Those Years When I Was an Exorcist - Chapter 5

These two paper figures were the man and woman I had interviewed yesterday.

Even their clothes were identical: the man in a black suit, the woman in a dark business suit.

I remembered the woman’s surname was Chen—the same Miss Chen I had just met.

The paper figures were remarkably lifelike, instantly recognizable.

If not for the wind whistling through the tunnel, rustling the figures and making them sway, and their unnaturally pale faces, they might have been mistaken for real people.

My heart pounded as I stared at them. The more I studied their features, the more real they seemed.

Whether it was my eyes playing tricks or psychological suggestion, I could have sworn their eyes were moving, blinking.

And then, in a daze, I saw the paper doll woman—Miss Chen—come to life. She began walking stiffly toward me, one step at a time.

For a moment, I genuinely believed Miss Chen had come.

Not only had she come, but she was smiling at me—a smile so sweet it was indescribable.

No beautiful woman had ever smiled at me like that before. Miss Chen was the first.

Her crimson lips parted slightly, revealing three or four small, pearly white teeth.

At this sight, I jolted awake, remembering Seventh Brother’s bone-white teeth. That’s right! During the phone call, he had been so terrified that he’d even screamed for the Paper Figure.

Seventh Brother had disappeared after that call. When we saw him again, he had become that ghostly figure.

The thought flashed through my mind, but my consciousness seemed to be under some kind of control. My body remained completely immobile, my mind swimming in a daze.

I knew I was definitely possessed. As the paper doll woman glided closer, step by step, I knew nothing good could come of this.

Seventh Brother had ultimately turned into a plastic figure. Would I suffer the same fate?

The thought filled me with overwhelming terror. I desperately wanted to struggle, but my body wouldn’t budge an inch.

My inner panic burned like wildfire, yet I couldn’t even twitch my little finger.

What do I do?

In that critical moment, a long-forgotten memory surfaced in my mind: the method Grandfather had taught me for exorcising evil spirits.

I didn’t know if it would work, but I had to try!

I bit down hard on my tongue, the metallic tang of bl00d rushing to my head, finally clearing a sliver of clarity in my mind.

The moment that clarity returned, I could move again, as if tightly bound ropes had suddenly snapped loose.

I knew I couldn’t move yet; I had to keep up the act. Miss Chen was getting closer and closer, until our faces were almost touching.

Suddenly, her beautiful face cracked open, her deathly pale skin splitting apart to reveal a gaping, bl00d-red maw that lunged at me.

This was the moment I’d been waiting for. I snapped my mouth open and spat out a mouthful of tip-of-the-tongue bl00d.

The Paper Figure’s face twisted in terror as it recoiled, but it was too late.

My grandfather had warned me that tip-of-the-tongue bl00d was a potent ward against evil, capable of shattering any malevolent entity.

With a whoosh, flames erupted, engulfing the Paper Figure in blinding white fire. A thick, acrid black smoke billowed upward, carrying with it the faint, agonized screams of the burning paper doll.

Just then, a fierce gust of wind struck me. The male paper figure, sensing the danger, had lunged forward, desperately trying to extinguish the flames consuming its companion.

But this was no ordinary fire; it was the Ninefold True Flame.

As my grandfather had explained, the Samadhi True Flame in Lord Lao’s Furnace had nearly incinerated Sun Wukong. Had it not been for the protection of the Six Dings and Six Jias, the Monkey King would have been reduced to ashes long ago.

The Ninefold True Flame, specifically designed to annihilate the souls of the Six Paths, was even more potent, capable of destroying any evil entity.

In ancient times, when demons roamed rampant…

Nuwa, deeply aware of the difficulty in creating humans from yellow earth, bestowed upon them three great weapons to combat demonic entities and ensure their survival.

These three weapons were: tip-of-the-tongue bl00d, virgin boy’s urine, and human midriff yellow.

However, the tip-of-the-tongue bl00d was only effective for the first drop; subsequent bl00d lacked its power.

As the paper doll woman perished in the raging flames, the male paper figure trembled violently, clearly overwhelmed by grief.

Suddenly, the male paper figure’s deathly pale face snapped toward me, his eyes burning with venomous hatred.

Damn it, I thought. This thing’s about to lose it.

Even as I spoke, the male paper figure leaped high into the air. Mid-flight, his hands transformed into steel claws, slashing down at me with lightning speed.

I hadn’t anticipated this attack. The paper figure’s hands detached from his body like two meteors, hurtling toward me with terrifying force.

It happened in the blink of an eye, leaving me no time to react.

Caught completely off guard, I was struck squarely across the chest and back.

I heard the sound of wood splintering. Close call, I thought. Good thing I had the foresight to reinforce the door.

Originally intended to deter thieves, the reinforcement proved unexpectedly crucial. Without it, I would have been severely injured.

Seeing his initial strike fail, the paper figure lunged at me with reckless abandon.

At that moment, the hand seal my grandfather had taught me flashed through my mind once more.

“Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Ancestors, Teacher—execute this decree with utmost urgency!”

A Thundercloud Technique, imbued with the force of wind and lightning, struck the Paper Figure squarely in the chest.

Clearly, the Paper Figure had underestimated me, never expecting I would know this technique.

