Chapter 62
After Lin Guifang left, Jiang Xiaoxiao finally looked toward the wardrobe in the corner.
"Come out!"
The wardrobe remained still.
Jiang Xiaoxiao said, "I'll count to three, and if you don't come out, the kitchen knife will serve you!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the wardrobe suddenly opened, and a pale-faced little ghost stood there.
Out of ghostly instinct, it flashed a challenging yet eerie smile at Jiang Xiaoxiao.
The room was heavy with ominous energy.
Jiang Xiaoxiao examined it, "Why do you want to steal people's souls?"
The little ghost didn't answer, but instead pounced at her with a ferocious look.
Jiang Xiaoxiao nimbly dodged and grabbed it, lifting it up in the air, "Is that all you've got?"
The little ghost felt that the hand holding it weighed a thousand pounds, no matter how hard it struggled, it couldn't break free.
It deflated and suddenly burst into tears.
As it cried, the ominous energy in the room grew heavier, and the yellow dog outside began barking frantically.
Lin Guifang, who had just started cooking rice, was startled and came to knock on the door, "Master, is everything alright?"
"It's fine," Jiang Xiaoxiao said, "Just prepare the things I told you earlier."
Lin Guifang was still worried, but since Jiang Xiaoxiao had told her to prepare the items, she had no choice but to do so.
Inside the room, the little ghost was still being held up by Jiang Xiaoxiao.
No matter how much it cried, Jiang Xiaoxiao remained unmoved.
The little ghost could only plead with her, "Sister, I was wrong, please let me go?"
Ordinary people, even if they saw a ghost, would never be able to touch it, but this sister not only could touch it but also restrain it and prevent it from escaping, clearly indicating she was a sorceress!
It had only intended to possess someone to alleviate its grudge, never expecting to encounter a master.
"Woo woo woo, sister, I really made a mistake."
The little ghost started crying again.
While pleading, it was also looking for an opportunity to bite Jiang Xiaoxiao.
However, just as it was about to open its mouth, it suddenly sensed a completely different kind of aura emanating from Jiang Xiaoxiao.
Darkness, oppressive, suffocating despair.
The little ghost's face changed drastically, its eyes widened in terror, and it struggled frantically with its hands and feet, trying to escape.
Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't quite understand why the little ghost had suddenly become so frightened, as she hadn't drawn any talismans, set up any formations, or even used a kitchen knife.
"Sister, I don't want his soul anymore, please let me go, please let me go?" The little ghost was now crying out of fear.
Woo woo woo, this sister was so terrifying.
Jiang Xiaoxiao asked, "You don't want the rice or clothes anymore?"
"I don't want anything anymore!" It just wanted to get away from this sister as quickly as possible.
Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't let go, "If I release you, you'll just go harm others again. I might as well chop you up with a knife."
"..." The little ghost weakly reminded her, "Sister, I can still be reincarnated..."
Not long after the little ghost left, Lin Guifang's sticky rice was also ready.
This dish was meant to be an upside-down rice bowl, and she knew a little about it herself. Without waiting for Jiang Xiaoxiao's instructions, she had already inverted a bowl into a larger bowl, allowing the rice to take the shape of an upturned bowl, and inserted chopsticks into it.
Then she stir-fried some dishes, both meat and vegetable, found some incense paper and candles, and placed the small clothes she had cut out.
Although the little ghost had left, Jiang Xiaoxiao still performed a ritual as if it were real, and took the opportunity to drive away the ominous energy from Yang Ershun's body.
When Yang Ershun woke up, it was already dark outside.
He opened his eyes, saw Lin Guifang sitting at the head of the bed, and called out, "Mother."
Upon hearing this call of "mother," Lin Guifang knew her son had recovered, and she immediately burst into tears, hugging him and crying loudly.
"Mother..."
Although her son's recovery should have been a joyous occasion, Lin Guifang didn't remain happy for long before she became angry and resentful again, lightly punching Yang Ershun, "Following the master, you didn't learn properly, did you?"
"I..."
Lin Guifang angrily said, "Don't give me that look. I asked her today, and she said you were half-hearted, and never had the determination to learn the craft. From now on, you're to stay at home and not go to her anymore."
Yang Ershun was anxious, "Did Sister Jiang really say that?"
"You unfilial brat, get out!" The village chief's angry roar came from outside the courtyard.
Yang Ershun clutched the edge of the blanket. He roughly understood why his parents were angry.
Previously, he didn't know what a ghost was until a few days ago when he encountered a little child.
