"Did you mention this to your daughter?" Zhao Yan asked.
The old woman shook her head and exclaimed, "How dare I tell her such things."
Zhao Yan pondered for a moment and said, "It's good you didn't. If you had, she might have developed a rebellious attitude. How about this, sister-in-law, I'll go with you."
The old woman nodded quickly, "Alright, when should we leave? I'm a bit afraid to go back alone."
Zhao Yan had intended to rest for a while, but seeing the old woman's urgency, she said, "Let's go now. But before we leave, please take a look at our price list and see if you can accept the prices."
Wu Jiaxin produced the price list for the talismans, each costing a thousand yuan.
The old woman waved her hand, "No need to look. As long as my daughter can be cured, I'll sell my house."
Zhao Yan chuckled softly, turned to grab her bag, ensuring nothing was left behind, and told Wu Jiaxin, "Let's go."
Wu Jiaxin picked up the car keys, and they walked to the car together.
"Auntie, please tell us your address, we'll drive there," Zhao Yan opened the car door and let the old woman get in first.
The old woman then stated her address: her home was in Liangxi Village.
Zhao Yan opened the map and examined it carefully. She found that Liangxi Village was very close to Uncle Hu's village, one being an upper village and the other a lower village. It would take about forty minutes to reach the village.
During these forty minutes, Zhao Yan could catch a short nap to recover her energy.
"Auntie, is this the place?" Wu Jiaxin asked, following the navigation, turning to the old woman.
"Drive a bit further ahead, my home is just up ahead," the old woman pointed forward.
Arriving at the entrance of the two-story flat, Wu Jiaxin parked the car.
As the car was parked, Zhao Yan also opened her eyes.
Zhao Yan got out of the car and followed the old woman to the entrance.
The old woman stood at the door and called out twice, "Xiao Hui, open the door!"
Seeing no response from inside, the old woman reached into her pocket, took out the key, and opened the door.
As the door opened, Zhao Yan glanced inside.
The windows in the room were not opened, and the curtains were tightly drawn. The place gave off a feeling of deep Yin energy.
The old woman went in first and said to Zhao Yan, "Miss Zhao, please sit down anywhere you like. I'll go and bring her to you."
Zhao Yan replied, "No need, Auntie. I'll go with you to see her."
"She often stays in her bedroom and doesn't come out," the old woman said.
With that, the old woman led Zhao Yan upstairs.
Upon entering the house, not a single ray of sunlight was visible.
Anywhere that could have seen sunlight was either blocked by curtains or sealed with wooden boards.
Reaching the room on the second floor, the old woman pointed to the leftmost door and said, "It's this one."
She raised her hand, about to knock.
Zhao Yan grabbed the old woman's hand, went to the door, and gently pushed it open.
The door opened a crack, and Zhao Yan looked inside.
Faintly, laughter could be heard from within the room.
But the laughter in the room quickly disappeared.
At the same time, a face suddenly emerged from behind the bed, its eyes fixed on Zhao Yan.
"Who are you?"
On the way, Zhao Yan had told the old woman not to reveal her identity.
The old woman replied, "I was hit by a car while crossing the road, and this young lady helped me."
Chen Hui let out an "Oh," and said, "Then give her some money."
With that, she tried to close the door.
Zhao Yan, quick as lightning, grabbed the door, stared at Chen Hui for a moment, then released her hand, and the door slammed shut.
Zhao Yan took a step back and said softly, "This is quite tricky."
Then she turned to the old woman and said, "Let's go downstairs and talk."
As they walked down, Zhao Yan pondered Chen Hui's facial features.
Just as Zhao Yan was leaving, Chen Hui's voice could be heard from her room, talking to herself.
"Do you like this person?"
"Yes, she's very suitable for us."
Reaching the first floor, Zhao Yan pulled over a stool and placed it behind the old woman.
The old woman said thank you and asked with concern, "Miss Zhao, have you seen the problem with my daughter?"
Zhao Yan rubbed her forehead and said, "Just by looking at her face, your daughter's facial features appear normal."
"Could it be that I'm worrying too much?" the old woman asked softly.
"That's unlikely. Many Yin spirits are very good at hiding. Perhaps she's hidden too well, and I can't see any flaws in your daughter."
As she spoke, Zhao Yan pondered for a moment, reached into her bag, and took out red thread and a bell.
She threaded the red string through the bell and then hung it on the doorframe.
She held the bell in her hand, and after checking it was secure, she placed it in her pocket.
As soon as any Yin energy appeared, the bell would ring.
"Auntie, take this talisman," Zhao Yan handed a talisman to the old woman.
Since traces had been left in this place, there was no need to stay longer. They just needed to wait for the right moment, for the other party to reveal themselves.
Zhao Yan got into the car and told Wu Jiaxin to drive towards the village entrance.
As Zhao Yan was leaving, Chen Hui on the second floor pulled open the curtains, squinting as she looked intently in Zhao Yan's direction.
"She seems to have fallen for it."
"We still need to be vigilant. We must speed things up tonight. Once tonight passes, your face will be fully formed, and it will no longer rot."
"That would be wonderful. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."
In the room, Chen Hui hugged herself. Two faces appeared on her face. As she spoke, her smile grew more sinister, and she let out a "hee hee" of delight.
"Xin Xin, don't drive any further, stop here," Zhao Yan said to Wu Jiaxin.
"Okay," Wu Jiaxin stopped the car.
Stopping the car at the village entrance was sufficient.
Zhao Yan placed the bell in the car and asked Wu Jiaxin to pay attention to the bell's sound, informing her if it rang.
After giving instructions, she took out black dog blood, a chalk line, a brush, and yellow paper.
She spread out the yellow paper and began to draw talismans.
"It takes a thousand Zhen Lei Talismans to have a chance of creating one. The success rate is very low, but it's the most effective for dealing with evil spirits," Zhao Yan murmured softly.
Around seven in the evening, a faint arc flashed across the yellow paper. Zhao Yan's face lit up with joy; the Zhen Lei Talisman was successfully drawn.
Talismans were inherently meant to deal with evil entities; when used against people, they were just ordinary talismans.
After all the effort today, drawing this one talisman was worth it.
"Sister Zhao, have some bread," Wu Jiaxin offered to Zhao Yan.
Zhao Yan took it, took a bite, and asked, "Xin Xin, did the bell ring again?"