Chapter 34 – The Evil Within the Barrier

“Xiao Jian, go to the operating room upstairs and clear the area. I’ll take the two masters around first.” As soon as they stepped out of the office, Li Ke gave Jian Ning his instructions.

Senior Manager Jian was immediately dumbfounded. They had only talked privately for a few minutes, and now he was being sent away? Others might not know, but he was well aware of the state of the operating rooms at Sunshine Hospital. There were already few patients coming in for surgeries, and with the recent unrest within the hospital, even fewer tasks had been assigned. There was no need to clear the area—this was clearly just a ploy to get him out of the way!

However, since his master had spoken, he couldn’t disobey. Shooting a hateful glare at the little charlatan who remained expressionless, Jian Ning gritted his teeth and ran off to the seventh floor. Li Ke, calm and composed, gestured politely, “Let’s start with the sixth floor.”

The sixth floor was supposedly the management office area, but the actual “management” presence was pitifully sparse. Functional departments like the Vice General Manager’s office were merely labeled, with no one actually working inside. Instead, the “auxiliary facilities” like the AV room, multi-functional meeting room, and small conference room were fully equipped and luxuriously decorated, clearly designed to cater to someone’s specific needs. At this point, Li Ke had returned to his usual demeanor, leading the two men through each room with ease. To be honest, these spaces were practically wasted if not used for illicit affairs—they were almost on par with high-end hotels.

Wei Yang’s expression remained unchanged as he followed Director Li through each room, seemingly indifferent to the layout of the spaces. However, his attention was subtly focused on the person beside him. This situation felt a bit like defusing a bomb—if one of them exploded, the jade pendant he was wearing might protect him, but someone like Director Li, an ordinary person, would likely suffer. If another malevolent entity appeared… Wei Yang shivered involuntarily, multitasking as he casually responded to Director Li while keeping a firm eye on the Little Celestial Master.

Zhang Xiuqi, on the other hand, wasn’t paying much attention to Wei Yang at the moment. His usually emotionless eyes gradually grew colder—not the usual emptiness, but a genuine, sharp chill, as if the chains binding him had loosened, revealing something deeper and more severe beneath.

This coldness was palpable even to Director Li, who unconsciously fell behind after just a few rooms. Director Li was much older than Wei Yang and had far more experience in the jianghu. It didn’t take much effort for him to realize who was truly in charge here. Zhang Xiuqi’s aura wasn’t something an ordinary charlatan could imitate. After walking for a while, even Director Li felt an eerie chill permeating the floor, sending shivers down his spine.

Swallowing hard, Director Li pushed open another office door: “This is also my office, under the title of the Dean’s Office. There’s also an inner room here… ahem… I often rest here as well.”

Unlike the General Manager’s Office, this Dean’s Office seemed slightly smaller, with the outer room only about ten square meters. In contrast, the semi-hidden inner room was more spacious, furnished with leather sofas, a solid wood desk, and a few tasteful decorative items. After all, Li Ke was a member of the Pi Sect, and when it came to maintaining appearances, he was no less skilled than the charlatans of the Jin Sect. However, this small inner room could be taken in at a glance. Following the usual procedure, it would now be Wei Yang and Zhang Xiuqi’s turn to step inside together for inspection. But this time, before Director Li could finish speaking, Zhang Xiuqi, who stood beside them, suddenly moved, stepping into the room in a single stride.

This was completely different from his previous reactions. Both Director Li and Wei Yang were startled. Without hesitation, Li Ke immediately took two steps back, while Wei Yang rushed forward and grabbed Zhang Xiuqi’s right hand.

The hand was no longer warm as it usually was but felt as if it had been soaked in ice water—utterly devoid of warmth, carrying a chilling sensation that sent a shiver down Wei Yang’s spine. When his hand was grabbed, Zhang Xiuqi turned his head. With just one glance, Wei Yang felt a chill. The usual silent emptiness in his eyes was gone, replaced by something burning within—a mix of killing intent and anger. Genuine emotions were boiling to the surface, scorching away any warmth in those dark eyes, making his gaze as sharp as a blade, cutting into one’s very soul.

