Chapter 2698: Chapter 2698: Because Of That Demonic Creature?
"No, she is not dead." Lou Liwei explained patiently, attempting to calm the panicked, trembling mother before continuing further into the complicated, highly dangerous technicalities surrounding the nature of the dark curse. "If her entire soul had disappeared completely from her vessel, her physical body would have already collapsed into decay by now. As you can see for yourself with your own eyes, her body is still alive and continuing to function normally because the remaining half of her soul is desperately, fiercely sustaining it."
He slowly glanced toward the unconscious Ji Gu Niang before continuing solemnly, gesturing lightly toward her fragile, pale, and completely unmoving form resting beneath the sterile hospital sheets.
"However, without the missing half to complete her consciousness and restore balance, she will remain trapped in this unnatural vegetative slumber indefinitely. Right now, she is essentially an incomplete, fragile vessel waiting either to be restored to wholeness... or to gradually wither away into absolute nothingness." Lou Liwei said.
"Master, could this situation be directly related to the demon Ma Chunwei summoned before his final failure and eventual demise?" Lou Weizhe suddenly asked from the side, his brows knitting together as he carefully analysed the complex timeline of events in his mind.
"What? What demon? What exactly are you talking about?" Sang Yuling instinctively asked, her voice hitching as she clutched her shirt tightly over her racing heart.
Even so, deep inside the darkest corners of her heart, she already possessed a terrible, sinking suspicion regarding the horrifying truth of what they were discussing.
"Do you remember the grotesque black creature Ma Chunwei summoned during that forbidden ritual?" Yu Qi calmly answered her question, her steady, unshakeable tone grounding the increasingly hysterical woman before she could spiral further.
Sang Yuling’s entire body immediately trembled violently at the vivid, terrifying memory.
"That thing?" Sang Yuling cried out, memories of that horrifying, bloody, and chaotic night instantly flooding back into her mind like a violent, destructive tidal wave. "My daughter fell into this vegetative state because of that demonic creature?"
"Indeed. That is currently the most logical and likely explanation we have." Lou Liwei nodded gravely before slowly turning his sharp, perceptive gaze toward Yu Qi. "Miss Tang, did you happen to notice anything unusual or out of place regarding the girl’s spirit when you confronted that demon during the violent clash?"
"I do not know." Yu Qi slowly shook her head, her dark brows furrowing slightly in deep thought. "The chaotic spiritual energy at that time was far too unstable and turbulent. I could not isolate her specific soul signal clearly amidst the residual dark malice."
Suddenly, Sang Yuling froze completely in place, her eyes wide. A forgotten and deeply buried memory abruptly surfaced from the darkest recesses of her mind, flashing with sudden clarity.
"I remembered something! I suddenly remembered something incredibly important!" Sang Yuling exclaimed anxiously, her voice rising sharply in panic as she took a step forward. "During the absolute height of the ritual, Ma Chunwei... he repeatedly chanted my daughter’s full name in between those horrifying incantations. At that time, I thought it was simply part of an ordinary luck-transfer ritual meant to help the family excel."
Her breathing immediately became hurried, shallow, and uneven as absolute terror filled her eyes. "Yes... Yes... It must have something to do with that. He bound her to it! He used her identity as fuel!"
"Master Lou, is it possible to track down the missing half of her soul through that specific spoken connection?" Yu Qi immediately asked seriously, bypassing the panic and getting straight to the absolute core of the problem.
"It is possible." Lou Liwei nodded slowly, his expression darkening before he added in a much heavier tone, "However, it is also extremely dangerous because we would essentially be tracking a fractured fragment of her soul that is likely being actively guarded, suppressed, or anchored by a lingering, malicious force."
His grave gaze slowly returned toward the unconscious Ji Gu Niang lying innocently upon the hospital bed.
The atmosphere inside the room immediately became far heavier, colder, and more sombre than before.
The moment Sang Yuling heard that there was still even the slightest shred of hope left for her daughter’s salvation, the fragile emotional restraint she had been desperately maintaining completely collapsed beneath the crushing weight of her accumulated guilt, fear, and maternal love.
Without a single moment of hesitation, she suddenly dropped onto her knees directly before Lou Liwei and began repeatedly, frantically kowtowing against the hard hospital floor.
"Master! Master, please, I beg of you!" Sang Yuling pleaded desperately while sobbing uncontrollably, her hot tears quickly wetting the cold floor beneath her. "Please save my daughter. She is still so incredibly young... I cannot let her remain trapped inside this dark prison forever. I want her to wake up. I want her to live properly and enjoy her life like any normal girl!"
Yu Qi quietly walked over toward the weeping woman before placing a firm, stabilising hand upon Sang Yuling’s trembling shoulder.
"Mrs Ji, calm yourself down. Crying hysterically like this will not bring your daughter’s soul back to her body." Yu Qi said seriously, her voice commanding attention. "Ma Chunwei may already be dead, but he most likely left a physical anchor or artifact behind. We need to focus and search for it first."
"That is right." Lou Weizhe nodded in firm agreement. "If we manage to track down Ma Chunwei’s remaining accomplices or locate the hidden place where he frequently practised these forbidden, dark rituals, then we may be able to perform a soul-summoning ritual to recall the missing soul fragment. Right, Master?"
"If the spiritual anchor remains within a reasonable geographical radius, then yes, it should be entirely possible." Lou Liwei answered calmly, his confidence unshakeable.
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