Chapter 007: The Malevolent Spirit (Part Two)

As I approached the small stone bridge built over the stinking ditch, I inadvertently kicked a stone, and with a "splash," it fell into the ditch. In the ensuing silence, that sound resonated like thunder, startling me to the point of nearly jumping up.

The dead door has now shifted over time, and I have sealed this wall opening

When I told my father that I wanted to return to my hometown, without a moment's hesitation, he said, "Damn it, go back. I've earned enough money anyway. Your master has been all alone, treating you like his own son, so spend more time with him... If you can really learn the art of eternal youth (how ridiculous), come back and extend your old man's life... Over the past six months, I have been making international calls to Morning Star every few days, and our relationship has been very good... Over the past six months, I have been making international calls to Morning Star every few days, and our relationship has been very good...

I am very eager to know what it actually is, suppressing my fear and curiosity, I dare not look back. No one knows how unbearable that feeling is, the oppressive aura coming from behind, along with the sensation of being stalked and watched, torments me to the point of collapse at any moment. I feel as if there are probes installed in the soles of my feet, allowing me to keenly sense the vibrations of that thing "walking" behind me.

In the distance, only patches of forest can be seen, obstructing the view, making it impossible to see the old house. After walking along the path for a short while, there is a foul drainage ditch, where the sewage has long since solidified, covered by snow.

The girl remained motionless in the circle of candles, while the child had already been in the ice hole for a long time; most people would either freeze to death or quickly suffocate.

I had just made a gesture when the "person" seemed to sense something and suddenly lunged towards me. I felt a cold wind rush past my face, and I caught a whiff of a foul odor, similar to the slimy smell from that bell, but much more intense.

However, as I continued to walk forward, the situation became strange; the sound that had overlapped with my footsteps disappeared, and now I could only hear the sound of my own footsteps

Finally, I saw that fallen little tree; just half a mile more and I would reach that old house. I took a deep breath, carefully turned the corner, and walked along the small path beside the tree. My heart began to settle down, and I felt that my neck had already stiffened.

In a state of great shock, I hurriedly stepped back, and with a "thud," something fell from my arms. Immediately afterward, that object emitted a sound resembling a dog's bark and retreated.

I looked down at the ground and saw the Seven Star Sword. In the earlier moment of crisis, I had completely forgotten about it, or rather, I subconsciously did not believe that a small wooden sword could defend me against anything. To my utter surprise, as soon as the sword fell out, it scared that thing away.

After Morning Star left, I followed my father in business, but within a month I grew weary of the deceit and trickery in the marketplace. Thus, I decided to return to my hometown and study the arts under my master. My master and father are sworn brothers, having known each other since my childhood. When I was in elementary school in the town, I lived at my master's house due to the long distance from home.

Has that thing run away? I dare not turn back to look, standing there frozen, not knowing what the current situation is.

I felt a sudden jolt in my heart and immediately understood that the two characters "Yi Mu" written on my head had been washed away by sweat. This was a situation neither my master nor I had anticipated, meaning that the "thing" was no longer under my control at that moment

Only upon seeing the master did I regain my composure

The girl sat among the candle arrangement, her curly hair cascading down her chest, her expression serene, as if she were asleep. Gazing at that beautiful face, I couldn't help but think of the morning star

Just when I was at a loss, I heard a thunderous roar that shook the stones. The 'person' was so frightened that their whole body trembled, halting the attack. I then saw a dark shadow rush towards them with a speed that was no less than that of the previous 'person' attacking me

The shadow resembled the girl's double, faintly discernible, with features identical to hers. My heart sank suddenly; it was not merely a shadow, but the very soul of that girl!

Last year, I met Morning Star in Guangdong, and I quickly fell in love with her. Without hesitation, I helped her investigate the truth behind her father's death ten years ago. In the end, it was revealed that Morning Star's father was killed by her adoptive father, Xiao Shan. In order to obtain the "Complete Funeral Book," Xiao Shan resorted to various means, relying on those strange texts for longevity, and ultimately was buried in the collapsed earthen building, a fitting end for his misdeeds. However, Morning Star became a completely helpless orphan and returned to the United Kingdom. We agreed that once she completed her studies, we would get married. My father, who is doing business in Guangdong, wanted to support Morning Star in completing her education, but she politely declined. Morning Star said that she had not yet entered the marriage, and she wanted to rely on herself, working while studying.

The cold sweat, which was difficult to stop, flowed down my face like a burst dam. I hurriedly came to a halt, and the "thing" behind me also stopped. For a long while, I dared not move, as nothing unusual occurred.

"Leng Er, for now, you are the only one who can stay here. I will go find that thing; it hasn't fully come to life yet, so it won't run far." The master said, "This period just before dawn is the hardest to guard. I will light a life lamp for them. Keep a close watch and don't let the lamp go out."

"It is a宅煞, I don't know who has raised it in that house." The master asked with concern, "Leng'er, are you alright? Didn't I tell you not to look back?"

We soon returned to that old house, with approximately three hours left until dawn.

