Novels online

Chapter 14: Bone-Chilling Ghost Qi

Yang Haoran hadn't originally intended to take on Jiang Zhenzhen's case, but seeing the red packet she offered with both hands, he sighed and said, "Ah, it's not easy for a young girl like you. Since you're so sincere, I'll go take a look for you. It's just to form a good connection, and has nothing to do with this red packet of yours."

He paused, then continued, "However, even though I'm helping you, and it has nothing to do with the red packet, there are rules in every line of work. I can't break the rules just because I'm helping you, so I must still accept this red packet."

With that, Yang Haoran naturally took the red packet Jiang Zhenzhen offered, slipping it directly into his pocket without a hint of embarrassment.

"The red packet is a bit small, Master, please don't mind it," Jiang Zhenzhen said, a little self-conscious.

"It's no bother. Exorcising demons and vanquishing devils is simply my duty; how could I care about the size of a red packet? Just the thought counts," Yang Haoran declared with an air of righteous duty, his face unblushing, his heart unwavering.

Jiang Zhenzhen was delighted. At that moment, she didn't dwell on the implications of his words. She asked Yang Haoran, "Master Yang, when should we depart?"

"No time to lose, we'll leave now. I have a peculiar habit: I like to act swiftly and decisively in everything I do. Wait for me outside for a moment, I'll go inside and grab a few things."

After saying this, Yang Haoran, without waiting for Jiang Zhenzhen's reply, dove behind the green curtain. A moment later, he emerged with his Ghost-Hunting Bag slung over his shoulder. The bag was bulging, filled with who knew what.

In the past, if Jiang Zhenzhen had seen anyone carrying such a yellow shoulder bag, she would have secretly snickered, but now, she found it not funny at all, but rather quite sacred.

After pulling down the roller shutter door, Yang Haoran followed Jiang Zhenzhen out. Jiang Zhenzhen was indeed truly anxious; as soon as they were outside, she hailed a taxi, and the two of them rode to their destination.

Inside the taxi, Yang Haoran closed his eyes in contemplation, looking very much like an esteemed expert. In truth, however, his heart was currently in a frenzy, cursing himself for his weak will.

This job was beyond his capabilities. He had never accepted such cases before, but today, he had made an exception, trampling his principles fiercely underfoot.

Once a person personally breaks their own principles, they're not far from suffering a loss. This was a lesson Yang Haoran had learned over the years, but now, with the arrow on the bowstring, he had no choice but to brave it out.

Moreover, for Jiang Zhenzhen, a girl not much older than himself, he felt a sense of shared plight. Regardless of whether he could truly help her, going to take a look was still an option, if only to offer Jiang Zhenzhen some psychological comfort.

About half an hour later, Yang Haoran stood at the entrance of Jiang Zhenzhen's rented apartment.

It was already afternoon, and the hallway was dim. Jiang Zhenzhen didn't immediately open the door; instead, she looked at Yang Haoran, seemingly seeking his opinion.

From Jiang Zhenzhen's eyes, Yang Haoran saw fear, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"You're this frightened. I advise you to find another place to live. Otherwise, even if the problem inside is resolved, you'll still feel uncomfortable living here afterwards," Yang Haoran kindly advised.

This was Yang Haoran's final "struggle. " If Jiang Zhenzhen agreed, he wouldn't have to take this risk, but Jiang Zhenzhen shook her head helplessly.

"Even if I move, I'll have to wait a year. I'll have to make do with living here for that year, no matter what."

Hearing Jiang Zhenzhen's words and seeing her bitter expression, Yang Haoran saw no stubbornness in her demeanor, only a girl's helplessness towards life.

With all that said, Yang Haoran said no more. He nodded gently, indicating his understanding, then gestured for Jiang Zhenzhen to open the door.

She took out the key, her hands trembling slightly, fumbling with it several times before finally managing to insert the key successfully.

The door creaked open, and a chilling breeze swept out. Both stood at the doorway, involuntarily shuddering.

Yang Haoran's expression changed. This sudden ghostly draft made his hair stand on end; he felt as though a pair of eyes in some corner of the room were staring intently at them.

Jiang Zhenzhen's expression still held terror, but it wasn't due to the chilling breeze that had just emerged from the room. She didn't seem to notice anything amiss with that particular gust of wind.

"Didn't that wind just now feel cold to you? " Yang Haoran asked, looking at Jiang Zhenzhen.

"Cold? Why, what's wrong? " Jiang Zhenzhen asked, her face puzzled.

"Don't you find it strange? " Yang Haoran asked, frowning, still pressing the issue.

Jiang Zhenzhen shook her head. "No, I don't find it strange. I always habitually leave all the windows open when I leave home. And it's winter now, so it's not surprising for cold wind to blow out when the door opens."

Despite her words, Jiang Zhenzhen's expression was clearly more frightened, because Yang Haoran's serious demeanor and his questions made her realize that things were definitely not as simple as she claimed.

