Zhou Ying’s current magical power only allowed him to sense Nan Yu fighting with an enemy above, yet he could neither offer aid nor ascertain the details. By the time he registered the situation, he realized he had unwittingly lost track of Tian Youjun and found himself pulled into a sickroom. He surveyed the room and recognized it as the place.

The youth named Zhao Fan lay upon the **, looking so emaciated that Zhou Ying almost failed to recognize him. So, he was still alive. Zhou Ying had presumed, given the severity of the boy's condition, that he would have already passed away. It seemed his will was truly tenacious, much like the gaze in the figures he depicted in his drawings.

Zhou Ying approached the bedside and watched the youth. At that moment, the boy groaned softly and began to stir.

Zhou Ying’s attention remained fixed on the youth. Seeing that he was about to awaken, Zhou Ying cast a sleeping spell upon him. But to his surprise, the boy merely struggled between drowsiness and wakefulness before opening his eyes. Tormented by illness lately, he relied on sleeping pills just to drift off; not only were the required dosages increasing, but it seemed he was developing a resistance even to hypnotic magic. He immediately spotted Zhou Ying by the bedside, rubbed his eyes, and asked, “Is that you again? I haven’t dreamt of you in ages.”

Zhou Ying nodded. The youth’s life was ebbing away; Zhou Ying could clearly feel it, even the shadow beneath the boy was growing fainter, which was likely why he could see him.

“Are you my soul? Does you leaving my body now mean I’m about to die? I know that day shouldn’t be far off now…” The youth’s voice was hoarse and low.

“You are about to die, but I am not your soul.” Zhou Ying did not fully grasp human concepts—could someone see their own soul? It was somewhat conceivable for a soul to leave the body and observe it.

“You really know…” The youth, having received a definitive confirmation of his impending death from Zhou Ying, did not appear overly terrified, though his voice trembled slightly. “I kept thinking, if you didn’t show up for so long, when I saw you again, it would be…” He lowered his head, bit his lip, and his voice trailed off until it became inaudible.

Zhou Ying waved a hand dismissively. “Not that quickly. You have at least twenty days or so… Twenty days should be manageable.” If it were Nan Yu, she might have been able to give a more precise timeframe, but with Zhou Ying’s current level of cultivation, this was the best he could offer.

The youth tasted the bitterness of that date. “Twenty days… Only twenty days left…” His life had not truly burned yet, but it was about to be extinguished. “Can you tell me more about the world after death?” the boy pleaded softly. “There will be a soul existing after I die, right? Where will I go? Can I still see and hear after I die? Can I stay here? Even just in the form of a soul…” His questions grew louder, his speech faster.

“I don’t know what the world after death is like; I’ve never gone to look,” Zhou Ying admitted honestly. He had never paid much attention to ghosts or the like, and thus knew little of what lay beyond. “But I know that not every life retains a soul after death. Even if one does, it might not preserve the memories from life; most are merely unconscious spirits.” As Zhou Ying spoke, he watched a spirit, like wisps of cotton, drift past him. He subtly shifted his body to avoid contact, lest his demonic aura taint it and impede its smooth reincarnation.

There were many of these cotton-like souls in the hospital; nearly every floor had them drifting about. The grim reapers and divine messengers tasked with collecting souls seemed uninterested in them, often not bothering to gather them. Many floated there like dust, eventually dissipating day by day until they vanished into nothingness.

“How can that be!” the youth cried out upon hearing this. “Don't all people have souls after death! Like that man who was with you the other day—don't people turn into that form when they die?”

Zhou Ying shook his head. “A ghost appearing as he did is extremely rare. In all this time, I have only seen two such instances.”

“How long apart were those two?” The youth grasped a sliver of hope. He assumed Zhou Ying meant he had seen two since arriving at the hospital.

“Three hundred years,” Zhou Ying stated plainly again. In truth, he couldn't be certain he hadn’t encountered ghosts like Jiang Rong in past centuries, but his attention had always been focused solely on humanity, never concerning himself with their deaths.

“Impossible, you’re lying to me! Everyone has a soul after death! Everyone becomes a ghost when they die; a ghost is a human soul!”

“It’s not like that. A ghost and a soul are not the same thing…” Zhou Ying intended to elaborate further.

The youth’s shriek interrupted him: “Aren’t souls supposed to be the vessel for all of a person's memories, all their emotions? How can a person turn into something without consciousness after death? If souls become like that, what is left of a person? What is left of my whole life! Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!” he yelled, violently striking the hospital bed with both hands. The stainless steel frame rang out with a loud clang under the assault from his frail body. “It can’t be like this! It shouldn't be like this! I won’t accept it! I won’t accept it!”

His cries alerted those outside the room. Soon, his mother and a nurse rushed in together, trying to comfort him and stop his actions. Zhao Fan noticed that Zhou Ying had, at some unknown moment, vanished as silently as he had arrived.

He must have been lying to me; it’s impossible for there to be no soul after death! Zhao Fan repeated the thought over and over in his mind until his mother gently persuaded him, “Fanfan, lie down and rest. Did you have a nightmare?”

He forcibly swallowed the lump in his throat, sniffled, and forced a radiant smile onto his face. “Okay, I’m fine, just a rather frightening dream.”

“You shouted so loudly, you gave your mother quite a scare,” his mother said, offering a smile and stroking his hair. “Come, eat something. You need a full stomach to recover faster and get out of here sooner.”

Mother and son masked their true emotions with strained smiles. An atmosphere more sorrowful than weeping permeated the room. Even Zhou Ying, hidden within the shadow, shifted restlessly, then quietly slipped out of the room.

“He isn’t afraid of death, but he is terrified of having no soul after he dies,” Zhou Ying said to Lin Rui, who had appeared beside him. He found such matters perplexing, yet he wished to understand every facet of human thought.

Lin Rui shrugged. Although he had experienced the tragedy of losing his mother young and had faced death several times himself, he held no profound insights on the subject, nor had he ever truly contemplated the idea of a soul. However clever and sharp he was, he remained, at his core, a child.

“Nan Yu is fighting someone, and you’re still thinking about this,” Lin Rui glanced toward the room. But Zhao Fan’s form was now utterly indistinct; Lin Rui didn't notice anything strange about the features of the dying human youth.

