CH 148

Villainous Malevolent Ghost (2)

Song Xu Yi and Xia Tian got into the car and Xia Tian immediately sent the location to the driver. The car then headed towards the city center.

Along the way, Song Xu Yi had originally intended to catch up on some sleep, but Xia Tian looked extremely nervous, so Song Xu Yi had to force himself to stay awake and comfort her.

“When I was a child, Bai Jin gege (brother Bai Jin) was actually in the class next to mine. I was always too scared to play with other kids, but the first time I saw him was at a kindergarten performance. Bai Jin gege participated in a play as a magician and he looked so handsome. One of his classmates accidentally hit him on the head while playing the role of a black bear, and he still insisted on finishing the play and didn’t blame the classmate…I was so scared when I saw him bleeding from his forehead that I burst into tears. To comfort me, he gave me all the rewards he had earned…”

“You don’t know, Xu Yi, there’s a rumor that the Bai family has a guardian deity. If someone is found to have bad conduct, they will not be allowed to enter the Bai family’s gate…”

Song Xu Yi patted Xia Tian’s arm and comforted her in a soft voice, “You are so kind, and you like Bai Jin so much, you will definitely be able to enter the gate of the Bai family’s ancestral home.”

Ignoring the existence of this so-called guardian deity, even if it does exist, the Bai family itself has done many shady things. Bai Jin’s grandfather, who went to jail, caused someone’s death. In such a situation, if this guardian deity still protects the Bai family, it only shows that the guardian deity doesn’t differentiate between good and evil and has a questionable character. How could it have the face to stop Xia Tian from entering the Bai family’s gate?

However, Song Xu Yi didn’t bring up this point.

Despite Bai Jin’s fall from grace and imprisonment, he remained the warm and considerate young man in Xia Tian’s heart. Because of Xia Tian’s unconditional love for him, Bai Jin found the courage to overcome his despair and work hard to bring happiness back to Xia Tian.

This was their fate.

Under Song Xu Yi’s comforting words, Xia Tian gradually relaxed, and her smile returned to her face, shining brightly.

“Xu Yi, thank you for comforting me once again,” Xia Tian said. In the past, although Song Xu Yi had also listened to her complaints, she had mostly remained silent and had not offered much comfort. Xia Tian knew that Song Xu Yi did not really approve of her following Bai Jin, but due to their long-standing friendship, she had not spoken out. But today, Song Xu Yi seemed different; she was genuinely thinking of Xia Tian and Bai Jin.

“I am happy for you,” Song Xu Yi smiled, trying to keep her emotions from changing too abruptly. “You are my only friend.” The original owner of the body had been somewhat unsociable and had focused solely on scientific research. Xia Tian was her only close friend.

After saying this, Song Xu Yi signaled to the driver, who turned and drove straight past Bai Jin standing next to the vermilion gate, and drove the car into the courtyard.

Xia Tian did not notice this and felt a bit embarrassed, saying, “Xu Yi, you are really kind, but you are too focused on scientific research and do not pay much attention to socializing. In fact, there are several boys in the college who like you…”

Song Xu Yi was distracted by Xia Tian’s words and was paying attention to the scenery outside. When the car entered the gate, she breathed a sigh of relief and was about to tell Xia Tian when a strange feeling suddenly passed through her limbs, like an electric current, and her heart trembled inexplicably…

Song Xu Yi shuddered involuntarily.

“What’s wrong?” Seeing Song Xu Yi’s reaction, Xia Tian couldn’t help but worry: “Is your cold still bothering you?”

“It’s nothing,” Song Xu Yi shook her head. The strange feeling in her body had disappeared completely after a momentary tremor. Song Xu Yi thought it might have been caused by the air conditioning in the car being too cold, and didn’t think much of it. She signaled Xia Tian to look out the window: “Do you see where we are now?”

The car stopped on a ground paved with blue stones, surrounded by houses and neatly trimmed plants. Over the years, as the Bai family gradually declined, the plants on either side of the path gradually withered, but the ancient and elegant houses and the vast total area around still showed the former luxury of this courtyard.

What is this place…?

Xia Tian widened her eyes in surprise and joy as she looked at Song Xu Yi. Song Xu Yi patted her head and smiled, “Don’t worry! We’ve successfully entered the Bai family’s gate.”

