169: Soul-capturing technique

“Big Brother Qin, judging by the footage, Xu Nanqin must have left on her own. Should we call the police?”

Qin Shou stared solemnly at the monitor screen. Chu Xiaoxiao, standing beside him, glanced at him, a flicker of imperceptible gloom flashing in her eyes. She sighed internally, thinking how hard it was for her to finally fall for a man, only to find so many rivals, and each one prettier than the last.

“No need. Thank you for your trouble this time. I'll handle the rest myself.”

Qin Shou shook his head, always feeling that this matter was strange, yet he couldn't pinpoint the problem. However, he instinctively felt that this was not something the police could solve.

Xu Nanqin's body had not fully recovered; she had injuries on her head and legs, making it impossible for her to leave without a reason. What made Qin Shou even more uneasy was that the surveillance footage showed no signs of injury when Xu Nanqin walked. She seemed to have lost the sensation of pain, and her expression was wooden and dull, as if she had lost her soul.

“Ling'er, what is your opinion?”

Qin Shou knew he had encountered a difficult problem this time, one he likely couldn't solve alone, so he couldn't help but ask Ling'er in his mind.

“If my guess is correct, Xu Nanqin's condition looks like she has had her soul captured. She must have eaten something tainted, or perhaps she was hit by someone's talisman.” Ling'er's image instantly appeared in Qin Shou's mind, stating her conjecture.

“Soul Capturing? What is that?” Qin Shou was startled by the words and asked in confusion.

Ling'er immediately explained: “Soul Capturing is a secret technique that existed in the Ancient Era. It is a method of mentally controlling a person by confusing their soul using talismans or drugs.”

“Although it is an ancient secret technique, as far as I know, this method has not been lost. In fact, many different schools have developed from it. Some rely on medicine, and others rely on talismans.”

“For example, the hypnosis talisman you used last time to confuse Liu San and Zhang Biao is actually a type of Soul Capturing Technique utilized by the Daoist School using talismans.”

“Besides the Daoist School, the Esoteric Sect in Tibet also has its own methods. I estimate Xu Nanqin was controlled by an evil cultivator from either the Daoist School or the Esoteric Sect.”

“Are you saying that the Soul Capturing Technique can use food or talismans as auxiliary means?”

Qin Shou cupped his chin and immediately thought that the pizza was likely the source of the problem, because the surveillance showed that both Xu Nanqin and Yang Lu only changed their demeanor after eating the pizza.

“Yes, looking at Xu Nanqin's condition, it's highly likely that the Soul Capturing Technique was performed using food as a medium.” Ling'er nodded affirmatively.

“Ling'er, if the same food is given to an animal, will its soul also be captured?”

An idea flashed in Qin Shou's mind, and he immediately thought of a way to track Xu Nanqin.

“Of course. An animal's soul is not as strong as a human's, making it easier to control. Are you planning to use an animal to track them?” Ling'er immediately understood.

“Yes, blindly searching is not a solution either.”

Qin Shou nodded, immediately left the monitoring room, and headed toward Xu Nanqin's ward.

Qin Shou quickly arrived at Xu Nanqin's ward, picked up the two half-eaten slices of pizza that Xu Nanqin and Yang Lu had dropped on the floor, and then quickly left the hospital.

Just as Qin Shou walked out of the hospital, he happened to see a black stray cat rummaging for food in a nearby trash can. Qin Shou secretly congratulated himself on his good luck; he had originally planned to go to a pet store to buy a cat or a dog.

Qin Shou immediately threw the pizza next to the stray cat. The cat was already starving, and upon smelling the pizza's aroma, it immediately began eating heartily.

After only a few bites, the cat's eyes became dull and gray, completely losing their vitality. Seeing this, Qin Shou was secretly delighted, thinking, "It works, as expected."

“Meow—!”

The stray cat let out a low growl, suddenly turned, and bolted in one direction. Qin Shou dared not delay and immediately followed it.

Inside the hotel room, the Joyful Monk, who was sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes and leered, “Hahaha, it seems This Humble Monk's consorts have arrived.”

Xu Nanqin and Yang Lu arrived at the hotel entrance and walked straight inside. This was a small guesthouse hotel converted from a private residence, and the woman at the front desk was the owner.

It was already late. The woman, resting her head on one hand out of boredom, was already dozing off. When she suddenly saw two delicate, beautiful young girls walk in, she thought business had arrived and immediately perked up.

She shook her head to clear it, and asked Xu Nanqin and Yang Lu with a beaming smile, “Are you two girls staying the night? A double room is eighty yuan a night, and a single room is sixty yuan a night. Do you want one double room or two single rooms?”

However, Xu Nanqin and Yang Lu completely ignored the woman's question and walked stiffly straight into the guesthouse.

Seeing that the two girls completely ignored her and clearly weren't there to rent a room, the woman's face immediately darkened, and she snapped, “Hey! Hey! Hey! At least say something! Are you renting a room or not? If you're not renting a room, you can't just walk in here.”

“Heh heh, Boss, these two are guests of This Humble Monk. Please allow me to bring them inside.”

The woman was about to block the two girls when the Joyful Monk suddenly walked out of a room.

“What the heck? These two delicate beauties are here looking for you, a Bald Donkey?”

The woman widened her eyes, an expression of disbelief on her face. She thought, *What is this? A monk looking for female college students?*

“Ahem.”

The Joyful Monk coughed twice awkwardly, then immediately turned to the two girls and said, “I've been waiting for you for a long time. Why are you so late? Hurry and come inside with me.”

The woman saw that the two girls indeed nodded in unison.

Seeing this scene, the woman felt her worldview shatter. She had been running this small inn for years and had seen plenty of college students renting rooms, but this was the first time in her life she had seen a monk renting a room with female college students.

The woman thought, *Good heavens, am I out of touch with the times, or has the world truly gone downhill? These damn college students are hooking up with a Bald Donkey, and it's a threesome! One of the girls is even wearing a hospital gown! They're playing dress-up! Are monks really this kinky now?*

Seeing the two girls nod, the Joyful Monk immediately turned to the woman and said, “Boss, look, can you let them in now?”

“Heh heh!”

The woman chuckled awkwardly, raised an eyebrow, and immediately raised the price: “A double room in my little place is only eighty yuan a night, and you're bringing two. Don't go collapsing my bed. How about you add a bit more money?”

The woman thought, *You wretched Bald Donkey, what kind of Buddhism are you practicing? this old lady is going to fleece you, you lustful monk.*

“This—!”

The Joyful Monk looked troubled. He mainly cultivated Joyful Zen, and although he was a lustful monk, he was not greedy for money. He had traveled all the way from Tibet, sleeping rough, and wouldn't have even bothered to rent a room in this guesthouse if it weren't for the convenience of dual cultivation.