Chapter Fifty-Two: The Walls Have Ears and the Mystery of the Female Ghost
Inside the elegant private room on the second floor, the delicate fragrance of flowers mingled with the fresh scent of the peach grove outside the window. The intricately carved window frames filtered the sunlight into dappled patterns, softly scattering it across the table covered with simple brocade. Jiu Ya and Rong Jiang sat facing each other, enjoying the exquisite and delicious dishes of Linzi specialties. They ate slowly and deliberately, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones, creating a tranquil and harmonious atmosphere.
Just as Jiu Ya was secretly pleased with the smooth progress of her "building rapport" plan and was pondering how to continue her "clinging to the coattails" project without leaving a trace, the tranquility she had deliberately created was suddenly broken by the faint sounds of conversation coming from the next private room.
For Jiu Ya and Rong Jiang, even with a thick wall separating them, the conversation on the other side was as clear as if it were right next to their ears.
In the adjacent private room, the atmosphere was completely different. Seated at the head of the table was an elderly man in a blue Taoist robe. His face was gaunt, his eyes sharp, and he held a whisk, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance. He was none other than the renowned Taoist Master Qingyangzi of Linzi City. Two young Taoist priests sat below him, presumably his disciples. Opposite him sat a young gentleman in brocade robes—Luo Qi. This young man's face was pale and haggard, a layer of dark aura, barely visible to the naked eye but clearly perceptible to Jiu Ya, shrouded in an aura of gloom. Beside Luo Qi stood two servants, their faces equally unwell. The table laden with delicacies remained untouched, clearly indicating that no one had any appetite for them.
Qingyangzi remained calm, lightly flicking his whisk, and spoke first, "Young Master Luo, I observe that your forehead is dark and your body is shrouded in a foul aura, stagnant and persistent, like a festering sore. Has your household been rather unsettled lately?"
Upon hearing this, Luo Qi felt as if he had grasped a lifeline, and was so excited that he almost jumped off his stool. "Daoist Master, you truly have discerning eyes! You saw through my predicament at a glance! Please, Daoist Master, have mercy and save my entire family's lives!" He hurriedly poured out his heart, "To be honest, Daoist Master, strange things have been happening in my home for the past five days, and I haven't had a moment's peace every night! First, my father's green parrot, which he had carefully raised for many years, was found strangled to death in its gilded cage, its neck twisted; at night, when I go to bed, I always feel a white shadow flashing past the window, and a chilling wind blowing. This... this is just the beginning!"
He gulped down a mouthful of cold tea. "After that, every midnight, I would hear the faint sobbing of a woman, sometimes near, sometimes far, disturbing my peace of mind and making it impossible to sleep. What's even more terrifying is... it happens in my dreams!" Luo Qi's face drained of color, as if he were reliving that horrific scene. "Every time I close my eyes, I dream of a blood-soaked female ghost lunging at me, her cold, withered hands gripping my neck tightly. The first two days, I only felt short of breath and had difficulty breathing when I woke up, thinking it was just a nightmare. But starting the day before yesterday... I woke up to find real purplish-blue finger marks on my neck, proving it was definitely not a dream!"
“That’s not all,” Luo Qi said, his face filled with sorrow and fear, almost incoherent. “My wife and mother have also encountered the same strange occurrences! My mother is old and has been bedridden from the shock! My wife is four months pregnant and lives in constant fear and tears; her pregnancy is already showing signs of instability… My heart is burning with anxiety! If this continues, our home will be destroyed, and both mother and child will die! I beg you, Taoist priest, to have mercy, use your supernatural powers to drive away the evil spirits that are harming us, and save my whole family from this disaster!”
Upon hearing this, Qingyangzi pondered for a moment before asking, "Young Master Luo, did you get a clear look at the ghost's appearance? For example, its clothing, hairstyle, or any special markings on its body?"
Luo Qi's eyes flickered. "That ghost... its long hair was disheveled and its body was covered in blood. Judging from its figure, it was a young woman, but its face... its face was always blurry, covered by blood and black hair, so it was really hard to see clearly. I could only feel... I could only feel that the resentment was soaring to the sky, and it was icy cold."
