A Buddhist monk dressed in his traditional Buddhist robe stepped down from a wooden carriage and approached the Gu Residence.
Upon arriving, he found Old Madam Gu and the other members of the Gu family already bowing in greeting. The monk raised his right hand and returned the gesture with a slight bow, saying, "Amitabha."
"Master this way." After getting a signal from Madam Yun, Gu Tianhao stepped forward and welcomed the Buddhist monk into the Gu Residence.
The Buddhist monk nodded at Gu Tianhao and made his way inside the Residence.
Once inside, the Buddhist monk looked around the Gu residence, perhaps searching for the evil spirit.
Anyway, old Madam Gu and other Gu family members lead him towards the main guest hall to offer him tea and let him relax first after such a long journey.
After the welcome ceremony, the Buddhist monk asked them to show him the storehouse and two Madam's private vaults where the robbery happened.
Old Madam Gu and other Gu family members didn't waste time and immediately led the Buddhist towards the storehouse.
All while inspecting the storehouse and two Madam's vaults, the Buddhist monk kept mum and a mysterious aura around him.
It was only after he finished inspecting Madam's vault that Gu's family members couldn't be calm anymore, and being the oldest one amongst them, old Madam stepped forward and, with a polite and kind smile on her face, asked the Buddhist monk, "Umm. About the evil spirit? What did you find out? Is there an evil spirit who was responsible for the sudden disappearance of the all wealth and treasures from our Residence, Master?"
"Evil spirit. There is an evil spirit." The Buddhist monk declared.
Hearing his declaration about the evil spirit being inside the Gu residence, Gu's family members couldn't help but shudder.
"W-what? Wh-where?" Madam Shen stuttered, her eyes roaming around the house, fearing being the evil spirit's next target.
"To find that we have to a little ceremony." The Buddhist monk's voice was still mysterious and low as if fearing the evil spirit would hear his words If he were to speak any louder.
"Yes. Sure. Anything you need for the ceremony, just list it out; we'll find it no matter what." This time, it was Madam Shen who was eager to find the evil spirit.
Even though her dowry was intact it was not enough to sustain her hunger for gold and silver. She couldn't wait to get her all silvers and gold back. The rare and expensive accessories that she had gotten from Old Madam Gu and Madam Lin all her years in the Gu Residence.
"Nothing much. You just have to bring-" The Buddhist monk notes down all the things required for the ceremony and hands it to the Gu's family members to bring it as soon as possible.
After getting the list from the Buddhist monk, the Gu family members didn't delay for a second and immediately sent out their newly employed servants to bring the things on the list.
Before evening, all the required things were present inside the Gu residence, in front of the Buddhist monk, and everyone was waiting for the sun to set down before they would start the ceremony.
In front of the Gu family's ancestral hall, the Buddhist monk had already started to make a big vermilion array and put some strange things inside it; it was to bring the evil out.
A dozen of the small size of lemons were thrown inside the vermilion array to enhance its prowess.
Five small sizes of pagodas were put in five different locations, and then these five spots were connected in a star form by the vermilion.
More than two dozen candles were lit up to get rid of the darkness.
Under the moonless sky, a vermilion array was formed, candles were lit, and the ceremony of catching evil spirits started.
The Buddhist monk sits in a lotus position in front of the array, his face facing the ancestral hall of the Gu family and his back facing the other Gu members standing not far away from the array.
He took three small lustrous stones which reflected the candle lights in his right hand and stretched his hand out as he closed his eyes and started to chant some ancient Sanskrit mantras.
Gu's family members couldn't understand what he was saying, but they were in awe of how he was acting. Even Madam Yun, who had initially invited him to play this role, couldn't believe that this cone actor could be this good in his acting.
Looking at the Gu family members around her who were looking at the fake Buddhist monk she had brought in awe, Madam Yun couldn't help but laugh and feel smug internally, but on the outside, she put the same expression of awe as the other Gu family members.
Just looking at the red vermilion array, swaying candle lights and hearing the Buddhist monk's strange mantra chanting, soon it was already midnight.
Just when they thought they couldn't keep their eyes open anymore, the Buddhist monk in front of the vermilion array stood up with the three lustrous stones in his right hand.
The Gu family members immediately went forward to hear what the Buddhist monk had to say.
"What happened, master? Where is that greedy evil spirit who swallowed all our wealth and grains?" Even before old Madam Gu could say anything, Madam Shen had already asked about the matter, being defeated by her own eldest daughter-in-law, old Madam Gu could only look towards the Buddhist monk for answers.
Gu Tianhao and Gu Tianshui also had curious expressions in their eyes as they looked towards the Buddhist monk eagerly.
Looking at their curious and eager expressions, the Buddhist monk didn't show any look of surprise on his calm and glowing face as if he had already anticipated their reactions instead he turned towards the left side of the ancestral hall and lifted his right hand which carried the three lustrous stone and pointed his index finger in the direction where the lustrous stone shone brightly.
Looking in the direction the Buddhist monk pointed, all Gu family members' eyes went wide.
"Ah! Isn't that-" Madam Yun was the first to exclaim but she didn't finish her words and let her unfinished sentence hang in the air.