That child had played with him for a long time and then said he had no home, asking if Yang Ershun could take him back.
Yang Ershun agreed.
So the little child came to their house.
But during mealtimes, his father, his mother, and his elder brother couldn't see the little child.
It was then that Yang Ershun suddenly realized that the little child was not human, but a ghost.
Later, when he was possessed by the little ghost, Yang Ershun was somewhat conscious, having practiced the vital energy techniques with Sister Jiang for some time.
But he couldn't resist, and could only watch helplessly as the little ghost used his body to eat the sticky rice and gnaw on candles.
"If the master hadn't arrived in time today, do you know your little life would have been forfeited?" Lin Guifang was bitterly disappointed in him.
Yang Ershun had nothing to say.
He knew that the little ghost would have taken his soul away.
With a substitute soul, the little ghost could dissipate its resentment and be reincarnated.
These were things he had learned from following Sister Jiang.
But at the time, he hadn't thought to study diligently, and whenever he was told to meditate, he would always let his mind wander.
"Mother, please don't let father stay angry. I'll go apologize to Sister Jiang myself."
Yang Ershun threw off the blanket, put on his shoes, and without waiting for Lin Guifang to say a word, pushed open the door and ran outside.
Xie Xun and Jiang Xiaoxiao had returned to pack up their belongings but hadn't gone to sleep yet.
Chen Sixi was also there.
It wasn't that he was lingering and refusing to leave, but because Yang Ershun hadn't woken up, he didn't dare leave, fearing that if something really happened to the little brat, the Yang family would vent their anger on his family in a fit of rage.
After all, his family ran a coffin shop, and if people said that Yang Ershun had been possessed by evil spirits due to being tainted by the inauspicious energy of the coffin shop, he would have a hard time explaining it even with ten mouths.
When the courtyard gate was knocked, Chen Sixi guessed it might be someone from the Yang family and went to open the door first.
To his surprise, the person outside was actually Yang Ershun himself.
Chen Sixi's eyes lit up, "Little brat, you're awake?"
As he spoke, he placed both hands on Yang Ershun's shoulders, "How are you feeling? Any discomfort anywhere?"
Then he added, "Sticky rice isn't something to be eaten!"
In the past, Yang Ershun would have argued back, but today he was unusually quiet.
Chen Sixi's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that he wasn't fully recovered and was still possessed by the ghost?
The hands he had rested on Yang Ershun's shoulders were pulled back as if scorched by boiling water, and he stepped back a few paces.
Yang Ershun paid him no heed, striding directly into the room and kneeling before Jiang Xiaoxiao. "Sister Xiaoxiao, I'm sorry, I was wrong."
Chen Sixi followed, looking perplexed. "What's going on?"
Yang Ershun's voice was choked with tears. "Before, I was foolish and didn't understand Sister's efforts. Please don't drive me away. From now on, I'll study diligently and never slack off again."
Chen Sixi made a clicking sound, understanding dawning. Just as he thought, this bratty kid's flightiness made it unlikely he'd seriously learn from the master. It seemed he only shed tears upon seeing a coffin.
Jiang Xiaoxiao remained unmoved by Yang Ershun's repentance. "Regardless of the tuition your family paid, whether you follow me is up to you. Practice or slack off, but if you're possessed again, I won't help."
"No, no, no!" Yang Ershun shook his head vigorously. "I won't slack off ever again, Sister, believe me."
Seeing Jiang Xiaoxiao's silence, Yang Ershun turned to Xie Xun. "Brother-in-law, please put in a good word for me?"
Xie Xun asked him, "Do you know why your parents entrusted you to Xiaoxiao initially?"
Yang Ershun shook his head.
"Because you have the yin-yang eye and can see spirits, attracting evil forces," Xie Xun explained. "If you don't learn the craft, possession will be the least of your troubles."
"I understand, I understand now..." Yang Ershun kowtowed, tears pattering on the floor boards. "Sister, I was wrong."
"Alright, go get some sleep. We leave for Yanjing City tomorrow morning." Jiang Xiaoxiao waved a dismissive hand.
Hearing this, Yang Ershun stood, eyes brimming. "Thank you, Sister."
Night had fallen, and with no guest rooms at Xie Xun's, Chen Sixi had to spend the night at the village head's home.
After the two left, Xie Xun turned to Jiang Xiaoxiao. "That little ghost was gone by the time you performed the rites this afternoon. Did it leave on its own out of fear of you?"
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