《The Tale Never Ends》


 Prologue

    It was the year 1934, Sexagenary Year of the Wood Element and Zodiac Year of the Dog on the Chinese Calendar, on the first month of autumn, where it all began; at the tomb of the Bian Clan alongside Huan Xiang River which flowed at the foot of Mount Yan. The swift galloping of horses broke the silence of the night; a few horse bandits were riding fast, holding flaming torches in their hands.


    One of the band was barking hoarsely, ordering his men to round up the family who had been the keepers to the graves before restraining them with ropes, gagging them and covering their heads with black-colored bags. A few of the men tied a thick mugwort rope to a tree before lighting it on fire. Some of the rest ran for the cluster of graves of the mausoleum of the Bian Clan, with shovels, pickaxes, and other tools ready.


    Not far away, a large man, with a face full of beard, sat on his horse. With proud eyes and looking stern threatening, the man, who seemed to be the leader of the horseback villains, pointed to a mound and spoke to the man who was barking orders. "Send some of our men to take that vantage point. Fire some shots and warn the villagers off. We do not need curious onlookers crowding around here!" The man with a hoarse voice replied meekly to his chief, "But sir, will the gunshots not attract any soldiers nearby?" The chief said, waving off his subordinate''s fear dismissively, "Nay. This area is the demilitarized zone as sanctioned by the Tanggu Truce. Neither the Japanese or the Chinese military will be around for a radius of a hundred miles from here. Tell the men to relax and do as they will!" "Yes, sir!" His lieutenant croaked an assent and ran off, heading towards the clump of graves. "Wait," called the chief again, "Have men guarding every road that leads to here. They are to drive away anyone who comes near. Shoot them if they must!"


    "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Three gunshot sounds were heard from a distance. The people from the village nearby all slammed their doors shut, fearing that trouble would come knocking. The light spots shuttled through the cluster of graves and the smoke of burning the mugwort wafted far away from here.


    "Boss, this is not the one!", "So is this too!"... Numerous reports came from the bandits who were plundering the graves. They have not found the one they were after. The chief took out a pocket watch and looked into it through the gilded illumination of the firelight. He leaped down his horse and walked quickly to his men still digging the graves. "Time is running short! We must find it before dawn!" The chief shouted to his lieutenant. Just then, another bandit came over to him, looking more mild-mannered than the rest although he carried a holstered pistol over his back. Seemed to be the strategist of the group, the man spoke to his chief, "At this rate, Boss, we will not find it even when daybreak comes. The item we''re looking for is ancient, so we can spot the place according to the age of coffins. If we filter out newer coffins, we can find the oldest graves as soon as possible." The band of robbers then split into groups, moving from several directions as directed by the strategist who would check the age of coffins to decide which tomb to be dug further.


    "There''s a stone tablet here!" One of the robbers cried out loud. The strategist hurried over and dusted off the dirt from the tablet. "It''s an epitaph! Let''s see the date..."


    "It''s among these graves here, Boss! The year inscribed here is not more than thirty years from the year of the item we''re looking for."


    ...


    "We''ve found it!" A few of the men whisked off the soot from the burial items in the grave and filled them into a bag. The men then lifted a coffin from the grave and threw it outside. Another man, tall and large, hopped into the hole and pull a knife out of his puttees to test the earth beneath the coffin. He rose to his feet, saying, "This is it." A few more men leaped into the hole. "Enlarge it, but do not damage the item!" Their leader warned. Carefully, the men slowly shoveled off the earth, revealing a trench filled with fresh soil. Digging further, they found the item that they had been seeking: an old and gnarly casket made of wood. The casket was cautiously removed from the hole. Once opened, they found a bundle of silk within, wrapping around a sheathed sword.


    "We''ve got it!" One of the men presented the sword to his chief. He drew the sword for just a little to examine its blade, his eyes glimmering under the reflection of the firelights from the steel blade. Satisfied, the chief chuckled and called for his lieutenant, signaling for the men to get ready to leave. The lieutenant barked, "Let us go, brothers!" and the robbers left on their horses, fleeing the vicinity with the bounties they had found from the graves.

 Volume 1 Young and inexperienced - Chapter 1 Man versus Ghos

    t


    "You don''t know, a ghost had put me up to this!" A man panted. I handed to him a cup of tea and said, "Relax. Have a drink and tell me everything slowly." The man took a swig of tea and wiped the sweat off his forehead before he set off on his tale.


    "My name is Hao. I''m a construction worker. I am known for my courage, hence my nickname, Fearless Hao. I was out for miles last month, working on some construction job and the patron of the project I was working brought us out for dinner. I had a voracious appetite, so I returned home late that night. It was already dark outside. The roads were rough, and my electric scooter was not working well. It had run out of power! I could do nothing but slowly push it with me. Normally I would not be afraid. But I felt someone, or something, was following behind. But when I looked back, there was no one! I continued further. Still, I could not shake off the feeling that someone was following me. When I turned back again, there was no one still! Feeling uneasy, I quickened and slowed my pace from time to time. But no matter how I adjusted my pace, the dread that I was being followed lingered. Strangely, when I stopped, I found nothing behind my back.


    "But I told myself, ''Impossible!'' I threw aside my scooter immediately and turned suddenly! Finally! There was a person not far behind: a woman. Her hair was over her face that I could not see her clearly. Loudly, I shouted, ''Who are you! Why are you following me?'' She replied, ''Please do not be afraid...'' ''Who''s afraid?'' I barked at her, ''Why are you following me?'' ''To be honest,'' the ghost answered, ''I am the ghost of a woman who was once dead by drowning. I do not dare walk past the Jing Jue Temple ahead, so I hope to follow just behind you.''


    "After listening to her pleadings, I said, ''Hah! Is that so? Hop on the backseat of my scooter; I''ll give you a lift.'' And there the ghost sat, light as a feather. With no more fear in me, I began to talk to her, ''Where are you going to?'' The ghost answered, ''I am looking for a replacement!'' ''From where do you intend to find one?" I asked, and she answered, ''The Bridge of the Zhu Clan.'' I stopped in my tracks and said, ''Then you will not have to go anymore. The Bridge of the Zhu Clan is about twenty miles from here. The flowers would have been withered by the time you reach there. The replacement you are seeking would have long been snatched by the rest of the other wandering souls!'' But she giggled and replied, ''That will hardly be the case. The Deity of the Land has a register of anyone who is going to drown. I have a pass by him. No one will take away my claim.'' Her tale somehow made me felt interested and hence I continued asking, ''So where is the person who is going to drown? There would hardly be anyone around here, except for the flood that occurred at the vicinity of Huang Xiang River this year!''


    "Hearing this, the female ghost then explained, ''You might not know that there is a Gao Manor there. The master of the manor, Gao Yuzhu has a wife who received a call one day; a call from a friend she met online. The friend had called her to tell her that he was in town and would like to meet up with her. Without thinking much, Gao Yuzhu''s wife immediately went to see him, only to find that the man was trying to seduce her by leading her towards a hotel. Knowing that something was not right, the woman immediately hailed a trishaw that took her home. Little did she know that the person was in truth a repeated villain who uses such ways to extort for money. He has an assistant who is always waiting to record the footage of his trysts with married women to extort money from his prey later. Seeing that his approach had failed, the man then moved on to another target; only this time luck was not on his side: the husband of the woman was trying to follow them and had him beaten up fiercely before the police came and scooped him up. At the police station, the vile man remained tight-lipped, trying his best not to divulge anything of his criminal acts. The police then resorted to digging through his phone for information and then found the contact number of Gao Yuzhu''s wife. With additional information from the telecommunications provider, the police then went to visit Gao Yuzhu''s wife at their manor. The arrival of the police caused quite a commotion at his home that everyone in the village crowded around him home, filled with curiosity. Feeling ashamed, Gao Yushu gave his wife two slaps on her cheek. His wife, angered with embarrassment, left for her parents'' home immediately. Gao Yuzhu then gave a call to his wife''s parents, complaining that their daughter was unfaithful to him. Gao Yuzhu''s wife then reached her parents'' home, only to find that her parents, equally distraught by the incident, now considered her the black sheep of the family! With no other choice, she left again. Now, no one but I knows that she, is in fact, crying alone in a small tent by the river! Feeling wronged, she thought, ''I keep my chastity for you, but you slapped me...'' And when she jumps later, I will only have to pull her leg from below.''


    "By then, we reached a junction. I spoke to the ghost, ''I am turning here. Goodbye!'' The female ghost waved to me too, saying, ''Have a safe trip home! I''ll hope we''ll meet again in my next life!''


    "When I reached home, suddenly I remembered: my wife has a relative in that same village. Hence, I asked my wife, ''Do you know a Gao Yuzhu from the Gao Manor?'' My wife then replied, ''Do you not know him? He''s the second son of my cousin!'' The revelation struck me with horror! Without further ado, I quickly handed a mobile phone to my wife and said, ''Quick! Call your cousin!'' When the call was connected, I immediately snatched over the phone and yelled into the mouthpiece, ''Cousin! I''m Fearless Hao! Quick! Send some people to the river to save your daughter-in-law! She''s trying to kill herself!''


    "After more than an hour later, the cousin of my wife called back to us, saying, ''Fearless! Thank God for your warning! She''s already in the water when my people reached her. For reasons unknown, they have tried so hard to pull her from the water as if she weighed like a mountain! Cough! By the way, Fearless, how do you know about this?'' And I said, ''We''ll talk about that later. How is the couple? Are they well now?'' My cousin then replied, ''Yeah. They have talked about everything and have cleared up the misunderstanding. They are well now, all thanks to you. They''re talking about inviting you for dinner.'' I then said, ''Stand not on ceremony! We are family!''


    "And hence I thought everything had ended in a happy ending. But when I finished my work the following evening, the female ghost was waiting for me beside the road! At the very sight of me, she turned angry and yelled at me, ''How dare you foil my plan, Fearless Hao!'' I replied, ''But she''s family... Surely you do not expect me to sit still and only watch...'' But the female ghost lunged at me and attacked me! But it turned out that ghosts do not have much physical strength. With only a few struggles, I managed to throw her into a drain. The female ghost then clambered back up and spat bitterly before she left, saying, ''Beware you! This is not the end yet!'' And hence at that moment, I was assuming that there would be nothing that she''ll be able to do towards me. I am not afraid of her, so she could hardly scare me to death. I''m not called Fearless Hao for nothing, see? Moreover, she did not have enough physical strength to threaten me. I would trounce her soundly if she''s up for another fight. But never would I expect that her schemes would ensnare me. I was riding on my scooter to work yesterday through the town when I heard a loud ''clang'' behind me. But I did not stop, knowing the sound did not come from me. But someone came for me today, saying that I had hit his Mercedes Benze. A look at the security footage of the incident showed that the driver had left his car for five minutes, but I was the only person who had passed by his car...


    I opened a bottle of Coke and looked at the person before me. "What a brazen man he is!" I thought, "Not many could have been able to defeat a ghost in a struggle without the necessary skills in these days!" Seeing Fearless Hao who was sitting opposite me, I could not help but feel troubled by the anxiety that this Fearless Hao now faced. "This is a matter of dispute between humans, not the usual quandaries between mortals and ghosts that I am accustomed to. I have no authority nor jurisdiction in handling the case of the vehicle accident!" Thinking of it, I placed down my drink and told Fearless Hao, "I''m sorry, my friend. I''m afraid I am unable to help you with this affair. I am an exorcist. What you''ve met is a vehicle accident. Surely you do not expect me to help you pay for the damage you incurred?" Upon hearing this, Fearless Hao hardly looked like he was living up to his nickname. He begged miserably, "Please, my friend. Please help me! Surely you can help me with my dispute with the ghost, even if the matter of the accident is out of your hands." I might be gifted with skills to catch ghosts, but looking for a ghost of a person who had drowned was still an errand beyond my abilities and skills. Shaking my head, I spoke to him. "Errr... What was it... Brother Hao! Yes... Still, I''m afraid it would still be impossible for me to locate the ghost. I will be able to help if the ghost has possessed a person. But now that she''s missing, looking for her is like searching for a needle from a haystack! She''s a ghost of a person who''s drowned; a ghost without its grave!"


    Well, I might have been too agreeable with this Fearless Hao, that he began to unabashedly plea and pester for my help, saying, "Please, brother! Help another brother in need! I have no one else to go to! She had just implicated me in an accident with a Mercedes! Where am I to find the money to pay for the damage? What if she were to cause another accident with a tank? I might even die then! I have looked for numerous other people for help; priests, shamans, and others, but no one was able to take my case! Finally, someone directed me to you." Looking at the large, six-feet-tall man before me, so distressed that even his face was flushed red with anxiety, filled me with compassion. Hence, I said, "Very well then. I might not be able to help you, but my father might be able to!" With that, I looked at my watch which showed the time: twenty-seven minutes past three. "It is still early now. I''m afraid my father is still busy. Let us wait till my father is back from work and we''ll meet him. He might have an idea!" Hearing this, Fearless Hao thanked me profusely as he retook his seat.


    However, he had just sat down when the sounds of hurried footsteps came from outside the door. A woman rushed into the reception room and asked nervously, "Is the Head Person in?" "My father is busy at the moment," I said, noting her worried and apprehensive expression, "Can I help you?" Realizing my relationship with the Head Person, the woman then asked, "Ah! I see. What time would your father be available then?" But she was fidgeting with so much restlessness that she was mumbling incomprehensibly. Knowing that she was in distress, I asked again, "How can I help you?" Filled with doubt, the woman was hesitant to reveal the reason for her anxiety. Reluctantly, she then confessed. "I need the Head Person''s help. My husband had a bump-in with a ghost!" Even Fearless Hao displayed a hint of sympathy at the woman''s plight. Looking at her, I said, "Please calm down and tell me what ghost is that."


    Hearing my question, the woman blurted, "A white fiend!"

 Chapter 2 The White Fiend

    A sudden disappointment filled me as soon as I heard the woman mentioned that her husband had encountered a "white fiend". I thought I would have an opportunity to demonstrate my skills, but it was only a "white fiend". "White fiends" were different from "black fiends". "Black fiends" sought to endanger humans but "white fiends" did not. Hence I spoke to the woman, "Lady, ''white fiends'' do not harm humans. Are you trying to say that your husband is bothered by one?" The woman got worried when she heard me. "No. Well, it''s my husband himself..." The discrepancies of her statements somehow annoyed me. I bellowed, "Please be frank, lady. What has happened and how is your husband now!"


    The woman became stunned by my sudden uproar. With no other way, I invited the woman into the house for a seat and poured her a cup of water. "Be calm and tell me everything slowly." The woman swallowed a gulp of water and relaxed before she began. "My family lives in Yellow Soil Ridge, and there is this shoe factory five miles to the east from my home where my husband works as a maker of shoe soles. He was coming home late from work one night in the winter last year. He walks to work because the road to his factory is a path through the hills. On his journey home that night, he saw ''something''. According to my husband, the ''thing'' was as large as a basketball, with no limbs and no head, looking completely white. Sitting three feet away from my husband, the ''thing'' threw itself at him. Out of panic, my husband struck at it with his flashlight, but he missed. He ran straight home without stopping that night. Once home, he told me everything. My heart tells me that he must have encountered a ''white fiend''. Hence, I did not pay much attention to the matter at first, knowing that ''white fiends'' do not harm humans. But little did I expect that the incident had frightened my husband so badly that he refused to go to work the next day, not being able to walk the path anymore."


    The woman looked more at ease now, finally being able to confess the fear that has been tormenting her. Still, she looked even more pained with distress and concern for her husband. She drank from her glass again before she continued with her tale, "A man, being afraid just because he was being terrified by his brush with the ''white fiend''. Not wanting to walk that path again, he even quitted his job. At first, there was only the fear of walking that hilly path. Then things took a turn for the worse. He began to fear to go to the loo on his own at night. Now, he needs somebody to accompany him whenever he uses the toilet even in the day." Finally, I understood the woman''s predicament. However, I turned curious. How did she come to know of my father''s capabilities? The woman might have noticed the change in my expression and guessed my reservation, for she then spoke, "Please, young sir. We depend on my husband''s income from his work at the shoe factory; our living expenses, the children''s schooling fees, among others... But he had quit his job. For the last six months, I have been searching for doctors to help him. I have travelled from Yellow Soil Ridge to the capital in vain, but no one had been able to remedy my husband''s condition. Finally, a doctor at the capital told me about a certain Head Person of the Wen Chang National Studies Institute in the Wu Zhong County who might be the one person who will have the solution to all this, and here am I..."


    It was five in the evening, at the front of the Wen Chang National Studies Institute. A crowd of children poured out of the doors of the Institute, looking to be leaving at the end of their classes. My father was the Head Person of this Institute, whose primary duty was to educate the younger heirs to the nation the historical culture of the country that they would inherit in the future. Together with Fearless Hao and this woman, we were waiting for my father. I led them into the head person''s room. There we found my father, having a light smoke after ending his lectures. Without delay, I immediately told my father of the purposes of their visit. Raising his head, my father studied the two guests and they, too, peered closely at him. Fearless Hao regarded my father suspiciously, turning to me incredulously. His eyes bore into me as if saying, "Is this your father or your brother?" But his doubts were not without reason. My father looked younger than his age. Even now, he looked as if he was still in his early twenties, even though he was very much older in truth. It was obvious that the woman harbored the very same skepticism, for she shared the same look that Fearless Hao was giving me now.


    Hearing that they were here to plea for his help, my father said to them, "Have a seat, both of you. I will help you one by one. Which of you was the first here?" Both Fearless Hao and the woman were overjoyed; they have found the right person for help! The woman then spoke, "First come, first served. This man is first before me. Feel free to look into his case first." Seeing that the woman was being courteous, Fearless Hao sprang to his feet impetuously and began, "Head Person... I was..." And so he repeated his tale once more to my father. Throughout his story, my father had his eyes remained closed while he listened closely, smiling as he puffed at his cigarette every now and then. When Fearless Hao ended his tale with the incident involving the owner of the Mercedes Benz, a Mr. Lee, my father giggled and said, "Very well. This issue is a simple matter. How much are you willing to pay to settle this problem?"


    Fearless Hao was astounded for moments before he managed to speak. "I am but only a mere construction worker. Through pain and sweat, I only earn four thousand each month. But with just a simple bump, I''m being billed at hundreds of thousands just for that luxury car! Where am I to find such money! Even though I try my best to raise money, I can''t afford it..." However, my father waved him off dismissively, "No no no... I''m not asking how much you''re willing to pay for the accident. I''m asking how much you''re going to pay me." Surprised, Fearless Hao could only utter a bewildered "Ah?". My father then went on, "Look. You make four thousand a month from your construction work. How about two thousand and I''ll settle the entire problem for you?" Feeling overwhelmed, Fearless Hao pleaded, "But Head Person... I still have to pay for the reparation of the car... I''m afraid I am not unable to pay you that much..." My father cut him short impatiently with another wave of his hand and said, "No. What I mean is that you will only have to pay me two thousand. You will not have to pay for the repairs of the car. I''ll settle the entire problem: both the ghost and the car accident for you. Why would you need me if you are still going to pay for the repairs nonetheless? This institute is a place of learning about national studies and I can only offer you an invoice for tuition. A lesson of mine costs two-thousand renminbi. That is to say, I''ll give you a two-thousand renminbi lesson. I''ll say the same words to others." Fearless Hao was overjoyed to hear this, saying, "Oh my God! That''s great!" "That goes without saying," I thought. My father was going to help him with the entire fracas for just two thousand. A regular shaman elsewhere would have charged him several times over.


    With Fearless Hao''s agreement, my father then said, "To tell you the truth, I am old friends with the owner of the Mercedes Benz, that Mr. Lee. He is a lively figure; a most well-disposed person. There shall be no need for worry." He took out his mobile phone, tapped on it and put it to his ears. As soon as he was connected, my father spoke into the mouthpiece, "Hi, Lee. Yeah, it''s me. Where are you now? Are you at home or work? Ah, you''re away. When will you be back? I see. All right then. Let''s have dinner together." My father then ended the called and spoke to Fearless Hao, "I have made an appointment with that Mr. Lee. But he is not available now. He''ll be back at six. We''ll meet him at his office in one hour. Just you wait a moment."


    My father then cast his gaze to the woman beside Fearless Hao, "Well, now. What about you? What is your tale?" Like Fearless Hao earlier, the woman also retold her story about her husband. Same as before my father listened with a serene smile on his face, his eyes shut as he listened intently to every detail. When the woman had ended her story, my father opened his eyes and smiled at her, saying, "Well... I cannot fully conclude my theory since your husband is not present. How about you bring your husband along the next time you visit? We''ll be able to figure out a solution then." The woman too was delighted to hear this. Immediately she exclaimed, "He''s here! He''s here! He''s just outside; waiting in the car. I''ll go and get him right now!" My father nodded and said nothing, still smiling brightly. It turned out that the woman had taken a cab from Yellow Soil Ridge to this city with her husband. But due to his fright, he did not dare to get off the car. But how can a doctor diagnose a patient without first examining him?


    Moments later, the woman came back with a middle-aged man with her. Fear was evident in his trembling eyes, despite his apparent robust health. His condition struck me as a strange and puzzling quandary. But my father, still placid and laidback as ever, smiled at the man, "Come. Have a seat. Can you tell me everything about your incident again in great detail? I have heard it from your wife, but I would need to hear everything from a first-person perspective." The man looked around as if he was expecting to see a supernatural being peeking from the eaves of the room. Finally, when he was certain that he was not being watched, he heaved a sigh of relief and began, "It was in the winter last year; a night where I had finished work late. A north-west wind was blowing strongly that night. Fighting through the winds lashing at me, I slowly worked my way home. Suddenly, I saw something white drifting through the air, flowing towards me!" By now, the man''s expression was beginning to change. Noticing this, my father tried to calm him. "Have no fear! Continue." As he spoke, he offered the man a cigarette. The man took it and lighted it. After having a few drags on the cigarette, he looked noticeably better; even his quivering hands began to rest. The man looked at his cigarette, as if the cigarette had cast a calming spell on him, and continued the recollections of his ordeal, "It floated through the air at me; this ''thing'' which has no limbs and no head, shaped like a ball of this size..." His hands were swinging as he tried to demonstrate the size of the ''thing'' before he continued, "It was gliding at about three feet over the air, slowly and gracefully, and before long, it came to me. At that moment, one thing was clear to me: it was coming for me. I tried to use my flashlight to take a better look at it, but it was not working! With panic sweeping through me, I could barely stand. Somehow a fit of insanity took me. I took up my flashlight and I tried to hit the ''thing''..."

 Chapter 3 Nocturnal Sigh

    t


    What comes when a person is most afraid? Anger. What comes after anger? Trauma; and this man was the perfect epitome of one who has had a traumatic experience.


    Seeing that the man had reached the most harrowing point of his encounter where he tried to strike at the unknown entity with anger, my father observed that blood had but all left the man''s face. He offered the man another cigarette and lighted it for him. The man took a few more swigs off his cigarette, his agitation slowly subsiding. At length, he continued again, "It was like hitting on marshmallows when I tried to strike it with my flashlight. It looked like a living thing to me, but it did not seem so when I hit it. How could a living thing felt like cotton when I hit it? I must have missed, I first thought. Hence, I tried hitting it again. It ducked; and again, and again. I kept missing it, and this filled me with rage. ''I don''t care what you are,'' I told myself and took another swipe at the ''thing'' with my flashlight. But this time, my torch passed cleanly through it and hit the rock behind it. My anger was instantly choked, replaced only with cold fear. That must surely be a ghost, I thought, and I nearly wet my pants. I ran all the way home, not being able to look back at all. I did not know whether the thing was following me, but even now, I could not shake off the feeling that the ''thing'' is following me everywhere, watching me from the shadows. The head of the factory I work at called me two days ago, calling me back to work quickly, for they are short on manpower. I told him yes, only if my shifts are in the day. But we work on three shifts daily. No one will be willing to trade shifts with me every day! That is why I have not been to work!"


    Finally having listened to the man''s full story, my father smiled. He said, "All right. I''ll look into this for you and make sure that there will be no repeat of such kind for you in the future when you use that path to work. What do you think?" The man''s eyes instantly glinted brightly and replied, "What? Are you sure?" My father nodded to him and said, "So it is. So, that leaves the matter of payment. How much are you willing to pay me?" It was obvious that the couple had made numerous visits for help. They looked accustomed to the usual proceedings of such visits, with no lack of experiences in being cheated. The woman then said, "Ah... Surely you have to make us an offer? Please, quote us a price." My father nodded quietly in reply and then said, "I see. How about this? This brother here had just offered to pay two thousand for my help. How about the same rate, two thousand too?" The woman''s eyes twinkled with hope and immediately thanked him profusely. She had never thought that their predicament could be settled with so low a price if compared to the usual rates of the other help that she had tried to look for.


    Now that the preparatory negotiations have been done, my father turned to me and said with a smile, "Please lead these good people to the depository to arrange the payments, Shiyan. Bring them back here later when you''re done." I nodded and muttered in reply, "All right." I brought them three to the depository where the lady on duty today was going to leave from work. She saw me entering with the three guests and returned to her seat, saying, "Look who it is. What brings you here, Shiyan?" I nodded in acknowledgment and said to her, "Please issue two receipts for two-thousand-dollar lesson fees, Sister." If she knew what these "lesson fees" actually meant, the lady made no indication of it as she produced the receipts, collected the payments and trotted off from work with her handbag.


    Walking out of the depository, Fearless Hao asked me fearfully, "E-er... Look, brother, I am paying before my problem is resolved. What if your father fails..." "Worry not, my friend. We will refund you the money if we fail to help you," I said. As we talked, we walked back to the Head Person''s Room. I tossed the empty can of Coke I was drinking to the floor of the corridor and the voice of a young woman came suddenly from behind. "I believe I have told you many times not to throw rubbish everywhere, Shiyan!" I immediately picked up the litter I tossed and turned to her, saying, "E-er... Aunt Fen. Heh heh heh, I''m sorry I have not seen you." And I deposited the trash into a bag she was holding, smiling at her impishly. Aunt Fen knocked at my head once and barked, "So you think you can throw rubbish around when I''m not in sight?" "No, surely not, Aunt Fen," I replied.


    After finishing with Aunt Fen, I led Fearless Hao and the couple up the stairs. Fearless Hao was lost for words. I nudged him once with my elbow and asked him, "What is it with you? You''re choking?" Shyly, Fearless Hao asked me, "T-that... The woman..." Knowing he was referring to Aunt Fen, I said, "Yep. That''s Aunt Fen, the head of the Management Office here." Fearless Hao waved his hand, "No", he said, "I have meant to ask you about this at your father''s office, but I had never been able to. What is it with this National Studies Institute? Why is everyone young here holding the position of seniority? Your father looks young himself that he looks only a few years older than you. This Aunt Fen of yours looks even younger than you." I could see that even the couple had the exact same suspicion, although they did not dare to speak their minds. I smiled at them and said, "Aunt Fen is twenty this year, and I''m twenty-two. I''m not sure of my father though, even though I think he knows not of his age himself." Fearless Hao gaped with shock, "Ah?! I may be able to understand if you say a young girl of twenty could be a senior here. But what is this about your father?" I shot him a look and snapped, "And what is all these to you?" And Fearless Hao turned quietly instantly.


    When we got back to the Head Person''s office, my father was sipping lazily on his drink. He had a wine flask, one that looked silvery but yet not so; an item that never seemed to leave his side. Expectedly, my father was a lover of wine and liquor although I had never seen him being drunk. Still, it was due to his love for heavy drinks that he had made many influential and powerful friends. Seeing us back at his office, my father returned the stopper to his flask and called at the couple who had encountered the "white fiend", "Come. Let me first settle your impasse with the fiend. Look into my eyes," he said, "Yes! Look deeply into my eyes." Hesitant with doubt, the husband shifted in his seat to move forward but his wife dared not move an inch, being the fearful and doubtful woman that she was. She knew full well that her husband was suffering from trauma and she would not be able to take it if her husband would have to undergo another terrifying ordeal.


    Noticing her reluctance, my father smiled benignly to her and motioned to her with a wave, saying, "Have no fear. Everything will be fine." Finally, the woman relented, moving forward in her seat. A solemn silence befell the entire room suddenly. Everyone had their breaths held as they observed my father closely, eager to see him work his magic. Three seconds ticked by before I could distinctly hear the fearful gasps by the couple for breath. The husband mumbled suddenly, breaking the eerie reticence, "Y-your... Y-your eyes... T-they a-are like cat''s eyes..." It was only then when I noticed the change in my father''s eyes: the pupils of his eyes have contracted into the slitted shapes that resembled that of a cat. While the couple might not know what was going on, I did. My father spoke to them gently, giggling lightly, "Have no fear. This change to my eyes is a skill that we, the practitioners of mystic arts, called as the Nocturnal Sight, also known as the Beast Sight by some. The skill allows the eyes to see clearly in the dark like cats."


    But I was slightly perturbed by this display of his skills. Never once had my father revealed his mastery of these mystic skills to strangers. Why did he show this skill to them? The Nocturnal Sight was hardly any common External Magic. It was one of the four greatest Ocular Magic widely practiced amongst practitioners of the arcane arts: all of them being the Nocturnal Sight, the Spirit Sight, the Magical Sight and the Divine Sight. Users of the Nocturnal Sight could see through the darkness without no difficulty. Nothing, be it matter or supernatural entities, would be able to escape the sight of its user. The Spirit Sight allowed its user to detect the flow of spiritual energies. No supernatural entities like demons or ghost would remain unseen in the presence of its user. The Magical Eye bestowed the ability to look through the destiny of three incarnations of any living thing, while the Divine Sight granted its users to peep at Heaven Dao; the only of the four which could only be practiced by those who had attained Immortality. Naturally, I have not met anyone in my life who had possessed the Divine Sight. But there were also people who have been born with the gift of the first three Ocular Magics. I, for one, was born with the Spiritual Sight. Hence I was gifted in this line of business. Still, I knew not of my father''s levels of powers, knowing only that he had both the Nocturnal Sight and the Spiritual Sight. I knew not if he had both the Magical Sight and the Divine Sight. But he would never tell me even if he did have the latter two Ocular Magics.


    But I knew that my father was strongly against showing this skill to common mortals. I had once shown to my classmates my Spiritual Eyes when I was young, and he severely punished me. "What was wrong with Father today?" I thought to myself, "Why was he showing these common mortals his powers?" Suddenly my father spoke, "Look at this. Is this you?" He played a video clip on his iPad that he removed from his drawer and handed the iPad to the husband. Everyone looked at the screen of the tablet. Everything was dark in the screen, save for a man walking in the dark holding a flashlight. He was carrying a nylon knapsack on his back. My father pointed to the man on the screen of his tablet and asked, "That is you, no?" The husband was astonished.


    My father then giggled before he muttered, "I was not very far away actually, watching you."

 Chapter 4 The Battle With the Plastic Bag

    As usual, my father never failed to amaze, like now.


    The husband was clutching the iPad in his hands as he looked incredulously at my father, "Impossible! It''s impossible that there''s anyone around there! Why did you not call out to me if you were there?" My father shook his head gently, still wearing his smile. He lifted his finger and pointed at the person in the video clip playing on the tablet, saying, "This video clip was recorded using an infrared camera, hence the black and white color. The bag you had there was blue color, and the flashlight you were using was red, is it not?"


    The man was stunned. But still, he could not believe my father even though my father had pointed out correctly the color of the items he carried that night. My father then said again, "You''ve seen my Nocturnal Sight technique just now. In truth, there''s nothing special about it, other than allowing me better clarity in the dark. But I have a hobby. I love to set traps to catch wild hares. Hence, the use of my Nocturnal Sight that night. I was not far away from you that night, watching you. You could not see me in the dark. But my hand was clasped over my mouth as I tried to stifle my giggles. As to me not calling you, that''s simple. I noticed that you were badly terrified; therefore I thought that you might even die out of fright if I were to make a sudden appearance. This video clip was recorded with my infrared camera during one of my hunts that night at the northern hills. I have even picked up the flashlight that you left there, and I was thinking of sending it to you tomorrow. But I''m afraid it has been broken into two, so I abandoned the notion of sending the flashlight to you." The couple was aghast with shock. But they were hardly the only ones for even I was stunned myself.


    I looked at the smile upon my father''s face, my head filled with questions when he said again, "You might have felt something was following you. In truth, that''s nothing but your own fear messing with you. That thing does not even exist. It''s not even a ''white fiend''." The man''s eyes widened. Apparently, he was not able to believe every word that my father said. "Ah? Impossible! That thing was not even solid when I hit it! It must be a ghost!" My father laughed and shook his head, saying, "Do you know why I was laughing?" "Why?" The man asked, blinking his eyes. My father choked, no longer able to contain his laughter before he could summon enough strength and continue, "Because you were too funny. That was not a ''white fiend''. It was not even anything supernatural!" The man retorted skeptically, "Then what was that!" My father fought off the urge to laugh some more and revealed, "A plastic bag! A plastic bag that was filled with air and was floating in the wind!" My father burst into roaring laughter as his finger traced across the screen of the tablet and pressed on the Play button, allowing the recording of the incident to unravel. He pointed at the person in the footage, "Look. Look at your battle with a plastic bag before you were miserably routed by it..."


    The man took the iPad, and everyone huddled around him, watching how he was trying to strike at a plastic bag while still carrying his blue backpack. Before long, everyone could see that he was so frightened that he staggered backward. His startled expression reminded me of a mime show I once saw! Everyone knew that a plastic bag was light, so if someone tried to strike the bag drifting in the wind, he would felt hit nothing. Little did the man expect that a plastic bag scared the hell out of him. In the video clip, the plastic bag was floating in the wind and the man tried to beat it, but the bag blew away; he had another try but still failed; in the end, he took a swipe at the ''thing'' with his flashlight in fear. In fact, the flashlight had not touched the bag. He was probably so nervous that he was unable to hit the target. Then rolling and crawling, he turned to run and disappeared on the screen.


    The man cradled the iPad in his arms, motionless with shock for seconds before he, too, broke into laughter. Seeing that his spirits have been restored, my father said, "So, from now on, be at ease when you go to work. The path that you take to work is most abundant with Yang energy that no supernatural entities will manifest even in the darkness of nights. Demons and ghosts love only Yin energies. They will never venture areas where Yang energies are robust. The path is clean. There would be nothing but nonsense if anyone were to say that the path is haunted unless that''s another plastic bag mayhem again!" Everyone in the room erupted into laughter, including the man himself.


    With all the cloak and dagger dispersed, the couple said their many thanks and left. My father took out his phone and peered at the time, saying, "All right then. It is time we look into Fearless Hao''s predicament. Let''s go."


    It was already six in the evening. My father drove Fearless Hao and me to the office of that Mr. Lee''s company. We pushed opened the doors of the entrance and entered the building only to be immediately greeted by a young lady in a professional-looking suit. She bowed and said, "Mr. Lee has been waiting in his office, sir. This way please." "Father has strong relations and powerful ties," I thought. We were then ushered into Mr. Lee''s office where his voice boomed even when we had just stepped through his door. "Brother Hai! You have come!" My father nodded to him and Mr. Lee quipped, "Say no more! Let''s go for some drinks!"


    Twenty minutes later in one of the private rooms of the Jingluchuan Restaurant. Both I and Fearless Hao were fidgeting in our chairs uneasily for neither my father nor Mr. Lee was speaking. It was evident that Mr. Lee was waiting for my father to make the first move on the matter but my father was purposely avoiding him. Finally, not being able to contain himself any longer, Fearless Hao gritted his teeth and leaped from his seat, exclaiming, "Mr. Lee, the matter about your car..." But Mr. Lee waved to him and said with a smile, "Ah! Have some wine first! Come have some wine!" With that, Mr. Lee doused whatever drive which had compelled Fearless Hao to speak up. Sinking back into his chair, Fearless Hao could only laugh weakly in return. It was he who was implicated in the accident involving Mr. Lee''s car, yet, now Mr. Lee was pouring him a drink instead. Fearless Hao could not help feeling puzzled. At length, when the dishes were all laid upon the table, my father reached for his cup and poured himself some wine before he rose to his feet. "Lee," he said, beckoning to his companion, "Let''s have a toast." There was an unspoken understanding between my father and Mr. Lee as Mr. Lee stood almost simultaneously and their cups clinked together.


    With the cup of wine downed hungrily into his tummy, Mr. Lee looked at Fearless Hao once more. He went over to him, holding a bottle in his hand and filled the latter''s cup. Overwhelmed by his gesture, Fearless Hao again bounced to his feet and tried to speak, but it was Mr. Lee who uttered first, "Say no more, brother! We drink till we drop tonight! Let there be no mention of the car!" Fearless Hao''s head hung over his shoulders again at being quelled once again. Sheepishly, he muttered, "Ah... Yes." Mr. Lee then called Fearless Hao to another toast before he remarked cheerfully to the latter, saying, "Excellent, brother! You can certainly drink!" It was no wonder why people say it takes either a drink or a fight to acquaint two men with each other. After the toast, Fearless Hao seemed to look less embarrassed than before. Instead, they began to talk more closely to each other. "What are you working as, brother?" Mr. Lee inquired, and Fearless Hao replied, "Ahem, I am a construction worker. I must say I''m terribly sorry sir. I have knocked your car, and yet here we are, you''re buying me drinks! This is... Ah... Let''s say no more! Let''s have another, brother!" And the two men downed another cup full of wine.


    But suddenly Mr. Lee placed down his cup, looking at me. He rose back up again and held his cup. I got to my feet respectfully swiftly, since Mr. Lee was senior to me. He sputtered, "And what have we here... This young man..." I immediately introduced myself, "Greetings, Uncle Lee. My name is Shiyan, and this is my father", pointing to my father. Mr. Lee was surprised by this as a hint of recognition flashed across his half-drunken eyes. But he quickly broke into a smile and said, "Ah! So you''re Brother Hai''s son! Surely you can also have a cup or two?" I seized the bottle in haste and filled Mr. Lee''s cup before filling my own. Praising my ingenuity, he and I began drinking together too. After a few cups, Mr. Lee asked, "Where are you studying now, Shiyan?" Smiling at him, I answered, "I''m currently in my fourth year in university, waiting for the end of my studies soon. I''m now working as an intern at the National Studies Institute."


    As we reach closer to the end of the dinner at eight in the evening, Fearless Hao was already chatting happily with Mr. Lee like old friends. My father then suggested that we visit Mr. Lee''s home, which Mr. Lee himself readily agreed. At his home, we met his wife, a young lady, who amicably made us tea. My father sat on the sofa, sipping at his tea later that evening, as he took out his mobile phone and played a video clip on his phone, showing it to Mr. Lee. "Lee," he said, "Let''s get to business. Look at this. This video clip will prove that Fearless Hao here is not the one who had knocked on your car. Here, have a look."


    Mr. Lee took the phone and watched, babbling, "Um... Eh?"

 Chapter 5 Subduing the Ghost At Nigh

    t


    "T-this... T-that... That concrete cart (a hand-propelled cart used to transport concrete mixture) is moving on its own!?" Mr. Lee gasped with astonishment, staring wide-eyed at my father, who smiled in turned at him and said, "Don''t be anxious. Continue."


    Everyone was curious now, standing around Mr. Lee to have a look at the playing video footage. In the video, Fearless Hao was just passing by Mr. Lee''s car with his electric scooter when a concrete cart sprang to life and began darting and banging around senselessly like bumper cars before it returned to its original position. Everyone, Mr. Lee included, was gaping with shock, their eyes as large as the saucers on the table. Mr. Lee stared disbelievingly at my father who then said, "I believe now the truth is clear, Lee. This object knocked your car." Mr. Lee nodded willingly and was quiet for moments before he confessed, "In truth, the parts where my car was knocked were stained with cement and concrete. At the time, I myself was sure this could never be the work of an electric scooter. But I could not say anything when the security footage of the event showed only Fearless Hao passing through; hence I could only look to him to pursue my questions. Who would have thought that it was this thing that was the menace of the entire debacle? The thing was small, and the security camera that recorded the incident was at the front of my vehicle; therefore it did not appear in the recorded video."


    My father laughed and then said, "So I trust everything is clear now? Fearless Hao had nothing to do with this incident, and the blame should never be on him." Mr. Lee giggled and nodded before saying, "To be honest, I had never once thought of blaming Fearless Hao for the incident, in fact, I had never wanted him to pay for the damage, even if he did indeed knock my car." Fearless Hao jumped in his seat, stunned with silence as his eyes began to turn red. "It might have been due to the effects of the alcohol he had had earlier," I thought. Mr. Lee then continued, "I was quite angry at first for the car was being knocked only within five minutes after my driver had parked it. But after my chauffeur had gone through the footage, he had investigated further and had found that Fearless Hao is a construction worker." He now turned to Fearless Hao and said, "Look at this fracas. I''m had never wanted you to foot the bill for me. But never did I know that this matter would have brought Brother Hai to my doors. Relax, brother, I am not a stingy man. I know that the repairs would cost me more than hundreds of thousands. The amount may be trivial to me, but not to you. You make about three to four thousand every month; God knows how much effort and time it would take for you to accumulate such money. How can I do this to you?"


    The eyes of them both were red and teary. "Drinking did indeed make these two men fast friends," I thought. My father had worked his magic once again. He was looking at them both with a smile lined across his face. Mr. Lee and Fearless Hao continued talking for some time until Mr. Lee turned to my father with another question, "But there is still one other thing that I do not understand, Brother Hai. How it is possible that the concrete cart was moving on its own? What was happening?" Beside him, Fearless Hao could only exhale heavily while my father, with his perpetual smile, answered, "Fearless Hao did not hit your car. In fact, the incident was hardly caused by a human." Mr. Lee yelled, "What!?" My father pressed on, "It''s a ghost. Its purpose was to lay the blame on Fearless Hao." Mr. Lee stared strangely at Fearless Hao, who was sighing heavily while nodding his head.


    Just then, before my father could go on further, a voice, filled with anger and spite, boomed over the air, "Impertinence!" The voice had come from nowhere that we knew not of where it came from. There was also a sudden rush of sensation filling our minds when the voice thundered through the hall. At first, I did not know how to put words to the feeling that suddenly assailed us. But my father told me much later that it was the ghost''s "vengeful rage" resonating with us.


    The sudden deafening voice came so unexpectedly that Mr. Lee and his wife, who was very young, were badly startled that the lady began to scream with fear before collapsing to the ground. Mr. Lee''s face was also flushing with fear. Fearless Hao was looking around the ceiling angrily, expecting to find anything materializing out of thin air, although he could not. Then I saw my father, whose kind smile had vanished, replaced with a sinister sneer so cold that everything around him seemed to freeze. He produced the wine flash that he always had with him and unstoppered it. There was a rush of winds lashing about as a strong suction began threatening to tug and draw everything into the flask. I heard a distinct and unmistakable "fizzing" sound and my father resealed his flask. Everyone''s eyes were on my father now, hoping for an explanation of the nightmare. But I had seen everything with my Spirit Sight earlier. I saw that a strand of black smoke was drawn into the flask the moment it was opening. My father shook the flask beside his ears as if listening to its contents gurgling and nodded with satisfaction. He then said to Mr. Lee and Fearless Hao, getting ready to rise from his seat, "All is well, my friends. The ghost is subdued. Please carry on. I''ll take my leave now."


    Hearing this, Mr. Lee immediately held my father''s arm and said, "No no no... Y-you... Y-you''re now going back to settle the ghost, brother?" My father nodded queerly in return and Mr. Lee, gleefully like how an inquisitive child would, said, "Heh heh heh, Brother Hai, for years I''ve lived and never have I laid eyes on anything so bizarre and weird like this. Come, show us more of your powers to conquer ghosts and demons!" My father giggled and stared at Mr. Lee, saying, "This is the first time I''d heard that anyone is interested in observing how we work. You should take a leaf out of Fearless Hao''s book and call yourself Fearless Lee." This made everyone laughed. "Very well, since you''d asked," said my father, "I''ll settle this matter here and now." He then looked at me and instructed, "Make a call to Aunt Fen, Shiyan. Ask her to deliver a box of tea leaves that I''ve kept in the drawer in my office." Replying with a simple "yes", I took out my phone and looked at the time. "It is eight in the evening, and Aunt Fen should still be at the Institute," I thought. I then made the call and relayed my father''s instructions to Aunt Fen, giving her our present location and she agreed.


    Putting down my phone, I gave a tacit nod to my father who returned a knowing nod to me before saying to the others, "All right. Let''s wait awhile then. We''ll begin when the tea leaves are here."


    It took only ten minutes for Aunt Fen to arrive at Mr. Lee''s residence. She came up and handed to my father the tea leaves who said to her, "Please wait for us in the car. We''ll just need a moment to finish up some things." With a curt nod, she retreated downstairs. My father handed the box of tea leaves to Mrs. Lee, "Please, Mrs. Lee, we''ll need three cups of tea." Mrs. Lee nodded as she received the box and went off. Puzzled, Mr. Lee asked, "Errr... Brother Hai, should it not be five cups of tea?" My father laughed and replied, "No. The three cups of tea are for you both and Fearless Hao." Still feeling confused, it was apparent that Mr. Lee still had questions that he dared not ask. Moments later, Mrs. Lee returned with some tea. The three of them took a sip as Mr. Lee peered strangely into the cup he had just tasted. Noticing this, my father said to him, still grinning, "It is not easy dealing with ghosts since we humans and they have differing properties. The Yin energies exuded by ghosts might be too overwhelming by some humans. The tea is to help strengthen the Yang energy of humans." Mr. Lee responded finally with an understanding "oh" and my father continued, "But you''ll three will need to have more fruits in the next few days. Some honey will also help lest you''ll suffer from constipation..."


    Mr. and Mrs. Lee and Fearless Hao took a few more gulps of tea until my father gave them an approving nod. He took out the wine flask again and unstoppered it. A black thread of smoke swirled out of the bottle and up into the air, hanging over our heads. Mr. and Mrs. Lee were frightened with fear and I immediately held up a hand to signal to them that everything was under control. A voice came from the black fumes whirling about as the female ghost spoke bitterly, "If only you had not stuck your head into this..." But my father smiled, cutting her off, "Haven''t you heard? Even without my intervention, Mr. Lee never had the notion of asking Fearless Hao for payment for the damage." But the female ghost retorted insolently, "Be that as it may. But I will not rest until I have my revenge! I will return once more or twice, or even thrice! His meddling has hindered my rebirth! I want revenge! I want him to die!" Sighing glumly, my father rebutted, "Are you too naive?" My father''s unexpected reply amazed the female ghost. He then continued, "You cannot defeat him even when he''s a human. What happens if you were to cause his death? He would return as a vengeful spirit, and things would be all the more worst for you. This is the first time I meet someone who''s so eager to invite trouble upon oneself." Lost for words, the female ghost could not respond, only for my father to continue, "All lives and deaths are determined by destiny and karma. Hence the common saying that "no plans work without the graces of Heaven". Let''s take you, for example; you were destined to fail for your method of trying to gain rebirth is not right. Even with or without Fearless Hao''s tampering into your designs, the laws of Heavens dictate that one way or another, your plans will still fail! This is called Justice of Heaven. The premonitions of the Underworld are never wrong!"


    The female ghost seemed less bitter and spiteful now, even though she was still seething with doubt and anger, as her hollow voice came, "I know of you. Your name is known across all planes of the afterlife. Even before this incident, you had been one of the persons I admired. I have been hoping to meet you and have my day! To think that you turned out to be an adversary! Your powers maybe beyond my abilities to challenge; still, I do not accept it! Justice of Heaven, you say? I had to sacrifice my chastity to the Hell Guard, Liu San, in exchange for this opportunity for rebirth. Now I failed. Does this mean that Liu San has cheated me? Is this the so-called Justice of Heaven?" Instead, my father laughed and replied sharply, "Of course! Since you owed him a one-night-stand!"

 Chapter 6 The Debt of Passion

    What my father said sent everyone into surprise and bewilderment, including me. But Mr. Lee was first to break the silence, asking hesitantly, "But Brother Hai? Did I just hear you say ''one-night-stand''? Can one-nighters be owed?" "Of course," said my father, nodding matter-of-factly. He turned to the female ghost and said, "Let me elaborate on your past since you refuse to accept...


    "You were a servant girl of a wealthy and prosperous household. One day, the young lady and the madam of the family you served wanted to go to a temple outside the city to offer some prayers and offerings. You helped the young lady with her dressing and make up before the madam took her daughter out, leaving you at home. But when you were clearing up the young lady''s dressing table, a golden hairpin caught your sight. You put on the pin and admired your looks with a mirror. But you should know that everything has its owner in this world, so you should not covet what is not yours! It was not written in your destiny and fortune that you could wear the jewelry, yet you put it on. Hence, something would happen. The litter that the madam of the household rode on had just passed by Dongfu when she suddenly remembered that there was something she should have returned to someone in Dongfu. Hence, she despatched an older maid who returned to the residence of the household, ordering that you return the item in her stead. Due to the need for haste, you neglected to remove the hairpin before you went on your way.


    "On your way back from Dongfu, you met your lover, Tian Liu, who then took you aside for a tryst before he quietly took the golden hairpin you were still wearing. He wanted it for a token of engagement, although he wanted only to tell you sometime later about it, not knowing that it was, in fact, an item that you took without your young lady''s permission. One day, Tian Liu had a bad luck in a gambling house and lost all his money, but he was desperate to win it back, so he took the pin as chips. Unluckily, he lost it in a gambling game to Liu San. Like Tian Liu, Liu San was also a small-time local crook, who had long taken a liking to you. He had always been jealous of your relationship and intimacy with Tian Liu. Overjoyed with his win over Tian Liu, he was walking on the streets when he met you. You were walking on the streets, looking like you had lost something, so he asked you what you were looking for. You told him about the loss of the hairpin. Seeing his chance to make a move on you, Liu San showed you the hairpin and demanded that you accompany him to bed in return for the golden hairpin. With no other choice, you agreed to his demand, thinking of sorting this matter out later. Still, little did you two expect, that turned out to be the last time you met until you''d meet again after your deaths, for you then followed the young lady to Jiangnan following her marriage. "On your way back from Dongfu, you met your lover, Tian Liu, who then took you aside for a tryst before he quietly took the golden hairpin you were still wearing. He wanted it for a token of engagement, although he wanted only to tell you sometime later about it, not knowing that it was, in fact, an item that you took without your young lady''s permission. One day, Tian Liu had a bad luck in a gambling house and lost all his money, but he was desperate to win it back, so he took the pin as chips. Unluckily, he lost it in a gambling game to Liu San. Like Tian Liu, Liu San was also a small-time local crook, who had long taken a liking to you. He had always been jealous of your relationship and intimacy with Tian Liu. Overjoyed with his win over Tian Liu, he was walking on the streets when he met you. You were walking on the streets, looking like you had lost something, so he asked you what you were looking for. You told him about the loss of the hairpin. Seeing his chance to make a move on you, Liu San showed you the hairpin and demanded that you accompany him to bed in return for the golden hairpin. With no other choice, you agreed to his demand, thinking of sorting this matter out later. Still, little did you two expect, that turned out to be the last time you met until you''d meet again after your deaths, for you then followed the young lady to Jiangnan following her marriage.


    "Following your deaths, Liu San became a guard of the Underworld after some time while you were then reborn into a rich household. According to legend, the dead have to pass over the Naihe Bridge (literally the Bridge of Helplessness). At the head of this bridge is a stone marker, named the Sansheng Stone (literally the Stone of Three Incarnations) which displays the destiny and karma of one''s three incarnations. Then again, before reborning, everyone has to first drink the Mengpo Soup (literally the Soup made by Mengpo) which erases everyone''s memory. Reborning into a rich family, this time, you were blessed with a life of abundance and luxury. Yet alas, you fell in love with a man of modest beginnings. Naturally, your family objected to the relationship and out of your sorrowful misery, you drowned yourself and became what you are today."


    My father then turned to us and revealed, "It is imperative that we understand that those who died by drowning are stripped of their chance to reborn again. To regain the chance for rebirth, one would have to look for a pawn who would shoulder the forfeiture in their stead. But there are hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of ghosts of people who had drowned around the world. The chance for rebirth would never come easily. For instance, there are even ghosts who have been waiting for 20 years here at the Huan Xiang River and still, they have yet to glimpse the glimmer of hope for rebirth. There''s a spirit of a boy who had perished in the great flood of the River in the seventies one century ago still waiting there! Out of the wandering spirits and ghosts in this vicinity of Tangshan, there were seven female ghosts who were known as the Seven Sisters of Tangshan. This female ghost is the youngest of them. With her friendship with the six other ghosts, she was able to seek out the Hell Guard Liu San with the help of the older Sisters who had been roaming the lands for centuries. With his familiarity with the local Deity of the Land who was his relative when they were still alive and his acquaintance with this female ghost, he enticed her by promising her another chance for rebirth with the same request. Due to her insistence to leave the afterlife as soon as possible, she relented once more. Liu San then procured a chance for you, through thievery and trickery. But never did he know that the afterlife is different from the realm of the living. His corruption came to light, so the chance for rebirth was lost. The laws and order of Nature do not suffer deceit and deception and work even in the most wondrous and unexpected of ways. Hence, the promise of a woman''s love for one night was finally fulfilled, but she hasn''t been reborn! This is called karma!"


    My father then turned to the female ghost again, saying, "Your present predicament stems from the improprieties and the indecencies of your former life. Your relationship with Tian Liu allowed him the opportunity to steal the golden hairpin and your dishonesty of thieving the hairpin itself did not escape the notice of Heaven. Can you easily complain of unfairness and injustice?"


    Hearing this, the female ghost Xiao Qi (literally Little Seven) descended and knelt before my father, smiling bitterly as she muttered, "So this is the tale of my past. It appears that I am the most foolish ghost here in this river." My father roared with laughter and said to her, "No, you are not, fortunately. There are others who are more foolish than you." Knowing my father, I understood that he was consoling the poor ghost Xiao Qi. He was prone to showing kindness to people (or ghosts) who were sad or dejected. My father grinned as he continued saying, "There was an ancient ghost, also a ghost of a drowned person, who was the most foolish of them all at the Huan Xiang River more than a century ago. There were terrible floods every year then at the Huan Xiang River that the main bridge of the town of Yahongqiao (the name of a place; literally the Bridge of Abundant Birds) would be flushed away by the strong current every time. Every year the town would have to rebuild the bridge. But without the bridge ready, some people began offering services of ferrying people across the river. Business began to boom for them. Then one day, a merchant took a ride on one of these ferries and accidentally dropped the counterweight of his weighing scale into the water. But strangely, the counterweight floated on the surface of the water instead of sinking. Some onlookers witnessed this and the merchant then yelled, ''Ah! My counterweight has fallen into the river. I''ll get it when I reach the opposite bank!'' Oddly enough, the counterweight began to float to the side of the opposite bank. But when he reached the opposite edge of the river, the merchant barked at the floating counterweight, "Fool! I''m not falling for such a lame trick to ensnare me!" He had just finished, and the counterweight sank with a loud "Plop!" into the water." My father laughed loudly at his tale and said to Xiao Qi, "Look how stupid this ghost is? Can counterweights float on water?" And he continued laughing away as everyone, including Xiao Qi herself, too erupted into guffaws of their own.


    When the mirthfulness subsided, Fearless Hao spoke timidly to the female ghost Xiao Qi, "Well, sister. I did not try to thwart you on purpose. But that was my relative. I could not just sit back and watch... But now that your plans for rebirth have failed on my account, please let me know if there''s anything I can do for you. I am truly sorry for your plight. Just tell me your requests. With the master here as well, I can arrange for some funeral rites for the exoneration of your soul if you like. I''ll handle the bill. If you need money for the Underworld, I can burn you some offerings." Being the generous person he is, Mr. Lee quipped, patting his chest, "Since the matter involves me too, I''ll handle the bill, brother! Surely I cannot let you bear the burden yourself!" Mr. Lee gave a knowing glance at my father and said, "How much money you''ll need, Brother Hai. Just give the word." My father giggled in returned and replied, "No no no. There will be no need for any money. This is a favor I promised Fearless Hao." Mr. Lee grinned as he turned to Fearless Hao, "Still, you are truly fearless indeed! I would have long wetted my pants if I had gone through the same encounter that you had! Were you born with such courage? Surely your parents did not give you the name ''Fearless''?"


    Fearless Hao scratched his head, seeming embarrassed as he replied, "No, of course my parents did not give me the name. My true name is Hao Junsheng. It was my colleagues who had given me the name ''Fearless'' a few years ago. During that time, we were commissioned to build a factory. We had just finished with setting up the compound of the factory and was constructing the structure of the building then. Our supervisor then came to check on our progress, and I went to him to request for our payment which was delayed for several months. He said to me, ''The payment has yet to be released by the top brass. But you''re asking me for money before the eyes of so many colleagues, and it would be bad if I just refuse you outright. All right then, let''s have some fun.'' He took up an electricity meter box and asked one of the electricians to install the box on the wall before he locked the money inside and removed its key, saying, ''I will hand you the key when we''ve finished work tonight. The money will be yours if you dare to come to collect it at night. But if you are afraid of coming here at night, I will take back the money tomorrow.'' The walls of the factory were still not completed then, and we could see the gravestones clustered around the vicinity outside the compound of the factory. But to drain water out of the construction site, the workers had dug a hole under the walls of the compound and had a metal grill installed. The rainwater from the compound flows through this drain that led into the graveyard. This caused a hole to appear at one of the graves just beside the channel. At that time, the gates of the factory were blocked by heaps of building materials. If someone wanted to enter the factory, he had to pass by the grave hole. Hence I came that night, passing by the hole when I heard a voice coming from the hole in the grave, calling to me, ''Hao Junsheng, come into the hole!'' I heard the sound and knew immediately that it was the hollow voice that came from a pipe. Knowing that my colleagues were playing a prank on me, I realized that they had led a pipe into the hole through the drain and were trying to frighten me behind the wall. Hence, I answered, ''You come up!'' My colleagues then bellowed, ''No, you come down!'' and I shouted back, ''You come up!'' Then my colleagues shouted, ''Come on down, and I''ll come up!'' Feeling hilarious, I retorted, ''You come on up, and I''ll come down!'' Finally, my colleagues came out and we all burst into laughter. Since then, they have given me the name ''Fearless Hao''."


    Just then, the sound of a pair of high-heeled shoes clip-clopping loudly came from outside the door, and Aunt Fen stormed in crying with frustration, "I daresay that it''s time we call this a night! I''m almost asleep waiting for you all!" Just then, the female ghost Xiao Qi, who was still on the floor, had her head turned at a horrifying 180-degree and looked at Aunt Fen. Surprised with shock, she gasped, "Big Sister!?"

 Chapter 7 Aunt Fen and her Husband

    Aunt Fen and the female ghost Xiao Qi hugged each other suddenly and collapsed into tears together, right before all of us. Mr. Lee, who felt deeply moved, asked hesitantly, "This woman is..." My father sighed and answered, "Ah... She''s the wife of Zhang Baoguo." Stunned by the revelation, Mr. Lee stammered, "Z-zhang... Z-zhang Baoguo? The Zhang Baoguo of the prominent business group, Zhang Group?" My father nodded. Mr. Lee was instantly petrified, staring at his wife before he turned to stare at Aunt Fen who was still on the ground, hugging Xiao Qi as they wept. He murmured, "But I remember Zhang Baoguo is already more than fifty, even older than me. I had long known that Zhang Baoguo had taken a young lady as his wife, but I did not expect his wife to be this young..." As he spoke, he was still eyeing Aunt Fen so intently that his wife elbowed him, displeased and jealous as if meaning to say, "Are you envious of others having a wife so young?" Then again, Mrs. Lee appeared to be rather young herself, looking barely thirty of age.


    Mr. Lee immediately regained his senses after being nudged hard by his wife. He gawked strangely at the woman and female ghost weeping together in a heap on the floor with myriads of emotions appearing on his face as he asked my father again, "But why did the female ghost called Zhang Baoguo''s wife as ''Big Sister''? Is she also a ghost too?" But before my father was able to answer him, Aunt Fen, still kneeling on the ground, snapped angrily, "Only you are the ghost here!" Embarrassed at her lashing remark, Mr. Lee''s tried to mutter an incomprehensible apology although the words seemed to stuck at his throat and his apologetic smile seemed to froze midway on his face. The mood in the living room became so tense with an awkwardness that no one dared to speak until Aunt Fen''s voice broke the ice. "Alas..." she sighed, "I was the oldest of the Seven Sisters of Tangshan, and Xiao Qi was the youngest of us when our name was known among the dead of this vicinity." "What?!" Mr. Lee exclaimed with astonishment with disbelief on his face, not knowing how to react.


    My father exhaled heavily. Speaking to Aunt Fen, he revealed, "This was why I asked you to wait for us downstairs, Fen. I was afraid that both of you would be inseparable after meeting each other. Still, it seems that your meeting is inevitable. I had initially wanted to instruct Shiyan to lead Xiao Qi to her rebirth, but I think she would not want to leave now after meeting you. So be it then. You can keep her, but you must be careful to keep her away from mortals lest her Yin energies might endanger other humans and keep her from frightening others too." Mr. Lee tugged at my father''s sleeve and whispered, "She''s the oldest of the Seven Sisters. Does that mean she''s a ghost too?!" My father smiled and said, "Of course not. But I''m afraid there''s a long story behind this. Let''s meet up tomorrow. You''ve bought us dinner today, let me be the host tomorrow. I''ll call along Fen and her husband, and you bring along your wife. My family will come too, and we mustn''t leave out Fearless Hao! Let''s have lunch together at the Jingluchuan Restaurant. I''ll tell you the full story. Zhang Baoguo is a close friend of mine; I''ll introduce you too." Mr. Lee replied, "I''m bored with the food at the Jingluchuan Restaurant. I know another place. It''s called the Sea Society Restaurant. Let''s go there for a change." Mr. Lee handed to me a name card of the restaurant as my father nodded his assent and he replied, "So be it then. Eleven o''clock in the morning. I''ll be waiting."


    That night, Aunt Fen drove home on with Xiao Qi, and I went home with my father. The matter between Aunt Fen and Xiao Qi was no longer any concern of mine. It was past nine went we reached home, my mother, as if she knew that we had already eaten, had left no food for us. She came out of the house, asking, "Has it all being settled?" My father nodded, not saying anything. Come to think of it; my parents were hardly ordinary people. Not only they looked impossibly young for their age, nothing about my father''s exploits outside seemed to be able to escape my mother''s knowledge despite her being a full-time housewife. But this would hardly mean that my father was a man who feared his wife. My father held some manner of patriarchy, a form of complete authority in the family as he did in the Institute. All decisions in the family, from dinner-time dishes to the purchase of properties, were all made by my father alone. This could be attributed to their long-standing conjugal interactions, I guess.


    The next morning at eight, my father instructed me first to place a booking at the Sea Society Restaurant. We reached the restaurant at ten. As an avid enthusiast of heavy drinks, my father brought something from his hoarded stockpile: two large jars of wine. I carried the two jars from the trunk of our car, asked a doorman to move them into the restaurant and then handed to the waiters of the restaurant, bidding them to prepare the wines for our consumption later. Half an hour later, when the food and wine were all laid ready on the table, my father then instructed me to wait outside to receive our guests. When I just exited the revolving doors of the restaurant, I noticed an expensive-looking BMW and a Mercedes Benz rolling through the entrance of the compound. I went forward to the guests and led the five of them into our room for Fearless Hao had come with Mr. and Mrs. Lee. When everyone was present, my father then made the introductions, saying, "This is Mr. Zhang of the Zhang Group and his wife, Dong Xuefen. This is Mr. Lee, Lee Zhenghui of the Zhenghui Energy Corporation and his wife, Guo Xiaojia; and this is a new friend of ours, Hao Junsheng." After some small talk, my father called for everyone''s attention, "Come, let''s have a taste of my wine, fellow wine-lovers! Guess how old it is!"


    Emptying his glass, Mr. Zhang, feigning drunkenness, was the first to venture a guess, "Um... A fifty-year-old work of art!" My father guffawed and said, "Since when you learned to tell these things?" But Mr. Zhang smiled mischievously, "I saw the label on the jars when I came in, heh heh heh heh," leaving everyone howling with laughter. After about three cups, Mr. Lee could wait no longer, nudging my father to get on to business. My father cleared his throat and lifted a bowl. He looked at everyone sitting at the table before he intentionally pouted and struck the table loudly with the bowl like a gavel Pingshu performers used, saying, "I have a tale...


    "So, the tale would have to begin from the time when I received a patient last year who was suffering from hysteria. Hysteria consists of two types: conversion disorder and dissociative disorder. The instances where the latter manifests suddenly might occur when one is suddenly obsessed with something. Normally I would deign to take assignments such as these. These are menial undertakings beneath my standing or my abilities. Still, the patient was a special person; hence I made an exception.


    "It was an old man who came to me. He and his wife had just begun retiring. He was once a coal miner and his wife was formerly a waitress at a workplace canteen. "With their grandchildren already in preschool, the old couple did not need to take care of their grandchildren following their retirement. The wife would then learn dancing and practice Taiji, while the old man would play chess and sometimes go fishing. Life was simple and fulfilling, until one day, the old lady was struck with illness, and she was sent to the hospital. The doctors diagnosed her problem and determined that she was afflicted with hysteria, even though they could find no cure for her. For days she was pricked with acupuncture needles that she could no longer be able to bear the pain. Seeing that staying at the hospital was no help at all, the old man had his wife brought home. Someone then came to him with a suggestion that the old lady might have been cursed. The husband then scoured high and low for witch doctors and shamans, spending a lot of money and having their entire house filled with many talismans, yet to no avail. They had even enlisted the help of an agent who went to the city of Qinhuangdao and asked for the help of a Taoist master. Still, despite his prowess, the Taoist admitted, ''I''m afraid I am not capable of fully curing this old lady. I can prepare some talismans that might help ease the pain when her seizure strikes. But this is but merely a temporary remedy. There''s someone who will be able to help. But it''ll depend on your fate to see if he''ll agree to help you. Go to the Wen Chang National Studies Institute of the Wu Zhong County. The Head Person of the Institute is a man who possesses incredible powers across all Three Realms of Existence. Try asking him for help.'' Hence the old man came to me.


    "After listening to his plea, I asked the old man, ''Did the Taoist tell you what was disturbing your wife?'' and the old man answered, ''He did say that it was a ghost, but he could not drive it away!'' I then told him about the rules of seeking my help, saying, ''This is an institute for the learning of National Studies and therefore my services would be billed as Lessons. Each Lesson will be two thousand yuan. Now, you require my on-call services. This would cost you the charges of three Lessons. But if I''m unable to help you, the amount shall be refunded in full. In addition to that, you will have to make some preparations such as candles, joss sticks, papers for charms, chickens'' blood, glutinous rice, and so on. I will also require your total compliance to my requests and instructions. The deed would not be effective without the said requirements met. The charges, billed as Lessons, will be like a psychological consultation, similar to how shrinks treat their patients. Would you be fine with that?'' The old man was overjoyed and surprised to hear my price. He made the payment, and I bade him keep the receipt of his payment well in case he would later need them for refunds. I then went with him into Tangshan proper.


    "That was a convulsive disease. The patient was not suffering from any seizure when I met her. She was able to speak like how a normal person would, although she was evidently weak and her expression was very pale. I proceeded to examine her pulse while her husband handed me a cup of tea and began explaining her condition, ''It began one afternoon when I was out shopping for cooking ingredients. I met a little girl who was dressed strangely, but I paid no heed to her then, save for a peculiar sensation that told me that something was amiss. Then I thought, this little girl looked so familiar to me. The weird clothing that she wore seemed oddly familiar too. Still, I could not remember anything about her until I took a few more steps. Then I realized, is that not my wife? But why was she looking so young!'' "

 Chapter 8 The Mysterious Girl

    "The old man paused and stopped for a moment before he went on with his tale, ''Despite feeling astonished, I paid little care to it. I''m an old man. I might have been seeing things or hallucinating. After completing my purchases, I saw my wife leaving the house, her eyes straight ahead as if in a trance as she continued walking, ignoring me even though I asked her where was she going. But she just kept on walking and walking. I tried calling her, but she continued ignoring me, so I rushed forth and pulled her back. Strangely, she seemed to have more strength that she usually had, sending me into a tumbling fall with just a swing of her arm. Therefore I could only follow behind to see what''s happening.


    " ''We continued walking until she stopped and began stretching her arms and grotesquely flailing her legs that I felt so horrified. Not knowing what to do, I called my son with my phone, and it did not take long for my son and his wife to come. My daughter-in-law is usually close to my wife, being the one to calm my wife down whenever she''s upset. But this time, my daughter-in-law called and pleaded to her; still, she turned a deaf ear to us. Finally, we forced her into the car and drove back home. But when we''re reaching home, she suddenly regained her consciousness as if waking up from a dream and asked us about what happened.


    " ''When we got home that night, my wife began complaining of sores. But that was understandable. How can one of our age move so vigorously and furiously without injuring ourselves? We went to a few doctors, but still, her condition was not cured. One day, my daughter-in-law suggested that we stay with them for a while. The building that we lived in might be haunted, she guessed. And so we moved to our son''s high-rise apartment. But all was fine until the fourth day when her seizures returned. Moving to and fro from my son''s apartment and downstairs instead made everything worst. Hence, we could only move back home.''


    "Then I asked the old man, ''Is there anything strange or peculiar that occurs each time she experiences a fit?'' and the old man replied, ''Oddly, she only experiences seizures in the afternoon. Whenever her seizures began, she starts to eat; shoving everything she could into her mouth. If only you could hear the sounds that she made when she''s gnawing on carrots. The eerie sound sends goosebumps down my spine. And after she finishes eating, she would leave the house and go somewhere to dance...'' ''Is there anything else you''d like to add?" I asked again, and the old man barked, ''Yes!'' He took a swig off his cup and continued, ''Sometime later, I remembered about the encounter with the young girl, and I began thinking if the young girl, who shared the same appearance as my wife when she was young, had anything to do with the illness of my wife. I then hid myself at the spot where I first met her and waited for her. True enough, the young girl appeared again. Only this time, I did not have a closer look at her for fear of being discovered if I got too close. Still, the behavior of the young girl seemed vaguely familiar to me! Hence I drove my car to the house of my deceased in-laws and found a picture of my wife with the help of her brother; a picture of her which closely resembled the mysterious little girl. I used a camera to take a picture of the photo and went to a shop to have it enlarged and printed. When I showed it to my wife, she laughed and said, "This was a picture of me when I was young! Colored photographs were very rare then, and it was my aunt who paid a shop to have the picture taken for me after we came to the city! The clothes I was wearing then were bought by my aunt for me too. It looks fashionable then, although it looks silly today, ha ha ha ha!"


    " ''I felt myself shaking suddenly. She was an orphan who had lost her family in an earthquake when she was fifteen. It was an uncle from her mother''s side who had taken care of her. I had never heard her mentioning of any aunt! Moreover, she grew up in the city, yet she just told me that she came to the city to have her picture taken! But I must have been a fool to not look further into the matter. The following day, I drove to the spot where I saw the little girl. I stayed in my car with the picture I had taken, watching closely at everyone who passed by, and behold! That was my wife! It was my wife when she was young! She looked exactly the same as she was in the picture, having the same hairstyle and clothing! I was so close to collapsing! How could this be possible? Did she have a daughter outside of my knowledge? But the girl looked fourteen to fifteen of age! My son would have been ten when she was born! But my wife and I were so close then that it would be impossible for her to have a daughter without me knowing! Hence I went back and spoke to her about it when she was wide-awake. But even she could not give me an answer, in spite of her astonishment. I was losing my mind then.''


    "Then I said to the old couple, ''Since you came to me for help, I''d expect that you tell me the entire truth. Lying to me will not help remedy this problem.'' The old man swore that everything he said was the truth, that he had not been lying! I immediately thrust a finger at the patient and barked, ''You''re not Fen! You''re Ling!'' This stunned the old man who could not understand what was happening, screaming, ''What Ling? We''ve been together for almost our entire lives! This is my wife, Dong Xuefen!'' But I paid no heed to the old man and kept my gaze still trained upon the old lady. She shuddered before she crumbled into tears. I paused for a moment and heaved a breath before I continued softly, ''I will not fully blame you for thieving the identity of others. The non-agricultural registered permanent residence in those days came with many benefits and perks. But isn''t it fair that you should have helped with making proper arrangements in regards to the remains of the one whose identity you have stolen?'' The patient, now weeping as she spoke, then confessed, ''I did come back to the site of the incident with my brother! But we could not find her body!'' ''The team in charge of collecting bodies had disposed of her body, so it''s not your fault,'' replied my father, ''but for forty years! Forty long years and yet you had offered her nothing for all the years you''ve been using her identity! Do you know how pitiful she was, wandering alone, penniless and destitute for all these years! Do you know how much hardships and torments she had had to endure?'' ''I was young then,'' the old lady gasped, ''and I was hardly superstitious then, believing that joss papers were merely a consolation to ourselves without actual uses... Moreover, I did not know where she was buried; therefore I paid no mind to it!'' I sighed and said again, ''If she had remained sane, she would never have possessed you. The fact that you have not encountered this in the past is the very proof of this. But she has lost a part of her soul, hence her odd behavior now. But even if she''s sane, she would still hardly be blamed for trying to get a glimpse of the life she should have had!'' The old man muttered suddenly, ''I understand now... T-this...''


    "But I cut him off and told him, ''Let me tell you the entire story! There was a pair of cousins back in 1976 who looked so alike that even their family and relatives would often mistake them for one another. They shared a very similar appearance, and were of the same age; although one was slightly younger by a few months to the other. However, one of them was a farmer''s daughter, who had agricultural registered permanent residence while the other lived in the city and had non-agricultural one.


    " ''The girls were very close. The younger girl, the daughter of a farmer, looked up to her older cousin and emulated later in every way; hairstyle, appearance, everything. One day, the younger girl, Leng, went to visit her cousin in the city during her school holidays. Due to the scarcity of space, their relatives used his connections in nearby construction company and arranged a temporary home for them to stay together. These were temporary housing units with asbestos tile on the roof. The structures were erected using bricks and concrete was not used to strengthen the structures properly. It was in the summer; hence the children did not feel cold. They stayed together, talking happily into the night.


    " ''But suddenly, there was an earthquake. Knowing that the temporary house was about to collapse, they panicked and wore each other¡¯s clothes and tried to escape. The temporary units were close to higher buildings and apartments. There was a huge flow of people that tried to evacuate from the area of the buildings, and both cousins were lost in the ensuing chaos. When morning finally came, the younger girl searched in vain for her older cousin. Fearing for the safety of her family, she traced her way back to the countryside. But when she had reached home, her father scolded her for leaving her cousin sister alone, saying, "How could you have run away alone! You have left her there! She''s your age, and her parents might have also perished in the mishap! She might even be injured..."


    " ''Hence the girl''s father called for his son who rode on his bicycle into the city to look for the older girl and her family, only for his efforts to remain equally fruitless. Later then, they received news that some bodies were recovered in the incident. Three days later, the son of the farmer went again into the city, this time with the little girl, Ling. Finally, they found the older girl, although she was long dead. They fell to the ground, weeping, as some friendly neighbors came over to console them for their loss. But the young girl was wearing her older cousin''s clothes; hence, everyone thought that it was the younger girl who had died in the earthquake. The little girl, Ling, was crying so badly that she could barely answer. Not being able to retrieve the body, the brother and sister returned to the countryside. But when they came back with a rickshaw to transport the body, the remains of the older cousin had been disposed of as an unnamed cadaver. This allowed the scheming old farmer to concoct a plan: from this day forth, Ling would become Fen, since everyone that believed it so. They would inform everyone that Fen''s parents had lost their lives in the earthquake and Fen would then be taken in by her uncle. Ling would still be able to address her parents as father and mother while being able to enjoy the perks and benefits from Fen''s non-agricultural registered permanent residence. Ling would then continue studying in the countryside until she finished her education and moved to the city to fill Fen''s parents'' shoes, as a worker, thanks to the Fen''s parents'' factory policy. Not long after that, she fell in love with you and married you where you both lived together until today!


    " ''This would have been fine under common circumstances. But for reasons unknown, Fen did not experience rebirth after her death. For forty years, her spirit roamed the vicinity of Tangshan until an accident caused her to lose part of her soul. Unable to control herself, she wandered back to the place where she died and inadvertently possessed Ling''s body. She was part of the school''s basketball team before she died and used to train after taking two classes every afternoon. With her house was near to her school, Fen used to go home after her classes ended to eat before she returned to the school for her training. This is why during your wife''s seizures, she would first eat ravenously. The sound that she emitted when she eats is because of Fen''s unfamiliarity with Ling''s body and physique. After her meal, she would then go back to school and train. The weird and peculiar actions that you observed, about your wife stretching her arms and throwing her limbs around; those are exercises! Same as before, Fen could not control Ling''s body well; therefore her actions seemed odd to you! The shamans and witch doctors have failed to drive her away because Fen could not respond to their calls due to the impaired condition of her soul... Hence your current predicament...'' "

 Chapter 9 Homecoming

    "Tears began flowing down the face of the old man.


    "He filled my cup again with tea and said to me, ''I know this might put you in a difficult position, Master. I am but a coal miner who does not know how to speak well. But the die has been cast. Please help us to make amends with Cousin Fen so that she would be tormented no more and she can be rebirthed again. Tell us what to do! Offerings, sacrifices, or prayer rituals; we''ll do anything. Even if my wife has to depend on the Taoist''s talisman for the rest of her life, or, maybe you can shave off a few years of my life! Please, Master! I''ll even kneel to you!'' The old couple fell to their knees and began to bow to me. I quickly pulled them up and said to them, ''Well well well. I''m not the one who''s being tormented now. Moreover, I have promised you earlier; I''ll refund you your payment if I''m unable to help you!''


    "This, at least, calmed down the old couple. Then I thought of a possible solution, and I asked them, ''By the things that you''d said, I''m sure that you are nice people. Would you be willing to be foster parents to a ghost?'' Feeling puzzled, the old man asked, ''You want us to take Cousin Fen as a foster daughter?'' I waved my hand and said, ''No. It''s a woman who is dead. But the matter is directly related to your predicament. Fostering a ghost means that you will burn offerings for her on the thirty-fifth day and the hundredth-day from the date of her death, as well as the anniversary of her death and Qing Ming festivals. This engagement will continue for three years. Are you fine with this?'' The old couple immediately agreed, saying, ''No problem!'' I nodded and said, ''You''ll continue using the talisman for the moment. I''ll write you a new one if you need another one. My son will come to you in a few days. Wait for him.''


    "Back at the Institute, Shiyan asked me about how we should proceed. I began to give the matter a thought. It would not be difficult to search for the missing pieces of the ghost''s soul. Even Shiyan himself was able to do it. But the ghost Fen would still be amnesiac if we were to merely summon back the fragments of her soul. To completely resolve the problem, we have to find out the reason that caused her memory loss and simulate the setting to jolt her memory. Still, we would first need to summon back her soul and replicate the incident. We would still need a key individual, one that I think I knew. But enlisting the help of that person might be a tad tricky, although it''s still manageable. I then called for Shiyan to drive me to seek out that person, him!"


    My father was now pointing at Mr. Zhang, who burst into laughter and replied, "Let me continue with this part of the tale. I was angry at the time when this father-son pair came to me." Mr. Zhang was saying, his finger pointing to both my father and I this time, "A couple of guys from my staff were in trouble after a bit of a drink, and I have had to deal with it. I thought that Brother Hai and his son were looking for me, hoping that I''ll be able to introduce them to another close friend of mine, Nie Xiaojun, who is a famous doctor. There have been a great number of people who had asked for such favors of me. Thinking that they were no less different to those disturbing people, I yelled to them, ''Go! Get out of my sight! No matter what you came here for!!'' Instead, Brother Hai and his son got up from their seats and turned to leave. He had barely taken two steps when he stopped and spoke without turning back to face me, ''Your friend Nie Xiaojun wanted to come and surprise you with a visit. But he was involved in an accident with your business rival Liu Wenhua. What''s more, the accident might have even caused damage to a certain porcelain antique in your rival''s car... Come to me if you need help. I''ll be expecting your visit at the Wen Chang National Studies Institute!''"


    I got up to my feet and filled everyone''s cup with wine and said to them, "Uncles and Aunties, please enjoy the meal as you listen to our story. Have some food, Father. Let me continue with the tale."


    I placed down the wine flask and began, "So Father and I walked out of Mr. Zhang''s office and got into our car. Immediately Father said to me, ''Call Uncle Quan. Tell him to close the Institute after the current session. We''ll reimburse the students later. Call the staff to the Kaichao Hotel (Literally the Glorious Dynasty Hotel). It''s my treat. Let''s have some fun together!'' "


    When I reached this part of our story, Mr. Zhang pointed to my father, saying, "This old toad knew that I would be coming to him for help! He was avoiding me on purpose! Never anger a person who possesses great abilities, that''s the lesson I''d learned that day!" Everyone erupted into laughter once more.


    I resumed with the story-telling, "We had dinner that night and had some fun at the karaoke center before everyone went home. But when Father and I returned to the Institute, we found Mr. Zhang already waiting in a car parked outside the Institute. This time, Mr. Zhang greeted us respectfully, saying, ''I was rough earlier today, young friend. Please do not mind my bad manners!'' My father bade me to open the gates as he led Mr. Zhang in as he said, ''Please come inside. In truth, I am very much older than I look. I''ll just take your compliments as applause for my youthful appearance.'' Once inside, I made Mr. Zhang some tea, and my father went straight to business, ''I daresay it''s better for you to be slightly embarrassed before me rather having to apologize humbly before your own business rival, Liu Wenhua, is it not?'' Hearing this, I noticed that Mr. Lee''s cheek burned with a scarlet patch although I detected a hint of surprise on his face!"


    Mr. Zhang then quipped suddenly, "Indeed! For many times I''ve heard people saying that the Head Person of the Wen Chang National Studies Institute possessed extraordinary abilities! But never have I once believed what those people said. In fact, I had even rebuked many for being superstitious. But ever since meeting Brother Hai for the first time, I found that he has another pair of eyes; one that allows him to peer into the depths of one''s heart and wring the truth and secrets out of that person!" "My father does have extraordinary powers that no one could hide secrets from him indeed," I thought, "but he could amaze you partly because he never spoke according to the normal logic."


    Carrying on with the story, I began again, "Then my father said to Mr. Zhang, ''Call for Nie Xiaojun and Yang Xiaoshan. Have them come here as well!'' Mr. Zhang was instantly astonished then."


    Mr. Zhang injected again, "This was absolutely baffling. Much later after this incident, I did ask the two of them about Brother Hai. But both of them denied that they knew him! How did Brother Hai know their names and their involvement with the accident? When all was said and done, I began to realize that this was merely a sliver of what Brother Hai was capable of. What happened after, was even more bizarre and incredible! I would not have believed it if I did not witness everything with my own eyes!"


    I smiled and continued recounting, "Mr. Zhang then placed calls to the two persons and summoned them too. "When everyone was present, my father spoke to them, ''I will help you with this matter. You will all come with me to the house of this Mr. Liu. Mr. Zhang and Mr. Nie, you will only have to sit still and leave everything to me. You will neither have to say anything nor will you have to apologize. But Mr. Yang, you''re the perpetrator of this accident. Hence I will need your agreement that you will fully consent to my requests. You will bow when I say so and you will act as I bid you to. I will promise that none of the actions that I''ll require you to carry out will be disrespectful, dishonorable, and immoral. Can you do this?'' Yang Xiaoshan, who was already bewildered beyond words, could only agree readily.


    "Hence, we went to the house of Liu Wenhua on Mr. Zhang''s car. Mr. Liu, who recognized Mr. Zhang''s car, was immediately upset when he saw that it was Mr. Zhang who had come to him. He must be thinking about how should he exploit and leverage the situation to his benefit then. I could almost see him trying to be proud and aloof. My father first went forward with me in tow closely behind. Yang Xiaoshan came after me with Mr. Zhang and Mr. Nie trailing behind. But my father said nothing. He turned and tugged at Yang Xiaoshang, pulling him to the front to meet Mr. Liu and barked at him, ''On your knees! Call him Uncle!'' Liu Wenhua, perplexed, instantly gestured for a pause with a time-out hand signal commonly used in basketball games as he exclaimed, ''Wait a minute! What is this! What Uncle? I do not know who he is!'' My father growled at Yang Xiaoshan, ''Explain yourself!'' Yang Xiaoshan then muttered meekly, ''My name is Yang Xiaoshan. I do not know my father''s name. My mother''s name is Liu Xiurong. My father died when I was very young, so my mother remarried with another man whose family name was Ma. She too died later on because of an earthquake. Therefore I continued living with my stepfather until one day, I ran away, due to his mistreatment of me...''


    "Suddenly, Liu Wenhua, a proud and stern man of respectable standing, began gushing with tears like a sobbing woman. Weeping profusely, he jerked and pulled at Yang Xiaoshan, examining his body for birthmarks. Finally, he found the mark he searched for and crumbled to the ground, whimpering, ''Where have you been, you rascal! Do you know that Uncle had so painstakingly searched high and low for you! Even your Elder Uncle could not bear to close his eyes when he died long ago...'' A few other elders of the family meandered out of the house, moaning and wailing with tears as if it was a funeral for a deceased member of their family! All of a sudden, a voice called out from one of the younger kin, saying, ''Here comes our Third Uncle!'' It was Liu Wenhua''s younger brother, Liu Wenli who came. One of the relatives said to him, ''It''s Xiaoshan who has returned!'' Liu Wenli shuddered once and pointed the opposite room, saying in a choked tone, ''I need to go there!'' His families replied, ''Why? Come and see your nephew." "I need..." Liu Wenli tried to respond but he could not utter a word. He was overwhelmed by the sudden reunion and had tried to walk away for not wanting his family to see him weep. But he could no longer resist the sadness and sorrow that throbbed so strongly within his heart. He too, collapsed to the ground, with tears pouring uncontrollably. The brothers hugged Yang Xiaoshan tightly in a heap as they cried.


    "My father beckoned to us, signaling for us to leave. Silently, Mr. Zhang, Mr. Nie, my father, and I slipped away. We got on the car and wanted to leave, and Mr. Zhang asked my father excitedly, ''Is this a drama performance?'' I got out of the car and stepped to the front, saying, ''Let me drive, Mr. Zhang. I''ll be able to try driving a nice car while you get to listen to the story by my father!'' My father, seated comfortably at the back, was unsealing his wine flask. He took two swigs and said calmly, ''This is a long story, I''m afraid...'' "

 Chapter 10 The Unlikely Brotherhood

    The date was 28 July 1976 when the Great Tangshan quake took place. Everyone in Tangshan knew that the magnitude of the earthquake was undoubtedly higher than 8, even though the reported strength of the earthquake that had laid waste to the entire city of Tangshan was a mere 7.8. In mere days, the once-booming metropolis, now turned into a tract of ruins and rubble, had its inhabitants fleeing frantically to open areas for their safety.


    Like a stone in the middle of a flowing river, was a small vehicle, standing in the midst of the thronging evacuees rushing to leave the ground zero of the earthquake. It was an NJ130 truck, usually used by local dwellers for the transport of foodstuff, retrofitted with tall railings on the bed on its rear. Parked just at the side of the rubbles, some of the impatient and anxious inhabitants of the city leaped onto the truck bed and jumped over the top of the truck''s cab. Some even squeezed through the sides in their haste to run away. Suddenly, the engines of the vehicle roared to life! The driver had earlier managed to escape before his family could, hence he was now sitting in his lorry, trying to find them. He began forcing his way through the crowd like an icebreaker plowing through fields of ice. Two people who had tried to clamber over his truck when it was still, only to be thrown back by the momentum of the truck into the truck bed when it began to move, unable to get up to their feet. They had tried to get out several times but failed. Giving up, they decided to wait until the truck stopped.


    The truck sped frantically for more than tens of miles until it reached a muddy path although the mucky and sodden route did little to extinguish the driver''s need for haste. He drove on for another two or three miles and reached a small river. The bridge leading to the other side of the river''s bank was already damaged by the tremor, allowing no one to cross over. The driver stopped and walked up the bridge, examining the gap between the broken part of the bridge. He then doubled back and began to run, dashing as quick as he could and leaped onto the other side before he ran on and disappeared into the lush sorghum fields. The two people stuck on the bed of the truck finally climbed down. They were children; both of them were about fourteen or fifteen, one a boy and the other a girl. Darkness was upon them now. They got into the cab of the truck and waited, hoping for the driver to return. Gradually, they both fell asleep, although their slumber was hardly peaceful and quiet, for aftershocks of the quake came, again and again, rousing them from their rest. When they woke up in the morning, the children found themselves in a lush sorghum field. They began to feel worried and afraid, knowing neither where they were nor what they should do. With no other ideas, they could only hope for a Good Samaritan to pass by!


    The sun rose higher and higher as noon loomed ahead. Finally, they saw someone coming! The person in checked pants was walking along the banks of the river towards them, bare-chested as he clenched a willow branch in his teeth. With several fishes carried by the branch, he was still catching fishes. The children approached him and found that the person was a boy of similar age. The boy stopped not far away from the mouth of the river and began digging for loaches. The children went to talk to him and found that the boy was sent by his parents into the city to find out about the wellbeing of his relatives. After making sure that his relatives were fine, the playful boy walked back home, but he stopped halfway to fish. Filled with interest, the two children watched him. The girl, who was also a chatty person in nature, then said, "Please teach us how to catch them!" Being an honest child who grew up in the countryside, the boy then taught the pair of children how to dig for loaches.


    He explained while demonstrating to them, "Dig through the mud until you find their nest, a crevasse with smooth walls. Keep your hands shaped like how you would receive an ice cream cone and reach into the nest, pushing downwards. Use your other hand to scoop some water into the hole. When you touched and caught a loach, give it some space to squirm and turn by lifting one of your fingers. When you feel that it has turned its head upwards, close your fingers in and grab at its head tightly. Finally, just pull it out." He then taught them how to make some cords using willow shrubs that they would use to tie the loaches, "Snap apart a willow shrub and peel off its bark. Wrap around it with your mouth biting on one end. Stretch the coilings down and stop when you reach the end. There you have it." The two children were quick learners. Before the sun was hanging high in the sky, the boy from the countryside had already caught enough loaches for two bundles and the pair of children from the city had caught one bundle full of harvest. "Why don''t you take this with you, brother," said the boy from the city, "We have no use for these." "But they are fruits of your labor. I cannot just take these," the village boy said shyly, "How about this? I''ll lead you to another river two or three miles west of here. It''s called Huan Xiang River. There are not many people there, but it''s close to my house. I''ll bring these loaches home and cook them; then I''ll bring them to you!"


    And so the children followed the village boy upriver where they then waited for him. He came back at noon, carrying with him a large bowl of loaches stew along with two Chinese pancakes. The two children ate up before they continued playing with the village boy. They then talked about themselves, even swearing an oath of brotherhood together like the characters in "Water Margin". They were all fifteen, but the village boy was the eldest, the boy from the city the second and the little girl the youngest of them. When night came, the older boy went to a nearby school and had a friend opened one of the classrooms. He then left the two younger children to rest there for the night for the tables in the school could also provide shelter if there were any more earthquakes. The three friends then spent three days together. The children from the city had lost their parents; hence they decided not to return to Tangshan. The older boy would slip some food from home for them quietly for his sworn siblings to quench their hunger. Later on, the youngest child then confessed that she were separated from her cousin in the chaos during the earthquake. Behaving like the leader of the siblings, the older boy instructed the younger girl to return to the city for her cousin. With many emergency vehicles speeding by every day following the disaster, they flagged down an ambulance that gave the young girl a lift into the city. Before she left, the young girl even made her swear that she would return even if she had failed to locate her cousin!


    After seeing off their little sister, the two brothers decided that they could not survive long by depending on food stolen from home! The older brother began leading his sibling around to hunt for wild herbs and cicada shells in the day where they would be trapping birds in the night. These items were quite popular in the market those days. There was also a well in the village that the local population depended on. The older brother borrowed a pulley and tied a rope around his brother. With the help of the pulley, he lowered his brother into the well where the younger sibling would scrub and clean the walls of the well. They would then walk from door to door with a wicker basket and collect some grain from the villagers. As a sign of appreciation, the villages rewarded them with food for they understood the good that the boys were bringing to them! What was more, the boys found a watch and a Parker pen which they took to a connoisseur who confirmed to them the items'' intrinsic value. The younger brother was covered by soot and mud when his older sibling pulled him out of the well! Only God knew what torments and hardships they have endured earning money!


    But what were they planning to use the money for? Rotenone. The substance, extracted from vine plants, was commonly used to paralyze the gills of fish. A simple bottle of rotenone could quickly kill a pond full of fishes. But rotenone is not widely produced nowadays. The older brother knew of a trench at another village about a few miles to the east. The pit, spanning more than ten acres wide, was once dug to collect clay for the use of making bricks. But many years ago it was abandoned and had become a pond now filled with fishes. The brothers borrowed a spray and used it to spray some rotenone over the pond. In just one night, they caught a wagon full of fishes about eighty-five kilograms. Together, they pulled the wagon into the market and sold the fish for more than a hundred yuan. In those days, one hundred yuan was a tremendously large amount of money. It was equivalent to the two-months'' wages of a laborer! Therefore, for the next few months, they no longer worried about money! Later on, the older sibling even found his brother another means of earning money.


    There was this carriage station in the town that was not hit by the earthquake; an inn where people passing by the town stopped over for the night and rested their horses. The older brother got his younger sibling a job there where the younger brother helped with the menial chores such as helping to draw water, cleaning the stables and disposing of horse feces. The manager even allowed the younger brother to keep and eat any leftovers. This, at least, maintained a steady life for the younger sibling; along with the money that they had gotten from selling the fish, the watch and the pen from the well. The older brother then entered high school and began preparing to sit for the National College Entrance Examination. An idea then struck him: he could give brother lessons. As one of the top students in his class, the older brother then told his family that he would be studying until the night before he went home; instead, he would every day visit his brother and teach him! Although it had a bad effect on his academic performance, the older brother had passed the exam and was accepted into a school at Qinhuangdao city. Knowing that separation was inevitable, the two brothers hugged and wept together!


    However, the older brother had barely stayed in Qinhuangdao city for more than a month, when his younger brother appeared suddenly outside his schoolyard. He could not bear staying behind, and had walked and begged for hundreds of miles until he finally reached Qinhuangdao! The older brother, with the help of a few close friends, found his brother a place to stay in one of the empty dormitories in his school. They also left him some food from their meals too. Finally, when his studies were completed, the older brother was assigned to Tangshan for his internship. With his little brother quietly in tow, they returned to Tangshan where the older brother helped to locate the street where his younger sibling once lived at. They were fortunate to find many neighbors who still recognized him. This helped him regain his identity and his place at a school. From henceforth, the older brother would send his sibling a half of his wages, knowing that it was not cheap living in the city. The young brother, with gritting tenacity, finished his schooling with extraordinary achievements and was accepted into a medical university. As an orphan of the disastrous earthquake, he was awarded a scholarship where he was state-sponsored to continue his education overseas. Everything began to sail smoothly for the younger brother finally. But out of his love for his brother, he returned and became a famous cardiothoracic surgeon.


    Everyone at the table was sniffling by now, trying to hold back their tears as I then continued the story in my father''s stead, saying, "By then, we''d already reached Mr. Zhang''s office. But when I opened the door of the car, I found Mr. Zhang and Mr. Nie in each other''s arms, sobbing with tear-filled faces! They did not howl and shriek like how Liu Wenhua and his family did, but tears flowed uncontrollably from their already-swollen eyes. My father looked to me and said, ''I believe you now understand. Mr. Zhang, Zhang Baoguo, was the older brother; while Dr. Nie, Nie Xiaojun, was the younger brother!'' Finally, I fully understood their relation! My father then patted their shoulders and said, ''There''s no need for tears for tales of glad tidings. Come. Into your office we go, and I''ll continue with my tale!'' "

 Chapter 11 The Post-disaster Episode

    I placed down my chopsticks and gazed at Mr. Zhang before I turned to the rest of the table and said, "And so we entered Mr. Zhang''s office. My father took a seat and said, ''When you once found Nie Xiaojun his first work at the carriage station, there was something that you did not know, Zhang! Did you know that he had a colleague who also had a bumpy life?''


    " ''Oh? There''s such a lad?'' Mr. Zhang asked Nie Xiaojun pointedly. Nie Xiaojun nodded and replied, ''Yeah. A lost boy; about six to seven years old. He''s the Yang Xiaoshan we know today!''


    "My father added sharply, ''And what a terrible life he''s had! He lost his father to a sudden sickness when he was barely two. His mother tried to take care of him, but widows were dreadfully stigmatized and ostracized in those days. She then remarried to a Ma Lao''Er (literally the second son of Ma), a son of the Ma Family Ranch. This Ma Lao''Er was a tolerable person but his brother Ma Xiazi (literally Blind Ma) ill-treated Yang Xiaoshan and his mother tremendously. Widely notorious for being a lousy snob, Ma Xiazi was born with only one eye due to a disfigurement since birth. Everyone in the village knew of his evil deeds, although none dared to speak against him.


    " ''The little boy Yang Xiaoshan then experienced once more the pain of losing his loved ones. His parents ¨C both his stepfather and his mother ¨C died during the earthquake. Due to a stroke of luck, the little Xiaoshan''s sleeping cot had a box above his head that had shielded and saved him from any falling debris during the quake, whereas Ma Xiazi''s shed, which had a roof made of hay, too, weathered the disaster and hence he, also, survived. Only the good die young, indeed. Seeing as Yang Xiaoshan had survived when his parents had perished filled Ma Xiazi with resentful wrath for the boy might one day compete with him for the family fortune despite not being a true son of the Ma Family. Ma Xiazi then made up an excuse and wanted to beat the boy to death, yet many villagers came to his help and held back the large bully. Realizing that he could no longer stay, Yang Xiaoshan fled. But this episode was witnessed by the boy''s uncle, Liu Wenhua who had been sent by his family to check on the safety of his sister, Yang Xiaoshan''s mother. Being only fourteen or fifteen, the brash and impulsive Liu Wenhua lunged at Ma Xiazi who retaliated with a three-pronged rake. They fought furiously until the villagers held them both back.


    " ''Liu Wenhua pedaled as hard as he could on his bicycle to his home and related the entire story to his elder brother, Liu Wenfeng, who was a chef skilled in making tofu. A large and beefy person, no one ever dared infuriate Liu Wenfeng for fear of his wrath. When Liu Wenhua came to him, he was clearing up the wreckage of the tofu room of the kitchen he worked in with his apprentices. Listening to Liu Wenhua''s gripe about Ma Xiazi, the seething Liu Wenhua mustered his apprentices and charged directly to the Ma Family Ranch. Without much flair for talking, he began fighting with Ma Xiazi. The staff and workers of the Ranch immediately stood aside and watched, filled with resentment after suffering for so long the oppression by Ma Xiazi. Without anyone to help him, Ma Xiazi was so badly beaten that he had lost a leg. From then on, Ma Xiazi would be known as the Blind Limper. The people from the Liu Family excavated through the ruins and dug up the corpse of little Xiaoshan''s mother and left, leaving a few of their men to search and ask about the boy, yet to no avail...


    " ''Later on, the Blind Limper filed a complaint to the authorities, demanding compensation for the injuries he had incurred. The authorities sent some people to the village to mediate the issue. They summoned both parties ¨C the people from both the Liu Family and the Ma Family Ranch, which made a huge turn up with a strong group of people. The Liu Family agreed to compromise with the compensation, with the condition that the Ma Family first return to them the boy Yang Xiaoshan! Tired and disgusted with Ma Xiazi''s usual antics, even the people from the Ma Family agreed that they should first return the child to the Liu Family. Having not foreseen this turn of events, Ma Xiazi grew angry and flustered, saying, "How would I know where did that rabid cur run to? Why are you saying this to me, which side are you on? Never mind, I''ll settle this myself!" Presented with an opportunity to keep themselves out of trouble, the rest of the Ma Family then snarled at him, "Very good! You''d do well to remember that this is a decision you made yourself! Since you do not need us, we''ll rid ourselves of your filth! Let us leave!" With a wave of the leader''s hands, the rest of the Ma Family retreated. Spurred by this sudden change in the status quo, Liu Wenfeng spat furiously, slamming hard on the table, "I''m better than you, a man who only knows how to bully a kid! You reap what you sow! Would I have struck you if you did not lay your hands on the child? Go and ask everyone in my village, does Liu Wenfeng ever unjustly hit anyone? I only hit you because you are a creature lesser than a man! Return the child, or consider the deal off!" The Liu Family then retreated as well. The people from the authorities could only shake their heads and quietly slip away, leaving the case unresolved.


    " ''But the efforts of the brothers of the Liu Family to search for Yang Xiaoshan had not ended there. They conducted processions, striking on pots and pans while yelling for his name; pasted missing person notices and many other ways in their fervent hopes of recovering Yan Xiaoshan. Still, for all their attempts, the sight of Yang Xiaoshan remained elusive! Both the older and second brothers worked at the tofu producing section of a kitchen. In those days, their products were either sold to the government or sold to the public on bicycles. Liu Wenhua used the opportunities to cycle around, peddling his wares while taking sharp looks at every child he had ever come across. This continued for four to five years, yet no news about the little boy Xiaoshan was heard.


    " ''With the implementation of the household responsibility system in China, the Liu Family was assigned the duty of producing beancurd products. Their business grew larger and lager that Liu Wenhua himself started another production line of his own which grew from making tofu to producing other products such beancurd slices, soya bean drinks and many others before expanding his business to manufacturing soya sauce, soybean animal feed, sesame oil and more. Before they realized it, the Liu Family had thrived into one of the nouveau riche households of the area.


    " ''On his deathbed, Liu Wenfeng, the oldest of the Liu Family siblings, held Liu Wenhua''s hands tightly as he gasped, "I am too ashamed to meet your sister in the afterlife! Our family was big when you were still young then, and she had to work to help put food on the table for the family. This had delayed her marriage, and we had not found a good family for her. Who would''ve known that her husband would die so young? With his death, she had endured tremendous difficulties and hardships while dragging a child with her. Alas... I was the one who''d persuaded her to remarry and had inadvertently caused her death in the earthquake! And then there''s also the rabid mongrel of an uncle who has now caused the disappearance of the child... Now that we''ve finally lead a prosperous life... The sweetness that we enjoy daily is more than the bliss that she''s had in her entire life! Never had she enjoyed a happy life! You must continue looking for the boy; the search must never stop..."


    " ''Still, no one knew that little Xiaoshan did not wander far. He went to the areas of Hetao and spent some time playing at the Huan Xiang River. The tide was low when he roamed to the opposite bank of the river. But as the tide grew higher, he became trapped at the other bank without knowing how to return. Therefore he strayed until he reached the place where Nie Xiaojun was working. After speaking to Yang Xiaoshan, Nie Xiaojun found that he was not only an orphan like him, the little boy was very much weaker and frail than him. At that time, the old manager of the carriage station was particularly fond of Nie Xiaojun. Nie Xiaojun''s uncompensated work at the station made him felt guilty, more so since Xiaojun was an orphaned child. Hence he would frequently keep food for the boy. On this day, his wife made some dumplings for Xiaojun. Yang Xiaoshan stared hungrily at them, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets but he could not summon the courage to ask for some.


    " ''But being the kind and pleasant boy he was, Nie Xiaojun only took a small mouthful and left the rest for little Xiaoshan. What a pity for such a boy so young to have to endure such misery and sorrow. He might even one day grow up to be a sad person with barely any pleasant recollections of his past! One day, a man from Shijiazhuang (a city in Hebei Province) came to the village to check on his relative. But utility infrastructure such as public transport, postal services, telephone services and telegraph services were all disrupted because of the earthquake. The man had been hitching rides to reach the village, only to find out that his relatives had died in the calamity and had already been buried by their next of kins. Seeing that the hour was late, he took up lodgings at the carriage station for the night. It was there where he took notice of the little boy Xiaoshan. He was touched to hear that Xiaoshan was also orphaned because of the catastrophe. Without a son of his own, the 40-year-old man, after asking around and finding that the child belonged to no one, promptly took Yang Xiaoshan with him and left.


    " ''Still, like how all good things must come to an end, the man reached home to discover that his wife was terribly crossed when she had seen that her husband had returned home with a stepson, shrieking, "So you think that I cannot bear you a child since I''ve reached 40?" And so, little Xiaoshan once again found himself roaming outside. From the comforts of a home, he was banished to suffer destitution under the gutters of the street. Hence he began meandering around once more, begging to feed himself until he joined a group of brigands and gangsters where he grew up being abused and beaten. He had suffered a clampdown for several times. Later one day, he was arrested for selling switchblades! But juvenile lawbreakers like him were commonly assigned to menial labor by the Public Security Bureau, and Yang Xiaoshan was then sent to a logistics company to work. But the company closed its operations some time later, and its staff began delivering goods on their own using their own vehicles. Some started their own workshops repairing vehicles and Yang Xiaoshan found himself a job in one of these garages until he switched to a driving school that a few other drivers set up. It was there where he learned how to drive a car. But his path once again intertwined with Nie Xiaojun''s when an altercation at the driving school saw him injured and he was hospitalized. Coincidentally, Nie Xiaojun was one of the head specialists for the hospital, and Yang Xiaoshan recognized the man who was once the boy who had shown him kindness!


    " ''Therefore, I would leave it for their family to handle the matter on their own, since it was the nephew who had knocked his own uncle''s car!'' Mr. Zhang flashed a thumbs-up to my father, saying, ''Spectacular! Well then, now that you''ve helped me, I''ll have Nie Xiaojun help you out! I know you came to me seeking an introduction to enlist his help! I''ll even settle the medical bill for you!'' But I giggled and replied, ''Since when did I say I had come to you to ask for your help to introduce me to Dr. Nie?'' "

 Chapter 12 Fens Death

    Mr. Zhang broke into a fit of laughter as my father paused. Speaking to everyone at the table, he said, "I thought that since he had gone through so much trouble to help me, I should return the favor as well. But I did not know that instead of asking me for help, Brother Hai had visited me to offer me help! He asked me then, ''There were three of you when you swore an oath to be brothers and sisters. What happened to your youngest...''"


    Mr. Zhang interrupted himself by taking a sip of wine from his cup before he carried on, "I grew unhappy at the mention of my young sworn sister by Brother Hai and I grumbled, ''Alas... You do not know... I''d not complain that she was callous, but how could she have gone missing all of a sudden? I''d never believed for once that life in the city could be better. When we swore to be siblings, we had vowed to die together despite not sharing common birthdays. But she had never once come back! How could she! Look at Xiaojun! He had refused to leave no matter what! Yet she...'' But little did I expect to see Brother Hai sighing heavily after hearing what I''d said. He told me, ''In truth, she did come back. Many times, in fact. But she did not show herself; therefore you knew nothing of her return.'' Not knowing what was going on, I grew cross, ''Came back? Why did I not know anything about this? Why did she not show herself since she''d returned? Surely I''d not pounce and bite her like a tiger!'' But Brother Hai heaved another breath and exhaled heavily again, ''But you''re... You''re different now... One of you is of the living, while the other is of the dead... She was afraid that showing herself to you might have caused you harm instead...'' Instantly, I blurted, ''Impossible! She''s dead? N-no, not a chance! The earthquake had already ended by the time she''d returned to Tangshan. There should not be any buildings still standing when she reached there! How it is possible! You''re lying!''"


    At this moment, I noticed a pained expression on Mr. Zhang''s face as he recounted his recollection. Even though the matter had long past and had been resolved, it was still a very difficult moment for him, I thought. I placed down my chopsticks and said, "Despite his denial, I could see that Mr. Zhang himself believed that what Father said was true. The rim of his eyes was already red and moist in spite of his adamant rejection of the fact." Hearing me utter these words somehow calmed Mr. Zhang a little. He raised his glass to me and smiled wittingly. We shared a sip of the liquor as my father put down his chopsticks and went on, "What actually happened was Fen did reach the city after parting with her sworn brothers. She looked around in vain, growing thirsty and tired. She saw some fences circling around the ruins and rubbles (fences during that time were made of wood instead of the sturdier materials commonly used today for construction fences) and sat under these barriers, resting in its shade. There she sat as she had a little drink. Chaos and anarchy prevailed during the absence of any governing entity and enforcement body in the city. Shops, restaurants, banks, post offices, and all other establishments were plundered and looted. Hence, to maintain security and order, the local militia formed security teams to patrol the city and start a crackdown on crime. Sometime, even if someone only bent to do something, the security team would treat him as a criminal and fire shots at him. At the time when Fen was sitting by the fence, the security teams were firing on a thief who was standing on a board and trying to take something. But instead of hitting the thief, one of the stray bullets had hit Fen and killed her. The thief narrowly escaped death for the board happened to break up and he fell into a pit.


    "I made a hand gesture to Mr. Zhang where the tip of both my index fingers touched each other and asked him, ''Were you...'' Mr. Zhang immediately denied and explained hastily, ''I was only fifteen then. I knew nothing of affairs between men and women then!'' I halted and shook my head, ''But you were only half-correct, I''m afraid, Mr. Zhang. You grew up in the village, but Fen grew up in the city where she was exposed to more education and knowledge. She was also part of her school''s basketball team where she had a stronger physique that experienced adolescent earlier than you did. She had already been interested in you when you first met! As we all knew full well, it was pandemonium in the Tangshan. But many of you knew not that there was also a ruckus in the plane of the afterlife due to the sudden influx of so many souls. If only Fen had followed the rest of the wandering souls down south-west, she would have been reborn by now. But she remembered very vividly that you lived in the north-west from her. In fact, she did not realize that she was already dead, and began traveling back towards your direction!''


    "''I, too, do not know when did she finally realized that she was dead. But for so many years she had remained by your side. Surely you do feel that the success of your career was not without reason? You should have been dead when you had fallen from the second storey last year, yet you had survived the fall completely unscathed! Did you truly believed for a moment that you might be an immortal?'' Mr. Zhang leaped to his feet with shock, murmuring, ''It was she...'' I nodded in return and said, ''You might be unhurt, but your fall had caused great damage to her soul! A part of her soul was lost that she lost some of her wits with a part of her memory gone.'' Mr. Zhang grasped my hand tightly and said to me, ''Please, dear Master! Please help her! Help her regain her soul; I''ll do anything in return!'' I smiled at him and said, ''Please, a simple ''Sir'' or ''Mister'' would do. Recovering her soul is a simple matter. I''ll have my son perform the deed later. But we''ll need your help in restoring her memory!'' Mr. Zhang quickly replied, ''Anything! I''ll do anything!'' I rubbed my chin thoughtfully and said, ''I''ll need to re-enact a scene. What you''ll have to do now, is to recreate the setting of the incident that caused her to lose part of the soul! We''ll need to stimulate her mind! We''ll also be needing your assistance, Mr. Nie. We''ll need to make use of your connection and search through the hospitals in Tangshan for a pretty young woman who''s going to die!'' As I ended my sentence, I shot a glance at Mr. Zhang!"


    My father then paused before he said again, "Mr. Zhang then contacted me again on the second morning after the day Shiyan had recovered Fen''s soul..." He had barely finished when Mr. Lee, who had been listening avidly to our tale, interrupted suddenly, "Wait a moment, Brother Hai. Can we hear about how Shiyan had recovered the soul? I really want to hear more about this. Your story is getting more and more fascinating." As he finished, Mr. Lee threw a keen glance towards my direction.


    I looked warily at my father. To my surprise, he nodded to me, indicating his assent for me to disclose our methods. Feeling thrilled, I cleared my throat and said, "Heh heh heh. I had been so anxious to test my skills that I could scarcely sit still when my father instructed me to go recover Aunt Fen''s soul. At last, I can now show everyone what I''m capable of! I was about to leave and head home to get an urn when my father''s call to me made me halted in my steps. ''You cannot use an urn,'' he told me. ''Her soul is partially damaged. It would be worst if you were to use an urn.'' I scratched my head quizzically and asked, ''Then what should I use?'' My father showed me a small calabash gourd the size of his palm and said, ''It is time for me to pass on to you one of our family''s heirlooms. Take this. It was given to me by my teacher when I was still under his tutelage. It is now passed to you. This gourd can be used to entrap spirits and demons. Use in the same way as how you would with an urn. I''ll train you on some of its other uses in the future.''"


    Mr. Lee threw in another question suddenly, looking deeply inquisitive, "Hold up. Do you have this gourd with you now, my boy? "Come show me! Let Uncle have a look!" I removed from my pocket the gourd and presented it to Mr. Lee who dangled it before his wide, round eyes as he studied it closely. "I would have thought that this would be an exquisite work of handicraft, if you had not mentioned that this is a magical treasure!" Mr. Lee exclaimed with wonder. My father giggled, sounding amused, and said, "It might also interest you to know that this magical trinket is called the Spirit Gourd. My teacher had bestowed this to me when I was still learning the ropes when I was still his apprentice. Not only one can use it to ensnare and trap spirits and demons and also store pills, but it can also be used to refine souls for one''s own use. But I would never have shown this to anyone; not under common circumstances. This is an instrument to entrap souls. Therefore it could even draw in the soul of any living person. This very object could be extremely disastrous if fallen into the hands of any evildoers with malicious intent!" Everyone at the table could hardly help from being amazed. Even Mr. Lee had spent quite some time examining the gourd before returning it to me.


    Pocketing the calabash gourd, I said, "When I first came to Aunt Ling''s home, she was experiencing an episode. She was gorging on food voraciously. I went up to her and patted on the back of her head three times and knocked Aunt Fen''s soul from her body before I immediately drew Aunt Fen''s soul into the gourd. Then I cast a spell ¨C a Soul-summoning Spell ¨C that recalled the fragments of her soul and stored them too into the gourd as well. Once completed, I went back with Aunt Ling and her husband with me." I brandished my chopsticks and crammed a piece of meat into my mouth. Mr. Lee was surprised; his eyes were wide as he asked, "Wait a moment. Is that it? Just like that?" I nodded and replied, "Yeah. That''s all of it." Feeling unsatisfied, he remarked, "Surely you have to explain how you expelled Fen''s soul from Ling''s body with just three knocks to the head?" I shrugged and explained, "Well, that''s simple. Aunt Fen''s soul was splintered then without being able to communicate with anyone. It''s similar to the cases of infant spirits where you can easily expel an infant spirit from a possessed body by yelling and surprising him or her from behind. Still, Aunt Fen is different for hers was still the soul of an adult. Yelling from behind would not achieve anything. But since she was not fully in harmony with the body she''d possessed. Hence, I only needed to look for a proper spot to knock and expel her soul. But this must not be imitated by the uninitiated, lest one might even knock out the patient''s soul too! That would create additional issues. I later used a Soul-summoning Spell to recall the fragments of Aunt Fen''s soul. But I''m afraid I cannot divulge more about this spell." Mr. Lee clapped his hands in applause, muttering words of praises for me and my father''s prowess. I looked at my father in the eye. Apparently he still believed I needed more training!


    Everyone around the table began discussing enthusiastically about the methods I had just explained. Finally, when the racket had subsided, my father continued, "It was the second morning after Shiyan had completed his job when Mr. Zhang called me, informing me that his preparations were ready. He was eager to know when the deed would commence. I then asked him, ''What was the time the last time something peculiar like this happened?'' He replied that it was about six in the evening. Hence I told him, ''Very well. We''ll begin at six in the evening. We''ll be at your place at five.''"

 Chapter 13 Resurrection

    My father was still speaking when Mr. Zhang, growing agitated, quipped suddenly, "All of you could not have possibly known how distressed I was when he brought up about the time of my fall! I was drunk when I fell off the building. But the fear had remained until today! This time when I stood on the second floor, my knees also softened like jelly and threatened to buckle! Brother Hai gave me a Taoist robe. He said that it would protect me from any harm if and when I had any contact with Fen''s soul. But I had cared not for this; I was worried and perturbed! I promptly asked Brother Hai again, ''Do I need to tie something to myself? A safety harness or a rope maybe?'' Instead, Brother Hai just smiled, ''No matter. I''m here with you. You will not be in danger even if you''re standing at the top of a 20-storey building!'' His carefree demeanor when he uttered the words spoke much of his confidence as if it was merely a walk in the park, yet I could not help feeling anxious!"


    Mr. Lee jeered playfully at Mr. Zhang, pointing at my father, ''Say, Mr. Zhang, you have a deity here to protect you! I would not even have twitched my eyebrows if I were to stand atop a 20-storey building with Brother Hai with me! Hahaha!" Having downed more than three rounds of wine, everyone was already close and intimate with one another by now. Mr. Lee was on the lookout for every chance to jab in jest at Mr. Zhang. Mr. Zhang replied dolefully at Mr. Lee, "That''s easy for you to say, Lee. Let''s see if you dare jump from the top of the second floor of a building, I''ll buy you lunch!" Mr. Lee, suddenly mumbling incomprehensibly, whimpered, "Err..." Mr. Zhang broke into a laugh at this, "Enough with the old men''s banter. We''re too old for such stunts! I would instead believe you if you were to say Shiyan has the courage of jumping from such height!" Both of them continued guffawing loudly.


    Mr. Zhang then said again, "But this was hardly the end of it. The wait before making the jump is the most spine-chilling thing here! It was morning when I made the call to Brother Hai, yet he told me that I would only jump in the evening! None of you here could possibly imagine the torment of watching the clock tick!" Mr. Zhang cackled at himself. He raised and waved the empty wine flask and beckoned for a waiter who came at once and took the flask from him. Mr. Zhang then went on, "Still, without telling anyone else, I quietly fastened to myself a safety harness that evening. Having a security measure filled me with some ease at least. But still, when I stood at the top of the second storey that evening, the steel hook of the safety harness snapped! To make things worse, the safety harness snapped just when I was about to fall! I could feel cold sweat breaking over my back that instant! I was so close to wetting my pants! Still, the ordeal helped ease my prostate illness somehow! But when I was dropping, I noticed that I was gliding down like a falling leaf! The plunge had turned out to be thrilling!"


    Just then, Aunt Fen shared a thoughtful look with my father. This had not gone unnoticed as Mr. Zhang gasped at the revelation, pointing incredulously at my father, "What! Could that be you..." My father snickered slyly and said, "Well, I did say that we need a true re-enactment of the incident, see... Heh heh heh." Everyone erupted into chortles of laughter once more.


    But no one other than me knew that it was one of my father''s mysterious enchantment, the Autumn''s Decline, that had slowed his fall so substantially that he descended like a weightless feather. The spell was designed for oneself to enchant his or herself during an unintended and precipitous fall. But my father was able to cast the enchantment upon others as well, a trick that he had used so masterfully. It was a displayed of his skills which level I could not possibly hope to match for I failed miserably to use it even on myself. Father has a vast plethora of techniques and magical spells but I was only interested in three: the Autumn''s Decline, which was an enchantment used to lighten one''s descend to the ground; the Moonlit Strider, an awesome discipline of movement techniques; and the Champion''s Bane, a skill that I have never set my eyes on. I was only interested in the Champion''s Bane technique because of its fearsome name.


    Everyone gasped with amazement at the tale of my father''s display of his skill. Mr. Lee clinked his glass against my father''s and pestered, "Wow, Brother Hai, that is a very formidable skill. Come on, teach it to me please." My father giggled in return and asked wryly, "What? Do you want to leap off a building yourself? There''s no guarantee that my enchantment will work every time. Do not come back to me if you die in your attempt, you know." There was another burst of merry mirth. My father raised his arm suddenly, and everyone fell silent before he spoke again, "In truth, Mr. Zhang could not see Fen was around. Shiyan had unsealed his gourd and let out Fen''s soul. She looked around, looking lost and bewildered when she first reappeared. Noticing my cue, I made Mr. Zhang fall with my magic and Fen saw him. Seeing him in danger suddenly jolted her memory, and she swiftly rushed to him. It was then I knew that her memory had recovered and I enchanted Mr. Zhang so that he began gliding slowly to the ground." Mr. Zhang let out a long "ohh", finally realizing what had indeed happened.


    My father waved off the stares of amazement from around the table and went on, "Later that night, Nie Xiaojun called me. At last, he had found a suitable person. Knowing that there was no certainty in the prediction of one''s time of death, I immediately went with Shiyan into the city. Dr. Nie was already waiting at a spot that we''d agreed to meet." My father took another gulp from his glass and I continued for him, "Uncle Nie then explained to us the conditions of the dying patients that he''d shortlisted. Father nodded and replied curtly, saying, ''Very well. Understood.'' Father then took out his phone and made a call. Into the mouthpiece of his phone he spoke in a deep and hollow voice, a voice so dark and sinister that I''d almost felt a chill, ''Do you want to resurrect your daughter back to life? Meet me three hundred meters from the west of the hospital.'' Father immediately ended the call. He looked as if he had just spoken into thin air. He then beckoned to us, calling us to come and wait with him under a parasol tree. Not long afterward, I saw two people walking towards us with hurried footsteps, surveying the surroundings anxiously.


    "When the pair had finally come within earshot, Father muttered, ''Here.'' They walked over to us and Father said calmly to them, ''Are you both the parents of Han Xue?'' They replied swiftly with a ''Yes!''. ''Your daughter is dead. You''ve just seen her with your own eyes. But I can resurrect her, with one condition...'' Father allowed his voice to trail off mysteriously, but the man interjected immediately, ''What condition!?'' But Father had not even spoken when the man''s wife exclaimed, ''Anything! If my daughter could be alive once more, I''ll do anything!'' Father nodded and said, ''But you have to understand. There is but only one way to bring your daughter back to life, that is to revive her with the soul of somebody else''s. This would mean that the resurrected person would no longer possess your daughter''s consciousness and memory. "''Still, I assure you that she will uphold her responsibilities as a daughter. But you will have to agree to the marriage of her own choosing, and you will give her your whole-hearted support. Please discuss my terms. I shall await your reply. But please, be quick, lest everything would be too late.'' Father then led us away from the couple to give them some space.


    "Still rooted to the same spot where Father had left them, the parents of the dead patient whispered to themselves. Before long, the mother of the deceased patient came to my father and asked, ''But what of the actual soul that belonged to my daughter? Will she be well in the afterlife?'' Father nodded to her, indicating towards me with an outstretched finger, ''He will see to everything to make sure she will be well; from the journey into the Underworld to the arrangements with the Taoist Lord Lingwu (literally the Taoist Lord of Spiritual Valor).'' He indicated again towards Aunt Ling and her husband, explaining to the woman, ''This couple will be handling the sacrificial offerings on all occasions and special dates. If you agree to my terms, I''ll need you to head back to the hospital. Tell the staff that you need to see your daughter for one last time and when you see your daughter, tell them that you''ve noticed your daughter''s hand moving and summon for a doctor quickly. Here''s my name card. Call me again immediately once your daughter has been rescued. I will have further instructions for you then.'' Father then came to me and asked for the Spirit Gourd which I took out and handed to him. He whispered to the calabash gourd and said, ''You are now the daughter of your parents. Treat them well, lest retribution comes due. Not even I will be able to save you from danger then. Understood?'' There was a speedy reply coming from within the calabash gourd; the voice of a woman that said, ''Thank you so much!'' Father handed the Spirit Gourd to me and mumbled, ''Be quick and subtle. You must not be seen.'' I nodded and went after the husband and wife earlier into the hospital. When I reached the emergency room, I took a swig off a Cola can and slowly uncorked my Gourd. A tiny strand of green fumes rose from the neck of the Spirit Gourd, floating slowly into the emergency room where the doctors were trying frantically to work the magic of their own. I waited silently outside next, hearing the unmistakable and distinct gasps by the doctors inside, crying, ''She''s up!'' I sniggered and turned to leave." I rubbed my nose proudly and paused to let the moment sink in before I went on, "A few days later, Aunt Ling and her husband, Uncle Zhang, the patient''s parents along with my father and me ate together. Father left them some further instructions and cautioned them to keep the entire matter a secret."


