CHAPTER 578: CHAPTER 557 FIRST UPDATE

"Take him out—" Zheng Congyuan said coldly, and the man on the ground was immediately led away, while Ju Nanyi brought in another stranger. Seeing the man being escorted out, he stumbled momentarily, quickening his pace.

The next moment, all saw Zheng Congyuan sitting by the edge of the bath, his clothes clinging wet and cold to his skin, damp either from sweat or the chilly water of the bath. Yet, his expression was dire, his pallor evident even in the dim light.

Ju Nanyi immediately took a step forward, but Zheng Congyuan already extended his hand to prevent the newcomer from coming closer.

"I am alright—" Zheng Congyuan said with effort, "has the man been brought here?"

Upon this, Ju Nanyi turned and glanced at the follower behind him, who promptly stepped forward, though trembling, the reward offered was too tempting to resist.

The man hurried forward, not daring to hesitate. Though he was unsure of his location or the identities of those before him, he was certain they were not men of meager means.

After tearing down the poster, the man was arranged on a carriage and rushed over. Along the way, his eyes were covered at several places.

The man showed no stage fright; confident in his skills, he responded to a call for experts knowledgeable in spells. He approached, first looking at Zheng Congyuan seated on the ground, barely touched the wrist of the other before being flung back by a tremendous force. His expression changed instantly, feeling something entering his body through his arm.

The man quickly retreated a step, swiftly pulling out something resembling a steel ring from his waist and slipping it onto the upper part of his arm.

"Clang—" At the next moment, the steel ring emitted a dull sound as if something within the flesh of his arm had struck it.

The man immediately knelt down, his face ashen, constantly bowing his head.

"Forgive me, my magical skills are meager and insufficient to conquer it," the man hurriedly declared.

At this, both Zheng Congyuan and Ju Nanyi stared intently at the man.

"Are you a person of Xiyu?" Ju Nanyi asked closely, causing the man to hesitate slightly before nodding hesitantly.

"My lords, I truly lack the power to undo this thing," the man continued earnestly, having felt the terror of it the moment he touched Zheng Congyuan’s wrist.

His master had once told him that this thing must not be provoked and to flee upon encountering it.

Ju Nanyi immediately looked at Zheng Congyuan. Although Zheng Congyuan did not speak, his thoughts mirrored Ju Nanyi’s.

For they knew that the man, who kept insisting on his lack of ability, performed better than the dozen or so who had been brought before—better than those who had misjudged from the first glance and had gotten entangled and died the next moment. Moreover, his swift and decisive handling of his injury, and his words, seemed to hint at his knowledge of what the item was.

"Tell me, what is this thing?" Zheng Congyuan asked, not rushing the man.

The man hesitated, his urge to leave this troubled place growing strong, but having mingled for many years, he knew well that the decision was not his to make. Nor could he simply leave when his inadvertent revelation had sparked the interest of the others.

The man was pondering in his mind. The only thing he could think of was his own action out of desperation and his Magic Artifact.

The man knew that hiding anything in front of these people was futile.

"Honorable sirs, I might as well be honest. I am a person from Xiyu. By a twist of fate, I saved a high-ranking person who taught me some self-defense techniques. Not being particularly talented, I learned the arts superficially. That high-ranking person also gave me this Magic Artifact for self-defense. The thing inside your body, Young Master, I have heard of it before. If I am not mistaken, it should be the Black Evil Qi from the Beiyu’s Ghost Spirit Land. This Black Evil Qi infects the birds in the sky, turning them into a group of black ghost-like shadows commonly known as Ghost Shadows. If it infects a beast, the beast also becomes a group of ground-based shadows that run with the wind, known as ghostly beasts. And if it infects a person..."

The man stopped talking and glanced at Zheng Congyuan.

Zheng Congyuan realized what he meant, but the man’s words were not entirely correct, yet they were the most informed up to this point.

"Is there a way to dispel it?" Zheng Congyuan asked impatiently, unable to hide his excitement.

The man was startled, then shook his head. If he knew how to dispel it, he wouldn’t have acted like that just a moment ago.

Zheng Congyuan and Ju Nanyi’s gaze then fell together on the Steel Ring around the man’s arm, and at that moment, the Steel Ring suddenly began to buzz. The man also looked at his arm in horror, clearly unaware of what was happening.

The buzzing of the Steel Ring grew louder, and it vibrated on the man’s arm, causing his arm to tremble. The man’s expression changed from surprise to pain, as the pain emanating from his arm almost made him cry out.

Seeing that the frequency of the vibrations of the Steel Ring was increasing, Ju Nanyi subconsciously wanted to lead Zheng Congyuan away from this dangerous and unknown situation. However, before Ju Nanyi could act, suddenly, the man’s body shook. With a "hiss," there was a soft noise, and the Steel Ring on his arm jolted, emitting a puff of white smoke before immediately calming down.

The man was startled, seemingly feeling that the Black Evil Qi that had just entered his body was now undetectable, and his arm returned to normal. He breathed a sigh of relief and, in the next moment, removed the Steel Ring that was wrapped around the upper part of his arm.

Zheng Congyuan had kept his gaze on the Steel Ring the entire time, seeing it now as a beacon of hope.

Ju Nanyi was moved. This thing...

Seeing this, the man handed over the Steel Ring.

"This Magic Artifact was left to me by my master when he departed for self-defense. As for its use, I have only used it over the years to fend off evil spirits. However, I do have a rather bold idea..." the man began hesitantly.

"Mage, please speak," Ju Nanyi said, already speaking out while only one thought circled in his mind: Could this method be the solution? If it is, would Zheng Congyuan then be safe?

Ju Nanyi couldn’t deny his vested interest, nor could he bear the thought of the Young Master of Ghoul Ravine succeeding. His indecision and anxiety were nearly destroying all his patience, all his Concentration Power.

So much so that he now lacked the patience to hear how the man would answer.

"I think, honorable sir, that you might try this. Beyond this, I have no other method," the man carefully observed Zheng Congyuan, who looked impressively dignified and valuable, clearly someone of significant status. It was just unfortunate, how could such a thing happen to him...

However, he had also heard that Nanmen State had such secret methods, meant for those princes who foolishly attempted to usurp the throne, like the one who was recently deposed...