It took Yang Haoran over half an hour to inspect the house with a compass. In Jiang Zhenzhen's view, Master Yang was ticulous and thorough, conducting the examination as if he were inspecting the entire house she rented.
After half an hour, Yang Haoran put away the compass and solemnly addressed Jiang Zhenzhen, "My intuition about the Yin aura was indeed correct. Through the compass test, it's confird that the Yin energy in your bedroom is the strongest. If my analysis is correct, the old... um... the elderly person you dread of should have lived in your current bedroom and passed away there."
Initially, Yang Haoran intended to say "old lady," but considering it might sound disrespectful, he imdiately changed it to "elderly person" to show respect.
He didn't want to voice this speculation originally, fearing it would not only frighten Jiang Zhenzhen but also himself as a master. However, if he didn't ntion it, it would be difficult to earn credit as a master. So, ultimately, he decided to speak up.
However, as soon as he ntioned it, Jiang Zhenzhen was startled, nearly crying out in fear. She hastily covered her mouth with her hand, her gaze turning to her bedroom, appearing even more terrified, on the verge of tears.
"Go and close all the windows. I'm going to perform a ritual," Yang Haoran said, disregarding Jiang Zhenzhen's fright.
Although Jiang Zhenzhen was apprehensive, she gathered her courage to close the windows, while Yang Haoran set up a table in the middle of her bedroom. Once everything was prepared, Jiang Zhenzhen returned after closing the windows.
By now, Jiang Zhenzhen was quite frightened, recalling the nightmare from the first night when the decaying old lady slept beside her. This led her to speculate whether the bed she currently slept on had once belonged to the decaying old lady. The thought sent shivers down her spine, causing her body hairs to stand on end.
Driven by fear, she instinctively drew closer to Master Yang Haoran. Only then did she feel a bit safer. Although Yang Haoran seed ordinary without any outstanding features, at this mont, he appeared towering and reliable in Jiang Zhenzhen's eyes.
Yang Haoran sensed Jiang Zhenzhen's subconscious approach but didn't refuse. He allowed her to co closer to him for a sense of security. It wasn't because he hadn't encountered won trying to take advantage of him before, but at this mont, he also felt vulnerable. Having soone close provided him with a sense of safety.
Yang Haoran was actually quite tired at this point. He was nervous, yet he had to maintain an air of authority. However, it was impossible not to feel tired. Taking a deep breath, instead of imdiately starting the ritual, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one out, and handed it to Jiang Zhenzhen.
"Would you like one?" Yang Haoran asked seriously.
Jiang Zhenzhen shook her head. "I don't smoke."
"Nobody does at first. You'll get used to it. It's quite soothing," Yang Haoran said, forcing a smile.
Jiang Zhenzhen still declined, not taking the cigarette. Yang Haoran didn't insist. He lit one for himself, taking a deep drag.
He offered Jiang Zhenzhen a cigarette out of courtesy. If soone wanted to smoke and you didn't offer one, it could be awkward if they took out their own pack later. He cared about such details.
Secondly, he wanted to distract himself through this thod. He was too nervous. If he didn't divert his attention, he feared he might ss up, revealing his incompetence. If Jiang Zhenzhen spread the word, his reputation would suffer a severe blow.
As the cigarette burned down, Yang Haoran's inner tension eased slightly. He disposed of the butt and turned his gaze to the empty table in front of him.
Subsequently, under Jiang Zhenzhen's watchful eyes, Yang Haoran retrieved three sweet potatoes from his bag. They were small and appeared slightly malnourished. He arranged them on the table in the shape of the Chinese character "品"
Jiang Zhenzhen didn't know what Yang Haoran intended to do, but she was sensible enough not to inquire. She simply leaned against Yang Haoran, her eyes fixed on him.
After arranging the sweet potatoes, Yang Haoran rummaged through his bag and successively pulled out a set of three incense sticks, a pair of red candles, and a thick stack of yellow paper.
The yellow paper was ghost money, but not the colorful kind seen in the market, which might boast of being worth millions. Instead, these were perforated yellow papers believed to be circulated in the underworld. Whether this was true or not, Yang Haoran had no idea. He was just following what he'd seen and heard.
