Chapter 69: The Exorcist Who Stole the Business

A wave of fragrant air swept over him, filling Lin Xiao’s arms with the scent of jade. He took a deep breath and couldn’t help but remark, “What a lovely fragrance.” The aroma emanating from the witch was soothing, reminiscent of orchids blossoming in a secluded valley, refreshing and pure, making him want to inhale it again and again.

Typically, Westerners have a heavier body odor, regardless of gender, which is why they’re so fond of cosmetics—to mask their scent. Yet Zoe wore no perfume; the fragrance radiated from within her, as clean and delicate as a newborn, untainted and pristine.

Zoe’s cheeks flushed. She quickly stepped forward, slipping out of Lin Xiao’s embrace, a hint of annoyance in her eyes. She stretched out her hand toward the boy on the bed, and his mouth was instantly sealed—he could no longer scream.

“Honey, what’s wrong with my honey?” Mrs. Burham rushed over, hugging her son in anguish.

“What exactly is a child of the demon?” Lin Xiao felt a little awkward and hurriedly changed the subject, asking about the incident.

Zoe, aware of her own lapse, composed herself and replied, “A child of the demon is one who, at birth, was invaded by demonic power. Madam, may I ask—did anything strange happen when your child was born?”

Mrs. Burham, still worrying over her son, turned and glared fiercely at Zoe. Lin Xiao quickly explained, “This is my friend, a true professional exorcist by your standards. She’s highly skilled and I believe she can heal your child.”

Zoe shot Lin Xiao a look, her tone less than amiable as she interjected, “I wouldn’t dare claim I can surely cure her child.”

“If you can’t cure him, then please leave. Don’t try to deceive us here,” Mrs. Burham retorted.

Just as Zoe finished speaking, the door was pushed open and two white men walked in. One was impeccably dressed in a suit, the other wore a black cleric’s robe—though it wasn’t Christian attire, giving him an odd appearance.

“Darling!” Mrs. Burham stood up and threw herself into the arms of the suited man, clearly Mr. Burham himself, the boy’s father.

“Honey, don’t worry. I’ve specially invited a professional exorcist, Master Simodo. He’ll surely cure our child.”

Lester Burham was a renowned real estate tycoon in Roane County, as well as one of the state’s legislators—a figure of considerable stature, not merely a businessman.

Lin Xiao vaguely recalled seeing him on television, delivering campaign speeches and canvassing neighborhoods for votes. He rarely stayed in Hawkins, usually residing in Indianapolis, the state capital.

Master Simodo surveyed Lin Xiao and Zoe with a mocking gaze, making no effort to conceal his disdain. A seventeen-year-old boy and, at most, a twenty-year-old young woman had come to perform an exorcism—it was laughable.

“What’s the story with these two, Caroline?” Burham asked, pointing at Lin Xiao and Zoe. Mrs. Burham explained, and upon hearing that Lin Xiao demanded a yacht as compensation, the legislator sneered and waved them off.

“A yacht? That’s blatant extortion. When I exorcise for others, I ask for no more than ten thousand dollars. You dare demand over a hundred thousand? Outrageous. Young man, this is not your business. You probably learned a few magic tricks somewhere and think you can fool people. Beware, you may end up possessed instead of exorcising.”

Master Simodo laughed heartily, thinking he was daring, yet amazed to find someone even bolder, asking for a yacht. Why not request a spaceship? Wouldn’t that be faster?

Mrs. Burham hesitated. She wasn’t foolish—Lin Xiao’s family moved into the haunted house unharmed, whereas her own son suffered. Clearly, something was amiss. The boy kept calling Lin Xiao’s name, so she invited him to see if he could heal her son. Now, her husband had brought in a professional exorcist with much lower fees. She began to waver, thinking herself rash for acting out of desperation. After all, how could a seventeen-year-old possibly heal her son? The yacht could be spared.

“Let’s go,” Zoe said resolutely, turning to leave. Lin Xiao snorted. He hadn’t wanted to come in the first place; now, they could sort out the so-called child of the demon themselves.

The two exited the house. Zoe strode toward the lake, and Lin Xiao followed curiously, unsure of her intentions.

At the lakeside, Zoe crouched, dipped her finger into the water, and a white light glowed at her fingertip. She touched the lake’s surface, creating a basin-sized circle of light. Within this mirror-like portal, the scene inside the Burham bedroom appeared.

Lin Xiao gasped, witnessing the witch’s powers anew. Zoe smiled slightly and said, “This is an intermediate spell—Mirror Shadow. It allows me to observe the surroundings. I left a mark inside the room before departing, letting me view what’s happening now.”

“That Master Simodo is also a male witch. Judging by his aura, he’s at best a novice. He can handle ordinary evil possessions, but with a child of the demon… heh.”

Lin Xiao joined in her schadenfreude. Zoe was at least an intermediate witch, comparable to a vampire marquis. Only after reaching level ten could he match her. If she couldn’t handle it, Master Simodo was bound to embarrass himself.

“By the way, Miss Farmiga, what is a child of the demon, exactly?” Lin Xiao recalled his earlier question. He once suspected the boy was connected to Melissa, but now it seemed unrelated.

Zoe glanced at him, pondering before explaining, “A child of the demon is a child invaded by demonic power. Many hellish demons use special methods to project themselves into our world, leading to the birth of such children. Hawkins, for certain reasons, has a weakened spatial barrier, attracting demonic projections and causing the boy to be possessed.”

Lin Xiao smiled awkwardly. The so-called certain reasons likely referred to Number Eleven, who tore open spatial rifts, shattering the barrier and letting demon projections in.

Inside the bedroom, Simodo took out a small compass and circled the boy several times, his expression growing solemn. The boy was silent, staring intently at him. Lin Xiao sensed the boy’s gaze seemed to pierce through the Mirror Shadow, noticing their observation.

Simodo opened his case and took out numerous strange implements, most of which Lin Xiao had never seen. Zoe seemed thoughtful, as if deducing something.

Simodo placed the instruments around the boy, forming a ring resembling a coiled serpent. Next, he pulled out a crucifix-like object from the case.

Strangely, this crucifix was not made of wood but of two intertwined black serpents.

“Black Serpent Crucifix? Could he be one of them?” Zoe murmured. Lin Xiao was about to ask what that meant when Simodo raised the black crucifix to the boy’s forehead, muttering incantations.

As he chanted, the boy on the bed grew increasingly agitated, shouting and struggling violently, his veins bulging as he fought to break free.

The Burhams held their child down, pressing him to the bed. Simodo continued chanting, and black light began to radiate from the crucifix, dazzling and intense.

Suddenly, the boy spat a thick stream of black gas, striking Simodo’s hand holding the crucifix.

The force flung Simodo across the room, slamming him into the wall with such force that the entire house shook.

“Ha! Failed to show off, didn’t you?” Lin Xiao gloated. Zoe was an intermediate witch and never acted arrogantly. This half-baked exorcist dared to swagger—now look who’s possessed instead of exorcising?

PS: Thanks to reader Hidden Willow for the reward and everyone for their daily votes. I’m currently catching up on American dramas and related movies—the classics are hard to adapt, but I’ll keep the story’s original plot as much as possible. If there are discrepancies or if you’re dissatisfied, feel free to offer suggestions, and I’ll do my best to adjust.