Arthur Coleman saw that although this woman was over forty, she still retained her charm; her beauty had not faded with age. She wore a purple gauze shawl over her shoulders and a pomegranate-red dancing skirt, with a red bodice revealing a large expanse of fair skin. Her figure was plump and radiant, even outshining the young married woman beside her. The old Daoist stared, his eyes fixed, and couldn’t help but gulp.

Emily Thompson was just thinking how this lady could endure the cold so well. In the blink of an eye, he saw the old Daoist utterly bewitched by the beauty before him, making a fool of himself. Feeling contempt, he coughed loudly and said, “Master, didn’t our uncle-master tell us to return within ten days? If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late!”

The old Daoist snapped back to his senses at the shout, gave a couple of awkward laughs, and said, “Being a day or two late won’t matter!” He then snuck another glance at the lady’s chest.

Mrs. Bolton seemed completely unaware of the Daoist’s lecherous gaze. She smiled and said, “If the immortal master can drive away the evil, I will reward you handsomely!”

She ignored her husband’s frantic signals from the side and called out loudly, “Please, both immortal masters, rest in the guest room. We’ll serve you fine food and wine!”

Several servants hurried over to take their luggage, but no matter what, they couldn’t get the bag out of the Daoist’s hands.

Early the next morning, Arthur Coleman used the excuse of buying incense and candles to go to the county town, where he found a pawnshop to deposit his money. Feeling relieved, he then went to a teahouse, ordered two delicate snacks, brewed a pot of fine tea, and listened to a few storytelling performances. Seeing it was nearly noon, he leisurely returned, planning to perform the exorcism after lunch.

As soon as he entered the mansion gate, he saw Mr. Bolton already waiting there, his own apprentice standing behind him. Mr. Bolton greeted him with a beaming smile, “My son just woke from his nap, so it’s the perfect time for the ritual. Daoist, are you ready?”

Arthur Coleman was surprised and glanced at the apprentice behind him, who just shrugged and spread his hands helplessly. The Daoist thought to himself, “Looks like I’ve met someone not so easy to fool this time. He must have seen how much I ate and drank last night and is feeling the pinch. If I don’t show some real skill, I can forget about lunch.”

With that thought, he smiled faintly and said, “Very well! I’ve bought all the incense and candles. Let me go change my clothes and fetch a few ritual implements, then I’ll begin the exorcism.”

He pointed at Emily Thompson and said, “During the ritual, the young master might be startled. Let my apprentice watch over him.”

According to the plan he and his apprentice discussed the previous night, if they wanted a generous reward from the lady, they had to focus on the root of the illness. As long as they could persuade the wayward young master to return, the exorcism would be considered a success. So the key to the ritual lay with Emily Thompson; as for how to persuade him, that was Emily Thompson’s own business.

Mr. Bolton found this reasonable and called the house steward, instructing, “Frank Bolton, take this young Daoist to the young master’s room. Be gentle—don’t wake him.”

“Yes, sir.” The steward nodded and bowed, grinning as he stepped forward, revealing a set of large, yellow teeth—broad and handy for gnawing melon rinds.

The steward glanced at Emily Thompson, his smile vanishing, lips curling in disdain. “Come with me.”

This steward, named Frank Bolton, was the chief steward of the Zhang household, with three generations of his family serving the Zhangs. Last time, he had found the Bodhi monk, but things went awry and he was harshly scolded by the master. Yesterday, he had also witnessed Arthur Coleman’s performance, which seemed to show some skill, but more importantly, the young master seemed to be getting tired of pretending. Maybe he’d really go along with these two Daoists, letting them profit for nothing.

Frank Bolton felt deeply uneasy. These two Daoists had been brought in by the second steward Luke Bolton’s confidant Charles Bolton. If they succeeded, the credit would go to them. Luke Bolton had long wanted to take his position, and if these Daoists really pulled it off, wouldn’t Luke Bolton gain the upper hand? The more Frank Bolton thought about it, the more anxious he became. His livelihood was at stake—how could he be careless? Distracted, his steps slowed, and finally he stopped, pointing ahead. “I’m busy and can’t accompany you. Just go straight ahead.”

Emily Thompson looked in the direction he pointed and saw there were still two courtyards ahead, with winding paths and three intersections. All the buildings looked the same—how was he supposed to find the young master’s room? He smiled and said, “Steward, you must be joking. How am I supposed to find it? My master’s ritual is about to begin. If anything goes wrong, your young master’s life could be in danger!”

“Hmph! Don’t try to scare me. We all know what’s going on. To tell you the truth, the master also wants you gone as soon as possible!” Frank Bolton crossed his arms and sneered, “Aren’t you supposed to be so skilled in Daoist arts? If my young master is possessed, just find where the evil is and you’ll know the place. Why do you need me to guide you, my little immortal?”

Emily Thompson was irritated by his sharp words. Glancing around, he saw a maid in green pants and a red jacket run past the central doorway. His eyes lit up as he came up with a plan, and he sneered, “That’s the inner quarters ahead. As an outsider, if I wander around and alarm the ladies, wouldn’t that be your responsibility, Steward? If you don’t mind, then fine—whenever I see any madam or concubine, I’ll just say it was Frank Bolton who sent me, and let them go complain to the master!”

Frank Bolton had just taken two steps when he was stopped, his feet rooted to the ground, face turning purple with anger. Pointing at him, he shouted, “You—you’re talking nonsense! How dare you! Someone, come here!”

Several servants responded, “Chief steward, what is it?”

Emily Thompson just smiled and said, “Chief steward, the madam is waiting anxiously!”