Ye Tiancheng had initially thought that his true qi was powerful enough, and the shaman was just an ordinary person. He believed he could control common illnesses and was confident he could save the shaman's life.
However, the sudden convulsions were not due to the shaman having a heart attack or epilepsy like a normal human. Instead, it felt like a mysterious force was backfiring.
The speed was too fast, and the energy too strong. Even with his true qi, Ye Tiancheng couldn't guarantee the shaman's safety.
"Don't try to save me anymore, don't waste your strength. I can't be saved. That ritual was not successful, and I paid the price for it. I can't blame anyone else. It's all because I believed in myself too much. I'm not that powerful, and the enemy was too formidable. In the end, I failed. It's unavoidable even if I have to pay with my life..."
As Ye Tiancheng was frowning, the shaman suddenly pressed a pressure point on herself. At that moment, as if a final burst of energy, the shaman suddenly sat up and spoke normally.
"Your condition looks alright now. You should be fine, right? Money is not an issue. I will do everything I can to keep you alive. I will fulfill all my promises, so you must live on strongly."
Ye Tiancheng felt a pang of fear at that moment. So many people had come and gone from his life. He was already afraid of loss. Even though the shaman was just a chance acquaintance whom he had known for only a few days, Ye Tiancheng did not want a living soul to die before his eyes. He wished for her to live a healthy life.
"It's useless. That power is too immense. It was silent all along, hidden within me. Once it erupts, it will be irreversible. There is no cure for me. Fortunately, I have no attachments in this world. Before I die, to be treated like this, I am very grateful to have met you all."
These words made Ye Tiancheng feel terrible. It had been a long time since Ye Tiancheng's heart had been so deeply affected. This feeling of powerlessness once again engulfed him like a flood.
The shaman was clearly not talking nonsense. Even if her professional skills were mediocre, and she hadn't achieved any significant results, even harming herself, her words were true. Because after saying them, the shaman's pupils quickly dilated. Little Fox used a talisman, trying to stick it to the shaman's forehead, while Ye Tiancheng also used his true qi to try and preserve her life.
However, the efforts of everyone present could not save the shaman's life. From the dilation of her pupils to the cessation of her breathing, the entire process took only a few seconds, and it was already too late to turn back.
"Alright, stop wasting your strength. The person is gone. Wasting more effort is useless."
Fatty finally stated the grim reality, completely plunging Ye Tiancheng and Little Fox into despair. Although both of them had wanted to try a little longer, it was clearly futile now. Their efforts seemed utterly ridiculous. Death was irreversible, a fact even a fool would know. Moreover, they were three intelligent people with normal IQs.
"How could this happen?"
As things had progressed to this point, Ye Tiancheng couldn't understand why the situation had continuously deteriorated, even leading to this outcome. Regardless of anything else, it was too absurd. Not only had the problem not been solved, but another life had been lost. Even the life of an elderly woman was still a life, and this made Ye Tiancheng feel extremely uneasy.
"Brother Ye, we are just too unlucky. The moment we let our guard down, something like this happened. This has nothing to do with you; it's just that our luck has been a bit bad. We need to handle the shaman's funeral arrangements. I hope you can calm down and don't overthink things."
Ye Tiancheng was indeed like Fatty said; when problems arose, he wouldn't attribute them to himself. However, he was also a conflicted person and couldn't completely detach himself. He always felt an intense sense of guilt, a guilt that seemed to consume him.
"If I had known, I shouldn't have involved this innocent person. I really didn't expect things to develop to this point. Wasn't everything going smoothly? Why did it turn out like this?"
It wasn't just because of the shaman's death, but because that feeling of powerlessness had once again awakened Ye Tiancheng, reminding him of his past helplessness. When important artifacts and people left him one by one, the heartache was indescribable. Even if it wasn't mentioned, it was deeply buried in his heart. The slightest incident would stir it up again, like magma erupting, making it impossible to control his emotions.
"Where did it go wrong? Why did it become like this? Something must be wrong. I made a mistake..."
Ye Tiancheng had clearly fallen into a vortex of self-blame, muttering incessantly, giving the impression of being mentally unstable. This, in turn, frightened Fatty.
Little Fox remained silent. Fatty, considering Little Fox's young age, didn't want to scare her, so he quickly took her out of the car.
As soon as they got out of the car, they ran into Su Muxian, who was hurrying over. Su Muxian was also attending the banquet today, dressed in black silk fabric, with her hair up, looking as noble as a princess. However, at this moment, with her skirt trailing and high heels, this princess who was walking quickly appeared a bit dishevelled.
The breeze ruffled her hair. Su Muxian, who had been happy all day, now had a look of anxiety on her face. After all, she had already learned about the commotion that had just occurred and suspected that something had happened.
