Chapter 17.1

In the nanny’s room, contrary to what one might imagine, the room wasn’t dark or gloomy. The window was open, and the sheer curtains swayed in the breeze.

It should have been a serene scene, but instead, Aunt Zhang sat at the vanity, voraciously devouring a bowl of fruit.

She was stuffed but dared not stop eating.

The breeze flowed into the room, yet it did nothing to alleviate the stifling, oppressive atmosphere. Through the billowing white curtains, a deformed figure could faintly be seen.

Aunt Zhang continued to eat in large mouthfuls, catching a glimpse of the monstrous shape in the corner of her eye. Terrified, she immediately looked away.

“So boring, so boring.”

A shrill voice echoed, “Useless trash, can’t do anything right. What good are you? Can’t even fill my belly following you…”

A scrawny creature sat on the vanity, legs crossed, with limbs so thin that its legs were slimmer than its arms, swinging idly in the air.

Its expression shifted between disdain and malice as it muttered to itself, “Trash, trash, trash. Worthless thing, so boring.”

It leaned down, pressing its eerie head close to Aunt Zhang’s face, whispering menacingly, “I want to eat you. I want to eat you.”

“I don’t understand… When will the great lord finally give the order to let me eat this useless trash?”

At the mention of “the lord,” the scrawny creature shuddered, its voice dropping to a hushed whisper.

It pricked its ears, eyes—unusually large—darting around the room. After confirming that Yue Yin hadn’t appeared, it breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Then, its resentment deepened as it rushed to Aunt Zhang’s side, threatening her, “Eat faster, eat faster!”

It was all this woman’s fault. Because of her, the creature had been stuck here. The lord had commanded it to torment her for a month—ten more days before it would be free.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Aunt Zhang could only catch fragments of the creature’s muttering, trembling like a frightened bird.

Finally, the door—silent for so long—opened from the outside.

Zhou Huai’an entered, stepping slowly into the room.

The scrawny shadow turned its head around 360 degrees, its expression lighting up with excitement. “Ah, a new arrival!”

As soon as he entered, Zhou Huai’an saw Aunt Zhang by the window, along with the malevolent spirit perched on her.

It was a small creature, crouched menacingly on Aunt Zhang’s shoulder, softly whispering, “So hungry… so hungry…”

The creature’s body was emaciated, limbs shriveled, and its disproportionately large head—with empty eye sockets that took up nearly a third of its face—looked unsettling.

Seeing the hideous monster in the room, Zhou Huai’an frowned slightly.

It crouched on the desk like a helpless stray cat, arms folded in front of it, its enormous eyes staring at Zhou Huai’an as he approached.

“Who are you?” the spirit asked, its huge eyes filled with feigned innocence.

Zhou Huai’an’s voice was calm. “Your executioner.”

He casually tossed a handful of copper coins into the air. The thumb-sized coins scattered, floating down like flower petals, landing precisely in the four corners of the room.

Oddly, one coin landed at the door, another behind the creature, near the window. The coins formed a precise pattern, a unique Taoist array to prevent the malevolent spirit from escaping.

After setting up the barrier, Zhou Huai’an took out another packet of coins from his pocket, preparing to act.

“With this spell, I cleanse the filth. May the nine holes receive the spirit.”

As he chanted, the coins floated in the air, pausing briefly before shooting toward the creature like arrows.

Aunt Zhang, half-conscious, finally sensed the danger, letting out a scream as she ducked under the table.

The shadowy creature glanced at her with disdain, thinking she was neither particularly unlucky nor lucky.

The lord had originally commanded it to stay by her side for half a month, but after the young lady of the household brought her back from the hospital, the lord, in anger, had doubled the time to a month.

It had grown bored of watching her eat meat and had switched her to fruit. Now, this man had suddenly appeared, talking of fighting and rescuing her.

Couldn’t they just let the woman serve out her full month? Why did they have to upset the lord, dragging it down with her?

As dozens of glowing copper coins flew toward the shadowy creature, it remained still, watching them approach without a hint of fear.

The coins struck the creature, burning its skin and leaving charred patches, filling the room with the smell of scorched flesh.

“So painful, so painful.”

The monster, now seemingly frightened, recoiled, huddling in a corner.

It pitifully stared at Zhou Huai’an, pleading, “I was wrong… Please, don’t hurt me.”

“Spare me, I’ll let you make me your forbidden item. I’ll serve you.”

The scrawny creature sobbed and cowered behind the curtains, terror etched on its face as it begged for mercy.

But Zhou Huai’an merely frowned, unmoved. He continued with his incantation.

He knew better than to trust malevolent spirits, as they were treacherous and deceitful. If you let your guard down, they would take your life.

Zhou Huai’an, ever cautious, even against a weak D-level spirit, would not make the mistake of underestimating it.