Despite being met with such a gaze, Wei Yang didn’t let go of the icy hand. His lips trembled slightly as he whispered, “Brother Qi…”

Whether it was the warmth of Wei Yang’s hand or the tremor in his voice, something seemed to have an effect. Zhang Xiuqi spoke, his voice not particularly loud but as cold as ice, yet he spoke nonetheless: “Peach Blossom Barrier. Step back.”

With just that one sentence, the icy hand slipped out of Wei Yang’s grasp, and Zhang Xiuqi dashed into the inner room. Wei Yang stood there in a daze, clutching his now-empty hand, unsure of what to do. Behind him, a trembling voice spoke up: “M-Master, what’s going on… What’s a Peach Blossom Barrier?”

Wei Yang snapped out of it instantly, his expression turning solemn and dignified as he turned to Director Li: “Director Li, my senior brother has located the source of the evil. The Peach Blossom Barrier is a type of barrier derived from the Peach Blossom Evil. It obstructs the leakage of evil energy while also accelerating its spread, making it extremely difficult to deal with. I believe the changes in this building are all due to the influence of the Peach Blossom Barrier…”

As he spoke, a muffled “bang” suddenly came from inside the room, as if someone had set off a firecracker. The buzzing sound echoed through the hallway, and Director Li’s face turned pale. He blurted out, “Heaven’s Break!”

The so-called Heaven’s Break was a phenomenon that inevitably occurred during exorcisms. It was said to be the result of the clash between yin and yang energies. The stronger the evil energy, the louder the explosion. Sometimes, when dealing with particularly fierce evil, the sound of Heaven’s Break could be as loud as thunder. Although Director Li had never witnessed it firsthand, he had heard similar stories. Since the sound of Heaven’s Break had come from the room, there must be evil inside!

The thought that he had been engaging in intimate activities in a haunted room sent a wave of horror through him. Director Li’s legs went weak, and he quickly grabbed onto the wall for support: “M-Master Wei… what’s in there…”

“With my senior brother here, nothing will happen,” Wei Yang replied with absolute certainty. In truth, he was also terrified, so much so that he wanted to turn and run. But another emotion was stirring within him, urging him to go in, to help the man he had only known for a few days. The talisman jade around his neck seemed to emit a faint warmth, pressing against his chest like a comfort and a prompt.

However, Wei Yang’s confident demeanor did little to calm Director Li’s wildly pounding heart. He blurted out, “Can I leave now? I might be carrying evil energy, it’s not good…”

Before Wei Yang could stop him, Director Li’s feet were already moving backward. Just then, a voice came from behind them: “Master, what’s going on here? I heard an explosion…”

Senior Manager Jian had come running down from the stairs and was now standing in front of Director Li. At this moment, Director Li’s only thought was to escape, but he was suddenly grabbed, nearly making him gnash his teeth in frustration: “What the hell do you know? That was Heaven’s Break! There’s evil in there!”

Coincidentally, another series of loud bangs came from inside the room, as if cabinets and boxes were being overturned. Director Li’s face turned pale, and he wanted to retreat further, but Jian Ning, furious, stopped him: “Master, those two must have pulled some trick. If we leave now, we’ll fall right into their trap. Let me go in and see what that guy is up to!”

Holy shit, this guy was really asking for trouble. Wei Yang was somewhat stunned, but these words actually managed to restore some of Director Li’s rationality, and he paused. Right, what if this was a setup specifically targeting him? Whether it was the Jin Sect or the Pi Sect, there were plenty of stories about schemes aimed at fellow practitioners. Ghosts couldn’t scare people to death—it was people who were the most terrifying!

Seeing his master’s expression change, Jian Ning knew his words had taken effect. Feeling as if he had taken a dose of adrenaline, he charged into the room without looking back. Wei Yang, however, ignored the idiot and quickly pulled something out of his bag: “Director Li, if you don’t want to leave, make sure not to step out of this circle, just in case something unexpected happens.”