Zhou Ying knew that the moment Nan Yu engaged the enemy, the spirit envoys accompanying Lin Rui would immediately fly out to relay messages. The recipients, besides Lin Rui, included Monk Muyu and others, or various demons. These allies, known and unknown, had all been arranged by Liu Di before his departure. “I wonder who has come this time? And for what reason?” Zhou Ying murmured to himself. The reasons demons came seeking his vengeance were manifold and bizarre; some matters he couldn't even discern if he was truly guilty of them.

“You really are… Never mind that, I’m going to help Nan Yu…” Lin Rui rushed upstairs, sounding either excited or anxious.

Zhou Ying paused, then returned to the sickroom once more.

Ji Mo slowly approached the hospital.

The battle on the hospital rooftop had spilled into the sky, with various lights from magical spells flashing, signaling to the demons and special individuals of Lixin City that this area was best avoided for the time being. Thus, within several miles of the hospital, very few demons were likely to be lingering. Ji Mo mused as he walked forward, wondering if anyone before him had tried to slip into the hospital to find Zhou Ying while Nan Yu was distracted by a fight? If so, did they succeed? Since Nan Yu was fighting now, it meant Zhou Ying was still alive, and if Zhou Ying was alive, it meant no one had succeeded.

Ji Mo couldn't fathom how he could be preoccupied with such thoughts at such a critical juncture.

As Ji Mo ascended the hospital steps like an ordinary human, someone blocked his path. “If you need medical attention, please return later; Doctor Nan Yu is currently occupied.”

Ji Mo looked at the man before him, who bore a five-tenths resemblance to himself (as both had adopted the most common appearance, leading to some similarity between them). He shrugged. “Are you Zhou Ying’s friend? I didn’t expect he actually had friends willing to help him. But then, who isn't friends with Liu Di’s acquaintances? Liu Di killed my friend, and since I can’t beat him, I'll just take it out on his associates.”

Su He shook his head. “I am not Zhou Ying’s friend. Liu Di showed me a kindness; I am here to repay that debt.”

Su He had been watching Ji Mo for several days, and likewise, Ji Mo had long noticed someone watching him. Now they finally met, only to discover the other was also targeting Liu Di. In truth, Zhou Ying was quite innocent; of the "enemies" who claimed to seek his revenge, seven out of ten were after Liu Di, and the other three were consequences of Huo’er’s mischief. Zhou Ying himself was usually a quiet man, but because of careless friendships and lax mentorship of his ward, he was now bearing the consequences.

Ji Mo offered no reply, launching a palm strike at Su He. Su He naturally retaliated instantly, and the two began brawling in front of onlookers. However, when the hospital security guards rushed over after receiving reports of a fight at the entrance, the area was empty. Even the people who had gathered to watch couldn't say when the two quarreling individuals disappeared or where they went.

Su He and Ji Mo exchanged blows, both carefully monitoring the activity above. After a round of fighting, they suddenly realized the battle overhead had concluded. They broke apart simultaneously, both tilting their heads upward to look.

A faint wisp of demonic energy shot rapidly toward the distant horizon.

Ji Mo knew this was the sign of Nan Yu’s victory. He ceased entanglement with Su He and turned to leave. Su He did not linger either, following him toward the other end of the street.

“Why aren’t you going back to claim your reward and celebrate?” Ji Mo asked with a hint of sarcasm. The demons residing in Lixin City knew that maintaining good relations with Liu Di’s faction made life much easier and safer here. Su He taking the initiative to stand up for Liu Di this time, besides repaying a favor, likely held an element of trying to curry favor.

“I try to keep my involvement with them minimal,” Su He replied lazily. The recent fight had left him fatigued; being accustomed to a lazy life over the years, he truly wasn’t used to fighting people.

“Hmph…”

“If Liu Di hadn't meddled that one time, I would already be at my younger brother’s house…” Su He sighed with a hint of regret. He had intended to stay with his brother for quiet cultivation, but due to Liu Di’s timely intervention, he was forced to remain. His clan's ancestral teaching was simple: repay all debts of gratitude, and repay all grudges. Since he owed Liu Di a favor, how could he leave without settling it?

“You don’t need to follow me. The debt for Liu Di killing my friend must be paid; I will return here if I get the chance,” Ji Mo said before leaping down into an underground passage and vanishing.

“Same to you… Missing this opportunity, who knows how many years I’d be stuck here,” Su He muttered, then leaped upward, clinging to the wall, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

“There were three or four demons trying to sneak into the hospital while you were busy with that fellow; I took care of them,” Qu Xiaomei said, looking displeased, as she walked across from Nan Yu. “Didn’t we agree that you handle your own business? Why did you drag me into this again!”

Nan Yu smiled faintly. “You came on your own; we didn’t summon you.”

“Your Shadow Demon keeps trailing my husband like a shadow!” Qu Xiaomei tapped the desk angrily with her finger. “How can I not worry! How could I not come take a look!”

“Zhou Ying absolutely has no intention of involving Doctor Tian. If there were real danger, he would certainly leave Tian Yisheng’s side.”

“I know your Shadow Demon isn’t malicious, otherwise, given he’s Liu Di’s friend, I would have… But do you know my husband? You don’t need to go looking for trouble—he’s an expert at inviting it himself. If anything happens at the hospital, he’s guaranteed to be the first one charging in; why would he need you people to implicate him!” Qu Xiaomei hammered the desk louder and louder.

“Doctor Tian does have a temper; you should advise him more often. He should only help others while ensuring his own safety first,” Nan Yu said gently.

“If I could persuade him, I wouldn’t have to worry sick about him every day… What are you implying? As if this mess wasn't caused by you people…” Qu Xiaomei complained for a while longer before finally leaving, prompted by thoughts of her children at home.

After she departed, Nan Yu sighed and picked up a patient’s lab report from the desk, studying it closely.

Things kept cycling in this repetitive pattern.

Lin Rui walked into Nan Yu’s office looking rather drained. Nan Yu had just finished tending to her own injuries. “Don’t you think something feels off? Every day lately, someone comes to challenge you, and right before the winner is decided, they choose to retreat. Simultaneously, numerous lesser demons attempt to break in and find Zhou Ying—don’t you find it highly suggestive that this is all coordinated?”

The injury Nan Yu sustained this time was on her leg. Though not severe, it temporarily hampered her movement. She stood leaning on the desk and said, “I think so too; otherwise, they wouldn’t keep using the same tactics.”

Lin Rui, who had been running back and forth between the hospital and school for these matters for days, looked exhausted. “This can’t go on. I’m about to be overwhelmed. You should find a few more helpers. For instance, that old monk. If he just stood guard at the hospital entrance, no demon would dare approach. Or, send Zhou Ying to Meng Pilian’s (Huo’er’s nickname for Meng Shu, meaning thick-skinned) place—he’d be untraceable, and if someone did find him, they wouldn't be able to leave.”

