I can rewind time to prevent death

Zhang Xiaomo is a three-star Exorcist, while Zhang Di is like Yan Junze, also a Semi-Spirit.

When these two teamed up, they could withstand the Lantern Woman in her red lantern state, at least for a short while.

Especially Zhang Di, who had transformed into his Semi-Spirit form, became a bald strangeness, his head shiny and smooth, but his entire body seemed to have grown larger. A set of fangs protruded from his mouth, and his Special Skill seemed to be "Ripping Bite."

After turning into a semi-spirit, he pounced toward the Lantern Woman and started gnawing viciously at her head.

Zhang Xiaomo's magnetic knife was aimed at the Lantern Woman's wrist at this moment.

She was very aware that this woman was extremely powerful after transforming into her red lantern state, and it might have something to do with the lantern she was carrying. Therefore, her first move was to sever the connection between her and the lantern.

If she could slice off the arm holding the lantern in one stroke, that would be ideal.

The next second, the Lantern Woman caught Zhang Di, who was about to bite her head, by the teeth. Empowered by the red force, she wielded tremendous strength and smashed Zhang Di's Semi-Spirit Body against the floor, nearly creating a hole in the attic.

At the same moment, the red lantern in her hand, which swung without any wind, blocked the slash from Zhang Xiaomo. The magnetic knife stabbed into the lantern, making a cracking sound.

Zhang Xiaomo was taken aback and quickly withdrew her magnetic knife, only to find that the blade had lost a semicircle, directly damaged by the lantern.

Thud!

The Lantern Woman's five sharp nails instantly pierced through Zhang Xiaomo's chest. At the same time, she raised her leg and stomped down onto Zhang Di's head, who was on the ground.

Yan Junze closed his eyes, hearing a sound as brittle as a watermelon being cracked.

He was wondering, if the Back-faced Woman at her peak faced off against the Lantern Woman, what would the outcome be? What if Ke'er were added to the mix, after a mother-daughter Bond Evolution, against the Lantern Woman?

In the midst of contemplating, Yan Junze had no mood to watch the broken skull. Of course, he couldn't bear to watch Zhang Xiaomo, who was coughing up blood, either.

"You... go quickly!"

Zhang Xiaomo managed to utter these three words, blood spilling from her mouth.

"Hold on, I need to take a closer look."

Yan Junze shook his head, leaned in toward the red lantern that had been pierced by the magnetic knife, not caring that it was swaying side to side, and stared with wide eyes, wanting to see the inside clearly.

"Ah!" Another terrible scream came from above. The Lantern Woman reached for Yan Junze's bent-over head and grasped it.

Rewind!

Time rewound back to when the four people were on the first floor of the study room, the moment Yan Junze first met Zhang Xiaomo and company. This was the third time Zhang Xiaomo hinted at him with her eyes.

Yan Junze raised his hand to stop her, stepping forward and turning around to face the Lantern Woman.

Just as the Lantern Woman was about to deliver her classic line to Zhang Xiaomo and Zhang Di, Yan Junze interrupted her preemptively, pointing at the white lantern and saying, "Ning Ji, where did you get this lantern from?" Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire

"You actually know her name?" Zhang Xiaomo and Zhang Di's mouths fell wide open, a look of utter disbelief on their faces.

However, the Lantern Woman didn't react much, simply glancing at the lantern in her hand and replying, "It's from home, I took it with me when I was searching for my husband."

She paused, then added, "Didn't you say my husband was here? Where is he?"

Yan Junze didn't answer her question but continued to ask, "This lantern, have you used it before?"

The Lantern Woman seemed puzzled for a moment, nodded, but then as if remembering something, shook her head, paused bewilderedly, and nodded again.

"Where is my husband? Have you seen him?" she turned to ask Zhang Xiaomo and Zhang Di, who had remained silent the whole time.

They didn't answer but simultaneously turned their gazes to Yan Junze.

Faintly, they both felt that Yan Junze seemed to have discovered something. It was as if they had rehearsed beforehand not to speak and interrupt him.

