Chapter 72: Differential Treatment

This woman, her belly swollen large, screamed terribly, rolling back and forth on the ground.

Except for two small children who ran over, crying while holding their mother to comfort her, everyone else kept their distance, daring not to glance this way even once.

Including the husband who had just been crying so terribly.

Five Soul Hunters surrounded this woman, their expressions solemn.

"The Wraith Womb Concealment Rite!" Su Huafang's eyes held disbelief: "Isn't this a forbidden technique only Soul Hunters can master? Was she dragged away by someone, or snatched by a Wraith?"

"Wraith!" Bai Liwei said in a low voice, "Not a Doll Wraith. That Wraith was barely visible in shape, appearing as a man."

Su Huafang's eyes widened further: "But even so, a Doll Wraith should not be born! Unless she was afflicted by a forbidden technique beforehand."

A flash of inspiration struck Li Lin's mind; he said, "Find someone to search her body. I suspect she has something on her."

Su Huafang asked the side, "Who is this woman's husband? Come here."

Soon, the man who had just been wailing approached; he glanced at his wife screaming on the ground, then immediately and fearfully averted his gaze.

"Search her body. See if there is anything unusual."

The man looked at Su Huafang pleadingly; now he dared not look at his wife on the ground even once, because her suddenly enlarged belly explained one thing: his own wife had already been harmed by a Wraith.

If he touched her recklessly, would he suffer misfortune too?

"Do not worry. It will be fine," Su Huafang said kindly.

This man still did not move.

At this moment, He Yumao walked over from the side, kicked the man without hesitation, and scolded, "If you do not act now, I will throw you outside to feed the Wraith. Do you think you are being given face?"

That man immediately rolled and crawled over to his wife's side and began searching the latter's body.

It must be said, these martial world men understood better how to 'deal with' common folk.

Not long after, the man retrieved from the woman a yellowish-brown, crumpled thing that looked very much like 'skin'.

After the man took it out, he glanced at it, screamed in shock again, and threw it aside.

At this time, the woman screaming on the ground saw her belly rapidly shrink.

A Doll Wraith crawled out from her lower body.

Just as it appeared, Bai Liwei quickly reached out and pinched it apart, dispersing it.

Doll Wraiths are indeed invisible, but Soul Hunters can sense them.

A mass of Yin Qi floated right before their eyes; for a Soul Hunter, it was as obvious as an ant on a bald man's head.

The woman finally stopped screaming, panting with wheezing sounds.

Her complexion turned very ugly, becoming much black and yellow, as if she had aged ten years.

Su Huafang squatted down, took out two pills, and fed them to the woman.

Then the Soul Hunters looked at that 'skin'-like foreign object on the ground.

"It has very faint Yin Qi. If one had not seen it with their own eyes, one would not have discovered it," Bai Liwei said, frowning.

Zhao Hao squatted down, used a small wooden stick picked up from the ground to lift and flip this thing over, looked at it for a while longer, and said, "Something I have never seen before."

Li Lin said, "It is the amniotic sac."

Everyone looked at him, full of curiosity.

"How do you know?" Su Huafang asked.

So Li Lin told the story of 'Sister Xiu Niang'.

After listening, everyone looked at the woman beside them.

Since Su Huafang's pills were indeed effective, the woman's appearance was no longer as miserable as before, though she was still panting.

Su Huafang asked, "Where did you get this thing?"

"In Jincheng... a Daoist gave it to me," the woman said in a small voice. "He said boiling it in water and drinking it would prevent me from growing old..."

"If it were truly such a precious thing, would others give it to you?" Zhao Hao sneered. "Speak the truth. Why would that Daoist give this thing to you?"

The woman said nothing.

The man grew anxious and scolded, "You damned woman, a Noble One is asking you, so just answer! Do you want to die?"

The woman gritted her teeth, turned her head aside, and said in a small voice, "I slept with him."