“I know they are more reliable than me…” Nan Yu understood Lin Rui’s meaning. Monk Muyu and Meng Shu were both more capable than her; if they were protecting Zhou Ying, they would naturally be far more dependable. “But Zhou Ying wishes to stay by my side,” Nan Yu said softly. “Gui’er, Huo’er, and Liu Di entrusted him to me…”

Lin Rui fell silent. Since Nan Yu had put it that way, it felt petty to argue further. After all, when Huo’er left, he had nearly been choking Lin Rui, demanding he look after Zhou Ying. If Lin Rui himself were to be away for a long time, he supposed he would worry about his mother just as much. Moreover, Zhou Ying had so many vengeful enemies lurking. “I’ll help as much as I can, I’m doing this for Huo’er…”

“I know. If I truly can’t manage, I will ask for their help,” Nan Yu promised just as Lin Rui was leaving.

Lin Rui nodded and hurried off. He was under pressure to get back to school and maintain the pretense of attending class before the illusionary projection he had left behind vanished.

Su He and Ji Mo were both heavily wounded, helping each other stagger into a narrow alley.

Every time a powerful demon clashed with Nan Yu these past few days, they would inevitably clash with each other, resulting in fierce battles. But whenever Nan Yu and the demon above decided the outcome, their own fight remained unresolved. At such moments, neither would linger in combat, immediately stopping and retreating.

In this last exchange, both had struck hard, necessitating them to support each other during their withdrawal. After all, they bore no particular grudge against one another; if Zhou Ying’s situation hadn't drawn them in, why would they fight each other to the death?

Su He pushed Ji Mo’s body. “Hey, if you’re spent, just give up. It’ll save everyone the trouble.”

Ji Mo leaned against the wall and glared fiercely. “I’m the one who should be saying that. If you quit now, I might not hold this grudge against you!”

Su He sneered. “You’re the one who’s almost done for but refusing to admit it.”

“Aren’t you the same? You can’t stand without leaning on the wall!”

“Are you standing on your own? Try letting go of the wall if you have the guts!”

The two traded barbs for a while until they both found it pointless. Su He climbed onto the wall and walked away without looking back. Ji Mo clutched his wound, gasped for air a few times, and was about to leave when a voice spoke beside him: “You’re one of Zhou Ying’s enemies too, aren’t you?”

Ji Mo turned sharply, his guard up, and saw a demon entirely shrouded in shadow watching him not far away. “I don’t know Zhou Ying; how could I be his enemy?” Ji Mo replied.

“Hehe, don’t worry, we’re the same as you—people who want Zhou Ying dead,” the figure in the shadow dispersed the surrounding dark mist, revealing a hideous face. This face, which might once have been handsome, was now largely covered by a scar from a burn. One eye was tightly shut, clearly blind, and half of his nose was missing, looking as if a hole had been gouged into his face.

Ji Mo swallowed hard looking at the face. “You actually survived…” Such a severe burn was rare on a demon. Not only could their magic usually deflect flames, but their innate healing abilities far surpassed those of ordinary creatures, allowing rapid recovery even from burns. Furthermore, the medicinal pills they possessed ensured such scars would never remain. Although there were many types of fire in the world capable of burning a demon to this degree with permanent effect, in Lixin City, there was only one: Bifang’s flame.

“Hehe, hehehe…” The man laughed somewhat nervously. “The first thing any demon asks when they see me is, ‘You survived?’ Why did they all die, and only I lived? Why did only I survive out of five brothers?”

“I never asked that,” Ji Mo shrugged. Generally, people consumed by deep hatred tended to develop strange personalities. How could Ji Mo know if this man was the sole survivor among many victims, or presume to ask questions that brought up old wounds?

“I live only for revenge! Do you understand? I survived just for revenge!” The man hadn't heard Ji Mo’s words, yelling only his own declaration.

“I can understand,” Ji Mo sighed. Wasn't he himself spending countless years milling about Lixin City for the sake of vengeance? His dream of traveling the world after entering the mortal realm had long since dissolved into nothingness.

"I came to you precisely because I knew you would understand," the man shouted for a while before his agitation subsided. "We all seek revenge against Zhou Ying, so we must unite. None of us can match Nan Yu alone in a one-on-one fight, but if we all swarmed him—even if we succeeded, it would likely draw out the even more terrifying figures like Meng Shu. Therefore, we've already put a plan into motion. Do you want to join us...?"

Ji Mo chuckled: "I thought something was off. Your continuous harassment of Nan Yu these past few days, was that all part of your scheme? I never imagined that such a thing would make the usually disparate yaoguai join forces."

The man nodded: "It's far better to be united than to run around blindly on our own. If you want to kill Zhou Ying, then follow me." With that, he turned and left. Ji Mo shrugged and followed, grimacing at the pain from his wounds as he walked. Suddenly remembering something, he stated clearly, "Let me make one thing clear, I have no feud with Zhou Ying whatsoever. I'm only looking for him because he's Liu Di's friend."

The man paused, then said, "It amounts to the same thing."

"Of course... No, never mind, it is the same..." Ji Mo shook his head and caught up to him.

"Zhou Ying..."

Just as Zhou Ying was about to follow Tian Youjun out, Nan Yu suddenly called him back. "The actions of those yaoguai troubling you these past few days have been very strange. Lin Rui and I suspect they might be plotting something, so..." She paused, then said, "Be careful." She had considered stopping Zhou Ying from wandering around the hospital, but after a thought, she decided to keep a closer watch herself and let Zhou Ying have a bit more freedom.

Zhou Ying let out an "Mm," and swiftly floated out the door. Recently, he seemed to enjoy strolling around the hospital; Nan Yu rarely saw him cultivating in her office anymore. Perhaps even Zhou Ying needed a change of pace? After all, his current life had deviated significantly from its usual track. When they returned...

Nan Yu recalled the sight of the chattering Huo'er hopping around her office, the look of frustration on Gui'er's face as she stomped her feet at Huo'er's disobedience, and Liu Di’s casual tone of voice. A smile involuntarily spread across her face... only for it to vanish when a surge of demonic energy from outside the window struck her.

"Nan Yu, come out..." A man, hovering with both feet suspended outside the window, spoke. This time, he made no attempt to conceal his appearance, **his hideous face fully exposed. A nurse speaking with Nan Yu heard the sound, looked up, and shrieked in terror. Nan Yu instantly pointed a finger, knocking the nurse out gently onto the floor, and glared at the man, saying, "You actually..."

