We saw nothing, but Grandma Nova clearly did. She trembled violently as if witnessing something terrifying, muttering repeatedly: "Don't come closer! Stay away!"
"Grandma! What's wrong? What do you see?" Nova rushed toward Zephyr.
Suddenly Zephyr convulsed. His eyes rolled back, showing only whites, before he collapsed onto the bed unconscious.
My heart ached for the boy. So young, yet subjected to consecutive supernatural horrors - how much more could his body endure? Only an exceptionally strong life force could have sustained him this long.
Zephyr's collapse confirmed Grandma Nova's spirit had departed. My chance to inquire about grandfather vanished with her.
Rage surged through me. Damn it! After finally getting a lead on grandfather, some entity dared interfere? I didn't care what supernatural force this was - it had crossed a line.
Anger breeds courage. Gripping my Copper Coin Sword, I stormed outside. This time, I glimpsed her - a woman in red. She vanished down the corridor in an eyeblink, moving with unnatural speed. Only the trailing hem of her skirt remained visible for an instant.
"The woman in red? The ancient zombie beauty Grandma Nova mentioned? She's been haunting the Nova mansion all along?" Countless questions swirled as I gave chase, but she'd disappeared. Returning to the room, I found Nova tending to Zephyr.
"He seems fine," Nova reported. "Just fainted." She asked what I'd seen outside.
I told them truthfully about the red-clad woman. Both women paled, especially Daphne - already terrified of ghosts and prone to daytime frights.
"So the corpse has been hiding here all along," I mused. "Why hasn't the family moved? Burning this house down would trap even a powerful spirit."
Stein shook his head. "Useless. This is karmic retribution - inescapable. Breaking vows to the dead brings terrible consequences. The Novas took substantial wealth - the backlash must be severe."
He continued: "Grandpa Nova violated the corpse. Grandma Nova threatened cremation. Complete familial extinction is expected. That Tang Dynasty tomb's ancient corpse? Its malice after centuries... unimaginable."
Nova had been unaware female family members were also doomed. Now, terror turned her face ashen, lips bloodless. She collapsed to her knees before me.
"Please save us," Nova begged, kneeling desperately on the floor. "Grandma couldn't have been wrong. If she said you can help, then you must be able to. I'll promise you anything - just name it!"
Her sudden prostration flustered me. Of course I'd assist with Nova's predicament - not that I had much choice after accepting their payment. I'd do my utmost to resolve this supernatural disaster.
Helping her up, I tried to calm her. "Don't panic. There's actually a straightforward solution - I'll give you a Gods and Ghosts tattoo to suppress the zombie's influence." Then a practical concern struck me. "But how many women in your family need this? There must be dozens."
"If it works, tattoo them all!" Nova insisted. "Zephyr too - we must protect Nova family's last male heir."
A bitter laugh escaped me. "Exactly how many Nova women are there?"
After mental calculation, Nova replied, "Nearly thirty, though not all live on the estate."
I nearly choked. Such prolific lineage! With Zephyr, that made thirty-one tattoos - my hands would cramp from both inking and counting all that payment.
"Little Boss, what about this jade?" Stein interjected.
The pendant posed its own dangers. Left unchecked, it could wreak further havoc on the Novas. Stein had already suggested the solution - douse it in black dog blood before smashing it. But the jade's malice ran deep: the servant sent to procure the blood was killed by a speeding car. Who would dare attempt it now?
True to its origin, the pendant radiated malice matching its undead owner. Then inspiration struck - why not send the captured fox spirit? As a demon, it should survive what killed a human.
But controlling the fox presented problems. It wasn't our ally - if released, it might flee. We'd need to consult Stella.
When Stella answered my call, her groggy voice betrayed recent sleep. "Make it quick," she yawned.
Cutting to the chase, I asked, "How can we subjugate a demon? Make it completely obedient?"
"There's a Demon-Suppressing Talisman," she explained. "Embed it in the creature's heart. Disobedience brings angina... or cardiac rupture."
Normally demons wouldn't permit such violation. But our captive fox, with its limited cultivation and helpless position, presented no resistance.
A wicked grin spread across my face. "Stella, be a dear and implant one in our little fox, would you?"
Stella responded with casual indifference, "That'll be ten thousand for the talisman, five thousand for labor - fifteen total. Instant transfer only, no credit."
"Come on, Stellala," I protested, "between us, you're bringing up money?"
"Sixteen thousand," she immediately countered.
"Stellala..."
"Seventeen!"
"Fine! Fifteen thousand it is," I conceded through gritted teeth. The funds would return once we settled the Nova family's affairs. For now, I'd endure this minor financial hemorrhage.
Stein shook his head in disbelief. "Little Boss, with all this trouble, why not just hire her to handle everything?"
I waved him off. "The Novas aren't fools. They've undoubtedly consulted numerous Erebus profiteers - money's no object for them. Yet their curse persists, meaning those so-called masters failed completely."
"If proper experts couldn't solve it, a half-baked practitioner like Stella wouldn't stand a chance. Hiring her would just waste my money."
I tapped my tattoo needles meaningfully. "Don't underestimate our Gods and Ghosts tattoos. While we can't directly kill like some dark arts, our methods prove far more potent than other supernatural solutions. The only drawback? Too many damned restrictions."