Just then, the curtains hanging on the wall began to draw slowly apart from the center toward both sides. There was no one there, nothing at all, yet the curtains were moving—slowly and continuously. The heavy fabric scraped against the rough cement wall, emitting an uneasy, hissing sound. Simultaneously, the censer placed before the three paper effigies gave an inexplicable shudder. The three sticks of incense plunged into it suddenly flared with a seductive crimson light, dozens of times brighter than before, intensely dazzling. And their rate of burn increased just as rapidly. The sandalwood incense, which normally took half an hour to burn halfway down, was consumed entirely in less than ten seconds under everyone's watchful eyes.

Cold! So cold! Young Master Liu abruptly shivered. Though he had just been sweating profusely under the quilt pulled over him, he was now suddenly struck by a chill, growing colder and colder, to the point where every breath he took condensed into mist in the air. Achoo—Young Master Liu couldn't help but sneeze, yanking the blanket draped over Tian Guodao’s lap further over himself. Though he felt this was incredibly disloyal and inhumane, he simply could not bear the bone-piercing cold any longer. Over there, Village Head Tian’s expression also changed. He exchanged a look with Old Man Wang and the others, taking a step back and pressing his spine tightly against the wall beside the wooden door.

In the entire room, only Granny Fan remained, facing the window. She lifted an eyebrow, her expression blank. Only after the three sticks of incense had completely turned to ash did she speak in a faint voice, "It has arrived…"

"What has arrived?" Village Head Tian asked instinctively.

"Could it be…" Little Mazi’s mother suddenly recalled something. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, shrinking behind the three strong men, her eyes filled with fear and trepidation.

"No need to fear. As long as this old woman is here, nothing will happen." Granny Fan curled her lip, her wrinkled, ugly face cracking into a smile. She then inserted the other three prepared sticks of incense into the censer. Amidst the wisps of white smoke, she continuously bowed her head, speaking with utmost deference, "The young ones were ignorant and have offended the dwelling place of the honored spirits; punishment is due. But they have suffered enough for now. We implore the great immortals to show mercy and let this matter rest. I beg you, I will certainly bring them to offer proper apologies another day…" Judging by her tone, she seemed to be pleading on behalf of the youths, yet her voice was dry, sharp, and thoroughly unpleasant.

Indeed, Granny Fan was currently attempting a 'truce.' As the saying goes, cats have their ways, and rats have theirs; similarly, those who practice as spirit mediums and shamans operate under their own set of rules and strictures—their own 'eight great disciplines and four key considerations.' Generally speaking, these yin-yang practitioners who have accumulated a certain degree of local influence do possess some measure of ability, just not much. After all, the lowest-tier, third-rate trickery only fools outsiders; encountering someone sharp-eyed means they can yank out your secrets with the flick of a finger. Moreover, the countryside is vast, with countless ravines and graves scattered across the hillsides. One wrong step during an outing or spring excursion might just flatten someone’s ancestral tomb. Because of this, occasional incidents like spirit possession, sleep paralysis, or encounters with weasel spirits are hardly rare. Thus, successful yin-yang practitioners naturally have experience and methods for dealing with these genuine phenomena.

Yet the ancients also said: to kill ten thousand enemies, one must sacrifice eight thousand of their own. Nowhere is this more apt than in the profession of the yin-yang master. Why? If you yourself only possess half-baked skills and then try to engage in a direct fight, aren't you inviting death? Once or twice might be manageable, but after three or four times, even the capable ones risk being maimed or killed. The unluckier ones might even be scared into lifelong madness, stripping naked in front of young women on the street or urinating on old men. Alas! Don't be surprised; this is common enough. Consequently, after absorbing numerous lessons, these yin-yang masters figured out the art of negotiation. This means that before confronting a true ghost or ghoul, they first try to soothe the spirit’s anger and calm its temper, seeing if they can appease it by burning joss paper, offering penance, or fulfilling some small, easily satisfied desire. If it works, wonderful—everyone is happy, and they happily count their money. If it fails, only then do they brace themselves and carry on. After all, their legs are still their own; if things get too dire, they can just turn tail and bolt.

"I beg forgiveness, I beg forgiveness…" Granny Fan’s deeply suppressed voice continued, echoing back and forth within the cramped room, the overlapping sounds making everyone’s hair stand on end, shaking off goosebumps onto the floor.

Granny Fan only stopped after knocking her forehead raw. She squeezed her aged face into a smile, saying, "Is my sincerity enough? If you deem it acceptable, let this be settled. I, Granny Fan, will take charge, retrieve these three paper figures, and you withdraw from their bodies. Afterward, I will prepare ample incense, candles, and spirit money to send your way. Agreed?"

"Do you agree?" Seeing no slightest stir around her, Granny Fan had to press on with a thick skin.

Still no answer. The glass panes of the two windows were tightly sealed, yet the curtains, which had just been pulled open, billowed high as if caught in a wind that wasn't there.

What in the world? Granny Fan blinked, wondering inwardly. According to the rituals of the past, once they reached this stage, the spirits and deities usually showed some face and voluntarily backed down. At most, she would suffer a financial loss afterward, burning some ghost money. But now, her opponent offered no confirmation, not even a 'yes' or 'no,' leaving her suspended. What exactly did it intend?

Could it have simply left on its own?

Really? But why did she still feel something was profoundly wrong? Granny Fan racked her brain trying to figure it out.

Suddenly, the three sticks of incense on the altar snapped clean in half. With a bang, a ball of flame erupted from the censer, and in the fierce blaze, the three paper figures hidden beneath were completely engulfed, burning until nothing remained but ash. In the raging fire, the altar began to shake violently, feeling like a tractor driving over deeply rutted roads.

"Not good!" Granny Fan’s face, which had just held the confidence of a seasoned strategist, immediately turned ashen with shock. Her eyebrows twisted so tightly they seemed ready to squeeze out water. However, she was an old hand in this line of work; her ability might be mediocre, but her experience was seasoned. Acting decisively, she reached into her sleeve and pulled out three copper coins covered in green rust, pressing them onto the altar.

"These are no ordinary coins! They are Five Emperors Tongbao coins!" Granny Fan’s hair stood on end. Using both hands simultaneously, she executed the 'Suppression' Seal, pointing at the coins and shouting loudly. But this entire sequence of actions was clearly nothing more than a mayfly attempting to shake an oak tree, a mantis trying to stop a chariot. It only managed to still the table for a few seconds before the restraining force was broken. Turning back, the table was jumping even more wildly, tossing the copper washbasin, candles, and everything else onto the floor, scattering everywhere and causing Village Head Tian and the others to shout and scramble to avoid being hit. Granny Fan, weakened by age, couldn't hold on, her legs gave way, and she was shoved backward, landing squarely on her backside. Looking at her expression, however, there was no sign of pain; what dominated was dread—a fear rising from the very depths of her soul!