Chapter 16 – The Haunted House

When he saw Miss Yan again, this glamorous “professional” had changed her outfit entirely. She was now dressed in simple, low-key long sleeves and pants, with a plain face and a ponytail. Aside from the dark circles under her eyes and the overly sallow complexion, she looked like a fresh college graduate, completely devoid of the fashionable charm she once exuded. What changed even faster was her attitude.

“Mr. Wei, wuwu~~ I can’t take it anymore, wuwu…” This time, she didn’t even bother with the delicate tears. Miss Yan started crying with snot and tears streaming down her face. If they hadn’t been standing some distance apart, she might have grabbed onto Wei Yang’s sleeve and refused to let go. “I haven’t been able to sleep well this whole time. That thing, that thing just won’t leave me, wuwu! I went to the temple and bought a Buddha statue. I spent a lot of money and even had it consecrated by a master. Why didn’t it work, wuwu? I tried calling you these past few days, but no one answered. I thought, I thought…”

Thought I had run away? Wei Yang couldn’t help but smile. Since the fish was already hooked, why would he run? However, he couldn’t directly mention the car accident he had been in. He gently adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose and explained with great poise, “It was precisely to resolve Miss Yan’s issue that I went into the mountains for a few days to invite my senior brother to come out. Miss Yan, don’t let his youth fool you. He comes from a family with deep roots in this field and has strong connections with Longhu Mountain. He’s also the most outstanding talent of our generation.”

With that, he turned to Zhang Xiuqi and said, “Senior Brother Zhang, this is Miss Yan, the one I told you about. The situation she’s facing is truly malevolent, which is why I had to trouble you to come and help me handle it.”

Wei Yang’s introduction was as serious as it could be. Zhang Xiuqi didn’t respond, merely giving the woman a cold glance. Miss Yan, who had been on edge this whole time, only now noticed that there was someone standing behind Wei Yang—a strikingly handsome man with an icy demeanor. Her tears immediately stopped. Women are visual creatures, and while someone like Wei Yang, a refined professional, is relatively common, someone like Zhang Xiuqi, with his cold and aloof aura, is one in a million. Even the big names on TV might not match his presence. His handsome features only accentuated his otherworldly detachment, making him unforgettable. Her heart pounded wildly, and Miss Yan awkwardly pursed her lips, regretting how she had just broken down in tears.

In this line of work, appearances matter. The more otherworldly and transcendent the “master” looks, the more potential there is to make money. Someone like the old charlatan, if not for his good looks, would have had limited success no matter how hard he tried. On the other hand, if the appearance is decent, the business is already one-third secured before it even begins. Zhang Xiuqi had that kind of appearance, and more importantly, an innate, top-tier aura that came from genuine skill—something rarely seen among ordinary practitioners. Even his grandfather, a seasoned veteran, might not be able to replicate it. With such a striking figure by his side, Wei Yang knew exactly how to make the most of it.

Clearing his throat, he smiled and said, “Since it’s almost noon, shall we head in?”

The three of them were standing in front of a café outside Chaoyang Community, a place Miss Yan had specifically chosen. Clearly, she was terrified of the evil aura in the haunted house and didn’t dare to go inside. She now looked as if she was about to cry, her lips trembling, “I… I can’t not go, can I? Mr. Wei, you see, my constitution is especially prone to attracting dirty things. With you here, it should be fine, right…”

Wei Yang didn’t let her off the hook. Instead, he spoke with utmost seriousness, “The evil originates from you, so it must be removed from you. It’s like pruning grass. Simply clearing the top layer of weeds isn’t enough. As long as the roots remain, trouble will eventually grow back. But if you pull out the roots, the above-ground growth will naturally wither away. Miss Yan, you don’t need to be afraid. We’re here.”

As he spoke, he subtly flaunted the wooden box in his hand, looking as professional as one could be.

