Zhang Xianyu, led by a young Daoist, found her way to the Guest Room.
She knocked lightly on the door, and only after receiving permission did she push it open and enter.
The door of the Guest Room faced directly toward the coffee table.
Seated on the sofa behind the table was a middle-aged man in a suit.
His head was bowed, and his hair was a bit disheveled.
From Zhang Xianyu’s angle, she could vaguely see a few strands of white hair.
“Let me introduce you—this is Daoist Zhang.”
Xie Dingxin nodded toward him, taking the initiative to introduce both parties.
“This is Mr. Sun. It seems his child has been possessed by a vengeful spirit.”
“Daoist Zhang, hello.”
Sun Zheli, who looked somewhat dispirited from recalling the past, quickly composed himself and put on a polite smile as he raised his head.
When he saw Zhang Xianyu’s youthful face, he was momentarily stunned, but quickly covered it up.
It was Zhang Xianyu who, upon seeing him, truly froze for a moment, only extending her hand to shake his after a slight delay.
“Mr. Sun, hello.”
She hadn’t expected such a coincidence—to meet the father of the boy who jumped off the building here.
Sun Zheli looked at the newly arrived Zhang Xianyu, hesitating over whether to repeat the story.
But Zhang Xianyu waved it off, giving the weary man a reassuring smile.
“Mr. Sun, you don’t look too well. Why not rest for a bit? I live in the Jiangcheng University family housing, and I’ve already heard a bit about your family’s situation.”
Hearing this, Sun Zheli finally sat back down, albeit hesitantly.
Xie Dingxin recounted what Sun Zheli had just described.
When Zhang Xianyu heard about the Red-Dressed Female Ghost, her expression shifted slightly.
“She’s already appeared many times?”
“Twice,”
Sun Zheli on the sofa quickly replied.
“We’ve seen her twice in total.”
Zhang Xianyu shook her head.
“At least three times.”
Last time, she had overheard Sun Zheli and his wife arguing in the hallway, and when she followed them to the Hospital Ward, she too had seen the female ghost.
“What do you think is going on?”
Xie Dingxin asked.
Zhang Xianyu thought for a moment, then said,
“I don’t think that female ghost wants to harm Sun Han.”
Otherwise, with how weak Sun Han looked, the ghost would have had plenty of chances to strike.
Yet, Sun Zheli and his wife had encountered her twice, and Zhang Xianyu once, but the ghost had never done anything.
Clearly, she bore no malice.
Sun Zheli wanted to argue, but was afraid of offending the two, so after moving his lips a few times, he swallowed his words.
“Then, what do you two Daoists think should be done?”
Zhang Xianyu said,
“Is Sun Han still in the hospital? Would it be convenient for us to go take a look?”
Hearing that they were willing to go to the hospital themselves, Sun Zheli couldn’t be happier and said eagerly,
“I drove here. We can go right now.”
So the two of them got into Sun Zheli’s car and headed to Jiangcheng People’s Hospital.
When the three arrived at the Hospital Ward, besides Sun Han and her mother, there were unexpectedly two other Daoists present.
One was older, around fifty, with a Taoshi Bun and dressed in a Zhu Red Daoist Robe; the other was in his early twenties, carrying a box—likely the old Daoist’s disciple.
Sun Zheli hadn’t expected to see two more Daoists in the Hospital Ward, and looked awkwardly at his wife, Zhao Youxiang.
“What’s going on? Didn’t I say I’d go find someone?”
“Just so happens Hanhan’s uncle knows Master Wang, so I invited him over right away.”
Zhao Youxiang glanced behind him, complaining,
“Didn’t you say you were going to Taiqing Temple to invite the Master? Where’s the Master?”
Sun Zheli was embarrassed by her questioning and stepped aside to introduce the two behind him.
“These two are Daoist Xie and Daoist Zhang from Taiqing Temple.”
Zhao Youxiang’s gaze swept over the two, and seeing how young they looked, she was clearly unimpressed.
Though she didn’t say anything openly, she warmly greeted the Master Wang she had invited, without so much as a greeting for Zhang Xianyu and Xie Dingxin.
Sun Zheli apologized,
“I didn’t know Hanhan’s mom would also invite a Master. Please, both of you, don’t take offense. We won’t skimp on the incense offering.”
Zhang Xianyu didn’t mind, waving her hand.
“Let Master Wang take a look first.”
Hearing his name, Master Wang cast a haughty glance at the two of them, then scolded his disciple,
“At your age, you should follow your master more, watch and learn. Don’t be like others, trying to make money before you’ve even mastered your skills.”
Zhang Xianyu raised an eyebrow and leaned in to whisper to Xie Dingxin,
“He’s taking a jab at us.”
Xie Dingxin’s expression was cold.
“There’s no Master Wang at any Daoist temple in Jiangcheng.”
Their voices weren’t quiet, so everyone in the Hospital Ward heard them clearly.
Sun Zheli, caught in the middle, was awkwardly making desperate eye contact with his wife.
Only then did Zhao Youxiang reluctantly try to smooth things over.
“Master Wang, could you take a look at my son? Is he…being possessed?”
Master Wang snorted, glared at the two, then ostentatiously went to check on Sun Han.
Sun Han lay in the hospital bed, wearing an oxygen mask, IV drip in her arm.
Compared to when Zhang Xianyu last saw her, she looked even thinner.
“His brow is dark, lips bluish—these are signs of Spirit Possession and depleted Yang Energy.”
Zhao Youxiang grew anxious at once.
