afraid of the evil spirits in the courtyard. My brother went in for a stroll and then came back to say, "Xiao Qiao, there's something indeed in the southwest corner inside. We're definitely going to s...Jiang Qiyun said if he didn't want to watch, he wouldn't. He held me tightly and fell asleep until my phone alarm went off.

The upstairs alarm clock was so I could get one last glance at him before he left. I don't even know when this little thought popped into my head.

Just like a couple bidding farewell to one another as one leaves the house, filled with reluctant parting.

He leaned against the headboard, watching me flip through pictures of weird birds.

"This hideous thing must be a marker from the path of malevolent spirits, probably snuck into the human world to cause trouble," he frowned, eyeing the man's face.

"Such underworld creatures are the lowest of the low, like a doorbell or telephone in your human world—a tool. But they do possess the ability to think."

I nodded and said, "In short, I'm going to take a look. It saw me on Ghost Path before, so it might know if I had a nameplate on my neck back then... It probably didn't die and has possessed this young daughter. I'll go catch it and ask."

Jiang Qiyun sighed and shook his head: "Since you know you're about to give birth, don't run around anymore. Just let your older brother handle these things."

I shook my head. "No way, anything to do with Mingzhang, I have to go… Didn't you say we couldn't find him even if we dug three feet He must have disappeared during the short time I was in the Underworld, yesterday when I saw this photo it suddenly occurred to me - what if he was picked up by this thing!"

"...then I will send a spirit official to follow you."

"No need, it's daylight out. Even the underworld officials are hardworking. My brother and I will go. It's only a two-hour drive, so hopefully we'll be back tonight." I thought for a moment and added, "Plus, I can ask the local land god to help me."

“You can’t even recite the Bao誥 properly…” He chuckled and shook his head, then got up to leave. He bent down and pressed a kiss to the corner of my lips, whispering, “Don’t be shy about commanding them. You are my wife, it is their duty to obey you and do as you say, understand”

》》》

I'm worried this manticore knows the whereabouts of my name tag. It was the first thing I saw when I arrived, and if it had been paying attention, it should have seen whether or not I was wearing it.

If it's going to fall, this is the most likely time.

My brother, urged on by me, sped all the way to the store owner's hometown. Before we even reached the door, we heard the sound of pots, pans, bowls and dishes shattering in the courtyard.

Besides, a faint trace of ghostly aura permeated this peasant courtyard. Villagers passing by hurried past his front door. My brother stopped them and gave them a few cigarettes, asking about the situation at this house.

The villagers scoffed and shouted, "This must be a mental breakdown! He's been making a racket at home all day!"

"I think I've been possessed! I suddenly changed into someone else."

"What ghost His grandfather is a war veteran who killed enemies, which ghost would dare to come to his house Better go see a doctor!"

I stood before the tightly shut door, seeing that the door gods on it had been torn apart.

Mén shén are deities worshipped by both Daoist and folk traditions. They guard homes, ward off evil spirits, and bring good luck. The earliest mén shén were Shéntú and Yǔlěi, the Eastern Underworld Emperors. Later, their images evolved into many different forms, with the most common being Qin Qiong and Yu Chígōng, as well as Zhōng Kuī.

But now most people no longer revere ghosts and gods. They just buy a couple of door god paintings at a street stall, not even knowing who they are, and post them on their doors for decoration.

The door gods in this household are also the same, I don't know who those two are, and they've been torn up. How can you expect the door gods to "work" like this

My brother went up to the door and knocked, but no one answered after a long time. The sounds of crashing dishes and pots inside stopped, though.

"Let me just have a look," my brother said impatiently. "It's so hot out here, it's going to kill you! What if you get sunstroke"

He was wearing a T-shirt and casual shorts, looking like a college student going on a rural outing. At this moment, he threw his backpack and was about to climb over the wall. He had just run two steps when the gate swung open with a bang, and a white-haired old man glared at him angrily.

"Where did you little bunny rabbit come from, climbing my wall!"

"You have a crazy daughter at home, who would want to climb your wall!" My brother immediately retorted.

The weather is hot and makes me restless.

The old man was also hot-tempered, picking up a wooden stick and preparing to beat my brother. My brother dodged while smiling: “You're still so sprightly! You had a daughter at fifty-two, and now at eighty, you're still trying to fight me I respect the elderly and the virtuous, but please don't take advantage of your age.”

The old man was taken aback and asked, "How did you know about my family"

"I'm your eldest son. I knocked for ages but you didn't answer the door, so I was about to climb over the wall to see if everything was alright."

Just like the Door Gods, the Kitchen God is also a deity who safeguards a household's peace. It is said that his duty is to inspect the deeds of good and evil of each household throughout the year for the Heavenly Emperor. That's why on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, we worship the Kitchen God by offering him sweet treats. This is to ensure that when he ascends to Heaven to report, his teeth are stuffed with deliciousness, encouraging him to speak well of our household and bring good fortune back.

The kitchen was just full of clattering pots and crashing dishes, I bet the Kitchen God is already long gone.

The old man looked at my brother, a young lad, and me straining under the weight of the tree branch. He scratched his head in confusion and said, "My eldest son invited you here In all my years, I've never seen pregnant women visiting a family home!"

"Cut the crap, that's my little sister. She's super skilled in Kun Dao. She steps into your house, and all the ghosts and goblins scatter. Don't believe me Try it." My brother boasted without holding back.

The old man's expression softened a bit, and he opened the door for us to go in and sit down.

The living room and kitchen were in disarray. He brought over two stools and placed them under the loofah rack for us to sit on, then went to the well to fetch a watermelon that had been cooled with water.

My brother rubbed his hands and said, "Oh grandpa, you're so hospitable, we feel embarrassed. Your house is such a mess, do you even have the heart to entertain us"

"You two little kids come to me about this, no matter if you can handle it or not, I can't just let you guys down. Your sister is carrying a baby, that's not easy..."

"It's fine," I quickly said. "May I go to the kitchen and check "

The old man was taken aback for a moment, then frowned and said: "It's convenient, but don't go in. I locked my daughter up so she wouldn't hurt you."

I hurried to the kitchen door and saw a row of knives, including a cleaver and a boning knife, lying across the stove. This was a grave disrespect to the Stove God! Could that daughter have done this on purpose

Want to scare away all the guardian spirits in your humble abode

"Rustling..." The grass pile next to her suddenly made a noise.

A disheveled woman, with grass in her mouth and swollen red eyes, stared at me.

Her mouth twitched frantically forward, contorting her face into a sharp and angular expression. Her hands were also strangely clenched into claws, trembling incessantly.

I stared at her, and she shivered slightly.

At that moment, I sensed her fear. I immediately stepped into the kitchen and in a hushed voice, I shouted at her, "You know me! Don't you"th his hand.After Lian Long said I was the princess, their attitude softened a lot. Although there were still some suspicious and distrustful glances, they weren't as hostile anymore.In a small house,...