My companion Lao Mo and I, witnessing such a scene, transitioned from our previous tension to relief.
Although there was a ghost infant here, these three iron doors were arranged by a master. This ghost infant was fundamentally unable to escape.
"Lao Qin, this ghost child is locked below and cannot get out. It poses no threat to the outside world," Lao Mo said.
I nodded in agreement. "Yes, since this ghost infant is locked by a master, let's not bother with it for now. We'll recuperate for a few days and then assess the situation." I spoke calmly.
Observing the ghost infant, I realized it was no pushover. Its Yin Sha qi was very heavy. Even locked within the three iron doors, a strong aura of malevolence emanated from it. Analyzing the density of this malevolence, I estimated the ghost infant's strength was likely at the Soul Palace level, a very ferocious vengeful spirit.
Given our current condition, we were not suited to a confrontation with this ghost infant. Therefore, we decided to forgo this "merit" for the time being. Lao Mo nodded in agreement. He had been injured tonight, and fighting the ghost infant while wounded might lead to further injuries, which was not worthwhile.
"Let's go, Lao Mo. This guy is locked here and isn't going anywhere. We'll deal with it later."
Lao Mo grunted and addressed the ghost infant, "You little brat, we're leaving now. When we brothers recover, we'll be back to take care of you!" He even waved at the ghost infant.
However, upon hearing this, the ghost infant instantly became enraged. "Don't go, don't go, come play with me, play with me..." Its voice was hoarse, and it clawed repeatedly at the iron doors.
I ignored it and turned to leave. Lao Mo glanced back and followed. After all, we had only come to take a look out of idle curiosity.
But as we were about to leave, the ghost infant suddenly became agitated. "Don't go, you mustn't go..."
Lao Mo and I continued without stopping, heading towards the exit. Seeing us about to leave, the ghost infant roared, "Cannot go, cannot go. Play with me, play with me..." As it spoke, its entire body suddenly erupted with dense Yin Sha qi. That aura, passing through the three iron doors, surged towards us like ripples, wave after wave.
The Sha qi was strong and potent. Both Lao Mo and I felt it and looked back. We discovered that the ghost infant, which had been the size of a small baby moments ago, was now growing. Its muscles bulged, and its size increased several times over in an instant, transforming into a four-limbed monster. It crouched before the iron doors, staring at us with a ferocious expression. Its voice, which had been somewhat childish, now became deep and rough.
"Don't go, come play with me..." It then raised its hands and slammed them against the iron doors, creating a "clang clang clang" sound. The talismans on the iron doors glowed, but they still couldn't repel the ghost infant.
Lao Mo and I were both startled by this. "Damn, a shape-shifting ghost infant, I've never heard of such a thing! How can it transform?"
"Who knows! This ghost infant is indeed very unusual, perhaps more powerful than we imagined," I analyzed carefully. Judging by the aura emanating from the ghost infant, I felt its cultivation had advanced further, reaching the peak of the Soul Palace stage, making it not easy to deal with.
It continued to pound on the iron doors with "bang bang bang." The streams of Yin Sha qi constantly poured out, spreading through the corridor and into the outside. The patients and their families undergoing examinations in the radiology department only felt the cold, not the Yin Sha qi, and instinctively shivered.
After observing for a while, Lao Mo and I stopped paying attention. This ghost infant was clearly not ordinary, differing somewhat from the ghost infants we knew. Its strength was considerable. We were not foolish enough to rush in and fight the ghost infant while injured. So, after watching for a bit, we walked out of the corridor.
As soon as we exited the corridor, we encountered patrolling security guards. Seeing us emerge from the stairwell, the guards were quite annoyed and questioned why we had gone in, stating it was a restricted area of the hospital and not allowed. Lao Mo and I smiled and said we had taken a wrong turn. After a few perfunctory answers, we left the radiology department and headed towards the inpatient building.
Looking back now, we could still faintly hear the ghost infant's roars. "Play with me, play with me, woo woo woo..." Those piercing cries were very loud. It was no wonder some people reported hearing strange cries and laughter nearby at night. It seemed this ghost infant was responsible. Patients with lower Yang fire could naturally hear it.
On the way back, Lao Mo asked me again, "Lao Qin, are we really just going to leave this ghost infant as it is?"
"Let's not worry about it for now! This guy's cultivation is quite high, and it can even transform. Look at the Sha qi; it's already covered the entire building. If it were released, the Sha qi would be even heavier. Its cultivation might be much higher than we imagine. Even if we want to deal with it and gain merit, we need to do so after our injuries have healed and we are well-prepared!" I said calmly.
Although I inherited my master's legacy and received his inheritance, and also held the identity of a "Yang Emissary," I also understood that in matters like this, taking a step-by-step approach was the most prudent. Reckless charging without thinking was simply courting death...
Lao Mo nodded after hearing my words. "Alright, let's leave it for a while longer. After we recover, we'll deal with this ghost! And claim that merit." Lao Mo said with a smile.
I merely smiled, taking advantage of the darkness and lack of people to smoke a cigarette in the hospital grounds. Then, I followed Lao Mo up to the inpatient building.
As soon as we reached the upper floor, Chen Yao excitedly ran over. Her big, dark eyes widened, and she asked with great enthusiasm, "Brother Qin, Brother Mo, did you find it, did you find it?" Why was this girl so interested in ghosts?
I nodded. Lao Mo directly replied, "Yes, a ghost infant. Quite formidable!"
"Ah! A ghost... ghost infant." Chen Yao looked at us in surprise. I was too lazy to explain. I went directly to the ward to see Grandpa Jiang. Lao Mo might have taken a liking to her, or perhaps he wanted to woo the girl. He was now making small talk, not minding the trouble, and chatting happily with Chen Yao.
It wasn't until the next morning that Grandpa Jiang finally woke up. I noticed Grandpa Jiang as soon as he woke up. "Grandpa Jiang, you're awake!" I said.
Grandpa Jiang nodded. "Thank you, thank you for your hard work..."
"It's a small matter. If it weren't for you, Grandpa Jiang, I wouldn't have made it out of that river alive. Now that you're awake, I can finally relax." I said with ease, exhaling a sigh of relief. Lao Mo, who had been asleep, also woke up upon hearing our conversation. He was also very happy to see Grandpa Jiang awake.
Grandpa Jiang said that once he was discharged, he would definitely treat us to drinks. I happily agreed.
Since we hadn't returned home all day, and now that Grandpa Jiang was awake, Lao Mo and I informed Grandpa Jiang that we were leaving. After all, we needed a good night's sleep. We would come back to see him in the evening. Grandpa Jiang felt quite embarrassed. He repeatedly thanked us. Finally, we left the hospital around eight-thirty in the morning...