Malevolent Spirit

In the quiet Library, the only sound was the faint scrape of a brush against the tabletop.

The rag used to wipe away the water stains gradually became soaked through.

Chen Mu immersed himself in practicing calligraphy, unable to get enough of it.

He had never been so focused on anything before.

It was not as though he had never wanted to practice calligraphy in his previous life.

But after buying copybooks and writing two lines, he would invariably turn to look at his phone. He kept it up for two days, then let it fizzle out.

Life had been much the same.

Sometimes, he would wake up and feel that he was muddling through life and needed to change, only to sink back into the mire again the very next day.

That feeling of being lucid one moment and muddleheaded the next was like being pinned down by a ghost in one's sleep—an inescapable nightmare.

Yet in this life, faced with brush calligraphy that was even more tedious and difficult to learn, and a typeface that had been completely unfamiliar to him just a day ago—

Chen Mu burst forth with an unprecedented passion.

The feeling of knowing exactly how to improve the next character after writing one made him unable to stop, and left him utterly exhilarated!

At around two in the afternoon, Chen Mu's stomach rumbled.

Hunger pulled him out of his immersion.

The Water-writing Font on the tabletop was slowly drying.

The gray wall appeared before his eyes again.

Writing: 8056/10000/Tier 1;

Chen Mu carefully savored that lingering sense of satisfaction.

No matter who had brought him here, he was endlessly grateful.

Little Daoist Cheng Ming brought him lunch.

Three Coarse Grain Vegetable Cakes, a plate of Boiled Green Leafy Vegetables, and a bowl of Thin Porridge.

Chen Mu wolfed it all down. Under Cheng Ming's astonished gaze, he swept the dishes clean like a whirlwind through fallen leaves.

After sending Cheng Ming away, Chen Mu buried his head and continued practicing calligraphy.

The water in the brush-washing bowl was changed basin after basin.

The rag was wrung dry, then soaked wet again.

Only when the light had dimmed and his vision blurred did Chen Mu stop practicing. He continuously pounded his aching waist and back with both hands.

Writing: 8673/10000/Tier 1;

On the gray wall, the Writing skill had risen sharply once more.

"Unfortunately, it still isn't as good as the previous owner's."

After thinking it over, Chen Mu shook the water from the brush and quietly tucked it into the inner pocket of his broad sleeve.

There was a deadline for copying the scriptures. The temple would not allow him to linger here, eating and living for free.

If he wanted to catch up to the previous owner's level as soon as possible and finish the scripture-copying work early, he would have to work overtime and keep practicing after returning to his guest room.

In his previous life, he had loathed working overtime during his rest time, so much so that he had wanted to greet the company managers' ancestors for eighteen generations.

But now, he was actually eager to give it a try.

In the western courtyard of Qingfeng Temple, two figures stood in the shadows beyond the Moon Gate.

"Uncle He, has that scholar shown anything unusual today?" a solemn Middle-aged Daoist in his thirties asked.

He was Cheng Yi, the chief disciple of Daoist Feng Ren of Qingfeng Temple.

Daoist He, the temple handyman, glanced at the pitch-black guest rooms in the distance, his brows tightly furrowed. "I deliberately tested him twice today, but found nothing unusual."

"The Heartless Bell rang for no reason last night. A Malevolent Spirit must have entered the temple!" Cheng Yi said coldly. "Everyone in the temple practices martial arts and has vigorous blood and qi. Only that scholar is frail and weak. He is the most likely one to have been possessed!"

"But aside from dipping his brush in water and practicing calligraphy during the day, he showed no other improper behavior." Daoist He still could not make up his mind. "Could the Malevolent Spirit have already been frightened away by the Heartless Bell?"

"You said he has been practicing calligraphy?!" Cheng Yi could not help narrowing his eyes.

"I have seen him write. His structure is well-balanced and his handwriting elegant. If he writes so well, why would he still practice calligraphy?!" Cheng Yi snorted coldly.

"He really has been possessed by a Malevolent Spirit?!" Daoist He's face turned pale.

Qingfeng Temple might specialize in purging Malevolent Spirits, but that was all Temple Master Feng Ren's work.

Daoist He had been a handyman his entire life and had never seen such strange, inexplicable things.

At the thought that he had likely been face-to-face with a Malevolent Spirit, he could not help shuddering from head to toe.

