PWE – Chapter 164

“No, I didn’t mean that. I really didn’t mean that,” Qin Xiaole shook her head, continuing to protest and deny.

Hou Dayong took the talismans and walked over to Xiao Wange, handing them to her. “Sister-in-law, take a look.”

Xiao Wange took the stack of talismans. They were thick—at least a hundred sheets.

She glanced at the top talisman and studied the runes. A cold smile curved her lips. “If this talisman is dissolved into water and drunk continuously for over a month, even a Great Dao Immortal couldn’t save the person.”

Hou Dayong turned and glared coldly at Qin Xiaole.

Qin Xiaole clenched her hands, refusing to admit anything. “Nonsense! These are clearly peace talismans! I requested them from the temple because their charms are very effective, so I just requested extra.”

“Is that so?” Xiao Wange scoffed. She picked up one talisman and flicked her wrist lightly. In an instant, the talisman ignited.

Seeing the talisman burst into flames in Xiao Wange’s hand without even being lit, Hou Dayong, Qin Xiaoling, and Qin Xiaole all froze in surprise.

Zhaozhao, watching from the side, clicked his tongue. Mom was really powerful. This was just a small spell. When they saw the full extent of her abilities, their jaws would probably drop to the floor.

Xiao Wange threw the ashes of the burning talisman into a nearby cup of water. The ashes instantly fused with the water.

She pushed the cup toward Qin Xiaole and said lightly, “Since you claim these are peace talismans, drink this talisman water.”

Qin Xiaole’s breath caught. It felt as if someone had grabbed her throat, making it hard to breathe.

Although drinking it once wouldn’t kill her, it was a soul-scattering talisman. Drinking too much would cause the soul to dissipate.

She didn’t know how much harm one drink would do, but she knew the soul would definitely be damaged.

She feared her soul would end up like Tiedan’s. Tiedan had already lost a spirit and become a fool, his gaze vacant all day, unable to speak.

She didn’t want to become like that. She didn’t want to be a mindless fool. She still wanted a peaceful life. She still wanted to be the commander’s wife!

She clenched her fingers tightly and looked at Xiao Wange. “I won’t drink. Even if these are peace talismans, drinking this will give me diarrhea. Yes, diarrhea. Someone in our village drank this talisman water and suffered diarrhea for days. I don’t want that kind of suffering.”

“You’re not afraid of diarrhea. You’re afraid the talisman will damage your soul,” Xiao Wange said with a cold smile, her gaze full of scorn. Seeing Qin Xiaole about to respond, she continued, “You traded your eldest son with that evil practitioner for these talismans. Once your plan succeeded, that practitioner would have taken your child’s life and turned him into a little ghost. Eldest sister Qin, you are truly selfish—willing to sacrifice your own son for your own happiness.”

Qin Xiaoling and Hou Dayong both gasped at this revelation.

Qin Xiaoling glared at Qin Xiaole. “Eldest sister, you actually used Tiedan as a bargaining chip? How could you be so cruel?!”

Tiedan was such an adorable child. How could her eldest sister be so heartless?

Hou Dayong couldn’t help but scold her too. “I’ve never seen someone this wicked. You even dare harm your own son—you’re detestably cruel!”

Hou Dayong was especially relieved he had broken off the engagement with Qin Xiaole. Had he married this vicious woman, he wouldn’t even be able to sleep peacefully.

Qin Xiaole opened her mouth to defend herself, but Xiao Wange looked at her and said, “That evil practitioner is actually somewhat skilled. If he hadn’t met me, your scheme would have succeeded. But now I’m here, and your plots will all be destroyed.”

For some reason, Qin Xiaole felt an icy chill run through her entire body, as if a bucket of water had been poured over her from head to toe.

She looked at Xiao Wange in panic. “You’re slandering me! You’re completely slandering me! You…”

“At this point, still playing the dead duck? Do you need me to ‘invite’ that evil practitioner over?” Xiao Wange interrupted, her tone thick with mockery.

Qin Xiaole swallowed hard. She wanted to respond, but before she could, Xiao Wange said, “Let’s invite him over. After all, to save your son, we need to retrieve that one spirit from him.”

“How do we invite him, Sister-in-law?” Qin Xiaoling stepped forward, puzzled, asking Xiao Wange.

Hou Dayong also looked confused. They had no idea where that evil practitioner was or how they could summon him.

Xiao Wange glanced at them but didn’t answer. She flicked her wrist and cast a spell.

The spell shot out of the window like a streak of light.