"Hahahaha, who cares about humans anymore..." The man smashed through the window. "After you, with Liu Di gone from Lixin City, this place will be mine. Then, we can eat these humans whenever we like! Let's see who dares meddle! Let's see who dares kill someone else's brother over a mere handful of people! Nan Yu, hand over Zhou Ying now, and perhaps I'll spare you!"

"Zhou Ying spared you back then because you begged him desperately. I never thought you wouldn't learn a single lesson, wouldn't show a shred of remorse." Nan Yu still vaguely remembered this yaoguai who had survived Huo'er's flames.

At that time, the five brothers had arrived in Lixin City, not only randomly eating humans and yaoguai but also issuing a challenge to Liu Di. They claimed that if Liu Di couldn't defeat them, he must leave Lixin City, and everything here would be under their control. Their definition of 'defeating' the five brothers naturally meant a full-on group assault on Liu Di. However, Liu Di wasn't a gentleman who insisted on fair fights. On the appointed day, he didn't show up himself; instead, he apparently provoked Huo'er a few times, leading the five brothers to be confronted by a furiously roaring: "Who says I'm not as strong as you! Who said I wouldn't dominate Lixin City from now on, I'll roast you all!"—Huo'er.

Under Huo'er's rampage, these yaoguai naturally couldn't hold out for long and were soon engulfed in fire. These yaoguai showed brotherly affection: the four elder brothers used their bodies and all their magic power to shield their youngest brother. They were utterly destroyed, scattering their souls, but saving the life of the youngest. According to Huo'er's usual custom, he absolutely wouldn't let a single prey escape, but Zhou Ying happened to be nearby. Seeing the deep affection between those brothers, the usually cold Zhou Ying inexplicably felt a moment of soft-heartedness, took Huo'er away, and spared the life of this youngest yaoguai.

However, it seemed this young yaoguai, saved back then, did not remember Zhou Ying's life-saving grace, but instead vividly remembered the fact that Zhou Ying's son, Huo'er, had killed his four brothers, and he was now here for revenge against Zhou Ying.

"Hahahaha... I truly need to thank Zhou Ying properly. If he hadn't raised such a good son, how would my four brothers have perished simultaneously! How would I have ended up like this! I really must thank Zhou Ying. If he hadn't shown false compassion by sparing me, how would I have this chance to seek revenge on him today! How would I have the chance to make him pay for my brothers' lives! Hahahaha..."

Before Nan Yu could speak, she suddenly looked up, alerted: "What have you done!" She felt an extremely intense surge of gloomy energy erupting from every corner, completely enveloping the hospital. This was not yaoqì (demonic energy), but an incredibly dense guǐqì (ghostly energy). Had dozens or even hundreds of fierce ghosts suddenly flooded the hospital to create such strong ghostly energy? The patients in the hospital, already weakened by illness, how could they endure such an invasion of Yin energy? People might easily die because of this.

The man let out another string of cold laughs: "Nan Yu, let's see how you protect that Ying Mei (Shadow Spirit) this time!" The anomaly in the hospital was, of course, their arrangement—more accurately, it was his scheme.

He clearly understood Liu Di's influence in Lixin City and knew Liu Di wouldn't rely solely on Nan Yu to protect Zhou Ying. He estimated that even if Nan Yu were defeated, more formidable opponents like Monk Muyu would emerge, and he was absolutely not confident about defeating so many masters. Therefore, he secretly contacted numerous yaoguai who, like him, held deep-seated hatred for Liu Di and Huo'er, and were determined to kill Zhou Ying as soon as possible. While other enemies were successively approaching Zhou Ying for vengeance, these yaoguai were preparing a different plan.

These yaoguai each prepared and refined countless guǐshǐ (ghost servants), which were refined from the souls of innocent people, naturally filled with bitter resentment. Especially before refining them, these yaoguai repeatedly explained to the victimized humans that their tragic fate was entirely due to a Ying Mei named Zhou Ying. Once these victims became guǐshǐ with little consciousness, their minds constantly fixated on the fact that they became this way because of the Ying Mei Zhou Ying. Thus, when they followed the orders of the yaoguai who killed them to find this Ying Mei Zhou Ying, they were fiercely and ferociously diligent.

The continuous harassment of Nan Yu by yaoguai these past few days was all to create opportunities for these guǐshǐ. While Nan Yu was entangled in battles with the yaoguai, these guǐshǐ attached themselves to patients visiting the hospital and entered in waves. Because they did not rush to search for Zhou Ying immediately upon entering the hospital, but instead tried their best to suppress their aura and lurk within the bodies of the patients, Nan Yu, without deliberately searching, could not notice that the humans, whose energy was already weakened by illness, were actually harboring guǐshǐ.

When the number of guǐshǐ entering the hospital reached a certain point, these yaoguai gathered almost all the yaoguai in Lixin City whose goal was to avenge themselves on Zhou Ying. They activated the long-positioned guǐshǐ, launching an attack on the hospital from both inside and out.

Chaos immediately erupted in the hospital. Those patients possessed by guǐshǐ were seizing surgical scalpels, snapping the iron frames of hospital beds, wielding them randomly, and rampaging through the hospital. Patients, doctors, nurses, family members... in short, everyone in the hospital at that moment descended into pandemonium, shoving and squeezing to flee towards safety. Those who couldn't dodge were brutally beaten by these frenzied "patients." Perhaps because they themselves had lost their lives innocently due to these guǐshǐ, they developed jealousy and hatred towards living humans. They attacked humans who weren't even the specific targets assigned by their masters without hesitation. If it weren't for the order not to kill casually, they would have liked nothing more than to slaughter a few to vent their resentment.

Zhao Fan lay in his hospital bed, faintly hearing the clamor and noise outside. But he was no longer interested in external matters, and his physical condition left him no energy to care about anything else. He lay silently, gazing at the ceiling of the ward, letting his mind go blank.

Sensing this intense ghostly energy, Zhou Ying paused, then cast a hypnosis spell on Zhao Fan. Once the youth was asleep, he leaped into the boy's dream.

Shortly after Zhou Ying vanished into the youth's dreamscape, a patient possessed by a guǐshǐ staggered towards the door of this ward.

