I didn’t have time to explain things to him. I cut my fingertip and read the spell to beckon a spirit. As I had been using this spell more frequently these days, I had gained more experience. Soon, a spirit nearby came to help me. 

My speed was enhanced, which shortened the distance between me and the black shadow. When the distance between us was within the attack range of the Yin and Yang Umbrella, I threw it toward the shadow. 

However, I had underestimated the dark shadow one more time. Before I could activate the Yin and Yang Umbrella, the shadow accelerated and disappeared… 

I could confirm that it was afraid of me. The spirit didn’t counterattack. He only wanted to run away. I remembered the last time I had let him run away, another victim was chopped off after that. I had a flame of anger in my heart. I took out a yellow jacket and threw it toward the shadow. 

According to legends, it was Emperor Qianlong’s jacket. It was just a gold and silk jacket, but since the Emperor had worn it, it had his imperial aura. 

Moreover, in ancient times, adults and children were afraid of the yellow color as it represented the imperial family. If that ghost had lived in ancient times, he would be afraid of this jacket. 

Indeed, as soon as the yellow jacket got on him, the shadow slowed down. Moreover, he looked as though he would get on his knees soon. I found a method of dealing with him. I grabbed the Yin and Yang Umbrella in one hand while my other hand took out a Soul Subduing Talisman. 

He could have been tormented to death when he was still a child. However, I didn’t want to destroy his soul. That was why I decided to use the talisman to subdue him. Then, I would think about how to help him ascend. 

“Uncle!” Right when I had just stuck the talisman onto the shadow, Wang Ping’s son’s voice called from behind. Subconsciously, I turned around and saw Wang Ping’s son. He wasn’t even wearing shoes. Under the heavy rain, he shivered. His teeth clattered. 

I wanted to tell him to go home, but a sharp pain hit me at the nape of my neck. I recognized that I was tricked. I clutched my nape and turned around again. The shadow had wiggled off the talisman and galloped away. 

The pain at the nape of my neck disappeared quickly. It seemed the ghost had casually hit me before running away. 

I couldn’t chase it now. I hoped that it would understand the rule of karma and wouldn’t harm more people! 

I turned around again and picked up the shivering boy. Then, we returned to Wang Ping’s house. When we arrived at his house, the boy obediently went upstairs. I went to the bathroom to fetch a towel. Sitting on the sofa, I dried my hair. While doing so, I asked the policeman, “Why didn't you stop the kid from going out at midnight?” 

The policeman was surprised. “I didn’t even see him go out. How did you return with him?” 

I frowned. “He’s a big boy, and you’re telling me that you didn’t even see him sneak out of this house? How are you doing your police job?” 

The policeman was enraged. He slammed the table. “I’m sure no one left this house. I didn’t even doze off. If someone went out, I must have seen it!” 

I felt something wrong here. I threw the towel aside and rushed upstairs. The boy’s room wasn’t closed and he was sleeping in his bed. 

His hair was soggy, which proved that he had just gone outside. I shook him to wake him up. “Why did you go out there?” 

The boy looked at me. His eyes were drowsy and his face looked puzzled. It seemed the shadow had bewitched him. I sighed and went downstairs again. Together with the middle-aged policeman, we smoked. 

After thinking that there would be another death tomorrow, I felt irritated. It was the first time I had felt so annoyed after working in this business. I didn’t know if that ghost was a fiend or just a spirit. It had tricked me many times already. 

The policeman comforted me. “There’s no need to hurry, young man.” 

How could I not be hurried? A life was taken every day! 

I said nothing and quietly smoked. Then, I forced myself to rest. The policeman didn’t talk anymore. He leaned against the sofa and closed his eyes to sleep. 

The next day, I asked to talk to Wang Ping in private. I told her to take care of her son better. 

Wang Ping’s face turned awkward when she heard me. “It’s our family’s business. You don’t need to care about it.” 

I had to tell her the truth. “That spirit is pestering you because you don’t treat your son well.” 

Wang Ping changed her face immediately. However, she just casually answered that she would pay more attention to her son. I could sense that she wasn’t telling the truth, but I didn’t want to say more. Just like she had told me, it was her family’s business. I had no right to interfere. 