    At long last, Aunt Fen spoke, "Even till today, there are still some matters which have been blurry to me. My father told me that when he first received the call from the Head Person, the caller ID on his phone clearly showed a phrase¡ª''The man who will save your daughter''. Moreover, my mother, who was obviously not on the phone, could also hear the things that the Head Person had said to my father. His voice was echoing vaguely over and over again until she''d finally met him."


    Mr. Zhang listened to his wife retelling her accounts of the tale and chipped in, "One day after that, Brother Hai came and said to me, ''I have come to play matchmaker. I''d hope that you can take Fen as your wife! For so many years she has loved you!'' I was so shocked when I heard him said this that I nearly leaped. Immediately I told him, ''No! She''s just 19, and I''m a frail old man of 50! This is hardly appropriate!'' Brother Hai paced slowly around my office before he left, saying, ''Ve-ry w-ell!'' Somehow I felt something was not right. Something wrong must be happening, my senses told me. One week later, I received a call from a nephew of mine, telling me that my brother was very ill on his deathbed and I had to come to see him, even if it was for the final time."

 Chapter 14 Nuptial Preparations

    "I sped as quickly as I could in my BMW. My nephew called once every few minutes to hurry me. But I too was extremely anxious myself! When I reached the gates of my brother''s house, only to see the ground on the outside of the house littered with shreds of exploded firecrackers. When I got close to his door, there was my brother waiting for me. There was also my younger brother and a few other young boys. There were two huge Xi characters (literally Happiness) hung on both pillars of the entrance of his house. I was puzzled suddenly.


    "I got down my car and asked my brother, ''Who in our family is getting married?'' My younger brother smiled at me slyly and quipped, ''Heh heh heh! Why you, of course!'' He had barely finished when my older brother chipped in, ''With both of our parents no longer present, I am your elder. This is a match determined by the will of an elder, he will have to do as I say! Drag him in!'' At his command, few of the younger boys manhandled me and tied me up with ropes! They lifted me off the ground and carried me into the house! There was an emcee who howled, ''A bow of respect to Heaven and Earth! And a bow of respect to the elders of the house!'' I swung my head and saw Fen''s parents sitting at the dais of the hall, where the seats of honor which were most commonly reserved for elders of a family were at! Even my elder brother and his wife were seated there too! And then I heard another call by the emcee, saying, ''A bow of respect between Husband and Wife! Into the bridal room, they go!'' Somebody crammed a bridegroom''s hat on to my head, and a few others lifted and hoisted me into the bridal room! In the midst of the chaos and confusion, I caught the sight of two girls leading Fen into the room. In my heart, I told myself, usually a groom and his bride were led into the room nicely, but here I am, being carried into my room like a slab of meat!" Mr. Zhang guffawed at his own retelling of his marriage and took another nip at his glass.


    "But I was once trained by a magician in the skills of freeing oneself from restraints. It would not be easy for anyone to truly subdue me. Before long, I got free and went out to help attend to the guests who were present. It was then I found Brother Hai with a flower pinned on his chest. There was a tag on his flower that said ''Wedding Witness''. No wonder everything seemed odd! He masterminded the entire affair!" The entire table succumbed to another fit of laughter. Mr. Lee then joked, "You could have been sold as a slave by Brother Haim and you won''t even know it!"


    I threw in another remark, giggling, "Well, if you ask me, I believe Uncle Zhang here had long been captivated by Aunt Fen. Despite your denials, you were enjoying the moment! Otherwise, you would not have gone out to help see to the guests! That''s a tacit gesture of approval!"


    Aunt Fen pointed at me, slightly embarrassed, and said, "You witty rascal. There''s always you meddling about when something arises." The table cackled in amusement.


    Still chuckling, Mr. Zhang sipped at his glass and said, "When I returned to the room after the banquet, there I saw, Fen sitting on the bed, waiting for me. I unveiled her face, and her eyes were shut, not moving at all. Feeling strange, I asked, ''What''s this?'' and she replied, ''I''m waiting for you to beat me.'' ''Who''s going to beat you?'' I asked again. Fen replied shyly, ''Well, we did abduct you and forced you into this wedding without your consent... I thought you might have been angry out of shame.'' ''Still, that is no reason to strike a woman!'' But I had only finished speaking, when I heard the impish chuckles of Brother Hai snickering, ''Heh heh heh...'' As his voice echoed through the air, I thought, ''Brother Hai must have been waiting to see if I am indeed alright before taking his leave!''"


    Mr. Lee interjected suddenly, asking my father, "Do you still accept apprentices?" Father gave him a disdainful peer, "Save it, you! You''re more suitable for enterprising. You won''t make much money in our line of work!"


    As their banter went on, my phone rang suddenly. I took out my mobile phone and saw the caller ID on the screen saying "Brother Lin". I answered the call and there was Brother Lin''s frantic voice exclaiming, "Where are you now, Shiyan! Please come back at once! The police have arrested my father but they left no reason why!" I replied hastily, "All right, all right. Stay calm. I''m coming back with my father right away!" Mr. Zhang and Mr. Lee both asked as I put away my phone, "What''s happening?" I related to them what Brother Lin had said to me. Mr. Zhang was shocked. "Master Lin''s father?" he blurted, "Lin Fengquan?" But as Mr. Zhang was still confused and bewildered, Mr. Lee was already speaking into his phone, "Hello? Hi there. I have a friend who was taken away by some policemen presumably under your command, and they did not reveal the reason behind the detention. His name is Lin, one of the people from the Wen Chang National Studies Institute... Understood. Very well. I await your information." Seeing as Mr. Lee had arranged for some help, he too made a call...


    Calling it the end of the meal, everyone hurried down the steps of the stairs and went off on their way. My parents and I immediately went to the police station to see Uncle Quan. Upon meeting him, we tried asking him about anything behind his detainment, but it appeared that he knew nothing at all. We waited for moments until an officer came in to prepare tea while another came into the room afterward who smiled at us and shook everyone''s hands. "My name is Yu," he said, "There has been a case that involves Master Lin. Our role in this matter is to mediate things between both parties. The representative of the other party will be here shortly." The officer who went out after making tea then came in later, leading two women, both looking in their fifties, into the room. Uncle Quan looked at the two newcomers. Having recognized one of them, he went forward and shook hands with one of the ladies. When everyone was seated, the police officer then called the meeting to order, saying, "We are here today to discuss the case where these two ladies reported that Master Lin had once taken something that was hers. Since the matter was more than 30 years ago, our country''s laws dictate that this case should have been too old to be taken into account. Still, considering the conditions and their plight, we hope to be able to resolve the matter to everyone''s satisfaction." He looked at everyone and asked, "Would anyone like to speak first?" The two ladies shared a quick look and muttered, "Let them speak first then." This earned a suspicious but furtive glance from the officer. A complainant allowing an accused to first speak? This was almost unheard of. Uncle Quan nipped at his glass of water and heaved a puff from his cigarette before he began his tale...


    Between the fifties to the sixties of the previous century, there had been cases of natural disasters occurring in three consecutive years in China. There had been refugees suffering from starvation and destitution scattered along the embankments of the Huan Xiang River. It was a vivid late autumn in 1961 then. As the local economy and commercial activities began to flourish, lesser and lesser of people were depending on food aid programs for the needy. Moreover, it was already late in the autumn season when most of the crops in the fields had long been harvested and stored. Most of the families no longer had to live on the brink of starvation. Some of the other bigger households yet still facing difficulties were already making plans for the future by storing rations, still relying upon food aids for their daily needs.


    There were two ladies on this day who came to the embankment to beg for food. The one leading the way was taller, hereafter known as Tall; while the other would be known later in this tale as Short. The two ambled slowly, with one at a hundred meter following closely behind the other. At the front of their way was where the river curved. There was a dam made of rocks at the bend of the river, and not far away were check-dams, man-made structures that extended from the banks into the river to lessen water flow velocity. It was the period where the upstream floodgates 50 kilometers away from here were opened and the downstream floodgates a dozen kilometers away were closed to allow more water into the river to provide adequate irrigation to the fields. The glittering undulations of the peaceful river shimmered as its waters lapped at the rough concrete of the check-dams. Feeling thirsty, Tall stood on the check-dam and stooped down to scoop some water with her hand when suddenly everything went dark around her and she fainted, plunging into the water...


    When she woke up, she found that she was in a small hut, lying on heaps of freshly-harvested corn. It was one of the temporary housing units build for laborers and workers to rest in and hence there was no fireplace built in the house. With the inundation period past, the house was empty. Short was just beside her, watching her. It turned out that when Tall fell into the river, a horse-carriage had passed by and the horseman had helped Short rescue Tall to safety. Short used some of the utensils she brought with herself to cook a small meal for Tall, helping her regain her strength. The two ladies shared a night, talking intimately about their names, family, and origin. Coincidentally, both of them were pregnant with child. For the sake of their families, they were here to beg for food. However, due to their strenuous exertions throughout the journey here, the two ladies suffered premature labor...


    After a painful and onerous childbirth, Tall gave birth to a large baby girl. The baby girl kept on crying. She was hungry. But it was the first childbirth for Tall and she had no breast milk. Luckily for her, it was not the first pregnancy for Short, hence she took the baby girl into her arms and breastfed the baby... Later that day, Short too gave birth to a baby boy. But he was weak and frail and he did not cry when he was born! The Chinese believed that it was a bad omen for babies to be born without crying. Short immediately slapped hard on the baby''s buttocks. Instead, the baby giggled playfully! So innocent and sweet he was, although he knew not of the trials and tribulations that would await him later in life!


    And so Short began breastfeeding two babies. The two mothers grew closer to each other and had a sudden inspiration! The children were born on the same day and date, and what was more, they were delivered in the very same spot! That could only be destiny at work here! The mothers talked about arranging a match for their babies, hoping that one day the babies would grow up and become a true couple! This would be a romantic fable so mystical that it might become a legend and the mothers would be relatives then! They were very thrilled with the idea. Short took out the jade pendant she wore; an heirloom given to her by her family. It had a pair; therefore Short hung it over the neck of the baby girl as a token of engagement. The ladies then made plans to meet again when the babies reach one-month old... They exchanged addresses; Tall had come from Shijia Village (literally Ten House Village), and Short was from Lee Family Wharf. Tearfully bidding farewell to each other, they promised to visit each other again!


    Some time later, Short bid her eldest son to look for Tall''s family. The eldest son, called Lin Fengjiang, was already in his late teens in high school. The baby boy, Short''s third son, was named Lin Fengchuen. Short previously had a second son, Lin Fenghe, but he had died young. With two other sisters and Lin Fengjiang before him, Lin Fengchuen became Short''s second son, although he was considerably younger compared to his older siblings. He would later have two other siblings, Lin Fenghu and Lin Fenghai.


    And so Lin Fengjiang scoured the region many times; still, the whereabouts of the Shijia Village remained elusive...

 Chapter 15 Xuanser Shou

    For many weekends, Lin Fengjiang had been looking everywhere this Shijia Village, but his search had yielded no result. But there was no wonder to that. The production brigades of the rural areas were being unified into people''s commune to handle common geo-political and commercial as well as agricultural functions. His local production brigade had been responsible for five villages, and his village which was part of greater Fengzhuang Township was now also part of the Yahong Bridge People''s Commune. He found a town called Shijia Pu (literally Shi Family Town), and discovered no new-born babies there. 1961 was one of the few years in the period where the entire country suffered from a tremendously low birthrate. Sometime after that, Lin Fengjiao was enlisted to join the military special forces. When two daughters still hardly old enough to leave home, Lin Fengchuen''s mother could send no one to look for her now-lost friend. Sorely missing her friend, Lin Fengchuen''s mother could only hope that her friend could find her somehow, more so, since her village was considerably closer to the vicinity of Huan Xiang River where they had once met.


    For the next few years, Lin Fengchuen suffered from calcium deficiency as he grew up. This was, in huge part, because he was a premature birth. However, his grandmother asked for the counsel of a witch doctor. The witch doctor then advised that Lin Fengchuen change his name into Lin Fengquan. Still, the move had hardly produced any promising results.


    Years passed until Lin Fengquan was about six or seven years old when an incident that would change his life took place!


    On this day, came a group of laborers into the village. They were working on a project launched by the government to upgrade all facilities of the Hai River tributaries. Despite not being part of the Hai River, the river of this village was also included in the list of upgrading works. Therefore, some of the workers took up lodgings at Lin Fengquan''s home. These workers were led by a captain, similar to the army captains of military companies and squadrons, whose name was commonly known as Xuan''er Shou (In truth, "Xuan''er Shou" should have been Xuan Shu or Uncle Xuan, as in the surname of the captain. But when pronounced in the local tongue of the region, the name "Xuan Shu" was read as "Xuan''er Shou". In earlier editions of the story, the author had used the name "Uncle Xuan", but he later opted for "Xuan''er Shou" for the name truly translated the intimacy shared between the boy Lin Fengquan and the captain. Hence, the author elected to revert to the use of "Xuan''er Shou", especially when he could vaguely imagine and feel the warmth of being addressed by an affectionate name).


    The leader of the workers, "Xuan''er Shou", was especially fond of Lin Fengquan. Whenever he was finished with work, he would play with the little Lin Fengquan. Sometimes when he had free time, he even made the little boy trinkets and playthings. Once, he even made the little boy a birdcage out of straw. "Xuan''er Shou" dangled the cage over Lin Fengquan and asked him, "Do you like it? Go ask for some peanuts from your grandma and this cage is yours!" The little boy scampered to his grandmother and asked for a handful of peanuts and promptly returned. "Xuan''er Shou" smiled at him and said, "I''m not eating this. You go ahead! And this cage is yours!" It was the first time Lin Fengquan had learned the word "peanut". Afterward, "Xuan''er Shou" taught the little Fengquan some mathematical multiplication formulas and trained him in using the abacus. The bright little boy was quick to pick up these skills!


    It was in the summer when the weather was unusually warm and humid. Without no supply of electricity yet into the village, everyone sat and chatted at the porch of the house to enjoy the crisp and fresh air outside. The little Lin Fengquan would squirm and pester "Xuan''er Shou" to tell him stories. Sometimes, in return, "Xuan''er Shou" would ask the boy some odd questions, such as ''where do humans come from'', ''how many hairs are there on a pig'', ''would a human catch fire during fever'', and so on. The boy''s ludicrous but yet hilarious answers would bring laughter to everyone!


    Once, a vegetable vendor had come by to peddle his wares to the workers. After completing their selection, "Xuan''er Shou" proceeded to pay the vendor. Little Lin Fengquan was nearby playing. When the peddler was about to leave, the little boy trotted to "Xuan''er Shou" and whispered into his ears, telling him, "You''ve paid two yuan extra!" "Xuan''er Shou" immediately took an abacus and made some calculations. Lo and behold! He had indeed overpaid the peddler. He used a bicycle to chase after the peddler and asked for his money. The incident sent a ripple of wonder across the village, and everyone praised, "He''s but only a boy of six or seven! That''s not even schooling age! No wonder ''Xuan''er Shou'' doted on him so much!" After the incident, "Xuan''er Shou" would brag about this matter as if the boy was his son and the pride of his life, telling to anyone who would listen that he was not a boy of common and modest stock.


    One day, "Xuan''er Shou" mentioned of a temple not far away from his home. The monks in the temple have all been conscripted into working teams of production brigades. As a strongly superstitious person, Lin Fengquan''s grandmother too knew that this grandson of hers was constantly under the weather. Hearing that "Xuan''er Shou" knew the abbot of the temple, she was interested in asking him to take Lin Fengquan to join the temple. This was due to a common practice among older generations in the area where parents and elders of children often believed that sending their offspring to be monks in a Buddhist institution would bestow them protection and blessing from Buddha himself. They would later arrange for their child to be returned to them when the child was old enough to continue their lives or marry. "Xuan''er Shou" was due to return to his village to collect more baskets for his team''s work at the river. Therefore, Lin Fengquan''s grandmother asked "Xuen''Er Shou" for help, begging him to take Lin Fengquan to the temple. When Lin Fengquan heard that "Xuan''er Shou" would be taking him to his home, the boy grew extremely excited. "Xuan''er Shou" laid some hay on his wagon and the little boy playing on his own on the stacks of hay until he grew tired and fell asleep.


    They were almost near their destination when Lin Fengquan woke up. He called to "Xuan''er Shou", saying that he needed to urinate. The man stopped his carriage, carried the boy down the wagon and asked him to pee behind willow trees by the roads. Despite his age, the boy was shy to have anyone watching him as he relieved himself. The boy ran to the side of the road and crossed a makeshift bridge which was actually two large pipes that spanned over a large culvert at the side of the road. The bridge was large enough that small carriages, wagons, and vehicles could pass over it. Lin Fengquan dashed across the bridge and went to a row of willow trees and urinated there. At the opposite side of the road was nothing but quiet and empty wetland marshes. Little did they know that something dreadful was about to take place...


    Unbeknownst to them, there was an incident in one of the People''s Commune at Wu Zhong County. There had been a man, named Yang Baoshan, who, in a stroke of insanity, had committed a series of anarchical crimes and caused chaos and riots. He and his men had robbed post offices, pillaged stores and shops as well as damaging other public facilities. Due to the Cultural Revolution, the doctrines of Three Supports and Two Militaries were still widely enforced. The riots and upheavals that Yang Baoshan had a hand in had attracted the attention of the Military Control Commission and they were all charged with counter-revolutionaries. His followers were all rounded up and detained by the People''s Liberation Amy. Still, Yang Baoshan was able to escape alone, and he was armed with a gun!


    Collaborating with other local groups and organizations, the Military Control Commission released orders for Yang Baoshan''s arrest. Armed guards manned every checkpoint around the areas and everyone passing the checkpoints were examined and inspected. Even the army was mobilized and ordered to make camp nearby should their help be required. In those days, the armed militias no longer used trumpets or bugles to alert one another; instead, they used gunshots. All military and militia personnel would rush to whichever point or station where gunfire was heard.


    When "Xuan''er Shou" and Lin Fengquan were passing through the area, Yang Baoshan was hiding in the lush sorghum fields near the marshes. He was so hungry that he thought that there might be food on "Xuan''er Shou''s" wagon. Lacking enough strength to fight his prey, the ruthless savage opened fire directly at "Xuan''er Shou" who immediately crumbled to the ground and fainted. Yang Baoshan quickly ransacked the wagon, looking for food. Lin Fengquan, being frightened by the gunshots was so terrified that he stood, frozen to the ground for seconds before he panicked and ran behind the willow trees. Yang Baoshan fired two shots at the boy but he missed. It was fortunate for the boy that Yang Baoshan never had any training in shooting moving targets! At this point, the gunshot echoed far and wide. In the midst of his rush and frenzy, Yang Baoshan grabbed a bag of rations and fled into the lush sorghum fields.


    The militia personnel nearby soon rushed over, being alerted by Yang Baoshan''s gunfires. But when they got there, they saw Lin Fengquan hugging the semi-conscious "Xuan''er Shou", crying loudly. Blood was oozing uncontrollably from his wound as he tried to stem the bleeding with one hand. His other hand held the wrist of the captain of the militia who had come. Trembling with pain as he mumbled, "It''s too late for me now! Take the boy! Please! Console him and see that he reaches home safely! He''s the son of my landlady..." The captain turned his carriage and whipped his horse maniacally, trying frantically to reach the town as soon as he could with the dying "Xuan''er Shou" at the back.


    But it was indeed too late when they reached the hospital. "Xuan''er Shou" had bled to death. Seeing that "Xuan''er Shou" had perished in the line of duty, the Revolutionary Committee named him as a martyr! That night, Lin Fengquan reached home. He was delivered home by an army jeep. Due to the intense shock and psychological trauma he had suffered, the incident would forever remain a shadow in his heart. He would sometimes burst out crying while sleeping. But due to this, many of his dormmates in school made fun of him and ridiculed him.


    It took many months until Lin Fengquan managed to recover from the shock. Still, horrors of the incident continued to haunt him. Although the nightmares began to reduce gradually, he would still need his grandmother to accompany him to sleep.


    Not long after that, the laborers working by the river all left when their work was done. Still, every day without change, Lin Fengquan would go to the river. In the past, he went there to look for "Xuan''er Shou". But with the death of his best friend, Lin Fengquan continued going to the river to look for a person that he would never again see. It was a habit that he maintained, until one day, he met a person who would change his life...

 Chapter 16 The Mysteriously Lost Old Man

    One day, little Lin Fengquan came to the bank of the river as always. There was this small patch of willow trees near the site where the river project was done. An old man tied a large piece of tarp over the branches of the willow trees and made a makeshift tent. With the leftover stalks of corns left by the farmers, the old man collected a lot of them which he then tied them into bundles and stacked them together as walls of his tent. By the walls, he had propped up items and junks that he had collected. These were not rubbish, but instead items that the old man had bought with his own spare money. There were some toys and trinkets like clay figurine, flutes, molds, glass marbles, tattered shoes, scrap metal pieces, and others. These were items that were thrown away by people in accordance with the national initiative of shunning and renouncing the Four Olds during the Cultural Revolution. After buying these items from others, the old man would classify them into different groups before selling them to public offices known as collection centers and profit from the sales. This method of earning money was similar to how people sell various scraps to recycling centers for cash, although the old man purchases the items instead of digging them from trash.


    The old man was not local; he was neither from the same village, nor was he from any of the neighboring suburbs, for the piece of land beside the patch of willow trees was within the boundaries of the adjacent town. Hence, he would later be known as the Old Man of the River Bank. The old man was accustomed to teasing Lin Fengquan whenever he saw him. He would say, "Are you here with something to eat for me?" when Lin Fengquan holding some food. The kind little boy would offer his food to him although the old man would always make a mock gesture of eating and decline with a smile. Knowing that Lin Fengquan would come to the river every day, the old man then began frying some beans and corns and kept some for the boy. The food was tasty; the old man liked grilling his beans and corns with soy sauce. When Lin Fengquan found out that the old man loved eating chillis, he would pick some from home, with his family''s consent. Growing up in a family which members were kind and big-hearted had also helped Lin Fengquan into the kind and benevolent he was!


    Until one day, the old man asked Lin Fengquan, "Have you learned wushu exercises before?", and the little boy replied, "What are wushu exercises?" The old man then demonstrated to him a few martial arts moves. The little boy had seen some of the older children practicing aerobic exercises before. Being very young then, he thought that what the old man was showing to him was exactly the same with the aerobic exercises the older children were practicing. It was only until he grew older and enrolled into a school where he learned aerobic exercises, only did he found out that it was different from the ones that the old man had trained him with. Feeling puzzled, he asked the old man about this and he got this reply, "The moves which I taught you are the older ones." Being able to learn both the new and older types of exercises filled him with pride, what an innocent little boy! When the boy grew into his teens and read the Chinese classics of Water Margin and Three Kingdoms, he found out that the moves which were imparted to him were in fact disciplines of martial art. In those days, children in farming villages were required to work and help out in their teens. Many of them would help to mow grass, pick wild vegetables, collect firewood, harvesting wheat and collecting cotton among other chores. Therefore, whenever he passed by with a wicker basket, the little Lin Fengquan would loiter and have fun at the old man''s before leaving. They would engage in mock sparring sessions where Lin Fengquan would try to hit the old man, even though he would miss every time. Whether if his misses were intentional or not, it was a truth that only he knew full well.


    When the 1976 earthquake took place, the entire village was thrown into chaos and turmoil and distressful rumors gripped the whole village with anxiety and fear. Some said that the Qiuzhuang Reservoir (location in China, literally the Qiu Farm Water Reservoir) had collapsed. The Qiuzhuang Reservoir was at the upstream of the river that passed through the village. Tremendous floods in the town would be imminent if the rumors that the reservoir had collapsed were true. Therefore, the villagers all hurried up the embankments of the river, which were the highest point in the entire village, hugging blankets and pillows with them. It was total pandemonium as cries and howls filled the air. Lin Fengquan was 15 by then and had escaped being crushed to death during the tremor by kicking open a window. Once reaching the river embankment, his thoughts immediately reached out for the old man. He surveyed his surroundings and found that the old man was not with the crowd. He slipped off and went down the river to the old man''s tent in search of him. There, he found that the old man''s belongings were still there, but he was missing. Feeling worried, Lin Fengquan thought, "This place would be the first to be swept by the flood. But where is the old man?"


    Not long afterward, news finally reached the villagers that the reservoir did not collapse. Still, the old man was nowhere to be seen following the turmoil as if he had vanished completely. Some of the villagers began gossiping about his disappearance, saying, "He might have died during the chaos!"


    Another three years passed. Lin Fengquan had obtained a place in a local university. Growing up in a farming village where there was a lack of educational facilities, Lin Fengquan was well past the normal schooling age when he entered formal education. Because of the traumatic incident of "Xuan''er Shou", his grandmother was worried about having him traveling to the school in one of the neighboring villages. By the time when a school was finally built in the village, Lin Fengquan was already 9. Like the rest of the other children in China, Lin Fengquan finished 5 years of primary school, 2 years of middle school before another 2 and a half years of high school. The extended length of his high school period was because of the delay in his exams from spring to summer. Therefore, when he had entered university, Lin Fengquan was 18. As mentioned in an earlier chapter, even during the nights in university, Lin Fengquan would occasionally dream of "Xuan''er Shou" and the nightmares of the incident would continue tormenting him and fill him sorrow, although the nightmares began to reduce as he grew up.


    One day, during the university sports meeting, everyone was lazing off in their lines when there were only a few sports events taking place that hour. Out of boredom, one of the students traipsed to the edge of the running tracks and began practicing wushu moves. This attracted the attention of many of his fellow students who began surrounding around him to watch and ogle. The wushu moves he practiced were of the Hung Ga school, one of the few schools of the Southern Fists of the "Northern Kicks and Southern Fists" of Chinese wushu. When he had finished, the boy looked around him and found Lin Fengquan staring at him. Feeling that Lin Fengquan must also know some wushu, the boy went to Lin Fengquan and invited him for a show of his skills, saying, "Come on, have a go!" The students huddled around them applauded and cheered enthusiastically, compelling Lin Fengquan to demonstrate his skills as well. Lin Fengquan then stepped forward and displayed the martial art techniques that the old man had imparted to him. Instead, everyone broke into laughter with some screaming, "His moves are ugly!" The boy who was also showing his wushu moves earlier, said to him, "You would be easily defeated if you threw a punch in this way," as he tried to demonstrate the flaws of Lin Fengquan''s moves. But suddenly, when the boy was throwing a punch in expression of his point, Lin Fengquan reflexively defended himself and felled the boy with a kick! Even Lin Fengquan himself was surprised and shocked by his reflex that he quickly rushed to help the boy up and helped rubbed his sored spot. The boy would later remain in pain for the entire day because of that kick. It was common knowledge to anyone trained in the skills of martial arts that the muscles around a human''s tibias were the hardest to strengthen. An injury to this part of the body would be excruciatingly painful. Yet, the skills that Lin Fengquan was trained in concentrated on inflicting blows to this very part!


    Unsatisfied with his loss, the boy then called for help from his relatives from home, all of whom were also trained in the same Hung Ga school of martial arts. They challenged Lin Fengquan to some duels, only to be sent home painfully with the similar parts of their legs injured. They returned home and sought advice from their elders by illustrating some of Lin Fengquan''s moves with drawings and pictures. A letter came from home for the boy one day, telling him that Lin Fengquan''s moves belonged to at least two different schools of Chinese wushu that specialized in kicks. One was the Tan Tui (also called Tam Tui, sometimes translated as Spring Kicks or the Tam Family Kicks), also known as the Ten-Round Kicks. The other was Chuojiao, another Northern Kicks school of Chinese wushu. The letter also mentioned that since Lin Fengquan was trained particularly in kicks, the boy should befriend Lin Fengquan and learn from each other for he might one day be able to teach some of these moves to his relatives as well as senior and junior brothers. Therefore, in his fourth year, Lin Fengquan began learning from the boy martial arts moves of the Hung Ga school while he would also teach them the wushu skills that the old man had taught him.


    After his graduation, Lin Fengquan was assigned to a state-owned enterprise which 30 miles away from home to work. He would cycle to work on Monday mornings and cycle home on Saturday evenings. There was a fervor in martial arts at that time, due to the screening of a popular film, the Shaolin Temple. Hence Lin Fengquan would be sparring and discussing wushu moves with his colleagues in their free time. One day, on a Saturday two years later, one of Lin Fengquan''s superiors instructed him to wait for a representative from a supplier which would be late in delivering an apparatus due to some mishaps with his truck. By the time the device had reached the office, it was already in the evening, and the sky had gone dark by the time the representative had completed the delivery. Therefore, Lin Fengquan was forced to stay in the office that night. To make things worst, the supply of electricity into the office was cut off that night due to maintenance works that were carried out when the offices were closed for the weekend leave. This would cause no disruptions to daily operations of the offices, and the maintenance staff would be able to file for overtime claims.


    Due to the lack of electricity supply, Lin Fengquan could do nothing but sleep. It might have been due to the long hours of his sleep, that he suddenly began dreaming of "Xuan''er Shou" again. But this time, he did not dream of the horrifying incident that had claimed "Xuan''er Shou''s" life, instead, the older man was tenderly patting his head and smiling to him affectionately like how a father would. He heard "Xuan''er Shou" said to him, "You have grown up well, my boy. You have not come to visit me, you mischevious boy..." When he woke up later, his face drenched with tears, he began feeling guilty. He had never thought of visiting "Xuan''er Shou" grave! He then decided that he would visit "Xuan''Er Shou" grave and pay some respects since he would be cycling home in the morning. As he passed by a roadside stall, he stopped to buy some sacrificial offerings and hung them on his bicycle before cycling out of the town.


    Passing out of the vicinity of the town, Lin Fengquan cycled towards where his memory told him where the grave was. The incident of "Xuan''er Shou''s" death caused quite a stir back then that even after 18 years, many still remembered him. With the directions from a farmer, Lin Fengquan came to a large tract of land which was now a graveyard. This was one of the lands that was allocated by the People''s Commune for using as a public graveyard that the villagers had used ever since. Standing among the unkempt tombstones, Lin Fengquan did not knew which one of these was Lin Fengquan''s grave. He saw an old man shepherding goats and asked him about the grave. But the old man was confused and perplexed, muttering, "Why is everyone asking about his grave today? What''s so special about today? Look there; there''s a man burning offering. That grave belongs to ''Xuan''er Shou''!" Feeling baffled by what the old man had said, Lin Fengquan began wondering, why were there others asking about "Xuan''er Shou''s" grave? But he walked towards the man burning joss papers without much thinking.


    When he had walked closer, Lin Fengquan found that the mound of the grave was small and low. He observed that the ground had sunk a little after so many years without proper care and conservation of the grave. Weeds were growing rampantly over the mound. He climbed over the mound, approaching the man from his side. Noticing that somebody was near, the man''s head rose and looked at him. But when Lin Fengquan saw who it was, his heart nearly stopped!

 Chapter 17 The Belligerent Reunion

    The man was none other than Yang Baoshan, the one who had pulled the trigger of his gun and killed "Xuan''er Shou!" It was a face that Lin Fengquan would never forget, for the years of being bedevilled by the memories and nightmares of the incident on that fateful day when "Xuan''er Shou" was robbed from him had deeply etched the image of this very face into his mind! Despite having aged and mellowed after 18 long years, Lin Fengquan would never fail to recognize Yang Baoshan! He leaped from the top of the mound and attacked Yang Baoshan, throwing a feint with his left leg and kicked with his right! In the air, he twisted his body and drew back his left leg so that he could exert more force into his right leg! This was a move known as the Twin Kicks! Yang Baoshan was thrown backward, landing hard into another gravestone just behind and tumbled over it. Lin Fengquan rushed forward and planted a foot on his chest. Due to his boiling rage, he could feel himself trembling uncontrollably! Moments passed until Yang Baoshan regained consciousness. He rummaged through his pockets and said "I have but only a little more than ten yuan. Not more... Take them all if you will..." But Lin Fengquan paid no heed to Yang Baoshan''s whimpers. The poor fool had mistook him as a robber! He took out a cigarette and lighted it. He took a few swigs and said, "Do you remember the young boy who had almost been shot by you almost two decades ago?" The very words struck Yao Baoshan with shock and amazement that he broke into tears, mumbling hoarsely, "For many years I had lived in fear and anguish... Even my accent has changed..."


    It turned out that Yang Baoshan had fled into the mountains about two decades ago and had left the borders of Wu Zhong County. Reaching a remote village, he changed his name and got married. There was a common practice within older communities where a woman from a family with no able male to contribute to a local workforce would marry a man and have her husband join the local workforce or production brigades as representative of their family. Women in those days could not represent their families for they could only contribute without being compensated with pay or food. Yang Baoshan was one of such men who had married a woman, and he had been working in a production brigade for her family. Moreover, he had attained a high position with important responsibility within the brigade that they had even assigned him a personal assistant. Hence, with the help of his colleagues and his family, he had evaded arrest and had managed to remain at large until now. Then again, life was far from perfect for him for the nightmares too visited him in his sleep. For many years, "Xuan''er Shou" had appeared in his dreams, haunting him for his transgressions! Hence, he had come on this day to "Xuan''er Shou''s" grave to pay respects and offer some sacrifices, hoping that this would ease his guilt and help calm and console "Xuan''er Shou''s" soul. Never did he expect that he would meet Lin Fengquan here! This could only be Karma and divine intervention at work!


    Lin Fengquan reached for a branch hanging from a nearby tree and plucked it down, yanking it hard from its bough and began whipping Yang Baoshan mercilessly. He lashed at the man on the ground with all the hate, anger and bitterness that he had endured for so long until he could go on no longer! Yang Baoshan convulsed and writhed in pain as he rolled on the ground. Lin Fengquan then burned the offerings for "Xuan''er Shou". Piece by piece, he committed the joss papers into the fire as tears fell drop by drop down his cheeks until he began wailing sadly, just like how he did when he was little!


    Not far away, the old man who was herding his goats had been watching, feeling clueless by what had happened. He did not dare to come over to console Lin Fengquan, witnessing how cruel and brutal his strokes were when he flogged Yao Baoshan hard with the broken branch, afraid that Lin Fengquan would also beat him as well. But seeing the young man crying and howling with anguish filled him with another bout of bewilderment. When Lin Fengquan had finished crying, he walked over to the old man and offered the old man a cigarette. After lighting up the smoke, he asked the old man, "That grave there... Was he from your village?" "Yes!" The old man replied. "Do you know him?" Lin Fengquan asked again. The old man replied, "Of course I do. I was close to his family!" "Please inform his family that I have caught the man who had killed him!" Lin Fengquan pointed sharply at Yao Baoshan who was still squirming painfully on the ground and cried, "That is the culprit and I was that little boy at that time! I am now sending him to the police station!" Hearing this, the old man exclaimed, "Thank you! Thank you so much! I shall go at once to inform his family!" The old man left promptly, leading his goats away. Lin Fengquan stormed towards Yang Baoshan and snarled at him, "On your feet! You will return to the city with me on my bicycle!" With bruises all over reminding him of what Lin Fengquan was capable of, Yang Baoshan could only do as he was told and hopped onto the bicycle. Lin Fengquan got on the backseat and began pedaling his way back to the city...


    When they had come to the eastern entrance of the city, they saw a roadside stall still open. Lin Fengquan stopped his bicycle and ordered Yang Baoshan to wait for him while he went to the stall for some breakfast. To his surprise, Yang Baoshan cried, "Please give me some food, too!" Lin Fengquan paid no heed to his sniveling request and Yang Baoshan eyed some remains left by some of the other customers. His hands reached hungrily for a pair of chopsticks, only to be slapped hard on his wrist by Lin Fengquan with a loud "snap".


    Unbeknownst to Lin Fengquan, his treatment to Yang Baoshan had infuriated an onlooker ¨C a young lady, who hastily bought the poor older man two meat buns and went to him, handing to him the buns. Trying to stop her, Lin Fengquan tried to use his folding fan to hit on the young woman''s wrist. The stroke sent the buns flying from her hand but the woman ¨C clearly trained in the skills of martial arts ¨C retaliated and attacked him in return. Lin Fengquan used his folding fan to deflect the young lady''s blows and they began fighting. As they fought, the young lady called out frantically to a friend! She was calling to her friend to rescue Yang Baoshan! Another young man who was sitting on a bench by the woman''s table hurried over and dragged Yang Baoshan with him, scurrying towards the bottom of an arch bridge with a railway passing on top where they swiftly disappeared! Watching Yang Baoshan mounting his escape, Lin Fengquan panicked and swiftly depressed a hidden mechanism in his fan, and a blade sprang from within the folds of the paper fan. The woman''s right fist was upon him now but Lin Fengquan counterattacked by grabbing at her wrist and tugged hard, pulling her towards him and coldly held his blade at the flesh of her neck.


    In the year of 1982 when the film "the Shaolin Temple" began screening, there was a national euphoria towards Chinese martial arts. Films depicting martial arts were playing on virtually every television screen in the city, especially action flicks from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Viewers were exposed to various forms of weaponry used in Chinese wushu. Traders and merchants began riding on the waves of passion for Chinese martial arts and tried selling diverse arrays of tools for self-defense. Eventually, the government, to maintain public order, released a public order, decreeing that no bladed weapons for wushu practices were allowed to have razor-sharp edges and chain whips were not allowed to have sharp, pointed darts fixed to their ends. The darts had to be changed into a blunt, round mace. Lin Fengquan subsequently purchased a steel-framed folding fan. Knowing that his fan would not be allowed to have a blade, lest the police would confiscate it. He commissioned for a metalsmith to removed one of the fan''s slats and installed a hidden blade in its place. A circular ring was then attached to the end of the fan so that it could be hung in his coat and outer garments. The size of the fan made it convenient for him to use and carry around. This concealed weapon was entirely Lin Fengquan''s very own concoction that no one but a trained eye would be able to notice the secret of his fan.


    With the young lady now at knifepoint, Lin Fengquan snarled at her, "Take me to him!" The young woman screamed defiantly, "No..." But she had barely finished when she felt a searing prick on her neck. Blood began trickling slowly down the edge of the blade. She shot a glance at Lin Fengquan and found him churning with intense fury and trembling with jitters. Knowing that her captor was on the brink of raging insanity, she knew better than to provoke him further. Hence, she led him on their way to locate the escaped Yang Baoshan


    They walked for some time until they reached a slope downhill. Lush vegetation and trees capped the top of the hill where they were standing, and down they went, trying their best to keep themselves from slipping. Suddenly, the young woman took hold of a branch and hurled herself in a 180-degrees motion upwards in an attempt to break free from Lin Fengquan''s hold. She clambered up the incline frantically, only to find Lin Fengquan already there, waiting for her. Lin Fengquan delivered another kick to her calf and sent the young girl tumbling down the slope. With her calf severely bruised now, the girl lost all hopes of escaping. Limping hard, she led Lin Fengquan to a village where the two ambled towards a freshly-built house where they found Yang Baoshan. Lin Fengquan shoved the young woman aside and dragged Yang Baoshan off with him.


    Finally, Lin Fengquan had Yang Baoshan handed into the custody of the police and had his statement taken. When all was said and done, it was already late into the evening; therefore Lin Fengquan decided to return to his employees'' hostel.


    Still, when he had returned to his dorm, Lin Fengquan could not shake off the frustration and anger that remained draped over him like a cloak despite having served justice to his enemy of almost two decades. Moreover, there was also the impertinent young woman who had almost thwarted his endeavor! His rage continued sizzling past his boiling point! He must do something to teach the woman a lesson! Unable to control his fury any longer, he leaped onto the saddle of his bicycle and went for dinner outside before he pedaled his way towards the village in search of the newly-built house. It was already dark when he reached his destination. Peering over the walls outside, he studied the house. It was not yet fully furnished: the windows and doors were not yet fixed and the house did not had its own power supply ¨C the occupants of the dwelling were borrowing electricity of its neighbor. He could hear the song Disco Queen booming from a stereo on the floor, and the young woman was swaying to the beat of the song whereas the man was sitting at a side. He was about to climb over the wall and attack them when he saw something that made him froze: as the young woman danced, a jade pendant was jingling and wobbling at her neck; a jade pendant which was utterly identical to the one he was wearing!

 Chapter 18 The Cruel Stroke of Fate

    Lin Fengquan was stunned. But this was also the first time the young man saw the jade pendant for he asked the young woman, "What''s that?" The woman replied, "Oh? This? My mum made a vow that I would one day marry the man who wears another half of this pendant. What a joke! I do not even know who that is!" Feeling humiliated, Lin Fengquan felt sorry for his mother who had truly kept to the very same vow all these years. He felt sad for her and thought, "Look, Mother! For all these years you have been faithful to the sisterhood you shared with that woman! But it seemed everything is nothing but a joke to them!" At a sudden loss of what to do next, he hesitated and left.


    Back at his hostel, Lin Fengquan began pondering on what to do next for the next few days. Since his childhood, his mother had mentioned to him of the engagement. But it seemed that there was no need for him to honor this vow. Still, he could think of no way to deliver the news to his mother. The truth would hurt her badly! After raking his head for ideas, he had finally come up with a plan.


    Lin Fengquan waited for two to three weeks until he decided it was time to act. He remained until night and set off to the new dwelling in the village. He climbed over the wall and up the roof of the house, and there he sat and observed. It turned out that the house was being prepared for a wedding tomorrow! There were people preparing ingredients for a small wedding banquet tomorrow! In the 80s, most wedding receptions were still held at home instead of restaurants. Hence the woman, now in a vivaciously beautiful outfit, had invited the chefs, the emcee, and other related personnel for dinner at her house before the big day tomorrow!


    Just then, a steward came to the table with a huge tray; upon it sat a roasted chicken. Standing over the top of the roof, Lin Fengquan flung a dart that zipped through the air and pierced through the chicken, shattering that plate below it. Unlike common throwing knives, darts have a cloth hung on its end like a red tail! It was a tool that most action flick aficionados would instantly recognize! Realizing that they had an intruder, the young woman screamed, "There''s someone on the roof!" Proud of her skills, she leaped onto a table and a wall, before lunging up over the roof in pursuit.


    Lin Fengquan skitted swiftly along the top of a wall as he ran, the young woman chasing behind furiously. Presumptuous of her extensive knowledge in the surroundings, the young woman took a short cut to cut him off. Little did she realized that this was in fact what Lin Fengquan had wished for! He had planned to isolate her from the others to take her jade pendant! Seeing Lin Fengquan coming her way, the young woman lifted an arm to point at him and wanted to bark something, only to find that Lin Fengquan was instead charging headlong into her! He leaped into the air and used the same Twin Kicks technique ¨C a left-kicking feint following by an actual kick with his right leg! She raised her arms over her head to shield herself but this diversion tactic allowed Lin Fengquan to land a strong blow into the woman''s abdomen! However, unlike Yang Baoshan who fell on soft ground, Lin Fengquan and the woman were fighting on hard tarmac. A fall to the ground headfirst might injure her head! But being skilled in martial arts, the woman curled herself like a ball when she was falling to avert from more injuries and rolled on the ground. Without losing a moment, Lin Fengquan rushed forward and stamped a foot on her. He reached out and snagged away her pendant quickly and left.


    During the turmoil, everyone had gone out to help chase down Lin Fengquan. There was only an army officer who remained at the house. There was still no clear distinction of ranks in the army in that time; hence army officers wore only uniforms with four flapped pockets at the front. Lin Fengquan returning to recover his dart was hardly unnoticed by the officer who saw it as a chance to apprehend him. He dashed forward but Lin Fengquan, aware that law enforcement officers and army men were trained in the form of martial arts that specialized in grappling techniques; a school of Chinese wushu that originated from Taijiquan, knew that this variation had a terrible weakness: they were especially used to counter offensive moves; therefore their techniques would be ineffectual against opponents who were not the first to attack! Knowing that this was nothing but a gambit used to force his hand, Lin Fengquan surprised his opponent with a weapon; one that he himself had deigned to use ¨C a chain whip!


    This was no ordinary chain whip ¨C it was only one-meter long; shorter than most other variations of chain whips including regular horse whips used to drive horses. The length of the whip was tapered, from thick to thin, and was fully wrapped in red cloth with a handle at its end. But it was not why Lin Fengquan had deigned to use it in the first place. It was because the whip was made of strong tensile steel cables as thick as a thumb! Thirty-seven 15.5-meter steel cords were formed into each of these six steel cables which Lin Fengquan then requested the help of an old crane worker to help him furnish the cables into a strong and yet immensely agile whip. For this favor, Lin Fengquan had helped his grandson to produce 120 photographs for him. He had even enlarged two of these photographs as an incentive. There was once when a colleague in the hostel wanted to try out the whip. Instead, he injured somebody. With only a simple graze on the person''s leg, the man''s leg became terribly swollen. A simple shake of the whip was enough to smash the bones of a man''s fingers. Therefore, Lin Fengquan produced his whip, bracing himself as the army officer bolted towards him. He leaped into the air and flailed his whip. With his momentum already moving to the front, the officer could hardly evade the whip that struck at him with the intensity of a venomous serpent! With a loud "smack" and a painful cry, the army officer fell backward. Lin Fengquan scrambled over and retrieved his dart and fled.


    When he had reached home, Lin Fengquan then lied to his mother, telling her that the family of her sworn sister had died. To his dismay, she refused to believe him, snapping at him harshly, "Speak no ill of others, you young fool!" Lin Fengquan showed her the pendant that he had taken from the young woman and lied to her that he had found the village, but the family had long moved to Tangshan where they perished during the 1976 earthquake. The pendant was handed to him by a relative of theirs, he told his mother. Hearing this, Lin Fengquan''s mother crumbled into tears.


    Sometime after that, Lin Fengquan''s father would then be hospitalized in Tangshan and was taken care of by Lin Fengquan''s younger brother, Lin Fenghu who was also there in Tangshan to study. Lin Fengquan would visit his father twice a week. One day, he received a message from his mother to told him that she would be coming to Tangshan to see his father and she wanted him to take her to the site of the burial of her sworn sister''s family. Lin Fengquan then brought his mother to a Catholic church in Wujiazhuang district of Tangshan and said to her, "Look, Mother! This was where they were buried. But we cannot burn offerings in here now, not with a church here!" Instead, Lin Fengquan''s mother forced him to burned some offerings for the dead at the side of the road and even ordered him to kneel and bow to pay respects, much to Lin Fengquan''s chagrin who repeatedly cursed and cursed to himself in anger.


    Uncle Quan then paused in the recounts of his tale and showed us the jade pendant, saying, "This jade pendant had been in their keeping for twenty long years. This was a token of immense significance, a proof of vows exchanged by two families for their children''s engagement. I cannot allow them to keep this pendant further, not especially when they had no desire to honor their vows of marrying their daughter to me!" But he had barely finished and one of the women ¨C the one that knew Uncle Quan ¨C began sobbing. When his exclamation ended, she cried even harder. The militia officer poured her another fresh cup of water and said gently, "Please calm down. Let''s talk things over."


    When she finally stopped crying, the woman wiped her tears with a tissue and said, "We were sisters; me and the young woman with whom you fought against. But you did not know the full truth of everything. It was I who was born on the same day as you! It was I who had shared a breast with you on that fateful day! But I had gone against my mother''s wishes to marry you and married another man!" The woman began crying again. The other woman, her sister, dabbed at the older sister''s eyes and swabbed her tears. A few seconds ticked by quietly until the older sister spoke again, "I had fallen for a man, that was why I spurned my mother''s wish in the first place. Therefore, I found another man and first married him to keep my mother at bay, while I look for ways to approach the man whom I truly loved. But what a cruel stroke of fate, that the person whom I truly loved was, in fact, you! We were together in an English tuition class when we were young. I had fallen for you then, but I could find no way to confess my feelings to you! Until one day, I saw a girl waiting for you to finish class. I was so devastated that I went home and cried an entire night. Hence, my family secretly urged my sister to take my place to marry the person who would come forth with the jade pendant. My relatives then introduced an army officer to me. Feeling lost and depressed, I agreed to the union without giving much thought. The preparations for the wedding that you stumbled upon that night was in fact my wedding! I was supposed to be the bride the following day! But my sister, being the glamorous girl she was, dressed too awfully well that night, hence your misunderstanding!"


    Shocked with disbelief, Uncle Quan was instantly petrified by the sudden revelation!


    Even I myself was frozen when I heard this. This was a tale that I would never have thought it possible to take place in real life! A story from a Korean soap drama! I had never expected to know that Uncle Quan had such a conspicuous and illustrious past! What''s more, no one had expected a twist that was only revealed at the epilogue of the whole story!


    Both parties began chatting about their families and found that their parents have all passed on. The older sister then spoke, "Can you lead me to where Stepmother rests now? I want to pay respects to her. I would not have survived infancy if not for her breastmilk." Uncle Quan replied, "Very well. But let me first pay respects to your mother, then I''ll lead to my mother''s grave."


    We then adjourned to a local temple where we bought some joss papers and other sacrificial offerings. The sisters then led everyone to their parents'' graves where we bowed and paid respects. Just then, the younger sister said, "I have an errand to run. But please wait for me a moment when you''re finished here. I''ll be back shortly."


    When we have wrapped up everything there, we waited in the car. Not long afterward, we saw her walking in hurried footsteps back towards us, panting hard as she cradled an old photo album in her arms.

 Chapter 19 Undestined Romance

    Everyone in the car could not help feeling puzzled. Why was she coming back with a photo album? As she came near, she showed one of the photographs in the album to Uncle Quan, "Is this your teacher?" Uncle Quan looked closely and gasped, "Ah! He is, even though I have never once addressed him so! How is it possible that you have the photograph of my teacher!" The woman smiled mischievously and revealed, "Your teacher and mine were husband and wife!" Surprised by this, Uncle Quan said immediately, "I see! Where is he now? Is he well?"


    "They have passed on..." The woman said somberly. "Huh? Was he also buried at the same graveyard? Stop the car! I must pay my respects!" But the woman stopped him and said, "No. They were buried at Shanxi!" Uncle Quan stopped short and asked, "But how did you know? How did you know that I was the student of your teacher''s husband?" The woman sighed before she said, "Many years before after our first encounter. I went to my teacher and showed her the wounded part on my leg. She studied my wound and asked about your movements and technique. After which, she told me confidently, ''There''s no mistaking it. It''s the Ten-Round Kicks. It is the wushu discipline used by that lout of a husband of mine. For countless times he had been boasting about his student! Could this really be him? Impossible! What an embarrassment this would be!" When I was on the ground during our second meeting, I did not mind about losing the jade pendant. But your skills had really impressed me. I went back to my teacher and spoke to her about your skills again. What you did not know about the dinner before the wedding was that there were actually two tables of guests that night. You saw me at the table outside, but you did not notice that there was another table in the house. My teacher and her husband were just sitting inside! But it was dark that night, and everything had taken place too suddenly; therefore no one really had a proper glimpse of you! I told her everything about your maneuvers and techniques, and she said, ''You can only evade that move by leaning backward!'' But her husband scoffed and retorted, ''No! All maneuvers are futile! Lean back, and he will land another kick at your abdomen, forcing you to evade and roll onto the ground. But there are still various countermoves that he can use to force you against the wall! It will be impossible to evade this move cleanly!'' My teacher, annoyed by his pride, hissed, ''Hmph! You speak as if you were the one fighting!'' But her husband exclaimed in return, ''No one in this region uses this particular technique but my student and me! No one else!'' It was only then I realized that you were my teacher''s husband''s student! The one that he had always reserved so much pride and hope in! I was so sorry that we have encountered each other under such circumstances! If only I knew you were the bearer of the jade pendant! I would never have reneged on my mother''s vow to marry you! God knows how many times I have traveled to the city in search of you! I even paid extra attention to anyone in the streets who was in sports attire, hoping it was you! What cruel fate that you had to leave with such hurry and haste! If only my teacher and her husband had seen you, we could have been husband and wife!"


    Uncle Quan, now loss for words, stammered, "But there was this young man with you that time..." The woman slammed the album shut and snapped, "Hmph! The difference between you and him is like Heaven and Earth! I would never have chosen him if you were present!"


    I was so flabbergasted by now! The entire story was so surreal that I would never believe that it could be true! Both teacher and student had missed each other because one was indoors and the other was outside! The two sisters had broken their mother''s vow to marry the bearer of the jade pendant because they thought they want to pursue their own romance, only to fall for the very same person who was in fact the actual bearer of the pendant itself!


    Still, there were questions about their tale that I wished answered and I chipped in, "Since you knew that Uncle Quan was the student of your teacher''s husband, and you had been infatuated with him then, why did you not ask his teacher to lead you to his home in search of him, Auntie?" She sighed in reply and answered, "I should have gone directly to his teacher instead of mine. I was foolish to overlook the fact that my teacher and her husband would quarrel over even the most trivial matter. I implored to my teacher for help. But rather, she got into a bitter spat with her husband that they even fought over this matter! As a junior and my teacher''s disciple, there was nothing I could do!" I asked again, "Did you not try again once their quarrel was over?" She drew a deep breath and spoke again, exasperated, "I guess we''re not destined to be lovers. I had failed to notice that the true reason my teacher''s husband refused to help me was due to a misunderstanding! He was afraid that my true motive was the jade pendant and he was worried that his student might end up in jail for that fiasco! Some time after their quarrel, I had wanted to speak to him again about the matter and confess that I wish to marry his student, but suddenly, he suffered a seizure after that quarrel and fight with his wife, and since then he had gone insane!"


    I asked again, "So how came by you the idea of looking for Uncle Quan by reporting to the police?" The woman replied, "It was also my idea. I knew some people who had their children sent to the National Studies Insitute to learn wushu. They had a photo taken at the end of their course; one that I suddenly came upon one day and saw that the instructor here looked very similar to the person that I have been searching for all these long years, although I knew neither his name nor the conditions here. Most importantly, he knew nothing of me! Without no other ways, one of the parents of the children who works at the police station gave me this suggestion. He would be pleased to help mediate this matter on our behalf. Moreover, since the matter of the jade pendant was too old to be taken into account, the police will have no problem with him." The woman wrung opened her bottle of iced tea and took a swig before she continued, "Alas, my teacher and her husband! For their entire lives, they have bickered non-stop! In truth, he was driven away by my teacher''s tantrum when he had gone off to your village to live on old trinkets and trash. God knows why did they ever got married with so much sourness between them both!"


    "That is also a demonstration of Love," Uncle Quan quipped. The woman was puzzled, and she asked, "How can this also be Love?" Uncle Quan asked her, "He was missing from my village immediately after the earthquake. Tell me if I''m wrong, was not your teacher the first and foremost of his concern?" The woman was stunned by this revelation! For so long she had remained by her teacher''s side, yet, she had failed to notice this!


    Uncle Quan then asked her again, "Did they not have any children?" The woman said, "They do. In fact, it was because that they had lost a child, hence they have quarreled and fought for the rest of their lives!" She paused for a moment before setting off on another tale.


    There was a practitioner of martial arts once upon ago who one day enlisted into the military. Before he left, he sent his disciples home. There was a pair of fellow disciples who traveled together; a young man and woman. The girl was smitten with her senior brother, although the young man was aware of her affections. But he did not reciprocate her love, knowing the girl to be a petty person, hardly the ideal wife he wanted.


    Together they journeyed back to their homes where they passed by another town. There was a sandy promontory outside the town, before which was a patch of wooded grove. When the young man and woman were walking by the sandy mound, they came across a mob of infuriated villages chasing behind another man, brandishing their pitchforks and shovels! Frantically, the man was running as fast as he could! Moved by a sudden chivalrous desire to save the man, the young woman threw herself in the middle of the seething riot and barked, "How can you all bully one single person!" Seeing his chance, the man slipped into the woods and disappeared. With their quarry escaped, the leader of the angry villages demanded that the young woman be responsible for her actions. It turned out that the man was a hanjian; a race traitor who had caused the deaths of 300 women and children! He had first disguised as a beggar. Pitying his plight, the villagers took him in and offered him food. During the great war, the militia and all able men in the village were all called upon to help repel the Japanese invaders. The womenfolk and children of the village then took refuge in the caves nearby, and the race traitor had followed along then.


    But the hanjian later fled and sent word to the Japanese that the children and womenfolk were all hiding in the caves. The Japanese set fire to the caves to flush everyone out and shot anyone who came out. 300 people perished that day, bloodying the hands of the hanjian who had sold them out. No one knew what happened at first. But there was also animosity and discord among all hanjians and race traitors that word of this incident began to leak. Everyone who heard the story could not help feeling angered and spiteful of this hateful act that everyone wanted a piece of the traitor. But he had hidden himself well. When the war ended, and the Japanese surrendered, the hanjian tried to escape, knowing that bitter retribution would surely await. Hence the villagers came up with an idea to surround his hiding place and left only one route open: the route to the sandy promontory. They had three men lain in hiding, waiting to shoot the man when he appeared at the sandy mound. But when they were trying to drive him to where the trap had been lain, little did they expect that the young woman would leap out and protect the man, placing herself in the middle of the shooters'' line of sight! This allowed the race traitor to escape. In their rage, one of the villagers opened fire and tried to shoot the young woman. But before the shot was fired, the young man could have stopped the incensed person. But he did not do so, for he could not stop the person without killing him! This, however, made the mean, young woman sore and angry at her senior brother for not killing the person and putting her life at risk. Hardly a person good with words, the young man tried explaining himself, but his words fell upon deaf ears, doing nothing to melt her frosty coldness towards his predicament. His junior sister had just cost the villagers their chance to avenge their 300 dead friends and family! There was no way he could deal any more pain to them! But as compensation, the young man made a promise to the villagers. He gave them his word that he would recapture hanjian. With this, the young man managed to reconcile with the young woman.


    The woman stopped for a brief lull and gulped some water. She said, "By now, surely you know who the young man is! He''s none other than the husband of my teacher! He later met my teacher, and they got married. They moved to my teacher''s place, and they had a baby; a plump baby boy. Life was so full of happiness and love then, until one day, the baby boy was stolen..."

 Chapter 20 Shiyan and Lin Feng

    Just then, I noticed a slight expression of bewilderment on Uncle Quan''s face. The woman''s story had finally explained why did his teacher treat him with so much love and affection. He must have been about the same age as his teacher''s own child.


    If she had detected the change on Uncle Quan''s face, the woman certainly showed no indication of it. Instead, she pressed on bluntly, "But it was none other than my teacher''s husband''s junior sister who had stolen their baby boy. She had an intense loathing for my teacher''s husband ¨C your teacher and her senior brother ¨C who had rebuffed her love for him. Days turned sour and bitter for my teacher and her husband. This went on for many years until the junior sister of your teacher, reflecting upon the horror that she had wrought on the person whom she had once adored and loved, confessed everything to the man, the baby boy she had stolen now grown up, on her deathbed. The man, now middle-aged, came from Shanxi in search of his biological parents. Alas, my teacher''s husband had been robbed of all his wits by then due to the thrombus he''d suffered. But with concern for their wellbeing, the son then took his parents back to Shanxi with him."


    Still throbbing with curiosity, I could not help asking another question, "Was your village not called Shijia Village? Why did you not look for the very place where you were born?"


    The woman explained, "Our village was called ''Shijie Village (literally the Stone Tablet Village)''. Without proper education, it is natural that both our mothers have mistaken the name. Moreover, our little village had but only a few families including us in the past. There was a farm nearby. Hence many people would just consider us part of the community of the farm. Later on, we were all inducted into the Balipu Town''s production brigade. The name of ''Shijie Village'', most undoubtedly, faded out of memory. My father was sick after my mother return. My uncle, my aunts, and my grandparents were weak and frail. Therefore, no one ever thought of searching for him. But when I grew up, at my mother''s behest, I went in search of his village, albeit reluctantly. My heart was for him, but I did not know he was the bearer of the pendant. I barely made any effort to search, despite my mother''s insistence. With no news of your Uncle Quan, I later got married to another man."


    As we talked, we reached another graveyard. With Uncle Quan leading us, we found the grave markers of his parents'' tomb. Sobbing hard with tears lining down his cheek, he mumbled, "I have found them, Mother... I have found them..." The older sister collapsed to the ground, weeping as she said something to herself incomprehensibly. The melancholic and mournful atmosphere was so unnerving that even her sister and I could hardly keep our heads up. When everything was done, we walked back to the direction which we came from. Halfway, Uncle Quan pointed to a piece of land suddenly and said, "There. There was once an embankment by a river here. But when the river was diverted, the embankment was demolished, so was a little house which once sat upon it. It was in that house where you and I were born!" Everyone looked at the direction where his finger was pointing and said nothing. There was a wistful silence that lingered, broken only by the sporadic wheezes and gasps of the tearful sisters. Despite not possessing the Magical Sight which allowed its user the power to discern destiny and Karma, it had become evident that the sisters both shared a love for Uncle Quan which was not to be. Even though their parents have vowed to have their children marry each other, still, the will of Fate, Karma, and Destiny reigned absolute.


    When we returned, Uncle Quan tugged my elbow and led me aside. He spoke quietly to me, "I have a favor to ask of you, Shiyan. Your father holds certain authority across the Three Realms of Existence. Can you ask if he can allow us all to meet our mothers? I hope to at least fulfill their lives'' wishes." But he had barely finished when my father''s voice boomed from over his shoulders, saying, "Say no more! I have looked into the accounts of their souls. I''m afraid that they have both been reborn into well-to-do households. We can only accept this as the will of Heaven!" Uncle Quan fell silent as this, but he nodded thankfully to my father, understanding that Father had guessed that he might have such a wish and had already looked into the fates of both parents for him.


    It was in the evening when we reached back to the Institute. Uncle Quan''s son, Lin Feng came to us, wanting to ask what happened anxiously. But upon realizing his father''s grim demeanor, he decided to remain silence. I patted Lin Feng, whom I usually addressed as Brother Lin, on his shoulder and spoke softly to him, "I''m afraid this matter about your father is one that would usually begin with ''once upon a time''..." I gave him a concise version of the story, and Brother Lin finally understood the morose look that his father had upon his face.


    Lin Feng was one of the veterans among the fresher ranks of substitute teachers and instructors at the Institute. With Uncle Quan''s entire repertoire of skills and techniques passed on to him, Lin Feng had joined the army even when he was barely a raw graduate out of university and was awarded his graduation certificate after being discharged. In truth, I was envious of Lin Feng for I had always hoped to be able to enlist as an army man with pride. But my failure to fulfill the requirements had dashed any hopes of donning a military uniform.


    Being almost one or two years senior to most of the younger crop of instructors and teachers at the Institute, most of us would address him as Brother Lin. Our relationship has been well; both of us seemed to enjoy talking with each other as we have a lot in common. He was also extremely popular, especially with the fairer gender, when almost half of his wushu classes were mostly attended by young ladies who had come seeking to witness with their own eyes his commanding and yet handsome looks, hence his well-enjoyed reputation in the town. Then again, Lin Feng was hardly a slippery fellow with a honeyed tongue, especially when it came to dealing with the ladies who loved huddling around him, bombarding him with various questions that had little to do with academics. This was the part where I would usually come to his rescue and liberate him from the clutches of the ravenous ladies. At times, we were even referred to as the dynamic duo of the Institute for being close to each other.


    However, our having a lot in common was hugely due to my specialty ¨C playing the zither. Contrary to what many might think, the zither was not a musical instrument reserved only for the womenfolk, although it was undeniably rare for men today to learn and practice playing this particular instrument. This would best be proven with me being the sole male among hundreds of students and instructors practicing to use this instrument in the whole Institute. But this had also granted me the chance to learn how to help Lin Feng slither away from being mobbed by his legions of female admirers. There might be some who might be wishful for the same thrill of being surrounded by ladies. The same could be said for one or two ladies, but definitely not for a horde of them! There was once an online author who gave me an odd comparison: if a lady equated to five hundred ducks and two would equal to a thousand ducks, try to imagine the noise and headache of having to stand in the middle of thousands of ducks!


    With my recounts of his father''s tale ended, Brother Lin and I ambled aimlessly at the courtyard of the Institute. He asked me suddenly, "You and your father have been acting mysteriously for the past few days, young brother. What have you been up to?" I giggled mischievously and replied rather proudly, "You have no idea. We have been busy with something important!" Lin Feng''s eyes widened with surprise and wonder, "Ah?! Were you off subduing ghosts?" I nodded in reply, indicating a yes. But instead, Lin Feng smacked hard on his thigh and cried, "You should have brought me along! Many a time my father had pestered me to tag along with you guys. He said that I might be able to learn a thing or two! How could you have not called me along! It''s not every day we get such opportunities!" I smiled weakly and said, "Heh heh heh... Fret not, Brother Lin... Come, let me buy you some Cola..."


    At his insistence, I embarked on a long oratory, retelling my experiences for the past two days, beginning from Fearless Hao, then Mr. Lee, Mr. Zhang and until the end.


    The next morning, my mother woke me up from bed, and I came to the dining table to find my father had already prepared breakfast. My mother appeared to have eaten before she roused me from bed. In fact, my father was the one who cooked every morning. Despite her fine traits as wife and mother, never had I saw her cooked before, at least with my own eyes.


    I finished my breakfast and walked out the door with a lighted cigarette between my lips. I peered at the time displayed on my phone and saw it was ten past eight in the morning. There was an unread message which I received at six earlier. It was an age where people rarely communicated using text messaging, hence with stirring curiosity I opened the message. It was from my father, saying, "I have gone fishing with your Uncle Quan. He''s still a tad unhappy after what happened. It''s Tuesday today, so I expect the Institute to be less busy today. I''ll count on you to look after things for me." With that, he ended his message with a playful smiley. What a whimsical person my father could sometimes be, I wondered.


    I got into the car and slid my car keys into the ignition switch, started the car and began driving to the Institute alone. Not long afterward, I noticed a familiar figure pedaling hard on his bicycle. That must be Lin Feng, I surmised. Despite having a car and knowing how to drive, I had never seen him using his car before. Cycling is good for training his legs; he once told me. I sped up to him and called out to him. To my surprise, he yelled for me to stop the car. I halted and got down the car, and he asked me for help. He needed to get to the Institute as fast as he could. He had an early class today, and he was late! Therefore we tucked his bicycle into the trunk of the car and continued towards the Institute. As we traveled, we spoke about why was he late and he told me that he was so amazed by the story I told him yesterday that he had not slept a wink the entire night!


    At last, we arrived at the Institute. Fortunately, Lin Feng was in time for his eight-thirty wushu class. But later one day, word began reaching me that Uncle Quan would be so seriously displeased that he might even hit Lin Feng if his son was ever late for a class. But how could a father still hit a twenty-plus-year-old son, I wondered.


    The morning sessions passed peacefully without any incident. Still, trouble never seemed to stop knocking. It was noon and all morning classes had ended. Lin Feng, me and a pair of lady instructors who also taught zither lessons were having lunch in the reception room of the Institute when I saw a group of people walking through the main entrance. I looked closely and found a familiar face: Mrs. Lee. There were a few people behind her, and she was leading them into the Institute with hurried footfalls echoing through the empty foyer...

 Chapter 21 The Seething Lee

    The distressed look on Mrs. Lee''s face was a clear sign that something was wrong. When we had first met, I had come to know both she and her husbands were straightforward people. Everything in their minds was either illustrated on their faces or directly conveyed via words.


    I put aside my lunch box and went out to her, "You look worried, Auntie. What''s wrong?" Mrs. Lee sighed once and said, "Aye... Is your father in, Shiyan?" She must have gotten herself into a tight spot again since she asked for my father immediately when we met, and I said to her, "Urm... My father had gone fishing with Uncle Quan. They had left even before the sun was up." She immediately asked where he had gone fishing. The matter seems to be extremely urgent, I thought, she might even had thought of going to the place where my father was fishing to ask for his help! Knowing that the matter could wait no longer, as clearly shown by her tone and the looks on the people behind her, I said quickly, "Calm down, Auntie. Pray tell me what had happened. I''ll make a call for help so that he can return as soon as possible if the matter is indeed grave." Mrs. Lee sank into a seat and said, "It''s my son! He''s just entered middle school, you see. But he''s been to school barely for a few days, and yet he''s already been badly beaten and bullied! A bunch of other children had ganged up on him, pummeling him and forcing him to pay up some ''protection fees''! They had even thrown his schoolbag away. I had wanted to keep everything under wraps, hoping that everything would simmer down. This is only a quarrel among kids, see? I had spoken to his teacher, who had promised to assemble their parents to discuss and resolve the issue. But my husband, Mr. Lee, got wind of this somehow and he became so angry. There were also his friends, some of them were involved with gangsters and the ilk, had made everything worst by encouraging him to take action by threatening to cleave off the children''s limbs! Some of these are the parents of the children who had come to me to apologize, but I did not dare to lead them to see my husband!" She gestured to the people behind her, and she said again, "Then I remembered, only your father is capable of calming him down, hence here am I for his help!" Some of the parents stepped over, and one of them quipped, "We''ll do anything to compensate. Now that things are of such dire state, we must work together..."


    I raised a hand to wave them off and had all of them seated while I placed a call to Mr. Lee, "Hello? Uncle Lee? This is Shiyan speaking. My father had guessed that you might be having a tantrum, hahaha... He asked me to invite you over for a talk. He has a class going on now, but he''ll join you shortly. Are you interested in coming over?" Through his voice, I could tell that Mr. Lee was obviously still boiling when he answered my call, but the mention of my father had mysteriously magicked away much of his rage and anger as I heard him saying, "I''ll come immediately!"


    Ending the call, I dialed another call to my father this time, only to hear a toneless and disinterested voice of an answering machine, "The number you have called is currently unavailable. Please try again later!" What followed was the interminable ramblings of fresh offers and promotions that blurred into abstraction as I struggled to tune off from. Time was of the essence! I hit redial; again, the same hollow voice, and again; the same voice yet again! Out of options, I called Uncle Quan''s number, and heard the same lifeless voice droning unenthusiastically, "The number you have called is out of service!" This is bad, I thought, Mr. Lee was on the way but Father was nowhere to be found! At this rate, he might even skin me alive in his rage, if he discovered my trick! Muttering with exasperation, I said, "Of all times, it has to be now!" as I allowed myself to crash into my seat with defeat.


    Still, when God closes one door, he opens another. Just when we were panicking from not knowing what to do, a vile sneer came loudly from a distance as if the person was very near. A young man, with some others behind him, had meandered into the reception room, leading a blind old man who was wearing round, moon-like sunglasses alongside himself. Lin Feng teased and said, "Ah! What fortune brings our Blind Master here?" I jabbed at Lin Feng, "You might want to be mindful of your mouth, Brother Lin..." But instead, the old man sniggered, his giggles both repulsive and devilish. This old man, despite his lack of sight, was one of the instructors in this Institute, specialized in the subtle study of the "Yi Jing" (literally the Book of Changes) of the infamous Four Books and Five Classics of Antiquity China. The study of this particular text also meant that he had a very extraordinary skill: divination. The young man who was leading him by his arm was his apprentice, also another of our young instructors here at the Institute, called Yuan Chongxi. It was whispered in the corridors of the Institute that this Blind Master had reached the ripe age of sixty. Most of the time he kept to himself, preferring to remain in his chamber on the first level of the Institute. But somehow he had wandered across the entire length of the corridor to this reception room today.


    Just then, the Blind Master asked, "I-is that... Is it Lee''s wife here?" Hearing this, Mrs. Lee immediately went to him and said, "Oh my! It''s Brother Chen! I hope you''re well!" With a vulgar smile, the old man responded, "Well, I am well!" They chatted for a while before the old man explained his sudden visit. "I was near the stairs when I heard your voices. I''ve heard everything. Let this old man solve this predicament for you in Brother Hai''s absence!" His remarks almost made me laugh, the Blind Master was very much older than my father, yet still, he addressed my father as if he was the senior! Again, the fact that he had come to offer his help, rather than the manner of his addressing of my father, was more perplexing! This old man was one who guarded the secrets of his skill with ardent zeal and jealousy! Why was he generous today? Despite being one of the subjects available for study at the Institute, the Yi Jing was a discipline passionately shunned and averted by many great students these days no thanks to the general and media-driven stigma that the general population had reserved for fortune tellers and soothsayers of the ilk. Therefore, despite serving as advisors and instructors in the esoteric skills of divination at the Institute, both Yuan Chongxi and the Blind Masters had no students of their own. Was he here today in search of a respite from the monotony of his hermithood?


    The old man propped himself into a sofa, allowing his old frail person to plunge into the soft cushions and sniggered vilely. "Heh heh heh, give me the birthdates and hour of birth of your child, Mrs. Lee. Let me have a look." This filled me with suspicion; what Mrs. Lee required would help. How would divining the fate of her son help in this seemingly banal deadlock? But with the immediate offer of a lifeline, Mrs. Lee hastily looked for a pen and paper. But with a sudden realization of the Blind Master''s eyesight, she stowed away the stationary. She began telling him her son''s birthdate and time of birth. With that information, the old man began twirling his fingers in muted calculations.


    But the gnarly old man stopped just then and rubbed his nose. He turned his head towards Lin Feng and sniffed. "What is that smell?" Lin Feng raised the lunch box with his hands closer to the old man and told him, "Err... It''s rice with braised pork belly..." The old man took a breath and savored the aroma of the food and exclaimed, "Come! Let me have a bite!" The two other female instructors wrestled with their urge to laugh while Mrs. Lee looked bashfully at the old man''s antics. Lin Feng hurriedly replied, "Errr... Let me call for the delivery of another new one." He fished for his handphone and placed a call to a local food delivery service. But the impish old man was over his shoulders, harping incessantly. "More meat, remember!"


    Feeling amused, I patted the older man on the shoulder and said to him, "Master Chen, back to business please!" Instead, he reached over his shoulder for my hand and said, "Not Master! Call me Uncle!" I grappled for the last ounce of sanity I could muster and manage. "All right, Uncle it is then! Come on now, back to business!" Only the old man continued with his calculations! At length, he said, "Ah... I''ve found it." Mr. Lee, now renewed with hope, implored immediately. "Some advice please, Brother Chen." The Blind Master said to me, "Lead them all to my place, Shiyan. Do not come out without my instructions!" I herded Mrs. Lee and her contingent of distressed parents to his place to wait everything out and returned to the old man who left me another set of instructions: I was to lead Mr. Lee to him when he arrived. With the pretense that my father was still busy in a class, the Blind Master would first talk to him.


    It did not take long for Mr. Lee to arrive at the Institute finally. We were near to the room where the Blind Master was waiting when the old man''s voice could be heard from the other side of the door, "Mr. Lee is here? Come, come! Let''s have a chat while we wait for Brother Hai''s class to end!" I ushered Mr. Lee to a seat and poured him some water. The old man coughed twice before he said, "You''re here to meet Brother Hai, I see? What''s going on? Come, tell this old man and see if he can be of help!" Mr. Lee, still gasping with anger, began with his story. "Alas! It''s all because of my son! He''s just entered middle school for barely a few days, and yet he''s already been bullied! A few other children each had a round walloping him, and they even threw away his school bag! They think they can get away after beating up my son! It''s useless to speak to their teacher! They would at most give the boys an earful and maybe offer some money as compensation! But money''s not what I''m after! I must give them a heavy lesson!" The old man cleared his throat and said calmly, "Oh Brother Lee... Look at you! Quench your anger and hear this old man out! Let this old fool relate to you a story." I could see that Mr. Lee had great respect for the Blind Master as he replied, "Please do tell, Brother Chen."


    And hence, the Blind Master Chen''s lips quivered as he gently whisked us off into the rabbit hole of his tale...


    Once upon a time, there was a family whose parents both had perished, leaving only three brothers. The two older brothers had started families of their own and their youngest brother was still a young child. The three brothers kept close and lived together and worked their fields together, and life was bountiful and good to them. The elder brother and his wife would busy themselves working the fields every day, the second brother''s wife would take care of all other household chores while the youngest brother deeply immersed in his studies and schoolwork. Only the second brother was but a lackadaisical good-for-nothing who had only the deepest interests in anything but helping out the family. However, everyone in the family had a wish; a desire that their family would have a baby; it was a conundrum which they had painstakingly scoured for solutions yet with no apparent glimmer of hope, until one day, a distant relative of the eldest brother''s wife knew a doctor who recommended a way that might help the wives to conceive. The doctor promised not to receive any payment until the wives were with child. The whole family then got together and discussed, deciding ultimately to give it a try for the cost of treatment was hardly substantial. Most importantly, it was the solution to the conundrum which had been bogged them down for so long. Not long afterward, the wife of the eldest brother was indeed pregnant with child. The whole family traded off all that they could to pay for the treatment, and after ten months, the baby was finally welcomed into the family: a plump baby boy. Everyone in the family could not be happier at the glad tidings. But one day, the second brother lost all his money in a gambling game. When he reached home, desperate and dejected, his eyes fell upon the lone baby in the house and evil crept into his heart. A plan so hateful and heinous came to him, and he took the baby away...

 Chapter 22 What Goes Around, Comes Around

    And where did the second brother carried the baby to? The market. In those days people were openly trafficked in the market without suffering much scrutiny and stigma. The man found a spot in the market, laid a piece of cloth on the ground and placed his nephew on it, himself kneeling just beside. Anyone walking past him would instantly realize that he was putting the baby up for sale. Before long, troupes of onlookers began clustering around curiously.


    Oddly, the baby neither cried nor wailed. Some of the onlookers began teasing him, and he laughed adorably like a sacrificial lamb oblivious of its fate. Until suddenly, a manservant plowed through the crowd to make way for his master, a wealthy-looking merchant who had another servant following behind with a large pouch over his shoulder. The merchant marched forward and inquired the second brother of his plight that had led to such a pitiable decision to sell a child. Still on his knees, the second brother gave a deep bow and said to the merchant, "Great misfortune, dear sir, has visited my family. The boy is barely a year old, his mother has just passed, and we have no money to arrange for her burial. Please, dear sir, the boy is for sale for just a little money. Consider this charity an act of kindness for the baby to perform his filial duties for his deceased mother. He would surely enjoy a better life at your knees than to suffer destitution with me." As he spoke, the sight of tears rolling down his cheeks touched the hearts of a good many onlookers that some began to shed tears. The merchant took the second brother''s lies for truth and asked, his eyes now red and moist, "How much are you selling him?" The second brother clasped his hands together respectfully and said, "With your kindness, I''ll ask only for enough money to be able to arrange for his mother''s burial." The merchant turned to his servant behind and extracted a stack of notes from the pouch. He offered the money to the second brother and asked, "Would these be enough?" The second brother cast a quick glance at the money he received and bowed profusely, repeatedly mumbling "Thank so much Sir, you''re a living Bodhisattva!" The merchant reached down and lifted the second brother to his feet. "Go to bury your deceased wife!" He then turned to his servant and ordered, "Take the boy. Let us leave."


    The second brother then returned home to find his family already greatly worried and anxious over the disappearance of the child. He pretended to be surprised. "Alas! The most beloved of all! I must help find him!" He rushed out of the house and fled. Now plagued with sorrow over the loss of the baby and their vain efforts to search for him, the hearts of everyone in the family plunged into despair as if all hope and happiness had been blotted out of their lives. Days passed by miserably until one day, the eldest brother went out to look for eight lengths of rope and told his family that he would be out looking for the child.


    Lin Feng asked suddenly, "What are the eight lengths of rope for, Blind Master?" The old man deposited a piece of braised pork into his mouth and began chewing, muttering through his food, "It''s used to tie baskets on both ends of a pole. The eldest brother traveled from village to village, carrying baskets of farm produce that he bought from the market and sold them door to door. The meager profit from his sales he would then use to quench his hunger to survive."


    It was an errand doomed to fail; a lost caused that would never see the silver lightning. The eldest brother wandered aimlessly around. What was originally a hopeless search for his missing child then became a pathetic and wretched bid to pull himself from the pain and misery, to leave the home that now bore the gloom of his anguish and grief! For years he drifted with no end until he died, alone and pitiful tramp whose hopes had shattered with the loss of his only child. The second brother, after getting ahold of the money from the trade of his own nephew, returned later when all of his money was spent. But seeing that he was now the senior in the family, he forbade his brother from continuing his studies, citing the family''s hardship and had his brother began pulling rickshaws for a living. But his wickedness had hardly reached its limits. With no money in the family, he came up with another nefarious scheme. The depraved man gave some money to his wife and asked her to bring their sister-in-law out to shopping, telling her that some distraction might do her some good. But instead, he was arranging for people to abduct his sister-in-law and sell her off as a slave. Not knowing how deplorable her own husband could be, his wife trusted her husband and took their sister-in-law to the market. When they came across a peddler selling ornaments, the unsuspecting sisters-in-law had an interest in some of the hair ornaments sold at the stall. The second brother''s wife chose a red-colored adornment while the eldest brother''s wife opted for another one in blue. The sisters-in-law then put them on and continued their walk through the marketplace.


    It was in the afternoon when the second brother arranged for the slavemasters to come to his house. When they had reached home, the eldest brother''s wife was aghast by her brother-in-law''s treachery that she went to her room and tried to hang herself. But she was discovered by her sister-in-law who had come to console her. As the second brother''s wife tried to save her sister-in-law, she accidentally knocked off their hair ornaments. It was dark then, and she accidentally picked up her sister-in-law''s hair accessory and put on her hair. Growing impatient for the long wait, the second brother then consented to the impatient slavemasters that they could storm into the room and grab the woman with the blue hair accessory. Consequently, the second brother''s evil deeds had caused his own wife to be taken as a slave and when the eldest brother''s wife woke up, she too took her own life...


    And hence, a family, once merry and cheerful, was torn into shambles by the second brother''s own undoing. With only the second brother and his youngest sibling remaining, it was up to the youngest son of the family to slog day and night just to feed his brother. Still, it did not take long for the younger brother to escape from the sisyphean labor of feeding his older brother, who continued his debauchery of living by the bottle and continuously abused him. But during his days in the wild, the young boy was also kidnapped by swindlers.


    Lin Feng interjected again, asking this time, "What swindlers were they, Master?" But the old man ignored his question and continued with his tale.


    Somewhere else, there was this village woman who was busy with her household errands when a boy, looking about fifteen or sixteen of age, barged into her compound with a large bag over his shoulder. At the immediate sight of the woman, the boy rushed to her and buckled to his knees at her feet, crying, "Save me, kind lady!" The woman asked in return, "Who are you?" The boy pleaded, "I was orphaned when I was young, and my uncle sent me to an apothecary in the city to work there. But the overseer of the store had beaten me and abused me. Not being able to take any more, I fled while taking a bunch of medicinal herbs with me. Another staff member of the shop is just behind, chasing after me! I must not be caught, lest they''ll beat me to death!" The woman, now worried and agitated, cried, "But how am I to help you?" "You''ll just have to tell my pursuers that I have run towards the east. I''ll run southbound when he''s left!" The boy said to her. The woman went to her gate, and behold! There was indeed another man, his perpetual gasps for breath and the beads of perspiration that rained down his face told her that he could be the boy''s pursuer. To no surprise, the man barked at her, asking if she had seen a boy running past with a bag on his back. The woman hissed back at him, her displeasure evident. "What are you asking me for?" The man replied, "He''s a boy from our store! He had stolen some valuable herbs and ran away!" The woman then told him, "I saw a boy running eastward just moments ago!" With a mutter of thanks beneath his breath, the man left, scurrying off to trail his quarry. The boy came back and thanked her for her kindness and begged for some money for him to return to his hometown. But the woman said, "But I am a poor woman myself! I have no money." The boy showed her the bag slung over his back and said, "I have some medicinal herbs here. Some are even valuable. Can you help me sell these for me to collect some money?" The woman went around and rounded up her neighbors, who then looked at the wares the boy peddled. There were various herbs¡ªginseng, deer velvet, and rhinoceros horns which bore the stencil stamp of an apothecary on their labels. Seeing as these medicines were being sold at a bargain, many of the villagers flocked around him to make their purchases until at last, the boy, screaming that the villagers were demanding for even more obscenely lower prices, tugged at his bag, hoisted it over his back and ran off. The Blind Master paused his tale suddenly and turned to Lin Feng. "This is how these swindlers operated." That earned a bewildered "Oh!" from Lin Feng.


    But no one knew that the herbs were, in reality, counterfeits. This was a scam that a swindler and his apprentice first rehearsed. The man who had come chasing for the boy was in truth the swindler himself. These shysters looked especially for boys around ages fifteen or sixteen. Children smaller than these ages would seem too young to be working at stores. To control these children, the swindlers would seduce them with a lavish lifestyle of decadence and depravity. They would shower them with luxuries and induce them to a life of opium, alcohol, prostitution, and gambling before arming them with the necessary skills to cheat and con. Therefore, to maintain their lifestyle, the children would be encouraged and compelled to continue their lives of perfidy and treachery. As the children grew older, the cost to maintain such lifestyles also increased while they slowly outlive their usefulness. The swindler would desert his apprentice to search for other prospective preys to be their new apprentices. Without the swindlers to lead them, to work in tandem with them, and to supply them with counterfeit medicines, the former apprentices would then be left to suffer and rot as the toxic and rancor of their perverse lifestyle slowly gnawed at their vitality like an incurable gangrene.


    It was one such swindler who had ensnared the youngest brother into a point of no return, where he eventually died and perished after a few years. Thus the story ended and Mr. Lee, as if waking up from a dream, could hardly believe that the tear-jerking story had to endure such an ignoble end. He asked frantically, "What happened next?" The Blind Master chewed at his final piece of meat and remarked, "There''s no more!" Being the aggressive and impatient person he was, Mr. Lee urged, "Impossible! The second brother had suffered no retribution? This is hardly fair!" Another wicked smile lined across the old man''s face, "But you know what happened afterward." This surprised Mr. Lee, who turned surprised and asked in return, "What is it that I know of?" The old man now erupted into a horrid burst of laughter and said, "You yourself had told me earlier. It was the older brother, his wife, the child that was sold off, the second brother''s wife, and the younger brother had all taken turns to beat the second brother in his face and had demanded money from him while throwing his bag away..." Stunned, and at a complete loss for words, Mr. Lee could hear himself gasping in disbelief, "Y-you... y-you mean to say that the second brother?" There was the briefest moment of stupor until he shook himself back to consciousness and said, "No! Impossible! If this is the reckoning from their previous life, then what about my wife and I? If it is as what you said, what goes around comes around, does this mean that my wife and I were indebted to him in our previous lives that he has reincarnated now as my son?" But the old man shrugged and merely said, "I don''t know myself!" Confused, Mr. Lee asked, "But how could you not know?"


    The old man calmed Mr. Lee down and told him about his line of work; the chosen ones who possessed the ability to peer through mists that veiled the sight of the mundane and divined the unknown, which were mostly divided into three groups. The first group was nothing but frauds; ordinary charlatans who only sought to con the unwary and uninitiated out of their money. The other were soothsayers and seers who were learned students of the Yi Jing and its core, a Western Zhou divination text called the Changes of Zhou. As masters of employing the divination techniques with the Bagua diagram like himself, they unravel the mystical secrets of Fate and Karma. Lastly, there were also fortune tellers who intermixed fiction with the hidden truth; this group of seers would weave yarns of imagination and myth over the truth that they have foreseen. Nevertheless, all soothsayers or fortune tellers, regardless of their variety, would hardly be able to escape the fate of condemnation from Heaven. Cheaters and charlatans would be judged for their deceit and trickery, while those that reveal the mysteries of Fate and Karma, an act against the will of Heaven, would also be doomed to die. Xu Fu, a renowned seer in Ancient China, was one such precedent. She had looked into Han Xin, the famous military strategist who was instrumental in the birth of the Han Dynasty, and had told him that he would live up to the ripe age of 72 and would die a wealthy and prosperous man. This very prophecy was said to be the prime reason that Han Xin had adamantly refused to revolt during his later years and was infamously executed when he was summoned to the Changle Palace (literally the Palace of Everlasting Happiness). However, he was only 32 when he was sentenced to a traitor''s death. When Xu Fu was judged in hell, the Underworld official Sima Chongxiang had condemned her to reincarnate as Pang Tong of Xiangyang, the famous military tactician during the Three Kingdoms Period who would later die at the age of 32. That was due to her misdeed of misrepresenting Han Xin''s age. This was one of the many unbreakable laws that soothsayers have to adhere to, lest they suffer the wrath of Heaven. These restrictions include laws that forbid them from performing divinations twice a day and strictures against using their skills on the first and fifteenth day of every month on the Chinese calendar, holidays, and rainy days too...

 Chapter 23 So Shall You Weep

    Sighing with exasperation, Mr. Lee shook his head. He rose from his seat and turned to walk out. He walked for a few paces and turned back suddenly, "Wait! You may not be able to divine a person''s fate twice a day. But your apprentice can! Chongxi can do it for me again!" Yuan Chongxi burst out guffawing hard and remarked, "You are indeed a shrewd businessman, Mr. Lee. Your mind is truly quick to find loopholes to exploit!" Mr. Lee fished out a Suyan cigarette from its box and offered it to Yuan Chongxi, pleading, "Please, my boy. Just help me this time..." Yuan Chongxi took Mr. Lee''s hand in his, patted it and said, "Very well. I''ll have another go. Only for you. But please forgive my bluntness if I am too forthcoming about the outcome!"


    Revitalized with fresh hope, Mr. Lee slapped his chest and said, "Who do you think I am? I have had my share of great things myself! I will never be angered nor frightened by anything you will say!" Yuan Chongxi giggled and replied, "All right then. Give me the birthdates and time of birth of your family; you, your wife and your son!"


    After some calculations, Yuan Chongxi reported, "It is as what my teacher had said to you. There might be a few discrepancies, but there will hardly be any major deviations!"


    Long ago in the North East, a young couple visited a store selling fur clothing. The husband wanted to buy his wife a sable fur coat, and as they were testing, his wife remarked, "This coat seems to fit well with my fox fur neck piece. Wait for me, husband. I''ll fetch my neck piece and have a look!" The proprietor of the store needed no further proof that this young couple was wealthy customers! He made some tea for the man who began sipping at his drink while he waited for his wife. But suddenly, he clutched at his stomach tightly and began to howl painfully. His screams of agony alarmed everyone at the store, but in their panic, everyone was stunned! He started sweating uncontrollably and crumbled to the ground, squirming and writhing with anguish. All of a sudden, blood began pouring from his nose, mouth and eyes, and he became still. He was dead!


    His wife returned just in time to see her husband die. She threw herself at his dead body, screaming and crying hysterically! Not knowing what to do, the manager of the store and the rest of the workers immediately called for the proprietor and reported to him, but he too knew not what to do. One of the men suggested that they report the matter to the local magistrate. Instead, the proprietor stopped his man sharply. It was a time where corruption and greed ruled absolute. The local magistrate would only realize this as an opportunity to sack whichever household implicated in any crimes; whether the family was truly guilty or not be damned, and hoard the riches for his own. The proprietor was worried that not only his money and assets would be taken, but he and his staff would also eternally be in bondage to the fetters and manacles of the local magistrate''s unjust persecution. He quickly came up with a solution: he would empty all his coffers and offer the money as compensation to the now-widow of the dead man and try to convince her to a settlement without alerting the authorities. With that sum of money, the woman would still be able to enjoy a decent lifestyle for the rest of her life. The proprietor would also rent a cart to transport the dead man''s corpse back for burial arrangements.


    Hence the proprietor gave all of his money to the woman and persuaded her not to bring this matter into the notice of the authorities. He rented a cart and charged his workers to see the corpse and the woman safely back. But when the cavalcade reached the outskirts of the town, they were joined by another group of people with two palanquins. The workers of the fur clothing store pulled the cart along the main highway while the group with the palanquins then veered off to take a shortcut away. The workers had barely traveled a few miles when they suddenly turned into a secluded path and reached a mass grave. They dumped the corpse there and ran off. The cart driver who came with them returned to the town, but he revealed to no one the truth of what happened.


    The two palanquins, as it turned out, carried both the young woman and her husband, who was in fact well and alive! The staff members of the fur clothing stall were in league with him to switch out the dead body during the commotion in the shop and handle the disposal of the corpse. He was the second son of an owner of a gold mine, and it was he who had concocted the entire scheme. Due to being the second son of his father, the bulk of his father''s holdings were passed on to his eldest brother. But his father had given him some money to begin a small jewelry business. His father had believed that both sons would be able to support each other, both being in the same industry. But this young man did not use the money for the purpose of business. Instead, the money was used to rescue his heartthrob, the daughter of a merchant who was accused of breaking the law and the local authorities had plundered and ravaged the entire household for every piece of gold and silver. In the end, her parents died a wretched end in prison, and her servants all had fled. With the weight of the family''s debt suddenly fallen upon her shoulders, the creditors decided to sell her to a brothel and divide her salary among them. And so, the young man came to her rescue, delivering her from a fate possibly even more terrible than death by helping her with her debt with his money. But the young man lacked the nerve of relaying the news to his father. To quickly gather enough money to start his business, they came up with a plot to bamboozle the proprietor of the fur clothing store of his wealth.


    Yuan Chongxi stopped his tale and glanced at Mr. Lee. "The proprietor of the fur clothing stall is none other than the second brother of the family from my teacher''s story. With the money from the sale of his own nephew, he fled and started a business dealing with fur minks and coats. This incident, which spelled the failure of his business venture, forced him to return home later poor and penniless." Fully understanding the entire story now, Mr. Lee himself hazarded a guess. "So my wife and I were the second son of the gold mine owner and his sweetheart. The second son is now reincarnated as my son due to our plot against him?!" Yuan Chongxi giggled and winked. "Spot on!" Mr. Lee scrambled to his feet and began pacing around gingerly with shock and amazement, murmuring under his breath, "Everyone here at this Institute is extraordinary! You put on a benign and innocent facade on the outside, but in truth, each and every one of you here possess powerful abilities beyond imagination! Brother Hai and his son, Brother Quan (Lin Fengquan) and his son, you and your teacher, and there''s also Fen..."


    At this point, the Blind Master, or sometimes colloquially addressed as Old Man Chen, exhaled slowly, saying, "Some stones are better off left unflipped. Ignorance is always blissful, especially for common folk like you. Look at us! Look at me! Do you know how did I become blind?" Mr. Lee had intentionally refrained from bringing up this very subject. But now that Old Man Chen had touched this matter on his own, Mr. Lee could hardly contain himself any longer, not with his inquisitiveness aroused as he asked, "I, I really... I really don''t know... Could there be also another tale behind your condition?"


    The old man sniggered twice and removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of eyes that contained no pupils! There was not a single one present who did not find the sight of his eyes disturbing and alarming. Even the two female instructors who were eating yelped with fear and shock. Indeed, Old Man Chen''s pupilless eyes were scary to behold! No wonder he wore his sunglasses no matter where he went!


    The old man put his sunglasses back on and muttered, "As you sow, so shall you reap; As you reap, so shall you weep! Since the days of my youth, I have mastered the arcane skills of unraveling the mysteries of Fate. I had barely waded past teenage when I had fully grasped three of the five elements of Taoist Divination! My skills were one of the best in the business, if not the best! Yet alas! For all my power and prestige, my eyesight was robbed from me as penance for divulging the secrets of Destiny!" His voice faltered, and he turned, now looking like a frail old man, beaten and defeated, as he retreated out of the reception room.


    Yuan Chongxi could not help feeling morose and sad watching his teacher reliving the horrors of his past. His voice came suddenly through the melancholic atmosphere, "He had been brash during his youth, my teacher once told me. It was only in his older years when he realized his audacity and impudence. But everything was too late. The die has been cast. I once heard that his eyes bled one night, gushing and pouring profusely. From then on, he became blind. There are certain skills of augury and divination that require the ability to read signs, as you well know. Without his eyesight, he''s lost some of his skills. Since then, he rarely uses his abilities no more." Lin Feng asked Yuan Chongxi, "Is this what people in your line of business call the ''Five Detriments and Three Dearths''?" Mr. Lee descended back into his seat with his beer, now refreshed with the desire to know more.


    Yuan Chongxi nodded to Lin Feng and said, "Yes and no. ''The Five Detriments and Three Dearths'' are the penances of being widowed, abandoned, alone, forsaken, maimed, penniless, lifeless, and powerless. Contrary to common beliefs¡ªno thanks to fiction stories and novel¡ªthat those who offend the will of Heaven will only be dealt one such reprisal, it is written in the scriptures that ''Vengeance is mine and I will repay''. Heaven will neither show mercy, yet Heaven can also be compassionate; the number of penances inflicted upon one depends on the gravity of one''s transgressions." "Oh?" It was Mr. Lee who had spoken now, as he asked, "So your teacher..." Yuan Chongxi lighted a cigarette and took a swig. He murmured, "My teacher has been visited by six of the eight penances. This alone allows us to appreciate the severity of his sins..." But Lin Feng, still swelling with the eagerness to know more, asked suddenly, "Which of the six he had suffered?" But Yuan Chongxi, who sometimes could be a person slow to the take, had barely realized the bluntness of Lin Feng''s question. Instead, he revealed solemnly. "Widowed, abandoned, alone, maimed, penniless, and powerless."


    Come to think of it, Old Man Chen neither had any children and nor was he ever married. In the end, he had even lost his eyesight. His expertise in the Yi Jing and the art of divination hardly earned him any students, and hence he earned only the basic stipend for a modest life. He was never once an official of the government too. Like what Yuan Chongxi had said, it was true that all six of the eight penances had been exacted upon him. I would later find out one day that the reason he refused to break the tenet of performing his skills twice a day was that he had only two more punishments yet to be levied upon him: the penances of being forsaken and death. He was afraid of losing Yuan Chongxi, the sole heir of his expertise and his much-loved apprentice in addition to losing his own life. With the will of Heaven being predictably unpredictable, the penance of death might instead fall upon his most-prized student instead of him!


    Sometime after this, my father told me that there was actually quite a tale behind the incident that had caused the Blind Master to lose his eyesight...

 Chapter 24 Hawker Stalls

    Old Man Chen had grown up an orphan boy since his youth, knowing only his teacher as a parent figure. Since his boyhood, his teacher had meticulously trained him in the skills of divination and had provided him with the essential fundamentals for his future. He would watch from the side and quietly test his skills whenever his teacher worked his magic for clients and patrons. As time passed, the boy grew up, and so did his skills. He began feeling more and more confident in his abilities and was proud of himself, until Fate grew jealous and vengeful. Old Man Chen was a boy of 12 that year, still an apprentice who followed his teacher everywhere. They had taken up lodging one night at a Taoist monastery when a call roused them from their rest.


    Religious faiths were viewed as one of the elements of the Four Olds during the height of the Cultural Revolution. A rowdy mob marched up the hills, each brandishing flaming brands in their hands, and arrived at the monastery to burn it to the ground. Even though the unruly crowd was not specifically there for the seer and his student, the teacher and his apprentice could not help feeling afraid by the sudden commotion, and they swiftly fled. Noticing people escaping from the monastery, the agitated and frenzied mob gave chase. The teacher and his student split up to try shaking off their pursuers but instead, the teacher fell off the crest of a precipice and plunged to his death while the rabid and raving riot captured the boy.


    Upon realizing that their quarry was only the child, the bunch of agitators could not help feeling disgruntled. Their leader, a man called Zheng Haoshan, had a sobriquet called the Living Yama for his ruthlessness and inhuman methods! He came up with a cruel plan and said to everyone, "Let me take him back and torture him for the truth!" He brought the child home to his son. Unbeknownst to everyone else, his son was badly ill, and through fen and thickets he had searched, still, the Living Yama had yet to find his child a cure for his disease. Hence the reason for him bringing the young Old Man Chen back to his home. He needed him to divine the whereabouts of the cure! He said to the boy, "Find out the problem with my son and I''ll let you go! But if you fail, you will be judged before the public before being beaten alive!" Being only a boy of 12, Old Man Chen was frightened and did as he was told. After some calculations, he told Zheng Haoshan, "You must prepare for the worst!" This filled the Living Yama with nothing but rage, "Tell me something I don''t know! I want a solution!" But Old Man Chen retorted with impertinence, an act that he would later regret for the rest of his life, "I cannot help you! You need to seek someone else!" Apparently, Old Man Chen had found out that the Living Yama had another soothsayer imprison. With various means and methods, this soothsayer was tortured and forced to impart his faculties to his captor. But the Living Yama was a most cunning, if not shrewd, person. Whenever he learned anything new from his prisoner, he would first put it to the test. Any failures which warranted suspicion that the soothsayer had been trying to trick him would result in further reprisals from the cruel man. Therefore, when Old Man Chen had inadvertently mentioned about the soothsayer, Zheng Haoshan immediately realized that his captive had been withholding information from him. The poor hostage was then subjected to another gruesome round of excruciating torment to loosen his tongue. In the end, the soothsayer was coerced into helping Zheng Haoshan by looking for another boy who shared the exact same birthdate as his son to die in his place. The details of the hateful methods would best be left out, I heard, since it was nothing but a method so heinous and hateful that no man should know about it.


    As a token of gratitude, Old Man Chen was brought to a village where he was given to the care of a family who had no child of their own. This family, under the Chinese government social initiative, was one of the childless households which were promised welfare perks and benefits. Many in the village would secretly come to him for help and the young Old Man Chen, proud of his ability, used his skills without restraint. Without his teacher at his side to guide him and steer him in the right direction, Old Man Chen''s hubris and arrogance in his abilities became his undoing when his eyesight was robbed from him decades later. He came to my father afterward, who helped him divine the reason of this divine retribution. My father said to him, "You have wrought a heinous monstrosity in your younger days. A technique, so evil and damnable in the eyes of Heaven. You had used a child to die in the place of another; have you not?" It was only then he fully understood the gravity of his sins: with his ability to decipher the secrets of Fate, Old Man Chen had inadvertently caused the death of another child! Old Man Chen finally realized the blood of the boy who had died in place of Zheng Haoshan''s child in his hands. From since then, he became extremely reluctant to unravel the truths of Fate fully. But that was hardly the primary reason for the impairment of his vision. During his days in the village, Old Man Chen had provided several insights to pregnant mothers on the gender of their babies. This had caused many mothers to abort their child to hope for a boy. Much blood of countless baby girls had been spilled in his account. The deaths of the unborn babies were all upon his head, and thus the penances of the Five Detriments and Three Dearths had been visited upon him until now.


    It was already evening when my father and Uncle Quan came back. Walking through the door, my father asked me, "Not bad. Do you enjoy watching Old Man Chen displaying his skills?" I finally understood! I asked my father, "I must be remissed if you are behind all this farce to avoid unanswering the call!" My father giggled, indicating a tacit approval. I peered into their basket and the things they were holding, and saw that both men had only their fishing rods, but they had returned with no fish. Feeling strange, I asked, "Did you not go fishing? Where''s your bounty?" Instead, my father snickered playfully and said, "We''d let them all go." What he said had caught me with so much surprise that I nearly vomited the drink I had taken. "You had released the fishes that you''ve caught, Father?" I asked incredulously, "Then what are we having for dinner?"


    But Father gave me no reply. Instead, he dropped his fishing equipment at a corner and yelled loudly into the corridors of the Institute, "Hey there! Who else is still here? Let''s go to the stalls for food!" But the Institute would usually be empty at this hour, with only Aunt Fen, the Blind Master and his apprentice, and another old man. Aunt Fen made no indication of replying; she usually ate at home. But a door at the end of the corridor swung opened suddenly, and the Blind Master came stepping out of his room with his disciple in tow. He hurried over to my father and uttered, "Let''s go!" Looking from the side, Lin Feng and I could only take in the old man''s shenanigans with unbelieving stares. He had appeared a frail and blind old man who needed his student''s help to walk when we first saw him earlier. But here he was now, walking quickly with the vim and verve of a young man! What was wrong with him?


    Even my father could hardly suppress an amused smile by his whimsical behavior, as he applauded Old Man Chen for his vigor. "Still energetic I see, Old Chen!" Father than peered at his clothing and said, "I say, Old Chen... We''re going to the stalls nearby for food... Your clothing..." The Blind Master was wearing a long robe, looking as if he was a true seer from the fables and tales of old. Dressing up like this would surely stand out especially if we were going to a seafood barbecue.


    It was six in the evening when my father and I, Uncle Quan and his son, with Old Man Chen, now finally with a more appropriate set of clothing, and his apprentice came to a row of food stalls called the "No. 1 Street for Barbecue Streetfood". It was a place we frequented a lot; hence the proprietors there were familiar with us. One of them came to us when we found a seat with two dozens beer, saying, "The usual, everyone?" My father had wanted to speak, but Old Man Chen beat him to it by saying, "Aye, and two more lamb loins!" I nearly burst out laughing as I said, "My goodness, Blind Master. You are, by all accounts, one of the counselors of the Institute! Surely you realize that you should behave your part, rather like some crackpot fortune teller!" But instead, the old man retorted indignantly, "Why should I? Your father wields greater abilities and responsibilities that I do. Why should I put up a more respectable facade when he is so unbecoming of himself too?" Indeed, in some ways and time, the manner in which my father behave did seem unfitting for a person of his stature. One could even liken him to a man who has yet to grow up. As if a testament to Old Man Chen''s grumbles, my father turned his head around, looking dubiously at everyone with his own finger pointing at himself with disbelief. "Am I? Am I such an unbecoming person?" Everyone around the table nodded meekly in silence, peering at him as if expecting a sudden tantrum, when suddenly everyone erupted into laughter.


    It was a meal of joyous merriment as we talked and chatted over the mouthwatering aroma of the barbecue feast. We plodded through the epicurean delights of grilled seafood as we went through a recap of how Old Man Chen had resolved Mr. Lee''s predicament and Lin Feng suddenly expressed his admiration for Yuan Chongxi, "You secretive rascal. For so long you have refrained from showing your skills... Spectacular, I must say!" Beside Yuan Chongxi, his teacher chortled loudly with pride. But his outward display of satisfaction in the prowess of his student faded swiftly suddenly like a punctured balloon. Out of the blue, he sighed suddenly and said, "But you know nothing... He makes a good seer... But that is also as far as he can get to..." Lin Feng, failing to read between the lines, asked the old man, "But what do you mean, Blind Master?" The old man sighed again and muttered, "Alas... Chongxi... If only he has half of the wits that you and Shiyan has..." Yuan Chongxi''s head hung over his shoulder as he quietly gnawed at his grilled meat.


    A man arrived with a little girl with him at our table suddenly. Recognizing them both, my father rose from his seat to shake hands with them, and they began talking. The little girl was one of the students from my zither class, and the man was her grandfather. The little girl''s grandfather said, "What coincidence that you are all here. My granddaughter wanted some barbecue skewers suddenly, and she''s been pestering me to bring her here..." I called for some additional stools and invited them both to sit with us. With good food to lubricate the conversation, we began talking some more. It appeared that the grandfather of the girl was the owner of a chain store just opposite the street. The scent of the barbecue food had wafted over and tingled the little girl''s tastebuds; hence her overwhelming badgering of her grandfather to bring her here. Like how all children would behave when encountering their teacher, the little girl was nervous when she first saw me, although all signs of jittery and shyness quickly vanished under the charm of the sumptuous food.


    As we ate and talk, the smell of the food complimented the flavor of the wine we sipped. Unexpectedly, the grandfather was also an avid enthusiast of fishing himself. Hearing my father and Uncle Quan had gone fishing earlier, the three immediately plunged into a deeper discussion about their common interest. "Just two months ago, I had caught a fat carp at one of the fishing ponds. Heh heh heh..." I heard the girl''s grandfather bragging proudly. At the other half of the table, Yuan Chongxi, Lin Feng, and I, without any interest in fishing, began talking about our students and our craze in computer gaming. But our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a middle-aged woman who had come straight to us. She asked the grandfather of the girl sharply, "Did you saw my graduation certificate which I received years ago?" Confused at first, I then knew, this woman was the little girl''s grandmother. She needed her old graduation certificate for authentication purposes, and she needed it by tomorrow. But through every corner of her house she had delved and scoured, still, the certificate had evaded her sight. Therefore, with no other options left, she came to the little girl''s grandfather for help. "Was it not in your cabinet all the time?" The old man asked, "Have you lost the box which you stored the certificate with?" The child''s grandmother replied, "I found the box, but the certificate is missing!" The little girl''s grandfather gulped some beer and remarked, "Why the anxiety and fear? Look at who we have here! We have these wizards here! They can help you divine the whereabouts of your missing certificate!" As he spoke, he turned to stare at us...

 Chapter 25 Yuan Chongxi

    We had a look at each other, and Uncle Old Chen first said, "Yes, you can invite a master to do fortune-telling for you." I thought in my mind that you could do that. But now do your words mean that you don''t want to do and push it to others?


    The grandmother didn''t know his real meaning. Hearing what the old blind man said, she turned to other people sitting around the table and said, "Sorry to trouble you. Which master can fortune-tell for me? I''m so worried." Uncle Chen, an old blind man, was obviously reluctant to do it. Except for him, only my father, Chongxi and I could do, among us only my father was a master. At this time, however, my dad pointed to Yuan Chongxi and said, "He is the master. He can fortune-tell for you."


    What dad said astonished us all including Yuan Chongxi.The child''s grandmother seemed didn''t know how to react, and could only smiled. At this time, she must have thought in her mind, "He doesn''t look like a master at all, but is quite short..." (In fact, Yuan Zhongxi is 160cm tall, typical short of stature). Yuan Chongxi was stunned for a while before he responded, "Ah, oh. Well, let''s go to your house and have a look?"


    Originally, this child''s grandmother graduated in the late 1980s. Different from our diplomas which had a red hard shell, at that time her diploma just was a piece of paper, looking like a paper commendation. So this lady used a square box to hold all her certificates, including her diploma. However, this time when she wanted to take it out to use, she opened the box and found that all certifications except for her diploma were in the box. Because of the urgency, she rushed back to the store to ask her husband. But her husband went out with her granddaughter to have a barbecue. So he came to the food stall in a hurry.


    The chain store of his family was opened in the commercial district of a housing estate where this couple lived and that was not far from the food stall.


    We, led by the old couple, entered the house. Chongxi walked around in this house turning, and then took out the compass. Uncle Chen scolded him at one side, "Does this easy work need a compass? I feel shame on you." Hearing teacher scolding him, Chongxi took back the compass quickly. After turning around the room for several times, he sat on the sofa and asked the old woman about her graduation time and storage time and so on. Then he raised his right thumb and began rubbing it on the other four fingers. After a while, Chongxi felt a little confused and glanced the old woman, and then stared at his right hand rubbing. Obviously he had rubbed for the second time before he looked at the old woman with a puzzled face and said, "Auntie, the Fortune shows that your things haven''t been lost. It''s still in the box." The old woman was also stunned when she heard that, and then she took out the box from the cabinet. The box was made of two parts, the upper cover and the body. The old woman opened the box and said, "That''s impossible. You see, my diploma isn''t in it."


    Chongxi was also confused. At this time, his teacher, Old Chen, said impatiently, "You are silly! Take a good look at the Fortune! What''s different from the general Fortune! " Yuan Chongxi looked at his right hand with a dull face and said hesitantly, "Er... This Fortune is reverse..." "So?" Uncle Chen was still enlightening Chongxi. However, Chongxi still said with a blank face, "No more."


    Uncle Chen sighed and said to my father, "Brother Old Hai, do you know how to teach my silly apprentice?" My dad also felt interesting. I saw that holding his shoulder, dad pointed to Yuan Chongxi''s right hand with chin and said, "Chongxi, you see, what does the reverse Fortune mean?" But Yuan Chongxi looked at my father with a bemused face. "... ah?" My dad also smiled bitterly. "Chongxi, the reverse Fortune means the reverse of Yin and Yang, right?" Yuan Chongxi nodded. "... Yes." Dad then enlightened him. "Then you tell me where should this thing be according since Yin and Yang are reversed." Yuan Chongxi still looked at my father with a dull face. "... er." Dad and Uncle Chen shook their heads at the same time, and Uncle Quan already laughed.


    Finally, dad patted Yuan Chongxi on the shoulder and beckoned us to leave. As he walked out, dad said to the couple behind him, "Reverse the cover of the box and see it." When dad was saying that, we all came out of the corridor. At this time, Yuan Chongxi understood and patted his thigh and said, "Oh, I see! The diploma is still in the box, but its position is reversed. So the Fortune showed that the Yin and Yang are reversed! The diploma is a piece of paper and wider than the box. So it''s stuck right on the lid of the box! " Uncle Chen was a bit angry and he knocked on Chongxi''s head with his crutches. "You understand too late. I won''t bother others when I see you!" Chongxi rubbed his head and murmured in a low voice, "You have no chance to see others!" Finishing that, he ran away quickly. And we burst into laughter. If one asked whether Yuan Chongxi''s Fortune was accurate, we only could answer Yes. We could say that he was a genius in this field. But the problem was that he couldn''t figure out the Fortune although he could accurately fortune-tell.


    Time flew. And I had been interning for one year in my father''s Sinology Office. It was the graduation season again. I thought I might get my diploma soon.


    After returning home from the food stall, I thought about what I had experienced in the past few years and considered I had experienced a lot. So I said to my parents, "Mom and Dad, I have an idea." My dad asked me with a cigarette in his mouth and comforting his foot, "Well, just say it. What do you want this time? New cell phone or new computer? But if you want a new car, you needn''t speak out. Just go to bed." I thought in my mind that what kind of dad he was. I hadn''t said yet. So I sat down and said, "None of those. mom and dad, listen to me. I''m serious this time!" Dad glanced at me and said, "It''s impossible that you have a serious thing to talk." But then dad thought for a second and sat up at once. "Were you going to have a baby?" he asked. I almost spit out blood because of anger. "Dad, I said it''s a serious thing. Can you be serious now?" Dad took a breath of relief and said, "Well. Fine, fine."


    "Dad, Mom. I want to open a studio about Yin and Yang by myself..." Before I finished my words, dad had burst into laughter. "Only you?" I immediately answered, "Not only me. I want to invite Brother Lin and Chongxi. We three together will succeed!" Touching his chin, dad looked at me. After a while, he said, "Are you sure you have the ability to deal with those things?" I shook my head and said, "I''m not alone. Brother Lin and Chongxi will help me." Dad sighed and said, "Okay, let me think about it." I thought dad didn''t oppose me just now. And he might agree as long as I continue to persuade him. So I added hurriedly, "I have already chosen the location of the studio. The commercial place of a building''s area newly opened in the north of the town is very good." Dad waved his hand and said, "You should have a plan first. I consider the specific matters, and we talk about it the next time."


    Dad''s words slightly showed his agreement, so I had more motivation. And school called me the next morning to tell me to go back to school and get my diploma. Good things came to me one by one. I told that to my family, and then drove straight to the city. However, I didn''t expect that I would encounter difficulties when I went back to school this time.


    At 10 o''clock this morning, I drove to the gate of the campus. The old guard waved to me and said, "Shiyan is back. Come and get your diploma?" I hurried up and handed over a cigarette and said, "Yes. I feel that we all graduate in a second." The old man smiled and lit his cigarette, saying, "Yeah. I still remember that every night you jumped out of the wall to go to the Internet bars. And I had to wait until the latter half of the night to open the door for you. In a flash, you all grow up." I laughed and said, "Forget that. We were still immature when we were freshmen. Every day, you were bothered to open the door in the middle of the night." The old man laughed and scolded, "Little jerk, you were immature in the first year, were you mature in the second year? Yeah, you went back at night in the first year but went out for the whole night in your sophomore year. And I didn''t need to open the door for you." Hearing that, I smiled and said, "Hey, forget that. We troubled you for a long time. You worked hard." The old man waved his hand to me and then said, "You''re so lucky that graduated early. If you graduated a year later, you would be in trouble." I said with a smile, "Oh? Are there any new policies in school recently?" Unexpectedly, the old man shook his head and said, "I remember that you learned the zither, didn''t you?" I nodded. The old man continues, "I don''t know what happened these days. All the students and teachers who play zither in our school are sick one by one, and they all have the same disease! It''s strange that this only happened to those who play the zither. Everyone else is okay."


    Hearing his words, I felt worried and asked quickly, "Oh? What''s the disease?" The old man shook his head and said, "Strange disease!"

 Chapter 26 The sAncients Zither

    A wave of fear descended on me as what the old university guard said to me gradually sank in. Being in trade of dealing with the supernatural, it was hardly a coincidence that my first thoughts wondered that this might have been the doing of something otherworldly. With hurriedness and concern showing on my face, I muttered to the old man, "I must go up to have a look. My teacher..." But the old man stopped me in my tracks, saying, "She''s no longer upstairs. She was the first to be stretchered off into the ambulance that day."


    I ignored the old man and immediately rushed towards the rooms where training lessons for zithers were held. "Why did no one notice the incongruity and queerness of all the sicknesses? Why was only the students and teachers of the zither class riddled with this strange sickness? Something must be wrong," I thought.


    As I walked through the doors of the classroom, I met head-on with a young lady whom I asked sharply, "Hi there, is there anyone in the zither classrooms?" The girl sized me up before she replied, saying, "I am one of the students here. Can I help you?" But hers was a face that I neither knew nor recognized; hence she could be one of the juniors here. I said, "Ah... You must be a junior of mine then. I''m a senior of this class. Where are the rest of the others?" The girl gave me a scrutinizing look, the doubt and suspicion evident in the glimmer of her eyes as she mumbled, "Senior? But I have never seen you here before..." I shook my head in exasperation and said, "My name is Shiyan, Murong Shiyan." Murong Shiyan was my full name; the name, as per my identity card, which I only used on formal occasions. But due to the length of my name, I was mostly addressed only as Shiyan. Having a name that really stood out, I was sure that my name was one that many would remember, especially within the circles of students of the zither class here.


    At the mention of my name, I noticed a hint of recognition flickering in her eyes as she spoke, "Aye... I guess I did hear of a person with this name... But you look different from your photo..." I cut her short, having no stomach for any of her airheaded nonsense and snapped, "Where are the others? I heard that everyone had become sick? What happened here?" The girl was instantly shocked by my stern demeanor and grew frightened, stammering, "There''s only another student and me here now. The rest of the others have been taken to the hospital by ambulance." I felt a cold dread creeping down my spine, but I immediately grabbed at her wrist and dragged her with me to the zither classrooms. Oddly, as I pulled her with me, I heard the girl breathing heavily, although she did nothing to yank herself free from my grip, following me to the classrooms. As we walked, I asked, "Was our teacher the first one to fall ill?" She mumbled an incomprehensible "Yes" and said no more, evidently oblivious to my suspicions, then I asked again, "What day was it when our teacher fall ill?" "Last week," said the girl, "I was no in too then. Therefore I know only snippets of the incident."


    We came before the door of the classroom where we stopped outside. As a safety precaution, I made use of my Spirit Sight to peer inward. Even though the Spirit Sight only bestowed me the ability to perceive the flow of spiritual energies, the foul energies emitted by ghosts and spirits were also visible to me; hence alerting me to their presence if they lurked nearby. But I saw only an empty classroom, free of any spiritual energies. I turned back to look at my junior and she too stared at me before fishing out a set of keys to unlock the door. Once entering, I stood at the doorway, examining the classroom. Still, I found nothing out of the ordinary. Could I be mistaken, I whispered to myself. Realizing my strange and wary poise, the junior girl asked hesitantly, "Wh-what''s going on, Senior Shiyan..." Her words jerked me back from my momentary stupor. I turned to her, finding her breathing heavily with her cheeks burning scarlet pink. Fearfully, she asked slowly, "What is happening, Senior... Everyone else from the other classes was saying that our entire zither class must have encountered something bad that now only me and another student is left... Could the rumors be true? What''s going to happen to us?" She faltered, looking as if on the verge of crying, but I had neither the patience nor the stomach to comfort her right now. I asked bluntly, "Was there anything in particular that had taken place before everyone fell ill?"


    She shook her head, saying nothing. "No? How is that possible," I thought. Still, an obtuse "I don''t know" was simply the answer she could give me. Feeling mildly perturbed by her lack of awareness in the incident, I managed to ask again, "What has happened in the university recently?" "Nothing much," she said, "The university board had agreed to expand the grounds, and building works had just begun last week. Nothing else." "That''s all?" I wondered. I shook my head and turned. But as I spun, I seemed to see something at the corners of my eyes. My head jerked backward instinctively. Yet, nothing. A stab of fear and dread came to me. Something was terribly wrong here, I could feel. I scanned across the room again carefully. The classroom looked exactly the same as how it was when I ended my studies here. Rows and files of desks neatly spaced from one another with zithers sitting quietly atop, patiently biding the time before their strings would once again be strummed. The nostalgia of once again standing in my old classroom overwhelmed me. I could almost see the wistful silhouette of my teacher, the instructor of zither lessons, Yang Na, standing atop a dais, as how she usually would when she was teaching in my class. Suddenly, I noticed, on the lecturer''s desk on the dais, was another zither...


    "Wait a minute," I thought. There was indeed something peculiar with the zither on the teacher''s desk! My senses, long honed by my various experiences and encounters with the mystic and paranormal, tingled. I rushed on to the dais and bent down to study this unusual zither. One, two, three... thirteen! I counted thirteen strings! This was not my teacher''s usual zither! It was a completely different zither! Contemporary zithers nowadays had twenty-one strings while this was a zither with only thirteen strings; this was a zither from an ancient age! I discovered residue of dirt and soot on the surface of the zither. This could only mean one thing: this zither was recently dug up from the ground! Gently, I placed a hand on the strings of the zither and softly plucked at its strings. As the strings quivered, there was the unmistakable effluence of a cold and ghastly aura exuding from within the zither!


    The hairs on my back were standing on their ends as I was oddly reminded of the school expansion project the junior girl mentioned. Was this instrument unearthed during the project? I stood up abruptly. The junior girl beside me must have been caught unawares by my sudden movement that she nearly jumped. I turned to her and asked her pointedly, "You said that there was a school expansion project going on. Was this zither found during then?" But all she could give me was another "I don''t know", topped by her head shaking dumbly. I was on the brink of bursting, the infuriating frustration of her complete bewilderment threatens to erupt. Still, I was aware that the first order of business was to make sure of the zither''s origins. Heaven forfend if the thirteen-stringed zither was indeed dug up from the ground! Things would be terrible and really bad! It had not escaped my notice that the strings on the zither were a fresh set of strings; someone, it was most likely that my teacher, Yang Na, was the one who had furnished the zither with new strings and she would most undoubtedly have plucked the strings of the cursed zither to test it. This would have culminated in the unexplainable outbreak which now had everyone from the class hospitalized! This must be the reason! I rushed to the class next door, where a Pipa lesson was conducted and spoke to the teacher present. The teacher revealed to me that some of the builders had dug up a wooden board last week when the building project began. One of the instructors of the school, a teacher of archaeology, was present. At the teacher''s behest, the board was handed in for examination and was determined that it was an ancient zither from an unknown era. Hence the board was then passed on to Yang Na for further inspection.


