As dusk fell, the sky was ablaze with red clouds, and a gentle breeze blew.
Jian Jing walked along the alley until she reached Zhang Family Garden. This scenic spot was already off the beaten path, rarely visited by anyone other than tourists taking photos, especially as dusk approached.
She avoided the security guard at the entrance and slipped into the rear courtyard.
This was the former residence of the Zhang family heiress, also known as the home of the legendary female ghost. At this moment, in the courtyard outside the rear building, incense was set up on the altar, and Master Long, who had previously claimed he was leaving, was there preparing the ritual tools.
"Master, are you planning to try exorcism again?" she asked.
Master Long replied, "Once I've taken the money, I have to perform."
Jian Jing nodded and glanced at the deserted room. Honestly, although these scenic spots generally retained their original framework, they were mostly renovated. Some craftsmen were skilled enough to maintain the old charm, while others were not, making the buildings look even newer than her family's old house.
The Zhang family heiress's former residence was no exception. The embroidered tower of the past had long been destroyed by war, and the renovated ancient buildings had never been inhabited.
But why did Master Long choose to hold the ceremony here?
Jian Jing wondered but didn't ask.
As the sun sank, the sky darkened completely, and the hustle and bustle of tourists were carried away by the evening breeze, leaving only the tranquility of the courtyard. Lights in the bushes flickered, seeming to be malfunctioning, flashing on and off, occasionally making a "crackling" sound.
Master Long arranged the incense on the altar and turned to look at her.
Jian Jing smiled and stayed put.
Master Long didn't say anything either and began the ritual on his own.
Today's exorcism procedure was exactly the same as two days ago, with the same scriptures and gestures, but unlike that day when smoke changed and cinnabar disappeared, nothing happened this time.
Yes, there was no eerie wind, no foul smell, no spitting blood, just a calm beginning and an uneventful ending.
Master Long remained calm throughout.
Jian Jing thought to herself: So, that day was all just a performance?
"Not bad," Master Long suddenly spoke, seemingly seeing through her thoughts, "I wasn't actually attacked by the female ghost; it was all staged."
Jian Jing wasn't too disappointed. "Why?"
"I've been paid to do a job," Master Long reiterated.
"I know who paid you and for what on the previous occasion. But what about today?" Jian Jing asked. "All the previous haunting incidents were staged by humans. So, what ghost are you exorcising now?"
Master Long replied calmly, "Li Pei asked me to exorcise whatever ghost, so I am exorcising whatever ghost."
"Is it gone now?"
"If it stops causing trouble, then yes."
Jian Jing remained silent.
It was hard to say whether this person actually had real skills, but his experience in the martial world was definitely top-notch.
"You mentioned that I'm still alive as if it has some significance," she cut to the chase, "Don't tell me it was just a slip of the tongue; you clearly said it for my benefit."
Master Long neither confirmed nor denied, only softly said, "You're in big trouble."
"And?"
"Somebody wants you dead," he stated bluntly, "In my experience, you should already be dead, but for some reason, you're still alive."
After a moment's pause, he added, "But I can sense that it won't be for long."
"What?"
Master Long looked at her, with a hint of unfathomable meaning flickering in his eyes, almost prophetic, "Death is closer to you now."
Crackle.
The streetlights in the grove all flickered simultaneously and then went out, the boundless shadows drawing closer.
The world was engulfed in darkness.
*
Jian Jing did a quick check on Master Long's background and found that he indeed had some reputation in the Nanyang region, with many urban legends mentioning him. Even the ugly cow she encountered at the auction last time, whose real identity was a wealthy merchant from Nanyang, mentioned Master Long's great fame and exceptional accuracy, seldom making mistakes.
He had many legendary experiences, capturing little ghosts, consulting fox spirits, exorcising evil spirits, and could piece together a series of ghost movies.
However, Jian Jing remained skeptical, including his final warning.
Death is closer to you now.
