not afraid of life or death, leaving this way is quite alright."
The three sons were inconsolable.
The grievances in Mrs. Yao’s heart dissipated slightly, silently turning her head to wipe away tears at the corner of her eyes.
"Even if you know the method for Life-extending Talismans, it’s impossible to craft it yourself. Who forged this Life-extending Talisman for you?"
While Mrs. Yao hadn’t died, Yu Nianzhao asked crucially.
"It was during a blessing in a temple when a novice monk introduced me. But it was strange..." Mrs. Yao recalled, "It should have been a temple, yet the person who saw me wasn’t a monk, but a Daoist. He said he was a master traveling far and wide, able to grant my wish, and I nodded on a whim, telling him what I knew about Life-extending Talismans. Later, he really crafted it for me."
Yu Nianzhao’s eyes grew deep, "Where is that temple?"
Mrs. Yao’s eyes were confused, "I remember it being in the west of the city, isn’t there a thriving temple there?"
Mr Yao’s hair stood on end, "Mother, since when has there been a temple in the west of the city? I always thought you went to the temple near the outskirts of Shangjing!"
Mrs. Yao also covered her mouth and said, "The west of the city has no temple; it’s wasteland, overgrown with weeds, devoid of humans, beyond which there’s a mountain."
"I... I remember a temple being there; if not, whom did I see? No, you’re wrong, I really did go to a temple and met that Daoist. Ah, my head aches terribly!"
Mrs. Yao clutched her forehead, feeling as if her brain was going to explode.
"Mother, what’s wrong? Master, could my mom still have dad’s obsession on her?" Mr Yao asked anxiously. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NoveI-Fire.ɴet
"No, if she went to a temple that doesn’t exist, she might have been misled by ghosts, indeed there’s such a memory in the brain, all mixed together, causing a breakdown. I can give her a healing talisman to ease the pain, but her life has reached its limit, she won’t last the night." Yu Nianzhao candidly informed them.
"I understand... Please favor us with a healing talisman, as for life reaching its end that’s something that can’t be helped." Mr Yao replied with tears in his eyes.