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The Ruyi Rouge shop's manager is not only skilled in making Rouge and Face Powder but also has the ability to diagnose illnesses and exorcise evil spirits, which is no secret in Luoyang. Hu Fu had sent someone to Luoyang to inquire about Xing Ruyi and everything related to the Ruyi Rouge shop, so he was naturally aware of these matters. However, this visit was still prompted by Hu Er's suggestion; the second young master of the Hu Family wanted to take this opportunity to probe into Xing Ruyi's background.
"Mother knows Hu Er's intentions, so why go to the Hu Family?" Yin Yuan raised her beautiful eyes and said, "If I remember correctly, just a moment ago, you were unwilling to get involved in the Hu Family's troubles."
"I am unwilling to get involved, but since the Hu Family has turned their attention toward us, if I do not respond, wouldn't that be inviting trouble for myself? As the old saying goes, it is better to avoid trouble than to seek it. Right now, we are still unclear about the person hiding behind this unfounded situation; there is no need to create more enemies for ourselves at Yun's place. The saying 'a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake' illustrates this point."
"When did you become so cautious? This doesn't seem like my mother at all; instead, it resembles Lord Chang, who escorted Si Niang back to Luoyang," Yin Yuan remarked.
"One becomes influenced by their surroundings; having spent so much time with Brother Chang, can't I learn some of his good traits?" Xing Ruyi said as she walked over to Li Mao and whispered something in his ear. "For now, help me prepare these items and tell Hu Fu to wait at home. We will head to the Hu Residence by evening at the latest; let him and that second young master not be too anxious."
Li Mao nodded and turned back to speak with Hu Fu for a moment. Hu Fu glanced nervously at Xing Ruyi before leaving.
Yin Yuan raised an eyebrow and looked at Xing Ruyi. "Is Mother planning to put on a show tonight?"
"No need for a grand performance, but we still need to play our part. I will take Li Mao with me tonight; you stay here and keep watch. I have a feeling those people won't give up easily."
"The Yun family gathering is not far from Yun Village; even if that unfounded person appears before us now, it wouldn't be surprising," Yin Yuan stretched lazily and playfully dozed off. "Mother is busy; I'm feeling sleepy and want to go back for a nap. Oh, when you leave in the evening, there's no need to call me; just ask Li Mao to prepare some extra chicken legs. Sigh, with Father Fox not around, I feel like I'll go hungry." She patted her round belly.
Xing Ruyi looked at Yin Yuan with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
As the sun set in the west, evening arrived quickly. Xing Ruyi had instructed Li Mao on what to buy, and everything was ready. Thus, the two of them set off toward the Hu Family with all their supplies.
In addition to Hu Fu, a young scholar dressed in traditional attire greeted Xing Ruyi. He bore no resemblance to Hu Da but shared a similar expression that carried an air of mischief. Compared to Hu Da, Hu Er was more adept at concealing himself. As Yin Yuan had previously pointed out, within the Hu Residence, the most challenging opponent was not Hu Da but this elusive Hu Er who rarely ventured outside.
After a simple greeting, Xing Ruyi did not have much interaction with Hu Er. She first instructed Hu Fu to bring over a table to create a temporary altar. The appearance of these altars was learned from watching various films and dramas in later generations; although she did not grasp the essence of it, the arrangement looked decent enough to fool those who were unaware of her true background.
Once everything was prepared, Xing Ruyi placed a chopstick on the table and glanced at Hu Er from the corner of her eye. Seeing that he was only staring at the chopstick and had not noticed her, she began to mutter the incantation from the Ghost Technique. As she circled around the table, she called out Hu Da's name, and to everyone's surprise, the chopstick slowly stood upright.
The onlookers from the Hu Family gasped softly, but Hu Er remained calm, shifting his attention from the chopstick to Xing Ruyi.
At that moment, an unusual sound suddenly came from Hu Da's room. Hu Er exchanged glances with Hu Fu, who quickly led two servants to open the door and enter. However, it wasn't long before Hu Fu rushed back out. Upon seeing Hu Er, he remained silent, but his expression revealed fear and anxiety.
Seeing this, Hu Er realized that something was seriously wrong with Hu Da. His face changed abruptly as he turned and entered Hu Da's bedroom. There he found Hu Da standing by the window with wide-open eyes, his face pale, frothing at the mouth, trembling all over. One of his hands was tightly gripping the neck of one of the servants, who appeared to be on the verge of being choked to death.