    With a summary of the entire story now made clear, I returned to the zither classroom and said to the junior girl, "Bring me to the hospital where everyone is at."


    We spoke nothing along the way. When we reached the hospital, I found out that everyone from the zither class was isolated and quarantined until the doctor could determine what was wrong. All of them displayed the same symptoms¡ªbreathing problems and lethargic drowsiness or even comatose. Outside of the quarantine ward, I saw a pack of people, worried sick with anxiety with a cloud of grim sorrow above them. They must be the parents and family of the afflicted, I guessed. With my Spirit Sight I looked into the ward through the glass windows and felt goosebumps breaking all over me! There was a heavy smog of dark, deathly energies swirling above them, lingering over them like an apparition of doom!


    It was evident that everyone was poisoned by the dark energies, thus their drowsiness and unconsciousness. It must be that ancient zither which had been unearthed during the expansion project. The site where the work was being done must have been an old tomb! In truth, ancient tombs or graves from the bygone age were easily encountered. But not many people these days could easily recognize them, especially if these ancient burial pits had no markers or headstones to mark its significance. But that would explain why an archaeology lecturer was present during the dig; he must have noticed something was not right. As the instructor of zither music classes, the zither would, beyond any doubt, come to her and she would most expectedly fix a brand-new set of strings on to it...


    With the entirety of the story at hand, I extracted the Spirit Gourd that my father had given to me from within the folds of my pocket...


    End of Volume One

 Volume 2 Probation- Chapter 27 The Requiem

    The tunes of "Liu Qing Niang" (literally the Lady of the Green Willow) wafted heavily over the eaves of a zither lessons classroom in the university; the sad, sorrowful tune cast a blanket of gloom and melancholy across the whole room. Never did anyone expect that the instructor for zither lessons, Yang Na, would be urgently hospitalized that night after playing this song.


    A piece of a wooden block was unearthed from the ground; an ancient relic found during the excavation of the school grounds which was part of the university''s recent expansion project. By a stroke of coincidence, the Archaeology lecturer was present, and he called out frantically for the construction workers to handle the wooden block with care. After cleaning it, it was discovered that it was the board of an ancient zither! The age-old instrument was then delivered to Yang Na, the lecturer in charge of Ethnomusicology, for further examination and study. Judging by the number of strings able to be fixed upon on the zither, Yang Na concluded that the zither had come from a time no later than the Song Dynasty. Zithers had only five strings when it was first invented. As time went on, zither eventually had more strings added until it was thirteen in the Song Dynasty. Zithers nowadays have twenty-one strings altogether. With a fresh set of strings installed, at the pestering of her students, Yang Na played a song¡ªthe "Liu Qing Niang". None of them knew that the song had become the deathly requiem that had almost heralded their demise.


    After her collapse, Yang Na was rushed to the hospital immediately. But in the following days, students began to faint and lose consciousness. As days went by, more and more students were sent to the same hospitals and everyone exhibited the very same symptoms as their lecturer, Yang Na. All of them were suffering from breathing problems and unconsciousness. By the end of the week, almost all of the students of the zither class were all ridden with the same strange illness. These were the very same students who were present when Yang Na played the "Liu Qing Niang" song.


    At the same time, I received a call from the university, bidding me to return to school to collect my graduation certificate. At the university, I encountered the mysterious zither of archaic origins and came to know of the strange illness that plagued the entire class and the story of what happened. With the help of a junior, I was led to the hospital where my teacher, Yang Na, was at, where I found everyone kept in quarantine for examination. Not long later, the junior girl revealed, she and another junior girl were absent from class that day; hence they had escaped from the curse of the deathly requiem that now was trying to ensnare the lives of the entire class.


    I went to the doctor and requested to speak to him to find out more about everyone''s conditions. Unexpectedly, everyone was experiencing similar signs of unconsciousness and breathing problems. But only the teacher, Yang Na, was suffering from heavier symptoms. After the talk, I requested permission from the doctor to visit Yang Na, citing my identity as her former student. With the doctor''s consent, I came to the quarantine area where I found the corridor of the quarantine ward was filled with many people. Noticing the distressed and concerned expressions on their faces, I knew that they could only be the family members of the afflicted still inside.


    With my Spirit Sight, I was able to perceive the flow of spiritual energies. Lo and behold! There was indeed a colossal scud of dark mist hanging overhead the unconscious patients. From outside the windows of the ward, I could see that they were tainted by the foul spiritual energies swirling above them. This must be the reason that they were still out cold.


    I drifted to the end of the corridor and extracted my Spirit Gourd, the magical tool that my father had given to me, and muttered some incantations. I unstoppered my Gourd and felt a strong pulling force emitting from within the Gourd, a force trying to suck in everything like a black hole. I walked in the direction of the other end of the corridor, passing by the quarantine ward while strands of foul spiritual energies were drawn from under the doors into my Gourd.


    I reached the other end of the corridor and returned the stopper to my Gourd. As I wrung the cover of my Gourd tightly, jubilant cries came from the quarantine ward, screaming, "They''re up! They have wakened up!" Not far away at another corner, excited whoops of joys too came, saying, "Everyone this side is waking up too!" The hurried patters of footfalls of the doctors and nurses came swiftly towards the direction of the quarantine ward.


    After some time of waiting, the doctor walked out through the doors of the ward after seeing his last patient. He had been going through every patient over the previous ten minutes. He yanked off his face mask and reported to the worried parents waiting near the stairway, "All the patients have regained consciousness. But we still need some time observing them. With everyone having the same symptoms, we have to be wary in case this could be a new epidemic. Hence we will still have to keep everyone here under quarantine." A shaky voice came from the midst of the anxious crowd suddenly. "My wife is still not up, Doctor? How is she?" The voice came from a man grieving over his wife, upset that she was still unconscious. This must be Yang Na''s husband. I went to her ward quietly and looked through the window. An oxygen mask was clasped over her face and she was still passed out. I heard the doctor said, "Your wife''s condition is a tad serious compared to the others. Although she''s still not yet awake, have no fear! I''m sure she will be up very soon." However, his words did little to put ease into me. Noticing the beads of sweat forming on his forehead, I knew that Yang Na''s condition was much worse than what the doctor could allow himself to convey!


    The doctor spun on his heels and turned to leave. But I knew. I knew that the deadlock threatening their lives were far from over. I saw a parent of one of the students suddenly and saw that her eyes were red and watery. I recognized the student she was looking at; a girl named Su Yixuan. This gave me an idea. I immediately ran, chasing after the doctor. The junior girl who had come with me to the hospital, seeing that I had made pursuit suddenly without a word, followed just behind me, scuttling swiftly together with me.


    I called after the doctor as I ran. Finally, when I caught up to him, he stopped, but his eyes conveyed nothing but anxiety and fear without any need to say anything. From his trembling eyes that tried to avoid contact with mine, I knew. The problems were far from the end! I questioned the doctor, "Tell me the truth about my fellow students, doctor. How are they?" The doctor looked fearfully at me and managed but a few words. "Y-you, you are..." I made up a story. The plan that I thought up just moments ago. "I am a fellow student of theirs, the boyfriend of the patient Su Yixuan. I did not dare ask you about this earlier because her parents are present and they are immensely worried. But your look tells me that they are..." As I spoke, the junior girl beside me was agape with shock. "Oh my, Senior... So you and Su Yixuan are..." I shot her a silencing glare and gestured for her to stop. The doctor gasped unconvincingly. "N-no, no! There''s nothing wrong! It''s only an infection..." With my eyes squinted I came very close to him and whispered, "Speak the truth, doctor. Surely you remember the Hippocratic Oath you''d taken when you take up this calling to be a physician."


    Somehow, my words seemed to resonate strongly with him for it seemed to have done the trick. Cold sweat trickled noiselessly down his forehead as I held him in a fixed stare eye-to-eye. Seconds ticked by until he finally heaved a heavy breath and squeaked. "Bad. All of them are in bad shape, truth be told. It is a virus that we have yet to identify, one that affects human''s breathing. None of our antibiotics seem to be working, and everyone''s condition is deteriorating. For some reason, everyone has woken up. But your teacher, the one surnamed Yang, I''m afraid she''s..." But the doctor''s voice seemed to harden with renewed resolve suddenly as he said, "But relax. We have set up a task force to look into this matter and find out any remedies as soon as possible..." I cut him short at once and said, "I know a physician who''s extremely skilled in Chinese medicine. He''s a master when it comes to dealing with weird and strange illnesses." There was a glimmer of interest that flashed for a brief instant in the doctor''s eyes. "Which medical institute is he from? All would be well if we''re able to..."


    In truth, the person that I was talking about was another counselor from the National Studies Institute. As I had mentioned earlier, the counselors at the Institute consist of my father, Old Man Chen, Uncle Quan, and lastly, another old man. He was the Institute''s counselor in the field of Chinese medicine, Xie Bingyi. Despite being also a man who had seen the same amount of winter and summers as Old Man Chen, Master Xie looked very much younger and spirited than his colleague. His prowess in the field of Chinese medicine was second to none, with most of the skills that he possessed a trove of carefully hoarded knowledge from his family''s dawning years. This would also explain his lack of professional educational credentials, despite his unrivaled expertise. But he was known in the town for being a short fuse; a prideful person who was quick to anger. Ever refusing to treat common ailments and minor maladies, he was infamous of guarding his secrets with utmost jealousy and zeal, evading even from helping the poor and needy by becoming a barefoot doctor. But he was also known to be an honest man. He would never withhold the truth of his patients, even if a sickness or disease was beyond his abilities to cure. He would say, "This illness is out of my powers! Go seek someone else for help!" Therefore his name began to spread, and everyone knew that he was a person who spoke only the truth. Patients who sought for his help consider him a worthy gamble, for he only treated patients that he has confidence in helping.


    I replied to the doctor, "He''s not any specialist from any medical institution. But he''s famous for being able to handle weird and strange illnesses. He''s from the Wu Zhong County..." The doctor interjected suddenly with surprise. "Could it be the Old Man Xie from the National Studies Institute? But he is never amenable to treating patients outdoor, and I''m afraid that the current conditions of the patients do not permit..." I shook my head and calm him down. "Relax. I have my ways." I took out my phone and dialed Old Man Xie''s number...

 Chapter 28 Xie Bingyi

    Old Man Xie, as Xie Bingyi was affectionally known as within the walls of the Institute, was hardly a counselor there only because of his medical knowledge and healing abilities. The National Studies Institute, for all intents and purposes, was not a medical institution after all. Old Man Xie was there because of the hereditary wizardly healing skills he inherited from his forefathers¡ªthe mystical healing skills of Zhuyou (Shamanistic Healing).


    Although the technique of wishing is the first of the 13 subjects of ancient Chinese medicine, it is also a cure for the sick, but it is a thing of witchcraft, that is to say, it contains many methods for treating the evil spirits into the body. This is why Comrade Lao Xie can treat many intractable diseases. But this is also one of the reasons why Lao Xietou is not seen by his peers. Other old Chinese doctors chat about things like pharmacy. He is good. Just chatting is a matter of catching ghosts. Who is this? Still waiting for him! Although being widely accepted as one of the thirteen disciplines of ancient Chinese medicine, a field of study which faculties were mainly wielded to save lives, the arcane skills of Zhuyou was nevertheless a shamanistic discipline that blanketed a vast range of applications. The skills of Zhuyou geared its wielder the ability to heal the afflicted, the stricken, and the cursed that were suffering from maladies, be they the evocations of spiritual origins or the influence of conventional health complications alike. Then again, this was also the very reason behind Old Man Xie''s perpetual refusal to open his doors to any colleagues or fellow workers of the same trade. This was because he knew full well that he had nothing but his experiences on dealing with the supernatural to share, Old Man Xie had purposefully evaded any invitations for academic discussion to avoid any irk and ire that might later arise. Then again, even among the residents of the Institute, he was hardly known to be a friendly and loquacious person, preferring to keep mostly to himself. His intransigent abnegation to provide any response to my father''s call for dinner together when we were going for a barbecue repast was a faithful testament to his ever-more reclusive mien.


    As the doctor at the hospital said, the old man never came out because no one asked him to move. As the saying goes, there is only one person who can move him under the sun. One is my father and the other is me. My dad naturally does not need to say that under the sun, the old man will not serve me to serve my dad. And I can ask him to move him. There is still a reason. Although the old man is a doctor, he is ill but he can''t cure it. Therefore, the doctor had been right when he said that Old Man Xie had never left his door to attend to a patient. There was no one whose call he would answer, save for my father''s and mine. At this point, there would hardly be any need to inflate further the balloon that was my father''s eminence and illustriousness. The old man reserved only the greatest respect and admiration for my father. But there was a tale behind the reason the old man would answer my calls. Despite being a masterful healer himself, the old man was unable to cure himself when he was once sick. He was so ill that he required immediate medical attention, yet still, he doggedly refused to admit himself into a hospital. With no other options at hand, I had had to summon for another physician who came to us and attended his illness. Since then, my father and I had become the only two whose request for favors the old man would never refuse.


    I dialed the old machine of Lao Xie, and a lazy voice came out from the phone: "Hey boy, look for aunt." I did not talk nonsense directly to the phone: "uncle! I am at school, something went wrong, someone has to blame! The doctor of the hospital is not good, you have to give it to you! ¡± I did not expect the old man to say in a lazy voice: "Oh? I talked to my nephew, then I have to go. Wait, uncle, go to the station and wait for the bus.¡± My heart is dark, you old guy, lazy you got it! So I once again made a panic, adding a bit of anxiously to the phone and said: "Oh my uncle! Hundreds of thousands of fire! I made a call to Old Man Xie''s phone. Before long, I heard the lethargic and lazy voice coming from the earpiece of the receiver. "What can I do for you, my boy?" Without a moment to lose, I blathered nervously. "I''m at my university, old man, and there are many people here who are sick! I need your help! The doctors here are hardly useful!" Still, for all the stress and jitters I had summoned into my voice, the old man still managed to remain lackadaisical and disinterested. Nevertheless, he replied, "Oh? Very well... I''ll come over and have a look since you''ve called... Give me a moment. I''ll get to the station and wave down a car." Damn your bloody car, you old man! I thought to myself. Feigning a panic rush I did not feel, I cried into the mouthpiece. "Oh for goodness'' sakes, Old Man! Come quickly! It''s my girlfriend''s life at stake here!"


    That seemed to work, for the old man''s voice rose suddenly with an anxious twang. "What!? Oh dear me! All right, my boy! Just you wait! I''ll be there in no time!" I spoke into the phone again, "Not the station, for the love of Heaven! Go downstairs and ask for Lin Feng. He''ll drive you here!" It was barely minutes after I put away my phone, and Lin Feng came calling, asking me about my location.


    After some delay, I placed another call to the old man, filling him on some details about the patients'' conditions while he was on the way. Old Man Xie''s expeditious journey took more than an hour, until his old but still vigorous person rushed through the doors of the hospital, huffing and puffing for breath. Both the director and the chief physician of the hospital were already waiting by the entrance like docile little boys, humble and respectful. The welcoming entourage was hastily assembled when the news of Old Man Xie''s coming was announced.


    As he paced into the hospital and saw me, Old Man Xie asked immediately, "My boy! There you are! Where''s this girlfriend of yours?" I shot him a fiery stare and said, "Just take a look at all of them together, old man. And one more thing, her parents know nothing of our relationship! Be careful with your trap!" Of course, the girl was not my girlfriend at all. I only told him this to drill a sense of urgency into the old man. He nodded thoughtfully to me and asked about more details on the patients. I told him the full story and said, "I have expelled all foul energies from the patients. But this has only helped in allowing them to regain consciousness. I''m afraid their predicament continues to deteriorate by the second..." At the mention that all the patients were kept in quarantine wards, the old man spoke plainly to the director of the hospital, "Have them all relocated from the quarantine wards. This is not an infectious disease." But the chief physician beside him implored. "But Master Xie... We have yet to receive a confirmation... Would it not be a little risky..." Old Man Xie, prideful of his unparalleled skills in medicine, cast a cold glare at the chief physician and snapped. "You will be wise to take my word for it! The entire university would have already been lying in beds here if the disease is indeed so nastily virulent." Otherwise, how do you explain why only those who were in the zither lessons classroom were affected, and those who were playing the erhu are all good and well?" Both the director and the chief physician fell quiet, stunned speechless without knowing how to answer. Yet, there were merits to the old man''s assertions that they had to agree with.


    Nevertheless, many hurdles had to be negotiated. At long last, the patients were all released from isolation. Back at the patients'' ward, Old Man Xie first examined everyone''s pulses. When he was satisfied with his findings, he sat alone and pondered for minutes until he came to me with a question. "Have you heard of beefsteak plants, my boy?" I shook my head without saying a thing, indicating that I had not heard of the plant before. To my surprise, it was the director of the hospital beside me who said suddenly, "I have!" The old man shot him a look of disdain and hissed. "And how do you suppose you''d be able to help if you know what is it?" The director''s mouth instantly snapped shut, feeling embarrassed. I shook my head again and replied, "Just be frank, old man. What do I have to do?" Old Man Xie''s head dipped slightly as he began. "Go with Lin Feng to the villages around here and look for some. Refer to Baidu if you do not know what it looks like." My God, I thought. The old senile knew what Baidu was! I had never thought he would keep himself abreast of modern technology! The chief physician bent down and spoke softly to Old Man Xie, "Err... Master Xie. The pharmacies around here have beefsteak plants for sale if you need them. Why do you need these boys to go around looking for them?" Seemingly annoyed by the chief physician doctor, Old Man Xie shot another cold look at the man and grumbled with apparent indignation. "And do you think I know nothing of that? Why do you think I''m here if the beefsteak plants in pharmacies around here are usable!" But the chief physician, knowing that another question would warrant another round of venomous spat by Old Man Xie, braved himself to manage another question. "Err... If you would please advise us of the reason, Master Xie." Whatever hopes that the chief physician had to learn something would immediately fade like ebbing cinders; the flames of his inquisitiveness to learn doused by the old witch doctor''s stubborn verve to guard his secrets, for Old Man Xie snorted and merely grunted. "Why would I want old and frayed beefsteak plants! They''re useless!"


    Realizing that the chief physician could inadvertently be stirring up a hornet''s nest, I rushed to stop him before he could utter another syllable. "So be it, doctor. Say no more lest you anger him. See to it that his requests are fulfilled while I''m away. We''ll be back shortly." With that, I left the hospital with Lin Feng, who then asked me, "Shi Yan, what is actually a beefsteak plant?" I showed him an image of the plant I found on the Web with my mobile phone and replied, "I believe we''ve seen this plant before when we''re young. It''s planted in villages to be used to ward off bugs and mosquitos. I''ve heard of people stir-frying them for food. They have a very strong smell; strong but fragrant to the nose."


    In no time, Lin Feng and I went from town to town, buying bundles of the herb from the villages. On our way back, Lin Feng asked again, "What do you think these herbs will be used for, Shiyan? Surely they''re not for ingestion?" I giggled and said, "Not that it''s unusual. Old Man Xie is after all a witch-doctor skilled in the secret healing methods of Zhuyou (Shamanistic Healing). There might be myriads of ways for him to use these herbs. If I had not first expelled the foul energies from the patients, Old Man Xie might have even fed the patients with drinks mixed with talisman ashes." With our conversation to distract us as we journeyed, we reached the entrance of the hospital. A huge flock of nurses and doctors were already waiting impatiently at the foyer of the hospital when we returned. Recognizing our vehicle, the white deluge of white-robed nurses and doctors poured out of the doors swiftly, earnestly unloading the bundles of herbs off the car.


    It did not take long for the hospital staff to cook and fry the herbs. Finally, a staff member presented a bowl of the fried beefsteak plants to Old Man Xie. A cloud of appetizing aroma rose from the bowl of herbs, so tantalizing that I almost wanted to try a mouthful myself. Satisfied, Old Man Xie directed the doctors and nurses to feed the cooked herbs to all of the patients. There were whiffs of whispers and hushed words of doubts buzzing around, but the doctors could do nothing but hope that their faith in Old Man Xie was hardly misplaced. The old man stepped into the patients'' ward and saw the puzzled and uncertain look on the victims'' faces as they stared at the bowls of herbs laid before them. He said, "Go ahead. Eat up. You will be cured once you''ve eaten the herbs." But Yang Na''s husband rose to his feet, the distrust and angst evident in his quivering voice as he cried. "But doctor, my wife is still unconscious! How can she consume this medicine!" The old man glanced at Yang Na briefly and muttered, "That''s simple. Just grind the herbs into powder and mix it with water. Feed her slowly." ...


    The hospital staff busied themselves like working ants, running around to attend to everyone, making sure that everyone had taken the herbs. Some of the patients that exhibited lighter symptoms began to feel their uneasiness and difficulties in breathing slowly diminishing as they ate. They were almost fully healed by the time they finished their share, slowly fading into sleep. After being fed the bowl of herb-mixed liquid, Yang Na''s face slowly refreshed with renewed vitality and zest, the complexion on her face slowly returning to normal. Old Man Xie said suddenly, "Her condition is heavier compared to the others. It may take a night until she awakens. But be at ease. She''ll fully recover in three days." He turned and walked out of the ward, gesturing to Lin Feng and me to follow him. But the director of the hospital, realizing that Old Man Xie was quietly taking his leave, immediately instructed his nurses and doctors to stop him. "Please stay, Master Xie. You have done us a great service today! Please allow me to offer my deepest gratitude for you coming here today!" But Old Man Xie grumbled impatiently. "I''m not here to help you. It''s all for the sake of my boy''s future wife..." I shot a swift glare at the old man, who realized that he might have misspoken and immediately feigned a cough and grunted. "Ahem. Everything''s said and done. What else do you require of an old man like me?"


    Catching on Old Man Xie''s irritated impatience, the director quickly said, "Oh! No, no, no! I thought of treating you to dinner as a token of appreciation for your help today." "This is fair," I thought. I nudged Old Man Xie in his ribs and gestured him to agree. It was apparent that he had no intention of accepting. But at my behest, he reluctantly nodded. Afterward, three vehicles rolled out of the gates of the hospital. The director of the hospital with the chief physician led at the front in the first car while Old Man Xie and I were in the second car and Lin Feng at the back, driving his car.


    Sitting next to me in the car, Old Man Xie said to me, "This is hardly just a meal, my boy." Puzzled and confused, I asked, "How so, old man? They are treating you to a meal as appreciation." The old man scoffed. "Do you truly believe for a second that this is a meal to thank me, you naive boy? There are thousands of ways in which they could have conveyed their gratitude. But why stop me from leaving?"

 Chapter 29 The Lecture

    I was under the notion that Old Man Xie had refused the director''s offer because he did not want any more relation to strangers. Even so, as we were on our way to the restaurant, the old man revealed to me that the dinner was only a guise for the director''s ulterior motive. Then again, Old Man Xie''s bizarre way of curing the patients had indeed sent ripples of wonders across everyone at the hospital. It should have been expected that they would most certainly want to know the truth behind the old man selection of the herb. With Lin Feng behind us, we followed the director''s car and came to a restaurant. From the design of its outer facade, it seemed that the director had decided no price was too high to learn a thing or two from the great Xie Bingyi. The meal here would surely hardly be able to escape a three-figure bill.


    Once we got to the table, the director began pouring wine for Old Man Xie in earnest. "Master Xie," he said, "Your reputation precedes you. To think that we have the fortune to receive you today..." Beside him, Old Man Xie looked more interested in quaffing his wine than responding to his theatrics. But the director was hardly a simple person. Realizing Old Man Xie''s frostiness, he turned to me and raised his glass. "Still, we have you to thank, young man. If it were not for you who had help enlisted Master Xie for his help, we would still be neck-deep in trouble!" He immediately emptied his glass respectfully and I too drained my tumbler in a gulp. Seeing this, the director commended. "You drink well, young man." I flashed a thin smile in reply, saying nothing. "Long have we heard that Master Xie prefers a quiet and simple life," the director continued, "A talented recluse who never leaves his abode to treat a patient. But yet, Master Xie chose the humble vocation of serving as a counselor at a National Studies Institute. Since you are able to request for Master Xie''s immediate help, I wager that you are also hardly unextraordinary yourself, young man!" You clearly heard how Old Man Xie had spoken to me, I thought quietly. Surely the pompous imbecile had more or less surmised our closeness. By complimenting me, the director, now swelling with fetid flatulence, was obliquely giving Old Man Xie a raving ovation. Instead, Old Man Xie, after hearing his portentous words of tribute, merely snorted morbidly, sending a wave of chill across the table and everyone''s smile froze, embarrassed and flustered. Pretending that nothing had happened, the director begged meekly. "Earlier, I heard Master Xie addressing you as ''my boy''... Are you..." "My father is the head person of the Institute," I said sharply, cutting him off as he returned with a bewildered "Oh".


    The blank and dry conversation went on, with only the wine to keep it from breaking down. After three rounds of the alcohol, the director finally decided to prod and quench his burgeoning curiosity. "Err... Master Xie..." The director began, albeit hesitantly. "The prescription you had come up with earlier at the hospital... Truth be told, we understand nothing of everything. We do not know why was the herb chosen, and the bacteria remains one that we have yet to identify. None of our antibiotics worked against it. We realize we barely graze the surface of your extensive knowledge. If you would please..." Old Man Xie shot a blistering glare at both the director and chief physician that the two men held their breaths before the old man''s demeanor subsided suddenly as he sighed. "Aye... Very well... It''s only for the sake of my boy here that I''ll give a short lecture today!" The joyous beams of the smiles on the two man''s faces shone as they rejoiced at their fortune. But amid their spree, I sat alone with a cloud of gloom hanging over my head. My God, I braced myself. "The old man''s up for another of his boring preaching," I said to myself.


    "The vocation of healing, no matter Western or Chinese medicine, strays not from the path of battling against bacteria and viruses." The old man embarked on his oratory. "But through the never-ending war of attrition we healers wage against the waves of invasion by bacterias, we, the healers, are hardly the greatest winner and the key to the victory; definitely not the bacterias, but the patients themselves!" The old man paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink it as he took another swig off his glass. "Oh?!" The director remarked, his back straightened like a young and ardent soldier, waiting for his orders from a superior. "Why is that so?" The old man asked, and had another swipe on his glass. "It''s the patient''s own immune system that ultimately deals the fatal blow and vanquishes the bacterias! When you treat the flu, the medicine we prescribe to our patients work partially to ease the aggravations our patients suffer during their illness; the medicine does not fully eliminate the bacteria. It would be the immune system of the patient''s own body that eventually eradicates the bacteria. And sometime after, the body of the patient will begin to develop a certain immunity towards the same bacteria."


    The director and chief physician were bobbing their heads; their wide eyes fixed at the old man with intense concentration. I might know nothing of medicine, but the behavior of the two men that seemed like boys before Old Man Xie gave the impression that his words were nothing but the truth. The old man continued on his sermon, "The human body is an indescribable and unfathomable complexity of its own. But we know that in the center of this complex biological structure lies the brain, as you practitioners of Western medicine believe. But I''m afraid that''s wrong. When a person cuts his finger, do you ask the patients how many blood cells have been used to stem the bleeding? How many more other cells will be used to repair the wound? Through the brain, you can fetter your movements and command your leg to not move, but it will still shake and kick if I were to apply pressure on certain points with a needle using Chinese acupuncture, won''t you say?" The director and the chief physician nodded obediently again, hinting their agreement. The old man seemed to be enjoying himself as he began to feel pleased with himself. As if filled with another shot of passion, he began droning on his usual speech of how he discovered how to blend the shamanistic healing methods of Zhuyou and Chinese medicine.


    "But in truth, when we heal someone, our methods communicate with the command center! The one that we call the ''heart'' in Chinese medicine. But in today''s world, it is colloquially known as the real heart in the human body. But damn the Western to Chinese translations! When Western medicine first reached our shores, the efforts to produce better translation were terrible! When Chinese say ''Xin Xiang Shi Cheng'' (literally May The Wish from Your Heart Comes True), does that wish comes from the heart? When we say ''this person is kind-hearted'', does the thought comes from the heart? The core concept of Chinese medicine, All Methods Are Birthed From the Heart; but do the healing methods sprang from our hearts? It is neither the brain nor the heart that captains the human body. When a baby is born, the baby''s umbilical cord is first clamped and cut to prevent infection. This is to inform the command center of the human body that the umbilical cord is not needed and the human body will abandon it. This will trigger a series of biological processes to prepare to relinquish the unwanted part. This is how the navel on human bodies come to be. A perfect demonstration of how the command center works. A patient becomes sick, is because a malfunction in the system is causing the command center to think that the malignant cells are natural to the human body. Doctors of Western medicine like you will use surgery to remove the infected cells to try disrupting the process and reboot the system. But if after some time, the system still continues to allow the existence of the malignant cells in the human body, it becomes what you Western healers call as ''spreading'', only sometimes it''s not the disease spreading. It''s because the malignant cells have revived. Therefore some people will still die after a few years despite having surgery."


    "It''s like going to a bank but the guard bars you from entering. You can kill the guard and gain entry, albeit momentarily. The consequences of your action come due. Even if they don''t, there would surely be another guard the next time you come! Hence the correct way is to deal with the bank and negotiate a pass. Then you will have a permanent association with the bank for continued access. This is the same with curing an illness: We deal with the command center of the human body. But beginning negotiations with the command center would hardly be an easy feat; it has remained the crux of the quandary that has perpetually plagued both Western and Chinese medicine, and I fear that this conundrum will continue tormenting us still."


    The old man''s revelation left a lingering silence in the room. Both the director and the chief physician were wide-mouthed in amazement. They had not expected that Old Man Xie would deliver a discovery so alien and unheard of using Western comparisons. Still, Old Man Xie had kept much of his discoveries from them. The ancient skills of Zhuyou (Shamanistic Healing) believed in the healing of souls, a concept which was also accepted within the circle of Chinese medicine, which, in ancient times, used to cover a broader spectrum of both human mental and physique when it came to healing. This ancient healing disciplines of archaic China was what manifested the Zhuyou shamanistic healing techniques. The core concept of Chinese medicine that he had earlier mentioned, All Methods are Birthed From The Heart, referred, in truth, to the soul. Being both colleagues of dealing with the supernatural, both Old Man Xie and I believed in the existence of souls, ghosts, and whatnot. But to explain this concept using the term "command center of the human body" was indeed a touch of genius by the old man indeed.


    It took seconds for the director to recover from his stupor. "Oh my!" He gasped, "What great words from a great man! No amount of studies and books would ever outdo listening to one of your lectures, Master Xie! I''m beginning to feel that the things we learned in medical school were nothing but the mere tip of an iceberg!" The old man waved him off dismissively. "Enough with your prattle. Back to our case. What happens if a man from the Tang or Song Dynasty is transported to the present time?" The chief physician was quick to the take, answering immediately, "He will die fast. There are lots of bacterias that have not existed back then, and his immune system will not be able to deal with all these bacterias at once. He''ll never live long." The old man nodded, satisfied with the answer. He asked again, "But if the bacterias from ancient times were to infiltrate the body of a human from the present time, would the human be able to survive?" The chief physician fell silent; so was the director too. Who''d be able to answer such a hypothetical question, they wondered. Seeing that they both failed to answer, Old Man Xie looked at me knowingly. Realizing my cue to speak, I related the entire tale of the ancient zither and Yang Na''s contact with the instrument and the events that transpired after that. The two men listened to my tale, perplexed beyond comprehension. Old Man Xie scoffed loudly and said, "This is what caused the sickness of the students and their teacher! A bacteria that had laid in dormant through the ages following the death of its host. It had remained in slumber with the instrument which was buried together with its master. When the teacher, as skillful as she was in playing the instrument, plucked at the instrument''s strings, the vibration and resonance of the strings caused the bacteria to spread through the air and was picked up the teacher and the students. With new live hosts to thrive in, the bacteria grew and affected everyone''s body. Thus the answer to my question, the immunity that the human body developed against ancient bacteria had weakened and diminished through time. By now, our human body would have no power against bacteria of those time."


    The director and the chief physician froze with disbelief. Evidently, it was a theory that they found hard to believe. Yet, it was this theory that had allowed Old Man Xie to cure everyone. The old man reached for a bun with his chopsticks and muttered, "And how must one heal the patients if under such circumstances? With a bun? Surely not. The environment today is completely different from that of in the ancient past." The chief physician then asked, his skepticism permeating through his very self, "But why beefsteak plants? Do they contain antibodies?" Old Man Xie shook his head, saying, "Of course not. If you''re picking fruits in the mountains and suddenly you saw a tiger, but it had not noticed you. You may continue picking your fruits; the tiger might wander off without realizing you. But what if a wildfowl leaps out of nowhere and lands in front of the tiger, and it begins munching on the fruits on the ground. The tiger sees it and pounces on it, sinking its fangs into the flesh of its prey. It notices you now. But after feasting on the chicken, it finds that it is still not yet full, and another prey is just before it¡ªyou..."

 Chapter 30 Uncle Quans Derring-Do

    Naturally, the person picking fruits would hardly be able to escape the senses of the tiger when it lunged for the wildfowl. The man would also end up as a game of the tiger''s conquest to quench its hunger. Then again, the director and the chief physician understand nothing of the underlying message behind Old Man Xie''s parable; their dazed expressions fully conveying their perplexity, as if waiting for the old man to give them the answer to his riddle. Old Man Xie scowled at the two men, sighing with his ire in full display and grumbled. "You still don''t understand, do you? You nerds... For all the books you''ve been poring over... The beefsteak plant is the wildfowl that I tossed in to trigger the patients'' immune system to kick in. Moreover, beefsteak plants have a poison of their own, although the amount of toxin they contain is hardly lethal. Villagers these days neither plant beefsteak plants for food nor for chicken food but as natural pesticides. They ward off bugs and insects. The immune systems of the patients will begin working towards protecting the patients against the poison of the plant. But once the poison has been eliminated from the body, the immune system will, in turn, be dealing with the ancient bacteria which had similar properties to the poison."


    The two men remained motionless as they finally understood the entire method, fossilized in their seats at the truth of the timeworn bacteria from the ancient past. Realizing his cue to slip away, Old Man Xie lowered his glass and gestured for Lin Feng and me to leave. But we were still halfway into the meal, I grimaced, could we not wait till we were full? But the old man remarked to the two men, "I have revealed to you what you want to know. I''ll take no more questions." With that, he turned and left, leaving Lin Feng and me scurrying in his wake after tossing down our chopsticks in dismay. The two men were still awe-struck at the table, their eyes locked against each other, the mental gymnastics of them trying to juggle what Old Man Xie had just said and the reality of him leaving still left them frozen. This was why Old Man Xie chose to hardly meet anyone. He just loved being stylish and showy, riding into the sunset like a hero after slaying a monster. This was also why he barely had any friends.


    As we were driving back, I asked Old Man Xie, "Why is it that these people want to learn so much from you, old man? Not that the things you said would be useful to them..." "That depends. I told them nothing but the crux of the truth in practicing medicine. It all depends on how much they''ll be able to glean," said the old man, the whiff of pride evident on his face.


    We returned with Lin Feng back to the university, where I went to the office and collected my graduation certificate before we continued our journey back to Wu Zhong County. When we got back, I pulled Lin Feng aside and spoke to him about my intentions to strike out on my own and how I wished for him to join me. I had long been aware of Lin Feng''s interest in the supernatural. Hearing my suggestion, he readily agreed, saying with his face beaming with fiery enthusiasm. "Let''s wait no more then! Let''s start now! Look, you''d even collected your graduation cert! Have you found a place? I know there are some good spots in the north of town..." Apparently, we share the same idea! Still, there was one more piece of the puzzle yet to be solved¡ªmy father! I hesitated. "In truth, I too was interested in the spot at the north of town. But my father has yet to give me his approval. We need to first persuade my father, otherwise we would not have the capital to get everything started! How about we try speaking to your dad. Maybe he can help us by speaking on our behalf to my father, and then all might be settled in no time." Lin Feng agreed, and we each went on our ways home that night,


    The following day, my mother came to the Institute during noon. Together with my father, we were having lunch in the reception room when I heard an outburst coming from outside. I rose and went to venture a look. To my astonishment, it was Aunt Quan, Uncle Quan''s wife, dragging him just behind her while Lin Feng trailed silently at the rear, his face wearing a crestfallen look. Aunt Quan was seething and her eyes so swollen that she was close to tears. What''s more, cars were skidding to a stop outside, and many people rush out of the vehicles carrying TV cameras and microphones! There was also this young lady who was cradling a baby in her arms, muttering something incomprehensibly as she too, was swept into the Institute with the rowdy crowd. What''s going on, I wondered, before I realized this was a live recording of a domestic quarrel! Once inside, Aunt Quan was the first to burst. "Please, Brother Hai! Please speak for me on my behalf!" Swiftly assessing the situation, my father motioned to my mother with a wave of his arm to intercept the recording crew from entering while my father and I separated both Uncle Quan and his wife and ushered them indoors. My mother skillfully herded the TV crew away and shut the doors behind her, making sure to keep it locked. Aunt Quan was still snarling loudly at her husband, her face flustered with anger and resentment. She was an accountant for a large state-owned enterprise a few years back and had retired. Being no stranger to adversity, she had had her fair share of dealing with unexpected incidents and episodes; her experiences of dealing with sticky situations had made her known to many of having a particularly sharp tongue. My father waved her down and steered her into a seat. "Let''s first sit down before you tell me your story!" I rushed to the refrigerator and retrieved a couple of bottles of Coke and laid them on the table for everyone. Father extracted a cigarette and handed one to Uncle Quan before lighting it for him. Aunt Quan, now unable to hold back her tears, sobbed as she screamed. "This old imbecile! I''d never know that he would be fooling around behind my back! He has, he has another family outside!


    Apparently, even my father was taken by surprise. He stared inquiringly at Lin Feng, who could say nothing but nod heavily. Aunt Quan went on, "There is no denying this. The woman is already here with a child seven to eight years old!" She continued sobbing hard. Uncle Quan, not willing to yield, spoke to my father, "You know me, Brother Hai. For so many years together, surely you know what kind of person I am!" Father raised a hand and stopped them. He paused for a moment, gave a quick thought, and said, "Please, for my sake, the both of you lay off quarreling until I understand the full story. I will get to the bottom of this, for both of you!" He left the room promptly, not forgetting to keep the door locked when he slipped out. At a loss myself, I mumbled. "Have some drink, Uncle and Aunt. Just relax and cool down for a moment. The solution will surely show itself..." The family of three sat quietly without a word as the sounds of their heavy breaths threatened to snap the palpable tension that hung like a tinderbox waiting to erupt. There was nothing I could do except to watch and hope for the best. But just when everyone least expected it, we heard the loud laughter of my father coming from outside. He came in, pushing himself through the door and bid me to lock it as he walked past me. He spoke to Aunt Quan, "I''ve understood the whole story, good sister! Pray listen to me!"


    "Good sister," said my father, "You did not know, there was once when I sent one of our accounts clerk to Dong Shan County to settle some unfinished business. But I was worried about having to send the young lady alone on a journey so far; hence I asked Brother Quan to go with her. On the way back, they encountered a traffic jam. Brother Quan had intentionally avoided using the highway and had chosen the shortcut, knowing that there were rarely road users on this shortcut. It was impossible for a traffic jam to occur there! It turned out that there was an old and battered wooden bridge hanging over the river on the way which railings had long fallen off due to disrepair. For thirty years the region of Eastern Hebei had not suffered from floods. Hence the lack of maintenance for the wooden bridge. But unexpectedly a cloudburst had caused the river to overflow that year. A passing-by vehicle on the narrow bridge had accidentally hit a woman and the woman had fallen off into the river! The driver of the vehicle, in his panic, sped away and fled. But the events hardly went unnoticed: a sightseeing bus was just behind, and a university student had recorded the entire episode on his mobile phone. But none of the occupants of the bus knew how to swim. Hence everyone could only stand by the bridge looking in vain.


    Seeing that there was a traffic jam in front, Brother Quan realized that something must be wrong on this usually-empty shortcut. He instructed the clerk to take over the driving while he walked to the front to find out what was wrong. But when he reached the bridge, he saw the crowd standing by the river. After some questions, he found out that a woman was in the water. Why are you people not in the water to rescue her, he asked hurriedly. But no one knew how to swim. Brother Quan immediately stripped off his shirt and dove into the river. In no time, he emerged from the river with the body of the woman with him. They tried all emergency first-aid and CPR, but nothing worked. The woman had been in the water for too long that she had drowned. Brother Quan could only shake his head helplessly. But his derring-do was also recorded by the university students. When he had finished putting on his clothing, a voice came from the crowd, asking everyone to make way for the hero! Brother Quan then continued his journey home. But little did he knew that the driver of the vehicle that had banged the woman into the river was an important person of the nearby village''s management. The footage of Brother Quan''s heroics was then posted on the internet under the headline of "Village Official Hits Innocent Woman Into River; Brave Hero Plunges Into River for Rescue But To No Avail" and the news became viral. Swiftly, the news of the incident spread like flashfire across the region and earned the attention of countless users of the Internet. A famous Internet icon even remarked ''Injustice in Dong Shan; the rise of a Hero from Wu Zhong". Apparently, the legions of Internet users had found out through the video footage that the vehicle Brother Quan was driving was from the Wu Zuhong County. Two online manhunts began in earnest: one to hunt down the village official who had committed the devilry of hitting the woman off the bridge to her death, while the other to find out and pay homage to the brave champion who had risked his life to recover the woman''s body. The endeavor to pursuit of Brother Quan had expanded to a magnitude so great that even local television broadcasters, prominent Internet sites and various other elements of the entire gamut of mass media took an interest in this matter that they began mobilizing their legions of reporters and newsperson to cover this issue quickly, and hence the TV crew here today! It''s just that they came at a bad time; therefore you have misunderstood their intent!" My father said, ending the first part of his tale.


    Father laughed and continued, "The woman who had drowned was called Yang Lin, a fresh graduate from university who was not yet married. She has an older sister, Yang Nan, who was not only married, but she also has a six-year-old son. Their mother, when hearing of the story of her youngest daughter''s demise, realized that Brother Quan had clambered out of the river with a dead body. Being unmarried, the soul of her daughter would become what we normally call a lonely female ghost. Lonely female ghosts normally attached themselves to the first person who came in contact with their corpse and caused harm to them. Only relatives of the person who had died would be absolved from the harm and danger. She hurriedly contacted her eldest daughter and asked for her to help save the kind man who had helped recover her youngest daughter''s body. They discussed and came up with a plan to rescue Brother Quan: They would commission a Taoist priest to produce a talisman and Brother Quan would be christened as the surrogate husband of the eldest daughter and the surrogate father of her child. At their first sight of Brother Quan, they would immediately address him as such! Therefore, when they first met, the eldest daughter had immediately called Brother Quan ''husband'' and her child ''father''! The manner of address was in fact for the benefit of the ghost who had attached itself to Brother Quan. Only this way, they could lead her spirit home! The reporters and TV crew that came knew nothing of this and they too had misunderstood the entire fiasco! The eldest daughter is still outside, holding the clothes that her sister had worn before she died!" My father said again to Aunt Quan, "This is the truth, good sister. You''ll only have to acknowledge when the child addresses you as ''Step-mother''! Everything is for Brother Quan''s sake! It''s their gesture of kindness to their benefactor, no?"


    Aunt Quan, the tingle of doubt and skepticism still evident in her voice, turned to me and asked, "Is the female ghost still here?" Caught unawares, I was stunned briefly by her question, but I quickly replied, "Oh! Of course!" I slipped out of the door and muttered to myself, impossible! I called out loudly at the crowd, "May I know who''s the sister of the deceased lady?" A woman came forth with a small boy. "Go inside," I said, "And light up the talisman!" She entered through the door and burned the yellow piece of talisman she brought with her. She ambled over to Uncle and Aunt Quan and knelt by their feet, bowing deeply once, before she rose to her feet and extracted the clothes of her deceased sister she had brought with her from a bundle. Softly, she called, "Let''s go home, Xiao Lin (Literally, Little Lin)!" The boy too began to cry. "Let us go home together, Aunt! Let''s go home!" I watched the boy, feeling a pang of nostalgia that reminded me of myself when I was young. The woman then left, tugging her son with her and the frenzied crowd of reporters and camera-toting TV crews rushed forward, their patience failing precipitously. I yelled at them. "Hey, this part is not for broadcast!" There were a few muffled "All rights" and "Okays" from the crowd as they shuffled after the leaving mother and son. Their echoing footfalls resounded through the stairwell as they left with the voices of inquisitive newspersons asking enthusiastically, "Your husband''s bravery is well noted and appreciated by the public! I trust your family has always had the habit of instilling moral values and virtues..."

 Chapter 31 Business Groundwork

    With the news reporters and TV crews buzzing around the woman and her son like bees drawn to honey as the entire retinue retreated down the stairs, I saw the chance to flee indoors quietly, and I took it. With a wave to everyone else inside, we left the Institute quickly.


    That night, Uncle and Aunt Quan were adamant in wanting to buy us dinner for my father''s help. He said to my father, "Come on, Brother Hai. We''re as close as brothers! There''s no need to be shy! I would have died a wronged man if not for your help today! Come, we''ll have some wine too!" "Indeed, Brother Hai! The Gordian Knot of our predicament would not have been resolved if not for you! Come come come!" Aunt Quan quipped as well. Resigned to their relentless pestering, my family joined Uncle Quan with his wife and son at a restaurant. Uncle and Aunt Quan made full sure that my parents'' glasses were full as we waited for the dishes, and round after round, they emptied their glasses and refilled them swiftly with pure exuberance. At last, my father said, "Our dinners together rarely come with such ceremony, Brother Quan. Is there any furtive agenda to this meeting?"


    My father had only finished speaking, when the ever-familiar laughter of Old Man Chen came sardonically from the threshold of our room''s entrance, "As expected of Brother Hai! Heh heh heh!" It was the same laughter¡ªthe trademark of Old Man Chen''s arrival whenever he made an appearance. Yuan Chongxi held his arm as the teacher and student entered the room slowly. My father smiled with squinted eyes and exclaimed, "So there is indeed more than meets the eye with tonight''s dinner!"


    With everyone seated comfortably, the binge of food and wine continued. Uncle Quan raised his glass at Father and said, "My son told me of Shiyan''s wish to strike out on his own with my son. I have spoken to Brother Chen of this matter, and we have come to an agreement that the young fledglings have grown up. It is time for them to spread their wings. I too, have the wish to allow my son to see the world for himself. He''s just too raw!" Realizing his cue, Old Man Chen added, "Indeed, he''s right! Look at my student! He too could do with some seasoning!" My father listened to the two elders trying to proselytize their intentions, rubbing his chin and replied, "I have no objections as to allowing these three rascals to start out on their own. But surely we have to acknowledge the fact that the trade of dealing with the supernatural affords no rich wealth in return! I''m only concerned that the proceeds from such a venture might not be sufficient for them three..." Uncle Quan recognized that my father''s misgivings and knew that he did not utterly object to the idea. He said again, "This is not about money! This is about allowing more space for the fledglings to spread their wings and see the world for themselves! Look at my son! He is still inexperienced in the ways of the world and his wushu skills need sharpening!" Old Man Chen too said, taking up the litany of persuasion, "Veritably. For all my greatness, I have lived a simple and poor man for my whole life. But when I frown at my student''s inferior prowess, I could not help wondering if he would suffer being more impoverished than I am!" Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi shared a quick look and smiled furtively as if they were complicit in some mischief.


    My father drained his glass with one gulp and replied, "Very well. Since these three rascals here have you two to help wheedle their way through me, I might as well allow them to give it a try!" The trio of us young man looked at each other with smiles lined across our faces as we exulted and reveled at the green light.


    The next day, we began to set our plans in motion. With the financing from my father, Lin Feng, Yuan Chongxi and I rented a shop unit on the north side of the town. The new shop was at a nifty location and was part of a newly-developed area. Therefore the surroundings were still relatively vacant. Contrary to most tenants of a new shoplot who usually agree only to a minimum term of rental, we had taken up to a two-year tenancy offer and we did not bargain for a discount. Money was hardly an issue for us, especially for my father, who rarely had any sense with pecuniary matters. Despite not being a large and bustling city, the County of Wu Zhong was a warren of individuals with hidden talents and affluence, just like my father. Lin Feng too had not chipped in any disapproval with the selection of our shop unit, for his father too was in truth an opulent person himself. Uncle Quan was also one of the fortunate ones to enjoy the perks of the government''s urban development. It was only after his retirement that he came to the Institute and began serving as a wushu counselor here. Only Yuan Chongxi was mildly shocked when he heard the price tag of the unit we rented. For twenty years of growing up and studying by his teacher, he had never seen such an amount of money. But it was hardly a subject both Lin Feng and I wanted to moot, knowing of the woeful afflictions of the Five Detriments and Three Dearths upon Old Man Chen. But we did ask Yuan Chongxi later if his teacher kept money of his own, and he revealed that his teacher did keep some money in the past, although he had long since stopped from doing so. Yuan Chongxi then told me that every time Old Man Chen had money, woe would come looking for the old man or his student. They might be sick or they might even be injured due to accidents. What money they had would surely be exhausted. This could only be attributed to their destinies, said Yuan Chongxi to me. Through his whole life, the old man must have endured a lifetime of serving the penances of his sins.


    Time passed swiftly as we busied ourselves with the groundwork of our new venture. After more than a week, our new venture was ready to set sail. The shoplot was renovated to maintain a vintage Chinese elegance that illustrated the distinguish and classical nature of the origin of our trade. A look into the shop would look like a walk through the passage of Time and catch a glimpse of the Oriental mystique of ancient China. Still, the sight of three young men, who looked no more than thirty, manning the store might seem odd and dispel any hopes of potential clients. Nevertheless, thrilled at our fresh start, we put our arms over each other''s shoulders and together went to enjoy a meal of hotpot. Now that our business had begun leaving the safe harbor, we agreed that it was prudent for us to save money, hence we only ate at a simple restaurant.


    There was a quote that said that a good friend would never defy from standing in harm''s way for you the second you ask¡ªbut a great friend would do it without being asked at all. There could only be so rare the few moments in one''s life when great friends would come around, more so when I had two with me. We sat in together in the hotpot restaurant; Yuan Chongxi was busy making the order for us while Lin Feng and I would continuously poke fun at him. Yuan Chongxi, usually the honest and dull one among us, was constantly the object of our pranks and jokes. But he was never once angry, for he understood full well that it was our way of showing brotherhood and attention towards him; we harbored no ill will towards him.


    Just then, the doors of the restaurant swung open to admit a young woman, dressed flamboyantly and looking similar to us in age. She came alone, wearing a snapback over her long, purple-dyed hair. I cast a knowing look at Lin Feng, smiling playfully. Lin Feng immediately caught the gist of my intent and nudged Yuan Chongxi while pouring a glass of wine. He slid the glass to Yuan Chongxi and grinned wickedly, saying, "How about a bet? Try to convince this girl to drink this glass of wine, old boy, and I''ll foot tonight''s bill!" "And I''ll settle the bill for tomorrow''s dinner!" I quipped as well. Instead of telling us off for our witty mischief, Yuan Chongxi, much to our surprise, rose to his feet without a word and strode towards the girl with the glass of wine in his hand while wearing the perpetual blank look on his face.


    Lin Feng and I nearly blurted as we watched him move slowly to the young lady. He stopped at the woman''s table and propped himself into the chair opposite of hers. To our surprise and amazement, the woman yelled loudly, "Yuan Chongxi!? It''s been a long time!" The impish smiles on our face, just when we were anticipating a hilarious spectacle, froze instantly. What is this?! What a bloody coincidence! The woman knew Yuan Chongxi! I heard a voice in me began murmuring a plea, hoping that the young woman would not drink for the glass...


    Still, it was destined that Lin Feng and I would lose the bet. We watched as Yuan Chongxi said something to the young woman and she immediately took the glass and emptied it in one gulp. "Oh my God!" was probably the very same words that appeared in both our minds. For all the ridiculous fun and jokes we had made on Yuan Chongxi, it was us who had fallen into our own trap this time. Yuan Chongxi chatted with the lady and pointed to our table. The young lady turned to us and smiled politely, waving her hand at us. Feeling so abashed that we almost look for a crevice to creep into, we could only wave sheepishly back at her, smiling back to return the courtesy.


    But that was the least of our shock, for after talking for a while, Yuan Chongxi led the girl over to join us! I managed a stupid grin at the young woman while I flustered ridiculously, "Ah... Ha..." Lin Feng too flashed an equally goofy smile at her, sniggering in a silly manner, "Heh heh heh..." There was a tangible uneasiness between us three, as we were unfamiliar with each other, and Yuan Chongxi''s ignorance to introduce us was hardly helping. Realizing that I needed to break the ice for Lin Feng himself was hardly a person good with words when it came to dealing with the fairer gender, my voice first came to break the tension, "Hi. I am Shiyan, and this is Lin Feng. What''s your name?" The young woman gave a smile and said, "You can call me Yuanyuan for short." An unwelcomed silence hung over us again and I lost my patience, "Come on, Yuan Chongxi, you blithering idiot. Introductions!" Only now Yuan Chongxi realized his mistake and hurriedly said, "Oh, yes. She is a former classmate of mine in middle school. We did not enter university after schooling, and we did not meet after that. It has been many years since we last saw each other." He gestured to us both. "These are my good friends. I know them from the National Studies Institute. This is the son of the Head Person there while this is the son of our wushu counselor, who is also a wushu master himself."


    Over the simmering steam of the hotpot and the aroma of the wine, we talked and ate and found out that Yuanyuan was in town to wait for another friend of hers. They had arranged to meet after renting a unit to stay nearby. The two women were from the same village and had come into town to look for work. We ate while we waited for her friend and when the friend arrived, we began talking about our new venture together as Lin Feng''s hands surreptitiously reached for his wallet, gripping it tightly as he grimaced with the bill he would have to settle. The lively and cheerful conversation eventually wandered to the location of our store, the interests of the young ladies broiling over the heat of the food due to their fascination in the mystics and charms of our trade.


    I mentioned that our store would be officially opened the next day and invited them to come along for a look. Overjoyed, the two young women agreed eagerly to come. Little did we know that this was only the beginning of our encounter with these two women, while Lin Feng would then have an episode of his own with Yuanyuan...

 Chapter 32 Maiden Voyage

    The clock was already showing ten when I got home that night, a drunk and groggy young man reeking of food and wine as I stumbled through the door. I saw my father relaxing, half-lying on the sofa with my mother''s head resting on his shoulders. The pair of couple was enjoying a frivolous moment of youthful entertainment watching cartoons. This sometimes begged the question, what age group was they for real? Despite their dignified and aloof presence outside, this particular pair of husband and wife could, in their most candid moments at home, behave as though they were still 5-year-olds still missing Christmas.


    Due to the warm weather that night, I laid my sleeveless shirt over the sofa and said, "Do remember to remind Old Man Li that it''s our opening day tomorrow, Father. We need him to perform something for the guests." My father grunted a "Yes", his eyes still glued to the TV screen. Old Man Li was another of the senior counselors at the Institute, known for his skills with painting and calligraphy. I but knew little of these academic skills; hence there was little I could elaborate on. I entered the bathroom and took a shower. The days grew hotter by the hour that I would certainly welcome a dip into the cool waters of a bathtub and be rid of the uncomfortable swelter.


    With most of the hangover and headache quashed with the shower, I strolled back to the living room and saw my father still sitting at the sofa, fiddling with a sword in his grip. A faint glance was sufficient to tell that the sword was hardly a common tool. A cold sparkle flashed off the shiny trims of the blade under the light of the fluorescent lamp, a warning to anyone who dared incur its wrath. Noticing that I was out, my father gestured me to sit down. My mother moved to the other end of the sofa, making space for me to sit between them both. Father threw an arm over my shoulder and said, "Your maiden voyage begins formally tomorrow! This is the opportunity where you sail into uncharted waters and see the world for yourself. I have something for you." He took up the sword and handed it to me, saying, "This sword is hardly anything rare and unique. Yet it is hardly a common blade. Now it is yours, so is the responsibility to shoulder the name of my school." I admitted, I could not help feeling a little down when I heard him. "Ah? This looks like a worthless trinket that you''d give away for charity! The sword seems ordinary!" Father scowled with displeasure and simply said, "This sword is enough to serve your current needs. Moreover, a person''s prowess comes not from the weapon you wield, but your own strength! With superior power of your own, even a branch can be wielded like a powerful sword!" I swore quietly to myself, hissing quietly to myself at my father''s remarks before I asked my father what order our family was part of. Instead, my father merely said, "Don''t ask questions that concerns you not!" My father snapped impatiently, "Just do as I say! No more nonsense from you!" And you thought that I had not realized, I thought quietly. Since the first time of broaching the subject when I was very young, my father had never been truthful to me about the order that he was once a member of. It was a secret that he had long since kept to himself, even though I could vaguely pick up a fleeting sorrow that flashed in his eyes everytime we reached this particular juncture.


    My father spoke again, asking if I had come up with a name for my new shop. I patted my puffed out chest and said, "It''s long been thought out! It''ll be called the ''De Chang Chamber of Mystics (Literally the Virtuous and Prosperous Chamber of Mystics)''!" My father stared at me before he shook his head, sighing, "What an insipid name for a shop! Change it!" I immediately retorted indignantly, "The name is enough to serve our current needs!" Father was instantly stunned by what I said while my mother was trying hard to stifle her giggles. This was one of the numerous times where our banters would seem rather akin to like-aged children bickering. "I have given it a thought! I''ll have Old Man Li help me with a sign that says ''Cultural Classics of National Studies'', written in runic scripts. At the side, I''ll have him include the range of our trade, including ''Fortune-telling, advice on nuptial arrangements and moving of premises, ritualistic assistance, remedies, and aid''!" Satisfied at last, Father nodded and said nothing more.


    Just when I thought that the sword was the last order of business, he suddenly conjured a booklet out of nowhere. The cover of the booklet was empty, with nothing but complete blankness at the front. I riffled through the pages and found illustrations of sword techniques on each page with descriptions below. The entire booklet contained the full set of skills for a whole swordplay discipline. A full mastery of the complete set of skills would see me partially learned in the arcane crafts of the order my father was part of. I turned the pages of the booklet, scanning each of them briefly and asked, "Surely this is not some secret manuscript left to you by your teacher, Father?" Father scratched at the end of his toes lazily and muttered, "Oh, of course not. I drew the illustrations myself last night." Shocked beyond words, I almost choked and yelled, "Surely this is not one of your parlor tricks, Father! I''d hope that this is not some art project you had done on a whim! I''m your son, you know!" But instead, Father said, "Give it back then, if you''re not interested in it." His hand reached over to take the booklet from me when I quickly stowed the booklet into my back pocket. "How can you give something to others only to demand it back in the next minute!"


    It was an eventful night that stretched into the wee hours and I was woken up by a phone call the following morning. A glimpse at the screen of my phone told me that it was Lin Feng. I pressed a button and lifted the phone to my ears, hearing Lin Feng''s frantic screams, "Come on, man! Look at the time!" I reached for my watch, Oh my God! It was already 7:40 and the opening ceremony was supposed to start at 8! I yelled into the phone, "I''m on my way!" Hanging up the phone, I lunged for the bathroom and washed up before grabbing at a shirt and rushed out the door even before wearing it. I reached at the shop to hear the loud thunderclap-like snappings of the firecrackers! God, I could hardly believe I had made it, I thought then. Seeing me coming, Lin Feng snatched up a microphone and tossed it to me with the dexterity only seen when he was throwing a dart. My arm stretched forth and caught the microphone as I emerged from the crowd. Lifting it to my lips I began speaking to everyone, "Welcome to our opening ceremony..."


    This was in fact a very conventional opening ceremony without anything out of the ordinary. There would be a few customary performances and demonstration of skills and talents before the usual humdrum of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. My role was to provide background music during the shows and demonstrations by playing various songs using the zither. The first was Old Man Li who graced the stage with his live presentation of calligraphy writing followed by a show of wushu techniques and moves by Lin Feng. Lastly, we would have some of the junior instructors of the Institute who would be providing a performance of their classical dance. However, just when we were halfway through the show, a little girl, looking about eleven or twelve, appeared out of nowhere. Clad in fitting clothing meant for wushu practice, she strode up the stage and bowed to the audience. Surprised by the sudden events, I realized better than to stop and feed the sudden awkwardness stirred by the little girl''s untimely appearance. My fingers continued dancing over the strings of my zither as I began playing the tune of "Chinese Kungfu". Recognizing the cue, the little girl was hardly nervous as she began performing wushu stances and kicks. Behind me, I heard Lin Feng''s astonished exclamation, "Oh my! This child is learned in the fundamentals of wushu!"


    Cheers and whoops from the crowd began the rise and slowly culminated into a resounding crescendo of applause as the little girl executed move after move of wushu techniques onstage. The audience had mistaken her as part of our performance itinerary! Some of them began thinking that the little girl must be one of our most remarkable students, to be selected despite her young age to provide a show of her skills! But in fact, none of us knew the little girl! It was only when our performances ended when I discovered that the little girl had come with her grandmother. I did not know the little girl, but her grandmother was a face which I recognized. It was the youngest of the two sisters from the incident of Uncle Quan''s past; the woman who too knew wushu and was the disciple of the wife of Uncle Quan''s teacher! I hurried forward. "Oh my, you have come, dear aunt! Welcome welcome!" Lin Feng could not recognize her for he was not present when everyone met, even though he did hear about her when we related the incident to him. I dashed for Lin Feng and led him to her, hastily making introductions and informing him of her relations to his father. Lin Feng quickly paid his respects to her, bowing deeply in reverence. The woman reached down and lifted Lin Feng to his feet and smiled gently at him, saying, "You are Xiaofeng (Literally, Little Feng)? Dear me... You look exactly like your father when he was young during the demonstration of your wushu moves earlier!"


    Apparently, news of us starting our new venture had reached her ears, and she had come to offer her congratulations. She said, "I''m afraid I have to trouble you with a request of mine, Xiao Feng." Lin Feng, a person who paid strict attention in manners, bowed and replied, "Please tell me about your request, Aunt." The woman nodded as she smiled, calling the little girl who had run upstage to her side. "This is my granddaughter, our youngest disciple. His teacher and my teacher each have their own strengths. But for so many years, your father''s skills far outstripped mine. I have seen you show your skills earlier. In some ways, you are senior to this child. I would like to leave her under your tutelage to study the discipline of Northern Kicks." But without further consideration, Lin Feng agreed readily. Then again, there was no way he would say no. Lin Feng was beyond any doubt the senior of the little child, but the woman was also Lin Feng''s senior herself. "Can he not obey her wishes?" Therefore, most bizarrely, Lin Feng had found himself a young student.


    After the performances, came the ribbon-cutting ceremony which was presided by my father and the fireworks ceremony was graced by both Messrs. Lee and Zhang. The two friends of my father had come at the break of dawn at the word of our opening and made well sure that they would be handling the fireworks ceremony! The two successful businessmen ended the ceremony with a flourish and the three of us young men immediately went forth to shake their hands, thanking them for their presence. But they were indeed two of the richest men in town. As we talked to them, they gave us each a large red packet! Although red packets were mostly for good fortune, the two red packets that I received from them were so thick that I could barely get a good grip on them! We put away the red packets that the two elders had so graciously given us, thanking them once again for their generosity.


    In the midst of the crowd, we saw Yuanyuan and her friend who had indeed came to visit. They came bearing flowers and Yuanyuan began chatting with Lin Feng, indicating that they would come visiting us frequently. Most of the guests present were clients and patrons of the Institute, showing up today as a gesture of support and encouragement at the news of our new venture. Even Fearless Hao had come with Mr. Lee. He had resigned from his job as a construction worker and was now one of the staff of Mr. Lee''s company, looking quite well himself. Most importantly, the number of guests that came hardly dwindled the entire day, even to the night. If the ceremony during the day was bedecked by the former patrons and clients of the Institute, the ceremony in the night was attended by spirits and ghosts who had come flocking to offer their congratulations. These were supernatural entities who had once been helped or rescued by my father and I.


    It was a busy day around the clock, and we were officially opened for business the following day. We did not expect to have clients knocking on our door so soon after a whole day of hustling back and forth attending to guests. When I had just opened the doors for business in the morning, I was surprised to see two familiar faces waiting for me outside. It was the man who was frightened by a plastic bag and his wife from the Yellow Earth Ridge!

 Chapter 33 Fresh Beginnings

    Only after recognizing them both, I realized that there another two persons with them. The two strangers greeted me and I too waved back politely. I invited the guests indoors and made them tea when Lin Feng came back with a sweat-soaked towel over his neck; he must have been out exercising. Seeing that there were already guests present, Lin Feng came over and introduced himself. As the four guests were getting themselves comfortable in their seats, Lin Feng and I shared a quick look: Fate must have been smiling upon us! We had clients despite being freshly opened for the first day of business, we thought in unison!


    I turned towards the two strangers that the couple had led to us, a man and a woman who were watching me expectantly. "So, they are..." I asked curiously, gesturing to them. Brother Plasticbag (as he would henceforth be known as, for his past exploits with a plastic bag he had mistaken as a wraith) then explained, "They are our neighbors who live near my place. They too have encountered something strange. I had initially brought them to the Institute to look for the Head Person, but he refused to intervene, despite my many pleadings. At last, I met an old man at the Institute who pointed us here, saying that the son of the Head Person is operating his own establishment; hence here we are. The old man only said that his name starts with ''Lin''. He thinks you''d know who he is." I see, I thought. So they were asked to come here by Uncle Quan. I asked the man and woman, "So how can I help you? Pray to relate to me your grievances." The man explained, "This is my wife, and we live together somewhere in the middle of the hills. But to be frank, Young Master, it was not we who had encountered something strange, it''s my mother!" I nodded and asked, "Oh? What is it that your mother had seen?" The man suddenly turned sour, hesitantly he said, "She was frightened by something!" I began to feel a frown forming on my brows. Something that was able to frighten the living daylights out of a person, I wondered. This might turn out to be a messy business after all. I returned my attention to the man who was continuing, "I did not believe what she said at first. But my wife cautioned me that something about the matter seemed evil and foul, pestering me to seek help..."


    Feeling my last ounce of patience drying up, I remarked, "You may speak freely here. There is nothing to be afraid. What is it that your mother had encountered?" The man nodded fearfully, and said only two syllables, "Jiangshi (Chinese zombie or Chinese vampire)!" The word sent a jolt of shock through me as Lin Feng shot me a quick look. I could hardly believe that such a word would be uttered here as the man''s voice repeating the word echoed again in my mind for good measure. Even though I knew that Jiangshis did exist, I had never had the opportunity of laying eyes upon one. Despite their known existence in the Realm of the Living, Jiangshis were hardly as cryptic and mystical as Hong Kong dramas had always portrayed them to be. It was hardly easy for a corpse could be reanimated as a Jiangshi; most notably the tricky conditions including varying parameters in the rules for raising older and newer cadavers from the dead. I asked the man again, "Can you elaborate on the situation and the present condition of your mother?" He nodded and answered, "My wife and I live in the hills but my mother live just downhill, being very close to where we live. I am also a worker at the shoe factory. In her free time, my wife would go to my mother''s to visit her and send her some stuff. One night, my wife was going to the bathroom when coincidentally, she happened to peer downhill and was shocked. Standing outside the gate of the compound of my mother''s cottage was the white-clad figure of a Jiangshi. The long, unkempt hair of the Jiangshi fluttered gently in the cold night breeze, just like what we have seen in the movies! It was hopping, trying to enter the compound of my mother''s home but thankfully, the fences were keeping it away! My wife thought she must have been seeing things. She rubbed her eyes and looked closely, but there it was, still bouncing up and down! My wife, panicking, scampered back into the house! She saw that I was sleeping soundly; hence she did not awake me. It only until morning when she told me everything but I thought she was hallucinating. Still, I went downhill to see my mother. I went through her gate and into the compound and found that her door was locked from inside. I yelled for her, again and again, but there was no response. So I went to the back and leaped inside, only to find my mother fainted by the door. I checked for her breath and found that she was merely unconscious and carried her to her bed. I opened the front door to let my wife in and we massaged the old lady until she finally awakens. At the first instance of rising up, her finger stabbed frantically towards the door and she began screaming hysterically, telling me that there was a ghost! That night, I moved down to stay with her. Suddenly in the middle the of the night, she began crying wildly, howling that there was indeed a ghost! I ran out the door, my hand gripping tightly on the handle of an axe. But there was nothing! Only then I realized that my mother had gone insane!"


    I felt a sudden weight sank within me. Based on what you just said, your mother was just insane, mate, I thought to myself. Surely we do not have to take the word of a senile old woman for it. I even remembered that there used to be a deranged man who loved to proclaim himself the President of the United States! Unable to suppress my frown no longer, the man seemed to notice my expression as he asked, "Err... Young Master... What do you think of this matter..." Still, his expression convinced me that something was amiss. But it took me quite some time until I realized something: my father had adamantly refused to take up his request to look into the matter. This might not even be a paranormal case after all! The matter would hardly trouble my father, given his powers, if it was indeed a problem of supernatural origin. So his reaction to the case would only indicate otherwise. My mind began spinning as I looked for answers. What could be the reason behind my father''s firm refusal to help?


    Still, my thoughts hit nothing but a hopeless dead end. I set aside the hunch of divining the purpose of my father and walked upstairs to rouse the still-sleeping Yuan Chongxi. He was, after all, our in-house seer. His languid eyes opened and stared at me as his mind struggled to register what he was looking at before he could finally manage a drowsy croak, "What''s this? What time is it! It''s still early!" I patted his shoulder again and said, "Come on, get up. We have a job and we need your help." Hearing this somehow filled him with energy as he rose and asked, "What''s wrong?" I began telling of the story of our new case. At the end of my tale, Yuan Chongxi, now almost awake, rubbed his chin, his fingertips brushing the stubbles of hair on his jaw and said, "But you''d hardly need me to find out the truth. You could have just asked any ghosts wandering in the vicinity, no?" Why did I not thought of this, I asked myself. Yuan Chongxi was right and this way would have been easier and more efficient. I walked down the stairs with Yuan Chongxi behind me. He went to the windows, drew the curtains and adjusted the door blinds, keeping the insides of the center dark. Puzzled by our actions, Brother Plasticbag began asking about what was happening. I giggled and replied, "Without sufficient information about our friend''s mother, it is time for us to seek out a snitch."


    All four of the guests were confused and baffled by my answer but I ignored the perplexed looks on their faces and set a table at the center of the sitting space of the center. We laid some fruits and offerings on the table and lighted a pair of candles and some joss sticks. When the preparations of the make-shift altar were complete, I stood before the table and recited some incantations. Despite the enclosed space, a strange and eerie breeze began blowing around us and the flames of the candles began flickering menacingly, casting sinister-looking shadows that danced on the walls around us. Lin Feng was looking at me, his face illuminated by the candlelight showing his anxiousness and excitement. I stared, expressionless, at the quivering fire at the tip of the candles, hearing a soft "puff". The fire on one of the candles froze suddenly and turned ghastly green. There was something among us, I knew, and I cleared my throat and called, "Are you there?" A bodiless voice, old and hoarse, responded crudely, "I am." My heart did a backflip, knowing that my summons had succeeded and I asked, "I need some information. News about the Yellow Soil Ridge." The ghost did not respond, indicating its tacit assent. I began nodding as I asked again, "There is a word that an old lady was badly frightened by something at the southern face of the Yellow Soil Ridge. The old lady had said something about Jiangshis. What know you of this news?"


    There was an uneasy silence before the voice spoke again, "I know nothing of this. The southern face of the Yellow Soil Ridge is a place of immense Yang energies. We of the dead do not suffer such intense abundance of Yang energy; hence we have always kept away from there. I know nothing of that area." I suddenly recalled one of the golden rules of our trade, where Yang energies were always likely to accumulate at the southern part of mountainous regions and the shadows and foul beings would never dare venture such areas! I nodded thoughtfully and said to the spirit, "Understood. Thank you for your troubles. I''ll burn you some offerings and joss papers. Please accept them." The spirit uttered a word of thanks and the green fire trembled before it returned to normal. Realizing that the process had ended, everyone began murmuring, asking me what happened. The method I used earlier was to communicate with a spirit which was not physically with us, more like placing a call to a spirit who was at the proximity of Yellow Soil Ridge. Hence no one but I could hear the voice of the ghost who had spoken to me for I was the one maintaining the connection. I tossed some joss papers into a small fire and replied, "It''s also a dead end. My father did mention before. The southern face of Yellow Soil Ridge is a place with an extreme abundance of Yang energies. No foul beings or spirits would dare go near that area." I looked again at the frightened old woman''s son and said, "You''re sure that your mother had actually seen a Jiangshi?" The man''s head nodded at first but shook fearfully a while later. He was hardly sure himself.


    My head turned to look at Yuan Chongxi. He jumped, as if recovering from his customary stupor, and asked, "I need the approximate time of the incident, the birthdates and time of birth of your mother. Let''s ask the Fates."


    With his rituals ended, I was sure that Yuan Chongxi had finally found out the truth of the entire episode. He shuffled uneasily to me and whispered into my ears, telling me everything. I was shocked beyond words. Aghast with astonishment, I pressed, "You''re certain of this? There can be no mistakes!" Yuan Chongxi nodded, his face entirely solemn and serious, a complete contrast from his usually dull look, as he confirmed, "Yes. You can be sure of this. There might be menial deviations in some small details. But you can rest assured that most of it are true. But it is hardly something we can easily explain to our guests... I say we plea incompetence and have them send away!" Only now, I fully realized the reason my father had rejected them!


    The man and Brother Plasticbag, from our expressions, had surmised that we already had our answers. He was extremely happy, consoled by the confidence that we had found the answer to the mystery and asked, "How was it, Young Master?" I grimaced and shook my head, saying heavily, "This, I''m afraid, is hardly a matter of spirits or ghosts. In fact, the cause of your problem was precisely the reason my father had rebuffed you and we should not have dipped our fingers into this affair. This should be a responsibility of mental health institutions. Everything will be for naught, even if you insist on us helping you. Moreover, there are certain details which you might find revolting!"

 Chapter 34 Jiangshi?

    Curiosity: the basic and unquenchable human thirst to understand more about themselves and their surroundings. Yet many failed to comprehend that some mysteries are best left unsolved, and this man was the epitome of this very fact. I had been frank in telling him that the condition of his mother was simply beyond our scope of abilities. The truth of the entire episode, which I would rather not divulge, was something not a son would be able to suffer. He might even turn cross and things might even become ugly... I could only hope that Lin Feng would refrain from delivering his blows too heavily if things were to indeed come to such lamentable outcome...


    But the man was relentless. He stubbornly demanded that I tell him the truth, or he would refuse to leave. Why the hard-headedness, I wondered, my face contorting sourly. He left us no choice then, but to disclose the whole story. I said to Yuan Chongxi, "Let me do the talking. This needs to be delivered delicately." He nodded in agreement. I turned back to face the man and said, "I''ll speak bluntly. But I''m afraid the true story might be hurtful to a filial son like you. Please remain calm." The man waved me off and pressed, "Understood. Just fire away, Young Master." In truth, I meant to tell him that if things were to turn ugly because of his temper, chances were he could be the one receiving the shorter end of the stick. But it seemed that he had misunderstood my meaning. I could only shake my head wearily as I began the tale, "Very well. Here begins the tale of how your mother''s dementia came to be..."


    "It all began with your mother''s underground gambling den. She operates a small gambling outfit at her place and collects a commission from the winner. The villagers nearby all know about this but no one knows the secret of what she does everything when everyone''s left! As you undoubtedly realized, there''s a plot of the graveyard at the side of clearing to the eastern side of the hill. The path leading out from the hills runs just beside the graveyard. Everyone from the hills traveling out to sell game or harvest and purchase foodstuff have to pass through that path where even the nearest town is about 20 miles away; hence some hillfolk have to tread the route even during the night. Your mother would dress in white mourning clothes and a white hat, and hide among the forest of tombstones. Whenever somebody walks pass, she would leap out and frighten the unsuspecting folks. Most of them would panic and leave their items while they run and your mother would steal the items for herself. For many a year she had been repeating her misdeeds until one day..."


    I paused, catching on the troubled look of the man. Lin Feng too was tense, his fists clenched tightly, fearful that the man might become angry and run amok. But the man showed no signs of fuming, instead, he sighed gloomily. His wife spoke suddenly, breaking the edgy quietness, "No wonder... I was always puzzled when I send things down to my mother-in-law''s house. Everything she gives me things to bring home too. Every time I ask her about the origin of the items, yet everything she told me they were gifts! So this is the truth!"


    I nodded and continued my tale, "Do you know about another insane woman from the village in the south?" The man raised his head, rousing from his dismal trance, and replied, "Yes. That woman was long known to be insane." I acknowledged him and went on, "So one day, your mother was lying among the tombstones, waiting to ambush passers-by as usual. Unbeknownst to her, the mad lady was sleeping on another grave just behind. Having no sense of fear, the mad lady felt that it was fun when she saw your mother leaping out of hiding and frightening the hillfolks at the path. She went home and look for some mourning robes, thinking of having fun with your mother! Your mother, sliding back out of sight, waited for another go, not knowing the fate that would await her. Hearing the coming of footsteps, she pounced out like a predator, only to find another ''Jiangshi'' staring at her! Your mother did not know that the ''Jiangshi'' before her was nobody else but the mad lady in disguise! The hunter now became the hunted, as your mother mistakenly believed that her actions had invoked the appearance of a true Jiangshi. She ran as fast as she could, fleeing back to her house while the mad lady followed close behind. Your mother latched the wooden gate of her compound and locked her doors. Peering out through a crack, she saw the white figure of disguised mad woman hopping outside, still pretending to be a real Jiangshi, while trying to enter although her way was barred outside! For the entire night, the crazy woman kept waiting until dawn, when the woman grew tired and left, leaving your mother badly frightened and shock had driven her insane." This was the reason I had elected to deliver the truth myself; Yuan Chongxi, in his blunt, dumb honesty and simplicity, lacked the sense to convey messages delicately. A wrong word from him might cause more harm than good.


    I shrugged my shoulders and said, "This is the true story of your mother, however difficult it is for you as a son. I hope you''re satisfied now." The man smiled sourly and nodded. I put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Have your mother delivered to a good mental health hospital, brother. I can see that you are a good son who has his mother''s best interests at heart." Little did I expect that this gesture of mine-induced tears trickling down his cheeks. The man began sobbing hard, his hands covering over his face. His wife nestled closer, consoling him. I turned my attention to Brother Plasticbag and his wife, "I''m sure my father could have not been any clearer that the parts where you live will hardly have any incidents with foul beings and ghosts. Keep this fact to heart so that you can inform anyone in your area should anything as this arises. You''re fortunate that you have met both me and my father. A charlatan would surely have fleeced you otherwise."


    The four of them rose to their feet, muttering words of thanks profusely. With his emotions finally under control, the man asked me of the cost of our "consultation". I waved him off, saying, "Leave it, brother. Yours is hardly a matter that required our services and there was nothing I could do to help you solve the problem." He was stunned; he had never expected that I would refuse his payment. But before he left, still, he crammed five hundred yuan into my fingers, saying that it was his responsibility to bear the charges for the offerings for the ghost earlier. When the guests were out the door, I flashed the five hundred yuan to Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi, who both smiled weakly at me. Later that day, I placed a call to my father, informing him of the matter, not failing to mention that the son would have his mother sent to a hospital to have her mental condition looked at. My father merely gave a short grunt and ended the call.


    Lin Feng was grumbling just beside me, "I say, look at what fiasco my father had landed us into! I must speak to him about this!" "Save it, brother," I said to Lin Feng, "Uncle Quan was merely trying to throw us a bone." Just then, Lin Feng''s young disciple came in through the door. Lin Feng rose from his seat and led the little girl upstairs to begin their lessons, leaving me and the ever-dense Yuan Chongxi downstairs sulking by ourselves. To think that we would have such a fiasco at our hands on the first day of business.


    Days went by, bare and barren; a drought of a long continuance of fruitless and futile wait for business. The parched desolation of the dust bowl of our quiet establishment endured for a string of days without any clients walking through our doors. As the sign outside clearly indicated, our repertoire of services was hardly confined only to handling of foul spirits and ghosts; we were also skilled in providing Feng Shui advice and aid in addition to other paranormal-related services. Still, we had yet to have anyone to grace our doorsteps.


    Boredom and restlessness set in, plaguing us like the lingering presence of an apparition that cast an air of despondency over us, until one day. On this day, we were having lunch, with Lin Feng''s little apprentice beside us. A man pushed through the door and came in hurriedly. Frantic with anxiety, he cried, "Is the person-in-charge in?" My head rose inquisitively as I studied the person; there was a thick cloud of foul energies, so dark like the black of night, hovering over his face! From his accent, he appeared to be someone from the North-Eastern region, looking to be similar to us in age. Still, I could not help feeling slightly annoyed by the manner he intruded into the premises, doing little to show the hints of displeasure forming on my face. "I am he. How can I help you?" I asked the man gruffly. From the bag he was cradling, I could see that he was also a student in arcane and mystic skills, a competitor of our trade. There was a faint glow radiating from within the folds of his bag, the clear sign of a magical instrument. Prominent television talk show host and comedian Guo Degang once said, "Competitors in business are as good as sworn enemies!" The same could be said for all lines of trade, including ours! To my surprise, the man grasped my hands and yelled exultantly, "Thank Heavens! Finally, I found a true brother in our trade! Please, I need your help! Desperately!"


    My frosty demeanor immediately melted when I hear that the man was asking for help, rather than being here to cause trouble. Feeling the creases on my face relaxed, I said, "Very well. Have a sit and speak slowly. What''s happened? I noticed a dark smog hanging over you." I had intentionally brought up the matter of the foul air lingering over him to signify that we were true students of the craft with actual skills, not charlatans or tricksters. Indeed, the man, his eyes now rekindled with hope, cried, "Good Heavens! I have found the right person, at long last! I have knocked on the doors of many, only to find that a good many of them are nothing but frauds!" What a poor fellow, I thought quietly. I went to the refrigerator and retrieved a Coke can and handed the drink to him, "Calm down and tell me slowly."


    The man popped open the can of Coke and drank hungrily. With the cold liquid dribbling down his chin, he began his story, "I need your help, brothers. For two days I have been tormented hellishly." Hellishly seemed hardly an understatement, I mused. The man could even be dead in two days if the foul air over him was not dispelled. "Two days ago, I received an assignment," the man began, "I was to subdue a vengeful spirit. For this assignment, I was promised a 1.2 million yuan reward. And so I did. But when the job was done, I began to be harassed by evil spirits. For the past two days, they have hounded me. I had tried my best to subdue all that I could, still, many more would come and replenish their ranks in their unwavering endeavor to torment me. With no other way left, I could only seek help from fellow practitioners of our trade." Nevertheless, I felt there was something was amiss with his tale. "From your accent, you seemed to be from the North-Eastern regions, brother," I said, "Surely there are other fellow practitioners of our craft there. Why trouble yourself by coming all the way here?"


    The man suddenly turned bitter, "I have, but to no avail. I had gone to a few seniors and other older practitioners of our trade, yet none of them would want to hear my pleas. Every one of them had driven me away even before I managed to meet them..."

 Chapter 35 Depraved Dividends

    I studied the frown on the man''s face and asked, "Where are the two vengeful spirits that you were charged to subdue?" The man replied that the spirits were kept in urns that he had left at his hotel room. "Did you not ask them about the whole story?" I asked again and the man replied, "I did but to no avail. The spirits refused to answer me." I shook my head, exasperated, and said, "I''ll have my colleague first divine your condition before we decide what to do then." Realizing his cue to act, Yuan Chongxi asked the man about his birthdates and time of birth and began working. The man must surely had begun plying his trade despite being fully-trained, I thought. Surely the matter was one beyond his skills and abilities to handle; hence his need for help. But I was wrong. Beside me, Yuan Chongxi calculated and augured the truth of the two vengeful spirits, his expression darkened, gradually turning into horror. By the time his calculations were finished, his face was of genuine fear! Immediately I asked, "What are the results, Chongxi?" He acknowledged my inquiry, his eyes first glancing at me before transfixing upon the man. Gulping hard, Yuan Chongxi croaked. "Y-you... Y-your end is near..."


    "Ah?" Everyone present cried in unison. None of us understood what he meant by his stuttering mumbles. The man from the North-East cried. "No, wait. Please! Speak plainly! How is it that my end is near!" Yuan Chongxi began stammering incoherently. "Th-the... th-this... th-that is wh-what, wh-what the omens show... Good Heavens! I can say no more!" But I knew full well what Yuan Chongxi was trying to convey: the man''s end was nearing, although Yuan Chongxi did not dare speak openly for the fear of the very same karmic retribution that had befallen his teacher. But the man, not understanding Yuan Chongxi''s reservations, pressed on, demanding to know the truth. At last, Yuan Chongxi relented, but he said only this, "You have, by your own hand, sold your life away for 1.2 million yuan!" Immediately when he had finished, Yuan Chongxi began slapping himself on his mouth, muttering, "Touch wood! Touch wood!" His complexion seemed to return at least, whereas the man''s face paled instantly, a stark contrast to Yuan Chongxi as the latter''s words, which had hinted him of his transgressions, dawned the truth upon him. Yuan Chongxi whispered softly into my ears, asking, "Do you think this counts as a sin, Shiyan?" I shook my head dubiously; it was a question best directed at Old Man Chen rather than me. "I cannot say," I said under my breath, "But it is blessed to deliver one into salvation. Being able to save him might prove to be a boon to us in the future." Somehow, the man heard me. But just when he was about to rejoice at his renewed hopes of redemption, Yuan Chongxi let slip again. "But it''s impossible. The auguries do not deceive! His name has been marked by the Underworld!" Recognizing that he had misspoken again, Yuan Chongxi gave himself another slap.


    I patted Yuan Chongxi on his shoulders lightly and said, "Let''s not be hasty. Come. First, find out the whole story about this." Yuan Chongxi nodded without a word and began calculating again. Only this time, he took a longer time. In the end, he placed his hand on his lap and said to the man, "You fool! Of all the jobs that you could have accepted, why this! Did you not suspect why would anyone offer 1.2 million just to subdue two ghosts?" Yuan Chongxi showed me the man''s birthdates and we double-checked the calculations to make sure no mistakes.


    We stood aside and re-examined the calculations. When everything was done and we were sure that all was right, I turned to the man and said, "I''m afraid this matter of yours is beyond my abilities to handle. Please seek help somewhere else!" Seeing the man opening his mouth to speak, I snapped. "I''m sending you off since you came as a client. Else you would have already been nothing but a corpse for your transgressions! Go before I change my mind, lest you''ll find my wrath no gentler than your seniors and colleagues up at North-East!" The man scrambled out the door, running as quick as his legs would carry him. "Why the harsh words?" Yuan Chongxi chastised me, feeling that I had been a tad severe. "Surely there''s a better way to convey our refusal to take his case. Look at you, your words are even blunter than mine!" I pursed my lips and snorted. "This is the best way to drive him away. People like him can smell compassion like sharks sensing blood," I said. "It''s for our own good that we sent him away. People like him are the scourge of our trade! The cancer of our stock!"


    Thus ended our morning session. We then adjourned for lunch. We had just re-opened the center afternoon when the doors swung open again. It was Lin Feng''s aunt, the very same who had attended our opening ceremony, also the student of the wife of Uncle Quan''s teacher. In she came, followed by a familiar face: the man whom we had earlier driven away! I was astonished. There would be no way to drive him away this time, I scowled. We invited Lin Feng''s aunt in and ushered her to a seat, the blithering fool following clumsily behind. How bloody coincidence was this, I wondered. The fool knew Lin Feng''s aunt! I poured them tea, and Lin Feng''s aunt cut right to the chase, saying, "This nephew of mine is a fool, Shiyan. I''d not deny that. But I come today, hoping that I would be able to persuade you to help him..." I cut her off with a benign smile. "There''s no need for such heavy words, Auntie. At your request, we will take his case and help him with the best we can. Nevertheless, I implore that you have him seek a more honest job. He''s hardly suited for this trade of ours. He''s an able-bodied man; there are surely opportunities for him elsewhere instead of risking himself here!" The man replied hastily, embarrassed beyond words, "Yes, of course!" I took a gulp of water and began my tale.


    There was a village, where two families, one by the name of Song and the other by the name of Wang, who lived at the peripherals of the settlement. The eldest son of the Song family was a rich man who owned several factories of his own while the second son of the family was an officer at the local police station. Their youngest son, the third of the lot, never got a place at the university when he had finished high school. Every day he idled around uselessly, the prodigal son and the black sheep of the family. With strong connections established by the second son at the police station, operations at his factory continued pleasantly without hindrance for the eldest son and his business began booming. But the same could not be said for their neighbor, the Wang family. The husband and wife of the Wang family, a farming household that lived by the land, had only a single child¡ªa daughter, who was still in middle school. Stricken by poverty, the family depended solely on the meager profit of farming stock. Their more affluent neighbor, the mother of the Song brothers, was a notorious woman with a very fiery temper that no one dared offend; hence the Wang family, as if the plight of their indigence was hardly enough, suffered more abuse as the old menace of the Song family would frequently hurl insults and slander over her fences in her sadistic urge to proliferate misery and anguish to them. One day, the daughter of the Wang couple was defiled by the youngest of the Song brothers. The vicious beast had even gnawed at her face, causing several scars on the once-fair appearance of the girl. She was taken to a hospital for treatment, not knowing of her disfigurement until she saw herself in a mirror when she reached home. Overcame by shame and sorrow, the girl took her own life. The husband and wife of the Wang family went to the police station to seek justice, only for their complaints to fall upon deaf ears, no thanks to the second of the Song brothers who worked at the police station and the pretense that the death of their daughter was a suicide, and there was no way to prove the rape incident which had elapsed more than half a month ago.


    At the same time, the Song family intruded upon the lands owned by the Wang family. Without prior permission, the Song brothers had another factory built on Wang lands. The village authorities stepped in and ruled that the Song family should relinquish another piece of land of similar area to the Wang family. However, the crops that were planted on the Wang lands when the Song brother began building their factory were all harvested and kept by the Song family at the behest of the unscrupulous old lady of the Song family. The loss of Wang family''s harvest spelled the loss of their means for income. Again, they went to the village authorities for help, hoping that they would help by demanding the Song brother to recompensate the Wang family for the loss. Only this time, the Song brothers had not neglected to pay off the village council, who paid lip service to the Wang family''s pleas for help, yet did nothing in return. Feeling frustrated and angered, the husband and wife of the Wang family sought help from the local petitioning bureau. But their hopes were slashed when the second son had arranged for somebody to intercept the representative of the bureau and had the Wang husband and wife detained with false charges at the police station. When they were released later, the town council requested that the Song brothers repaid the Wang family for the damages they had incurred, but yet, the process was caught up in red tape. The husband and wife went to the residence of the Song brothers to ask for their payment, but instead, the Song brother set loose their dogs on them, biting and tearing at the poor man and woman who had to hold on to each other as they staggered their way home, crippled and broken. Embittered, angered, and disheartened to the point of despair, the poor man and woman, with their own blood scrawled a message on the wall, saying that they would never stop haunting the Song family in the deaths before they both hung themselves. Still, the man and his wife''s folly of leaving a message on the wall written in blood had sent shivers of fear down the spines of the Song family. Fearing danger, they offered a rich sum, 1.2 million yuan, for a medium who then subdued and trapped the vengeful spirits of the poor man and woman. With the help of his magical instrument, the undertaking was successful, and the medium, unsuspecting of the expense that came with his rich reward, left cheerfully.


    By now, as everyone would have well guessed, the young man, now fidgeting with fear, was that medium who had helped subdue the vengeful spirits of the Wang husband and wife. Oh the wonders that money could do, I mused. Lin Feng''s aunt raised an arm just then. Much to our surprise, her hand smacked hard on the cheeks of her nephew. "Of all the money you could have robbed!" She roared and snarled. "Let no else suffer the cause of this swine''s doing! I''ll destroy his powers!" Yuan Chongxi and I quickly lunged at her and held her back. But our abilities in combat were only as good a child''s before an experienced practitioner like her; desperate for help, we began yelling for Lin Feng. Lin Feng came rushing down from upstairs when he heard our voices calling for him and quickly came over. It might have due to his uncanny resemblance to his father in his youth, that the elderly woman immediately calmed down when she saw him helping us to hold her back. She sank back to the cushion, panting hard, but her keen eyes, sharp as a razor, were still riveted upon the figure of her nephew, who was now writhing on the ground, sobbing painfully!


    "Surely you know," I said, "that Heaven watches us from above. Your actions have caused an uproar among the Plane of the Dead that all foul beings and spirits are now thirsty for your blood, eager to deliver you to the Underworld themselves! To make matters worse, the depravity of your transgressions had caused even the deities and goodly supernatural beings wish ill upon you. They who are supposed to act as keepers of the Underworld to help keep these malignant spirits in line, have decided to ignore any spirits or ghost that want to haunt you! You have committed an atrocity so heinous and hateful that both deities and ghosts want you dead! Nothing escapes the notice of Heaven, you should have known about this! You have foolishly accepted this assignment, thinking that it was an easy job with a fat payment, unaware that you had just sold your own life for 1.2 million yuan!" I went over to Lin Feng''s aunt and said to her, "Calm your anger, Aunt. Skinning him alive would hardly help any bit now! I have an idea, however. I''ll go with him to collect the souls of the two vengeful spirits and I''ll speak to the spirits to see if they can convince the rest of the other foul beings to withdraw. But your nephew will have to surrender the 1.2 million yuan. He''ll have to use the money to hire an investigator to gather all proofs of the Song family''s crimes and submit the proofs to the authorities through proper channels and make sure that the second of the Song brothers is arrested! What do you think of my solution?" Lin Feng''s aunt, now finally able to set aside her anger, for now, all thanks to Lin Feng consoling her, gave a deep and heavy breath and replied, "I''ll leave it to you then, Shiyan. I trust your abilities to handle this matter." She turned sharply and snarled at her nephew, her finger thrust furiously at him. "Get up, you swine! Go now with Shiyan to collect the two souls!"


    And so we went to the hotel room and collected the urns that held the two spirits. Outside of the hotel, I held the hand of the elderly woman and said, "Under common circumstances, it is only right for us to keep you for dinner. But now that our center is now surrounded by foul spirits, For the sake of your safety, I''d suggest that you leave as quickly as you can with your nephew! I''ll come with Lin Feng next time to visit you and convey our apologies for the discourtesy!"

 Chapter 36 The Deb

    t


    Lin Feng''s aunt grew teary, her eyes rimmed with a moist, scarlet shade, and said, "I know. I''ll go then. Goodbye!" She held my hand tightly before she let go and got up her car.


    I placed the two urns into the car, not forgetting to paste some talismans on the rear windshield of the car. The talismans would function as a homing beacon so that the foul spirits would be drawn towards us rather than Lin Feng''s aunt and her nephew. I said to Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi, "The Institute. Not only this matter requires his help to communicate with the Sansheng Stone of the Underworld, but this matter has to be kept under wraps to prevent any opposing parties from preparing further countermeasures." Lin Feng nodded to me, indicating his agreement to my intentions and steered the car towards the direction of the Institute.


    For reasons unknown, Father seemed to had foreseen our arrival. He was waiting for us at his office and pointed immediately to the two clay jars that we were cradling when we entered his office, barking immediately. "Open them!". I peeled off the sealed covers of the urns and an angry gust of wind blew in the office, casting a sinister and dark shadow in the room over us. Suddenly, with an enraged look that even I felt horrible seeing, my father growled. "Insolence!" The throwings winds instantly stopped and two dark figures appeared and immediately collapsed to their knees. The two spirits might have wanted to try to storm their way out to freedom when I opened the seal, only to discover that this was hardly a place that would tolerate their misdemeanor. Tamed by my father''s overwhelming presence, the two spirits begged. "Please, Great Lord, help us seek justice!"


    Father returned to his usual demeanor and took a gulp off his glass of water before clearing his throat. "There''s a Sansheng Stone on the path of the Underworld," father asked, "Have you passed through it?" "No, not yet," the two spirits said. "We encountered no guides or any heralds of the Underworld after our deaths. With only revenge in mind, we had not begun our journey to the Underworld." "Very well," my father replied, "I will now communicate with the Sansheng Stone in the Underworld and convey to you your destinies! See for yourself!" Father pointed with his finger at a blank wall before him. Immediately, images appeared on the wall like a slideshow on a screen. I looked as closely as I could. Who was that in the image, I wondered. Was that Yuan Shikai? No! Father pointed to the spirit of the elderly man, the husband of the Wang family, and said, "Look. Is that you?" The male spirit stammered, at a loss for words at the image of his own self from his past life. "Is that me, my past incarnation?" Father said again, "Now look at the pair kneeling before you!" "The old lady of the Song family and her daughter-in-law!" The spirit gasped with shock. "Yes!" my father said loudly. "They were once mother and daughter in their former lives. They were captured by a local thug. You were a military governor then and you had the thug arrested and shot to rescue the mother and daughter!" "But this is a good deed!" The spirit retorted. Father snapped furiously. "But what did you do later? You wanted repayment from the mother and daughter! You took them instead!" The spirit began mumbling incomprehensibly but Father hissed. "Now look at the daughter of your present lifetime!"


    The image on the wall shimmered and changed to another one; this one depicted a lady of middle age, leading a band of soldiers behind her. Father explained, "She was your mistress in your former life. The mother and daughter were captured by the local thugs and their family was miserably slain. Not only you did not free them, but you took them for yourself! Their agony continued; out of the pan, into the fire indeed! So they suffered under your hands. But your daughter, who was your mistress in the past, grew jealous when you took them. She led a band of her henchmen and had the daughter mercilessly beaten to her death before her body was dumped into a mass grave! She was already pregnant by then; hence she died with the baby too! When the youngest of the Song brothers defiled your daughter, the spirit of the baby possessed him. Fetuses that perished without being born held much hatred and anguish. When the spirit of the baby possessed the rapist, he acted like how children would do: he bit, tore, and ripped at the cheeks of your daughter! But your daughter, unlike you both, went straight to the Underworld after her suicide where she saw the Sansheng Stone and understood the fruits of Destiny that she had sowed in her former life. Understanding everything, she has moved on to prepare for rebirth. What goes around, comes around. This is the absolute rule for everything in our life. You reap what you sow!"


    "But this has nothing to do with me!" The spirit of the elderly woman, the wife of the Wang family, countered indignantly. Father snorted and lashed lividly. "You were very much worst! The woman was already weak and frail when captured back by the warlord. She was savagely beaten into submission and you, feigning kindness..." The image changed just then, showing an old lady holding some prayer beads while she meditated quietly. A servant girl entered the chamber, holding a little bowl as she came in. "The ginseng soup is ready, Madam." The servant girl reported. But the old lady barked, hardly opening her eyes. "Send the bowl of soup to the new Madam who is injured!" But the servant girl squeaked hesitantly. "But Madam! This soup is brewed using old ginseng! Would it not be a waste to offer it to her..." But the old lady sniggered wickedly and revealed. "You are right that this soup is made of old ginseng. This makes the soup extraordinarily strong; too strong, in fact, for one of her condition and age. To her, the brew would be nothing more than poison! Go, and make sure she drinks it..."


    "To the outside, you seemed to be a harmless old lady who was pious in her devotions to Buddhism," said my father, his voice laced with contempt, "Yet in truth, you are a wicked and vile snake! You pretended to be a kind person before the warlord¡ªyour husband¡ªwhen in truth, you plotted meticulously to eliminate the poor woman! Even before your husband achieved power, the hands of you both were no less clean by the blood of the innocent! In your previous life, you both bathed and showered in luxury and decadence! Poverty and destitution is the penalty for your sins! In this life and also the next, and the one after, so you shall remain! Still, you dare seek revenge after your death! Are you not repentant of your sins?"


    Sitting quietly aside were Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng; both of whom were watching us with dubious looks on their faces. "Err... What is there, Shiyan? What did you see?" Yuan Chongxi asked suddenly, my attention diverted towards him. I had forgotten: without the Ocular Magic, Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng could see nothing on the wall. I have my Spirit Sight; hence I could see the images that Father had evoked from the Sansheng Stone in the Underworld. I nudged him aside and hissed. "Not now! Later!"


    Father moved to his office''s windows and barked out a window. "Did you hear all that? This is the Karmic retribution for the sins that they had wrought! Without proper scrutiny, you lot have taken matters into your own hands to exact your brand of justice, only to stray farther and farther from the truth! You wish to experience true Hell?" Father was saying these to the spirits lingering outside. He paused, eyes still looking out the window before he turned back and stared at the two spirits, saying, "Continue on your journey to the Underworld for rebirth and accept the penance for your sins! Go now, and bear in mind that my wrath will fall if I find you both up to your misdeeds again!" He was stern and scary, resembling the demeanor of a Judge of the Underworld in his own right. The steely tone of his voice was enough to send shivers of fear down anyone''s (or ghost''s) spine. Father''s voice boomed again. "Keepers of the Underworld, heed my call! Send these two spirits to the Underworld at once!" Two disembodied voices resounded suddenly, saying, "Yes!" Two hulking figures, both clad in yellow, materialized out of thin air, and nabbed the spirits before disappearing with them!


    As to the fate of the nephew of Lin Feng''s aunt, the ignorant colleague of ours, I encountered him a few years later afterward. During a tour to the Changbai Mountains, a tourist guide recognized me and called out to me. There he was, the colleague of ours from the North-East and the nephew of Lin Feng''s aunt. He had switched careers and seemed rather happy with his life, although the pale and sickly expression on his fate somehow told me that he could still be suffering from the retribution of his mistake.


    The following morning, I had just opened the center for business when I heard the patters of footsteps approaching. It was Mr. Liu, Liu Wenhua; Mr. Zhang''s business rival! He was sobbing uncontrollably the last time I saw him when we found him his long-lost nephew. Mr. Liu immediately fished out a large angpow from his pocket and handed it to me, saying, "I was not informed that you had established a center of your own, my boy. Here''s to a belated congratulations. I had not thanked you for returning my nephew! Here''s a small token of appreciation," Mr. Liu said, his face wearing a wide grin as he squeezed the angpow into my hand. I mumbled a few words of thanks, still taken aback by his sudden appearance, and shook his hands in appreciation of his generosity. I led him inside and made him some tea. Mr. Liu took a sip and said, "I''ll dive straight to the point. I''m here today not only to thank you for your efforts the last time and to offer my best wishes for your new venture. I am also here to seek your help. Again." With my chest puffing with confidence, I said, "Pray to tell, Mr. Liu. I''ll try to help the best I can!" But he hesitated as if wondering if he should be truthful. With a bitter expression, he could contain himself no longer and blurted. "It''s my nephew! He''s gone mad!" "Impossible!" I gasped, nearly leaping from my seat. "How could he have gone mad! He''s a person accustomed to adversity and hardships!" But Mr. Liu shook his head wearily and replied, "I do not know. There were people who said that he is possessed. Whether he''s insane or being possessed, I cannot say. But I knew only to come to you for help!" "How has he been reacting?" I asked. Mr. Liu extracted some cigarettes from a box and gave it to each of us¡ªLin Feng and Yuan Chongxi had come down to join us just moments ago and lighted one for himself. He heaved a breath and began his tale...


    Following his reunion with his two uncles on his mother side, Yang Xiaoshan''s uncles then decided to support him in starting a business of his own. But they left it for him to decide on his own the nature of the business he wished to undertake. Yang Xiaoshan found an abandoned pig farm somewhere in the outskirts of a faraway village. He had the interesting idea of refurbishing and rebuilding a dimensional farm of his own, rearing chickens, pigs, and even fish. But why a farm so distant away? Yang Xiaoshan knew that plagues could easily break out in a farm with so many animals; hence for the sake of safety, it was better to operate a farm farther away from the population. As it turned out, the abandoned pig farm was once used by the local production brigade before pulling out. In the seventies, all production brigades of Wu Zhong County were unified as one unit to focus on agricultural production, namely pig breeding. In order to prevent the pigs to all die from one outbreak, the pig farms were separated from one another; hence there were pig farms about one mile from nearby villages. When the Communist government divided the lands to the people, the pig farming operations slowly phased out. Yang Xiaoshan spoke to the village council nearby and negotiated a very cheap deal to lease the pig farm. He signed a deal with the council and paid three years of deposit. Yang Xiaoshan then drove his old automobile back to the farm for another inspection. But when he came out of the farm, the villagers who accompanied him found that his behavior was terribly strange. He wandered around the farm, reaching out to pluck at any cottonwood barks and began chewing on them. This sudden streak of insanity terrified the villagers that they ran away in fear.


    I stood up at the end of Mr. Liu''s story and asked, "Where is Yang Xiaoshan now? Bring me to him!" Mr. Liu sprang to his feet, saying, "Just outside in the car! I had one of my staff watching him." "Bring him here then!" I said. Mr. Liu went out, and returned moments later with the deranged Yang Xiaoshan, whose frenzied gaze appeared to be in a distant trance as he was singing! While I could make out nothing from his disconcerted mumbles, I was certain that the singing was not his voice, but a female''s! I held his middle finger to examine his pulse. Unlike most common Chinese physicians, I examined pulses by a person''s finger. I squeezed Yang Xiaoshan''s middle finger and found my answer. I said to Mr. Liu, "It''s certain. He has been possessed. We need to go to the place where the incident first occurred. There, I will exorcise the spirit that now held him!" But Mr. Liu asked, surprised, "Can you not do it here? Do we have to go all the way there?"

 Chapter 37 The Grudge of the Bony Remains

    With a smile across my face, I explained, "It''s normal that you do not understand, Mr. Liu. There are people who think that we of this trade command immense power and authority over foul beings and evil spirits. But there is a reason why this agency is named ''De Chang'' (Virtuous and Prosperity). It''s a reminder that we have to be accountable for everything we do. I can expel the female spirit from Mr. Yang''s body, but the female spirit has an intense grudge even after her death. Setting her loose here might endanger the lives of other innocents around here. Moreover, to completely restrain her or eliminate her contradicts our principles to exact justice, not to take lives indiscriminately. There must be a reason to which the female ghost had chosen to remain so long at the farm. It''s only right that we send her back there and find out the truth behind everything so that we could fully resolve the whole matter!" Mr. Liu flashed a thumb and exclaimed. "Well said! Very well then! Let us go now!" Yuan Chongxi and I followed Mr. Liu''s car in our own automobile, leaving Lin Feng to man the center for today.


    We first headed to the village where we first sought out a councilman of the village who led us to the farm. The farm sat on a piece of dry land in the middle of a wide, but shallow marsh. I surveyed the surroundings and asked the councilman, "Why are there no plants like kenaf or broom-corn around here? I thought these plants are common in marshes and wetlands." The councilman replied, "This marsh is known to us locals as the Catfish Marsh. The water rises most of the time here, especially in the summer. Most of the time, the banks are submerged in water. Moreover there are more lands here than people to work them. With plenty of fertile lands elsewhere around the village, no one will want this place for planting or farming!" But the name struck a spark of memory in me. "Wait a minute. You said the place is called Catfish Marsh?" I asked before slipping another question, "Was this place once used to temporarily keep coffins?" The councilman was astonished! "How do you know this!" He cried. In the vicinity of Wu Zhong County, there are many lowlands which were submerged especially during the rainy seasons. The grounds of the graveyards around Wu Zhong would be flooded that it was impossible to dig and bury the dead. But in the summer, where the weather was hot and humid, the people would erect wooden scaffolds in the marsh and place the coffins over the water while they waited until the grounds become dry. But the bodies in the coffins would begin to rot and the fetid stench of the decomposing flesh would spread; the body fluids of the dead including blood and fat would begin dripping out of the coffins and into the marsh, thus becoming nourishment for the catfishes!


    Mr. Liu got down his car and said to me, "Shiyan my boy! Let''s first settle the matter of the ghost! Just tell me how much money you need and I''ll make sure you get it! It will not matter whether my nephew intends to continue operating his farm here. What matters is the villagers that live around here! Lives are at stake! We cannot allow such a malevolent entity to roam unrestrained around here wildly!" I waved a hand in a soothing gesture, hoping to calm him down. "We''ll first expel the spirit from Mr. Yang''s body before we see what happens next when I go inside!" The councilman was immediately aghast with fear when he heard me saying that I would go in. But I paid no heed to his nervous look, merely extracting some talismans and joss papers and lighted them. I recited some incantations, and Mr. Yang''s body shot upright suddenly before white foams began to form in his mouth and he collapsed. I checked his pulse again and found that his heartbeat rate had returned to normal. The ghost had exited his body! I turned to Mr. Liu''s assistant, saying, "Take him to the car for a rest!" while I spoke to the village councilman, "Well, Councilman. You''ve heard what Mr. Liu said! He will not demand back the deposit that Mr. Yang had paid you even if Mr. Yang refuses to operate his farm here. You can speak freely now!" The councilman trembled uncomfortably, his face winding up with irritated apprehension. At last, he began telling the true story of what happened here.


    So the story went, the pig farm was once handled by a bachelor here. The local production brigade would only assign another helper to the farm only during farrowing seasons of gestating female pigs; hence the farm was quiet most of the time, with only the bachelor to see to everything here all by himself. Moreover, the morbid desolation of the swamplands around the farm, with its proximity to the graveyards, made it a place that most would keep away. But after some time, people began to notice the presence of a demented woman prowling around the wetlands. Everyone was certain that she was insane, for none had failed to note the woman''s peculiar quirk of singing to herself, crazed and dreamy-eyed, whenever they saw her. Yet no one knew what was she singing about. Every time she sauntered about, she would keep to the side of the path, chewing on cottonwood roots as she would make her way to the farm. What was her business with the bachelor at the farm; that would best be left unexplained. Until the late seventies, the Communist government reformed the collective farming method by allocating strips of farmlands to farmers. There were vast tracts of land around the village, but not all of them were fertile and rich enough to yield bountiful crops. The councilman''s'' family, a house of seven, was allotted more than tens of acres of land which many farm people would come every day, wrangling against each other to fight for rights to work the lands! No one had ever seen the bachelor; still, no one remembered him! The memory of the pig farm slowly drifted out of sight and minds of the villagers until one day, an old farmer who was measuring the land felt thirsty when he was nearby. Seeing the farm was nearby, he went to the farm, hoping to look for some water to drink. But when he came out, he began walking coquettishly like a woman and was singing with a female voice. As he walked, everyone who witnessed his behavior could hardly forget what he was doing: he was plucking and chewing cottonwood roots as he walked. Everyone was terrified by what they saw. Some of the townsfolk called for the help of a barefoot doctor, who diagnosed the old man''s condition as dementia. With no one to take care of the old man, especially with the negligence of his children who took no heed to her father''s condition, the old man began wandering about aimlessly and mindlessly until his sad and tragic death when his body was found in a drain. From then onwards, no one dared to come close to the pig farm and the place was marked as an ill-omen place! But one day, there came a man from the city who wanted to lease the place and rebuild the farm. The village council assembled and discussed, deciding in conclusion that since Yang Xiaoshan was a person of the city, he would most likely be troubled by the operation of his new venture rather than worry about ghosts and spirits. Little did they know that even he was hardly spared...


    Cutting off the councilman scornfully with a flourish of my hand, I said, "All right. I understand now. Wait for me here. I''ll go in and have a look." The councilman was terrified and moved forward to try to stop me, only to be held back instead by Mr. Liu who placed his hand on his shoulder. "Relax! Do you not know who he is? He is the son of the famous Murong Hai who runs his own paranormal investigative firm. He is not fearful of the dead; only they fear him!"


    I went in the farm for a look and came out moments later, brushing off the seeds of beggar-ticks that had so generously clung on my pants. I said to the councilman, "It is bad in there. Call the police." Everyone was flabbergasted before words and I said, lighting a cigarette wedged between my teeth, before anyone could utter any objections, "There''s are remains of three dead people in there. No, four actually. One of them was a pregnant woman whose unborn baby had died with her. They have died for quite some time that only their bones are left!"


    The councilman retrieved his phone from his pocket, his hands still trembling as he reported the case to the police. Quickly, I whispered to Mr. Liu, "Mr. Yang should be all right by now. It''s better if you leave with him now and let me handle the police. There are some preparations I should first make before they arrive lest they themselves would be possessed by the spirit of the mad woman too!"


    Mr. Liu took my hand and shook it, saying, "Understood. Thank you so much for your help today! Let''s meet up for drinks some day, my treat!" "Very well!" I agreed. I saw him off and he left, waving to me through his window.


    I returned to the councilman and instructed him to call for somebody to help prepare a table, a pot of water, and a tea set.


    The councilman went off hastily and returned not more than 20 minutes later with another man who came with an auto rickshaw that carried all the items I needed. We laid the table and set the pots and cups. I made some tea with some of Father''s specially-prepared tea leaves and waited for the police to arrive. Another 20 minutes passed, and we hear the sirens blaring from afar. I hissed some instructions to the councilman, cautioning him that each of the policemen must first drink the tea I prepared before entering the haunted farm. Not long later, some policemen arrived at the scene. The leader of the group spoke to the councilman to find out about the situation before the police officers entered the farm. But they had barely made an ingress when a policewoman turned and walked outwards. Her colleague barked at her. "Hey! Where are you going!" But she ignored his calls and swayed her body as she walked, singing lightly to herself. Realizing that she had gone mad, the colleague immediately held her down only to hear her yelling. "I''ll not go back!" The policeman shouted for the rest of the group and they had to all help to restrain her. Even before the investigations had begun, the police were already thrown into disarray. With great effort, they pulled her towards a shaded area, but the woman reached for a cottonwood plant and began biting on its bark, her face wearing a rabid and wild expression!


    I went forward to ask the village councilman, who was still there witnessing the entire fracas if he had instructed the police officers to drink the tea before entering the farm. The man replied that he did, but he did not observe if every one of them had indeed taken the drink. Realizing my presence, the leader of the troop asked me, "Who are you?" Fearful that the policeman''s tone might offend me, the councilman tugged and pulled the police superintendent aside and spoke harshly to him while the police officer''s eyes slowly grew wider and wider. Moments later, they returned and the lead police officer asked, "Where are you from?" "The De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies!" I replied, with a whiff of pride in my voice. The policeman glanced back at his possessed colleague and said, "I''m sure you know that we policeman cannot be seen to take in all these without suffering scrutiny and disciplinary actions. Is there any way you can cure my colleague without the use of joss sticks or talismans; some ways that seem more ''normal''?" "This is precisely the reason why I first prepared the tea for you all, but this colleague of yours had ignored the warnings I had instructed the councilman to convey to you. Nevermind, instruct your men to have care with what they speak. This is a haunted place. I''ll use some acupuncture techniques to restore her to normal." The superintendent nodded readily. I went over and retrieved my needles and had the policewoman''s colleagues lifted her hand. I pierced the needle and growled. "You will do well to behave yourself unless you wish to suffer my wrath!" The policewoman thrashed wildly for a brief moment and crumbled with white foams dribbling down her chin.


    The rest of the policemen carried the incapacitated policewomen to their patrol car before going back into the farm with me. I led them to the remains of the three dead persons where we found two knives, in addition to the bones that had laid there. The knives, one sharp and the other a cleaver, were badly rusted. For years the remains and the bones had been waiting until they once again see the light of day. As the police officers began their work of taking notes and pictures, I slipped a word to the superintendent-in-charge, saying, "Well, I guess my work here is done, and the councilman had told you everything you need to know. I''ll be at the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies if you need me!" With that, I began walking away. After barely two steps, I turned my neck back to look at him and said, "Remember to have your men eat some fruits or honey otherwise you all might suffer from constipation!" I promptly walked away to my car and drove off, without so much as a look back again.


    When the car roared to life, Yuan Chongxi roused from his sleep, yawning drowsily. "Where are we?" The good-for-nothing had been sleeping all the while in the car! Even before we reached the farm earlier with Mr. Liu, I had noticed him slowly falling into sleep. Yet he had managed to sleep through the entire ruckus earlier!


    We went back to the Center and was about to relay the story to Lin Feng when my phone rang. It was Mr. Liu. "Are you still at the farm, Shiyan my boy?" Mr. Liu''s voice came from the earpiece. "Nope. I have handed everything to the police. I''m now back at the Center," I replied. "Very good! My nephew is up now. He wants to call you all out for a drink! Are you all up for it?" Somehow Yuan Chongxi managed to hear every word and immediately quipped. "Of course! Where do we meet!" What sharp hearing, I scowled. I was the one on the phone, yet it was he who had overheard the entire conversation and was the first to answer! "Wait for us at the Center. We''re coming to you!" Mr. Liu said before ending the call.

 Chapter 38 An Interview With the Dead

    That night, we had dinner at a lakeside restaurant. Mr. Liu treated us to a meal of barbeque fish, followed by a trip to the karaoke. With Lin Feng''s little disciple''s class rescheduled to the evening, we had fun until about four or five when Mr. Liu invited us to a game of mahjong, which we declined. It was already a little more than five when we got back to the center. But there was another visitor that night whose arrival we hardly expect: it was the superintendent that I encountered that morning at the haunted farm. Only this time, he came in civilian clothing.


    I ushered him in and made him tea. As I slipped him a cigarette, he asked if we could meet up for coffee that night. The man was here for help, but he could not dare openly ask. "You can speak freely here. Everyone here is family, including..." I said, gesturing to both Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi, "My friends here. We''re like brothers. Rest assured that what you say today will not be repeated elsewhere!" He nipped at his cigarette between his lips and breathed hard before saying finally, "I''ll admit to you, this is the first case that I''m leading since graduating from the academy. You could imagine the brimming confidence of a fresh graduate, waiting to take on the world. So I was this morning when I received the assignment to investigate this case. Like a new fledgling eager to spread his wings, hopeful that this case would spark a successful career until the unsightly fracas happened this morning. That policewoman did not drink tea and she was not aware of the reason the tea was prepared beforehand. She was actually the forensic doctor assigned to the case. What happened this morning not only frightened our entire team, the doctor was so terribly terrified that I fear she might want a change of career! Later in the afternoon, another forensic doctor was dispatched to the scene but from his findings, I''m certain that there''s nothing more than what we gleaned from the scene. The remains are close to forty years old! We have no clue as to where the murderer is now! At this rate, this case will remain unsolved, perhaps even forever. But this is my first case, and I wish to see it to closure. From the way you cured the female forensic doctor this morning, I was guessing if you might have a way to solve the case. But I cannot enlist your help as a police officer. You can imagine the scrutiny and repercussions that would follow if word of this gets out! But can you help me, with ways that seem more conventional or discreet? Maybe some methods to extract more clues? I''m willing to pay. The man who had commissioned you for your services, I''m willing to pay the same amount as long as you can help me."


    I offered him another cigarette, realizing his cigarette had been reduced to its butt. "To be truthful," I said to him, "I am similar to you, a proprietor of my own agency fresh out of graduation. I understand how you feel. But I cannot promise you if the perpetrator can be caught. For all we know, the murderer might already be dead, considering the years that had elapsed. Then again, it will only be a piece of cake for us to find out the truth behind the mystery of the haunted farm, but there is but a little snag. Our methods might vary, for we, unlike you police officers, do not require proof. Without proof, you could do nothing even if you are aware of the truth. But we can communicate with the dead and find out the truth and solve the matter. To us mediums, evidence is only useful in a courtroom, in a debate between lawyers!"


    I grounded out the stub of my cigarette in an ashtray, taking a beat of breath before I continued, "As to the matter of discretion about our aid, that would not be a problem! I can try communicating with the three ghosts of the deceased to find out the truth. For now, I am sure that at least one of them is still around¡ªthe female spirit. However, there''s another catch: she was insane before her death. Communicating with her spirit might not yield any usable results. But my father can communicate to entities across the Three Realms of Existence. Even if our endeavor turns out fruitless, he can easily speak to the Deity of the Land to find out everything."


    As I spoke, his eyes grew wider and wider that I could have almost sworn they matched the sizes of the saucers on the table. "I had never once believed in the supernatural," he confessed, "Until now... What you just said... seems so surreal to me... But what if..." I lifted my hand to stop him, indicating that I understood his reservations: he was at a dead-end; hence his visit here today in desperate hopes of ways to close his case. But he was still afraid if we might be charlatans. His reputation and career as a police officer would come tumbling down and shatter beyond redemption if news of a police superintendent was cheated by crooks. The shame that would accompany his failure would bore greater weight than the loss of money to him! "Have no fear," I said to him, "I will not request for payment from you. You will just have to tell everyone else that I am one of the investors of the farm. I''ll go to the farm tomorrow to see what I can do. We''ll meet there tomorrow. Have you secured the site?" "Yes, the site is intact," said the police officer. "Very well then. We''ll meet at the farm at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning. But keep your men from entering the farm before I arrive." I instructed. He agreed and left carefully, fearful that his trip here was being seen.


    The following morning, Lin Feng drove me and Yuan Chongxi to the infernal farmhouse. When we reached, I called for the superintendent for a quiet talk with me in the car. Once inside, I handed to him a strip of cloth. "This strip of fabric was soaked with chicken blood. Coil it around your finger. Tell anyone who would ask that you had accidentally injured your finger this morning. I''ll not let you have any more of that tea today. The method only works once. Overconsumption of that tea is harmful to you!" He tied the cloth around his finger, while I briefed Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi, bidding them both to wait for me in the car, in case things turn ugly. Then I got down the car with the police officer and we entered the farmhouse.


    The weed-infested swine ranch was full of beggar-ticks which seeds are notorious for having hook-shaped appendages that made them easy to be caught on clothes and pants. This was precisely the reason I had not asked Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi to come in: to relieve them of the ire of having to pick and brush off these pesky barbs. When we reached the spot where the remains once were, I retrieved my Spirit Gourd and unstoppered it while muttering some incantations. Four dark strands of energies were drawn into the gourd, and I let out a loud gasp. "Ah?" Hearing my cry, the superintendent rushed to my side, thinking if I was in trouble. He checked on me. "Are you all right?" "Good news!" I exclaimed. "Apparently all four of the spirits are still present and I have kept them all in my gourd. So, it appears this matter cannot be solved here. Do you want to come back to my center with me to see how things work out, or will you be waiting for my call?" He beamed cheerfully at the prospects of witnessing a rare spectacle and cried. "I''ll go back with you right away!" Somehow this matter had piqued his interest to see how we work.


    Hence he went with me to the car and we returned to the center; along the way we said nothing. Back at the center, when everything was ready, I released the four spirits from my gourd. The spirit of the woman appeared, with a baby ghost lulling in her arms, as the mother alone stood, looking dazed and confused. Two male spirits were kneeling beside her. They might have sensed that the person who had drawn them into the gourd commanded certain power over them; hence their obedient demeanor. I spoke to them, finding out about what had happened; in the end, I merely said, "Very well! Where should you go then? How about to the Underworld and prepare for reborning?" But I did not wait for them to answer; I yelped swiftly to Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng. "See them off! I''ll talk to the police officer about what I know!" With a quick "OK", Yuan Chongxi produced an instrument¡ªthe Heraldic Banner of Souls¡ªand guide them outwards, chanting rather merrily as he strode. "All right everyone, this way, please! Follow me! Come on, keep up!"


