Through her clothes, Jiang Chen saw the skin beneath.
With his X-ray vision, as long as he focused his mind on seeing through someone's body, the ability would activate automatically. That part wasn't strange anymore.
But what he saw this time startled him deeply.
On the smooth curve of Zhao Yafeng's back, there was a large black-yellow patch—roughly the size of a rice bowl.
Jiang Chen was sure it wasn't a natural birthmark.
He could see it clearly: the coloration was off, unnaturally so.
From the center of the mark, faint wisps of ghostly energy were seeping out.
And within that eerie aura, a black snake with white markings slithered in and out—at times darting up, at times retreating back into the mark.
What was that?!
Suddenly, the system's voice rang in his mind:
[Yin Serpent Mark: Formed when the lingering soul of a wrongly killed person—whose zodiac sign was the snake—refuses to depart. Its essence condenses into serpent form and attaches itself to a human host.]
In other words, Zhao Yafeng was possessed by a vengeful spirit!
Cases of spirit possession often followed a similar pattern. Typically, it happened when someone died with unresolved hatred and refused to report to the underworld for reincarnation. These spirits lingered near the place of their death, seeking a scapegoat.
To maintain their presence in the human world, such spirits fed on the life force and soul energy of the living—usually at midnight while their host slept.
If the feeding continued for seven days, the host would surely die.
The Yin Serpent Mark was the visible trace left behind by the soul-draining.
Judging by the size of the mark, the spirit had been feeding on her for several days already.
Her life was hanging by a thread!
Zhao Liang noticed Jiang Chen staring blankly at his daughter's back and hip area. He coughed gently. "Mr. Jiang…"
Jiang Chen replied, "President Zhao, your daughter is suffering from a severe spiritual affliction."
"What? But… she seems fine, doesn't she?"
"She's been possessed."
Zhao Liang was visibly shocked.
Apparently, he had already sensed that something wasn't right: his daughter had been speaking incoherently for days, seemed absent-minded, lost her appetite, and woke up each morning claiming to feel extremely fatigued, with dark circles under her eyes.
"Possessed?"
Jiang Chen said, "I'm not entirely sure yet. But if you're willing, I can attempt a diagnosis."
"Yes, of course! Please, Mr. Jiang, go ahead!"
Jiang Chen stepped forward without hesitation. He grabbed Zhao Yafeng's shoulders and turned her to face him.
Their eyes met.
Jiang Chen's spiritual vision shot out through his pupils, and he peered deeply into hers. Her gaze was vacant, dazed, her vitality depleted. Between her brows swirled a faint wisp of dark energy.
Jiang Chen sighed to himself.
Poor girl. Being drained by a ghost every night—who wouldn't be exhausted?
Zhao Yafeng looked puzzled, staring at him with confusion.
Jiang Chen gently raised a hand and tapped her on the clavicle twice.
The clavicle—an essential acupoint in the human body—served as a key node for locking and unlocking the soul.
The moment he touched it, Zhao Yafeng shuddered and gasped, as if awakened from a dream. Her eyes regained some clarity as she looked around, bewildered.
"Dad? Mom? Where… where are we?"
Jiang Chen said calmly, "As I suspected—your daughter was in a soul-wandering state. I unlocked the soul lock. She's regained partial awareness."
Zhao Liang's face lit up with joy. "So, she's cured?"
"No. On the contrary, her condition is extremely critical. She may not last more than three days."
Zhao Liang's expression froze. "Is there… is there a way to save her?"
"There is. But…" Jiang Chen hesitated, "it won't be easy."
Zhao Liang immediately grasped Jiang Chen's hands, anxious and desperate. "Please, you must save my daughter! Whatever it costs—I'll pay!"
Li Xiuxian, too, held onto Jiang Chen's hand. "Mr. Jiang, please. Tell us—what exactly is harming our daughter? What do we need to do?"
Ghosts operate at night, feeding when their victims are asleep. Therefore, the source of the disturbance was likely inside their own home.
Jiang Chen said, "Based on my experience, the root cause of your daughter's affliction is probably within your house."
"Our house?" The couple exchanged glances.
Just then, the traffic police arrived. Zhao Liang and the truck driver gave their statements. After surveying the scene, the officers told them to visit the precinct the next day for further procedures.
Once the formalities were completed, Zhao Liang called his private chauffeur.
Soon, a luxury car arrived. Jiang Chen joined Zhao Liang's family, and they drove off toward a lavish villa on the outskirts of the county.