Chapter 496: Chapter 496: The Ghost Wants to Escape_1
After Ye You’s Magic Light enveloped the collapsed house, the bowl-shaped blue light began to develop cracks, becoming increasingly dense and numerous.
Finally, the blue luminescence shattered like glass without leaving any shards, completely vanishing into thin air.
The barrier that had imprisoned the ghosts disappeared as well.
However, the ongoing sobbing, mingled with the voices of adults and children, continued.
Ye You turned to look at Qin Sisi, "It’s done."
Qin Sisi nodded, then once again shouted towards the collapsed house, "The barrier has gone. You can come out now."
This time, the sobbing stopped abruptly.
Qin Sisi felt a hint of joy in her heart, pleased that at least they were reacting now.
Her gaze was fixed on the collapsed house, eager to see what kind of ghosts were trapped beneath.
After a long while, faint white smoke started to drift out from the ruins, swirling about before finally forming four distinct human figures.
Four ghosts!
Qin Sisi felt both fear and joy, realizing that if she could contain these four ghosts, it would be quite a bountiful harvest tonight.
She looked closely, noticing two adults and two children among the four ghosts.
The clothing of the four was extremely worn and neither modern nor ancient in style. Qin Sisi guessed that they probably lived during the seventies or eighties of the last century.
The two adults, a man and a woman, appeared to be in their thirties, while the two children looked around ten and five or six years old respectively.
They seemed to be a family.
Qin Sisi looked at them without saying a word.
The four ghosts, suddenly released from their confinement, showed expressions of surprise and joy, reassuring each other with their eyes.
The smallest child innocently said to the woman, "Mom, we’ve finally gotten out!"
"Yes, yes, we’re finally out," the woman replied with tears of joy, wiping away the tears in her eyes with her sleeve.
Then the husband and wife looked at each other and turned to Qin Sisi, expressing their gratitude, "Thank you, Mage, for your rescue."
Qin Sisi was pleased to see the family so happy, but she stiffened her face and responded seriously, "No need to thank me. I had ulterior motives for saving you."
With Mo Long’s appearance injuring Ye You, Qin Sisi realized that they had to speed up their collection of Soul Power. They needed to collect eighty-one by the fifteenth of the seventh month to assist Ye You to return to the Demon Sacred Realm.
She didn’t know what other surprises might occur, so she didn’t want to miss any opportunities. She decided to temporarily suppress her kindness and tenderness, and negotiate with the ghosts in a professional manner.
Hearing Qin Sisi’s words, the joy on the face of the ghost family instantly diminished by half.
After finally gaining their freedom, were they now jumping out of the frying pan into the fire?
Having more courage than his wife, the male ghost asked tentatively, "May I ask, mage, what are your conditions?"
Qin Sisi came straight to the point, "I want Soul Power."
The children, still innocent, didn’t understand the significance of Soul Power. But the expressions of the two adults immediately changed.
Being trapped within the barrier meant they still existed.
But if they gave up their Soul Power, wouldn’t their souls scatter? It would be better to remain trapped!
Qin Sisi guessed what they were thinking and softened her tone, "I will not let you suffer. Feel free to express any wishes, I will help you fulfill them."
Seeing Qin Sisi’s fair manner, the couple now looked a little more relieved. The woman, somewhat fearful, asked quietly, "Mage, after giving up our Soul Power, will our soul disperse?"
Qin Sisi explained, "The soul will disperse for a period of time, but it will eventually come back together, whereupon you’ll be able to reincarnate."
Relieved to hear this explanation, the ghosts eased their tension. The couple shared a glance, and then the woman spoke, "Mage, may we discuss this?"
Qin Sisi nodded, "Sure."
Giving up Soul Power was serious business, something the whole family should be allowed to discuss.
"Thank you, Mage." The woman thanked Qin Sisi before retreating a few steps with her husband and children, huddling together to have a whispered discussion.
Qin Sisi couldn’t hear what they were discussing and didn’t try to eavesdrop either, she simply waited quietly.
Yet a cold glint flashed in Ye You’s eyes.
All at once, the four ghosts linked their hands together, took to the air, and began to drift rapidly away.
Caught off guard, Qin Sisi yelled, "Stop!", and immediately started chasing after them.
Ye You lifted his claw, and the Vajra Bundling Spirit Rope, shimmering with a golden light, swiftly whizzed after the fleeing ghosts.
The four ghosts hadn’t managed to get far when the Vajra Bundling Spirit Rope caught up with them. As per Ye You’s wish, it tightly bound the four ghosts together.
The ghosts moaned and struggled but were unable to move an inch.
As Qin Sisi approached the grumbling ghosts, her expression gradually cooled down.
In life, these four ghosts were ordinary persons who hadn’t experienced many extraordinary events, but they knew that the woman who had broken the barrier must be quite powerful.
Seeing a hint of anger in Qin Sisi’s eyes, the couple showed expressions of fear.
Then Qin Sisi said nothing. She simply sighed and said, "Never mind, I won’t force if you’re not willing. Since we can’t conclude the deal, I’ll return you to your original place and recreate the barrier. You can continue staying there in peace."
She fell back on purpose, certain that they wouldn’t want to be trapped again, as the freedom lost and the lonely isolation were intolerable. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have cried endlessly each night.
As expected, hearing her words, the couple quickly pleaded, calling Qin Sisi Guanyin Bodhisattva and begging her to spare them.
Qin Sisi said coldly, "I’m not Guanyin Bodhisattva, I’m not merciful. I will give you five minutes to decide. Otherwise, I will restore everything as before as if I had never been here."
The four spirits looked at each other, both anxious and helpless.
In the end, the woman bit her lip and hazarded, "Mage, we, the two of us, are willing to give you our Soul Power. We just beg you to spare our children."
As she said this, she looked over to her husband as if asking for his opinion.
Though reluctant, the man could only sigh and nod, looking at the two children in front of him.
Qin Sisi stayed silent for a long time, undecided, turning to look at Ye You. However, Ye You just silently looked at her without uttering a word.