    I made some tea for the police officer who had been witnessing everything and began speaking to him. "It appears I have neglected to ask your name, Officer?" I asked him. "Zheng Shuang''s the name!" he said at once, springing to his feet and shook my hands. "My name is Murong Shiyan, or just Shiyan for short! The ''Yan'' character which is made up of two ''Fire'' characters (Chinese logogram characters)!"


    We descended back into our seats, facing each other, as I began relating to him about the story that the ghosts confessed to me...


    The caretaker of the farm was a man called Wang Zuoshan. Late in the seventies, from somewhere unknown came a deranged woman one day to the farm. But she was not fully insane. Somehow she became attached with this Wang Zuoshan. The man would prepare food for her whenever she came visiting. As their affection increases, so did her visits that gradually grew frequent. Both of them began living together after some time. The woman would wander around in the day and return to the farm in the night where she would have dinner with Wang Zuoshan and spend their nights together. One day, she grew pregnant with child.


    But they did not expect the woman''s man to come finding. The man''s name was Ding Zhenlin. He was also a bachelor, a foreman at a workshop more than seven miles away. The woman was a vendor selling plastic decorative flowers; plastic flowers which were used for decoration and ornamentation of fish tanks or dioramas. The woman had come to the workshop one day during her peddling runs through the countryside. Without any hotels in the town at that time, she sought for temporary lodgings at the workshop for a night or two. But without any spare rooms at the workshop, Ding Zhenlin invited the woman, who was unwary of his insidious intents, to his home. That night, she was raped by Ding Zhenlin and had gone mad because of the ordeal.


    After going insane, the woman began roaming around until she reached the farm and met Wang Zuoshan who grew attached to her. Ding Zhenlin began hunting around for her, only to find her here at the farm. To make things worse, he was infuriated when he saw that the woman was with child. In a fit of fury, he drew a knife and stabbed her. Wang Zuoshan tried to protect her, but he too was also wounded by the frenzied Ding Zhenlin. Clutching his wound, Wang Zuoshan staggered backward where his hands, by the stroke of luck, chanced upon the hilt of a cleaver. With his teeth gritted, he slashed furiously at Ding Zhenlin on his neck. Intoxicated by adrenaline, blood, viscera, and enraged howls amidst their blurry visions, they had lost an accurate recollection of what happened later, although they two collapsed to their deaths in the end; and there their souls had remained for decades. None of them had left because the woman had stayed on. Her mental disorder was not the sole aspect of her soul that had remained even after her death. Her maternal instincts too. Not willing to leave her baby, her soul had lingered to this day. The village where Ding Zhenlin had come from was called Ding Gaopu (literally, the Ding Elevated Delta). A simple check into the genealogy of the residents of the village would easily affirm the truth, I told Zheng Shuang. The conclusion of the case would be up to his discretion, I said to Zheng Shuang. But I would be interested to know how would the ending pan out, I did not forget to say. The four souls were on their way to the Underworld, but there they would remain for some time until their time for reborning beckons, and that would not come until their remains were properly interred. I would need to meet with the village council and speak to them about this matter with Zheng Shuang present. He might have to help bear the charges though, I mused. Although I might chip in some contribution with the items needed for offerings and sacrifice.


    Zheng Shuang slowly got up, the look of an unconvinced face hung over him. Stammering falteringly, he said, "Everything seems so freakish!" But he recollected his composure and exclaimed. "Very well. I will go to Ding Gaopu and investigate if there''s such a person called Ding Zhenlin!"


    It took but only a few days when Zheng Shuang appeared once more at our Center. This time, he said nothing, flashing only a thumb proudly that fully conveyed his utmost admiration! I then placed a called and requested for Mr. Liu and Yang Xiaoshan to join me in meeting the village council to discuss the conclusion of the matter. In the end, it was Mr. Liu who generously footed the bill for the charges to have all three of the remains interred at the nearby public graveyard, bringing the entire tragedy to a satisfactory closure. After that incident, Zheng Shuang came to us again for a few times for our help with some of his cases and we became fast friends. One day, a Taoist priest came to the Center. It was the first time a man of the cloth had visited our center; and it was his fateful arrival that day which had, for the first time, gave us the first taste of defeat!

 Chapter 39 The Ignominious Defea

    t


    The Taoist priest bowed, and I returned the same courtesy to him before I led him to our sitting place and poured him some tea. The priest was direct, saying, "I am here today, to implore for your help to join me in ridding evil and foul beings!" "You, yourself, command great powers, Master Priest," I replied modestly. "We can only plead incompetence in comparison to one as great as you!" The priest heaved a long breath and sighed. "To tell you the truth, your name was recommended to me by a colleague. There have been whispers of a powerful person at the National Studies Institute around here. I had gone there to try to meet that great man, only to have my requests for a meeting rejected. But a lady there told me that the Head Person of the Institute rarely shows himself to strangers. But his son had just started a paranormal investigative firm here, she told me; and here I am."


    It must have been Aunt Fen who had recommended us to him. I slide the cup of tea I just poured towards him. "Let us first hear your case, Master Priest!" I said. The priest exhaled wearily and coughed once. "It was my senior. A fellow disciple of my order. He had received an assignment earlier this month to help subdue a demon who had charmed and possessed a village woman. But he did not expect to find out that the demon''s powers were way beyond his ability to defeat. He was soundly beaten and his injuries were so serious that until now, he is still bed-ridden!" An indignant Yuan Chongxi interjected suddenly. "What demon is this to wield such powers! I, myself, could hardly believe this!" But I almost snickered out loud. He had spoken those words in such boldness as if he commanded great strength himself. I waved him off to calm him down and turned to the priest again. "What can you tell us more about this demon, Master Priest?"


    "I''m afraid there''s not much that I know myself," said the priest. "My senior had gone alone that time and was brought back by the local villagers on a stretcher! Being inferior to my senior, I know full well that I was no match for the monster! This is why I have had to look for help elsewhere, to uphold the dignity of us, vanquishers of Evil to prove that Good will always prevail! Have no doubt that you shall be duly compensated! I have some savings of my own!" One way or another, his words had kindled the eagerness to challenge the monster that both Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi stirred in their seats. This might be a good experience for them to see a demon for a first time themselves, I wondered. "Pack your gear! We''ll leave with the priest!" I instructed them both.


    We followed the priest who was leading at the front in his own car with ours at the back. But it struck me odd that even priests these days drive cars, I pondered. Even they, a calling of ancient origins, could hardly resist the course of Time and Progress, I guess. We followed the priest straight into a village and came to a stop. The priest parked his car and got down; and we, too, got down our car and reached a house. The family of the afflicted girl came out to meet us and the priest whispered a few words to them. Hearing from the priest that we were here to help, the owner of the home immediately ushered us into his home warmly. He did not rush us to give treatment to the patient, but first led us into a side chamber of his siheyuan house and made us tea as if we were guests although our conversation began about the condition of the afflicted person. We requested for the patient''s birthdate and other details, and asked about the patient''s symptoms and quirks that had arisen after being sickened, among other information. Encouraged by our recent successes, we neither examined the details given to us nor did we first divine any underlying secrets about the patient, but we immediately went to see the patient. By the accounts of her family, the patient was a woman thirty-seven years of age who was also the mother of two children.


    But when we met the patient, she looked hardly like a middle-aged woman. Instead, she looked as if she was still in her early twenties, a maiden in appearance and demeanor. Yet most puzzling of all, was not her looks and appearance, but her condition! There was a hopeful verve pouring from the depths of her eyes! This was definitely not how a patient being tormented should look like!


    Some people, although stricken with sickness, might pretend to be healthy and robust by keeping their eyes wide and expressive. In truth, even a common person with hardly any supernatural abilities could easily deflate such phony facades. But this woman was different; we could well see and feel that now she stood before us, exuding all fathoms of vigor and permeating vim! Even before we had uttered anything, it was she who first seized the initiative of our exchange by first speaking when we first met! "I know you are here to deal with me. Return to where you come from!" She cried in a loud voice that bespoke her radiating exuberance and clout. "The likes of you curs are hardly a challenge to me! Get someone else!" Realizing our unwavering will to pit against her, she howled in laughter. "You wish to witness my greatness? Very well!" My Spirit Sight picked up a cloud of yellow energy rose from her body that not only stank of fetid odors like rotting flesh, but even my eyes were also stung by the pain at the mere sight of her corrosive miasma! Quickly, I extracted my Spirit Gourd and unsealed its mouth. At the whispers of several words of incantation, a powerful suction absorbed every shred of the trenchant and sulfurous smog into the gourd. Everyone held their breaths as they kept watch at our brief duel.


    A look of distress formed on the woman''s face and intensified when she noticed that I did not unstopper my gourd. Instead, the mouth of the gourd was facing her as my lips continued muttering spells of command. But what had seemed to be a short-lived frightened look on her fleeted by, replaced with a cryptic smile as black strands of energies swirled around her. Her eyes flashed suddenly, with two incinerating bolts of lights shot out of her eyes. Even from afar, I could almost feel the blistering heat of the two bolts of light which could have flash-boiled our very blood! I drew my sword to parry the projectiles. With a loud "bang", my sword cracked and shattered. Every inch of the exposed parts of my body screamed suddenly at the searing pain as if a burst of inferno had engulfed me. A huge force gripped my arm from behind, yanking me at break-neck speed out of the chamber. It was Lin Feng. With his prowess in martial arts, he had drawn me of out of danger! With a spin of his body, he brandished his whip and swung it forward, coiling it around Yuan Chongxi''s waist and pulled hard! Yuan Chongxi was lifted into the air and flew back, staggering uncontrollably when he landed. Without another word, we scrambled out of the house and into our car.


    Lin Feng willed the car to life and kept his foot on the accelerator, racing as fast as he could away! There was no more time for us to worry about the priest! We looked ourselves; the smoldering patches on our clothes singed by the fire and the red flesh of our skins after being so badly scalded. Yuan Chongxi and I shared a dark look. Even his eyebrows were not spared. I fumbled for a calabash gourd and tipped it over, pouring out two tablets. I gave him one, and we both downed the medicine with a gulp of mineral water. Moments later, when the rush of blistering agony slowly diminished and subsided, Yuan Chongxi grumbled, "It''s lucky that you have these medicine. Were they given by the Taoist priest?" "No," I said, "These were given to me by my father. I am still not yet skillful enough to brew them on my own." Minutes passed and finally, we felt no more pain, but we could not feeling incensed by our defeat! Before going in the chamber for the encounter, we had planned thus: Lin Feng would act as a rearguard while Yuan Chongxi will stand in the middle as my support while I led the charge against the monster. It was fortunate that we had the prudence to first plan our confrontation, lest one of us would have shared the same fate as the Taoist priest''s senior who was still incapacitated.


    We retreated back to the center, only to find Father already there waiting for us. Father always had a knack of appearing when we needed him most. He held out his hand and motioned for the sword he gave me the night before the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies was opened. I handed to him the broken sword, which he took and strike at its blade with a flick of his finger. Much to our shock, the blade of the sword crumbled into shards of metallic shreds. "Have some rest," he said to us. "I''ll go with you for a look!" The notion of Father coming with us revitalized all weariness in us. "We''re okay!" Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi exclaimed, eager to see their pride redeemed. "We can go now!" Yet despite his fervor, I was sure that Lin Feng was badly exhausted. The journey there was no less than 100 miles, and it was he who had driven us to and fro. Moreover, it was he, too, who had salvaged what remained of our dignity from being utterly incapacitated, not to mentioned a fiery mutilation. We were almost there when Lin Feng pointed to the front, the tip of his finger gesturing towards a small town in the distance. "Past this curve. The house is just over there," he said. "Stop the car there in front of the hilly mound," Father instructed. We stopped and all got out. Father stood sternly on the mound and we flanked him from behind. A few rocks rolled down the cliff from where we were standing, bouncing off the surfaces of other boulders below as they continued their downhill descend. Father disappeared suddenly, reappearing at the top of the mountain where he cast a long look over the entire village. With a prideful smirk, he returned to us and beckoned for us to leave. "Let''s go!" he said loudly.


    We journeyed our way back, going straight to a restaurant instead of returning to the Center. Father requested a private room and we went in, plopping our behinds on the comfort of the cozy seats as a server first made us tea before excusing himself. We sipped at our tea as we waited for our food and Father began his explanation. "This is the first time I encountered something like this," he said. He paused for a tick of silence as if allowing his words to fully sink in before continuing. "When I looked upon the village, I sensed dark energies, foul and decayed as death, with another form of energy, yellowish, if I were to describe it by colors. It can only be the aura of demons. But in the midst of the putrid haze of these vile and horrid energies, there was the bright glimmer of a hallowed glow!" "Could it be... the weasel spirits of the Wudaxian (literally the ''Five Great Immortals'', a group of five zoomorphic deities of northeastern Chinese religion and local shamanism)?" I blurted, shocked at the revelation. But Father merely waved his hand as a sign of no. "That was no ordinary aura! Only one of the deities of the Heavenly Court wielded such sanctity! The ones you mentioned are still demonic spirit nevertheless, in spite of their position," said Father, refuting my guess. We were so astounded that we were agape with shock! This was simply unbelievable; a deity both righteous and evil? How could this be possible, I brooded. This is not Gemini or Janus of Western religions and myth! How could an immortal entity embody the traits of both Evil and Good! "That was not a single entity," said Father suddenly, breaking my line of thought and answering my doubt. "The patient must have been possessed by three different entities. Two of Evil and one of Good. Still, like what I said earlier. I have not heard of any precedence of being possessed by three entities at the same time before! You will recall that before going to the village, I had examined your sword. It was broken to the hilt by a technique we colloquially call ''overscorching''. It is a magical skill that can ''flash-melt'' metallic objects. But the wooden hilt of the sword was neither damaged nor are you all badly injured! I''d say that the entities had stayed their hands and had shown you an ounce of leniency. But I will not be able to intervene on your behalf, due to the embroilment of a deity of Heavens in this case."


    "But how can we continue operating the Center now that we''ve been so ignominiously defeated!" Yuan Chongxi cried in dismay. "Nay. There is nothing to be shameful about losing to a deity, more so, one of the Heavenly Court!" Father said to us encouragingly. Our discussion continued amid the aroma and flavors of the food that came later. "We''ll leave it to the deity to handle his own matter," said Father. "Meanwhile, here''s my advice. You will all..." His voice trailed as he turned to face me, "... go find your Third Uncle (on my mother''s side)!" "Ah? Since when did Third Uncle has such powers?" I asked, hardly being able to believe my ears. "Of course not," said my father. "But he knows a man who wields power even over deities and immortals! Only he can influence the deity to solve this entire issue!" "So you want us to ask Shiyan''s Third Uncle to lead us to the man who can sway the deities to his will?" Yuan Chongxi asked. "Yes!" My father answered.


    The next day, we went to visit my Third Uncle, bearing a boatload of gifts: a fruit basket, two bottles of white wine, and a carton of Yuxi cigarettes (A Chinese cigarette brand). He was in fact my mother''s cousin, a rowdy retiree who loves crowds. We came to his apartment, only find him sitting downstairs on a rattan chair in the garden with a small tea table in front of him, enjoying the simple vices tea and cigarettes. Seeing me from afar, he shouted loudly, "Look! My nephew is here! Hahaha! Come! Sit with me! Pour yourself a cup!" We laid down the items we brought and reached for some small stools and sat around him. "So, what brings you here?" He asked. "To see you, Third Uncle," I replied. "Nay. You are not here to see me! Tell me, what happened to your eyebrows?" He scoffed, his hand waving loftily. "You are indeed wise and sharp, Uncle." I managed with a grin. "Nothing escapes your knowledge!" "You impish rascal! I watch you grow up!" He giggled. "How do I not know your antics!"


    He had just finished speaking, when a voice barked from over our shoulders, "Halt!"

 Chapter 40 Third Uncle

    My head jerked back to look for the origin of the voice and found an unruly brat, clutching a plastic toy rifle in his arms, running towards us. My third aunt was chasing after him from behind, gasping for breath. "I''m breathless just by chasing this rascal!" She managed through her infrequent pants. Seeing us, she came to us and greeted us. "You have graduated, have you, Shiyan?" She asked. "I have. In fact, the three of us here have started our own paranormal investigative firm. We specialized in looking into supernatural incidents and some counseling too. But we have hit a snag; hence we''re here today. I heard that Third Uncle knows a man who commands certain authority even over deities and immortals. There were rumors that he could even move mountains and shift the oceans!" My third uncle guffawed hilariously. "What is this you''re talking about? From where do I find somebody with such powers!" The boy scurried over and leaped into the arms of Third Uncle. His eyes were unabashedly set upon the fruit basket we had brought there. I tore opened the wrappings of the fruit basket and asked him which of the fruits he was interested in. Feeling encouraged, he stooped down and began holding every fruit and looked interestedly at them as my third aunt scowled with exasperation. "Look at this rascal!" She reached for the fruit basket, muttering, "Let''s see what fruits you bring us, and you impudent rascal, have you no manners?" She held the basket in her hand and moved indoors with the little boy trotting after her.


    Third Uncle nipped at his tea as he shifted in his seat, his interest aroused by our mention of the "powerful man he once knew". "Now that you have reminded me of him... we met long ago when I was sent to the countryside during the government''s Down to the Countryside Movement that time! I was such a young fool then! A proud young man, fresh and ambitious, eager to serve the Party and country! I answered the Party''s call for educated young men which they wanted to send for agricultural re-education! It was important that we continually seek progress, as I was once taught; hence I filled in a form to take part! It was a huge affair that we were sent off in trains with great fanfare as if we were triumphant soldiers going to war! But little did we, the prideful and eager young men, know that great trials and sufferings awaited us at the farming villages! Oh the hot and steaming wheaten pastries which had scorched my throat when I ate them! There were no tools and machines that we could use to harvest the wheat; so we have to reap the crops with our bare hands! Under the sweltering heat of the sun, bare-backed young men pulled and yanked at the already-ripened crops as our backs and muscles screamed with pain at the sore and weariness we felt! Some of the young men were already crying out loud with agony as we worked the fields. But at least, sometime later, we were delivered from our pain, with the timely appearance of that powerful man!"


    He took another swig off his cup and began recounting his story, his face livid with emotions. "He was one of the older seniors. Before the liberation of the country, during the Sino-Japanese War, he was serving as a spy in Tianjin, when in truth, he was supplying intelligence to the guerrilla forces. During an information drop, his identity was discovered. But fortunately he was rendezvoused with another agent sent forth by the guerrilla forces to recover him and they slipped out of Tianjin, after which he began serving directly for the anti-Japanese forces. During the Pingjin Campaign, on the assault of Tianjin, he was assigned to Deng Hua''s staff at the front lines due to his extensive knowledge of the terrain around Tianjin and the city''s layout. His prowess with gathering intelligence was truly appreciated then and was earmarked for his potential, which then won him a place among the army which was then dispatched to fight in the Korean War against American forces.


    He survived the war and returned to work at the government''s Department of Materials. But things began to take a dreadful turn for him. At the government agency for materials that he was working at, he was surrounded by many former post-war veterans who were also discharged from the army following the end of the war. The offices and corridors of the department became a watering hole where former soldiers would share war-time stories and tales of triumph among one another as well as juniors. Despite having forged legends of his own during the war when he was working behind enemy lines, he had always deigned to reveal them to others. Instead, out of his eagerness to stand out from the rest of the old warhorses, he would babble to anyone who foolishly displayed the patience to listen to him his tale of his encounter with a deity during his work as an undercover! Sadly, his tales earned him not only scorn and disdain, but he was also being branded as an alleged ''rightist'' and was nearly being prosecuted during the purge of the Anti-Rightist Campaign that swept the country. But he survived the ordeal. Apparently, the Party felt that his gibberish, although heretical, did no damage to the Party. Dismissing his absurd tales as mere nonsense, the Party sentenced him to forced reformation through labor (laogai) at his home town. Then again, no one knew, what should have been an arduous punishment for him, had, in fact, turned out to be a blessing in disguise!


    Due to his past occupation at the Department of Materials, he was close to various officials of minor materials bureaus around the country. Returning to his hometown, he reached out to the local materials bureau and requisitioned for fertilizers, pesticides and various farm-use consumables. This made him a very popular person among the farmers in his home town. Through his contacts, he had even bought over the machinery and apparatuses of a run-down factory which he then refurbished with the help of another expert he sought help from and started a new manufacturing plant in his hometown, specialized in producing large and strong springs commonly used for lorries and trucks. His entrance into the fold of the manufacturing scene could have not been more readily welcomed by the government, who then practically received him with opened arms due to the limited production of state-owned factories. To increase the volume of his production, his products were further processed by a few other third-party machining plants elsewhere; hence gradually, his factories began growing in production output, outstripping even that of state-own factories. In those days, these large springs were sold at more than 70 yuan apiece; the same as the salary of a Level-6 worker in the city!


    He would continue building more factories, eventually becoming the de facto leader of the local production brigade. Many, if not most, of the brigades'' affairs required his consent and support as well as input. Even to this day, his village was still being awarded at least several million in contracts every year due to the production output of his factories that had maintained efficiently! All of us, the educated young men, were sent to different factories to work as manual labor. This was no different from the work done by laborers in the city! But we were well-compensated. Working as a maintenance fitter, I received 80 yuan and 10 work points every month. I even received a bonus at the end of the year! It was a job that many would even kill for! Our benefits were even better than Level-8 workers in the city! Word of the favorable work compensation began to travel, and many educated young men in the vicinity would try all ways, be it begging, exchanging favors or even pulling strings, just to get themselves re-assigned here. Some even got married to some other colleagues of the local production brigades to clean their slate and remain here.


    But his good fortune hardly reached its end. In just two or three years into his service with the local production brigade, he suddenly received a pardon and was reassigned back to his former post. Although the Cultural Revolution was far from over, he received a pardon for his past transgressions. This was because the agent who had evacuated him from Tianjin during the Sino-Japanese War was also wrongly imprisoned. Unable to locate his handler who could testify to his accomplishments for the nation and country, he was arrested and his statement taken. In his testimony, he had mentioned of another fellow spy which he had rescued under orders of the Party. Together they escaped Tianjin to safety and they were once reunited, meeting each other by chance at the Department of Materials! The investigation unit went to the Department of Materials to ascertain his claims and verified the agents'' claims, effectively proving their contributions and sacrifices during the wars. This was also helped by the pressure piled upon the investigative units by their former subordinates who now held important and influential posts within the new Communist government apparatus. With his name cleared, he was invited back to his former post. Years later when he was honorably retired, the local production brigade of his hometown, in remembrance of his aid and services to the village and its development, build him a house and employed a caretaker to look after him. It was a token of appreciation for him and even to this day, he was still regularly consulted whenever the village council needed further input on major decisions. But he left the house they had given him to his son, and he returned to his old home."


    "Oh God!" I blurted suddenly. "The old man would have been what? More than a hundred years old? Is he still here? He is still alive, I hope!"


    "Of course he is," said Third Uncle, his hands waving me off like a fly as if I had spoken something offensive. "There was a meeting of former youths who had once taken part in the agricultural re-education program; an alumni meeting of sorts. There were some of those who had chosen to remain in the countryside after getting married there. A few of them had spoken about the old man, saying that he still looks healthy and energetic! But for the past two years, he has chosen to remain indoors, rarely coming out." "Can you bring us to meet with this old man, Third Uncle?" I asked quickly. "Now that you mentioned him... It''s been a long time since I last saw him... I''d love to go meet him!" Third Uncle replied jovially. I would have been a fool to not notice the momentum of the conversation swaying to our favor for me to strike while the iron was still hot. I prodded, "When would you be free, Uncle? We''ll drive you there!" "Any time would be fine," said Third Uncle, beaming happily. "I''m always free after my retirement! Hahaha..." He was always a straight and forthcoming person. "How does tomorrow suit you?" I pressed. "Tomorrow will be fine!" Third Uncle said, nodding. "So be it then! We''ll come for you at eight in the morning tomorrow, Uncle!"


    Once we had returned from my Third Uncle''s, I immediately placed a call to my parents, informing them that my friends and I would be paying a visit to the countryside. For this very purpose, Lin Feng had driven the car out to have its tank filled to the brim before he, too, made a call to his parents and informed them of the same. Yuan Chongxi too did not remain idle. He readied himself and we prepared another fruit basket, two bottles of wine and a flask of tea leaves as presents for the old man. The next morning, we went to my Third Uncle''s and with his guidance, we went deeper into the mountains, heading for the depths of the backcountry. The elevated road winding around the mountains were narrow and serpentine, like a huge snake that weaved and looped around the midriffs of the mountains that loomed over it like guardian giants, but it was smooth, considering we were so far from the modern civilization of the city, being paved of cement rather than asphalt. The dense and green wilderness passed our car windows like a piece of scenery from a painting. Winding down our windows, the cool, moist air shot into the cabin, reinvigorating us and relieving us the sores and weariness of crawling so early out of bed as our journey to the outback continued. Moved by the nostalgic scenes and feels, Third Uncle began humming to a tune of a song of the bygone era; a song called "Guang Kuo Tian Di Lian Hong Xin (loosely translated as ''The Ardent Pursuit of Finesse on the Wide Fields of Limitless Potential'') which wistful rhythms invoked his memories of traveling into the countryside decades ago! What a truly melancholic reflection and sentiment that none of our age could possibly appreciate!


    At length, our journey came to a pause when we reached the village and stopped to ask for the old man''s present residence. With our way pointed to us by a helpful villager, we came to the house and stood by the gate. We pressed a doorbell by the gate and waited. Moments later, a caretaker came out of the house and unlocked a wicket-gate in the large gates outside the compound. He came out and spoke to us and we related to him of our intentions to visit. The caretaker then returned and opened the large gates to let us drive in. The caretaker locked the huge gates behind us and led us into the courtyard of the residence. The residence was a large house with many separate chambers; After passing through the first hall, we came to a passage where there were rich bushes of Mexican roses blooming handsomely on our flanks and there were two separate chambers to both of our sides. The passage would continue down, leading us into a second hall before we reach the rear courtyard. Still, to call it a courtyard would be a mere understatement; a huge pergola towered over our heads with bunches of unripe grapes hanging from their vines that coiled and slithered along the eaves of the overhead lattice. We continued through the garden and found vines of luffas that curled and convoluted over another pergola. Further ahead, we reached a rock garden with two separate paths winding around it before we reach a pond filled with flowering lotuses! This was hardly a residence! It''s a manor or even a small palace at best! After the pond, there was a small flight of steps and railings at the edge of the pond for people to fish, and there was also a cozy gazebo which was backdropped by a blob of fruit trees. Hardly familiar with fruits and vegetables, I could not recognize what trees they were, but I could make out the orb-like fruits growing on the boughs of the trees. There was a stone table in the gazebo, with a teapot and some teacups laid ready. An old man was sitting quietly there, sipping at his tea. "Master Xuan!" Third Uncle walked with long, brisk strides, his anxiousness not longer bridled as he saw the old man and called out loudly. His voice reached the old man, whose head raised and looked at us. Surprised, he stood up with a dexterity that belied his age. "Young Heng! Hahaha..." He called. He took Third Uncle''s hand and gripped it warmly, shaking it. Third Uncle''s name was Zhang Yuheng. Due to the difference in their age, the old man affectionately addressed him as "Young Heng" while Third Uncle called him "Master Xuan", although the old man''s full name was Chen Yixuan. In the dialects of the locals, "Master" could either refer to a senior; and it could also refer to an old folk of a more elder standing. But the manner in which Third Uncle had addressed him with clearly indicated the former.


    They spoke for a while, sharing a few words of greetings after not meeting for quite some time. When they had finished, Third Uncle gestured to us. "This is my nephew, Shiyan!" He introduced. "These are his friends, Lin Feng and (Yuan) Chongxi." But the old man''s arm rose suddenly, his finger pointing straight at me as he burst into laughter! "Shiyan! Hahaha! Shiyan! Hahahaha!" He howled happily, his body rocking back and forth, much to our dubious and bewildered amazement!

 Chapter 41 The Hermit of Hidden Talents

    For reasons unknown, I was able to neglect his abrupt laughter. In a strange moment of clarity despite his bellowing chortles, it dawned upon me that this old man hardly looked like the gnarly, frail old man that we would have imagined a person of a hundred years old would look like. Instead, he looked as if he was only in his seventies. Shallow creases lined across his weather-worn face although they were hardly the deep wrinkles most old men had. Through his jovial grin, I could see his neat, white teeth which I suspected were dentures. As he and Third Uncle continued their talk, his movements and gestures were agile and rapid; hardly fitting the image of a feeble and sickly old man with long, flowing mane and beard. Like Third Uncle himself, the old man was also a garrulous and effusive person whose loquaciousness would never cease unless bidden to.


    His caretaker appeared with more teacups minutes later and poured us tea. We sat down too, realizing that there were a number of stools beside the stone table, a sign that the old man had visitors regularly. The caretaker appeared once more, this time coming with some fruits in a tray. Setting them on the table, he said before he left dutifully, "Have some fruits. These are all home-grown here ourselves..." Suddenly a voice called out from the gardens before we managed to state the reason for our visit. "Young Heng!" There were a few men who had come. From their manner, they seemed to be Third Uncle''s former colleagues, for one of them even hugged him like how an uncle would dote on his favorite nephew. Over the fruits and tea, they began talking about their families and their past exploits, stopping halfway only to laugh or refresh themselves with the tea. One of the men, the one who looked like the leader of the band of brothers, extracted his phone and spoke into the mouthpiece. When he returned his phone to his pocket, he made an announcement: no one was to leave until after a meal together. He had called to his factory and made arrangements. The long-separated band of brothers would eat together and enjoy a long chat over some alcohol... He looked at us three and said, "The factory is not far. It''s just outside this compound," before he turned to the old man and said, "Let''s have a visit to this factory that you once built, Master Xuan!"


    The man was the director of one of the factories that Master Xuan had established decades ago. We rose to our feet and Lin Feng and I were about to help Master Xuan get up when he waved us off. He held on to his dragon-head staff for support and slowly ambled away along with us. With the director showing us around, we were given a tour of the factory as the old man stared and gazed at the innards of the manufacturing plant of his own contrivance, reminiscing a glimpse of his past. We came to the mess hall of the factory and were led into a room where a signboard hung above its door, saying, "Reception Room". This must be where the factory management receives its guests, I wondered. And I would just breeze past the details of our meal.


    At the end of our meal, two female attendants appeared and ushered the old man back to his home. Third Uncle and his friends remained, downing glass after glass as their conversations sauntered down the trail of memory lane, bringing both tears and laughter to them as they reminisced of their past. By the time they called it quits, it was already 10 in the night. Hence we spent the night there, at the invitation of Third Uncle''s friends who prepared some rooms in the factory for us. The next morning, after washing up and having breakfast at the factory mess hall, we returned to the residence of the old man Chen Yixuan, the Chen Residence. The old man, having expected us to return, had long been waiting at the gazebo in his garden. A wooden box sat on the stone table, waiting for us. It was time to get to business, I guessed. "Master Xuan," Third Uncle first began, "This three young men here..." The old man cut him off gently, without allowing him to finish, saying, "I know the purpose of their visit. I knew it the moment you told me this boy''s name," his bony finger was trained on me. "This is nothing but Destiny! For many a year, I have been waiting for this day!" We were all stunned to silence. The old man smiled. "Sit!" He beckoned us to the stools around the table, "Sit and listen to my story!"


    When we were all seated, the old man drank from his cup and asked, "Have you heard of the ''Battle of Beijing'' that took place in the year 1644?" Third Uncle was looking bewildered, his mouth stuttering incomprehensibly. Softly I asked, "Was that the year Li Zicheng entered Beijing?" The old man giggled and replied, "Good, good! This child has potential!" And so his tale began...


    When the last Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Chongzhen Emperor rose to the throne, he had sought advice from a seer. The seer gave him two instructions. The first of it, was to erect a stable at the rear of his palace. He was instructed to keep a good horse and employ a caretaker to see to the horse''s daily needs. In the seer''s instructions, the emperor was explicitly advised to get another horse should the first horse dies of old age. In the early years of his reign, the emperor heeded the instructions of the seer and kept a horse. But as time passed, he failed to see the merits in keeping the horse, and the stable was demolished after the death of the first horse years later. From then since, he kept no horse in his palace! But when Li Zicheng attacked Beijing in 1644, Chongzhen Emperor hung himself to death. Even to the moment of his death, he might not have realized that the seer''s true purpose of bidding him to keep a horse was for his escape during the time of danger! The seer''s second instruction was kept in a silken pouch, which he had charged the emperor to open only in times of grave peril. When Li Zicheng''s invading rebel forces were inching closer and closer to the capital, defeating every military force that the imperial government had hurled forth to thwart him, Chongzhen Emperor, seeing no other options, opened the pouch and found a strip of paper. On it, the seer had scrawled a message, saying, "Decimate the renegade''s lineage and right to rule". With as much haste as he could muster, the Emperor ordered a secret directive to be dispatched as swiftly as a horse could ride to the Governor of Shaanxi, a man named Wang Qiaonian...


    In the fifteenth regnal year of Chongzhen Emperor''s rule, the magistrate of Mizhi County in the province of Shaanxi where Li Zicheng hailed from, a man named Bian Dashou received a case. A farmer had come to plea for justice, complaining that some staff members of the magistrate had forcibly robbed him of his garlic crops. Under usual circumstances, the case would seem like a very simple matter. But the farmer never stopped bowing his head as he knelt on the ground, and even crawled to Bian Dashou''s side and hugged his feet.


    Realizing that there was more than meets the eye with this farmer, he commanded the court to be adjourned and instructed the farmer to meet him in the rear chambers. Bian Dashou ordered away his men and demanded to be left alone, where he met the farmer by himself. Confident that they were not being scrutinied by prying eyes, the farmer removed his hat and extracted a secret missive from the Emperor himself from within. "I am a secret messenger of the Emperor himself. Due to the gravity of these orders, I have had to maintain utmost secrecy while ensuring that these orders reach your hands!" The courier revealed. Bian Dashou unsealed the missive and pore through the message. The message contained orders for him to demolish the renegade Li Zicheng''s ancestral tomb and destroy his dragon leys to decimate his destiny to be king. Bian Dashou nodded. He returned to the front hall and re-continued the court proceedings by ordering his men to pay the "farmer" his due compensation and sent him off.


    However, Bian Dashou was at a loss of what to do after the courier had left. From where would he find the renegade''s ancestral tomb? How would he locate the ley lines (in the case of a potential ruler, dragon leys) which represented Li Zicheng''s destiny to be king? He was worried and frightened. His worrisome demeanor was noticed by one of his closest subordinate and confidant, Jia Huan. "Why are you so worried, Sir?" Bian Dashou confided in him the matter of the secret imperial missive and the orders it contained. "This is a secret directive from the Emperor. But how am I to locate these things without attracting attention and causing alarm?" Bian Dashou complained in dismay. "Moreover, it is a hateful act to demolish one''s ancestral tomb. There''s just too much risk! With the Ming Empire on the verge of crumbling, Li Zicheng would surely hunt for my entire family if word of this reaches his ears!"


    "Well, you''ve found the right man, Sir," quipped Jia Huan confidently, "I know where they are!" Bian Dashou could hardly believe his ears! How did he know about this, he asked his man. "One of our constables here is called Zhang Zixiang. But many do not know, his true family name is not Zhang, but Li. His true name is Li Zixiang; and he is the trueborn older sibling of the renegade, Li Zicheng. In truth, he has enlisted more than twenty of the men to aid the rebel forces when they come. In fact, I am one of them! But if you wish to know the location of his ancestral tomb, we can first get close to him to find out before we decide what to do."


    Bian Dashou sent for Li Zixiang and demanded, "Why do you pretend to be Zhang when your true family name is Li?" Li Zixiang fumbled with fear as he tried to explain himself, but Jia Huan appeared suddenly from behind, saying, "There''s no longer need for falsehoods, Brother Li. I have confessed everything to the Magistrate!" Li Zixiang crumbled to his knees, begging for mercy. Bian Dashou went to him and helped him to his feet, consoling him, "Have no fear, my friend. I am also worried that the Empire would last no longer. I am interested to be sworn brothers with you. Perhaps I might still be able to salvage a future for myself." Li Zicheng was overjoyed to hear this and they swore to be brothers. From that moment on, Bian Dashou remained as Li Zicheng''s superior in public, but in private, they behaved like brothers.


    Little did Zhang Zixiang know that Bian Dashou''s true purpose of getting close to him was to find out the actual location of Li Zicheng''s ancestral tomb. The latter had also conducted secret investigations of his own, and found that Li Zicheng''s grandfather''s name was Li Hai and his father''s name was Li Shouzhong. Li Shouzhong was buried in the presence of another fellow villager called Li Cheng after his death.


    Careful to maintain his facade, Bian Dashou spent time daily with Zhang Zixiang, calling him for drinks every night together. They would talk about fengshui and how the Li Family''s ancestral tomb must have been built over an auspicious land site. As his focus began to cloud by influences of the wine, what doubts or defense that Zhang Zixiang maintained crumbled like a battered wall, as Bian Dashou prodded him about the location of his family''s tomb. Not long after that night, Bian Dashou invited Zhang Zixiang to a hunting trip where they also visited Mount San Feng Zi (literally, Mount of the Three Lesser Peaks) and Bian Dashou used the opportunity to ascertain the location of Li Zicheng''s ancestral tomb.


    Before long, word came to Bian Dashou that the rebel forces were heading straight for Tongguan County. Bian Dashou gave Zhang Zixiang seven thousand taels of silver and instructed him to join the renegade. The silver was to help himself curry favors with the renegade who could possibly be king one day. To make sure Zhang Zixiang indeed left the area, Bian Dashou sent the twenty constables which had pledged their loyalties to the rebels'' cause and even instructed Jia Huan to follow and watch them. When he was sure that Zhang Zixiang had left, he organized a band of thirty bowmen and sixty villagers and enlisted Li Cheng as a guide to lead them on an overnight trip of a hundred and thirty miles to Mount San Feng Zi. It was snowing heavily then and the path to the mountain was covered under two-meters deep of compacted snow. There was no way to ride a horse through the blizzard due to the frigid conditions and the slippery path. For the final five to six miles, Bian Dashou led his men on a hike up the windy and treacherous paths into the deserted mountains. They jostled, clambered, and fought as their might allowed until they finally reached the ancestral tombs, where they beheld the tranquility of the mausoleum. Ringed by tall and handsome mountain ranges in breathtaking vista, the mausoleum had not the morbid ominosity of a charnel house; instead, the environment looked grim and solemn like a final resting place for heroes that was watched silently by the multitudes of tall trees that loomed over the twenty or more graves like wary sentinels. There were once three cavities dug here, said Li Cheng, and one was used to bury Li Zicheng''s father, Li Shouzhong. It was dark when he was interred; hence the gravediggers had used a bowl filled with oil to light a lamp. The lamp was also buried with Li Shouzhong''s body when the deed was done. Hence the grave with the bowl would be Li Shouzhong''s grave.


    After digging through five or six graves, still, the grave with the black-colored bowl was not yet found. Night was upon them and they stayed together by the grave for the night. The next morning, they found both Li Hai''s and Li Shouzhong''s grave. But the latter''s grave had an elm tree growing atop that bore strange, eerie-looking leaves on its boughs. With an axe, they felled the tree to exhume Li Shouzhong''s remains. But in the coffin, they found instead a long, white snake about 1.2 feet long. As the lid of the coffin opened, the snake leaped into the air, rising for meters before it returned back into the grave. Bian Dashou studied the serpent. Horns were beginning to form on its head that it was slowly resembling a dragon. One of its eyes had yet to change and most of its body was still that of a snake. Bian Dashou commanded that the snake and the black bowl from the graves be sealed in a red wooden chest. He would submit the chest and its contents as proof of his deed. As the white snake was removed from the grave, Li Shouzhong''s remains began to sprout hairs! Bian Dashou immediately commanded that all remaining graves to be exhumed and all remains that began to sprout hairs were to be burned. But that was not all. In order to disrupt the fengshui of this site, he commanded that all one thousand three hundred and more trees in the vicinity to be felled. When he returned, he wrote a message: The ancestral tomb of the traitorous renegade has been destroyed and his destiny to be king quashed utterly; the rebel forces would surely be routed in no time! With the red wooden chest, the message was sent to his superior, the provincial governor Wang Qiaonian. On that same day, Li Zicheng suffered a defeat in one of his battles in Henan where he was shot in one of his eyes.


    But both Bian Dashou and Wang Qiaonian did not know that their laying waste to Li Zicheng''s ancestral tomb was hardly the correct way of severing his dragon ley! The dragon ley of one''s mandate to be king was to be destroyed by using a special sword and also a certain powerful spell to kill that white snake! Still, since Bian Dashou was fated to disrupt Li Zicheng''s destiny to be king, this could also mean another thing: an unusual destiny was in store for Bian Dashou himself as well! But Bian Dashou, not knowing that bring away the white snake could not fully deliver the empire from the threat of Li Zicheng. In the end, Chongzhen Emperor inevitably killed himself when Li Zicheng took the capital city! But Bian Dashou''s actions had precipitated in the renegade leader''s short-lived rule, effectively paving way for the Manchurians to usurp the entirety of China, fill the power vacuum and establish the Qing Dynasty in the future. The rulers of the Qing Empire worshipped shamanism, and the shamans and mediums of the Qing Empire all knew about this!


    Despite one victory in Henan, the remnants of the imperial forces suffered great defeats as Li Zicheng, unbroken by his failure, continued plowing towards Beijing. Fearing that they might suffer Li Zicheng''s wrath for what Bian Dashou had done, the people of Mizhi County began plotting to capture Bian Dashou and deliver him to Li Zicheng, hoping that this might spare their lives...

 Chapter 42 Draconic Mutation

    Bian Dashou, hearing the whispers on the streets that the townsfolk were plotting against him, escaped back to his hometown in Renqiu County of Hebei Province. Dissatisfied with another defeat at the victorious Manchurian forces, Li Zicheng sent forth a detachment of troops to Renqiu to arrest him. But he decided to stay and await his fate, despite the desperate urges by the villagers in Renqiu for him to flee. "This is all my doing alone. I cannot leave my relatives and the townspeople here go suffer in my place. I will gladly face the consequences of my deeds!" And so the soldiers of the rebel forces came and took Bian Dashou. But Bian Dashou was blessed with extraordinary fate; before the troop sent to take him reached Li Zicheng''s camp, Bian Dashou escaped. This time, the Manchurians were closing in on Li Zicheng, eager to eliminate him once and for all; thus the renegade leader ignored Bian Dashou''s flight and focused solely on his own wellbeing. Still, with his destiny disrupted and the Manchurian armies already solidified their hold on China, the renegade warlord Li Zicheng suffered a miserable end¡ªhe was ultimately killed by farmers with hoes, ironically the method in which the warlord himself was notoriously famous of when slaying his enemies in battle!


    Emerging as the ultimate victors across the entire theater of battle across the Central Plains of China, the Manchurians established the Qing Dynasty. Still, there was one threat that remained; a mystery that had boggled the minds of the shamans of the Qing Empire: was Bian Dashou truly unaware that dragon leys could only be properly severed by the use of a special sword: the Dragon-slaying Blade? Was it on purpose that he did not look for the sword to carry out his order; or, he has the sword, but he did not use it? The shamans were worried and frightened. If Bian Dashou indeed possessed the Dragon-slaying Blade, he would also be able to sunder the dragon ley of the Qing monarch and obliterate the destiny of the Qing Empire! It was a risk they could hardly suffer; hence a suggestion was made that Bian Dashou must be assassinated for good measure!


    But the Qing Emperor could not decide what to do. Bian Dashou''s deed in disrupting Li Zicheng''s destiny made him a hero to the Qing Empire''s cause; putting him to death would surely incur the wrath and displeasure of the public. Then again, the Qing Emperor was also worried if Heaven was displeased with the manner the Manchurians took China and was concerned if Heaven might be against the rise of the Qing Empire. The sacred calling to be the disrupter of monarchical destinies¡ªlike how Bian Dashou had ended Li Zicheng''s¡ªcould fall upon other individuals if Bian Dashou was killed; the next-in-line to be the wielder of the Dragon-slaying Sword that might appear if, Heaven forfend, that the Qing Empire was indeed not fated to be. Slaying Bian Dashou would only leave the Qing Empire in a disadvantage of not knowing who to be wary of. Finally, they came to a decision, Bian Dashou would be summoned and rewarded for his acts for the Qing court. He was given a government position but he would constantly be observed. This would allow the Qing Emperor to know his moves and whereabouts and maintain constant surveillance on him. Thus Bian Dashou became the Magistrate of Xiuwu County before he was promoted to the post of Prefect of Taiyuan. But Bian Dashou knew full well that the watchful eyes of the spies of the imperial court rested on his shoulders. Hence, one day, he resigned his post, citing age and poor health and returned to his hometown in Renqiu, Hebei. Nevertheless, the imperial court maintained its tireless vigilance to his movements, although they found no suspicious motions from him until the day he died peacefully during his sleep.


    On his deathbed before his passing, Bian Dashou summoned both his sons and urged them to commit to their minds his final words, "At about 200 miles from the east of the capital, I have found a place called Yahong Bridge, it will be a good place for me to lie and rest. Take the land deed and bury me there when I have passed. Remember this: you must make sure that my body is unclothed when my casket is buried! The both of you brother will start a farm there and watch over my grave while you''re at it!"


    The sons of Bian Dashou, being the filial offsprings of their father, followed their father''s final request to the letter and brought their father''s body to the place where he had chosen, the banks of Huan Xiang River. But during the night before their father''s body was interred, they were troubled by their father''s orders that his body must be left naked. But to leave an elder''s body unclothed during burial was too sacrilegious an act for the two sons to bear; hence they made their minds that they would at least put on a pair of trousers for their father''s remains.


    To no surprise, Bian Dashou''s dying request to be interred so far away from his hometown, coupled with the strange instruction that his body was to be buried unclothed raised many eyebrows, especially the wary eyes of his watchers in the imperial court. Two army commanders, one surnamed Lei and the other Zhang, were surreptitiously issued orders to ride east. They reached a tract of land south of Bian Dashou''s grave and began to mark out a large piece of land. By authority of the Qing government, the two commanders took the land and build a ranch. As it turned out, part of the land belonged to a Feng family that used the land as a graveyard for their dead. But due to the overwhelming influence by the imperial court, the Feng family was forced to move further south. The ranch that the two commanders build was called the Great Feng Ranch, while the ranch of the actual Feng family who had moved south was called the Lesser Feng Ranch. On the surface, the two commanders looked like ordinary army commanders here to build a ranch as an army outpost. But in truth, their true orders were to observe and report any movements on Bian Dashou''s grave.


    But the sons of Bian Dashou were honest people who only busied themselves with their daily toilings at the fields. There was nothing suspicious of their mundane lives. Still, the imperial court grew restless and sent forth the shamans here to inspect the grave on their own. They came on boats, borne by the flow of the river towards the Great Feng Ranch. As they passed by Bian Dashou''s grave, there were people nearby pointing in the direction where the two brothers were working, plodding diligently under the morning sun, saying that there laid Bian Dashou''s grave, the father of the two brothers. The sun was climbing high over the mountains on the horizon. The brothers left their farming hoes standing upright in the ground and retreated together down under the shade of a tree for a rest. One of the shamans noticed the shadowed figure of the hoes and was instantly astonished! Silhouetted by the sun, the dark shape of the rods protruding upwards reminded him of a monarch''s scepter¡ªone of the regalias of kingship! The sign of a ruler''s destiny! He studied the brothers again. Despite their modest lineage, the brothers possessed the bearings of lords among men! The shamans immediately commanded the boatman to stop the vessel for them to disembark. Once reaching the banks, the shamans summoned for their horses and rode as fast as their beasts could back to the capital to present their discovery.


    Before long, orders from the Emperor were dispatched with the speed of a bushfire and a division of troops surrounded Bian Dashou''s grave. The shamans ordered the soldiers to exhume Bian Dashou''s remains. When the casket was unsealed, nothing was found inside! The coffin was empty!


    There was a cracked hole by the side of the coffin which led to the direction of the river. The shaman ordered the soldier to begin digging, starting from the hole of the coffin in the grave towards the river. Before long, they found Bian Dashou''s body. The top half of his body had begun morphing, manifesting the traits of the draconic mutation of a human body! His lower half, due to his sons'' decision to cloth him during his burial, was still human. Bian Dashou was meant to morph into a true dragon after his death. But the whiff of the earthly aura of humans that the trousers held had broken the enchantment and ultimately caused his doom. The Huan Xiang River just beside his grave, after passing through the Ji Canal River, would lead straight to the Bohai Sea. Bian Dashou was supposed to fully transform into a draconic serpent and passing into the sea before truly becoming a dragon and rise into the Heavens. What a woeful twist it was, that it was his sons'' love for him that had spelled his downfall. The shamans ordered the soldiers to return Bian Dashou''s remains to his casket and his grave was to be restored as before. When their work was done, the soldiers retreated as quickly and as silently as possible. Before returning, the shamans made the soldiers swear by the pain of death that no word of the incident was to be leaked!


    The intrigues surrounding Bian Dashou''s mysterious tale was nonetheless a matter of grave secrecy. For the sake of the Empire, it was imperative that the matter remain so.


    The Bian Dashou''s surreal and unsightly end, the matter, at long last, came to a close and the Qing Empire could finally breathe easily. But there remained one last blight in this entire mess ¨C the whereabouts of the Dragon-slaying Blade, the one final menace to the Empire''s perpetuity. But none knew that the sword was in fact hidden just below Bian Dashou''s grave. Afraid that the sword would be plundered by grave robbers, Bian Dashou''s sons had dug a small cavity below their father''s coffin; a small hole which fit the sword nicely. The Qing soldiers did not realize that the grave had two layers and they had not discovered the sword just beneath the casket. Thus, the sword would remain a tightly-kept knowledge passed down only to a few select members of the Bian family until the curtains closed on the Qing Dynasty more than two centuries later.


    As Time fleeted by, what remained of the Qing Dynasty became nothing but mere relics of their vain imprints in their pursuit of eternity in the sands of time. Even the Bian family, timeworn by the merciless rapids of Time itself, began to question the legacy which their ancestors had so painstakingly guarded with vehemence, wondering if the bequests of their forefathers were nothing but a myth. Still, the secret remained untold, until a prodigal progeny of the Bian family, in the midst of his drunken outspokenness at a bar, inadvertently revealed the unspeakable. The betrayed truth led a band of robbers to come one silent night and defiled the graves of the progenitors of the Bian family, pillaging their graves of whatever valuables the robbers could get their hands on, including their most precious heirloom, the Dragon-slaying Blade...


    The old man stopped for a brief respite and took a gulp of tea. "Most of the Bian family had relocated to Beijing then. When news of the plunder reached them, one of the family members returned to Yahong Bridge. After inspecting the damage and commissioning for the graves to be reconstructed, the member announced a list of items that were lost in the raid. Among the list was a sword, supposedly worth hundreds of thousands of dayang coins (silver yuan coins, common denomination during revolutionary China). But to anyone who long suspected the truth, all would instantly realize that the sword was none other than the Dragon-slaying Blade! But the local police could not close the case; therefore it was passed up the ladder to regional police headquarters. I was serving at the Tianjin regional headquarters then as a contract-based investigator. I was famous then, for being a super sleuth; hence unexpectedly the case file to my desk. Immediately I set off to inspect the scene myself, although I could find no useful clues. Robbers were as rampant as mushrooms after rain then. Most villagers would prefer to keep their doors and windows closed to invite no trouble. With no other witnesses other than the gravekeepers, my one only clue was that the chief of the robbers spoke a hoarse voice. But day and night, I received calls from my superiors, pressing me to solve the case as soon as possible! I knew, that they had not any intentions of delivering justice for the sake of the Bian family. In fact, what the higher-up in the government was after, was the sword itself! But I paid no heed to any political agendas; I only wanted to solve the case, and it had to be me, lest my reputation would suffer! Still, the painful reminder that I only had the clue of the hoarse-voiced band leader cast a dismayed gloom over me, until I remembered about a junior I once had."


    "I was once a student in my youth, learning to be a medium when I grow up. But due to my family''s insistence that being a medium was not a lucrative business, they stopped my lessons and sent me to school. When I left, I had only my teacher and a fellow student; a junior of mine. I remembered my teacher once told me that our order had a treasure, an heirloom passed down through the generations by every chief of the sect. This item allowed its user the ability to communicate with immortals, but every leader of the sect was made to swear that the treasure would only be revealed when the order is in great peril. Not long after that, our teacher passed on, leaving only my junior as the sole heir to the order. He was in Shandong then, and I went to him, hoping that he might be able to help me. But when I found him, he was so sick that he was close to death." The eyes of the old man squinted as he suppressed a tear, the pitiable state of his junior returning to him.


    "He was a useless and frivolous person, this junior of mine. With no one to bridle his life of wanton indulgence after our teacher''s passing, he immersed himself in a life of depravity; prostitution, alcohol, eating and drinking binges, all of it! In the end, he contracted syphilis. With no relatives and family, he suffered alone, for he was an orphan my teacher had found in his early days. He was bed-ridden when I found him that he could not even get up. I asked him of the heirloom that our teacher had left him, and his frail finger pointed under his bed. From underneath the bed, I dug up a wooden chest, and in it was a short sword. By the side of the chest, it was inscribed that the contents of the chest should never be revealed unless the order was in grave peril! I held the sword in my hand. With another hand gripping tightly at its scabbard, I drew the sword with all my might and the sword exited its sheath with a huge puff of white powder that obscured my sight! It was talcum powder; white talcum powder which was tossed into the air when I drew the sword and cast a white smog into the air! The predecessor of the sect had foreseen that the short sword could not be easily drawn due to age and wear, hence he had applied a layer of talcum powder before sealing the sword away! But I looked at the sword, and found that it was broken! At the broken part of the sword was a layer of rust; this would mean that the sword had been broken ever since it was sealed away."


    The old man stopped again. His eyes opened wide suddenly and everyone''s attentions were on his face as his eyes gleamed strangely. "Just when we were at a loss of what to do with the sword," he continued quietly, "Everyone around us went dark that instance." It was not the darkness of night, but the gloom with the likeness of a solar eclipse, as if the sun had been blotted off our skies. Then there were shafts of light; not ordinary rays of light, but columns of bright, yet colorful lights that shot down from the sky. It was the divine lights of Heaven that held five colors, although in Western science we call it seven. Like a rainbow, the columns of light descended into the courtyard, and from the bright luminance of the blinding radiance of the colonnade, the silhouette of a man appeared! As (former) students of the arcane arts, we believed in the existence of immortals. We knew that the figure that appeared could not be possibly mortal, he could only be an immortal! The bright shafts of light shot through the windows of my junior''s residence; his windows were only hollow wooden frames, devoid of any paper screens, and through the windows we could see the man dressed richly in a long suit, a handsome-looking top hat, with a gold-rim glasses over the arch of his nose as he held a finely-crafted walking stick. Not only he was modern-looking, but he was dressed like an aristocrat, putting me in my best days to shame!"


    The old man''s recollections were chaotic that they were in disarray. What followed was a version of his tale after my re-organization...

 Chapter 43 Master Six

    The man walked slowly into the house and studied us both. "Who drew the sword? What is your purpose of summoning me?" he asked. The then-Chen Yixuan stood forth and greeted him. "And you are..." The immortal cut him off, saying curtly, "You can call me Master Six, for I am the sixth in my family." Immediately Chen Yixuan muttered reverently, "So it is thus, Master Six..." and he began telling the immortal of his story.


    At the end of his story, Master Six pondered quietly. "The promise I had made so many a year ago to the founder of your order was that I will help to the best of my abilities if your order is in grave peril," said the immortal at last. "Which is it you want, for me to help you with the case or to cure him of his sickness?" Chen Yixuan began bickering with his junior; he wanted the immortal''s help to cure his junior, but his junior insisted that the immortal should be helping him with his case. Master Six watched them quietly, until he spoke up. "How about this? I will help you cure your junior''s sickness and will also help you with your case. But I have one condition!" The immortal continued without allowing them to speak, magically extracting an urn from within his robes and tossed it to Chen Yixuan''s junior. "Take one tablet every day. In one month you should be fully cured!" He said before turning to Chen Yixuan. "I will help you find out the whereabouts of the item. But I will not help you retrieve it. As for the condition..." Master Six paused, "I''ll need a temporary identity as a police officer. We''ll need the cooperation of the local police force as our investigation continues. I''ll also need 2500 dayang coins, two strong horses, two police officer''s uniforms, and two German-made Mauser pistols, each with 200 bullets as ammunition!" Chen Yixuan gave his assent. He said his goodbyes to his junior and left with Master Six to take a train to Tianjin. Back at Tianjin, he arranged for Master Six''s lodgings at a hotel while he returned to the police station to make the requested preparations.


    The next morning, when the sun was barely giving off a glimpse of its beckoning glimmer on the horizon, Chen Yixuan and Master Six rode on their horses towards Wu Zhong County. Once reaching there, Chen Yixuan left Master Six at their lodgings while he went to the local police station to present his case and enlisted their aid. The morning after that day, they went to the scene of the raid. The entire place was closed off by the police to keep the scene intact and there were officers standing guard. Strangely, Master Six did not linger long at the scene. Instead, he walked towards a weed-infested mound which was outside the enclosed area. The mound was filled with wild hop plants, and beads of morning dew glistened among their leaves. Chen Yixuan was looking elsewhere, and Master Six walked up the mound. He bent down and picked up something from the grass and wrapped it with a handkerchief. The immortal walked back to his horse and mounted it, saying to the policemen, "Return to your posts!" He then yelled for Chen Yixuan, and together they rode north.


    They came on a narrow and dusty road, flanked by fields of sorghum plants on either side of the path, waving in the breeze like a shifting sea. Halfway, they encountered some large cotton bundles. The locals harvested their cotton and bundled them into huge wicker-baskets with square bottoms. These baskets were also sometimes used to carry firewood and herbs too. Upon close inspection, the two men found grain sorghum buds in the bundles. There were children running about in the fields. Realizing that two policemen were coming their way, the children were stunned, watching blankly at them without knowing what to do.


    Master Six leaped off the saddle of his horse and wandered into the sea of golden sorghum, his hands reaching to pluck the buds off their stalks, leaving Chen Yixuan puzzled by his sudden behavior. The sorghum plants had yet to ripen, he thought. Why was he destroying the crops? But his was a profession that demanded a keen eye of observation; he could see that Master Six''s behavior was deliberate. He was not plucking every bud that came into his sight, rather, he was plucking on every few steps. The immortal returned moments later, cradling an armful of the buds, each with a leaf still attached to them. As he emerged from the midst of the golden and tall, tasseled stalks, striding slowly towards one of the children. With a loud "Wow!" he emptied all of the buds into the child''s basket, keeping only two. Chen Yixuan noticed that the boy was staring at Master Six, dazed and bewildered, unlike the rest of the children who were looking afraid. Evidently, the children were fearful that the policemen were here to punish them for their mischief. But this very child was different; he gazed at Master Six dreamily as if he was looking through his mind for a memory from a distant past! Chen Yixuan could not help feeling confused.


    Master Six clambered back on to his saddle and tossed one of the buds to Chen Yixuan. "Taste it!" he said to the detective. What? Try this, you say, Chen Yixuan gasped to himself quietly. Just as he was still flabbergasted by the immortal''s instructions, he saw Master Six prying open his bud with his fingers and was astonished. What the... He thought quietly. From the insides of the bud, Master Six extracted something long and white like a cigarette! Was this how the sorghum seed looks like before it fully matures, Chen Yixuan brooded. It was the first time he''d laid eyes on it! As Chen Yixuan was still wrestling between fiction, Master Six put the "cigarette" into his mouth and began chewing on it, nodding reassuringly at Chen Yixuan. The investigator tried to pry open the sapling, avoiding from fumbling with it as best he could with his trembling fingers. Lo and behold, he too found the same pale-colored, mushy flesh inside. He nibbled a small bite at it and discovered that it was good, its soft but distinct aroma tingling his senses as he continued gnawing on it. He peered at the remaining of the flesh and saw that it was grey on the inside.


    Master Six finished his "cigarette" with another bite. He held his horse''s reins and gently squeezed at horse''s sides, urging it forward. Chen Yixuan hastily finished his bud and followed closely behind. A hush silence followed as the horses trotted slowly ahead. Master Six was quiet all the way as if with thoughts swirling in his mind, and Chen Yixuan could only remain so, trying not to break the immortal''s train of thoughts.


    They came to a bridge, where there was a small food stall at the foot of the bridge. The two men halted to have breakfast there; each of them enjoyed two meat buns with a bowl of soup made of goat offal. The food was good, or at least, that was how Chen Yixuan remembered as his story continued. When their meal had ended, Master Six was first to get up his horse and jogged merrily forward. "Where to next?" Chen Yixuan asked as he came from behind. "To Tangshan!" said Master Six, spurring his horse to a gallop.


    Tangshan? Why were they going to a destination seventy miles away, Chen Yixuan thought doubtfully. But there was no time to think; the immortal was far ahead, hence he could do nothing but catch up. With a casual pace, they traveled northbound and reached Tangshan before noon. Same as before, Chen Yixuan arranged for accommodations for them both before he went alone to the Tangshan city police station and enlisted their help. The chief of the local police came looking for them that afternoon and treated them for lunch before leaving them at their lodgings for a rest while their horses were taken care of by the local officers. The two men spent the uneventful afternoon resting in their chambers until it was four in the evening. In a stroke of boredom, Master Six suddenly decided to take a walk, accompanied by a few of the local officers. After a brisk walk through the town and a light dinner, Master Six had a sudden inclination for culture and arts, insisting to watch a local folk performance and listened to a storytelling oratory. Chen Yixuan, however, was left disinterested; the oratory was in no way better than the ones in Tianjin. But Master Six seemed to enjoy the performance very much, hence Chen Yixuan could only choose to linger, despite whatever misgivings he had for the speaker, until the end, only which Master Six rose from his seat, feeling contented and returned to their lodgings for the night.


    The remainder of the night passed by peacefully without anything of note. When they woke up at 9 in the morning, a few local officers had come a few times, asking if the two would want some breakfast, although Master Six declined their offer. The two men met after their morning rituals and the immortal instructed Chen Yixuan to set aside five hundred dayang coins and put the remaining two thousand coins into a box which they will bring with them. Before they left, the immortal reminded Chen Yixuan to bring along the two pistols and the extra ammunition. They went to collect their horses and led a band of police officers, all wielding their rifles, who followed closely behind. After traveling for a distance, they encountered a cart drawn by a donkey by the side of the road. A man, looking fifty of age, was barking orders at three younger men who were loading things on to the cart. Master Six stopped his horse. "Wait for them to finish loading their things and invite them all to a Yufeng Restaurant (literally, the Abundantly Prosperous Restaurant). Bring along that cart! Tell them I''m buying them lunch and do nothing to frighten them!" He said to one of the officers, his finger pointing at the men and the donkey cart.


    I interjected suddenly. "Why not the Hong Yan Restaurant (literally, the Lavish Banquet Restaurant)?" The old man giggled and replied, "In those days, the Yufeng Restaurant was the largest and most expensive restaurant around. Both Hong Yan Restaurant and Dashijie Restaurant (literally, the Great World Restaurant) weren''t around yet!" But the true purpose of my interjection was to allow the old man a brief pause to drink some tea. I fished out a cigarette and offered it to the old man before I light it for him, then I gave another one to my Third Uncle and lighted it for him as well. The old man peered at me and remarked, "Not bad! He''s smarter than you!" The old man was referring to my uncle. Third Uncle burst out laughing, "Of course he is, as are most people. I am but merely a maintenance fitter, hahaha! We must be satisfied with what we have, no?"


    The old man and my uncle shared a short and joyful banter for a short while, before the former returned to his tale.


    Chen Yixuan followed Master Six and reached the Yufeng Restaurant where they requested a private room and prepared a table, waiting for them inside. A little more than a half hour later, they could hear the sound of bells ringing outside; it was the bell which was hanging on the neck of the donkey pulling the cart. The men were here. Looking frightened and fearful, the men were ushered into the room. Master Six went forward to receive them. Seeing the old man, the immortal called, "Grandfather, you''re here!" What was going on, Chen Yixuan was aghast beyond words. The old man stammered meekly, "We''ve done nothing wrong, good sir!" But Master Six was still addressing the man as "grandfather", saying, "No, no, no. There''s no problem here. I''m just treating you to lunch! Have no fear! Come in, come in!" He beckoned to the others, calling the tallest of the three young men, "You too, Brother! Come in, come in!" The tall man was bewildered, mumbling, "But since when did we have such a relative..."


    The men shuffled inside warily. Bringing up the rear were the final two of the three, a man looking in his early twenties and a boy in his late teens, whom Master Six greeted and addressed respectfully as if they were his senior. The men entered the room, but they did not dare sit. Chen Yixuan too did not know what was going on! Master Six gestured the men to the chairs, motioning them to sit down. Still, the men remained on their feet. Master Six opened a bottle of liquor and filled their cups. Several servers drifted in and out, laying the table with dishes of food. When a dish of pig''s trotters was placed on the table, the tallest of the three, still standing, went for a pair of chopsticks and began eating. The old man, whom the immortal had addressed as "grandfather", slapped the tall man on his wrist, chastising him, "You dare eat now?" Master Six giggled and consoled them gently, "Please, eat up!" He rose up and scooped some meet off the dish, and filled the tall man''s bowl with a piece of meat. Unable to hold himself back any longer, Chen Yixuan tugged at Master Six''s sleeve. "A word please, sir!" He whispered to the immortal.


    When they were out of the room, Chen Yixuan grumbled to Master Six, saying, "We are supposed to investigate the case. Why are we entertaining them to a meal and treat them so nicely? We could just interrogate them or torture them for information! For all my years of working as an investigator, I had never had to speak so gently to suspects! But here we are..." The immortal cut him off and snapped, "None of your business, go get the two thousand dayang coins!" With that, he turned and returned to the room.


    Chen Yixuan went to his horse and took out the box. When he returned, Master Six, as if he had cast an enchantment over his guests, was chatting casually with them like friends of old! As the final ounce of his dignity as an esteemed police investigator ebbed away, Chen Yixuan began to wonder if Master Six was indeed related to these men...

 Chapter 44 The Dud Round

    The atmosphere turned strange and awkward and Chen Yixuan failed to summon any courage to further ask any more questions. Master Six was busy filling their cups, bellowing loudly for toasts after toasts with a reckless abandon to get drunk and wasted. After drinking for some time, Master Six''s hand slipped into his pocket and took out the small bundle wrapped with his handkerchief. Only now Chen Yixuan finally saw what it was: a bullet round, one which had been a dud. There were scorch marks at its end, the sign of being struck by a firing pin when the bullet was fired from a gun. Master Six handled the opened bundled to the old man. "Grandfather, look! Is this one of ours?" The old man took the bullet and peered at it closely. At last, he handed it back, saying, "Indeed. It is one of ours; my cousin''s in fact!"


    "Your cousin?" Master Six blurted loudly, as he quickly remarked, "Is he not at the cotton factory?" "He is," said the old man, nodding. "He has been there for years!" Master Six smiled. "I''ll visit him in the afternoon!" He quipped. The three young men sitting looked at him with approving smiles hung across their faces. If they did not believe that Master Six was a relative of theirs before, they certainly did now, especially after hearing Master Six''s blunt remark.


    "Ahhh... This grand-uncle of mine!" Master Six howled, "He is a great lover of stinky tofu! In fact, vendors fear him; for he is a most impatient person and does not tolerate sluggishness. His skills with the chopsticks were so good that he could instantly swipe a piece of tofu and munch on it before anyone could notice! Hahahaha!" The old man and the three young men burst into laughter too. "Alas, this cousin of mine! For many years, he still retains this poor habit!" The old man wailed hilariously. "But he is an honest man with such candor that he would never shortchange anyone!"


    Master Six took the box of coins from Chen Yixuan and squeezed it onto the hands of the old man. "Grandfather, please take this as a gift of me. As a grandson, I have nothing more but these to offer to you. Buy something for yourself; food and drinks perhaps! But do not buy houses or lands!" The old man flipped opened the box. To his amazement, a cascade of dayang coins gold poured out from the scarlet-red wrapping in the box before everyone especially the three young men, who stared at it with awe! A chestful of dayang coins! The old man could hardly believe himself, managing only to stutter, "T-this... T-the..." Master Six flipped the lid and closed the box. He gently pushed the box into the old man''s arms. "This is a token of appreciation from your grandson, Grandfather. Please accept it!"


    Still, the old man did not allow his bumbling fumble with the chest of coins to addle his otherwise sharp mind. He realized that it was the cue for them to take their leave as he said, "It is time for us to go! We have kept you for so long!" Master Six raised the curtains and peeped outside. He turned to Chen Yixuan. "Fetch the other two items!" Understanding what he meant, the investigator rushed outside to his horse and rummaged through his saddlebag before returning with the two pistols and ammunition. As the investigator passed the items to Master Six, the immortal spoke modestly to the old man, "We have long delayed your journey, Grandfather. I guess it would already be dark when you reach Fengtiewo Town (A place now known as Fengdengwuzhen, Hebei, China). For your safety, please take these!" The youngest boy came forward immediately and took one of the pistols. With skilled dexterity, he opened the ammo box, slid the magazine into the pistol and locked the magazine in the well before flipping off the safety and returned the gun to its holster, which he hung over his back. Such was his skill in handling the weapon, that even Chen Yixuan, a police officer himself could only watch in awe at his proficiency. The old man took the other pistol and got up the donkey cart. The young boy, now armed, flailed a whip and urged the donkey to move. As the cart slowly moved away, Master Six stood at where he was, waving to them, shouting his goodbyes, as the three on the cart too waved back to him...


    Thus ended their morning engagement; one which was yet so bizarre and surreal to Chen Yixuan that, still, he could hardly sleep that afternoon despite being exhausted! The two days had been a trip down the rabbit hole for him. Was it possible that Master Six indeed has relatives here? From the way, he spoke to them, they seemed to be his senior. But it was evident that the men did not know him prior to their meeting! Moreover, Master Six was an immortal; how could he be younger than these men? What of the boy they had met at the sorghum fields? And why did the sorghum plants had such strange fruits in their buds... He spun and writhed restlessly in his bed, and yet the questions throbbed in his mind incessantly like flies over a corpse. Watching from his bed beside him, Master Six giggled. "What''s wrong with you?" He asked with an amused expression on his face. Chen Yixuan sat up, and Master Six too followed suit. He took out a cigarette, passed it to Master Six and lighted both cigarettes. Both men drew a swig. "I simply failed to understand everything that had transpired these two days. And how did you convince the men to lay aside their doubts and suspicions and sit down for a drink with you?" "And then, there''s also that boy at the sorghum plant field..."


    Master Six smiled. "After you went out, the old man did ask me if I had mistaken them for my relatives. I laughed and said no, and then I asked, if he was the son-in-law of a Zhang family from the southern villages; while one of the three has a wife from the Zhao family from the eastern villages? They fell quiet, and their stunned silence confirmed my inquiry. ''You have four sons'', I said to the old man, ''Two daughters and a grandson, which is now close to two weeks old, I guess?'' ''That''s right!'' The old man replied. ''Then I am right. Do you know why people say immortals know about incidents 800 years before and happenings 800 years after?'' I asked them, before revealing the answer myself, ''That''s because immortals possess the ability to travel through time. They can travel to the past at will, and witness with their own eyes the actual occurrence


    of a historical incident.'' I paused and gestured to the old man, ''You will be blessed with 8 grandchildren. You''ve just recently had one baby grandson. In your later years, you will have seven more! And your sixth grandson will turn out to be an immortal, which is me! I have come back through time to visit you! I have traveled back for decades to see you, Grandfather! I have a case which I was bidden to help; a case involving dragon leys; the fate of the country, hence I was charged by the will of Heaven to handle it. But I grew up without so much as looking at your face myself, Grandfather. So here I am, to see you and treat you to a meal!"


    Chen Yixuan could have sworn that his eyeballs nearly popped out their sockets out of fright. Was this the powers of immortals, he asked himself. He would never have believed such things if not for the immortal sitting right beside him! But there was still one more thing that had left him befuddled. "What about the boy we saw when you were plucking the sorghum plant buds? Did you cast a spell on him? Why was he looking at you strangely?" Chen Yixuan asked. "Nope," the immortal replied. "To be exact, the boy is a little more than 11 years old. There are two more months until his 12th birthday." "How do know you of this detail?" Chen Yixuan asked suspiciously, but Master Six merely muttered, "The boy would be my father."


    Chen Yixuan nearly fell off his bed! But Master Six continued nonchalantly. "What we ate at the fields was a type of fungi; the result of the Sorghum Smut disease. The fungus that causes sorghum smut grows into the ovaries of the plant and replaces the grain with a fungal structure full of spores, called sori. To leave the spores unchecked would result in the spores mutating into black-colored spores that will take off into the air and spread everywhere. Hence I was doing the farmers a favor by plucking off the buds that contained the spores and prevented the spread of the fungi. There are miles and miles of fields around here; the spread of the spores would do nothing but harm to the crops. Hence it was hardly mischief on my part! Moreover, these sori are edible; although they are also consumed as food only by the poor."


    "Would it not be faster to just cut them all down!" Chen Yixuan scowled distastefully. "The people here grow sorghum plants, not for its consumption," Master Six explained as he smiled, "And certainly not because of their high production volume. It''s because they are tall; hence they help protect against floods. The stalks of sorghum plants are widely used to make brooms, covers of pots and pans, and baskets too. They are also the material used for brick-building to erect concrete structures! To say the stalks are useful is a mere understatement. As for my father''s expression as a boy... Well, despite me coming from the past, we still share a paternal bond. I am sure he felt it too; a bond so familiar yet vague to him!"


    Master Six paused to ground out his cigarette. He fished for another one and lighted it. "I was only born 27 years later." He heaved a sigh suddenly. "The old man you saw earlier is my grandfather. The tall man was his younger brother, my first-degree grand-uncle. The two younger men were my eldest uncle and his third brother." This reminded Chen Yixuan of the young man''s prowess with the gun. "Your Third Uncle looks hardly over 17 or 18," he said. "Surely he''s yet to enlist into the army. But why is he so skilled with the gun? I would have thought he was a veteran of the war, if not for his age." "Our family deals in the gun trade. This was why I brought the dud round here for them to have a look!" Master Six revealed at last.


    "So where are we going in the evening?" Chen Yixuan asked. Master Six leaped from his bed. "The New Oriental Cotton Factory!" He announced. "The cousin of my grandfather is there. The dud round was made by him. I have instructed one of the officers to buy two live carp fishes and a jar of stinky tofu. The old man would kill to savor these delicacies!" Two live carps! Chen Yixuan was astonished. Carps were considered a kingly indulgence in those days.


    That evening, Chen Yixuan held the two nearly-one-kilogram fishes as he went off with Master Six, with the jar of stinky tofu put in the saddlebag of his horse. The fishes were held together by a strong string that ran through their dorsal fins. Such large carps were extraordinarily expensive then; these two fishes were the price of 5 liters of corn!


    When they reached the cotton factory, they were received by several of the staff due to their identification as police officers. Hearing that the policemen were looking for the maintenance technician, the manager was about to call someone to summon him when Master Six waved him off. "Lead us to the machine shop," he said curtly. Despite their puzzling looks, they obediently led Master Six and Chen Yixuan inside.


    At first sight of the man, Master Six called out loudly to him, addressing the man as "grand-uncle". The immortal stripped off his riding gloves and went forth to take the elder man''s hands and shook it warmly. The elder man was surprised. Of course, he did not know who Master Six was and was in the midst of panic when two police officers came looking for him. Master Six mentioned nothing about his relation to the man, merely presenting him with the gifts, leaving the elder speechless beyond words. Master Six took out his handkerchief-wrapped dud round and showed it to him. With a careful study, the elder man nodded. "It is my work." He admitted. "Do you remember who did you sold this to?" Master Six asked. The man looked at the immortal and said, "I''ll need to have a look at the gunpowder first!" Master Six nodded. He snapped the round with great ease, separating the bullet from the entire cartridge of the round. He opened his palm and emptied the contents of the cartridge on his palm. It was the first time Chen Yixuan had caught a glimpse of gunpowder himself; the dark powder looked like rat poop to him. The old man pored over the gunpowder and rose up, his eyes meeting Master Six''s. "The ammunition was sold together with some rifles, to some relatives of the Li family!" With an "Oh!", Master Six said his thanks and bade the man well before leaving on his horse with Chen Yixuan...

 Chapter 45 Divinity

    As he stepped out of the textile factory, Master Six told Chen Yixuan, "Hurry, we need to reach Wu Zhong County before nightfall!" Chen Yixuan took his instructions seriously and steered his warhorse in the direction the county.


    They did not speak, finally arriving at the Southern Pass of Wu Zhong County just as it was nearly dusk. Master Six dismounted before a sundry shop and told the assistant to get the shopkeeper. The assistant did not dare dally, upon noticing that they were police officers. After a short while, the shopkeeper emerged, and he hurriedly greeted the lawmen. "What orders do you have for me, officers?" he asked. Master Six wasted no time on pleasantries. "Tell your boss that we want to go up the mountain! We''ll be back here tomorrow at eight a.m., and you should make the necessary arrangements!" he ordered before turning to leave after speaking, unconcerned if the shopkeeper had any questions. That night, as they were in the reception area, Chen Yixuan asked Master Six, "How come you knew who to look for the moment you heard of the relatives from the old Li family?" Master Six replied, "I''ve already gathered information beforehand about the bandits and antique merchants that could possibly appear. As such, I knew who to look for from the piecemeal information that we got. It''s not entirely due to my personal ability."


    "I know you''re using magic, but what I don''t understand is how you could travel between the past and the future as you wish. Why didn''t you travel to the time when the crime was actually committed for a look?" asked Chen Yixuan curiously. Master Six laughed heartily as he replied, "Let me ask you a question first. Have you watched the ''Journey to the West'' before?" Chen Yixuan replied, "I did." The Master Six continued asking, "Do you know why the King of the Black Chicken Country in the story was immersed in water for three years?" Chen Yixuan replied immediately, "Because he tied the Bodhisattva Lord Manjusri and left him in water for three days!" Master Six said, "That''s right! But did you ever think how the divine Bodhisattva, with his immense power, could end up being tied up by the King, an ordinary person and immersed in water?" Chen Yixuan remained silent. Master Six continued, "Because he couldn''t travel through time in his real body, and could only manifest himself as an ordinary monk! We''re the same. If we send our manifestation through time, we''ll be in trouble if it dies. If we send our real selves, we''ll be defying Heaven even though we can prevent the crime from happening..." Chen Yixuan finally understood that there were too many things in this world that he did not know about. There were only a few people in the Immortal community that knew Tao techniques that were a combination of Yin and Yang energy.


    Chen Yixuan and Master Six appeared before the sundry shop the next day. There was already a horse carriage in front of the shop when they arrived. They greeted the shopkeeper, and he summoned an assistant who took up the reins of the carriage. The shopkeeper himself sat in the carriage, while the lawmen followed behind on horseback as the entourage traveled northward of the county. After they traveled a few kilometers out of the city gates, they caught sight of a group that were standing around another horse carriage. They had guns slung across their backs and surrounded the two riders. The armed men tied the reins of their horses to the back of the carriage and told the shopkeeper and his assistant that they could return back to their shop. They then ushered Master Six and Chen Yixuan into the carriage and placed black hoods over their heads.


    The road was bumpy and Chen Yixuan lost track of how far they traveled. They were led up the mountain after the carriage stopped, and their hoods were removed only after reaching their destination. After getting their eyes accustomed to the sudden glare of sunlight, they observed their surroundings in the room. It was built on top of a mountainous slope, and all three units faced the Sun. It was unlike the hilly hideout of bandits and looked more like the main hall of a temple. A man with a huge beard sat in the center, and he looked like the leader of the gang. A painting of various the ''Eight Beast Immortals'' was in front of his seat, and a set of Pai Gow dominoes lay above it. There was a row of people on both sides of the painting, and all of them wore serious expressions on their faces. Of the two people nearest to Chen Yixuan, one of them wore a long robe and a round skullcap, while the other was broad shouldered and entirely bald. The latter wore a waist sash which was about as wide as a palm, and there was a long barreled revolver tucked into his waist. He drew his gun and stepped forward quickly before pointing his gun at the Master Six''s head. "Speak! What do you two dogs hope to achieve by coming up to our camp?" he said in a low and hoarse voice.


    Chen Yixuan was extremely shocked. "Is this fella with the hoarse voice courting death?" he thought. The Master Six dodged and placed one foot on the armpit of the bandit and grasped the revolver with his hand. The man could not move, and his face was pressed into the ground. "We''re coming up to the mountains with respect, but you''re being impolite to us. This isn''t very right." the Master Six said. The leader of the bandits laughed sarcastically, saying, "Our number three is joking with you. His gun isn''t loaded!" The Master Six cocked the revolver and aimed it at the bald man upon hearing the leader. The man with the hoarse voice panicked and began shouting, "No! It''s loaded, Brother, it''s really loaded!" There was a resounding ''click'' as the hammer struck, but the gun did not fire! The bandit in long robes gave a sinister laugh as he said, "Our leader has already said that the gun wasn''t loaded!" Before his voice died down, however, Master Six slowly opened his palm, dropping a few bullets onto the ground. The face of the leader twitched and the other bandits standing to either side of him did not look as spirited as usual.


    Master Six released his foot, allowing the third ranking bandit to scramble back up to his feet. He ran to stand behind his leader and remained silent. The leader paused before saying, "Officers, I don''t know what you want of us." The Master Six tossed the revolver back to the bald man, saying, "There was a case of grave looting under the Yahong Bridge of our county. Have you heard of that?" Before the leader of the bandits could reply, however, he continued, "I''ve come here not to recover the looted items but to ask to whom did you sell the precious sword, which was one of the burial items in the tomb?"


    The leader stammered, and Master Six continued, "I already know that you''ve fenced it. I just wish to know its whereabouts!" The leader knew that these lawmen were no ordinary police, since they dared to come up the mountain by themselves, and he had already seen how skilled the older one was. He knew that he could not use force to resolve the issue, and tried explaining, "Logically, I can''t comment on what you''ve just asked me. There are rules in our community, and we still wish to continue in this trade! But since both of you have come all this way here, I''ll give you a chance!" He then shuffled the dominoes in front of him before continuing, "If you two can beat me in a game, I''ll tell you where the sword is. How about that?" The Master Six crossed his arms and replied coolly, "Deal!"


    The leader shuffled the dominoes in an expert fashion and dealt them out quickly. "Come on!" he said, pointing toward the dominoes. Master Six kept his arms crossed as he replied, "I won''t touch them! I refuse to allow such unrefined things into my hands!" The leader frowned as he replied, "Please choose your dominoes then!" Master Six pointed at the man with the hoarse voice and told him, "You! Help me take the dominoes. I want the fourth one close to me here!" The bandit hurried over and pushed it upward. The Master Six continued ordering him, "Place those two in front, and the other two behind!" The bandit followed accordingly and the leader flipped his two dominoes over.


    "Wow!" exclaimed all of the bandits. They were similar, with two rows of red dots. No one counted how many points they added up to, but they were captivated by the fact that they were identical. Chen Yixuan did not know how to play the game. His father loved it, causing him to have a phobia of the game. As a result, he never appeared before other people playing it, and he did not know how to read the dominoes. From the reaction of the bandits, he knew that their leader had drew good cards. The man with the hoarse voice then flipped the first two dominoes of Master Six over, exclaiming, ''Ah!" The expressions of the other bandits was one of even greater shock. Chen Yixuan took a look at the dominoes and saw that they were identical as well, but there were only two dots on each of them. From their looks, he deduced that their leader had lost. The bandits then exclaimed again as he flipped the next two dominoes over. They were also identical in number, but they contained a mixture of red and black dots. When the bald man flipped that of Master Six over, he thought that most likely his senior had lost. They were different- one had six dots, while the other had three. But the leader of the bandits did not look like he had won!


    It was only later when he asked someone who knew how to play Pai Gow that Chen Yixuan came to understand that the dominoes were ranked in the following order- Heaven, Earth, Human, Moth... The ''Moth'' ranking was the same one which Northerners used to describe someone turning the tide in a card game, and as for why it would amaze the other bandits, even I do not know- I do not play Pai Gow as well. The leader opened with a pair of ''Heaven'' while Master Six countered with a pair of ''Earth''. As such, the leader had lost the opening round; it was not just a mere counting of points. Master Six was in safe territory now. Even if he lost the next round, the game would end in a draw. The dominoes that the bandit chief had was ''Heaven'', the highest ranking one''s dominoes could be in a game of Pai Gow. But why did he lose? This was because there were two dominoes that would have a normal value of three and six if they appeared alone, but as there were only one of each in a set of tiles, if they appeared in unison, they would be ranked highed even than ''Heaven''. Master Six had drawn them in unison, and as such he had complete victory over the bandit chief!


    At this moment, the bandit wearing the skull cap and long robes whispered into the ear of the bandit leader, causing his expression to change instantly.


    The man in the long robes was the second in command of the bandits, and he was nicknamed ''Little Zhuge''. Just like his namesake, he was smart, and was the brains of the entire band of robbers. He told his leader, "This man can get whatever domino he wants without even using his hands. He can also will his opponent to take whatever domino he wishes. With such power, he can kill all of us in an instant if he wants to!"


    Many people could be brave when danger was far away from them, but panic when it was upon them. The bandit chief was no exception, and he knew he would be in trouble if his entire camp was wiped out. As such, he controlled his tone and told the lawmen the buyer of the sword, "Xiao Mazi!"


    In a flash, the Master Six was gone! The bandits looked at one another, before hearing the sound of horse hooves below them. They ran to the window to look, and they saw that he had leaped onto his horse and was already spurring it forward. "Master Six! Master Six! Take heed about my survival as well! If you''re gone, wouldn''t these bandits take me hostage!" Chen Yixuan shouted.

 Chapter 46 The Whole Banditss Lair Is Wiped Ou

    t


    Master Six surely deserved his reputation as an immortal. Chen Yixuan thought that Master Six had left him behind, but he had not yet fully formed the thought before he found out that the bandits were stilled and couldn''t move. In the distance, the voice of Master Six came through, "The acupuncture points of these people will unravel in half an hour, take a horse and meet me at Mount Bie!" Then he had to go down the mountain alone. When he went past all the bandits standing guard on the way, he found them all stilled. Some of them were leaning on trees, and others were lying on the ground. It was really quite amusing! Chen Yixuan got on a horse and started to catch up from behind...


    When he reached Mount Bie, he was tired and hungry. He saw a restaurant by the roadside and then drew rein at the door. The waiter came out to bow and asked, "Hello, Mister. Are you Officer Chen?" Chen Yixuan asked, "How do you know?" The waiter said promptly, "Your colleague is waiting for you in room No. 2. He told me to wait here at the door for an officer riding a horse over with the surname Chen. If you are this officer, please go to room No. 2."


    Chen Yixuan jumped off the horse and handed the reins to the waiter. While the waiter led the horse to the backyard, he went straight to room No. 2. Master Six had already ordered the dishes, waiting inside. Seeing Chen Yixuan come in, he filled a glass of wine and handed it to him. "Thanks for your hard work." Chen Yixuan drunk the wine off, picked up a piece of beef with sauce, chewed it in his mouth, and said vaguely, "Why didn''t you wait for me for a while!" Master Six smiled and said, "I predicted that this Xiao Mazi would head out for Tianjin Wei today. I was worried that it would be too late before I found him, which would require more work from us. Fortunately, this guy went out of the mountain and did not leave right away. Instead, he went to the house of his mistress. And I just went there and forced him to tell me the truth. For our next move, we are going into the mountains."


    Chen Yixuan also smiled and said, "Ever since I started to work with you, you have been secretive in your movements and traces. Every movement was inexplicable and always beyond my expectations, which is very different from my previous way of solving cases!" Master Six smiled and said, "That is nothing. It''s just from God''s help."


    Master Six took a sip of wine and said, "Take it easy. I will tell you slowly. When I took over the case, I needed to think about who did it. The bandits from other places couldn''t have crossed the border to do such a big thing. Xiao Mazi was the only one who dared to do that. Once the informant of the local bandits got the information, there was no reason for them to sit and watch. Therefore it must be the local bandits who committed this crime. However, how would they know about the dragon-slaying sword? Logically speaking, it must have started with someone in Beijing, who was informed by the Bian Family. But that person was definitely not a bandit. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have a relationship with the Bian Family. However, he must have business transactions with curio dealers. After hearing the news, the curio dealers had the intention to purchase and made contact with the bandits to make an offer to buy. Then the bandits agreed to take up the business. Moreover, they must be a large pack if they were able to provide the goods, because a small pack of bandits is not capable of robbing a tomb. And their location is not close to Beijing because they cannot survive around the southeast of Beijing. Therefore, we can come to the conclusion that they about 100 kilometers away from Beijing. There are around 50 people in this pack of bandits here. And they are enemies with the bandits in Wu Zhong County. So if you want to form a buyer-seller relationship between these two packs of bandits, you need a middleman. In this case, the middleman was Xiao Mazi. He needed to pay a deposit to the bandits of Wu Zhong County in advance and also keep the whereabouts of the stolen goods as a secret."


    Chen Yixuan asked while he was picking up the food with his chopsticks, "What is this Xiao Mazi''s background, how could he be so capable?" Master Six put down the chopsticks and lit a cigarette, introducing Xiao Mazi.


    It turned out that Xiao Mazi''s father was Xiao Laonian. Xiao Laonian was a nickname that meant ''simple and honest''. However, he wasn''t simple afterward. He changed his nickname into Evil Long-worm. You could tell from his name that he was an evil man.


    In those days, Xiao Laonian had a cousin who was around his age. His aunt died due to a difficult labor when giving birth to this cousin of his. A baby without a mother couldn''t survive, therefore his cousin was sent to his home and taken care of by his mother. Xiao Laonian grew up with his cousin. When they were older, his cousin returned to his own home. Because he was the second son, he didn''t get much attention. As the old saying went, "The first kid is the most precious, and the last kid is the most spoiled, but the kid in the middle is invisible." This cousin of his didn''t get along well with his brothers but had a good relationship with Xiao Laonian.


    Later, his cousin graduated from school and became a policeman in Tianjin. He had many part-time jobs, and he gave the money to Xiao Laonian. After Xiao Laonian got the money, he always wanted to use it to make more money. Suffering from the lack of business opportunities, he opened a mountain products shop in a county a hundred kilometers away in the east and also moved his home there, buying and reselling mountain products. It was just that he didn''t move to the town center because the house there were expensive. Then, there was once that he heard bombarding gunshots coming from the town center at home. It was during the Hebei-Liaoning war, and the town center turned into a battlefield. Xiao Laonian was just a small-minded peasant businessman, and was afraid of being robbed by the soldiers in his shop! He kept scratching his head and couldn''t calm himself down. However, he gathered his courage in the end, carried a wastebasket, pretended to be an old scavenger, and walked to the town center!


    When he arrived at the town, he found that there were dead bodies everywhere and there was no one alive. His shop was locked in the same way. No one broke in. Then he got so bold that he wrapped up all the big guns of the soldiers on the street and moved them into his shop. Then he locked the door and left.


    This time Xiao Laonian had made a fortune. After he closed down his shop, he went back to his hometown with the guns. He sold some guns but kept the rest with him, and he became rich and famous buying houses and land. After that, he started to do banditry. Instead of being a part of the bandit pack, the bandits here are referred as clubbing together. What was ''clubbing together''? For example, if there were four people who wanted to commit a crime, Xiao Laonian would provide guns for them which could be counted as a share. When they got the money, they divided it into five. And Xiao Laonian collected the money with the guns. In this way, he spent many years in the underworld. Xiao Mazi was also grown up by then, so he worked with his father. However, Xiao Laonian got killed by his partners in a dog-eat-dog way during an operation, which left Xiao Mazi alone in this. Because he had been doing business in the underworld for a long time, he had contacts with many bandits and also became popular among them. Although he didn''t have any bandits working for him, he always managed to accomplish tasks with ease among packs of bandits. This time, he was entrusted by that pack of bandits to make a purchase with the bandits in Wu Zhong County. And that was why the bandits in Wu Zhong started to rob the goods after they received the deposit!


    After lunch, Chen Yixuan asked Master Six, "Where is the next stop?" Master Six replied, "Xujiatai (Xujiatai town in China, literally, the Xu Family Plateau)!" They finished their meal and headed to Xujiatai. Xujiatai was in the mountains, but it was not very far away. They traveled very lightly. After that, they found an inn to stay in. Because they both got tired from a long day of traveling on horse, they went to bed early after dinner. It might be something sour he ate, but Chen Yixuan got up in the middle of the night. It was an inn much inferior to those in the town. Therefore there was no light in the toilet. There was no electricity back in those days either. He didn''t dare to enter the toilet because he couldn''t see anything inside. Then he looked outside and found that there was a hillside under the inn with a protruding rock on it. Then he thought that it was a fine spot to do his business and went around there. After hearing a buzz, he passed out.


    When he woke up, he found himself lying on a bed in the hospital. Master SIx and a policeman were beside him. It turned out that when he went out to do his business last night, two silly hunter brothers mistook him for a wild boar. Fortunately, they missed their shot. And the injury was not serious. However, he fell from the hillside. Apart from the gun powder on his buttocks, there were also some bruises. The brothers were totally frightened. Master Six said, "I didn''t make things difficult for them. After all, they didn''t do it on purpose. You take a good rest and recover well. They have sent another officer to assist me. I assume that there is just one pack of bandits left for me to handle. I would do whatever I need to take them down!" After that, Chen Yixuan was escorted by the police to Tianjin and recuperated in a hospital there. A few days later, one of his colleagues visited him. The first moment they met, his colleague held up his thumb and said, "How did you find a partner like Master Six? He is mighty!"


    Chen Yixuan couldn''t wait to ask him to tell more about the operation.


    He told Chen Yixuan about the progress of the case after he left, "After you were injured, they sent me to fill in for you and solve the case with Master Six. At that time, Master Six took me with him, riding your horse. We went to Xujiatai and went into the mountains there. When we reached the fortress, according to the rules, the other party sent people to take over our horses. After that, they covered our eyes with a piece of cloth, held our arms and took us there. After meeting the head of the bandits, the two parties greeted each other. Master Six came straight to the point and mentioned what he came for. They denied him right away, saying that it was the rule of the underworld and they wouldn''t tell anything about their buyer even if they had to die."


    Master Six smiled subtly and said, "In that case, I will set you straight!" The head of the bandits was called Gold Teeth. He got more enraged, pulled out two guns with a whooshing sound, and threatened, "What now? How are you gonna set me straight? You are in my territory..." Before he could even finish, Master Six waved his hand to interrupt him and said, "You can try and shoot me!" Then the head of the bandits pulled the trigger without a shred of hesitation. With two faint clicks, none of the two guns fired! Then he yelled, "Guys!" However, no one replied to him even though he yelled for a few more times. At this moment, he looked at the other bandits in the room. They were all stilled like wooden statues or plaster idols as if they were spellbound!


    Master Six waved and pushed forward. Then the wall in front of them fell outward with a crash, and the broken bricks and gravel all rolled downhill. It turned out this house was built on flat land which adjoined the hillside. The other side of the wall was the hillside, which was very steep. Then, the bandits queued up and walked up to Master Six one by one, as if they were bewitched. The first one put down his gun, walked up to the gap in the wall, and came around at once. Master Six took up his gun, and asked, "Who was the buyer?" This bandit seemed to be still dreaming and muttered with his head shaking, "I don''t know." Before his voice had died away, Master Six pulled the trigger. With a few clicks of gunfire, the bandit fell off the hill as if he were pushed by the gunshots. And it repeated.


    To make a long story short, Master Six killed all 50-plus bandits with their own guns. What amazed me most was, no matter if it was a rifle or a handgun, Master Six could hold them in the same way with only one hand. He was both very unrestrained and free. In the end, Master Six walked up to the head of the bandits, reached out and took away his gun, popped out the misfired bullets and reloaded the gun. Then he kicked the head of the bandits to the gap in the wall with one move. However, the head of the bandits was still playing tricks in the end. He laughed and said, "Haha, you don''t want to kill me. I am the only one who knows the whereabouts of the goods, haha..." But before he could laugh more, with one click, Master Six fired a shot in his mouth and his gold teeth were blown into pieces. And then in a row of shots, his head was blown off."

 Chapter 47 There is No Reason Why it Should Not Be

    When his colleague reached this point in the conversation, there was not a sign of disappointment on his face. Instead, he said to Chen Yixuan very excitedly, "At that moment, I was flabbergasted. All the insiders were executed by shooting, leaving us no leads to look for the goods!"


    Master Six looked at me and said, "Let''s head back!" We both returned to the Jixian Police Station Guest House. After eating and returning to the room, I still couldn''t help to ask, "Master Six, all the insiders are dead. There are no others for us to interrogate the whereabouts of the goods. What''s our next move to find clues?" Master Six said dryly, "Who says we can''t find out the whereabouts of the goods if the bandits are all dead?" I said, "Is there another way?" Master Six raised his hand and pointed his palm to me. In his palm, some pictures appeared like a puppet show (There was no television in this time of China). I saw those bandits all on their knees with the Ox-head and the Horse-face next to them in the hell. Up there behind the console table, Yama and Master Six were sitting side by side. And there were all sorts of devices of torture down there. Master Six said to me, "I didn''t bother interrogating them. Let Yama handle them!" It wasn''t until then did I understand that Master Six could communicate with deities!"


    "It wasn''t that he could communicate with deities. He is a deity himself! Where is he now?" Chen Yixuan asked. He replied, "We have got the information that the goods were sold in Peiping City. Therefore, Master Six sent me back. He has gone to Peiping by himself to investigate."


    When Chen Yixuan checked out from the hospital, he was picked up by the car from the police station. After he got in the car, he found that Master Six was also there. Master Six said to him after he sat in, "Let''s go have lunch together. Have a break. And this afternoon you can go settle the case." After they arrived at the restaurant and entered the dining room, Chen Yixuan asked Master Six, "Who bought the goods in the end?" Master Six answered, "They were shipped to Manchukuo. The cultural relics dealer was Japanese, who bought the sword to pay tribute to Fu Yi. After 200 years, this sword went back to the hands of the Qing Court. What a world!" Chen Yixuan nodded and said, "There''s something that I don''t understand. You treated the first pack of bandits with kindness. But the second pack of bandits was wiped out by you. There were more than 50 of them. And you shot them to death one by one. They were all bandits, why did you deal with them so differently?" Master Six smiled and said, "These two packs of bandits were different. Although the first pack had many members, raiding homes and plundering houses, they only go for rich people. People were pretty pissed off, but I didn''t need to bother to deal with them, because they will be dealt with by others. However, the second pack of bandits already became a puppet of the Japanese government. At present, the Japanese have already occupied the northeast. Next, they will attack the whole country. This pack of bandits was prepared to assist them. And that''s why they started this banditry. I was delegated to handle this pack of bandits to spare all later trouble!"


    After lunch, Chen Yixuan asked in an awkward voice, "Master Six is a deity from the outer world capable of seeing the past and the future. In your views, where will I die and what''s my destiny?" Master Six looked at him and said, "In a dozen years, you will be killed in this Tian Jin suburb!" Chen Yixuan freaked out at once. And he got so nervous that he almost kneeled. But Master Six immediately held him up. He begged Master Six, "Can you give me an amulet?" Master Six laughed and said, "Have you ever seen an amulet work? For instance, you take an amulet with you and go on a hunger strike. It won''t protect you from starving to death!"


    Chen Yixuan asked worriedly, "Is there any way?" Master Six replied, "If you want to change your destiny and skip death. There is only one way. That is having a mission. Something significant will happen in the future, and you need to be part of it!" "This way, the gods will all make way for you and won''t demand your life. However, this mission is a double-edged sword. Once you have a mission, you need to accomplish it. But if you fail because of a personal reason, you will face a severe punishment! You will be damned and deprived of your chance of having an afterlife."


    Chen Yixuan asked a further question, "What do you mean by ''A personal reason''?" Master Six shook his head and said, "For example, you commit suicide when you can''t face reality or bear the hardship of life, or you fall ill but you don''t seek treatment, or you disobey my order and do things another way, etc." Master Six stopped for a second, then continued, "Like in this case, I will show you directions. But if you get scared or suspicious and not follow my lead, causing the failure of the mission, you will be punished by heaven!" From Master Six''s words, Chen Yixuan knew Master Six had already arranged a mission for him with a card up his sleeves. He felt so excited that he asked about the mission right away. Master Six said, "Pick a keyword first! Just pick anyone!" Chen Yixuan didn''t understand at the moment. Just right there was a piece of newspaper on his side, so he pointed to a casual spot on it. Master Six walked up to him and found that it said, ''There''s no reason why it should not be.'' Then he nodded and brought out a box. Chen Yixuan didn''t even notice where he brought the box out from. How could he not notice that there was such a big box on him?


    Then Master Six opened the box and let Chen Yixuan take a look in it. It was a paper bag with a piece of incense. Master Six explained, "This box, you can see its buckle hanging inside. Once you buckle it, you can''t open it again. Your mission is to keep this box safe. In the future, there will be someone who is pre-destined to ask you for it. And his name will be related to the key phrase ''There''s no reason why it should not be'' you just chose."


    When the old man reached this point, I couldn''t help laughing out loud. My third uncle, Lin Feng and Chong Xi were all confused. Only Mr. Chen patted me on my shoulder and said, "No wonder Master Six chose you. You are smart!" Seeing that the others were still confused, I told them, "When Mr. Chen heard my name, he laughed out loud. My name is Shiyan, which is homophonic to the phrase of ¡®taking salt¡¯. ¡®When you take salt, there''s no reason why you shouldn''t be thirsty¡¯!" After I said that, the others got dazed for a second. Then they all laughed out loud as well.


    The nanny refilled Mr. Chen''s teapot with hot water and brewed new tea. Mr. Chen went on talking, "At that time, Master Six told me, "You must have the determination to live, be unafraid of hardship no matter the circumstances. But there is still a hurdle that I need you to know. And that''s the turning point of your fate. When you take part in the attack on Tianjin in the future, you must do what I have taught you today and keep it strictly confidential!"


    We asked hastily, "What did he teach you? Show us!" Mr. Chen said with a cough, "Not much. Master Six just told me that when attacking Tianjin, I should keep an eye on the bugler. When the bugler is about to sound the call to charge, I need to dash out as soon as he starts to gesture!"


    "Ah?" We all got stubbed with our eyes wide-open. What kind of trick was that£¿It was suicidal! Dashing out ahead of everyone would make you get shot as the bird which takes the lead! Mr. Chen continued, "But I had more doubts than this at that time. How would I attack Tianjin? I was a police spy. A police spy goes to war too? Also according to my age, I would be almost 40 in a dozen years, which would no longer be suitable for joining the army. Although I had many doubts, I didn''t dare to ask. I knew some of them were future secrets that were not meant to leak out." Mr. Chen took a sip of tea and said, "However, man proposes, God disposes. Later on, my cover was blown. And I had to run back to Tianjin and return to the organization. Because I was very familiar with the surrounding terrain of Tianjin, I was soon temporarily transferred to the forward-deployed forces of Deng Hua. And I had to take part in attacking the city. What Master Six said had gradually come true, which made me believe without a shadow of a doubt! Therefore, when attacking Tianjin, I did exactly as what Master Six had told me and kept my eyes fixed on the bugler. When he stood up about to sound the call to charge, I stood up quickly and dashed out of the bunker! But before I could run for 100 meters, I got tripped over some grass and fell flat on my face. It took me quite a while to pick myself up. And when I got up, everyone was ahead of me in the front. The leader patted on my shoulder and said, "Your spirit is splendid, but you need more training!" I replied with a sad face, "I get up early but arrive late for the fair!" And he commanded me especially later on, "Comrade Chen has been fighting in the heart of the enemies for many years! He holds a cordial abhorrence of the decadent and declining of the Kuomintang reactionaries. With the strong hatred for the enemies, he dashed out of the bunker first, which demonstrated an undaunted revolutionary spirit of a member of the Communist Party! Although he is inexperienced in battles, he could do anything with such a spirit! ...¡±


    Honestly, I was also puzzled at the time! Afterward, I got transferred to the Ministry of State Materials. And many veterans worked for me there. When they heard this story of mine, they all burst out laughing. I still didn''t understand. After that veteran explained to me, "Although you dashed out as the first one, you were just a small target requiring a certain amount of time for the enemies to discover. After everyone dashed out, the enemies saw them and fired their weapons at the crowded spots. And when they finally noticed your side, you were already down on the ground." I asked, "But how come the leader couldn''t see that?" The veteran told me, "The leader was at the forward command post looking through a telescope. The time he saw the charge was different from when he heard the call to charge. This tiny time difference is not easy to distinguish!" It was only then when I realized!"


    Before we could talk in detail, we received the box and left. After we returned to the metaphysics pavilion, we took a bath, put the box on the altar table, burned incense, and worshipped it. Maybe you would ask, "Why didn''t you open the box on the way? Or why didn''t you open it in front of everyone when you were with Mr. Chen?"


    There''s something you should know. Now that Master Six had made such an arrangement, everything was providence. Awe is needed in everyone''s heart, and going off half-hearted is unwise. Mr. Chen once said the buckle of this box was hung inside. Once it was buckled, it could not be opened again until the right moment came. That''s why we took a bath and burned incense - courtesy costs nothing, the more the better. After we finished worshiping, Chong Xi took up the box first and tried to open it. But it didn''t even seem to move a little bit! I also tried opening it but still failed. Lin Feng took over it, put forth his strength and opened it with a click. We took a close look into the box and found out that the brass buckle inside was already rusted after all these years. Lin Feng''s strength of the hand was strong that he broke it. There was a paper bag inside the box, carrying a piece of incense, which was then broken into three by Lin Feng when he tried to take it. Chong Xi started to complain about Lin Feng using too much strength. After taking a look at the box, I said, "It wasn''t because of the strength he used. With the passage of time, this incense had gone bad. It was bound to be broken!" After that, we started a discussion. Why did Master Six put a piece of incense into the box, and what did it mean? Could it be that we should burn it? But there were three pieces, which piece should we start with?

 Chapter 48 Master Sixs Action

    I looked at these three broken pieces of incense and whispered to myself, "Whatever." Then each of us took a piece and took out our lighters, trying to ignite them. However, no matter how we tried, we couldn''t ignite the incense. When it touched the flame from the lighter, it gave out smoke. But once it left the flame, it went out. I looked at the others and found that the same happened to them. How strange that was!


    At this moment, we heard someone talking at the door. Then we saw a middle-aged man who was around 50 coming in. He was wearing clothes of famous brands and leather sandals, holding an iPhone in luxury gold color in his hand. Talking through his phone, he passed between us directly as if he didn''t see us and sat on the couch. We all got stupefied.


    Chong Xi asked him suspiciously, "Are you in the wrong house?" The middle-aged man hung up, put back his phone on his waist, raised his head and asked, "What do you want from me?" Chong Xi replied with a stunned face, "Nothing..." Then he stood up and said, "Why did you ignite the incense and make me come then? For god''s sake!" We were all flabbergasted. Man, that was Master Six! While speaking, Master Six wanted to leave! We walked up to him hurriedly and stopped him. I apologized sincerely, "I didn''t know that Master Six would show up as a common man. I thought you would wear a wide-sleeved gown and come riding on the clouds with a horsetail whisk in your hand! I am very sorry that we treated you with disregard, please accept our apologies!" After I made a bow with my hands folded in front, Master Six looked at me and said with a smile, "I am not a monk nor a Taoist and won''t hold a horsetail whisk in my hand. I have already reincarnated for decades!" Until then I remembered, Mr. Chen had told me that in 27 years after the tomb robbery event, Master Six would reincarnate. No wonder he looked like an ordinary person.


    When we were hurriedly about to brew some tea, Master Six waved his hand and said, "Let''s cut the pleasantries and move!" We asked hastily, "Where are we going?" Master Six glared at me, "We are going to check on a patient!" It turned out Master Six was short-tempered. "You guys follow me behind my car!" Then Master Six walked out. We brought our tools in a rush, got in our car and drove forward following Master Six''s car.


    Halfway through, we saw Master Six''s car turn into a village. We didn''t ask for a reason and just followed. Then we kept going in and out of villages under the lead of Master Six. When we finally went back on the highway, I found out that the previous part of it was damaged, and it was under maintenance. No wonder Master Six kept detouring. He was surely a deity! When we arrived in the village, we parked our cars on the empty ground. Then we turned around and walked up to the patient''s house. We were in the front with Master Six behind us. I walked into the yard first. The patient''s family saw us and immediately came to greet us. And I walked into the house first. As soon as the female patient saw me, she said sarcastically with a twisted smile, "How dare you come again, you didn''t get burned enough?" Before I could answer, Master Six''s voice came through from outside, "They are with me. We are here to treat the patient!" It turned out that Master Six was explaining to the family! However, when the patient heard Master Six''s voice, she panicked immediately. With a swoosh, she passed between us and hid behind the door.


    Master Six entered the room, sat down, and pointed to a seat inside, indicating to the patient to sit down. After she sat down, she was still trembling. Master Six said slowly, "What should I do with you! Yesterday, I had a drink with Huangshigong (fabled deity; master military strategist and legendary teacher of Zhang Liang, one of the Three Heroes of Early Han). If I turn you over to him, it would make me look like someone who takes advantage of his status to bully a yellow weasel goblin like you. If I kill you with a slap, people would say I bully the weak by being strong. If I forgive you, it would be impossible for someone who has cultivation like you to know that she is the reincarnation of my concubine..."


    Master Six thought for a moment and threw out a knife that was thin and small. With a crack, it stabbed in the table in front of the patient, wobbling with buzz. Master Six said, "Forget about it, cut off your tail end for me to make a brush pen. And then you can run. The female patient, or the yellow weasel goblin to be exact, waved her hand and summoned out a little girl holding a tray full of tail ends of yellow weasels on her hands from nowhere. The yellow weasel said, "I heard a lot about you, my lord. And I knew someday we would meet. I knew you like brush pens. Therefore, every year I collected the tail ends of my offspring who died from coldness to prepare this gift for our first meeting, my lord! I was defeated in the family battle and lost my territory. Life was very hard for me. I happened to find that a superior possessed this woman. Then I dared to follow to make a living. Please pardon me, my lord!" Master Six laughed out loud and said, "No wonder you could cultivate for so many years. Keep your tail and leave! Go to Huangtu Hill and look for Tao, he will help you find a place to stay!" After the yellow weasel goblin thanked him, the patient''s face changed. The yellow weasel goblin was gone.


    Then Master Six waved his hand. With a thud, a man was pulled out of the patient''s body. Taking a closer look, we found out that it was a young Taoist who was around 12 years old. He had bright eyes, graceful eyebrows, white teeth, and red lips. Holding a horsetail whisk in his hand, he made a bow to Master Six and said, "Best regards to you!" Master Six returned a salute and said, "A Taoist also possesses people?" The young Taoist blushed and said, "I feared that she would get hurt from evils. So I did it to protect her!" Master Six said, "Chun Yangzi sent you, right?!" The young Taoist didn''t answer. Master Six went on and said, "I entrusted it to the wrong guy!" The young Taoist said hastily, "He really meant..." Master Six interrupted him, "I didn''t mean me, I mean that he entrusted the wrong guy! How could he entrust it to someone who gets drunk all the time? That old mudfish! Before when he found that things went wrong, he directly did..." Master Six then pointed at the patient''s family, said, "He turned two shrimp soldiers and crab generals into humans, and ordered them to murder the family. I had no other way but to rescue them. Ahem!"


    Here I need to make an explanation. This patient was possessed by three spirits. The first one was the yellow weasel goblin, who was already sent away by Master Six. The second one was Celestial Master Zhang, who possessed the patient to protect her from getting hurt from the other two evil spirits. The third one was an evil spirit. She was the first one to possess the patient. I haven''t started to introduce her yet.


    The patient was Master Six''s concubine who descended to the earth. She was sent by heaven to descend to follow Master Six. A mistake might have happened during her descending trip after Master Six. Then she was arranged to descend again. Therefore, Master Six should have entrusted Chun Yangzi to do this. Chun Yangzi was otherwise known as Lyu Dongbin (infamous Taoist priest and leader of the Eight Immortals of Chinese mythology). However, Lyu Dongbin had to quit the escort mission because of an emergency. Thus he entrusted another deity to do it for him. From Master Six''s words, it seemed to be a dragon. However, this dragon was a drunkard. He got drunk and escorted her to the wrong place. After he realized his mistake, he wanted to kill the three people in the family to do it again. Master Six predicted that his concubine was in danger at that time. So he went to rescue them. After Lyu Dongbin finished his errand, a month in the heaven had passed already, which amounted to 30 years on the earth. Lyu Dongbin felt embarrassed to go visit Master Six. So he implored the help of Celestial Master Zhang (fabled Chinese Taoist figure) to help him through. At that time the concubine was possessed by evil spirits. Celestial Master Zhang interfered, waiting for Master Six to make a decision to solve the problem. That''s why the woman let out a stinky smell when we came for the first time. It was actually the doing of the yellow weasel goblin. Seeing that the yellow weasel goblin was no match with us, Celestial Master Zhang took part in the fight and used holy fire to drive us away, in order to make us turn to Master Six. Therefore, what happened earlier was bound to happen. I didn''t know until later, that the dragon that Immortal Chun Yang entrusted was in fact the "Dongting Monarch (supernatural being from the Strange Tales from Liaozhai)". In my father''s words, that was a long drunk worm.


    At this moment, Master Six said to Celestial Master Zhang, "Now I will handle it by myself. You can leave now." Therefore Celestial Master Zhang said his goodbyes and flew away. The next would be handling the last evil spirit. Master Six turned around and asked the family, "Who is her husband?" A middle-aged man walked up to him. Master Six said, "Come inside, let us talk alone!" So the man entered the room. Master Six said to the man with his back to us, "I talk in a straightforward manner, I hope you don''t mind. This woman from Xin Jiang, I don''t know her name. You flirted with her on a drive together when you lost control of the steering wheel and ran over this cat." Master Six reached out and showed the man his palm. We didn''t get to see it clearly from our direction. I guessed that was the scene when the incident happened.


    Master Six continued and said, "The cat was a virgin body with the cultivation of seven lives. She surely wouldn''t be accepting of this. Now she has possessed your wife with the intention to make you spend everything to cure her, then..." We couldn''t see Master Six''s palm. But we were told later that other than running the cat over, this man also ran over a mother and a daughter. Master Six said, "If I cure her now, she will no longer be your wife. And I just need one word from you, to cure her or not!" The man was so scared that he trembled, and said, "If she''s cured, would I be redeemed and freed from calamity?" Master Six nodded and said, "Yes!" "Okay, please cure her!" The man said in an affirmative voice. Master Six said, "You can leave the room now." And then he asked, "Who are her parents?" A couple who are in the middle of their 50s came in. Master Six took out a necklace, fiddling with it, and asked, "Do you still remember Anhua County in Hunan province?" The couple clearly showed a surprised expression!


    It turned out the couple resold tea back in the years when the reform and opening-up policy just started. They needed to go to Anhua County, where was surrounded by lakes and rivers, to replenish their stock. When they went, they needed to take a boat. At that time, the man couldn''t handle everything by himself. And their baby hadn''t weaned yet. Therefore, the couple went with their baby.


    Back in those days, the financial instruments were a lot less diversified than today. People needed to pay in cash to buy tea from retail investors. The evil intent of the two boatmen emerged. And they asked the family if they wanted "Chopped noodles" or "Wonton" (Allegories from the story Water Margin; the former refers to ¡°death by being hacked¡± while the later refers to ¡°death by drowning¡±). The couple begged for mercy hastily. And the baby cried very loudly. At that moment, a piece of reed in the water moved, making a rattle. With a fishing rod raised, a young man walked up from it. He was around 17 years old (his actual age was 20), walking up to the boat leisurely with a fishing rod and a fish basket in each of his hands. What amazed the couple and the boatmen was, the man was walking on the water, with a steady pace.


    When he reached the boat, he put down the fish basket. Instead of talking to the four adults, he swung a necklace in front of the baby, muttering incantations. The baby immediately stopped crying and chuckled.

 Chapter 49 The Cultivation of Seven Lives

    The man who was carrying the fish basket was none other than Master Six at a younger age. Master Six said to the couple, "I can save you, but on one condition. When she grows up, she needs to marry me!" At a life-and-death point, who could say no? After the couple agreed, Master Six put his necklace in the baby''s hand and said, "This is the love token!" Then he turned his head and said to the boatmen, "Will you jump off by yourselves, or should I make you?" Right after his voice faded away, the two men jumped into the water with a flop. Master Six poled the boat to the shore.


    ... It turned out that those two gangsters were actually the shrimp soldier and the crab general sent by Dongting Dragon Monarch.


    Back to the present, the couple saw a necklace with the same appearance in Master Six''s hand. They went to a specialist to identify the other necklace before. It turned out it was worth more than 12 million. Now they felt very embarrassed because they failed to keep their daughter for him and betrothed her to someone else! Master Six asked, "Where''s my wife?" The couple pointed to the patient and said with a guilty voice, "She''s there!"


    Master Six turned around and said to the patient, who was also the last evil spirit left, "Now let''s deal with your problem!" She sneered for a while and said, "They are afraid of you, but I am not! What can you do to me!" Master Six smiled and said, "Make a condition. How do you want to settle this?" The evil spirit said fiercely, "I just want to take my revenge and make them lose everything!" Master Six still smiled and said, "Are you sure you can afford to lose your cultivation of seven lives?" The woman immediately showed a dejected expression and said, "You are not a Buddhist. What can you do?"


    Master Six said, "I am not a Buddhist. But that doesn''t mean that I can''t help you! Tell me about your grievances. I will see if I can help you solve them!" The spirit thought for a moment and said, "I have a cultivation of seven lives. I didn''t know that after my tonsure in my eighth life, I would be killed in the Buddha Hall. Then I reincarnated as a cat. But he ran me over to death. My belly burst and my guts flew out all over the ground. It''s very difficult for me to forgive him!" Master Six said, "In this case, because your cultivation is very profound and related to Buddhism, I can''t predict from the tortoiseshell. But I can ask for you. What do you say?" The patient, which was also the spirit, nodded to agree.


    Then Master Six sat cross-legged on the floor and closed his eyes in silence. In the blink of an eye, the temperature in the room decreased as if an air conditioner were turned on. Because I had spirit sight, I could see the black mist suffusing in the room. We all shuddered and got goosebumps. After quite a while, Master Six opened his eyes and said, "It''s cold down there. I can''t see clearly and need to go up." Then Master Six ascended to the air, still cross-legged. A halo appeared behind his back shining in seven divine colors, and his face was serene. A wonderful aroma filled the room. Through my spirit sight, I saw streaks of an auspicious light flowing in the room, which was relaxing and refreshing. It was no longer cold, nor hot. I had never felt such a comfortable temperature like this before. After a while, Master Six descended, and said, "I have the answer now!"


    Master Six turned to the patient and said, "Let me ask you something. It is not about when you were the cat, but about when you were a normal Buddhist in your previous life. The day before your tonsure, you lived in the temple waiting for the tonsure the next day, right? The spirit replied, "Yes." Master Six said, "Now I am going to ask you about something that happened during your prayer on that day! A man came carrying a shoulder pouch (A kind of cloth bag worn across the shoulder in the past) to pray. He put his shoulder pouch aside during his prayer. However, he forgot his shoulder pouch after he finished praying and left. Later, a man in rags entered the temple. After he prayed, he raised his head and found the shoulder pouch. Then he cried out, "My prayers came true!" And he left with the shoulder pouch. Then a black-faced man came. When he knelt, the first man who owned the shoulder pouch came back. Seeing that the shoulder pouch was gone, he grabbed the black-faced man asking for the shoulder pouch. Was it you who came forward and told the man that the shoulder pouch was taken away by the man in rags?" The patient nodded, "Yes, monks don''t lie. Black is black. White is white!"


    Master Six nodded too and said, "Indeed, monks don''t lie. If this matter happened outside of the temple, what you did was right. However, it happened in the Buddhism Hall, which means what you did was wrong!" The patient showed a defiant expression and said, "Why was it wrong in the Buddhism Hall, shouldn''t I be true and honest?" Master Six paused and said, "On the Buddhism Hall, there were Buddha and Bodhisattva on the upper side and Kong Kim and Arhat on the lower side. You were just a normal Buddhist. Was it ever your place to mind their business?" Do you know how disastrous your word was?!" Master Six lit a cigarette and started to narrate the cause and effect of the matter.


    "There was a silk shop owner who opened a few silk shops in the towns nearby. His neighbor was a tofu maker who had a daughter. The silk shop owner was fond of the girl since she was little. And he would buy her snacks and toys for her every time those peddlers came by on the street. As time went by, the girl became spoiled and lazy. Then she grew up to be a big and pretty girl. On the Autumn Festival of this year, the silk shop owner invited her to have moon-cakes as commonly seen.


    In the past, the silk shop owner always received many more gifts than others because of his status, and saved a lot of pastries and fruits. And he always invited the girl to enjoy the food. However, he put something in the moon-cakes this time and seduced the girl. After that, the girl got pregnant. As her pregnancy progressed, the tofu maker found her a husband in a hurry. After she got married, she made trouble every day because of her premarital pregnancy, greediness, and laziness. Every three days, the family had a small fight. Then every five days, a big fight. Every time they had a big fight, the girl''s family would bring a group of people to complain against the husband''s family, causing a big commotion. On the second day of February, they had a fight again. When the girl left, she didn''t head for her own home. Instead, she walked in the opposite direction.


    The man who carried the shoulder pouch did a job called ''La Qian'' for people who were called ''Ya Ji''. What was a ''Ya Ji''? A ''Ya Ji'' was the equivalent of a sales agent today. They needed to be knowledgeable of the market condition and good at bargaining. It was obvious that he wasn''t capable. So he became a ''La Qian''. What did a ''La Qian'' do? Their job was to provide and introduce business customers for a ''Ya Ji'', and they got a commission from the profit. However, this man wasn''t able to find decent business customers. So he took on human trafficking. When he saw a family in a bad condition, he would go to entice them, offer to find a ''Ya Ji'', and persuade them to sell their children. That was the crime he was doing. However, although he was unreliable to others, he was a dutiful son and filial to his mother who was a devout Buddhist.


    When the daughter of the tofu maker ran away from home, he saw her and hid her in the house of his relative. Although the silk shop owner did something wrong to his neighbor''s daughter, he had a good heart in doing business. Most commercial tenants cleared their accounts at the end of the year. However, in order to help the shopkeepers and the workers pull through the Spring Festivals, he allowed them to take money from the counter and collected what was left on the first of February each year. This year on his way home, the ''La Qian'' guy waited for him halfway and told him about the girl. He didn''t hesitate for a moment, put the shoulder bag with money on the guy''s shoulder, mounted the girl on the horse, and brought her home. Afterward, this ''La Qian'' guy went to a brothel with the money. He wouldn''t dare to take the money home because his mother would question and scold him. In the brothel, there was a woman who only made a living as a performer but not a prostitute. He wanted to spend the money and deflower her! When he passed by a temple on the way there, it occurred to him that his mother told him to redeem a vow to for her to the Buddha. Therefore he stopped and went into the temple.


