Si Shen knew time was of the essence. With a swift leap, he positioned himself between the vengeful spirit and Xue Ziqi, his hands slicing through the air as he called out, "Wait!"
Xue Ziqi arched an eyebrow, her graceful movements stilled by his sudden appearance. Tasked with investigating the haunting at the Ye Mansion, she had felt a surge of energy emanating from the rear wings, leading her here. Little did she expect to stumble upon this scene.
"Why?" she asked, her voice calm yet laced with curiosity.
Si Shen seized the moment, urgency sharpening his words. "The resentment doesn't come from the spirit; it's coming from the bracelet it wears."
Her expression shifted, intrigue mingling with caution.
"As long as the bracelet is removed, the spirit will be harmless."
The moment Si Shen uttered those words, a wave of anxiety twisted in his gut. He had forgotten momentarily that cultivators do not differentiate between vengeful and normal spirits.
Xue Ziqi eyed him with suspicion.
As the heir of the Xue Clan, she has attended countless banquets and mingled with many cultivators from a young age, yet she couldn't recall ever seeing this man's face before.
Her gaze flicked to the translucent black wards that contained the resentment energy emanating from the spirit. He seemed to be a cultivator, but if that were true, he would belong to a Sect, as most cultivators did. It was customary for cultivators to announce their names alongside their claims during first meetings, yet he had done no such thing.
Moreover, Xue Ziqi couldn't remember any clan whose members wore black robes as their official attire. The combination of mystery and uncertainty made her wary of this stranger standing between her and the spirit.
"You're a rogue cultivator?" Xue Ziqi asked, narrowing her eyes.
Si Shen shrugged, recognizing the truth in her assumption. It was simpler to let her draw her own conclusions; revealing his true identity would only complicate matters. Even if he confessed, he doubted she would believe him.
Yet, being labeled a rogue wasn't ideal for negotiations. A cultivator without a Sect, whose values diverged from the mainstream, could raise more questions than trust. Still, Xue Ziqi sensed his power; he could have easily dealt with the spirit himself if she hadn't arrived.
The wards placed by the man were simple but strong. It was only due to her cultivation level being higher than most that she managed to detect them. He could have knocked her out with his skill level but instead, he chose to negotiate.
Xue Ziqi's instincts urged caution. She narrowed her eyes at Si Shen, weighing her options. The Xia Sect had summoned her Xue Sect to help resolve the haunting, and the spirit before her could very well be responsible. Her duty demanded that she eliminate the spirit and retrieve the bracelet as evidence, resolving the case under her Sect name. It would do her Sect well to have the Xia Sect owe them a favor as well.
Yet, she couldn't bring herself to draw her sword.
"Do not assume all is evil," her father's words echoed in her mind.
Xue Ziqi had never forgotten her father's teachings and had always tried to abide by them. Even if the situation is very dubious, she should not assume the man before her is evil. Since he had found the spirit first, she should not interfere as it would be rude to interfere with his claim, even if the other party is a rouge cultivator.
"Very well, how do you plan to remove the bracelet?" she asked, her voice steady despite her internal conflict.
Si Shen's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't anticipated her compliance; wasn't the Xue Clan known for their rigidity?
Aren't people from the Xue Clan known to be extremely rigid?
Well, he isn't complaining.
"You'll see," he grinned, turning his attention to the spirit, which had managed to break the ice binding one of its legs. The atmosphere shifted, tension mingling with a hint of anticipation as Xue Ziqi watched him manipulate his umbrella as though it were a brush.
As he began to write, intricate symbols formed before them. A powerful vacuum surged outward, pulling the resentment energy expelled by the bracelet with tremendous force, absorbing it into the umbrella and channeling it into Si Shen.
Normally, if a human were to hold such a vast amount of resentment within them, it would drive them mad. In the cultivation world, they referred to it as qi deviation. Although cultivators could manipulate qi, they were unable to cleanse resentment energy; if it entered their bodies, it would corrupt their core and meridians from the inside out. Yet here was Si Shen, standing firm, his umbrella steady as the dark energy flowed into him.
His face remained relaxed, not a hint of sweat betraying the immense power he was channeling. As he worked to separate the bracelet from the spirit, Xue Ziqi frowned in confusion. This was unlike anything she had ever witnessed. No cultivator had dared to experiment with resentment energy, and yet Si Shen absorbed it effortlessly, seemingly unscathed.
Just who is this person?
As the questions swirled in her mind, Xue Ziqi watched intently as Si Shen's talisman finally forced the bracelet on the spirit's wrist to shatter into pieces.
Without the bracelet, the spirit collapsed to the ground. Her long hair lay in disarray around her bewildered face. Dazed and confused, she sat there, unsure of what had just transpired.
Si Shen approached the spirit gently, his voice a soft murmur of comforting words. The spirit showed no fear at the sight of him. Xue Ziqi widened her eyes in surprise as the spirit reached out and took Si Shen's hand, rising unsteadily from the floor.
Xue Ziqi observed this unexpected interaction, her skepticism wavering. Si Shen's calm demeanor seemed to put the spirit at ease as the furrowed brows slowly relaxed.
This is the first time Xue Ziqi observed a spirit properly. If you were to disregard the translucent appearance, the spirit just looks like a young servant girl who barely reached 10 years of age. But what struck Xue Ziqi most were the spirit's eyes.
She distinctly remembered the moment she entered the scene when the spirit's eyes had been bleeding, a sight that had sent chills down her spine. Now, however, they were clear and vibrant, their original state restored. A wave of discomfort washed over her as the realization sank in: she had almost raised her sword against a child.
She was taught from young that cultivators eliminate spirits because they are evil and cause chaos. Cultivators need to protect the civilians living in their territories. It is the righteous thing to do.
Yet, staring at the innocent child before her, she couldn't reconcile the image of evil with the fragile spirit now standing in Si Shen's gentle grip.
Si Shen noticed the conflict etched across Xue Ziqi's face. It wasn't the first time he had witnessed such a struggle, but he chose not to dwell on it. His task was nearly complete, and he had no intention of complicating matters further with the heir of the Xue Clan. It was better to keep his thoughts to himself, allowing her to come to her own conclusions.
"Shall we go find your mother?" Si Shen asked, placing a comforting hand on the child's head and patting her gently.
"Yes, I want to find my mother," the child replied, her voice shaky but clear. She clutched Si Shen's robes, her tiny hands gripping them like a child would their father's, and he felt a warmth in his heart at the sight.
With a soft smile, he opened his umbrella, sheltering her beneath its canopy. The moment the child stepped under, a warm sensation enveloped her. It felt like she was home with her mother, humming a lullaby as she was lulled to sleep. It was a comforting feeling, something that she had not experienced since a very long time ago and she welcomed it with open arms.
A tear slipped down her cheek as she smiled at Si Shen, gratitude shining in her eyes before she vanished altogether, leaving behind only the echo of her innocence and a lingering warmth in the air.