The three of us - plus one fox - stood frozen, staring up at Nova clinging to the ceiling. What exactly did that Jade Soul intend? To kill us? Or harm Nova's body?
I gripped my Copper Coin Sword, wondering if it could exorcise the possessing spirit. Following Stein's suggestion, I dabbed the blade with residual black dog blood from the cloth - though whether this would work remained uncertain.
"Aaargh!" Nova's guttural scream tore through the air as her fingernails tore bloody grooves in the ceiling, fingers bending at unnatural angles.
"Get down here! I won't slash you to death!" I taunted, hoping to provoke the possessed woman into descending. Our standoff served no purpose, and I feared what prolonged possession might do to Nova's body. At least with her on the ground, my blood-touched sword could intervene.
But the entity ignored my challenge, continuing its eerie growls as Nova's face twisted into a spectral grimace. The Jade Soul's intentions remained inscrutable.
"Fox! Get up there and bring her down. Now!" I ordered.
"Me? That thing's terrifying! No way!" The little fox refused, shooting me a resentful glare.
"Either obey, or I activate your Demon-Suppressing Talisman. Don't blame me for what comes next."
"Fine! I'll go!" The fox spirit surrendered reluctantly, its muzzle curling in displeasure.
Seconds later, its tail flicked upward as it launched toward the ceiling, claws extending into razor-sharp points aimed at Nova's face.
As Nova jerked her head away, her grip faltered. The possessed woman plummeted to the floor.
Success! The fox spirit proved more useful than anticipated - perhaps keeping it around wouldn't be so bad after all.
Nova landed with unnatural grace, immediately lunging toward Daphne - clearly targeting the most vulnerable among us.
Reacting swiftly, I swung my Copper Coin Sword. Nova raised her arms defensively, and the blade connected with her wrists.
A golden flash erupted. Nova's body went flying, the crimson smoke of the Jade Soul separating from her physical form and dissipating nearby.
My jaw dropped. Since when was this sword so potent? The $5,000 bargain supposedly held no special power!
The scarlet mist coalesced again. With its jade vessel destroyed, the entity desperately sought new shelter - and a human body provided ideal concealment for such spirits.
Without hesitation, the crimson smoke streaked toward Daphne. The terrified girl stumbled backward, tripping over some unseen obstacle. Now sprawled helplessly on the ground, escape became impossible.
I lunged forward, swinging my Copper Coin Sword at the smoke spirit. The entity shrieked - an eerily human wail - before dissipating completely.
"Dead?" I exhaled in relief, pleased we'd finally neutralized the evil jade.
Examining the sword in my hand, I couldn't determine whether its power came from the blade itself or the black dog blood residue. Regardless, we'd eliminated a formidable threat - that jade had cultivated a sentient soul, marking it as exceptionally malignant.
With the corpse's jade destroyed, retaliation was inevitable. But I suspected the enraged spirit would only emerge after nightfall. Before then, I needed to tattoo Nova and Zephyr with protective Gods and Ghosts tattoos to safeguard them and their siblings.
The root cause was clear - the female corpse's haunting. Appropriate supernatural tattoos would shield the family. Among numerous anti-zombie designs, one stood out as particularly effective against ancient evil corpses: Chitipati.
Chitipati represents the most ardent Vajra Bodhi. Depicted wielding a trident with a cobra coiled around his neck, his forehead bears a crescent moon birthmark some interpret as a third eye. His tiger-skin complexion hints at origins as a tiger demon before achieving enlightenment.
While Yama governs ghosts, Chitipati commands ten thousand zombies as their deity. Legend identifies him as a former zombie king who attained Bodhi status through Buddha's teachings - though this remains unverified, especially since his existence predates Buddha's.
Tattooing Chitipati on Nova's siblings would create an impenetrable barrier. No zombie, regardless of power, could approach someone bearing his image - they could only kneel and tremble before his visage.
For the remaining thirty-plus Nova women, tattoos would have to wait. Completing them all immediately was impossible, leaving me hoping no harm would befall them in the interim.
When Nova regained consciousness, I immediately explained the Gods and Ghosts tattoos. She agreed fervently, begging for immediate work - terrified the corpse might strike at any moment. Memories of her grandmother's gruesome death made Nova shudder violently.
"No problem," I assured her. "No need for the parlor - I brought all my equipment anticipating this need."