"Before your husband disappeared, have you ever seen this lantern?" Yan Junze pressed on, seemingly oblivious to the woman's inquiries directed at Zhang Xiaomo and company.

The Lantern Woman fell into deep thought, and after a moment, she lifted her head to look at Yan Junze, "What do you want to say?"

"I want to know, why did you quarrel with your husband?" Yan Junze asked.

The Lantern Woman did not answer but looked toward Zhang Xiaomo, her obsession driving her to question these two people.

"When you answer my question, I'll have these two friends help us look for your husband in this house, we'll definitely find him for you," Yan Junze immediately added.

The Lantern Woman withdrew her gaze and looked at Yan Junze again, "My husband was always taking the imperial examinations, but after so many years, he consistently failed. I'd long advised him to give up, who knew that day he suddenly flew into a rage, and he… he beat me violently and stormed out. I don't know where he went!"

"He hit you?" Yan Junze was astonished.

The Lantern Woman became silent.

After thinking for a while, Yan Junze asked again, "How long after he left did you go looking for him?"

The Lantern Woman seemed to be recalling something, it took quite a while before she said, "We had a dispute after lunch that day, then he did not return. I couldn't let go, so I went out to look for him that same night."

"How did you die?" Zhang Di interjected from the side.

"You…" Yan Junze, unable to stop him in time, turned to glance at him.

"Did I die?" The Lantern Woman's words startled both Zhang Xiaomo and Zhang Di.

Yan Junze knew that the Lantern Woman wouldn't admit she was already dead, what followed was the lantern turning red.

Rewind!

Having no other choice, he activated another short-term rewind.

Just as the Lantern Woman finished speaking, he turned his head to Zhang Xiaomo and Zhang Di and whispered, "Don't interrupt us when I'm talking to her."

To tell the truth, Zhang Di's sentence "How did you die" was already on the tip of his tongue, but it was forcefully choked back by Yan Junze's words, his face turning red with restraint.

Zhang Xiaomo thought it was her partner who didn't understand Yan Junze's peaceful Exorcism Method, so she quickly lowered her voice to explain it to him.

Yan Junze ignored them and continued to ask the Lantern Woman, "Did you go out with just this lantern in search of him that night?"

The Lantern Woman looked at the white lantern in her hand and nodded.

"May I touch this lantern?" While speaking, Yan Junze reached out his hand.

"No," the Lantern Woman's voice changed tone, instantly stern and severe.

Yan Junze withdrew his hand and then said, "Didn't you mention that, after finding your husband, the lantern would change color?"

"Yes." This time the Lantern Woman nodded but pressed the lantern further down, intending to keep it out of Yan Junze's reach.

Moreover, Yan Junze noticed she was becoming impatient, the light inside the lantern gradually growing brighter, though it had not turned red yet.

Yan Junze had no more intention of trying to touch the lantern; instead, he stepped back, folded his arms across his chest, and gazed at the lantern as he said to the woman before him, "I'm guessing that perhaps your husband has always been by your side, you just haven't noticed."

"What?" The Lantern Woman immediately looked around, scanning her surroundings front and back, but she didn't see anyone else.

By then, Yan Junze had chosen to stand with Zhang Xiaomo and Zhang Di, continuing, "You can't get angry because once you do, you can't control your emotions. I don't know if you realize that it's because of anger that you had a big argument with your husband, leading to the situation you're in now."

Zhang Xiaomo and Zhang Di, somewhat perplexed, seemed to understand something but not entirely, both tilting their heads in confusion toward Yan Junze.

"My anger is because I can't find my husband. My anger is because all of you are lying to me," the Lantern Woman suddenly started to grow excited again.

Her facial features began to distort, and a hint of red light seeped from the lantern she was holding.

"I've said, your husband may have been right by your side all this time, accompanying you, it's just that you haven't noticed," Yan Junze didn't mind the Lantern Woman's current transformation but managed to squeeze out what he thought was a very sincere smile, and said word by word, "I wonder, have you ever heard of… Human Skin Lanterns?"