Chapter 4 Human Skin Painting 04
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Han Ke’s eyes bulged and rolled back. Her cheeks paled to an unnatural gray, a clear sign that she had been possessed.
Fear appeared on her face when she heard the mention of ‘Luofeng’s Six Palaces’.
‘Luofeng’s Six Palaces’ referred to the six heavenly realms associated with the deities of Mount Luofeng. Mount Luofeng was a Daoist mountain where the ghost of the supreme deity, the Great Emperor of Fengdu in the Northern Yin, resided. Outside the mountain, there were six chambers, each containing a palace. The Great Emperor of Fengdu commanded the Five Ghost Emperors from different regions, who oversaw the summoning of human souls and the administration of the underworld. Only those who had committed heinous crimes or were malicious and vengeful spirits were admitted to the underworld of Luofeng.
It was a place more terrifying than the eighteen levels of hell itself. The mere mention of ‘Luofeng’s Six Palaces’ was enough to instill fear in malevolent ghosts. If the name of the Great Emperor of Northern Yin was invoked as a threat, even the weakest spirits would be utterly terrified.
Han Ke was frightened and became somewhat cautious, but she still doubted Chen Yang’s ability to bring out the envoys from Luotong’s Six Palaces. Her gaze shifted downward, and she failed to see the wooden plaque on Chen Yang’s person. There was also a notable absence of any jade tablet.
“You haven’t been granted the Seal yet?”
Chen Yang shook his head. “I am not a Celestial Master.”
Han Ke paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. Her eyes, pale and devoid of pupils, stared directly at Chen Yang, giving off a chilling aura. The grayish pallor on her cheeks spread towards her forehead. If the lifeless energy reached her forehead, it seemed that Han Ke’s soul would be extinguished.
Chen Yang watched her calmly for a while, then stood up and walked to the window. With a swift motion, he pulled the curtains open, allowing the sunlight to flood into the room. Han Ke let out a scream, shielding her face to avoid the light.
Seizing the opportunity, Chen Yang quickly grabbed Han Ke’s right hand and lightly pricked her fingertip with a nail clipper. A drop of blood appeared soon after.
Han Ke trembled all over, clenching her teeth as her eyes rolled back. After a while, the trembling subsided, and she fell into a state of unconsciousness. After a brief moment, she slowly regained consciousness and saw Chen Yang standing by the edge of the bed. She felt no fear.
“Another charlatan brought in by my father?”
“I am not a charlatan.”
Han Ke let out a derisive laugh, leaning against the bed with a vacant and lifeless gaze.
Chen Yang felt a twinge of compassion. “You don’t need to lose hope completely. The deathly aura hasn’t spread to your spiritual acupoint yet, so there’s still a chance for salvation.”
“…Spiritual acupoint?”
“It’s the spot in the center of your forehead,” Chen Yang pointed to his own forehead, “Every person possesses three inner fires. When the Yang energy is strong, it shields us from malevolent ghosts. The deathly aura is creeping up from your feet, extinguishing two of your inner fires. However, there’s still one remaining in your spiritual acupoint. Only when the fire in your spiritual acupoint is completely extinguished can that malevolent ghost possess your body and alter your destiny.”
Han Ke’s gaze flickered slightly, fixed firmly on Chen Yang, as if she had caught hold of the only lifeline.
“Do you truly have a way to save me?”
“It depends on whether you’re willing to disclose what you know. No concealment allowed.”
Han Ke’s eyes filled with tears, and her cold indifference crumbled away like a decaying structure. She was just a young girl who had endured torment for almost a month, her hopes repeatedly shattered, gradually descending into despair.
But how could she willingly accept being possessed by a lone spirit and tormented, while that spirit enjoyed the benefits of her good fortune? Now, witnessing Chen Yang’s confident words, sincere gaze, and composed demeanor, she couldn’t help but place her trust in him completely.
Furthermore, even though she had been immobilized when the malevolent ghost took hold of her, she was aware of everything happening around her.
Hence, when she saw Chen Yang scaring the malevolent ghost with a few simple words and driving it away, she saw him as a genuine Celestial Master.
“If you can save me, I will reward you with an additional sum of one hundred thousand.”
Adding up to a total of five hundred thousand, Chen Yang, who had never encountered such a large sum of money in his entire life, completely forgot about his previous reservations towards spirits and deities. After all, he had been dealing with them throughout the first half of his life, so one more encounter wouldn’t make a difference.
“Tell me, what’s the story behind that painting?”
“Painting?” Han Ke followed Chen Yang’s gaze and when she noticed the striking beauty painting among a stack of posters, she was taken aback. “I’ve never seen this painting before?!”
Han Ke’s astonished expression appeared genuine, indicating that she truly hadn’t paid attention to this painting. Upon further reflection, this painting should have stood out amidst a collection of anime posters, yet nobody noticed it when they entered the bedroom just now.
It was undeniably mysterious.
“Celestial Master, could it be that the thing is residing in this painting? I’ve never seen this painting before, so how did it end up in my bedroom?”
Chen Yang shook his head. “Houses have guardian deities to protect them, and ancestral spirits watch over the safety inside. I even saw a statue of Guan Yu downstairs, which is supposed to ward off evil spirits. Logically speaking, it’s impossible for malevolent entities to enter.”
“Then—”
“So, someone brought this painting inside.”
Han Ke stood still, then became angry and furrowed her brows. “Someone wants to harm me? The only person who can enter my bedroom besides my parents is the housemaid. Could it be that the housemaid brought this cursed thing to harm me?”
Chen Yang remained silent, gazing at the painting for a while before suddenly asking, “Where is your housemaid originally from?”
“Sichuan.”
“Has she ever been to Western Guangdong?”
“She mentioned that she has only worked in the northern regions and never traveled to the south.”
