Taboo Mage - Chapter 112 - The Great-Grandfather's Safety

The room’s lights suddenly dimmed. I stood motionless, holding a peachwood sword in my hand, my eyes constantly scanning my surroundings for any movement.

A faint sound came from behind me. I turned toward the direction of the noise, only to see a shadow swiftly dart past me in the dim light!

I spun around quickly as a chilling breeze whooshed past my ears. Raising the peachwood sword, I swung it forcefully, hearing a rustling sound as it cut through the air.

“Monk?” I called out in a hushed voice, realizing my swing had hit nothing.

Since entering the room, Jue Chi had vanished to an unknown place. With the moonlight streaming through the window, I could only see Chi Rui standing closely by my side.

Chi Rui tugged at me and whispered, “Where’s Jue Chi?”

Well, isn’t that obvious? If I knew, I wouldn’t be calling out for him, would I?

However, for someone like me, who specializes in dealing with spirits, the current situation felt like being caught in a swamp-the more I struggled, the deeper I sank.

As for Chi Rui, it’s even harder to say. I had no idea what abilities he might have, but at least for now, even if he couldn’t be of much help, he wouldn’t be the one holding us back either.

Internally, I was already grateful for that.

Without any trace of Jue Chi, I focused all my attention on tracking the great-grandfather’s whereabouts. But after a few minutes, the room remained eerily silent.

Lowering my voice, I told Chi Rui that we couldn’t force our way through right now. We needed to pick the right moment to leave the room first.

Chi Rui agreed, and the two of us moved slowly toward the door, back-to-back. Just as my hand touched the door, a cold gust swept past my ear!

My heart sank. I pushed the door open with all my might!

Outside, the sky had already turned completely dark. Everyone had already hidden away, leaving the courtyard empty. Only a few red lanterns hung from the eaves, swaying eerily in the night breeze.

Chi Rui followed closely behind me as we ran out of the room. Once we reached the courtyard, I felt a bit more confident. While running towards the gate, I kept an eye out for any sign of Jue Chi.

When I reached the courtyard gate, I realized it had been shut unbeknownst to me. I tried pushing it with force, but it wouldn’t budge.

I cursed under my breath. Who’s so idle to not only shut the gate but also bolt it? They must really intend for that female ghost to devour us all…

Chi Rui, seeing me stuck at the gate, gave it a try himself. Instantly, a shadow darkened his previously stoic expression.

A chilling wind swept out from the room behind us, overturning everything in the courtyard. I pounded frantically on the gate, but it remained firmly closed, with no sounds coming from outside.

“Enough! Let’s figure out how to survive!” Chi Rui said, pulling me along. He dashed over to Lama Duoren’s altar table, grabbed a handful of joss paper, and hurried back.

I quickly gathered my thoughts, considering what tools I had left on me. Thankfully, I had prepared in advance, so there were still many items in my backpack.

I took off the backpack and found the copper coin sword I carried, the yellow talisman paper with runes hand-drawn by Jue Chi, and a couple of bottles of leftover black dog blood.

With these items in hand, I finally felt a bit more secure.

Suddenly, the red lanterns hanging from the eaves swayed slightly before extinguishing altogether.

I took out my phone and turned on the flashlight to survey the surroundings. After confirming there was nothing unusual, I used the red string tied to my wrist to secure the ends to two large trees at the courtyard entrance. Chi Rui and I stood between the red string and the gate, so we’d be alerted if the female ghost touched the string.

Then, I took out a bottle of black dog blood and poured it over the copper coin sword to enhance its potency.

With everything set, all we could do now was wait for the female ghost to find us.

The cold wind continued to whistle in my ears as I gripped the copper coin sword, constantly alert to my surroundings. Suddenly, the bell hanging on the red string jingled.

I turned towards the sound, spotting a shadow approaching in the darkness. The figure’s limbs were stiff, and its walking posture was bizarre.

“Great-grandfather?” Chi Rui called out from beside me.

As the figure drew closer, I finally saw clearly-it was indeed the Chi Family’s great-grandfather! The elderly man, who normally needed help from a woman and a cane to walk, was now shambling toward us.

His walking style was peculiar, reminiscent of a zombie from TV shows, though he wasn’t hopping. Instead, he struggled to move each foot forward.

“Something’s wrong with the great-grandfather. Don’t get too close,” I cautioned, quickly grabbing Chi Rui to prevent him from making a mistake at this critical moment.

Chi Rui nodded, gripping the joss paper in his hand, as well as the peachwood sword I had given him for protection.

The great-grandfather, possessed by the female ghost, stared blankly ahead. Although he could see now, his eyes lacked any lively expression.

He hadn’t even had a full day to enjoy his restored sight before losing control of his own thoughts.

The great-grandfather reached the red string, which was now shaking violently under its bell. He seemed oblivious, continuously colliding with the string, without pausing or adjusting his path.

I squinted and splashed black dog blood onto the great-grandfather.

He threw his head back and let out a painful howl. As expected, the female ghost was controlling his mind, and he seemed like a walking corpse.

After the scream, the great-grandfather extended a hand, reaching through the red string to grasp at us. I leaned back, using the string as a barrier. He hesitated but continued reaching out, making hissing sounds.

“Gu Qingshu, what do we do?” Chi Rui said, raising the peachwood sword defensively. When the great-grandfather’s hands brushed against the sword, his face contorted in pain.

I frowned, scanning the surroundings, when a sudden thought struck me-the moonlight tonight was unusually bright. Ghosts, which are full of Yin Energy, are susceptible to the effects of sun and moon exposure.

It’s common knowledge that ghosts fear the sun most, as it’s the strongest source of Yang Energy in our world. However, some ghosts absorb the essence of moonlight, as it possesses a soothing, Yin quality.