    The man who picked up the money was from a mountain village. This year, the village suffered from a disaster caused by hail. And the farmers reaped nothing during the harvesting period. Now it was already February, the new crop had not yet grown and last season''s crops were almost eaten up. And the new ones were not yet ripe. The whole village was starving. The man had a relative who worked as an official in the county. And he wanted to borrow some money from him. Everyone in the village took out their flour bag, turned it over to shake out the flour, and made a bowl of dough drop soup for him. They all expected him to bring money back from outside. However, he failed to get the money because his relative was transferred to somewhere else. It wasn''t a big deal that he couldn''t find his relative. But the whole village was starving, which was severe. He was so helpless that he couldn''t figure out what to do. That''s why he went to the temple and prayed to Buddha.


    It was the will of Heaven that the ''La Qian'' guy left behind his bag. The village man was supposed to pick up the money to save the village from starvation! If this matter happened outside of the temple, the deities would all be watching. And things would happen in the way they should. However, it happened inside the temple, which could not be seen by the deities. Then the deities thought Buddha had other arrangements. With your interference, the ''La Qian'' guy took back his money. And the performer in the brothel lost her chastity. Then without food, almost all people from the mountain village starved to death. The village man who tried to borrow money jumped into a river and drowned himself to death on his way back, feeling too ashamed to go back to face his people. He thought Buddha had given him the money, and he blamed himself for taking the wrong way back, in which the money was claimed back.


    Therefore, many people died and became hungry ghosts. Because they weren''t supposed to die in the first place, there were no ghost wardens to lead them. Then on their way, they made troubles, stole tributes and paper money, humiliated women, and bullied the old and the little, creating pandemonium along the road to hell. When they passed by the Sansheng Stone, they saw the cause and effect of this matter through it. They reported you when they arrived in the Underworld. Yama sent Ghost Impermanence to claim your life. However, you stayed in the temple waiting for your tonsure the next day and never got out. Because Ghost Impermanence was forbidden to enter temples, they had to return to hell. Then Yama had to clarify this matter to the Earth Store Bodhisattva. She said, "People''s lives are more important than reasons. I will help you to take her!" That''s why you were killed in the Buddhism Hall.


    I should say. You were really lucky that the judge sentenced you to reincarnate as a cat. Because cats now don''t need to catch mice anymore, they are pets. Why are you still resentful?"


    "But, why did I still get run over by him?" The spirit didn''t seem to be convinced.


    When I heard this, I realized that the cultivation of the evil spirit was insufficient. Even I had understood the reason why she got run over. But she still couldn''t understand.

 Chapter 50 The Resolution

    "Because there was still part of your Karma not yet resolved!" Master Six bellowed, shaking his head since she was unwilling to give in.


    Apparently, the dark man was working as a convoy bodyguard of a convoy escort agency. Every time before embarking on a trip, especially convoys with people, he would first visit a temple and offer some prayers, hoping for some blessing. But on this trip, the Lord Buddha had intentionally tried to delay him by means of some entanglements with the local magistrate because an area he would be passing was part of a battlefield. If not for any external interference, he would have first been arrested for investigation but would be released later. The truth would be revealed not long afterwards: the fabric store owner would have been sentenced to payment of hefty sum as punishment, and he would also have to re-compensate the girl while the girl would be safely sent home. The sales agent, the true instigator of the whole matter, would be severely beaten for his unscrupulous business ethics. The dark man would have emerged as an innocent suspect, unscathed and safe. By then, the convoy would have left without him and embark on their one-way journey to ruin. The Lord Buddha, fully aware of his piousness, had tried to save him, knowing that his was a job that entailed great personal risk. But due to the tampering, everything had changed. The man was able to leave the city with his convoy on time, and he was unable to evade death when the convoy passed through the battlefield. Each of his comrades including him lost their lives that fateful day due to the onslaught of the rebel forces. Being so far from home, it took him several months before he reached the Underworld and the evil spirit was now reincarnated as a cat. The spirits of the dead made another cry for justice at the Underworld, and the Lord of the Underworld, Lord Yama himself had to try inflicting instant death to the cat spirit, but she was able to escape by using her powers that she had amassed during her seven lifetimes, and had returned to wreck havoc to humanity!


    Master Six stared at her, his eyes flaring with rage and anger. "Everything began because of your apathy and your insincerity to the ways of the Buddha! You would never have glimpsed upon the shoulder pouch if your mind had not strayed during your studies of Buddhism! Never would I have thought you capable of such sacrilege and transgression after seven lifetimes of pursuing the teaching of the Buddha! To think that not only you failed to overcome temptation, you are more and more astray off the path of righteousness! Are you wishing an ignoble end to your seven lifetimes of work and toil?"


    The spirit fell sullen and morose with guilt and disappointment in herself. "Your words struck true, Master Immortal! I now see how badly I have erred and I will now head to the Underworld immediately to accept my judgment before I once again restart my pursuit of Buddhist enlightenment anew."


    "I have met with Lord K?itigarbha, the Bodhisattva of the Earth. You will now be sent to him." Master Six smiled approvingly. Suddenly, his demeanor became stern. "Hearken me, Keepers of the Underworld! See that she is now sent down without delay!" He roared suddenly and a disembodied voice rapped from nowhere. "Immediately, by your command!" Two lumbering silhouettes, clad in yellow, appeared from thin air and disappeared with the spirit. Master Six turned and faced the patient, who was now looking sickly and weak. He removed the necklace and shook it before her eyes. The patient''s eyes sparkled with a hint of recognition as she murmured softly, "That belongs to me..." "And so it does!" Master Six cried. "Here, wear it!" The patient took the necklace from him and wore it over her neck, and a flash of light filled the chamber suddenly and the patient had turned into a young woman looking seventeen or eighteen of age, renewed with youth and exuberance as the creases and wrinkles of her face vanished. She fell to her knees at Master Six''s feet. "My apologies, my Lord!" Master Six waved her off, smiling. "Come now, let us go!" he said gently to her. They got up the car, while I, realizing my opportunity, clambered up his car too!


    After a lengthy conversation with Master Six in the car, I disembarked and he drove off. Yuan Chongxi came over. "What have you been talking to the immortal about, Shiyan?" I giggled and said only a word, "Secret!" He shrugged helplessly and I imitated him, mimicking his demeanor without saying anything else.


    With Lin Feng at the helm, we returned to the Center. We had barely stepped into the threshold of the door when my father called. "Was the matter resolved?" he asked. "It was. Perfectly," I said into the mouthpiece and I heard his giggle before the line went dead. But to be truthful, I was unsatisfied. The matter was not resolved by our own abilities; hence there would hardly be any hope for payment from the Taoist priest who had come asking for help. Nevertheless, the experience had been an eye-opener for us three. Lin Feng realized the uncertainty in my quivering eyes, and asked me if anything was wrong. "You might not have noticed, Brother. Even though the matter has come to a resolution. We have, nonetheless, embarrassed ourselves most terribly before a colleague..." I said. "Huh?" Lin Feng asked with a puzzled look on his face. "You''ve forgotten about that Taoist priest who had come to us for help, did you?" I remarked with a weak smile. Lin Feng was startled and he too, disintegrated into a weak smile. "Ah, that priest..." he said meekly, "I''ve forgotten about him... We''d even left him there when we were escaping. We''d be lucky if he does not begrudge us on leaving him behind, let alone paying us..."


    A series of knocking on the door cut us short. There was someone at the door, banging anxiously. "What''s this," I thought. "Another person in trouble?" I went over and swung opened the door, only to find the Taoist priest standing at the door, fidgeting restlessly with a bag in his hand. He was so close to the door that we were standing eye to eye when the door was opened. A brief moment of silence and embarrassment ticked by as I was too flustered to say anything. But the Taoist priest bowed deeply. "My thanks, my young friend..." "Wh-what the..." I wondered. "Was he senile? What we did was tantamount to cheating him, yet still, he thanked us?" Still, I invited him in for a talk. We drifted to the sitting area where we sat and I poured him some tea. The priest placed the bag on the table, saying, "This is the consultation fee for your help." He flipped open the bag and revealed its contents: thirty thousand yuan, in cash! "Oh my!" I thought, "Was he really mad?"


    Seeing that I was doubtful, the Taoist priest broke into a smile. "I have understood everything that has transpired, my friend. There is no need for apprehension."


    The Taoist had also slipped away when we were frantically fleeing for our lives then. The ones that he had summoned for help had instead been disgracefully routed like a bunch of chickens skedaddling for dear life. But hardly inexperienced in the trade, he could also see that we were unable to fend for ourselves, more so taking care of him; hence he harbored no ill will towards us for deserting him.


    So after a miserable day, he had returned to the sanctuary of his order and helped look after his injured senior. But there was a sudden flash of gold in the courtyard outside his senior''s room. He went out and saw a little Taoist priest with red rosy cheeks standing in the middle of the patio. "Greetings, my friend..." The Taoist priest addressed his mysterious younger counterpart. But the young priest paid no heed to him. Instead, he flicked his horse-tail whip and walked into the room. "Where does this child come from? Such insolence!" the Taoist priest wondered. But still, as an elder, he had to maintain dignity and decorum. He followed the little priest indoors. He was about to ask if the little boy was here to offer prayers or ask for help, when the little boy walked further deeper into the inner cloisters. "Impudence! You behave as though you belong here," the Taoist priest grumbled to himself.


    Little did he know that the little priest was in fact the founder of this very Taoist order this elder priest belonged to, Celestial Master Zhang himself! After unlatching himself from Master Six''s consort, Celestial Master Zhang did not directly disappear to the Heavens. Rather, he came to the Taoist monastery to help cure his own disciple! He had witnessed with his own eyes his disciple''s¡ªthe senior of the Taoist priest who had enlisted our help to attempt to repel the spirit of the weasel from the woman''s body and how he was gravely injured. It was also by his intervention that the disciple had managed to survive, lest he would already long have perished. He had been waiting for Master Six''s appearance so that he could come and heal this scrap of a disciple of his.


    But no one would have taken seriously the words of a boy who looked the age of barely ten. The Taoist priest and his sickly senior would have just dismissed him as a young potty psycho. Hence, Celestial Master Zhang had elected to bandy words, wishing only to perform his deed and leave. As he left when he was done with a blinding flash of golden light, both the Taoist priest and his newly-healed senior were astonished beyond words, unable to comprehend what had just happened. But as the figure of the child-like Celestial Master dissipated, the Taoist priest could hear the hollow voice of the founder of his order, instructing him to deliver payment to us. It was, after all, we who had found the help of a deity who solved the entire problem, lest his senior would have not been healed. Thus begged the true purpose of the Taoist priest''s visit; he was not only here to send us the payment, he was also here to ascertain if the little priest was in fact the fore-bearer of his Taoist Sect, Celestial Master Zhang.


    At the end of the Taoist priest''s tale, I snickered. "This is a tale that you can proudly recount for the rest of your life," I said with an amused look. "I''m sure that there are only but a handful of disciples who had truly witness the true advent of the founder of your order, Celestial Master Zhang himself, since the yesteryear of your sect''s inception. To think that you and your senior could now be counted as the select few." With that, the Taoist priest repeated another word of thanks before he left with a satisfied smile on his face. "But you at least have met your founder," I mused. "I for one, know not who the founder of my following is," I thought quietly. It would be a question that I would surely pose for my father, I made up my mind. Spurred by this incident, the throbbing curiosity urging me to find out about the fore-bearer of my father''s sect had increased incrementally.


    I went home that night and I asked Father, "Who is the founder of our sect, Father. The elder priest had met Celestial Master Zhang! But look at me! I might not even recognize our founder even if we were destined to meet!" Father was busy cooking at the stove. With an exasperated look, he glared at me. "No can do!" He bellowed at the top of his voice, in an ire by my interminable prodding and pestering. "Go to the bookshelf in my room. There a picture you can see for yourself if you are indeed so sanctimonious of worshiping him!" Hearing this, I scurried to his room. After some foraging and ransacking through the dusty books, I found a specially-framed calligraphy painting hidden in the most-bottom shelf of the cabinet. I unfurled the picture. Despite its antiquity, the ageless expression of a young man with streaming long hair down the back of his flowing robes exuded a charismatic and deific aura. The picture illustrated the man, with his hands held behind his back, gazing up at the sky with a whiff of melancholy in his eyes. With the picture in my hands, I went back to the kitchen. "Is this the one, Father?" I asked my father. Without so much as a look, he growled, "Yep!" "Who is this in the picture?" I asked again. "My teacher!" Father replied, his focus still on his cooking.

 Chapter 51 Ludicrous Absurdity

    Here I was, thinking that Father would utter with his own lips the name of a prestigious and illustrious sect or order. Instead, Father had merely revealed that the man in the picture was his teacher with the monotonous mood as if he was speaking to a sleepy class of students, which made me wonder if his tone could not be more condescending.


    During dinner, from nowhere, Father took out a sword and handed it to me. "Take this sword, since the previous one was broken," he said. I took the sword from him and studied it. What the, I gasped quietly. This looked exactly the same as the previous one! Did Father buy these swords in bulk? The sword looked oddly similar to the ones used by old men and women in their morning taiji exercise no matter how I looked!


    As we chomped on the food, I asked Father, "How did you know that incident involved Master Six?" Father gave a sly chuckle. "I knew about it since the beginning. But what I did not know, was that even Celestial Master Zhang himself was involved in this squabble." But you knew everything, I brooded. So that would mean that you had long been watching from the sidelines, I thought. "But since you knew everything, why did you not directly invite Master Six earlier?" I asked. "I dislike people who have lots of wives and mistresses; we could not get along," Father simply replied. Of all the answers that he could have told me, this was the last I would expect. I had thought Father would go on one of his ramblings about this being the laws of Nature and Karma or so forth. I was dazed beyond words by his answer. It was true that the female patient was the incarnation of one of Master Six''s mistresses; which would also indicate that Master Six had several other paramours. Then again, Master Six, as an immortal in his own right, would surely have a tale of his own to tell.


    Mother was clearing up the table when we were finished with dinner, when Father asked me from his seat at the sofa, "How goes your training with the manuscript I gave you?" It was only then when the memory of him giving me the booklet dawned on me. I had completely forgotten about it and had stuffed the booklet into the bottommost part of my bag after finding that the contents were unintelligible. Truthfully, I admitted, "Nope. I did not practice anything from the booklet yet. I could not even understand the things inside." Father sighed. He gestured for the sword that he had just given me and took it from me, before rising up and shuffled towards the door, calling to me as he moved, "Follow me. Downstairs. I''ll show you once. With your ability, you should be able to understand after my demonstration." Could I not rest just one day after a day of work, I grimaced painfully.


    Dragging my wearied body, I followed Father downstairs. The sky was falling dark when we stepped outside. Father held the sword in his left hand, while the index and middle fingers of his right hand were extended with the rest of his fingers clenched together as he assumed a stance I recognized from the booklet. In the passive illumination of the evening''s twilight, he began to dance around with the sword, his movements lissome and his strokes fluid like the flowing waters of a brook. I could not recognize the rest; this was a set of disciplines of swordplay that I had never seen before. Watching him from beside, I became mesmerized and captivated that I did not realize when it was that the sword had flown out of my father''s grip; floating in mid-air, slashing and hacking at imaginary opponents, with the tip of its hilt just grazing the extended fingers of my father''s left hand. Suddenly, the inconceivable occurred: with a flick of his left hand, the gliding sword flew away from him and broke into four identical swords! The four swords came alive; they hovered around Father, circling around him as if they had sentience of their own!


    Father''s demonstration came to a halt when his sword dance ended. I was left agape with shock and awe. He held up the scabbard of the sword lazily, and flicked his other wrist, gesturing the sword to come back; with a loud "Chink!", the sword shot from the sky and darted back into the scabbard. Father strode slowly towards me and handed me the sword. With a light pat on my shoulder, he began shifting towards the stairs. Stepping upwards without looking back, he said, "Practise. You''d pass if you''re able to do what I did!" (I would later one day find out from Father that this was merely one of the elementary disciplines of my father''s order. There were more bizarre and fantastic techniques that encompassed various disciplines: swordplay, talismans conjuration and many others more.)


    With a dumb look, I trailed after Father up the steps. When we reached the landing of the stairs, he noticed the dull look on my face and broke into a laugh. "What''s this? You''re dazed by my demonstration?" I nodded glumly. "Father," I asked, "Tell me. Are the things I read from fantasy novels true?" Father cast me a glare that reminded me of the look he gave bewildered clients. "Did I not tell you long ago? There are some things that most people do not believe in. Yet, this does not mean that they do not exist. Then again, pay no heed to the glorified and immortalized theatrics and exaggerations in fiction." Indeed. Is there anything else to be doubted, especially when I have witnessed with my own eyes the powers of an immortal in full display today? Look at the society today; there are even mundane people who would vehemently deny the existence of ghosts. They would flatly refute any shred of proof of tthe existence of the Horse-faced and Ox-headed Keepers of the Underworld, the Black and White Heralds of Hell (the Heibai Wuchang), and of course, the Ten Courts of the Underworld and the Six Paths of Samsara. Interestingly enough, little did such intransigent and single-minded organisms realized, the beast-faced guards of the Underworld and their black-and-white counterparts existed, although they might differ to common perception. Then again, Father might also be thinking something along the same lines about me too.


    I returned to the Center with my new sword the next day, stepping through the door and found Lin Feng training his student in martial arts. I signaled Lin Feng to me. "I have a set of swordplay, Brother, and I wonder if you might know a thing or two about its lineage, since you are the most learned in martial arts here." I extracted the booklet of illustrations that my father had prepared for me and showed it to him. Lin Feng riffled through the pages. "Heh heh heh... From where did you find this, Brother?" "Where else?" I scowled, "My father, of course! He bade me learn all these, saying that these were the techniques of the sect he belongs to. Yesterday he''d even demonstrated for me to see. You weren''t there! If only you were there to see everything yourself..." I began narrating to him what happened last night. At the end of my tale, Lin Feng regarded me, suspiciously. "You''re awake, are you not?" With a lot of exasperation and amusement, I glowered at him. "Do I look like a man with a yarn of nonsense to spin? Come on, just have a look. Tell me if you can see what origins are they from! I know nothing about martial arts! The illustrations mean nothing to me!" To my surprise, Lin Feng shoved the book back into my arms. "There are ethics and rules. Without your father''s consent, I am not permitted to study the techniques of his. Moreover, I might know a little about whips and darts, but the wushu I study is predominantly unarmed combat. I know little about swords. My skills depend on punches and kicks, both of which I employ to my fullest."


    Could you not just say you know nothing about swords, in short, to save us the time and trouble, I mulled sourly. I spent the entire morning that day, lazing on my couch as I descended into a utopian trance of the illustrations and drawings from my father''s manuscript without being able to understand any of it. Yuan Chongxi woke up later and came down to find me sulking at the book. He stared at me for some time until he said, "Come on, Shiyan. There''s no need to brood and pout. I might not understand why are you upset, but still, take things easy." Some times it could be an inconvenience to have a person who could divine secrets easily by your side, especially if the person was a dull and slow-minded person. The things that he just said had done nothing to ease my bitterness but instead they rubbed salt to my misery!


    And hence, a week, two weeks, a month and another month fleeted by...


    For an entire year, I cooped myself at the Center, trying my best to fathom the secrets of how my father was able to levitate a sword in mid-air! Despite my best efforts to study the techniques depicted in the book, I had failed again and again to endeavor what my father had demonstrated that evening to me. Everything seemed so ordinary and mundane with what I practised; I could emulate nothing of the fantastic and incredible spectacle that my father had shown me. I was simply incapable of his wizardry with the sword, much less in conjuring additional copies of it!


    The year passed by with the usual banality of trivial work: we either advised clients in Fengshui or helped with funeral as well as marriage arrangements. Most of these drudgeries were handled by Yuan Chongxi and his work was impeccable. The year was a good year for him too; many rich businessmen were recommended by both Mr. Lee and Mr. Zhang, our wealthy patrons; he would regularly be invited to dinner every once in a few days, a divine seer to the prosaic businessmen who would constantly pepper him with requests for advice and would unfailingly try their utmost to heed his words like gospel. Yuan Chongxi himself began to enjoy the nature of his work, although there were also the occasional minor mishaps with his calculations.


    We never saw the last of Zheng Shuang; he would visit us frequently, becoming part of our gang and would come to spend time with us whenever his time allowed. Many a time he would come with frivolous conundrums such petty thefts or robberies which involved nothing of the supernatural, which even we could hardly provide any help. Then again, Zheng Shuang had enjoyed being regarded as one of the rising stars in the police force ever since he had solved the case of the haunted pig farm.


    On the other hand, Lin Feng kept himself busy with training his young student. Not only the little girl had learned the skills of Chuojiao from him, but he had even trained her in the skills of wielding chain whips and throwing darts! As anyone familiar to martial arts might know, learning to use the chain whip and throwing darts were hardly simple skills to learn pick up; many times the whimpering cries of the little girl wailing in pain would echo around the Center when she accidentally hurt herself during her training with ropes...


    Hence, the year passed, and once again a warm season of Summer beckoned cheerily at us. It was in the evening, when we were thinking of calling along Zheng Shuang to meet up for barbeque skewers. I took out my phone to call him. When the line was connected, his voice came barking out of the earpiece. "Brother Shiyan! What impeccable timing! Did you know that I was just about to call you?" Surely this can be nothing but a cruel coincidence, I mused. We were only calling you to see if you want to join us for a meal! But I was caught up in the moment. "Of course, I am able to divine that you need help! Speak up!" I said, trying my best to feign omniscience like how most fortune tellers would.


    Not long later, Zheng Shuang''s car could be heard screeching to a halt outside the Center. He rushed in, wiping off his nervous sweat from his forehead and came to me hurriedly. "A boy is reported missing! The news of his disappearance is now being widely circulated on the Wechat app! Now the child''s parents are extremely worried and my superiors have ordered a task force to be formed to solve the case immediately. Thing is, I am the leader of the task force. The director held my hand when he came to deliver the order, saying that I will have the police force''s full support in solving the case. But I need to be quick! The news is now spreading like a bushfire across all surrounding districts and counties! The longer we delay, the longer we lose the initiative!"


    End of Volume Two

 Volume 3 Family Feuds --- Chapter 52 Jousting with Jiangshis

    Despite bestowing me with a booklet complete with a set of illustrations of a fantastic discipline of swordplay, Father had only demonstrated it once to me. I could still remember the sword coming alive, flying in the air without being wielded when Father had shown me the swordplay that evening. For an entire year, I pored through the book, looking for answers that might have eluded me before, still, none of my attempts to pattern what he had displayed that night bore any semblance to his. But just then, the police officer named Zheng Shuang, had come back to us, seeking help from Yuan Chongxi, Lin Feng, and me. There was a very case so sensitive and critical that he needed our help with.


    As Zheng Shuang was already a friend of ours, he cut right to the chase: a child was reported missing in Wu Zhong County and news of the child''s disappearance had been spreading on the Wechat like a flame in the wind. A police task force had been set up to specially handle this case with Zheng Shuang in charge, who was chosen due to the many treacherous cases that we had helped him solved which had earned him substantial influence within the upper hierarchies of the local force.


    Due to the need of haste, there was no time for us to look for somewhere to sit and talk. I ushered him in and extracted a can of Coke from the refrigerator. I lighted a cigarette for him and sat down. "Can you elaborate more on this incident?" I asked. Zheng Shuang released a puff of smoke and took a swig off the can of Coke. "The child is 5 years of age, the offspring of a divorced businessman with his new wife!" "Was the child taken from a kindergarten?" I asked again. "No," said Zheng Shuang. "That is why I myself am in a loss. He had left his house to his ex-wife and son when they divorced, and had bought a new bungalow for his new wife. The door was locked from the inside, and the mother and child were inside. No one else was in the house. There should have been no way the child could be taken in the first place!"


    So the child was taken before the very eyes of the mother, I pondered. "How many men do you have in your task force?" I asked Zheng Shuang after my brief reflection. "7 men, with me included, and 5 cars!" he said. "That would be enough. Summon your men. We''ll have a look at the scene," I said, my eyes squinted as I made due calculations on how to proceed. "I have virtually the entire force at my disposal. Do we need any officers to be armed?" Zheng Shuang asked. "I''ll leave that for you to decide. Bring any if you want, as long as there''s enough room in the cars! We''ll rendezvous at the front of the bungalow!" This was partly the reason I liked Zheng Shuang; the man was a straightforward person who hardly pelted me with questions that might inconvenience me.


    Zheng Shuang made a call to the station to assemble his team, while I called for Lin Feng to load any tools that we might need unto the car. With Yuan Chongxi joining us, we followed Zheng Shuang''s vehicle from behind. It was evident that this time, he had no reservations about working with us, not especially since spending much time with us, he began to realize ways to traipse along the lines about our involvement. He could easily pass us off as consultants or freelance investigators, more so since his present status as the rising star in the force allowed him many perks.


    Without further ado, we headed straight for the bungalow. The mother of the child had been crying; her eyes were badly swollen, reddish and moist with anxiety and fear. The house looked like a war zone; everything was in shambles and were strewn all around and the same went for almost all the rooms in the house. The intruders had virtually flipped the house upside down and ransacked it in order to look for the child! Zheng Shuang was with the parents of the child. "These three young men are specialists that we''ve enlisted to help us with this case. Have no fear. I''m sure they''ll be able to point out any clues that will be helpful to the case. I ask only for your full cooperation!"


    I almost burst out laughing when I heard Zheng Shuang referring to us as "criminal specialists". Did he seriously expect the husband and wife to believe a bunch of twenty-year-olds were criminal specialists? Then again, we decided to remain in character to spare ourselves from having to explain ourselves. We gave a friendly smile to the husband and wife. But the husband seemed to surmise that we were, in fact, paranormal investigators. He held my hand tightly and shook it profusely. "Please Young Master! Just tell us if you need everything! Money, cooperation! Anything!" I tried my best to maintain my smile, although I was beginning to feel tensed by his contagious jitters. "Can you provide me with an item that the child was playing with or wearing before the abduction?" I asked. The husband''s and wife''s eyes grew large with bewilderment. A brief and awkward silence pulsed by before the husband shook himself awake from his stupor. "Yes! There is! Right away!" He screamed. The husband and wife must have been shocked by my question; an investigator who had asked for no details of the incident but instead requested for an article of the child''s belonging!


    The mother of the child went inside and came back moments later with a shirt. She tried handing it to me, although I ignored her action. Instead, I said, "Follow us! Both of you!" We walked outside, where the 5 patrol cars, with their lights flashing, were already waiting for us. Some of the officers in the cars were holding rifles and donned helmets as if they were going to war! I slipped an instruction to Zheng Shuang, saying to him, "Have your cars turn off their flashing lights and follow my car!" I turned to the husband and wife. "Both of you, into my car!" The couple sat in the back with Yuan Chongxi while I sat beside Lin Feng who was at the wheel. "Give me the clothing," I said to the wife once we were in the car. I took the clothing and took out my Spirit Gourd. Holding the shirt to the mouth of the Gourd, I muttered an incantation and out came a little bee. The sky was darkening then. To lead us, the little bee emitted a distinct spark of light as it began flying, charging ahead with us closely behind like moths drawn to a burning candle. The bee was called a "Bee Scout", one of the skills of controlling insects that my father taught me when I was young. I was prone to losing my way home when I was a child, even in the small town of Wu Zhong; hence Father had taught me the skill of the "Bee Scout" so that I could find my way home.


    The bee flew at a snail''s pace before of us and began flying over a river. Quickly, I told Lin Feng, "Use the bridge in front. But there''s no need to rush!" Still, we overtook the bee and was at a junction before it, waiting for it to come our way. The bee glided over the river and continued flying for two hundred meters until it disappeared into the undergrowth of an elevation before us. The ground was not overly high and steep, only slightly higher than surrounding areas, but from where we stood, we could see that it was a graveyard! We stopped immediately and I barked to Zheng Shuang. "Send 3 of your cars to the opposite side of the elevation. A ditch just nearby and the river circling at the edges of the elevation have helped us so that we only need to cover these two exits to prevent the abductors'' escape! Tell your men to switch on their spotlights when they see lights from the grasses up there! We''ll just need to cover all exits for now! The three of us will go in for a recon!" I waved to Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi and we began moving towards the spot where the bee had disappeared.


    As we waded through the thick undergrowth, the rhythmic clickings of insect reminded me of a saying I saw from an old engraving, "Oh, the intolerable clickings of insects in the night!" Indeed, the noises were unbearable! I extracted two talismans, Bug-repelling Charms, and gave one each to my companions for them. They kept the charms in their pockets to ward off the incessant mosquitoes buzzing around us. At length, after about a 150-meter hike, I could vaguely see the glowing luminescence of the bee just ahead of us. I held out an arm and signaled to my companions to hide. The bushes here were so thick and tall that stooping down would conceal us completely. With a finger, I held aside the long stalks of the bushes and peer ahead. There it was! The bee was circling in the air! Before long, we heard a screeching noise from the bushes ahead and a figure rose up. From the pale moonlight, we could see the figure, with a bony skull as a head, rose up from within the bushes. It was covered heavily with thick hair from the neck down like a broom but we could not see what color was the hair in the dark! Then another figure rose up! Being slightly shorter than its partner, its body was also covered with hair! But instead of a skeletal skull for a head; its head was covered with lots of wildly strewn hair that covered its face.


    I had guessed rightly! These were Jiangshis! The two Jiangshis stood up and began looking around, as if searching for a scent! I gripped the two talismans in my hand and prepared myself, making quick plans and calculations. Behind me, both Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi were already shivering in fear, for I could feel their bodies trembling in the midst of the undergrowth around us. Then again, despite the preparations I had made when I predicted that this case might involve Jiangshis, I myself could hardly quell the fear creeping up my spine at the sight of the two hairy Jiangshi which could only spell woeful omens! For countless times I had read about them, but this was the first time I had set sights upon such grotesque abomination!


    The two Jiangshi surveyed their surroundings and stopped in their tracks suddenly. They had picked up a scent, I surmised. Our scent. For the Jiangshis were now coming towards us. But they were not hopping, unlike the Jiangshis from Hong Kong horror movies! They were walking, as I clearly saw! I waited and got ready to pounce. When Jiangshis came close, I leaped out of hiding and slapped the two talismans on their forehead with blinding speed! The two Jiangshis froze and stopped. I let out a heavy breath. "It''s fine now! Up you get, you two!" I barked to Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi. It was the first time I had used these Talismans of Sealing Undead myself, but everything seemed to turn out just fine. But my companions had barely straightened up, when the two Jiangshi shared a look and tore off the talismans before reducing them to shreds! They lunged at me, their fangs and claws bared hungrily. With a quick leap, I evaded their attack! Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi, almost frightened to tears, collapsed backward and tumbled out of sight! I took a handful of glutinous rice and threw it into the air, scattering the rice at the two undead! But with a simple sidestep, they avoided my gambit! Realizing that my move had failed, I drew my peach wood sword with my left hand while my other hand dug into my pouch and extracted a large wooden nail. I braced myself and prepared. The tall Jiangshi came at me again, and I swiftly pierced forth! But the Jiangshi made no attempt to evade my stroke; the tip of my wooden sword dug deep into its flesh as it groaned in pain but losing no strength despite its injury! I threw the wooden nail like a dart at the shorter Jiangshi, only to have it struck harmlessly upon its chest and fell on to the ground! Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi, in the midst of their indescribable panic, were so petrified that they could do nothing to help. I grimaced with both confusion and horror made my stomach turn. Even the peach wood sword and glutinous rice were useless against them! How was this possible! I had never dealt with the undead myself before! Should I have brought along the hooves of a black donkey (mentioned in Zhang Muye''s fantasy novel Ghost Blows Out the Light)?


    But I realized that the sword still managed to inflict some pain to them. I leaped aside and rushed at the shorter Jiangshi, hacking at it furiously with my sword! All of a sudden, the short Jiangshi drew something from its robes to parry my blow! With a loud "Crack!", my wooden sword was splintered into two! I was stunned, before my confusion was overwhelmed by a surging fury. "D*mn! These are not Jiangshi! They are humans in disguise!" I roared in disgust.

 Chapter 53 The Evil Cul

    t


    Lin Feng burst into a raging frenzy when he heard me! Both he and Yuan Chongxi were gripped with fear, quivering like mice before cats when they thought we were dealing with true Jiangshis! But now that we had discovered that they were actually humans in disguise, Lin Feng, reflecting back at his humiliation just before, felt his pride immensely hurt! He thought of my lone stand against the two "Jiangshis" and was filled with rage! With a leap into the air, he delivered a kick at the tall man!


    The tall man tried his best to stand his ground, but he could not resist howling in pain! With a loud "Argh!" he fell on one knee. The other imposter, his shorter partner, realized that things were not in their favor and was about to flee! Lin Feng tossed a dart swiftly and hit the shorter man in the wrist, forcing him to drop the item that he had earlier used to parry my sword! The object fell from his hand and clattered on the ground. The dart Lin Feng threw had a rope tied to its end; Lin Feng threw out his right hand and with a powerful heave, the rope coiled around the feet of the man. Lin Feng tugged at the line, and the man flopped heavily to the ground. It was a two-prong attack; Lin Feng had thrown the dart to disarm the man; but unbeknownst to the latter, the dart was tied to a rope which Lin Feng that jerked with all his might to restrain his quarry by hampering his movements!


    Just then, the entire hill was flooded with the beams of light from the headlamps of the police cars! In the midst of the short skirmish, Lin Feng''s dart had reflected light in the dark and was noticed by the police officers guarding both egresses downhill. The deluge of lights lit up the area, illuminating where we stood and exposed the two imposters! A horde of policemen charged uphill in a blitz and swiftly arrested both men, consigning them to handcuffs as the officers unmasked them! The tall man, the older of the two, looked around 50 while the shorter man was just a young man in his mid-twenties! I stomped forward and grabbed at the younger man. "Speak up! Where is the child!" Yuan Chongxi emerged from the crowd of policemen around us. "Leave this to me. This is my bread and butter!" He sneered, a demeanor that I had so rarely witness; even he was seething at the two men''s duplicity. He gave a tight slap to the cheek of the younger man. Lin Feng had vented his anger and now it was his turn! Yuan Chongxi landed a few more blows to the young man in his hard-earned moment of reckoning. The man wailed painfully, begging for mercy. "Please! Please! No more! I''ll confess! I, I lead you to..." I watched from beside them, feeling amused. Even the dull Yuan Chongxi could exhibit such rage!


    With the short man in front, we followed him to a hollow grave where the cavity had been emptied and excavated to create a recess so large that it was underground cave with two chambers inside! The chambers were lighted with oil lamps and blankets were sprawled on the ground, and there was the little child, lying among the blankets, unconscious. I checked that his breathing was normal and surmised that he was fine; he might have been cast a spell and possibly hypnotized for the abductors'' convenience. I carried the child and climbed out of the recess. The husband and wife had come now. A light breeze blew by, caressing at our faces and the child woke up from his slumber. At the first glimpse of his mother, the child cried out for her and the woman came rushing forward for her baby...


    But even as we journeyed back, I was still restless and unhappy. Yuan Chongxi noticed the glum look on my face and asked me if anything was wrong. With my lips pursed, I grumbled, "That bloody fool had damaged my peach wood sword! If only I knew! I would have brought the steel sword that my father gave me and stab him to death!" "You would have been in trouble if you had indeed brought the steel sword and killed the man." Yuan Chongxi jested. With his eyes still on the road, Lin Feng quipped. "And how''s that trouble? Zheng Shuang could easily report it as ''permissible self-defense by officers due to retaliation of criminals to avoid being arrested". That sent a laugh through the cabin of the car and we continued talking until we returned to the Center.


    The next morning, Zheng Shuang came knocking with a glee on his face that he could hardly hide! He was overjoyed; the case of the abducted child was reported across various media: local dailies, news on the television, among others, making it the talk of the town. In just 8 hours after the case was reported, the child was found and the perpetrators were all detained; the news reports on the incidents, highlighting the lightning-speed efficiency displayed in the resolution of this case as good as crowned a laurel of praises upon the local police force that even the Mayor of the city called the local station to tender his commendation, saying that he would even attend their celebration party! Zheng Shuang had also received a call from the parents of the child early in the morning, insisting to buy us a meal and the father of the child had even made Zheng Shuang promise that he would invite us too. Yuan Chongxi''s eyes instantly gleamed with joy at the prospect of another sumptuous fare.


    Zheng Shuang took out something from his coat. "We were so excited that we did not retire for the night yesterday! When we returned, we immediately grilled both perpetrators! This is their interrogation statement," he told us. I took the statement from him and went through it briefly. "I had borrowed these for now before they are taken as notes for the prosecutors of this case." I continued flipping through the pages, paying no heed to what he said as he continued discussing the procedures of charging criminals. I continued reading the statement until I placed it down on the table. "I''m afraid that both criminals have not been entirely forthcoming. They have avoided much of the details!" Zheng Shuang''s eyes widened in surprise. "You mean to say..."


    "What they gave you is hardly the truth," I said wearily, my eyes squinted as Zheng Shuang gazed at me, confused. "According to this statement, they pretend to be Taoist priest and abduct children before trafficking them. But this is not true. These are not fake Taoist priest. These two men are part of an ancient cult; so old that its name was long forgotten in the passing of Time. This evil cult is famous for using the internal organs of children in their sorcery and witchcraft. In the past, their actions have gone overboard with its mass kidnapping of children that the Qing Imperial Court ordered every instance of its existence to be completely eradicated. Acolytes of the cult were either hunted down like dogs or tried and executed mercilessly that many believed the cult to have withered or annihilated. It seems that we have been wrong; the insidious embers of its still-living survival have endured and now it has rekindled back to flames. When I went into the recess of the underground cavern, I found four urns. These urns were used by the acolytes to trap the souls of the children, and these jars were already opened when I found them. These means that the ghosts of the children have been released. I had also found talismans already drawn and prepared. Not being able to recognize them, I had quietly brought them back for further perusal. With information from my father, I then concluded that the talismans were proof that they are the part of the evil cult which should have long been completely wiped out ages ago! As if slaying innocent children to harvest their organs was not evil enough, these people even seal and made use of their souls! The poor children were nothing but objects to these cruel and bloodless monsters no matter living or dead! But my greatest concern now lies in the souls of the children. I''m afraid that their ghosts might be manipulated for some heretofore unknown schemes of sinister intent!" Zheng Shuang collapsed into the sofa, his face bewildered as he tried to comprehend what I just said. At length, he got up. "What should we do now, Brother Shiyan?" "Let us join in the interrogation! The three of us will come with you!" I instructed Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng to pack our gear and we headed to the police station.


    At the police station, we waited for the tall villain to be brought into the interrogation room. When he entered the room, Zheng Shuang banged his fist on the table. "Impudent scoundrel! How dare you utter falsehoods during your questioning!" I quipped immediately for added effect without allowing the criminal to speak. "Speak up! What are your purposes for kidnapping children? To traffick them or to kill them and harvest their organs? What of the souls of the four children that you have taken prior to this one? Your accomplice had just confessed! How long did you think you can keep on lying?" Beads of cold sweat began to form on his forehead. Mumbling helplessly, he said, "I, I''ll confess... The four children souls were sealed in three boxes, wh-where w-we..."


    And thus the detainee revealed that they were under orders of their mentor to help accumulate money. In addition to trafficking children, the two men had also used the spirits of children to scam and cheat those ignorant and uninitiated. The three boxes were already discarded as "gunks", so the tall criminal admitted. What were "gunks", I myself could hardly fathom, knowing only that the term did not bode well for the souls of the four children. But the term was recorded in verbatim into the interrogation statement until we could determine its true meaning. Recollecting back the souls of the children was the most pressing order of business. We questioned more about the location where the deed was done and we left. After making some calculations, we decided to split up; we would go to three different spots and try to summon the spirits. Lin Feng and I would take the talismans and urns while Yuan Chongxi would use my Gourd to first try to recollect the spirits. Lin Feng hitched a ride in Zheng Shuang''s car and I drove myself as we went to our respective designated spot, whereas the proximity of the police station to his assigned point of destination allowed Yuan Chongxi to go on foot. We would meet together at a restaurant when the work was done and be in time for the meal with the parents of the child yesterday!


    I would first begin with Yuan Chongxi''s experience instead of Lin Feng''s and mine.


    At the east of town was a custom-built bungalow which was owned by a man who came from the countryside. After his studies from the university in his youth, the man had returned to his hometown and started a business. He would operate as an agent by selling the harvest of the fruit farmers in his hometown at the city. When he first began his business, the farmers barely had enough of their stocks for him to sell; hence they were hardly worried that he would run off with their money. But as days passed by, his diligence and effort bore fruits of its own; his business expanded and he began wholesaling greater quantities of fruits and even bought a car of his own. But he was an honest merchant and earned the trust of the fruit farmers in the nearby towns and cities who would gladly trust him with their wares, confident that they would be adequately compensated as usual. He exported Chinese hawberries to Japan and made quite a fortune! With his newly-amassed wealth, he invested in a stone quarry, specializing in mining and masonry that produced dressed stones, or ashlar, as well as square stones. His ventures went well until one day, his fruit export business bogged down and his enterprises reached a bottle-neck. Troubled with despair, he died one day a sad and tragic man because of cancer, leaving only a wife and two daughters.


    His wife was stout of heart herself. It was she who had encouraged her husband to return to his hometown to start a business in the first place. Undeterred by the dire state of her husband''s business, she came up with a plan to salvage the family business by signing an agreement with the local fruit farmers who had already abandoned planting hawberry fruits and were already growing other fresh produces about 2 or 3 years before. The agreement was in time for harvest season. By first paying the farmers a deposit, the local farmers acceded to trading their stocks to her, thus injecting a new breathe of life into the fruit business. The mother of two then re-opened the stone quarry and re-established old ties and partnerships, thanks to their reliable and trustworthy reputation in adhering to proper channels and rules. The government was in a stringent crackdown of illegal quarries and mines with unlawful and unwarranted practices; hence her stone quarry was awarded the tender for providing materials to nearby building projects and rejuvenated the stone mining business as well.


    Two years before present, an old Taoist priest came to the gates of this family. The youngest of the two daughters gave the priest some food, but was declined by the priest. Yet the man waited outside, persistently refusing to leave. The girl went to her mother and her mother said, "He might be begging for monetary alms for the maintenance of his monastery. Give him 1,000 yuan and sent him off!" But still, the priest rejected the offer of money. The mother of the girl came out of the house herself. She greeted the priest respectfully. "How can I help you, Master Priest? You refused both money and food!" The priest replied to her, "I am merely passing by, but I could sense a foul and dark force swirling above your residence. There seems to be something wrong with your fengshui coordination; hence I needed to see the owner of the house!" But the woman was a shrewd and cunning person herself. "I would love to see how would he try to cheat me," she thought proudly and she asked in return, "What problems have you detected with the fengshui of my house, Master Priest?" "Your house is shrouded by a foul aura. Anyone in the house will be in danger!" The priest warned ominously. Surely this charlatan is here after hearing how my husband died, the woman deliberated quietly. "And what do you propose, Master Priest?" She asked, feigning ignorance.

 Chapter 54 Night at the Brick Factory

    The woman never intended to entertain the priest, wishing only to send him off as soon as possible. But the Taoist priest showed him a wooden chest. "I have kept in this chest a talisman that I have enchanted and sealed. You will only have to pray to it day and night, and the cloud of woe circling your house can easily be dispersed!" The Taoist priest explained. "How much for this wooden chest?" "Three hundred thousand yuan!" The woman bowed to the priest and said, "I am but a poor widow with two more mouths to feed. We do not have much money left!" "How much would you be willing to spare for this means of salvation then, ma''am?" "Well, I had given you 1,000 yuan earlier. I can spare another 2,000 yuan for the chest and your troubles; it''ll be 3,000 yuan altogether, if that''s fine with you, Master Priest." The Taoist priest pondered quietly for a few seconds. "Very well then," he said, "So be it, 3,000 yuan. Consider this a show of my benevolence!" With an additional 3,000 yuan in his pockets, he handed the chest to the woman and took his leave. The woman, hardly taking the encounter serious, left the box and its contents yet unknown in the second floor of an annex building at the back of her residence which was used as a storehouse and had forgotten about it.


    Flash forward to the present time: it was summer and the heat of the weather had compelled both daughters of the woman¡ªthe older sister already in university while her younger sister was now in high school¡ªto move outdoors to study. They laid a table in the garden compound and pored over their homework amid the refreshing breath of the gentle breeze. In a moment of respite, the younger sister raised her head from her book and noticed a little boy on the second floor of the annex building. Shocked and surprised, she shook her sister, urging her to look. Her sister turned, but saw nothing. The sisters began bickering about the younger daughter''s baffling glimpse of the mysterious boy at the upper floor of the storehouse and the commotion they made caused their mother to come out. After another recount of what she saw, their mother said to her, "It must have been an illusion. You have been studying too hard!" She plopped to a chair and accompanied her daughters. Moments passed and the younger daughter stole another look up at the annex building. There he was, the mysterious boy! Her hand shot upward, attracting the attention of her mother and sister. This time, all three of them saw with their own eyes the figure of a little boy upstairs of the annex building. With the blink of an eye in the next instant, he disappeared instantly! No one lived in that building; it was merely a storage unit and no one would go there. Feeling strange, the woman went to the building and searched for signs of any intruders and found nothing but dust and soot. There was hardly any signs of entry.


    With a house full of only women, all three of them struggled against fear and panic, knowing that this could only be something paranormal in nature. They commissioned for another old Taoist priest who came to their house with some instruments and laid a table in their compound for a ritual. But when the priest brandished his wooden sword to begin the rites, when things suddenly turned awry: the instruments and utensils on the table began to shake as if they were in quivering with fear and the talismans flared into angry flames, engulfing the table into a ball of fiery inferno that even singed the robes of the old priest. Startled by his close brush with death, the priest fearing for his safety, fled, humiliated and defeated. Bowing his way out of the door, he mumbled as his wobbling footsteps carried him to the gates, saying that he would implore the help of his seniors as he hurriedly left.


    The Taoist priest scrambled out the main gates and crashed right into another man! The young man, despite his short stature and blank expression, yanked the older man aside and continued walking calmly through the gates. He took out a calabash gourd and unstoppered it, reciting under his breath some incantations. Immediately, the fire stopped and everything stopped shaking, leaving only a smoldering mass of blackened waste. Smoke rose into the air from the pile of burnt instruments but was swiftly drew into the gourd by a strong suction. As the black fumes were drawn into the gourd, a dark strand of foul energy was also being pulled into the bottle! When everything stopped, the man returned the stopper back to the gourd, sealing it.


    It was Yuan Chongxi whose timely appearance had saved the day! Saying nothing to the girls and their mother, he bolted across the garden compound towards the stairs of the annex building. At the door of the building, he pointed to the locked door and barked at the woman, "Open it!" The woman rushed forward obediently and took out her keys, hastily fumbling with the lock until the door was opened. Yuan Chongxi tore off the cap of the gourd and pointed it inwards, chanting a series of invocations and another strand of dark fume was sucked into the gourd. Yuan Chongxi sealed the gourd. He turned to the woman. "A Taoist priest had come to you with a wooden chest two years ago! Show me the chest!" The woman''s expression betrayed a hint of realization. She darted up the stairs and came back with the wooden box. Yuan Chongxi pried opened the chest with a key and found two paper figurines inside. He took out both paper figurines and tore them into shreds before promptly leaving!


    Despite being able to speak and express himself freely before us, Yuan Chongxi was truly a dull and slow-witted person especially when it came to strangers! Everything from the moment of his opportune appearance to his demeanor during his attempt to subdue the ghosts and until the end turned out to be strange and, in some ways, comical! He was too straightforward a person that he wanted to leave immediately when his work was done! But the woman pulled him back, showering him with repeated words of thanks. "Thank you so much, great master! Which mountain sanctuary are you from, or what monastery do you dwell at?" With a queer and blank poker face, Yuan Chongxi replied, "I''m from the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies. My name is Yuan Chongxi, and I''m not a Taoist priest!" The eldest of the sisters came over too, adding to her mother''s bombardment of praises, "I see! So the master''s name is Yuan! Could you be the descendant of the famous Yuan Tiangang, the renowned seer of the Tang Dynasty?" "I know nothing of that nature!" Yuan Chongxi replied, his face still deadpan although he added, "I''m neither a priest nor a master! And this gourd belongs to a brother of mine!" The younger daughter tugged at her mother''s sleeve and whispered something into her ears, and the woman immediately cried, "Oh, Heavens! We''ve forgotten to entertain our savior with tea! Please forgive our poor manners! Do join us for lunch today!" With that, the eldest daughter placed a call to make reservations...


    Apparently, the eldest daughter enjoyed trying out Chinese ouija boards with her dormmates in university; she was an avid enthusiast in the supernatural and paranormal. The common impression of a medium to them was no different from the Taoist masters and priests as commonly seen in Hong Kong horror films and dramas! The impression of such figures would stray no further from middle-to-old age seniles to unsure and no-good ruffians. Yuan Chongxi''s poise and presence had completely shattered their stereotypical notion; his direct and frank methods of handling the horrific deadlock when the old priest had fled alone, and his derring-do in delivering the mother and her daughters from their fate had won their favor and had them impressed! It was a common Chinese belief that those who wielded true skill and powers were often reserved and silent; hence the three women were drawn by his enigmatic presence and grew eager to know more about him! As a pragmatic person, the mother of the daughters had never believed in matters of the supernatural, until now, and Yuan Chongxi''s appearance and prowess had impressed upon her the significance of having a man in the house. She began to appreciate that there would eventually come a day when she would need help in handling the two business of the family. Aware that Yuan Chongxi''s abilities might even help the family businesses in the future, coupled with her fondness for his honest demeanor, she nudged her daughters, hinting them to entertain him during the course of the dinner.


    On the other hand, Lin Feng''s and my attempts to recollect the souls were successful and we met as promised at the restaurant. We ordered some dishes and waited for Yuan Chongxi. Lin Feng called him to check on him. "Hey, Brother. How are things at your end? Is everything all right? Do you need our help?" "Everything''s fine! I''ve collected the two children spirits!" "Do you need me to come to pick you up with the car?" "No. I''m already eating, in fact, with the family involved!" "Ah?!" One could hardly imagine the surprise when we heard this. We were waiting for him like fools when he was already being treated to a meal! What luck! "Tell him to come back early. We have two more souls here waiting for the Gourd!" I told Lin Feng. "We need to conduct a ritual to send the souls down to the Underworld to be reborn!" Lin Feng nodded his agreement and relayed what I said to Yuan Chongxi. Even when we were finished, Yuan Chongxi''s meal was still far from over. As the driver, Lin Feng could not drink while I myself was hardly a drinker; hence we settled only with a simple lunch and returned to the Center.


    I spent the afternoon perusing the interrogation statements to see if we had left out anything while planning our next move.


    It was late in the evening when Yuan Chongxi finally came back, and Lin Feng was earnest in bombarding him with a litany of rebukes for his lateness! As they quibbled and wrangled with one another, I quietly took the gourd from him and went off to perform the required rituals to send the souls on their way, barely following the contents of their verbal diarrhea.


    As it turned out, they were both still simmering over what happened at the graveyard on the hill! They were feeling bad for having me to fend alone against two Jiangshis even though they were actually humans in disguise. As the eldest of us three, Lin Feng was the one who felt the most shame. After their short row, they came to me. "Let us spearhead the charge whenever we have anything to do in the future," they said. "You''ll stand behind to support us. We two should work on bolstering our own courage. What say you?" "Very well!" I chirped, "In fact, we just received a job. But I was worried if you both lacked the nerve for it!" "What job is that?" Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi both asked in unison. "There''s an abandoned brick factory in Lijiawa (Location in Hubei, China; literally, the Li Family Lagoon) that we have to go to. There was a lawsuit concerning the death of a laborer there many years ago and the investigations led to the discovery that the management of the plant was involved in shady businesses; hence the entire factory was closed down and its workforce disbanded. There is nothing there now but ruins. The furnaces and kilns have all collapsed; so are some of the hostels and other buildings there. Somehow, it was recently discovered that someone had left a coffin in the compound of the factory. No one knew if it was one of the creditors or some hooligans or gangsters with a vendetta who was responsible for leaving the casket there, but it is obvious that ill intent is meant for the owner of the factory!


    Rarely does anyone venture into the wreckage of the factory buildings since it is quite some distance between it and the nearby village and the enclosed area of the rubble now teems with weed and finger-grasses. So one day, a middle-school student walked past the now-dilapidated factory complex on his way to school. The sky was yet to turn bright then, but she saw a woman in red appearing amidst the battered-down debris. She was terrified and afraid, screaming all the way home where she began telling everyone of her experiences. From then since, no one has dared to use that road. A bunch of kids, out of a spiteful rebellious streak, had crept inside to play; but all of them returned, each afflicted with a strange fever. Since then, the site of the ruins became off-limits to everyone living nearby. Superstitious villagers would use the word "Cursed" to describe the place! But we have just been commissioned to help solve the case. Going there under broad daylight would accomplish nothing but needlessly alerting anyone hiding there of our presence, assuming the entire affair was nothing but another hoax. Hence, I have decided to infiltrate the place under the cover of night. Do you have what it takes to go, the both of you?"


    Somehow what I said, appeared to have stirred their courage. My two companions immediately sprang up. "Delay no more! We''ll go at once!" Their individual successes in recapturing the children souls, paired with their eagerness to salvage their pride had emboldened them, spurring them forward! The both of them set off that night, opting not to drive for they could not afford to rouse any attention. The evening sun was sinking down when they began their trek, armed with Bug-repelling Charms. Once reaching the designated spot, they realized that there were hardly any good hiding spots they could use for the surveillance. It was a good thing that the moon was hardly bright that day; they crept into the shadows of some broken walls and crouched there, using the grasses and weeds to conceal themselves, whilst immersing themselves into the nocturnal acoustics of the insects that came active at night.


    Time passed at a glacial pace as they waited. But they felt no fear, although fatigue beckoned every now and then, trying to beckon them to sleep. Still, the apprehension of being bitten by mosquitos filled them with the drive to keep their eyelids open, despite how heavy they grew. The buzzing of mosquitos wafting through the air around them constantly rang in their ears, breaking the tune of the enticing lullaby that never ceased to prod.


    It was close to midnight when strange sounds began to come from the coffin in the compound...

 Chapter 55 One Fell Swoop

    The lid of the wooden sarcophagus slowly opened, the wooden board grinding heavily to the side until it fell off its edge. A head popped out of the opening; a female head with long, unkempt black hair. From the distance, they could not see her face in the dark. The female stood up, revealing herself to be dressed in bright-red clothing that oddly reminded the two observers of blood before she hopped out of the coffin and began walking outward.


    Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng stayed their positions, crouching in the shadows. It was as I had instructed: they were only to engage anything that came out of the coffin only if it returned. The female figure left the compound of the factory for a little more than an hour, and returned later, cradling a bundle in her arms. She meandered back to the coffin, replacing the lid back unto the coffin but she kept it half-opened. With a leg already inside the coffin, she placed the bundle into the coffin before climbing in herself and was about to shut the lid after her.


    But she did not expect any intruders! Yuan Chongxi pounced from his hiding place, dashing across the compound with the agility of a panther and yanked at the lid hard, preventing the female from closing it! Caught off-guard, the female emitted a cry of shock! Her head popped out of the opening of the coffin, only to see a short, young man gripping tightly at the lid. Even though the dark that had obviated their attempts to see each other clearly, Yuan Chongxi could feel the pervading fear and panic coming off her. They tugged at the lid from both ends, both of them not willing to surrender. The female ducked back into the coffin suddenly. The bloody hag must be trying to get a mask to frighten me, Yuan Chongxi surmised. Indeed, when the woman showed herself again, she was wearing a mask of a demon with long, menacing fangs! Her long, scrawny arms stretched forth at him like a monster lunging for its prey; but Yuan Chongxi was hardly perturbed! His eyes were still locked on his quarry. Her fingers nearly grazed his face, when a sudden "Crack!" echoed through the still night! It was Lin Feng who had been waiting in ambush! His whip lashed savagely on the bony hand like a ferocious serpent!


    With an anguished shriek of pain, the woman withdrew her arms! Yuan Chongxi roared with laughter. "You hardly look frightening! I can do better!" He crossed his eyes, teasing her while trying to look scary. "Only the superstitious will fall for this ruse!" He leaped forward, trying to claw at the woman''s mask. Terrified with shock, the woman scrambled back into the coffin with a loud cry! Without any hesitation, Lin Feng threw himself into the coffin, chasing after the woman and Yuan Chongxi followed close behind! The woman fell into a hole and began screaming, "RUN, SENIOR!"


    What Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng found inside the recess under the coffin was a cave with the size of a room. There was a table at the center of the space and a blazing oil lamp which illumination cast their shadows upon the walls of the subterranean stone chamber. There was a side door which looked as if it led to sleeping quarters. There was another right opposite it where they heard footsteps and saw a man running through that door: that must be an emergency exit and somebody was escaping! But the man was barely through the door when he slowly backtracked with both hands held high in resignation. Step by step, he paced backward, forced by the barrel of a gun in his face as Zheng Shuang and I entered from the exit...


    When Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng was observing from their hiding place, Zheng Shuang and I were together, watching over them. Once I was certain that my companions were well hidden, I said to Zheng Shuang, "It''s time. Let''s go!" And we walked to the back of the brick factory. On the way, Zheng Shuang asked me, "Urm... are you certain that Brother Lin and Chongxi will be able to handle things on their end? I saw the coffin..." I giggled. "Have no fear. There is nobody else but two unlucky fools inside the coffin."


    We drudged through waist-deep thickets of bushes, searching for so long that we had almost lost track of time when we finally discovered a hole which was so carefully concealed by tall grasses and thick shrubbery that we nearly missed it. Zheng Shuang and I traded looks. "Do you think this is it?" he asked. "I guess it is. Look at how meticulously concealed it is!" I remarked. The entrance of the hole was very narrow that only a lean man could slide through. A person of larger girth would find it terribly tedious to slip through that opening. "Load your gun!" I hissed to Zheng Shuang, encouraging him with a nod. He cocked the pistol in his hand as I signaled him to move in, and we slipped into the hole as quietly as we could.


    The cramped entrance of the hole certainly belied the vastness of the cavern we discovered inside! We slid into the hole and found the ground level lower than it was outside. Like a blind man tapping on the ground with his stick, Zheng Shuang stretched his feet to navigate through the darkness. "D*mn! It''s a staircase leading down!" I nodded, instinctively giving him a light push, signaling him to go down quickly. The steps of the stairs were poorly furnished that they were steep and crude. One might wonder if one might slip and fall when coming downward. The stairs led deep down underground; so deep that I would have thought the entire hill had in fact housed an underground catacomb or even a subterranean necropolis if not for the brick factory above us. At the bottom of the stairs, we found a large and spacious chamber, flooded feebly by the flickering flame of a candle that gave off an eerie ambiance. There was a door just opposite the portal we came from. I crouched below the door and listened, hearing the anxiously shuffling footsteps of a man inside. I sneaked back out the portal and gave a thoughtful nod to Zheng Shuang, who scrambled stealthily up the stairs and peeked out of the hole. He hissed some orders into the mouthpiece of his walkie-talkie. Minutes later, we were joined by a group of armed policemen who slowly filed down the stairs quietly without alerting anyone.


    This was part of our plan: the policemen who came with us were split into two groups, one of which would remain on standby near Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi''s position, while the other would join us in closing off the perpetrators'' exit. After nearly an hour, we heard the ruckus coming from outside the main chamber, followed by the fearful screams of a woman. Zheng Shuang and I were just ahead of the whole group that had been huddling covertly at the bottom of the stairs, standing just behind the portal that led to the main chamber of the cave. I made a signal to Zheng Shuang, hinting him to be on guard. We were all ready like a pride of lions waiting on the prowl. At the sound of a "Bang!", the door in front of us was kicked opened and we saw the face of a man rushing in, his mind barely registering our presence until he was fully through the door. The policemen around me all cocked their rifles and aimed their weapons at the man, who was stunned to find that he had been surrounded. Relenting at last, he raised his hands over his head in defeat, as Zheng Shuang and I slowly paced forward, forcing him to retrace his steps backward.


    The success of the sting operation was all thanks to the information that we had managed to wring out of the two disguised Jiangshis we had caught earlier. From the accounts we had procured from the shorter man, these two perpetrators were the ones from whom the four children souls had come from. The two arrested cultists confessed that they obtained their supplies of children souls from this very location, and it was they who had informed us of the entrance to this cave and its emergency exit. Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi were to wait until her return, so that we could nab them all red-handed! We took our leave directly, surrendering Zheng Shuang to slave through the grinding chores of policing duties and slipped away. It was in the wee hours of the morning and we were in need of some middle-of-the-night sustenance.


    We stopped by some hawker stalls and ordered some skewers and two hotpots to go with some iced beer! Both Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi felt fatigued kicking in finally after their exertions and immediately gulped down their brew thirstily, only letting some dribble out of their mouths. The refreshing taste of beer sent a chilly and exhilarating sensation through them, as Lin Feng gasped, "Good!" Yuan Chongxi emptied his can. "What Jiangshis! What demons! Hmph! Nothing but nonsense! Foolish of her to try to frighten me! I''ve let her try a dose of her own medicine! Heh heh heh! I''m the conqueror of ghosts and demons!" Little did he know that his remarks did not go unheard... Immediately after Yuan Chongxi''s outburst, a burly man came up to us! To my surprise, he began tugging at the crook of Yuan Chongxi''s arm, muttering "Savior!", "Help us please!", much to our amazement.


    Despite his deftness in speaking to both Lin Feng and me, Yuan Chongxi, the particularly shy and dull person especially when it came to strangers, was stunned by the behavior of this unknown person who had popped out of the woodwork to beg for his help. I looked at the man and swallowed hard! I rose and patted him on his shoulder. "Turn and face me. Let me have a better look of you!" With my Spirit Sight, I studied him once more. This time I was certain: there was a dark and horrid strand of energy swirling around him. He had been haunted by foul beings for more than a few days; any more delay would see him dying soon! "Give me your hand," I barked and I checked his pulse. "All six of your nerves reeks of Death, my friend. Have you taken a ghost as wife?" I asked. "More or less, my friend. What you say is close!" He frowned miserably. I gestured him to a chair beside me and the man began telling us his tale.


    The man had been on a trip two weeks ago. On his way back from the countryside, his car overheated and he was forced to stop by the road. But being stuck in the middle of the wilderness, he could call no one for help. He got down his car and found a river hundreds of meters away from the road. With a pail he got some water, going back and fro until his work was done. In the end, he slumped down. All tired and flat. But the sun was setting down the western ridges now.


    Just then, out of nowhere came a young woman, wearing a green dress that fluttered as she approached him! The man gulped as he noticed the woman''s beauty! He stared hungrily at the woman who looked coquettishly back at him and flashed him a smile. The man was instantly mesmerized. But he was suddenly overwhelmed by the throes of anxiety and speechlessness as his mind went blank and he could find nothing to say to the lady! "What a useless fool I am," he cursed himself, watching blankly as the woman slowly drifted farther and farther away. Disappointed at himself for ruining a possible romance, he got into his car and drove away.


    He reached home late that night, the soreness and weariness of his body screaming for him to rest. He took a quick bath and went to bed immediately, forgoing his dinner. But his eyelids were barely closed when he heard a knock on his door. He peered through the peephole and saw the young woman in a green dress; the very same woman he had encountered earlier! With a euphoric glee pulsing through him, he nearly opened the door when he suddenly realized, "Impossible! It was more than hundreds of miles away when I met her! How did she find me! Something is wrong! The door must not be opened!" He asked through the door, "Who is it?" "I am the lady you met earlier. Seeing that we might be fated to be together, I have decided against my concerns to come to you! I sure hope that you will not rebuff me!" The man paused. "It''s not appropriate that I, a lone man, and you, a single lady, should meet in such late hours, even though times are different now. I only fear for any accidents which may take place! Please leave!" But the woman was persistent; she remained, urging him and goading him with whispers of seduction and passion until the man could take it no longer and ignored her, returning to bed.


    But as he slept, he dreamt of himself indulging in carnal pleasures with the same woman! For an entire night, the amorous delusion endured until daybreak and the man woke up, feeling exhausted and spent. He had initially thought that he might have been gripped by lust and desire. But the same dream came to him in his slumber the following night, and again, he woke up fatigued and drained. This went on for a few nights and the man could feel his vitality waning like a disease! He began fearful of sleeping, afraid that he might one day never wake up again, hence his loitering in the wee hours of the morning until he heard Yuan Chongxi''s awfully eloquent tirade and realized he had found his means for salvation!

 Chapter 56 Execution of the Thirteenth

    With the way things were, I was afraid that this man might not even survive the night. "We''re from the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies. Come, eat freely and relax. Come with us to our Center after this meal and I shall find a way to solve this problem for you! I''m sure you''ll be able to brave through this obstacle safely!" I said to him. But the man had neither the stomach for dinner. He waited beside us until we finished, and followed us back to the center.


    Back at the center, I took the sword that my father gave me and handed it to the man. "This sword will protect you from all evil and foul beings. Hang it over the head of your bed. It will vibrate and buzz when evil is near. Remember! Hold the sword tightly by its hilt! Do not let it fly!" The man accepted the sword with trembling hands. "Would you not come with me?" he asked hesitantly. "Of course not!" I remarked, and he immediately said, "But you know not of where I live! How would you find me then!" "Have no worry. I will find you and take back the sword myself!" I replied. Stammering words of gratitude, the man walked falteringly out of the center and left.


    The man went home and immediately hung the sword as I instructed over his bed. Fearing for his life, his eyes could hardly close! He waited anxiously in bed for almost an hour, when the rustle of ghostly winds could be heard outside, its ferocious scurry kicking up dust and gravel into the air as the silhouette of a woman appeared and slowly drifted like a wraith en route to the house! She descended gracefully on the ground when she reached the house, and began walking to the door. The sword began buzzing strongly like a bomb about to set off. Struggling against the spasms of panic that gripped him, the man slunk to a corner. The sword, detecting the nearing presence of a nemesis, started shaking and bucking like a horse trying to break free of its reins until it suddenly shot out of the house with a deafening "SNAP"! The wild and ghastly turmoil outside immediately died down¡ªnot just diminished, but stopped entirely, as if everything that had happened outside was nothing but a dream. In the throes of his hysteria, the man had completely forgotten about my instructions to hold the sword still! He stayed in the corner for some time, until he regained his senses and remembered my directions. But he was still too afraid to venture even a step outside! At the corner of his room, he remained motionless the entire night, curling up as he shook with fear until the morning sun shone through his window. Only then, he crept out of his house slowly, hoping to find the sword and possibly the corpse of the woman. But he found neither; the sword and the woman were nowhere to be seen.


    The three of us came to his house the next morning. At the sight of us, the man stumbled forward and plopped to his knees, muttering "Brother" under his breath profusely for so many times that I lost count. "I''m sorry for I have lost your sword!" He admitted. I smiled thinly to him. "The sword will not go missing," I said to him, "I only want to spare her life. The woman, after all, has yet to endanger you, moreover, she would be more useful to us alive than dead. Nevertheless what''s done is done. It is fated that she should be executed!" I went to the car and retrieved the scabbard of the sword. Standing outside of the house, I began chanting, muttering words of invocation and with a loud "Clank!" and the metallic flash of steel, the sword raced through the air and returned to its sheath. I took out my Spirit Gourd and recited another incantation to summon the spirit of the woman and kept the soul in the gourd before we shook hands with the man and left.


    Along the way, Lin Feng asked me, "Aye, Shiyan! Since when did you learn such awesome skills?" I threw him an embarrassed look and giggled. "Nope. I have just learned it actually! When we returned last night, I told my father of this matter and he mentioned that the sword would never return on its own after its deed, hence I nudged for a solution until my father revealed to me that the spell to recall the sword was in the booklet he gave me although I had not seen it before! Eventually, I found it. In fact, I was still trying to memorize the spell when we were on the way to the man''s house earlier!" Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi were sniggering at my confession as the former said, "D*mn! You looked like a divine sage just now! Careful not to bungle everything next time!" We burst into laughter as we returned to the Center.


    A few unexciting days passed by until a call came. It was Zheng Shuang, "Hi there, Brother! Are you free this afternoon! Let''s have lunch together! It''s my treat!" "Where shall we meet?" I had barely uttered a word; it was Yuan Chongxi who had scrambled to answer the question! The man had a strange gift somehow; he would not be able to listen to what others were saying on the phone normally, but if the speaker on the phone mentioned "food", he would never fail to pick up every single word like a shark''s sensitivity to blood! Sometimes, I could not help but wonder if this was truly the actual skill that his mentor had imparted to him!


    Half an hour later, we reached the restaurant we had agreed to meet at and found Zheng Shuang, now wearing civilian clothing, in a VIP room. As I surmised before, the case of the evil cult was nearing an end; Zheng Shuang could either be giving us an update or there might be another snag in his operation that he might be needing our help again.


    With our familiarity with one another, we dove into business after two rounds of whiskey. The perpetrators of the case were operating in more than one area or municipality and they were all part of the same cult. The police had yet to amass enough intelligence on the details of these people who looked the part like a Taoist sect on the surface that masked their insidious schemes. Of the two disguised Jiangshis that we had helped to arrest at the old and decrepit tomb, the tall and older cultist was the Fourth of the Thirteen Apostles of this diabolic denomination, the one who was responsible to help gather funds to sustain the operations of the group. The shorter man was his student who had only recently joined under his fiendish tutelage. The man that we had arrested at the caverns beneath the abandoned brick factory was the Fifth of the Thirteen Apostles; while the woman was his lover. The pair acted as handlers to receive goods for the others. They had minions scattered across all five districts and ten counties of Tangshan and all of them had been found and caught. But the police still failed to procure any inkling about three more cliques within the Thirteen Apostles that belonged to the First, the Third, and the Thirteenth of all Thirteen Apostles.


    However, those who had been arrested had revealed snippets of what they knew: the Thirteenth was a gorgeous woman who looked to be in her early twenties. None knew anything else of her background nor where she came from, save the fact that she had been acting as a gofer for the Third, traveling around and disseminating orders from the third of the Thirteen Apostles, whose face was never known to anyone else. A most mysterious person even among the cult itself, the Third was the strategist for the cult and the contriver of the cult''s fraudulent operations and perverse devices. On the other hand, the First Apostle acted freely on his own without being part of the spectrum of the Third''s designs, although they had heard the Thirteenth Apostle once mentioning that his surname was Yan and he seemed to have a wholly different mission in the locale. Even though intelligence suggested that the crews of all three Apostles were now concentrated in the county of Wu Zhong, our movements were exposed as they continued operating surreptitiously in the shadows. It would hardly be long before they realized their confederates had been picked off one by one and practiced greater caution and secrecy in their endeavors. Hence Zheng Shuang''s main objective for the meal to see if we had any ideas.


    I reached for the whiskey bottle and filled my glass with another round of the amber liquid before taking another gulp. "Have no fear. The Thirteenth Apostle had just been executed by me!" I said matter-of-factly. Zheng Shuang blurted an emphatic and disbelieving "Ah?", nearing spitting whiskey from his mouth. "Were you able to question her?" I shook my head. "She was the weakest of all Thirteen Apostles, inducted only to fill the ranks of the Thirteen when her predecessor died. Surely you have never heard of a female Apostle? Then again, she might have shoddy combat skills, her sense of smell was as good as that of a hound, or better. She also has the deplorable proclivity to seduce men which she had continually failed to abstain. It was during one of her conquests that I found her. Knowing that she has acute senses, I refrained from showing myself in fear of alerting her, and hence I lent my sword to the man who had almost become her prey for him to protect himself. But I''m afraid that the man lost his nerve during the clash, failing to remember my directions and had inadvertently caused the Apostle''s death by the sword."


    Zheng Shuang sighed with a dash of disappointment on his face. "So we can only wait for the other two crews to make their move. Until then we can only be on the defensive. D*mn! If only we were able to interrogate the Thirteenth Apostle for some useful information!" Zheng Shuang growled, his head hanging over his shoulders with dejection. He looked up again, only to find us snigger mischievously at him. "So you think that there''s no way to interrogate her after we''ve executed her?" Yuan Chongxi muttered, grinning devilishly. Zheng Shuang looked blankly at us three, unable to comprehend what Yuan Chongxi had just said. With his chopsticks, the latter pointed towards me; Lin Feng too followed suit. Ignoring my companions, I reached for some vegetables with my chopsticks and deposited the food into my mouth, chewing as I spoke, "I might not be as powerful as my father who can communicate with various entities across the Three Realms of Existence, but I sure can communicate the mere ghost of a person who had just died. But suffice to say, the information that we procure will hardly be accessible as proof for prosecution; but it will be more than enough for us to act and regain our initiative! Heh heh heh!" Understanding finally, Zheng Shuang cried, "Oh my God! Think of the number of cases that we would have been able to solve if we had your abilities! There would not be any cold cases at all!" I nodded. "Indeed. Because we can easily find out the truth by investigating in reverse to look for proof and evidence!" I said, nodding to him. "So this case would be as easy as..." Zheng Shuang trailed off, taking a small bun and spread some condensed milk on it before biting a chunk out of it and continued, "As easy as eating a bun?" "That would depend on varying circumstances! Take a look at the souls of children that we have recollected for example; they are too young to have sufficient cognitive abilities to pick up any details! Moreover, there are still many ways evil can be committed, ways which rarely adhere to rules and order of Nature!"


    Zheng Shuang lighted a cigarette. "So, Brother Shiyan? What advice do you have for me in regards to our next move?" he asked, "Although I cannot safely say the same for other neighboring districts, as long as they are here in Wu Zhong, I will be able to ensnare them! I already have a plan, in fact! Glad tidings will come in only a few days!" I assured him.


    Zheng Shuang rose up immediately and patted his chest. "Anything you need, just let me know! Men, logistics, funds; I have everything at your disposal, Brother!" I giggled at his antics. "But this time, it''s a tad different," I said to him, "I might need you to utilize what personal ties you have, and you might even have to plea and beseech a person nicely before the deed can be done!" "Ah?" He looked questioningly at me. "Do you know a man called Zhou Kun?" I asked, and he nodded. "That''s a distant uncle of mine," he replied. "I''m afraid our next move revolves around him. You will need to deal with him and persuade him to follow our instructions!" I told him. "This uncle of mine is a nice person. Surely it would be easier than it sounds?" Zheng Shuang asked. "Nay." I cut him off. "This time, the matter might involve a certain personal secret of his. Things will turn ugly if we fail to handle this delicately." "What ugliness do you mean?" "Your uncle is a wealthy man. But he has another woman aside from his wife; a mistress with whom he has a child. But the child had just died and both your uncle and his mistress are grieving. No one else in your family knows of her existence. Hence your inopportune appearance will displease him. Do nothing to aggravate him! Just do as I say when we meet him then!" "Very well, my friend!" Zheng Shuang replied, "I''ll leave it all to you!"


    The next morning, Lin Feng drove Yuan Chongxi and me from the Center. We stopped halfway to visit a hardware store where we purchased a mallet, much to their bewilderment who were still oblivious of my plans. I instructed Zheng Shuang to wear plain clothes and meet us with his men at Xiguan town (Xiguan, Hebei). Before getting off the car, I muttered something into Yuan Chongxi''s ears and the latter''s eyes instantly went wide as he gasped, "Just what kind of plan is this!"

 Chapter 57 Bolt the Door and Beat the Dog

    Speaking of this uncle Zheng Shuang, I had heard of him already. After all, I was quite familiar with the circles of the rich. Therefore, about Zhou Kun, I did know something about him. However, he had kept this mistress of his hidden well without being discovered by anyone. I didn''t know about this until I was told by Lao Shisan. Then Chongxi and I spent a whole night on fortunetelling to learn the entire story. At the same time, we planned a despicable scheme.


    In the present, the three of us drove to Xi Guan to meet up with Zheng Shuang. After I met Zheng Shuang, we went to a villa with two floors. We rang the doorbell many times, but no one answered. We looked at each other in the eye, and Zheng Shuang said, "Well, this is a bad start!" I laughed and teased, "Take it easy, the trouble is yet to come. Keep ringing the doorbell." After we repeated it many times more, a young woman finally opened the door. When she saw us, she questioned our purpose and looked at us as if we were perverts. I dropped Zheng Shuang a hint to show his identification. Seeing that he was a police officer, she reluctantly let us in.


    After we entered the living room, coming straight to the point, Zheng Shuang said to the young woman directly, "Please ask my uncle to meet us. I know he is here!" She glared with her eyes wide-opened and said, "Who is your uncle?!" Zheng Shuang replied, "Zhou Kun is my uncle! Please ask him to come out!" Before she said anything, a tall man walked out of a room! Zheng Shuang stood up in a rush, walked up to him, and greeted him, "Uncle." Then he took out a cigarette and lit it for Zhou Kun. After everyone sat down, Zheng Shuang started ahead and said, "I am sorry to bother you under these circumstances. We came because we had no other choice. And we definitely have no intent to peek into your life. Please excuse us, Uncle!" Zhou Kun said in an impatient voice, "Tell me what you want!" Zheng Shuang pointed at me and said, "This is Chief Murong from the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies, also the son of a celebrity in our county - Murong Hai. He would tell you!" I walked up to Zhou Kun, shook hands with him, and said, "The reason we came this time is that there''s something involving you. We had no choice but to reach out to you. You had a son who died recently, right? That''s what we have come for!"


    He glowered at me with his eyes full of hostility and asked, "What do you want?" I answered, "I want to save him!" Before I could finish talking, he interrupted me, "That''s enough. What the hell! I am in a bad mood and don''t need more of a mess from you! Stop making things mysterious!" Then he turned to Zheng Shuang and said, "I guess the university has turned you into an idiot over these years. You work in the police department. And you believe in this shit!" I stood up, faced the young woman, and said in a serious voice, "Mr. Zhou, you just treated my kindness with ingratitude! Do you dare to make a million-dollar bet with me? If I save the kid, safe and sound, you pay me a million dollars to buy him back. If I fail, I will pay you a million dollars. Zheng Shuang would be the witness. What do you think?"


    The young woman grew intrigued right away and looked at Zhou Kun! Zhou Kun said to her, "Don''t be fooled. Have you ever heard of someone digging out a child who was buried for three days and bringing him back to life?" I gritted my teeth and said, "Have I asked you about how many days the child was buried? Have I said that I would dig him out? I am a stubborn man. I am up to do this bet! Do you dare!" "Of course I dare!" Before Zhou Kun could answer, the young woman forestalled him. I said, "Good! But there''s something you should know first. You need to cooperate fully with me! If you try to sabotage my actions, I won''t admit defeat if I lose!" Zhou Kun said with his eyes wide-opened, "Would I even undermine you? Just say it! What should I do?" I replied, "Call your workers to come and let them fill the house until there''s no space left. Then the three of us will take turns to give speeches about magic arts. The workers will need to listen to us, no talking and shouting, and no noise. After they leave, they need to keep their mouths shut! As for your lady here, if you want to keep it a secret, you can ask her to temporarily move to another place in case the workers see her!" Zhou Kun answered immediately, "That will be alright. But I don''t believe you can create a miracle!" I clapped my hands once, "A deal is a deal! I am going home now to bring the money. Cash or card?" Zhou Kun waved his hand, "Having my nephew as a witness, I don''t need to verify your capital. I believe in Murong Hai''s economic power. Let''s go get ready!"


    After I arranged everything, I stayed at a place nearby. When I went downstairs, I talked to Chongxi and Lin Feng. Chongxi asked puzzled, "Shiyan, are you sure this will work? Are you sure that the ghost didn''t lie to us?" I cackled, "Heyhey, rest assured. She had a little cultivation before her death under my sword and knew that my Spirit Gourd is not normal. If she lied to me, I would use her to practice alchemy!" Then I shook the calabash gourd in my hand, and a slight groan came out of it. The ghost must have heard me talking inside.


    The next day, the room was full of workers listening to Lin Feng''s speech. However, there was no speech at all. There was a desk in the front with an old-fashioned wooden armchair behind it. Lin Feng lay on the armchair and fell asleep with loud snores. Sometimes he woke up to drink a mouthful of water, then went back to sleep! The workers under the stage all watched him sleeping, with their eyes looking at each other flabbergasted. However, no one dared to say anything because they were told by the boss that they would still get paid as usual for standing there for a week. Instead, they were glad to have this leisure time and chatting aimlessly. The third day, Chongxi took his turn. The way he slept was very amusing because he not only ground his teeth but also smacked his lips. The workers also got tired for standing a long time, moving their feet back and forth.


    The fourth day, it was my turn. As previously, I also lay on the armchair and slept. Heyhey! After a while, it was time. I stood up, picked up the calabash gourd, and drank a mouthful of water. Then with my neck leaning back, I gargled a few times with grunts on purpose. Towards the corner of the walls, I spit up the water abruptly. The workers were taken aback and rushed to avoid it! Everyone moved away except one who was leaning against the corner of the walls tightly with his hands covering his face, crying out! However, when people looked at him, they found that they didn''t know this man. He wasn''t a worker in the factory at all!


    I walked up to the man in stride and said with sarcasm, "You let your curiosity take over you and came after all. You should know that curiosity kills the cat! Heyhey! You knew that you could do Nanyang Arcana, but you didn''t know that I would crowd you up. The room is wholly crowded, with no space left. You want to hide? Not a chance! Therefore, you showed your true colors in my holy water! Say! Where did you hide the kid!" The man laughed with coldness and said, "Do you think that I would tell you?" I sniggered and answered with a question, "Do you think that you wouldn''t tell me?" Everyone got confused. At this moment, stepping and jumping on people''s shoulders, a man came into the room from outside. Then he put forth his strength and gave that man two hard slaps on both sides of his face. The slaps were so hard that they made the man tremble and shake. Before he could stand steadily, with a snap, I posted a charm-paper on his face. Then he started to wander out of the room as if he had memory loss. I waved my hands to hint the workers to exit from the side door in order. Then Zheng Shuang and the three of us followed the man and tagged along.


    In about half an hour, we followed him to a housing estate. We went up to the second floor and reached a door. Then the man opened the security door. Before his next move, Zheng Shuang rushed forward and kicked the other door open. There was a nanny in the room, holding a child...


    However, when the door was open, a draught came through from the window on the other side of the room and blew off the charm-paper on the man''s face. The man seemed to get a chill and came to his senses after a quiver. Then he immediately turned around and ran downstairs. I took out the calabash gourd and followed behind. When he just reached the stair platform, a hammer came of out nowhere and hit him on his ankle. The force was so strong that his ankle got a comminuted fracture. Then with a shout, he fell forward. Before he could touch the ground, my calabash gourd let out suction and sucked in his two vigors! Chongxi stood up with the hammer in his hand and gave me a high five!


    At this point, Zheng Shuang rushed downstairs with a gun in his hand. I waved at him to imply that I already took care of the matter. Then with a sigh of relief, Zheng Shuang put back his gun. He walked downstairs, pointed at this man on the ground, and asked, "Brother Yan, what happened to this bloke? Why is he staring blankly like a fool?" I chuckled and said, "Heyhey, you got it right. He is a fool now!" Then I explained to him everything I had done.


    I took out the cigarettes and gave Zheng Shuang one. After we both lit the cigarettes, I said, "This guy is the brains of the cult group in Wu Zhong County. He is very smart and cunning. You can tell from his criminal methods alone! Stealing a child in a way that would make the parents think their child was dead and wouldn''t report it to the police. That was why it caused many troubles when we went to your uncle. What''s more, he mastered Nanyang Arcana, cloaking, and disguising, which made it easy for him to deceive people. If you take him away in a normal way, I am afraid that he would escape before you arrive at the police station. That''s why I arranged Chongxi to wait downstairs beforehand and let Lin Feng slap out his vigors. However, I only blocked his vigors out with a charm-paper. After he was induced to lead us to the child, I removed the charm-paper on purpose to play cat and mouse with him. Then Chongxi could break his ankle to pieces in a well-reasoned way when he tried to run away."


    Zheng Shuang finally understood what was going on, raised his thumb, and said, "Smart move!" I smiled and said, "However, there were still risks. Therefore I took one more move - after we broke his anklebone, I used the calabash gourd to absorb his vigors and turned him into a fool. Otherwise, with his magic arts, he could still harm the policemen who escort him. We are safe for now. But things are not over yet. We need to be cautious!" Zheng Shuang raised his head and said, "Oh?..."

 Chapter 58 The Be

    t


    Zheng Shuang gave the order to the other policemen to stay there and clean up the aftermath. Then Zheng Shuang and the three of us took the child and headed to his home.


    Seeing that we entered the house, the hostess ran to us and grabbed the child to her arms. The child started crying out loud after going back to his mother. At this moment, standing on the side, Zhou Kun got shocked, with his face full of doubts. I turned to him, shook my head a bit, and smiled. Seeing that I smiled at him, Zhou Kun also smiled with embarrassment. Then his cell phone rang. After he picked up the phone and heard the other person through the phone, his face got stiff with his eyes wide open. He became totally speechless. Looking at his face like this, I teased him on purpose and said, "What happened? Did they dig out the timber pile?" Zhou Kun got stunned after hearing this and asked, stammering, "You, you, how do you..." I laughed and interrupted him, "You want to know how I know that, right?"


    The truth was that when we carried out the plan with Zheng Shuang, Zhou Kun already sent someone to follow us. When we exited the building with the child in our arms, the guy who followed us saw us and rang Zhou Kun''s phone to inform him that we brought the child out. However, Zhou Kun still didn''t believe it at that time. After all, he didn''t see that child with his own eyes and couldn''t identify if that was his son or not. Therefore, he immediately ordered some men to go to the tomb of the child and dig out the coffin to check. While we went into the house with the child, the men were opening the coffin. And after that, they found that it wasn''t a child in the coffin but a timber pile! Then they called Zhou Kun and reported it to him. When he heard the news, he had mixed feelings of grief and joy. At once, he got astonished.


    I looked at the slack-jawed Zhou Kun, and said, "It''s not difficult for us to know this kind of trivial matter." Then I lit a cigarette for him and said, "The man we arrested today was no ordinary man. He knows Nanyang Arcana. By throwing dust in your eyes, he camouflaged a timber pile with your son''s face. Then he stealthily substituted it for your son. That''s why you thought that your son was dead. In fact, your son was just stolen by him."


    Zhou Kun flushed after hearing what I said. He said, "Young Master, I... I don''t know what to say! The day before yesterday I... Ah! I am speechless. Thank you all for your effort!" To show that he didn''t need to so courteous, I laughed and shook my head. However, Zhou Kun insisted and took out his phone, said, "Young Master, we have a bet. And now I have lost one million to you. But it''s spent wisely on something good! Tell me your card number..." I waved my hands hastily and said, "No no no, that was just a joke. I had to goad you under those circumstances. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have agreed. In fact, I didn''t have that amount of money to gamble with you. There''s no way for me to have a million dollars. It was all a lie! I can''t accept the money!" I thought that Zhou Kun wouldn''t bring up this matter again according to his temperament. After all, one million dollars was a lot! It wasn''t like 30 or 50 thousand! However, he dared to pay this amount of money! But still, I couldn''t take it. However, he was really a straight-tempered man. I thought he would have bought what I told him. But he insisted with a stubborn expression on his face and said, "No! I can''t! I admit defeat for our bet! Otherwise, I would lose face if this got spread out!"


    For a while, Zhou Kun didn''t stop trying to persuade me to accept the money until Zheng Shuang finally gave him a wink. After we walked out of the door, Lin Feng asked me, "Shiyan, that''s one million dollars, why did you turn it down so firmly?" Chongxi then patted on his shoulder and said, "Brother Lin, don''t you remember Mr. Yinyang who got killed in the Northeast last year? Do you think finding this child was worth one million dollars? But it''s okay that you don''t know because you don''t study the paranormal." After hearing what Chongxi said, Lin Feng immediately understood. However, at this point, I said, "It''s not that serious. The one million dollars were chips of the bet, not a reward! Therefore things are different from what happened to that dumbass in the Northeast. Even if we took it, we wouldn''t get in trouble. The reason that I didn''t take the money was that it would ruin our reputation. Think about it, if we take one million dollars, how many people would complain about our price tag in the future? Could we get any jobs then?" Now the two men nodded their heads and said, "Right."


    The three of us waited for Zheng Shuang outside the door, smoking. In about a dozen minutes, Zheng Shuang walked out of his uncle''s house. Right after, he asked me hastily, "Brother Yan, you said earlier that things have not ended, what does that mean? Is it because the last of the criminals is still on the loose?" I nodded, took a whiff of the cigarette, and said to Zheng Shuang, "That''s why I said it''s not over. Although we have caught Lao San and killed Lao Shisan, the head of them is still in the shadows. In terms of magic arts, he must be a lot more powerful than us because he is the big brother of this group. If he wants to rescue Lao San by force, I am afraid none of your men could hold him down. And it''s very likely he would cause casualties! If a comrade sacrifices himself because of this matter, I am afraid that all the leaders of the county would lose their jobs, let alone you!"


    Zheng Shuang got shocked at once, breaking out in a cold sweat! He asked, "What should we do!" I smiled and said, "Don''t be nervous. Some things are hard to tell if they are good or bad. It depends on how you see them. They often seem to be dangerous. But in fact, they are opportunities. The only thing that you need to do is to inform all policemen to keep it strictly confidential. Do not leak out even a word, especially to the press and the TV stations. Last but not least, no one should take videos to put online. I will do some preparations. Then tomorrow we will meet up and discuss the solution. Send more men tonight to secure this ''Fool''!"


    On the way back, I didn''t go back to the center. Instead, I let Lin Feng drive me straight to the Sinology Center to consult my father. After all, I knew nothing about this so-called Big Brother and his power. If my father didn''t help me this time, I feared that I couldn''t handle it.


    The next morning, I was woken up by the SMS tone of my cellphone. Then I checked the phone. It was a text message sent from the bank. After I clicked to see it, I found that one million dollars entered my bank account! Before I could take a closer look, Zheng Shuang arrived. He asked, "Did you receive the money?" Then I realized that it was Zheng Shuang who offered our bank account information to his uncle. I cut the small talk and answered casually. "I did." Then I called Lin Feng and Chongxi to go downstairs. The five of us started to make a plan in the house secretly. After we planned the course of action, we split up and took action respectively. Lin Feng and Chongxi brought their tools and headed out together.


    I followed Zheng Shuang, arrived at the detention house, and then found a suitable room. Zheng Shuang and I both got very busy. He looked for an electrician and prepared the materials. And I carefully checked every link to make sure that everything had fallen in the right place. There was no time to elaborate! In the afternoon, the TV and press stations took turns to broadcast the news that Lao San, who was a member of the cult, was arrested. On Wechat, short videos revealing this arrest in the county were spreading all over. "Lao San, a member of the cult, was arrested in the county and charged with the conspiracy of stealing a child! So far he is put in the detention house. This case is now being tried..."


    On the evening of that day, outside the detention house, darkness started to fall. Only the streetlights at the gate shined with dim lights with a bunch of mosquitos flying around the bulbs. A shadow approached the detention house from far away, hovering around. After hovering for a while, it darted down to the room in which the window was open like an arrow! After a sizzle, with an arclight, the high power spotlights in the house were all turned on at the same time. It was so bright that people couldn''t even open their eyes. The shadow was obviously injured. And after a few struggles, it flew out of the window, flying off in the air! Zheng Shuang and I rushed out of the ambush point, shouting frustratedly, "Shit, he got away..."


    In everyone''s opinion, we had failed today. It was a crushing defeat. The policemen were also dejected. I went into the room, checked on the policeman who was disguised as the foolish Lao San, and asked, "Are you hurt?" He shook his head. I winked at Zheng Shuang, and said, "I will try to figure out something else!" After that, I left. On the evening of the day, Zheng Shuang came to me. Then he drove me to a police station in town. In the police station, sitting on a chair opposite a police officer, the real criminal Lao San was being interrogated. After we entered the room, I asked, "How is it going?" The police officer stood up, made a salute, and reported, "No breakthrough yet. The suspect won''t start talking..." Before we could ask more, a shadow from outside dived down and grabbed Lao San, trying to escape with him. However, to its surprise, under the coat, there was a safety belt fastened on Lao San''s waist, which was buckled tightly from his back to the chair.


    The chair was already attached to the ground. The shadow could only grab his prison clothes away. At this moment, my sword had already flown up. The monster made a strange cry and then flew away, stumbling.

 Chapter 59 The Bat Spiri

    t


    Actually, letting a policeman disguise as the criminal Lao San and attracting the monster to make the rescue, the whole fake scene arranged yesterday was just a deliberate camouflage. The real purpose was to obtain information on the monster. I knew that the arclight wasn''t enough to wound it. But it wouldn''t run too far away and would secretly come back soon.


    We didn''t tell the policemen the truth in case they ruined the act. We actually pretended to be frustrated just to act in front of the monster. At that time, I patted on the policeman who did the disguise to let the Bee Scout out, while Lin Feng and Chongxi were waiting nearby unnoticed. And when the Bee Scout passed by, they followed stealthily and found the monster''s lair without alerting it. Today, I continued the act and deliberately led the monster to the place of custody to let it see Lao San. Then when it came down to attempt the rescue, I released the sword. Although what I did wasn''t above board, I was no match against such a monster one-on-one!


    So right now, after hearing Lin Feng''s report, I was on the way to the monster''s lair with Zheng Shuang. Its lair was about a hundred kilometers away. Because it was wounded by my sword, it flew quite slowly. Therefore our car arrived before it did. I let Zheng Shuang stay in the car and walked up to the hillside alone. From a distance, I could see Lin Feng sitting in an open space, looking around. Then I walked over. After we each lit a cigarette, I asked, "Where''s the monster''s lair?" Lin Feng pointed to a direction. Then I looked at it and found that there was a cave close to the ground in the south cliff. Chongxi was sitting at the entrance of the cave holding a bell, on his guard for all possible dangers. I waved at him and pointed to the direction from which we came, to tell him that the monster was incoming.


    After we smoked two cigarettes, we saw that the monster flying over from the south. Out and away, I called out to Chongxi to stay alert because it was coming close. While I pulled out my sword, I said to Lin Feng, "This thing is fierce, and we are no match for it. When it comes over, we will use weapons to hold our own. Just don''t get hurt by it. When it is dawn, it will become weak and fall by itself! What we need to do now is to keep fighting it until it gets exhausted.


    The shadow flew over from a distance. After the monster circled once in front of the mountain, it sped down to the cave. Chongxi hastily stood up and strongly shook the bell. With the bell ringing, the monster took a sharp turn with a swoosh as if it were hit. Then it started hovering again, looked for a chance in the air, and came down again. Chongxi didn''t dare to slack off and rang the bell again to repel the monster, which repeated several times. Seeing that it didn''t stand a chance, the monster flew into a rage out of humiliation and swooped down at Lin Feng and me. Luckily we had weapons. In the face of my sword and Lin Feng''s dagger, the monster tried a few times but still didn''t succeed. Therefore it kept hovering above us. Whereafter it flew to Zheng Shuang''s car.


    I took a look and had a bad feeling about that. What worried me wasn''t that it would attack Zheng Shuang in the car, but was that it tried to rest in the pine tree on the right side of the car! I took out my phone immediately and rang Zheng Shuang, and told him to shoot at will if the monster fell upon the tree! As expected, with a puff, it swept past Zheng Shuang''s car and sat on the trunk of the pine tree. Bang! Bang! Before it could steady itself, Zheng Shuang pulled the trigger! Frightened, it flew up again, heading to the car. The police car was scratched as if it were a toy, and sparks flew. However, the window of the car was opened just a little and left the monster no chance to enter. Then it had to fly up again.


    In this way, whatever trick it played, the triangle we formed could control the situation and prevent it from landing. The monster got ever more irritated while the eastern sky began to brighten, trying a few times more to burst into the cave. But Chongxi rang the bell and repelled it! When it was daybreak, we finally saw the real appearance of this monster. It was a huge bat! Its body was much bigger than a goat with its wings open. I sneered in my mind at that moment! Bats were different from eagles. They not only feared the day but also flew with an inferior posture compared with birds like eagles and frigatebirds. If the monster were a frigatebird, we might not be able to defeat it. Frigatebirds and eagles could soar on updrafts without flapping their wings. They could stay in the air a day or even more. However, bats didn''t have that advantage. They had to keep flapping their wings. Although their aerobatics were as good as eagles, flapping their wings would exhaust them! Therefore the monster got extremely tired and fell on the lawn!


    We quickly surrounded it. The monster was standing on the ground with its evil eyes and mouth wide open, showing a pair of fangs as if it were going to tear apart whoever came close! Lin Feng and I looked at each other in the eyes, then he took out a Shuaitou and threw it to the monster with a swoosh. However, it didn''t hit its body but pierced through its wings. With Lin Feng pulling back the Shuaitou with strength, the monster let out a painful squeak. The Shuaitou that Lin Feng used was created on the basis of a concealed weapon owned by a legendary swordsman. There were a few types of them. This one was a swallow-wing-shaped with sharp cutting edges. The wings on the flanks could not only adjust directions but also work as barbs. On the wing of the monster, there were muscle tissues. And with one move, Lin Feng''s Shuaitou tore a large opening in them.


    This time, it would never be able to fly again. At this point, Chongxi also came over. He took out a slingshot from his bag and loaded it with iron shots. Such a shitty idea. Although his shots were off, he hit the target from time to time. The monster couldn''t help squeaking a lot. Lin Feng, on the other hand, was much better. He had trained using concealed weapons before. He took out an iron lotus seed which was also just iron shots and waved his arm. With a crack, the iron lotus seed went in the monster''s mouth right between its fangs! It seemed that the monster gave out a low groan, and fell. Then Zheng Shuang also pulled out his gun to shoot at the monster. "Pah! Pah!..." With many shots, the monster finally died. Meanwhile, its soul came out of its body. I immediately took out the calabash gourd and sucked it in.


    Then we picked up some firewood, lighted a fire, and burned the monster''s body to ashes right on the spot. When the body was being burned, Zheng Shuang asked me, "Brother Yan, why did we burn it? It would be a great discovery if we brought it back with us! Few people had ever seen such a big bat!" I shook my head helplessly and said, "That was not an ordinary bat. That was the head of the Thirteen Tapo organization!" After hearing what I said, Zheng Shuang''s jaw dropped, "Ah!? How is that possible! Obviously, that was a bat!" At this point, Chongxi came over, passed me the bell, and said to Zheng Shuang, "You never know. That thing wasn''t a normal bat. It was a legendary monster! To be exact, it was a bat spirit!" Zheng Shuang looked at the burning fire on the ground with a face full of doubts and went speechless. I took the bell from Chongxi, turned around, patted on Zheng Shuang''s shoulder and said, "In the Thirteen Tapo organization, there were not just humans, but also evil spirits! Don''t overthink it. You should focus on how to write your report after you get back! You can''t write a monster into your report, no way. So what you need to do now is to figure out how to explain things." Now Zheng Shuang came to his senses and nodded to me.


    Now we were tired to death. So we went in the car and took a nap. But Lin Feng turned on the flashlight and went into the cave. He found a lot of bones of the dead inside. From the shape of the skull, most of them belonged to children! Based on analysis, it was probably because the monster had a wide range of activity, the children it took traveled a long distance, over a hundred kilometers. And when they were brought to the cave, they were already dying. Then it ate them all.


    It was already noon when we returned to Wu Zhong County. The nap we took in the car didn''t help us relax. Instead, it made us more tired. Eventually, I gave up on sleeping. The first thing we did was to go to the Sinology Center to see my dad after going back. When I opened the door and walked into the room, my dad was already waiting there. I put the bell on the table and said, "Okay! It''s done." Dad put the bell away, nodded, and said, "If you had worked harder on cultivating, you wouldn''t have needed this." I felt embarrassed for quite a while and whispered to myself, "Oh, dad, don''t you think that you''re expecting too much from me?" At this moment, Lin Feng asked my dad, "Uncle, there''s something that I still don''t understand." Dad looked to him and implied him to bring forward the question. Lin Feng asked, "How did you know that the head of the Thirteen Tapo organization wasn''t a human but a monster?" In fact, I had this doubt too. Yesterday, when I came to meet dad, he told me directly that the head of the Thirteen Tapo organization was a bat spirit and gave me the bell, saying that it could restrain the evil. Because Master Six had once told me that even he couldn''t see through my dad''s cultivation, I didn''t ask my dad even though I also had that doubt. I asked him at that moment about the possibility of my dad being a deity. He denied firmly that my dad wasn''t a deity. And he also knew the reason why my dad wasn''t. Therefore, in my mind, my dad was just as good as a deity. It wasn''t weird that he knew about the monster.


    Apparently, dad was also quite surprised that Lin Feng would ask this question. Thus he motioned to us to sit down, laughed, and said, "Actually the reason was very simple. The reason that I knew it was a bat spirit was because I had encountered the cult a few years ago."

 Chapter 60 The Date

    It astonished the three of us that my dad had dealt with this cult before. Right after, Chongxi asked with a puzzled face, "Uncle, that doesn''t make sense. If you had dealt with them before, they would no longer exist! How come they rose again from the ashes? Could it be said that the head of the cult was so fierce, even someone like you couldn''t handle it?"


    With doubt, I also looked at dad. Chongxi''s opinion was also my opinion. For my dad with such a temperament, he would definitely wipe out such a brutal cult on sight. However, now they showed up again. Could it be that my dad wasn''t powerful enough to root them out back in those years?


    Unexpectedly, dad shook his head and said, "You were wrong. I wiped them out already back then." The three of us looked at each other, puzzled. We didn''t understand him at all. Seeing that we were all lost, dad explained again, "In those years, the head of this cult had nature at his beck and call. Many experts failed to defeat him. I was the one who came forward to behead him. It was an old yellow weasel with high cultivation. But for some reason, it went awry, refining the guts of children as aliment to level up its cultivation. However, it was just a yellow weasel after all, a jack of all trades and master of none. I didn''t even need to try more than one move, and it already dropped dead with its soul vanished. However, it had a junior fellow apprentice who was also a yellow weasel. After seeing that its senior fellow apprentice got killed by me so easily, it knelt down on the floor kowtowing ceaselessly like pounding garlic. I wanted to wipe it out at its roots, but your mother appealed to me saying that although this yellow weasel went awry, it was a kindred spirit. Moreover, its cultivation was still at a low level, and it was not steeped in crime. Therefore I let it off, hoping it would turn over a new leaf. So I stopped and set the yellow weasel and its minions free. The bat was one of those minions..."


    Lin Feng and Chongxi both had a look of realization after hearing this. However, I still had one more question. How on earth would the yellow weasel be a kindred spirit? Why would my mom say that the spirit was the same as her? Was my mom a spirit too? That was impossible. I had spirit sight. If she were a spirit, I would have seen it already! And that''s my mother! My dad was a human for sure, which meant my mom must be a human too. Otherwise, how would I exist!? Humans could not cross breed with spirits - they were not the same species. Such a thing wouldn''t work out. Even if it could work out, then... What was I?


    I shook my head forcefully and sorted myself out. Then I asked dad, "According to what you said. This cult matter hasn''t really ended yet?" Dad didn''t know how to reply to me. After a short while, he said, "You could either say it has already ended for a long time, or there was still a continuation."


    Dad wouldn''t tell us any more useful information. Therefore the three of us had to leave the Sinology Center. After we went back to Dechang, we finally could have some rest. And we all fell into a deep slumber.


    Rubbing his eyes, Lin Feng pushed me awake. Then he turned over and kicked Chongxi awake too. We slept such a long time that when we got up, it was already dinner time. To my surprise, the first thing that Lin Feng said was, "I am going out. Don''t wait for me for dinner." Then he got dressed and started walking outside. I felt rather baffled and asked from behind, "Where are you going?" Unexpectedly, Lin Feng told me that Yuan Yuan had sent him a message, asking if he had time tonight while we were sleeping, which he didn''t see in the afternoon until he woke up. He texted her back and was going to have a date right now.


    It took me quite a while to recall who Yuan Yuan was. Then Chongxi reminded me that she was the girl who showed up in the hotpot restaurant when Dechang was just opened, an old classmate of Chongxi. That rang a bell. There was a girl who visited the center a lot with another girl when it just opened, in which I got confused and asked Chongxi, "Oh, when did Brother Lin start dating her?" Chongxi laughed and said, "Brother is handsome, and also a master in Kung Fu. Girls feel attracted to this type of man. She has visited Brother Lin many times since we opened the center this year. I guess she is also Brother Lin''s cup of tea. That''s why they are dating each other now."


    I felt even more confused and said, "How come I knew nothing about this? Chongxi looked at me as if I were an idiot and said, "You had barely left your room this year and spent the whole time studying your special book. How could you know? People who don''t know you might think you were playing with wheels in the house!"


    After hearing what Chongxi said, I felt speechless for quite a while. It seemed that I was indeed a bit too obsessed. Then my stomach started growling. I asked Chongxi, "Where do we have dinner?" Chongxi glanced at me and said, "What choices do we have other than the dumpling house on the opposite of the road." I said with disdain, "Come on, bro. Can we have something better?" Chongxi glanced at me again and said, "Are you paying? I didn''t earn much money this year. Most of the jobs were offered by Zheng Shuang, and not a penny was earned. A few rich people invited me to help them with geomancy. But after that, they just treated me to a meal or gave me a pair of walnuts. Can walnuts make a living for me?" I felt speechless and showed the message of receiving one million dollars to him. Chongxi stared at the screen for quite a while and asked, "My goodness, how did you get the money?!" I shook my head helplessly and said, "What else did I do? It was given by Zheng Shuang''s uncle." After hearing how Zheng Shuang''s uncle gave me one million dollars, Chongxi nodded his head to agree. Then he said, "In this case, let''s go for some barbecue, grilled fish, or something like mutton shashlik."


    Without further ado, Chongxi and I went to a Korean barbecue restaurant. Right after we opened the door to enter, we found that Lin Feng and Yuan Yuan were also there sitting at a table talking about something. I whispered to myself, "What a coincidence." Then Chongxi and I looked at each other in the eye and laughed sneakily. Apparently, Lin Feng and Yuan Yuan didn''t notice us. Then we sat at a table behind them quietly and pretended to look at the menu while actually trying to eavesdrop.


    At this moment, Lin Feng was telling Yuan Yuan, "Really! If you didn''t see it with your own eyes, you could never have imagined it. I was scared to death!" I thought to myself, "What is Brother Lin telling?" and looked at Chongxi, who was even more confused with a muddled look on his face. He shook his head towards me showing that he couldn''t understand either. We perked up our ears to listen. Yuan Yuan said, "Are you kidding? How would there be zombies!" Lin Feng laughed and said, "Hey, at the beginning we all thought that they were zombies. But it turned out they were not! Thanks to Shiyan and his sharp eyes. Somehow he recognized that those two were not real Jiangshis. After knowing that they were humans disguised as fake Jiangshis, I got furious immediately and dashed up to give them a beating..."


    In the back, Chongxi and I tittered listening to him. I said in my mind, "Why don''t you tell her how scared you were when you faced those two fake Jiangshi?" Chongxi also found it quite amusing. Therefore the two of us just kept snickering with the menu covering our faces. At the side, the waitress got a bit irritated by our behavior, and asked, "Sir, may I take your order..." Then we both got a hold of ourselves.


    During dinner, we kept overhearing Lin Feng talking about our experience over these days, withholding our laughter. When he told her about the head of the Thirteen Tapo organization, the old bat spirit, Yuan Yuan asked him surprisedly, "Oh, no! Spirits are real?" Lin Feng said, "Who said that they aren''t. I didn''t believe it in the beginning either. However, since Shiyan said they exist, then they must be real. When we arrived, there was one as expected. Really! The bat was almost as big as a goat!" Then he narrated the whole story at that time, adding details about how manly he was when fighting against the bat spirit smartly. While listening, Yuan Yuan couldn''t help but respond in awe.


    The more Lin Feng spoke, the more exaggerated the story became. Then Chongxi and I finally burst out laughing with a puff. It was obvious that Lin Feng noticed the stir behind, turning around, only to find us. He blushed immediately looking at us and smiled at us awkwardly. We waved at him to greet him. Then Lin Feng said with an embarrassed voice, "Oh look at you, showing up from nowhere. That is awkward..." His face got even more flushed after we made fun of him. And at the side, Yuan Yuan chuckled with her hand covering her mouth.


    After we finished dinner, Yuan Yuan asked us, "Hey, what Lin Feng just told me, is it true?" I shrugged and replied with a question, "Which part are you referring to?" Lin Feng blushed again after hearing this. Yuan Yuan said, "I was referring to the spirit matter, of course! Hey, are spirits real? How come I have never met one?" I laughed lightly and replied, "How can you be sure that the people you met were all humans?"

 Chapter 61 The Blood Charm

    I thought that Lin Feng was an honest man. After all, he didn''t pick up any girls when we were in the Sinology Center, where there were many female students. However, this time, my impression of him was renewed. He was actually dating Chongxi''s old classmate - Yuan Yuan.


    When Chongxi and I went for dinner, we happened to find Lin Feng and Yuan Yuan were in the same restaurant. And they didn''t notice us. Therefore we started to eavesdrop on their conversation and snickered along. In the end, they caught us. After that, Yuan Yuan asked me if what Lin Feng told her was true, about spirits. I acknowledged her in silence. Then she asked again why she had never seen one, to which I replied, "How could you be sure that the people you met were all humans?"


    In fact, she wasn''t wrong. People often said that seeing is believing. However, the saying, ''words are empty'', did not mean that everything seen by the eye was real. Yuan Yuan said that she didn''t believe it when she didn''t see it. I felt slightly helpless. However, Lin Feng wanted to show off in front of his sweetheart, throwing me a pleading look. I smiled helplessly and said, "I could show you. But you need to keep it a secret. Do you promise me?" Yuan Yuan nodded her head immediately, expressing that she would follow our lead. Then I brought out a pair of glasses from my pocket, handed it to Yuan Yuan, and said, "Put these glasses on and follow us." Yuan Yuan took the glasses and asked, "Are these monster-revealing mirrors?" I smiled helplessly and didn''t reply.


    I took them to the central square. It was around 8 p.m. Many people gathered there after dinner. There were kids roller skating, some people jogging around the square, and a bunch of old people doing the Yangko dance in rows. I pointed to the dancing group and said to Yuan Yuan, "Look at the person standing at the end of the line." Yuan Yuan looked in that direction and widened her eyes. She took off the glasses, rubbed her eyes, and looked again. Then she put on the glasses and looked again.


    At the end of the Yangko dancing line, there was an old man with a medium body figure, who was dancing with his body shaking and his head wagging. He seemed quite happy, smiling in a silly way with his eyes rolling. Through the glasses, Yuan Yuan saw clearly that this man at the end of the line was a mouse as tall as a human, with its tail moving up and down to the music. And it looked quite intoxicated.


    At this moment, Lin Feng smiled beside Yuan Yuan and said, "Do you believe it now?" Yuan Yuan nodded with her eyes wide-opened under the glasses, showing that she believed. I took off the glasses from Yuan Yuan''s face, and said, "Don''t tell anyone about what you saw. Otherwise, it will cause a lot of trouble." Yuan Yuan nodded seriously to show that she would keep her mouth shut. We took a walk around the square and started chatting. Although Lin Feng was embarrassed by us two third-wheels, Yuan Yuan didn''t think the same. Instead, she enjoyed it quite a lot.


    During our conversation, Yuan Yuan asked if we could all see spirits. But only I nodded my head and said, "If you mean to see with the eye, I am the only one who can see them clearly without any assistance. But as for the ability to differentiate between humans and spirits, the three of us all have it." After hearing what I said, Lin Feng and Chongxi both laughed smugly. Then I said, "You are just an ordinary human. So it''s normal that you can''t see spirits. But the three of us are different. I was born with Spirit Sight. If there is a spirit, I can see it at a glance. Therefore, that''s my gift." Then I pointed at my eye.


    Yuan Yuan looked at Lin Feng again. Lin Feng pointed at his head and said, "Spirits are animals who cultivate. Therefore there are some behavioral differences between them and humans. I practice Kung Fu and so I''m sensitive to motion. Therefore it''s easy for me to recognize whether the one I''m looking at is human or not." Yuan Yuan finally looked at Chongxi and said, "I didn''t know you had this ability, Round Potato!" Chongxi glared at her and said, "Round Potato my ass!" Yuan Yuan laughed and said, "Then Yuan Chongxi, what''s your ability?" Chongxi pointed at his nose and said, "This is my ability!"


    Yuan Yuan stared at Chongxi''s face and burst out laughing, "Are you a dog? Sniffing around!" Chongxi got irritated and yelled, "What do you know! Leave me alone, right now. I feel rather bothered with you in my sight!" The rest of us also laughed out loud. Then I explained, "Chongxi is a prodigious augur. Otherwise, his master wouldn''t have taken a nerd like him as an apprentice. You should know that Chongxi is a master in numerology, anthroposcopy, and augury. And that''s rare. In terms of anthroposcopy, it doesn''t just include physiognomy, but also voice recognization and smell recognization, etc. The smells of spirits are different from those of humans. Chongxi can smell out the differences of the spirits. Of course, what I mean by smell out is not just smelling in an ordinary way." Yuan Yuan then had a look of realization and said, "Oh."


    While we were walking aimlessly around the square feeling bored, someone rang my phone. I took a look and found that it was a Wechat message sent by Zheng Shuang. After knowing it was a message from Zheng Shuang, Lin Feng and Chongxi gathered around to check. Yuan Yuan also squeezed in for fun. I clicked on the voice message, in which Zheng Shuang came through, "Brother Yan, we have a situation! One of my classmates from the Police Training School posted a picture on his Wechat moment asking if anyone knows it. He said that they found it in the den of the criminal gang when they were handling a case!" Right after the voice message ended, I received a picture. I clicked the picture and saw there was a piece of yellow paper on it. And there were some strange runes written on the paper with red pigment. Lin Feng said, "That''s a charm." Chongxi said with his eyes half-closed, "This is not an ordinary piece of charm. The red pigment on it is not cinnabar. It''s human blood!" Yuan Yuan asked, "What''s written on the charm?" Lin Feng said, "You need to ask Shiyan. He''s an expert in charms." Then everyone looked at me. However, I shook my head and said, "I had never seen a charm like this. I don''t know its use. But one thing is certain. It''s not a good thing!"


    Thanks to the charm that suddenly appeared, our pace got interrupted. Lin Feng had to say goodbye to Yuan Yuan, then the three of us returned to the center. After that, I called Zheng Shuang immediately and asked for the details. On the phone, Zheng Shuang said, "Here is the thing. I found it on Wechat. It was posted by my classmate, asking if anyone knows about it. This man was a classmate of mine from my police training school. He was assigned to a station in Inner Mongolia after we graduated. I asked about the other details of the matter. He told me that it was also a large-scale child trafficking criminal gang. Then I think, would it also be related to the cult case we just uncovered..."


    I nodded in agreement, but then I realized that we were on the phone so he wouldn''t see me nod. So I said to the phone, "Yeah." After hearing my agreement, Zheng Shuang got excited immediately and said, "What the hell is the charm for? And, the other station doesn''t know that this child trafficking case is related to the cult. I am calling them right away to discuss this issue and start a trans-provincial joint investigation!" I said with my eyes half-closed, "Wait. We should keep this down-low for now. If we give wide publicity to handle the case trans-provincially, we would alert them. How about this, I let my dad take a look at the charm and ask him about it. Then we make a plan and investigate secretly..."


    After hanging up, I spent the whole night driving back home, with the intent to ask my dad about the use of the charm. After I opened the door, I saw dad and mom lying on the couch watching TV as usual. Without even looking at me, dad said, "That thing is to control the souls of babies. The men you captured previously, they had those charms too before they opened their jars." I got shocked and said in my mind, "Oh shit. That''s the use of the charm! But if that''s the case, wouldn''t it be true that the cult did it?"


    Early the next morning, Zheng Shuang knocked at the door of my home. It turned out that he went to the center looking for me, but I wasn''t there. Then after being told that I was home, he asked Lin Feng for the address and came over.


    It was my mom who opened the door. At the door, my mom asked with a warm smile, "Hi, how can I help you, police officer?" (Actually, with her supernatural powers, there was no way that she didn''t know that this man was my friend. However, my mom has this bad hobby where she likes to tease others to make them embarrassed with her youthful face.) Apparently, Zheng Shuang fell right into her trap such that he got quite embarrassed at the door. He said incoherently, "Erm, hello. I am Brother Yan''s friend. Erm, is this Shiyan''s home? Erm, may I ask..." Zheng Shuang hadn''t formally met my parents, therefore he didn''t know that they would look this young. Obviously, his imagination ran wild - He came looking for me, but a beautiful woman opened the door. However, what he didn''t know was, this beautiful woman was my mom!

 Chapter 62 The Creed of the Eight Trigrams

    I could hardly bear listening any longer. I rose and walked out of my bedroom to the living hall and barked at Zheng Shuang who was still outside the door. "All right, just come in. Stop snooping from outside," I said, before I spoke to my mother, "Of all the people you could''ve picked on, you just have to pick a police officer! It''s fortunate that Zheng Shuang is a friend, or things could have turned hairy!" My mother giggled playfully as she allowed Zheng Shuang into the house.


    Zheng Shuang came in. He waited until Mother walked out of the living hall, watching her leave. "Say, Brother Shiyan," he asked in a hushed voice, "Th-that''s your mother? B-but she looks so young! She could barely be older than you!" I nodded, saying nothing. Noticing my unwillingness to reply, Zheng Shuang thought that he must have said something wrong. Then a look of realization came over him. "I know! She''s your father''s... second wife?"


    I opened my mouth to speak but a voice from behind beat me to it. "She''s my first." The sudden and unannounced appearance of my father made both Zheng Shuang and I jumped as our heads jerked towards his direction. A man, appearing nearly my age, stood at the back of the couch we were sitting on. Exasperated, I scowled at Father. "You could have surprised us to our deaths, Father!" Zheng Shuang''s eyes immediately went as wide as dayang coins at my mention of "Father". "Wh-what! F-Father?! ... Err... Hello, Uncle." Zheng Shuang managed as he wrestled with both shock and disbelief. Father giggled jovially and waved him off, saying, "Be at ease, Little Zheng." Out of nowhere he took out a cigarette and offered it to our guest. "Do you smoke?" Father asked. Zheng Shuang''s trembling hands extended slowly and took the cigarette and lighted it. He took a puff, and a surprised look came to him as he removed the cigarette from his lips and peered closely at it suspiciously. He stared at the festering cigarette between his fingers, although he could find nothing peculiar about it. But I knew. Father''s cigarettes were different, although "different" could only be an understatement. There had yet to be anyone who had tasted Father''s cigarettes failed to notice that his cigarettes were unusually superb. I myself had once asked Father about his cigarettes, only to have my curiosity repudiated with an apathetic response that they were from his private stores.


    I had made ample observations whenever Father was puffing on one of his cigarettes and had all of my attempts to find any distinct differences between normal cigarettes and his to be in vain, continually missing all chances to find out the brand of his cigarettes. I have noticed that the box of his cigarettes was one which I had never seen around us, a packaging which we had never seen before. There were no stencils of a brand name on the box, save for an illustration of a mountain hanging in mid-air, shrouded in mists. I had tasted his cigarette before myself, feeling the same invigorating sensation whenever I sampled his cigarette. Hence I was sure that everyone who had tasted Father''s cigarettes would be as amazed as Zheng Shuang, just like how I had always felt. Father had noticed Zheng Shuang''s astonishment and tenseness, hence the offer of a smoke for the latter to relax.


    Zheng Shuang took two more hungry swigs off the cigarette, settling down comfortably on the couch. Father shuffled to a seat opposite us. "The item in the photo that your friend sent you yesterday, Little Zheng, is a method used by an evil cult called the Creed of the Eight Trigrams to control the ghosts of the children they butchered." Father lighted himself a cigarette and drew a puff. "This evil cult, the Creed of the Eight Trigrams," said Father, "is a subsidiary of the White Lotus Society which, as you all know, is a bona fide cult of nefarious purposes itself. The Creed has always disguised themselves as Taoist priests, hence all Taoist denominations were also collectively and simultaneously persecuted by the Qing Dynasty beginning from the era of Qianlong Emperor; the magnitude of the brutal oppression was so comprehensive that Taoism itself was nearly snuffed out, and it was all thanks to the Creed of the Eight Trigrams. The Creed has followers and acolytes of varying entities: humans, demons, and even ghosts or wraiths; and, there was an accursed grimoire known to be hallowed within the cult, the magnum opus that defined their very existence, called the Sacred Writ of the Five Maidens. The book contained spells for infernal magic to bestow one with everlasting life. Moreover, the teachings of the cult promoted the beliefs of luxury and extravagance, thus attracting deceitful and avaricious people from different walks of life into their fold."


    Zheng Shuang had been listening intently to my father''s tale. "But now that this Creed has resurfaced, Uncle," he said, "Will they be too strong for us to handle? A story of this nature would be easily conveyed during the Qing Dynasty. But I cannot repeat any of this to my superiors in current times, not with what''s going on to the country! I might be demoted, if I''m lucky, or even sacked! Can I trouble you with this matter? Will you help us to deal with them?" Father giggled, his head shaking gently. Father would never be interested to travel so far only to deal with some lowly minions, I thought quietly. With a hand on my chest, I said boldly, "Hmph... I''ll go!" Father looked at me with an amused expression, nodding approvingly. But little did I realized that there was another reason that Father had refused to go to Inner Mongolia; a reason that I would later find out.


    Zheng Shuang must have felt the confidence permeating from me, for he calmed down, asking me of how we should go on. Remembering well my advice that we should not mobilize the police force to prevent alarm, he threw in a suggestion of his own. "How about we go there as undercovers? You did say that we cannot organize a police expedition, no?" Father burst out guffawing suddenly. Zheng Shuang stared at him, feeling surprised. "Little Zheng, my boy," said my father to him, "What an innocent boy you are. The acolytes of the Creed may not amount to much, but there are still foul and evil entities among their ranks that are capable of much deceit and perfidy. I daresay that you will instantly be recognized as a member of the police force, even if you go north disguised. I''d suggest that you stay here for this duration." Zheng Shuang eyed Father warily. He could hardly believe that Father had been able to predict his mind at every juncture!


    But I, being long accustomed to my father''s quirks, ignored Father''s magnanimous demeanor and brushed off Zheng Shuang''s gawking amazement, continuing straightforwardly, "All right. I''ll go in your stead to meet your friend and run our investigations there. By now, the news of the Thirteen Apostle''s downfall would have reached their ears. They would surely be watching closely on the movements of the police force here, hence even a small tiptoe would surely raise alarm." Father''s head bobbed in agreement as I went on. "We''ll get ready and depart for Inner Mongolia as soon as possible," I said, "Inform your friend of our coming and ask him to be ready to meet us quietly. We will go as tourists and we''ll investigate the case of this evil cult with your friend. We''ll need all the intelligence we can before we can act."