"I just brought these two servants into the room. At first, I could only hear Master mumbling something indistinctly, so I let him go closer to listen carefully. But before he could get close enough, Master had already grabbed him by the throat. Almost simultaneously, I heard the sound of his neck snapping," Hu Fu recounted with lingering fear while pointing at another servant who had collapsed nearby, his face pale and terrified: "He was so frightened that he fell to the ground. I was scared too, but thinking that Second Master and Miss Xing were in the courtyard gave me the courage to run out. Second Master, Miss Xing, please come quickly and see what has happened to our Master! What kind of evil has befallen him?"
"Have you heard of Ghost Shaving?"
Xing Ruyi brushed off her clothes as she walked in, her gaze fixed directly on Hu Da's nearly bald head without looking elsewhere. Following her gaze, everyone noticed that Hu Da's hair had taken on a bizarre appearance; it looked less like hair and more like some strange creature. As if to confirm their suspicions, the mass of hair on Hu Da's head wriggled slightly before emitting a chilling "giggling" sound that sent shivers down their spines.
"There is a folk belief that a person's hair hides all their secrets and contains their essence. Therefore, many who die unjustly will have their resentment condensed within their hair. This gives rise to a type of ghost known as a Hair Monster. These Hair Monsters are particularly fond of human hair; they typically choose a suitable host and begin to drain their spiritual energy starting from their head. It is said that those who are particularly wicked are more likely to be possessed by such Hair Monsters, and once possessed, it becomes very difficult to expel them."
"What happens if you can't get rid of it?" Although Hu Er had studied these supernatural matters, his self-taught knowledge was limited; he had never heard of this Hair Monster mentioned by Xing Ruyi.
"Once the Hair Monster has drained all the spiritual energy from its host, it will leave on its own. At that point, what we see is that all of the host's hair has fallen out completely. That is why there are tales of Ghost Shaving in folklore."
"Is it just losing all your hair?"
"If it were just losing my hair, why would I bother to tell you this ghostly barber story? After being drained of their vitality by the Hair Monster, if one is lucky, they might become foolish and silly, like the common fools we have in our folklore. If one is unlucky, it naturally leads to death."
"The young lady knows the origins of this ghostly creature; do you have a way to subdue it? My elder brother may not be a virtuous person, but he has not committed any evil deeds in this Yun family gathering. On the contrary, he has helped many people. Even if he has sinned, it should not warrant death. I hope the young lady can save him."
"Sir, you are being too serious. The Fox Demon accepted Mr. Hu Fu's invitation to come to the manor, so naturally, it intends to help your elder brother resolve this matter. However, there are some things that need to be clarified first. The Fox Demon usually deals in selling Rouge and Face Powder; the ability to exorcise evil spirits was learned haphazardly. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and of course, this also greatly depends on the abilities of the Evil Spirits involved. So while the Fox Demon can assist, whether your elder brother will be safe in the end is something I cannot guarantee."
"Rest assured, young lady; you only need to do your best. As for the outcome, it all depends on my brother's fate." Hu Er bowed respectfully and said, "I have also self-taught some methods for capturing monsters and have devoted three years to it without mastering any techniques. Therefore, I understand that capturing monsters is not as simple as it seems. Regarding the outcome, I do not impose any demands. Please rest assured that regardless of today's result, I am only grateful to you."
As Hu Er spoke, he waved his hand, and two attendants dressed in different garments approached carrying a heavy box. Upon opening it, it revealed a chest full of gold ingots—at least several hundred taels.
"In this box, ten taels are for your payment for Rouge and Face Powder for my elder brother; the rest is a token of appreciation for your trouble coming here today. Though it's not much, it's a gesture from me; I hope you will accept it."
"With such generous intentions from you, I certainly won't refuse," said the Fox Demon. "Rest assured, I will do my utmost for your elder brother's illness." Xing Ruyi then walked over to Hu Da.
Hu Da's previously vacant gaze suddenly turned sharp and sinister. He tilted his head slightly, and his hair emitted that strange screeching sound again as he reached out towards Xing Ruyi's shoulder. Seeing this, Xing Ruyi smirked inwardly and thought: "With just this wretched creature, you dare act arrogantly before me? I've been holding back my anger these days; today is just right for me to vent it on you."
With that thought in mind, Xing Ruyi's eyes widened as her right hand lifted, and a flicker of Eerie Flame ignited at her fingertips. When the blue Eerie Flame approached Hu Da, fear clearly appeared in his eyes; his massive body trembled as his hair shrank into a clump.
At that moment, outside had already darkened; the servants of the Hu Family lit lamps that illuminated Hu Da's fearful face through the windows. His lips curled slightly upward as blood slowly trickled down from his scalp.
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