Chapter Twenty-Four: Possessed

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Chapter Twenty-Four: Possessed

I frowned, guarding the soul urn with a vigilant touch as my heart churned like boiling water. I was terrified he might strike with the knife. But what grudge did I hold against him? Was it really worth drawing a blade on me?

To my surprise, Zhao Yi showed no intention of coming after me for reasons unknown; he simply turned and left the kitchen.

I was baffled. I thought to myself, "That brat, if you wanted the knife, just take it; why scare the hell out of me?"

Once he was gone, I didn’t pay it much mind. I carried the dishes over to Zhao Qian. To avoid attracting the attention of Zhao Yi and his crowd and causing trouble for her, we had chosen to sit in a slightly secluded spot.

"Come on, eat something. You haven’t had much today; eat more tonight, be a good girl," I said, placing some dried soy-glazed fish into her bowl.

"Mm," Zhao Qian nodded, looking a bit shy, but she began to eat happily.

Once I saw her eating, I glanced back to see what Zhao Yi had done with the knife. I saw him heading toward the main hall, so I assumed one of the masters had asked him to bring it for a ritual.

After all, it was common for rural ritualists to fetch knives from the kitchen for their work, so I let it go and buried my head in my food.

"Brother Tian, I’m sorry to trouble you, having to come back to the estate with me," Zhao Qian whispered, picking up a mouthful of rice with elegant movements.

"It’s nothing. I promised to spend the day with you anyway, and I’m quite curious about your grandfather’s situation," I replied casually, adding a piece of pork rib to her bowl.

Watching a beautiful woman eat is a pleasure in itself. Zhao Qian blushed, as this was her first time dining alone with a man. It wasn't entirely her fault; I learned later that she had been a "four-eyes" in school, wearing thick glasses and constantly burying her head in obscure, esoteric books, which left her with little luck in romance.

It wasn't until after graduation, when she went abroad for laser eye surgery, that she blossomed into the stunning beauty she was today.

I looked over at the other tables and saw that the masters hired by the Zhao family had finished eating and were resting. I grabbed an extra set of bowls and chopsticks and set them beside me.

Zhao Qian looked on with curiosity, but she soon turned her gaze away—I had released the little vengeful spirit. Seeing the delicious food on the table, the spirit immediately reached out and snatched a piece of the dried fish.

Seeming to notice Zhao Qian’s occasional glances, the little spirit glared at her with eyes that were entirely black, lacking any whites.

In an instant, her red dress stirred without a breeze, and her expressionless stare nearly brought Zhao Qian to tears.

"Alright, eat your food. Why are you trying to scare her all day?" I scolded.

Unless one had practiced the Yin-Yang eyes or possessed a heavy Yin aura, an ordinary person couldn't see her. Aside from the Daoist masters at the estate, I figured only Zhao Qian and I could see her.

Since there was no one around, it was necessary to let her out to eat. My grandmother’s books explicitly stated this, and I couldn't feed her my own vital blood every day. In the future, I would even need to buy live chickens for her.

Watching Zhao Qian’s teeth chatter as she ate, I sighed. But then again, she was just a Feng Shui practitioner, not an exorcist; it was normal for her to be afraid of a vengeful spirit.

"Why don't you sit next to me? Let the little ghost take your seat; I can shield her so no one sees," I suggested.

"No... no need," Zhao Qian said. She felt shy sitting next to me, though her heart felt warm.

Unfortunately, her refusal was useless. The little spirit followed my instructions, clutching her bowl and slowly drifting toward her. As she walked, her head remained half-bowed, her terrifying eyes rolling upward to peer at Zhao Qian.

Zhao Qian was so scared her soul nearly left her body. She grabbed her bowl and fled toward me, nearly tripping in the process.

I was about to console her when, suddenly, chaos erupted in the main hall!

"Murder!"

A woman’s shrill scream rang out. I recognized it as Zhao Qian’s third aunt, Zhao Yuan. I whipped my head around to see a scene of screaming and carnage—something terrible had happened!

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I quickly stood up, eager to see what was happening.

The Zhao family relatives resting in the guest rooms emerged and rushed toward the main hall, throwing the scene into total disarray. However, the masters remained remarkably calm, not one of them stepping out; I supposed they wouldn't move unless requested.

