Chapter 384
Chapter 384 - The First Clue the Strange Portrait of Ladies
Last night when I got back, I casually placed your piece of calligraphy on that table over there.
I stayed out of sight and watched. As soon as that female ghost drifted in, your calligraphy erupted in a burst of white light!”
“The light hit the female ghost, and she let out a terrible scream before floating out the window!”
“After that, she tried several times to come back into the room, but each time she did, the calligraphy would flare up with white light, sending her scurrying away!”
“That's when I realized the calligraphy must be restraining her, so I grabbed the painting and held it in front of me for protection while I called for help!”
……
Lao Wang recounted the whole incident to Jiang Hao, who then began to inspect the room thoroughly.
“According to Uncle Wang, there's something in this room that's drawing the female ghost.
Despite her fear of the words I wrote, infused with the essence of Confucianism and Taoism, she kept trying to get in!”
“But what is it that's so compelling to her?”
Jiang Hao pondered, frowning as he stood by the window, attempting to view the room from the ghost's perspective.
The moment Jiang Hao positioned himself, his gaze was drawn to the wall directly in front of him.
There hung an ancient scroll!
It depicted a girl in white, gazing longingly into the distance!
Just then, Jiang Hao thought he saw the figure in the painting move slightly!
Feigning ignorance, Jiang Hao walked around the room, engaging Lao Wang with a few trivial questions.
Eventually, he nonchalantly approached the painting and, looking up at it, asked casually,
“Uncle Wang, who's the artist behind this painting? It seems like an antique!”
There hadn't been any disturbances for a while, and Lao Wang had relaxed considerably.
He brought out two glasses of water and, upon hearing Jiang Hao's question, replied without much thought.
“Oh, that painting?”
“I traded for it from a scrap collector the day before yesterday. It looked like an artifact to me, but I'm not sure who created it.”
Jiang Hao nodded, taking in the information.
By now, he was certain that the root of all the trouble was this very painting!
The moment he stepped in front of it, the Confucian and Taoist energies within him stirred in response!
He had paced the room several times, but it was only when he reached this spot that the Confucian and Taoist energies within him stirred.
At that moment, Lao Wang assumed Jiang Hao was fond of the painting and quickly offered, “Hao Hao, if you like it, take it. It's not worth much anyway!”
Jiang Hao had been ready to concoct an excuse to request the painting from Lao Wang. To his surprise, Lao Wang freely offered it, sparing him the mental gymnastics.
”Thank you so much, Uncle Wang!”
With a smile, Jiang Hao carefully removed the Portrait of Ladies from the wall, rolled it up, and grasped it in his hand. Unexpectedly, the painting writhed as if it were alive.
Without showing any surprise, Jiang Hao subtly channeled a wisp of Confucian and Taoist essence into his hand, calming the Portrait of Ladies instantly.
Turning to Lao Wang, Jiang Hao advised, “Uncle Wang, keep that calligraphy piece for yourself. But please, find some brush and ink for me—I'll write you a new piece. That should do the trick! And if you're still concerned, consider reaching out to a reputable Feng Shui master to have your home blessed.”
Overjoyed by the suggestion, Lao Wang exclaimed, “Great, great! I'll fetch the writing materials right away!”
As Lao Wang hurried off, Jiang's father, tea in hand, furrowed his brow at the scroll in Jiang Hao's possession, lost in contemplation.