The Master's tone was solemn, causing Guan Qishen's heart to tighten.
It really was a ghost!
"Master, do you have a way to... take care of it?"
Without waiting for a response, Guan Qishen added, "Please don't worry, Master. If you're willing to help, the commission will definitely be worth your while."
The middle-aged Master, dressed in a Taoist robe, gave a faint smile upon hearing this. "In that case, I shall do my best."
With that, he began setting the array, raising the altar, and casting spells. He moved with a practiced, impressive flourish.
Guan Qishen was no stranger to true Masters. That day at the hospital, seeing Jiang Xuxu make her move had convinced him that she possessed genuine ability. However, after the recording was exposed, it was naturally impossible for him to seek her out again.
As he watched the Master before him activate a talisman, the paper flew toward the center of the bed. Guan Qishen felt a surge of joy, believing the female ghost would soon be dealt with.
Yet in the next second, he felt the temperature in the room plummet. The talisman paper ignited in mid-air, burning up before it could even land.
Before he could ask anything, the Master's expression shifted drastically. He hurriedly threw out two more talismans.
The result was the same; the papers instantly turned to ash in the air.
The Master, who had previously looked like a transcendent sage, completely lost his composure. He even snapped at Guan Qishen in a rage.
"Why didn't you tell me there was more than one evil entity in this villa?!"
Had he known it would be this troublesome, he never would have provoked it. Now, his actions had directly infuriated the Fierce Ghost occupying the villa!
"Quick, we have to go!"
The Master grabbed Guan Qishen, intending to flee. Though confused, Guan Qishen understood one thing: he couldn't rely on this Master anymore.
The two charged toward the door, but just as they drew near, it slammed shut with a heavy thud.
At the same time, Guan Qishen felt as if something were firmly gripping his feet. He was frozen in place, unable to move a muscle.
Vaguely, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar figure reappear by the bed. The figure was slowly turning around, seemingly intending to approach him.
Guan Qishen felt his heart leap into his throat, his breath coming in sharp, shallow gasps. Seeing the female ghost drawing closer, her deathly pale hand reaching slowly for his neck, he stared with wide eyes. He was struck by a sudden, terrifying realization that he was going to die here today.
At that moment, a knock sounded from outside the door, followed by Guan Baocheng's voice.
"Qishen? Are you in your room?"
Guan Qishen felt a flash of hope and instinctively tried to call out for help. But in the next heartbeat, he felt a cold hand reach out from behind his head, clamping firmly over his mouth.
A bone-chilling, soul-seeping cold surged up from the soles of his feet, causing his entire body to stiffen. He couldn't force a single syllable out of his throat.
Guan Qishen had never known such terror. His vision was a blur of blood-red, yet the details of the room remained impossibly sharp. He felt something icy pressing against his back.
He shook like a leaf, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face. He wanted to beg for help, but he couldn't speak.
In that desperate moment, the Master suddenly sliced his own fingertip. With a violent swing of his arm, droplets of fingertip blood flew through the air. Two drops landed right on Guan Qishen's face.
Guan Qishen thought he heard a blood-curdling shriek in his ear.
The cold palm covering his mouth retracted instantly. Seizing that split-second opportunity, Guan Qishen screamed toward the door.
"Dad! Save me!"
The moment the words left his lips, the door was pushed open. It was Guan Baocheng, who had been about to leave after receiving no answer.
The moment Guan Baocheng stepped into the room, Guan Qishen could clearly feel the freezing temperature begin to climb.
Looking over, he saw the Master sitting on the floor, clutching his finger and muttering, "Too fierce... this is far too fierce."
He had truly lost out on this job today. After expending essence-condensed fingertip blood like that, how long would it take for him to recover?
Sensing the atmosphere in the room, he realized the malevolent presence that had been causing chaos had seemingly vanished without a trace.
But the Master didn't feel relieved. He didn't believe the entity had been driven away by his fingertip blood alone.
His gaze shifted to the arriving Guan Baocheng, and his eyes suddenly widened as they landed on the jade plaque hanging around the man's neck.
A look of indignation immediately flooded his face. "President Guan! I thought you invited me here in good faith, yet you didn't tell me a single word of the truth!"
Guan Qishen, having just narrowly escaped death, looked at the Master with a sour expression. "Master, what do you mean by that?"
The Master pointed straight at the jade plaque on Guan Baocheng's neck. "Since you already know a Master capable of crafting such a protective dharma tool, why did you come looking for me?! Even without me, that Protective Jade Plaque is enough to ensure you aren't disturbed by evil entities!"
Both Guan Qishen and Guan Baocheng were stunned by the Master's words. Their eyes simultaneously fell upon the jade plaque around Guan Baocheng's neck.
It was the very same jade plaque that Jiang Xuxu had given to the Guan family.
Although they hadn't been entirely convinced by Jiang Xuxu's words, they had retrieved the plaques and kept them on their persons after returning home. Indeed, their streak of bad luck had diminished significantly.
However, there were only two plaques, and Guan Baocheng couldn't be with Guan Qishen at all times. That was why they had spent a large sum of money to hire this Master.
They never expected that this Master's abilities wouldn't even compare to a single jade plaque made by Jiang Xuxu.
Could that girl really be that powerful?
"Master, do you mean to say that if I were wearing the jade plaque, that female ghost wouldn't be able to come after me like she just did?" Guan Qishen's face turned grim. He truly never wanted to repeat that experience.
"From the spiritual energy I see on the plaque, that is indeed the case."
The Master had lost his temper because he felt he had been played, but on second thought, such a protective dharma tool wasn't something everyone could just have. His tone earlier had been a bit too aggressive.
Being a member of the Xuanmen, he wasn't in the habit of apologizing to people, but he softened his voice slightly. "The evil entity occupying this villa is no ordinary new ghost. While I have some skill, dealing with such a presence alone is beyond my strength... If you want a permanent solution, you should invite the Master who sold you this jade plaque to take action."
As the Master spoke honestly, he failed to notice the "constipated" expressions on the faces of the father and son.
How were they supposed to tell him? This jade plaque hadn't been bought.
If it weren't for the recent string of events, the jade plaque currently around Guan Baocheng's neck would probably still be gathering dust in some forgotten corner.
Guan Baocheng knew his son had been plagued by nightmares lately, so he hadn't opposed hiring a Master to perform a ritual at home. But... was their only option really to seek out Jiang Xuxu again?
Guan Qishen remained silent, grappling with the same question. After what happened last time, he wasn't sure if Jiang Xuxu would be willing to help him. Furthermore, Ruirui probably wouldn't want him seeking her help either.
If he couldn't find another reliable Master to step in, then he only had one option left...
He would have to take the Protective Jade Plaque back from Ruirui first.
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