Chapter 9: Trapped

Oh, it is probably the incense I have offered." Nie Huayu pointed to a small corner of her room, where a statue of Guanyin was placed, with an incense burner in front of it, holding the offered incense, from which smoke was rising. The fragrance must be coming from there.

Which temple's monk is it that actually allows Nie Huayu to worship Guanyin to ward off evil? I sighed and said, "Forget it, it’s nothing much. Just on another day, please remove this Buddha according to my suggestion."

After that, we each returned to our respective rooms. I lay down on the bed with my clothes on, gazing at the ceiling and contemplating matters concerning this community. Gradually, I began to feel a bit drowsy. I tilted my head slightly, and my glasses slipped off my nose. I didn't bother to pick them up and closed my eyes.

I was drenched in cold sweat at the back of my neck. I turned around, making sure Nie Huayu did not see me, and said: "I am not particular; anything is fine."

I twisted the doorknob with all my might, but it felt as if the doorknob was fixed in place, no matter how much force I applied, I could not turn it. I kicked the door hard, and it shook a few times, but it had no effect; instead, I hurt my foot. I stepped back a few paces, then ran forward again, using all my strength to slam into the door, yet still to no avail. Earlier in the day, I had observed this door; it was made of ordinary wood, and the bottom of the door was even damaged. Logically, I should have been able to kick it open with just a few kicks, but now it felt as solid as an iron door!

Hehe. Another burst of laughter! I jumped out of bed in an instant, without my glasses. Perhaps it is because these eyes can see ghosts; even though the room is pitch black and I cannot see my hand in front of my face, my eyes can still discern everything clearly

There are no ghosts in the room. However, that laughter is definitely not an illusion; I heard it very clearly

Upon thinking of this, I immediately rushed to open the bedroom door, but the bedroom door would not open!

"What are you doing in my bedroom? Do you think there is..." Nie Huayu immediately showed a look of terror: "Have you discovered something strange in my house? If there is something strange, you must not hide it from me, you have to tell me, Bai Ling! Don't make me scared!"

Hehe. The laughter I heard in the room has appeared again today

What happened to my distant uncle?

"Alright, you go ahead." Nie Huayu waved at me and said, "I will also take a nap, as the events of yesterday and today have been too bizarre. I really need to rest for a while."

"It's nothing." Nie Huayu's distant uncle... I had more guesses in my heart, but without evidence, it was hard to say anything: "By the way, it's still early. How about... can I visit your bedroom?"

Afterward, Nie Huayu asked me if I had noticed anything. I told her I hadn't seen anything. She let out a big sigh and said I had worked hard, and that she would treat me to dinner tomorrow. I smiled and said to her, "I am a bit tired, so I will go to your room to rest for a while. Call me in the evening."

"Nie Huayu." Suddenly, three words entered my ears, spoken in a woman's voice, as if she were whispering right next to me. I was covered in goosebumps and shouted into the bedroom, "Who!"

These are indeed footprints. What kind of person has ever hidden under this bed! Moreover, the footprints are imprinted on top, creating a stark contrast with the white wall, and it is quite evident. What does this indicate?

There was no response, only the sound of my own voice in the room, how strange. I have never encountered such a peculiar situation. It is evident that there is a ghost in this room, yet I cannot see it; my eyes are unable to perceive it.

"Why?" Nie Huayu asked me

As I followed her into her bedroom, the moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by an unusual fragrance: "This scent..."

Nie Huayu ... ? ... By the way, how did the ghost know Nie Huayu's name? Does that mean she is in danger?

This indicates that the footprints were made recently. This suggests that someone has been hiding under the bed in the unused room of Nie Huayu's house during this time!

A sense of extreme fear enveloped me; I suddenly felt a cold breeze sweep across my back. I jolted awake and crawled out from under the bed. A burst of laughter suddenly pierced my ears, the sound so ethereal and elusive that I could not discern whether it was male or female, or who it belonged to. I turned around and quickly scanned the bedroom, but there was nothing there. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting warmth upon my cheeks.

So that's how it is, alright. Nie Huayu responded to me with a hint of doubt and led me out of the bedroom. Her bedroom is right next to mine. She opened the door to her bedroom and said, "Anyway, there are no secrets in my room that you can't see, go ahead and take a look."

Footprints

Do you still believe in this? I asked her: Is there someone who guided you to worship Guanyin? Do you know that this Buddha cannot be worshipped casually

What are you afraid of? I helplessly shook my head and said, Don't scare yourself; I haven't even looked at your bedroom, yet you're imagining things. I already told you that your house is very clean, and I just happened to take a look at your bedroom to put your mind at ease.

I suddenly opened my eyes and sat up in bed, not knowing when it had become completely dark outside. The room was also shrouded in darkness. Have I really slept for that long?

What is it... I called out to her: "In the past... who lived in this bedroom?"

Guanyin cannot ward off evil spirits; the main reason for worshipping Guanyin is to seek children or to accumulate blessings for the next generation, ensuring their health. I told her that many people today have a skewed understanding of Buddhism, thinking that any Buddha can drive away demons and ward off evil. In reality, some Buddhas may not be beneficial for certain individuals. Take Nie Huayu, for example; she is a girl living alone who worships Guanyin to seek children. Sometimes, this can attract lecherous spirits. I have heard of cases where lecherous spirits possess girls. Moreover, once one has invited a deity into their home, it is very difficult to send them away. As the old saying goes, it is easy to invite a Buddha but hard to send them off. I should find a feng shui master to help me remove Nie Huayu's Guanyin statue.

Nie Huayu's bedroom is directly opposite the line of holes in the living room. I think there must be something unusual in her bedroom

Nie Huayu had no objections to this. I took a look around her room, trying to find any holes, but unfortunately, after a thorough search, I found nothing. I even made an excuse to help her check under the bed, yet still found nothing. However, there was a coincidence: the hole outside aligned in the same direction as the Guanyin statue, although it was slightly off position and could not form a straight line, so I did not pay much attention to it and moved past this matter.

Nie Huayu entered, holding a pillow in her hands: "This should be enough for you to sleep on, right"

Nie Huayu nodded slightly: "Then you should take a rest"

Ah? Nie Huayu clearly did not understand: "Isn't it acceptable to casually worship Buddha? I don't know, but haven't many strange things happened in the community recently? A lot has happened to me as well, so I went to the temple to pray to Buddha. The monk inside said it would be better to worship Guanyin, so I bought a Guanyin statue and it cost me three months' salary!"