When the woman’s shriek cut through the air, Lu Qian’s exorcism ritual had already reached its final moments.
In truth, that scrap of evil energy, though like a maggot gnawing at the spirit of the green-clad woman, was nothing to Lu Qian; truly dispersing it would have taken him only a moment.
But one must put on the whole show… no, to be precise, the bigger the performance, the higher the price it could fetch.
So Lu Qian pressed the woman’s spirit down and let her remain in a stupor.
He took his time chanting sutras with Ah Hu and the others while the monk-soldiers and grandees arrayed themselves and walked the formation.
Wu Youwei grew visibly impatient.
He kept glancing at the green-clad woman, then at Lu Qian, then covertly staring off in some other direction.
Lu Qian acted as if he knew nothing, hefting the great wooden fish mallet and striking the fish with a steady thud, thud, thud.
Then, at the moment the woman’s scream rang out, Lu Qian suddenly stopped.
He stood slowly and smiled: “Our Buddha is merciful. This lady’s life need not end — the evil has been suppressed… Lord Wu?”
Wu Youwei stared without expression. “Abbot, did you hear a woman crying for help?”