Chapter 560: The More You Give, the More You Get

The Li family had woken early, risen early, and sat waiting in the dining hall early.

When the three of them could no longer bear their hunger and the two Daoists' rooms remained utterly silent, they reluctantly ate first themselves.

By the time Pan Yun and Li Wenying strolled through the Li estate's architecture and reached the front hall, the Young Master had been holding a book without turning a page for two geng.

Seeing the two, he immediately tucked the book away and hurried forward: "Did the two Daoists sleep well last night?"

Pan Yun: "Perfectly."

He thought so too—otherwise how could they have slept until now?

The Young Master looked like he wanted to ask but couldn't bring himself to, so Pan Yun raised an eyebrow and spoke directly: "After we've eaten, we'll visit the places where your father encountered the evil."

The Young Master: "Won't we go at night?"

Pan Yun: "Why scare yourselves? Whether day or night, it exists objectively—only the difference lies in manifestation or concealment."

The Young Master wasn't afraid, but his legs felt weak—he thought his father was probably even more terrified.

Seeing it at night was already terrifying enough; not seeing it by day? That must be even worse.

Li the Elder hurried over and heard the last two sentences, nearly stumbling to the ground. Supported by his steward, he shuffled forward trembling and asked: "Daoist Pan, Pan, Pan—is that thing there during the day too?"

Pan Yun scanned him from head to toe, filled with pity: "It's there. And after one night, your aura of malevolence has grown heavier, Master Li."

Li the Elder collapsed under his steward's support, wailing: "No wonder I had nightmares all night, felt ghosts chasing me! Daoist Pan, you must save me!"

Pan Yun nodded: "Of course, of course."

Pan Yun sped up eating breakfast and urged Li Wenying: "Master, hurry—the client can't wait."

Li the Elder, seated beside them, was deeply moved; his attention finally shifted from Li Wenying to Pan Yun. Indeed, young people were better—youthful sincerity!

Especially a youth like Pan Yun, just beginning to absorb the finest moral teachings, possessing a pure heart and holding himself to the strictest moral standards.

Think of his son at that age…

Li the Elder's eyes flickered with memory—back then, how good it was! His son would spot a pile of cow dung on the road and track down the cow to return it!

Now, he only lies to steal his money and talks back to him.

Pan Yun set down her chopsticks in surprise: "Master Li, why are you crying?"

Li the Elder wiped his eyes with his sleeve, voice choked: "I was thinking of the past—it saddens me. Daoist Pan, don't mind me, please eat."

Pan Yun could no longer eat. He took one steamed bun for Pan Xiaohei, picked it up, and stood: "I'm done. Master Li, let's go to where you encountered the evil."

The places where Li the Elder encountered the evil were scattered in all four directions, but none were far from Great Li Village.

Because no matter which direction he returned home, as long as dusk fell slightly, he encountered the evil—he was certain now: this evil targeted him alone.

Li the Elder trembled: "Several times, my nape turned icy. Even after entering the house, the chill didn't fade. I've felt… something foul trailing behind me."

Pan Yun, admiring Great Li Village's scenery, nodded: "Anything else?"

"Yes!" Li the Elder said solemnly: "I've grown increasingly unlucky. My shops keep having mishaps, my estate suffers problems every few days, officials in the county and prefecture keep harassing me…"

Pan Yun looked at him with deeper pity, hesitated, then asked: "Master Li, what do you think of the current magistrate of Ji'an County?"

Li the Elder evaded: "The Magistrate is naturally virtuous—any wrongdoing comes from his subordinates."

Pan Yun: "Then he's not very good."

Li the Elder: …

"When Yang Ji fell, he wasn't implicated?"

Li the Elder frowned, wary: "What does this have to do with Yang Ji?"

Pan Yun stopped walking: "Aren't you being punished because of Yang Ji's misdeeds?"

Li the Elder opened his mouth, then sharply turned to glare at the Young Master.

The Young Master: "…Father, you must tell Daoist Pan the truth."

"What truth!" Li the Elder roared. "Stop guessing! This is my own curse—has nothing to do with that man!"

He was too furious—he slapped his son several times, still unsatisfied, then twisted his ear until the boy screamed and nearly collapsed, leaning close to his ear to hiss: "Fool! How dare you repeat our father-son talk? At this moment, anyone linked to Yang Ji loses two layers of skin—we avoid him like plague, and you go running to him!"

Li the Elder, thinking of it more, grew angrier—after releasing his ear, he raised his foot to kick him again.

But he was his own ally.

Pan Yun stepped forward at once, pulling Li the Elder aside: "Master Li, you are my client—I serve your interests. You needn't hide anything from me."

She added: "Besides, exorcism requires honesty. If I don't know where the evil originates, how can I treat it properly?"

"Just see the evil and exorcise it—I know Daoists have Thunderous Methods," Li the Elder whispered, hinting: "Money is no issue."

