Chapter 13

The warm yellow light shone down from above, making the quiet room exceptionally bright.

The two sat in the center of the room. The light sculpted Jiang Zhuochen's features into sharp, thin outlines, with a faint golden rim around the edges of his hair. His trembling eyelashes cast delicate ripples on his cheeks.

Xu Xing quietly raised his hand, allowing the other person to carefully hold it and begin the treatment. Strangely enough, even though their hands were simply clasped together naturally, Xu Xing noticed that the ghostly energy wrapped around his hands slowly disappeared, replaced by a warm current flowing through his limbs.

Why?

Since meeting Jiang Zhuochen, everything has become illogical. The materialistic world he firmly believes in not only has real demons and monsters, but also a person who is different from ordinary people has suddenly appeared.

"He can't possibly be just a Taoist priest," Xu Xing thought to himself. His current actions were inexplicable by common sense, and the magical blue light that appeared during the fight just now...

Jiang Zhuochen didn't notice Xu Xing's silence; his mind was entirely on that hand. "Who told you to come over here to embolden yourself? You don't know anything and yet you dare to grab it? I think you're the one who's tired of living."

Although it has been confirmed that Xu Xing possesses the ability to suppress evil spirits, this does not mean that an unarmed person can touch them casually. What if he encounters a powerful evil entity and is simply courting death?

"Then what else can we do?" The somber tone was too obvious, and Xu Xing's heart softened. He teased him with a smile. "You're zoning out while fighting? If I don't help, I'll just wait for it to smear your face with it?"

Jiang Zhuochen's composure crumbled instantly, and he tried to cover it up by pursing his lips. "I wasn't daydreaming. Don't touch these things so casually in the future, I'll handle it."

What Jiang Zhuochen didn't say was that Xu Xing's face always made him mistake him for his master. So he had the illusion that Xu Xing had also become capable, able to stand in front of his master and protect him.

Xu Xing thought that Jiang Zhuochen's suppressed laughter had eased because of his words, so he said, "Okay, you can do it."

"Alright." Jiang Zhuochen let go of him. "It's late, get some rest. Call me if you need anything."

"Um."

Jiang Zhuochen closed the door behind him and walked towards his room.

The next day, not long after breakfast, the roar of a helicopter gradually came from afar, and it landed on the roof of the villa, kicking up dust.

It was Jiang Zhuochen's first time observing this flying tool up close. He excitedly circled it before stepping onto it.

After getting used to the piercing noise, Jiang Zhuochen leaned against the window and directed the driver to follow his route.

Below is an unobstructed view of the natural scenery, with towering mountain peaks and winding streams that flow through the village and into the distance.

The helicopter circled around to the other side of the mountain and then returned, and Jiang Zhuochen realized that these mountains were a little different. He raised the helicopter to a higher altitude, and once the view was clearer, he understood.

Two of the mountains tilt to either side, forming a sharp point in the middle that faces Wu Duo's hometown, like a sharp weapon about to cleave it open.

Jiang Zhuochen suddenly thought of the ghost baby and the old man's smooth belly.

Originally, the ancestral grave protected them from this ominous force, but the ghost infant disrupted the feng shui of the grave and used the transformed ghost energy to greatly increase its power, breaking through the grave's protection.

The ghostly aura emanating from the sharp corners between the two mountains spreads out. Once the ghostly aura is completely refined by the ghost infant, the infant will be able to burst out of its belly. However, since it has not yet developed any intelligence, it will surely wreak havoc on the area.

After understanding the situation, Jiang Zhuochen returned to the villa, intending to take advantage of the ghost infant's weakness during the day to move the old man.

He stood in the living room, facing two eager pairs of eyes. Chen Sheng spoke up: "Brother Jiang, what are your orders?"

"There's something I need to do." Jiang Zhuochen gestured to a closed door. "This villa is no longer safe to live in. You two need to figure out a way to move her to another place."

After Wu Duo called her grandmother out, he used the excuse of wanting to go home to persuade the old woman to go home with him.