This guǐshǐ clutched a sharp surgical scalpel. The patient it possessed was originally on the operating table, about to undergo surgery, and had already been given anesthetic, so controlling the body was extremely difficult. He swayed and stumbled, but fortunately, the inherent consciousness of such a body was weaker, causing him to run ahead of his companions, arriving first at the source of the Ying Mei's scent.

The hatred towards the Ying Mei who had caused him such ruin made the guǐshǐ's teeth grind incessantly. He rushed into the ward and searched everywhere according to the memory of the Ying Mei given to him by his Master, but saw nothing resembling it—only a youth lying on the hospital bed.

The guǐshǐ circled the room several times. The scent of the Ying Mei was right under his nose, yet he couldn't find him. The guǐshǐ grew increasingly agitated, losing control. He brandished the scalpel and wreaked havoc in the room, finally looking at the youth on the bed with a cruel smile curving his lips.

The thought in this guǐshǐ’s heart to destroy something had overcome his Master's order not to kill. He now desperately wanted to completely extinguish the flickering life before him, to make every life in the world taste death, just as he had.

The guǐshǐ lunged towards the bedside and raised the sharp scalpel above the sleeping youth.

Before Zhou Ying could emerge from the youth's dream to offer aid, two figures plummeted from the ceiling, knocking the guǐshǐ down onto the floor together.

"Things like this are our kin, they're so scary!"

"This kind of monster is our kin... Ugh, I don't admit it. If you like him, go recognize him as family yourself..."

"That's what Master said! This thing is also called a guǐshǐ!"

"Heavens..."

The attack forced the guǐshǐ out of the possessed patient's body, revealing its true form—a human-shaped entity, crimson red, constantly dripping a layer of viscous fluid. It stood in the center of the room, looking at its attackers. Two children enveloped in mist floated before it, pointing and commenting on it.

"It seems everything must be categorized into grades, even the difference between one guǐshǐ and another is so vast." The smaller boy sighed, looking himself over, seemingly quite pleased with himself.

"What's there to be happy about! It just means you suffered more torment when you were made into a guǐshǐ, and you died more miserably!" The seemingly older boy retorted with a frown.

"But I don't remember it anymore! Master kindly blocked those terrible memories for me," the smaller boy said smugly.

"Do you think that's a good thing? Master said if you keep avoiding the past like this, your cultivation will never make significant progress, and you'll never escape the status of guǐshǐ to gain true freedom."

"I don't want freedom, is that okay? Master is so good to me. I’m not like you who have such ungrateful thoughts, always plotting to leave him..."

"You..."

While the two children bickered, the red guǐshǐ roared and lunged at them. Guǐshǐ produced this quickly had very low intelligence; it couldn't even clearly distinguish whether the two children before it were truly human. The two children immediately stepped forward and started punching and kicking it. These two children were, of course, not human either; they were two of Lin Rui's five guǐshǐ, originally assigned to work alongside Zhou Ying to pass messages. Now, seeing this guǐshǐ trying to kill someone, they rushed out to stop it.

The five guǐshǐ Lin Rui seized from the human Daoist were manufactured by that Daoist over many years, carefully selecting and using cruel methods on human children. They had also been used and trained by that human Daoist and Lin Rui for many years. In terms of ability and intelligence, they were incomparable to those simple guǐshǐ hastily refined. In no time, they battered the attacking guǐshǐ until its soul scattered. Although they were considered kin, they showed no mercy when striking.

The two little guǐshǐ were about to happily present their achievement to Zhou Ying when they suddenly realized something was very wrong: more humans possessed by guǐshǐ were surging toward this ward, and the messages they sent to their Master seemed to be blocked by something, unable to leave this building. The two little guǐshǐ exchanged glances, tension appearing on their faces.

After engaging that yaoguai, Nan Yu found herself surrounded by another group of yaoguai within a few rounds. The magic barrier Nan Yu set up was sufficient to stop these yaoguai from entering the hospital, but she couldn't divert her attention to deal with the situation inside. She worried about Zhou Ying's safety, and with so many guǐshǐ in the hospital, virtually everyone inside faced danger. She was agonizingly anxious but helpless, only able to hope that Lin Rui, Sister Ou, or other friends could arrive quickly to control the situation.

She bitterly regretted underestimating the hatred and madness of these yaoguai. Despite making so many preparations, she hadn't anticipated they would resort to using humans as guǐshǐ to infiltrate the hospital, nor that they would openly harm so many people just to avenge themselves on Zhou Ying. This behavior actually violated the basic rules of conduct for yaoguai.

The main reason yaoguai tried to remain discreet while living among humans was for their own convenience, but primarily for their own safety. Few cultivators remained in the human world now, and small disturbances usually went unnoticed. But being too arrogant could attract trouble. If an Immortal or a Spirit Beast were drawn in, not only would the offending yaoguai deserve the consequences, but innocent yaoguai nearby might also be eliminated as collateral damage. Therefore, if a yaoguai acted too cruelly and ostentatiously towards humans, not only would a yaoguai like Nan Yu who cared for humans intervene, but even ordinary yaoguai afraid of being implicated would view them as enemies and might even gang up to attack them.

By acting this way, these yaoguai had clearly positioned themselves against all the yaoguai of Lixin City for the sake of revenge. This also showed the firmness of their resolve, because regardless of whether their action succeeded or failed, they could no longer remain in Lixin City, or even mainland China. Only by fleeing abroad, or even to another realm, could they escape the trouble brought on by this incident.

Thinking this, Nan Yu's palms began to sweat slightly: she was confident she could stop all these yaoguai from entering the hospital, and she was confident she could eliminate all the guǐshǐ afterward, but she couldn't do both simultaneously. Where was Zhou Ying in the hospital now? Had the innocent people in the hospital been harmed? Her mind wavered, and with one careless mistake, an opponent's weapon grazed her arm. She quickly forced down her panic and focused on dealing with the enemy before her. No matter what, she had to resolve the immediate situation first before handling the other matters in the hospital.

Lin Rui’s two little guǐshǐ were the difference between children and adults in stature compared to the large horde of guǐshǐ before them, but in strength, it was the exact opposite—the difference between mature guǐshǐ and hastily refined substitutes. However, many ants can crush an elephant. These low-grade guǐshǐ, in sheer numbers, kept the two little guǐshǐ struggling to cope.

Zhou Ying emerged from the youth's dream and transformed into a haze, beginning to toss the humans possessed by guǐshǐ out the door. He circled each person; the guǐshǐ inside their bodies would be forced out, and then Zhou Ying would quickly push the human out of the ward to prevent them from being possessed again. Given his current abilities, expending so much effort this way was somewhat beneath him, but this was Nan Yu's hospital. Nan Yu had been trying hard to protect these patients from the harm of yaoguai; it was because he hid here that so much trouble had been drawn. Zhou Ying didn't want Nan Yu to be distressed because of him.