“Alright… alright.” After hesitating for a while, Miss Yan finally made up her mind. This incident had affected her too deeply. Losing the house she had worked so hard to secure from her benefactor was one thing, but more importantly, she hadn’t been able to sleep well these past few nights. She had taken countless sleeping pills, but they hadn’t had much effect. Instead, they had left her disoriented, unable to carry out her “work” properly. Looking at her face, which even high-end skincare products couldn’t salvage, she couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of regret. Even if she had to spend some money, so be it. She could sell the house to Master Wei at a low price, minimizing her losses while also building a good relationship. Perhaps she could even get something reliable to ensure she wouldn’t be haunted by that infant spirit again.

Seeing the changes in the foolish woman’s expression, Wei Yang felt a sense of relief deep down. The most crucial part of a supernatural scam was to have the client witness the “event.” Whether it was boiling oil to exorcise a ghost or burning talismans out of thin air, without the client’s presence, the mystical effect would be lost. Wei Yang specialized in feng shui, but he was also well-versed in these tricks. Of course, he hoped that Miss Yan would stay by his side to solidify the effect. Only then could he truly dispel the fear he had planted in her heart, achieving the goal of curing the heart with the heart’s medicine.

Seeing that she was completely hooked, Wei Yang gracefully gestured for her to proceed, and the three of them walked into the community together.

Deliberately keeping some distance, Wei Yang followed behind Miss Yan and whispered to Zhang Xiuqi, “Brother Qi, once we’re inside, don’t say a word, alright? I’ll handle everything. If necessary, I’ll have the woman step aside so we can do what we need to do. I’ve also prepared some sound and light effects…”

Before coming, Wei Yang had indeed made thorough preparations—of course, not for catching ghosts, but for deceiving people. The only thing he was worried about was Zhang Xiuqi accidentally revealing something, like saying there was no infant spirit or that the place wasn’t haunted. However, he wasn’t too concerned about that, because although Zhang Xiuqi now seemed a bit more like a living person, he still only spoke to Wei Yang, mostly answering questions or making requests. There was no real conversation between them. As long as Wei Yang didn’t provoke him, this ice block would remain perfectly frozen, with no risk of giving anything away. With this in mind, Wei Yang adjusted the perfect Windsor knot at his neck and solemnly followed Miss Yan into the community.

After two weeks, the atmosphere in the community had improved somewhat. It had been over two months since the tragic incident, and no matter how frightened people were, life had to go on, especially for those who weren’t particularly superstitious. However, the building where the haunted house was located still felt a bit desolate. Perhaps it was due to the temperature difference between the hallway and the outside, coupled with a bit of psychological effect, but as they entered the building, it felt slightly chilly. Miss Yan visibly shivered and said in a trembling voice, “Recently, some residents have also reported seeing ghosts. Not long ago, a child went to play in the hallway and ended up falling, cutting his head. There was blood everywhere.”

In a high-rise building like this, letting a mischievous child play on the stairs was just asking for trouble. It was normal for accidents to happen. However, Wei Yang’s expression grew even more serious as he said in a low voice, “The evil energy can’t dissipate and will eventually form a vortex, affecting more and more residents. But as long as we break the concave wind evil in your room and use magic to dispel the influence of the infant spirit, there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

“If we get rid of the filth here, will it solve the thing on me?” Miss Yan couldn’t help but ask. Honestly, whether the house was haunted or not didn’t matter to her. She was planning to sell it anyway. The little dead ghost attached to her was the real issue.

“Where there’s a cause, there’s an effect. If we remove the cause, the effect will naturally dissipate,” Wei Yang replied with the characteristic flair of a charlatan. However, Miss Yan felt a bit safer, and even the chill she had felt earlier seemed to slowly fade away. Her courage grew a bit more.

While the two of them whispered to each other, Zhang Xiuqi, who was standing behind Wei Yang, raised his head. He glanced at the Bagua mirror hanging in the hallway and then at the numbers flickering on the elevator. His brows furrowed slightly, and a cold expression appeared on his face.

