Chapter Fifty-Four: Old Zhou Is Possessed

The master nodded and asked, “Do you still remember the name of your aunt’s son?”
Old Zhou nodded and replied, “His name is Sun Zhichao.”
The master nodded again and said, “Step back for now.”
Old Zhou immediately retreated to the woman’s side. The two clung together, watching the master closely. The master took out the chopsticks, put them back into the bowl of water, held them with his hand, and said, “If you died by drowning, show us another sign.”
With that, he let go. The chopsticks remained upright. The master, more confident now, took them out again, placed them in the bowl for a third time, and said once more, “If you truly drowned, stand up again and let me know it’s really you.”
The chopsticks stood upright once more. Three times, the result was the same. The master nodded, picked up a piece of yellow paper, and with a flick, it burst into flames with a hiss. The couple behind him were even more stunned by this sight, beyond words.
The master tossed the burning paper into the bowl of rice water and chanted, “Home-cooked meal, sweep you three thousand doors away!”
When he finished, the ashes of the yellow paper sank into the water, but the chopsticks still did not fall. The master frowned and asked, “You’re still not leaving?”
Still, the chopsticks would not fall. The master had no choice but to slap the table and shout, “Sun Zhichao, the food has been offered! If you refuse to leave, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Even then, the chopsticks remained upright. At last, the master grew angry. With a wave of his hand, a golden sword materialized out of thin air. He held it and swung it around, bellowing, “If you don’t leave now, I’ll cut you down!”
With a crisp ring, the chopsticks finally toppled. The master breathed a sigh of relief, made the golden sword vanish, and beckoned to Old Zhou. Old Zhou walked over in a daze, staring at the master in disbelief. The master said, “It’s done. Take this bowl of rice water straight to the back door of the hospital. Remember, pour it over your shoulder behind you and absolutely do not look back. Understand?”
He repeated the instructions. Old Zhou nodded rapidly, looking frightened as he reached out to take the bowl. The master added reassuringly, “Don’t be afraid. He’s gone now. Go pour the rice water out, and when you return, I’ll explain the rest.”
Old Zhou nodded and swallowed hard. He picked up the rice water from the table and was about to leave the ward when he heard the master add, “Oh, and when you pour it out, silently recite the Heart-Calming Mantra three times. The incantation is ‘Lingbao Heavenly Lord, comfort my form.’ Remember, three times. And don’t look back. After you’re done, come straight back. Go on.”
Old Zhou agreed, wiped the sweat from his brow, and left the ward. The master tidied up, handed me the remaining bowl of water, and I went to pour it down the bathroom drain. I snapped the chopsticks in two and placed them outside the window latch. When all this was done, I stepped out to see the master had set incense by the window and turned the room lights up bright.

