Chapter 34: You Little Imp, Still Daring to Wreak Havoc!

Zhang Yugui rubbed his eyes in disbelief, then rubbed them again, confirming that he had not seen wrong.

From the side came Su Chen’s voice: "Why are you standing there stunned? Hurry and steady the child."

"Oh, oh, right."

Zhang Yugui trotted over, grabbed Xiao Qiang, and only after feeling the movement of the child in his arms did he exhale in relief. Immediately after, he gave the boy a firm rap on the head.

"Have I not taught you to walk carefully lately? Have you forgotten about falling into the pond before?"

Inside the car, the driver, Zhao Dongsheng, swallowed with difficulty, staring at Su Chen in disbelief.

Was this... something a human could actually do?

When his boss’s friend, a young policeman named A-Ming, claimed that a protective talisman had shielded his captain from a disaster, Zhao Dongsheng had been standing right there, scoffing at the notion the entire time.

However, as a driver, he was very dutiful; even if he didn't believe it, he didn't show it. When his boss told him to drive to Chunming Street as quickly as possible, he complied. Later, when the boss brought this "Master" into the car, seeing how young he looked, he felt it was even more absurd.

When Su Chen mentioned that a single talisman cost 150, he had even muttered to himself: That’s practically highway robbery!

One had to know, his own monthly salary was only 500.

But now...

A coincidence? Or was this guy truly a master?

Frowning, Zhao Dongsheng followed them into the small building.

Zhang Yugui briefly introduced the situation of the house to Su Chen.

This three-story building was built by his ancestors after they returned from Nanyang. Originally, there was a courtyard and a front gate, but during the turbulent years, the house was forcibly partitioned, and when his family resisted, the gate was demolished. In recent years, as things opened up, they used some money to "invite" the tenants to move out, and only then did it return to their control.

His grandfather had long since passed away. The first floor was occupied by his parents, the second by his own family, and the third by his younger brother’s family.

A family like theirs did not fear the previous family planning policies; they were willing to pay fines to have children. His younger brother had five, two more than he did.

"After those people left, I felt the building was a bit empty, but now... I worry it’s not enough space. I’m thinking of keeping a few units once the Emerald Residential Complex is finished," Zhang Yugui said with a bitter smile as he invited Su Chen to sit. A nanny of about fifty years old immediately poured hot tea and served it.

Zhang Yugui asked, "Auntie Wang? Where are my parents?"

"The Master and Madam went to the hospital to see the eldest mistress and the eldest young lady."

"And my brother?"

"Also at the hospital."

Zhang Yugui sighed. "I see. Prepare some food." He turned to Su Chen. "Master, what do you like to eat? Noodles, pancakes, or porridge?"

"Anything is fine, but please take me for a walk around first."

"Yes, yes, of course."

The middle of each floor of the small building featured a hall, with two rooms on either side, and a corridor outside connecting them.

It was evident that the interior had been repainted; the lower parts of the walls were green, and the floors were covered in patterned tiles—a distinct Nanyang style.

After a walk-through, Su Chen led Zhang Yugui directly back to his study on the second floor.

"Master!"

"Did you find something?"

Su Chen nodded.

His cultivation had deepened, making him more sensitive to energy. In fact, upon entering the building, he had sensed that the densest Yin energy was in this study. After the walk-through, he had locked onto the target.

However, as the most gifted disciple of the Celestial Master’s Mansion, he had dealt with many cunning Ghost Kings over the years and had become quite meticulous. He checked the area thoroughly before concluding that the problem was isolated to this room.

He walked to the curio cabinet and picked up a rustic-looking vase.

Zhang Yugui was stunned. "Is there a problem with this vase?"

"Yes, Boss Zhang. The Feng Shui of this building is actually quite good; only this vase is filled with heavy Yin energy."

"Normally, a vase requires high temperatures during the firing process, so... the problem must lie in the overglaze painting on the exterior."

Zhang Yugui paused, murmuring, "This is a polychrome relief-carved Cochin vase. It was my grandfather's favorite. We had one when I was a child, but I accidentally broke it. A while ago..."

He hesitated, suspicious. "That’s not right. Boss Li gave me this vase when he visited the month before last, but things only started going wrong in my house on the 20th of last month. The timeline doesn't match. Master... could you be mistaken?"

"Wait a moment."

Su Chen took yellow paper and cinnabar from his pouch and quickly drew a "Yin-Piercing Talisman" for Zhang Yugui.

After sticking it onto him, he asked, "Can you see clearly now?"

The Yin-Piercing Talisman could temporarily lower a person's fortune to the lowest point, making them extremely sensitive to Yin energy. Its effect was not as potent as the "Heavenly Eye," but in the absence of bull tears, such a talisman would suffice.

Zhang Yugui blinked, then blinked again, before stepping back twice and leaning against the wall. He hunched his shoulders and limbs, staring in horror at the polychrome vase. "N-no, Master, why does it look like there’s a child inside? All black."

The child seemed to be reaching out its tiny hands toward him.

"You have been busy with business and spend little time at home, so even though you were affected, the impact was minimal. Plus, men naturally possess plenty of Yang energy, which is why you haven't suffered any accidents yet, Boss Zhang."

As Su Chen spoke, he produced a small wooden doll and rapidly formed hand seals.

Zhang Yugui watched as the pitch-black, child-shaped mass moved abruptly, then struggled violently. It could hardly maintain its shape, turning into a dark, amorphous blob.

The black mass thrashed left and right, causing the polychrome vase to sway.

However, as Su Chen continued to chant and weave seals, the mass was gradually compressed until it was only the size of a fist.

Because the color was so deep, Zhang Yugui could faintly see ferocious facial features and long fangs within the mass.

"Th-this, this, this..."

As he spoke, the ferocious face slowly turned toward him.

"Gi~"

An incredibly piercing sound nearly shattered Zhang Yugui's heart.

Zhang Yugui felt movement above his head; looking up, he saw a painting hanging on the wall swaying precariously.

It looked like it was about to fall, and the spot where his head was positioned was directly beneath the sharp corner of the frame. If that fell, his skull would surely be cracked open.

"Little ghost, you still dare to commit evil!"

With Su Chen’s sharp rebuke, the black mass was compressed further to the size of a ping-pong ball.

The swaying painting above finally fell still.

Zhang Yugui exhaled quietly. Although he felt weak all over, he gritted his teeth and moved aside before looking back at the black orb.

This time, he faintly saw a small net woven from golden light on the outside, connected to a golden thread that led to Su Chen’s hand.

Su Chen’s hand finally stopped, and he moved it slowly.

The black ping-pong ball was abruptly pulled from the vase and drifted toward the wooden doll.

As it merged into the doll, the golden light on the wooden figure flowed briefly before dimming.

The black mass was no longer visible. Zhang Yugui finally relaxed completely, his legs giving way as he slumped to the floor.

Su Chen also raised his hand to wipe the light sweat from his forehead.

Although this little ghost was a vengeful spirit with a fierce nature, it didn't seem to reject Boss Zhang too much; upon realizing Zhang could see it, it had actually reached out wanting to be held.

He had cast the seals while the ghost was distracted; otherwise, it wouldn't have been easy to suppress.

Fortunately, he had carved the wooden doll beforehand and inscribed a formation upon it. Without a suitable vessel, it would have been easy for the spirit to escape even if he had caught it.

After catching his breath, Su Chen asked Zhang Yugui, "Boss Zhang, have you ever smeared your own blood on this vase?"