However, she didn't wait for Yang Haoran's explanation, which not only didn't disappoint her but actually made her sigh in relief. Her fear was precisely that Yang Haoran would explain it in detail, as that would only increase her inner terror.

The reason Yang Haoran didn't explain was not just his concern about increasing Jiang Zhenzhen's fear; he was also worried about increasing his own. He preferred to believe his suspicions were wrong.

Yang Haoran had originally wanted Jiang Zhenzhen to enter first, as he was also feeling quite timid, but on second thought, it seemed too unbecoming for a thirty-year-old man. So, he straightened his face, putting on the air of a grand master, and stepped into the room first.

Seeing Yang Haoran make a move, Jiang Zhenzhen quickly followed. Filled with fear, she instinctively reached out and grabbed the corner of Yang Haoran's jacket. This made her feel a little safer, for in her eyes, Yang Haoran was a master with true talent and knowledge.

Yang Haoran didn't notice Jiang Zhenzhen's instinctive action. It wasn't that he was unobservant, but rather that all his attention was focused elsewhere at that moment, so how could he notice her subconscious gesture?

Ever since stepping through the door, Yang Haoran had felt a chilling Yin Qi, which made his heart quicken its pace. That's right, he was extremely nervous at the moment, but he simply didn't show it.

Forcing down the chilling cold, Yang Haoran inspected the house thoroughly, inside and out, including Jiang Zhenzhen's bedroom. Just as Jiang Zhenzhen had said, all the windows in the entire apartment were open. The freezing wind streamed into the room, naturally making it very cold.

This was how it appeared to an ordinary person, but in Yang Haoran's eyes, the chilling coldness inside Jiang Zhenzhen's apartment was different; it was fundamentally not the cold brought by the weather.

Yang Haoran had experienced this chilling coldness that pierced to the very soul many times before, and twice just last night. So, he remembered this eerie chilling Yin Qi very clearly and would absolutely not confuse it with the weather.

Just by standing there, Yang Haoran could confirm that Jiang Zhenzhen's apartment truly had a problem. It was no wonder that Jiang Zhenzhen encountered eerie things living in such a place.

From Jiang Zhenzhen's earlier words, it seemed that every time she returned to this apartment, she sensed this chilling Yin Qi. However, she couldn't distinguish its difference and attributed it all to the weather, thus not taking this chilling coldness seriously.

Standing in Jiang Zhenzhen's bedroom, Yang Haoran closed his eyes, sensing something. Jiang Zhenzhen, beside him, was flushed with embarrassment, feeling very self-conscious, because the room was incredibly messy. It wasn't that she didn't like to tidy up, but she had been so badly frightened these past few days that she was distraught and had no heart to clean up the cluttered room.

A moment later, Yang Haoran opened his eyes, his expression not looking good.

"Master Yang, what were you just doing? " Jiang Zhenzhen asked timidly.

"Sense Yin," Yang Haoran answered directly, without concealing anything.

"What is Sense Yin? " Jiang Zhenzhen pressed.

"It's using one's body to perceive the surrounding Yin Qi, to see where the Yin Qi is dense and where it is weak."

"Then. . . what's the result? " Jiang Zhenzhen continued to ask.

"Through my Sense Yin, I can confirm that your apartment truly has a problem. It's pervaded by Yin Qi everywhere, especially this bedroom of yours; it's the place with the densest Yin Qi," Yang Haoran said, his expression serious.

Jiang Zhenzhen's heart had originally held a hint of curiosity, but upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, that trace of curiosity was immediately replaced by terror. She didn't dare to speak again, instinctively moving a few steps closer to Yang Haoran, her body nearly pressed against his.

This time, Yang Haoran didn't talk nonsense again, nor did he deceive clients for money. Everything he told Jiang Zhenzhen was the truth.

Of course, this so-called truth merely meant he didn't deliberately coax and deceive Jiang Zhenzhen; it didn't mean that the facts were necessarily as he claimed. If everything he had learned online was true, then his words would indeed become reality.

"Next, I will handle this matter for you. Would you mind if I perform an exorcism ritual in your bedroom? " Yang Haoran asked Jiang Zhenzhen beside him.

The latter was already terrified. Hearing Yang Haoran's words, how could she refuse? She nodded her head like a chicken pecking at rice. Forget an exorcism ritual, even a Thai-style massage would have been fine.

Seeing Jiang Zhenzhen agree, Yang Haoran wasted no time. He first took out his Compass from his Ghost-Hunting Bag, then proceeded to wander around the room in a proper manner, checking every corner as if inspecting something.

Jiang Zhenzhen couldn't understand any of this, so she could only obediently follow behind Yang Haoran, ready to await his instructions at any moment.

What Jiang Zhenzhen didn't know was that while she couldn't understand the Compass, Master Yang Haoran couldn't understand it either. He only appeared to be checking something with the Compass, when in fact, he was just going through the motions. He had no true ability, and if he didn't use these procedures to fill in the gaps, everyone would see through his charade.

Experts watch for the technique, outsiders watch for the fun. To avoid being spotted as a fraud by outsiders, one certainly had to make it a bit more of a "show."