    Zheng Shuang had breakfast at my home, before we went to the Center together. We relayed the mission plan to Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi. Hearing that we would be going to Inner Mongolia as tourists, Lin Feng grew interested, muttering something about bringing Yuanyuan along. My hand shot up immediately to his face. "Our trip northbound as tourists is only a cover, Brother," I berated quickly, "We''re actually going there for war. Moreover, how can you be certain of her safety in case things turn ugly!" Lin Feng''s head drooped in disappointment and grew silent. We began discussing our plan, going through all the details again and decided to make arrangements as soon as possible. I had even asked Zheng Shuang for his friend''s number and placed a call to his ex-schoolmate.


    Zheng Shuang''s ex-schoolmate was a man called Tao Gang. Tao Gang was Zheng Shuang''s closest friend when they were schooling together at the Police Academy. For some reason, Tao Gang was assigned to Inner Mongolia following his graduation. I waited as the line connected and a beep rang in the earpiece before a man''s voice answered. "Hello, may I know who''s calling?" I spoke softly into the phone instead of handing it over to Zheng Shuang. "Is this Tao Gang speaking?" I asked and the man on the line said he was. "We have a mutual friend, Zheng Shuang. He has seen the picture you sent him. The situation you now encounter up north is the same as what happened here. The perpetrators we have apprehended has confessed that these are all the acts of an evil cult." I could hear the deep and surprised gasps from Tao Gang through the phone before he collected himself and said, "Can you elaborate more on this? And, is Zheng Shuang with you?" I nodded to Zheng Shuang, hinting him to speak as I held out the phone and activated speaker mode. Zheng Shuang whispered into the phone, "I am here." We heard another deep heave of breath. "Ah... We''re at a deadlock with the case here. It''s good that you''ve solved the case at your end. Or else..." "Wait." I cut him off swiftly. "Let us not continue here. Get to a noisy place with lots of people and call me back." I ended the call at once.


    "Why all the cloak and dagger, Brother Shiyan?" Zheng Shuang asked when I clicked off the call. "We do not know where the enemy still is, my friend," I said to him, "You remember the Third of the Thirteen Apostles? The mastermind of their operations here?" "Ah! You are afraid that Tao Gang might be watched and the enemy might have spies around him who have magic to make themselves invisible!" I nodded in return. Just then, a little girl came in through the door with a bag hoisted on her shoulders. She stopped at the door. Feeling the palpable tension in the sitting area, she stared at us, mewling to Lin Feng in a fearful voice, "T-teacher... Wh-what''s going on..." Lin Feng waved at her, calling for her to come to him and the little girl scurried past us into a room. Zheng Shuang did not usually come in full police uniform. He was here in haste from his post, hence his appearance had slightly unsettled Lin Feng''s little apprentice.


    The four of us traded looks. We smiled abjectly to each other when my phone rang suddenly. I hit the "Answer" button and the squawking cacophony of a bustling hubbub roared through the speaker of my phone. It seemed that Tao Gang had gone to a market. "All right. Is this place noisy enough for you?" His voice came amidst the thick of the boisterous tumult. I nodded with a "Hmm" and began making introductions. "My name is Shiyan, Murong Shiyan in full. The police force here is ready. I''ll be coming tomorrow with two more men to meet and assist you with the investigations. The police force of Wu Zhong County will not be making any move as to prevent from alerting the enemy, hence I and my companions will be coming as tourists. I''ll count on you to receive us once we arrive."


    Tao Gang expressed his agreements and we discussed some further details about our rendezvous before I hung up the call. Zheng Shuang left not long later, returning to his post to make arrangements of his own. I called for Yuan Chongxi, Lin Feng, and his little apprentice, and the four of us traveled back to the National Studies Institute.

 Chapter 63 Seven Ghostly Sisters

    We got down the car when we reached the Institute, heading first to Uncle Quan''s classroom and found him reading a newspaper at his desk. He peered through his glasses when we came through the door, beaming brightly at us as he put down the papers. Lin Feng''s little apprentice darted over to him, joyously calling him "Grandpa Lin". We left the little girl in his care and told him of our crusade to Inner Mongolia. The old man patted Lin Feng on his shoulders at the end of our tale. "I will have nothing to say to you, Son. You have my whip and my darts. Use them well and be careful!"


    We took our leave and walked to the end of the corridor and pushed through the door. To say that the room was in complete disarray would be an understatement; it was pandemonium. We waded through the clutter of objects in the room and even found a shabby sock on the desk at the front of the classroom with holes on it! An old man was lazing in his armchair, listening to a recording of a pingshu (storytelling) oratory by Shan Tianfang, although I knew not what year the recording was from. He was deeply absorbed in the story, feeling so at ease as if he did not notice us coming in. Lin Feng whistled in amazement. "Wow... You seem to be enjoying yourself, Blind Master!"


    Old Man Chen laughed vilely. "Just an old senile indulging in his simple vices!" He remarked, sending us all howling with glee. Yuan Chongxi walked to him and helped to put away the tattered sock. "Look at you, Teacher... The state of things after I''ve been gone..." The old man feigned an indignant snort in return. Hardly perturbed by his mentor''s puerile shenanigan, Yuan Chongxi made no mention of it. "We have something to tell you, Teacher. We''re going to Inner Mongolia tomorrow..." And Yuan Chongxi plunged into a story of what happened, relating everything to Old Man Chen. His teacher shifted uneasily in his armchair. "Very well! It is time the three of you rascals see the world yourself! In my heydays, when I was still a great seer, I..." "Hold your horses, Teacher. I''m just here to inform you of my departure. We''re well acquainted with the glorious tales of your prime ourselves!" Yuan Chongxi cut him off, afraid that his teacher might drone on about the picaresque exploits of his illustrious past. The old man scoffed angrily, "Hmph! You brat! Very good! You have grown up now! You''d even have a sweetheart now, and me, your teacher and father-surrogate, is out of the picture now! If it was not for me, you would have been a beggar, you ungrateful urchin! For all the years I have fed you, nurtured you, and trained you!" "I did not forget of the kindness you have shown me, Teacher. Moreover, I do not have a sweetheart!" The old man pursed his lips like an irate child. "Hmph! You''re taking me for a fool!" He snorted. "Honest, Teacher!" Yuan Chongxi implored, getting upset. He gestured to us both. "These two here can be my witness! You can ask them if you''re doubtful!" Immediately we hurried to help speak on Chongxi''s behalf.


    But the reaction of the old man was nothing we had expected: he leaped from his chair! "Impossible! This cannot be! I was certain that I was right when I made my calculations! This brat will meet experience romance in his twenty-first year of age!" "Err... How about we leave this for a later discussion, Teacher..." Yuan Chongxi smiled weakly. The old man crumbled back to his chair, mumbling incomprehensibly, "Even so... A block-head like you might not even notice it even if anyone does fall for you... That is, if anyone does indeed fall for you..."


    Yuan Chongxi was on the verge of passing on when he heard his mentor''s mumblings. But the old man immediately said sharply, "As your mentor, I have nothing to give you but this! Take this with you!" He reached to the bottom of his desk and retrieved a box. A thick coat of dust covered its every surface. He opened the box and revealed its content: a luopan (a geomantic compass used in fengshui and Chinese divination). The old man lifted the luopan and sneered coarsely that oddly reminded me of villains in movies and TV dramas. "Heh heh heh heh!" He grinned. "This is the heirloom passed on to me by my mentor and to him by his own mentor! It is now yours. At long last, I have realized the wish of my teacher to continue our line!" He waved us off, signaling for us to leave as he returned to his pingshu recording.


    Yuan Chongxi''s eyes were red and moist when we left the room. It was not hard for us to guess that the luopan must have been extremely important to Old Man Chen. The luopan, made of peach wood, was covered with countless, miniature lacerations and gashes that shaped like markings of tiny lightning bolts that spread across every inch of the luopan''s surface. That alone made it evident that the luopan was not made of ordinary peach wood; in fact, the lumber used to craft this artifact came from a peach tree that was struck by lightning, endowing the wood with greater strength against evil in addition to being extremely robust in sturdiness. It was a material most rare and highly sought after. Moreover, like what Old Man Chen had said, this was the heirloom of the Old Man Chen''s order! By presenting it to Yuan Chongxi, Old Man Chen had effectively recognized Chongxi as his heir!


    There was nothing to be said, for no amount of words would ever take away the guilt and sadness that now palpitated within Yuan Chongxi. We moved upstairs to the third floor. We had just climbed up the stairs when we saw a familiar face outside the Head Person''s Office. It was Mr. Zhang, Zhang Baoguo. We hurried up and greeted him and he too acknowledged us. There was a worried look on his face, hence I asked him if anything was wrong. Apparently, he was here with his wife, Aunt Fen. As mentioned before, Aunt Fen was resurrected after her death with the body of another person; hence Aunt Fen would occasionally be indisposed due to a complication akin to graft-versus-host diseases of post-transplant complications which could only be alleviated from time to time by Father.


    Aunt Fen came out of my father''s office as we were talking to Mr. Zhang. She looked well, and Mr. Zhang was relieved to see her cured. Aunt Fen tapped lightly at the back of my head. "So the three rascals are back. What brings you here to bother your father?" Abashedly, I replied, "It''s not that I return only when I have hairy business at hand, Aunt Fen! But we''re here today to inform my father that we have to make a long trip. We''re wondering if he might have some instructions for us." "Oh?" Aunt Fen remarked curiously, "Where are you lot going to?" "Inner Mongolia!" "What are you going there for?" she asked, very surprised. I scratched the back of my head and gave her a summary of what happened recently. At the end of our story, Aunt Fen nodded thoughtfully. "I see. So that''s the reason for your trip northbound... So you will be going undercover as tourists?" We nodded, and I said, "Yes. This is to prevent from causing alarm to the enemies there. The evil cult has spies everywhere, hence it''s prudent to be careful so as to not rattle any cages yet." "Would you be interested in some help?" Aunt Fen asked, her eyes sparkling suddenly with inspiration. "But Aunt Fen, this is a trip of untold dangers!" I remarked, not knowing what did she have in mind, instead she said, "Well, I had thought of asking my ghostly sisters to accompany you. You might be able to use their help, and they would also be able to spend some time outside. Since you''re declining my offer..." Immediately I said, "Ah! Why did you not tell me earlier! Very well then! We could use their help!" There are times when spirits and ghosts could prove to be more useful than humans! With the female ghosts providing backup, there could even be unknown advantages! Aunt Fen broke into a smile and said, "All right. I''ll wait for you downstairs. Come with me to my place to fetch Xiao Qi (Little Seven; the youngest of the Seven Sisters) and the others then!"


    We took our leaves from Aunt Fen and her husband, and pushed through the door of the Head Person''s Office. Father was drinking off his flask, his head arched back as he emptied the contents of the bottle into his mouth. "Anymore, and you''ll be drinking like a goldfish, Father," I said, "You should be wary of your age." Father put down his liquor flask and scowled at me. "And you''re old enough to give me lessons now!" He immediately reverted to his usual and impassive self as we got to business. "When are you leaving?" he said at once; expectedly he had known of our trip even before we said anything. "Tomorrow morning," I replied and he nodded. "Very well. Be careful there and make sure to pack your gear. Ah, that reminds me. How will you be going?" "By plane, of course," I remarked offhandedly, "I have already booked a flight when we were on the way here. 4 P.M. tomorrow at the capital''s international airport."


    Father frowned. "And how would you expect to pass Customs with your sword and Lin Feng''s darts and whip?" I was stunned; I had not thought of this! I had overlooked the fact that our weapons were all items prohibited on planes! But in a split second, I had another idea. "Ah! I know a trick, Father!" I demonstrated a few handseals and said, "I know the trick to summon the sword. I can tie everything to the sword; Lin Feng''s weapons and anything else banned from flights. Once we reached Inner Mongolia, I''ll just have to recite the spell and summon the sword to me! I''ll only have to bring the scabbard with me!" Lin Feng emitted a whoop, praising my ingenuity. Father smiled with exasperation, shaking his head. "All right. It will still work, nonetheless; albeit a tad crude. Do as you will," he said. It was not until some time later that I found out that Father had intended to teach me a new trick, the ability to ride on swords and fly; just like what I had read from fantasy wuxia novels! Then again, I had but only one day to learn and practice, which might not be in time after all. Then again, I could not help feeling sorry for not glum for speaking too soon; I might have been able to learn something new from Father after all!


    We walked out of the Institute, and there was Mr. Zhang and Aunt Fen waiting for us by the doors. We followed behind their car and went to their home. At their residence, Aunt Fen led us upstairs into an empty room. The room had no furniture and windows, save for a long altar, above which sat six wooden figurines. This could only be six of the Seven Sisters of Tangshan, otherwise known as the Seven Ghostly Sisters to some. I fished out three talismans and gave one each to Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng. Together, we recited some incantations and burn the talismans simultaneously to attain a temporary and artificial Divine Sight. We looked again at the altar, and there were the ghosts of six lasses sitting in a line along the altar!


    I recognized immediately Xiao Qi, who was sitting at the end of the line. "Yo, Xiao Qi! It''s been a long time!" I snickered playfully and she waved to me. Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi looked dubiously towards me. "This is the ghost of the young woman who had drowned in the case of Fearless Hao! Her name is Xiao Qi (literally, Little Seven, the youngest of the Seven)!" I said to them as I made a quick introduction, "Like the rest, she''s one of Aunt Fen''s Ghostly Sisters!" And my companions greeted Xiao Qi too.


    I cast a glance at Aunt Fen. "Err... Aunt Fen? Some help here?" I asked, gesturing to the rest of the Sisters. Aunt Fen flashed a glare to the spectral figures of her Sisters and barked, "I''ll let them introduce themselves!" Xiao Qi pointed impishly to the ghost beside her. "This is Xiao Liu (literally, Little Six)," and gestured to another one just after, "And that''s Xiao Wu (literally, Little Five)." We addressed them both and Xiao Qi pointed to the next one in line, "That''s Xiao Si (literally, Little Four), while the one next is Xiao San (literally, Little Three)," which earned her a scoff from the ghost, "Hmph! What Xiao San (in Chinese slang, "Xiao San" colloquially refers to a "kept woman" or a "mistress")! Have a care with how you speak!"

 Chapter 64 Our Haunted Dwelling

    The Seven Ghostly Sisters seemed to love bickering and teasing each other. It was later revealed that Aunt Fen and Xiao Er (literally, Little Two), the second of the Sisters, were dead much earlier than the rest, who died around the same period; hence they looked almost the same age.


    Aunt Fen then explained to her ghost siblings of our purpose. All six of them bellowed with such joy and excitement that I could not resist asking Aunt Fen of their sudden outburst. Apparently, having long being cooped up indoors, the six of them were anxious for an opportunity to alleviate their boredom and we had just presented them with the means of doing so. They had longed to roam the open, grassy steppes of Inner Mongolia and to seek fresh adventures upon the vast prairies of the North. We could hardly suppress a weak smile; we would be in for a hell of a trip, I guessed. I began to wonder who ordinary folk would think if anyone were to know that we would be traveling up north with half a dozen female ghosts with us. Moreover, all six of the Ghostly Sisters did not meet peaceful ends when they died. This fact alone was the reason that they were no different from the vengeful spirits which harbored malignant intents. At least, I myself knew what Xiao Qi had almost done before.


    I drew all six of them into my calabash gourd and we left the room. We came to the living hall, where Mr. Zhang was sitting on a couch, watching a ball game on the television. Seeing us coming, Mr. Zhang beckoned for us. "Come! Come! I''d wager that you''re all free this afternoon? Come sit with me for a while." With no need for niceties, I plopped into a seat beside him and we began talking about our recent adventures while we enjoyed the game, and I revealed to him of our recent encounters.


    Throughout our tale, Mr. Zhang expressed his wonder and amazement with various manners that I even lost count. In the end, I asked him, "So, Uncle. Since when did your ghastly sisters-in-law come here?" The question seemed to strike a nerve as Mr. Zhang''s expression turned dreary. "You know nothing of my plight!" He grimaced. "Dealing with the sisters of your Aunt Fen is no easy feat! Things are well during the daytime. But when Night falls, that''s when the sisters come out to wreak havoc! I receive regular complains from the security, saying that noises are coming out from my house on a nightly basis that my neighbors are all annoyed!" The three of us giggled. Indeed, how would anyone be able to withstand the noise and uproar from the rowdy carousing of six female ghosts? A disgruntled voice came suddenly from within the gourd. "You should be thankful, Brother-in-law! We''re here to keep watch on you and Sister! For a year we have waited, yet we''re still far away from seeing a baby! You''re already in your fifties; you got to be quick if you really want one!" A pink shade burned on Mr. Zhang''s cheeks as he became speechless with embarrassment while we burst out guffawing. "How about you seek help from my father, Mr. Zhang," Lin Feng said to him, "You can learn some wushu from him to strengthen yourself. You might even discover added benefits!" Mr. Zhang''s face grew redder and redder. "Aye, quit teasing me, you brats... I''m already in my fifties... Can I hope for a child, surely not?" Another round of laughter swept across the room as we and the Sisters in the gourd erupted.


    We began delving into the specifics of our trip. "How are you lot going tomorrow?" Mr. Zhang asked. "It''s all been settled," I said, "We''re booked for a flight tomorrow evening." Mr. Zhang nodded. "Good. It''s better to go by plane. Riding the train can be torturous. So, who''s coming for you when you arrive there? Do you need a car? I know a guy from a car rental service there." Indeed, I thought. We could not expect to move around in Tao Gang''s patrol car there. That would be tantamount to informing the enemies of our presence. We agreed to Mr. Zhang''s offer and he helped us contacted the car rental service there. Both he and Aunt Fen were like relatives to us. I made him a promise that I would return with some dried beef jerky to which he merely laughed and remarked, "I am already thankful enough that you''re taking my sisters-in-law out for an outing!"


    Just when we were leaving, a grumbling voice came from within my calabash gourd. "It''s too cramped here. Can''t you find us a wider space?" Feeling mildly irritated, I growled, "It''s 2 p.m. now. I''d gladly release you if you''re not afraid of the intense Yang energy around now..."


    On the way back to the Center, we began chatting with the six Sisters. Our discussion strayed to how they died and Xiao Qi quipped, "Surely you still remember how I died?"


    I asked about Xiao Liu, who replied that she killed herself by slitting her wrist. "Did you kill yourself when your heart was broken after a failed romance?" I asked as everyone else was chortling in delight, and my question roused another round of amused chuckles by the rest of the other Sisters. "You guessed right," Xiao Liu said softly with a bashful smile. Some discussions later revealed that Xiao Liu was a quiet and introverted girl when she was alive, but her boyfriend defiled her and she took her own life out of shame and misery. Another cheery laughter diverted our gaze. "I''m a tad better than them both; I died because of sickness." Hesitantly, I asked, "And, you are..." The voice chirped in response, "I''m Xiao Wu!" Xiao Wu had died at a very young age due to an incurable disease that had robbed her of any future.


    Xiao Wu would have continued with a tale of her own, when another voice spoke. "I died the most painful death," she said, "I hanged myself." I was looking for the origin of the voice when the same voice said, "Oh, I forgot. I''m Xiao Si." Xiao Si''s predicament was an utter antithesis to Xiao Qi''s plight; Xiao Qi killed herself by jumping into a reservoir when her family was objecting strongly to the choice of her sweetheart, whereas Xiao Si hung herself to death when she was forced into a marriage against her own will. Xiao Si finished her tale, and another voice spoke suddenly, "Actually, it was I who had died the most painful death..." Compelled by our budding interest to know more, we were about to ask but Xiao Qi seemed to have read our minds. "Second Sister was burned to death alive." The three of us emitted a long and trailing "oh" and Lin Feng immediately asked, "What caused you to kill yourself?" "I did not kill myself; I was killed!" Xiao Er snapped, much to our surprise.


    It was only then we were told that Xiao Er had wanted to rescue someone from a huge fire, only to have herself trapped within the burning wreckages while the person was successfully rescued; she had instead become kindling for the huge fiery inferno that day. Both she and Aunt Fen were the ones who had their lives ended in tragic accidents.


    I began ticking off on my fingers and found that we were still short of one, when I realized that Xiao San has yet to speak. "How did Xiao San died?" I asked and Xiao Qi''s impish voice came again. "Well, she''s not called Xiao San for nothing! She died after being wrongly blamed!" Beside me, Yuan Chongxi burst into stifled giggles. Xiao San spat angrily at her sister, "Curses! You insolent witch! You sure enjoy poking fun of me! You want a taste of dying after being wrongly blamed?" Xiao San then confessed of her past: she was hit by a car and died succumbing to the injuries, but the perpetrator of the accident had escaped and until today, he remained at large, causing her to turn into a vengeful spirit with the strongest grudge among all seven Sisters. But through her interactions with the rest of the Sisters, Xiao Qi was closest to Aunt Fen and Xiao San; she was the only Sister who dared to tease the tempestuous Xiao San.


    It was already 3 p.m. when we reached back at the Center. I collapsed into the couch and released the six Sisters from my gourd. To be honest, the six Sisters were all gorgeous after their changeover. By "changeover", I was referring to the looks that they retained before they died. Ghosts were able to retain the features and appearance of their once-alive selves before they were dead with the help of some magic. Without this transformation of their appearance, Mr. Zhang would long have been frightened to death himself; Xiao Er would be nothing but a blackened corpse, Xiao San would merely be a mangled pulp of bloody human remains, Xiao Si would have her tongue protruding like the White Herald of Hell (the White half of the Heibai Wuchang), and Xiao Wu would be a sickly bag of bones. Xiao Liu would hardly have any difference, since she died due to the massive loss of blood, but her pale and deathly-white face would be enough to scare the living daylights out of anyone, whereas Xiao Qi would be an unrecognizable mass of a swollen carcass salvaged from the water.


    I sat down to think and extracted four talismans from my pocket. "I will not have you all in my gourd tomorrow," I said to them, "There might be times where we might need to split up; hence I hope that the six of you can be divided into pairs to follow each of us." The six Sisters had no objections, alleging that being about to come out to roam was already a favor to them. It would help that they were so amenable, I mused. After some evaluations, I made my decision. "Xiao Er and Xiao Liu seem to be more collected; you will both follow Brother Lin. I''ll leave it to you both to act on your own discretion if anything arises. Xiao Si and Xiao Wu look to be more of the witty types; you will assist Chongxi then, since he''s the block-head of our group." I turned to Xiao San and Xiao Qi. "Since Xiao Qi knows me well, we three might work well as a team. How''s that, Xiao San?" "I''ll go wherever Xiao Qi goes to!" Xiao San remarked irately through puckered lips.


    We began going through other details, and Lin Feng asked, "Do we need to buy some equipment or clothing, Shiyan? Some windbreakers, knapsacks, and tents?" That made sense, I thought. We would best have some of these "props" since we were going undercover as tourists. With the six ghosts with us, we drove out and after a search around the neighborhood, we found a store selling outdoor apparels and equipment. Before entering the store, I noticed its name, Fox Hunters. Of all the names the proprietor could have chosen, I wondered as I stood outside, gazing at the signage of the store. Even "Flying Tigers" (the colloquial name for the Hong Kong Police''s Special Duties Unit) would have been better than this! My mother would have torn down the sign and wreck it into shreds with her bare hands if she had seen the name! Both my parents were nice and gentle people, but my mother had a strange fixation for canines that extended to wolves and foxes. An old memory, long dormant, rose up from its slumber in my mind and sent a chill down my spine: there was once when I repeated a hometown phrase that I had picked up from a classmate which turned out to be a derogatory name for foxes, and that had earned me a tight slap on my cheeks.


    When our purchases were completed, the new additions to our inventory were three windbreakers and three backpacks, a non-smoking camping stove with some flashlights. A glance at our gear might even induce the notion that we were actually tomb raiders, I wondered. We busied ourselves late into the night, until the next morning.

 Chapter 65 The VIP Reception

    We barely slept that night. For the first time, I truly experienced first-hand the agony that Mr. Zhang had endured on a nightly basis. The six Sisters practically threw up an all-nighter party last night at the center, the strong Yin energy in the night fuelling their exuberance and excitement of being able to travel! How could anyone have hoped to even close their eyes when six ghosts, all dead in myriads of ways imaginable, were zipping around wildly in the Center in a celebratory mood!


    We reached at the Wu Zhong County train station at 11 in the morning, carrying our backpacks on our shoulders. Our destination was the final stop of the train: the Beijing station, and our band, each with our bags and packs clinging to our arms, blended nicely into the crowd of youngsters traveling into the capital for work.


    We reached Beijing at 1 in the afternoon. It was hardly a long journey, since Wu Zhong was only about a hundred kilometers away from the capital. Without time for any sightseeing, we immediately hopped onto the Beijing Subway and then the Airport Express. Along the journey, the six Sisters stared with amazement at the scenery of the Beijing metropolis, the everchanging of sceneries of the bustling city overwhelming them with wondrous screams and excited howls. It was their first time in the capital of the country. Once getting off the subway, Xiao Qi appeared from my gourd. "Look, Shiyan, look! What is that?" She screamed while her agitated hand pointed forward and, much to my annoyance, her other hand was tugging at my ear. I shoved off her hand and looked. "That''s a vending machine," I muttered. They were dead for not even 10 years, I brooded. Were they really so far behind? But the realization came as quickly; despite being the daughter of a wealthy man, vending machines were but mere contrivances in fiction and imagination a decade ago.


    The subway was so crowded that we nearly lost ourselves into the rushing tides of people trying to travel in and out of the station. The mob of subway users shoved and pushed their way so violently that the three of us were struggling to keep our balance as we walked, shaking like ragdolls and scarecrows in the wind. With the abundance of Yang energies in the underground station, Xiao Qi and the Sisters had retreated back into hiding. It took us an hour-long journey for us to reach the airport, and beads of sweat were pouring down our foreheads by then. We went into the airport and completed all formalities and boarding procedures; at four in the afternoon, we were finally on the plane that took off the runway, veering to the course towards Inner Mongolia.


    It was the first time Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi boarded a plane, hence their apparent nervousness like young children. Of the six Sisters, Xiao Qi and Xiao Liu had ridden on airplanes before and there were hardly perturbed by the take-off. Xiao Er was her usual composed self, while Xiao San tried to remain as impassive as she could. Xiao Si and Xiao Wu were whistling around with hysterical enthusiasm, flying around the runway before the airplane began its climb. It was fortunate that none of the other passengers had the ability to see ghosts, lest chaos and pandemonium might have long broken out.


    It was hardly a long ride from the Beijing International Airport to the Baotou Erliban Airport in Inner Mongolia. Like how Yuan Chongxi had put it, the seats were barely warm when we disembarked from the plane. We strode out of the airport and looked bewilderedly around us. My hand went into my pockets as I searched for my phone. I was about to call for Tao Gang when a man, looking around the age of thirty, came to us. "Hi there, are you the nephews of Mr. Zhang, Zhang Baoguo?" We nodded blankly, with dumbfounded looks on our faces. Mr. Zhang must have made quite an impression of us that we were like wealthy scions from a prominent household to even have a personal valet to come fetch us.


    The man smiled benignly at us. "This way please." He ushered us to the carpark of the airport and had us dazedly boarded a luxury sedan. As he drove, the man tried to strike up a conversation. "So, what are your names, my friends?" I smiled at him through the rear-view mirror. "My name is Murong Shiyan; Shiyan for short." "I''m Yuan Chongxi" Chongxi smiled and replied, while Lin Feng nodded and said, "I''m Lin Feng." With a silky voice, the man said flatteringly, "Oh my. It''s an honor to meet you all, Young Masters Murong, Yuan and Lin. My greetings to you all." "Is there a need for such theatrics? Young Master Murong?" My thoughts wandered to the character Murong Fu from the story Demi-gods and Semi-devils (Tian Long Ba Bu) by renowned author Jin Yong. The man''s voice continued, breaking my line of thoughts, "My name is Zhao. You can call me Brother Zhao." The three of us quipped in unison, "Hi, Brother Zhao." Sometime later, following our return from Inner Mongolia to Wu Zhong, I would then find out from Mr. Zhang that this Brother Zhao was also a wealthy person himself; although he would try to satisfy any favors from Mr. Zhang with as much devotion as he could muster due to his business dealings with Mr. Zhang.


    Brother Zhao found us a hotel and even helped to find us a car for our use here. I dug into my pockets and was about to fish out some money for the payment, but Brother Zhao immediately stopped me, saying that it was he who should be footing the bill, since we were his guests. The cost for all these favors would surely come due, I pondered, as I relented to accepting his hospitality.


    We withdrew back to our rooms and began unpacking as we called home to send word of our safe arrival. It was already six in the evening, when I remembered to send a message to Tao Gang, informing him of our arrival and we would be ready to begin our work the next morning. Tao Gang sent back a short reply: a two-lettered "OK" with his location. I allowed myself to collapse into the soft folds of my pillow as I laid on my bed in my room. I heaved a breath; so far so good. There has yet to be any signs showing that the enemy had noticed us coming. But just when I barely relaxed, my phone began ringing. It was Brother Zhao. I answered the call and he told me that he had booked a room at a restaurant for dinner. What a pompous fellow, I frowned. But the look on Yuan Chongxi''s face just beside me, who had never once missed a phone conversation about food, told me that I could only give one answer: Yes.


    We spoke freely throughout the 2-hour long course dinner, knowing that Brother Zhao had surmised of our profession. Mr. Zhang must have told him something along the lines of "these are the sons of powerful people", I thought as we endured his sugar-coated cajolery for the entire duration of the meal. At the end of the dinner, Brother Zhao took his leave and we returned to our hotel rooms. A quick glance at my watch told me the time was 8 P.M. On the way back to the hotel, Lin Feng was grinning with a goofy smile on his face, not unlike the Disney character with that same particular name, at the steering wheel. What was it? I asked and he admitted his elation at being able to drive a Porsche, which was the first time for him. "Shiyan," Yuan Chongxi said to me suddenly, "This Brother Zhao seemed overly and definitely suspiciously warm and generous. I''m afraid that this might turn out to be an expensive favor to repay." "How expensive could it be," I remarked, cracking into a giggle myself, "He is aware of what we do for a living. Just give him a look or two, Brother. Some advice from you about his fengshui and fortune would be enough. He, in turn, would be in your debt if your counsel bears him fruit."


    Back at the hotel, we returned to our own rooms. We did not sleep well that night too; the sights of Xiao Qi and Xiao San hurtling around above me, as well as the electrical appliances, the television, the air-conditioning and the lights in my room, going on and off on their own, did enough to keep me from sleeping that entire night...


    Brother Zhao was already waiting for us at the lobby of the hotel when we came down the next morning. We had barely just stepped down the steps of the staircase when we noticed him sitting on a couch. He insisted that we accompany him for lunch. We would have declined his offer, since our trip was not a trip of leisure, but a crusade to help eradicate evil. Still, we gave in to his offer, knowing that we could not risk leaking any information about our purpose to him. During the meal, Brother Zhao inquired if we had any tourist destinations in mind. He was trying to find us a tourist guide, then I realized, and I knew full well that we had to put a stop to all his generosity, however sincere they might be. "Actually, Brother Zhao," I said to him, "We''re planning to look around on our own. Since you know what we do for a living, I trust that you understand surely that safety is definitely not an issue for us..." Brother Zhao fell silent immediately, staring at me blankly with the unmistakable hints of wonder in his gaze. In the eyes of Brother Zhao, we were a trio consisting of a martial arts expert, a master clairvoyant who held dominion over spirits and ghosts, and a seer who was gifted with the sight to perceive destiny and fate.


    Midway through the meal, I nudged at Yuan Chongxi, who had been gobbling hungrily at the food with the efficiency of inhaling oxygen, and signaled him to do something. With his stomach filled to his content, Yuan Chongxi realized my tacit indication and placed down his chopsticks. "Brother Zhao," he said to our host, "We have you to thank for the kind hospitality you''ve shown us for these two days. You''ve been through much trouble for our sake, and we do not know how best to repay you." Brother Zhao raised his hands, trying to play down his affability and kindness. Yuan Chongxi grabbed at his hand with a smile, flipped it over and peered into his palm, much to Brother Zhao''s surprise and shock. With a simple glance, Yuan Chongxi muttered, "You seemed to be deeply troubled even by the most trivial of concerns, Brother Zhao. Relax and widen your perspective despite these predicaments lest you jeopardize your own health."


    Brother Zhao was stunned for seconds before he recollected himself and broke into a weak smile, murmuring profusely that he should. Underneath his smile, there was a fakeness that could be peeled off, revealing the underlying cunningness beneath. This Brother Zhao was hardly as simple as he looked, I guessed. "Brother Zhao," Yuan Chongxi said suddenly, "Do you mind giving me your birthdates and hour of birth?" There was a fleeting second of hesitation. "This companion of mine is a master in divining one''s fate and fortune, Brother Zhao," I said, "He may look simple and dull, but I assure you, he is quite the contrary." Brother Zhao''s eyes gleamed with desire as he hurriedly provided the needed details. Yuan Chongxi made some calculations and gave him a small prep talk, injecting more confidence into the man. "You may not be obscenely wealthy or rich." I heard Yuan Chongxi said to the man, "But you will definitely enjoy a leap in your career!"


    Brother Zhao was so happy to hear this, mumbling words of thanks repetitively. "You need not to be grateful, Brother," Yuan Chongxi said to him again, "You have labored much for our well-being these two days, and we have nothing to repay your favor with. Consider this a gift from us for your kindness."


    Sometime later when we got back to Wu Zhong, Mr. Zhang did tell me that Brother Zhao was not only in the car rental business; he was also running his own logistics company. The bulk of Mr. Zhang''s Zhang Group was in the food business, and Brother Zhao was one of the logistics companies commissioned by Mr. Zhang''s company to help deliver goods around. Hence Mr. Zhang was the respected and highly-worshipped patron and benefactor to Brother Zhao''s career. Then again, Brother Zhao must be very good with dealing with people otherwise he would not be a successful businessman at such an early age of thirty-plus.


    Without further ado, we said our goodbyes to Brother Zhao after the meal and drove to the location sent to us by Tao Gang.

 Chapter 66 The Marauders

    Lin Feng plotted the course to our destination with his GPS. "Oh my! How nice of him to choose such a far location to meet!" He grumbled. "As if we can do anything about it," I snapped, "Just get on with it!"


    We were halfway into our journey, when my phone rang, and the display on the screen of my phone showed a number that I could not recognize. I tapped on the "Answer" button and answered. A male voice responded at the other end, saying that he was sent by Tao Gang to meet us. Things might have turned urgent, I guessed. We were barely halfway when they were already expecting us. I told the person that we might need some time, since we were still on the way. Hearing this, Lin Feng''s foot depressed the pedal and picked up more speed.


    The accelerating car hastened at Lin Feng''s insistent, rendering blurry scenes outside the window that made me felt dizzy and I fell asleep. In my nap, I lost track of time until I was awakened by the ringing of my phone. It was the same officer earlier. I peered out the window and read off a roadside signboard the name of our location and the officer replied, saying that we were near now. In another half an hour we would be exiting the highway, he said. I reached for a can of Coke and snapped it open, downing it with an appreciative gulp to refresh myself. Lin Feng reset the location designation on his GPS to the new coordinates given to us by the officer. With the monotonous verbal instructions by the GPS, we swerved off the highway at an exit and found a police patrol car waiting at the side of the road, just as the officer had mentioned. I hit "Redial" and called the officer to inform us of our arrival and our vehicle''s license plate number, while Lin Feng slowed down the car, bringing it to a halt just behind the police car.


    An officer got off the car and came to us, shaking our hands. "Hi there. My surname is Zhang, and you just call me so, for short," the policeman introduced himself, "The incident took place in the mountains, and this exit would be the fastest way to get it for you guys. Just follow my car." The sun was nearing the western horizon. We trailed behind the police car, making a few turns as we tried our best to keep behind him until we reached the main road of a village. It was sundown when we finally came to stop in front of a small motel in the village. Officer Zhang came to us, explaining that continuing our journey in the dark would be dangerous, for the mountain fog would set in for the night, reducing visibility to a dangerous level; hence there was no choice but to overnight before continuing further. He had made contact with Tao Gang, who agreed with Officer Zhang''s proposition, in view of our unfamiliarity with the rural roads around here. We strode into the motel and checked ourselves in. Once the procedures were complete, the proprietor of the motel opened a side-gate for us, where we moved the cars into the compound of the motel.


    We requested for two rooms: Officer Zhang himself would occupy a three-person room (since the motel was empty at the time of the year), while the three of us shared another three-person room. The simple and modest inn provided only the most basic amenities, hence they did not have a mess hall or a restaurant attached to the motel. We settled dinner at another restaurant outside that night. We looked for a simple restaurant and had a simple dinner; we were also afraid of traveler''s diarrhea aside from the most common concern of hygiene, even though the food was cheap by city dwellers'' standards, therefore we ate only sparingly. But Lin Feng and I had tried to pay for the bill, only for the proprietor of the restaurant to take the money offered by Officer Zhang, much to our dismay. With our stomachs filled, we returned to the motel. Fortunately, for all its dismal dearth and inadequacies, there was still the luxury of warm water, supplied by an electric water heater. We enjoyed an invigorating bath and lazed on our beds for the remainder of that night, with our mobile phones robbing us of our attention. Expectedly so, there was no WIFI service in the motel, so we could rely only on our own 4G mobile data. Lin Feng busied himself playing games, while I surfed the Net, feeling the pangs of boredom I had never once experienced living in the city. Yuan Chongxi was on his phone, chatting with someone. I hissed at him, asking who was it that he was speaking to, and he replied that it was the older sister of the family which he had gone to subdue the spirits of the slaughtered children not long ago. So it was true, I realized! His mentor did not err in his calculations after all! Yuan Chongxi was indeed in romance! The dull bumpkin was not only a mystic sage or master with arcane powers in the eyes of the mother and her daughters; the eldest of the two daughters was infatuated with him! The silly buffoon must have been bragging of some purported prowess of his again!


    I did not know what time was it when I succumbed to the lull of sleepiness and drifted into slumber. But I woke up the next morning with fatigue and sores urging me to return back into the soft, velvety folds of my blankets. Xiao Qi and the Sisters'' overnight playtime had dealt us the prerequisite toll on our sleep, but there was also the humid and moldy environment of the countryside. Despite using fresh blankets and pillows, we dragged ourselves off our beds with our vigor all sapped instead of being rejuvenated! We washed ourselves up and went out for breakfast, with Lin Feng settling the bill this time! We went back to the motel to check ourselves out and dropped our luggage at the couch in the sitting area of the lobby.


    Yuan Chongxi plumped himself onto the couch where Officer Zhang, Lin Feng and I were at the counter, waiting to check out when a band of women barged through the doors of the motel. They did not come to the counter, rather, the entire bunch of women strode to the sitting area and stood between Yuan Chongxi and our belongings! Being shorter than the rest of us, Yuan Chongxi was oblivious of what they wanted as they blocked his view of our belongings. But I happened to turn back and saw three of the women were pulling at the straps of our belongings! "Hey! Hey! What are you doing?" I yelled out loud as I ran over! The rest of the three women''s accomplices blocked us off, trying to buy time for their three confederates who had reached outside by the time I got myself disentangled from the tentacular arms trying to hold me back.


    I screamed at Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi, and we began to make chase, speeding outside! Cunning and devious the trio of female thieves were, for they immediately separated after reaching outside! With a quick "Split up!" I yelled to my companions, and I did not fail to notice the wraith-like apparitions of the Sisters nodding to me as we fanned out to pursue our targets who had skirted off into different directions. I trailed behind the woman who was fleeing in a straight course away from the motel. The roads were busy with lines of vehicles in the peak hours of the morning. Fortunately, everyone was driving at a snail''s pace due to the thickness of the fog that lingered before the heat of the rising sun could dissipate them. But the busy road did little to impede the woman''s escape. With a few sidesteps, she snaked through the gaps between the vehicles with the efficiency of a slithering snake and bolted towards the wilderness. With all the speed I could muster, I tried my best to keep up, knowing that with even the slightest mistake, I risk losing her trail, especially with such poor visibility in the thick daybreak mists. Despite the dismal visibility of only ten meters, I saw the woman diving into the golden mass of a cornfield. This, however, filled me with glee! In the past, corn and sorghum grew rampantly in their fields on their own due to the lack of chemical fertilization and technology. In those days, soldiers would hide themselves within the unruly and dense thickets of crops to launch ambushes on their enemies during the wars! But that was a thing of the past! Farmers nowadays planted hybrid maize that grew uniformly without taking up much space so that more crops could be planted efficiently; the gaps between each stalk were so tight that it was impossible to traverse through the field without pushing through the dense reeds of the cornfield without rustling the plants. Like dropping a pebble into the still surface of a lake, she had only served to alert me of her location, allowing me to overtake her and cut her off!


    I fought against my adrenaline and tried to observe her progress. We would see how much strength you have to wade through the cornfield, I thought. For almost half an hour I remained in hot pursuit, and we reached the banks of a river. There were trees on each side of the river and a rope was bound to the trunks of a tree on the opposite side, extending to our side. The woman darted for the rope and leaped over the eddying currents of the river, yanking hard on the rope that she pulled herself over, leaving me stunned and speechless. The rope was one of her devices to escape! I looked around and no ways to cross the river; there were no bridges or logs that reached to the other side! The water was hardly deep, but the river was filled with mud and weed! There was no time to think! I tore off my shoes and socks, and rolled up the legs of my pants as quickly as possible and stepped into the cold and grimy water. I plodded through the muck and clambered up the opposite bank, but the woman had long fled! What terrible luck, I grumbled to myself before Xiao Qi''s anxious voice came, "Stop lulling about! Chase after her! I''m losing her scent! Any longer and I''ll have no trace of any humans at all around here!"


    At a loss of what to do, I panicked. I threw my head around, trying to see if there were signs that I could follow and trace and saw a little cottage. Panting for breath, I moved towards the cottage. The cottage had two buildings; the main edifice with an annex which I believed was the kitchen, for I caught the glimpse of a stove. The cottage was empty when I reached there. I began looking around, and saw somebody working the fields not far away, wearing a straw hat that disguised the person''s gender from my view. I ambled slowly ahead towards the fields. Hearing my footsteps, the person stood up and looked suspiciously at me. It was a middle-aged lady, I saw. I greeted her and asked, "Did you saw a young woman running away with a knapsack just moments ago?" The woman''s cautious glare remained rested upon me. She peered at the shoes and socks I was holding and her head shook once, only to nod again! What are you trying to say, I almost screamed out loud? But instead of replying my question, the woman said to me, "Come to my house for a cup of water!" Without waiting for my response, she began striding back towards the cottage.


    There was something about the woman that told me she knew about the thief. I followed after her, realizing that this could be a chance for me to glean more information about the marauding women who had tried to escape with our luggage. We reached the cottage and the women pointed to a small pool of water built from concrete, and said, "Wash your feet here and wear your shoes!" The outlet of the pool was plugged with a wad of cloth while an old and rickety hand-operated pump perched at the edge of the pool, allowing any user to draw water from a well underneath. I primed the pump and drew some water to wash myself up. After donning back my socks and shoes, I went into the cottage. The woman was sitting on a folding stool when she saw me. "Where are you from?" she asked, "Why are you here?" "I''m just a passing tourist. But my belongings were stolen from me when I was in town and I had pursued my thief until here!" I said to her. "Did you see who it was who had taken your stuff?" she asked again. "A young lady..." I had barely finished when a strong, queasy sensation rushed through me. The last thing I remembered was the voices of Xiao Qi and Xiao San calling out to me frantically as I blacked out.


    There was an indescribable thirst in my throat when I came to. I tried to move my limbs but I could not. Opening my eyes, I realized that my hands were bound to a pillar. A woman was sitting a chair facing me, with one of her legs propped on the other. Clamped in her hand, was my calabash gourd that she unstoppered and tried to look into it. "What is your name?" she asked, still trying to look inside the gourd. "Is this yours?" As my sight cleared, I recognized who the woman was: the one working the fields earlier! She had tidied up herself, appearing much younger than she looked before. Behind her was the female thief from the cornfield who had taken my bag. But I was hardly worried. In fact, I could not be any happier when she removed the stopper of my gourd. You would be getting more than you demanded, old hag! Quietly, I muttered a spell, and strings of black smoke begin sprouting from the mouth of the gourd. Xiao Qi and Xiao San were released! They shared a sly grin as they drifted to my back and untied me. The woman, noticing my lips moving, snarled angrily, "Speak louder! What is your name?" She was under the impression that I was speaking too softly for her to listen, when I was actually summoning Xiao Qi and Xiao San. "My name is Shiyan! Murong Shiyan!" "Who is Murong Hai to you?" "My father!" I growled back. She stomped her feet into the ground with fury. "So it is true! You are the bastard son of that heartless jerk!" I shot a vile look at her while I stole another glance at Xiao San who was still busy ripping off the ropes that held one of my arms. With a final tug, she succeeded and so had Xiao Qi at the other side. I leaped to my feet and shook the pieces of rope off me. "Let''s! Make! Things! Clears!" I bellowed as loudly as I can, word by word, my voice thundering in the cottage as the women were stunned to see me free. "I am able to stop your underlings from thieving my possessions but by doing so, your underlings would have been dead. Stealing is but a trivial misdemeanor to me, so I have been merciful by staying my hand, and I have merely chased after her from behind!"

 Chapter 67 Forty Years Ago

    With a crack, the ropes binding me broke simultaneously. The two women in the room screamed, which drew the other two women outside the door.


    At this moment, seeing what was happening, the women outside the door pulled out their guns. Pointing their guns at me, they said, "Don''t move. Or we will shoot you!" Xiao San and Xiao Qi looked at each other, expressed a tacit smile, and held their guns. After that, I laughed and said to them, "I don''t get it. Why do you put your hope on your guns? Are guns useful to you? It''s just a concept introduced by foreigners! In their eyes, American weaponry is definitely better than millet plus rifles. But the truth is, what decides the winner is not the weapon but the capability. Like now! If I tell you that your guns will kill you, would you believe that?" While I was saying that, I snapped my finger with a crack. Then with a swoosh, Xiao San and Xiao Qi grabbed their guns and pointed it at the women!


    Of course, they were not able to see Xiao San and Xiao Qi with their mortal eyes. What they saw was me cutting the ropes loose with a glance and moving their guns away with a snap of my fingers. Then the guns turned over, suspended in the air and pointed at themselves. They were so shocked that they shivered, with their hands covering their heads, and with their mouth crying out...


    The middle-aged woman also got stunned! I sat at the table with the guns placed in front of me. Then I took out a cigarette from my pocket, lit it and said, "I don''t know why you hate my dad. But I am not him. I am myself. Although I don''t know your past, you are an elder to me. I should call you "Aunt"! Now you can tell me what happened in the past. If my dad really did something wrong, I will uphold justice for you in an impartial way."


    Her eyes lit up at once and said, "Can you really help me?" I answered, "Of course. You have my word!" Then she said, "Okay. I will tell you about the past!" I waved my hand and said, "This is your hospitality?" She immediately came to her senses and said to the two women at the door, "Go make some tea!" I said to her again, "Wait! One more thing, now my fellows are after the other two who robbed us. I am afraid that your henchmen would be having a hard time now! If they dared to take out their guns, their wrists might have already suffered a comminuted fracture! Let me give them a call!" I knew well that only Xiao San and Xiao Qi were in the calabash gourd with me, the others who were with Lin Feng and Chongxi were around them. Therefore they wouldn''t lose.


    She took my phone out from her purse. It turned out after I passed out, they took away my phone and turned it off in fear of being tracked by GPS. I turned on my phone again and got through to Lin Feng''s phone, "Brother Lin, how are you holding up there?" He answered, "Alas, why did you turn off your phone? I have caught them already. If they weren''t two women, I would have beaten them up by now! We are heading to meet you now. Chongxi didn''t meet any danger either and is on the way to meet you too!" "Bring them back! It is a misunderstanding. Call the other team to come back too!"


    As the woman told me about the ins and outs of the matter, I finally knew the reason why my dad wasn''t willing to come to Inner Mongolia!


    In the lunar year of Bing (the third of the Ten Heavenly Stems) Chen (the fifth of the Twelve Earthly Branches), meaningly the year of 1976, there was a kind of epidemic disease raging in the northern ranches. It spread at a fast speed with a high death rate. People who got it would have a high fever that wouldn''t recede. Back then, the People''s Commune was still in charge, and medical service was free. The local doctor wasn''t able to cure it. The penicillin and streptomycin in stock were used up, but it still didn''t work. The disease was spreading.


    At that time, a young man around 20 years old came around on a horse, wearing a local Mongolian robe and carrying a military haversack printed with a word saying "Serve the people." He called himself Murong Hai who was from a near ranch and claimed that he could cure the disease. There were many patients. So the production brigade took charge of giving out the medicine he brought along.


    Oddly enough, people started to feel better on the second day after they took his medicine and recovered in a few days. Because he didn''t ask for payment, people all thought that he was an extraordinary young man. Back then, people queued up to invite him to meals, which was arranged by the production brigade. People took turns to treat him in their house every day. Because he cured the disease, everyone treated him with the best food they had at home! This Murong Hai didn''t decline the treats either (My dad was not only a good cook but also a gastronome. To put it in plain language, he was a foodie). The head of the production brigade, also the director of the Revolutionary Committee, was a man named Bayinchaolu. Bayinchaolu had a sister whose name was Wulan. Wulan was 18 years old and also suffered from a kind of disease. Therefore they also wanted Murong Hai to try to treat her. The disease she got was quite strange. When she didn''t have an attack, she was as sane as a normal person. But once she recurred, she would get hysterical, crying, shouting, hitting, cursing, and undressing, with her mouth mumbling dirty words! Now there were two young female members of the Revolutionary Committee guarding her! Therefore Bayinchaolu asked Murong Hai for help. Murong Hai agreed without a single shred hesitation.


    Bayinchaolu took Murong Hai to the outside of Wulan''s Mongolian Yurt. He shouted a few words in Mongolian. Then some noises came out of it as if there were a fight inside. After quite a while, they were told to go in. Murong Hai entered and saw a young woman around 18 years old. Her clothes were in a mess. Apparently, she was dressed by the others with force. She was barefoot without boots and had two young women holding her arms and shoulders down. The moment she saw Murong Hai, she said in broken Mandarin, "What a handsome man you are! Do you want me? Come here!" Bayinchaolu felt so embarrassed that his face turned red and pale. Then after a pause, he managed to get a hold of himself. Without turning a hair, Murong Hai smiled subtly and checked her pulse on her wrist. However, although her arms and shoulders were held down, she moved her foot to tantalize him under his crotch. But Murong Hai didn''t even think about it! After checking her pulse, Murong Hai said, "In the concept of us Han people, this is a disease called being possessed! It is not serious. She will be fine after I remove that thing in her!" Then Murong Hai took out a hip flask, took a mouthful of wine, and spat it on the woman with a puff. In the meantime, he glowered at the back of the woman! Her head immediately fell backward and got still. After a long while, she came to herself. Seeing the mess in front of her, she got quite embarrassed. Then she got dressed and fixed her hair. Seeing that the patient got cured, Bayinchaolu laughed heartily, held Murong Hai''s hand, and said, "Bro, thank you very much! Now, let''s go for a drink! ..." At this point in the story, I said in mind, "Well, my dad surely had a Liuxia Hui style! If I were him, I would not be able to control myself!"


    However, on the next day after Murong Hai left, Wulan got sick again. After hearing that, Murong Hai went back to Wulan''s Mongolian Yurt. This time, he directly entered it without giving a second thought. But when he showed up in the yurt, Wulan recovered right away, putting her clothes back on. In this way, it repeated a few times. Later on, Bayinchao found Murong Hai and asked him if he could stay there for a while until Wulan''s condition stabilized. Seeing this situation, Murong Hai had no other choice but to stay. Therefore they spent every day together during that period. And Wulan fell in love with this handsome young man. However, Murong Hai thought otherwise.


    At that time, with Murong Hai around her every day, Wulan didn''t need the two members of the Revolutionary Committee to look after her anymore. Bayinchaolu came to talk about this with him privately. He said, "You know my sister''s condition. And you are the only one who can keep her from getting sick again. What''s worse, as a grown woman, every time she recurs, you were there to see her nudity. How could she ever find a husband like this?" But Murong Hai rejected with his face full of helplessness. Knowing that Murong Hai rejected to marry her, Wulan started crying and shouting again. After a while, she recurred. This time, the two members of the Revolutionary Committee were away. There was only Murong Hai with her naked. And because of the emergency, he had no choice but to hold Wulan down with his body...


    No one knew how Murong Hai cured Wulan. But Wulan knew that she didn''t lose her virginity! Without a third party, a man''s personality could be tested more thoroughly. That was why Wulan grew more attached to Murong Hai. This time Wulan didn''t recur again. Only that when she woke up, she found that there was a palm-size calabash gourd held in Murong Hai''s hand. Therefore she presumed that Murong Hai had put some medicine into her mouth with this calabash gourd while she was unconscious! The gourd was empty now. Wulan took a closer look at the strange patterns on the gourd and said, "They look beautiful." However, the truth was that she wanted to have the calabash gourd as a love token! Certainly, Murong Hai didn''t know that!


    On a stormy evening two days later, the production brigade''s sheep flock was attacked by a wolf pack, and Bayinchaolu was killed by the wolves. When morning came, Murong Hai left. Wulan saw him off riding on a flying sword without looking back. And the calabash gourd was gone too!


    A few years later, in a semi-grassland and semi-farmland region on the edge of the steppe, a pack of bandits on horses showed up from time to time. No one knew their background nor their appearances, because they were all wearing a mask. And no one knew who they were...

 Chapter 68 The Truth of the Heartbreaker

    While listening to this woman giving a lively description, doubts came to my mind. Therefore I said, "It''s hard for me to buy your story. Are you going to say that my calabash gourd is exactly the same as the one in the past?"


    Unexpectedly, she nodded her head and said, "I am Wulan! I led these people to become bandits. After my brother died, I moved to this semi-farmland region and contracted the farm. Over these years, I have recruited many people. In public, they are farmers who have property and farms. However, in the dark, they are bandits. For men who have abandoned their wives and children, like your dad, we punish them on sight! You told me you could uphold justice for me. Now let''s see how you''ll do it!"


    I said, "Okay, I will call my dad and ask about the story!" Then I rang my dad''s phone... Actually, I didn''t believe that my dad would cheat on anyone. And from what this woman told me, it seemed that my dad didn''t do anything to her. What''s more, for all I knew, my parents had been in love for over 60 years!


    I got through to my dad''s phone and told him the situation. My dad explained on the phone. After that, I said to her, "You think my dad shouldn''t have left at that time, right?" The woman answered, "Yes! After my brother died, your dad was the only family I had. And he left me behind. I was young and helpless. There were many times that I tried to kill myself facing all the difficulties on my own!" I asked, "You said my dad was the family you had. Does it mean that my dad had agreed to marry you?" She answered, "My brother told me that he had already agreed to marry me. And by his oral agreement, he became my fiance. In the future, he would be the son-in-law of my family!" I answered, "But you didn''t know that it was a lie from your brother. He lied to you to make you feel better when you were sick. It was just an expedient of his. But my dad had never agreed to marry you! Otherwise, he wouldn''t be my dad!" I lit a cigarette and asked her, "Do you want to know what my dad did without a third party when you had the attack?" The woman brightened her eyes at once and asked, "What did he do?"


    My dad took out the calabash gourd while holding her down with his body, and said to the sore spirit in her body, "I know you were wronged. You can tell me what happened. If you keep making trouble, I will take you down with the calabash gourd and use you to practice alchemy!" She paused and said, "Get off me! I will tell you the truth!" After my dad got up, she said with sad sobs, "I was a school graduate who got sent here. Because my background was not good, I suffered great discrimination. One day when I was pasturing, Bayinchaolu tried to rape me. I fought against him with all my strength, but he strangled me with his horsewhip. Then he raped me and fed me to the wolves! Nobody knew about it. The production brigades settled my death as a common industrial accident. My soul was unwilling to go after I died, and I wanted to take my revenge. That''s why I possessed his sister. I intended to ruin her body. But the two female members of the Revolutionary Committee guarded her strictly, and I failed. Then you came! I know you are mighty, please uphold justice for me!" My dad said to her, "The justice for you will soon come. In a few days, Bayinchaolu will be killed and consumed by wolves. But his sister is innocent. As the saying goes, ''No debts without creditors.'' You shouldn''t do this to his sister. I promise you that after you see him eaten by wolves in a few days, I will send you to reincarnate. You should stop making trouble. Now go in the calabash gourd!"


    In this way, my dad put the spirit into the calabash gourd. On that stormy night, my dad released the spirit. After seeing the man she hated died, she was sent to the road to hell by my dad. At this point, I flicked the cigarette ash and said, "However, you didn''t know that in the year of 1976, an earthquake occurred in Tang Shan. There were many spirits with grudges waiting to be managed. All the geomancers were summoned to go to Tang Shan. My dad was invited by hell to be a manager of the geomancers. He had a mission. That''s why he left with the sword in a rush. And as far as I know, my parents had already married each other in 1976. It''s impossible that my dad would betray my mom! You took my dad as a heartbreaker for so many years. But you didn''t know that if he had agreed to you, he would be the heartbreaker!" In fact, from what I was told, my parents had been together for at least 60 years!


    After hearing this, Wulan sat down with a dispirited sentiment, looking blank! She opened her mouth, tried to say something but couldn''t. After quite a while, she said, "No! How old are you this year?!" I blinked my eyes, didn''t understood what she said, then answered subconsciously, "I am 22 years old now." Wulan asked again, "Then how old are your parents?!" I shook my head and said, "I don''t know their exact ages." Obviously, Wulan thought that I was giving her the runaround. So she said in a serious voice, "Your father was your age back in the old days. If you are 22 years old this year, could it be said that your dad had you around his 40s?!" Actually, many people had asked me this question, even the teachers from school. I spread out my hands helplessly with a smile, took out my phone, clicked on the album, handed it to Wulan, and said, "This picture was taken from last week." Wulan took the phone and got astonished when she saw the picture. Then she shouted with shock, "Ah!" and almost threw my phone out.


    The picture on my phone was indeed taken from last week when I was bored. It was a selfie, in which I was leaning on my dad''s right shoulder and my mom on his left shoulder. There was no age difference between the three of us. My mom looked even younger than me, and it was not surprising that Wulan overreacted. Forty years had passed, my dad didn''t age even a little bit, but Wulan was already a middle-aged woman. Seeing that she felt uneasy, I walked up to her and comforted, "Aunt Wulan, take it easy. For all I know, my parents have looked like this for over 60 years. I had asked about their ages when they met each other. But they always dodged the question by telling me that they didn''t remember. My dad had never answered me, only my mom. She told me, ''Since always!''" After hearing this, Wulan sat down feeling dejected and stopped talking.


    I snuffed out the cigarette and asked her after a while, "Did you plan this scheme since the beginning to lure us to Inner Mongolia?" She answered, "No. One of my trusted girls is dating a cop whose surname is Zhang. She got the information from him. After learning that the only son of the famous Murong Hai in those old years was coming here soon, I acquired your whole schedule and planned this robbery. But I just wanted to have you here to ask about your dad! After all, it''s been a knot in my heart over these years!"


    While we were talking, Lin Feng arrived with a few female bandits whose faces had been beaten purple and their noses swollen. I said in my mind, "I thought you told me that you didn''t do anything to them?" Then I shook my head and asked Lin Feng about the whole matter with a smile. Lin Feng told me that after I went after the other, he followed the one on the left. Because he was worried that the fog would get too thick and that the woman would get out of his target range, he threw out a Shuaitou and bound her feet. With a bump, she fell on the ground right away with her face down. Lin Feng came forward and stepped on her. At that moment, her associates caught up. They actually had guns. However, right after they showed the guns, Lin Feng whipped at their hands and made them drop the guns. And in a blink, Lin Feng had the guns in his hand! After Lin Feng learned the situation, he brought them to me! I thought to myself, "Well, that''s a piece of cake for you!"


    After a while, Chongxi also arrived, with a more amusing scene. He found a chair from nowhere, bound it with two poles to make slide bars, and made the women carry it all the way! These female bandits looked more embarrassed. It seemed that they had suffered a great deal!


    It turned out that when Chongxi went after the one on the right, he didn''t hurry to follow her. Because he was short, he couldn''t run fast enough to catch her. Instead, he stopped and did geomancy with his fingers!


    The four female bandits on the right flank gathered together after a few detours and were about to leave. When they walked up to a tree in the field, a man showed up behind the tree. That man was Chongxi! He got in the way and said with a weird long tone, "How dare you! Thieves! Bitches! How dare you steal my bags! This time I will give you a lenient punch (punishment). But next time you wouldn''t be so lucky!" After he finished saying that, with two claps, these bandits were slapped on their faces. The slaps were so harsh that their tears came out. But they couldn''t see who did that to them! Then they took out their guns angrily. But right after they did, their guns broke away from their hands as if they were grabbed. One of them staggered and almost fell when being pulled! Four guns flew over to Chongxi in a blink and suspended in the air without falling! Chongxi took one of them, dismantled it with a few moves, and threw the parts all over the ground. Then he sneered and said, "Hum! What a piece of shit! The rifling is old!" Then he waved his hand, and the other three guns were all thrown out into the field as if held by someone! Then Chongxi broke off a twig and said, "Should you four help me loosen bones and muscles? Or should I help loosen your bones and muscles? Should I?" Right after these words, with claps, Chongxi gave these bandits a hail of slaps.


    There was no way for them to avoid or escape. Their feet were fixed. They felt so much pain that they had to beg, "My lord. Please stop! We won''t do it again!" I laughed after hearing this. It was truly unlucky for these women to be hunted down by Chongxi, Xiao Si, and Xiao Wu!

 Chapter 69 The Scheme

    These female bandits couldn''t figure out what had happened. But to me, it was nothing hard to understand. Although Chongxi sometimes missed his shots on fortune telling, he was lucky today and figured out the right direction right away. Therefore he went ahead and waited for them. With the help of Xiao Si and Xiao Wu, these mortal women were definitely no match for him! Then he found a chair there, made slide bars, and made the women carry him all the way. What a trick! I bet that was a wicked idea from Xiao Si and Xiao Wu.


    When they all came back to Wulan''s place, they made peace with each other. Wulan finally knew the truth in the old days, apologized for her abruptness, and thanked me for showing them mercy! Only my team didn''t take extreme measures to deal with her followers. She knew that Murong Hai was a big shot, and it was impossible for his son to be weak. Therefore she understood that the reason why I didn''t hurt them was that I was kind and benevolent enough to hold myself back from doing it. At that time, Wulan treated the three of us to a feast. During the feast, she asked me about our next move. I said, "From what it seems, the cop whose surname is Zhang must be a spy from my enemy. He leaked out information and tried to murder us with a borrowed knife! The crime scene was also faked. It was a trick to lure the three of us to come!


    Our next move is to find Tao Gang, make a thorough investigation, and then make a plan! After the meal, Wulan gave us three horses and sent three strong girls to escort us. When we were leaving, Wulan whispered into my ears, "Go back and tell your dad secretly that there is a woman in the grasslands whose nudity has never been seen by anyone else but him. And she loves him. Whenever he comes, she will be his wife!" At that time, hugging Aunt Wulan tightly, I wanted to call her ''mom''. But I held myself in afterward.


    We rode the horses and left the Wulan Manor. Xiao Qi and her sisters all felt very excited. It was indeed quite fun riding a horse on the grasslands. However, I wasn''t in the mood for all that! I couldn''t get through to Tao Gang''s phone! Then I told that to Chongxi and Lin Feng. And they found it unbelievable too. Suddenly the three of us had the feeling of getting deceived. Lin Feng said, "Could it be that Tao Gang is an associate with the Zhang guy?" I nodded and said, "I thought the Zhang guy would call us in the middle to lure us away so that he could avoid Tao Gang. But now the whole matter seems like a trap!" Then I called Zheng Shuang and asked for the address of the police station that Tao Gang served. But I didn''t tell him about what had happened here except that we didn''t get through to Tao Gang''s phone.


    After I got the address of the police station, I said to the girl beside me, "Sister, is that place far from here?" She said, "Not far. We could reach there soon." I nodded. Then we sped up. On the way, I asked her, "I passed out right away after I entered the house. What kind of drugs did you use? It was quite effective." She laughed and said, "Actually it wasn''t a drug. It was a potted plant in the house. It was a cultivated thorn apple!" Then I understood. A thorn apple might seem strange to people. But actually, its pollen was one of the main ingredients of knockout drugs. I walked into that house without any preventive measures or taking any antidotes. That explained everything! That should be the means that this pack of female bandits used to carry out misdeeds and commit crimes. The kind of punishment they mentioned shouldn''t be anything good either! They escorted us back to the hotel and left after we got the car.


    After we arrived at the police station in the county, a police officer received us. When we mentioned that we were looking for Tao Gang, the police officer asked, "He is out on a mission. Do you have anything to ask from him?" I said, "Actually, he asked us to come!" He said, "Oh." Then he asked, "When did he ask you?" I answered, "A few days ago." Apparently, he seemed quite surprised. And he asked, "Did Tao Gang call you by himself?" I said, "No. The other day, Tao Gang contacted his classmate Zheng Shuang, who serves the police station in Wu Zhong County. Then Zheng Shuang found us! I thought that Tao Gang had already told you about the situation." The police officer nodded and said to us, "Please wait a moment. I will be right back!" After a while, he came back and said to us, "We just got in touch with the police in Wu Zhong County and confirmed that what you said is true. Our director will come down soon and have a talk with you." I said in my mind, "Shit! You really didn''t trust me!" At this moment, Zheng Shuang also called me. He said hastily, "Bro, why didn''t you tell me that something happened?!" I laughed and said, "Don''t worry, brother. There is nothing that I can''t handle!"


    A moment later, a middle-aged police officer came and shook hands with each of us. The younger police officer introduced, "This is Deputy Director Zhao of our station!" Deputy Director Zhao motioned us to sit down. Hurriedly, I also introduced ourselves, "We are the special investigators sent by the special task force of the police station in Wu Zhong County. Because this case involves many things, I made a deal with Tao Gang that we investigate undercover. However, we lost contact with him..." The deputy director nodded and said, "Let me be honest with you. Tao Gang fell ill half a month ago when dealing with a special case. He went out of his mind and is being treated in the hospital now!"


    I stood up stunned and said, "That''s impossible! We have been talking to him through the phone over these days!" Then I made a detailed introduction about what happened to us these two days to Deputy Director Zhao. After knowing that, he also got stunned with his eyes wide-opened! Then he whispered to the other police officer. Then the other police officer left. Deputy Director Zhao took out some cigarettes and lit them for us. After a while, the other police officer came back with a policewoman who carried a laptop. She turned on the laptop and switched it towards us. Deputy Director Zhao said to us, "Please take a close look. Which one was the policeman that picked you up at the station?" The identification photos of the policemen scrolled on the screen. When the photo of Xiao Zhang showed up, I pointed out, "That''s him!" Deputy Director Zhao took a look and said, "He is the one who attends to Tao Gang!" Then he said to the other police officer, "Call him!" The other police officer took out his phone and went outside while dialing. After a while, he came back and said, "Xiao Zhang has been absent from his post without leave since the afternoon of the day before yesterday. He has gone missing now. And his phone is off!"


    In this case, I also started to doubt that it was the real Tao Gang who spoke to us on the phone! I stubbed out the cigarette between my fingers and said, "We won''t be able to find him! Apparently, he took advantage of the chance of attending to Tao Gang and got access to Tao Gang''s phone. Then he contacted Zheng Shuang through Tao Gang''s Wechat and lured us here. Then he picked us up in the station in Tao Gang''s name, brought us to that hotel, and realized his goal in killing us by another''s hand!"


    Deputy Director Zhao stood up immediately and said, "That is too exaggerated!" I said, "Deputy Director Zhao, from the life experience you have so far, do you know how many contacts your colleagues have in their Wechat, what kind of friends they have, what jobs their friends have, where their friends are from, and what relationship they are in?" Deputy Director Zhao blurted out, "Are you saying that this is a premeditated scheme?" I answered, "Yes!" Although this scheme of killing us by another''s hand seemed simple, it was in fact otherwise. To realize it, this guy needed to know that Tao Gang had a friend who was a police officer in Wu Zhong County and were also friends with us. People now often use an alias instead of their real names on Wechat. Therefore, he also needed to find out which Wechat contact was Zheng Shuang. Not only that, but he also needed to know about the hotel environment and the bandits'' operation. I suspect that there are spies among the bandits! Apparently, Xiao Zhang had been keeping his eyes on Tao Gang for a long time. And he was not enough to scheme such an action on his own!


    Obviously, Deputy Director Zhao didn''t get what I was saying. He was in a daze. After a long while, he said, "The police in Wu Zhong County have capable brains! You are young and promising! Your way of thinking is better than mine. You must have graduated from a famous police training school!" I made a fake cough and said, "Ahem. We are not policemen. And we didn''t graduate from a police training school. We are just assistants for Zheng Shuang. That''s why we are special investigators." Now he felt embarrassed, cleared his throat and said, "Right. I know that there are also private detectives."


    I shook my head helplessly, took out my phone and dialed Aunt Wulan''s number. I went to the corridor and said to Wulan in a low voice, "Aunt, investigate the woman who has a relationship with the policeman whose surname is Zhang and send me her profile!" Before I hung up, Wulan said, "No need for the investigation. She has already run away since you showed up. My people are searching for her everywhere!" I said, "Okay" and hung up. When I returned to the room, Deputy Director Zhao asked me about the status. I answered, "They absconded." I thought for a moment and said to him, "Could you tell me about the case that Tao Gang was in charge of, and how did he get sick?" Then Deputy Director Zhao started to tell us about the bizarre case that Tao Gang handled...

 Chapter 70 See You There

    A month ago, a housing estate resident made a report to the local police, saying that there was a foul smell coming frequently from the house downstairs of his. It was Tao Gang who performed the task. He asked the residents around there. And according to the information provided by the neighborhood committee, the house owner had moved to Beijing. The person who lived there now was a tenant and had stayed there for half a year. He was a middle-aged man and a loner. No one had ever seen any visitors of his. At that time, Tao Gang knocked on that door and found there was indeed a foul smell in the house! Something was being cooked on the stove. Tao Gang took a look at it but couldn''t figure out what that was. So he questioned the middle-aged man, "What is in the pot?" The man answered, "It''s meat!" Tao Gang asked again, "What kind of meat?" The man answered, "It''s not human meat!" Seeing that this man was perfunctory, Tao Gang didn''t say anything more.


    After opening the fridge, Tao Gang found a lot of raw meat, but he couldn''t tell what it was. Then he asked the man but got nothing. He was at his wit''s end! Therefore he said to the man, "Someone made a report to us that the smell in your room is affecting other resident''s lives!" Unexpectedly, the man replied, "You can''t consider me as law-breaking just because I don''t cook well!" Seeing that this man was evading his questions, there was nothing Tao Gang could do. Then after Tao Gang handed in the report, he fell ill all of a sudden. He looked absent-minded as if his soul were lost.


    After hearing that, I stood up and said to Deputy Director Zhao, "Can we pay Tao Gang a visit?" He said, "I happen to need to see him too. Let''s go together!" Before heading out, I said to him, "You should send someone to investigate the emergency call. If what I guessed is right, the call should be from a copied card. The owner of the original card didn''t know!"


    After we met Tao Gang, I checked his pulse and said to Deputy Director Zhao, "What he has is not a disease, it''s a black art. Someone has cast a spell on him!" Then without asking for Deputy Director Zhao''s consent, I brought out the calabash gourd right away, took a mouthful of water from it, and spat it out on Tao Gang''s face with a puff. He came to his senses immediately, took a look around, and asked, "Where am I?" Seeing that, the others all felt delighted! The other police officer who came along held Tao Gang''s hand, and explained to him.


    The doctor around also came over and asked me, "What medicine is that? It was magical..." Before I could answer, someone rang Deputy Director Zhao''s phone. Deputy Director Zhao answered the call, and after he heard a few words, he said, "I see." Then he took me to one side and said, "My colleague just told me on the phone that they have found the card owner from the emergency call. It turned out that someone had indeed copied his card and made the fake report! How did you figure that out?" I laughed coolly and said, "It''s simple. They had aimed for Tao Gang since the beginning. They needed to know when Tao Gang would perform a task after receiving an emergency call. Therefore they had planted an agent inside the police station. And the reporter must be their man too! When they needed that call, there''s no chance that they would count on a stranger to do it! If what I am thinking is right, the policeman who attended to Tao Gang volunteered to take care of Tao Gang!"


    Deputy Director Zhao nodded and then asked, puzzled, "But what is all of this are for?" I lit a cigarette, laughed coldly, and said, "Of course they are looking to take me down!" Then I told him about what had happened in Wu Zhong County and the connections between these cases. And I said, "The members of this cult in Wu Zhong County were wiped out by me. Then they wanted to take revenge. However, because they were not familiar with the environment in Wu Zhong County, they had to rack their brains to make a scheme and lure me here. The man had lived there for almost half a year. But why was there no foul smell coming out before? It explains that they had already started to plot since they made the foul smell! It was a scheme that was elaborated designed and carefully operated. Each step of it was intricately woven together. And there was not the slightest error. They had succeeded in luring me here. But they failed to make the final effort when they tried to have me killed by another''s hand. However, they must have a plan B or even plan C! This is a challenge to me. As the arrow is fitted to the bowstring, it must be released. I can only accept the challenge! And I hope that you can support me, Deputy Director Zhao!" Deputy Director Zhao was quite straightforward and said, "How can I help you?" I answered, "Take me to take a look at the room with the foul smell. If I am right, the tenant has already made his get-away!" Deputy Director Zhao said, "Sure!" Before he could say more, Tao Gang came over, held my hand, turned around and said to Deputy Director Zhao with a requesting tone, "Let me come along?!" Deputy Director Zhao nodded his head.


    On the way, I revealed the real occupation of the three of us and explained the reason why Tao Gang was spellbound. Because these cult members practiced black magic, the three of us who had supernatural abilities stepped in. Deputy Director Zhao was an experienced police officer. Apparently, this wasn''t the first time that he encountered a case like that. So he said right away, "We will let the professionals do the professional jobs! Rest assured. You will have our full support to help you solve this case!" While we were heading to the place, I started to recall. This scheme had already started the moment Zheng Shuang saw the picture. In this way, I walked right into their trap by calling Tao Gang forwardly, telling him to pick up the calls in a crowded place, and letting him know our undercover investigation. I was a complete fool in their eyes.


    Seeing that I laughed ironically, Deputy Director Zhao asked me, "Is everything okay?" I felt embarrassed to tell him the truth, so I dodged the question. On the way, Tao Gang was driving, and we were sitting at the backseat. At this moment, there were only Deputy Director Zhao and Tao Gang who were from the police station. Apparently, Deputy Director Zhao was more at ease. Then he asked me, "Erm. Xiao Yan, wouldn''t it be too cursory if you said that a piece of charm revealed a child trafficking case?" I shook my head and said, "If they didn''t lure me here, that''s indeed cursory. However, the situation now is totally different. What the cult did was a reprisal to me." I understood what he really meant to say. Although he said that he would let the professionals do the professional jobs, he wasn''t convinced and might even presume that we were frauds. However, he didn''t dare to say that to us for the sake of the police in Wu Zhong County. I liked to be straightforward, so I said directly, "If you don''t believe me, you can tell me, Deputy Director Zhao. It''s alright." Hearing this, he smiled awkwardly, which proved that my guess was right. He said, "I have been working for many years. There were many strange cases. But we are the police after all. It''s indeed quite difficult for me to know that we are not only dealing with humans but also spirits and ghosts, this is..."


    I chuckled and said, "This is common. There are no others in the car. Tao Gang is Zheng Shuang''s old schoolmate, and you are his leader. How about I prove this to you..." Then I took out a charm of Divine Sight and put it on between his eyebrows. After I said a pithy formula in silence, the charm burned into ashes automatically. He opened his eyes and looked at me with a confused face. I motioned him to look at the backseat. The moment he turned around, he shouted, "Oh my!" and got so shocked that he almost bounced. Six women were sitting in the backseats squeezing with each other. Xiao Qi waved her hands playfully at him. And Xiao Si who was murdered by hanging did a crazier move - She stuck out her long tongue and made a face at Deputy Director Zhao! Deputy Director Zhao got even more scared and almost passed out. Then he said repeatedly, "I believe you, I believe you!" I looked back, glared at Xiao Si accusingly, and said, "Why did you scare him! Stop showing your ugly face!" After hearing that, Xiao Si got grumpy and made a face at me too. Her tongue was so long that it stretched out to my face! Then she showed me the white of her eyes. And her whole eyeballs were white!


    Deputy Director Zhao got dumbfounded at the side. Apparently, he believed it now. He asked me, "Xiao Yan, these ghosts, who are..." I explained hastily, "Oh, don''t be afraid, Deputy Director Zhao. She was just messing with you. She won''t hurt anyone. Because they all died violent deaths, they don''t look good. That''s why they tried to scare you." Deputy Director Zhao asked with a trembling voice, "Did you bring them here?" I nodded and said, "Yes. They heard that we were coming to Inner Mongolia and wanted to tag along." Although Tao Gang was driving in the front and couldn''t see Xiao Qi and her sisters, he could understand that I wasn''t lying after seeing that even the deputy director got so scared.


    Tao Gang laughed and asked me, "Brother Yan, don''t the novels say that people like you always conceal themselves? But you don''t seem like you''re trying to hide your powers." I laughed and said, "Right. We do conceal ourselves. But ask Deputy Director Zhao to share what he had seen today after you go back to the police station, and see if there would be anyone who would believe that!" Tao Gang laughed and said, "Cast a spell on me too. I also want to see supernatural things!" I said, "No hurries. Drive well now. I will let the six of them come home with you tonight. Then you can have a close look! Each of them died in a different way. I guarantee that you will see various appearances! Tomorrow you can tell me which one you like, and I will act as a matchmaker for you!" Tao Gang shivered at once and waved his hands to say no. I looked to the six sisters at the back and said with a cheeky grin, "Don''t be shy. They are all big girls! Well, Xiao Liu is a good girl! She is honest! It''s just that she died with her wrist cut open. Therefore she is a bit too white. But don''t be upset!" After hearing that, Tao Gang shivered again and said, "Brother Yan, please stop making fun of me!" The three of us and the six of the sisters all burst out laughing.


    We reached the housing estate and found the apartment. Then we knocked on the door for quite a while, but no one answered the door. I pushed the door, and it opened itself. Tao Gang was still on guard while I swaggered my way into the room. In the room, there was a piece of rice paper on the table written with a sentence that said, "Murong Shiyan, lucky for you! If you dare, see you at the next stop!" I grinned, took up the brush pen at the side, and wrote down, "See you there!" on the back.

 Chapter 71 The Tracking

    Lin Feng, Chongxi, Xiao Qi, and the others walked up to the table, looked at the word that I wrote, and laughed. Tao Gang and Deputy Director Zhao did a search of the house, but they couldn''t find anything. The rooms were all empty without any hard evidence left. Then Deputy Director Zhao sent someone to collect things like fingerprints. However, unexpectedly, there was no trace of the suspect in the whole house!


    I took up the rice paper, folded it, put it in my pocket, and said to Tao Gang, "Do you know the reason why that man replied to you with weird and short sentences when you questioned him?" Tao Gang said, "I have no idea!" I said, "The reason was that he was the man who called the police. He made a copy of the phonecard of his neighbor from upstairs and called the police. In fear of being recognized by you that he was the caller, he had to control his speech!" I took out the cigarettes, handed one to Tao Gang, lit it, and then said, "This case has been a scheme since the beginning. There was a spy in the police station who tipped him off on when you would arrive here. Then he called the police knowing that you would come. When you were at the house, he cast a spell on you. After that, Xiao Zhang volunteered to attend to you, by which he got access to your phone and contacted Zheng Shuang!" Deputy Director Zhao asked, "What should we do to support you?" I answered, "Nothing for now. Keep your phone online. When we need your support, we will contact you!" Deputy Director Zhao said, "Okay!" I shook hands with him and said, "See you!"


    After we said goodbye to Deputy Director Zhao, we drove to the east, found a gas station, filled up the tank, and headed out to the outside of the town. After we left the county, I pulled out the calabash gourd, put the rice paper on its opening, and said the incantation. Then the Bee Scout came out. Lin Feng asked me, "Can you see the Bee Scout in daylight?" I said, "It''s okay. My spirit sight can see the direction of its aura!" In this way, I drove following the Bee Scout. It flew quite fast. But compared to the speed of the car, it looked very poor. Our car drove at a moderate speed.


    As we drove, the road started to get narrower, and the environment became more and more bleak and desolate. On the way down, Chongxi fell asleep already at the backseat. Although the road condition was terrible, he still managed to sleep like a baby. What a carefree bloke he was. Gradually, the grassland around became more and more sparse. Although the field was still green, the height of the grass ahead became shorter and shorter. Lin Feng muttered, "It feels like northern Shaanxi."


    After this kind of landscape lasted for dozens of kilometers, an outline of a mountain showed up in the distance ahead, and green plants started to thrive. When we drove closer, we found that there was an area full of glimmering water. It was a reservoir! When we reached the road around the lake, the landscape became better. Seeing that the Bee Scout flew to the lake, I took out the calabash gourd hurriedly. I withdrew the Bee Scout into the calabash gourd before it flew too far. We wouldn''t be able to follow it if it flew far into the lake! While we were driving along the road, a grassland resort came into view! We found a 24-hour parking lot and parked our car. We asked around and were told by the locals that the edge of the reservoir was about a dozen kilometers ahead. Over the hills, there were no signs of human habitation. The east side and the south side were cliffs. And there was no road in the east. On years with high precipitation, the water would flood over the hill and run down the cliff on the east side. The reservoir was built based on the terrain utilization here. This year was a year of low precipitation. The east side of the hill was a wild grassland. If we wanted to go east, because the cliff on the east was a dead end, we needed to climb up the cliff on the south side and then head east through the grassland on the southern foothill. After we asked for directions, we geared up and set off.


    It was not yet past 10 a.m. The grass on the grassland down the cliff was quite tall. Although there was no water, judging from the variety of grass, there should be stagnant water before long. The weeds were tall and full of dew. We all got water on us. Luckily our outdoor jackets were of high quality and breathable but waterproof. Then we reached down the cliff. The cliff wasn''t very steep with some trees and protruding rocks that we could use. Climbing up there should be easy. The three of us spread out in a distance of 30 meters and started climbing at the same time. This way we could avoid hitting each other with the falling stones trodden down by the one above.


    Lin Feng was the fastest climber, and Chongxi was a bit slower than me. Halfway through, we sat on some rocks to take a break. We didn''t think that the cliff would be so high before we started climbing. We looked up from time to time during climbing, but we didn''t seem to be moving up! Although our legs felt weak, we had to hold on straight to the end. Therefore none of us complained! It wouldn''t help even if we did. From a distance, I saw Lin Feng getting close to the top. Then I quickened my pace. Suddenly, I sensed a shadow skittering from afar!


    I gazed up at it. Shit! There was an eagle heading towards Lin Feng as quick as a flash. I called out, "Brother Lin, look out! There is an eagle!" Lin Feng turned his head and found that the eagle was swooping down. He lowered his head unhurriedly. And the eagle roared past over him! Then it adjusted its angle and prepared to attack again! At this moment, without a second thought, I held on to a tree with my left hand, took out the calabash gourd on my right side, uncovered it, and rapidly spoke the Imperius Curse. With a black gale, the spirit of the eagle was drawn into the calabash gourd. Then I hastily put the lid back on. The eagle suddenly fell off the cliff from which it was hovering around. And with two bumps, it dropped down! I said in my mind, "That was close!" With great strides, Lin Feng climbed up to the top of the cliff. I shouted to him, "Brother Lin, look out for us. If there are any more eagles, let me know in time." After that, the two of us hurried our pace and climbed up!


    Logically speaking, under this circumstance, there should be an eyrie on the cliff. The eagle attacked us because it wanted to protect its chicks from getting hurt. That''s why it would proactively attack a target nearby. There should be another eagle around if one showed up. Therefore I must climb up to the top faster with a better pace. With Lin Feng and I to distract the eagle, Chongxi would be safe! While getting closer to the top, I found that the wind was quite strong, whizzing around my ears. It gave me a cool feeling though!


    After I reached the top, I took out the calabash gourd in haste. Then I got so busy looking for the other eagle that I didn''t even take a rest. Lin Feng was encouraging Chongxi at the other side, who was panting as heavily as an air bellow. I felt quite weird that there were no signs of another eagle all around! Let alone the eyrie! Perhaps... The eyrie was hidden well! After Chongxi climbed up to the top, we three sat on the top, resting and drinking water! After a short while, we started to smoke. Thanks to my windproof Zippo lighter, we got to light the cigarettes. None of their lighters worked in such a strong wind.


    We had a discussion and decided that although our target was in the east, we were not heading east. Looking distantly, the landscape in the east was yellowish, which implied that there was a water shortage. If there was no water, we might not hold on for long because we didn''t bring enough water. What was even worse was that a place without water was a place without animals. Our chance of finding food was also small. Therefore, the southern foothill that the locals mentioned should be where we should go after we went downhill! It was almost noon. We had some solid food and headed downhill.


    Before we moved, we had a look at the lie of the mountain and the plant distribution, predicted which direction would have a river, and then we headed downhill. The hillside was gradual. But my legs still felt weak. I should have exercised more before I hiked. I wasn''t strong enough! When we almost reached the foot of the hill, we found a creek. Although it was a small one, it was flowing water. The water we brought was already half gone. But we didn''t throw the bottles away. I told them beforehand to keep the bottles. And even if there was water during the journey, we shouldn''t drink it directly. Because if anyone of us had stomach pain, that would be serious! After walking along the creek for a while, it had become wider. We looked into the distance, and there weren''t any villages. We knew that we had to stop. Then we sat down to have a rest and discussed how to last the night!


    We made a camping plan. The first step was to find wood, which was a piece of cake for me. The pine trees around were not too tall and branched out before they could grow as tall as a human, which was to our use. We put some logs on the top of a few small pine trees and covered them with pine needles. We didn''t need it to keep out the rain, just the dew. In the direction where the wind came, I also hung some pine needles to shape a bevel. After that, I picked a piece of wormwood and said to them, "Take a look at the plant and pick some more of this!" Chongxi asked, "What is this plant? It doesn''t smell good!" I told him, "This is wormwood. They can repel mosquitoes! You don''t like them, neither do the mosquitoes!" After we collected enough wormwoods, I told Chongxi to find dry pine branches and Lin Feng to whittle some sticks. Then I started to cut off some yellow roots from the trees growing at the side of the creek. Lin Feng didn''t understand what we were doing. I told him, "Follow my instructions, and you will see it soon!" After I got the roots, I separated them, attached a few strings to them, and made a few sets of traps that could catch birds by tangling their feet. Then Lin Feng and I made a few fishing traps, caught some locusts, removed their feet, and used them as bait. The last step, we twined some wormwoods on the pine branches and also spread them on the ground. And we made a fire in front of the little cabin we built. Now, we could finally sit down, have a cigarette and take a rest. While we were talking, I spalled some wormwood, put them into the bottle with water, and boiled them. Chongxi asked, "You want to drink this?" I answered, "Some people in the south do cook them for food! But the reason that I boil it is to help us repel mosquitoes after sunset. After it boils, we cool it down and apply the water on our exposed body parts."


    Xiao Qi laughed sitting at the side and said, "Shiyan, where did you learn all these tricks? That''s almost like a Man vs. Wild episode!" I said in my mind, "You also know Man vs. Wild?"

 Chapter 72 The Wolfpack

    My knowledge of outdoor survival skills could only be attributed to my childhood life when I was young. I remembered full well that the National Studies Institute was built only after I began schooling. Before that, my parents and I were nomads who moved around the world. Many a time I had wondered how my father was able to finance our never-ending trips that would have bled most people dry of their wealth. What was more, my parents were frequently deep in the wilderness to help solve paranormal incidents. Living in the wild enabled me to learn survival skills since a very young age and it had become one of my strengths! At present, I could easily survive in the wild for two or three months without a lighter!


    I related more of my past to everyone, including the Sisters; and everyone was stunned, their arms hanging loosely at their sides with disbelief. Xiao Liu, ever so gentle and docile, gasped, "Incredible! You are indeed your father''s son!"


    We waited until it was evening, and I went to check the snares that we laid. Not only the snares were empty, but they also appeared to be totally untouched! I felt a stab of disappointment as I dragged myself towards the river, hoping that the eddying waters would at least provide us with a meager bounty for dinner, lest we have to starve tonight. Still, an inspection of the fish traps proved to be equally fruitless. We divided what was left of our ham sausages and bread between us and ate them to stave off the pangs of famishness. With nothing left to do, we made ready to retire for the night. We applied more wormwood juice unto ourselves and coiled some of the wood weed around some of the kindling before consigning them into the fiery tongues of the burning fire. The fire consumed everything that we tossed in with comparable hunger as the scent of the wormwood began to slowly flood our campsite, driving away any mosquitos...


    When we woke up the following morning, the soreness and fatigue we felt yesterday were but a memory! I got up and first went to have another look at the snares and found nothing. Enduring the redoubled weight of despair, I dawdled to the fish traps and discovered four meaty catfishes! We were so filled with glee that we were dancing around! We were having barbequed fishes for breakfast! We cleaned the fishes and ran them through with sharpened poles we had fashioned from branches! Before long, we huddled around the sizzling fishes and breathed in the enticing aroma of our breakfast! Since then, the three of us would always go for barbeque whenever time allowed us such leisure and indulgence!


    We finished our breakfast and began packing up, continuing our trek southbound! I did not forget to first dismantle the snares that I had installed. There would not be any use for them once we were gone! Then I went to the river and disassembled the fish traps and, last but not least, put out the fire, which was one of the most important safety precautions in the wilderness. We hiked out of the mountainous region and reached a clearing filled with trees and forests by the side of the river that coursed from the foothills of the range. We plowed waist-deep through the tall grasses and underbrush as the morning dews droplets on the plants spawned wet patches on our pants as we moved on. Suddenly, we heard a long feral howl! A literal and blood-curdling call of the wild! It was the summons of one of the most feared alpha predator in the wild that triggered a cascade of responding howls! Frozen by shock, a word loomed in our minds as we realized that they were: Wolves!


    Immediately I understood: we had been moving from the north all these while without noticing that the mountain winds must have carried our scent into the valley! The wolf pack had not attacked us when we were close to the denser parts of the copse in the glen. Instead, they waited until we ventured into the clearing where the woods were considerably less thick and more suited for their assault! Damn! How could I have overlooked this! On our right, the river channeled straight ahead while the wolves howls'' came from the left. They were trying to use the river against us to surround us and cut off our exits! We could not move further anymore; the waters of the rapids would get deeper and deeper and we would even lose our one last chance of escaping when the wolves close in on us!


    In a blind panic, I began looking around, anxiously searching for ideas when my eyes fell upon a strong and large cottonwood tree opposite the river. "Can you see those beards of lichen hanging from the tree opposite?" I asked Lin Feng, "Do you think if you can use your rope-dart to coil around and grab hold of a bunch of them?" "What do you mean..." Lin Feng asked hesitantly but he began to see my plan. "We''ll swing over the river!" I replied, confirming his thoughts. Without another word, Lin Feng ran nearer to the tree to have a closer look. He made a mental estimation and took out his rope-dart, swinging it over his head for two rounds before tossing it forward. The dart zipped over the river and coiled around the bearded strands of the tree as Lin Feng yanked his rope-dart hard, causing the dart to grapple and clamp tightly. With a few steps to gather momentum, Lin Feng swung over the swirling rapids and reached the other side. He clambered upon the bough of the tree and made sure that his dart was strongly fastened before tossing the other end of his rope dart across the river, crying loudly, "Catch!" My arm reached up and I caught the rope, staggering a few steps back before I too reached the other side as Yuan Chongxi followed suit later. Finally, we heaved a breath of relief. Just then, from our side of the river, the grasses at the opposite stirred and rustled, as if declaring with fear the arrival of our predators. The air filled with hungry howls and ravenous snarls; the wolf pack had arrived. They would have surrounded us if we had lingered opposite earlier! The pack of wolves came closer to the river, looking over the water, eyeing us intently with their feral and insatiate eyes; their fearful and blood-thirsty countenance sending shivers and goosebumps all over us!


    At the other side of the flowing waters that seemed to have provided us security, we patted each other¡¯s shoulders for comfort. There was no need for fear even in times of panic, I told my companions and we began moving downstream.


    But a foreboding dread made me turn my head to look at the pack of wolves, and I was just in time to see a wolf, the leader of the pack, racing towards the river and bounded off the edge of the banks! With a splash it plunged into the rapids, almost reaching the other side! The next thing we saw was his sleek black head tossing against the churning water as it paddled frantically to reach our side! The rest of the pack followed suit; they leaped as far as they could and braced themselves as the horde of predators all crash into the whitewater to follow their chief. Wolves could swim! How could I have forgotten that! Yuan Chongxi screamed to Xiao Qi, knowing that we would never be able to outrun the animals, "Xiao Qi! Are you not the ghost of a drowned woman! You''re adapted to water! Stop them before we become ghosts ourselves!" The spectral figures of Xiao Qi and the Sisters hovered above us as Xiao Qi spat, "That''s easy for you to say! How do you expect me to single-handedly hold off an entire pack of wolves?!"


    The whole pack of wolves was across the river now, creeping closer to us inch by inch. Lin Feng extracted one of his darts that I noticed, despite the hectic situation, that it had a blue tail. A poisonous dart! Lin Feng would never have used such ruthless methods unless forced to! I had never believed that Uncle Quan would have given these to him! This could only mean that Brother Lin was out of options, I realized. Lin Feng aimed at a wolf which had crept to spitting distance from him and threw something at it with his left hand, only to be evaded by the wolf! It was not only fast and agile, but it could also read our maneuvers! But it did not realize that it was a feint: what Lin Feng had thrown with his left hand was only a stone! The wolf was barely able to react when Lin Feng''s right hand hurled his poison dart that pierced the neck of the savage canine. The wounded mutt scampered off, howling in pain before it staggered and collapsed. Its leg shook violently for a second before it was completely still. But to our horror, the rest of the pack threw themselves at its carcass and began devouring its remains voraciously like sharks in bloody waters! Realizing our chance, we ran as quickly as our legs could carry us. But our relieve was short-lived: it appeared that the carcass was hardly enough to feed the entire swarm of predators! If anything, the short, grisly feast was merely an entr¨¦e to a larger and more appetizing banquet: us!


    Desperately, Lin Feng let loose another poison dart and another fell. Unlike humans, the carnivorous canines did not learn from their comrades'' mistakes. The sequence repeated for a few more times and I began to notice that the numbers of wolves pursuing us were dwindling! Could the rest of them have stopped chasing us when they had their fill of food? I muttered my suspicions to Lin Feng who refuted my assumption, explaining that the poison that he applied on his darts were a special and fast-reacting concoction that would quickly enter the bloodstream of its target. It was more than likely that the rest of the pack had been poisoned after feeding on the poisoned ones of their own! But there was another bad news, Lin Feng revealed. He had brought only six poison darts, and he was quickly running out! Panting as he ran, Yuan Chongxi still managed to scoff, "Damn, Brother Lin! Are they not prohibited?" Keeping up his pace, Lin Feng replied between his breaths, "I did not bring these myself. I had tied my weapons to Shiyan''s sword for him to summon the entire bundle to us. But when I tore my weapons off the Shiyan''s sword when we got off the plane, I found that my father had quietly included these poison darts into the array of weapons I prepared!" And indeed, it did not take long for Lin Feng to completely exhaust his supply of poison darts, while we were too spent to run anymore. But there was still half a dozen of them behind! I looked at my companions, and decided that there was no other way. "I have no other choice but this then!" I yelled.


    I extracted my calabash gourd and ripped off its stopper. I recited a spell, the Curse of Despoiled Souls, and all six of the wolves fell lifelessly to the ground. With the magic that I would normally refrain from using, I had relieved the wolves of their souls and had stored their souls in my gourd. It was a spell that would cause instantaneous death! Yuan Chongxi shoved me weakly, "Damn! Why did you not use this spell earlier! I was so close to wetting my pants!" I could see that he was heavily drained from the ordeal as I patted on his shoulder. "Even you should have known, my simple-minded brother, that this is not a magic that one could lightly use without suffering heavy repercussions from Heaven! It is hateful to take lives, as you should already know. I would not have used this magic if not for the fact that we were but a mere hair''s breadth from dying! I''m not my father! He can be kind and friendly in one second, but he can also become alarmingly brutal and callous in the next! This pack of wolves would have not been completely wiped out if they had retreated earlier!" I turned to Lin Feng and said, "So, your poison will also kill the wolves that ate the poisonous carcasses?" "No, I think," he replied, "Considering the size of these predators, they would at most be incapacitated for a few days with foam running from their mouths. Their bodies will expel the toxins on their own if they survive and they will be completely fine in a week!" "Very well," I said, "Let us rest and feast on what we have here!" The mention of food had never failed to renew Yuan Chongxi with drive and energy as he said offhandedly, "Let me handle them. Wolves are no different from dogs! Hahaha!"


    We kindled another fire with dry firewood we collected around us; the endeavor only served to aggravate our cravings for food! We roasted a wolf leg each on the fire and watched with interest as the meat broiled over the fire! I jabbed at Yuan Chongxi, joking that we should not overeat, lest we would not be able to run if we were attacked again, and that earned a guffawing laugh from everyone. But quickly, our laughter subsided as quickly as the tide as I muttered quietly to Chongxi, "So, you even know how to slaughter a dog..." "I have been following my mentor even before I was a boy. We were but penniless vagrants, moving from town to town, not knowing when will the next meal come. It was common in those days for me to steal, more so when it comes to stealing and slaughtering dogs for food..."


    We dismissed the melancholic recollections and joked happily with each other as we gnawed at our meat when we suddenly heard the sound of galloping hooves approaching us! We were not alone, and our intruders were in greater numbers! Like a wind, the riders charged towards us!

 Chapter 73 Edelweiss

    The sound of horses in the distance galloping nearer caught us off-guard. The Sisters all cowered behind us; for reasons I knew not why, it was said since ancient times that the sound of horse hooves battering on the ground could frighten ghosts.


    I stretched my neck for a better view. The horse riders were all armed with semi-automatic rifles! First, we had eagles, and then wolves, and now, a band of armed brigands! "What awry luck we have! Has Inner Mongolia had always been so ravished with turmoil?" The riders rode past us only to suddenly double back. They yanked at the reins of their horses when they were near, and one of them called, "Is it Master Murong?" It was a woman, I realized. I stood up. "I am he!" The rest of the riders turned their steeds and drew nearer to us. It was the female thief who had tried to escape with my bag; one of Ulan''s henchwomen! The riders dismounted. "Why are you three here?" the henchwomen asked. She went to her saddle and retrieved a water pouch. She handed it to us, which I took gratefully and took a gulp before Yuan Chongxi had another swig too. I offered one of the roasted wolf''s leg to her and said, "Are you hungry? Do you want a bite?" The female riders looked around and noticed the wolf carcasses strewn on the ground and their eyes went wide! "My god!" one of them cried, "You''d encountered wolves?"


    "The pack is quite large," I replied, smiling, "There were about tens of wolves altogether! For quite some time they had pursued us, and we were forced to kill them all when they left us no choice!" The female brigands looked at us with disbelief. Nonchalantly, I lighted a cigarette and changed subjects. "Where are you going?" "The chief has realized that this could be a plot against you, and hence we were sent to hunt for the traitor!" The henchwoman admitted. "You should''ve asked me!" I said. "You know where she is?" "Not yet. But it won''t be long till her trails are found!" I said, while calling for Yuan Chongxi. "Come divine for me the location of the woman now, Brother," I said to Chongxi. He made some calculations and said finally, "Ah, that''s weird. We''ve missed her! She''s at the mountain lodge where we parked our car!" "That''s easy!" I cackled and turned to the henchwoman. "Please get your sisters to bring along the dead carcasses on your horses and come with us to the mountain lodge. Together, we''ll nab the perfidious duo!"


    We traveled back to the mountain lodge and Lin Feng went in to collect the car. With the carcasses still slung over the horses, we waited outside. There could be wildlife or animal sympathizers who might find the sight of the carcasses distasteful; or worst, some who could be overtly sanctimonious might exploit the opportunity to create havoc, professing to advocate and champion the cause of protecting wildlife. I, for one, never liked such self-righteous and hypocritical jerks. In fact, I''d like to see what would they do when faced with a hungry and savage pack of wolves themselves!


    As Lin Feng went inside, we waited at an obscure corner outside, huddled together as we began chatting to kill time. "What''s your name?" I asked the leader of the bunch who replied to me that I could just call her Ala for short. "Your chief is called Ulan, and you''re Ala? What do your names mean in Mongolian? Are all your names normally so short and simple?" "No. The chief''s full name is Ulan Qiqige and mine is Alatan Qiqige!" What? I did not catch her clearly. Aladandan... Tage? I gasped quietly. I could make nothing of the gibberish that she had just so effortlessly muttered to me. "My name means ''edelweiss'', the flower," she said. Our conversation was cut short; Lin Feng was driving the car slowly out of the compound and came to a stop near us. "How do you intend to catch them both? Where are they?" Edelweiss asked. "That''s easy," I remarked, "Just wait here. The couple that we are waiting for us will come to our car on their own, and we''ll have them!" "I know you have mysterious powers," she scoffed, "But surely this is too ludicrous for us to believe to be true!" I made no reply, merely smiling quietly. I made some hand signs and signaled Xiao Si and Xiao Wu who were lurking behind Yuan Chongxi. I slipped some quiet instructions to the ghostly Sisters and they drifted into the lodge, sniffing out the trails of our targets. The Sisters would be able to recognize imposter who had pretended to be a police officer, since we had met him personally. Flushing out his female companion would also prove to be a piece of cake once the imposter was apprehended. The Sisters would scour the lodge for both of them and possess their bodies before slowly walking them out to our car!


    Edelweiss and the rest of the riders stared at me with the same look they would cast upon a raving lunatic. They did not know what I was doing, watching blankly as if I was babbling incomprehensibly to no one. From their early schooling years, they have been exposed to learning Mandarin; but they heard that I was neither speaking Mandarin nor Mongolian, and hence they were all puzzled at my seemingly-deranged behavior. They did not realize that I was speaking in the speech of the dead to convey my instructions to the Sisters. But I paid them no heed, focusing instead on trying to tame the spirits of the eagle and wolves that I had captured. These were the souls of ferocious beasts of prey with a fiery streak! I would not be able to bend them to my will without some work!


    In my young age, I had trained bees and birds for fun; the bees being the Bee Scout that I had put to use with great efficacy. But domesticating the spirits of wolves and eagles were of another difficulty entirely! To use magic and sorcery including curses or spells, we require the use of mana, or spiritual energies as my father used to call them. Taming the spirits of wolves and eagles which were ferocious and vicious would require a great store of mana, while my own spiritual powers would have to be strong enough to intimidate these spirits into utter submission otherwise everything would be for naught.


    Being similar to the spirits of birds that I had tried before, the spirits of eagles would still be manageable, as long as I exert more mana. But the same could not be said for the wolves'' spirits, which I have had zero experience in handling before! In no time, the spirit of the eagle had finally looked to me as its master, but the spirits of the wolves had been doggedly unyielding. It took me countless attempts, at long last, I finally subdued only one of the six wolf spirits. I would need more time to go one by one until all of them surrender. But without insufficient mana, my mind was so weary and spent that I nearly fainted when I had finally tamed my third wolf spirit.


    I decided to call it quits, at least for now. This was my limit, I mused. Unlike my father, who could have easily pummeled these spirits of the wild into whole-hearted compliance and obedience even without the use of the Spirit Gourd, I needed to rest to replenish and restore my mana and vigor! I lighted another cigarette and took a respite, only to realize that Edelweiss and the rest of her companions had been watching me intently. I shook my head lightly and smiled weakly, embarrassed at being observed like a specimen under a microscope. Fumbling bashfully, I offered them cigarettes, asking them, "Do you smoke?" The women were hardly timid; one after another, they emptied my box and they began puffing in the corner with the smokes rising like mists in the midst of snow-capped mountains. There was still no signs of the Xiao Qi and the rest of the Sisters, and I began talking to Edelweiss. "Urm... Edel... weiss..." I choked; I was still finding it hard to address the Amazonian woman with the name of a flower so gentle and soft. Edelweiss was in a cheery mood, a complete reverse to the glum look she wore when she was trying to steal my belongings. "What is it?" she asked. "This might seem a little boorish, but how old are the lot of you?" It was commonly viewed as a discourtesy for a man to ask a woman of her age; but if they felt annoyed or displeased, Edelweiss certainly made no indication of feeling so. Her companions began to speak up frankly, reporting to us of their ages, "Seventeen, twenty, eighteen..." Huh? I thought quietly. You should be in school or university! Yet here they were, being robbers and brigands even at such a young age! "What about you?" I eyed Edelweiss, asking her. She smiled. "I''m the oldest of the girls, like a big sister to them. I''m twenty-three."


    Twenty-three? I nearly blurted with disbelief, because she was in every way a thirty-three-year-old woman to me! But I kept the thoughts to myself, trying my best to hide my surprise for the fear of annoying her. I feigned a cough and gasped, "Ahem ahem... But you hardly look your age, you look young." Edelweiss smiled and said nothing. In fact, the girls were far from ugly and hideous; the harsh weather and daunting living conditions of surviving in the grassy wildlands had made them into the muscular and strong female warriors they were. We continued talking as we continued waiting, and our conversation strayed to the matter of Aunt Ulan and Edelweiss revealed that Aunt Ulan was also a brave and stout person to have founded and built up a paramilitary force of brigands of such magnitude and strength with her own estate and assets. Her reputation preceded her across the surrounding regions; the notorious ringleader of a band of female highwaymen! Their entire organization did not have a single male!


    The girls too were interested in the matters between their chief and my father. Slowly, our subject wandered to my mother. One of the girls said, "Heh, Brother Shiyan. What do you think would happen if the affair between your father and our chief were to reach the ears of your mother..." "Relax," I said, waving her off vainly, "It would not be as you have imagined. My father is the dictator of the family. The authoritarian of the house whom my mother has never failed to defer to even for the simple matter of dinner." "Why is it so?" the girl asked. "I don''t know myself," I said, my shoulders shrugged helplessly. "Whoever holds the strongest power calls the shots, I guess," I remarked, sending a ripple of laughter into everyone. We waited for another hour, finally, the figure of Officer Zhang and a woman, now dressed in Han Chinese garb, walked slowly towards the car. They meandered stiffly to the cars, as if in a trance with a blank look on their faces, opened the doors and sat inside quietly.


    The female brigands were all shocked beyond words! Edelweiss raised a quivering finger, pointing at them, and she was unable to speak as she looked at me! Her stunned expression nearly made me laugh! I waved at everyone, signaling to leave! With the riders leading the way, we followed behind and slowly traveled back towards Aunt Ulan''s encampment. It was a semi-developed territory with real and actual houses instead of traditional Mongolian yurts.


    Aunt Ulan saw me when we reached her encampment. She hugged me and lifted me off my feet, spinning in a circle as if I was really her son. Edelweiss came to her and reported her success. Aunt Ulan noticed the carcasses on the horses and asked, "You were attacked by wolves?" "Not us," Edelweiss replied, flashing a thumbs-up approvingly, "The three of them were attacked by a pack of tens of wolves. But without having firearms and horses, they had emerged unscathed and had killed the entire pack of wolves! What''s more, I had just witnessed how he caught the traitor without moving a finger! It was truly spectacular indeed! Like a proud and remarkable eagle of the wild!" "This is the son of Murong Hai. He is blessed with extraordinary pedigree and stock!" Aunt Ulan declared, beaming proudly. "The son of yours too!" I quipped modestly, grinning. I remembered something and turned to Lin Feng. "These wolves were not poisoned by you, no?" "Don''t worry," Lin Feng replied, "These wolves were not poisoned. The ones poisoned had long collapsed and were far behind. But it would not be a problem even if these carcasses were poisoned. Just heat up the meat up to 70 degrees and the poison will be dispelled!" Tugging my hand, Aunt Ulan led me indoors. We discussed and decided that we would interrogate the duo separately. I called for the female traitor to be brought to me. I spat a mouthful of liquor into her face to wake her up and left her there for Aunt Ulan, while I went to another room to deal with Officer Zhang.

 Chapter 74 Officer Zhang

    Officer Zhang woke up from his unconsciousness, throwing his head around in his confusion to find out where he was. With a loud crash, he fell from his chair. I lighted a smoke and offered another one to him. With a casual tone, I said, "It has been days since we last met, Officer Zhang!" His hands trembled and the cigarette shook in his mouth. I reached over with a lighter and set his cigarette alight. "Your woman has confessed," I said, matter-of-factly, "Ah, yes! You''d do well to remember that we are now aligned with the horse bandits. There''s a lack of awareness for the rule of law here, so I''d advise that you cooperate to spare yourself from any pain!"


    Still, my words seemed to have failed to make any impression to the man. Seeing that he was not bound by ropes, Officer Zhang sprang to his feet and bolted for the door! I merely smiled and made no attempt to stop him, still remaining crouched on the ground. Officer Zhang was gleeful at being able to reach the door. But he had barely touched the knob when something dropped down before him from the ceiling that made him leap with horror as he screamed, "Oh my God! A ghost!"


    It was Xiao Si, one of the Sisters who had hanged herself to death, who had possessed Officer Zhang and led him to our car earlier. Her haunting of him allowed him to be able to physically see her for at least seven days. To prevent Zhang from escaping, Xiao Si lowered herself from the ceiling and frightened him with the hideous appearance when she was found dead¡ªher long tongue sticking out and her eyes blood-shot, while residues of blood oozed from the orifices of her face¡ªand barred him from leaving. This mischevious Xiao Si, I mused. "She has this penchant of deriving fun even during the business," I thought, as her long and slick tongue grazed on Officer Zhang''s cheek, terrifying the man even further! She waved to him and greeted him, saying benignly, "Hello there, Officer." Officer Zhang turned up the whites of his eyes, and fainted right away. Xiao Si was trying to be cute, only to have almost startled the man to his death! I grimaced at her handiwork. "Do try not to shock the man to death. I do not appreciate the prospect of having to explain his demise to Deputy Director Zhao!" Even though Officer Zhang might be more amenable to my interrogation if he was dead, I could not afford to have a murder charge hung on me.


    I retrieved my Spirit Gourd and took a mouthful of water from it into my mouth and I spit the water into Officer Zhang''s face, rousing him awake. "It''s best that you remain truthful, lest I offer you to her," I said to him, pointing at Xiao Si who was hovering behind him, "I think she likes you, you being a public servant and all that..." "I''ll confess! I''ll tell you the truth! Just don''t kill me!" Officer Zhang cried, begging desperately in his feeble attempts to catch hold of the final straws of hope and redemption...


    A year ago, Officer Zhang revealed, he was part of a raid to apprehend illegal gamblers. After arresting the gamblers and confiscating their winnings, the gamblers were questioned one by one. But, to prevent from being sentenced harshly, none of the gamblers would dare admit to large figures! All of them lied in their statements, each trying to misrepresent the amount of money they had. The gamblers were sent for a re-education stint, and were given back the amount based on their statements. This resulted in a large pool of money unclaimed, numbering close to tens of thousands, which the policemen involved in the raid divided amongst themselves.


    This experience gave rise to an insatiable thirst for money, that Officer Zhang began volunteering himself whenever a raid on illegal gambling was conducted! Eventually, his corrupt dishonesty was discovered; a middle-aged man, as he confessed, caught him pocketing the remainder of the illegal gamblers'' pool of winnings and threatened to report this to the police. Such a complain would see him arrested, demoted, sacked, or worst, in bars! With no other options in mind, he surrendered himself to the man who began to blackmail him. But nothing of the deeds that he was charged to do by the man seemed wrong to him, hence Officer Zhang had quietly relented and did as he was told until now. It was only the recent orders he had received, that he was bidden to lure us to Inner Mongolia! Everything he did was in accordance with the demands of this man, his blackmailer! When our baggage was taken by Aunt Ulan''s henchwomen, he went, as he was bidden to, immediately to Aunt Ulan''s fields where he met with his lover. But they had just rendezvoused when they saw a sight that horrified them: not only Yuan Chongxi was not thwarted or killed, instead, he had defeated the women he pursued, and he had coerced them into submission, forcing them to carry him on a makeshift litter. Realizing that their plans had backfired, the abominable duo understood that we were beyond the abilities of Aunt Ulan''s band of robbers to handle.


    In his panic, he made touch with his overseer and reported of his failure before he and his lover made a forlorn attempt to escape... What was his name, I asked Officer Zhang and he said he was merely identified as Zheng; a man named Zheng who was allegedly the ringleader of another band of brigands that camped at a stronghold called the Black Dragon Keep which was hundreds of kilometers to the east from where we were. Officer Zhang professed earnestly that that was all he knew. So even the wide and clear steppes of Inner Mongolia could be shrouded by such a pall of conspiracy, that even horse bandits feared neither law nor order!


    Understanding everything finally, we ended the interrogation. I went to Aunt Ulan and spoke to her. "Do you know of the Black Dragon Keep, Aunt?" I asked her and she said, "We would not have become horse bandits ourselves if it was not for them. For many years, they have plundered and pillaged our lands and livestock. They have as good as forced us to a wall when we had decided to fight against them, steel versus steel! For years, we have been in constant strife with them!" "Have you ever thought of leveling their stronghold?" "They are strong. Not only they have great experience and wisdom, but their stronghold is also strong and sturdy. We lack the means to bring down its walls!" "I have a way!" I said confidently, to which Aunt Ulan leaped to her feet with a disbelieving "Ah!?". "In my interrogation of the police officer, he mentioned that he had made contact with his blackmailer when he saw Chongxi''s triumph in subduing your girls before he fled. That was all that he saw, and it is something we can exploit to the fullest since his master had failed to glean more information of what had transpired here. You can begin leaking news, saying that we''re poisoned and drugged, and are in captivity here..."


    Aunt Ulan''s fist hammered hard on the table as she exclaimed, "Good!" Her outburst startled me that I nearly leaped in my chair. The fact that she remained a bandit had nearly slipped my mind! What a fiery temperament!


    Finally, we had our belated respite. We expected no further movements at least for the next two days. I looked at my watch and decided to make a call to Zheng Shuang for an update, since the hour was still early. I told him of our present developments and reassured him that we would ensure a satisfactory conclusion. The matter had escalated to one of a personal feud which I would personally make secure that all loose ends would be tied up. Zheng Shuang understood the gist of my message; the matter was beyond any conventional methods to manage now, and it could only be resolved internally¡ªby us, purveyors of arcane skills and sorcery. He would report to his superiors that the task force had been in touch with the police force of Inner Mongolia and would do all he could to provide as much support as possible if anything arises on my end. A massive cross-district operation would be launched expeditiously at my green light if the need was arisen.


    I retrieved my Spirit Gourd and took a mouthful of water from it into my mouth and I spit the water into Officer Zhang''s face, rousing him awake. "It''s best that you remain truthful, lest I offer you to her," I said to him, pointing at Xiao Si who was hovering behind him, "I think she likes you, you being a public servant and all that..." "I''ll confess! I''ll tell you the truth! Just don''t kill me!" Officer Zhang cried, begging desperately in his feeble attempts to catch hold of the final straws of hope and redemption...


    "How many, you say? I can''t remember... but mostly your mother was with me, honestly..." he muttered. I could almost see him blushing with his face burning scarlet red but that did little to dispel the question marks that loomed over me. "Mother was with you all the time? Why didn''t Aunt Ulan say anything about this?" I asked, only to have Father steering away from the subject, "So, how fares your endeavor there?" This could mean that Mother must have some form of enchantment on Father in order to keep tabs on him, I mused. "Don''t stray away from the topic, Father," I snapped, "Tell me, how should I deal with Aunt Ulan? I''m still depending on her and things are at a very delicate stage! It is embarrassing enough without bringing up the matter of your dalliance with her!" There was a pause on the phone before Father''s voice came again. "Well... since that''s how she views things... you can just call her ''godmother''... You''d be able to spare yourself of any awkwardness! Moreover, it is also a good thing, since you mentioned that Ulan has no child of her own!" That was immensely convenient for you, old man, I thought sourly. How would I be able to broach this subject, I wondered. But I would later find out that it was merely my own supposition, for I later found that calling Aunt Ulan as ''godmother'' was not as bad as I thought it would be, instead, it was a notion that was welcomed by everyone at her camp.


    With that, our call came to an ambiguous end. I rolled on my bed and something caught my eye: the sky was dark outside! Had we talked for so long on the phone, I reflected. Just then, a hand reached through the drapes of curtains of my door and pushed it aside. It was Edelweiss. She had changed her clothing and had her hair tied up, exuding the womanliness never before seen when we met before. She was hardly as muscular and stout as I thought she was; it was her clothing and getup that had given me that impression especially when she was on a horse. Rather, I found that Edelweiss did in fact retained charms of her own as a girl with fresh and pretty looks aside to her appealing physique; an exoticness never to be found in delicate and spoiled city girls who require extensive mollycoddling. Edelweiss suddenly realized my stares, and her face flushed with bright pink patches on her cheeks as she blurted, "The chief has asked me to call you out for dinner! You must enjoy yourself tonight, she said!" I nodded blankly at her and she quickly slipped out the door.


    Xiao Qi''s ghost appeared suddenly, lolling on my head as she said dreamily, "You''re in love with Edelweiss!" My head spun to look at Xiao San for help, who instead nodded to me intently, her eyes large and bright with certainty! I shook my head off-handedly as Xiao Qi patted my shoulder. "Then again," she said, "There''s no way a girl would be interested in a boy as frail and feeble as you! You''re nothing but a bag of bones!" I tried to smack at her ghost as how I would smack at a pesky mosquito. "What are you?" I yelled, "An amorous ghost or a drowned ghost! What indecencies!" Xiao Qi made no attempt to answer me, merely grinning at me. "Be that as it may, I am a young man twenty-plus years old of age! It is normal for me to recognize the charms of a girl! Does that mean I''m in love with her? Things are not as gross as you meant! The same could be said too if I were to stare at Xiao San, is it not?!" Xiao San turned her head away with an irate "Hmph!", as Xiao Qi peered gleefully at her...


    We left our room and found a huge pyramid of fire burned at the courtyard of the encampment. Everyone was seated around the fire and there was a wide range of food too...

 Chapter 75 Godmother

    I went to the bonfire outside, and there was the hopeless Yuan Chongxi, engrossed so deeply in another binge of food and drinks...


    Lin Feng waved me to his side, and I sat down. A girl handed him a lamb''s leg which he passed to me. "Come, Brother! I know you''ll love this!" I could not resist a smile, taking the roasted leg from him and nibbled a bite, tasting it. The rich flavor of the roasted meat tingled my senses; it was fabulous! Aunt Ulan sat down beside me, grinning. "Have some more, my good boy!" My head bobbed profusely like a little boy as I continued chomping down on my meat while taking a cup of kumis (fermented mare''s milk) from her hand. It was the first time I had tasted such a drink, which was an impressive experience. Aunt Ulan was overjoyed to see me enjoying the food. She placed her fingers to her mouth and whistled hard, and the music and revelry rose to a crescendo as everyone rose to their feet and began dancing around the fire. Some were strumming on their musical instruments, some were dancing while others were singing at the top of their voices. Waves of excited chatters and laughter broke out; the true sounds of merrymaking and jubilees!


    The meal was like a celebration gala that everyone enjoyed to their fullest! Some of the partyers began to put on a performance of skills; there were dancing and singing, and also a girl who performed horseback acrobatics while she tossed darts at a circular target-board. Unable to contain himself, Lin Feng leaped to his feet, roaring in laughter. "It''s boring to just perform alone! Let me be your partner!" He lunged into the air, and fired three successive times, releasing three darts that struck true at the bright-red bull''s eye.


    This won him an escalating round of applause and whoops! Even the girl who was tossing the darts from her horse flashed him an approving thumbs-up. Everyone''s gazes rested upon me suddenly, as if expecting my turn to put on a display now that Lin Feng had shown his skills. My head jerked around quickly, and there it was, a zither lying in a corner in this marauders'' encampment! I nodded to Xiao Qi and the Sisters, who understood my tacit instruction to move the zither to me. As the Sisters set the zither down before me, in a loud voice I said, "Unlike Brother Lin, I do not possess combat skills, for my inclinations have always been more cultural and artistic!" Unable to see the Sisters at work, everyone merely saw how a zither had hovered through the air and came to a rest before me. My fingers traced a compartment in the zither from which I extracted some tape and acrylic nails to put on myself. With a light strum to test the strings, my fingers began to glide gracefully over the strings, playing a song that would invoke memories from everyone''s mind...


    It was a folk-song familiar to most Mongolians, Swan-geese. While playing a song was hardly beyond my repertoire, I was as skillful in playing the zither as putting on shoes and socks! But what everyone did not expect, was that I could play a song that only most Mongolians know. Then again, I would not have played the song if I had the slightest doubts in my grasp of the song. A still silence lingered around the bonfire as the music filled the compound as everyone was momentarily stunned. Slowly, everyone roused from their dazed amazement, slowly beginning to follow the tune of the song that hung over the crackling fire as Edelweiss found a horsehead fiddle (Mongolian morin khuur) and began playing too in harmony with my music!


    It was rare for zithers to perform with other instruments. The dissonance between its tunes with most other instruments had always illustrated a lonesome image for zithers that was mostly played alone. But strangely, the music of the horsehead fiddle seemed to fit with impeccable consonance as I played the Swan-geese. In fact, I began to feel a rapturous and yet soothing sensation I had never before felt when I played alone. The wafting melody of the Swan-geese brought peace and timelessness to the night as everyone focused on with silence. Finally, at the end of the song, our performance was very much to the raucous delight of everyone, once again restoring mood of the feast back to its boisterous splendor. I showed a thumbs-up to Edelweiss, who smiled back in return.


    Next, everyone looked at the obtuse Yuan Chongxi, who merely giggled daftly, saying, "I''m afraid I have nothing to show; I know nothing else but eat and divine fortunes." To maintain the momentum of the festive mood, I tossed a finger at Yuan Chongxi and barked loudly, "Your daft look is already variety in itself!" He was stunned to bewilderment at my remark, only to burst into laughter seconds later. Everyone erupted into guffawing fits at our shenanigans, as I wondered if I might have the potential to be a comedian.