"Could you fetch a large iron basin for ? If not, a bigger soup pot will suffice," Yang Haoran instructed Jiang Zhenzhen.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhenzhen hesitated instead of imdiately acting.
"What's wrong? Can't find it?" Yang Haoran asked.
"It's not that. I'm just... a bit scared. Could you accompany ?" Jiang Zhenzhen looked around, tightened her clothes, and pleaded pitifully.
"Heh, with here, what is there to fear?" Yang Haoran chuckled.
Although he said this confidently, Yang Haoran still accompanied Jiang Zhenzhen out of the bedroom and headed towards the kitchen. Despite his bold words, he was actually as scared as Jiang Zhenzhen, if not more so. However, he hid it well, and Jiang Zhenzhen didn't notice.
After fetching a soup pot from the kitchen and returning to the bedroom, Yang Haoran didn't allow Jiang Zhenzhen to enter with him but stopped her outside.
"When I perform the ritual, it's better for you not to co in. It won't be good for you, and I'm afraid it might scare you," Yang Haoran told Jiang Zhenzhen.
In reality, Yang Haoran wished Jiang Zhenzhen could stay with him in the bedroom. It would provide him with so company and a sense of security. However, he couldn't allow that. Letting Jiang Zhenzhen witness the embarrassing ritual would significantly damage his image in her eyes. If she saw the entire process, he might as well say goodbye to his reputation in this circle. Nobody would believe in Master Yang anymore.
Of course, Jiang Zhenzhen also wanted to stay with Yang Haoran in the bedroom. She was still very afraid of being alone outside the bedroom. However, upon hearing that sothing even scarier might happen inside, she nodded and decided to stay outside the bedroom.
"Don't worry. My rituals usually don't take long. I'll be out soon. You won't have to wait too long," Yang Haoran reassured Jiang Zhenzhen with a smile.
Although his words seed to comfort Jiang Zhenzhen, they were more for his own comfort. He acted so well that Jiang Zhenzhen couldn't see through him.
Entering the bedroom, Yang Haoran gritted his teeth and bravely closed the door. As the door slamd shut, his heart skipped a beat.
It felt like the door severed his connection with the outside world. The Yin energy in the bedroom seed to intensify the mont he closed the door.
Yang Haoran didn't continue pretending. He reverted to his true self. The composure on his face vanished, replaced by fear. He looked around nervously, fearing that the decaying old lady might suddenly appear.
He didn't waste any ti and imdiately began his so-called ritual. It wasn't that he was really efficient; he just didn't want to stay in the room any longer than necessary. He wanted to finish everything quickly and leave this haunted place as soon as possible.
With a trembling hand, Yang Haoran lit two red candles and inserted them into the sweet potatoes on the left and right sides. Then, he picked up three incense sticks, lit them, and inserted them into the top sweet potato.
Thin wisps of smoke rose, and occasionally, the candles made a popping sound. Although the bedroom light was on, the atmosphere was eerie.
In this environnt, Yang Haoran couldn't help but shiver. He felt like his entire body had turned cold, and he even began to tremble.
Taking a few deep breaths, Yang Haoran tried to suppress his fear. If he continued in this state, he wouldn't be able to proceed with the ritual.
As Yang Haoran made an effort to suppress his fear, it lessened slightly. However, it was just a minor reduction; his heart was still filled with fear.
He then clasped his hands together in front of the three burning incense sticks and muttered softly. His voice was low, and Jiang Zhenzhen outside the bedroom wouldn't be able to hear what he was saying. However, if soone stood beside Yang Haoran, they could clearly hear his words.
"Grandma, I'm burning more money for you. Buy whatever you like with it. This is all for Jiang Zhenzhen. Consider it her rent for you."
"Grandma, Jiang Zhenzhen is actually a good girl. Scaring her like this might end up killing her. Do a good deed and stop frightening her. If you need money, just let know. Anything that can be solved with money isn't a problem."
"Grandma, how about this? Every first and fifteenth of the month, I'll have Jiang Zhenzhen co in here to light incense for you. You'll have plenty of money down there, living in luxury as a ghost."
"Grandma, Jiang Zhenzhen is a decent girl. Please don't scare her. It's not beneficial for you either. We're all won; why make things difficult for each other? Don't you agree?"
"Grandma..."
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