Li Ji gripped Wu Jiaxin's arm tightly, his fierce gaze startling her.
Her arm was held fast by a powerful grip, and she couldn't help but cry out in pain.
Seeing this, Zhao Yan placed her hand on Li Ji's wrist and said, "That's enough!"
She shoved Li Ji, causing him to stumble back several steps.
Zhao Yan understood Li Ji's situation. The death of his wife had dealt him a devastating blow, and he was living in a fantasy that she was still alive, refusing to accept reality.
This delusion had clearly become an obsession.
She spoke, "Your wife is dead."
Li Ji's panicked expression suddenly froze. His eyes turned cold, and he stared intently at Zhao Yan.
"My wife is alive! She's alive! She was just talking to me, and she disappeared because I took your talisman."
"I get it, you're like those other people!"
Li Ji's face flushed red. He quickly turned and walked towards the kitchen, grabbed a cleaver, and menacingly advanced on Zhao Yan.
"Give me back my wife!"
"If you don't, I'll kill you..."
Wu Jiaxin was terrified by the cleaver in Li Ji's hand and quickly ran behind Zhao Yan, gripping Zhao Yan's clothes tightly for cover.
Zhao Yan shook her head. It seemed she had to make Li Ji face reality.
Before Li Ji could swing the cleaver, Zhao Yan preemptively threw a straight punch to his nose.
"Bang."
The punch sent Li Ji staggering back several steps. She then grabbed his arm and executed a back throw.
Li Ji landed on the ground, and the cleaver flew from his hand.
Zhao Yan felt the floor vibrate as he hit the ground.
"Give me back my wife!"
Zhao Yan was somewhat dazed.
Li Ji, sprawled on the ground, clutched his head and sobbed uncontrollably, like a child who had lost his most beloved toy.
Zhao Yan crouched down, intending to say something.
The talisman in her pocket suddenly grew warm.
This made her exclaim in surprise. She hadn't sensed any Yin energy when she entered the house.
Perhaps the thick smell of decay had masked it.
She looked behind her and saw a female ghost floating behind Zhao Yan.
Upon seeing the ghost, she realized it was the female corpse lying on the bed.
Sensing Zhao Yan's strong Yang energy, the ghost dared not take a step closer, its eyes filled with fear.
Seeing no malevolent aura on the ghost, Zhao Yan took out a talisman and stuck it to herself.
This concealed her Yang energy.
The ghost quickly flew to Li Ji's side and gently patted his shoulder, calling out, "Li Ji."
Li Ji, still weeping on the ground, didn't notice.
The ghost's Yin energy had been harmed, and its soul had become faint.
This explained why Li Ji had said his wife disappeared when he took out the talisman; she had been injured by the talisman's Yang energy.
Zhao Yan had initially thought Li Ji had other malevolent spirits in his house, which was why she gave him a talisman to ward off evil.
His wife had run away earlier, clearly afraid of the Yang energy within the talisman.
"Li Ji, I've found your wife for you," Zhao Yan said.
She took out another talisman and quickly threw it.
The talisman stuck to Li Ji, allowing him to see his wife's spirit.
Looking up and seeing his wife, Li Ji quickly wiped his tears and maintained a gentle smile, "Wife, you're finally back."
"Li Ji, what that master said is true, I am already dead!" the female ghost said tearfully.
Li Ji couldn't leave her, and she couldn't leave Li Ji.
Initially, seeing Li Ji's suffering, her soul had lingered over the corpse.
Using Yin energy, she had obscured his vision.
While others saw a decaying corpse on the bed, influenced by the Yin energy, Li Ji saw a complete, living person.
She had thought this would help Li Ji through his pain, and once he felt better, she would properly bid him farewell.
To her surprise, she became more deeply entangled. She didn't want to leave.
She had been with Li Ji since middle school, through high school, and into college, eventually marrying him.
They had just bought a house and planned to have a baby the following year, but a fire had separated them in life and death.
Li Ji was stunned upon hearing this.
The female ghost clutched her chest in distress, "I am dead. I thought I was doing it for your own good, but in reality, I was being selfish. I shouldn't have used Yin energy to blind you, making you believe I was still alive."
"Selfishly enjoying your daily tenderness towards me!"
"I'm leaving now. You must live well."
The female ghost grabbed Li Ji's hand. During her time as a spirit, she had never allowed Li Ji to touch her, fearing he would know.
This led to the situation where his wife, who was once so intimate, wouldn't even let him hold her hand, naturally leading him to suspect infidelity.
In reality, the male voices Li Ji heard in the room were mostly his own imaginings.
The female ghost's hand passed through Li Ji's wrist.
Seeing this, Li Ji was completely dumbfounded. He sat down on the ground, and in that instant, his eyes lost their color.
The female ghost retreated behind him, her form gradually fading. Li Ji rushed forward, trying to grab her, but he couldn't anymore.
His hand passed through his wife's arm.
Zhao Yan shook her head and sighed, "The dead cannot be brought back to life. Think more about your parents."
Zhao Yan knew that no matter what she said now, Li Ji wouldn't listen.
She could truly feel how important the female ghost was to Li Ji.
Li Ji took a deep breath, looked up at Zhao Yan, and stood up, saying, "I should have known long ago. I believed too much that she was still alive, and that belief made me forget reality."
"Master, please give me some time alone."
"Let's go, Sister Zhao. Let him have some peace," Wu Jiaxin said.
Zhao Yan nodded softly, leading Wu Jiaxin out of the house. At the same time, she reminded Li Ji that he could contact her if anything happened.
Zhao Yan and Wu Jiaxin went downstairs, and her phone rang with a "ding."
She picked up her phone; there were several text messages.
"Master, if I leave now, can I still reincarnate with her!"
"Master! I have one last request. Please tell my parents to combine my ashes with my wife's ashes."
"Have them scatter our ashes into the sea. My wife loved the sea, she loved it very, very much!"
"Please apologize to them on my behalf for making them mourn their child."
Zhao Yan's pupils widened abruptly at the content of the messages.
"Damn it!!"
She quickly turned and rushed back.
Using four acceleration talismans in rapid succession, she sped towards the top floor.
Wu Jiaxin, not understanding what was happening, looked back but could no longer see Zhao Yan.
Reaching the rooftop, Li Ji spread his arms, a gentle smile on his face. As Zhao Yan pushed open the door to the rooftop, she saw Li Ji turn to face her with that smile before lying down flat and saying,
"Thank you, Master Zhao!"