True Daughter 8

She stood on the upper floor and watched for a while. As the smoke thickened, the sound of a summoning bell could be heard, but no one was visible. 

 

She descended the stairs slowly and approached the scene. It became clear to her that it was a Taoist priest performing a ritual. He held a peachwood sword in one hand, a summoning bell in the other, and chanted continuously. 

 

He eventually set down the summoning bell, ignited a piece of talisman paper with some sticky rice, and exclaimed, "Supreme Lord Laozi commands swiftly! Demons and evil spirits, show yourselves!" 

 

A’Yang let out a yawn, clearly bored. While the exorcism was a show playing out on the surface, she couldn't sense even a trace of spiritual energy around her. Even if this was an exorcism ritual, it seemed that this family had been deceived. 

Apart from A’Yang, the most directly affected were Zhou Yang and Lin Siyu, both being spirits. Despite sensing a minuscule amount of spiritual energy in the talisman, it had no practical effect. 

 

That trace of spiritual energy couldn't harm anyone. 

 

Therefore, the two of them decided to squat in a corner and watch. 

 

When the Taoist priest was done, Mrs. Wu immediately approached him. "Master, how is it? Have you driven the ghost out of my son?" 

 

"This ghost is quite formidable. It took some effort to drive it away. I'm afraid it’ll take a bit more work," the master replied, wiping the sweat from his brow. 

 

However, Xue Yuan scanned the surroundings. At first, she spotted Zhou Yang and then noticed Lin Siyu perched on the stair railing, watching the scene unfold. She couldn't help but stumble two steps back in fear. 

 

"She's still here." Xue Yuan pointed her trembling finger and spoke as her lips quivered, but she didn't see Zhou Yang's spirit by Lin Siyu's side. 

 

The others followed her gaze and were alarmed. Could it be that the female ghost had once again possessed Zhou Yang's body? 

 

"Master, quickly! Drive that female ghost away!" Mrs. Wu's face changed dramatically as she pointed at A’Yang. 

 

The Taoist priest wiped the sweat from his brow once more, raised the peachwood sword with reluctance, and swung it at A’Yang. "Evil demon, begone!" 

 

"Give him a good scare," A’Yang told Lin Siyu. 

 

"Alright." Lin Siyu immediately floated over and revealed a ghostly face to the Taoist priest.

 

"Ah! Ghost… It's a ghost!" The Taoist priest was so frightened that he couldn't even hold onto his peachwood sword any longer and tumbled to the ground. 

 

The Xue family members' faces turned pale. The exorcist, who was supposed to be fearless of ghosts, was petrified. Could he be a self-proclaimed fraud? 

 

Just as Mrs. Wu finished speaking, Lin Siyu's ghostly form floated right in front of her. She grinned at her for a moment before Mrs. Wu fainted. 

 

Lin Siyu then proceeded to scare the rest of the Xue family members. A’Yang observed for a while but found it rather dull, so she returned to her room. 

 

However, as she turned to leave, Lin Siyu suddenly screamed and turned into mist, escaping from the house. A’Yang turned around in surprise and saw that the Taoist priest, who didn't seem to have much spiritual power, was holding a spirit talisman in his hand. 

 

He threw one at Lin Siyu and held another while chanting, "May the Ancestral Master protect us. May the Ancestral Master protect us." 

 

"The ghost… The ghost is gone!" Xue Yuan took a few steps forward and was relieved to see Lin Siyu's spirit escaping. 

 

She couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. 

 

"Are you okay, Xue Yuan?" Meng Ji rushed over with the help of Hu Ma. He quickly walked up to her. 

 

"Ah Ji." Xue Yuan looked at Meng Ji with a pale face and couldn't help but recall the recent events, making her feel shaken.

  

"What exactly happened?" Meng Ji looked at the smoke-filled room and the choking smell. His brow furrowed deeply. 

 

He had been handling some matters elsewhere and had returned upon hearing about the Xue family's exorcism. The room was filled with thick smoke, so they decided to continue their conversation outside. A’Yang saw them all leave and simply went upstairs. 

 

Zhou Yang glanced at the Xue family members, sensing that the menacing aura around them had disappeared. After some hesitation, she followed Meng Ji upstairs. 

 

As for the Taoist priest, he quickly gathered his belongings and tried to slip away. He usually only posed as a priest with a few books left by his ancestral master to create an image. While he had some knowledge of feng shui, encountering actual ghosts was a first for him. 

 

Fortunately, he had the spirit talismans left by his ancestral master to protect him. He thought to himself that he needed to pay his respects to his ancestral master properly when he got back. 

 

Taking advantage of the Xue family's distraction, he stealthily made his way out of the house. After a few steps, he couldn't resist turning back to take a look. He felt like he had truly lost this time, escaping without any profit as well as losing a few spirit talismans. The thought made him cringe. 

 

No one paid any attention to the fleeing Taoist priest. Meng Ji led Xue Yuan outside and sat her down. He held her hand tightly. "Why didn't you come to me? Why did you allow yourself to get into this state?" 

 

Xue Yuan lowered her head and remained silent. 

  

"Meng Ji, don't blame Yuanyuan for this. If you have to blame someone, blame me. It's my fault for bringing that female ghost back." 

 

"Brother, don't say that. You didn't know Lin Siyu would attach herself to you," Xue Yuan's voice quivered as she tried to defend her brother. 

 

The siblings were busily taking responsibility for the situation, displaying a touching scene of mutual care. 

 

A’Yang clicked her tongue twice, leaning on the railing as she gazed outside. "When something like this happens, you should come to me, silly girl. Don't try to bear everything on your own. You still have me." 

