Taboo Mage - Chapter 7 - The Disappearing Female Ghost

Patting Li He on the shoulder, I couldn’t help but marvel at how smoothly my lies had come out. If it weren’t for Liu Yineng’s sudden situation, I certainly wouldn’t have gotten involved in this matter.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

There were loud knocks on the door from inside the room. Li He was so frightened that he pulled a trash can from the corridor to block the entrance.

I chuckled inwardly; he’s scared out of his wits this time, and he definitely won’t meddle with this stuff anymore.

After comforting Li He for a bit, I prepared to go back and get ready for tomorrow. But no matter what I said, he refused to stay alone, so I had no choice but to take him with me.

When we returned to the shop, Ah Biao was still guarding the entrance. He casually asked me a few questions but didn’t say much more.

While packing some essential dog blood and red beans into my backpack, I kept thinking about how to control that female ghost tomorrow.

I could take a shot at exorcism, but the man she’s possessed-I asked around and found out he’s a nationally-ranked second-level athlete, and a boxer at that.

I felt a chill; I must have been lucky today. Otherwise, how could I have possibly fended off his attack?

I glanced at Li He, who was curled up on the sofa. He was going to be of no help. So, how was I supposed to deal with both a female ghost and a boxer on my own tomorrow?

“Brother Gu, where am I supposed to sleep tonight?”

I was lost in thought when Ah Biao, munching an apple loudly, walked over.

Seeing Ah Biao’s muscles almost bursting through his black t-shirt, my eyes lit up.

“Ah Biao, can you help me out tomorrow?”

“Is it related to Brother Liu’s situation?” Ah Biao asked nonchalantly.

“Yes! If tomorrow’s matter is resolved, Brother Liu’s situation will be sorted!” I nodded eagerly, patting my chest to reassure him.

There’s no denying that Liu Yineng got to where he is through ruthless tactics, but he also has some finesse.

Hearing my words, Ah Biao agreed without hesitation. I was overjoyed and gave him a brief rundown. Then, I found a quilt and had him set up a spot to sleep right in the shop.

Exorcism requires two main things: skills and timing. The harmony of time, place, and people is indispensable.

As for my skills, well, they’re mediocre at best. Therefore, I need to pay extra attention to external factors.

The time was set for tomorrow at noon. But I couldn’t afford to overlook the other preparations. This was my first time dealing in this kind of business; I couldn’t risk my life on my debut.

Since it was still early in the evening, I skimmed through some ancient books. They mentioned some exorcism methods, but since my family isn’t a line of professional exorcists, the explanations weren’t detailed.

I pulled out some yellow talisman paper and, following the runes in the book, drew several as backups. Then I went into the kitchen, slaughtered the rooster I had bought from the market, and sprinkled its blood on the runes. I soaked them in glutinous rice overnight.

Early the next morning, Li He hurriedly woke us up. I knew he was anxious, so although I was a bit annoyed, I didn’t show it too much.

After making sure we had everything we needed, I led Li He and Ah Biao towards the school.

Classes were out for the summer, making the campus incredibly quiet. Aside from a few students who stayed behind, the large school grounds were nearly deserted.

The three of us easily found our way to the dormitory building. As soon as we set foot on the third floor, I sensed something was off.

The dark energy lingering in the dorm today seemed even thicker than it was yesterday, especially on the third floor where Li He’s dorm was located. The moment we stepped in, the hairs on my arms stood up, each one distinct.

“Li He, are you sure this is the dorm? Not a morgue?”

In the June heat, Ah Biao sneezed and complained irritably.

Li He’s face turned sullen at once, but he said nothing and limped inside.

Watching his hobbling figure, I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him. It’s true what they say-curiosity can be a dangerous thing.

The world is filled with many unknown realms that humans have yet to explore. That fear of the unknown is something only those who have experienced it can ever truly understand.

When I saw the dorm room door, my head buzzed. Instinctively, I hugged my bag tightly.

The dormitory door was wide open, with no one inside. The person who was possessed had disappeared…

“Ah!”

Li He screamed, turned around, and bolted toward the stairwell. I grabbed Ah Biao, and we followed closely behind, our feet barely touching the ground.

Eh-hee-hee-

Eh-hee-hee-

Suddenly, eerie laughter echoed through the corridor. I was so frightened that I nearly dropped everything I was holding. Li He, who had been running ahead, stopped abruptly, his whole body trembling, staring ahead as if glued to the spot.

“Go! Why are you standing there?”

Barely able to stop in time, I almost crashed into Li He. Furious, I shouted, “Don’t freeze up at a time like this! If you’re not afraid of dying, at least don’t block the way.”

Li He slowly raised his arm, pointing forward. My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively looked in that direction.

The missing person was now slowly walking in the corridor, holding a stick. He was still dressed in the same clothes as yesterday, but with his head down, I couldn’t see his facial expression clearly.

Yet, I could distinctly feel the terrifying and eerie smile at the corner of his lips.

“G-ghost… it’s a ghost!”

Ah Biao, who was at the back, cried out hoarsely and turned to run.

The chilling laughter reverberated around us, Li He’s legs seemed paralyzed, and I barely managed to steady myself. Gulping hard, I suddenly noticed a foul smell in the air.

Looking down, I saw that Li He’s pants were already soaked.

Out of the three of us, two were now useless. If I wanted to survive, I had to stay calm.

“Who are you?”

Hugging my backpack close, I rasped, reaching inside and discreetly feeling around. I didn’t know why I asked this, and I didn’t expect any response. It was just an attempt to buy some time.

The possessed man suddenly raised his head, drool dripping from his mouth, his lipstick smeared messily across his cheeks.

Eh-hee-hee-

That same creepy laughter made my scalp tingle. Tugging on Li He’s sleeve, I signaled him to get ready to run at any moment.

Unexpectedly, Li He began to laugh along, though it sounded more normal.

Then, to my utter astonishment, Li He, dragging his lame leg, quickly moved toward the figure. At some point, he had produced a Swiss army knife.

“No!”

I shouted. If he stabbed the possessed person, Li He could end up with a murder charge.