Chapter 27

“I’d advise you not to mess with me. I’m in a bad mood today.”

Hearing Yue Yin’s childish words, Shen Hao Ping sneered coldly.

“If Miss Yue Yin is so arrogant and disdains my family, then she shouldn’t stay here any longer. Zhang Sao, take Miss Yue back to her room to pack her things and escort her out!”

Responding promptly, Zhang Sao hurried down the stairs. “Yes, sir.”

It had to be said, Zhang Sao had a knack for being ruthless. For a month, she had been tormented by a malevolent spirits, leaving her terrified, gaunt, and visibly aged by ten years. But within just two days of its departure, she miraculously recovered. Fearing for her job as housekeeper in the Shen family, Zhang Sao skipped any rest and jumped straight back into work.

She approached Yue Yin hastily, keeping her head low as she relayed, “Miss Yue Yin, the master wants you to pack your things.”

Zhang Sao was notorious for her sharp tongue, eager to please her employers by bullying the weak. Normally, after Shen Hao Ping’s command, she would’ve insulted Yue Yin without hesitation, mocking her status to curry favor with the master of the house.

But now, she kept her head bowed, too afraid to say more. A month of torment had left her terrified. She suspected Yue Yin was behind her suffering but had no proof. Every encounter with Yue Yin filled her with dread, fearing further torment.

Zhang Sao’s sudden timidity was so striking that even Shen Hao Ping couldn’t help but glance at her a few times.

Without his usual bootlicker to back him up, Shen Hao Ping’s anger deepened.

“Before she leaves, Zhang Sao, search her belongings. Don’t let her take anything that belongs to us.”

Hearing her husband’s words, Bai Xiulian’s face flashed with discomfort and hesitation, but she said nothing. From the moment Shen Hao Ping ordered Yue Yin to leave, Bai Xiulian remained silent. She only looked at her daughter with disappointment, unable to understand why Yue Yin had become this way.

Shen Hao Ping glared at Yue Yin coldly. “Pack your things and get out.”

The many members of the Shen household silently watched Yue Yin, their gazes cold and judgmental. No one raised their voice or hurled insults—they simply observed, indifferent and distant.

Her stepfather’s scornful expression, her mother’s cold detachment, and the nervous servants eavesdropping from the kitchen—it was all painfully clear.

Yue Yin whispered, “I really hate this behavior… Sometimes, it makes me want to…”
“…feel exhausted.”
“Tired, endlessly irritated.”

As Yue Yin murmured, the bright moonlight streaming through the windows dimmed rapidly.

Unaware of the growing tension, Shen Hao Ping barked, “It’s too late for words. This family has no place for an ungrateful wretch like you. Get out!”

“Don’t talk to me like that!” Yue Yin’s voice suddenly sharpened, cutting through the air like a blade.

A violent wind roared through the villa. The front doors slammed open with a deafening crash, and the raging gust swept through the house, scattering dust and sand, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.

Ceramic ornaments shattered on the ground, and Shen Hao Ping was thrown against a wall with a heavy thud. Clutching his leg, he cried out in agony, “My leg! My leg!!”

The sudden shift terrified everyone in the house. Bai Xiulian’s face went pale, and the servants, hiding in the kitchen, stared at each other in silent fear.

Shen Hao Ping, knocked over by the force, had collided with a table and likely fractured his leg. He grimaced in pain, cursing under his breath as he demanded Zhang Sao’s help.

Bai Xiulian snapped out of her shock and hurriedly tried to call for an ambulance, but no matter how many times she tried, her phone had no signal. Every call failed.

Yue Yin stood over Shen Hao Ping, her expression cold and detached. “I warned you—don’t talk to me like that.”

The dim moonlight filtered through the windows, casting eerie shadows across the walls. Everyone could clearly see Yue Yin’s silhouette—distorted and grotesque.

Clinging to her shoulders was the shadow of a gaunt, ghostly figure, with countless twisted limbs and an oversized, deformed head.

