Chapter 21: Don't Talk to Me About Interests, Talk Money!

"By the order of the Dragon God, I borrow the power of the Thunder God to purge the evil!"

With a deafening boom, a bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, hitting Michiko squarely in the lower back. In an instant, the woman was charred black, looking like a piece of char siu fresh out of a furnace, emitting a strange, acrid scent.

One would have assumed such a strike would be fatal, yet the charcoal-like Michiko stood stiffly for a moment, her body making creaking sounds as if she were about to move again. Seeing this, Lin Bei immediately swung his demon-purging sword. With a roar, the blade, imbued with the True Fire of the Sun, sliced upward and cleaved Michiko in two.

Ma Xiaoling’s eyes narrowed at the sight. She could clearly feel that Lin Bei was significantly stronger than he had been the day before when dealing with the two ancient corpses. Having trained in Taoist arts under her great-aunt since childhood and later learning from Uncle Qiu, she possessed the combined strengths of both the Southern Mao and Northern Ma clans, making her essentially invincible among the younger generation. Yet, seeing Lin Bei’s speed, she realized it wouldn't take long for him to catch up to her.

Although Ma Xiaoling mastered the Ma family's ancestral Dragon God Spell, Lin Bei possessed a mysterious breathing technique that could summon the True Fire of the Sun. Pushing these thoughts aside, Ma Xiaoling looked at Lin Bei again and her pupils constricted in shock. "What are you doing?"

At that moment, Lin Bei was using the True Fire of the Sun to burn Michiko’s remaining head into ash. Hearing Ma Xiaoling’s voice, he turned his head and replied with a solemn face, "Naturally, I’m scattering her ashes to prevent future trouble. If I left the corpse behind, what if she underwent a corpse transformation?"

Having seen countless supernatural films, Lin Bei knew well that if a villain’s corpse remained, a transformation was inevitable. Had he opened his Yin-Yang eyes, he would have scattered her soul as well. Otherwise, the forces of Fate and Luo Hou lurking in the shadows would surely seize the opportunity to stir up trouble, perhaps by turning Michiko into a vengeful spirit.

Ma Xiaoling’s mouth twitched. While Lin Bei’s reasoning made sense, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Before she could say anything, Uncle Fung and the others walked over.

The ease with which they had eliminated Michiko was entirely due to the evil-suppressing talismans used by the five exorcists, which had directly weakened her strength by more than half. Upon arriving, they noticed the lack of a corpse, seeing only a pile of white powder on the ground, and instinctively looked at Ma Xiaoling. They had all seen the divine thunder summoned by the Ma family’s Dragon God Spell and naturally assumed Michiko had been reduced to powder by the lightning.

Seeing the strange looks from her seniors, Ma Xiaoling opened her mouth to explain, but then caught Lin Bei winking at her while holding up a finger. As someone who loved money, she immediately understood his meaning. For the sake of a payday, she swallowed the words already on the tip of her tongue. A scapegoat? She would take it!

Shortly after, Uncle Qiu used Ma Xiaoling’s altar to perform a soul-summoning ritual, and the ghosts of Michiko and Fujita, who had been hiding, were quickly drawn out. Uncle Qiu threw out two talisman stars, sealing them amidst their shrill, mournful cries. Even for someone as skilled as Michiko, it took time to transform into a vengeful spirit; she hadn't had nearly enough time to do so.

Uncle Qiu placed the two talisman stars that flew back into a glass bottle and said, "I will take them back to chant scriptures for them day and night. Once their malice is dissolved, I will send them to the underworld."

Uncle Fung and the others nodded, having no objections. With Mao Xiaofang of the Tiandao Sect currently serving as a judge in the underworld, no one was better suited for this task than Uncle Qiu. Besides, even if the malice in Michiko dissipated, the sins she had committed in the mortal world meant she would still have to face the punishments of the eighteen layers of hell.

After finishing these tasks, Ma Xiaoling withdrew the barrier. Although there had been gunfire and thunder inside, to those outside, everything had remained calm. Inspector Lam was stunned when he saw Lin Bei and the others emerge. Even after Inspector Miu told him the matter was resolved and the mastermind had been brought to justice, Inspector Lam still wore an expression of disbelief.

Inspector Miu wasn't overthinking it; this case was already registered with the higher-ups. By taking down a drug trafficking syndicate and ‘personally’ killing one of the masterminds, his promotion was practically guaranteed. Not just him—since Uncle Fung was the police representative and one of the main forces in dealing with Michiko, as long as Ma Fei didn't intentionally suppress him, his transfer back to Hong Kong was a certainty.

As a police officer, Uncle Fung had to report back with Inspector Lam. After agreeing to have dinner with Lin Bei and the others that night, he departed. Once the police had cleared out, only Lin Bei, Ma Xiaoling, and the others remained. Lin Bei looked at the Nine Chrysanthemums Sect symbol at the villa entrance and asked Uncle Qiu, "If this place isn't dealt with, will there be any repercussions?"

Uncle Qiu frowned. "This place has been transformed into a 'corpse-nurturing ground.' If normal people live here, they will suffer from headaches and colds at best, or serious illness at worst. If they stay for a long time, the prolonged exposure to Yin energy could be life-threatening."

Lin Bei rubbed his chin upon hearing this. If it was dangerous for normal people to live here, that meant it was suitable for those who weren't normal, right? It would be the perfect place for Kuang Tianyou and Kuang Fusheng. Otherwise, once they moved into the Ka-Ka Building, the gears of fate would likely start turning again.

"Is there any way to isolate this place from the outside world? To keep curious people from wandering in?"

Uncle Qiu nodded. The courtyard was already set up with a formation; with a slight adjustment, ordinary people would subconsciously ignore the place even if they walked right past it.

Having received a definitive answer, Lin Bei called Ma Fei. He first explained the dangers of the villa, then expressed his willingness to take the property off their hands. People in Hong Kong had always been superstitious, and even the foreigners who stayed here long enough tended to become obsessed with such things. Since so many people had died in the villa and it was a 'corpse-nurturing ground,' the police already considered it a haunted house, and even as a foreclosed property, no one would likely buy it. Handing it to Lin Bei would save them some trouble.

After discussing these matters, Lin Bei was about to hang up, but Ma Fei quickly stopped him.

"Mr. Lin, don't hang up yet. I have a matter here that requires the help of the mages you have with you."

Lin Bei narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"

Ma Fei gave a dry laugh. "Our Sha Tau Kok branch has run into some trouble. It might be related to 'that' kind of thing. I was hoping to ask your friends to go have a look."

Hearing this, Lin Bei tossed his phone to Ma Xiaoling. "You've got business!"

Ma Xiaoling’s eyes lit up immediately. She took the phone and began to negotiate with Ma Fei. It was unclear what Ma Fei said, but a moment later, Lin Bei heard Ma Xiaoling shout, "Don't talk to me about interest—talk to me about money!"

By the time she hung up, Ma Xiaoling looked exceptionally pleased, clearly satisfied with the terms offered by the police.