Hu Xiaoyue's departure was like the wisp of warmth and fragrance that had been sucked from the room, taking away a sense of security. The morning sunlight streamed in, empty and hollow, leaving me with a similar emptiness. But the warm, red scale on my fingertip reminded me that this strange connection wasn't an illusion, giving me a sense of security.
There's no time for sentimentality now. The sorcerer is dead, but he left behind a mess. Liu Yan was brought home unconscious; the thing in her belly was only temporarily dormant and could start acting up again at any moment. The mark on Xiao Fen's wrist hasn't faded yet. Li Xiulian is distraught, her memory fragmented—a ticking time bomb. And the greatest enemy, Chen Fugui, has probably already learned of the sorcerer's death and the destruction of the altar, lurking in the shadows like a wounded viper, preparing for a furious counterattack.
I need to hurry, clean up the mess, strengthen my defenses, and at the same time… improve myself. Without Hu Xiaoyue's guidance and support, I need to grow up much faster.
First, I have to deal with Liu Yan's problem. The parasitic evil within her has lost its direct controller, but it hasn't dissipated; it's like a time bomb buried inside her. The atmosphere at the village chief's house has been extremely tense these past two days. I heard Liu Yan has woken up, but she's delirious, sometimes laughing hysterically, sometimes screaming in terror, clutching her stomach and saying, "The baby is hungry," wanting to drink raw blood. The village chief's wife is nearly paralyzed with fear, and the village chief is so anxious that blisters appear on his lips; he looks at me like I'm his last straw.
I gritted my teeth and went again. Liu Yan was locked in her room; even through the door, I could hear the scratching sound of her fingernails on the wooden planks and her incoherent babbling. I used a compass to probe through the door; the eerie energy in her room was still strong, but the control of the sorcerer was gone; it had become somewhat chaotic and disordered.
In this situation, forcibly exorcising the evil spirit is extremely risky, easily endangering Liu Yan's life and potentially even triggering the evil spirit's premature eruption. Grandpa's notes mentioned similar cases of "yin fetuses" and "ghost parasites," most of which required complex and dangerous treatments, demanding specific medicinal herbs, ritual implements, and precise timing. Some even required finding the evil spirit's "origin" or "contractual document" to eradicate it.
With my current resources, I simply cannot do that. I can only focus on "soothing the soul and suppressing the evil" to stabilize Liu Yan's condition and slow the evil spirit's growth. I gave the village chief several enhanced "soul-suppressing talismans" and "evil-repelling talismans" to place on doors, windows, and above Liu Yan's bed. I also taught him a method of fumigating the house with a mixture of mugwort, cinnabar, and realgar, hoping to temporarily suppress it.
As for eradication… I'll have to think of another way, or perhaps find clues elsewhere. Maybe there's something Grandpa left behind that I haven't discovered yet?
Thinking of Grandpa's belongings, a thought struck me. After Grandpa passed away, I was immersed in grief and chaos, only roughly organizing his belongings, leaving most of them untouched in his old camphor wood chest. Later, one thing after another happened, and I never had a chance to thoroughly sort through them.
Now, perhaps it's time. Grandpa spent his life wandering the world, leaving behind perhaps more than just the superficial notes and artifacts; perhaps there are deeper secrets—about his lineage, about the strange events he handled, even…about my origins? The dream of the Red-Eyed Woman Mountain still lingers in my heart.
After seeing off the village chief, who was both grateful and worried, I bolted the courtyard gate and returned to the inner room where Grandpa had lived. The heavy camphor wood chest sat in the corner; the lock was rusted, but I opened it with a gentle twist.
The chest contained few items, neatly stacked. On top were several feng shui, physiognomy, and talisman manuals that I had read countless times. Below were some old robes, a compass, tokens, and other items. Further down were several letters with delicate handwriting and yellowed paper, dated decades ago, likely from friends of my grandfather in his youth. I didn't examine them closely.
At the very bottom of the box lay a flat, square object carefully wrapped in oilcloth.
I carefully removed it and unwrapped the oilcloth. Inside was an old-fashioned, thread-bound book with a thick, dark blue cardboard cover. It had no title label, and the edges were worn and frayed.
This is what Grandpa deliberately hid? I opened the first page with a puzzled look.
There was no table of contents, no preface. What came into view was an extremely delicate painting of a couple in ancient costumes meeting secretly behind a rockery in a garden. Their poses were bold, and the details were incredibly lifelike.