The guǐshǐ spotted the target they were seeking and swarmed towards Zhou Ying, ignoring the attacks from the two little guǐshǐ entirely, letting the small ones beat them as they focused solely on Zhou Ying.

These simple guǐshǐ, hastily manufactured, possessed almost no magic power, so they could only throw themselves physically at Zhou Ying, attacking with hands, feet, and teeth, pressing toward Zhou Ying desperately. Even having lost most of his magic power, Zhou Ying was still vastly superior to these guǐshǐ before him, but the endless stream of guǐshǐ attacking made him momentarily struggle to defend himself. The guǐshǐ elsewhere in the hospital sensed that the Ying Mei they hated, Zhou Ying, was right here, and they surged over in a swarm. Eventually, Zhou Ying didn't even have time to force the guǐshǐ out of the human bodies, having to focus on evading the possessed humans to avoid harming their flesh. This restraint made his resistance increasingly constrained, and he gradually appeared cornered.

The two little guǐshǐ had been desperately trying to help Zhou Ying fend off these guǐshǐ. Now, seeing over twenty guǐshǐ had rushed into the ward, and with more humans controlled by simple guǐshǐ continuously flooding in from the corridor, they looked at each other. Suddenly, they split up, one flying left and one flying right in opposite directions. The simple guǐshǐ, seeing Zhou Ying, acted like hungry dogs spotting meat and paid no attention to them. In a short time, the two little guǐshǐ disappeared at the end of the corridor, effectively abandoning Zhou Ying by himself.

The hospital was in chaos. Patients in various wards had suddenly gone mad, possessed as if by demons, smashing things and charging down the corridors. The medical staff were completely unable to restrain these people, whose strength had inexplicably surged as if they had been injected with stimulants. Once most of the staff realized their meager strength was useless for controlling the situation, they fled with the other patients and family members to safer ground. However, some dedicated medical personnel, knowing their own frailty, refused to abandon the less mobile patients, insisting on staying behind in the wards.

Tian Youjun was one of them.

When the disturbances began at the hospital, Tian Youjun was in his office. Hearing the commotion outside, he rushed out to investigate. From a nurse, he learned that the inpatient building was in utter disarray, with countless patients inexplicably driven insane, seizing scalpels and attacking anyone they encountered. Tian Youjun's first thought was whether his own patients had been harmed. Thus, while others fled outwards, he did the opposite, charging into the inpatient building.

Tian Youjun was fortunate initially not to encounter those possessed by the Gui Shi—after all, the hospital’s inpatient department was a seventeen or eighteen-story building, with dozens of Gui Shi dispersed throughout, and all moving with a clear objective towards Zhou Ying, making chance encounters less likely. He checked the rooms one by one. Most of his patients had already fled for safety. He arranged for a few medical staff whom he had "coerced" to escort the less mobile patients away, while he himself intended to move toward the more dangerous upper floors. Finally, as he neared the floor where Zhou Ying was located, he encountered a person possessed by a Gui Shi.

Tian Youjun saw a woman in a patient's gown using a chair as a weapon, savagely beating an elderly man. The man dodged the blows, pleading, "Nannan, I'm your father! What's gotten into you? Nannan, what is wrong with you…" Seeing Tian Youjun charge over, the man didn't ask for help for his own bloodied state but clutched Tian Youjun, begging, "Doctor, please look at my daughter, what's wrong with her! Doctor, I beg you to save my daughter, I'll kneel to you…"

Tian Youjun pulled the man away just as the woman brought the chair down in a crushing blow, then quickly turned to evade as the woman relentlessly charged forward again. The elderly man, dragged by him, kept looking back longingly, wanting to return to help his crazed daughter, even though he knew he lacked the ability.

Tian Youjun half-supported, half-carried the elderly man toward the stairs, frequently glancing back. He saw the woman relentlessly pursuing them. Observing her swift, wind-like movements, she hardly seemed like a patient. However, Tian Youjun was not a psychiatrist, so he couldn't judge whether a person in a state of severe mental collapse might exhibit strange potentials. But based on the current evidence, that hypothesis seemed highly plausible.

"Doctor, my daughter... she is my daughter..." The old man still tried to rouse his daughter.

"I'll get you out first, and I'll come back to help your daughter later," Tian Youjun promised him.

"My daughter is only hospitalized for pneumonia; she doesn't have a mental illness..." the man mumbled continuously, unwilling for Tian Youjun to assume his daughter was mentally unstable.

Tian Youjun also found it highly irregular. From his professional standpoint, he was certain that so many patients with different conditions should not simultaneously exhibit identical psychotic symptoms and violently attack others; this was inexplicable by medicine. Yet, as a doctor, he could not believe in supernatural nonsense, leaving his mind in turmoil. Suddenly, he heard the distant sound of police sirens from downstairs, and a wave of relief washed over him. He said to the old man, "It's alright, the police are here... Don't worry, once the situation stabilizes here, the doctors will definitely find a way to treat your daughter."

Just as Tian Youjun finished speaking, he felt a strong gust of wind bearing down on him. He instinctively flinched his neck, and a glinting scalpel whizzed past his cheek, missing by inches. As a surgeon, he knew exactly how sharp such a scalpel could be; if his reaction hadn't been so quick, his face might have been sliced open.

The person holding the scalpel was a patient wearing the specialized gown used on operating tables. It seemed he had snatched the tool from a doctor just before being anesthetized. But why could he move while supposedly under anesthetic? And what had become of the doctors and nurses preparing for his surgery?

The patient wielding the scalpel gave Tian Youjun no time for further contemplation and lunged at him. At that moment, the woman also caught up from behind, creating a pincer attack. Tian Youjun shielded the elderly man behind him, forced into a corner by the two irrational individuals. The elevator was just steps away, but he no longer had time to press the button.

Taking advantage of the moment the male patient lunged at him with the scalpel, Tian Youjun grabbed his wrist and forcefully shoved him, making him take the chair blow meant for Tian Youjun from the woman. Simultaneously, he urged the old man, "Quick, take the elevator down! I'll hold them off."

The old man finally understood that the situation was not just about his daughter going mad; he realized how dangerous the location was. He stumbled toward the elevator. Fortunately, few people were using the lifts during the chaos, so he quickly closed the door and headed for the ground floor.

