Chapter 18:
Tormented by an Evil Spirit (Part 1):
The Aftermath of That Night
The mirror ghost was annoyed.
It sat on the only remaining chair on the first floor, its face dark and bruised like a ghost that had died a gruesome death at midnight. Anyone would be frightened, but Chen Henian wasn’t. He glanced at the ghost as he descended the stairs, stifling a yawn.
The mirror ghost, utterly ignored, was indignant. Trapped in the mirror for two hundred years, it had never experienced such disrespect. People treated it as a taboo, it excelled at manipulating hearts, and those who underestimated it became its next meal. It glared at Chen Henian’s back. He had slept soundly while it toiled through the night, cleaning up the mess.
The room was cold, the mirror ghost’s resentment palpable. Chen Henian was pleased. He thought to himself that this would save him money on electricity bills once the weather turned warmer.
He was short on cash, having spent four yuan on two meat buns for breakfast, leaving him with only a twenty-yuan bill. He needed to work.
After washing up, he grabbed his suitcase and the buns, tucking a newspaper under his arm, the latest edition, left on top of the trash can outside.
People often published their troubles in the newspaper. One advertisement caught his attention. A family fifteen blocks away was experiencing strange occurrences, their house haunted, offering a reward of 30,000 yuan for a master’s assistance. Chen Henian, drawn by the money, followed the address provided. He arrived at noon.
He looked up at the house, a traditional building of red brick, tile roof, and concrete walls, surrounded by an iron fence and gate. Another person was also there, seeking the same job.
They stood outside the gate, sizing each other up. The middle-aged man wore a bright yellow Daoist robe, embroidered with a Bagua symbol on the back, a Daoist cap on his head, and a wooden sword in his hand. He looked the part, but Chen Henian thought he resembled an actor more than a Daoist.
The yellow-robed Daoist spoke. “Are you from this household?”
Chen Henian pointed to the advertisement in the newspaper. “Here for the job.”
The Daoist was surprised. “You’re taking this job?”
“I am. You leave.”
“You can’t handle a real haunting.”
“I can’t?” The Daoist chuckled, looking Chen Henian up and down. “If I can’t, you certainly can’t.” He observed Chen Henian’s dark gray Chinese-style shirt, his sunglasses, his long, unbound hair. He was handsome, but far too young to be convincing.
The Daoist, confident in his own appearance, smiled. “Little boy, you’re too young to be meddling in these matters. Aren’t you afraid of attracting misfortune?”
Chen Henian didn’t reply, knocking on the gate. A woman hurried out, unlocking the gate and ushering them in. “Thank you, Masters, for coming. I’ve made tea.”
It was a family of four. The woman, Chen Shu, had a son and a daughter. Her husband, Li Gang, worked at a car dealership. With the government promoting foreign cars, their income was decent. They had built a three-story house. The family sat in the living room, looking strangely stiff in their own home.
Chen Shu offered them each a cup of tea. “Please, have some tea.”
The tea was warm, the cups clean. Chen Henian was about to take a sip when the woman said sharply, “Your master hasn’t had his tea yet!”
Her tone was admonishing. Master? Chen Henian frowned. The yellow-robed Daoist sat down, smiling smugly at Chen Henian’s youth.
Annoyed, Chen Henian slammed his cup on the table. “Are you blind? He’s not fit to be my master!”
Chen Shu was startled by his outburst. Li Gang asked, “You’re not together?”
“Of course not.” Chen Henian was disgusted. They had mistaken him for the Daoist’s apprentice. The thought almost made him vomit.
“Such arrogance, little boy.” The Daoist’s thick eyebrows furrowed, his nostrils flaring. “Cultivation requires virtue. I won’t stoop to your level.”
“A charlatan speaking of virtue?” Chen Henian retorted. “There’s only one way to handle a haunting.” He turned to the family. “If you’re serious about solving your problem, you should get rid of the useless one.”
Chen Shu nodded, sensing the tension between them.
“Go on, get out! This isn’t a place for your nonsense!” She shoved Chen Henian out of the living room, slamming the door in his face.
