Chapter Twenty: Battling the Demons (Fourth Update)

“Congratulations on the birth of your precious son.”
There was no sense of tension, only a calm, ordinary tone. Song Nianqiang walked over to the child, glanced down, then nodded. “Nothing serious for now. Midnight tonight is when things will truly become exciting.”
Without the Ghost-Summoning Stone, the vengeful spirit’s power would wane with every day’s delay, its yin energy fading away until it vanished completely. Song Nianqiang was certain that the ghost would risk everything to return tonight, so the outcome would be decided then.
“Shouldn’t we prepare something, like black dog’s blood or a peachwood sword? I’m worried…” The woman was still deeply afraid. After waiting so long for a grandson, losing him tonight would be a devastating blow to the whole family.
“If you prepare those things, do you think the vengeful spirit will still come?” The items she mentioned could indeed ward off spirits, but that was not Song Nianqiang’s way. Relying on external tools to exorcise ghosts was not the principle of his sect. In China’s long history, there were countless traditions of ghost hunters, and not only his.
“You’re right, you’re right.” The woman now feared angering Song Nianqiang and his companion; if they left, her grandson would be doomed. The police couldn’t handle this, and their small county didn’t even have a supernatural division.
“Don’t worry. Although vengeful spirits can appear during the day, this one is severely weakened. If it showed itself now, it would be destroyed instantly. It has no choice but to wait for the hour when the yin is strongest. Let’s get something to eat first—we’ll need our strength to catch ghosts.” With that, Song Nianqiang and the fat man headed downstairs to find food.
There were many food stalls outside the hospital, selling all kinds of snacks and fruit. After a ten-minute walk, they found a dumpling shop, ordered half a kilo of boiled dumplings each, two stir-fried dishes, and four bottles of beer.
On such a hot day, a cold beer was a real pleasure. Once they had eaten their fill, they returned to the ward, bringing some food for the family as well. The family now dared not leave, terrified that something might happen to the mother or the child.
After dinner, Song Nianqiang chatted idly with them. When he asked if they had offended anyone, the woman’s husband stammered and gave evasive answers. Song Nianqiang knew they were hiding something but, since he wasn’t the police, he couldn’t press further.
In truth, the husband wanted to say that the one they’d offended wasn’t even human anymore—but he dared not confess, for it was a grave crime, certain to land him in prison.
As they talked, midnight quietly arrived. If the ghost was impatient, it would appear now; if it was patient, it might wait until after one o’clock. But hospitals were different from other places—after eleven, the yin energy began to rise, already surpassing the yang.
Apparently, the vengeful spirit had little patience. Just after midnight, it arrived—a surge of chilling yin energy swept through the ward. Song Nianqiang immediately became alert, while the fat man gripped his talismans in both hands. The curtains billowed as a cold wind swept through, and suddenly the pregnant woman screamed.
“Ghost! A ghost!” The daughter-in-law pointed to the corner, but Song Nianqiang was sure there was nothing there; instead, the heaviest yin energy was near her. He signaled the fat man with his eyes to investigate, while he prepared to cast the Five Thunder Incantation at any moment.
But soon, the cold wind vanished and the yin energy in the room diminished dramatically. Song Nianqiang couldn’t fathom the ghost’s intent, but remained cautious.
The lights in the room flickered as if in a horror film, yet not a single nurse came to check what was happening. Thinking of the nurses, Song Nianqiang was suddenly alarmed. “Fatty, guard the room. I’m going to check outside!” With that, he raced toward the duty station.
As he had suspected, the nurse stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, unable to believe what she saw. “With each murder, its resentment grows. If this continues, even the old master wouldn’t be able to handle it!” Realizing the severity of the situation, Song Nianqiang rushed into the corridor, closed his eyes, and concentrated on sensing the area with the strongest yin presence.
A shiver ran down his spine. Whipping around, he saw a grotesque, bloody face. A hand, flesh dangling in tatters, seized his throat and squeezed—he felt himself choking, darkness closing in. But before unconsciousness set in, he swiftly formed a seal with his hands and unleashed the Five Thunder Incantation directly at the vengeful spirit.
A shrill, soul-piercing wail echoed so loudly his ears rang, but the specter’s grip loosened and it vanished before his eyes.
Yet Song Nianqiang was certain it hadn’t given up. His mental strength was far beyond that of ordinary people—an essential trait for ghost hunters, who needed it to communicate with spirits and sense their presence. If the ghost could kill him and devour his spirit, it could easily slaughter the whole family in the ward.
At some point, the dead nurse had appeared behind him. Her white eyes rolled unnaturally in their sockets as she reached out, her fingernails grown long and glinting red.
Suddenly, she stabbed at his back, aiming to pierce him through. Thanks to his training, Song Nianqiang managed to twist aside at the last moment; the claws only grazed his chest, leaving a shallow cut.
“Let’s see if you can survive this!”
He cast the Five Thunder Incantation once more. The nurse’s body convulsed, and—astonishingly—she began to breathe again, her chest rising and falling.
“No!” Song Nianqiang was aghast.
He’d had enough trouble handling a corpse; now that she was alive again, it was even harder. He had to force the vengeful spirit out of her body. Without hesitation, he raced forward.
Perhaps the commotion had alerted the head nurse, a burly middle-aged woman, who ran toward him. “Get out of here! It’s dangerous!” she shouted. But she showed no intention of leaving. Barreling past Song Nianqiang, she lunged at the younger nurse, wrapping a thick arm around her neck and yanking her backward. The ghost, caught off guard, was pulled right out of the nurse’s body and left standing there.
“Incredible!”
Seeing the head nurse pull the ghost out so decisively, Song Nianqiang couldn’t help but admire her quick thinking and courage. But there was no time to marvel. He sprang forward, hands forming seals again.
The vengeful spirit, having been struck by the Five Thunder Incantation twice already, could not endure another blow. It vanished once more before he could strike.
“Go after it!” the head nurse urged as he hesitated, wanting to check on the young nurse. Left with no choice, Song Nianqiang complied.
Closing his eyes to sense the spirit’s presence, Song Nianqiang suddenly sprinted back toward the ward. By now, the ghost had already entered. When he burst inside, the battle was underway. The fat man, clearly not the spirit’s match, was flailing his talismans wildly.
“It’s at the child!” In this emergency, Song Nianqiang activated his Yin-Yang eyes. Both he and the fat man possessed this ability, but unlike those born with it, theirs had limitations—they could only use it in dire circumstances.
Of course, a true master could open or close the Yin-Yang eyes at will, but Song Nianqiang wasn’t there yet. Hearing his shout, the fat man hurried to the child, slapped a talisman on the baby’s forehead without hesitation.