C4 A Nuisance Causing Trouble

Zhong Ling met my gaze and, after a moment of thought, replied, "An enemy? I certainly don't have any, but I'm not sure about my parents. I'll give them a call and ask."

I nodded, my expression grave as I inquired, "Who left the red cloth and the triangular mirror at your place, beauty?"

Without hesitation, Zhong Ling answered that it was likely something her parents had arranged with a geomancer for good fortune. As for who exactly, she wasn't sure.

"Your parents? A geomancer?" I pressed, intrigued.

She confirmed with a nod.

Since her parents weren't present, I didn't press the matter further, deciding to wait until I could ask them in detail.

Zhong Ling was too afraid to go back into the house, so I resolved to clear out the malevolent presence before tackling the issue of the blood mirror.

After gathering my belongings, I prepared to take my leave. I told Zhong Ling we'd check back the next day.

With the malevolent force now contained, whoever was behind it would surely grow restless. Perhaps they would even seek us out.

The following morning, Zhong Ling sought me out, expressing her gratitude for my help the previous night by offering to buy me a meal. I accepted.

Zhong Ling arrived in her car, and I joined her for a ride to a rather elegantly decorated restaurant. Once inside, I could tell by the Chinese-style decor that dining here wouldn't be inexpensive.

As we entered, a beautiful waitress in a qipao greeted us warmly.

Seated, the waitress presented us with menus, saying respectfully, "Sir, Miss, what would you like to order? Just let me know when you're ready."

A soft smile graced Zhong Ling's face as she accepted the menu, then handed it to me, saying cheerfully, "Security guard big brother, order whatever you'd like, and don't worry about being polite."

Considering the upscale ambiance, I anticipated that the prices would match.

Upon opening the menu, it was clear that the prices were steep.

As a security guard barely scraping by, I couldn't bring myself to order anything pricey, so I settled for two of the more affordable dishes.

Zhong Ling, on the other hand, ordered like a nouveau riche, piling up dish after dish.

By the end of the meal, we hadn't come close to finishing our food. The bill came to two thousand yuan.

Zhong Ling paid without so much as a flinch. I couldn't help but think she must be loaded. But then again, her salary couldn't be more than eight thousand yuan a month. Spending a quarter of that on a single meal?

I had a hunch she might be kept by someone. I'd caught wind of office gossip before, suggesting Zhong Ling was under the wing of the company's general manager.

Seeing her spend without a second thought only solidified my suspicions.

But it's not my place to judge; to each their own.

Post-dinner, we aimlessly strolled before Zhong Ling insisted on shopping, splurging on designer brands and even buying me a new outfit. I tried to decline, but she wouldn't take no for an answer, and we dropped a few more thousand yuan.

After all that, it was around 10:30 PM.

In Zhong Ling's car, she casually asked, "Security guy, are we heading to my place now?"

I simply responded, "Yes."

While talking, my eyes inadvertently landed on Zhong Ling's face. Her features were delicate, and as my gaze drifted from her eyes down to her Health Palace, I noticed the scar there had become more pronounced.

If I wasn't mistaken, the malevolent energy inside her was intensifying, worsening the scar. If I didn't act soon to purge the malevolent energy, Zhong Ling's situation could become dire.

To purge it, I needed to locate the vessel harboring the malevolence.

Such vessels are typically found near the malevolent entity, to facilitate the gathering of Yin Qi and amplify the entity's resentment.

Upon arriving at the villa, I immediately felt the shift in the atmosphere; the air around us had turned markedly chillier.

Just then, Zhong Ling tugged gently at the hem of her clothing. Her complexion was a bit pale, and in a faint voice, she said to me, "Security guy, I'm feeling quite cold."

I glanced at Zhong Ling, then caught sight of a deep chasm. Swiftly, I averted my eyes and spoke with a slightly awkward tone, "Well, it does get chilly at night, miss. You might want to put on some extra layers."

Zhong Ling paused, clearly noticing my earlier glance, but she chose not to call me out on it. Instead, her ears began to blush a deep red.

To sidestep the embarrassment, I suggested, "Why don't you wait here for me, miss? I'll go inside and have a look around."

With that, I took the villa keys from Zhong Ling, unlocked the door, and pulled out the flashlight from my pocket. Once inside, I quickly located the light switch and flicked it on.

The room brightened, and with it, my bravery swelled. I pocketed the flashlight.

I was then struck by the realization that the room's ominous energy felt less intense than it had during the day, suggesting the malevolent entity was still trapped and hadn't broken free.

I made my way to the staircase and ascended to the second floor. At the corridor's end, the door was shut tight, the talisman undisturbed. The evil spirit was definitely still contained.

Approaching the door cautiously, I noticed the rice on the floor had turned black—a sign of the spirit's violent attempts to escape, yet it remained unsuccessful.

I cleaned up the darkened rice and scattered a fresh layer across the floor.

But as I was doing so, the unexpected occurred.

A loud "bang" echoed as the door was violently struck from the inside.

My heart leaped, and I stumbled backward, fixating on the door with an intense gaze, a wave of nervousness washing over me.

The banging continued relentlessly.

Then, a sinister, threatening voice pierced the air, "I'm going to kill you, I'm going to kill you!"