"How is Ye Tiancheng now?"
Su Muxian, holding her skirt, bumped into Fatty leading Little Fox out. She didn't inquire about the shaman's physical condition but was more concerned about why Ye Tiancheng had been in the car for so long without coming out, and why the car hadn't left. She was certain something had happened. At this critical moment, Su Muxian couldn't control her concern for Ye Tiancheng. Perhaps this was a genuine, heartfelt impulse.
"Brother Ye is fine. It's just that the shaman has passed away. We need to handle her funeral arrangements now, so it might take some effort and require the cooperation of the Su family."
This wasn't the first time Su Muxian had experienced such an event. The Su family had been shrouded in gloom recently, mainly due to the deaths of many people and the occurrence of many strange events. Now that these strange events had reappeared, Su Muxian's momentarily brightened heart was once again completely overshadowed by dark clouds.
"How could this happen? I thought it was just a normal epileptic seizure. How could she have died?"
Su Muxian was clearly frightened. Fatty realized that at this moment, besides protecting the child, he also had to protect the woman. In any case, he couldn't let Su Muxian continue to be in this environment. It would be best to have her leave. Perhaps only by leaving would it be the best choice for this timid woman, rather than staying here to endure further shock.
"I was just about to take this child to the lounge to rest. Why don't you come with me? It's not appropriate to stay here."
"No, I want to see Ye Tiancheng. No matter what, I won't be at ease until I see that he's alright."
Seeing the determination in Su Muxian's eyes, Fatty suddenly realized something. He had underestimated everything. This woman wasn't as weak as he had imagined. Moreover, at critical moments, when facing the person she wanted to protect, she could unleash an unexpected strength. Perhaps this was the power of love. For the one she loved, she was truly fearless.
"Alright, but don't get too scared. The shaman's body hasn't been dealt with yet, and Brother Ye is still watching. You must be mentally prepared and don't scare yourself."
Su Muxian was also afraid. After all, whether man or woman, anyone would fear death and the unknown. Facing a dead person might truly require a certain amount of courage. However, Su Muxian mustered her courage and got into the car.
Seeing Ye Tiancheng's somewhat dejected back, Su Muxian suddenly felt that perhaps Ye Tiancheng was not as strong as she had imagined. At times, Su Muxian felt that she needed to provide a shoulder for him to lean on.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Why are you here? Go with Fatty to rest quickly. You shouldn't be in the car."
Seeing Su Muxian appear here, Ye Tiancheng's first instinct was to protect her. A delicate girl should be well protected and should not have to endure such fright and threats.
"I came to see you. Please accept my condolences. What happened was not what any of us wanted. Perhaps it's fate's cruelty. But I believe you can definitely solve the problem."
Ye Tiancheng looked up at Su Muxian, then smiled and shook his head helplessly. His smile was filled with self-mockery.
"It's all my fault. I'm not good enough. There's nothing I can do. I don't know how to solve this this time. Actually, I'm not as capable as you think. I've caused another death. I feel like a jinx, beyond redemption."
At this point, everyone understood. Ye Tiancheng was taking all the blame onto himself, but Su Muxian wouldn't allow it. She didn't want him to be so burdened.
"It's not your fault. There are still many things to do. I need you to help me carry this burden. The reason I came to find you is because I know you can solve all the problems. Perhaps you are just a mortal, but in my heart, you are a god."
Ye Tiancheng was deeply touched. He sometimes felt ordinary, but he didn't know why, beneath such ordinariness, there was someone who believed in him from beginning to end. What kind of trust was this? Ye Tiancheng could hardly imagine.
"But I have stumbled again this time. I really can't do it anymore."
"Don't say that. I believe you can do it. No one can tarnish you, not even myself."
Perhaps what people need most in their most desperate moments is encouragement. Ye Tiancheng wasn't truly desperate; he just couldn't find a way out. Hearing someone's unconditional trust in him, a trust that had been there all along, made Ye Tiancheng realize that he couldn't escape reality. Doing so would be cowardly. He should bravely shoulder his responsibilities, even if he ultimately failed miserably. At least then, he wouldn't have let himself down.
"Okay, then I will do my best. Even if the final outcome is not ideal, I believe you will understand my good intentions."
Su Muxian looked at Ye Tiancheng and nodded. Then, Ye Tiancheng calmed his emotions and first handled the shaman's funeral. As the woman had no family, as she had said before, everything had to be kept simple. There was no need to notify any relatives. They just needed to bury her simply. However, there were still many things to do. Ye Tiancheng needed to investigate why the shaman had suddenly died and where the problem had occurred. There must be something fishy about it.