Tian Youjun breathed a sigh of relief and continued to fight the two Gui Shi-possessed individuals. He had studied free fighting in school, and his wife had kept him in excellent physical condition over the years, explicitly and implicitly. Furthermore, the two Gui Shi were adhering to their master's command not to kill humans, allowing Tian Youjun to hold them off for a while. However, he couldn't break free, and as time wore on, he began sustaining minor injuries, and his movements grew sluggish.

When Qu Xiaomei arrived, this was the scene she witnessed.

Although those yokai had placed a spell on the hospital, preventing magical information from escaping, Qu Xiaomei still sensed something amiss—the protective spell she had cast on her husband suddenly went dead. This was a clear signal that something had happened to her husband's location.

Qu Xiaomei seized the two Gui Shi, squeezed them viciously, and they dissolved into a wisp of smoke, vanishing completely. "Zhou Ying, this is your trouble again…" On the ground nearby, the two unfortunate humans possessed by the Gui Shi, as well as Tian Youjun, lay unconscious, having been put into a deep sleep by Qu Xiaomei's spell.

Qu Xiaomei briefly surveyed the hospital situation and was stunned by the audacity of these yokai. She never expected any yokai would dare to act so brazenly. Meng Shu was already audacious enough when he tried to create his ideal homeland in his self-made small space, only manipulating yokai. But these yokai taking such action to seek revenge on Zhou Ying—Qu Xiaomei couldn't help but admire their nerve.

"I truly don't know what kind of person Zhou Ying usually is to make people hate him this much..." Qu Xiaomei sneered with schadenfreude. Everything had a cause and an effect. Since these yokai could commit such madness for revenge, it indirectly revealed how heinous Zhou Ying's past actions must have been. "Now he's tasting the bitter fruit—he brought this upon himself..." she murmured to herself, glancing at her husband on the floor and then in Zhou Ying's direction, hesitating whether to take her husband and leave or to offer a helping hand. After all, living in Lixin City, owing Zhou Ying a favor might be useful someday.

Lin Rui listened with one ear in and the other out to the lecturer in the hall. Although maintaining the appearance of a diligent student, his mind was entirely occupied by things unrelated to the lesson. Enemies had been harassing the hospital daily for the past few days; why was there no movement today? Were his two little Gui Shi resting after days of hard work? Or was it...

For some reason, Lin Rui felt restless today, sensing that something was about to happen. He hadn't attended classes properly for several days. Having a quiet day today, he had intended to stay put at school and pretend to be a good child, but an inexplicable premonition constantly lingered, making him unable to sit still.

Might as well go and see.

Thinking this, Lin Rui cast a small spell, transforming one of his Gui Shi into his likeness to attend the class for him. He himself slipped out of the classroom and flew toward the hospital.

When he reached the sky above the hospital, the churning demonic energy startled him. Because of the spells cast, this energy was only detectable upon entering the hospital grounds. Three words immediately flashed in Lin Rui's mind: Something went wrong. Although he saw Nan Yu fighting fiercely against numerous yokai, he steered clear of the main battle and ran directly toward the hospital.

Before he could dash through the open window, an unfamiliar yokai rushed out from somewhere and blocked his path: "Lin Rui, we knew you would come! You are that Bi Fang's friend, die today!"

Lin Rui said nothing and struck out with a claw aimed at the opponent's head.

The opponent was clearly prepared, having thoroughly studied Lin Rui’s usual abilities and knowing exactly the extent of his Nine-Tailed Fox power. They immediately engaged in a fierce struggle.

Zhou Ying was oblivious to the events unfolding outside, unaware that both Nan Yu and Lin Rui were entangled and unable to reinforce him. He was surrounded by dozens of Gui Shi and was handling the situation quite awkwardly. He knew this incident was far from ordinary and his mind was constantly turning over plans to escape. The young patient lay quietly on the hospital bed; thanks to Zhou Ying's spell, despite the surrounding mayhem, he slept soundly, completely unaware of the farce unfolding in his room.

Zhou Ying tried several times to escape through the air vent in the ceiling, where the Gui Shi vigilance was weakest, but he always felt that if he left the young man behind, he would be torn to shreds by the volatile Gui Shi the very next second. If he took the young man, Zhou Ying couldn't transform into smoke and escape, but the Gui Shi had blocked the door and windows solid, making escape impossible for the moment.

If he abandoned the young man, Zhou Ying was ninety percent certain he could escape safely, and besides, the young man wasn't destined for a long life; whether he died by the Gui Shi's hand or not was only a matter of a few days. However, since he was the one who caused this mess, Zhou Ying knew the wiser course of action, yet he couldn't stand by and watch the young man die unjustly.

"Zhou Ying, what is going on!" When Qu Xiaomei's unfriendly voice arrived, Zhou Ying felt a strange sense of relief.

"Please help take this human out," Zhou Ying said, not taking the time to answer Qu Xiaomei’s question, pointing at the young man on the bed.

Qu Xiaomei frowned. This Shadow Demon was issuing orders to her as a matter of course, having caused such a massive incident, and yet he immediately demanded her help without offering a word of explanation. She leisurely leaned against the doorframe, casually dissipating several Gui Shi with a wave, and asked Zhou Ying, "Who is this person? Why are you helping him like this?"

Zhou Ying was surprised she could maintain such composure to ask questions at a time like this, but he answered honestly, "He is your husband's patient."

Qu Xiaomei paused, then immediately kicked aside several obstructing Gui Shi and approached the young man's bedside. She leaned down for a quick look: "So, he's someone close to death..." She knew how responsible her husband, Tian Youjun, was as a doctor. If any patient were harmed in this chaos, even one terminally ill with little time left, he would feel deep self-reproach and suffer for days. Qu Xiaomei grabbed the young man and walked toward the door, asking Zhou Ying, "Do you need help?"

Zhou Ying calculated that without the burden of the young man, although dealing with so many Gui Shi was taxing, escaping was still more than feasible, so he shook his head. After all, accepting a greater favor from Qu Xiaomei meant he would have to repay it later. Zhou Ying had an unclear, complicated history of grievances with Liu Di, and he preferred not to get too entangled with her. Qu Xiaomei also felt that although the Gui Shi were numerous, they weren't overly skilled, and Zhou Ying should manage. She said nothing more and left with the young man.

