By now, everyone on - site had scattered. The servants of the Marquis of Gaochang's Mansion had kept a safe distance.
As Princess Pingyang's words faded, they looked at each other, but none of them dared to step forward.
The white - browed Taoist priest remained calm. His gray robe fluttered in the wind, giving him an air of immortality. With his eyes downcast, he spoke calmly.
"Your Highness, the Princess, I fully understand your motherly love for Miss Zheng. But the deceased has passed. I hope you and the Marquis can accept this with grief.
This evil ghost is merely a manifestation of Miss Zheng's lingering resentment in life. If it is not suppressed in time and causes killings, it will damage Miss Zheng's merits in her next life."
Bai Zheng stood by coldly, watching the white - browed Taoist priest pontificate with a half - smile on her lips.
"Damage her merits? Then... what should we do?" Hearing that the evil ghost's misdeeds would damage Zheng Yan's merits in the next life, the Marquis of Gaochang's face changed drastically. He asked carefully.
"I'm not very capable, but I'm willing to perform a Taoist ceremony for Miss Zheng right away to help her dispel her resentment and be reborn as a human soon," the white - browed Taoist priest replied.
"What kind of Taoist ceremony!" Princess Pingyang finally regained her senses. Hearing this, she immediately raised her voice. Her eyes were blood - shot. "Whether she's an evil ghost or not, she's Yan'er, my Yan'er! She hasn't even finished this life yet. Who cares about the next one!"
"Your Highness! Miss Zheng has already driven the Fourth Prince half - crazy. If we don't suppress her in time, she may bring disaster to the world. The consequences will be unimaginable!" From the crowd, someone suddenly shouted.
People had been watching from a distance out of curiosity. Now, hearing this, they seemed to recall the Fourth Prince Feng Jingyang who was currently confined in the Nanxun Palace. They immediately echoed.
"The Fourth Prince's condition is extremely bad. The Imperial Concubine Zhao has invited one group after another of famous doctors from Yongding City, but to no avail. As far as I know, many Taoist masters have been invited to the Nanxun Palace to exorcise evil spirits. It's obvious that Miss Zheng has already become an evil ghost."
"Yes, Miss Zheng has turned into an evil ghost and is causing harm to the world. If we don't suppress her now, are we really going to wait until she takes the Fourth Prince's life?"
"Look at how Miss Zheng possessed that young Taoist priest just now. She didn't even recognize her own relatives and tried to kill the Princess. If we let her have her way, I'm afraid none of us will be able to save our lives!"
The discussions were clearly audible to Princess Pingyang and the Marquis of Gaochang even over the howling wind. Princess Pingyang's face turned deathly pale. She trembled all over and shouted hoarsely, "Get him out! Get this Taoist priest out of here!"
Bai Zheng frowned and looked at the servants of the Marquis of Gaochang's Mansion in the distance. They had clearly heard the Princess's order, but they didn't move.
When Princess Pingyang was almost strangled to death just now, none of them had stepped forward to help their mistress.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. It seemed that Imperial Concubine Zhao and Feng Linche had already reached into the Marquis of Gaochang's Mansion.
She sighed inwardly. Once upon a time, the Marquis of Gaochang's Mansion had been one of the most impregnable places in Yongding City. Just a month ago, she and Feng Linyuan had had quite a hard time getting in to deliver medicine.
But since Zheng Yan's death, the Marquis of Gaochang and Princess Pingyang had fallen apart.
Especially after the Marquis of Gaochang had sent his soldiers to build Zheng Yan's mausoleum, the once - impregnable Marquis of Gaochang's Mansion had become a mere showpiece, a place where anyone could interfere.
Princess Pingyang shouted hoarsely, but still no one moved.
The Marquis of Gaochang was caught in a dilemma between protecting his daughter in this life and not harming her in the next. He just stood there motionless.
The Taoist priest smiled faintly and said to the Marquis of Gaochang, "My Lord, this is the best time to suppress Miss Zheng before she causes more trouble. If we delay any longer, I may not be able to help."
The Marquis of Gaochang looked at the white - browed Taoist priest. The oncoming wind suddenly grew stronger, making it hard for him to keep his eyes fully open. He opened his mouth, about to speak.
Suddenly, a loud thunderclap split the sky.
"Boom - rumble - rumble!"
The raging gale, accompanied by a shrill howl, swept into the courtyard. It not only blew the people standing in the distance off - balance but also, like a madman, sent the branches flying wildly in all directions.
In the mourning hall behind, all the sacrificial items were blown to the ground. Some plates and bowls shattered on the spot...
The Marquis of Gaochang covered his face with his sleeve and managed to open one eye to look at the Taoist priest. But his vision was blurred, and all he could see was a gray figure standing firm in the gale.
Princess Pingyang was also stunned, staring blankly at the scene in front of her.
Bai Zheng closed her eyes. Behind her, there were panicked screams, while on her side, it suddenly fell silent because of Princess Pingyang's silence.
In the gale, the white - browed Taoist priest's voice sounded faintly, "My Lord, suppress or not?"
This voice was full of vigor and echoed throughout the courtyard.
Those who hadn't had time to escape from the Marquis's Mansion pleaded desperately with the Marquis of Gaochang upon hearing this, "My Lord, save us! Save us! Suppress Miss Zheng's ghost and let her be reborn soon!"
The Marquis of Gaochang's lips trembled. Finally, he closed his eyes and tilted his head slightly.
The leaden clouds in the sky grew thicker and thicker. The gale spun faster, and lightning coiled within the clouds, as if it was about to break free at any moment.
The Marquis of Gaochang's body swayed in the gale. Bai Zheng stared at him intently, feeling that the once - high - spirited middle - aged general had suddenly become old and haggard.
After a while, the Marquis of Gaochang suddenly reached out and slapped heavily on the golden - silk nanmu coffin of Zheng Yan beside him.
"Let Yan'er be reborn soon."
At the same time, it seemed that the energy of the leaden clouds had gathered to the limit again. Another thunderbolt struck down from the sky, splitting half of the sky.
"Set up the altar and perform the ceremony!" the white - browed Taoist priest immediately ordered.
The Taoist priests gathered not far away rushed over at the order and formed a circle, surrounding Zheng Yan's golden - silk nanmu coffin in the middle.
Seeing this, the Marquis of Gaochang silently stepped forward to help up Princess Pingyang, who was crying uncontrollably, and left Zheng Yan's coffin with Bai Zheng.
Bai Zheng stopped after walking out of the circle of Taoist priests. She turned around and watched the Taoist priests perform the ceremony with interest.
For some reason, since the Taoist priests surrounded the coffin, the raging gale had suddenly subsided, allowing everyone to clearly see what was happening in front of them.
Under the white - browed Taoist priest's order, those Taoist priests wearing purple - sun headscarves and eight - trigram robes exerted their strength together. The whisk in their hands drew arcs in the air one after another.
The white - browed Taoist priest pinched a magic seal with one hand and took out three paper talismans with the other. He murmured, "I contain the heaven and earth. My incantation can kill ghosts. When I incant on metal, it will melt; when I incant on wood, it will break... When I incant on gods, they will be bound; when I incant on ghosts, they will kill themselves... When I incant on poison, it will disperse; when I incant on curses, they will be destroyed."