Chapter 118: Rebirth - A Bonus Chapter for Fan "Daxiaoyan Ya" and Her Jade Pendant Donation

The dozen or so people at Liu Zhongguo’s table stood up when they saw Xu Yingying’s hands locked around my throat, but that was all they did. Not a single one of them made a move to help me.

Who were these people? If they had no intention of intervening, why were they sitting at the groom’s table at all?

The pressure from Xu Yingying’s grip intensified. Had I been an ordinary person, my neck would have been snapped long ago. But we Feng Shui masters are different. As practitioners who deal with malevolent spirits, the cultivation of *qigong* is our most fundamental skill. The true terror of a specter lies in its evil aura; the stronger the aura, the more vicious the entity. *Qigong* serves as the perfect defense against such malevolence, shielding our bodies from corruption while granting us a near-invulnerable constitution in moments of peril.

Having grown up holding my breath while diving in the Yellow River, and combined with the secret *qigong* techniques from the River Taming Rites, my skills were among the best in Duhe City. Xu Yingying had been severely wounded by me twice, and her evil essence was largely depleted. Even with all her strength, she could only hold me in a stalemate; she could not break my neck.

However, being throttled like this meant I couldn't breathe. I wouldn't die from a broken neck, but I would surely suffocate if this continued.

Liu Zhongguo’s table remained motionless. I realized then that I could no longer rely on them.

I glanced toward Bai Ranhe. He was two tables away, his face etched with fury, convinced that I had deceived his daughter’s heart. But that was irrelevant. What mattered was that the portrait of the Celestial Master was in his hands. If he were willing to save me, he could simply unfurl the scroll, and the spirit would not dare to harm me further.

With that thought, as Xu Yingying’s fingers dug into my throat, I bit down hard on the tip of my tongue. The blood from a tongue tip is the most potent essence of *yang*—the *yang* within the *yang*. It concentrates the body's vital energy, and the blood of a virgin is particularly effective at suppressing malevolent spirits. The cost, however, is immense; it drains one’s vital *yang* energy. It takes weeks to recover from such a depletion, and even the strongest Feng Shui master can only use this technique three times before their life force is extinguished, leading to an immediate death.

"Pah!" Once the blood had pooled sufficiently in my mouth, I spat it directly into Xu Yingying’s face.

"Ah!" The blood splashed across her face and into her eyes. Wherever it touched, her skin began to fester rapidly, hissing as it emitted plumes of black smoke. Instinctively, she released my throat to claw at the burning blood on her face.

The effort of spitting that stream of pure *yang* blood left me lightheaded, my legs nearly buckling. It was clear my body was not yet strong enough for such a toll. Steadying myself, I rushed over to Bai Ranhe and gasped, "Father-in-law, lend me the sacred artifact."

To my shock, Bai Ranhe pulled the scroll back and took a step away, his voice ice-cold. "I have no son-in-law like you. Do not call me father."

My heart plummeted. Bai Ranhe had believed Xu Yingying’s lies and was now unwilling to help. Weakened by the loss of my *yang* blood, I could not force it from him. I tried to explain, "Father, please, trust me. Trust your daughter’s judgment. I am not what she says I am. Give me the painting!"

Instead of handing it over, Bai Ranhe hid the scroll behind his back and retreated behind Xu Yingying.

"Bai Ranhe, you!" I couldn't hold back my frustration. The portrait of the Celestial Master had been a gift from the Yellow River Villa to Bai Xiaoli and me. I had only let him hold it for safekeeping because he had approved of our union. Now, in my hour of need, he would watch me die.

"Heh, heh, heh. Pi Yangxi, is that all you have? Use every trick you’ve got—I want you to die without regrets." The blood I had spat on her face had already been evaporated by her malevolent aura. Xu Yingying knew I was at my limit and was eager to see what else I could muster.

"Pi Yangxi, aren't you supposed to be so powerful? You could command ghost fetuses to move cargo ships on the Dragon Head Canal, yet today you can't even handle a petty zombie?" Chen Zhiqiang, seeing I was trapped in a desperate plight, began to jeer loudly. He intentionally referred to Xu Yingying as a common zombie to belittle me and make me look incompetent.

Upon hearing Chen Zhiqiang’s words, a flash of complex emotion crossed Xu Yingying’s face. She turned her head and stared blankly at him.

It seemed as if she had just remembered something.