The Malevolent Entity

Mrs. Liu squinted as she smiled, revealing teeth tinged slightly yellow from the smoke. “With the presence of yin energy, if we bring the items inside and let them incubate for some time, won’t we have a ghost on our hands?”
This method wasn’t particularly sophisticated, but gaining access to the Ming family’s estate was no easy task. Setting up such a situation required more than just ordinary skills.
Mrs. Ming San remained silent.
Mrs. Liu, well-versed in the ways of the world, was astute. She didn’t mention the mastermind behind this, merely saying, “Madam, don’t worry. Since your esteemed household has invited me, we’ll surely handle this matter appropriately. Let’s start by removing the impurity. Afterward, I’ll perform another ritual, and this malevolent entity will be banished, no longer posing a threat to the young lady.”
Mrs. Ming San sighed inwardly and replied, “Then I’ll leave it to you, Mrs. Liu. If you need anything, just inform the nanny.”
“Very well!”
…
The compensation offered was generous, motivating Mrs. Liu to act promptly. Nanny Tong proved highly efficient, and in less than half a day, she had cleansed the area of the malevolent presence and set up an incense table by the lake.
Chicken blood dripped onto the ground, forming an eerie pattern. Mrs. Liu retrieved a pipe from her bag, filled it with shredded tobacco, and lit it near the incense candles.
Amidst the billowing smoke, she commenced her ritualistic walk, uttering incantations.
Mingwei watched from a distance, her face devoid of any hint of a smile. She observed a gray-white figure hanging from the willow tree by the lake in a peculiar posture, even defying the midday sun, which failed to conceal the malevolent aura surrounding it.
This was an evil entity.
It was truly perplexing because this wasn’t an elaborate scheme. Usually, charlatans with malevolent intentions resorted to such tactics to extort money, creating mere illusions to scare people. However, these illusions were incapable of causing actual harm.
Yet what Mingwei saw now was a genuine threat, capable of taking lives under the right circumstances.
Mingwei took Duofu’s hand, fastening the hideous red knot around her wrist, and said, “Duofu, go beneath the tree.”
Duofu was taken aback. “Miss?”
“You possess a special blessing, capable of warding off evil,” she explained.
Duofu glanced at Mrs. Ming San.
Mrs. Ming San was also surprised by her daughter’s sudden declaration. However, these words jogged her memory.
The fortune-teller had once prophesied that Duofu’s fate was pure yang, impervious to malevolent forces. In recent days, with numerous encounters of people falling victim to ghosts, Duofu had never witnessed such an incident. Even when MIng Qi had her encounter with a ghost, Duofu happened to be absent.
Mrs. Ming San nodded. “Listen to Miss.”
Duofu agreed and moved towards the lake, attempting to stay as close to Mrs. Liu as possible.
As Mrs. Liu performed her ritual, the chicken blood on the ground, the incense table by the lake, and the smoke surrounding her emitted invisible mystical energy, converging to create a vortex, oscillating back and forth.
Then, the smoke dissipated, and the malevolent energy hidden in the grass and under the gravel was expelled one by one.
Mingwei wore no smile on her face because she saw the figure on the tree open its eyes.
Blood-red eyes, laden with malice, fixed his gaze on Mrs. Liu below.
Mrs. Liu, however, remained entirely oblivious, continuing to exhale smoke and execute her ritualistic steps diligently.
The pungent scent of chicken blood, the aroma of incense on the table, and the tobacco smoke agitated the entity on the tree. Its malevolent aura began to intensify.
When the malevolent energy touched the incense candle, the flame surged upward.
The maids and servants let out low exclamations.
Mrs. Liu was also taken aback. She took a deep drag from her pipe and forcefully exhaled the smoke, suppressing the incense flame.
Before she could relax, the candle flame surged again, accompanied by a series of “cracking” sounds.
Mrs. Liu’s heart sank. This malevolent entity was more formidable than she had imagined, prompting her to act without hesitation. She reached into her waist pouch, retrieved an item, and touched the incense table, causing seven copper coins to emerge.
She had once been a destitute woman, struggling to make ends meet. Her life had changed when she happened to rescue an elderly lady who had collapsed at her doorstep. The old woman, who claimed to be a mystic, had taught her for three days as a gesture of gratitude. Upon departing, the old lady had gifted her seven copper coins and informed her that, as long as she avoided meddling with strong malevolent forces, the techniques she had imparted would secure her prosperity for a lifetime.
Over the past decade, Mrs. Liu had only used these seven copper coins three times, each resulting in both fame and fortune.
“Harmony in the universe, divine protection of the spirit…”
After completing her incantation, Mrs. Liu pushed her pipe forward and released one of the copper coins. “Go!”
The coin soared, emitting a resonating hum, seemingly drawn by an invisible force, circulating in spirals.
The maids had never witnessed such a sight and gasped in amazement. They now understood why some referred to Mrs. Liu as a fairy.
Mrs. Ming San, observing from afar, also felt intense anxiety. She had initially been skeptical of these practices, and the Ming family’s traditions forbade belief in such phenomena. Had it not been for Ming Qi’s recent peril, she wouldn’t have dared to invite Mrs. Liu.
In fact, she had implored the elderly lady earlier that morning, pleading until she finally received approval to secretly usher Mrs. Liu onto the estate.
As soon as Mrs. Liu entered the garden, she secured the garden gate firmly. For most of the day, they had been searching for impurities and performing rituals without disclosing any of it.
Everyone knew that the elders of the Ming family were disciples of saintly teachings and frowned upon meddling with unconventional powers.
If this endeavor failed, it would be exceedingly challenging to invite someone back in the future.
The copper coin circled a few times, gradually becoming tainted with a dark aura. It became increasingly difficult to maintain its flight and eventually plummeted to the ground.
Mrs. Liu was taken aback; this entity was more malevolent than she had anticipated.
Suddenly, her back went cold as if something were approaching. Without hesitation, she manipulated her pipe, and the remaining six copper coins soared into the air.
Ming Wei watched in silence.
In her field of vision, the entity grew agitated, its malevolent aura surging.
The six copper coins, suspended in mid-air, fluctuated between ascent and descent, emitting streams of pure spiritual energy that coalesced into a potent magical force.
The original owner of these copper coins must have hailed from an authentic Taoist lineage, possessing untainted magical power. Unfortunately, severed from their original
owner, they couldn’t unleash their full potential. Coupled with the entity’s formidable malevolence, its aura eroded the magical energy, causing it to dissipate.
Mrs. Liu’s magical abilities were meager, and she couldn’t perceive this. She assumed that the copper coin formation had been successfully enacted. She took another drag from her pipe and exhaled forcefully, activating the formation—
“Puff—bang—ding—”
Three consecutive sounds rang out. The first was the extinguishing of the cigarette, the second was the overturning of the incense table, and the third was the copper coins hitting the ground.
“Ah!” A shriek resounded as a maid, standing close enough to witness, saw a shadow rushing toward Mrs. Liu. “A ghost, a ghost!”
The malevolent aura had become so potent that even ordinary individuals could perceive it.
Mrs. Liu spun around abruptly, spotting a blurry black figure hurtling toward her. Its features were indistinguishable, save for a pair of blood-red eyes glaring malevolently.
In that moment, she went numb, her mind a blank slate.
It was over—this malevolent entity was formidable!