Chen Henian was stunned. This was the first time he had been turned away. He had never experienced this while working with his master. Some people were truly blind to genuine talent.
There were two main Daoist sects: the Northern Celestial Masters and the Southern Daoists. Daoists favored yellow robes, but only those who had completed two years of training and proven their worth were allowed to wear them.
The yellow-robed Daoist was clearly a fraud. His robe looked like it was made from curtains, the Bagua symbol crooked and smudged, his wooden sword probably incapable of even cutting an apple.
Chen Henian’s face was expressionless. The mirror ghost emerged, mocking him relentlessly. “Look at you now, how amusing!”
“Shut up,” Chen Henian muttered, exhaling to calm himself. He didn’t move, his tall figure silhouetted against the door. He had other ideas. The mirror ghost felt a pang of unease.
Inside, the family sat together, the two children between their parents.
“Master, young people are often impetuous, don’t be offended,” Li Gang offered the Daoist another cup of tea.
The Daoist chuckled. “It’s nothing, I’m not petty.” He then adopted a serious expression. “Let’s discuss the matter at hand. What’s the problem? Tell me everything.”
Li Gang was eager to explain. He began to speak, but the Daoist suddenly dropped his teacup, the delicate porcelain shattering on the floor. The family jumped.
The Daoist’s face turned pale. He spat out the tea, and a green snake emerged from the broken cup, slithering across the floor. The Daoist scrambled backward.
“How… how is this possible?” Li Gang was stunned. “Ah!” Chen Shu screamed, shielding her son’s eyes.
The family looked at the Daoist pleadingly. “What should we do?” They didn’t dare move, but the Daoist was clearly panicking.
A gust of wind blew his cap off, revealing a bald head beneath a wig. He clutched his head, falling to the ground.
“Stay away! Stay away from me—!” He was paralyzed with fear, unable to move, waving his wooden sword wildly. He wasn’t just seeing a snake, but a gruesome, bloody corpse, reaching for him, its mouth open wide. His wooden sword snapped in two.
The Daoist was on the verge of soiling himself, his eyes rolling back. The children screamed. The Li family was drenched in cold sweat. Then, Chen Henian burst through the door.
Crash!
He stood before them, tall and imposing, like a descending deity. “You vile creature! Get back!” He held up the mirror, and the snake, writhing, turned into white smoke and vanished into the glass.
The snake was gone, the chaos subsided.
Chen Henian said calmly, “I seem to have left it behind earlier.” His tone was unapologetic. “The ghost I recently captured hasn’t been fully subdued. It likes to cause trouble. But as long as I’m here, it won’t harm anyone.”
The family stared at him, their fear slowly receding. Li Gang was the first to speak. “It’s alright, it’s alright.”
“Little Master, you’re truly powerful.”
Li Gang was perceptive, but Chen Henian didn’t acknowledge the compliment, turning to leave.
Li Gang rushed forward, stopping him. “Little Master, please wait!”
“What do you want?” Chen Henian asked.
Li Gang smiled. “We still need your help, Little Master.”
He knew who the real master was.
The Daoist, humiliated, picked up his hat and scurried away. But Chen Henian stopped him. “Do you know that deception brings retribution?”
“I won’t do it again, I swear!” The fake Daoist bowed his head, pleading. “I didn’t cheat them out of much money. I usually just deal with superstitious people, give them some medicine. I didn’t expect to encounter a real ghost today! There really are ghosts in this world! I won’t do it again! Master, you are the true master! Please, don’t hold it against me!”
Seeing his fear, Chen Henian let him go. “Get out.”
The fake Daoist fled.
With the charlatan gone, Chen Henian turned, stepping over the broken porcelain.
“Little Master, please sit.” Li Gang, afraid he would leave, gestured to his wife. Chen Shu quickly poured a fresh cup of tea. “Please.”
Chen Henian didn’t take it.
“I… I’m not educated, I don’t know much, please forgive me,” Chen Shu apologized, her head lowered as she offered the tea.
Chen Henian took the cup, placing it on the table without drinking.
“Tell me,” he sat down, crossing his legs. “What’s happening in your house? Tell me the truth, the more details, the better.”