Pan Yun shook her head firmly: "No. Forceful suppression breeds resentment. Even if you destroy it with thunderous methods, you still accrue evil karma. I exorcise demons and dispel evil to accumulate merit, to plant good causes. Would this not be turning things upside down?"

How young~ Li the Elder secretly slipped a fifty-ounce silver note into her hand: "Money is no issue."

Pan Yun spoke sternly: "No! We must still investigate the cause…"

Li the Elder slipped her another note: "From your conduct, Master Li knows you are truly skilled. If you help me exorcise this evil, money is no issue…"

Pan Yun frowned and shook her head.

Li the Elder added another note.

Pan Yun glared at him; Li the Elder added another.

The Young Master beside them: …

Seeing his father keep slipping more, he rushed forward to stop him: "Father, Father! Just answer Daoist Pan's questions! Oh!"

Li the Elder snatched the money back, shoved it into Pan Yun's hand again, and glared: "Shut up! Adults speak—children don't interrupt! Go away!"

The Young Master: …

!

He grew angry too, turned, and stormed off to the side.

Pan Yun looked at the pile of silver notes in her hand, raised an eyebrow, smoothed each one, stacked them, and slipped them into her sleeve, lips curling slightly: "Since Master Li insists, I'll have to exert extra effort."

Li the Elder exhaled, smiling brightly: "Thank you, Daoist Pan."

Pan Yun kept her smile and said, "Let's go take a look at the place where Master Li first ran into the evil."

Master Li gave a start.

Pan Yun tilted her head slightly to look back at him, a half-smile on her lips: "Since every direction has evil encounters, the first time is very important."

Under her gaze, a chill rose from the soles of Master Li's feet. He opened his mouth several times, wanting to refuse, yet couldn't bring himself to — what if driving out the evil really required going to that place?

She was right; the evil was most likely there. If she didn't go, wouldn't it mean the exorcism couldn't be done?

Master Li slightly averted his gaze: "Follow me."

He always felt her eyes could see right through a person, which made him somewhat uncomfortable — yet it also seemed like an illusion, because by the time he gathered himself and turned back with a smile to look at Pan Yun, her face was smiling too, warm and attentive as before. Seeing him look her way, she asked gently, "Has Master Li gotten tired from walking?"

"No, no, this little bit of road isn't enough to tire me out."

Pan Yun smiled and nodded: "Master Li is still young in years. Once this evil is removed and your righteous aura returns, your body will gradually get better."

This was exactly what Master Li had been pursuing, and he laughed happily as well.

The place where he first ran into the evil was very close to the county town — right on the road from the county town back to Big Li Village, no more than three li out of the city, and only about two li from Big Li Village.

Pan Yun stood by the roadside. Master Li recalled it and was still a little afraid: "At the time the sun had just set, but it wasn't fully dark yet. I was sitting in the horse carriage when suddenly every sound disappeared — the sound of the wheels rolling, the sound of the horse's hooves, all of it vanished. I suddenly felt very cold, and wanted to lift the curtain to see where we were…"

Master Li gave a start: "The moment I flipped the curtain open, outside was pitch-black, nothing at all."

Pan Yun, who had been carefully observing the road, was startled and said peevishly: "If there was nothing there, what were you afraid of?"

Master Li cried out "Aiya!": "It's precisely because there was nothing that I was scared! Where are my attendants? Where's my coachman? They've all disappeared!"

Li Wenying and Pan Yun exchanged a glance, then stepped forward and asked curiously: "And then?"

Master Li lowered his voice slightly: "I thought they were slacking off, so I cursed a few times. Who would have known two clumps of black qi suddenly plunged down from the sky and shot straight through me. My chest went tight, my vision went black, and I was in the netherworld!"

Pan Yun's eyes lit up: "The netherworld? You went to the netherworld? Did you see any ghost messengers? What did the netherworld look like?"

Master Li's face was covered in sweat, and he said with a look of terror: "Eerie and ghastly, wailing of ghosts and howling of wolves, so many, many monsters — in short, very terrifying."

Pan Yun, however, suddenly calmed down: "I see~~"

Master Li's face darkened: "You don't believe me?"

"I do," Pan Yun nodded once: "But what you saw probably wasn't the netherworld."

"You think I drank too much and imagined it too, don't you?" Master Li said unhappily: "I checked — I reached out and touched things with my own hands. I could grab solid objects. I even bit my own arm — look, the bloodstains are still on my arm."

Pan Yun glanced at the sleeve he had rolled up. On it were two rows of teeth marks — one could tell the biter had used a lot of force. Pan Yun praised: "Master Li really can bring himself to bite."

Master Li's face went solemn as he lowered his sleeve: "Does Daoist Pan still not believe me now?"

"I do!" Pan Yun turned and pointed at the slope in front of her, asking: "Is this hill owned by the government office, or by someone's family?"

Master Li's heart thumped violently, all color draining from his face. After a moment of silence he said: "Mine."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow: "Let's go, up to take a look." (End of chapter)