"A female ghost? A malevolent spirit haunting the place, mostly seeking revenge and settling karmic debts from a previous life." Qingyangzi stroked his long beard. "Young Master Luo, think carefully again. Has any young woman in your household died a violent death in recent years? Or have you unintentionally incurred any sinister grudges somewhere?"
Luo Qi immediately shook his head, "No! Absolutely not! My Luo family is a scholarly family, always doing good deeds and virtues. We have never been stingy in building bridges and repairing roads, or in providing porridge and medicine. The younger generation has always kept the family precepts in mind and treated others with kindness. How could we have such a deep hatred with someone? That female ghost felt very unfamiliar. The younger generation is certain that he has never seen this woman before!"
Qingyangzi seemed to be deep in thought, then asked, "Besides the young master, your mother, and your wife, have any other people in the household been harmed? Or have there been any unusual occurrences?"
Luo Qi's face instantly turned deathly pale. "Yes...yes! One of my personal servants and one of my maids in the inner quarters were found dead silently in their respective rooms the day before yesterday morning. Their deaths were...extremely gruesome. Their eyes were wide open, as if they had seen something extremely terrifying. Their life force seemed to have been drained, which was definitely not something a human could have done!" He seemed unable to bear recalling the horrific scene, and his body trembled slightly.
Qingyangzi swung his whisk heavily: "It has already caused a death?! It seems that this is no ordinary wandering ghost, but a fierce and powerful evil spirit! If left unchecked, it may cause a great disaster, endangering the entire family and even the neighbors!"
Upon hearing this, Luo Qi was terrified. He hurriedly untied a heavy embroidered gold-threaded brocade pouch from his waist and offered it with trembling hands: "Daoist Master! This is a deposit, a small token of my sincerity! As long as you can completely subdue and eliminate that female ghost and restore peace to my Luo family, the reward will be 30% higher than usual! No, 50%!"
Qingyangzi's gaze swept over the rather heavy money pouch, a fleeting hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. He nodded slightly, gesturing for his disciple to step forward and accept it. "Young Master Luo, you're too kind. Slaying demons and protecting the peace of this region is simply the duty of us cultivators. Since I've encountered such a deadly evil spirit, I have no reason to stand idly by."
Luo Qi breathed a sigh of relief, as if a reassuring pill had been taken, and eagerly asked, "Then, could the Daoist priest return to the manor with me this afternoon? That house... I dare not stay there for even a moment longer! My mother and wife are waiting to be saved!"
Qingyangzi shook his head, looking unfathomable: "Young Master Luo, do not be hasty. Subduing such a fierce and malevolent spirit is no small matter. We need to set up an altar, burn incense and pray. All the ritual implements and talismans must be consecrated and prepared thoroughly to ensure that nothing goes wrong. I need to return to the temple first to make some preparations."
Luo Qi then realized his mistake and hurriedly said, "It was my haste that led me to fail to consider things thoroughly! What does the Taoist priest need to prepare? Anything needed—cinnabar, yellow paper, a black dog, a rooster… I will have someone prepare it immediately and will not dare to delay the Taoist priest's ritual!"
Qingyangzi nodded slightly: "Young master is very kind. Please prepare more yang-toned items in your residence, such as century-old cinnabar, pure black dog blood taken at noon, rooster comb blood, and strong liquor. I will arrive at your residence with my disciple at the end of Shenshi (5 pm) on time. At that time, I will make sure that harmful evil spirit has nowhere to hide and its soul is scattered!"
"Very well! Thank you, Daoist Master! Thank you, Daoist Master! I will return to my residence to prepare and await your arrival!" Luo Qi thanked him repeatedly, feeling somewhat relieved. Only then did he remember to invite them to eat. "Daoist Master, would you like some vegetarian food first? I will have the innkeeper prepare a clean and simple vegetarian feast immediately."
The original meal had long since gone cold, and consisted mostly of meat. Soon, the waiters quickly and efficiently removed the old meal and replaced it with a more refined and abundant vegetarian feast. With one major worry gone, Luo Qi's shock subsided, and his appetite seemed to return somewhat.
In the next private room, Jiu Ya and Rong Jiang listened to the entire transaction.