“Then what should we do?”
Master Wang pinched his fingers together, swaying his head as he spoke in a deliberately slow tone,
“Don’t worry. Let me perform an Exorcism Ritual. Once I drive away the vengeful spirit, your son will be fine.”
“Please, Master! As long as Hanhan recovers, your reward will be no issue at all!”
“Money is but a worldly possession.”
Master Wang shook his head, putting on an air of mystery as he circled the hospital bed.
Suddenly, he shouted sharply,
“Sword!”
His disciple immediately took a Peachwood Sword from the box and tossed it to him.
Master Wang caught it smoothly, spun it with a flourish, then pressed his right index and middle fingers together, running them along the blade.
He shouted again,
“Wicked spirit, meet your end!”
The Peachwood Sword danced deftly in the small Hospital Ward, and finally the tip landed, hovering just above Sun Han’s chest.
Zhang Xianyu could clearly see a faint white light flicker on Sun Han’s chest, then gradually fade.
He was about to speak up to stop it, but keenly sensed the temperature in the Hospital Ward drop.
Instinctively, he glanced at the window glass—and sure enough, saw the Red-Dressed Female Ghost.
Her pitch-black eyes were fixed intently on Master Wang.
Master Wang shivered, his gaze darting around the room.
He felt that after his sword dance, the temperature had suddenly dropped.
But catching sight of Zhao Youxiang’s expectant look, and remembering the promised generous reward, he knew he couldn’t show weakness.
He pretended nothing was wrong, sheathed the Peachwood Sword, and lifted his chin.
“What’s that on his chest?”
Zhao Youxiang was momentarily stunned, then opened Sun Han’s hospital gown collar.
Around her neck hung a circular, jade-green Jade Pendant on a red string, long enough to rest right at her chest.
Judging by its appearance, the pendant wasn’t worth much, but it was clearly something she’d worn for a long time, its surface glowing with a soft luster.
Her expression grew ugly.
“That was given to Hanhan by that girl.”
After the girl died, she told Hanhan to throw the Jade Pendant away, but Hanhan stubbornly refused, insisting on wearing it.
Unable to persuade her son, she had to give in.
“That’s the vengeful spirit’s dwelling place,”
Master Wang declared, feeling he’d found a point to exploit. In a mysterious tone, he said,
“Jade is of the Yin, and wearing a deceased person’s jade only invites spirits.”
“Take it off, wrap it in Incense Burner Ash, and bury it somewhere.”
Zhao Youxiang nodded repeatedly, having never wanted Hanhan to wear it anyway, always feeling uneasy about it.
Now, with Master Wang’s words, she immediately reached to remove the Jade Pendant.
“Don’t—”
Zhang Xianyu’s expression changed, but before he could stop her, he saw the female ghost, still glaring at Master Wang, crawl out of the glass.
Her face grew even paler, her black hair floating as if in a windless room, eyes turning red, and her sharp fingers clamped tightly around Master Wang’s neck from behind.
Master Wang suddenly felt his neck tighten as a cold wind blew past his ears.
“Who…are you…?”
His eyes rolled back, his breathing labored.
He struggled to look around, seeing Zhao Youxiang and Sun Zheli staring at him in terror.
Realizing something was terribly wrong, he widened his eyes in panic and rasped,
“Help…”
Neither Zhang Xianyu nor Xie Dingxin moved.
The old Daoist’s disciple stared wide-eyed, his legs shaking uncontrollably.
After less than three seconds, he collapsed weakly against the wall, slumping to the floor.
“There’s a ghost…”
Sun Zheli and Zhao Youxiang were already petrified, their eyes wide with terror as they stared behind the old Daoist.
But no matter how hard they looked, all they could see was the increasingly feeble old Daoist and the empty air behind him.
The old Daoist was being strangled from behind, his face turning purple, but to everyone else, nothing was there.
Zhang Xianyu figured this old Daoist had probably learned his lesson by now, so she unhurriedly stepped forward and said to the grimacing female ghost,
“That’s enough. I can help you save him.”
As she spoke, she pointed to the weakly breathing Sun Han on the bed.
The female ghost really did stop, tilting her head as if considering whether Zhang Xianyu was telling the truth.
“Are you his girlfriend?”
Zhang Xianyu tried to communicate with her.
Although the ghost was filled with resentment, she seemed to have some reason left and should be able to communicate.
The female ghost glanced quickly at Hanhan, then nodded lightly, the red in her eyes fading a little.
Zhang Xianyu breathed a sigh of relief—seems her guess was right.
“You’ve been protecting her all along?”
This time, the female ghost nodded without hesitation, her pitch-black eyes filled with obvious worry.
“They…want to kill her.”
“Who are they?”
Zhang Xianyu frowned, realizing the situation was more complicated than she thought.
The female ghost released the old Daoist, stared at Zhang Xianyu for a while, and shook her head.
“I don’t know. They’re different every time.”
Zhang Xianyu asked again,
“Why did you all commit suicide?”
“We didn’t commit suicide…”
This question seemed to agitate the female ghost.
She had been calm just a moment ago, but now her eyes instantly turned red.
She clutched her head and screamed hysterically at Zhang Xianyu,
“I didn’t kill myself! I didn’t want to die! I didn’t!”
The ghost’s emotional outburst dropped the Hospital Ward’s temperature another degree.
Zhang Xianyu hadn’t expected her to suddenly lose control.
He reached into his pocket for a Qingxin Talisman to try and calm her, but the ghost warily retreated and vanished from the ward in a flash.
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