Volume Six: Blue and White Porcelain Chapter Eight: Destroying You Without Negotiation

The car sped through the night, and by the time they returned to Professor Zhou’s private club, dawn had already broken.

“What on earth happened to you all? You look like refugees fleeing disaster,” Director Zheng and Professor Zhou stared in astonishment at the group before them.

“It’s a long story. Let us wash up and change first, then we’ll explain everything. Yitian, did you bring me clothes?” Yaoguang waved her hand, took the bag Yitian handed her, and headed to the guest room arranged by Professor Zhou. It was only after she scrubbed away layers of filth and donned clean clothes that Yaoguang felt alive again.

Professor Zhou had prepared breakfast, and only when everyone was full and satisfied did they settle onto the sofas in the living room.

“What exactly happened?” Director Zheng could no longer contain his curiosity.

“Those two ghosts haunting your home—one is Zhu Guangxuan, the other is the woman from your dream, Tao Yao. Zhu Guangxuan not only became a vengeful spirit, but his corpse turned into a zombie. Unless the zombie is dealt with, the ghost will remain immortal. We went to take care of the zombie. Bilu, tell Professor Zhou and Director Zheng the rest,” Yaoguang reclined on the sofa, too exhausted to speak any further.

“Very well. Professor Zhou, here’s how it happened.” Bilu recounted the entire story in meticulous detail.

“So that’s what it was. No wonder the woman from my dream seemed so vivid. This is truly the cycle of karma. Thank you all for going through so much trouble,” Professor Zhou said, embarrassed.

“It’s nothing, Professor Zhou, please don’t mention it. Oh, your blue-and-white porcelain vase has been returned intact.” Yaoguang took out the porcelain vase and handed it to Professor Zhou.

“My goodness, after all that, you actually managed to bring it back. Thank you.” Professor Zhou gazed at the vase, a bit dazed.

“Keep it safe. It was yours in your previous life, after all. In other words, this vase rightfully belongs to you,” Yaoguang smiled. “Yitian.” She beckoned Yitian with a finger.

Yitian came over and bowed his head before Yaoguang. She whispered a few words in his ear, and he nodded, then departed.

“Sleep. Tonight we’ll deal with those two. You’re free to do as you wish during the day. I’m exhausted. Bilu, old man, have the professor arrange guest rooms for you. I’m heading upstairs. Oh, Professor, these two are here to help catch ghosts. Please make arrangements for them.” With that, Yaoguang staggered up the stairs.

“Certainly, please follow me,” Professor Zhou politely led the two to their rooms.

Yaoguang fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow, and when she woke, the sun was already setting. She came downstairs to find everyone had risen before her.

“Heh, I seem to sleep better than all of you. Yitian,” Yaoguang called.

“Miss, everything is arranged,” Yitian nodded.

“Good.” Yaoguang stood and wandered around, nodding in satisfaction. Bilu followed her, marveling at the array—a spirit-trapping formation, constructed with offerings to immortals. Luckily Professor Zhou and Director Zheng couldn’t see it, or they would have been terrified. Bilu caught the beautiful fox spirit beside Yaoguang winking at him; he returned the gesture with a respectful bow.

“Professor Zhou, tonight we’ll need your help,” Yaoguang said, returning to the professor.

“You want me to lure that thing out?” Professor Zhou smiled.

“Yes, would you be willing? We will protect you,” Yaoguang said.

“Of course. Rather than sit and wait, I’d rather be the bait. Living people don’t scare me, so why should the dead? In archaeology, isn’t this the most common thing we encounter?” Professor Zhou laughed heartily.

“Thank you. For safety, I need to place a protective formation on you. When the ghost comes, it can approach but won’t possess you. You’ll need to lure it into the courtyard, where we’ve set a spirit-trapping array. Once you bring it out, leave the rest to us,” Yaoguang explained.

“No problem,” Professor Zhou nodded.

“Old man, seal Professor Zhou’s spiritual gates. We can’t let that thing possess him again, or else it’ll try to seize his body,” Yaoguang said.

“No problem,” Master Guishan replied, stepping before Professor Zhou and performing a Taoist salute. “Forgive me, Professor.” He began chanting incantations and tapping Professor Zhou’s body. On the forty-ninth tap, he pressed his fingers to the professor’s back and shouted, “Seal!” startling Professor Zhou.

Then, everyone followed Yaoguang’s plan. The formation needed focal points, so each person was posted at a node, ready to activate the array when the vengeful spirit appeared.

As night gradually fell, Professor Zhou and Director Zheng played chess in the living room, pretending nothing was amiss, waiting for midnight. Yaoguang and Master Guishan concealed themselves on the rooftop, overseeing the array below. Yaoguang’s celestial beings were in position, all waiting for the vengeful spirit.

Time ticked by. The clock had passed eleven; the moment was near. Suddenly, as Professor Zhou played chess, a gust of cold wind swept in through the window behind him. He glanced at Director Zheng, who looked back at Yitian, feigning interest in the game, his eyes betraying a hint of fear. Yitian made a reassuring gesture, signaling them to remain calm.

A faint chime sounded from Master Guishan’s soul-commanding talisman on the rooftop: “It’s here.”

“Let’s go down,” Yaoguang and Master Guishan descended lightly, hiding behind a tree in the garden, where they could clearly see the living room.

Professor Zhou raised his hand to place a black chess piece, when suddenly a fierce wind overturned the board. He looked around in terror, then was thrown violently forward by an unseen force. Yitian swiftly caught him. At that moment, the soul-revealing array in the living room activated, followed by a shrill scream. A black figure gradually appeared, so grotesque that everyone’s stomach churned. The figure wore Ming dynasty mourning clothes, hair hanging loose, face shriveled and smeared with greasy residue like corpse oil, eyes bulging and murky, teeth blackened, blood dribbling from the corners of its mouth.