With her spiritual senses, Jiu Ya could clearly perceive the aura emanating from Luo Qi next door, a clear sign that he was indeed possessed by a powerful evil spirit that had invaded his very essence. She tilted her head, and, relying on her current identity as a "cultivator," lowered her voice to Rong Jiang, her tone deliberately curious and probing: "Ranran, listen to this... that female ghost is filled with resentment, and has even taken lives. It sounds incredibly malevolent. However, I always feel... such intense resentment doesn't seem like a vengeful spirit harming people without cause, but rather... it seems to have some earth-shattering injustice, and has come seeking revenge?"
Rong Jiang's gaze narrowed slightly, her long eyelashes drooping. She could not only sense the dense, impenetrable ghostly resentment emanating from Luo Qi, but also keenly "see" the overwhelming injustice, grief, and unwillingness contained within that ghostly aura, as well as the blood-stained aura deep within Luo Qi's own soul. This meant that Luo Qi was very likely burdened with a murder charge, and a deeply unjust one at that. The so-called "female ghost" was probably not the simple "harmful spirit" Qing Yangzi had described, but rather a wrongfully deceased person seeking revenge.
Hearing Jiu Ya's question, Rong Jiang sneered inwardly. Qing Yangzi seemed righteous, but he didn't mention the possibility of vengeful spirits taking lives in his words. He kept saying "fierce evil spirits harm people," "annihilate," and "souls scattered." Was he not skilled enough to investigate the root cause, or... did he know the truth but only cared about the generous reward and deliberately ignored the truth?
Ghosts harm people and disrupt the order of Yin and Yang. The laws of the underworld will judge and punish them, rewarding the good and punishing the evil. Only after clarifying the cause and effect can a decision be made on whether to offer salvation or to punish them. When did it become the place of a potentially wicked mortal Taoist priest to overstep his bounds, indiscriminately demanding "annihilation" and "no survival" without investigating the facts? If the soul truly died unjustly, its grievances unresolved and the truth unknown, yet it is to be utterly destroyed by such greedy individuals, never to be reincarnated? Is this the way of Heaven? Is this something that she, Ren Jiang, would allow in her authority over the underworld?
Rong Jiang had already made up her mind, but facing Jiu Ya, the Demon Lord with a "special identity," she merely raised her eyes, her gaze calm and unwavering, and replied indifferently, "Perhaps. The affairs of this world are entangled with cause and effect, and are not necessarily as simple as they seem on the surface. What one sees is not necessarily the truth, let alone what one hears?"
Seeing that she also seemed to have reservations about the Taoist's assertion, Jiu Ya's eyes lit up, and she immediately seized the opportunity to suggest, "Ranran, this sounds strange! That Taoist Qingyang is going to perform a ritual tonight, and he's talking so big, saying he'll make someone's soul disappear... I've never seen a Taoist exorcise a ghost before! How about we sneak over and watch tonight?" She tried to make her expression appear both innocent and eager to join in the fun, and also a little indignant. "What if... what if that female ghost really has a huge injustice? Maybe we can... uh, play it by ear, at least prevent her from being beaten to death for no reason, right?" She didn't dare to make any promises too confidently, after all, her current persona was that of a cultivator with some skill but not much, while the person opposite her was the "weak" Rong Jiang.
Upon hearing this, Rong Jiang glanced at Jiu Ya with a meaningful look. This Demon Lord was quite adept at finding excuses. A cultivator who had never witnessed a Taoist ritual? And he wanted to "act according to circumstances"? However, she felt this suggestion was exactly what she wanted. She was already planning to see for herself just how capable Qing Yangzi was, how he acted, and more importantly, to see what was going on with that "female ghost." With this Demon Lord of unclear motives accompanying her, perhaps she could glean some other insights.
Rong Jiang then revealed a perfectly balanced blend of reserve and aroused curiosity, and nodded slightly. "It does sound... somewhat different from others. That Taoist priest's words were indeed a bit arbitrary. I'm also curious about what he'll do tonight. Going to see... wouldn't hurt."
With Rong Jiang's consent, Jiu Ya was secretly delighted, feeling that "joint action" could take their relationship to the next level.
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