Volume One, Chapter 37: The Clever Villain in the Livestream

Qin Yu opened the woman’s private message.

In the surveillance footage, the man stood with his back to the camera, bathed in moonlight pouring through a wide-open window. He was clearly a young man in his twenties, yet his posture was hunched, his demeanor reminiscent of an old man nearing the end of his days. As the clouds parted and pure, luminous moonlight flooded in, the room became as bright as daylight. The man, motionless until now, suddenly stood up. He raised his hands high, his face alight with joy as refreshing as rain after a drought. He knelt and bowed, as if performing some sort of ritual.

Qin Yu narrowed her eyes—so it was that thing!

“What footage is it? I want to see!”

“Darling, darling, let me see, please~”

“Streamer, don’t keep it to yourself. Show us the recording!”

“Are you at home right now?” Qin Yu asked.

“Yes, yes! I came straight home after seeing that surveillance.”

“Then wake him up. I want to see him.”

“Okay!” The woman started to rise, then suddenly wilted. “But…”

“It’s alright.” Qin Yu spoke as she drew a charm on her phone, then sent it to the woman’s private message. “If anything happens, stick the charm to his forehead.”

The woman looked at her phone and nodded repeatedly. “Alright, alright, I’ll go right now!”

She jogged to the bedroom door and knocked.

“Da Dong, open the door! Mom bought you a new shirt, come out and see if you like it.”

She knocked loudly, but there was no sound from within.

She looked helplessly at her phone. “Master, he’s like this during the day too—no matter how I call, he doesn’t respond.”

“Is there a spare key for the room?”

She nodded and quickly went to get the key and open the door.

The moment the bedroom door swung open, something flashed by.

“What the hell, was that a big black rat just now?”

“Didn’t catch it, look again.”

“Hey, there’s a green glow in the corner.”

“Love is a light, green enough to make you panic.”

“Hey, you’re mixing up the channels.”

“Could it be a ghost?”

“Turn on the lights!” Qin Yu commanded. The room was pitch dark, nothing visible.

“Click!”

The woman obeyed. The thing curled up in the corner raised its hand to shield its face.

Now, Qin Yu and the viewers in the livestream could clearly see the man’s desperate, chaotic state.

He cradled his head, dodging frantically, trying to squeeze into gaps, even willing to bang his head against the wall with crisp thuds.

“Da Dong, what’s wrong? Don’t be afraid, it’s Mom!” The woman was heartbroken, disregarding the fact that her son now looked nothing like a human.

“Don’t get close!”

Qin Yu’s warning came just in time, but it was a step too late. Startled, the man leapt up nimbly.

“Ah!”

The woman cried out, and her phone was flung aside.

When she appeared again on screen, three deep, bone-revealing claw marks slashed across her left cheek. She ignored her face, anxious. “Master, he ran out. What should I do now?”

“Turn your phone volume up to the maximum. I will recite a spell—when the moment comes, stick the charm.”

From the surveillance, Qin Yu could see the woman’s son was indeed possessed, but not by a ghost.

She still didn’t know what kind of creature it was, until she saw the claw marks on the woman’s face.

Following Qin Yu’s instructions, the woman chased out of the bedroom, but the living room was a mess, no trace of the man.

Qin Yu remained unhurried, making a gesture with her right hand. “Hold your phone and walk to the darkest part of the house.”

With that, she closed her eyes and began chanting, “Spirits return to temple, ghosts return to grave, monsters and demons return to the woods…”

The phone screen shook violently; the woman was clearly terrified, but for her son, she never faltered.

The entire livestream was silent, save for the dizzying camera and Qin Yu’s chanting.

Occasionally, a newcomer entered, only to be inexplicably awed into silence.

When she reached the entryway, the woman found her son buried head-first in the shoe cabinet, only his backside visible.

Her face still burning with pain, she hesitated. “Master, his head’s stuck inside.”

“Then stick it to his butt,” Qin Yu said, eyes still closed.

“Leaking! Leaking!”

“No, I feel unclean now.”

“Streamer, you owe me compensation for emotional distress.”

“Darling, I’m logging out for a bit. I’ll be back later.”

“Sobs, first time in my life someone sat on my phone.”

“I want to leave too, but I’m curious what’s happening.”

“Curiosity killed the cat.”

“Brother above, I’m out first. Tell me what happened after it’s over.”

The moment the phone was pressed to the man’s backside, a golden light flashed from the point of contact.

The woman’s phone suddenly became unbearably hot, yet she dared not let go.

“Ah! It hurts, hurts!”

Soon, the man clutched his rear and lifted his head, banging it against the shoe cabinet. The hand holding his backside now pressed to the back of his head.

Hearing her son’s voice, the woman burst into tears. “Da Dong, you’re finally back!”

“It’s not over yet.”

She focused only on her son, completely unaware of a streak of red light fleeing his body.

“Take your son to the bedroom.”

She nodded vigorously, supporting him back to the bedroom.

Inside, aside from the usual furnishings, nothing seemed amiss.

Qin Yu’s voice rang out, solemn and commanding. “Yellow Weasel, come out.”

“A yellow weasel? Not a ghost?”

“What’s going on? Isn’t it forbidden to become a spirit after the founding of the country?”

“Waited forever for the reveal, makes sticking it to his butt worthwhile.”

“Sisters, I heard it’s over. I’m back to see the outcome.”

“I’m late, what happened? Anyone kind enough to recap?”

“Hmph!” A snort came from beneath the desk. “Mortal, this is between him and me. Why meddle in my affairs?”

Under the desk crouched a lean yellow weasel, its fur smooth and glossy, nose bright red, small eyes jet black. If it hadn’t harmed anyone, Qin Yu might have found it somewhat cute.

“I take money, I resolve disasters.”

“Then I’ll pay you. Just stay out of my business.”

“That’s perfectly logical, hahahaha.”

“This little mouse is clever—smartest villain I’ve seen in a livestream.”

“It’s not a mouse, it’s a weasel!”

“Just admit it’s a mouse, okay?”

Qin Yu arched a brow, intrigued.

“Since you’ve awakened intelligence, why bother harming people? It damages your cultivation.”