It sounded frightening, but upon careful consideration, who wasn't closer to death? So she fell into a Schrödinger's idealism.
If you really believed it, it seemed plausible, and if you didn't, it could be dismissed.
[System, why is this happening? Please explain.]
[Sorry, this is beyond the scope of the system's work. Please explore on your own.]
Jian Jing was slightly conflicted.
The countdown of the curse was frozen, she wasn't exactly anxious, but no one could truly ignore carrying such a time bomb.
Yet, going earnestly to seek divine help to remove the curse felt a bit odd.
After much thought, Jian Jing decided to make a trip to Dragon Tiger Mountain, where she had contacted He Daoist several times before.
And there, He Daoist was live streaming.
He was not only a Taoist priest but also a writer. In recent years, short videos had become popular, and he also started making videos explaining Taoist culture, becoming a well-known internet celebrity.
"Today, let me tell you about the history of the Celestial Master Residence on Dragon Tiger Mountain..." He Daoist spoke eloquently in front of the camera, effortlessly recounting historical anecdotes, attracting the attention of many tourists.
Jian Jing went with the flow, standing nearby to listen to the commentary.
Half an hour later, the live stream ended.
He Daoist turned his head and saw Jian Jing, after a moment of recognition, he hesitantly asked, "Jian Jing, right?"
"Hello, Daoist He." Jian Jing smiled faintly.
"I almost didn't recognize you, you look even better in person than on screen." They had chatted a few times, considering themselves internet friends, so He Daoist was quite casual, "Are you here for tourism?"
"Sort of." Jian Jing looked him up and down, also smiling, "I didn't expect you, Daoist He, to be so..."
"Trendy?"
"Handsome."
Jian Jing wasn't flattering, He Daoist was in his early twenties, with rosy lips and white teeth, dressed in a blue robe, appearing dashing and could directly cameo as a character in a fantasy drama.
"Thank you, thank you." He graciously accepted the compliment, "Since you're here, Jian, you should take a good look at the scenery on our mountain. Would you like me to be your tour guide?"
Jian Jing had come to see him, so his offer was welcomed, "I couldn't ask for more."
He Daoist adjusted his sleeve and became an impromptu tour guide, leading her to explore the picturesque scenery of this famous mountain. To avoid the crowds, he deliberately chose areas with fewer tourists, and the two strolled along, chatting casually.
Jian Jing asked him if there was anything different about herself.
He Daoist pondered for a moment, pretending to suddenly realize, "Have you undergone cosmetic surgery?"
Jian Jing: "..."
"A bit of metaphysics," she hinted.
He Daoist had to explain again that he didn't engage in feudal superstitions.
Jian Jing said, "I met a master from Southeast Asia before, and he said I would encounter major trouble."
"And then?" He Daoist was cynical. "How much did he trick you out of?"
Jian Jing shrugged. "Didn't spend any money, didn't ask for donations or buy anything."
"Not swindling money, then preparing to swindle something else," He Daoist sighed, concerned. "Don't believe these things. If you're really interested in Taoist culture, why not come to our Dragon Tiger Mountain to study for a few days?"
She chuckled. "But I'm already here."
He Daoist glanced at her, his face full of disbelief.
"Fine," Jian Jing admitted frankly, "I came because of the aftermath of the Seven Stars Coffin Seal."
At the mention of this, He Daoist immediately became alert. He had written some books on geomancy and metaphysics, of course, not advocating disharmony, but introducing past burials and culture from a folk perspective.
Evil arts like the Seven Stars Coffin Seal were extremely rare even in the history of geomancy.
"Have you found similar burials again?" he asked eagerly.
"It's the practitioner," Jian Jing hesitated, still saying, "He placed a curse on me."
He Daoist stopped in his tracks, turning to look at her.
Jian Jing spread her hands.
He scrutinized her from top to bottom, left to right, for a good three to five minutes before asking, "Have you been particularly unlucky lately?"