I figured that with so many relatives present, nothing too dire could happen, and given Zhao Qian’s concern for her family, I followed the crowd into the hall.

Inside, two monks were sprawled on the floor. One had blood gushing from his back, groaning in pain, while the other had a knife buried in his stomach, howling in agony.

Zhao Yi was being pinned to the ground by a group of people and monks. He was baring his teeth and snarling, muttering strange, guttural sounds that were no longer human.

As he struggled, several large monks held him down with such force that his bones began to creak—it was a terrifying sight.

Zhao Zhou watched his son’s epileptic-like convulsions, sweating profusely and desperate to rush over to help.

But Zhao Xi’s face turned grim. "Zhou, your son has been possessed by a ghost! It’s still inside him!"

Zhao Xi was a descendant of a Feng Shui lineage. While he lacked strong exorcism skills, he was knowledgeable. Everyone who heard him gasped in horror.

Zhao Zhou also knew Feng Shui. Though not as skilled as his older brother, he wasn't far behind. Recalling that he had brought his own master, he immediately ran out the door.

Because of the past conflict between Zhao Yi, Zhao Qian, and myself, I had no intention of getting involved, so I stayed at the door with Zhao Qian to watch the spectacle.

Seeing the monks stunned, Zhao Yuan began to curse like a shrew, pointing at the group and hurling insults: "Damn your bald heads! Can you even do anything? You’ve been at it all day and haven't fixed a thing, and now you’ve let my nephew Yi get possessed!"

Monk Jieshi’s face twitched, but he dared not talk back. He said to his disciples, "Purify the mouth, purify the body, purify the heart; purify the three karmas, rectify the body and mind. Follow me in chanting: The Universal Light Pure and Intense Wish-Fulfilling Treasure Seal Invincible Great Wisdom King Great Request Dharani Sutra."

With that, Monk Jieshi placed his hands into a basin of water, cupping it together—not caring about the filth—and began to rinse his mouth and wash his face. He then lit incense and sprinkled water.

"Sa-la-wa, de-la, sa-la-wa, ba-ya, wu-ba, de-la-wei, bi-ya..." The monks sat cross-legged around Zhao Yi, chanting the sutra.

Suddenly, the Sanskrit sounded like a song bursting from the monks' mouths, and Monk Jieshi began splashing the purification water onto Zhao Yi.

To my surprise, the chanting actually worked. I could see Zhao Yi’s struggles gradually cease; he seemed to be recovering.

Seeing the situation stabilize, Zhao Xi went to comfort his mother, the Zhao family matriarch. But after only two steps, the rosewood bowl in Monk Jieshi’s hand cracked with a snap. Monk Jieshi broke into a cold sweat: How fierce must this ghost be?

"Useless!" Zhao Xi glared at Zhao Yuan and snapped, then scanned the room. When he saw me and Zhao Qian standing at the door, his expression soured. "Where is Zhao He? Why hasn't he brought the lay practitioner from Sanxian Temple yet!"

"That's right! Go find the lay practitioner quickly; he will definitely be able to do it," the Zhao family matriarch realized, urging them on.

"My brother went back to the county seat," Zhao Qian said, startled by her father’s questioning.

"Then what are you standing there for? Go and invite him!" Zhao Xi glared harshly at Zhao Qian, and his look toward me was equally unkind.

He likely assumed I was courting his daughter and that we were currently an item. Seeing my poor attire, he looked down on me.

The Zhao family was a prominent household in the county; naturally, they expected their children to marry into wealth and status. Looking at the young socialites who had arrived, all dressed in sharp suits, he probably found my appearance disgraceful.

"Oh," Zhao Qian replied, turning away with tears in her eyes to fetch the practitioner.

I shook my head helplessly and followed her, worried about her safety.

When we reached the lounge, we found the lay practitioner from Sanxian Temple, Master Canyun, and his disciples calmly sipping tea.

Zhao Qian hurriedly explained the situation. Master Canyun did not delay; he set down his cup and headed toward the main hall.

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On the way, a group of monks ran toward the parking lot, sweating profusely, carrying their injured comrade and escorting another monk who kept trying to bite people.