Terror flooded the Paper Figure’s face, but it was too late to evade. With a bang, the Paper Figure exploded mid-air, its fragments scattering like snowflakes before drifting slowly to the ground.

As soon as the Paper Figure vanished, the parking lot lights blazed to life, bathing the area in bright light.

I looked around again, and there were no Ferraris or Land Rovers—not a single car in sight.

Moreover, the ground was littered with yellow sand and cement, and scaffolding stood nearby, making it clear the area was still under construction.

My mind reeled. I collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

To be honest, I never expected the two techniques my grandfather had taught me to actually work.

Sometimes, when faced with imminent danger, people tap into boundless reserves of hidden potential.

It was precisely when danger loomed that I remembered those two techniques my grandfather had taught me in my childhood.

From a young age, my parents had entrusted me to my grandfather’s care in the countryside. They were too busy with work to raise me themselves, and their jobs were too far from home to make any other arrangement feasible.

I was six years old when my parents finally brought me back to the city. Within a few years of our return, Grandfather passed away.

While living in the countryside, Grandfather had taught me some magical techniques. I still remembered some of them, but others had faded from memory.

Moreover, as soon as we moved to the city, my parents declared these practices feudal remnants and forbade me from continuing them, insisting I focus solely on my studies.

Years passed in the blink of an eye, and I nearly forgot all the techniques I had learned.

If my life hadn’t been threatened, I doubt I would have ever remembered them.

I never imagined those two techniques Grandfather taught me would actually work.

Overjoyed, I unleashed another Thundercloud Technique. A bolt of lightning struck the opposite wall with a crack, igniting a roaring blaze.

I was so impressed with myself that I immediately tried to recall any other techniques Grandfather had taught me.

Just as I was basking in self-satisfaction, something fell from above. One glance was enough to send my soul fleeing from my body in terror.

It was a bl00d-soaked arm, still attached to an unnaturally swollen, crimson hand.

I recognized it instantly: Brother Wei’s Iron Sand Palm.

Realization struck me like a thunderbolt. Too terrified to even turn around, I bolted forward.

Seventh Brother had caught up.

His severed head soon flew past me, turning to reveal a face so horrifying it defied description.

Before I could react, Seventh Brother’s head dipped low and shot toward me like a projectile.

Thankfully, my years in the military hadn’t been wasted. I jerked my head aside, feeling a searing gust of wind graze my cheek.

Thud! Crash! I turned to see Seventh Brother’s head had smashed through the brick wall, sending debris flying and dislodging several bricks.

So, his Iron Head Technique wasn’t just for show!

My relief was short-lived. Seventh Brother’s head snapped back, and his body tumbled down the stairs after it.

The demon head lunged again. Without thinking, I frantically grabbed the Iron Sand Palm from the ground and swung it like a baseball bat.

The palm connected with the Iron Head, sending Seventh Brother’s head flying backward.

Looks like Brother Wei’s Iron Sand Palm training paid off too!

Dazed, Seventh Brother’s head hovered in the air, swaying wildly like a drunkard who’d lost his bearings.

Seizing the opportunity, I bolted downstairs. But the headless corpse, arms outstretched, tried to block my path.

Suddenly, an idea struck me. Spotting a stack of cement bags in the corner, I rammed the corpse, knocking it over, and dragged two bags of cement onto its body.

Seventh Brother’s body, trapped like an overturned turtle, thrashed wildly but couldn’t right itself.

Having accomplished this, Seventh Brother’s head finally regained its bearings and lunged after me.

I swung the Iron Sand Palm again, sending the demon head flying backward several meters. Seizing the opportunity, I sprinted downstairs.

Perhaps the demon head’s range of movement was limited by its distance from the corpse. After a few steps, it seemed to hit an invisible barrier, unable to advance further.

Seeing this, I turned back triumphantly, now feeling invincible.

I raised the Iron Sand Palm, ready for another home run. But the flying demon head had learned its lesson, nimbly dodging each swing.

Just as I was growing frustrated, a thump echoed through the air. I looked up to see the headless corpse had broken free from the two hundred kilograms of cement and was staggering toward me.

Panic seized me. I spun around and fled, the demon head hot on my heels.

I was now in dire straits. I’d already used my tip-of-the-tongue bl00d, and there wasn’t time to perform the Thundercloud Technique. My only option was to sprint down the corridor.

But after only a short distance, I reached a cold, unyielding wall.

Cornered and with no escape, I turned to face my pursuer, wildly swinging the Iron Sand Palm.

But the demon head was no pushover. With a snap, it bit down on the Iron Sand Palm, severing bone and flesh.

Disarmed, I watched helplessly as the demon head flew closer, its gleaming white teeth gnashing hungrily.

I frantically unleashed the Thundercloud Technique, but every bolt of lightning missed, easily dodged by the demon head’s nimble maneuvers—darting up and down, left and right—as it leisurely closed the distance.

This is it, I thought. I never imagined being a security guard would give me the chance to become a martyr.

As the demon head dipped downward, signaling its impending attack, I closed my eyes in despair.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion rang out. When I opened my eyes again, a wooden door had slammed down in front of me, sparks flying as it blocked the demon head’s strike.

It was the Old Daoist who had intervened: “Heaven and Earth, Sovereign and Ancestors, Teachers and Parents! Six Dings and Six Jias, heed my command! Act swiftly as the law dictates! By decree!”