Chapter 17: “your Father Is An Evil Spirit.”
“Hello, hello, hello, can you hear me?”
Before using the Spirit Control Technique, Shangshan Che first directly condensed some spiritual power in his palm, then spoke to the Cloth Doll.
The result, naturally, was that nothing happened.
The Cloth Doll still stared with those black pearl-like pupils, silently gazing at Shangshan Che.
But no problem, this was the control group.
Next was the experimental group.
Shangshan Che muttered incantations under his breath while carefully circulating an equal amount of spiritual power, using his fingertip to draw a simple pentagram on the Cloth Doll’s forehead—the “Bellflower Seal” from Onmyōdō.
According to the Spirit Control Technique, he should now be able to communicate simply with the Cloth Doll.
But it didn’t specify exactly how to communicate.
After reviewing the process in his mind once more and confirming he hadn’t made a single mistake, Shangshan Che, ready at any moment to transform into the Laughing Hannya, asked again:
“Can you hear me, can you hear me?”
The Cloth Doll showed no reaction, not even bothering to roll over and point its butt at him.
“How strange.”
Shangshan Che scratched his head, preparing to ask Nanjo Emi.
【Moon Sand Sauce】: Sister Nanjo, I accidentally learned a sorcery earlier that allows communication with Spirit-Infused Objects, but it seems to have no effect on the Cloth Doll you gave me.
After putting down his mobile phone, Shangshan Che began asking the Cloth Doll questions in various languages and ways, but unfortunately got nothing.
“—Hasegawa’s lower half has been found? Mm, then put it together.”
When facing colleagues who had come to wrap things up, Nanjo Emi reverted to her cold and efficient demeanor.
There was no sign at all of the slacking figure from minutes ago who had been smoking and ranting wildly.
Beside the gradually extinguishing sea of fire, an intern with short hair and an ID card on her chest got out of the car and timidly approached Nanjo Emi:
“Younger Subordinate Lord, I’m Shizuma Mafuyu. From now on, I’ll replace Mister Hasegawa as your 【Trainee】.”
“Oh.”
Nanjo Emi nodded indifferently: “Be careful, don’t die.”
This unapproachable demeanor left Shizuma Mafuyu unsure how to respond.
She could only awkwardly swallow her self-introduction, standing to the side and watching as Nanjo Emi took out her mobile phone and then her expression changed drastically.
Shizuma Mafuyu quickly asked, pulling out her special mobile phone: “What’s wrong?”
Nanjo Emi shook her head: “No, nothing.”
Nothing? Yeah right!
She remembered clearly that just two or three minutes ago, she had used her burner account on Line to send a bunch of messages to Shangshan Che—how was he already asking about the Spirit Control Technique?!
Could it be that in these few minutes, Shangshan Che had already mastered the text version of the Spirit Control Technique and used it on the Cloth Doll?!
Nanjo Emi silently swallowed: “How is that possible…”
No, maybe it really was possible.
After asking for a few details, Nanjo Emi had to admit that Shangshan Che had indeed learned the Spirit Control Technique.
Even if it was just the most basic, superficial part.
“Little Hiyori Bo was right, he really is a genius.”
Nanjo Emi said to herself.
She exhaled, looking at the message from four minutes ago on her burner account: “The once-in-a-millennium kind, a genius without equal in the world.”
【Sister Nanjo】: To communicate with the Cloth Doll, you need to say my name twice in a row, then it will speak. There is mental influence, but it’s minor and benign, meant to keep you from a certain danger.
【Moon Sand Sauce】: Got it, thanks Sister Nanjo for taking the time to reply.
“Younger Subordinate Lord.” Seeing the vehicles around thinning out, Shizuma Mafuyu said softly: “Aren’t we leaving yet?”
This pulled the stunned Nanjo Emi back; she turned to Shizuma Mafuyu with a faint smile, patted her head: “Thanks for the reminder, let’s go.”
“N-no, no need to thank me!”
Shizuma Mafuyu immediately stood at attention, lowering her head with red ears as she walked to the driver’s seat.
Nanjo Emi didn’t notice her little gesture, just marveling at how geniuses in this world were truly emerging endlessly.
And at that moment, that “once-in-a-millennium genius” was clawing at the Cloth Doll dramatically:
“—Nanjo Emi, Nanjo Emi! Can you hear me!”
The Cloth Doll seemed to finally hear the correct command, slowly turning its head and looking at Shangshan Che, saying dryly: “Please ask your question.”
Shangshan Che joyfully leaned closer to the Cloth Doll, and after scrutinizing it for a good while, heard its voice again.
“Please ask your question.”
It was like that was the only thing it could say.
But maybe his current Spirit Control Technique level was too low, with too little spiritual power, unable to let the Cloth Doll speak freely.
So what question should he ask this Cloth Doll?
Shangshan Che thought of Nanjo Emi’s reply just now.
The reply said the Cloth Doll’s mental influence was to prevent him from facing danger.
So Shangshan Che spoke: “I want to know, what danger is around me?”
The Cloth Doll blinked.
Then, in an extremely small voice, it said slowly: “Father.”
Father?
Shangshan Che was a bit baffled at how these two words connected.
He gripped the Cloth Doll’s hand and asked: “Can you say more?”
In the silence, the Cloth Doll first looked back, confirmed something, then continued: “Your father…”
My father?
Shangshan Che was even more puzzled—his dad just watched ball games every day, could a yin-yang schedule of watching games lead to world destruction?
The Cloth Doll fell silent, as if thinking about something.
Shangshan Che shook the Cloth Doll, full of curiosity: “Bro, what do you mean leaving it half-said?”
The Cloth Doll stared at him silently for a good while before speaking:
“—Your father is an Evil Spirit.”
It was like being reminded by someone else: searching forever for your mobile phone only to find it in your hand, scouring the house for keys and finally discovering them in your pocket.
The layer of “barrier of perception” in Shangshan Che’s mind shattered effortlessly with the Cloth Doll’s words.
He first had a sudden realization, immediately spotting all the irrationalities in that “father,” then mentally berated his past foolish self for a bit.
Ghosts these days really played tricks—was the household registry down to one page? Why did they always like pretending to be people’s parents!
After venting internally, Shangshan Che silently repeated the Cloth Doll’s words from just now.
Then, he instantly broke out in cold sweat.
Evil Spirit?
What level was an Evil Spirit? How many stars!?
Shangshan Che felt a chill down his spine, realizing that since that father ghost could fool him in an instant and fabricate so many false memories, it was far beyond what he could handle.
He couldn’t stay in this house anymore! At least not tonight!
Shangshan Che hurriedly got out of bed, ignoring everything, wanting to grab the Cloth Doll and jump out the window.
But at some point, the Cloth Doll had already jumped off the bed, its back to him, silently facing the direction of the Room Door.
Seeing this, Shangshan Che’s scalp went numb, and he looked toward the Room Door as well.
Thud.
Thud thud.
Knocking sounded from outside the door.
