Lin Chen held the phone, a bit dazed.
He'd barely had a moment's peace before another case came up—and from the caller's tone, this one sounded serious.
"Mr. Wang, right? Please don't worry, just tell me what's going on." Lin Chen tried to sound calm and experienced.
On the other end, Wang Jianguo sighed deeply, his voice full of despair: "Master Lin, this is really strange. My... my wife seems to be possessed."
"Possessed?" Lin Chen frowned. "What exactly is happening?"
"She keeps talking nonsense, saying there's something dirty in the house, that someone wants to harm her," Wang Jianguo said. "At first, I thought it was just stress, but two nights ago, she suddenly grabbed scissors and tried to kill herself, muttering 'I'm sorry,' 'I deserve to die.' Luckily, I stopped her in time, or..."
Lin Chen's heart sank. This sounded much more serious than Xiaoyu's case.
"Did you take her to the hospital?"
"Yes, the psychiatrist said she was showing signs of depression and prescribed a lot of medicine, but nothing helps." Wang Jianguo's voice dropped lower. "Master Lin, I'm desperate. Li Mei said you have real skills—please help us! Money is no object!"
"Alright, send me your address. I'll come right away." Lin Chen hung up, feeling a bit nervous.
This opponent sounded much tougher than the programmer's spirit on the 18th floor. He was still a novice—if he failed, it would be embarrassing and could make things worse.
"No matter, saving people comes first." Lin Chen gritted his teeth, grabbed the Seven Star Needles and talismans, and rushed out.
Wang Jianguo's home was in a high-end neighborhood—a standalone villa, clearly wealthy. Lin Chen rang the bell, and Wang Jianguo quickly answered.
A man in his forties, suit and tie, but haggard and with dark circles under his eyes—clearly sleep-deprived.
"Master Lin, thank goodness you're here!" Wang Jianguo looked at Lin Chen as if he'd found a lifeline.
"Don't call me master, just Lin Chen is fine." Lin Chen waved. "Take me to see your wife."
As soon as he entered, Lin Chen felt a heavy yin energy, much stronger than before—mixed with resentment and sorrow, making him uncomfortable.
"My wife is upstairs, sleeping restlessly," Wang Jianguo whispered.
Lin Chen nodded and followed him up. The bedroom door was ajar, and a woman's sobs could be heard inside.
Wang Jianguo pushed open the door. Lin Chen saw a woman in her forties, beautiful but now pale, lips purple, and tear stains on her face, trembling under a thick quilt.
As Lin Chen approached, the copper coin in his hand grew scorching hot. He closed his eyes to sense—her soul was tightly bound by a powerful resentment, like a venomous snake.
"This isn't ordinary possession," Lin Chen judged. "It's a blood curse."
A blood curse was a vicious spell, usually cast with the caster's blood, trading life for life—very hard to break.
"Mr. Wang," Lin Chen asked, "has your wife offended anyone recently? Or... have you?"
Wang Jianguo hesitated, face darkening: "Master Lin, you mean... someone is targeting us?"
"Most likely," Lin Chen said. "And this person has a deep grudge—otherwise, they wouldn't use such a cruel method."
Sweat beaded on Wang Jianguo's forehead. He thought for a long time, then shook his head: "My wife is kind to everyone. As for me... I have business rivals, but nothing this extreme."
"Think carefully," Lin Chen reminded, "especially about emotional matters."
Wang Jianguo's face changed, eyes darting.
Lin Chen saw his reaction and knew there was more. He sighed: "Mr. Wang, if you don't tell the truth, I can't help you. If this blood curse isn't broken, your wife won't last three days."
Wang Jianguo shuddered and finally broke down, sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands: "I'll tell you... I'll tell you..."
It turned out Wang Jianguo had a mistress—a college girl in her early twenties. They'd been together for almost a year; he'd bought her a car and a house. Recently, feeling guilty, he wanted to break it off.
But the girl refused, crying and threatening to kill herself if he left.
"A few days ago, she sent me a photo," Wang Jianguo's voice trembled. "She'd slit her wrists—so much blood. After that, I couldn't reach her. That's when my wife started acting strange."
Lin Chen understood. The girl had likely used a blood curse, sacrificing herself to take revenge on Wang Jianguo and his wife.
"Lovesick resentment is the hardest to resolve," Lin Chen thought. "This is trouble."
To break a blood curse, he had to find the source. But the girl was missing—where to start?
"Master Lin, can you save my wife?" Wang Jianguo pleaded.
"There's a way, but it's risky," Lin Chen said. "I need to enter your wife's dream and find the girl's soul. If negotiation fails, I'll have to use force."
Dream-walking was recorded in the Daoist medicine manual, but Lin Chen had never tried it.
"As long as you can save her, do whatever it takes!" Wang Jianguo said.
"Alright." Lin Chen took a deep breath. "Please leave the room, and no matter what you hear, don't come in."
After Wang Jianguo left, Lin Chen took out the Seven Star Needles, picked the thinnest, sterilized it with fire, and pricked his finger for a drop of blood.
He dripped the blood on Mrs. Wang's forehead, sat cross-legged by the bed, formed a hand seal, and began chanting.
Soon, Lin Chen felt his consciousness blur, the surroundings twisting, then darkness.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in a gloomy room, lit only by pale moonlight from the window. A girl in a red dress sat on the windowsill, back to him, singing a haunting song.
The song was full of resentment.
Lin Chen knew—this was the girl's soul.
"You're Wang Jianguo's helper?" The girl turned, a strange smile on her face. "It's useless. She must die! I want her to suffer as I did!"
"You're already dead. Why hurt others?" Lin Chen said. "Let go—for both your sakes."
"Let go?" The girl laughed maniacally. "He ruined my life. Why should they be happy? If I can't have peace, neither can they!"
She lunged at Lin Chen, fingers turning black and sharp as knives.
Lin Chen was ready, pulling out a talisman.
"Stubborn spirit!"
A fierce battle was about to begin.