Without regard for whether the other party consented, Zhong Shenxiu stepped forward and gently helped up the figure curled on the ground. Judging by the physique, this figure should also be a child.

This child’s attire was indistinguishable from that of the Necromancers; they were completely wrapped up. Those eyes, filled with agony, seemed to declare that they were enduring immense suffering.

“What is wrong with you?” Zhong Shenxiu asked again.

There was still no reply, only those pained eyes now fixed directly on Zhong Shenxiu, as if this gaze might somehow alleviate the torment being endured.

“Let me take a look for you? Perhaps I can heal you,” Zhong Shenxiu kindly inquired once more.

The child remained unresponsive, but the body began to twitch with even greater violence.

“If you don’t speak, I’ll take that as consent,” Zhong Shenxiu murmured, rolling up the figure’s sleeve, intending to check their pulse.

But in the next moment, he was struck speechless by what he saw.

Before him lay a pair of incredibly pale little hands, entirely covered in festering sores. On some parts of the arm, exposed bone was visible—a truly gruesome sight.

Without needing to check the pulse, simply looking at that hand allowed Zhong Shenxiu to grasp the profound suffering the child, who seemed no older than himself, was enduring. What shocked Zhong Shenxiu even more was that this child, suffering so intensely, was bearing it with incredible fortitude, without uttering a single sound!

Shock, like a colossal iceberg, froze Zhong Shenxiu’s entire body.

In that instant, Zhong Shenxiu was utterly stunned by the child before him—what immense courage and resilience this required!

With the shock still resonating, Zhong Shenxiu gently placed his fingers onto the other’s wrist to feel the pulse.

Taking the pulse caused Zhong Shenxiu to be even more astonished. He stared disbelievingly into those eyes that had been watching him all along, because the pulse diagnosis indicated the child was even worse off than he had imagined.

Within the child’s body, there seemed to be a malevolent power constantly eroding the flesh. Wherever this power advanced, it left the child’s internal structure a complete wreck.

That pain must be akin to ten thousand ants gnawing at the heart, a suffering that pierced the very soul; yet, even this agony had not forced a single sound from the child.

Help them! This thought, born almost before his brain could process it, consumed Zhong Shenxiu entirely.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Zhong Shenxiu swiftly pulled off the child’s hood and face covering, intent on treating the illness immediately. For cases involving such an invasion of sinister energy, he felt confident he could cure it.

Yet, as he tore away the coverings, Zhong Shenxiu was shocked anew. This child, similar in age to him, was actually a girl. The saying, ‘A woman is no less capable than a man,’ could barely describe the perseverance and bravery displayed by this little girl!

Her left side of the face was deathly pale, while the right side was a canvas of purple, weeping sores. Her lips were bitten so severely that blood was now flowing freely, yet even in this state, she stubbornly remained silent, her gaze fixed intently on Zhong Shenxiu.

“Don’t worry, you will get better!” As Zhong Shenxiu spoke, he could feel his own heart bleeding.

Zhong Shenxiu moved his fingers like flying shuttlecocks, rapidly tapping numerous major pressure points on the little girl’s head, including Baihui, Taiyang, and Renzhong. The purpose of this was to completely isolate the head from the malevolent energy.

Then, Zhong Shenxiu began working on the girl’s body with his fingertips moving at a dizzying pace.

Gradually, more and more people noticed Zhong Shenxiu, and a crowd of Necromancers had gathered around him. The previously noisy hall had fallen silent; everyone held their breath, watching his every movement. Some Necromancers even exaggeratedly pulled out notepads to record the scene.

Completely focused on treating the girl, Zhong Shenxiu paid no heed to the changes around him; his concentration was absolute. To lock the evil power in one place, Zhong Shenxiu dared not let his hands pause for even an instant, lest all efforts be wasted and he have to start over.

After a furious flurry of acupoint striking, the evil force was finally contained within the girl’s abdomen. The next task was much simpler: forcing it out of the body would mark complete success.

Zhong Shenxiu took an embroidery needle from his pocket (he had intended to buy specialized acupuncture needles, but since that item did not exist in this world, he had to settle for an embroidery needle) and was just preparing to use it to guide the poison out when the little girl finally spoke.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.” The girl’s eyes remained locked on Zhong Shenxiu.

Just three words, yet Zhong Shenxiu’s heart trembled once more.

“It’s not over yet, don’t move!” Zhong Shenxiu said, his tone half-command, half-admonishment.

The little girl, obediently, did not move again.

Lifting the girl’s robe, Zhong Shenxiu slowly inserted the embroidery needle into the exact spot where the evil energy was concentrated. He then channeled his internal energy through the needle, forming a net within the girl’s body to tightly ensnare the power, slowly and steadily dragging it outward.

There were several methods to expel such a force, but this was the most secure, and the one that caused the little girl the least sensation of pain.

In a short time, wisps of black energy began to seep out along the embroidery needle.

Just this action alone left the surrounding Necromancer spectators dumbfounded. Those taking notes increased their writing speed; those who hadn’t started rushed to imitate the action.

In the span of about fifteen minutes, Zhong Shenxiu had expelled all the evil power from the little girl’s body.

“There, I have cleansed the toxins from you. Apply some external anti-inflammatory medicine, and you will recover fully within a few days,” Zhong Shenxiu said, standing up. Just as he turned to leave, the little girl grasped the hem of his trousers.

“Master!” Her voice was still somewhat hoarse, yet sweet.

Master? Zhong Shenxiu felt slightly bewildered; when had he become a master?

Zhong Shenxiu looked at the little girl clinging to his trousers, feeling sympathy, pity, and profound admiration for her.

After standing stiffly for a moment, the girl showed no sign of letting go.

Zhong Shenxiu was utterly defeated, especially when meeting those resolute eyes; it was hard not to concede defeat.

“You want to follow me, is that it?” Zhong Shenxiu asked with a touch of resignation.

The little girl nodded gently.

“Following me is fine, but you must listen to me from now on. Can you do that?” Zhong Shenxiu asked, putting on the air of a stern elder.

The little girl nodded vigorously with joy.

“Alright! Then you will stay with me from now on!” Zhong Shenxiu said, then asked, “Can you get up now?”

The little girl finally released his trousers and attempted to rise from the ground.

After several failed attempts, the girl finally managed to stand up, trembling slightly.

As she stood, she realized she was actually nearly half a head taller than Zhong Shenxiu.