The two girls got out of the car, and at that moment, Bai Jin arrived to help them carry their luggage out of the trunk.

Feeling a little embarrassed but incredibly happy, Xia Tian stole glances at Bai Jin with sparkling eyes while he remained composed. However, Song Xu Yi noticed his ears turning red…

After instructing the driver to come pick them up in four days, Song Xu Yi stopped being a third wheel and headed to the room that Bai Jin had arranged for them, carrying their luggage.

“The house is too big, and I haven’t had the energy to take care of it over the years. I’ve only cleaned two habitable rooms. My ancestors were all sorcerers for several generations, and they made many enemies among ghosts and monsters. As a result, we have a family rule: once someone lives in the house, they must put talismans on the windows.” Bai Jin helped Song Xu Yi and Xia Tian carry their luggage into the room and noticed Song Xu Yi’s gaze fall on the talismans posted on the window. He spoke apologetically, “The house is old and large, and many places are in disrepair. It’s easy for snakes and insects to breed. To prevent accidents, it’s best not to wander around without me leading the way.”

Song Xu Yi nodded her head, and her main purpose for coming was to accompany Xia Tian and help her prepare for the postgraduate entrance exam. She spent the entire afternoon studying diligently in the room while Xia Tian began preparing for the Bai family’s ancestral ceremony with Bai Jin.

The Bai family still observed the ancient tradition of ancestral worship, holding a ceremony every year on the birthday of their guardian deity to pay homage to their ancestors. Bai Jin’s father, who had fallen on hard times, became addicted to alcohol and paid no attention to the affairs of the family. The various branches of the family were all struggling to make ends meet. Even though Bai Jin didn’t want to waste any more time on useless rituals, his grandfather, who was still in prison, repeatedly urged him to uphold the tradition of the ancient ceremony.

The ceremony was very peculiar, and the prayer alone took half a day. Prior to that, there were a large number of preparations to be made, and only the Bai family members could participate. In previous years, Bai Jin had simplified the ceremony, but this year was the birthday of the deity that protected their family, and his grandfather had instructed him to prepare carefully.

When dinner time arrived, Bai Jin and Xia Tian were exhausted and invited Song Xu Yi to join them for a meal. Bai Jin had set up a simple barbecue stall in the courtyard, and the three of them had a barbecue in the yard. Song Xu Yi knew that the other two were likely very tired after a long day, so she took the initiative to handle the barbecue task, while Xia Tian had already started to tell Bai Jin stories about their ancestors.

“Our ancestors were indeed illustrious, with two emperors, countless nobles and officials, and a family lineage that has lasted for thousands of years. The family’s fortune has been prosperous, but perhaps our ancestors have used up all the luck, and it has run out by the time it reached me…” Bai Jin chuckled bitterly, raised his glass, and glanced at Xia Tian, but his expression was not as despondent as before. “Tiantian, I have come to a realization. The family’s wealth and prosperity belonged to our ancestors. I will rebuild a new Bai family with my own hands. Although it may not compare to the past, I will never let you suffer!”

Xia Tian blushed and lowered her head shyly, with tears shimmering in her eyes.

The weather was clear when they arrived that day, but at night there were no stars in the sky. As the barbecue came to an end, raindrops began to fall from the sky, and everyone retreated to their respective rooms.

However, perhaps due to emotional triggers, Bai Jin drank a little too much, and his steps were noticeably unsteady when he returned to his room.

“Xu Yi, I…” Xia Tian stood by the door, looking at Bai Jin’s back with some embarrassment. Song Xu Yi paused for a moment and immediately understood Xia Tian’s intentions. “You go take care of Bai Jin. Don’t worry, if anything happens, I will definitely call you.” She spoke considerately.

Xia Tian apologized repeatedly, afraid of disturbing Song Xu Yi by returning too late. She took the key to her own room and then went to the adjacent room where Bai Jin was staying.

Song Xu Yi locked the door behind her.

The room was meticulously cleaned and, despite its antique appearance, it had modern facilities. The soundproofing was also excellent, such that even though there was only a wall separating them, they couldn’t hear any noise from the next room.

Under the system’s strong request, Song Xu Yi posted the three talismans she had bought at the entrance.

