[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-there-is-a-malevolent-spirit":3,"chapter-there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-48":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","There Is a Malevolent Spirit",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2263154,4416,"Chapter 48","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-48",48,"\u003Cp>47. Ji Yao\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Bai Ma’s question, Zhou Chang did not respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze fixed on the firewood door that Li Xiamei had slashed open with a large hole, and he walked toward it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Xiue and Bai Ma followed closely behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will you die in ten days, or seven?” Bai Ma pressed Zhou Chang, “Feng Si is merely a wandering spirit hovering an inch above the ground, among mortal deities the lowest of the low—its dispatched omen of death could never cause ‘instant death upon sensing the omen.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You still have some time; you may offer sacrifices to other mortal deities of higher rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t your grandfather a medium?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Have him help you communicate with a stronger mortal deity, and you can become a ‘Ji Yao’ under that deity’s patronage, using the deity’s higher status to nullify Feng Si’s death omen—you won’t die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ji Yao…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang, walking ahead, halted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned back, his face relaxed in a smile, and asked Bai Ma: “Are you yourself a Ji Yao?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What price must one pay to become a Ji Yao?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those near the gods are in peril,” this was Zhou Sanji’s teaching to Zhou Chang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Zhou Sanji, a medium dedicated to ritual offerings to deities, feared drawing too close to the divine—clearly, approaching gods is itself an extreme danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much more so, then, to pledge oneself to a mortal deity as its ‘Ji Yao’?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This \"ji yao\" sounded as dangerous as a demon or an evil spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All people are either pigs and sheep raised by demons, or Ji Yao used by mortal deities to manifest their will—none can escape.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Ma lowered her eyelids and spoke slowly: “In the Hidden Realm, nearly every monk in every temple is a Ji Yao of some deity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Becoming a Ji Yao at least lets you live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if you serve as a vessel for the gods long enough, you inevitably diverge from ordinary living beings, gradually becoming monstrous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why they’re called Ji Yao…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So a Ji Yao is just a corrupted medium,” Zhou Chang’s eyes lit with understanding. “But mediums themselves aren’t orthodox—even equating a medium with a Ji Yao isn’t far off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is there any other way besides becoming a dog for the gods?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Ma’s gaze darkened. She fell silent for a long time, then raised her head, meeting Zhou Chang’s expressionless face: “There is—but can you even use it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Sanji tried this method for his grandson, but the result was only summoning your foreign soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This method offers only a one-in-a-hundred chance of success; if it fails, you die immediately under the omen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had you not turned back and touched Feng Si’s taboo just now, you wouldn’t now be facing such peril—there were other ways to save that child—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can everything be compromised?” Zhou Chang suddenly asked Bai Ma. “Can everything be negotiated?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ask yourself honestly—was there truly a third option just now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang’s expression remained calm, but Bai Ma, meeting his eyes, felt he was staring at her with a look that said: “You have no idea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his words, her face grew cold, and she said nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Zhou Chang shook his head and pushed open the wooden door of the firewood shed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The child curled up on the firewood pile shrank back in fear as the door opened—but when he saw the man blocking the entrance was the pale-faced man from before, hope flickered in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kid, come on. I’ll take you home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang said this at the doorway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside Li’s Braised Pork Shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang’s group bid farewell to the father and son, who thanked them profusely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the darkness, Zhou Chang oriented himself and began walking home along the path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Xiue trailed behind him, uncertain, until Bai Ma, who had remained invisible, finally spoke: “That method is called ‘Breaking Hell,’ also known as ‘Devouring the Calamity.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, induce a false death to deceive the mortal deity; then, break open hell and calamity, reclaim your name from beneath the deity’s dominion, and render the death omen utterly null.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Breaking Hell? Devouring the Calamity?” Zhou Chang stopped, turned, and stared at Bai Ma with sharp eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must first find a ‘false body,’ trap your soul within it, then deceive heaven and earth by letting the false body die, fooling the mortal deity…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The false body should ideally be made of wood or plant matter—paper effigies, wooden figures, and so on. Never use a corpse with flesh and blood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you use a flesh-and-blood corpse, you risk binding yourself to its original owner, who may then be corrupted by the deity’s aura and transform into a demon…” Bai Ma’s expression was icy and grave as she laid out the entire method of ‘Breaking Hell’ to Zhou Chang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang carefully memorized every step Bai Ma described.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Bai Ma added: “This method has less than a one percent success rate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You must think carefully—do you truly intend to use this Devouring the Calamity method? Once you begin, there is no turning back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.” Zhou Chang nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Ma closed her eyes; her face slowly faded from the left side of Bai Xiue’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dawn was breaking; in about half an hour, the town of Qingyi would begin its “Five More” ritual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking a stretch with Bai Xiue, Zhou Chang suddenly stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned back, his expression calm, and asked Bai Xiue: “After you left my house, did you stay only around the Bride’s Pond—or did you go elsewhere?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Xiue, studying his expression, felt lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lowered her head and murmured: “I—I went home first… then went to the Bride’s Pond…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying she went home meant only standing on a distant hill overlooking the Bai family graveyard, gazing at the village for a few moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s hard to leave one’s homeland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since you returned home, you must have met your family. Even if there were misunderstandings, they must be resolved now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky is nearly light—you’ve just reunited with them, yet now you vanish again. Your family must be frantic with worry.” Zhou Chang’s smile was gentle as he gently urged Bai Xiue: “So, Miss Bai, go home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t let your parents and family worry any longer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Xiue looked up at Zhou Chang’s calm face, remembering how he had once told her he would take her home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why had he changed his mind so suddenly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bitter, aching weight filled Bai Xiue’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman slowly lowered her head and whispered: “Alright… Young Master Zhou, take care of yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, she bowed to Zhou Chang, received his same words of farewell, then turned, head bowed, and walked past him toward the dark path ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang watched until Bai Xiue’s figure vanished completely into darkness. He took from his satchel the cursed pelt of the curly black dog, spread it on the ground, and called out to the Aolunben in his ring: “Ao Duoji!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his command, a stream of light emerged from the ring and surged into the cursed pelt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pelt swelled violently, transforming into a massive, jet-black, curly-haired hound!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Awo!” Ao Duoji barked loudly in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Quiet!” Zhou Chang scolded it, then pointed to the footprints Bai Xiue had left: “Can you smell this person’s scent? Go—follow her!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Woo!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ao Duoji snapped his mouth shut, sniffed the ground for a moment, then bristled every hair and sprinted forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang immediately broke into a run after him!\u003C\u002Fp>",1250,"2026-06-19T18:47:42.084Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e79fd286447156cf6e734bb79efc8839e71df35f64c6cd665743460cd7898d63","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-49","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-47",209,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthere-is-a-malevolent-spirit-cover.jpg"]