Chapter Sixty-Four: The Soul's Return Succeeds

Suddenly, Nangong Xi’s spiritual form vanished in an instant, and a chill wind swept through the room. “Whether she succeeds or not depends on her own fate,” Second Grandpa Zou said, his brow furrowing deeper, the wrinkles on his face growing more pronounced.

I gazed at Nangong Xi’s physical body and nodded gently. All at once, I sensed a sharp drop in temperature behind me. I glanced at the still-unsummoned Snow Blade. Thankfully, Second Grandpa’s warning had made me alert.

“Boy, there are dark spirits trying to break in—hold them off!” Second Grandpa called.

Having recently ascended another realm, my reflexes were swift. The moment Second Grandpa finished speaking, I snapped to attention and summoned the Snow Blade without a second’s delay.

With a low growl, I swept the blade in a fierce arc. Miserable shrieks echoed through the air, and within seconds, they dissolved into clouds of black smoke.

I quickly channeled spiritual energy into my eyes, finally able to see the spirits clearly. There weren’t many—just three or four. Moreover, they were feeble, mindless things, blindly rushing forward. I dispatched them one by one, as easily as slicing melons.

“Well done, boy! Keep the balcony secure. These are mindless spirits; the stronger ones are yet to come,” Second Grandpa said.

No sooner had he finished than a surge of spiritual energy swept through the area. Gripping my blade, I scrutinized the darkness around me. I could see nothing, relying only on instinct.

Suddenly, a chill swept in from my left. I quickly formed a hand seal, summoning the Five Spirits Technique out of thin air. The spirit was nimble, shifting its body, but still caught a blow to its left shoulder, leaving a hole the size of a bowl. Without a hint of mercy, I flicked my blade across its neck. It struggled briefly, then fell silent.

But I had underestimated the enemy—this was not the spirit that had emanated spiritual energy moments ago!

Just as I raised my head, a shadow darted out from directly in front of me. Its speed was slower than mine, but not by much.

This spirit was different from the others. It wore a black robe and a skull necklace. I thought it might be formidable, but it turned out to be of the second grade of Spirit Leaf—lower than me.

Adjusting my stance, I engaged it on the balcony. Thankfully, my balcony was large enough for me to maneuver, though several items were smashed in the scuffle.

A second-grade Spirit Leaf could withstand at most two strikes from me before falling to my blade.

Leaning against the wall, cigarette in hand, I watched its body dissipate in the wind, thinking: these spirits are too feeble, hardly any fun...

But fate had other plans. A figure slowly materialized before me.

This spirit was unlike the others, dressed in ornate clothing reminiscent of what Dong Jiarui wore.

“Boy, leave this one to me; you go guard her body,” Second Grandpa said, bursting out of the room and launching into an intense battle with the spirit.

Second Grandpa now wielded his weapon—a long sword. I hadn’t examined it closely before, but now saw intricate patterns etched across its cyan blade, roughly the same length as my Snow Blade.

I had witnessed Second Grandpa’s prowess; the way he brandished the sword was like a graceful dance, though hidden within the flourish was deadly intent.

Each move seemed a display of artistry, but danger lurked beneath. Their movements were so swift I couldn’t discern their expressions—only the outlines of their bodies.

Yet Second Grandpa’s advantage was clear: armed, he was stronger than a spirit without a weapon.

As expected, the spirit was soon forced onto the defensive, stabbed several times in quick succession. After another round of attacks, the outcome was obvious.

Driven back relentlessly, the spirit’s throat was finally severed by Second Grandpa’s blade.

Only then did Second Grandpa halt his assault. “A piece of cake!” he laughed heartily, strolling back inside, as carefree as a mischievous old child.

Yet when it came to serious matters, he was reliable. Returning to Nangong Xi’s side, his expression grew solemn again.

“It’s about time,” he said.

“What? What’s about to happen?” I was completely puzzled, staring at Second Grandpa.

Unhurried, he rummaged through his ring for a while before pulling out a small boat folded from yellow paper. After chanting a few incantations, he placed it at Nangong Xi’s feet.

By chance, I noticed the oil lamp had gone out. I expected something dramatic, but Second Grandpa simply exhaled in relief and said quietly, “It’s here.”

I scanned every corner of the room, finding nothing unusual. With a sigh, I lit another cigarette and watched Second Grandpa work.

He untied the red string from the oil lamp and affixed a talisman to Nangong Xi’s forehead. Then, murmuring to the little boat, he caused it to float into the air.

It drifted about, then finally settled onto Nangong Xi’s body.

“Return to soul!”

With Second Grandpa’s command, another gentle breeze swept through the room.

At that moment, I saw a faint afterimage gradually form in the air. Looking closely, I realized it was Nangong Xi, appearing exactly as she had before vanishing, eyes tightly shut.

I thought she would stand there, but to my surprise, she floated directly toward her own body, merging seamlessly.

My mouth hung open, eyes wide in astonishment—even though I’d witnessed strange phenomena, nothing as utterly mystical as this.

Second Grandpa beside me relaxed his furrowed brow and clapped his hands. “It’s done!”

He gathered up the talismans and paper boat, telling me all that remained was to wait for her to wake.

Despite claiming his health was poor and he couldn’t stay up late, he had just fought more fiercely than anyone. Still, he departed quickly.

He also instructed me to ensure Nangong Xi rested well over the coming days—no work for her.

I glanced at the clock; it was already two in the morning. Nangong Xi showed no signs of waking, so I sat cross-legged beside her, cultivating as I waited.

I quickly entered the state, and after just one cycle, spiritual energy flowed into my body.

Sometimes I thought I needed to study the Eight Trigram Formation more, since I still couldn’t use it. And as for swordsmanship, next time I saw Second Grandpa, I’d ask him for a manual.

...

Suddenly, a bout of coughing startled me from meditation.

I immediately ceased cultivating and opened my eyes to find Nangong Xi coughing incessantly. Thankfully, her body had regained normal warmth, meaning she was now human, not a spirit.

Overjoyed, I hurriedly carried her to the sofa and boiled a pot of hot water.

A few minutes later, Nangong Xi slowly opened her eyes, gazing confusedly at the ceiling.

“You’re awake?” I sat beside her, smiling.

“Where am I...” Nangong Xi was still disoriented, but I cut her off gently.

“You’re human now, not a spirit. You can live well.”