The old man, who had been perfectly fine, suddenly became furious upon hearing that he was leaving and shook off Wu Duo's hand.

She picked up a broom and started swinging it wildly at the three of them. "I'm not leaving, and nobody's going to get rid of me!"

"Grandma, life in the countryside is so inconvenient." Wu Duo was forced to back away. "We can't leave you alone. Please come back with us."

"I'm not going back!"

The old man swung the broom harder, sweeping forward recklessly, his clothes fluttering with the movement. Jiang Zhuochen glanced up and noticed that the old man's belly seemed to have grown larger.

Since the old woman was still alive, the three of them didn't dare to really hurt her. Jiang Zhuochen went around to the back and tried to take out a talisman to immobilize her when she wasn't paying attention.

Sensing danger, the ghost infant inside the old man manipulated him to swing the broom around and slap Wu Duo in front of Jiang Zhuochen, then quickly retreated back into the room and sealed the door.

Jiang Zhuochen frowned slightly. This ghost infant can use magic even during the day?

"What do we do now?" Wu Duo boldly stepped forward and twisted the doorknob. "The door won't open."

Jiang Zhuochen was also somewhat worried. Even if he could blow this up, wouldn't so many people in the village know about it? If it caused panic, how would he explain it?

Well, there's still time. He'll wait for Wu Chengjun to come back and see if he can subdue the ghost baby with a gentler method.

"Your dad's so slow," Jiang Zhuochen complained. "How did he become such a big boss?"

Wu Duo choked up, blinking innocently.

Then he bombarded his father with calls, urging Wu Chengjun to drive back early the next morning.

"So urgent?" Wu Chengjun sat on the sofa, catching his breath.

After learning that their relative had been possessed by an evil spirit, one member of the family excitedly followed behind him, while another managed to attend to his business. In the end, it was he, an outsider, who could only watch helplessly.

Jiang Zhuochen slumped back and pointed to himself. "There's nothing I can do. Do I look like a highly accomplished Taoist priest? I can help you with trivial matters, but if that thing becomes enlightened, you can just wait for me to run away with your money."

"No, no." Wu Chengjun wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I asked everyone in my direct and collateral relatives, and none of them mentioned an infant who died accidentally. Could there be a mistake?"

“They’ve all turned into ghosts out of resentment. We’d rather kill the wrong one than let one go. How could we possibly have the wrong target?” Jiang Zhuochen glanced at him. “Since we can’t find any living people, what about the dead?”

"Dead?" Wu Chengjun was stunned, then said, "There is one, not a family member, but it is related to my mother."

Tell me about it.

“My father had a first love before he died, and they even had a child. But he married my mother for the sake of his future. When my mother found out about this, she was afraid that the woman would use the child to blackmail her into dividing the family property, so she plotted to make her miscarry. I heard that after losing the child, the woman went crazy and died not long after.”

If that's the case, then it's much simpler. The stillborn ghost baby senses its mother's resentment, devours the mother's body, and transforms into a ghost baby seeking revenge for its mother.

This is something that can be taken advantage of.

Jiang Zhuochen asked, "Do you have any photos?"

"have."

Wu Chengjun asked Wu Duo to fetch a box of belongings from the storeroom; it was covered in dust.

This is something he secretly hid after his father passed away, fearing that his mother would discover that his father had been hiding things related to his first love all these years.

Jiang Zhuochen took out the photo of his first love from his wallet and returned the rest of the items.

Having finished asking the questions, Wu Chengjun stood up and straightened his clothes. "If there's nothing else, I'll go back to my work now?"

Jiang Zhuochen hesitated, but after Wu Chengjun left, he nudged Wu Duo. "Are you three generations really related by blood?"

"Ah...yes." Wu Duo scratched his head, realizing what Jiang Zhuochen was curious about.

"We're probably not that close. My dad is the most successful one in the family, so my grandma always asks him to help out his other siblings. He must have resented it all these years. Especially this time when he was sick, the other family members didn't contribute any money or effort, so they just left my grandma to my dad to take care of, and my grandma was still dissatisfied."