My face flushed, and I almost closed the book. Grandpa…why would he hide a book like this? And hide it so carefully?
But then I noticed something was wrong. Next to the painting, there were dense annotations written in tiny, fine characters! It wasn't erotic poetry, but rather… terms like Feng Shui, Yin-Yang balance, Dragon-Tiger harmony, and Qi cultivation! Things like, "This formation aligns with the Azure Dragon probing the water, indicating an excess of Yin and movement of Yang; it's advisable to harmonize Kan and Li," and "Here, Qi converges; if supplemented with talismans, it can draw upon the earth's vital energy to nourish the body"...
I was stunned and quickly flipped through the pages. The next dozens of pages were filled with all sorts of illustrations, varying in scene and pose, but each one was accompanied by similar "professional" annotations using Feng Shui metaphysics! Some illustrations even included simplified diagrams of the human body's meridians and the flow of Qi!
This wasn't an ordinary book! This was a bizarre book that vividly explained a kind of Yin-Yang dual cultivation, Feng Shui Qi cultivation, and perhaps even a secret technique for healing and exorcising evil!
My heart pounded; I felt both utterly absurd and subtly shocked. Grandpa, what did you experience in your youth? Where did this secret manual come from?
I suppressed the strange thoughts churning within me and began to study the book carefully. The more I read, the more horrified I became. This book didn't simply record lewd and evil techniques; it was a very systematic, even somewhat mystical, set of secret methods on how to utilize the energies of Yin and Yang, combined with specific environmental feng shui, and through specific "rituals" or "guidance" to achieve various goals.
Some methods leaned towards health preservation and longevity, harmonizing Yin and Yang. Some seemed capable of treating certain intractable diseases caused by Yin-Yang imbalances or external evil invasions (such as hysteria in women, possession by certain evil spirits?). Others… clearly possessed aggressive or malevolent characteristics, such as how to use the energy of intercourse to create "peach blossom curses" or "love spells" to harm people, or how to absorb the vital energy of others to nourish oneself or even evil entities!
The book repeatedly mentioned "energy resonance," "feng shui as a medium," and "mind and spirit as the master," emphasizing the crucial importance of the practitioner's intention, the feng shui layout of the environment, and the harmony of the energies of both parties. Many methods required specific talismans, times, and directions to be effective.
As I read, images of Liu Yan's eerie belly and the water ghost mark on Xiao Fen's wrist suddenly flashed through my mind… Did these sinister things also follow some similar principle of "yin-yang evil magic"? If I could understand the principles in this book, could I find a way to counteract or even resolve them?
And… I recalled Hu Xiaoyue's alluring gaze and seductive fragrance as she left, and the distinctive faces and occasional expressions of Zhang Cai'e, Xiao Fen, and even Teacher Wang (Wang Xuemei)… Some of the "harmonizing" methods in this book seem…
I quickly shook my head, suppressing these inappropriate thoughts. Now is not the time to think about these things! This secret technique, though sinister, might hold the key to dealing with Chen Fugui and those evil spirits!
I devoured the book, though many parts were incomprehensible; the terminology and qi-circulating methods were too profound. But combining the basics my grandfather had taught me and my recent practical experience, I was able to grasp some of it.
Before I knew it, it was past noon. My stomach rumbled, and I snapped out of my reverie. Closing the book, I felt conflicted. What was Grandpa trying to tell me by leaving me this book? Was he warning me against this kind of evil magic? Or… in some desperate situation, could I use some of its principles to protect myself or defeat an enemy?
I carefully wrapped the secret manual again in oilcloth and hid it in a crack in the wall that only I knew about. This thing was too sensitive; no one could see it.
Just as I finished, there was a knock on the gate, and Zhang Cai'e's voice, choked with tears, called out: "Cha Nan! Cha Nan, are you home? Open the door quickly!"
My heart tightened, and I rushed to open the door. Zhang Cai'e's hair was disheveled, her eyes were red and swollen, and there was a red handprint on her face!
"Aunt Cai'e! What happened? Who hit you?" I quickly ushered her into the house.
Zhang Cai'e plopped down on a stool, tears streaming down her face. "It's...it's that old bastard Chen Fugui!"
"Chen Fugui? Why did he hit you?" I asked, my anger rising.