Suddenly, a murky substance flowed into my right eye. I hurriedly wiped it with my hand, and upon bringing it closer to my eyes, I saw that my hand was smeared with a red substance, which was vermilion

The upper body of the "person" swayed back and forth like a cobra ready to strike at any moment. I dared not move at all, and cold sweat trickled down my back

What about the "things"? ... I looked around in confusion, but all I saw were winding roads and endless snow

I looked at the man in black and saw that he had a flat head and thick eyebrows, was of short stature, and his eyes shone like stars in the night; it was indeed my master

I was startled and got up to take another look, and that shadow suddenly disappeared. I thought I had just been seeing things, and just as I sighed in relief, the shadow reappeared.

I slowly lifted my foot to step forward, intending to pick up the Seven Star Sword. That thing sensed my intention and, with a whoosh, circled around the Seven Star Sword and lunged at me again. Its head collided with my chest, nearly causing me to choke. I instinctively reached into my pocket, pulled out a token, and threw it at its head.

"Go back first," the master said

I let out a strange cry and took a step back

I gritted my teeth and stood up softly, thinking to myself, no matter what this is, I must take it back. Resolute in my decision, I discerned the direction and headed back the way I came

What should I do? In this situation, not to mention bringing it back, it is already a question whether I can escape. Suddenly, I thought of the nine-character formula used in Qimen to exorcise evil. The so-called nine-character formula is "Ling, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Zai, Qian," with each character accompanied by a specific hand gesture.

Time passes second by second as I sit between two circles of candles, quietly watching on one side while worrying for my master on the other. There is no wind in the courtyard, and those candles have burned down to about half, their flames standing straight up. However, the flames of the two small oil lamps and the book are only as small as a bean, easily extinguished with a gentle breath.

The speed at which the "person" dodged was faster than lightning; in the blink of an eye, he evaded the token and lunged at me once more

Master... what... what is that? I was trembling and could hardly speak.

The master took out an oiled paper package from the bag, which contained two small oil lamps. After lighting the lamps, the master found the corresponding positions around the two circles of candlelight and placed the lamps there.

As I walked, I focused intently on the sounds behind me. That "thing" matched my pace, and with each step, the sound of our footsteps crunching on the snow overlapped.

After speaking, the master replaced the paper figure he had previously used with a talisman and placed it in the wall cavity. He briefly explained some emergency measures to me, then took up the Seven Star Sword and swiftly left the old residence

Who is this person? Who is so ruthless as to break his spine and stuff it into that bell? What is the other party's objective? ... Thoughts flash through my mind in rapid succession ...

Seeing the strange appearance of this "person" before me, a thought flashed through my mind like lightning: he must have had his spine broken and been folded into that bell...

My thoughts are pulled back from the floating memories as I look at the girl before me. In a daze, she seems to transform into the image of the morning star, smiling gently as she looks at me and says, "A-Leng, you fool, have you missed me? Wait for me to come back..."

I felt a darkness envelop my eyes, and it was as if a firecracker had gone off in my head with a loud "bang." It seems that this is the "thing" originally buried in that bell. I had countless speculations before, believing that what was buried in the bell might be some kind of monster. I truly did not expect it to be something like this. Is it a person, a ghost, or a zombie?

What should we do now? I glanced at the grove of trees

Before long, I was soaked in cold sweat and the books were drenched. It was already late at night, the wind had stopped, and my underwear, soaked with sweat, felt hot and sticky, clinging uncomfortably to my body. Fortunately, that "thing" had not shown any unusual behavior, just following behind me, allowing my taut nerves to relax slightly.

That was a person, a decayed individual resembling a snake. This "person" appeared to have a broken spine above the waist, with the upper and lower body forming a right angle of ninety degrees, swaying from side to side, and the neck raised high, like a snake flicking its tongue.

The legs of the "person" appeared as if they had been skinned and then cured using the method for preserving cured meats... Pieces of decayed flesh were a purplish-brown color, varying in size, possibly due to the cold, with the decayed flesh solidified and dry, sticking to the legs, standing there motionless...

I rubbed my moist eyes and smiled foolishly. When I focused again and looked at that girl, I suddenly realized that she was indeed enveloped in a faint shadow

I pointed to my forehead, and the master looked at me, shook his head with a wry smile, and bent down to pick up the Seven Star Sword and the token. The Seven Star Sword was originally used for house protection; that object is a house evil spirit, no wonder it is so afraid of it

The yard is exceptionally tranquil, and I slow my breathing, keeping a close watch on the two lights while intently listening to the sounds outside. For me, each minute feels as long as a century.

When I turned around, I saw a scene that had haunted my nightmares for a long time. There stood a twisted monster, approximately two meters away from me.

The man in black kicked the "person" with a flying kick, sending him flying several meters away. The "person" howled in pain, tumbling over and crossing the ditch, disappearing into the dense forest after a few leaps.

At this point, I have no other choice. Gritting my teeth, I turned my head, but the road behind me is empty, with nothing there...