Zhong Niangyao glanced at Zhao Xuanglang and said directly, "Actually, we can start right now."
"Really?" Zhao Xuanglang, who had been quite dejected, suddenly had his eyes light up, "Then let's start right now! Do I need to do any preparation?"
Just the thought that after today, he could stop being as unlucky as before halted the wild joy in his heart. And more importantly, he wouldn't have to constantly worry about the arrival of death.
"Let's begin then!" Zhong Niangyao nodded.
Immediately, she pulled several exorcism charms from her bag and threw them into the air. The talisman paper ignited without flame, and pale blue flames floated in mid-air. She then stood up and with both hands formed seals, making several hand gestures.
"Break!"
With the sound of a crisp voice, the blue flames, as if they had found a target, rushed straight towards Zhao Xuanglang.
"Xuan Lang!"
Seeing this, Mr. Zhao and Mrs. Zhao were very anxious and immediately wanted to rush forward, but a stern shout stopped them.
"Don't move!"
"If you want to spoil everything at this crucial moment, feel free to come forward. But you will bear the consequences."
With these words, the footsteps of Mr. and Mrs. Zhao came to an abrupt halt. The eerie scene that followed completely overturned all of their usual beliefs.
The blue flames flew onto Zhao Xuanglang and quickly spread over his entire body. Just when they thought he was going to scream in agony, Zhao Xuanglang showed no reaction at all.
But at this moment, Zhao Xuanglang himself was utterly bewildered, yet it didn't stop him from feeling the lightness in his body.
When the blue flames rushed towards him, all he felt was fear, but his body couldn't move at all, leaving him to only watch the flames spread over his entire body.
However, as the flames burned, he did not feel any pain; instead, he felt a warm sensation. It was like basking in the sun during winter, extraordinarily warm. Not only that, he also felt an unprecedented sense of relief, as if the shackles that had bound him for years had suddenly vanished without a trace.
A moment later, the blue flames disappeared, leaving no trace behind, as if they had never appeared.
"It's done!"
Zhong Niangyao's voice brought Mr. and Mrs. Zhao back to their senses. The first thing they did after regaining their wits was to rush forward and start checking Zhao Xuanglang for injuries. Only when they found no harm did they finally relax.
Then they came back to their senses, looking at Zhong Niangyao with a hint of worry and embarrassment. They were well aware that such behavior on their part was essentially distrustful toward Zhong Niangyao.
Zhong Niangyao didn't mind; she casually sat down on the couch, "It's fine, everything troubling Zhao Xuanglang has been resolved."
Assured by Zhong Niangyao, Mr. and Mrs. Zhao were visibly delighted.
"Xuan Lang, how are you feeling now?" Mrs. Zhao asked with concern.
"I feel very relaxed," Zhao Xuanglang couldn't quite express it, "I don't know how to describe it, but it feels like something has left me and something else has returned."
The feeling was so ethereal, he didn't know how to articulate it.
"Your Life Chart has been returned to you." Zhong Niangyao picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and continued speaking, "However, the master that person employed to exchange your Life Chart must not have been very good. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy to get it back."
Soon, the three members of the Zhao Family sat down again. Their look towards Zhong Niangyao was now fully respectful. Even though she was in her early twenties, the skill she had just demonstrated was enough to show she was no ordinary person. Such means, even the seasoned practitioners in the Mystical Sect might not possess. Yet, a young girl already had such strength; heaven knows how powerful she will become in the future.
Furthermore, if Zhong Niangyao was this formidable at such a young age, her master must be an even more extraordinary figure.
This was a person to be befriended at all costs, never to be crossed. Otherwise, those methods of hers were definitely capable of giving someone a hard time.
"Lady Zhong, may I ask—" Mr. Zhao took a moment, then still spoke up, "The person who exchanged Xuan Lang's Life Chart, who exactly are they?"
As he spoke, he clenched his teeth. Clearly, he wished he could completely annihilate the person who had switched Zhao Xuanglang's Life Chart.
"That's right, we can't let them get off so easily," Mrs. Zhao also said, seething with anger, "They almost took Xuan Lang's life; we can't let them roam free."
"Do you really want to know?" Zhong Niangyao looked at Mr. and Mrs. Zhao with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Even if that person is someone very close to you, do you still feel the same?"