    The jokes and banter continued by the fire, and a figure approached me. It was Edelweiss, who had come with some liquor. "This is my gesture of apology," she said, "For the disrespect a few days ago!" I raised my glass to her. "Don''t mention it!" I downed the glass first as a sign of respect, only to find that she had already emptied her glass, staring at me. Damn, I thought. So, the rumors that the women of the wilderness could drink like a fish were true after all! Just then, Xiao Wu''s ghost flitted by leisurely, and a whiff of her Yin energy sprouted into a miniature ball of flames, ignited by the swelter of the bonfire. Yin energies produced green flames when flaring up. A little green ball of flame popped just before Edelweiss who immediately leaped with fright in a rare display of her feminine traits. "Ah! Why is the fire green in color!" she yelped. Her squeals attracted the attention of some of her other comrades, whose gazes lingered briefly around us before they went back to their chatters and merriment when nothing was worthy of note. Edelweiss eyed me suspiciously, expecting me to bear the answers to her doubts. I raised my shoulders in an awkward little shrug and smiled weakly. "It''s nothing, I said, "A ghost had just passed by and caused a small sliver of flames to turn green. That''s all." Edelweiss'' eyes enlarged widely, and she let out a loud "Ah?". I waved her down, signaling for silence. "Don''t worry," I said, "There''s nothing to be afraid of. They''re on our side. They only want to have fun, and they would let nothing to get in their way in their quest for enjoyment. There''s no stopping them." "They?" Edelweiss nearly screamed, "How many are they here?" I snickered. "There is me and my two companions, with six ghosts accompanying us. The six of them were so bored that they pestered to come along when they heard that we were coming here. How else did you think the gun was ripped off your hands a few days ago?" Our conversation was cut short by another string of girls who came with glasses of liquor for me. One after another I drained the glasses in successive gulps, earning exuberant cheers that praised my ability to drink!


    One after another, everyone came to have a toast with the three of us. At length, I slipped away at the earliest opportunity and made my way towards Aunt Ulan. "A toast," I announced loudly, for the benefit of everyone present, "To my mother!" Aunt Ulan was so surprised that she could barely react. With disbelief in her quivering voice, she asked, "Wh-what, what did you just call me?" I heaved a breath and bellowed loudly for good measure, "You''re my godmother! Mum!" What I just said rang deeply within her ears and her mind, as tears trickled down her face. She struggled against the overwhelming emotions, gasping with her trembling voice, "Good!" We raised our glasses in a toast and we emptied them in a single swig. Everyone was also stunned by my sudden outburst; even Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng were dazed, not knowing what had happened. But with my loud declaration of "Godmother!", the entire encampment broke out into a huge uproar of elation...


    The fireside merrymaking went on until the wee hours of the morning when I began the feel the hangover getting over me. I looked around and found Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi already collapsed on the ground, with one asleep on the lap of the other! I sighed with exasperation and slid down on the soft grass, breathing in the scent of the fresh Inner Mongolian meadows as sleep whisked me off quickly...


    I was certain that I had hardly slept for more than a few minutes when a hand shook me awake. I found myself already in a room. Quickly, I dragged myself to wash myself up. I asked for the time, and the girl who roused me reported that it was already in the afternoon. I thumped myself on the head in a failed attempt to numb the throbbing headache. "There has been an outsider who had just came," the girl reported, "I think they''re here because of you." The sudden news brought me to my senses, immediately dispelling off any lingering lethargy that dulled me. I rushed out of my room and immediately stormed into the main hall where I found my Godmother alone. A person had come earlier, requesting to meet with Aunt Ulan while introducing himself as a broker for the Black Dragon Keep. The man was here to offer a parlay on the Black Dragon Keep''s behalf to discuss a possible deal. But my godmother had refused to meet him. Instead, she relayed a message, saying that the broker was hardly qualified to make deals with her! The man was barred from entry and he was forced to leave the camp. I nodded as I listened to her recounts. "We''ll talk only when that sniveling Zheng shows himself!" She hissed, much to my agreement.


    Another few days passed until a middle-aged person came to the gates of the encampment, demanding to meet with Aunt Ulan! He declared himself as Zheng Tong, the ringleader of the Black Dragon Keep and was accompanied by a few of his guards. Godmother arranged for them to meet at the hall, where they made their introductions. Zheng Tong first expressed his regrets at the purported misunderstanding between both parties which had culminated into the ceaseless strife between them and revealed his purpose here to offer a deal that would warm relations between them. There were rumors that Aunt Ulan had laid hands on rare commodities that he would wish to trade for, he admitted, and hence his arrival today to request for a price offer!


    "So we look like a bunch of haggard beggars to you, Master Zheng?" Aunt Ulan growled at him. Zheng Tong chuckled vilely before answering, "I have come upon a shipment of goods from Russia not long ago. I wonder if you might be interested in them?" He passed a small shipping manifest to Aunt Ulan who pored through it briefly. These were all weapons and ammunition! Smuggled arms! "The goods seems satisfactory," Aunt Ulan remarked simply. "With your assent, I''ll be pleased to have the goods sent here to barter for yours. We''ll go through the inspection there and then. How does that suit you?" "Such ''favorable'' terms? We do not need to deliver the goods to you?" Aunt Ulan remarked sarcastically, with a distinct hint at the word ''favorable''. Zheng Tong gave a short, wicked chortled. "Heh heh heh! I have only the utmost faith in you, Lady Ulan. But this boy..." He gestured at me and continued to say, "His father, Murong Hai, is a famous medium whose powers and abilities are even beyond our comprehension. Surely I cannot be responsible if anything ill were to befall upon his son lest I have to suffer his wrath. Then again, there is the concern of the boy''s skills with tricks and wizardry, if you were to handle the delivery and word of your errand escapes this camp. This is a risk that I cannot bear!" "Very well then, since you are so concerned with security, we''ll do it your way: you will bring your shipment of goods with you and I will allow you to inspect mine. But I will not be answerable to anything that happens after the trade!" Zheng Tong cackled insidiously and replied, "Of course, of course!" "So when do you wish to commence the trade, Master Zheng?" Aunt Ulan asked. "Tomorrow then! Is that fine?" Zheng Tong suggested and Aunt Ulan replied curtly, "Very well! Tomorrow it is then!"


    I waited until Zheng Tong had left, and instructed Xiao Si and Xiao Wu to run a sweep around the camp to make sure there were no invisible spies around before I returned to the hall. "So, what are your thoughts about tomorrow, son?" My godmother asked me. I flashed a sinister smile and muttered, "Let''s turn the Black Dragon Keep into the Black Loaches Keep!"

 Chapter 76 Invasion

    We were alerted by the arrival of a line of oxen-drawn wagons that waited outside the encampment at nine the following morning. Each of the wagons was carrying a large crate, and the convoy was led by the agent who had tried, and failed, to secure an audience with Aunt Ulan. "The goods are all on the ox carts," he said, "Feel free to inspect the goods, Chief Ulan!" Under orders from Aunt Ulan, some of the girls carefully pried open the lids of the crates and inspected the rifles and boxes of ammunition. Still wrapped in oil papers, the guns could be seen glistening with gun oil when the wrappers were peeled off! Satisfied, Aunt Ulan barked some instructions to her girls, ordering them to begin hauling the crates into the camp, but the agent came to her and stopped her immediately. "Wait!" he cried, "You can take the goods, but not the crates!"


    "What nonsense is this?" Aunt Ulan glared at him indignantly and earned the agent''s hesitant answer, "I''m afraid this is my employer''s explicit instruction, that the goods are yours for the taking, except for the crates. The three persons that my employer wants are to be put into the crates and caskets are to be nailed tightly shut," said the agent, before adding proudly, "Surely Murong Hai would least expect his son to be transported using these crates!" "Your employer is a shrewd man indeed!" Aunt Ulan hissed bitterly through gritted teeth. She yelled to her subordinates, "Very well! Bring them out!" Out we came, the three of us, all with our hands tightly bound and our mouths gagged with pieces of cloth. The agent made sure that we were properly restrained before commanding his people to put us into the crates before nailing them shut. He gave a curt bow to Aunt Ulan and said, "It''s been a pleasure doing business, Chief Ulan. Farewell!" With that, he gave the word for the convoy to begin moving away.


    We kept silent during the rough ride in the wooden crates, in which the tight space we were trapped in was a rub of salt for having to endure the bumpy journey on rough terrain. With Xiao Qi and Xiao San squeezed together with me like sardines in a can, we could only hope for the journey to end as swiftly as possible. "What a devious scheme that bastard is capable of thinking," Xiao Qi spat and said, "It''s just too crammed in here!" We lost track of time half-way through, feeling only unseen hands grappling on the side of the crates as men began unloading us off the carts, signifying the end of the ordeal. The wooden caskets that contained us were laid on the ground and we heard the shuffling of boots and shoes before light shone in when the curved end of a crowbar wrestled open the crates.


    A gust of dark wind burst from within the caskets when they were opened, releasing the six Sisters into freedom! My companions and I were lifted from the box and had our gags removed. A hoarse voice with an insidious onset spoke, "My apologies for the unpleasant ride. I had thought that the son of Murong Hai might be an immortal with many limbs and heads like the gods we see in temples. But here we have demons! Three demons, in fact! I do not have any Ocular Magic that allows me to see the supernatural like the Spirit Sight your kind have. But my extensive experience tells me that what escaped from the box just now was dark and foul energy! Heh heh heh!" It seemed that the man did not notice that the dark energies that flowed out of the boxes were actually the Sisters! Then again, this was exactly the outcome that I had hoped for!


    He held our chins and studied our looks before guffawing in laughter. "I had intended only for the son of Murong Hai," he croaked, "But little did I expect that Heaven would send me the disciple of old senile Chen as an incentive! Hahahaha!" He motioned one of his men to come forward, and a burly and beefy man with a thick mane for a beard came forth. He wore a red bandana on his head, barechested, with a tray in his hands that contained an assortment of knives and torture instruments. I realized who the man was: an executioner and an interrogator. The man with the hoarse voice croaked, "I am Zheng Tong. This shall be your end; I will have you flayed alive! This is the retribution for what Murong Hai has done to my father, in addition to Senior Yan, the First of the Thirteen; Sister Hu, the Thirteenth; as well as the Third, the Fourth, and the Fifth of the Apostles that are now under arrest! So shall our dues be reckoned today?"


    Zheng Tong''s father was a man called Zheng Haoshan; a man of pure evil during the heat of the Cultural Revolution. Widely notorious in another name, the Living Yama, Zheng Haoshan was infamous for having imprisoned a soothsayer from a clan of prophetic origins and tortured him incessantly in order to learn his skills. When the soothsayer had outlived his usefulness, Zheng Haoshan had him killed and disguised the poor man''s death as a suicide! In a time where only chaos and lawlessness prevailed, the poor soothsayer was one of the countless deaths that had occurred during the era of upheaval and anarchy.


    This was the very same Zheng Haoshan from Old Man Chen''s past during the Revolution. He did not achieve any position within the government when the Revolution came to an ignoble end, instead, he became an atrocious gangster known for terrorizing the locals of nearby villages. Cheating, mugging, blackmail, and so on; there was no end to the extent of his barbarity. The woeful state of the countries economy following the revolution had driven many farmers and peasants to resort to home manufacturing of stone and mortar shelves and coffins. But the loathsome reprobate, through intimidate and force, made the peasants sell their wares through him. This allowed him to fleece the peasants for a fat slice of their profits!


    During the huge earthquake in Tangshan in 1976, many people from nearby villages and towns lost their lives that day. To Zheng Haoshan, this was a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity that he could exploit to make more money. There was an old man, whose family name was Liu. He lost his wife in the earthquake and went to Zheng Haoshan, looking to buy a casket to bury his deceased wife. Due to the fatal calamity that had claimed many lives, Zheng Haoshan began raising his price aggressively. Without much money, he could not afford the cost for a mortar casket, so he asked his brother, a carpenter by profession, for help. Liu asked his brother to salvage any materials usable from the wreckage of his home and his brother made him a wooden coffin! Liu was a veteran from the civil war, hence his stoutness and hard-headed pragmatism. When his brother was called to take up arms against the United States in the Korean War, Liu said to his brother, "You know nothing of fighting! You''ll only go to your death this way!" Hence, despite having retired from the army since the Communist Party''s defeat of the Kuomintang force, he volunteered himself in his brother''s stead where he served with distinction, earning himself much acclaims and praises from his superiors, with plenty of medals and decorations as testaments and relics of his valor in battle. But he was illiterate; two of his relatives, both learned people, were promoted to high-ranking positions within the government whereas he had to return to the life of a penniless peasant. A friend once urged him to speak to his relatives and contact within the government for some help for his children, but being a stubborn person, Liu refused to accept any favors from anyone, staunch and headstrong in his beliefs that a man should live and breathe by the fruits of his own hands.


    Despite having accomplices in the local government abetting his felonies, Zheng Haoshan could not lay a finger on Liu. Embittered at not being able to teach the old man a lesson, he cursed Liu loudly, saying that his deceased wife would return as an undead! That night, Liu noticed the corpse of his wife moving. Frightened out of his wits, the old man clambered up the beams of his house and grappled to it the entire night for dear life. The poor and modest tenement he lived in had no ceiling, hence he could directly climb up to the tie beams of the roof. The entire night, he watched with horror at the reanimated corpse of his wife ambling around in the house with a deathly lethargy, sniffing for him. The old man remained up on the rafters, safe from the monster which was once his wife. The next morning, Zheng Haoshan came to the old man''s house. He looked up at the tie-beams which had been Liu''s refuge the past night and muttered another curse, "Not even the beams of your house will save you tonight!" Ridden with fear, Liu went to his brother, the carpenter, and asked for help. Their conversation was heard by a passing young man who was a person whom Liu''s brother knew. Liu related his predicament to the young man, who said to the carpenter, "It''s easy. Just carve out five peach wood swords. Just put the sword to whichever parts of the corpse that begin to move tonight!" In the night, the corpse of the old woman began coming to life again. Liu placed a wooden sword at her head which moved first, and its movement stopped immediately. Then her left arm began to jerk and he placed another sword there. In a similar fashion, the swords were placed on the corpse''s limbs and head and the corpse remained lifeless and motionless until the next morning.


    Zheng Haoshan was found dead the following day with a stake driven through him. Legends had it that traditional carpentry skills originated from Lu Ban, the patron deity for carpenters and craftsmen. But Liu''s brother was not a carpenter by family tradition, rather, his skills were learned from the carpentry production team he was part of. Hence Liu''s brother knew nothing of the arcane knowledge that ancient carpenters were trained in to subdue and suppress the foul and evil, lest eliminating Zheng Haoshan would have been but only a simple feat.


    I could hardly resist the compulsion to erupt into laughter at the end of Zheng Tong''s tale. "What a fitting death for a man whose hands were drenched in blood!" I yelled. "Your father reaped what he sowed! The young man who came up with the idea; that was my father, was it not? My father has shown him mercy! I would have denied your father the chance to even reborn! His soul would only be ended up as ingredients for me to brew elixirs or medicine if I had my way! Hahaha..." Zheng Tong''s face squirmed with rage. "Good! I''ll kill you now and return the favor to you!" He spat hatefully through gritted teeth. His voice had barely faded when a series of gunfire resounded outside! Shocked, Zheng Tong screamed, "Who''s firing their guns?" One of his bandits hurried through the door. "Bad news, Boss! Ulan''s band of brigands are attacking!" "What about our men in the bunker? What are they doing?" Zheng Tong gasped, hardly believing what he had heard, as he overcame his shock and roared with anger, "Are they not holding the defenses? Why are they not firing back?"


    Knowing that it was our cue to act, I gave a loud snort as a signal to the Sisters. With a "Crack", the ropes that bound us snapped and fell loosely to the ground. Everything was nothing but a ruse to bide for time! The ropes that barely fell to the ground, when Lin Feng hurled himself and delivered a powerful kick that sent Zheng Tong crashing to the ground. Zheng Tong collapsed to the floor, nearly blacking out at the force of Lin Feng''s blow. The bandit next to Zheng Tong barely had time to draw his weapon, when Lin Feng''s whip thrust at him like a lunging snake baring its fangs! There was a deafening crack, and the bandit''s gun was thrown to the ground. Yuan Chongxi and I had not been idle; I cast forth my sword once I was free, and my sword drew a deadly arc, slashing mercilessly at the executioner as his blood spattered the ground with him screaming in pain. Yuan Chongxi took a knife off his tray and plunged it into his belly before releasing him, allowing him to fall backward. I made another attack to Zheng Tong and set my sword on him. The sight of my sword filled him with panic and fear, and Zheng Tong immediately bolted towards a little door to his back. He disappeared through the door, shutting it behind him quickly as my sword hacked at the door, nearly cleaving it into halves. We gave chase, entering through the door and reached a dark passage. After several twists and turns in the tunnels, we came to a half-opened stone door, where we saw the figure of Zheng Tong slipping through the gaps of the door before it closed, completely sealing off the entrance! There must be a mechanism behind the door that allowed Zheng Tong to seal off the door for good! The passage and the stone door was his means of escape in an emergency!


    We doubled back to the main hall, dispatching as many of the bandits as we could as we made our way to meet up with Aunt Ulan''s assault team. The Sisters were instrumental to the success of the invasion. Zheng Tong had mistaken them for dark and foul energies emanating from us when the crates containing us were opened. When he was busy in his tale, it was the Sisters who had helped to defeat the brigands from the inside and the hidden sentry post outside, paving the way for Aunt Ulan''s team to attack the fort without suffering much opposition. Later when we had completely taken the fort, we had a small banquet there in the main hall to celebrate our triumph. One of the henchwomen suggested that Aunt Ulan move her headquarters here and Aunt Ulan whispered to me, asking for my opinion. "Even though his defeat today could be retribution for the atrocities he had wrought, we cannot deny that his utter defeat was a matter of Fengshui. This fort hardly on a strategically-superior position especially if the invaders know what they are doing. There will be much to do if you intend to convert it into your headquarters, lest you''ll suffer the very same fate as he did!" Aunt Ulan nodded to me. She ordered some of her henchwomen to guard this fort as an annex of the main encampment for now, while most of the resources and supplies would be moved back to the main camp. We returned with her to her camp where we lingered for two days. Zheng Tong had his fair share of plundering and pillaging the locals; so much that it took three days for his supplies and bounty to be completely transported back to Aunt Ulan''s camp!

 Chapter 77 Possessed

    When we went back, we began discussing the possible places that Zheng Tong might have escaped to. But the surrounding regions were nothing but a desolate no man''s land; miles and miles of barren wastelands where no one could survive. An urgent call for help would also require at least a day or two for the police to arrive from the nearest station.


    I shook my head helplessly, looking at Yuan Chongxi, who looked at me too. I could see that he too loathed Zheng Tong very much, since his teacher had suffered a tormenting ordeal at the hand of Zheng Tong''s father. "Zheng Tong''s father, Zheng Haoshan, was the one that had caused great pain to my teacher!" he muttered bitterly, "The suffering that he bears even to this day, was also that evil monster''s handiwork! But I do not think Zheng Tong is an overly smart and careful man. He was hardly careful enough when he thought he had us." I nodded in agreement. "He would not have been in such a pitiful state now if he was careful enough. From the story he told us about his father, my father might not even be the one who dealt the killing blow. All my father did was only a few instructions to stop the corpse from reanimating. He should have realized that, if he is intelligent enough. He should know better than to antagonize anyone who is capable of putting his father to death with such ease."


    Lin Feng came over, interjecting with a cup of kumis clasped in his hand. "So, you mean that not only Zheng Tong did not flee far away, but he is also lurking around, waiting to strike?" I nodded. "A man of such intellect like him would never appreciate that slow vengeance is never late. I''d hazard he is lying in hiding somewhere, biding his time to strike at us with the suddenness of a lightning bolt. We must be careful and be well-prepared, lest his attempts might succeed."


    We awoke in the middle of the second night following our return to Aunt Ulan''s encampment to the shots of gunfire. Clambering out of our beds and struggling against the drowsy lethargy weighing heavily on us, we heard the cries of "Fire" in the air. The frantic cries of warning helped shake off whatever sluggishness as everyone rushed to help put out the fire after a great effort. The next morning, Aunt Ulan brought us to the site of the fire: the granary of the camp. We inspected the site and found no reason for a fire to break out. That would only mean that the fire was an arson. But there were dogs and sentries manning the boundaries of the camp. How did the perpetrator slip in unnoticed? The granary was rarely opened, yet all signs indicated that the fire began inside the shed. How on earth did the perpetrator slip in? It was a mystery yet to be solved, but I could not help wondering if this was the work of Zheng Tong, even though we did not know what his true purpose of setting off the fire was.


    On another note, Lin Feng received attention from several girls, due to his valor and gallantry during the battle at the Black Dragon Keep. A flock of girls swooned around him, begging to see the weapon that was witnessed by many to look like a silvery serpent during the battle. It was his chain-whip; in the heat of the fighting, Lin Feng was dancing around like a ballerina among the enemies that tried to attack him, while his silver whip lashed furiously around him, keeping a protective berth around him while doling out damage with the viciousness of a seething pit viper. But he has the prerequisite skillfulness to wield his whip, injuring only his foes while sparing their lives. I could vaguely remember the gracefulness of his movements as screams and howls of pain wafted into the air around him. Yuan Chongxi and I were so far behind of him in the adroitness of wielding weapons; we were so crude and sloppy that we had killed. Dulled by our churning adrenaline during the fight, it was only when the battle ended, we truly realized that we had killed somebody. Our hands were trembling non-stop at the horror of what we had done. Aunt Ulan came to me after the battle, clearly not noticing my dread, and said, "You did well yesterday, my son. I was worried that you might be panicked at the sight of blood. But it seems that my concerns were misplaced." Spoken like a true mother, I mused. It seemed a tad disturbing to me that my mother-figure was hardly perturbed over the fact that I had killed someone. Enemy or not, that was a human life nonetheless. The sloppiness of Yuan Chongxi and I had caused ourselves to be tainted by the sin of murder! And our souls were tormented by what we had done.


    In the afternoon, Edelweiss, as directed by Aunt Ulan, brought us along in her interrogation of the enemy captives, the bandits of the Black Dragon Keep that survived the invasion. A good number of them had been badly injured by Lin Feng to the point that they would have to suffer disabilities for the remainder of their lives.


    Edelweiss dragged one of the prisoners to us, a man whose arms hung loosely by his sides. I gave the man a slap on his face to rouse him from his trance. "Where is Zheng Tong?" I barked, only to have the man stared at me dreamily for a few seconds before he murmured incomprehensibly, "I have had lunch..." Edelweiss shook her head in dismay, and pulled the man up to his feet before tossing him aside and went off to fetch another prisoner. The man was also dazed and lost, similarly in shock to the first prisoner. I gave him a slap on his face and asked also the same question. But the prisoner cried out loud in a streak of insanity, "For the public and community!" I too shook my head with exasperation. "What is wrong with them all?" Edelweiss asked me. "The fire last night is only a diversion; Zheng Tong had caused the commotion so that he could come and turn the prisoners insane so as to keep their lips tightly sealed." Edelweiss could hardly believe what I said that she turned to the tens of the captives with her mouth agape in shock. "How about expelling their souls from their bodies before questioning them?" Yuan Chongxi asked from beside. "Look at them," I gestured towards the prisoners, shaking my head and said, "It''s obvious that part of the seven fragments of their souls has been forcibly torn away, hence they have all lose their wits. There''s nothing you can do." "I can divine the truth with my skills!" Yuan Chongxi raised an arm to suggest like a student in a classroom. "You don''t even have Zheng Tong''s birthdate and time of birth!" I replied, my head still shaking. "I can divine his whereabouts and timing!" He interjected again, and again, I shook my head. "Do you think he knows nothing of your skills? Surely he already has measures that prevent him from being easily traced."


    The following morning, we were awoken by another bout of gunshot noises! But unlike the day before, we heard a cascade of rapid gunfire that came from indoors! I bolted out of my room and heard that the gunshots came from Aunt Ulan''s chambers! This was bad, I thought frantically. Aunt Ulan was in danger! The three of us sped towards Aunt Ulan''s room where chaos and pandemonium overspread the entire building: guards were filing in and out anxiously without revealing to us what happened. We rushed into her room and found Edelweiss coming out. She saw us coming and screamed, "I was just about to look for you! Come at once! The chief is stricken with a sickness!" "Did you notice any symptoms?" I asked. "She''s been possessed! She was screaming and howling like a rabid dog, throwing things around and destroying them! She''d even fired her gun and one of the girls was injured! No one dares to approach her now! It''s fortunate that her gun has only a few bullets in its magazine, and the rest of the girls rushed in to restrain her when her bullets were finished!" I hurried inside. Aunt Ulan looked as if she was just out of bed¡ªher messy and disheveled hair tumbled over her shoulders, and the clothes she wore were terribly rumpled and unkempt. The whole room looked like a battlefield and it still was, for a girl was wrestling against her, trying her best to pin her down! Aunt Ulan screamed wildly like a beast, her eyes blood-shot and maniacal that I even felt myself shuddering when I looked at her!


    I went forward and caught her arm to examine her pulse, and found that her heartbeat was erratic. Another check with her middle finger confirmed my findings. Taking out my Spirit Gourd, I took a mouthful of water and spat at Aunt Ulan, who immediately froze before white foams began sprouting from her mouth and she fell unconscious. I muttered an incantation and aimed the mouth of my gourd at her, but nothing! Nothing was expelled from her body! She was not being possessed by any foul spirits or ghosts! Then I remembered, my Spirit Sight had not noticed any foul energies radiating from her when I came. She was possessed, but not by ghosts or foul spirits. I examined Aunt Ulan''s pulse again; this time, her heartbeat had returned to normal. A few more minutes passed, and she finally woke up. One of the girls came hastily with some water for her while another helped Aunt Ulan up and the two girls led her off to wash up. I waited for Aunt Ulan who came back after her belated morning rituals. A girl came to her, bringing a cup of Mongolian suutei tsai (Mongolian milk tea) for her; Aunt Ulan took two small gulps from her cup and I took her hand. "How are you feeling now, Godmother?" I asked, "Do you feel uncomfortable or unwell?" "Just a little wheezy," she said, "But I''m feeling better now!" I took my leave and asked my companions to come with me for breakfast we would discuss after eating, I told them. But before leaving, I told Edelweiss to give me a call if anything went wrong and we would be back after our eating.


    Yuan Chongxi snapped suddenly once we left Aunt Ulan''s room, "Why the rush to have breakfast? Why can''t you just eat with your godmother? She just comes her sense and needs you by her side!" Lin Feng and I traded weird looks. In most times, Yuan Chongxi was dull and dumb, if not a complete blockhead. Yet now, here he was, chastising me for not being filial! Still staring at each other, Lin Feng and I murmured in unison, "Is he truly dull or not?" Then we burst out laughing.


    We laughed and laughed at the sudden change of Yuan Chongxi''s demeanor, much to his chagrin. We went back to our rooms, which were similarly constructed to the dwellings of northern China, and I extracted my phone from my pocket and clicked on my father''s number. I waited as a tone beeped and barked to my father about Aunt Ulan when the call was connected; I elaborated to him everything about the similarities between her symptoms and that of a ghost-possessed person, and the fact that I had found no ghosts or spirits present in her. What this could be, I said at the end. There was a beat of silence over the line until Father spoke, "Have you examined her pulse?" "I have. It was unstable and volatile that even her middle finger was throbbing wildly. She was restored after I spewed a mouthful of consecrated water from my gourd, the same as how ghost-possessed patients are cured!" From the other end of the line, my father''s voice came again, "Have you ever heard of the Venomous Curse of Yunnan?" The name surprised me. "You''re saying that Aunt Ulan''s been cursed?" I asked and Father, confirming my question, said, "But the caster of the curse have to physically perform the spell upon the victim in order for the magic to take effect. He has to be around." "I understand now, Father!" I said at once. With my search for inspiration complete, I ended the call and turned to Yuan Chongxi. "Tell me, my dull brother, what do you think my father would do if I were to call my father in front of Aunt Ulan?" I asked him, "Do you think he would speak to her if Aunt Ulan takes my phone from me? You know as well, that my father is an extremely shy person. Father would surely have my head if things were to go south!" Yuan Chongxi looked blankly at us following my explanation. "Leave him be, Brother," said Lin Feng, "It''s already a great improvement for him to notice that we should not have left your Aunt Ulan..."


    We finished our meal and returned to Aunt Ulan''s room where we enjoyed some suutei tsai and we discussed the recent mysteries. "Godmother," I asked Aunt Ulan, "Who is able to have direct contact with you when you sleep? Wait, I''ll rephrase: who is able to come into your room when you sleep?" "This..." she thought and answered, "the girls attending me all can." Immediately, I called loudly, "Edelweiss! Please come in!" Hearing my voice, she came into the room. "Can you tell me, who are the ones who had come into this room yesterday night?" She gave a moment of thought and replied, "I was sleeping at another room just outside. I am sure no one came in!" I paused and pondered. "The enemy still has yet to achieve his goal," I said to Aunt Ulan, "He will come again tonight! We will set a trap for him and wait!" "What should we do?" Aunt Ulan asked. "Have two lambs slaughtered. We need lambs with no horns," I said, "Skin them both and chop off their legs and ears. Stuff them with hay and shape them into mannequins like scarecrows, complete with legs and arms, before dressing them up with you and Edelweiss'' clothing. We''ll hide them in your beds tonight, wrapped in your blankets as if you are sleeping there while both of you will sleep somewhere else tonight. Assign some of your girls to us who are strong enough to ride the horse with each one of us. Have the girls armed as well and instruct them to rest now, for we need them at their best tonight!" Aunt Ulan directed Edelweiss to make the preparations quickly and quietly without causing much alarm. I took out two talismans and handed them to Edelweiss, instructing her to paste the talismans one on each of the mannequins once the decoys were ready.

 Chapter 78 Reinforcements

    When night fell, we watched Aunt Ulan''s cabin from afar, watching through binoculars for any movement. Two pieces of talismans laid in two separate ashtrays on my table. Long have we waited, until one of the talismans broke into fire, disintegrating into cinders swiftly in its ashtray before its counterpart in another tray burst into flames as well? I yanked my binoculars from the table and peered into its barrel, scanning intently on the outside of Aunt Ulan''s cabin. But everything was well; nothing outside was disturbed! I waited for another ten minutes, keeping a close watch at the cabin door. Something was wrong! I rushed out of my cabin, calling Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi to keep up, and tore across the compound towards Aunt Ulan''s cottage. We stormed through the door and turned on the lamps. I inspected the lamb skin mannequins and found a tiny blood-red dot on the decoy I had set in Aunt Ulan''s bed! The enemy was here, and he had left! But how did he came in? We had been watching all the time with binoculars!


    I collapsed into a chair and set a cigarette alight. I took a swig and began thinking. At last, I thought, slapping myself in the thigh! I extracted my Spirit Gourd and released a spirit wolf. "Come, let''s go!" I yelled to my companions, "Get the girls and be ready to move out!"


    My father had mentioned expressly that performing poisonous curses required the caster to be physically present; the conjurer of the spell needed to transfer the medium of the curses, which in most cases were worms, bug, or vermin, to the victim. This was mostly done when the victim was unwary or unconscious. But Aunt Ulan had guards and subordinates around her most of the time. This would allow only a limited window of time for Zheng Tong to strike, thus reinforcing my suspicions that whatever devilry he had concocted, he could only act when Aunt Ulan was sleeping. This was the reason why I instructed for mannequins to be made and our supervision of her cabin with the help of my talismans. But I had overlooked a crucial point: Zheng Tong was also trained in the arcane skills of mediums and druids; he could also manipulate spirits and ghosts of little animals, such as weasels or mice to perform the curse in his stead.


    There was virtually no way we would notice if Zheng Tong had indeed used spirits and ghosts to perform the curse for him, especially under the cover of darkness in the night. The destruction of my talisman indicated that someone, or something, had infiltrated my godmother''s cabin although we saw nothing outside. It was by a fortunate stroke of luck we discovered this early; Zheng Tong was still nearby, lying in hiding as he willed his spectral creatures to do his bidding. Hence the use of my spirit wolf; my spirit wolf had an acute sense of smell and the predator''s innate ability to see in the dark. We would only need to follow behind and my ghostly minion would surely lead us to him.


    We returned to the cabin, the scene of the crime where we, with a few of Aunt Ulan''s henchwomen, followed my spirit wolf as it sniffed for the scent of its quarry and began its chase. The moon shed a bright glow upon the Mongolian plains as we rode in the night, spurring our horses after my spectral pet eastward. With the help of my Spirit Sight, I could clearly see the gossamer silhouette of my wolf, and to prevent from being discovered, I did not stop muttering words of incantations to control my wolf from being too close to its target. Zheng Tong, however poor his skills might be, was a learned person in druidic and mediumistic knowledge. He might be able to destroy my spirit wolf to prevent it from leading us to him if he discovered. Losing the wolf would be a pity; for they were painstakingly procured by risking our lives.


    But I could see that Zheng Tong was also riding a horse, based on the speed of our movements. He moved quickly, although he was not sprinting. Slowly we remained on his scent, riding through the night that we began to see the first light of dawn beckoning over the crests in the horizon. Eventually, Aunt Ulan''s henchwomen began to realize that we were moving towards the mountains behind the Black Dragon Keep. So, the safest place was the most dangerous place, I mused. To think the sniveling Zheng Tong still lurked around the Black Dragon Keep! Still, the whole notion had me breaking out in a cold sweat. The remaining henchwomen that Aunt Ulan had left to guard the now-empty Black Dragon Keep might be in danger if we had been late in discovering Zheng Tong''s trails. He might even stand a chance of reclaiming the Keep. I sent one of the girls to travel to the Keep with one of my talismans and left her some instructions to assemble the sentries watching the Keep to move outside. They were to wait for my signal, while the rest of us continued on our hunt. The sun was almost up by the time we reached the rear mountains and we reached the mouth of a cave where I withdrew my spirit wolf. We laid an ambush outside while I quickly scribbled some instructions on a slip of paper. The paper was rolled into a tube which I tied with a blade of grass. I released my spirit eagle and commanded it to fly to the front part of Black Dragon Keep with my orders.


    The woman that I had sent to assemble the guards of the Black Dragon Keep had ridden off with one of my talismans; the talisman would allow my spirit eagle to track her down easily to convey messages easily for her to act accordingly. We waited for more than ten minutes and my eagle returned. This was merely a menial task for it; the others at the Keep should already be in motion, I thought. In the slip of paper, I had ordered that all personnel within the Keep were to evacuate and move to the top of the mountain. They were to look for all ventilation shafts and holes and seal them with whatever grass or hay they could find. This was to cut off the supply of fresh air from the tunnels leading from the Keep into the bowels of the mountains behind and flush Zheng Tong out from hiding! Without fresh air inside, Zheng Tong would be forced to come out when he returned. The height of the ventilation shafts at the top of the mountain would prevent him from doing anything. We would only have to wait for him to show himself at the mouth of the cave!


    Not losing a moment for respite, we began smoking while we waited for our prey, making full sure that everyone received my orders that no one was to fire until I gave the word.


    We had barely kept eyes peeled at the entrance of the cave for a little more than ten minutes, when Zheng Tong scrambled out of the cave frantically, breathing the fresh air outside hungrily. Much to surprise and puzzlement of the henchwomen and Yuan Chongxi, he began walking in small circles, looking lost and disoriented. What he was doing, some of them murmured. Lin Feng peered at me with a devilish grin and flashed me a thumbs-up. He had realized what I had done. "You had Xiao Qi and the Sisters cast Ghost Barriers outside the cave?" he asked. I nodded to him and said, "Not just the cave, but the entire vicinity around the Black Dragon Keep!" This earned a burst of chortles from everyone and one of the girls snapped falteringly, "Would he not hear us laughing so loudly?" "He would," I said, "But he would never be able to tell from which direction the laughter is coming from!" Ghost Barriers were a simple form of magic that ghosts and spirits were capable of to confound and bewitch their prey to disorient them and lead them astray. The bewitched person would never be able to tell direction and time, having caught in an endless loop of hallucinations and enchantments. But it did not take long for Zheng Tong to realize that he was being spellbound; he pricked himself with a knife and stripped off his pants to urinate, much to the dismay and annoyance of the henchwomen who quickly averted their gazes! These were two kind of methods to nullify the magic of Ghost Barriers, and he could use just one of them but he was using as many methods as he could come up with to free himself!


    The wicked Lin Feng reached for a pebble and fired it like a dart. The little stone smacked on Zheng Tong''s private part, causing him so great a pain that he leaped in an agonizing jolt! Not willing to tarry any longer, I gave the word for the henchwomen to fire. A cascade of gunfire echoed across the valley as Zheng Tong was shot to death. I took out my Gourd and drew his soul into my gourd with a few words of magic...


    At long last, the scourge of Zheng Tong had been vanquished. But his death would require a great deal of explanation to Tao Gang, I grimaced. Nevertheless, his death was crucial, lest he wrought even more unspeakable devilry. I gave instructions for the ventilation shafts to be reopened to restore air flow before we explored the tunnels that honeycombed the mountain. But our spelunking revealed nothing useful; the stone passages were only alternative escape routes out of the Keep during an invasion and nothing more. There was nothing inside, save for the shafts of sunlight piercing from the eaves of the caverns, illuminating the passages leading outward. I had some traps set around the mouth of the cave and we retreated back into the main hall of the Keep where we rested and had tea after the night''s ordeal.


    We just exchanging banters over tea when a sentry rushed into the hall where we were resting. The lookout at the highest tower of the keep had spotted company of more than a hundred horsemen coming towards us, and they were only about ten miles away from us. Feeling trepidation, I shot a knowing glance at Yuan Chongxi, who understood my tacit signal and began divining what was wrong. Finally, he muttered under his breath, "I do not know how to interpret this!" Exasperated, I barked at him, "Just tell me the signs you got! I''ll interpret them myself!" He showed me what he discovered and I understood instantly! What a treacherous bastard Zheng Tong was, I cursed.


    As it turned out, Zheng Tong had sent word to his allies tens of miles away from the Black Dragon Keep to make a surprise attack when he discovered that the ventilation shafts of the tunnels were sealed. Instead of realizing it was us, he had believed that it was done by the handful of guards that watched the Black Dragon Keep. The stone passage where he were hiding had no fresh air. So would the bunkers be. Without fresh air, no one would stay in the bunker, then all the fortifications would mean nothing to them.


    He scrawled a quick message and attached it to a familiar spirit he kept with himself at all times: the spirit of a rodent, which I believed was behind Aunt Ulan''s curse and the arson at the granary. Although only a small and weak creature, the rodent had had years of training itself! It sped across the grassy steppes and reached Zheng Tong allies: the Eighth and the Ninth of the Thirteen Apostle. The former was a man known as Zhu Shazhi (literally, Zhu of the Red Mole) while the latter, a man with a notorious nickname, Baosang Kui (literally, the Harbinger of Death). Both of these Apostles were not skilled in sorcery or magic, but they were extremely adept in combat and fighting, hence they were regularly involved in plundering and marauding as well as the occasional wetwork. Zhu Shazhi was born Zhu Dazhi; due to a large and conspicuous red mole on his face, there was some giving him the nickname Zhu Shazhi. Baosang Kui''s actual name was Bao Sankui; but for reason that his hometown people misread san to sing or sang to san, he began adopting his ominous sobriquet even before joining the Creed of the Eight Trigrams, suggesting that he hailed from shady backgrounds even before his prominence in the occult. The two Apostles were the scourge of the surrounding regions, each of them, with their own band of highwaymen, had their fair share of robbing and raiding any vehicles that passed by within a radius of hundreds of miles. Despite the relentless efforts of the local authorities to eradicate them, the brigands, with the help of modern technology and skills in anti-surveillance, have always been able to evade whatever measures that the authorities had thrown at them, striking and retreating swiftly with the deftness of a wraith. Their talents in remaining elusive had rendered the authorities efforts as efficacious as trying to hit a fly with a bat. Such were the boons of innovation in communication, that single phone call or message with just some secret codes were sufficient for these lawless ruffians to remain at large.


    Realizing that the enemy could reach our gates at any moment, I summoned one of the guards immediately. "Is there any way of communication with the main camp?" I asked her. "Handphones have no signal here. We rely only on carrier pigeons to convey our messages. We have a fresh stock of pigeons just delivered here. We have yet to even use them!" I wrote a quick message and sent it to Aunt Ulan. In the missive, I left her some instructions on what we needed and we began making gearing up on our own as I reminded everyone that no one was to fire their weapons without my green-light.


    End of Volume Three

 Volume Four Provenance --- Chapter 79 The Return

    With my two companions, Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi, and Aunt Fen''s six ghostly Sisters, I set off on a journey into Inner Mongolia; the trip, disguised as a travel tour, was in fact a crusade to investigate and eradicate the remnants of an evil cult, the Creed of the Eight Trigrams.


    Little did we realize that this was an elaborate ruse to lure me into a trap! Not only did the mastermind of the whole episode, a man called Zheng Tong, harbored hatred towards us three; moreover, he had a father called Zheng Haoshan, whom my father had slain for the atrocities he had committed many years ago. Zheng Haoshan joined the Creed and became the Seventh of the Thirteen Apostles of the diabolical order. He was hell-bent on enacting vengeance on me, having armed himself in a surplus of druidic and mediumistic sorcery in addition to shamanistic venomous curses that had caused us a string of troubles.


    During the course of our adventures, we encountered a former "paramour" of my father''s, a woman called Ulan, whom I promptly acknowledged as my godmother. With her a band of her henchwomen, we hunted and finally caught Zheng Tong, shooting him to death in the end. But we did not realize that it was hardly the end of our adventures in the north, but merely the turn of a page, as we found out that another band of brigands, consisting of more than a hundred men, were galloping menacingly towards us, with the intent of laying waste to the Black Dragon Keep where we now took refuge.


    The advancing company of robbers and plunderers were under the impression that the defenses of the Keep were badly undermanned, I noticed, for they rode up to the slopes towards the portcullis of our fort brashly. They stopped before the gates and dismounted, slowly walking up the rest of the journey. I waited until they were close and gave the signal to fire. A string of gunfire erupted as everyone fired their rifles and the machine guns at the arrowslits of the ramparts disgorged a flurry of lead that reduced the invading army into shreds. The enemies were surprised by our ambush and more than half of their number were lost in only the first skirmish! With their mouths belching foul words of curse and profanity, the two Apostles led their company in an ignominious retreat and regrouped at the foot of the hill. I hissed instructions to the rest of the henchwomen, urging them to not fire unless needed to. We had to first observe and watch and adopt a careful defensive approach.


    At the foot of the slope, the two Apostles did a headcount and realized the hefty loss they suffered. Driven to rage by the deaths of their men, they were set on maintaining the siege. But the blood vendetta was hardly enough to overcome their fear of our firepower. There they remained, dawdling with indecision at the bottom of the hill, without knowing what to do. I had expressly ordered everyone to refrain from firing their weapons to maintain the facade that we were having strong firepower despite being outnumbered. Without proper experience in battle and warfare, the brigands would never be able to truly divine our strength. But our resistance was enough to hold them at bay, at least while we waited for reinforcements. The two Apostles might even be cursing the Seventh for the wrong intelligence, I mused. The siege was now at a standstill, with neither side eager to make the first move. To the Apostles'' and the brigands'' dismay, what should have been a quick and decisive blitzkrieg had turned into a battle of attrition! Our wait endured until noon, when lookouts at the parapets reported of dust clouds rising on the horizon. Aunt Ulan''s reinforcements had arrived! But their arrival was also noticed by the Apostles; a sentry had alerted them to the coming of more enemies and, quickly, the company of marauders broke camp and galloped away hastily.


    Aunt Ulan was leading the charge when she rode through the portcullis of the fort. "Did you prepare the things as I asked you to, Godmother?" I asked as she leaped off her horse. She gave a curt nod and muttered a "Yes". "But I do not understand," it was her turn to ask, "Warhorses are always strong stallions capable of traveling fast and far. Why do you need a lactating mare?" Her remark made me giggle. "Do you know why Genghis Khan was so victorious whenever he fought, Godmother?" I asked, "His horses. I have noticed that the brigands were all using horses of Western breeds earlier. Their horses have great acceleration, allowing them to traverse great distances in a short time! But this is also the weakness of Western horse breeds; they function well only in short and quick skirmishes, but they are less useful with their poor stamina in battles that require endurance! Heh heh heh!"


    With my advice, Aunt Ulan instructed everyone to immediately eat and bring adequate rations of water. The chase would begin soon!


    I released my spirit eagle and we followed closely behind as our hunt for the Apostles began. For two hours we rode, finally, we found the company of brigands resting from afar. With blinding speed we swooped upon them, firing our weapons as we charged at our unwary foes. Our enemies scrambled to their feet and clambered up their horses, although many of their number fell. In a flash, they were gone, leaving the corpses of a good many of their comrades behind.


    We made camp that night, and carried on with our pursuit at first light. For miles and miles, we chased behind the company of brigands. But they seemed to be afraid of leading us to their stronghold, making endless circles on the spanless prairies, hoping to wear us out. Gradually, I noticed that the brigands fire their weapons more and more sporadically. This could mean that they were running short on ammunition, I realized. I kept a close eye on the remaining force they still had as our side managed to reduce their number at every skirmish and the brigands, now beginning to weaken, had to leave their dead behind. By the third day of our hunt, many of the bandits began collapsing from their horses; their steeds, now wearied and spent, could hardly gallop further!


    Although lactating Mongolian mares did not have the explosive speeds that Western breeds often boasted of, they were more able to travel at great distances with their stronger hardiness and excellent stamina. Moreover, the Mongolian mares could also be used as milk animals to satisfy our hunger, eliminating our need for a supply line. The enemy came unprepared; they had initially believed this to be a short but victorious assault, hence they came with no supplies and ration, putting themselves in a severe disadvantage that we ultimately exploited to the fullest. The Eight and the Ninth Apostle fight to the end; when they were finally surrounded, they hid behind their horses and put up a last stand so gritting and valiant that we could not approach them without risk being wounded ourselves. We peppered rounds and rounds of machine gunfire around them, forcing them into cover and I released Xiao Qi and the Sisters. They flew behind the enemy''s lines and possessed the two Apostles, forcing them to crawl out of hiding. The two Apostles were shot like dogs, as the henchwomen that came with us fired their weapons without mercy, emptying their ammunition into the two villains like target practice. When our work was done, I took out my Spirit Gourd; I had been collecting as many of the brigands'' souls as possible, and this was the final bunch available.


    But when Xiao Qi and the Sisters returned, I was being pelted by projectiles of another form: curses and angry admonishments; they were angry for the pain they felt when the villains were being fired open when the Sisters were still possessing them. But the manner of their own deaths was many times more agonizing and gruesome compared to these two men, I thought sourly as they continued venting their annoyance.


    We took no part in the closing stages of the strife between the warring factions of brigands in Mongolia later after the final battle. Aunt Ulan took her henchwomen with her, sweeping the strongholds of two dead Apostles. She pillaged and plundered what she could and effectively solidifying her dominance across the lush wilderness of Mongolia. But we, on the other hand, had other obligations: a report to Tao Gang and his superior, Deputy Director Zhao. We contacted them and gave them a lengthy report about the fates of Zheng Tong, and the two Apostles, masking the entire conflict as simple bloodshed between different blocs of belligerent brigands and highwaymen, sparing them both of the intrigues and mysteries that might baffle their mundane minds. This was also to spare any more trouble for my godmother and me, who could be implicated as a purported accomplice or worst, an adjunct ringleader of a band of Amazonian highwaywomen. What was more, both Yuan Chongxi and I were still hardly over the fact that we have killed. It was a peace that we would have to seek on our own while making our own penance.


    But Deputy Director Zhao and Tao Gang were not fools nonetheless; they obviously noticed that the bloody battles waging in the Mongolian wilderness were definitely more than mere conflicts driven by greed and desires. Still, they knew what we were capable of; they made no more inquiry into the matter, more than happy to see that placidity had returned somehow, at least for now. When we showed them the scenes of our battles when they came a few days later, they knew better than to delve further, only expressing their surprise and amazement at our abilities. Even the matter of the whereabouts of the remaining plunder and horses of the dead brigands were conveniently left out of the conversation.


    I would leave the discretion of how their reports were to be properly furnished to the two officers. We packed our things and returned our rented car before making ready for our flight back to Beijing. Word later came that the Deputy Director had wanted to send us off at the airport, but he slipped away when he saw the fearsome contingent of Aunt Ulan and her girls when they came to our departure at the airport. At the gates, Aunt Ulan held my hand tearfully. "Do not forget to come see me when you''re free, Son..." Aunt Ulan was reluctant to see me leave, I knew. To have a son after so many years she kept single, yet she has to send him off after only a few days of reunion. We hugged before we said our farewells; I promised her that I would return when time permitted, and I thanked her entourage of female warriors for their hospitality and we promptly walked with heavy shoulders through the threshold under the "Departure" sign.


    We collected our boarding passes and Xiao Qi''s ghost perched on my head. "Cry if you want to," she said, "There''s no need to put up a manly facade now!" Something about what she said struck like a chord in my heart, and my eyes began welling with tears. I had no craving or aspirations for a life of plundering and marauding, no more than the act of taking one''s life. But the trip to Inner Mongolia had also become a journey of self-discovery; a realization of my love for the freedom that one could feel and embody while riding on the boundless meadows of the north. Everyone at Aunt Ulan''s camp was straightforward and honestly eloquent people; a quality that would hardly be easy to find in city-dwellers.


    We boarded our flight with trails of tears slowly drying from my damp eyes. Our short flight back resumed again with another bout of our journey via the subway and train, during which I was plunged back into the hectic and busy city life; my tears fully dried as my former mindset and psyche came back to me as if a switch had been flipped. It was dark when we reached Wu Zhong County, and there were my father, Uncle Quan, and Old Man Chen waiting for us outside the train station. Apparently, Lin Feng had called ahead to tell his father of our return when I was still sulking earlier. It was odd, seeing three older men waiting for three younger juniors. Father broke into a huge laughter. "You seemed to have grown a lot, my son." Beside him, Uncle Quan and Old Man Chen each gave their son and disciple approving nods.


    We first went to Aunt Fen''s to drop the Sisters in addition to a package of beef jerky that we promised Mr. Zhang, who was overjoyed to see us return. He would have kept us longer if not for our need to leave and see to our things. Yuan Chongxi slipped off later, to meet his girlfriend, whose name we still not know, while Lin Feng went off to look for Yuanyuan. This might be how couples develop their relationship, I mused, seeing as how my companions were so eager to meet their sweethearts right after our adventure. This could be why some would say some time away could do wonders for relationships. For a string of few days, I remained alone at the Center. Lin Feng returned a few days later, allowing me to take a day off. But trouble came knocking again, just when Lin Feng was on duty, in the form of a man named Kang from a neighboring town.

 Chapter 80 Poultry Problem

    Mr. Kang was one of the councilmen of a village from Fengrun District. His mother was in hysteria over the disappearance of his neighbor''s chicken. A simple matter of a missing chicken would not have a councilman traveled so far for help; but the owner of the chicken was a shrew, a termagant with an intolerable streak of temper that would embitter anyone who would dare commit the folly of antagonizing her. She was known to everyone in the village to sit and pout at the gates of anyone who had offended her, wearing the person down until apologies were tendered and disdainfully accepted by her. As it turned out, she woke up one day and found her chicken missing. But she had not even the slightest inkling of who to look for, sitting outside her house and began grumbling that her chicken must have been poached by weasels. Coincidentally, her angered complaints were heard by Mr. Kang''s mother, who succumbed into fits of rage and anger herself. The old lady took to the streets, storming to her son''s office as she began muttering as she limped step by step, "I must speak to the village committee! How dare them! Blaming me for the disappearance of their chicken! It was the urchin of the Zhang family who had taken her chicken..."


    The old lady caused quite a ruckus that news of what she said reached the ears of her shrew of a neighbor. Now that the true perpetrator was known to her, the ill-tempered crone marched to the home of the Zhang family. With each step, she seethed with rage until she came to the house of the young urchin, who was living at his new house. He was enjoying a binge of liquor with a couple of his friends after an entire night-out at the nearby Internet caf¨¦. The house was a shambles, the bones and the rest of what was left of the chicken were still strewn around, with feathers and blood still scattered around the compound outside. The shrew reached the new dwelling of the young urchin and caught him red-handed, recognizing the blood and feathers were that of her own chicken''s. She fell to a squat outside the house and began wailing, howling her plight to whomever who would listen. Well acquainted to the termagant''s notoriety, the young rascal Zhang and his friends immediately put on their clothes and fled away. The parents of the young truant heard of the shrew causing a brouhaha just outside their son''s new home and came immediately. With the help of the neighbors and fellow villagers, the parents did their best to console the clamorous hag, finally resolving the matter after the mother of the boy rushed home and grabbed her fattest chicken and offered it to her. "The boy''s only fifteen or sixteen! Please do not mind his ill manners and mischiefs! There''s no need to fret with things which value we can easily measure!" They pleaded and begged her. With as much effort as moving mountains, the women was finally assuaged and only left when she felt she was duly decompensated.


    But that was hardly the ending of the story. The termagant began crying foul again after a few days. Her entire flock of chickens was poisoned to death this time! Doggedly persistent in clamoring for justice, the woman bombarded her protests to everyone; from the village committee to the school of the boy. She was certain that the boy was the perpetrator of the poisoning, feeling that he wanted revenge for the fracas of the stolen chicken before. She pushed her agenda to the school board, forcing them to expel the boy. But he denied flatly of any involvement, backed by the claims of his schoolmates who alibied him! Frustrated that she was not given her way, the woman stomped through the doors of the local police station, demanding that they arrest the boy. The police began a thorough investigation by first determining the origin of the poison. The poison was taken for a test and was found to be sold at the market. But hardly a rare and expensive poison widely used in the village, the shopkeepers could not remember any of the customers who had bought the poison recently. But the residence of Mr. Kang''s family sat just in front of a factory which had CCTV of their own. The CCTV footage, although not covering the neighbor''s compound entirely, revealed enough to convince the police that only one person had ever come close to the neighbor''s chicken shed: Mr. Kang''s mother. Becoming the prime suspect, the police concentrated their investigations and began building the case around her. But she had been partially insane ever since she felt herself wronged when the termagant uttered the word "weasel" which seemed to frame her for poaching the chicken like a weasel, hence the police investigations became bogged down, especially when it was revealed that none of the shopkeepers remembered her buying the poison.


    The entire fiasco caused quite a scandal for Mr. Kang. Even though the police could definitively pin the crime on his mother, he realized he ought to help calm the situation as councilman of the village. He repaid the neighbor a huge sum of money for the loss of her chickens and things began to die down. Still, he was worried about his mother, wondering if she might one day accidentally administering poison on the food they eat! He began scouring around for advice, and some favorable reviews about us pointed him our way.


    Lin Feng was the only one of us present when Mr. Kang came. He was extremely skilled in combat and fighting, but he knew little about subduing evil spirits or ghosts. But he had watched me worked enough to learn a thing or two. He packed his gear and followed Mr. Kang back!


    The journey was not really a long one; before long, they reached Mr. Kang''s home, and were just in time to catch Mr. Kang''s mother in another fit of hallucination. The old lady scratched her nose, and began speaking to the young about the Founding Fathers of the country, before ending with her own name as if she was one of them! Lin Feng followed behind Mr. Kang when he came in. She saw Lin Feng and immediately barked, "Come! I hereby appoint you as Premier of the country!" She turned to Mr. Kang and cried loudly, "And you! You shall be the Chairperson!" Lin Feng did the best he could from erupting into laughter, although he played along with her antics to great amusement. "But I know nothing of running the country even if you were to bestow upon me so important a position!" "Learn! Learn from me! I''m sure a young man like you are a fast learner!" The old lady snapped indignantly. Lin Feng asked again, "Where do you live?" To everyone''s surprise, the old lady answered, "I live in the Gourd Valley by the northern knolls!" But a cryptic smile lined across Lin Feng''s face. He took his leave and slipped out, going to the compound of Mr. Kang''s house for a look.


    Mr. Kang''s home was one of ancient design with two entrances: a main gate at the front and a side door at the rear end of the compound. There was a shed there that functioned as an annex building to his home. Lin Feng walked around the shed and surveyed the surroundings. In the dialects of the locals, the side walls of a building were colloquially mentioned as "knolls". Since annex buildings in older Chinese building were usually built to face east, the side walls would most definitely face north and south respectively, hence to the locals, one of the walls would be referred to as the "northern knoll", while the other the "southern knoll". Lin Feng circled around the shed, and found a calabash gourd hanging on the wall that faced north. "The so-called Gourd Valley must be this calabash gourd, I''ll hazard!" he thought, while trying his best to not reveal anything on his expression. He went into the vegetable patch just beside the shed and without a warning, he threw one of his poison darts. The dart shot and pierced through the gourd, snapping it into halves with a loud "Crack!" before getting lodged in the wall. Mr. Kang scurried away and came back with a ladder which Lin Feng used to retrieve his dart. They looked at the broken gourd, and found the carcass of a weasel hiding inside. Such was the strength of the poison that Lin Feng applied to his darts that even a weasel with magical powers could die instantly!


    Since returning from our adventures at Inner Mongolia, Uncle Quan had forged another set of six poison darts for Lin Feng to replenish the first six which he had used during our escape from the wolf pack. There was no time for us to recollect the darts for reusing. But a staunch believer in the spirit of martial arts, Uncle Quan would permit only the use of poisoned weapons only in situations of grave danger, for even he himself did not have the antidote to the poison. Therefore in the new designs of the poison darts, Uncle Quan intentionally left a cavity in the ends of the dart. A strong spring mechanism was included in the design, to be fitted into the cavity in order for the darts to emit a whistling noise when cast into the air. Anyone adept in combat skills would be able to hear the noise and make evasive maneuvers, a sliver of mercy that Uncle Quan hoped to display in the spirit of chivalry. Uncle Quan would not have allowed Lin Feng to continue using poison darts altogether, if not for the concern that there might still be remnants of the evil cult that might wish to enact vengeance upon us. To think that the darts would come to be useful in dealing with a weasel demon.


    Lin Feng hoisted the carcass of the animal over one shoulder, and trotted back to the house. Walking into the house, he could still hear the old lady babbling about herself, blubbering over some stupid heresy that not even my father would dare utter. Lin Feng walked up to her and asked her again, "Where did you say you live at earlier, old lady?" "The Gourd Valley by the northern knolls!" She repeated herself crossly. Lin Feng showed her the dead carcass of the weasel, and dangled it before her very eyes. "Is this it?" he said. Immediately the old lady fell into a seizure as soon as she saw the carcass, her body shaking and squirming violently before she fainted. It did not take long for her to recover. Only this time, she was fully conscious! She was no longer insane or delusional!


    Swelling with pride and joy, Lin Feng returned to the Center like a triumphant hero! He was unsure of his success when he first decided to help Mr. Kang, for he knew nothing of curing odd ailments and strange sicknesses. But I was happy for him too as he related to me of his encounter. We waited for Yuan Chongxi to come back, where the three of us went for another dinner of barbecue skewers. Bolstered by Lin Feng''s achievement, Yuan Chongxi too wanted an opportunity to test his skills on his own as well!


    Over a table full of food and drinks, we chatted about the past few days. Even without the bragging of his stories, we could clearly detect the signs of a man in love ever since his return from Inner Mongolia. The cheerfulness that practically permeated from every part of him, the spring in every step he took... all laid testament to how smitten he was with his sweetheart! Lin Feng returned to spending time with Yuanyuan, entertaining her with more of the tales of his adventures as they went around the city. I could have sworn that Lin Feng must have told Yuanyuan a heavily-fictionalized version of events that depicted him as a conquering hero in the end! But having witnessed what we were capable of with her own eyes, Yuanyuan knew full well that we were no ordinary young men and would believe whatever Lin Feng told her. Nevertheless, I would hope that Lin Feng did not recklessly shoot off his trap!


    Yuan Chongxi reached for two mutton skewers and shoved them into his mouth. "What have you been doing for the past few days, Brother Yan?" I scratched my nose. "What else?" I said, "I either spend the day taking a nap or manning the Center. In the night, I''d go to the Internet cafe for some fun." An "Oh" had barely escaped Yuan Chongxi''s mouth when I immediately continued, "But, I encountered something fun two days ago!" My companions'' eyes twinkled with interest and I extracted my Spirit Gourd from my pocket. I yanked off its cork and muttered a spell. A coal-black gush of fumes shot from the gourd and flew back down onto the table, materializing into a dark figure.


    Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng almost leaped with astonishment. They yelped with fright, "Oh! God! What is that?" But their fear subsided almost instantly, as they realized that it was a large black cat that had sprouted out of my gourd! The cat, covered in a glistening coat of black fur, peered at them curiously with its large green eyes that looked like they were marbles glowing in the dark. I placed a hand on the cat''s head and began scratching it gently, earning an approving purr from my new pet. Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng stared at it. Almost together, they asked, "From where you did find such a large cat?"


    "I chanced upon it! Just two days ago..." I giggled.

 Chapter 81 The Black Ca

    t


    For the past few evenings, I had been adjourning directly to the Internet cafe once I had finished closing the Center that I spent my dinner time poring over the computer screens while munching my food. For an entire year, I had been cooped up in the Center, studiously perusing the booklet that my father had given me that I almost became a hermit that was detached from the world. It was only after our return from Inner Mongolia that I had found out the existence of a new Internet game that had grown popular more than a year ago. Much of my recent hours I had spent engrossed in the game, that I became part of a tacit brotherhood of players bound together by the game who regularly fill the seats of my nearby Internet cafe to the hilt as we chanted the mantra "WINNER WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!" as we played the game.


    Even the caretaker of the cafe, a young girl, could easily recognize me now; not only I had subscribed for a five-hundred-yuan account, but I had also become one of the more prominent youngsters in Wu Zhong County. One would be hardpressed not to when one had become one of the youngest millionaires in the locale at the age of twenty-two. But I never liked mingling with the rich children of my age. I could never get along with them; unlike the forthright and genuine temperaments of both Mr. Zhang and Mr. Lee, rich children seemed snobbish to me, exuding an air of self-entitlement at being born with a silver spoon that I could never tolerate. I would prefer spending time alone in an Internet cafe than associate and fraternize with their ilk; instead, I always managed to blend into the boisterous and rowdy crowd in the Internet cafe and spend my time unnoticed and alone despite the noisy din.


    Then again, I had my fair share of friendships with other fellow players. United together by our love in the new Internet game, we had had a great time together. But there was one night, when none of my fellow enthusiasts showed up, I spent the night alone with the entire Internet cafe to myself. There was no one there the whole night, save for the young caretaker. After two rounds of failing to achieve the top prize in the game, I stretched my arms and legs. Deciding to come back for another round after a brief respite, the caretaker girl spoke to me suddenly from over my shoulders, "You have yet to get your prize today, Shiyan! Having a bad day today?" "Kind of hard not to," I replied to her, smiling weakly, "Without my friends with me, I''m fighting alone! I''m suffering from a poor harvest now!" I lighted a cigarette and peered at the clock overhead. It was already three in the morning. I took a swig, thinking that the enforcement officers for smoking would hardly come knocking at the door in this hour. Even if they did, the enforcement officers would most likely be Zheng Shuang''s underlings...


    With my cigarette lodged between my lips, my hand went to the mouse of the computer I was using. I readied myself for another bout when a throaty voice came from behind my shoulders. "Please, Brother, I need your help!" My attention was glued unto the screen of my computer that I did not expect such a surprise; I almost leaped in my seat when the voice spoke to me! I jerked my head and looked to the back and saw a lean man with a deathly pale face standing, or more aptly put, hovering behind me. There was no sight of his feet in the man''s ghastly appearance and there was a chilly air of dead and decay about him.


    My surprised reactions somehow did not go unnoticed; the caretaker girl saw me and asked, "Is there anything wrong, Shiyan?" I was shocked that I took almost a second before I regained my senses. "Err... Can you make me a cup of coffee?" I muttered, although I could have sworn that the girl must have heard the unmistakable quiver in my voice. She shrugged her shoulders quizzically, and trotted off to the bar for my drink. With the coast now clear as the caretaker girl had drifted out of earshot, I hissed to the ghost behind me. "What business do you have with me?" Seeing that I had spoken, the ghost was now certain that I could communicate with him. "Please, Brother! I need your help!" he begged, "My friend was hit by a car! It''s terrible and we need your help!"


    A surrealistic sensation filled me suddenly: here I was, alone with another person in an empty Internet cafe and a ghost now appeared to me, requesting for my help to save a friend who was injured in an accident. Despite my numerous encounters with entities of the Netherworld, I felt a chill crawling up my spine. Goosebumps fanned down my arms as I managed a curt nod.


    The ghost was delighted to see me agree. He turned and began gliding towards the stairs, beckoning me to follow. The caretaker girl was just coming back with my coffee and she saw me hurrying towards the exit. "Oh, Shiyan! Where are you off to?" "I''m going to my car to collect something," I mumbled quickly, "Please look after my phone for me..." I quickly slipped out the doors and caught up to the ghost in front.


    We left the Internet cafe and I followed the ghost''s lead into an alleyway behind the cafe. Stepping into the darkness of the quiet path, I could not help but wonder if this could be a trick by remnants of the Creed of the Eight Trigrams? I fished out my Spirit Gourd from my pocket, readying myself to release my spirit wolves in case of danger. But the ghost did not stop in the alleyway; he continued gliding until we exited the back lane and crossed another street, before stopping finally near a rubbish bin just beside the road.


    The ghost beckoned for me to come over and showed me. Sprawled behind the rubbish bin was a large, furry black cat. Its rear legs were grotesquely mangled and its lower half was nothing but a bloodied mess. The ghost hovered beside the black cat, his translucent hand caressing its head. This was the friend he mentioned, I mused, as I realized the worried look on his face. I knelt down to look at the cat''s condition, but the cat, fearful of strangers, struggled and rose to its feet painfully and stood between me and the ghost in a protective manner. It hissed angrily at me, mistaking me for an enemy. The ghost immediately exclaimed, "It''s fine, Smoky! He''s here to help you!" Assured I harbored no ill will, the cat softened and sat back down on the ground, allowing me to inspect its wounds. Black cats, as frequently mentioned in Chinese folklore, could see foul beings and ghosts, hence Smoky''s friendship with the ghost.


    I checked Smoky''s wounds, but found that the wounds were fatal; Smoky was beyond help. "I''m afraid there''s nothing I can do..." I muttered, "His internal organs are all damaged." The ghost wailed and howled in agony. Ghosts do not shed tears, but their mournful howls and blood-curdling wailings could silence even the most boisterous party! "Please, Brother," the ghost begged distressingly to me, "Is there really no way to save him? Smoky is my best friend! There must be a way!" I gawked at the ghost''s goofiness that reminded me of a certain someone I knew. He must have also been a dumb person before his death, I wondered. Dealing with dumb people was never an easy feat for me, never mind dealing with a dumb ghost about an impossible task! The ghost noticed my hesitation and thought that I might have a way. He descended to the ground and began bowing deeply, groveling at my ankles. "Please, Brother! Please save Smoky! Please save him!"


    Nevertheless, there was nothing I could do about the injuries. I grimaced at the prospects of having to remind him of that fact. "But it will become a ghost when he dies," I said to the ghost, "Would it not be good for the both of you? You can still be together?" The ghost of the dumb person was momentarily stunned by what I said. He broke into a happy smile and looked at the cat, brushing its head. "Heh heh heh! He''s right! We can still be together when you died, Smoky! We have nothing to fear!" I could almost swear that the cat had shot a blistering glare at the ghost for his ludicrous words; a seething stare that reminded the ghost that he had forgotten something. His spectral form shuddered as he remembered finally. "Wait, no! Smoky will go to the Underworld when he''s dead! We will still be separated!" "But you are dead too!" I remarked, exasperated, "Why are you not at the Underworld?" My remark seemed to strike to the heart as the ghost became speechless. He began mumbling the same question, "He''s right! Why am I not at the Underworld? Why?"


    In truth, wandering spirits like him were not usually taken into the Underworld by heralds and guards of Hell. They had to find the Town God to register. But the dump ghost that knew not how to find the Town God would need the help of mediums and shamans such as me to guide him. The cat would have been the same if it died, but it was far from dumb and senseless; it knew its way into the Underworld.


    "Look," I pat the ghost and said, "How about this: we wait for Smoky to heave his last, and I''ll send you both together into the Underworld. How''s that?" But the ghost waved his hands frantically at me. "No! Cannot! Smoky cannot go to the Underworld!" "What do you suggest then?" I asked him, my patience wearing thin. "You have to save him," the ghost replied, his voice suddenly strangely resolute. "But it is beyond help! It will die nevertheless!" I replied to him and repeated myself once more for his benefit.


    I remembered a quote: never argue with a fool. Yet I had committed the folly of doing exactly that. My words fell on deaf ears as the ghost refused to accept that I had no ways to save his feline friend. He pestered and begged until I could take no more. At last, I screamed, "All right! Smoky will die. But I can keep him from going to the Underworld. He will remain in my care. Is that acceptable?" The ghost of the dumb person beamed with joy, clapping his hands. "Heh heh heh! Good good!" I sighed heavily, slightly peeved as we waited for Smoky to draw its last breath. I took out my Spirit Gourd and took its soul, turning it into a spirit beast under my charge. Unlike the spirits of wild wolves I had collected with great efforts before, Smoky''s soul subjected itself willingly to my control hence it became my spirit cat without apparent effort.


    Smoky reappeared from my Gourd, and the ghost hugged him tightly in his arms, whining loudly in arms again as I frowned at the insufferable noise of his piercing howls...


    The ghost of the dumb man spoke through his sobs with a shattered voice, "You must take care of yourself, Smoky. Remember nothing of me..." He gasped with the sadness and reluctance of a mother sending her daughter off during her marriage. But you could easily just meet whenever you want to, I grimaced.


    Just as I was feeling vexed over the overtly-dramatic theatrics of the ghost, a loud and hollow whine of an engine broke the silence around us. The noise was coming towards our direction from afar. I stood up, looking at the end of the street, trying to find the origin of the din, and saw a double-decker bus speeding towards us. As it came closer, I could see a sign on the bus that said, "The Underworld Express"!

 Chapter 82 Disturbed

    The large double-decker was not a normal bus coming from nor it was heading to somewhere else; it was a conveyance from the Underworld, here to deliver spirits and ghosts! The ghost of the dumb person had felt it coming; this explained his forlorn reluctance to leave the black cat! He, a dumb person, did have less attachment left in this world than other common people, save for the black cat which had been his companion for some time. With Smoky''s wellbeing now seen to, the ghost could now pass on in peace, hence the coming of the Underworld Express for him.


    Most spirits and ghosts were taken by the heralds of Hell into the Underworld. But those which final wishes had been fulfilled, and had passed on in peace, could just ride on the bus into the Realm of the Dead without wading through messy formalities. The bus had found the ghost of the dumb person, since his final deathbed bequest was effectuated. The large bus screeched to a halt before us. Its doors slid open, revealing two hell guards of the Underworld who stepped down.


    The two hell guards took notice of me and were immediately stunned to see me there! But they recollected themselves same as swiftly, giving me a nod of acknowledgment, indicating their awareness of my profession as a medium and a fellow colleague in common cause. I returned a curt nod to them with a smile. Without any penchant for talk, the two hell guards took the ghost with them and returned to the bus. Before long, the bus revved off into the night, with no sign of it having been there at all.


    I returned back to the Internet cafe, and realized the time at about four in the morning. But once I stepped off the stairs, I realized a strange, chilly air in the darkened room. Why were the lights of the cafe off? Was the caretaker bored and decided to take the night off? But my handphone was still with her, I realized and cursed. But I heard a noise. A soft series of tapping that came from behind the bar counter of the cafe! Something was behind there! I tiptoed softly towards the counter, releasing six of my spirit wolves warily. With my spectral familiars, we slowly surrounded the counter. If it was indeed any pursuers from the Creed of the Eight Trigrams, then the caretaker girl might already be in danger!


    My crusade against the Creed had somehow left me disturbed; I would always be reminded of the Creed''s thirst for revenge first and foremost whenever I encountered any sign of unrest or trouble. But I was very badly mistaken this time, so badly that I almost caused harm to an innocent. My spirit wolves could better see in the dark than any human. My wolves were almost upon the bar counter, when a shrilled cry tore through the eerie silence! I knew that voice! It was the caretaker girl! I unsummoned my spirit wolves and rushed to the other side of the counter. There she was, the frightened young girl, cowering fearfully under the counter. The tapping noise I heard came from the chair that she held with her shivering body.


    I helped her to her feet, still puzzled by everything. "What are you doing down here? Why are the lights all shut off?" Even in the dark, she was still trembling badly with panic. "You are back at last, Shiyan! Y-you had just left, when a strange gale of wind blew into the cafe and everything went dark! I felt the presence of somebody coming in, although I could not see them!" My head turned around in the darkness, the darkness and shadows closed in on us. Suddenly, I realized that the electric meter on the wall was still flashing! This was no power outage, I realized! Something was wrong! Something had indeed slipped in when I was out! At my summons, all six of my spirit wolves reappeared around me and began sniffing around for intruders. Slowly, their trails began to converge on the seat I was in before I had left. They inched closer and closer, growling menacingly as I braced myself, wondering ominously, "Damn, so it has begun."


    The caretaker girl agape with shock and amazement, tugged at my shirt. "Err... Shiyan... From where did these huge hounds come from?" In my haste, I made no reply. With my other arm behind my back, I made some hand seals and muttered a quick spell. There was the sound of steel whistling through the air, followed by a loud "Crash!" as a window shattered, and my sword flew into my grasp. The caretaker girl had her hands over her mouth in a desperate attempt to stifle her astonished yelps. My practice with the summoning charm of my sword seemed to be working well, I thought, although I did not think that the spell would be useful so soon! Armed with my sword, I slowly approached the point where my wolves were surrounding. They were wary against pouncing headfirst at their quarry in the dark as if expecting further instructions from me. Things might be hairy from now on, I thought as my heartbeat resounded loudly in my ears.


    In the dark, I could see the silhouettes of two figures standing at my earlier seat! Flanking on either side of my chair, the two figures remained strangely motionless. With another two paces forward, I could vaguely see that the two figures were wary of the ring of wolves now enclosing them, even though they indicated no signs of hostilities.


    It was only when I was very close to the mysterious intruders when I realized who they were. I was momentarily stunned before I withdrew my spirit wolves and opened my mouth to speak, "How can I help you both, guards of the Underworld?" Damn, I almost cursed out loud! It was not any remnants of the Creed seeking vengeance, but only two Hell Guards! At my question, there was a puzzled expression on the guards who observed and peered at me intently before one of them spoke, "You are..." I bowed to them respectfully and clasped my hands together in salute and introduced myself. The baffled look on their faces was replaced with one of respect for a common ally. "We were wondering if you had encountered the ghost of a person slightly dull and simple-minded, Master Shiyan." At last, I understood: like the Underworld Express earlier, these two guards were here for the ghost of the dumb man! But they had come here instead because they picked up his scent that the ghost had left here when he came to me! I informed the two guards about everything and mentioned to them that the ghost had been picked up by another two guards aboard the Underworld Express. Satisfied, the two guards turned and left through the door.


    Their backs were barely out the door, and immediately, the lighting of the entire Internet cafe returned back to life! The caretaker girl crumbled into a chair and sighed heavily. "I will never want to take the night shift again!" I lifted the cup of coffee she prepared for me earlier, now cold and tasteless, and took a gulp. I leaned on the counter and said to the girl, "What is there to be afraid of? You''ve only encountered two Hell Guards at their own business. Consider this an opportunity! Many live their entire lives without being fortunate enough to witness something like this!" I would, in most cases, refrain from being open about paranormal matters to ordinary mundane people. But there was no point in hiding everything from the caretaker girl since she had witnessed me at work with her own eyes.


    But after everything that had transpired, I had lost all will and thrill to enjoy any games, at least for the day. It was already five in the morning and I stood up, preparing to return to the Center for a nap when the caretaker girl pulled at my arm. "Wait, Shiyan!" she pleaded, "Please accompany me for a while more! My shift ends at six, but I am scared of being alone now..." I emitted a brief chuckle and plopped into a chair, sitting beside the girl for another hour before I left in my car back to the Center.


    I returned to the Center to find Xiao Qi and her Sisters having the time of their life, wheezing overhead of me with great fun. I threw my stuff onto the cushion and collapsed into a deep slumber. The dregs of the Creed would most certainly relish vengeance on me for my work in dismantling their order. But faced with the absence of information and knowledge about their whereabouts and plans, I could only patiently wait for their move. The days came and went as usual, save for Xiao Qi and the Sisters. Peeved by their antics, Mr. Zhang and Aunt Fen had requested our permission that the Sisters could come over sometimes. They were allowed to use the Center like their own house, but they were forbidden to frighten others. With the absence of Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi, it was they who had provided me with distractions in the form of noises and flickering lights in the otherwise noisy nights.


    As my story reached its end, Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng slapped at the table with amazement and wonder on their faces. It was rare to have encountered any Hell Guards, more so to communicate directly with them! "There''s no need to fret," I chortled, "You will get your time, in more than a few decades or so." Yuan Chongxi nodded in agreement; clearly, he did not understand my joke, nodding blankly at what I said. Lin Feng slapped the table again. "Of course!" he said with a smile, "We are not brothers born on the same day, but we would surely hope to be able to die heroically together! You better not run off..." Lin Feng gestured at Yuan Chongxi. "Wherever we go, we''ll go together!" Finally, Yuan Chongxi realized my joke and spat, "Damn, Shiyan! So it was a curse! What a thing to say!"


    In an afternoon a few days later, we had another visit from the village councilman Mr. Kang. But his sudden visit had us thinking that his mother''s condition had returned when he revealed that it was another family of his that needed our help. A distant relative of his was sick, but it would be quite a journey for us to travel far into the northern countryside hundreds of miles away. The relative had sought help from other mediums and shamans but they were nothing but charlatans and shylocks who did nothing to help his situation. Mr. Kang had recommended us to his relative, having witnessed our capabilities. He offered us a 2000-yuan deposit which we accepted, and after a short discussion, we agreed to help out.


    Wu Zhong and its neighboring county were once part of the same jurisdiction under varying governments through different dynasties in the course of history. In some eras, they were viewed as separate counties while in some, they were governed and viewed as one single area. But a mountainous rural area bordered the northern boundaries of both counties and it was there where the patient, the relative of Mr. Kang, lived. With Lin Feng at the wheel, the three of us ventured into the backwoods with Mr. Kang as a guide. As we entered the rural town that was part of Wu Zhong''s neighboring county, we noticed that the houses'' style there was also different from that of Wu Zhong; the dwellings there had flat-top roofs where residents could dry things out in the sun atop their houses. With the councilman in the lead, we came to a pig farm. There were a dozen of houses and tenements behind the farm that seemed to serve as hostels for the staff of the farm. Between the hostels and the farm was a canteen in front of which we parked our car. Mr. Kang led us into one such tenement where we were received by a youthful-looking man, introducing himself as Wang, and Wang promptly ushered us indoors...

 Chapter 83 Furious Reprisal

    We entered the house and I asked of the patient. "There''s no need to rush," said Mr. Wang, "You have all traveled far to come here. Please enjoy a meal first!" He led us into a dining hall inside where a table, laid full of sumptuous appetizers: mantis shrimp, peanuts, and jellyfish salad, was waiting for us. There were two men already seated at the table, who introduced themselves both as Lius. We chatted and exchanged greetings as more dishes came from the kitchen. Our hosts tried their earnest to entertain us, their chopsticks waltzing around the table to fill our plates and bowls with delicacies. Out of respect for them, Lin Feng and I returned the gesture, picking food for them as well, although Yuan Chongxi, in his usual tactless manner, continued wolfing down his food and drinks. Halfway through the food, drinks, and merriment, we felt a strong and overwhelming heaviness falling upon us and everything went dark...


    I was awoken to the voice of somebody whispering into my ears. "Come on! Wake up! You''re in danger!" My eyes snapped opened instantly at the warning but everything was dark around me. With my Spirit Sight, I saw Xiao Qi tugged at my nose, still trying to wake me. I sat up. "Where are we?" I asked. "All three of you have fallen into a trap! You''ve slept the whole afternoon into the night now! There is firewood laid around this house, ready to be set into flames!" I struggled to get up, my hand reaching into my pocket for my Spirit Gourd, but it was missing! All of our belongings were gone! Immediately, I understood: there was no mistaking it this time, this was the Creed for sure! They had set a trap for us!


    Apparently, Xiao Qi was at the Center when Mr. Kang came seeking for us. Seeing that we were leaving the Center for work, she decided to tag along, hiding in the trunk of our car. At first, she thought of giving us a surprise. But it was daytime when we set off into the rural areas and the car was also parked without shelter when we reached our destination. Unable to withstand the robust Yang energy in the daylight, Xiao Qi was forced to wait for us in the car until night fell where she came out. But she could not find us; instead, she chanced upon the men who had received us and overheard their plans to burn us alive! Frightened of our safety, Xiao Qi realized that we might have been incapacitated. She looked high and low, through every nook and cranny until she found us already unconscious for several hours. She tried so hard to rouse me from my drug-induced sleep until I finally woke up! Fighting through the urge to succumb into another deep slumber, I checked Lin Feng''s pulse and realized that we have been drugged. I rushed outside without being noticed and found a clay jar outside filled with water. I grabbed a pail of water and hurried back inside. I revived my companions with cold water thrown into their faces and finally, they too woke up drowsily.


    It was our gesture to reciprocate the hospitality of our hosts that had prevented us a fatal death. Lin Feng and I had been picking food for our hosts, hence they did not dare to administer any poison into the food. This forced the rest of the Creed who were watching behind the scene to drug the entire table. When everyone had collapsed, the others revived the three men who were with us and began to plan an alternative method to kill us. But they did not want any trouble with the law, therefore they decided to disguise our deaths as accidents. They stripped us all of our belongings and kept us in a room where we were set on beds as if we were asleep. The rest of the followers of the Creed then prepared to set the cabin on fire with us inside! What an intricate and brutal plan, I scowled angrily, that they even drugged their own men in order to get to us!


    With the two of my companions up, we discussed our options quickly. Xiao Qi would possess the leader of the gang to create a diversion and we would use the commotion to escape. We marked the route of our flight where Xiao Qi would rendezvous with us halfway. We watched Xiao Qi glided out of the cabin and we made our way out the compound after surveying our surroundings and reached a wall. The lower half of the tall wall was made up of gravel and the upper half was made of red-colored bricks. I stooped down below and gave Lin Feng a lift. When he got up, he helped Yuan Chongxi and me over the wall and we ran as fast as our legs could carry us!


    We scrambled and scuttled desperately in the dark, fighting through the dense tangles of undergrowth and thickets until we saw a flicker of light in the distance. It was a little provisions store, we discovered. We went to the shop and borrowed a phone which we made contact with Zheng Shuang and relayed to him our position, leaving to him the chores of arranging for reinforcements in this neighboring county.


    We continued our trek, trying to put more distance between us and our pursuers, when the rowdy noise of riots came from behind us. We had been found! Our pursuers caught up to us in an assorted array of vehicles: some came with cars and trucks while some rode on autorickshaws! A mass of bright headlights sped towards us and within seconds, the entire convoy surrounded us, their menacing and blinding lights from their headlamps glaring angrily at us. Our captors got off their vehicles and stood around us in an intimidating manner as the circle closed in on us slowly! Just then, a dark silhouette flickered by in a flash, and Lin Feng found himself holding his whip! Xiao Qi had liberated our belongings! Seeing that we were on dangerous ground with enemies at all sides, she flew to us as fast as she could and first shoved the first item she first reached for into Lin Feng''s grasp! What a terrible coincidence that it had to be his chain-whip! A man lunged forward; it was the same Mr. Wang who had first received us! With a meat cleaver in his hand, he threw himself at us, eager to spill first blood! What our captors did not notice was Lin Feng''s seething rage. He burned with a fit of boiling anger that even Yuan Chongxi and I had never witnessed before, that we could vaguely feel the heat of his churning anger from his very person! Lin Feng sidestepped Mr. Wang''s blow before his whip snapped furiously in retaliation!


    Mr. Wang would have survived with, at most, a terrible wound on his head if what Lin Feng wielded only an ordinary whip. Instead of snapping with a deafening crack like ordinary whips and leaving only a superficial but awfully painful wound, Lin Feng''s chain whip struck on the poor man''s head with a dull "Boom", splitting his head open like a watermelon! The man was tossed backward by the force of Lin Feng''s furious reprisal that his blood and gray matter spattered the spot where he fell and died instantly! The brutality of Lin Feng''s stroke instantly struck fear into the rest of our captors, who immediately threw down their arms and begged for mercy, their knees bucking with panic as they fell to their knees! Lin Feng bolted forward and thrashed them mercilessly in revenge while not forgetting to jab at their various meridian points on their body!


    I felt my Spirit Gourd in my hand and realized Xiao Qi had found my stuff. I immediately step towards the dead man and collected his soul. We would have avoided shedding blood if not for their ill intent towards us. Even so, I had grown aware of my companions'' and my lack of sensitivity to violence ever since our adventures in Inner Mongolia. Fuelled by anger and vengeance, we no longer had the same qualms and doubts that we felt during our first traumatic experience of killing someone.


    Never mind our captors'' attempt to sedate us, steal our belongings and murder us, they were even trying to hunt us down to finish the deed without any ounce of mercy! Lin Feng was especially angered by their barbarism that he used his special technique, a method of sealing various meridian points on the enemies'' bodies. With this method, they were as good as dead; in seven days, the blockage of their meridian points would ultimately kill them and this method had no cure or counter. Lin Feng had been so greatly changed in the course of our encounters with the Creed and his exposure to their ruthlessness and brutality had somehow turned him into a companion that even I sometimes found distant and scary.


    My train of thoughts was suddenly broken by the sound of sirens blaring from afar. Our reinforcements were here, finally! Lin Feng unsealed enough of his captors-turned captives'' meridian points to allow them to move, and allowed the police officers to haul the entire band into their patrol cars. I went over and gave the leading officer an appreciative shake of his hand and the officer snapped to a salute. Zheng Shuang had reported our incident to the City Council who had quickly mobilized the nearest police force to our aid. The City Council, having appreciated the damage and carnage that these acolytes of the Creed were capable of, had decided to lend their full support!


    It did not take long for Zheng Shuang himself to arrive. We reported everything to him while we went through the items that Xiao Qi had liberated for us. We got on our car then, with Zheng Shuang leading us in his own vehicle, as we returned to the village to look for Mr. Kang, the village councilman. But he was long gone. Zheng Shuang left instructions for his men to conduct an around-the-clock surveillance on his residence in case the man returned while we traveled back to our Center.


    We returned to the Center still burning with anger over what happened! We began arguing amongst ourselves but Xiao Qi stopped us, although she did not forget to point out that it was she who had been instrumental in our escape. Nevertheless, it was true that we owed our lives to her. We conveyed our sincerest gratitude to her and set a rule for ourselves: we would practice utmost caution especially when dealing with strangers! The world was fraught with unknown dangers and evil that it was only prudent that we remained careful. We would refrain from taking any food and drinks from unknown provenance and maintain constant vigilance! Beside us, Xiao Qi quipped, "And remember to bring me with you all for safety!"


    Zheng Shuang came to the Center the following day to provide an update. Interrogation revealed that those that were arrested were merely low-leveled minions acting on orders of Mr. Wang, whom the rest addressed as Wang Laosan (literally, the third of the Wang brothers), also the one who had died under Lin Feng''s stroke. Our near-death incident had received widespread attention across the city, being the most recent episode of the string of crimes committed by the Creed. As it turned out, news of their kidnapping of innocent children from all over the city had escaped somehow. News about our abduction blazed through the city, recounting of how the evil minions of the evil cult had tried to murder innocent people and even took to the streets to hunt down runaway escapees like a lawless bunch of marauders. The face of Mr. Kang, the village councilman who had tricked us into the trap, was now everywhere in the city; wanted posters and news reports featuring his likeness could almost be seen at every corner of the city as a county-wide manhunt began. On the other hand, Zheng Shuang, being the good friend he was, had tried his best to keep Lin Feng''s slaughter of Mr. Wang under wraps. The local police did not look kindly to common citizens taking justice into their own hands, he said, and we should be careful next time! My companions and I traded dark looks as we remembered about a few of the others whose meridian points had been sealed by Lin Feng. Death would claim them very soon as well and their deaths were also Lin Feng''s doing.


    I fished out a cigarette and lighted it for Zheng Shuang and drew a swig off my own. "This might also be only the tip of an iceberg," I said to Zheng Shuang, "The whole thing seems like an elaborate ruse, beginning from the Kang man''s mother!" "Fear not," Zheng Shuang replied, "We''ll wring it out of this Mr. Kang when we lay our hands on him!" The rest of the arrested suspects were lackeys which knew nothing of us, merely that Wang Laosan had referred to us three as his "enemies" and he needed their help to get rid of us. Without truly understanding the whole story, the fools had stuck themselves into the entire affair only to become dispensable cannon-fodders. But police records indicated that Wang Laosan himself was once a convict. When he was released from prison, he had met and mingled with a band of friends who were also part of underground societies and local gangs. This could also mean that the diabolical influence of the Creed might have also reached into the scene of organized crime of this county...

 Chapter 84 The Sisterss Mayhem

    Zheng Shuang came for another visit after a few days. Mr. Kang, the village councilman who had tricked us, was found dead. His body was found at only a few kilometers from where we were kidnapped, with a scraper blade buried into his back. The police had found fingerprints on the knife but they did not match anything on their system. So far, our leads had all reached a dead end.


    "But according to word on the streets," Zheng Shuang continued, "The eldest and second of the Wang brothers intend to lodge a report against you for excessive self-defense! You must be ready! I have tried my best to keep the news from leaking, but it seems that the family of the dead man does not want to let things go..." My companions, Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi, looked at me, and I looked back. An impish smile slowly formed on our faces and we erupted into guffaws of laughter. "So be it then!" I said. Zheng Shuang was bewildered, shocked beyond words at us. "Wh-what... Y-you..." I steered the subject away from his stammers and asked instead, "So have you tried tracing the origins of the scraper blade? That should have been controlled items that could never have been sold without permits from the local police!" "Investigations into that is still ongoing, might take some time!" Zheng Shuang replied.


    After Zheng Shuang left, we had another discussion of our own. Yuan Chongxi was oddly excited. It was his turn to act, he said as he rubbed his chin, "I still have yet to fully vent my anger! Let me have a go!" I shot a glare at him but I said nothing to stop him, merely warning him to spill no more blood. "Relax!" he said to me, "This is so much more vanilla to the things I had done before! Trust me!" He dragged Lin Feng off with him out the door, fully unaware that what he said betrayed his guilt over his past. I shook my head wearily as the door closed behind them.


    I waited at the Center until the clock showed a little more than eleven and my companions returned. "Was everything well?" I asked, and they replied, sniggering, "Of course! Heh heh heh!" We closed the Center and adjourned to our usual haunt for barbecue skewers.


    Zheng Shuang came to the Center again the following evening. Only this time, he did not come alone. He introduced one of the men as a friend of his from school, and another two men behind as one of the elder brothers of Wang Laosan and his nephew. The two latter men immediately collapsed to their knees and began howling tearfully, begging us for mercy! Mad with fright, the two men stammered in a cluster of moans and wails for us to spare them.


    Later I found out: The elder and second of the Wang brothers were at the home of the former to discuss the matter of charging us with excessive self-defense, when the elder brother rose from his chair suddenly. With a blank face, he stepped away. The second brother, puzzled and confused, asked him, "Where are you going to?" But his brother made no reply, instead, he went to the kitchen to look for a rolling pin and began hitting wildly at everything in sight! In a mad hysteria, the elder brother flailed the wooden pin in his hands furiously and whacked at the refrigerator, the washing machine, the kitchen cabinets and everything else he could find, as he mumbled profusely, "You want an inquiry! An inquiry upon the victims! ..." "What is wrong with you?" His brother screamed and pounced at his suddenly-insane brother, pinning him to the floor and wrestled the rolling pin away from him. The latter''s daughter, witnessing the entire episode, became frightened and cried! As the two men tangled with each other on the floor, the wife of the elder brother, rushed out of the kitchen with a huge meat cleaver. She was also in a maddened streak, her eyes bloodshot with rage, her face glowing with insanity. Through gritted teeth, she howled savagely with the same raving grin as her husband''s, "You want an inquiry! An inquiry! I''ll butcher you all!..."


    The elder of the Wang brothers did not find himself a wife until he met a divorced woman. Younger than he was, the woman had a daughter from her previous marriage. After their marriage, the elder brother''s wife bore him another daughter and a son, the former now in her early teens and the latter now about six or seven years old. The elder brother''s wife caught sight of her own daughter and sneered viciously, "Heh heh heh! I''ll start by first butchering this daughter of a bitch!" She threw herself forward, swinging her cleaver so dangerously at her own offspring and nearly killed her if not for the second brother who dove frantically into her to pull her aside!


    Amidst the pandemonium, the youngest son came into the sitting area and whisked away a lighter. He ran off, and, much to the horror of his second uncle, he began setting the bedsheets alight! The second Wang brother released his deranged sister-in-law and chased after his nephew who was having a fun time with the lighter. The commotion attracted a mob of curious neighbors crowding outside their house and some helped to restrain the eldest Wang brother, his wife and his son. But that was not all! His daughter began grinning and giggling maniacally before she began stripping herself! Aghast at her boldness, two female neighbors immediately lunged at her and pinned her down before she could fully unclothe herself!


    Suddenly, another neighbor came screaming at the door, calling for the second brother. Come quickly, he shouted, for the second brother''s wife was trying to hang herself! In another fit of panic, the second brother ran all the way home to find his wife already been rescued by good samaritans, sitting on her floor with her hair unkempt and wild. His daughters were beside her; one of them was massaging his wife''s back while the other was kneading gently at her legs and arms. For reasons unknown, their hairs were entangled together that they could only sit back-to-back. Their father scrambled for a pair of scissors and immediately sheared off the entangled part to free them, without any more regard for appearance.


    Aside from two daughters, the second brother had another son, a student of law in university. It was him who had riled up his uncles to force a police inquiry into the death of Wang Laosan, his youngest uncle! He came home in the nick of time to discover the mess and ruckus befalling his home and bellowed, "Impossible! I do not believe in myths and superstitions! Come at me if you will, I am the one who suggested the idea to lodge the inquiry!" His mother, still sitting on the floor, cracked into a frosty sneer, "So you are the bastard son of the bitch who had come up with the idea!" She pushed off everyone and leaped to her feet, much to everyone''s shock and surprise, and gave her son two powerful slaps to his cheeks that his eyes instantly welled with tears. But he could not lay a hand to his own mother! Desperate for help, the young man scurried off and made a call to his girlfriend. His girlfriend had a set of Buddhist prayer beads blessed by priests at a temple. Believing that the item might protect him from evil, he immediately asked that his girlfriend to come with the beads immediately.


    But his girlfriend had never once come to his house before. Without any knowledge of how to come, she took a taxi and he went out to wait for her. The boy had just stepped out of his home when an auto rickshaw came storming at him, threatening to trample him to death. With quick and agile movements, he leaped out of the vehicle''s way. But just when he thought everything was fine, an unseen force tripped his legs, causing him to fall face-first to the ground that his face became swollen green and blue! His spectacles clattered to the ground and the nearsighted boy had to crawl on the ground, feeling around for his spectacles for quite some time before he found them. Relieved at finding back his glasses, he clambered up from his miserable posture. An old lady with a walking stick was just passing by, and his foot suddenly threw a kick at the old woman! The young man struggled to control his own limb that seemed to have a mind of its own! In his panic, he threw himself to the ground and tried to hold back his leg with his hands! Fearful that he might do anything else stupid, he sat by the pavement, waiting for his girlfriend''s arrival.


    He waited long for his girlfriend, who arrived to see him sitting miserably in an undignified manner at the sidewalk. She walked to him. She extended an arm to hand him the prayer beads but she froze suddenly. With another hand, she snatched the beads from her opened hand and tore the string that held the beads and the beads fell all over the floor in a mess. The young woman crouched in front of her boyfriend, now agape with shock, and picked up a bead from the floor and put it into her mouth and chew on it! Frozen with despair and disbelief, the young man could hardly move a finger as he watched his girlfriend scoffed, "There''s nothing to save you now! You''ll never live past three days!" The girl collapsed to the ground and only woke up after about an hour later. Together, the young couple helped each other up and meandered back home together pitifully.


    They reached home to find that the rest of their family all recovered. The sisters-in-law, the wives of the eldest and the second Wang brothers, were in each other¡¯s arms, sobbing and whimpering in tears by the stove! A fellow villager told them that they were possessed by spirits or ghosts. He assured them that a medium that he should be able to help. The eldest Wang brother immediately begged for the villager to summon the medium. But to their dismay, the medium, who had traveled far at the villager''s behest, refused to help them after hearing their case. "Do not look for me again!" He warned them, "Or rather, speak nothing of my visit here! I do not wish for my death so soon!"


    Face with anguish, the Wang brothers became despondent. The girlfriend of the second brother''s son then mentioned of a relative who worked as a police officer. He might have an idea, she said. By a stroke of the devil''s own luck, that relative of hers was Zheng Shuang''s friend from school. The friend posted the plight of the Wang brothers on Moments, only for Zheng Shuang to reply with the whole story of how the third of the Wang brothers had tried to trick, drug, and murder others after chasing them down when they escaped. He also remembered to include the parts about how he was struck to death during the chase of his victims with an armed mob and how his family intended to lodge an inquiry to avenge him! The friend, realizing that Zheng Shuang knew the whole story, knew that he might be able to mediate things, requested Zheng Shuang''s help and hence their visit today.


    It would hardly take a rocket scientist to know that the mess and ruckus were caused by none other than Xiao Qi and the Sisters! Even after our guests had left, I did not delve into the details of the ruckus they inflicted. The accounts of the Wang brother and his nephew was enough to tell me that it must be Xiao San who had possessed the wife of the elder Wang brother; she was the only one among the Sisters who displayed the very same propensity and temperament as described. Xiao Si would have to be the one who possessed the wife of the second Wang brother who tried to hang herself; the wife''s attempt to hang herself had as good as signed it as her work! Xiao Qi would have to be the one who possessed the elder Wang brother''s daughter who had tried to strip herself naked, for she seemed to fit the bill as one of the more vulgarly bold ones among the Sisters...


    As we listened to the recounts of the incident, Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng were struggling to stifle their laughs. So was Zheng Shuang, who was trying his best to put on an impassive expression. Xiao Qi, who was already laughing her head off, accidentally landed a kick into the bum of one of the men who were behind Zheng Shuang that he screamed "Ah!" in pain!


    An amused smile lined across my face. Time for me to be the hero again, I mused quietly.

 Chapter 85 The Bazaar

    Feigning a morose expression, I spoke somberly to the young man, "You''re a student of law in university?" He nodded quietly.


    "You are one of the many who claims to be immensely learned in law yet you perverted the laws of our country! Lawyers these days travel to the West to study law and return only to wave the word of law like pitchforks in the faces of those they find offending! We are a government of men, not law! Western traditions have always been portrayed in a more realistic basis, while our Chinese traditions are more romantic! You favor Western traditions over our Chinese traditions, do you mean to demean our 2000-year old institutions of law? Take this case as an example: your uncle was part of an evil cult. He had lured us into a trap and had us three drugged before he tried to burn us to death! But we escaped, yet your uncle, leading a mob of almost twenty armed henchmen chased after us, surrounded us and tried to butcher us! But now, look! After losing his life in his attempt to murder us, you, his family, intend to avenge him and force an inquiry to charge us for excessive self-defense! Where lies your sense of justice! This evil cult has been responsible for the kidnapping of children! Fear abounds the entire city because of their devilry, yet, here you are, clamoring about ''upholding the pride of law scholars''! So the good citizens of China are all in thrall to the ''pride of law scholars'' now, eh? What happened to upholding justice and order? What you are doing is trying to defend the rights of villains and evil men!"


    "According to law today, the crime of kidnapping children is punishable by death!" Zheng Shuang added. "That lies the very crux of the conundrum," I said to him, "The punishment of severe cases is death. But it is the ''severity'' of the cases that is still arguable. You might just escape with a slap on the wrist, or you might be sentenced to death! Perpetrators with money would be able to escape their deserved punishments by using more money to hire more lawyers to help them circumvent the law!"


    "But to haphazardly sentence everyone to death might also have adverse effects," Zheng Shuang debated, "The criminals might behave more extremely and drastically, knowing that only death awaits them!" "This way of thinking will only make everything worst," I countered, "Does the law defend the rights of the greater majority or does the law defend only the interests of certain individuals? We are in the 20th century; times are different now. So should the manner of punishments to adhere to the class of society today. A man who is able to make his own living would never think of committing criminal acts. Only those whose livelihood is at constant risk would dare gamble their own freedom and life to commit such monstrosity to abduct children and part them from their parents. Never mind those of the evil cult who have more insidious designs on these innocent children; most kidnappers of children only seek to sell them for money. They would have wanted to lead such a risky undertaking if only they were able to earn money safely and lawfully elsewhere. The spirit of capital punishment is to discourage crime rather than to enact retribution. Try conducting a study on those kidnappers who are now in police custody, ask them if they would dare commit the same crimes again if they would be shot once arrested. What you and many so-called students of the law are doing now, is to protect the rights of certain individuals, which, in this case, are the perpetrators, when you should have been upholding the interest of the public and help maintain law and order! By following Western cultures of light sentencing, you only encourage more crime!"


    Zheng Shuang rummaged his pocket for a cigarette and offered one to me as well before I went on, "The laws of the land have been written in favor of criminals. It has always been a tilted balance from the very beginning. Say you''ve been abducted and sent to work in a foreign country as a slave. But due to torture and mistreatment, you died, far away from home and alone. But will the law sentence the criminal to the very same hardships you''d gone through? Never. Scholars and academics of laws will have a whole load of sophistry to wend their way about this, but to me, there is but one reason!" "And what is that?" Zheng Shuang asked. "Money," I replied. "The victims are those who had suffered losses and harm, those whose interests had been infringed by the criminals. Victims and those who have been wronged would never expect to pay when Truth and Justice belonged to them. But lawbreakers are a wholly different lot; they would rather pay more money if it is only buy a lighter sentence or even utter freedom! For this very reason, lawyers have always flocked around lawbreakers and criminals!" Zheng Shuang laughed loudly and replied, "But I do not sway to the side of criminals and perpetrators!" "You are part of enforcement of the law," I said to him, smiling, "You are not the judge who wields the mallet and declares the final sentence to a criminal! But look at what we have today, old people walking on the road fell down, yet no one dares to go help them; and we have the magistrates of Nanjing to thank for that!"


    I steered my gaze into the second Wang brother and his son. "Go back to where you come from!" I said to them, "Let it be known that I hold the lives of your family in my very hand. But if future investigations reveal that you have been part of the innocent children''s abduction, I will be there to make sure you will be rightly tried. Not in the courtrooms of us mortals, but in the halls of the Underworld!" Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi had been quiet beside me; the latter opened his mouth to speak, "And I will make sure that each and every one of your household will not be spared! No laws of Man will be able to defend you against our hand!" Yuan Chongxi delivered his threat with an undercurrent of sibilant, menacing evil so intimidating that Zheng Shuang''s ex-classmate could not resist shuddering!


    Being more patient and humble with age, the second Wang brother nodded respectfully. "Well..." He tried to speak to me again, "Actually, when my younger brother came out from prison, he had little friends. But a cellmate from prison came looking from him one day. Since then, he started to behave differently. He became more demanding and intense that he even pressed for me to give him the farm that my old man had left me. I wonder if this information might be useful to you, since I know little about investigations." "We''ll have a look into it. Tell your family: be righteous and kind people and we would leave you alone. Antagonize us again, and I''ll assure you that the price would be one that you''ll regret!" Mumbling their thanks and appreciation, the father and son took their leave. I took the hand of Zheng Shuang''s ex-schoolmate before he left. "I''m sorry for the insolence that you have to endure in our first meeting. Please bear in mind that we bear you no ill will! How about dinner together tonight?" "It''s fine. I understand," he replied, "In fact, I should be the one to invite you for dinner. But I''ll not disturb you tonight. I''ll find some other day; I''ll come with Zheng Shuang with me again!" We saw them out the door. Before leaving, Zheng Shuang slipped me a message: he would look into the names of the cellmates of Wang Laosan during his sentence. He would inform us if anything arose. With that, he too left as well.


    We watched as our guests left. As soon as they went off, we broke into a burst of euphonious laughter! The Sisters were indeed the greatest pranksters!


    As the Mid-Autumn Festival loomed just a few days ahead, Lin Feng requested a leave of absence. He wished to return home to visit his grandfather who was close to 90. Yet despite his ripe age, the old man was still full of vim and verve. His birthday was just a few days after the Festival, and Lin Feng wished to accompany him.


    Since entering university, Lin Feng had never once visited the market at his hometown. Being the largest bazaar in the east side of the capital, this was a place where anything, almost literally, could be found here. Reminiscing himself weaving through the crowds here as a child, Lin Feng wished for a short trip down memory lane. He stopped his car just outside and saw a stall peddling old books. He went to the store, hoping to find any books about wushu that might interest him. As he pored through the titles of the book, the pungent scent of cosmetic products wafted through the air around him and he felt a person nestling close to him. A pickpocket! This was a common tactic used by thieves trying to liberate wallets and valuable items from any unwary visitors to crowded areas, as he full well knew. But the thief could have picked a better target than Lin Feng! He waited until a hand was close to grasping on his wallet and he held the person''s wrist in a vice-like grip! He yanked the hand, only to realize that the thief was a woman barely thirty of age. Lin Feng noticed the prominent freckles that blemished her otherwise fair features and discovered that the woman held a knife in another hand! Realizing that she had been caught, the woman, in a fit of panic, tried desperately to stab at him! But before Lin Feng could do anything, a hand appeared out of nowhere and seized the woman''s wrist!


    Two people emerged from her back. One of them was the one who had seized her wrist, while another was holding a leather suitcase. The female thief peered at her intruders and her face immediately turned pale!


    The woman was formerly an accomplice with the two people. They were swindlers that cheated people out of their money. But the female thief had given her accomplices the slip during their last job and had run off with the bounty alone! Just when she thought she was safe and was trying to steal Lin Feng''s wallet, her leader had not only found her; he had also recovered the money she stole from him! The leather suitcase carried by the person behind her was the case that held the money she pilfered from her confederates! The thief immediately turned meek and silent like a cornered mouse, seeing that she and her bounty were recovered by her leader in one fell swoop. The person shoved her aside and said to Lin Feng, "You would have been dead if not for my intervention. How would you thank me?" But without waiting for Lin Feng''s reply, he went on, "Ah, yes. The usual compensation for car accidents these days is about five hundred thousand yuan. This also means that one''s life is about that same figure. How about you pay me five hundred thousand as a token of appreciation of me saving your life?" Lin Feng shot him a glare. "Since when did I need you saving me? I was waiting for her to strike to disable her! This would have been a pretense for me to threaten and blackmail her for trying to kill me! Hmph! Now you''ve ruined everything! I would have enjoyed her carnal wares before selling her off as a slave! What a coincidence that I too, intended to sell her off at the same figure! Not only you had cost me five hundred thousand, what balls you have that you even dare to demand another five hundred thousand from me!?"


    The person peered and found an empty space not far from them. He moved towards the space and said, "So you want to fight?" Unafraid of the challenge, Lin Feng walked to the empty ground quietly without saying anything! Just then, the big, lumbering cook of a roadside hawker stall just behind where Lin Feng was standing came out with a large meat cleaver in his hand! Surprised by the cook''s sudden appearance, the man hastily fished out his phone and called for help. But the cook came out, only to move towards a wooden cart just beside Lin Feng to get something! The man immediately realized that he had mistaken the cook for Lin Feng''s ally. "My blasted foolishness," he cursed himself. But the help he called for came almost instantly: another man who also carried a leather suitcase. Nevertheless, emboldened by the superiority in number, the man shouted to Lin Feng, "We have three men here! No, wait! We have another woman too! That''s four of us altogether! Heh heh heh!"

 Chapter 86 Nobility

    Lin Feng had barely begun to speak when another voice came from behind. "What kind of woman worth so much money? I''ll have to take a look at her myself!" Everyone''s gaze traveled to another young man. The newcomer had almost the exact same physique as Lin Feng, although he did not know who the newcomer was. But the group of four were immediately terrified to see him! The newcomer gave a yawn and shouted, "Are you fighting? Count me in! It''ll be a three-way elimination brawl, eh?"


    Unbeknownst to Lin Feng, the newcomer was a half-local of the vicinity. He lived just about six or seven miles away and spent almost every second of his time at the bazaar as a parochial hoodlum that ran a racket engaging in coercive commercial and fraud activities, as well as the usual violence and terror-inducing disorders with a band of lackeys.


    There was once when he was caught by the police for causing trouble at the bazaar. But when he was thrown into the lockup, the impudent crook stole a pistol from one of the officers! The reckless and brash ruffian even dared to wave the barrel of his gun in the faces of horrified officers that a detachment of armed police had to be summoned from the local headquarters to quell the riot. Still, as if all the disciplining and reformation in lockup were mere child''s play to him, the thug returned back to his days of menacing the local community! But he had learned through a painful experience that the locals helped each other whenever they could! There was twice he provoked a fight with a local, and to his dismay, the local resident was helped by other locals and they drove him off together. Since then, this bully learned to never pick a fight with any local natives. He did not know that Lin Feng was a native from the vicinity, since Lin Feng had never stayed in his hometown since his teenage years. But the cook of the roadside stall recognized him. He had actually intended to come to Lin Feng''s aid when he came out of his stall with his meat cleaver. Seeing as the group of thieves and swindlers still in talks with Lin Feng, he came out and went to his cart instead.


    The thug stood proudly before the group of four which dwindled into three; the female thief had slunk furtively to the back of the thug. The trio of swindlers immediately wore a meek expression like a gentle lamb. The leader spoke hastily to the thug, saying that the name of the thug was well-known to everyone in the vicinity and they would humbly admit defeat! With that, they handed to him one of their leather briefcases. The female thief, realizing an opportunity to slip away, took a few wary steps backward before she broke into a run! But she had failed to remember: this was a busy market! Before she could disappear, the thug caught up to her and yank her back effortlessly, dragging her back to where Lin Feng and the group of swindlers were still waiting, muttering under his breath, "The girl is hardly a beauty! How could it be possible that she is worth so much money?" He shoved the girl violently towards Lin Feng. "Do you still want this trollop of a woman?" He barked at Lin Feng, "How about half of the previous offer? She''s yours for two hundred and fifty thousand!"


    Lin Feng stared at him coldly. He said nothing, merely walking directly towards the thug! The hawker stall cook reached for his meat cleaver and followed behind Lin Feng. Everywhere around them, the thug realized something was wrong! A peddler came forth, holding a sturdy-looking rolling pin, while another store proprietor came forward with a steel pipe and another too entered the fold with a wooden stick in his grasp!


    These were all locals. The thug gasped to himself at the stirring crowd around him. Lin Feng stepped in front of him, with a pounce and a quick Twin Kicks, he threw the thug off his feet, crashing to the ground helplessly. Lin Feng that yank at the cuffs of his shirt and dragged him up like a ragdoll and gave him to loud smacks on his cheeks that he almost spun on his heels! Bewildered and dazed, the thug staggered as he struggled to maintain his balance. After a few seconds, he blinked his eyes several times, as if he had come out of a trance, and slowly moved to pick up the briefcase he had dropped. He took it and came to Lin Feng, handed him the briefcase respectfully, before he quickly disappeared among the crowd.


    The trio of swindlers was agape with disbelief and shock. The man who they almost picked a fight with had effortlessly dealt with a local ruffian that they knew! Lin Feng turned his glare unto them and the leader, so frightened that his knees almost buckled, quickly swooped upon his last remaining briefcase and handed it to Lin Feng before fleeing away with his two minions. Watching them diving into the midst of curious onlookers, Lin Feng scoffed. Such pitifulness, he thought. Even the brigands of Inner Mongolia had more backbone than all of them put together! The likes of small-time ruffians and swindlers were nothing to Lin Feng since our adventures fighting against highwaymen that were armed to the teeth with no qualms in killing innocents!


    Lin Feng turned his gaze unto the last person remaining in the empty square: the female thief. She was trembling with fear, stuttering incomprehensibly, "D-dear Sir... P-please..." Lin Feng instantly recognized her voice and accent! She was from the North-Eastern regions! He shot a finger at a stall selling douhua (beancurd pudding) and snapped, "Go! Ask for some large plastic bags!" The female thief scuttled like a mouse to the stall. But the proprietor of the stall, a feisty woman, barked at the thief, "I can give you a plastic bag if you''re a customer here! But you''re not!"


    The female thief returned sullenly back to Lin Feng. "The woman says no!" she told him skittishly. Lin Feng pointed to the hawker stall from which the large, beefy cook came from. "Ask that stall!" he barked again. The woman went to the hawker stall. "Do you have large plastic bags?" she asked the cook, "Can you spare me a few?" The cook bawled in a loud voice, "Of course! Of course!" He plucked a handful of black plastic bags and gave them to her. The woman went back to Lin Feng. The latter opened the briefcase and said sharply to her, "Fill the plastic bags with this money!" "How much?" she asked. "Fifteen handfuls apiece," said Lin Feng.


    The woman filled the first plastic bag with money and Lin Feng motioned towards the cook. "Give it to him!" He instructed. The woman scurried over to the cook and presented to him the bag full of money. The cook paused from his chores and told a worker of his to get his car. He had to go to the bank to deposit the large bag of money! Lin Feng ordered the woman to fill another plastic bag. He waited as the woman worked, his eyes closed as if in deep thought. He pointed to another man and barked, "Give the bag to him!" The woman went to the man and gave him the plastic bag. Like the cook earlier, the man immediately hopped onto his bicycle and pedaled as hard as he could to the bank! One after another, the woman repeatedly filled plastic bags full of money and gave them to other hawkers and peddlers around them; Lin Feng was giving the money to those who were readying themselves to help him earlier! When they came to the last plastic bag, Lin Feng snorted as if he was being annoyed with the sluggishness of the woman. He took the final briefcase and tipped everything into the bag! He pointed to one last person and grunted, "Give it to him!" Unknown to everyone, the last man was in fact Lin Feng''s cousin. When everything was done, Lin Feng tossed the leather briefcases into a large ditch before he grabbed the woman by her hair and thrust her into his car and drove away.


    When he had left, the crowd began to disperse. A few local hoodlums jeered at the stingy woman proprietor of the douhua stall, "Just how many bowls of douhua do you have to sell to earn 150 thousand yuan! If only you had given him your plastic bags, he would have given you a bag too! Heh heh heh!" The mocking remarks plus the derisive glances from the rest of the hawkers and onlookers were enough to overwhelm the woman that she nearly crumbled into tears!


    Lin Feng took the woman to his grandfather''s house where his relatives began asking who she was. "She''s a distant relative!" Lin Feng replied, albeit disdainfully. Interestingly, none of them mistook the woman as his girlfriend. Nevertheless, the woman''s modest look had discouraged any of that notion; her appearance seemed as if her age was on par with Lin Feng''s, if not older. His relatives were all the more convinced that she was not his sweetheart, especially when they could see that he treated the girl as good as how he treated a dog! Lin Feng stepped outside to make a call and waited. An hour later, a car arrived the gates. An elder woman, looking around fifty of age, stepped down the car with a young man following behind. The woman was the student of Uncle Quan''s teacher''s wife, his god-aunt! The young man behind was her nephew who was formerly a fellow medium, the one from the North-Eastern region whom we had helped before! The aunt and nephew came indoors. At the sight of the female thief waiting timidly aside, Lin Feng''s god-aunt immediately rushed to her and smack her twice on her face! Lin Feng waved her off and said, "Please, God-aunt. Discipline her if you must, but not here! It''s hardly appropriate here; this is my relative''s home!"


    The female thief that Lin Feng took back with him was the wife of his God-aunt''s nephew! The wife of the former medium! Lin Feng had more or less recognized her when he first had a good look of her, and he was even more certain when he heard her voice! Birds of a feather, he muttered to himself under his breath. "How about dinner together before you leave, God-aunt?" Lin Feng asked the elder woman, but she declined. "I have to make arrangements to have this two mangy curs banished back to where they came from!" Lin Feng warmly saw her off, watching her car drove out of the village before he went back into the house.


    Lin Feng returned to the Center a few days later and we went, as usual, for barbecue skewers that night. To our surprise, the occupants at the table just beside us were chatting excitedly about Lin Feng''s story. They did not know his name, but news of what he did that day at the bazaar had reached Wu Zhong County! Through a swig of beer, Yuan Chongxi muttered, "Dumb fool! One million yuan! I would have kept the money for myself and enjoy it all on barbecue skewers! Hmph!" "Heaven forfend that you should be visited with such a fortune, knowing that you have only barbecue skewers in your mind!" I scoffed. Yuan Chongxi was about to retort me when I explained, "Think about it: the money came from ill-gotten means! That is dirty money! For all we know, the entire briefcase of money was being traced by the police! The person could have had trouble with the police if he decided to keep the money! By giving it away, he could deny the money was his even if the police does indeed find him!" Yuan Chongxi wore a blank look on his face; clearly still confused over what I just told him. "So those whose money was being swindled..." he murmured, "They''d lose the money for good?" "Only rich people have so much money to lose! There''s no need to worry about their welfare!" I quickly raised a hand to him, gesturing for him to not reveal himself. Instead, Yuan Chongxi rose to his feet, eyeing Lin Feng incredulously, "It was you..." Swiftly, we dragged him away quickly...


    We found a few days later that word of Lin Feng''s noble heroics spread further and wider, all thanks to Tencent News network. Among the comments we saw on the Internet, some praised him as a folk hero, while some remarked that Lin Feng could have been a kingpin of the local underworld! We could only laugh at the imagination and flair of the derring-dos of the netizen that recklessly tendered their opinions without remorse nor regret. But it was fortunate that the entire incident was not recorded by anyone there, else Lin Feng would have literally taken a leaf out of his father''s book and appeared on television!


    Hence, another week passed uneventfully, and finally, we heard from Zheng Shuang...

 Chapter 87 At Wits End

    Zheng Shuang came to the Center a week later with more information for us. "The suspects that we''ve arrested were all dead!" He exclaimed to us, "Ruthless and brutal, their shadowy mastermind. The dead suspects were discovered to have died in the same manner, leaving nothing that our coroner could trace!" But a few of our experts deduced that the men were already poisoned prior to their detainment as a means of sealing any loose lips in case of their arrest!" No, I remembered, their meridian points were sealed by Lin Feng. We had been expecting their deaths; they had tried to drug and murder us. Yet when we had escaped, they pursued us with determination and malice! The slow death that the detainees that suffered in prison were already merciful enough than what they truly deserved! I interrupted my own train of thoughts, focusing back into what Zheng Shuang was saying next. "We had looked into the cellmates that Wang Laosan was reported to be close with. We''ll need just a little more time; we''re still sifting through the list now. Have some patience! I''ll make sure you get my update ASAP!"


    Zheng Shuang came for another visit a few days later, telling us that his ex-classmate wanted to invite us for a meal. Zheng Shuang''s ex-classmate received us warmly when we met, saying that he should have asked us out earlier but he was delayed by a case at his station. We talked over liquor and cigarettes, chatting about the previous incident. Halfway through, Zheng Shuang asked his friend, "You mentioned a case that delayed you. What about it?" "A theft," said his friend, "A bunch of jewelry displayed in a counter in a mall was found missing. But strangely, the doors were never opened, and the CCTV footages showed nobody entering the premises, as if the entire booty had vanished into thin air! We''re out of clues, in the midst of our confusion!"


    Zheng Shuang''s chopstick pointed at us. "Would you believe me if I tell you that our three friends here are experts in investigations?" he asked his friend, grinning slyly. His friend sprang to his feet in surprise, although he was wearing an evident hint of doubt. "I thought that you were simply experts in the paranormal," he said to us, "My apologies for the disrespect! I didn''t realize that you were experts in investigations as well!" "No no no! Zheng Shuang was merely being gracious!" I added quickly. "A good many of my cases were solved all thanks to these three brothers here!" Zheng Shuang quipped. "No wonder you had such a rapid ascent up the ladder! You had their advice and help!" His friend exclaimed at the epiphany, he turned to us just as quickly. "If you would just look into this for me..." He implored. "That would have to depend on my brother here," I said, gesturing at Yuan Chongxi!


    The bumbling rascal was so engrossed in eating that he had not heard a word! "What?" He peered up from his food as he felt our attention all training on him. I bent down and whispered into his ears, "Use your divination to find if the theft he''d mentioned had anything to do with the Creed!" With an "Ohhh", Yuan Chongxi asked Zheng Shuang''s friend, "Can you give me the date, time, and location of the incident? Ah, yes! I''ll need the direction too!" Zheng Shuang''s friend provided the details and Yuan Chongxi began working his magic, methodically making the calculations with his fingers. At length, he gave me a knowing look and nodded gently. I turned to Zheng Shuang''s friend. "Officer Zhu, we agree to help you with the matter, although we cannot guarantee that the case can be fully solved!"


    Zheng Shuang''s friend was called Zhu Jun. Later, we drove to Zhu Jun''s place where I requested to have a look at the CCTV footage of the night the theft took place. Zhu Jun brought us to the security control room of the mall. A dozen CCTV monitors lined an entire wall that allowed supervision of the interior of the mall at different angles and directions. I requested a member of the staff to play the footage of the night of the incident, and a young man expertly navigated through the system and found the footage we needed. We watched the CCTV recording again and I looked intently into the screen, hoping to find something. Beside me, an exasperated Zhu Jun said, "We''ve seen the footage for God knows how many times! Still, we found nothing!" I waved him off, motioning him for silence.


    Under usual circumstances, not even my Spirit Sight would enable me to detect anything wrong from a recording video. Even though this was an actual recording from what happened that night, the video recording captured live action of that night in the mall by taking a series of still images¡ªor frame rate of 50 hertz (cycles per second). The video recording was made up of fragments of 50 frames interlaced together in each second. This would mean that the cameras would fail to pick up anything between gaps of every 50 cycles, like how quick movements were blurry to normal human vision! No one travels faster than one-fiftieth of a second, unless one was able to fly with the speed of a bullet. This was also the reason many overlooked this simple detail, misunderstanding that the video recordings had indeed captured everything. Closely, I studied the footage. No thief would have speeds that could surpass the frequency rate of the video, but it was definitely possible that Zhu Jun had missed minute details that could be the key to breaking the case! Just after the midnight timestamp, I chuckled. Indeed, something in the video stood out to me; a minuscule detail that I found just after the midnight timestamp!


    I told Zhu Jun that we would be going downstairs for a look. We went to the back alley of the mall where a wall bordered the compound of the mall, over which was a vehicle boneyard. Beside the boneyard sat a small tract of woods with only a few rows of low willow trees. The patch of trees seemed to be part of the boneyard which was left unused. We searched the area and found that the grasses and undergrowth between the trees showed signs of being trampled. But the footsteps did not lead to the wall, which could possibly explain why Zhu Jun and the local police discounted the footsteps as a viable clue. They did not expect that the perpetrators of the crime could have used animals or familiar to do their bidding! I searched through the grasses and found a crushed cigarette butt. I took out my Spirit Gourd and uncorked it, waving the mouth of my gourd at the burnt butt. I then waved to Zhu Jun and the others, motioning them to follow us. We returned to our car where I instructed Zhu Jun to bring some men and follow behind us, while Lin Feng, Yuan Chongxi and I would lead in another car. I summoned my spirit cat, Smoky, and we began driving to a more rustic part of the area.


