[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-dark-and-dawn-light-years":3,"chapter-dark-and-dawn-light-years-dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-72":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Dark and Dawn Light-Years",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2264672,4420,"Chapter 72: Unequal Treatment","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-72",72,"\u003Cp>The woman, heavily pregnant, screamed in agony as she rolled on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides two children running over, crying and hugging their mother for comfort, everyone else kept far away, daring not to glance even once in that direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Including the husband who had been wailing just moments ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five Spirit Hunters circled the woman, their expressions grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Wángliǎng Embryo Sealing Ritual!” Su Huafang’s eyes widened in disbelief: “Isn’t this a forbidden art only Spirit Hunters can master? Was she dragged away—or taken by a wraith?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A wraith,” Bai Liwei whispered: “Not a doll wraith. That wraith’s shape is barely visible—it looks like a man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Huafang’s eyes widened further: “Even so, it shouldn’t produce a doll wraith! Unless she was already cursed beforehand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin’s mind flashed with insight. He said: “Find someone to search her body. I suspect she’s hiding something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Huafang turned to the side and asked: “Who is this woman’s husband? Come here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the man who had been wailing earlier approached. He glanced at his wife writhing on the ground, then immediately averted his gaze in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Search her. Look for anything unusual.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man pleaded with Su Huafang, now too afraid to look even once at his wife on the ground, for her swollen belly made one thing clear—his wife had been cursed by a wraith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if touching her brought him the same fate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry. It’s safe,” Su Huafang said gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man still didn’t move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, He Yumao stepped forward and kicked the man without hesitation, cursing: “If you don’t move now, I’ll throw you outside to feed the wraiths. Are you asking for trouble?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man immediately scrambled over to his wife and began searching her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One had to admit—these men of the martial world knew better how to “handle” ordinary people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the man pulled from the woman’s body a yellowish-brown, wrinkled, skin-like object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held it up, glanced at it, screamed in terror, and hurled it aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that instant, the woman’s screaming belly shrank rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A doll wraith emerged from between her legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as soon as it appeared, Bai Liwei swiftly reached out and crushed it into nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Doll wraiths are invisible, but Spirit Hunters can sense them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cluster of yin energy drifted before them—obvious as ants on a bald head to a Spirit Hunter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman finally stopped screaming, gasping weakly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face turned ghastly—dark and yellowed, as if she’d aged ten years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Huafang knelt down, pulled out two pills, and fed them to the woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the Spirit Hunters stared at the strange skin-like object on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It emits extremely faint yin energy. If we hadn’t seen it with our own eyes, we’d never have noticed,” Bai Liwei frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Hao knelt down, prodded the object with a stick he picked up from the ground, turned it over, and studied it: “I’ve never seen anything like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin said: “It’s the placenta.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stared at him, curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you know that?” Su Huafang asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin then recounted the story of “Xiu Niang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing it, all looked at the woman beside them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to Su Huafang’s pills, the woman no longer looked as horrific as before—though she still gasped for breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Huafang asked: “Where did you get this thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In Jincheng… a Daoist gave it to me,” the woman whispered: “Said if I boiled it in water and drank it, I’d never grow old…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it were truly that precious, would someone just give it to you?” Zhao Hao sneered: “Tell the truth—why did that Daoist give it to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man grew frantic, shouting: “You damned bitch! The nobleman’s asking you—answer him! Do you want to die?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman clenched her teeth, turned her head, and whispered: “I slept with him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man froze, then sat down silently, his spirit utterly drained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Hao let out a light laugh: “Got cheated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Liwei used his stick to lift the placenta, carried it aside, covered it with leaves, then lit the leaves with a fire starter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, a foul, pungent stench of burning flesh spread through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Huafang frowned: “According to Li Xunshou, the Qin family of Feirong County has been wiped out. Wasn’t that Daoist from the Qin family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to Prince Wang and the County Magistrate, the Qin family of Feirong County secretly pledged allegiance to the Qin family of Yuecheng,” Li Lin said wearily: “It’s hard to say Jincheng doesn’t have other families—Zhao, Li, Zhang—who’ve also secretly sided with Yuecheng’s Qin. I just can’t understand why they’re producing so many doll wraiths.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Huafang said: “Doll wraiths can be used in spirit cultivation. Newly born ones carry less malice—they make excellent material for nurturing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin looked at the woman, too ashamed to raise her head, and asked: “So she was born in a yin year and yin month?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zhiwei’s eyes brightened slightly. He whispered: “Uncle, my cousin was also born in a yin year and yin month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Liwei’s face turned icy. He snorted: “We can’t interfere in Jincheng’s affairs—but in Yulin County, we won’t let these people run rampant. We’ll report this to the County Magistrate the moment we return. He won’t sit idle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, the five Spirit Hunters fell silent and began to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though an unexpected turn occurred, no one died—that was good enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for green hats… such things were endless in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night passed, and the party set out again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They returned to Yulin County by the hour of Wei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yumao bowed repeatedly, thanking Su Huafang and the others profusely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that without the Spirit Hunters, last night’s incident wouldn’t have ended with just one doll wraith being born—it would have claimed many lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin didn’t rush back to Tikaou Village. Instead, he returned to his “new home,” took a hot bath, and ate a proper meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to rest, Zhang Afu came to report: “Master, a government official is outside. The County Magistrate requests your presence at the government office.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Expected, but Li Lin hadn’t anticipated Huang Yan’s keen interest in the “Wángliǎng Embryo Sealing Ritual.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the government office’s courtroom, all eight Spirit Hunters had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Yan was energetic, his complexion noticeably improved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the Qi-Strengthening Pills worked well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced kindly at Li Lin, then said: “Regarding the forbidden art, I will issue a public notice to warn the people. Tomorrow, I will submit a report to the imperial court—word will surely come soon. Also, our local Spirit Hunters have suffered heavy losses; only nine remain, far too few to maintain order. Thus, six Spirit Hunters will be transferred from Xiangcheng. I inform you now to prevent misunderstandings or conflicts later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Huafang and the others beamed with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More local Spirit Hunters meant greater safety—a basic truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Yan paused, then spoke in an oddly tone: “I’ve heard that seven days from now, at Wanglong Slope in Jincheng’s western suburbs, a great battle will take place. If all goes as predicted, the Zhenjun Taowu will perish. Those interested may go to gather yin stones for cultivation. If imperial officials try to stop you, say my name—Huang Yan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Huafang and the others rejoiced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Magistrate, for your kindness!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Yan looked at Li Lin: “Li Xunshou, you need not go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Huafang and the others looked at Li Lin with envy—they could already sense the Magistrate’s special favor toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1263,"2026-06-19T19:39:18.782Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e54a2676f975decaffe2fa65f52d70f0416003ac7f265120aeb158e2165db344","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-73","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-71",221,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdark-and-dawn-light-years-cover.jpg"]