Rong Yinghui's room featured a large bay window.
With a little push, Tang Jin, barely over five years old, displayed remarkably agile movements.
She had already hoisted herself onto the window sill, her large cat-like eyes sizing up the tree directly opposite.
The sunlight streaming in through the window fell on her smooth forehead, making her little head look especially round and shiny.
Her actions were as fluid as water, leaving Rong Yinghui, a man in his twenties and a self-proclaimed sports failure, utterly dumbfounded.
Of course, how could a five-year-old who could tell at a glance that someone had cursed him and could get along with Rong Qing be ordinary?
He had been careless.
"The tree directly opposite was pruned before his return," Little Milk Jin said confidently. "They removed the top and placed it right in front of his window. This arrangement is called 'beheading sha,' increasing the chance of accidents."
Tang Jin turned around and said, "You need to be prepared, okay? The only one who could make such detailed arrangements must be someone close to you."
Rong Yinghui paused, but his expression did not change much, "Mhm, I'm prepared."
*
A piece of Talisman Paper, folded into a triangle, was stuffed into Rong Yinghui's pocket.
Cinnabar Yellow Talismans were attached to the tree.
Little Milk Bun squatted in front of the tree, examining it closely, and then turned to beckon Rong Yinghui over.
Rong Yinghui hurried over and squatted down beside him.
"What's wrong?"
"Tonight, they will definitely make a move. You, like this…"
A grown man and a child squatted together in a corner.
Rong Qing stood behind the two, sighing at the sight of what resembled 'mushrooms.'
Was this a bit inappropriate?
Having assigned Rong Yinghui his task, Little Milk Jin turned back and beckoned Rong Qing, "Come here, big brother, I have something to tell you."
-
Not far from the courtyard was a small two-story building, with the second floor reserved for Old Master Rong to enjoy his tea.
At this moment, the place was enveloped in white steam, with wisps of smoke curling in the air.
Old Master Rong too, was dressed in a Tang Suit. With age, he had gradually handed over his affairs to the younger generation two years earlier and retired to the large house, placing even greater importance on family harmony.
After sipping his tea, the old man was holding a small black dog in his arms, with its eyebrows marked by two small yellow dots, giving it a melancholic demeanor as it gazed longingly at the pastries on the table.
"Fuguier here is approaching his first birthday too," Old Master Rong said, petting the dog's head. "We should have a birthday banquet, shouldn't we, Fugui?"
"Woof!"
That bark was full of vigor, pleasing Old Master Rong immensely. He turned his head and paused, looking somewhat puzzled.
"Old Li, come take a look, is that Little Qing over there?"
Housekeeper Li Zheng leaned forward, looking into the distance.
There were three people squatting under the tree.
One adult and two children.
The distinctive black Tang Suit made the old housekeeper somewhat doubtful as well.
"Today, I heard the young master invited someone home. They must have arrived. Should I go and offer them some hospitality?"
"It's not necessary," the old man said, waving his hand with a smile.
"Let him entertain them himself. It's rare for him to show a bit of a child's temper. Whatever those youngsters are up to, we don't need to intervene."
Old Master Rong stood up, and little black dog Fugui quickly wagged its tail, following closely behind as Old Master Rong chuckled, "We'll continue with the plans for the birthday banquet."
"Woof!"
***
The trees cast dense shadows, and a wind picked up in the evening.
The room was dim, with only a small white lamp illuminated.
The moon tonight was particularly bright, its light casting the sharp, knife-like shadows of the tall trees indoors.
"Is it you...? Is it you...?"
The wind wailed, as if it carried a low, murmuring voice.
Inside the room, the boundary between the light and the darkness was too sharply defined, each shadow seeming to conceal something within.
Even though Rong Yinghui had mentally prepared himself, lying in bed he still felt his hair stand on end.
That feeling of being watched from the shadows, not even covered by blankets could fend it off.
There was only one thought— even the "all toxin repelling" safety of the bed was no longer safe!
Suddenly, the window started to make clicking noises, as if something was trying to pry open the window and burst inside.
The noises pulling at the window grew louder and more violent.
Clutching the Talisman Paper that Tang Jin had given him, Rong Yinghui quickly rolled out of bed upon hearing the noise and swiftly burnt the Talisman Paper in his hand.
He mustered his courage and glanced out the window.
Under the pale moonlight, a shadowy figure hovered outside, pale hands pressing against the window, lips parted, but no eyes to be seen.
Rong Yinghui's mind went blank with fright, and his hands trembled as he curled up into a ball.
Save, save the child! Please save him!!!
A ghost!!!!
By then, the Talisman Paper had burnt to ashes, and the black ash had dispersed instantly.
"It's not... it's not..."
The voice suddenly softened, and the thing outside seemed to have given up the attempt to pry open the window. Its face pressed against the window, where there had been no eyes, now two pitch-black holes appeared, staring intently at Rong Yinghui as if to confirm something.
It didn't take long before she drifted backward and vanished from sight.
The sound of the wind continued around, but the warm light crossed the divide, making the space that had seemed frozen flow once again.
Before leaving, the entity even bowed politely because it had mistaken its target.
With his heart pounding, Rong Yinghui paused for a long time before muttering, "...damn it."
How could you be so polite? He wanted to curse, but found it hard even to give voice to the words.
***
The Rong Family ancestral home covered a large area with good greenery, not in the suburbs, but as soon as you left, you were in the bustling city center.
In a small city park somewhat farther from the center area.
Few people were around at night, and the warm white street lights sometimes flickered and swayed due to years of neglect.
"Strange."
A lean middle-aged man in a Taoist robe stood under the park's largest Pagoda Tree.
In front of him was a small bronze basin with half-burnt Talisman Paper that suddenly extinguished.
He calculated with his fingers, frowning.
"This person's life pattern must be really tough. Couldn't he have encountered another noble again and escaped a disaster, could he?"
Or perhaps he came across a capable Feng Shui Metaphysics Master—
No, how could that be, those old immortals in Shendu don't care to meddle in these cases, and the younger ones might not even recognize what's going on.
The middle-aged man huffed disdainfully.
Just then, something caught his eye.
A sweet, glutinous voice of Little Milk Bun rose up, full of momentum.
"Found you."
The middle-aged man was startled and slowly turned his head.
"Was it you, taking food from our Feng Shui Master's bowl and refusing to live with dignity, harming people?!"
She has to rely on charity to support her family, and such a person using ill-gotten wealth doesn't even lose everything, it's so infuriating!
Without hitting him a hundred or eighty times with a horsetail whisk, she wouldn't feel relieved.
A four- or five-year-old kid, holding a specially made horsetail whisk, her eyes wide like a cat's, standing alone... oh, no, accompanied by an eight-year-old boy.
They looked... harmless.
The middle-aged man hadn't started feeling anxious; when he saw who was approaching, and the Little Baldy that had caught his eye, he immediately became brazen.
"You're also a Feng Shui Master? Hahaha, how can a little ghost like you be called a Feng Shui Master? At your age, you might have at most glanced at a few pages of a Feng Shui book. Don't wet your pants once I start dealing with you, go home and put a diaper on!"
No sooner had he spoken than he felt a darkness before his eyes and his forehead go numb...