He pulled out more copper coins and a peachwood sword from his pack. “I invoke the spirits above. Zhou Huai’an beseeches you: banish the evil, purge the malevolence, and stabilize the spirit, uniting heaven and earth…”

Seeing that Zhou Huai’an remained indifferent to its pleas, the creature’s expression shifted from fear to boredom.

“You’re no fun, you’re really no fun.”

Ignoring its taunts, Zhou Huai’an completed his incantation.

With his final words, the copper coins in his hand soared into the air.

Each coin emitted a bright golden light, illuminating the entire room.

The room shone with the brilliance of the coins, which swarmed toward the shadowy figure like a barrage of talismans.

The spirit, still unmoving, watched as the coins closed in, its grotesque grin widening. “Oh, I’m so scared, so scared… Won’t you play with me?”

“You’re so dull. Why don’t you just die?”

As the monster muttered to itself, its body suddenly expanded.

The once-bright room plunged into darkness, as though night had suddenly fallen. A bone-chilling cold spread throughout the house, fear permeating every corner.

The previously small, scrawny figure ballooned to over four meters tall.

The golden glow of the coins dimmed as they were swallowed by the creature’s expanding shadow. As they reached the monster, it was as though they encountered a transparent, black veil, disappearing within its depths.

It bent its elongated neck down from the ceiling, looking down at Zhou Huai’an. Its lantern-sized eyes glowed yellow, filled with pure malice.

Its clawed hands clenched tightly as its twisted face showed eager anticipation. “Won’t you play with me?”

Everything had happened so quickly that Zhou Huai’an barely had time to react.

The shadowy creature had grown into a terrifying form, its once-slim body stretching and its serpent-like neck coiling downward to hover menacingly in front of him.

“Boring.”

“So boring…”

The creature twisted its skeletal frame, its joints cracking loudly, before speaking with venom. “I’m in a bad mood. How about you die to lift my spirits?”

Zhou Huai’an stared in shock, but quickly regained his composure, thrusting his hand forward with force.

Countless copper coins exploded in the air, and a thunderclap echoed through the room.

After a piercing scream, Zhou Huai’an’s realization dawned on him.

In disbelief, he shouted, “You’re an A-level malevolent spirit!!”

Most malevolent spirits were C or D-level, easily handled by ordinary practitioners. B-level spirits marked a dangerous threshold, requiring immediate attention from authorities. But an A-level spirit? That was a different beast altogether, one that demanded immediate and decisive action.

A-level malevolent spirits were ruthless, highly intelligent, and nearly invincible.

Their appearance is often accompanied by chaos and bloodshed.

The fact that this A-level malevolent spirit was content to stay by a human’s side, merely tormenting without consuming them, was beyond what Zhou Huai’an could comprehend. In that moment, he even considered the possibility that this was some elaborate plot against him.

Unconsciously, cold sweat dripped from his forehead.

What Zhou Huai’an didn’t know was that this evil spirit had been unlucky enough to be summoned by Yue Yin as a disposable pawn. If it had a choice, it would have long since fled to freedom.

Bound by Yue Yin’s orders, the ghostly figure dared not leave easily. It was forced to stay by Aunt Zhang’s side, acting as her tormentor.

“Fresh meat…”

The ghost’s head inched closer, savoring the look of panic and anxiety on Zhou Huai’an’s face, but it wasn’t in any rush to finish him off. It relished this moment of fear and despair too much.

“Don’t kill me, don’t kill me…” Aunt Zhang, terrified beyond reason, huddled in a corner, muttering to herself.

This was the first time, after being tormented by the evil spirit for over half a month, that she had seen its horrifying figure so clearly.

“Aaahhh!!!” she shrieked, retreating even further in fear.

Zhou Huai’an stood frozen, staring up at the ghost looming over him, his heart filled with despair like never before.

An A-level malevolent spirit.

What does an A-level spirit signify?

Not long ago, an A-level evil spirit appeared in City A, resulting in dozens of casualties. Despite the joint efforts of the Metaphysical Society and the Special Abilities Department, dozens of their agents couldn’t subdue the monstrous entity.

It was only when an unknown A-level ability user intervened that the crisis was resolved.

Zhou Huai’an was currently just a B-level practitioner. Against regular foes or weaker spirits, he stood a chance. But in the face of an A-level spirit, he was utterly powerless.

…

Outside the room, Shen Baozhu remarked, “Huai’an’s handling it, Aunt Zhang will be fine soon.”

Just a door away, Zhou Huai’an snapped out of his shock and quickly regained his composure.

Thinking fast, he seized the moment when the spirit was distracted, retreating swiftly.

From his pocket, he pulled out a specially engraved copper coin, his eyes fierce. “Divine wrath descends, sparing the righteous, striking down the wicked.”