“What the - what’s happening?!” Tae Kuo tried to pull on the door, and found that it was locked tight, and an invisible force was stopping him from opening.

“It’s a diversion, DIVERSION!” Gloria rushed over to the door and started pulling it along with Tae Kuo.

“Fucking sneaky fucker.” Gyuu Park took out a small folded talisman from his pocket: “Let me try this - ”

Before Gyuu Park could finish, a sudden child’s cry drew their attention. When they looked at the direction from which it came, they did not see a child at all. Instead, they saw a large rat, with blood red glowing eyes and a scaly long tail, standing in the shadows of the vents.

All three of them almost cursed at the same time: “What the - ”

The mouse opened its mouth and let out another child-like cry. This time it was higher-pitched, came with a little bit of echo and somehow more gurgling. Gloria immediately threw the empty bottle that used to contain blessed water at it. After a loud crash and a pained screech, the mouse was sent flying with its back and front legs broken.

“Alright - that’s - let’s leave that to the custodians.” Gyuu Park grunted, still pulling the door.

Chitterlings and scratches drew the attention of all three of them once again. They turned around, and found that there were more than one rat, but a whole horde of them coming from shadowy corners of this platform. Bloodshot glowing eyes fixed at them.

—--------

On the other side, shortly after Sue and Luoshan Zi closed and barred the door, they heard a young woman’s voice and some knocking at the door: “Hey! Let me in! I need help!”

“Wait - who - who is this?” Sue asked through the door: “Gloria? Is that you?”

“Yes! Please let me in! She’s - she’s hurt me! I’m bleeding! Please let me in!” The voice outside became more desperate and hoarse: “Please! Open the door!”

“What is today’s special?” Luoshan Zi pulled Sue to the side and asked.

“What - oh!” Sue was about to ask before she gasped and covered her mouth.

“What!? Help me! Please! Help me! I’m injured! I’m bleeding! Please!” The voice became even more hysterical. The frame of the door shook when she banged it: “Open up! Open up!”

“Go away! You’re not Gloria!” Sue screamed.

“Open up!” The person outside screamed once more.

“Go away! Leave!” Brian Teith held her wife and son in his arms, and yelled.

The voice disappeared.

Sue and the Teiths let out an exhale of relief. Luoshan Zi rushed over to the side of the door and pulled out the bowl of incense ash from one of the bags. She then ruffled through them and found the butter and lard they bought.

“Here! Here!” Luoshan Zi raised the ash and the blobs of half-solid animal oil: “Come here! Everyone!”

“Okay, what?” Brian asked.

“Wok-bottom ash.” Luoshan Zi sat down on the floor as she ripped open the packages for the butter and lard and put it into the ash, mixing two ingredients together “This is a very - and I mean very old trick. By putting the ash you gather from the bottom of a wok on your forehead and shoulders. Oh - I forgot this - your wrists and the soles of your feet as well, so, socks off, NOW!”

“But - what?” Samatha still seemed confused.

“NOW!” Luoshan Zi raised her voice, and turned to Sue: “Sue, you too. You’re a civilian.”

“On it.” Sue nodded, and took off her socks.

“Listen to her, mom, dad.” Kevin raised her hand: “I - I read somewhere about the wok-bottom ashes as well. But - isn’t this incense ash?”

“Incense ash, presumably from the bottom of the burner, from how fine it is. By rubbing it on certain parts of your body, it can mask you in the eyes or general senses of paranormal entities.” Luoshan Zi nodded as she rubbed some oily ash on Sue’s forehead: “And when the wok-bottom ash couldn’t be found, a known substitute is this - incense ash with some grease.”

“Does it work?” Brian asked.

“It should.” Luoshan Zi picked up another small blob of greased ash onto Sue’s left shoulder: “Better putting it on and not knowing, than never trying.”

“But - we still don’t know if - ” Samantha sniffled.

“Just do it.” Luoshan Zi turned to the Teiths after handing a blob of ash to Sue to let her apply it herself. The Teiths hesitated for a brief moment, but after a quick exchange in looks, they decided to trust Luoshan Zi, and let Kevin use it first.

“Tick - tick - tick - ” Some sudden sound of water dripping in the bathroom almost got everyone in the department to jump up from where they were sitting.

“Here. Hold these.” Luoshan Zi immediately pulled the bags with blessed water and rice over and whispered to the Teiths and Sue: “I’ll go check. If there’s anything, I will buy you some time. Try to run out the door.”

“O - okay.” Brian and Samantha nodded, shivering.

“Be careful.” Kevin sniffled.

Luoshan Zi smiled, nodded and headed towards the bathroom, crouching and with lightened footsteps.

The water kept dripping, and seemingly with faster and faster pace. And after a while, she could even hear the water splashing onto the ground. The water pipe seemed to be making a strange humming and buzzing sound as well.

Step by step, Luoshan Zi reached the door to the bathroom. And with a handful of blessed rice infused with her Qi, and one bottle of blessed water, she was ready to throw a sudden attack at whatever that invaded her bathroom.

When she peeked through the bathroom door, there was nobody inside. Instead, it was only that her faucet was leaking and her sink was clogged for some reason, causing the water to overflow onto the ground.

Just this moment, a few grains of rice hit Luoshan Zi’s shoulder. She looked back, just in time to see a shadowy figure climbing over the railings on the balcony, and the civilians crawling toward her in panic.