Filial Child

As evening fell, wisps of smoke rose from the small Ansi Courtyard, signaling the start of dinner preparations.

Butcher Liu, took a puff from his smoking pipe, letting out a sharp cloud of white smoke. He sniffed the air and grinned. "Hah, Master Gu's skills are impressive. The aroma of this meat sauce is so rich."

Just as he considered sneaking a taste, Butcher Liu heard the faint sound of footsteps coming from the alleyway. Turning toward the sound, he widened his eyes in surprise. "Master Gu!"

Seeing the old butcher making such a fuss and calling his name, Gu Ning'an immediately understood what had surprised him.

He gave a brief wave and offered an explanation. "I have guests at home."

"Ah, I see..." Butcher Liu nodded with a smile. "No wonder Master Gu bought so many roast chickens. It must be for important guests."

Gu Ning'an gave Butcher Liu a surprised glance. Indeed, he was carrying roast chickens, but they were tightly wrapped in lotus leaf paper. The butcher's keen sense of smell was impressive; he could detect the fragrance even through the paper.

"Butcher Liu, take one and try it." As he spoke, Gu Ning'an walked over to the butcher's front steps and placed a wrapped roast chicken on the stone steps.

"Oh, no, no!" Butcher Liu swallowed and reached out for the chicken, but he hesitated to take it.

Gu Ning'an had already walked a few steps away. He waved his hand dismissively. "Take it. It's free anyway."

"Eh!" Butcher Liu stepped forward, eager. "How can I just take it for free? Tomorrow, I'll bring one to return it to Master Gu!"

Just as he was about to close the yard door, Gu Ning'an smiled and called out, "Catching a bandit earns a reward of eighty coins. A roast chicken, eighty coins. It's practically the same as getting it for free, don't you think?"

"Catching a bandit!" Butcher Liu's face fell. At his age, he couldn't even catch a dog, let alone a bandit.

"Hurry and eat. It'll be a shame if it gets cold." With that, Gu Ning'an closed the door behind him.

Coming to his senses, Butcher Liu looked at the roast chicken in his hand. He called out "Thank you, Master Gu!" and walked eagerly toward his house.

Inside the courtyard, Zheng De, his face full of smiles, waited until Gu Ning'an had closed the door before speaking. "Master Gu, you're in for a treat tonight. My wife made some meat buns, the same ones you had last time."

Gu Ning'an shook the roast chicken in his hand. "It looks like tonight's dinner will be quite a feast."

Zheng De rubbed his hands together, looking hesitant. "But... my wife... she has this habit of eating raw meat..."

"Let's eat first. I'll think about your wife's condition later."

Though Gu Ning'an didn't give a definitive answer, Zheng De was fully confident that his wife would return to a normal diet, thanks to Master Gu's abilities.

After all, it was Master Gu's power that had restored her ability to speak and hear, wasn't it?

...

"Master Gu, how is my wife? Should I let you check her pulse?"

"She hasn't eaten all day. Should we give her some raw meat?"

"But... she doesn't even have a mouth anymore..."

"Wife, is there any crack in your neck where your mouth used to be?"

After repeating his questions several times, Zheng De was finally scolded by his wife and fell silent, shrinking his neck in response.

Meanwhile, Gu Ning'an used his power to examine Tan Bing and Zheng De's Three Souls—Heaven, Earth, and Human—carefully. He noticed an unusual discrepancy.

Firstly, like others who have been possessed by demonic energy, Zheng De's demonic aura was hidden within his Three Souls, locked in a state of complete dormancy—like a cold, silent stone. However, Tan Bing's situation was different. The demonic aura inside her was like a spark, constantly moving and gradually evolving into a flame.

The cause of this difference was, in fact, the child in Tan Bing's womb.

Her unborn child had already formed its own Three Souls—Heaven, Earth, and Human—and it seemed to sense that an "alien force" had intruded upon its "mother." The child's Three Souls were repeatedly crashing toward the demonic energy within her!

Thus, this dormant demonic energy only "awakened" after being attacked by Tan Bing's child…

"Now that's a filial child," Gu Ning'an couldn't help but smile. With a flick of his fingers, he sent a beam of spiritual light into Tan Bing's abdomen.

In an instant, the tender Three Souls of the child, which had been relentlessly clashing with the demonic energy, ceased their movement. The demonic energy, now in the form of sparks, remained unchanged. Without further attack, it stopped expanding.

At this moment, seeing Gu Ning'an's relaxed expression, Zheng De couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked, "Master, who's the filial child?"

"Your child..." Gu Ning'an had only spoken half of the sentence when the couple across from him stood up in unison, both exclaiming, "What's wrong with our child?"

Noticing their reaction, Gu Ning'an smiled and motioned for them to calm down. He then briefly explained why he had said that, as well as Tan Bing's current condition.

When they learned that it was their child who had been trying to protect Tan Bing, thus causing the unusual phenomenon, the couple's reactions were entirely different.

Tan Bing was deeply moved. If not for the fact that she had no eyes, she might have been in tears.

Zheng De, on the other hand, grumbled and said that once the child was born, he'd make sure to teach him a lesson, so he would understand the lesson of not taking on tasks beyond one's capabilities.

However, just as Zheng De was expressing his concern for his wife, his remarks almost got him beaten into a cripple by his wife...

The young couple bickered for a while. Zheng De then turned to Gu Ning'an and cupped his hands, asking, "Master, when will my wife's face return to normal?"

Gu Ning'an paused for a moment before answering, "That depends on when the evil spirit that caused all of this is expelled."

"Once the evil spirit is eliminated, you'll return to normal."

Zheng De laughed awkwardly and responded, "Master, I wasn't possessed by an evil spirit. Why are you saying 'you'?"

Gu Ning'an looked up and said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you earlier… When we were at the tea house listening to stories, your facial features also disappeared."

"But since you don't have a child to help you, and the real evil spirit hasn't made its move yet, you're temporarily still normal."

"What!?" Zheng De slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing. "So I was possessed too… Well, now I'm not worried anymore."

Tan Bing spoke up, "Husband, what are you worried about?"

"What else would I worry about? I'm worried that you'll turn into an evil spirit, and since I'm not one, my lifespan definitely won't be as long as that of an evil spirit... If I die before you, who will take care of you then?" As he spoke, Zheng De moved closer and took Tan Bing's hand.

Beneath her veil, Tan Bing's cheeks flushed, and she scolded softly, "Master Gu is still here. Can you act properly?"

Zheng De, unconcerned, replied, "Master Gu is like family, what's there to worry about?"

"Master Gu, you agree, right?" As he turned to look at Gu Ning'an, who had been standing in front of him, Zheng De suddenly realized the spot was completely empty. There wasn't a trace of anyone there...