"So that's how it is..."
After learning about the experience of Zhou Wei's soul that had been parasitizing on me, Du Peilin sneered. "No wonder the one who came to fetch your soul was the famous Seventh Lord of the Underworld. It seems your wife's grievance was so great that they had to lock away your living soul to the netherworld for a lawsuit!"
"Master! I know!"
Zhou Wei shivered and glanced at me. "So... so I found this woman, thinking that if I took over her body, no one would know where I was hiding!"
"Hahaha! You fool!"
Du Peilin looked at me and grinned. "Tell me, of all the people you could have chosen, why did you have to pick such a powerful person? She's a Taoist practitioner. She doesn't even need to devour you. She has a thousand ways to deal with you!"
...
I thought Du Peilin was overestimating me.
If I really had a way, how could I have let him stick to my soul and not be able to get rid of him?!
"I was wrong... Master, save me..."
By this time, we had arrived at the ward next to the emergency room.
A thin and sallow - looking man was lying on the bed by the door. Different from the other beds, there was not a single caregiver beside him.
"Look at how you've ended up. Not even a single person to take care of you... Tsk tsk tsk!"
Du Peilin stood there obliquely and sneered. "I don't see any of your mistresses coming to take care of you. It seems money isn't omnipotent after all!"
"She just doesn't know! If she did, she would definitely come."
Unexpectedly, Zhou Wei still dared to be stubborn. "Xiaoyu really wants to live with me. Just because of my money, she wouldn't abandon me!"
"Hehe!"
Du Peilin rolled his eyes and suddenly laughed. "Zhou Wei, well, since the heavens are kind, and you've met us, you have a chance to live!"
"Hey! You..."
I didn't expect Du Peilin, who seemed to hate evil so much on the surface, to actually try to save such a scumbag. I immediately stared at him angrily. "If you want to save him, do it yourself. I'm not getting involved!"
"I said, Xiao He, you can't just ignore this! You've almost devoured him. If you don't spit him out, he doesn't have the ability to break free on his own!"
Du Peilin reached out and tapped my forehead. "It seems you know you're a zombie, and... you should have devoured quite a few souls. Right, right... maybe you've even eaten people!"
"I haven't!!"
I retorted loudly. I had never done anything to hurt others in my memory.
"You're about to!"
Du Peilin glanced at Zhou Wei, who was lying on the bed, on the verge of death. His face clearly showed an expression of "Sure enough, you're a disaster to the world."
I gritted my teeth. "I won't save him. Tell me, how do I get him out of my soul?!"
"I'll help you!"
Du Peilin looked like a good show was about to start. "However..."
He then turned to look at Zhou Wei. "I don't help for free! You have to pay with some 'yuan'."
"Yuan?! Isn't meeting the master already my good fortune?"
Zhou Wei looked at Du Peilin eagerly, not knowing what this smiling man was up to.
"So... how much 'yuan' are you going to pay to continue our connection?"
Seeing that Zhou Wei didn't understand, Du Peilin simply rubbed his thumb and middle finger twice.
"... Uh, this 'yuan'!"
Zhou Wei finally understood what Du Peilin meant and hurriedly said, "One hundred thousand. Will one hundred thousand 'yuan' do?!"
Unexpectedly, Du Peilin just rolled his eyes and didn't say a word.
Zhou Wei was stunned for a moment. "... Then, two... two hundred thousand?"
"It seems our connection is still not deep enough!"
Du Peilin shook his head and walked up to Zhou Wei's body, lifting his eyelids. "Paraquat. In theory, it's impossible to save someone who has drunk it. You know, many people who drink this kind of poison can still live for ten days or half a month..."
"Ah?!"
Zhou Wei didn't understand why the master in front of him was saying this.
"Although their bodies are still alive, their souls...," Du Peilin looked at him. "Are just like yours. They've already left their bodies. But you're lucky. First, you met the great evil ghost Du. She helped you scare away the white - robed ghost who came to fetch your soul. Then you met me, a kind - hearted and benevolent person... Without three to five million 'yuan', how could you have such good luck?!"
"Ugh!"
I really couldn't stand his serious nonsense. This "yuan" was clearly money. Du Peilin, who looked so solemn, was actually just like my grandfather, using tricks to deceive people.
"Three... three to five million?"
Zhou Wei hesitated. He was from a family that had received compensation for demolition. He didn't know how to manage money or invest. He had already squandered three or four - tenths of his nearly ten - million - yuan fortune. He did have three to five million... but if he gave it to us, he would probably become a penniless man immediately!
"Can it be less, Master?!" He cried with a mournful face.
"It can't be less... Actually, this is a story of '1' and '0'. You as a whole person are '1'. Without you, what's the use of all that money?!"
Du Peilin was really good at speaking. With just one metaphor, he blocked all of Zhou Wei's thoughts of bargaining.
"... Well, okay..."
Zhou Wei's soul had become so thin that it was just a faint layer lying on my shoulder.
I also found it strange. Du Peilin said that I had absorbed this guy's soul, but I didn't feel anything. A feeling of fullness? Better mental state? Not at all!
This Du Peilin was full of lies. I thought he was probably lying to me too!
"Very good! Benefactor Zhou is so generous. After this ordeal, you're sure to have a bright future!"
Having achieved his goal, Du Peilin immediately beamed with joy. "I'll first help you separate your soul and let you return to your own body. Then I'll add a soul - stabilizing talisman so that the white - robed ghost can't find you... Then, we'll see if we can still extend your life!"
"Ah?! We still have to try?!"
Zhou Wei thought that since he had paid the money, he would surely be able to live.
"Of course. Didn't you say you have a true love?" Du Peilin shook his head and said. "As long as she takes good care of you, not for long, just seven days, and you'll live a long life!"
... Zhou Wei's soul suddenly became a bit fainter. He stammered for a long time before saying, "Then... I can only give it a try."
In fact, he still had a glimmer of hope in his heart. His true love, "Xiaoyu", should take good care of him even if it was just for the sake of the money, right?
Sure enough, Du Peilin was a high - level expert of the Qingwei School. The green talismans on him seemed to be free.
He took one and pasted it on Zhou Wei's forehead on the bed, and burned another one. Then he patted the ashes on Zhou Wei's living soul on my shoulder.
This was what was called "building a bridge" in magic. The talisman was the bridge that led the soul back to the body. The higher - level the talisman, the more stable the bridge.
When Zhou Wei's soul was pulled out from my shoulder, it still made me feel a strong dizziness... just like the feeling when I had a hypoglycemic attack on normal days...