Monk Jieshi sighed, his face covered in wine and water, his beard disheveled. It seemed that either the ghost was too fierce or Zhao Yuan was too terrifying; the Pan-Tian Temple monks were truly out of options.

"Haha, and here I thought the great monks of Pan-Tian Temple were something else. Turns out they’re just here for free food and drink, right, Master?" a Sanxian Temple Daoist laughed loudly, looking quite smug.

"Indeed. Acting all high and mighty today, only to end up courting death because they lacked the skill. They have a death wish," another Daoist carrying the equipment chimed in.

"Hmph. If you don't master your skills, this is what happens when you face real trouble. Keep this in mind," Master Canyun said, using the opportunity to lecture his disciples.

The disciples nodded in agreement and followed Master Canyun into the hall.

Reaching the doorway, I looked inside but didn't see Zhao Zhou. If that old man had gone to fetch a master, why had we arrived before him?

Looking back, I saw Zhao Zhou and an old master hurrying from the parking lot outside. They were whispering as they walked. In the pitch black of night, what were two old men doing at the parking lot?

Zhao Yi was being watched by Zhao Qian’s uncles; he wasn't tied up, but he crouched to the side, trembling as he watched everything.

There were pools of blood on the floor. I frowned—had Zhao Yi truly been possessed by a ghost?

But looking around, where was the unclean spirit that had possessed him?

Zhao Xi rushed over to shake Master Canyun’s hand. "Master, you’ve finally arrived. Please, help us see what’s going on. After Yi was possessed earlier, the monks from Pan-Tian Temple chanted and seemed to drive the evil away. But as soon as it left, the monk who grabbed the knife was possessed himself! He stabbed two of his own disciples and nearly skewered Monk Jieshi while he was praying."

"Oh? Such a thing happened?" Master Canyun replied nonchalantly. He walked over to check on the old man, who was lying in the inner room. The old man’s face was pale, but he looked no different than he had earlier.

"Old Zhao is not in immediate danger, but his body cannot withstand any more turmoil. I will place a Soul-Stabilizing Talisman to protect his three souls and a Ghost-Repelling Talisman to protect his seven spirits, then I will set up an altar to drive the ghost out," Canyun said calmly, tucking a few protective paper talismans under the old man.

His disciples took the hint and unceremoniously tossed the equipment Monk Jieshi had left behind out of the door.

The Zhao family matriarch had no objections. In fact, seeing that Canyun prioritized the old man’s safety over performing a ritual, she was filled with gratitude. This pleased Zhao Xi, who felt his choice of master showed great social tact and genuine skill—unlike Monk Jieshi, who had let his father suffer all day without achieving a thing.

"Mother, I invited Master Canyun personally. I didn't spend a cent; I had to invite him several times. He’s been traveling, and he traveled thousands of kilometers to get here. Mother, we aren't short on money, but if not for the old ties, he might not have come at all," Zhao Xi boasted, not blushing in the slightest.

"That’s right, this is how it should be. At least you, as the eldest, are reliable and have a reputation out there," the matriarch said, clearly pleased and nearly moved to tears.

Zhao Xi felt as though half the seat of the family head was already in his grasp.

After walking out, Master Canyun took a piece of paper inscribed with a spell, wrapped the bloodied knife in it, and examined it carefully before tossing it aside with disdain.

He then looked at Zhao Yi and concluded, "The knife is fine. The person was indeed possessed. You can see the ghost energy at his brow has not dissipated, and residual Yin energy remains on him. Oh, and I forgot to mention, young nephew Zhao Yi, you don't need to stay here. Go to the hospital quickly."

He urged Zhao Yi to leave, and the boy, frightened out of his wits, called his driver and fled, supported by others.

I almost laughed out loud. If they could see what Master Canyun supposedly saw, they would truly be seeing ghosts! I certainly hadn't seen anything; the possessing ghost had been in the disciple of Jieshi just moments ago!

But just as I was silently mocking them, the old man lying on the bed began to tremble violently, as if he were truly possessed!

Before he had twitched more than a few times, he shot up like a zombie! His eyes rolled back, and his tongue lolled out of his mouth, long and limp.

Seeing this, I realized with horror: Old Man Zhao was dead.