 

"It's so… cold," Zhou Yang whispered as she shivered, feeling goosebumps all over her skin even though she was already a ghost. Could ghosts actually get goosebumps? 

  

Soon, Meng Ji made a call, and three cars arrived. People from the two cars at the front and back respectfully stood next to the car in the middle. Someone opened the door, and a man dressed in Daoist robes stepped out. 

 

Zhou Yang craned her neck to get a better look, and the man in Daoist robes seemed to sense her gaze. He turned his head in her direction as if he could see her through the thick smoke. 

 

"He… It seems like he can see me." Zhou Yang shivered and instinctively shielded herself behind A’Yang. 

 

"Master You, thank you for coming," Meng Ji greeted the Daoist. 

 

Master You simply nodded in acknowledgment. However, he glanced back in Zhou Yang's direction as if he could detect her presence amidst the smoky haze. 

 

"He… he can see me.” Zhou Yang trembled again and returned to her position behind A’Yang.  

 

"Master You, I apologize for troubling you with this matter," Meng Ji thanked the Daoist. 

 

The Daoist merely nodded, but his gaze returned to where Zhou Yang had been. He was not mistaken; moments ago, there was a female ghost who looked exactly like that girl. 

 

Despite the chaotic surroundings, all Master You did was furrow his brows slightly. His companions, on the other hand, immediately started taking action, clearing the Xue family's situation. The thick smoke dissipated, and A’Yang was left exposed before their eyes. 

 

Xu Jianping couldn't afford to worry about A’Yang at this moment. He walked up to Meng Ji and asked, "Master You? Is it the renowned Master You?" 

 

Upon receiving confirmation from Meng Ji, Xue Jianping was overjoyed. Master You was a man of an incredibly high status, and even meeting him in person was a rare privilege. Calling him over with just a phone call was beyond impressive. 

 

Indeed, he was dealing with someone from the Meng family. 

 

Master You carefully surveyed the room. He spoke with certainty, "There's more than one spirit in this room." Furthermore, he detected traces of spiritual symbols. 

 

Master You paused for a moment and then extended his hand to collect the residual spiritual energy left in the air. It was indeed from the person who had used the symbols. 

 

Since the Daoist sect had long disappeared, how could spiritual symbols still manifest in the world? 

 

"Not just one spirit? Could it be…" Mrs. Wu trembled with fear. The thought of sharing her home with supernatural beings terrified her. 

 

Before Mrs. Wu could finish her sentence, Master You extended two fingers and pointed directly at the spot where A’Yang was hiding. A wooden sword engraved with intricate runes suddenly materialized at the tip of his fingers, leaving everyone in awe. 

 

"Wow, the master is amazing," Xue Cheng praised him. 

 

Even Xue Jianping nodded in agreement. However, when they gazed at A’Yang, their expressions became complicated, and unsettling thoughts began to form, spiraling out of control. 

 

"Master, she… she can't be my daughter, can she? She must have used some sort of sorcery. I knew it! How could Yuanyuan not be my daughter? Master, you must capture this demon right away!" Mrs. Wu shrieked, and A’Yang frowned slightly. 

 

"What a noisy bunch." 

 

Instantly, the room fell silent, and no one noticed that Master You's hand trembled for a moment, nearly losing control. 

 

"Demon, cease your insolence! Surrender immediately!" To motivate himself, Master You magnified his voice. 

 

He no longer fixated on A’Yang but commanded the wooden sword to thrust toward her. 

 

As everyone watched with bated breath, a group of police officers stormed in just as the sword was about to reach A’Yang. They aimed their guns with vigilant expressions. 

 

"Don't move! Hands up." 

 

Xue Jianping was bewildered, unable to comprehend how the police had suddenly appeared in his home. 

 

"Are you the homeowner?" 

 

"Yes, this is my house. Officers, what’s going on here?" 

 

The leading police officer checked his identity carefully and then explained, "We received a report of an assault taking place here." 

 

As the lead officer glanced around, his gaze finally landed on Master You and the fallen wooden sword near A’Yang’s feet. 

 

"This, this…" The Xue family members exchanged puzzled glances. None of them had made a police report, so how could the police have been called to their home? 

 

As they pondered cluelessly, A’Yang, with an apathetic expression, descended the stairs and approached the police officers. Out of the blue, she collapsed to the ground, her face pale and gaze empty as she muttered, "I'm not a monster… Please don't kill me." 

 

The police officer remained silent for a moment, his expression growing increasingly concerned. He assessed the situation and then signaled his colleagues to take action. 

 

"Officers, please, let us explain. This is not…" Xue Jianping felt bewildered, unable to comprehend how the situation had escalated like this. It was supposed to be about a ghost in the house, but now, the police were involved!

 

"I'm sorry, but please come with us," the officer replied, his tone firm. 

 

With the victim right in front of their eyes, one of the female police officers had already  approached A’Yang, helping her up and comforting her softly while quietly gathering  information about what had happened. 

 

The Xue family members were reluctant to follow the police officers. They couldn't afford for this incident to tarnish their reputation if it were to be known to the public. 

"Excuse me, officer, could there be some misunderstanding here?" Meng Ji's brows furrowed even deeper. He never expected that he would be escorted to the station. 

 

The police officer didn't respond verbally but maintained a stern look and directed his gaze at Master You, who was dressed in Daoist robes. "Sir, what are you doing here?”

 

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Translator: HAhahahahahahaha! When in trouble go to police! Pfft hahahhaaaaa