After preparing my tattoo needles and yang-infused pigments, I ushered Stein and the others out. The time had come to ink Chitipati's formidable image.
Nova showed no hesitation, stripping bare before me. Her voluptuous figure nearly gave me a nosebleed, though I quickly explained the back tattoo would spare us both embarrassment.
"Whatever," Nova shrugged. "I don't mind you seeing me." She admitted previously considering recruiting me into the Nova family lineage - an offer still standing if I changed my mind.
I declined with a wry smile. While I sold my tattooing skills, I wasn't for sale. Joining some aristocratic bloodline held no appeal, especially since Nova family women seemed equally uninterested in such arrangements. Where's the fun in that?
Composing myself, I began meticulously inking Chitipati across Nova's back. This particular Gods and Ghosts design proved challenging - the humanoid figure's intricate details included tiger-striped skin, a cobra coiled around the neck, and elaborate weaponry.
Four painstaking hours later, I finally finished. Darkness had fallen outside. The thought of still needing to tattoo Zephyr exhausted me already. Contrary to assumptions, prolonged concentration while bent over even the most attractive client becomes grueling work.
As Nova dressed, she asked if this truly would protect her from the vengeful corpse.
I nodded confirmation. "Any zombie will be restrained by this. Unless..." I added cautiously, "we're dealing with a ghost instead. Then the tattoo's power won't apply."
Nova expressed sincere gratitude, confident in my skills after hearing how I'd resolved matters for the Dai family and Mr. Lam.
"Save thanks for the payment," I deflected. "This craftsmanship doesn't come cheap."
Zephyr's tattoo presented unique challenges. His small back required specialized techniques to accommodate growth - the design must expand naturally with his developing body. This advanced method would take at least eight hours, double Nova's session.
By 3 AM, I completed the final stroke. Twelve continuous hours of tattooing left me drenched in sweat, barely coherent. Daphne and Stein had long since dozed off, while the little fox slept curled in a ball, tail tucked protectively over its belly.
The hour puzzled me. Why hadn't the corpse appeared? At this witching hour, with my protective tattoos nearing completion, her window for vengeance was closing. Once the designs activated fully, she'd never harm the Novas again.
Moreover, her jade's destruction should have provoked immediate retaliation. For such a malicious entity to remain absent seemed... uncharacteristic. Venturing through the mansion's corridors revealed no trace of the red-clad woman. Where was she?
Enough speculation. Even if she appeared now, it wouldn't matter. The tattoos were done. While I couldn't vouch for other Nova family members yet, that corpse wouldn't dare approach Nova or Zephyr again.
I nudged Stein and the fox spirit awake. "Stop sleeping. Time to go home!"
The little fox perked up instantly at the word "home" - until I clarified it meant my tattoo parlor. Her face fell comically, nose wrinkling in outrage as she called me a liar for not truly releasing her.
Grabbing her by the ear, I marched her out of the Nova estate. After a few half-hearted curses, she quieted down - still fearful of the Demon-Suppressing Talisman Stella had implanted. One wrong move and I could end her miserable existence.
Today had thoroughly exhausted the Nova household. Though Nova and Zephyr suffered the most, Zephyr's complexion improved remarkably after we destroyed the jade. That blood jade truly was malicious - able to drain a child's vitality right under their guardians' noses.
We took Daphne's car to avoid further burdening the Novas. As we departed, Daphne suddenly pointed to the rooftop. "A woman in red!" she gasped. "Standing at the edge, smiling at me!" The figure vanished before we could confirm.
The female corpse? Appearing only as we left? How... calculated.
Daphne turned to me anxiously. "Are you certain those tattoos will protect them? If not... after we're gone..."
I had absolute faith in my craft. If Gods and Ghosts tattoos failed, then the Nova family was truly doomed. This entity's power to hide in plain sight within their mansion demonstrated terrifying capability. Those tattoos remained their only hope. Their survival tonight depended on Chitipati's protection - which I trusted completely.
Back at the parlor, I left the fox spirit sleeping on the sofa. Stella and Harper had already departed - possibly home, possibly elsewhere. Exhausted, I collapsed into bed.
But sleep brought no rest. That crimson-clad woman haunted my dreams, approaching steadily until her features became clear.
The face staring back at me... was Nova's.