Director Li was momentarily stunned by the scene before him. Wei Yang swiftly laid out a circle of copper coins around his feet, the coins covered in a faint greenish rust. A thin red thread connected the coins, and a faint smell of blood wafted up, as if the thread had been soaked in blood. Was this the legendary Evil-Warding Copper Coin Formation? Director Li’s courage wavered once more, and his legs felt even weaker. Just then, a furious shout came from the Dean’s Office: “What the hell are you doing… Holy shit!!”

The scolding turned into a scream in less than a second, and five seconds later, a figure came scrambling out: “M-Master! There’s a monster!”

Holy shit, it sounded like they were filming Journey to the West. However, Director Li’s expression changed drastically: “Get away! Stay away! Don’t come over here!”

If he hadn’t said anything, it might have been fine, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Jian Ning spotted the red circle around Director Li’s feet. Without a second thought, he lunged toward it like a tiger pouncing on its prey.

“Damn you, you traitorous bastard!”

The two Pi Sect elites, one older and one younger, began fighting over the precious spot, completely forgetting the option of “running away.” Wei Yang, however, ignored the two of them, his eyes widening as he stared at the office doorway. Something had slid out from behind that door.

With a loud pop, all the fluorescent lights on the sixth floor burst, and the bright windows seemed to be covered by something, plunging the room into darkness despite it being midday. Then, a sound reached their ears. It wasn’t terrifying; instead, it was seductive and joyful, as if a stunning beauty was moaning softly in their ears. Along with it came the sound of rustling, as if the beauty was undressing, exuding both temptation and an eerie sensuality.

A fragrance followed, an indescribable mix of musk and body scent, so sweet it was suffocating. Amidst this fragrance, a shiver ran down Wei Yang’s spine, and a heat surged from his lower abdomen, threatening to awaken a certain dormant organ. Two rough gasps sounded in the darkness as the master and disciple seemed to forget their struggle over the circle, both groaning in unison. The faint sounds and scent in the air stirred the deepest desires within them.

Wei Yang swallowed hard. He should have been affected too, but a faint white light surrounded him, shielding him from the illusions. Staring into the pitch-black darkness, he felt an indescribable fear, but his hand firmly reached into his bag and pulled out a round, hard object. Gripping it tightly, he took a wooden mallet and struck it. With a crisp bong, the sound of a wooden fish echoed through the hallway, a pure Buddhist chant rippling through the darkness.

Wei Yang didn’t stop. The loud sound of the wooden fish continued to emanate from his hands, wave after wave, clashing against the eerie darkness and the seductive sounds and scents. At this moment, Wei Yang’s mind was free of all distractions, and even his fear began to fade. In his clear and focused thoughts, only one sound remained: Brother Qi!

A flash of light cut through the darkness, and with the continuous chanting, it tore through all the demonic illusions. Bang, bang, bang! Three crisp sounds followed, and something let out a piercing scream. The suffocating darkness vanished, and Wei Yang staggered slightly as he regained his vision. Three copper coins were arranged in the positions of Heaven, Earth, and Man, and a gleaming dagger was plunged into the center. Beneath the dagger, a strange insect, less than three inches long with thin legs and a long body, twitched a few times before curling up and falling still.

Wei Yang stopped his movements, unable to look away. He saw a slender, bony hand gently pull out the dagger, and the person holding it slowly stood up. A few drops of sweat rolled down his face, but he didn’t wipe them away. Instead, he walked over to Wei Yang and reached out with that icy hand, wiping away a streak of red from his nose.

“The backlash was too strong. Use the Shurangama Mantra next time.”

The voice was flat, emotionless, and utterly ordinary once more. Wei Yang blinked, looking at the man standing before him. The terrifying hatred and killing intent had completely faded, and his pale, handsome face had returned to its usual calm, like an eternal glacier. Only the slight arch of his eyebrows hinted at a familiar sense of reassurance.

Wei Yang laughed, a ridiculous sight with two streaks of blood under his nose. “I’ll try that next time.”

Behind them, a completely undignified roar erupted: “Damn you, you little bastard! Jian Ning, Laozi will never let you off!”