"Then... shall we go tie him up right now?"

"No. Tonight, the moonlight is bright, and Malevolent Spirits are even more uncanny under it. Wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, lure him into the Ancestral Master Hall and suppress him directly with the Heartless Bell!" Cheng Yi said through gritted teeth.

That Malevolent Spirit truly had the audacity to run wild in Qingfeng Temple.

Moreover, ordinary Malevolent Spirits had no intelligence. This one even knew to practice calligraphy in an attempt to muddle through. It was absolutely no ordinary Malevolent Spirit!

"Will it work?" Daoist He asked uneasily.

"When a Malevolent Spirit possesses someone, spirit and flesh do not align. The Heartless Bell excels at seizing souls; it is the nemesis of Malevolent Spirits!" Cheng Yi reassured him.

"Uncle He, this is the Exorcism Talisman Master left behind. Keep it close to your body tonight. With it, you may sleep without a care. Tomorrow, act as usual and do not reveal any flaw." Cheng Yi pulled a yellow paper talisman from his sleeve. Its markings were crimson as blood, and beneath the moonlight, it actually seemed crystal-clear and translucent.

"And Cheng Ming is young and easily harmed by a Malevolent Spirit. After breakfast tomorrow morning, take him to the back mountain to plant vegetables. I will personally lead that scholar over!" Cheng Yi instructed carefully.

"Alright, alright, I'll listen to you!" Daoist He finally relaxed.

He did not want to come face-to-face with a Malevolent Spirit.

Early the next morning, in the Library.

Chen Mu, with dark circles beneath his eyes, spread out a sheet of white paper the size of two palms.

This was the cut paper used for copying scriptures.

"Gate of Origin, wondrous beyond wonder..."

He completed a page of scripture in one fluid sweep.

Setting the brush on the brush stand, Chen Mu placed the scripture copied by the previous owner beside it for comparison.

"Whew... I finally made it."

With a thought, the gray wall appeared before him.

Writing: 103/10000/Second Tier;

Pulling an all-nighter was worth it after all.

Afraid that the people in the temple would notice anything amiss, Chen Mu had not dared light an oil lamp.

Fortunately, the full moon had hung high last night, providing enough light for him to practice calligraphy beneath it.

"Young Master Chen, you are up quite early today." A voice suddenly sounded from the doorway.

Chen Mu jumped and looked up, only to meet a face wearing a smile that was not quite a smile.

He recognized this man. Cheng Yi, the temple's chief disciple, was the one who had recruited the previous owner to copy scriptures.

Last night, while reviewing the previous owner's memories, he had learned that there were seven scriptures to copy in total. The payment for putting brush to paper was generous—one hundred copper coins. By living frugally, it would be enough to support him for over a month.

"Good morning, Master Cheng Yi."

"I should not have disturbed Young Master Chen while you are copying scriptures, but I truly have a favor to ask and could only presumptuously come calling." Cheng Yi appeared relaxed, his face bearing a warm smile. Yet inwardly, he was slightly tense. Do not rush. Do not be impatient. Do not alert the snake in the grass!

"Please, go ahead?" Chen Mu looked at Cheng Yi curiously.

"A devout believer is visiting today and has promised to request a Thousand-Character Treasure Sutra to take home for worship. Only this morning did I discover that the pre-copied Treasure Sutras have only one copy remaining—and it has an extra ink dot on it." Cheng Yi wore an expression of difficulty.

"That believer is a friend of Master's, and we truly dare not slight him. So I thought of Young Master Chen. Your handwriting is elegant and beautiful. Would you be willing to help urgently copy a version?" Cheng Yi looked at Chen Mu with utter sincerity as he reached into his broad sleeve and took out a gray Small Cloth Bag. "A small payment for your brushwork, as a token of my regard."

"No problem. Where is the scripture?" Chen Mu accepted the cloth bag and readily agreed.

"This scripture is somewhat unusual. It is carved within the temple's Ancestral Master Hall, so I must trouble Young Master Chen to bring your brush and ink and accompany me there." Cheng Yi said apologetically.

"Easy enough. Time is pressing, so let's head over right away." Chen Mu did not hesitate. He turned to gather his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

Beneath Cheng Yi's broad sleeve, his fist clenched hard!

Success!