A strange, unsettling murmur filled the air, accompanied by bursts of eerie, mocking laughter.

Bai Xiulian let out a terrified scream as the shadow on the wall grew, expanding until it reached the ceiling.

In the horrified eyes of everyone present, the shadow detached from Yue Yin’s body.

The once-small, gaunt silhouette swelled and twisted into a massive, writhing darkness, spreading across the room with terrifying speed. The entire house was soon engulfed in shadow, driving the occupants into a panicked frenzy.

Screams erupted as everyone fled the Shen household in a desperate rush.

Moments ago, Shen Hao Ping had been shouting orders and demanding someone call an ambulance. But now, faced with the horrifying spectacle before him, he fell silent. Clutching his fractured leg, he huddled in the corner, trembling.

He tried to retreat further into the corner, but his path was blocked.

The eerie shadow, moving silently, slithered toward him.

Shen Hao Ping shivered uncontrollably, overcome by the unbearable pain and terror. He fought against the rising panic, trying desperately to keep his composure.

Slowly, trembling, he lifted his head to face the darkness that had come to claim him.

Then, he saw the most terrifying sight of his life.

A grotesque, horrifying creature was clinging to the wall above him.

It dangled from the ceiling in an unnatural posture, its enormous yellow eyes fixated on him with eerie excitement. Sharp claws clutched together, and its twisted facial features radiated pure delight.

The moment it noticed that Shen Hao Ping had seen it, its eyes brightened with even more fervor. Its mouth began to stretch into an impossible grin, spreading so wide that it nearly split all the way to the back of its head.

Thick, black liquid dripped from the creature’s grin, falling onto the ground with a steady drip, drip. The stench that accompanied it was suffocating, a nauseating combination of rot and decay that made Shen Hao Ping’s stomach churn.

He stared in stunned silence. Even though he was no stranger to supernatural occurrences—his own daughter had frequently encountered paranormal events—and despite his previous knowledge of “malevolent spirits,” this creature was unlike anything he had ever witnessed. It was the most terrifying thing he had ever encountered.

The monster’s saliva oozed down from the ceiling, coating Shen Hao Ping. The slimy, corrosive liquid burned his skin, but he didn’t dare wipe it off.

A sharp sting jolted him, and only then did he realize that half of his face had already been eaten away.

Trembling, he raised a hand to his cheek—and felt exposed bone.

“A-Ah… AAAAH!” His scream finally escaped, delayed by the numbing fear. That’s when it hit him, the creature’s saliva had paralyzing and corrosive properties.

His mind spiraled, overwhelmed by agony and despair.

Touching his eroded cheek, Shen Hao Ping stared in horror at the looming beast. Desperately, he fumbled for his phone, trying to call the Metaphysical Society or Captain Li from the Paranormal Incident Management Department.

“Help… Help me… It’s a malevolent entity…” he whimpered, voice trembling.

But no matter how many times he tried, the call wouldn’t go through.

Just as Shen Hao Ping was about to lose all hope, a soft voice broke the silence.

“There’s no need. They’ll come on their own.”

It was only then that Shen Hao Ping noticed Yue Yin standing before him.

He looked at her in disbelief. “Why are you still here?” When the malevolent entity had appeared, everyone else had fled in terror—even his wife, Bai Xiulian, had escaped after a moment of hesitation.

But Yue Yin? She remained, calm and unmoving. Why wasn’t she afraid?

A dreadful realization crept into Shen Hao Ping’s mind. His sluggish, poisoned brain struggled to process it. Yue Yin hadn’t moved an inch throughout the entire ordeal. From the moment the entity arrived, she stood there, watching everything unfold.

And more importantly, the monstrous creature above didn’t seem to want to harm her.

Swallowing hard, Shen Hao Ping’s heart raced as a chilling thought took root.

