A Will Eternal

Duo Fu was also terrified. This was the first time she had ever encountered a ghost. Back in her childhood, she often fell victim to bullying because of her appearance. There was a haunted house in her village, with rumours of white apparitions frequenting it. Once, she had been lured there by a group of children and left stranded for an entire day.
A day later, an adult found her and rescued her. But apart from hunger and cold, she had nothing to show for her ordeal. People claimed that her ugly appearance must have scared the ghosts away.
Later, she found herself working at the Ming Mansion. The fortune teller hired by her mistress had read her fortune and claimed that she possessed a pure Yang character, which could repel evil and malevolent spirits.
Yu Fang garden had recently experienced disturbances, with the maids and servants claiming to have seen eerie shadows, though Duo Fu hadn’t witnessed anything herself. Until the young lady had been frightened, she hadn’t believed in ghosts.
But now, she had seen one with her own eyes—an eerie, dark presence shrouded in a grey shadow hurtling towards Madam Liu.
“Ding…” The copper coins scattered on the ground chimed in unison. Despite being knocked over by the malevolent spirit, they struggled to ascend.
Duo Fu was petrified at first, but she quickly recalled the lady’s words. She possessed the power to ward off evil!
It was this entity that had frightened the lady so badly that she had almost perished. Duo Fu couldn’t allow it to harm anyone else. Summoning courage she didn’t know she had, she saw the entity lunging at Madam Liu and moved herself towards it.
She thrust out her fist, and the red cord around her wrist suddenly grew scorching hot, glowing like the sun.
“Hey…”
She couldn’t tell if she had heard an auditory illusion, but one thing was clear—the shadow had stopped in its tracks. With a guttural howl, it turned sharply, and a pair of fiery red eyes glared menacingly at her.
Duo Fu stumbled backward, her feet tripping over each other, until she fell to the ground.
“No…” Acting on instinct, she raised her hand, attempting to push the ghost away. The midday sun bathed the red cord on her wrist, emitting strands of golden light that swirled around it.
“Ding…” The copper coins, tainted by the malevolent aura, appeared to be cleansed by the radiant light and jumped into the air.
Seven copper coins arranged in a pattern ascended into the sky.
Madam Liu, resolute, tapped her pipe and exhaled a puff of smoke.
“Center!”
The formation activated, and the power surged once more.
“Ding, ding, ding, ding…” Several sounds chimed in succession.
The eerie howl echoed as the grey-white shadow transformed into a black mist and vanished into the willow tree.
“Ding—” There was a prolonged sound, and the seven copper coins clattered to the ground, bereft of their previous vitality.
Madam Liu, having a heartache, sat down as if drained, her brow glistening with sweat.
Duo Fu remained on the ground, still maintaining her defensive stance.
Silence enveloped them.
After a while, the voice of Nanny Tong broke the silence. “Hurry, assist the fairy!, to your feet now!. How blessed! How blessed!”
The maids and servants, as if awakening from a trance, rushed forward.
Assisted her back to the pavilion, Duo Fu finally regained consciousness. Her entire body was drenched in sweat, and the memory of confronting the shadow sent shivers down her spine.
A hand reached out and held hers.
Duo Fu glanced up to see the young lady smiling at her with her striking beauty.
“How courageous you are!” she said softly.
“Miss…” Duo Fu began to thank the bracelet she wore but stopped herself. The young lady had crafted it casually, and the knot was far from perfect. How could it have produced such an effect?
On the other side, Madam Liu had also regained her composure.
Mrs. Ming San asked eagerly, “Did you manage to capture that thing?”
Madam Liu wiped sweat from her forehead and replied, “Mother, that thing is too formidable. I don’t have the ability to capture it.”
Nanny Tong was taken aback. “So, it’s still out there?”
Madam Liu gazed at the willow tree by the lake with a lingering fear in her eyes. “Yes, it’s still there.”
