Chapter 22: Auntie, I’ve Picked Up What You Dropped

"What did you send her to do? Why can't I feel her anymore?"

Ruan Yu’s face was filled with terror. She suppressed the scream rising in her throat, her hands scrambling to pull a red sutra cord from her person.

As soon as the cord appeared, the malevolent spirit strangling her was repelled by a flash of red light. With a sharp shriek, it slammed heavily against the wall. The spirit’s silhouette quickly dissolved into the darkness, its venomous eyes watching Ruan Yu, who was clutching her throat and coughing violently, with wary hostility.

After a section of her sutra cord burned away and she regained her composure, Ruan Yu hurriedly spoke to soothe the entity: "Zhuangzhuang, calm down, calm down. The task I gave Guoguo is not dangerous; she will be back soon. You can't feel her aura because she’s likely just being naughty, playing hide-and-seek with you."

Zhuangzhuang let out a cold, sinister snort. "It had better be."

"You promised me last time—what about the playmate you were supposed to offer me and Guoguo? Why haven't you brought anyone yet?" Zhuangzhuang flew in front of Ruan Yu, its mouth splitting open to its ears as it spoke gloomily. "Don't forget, this is something you promised yourself, and it’s part of our contract."

"If I can't do it... I’ll be backlashed."

"I came here today for exactly that reason." Ruan Yu gripped the sutra cord tightly, a flash of malice crossing her eyes, though her expression remained soft and fragile. "I haven't found a child whose fate is compatible with yours, so I intend to take you out so you can choose for yourself."

"Then what are we waiting for? Take me!" Zhuangzhuang’s eyes lit up, and it turned to fly quickly back into a pitch-black jar sitting on the table.

Ruan Yu took a deep breath, stepped forward, and lifted the small jar. With a dark expression, she walked toward the door. She regretted ever asking that monk for the most malevolent of spirits to raise. Over the years, while these two spirits had helped her achieve many things, their demands had only grown. Now, they even wanted living sacrifices. If this continued, she would be dragged down by them. Once she confirmed Meng Lei was dead, she would have to find a way to get rid of them.

Cheng Yi, who was sitting on the sofa playing a game, didn't even look up as he heard her footsteps. "Mom, are you going out?"

"Yes. Play less, and finish your homework early." Ruan Yu placed the jar into her bag, put on her coat, and gave him instructions before heading out.

No sooner had she stepped out than Meng Lei returned to the villa with Meng Qinian and Master Zhang.

Cheng Yi frantically switched his game screen, feigning that he was looking up study materials, and greeted Meng Lei with a smile: "Uncle Meng, you're back." He then looked toward Meng Qinian. "Brother Qinian."

Meng Qinian, hands in his pockets, sneered coldly. "Don't call me brother. My mother only gave birth to me; I don't have a younger brother."

The smile on Cheng Yi’s face faltered, and a flicker of malice passed through his eyes.

Meng Lei chided Meng Qinian with displeasure, then turned to ask Master Zhang, who was pacing the hall with his disciples: "Master Zhang, well? Have you seen anything?" He asked cautiously, "Is there still a ghost in this house?"

Master Zhang stroked his mustache, paced the room with a show of professional concern, and finally pointed randomly at a spot, speaking with great solemnity: "Boss Meng, there is indeed a ghost in this house. It is hiding up there!"

The direction Master Zhang pointed was toward the Meng family attic. He turned to ask, "Boss Meng, whose room is that up there?"

Cheng Yi, still confused by the situation, answered reflexively, "That’s the attic. It’s where my mother stores miscellaneous items." After answering, he asked Meng Lei with a blank expression, "Uncle Meng, what is this...?"

"Don't worry about it, child," Meng Lei said, then turned to Master Zhang. "Master Zhang, I must trouble you to handle that ghost for me. Rest assured, money is no object!"

Master Zhang looked grandly confident. "Consider it done!"

He grabbed his gear and led his disciples toward the attic. Meng Qinian and Meng Lei felt a chill down their spines and started to follow, but Master Zhang stopped them. "Eh, Boss Meng, I won't be able to look after you when I’m battling the ghost. You should stay in the hall and wait for my good news."