The man was stunned for a moment, then sat aside and said nothing, his spirit and energy clearly gone.

Zhao Hao chuckled lightly, "A huge loss."

Bai Bufan used the wooden stick to lift the amniotic sac, walked aside, covered it with some leaves, and ignited the leaves with a fire starter.

Soon, a fishy, intensely foul burnt smell spread out.

Su Huafang was somewhat puzzled: "According to Li Xunshou, the Qin family in Feirong County has already been exterminated. Was that Daoist not from the Qin family?"

"According to Young Master Wang and the County Magistrate, the Qin family in Feirong County should have secretly submitted to the Qin family of Yuecheng," Li Lin said helplessly. "It is hard to say whether there are no Zhao families, Li families, Zhang families, and the like in Jincheng that have also secretly submitted to the Qin family of Yuecheng. I just cannot understand why these people are creating so many Doll Wraiths."

Su Huafang said, "The Ghost Raising Technique can make use of these Doll Wraiths. Moreover, newly born Doll Wraiths do not possess such heavy malice; they are excellent cultivation materials."

Li Lin looked at the woman on the ground who could not bear to face anyone and said, "So she was also born in a Yin Year and Yin Month?"

Bai Bufan's eyes brightened; he said in a small voice, "Uncle, my cousin was also born in a Yin Year and Yin Month."

Bai Liwei's face was like cold frost; he snorted, "We cannot meddle in the affairs of Jincheng, but these people must not be allowed to run wild in Yulin County. Return immediately and report this matter to the County Magistrate; he will certainly not sit idly by."

After that, none of the five Soul Hunters spoke again; instead, they began to rest.

Although some unexpected incidents occurred, it was a good thing that no one died.

As for the matter of wearing a green hat... such things are always emerging endlessly in the world.

After one night passed, the caravan set out again.

They returned to Yulin County City at the Wei hour.

He Yumao bid farewell to Su Huafang and the others with thousand thanks.

He understood clearly that without the Soul Hunters, last night's incident would not have ended simply with the birth of a Doll Wraith; many people would certainly have died.

Li Lin did not rush back to Shangkou Village; instead, he returned to his "new home," took a hot bath, and then had a good meal.

Just as he was about to lie down and rest, he heard Zhang Afu come to report: "Master, an official messenger has arrived outside, saying the County Magistrate requests your presence at the county government office."

It was an expected matter; Li Lin simply did not expect Huang Yan to be so attentive to the "Wangliang Fetus Concealment Secret Rite."

In the main hall of the county government office, all eight Spirit Hunters had arrived.

Huang Yan looked spirited, his complexion clearly much better than before.

It seemed the effects of the Body-Strengthening Pill were quite excellent.

He glanced gently at Li Lin, then said: "Regarding the matter of the evil arts, I will issue a proclamation to alert the people, and tomorrow I will report it upward; I expect the imperial court will soon reply. Additionally, our county's Spirit Hunters have suffered heavy casualties, leaving only nine now, far insufficient to maintain normal needs; therefore, six Spirit Hunters will be transferred from Xiang City. I specifically inform you all to avoid any misunderstandings or conflicts when the time comes."

Su Huafang and others showed expressions of joy.

The more local Spirit Hunters there are, the better and safer it is; this is common sense.

Huang Yan paused for a moment, then spoke in a somewhat inexplicable tone: "I have heard that seven days from now, at Wanglong Slope in the western suburbs of Jincheng, a great battle will take place. If my expectations hold, Taowu Zhenjun should fall. Whoever is interested may go to the surroundings to gather some Yin Qi Stones for cultivation; if stopped by imperial court personnel, simply report my name, Huang."

Su Huafang and others were overjoyed.

"Thank you, County Magistrate, for your care!"

Huang Yan looked at Li Lin: "Li Xunshou need not go!"

Su Huafang and others looked at Li Lin with envy; they could already sense that the County Magistrate seemed to be giving Li Lin special treatment.

(End of this chapter)