After taking a shower, Song Xu Yi lay in bed and read for a while. Although she had intended to wait for Xia Tian to return, the day had been long and tiring, and she fell asleep without realizing it.

The sound of rain outside gradually grew louder, and the wind rattled the windows. The once bright light bulb in the room began to flicker, and after a while, with a soft “pop,” the room went completely dark.

Suddenly, the talisman on the windowsill began to emit a golden light, but just as quickly, it was abruptly extinguished, and the golden light faded away.

In a daze, Song Xu Yi thought she heard the system screaming, and her wrist felt inexplicably hot. She furrowed her brow and tried to open her eyes, but in an instant, all her senses seemed to be blocked. A figure appeared before her bed, lips slightly pursed, and eyes fixed on her wrist with a thoughtful expression.

Once again, Song Xu Yi fell into that hazy dream.

This time, the little girl had grown up a bit and appeared even more beautiful and clever. With her exceptional talent, she was brought up by the family head and taught various talismans. As she grew in stature, her previously diagnosed infertile mother’s treatment improved significantly. In fact, when the little girl was six years old, she even had a new baby brother.

Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction, and when the little girl turned six years old, she finally received her own name.

In ancient times, people had a strong belief in metaphysics, and there were many metaphysical families in the country. The Bai family, which had gradually declined in recent years, saw the little girl’s talent as a hope for the family’s revival. Thus, the family head gave her the name Bai Yu, which not only carried the hope that she would continue to be intelligent and gifted but also reflected his wish for her to “revitalize metaphysics and revive the Bai family.”

Song Xu Yi’s dream abruptly ended at this point.

She then fell into an incredibly mysterious state, as if she had woken up but not completely.

Everything was pitch black in front of her, and in a dazed state, Song Xu Yi felt as if she had fallen into someone’s embrace. The embrace was incredibly cold, and for a moment, she even felt as if she had fallen into an icy abyss.

Song Xu Yi struggled to break free but found herself immobilized, and although her entire body was cold, her wrists burned with an intense heat.

The person holding her was gentle and carefully propped up Song Xu Yi’s slumped body at the head of the bed, then laid her down on her back, smoothing out all the wrinkles in her nightgown and crossing her hands over her belly.

Soon after, Song Xu Yi’s frigid body gradually sank, and the sound of fabric rustling filled her ears. Icy lips touched her wrist, causing a tingling sensation and intensifying the heat in her wrist.

In the middle of the night, Song Xu Yi was overcome with a bone-chilling cold, and upon waking the next day, she couldn’t help but shiver.

Outside her window, it had rained all night and the ground was strewn with fallen leaves. The courtyard appeared increasingly dilapidated, and the temperature had dropped several degrees.

As soon as Song Xu Yi woke up, she heard the sound of her system’s teeth chattering in fear in her mind.

“What’s wrong?”

“Waaah! Waaah waaah…” The system cried out in despair: “Waaah waaah…”

After struggling for a while, Song Xu Yi finally understood – for some reason, the system seemed to be unable to communicate with her anymore, as if something had blocked its mouth, and it could only make the sound of “waaah waaah”.

What could directly harm the system?

Song Xu Yi’s heart skipped a beat as she remembered the system’s worries during this period and became vigilant.

She carefully inspected the room and found that everything seemed unchanged. There was no sign of anyone breaking in, the charms on the windows were undisturbed, the door lock was intact, and the only difference was that the light bulb had gone out due to the thunderstorm.

Song Xu Yi recalled the strange dream and the burning sensation in her right hand in the middle of the night, and couldn’t help but glance at her wrist.

There was only a bead that the shopkeeper had given her the day before. Song Xu Yi didn’t know if it was her imagination, but she felt that the bead seemed even more vibrant and transparent than when she had first bought it. As she gazed at the bead, the system in her mind became even more agitated with “waaah waaah” sounds.

Could the problem be with this bead?

Although she didn’t know what had happened, Song Xu Yi decided to remove the bead from her wrist.

However, despite the fact that it was just a normal red string, Song Xu Yi found that she couldn’t untie the knot, and even when she used scissors, she couldn’t cut the string. In fact, when she touched the scissors to the string, she felt a sudden pain, as if the string was growing from her hand…

In the end, Song Xu Yi put away the scissors and looked at the increasingly vibrant bead, biting her lip.