Yue Yin slowly approached him, a faint smile on her lips. “You can’t make a call, can you?” she asked softly.

It was in that moment he realized the horrifying truth. His voice shook as he stammered, “It… it’s you?”

His eyes widened with terror. “You… You’re one of them? You’re not ordinary?”

As someone connected with the Metaphysical Society, Shen Hao Ping knew about people with special abilities and malevolent entities. Now, even a fool could see what was happening. Yue Yin wasn’t an ordinary girl.

Frantically, he tried to salvage the situation. “Yue Yin! Don’t be angry. To me, you’ve always been like my real daughter…”

“You… you can’t hurt me! I raised you! You’ve been with us since you were six. I sent you to the best schools—I never treated you or your mother poorly!”

He babbled on, pleading and bargaining, alternating between pitiful appeals and veiled threats, desperate to manipulate Yue Yin into sparing him.

Yue Yin listened to his rambling, her expression amused.

How ironic, she thought. He claimed to treat her like a daughter, yet he never failed to emphasize that she wasn’t his biological child. Every day, he would subtly remind everyone—his family, the servants—that Yue Yin didn’t belong in the same way as his daughter, Shen Baozhu.

Ah, so this is what adults are truly like, she mused.

Yue Yin blinked, her voice dripping with disdain. “How disgusting.”

Shen Hao Ping froze, unsure what she meant. But fear for his life drove him to keep talking, his words tumbling out in a frantic stream.

“I know you’ve been unhappy. I kept your father’s inheritance intact—every penny is still there!”

“If it’s money you want, I’ll give it to you! I’ll even write a will right now! From today onward, you can be my legal daughter, and I’ll make sure you inherit everything!”

As he spoke, the monster’s claws inched closer, and Shen Hao Ping’s voice cracked in panic. Sweat poured down his face, dripping onto the floor.

Yue Yin tilted her head. “Oh?”

Then, she said lightly, “But I don’t really care about money.”

To gods, things like wealth, immortality, and advanced technologies were trivial—easily attainable with a mere thought.

Money held no meaning for Yue Yin. If she wanted it, she had countless ways to obtain it.

But it wasn’t about that.

What mattered to her was the game.

She stopped humoring Shen Hao Ping’s pitiful pleas, her gaze falling to the phone clutched in his trembling hands. “Trying to call the Metaphysical Society? Or the Paranormal Incident Management Department?” she asked with a faint smile.

“It’s no use. They’ll come. Someone will come to save you.”

Yue Yin stood up, her shadow stretching long behind her in the moonlight.

With her words, a soft rustling sound echoed in the air. Across the city, countless strange creatures stirred from their hiding places, drawn by an irresistible call.

“The master is calling…”

“I heard it! I heard it!”

“We must go! We must serve!”

On a quiet street, a man lay bleeding on the ground, his breath shallow as a rodent-headed creature feasted on his abdomen.

Suddenly, the creature’s sharp nose twitched, and its glowing red eyes lit up with excitement. “The master… The master is summoning us!”

It abandoned its prey, frantically sniffing the air before dashing in a frenzy toward the Shen household.

Similar scenes unfolded across every dark corner of the city. In the depths of the ocean, strange fish-like beings leapt with joy, while twisted octopi and human-faced jellyfish gathered, singing and dancing together.

If Jiang Suliu were there, he would have recognized the sight—it was the scene from his childhood nightmares. And the eerie song the creatures sang was one he had heard countless times before.

“Come dance with us beneath the waves,” the creatures whispered with joy.

“Join us in eternal slumber, in the darkness of the deep.”

Meanwhile, at the Shen household, the first wave of monsters had already arrived. Twisted abominations clung to the windows, their distorted faces pressed eagerly against the glass. Yet none dared enter, as if held back by some invisible force.

Shen Hao ping’s face was ashen. Yue Yin leaned closer and whispered, “Do you know why?”

“Because,” she said with a sly grin, “you broke the rules of the game.”