Chapter Seventy-Eight: Vanquishing the Infant Spirit

Although the voice came from her mouth, it struck me as oddly different, for the tone was unmistakably that of a mischievous, innocent child.

At that moment, the chilling voice once again emerged from her lips: “Daddy, Mommy, would you like to be a family with me?”

After saying this, both she and the Emperor nodded numbly. The naked infant spirit before them suddenly leapt with joy, clapping its hands as it bounced, and then spoke again: “Then, let’s go home.”

As it spoke, the spirit hopped onto the windowsill first. She and the Emperor clasped hands and walked step by step toward the window. Throughout, she cradled the severely decayed stillborn child in her arms, and disgusting maggots crawled over her entire body, following the path of her arms. The nauseating stench of rot filled the air, making even Frost White—who had earlier insisted on coming in to exorcise the demon—stand at the doorway, clutching her chest and retching uncontrollably.

Seeing the Emperor and her reach the window, anxiety overtook me and I rushed into the room. Still retching, Frost White grabbed my arm, warning, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? That little ghost is nothing an ordinary person can handle.”

I was exasperated, “Sister, what are you even doing? You’ve been standing at the door vomiting this whole time. Is that how demon-slayers act?”

“But that dead infant is just too revolting…” she replied, before dashing straight to the bathroom. At that moment, I truly wanted to strangle her; wasn’t she supposed to be an expert? What kind of expert behaves like this?

Meanwhile, the Emperor had already climbed onto the window, clearly about to jump. Though it was only the fourth floor, I was certain he would die if he leapt.

“Emperor, don’t jump!”

I shouted, rushing for the window. She, who had been holding the Emperor’s hand, spun around with a furious glare and demanded, “What are you doing? Why are you disturbing our family reunion?” The spirit behind her bared its teeth at me, and countless black shadows seeped from its body.

Without hesitation, I drew a Thunder Talisman in my palm and struck toward them. The force knocked me back several steps, but the thunder had little effect on her.

Only then did I realize—this wasn’t an evil entity, but rather their minds had been bewitched by the infant spirit. At that moment, the spirit shrieked and lunged at me.

I retreated in panic, instinctively striking with another Thunder Talisman. Yet, the infant spirit’s power far exceeded my expectations; the talisman barely affected it. Clearly, it had reached the level of a top-tier malicious ghost. If tonight passed, it could turn into a vengeful spirit.

I hurriedly invoked the Three Pure Ones Evil-Suppressing Incantation from the Maoshan secret records, reciting, “Heaven holds three wonders: sun, moon, and stars. Spirits tremble as gods descend. If evil spirits approach, let the wicked flee and never return.”

But before I could finish the incantation, a white whip lashed out from the bathroom, cracking through the air and striking the infant spirit squarely. The spirit screamed, its body flung across the room, then scuttled like a gecko up the wall, darting about wildly.

“What are you doing? Didn’t I tell you not to come in?” Frost White finally emerged from the bathroom, scolding me angrily.

Speechless, I thought, if I hadn’t charged in regardless of danger, by the time you finished vomiting, it would all be over.

After being struck, the infant spirit became noticeably cautious. Agile and quick, it darted across the walls, appearing one moment before me, then vanishing and reappearing on the ceiling the next.

Suddenly, it dropped from above, pouncing at Frost White.

Though she seemed naïve, Frost White was actually quite capable. She dodged the spirit’s attack and struck it with her palm.

While Frost White and the infant spirit grappled, I dashed toward the Emperor and her at the window. She blocked me, furious, demanding to know what I was doing.

I shoved her aside and pulled the Emperor down from the windowsill.

The Emperor was still dazed, a silly smile on his face, mumbling, "We are a family."

I was frantic. “You’re already playing dad and you still talk about family?” Without much thought, I pulled out a Six Ding Six Jia Exorcism Talisman and slapped it onto the Emperor’s forehead, reciting the Daoist Purity Mantra.

Just then, she lunged at me, roaring. Seeing her cradling the dead fetus in her arms made my stomach churn. I slapped a talisman onto her forehead as well, but it had no effect. So I quickly placed three more talismans on the dead fetus she held, eliciting a piercing scream as she clutched her head, wailing in agony.

With the combined effect of the Purity Mantra and the exorcism talisman, the Emperor gradually regained clarity. Seeing me before him, he jumped in shock and hurriedly asked what was happening.

I had no time to explain and told him to look for himself. When he saw Frost White battling the infant spirit, and her lying on the ground with the dead fetus, maggots crawling all over her, he was utterly dumbfounded.

A shriek sounded again from the infant spirit as it attacked Frost White, knocking her to the ground.

Outside the window, a full moon rose, tinged with faint blood.

“Not good, it’s a blood moon!” I thought grimly. The infant spirit, born from a dead fetus, was already filled with resentment. Now, under the sinister influence of the blood moon, it could soon transform into a vengeful ghost.

Clearly, Frost White was struggling against the infant spirit. I quickly instructed the Emperor, still stunned, to restrain her, lest anything else happen. Then I drew another Thunder Talisman and struck at the spirit pinning Frost White.

At first, Frost White shouted for us to flee, oblivious to my knowledge of Daoist arts. When she saw me use the Thunder Talisman, she was visibly surprised.

Though the Thunder Talisman didn’t harm the spirit much, it distracted it. Turning its glowing eyes toward me, it glared furiously, opening its mouth to reveal blood-red gums, devoid of teeth.

I wasted no time, forming the secret hand signs and reciting, “Heaven holds three wonders: sun, moon, and stars. Spirits tremble as gods descend. If evil spirits approach, let the wicked flee and never return. By order of the law, I command!”

This Evil-Suppressing Incantation was far more potent than the Thunder Talisman. With one strike, I knocked the infant spirit off Frost White and sent it hurtling toward the window.

“Don’t let it escape! Once the blood moon passes, the infant spirit will become a vengeful ghost. If it gets away, it will bring endless trouble!” Frost White, groaning in pain, climbed to her feet and shouted at me, “This spirit became a malicious ghost before birth; its flesh and soul are still linked. Destroy its body!”

I acknowledged and rushed over, slapping several yellow talismans onto the dead fetus she held and chanting, “By order of the law, I command!”

No sooner had I spoken, the talismans burned brightly. At the same time, the infant spirit, trying to escape on the windowsill, let out a scream as flames engulfed its body.

“No—”

She rushed madly toward the burning fetus, seemingly intent on extinguishing the fire, but the Emperor pulled her back.

The flames burned for nearly half a minute, until the dead fetus was reduced to a skeleton. In that same moment, the infant spirit by the window, amid a cacophony of shrieks, vanished into nothingness.