"I went to the market in town today, and on my way back, he cornered me in the bamboo grove at the village entrance!" Zhang Cai'e sobbed. "He...he dragged me deep into the bamboo grove and interrogated me, asking if I had conspired with you to spread rumors in the village, and...and even caused the death of the master he hired!"
Sure enough! Chen Fugui had begun his revenge! He started with Zhang Cai'e, the one most likely to know the truth from the "Mutual Aid Association," and who was relatively "easy to bully"!
"What did you say?" I asked urgently.
"I…I initially denied it, saying I didn't know," Zhang Cai'e said, wiping away tears. "He slapped me, and…he even touched me inappropriately, saying that if I didn't tell the truth, he would expose my husband's affair abroad, making me too ashamed to face anyone, and that his cronies would have to 'take care' of me…" She trembled with fear as she spoke.
"That beast!" I slammed my fist on the table in anger.
"Later…later I got really scared, so…I confessed, saying that Aunt Wang and I had been gossiping, but we didn't know anything about the master…I said it was because you saved Xiao Fen that we believed you and just followed along…" Zhang Cai'e looked at me with teary eyes, "Cha Nan, I'm so sorry, I betrayed you…I was so scared…"
I took a deep breath, suppressing my anger. It's understandable that Zhang Cai'e, an ordinary rural woman, couldn't withstand such threats and intimidation from Chen Fugui. It was already remarkable that she managed to keep quiet about the "mutual aid society" and Aunt Liu.
"Aunt Cai'e, it's not your fault. Chen Fugui came for me; this is just the beginning," I comforted her. "Don't worry, he won't dare do anything to you. He has no proof about your husband's affairs. As for his lackeys… try not to go out alone these next few days, and lock the doors and windows at night. I'll figure something out."
"Cha Nan… I… what should I do now?" Zhang Cai'e looked at me helplessly, her face streaked with tears and fear. From her earlier struggle, her collar was slightly loose, revealing a section of her fair neck and collarbone, rising and falling gently with her sobs.
I looked away, but a strange ripple stirred within me. Although Zhang Cai'e was considerably older than me, she still possessed a certain charm. Her current vulnerable and helpless appearance was particularly pitiful… Stop! Chen Cha Nan, what are you thinking! Is this the time for pity?!
I steadied myself and pulled a small peach wood amulet tied with a red string from my pocket (actually, I'd just grabbed it from Grandpa's trunk). I handed it to her: "Aunt Cai'e, wear this close to your body. It will ward off evil spirits and protect you, and it will also calm your mind. Remember, if Chen Fugui comes looking for you again, just insist you know nothing and say I tricked you. Put all the blame on me."
Zhang Cai'e took the amulet, clutching it tightly in her hand as if it were a lifeline. She looked at me, the fear in her eyes gradually replaced by a complex dependence and gratitude: "Cha Nan… Auntie really doesn't know how to thank you… I…"
She suddenly stood up, took a step forward, seemingly wanting to get closer to me, but then stopped. She just looked at me deeply, her eyes watery, filled with the vulnerability of someone who had survived a calamity and a hint of indescribable emotion. "You…you need to be careful too. Chen Fugui won't let you off the hook if he can't find any dirt on you."
With that, she lowered her head, quickly straightened her clothes and hair, turned and hurried away, leaving a faint scent of her body in the courtyard.
Watching her figure disappear through the door, my heart sank even further. Chen Fugui had already turned his back on her. Zhang Cai'e was just the first. Next, Aunt Wang, Xiao Fen, and perhaps even Aunt Liu, would be harassed and threatened by him.
And I was his primary target. The sorcerer's death, the destruction of the altar—he would definitely hold me responsible. What methods would he use next?
I touched the hard outline of the "Secret Techniques of Erotic Art" in my arms, and recalled Zhang Cai'e's tearful appearance, her collar slightly disheveled, and her last complex glance…
Peril lurked everywhere, powerful enemies surrounded me. All I have left are my half-baked ancestral skills, this wicked secret technique whose fate is uncertain, and those women in the "Mutual Aid Society"—each with their own agenda and facing similar peril.
The road ahead is becoming increasingly difficult. But I cannot retreat, nor can I retreat further.
Chen Fugui, bring it on! Let's see if your underhanded tricks as a local bully are ruthless, or if my life as Chen Chanan is tougher! As for that secret technique… perhaps, in this desperate situation, I should set aside my prejudices and see if there are any "unorthodox" remedies within.
Of course, certain "mediation" methods… cough cough, let's put them aside for now.