Seeing the young man was safe, Zhou Ying also prepared to disengage from the Gui Shi entanglement and leave the area. By this time, over forty Gui Shi who had entered this room and hadn't been eliminated were present, more than half of them still wearing human bodies. When they saw Zhou Ying preparing to float out through the ceiling vent, these Gui Shi acted as if receiving an order—they suddenly abandoned their human shells and swarmed toward the ceiling vent as well. However, unlike Zhou Ying, who was purely a shadow entity, they all had some physical volume. In the narrow ventilation duct, no matter how much they scrambled, only two could pass through at a time; those behind them became bottlenecked. When Zhou Ying noticed this situation behind him, he suddenly felt this was a golden opportunity to eliminate them. Since only two Gui Shi could attack him at once, he could eliminate them sequentially in this manner.

Thinking this, Zhou Ying turned toward the two leading Gui Shi.

Nan Yu calmed herself to deal with the multitude of yokai before her. Her sorcery was inherently stronger than that of these monsters, and furthermore, this hospital was a place she had "haunted" for decades, where she had unintentionally laid down countless formations and traps over time. Especially in the last few days, she had exhausted herself strengthening various defenses to protect Zhou Ying, utilizing all these preparations. Despite the enemy's superior numbers, she gradually gained the upper hand.

Once Nan Yu was holding the advantage against superior numbers, her attacks became more ruthless. She was not like Gui'er, who couldn't resist softening her heart toward any target. In her view, these yokai, who casually murdered humans and created Gui Shi for personal vendettas, all deserved to die. At this critical juncture, she would certainly show no mercy.

Her wooden sword flashed, and a yokai cried out in agony, tumbling off the rooftop. Nan Yu had severed his arm with one strike. In pain and panic, he completely forgot he could fly and plummeted straight down, landing on the ground with a dull thud. If the magical formation Nan Yu had set up around the hospital—the one preventing humans from seeing the yokai—was still active, this monkey-like creature, vastly larger than a human body, falling from the sky would have plunged the already chaotic hospital into even greater pandemonium.

"Nan Yu, you truly are venomous!" the leading yokai growled through gritted teeth, watching nearly half of his companions injured by Nan Yu. It wasn't due to deep camaraderie with these allies, but they were all "grasshoppers on the same rope." Seeing their casualties naturally brought about sorrow for the fate of one's kind. Moreover, even if they succeeded in killing Zhou Ying, escaping Lixin City afterward would inevitably involve more fighting, and having more allies standing together would be better. If necessary, they could even use others as shields to cover their escape. They thought Nan Yu was always kind-hearted and soft, but now she appeared to be a merciless demon king.

"But do you think this will save that Shadow Demon's life..." the yokai sneered. As he spoke, successive explosions suddenly erupted throughout the hospital.

Nan Yu watched the brilliant flash of explosive fire erupt from a hospital room with alarm. Simultaneously, the connection Zhou Ying maintained with her suddenly dimmed, growing faint and almost imperceptible.

"Hahahaha... Now let's see how you protect that damned Shadow Demon..." The surrounding yokai roared with laughter upon seeing this sight. Their plan had succeeded; the Shadow Demon would either be dead or severely wounded now. Continuing with their subsequent arrangements would surely seal his fate.

Listening to the continuous explosions, a surge of rage flooded Nan Yu's heart: "You beasts, to resort to such cruel and despicable means again and again!" Her expression began to contort, and subtle changes started to appear in her form.

"Everyone, look! This is her true form as a Zombie!" a yokai shouted out a warning.

Nan Yu's long hair cascaded down her back, her fingers sprouted curved, sharp talons, and two fangs peeked slightly from her mouth. The color drained from her face, revealing a corpse-like pallor. This was Nan Yu’s form as a Jiang Shi (Zombie), a form she had refrained from showing for a very long time due to her cultivation of Daoist magic.

With the manifestation of the Zombie, the entire air suddenly became dry and hot. The few wisps of cloud aimlessly wandering overhead seemed to evaporate instantly, leaving no trace. Nan Yu was a thousand-year Zombie; once she revealed her true form, even she couldn't control this innate ability. The yokai nearby felt her immense power washing over them, a demonic aura so pervasive it was almost suffocating.

Zombies, initially formed from corpses, were weak beings; even a group of humans could easily dispatch them. Newly born Zombies also possessed very low intelligence, with little thought beyond hunger, making survival extremely difficult. However, if Zombies survived the initial period and were lucky enough to mature, they would indeed become progressively stronger. Especially after five hundred years, the gap between them and yokai of the same age would become apparent and continually widen. A thousand-year Zombie, compared to most yokai of equivalent cultivation years, already represented a world of difference. At this stage, Zombies could usually transform into Golden-Maned Hounds, even capable of competing with the Divine Dragons of the heavens. Meanwhile, other yokai of the same era would barely qualify as great yokai.

Nan Yu rarely used her Zombie power because her Daoist cultivation had not yet surpassed the inherent power of her Zombie nature. When transforming, she risked being unable to fully control or suppress that power. She feared her strength might bring unforeseen disaster upon the humans around her, which is why she seldom revealed her true form.

But at this moment, Nan Yu could no longer afford restraint.

Her heart now held only Zhou Ying.

If anything happened to Zhou Ying, she wouldn't hesitate to use the lives of every single yokai before her as compensation.

Throughout her incredibly long life, she had experienced countless partings in life and death. It was precisely because she couldn't bear to face such things again that she chose a quiet, solitary existence in a corner of the city. Zhou Ying had walked into her life when she thought she had grown accustomed to solitude, and now, this extraordinary man had become an indispensable part of her existence. If possible, Nan Yu would willingly trade her own life for Zhou Ying's safety.

Zhou Ying was currently engulfed in some unknown peril; the mounting sense of foreboding had almost driven Nan Yu past the point of reason. Having assumed her true form, the wooden sword she had been wielding was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she charged toward the hostile yokai, using her bare hands as weapons. One yokai, momentarily stunned by the sight of Nan Yu’s true form, failed to dodge quickly enough; she seized it mid-chest, tearing its heart out with a brutal swipe.

“This hag is fighting to the death! Everyone, watch out!” the lead yokai bellowed a warning, though he subtly edged backward, slipping behind a few companions eager to rush forward.

Several more explosions rocked the hospital structure. Zhou Ying’s vital signs were barely perceptible. Nan Yu let out a furious roar, and the sky above the entire hospital bled into a deep crimson, as if a rain of fire was imminent. Within the sphere of her demonic aura, the very air shimmered with an almost combustible heat. Seeing the tide turn, several of the yokai opposing her began to quietly slip away from the battleground.