Only then did the woman dare approach us. She asked, “Kind sir, is my son all right now?”
The master nodded, touched Zhou Shengxue’s forehead, and said, “He’s fine now. His temperature is normal, and his face has color again. But he’ll need to rest for a few days. I’ll explain more when your husband returns—I’m afraid you might not remember it all if I only tell you.”
The woman nodded hurriedly and went to her child’s side, gently touching his face. Her expression eased as she exclaimed, “Really… really all right? He’s not cold anymore. Thank goodness, thank goodness. Thank you, thank you so much!”
Unable to contain her emotions, the woman burst into tears and knelt to the floor. The master quickly helped her up, saying, “Please, don’t do this. I’ve done all I can. All parents share the same heart—I understand your sorrow.”
The woman wiped her tears, nodded, and sat by Zhou Shengxue, gently stroking his face as she sobbed. I sat with the master and asked curiously, “Master, how did you know what was haunting the child?”
The master smiled and replied, “It was simple. His whole body was cold, his face deathly pale, without a trace of blood. I suspected right away it was either the spirit of someone who froze to death or someone who drowned. Sure enough, when I asked Old Zhou, there was someone in his family who drowned.”
I understood, and we sat there together for a while. Eventually, the master frowned, glanced at the clock, and said, “Strange, why is Old Zhou taking so long? It’s been half an hour—he should have been back by now.”
I was puzzled too, checking the time. Indeed, it had been well over half an hour since Old Zhou left. He should have returned quickly—so why was he still missing?
Just as we were wondering, the lights in the ward began flickering wildly. The woman, still shaken from seeing the chopsticks stand in the water, screamed as the lights flashed. The master jumped to his feet, and the black-and-white twin fish on my right forearm began to heat up, sensing a surge of resentment. I called out to the master, but he didn’t respond—he went to the door, opened it, and I was stunned by what I saw.
In the corridor outside, all the lights flickered, the temperature had dropped to freezing, and even the nurses and patients’ families had collapsed on the floor, unconscious.
Peering ahead, I spotted a familiar figure standing at the end of the corridor, head bowed, clutching something. The master’s brow furrowed tightly as he said, “This is bad. He’s been possessed.”
I, too, stared ahead, standing by the master’s side. The woman sat by the bed, terrified by the strange phenomena around her. The master glanced at me and said, “Stay here and protect the mother and child. I’ll bring Old Zhou back.”
I nodded, and the master left, closing the door behind him. I immediately released the black-and-white twin fish, who circled restlessly in the ward. The woman clung to her son’s hand, fearfully asking, “Young master, what… what’s happening?”
I kept my answer brief, standing by her side and watching the door. “Don’t worry. I’m here.”
She nodded, holding her son tightly.
Suddenly, there was a bang from outside. I called the twin fish to the bedside and moved forward, opening the door a crack. The corridor was littered with broken glass, a trash can overturned, and the master and the possessed Old Zhou locked in battle. The master had the upper hand, striking Old Zhou with a palm and forming hand seals as he chanted, “Left stands the Six Jia, right guards the Six Ding. Ahead is Huangshen, behind Yuezhang. Divine master slays without fear, first the evil spirits, then the night ghosts. Ghost-vanquishing curse, go!”

As soon as the words fell, the master pointed ahead. Streaks of golden light formed talismans and shot forward, dazzling the corridor. Old Zhou screamed, and a gray soul flew out of his body, trying to escape. But the master moved swiftly, catching it by the foot in a flash, yanking it to the ground. He drew a yellow talisman from his waist and sealed the soul within it.
Once the gray spirit was absorbed into the talisman, the lights stopped flickering and the temperature slowly rose. I let out a breath and opened the door. The black-and-white twin fish flew back into my hand. The people who had collapsed slowly woke up, staring at each other in confusion.
The master hurried to Old Zhou, supporting him back to the ward. The woman, frightened by Old Zhou’s feeble, vacant state, rushed to support him and anxiously asked, “Old Zhou, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me. Kind sir, what’s wrong with my husband?”
The master closed the door and said, “It’s all right. Help him to a chair.”
She nodded and helped Old Zhou into a chair. The master snapped his fingers, and Old Zhou sat up with a gasp, panting, “Don’t… don’t come for me. Cousin, whatever you want, I’ll burn it for you.”
The master gently patted the top of his head. “It’s all right, Old Zhou. It’s over now.”
Old Zhou gradually came to his senses and stared at us blankly. “What happened to me? Ah! Right, Lan Fang, how’s our son?”
He turned to his wife in alarm. She hugged him and said, “He’s fine, Old Zhou, he’s fine. Thanks to the kind master. I even scolded you at first—thank you, sir, I apologize.”
The couple tried to kneel again, but the master stopped them, exasperated. “Enough, get up. Don’t kneel every time. You’re parents now, remember.”
They nodded and sat down. The master sat as well and turned to Old Zhou, saying, “Old Zhou, tell me honestly: did you look back when you poured out the rice water?”
Old Zhou hesitated, his face pale with embarrassment. “Er… sir, I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to. I did as you said—poured it over my shoulder, and as I was about to leave, I suddenly heard someone call my name. I turned back on instinct, and then I remember nothing.”
The master nodded, not blaming him, and said, “It’s all right. Let me explain your son’s situation—listen carefully.”