“You are Zhu Guangxuan. Why did you harm me?” Professor Zhou asked, trembling.

“You actually know me?” Zhu Guangxuan was surprised, then twisted his neck. “Why? Don’t you know, Qinghan?” His voice was sharp and lewd, indescribably repulsive.

“I am not Qinghan. I am Zhou Junbo. You’ve mistaken me for someone else,” Professor Zhou retreated as Zhu Guangxuan advanced.

“I don’t care who you are. If you hadn’t taken that vase, I couldn’t have found you. I’ve been a ghost for years, just waiting to use your body to resurrect myself. Is that so wrong?” Zhu Guangxuan licked his dark lips with a crimson tongue, eyeing Professor Zhou as though he were a delicacy.

“What do you want? I bear no grudge against you,” Professor Zhou backed up to the main door.

“No grudge? If not for you, Tao Yao wouldn’t have abandoned me. Qinghan, even in death, you’ll die by my hand,” Zhu Guangxuan snarled.

“I told you, I’m not Qinghan,” Professor Zhou shouted and turned to run.

“Not so fast!” Zhu Guangxuan lunged, claws extended.

Professor Zhou ran desperately, barely escaping the ghost’s grasp, and stumbled into the center of the formation set by Yaoguang. The vengeful spirit was instantly upon him. “Ouch, that hurt!” Professor Zhou scrambled up, jolted by the ghastly sight of Zhu Guangxuan.

“Run? Where else can you go?” Zhu Guangxuan sneered as Professor Zhou rose.

“You should worry about yourself. Phoenix!” Professor Zhou cried, darting toward the flowerbed.

“Now!” Yaoguang ordered.

Everyone at the formation’s nodes began chanting incantations.

“You’re still running? Hmm? What’s this?” As Zhu Guangxuan pursued Professor Zhou, golden light began to rise around him. He reached out to touch it, only to recoil, burned. “What is this, Qinghan? You’ve set me up!”

The chanting grew louder, and the golden light began to converge above Zhu Guangxuan, forming a cage.

“What is it? It’s a spirit-trapping array, prepared just for you,” Yaoguang stepped out from behind the flowerbed, Professor Zhou now calm beside her.

“Well done, Professor. Your performance was convincing,” Yaoguang teased.

“Just decent,” Professor Zhou replied with a sly smile.

“Who are you?” Zhu Guangxuan demanded.

“My name is not for a mere vengeful spirit to know. Zhu Guangxuan, you were once the Crown Prince of Ning, born to royalty. Yet you failed to be loyal to the emperor or care for the people. You spent your days idling, bullying men and women alike. You sealed Qinghan in the porcelain kiln, burning her alive, and defiled Tao Yao, subjecting her to endless torment. Your crimes are countless,” Yaoguang rebuked him angrily.

“Hmph, I do as I please. Who can stop me? They brought it on themselves,” Zhu Guangxuan retorted.

“‘Brought it on themselves’—how fitting for you. You were no good alive, and you’re no better dead. You think you’re untouchable because your corpse became a zombie, that we can’t defeat you? Well, let me tell you: your disgusting body has already been reduced to ashes,” Yaoguang replied coldly.

“You’re lying. My corpse is a ghost zombie—it can’t be killed,” Zhu Guangxuan insisted, unafraid.

“Is that so?” Yaoguang tossed something at his feet.

Zhu Guangxuan looked down, terror flashing in his filthy eyes—it was the jade he wore as the Crown Prince of Ning. “No, this can’t be, this can’t be!”

“Impossible? Why not? Zhu Guangxuan, you think you’re immortal, think you can wreak havoc as a vengeful spirit, think no one can subdue you? For the traitorous, murderous, and cruel, if not destroyed by men, Heaven will destroy them. Today marks your end,” Yaoguang declared coldly.

“No, you can’t kill me, you won’t succeed!” Zhu Guangxuan roared, but his body smoked as he touched the golden light.

“Hmph, why can’t I kill you? What gives you such confidence to boast before me? I assure you, there’s no mercy for you. Begin!” At Yaoguang’s command, chanting filled the air. She sat cross-legged and recited incantations, while Master Guishan began his ritual steps. The golden light, accompanied by the chanting, closed in around Zhu Guangxuan.

“No, no!” Zhu Guangxuan screamed in terror.

“With the authority of the law, burn,” Master Guishan shouted. The golden light erupted into flames, tightly enclosing Zhu Guangxuan.

“With my divinity, I judge your crimes—burn!” Yaoguang finished her incantation, and green fire rose from the ground, mingling with the golden flames to consume Zhu Guangxuan.

“No! No!” Zhu Guangxuan writhed in agony within the blaze.

“Little one, you’re using the flames of hell—don’t intend to leave him any chance, do you?” Master Guishan stroked his beard.

“Why show mercy? I said there’s no negotiation: destroying him is the only option. He wasted air while alive, wasted land when dead, wasted emotion as a human, and wasted spiritual power as a ghost. Should we keep him around for the holidays? His hands were bloodied in life, and even after all these years, he still thinks he’s a Crown Prince. Not even his father liked him—why should I be lenient? Destroy him, clear the way for the underworld’s oil cauldrons,” Yaoguang replied indifferently, watching Zhu Guangxuan turn to smoke.

“You make a good point,” Master Guishan nodded.

“Are we safe now?” Director Zheng peered out from the living room.

“Don’t celebrate too soon. Didn’t you forget—there’s still another one,” Yaoguang said.

“The other one, the female ghost? Where is she…?” Director Zheng asked.

“Right behind you,” Yaoguang pointed.

“Ahhh!” Director Zheng’s scream pierced the sky.