A woman's laughter

I was directing the workers to keep digging up the graves. Relocating graves required care; we couldn't just charge ahead. The coffins had to be brought out one by one in the order they had been buried. Any mistake could cause serious trouble.

The Zhang Family's ancestral graves had been tampered with, so I had to be especially careful. Who knew whether the person who had ruined their feng shui had left any other nasty surprises there? I had to personally oversee every coffin they unearthed.

Just then, Zhang Yunyao suddenly came up beside me and said anxiously, "Young Master Wu, something's wrong with my dad! The housekeeper just called and said he suddenly went mad and smashed everything in the house. Even his voice changed. He sounds like a woman now."

My heart lurched when I heard that.

I suddenly remembered the Grudge Bone inside the white wooden box we had dug up earlier. That might be behind this.

A mass of baleful qi had struck Zhang Yucheng square in the face at the time.

I had expelled it from his body right away, but apparently something had still gone wrong.

Zhang Yucheng's current condition was probably caused by the baleful qi on that Grudge Bone.

And since Zhang Yunyao said her father's voice had become a woman's, I could deduce that the piece of skull might have been taken from a woman.

There was no time to lose. I quickly said, "Yunyao, I'll go back with you and take a look. I'm afraid this isn't something you can handle."

"But what about moving the graves?" Zhang Yunyao asked worriedly.

"That will have to wait until I get back," I said.

"All right." Zhang Yunyao nodded.

Before leaving, I told Uncle Huzi, "Stay here and keep an eye on these people. They can't keep digging until I get back. Understood?"

Huzi nodded. "Don't worry, young master."

Still uneasy, I turned to Zhang Yunliang. "Brother Zhang, I'm heading back to take a look. You're in charge here. Remember, they must wait until I return before digging any further."

"I know, I know..." Zhang Yunliang waved impatiently, never taking his eyes off his phone.

I had nothing to say to this guy.

He seemed to care about nothing. Even with his father in trouble, he didn't ask a single question.

How could someone this bizarre exist?

Soon, I got into Zhang Yunyao's car, and we headed straight for the Zhang Family's old residence.

Zhang Yunyao drove fast, racing all the way back. We arrived in just over half an hour.

The moment we reached the gate, I sensed something was wrong.

A thick mass of yin energy surrounded the courtyard, putting me on guard.

The courtyard gate was shut tight. As soon as Zhang Yunyao got out, she pounded on it. "Uncle Wang, open up! It's Yao!"

But after several knocks, there was still no response.

"Stop knocking. Something's probably happened."

I stepped forward and kicked the gate open.

Zhang Yunyao stared at me in a daze, clearly not expecting me to be so strong.

The gate had been barred from inside, and my kick had snapped the bar.

During my years training under my master, he had taught me plenty of martial arts as well. I might have looked skinny, but I was all muscle.

After kicking open the gate, we went straight into the courtyard. As soon as we entered, a gust of cold wind swept toward us. Even I couldn't help breaking out in goosebumps.

Overcome by an inexplicable fear, Zhang Yunyao suddenly pressed close and grabbed my arm with both hands. "Young Master Wu, why is it so cold in here?"

"Stay with me. Don't go more than three paces away," I said gravely.

That only made Zhang Yunyao more nervous. She pressed her body against mine, and a pleasant fragrance drifted from her. I had no idea what brand of perfume she wore.

Soon, I led Zhang Yunyao to the door of the house.

As we approached, a woman's eerie laughter drifted out from inside, making both our scalps prickle.

"Why is there a woman's voice in the house...? Only Housekeeper Wang and my dad are here. There shouldn't be any women," Zhang Yunyao said in fright.

I didn't answer. I pushed at the door, but it, too, was locked from inside.

Without another word, I kicked this door open as well.

A blast of cold air hit us head-on, carrying the sickly sweet smell of blood.

The instant the door opened, Zhang Yunyao and I both saw someone lying in the main room.

Zhang Yunyao recognized him at once. It was their housekeeper.

"Uncle Wang..." She hurried over the moment she saw him.

I looked down and found Uncle Wang's head covered in blood. Blood was still seeping out, but he was alive. Someone had probably knocked him unconscious.

I tore a strip of cloth from his clothes and used it to bandage his wound for the time being.

Before I had finished, that eerie woman's laughter sounded again nearby. It was so mournful and wretched that it sent a chill deep into my heart.

At the sound of that laughter, Zhang Yunyao immediately tensed again, gripping my arm with trembling hands.

"Young Master Wu, my dad will be all right, won't he...?" she asked shakily.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here." I stood and led Zhang Yunyao toward the woman's laughter.

Soon, I realized it was coming from the bedroom.

When Zhang Yunyao and I reached the bedroom doorway, we were confronted with a deeply bizarre sight.

Zhang Yucheng was sitting at an old-fashioned dressing table with his back to us, holding a comb and combing his hair like a woman. His movements were seductively graceful.

As he combed, he let out that unnerving laughter.

A mass of black baleful qi shrouded Zhang Yucheng's head. An unclean spirit had possessed him.

"Dad..." Zhang Yunyao called.

Zhang Yucheng didn't respond.

"You vile fiend! Get out of him now!" I roared at him.

At the sound of my voice, Zhang Yucheng slowly rose. When he turned his face toward us, Zhang Yunyao and I were startled all over again.

Good grief. Zhang Yucheng had actually put on makeup. His lips were smeared with lipstick, and powder made his face deathly white.

That old face, combined with the terrifying atmosphere, was truly frightening.

After standing, Zhang Yucheng suddenly took two steps toward us and let out another woman's laugh. Looking at us, he asked, "Do you think I'm pretty?"

Pretty, my ass. Damn it.

Zhang Yunyao didn't know what to do. She simply clung tightly to me.

Meanwhile, I had already discreetly formed the hand seal for the Ghost-Slaying Formula, ready to strike at any moment.