Within ten seconds, the streak returned, carrying a red figure through the window.

The light moved too fast for anyone else to see, so no one in the courtyard noticed the red streak or figure.

The red figure was the little ghost that had earlier frightened Hou Dayong and Qin Xiaoling.

The little ghost fell to the center of the living room with a thud.

Xiao Wange raised her hand and cast another spell, revealing the little ghost’s presence to everyone in the room.

Qin Xiaoling instinctively gasped and moved closer to Xiao Wange, her voice trembling. “Sister-in-law, it’s this little ghost. This is the one Dayong and I saw this morning.”

Hou Dayong wasn’t as afraid. With Xiao Wange there, he knew the ghost couldn’t harm them.

He glanced at Xiao Wange again. The commander’s wife was truly powerful. She had summoned the little ghost in an instant, though he didn’t know what spell she had used.

Seeing the little ghost lying motionless on the floor, it seemed completely subdued.

Hou Dayong looked at Xiao Wange. “Sister-in-law, do we use this little ghost to ‘invite’ the evil practitioner?”

Xiao Wange smiled slightly. With a gesture of her fingers, the little ghost was drawn toward her feet as if pulled by some force.

Looking at the frightened little ghost, she spoke slowly and clearly, “This little ghost was created by the evil practitioner and is closely connected to him. We can use it to summon him here.”

Her wrist moved again, casting more spells.

Qin Xiaole turned pale at the sight of the little ghost.

Her eyes were fixed on it, terror reaching its peak.

This was the little ghost the evil practitioner had created to help her.

She hadn’t expected the commander’s wife to summon it. What kind of person was this woman to have such power?

She looked at Xiao Wange, whose lips curved in a faint, half-smile. Seeing that gaze, Qin Xiaole’s breath caught, and her face went even paler.

Within a minute, Qin Xiaoling and the others saw a man in black suddenly appear in the living room.

He wore a Zhongshan suit, glasses perched on his nose, looking like a gentle, scholarly man—not at all like someone skilled in the occult.

He froze for a moment, then glanced at everyone in the room. When he saw Qin Xiaole and the little ghost, his brow furrowed and his expression darkened.

Then he noticed Xiao Wange, who was staring at him with a faint smile. His eyes narrowed, coldness flickering in them.

So this was the woman? She had summoned him here? He had felt a powerful force pulling him. No matter what spells he tried, he couldn’t break free.

He had been brought here, right in front of this woman.

“Who are you? What do you want?!” he demanded, his voice wary.

Xiao Wange leaned back on the sofa, crossing her arms lazily and raising an eyebrow. “You practice evil arts and commit countless crimes. I summoned you here to deal with you.”

The man’s brows furrowed tightly. “You think you can deal with me? You’re dreaming!”

“We’ll see if it’s a dream,” Xiao Wange said calmly, her tone lazy yet confident.

“You…” Tang Huaiqing started to respond, but Xiao Wange glanced at Qin Xiaole. “Your accomplice has arrived. Don’t you say hello?”

Qin Xiaole was utterly terrified. She had never seen such a powerful woman. This woman had not only summoned the little ghost, but also Tang Huaiqing. Who was she, and why was she so strong?

Her body trembled, her voice shaking. “I… I don’t know him. I really don’t know him.”

Xiao Wange clicked her tongue and asked Tang Huaiqing, “And you? Do you know this Eldest Sister Qin?”

Tang Huaiqing glanced at Qin Xiaole, a flash of dissatisfaction in his eyes. Surely, this woman had caused this mess.

He glared at Qin Xiaole and said coldly, “No!”

Three words, spoken firmly and without hesitation.

Xiao Wange chuckled lightly, looking at Tang Huaiqing. “You took ten years of her life, and yet you claim not to know her. You truly are heartless.”

Ten years of life taken from Eldest Sister?

Qin Xiaoling was shocked. She looked at Xiao Wange. “Did my eldest sister really trade her life with him?”

Xiao Wange nodded. “Yes. In her first deal, your eldest sister traded ten years of her life to summon a little ghost to harm you.”

She paused, glancing at Qin Xiaole, then continued: “In the second deal, she traded her eldest son’s life. The evil practitioner originally wanted another ten years of her life, but she valued her life and didn’t want to lose twenty years all at once. So she offered her son’s life as the exchange.”

Hearing this, Qin Xiaoling could no longer contain her anger.

She stormed in front of Qin Xiaole, shouting, “Do you even have a heart? Tiedan is your own son! How could you do this to him?!”