As this thought surfaced in my mind, I hesitated no longer. Just as Grandma Fox had said, if one’s own life was lost, one should reclaim it; if one’s lifespan was dwindling, one should fight for it. Others could not help me. I could not always place my hopes on others. I, too, should fight for myself, at least once.
My expression turned fierce. I turned to look at Old Mo and Xiao Mei, who were anxiously and utterly bewildered, and said, “Old Mo, Xiao Mei, I’ll be the bait to attract the female ghost. You two seize the opportunity and make your move…”
“Ah? You’ll be the bait?” Xiao Mei exclaimed, surprised.
“Old Qin, have you gone mad? How can you guarantee your own safety by being the bait?” Old Mo also spoke up, clearly disagreeing. To them, with my current cultivation, how could I possibly serve as bait? I couldn’t even ensure my own safety.
But I said solemnly, “This is a last resort. Look at Uncle-Master. Every time he uses the fan, he coughs lightly. That fire-controlling fan must be causing him some drain or backlash. If it continues, Uncle-Master will surely be injured. He might end up like my master, with greatly reduced cultivation and hospitalized from serious injury. I’ll be the bait because in the eyes of the malevolent spirits, I am a human medicine, the most attractive. And I can control the Yin and Yang Pearls. At critical moments, I can use the pearls’ power to attack and protect myself. At the same time, I’ll draw life-saving talismans on myself with my blood, leaving a fallback for myself. Furthermore, as long as I can attract the female ghost and find an opportunity to strike, I might be able to injure her or create an opening for Uncle-Master. Even if I can’t, it’s better than standing here foolishly worrying…”
I spoke continuously, revealing my inner thoughts. I had considered both offense and defense, thinking of various aspects, not acting rashly and blindly. Although there was danger, it was indeed worth a try.
Xiao Mei was stunned and fell silent. Old Mo frowned, contemplating my words. After all, what I said was not wrong; doing something was better than standing still and worrying. Moreover, the two precious pearls in front of me were only compatible with me and controllable by me. If used well, it wasn’t impossible to heavily injure the female ghost…
Old Mo hesitated for two to three seconds before nodding, “Alright, we’ll listen to you. But you must be careful, and your safety comes first.”
Seeing Old Mo’s serious and earnest expression, a stark contrast to his usual chuunibyo, I actually chuckled, “Don’t be so serious. I still prefer your chuunibyo look. Xiao Mei, spit out some green mist to cover us so that the female ghost can’t see us.”
As I spoke, I had already taken off my shirt, revealing my body covered in bloody bandages. Xiao Mei didn’t hesitate, opening her mouth and spitting out green mist, instantly enveloping our location. Uncle-Master and the female ghost could see it. Although they didn’t know what we were doing, Uncle-Master had a vague guess that we were up to something. His expression turned somewhat worried…
Within the green mist, I saw Old Mo still愣着 (lèngzhe -愣着), and I said again, “Don’t just stand there. Do you know how to draw protective talismans? Draw one on my back. I’ll draw one on my chest myself.”
“Yes, I do!” After saying that, he was about to go find cinnabar… Seeing his actions, I quickly said, “Don’t bother. I have so much blood on me. Use my blood to draw it.”
As I spoke, I bit my finger. The slight pain in my fingertip was insignificant compared to my life. I began drawing talismans on my chest. Protective talismans were not curses that actively harmed ghosts, unlike offensive curses like breaking evil talismans or suppressing evil talismans. However, they were very effective for self-protection and warding off malevolent spirits. Generally, they were used for peace charms, house-protecting inscriptions, and the like. They could be actively released or passively protect. Now, drawing them on myself with blood was like adding an extra layer of insurance. At a critical moment, it might save my life.
At the same time, I had to leave myself a trump card. I put the two Yin and Yang Pearls into my mouth. With my left hand, I concealed the fox claws and a talisman, and with my right hand, I would soon hold the sword to lure her. Once I was close to the female ghost, I would launch a four-pronged attack with the peach wood sword, talismans, fox claws, and the Yin and Yang Pearls. I didn’t aim to kill the female ghost directly. Even if it just created an opportunity for Uncle-Master, it would be a success. Of course, whether it succeeded depended on fate. Who could guarantee it 100%? Who could say for sure?
Old Mo and I finished drawing the talismans very quickly. In no time, two protective talismans were drawn on me, all with fresh blood. Once released, their power would be somewhat stronger.
“Done, Old Qin!” Old Mo said. I had also finished drawing mine.
“Good! Now we’re set. I’ll head over now. If there’s an opportunity, I’ll go all out.” I said, putting my clothes back on. I looked at Old Mo and Xiao Mei. This man and fox looked at me very seriously, with concern.
“Be careful!” Xiao Mei said. Old Mo’s face was grim, “Your safety is paramount. You’ve survived the grand scenes of the Black Demon Palace, don’t get yourself killed here.”
Seeing this, I smiled. My life had been a path of constant hardship, always oscillating between life and death. If heaven truly wanted to take my life, it wouldn’t be so easy. At this moment, I even adopted a chuunibyo line that Old Mo often uttered when exorcising demons: “Our resolve is to charge forward, with no thought of retreat. What’s there to fear?”
After saying that, I put the two pearls into my mouth. With a light smile, I turned and charged towards the red-skinned fierce ghost outside the green mist…