"Ah, I see it!"
A thought bubble with an exclamation mark appeared above the head of the Seven-Colored Egg observing from the shadows.
Just as a laugh echoed in the young man's ears, the Seven-Colored Egg finally sensed a trace of leaked aura.
This, it thought, must be 'possession' as taught in the Underworld Common Sense class.
In the ordinary teaching areas of the Underworld, besides basic literacy and sentence construction...
Underworld common sense was also popularized.
Things like ghosts possessing humans to cause trouble were illegal.
What law?
Underworld law.
...
Possession, huh...
If it could see it, it could have dragged it out.
But this guy was clearly hiding inside the young man.
The Seven-Colored Egg poked the paper effigy next to it with a cloud, then pointed at the young man, signaling:
Can you fix this?
The paper effigy glanced at the young man, took out a ceramic flute, and placed it to its lips, beginning to play.
The melody began.
It was a soul-driving tune.
That's right, Jiang Lin had combined paper effigy techniques with musical instruments.
However, the paper effigy could currently only play two or three simple tunes.
Anything more difficult was beyond its capabilities; the instructions were too complex.
As the soul-driving tune played, the young man in the bedroom froze.
Immediately, his expression turned to one of pain.
It was as if something inside him was churning and stirring.
Fearing Xu Ma's worry, Xu Ran gritted his teeth and leaned on the table.
A faint, pained scream could be heard.
It sounded like something struggling.
"Ahhhhh—"
...
"Holy crap, is this really a paper effigy? Could it be a streamer disguised as a paper effigy?!"
"This, this, paper effigies can play instruments now?!"
When the paper effigy took out the ceramic flute, the viewers in the live stream felt something was off.
When the tune actually played and had an effect,
The live stream erupted in an uproar.
They remembered that when the streamer was studying in the Northern Hall, paper effigy techniques and musical instruments were taught in separate classes...
So, even though they knew paper effigies could execute various commands,
Subconsciously, they still felt that paper effigies and musical instruments should be used separately.
"Streamer is awesome, I feel like the Northern Hall must be baffled too."
"Northern Hall: It can be like this???"
"This, combining paper effigy techniques and musical instruments, is it considered standard operating procedure???"
The viewers were half-understanding, half-doubting.
But, the streamer being awesome was definitely true.
Looking at the live stream feed—
The paper effigy's face, sculpted to look like a mask with only three holes, was earnestly playing the tune.
It had to be said, the visual style was becoming increasingly bizarre.
"So grim."
"Honestly, I still suspect the streamer themselves is inside."
"The streamer's face sculpting skill, as always..."
...
"Ahhhhh—"
In the bedroom,
As the tune reached its climax, the ethereal figure finally emerged.
Its lower body was not yet visible, but its upper body was tightly clutching the young man's head.
Clawing, refusing to let go.
"Ahhh—"
Xu Ran finally couldn't help but cry out, clutching his head, his eyes bloodshot.
"I won't come out, I won't come out!"
"All of this should be mine!"
"Ranran!"
The bedroom door opened.
Hearing the commotion, Xu Ma rushed in. Seeing her son's frenzied state, her eyes welled up with tears.
She didn't know what to do.
"Ranran, what's wrong? Where does it hurt? Tell Mommy—"
"Mom?"
The ethereal figure on the young man looked over. In reality, Xu Ran, with his bloodshot eyes, also looked over.
He smiled at Xu Ma, then violently slammed his head against the wall.
Once, twice...
Bang bang bang!
The young man's forehead turned red.
"Stop! Stop! I beg you..."
Xu Ma rushed forward and hugged her son, her long-held patience finally breaking.
"I beg you, take it out on me, leave my son alone!"
"He's still a child, take it out on me, sob sob sob—"
She wailed, completely losing her usual composure.
If she hadn't thought of her son needing her, she might have broken down much earlier.
A good family, a good child...
How did it come to this?
"My child—"
"What's wrong with you... Mommy is heartbroken for you, sob sob sob..."
The young man looked at her sideways, his pupils bloodshot, "You pity him? You pity your son?"
"Then why don't you pity me? All of this should have been mine!"
Xu Ma was stunned, her expression showing a hint of confusion.
Tears welled in her eyes, "Who... who are you?"
"Ahhh—! Ahhh—!"
The young man didn't reply, clutching his head and crying out in pain.
"Ranran, what's wrong? What happened?"
Xu Ma held him helplessly, wanting to comfort him but not knowing how.
What she couldn't hear was the soul-driving tune echoing throughout the house.
Nor did she know that the soul-driving tune was nearing its end.
Amidst the young man's pained roars, the ethereal figure finally broke free.
Outside the window,
The paper effigy quickly put away the ceramic flute. Following the instructions within its body,
It struck swiftly and decisively!
With the Seven-Colored Egg helping to corner it, the paper effigy captured the fleeing shadow in one move.
After controlling the shadow, everyone realized it was only the size of an infant.
Its eyes were blood red, and its mouth was filled with sharp teeth.
Its limbs struggled, making 'ahhh' sounds.
After detaching from the young man, it could no longer even speak.
...
"So it was just a little thing like this causing trouble."
The Seven-Colored Egg flew over, circling the little thing.
Recalling its Underworld Common Sense class, this must be...
"A ghost infant?"
But something felt off.
This ghost infant didn't seem that powerful, so how could it be so capable when it was inside the young man?
Moreover, if it hadn't leaked its aura, it wouldn't have been discovered.
The Seven-Colored Egg looked at the room, at the exhausted young man lying on the ground, then at the little thing in front of it.
Looking at the little thing, then back at the young man.
To be able to hide so well, and to be so harmonious...
Either its strength was too great.
Or... the young man had willingly agreed to let it in.
...