Before the woman could react, Song Zhuyu swiftly grabbed the back of her head, pulled out the rosary hanging around his neck, and pressed the golden cross against her forehead. He closed his eyes and murmured prayers under his breath, "Submit yourself, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you…"
A faint sizzling sound emanated from the spot where the cross made contact with her skin, and a faint sulfuric scent wafted out, barely noticeable among the air thick with liquor, cigarette smoke, and perfumes.
As Song Zhuyu's voice echoed, the woman's complexion changed drastically. The flush on her cheeks drained into an ashy hue, as her face contorted in pain and agony.
"AHH—!" An agonizing shriek wrenched out of her throat, ripping through the music akin to a bolt of lightning. Her body began to convulse as she clawed and tore at Song Zhuyu, but Song Zhuyu had a firm grip around her, keeping her in his embrace.
Undeterred, he continued to chant, "Come near to God and He will come near to you…"
Foam frothed at the corners of her mouth as her eyes rolled backwards, leaving only the whites visible. She was still spasming as if she was electrocuted, and this time her head was thrown back, and her limbs contorted in a weird angle, each movement accompanied by a shrill cry. What originally sounded human started to morph into a sharp and discordant sound akin to nails scratching on boards. Black veins surged from beneath her porcelain skin, ruining her beautiful and lovely appearance.
Everyone in the perimeter, who noticed the two of them, instantly scrambled away and screamed in terror,
"Ah, w–what is that?!"
"Who's screaming just now?!!"
"Don't push, don't push!"
"Oh my God, someone is possessed!"
Amidst the pandemonium, the music abruptly ceased and harsh lights flooded the scene, the blinding glare was a stark contrast to the dimness just seconds ago.
"Please make way, please make way!" Zhen Yan, who was cursing Song Zhuyu endlessly inside his mind, sprang into action to manage the frenzied crowd. He raised his voice to holler, "Don't worry, everyone. It will end soon. Do not panic, and keep your distance! Hey, you! Put your phone down! What the fuck are you taking pictures for?!"
"Mengmeng!" A distraught woman forced her way out of the crowd and cried out anxiously. When Zhen Yan held her back, she grabbed his arm and demanded with tears in her eyes. "T–That's my friend! What have you guys done to her?! I'm going to call the police and sue you!"
The veins on Zhen Yan's forehead throbbed as if it was about to burst apart. Why did something like this have to happen now, of all times?! And why was Song Zhuyu taking his damn sweet time over there?! Couldn't he see that Zhen Yan could no longer control the crowd?!
"Calm down, Miss! We didn't do anything to her!" He spoke in a hurry to reassure her. "Your Mengmeng is going to be fine. She's under my friend's care. He's a priest, you see. Oh, they're done!"
He threw his gaze over his shoulder once in a while, and was relieved to see black smoke coming out of the woman's eyes, ears, nose and mouth. It was a disgusting and unsettling sight he could never get used to no matter what.
It was none other than dark energy.
Of course, ordinary folks wouldn't be able to perceive it. All they saw was the woman's weakening struggles as she gradually lost consciousness, sweat clinging to her skin. But at least, her complexion had returned to a healthy flush, and the black veins on her skin had vanished without a trace.
Under Song Zhuyu's prayer, the thick dark energy condensed and shrunk until it was no larger than a fingernail before being absorbed by his spirit artifact.
"Mengmeng!"
This time, Zhen Yan no longer held her back and allowed her to go to her friend, trying to pat her awake.
He approached Song Zhuyu, feeling extremely exhausted all of a sudden. "Bro, I know you're bound to duty and all, but next time, can't you handle this somewhere else like… in a deserted alley?" He hissed under his breath. "I'm not cleaning up this mess for you!"
"I know. The Special Department will dispatch people to clean up after the mess," Song Zhuyu replied absentmindedly, his expression still troubled despite the immediate danger having passed. "I couldn't afford to wait any longer because her pollution was severe. If I had delayed, she would have affected everyone in this place…"
Chills raced down Zhen Yan's spine when he heard that, his jaws falling open in shock. "T–That severe…?"
Song Zhuyu nodded gravely. It was rare for him to encounter such intense pollution in someone, which was the reason why he chose to take action at once. A nagging doubt lingered in the back of his mind, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss about this case.
Usually, pollution of this magnitude would take time to manifest, most likely around one to four months. Such a high level should have been enough to alert the Special Department. So how had she managed to evade detection for so long? Don't tell him that his luck was so shitty lately that he had to—
"Zhuyu…"
Song Zhuyu froze in his tracks, his eyes widening in horror and disbelief. He couldn't have mistaken it— this was the exact same voice that had been haunting him for months!
How…?!
Heart leaping to his throat, Song Zhuyu whipped around and his breath caught as he came face-to-face with the woman he'd just exorcized, so close that their noses nearly touched.
This time, her eyes had turned fully black with no whites, and her smile was so wide that the corners of her lips nearly reached the ears. With her head slightly tilted, she was standing abnormally upright with her feet pointed down, floating slightly above the ground as though an invisible force was holding her up, moving her around.
Her mouth moved, and that accursed voice echoed once more, so sweet that it was sickening, "Song Zhuyu…"
Her chest, where the skin was exposed due to the dress' deep v-neckline, started to protrude grotesquely in the shape of ten fingers, stretching and pushing against the elastic skin.
Song Zhuyu felt an explosion going off in his mind, his breath coming in short gasps. This… this was no longer a simple case of possession— it was a soldier trying to cross over to this realm!
No… he couldn't allow this creature to step foot here, or else the delicate balance between the three realms would be shattered!
At the same time as the woman's chest burst open, and the demonic creature within began to open its eyes, Song Zhuyu sprang into action.
He had no idea he could move so fast before. There was no time for hesitation, no room for doubt. His mind was blank, his movement driven by pure instinct alone. He retrieved an item from his pocket— a strange ancient hilt with its blade long gone. With a swipe of his fingers, a spark of scarlet light burst forth, forming a thin and long crimson blade that looked sharp and lethal.
With a swift and decisive motion, he thrust the blade into the woman's chest, attacking the creature within!
Warm blood splattered across Song Zhuyu's hands and neck as the woman collapsed to the ground, lifeless. Her pure white dress now bloomed with a crimson so deep and vivid that it looked sinisterly beautiful. With the creature gone, only then did Song Zhuyu allow himself to relax.
In an instant, as if someone had finally hit the play button, the cacophony of sounds returned, assaulting his senses like a tidal wave.
Screams filled the air, voices crying out in panic and horror.
"Murder…!"
"Ahhh, someone died!"
"Help! Police… call the police!"
"MENGMENG—!!!"
Song Zhuyu's chest rose and fell rapidly as sticky blood flowed between his fingers, rendering his grip shaky. He raised his head, slightly disoriented from the sudden rush of adrenaline, only to lock eyes with Zhen Yan, who gaped at him with a mixture of horror and fear.
It was a look Song Zhuyu had never seen on his face before in the years they had known each other.
Amidst the pandemonium, Zhen Yan's colorless lips moved, his voice barely audible over the clamor, questioning, "Why… why did you kill her?"
Song Zhuyu's gaze sank as terrifying chills rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. A heavy unease settled on the pit of his stomach, making him feel a little nauseous.
He belatedly realized that something was wrong— terribly and dreadfully wrong.