“Then it’s not her.”
Chen Yang stood up and approached the painting, carefully studying its details. He became engrossed in the mesmerizing gaze and facial features of the woman dressed in a cheongsam. Suddenly, he saw a slight movement in the woman’s eyes, as they looked back at him with a subtle smile on her red lips.
Instantly, a sinister atmosphere filled the room.
Chen Yang’s heart skipped a beat, but upon closer inspection, the woman in the painting remained unchanged, as if his previous experience was a mere illusion. However, he knew it wasn’t. In that moment, Chen Yang’s caution grew. Since he turned sixteen, very few spirits could deceive him.
Chen Yang noticed the remarkable quality of the painting paper, which appeared glossy and delicate. As he touched it, the smooth texture lingered on his fingertips.
“Have you purchased any painting paper this month?”
“No—” Han Ke began shaking her head but then paused. “Although I haven’t bought any painting paper, I did come across a piece. I’m an art student, and I enjoy painting and sharing my artwork on Weibo. When I saw the painting paper, I was drawn to it and decided to pick it up. It felt smooth and refined, even better than traditional rice paper. I brought it home and stored it in the drawer.”
She struggled to sit up and opened the drawer, only to find the painting paper missing. “It’s gone?”
Han Ke’s expression changed. Her head abruptly turned, fixing her gaze on the portrait of the woman hanging on the wall. A look of terror crossed her face, as if she had seen a horrifying image. “I’ve never used that painting paper!”
Chen Yang: “Where did you find this piece of painting paper?”
“In Western Guangdong, my father’s hometown.”
“Can you be more specific?”
“On the mountain… next to a newly dug grave.”
Chen Yang let out a sigh. “How daring of you to pick it up.”
Han Ke burst into tears again. “I don’t know either. I’m an atheist. How could I know that picking it up would lead to all of this? Celestial Master, please save me.”
“Considering the amount of five hundred thousand, I will use all my knowledge to save you.”
Strangely, these words brought more comfort to Han Ke than any elaborate speech.
Perhaps, that was the weight of five hundred thousand.
“Celestial Master, what’s the story with that painting paper?”
Seeing Han Ke cry in fear, Chen Yang couldn’t bring himself to mention his speculation that it might be ‘paper made from human skin’. Otherwise, he might scared her to death before he could even save her. The unsettling image of spending a month in a bedroom with a piece of paper crafted from human skin haunted his imagination. To make matters worse, the paper was positioned right on the bedside table where she slept.
And sometimes, she would even take it out and touch it, maybe even rub it against her face.
Just the thought of it sent chills down his spine.
Chen Yang vaguely replied, “It’s just dark magic.”
Chen Yang sat in the bedroom for a while, waiting for nightfall. Suddenly, he stood up, which startled Han Ke. She quickly asked, “Celestial Master, where are you going?”
“…To the bathroom.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“Do you think that’s appropriate?”
“I’ll wait outside the door.”
Without hesitation, she even picked up the IV bag, genuinely intending to follow Chen Yang to the bathroom.
Chen Yang sighed and taught her a chant. Han Ke shook her head, unable to learn it. So Chen Yang told her to grip her middle finger tightly and to squeeze out some blood forcefully when she felt something was wrong. “The ten fingers are connected to the heart, with the middle finger closest to the heart. The blood contains pure yang energy. Even though you are currently surrounded by death energy, it can still resist for a while. If anything happens, remember to call for help.”
Han Ke nodded quickly, placed the IV bag back on the shelf, and lay back in bed, tightly holding onto her pricked middle finger.
As soon as Chen Yang stepped outside, he ran into Mao Xiaoli, who was giving him suggestive looks.
“Are you also possessed by a ghost?”
“Oh, come on, don’t talk nonsense.” Mao Xiaoli stuck close to Chen Yang’s side, trying to please him. “Brother Chen, you must be a Celestial Master, right? Did you receive the jade tablet? Are you one of those real masters who hide their true abilities?”
Celestial masters of the third rank or higher were given jade tablets instead of wooden plaques.
“No, I’m not.”
“I heard it just now.”
Chen Yang placed his phone in front of Mao Xiaoli. “See it for yourself?”
Mao Xiaoli looked closely and saw the Baidu page: “Ten Folk Methods for Exorcism.”
Her mouth twitched, her fantasies shattering.
Chen Yang left the downcast Mao Xiaoli, and made a trip to the restroom. When he returned, he found Mao Xiaoli still waiting by the door. He asked, “Did you find out everything?”
Mao Xiaoli stood up straight. “I asked all the questions. It’s not the same person.”
“After all this time, does Mr. Han still remember?”
“It’s a coincidence. When Mr. Han heard about his daughter being affected by an evil spirit related to that new grave, he immediately called his hometown. Mr. Han is a generous donor in the village, so as soon as the village chief heard about the incident, he informed Mr. Han about all the details concerning the deceased in the new grave. He even sent a few photos. I transferred the photos to my phone. Take a look.”
Chen Yang glanced at the photos, and the girl in the picture was indeed beautiful, but not exceptionally so. She couldn’t compare to the portrait in the bedroom.
“Brother Chen, Mr. Han asked me just now who the lady in the cheongsam portrait was, the one hanging in his daughter’s bedroom. He had no clue. Isn’t that strange?”
Chen Yang said, “Let’s ask Han Ke.”
After saying that, he turned and headed back to the bedroom. He retrieved the photos from his phone and showed them to Han Ke, but she claimed not to recognize the person.
“I saw the photo on the tombstone, but it wasn’t like this—” Han Ke suddenly stopped speaking and turned her head to gaze at the portrait on the wall. A look of sheer terror materialized on her face. “I remember now. The woman I saw back then, it’s her!”
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