To assure Wang Ping, we left a policeman with her. I returned to the police station with the other policeman. 

Fortunately, there was no report of a new murder case today. I exhaled. It seemed the ghost was seriously hurt yesterday. 

As there was no murder case, I didn’t want to linger in the police station. I said goodbye to Captain Liu then left the station. 

It was mainly because I had almost used up all the items I had brought. After two days, I didn’t have any more refined salt. The Sirius Whip hadn’t accumulated enough energy, and the Peach Soul Flower was still in Wang Ping’s house. 

After the events from last night, it wasn’t hard to recognize that the dark shadow wasn’t afraid of talismans. Moreover, I didn’t want him to perish. I needed to use some moderately powerful tools to deal with him. I went around to buy some items, then stuffed them in my bag before returning to the police station. 

Unexpectedly, after I finished preparing everything, the ghost didn’t appear again. Wang Ping’s husband had come home when he knew of the incident in the house. It was good that there was more Yang energy in the house with his presence. The policeman guarding Wang Ping’s house returned to his department. 

I had been watching for two days in a row, yet I hadn’t found the shadow again. I then booked a room in a hotel to rest. There was no progress with our current cases, and there was no new case as well. Captain Liu and his team decided to temporarily close the case. Although they still kept a team to investigate around, both Captain Liu and I understood that these cases would remain unsolved… 

For the next five days, I stayed idle. I replayed what had happened in my head. On the evening of the fifth day, I finally reached a conclusion. 

That night, because of Wang Ping’s son’s sudden appearance, my plan had failed. I thought that I was tricked at that time, but now, after a few days of considering the matter, I found something strange. 

That night, I had brought him back to the house and he went to his room himself. If he had been possessed, how could he obediently return to his room and sleep? 

With this new thought, I went to Wang Ping’s house one more time. The boy happened to open the door for me. He looked at me with cautious eyes, which strengthened my idea. 

Wang Ping and her husband were watching TV. However, they didn’t look right. It appeared they were fighting earlier. 

When Wang Ping saw me, she was worried. “Will those crying faces come back?” 

I fiddled with the basket of fruits on the table and shook my head. “No, I have some stuff to do back in my shop so I have to go. Before I leave, I want to say goodbye to you guys.” 

While talking, I looked at the boy through the corner of my eye. Indeed, when he heard that I had to leave, he looked much happier. 

Wang Ping and her husband asked me to stay for dinner. After dinner, we had talked for a long time before I excused myself. I told them that I had to leave early tomorrow so I needed to rest early tonight. They didn’t keep me any longer and repeatedly thanked me before seeing me out. 

I left the neighborhood and returned to my hotel room to take my tools. Then, I quietly returned to their house. 

If my assumption were correct, the spirit that hadn’t killed anybody for a few days in a row wouldn’t be able to resist anymore. I just needed to wait and catch the rabbit! 

This time, I had learned from experience. I covered my body in a raincoat before climbing on the tree. Holding a pair of binoculars, I looked at Wang Ping’s living room. 

Wang Ping and her husband were fighting. Things were scattered on the floor. The boy shivered. He sat in the corner and cried silently. I was shocked to see a handprint on his cheek. Then, Wang Ping’s husband shouted something at his wife's face then left, slamming the door behind him. 

After her husband left, Wang Ping had no object to vent out her anger. She pulled the kid out of the corner and started to hit him as though he wasn’t her son. She crazily punched and kicked the boy. The boy didn’t even scream. However, his eyes were full of resentment!

After a while, Wang Ping didn’t stop but put more force into her fists and kicks. When she stomped on the boy’s thigh with her high heel, the boy couldn’t stand it anymore and burst out crying. 

My eyes turned sore. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to get in there and rescue the boy. Right at this moment, Wang Ping screamed and then fell. Her hands clutched her face. 

Blood streamed through the slits between her fingers. The boy crawled up from the ground. He stood and hugged the cloth tiger, looking down at Wang Ping. 

I was stunned. A shadow had just stormed out of the cloth tiger and attacked Wang Ping. It turned out the otherworldly item was the toy! Since the boy had always hugged it, I thought it was just a stuffed toy. I had never expected that cloth tiger to be an otherworldly item!