Meng Lei offered a strained smile. "Very well, I leave it to you, Master Zhang."

Master Zhang nodded sternly, and the three of them quickly headed to the attic.

Jia Ping'an, the senior disciple, couldn't help but ask, "Master, is there really a ghost in this attic?"

"There's no such thing as a ghost. Believe in science! Where would ghosts come from in this day and age?" Master Zhang rolled his eyes.

The second disciple, Wen Yongkang, scratched his head. "But didn't you just say there was one?"

"I was making it up," Master Zhang chuckled. "Rich people’s villas rarely see the attic. It’s shaded and dark—the perfect place for filth to hide. These ghost stories are usually just rich people scaring themselves. We’ll just perform a little ritual and put their minds at ease."

Indeed, Master Zhang was a charlatan who specialized in the psychology of the wealthy. He made a living off of deception, and after accidentally gaining a bit of a reputation when a wealthy boss invited him to "exorcise" his wife, he had kept the ruse going. He knew when to bluff and when to declare a case too difficult, which had kept him from being exposed for years. He assumed Meng Lei’s fear of ghosts was just paranoia.

Jia Ping'an understood, and his tension eased. Arriving at the attic door, he pushed it open, grumbling, "Damn, it's good to be rich. This attic is bigger than my house."

As the door opened, a dreamy, childlike room appeared before them. The floor was covered in a soft pink rug, with finely carved rocking horses, a closet full of princess dresses and dolls, and expensive toy cars and Ultraman models. The rocking horse was still swaying, as if a child had just been playing on it.

In the center of this room sat a small, pitch-black wooden table. On it sat a small black jar, and in front of the jar was an incense burner with three sticks of incense slowly burning. Candy and snacks were scattered around.

The room, so childlike yet deeply unsettling, stunned the three men.

Wen Yongkang swallowed hard and turned to Master Zhang. "Master, this..."

"It's fine. It's probably just the eccentric taste of a rich person," Master Zhang said, suppressing his own unease. "Maybe these are just props for the boss's son's cosplay?"

"Cosplay props?" Jia Ping'an walked in, stood before the small table, and curiously reached out to pick up the jar. "These props are quite realistic. There are even incantations carved on them!"

Wen Yongkang felt the temperature dropping. He hugged himself and shivered. "Let’s finish this quickly and get downstairs. I have a really bad feeling."

Master Zhang nodded. Just as he was about to tell Jia Ping'an to put the item down and help him, a sharp, angry child’s voice rang in their ears: "Take your dirty hands off! Who gave you permission to touch my sister!"

Immediately, a pitch-black shadow crawled rapidly across the floor toward Jia Ping'an.

Jia Ping'an screamed, "Ah! A ghost!"

In the living room, Meng Qinian and Meng Lei heard the scream from the attic. Their expressions changed, and they turned to run toward the stairs. Cheng Yi panicked and instinctively wanted to follow, but his wrist was suddenly gripped by a cool hand. He jumped, wanting to shake it off, but Ruan Yu’s voice stopped him. "Don't go."

Cheng Yi turned, looking stunned. "Mom?"

Ruan Yu’s face was pale, and the sutra cord in her hand was burned down to a single fragment. She gritted her teeth. "Don't go up there. Come with me!"

She hadn't expected Meng Lei to have survived, or to have brought a so-called master back. But it didn't matter. The enraged spirit would surely kill him this time. All she needed to do now was create an alibi for herself and Cheng Yi.

Without giving Cheng Yi a chance to react, she dragged him toward the door. Just as she reached the threshold, she saw a small figure leap through the villa's entrance.

"Oops." Nan Yuanman rolled on the ground to dissipate the momentum. She looked up, her gaze passing over the shocked Ruan Yu and her son, and fixed on the attic, which was now shrouded in Yin energy and resentment.

"Good, good. I made it in time."

Her clear, bright eyes swiveled, and she smiled at Ruan Yu, opening a small coffin box. "Auntie, I found what you dropped!"