Just as the monstrous Skin Weaver leaned closer to Li Shen, something unexpected happened.
A sudden flare of scorching heat erupted across its body.
The demon shrieked in agony and staggered backward.
When it looked down, it discovered more than a dozen glowing talismans plastered across its torso.
They ignited at once.
Brilliant spiritual fire erupted from the paper seals, spreading across the creature's rotten flesh.
The flames burned fiercely, tearing through decaying muscle and bone.
Sickly green smoke rose from the wounds as foul-smelling blood oozed from the charred holes in its body.
The courtyard quickly filled with the stench of burning carrion.
Not far away, Li Shen stood calmly.
A stack of talismans rested between his fingers.
A faint smile played on his lips.
"So," he asked lightly, "do I still smell appetizing?"
The Skin Weaver stared at him in disbelief.
"You—!"
Its voice twisted with fury.
"You tricked me! Your name isn't Xiao Yue!"
Li Shen shrugged casually.
"That much is true."
"But a cautious man doesn't reveal his real name to strangers—especially ones that eat hearts."
The demon's claws trembled with rage.
Its earlier spell had required a true name to bind the target.
When it asked their names earlier, it had been preparing the technique.
Li Shen's alias had ruined everything.
Realizing this, the Skin Weaver silently cursed human cunning.
For a creature that had only recently begun hunting among people, the world of human tricks was still dangerously unfamiliar.
---
Li Shen pinched his nose lightly.
"And another thing," he added casually.
"You smell awful."
"Like something that crawled out of a rotten fish barrel."
"If you insist on wearing human skin, you should at least invest in incense or perfume."
"You—!"
The demon nearly choked with anger.
---
Meanwhile, Lin Qingyu remained frozen where she stood.
Though her body was still trapped by the spell's lingering effect, she could hear every word of the argument.
Oddly enough…
The terrifying Skin Weaver now looked less like a predator and more like a victim being mercilessly mocked.
Lin Qingyu almost laughed.
Her only regret was that she had fallen for the trick earlier.
If she had been free, she would definitely have joined the verbal attack.
She was quite confident in her ability to insult monsters.
---
While the Skin Weaver focused on healing its wounds, Li Shen walked over to Lin Qingyu.
He murmured a short chant under his breath.
"Clear mind, steady spirit."
"Let the breath return to harmony."
"Let the soul return to stillness."
As the final word faded, the invisible restraint around Lin Qingyu vanished instantly.
She blinked in surprise and flexed her fingers.
Freedom returned.
Confusion followed immediately.
The chant Li Shen used was a basic meditation technique every Spirit Warden learned.
Its purpose was simply calming the mind and stabilizing spiritual energy.
In theory, it shouldn't break control spells at all.
Yet somehow…
It had just worked.
Seeing the puzzled look on her face, Li Shen chuckled.
"I adjusted the chant a little."
"With the help of a purification talisman, it can remove certain curse-type techniques."
He slipped a pale-blue talisman into her hand.
Lin Qingyu glanced at it briefly.
The surface was covered in dense symbols and twisting runes that made her head spin.
She immediately pushed it back into his hands.
"No thanks."
"I don't have time to study that nonsense."
People who specialized in talismans were clearly abnormal.
Li Shen simply laughed and tucked the charm away.
"Fair enough."
He nodded toward the recovering demon across the courtyard.
"Based on its aura, this Skin Weaver is roughly mid-tier among wandering spirits."
"Not weak, but not exceptional either."
"You can handle it easily."
Lin Qingyu snorted.
"Of course I can."
"That coward only succeeded earlier because of a cheap trick."
As she spoke, she grasped the hilt of the massive blade resting against the chair.
With a slow motion—
She drew it.
The weapon's name was Blazebreaker.
Forged from rare crimson ore found deep within volcanic mountains, the blade carried intense Yang energy—one of the few forces capable of severely damaging spiritual entities.
When the sword slid free from its sheath, sunlight struck its surface.
The metal glowed red like molten iron.
The Skin Weaver immediately sensed danger.
From that blade came the unmistakable scent of destruction.
"Then die with her!" the demon roared.
Black mist erupted from its body, flooding the courtyard.
Its wounds rapidly closed as its body twisted and expanded.
Bones cracked loudly.
Its limbs lengthened, muscles swelling grotesquely.
In seconds, the creature had transformed into a towering monster nearly two stories tall.
Huang Guangli saw the horrifying transformation.
He screamed once—
Then fainted instantly.
Li Shen calmly stepped aside.
"I'll leave this one to you."
He had already estimated the cost of fighting the demon himself.
Winning was possible, but it would require exposing several techniques he preferred to keep hidden.
Letting Lin Qingyu handle it was simply more efficient.
Besides…
She had been itching for a real fight all day.
Lin Qingyu stepped forward.
"Finally."
She lifted the massive blade.
Scarlet light exploded outward.
The courtyard seemed to drown in red brilliance.
Roof tiles, stone walls, even the drifting funeral banners were stained in crimson glow.
Startled birds burst from the nearby trees and scattered into the sky.
For a single moment—
The entire estate looked as if it had been painted in blood.
The Skin Weaver barely had time to roar.
Then Lin Qingyu moved.
Her blade fell.
A single strike.
The red light vanished instantly.
The monstrous figure froze.
Then collapsed into a heap of black ash.
The wind carried the ashes across the courtyard.
Silence returned.
Lin Qingyu exhaled slowly and slid the blade back into its sheath.
The crimson glow faded.
The sky returned to its normal color.
And the haunted estate fell quiet once more.
---