Psycho. Ghosts? Whatever. - Chapter 5 - There's Someone in the Corner...
“Five thousand…”
Liu Banxian felt a bit tempted. If he could get his hands on that money, he wouldn’t have to worry for at least a month.
“I can give it a try, but I can’t guarantee success.”
Though his skills were questionable, he was cautious enough not to make any bold promises.
“But before that, I’d like to ask a few questions.”
“Go ahead, Master.”
“Have you taken him to the hospital?”
The middle-aged woman nodded, “We’ve done all kinds of tests, and there’s nothing wrong.”
“The doctor just said the child is under too much psychological pressure and advised us to help him relax.”
“How long has this been going on?”
“Almost a week.”
“What exactly are the symptoms? Has he been hurt, or has he hurt anyone?”
Liu Banxian was thorough, making sure to understand all aspects of the situation.
Ten minutes later,
“Alright, give me your home address. I need to go back and prepare. I’ll come by tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Master, thank you.”
After expressing her gratitude, the woman left the Overpass.
At this moment, Liu Banxian’s gaze shifted to Bai Yuan, who was also looking at him. They exchanged a glance, neither speaking, just waiting silently.
Eventually, Liu Banxian couldn’t hold back and said:
“Kid, you’re brave. Interested in joining me?”
“I have to set up my stall tomorrow, might not be able to make it.”
“If we succeed, I’ll give you a share of the reward, eighty-twenty!”
“That high?”
Bai Yuan was a bit surprised, then said, “No need, sixty-forty is fine, since you’re the main force.”
“??”
Liu Banxian was momentarily stunned, then realized, “You thought I was the twenty?”
“Yes.”
“Get lost!”
Liu Banxian retorted, “I’m the main force, you’re just there to give me some courage.”
“At most seventy-thirty, thirty is your base pay. If you contribute more, you can earn more.”
“Deal!”
Bai Yuan nodded, “But can you really solve the possession issue?”
“Come on, in all likelihood, the kid just has some psychological issues. I’ll just go and try to help, or maybe it’s a Feng Shui problem I can fix.”
“But what if there’s really something spooky…”
Bai Yuan’s gaze was steady, as if he was considering the possibility.
If the child was truly possessed, it could be a supernatural event, and he might learn more about the world’s changes.
As for the danger, he wasn’t too worried.
Cautious as ever, Liu Banxian said seriously, “Then I’ll go back and check my master’s old texts to see if there’s any exorcism method.”
“So you’re a newbie too?”
Bai Yuan looked at him with a hint of skepticism, remembering the old Daoist priest he had met the day before at the hospital, who had pretended to be all-knowing but ended up giving him a fake talisman.
“I just do fortune-telling, this exorcism thing is more hands-on, it’s different.”
“Well, if you say so. Let’s give it a shot!”
Bai Yuan nodded, thinking there wasn’t much to lose if they failed.
“Shall we meet here at six tomorrow?”
“No problem!”
Bai Yuan pedaled his rickety tricycle leisurely towards home.
“Hope it’s not too serious…”
Liu Banxian began to gather his things, planning to prepare for the next day…
…
The next day, after a full day of classes, Bai Yuan eagerly headed to the overpass for their meeting.
At the head of the bridge,
“Hey kid, over here!”
“Hmm?”
Bai Yuan was startled, then leaned back in surprise, “Whoa, Old Liu, you’re really going all out?”
“I told you, I’m a professional!”
Liu Banxian smiled slightly, “We can head out now!”
“Alright.”
Bai Yuan thought for a moment and nodded, “Anyway, you’re the one going in, not my problem. If you get into trouble, I can just pick up the pieces.”
“…”
The unreliable duo splurged on a cab and headed straight to the client’s house.
Twenty minutes later,
“Master, you’re here?”
“Yes, I am. Now, do you want me to check your fortune or do some fortune-telling?”
“Here’s the thing…”
The woman glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then whispered:
“My child seems to be possessed…”
“What?”
Liu Banxian was taken aback, momentarily at a loss.
“I was hoping you could help…”
“Possessed?!”
Though Liu Banxian had been a fortune teller for years, he’d never taken on such a case.
He usually just read palms and predicted fortunes, sticking to the theoretical side of things. Exorcism, however, was a whole different ball game.
“Please, help us.”
Seeing his hesitation, the woman pleaded again.
“Alright, I’ll give it a shot.”
Liu Banxian said, trying to muster some confidence.
He had spent the previous day acquiring equipment, and the online texts he had skimmed through mentioned that a peach wood sword1 could be useful.
“Let’s go.”
Bai Yuan thought for a moment, then nodded.
After all, there was nothing to lose if they failed.
Besides the reward, he was curious to learn more about the world’s changes through this incident.
As for the danger, he wasn’t too worried.
The unreliable duo splurged on a cab and headed straight to the client’s house.
Twenty minutes later,
“Master, you’re here?”
“Yes, I am.”
Liu Banxian maintained a calm demeanor, like a sage from another world, while casting a glance at Bai Yuan, the meaning clear in his eyes.
The woman led them to the child’s room.
The child was sitting there, eyes glazed over, muttering to himself.
“Is he always like this?”
The woman explained, “Not always. He’s usually fine in the morning, but after five days, he started acting like this in the evenings.”
“Thank you, Master, thank you.”
“Uh…”
Liu Banxian looked a bit lost, unsure where to begin.
Yesterday, he was busy getting his gear, and the online texts he checked were only half-remembered…
“Come on, Old Liu, show them what you’ve got!”
Bai Yuan urged, his expression a mix of skepticism and amusement.
Liu Banxian sighed, then cautiously approached the child with the peach wood sword.
The child, however, showed no signs of noticing him, continuing to mumble to himself.
As Liu Banxian got closer, he could finally make out the words:
“There’s someone in the corner… He’s watching us… Just watching…”
Footnote:
- Peach Wood Sword(桃木剑): A traditional wooden sword believed to possess the power to ward off evil spirits and disasters.
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