Nanny Tong panicked. “What should we do? Both Madam and Miss are here. What if it attacks again…”
“Don’t worry,” Madam Liu said. Recognising the gravity of the situation, she decided to explain things more thoroughly. She touched one of the copper coins that had lost its vitality and explained, “The injury it sustained from my magical artefact prevents it from emerging at the moment. I’ll set up a temporary seal to obstruct its spiritual influence, making it difficult for it to absorb Yin energy. This way, nothing should happen in the short term.”
“What about the long term?” Mrs. Ming San asked
Madam Liu replied, “For the long term, I’ll need to find someone to collect it. I can’t do it alone, and within a ten-mile radius, there’s no one capable of handling it. Madam, we should seek an expert’s assistance. It needs to be someone proficient in the craft—someone with deep knowledge in divination, feng shui, exorcism, and ghost suppression. If they’re even more skilled, they might be considered true magicians, recognised by the court. Do you know about the Magician’s Bureau? They practice the Xuandu method taught by the Great Teachers, and those with such lineage are genuine magicians.”
Nanny Tong seemed to be listening to tales from the heavens. Having witnessed the events earlier, she realised that Madam Liu’s abilities went far beyond mere surface skills. However, she was unfamiliar with the concept of Xuandu Temple.
Seeing her perplexed, Madam Liu provided more details. “In our field, we encompass more than just dance. People like me are considered less skilled, only possessing rudimentary knowledge. The more accomplished individuals are known as wandering sorcerers. Please don’t mistake them for charlatans; they are well-versed in fortune-telling, feng shui, exorcism, and ghost suppression. More powerful ones are bona fide magicians, recognised by the court and magician bureau.”
Nanny Tong couldn’t help but be astonished. She had seen the copper coins floating in the air with her own eyes. There was clearly more to it than just superficial skills and some extraordinary power.
However, Xuandu Temple was renowned for its power. They were known to select imperial tombs and offer blessings for the country’s prosperity every year. Their reputation was impeccable.
“Could we possibly seek the assistance of the Xuandu Temple’s Grandmaster? But that would require travelling to the capital! What do you think, Madam?”
Madam Mingsan shook her head. “The journey to the capital would take at least two weeks, with an additional forty days for the round trip. Besides, inviting the Grandmaster of Xuandu Temple won’t be easy.”
Nanny Tong suggested, “Isn’t the eldest master in Beijing? We could ask him for help…”
Madam Mingsan sighed. “Have you forgotten the Ming family’s rules?”
Nanny Tong refrained from further discussion, swallowing her words.
The Ming family of Dongning had its origins in Ming Han, the founding Prime Minister of the current dynasty. Minghan had met Emperor Taizu in his youth and served in various military campaigns for over a decade. His immense contributions led to his appointment as the first Prime Minister of the dynasty, earning him the title of Marquis of Nanxiang.
Regrettably, as he grew older, Minghan became obsessed with alchemy, even offering an elixir to Emperor Taizu. It was later discovered that long-term consumption of this elixir could lead to bodily poisoning. Despite consuming it himself, Emperor Taizu did not punish him, as the poison had already taken its toll on his body.
In recognition of his earlier achievements, Emperor Taizu chose to overlook the matter. However, Minghan fell out of favour and lost his position.
Currently, only two members of the Ming family reside in Beijing, holding minor positions. The once-prominent Ming family had failed to reclaim its former glory.
After the incident involving the improper use of Taoist witchcraft, the Ming family banned the practice of such arts. Zi Buyu’s mysterious abilities, which had perplexed the gods, were not the only factor in this choice; Minghan had also compromised his integrity during these events.
Madam Mingsan was about to inquire further, but a commotion erupted at the garden gate. The entrance was aggressively pounded upon.
A servant girl attempted to block the intruder, but they were well prepared and quickly gained access to the garden.
An infuriated man in a green robe, sporting a short beard and a pale complexion, strode in with a group of robust servants.