Chapter 38: The Soul-Summoning Incantation

I turned to him and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Her soul is lost," Liu Sui sighed heavily. "Ren Yunwen is dead, his main soul has left his body, and although Qiu Xiaoli is still alive, her three souls and seven spirits have all dissipated."

I became anxious. "Will she be alright?"

As Liu Sui and I were talking, the hospital room door was pushed open with a bang. A middle-aged couple entered, ignoring us entirely and rushing straight to Qiu Xiaoli’s bedside. They began to weep bitterly.

"Xiaoli? What has happened to you? Wake up, open your eyes and look at Mom and Dad."

It turned out they were Qiu Xiaoli's parents. I stood silently to the side and watched them. Liu Sui, however, remained cold and indifferent. I kicked him lightly and whispered, "You have a way to save her, don't you?"

Liu Sui’s face remained cold as he looked down at my feet. I tensed up instantly and quickly pulled my leg back. After a long pause, Liu Sui nodded and said, "I do."

By the bedside, the couple’s wailing grew louder. The woman shrieked in grief, while the man kept his head bowed, sobbing intermittently. Seeing them like this, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.

Suddenly, the woman stood up and grabbed Qiu Xiaoli’s hand in a panic. "Xiaoli, don't be afraid. I’m going to call the doctors right now. We are in a hospital; you will be fine."

"Doctor! Doctor!" she shouted. Outside the room, a flurry of footsteps approached.

Soon, a team of doctors and nurses rushed in and began working frantically over the bed. I had intended to stop them, knowing their efforts were entirely in vain, but two male doctors walked toward Liu Sui and me, pushing us toward the door.

"The patient requires emergency care. Please step outside."

We were pushed out, along with Qiu Xiaoli’s parents. The couple sat on a bench, still sobbing.

Liu Sui and I sat opposite them. Seeing their state, I couldn't help but say, "Auntie, Uncle, don't worry. Qiu Xiaoli will be fine."

The woman looked up at me. She was a sophisticated lady, dressed in a gaudy, extravagant style. Her husband, in a crisp suit, carried the air of a successful professional. But as soon as I spoke, their expressions changed drastically, and their composure vanished.

"Xiaoli is our daughter, not yours. Of course you’re not worried!"

The woman began to berate me. I felt a surge of anger. I had offered kind words only to be met with verbal abuse.

Still, I held my tongue. After a moment, I calmed down and said, "I’m being serious. She will be fine. Please, trust me."

"Who do you think you are? Why should we trust you? The doctors said she might never wake up. On what grounds do you say she’ll be fine?"

Hearing this from her mother, I was thoroughly annoyed.

I grabbed Liu Sui’s sleeve and glared at the woman. "Forget it. We tried to help, and this is the thanks we get. Let’s go. Whether she lives or dies has nothing to do with me."

I pulled Liu Sui toward the stairwell. He didn't resist, simply following my lead. Behind us, I heard the mother’s voice cursing: "You little brat, I knew you weren't any good. Are you trying to act like a hero to flirt with my daughter? Let me tell you, that won't happen."

I was so furious I nearly turned back to lash out at her, but I restrained myself and continued toward the stairs.

A few steps later, I heard the door open and the mother questioning the doctors. From their loud conversation, it was clear the doctors were helpless and were now advising the parents to take her home to prepare for the end.

The mother shrieked at them: "What kind of doctors are you? She isn't dead yet, and you're giving up? I’ll sue you! I’ll take this to court!"

As Liu Sui and I reached the stairs, I heard footsteps behind us.

"Wait."

I looked back. Qiu Xiaoli’s father stood there, his head bowed, looking apologetic. "The girl’s mother was just upset. Don't take it to heart. You said you could save her—was that true?"

I nodded. "It is true. But I’ve changed my mind. I don't want to save her anymore."

I said to Liu Sui, "Let’s go."

Just as we took a step, I heard a thud. The father’s voice followed: "I beg you. I’m pleading on Xiaoli’s behalf. Please, help me."

I turned back to see him kneeling on the floor, his face full of agony. I rushed over to pull him up. "Uncle, you can't do this. I can't accept this. Don't worry, we will save her."

I felt deeply ashamed. My claim that I wouldn't help had just been a fit of pique. After all, Ren Yunwen’s corpse had knelt before me; how could I refuse? I hadn't expected her father to kneel as well.

I stopped stalling and brought Liu Sui back to the room. Once inside, I locked the door. Liu Sui skillfully produced a ceramic cup and a chopstick.

Following his instructions, I lifted Qiu Xiaoli so she was facing south—the direction of our school. Liu Sui’s lips began to move as he murmured something, rhythmically tapping the cup with the chopstick.

As the clinking sound filled the room, an icy wind began to blow.

I had read about this soul-summoning technique in the *Art of Ghosts*. The ceramic cup represented a great bell. When held upside down and struck, the sound traveled downward, symbolizing the underworld. The caller merely needed to recite the summoning mantra a hundred times.

"Ancestral command issued, the Vajra stands on both sides. Bound by the thousand-mile soul-summoning spell, return quickly to your original form."

Meanwhile, someone close to the person had to whisper their name.

I didn't waste time, leaning close to Qiu Xiaoli’s ear: "Qiu Xiaoli, come back..."

I repeated this a hundred times as Liu Sui continued his chant. When the hundredth strike of the cup echoed, the icy wind suddenly died down. Liu Sui put down the chopstick and fell silent.

I looked at him nervously. "How did it go?"

Liu Sui nodded, which brought me a moment of relief. But then he shook his head. "I summoned back most of her three souls and seven spirits, but..."

"But what?"

"Her soul is peculiar. I suspect her jump into the lake was a suicide. Her soul is determined to die; it refuses to return."