Volume One, Chapter 23: A Stinging Rebuff

"Alright, I’ll be there right away."

Su Tong hung up the phone, slung her bag over her shoulder, and stepped out the door.

In her bag were her usual talismans, a wolf-hair brush, cinnabar, and other essentials.

As she passed by Xiao Shiwei’s room, Su Tong knocked on the door.

Previously, Xiao Shiwei had made it clear: whenever Su Tong went to help Ye Mo, she had to bring her along. For one, she wanted to see Su Tong perform her rituals. For another, she was curious about how Ye Mo—so rigorous, so serious, so devoted to science—would react when faced with something that shattered his beliefs.

Xiao Shiwei opened the door quickly. Seeing it was Su Tong, she seemed excited.

"Did something happen to Brother Ye Mo?"

Su Tong nodded. "Yes."

"Let’s go, quickly!" Xiao Shiwei grabbed Su Tong, eager to leave.

Su Tong glanced at her friend’s spaghetti-strap nightgown and couldn’t help but ask, "You’re going out in that? Not going to change?"

Xiao Shiwei looked down at herself, unconcerned. "There’s no time. It’s not revealing anyway. Let’s hurry to see Brother Ye Mo."

Hearing the hint of glee in her tone rather than worry, Su Tong’s lips twitched ever so slightly, feeling somewhat at a loss for words.

When the two of them reached Ye Mo’s room, they found him tied to the bed with ropes, body contorted, face twisted in pain.

A doctor was examining him with an instrument, two assistants helping by the side.

Su Tong stepped up to the bedside and addressed them, "You can all leave now. I’ll handle this."

The doctor, seeing only a young girl, shot her a glare, his disapproval clear. "Don’t make trouble. Don’t you realize how dangerous his condition is?"

Su Tong’s face remained calm. "I do."

Seeing the doctor about to protest further, she continued, "Not only do I know how dangerous it is, I also know you won’t find anything wrong with your tests. If you keep wasting time, he might die in a few minutes."

"Young lady, who do you think you are? From your age, I’d guess you haven’t even graduated college—how could you—" the doctor started to scold harshly.

Xiao Shiwei, frustrated with their dithering, interrupted angrily.

"I’m Ye Mo’s sister. If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility. Now leave, and don’t interfere with Su Tong saving him."

Saying this, she ushered the three out and shut the door behind them.

Su Tong approached Ye Mo and examined him. He was possessed by malignant energy.

She spread a sheet of yellow paper on the desk, dipped her wolf-hair brush in cinnabar, and swiftly painted a Five Thunders Talisman.

Then, she pressed the talisman to Ye Mo’s forehead and chanted an incantation over it.

Xiao Shiwei watched as a burst of golden light flashed; countless streams of black mist erupted from Ye Mo’s body.

Su Tong’s hands shifted through various ritual gestures as she recited another spell.

The golden light enveloped the black mist in a tight circle, and then a piercing scream echoed from within.

Soon, the black mist dissipated, and the room fell silent.

It was the first time Xiao Shiwei had witnessed such a scene. Her voice trembled: "What was that thing? Is it dead?"

Su Tong replied, "It’s not that easy to destroy. But the malignant spirit that had invaded Ye Mo is gone."

"Then why hasn’t he woken up yet?" Xiao Shiwei asked, staring at Ye Mo, who lay motionless on the bed.

Su Tong exposed him matter-of-factly, "He’s not actually unconscious, so there’s nothing to wake up from, right, Mr. Ye?"

Her tone was unmistakably teasing.

Ye Mo, unable to keep up the act, opened his eyes, embarrassed.

Now, his complexion and temperature had returned to normal.

Yet everything he’d just experienced had upended his beliefs.

He’d felt it clearly—a cold, intangible, and unseen force had entered his body, eating away at his soul and seizing his emotions.

Modern medicine couldn’t detect it, but Su Tong had dispelled it with a single talisman.

Just yesterday, he’d confidently assured Su Tong that all this metaphysical talk was nonsense and that he needed no help. Now, he’d been proven wrong so swiftly.

He truly didn’t know how to face Su Tong, so he’d pretended to remain unconscious, hoping to figure out what to say before "waking up" again.

But she’d seen right through him.

Xiao Shiwei stepped forward to untie Ye Mo.

Her tone was half mocking, half playful: "Brother Ye Mo, you didn’t believe in the metaphysical arts, didn’t believe in Su Tong. How does it feel to be proven wrong?"

Ye Mo’s handsome face flushed, and he averted his gaze.

"Sorry, I apologize. I was too arrogant before."

Saying these words, he felt a weight lift from his heart.

Perhaps accepting the metaphysical wasn’t so difficult, after all.

He climbed down from the bed and bowed deeply to Su Tong.

"Thank you for saving me. I shouldn’t have doubted you before."

Su Tong waved it off, unconcerned. "It’s fine. As long as there’s compensation."

Ye Mo took out his phone. "How much do you want? I’ll transfer it to you right away."

"I don’t want money." Su Tong’s bright eyes fixed on the golden aura of merit around him. "I want merit."

Ye Mo was a little confused. "I have merit?"

"You do," Su Tong affirmed. "You have a lot."

Ye Mo accepted this readily. If Su Tong said so, it must be true.

"Alright, how much do you want? How do I give it to you?"

The amount was something Su Tong needed to consider carefully; she couldn’t make the same mistake as last time with Xiao Shiyu and ask for too little.

But she couldn’t ask for too much, either, or she wouldn’t be able to collect it.

After a moment’s thought, she held up three fingers.

"Thirty. As long as you agree, I’ll take it myself."

This was the first time Ye Mo had ever heard of merit being counted in units, and he had no idea how much one merit was worth.

So whatever number Su Tong gave was fine.

He nodded. "Alright."

Su Tong reached out to harvest it, but nothing happened.

She gave an awkward little laugh. Thinking back, the resistance when she’d tried to gather the merit wasn’t very strong—so perhaps she hadn’t asked for too much.

She recalculated and said, "Looks like that was too much. Twenty-six, then."

Xiao Shiwei, anxious, urged her, "Su Tong, why are you asking for less?"

She leaned in and whispered, "Didn’t we say you should ask for more?"

Su Tong’s expression was pained. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to ask for more—she simply couldn’t collect it.

Ye Mo was puzzled too, but didn’t press further. "Take as much as you want."

Su Tong reached out again; this time, there was no resistance. She received twenty-six units of merit.

Half of it dispersed into the world, erasing karmic debts; the other half became hers.

Merit: -9979.5.

Su Tong was so happy she nearly cried—finally, she’d taken in a two-digit sum of merit in one go.

At the same time, regret flooded her. She’d asked for too little when she’d helped Xiao Shiyu before.

People like Ye Mo, blessed with merit, had far more valuable lives than ordinary folk. Her fees should match.

She hadn’t realized this before, but from now on, she would.

Seeing the sweet smile on Su Tong’s face, Ye Mo ventured, "Have you collected the merit?"

Su Tong replied with a cheerful smile, "All done."

Ye Mo’s lips curved up in a smile, but then he grew serious. "That painting of the Divine Lady is dangerous. It can’t be allowed in the auction. I’m going to find Wang Chenyang and convince him to withdraw it."

He moved to leave, but Su Tong stopped him. "No need. Wang Chenyang won’t agree. Leave it to me."