Although she didn’t want to admit it, the fact was right in front of her: there are indeed some things in this world that are beyond the scope of scientific explanation.

As if realizing this, the “waaah waaah” sounds from the system in her mind gradually lowered, sounding incredibly dejected.

“Xu Yi, are you awake?” Just as Song Xu Yi was feeling perplexed, there came a knock at the door, and Bai Jin’s voice sounded from outside: “I’ve prepared breakfast and left it at the door.”

“Just a moment,” Song Xu Yi realized that Xia Tian hadn’t returned all night, so she opened the door and called out to Bai Jin, who was just about to leave: “Did Tiantian stay in your room all night? Did you notice anything strange?”

Now that something strange had happened to her, Song Xu Yi wasn’t sure whether it was caused by the beads she bought or by the ancestral home. If something strange had also happened in Bai Jin and Xia Tian’s room, then it would mean that everything was caused by the ancestral home, and they needed to leave as soon as possible.

“Yes,” upon hearing Song Xu Yi’s question, Bai Jin’s fair face immediately turned red, and he looked away shyly. “Tiantian stayed in my room last night, and we, we didn’t notice anything strange.”

Song Xu Yi furrowed her brow and couldn’t help but glance at Bai Jin, but the latter’s embarrassment only grew thicker on his face. “I still need to prepare for the sacrifice. If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave now.”

Bai Jin practically ran into the neighboring room in a panic.

What is going on?

Song Xu Yi furrowed her brow, intuitively sensing that Bai Jin was hiding something in his words. She had planned to talk to Xia Tian again, but found that Xia Tian had not shown up all morning.

It wasn’t until noon that Song Xu Yi almost couldn’t resist pushing open Bai Jin’s door to find out what was going on, when Xia Tian slowly walked out of Bai Jin’s room, her complexion looking somewhat weary.

She had been laughing and chatting with Song Xu Yi just yesterday, but today, her face turned red and she began to avoid eye contact as soon as she saw her.

Song Xu Yi furrowed her brow: Bai Jin and Xia Tian both seemed a little strange, as if they were hiding something from her. Could it be that there was really a problem with the ancestral home?

Just as she was about to ask Xia Tian for clarification, Xia Tian blushed and took the initiative to come find Song Xu Yi, pulling her into the room. Song Xu Yi noticed that Xia Tian’s steps were much smaller, and she even held her waist when sitting down…

Was she injured?

“I couldn’t resist Bai Jin last night…” Xia Tian bit her lip, lowered her head, and dared not look at Song Xu Yi. Her voice was as small as a mosquito as she spoke, “Xu Yi, with my current appearance, if I leave the ancestral home, others will surely notice, so I plan to rest here for another day. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to ask you to accompany me for one more day…”

Song Xu Yi didn’t expect that Xia Tian and Bai Jin had been hesitant to speak because of this reason. Her face turned red for a moment, but she remembered her doubts and mustered up the courage to ask: even if she couldn’t get an answer to her doubts, it would at least make the two of them stop believing in ghosts and spirits.

The night before, Xia Tian and Bai Jin had been affectionate towards each other without any abnormality. When Song Xu Yi told Xia Tian about the red string, Xia Tian panicked and felt that her worldview was being challenged. She didn’t know why this was happening, but was more concerned about her friend’s safety. Subconsciously, she sought help from Bai Jin, but to her surprise, Bai Jin gave an uncertain explanation.

“Our Bai family has always had a legend about a guardian deity, which I thought was just a hoax,” Bai Jin furrowed his brows and spoke. “But now I think it may be related. The rumor has it that the guardian deity has a strong sense of territory and will inevitably launch an attack once it senses the breath of other factions’ techniques. Maybe that’s the reason…”

To verify Bai Jin’s explanation, he took Song Xu Yi out of the Bai family’s mansion and walked about a hundred steps away. As expected, the bead that was originally attached to Song Xu Yi’s hand suddenly came off.

Song Xu Yi believed Bai Jin’s explanation, and to prevent further troubles, she took off the bead and put it in her pocket, not wearing it on her hand anymore.