Wei Yang, now fully immersed in his role, didn’t notice Zhang Xiuqi’s change. He led Miss Yan into the elevator and only then realized that Zhang Xiuqi hadn’t followed. Facing Miss Yan’s puzzled gaze, he coughed lightly and explained, “My senior brother is a bit rigid. He needs to see everything for himself. Miss Yan, please don’t mind it. Senior Brother, let’s head up first.”

There was a faint hint of pleading in his voice. Zhang Xiuqi silently turned his gaze back and followed them into the elevator without a word. Wei Yang felt much more at ease and turned to Miss Yan to instruct her, “Later, when we start the ritual, just give us the keys to your house, especially the bathroom key.”

As if influenced by their aura, Miss Yan shivered and took out a set of keys from her bag, handing them to Wei Yang. She couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Wei… what about me later? Can you… can you protect me or something? After all, I…”

Wei Yang gently shook his head, “With us by your side, Miss Yan, you should no longer be affected by the evil forces. Especially with my senior brother here—he’s a virgin with a strong yang aura. Ordinary evil spirits can’t get close to him. Why don’t you close your eyes and feel it for yourself?”

This explanation took Miss Yan by surprise, but after a moment of contemplation, she did feel that the noise in her ears had subsided, and her body didn’t feel as cold. Her heart felt a bit more at ease, and she nodded vigorously, “Then I’ll leave it to the two of you!”

“Of course, this is also a way to accumulate merit,” Wei Yang said with a reassuring smile on his face, gently patting Miss Yan’s arm.

A few seconds later, the elevator dinged as it reached the 12th floor. The three of them stepped out and walked toward the room that was “extremely haunted.” Wei Yang personally opened the door but didn’t rush inside. Instead, he placed the wooden box he was carrying in the foyer and opened the lid.

The box itself was intricately carved with an antique design, with several small wooden boxes neatly stacked inside. Wei Yang explained softly, “These are all peach wood cores that have been nurtured to enhance the power of the ritual tools. Miss Yan, please step back a bit. I’m about to begin.”

With that, he stopped talking and opened one of the boxes, gently tossing a handful of glutinous rice onto the floor. The room had been vacant for quite some time, and as the rice scattered, it stirred up a cloud of dust. Wei Yang didn’t mind. He walked around, sprinkling rice as he went, and soon created a small path of white rice. Then, he stepped lightly on the rice and opened all the doors and windows in the room. The layout of the house was decent, and a cross breeze immediately blew through, sweeping away the gloomy atmosphere in the room.

Miss Yan’s eyes widened as the midday sunlight streamed in through the windows, illuminating the living room and causing the rice on the floor to shimmer faintly. The dust that had been floating in the air was swept away, and the room felt brighter. Wei Yang then turned and took out a small wooden disk from another box. It was intricately carved with the Bagua and the symbols of the three mountains and five peaks. He explained to Miss Yan, “This is called the Mountain and River Suppression Plate. It’s a powerful tool against concave wind evil. To break this curse, we first need to suppress the concave wind evil and then resolve the infant spirit’s curse. Once I’ve set up the Mountain and River Suppression Plate, we can eliminate the evil in the bathroom.”

This explanation sounded both incomprehensible and impressive. Miss Yan nodded vigorously, though it was unclear whether she understood. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Wei Yang smiled modestly, cradled the Mountain and River Suppression Plate in both hands, and walked into the bedroom. He hung the small wooden plaque on the side of the wall facing the bedroom window, then scattered some rice and water around the room before calmly walking out and heading to the bathroom door.

Turning to Miss Yan with a serious expression, Wei Yang said, “Miss Yan, please take a step back and stand behind my senior brother. I’m about to open the door. If there’s any evil spirit, my senior brother and I will handle it. You won’t be harmed.”

Seeing the foolish woman step back nervously, Wei Yang smiled slightly, twisted the key in his hand, and pushed open the intricately carved wooden door that had been tightly locked all this time.