Chapter 51: Fists and Feet

"Ahem..." Zeng Xiaofan paused slightly, his tone awkward.
"You two are holding on too tightly... There's no need to be so tense..."

Only then did Fan Bing and the female secretary realize just how close they had pressed themselves against him, their cheeks flushing in embarrassment. Yet, fear kept them clinging tightly to Zeng Xiaofan. After all, both of them had had direct contact with the unclean spirit, and the fright was enough to make them tremble.

Zeng Xiaofan smiled helplessly, resigned to letting them stay close.

"Brother Fan... so, what do we do now?"
"I'm so scared..." Fan Bing looked around in terror.

Zeng Xiaofan replied calmly, "That thing’s hiding itself now. It won’t be easy to find right away. Still, since you two provoked it first, we should start by showing respect before taking any harsher action."

"You two, go buy some incense paper and oil candles. And get a big rooster, slaughtered but not chopped up. Steam it whole and bring it over, head comb upright on the plate, along with two pieces of fried tofu and a slice of boiled pork. Also, prepare a bowl of leftover rice soaked in water and a bottle of strong white liquor. That will do."

He gave his instructions with methodical ease to the bodyguard and driver, earning Fan Bing and the secretary’s deep respect.

"Brother Fan, how do you know all this? You can heal, drive away evil—you're practically a treasure!"

Fan Bing, reassured by his confidence, even managed to joke a little.

Zeng Xiaofan smiled lightly. "Nothing special—just grew up in the countryside, saw a lot of these things."

"And actually, that unclean spirit is somewhat pitiful. Do you know why it only haunts you two and hasn’t harmed the bodyguard or the driver?"

"Why?" Fan Bing asked, puzzled. "Isn’t it because I... well, I peed near its tombstone?"

He nodded. "That’s part of it. More importantly, it’s a 'Green-Headed Specter.'"

"A green-headed specter? What does that mean?" the secretary asked anxiously.

He explained, "A green-headed specter is the resentful spirit formed from a man who died a violent death, having never lain with a woman. That obsession turns into a vengeful ghost over time."

"Think about it—a man comes to this world, and by the time he dies, he’s never slept with a woman. How could he not bear a grudge?"

Fan Bing and the secretary nodded slightly.

He continued, "These green-headed specters have deep obsessions. They like to appear in country outhouses or similar places, just to peep at women, driven by obscene desires. Their greatest obsession, though, is deflowering a virgin..."

"If a green-headed specter manages to take a virgin’s chastity, its obsession vanishes, and the spirit is freed."

Zeng Xiaofan glanced at Fan Bing and the secretary, a faint smile on his lips.

"So you two were just unlucky. One pulled down her pants and peed near its grave, the other shouted for it to come get you..."

"Who else would it haunt but you?"

Both women blushed even deeper, shame settling over them.

Zeng Xiaofan looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, his smile gentle.

"And judging by its reaction, if I’m not mistaken, neither of you has ever slept with a man, am I right? In other words, you’re both still virgins?"

"Ah!" Fan Bing and the secretary both gasped, their faces burning with embarrassment, hands unable to hide their flushed cheeks.

"Wait, you can tell just by that?" Fan Bing bit her lip, her bashfulness making her even more alluring.

Zeng Xiaofan nodded. "Actually, I was surprised too... Bingbing, you’re so beautiful and famous, and yet still… Well, the spirit’s reaction doesn’t lie. You both must be..."

"Alright, alright!" Fan Bing hurried to change the subject. "Let’s focus on solving this problem..."

The bodyguard and driver were highly efficient, quickly returning with the incense, paper, and other items. Zeng Xiaofan immediately set up a small altar in front of the villa, scattering handfuls of soaked leftover rice around the area. As he burned the paper, he began to chant the Requiem for the Departed:

"Moonlight washes the road through deep springs,
Lotus blooms ferry souls across the shore.
Past dust scatters like dew,
Karmic fire turns to pure streams.
Spirit returns to three inches of earth,
Soul crosses nine frosts of autumn.
A clear breeze guides,
Sending you gently to the vessel of mercy.
Om amogha, vilu zonang, maha munara, mani, bonamo, invara, hum!"

As Zeng Xiaofan finished, the altar’s flames leapt higher.

"Eat, drink, and return in peace! No offense was meant—let there be no grudge. Go back!"

Just as he called out again, a sudden gust of eerie wind swept past, scattering the altar in disarray. The flames in the bucket surged wildly, darting straight under Fan Bing and the secretary’s skirts.

Zeng Xiaofan’s sword-like brows lifted; he gave a cold snort.

"If you won’t heed kind words, then I’ll use force!"

In a flash, Zeng Xiaofan leapt forward, kicking aside the tongues of fire. A shrill wail echoed in the void, and the flames, as if enraged, lunged at him instead.

He began another incantation, the Heavenly Gang Spell for Subduing Evil:

"Heavenly Gang shines on the Northern Dipper,
Earthly Fiends lock the underworld!
The Five Elements form true fire,
Burning away all mortal remains!
Metal severs the soul, wood binds the essence,
Water drowns the spirit, earth buries the form, fire refines the truth!
By the decree of the Three Pure Ones,
Let all ghosts scatter and return to the void!
So let it be done—swift as the law commands!"

As he spoke, the pattern of the Northern Dipper appeared in his palm, and every step he took left faint golden footprints glowing on the ground.

"The power of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends!"

"Who are you...?"
"I won’t dare again! I’ll leave at once!"

The evil spirit’s terrified voice drifted on the wind, as though it had glimpsed something more terrifying than a ghost. In the next instant, the eerie wind and ghostly fire vanished completely.

The summer heat returned, and for the first time, Fan Bing and the secretary found the muggy warmth of the season to be a wonderful sensation.

"Xiaofan! You did it!"
"You’re amazing!"
"You actually drove that thing away!"
"Thank you!"

Overjoyed, Fan Bing threw her arms around Zeng Xiaofan in a great hug.

Pressed so tightly, Zeng Xiaofan found it hard to breathe.
"Ahem... Bingbing, I can’t breathe..."

"Ah, sorry..." Realizing her loss of composure, Fan Bing quickly let go.

The secretary, swaying her hips, came forward, her face full of admiration. "Thank you so much..."

Zeng Xiaofan nodded slightly, though a strange glint flickered in his eyes, as if he had discovered something. He said nothing, only spoke in a calm voice:

"Alright, now that the unclean spirit is gone, I’ll take my leave."