The system was also confused. It had thought that the woman it saw last night with the familiar face was the villainous evil spirit in the plot summary, but the charm didn’t attack her. In addition, besides kissing Song Xu Yi’s wrist, the woman didn’t do anything harmful. Could it be that it was mistaken? In this world, the woman didn’t become the villainous evil spirit but became the guardian deity instead.

……

The system no longer ‘wuwuwu’ed, and Song Xu Yi felt that she had guessed correctly. She breathed a sigh of relief, but unexpectedly, there was another mishap on the way back.

As they were walking back, a car approached from the front and appeared to be driving normally. However, as it passed by Song Xu Yi, it suddenly swerved and headed straight towards her!

Song Xu Yi was caught off guard and hastily moved to the side to avoid it. But the car didn’t slow down and crashed into the wall with a loud ‘boom.’

In a daze, Song Xu Yi saw the driver’s eyes glowing green.

The car’s front was completely smashed in, and the driver in the car had also passed out.

After regaining his composure, Bai Jin was also startled by the incident and immediately called the police.

Although Song Xu Yi was frightened by the incident, she tried not to let it affect her and returned to the ancestral home to continue her studies. However, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was secretly watching her from the sky outside.

The eyes staring at her seemed to be full of malice, as if she were some kind of elixir that could cure all ills.

This reminded Song Xu Yi of the dream she had two nights ago, where demons and monsters had stared covetously at the newborn baby with yin-yang eyes, Bai Yu.

After a day full of events, Song Xu Yi hadn’t made much progress in her studies that afternoon. She also remembered that the light in her room was broken. The old-fashioned crystal chandelier could only be fixed by a professional, so Song Xu Yi called the maintenance company.

At that time, Bai Jin and Xia Tian were both occupied with the sacrificial ceremony, and Song Xu Yi didn’t want to disturb them with a minor issue. So she sat alone in her room, waiting for the maintenance company to arrive. Before long, she heard a knock at the ancetral home’s front door.

Song Xu Yi opened the door and saw two maintenance workers wearing the company’s uniform and carrying repair tools. Although they appeared to be legitimate workers, Song Xu Yi had a nagging feeling that something was off about them. At first glance, their faces seemed somewhat grayish…

The workers remained outside and gazed intently at Song Xu Yi. “We still have some tools in our car. Could you help us get them?”

Song Xu Yi furrowed her brow. “You can drive in…”

“Our car broke down!” One of the workers mechanically turned his eyes to Song Xu Yi. “We’re in a hurry and can only trouble you.”

Although the workers claimed to be in a hurry, they did not step inside the ancestral home and remained two meters away from the door.

What were they afraid of?

Song Xu Yi’s mind raced, and she took a step back without arousing suspicion. “I left my phone in the room. Let me first check your employee number. If everything is in order, I’ll come out and help you get the tools.”

Song Xu Yi hurried back to her room, thinking about her suspicions. She gritted her teeth and tore off a talisman from the window before returning to the door.

The two workers heard Song Xu Yi’s footsteps and mechanically turned to face her. Seeing that she was holding a phone, they did not suspect anything and began to recite their employee numbers…

“I’ll check it!” Song Xu Yi took two steps forward, about to leave the door, when she suddenly raised her phone.

—— There was a talisman stuck on the back of the phone.

The two workers looked shocked, but it was too late. The talisman spontaneously combusted and emitted two golden rays of light, which entered the bodies of the two workers.

Two black shadows drifted out of the workers’ bodies and fled into the sky. The workers’ previously mechanical expressions were replaced by a shiver as they looked at Song Xu Yi. “Excuse me, Miss Song? Sorry, we zoned out for a moment.”

“That’s me.” Song Xu Yi nodded and turned to watch the workers walk past her and into the room, her gaze complicated…

If her suspicions were correct, the two workers had been possessed by malevolent spirits. The spirits likely refrained from entering the ancestral home due to the presence of a protective guardian deity, and instead tricked people into leaving. If Song Xu Yi had fallen for their trap and left the ancestral home, the consequences could have been disastrous.

What exactly had happened? Why had she suddenly become the object of the spirits’ desire?

Song Xu Yi pursed her lips, deep in thought. For now, she was still in the ancestral home, safeguarded by the guardian deity and talismans. But what would happen once she left the premises?