As for him, it's even simpler. His father left home early, and he was born away from home, only seeing his grandmother once a year during the Lunar New Year. If she happens to be throwing a tantrum during the New Year, he might not see her for several years. Even though they are related by blood, there isn't much of a bond between them.

"I see," Jiang Zhuochen realized.

"Brother Jiang, what's next?" Wu Duo asked, his expression returning to one of anticipation.

"There's nothing we can do."

During the day, the yang energy is strong, so the ghost baby has never come out during the day. However, the door has been closed all day, so we don't know what's going on inside.

To avoid any unforeseen complications, Jiang Zhuochen decided not to wait any longer and would settle things tonight.

In order to stop being so timid, he kicked Chen Sheng and Wu Duo out of the house and told them to make do outside for a day.

Unexpectedly, Xu Xing arrived in the evening.

"Are you done with work?"

"Yes, it's over."

Xu Xing didn't say it because he was worried about the other person. He made sure to finish his work a few days ago and rushed over as soon as he was done.

Xu Xing approached Jiang Zhuochen, whose wide eyes and fluttering eyelashes made Xu Xing's hands itch. "Why are you the only one here?"

"You've come at just the right time," Jiang Zhuochen forced a smile. "You like catching ghosts too?"

Xu Xing understood after listening, but after several times, he wasn't stupid and naturally realized his own special abilities. "I shouldn't be a burden to you."

“Indeed,” Jiang Zhuochen agreed. “I might need you to save me then.”

"Didn't you say you were going to protect me?" Xu Xing smiled slightly. "Then I'll try my best."

"We still need to protect him," Jiang Zhuochen said. But Xu Xing's innate exorcising physique could be used to block things if necessary.

As night falls, a draft carrying an ominous chill blows through the room.

Jiang Zhuochen was worried about leaving Xu Xing alone, but he had something he had to do. After much deliberation, he finally decided to give up.

"Close your eyes first."

Seeing Xu Xing about to open his mouth, he interrupted, "Don't ask, just close your eyes."

Xu Xing obediently closed his eyes. Jiang Zhuochen turned and took two steps forward, using his spiritual power to erect a barrier outside the villa, blocking outside vision. After finishing, he tugged at Xu Xing, indicating that he was done.

Xu Xing wisely refrained from asking any further questions and accompanied Jiang Zhuochen to the old man's house.

Jiang Zhuochen unleashed a talisman that blasted open the door, releasing a heavy, ghostly aura that revealed the scene inside. This time, he didn't need to use his senses; loose clothing was useless. His belly was so large that his clothes couldn't conceal it—the ghost infant was about to emerge.

The old man was completely under control, his body shrouded in ghostly energy, and he was making baby-like laughter.

Jiang Zhuochen told Xu Xing to stay away from him, and then attacked the old man. He was determined not to let the ghost infant be born smoothly, so every move he made was aimed at vital points to force the ghost infant to reveal itself.

The ruthless ghost infant was even more ruthless. Realizing that Jiang Zhuochen dared not harm the old man's body, it made its moves even more vicious.

If this continues, his spiritual energy will be completely depleted. Jiang Zhuochen dodged the attack and landed near Xu Xing.

The ghostly aura, carried by the spirit infant's will, enveloped the two. The old man, with his arm linked with theirs, walked towards them step by step.

"Are you alright?" Xu Xing's concerned voice rang out in the darkness.

"Oh no, I'm tired."

"..."

Jiang Zhuochen stepped back to Xu Xing's side and spoke again: "I'm tired."

"Then what do you want me to do?" Xu Xing asked sincerely.

If hard methods don't work, try softer ones.

The ghost baby was never born into the world and had no attachment to anything in the human realm, but there was one thing it was most familiar with.

That is its mother.

Jiang Zhuochen raised a meaningful smile, and with a "why not give it a try" attitude, snapped his fingers behind Xu Xing's back.

The old man opposite suddenly stopped.

A note from the author: