Otherworldly Merchant

Chapter 558: Heartless Li Yu

Since I knew the spirits identity, it would be easier to deal with it! 

Zhou Ehuang was a gentle woman. Perhaps she had become a resentful ghost because of the secret affair between her beloved husband and her younger sister. As long as I could solve this, her grudge would vanish. 

I searched online and collected the stories between Li Yu and Young Lady Zhou. However, what I found discouraged me. No matter whether it was the official or unofficial history records, the fact that Li Yu had an affair with Young Lady Zhou while his wife was on her deathbed was an undeniable event in history. 

After reading the history records, I felt sorry for Queen Zhou. She was a beautiful and talented woman, which made her a heavenly match to Li Yu. It was true that she was his favorite concubine in the imperial harem, but in the end, she was defeated by her younger sister, Lady Zhou Young. 

Lady Zhou Young was fourteen years younger than her. Queen Zhou died when she was twenty-nine years old. How could she be compared to Lady Zhou Young, who was a bud that was about to bloom at that time? 

I considered the option of beckoning the soul of Young Lady Zhou. From my dream last night, I could tell that Li Yu didnt mean harm to me. He was the key to opening this case! 

Li Yus soul would appear when the scroll was near. As he had appeared in the hospital, the scroll had to be nearby. However, looking for that scroll in this vast hospital was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, we could alert people here. 

I didnt know what to do, but then I suddenly remembered that Li Yu didnt just want me to see Zhou Ehuang in his dream. He was leading the way. There should be a hidden meaning somewhere!

I closed my eyes and remembered the route he had taken me. Then. I followed that route in reality by using my memory. I was in the in-patient department. The left side of the first corridor was the place where people received drips. I walked through the infusion area and made another left turn. I was in a place where people took blood tests. After passing that area by a few steps, I stopped in front of an office. 

It seemed the scroll of the ancient painting was here. It was early in the morning, so I guessed there was no one in the office just yet. I pushed the door. It squeaked open.  

There was a desk inside with simple decorations. The scroll was placed on the desk. I wanted to go and pick up the painting, but I was surprised to see a white shadow sitting there. 

Youre here. When I entered, Li Yu was smiling and looking at me. It seemed he was waiting for me. 

For the time being, I didnt know what to say. It wasnt good to ask him about Zhou Ehuangs weakness. Feeling helpless, I kept silent. 

He started to chat with me as though he was talking with a friend. He didnt talk much. He was weary after one thousand years of torment. He hoped I could help him finish all of these grudges. Then, he handed me the scroll and said gently, Ehuangs weakness is me. 

Then, he turned into a beam of white light and entered the scroll. Immediately, the Ci on the painting emerged in three dimensions. I knew that his spirit had attached to the poem in the painting. 

After dawn, everything resumed to normal. I held the scroll painting and continuously thought about what to do tonight. 

Zhou Ehuangs weakness was Li Yu. In other words, I needed to use Li Yus spirit tonight to threaten her. But if I did that, Li Yu would be hurt; he could even perish. 

I hesitated. I thought it was coincidental at first, but now it was clear to me that Li Yu had arranged everything from the time I had bought the painting to the moment I decided to bring it with me on this trip. 

Li Yu wanted to finish this one-thousand-year grudge, but did I have to destroy this ancient poet? 

Nothing unexpected happened during the day. Li Mazi woke up. When I saw him tease the nurse, I knew he was all right. Orange was still unconscious. The doctor checked her and explained that her vital signals were normal. Perhaps she didnt want to wake up because she didnt want to face reality. 

When Shen Haoran heard that, he knew what Orange didnt want to face. The situation they had experienced that night was so terrifying. It was understandable that she didnt want to wake up. 

I comforted Shen Haoran. Dont worry. After we solve the spirit, Orange will wake up. 

Shen Haoran smiled. It was the first time I saw a bright smile on his face. I ate something to fill my stomach then returned to the hospital. 

This small town wasnt the capital of the Southern Tang Dynasty in ancient times. Li Yu was here because of the scroll. So, if Zhou Ehuang wanted to stay here, she needed an otherworldly item!

I took a walk around the hospital and didnt find anything strange. I didnt insist on continuing the search. Instead, I returned to Oranges patient room to arrange the stuff. 

Since talismans and wormwood powder couldnt affect the spirit, this time, I intentionally used a block of brick taken from the Great Wall and put it under Oranges pillow. The bricks from the Great Wall represented the Chinese peoples will to resist the foreign invaders, which made them carry intimidating power. At the same time, since Queen Zhou lived inside the palace for almost her whole life, when she saw the brick, she would think it was the city wall, which would keep her away. 

Then, I arranged a pair of mutually engendering and mutually restraining formations at the door and the window. 

I had created these formations from the information Id read from my grandpas journal. I left the Death gate and the Life gate of each formation open. When the spirit entered the formation, she would get through the Life gate. At the same time, the Death gate would activate. 

To prevent Zhou Ehuang from running through the Life gate, I deliberately arranged two small formations. This way, I could keep her in the formation and give her time to catch a breath while she was between the two formations. 

After I had arranged everything, the sky outside was dark. I let Shan Haoran dismiss his group of thug friends as they were not in danger. Li Yu had told me that Zhou Ehuang could sense his location. She wouldnt go to other places and cause trouble. It also explained why the female ghost had appeared on our way to this village. She had sensed Li Yus energy in the painting I put in the car. 

Shen Haoran insisted that he wouldnt leave. I didnt shoo him away but asked him to take care of Li Mazi. 

Then, I opened the Yin and Yang Umbrella to protect both Li Mazi and Shen Haoran before going into Oranges room. I took out the scroll painting and unfolded it on a table. Then, I used a lighter and burned the rim of the painting. Of course, I had controlled the flame well enough not to hurt Li Yu. It was enough to entice Zhou Ehuang. 

As soon as I started burning it, I heard the window rattle. I grabbed the Sirius Whip tightly in my hand and looked at the glass-paned window. However, after a long time, I hadnt seen the ghost yet. 

I was feeling skeptical and bewildered when suddenly, a pair of icy-cold hands grabbed my neck!