Jian Jing: "?"
"Have you felt like someone was watching you? Or someone calling your name? Feeling inexplicably uneasy and anxious?"
Her: "... no."
He Daoist was actually surprised. "None?"
"I don't have any special feelings," she said expressionlessly, "so it's not psychological, don't worry."
He Daoist laughed awkwardly.
"Of course, if you say I want some psychological comfort, that's fine too," Jian Jing pondered, "I want to hold a ritual."
Performing rituals was a basic skill for Daoists, and He Daoist agreed readily, "No problem."
The rituals at the Celestial Master Residence were naturally completely different from those of Master Long's exorcism and demon-catching, filled with the word "formal."
The venue was dedicated, the high achievements were certified, the incense and incense burners were special, and the rhetoric was either poetry or ancient prose, sounding completely incomprehensible at first listen.
What impressed Jian Jing the most was the Pace Void Sound. Although she didn't understand the words, the melody was beautiful, sounding like celestial music, extremely enjoyable.
Then, the system quietly came online.
[Status Bar: Qi Tian's Curse (Countdown: 10)]
Jian Jing: "..."
After the ritual, He Daoist asked her, "How do you feel?"
She said, "Much better."
He couldn't help but chuckle, "That's good, that's good." As he spoke, he nodded earnestly, looking serious.
Jian Jing waited for him to finish laughing before saying, "But the curse hasn't disappeared."
He Daoist's muffled laughter abruptly stopped, looking at her in astonishment.
"Since the ritual can't dispel the curse, what should I do?" she asked.
He Daoist blinked rapidly, with a slight furrow of his brow.
Actually, he never thought Jian Jing's curse was that serious. Firstly, he didn't believe in it, and secondly, she herself seemed very calm, as if she wasn't afraid at all, just preferring to err on the side of caution and perform a ritual for peace of mind.
But at this moment, her attitude made him realize that things might not be so simple.
He had to seriously consider it for a while before saying, "The curse you mentioned is actually witchcraft. Although I'm not very familiar with this area, generally speaking—ahem, please note, this is just a general statement."
Jian Jing listened attentively.
"The art of witchcraft in history, rather than being supernatural powers, is more like diseases or poisoning. 'Gu' originally refers to insects, so-called 'being under gu' is actually a parasitic disease, the most famous of which is schistosomiasis," He Daoist explained, "This is an objective existence. Ancient people didn't understand it, so they called it 'gu'. You can't deny its existence."
Jian Jing nodded in agreement.
He continued, "But if we talk about the technique of overcoming enemies, I think the element of psychological suggestion is greater. Because of emotional instability, anxiety, and depression, it indirectly triggers physical illness."
"You make a good point. To sum it up in one sentence, believe in science," she sighed.
Scratching his head, He Daoist said, "So what do you want to hear?"
"If there really is an unscientific curse, how do you solve it?" Jian Jing cut to the chase. "Just pretend I'm providing material for a novel, setting is everything."
"In that case," He Daoist thought for a moment, "either destroy the carrier of the curse, such as the effigy or puppet used for casting spells, or eliminate the person who cast the spell."
"Oh," Jian Jing suddenly sounded cheerful, "I knew it, just kill him."
"Yes," He Daoist nodded before realizing something was off, looking at her in shock and stuttering, "Wait, what do you mean 'just kill him'?"
Jian Jing casually turned her head, commenting, "The scenery at Dragon Tiger Mountain is really nice."
He Daoist said, "Jian Jing, violating the law..."
"I have to take a call," Jian Jing took out her phone, "Hello, President Kang, I'm going on a two-day trip, alright, I'll be back soon, I'll come home tomorrow."
She looked apologetic, "Daoist, sorry, President Kang is urging me to return for a deadline. Thanks for this time, I'll transfer the expenses to your account, see you next time."
He Daoist: "..."