    Not knowing what we were up to, Zhu Jun immediately mobilized his men. Before long, a long cavalcade of police cars filled our rearview mirror! Like a thronging convoy, we drove all the way and stopped in front of a farmer''s shack where the police cars immediately surrounded the house, cutting off all avenues of ingress and egress! Being a more decisive person than Zheng Shuang, Zhu Jun immediately led a small squad that kicked through the doors and stormed the house. Within moments, the policemen filed out of the house, bring a man with them. However, at the merest look at the man, I gasped with dismay! Two mouthfuls of water from my gourd made no improvement; the man was a dimwitted person! Our clues had just come to an end!


    Zhu Jun summoned the village councilman and spoke to him. When he came back, he reported his findings: the man was long known to be a dumb person. His family name was Han, and hence everyone called him Youngster Han. His parents had long died, leaving him a helpless and dimwitted boy, impoverished and destitute. But the villagers were kind to him, helping him whenever they could. In the house, the police search and found the jewelry that was missing, much to the shock and disbelief of the councilman! He would not have believed this if he did not witness everything himself!


    A representative of the mall was summoned and he confirmed that all of the missing jewelry was accounted for; they were all here! Zhu Jun was ecstatic, being able to recover everything despite not knowing that was the crime committed. He would have to come up with a logical and plausible way to describe everything in his report. But my companions and I were far from satisfied; not only did the thief used evil spirits or familiar to carry out the deed of thieving the valuables, but the perpetrator had even used a mentally-handicapped person to receive the bounty for him! But we deduced that our swift actions had prevented him from being able to recover the jewelry before our convoy, with sirens blaring and blue-red lights illuminating the sky, had alerted him of our arrival and the thief quickly slipped away.


    It would have been easier for the perpetrator to possess and control a dumb person than a normally-sane person. However, the same could not be said for us as we needed clues to solve the case!


    We were interrupted by a phone call. It was Zheng Shuang; he had found the cellmate that had been in touch with Wang Laosan and full-scale surveillance was now being conducted on the man this very instant. I instructed Zheng Shuang to forward a copy of the data on Wang Laosan''s cellmate to Zhu Jun. There was the possibility of him appearing near the dumb boy since he had to physically come near the boy to cast his spell on him.


    We went back that day and met up with Zheng Shuang to discuss the situation. What remained of the Creed must have been facing financial difficulties after our crippling of the division in charged to amass funds, hence their attempt to steal the jewelry! Their financials must be in a dire state now! We deduced that the failure of the theft would only make them anxious and force them to spring another attempt! The cellmate of Wang Laosan who had come looking for him was a man called Li Dechao who was also known as Li Shanpao (literally, Li the Hillside Cannon). He was a native of the North-Eastern regions and had been enticed into joining the Creed when they were creating a presence around here! Zheng Shuang produced a photograph of him which Lin Feng took and had a look. To our surprise, Lin Feng immediately leaped to his feet! He had seen the face before; the leader of the trio of swindlers who had almost fought in a brawl with him, the one who had left to Lin Feng the one million yuan! Immediately, I began laughing uncontrollably and everyone looked at me strangely, puzzled and confused.


    "Let me recap," I explained, "Their foremost apparatuses for collecting funds were first thwarted by us. Then they set a trap for us, luring us into Inner Mongolia, hoping to kill us indirectly. But not only they failed to murder us, instead, we even demolished their presence there, removing the remaining Apostles, namely Zheng Tong, Zhu Shazhi and Baosang Kui, from play! When we returned here, they tried to burn us alive only to have us cripple more of what was left of them! Then they had their minions scurrying around, swindling others and gathered one million yuan, only to have their prize fell into Brother Lin''s hands! At their wit''s end, they were forced to become petty thieves, pilfering jewelry and valuables. But before their plans could bear fruit, their endeavors were once again thwarted by Zhu Jun and us!" "The mastermind of everything should have counted himself lucky if he did not suffer a stroke over his extending list of failures!" Everyone burst into guffaws of laughter.


    Suddenly, an inspiration dawned upon me. My gaze slowly traveled to Lin Feng as everyone, confounded by the change in my demeanor, too began looking at Lin Feng. Lin Feng himself peered back at us with a blank look and eyes as large as eggs...

 Chapter 88 Li Shanpao

    Lin Feng looked at us, and we too looked at him for a few uneasy seconds. "Why are you all looking at me?" he asked bashfully. I chuckled and whispered to him something. He took out his mobile phone and made a call. "Aunt," he said to his god-aunt, "It''s me. Can you get me the number of your nephew''s wife? ... Ohhh... It''s nothing. I just have something to ask her... Okay, I''ll wait for your message!" He ended the call and explained that his god-aunt would send the phone number via SMS to us. She was not very adept in using her mobile phone, hence sifting through her phone book would need some time.


    His phone rang suddenly and Lin Feng forwarded the message to me. I immediately pressed at the number on my screen to make the call. "Hi there. Do you remember what happened at the bazaar?" I said to the woman when she answered the call, "I am a colleague of the man who took you. We are part of the same investigations agency. You remember who, do you?" "Is there anything I can help you with?" A timid and quivering voice came from the other end of the line. "The police had wanted to take you in for questioning, but I have stopped them. But I need only one detail from you! Have no fear, and listen well! How did you lose your money in the first place?" "I had left the briefcase at the counter of the hotel. But somehow my boss got wind of it and took it from the hotel staff!" she replied. "Very well. Do you remember the name of the hotel?" "I think not... But I have a pack of disposable toiletries from the hotel, the name of the hotel is printed on the wrapping of the toiletries. Please wait a moment while I find it... It''s called the Dawn Light Hotel!" "All right. That will be all!" I said.


    I replaced my phone on the table and smiled at Zheng Shuang. "Despatch a team immediately to the Dawn Light Hotel! Arrest their manager! We need to find out who was it who had supplied the information of the briefcase containing the money to the group of swindlers!"


    To our amazement, Zheng Shuang demonstrated a sudden flip-side of his former ambivalence; with a squad of police cars wailing blatantly as they charged as quick as they could towards their destination, the manager was quickly apprehended in no time. We discovered that the hotel was but an insignificant establishment in the locale and the manager was in fact the owner of the hotel. Without much effort, the manager caved in, admitting to everything: he and Li Shanpao knew each other and he, in fact, was once part of the swindling syndicate! But Li Shanpao did not disclose his involvement to the police during his arrest, and hence the manager had always been grateful for that. After saying goodbye to his days of cheating and scamming, he started a small hotel in the neighborhood of his hometown. But when Li Shanpao''s search for the runaway woman had led him to the hotel, they recognized each other instantly. Li Shanpao revealed to him that a female occupant at the hotel was actually a member of his syndicate who had escaped after whisking away all their money! With a little nudging laced with intimidation and coercion, the manager buckled and relented, handing to Li Shanpao the briefcase. The female occupant never reappeared, until rumors of Lin Feng''s audacity with the one million yuan reached his ears and he heaved a breath of relief, thinking that he would not have to suffer policemen darkening his door.


    "Do you have Li Shanpao''s contact number?" Zheng Shuang questioned. "No. It was merely a meeting by chance! I had never been in contact with him for many years now. But, one of the men that came with him... I recognized the person... They call him Qin Erwai (Qin the Twice Crooked)..."


    The manager was released after Zheng Shuang completed his interrogation. He assigned a surveillance detail on Qin Erwai and the stakeout ultimately bore fruit, for the police managed to arrest Li Shanpao!


    We were invited by Zheng Shuang to listen in to the interrogation of Li Shanpao. When the man saw Lin Feng at the station, he collapsed into his chair, utterly dismayed. Never had he thought that the tough brute he almost picked a fight with at the bazaar was related to the police! How the Fates had abandoned him, he thought despondently!


    During his interrogation, Li Shanpao admitted that he was trained by his superior. He was a pickpocket when he was very young, and one day, he was discovered and caught. But the person who caught him did not have definite proof to accuse him. The man demanded to search and frisk him in public but the young Li Shanpao refused to relent! "What would you do if you found nothing on me?" The fiery boy barked at the older man. The man replied loudly, saying that he would apologize in public if he found nothing! Their arguments and tussle resulted in a stalemate until a strangely-dressed middle-aged man walked past. He walked up to the little Li Shanpao and said, "Just let him frisk you, young man! He would have to apologize humbly to you in public if he found nothing on you! Don''t worry! We''ll make sure that he does not renege on his promise!" With his back to the wall, Li Shanpao could only reluctantly agree to a search.


    But not only the man found nothing after a thorough frisking, the mob of onlookers also began clamoring for fairness, mocking him with jeers and catcalls that the man had to bent to a shameful bow and apologize! But Li Shanpao was neither happy nor gleeful; he was angry! The wallet that he had stolen was missing! Somebody had stolen the item that he had pilfered from that man! Despondent and crestfallen, he wandered off and went to a nearby inn for food and saw the middle-aged man sitting just beside his table. The man had just ordered for a dish of food and a flask of liquor and Li Shanpao added to the server, "Add another flask of liquor to the tab for this man!" "No thank you! I do not drink excessively!" The man declined his offer, waving his hand. After his meal, Li Shanpao dug for his wallet to pay for his food. He told the server who came to him with the bill, "Please bring me the bill for this man as well..." His voice trailed off before he could finish; his own wallet was missing! He rummaged desperately through his pockets but his wallet was nowhere to be found! He felt a rush of embarrassment coursing through him as his cheeks burned. The middle-aged man stood up. "You need to have the means before you can be chivalrous, young man!" he said to Li Shanpao before turning to the server. "This young man''s bill is on me!" He took out a wallet and took out a wad of bills to pay the waiter. But Li Shanpao could only stare with disbelief; the wallet that the man was holding was his!


    The man began to leave the restaurant. Li Shanpao ran after him as the man walked out, calling loudly at him as he chased behind. "Sir! Please, Sir!" The man stopped in his tracks and looked at him. He patted the young boy''s shoulders and said gently to him, "Come work with me, young man!"


    From then on, Li Shanpao followed the man wherever he went, learning from him his skills as an apprentice. In time, he learned that his mentor was called Bai Chuanwei, a professional thief who normally disguised himself as a Taoist priest. Li Shanpao was trained in various skills of deception, fraud, and thievery. Their travels eventually brought them into the regions of Shanhai Pass. It was there, Li Shanpao was covering for his mentor when he was caught in his act and was tossed into jail. He served a prison sentence for a few years, but when he came out, his mentor sent one of his underlings to collect him. It was then Li Shanpao learned further about his teacher, who was part of a diabolical order, the Apostles of the Creed, an evil cult that wore the guise of a Taoist order! His mentor, Bai Chuanwei was the Sixth among Apostles, the one with the moniker of "the Invisible Hand"! Hearing this, I thought quietly, the man must be truly confident in himself to give himself such a name!


    After his release from prison, Li Shanpao volunteered to enlist his former cellmate to join their operation. Through their time together in prison, Li Shanpao had learned that Wang Laosan was part of a gang. He would induct Wang Laosan and his gang into the order and share his bounty with them. With his mentor supporting from behind, his partnership with Wang Laosan began working well as they enjoyed success committing a series of crimes! Until one day, word came to them that the rest of the Apostles were all caught and arrested! His mentor began devising an intricate plan to eliminate those who had dared offend the brotherhood of Apostles in Wu Zhong County. But to accomplish their purpose they would need manpower and connections to set a trap for us, hence their employ of Wang Laosan and his henchmen. With the village councilman Mr. Kang as the bait, they lured us into their trap, only to have their plans failed miserably when the henchmen were all ingloriously defeated by Lin Feng and Wang Laosan was killed! But to leave no further loose ends, his mentor executed Mr. Kang before they withdrew back into hiding.


    With another defeat in the books and the depletion of their funds in the offing, Li Shanpao voiced his opinions, criticizing that the methods used by the others at Wu Zhong County were to slow in generating the required amount of funds. He proposed and began an idea so heinous and hateful: to kidnap children and demand for ransom! But they had barely seen a glimpse of success, when half of the money he collected was stolen by one of his female underlings. Li Shanpao led his syndicate in a close chase of the woman and at last, they found her and managed to recover the money. But this time, they were stopped by Lin Feng and the money was divided among others like wolves feasting on carcass! When news of another addition into a long list of failures reached his mentor, Bai Chuanwei leaped and stomped the ground with uncontrollable rage!


    Time was running for Li Shanpao and his mentor, for their higher-ups were pestering for more funds! But petty thieving would never be able to solve their problem in a short time! Finally, despite his unwillingness to do so, his mentor had used the Seventh Apostle''s spirit rodent to infiltrate the mall at night. The rodent found no cash and money, but it managed to make off with some jewelry and valuables. But before they managed to recover the loot, their plans were once again foiled by us!


    The spirit rodent belonged to Zheng Tong, confessed Li Shanpao to us. After his fall from grace, the spirit rodent was recovered back into keeping by the higher-ups of the Creed and was re-assigned to the Sixth Apostle, Bai Chuanwei, hoping that the spirit beast would be able to assist the Apostle to hasten his efforts in procuring funds. This explained how the CCTV cameras failed to pick up anyone slipping into the mall. Spirit beasts could only be seen by humans, not cameras! Bai Chuanwei had always been close to Zheng Tong; Zheng Tong was a native of these areas that he once recruited into the order before his thereafter assignment to take charge of the Black Dragon Keep. He had even shed tears for Zheng Tong when news of his death reached him and had even carried out the final rites for his fallen friend!


    "Where is Bai Chuanwei now?" Zheng Shuang questioned. "I don''t know! Really! No one contacts the Mentor; only he contacts us, via our mobile phones!" Zheng Shuang then grilled Li Shanpao further and was finally supplied with Bai Chuanwei''s phone number.

 Chapter 89 Fruitless

    Zheng Shuang snarled at the shivering Li Shanpao with his eyes wide and livid as if he wanted to swallow him whole, "Think closely! What else did your teacher leave you recently?" "Two pieces of talisman!" Li Shanpao gasped with a shaking voice, "My teacher had made them and he instructed me to keep them safe. But he did not mention their uses and how they could be used!" Zheng Shuang took out two strips of talismans from the table and showed him. "Are these the ones you refer to?" he asked and his detainee replied quickly with a "Yes". I slipped a quiet word into Zheng Shuang''s ear, and I took the talismans with me and left.


    We left the police station and adjourned to another soiree of barbecue skewers. Oddly even to ourselves, we had found ourselves plunged into a never-ending craving for barbecue skewers ever since we had tasted grilled wolf meat at Mongolia. We were then rejoined by Zheng Shuang and we spent the afternoon discussing on how we should deal with Bai Chuanwei. "These two talismans look identical to each other, but Bai Chuanwei did not teach Li Shanpao how to use them," I began deducing and said, "But Li Shanpao has long been his student. He would surely know how to use them if these were the talismans that they usually use! I''d guess that this means that these talismans are new to them both! Bai Chuanwei must have procured them or made them recently! This begs the question: what are the recent changes in their lives?" But none of the others understood what I was trying to imply. They stared blankly at me in bewilderment. "I am quite sure," I revealed to them with a smile, saying, "That the talismans are used to summon the spirit rodent!" To their revelation, Zheng Shuang, Yuan Chongxi, and Lin Feng emitted loud "Ohhhs" as they finally understood my plan: we could use the talismans to ensnare the spirit rodent!


    "So," Zheng Shuang asked anxiously, "When will we begin?" "Bai Chuanwei will surely notice us if we decide to move now," I answered in response, "We''ll act tonight. He might be sleeping and might not notice his spirit rodent missing. I will use my spirit cat Smoky to subdue the rodent and force it to lead us to Bai Chuanwei! We will settle everything tonight! We will not let him escape!" "How should we assist you?" Zheng Shuang inquired again. "Based on the locations he normally operated in, I''d hazard that he is hiding somewhere in Fengrun District," I said, "Would you have any jurisdictional problems operating in other districts?" "Not a problem, the police force there are also under the same command," replied Zheng Shuang. "Very good then," I replied, nodding, "Have your men ready. But no flashing lights and sirens this time; we''ll only need your men to follow us and make the arrest once we find Bai Chuanwei." "Time?" Zheng Shuang asked again. I peered at my watch and pondered. "9 P.M.," I said at last, "Have your men wait for us at Dongguan. Tell your men to be very careful; this enemy is extremely dangerous. There''s no need for any more information from him; we do not need him alive. For the sake of everyone''s safety, I''ll recommend that you shoot to kill!" Zheng Shuang nodded his assent and left to make the preparations.


    With that, our meeting came to an end. We busied ourselves preparing our gear and weapons and my companions asked, "How should we begin?" "We cannot begin summoning the spirit rodent too early. Bai Chuanwei might notice its disappearance especially if the rodent had to travel far to reach us. It''s best, I think, to summon it only when we are entering Fengrun District!" At 9 P.M., Lin Feng drove us towards East. We reached Dongguan and Lin Feng hit the horn to signal the cavalcade of police patrol cars to follow us quietly behind.


    It was a 70-mile drive towards Fengrun District and we said nothing during the journey, although ripples of concern and angst stirred within us. When we were finally very close to Fengrun, I had Lin Feng look for an empty area and stop the car. I took out one of the talismans and set it on fire. Smoke swirled gently through the air. I took out my Spirit Gourd and released Smoky while instructing the police cars to shut their lights and wait.


    We laid patiently for almost half an hour, suddenly, Smoky hissed angrily and pounced! As expected, the spirit rodent was swiftly subdued by its nemesis. I took out my Spirit Gourd and rapped hard on the spectral rodent, expelling two fragments of its soul and drew it into my gourd before I unsummoned Smoky. It was too dark for the policemen waiting in the patrol cars to notice what I was doing, let alone witnessing both spectral beasts. But they immediately sprang to attention when I returned to the car and followed closely behind us as we drove and follow the spirit rodent. But the rodent, without two fragments of its soul, had lost part of its cognitive abilities; it frequently dove towards directions that looked hardly improbable and dubious that many times I had to unleash Smoky upon it to recover it and set it loose again to refresh its memory. This did little to help our situation; a journey of barely tens of miles had become a detour that extended into a few hours.


    Dawn was nearly upon us when the rodent finally led us to a lonely little shack. With fragments of its soul missing, it was moving with the lethargy of a person suffering from amnesia.


    I waved a signal to Zheng Shuang; hinting to him the cue to begin his attack. He immediately led a band of armed policemen and charged at the house, surrounding it to make sure no one escaped. But we noticed that the shack had no back door, the Bai Chuanwei would never be able to escape easily! They made sure the perimeter of the shack had been covered and Zheng Shuang asked if they should offer a surrender to anyone inside. But we had explicitly agreed to kill Bai Chuanwei for everyone''s safety, I grimaced at Zheng Shuang''s sudden outburst of compassion. I ripped my sword out of its scabbard and muttered a spell. I pointed the scabbard of my sword at the shack and my sword shot with the speed and intensity of a lightning bolt into the house! Lin Feng, Yuan Chongxi and I stormed the house immediately. But to our dismay and disappointment, the shack was empty! There were no signs of anyone! Instead, the mark that my sword had found was the spirit rodent! The poor rodent turned into a jian (form assumed by ghosts or spirits after being killed again in Chinese folklore) instead! Humans and animals become ghosts after dying, but ghosts that die again would become an entity known as ''jian'' in Chinese superstition! The entire operation had been for naught! Zheng Shuang and his men came in after us. Realizing that the shack was empty, a few of them could not suppress the look of disappointment on their faces. Nevertheless, we looked and searched around, and found only some scraps of talismanic strips and some discarded instruments. All signs showed only one thing: Bai Chuanwei had long fled before we came!


    At length, we decided to call it a day and prepare for our somber journey back to Wu Zhong after a fruitless night. But the rest of the policemen noticed our close friendship with their leader. I was suddenly addressed as ''Brother'' as if I became one of the men in blue and I was even coaxed into riding with them in one of the patrol cars on our journey back. All the way back, I was peppered with inquisitive questions and inquiries by the policemen and policewomen while enduring their curious stares. I was drowned in an amnesiac blur as they pelted one question after another that I was so relieved when we finally reached Wu Zhong.


    We went directly back to the Wu Zhong police station. The director was waiting for us; anticipating a report of success from Zheng Shuang as he had always delivered without fail. But this time, Zheng Shuang could only shake his head sullenly. The director was stunned at first, but he quickly regained his composure and patted Zheng Shuang''s shoulder, wearing an encouraging smile. "Fret not, my boy! It''s just a minor setback!" He turned his gaze towards us. It was the first time we met and Zheng Shuang hastily made the introductions. But despite not having met him in person, I knew full well that all our reports about our operation in Inner Mongolia were vetted by him. He spoke to us warmly, conveying his apologies that we were embroiled into the entire saga against the whole organization of the evil cult. I shook my head and returned the gesture, saying that I was the evil cult''s target and it was I who should be apologizing instead.


    Zheng Shuang took almost half an hour to finish his report, and sitting in his office, the four of us began discussing our next option. But there was nothing else we could do. Our trails had all been cut off. "Brother Yan, what do you think we should do then?" Zheng Shuang asked. "I am afraid I''m out of ideas for now. We can only wait, I''m afraid!" "But we would lose the initiative!" Lin Feng exclaimed, slapping the table hard. "So the tables have turned and we are now the hunted?" I could only shrug my shoulders helplessly at his remark. "What else can we do?" I said, "Bai Chuanwei is now on the run. It''s fair to say that he will not reappear in Wu Zhong any more, at least for now and it would be extremely difficult to locate him. He is in the shadows while we''re in the open. He sees our every move." Yuan Chongxi rubbed his chin. "Surely even the acolytes of the cult have to eat! And that would require funds. Bai Chuanwei would have to find ways to refill the coffers of the Creed. This is our chance, I say!" I stared at him. Even the dumb and dull Yuan Chongxi would display a rare moment of brilliance if there was food just around him!


    Then again, it would not be easy nonetheless! Zheng Shuang shook his head at Yuan Chongxi''s remark. "Be that as it may, Chongxi, but things are hardly so easy." "Why not?" Yuan Chongxi pressed, his eyes gaping wide in denial. Shaking my head too as I patted his shoulder to motion for him to calm down, I explained, "Do you know how to pickpocket someone, Brother?" "Of course," Yuan Chongxi replied, his curious anxiety subsiding. "Would you dare pickpocket someone when a policeman is nearby?" The answer seemed to strike a chord and Yuan Chongxi fell silent.


    Suddenly, I heard soft noises coming from the door. Frowning with suspicion, I signaled for my companions for silence. I rose from my chair and shuffled quietly to the door of Zheng Shuang''s office. I pressed my ears to the door when I reached the entrance and heard voices outside saying, "Ah? How come it''s quiet now inside?" which was followed by a sharp shush.


    A grin lined across my face and I reached for the door handle and yanked it hard. With a whistle of the door hinges opening, the door opened!

 Chapter 90 Wireless

    I ripped open the door quickly, and a sweet, fresh scent wrapped all over me as a young policewoman crash headlong into me, followed by another person, and another... As the whole corral of blue-clothed eavesdroppers tumbled over me like the falling walls of a castle.


    It had been more than a decade since I last enjoyed something like this as an 8 years old child. But to have more than seven or eight people at the age of 20 years old or more on me now almost seemed like I was trapped within the rubble and debris of an earthquake! In the midst of the whimpers and shrieks, including my painful yelps, Zheng Shuang quickly helped everyone up and pulled me.


    As the vestiges of the short-lived turmoil quickly subsided, I looked at the seven or eight junior policemen and women now standing sheepishly at Zheng Shuang''s office door. "What were you all up to?" Zheng Shuang barked at them, looking confused. "Heh heh heh! It''s nothing, Sir. We''re just curious about your further plans ahead..." Exasperated, I shook my head. "And you know nothing of knocking first? Why the trouble of trying to snoop at the door? Too many spy movies, have we?" I muttered, rubbing my still-throbbing waist. "You should work out," Lin Feng jeered, "Why don''t you come train with me!" I shot him a glare and said nothing.


    One of the young junior policemen said to me, "Honestly, Brother Shiyan, I have been with you both together for a few times. But I had never once seen how you find the criminals. Just like that time, when we caught the perpetrators who abducted the children!" Zheng Shuang and I traded looks and we smiled weakly. I turned back to the young cop and said, shaking my head, "It''s different this time. Those that we caught before were either incompetent or foolish. Moreover, the enemies were unprepared for our attack. But this time, Bai Chuanwei was already wary of us. It''s difficult to find him now! Surely you''ve looked into his former address? You have no more leads now, do you?" The young policeman fell silent at what I said. "We had," he replied, "There were fingerprints in the house; all left by the same person. But the fingerprints had no match in our system! Damn! How did this Bai Chuanwei manage to remain at large for so long!"


    I waved him off before he could continue rambling on. "The rest is hardly something you should be concerned with," I muttered, "We can only wait for the enemy''s next move for now."


    We left the police station later on. It was already lunch time, hence Zheng Shuang offered to buy us lunch. At the restaurant, I chewed on a toothpick and asked Zheng Shuang, "So your meals are mostly covered by the station? Is this one of the perks of being a policeman?" "Nay, Brother!" Zheng Shuang said, "This lunch is approved by the Director as a show of appreciation for your troubles!"


    He popped open a bottle of beer and filled our glasses. "Say," he began to ask, "The evil cult, the Creed of the Eight Trigrams... They seemed weak sometimes yet at other times, they appeared to be very strong. The bat demon and even the Third Apostle we had arrested without great trouble. What happened during your foray into Inner Mongolia? I could not shake off the feeling that there was more than what you allowed in your report. I remember Brother Shiyan you did mention that the one at Mongolia is the Seventh, no? Were they not ranked according to their strength?"


    Yuan Chongxi''s glass came down on the table with a faint thud. "You do not understand," he said, "The Third Apostle, which was the mastermind of the group, and the old bat demon called Yan were not weak actually. Their fighting strengths alone were actually miles beyond all three of us put together!" Food was already laid on the table; Yuan Chongxi fished for his chopsticks and filled his mouth with two slices of beef before he mumbled through the food. "The Third Apostle, despite being a mere strategist, was skilled in magic and sorcery. He would never have been so easily caught if not for his own carelessness. As for the bat demon, he was not the First Apostle without reason. I had overhead their people talking among themselves when we were in Inner Mongolia that the bat demon was already heavily hurt in the first. This would explain why he could be so easily taken down when we attacked him!" Sitting at the same table, I could only marvel with awe at Yuan Chongxi; he always a different person whenever when he was in an eating mood!


    Zheng Shuang listened to his story with equal bewilderment, murmuring a dull "Ohhh" as Lin Feng added, "During our battle against that bat demon¡ªhis name is Yan, is it not? I was already feeling puzzled myself. I realized that his attacks and blows were quick and fierce, but they lacked strength. I had initially thought that he might be hiding his strength for a ruse. It turned out that he was already at his limits." Finally understanding, Zheng Shuang asked again, "But what about this Bai Chuanwei? He is the Sixth Apostle, is he not? This means that he''d be weaker than the rest, no?" I shook my head; I was not sure of the answer to that question myself. "But we know that Bai Chuanwei was formerly a pickpocket," I elaborated, "We have no intelligence about his strength in combat. But I''m afraid that his movements must surely be quick and agile, otherwise, he would not have such a moniker: the Invisible Hand."


    Our discussion came to an ineffectual end as we finished our lunch. It was already past 1 P.M. We said our goodbyes to Zheng Shuang and we returned to the Center.


    With a brief interlude to our strife against the remnants of the Creed, I went up to the stairs, heading to the second floor with the manuscript that my father gave me. My studies into the techniques illustrated in the book had shown great improvements: I could now summon my sword and cast it out at will. Yet, I still lack the finesse to truly handle it to perfection. Even to this day, I failed to find the key point which I was missing. Father''s control of his levitating swords was so flawless and impeccable; fluid and precise even, that one could have argued that the hovering blades that fluttered around him were part of his anatomy.


    Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng both went out that night to meet their respective dates, leaving me alone at the Center. The sun sank below the horizon, and a shadowy figure glided through the doors into the second floor and came to perch on my head. No one else but Xiao Qi would do so. She observed how focused I was in poring over the manuscript and teased, "Oh my, what a studious one..." I gave no answer. She remained perched on my head for quite some time, until she drifted away to the adjacent room, feeling bored.


    Xiao Qi''s voice rang suddenly from the adjacent room not long afterward. "Come here, Shiyan! Come! Teach me how to play with this!" I breathed hard, my nostrils flaring with annoyance and meandered to next door. "What is it you''re up to?" I growled. She was squatting beside a television, waving a joystick at me. I walked to her and yanked the joystick from her. "Very good. You''ve outgrown playing computers now and are now beginning to learn using the PS4?" Xiao Qi flashed an impish smile. "Hmph. Not that it was hard in the first place. But I noticed that you seemed to be enjoying a game here a while ago. I want to try it too."


    After a short 5-minute introductory, Xiao Qi planted herself in front of the television, her eyes staring intently into the screen as her fingers yanked and pushed with so much force on the joystick that it began to screech violently as if in protest, doing her best to defeat her 3d-rendered enemies in one of my games titled Resident Evil 7. "Be gentle, woman!" I hissed with a shred of disgust and pain, "That joystick came originally with the whole set. You better not damage it with your grace that resembled that of a drunken mastodon! Moreover, you''re a ghost! Should you be terrified and frightened by imaginary creatures of a mere video game?" Xiao Qi mashed hard on the Pause button to put the game on hold and patted a hand on her chest, trying to calm herself down. "Oh my God! That was terrifying! I need a rest!" I stared at her with disbelief.


    She brandished the joystick like a magic wand. "Aye, Shiyan," she began asking inquisitively, "How does this joystick work? It does not even have a wire. During my time, I remember there were Super Mario Brothers gaming consoles with gamepads similar to these, but they all have wires." "You have been dead for too long that you''ve become detached with society," I scowled at her, "This is a wireless joystick. It does not need a wire; it only needs a wireless signal! Just think of it as something akin to television remote controls. There''s no use in boring you with the details if you won''t understand them."


    Xiao Qi held the joystick with her fingers and began examining it more closely, mumbling incomprehensibly, "Wire? Wireless? Signal?" I watched from beside her, frowning at her antics.


    But suddenly it struck me! I breathed in a gulp of air heavily, repeating what Xiao Qi said in soft whispers, "Wait... Signals... Wireless signals..." I bolted out of the room and clawed my manuscript off the couch I was lying on earlier! I invoked my recollections of Father''s demonstration with the sword and began thinking, "What if I were to control my sword like how I control my in-game characters with a joystick! Wielding a sword is like using a wired joystick, whereas Father''s way of controlling the flying swords without holding them was like using a wireless joystick! What a genius I must be to think of such a way!"


    My heart beat loudly in my ears as I reflected upon my new-found revelation. I made a few hand seals immediately, no longer being to hold back my anxiousness. "Come!" I called out to my sword, and it shot out of its sheath and into my grasp. I pictured the manuscript''s strokes and techniques in my mind and began performing the techniques like how I would with a normal sword in my hand. To my surprise, the sword came to life in my grasp and began to move! I released my grip of its hilt, and began steering it with a finger. It began to dance in the air, flicking around and slashing in mid-air with a razor-sharp grace based on my movements! My discovery had worked!


    But just as I felt the rush of adrenaline and joy at my success. A sudden dizziness came over me. My sword fell to the ground with a loud "Clank", and I felt everything turning dark around me...

 Chapter 91 The Challenge

    The blinding sparkle of the sunlight was the first thing that beckoned to me when I finally regained consciousness. Strangely enough, I still feel dizzy and drowsy as a cigarette was being slid into my mouth. I took two spontaneous heaves, and slowly felt the groggy vertigo beginning to fade.


    I peered around through my half-opened eyes, and here I was, lying in a bed surrounded full of people. I blinked hard to see more clearly. Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi were sitting just beside me, with Old Man Xie and Old Man Chen behind them. There was also Uncle Quan and my parents. I took another breath, drawing another gulp of smoke. Immediately I recognized the flavor: it was one of my father''s peculiar cigarettes! I began to move my lips, but felt numbness instead. I flexed my jaw, shaking off the lethargy. "What has happened to me?" I croaked hoarsely. My voice! It had become raspy and coarse like an old man''s!


    "You''ve made quite a progress your swordsmanship, did you not?" Father first spoke, his head shaking disapprovingly. But he went on before I could say anything, "Your skills with the sword have improved, but you did nothing to improve your physical attributes. You had almost completely exhausted your own lifeforce when you''re supposed to tap into another form of inner energies for your swordsmanship. You were fortunate that Xiao Qi had found you in time, otherwise, we would be having this meeting in an ICU." I said nothing, merely grunting an "Oh" in response. So, I had finally discovered the key point in mentally controlling my sword, but I lack the physical attributes to properly wield the techniques. To put it bluntly, it was like finally knowing how to use a remote control only to discover that I had just run out of batteries.


    I took a few more deep breaths, feeling more and more comfortable. Father must have done something to help revive me, I realized, otherwise Old Man Xie would never be here. Feeling much better now, I was about to push myself up when Old Man Xie placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me. "Stop," he said, "Your body now lacks energies and the flow of your blood is erratic." "Ah?" I gasped skeptically, "Come on. It can''t be that serious?"


    But in fact, it was. Hence, in order to restore myself to health, I was forced to take Old Man Xie''s specially concocted brand of medicine every day. I was subjected to an entire month''s dosage of his medicinal monstrosity that I had almost lost all appetite to eat. Finally, after an arduous month, I fully recovered. But that was hardly the end of my torments: not long afterward, I was summoned by my father to the National Studies Institute. Most practitioners of swordsmanship maintained a regular physical training regimen in conjunction to the practice of swordplay techniques, he said. But I, contrary to the instructions he left me in the booklet he made for me, had instead sought a shortcut and had completely neglected enhancing my physical attributes. I myself was to be blamed, so he kept reminding me. The telekinesis manipulation of swords required great internal energy, he said again, and this energy, while essentially different from the ''mana'' used for sorceries and magic, was more similar in essence to "Qi" or the usual "inner energy" commonly found in wuxia novels and fictional stories.


    Hence I was first trained to read and perceive the flow of Qi. Like all wuxia fiction and fantasy stories, I underwent a fresh series of training, including the proverbial "imagining my physical body as a container" and "emptying the container to fill in something new" exercises.


    After a half''s month of remedial training, I was finally able to read the flow of Qi in addition to channeling the Qi energy and store them for future use. With a new source of inner energy to tap into, I could again delve into practicing how to mentally control my sword like how Father did during his demonstration. With my perception of Qi, I could feel the energy coursing through me and the rate of its depletion every time I tap into it. But the skills of controlling my sword with my mind was so taxing that a simple trick or two with the sword was enough to consume more than half of my present stores of Qi. Hence, until my training allowed me to channel more Qi, the mental manipulation of my sword could only be effectively utilized only when victory is certain.


    For another half month, I was personally trained by Father in honing the telekinesis-control of my sword. By the end of his tutelage, I became extremely confident in my swordsmanship, despite my father''s insistence that my levels were very much to the contrary.


    In the night of the final day, I dragged my wearied limbs through the doors of my home. For the entire month, I had been staying at home to sit for my father''s training. Finally reaching the end of the training course, I had agreed to meet up with my companions and Zheng Shuang. I said my goodbyes to my parents and left for the hawker stalls that my friends and I regularly frequented. I reached there to find my friends already waiting for me. The owner of the stall, seeing me arriving, immediately came to our table with some fresh bottles of beer. "So, you''re all here?" He remarked, "The usual?" I nodded to him; we had been here for so many times, that the owner could almost recite our usual menu by heart.


    Then again, instead of a gathering regularly filled with our cheerful merriment, I realized the glum expression that my three friends were wearing. Could it be that the remnants of the Creed of the Eight Trigrams had struck again in my absence? For the past few months, I had been so accustomed to being wary any insidious plans for vengeance by what remained of the evil cult, that I would instantly think of them even at the slightest hint of trouble. "What is it with you three?" I asked at once, "Has Bai Chuanwei resurfaced?"


    Zheng Shuang said nothing, merely shaking his head dejectedly. My glance shifted to Lin Feng who told me everything. It was only this morning, when Lin Feng had found a message sprawled upon the main door of the Center. Somebody had left a message with a marker pen, saying: "the insolence of the rapid pup of Murong will no longer be tolerated. Come to the empty fields in the North if you dare at 5 in the evening after three days. Retribution awaits." At the most bottom, the message was signed with the three words: The Thirteen Apostles.


    I regarded Lin Feng with squinted eyes for a few seconds as I ran through what he said again in my mind. "Have you found the person who''d left the message?" I asked, but Lin Feng snapped, ruffling his hair offhandedly; a sign that he was deeply distressed, "That is hardly the point! It''s obvious, innit? The message is left by the Creed! They are now bringing the fight to our doorstep!" Casually, I sipped at my cigarette and muttered, "By the looks of the message... They''re calling us for a brawl?" "No, it is not! It''s an official challenge!" Lin Feng barked, trying to correct me. "It''s simple then," I nodded coolly, "We''ll just have to show up and defeat them!" "No! No! No! What if this is a trap?" Lin Feng hissed, waving at me frantically like an agitated hen. "Think about it. Would a trap be this obvious? The remnants of the Creed are more than capable of better ruses such as this. Since they dare darken our doorstep, I''m certain that this is just simply a challenge to a fight."


    "Okay, okay," Zheng Shuang relented, although his head was still shaking, "But what if the challenger is indeed powerful this time? You yourself had told me last time, not all of the Thirteen are useless fools! What if a powerful opponent does appear this time?"


    I giggled at Zheng Shuang''s anxiety. "Well, I cannot say for sure if these people are powerful or not. But strong or weak, human or demons, that makes no difference to me. We will not shy away from a fight against them. We''ve dared to venture deep into their territory in Mongolia in the past, there is no reason for us to be afraid now that they wish to fight in our turf!" There was finally a subtle change in Lin Feng''s and Yuan Chongxi''s expression. Being in Wu Zhong County, we could easily summon for help from our elders if needed to!


    I reached for one of the barbecue skewers that a passing-by waiter had just laid on the table, savoring the tantalizing flavor of the juicy meat that I have been missing after enduring Old Man Xie''s terrible medicine for a whole month. "Since they are now seeking a fight with us..." I mumbled through the food, and Lin Feng leaped up again, barking loudly again for my benefit, "A challenge!" With much annoyance, I corrected myself, "Right, a challenge. Since they are officially challenging us to a fight, this indicates that our enemy this time has backbone! Even though you are right, there are still grounds for us to be prepared in case this is a trap, but if our enemy this time indeed expects an actual duel, it indicates that our enemy this time is a brash fool!"


    Yuan Chongxi, whose intelligence seemed to rise whenever he was eating, quipped, "Well, I know no one else better than Brother Lin if it comes to wushu, and I know no one better than Brother Shiyan if it comes to magic and sorcery. Whereas I... I have yet to meet a match when it comes to seeing the future..." This earned a skeptical look from Zheng Shuang who nudged and asked him, "Since when deciphering the future is also a testament of combat prowess?" "Of course it isn''t" Yuan Chongxi interjected before he continued again, "But it''s just a brawl. All I have to do is just throwing punches!" Zheng Shuang nodded his head quietly, seemingly exasperated with Yuan Chongxi''s answer. Nevertheless, the enemy would be in for a fight if they were to underestimate Yuan Chongxi. Despite being trained to be a seer, Yuan Chongxi had been roaming in the wild with his teacher for some time before they settled down in the National Studies Institute. He was hardly a stranger to street fights and treachery, especially when most of the moves that he had honed in his years of brawling on the streets concentrated mainly at the stomach, the groin and the legs of his opponents!


    Our conversation steered into a discussion of street fight techniques and tactics when a vibration shook the table. We began looking around for the source of disturbance until Zheng Shuang fished his phone from underneath a stack of serviettes. "Hello! Ah! Go on! Ah? Speak clearly..." He spoke into the mouthpiece of his phone.


    From the sound of it, it could only be work. This was one of the disadvantages of serving as a policeman: one has to be forever ready to report to duty at the slightest moment of notice. We traded odd looks and smiled to him bleakly; a tacit gesture indicating that we understood his plight. But instead, Zheng Shuang slammed his phone to the table before he could press the "End Call" button. "Brothers!" He barked at us suddenly, "We have a lead!"

 Chapter 92 The Tipsy Nightmare

    The mention of a new lead made us all look at him. "Zhu Jun just called," Zheng Shuang said, "There''s another case; also odd and peculiar. The police there are grasping at straws now. He''s called to ask for your help."


    "What is this case about?" I asked, rubbing my chin inquisitively. "Someone was possessed by spirits!" Zheng Shuang said simply, his eyes glinting eerily.


    My companions and I almost had our breaths held when we heard Zheng Shuang uttered the word "possessed". This could either only be the act of Bai Chuanwei alone, or the machinations of the entire Creed! Still, there was also the challenge of the Third Apostles to a fight. At any rate, we did not know which among the Apostles would appear during that day; any of the Apostles were either smart, strong, or both, and it was only prudent for us to remain cautious. "Tell Zhu Jun," I said to Zheng Shuang, "Ask him to bring his patient to the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies!"


    Zheng Shuang lifted his phone and placed another call to Zhu Jun, instructing him to come to our Center tomorrow with his people.


    It was maybe due to my recent pensive mood, or even the fatigue that I have incurred in the course of the Center''s business throughout the year. Somehow the effects of the alcohol seemed particularly strong that night. The clock was showing one o''clock when we made it back to the Center that night. After washing ourselves up, the three of us collapsed into the couch. Feeling bored, I rummaged through my pocket and extracted the booklet manuscript that my father gave me. I was beginning to refer to it as the "Hai''s Mystic Arts" booklet, following the one-month stint of training under his wing. I had grown so accustomed to reaching for my booklet instinctively that it became part of my reflex, pretty much similar to how people would make themselves comfortable and began scrolling on their Facebook app.


    But the illustrations on my booklet began to blur as I began to feel the hangover creeping in. In my addled state, my hand rose and drew circles in the air as I tried to emulate the movements of the illustrations in the booklet. One of Yuan Chongxi''s trembling hand reached for my arm suddenly and yanked it down in his delirium as he laid beside me, equally drunk and confused. "D-do... D-don''t... M-move..." He stuttered incoherently. He did not let go of my arm; instead, he wrapped his arms around my arm and began snoring. Down in the rabbit hole of drunkenness myself, I did nothing to pull out my arm, as his saliva began dripping on my sleeve. With much difficulty, I slammed the cover of my booklet shut and was about to sink further into slumber.


    The sensation of my fingers caressing on the cover of the booklet was about to fade and my eyes were almost shut, when a strange face, pale as Death and completely featureless, appeared suddenly before me! My eyes jerked opened instantly as I screamed so loudly that the whole Center almost shook! I leaped up from the couch with a huge spring, recovering immediately from the wreckage of my hangover!


    I looked around with my eyes as wide as eggs, frightened and horrified, but there was nothing! The strange featureless face was no more as if it had never existed! Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng roused from their sleep, still stoned and tipsy, and began asking what happened. I told them everything that I have seen. Lin Feng placed a shaky hand on my shoulder. "You have had too much..." He murmured before collapsing down again. But Yuan Chongxi, through his misty eyes, peered strangely at me as though he was pondering about something serious.


    I had no idea as to what Yuan Chongxi was up to and I made no attempt ask. Seconds passed silently until he burped suddenly, followed by a choke. At last, he spoke, "You said you had seen a large white face in front of you?" My head bobbed quickly. "Yeah! It was white!" He waved me down, motioning me to settle down. "I don''t understand. Did you just say that a person, with a cat''s head and a featureless face, was just in front of you? What is it actually? A man or a cat? Nah, it must be just a dream!"


    I flailed my head around and sighed. "It was just for a fleeting second, then it was gone. I think it''s a man, but I cannot explain the cat''s head. But the face looked like a human''s, although it was completely featureless. I cannot tell if it was a man or a woman. To make things worst, it was merely inches away from me!" Yuan Chongxi merely listened and shook his head at last. "But you just said that it was merely inches away from you..." He peered around. "How could it be just inches away from you? It can''t be floating in the air just in front of you surely?!" Yuan Chongxi was right; how could it be just in front of me unless it was really floating in mid-air? My eyes began to wander as I began to look around the sitting area, a streak of cold sweat immediately broke down my back. I was lying on my couch and the only item in front of me was the coffee table. But the table was about 2 meters away! That thing could have only been perching on my coffee table and elongated its neck to come near me...


    Yuan Chongxi patted my shoulder, realizing my bewilderment, of both dread and confusion. "All right, that''s enough. You must be dreaming just now; you''re just sleepy. Just drop the matter. Think about this: would there be any ghost would dare offend you? Of all people?" But I barely heard his voice. Instead, I was doubtful myself of that thing was a ghost. With my Spirit Sight, I could have easily noticed if the thing was indeed a ghost. But the thing was neither a human nor a ghost! It was something I had never seen before; something that did not even have any physical signs of living! But that was hardly the point; rather, the angle which the thing was peering at me from. It seemed to be just over my head, watching so deeply into eyes as if I was a specimen in a microscope...


    The chilling sensation of another fresh film of cold sweat tingled my senses again as I felt confused, fearful, and terrified. What is it? That was no man, no demon, nor any ghost! Not even an immortal or a deity! What is it? Was it a conjuration of the Apostles who had challenged us?


    The soft peals of Yuan Chongxi''s and Lin Feng''s snores chimed on either side of me. I could only look blankly into the ceiling, envious of them for being able to sleep so soundly. The ordeal had robbed me of any more desire to sleep! For the rest of the night, I remain sitting at the couch, until Zheng Shuang''s call at daybreak broke the spectral silence that hung over the Center''s sitting area and shook me awake from my disillusioned stupor.


    I got up and began opening the Center for business. Zheng Shuang arrived not more than ten minutes later after I had just finished my morning rituals. He got off his car with four people with him. I recognized Zhu Jun who followed just behind him. I ushered them all indoors and Zhu Jun, unable to hold back any longer, began to say immediately, "We''ve been bogged down by a strange case, Brother Shiyan. We need your help with it. Zheng Shuang had told me that the case might be related to the major case that you were investigating, so..." I observed the other three people who were standing behind him. There were a pair of plump boys, both barely older than I was. With them was a middle-aged lady who looked worried and tensed. After a few exchanges of niceties, I learned that the woman was the mother of one of the plump boys, while both plump boys were classmates.


    The mother of the first plump boy and his classmate looked normal, although the first plump boy was looking dazed, as if lost and disoriented.


    "Tell me everything. As much as possible; leave no details untold," I said to the patient''s mother and his classmate. The woman and the patient''s classmate traded a look and the boy nodded.


    The two plump boys were not only classmates; they were fellow roommates at their school dormitory. The patient had been trying to woo a girl, albeit without success. Everyone tried convincing him to stop. But the boy, confident that his perseverance would bear fruit, stayed his course. Then came their holidays. The boy knew that the girl''s birthday was around the corner; he bought a large teddy bear and waited at the entrance of the female students'' dorm, hoping to surprise her. But the girl did not return to school until school reopened. The boy had waited at the girls'' dorm for an entire night in vain.


    The next morning, the girl came back to school and when she went back to her dormitory, she found the boy still waiting at the entrance, clutching the large plush toy! The boy gave her the teddy bear, but she kept refusing the gift. Finally, the boy requested that the girl signed her name on the toy if she would refuse the toy. Eager to send the boy on his way, the girl signed her name on the teddy bear, just as he had requested.


    For one whole night, the boy remained sleepless. He skipped his classes the next day, remaining in bed instead. His roommates returned from lunch and found him still sleeping! The rest of the boys began joking and teasing him, seeing as he was still hugging the huge teddy bear in his sleep. One of the boys yanked the teddy bear from his arms and he woke up suddenly! They began fighting for the teddy bear. Things began escalating: the roommates began tossing the teddy bear to one another like a ball in order to avoid him. But the window of their dormitory was opened; one of the boys, the patient''s classmate who came with him, accidentally threw the teddy bear out the window. The plush toy fell into the trunk bed of a passing lorry and off it went away!


    Dismissing it as a mere plush toy, the rest of the boys promised to buy the boy another teddy bear for his loss. No one had known that the first teddy bear had the girl''s signature on it. Later in the evening, the boy became sick. He turned dazed and perplex, answering to no one while only wearing a blank expression on his face. The classmate pointed at the boy, "And he became like this!"

 Chapter 93 Frustration Again

    The plump boy''s mother was covered in tears as his classmate told his tale. She was understandably heart-stricken by the torment her son had to endure, even though we have doubled over in laughter on the inside ourselves. Still, our best efforts to squelch our laughter failed.


    Zheng Shuang, Zhu Jun, the plump boy''s mother, and his classmate were confused to see us struggling against our urges to guffaw with laughter! "Oh my God! So much for aiming at the moon!" Yuan Chongxi burst out laughing, slapping on his lap. "Good Heavens! Look at how desperate he was! The methods that he''d been trying," Lin Feng quipped as well.


    I held off all remaining urge to continue laughing. "Auntie," I said to the plump boy''s mother, "Rest assured that I can help your son. Have no fear! If he is indeed a studious student, he might already be able to go back to school tomorrow!" The boy''s mother twinkled with hope and joy! "But please," I said to her again almost immediately after a split second pause. "Indulge me. How much money has your son been asking from you these recent months?" "Close to 3000 yuan, I guess!" The mother replied to the best of her memory.


    My companions and I shared knowing looks at each other. "Let''s get to work then! 2000 yuan it is!" Lin Feng remarked, "Things are getting urgent for the patient. At this rate, he can''t even eat!" I asked Yuan Chongxi to get some iced refreshments for our guests while the plump boy''s classmate asked testily, his doubt clearly evident, "Is this the blowback of some curse?" "You''ve read too much fantasy novels," I said, amused by his demeanor. "Your son had looked for a help of a medium called Bai Chuanwei, only because of his unrequited infatuation with some girl," I revealed to the patient''s mother, "Your son paid him 2000 yuan in return for ways to bewitch the girl using some unknown devilry. But not only the girl refused to accept his plush toy, your son even lost the gift! Unbeknownst to him, curses like this are two-edged swords. They affect not only their victims but the users as well. What happened to your son is case in point!" I paused and looked at Zheng Shuang and Zhu Jun. "Bai Chuanwei is at his wit''s end, so it seems. What a pity that his skills have to be used for matters as petty as this!"


    Yuan Chongxi left his seat again and came back with a bottle of Chinese red tea. I extracted my Spirit Gourd and began chanting some spells that would help restore him and blew a gust of air at the patient''s face. The plump boy immediately collapsed down on his back and fainted. We waited until he woke up and I passed him the cup of tea, which he emptied half the glass in a single gulp!


    I sat with the patient and patted on his shoulder. "There are things which are meant to be while some are not, Brother," I said to him, "If she is meant to be yours, rest assured that she would be yours when the time comes. What do you think will happen if the girl were to one day break free from the enchantment? Would she still trust you? Would she remain by your side? At worst, you lose both your money and her." The plump boy became stunned. I would have thought that he had seen the truth in what I told him, but he instead leaped to his feet and asked his classmate, "Where''s my plush toy!?" I grimaced quietly; it''s plain and obvious he did not learn anything from what I said.


    I sighed. "You won''t listen, do you? Very well, I''ll be frank then! Look at yourself! What makes you think that the girl will like you? You''d even tried to control her with depraved witchery! Do you actually intend to be a rapist, or did you actually overestimated yourself? Love conquers all, you say? But what makes you think you can conquer Love and win her heart? This is not a matter of perseverance. It''s just that girls do not like plump boys with terrible attitudes! At this rate, if you do not improve, you''ll only be a bachelor till you''re old! Understand?" The head of the boy''s mother sank so low it almost passed her shoulders, her expression sour at my blistering beratement of her son.


    My bombardment of scathing remarks incensed the plump boy. He sprang up at barked angrily at me, "JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE! NEED I LISTEN TO YOUR PREACHING! DAMN YOU!" He waved his fists in my face, trying to intimidate me. I merely sighed. Silly boy, you just have to be so rash... I mused. A blurry figure whisked by me suddenly, winds whistling at my ears, like a dark apparition. The plump boy yelped suddenly in pain and the imprint of a hand blazing red on his cheek could be visibly seen.


    Lin Feng flexed his wrist and was muttering, "Damn, what a beefy cheek..." Everyone else present shook their heads wearily. Enraged beyond measure, the plump boy scrambled to his feet and charged furiously at Lin Feng after realizing that it was the latter who had slapped on his face. He lunged at Lin Feng with a reckless abandon that both Yuan Chongxi and I could only bury our faces in our hands with embarrassment. Lin Feng merely raised a leg and delivered another simple and direct kick and, expectedly, the plump boy''s battle cries turned into painful whimpers as his ferocious charge turned into a miserable roll on the ground, the poor boy clutching at his leg.


    The boy''s mother could only watch with anguish as the plump boy was badly trounced by Lin Feng. Finally, when he was soundly defeated, both in spirit and flesh, the poignant woman, her eyes watery with tears, clambered over to help her more-than-100-kg heavy son to his feet. But out of shame and embarrassment, the plump boy merely refused to acknowledge the truth in what I said; he refused to agree with me, although he knew I was right. He just needed Lin Feng to pummel the truth into him.


    After the plump boy simmered down, I said to him again, "The man who had taught you the spell to bewitch girl is actually the leader of an evil cult. He is responsible for a number of innocent deaths and the Tangshan police is hunting him. Tell us, where did you find him?"


    Zheng Shuang and Zhu Jun immediately produced their police badges. The plump boy, now shaken by what I said and the presence of the two policemen, began to blubber, "I''ll lead you to him..."


    The plump boy led us to a row of cheap tenements for rental. He began telling us of his first meeting with Bai Chuanwei. They had met by chance when the plump boy was on his way to school and Bai Chuanwei could immediately guess what the boy was frowning about. The boy then paid him 2000 yuan as deposit, and Bai Chuanwei taught him a way to obtain the girl he was infatuated to. They agreed to a final payment of 3000 yuan if the plan succeeds and the payment was to be done at one of the tenements here.


    But once again, our attempt to capture Bai Chuanwei went into shambles. He was long gone by the time we reached. An interrogation of the owner of the tenements revealed that the tenant had left without a word. In fact, he had never seen Bai Chuanwei again since the latter had met him to pay the 500 yuan rental for the room. To be truthful, I had already seen this coming.


    As we were leaving the tenements, Yuan Chongxi was patting on the plump boy shoulder while telling him, "The way you tried to woo your girl was, to be frank, terrible, Brother. It''s no wonder why Brothers Shiyan and Lin Feng berated and walloped you. Even I in my darkest hour was nowhere close to what you were trying to attempt..." "I know that what I am doing is no good. But I really like her..." said the plump boy, now looking sullen and morose. I would have not paid any more heed to meaningless chat Yuan Chongxi was having with the boy, when I suddenly heard him saying, "Actually, you were not the only ones to chastise me." I was stunned by these words that I could hardly move an inch. With great effort, I yanked myself to consciousness and I immediately grabbed hold of the plump boy''s shoulders. "Wait!" I shouted, "You just said that we were not the only ones to chastise you! You mean that they are others who know about you using this witchcraft?!"


    My sudden manhandling of the plump boy frightened him so bad that he nearly collapsed. "Yeah, Brother Shiyan," he mewled meekly, "When Master Bai was giving me his instructions, there were men just beside me who mocked him and me, saying that we were despicable..." "Wait!" I cut him off directly, "There were people beside this Master Bai? How many are they?" "Yeah," said the plump boy, his head bobbing, "There were three other men beside Master Bai that day. But they were dressed so strangely that you might have thought they were actors just finished performing at a filming set."


    We retreated back to the Center later that day, although I spent the rest of the day mulling over what plump boy had recounted. We understood enough about Bai Chuanwei to know that he usually operated alone. But why were there another three men? Moreover, it was clear from the plump boy''s accounts that the three men were hardly fearful of him; in fact, they even dared to insult him openly. This alone indicated that the three were more higher-ranked than Bai Chuanwei. Something about these three men reminded me of the person who issued us the challenge...


    Could it be... I thought suddenly. Could it be that Bai Chuanwei was the one who issued the challenge?! Were the three men the reinforcements that he had summoned?

 Chapter 94 Cards Ten, Jack, and Queen

    I voiced my suspicions to Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng, both of whom agreed that what I said might be true. "If this is indeed true, then we are in for a hell of trouble," said Yuan Chongxi, "Including Bai Chuanwei, there would at least be four of them while there''s only the three of us." He paused and swallowed another mouthful of noodles.


    "Chongxi''s right," Lin Feng remarked, rubbing his chin, "Bai Chuanwei would undoubted has strengths of his own, otherwise he would never have earned a moniker of "the Invisible Hand". But with the help of another three men... They addressed themselves as ''the Thirteen Apostles'' in the letter of challenge, I think this means that all four of them are part of the Thirteen. We know that Bai Chuanwei is the Sixth Apostles, but we still know nothing of the other three..." "Indeed," I quipped, nodding too, "Of the remaining Thirteen, save for Bai Chuanwei who is the Sixth, the Second, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth Apostles are still unaccounted for. But they are not ranked based on the hierarchy of strength or ability, but rather the date of their admission into the Creed. Hence we have no way of knowing how powerful the rest of the Apostles are. But since they dare to challenge us openly, I''m afraid..."


    Despite having been awake the entire night, we went on discussing plans with Zheng Shuang and Zhu Jun until 2 in the afternoon. When I was able to rest finally, fatigue descended upon me with tremendous wake as I immediately succumbed into slumber and set aside my plans temporarily.


    The sun was blazing up high at noon when I finally woke up. The spectral figures of Xiao Qi and Xiao San w were circling around Lin Feng when I opened my eyes and began to look around. Lin Feng fiddling with a long staff. "What''s that, Brother?" I asked sleepily, rubbing my eyes. "Ah, you''re up," he replied, and smiled to me, "This is a quarterstaff. I feel that a whip might not be suitable for a sparring duel, so I went to my dad''s and got this. Since the fight''s this evening, I''d need something I can get used to quick." I nodded, saying nothing else. In some ways, I admired Lin Feng''s prowess in combat. He may be a jack of all trades but a master of none in all kinds of weapons. But he was is still a very powerful warrior who could hold his own in a fight. In some ways, Lin Feng was strongest in hand-to-hand combat. A weapon was merely an additional tool to him.


    I stood up, remembering the normal-looking sword my father gave me. I went into my room and retrieved it. I run a cloth down the blade of my sword, wiping it clean as I recited softly the spells my father just taught me, trying my best to commit them to my memory. These will be my weapons for today''s duel!


    So came the arduous wait, the silence before the storm as the clock ticked closer to the hour of reckoning. At five in the evening, we drove to the fields at the northern outskirts of town. This was a deserted area where the gentrification of the town had yet to reach. There was only an abandoned and decrepit factory at the wasteland, a lonesome monument from the Revolution that local workers had left when the management of the factory had moved somewhere else.


    We stopped the car outside the factory compound. Stepping off our vehicle, we shared dark and careful looks with each other and marched into the remnants of the factory.


    We have barely stepped through the creaking gates when a whistle pierced the silence in the air. We looked around quickly, hoping to find the origin of the sound and saw a small and lean figure standing at the roof of the factory quickly slipping into the factory building. My companions and I looked and nodded encouragingly at each other before we broke into a run, chasing after the unknown person. We reached the entrance of the factory, but the door was held tightly shut by a set of fresh locks. Somebody is here regularly. But just when Lin Feng and I were troubled by the lock, Yuan Chongxi lowered himself to a crouch and he studied the lock. Smugly, he jeered, "Can a junk like this even be called a lock?"


    As he muttered to himself, Yuan Chongxi found a steel wire the length of his finger and inserted it into the hole of the lock. Within seconds, the lock dislodged with a "Click!" and Yuan Chongxi swung opened the large steel door of the factory pompously, looking extremely pleased with himself. "Hmph! A junk like this is hardly a challenge!" He added loudly. Lin Feng and I could only smile to each other; Yuan Chongxi just could not resist bragging a little whenever the opportunity for him to display his prowess arose.


    The first thing that caught our attention when we entered the factory was a large square pool. This was a paper manufacturing plant some time ago before its abandonment. In the pool, we saw thick residues paper pulp now hardened with age. But the factory was devoid of any other signs of life. We looked around warily, while beginning to think that we might have been tricked. Just when we were about to give up and leave, a clap of applause echoed suddenly, shocking us terribly that we spun on our heels almost instantly. We turned to find three figures standing at the door where we first entered! Lin Feng brandished his iron quarterstaff quickly and my hand wandered to the hilt of my sword. The leader of the three stopped his clapping and declared loudly, "I applaud you for your nerve to accept our challenge, and your honorable attitude to this duel has changed what I first thought of you." I fished a cigarette from my pocket and lighted it. I took a casual swig and said cooly, "Well, here we are. Enough with the sophistry! Announce yourselves!"


    The three men were indeed dressed strangely like how the plump boy had described them. The plump boy''s depiction was spot-on that the three looked as if they were background actors from a historical drama. "I am the Tenth of the Thirteen Apostles," announced the leader of the three proudly. His two other companions followed suit, saying, "I''m the Eleventh," and "I''m the Twelfth" respectively. But just when they had barely finished disclosing their identities, Yuan Chongxi could not resist a peal of stifled laughter. "What is this? The cards Ten, Jack, and Queen from a card suit?! The Thirteen Apostles are ranked like how cards in a suit are arranged?" Coincidentally, every suit in a deck of playing cards has thirteen cards. The Tenth Apostle''s expression immediately turned dark and sour at Yuan Chongxi''s scathing remark; clearly, this was the first time he had suffered such impudence. The members of the Thirteen Apostles enjoyed a respectable position and standing within the Creed that such disrespect and mockery were rare, if not unknown. Still, Yuan Chongxi''s sudden remark made me and Lin Feng giggle as well that the Twelfth Apostle turned enraged. "Silence! You lot must be punished for your impertinence!"


    Having no stomach to banter words with them any further, I simply said, "Just cut the crap. What do you want?" "Nothing special," said the Tenth Apostle, suppressing his anger, "We only want to teach you three a lesson for causing such affront and insult to us. Since the great Murong Shiyan is brave enough to come, I''ll be direct. We want to challenge you three to a duel! Your blood will be spilled here, if you lose! The Sixth Apostle might be fearful of you, but we are not!" Then I realized, Bai Chuanwei was not around! But to confirm my suspicions, I goaded the Apostle again, "Where''s Bai Chuanwei! Have him show himself!" "The Sixth is not here! Save your breath!" barked the Tenth Apostle, "Just you wait, Murong Shiyan! It''s only by the auspices of your father that your attacks on the Creed are working, otherwise, you''d be nothing but a powerless pup! The Sixth may be so afraid of Murong Hai that he chooses not to be present here today, but rest assured we are hardly afraid of him!"


    "All right, all right!" I snapped at him, with a hand raised in a stopping gesture, "Just get on with the duel. I need to finish this quick and be home for dinner!" The Tenth Apostle nostrils were flaring with anger at my provocation. "Don''t be hasty, Murong Shiyan. Be careful of what you wish for. The three of us will duel one-on-one against each other, no holds barred!" "Very good," I remarked, "Single combat till the death it is then." Without waiting for me to finish, the Twelfth Apostle, who had been standing at the back, sneered devilishly and walked towards us, his hand pointing at Yuan Chongxi. "I challenge you, Shorty! I''ll teach you a lesson for your haughty words just now!" Yuan Chongxi merely looked at him with a disdainful glare and nodded. A sly and evil grin broke on the Twelfth Apostle''s face as Yuan Chongxi''s agreement to a fight and he immediately leaped into the center of the empty square pool.


    Lin Feng and I merely gazed at Yuan Chongxi who jumped past the concrete walls of the pool after his adversary. He landed with a loud thud, shattering a few hardened paper pulps into splinters. He would be all right, I think... So I thought as I shared a puzzled and confused look with Lin Feng.


    But there was hardly any need for us to worry for Yuan Chongxi''s safety; he might not be powerful and skilled in combat or sorcery, but he was a genius in the methods of divination. He would surely have known how to defeat his opponent, otherwise, he would never have so haphazardly accepted the challenge.


    The Twelfth Apostle was guffawing fiendishly at Yuan Chongxi''s clumsy manner of climbing into the pool. The Tenth Apostle came beside me suddenly, whispering frostily like the cold gleam of a sharp blade into my ears, "Come, Master Murong. Let us go nearer for a closer look..."

 Chapter 95 Blood Spilled Red

    The Tenth Apostle seemed awfully sure that his Twelfth counterpart would emerge victorious. They knew enough about us to know that Yuan Chongxi is the weakest in both combat and magic of us three, hence they intend to first defeat him to gain the momentum.


    I looked back into the ring. The Twelfth Apostle was clad in a buttoned traditional Chinese garb and bell-bottom styled pants with Chinese slip-ons. He was even wearing a pair of wristbands that fully completed the set! He wielded a rope which has a steel dart attached to one of its end, a weapon commonly known as a rope-dart. Most rope-darts these days, including those used during wushu performances, were required by law to have no sharp tips. Sharp-tipped rope darts that could be dangerous were viewed as controlled items that require the permission of the police to be used. It was clear that the Twelfth Apostle was using his illegally; he wanted only to kill his opponent! Unlike Lin Feng''s darts which were throwing weapons, rope-darts were weapons used openly in a fight.


    But Yuan Chongxi merely approached his opponent slowly, hardly unfazed or terrified by his opponent''s deadly weapon. Moreover, he planned to fight without one!


    The Twelfth Apostle began waving his rope-dart like a lasso, filled with confidence and malice! It was common knowledge within the circles of martial arts practitioners that rope-darts were one of the hardest weapons to master. Practitioners with sub-par competency in using the rope-dart could only use it for performances; only those who truly skilled enough to wield one would use it in an actual battle!


    But instead, Yuan Chongxi was overjoyed to watch his opponent displaying his skills. "Neat skills!" He teased loudly, clapping his hands. But the Twelfth, incensed by Chongxi''s taunting, did not allow him to finish. He let loose the rope-dart, sending it at Yuan Chongxi with the speed of a bullet. The rope-dart snapped at Yuan Chongxi''s heels and coiled around his ankles so quickly like a snake. With a powerful tug, Yuan Chongxi tumbled to the ground, looking very dastardly embarrassing. The Twelfth Apostle shook his weapon free, making the rope shake like waves on water and pulled again. The rope-dart dislodged from Yuan Chongxi''s ankles and returned to him. "Superb!" His fellow Apostles cheered loudly!


    The Twelfth Apostle returned to waving his rope-dart smugly, extremely please with toying his opponent. He kicked forward and flailed his rope-dart at the same time, his foot kicking the rope-dart, sending it charging dangerously towards Yuan Chongxi. Lin Feng and I yelled in alarm; the dart was aiming straight for his heart! But suddenly, with another spurt of speed, the dart zipped even faster towards its mark! Lin Feng and I could only swallow hard; our voices trapped in our throats. Even the Tenth and Eleventh Apostles were surprised! They did not expect their fellow Apostle to have such a hidden ace that would even surprise the greatest of experts in combat skills and were proud of him!


    The dart struck at Yuan Chongxi''s chest with a deafening clang! But everyone, including Lin Feng and I, was surprised by what happened next! Instead of piercing into his flesh, the dart turned abruptly in mid-air when it was close to Yuan Chongxi''s chest and stuck on his chest perpendicularly! How is this possible! Is this a trick that he had long kept secret from us?


    But I was the first among everyone there to realize the truth: the spot where the dart had remained hanging on Yuan Chongxi''s chest, was where he was wearing the peachwood luopan that his teacher had passed on to him! I even remembered him caressing the luopan while mumbling softly, "May the blessing of our Founder be with us always!" when we were leaving the Center just now! The luopan has a very strong magnet seated in its center and it has a strong pull towards metal objects.


    The three Apostles were utterly flabbergasted, failing to comprehend what had happened. Yuan Chongxi''s hand moved slowly towards his chest. This made the Twelfth Apostle thought that he was reaching for the dart of his rope-dart. Out of anxiety, he pulled hard at his rope, trying to withdraw his weapon. But this action instead pulled Yuan Chongxi up from his sitting position on the ground up to his feet! Such was the strength of the luopan''s magnet! But in the confusion, the dart fell free from the magnetic force of the luopan, although the Apostle himself staggered forward. Yuan Chongxi''s hand grasped the luopan hidden in his clothing and he turned it 180 degrees! This changed the magnetic force from pulling to pushing! The dart was propelling in the air back towards the Apostle when the sudden change in the magnetic field added a burst to the dart''s movement! Stumbling to the front, the Twelfth Apostle could not evade the dart that now shot back at him like a bullet! Without any protection on his chest like Yuan Chongxi''s luopan, the dart gnashed into his chest and punctured his heart!


    Realizing his plan had worked, Yuan Chongxi extracted his luopan from his pocket and held it before his chest while pushing forward! Despite his relatively modest girth, he was as stout as a young ferocious bull! He pushed as hard as he could, using the magnetic force of his luopan to drive the dart deeper into the wound on the chest of the Twelfth Apostle! Like a battering ram, the dart plunged deep into the Apostle''s heart until he breathed his last and fell backward, dead for good.


    Yuan Chongxi patted off the dust from his behind and stretched himself, mumbling incomprehensibly. I could vaguely hear him saying, "So you think you''re better than me, eh? Take that!" He marched towards us proudly, swinging his arms triumphantly! But when he came to the wall of the pool, he clambered out clumsily before he grinned and said, "I had divined my fate before coming! The signs are good! The Founder has indeed showered his blessings upon me!" I said nothing, so did Lin Feng too as we peered at each other strangely.


    The Eleventh Apostle howled loudly with anguish for his deceased fellow Apostle, "Brother!" Burning with vengeful rage, he drew his purplish-gold saber and lunged for Yuan Chongxi. Lin Feng parried the blow with his quarterstaff and retorted angrily, "Hey, hey! You called for a duel to the death! Are you reneging on your own word?!" "You lot caused the death of another one of us! You must pay for this! WAHHHH!" He hissed through gritted teeth before he screamed loudly again! "Come if you will! I am waiting for you! Enough with the screaming!" Lin Feng barked.


    In his hands, the Eleventh Apostle was holding a menacing saber, its blade gleaming purplish-gold with the back of the blade patterned in a fish scale motif. Role-playing games these days feature a vast array of humungous sabers and weapons that looked tough, sleek, and intimidating without any logical practicality due to their sizes. Actual sabers used in true battles mostly have long hilts intended for two-handed use while some have shorter hilts. The saber that the Eleventh Apostle was using was the latter kind with a shorter grip for one-handed use, similar to normal swords. In the long bygone antiquities, swords were first used to hack and slash during battle, this rendered the dual edges first designed on swords to be obsolete. Hence to increase the force of a combatant''s swing, swords only have one sharpened edge with its back thickened to increase the weight of the weapon. Hence the Eleventh Apostle''s weapon similar fashion on his saber: a fish-scale motif on the back of the blade to increase weight for the purpose of enhancing his force. The purplish-gold glint on his sword was purely aesthetical without any utility function, but its hilt was long enough for the weapon to be wielded with two hands.


    Unlike most quarterstaves seen in movies which were normally hollow to cut down weight, Lin Feng''s iron quarterstaff was the real deal: it was a solid iron rod fashioned from the shaft of a deep-water pump for wells as thick as 32 centimeters. There were a few rings machined to both ends of the quarterstaff for decorative purposes so that it resembled the pole-arm used by the Monkey King. It was a formidable weapon, for its intact core made it a weapon so heavy that most people would have even had trouble waving it around.


    Lin Feng kept his eyes fixed upon his opponent. He twirled his quarterstaff with a single hand and held it in a horizontal fashion before his chest. Most wushu practitioners loved holding their staff with one end pointing in a threatening fashion at opponents. But Lin Feng was holding his pole-arm in such a weird way that both his hands were gripping on his staff like how he would if he were holding on to a steel railing.


    The Eleventh Apostle was equally puzzled and confused by Lin Feng''s peculiar stance. But he decided to attack nonetheless, swinging his saber down at his opponent! Lin Feng steadied himself and lifted his arms, using one end of his quarterstaff to block the incoming blow. But before the Apostle''s saber hit his weapon, both of Lin Feng''s hands immediately slid to the center of his pole simultaneously! With a loud clang, the saber met one end of Lin Feng''s staff, causing it to sink down due to the saber''s powerful blow. But no one expected what was going to happen: Lin Feng''s hands functioned like a pivot when one end of his staff lowered due when it clashed with the saber, causing the other end to arc upwards and hit the Apostle''s hand! With a painful cry, the Apostle''s saber fell from his grasp! But that was hardly everything! The entire length of Lin Feng''s quarterstaff swiped at the Eleventh Apostle''s cheek, forcing a mouthful of blood out of him! Some of his teeth must have been broken!


    Despite being able to wound his opponent in their first exchange, Lin Feng did not stop; he swung his quarterstaff and slammed his weapon into the ears of the Eleventh Apostle. What followed was another flurry of merciless strikes on his opponent, and the Eleventh Apostle tumbled to the ground beside the Twelfth Apostle''s corpse, bloodied and dead! It was a duel that lasted barely seconds with Lin Feng killing his opponent without any difficulty! Lin Feng had used one of the signature combinations of moves created by Uncle Quan''s teacher in his later years, a contrivance devised from his long years of experience fighting against countless opponents. Lin Feng had trained in using these moves to perfection that unleashing this combination of techniques became as natural as his reflexes!

 Chapter 96 Endgame

    I extracted my Spirit Gourd from my pocket and muttered some incantations, sucking the souls of the dead Apostles into my calabash gourd.


    The Tenth Apostle beheld the sight of his dead comrades with grief and hatred. "May the blessings of the Sages be upon us!" He cried at the top of his voice, "How dare you commit the sacrilege of slaughtering innocent lives! I''ll never forgive you!" I step forward and waved him off. "Cut your blather," I cut him off dismissively, "You lot have done nothing but desecrate the good name of Taoism! There no need for fake Taoists like you who abduct children and butcher them for the sake of your diabolical rituals! True Taoists have suffered persecution since the Qing Dynasty, all thanks to you lot, that they were nearly on the brink of extinction! After so many years, you returned from your slumber and continue your witchery and harming the innocent! How dare you invoke the name of the Taoist Sages! How ignorant you are, that you do not fear retribution from them! Enough talk! We end this once and for all, NOW!"


    The Tenth Apostle produced a calabash gourd that resembled my very own Spirit Gourd. He began reciting incantations and four spirit foxes flew out of the mouth of his gourd, filling me with surprise! The spell that he used was the same as mine!


    The Creed of the Eight Trigrams had long been operating under the guise of a Taoist order when in fact it was a many spoils as they could carry! This was only an organization of depraved and insidious disposition. Hence the familiar spirits they used were mostly spirit rats or foxes that were helpful to their felonious operations. Spirit foxes were not only good at thieving, but they were good at hiding as well!


    I was hardly perturbed by the four spirit foxes! Immediately I yanked the cork off my Spirit Gourd and released my six spirit wolves and eagle! My familiar spirits were the kryptonite to the four spirit foxes, especially my spirit eagle! The four spirit foxes remained motionless, fearful and terrified at being surrounded by my wolves. My eagle swooped down from the air and sank its claws into one of the foxes before taking to the air. The fox was lifted off the ground like a helpless ragdoll and was toyed to death within moments. The rest of the foxes froze with terror and panic, trembling gently, powerless and weak.


    One by one, my spirit eagle made short work of the foxes, completely destroying them all. "ARGHH! YOU!" The Tenth Apostle shrieked with anger. He drew his sword and dove at me. But before he could say anything else, I gripped my sheathed sword and pointed it at him while reciting my spell. My sword shot out of its scabbard and spun in the air before returning to my grip. I pointed my sword menacingly at my opponent and barked, "Cut the crap!" We charged at each other, stabbing our weapons at each other. With a little sidestep, I evaded one of the blows and struck at his weapon from below, causing him to stagger as I land a kick into his abdomen, sending him backward before he collapsed to a sitting position on the ground.


    The Tenth Apostle immediately got up, biting off the cork of his calabash gourd with his teeth and took a gulp of water from within his gourd. He spewed the water on the blade of his sword and muttered some unknown spells. This might be another of his witchcraft, I mused. I began reciting another spell of my own and swung my sword. A strange sensation began to fill me as if a vortex was trying to engulf me. My sword suddenly grew lighter in my grasp and began to tremble and respond to my will. It freed itself from my grip and flew into the air, circling around the top of my head!


    At the same time, the Tenth Apostle had reached the end of his incantations. "Go!" He commanded loudly and swung his sword at my direction, sending a crescent-shaped projectile toward me. "Come!" I yelled at my sword and it streaked towards the incoming projectile. With the whistle of winds and the keenness of the sharpest blade, my sword penetrated the crescent-shaped position and immediately punched a hole in the chest of the Tenth Apostle, pinning him to the wall of the pool in his death.


    As the effects of my spell came to its end, I almost collapsed to the ground; every ounce of my strength was spent! The technique had sapped all of my inner energies! I plopped to my knees, fatigued and exhausted. It was the first time Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi truly witnessed me using my magic and they were amazed and shocked. But I could barely speak, let alone pay any heed to their reactions. With my final iota of strength, I hissed, "Back!" and summoned my sword. It forced itself free from the concrete wall and the Tenth Apostle''s carcass before spinning triumphantly mid-air in circles while shaking off the blood and viscera before returning to its sheath.


    Still, despite our victory, everything seemed so surreal to us. For three days we had been working hard to prepare ourselves for this duel, only for the entire episode to end in barely half an hour. Our opponents were weaker than we had expected. Suddenly, my phone rang; it was Father. "Your fight has ended, I guess?" His voice came from the other end as I answered the call, "I''m sure you find the sorcery of using your sword very potent and compelling, no?" I was hardly worried or anxious during the fight, knowing that Father would most probably be watching our duel using some unknown means. But his care-free and devil-may-care attitude really got on my nerves. "It has ended! We''re so tired!" I barked into the mouthpiece. "Hahahaha! Come on! Cut the complaints!" His voice came again, "Think about it! You''re now a genius in the magic of flying swords! Do you think arcane techniques such as these are easy to learn?" But at the other end of the line, I was only confused and slightly annoyed. My father was extremely displeased with my seemingly "lack of progress" when during my one-month long training with him. But today, he sounded awfully satisfied!


    In the phone, he told me that the magic of sword telekinesis was not a skill that many could easily learn, let alone master. To be able to manipulate swords without physically in contact with them and use this skill in actual combat was testament enough for me to know that I was actually quite formidable myself. The Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Apostles were powerful individuals in their own right; we would not have won without Yuan Chongxi''s heirloom luopan, Lin Feng''s combat prowess, and my magic. Father had been extremely strict towards my tutelage, hence I did not realize that my present skill level already made me a dangerous and extremely powerful foe in battle.


    After several minutes, I ended the call. Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng helped me to my feet. With my Spirit Gourd, I retrieved the soul of the Tenth Apostle. As it turned out, the dead bodies of the three Apostles had transformed into carcasses of dead rats! Their remains were all at least half the size of a human''s arm! They were rat demons who had disguised themselves as humans and their dead bodies reverted back to their original forms once I collected their souls.


    We arrived at the Center when night came, me dragging my wearied body to our usual haunt, the hawker stalls with my companions in tow. Zheng Shuang was already there, waiting for us. We told him everything about the duel. "Oh my God... Look at the things you''ve just told me... There''s just so much that I do not know about this world we live in! Demons! I would never have thought this is possible!" Zheng Shuang exclaimed, smacking his lips. "You don''t say... Even demons have good ones and evil ones... Be careful of what you just said, lest you anger any one who might be listening," I remarked with a smile. Zheng Shuang broke into a smile too, mistaking my advice for a joke. Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi then plunged into a lengthy and embellished detail of our fight against the Apostles, keeping Zheng Shuang mesmerized for most of the dinner.


    Halfway through our dinner, I noticed Zheng Shuang, aroused with budding curiosity, was trying to ask me about my magic. Quickly, I steered our subject elsewhere. "All right, back to business," I said suddenly, "Bai Chuanwei was not among the three Apostles we defeated. I guess that means that the fight was their own plan and Bai Chuanwei, fearing the worst, immediately fled. That might explain why he was already gone when the plump boy led us to his lodgings." Zheng Shuang nodded. "That must be it," he agreed, "I have instructed Zhu Jun to give us a call if anything suspicious arises. Now that Bai Chuanwei is alone, he will have to operate personally and show himself. It will not be long until he is caught, I guess..."


    Our wait did not take long. Zhu Jun called a few days later, and told us about a very suspicious thief. How so? Apparently, Zhu Jun knew him from university. The man was a former schoolmate of his who came from a rich family. It could only be suspicious that a rich man needed to steal! Early investigations revealed that he was never known to have such behavior, rather, he was well acclaimed to be a generous person as head of his class! Never would anyone believe that he was capable of thieving if he was not caught red-handed! Even he himself admitted so, but somehow, in the spur of a moment, a strong and overwhelming urge overcame him and forced him to steal.


    "Bring him here!" I told Zhu Jun immediately. With the man assent, Zhu Jun brought him to the Center. With my Spirit Sight, I instantly noticed that something was wrong. I took a mouthful of water from my Gourd and spewed it at the man. "Please try to remember and tell me everything that has happened within 24 hours before your first theft," I said, "Tell me everything and leave out no details, especially things that you might have found strange and peculiar!"

 Chapter 97 The Final Pursue

    The person was just blabbing about it! So I was impatient after a while and said, "Do you have any enemies?" He replied. "No!" "Do you have any athletics, competitions, etc.?" He still answered no, in a very thorough way! I thought about it and asked. "Do you have a girlfriend?" He replied: "Now I don''t!" Then I asked. "I mean before it happened?" He replied. "Yes! But we broke up because of it!"


    I nodded and asked. "So, can you be sure that if anyone had pursued her before it?" He replied. "Yes! Someone has been pursuing her, but her family does not agree! So she was not very determined about our relationship either. But she got together with this man after the thing!" I said to him again, "Recall carefully, within 24 hours before the occurrence of this incident, do you have any opportunities of contact with that person? For example, seeing each other, or in a teahouse, cafe, barbecue booth, restaurant, etc. where you met him by accident?" He said, "I happened to see him once when I was shopping with my girlfriend. At that time, he also gave me a cigarette." I replied. "Understood! You are fine, don''t worry! Go back to school! If you want to steal something again in the future, call me!" Then I told him my phone number.


    After the questioning, I said to Zhu Jun, "He was just fooled by others. I have already solved it! You can take him back. There is something I need to tell you first. In principle, the public security department cannot extort a confession by torture, so you can do nothing if the criminal doesn''t tell. But things are different to us, so we are going to take some extraordinary measures to trace the man with the surname of Bai, please don''t be surprised!"


    Zhu Jun was confused by me and said, "So what do we need to do now?" I thought about it. "We found that he didn''t do it by looking at the way of starting, so we may have to pay extra effort. But if we overdo it, and some people call the police and people on your side want to catch us, you need to come out to prove that we are just auxiliary police of Wu Zhong County in case it happens!"


    After sending Zhu Jun away, I called Chongxi to let him rub his fingers. After that, I called Xiao Qi and Lin Feng and left. I told them in the car. "Let''s try the barbecue in Fengrun County today!" When the sky went dark, we parked the car in a county parking lot. Xiao Qi and some people were very excited. I just ignored since there was no way to hold them, but just told them to act by my orders and did not create any troubles.


    When we came to a barbecue stall, we had dozens of kebabs and a dozen beers. Since Lin Feng would be driving, so he could not drink and just ask for a bottle of iced cola.


    After a while, a man and a woman came and sat next to us. I stood up and pointed at the woman and said, "You! Get up, lean back! I have something to ask this man!" He was a strong man and stood up quickly. I waved my hand, then Xiao San and Xiao Qi pressed him down by holding his arms! I glanced at him and said, "I advise you to behave. Otherwise, you have no place to complain if you suffered!" The man held his fist and tried to say something. I looked at him and said, "Refused to obey huh? Take the iron pike and stick it on your hand!" Since people couldn''t see Xiao Qi and other''s face, they just saw that the man picked up a pike pointing down with his other hand placed on the seat. He then raised the pike and stuck it hard on his hand! With the scream of "ahhh!", the pike was nailed to his own hand. He hurriedly covered it with his hand, but the blood on his hand still flowed out of his fingers.


    The woman screamed and said, "What do you want to do?" She didn''t finish her words, but felt that her hand was about to slap her on the mouth! She was stunned at the time, and gave herself a harsh slap. I looked at her and said, "Standing on the side and look! Do you think it was accidental for your ex-boyfriend to steal?" She stood still with her mouth opened, and her face was filled with fear.


    I turned to the man and said, "Talk about the terrible things you have done! The next pike may go for your eye if you waste any time."


    He had to tell dejectedly after heard what I said, "I spent 5,000 yuan on a box of cigarettes, and handed one to her boyfriend according to what the seller told me¡¤¡¤¡¤ After he smoked, he just¡¤¡¤¡¤" he said as he pointed to the woman with his hands tied together "ah! You!" The woman angrily pointed at him and she was too angry to speak! "So you successfully took away his girlfriend?" I said, the man replied frustratedly, "Yes!" I waved and shouted, "Slap!" And the man was slapped for a few times. At this time, many people had huddled around; everyone was stunned since they didn''t know who did the slap!


    I paused and said, "Where is the man sold you the cigarette now? Take us to him!" Then I turned and said to the woman, "He has a relationship with the cult, but this matter has nothing to do with you, you can go!"


    Regardless of the fearful eyes of other people on the barbecue stall, we pushed the man into the car and drove to the suburbs. The car was driven to the national highway of the suburb outside a small house that collected waste. The man pointed at the hut and said, "It was settled, and they pay me 2000 first, and will pay me another 3000 here after it''s done!" I realized that it was over and the man surnamed Bai got away with it again, since he didn''t expect to get the other 3,000, it was just a short-term plan for him to take some cash!


    At this time, Zhu Jun called. Obviously, the girl called the police. I promised him that I would send the man to him right away!


    When I arrived at the police station, where the girl and the "thief" were both there, I brought them in and handed them to Zhu Jun. Zhu Jun discussed with the three of us and brought the kid over. I asked. "There are still 19 remaining cigarettes. Where are they now?" He replied. "At home!" I said to Zhu Jun, "You send someone to follow him to take the thing. Let me know after you got it, and we are going to follow up tomorrow! We could do nothing if he kept playing games with us!"


    After returning to Wu Zhong County, it was already in the middle of the night. The three of us still went to the barbecue as a midnight snack.


    Early in the next morning, we took the tools together and set off. We went to the neighboring county to meet Zhu Jun first and got the box of cigarettes, which looked pretty normal and was produced under Yun brand. There was nothing wrong with it and we were confused about what Bai Chuanwei was doing.


    We took the cigarettes and set off. Before we left, Zhu Jun asked me about how to cooperate. I thought about it. "This cult gangster is very sly. He could see the police car from afar during the day. It was easy to alert him if you follow! So let''s just keep in touch, and we will call you if you are needed!"


    Going out of the county, I opened the gourd, and put the cigarette in the entrance of the gourd, then I recited the curse to summon the spirit eagle, which flew out and hovered to the sky. The spirit eagle flew so high and looked like a swallow. It seemed that the man surnamed Bai was still far away.


    Our car followed the general direction. The spirit eagle flew all the way to the north and west and our car also left the national highway and was drove to the country road. We had done the tracking once before, but we were still in the soup this time, since the spirit eagle didn''t consider the land route and only knew to take short cuts. Sometimes, we would lose our target, and we could only see the spirit eagle after we crossed the whole village. Sometimes we could also meet the traffic jam if there was a fair!


    We gradually left the county boundary of Fengrun County and entered another county. To be exact, it was now the territory of the county-level city. We were still struggling to trace, but Chongxi was snoring. He had a really good sleep even if the car kept bumping!


    It had been out of the county for more than three miles, and they saw the spirit eagle hovering over a mountain from a distance.

 Chapter 98 Hong Tianhua

    On the mountain were some houses made from rocks. I had no idea what purposes did they serve. Seeing that there was no road ahead of us, we got off the carriage. I told the other two to get their weapons ready and retrieved the spirit eagle. We then started climbing up the mountain.


    The mountain was not high. On one side of it was an abandoned quarry. There weren''t many trees and the weeds were short as well, the mountain seemed to be quite barren. It wasn''t too steep to climb, and slowly we approached the fences surrounding the houses. They were all built on flat ground near the top, which was just a short distance ahead.


    I fastened my pace and entered the yard within those fences. The yard was covered with weeds as well. At that moment, my sword started vibrating vigorously. I waved towards the back as a signal to start searching every room while not making any sound. There was no door nor window in all the rooms, only the skeleton of them built with rocks was maintained. The floor was made from stone. No one was spotted in any room. The eastmost room had a pile of firewood, and it seemed like someone rested there before! "So that Bai guy did rest here at night. Perhaps he''s gone now?" I thought to myself, "It can''t be! The spirit eagle was hovering around this area just now, how can there be no one here? He has to be somewhere nearby! We must stop searching actively now. We are unfamiliar with the surroundings and he can see everything that''s happening, we are at a disadvantage!"


    I brought others back to the yard and pulled out my sword, which was still vibrating. Apparently, it sensed the existence of the opponent. I was not a legitimate warrior of Jianghu, so I couldn''t be bothered by the rules and ethics of one, and decided to make a surprise attack. As I silently recited the incantation, the sword dashed into the sky with a swoosh. After whirling for a short while, it dashed towards the back of the house with another swoosh! Immediately, someone let out an agonized cry! The three of us rushed to the backyard and found a middle-aged man who couldn''t stop spitting blood. His one hand supported him against the stone wall, while the other gripped my sword. His chest had a hole pierced by my sword! His body was bent forward at an extreme angle as if he was going to wrap around my sword.


    Gradually, his body emitted a burning smell. His limbs became extremely slim and his body size reduced all of a sudden, and he transformed into a hedgehog! "What the hell!" I thought to myself, "This skilled thief is actually a giant hedgehog!"


    I took out my calabash gourd to retrieve his soul, then cited incantation to keep my sword. Chongxi asked, "That''s a huge hedgehog, can we skin it for a barbeque?" I answered, "It depends! You can if you are patient enough. That means you have to pull out every single thorn on its skin with pliers. If you are thinking about skinning it with a knife, you better save that thought. Its thorns are imbedded in its flesh, and you could break its thorns if you aren''t careful enough. Some said you can just cook it by wrapping it with clay and bake it though, just like cooking Beggar''s Chicken, but I''ve never tried that method!" Hearing that, Chongxi shook his head regretfully.


    Just as we were talking about how easily we took down Bai Chuanwei and how desperate he was before his death, a man''s voice startled us. "You are truly obedient!" the man said. All of us turned in shock; none of us realized a man was standing behind us! He was dressed in a Taoist robe and holding a hossu. Judging from his appearance, he was only in his forties!


    "What is obedient?" asked Chongxi offhandedly. The Taoist swung his hossu and replied with a chuckle, "Our younger brother Bai has failed too many times, causing our sect tremendous loss! Hence, our master commanded us to kill him by the rules of our sect. I don''t want to kill him myself, so I guided you to him and had you killed him for me. Thanks so much!" Lin Feng asked angrily. "Who are you?" The Taoist made two dry coughs and answered, "I am Hong Tianhua, the second on rank among the Thirteen Apostles!"


    I laughed upon his reply, and said, "Your older brother is just a bat, and now your younger brother is only a hedgehog! Maybe your sect is filled with such sly thieves? Is there anyone decent at all? What exactly are you then? Are you a mouse like some of your brothers? The legend has it that mice would become bats after having too much salt, then your elder brother must''ve had more salt than you!" The Taoist swung his hossu again, apparently not bothered by my words at all, and said, "Young people like you are only good with words..." Lin Feng swung his whip toward him before he could even finish his sentence, and that Taoist blocked with his hossu. "Clank!" Sparks burst around the two objects as both of them were taken aback!


    Judging from its surface, the handle of that hossu seemed to be made of wood. However, it was made of steel and covered in the paint that resembled the color of the wood. It was even decorated with wood grain, thus Lin Feng didn''t expect it to be steel! People always expect whips to be made of leather. When a flexible weapon has steel components, it would usually be a seven-section or thirteen-section whip, which has every section linked by a steel ring. Lin Feng''s whip was covered in red cloth, and can be wrapped around his hand, so Hong Tianhua would expect it to be made of leather, instead of steel. When the two weapons clashed into each other, the red cloth covering the whip was ripped. Hence, the impact of two steel weapons resulted in sparks. Even Hong Tianhua was surprised by this revelation!


    Hong Tianhua swung his hossu for multiple times and started fighting against Lin Feng. When it came to pure arm strength and skills in kung fu, Hong Tianhua was at a disadvantage. However, as he mumbled some spells, the hair on his hossu slowly stood on its end. He swung the hossu one more time, and an ear-piercing sound was made as the hossu cut through thin air. The hair on the hossu kept getting entangled with Lin Feng''s whip. Luckily, the tip of his whip had the shape of a cone, so it could never be fully wrapped around by that hossu. When the two fought violently, it was as if countless butterflies were dancing around both of them! During the long fight, the red cloth on Lin Feng''s whip was being ripped down bit by bit, just like red butterflies. Meanwhile, Hong Tianhua''s hossu was getting thinner by the second, its hair was being pulled out again and again, and it almost looked like a bare rod.


    Seeing that his hossu had become merely a rod, Hong Tianhua pointed it at Lin Feng furiously. Knowing that Lin Feng was in a dangerous situation, I shouted, "Brother Lin, watch out!" Lin Feng could sense the impending danger himself as well, yet he was too close to the Taoist to dodge his attack. The hossu just shot out a series of poisonous needles! Although Lin Feng''s whip blocked most of the needles, one of them still managed to stick into his hand!


    "What a treacherous man! We never expected his hossu to be able to shoot poisonous needles!" Luckily, Chongxi and I were further away from him and out of the shooting range of his hossu, so we were not hit!


    Despite that Lin Feng couldn''t grasp his whip with his hand, it was wrapped around his wrist! That Taoist reached out even more with his hossu after his first attack, it seemed that there was going to be a follow-up attack! Just as he reached out his hand, however, an iron pellet hit his hand, forcing his hand to shake and drop the hossu! That pellet was from Chongxi''s slingshot! At that moment, Lin Feng jumped out of the hossu''s shooting range. I quickly poured two pills out of my gourd, one for Lin Feng to swallow, and the other for him to melt it with his saliva and apply to his wound!


    At the same time, Hong Tianhua took out his sword and a piece of spell paper. He placed the paper onto his sword, and the paper started burning while he recited some incantation. With the swinging of his sword, two streaks of black gas transformed into two grizzlies. "Aren''t they the two grizzly brothers?" I thought and started reciting the Spell of Soul Retrieving as I pointed out the opening of my gourd toward them. The two spirit bears only moved slightly, yet were not absorbed into the gourd! "This sorcery is indeed tricky!" Since I couldn''t retrieve the spirit bears, I decided to change my strategy, and released both spirit wolf and spirit eagle!


    Six wolves surrounded the two grizzlies immediately as they saw them. The eagle hovered in the air to wait for the opportunity to attack. The situation had come to a stalemate!


    "That Taoist needs to focus on controlling the grizzlies, and there''s no way he could shift his focus elsewhere at this moment!" With this thought, I pulled out my sword and silently recited the incantation. Seeing my sword whirling in the sky, Hong Tianhua couldn''t hide the sense of surprise in him. "The Sword Controlling Technique!" said him as he tried to stay away from my sword. However, his attempt was futile in front of my sword. It continued whirling for a few more rounds and dashed towards him in the form of a silver streak. Hong Tianhua was not bad, either. He managed to slash his sword along a curve, yet it was insufficient to block my attack. He was left with no choice but to dodge my sword in order to protect his vital organs. The attack ripped open many parts of his robe. He staggered and tried to maintain his balance. There was blood on his body!


    Realizing that the situation was getting beyond his control, Hong Tianhua held his sword and reached inside his robe with his left hand. "He still has other instruments to use!" I got frustrated at the thought, because after using the Sword Controlling Technique twice consecutively, I had reached my limits! I was starting to feel dizzy, as if the world is being turned upside down and spinning in front of my eyes! At that moment, however, a streak of blue light zoomed at Hong Tianhua''s heart! It was none other than Lin Feng''s poisonous dart!

 Chapter 99 I Am Shiyan

    Lin Feng was hit by a poison needle! Despite being careful, still he was struck and he was now losing his consciousness! The Taoist priest''s attack released a handful of needles that fanned out in a wide area. But it was fortunate that Lin Feng was able to parry away the rest of the needles and only one hit in the arm. He quickly gulped some antidote and began to feel better, although that did little to quell his rage! His right hand was injured, but he could still throw poison darts with his left hand, all thanks to his long hours of training!


    But Hong Tianhua was also lucky himself; he was reaching into his clothing to retrieve something when Lin Feng''s dart struck him and injured his hand. He immediately detected a pungent, fetid stench emitting from his wound and knew, due to his experiences of dealing with poison, that he needed to act quickly! Biting hard, he cleaved off his left arm to save himself and collapsed to the ground, grimacing with pain!


    His spirit bears began to move more sluggishly, possibly due to the temporary loss of control from their conjurer. My spirit wolves launched an onslaught, overwhelming the bears with relentless attacks that, finally, I realized that they were weakened enough for me to steal them. I aimed the mouth of my Gourd at the bears and had the two spectral beasts both sucked into my vessel!


    Hong Tianhua was clutching at his dripping wound. "Wicked, you boy!" He snarled bitterly at Lin Feng, "My needles are venomous, but they do not kill! Yours, however, is a murderous weapon! What is your name, boy! Spit it out!" "Lin Feng is my name!" Lin Feng spat in response, making no attempt to hide that the hatred is mutual. "You, boy!" Hong Tianhua sniggered weakly and asked me this time, "From whom did you learn your magic? Speak the truth!" I raised my Spirit Gourd to my ear and shook it; the spirit bears were liquidated by now and were added into the mix of spirits I collected from Bai Chuanwei, the three Apostles and their four spirit foxes. I tipped my Gourd over and a pill fell out ¨C the pill produced by my Spirit Gourd with the spirits inside as ingredient ¨C and I promptly swallowed it, feeling vitality being restored to my wearied body. "For so long we have fought each other, and you don''t know who we are?" I barked incredulously, "You are some enemy, you! I am Shiyan, Murong Shiyan!"


    "So you say! You are the son of Murong Hai, are you not!?" He hissed with evident hatred, "Surely he is now rotting with old age? For all his prowess and invincibility, he could never best time and age!"


    Suddenly, I began to understand. None of the Apostles that we had bested and subdued so far, including Bai Chuanwei and Zheng Tong, had informed their higher-ups about my identity. Whether it was due to fear of punishment from their superiors or the intent to hoard the credit of defeating the son of the great Murong Hai, I did not know. But Hong Tianhua did not know how youthful and young my father looked now, otherwise, he would not have made such a melancholic confession. He must be present when my father had destroyed the Creed during its peak years and years ago.


    Hong Tianhua struggled and got up, swallowing a pill of his own. He breathed heavily after consuming it; his bleeding seemed to have stopped now. "You, boy," He gestured at me, "You say your name is Murong Shiyan?" I nodded, saying nothing. Hong Tianhua was trying to buy time to heal himself, although I too, needed time to replenish my powers too. He did not notice that I was also at my limits. But Hong Tianhua was busy mumbling, "Shiyan... Shiyan... It can''t be..."


    But before we knew what happened, an invisible force, violent and powerful, came at us! The three of us were hit face-first and the force threw us off our feet, sending us crashing into the ground. There was a stabbing pain in my chest; my ribs seemed to have been broken! I immediately regurgitated a mouthful of blood! I felt my fingers still moving, but my sword was no more. With a quick scan, I found my sword plunged into the ground, its blade broken into splinters! I looked around and checked on my companions but both Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng were vomiting blood themselves!


    A figure shimmered into sight out of thin air, appearing between Hong Tianhua and us! Dressed in Taoist garbs too, the man was holding a hossu of his own, chanting, "May the blessings of the Sages be upon us!" Hong Tianhua became overjoy to see him, and much to our horror, he exclaimed loudly, "Teacher!" Hong Tianhua''s mentor peered down at his student''s miserable plight while muttering softly, "What an embarrassment! To think that with your skills and experience, you are driven to such a pitiful state by three raw rookies." The newcomer turned to regard us this time, saying, "You have caused us great grievances, young lads, despite without any prior hatred and enmity! The first, the sixth, another three in Mongolia, and another three during your recent duel; all of whom are now dead by your hand, not discounting the others who are now under arrest and the Thirteenth, I believe, is also slain by your hand! The great Thirteen Apostles are either dead or under arrest, no thanks to you! Why do you pursue us with so much hate and contempt?"


    With only one single stroke, the infernal priest had so easily incapacitated us! This alone earmarked the difference between our strength and his! He was simply too powerful for us to handle! Defiantly, I took up my broken sword. I will not yield! I swore to myself as I struggled to get up! With my broken sword tightly in my grasp, I thrust my finger furiously at the priest. "How dare you speak as if you are indeed a benevolent Taoist priest? You''re nothing but a band of knaves that steal, plunder, abduct, kill, and that is merely the top of a long list of atrocities and depravity that your students had committed! Many times have your student hunted for our blood and even tried to murder us! Now you dare justify yourself with honeyed-words!" "You speak as if you are brimming with justice, when you three are together ganging up on my student who is alone!" He hissed in response. "Your student manipulated us to kill your other students! He''d even mocked us by thanking us for our assistance in helping him to carry out the punishments! You yourself displayed enough violence when you appeared! Since when had we disturbed you?" The evil priest snorted. "A young man with a sharp tongue! Very well, I''ll just see what three young boys can do against me!"


    With the help of the pill I had just taken, my powers were almost fully restored. There was no other way, I realized. I muttered my spells and released my sword, which flew out of my grasp and hovered above my head. The Taoist priest was greatly shocked to see my broken sword flying. Seeing his chance, Lin Feng attacked, tossing some darts at the priest. But the priest was alert; his eyes glinted as he looked at the incoming attack and easily swept them away with a mere flail of the sleeves of his robes. "Paltry tricks," he snorted gently, still wearing his taciturn mask of aloofness. He vanished the next second and immediately re-appeared before Lin Feng, his hand clawing for Lin Feng''s throat!"


    "Oh no!" I muttered, reacting as quickly as I could. "Go!" I commanded my sword, and it shot straight at the priest''s outstretched hand.


    But my efforts were futile; the priest stopped in his tracks, only to divert his attention to my sword. With his bare hands, he parried my sword, striking upon my weapon so hard that it fell out of my control!


    "The magic of sword telekinesis? From whom or whence did you learn this skill, boy?!" His face turned hideous as he glared at me. "An heirloom, passed on to me!" I barked simply, trying my best to maintain my composure. The older priest looked at me with disbelief, studying my features as if my face and bearing reminded him of someone. "Teacher! That insolent pup is the son of Murong Hai!" Hong Tianhua croaked hoarsely from behind him. This revelation filled the older priest with astonishment, although it quickly ebbed away, replaced with a wicked smile. "Murong Hai''s son, eh?" he sneered. "Laugh all you want! My father had shown you leniency before, yet you dare continue your evil ways! You have forgotten about my mother''s pleas, have you? She who had begged for mercy for your sake!" The older priest was stunned again, pondering about my relationship with Murong Hai. "Your father, you say?" He asked with apparent suspicion, "Murong Hai is your father? It can''t be!" Murong Hai would be at least 200 by now! A gnarly old man waiting for his death! You are barely an adult! It can''t be! Liar! You''re lying! The woman who had pleaded on our behalf was no wife of Murong Hai... No... You brat..."


    Liar? I almost blurted out loud. So it seemed that even this old priest knew nothing about how my father had been able to retain his youth. But he did mention a woman who was not my father''s wife then. This could only mean that my parents were not yet married then.


    "What is your name, boy?" The older priest stirred from his ephemeral stupor, asking me as he raised his head again to study me. "Murong Shiyan is my name," I declared loudly, shouting loudly word by word. What was formerly a puzzled and confused look on the face of the older priest immediately turned into one of glee and epiphany once he heard my name. "Murong Shiyan? Good! Hahahaha! So Murong Hai had reaped the entirety of the bounty in that fateful encounter so many years ago! Since you''re named Shiyan, this could only mean that you too, were actually involved in that incident. I shall hold you accountable, come with me!"


    The wicked priest closed in on me, the bony fingers of his hand scraping the air as he tried to catch me! But he was so quick, so fast that I could barely evade him! I threw my arms forward to block him while backpedaling backward several steps. But his arm jutted through my sprawled arms with the speed of a swooping hawk, his fingers grabbing at my neck in a vice-like grip! But instead of a whoop of triumph, I suddenly heard a thunderous "Bang", followed by the agonizing screams of the priest!

 Chapter 100 The Sash of the Stretching Rainbow

    My eyes reopened to see the infernal priest clutching at his right hand, screaming at the top of his voice in agony! The hand which barely seized me was now grotesquely bent as if it was broken!


    I jerked my head back to look at my companions, my eyes relaying my question. But both of whom were also watching me with amazement themselves. There was no time to ask about what happened. I yelled at the evil priest, "How do you like a taste of that, you old weasel?" Filled with anger at my taunt, the wicked priest began squawking strangely with fury and charged at me again like a frenzied bull! I began regretting goading him; even in his injured state, the evil priest was still many times as powerful as I am! There was no way I could ever dream of defeating him! In my panic, I began thinking of my father, Master Six, and the founder of my father''s order whose picture I saw not long ago. I was in desperate need of help! Suddenly, I remembered, Master Six! Yes!


    Memories flashed back to my previous encounter with Master Six and the conversation I had with him in his car.


    "Well, Master Six, you had given Mr. Chen something. Can''t you give me something too, in case I ever need your help?"


    "Did your father not give you any artifacts of his own, boy?"


    "My father is nothing if not a stingy person... The things that he had given me are useless! If only you could..."


    Master Six smiled slyly, saying nothing. With a casual wave of his wrist, an object appeared out of nowhere in his hand. "You are ordained with the destiny of your own. Nothing I do will be able to change that. Be that as it may, take this," he said, "It may be able to save you in any case of danger one day. Remember this incantation. I''ll only say this once..."


    I quickly summoned my broken sword to me. But the infernal priest had reached me! Grimacing with dismay and anxiety, it was too late for any more spells!


    The evil priest lunged at me with his undamaged hand! I spun on my heels and was about to bolt when the older priest began shaking and convulsing violently! Before I realized anything, a number of dents appeared suddenly on his chest, following by a cascade of bangs like cannons being fired successively followed by an invisible force that slammed into the priest, sending him backward! The sudden, invisible strike from nowhere launched the priest off his feet, crashing him into the wall of the cottage! The huge impact of the debacle shook the entire hut, collapsing it on him and burying him within the fallen rubble!


    I could even hardly react. Everything had happened so fast in the blink of an eye. Lin Feng, Yuan Chongxi, and also the maimed Hong Tianhua could only witness everything with startled and perplexed expressions. But we were still in bewildered bafflement when a harrowing roar boomed from within the heaps of debris! Next, came a huge explosion followed by a gust of wind so strong that scuds of dust and pebbles were whisked into the air! "Damn! That thing is still alive!" I heard Yuan Chongxi yelling with fright. Of course, I could almost scowl, otherwise, we would never have to be so pitiful in the first place! A dark, bat-like figure emerged from the piles of concrete scree and hurtled into the air! With the advent of the demonic figure flying in the air, I immediately felt a powerful and intense pressure bearing down on me. The evil priest was readying itself to come at me again! Winds began assailing me from all sides like keen blades, slicing and slashing at me relentlessly, the harbinger of the diabolic priest''s impending attack!


    "May the blessing of the Sages be upon me?" The evil priest''s shriek rang from above in mid-air, "You will pay for the sins of your father, boy! Die!" I tossed away my broken sword, the ornament hanging at its hilt fluttering in the wind on its way down. "Come, you weasel demon! We''ll end this, once and for all!" I bellowed back at the older priest still hanging in mid-air. My fingers weaved another seal; one that I had never used before: the spell that Master Six had taught me! The demonic priest saw my lips moving but he could not hear me over the din of the raging winds. "What are you saying, brat?!" He yelled at me, but I gave no response. I looked at the ornament at the hilt of my sword dancing in the wind. No! I suddenly realized! It was moving AGAINST the wind! Gashes began to appear on the skins of my face and arms. The winds, still blowing around me like the blades of scythes, were slicing at my skin with ease as blood trickled slowly out every incision they made on me! But I hardly felt any pain for my attention was entirely on the fabric adornment of my broken sword! It was rising, its ribbon growing longer and longer as its whorls, buffeted the winds, stretched swiftly towards the demonic priest!


    The infernal priest too caught notices of the strange lengthening tendrils of the adornment, its ribbons billowing, as it drew closer towards him. "The Sash of the Stretching Rainbow!" His eyes immediately went wide with astonished recognition as he gasped with shock, and he turned in mid-air, immediately fleeing as quickly as he could for dear life! What a stark difference to the calm and reticent demeanor he wore earlier!


    But the priest''s desperate attempts to escape were in vain; as if imbued with a life of its own, the embroidered accessory of my sword shook itself free of the hilt and streaked across the sky like a blazing-red comet, catching up to the priest in no time! Its ribbon sash elongated in the blink of an eye like a giant squid''s tentacles and coiled around priest swiftly, incapacitating him! The immobilized Hong Tianhua, realizing his teacher was beyond help, was about to bolt to freedom himself. But before he could do so, another curl of ribbon appeared from the Sash. In a flash, the ribbon extended at an immeasurable length and shot straight at him, binding him tightly like his mentor!


    The two men crashed to the ground, the ribbons constricting around them so tightly like a snake trying to strangle its prey! The muscles and sinews surrounding where the ribbon gripped them began to swell due to the tremendous force and their face reddened like glowing embers! But the merciless Sash continued tightening its grip with utmost callousness that parts of their bodies began to burst, causing blood and viscera to spatter everywhere!


    My companions and I clambered to our feet. Holding on to each other, we limped and staggered towards the two men. "You should have just used this from the start," Yuan Chongxi grumbled to me, "We''re getting injured for nothing!" I merely ignored him. The Sash was still constricting its preys hard without remorse that the bindings were biting into their skins and their flesh, now purplish-red, were caked in their own blood! Bloodied and crippled, the priest hissed through gritted teeth, "Kill me, boy! Others will come for you! Murong Hai''s protection will only last for so long..." Before he could finish, he began shuddering wildly, his body contorting violently before an acrid fetor filled the air! What remained was the carcass of a huge weasel, still shaking against the tight clench of the ribbon. The carcass became completely still just moments later. It was dead. Hong Tianhua himself too did not last long; his remains too transformed back into a dead weasel, just like his teacher!


    I kicked at the carcasses, flipping them over, but the Sash of the Stretching Rainbow vanished! We ransacked both carcasses but to no avail! We then split up and looked amongst the nearby bushes; Lin Feng even used Hong Tianhua''s sword to slice open the carcasses, but the Sash was still nowhere in sight!


    I felt my knees giving way suddenly and I immediately fell to a sit on the ground, too tired and wearied. The Sash was Master Six''s gift for me! He would surely be angry to know I had lost it!


    It was only due to my badgering pesters and beggings that the immortal had only given me the Sash, I grimaced! Before parting with him, Master Six had reminded me to remember that I have to carry this item with me at all times and the item must not be exposed to fire and water and it should not be kept in extremely tight spaces. These were his explicit instructions which I had have been carefully adhering to. But the Sasha was now missing and Master Six would never forgive me for this! I turned sullen and morose despite our ultimate triumph against the Creed. We conducted another round of search again, flipping every stone that we could find and rummaged through every bush and thicket in our way. Still, the Sash continued to elude us, until I remembered suddenly Master Six''s final words, "The Sash can only be used once. Use it wisely." Its disappearance might actually be fated after all!


    We called off the search and relayed our location to Zheng Shuang and Zhu Jun, leaving them both to explain everything in logical terms in their investigation reports. We hobbled down the hill and into our car before we journeyed back to the Center.


    The battle today has expended much of my mana and inner energies that I was so dizzy by the time we returned. "Shiyan," Yuan Chongxi''s voice came as I was on the brink of a blackout, "the old weasel had said that Uncle Hai''s (my father) protection will only last for so long. Is he hinting more danger for you in the future? What is he trying to imply?" But I could neither remember about nor reflect upon the demon''s last words. I managed to grunt before I blacked out for good, "I am who I am... Murong Shiyan!"


    Yuan Chongxi merely snorted in response and went quiet immediately, plunging deep into slumber himself.


    But when I got up later, I found myself at home, my wounds fully dressed and bandaged! I shook my head, trying in vain to dispel any shred of weariness and soreness that lingered, and found Master Six beside me!

 Chapter 101 Who Am I!

    I scratched my head bleakly, still feeling sores all over me. I opened my mouth to speak but Master Six beat me to it. "What a sound sleep you had, boy," he said, "You''ve slept for one whole day." I scratched my head again sheepishly. "But... Why are you here, Master Six?" I asked.


    "You''ve caused quite a ruckus, boy," he said again, "Can you blame me for coming unannounced? More so, if you had indeed perished. All the years of my tough labor would have been for naught..." His voice trailed off as if he had suddenly realized he had spoken a little too much. But I was hardly perturbed nor annoyed; Father too usually spoke on such vague terms as if he was avoiding from revealing too much, a trait which I had grown too used to. The Sash of the Stretching Rainbow came to my mind suddenly and I scratched at my head again. "Urm... Master Six," I said meekly, "The Sash of the Stretching Rainbow... I''m afraid it''s..."


    "I know," he said curtly, cutting me off, "The Sash is gone. Rather, it has returned to the place it was supposed to." "Huh? Returned? What place it was supposed to?" I asked sharply, puzzled and confused. Master Six merely sighed. Before he could begin to speak, Father''s voice came from outside the door, saying, "Artifacts and instruments of divine origin do not so easily go missing." Father stepped into the room, pushing the doors as he came in. There was a palpable tension in the room as an uneasy silence hung like an apparition, making me realize that Father and Master Six had a history, one that did not end well, it seemed. "The Sash of the Stretching Rainbow is no ordinary decoration. It contains the spirit of a snake," Father revealed curtly. I was instantly shocked by the revelation. A snake?! "I kept this from you on purpose. I did not want to frighten you," Master Six admitted, "The Sash embodies the spirit of the snake, hence its own sentience. When laid undisturbed, the spirit of the snake will remain dormant. But once roused to fury, the snake will never rest until it tasted blood. After completely bleeding dry its prey, the spirit will return to its lair where it will fall into slumber once more. The spell I taught you is a long-forgotten poem used to incite the spirit to anger. That is why I have cautioned you not to recite it aloud unless needed to."


    When Master Six ended his explanation, Father emitted an unmistakable scoff, although he said nothing else. This earned him a disdainful glare from Master Six before the immortal continued again, "I had given you the Sash only because you told me that your father gave you nothing! Seems that it is not true after all!"


    I was confused by this. It was the Sash that had won us the battle against the evil priest; he was so frightened when he first saw it and even tried to flee. Did my father really give me something to protect me?


    Keen as he usually was, Father knew what I was wondering of. "Did you honestly think I''d allow you three to wade through dangers without any protection or whatsoever?" Father scoffed again and said, "Do you think I am able to rest easy with you facing mortal dangers alone?" But Father''s answer did little to clear my bewilderment. I peered at Master Six again doubtfully, who laughed gently and said, "Your father has left something on you; something more subtle and impressive than mine, and untraceable even! Something that will come into effect if you are in peril." He turned to look at Father, "Your father is hardly apathetic to the wellbeing of his son!" He patted me on my shoulder and turned to leave the room, saying something along the lines of stay healthy before he left. Father followed closely behind him as they filed out the room.


    What is going on? I asked myself. My thoughts wandered to what Master Six said: Your father''s left something on you, something that will save you if you are in peril... Then I began to remember: the demonic priest was merely a hair''s breadth from clawing at my throat, when his hand was suddenly broken by an unseen force! Then he was hit by something invisible again! But I failed to see what or who struck him and even how! Was this the thing that Master Six was talking about?


    Still baffled and confounded, I crashed back into my pillow. Just then, I heard hushed voices coming from outside. "You intend to just keep everything a secret from him?" Master Six asked before Father responded with a simple and quiet "Yes". Master Six continued peppering him with more questions although I could no longer make out anything through their muffled voices until I heard Master Six finally, "Are you daft? You have delayed it for so many times I could barely remember! This is the first time I see something like this! Your ascension is already near! Do you wish to sacrifice your immortality for him? Who do you think you are, a Bodhisattva or a Buddha?" But Father replied something incomprehensible; something that sounded like an indignant retort, although it was too soft for me to hear. But it sure made Master Six angry, for the immortal replied angrily, "You should have ascended centuries ago, yet you had delayed again and again..."


    Then it dawned upon me: Father had long earned his chance to ascend into Heaven to be an Immortal himself. But for some reason, he had delayed his investiture until now and Master Six is urging him to get a move on. It seemed that even Immortals were bound by rules of their own and Father''s constantly delay was apparently against such regulations.


    "There are things that should not be kept from him any longer!" Master Six''s anxious voice rang from outside again, "You will have to rise sooner or later! Be realistic, do you think you''ll be able to protect him forever? What if there''s another one? You can keep this from him no longer!"


    The stifled arguments between Father and Master Six went on outside. There was more to Father''s insistence to not meet Master Six; there was more to the simple loathing Father had for him. There may be more reasons behind his dislike of the Immortal...


    Their heated debate persisted for some time. It also was the first time I witness Master Six breaking his laconic composure, and the first time Father had spoken so deep and cold to someone. "What an intransigent fool! This way then, we''ll let him decide on his own!" Father''s voice leaped several decibels abruptly, while Master Six''s surprising question came sharply, "Huh? Are you mad? What are you doing?" But his sentence had barely ended, and the door of my room swung open at once, admitting a sullen-looking Father who held an old and ancient sword as he came in.


    Immediately when he came in, Father said to me, "I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to listen to first?" Stunned, I could only murmur, "T - the... The good one..." Father threw the sword that he was holding to me and I caught it. "You are not a common human," he said, "This sword and you are one; you share the same life with it and from now on, you shall have to take care of it yourself!" I slowly lifted the sword, still perplexed by my father''s message, and drew it gently. Its blade beckoned to me with a cold glint of suppressed fury as it slowly slid out its sheath. The carvings and furnishings of the blade told me that the sword was a relic of a long-bygone era; an antique of intrinsic historical value, yet there was not even a smudge of rust or blemish on its shiny blade! I was sure, that I was holding a powerful sword, legendary even, that it will slice through almost anything with ease. But that was hardly the reason of my consternation. I was instead shocked to read the two runic words engraved on the blade: Shiyan!


    What the... I thought suddenly, heaving in a breath of cool air as my heart began to race. Did Father name me using the name of this sword? But he did mention that the sword and I share a life... My mind was discombobulated with confusion and dread. "What of the bad news..." I muttered quietly. Father sighed heavily, as if it pained him seriously. "You are not my true son. You were adopted!"


    During the course of my childhood, my parents had frequently jested playfully that I was an adopted runt whenever I was up to another mischief. But never did I expect any shred of truth in it! Was this a dream or a figment of my imagination? Father''s solemn expression conveyed the painful truth that he was not joking this time. Before I could think further, Father said again, "It was more than twenty years ago when I found your sword. Your identity was but a complete mystery to me and for all these years, I could not bear to reveal this to you, until now. You have a choice, whether to continue being Murong Shiyan, or to find out who you truly are!"


    I heart my heart thumped loudly as soon as Father finished! Find out who I truly am? Was this even true? Who am I exactly?


    My eyes instinctively peered around frantically like a little boat in a storm looking for a safe haven. There was Father and Master Six, both of whom looked serious and funereal; and Mother, whose face was drenched with tears...

 Chapter 102 I Am Me!

    I felt as if a hole was bored deep into me. For over twenty years I had lived here, and suddenly it was my house no more, and the parents whom I loved and respected for more than two decades suddenly became strangers? Tears trickled down Mother''s face uncontrollably as Father shook his head wearily, sighing hard as he pressed again, "Make your choice."


    I rubbed my face, swinging my legs out of the bed and walked to Father. "Would you still be delayed if I choose to remain?" I asked. Father shook his head, although Master Six''s nodding head told me that he was lying.


    The fact that Father was lying again made it all the more unbearable for me. "Father, Mother," I said quickly without much thought, "You''ve done enough for me... I..." I could not finish what I wanted to say. Tears streamed down my cheeks. Father was chewing on a cigarette, and he said dejectedly, "Make no mistake, the delay of my ascension from the Human Realm is not because of this. I have my own reasons for refusing to depart. Even if you were to leave Wu Zhong County, I will still be here."


    My tears could not stop, no matter how many times I wiped my face. My grip on the sword tightened; and I said loudly, "I will never leave Wu Zhong, and I will never leave you all! I am me! The one and only Murong Shiyan! Even if you were to ascend, Father, I am still your son!"


    Mother burst into a wailing cry and rushed over to hug me. A spirited smile broke open on Father''s face as he continued chewing on his cigarette, although Master Six shook his head with disappointment and promptly left wordlessly. Later that day, Father confessed to me that it was during his adventures more than two decades ago when he and Mother had found me...


    Father did not delve into the details of what happened, telling me only a trimmed-down version of events: he had encountered an old, wounded Taoist priest during his adventures. The priest was carrying a sword over his back and a baby in his arms. Despite his best efforts, Father failed to save the Taoist who was surviving through sheer will; he had sustained heavy gunshot wounds so grave that any other man would have long fell. With his last breath, he entrusted the sword and the baby to Father, disclosing that the baby was given to the priest by the owner of the sword. He begged Father to protect the child. But before Father could ask some more, the old priest died.


    I was the toddler in the bundle, and the sword that the old priest carried was one and the same as the one I now held. Father took a swig of liquor from his flask. "The sword is part of you; it shares your life and destiny. I was also surprised myself when I took the sword, hence I named you after the sword, Shiyan." "Did you not explore and find anything about me for all these years?" I asked, although Father did not reply, giving me only the merest of smiles.


    In truth, I had not the slightest interest in knowing who my biological parents were, nor had I any enthusiasm to find out who or what had caused the death of the old Taoist priest. What mattered to me was the question of my father''s ascension. Would I only be a hindrance to him and Mother? But my concerns were misplaced; Father had never wanted to ascend, rather, he loathed the very notion of it, at least I was sure. Father has rarely, if not never, displayed any desire in anything, and he was not one who would abandon his ascension for me. That was just not him.


    So came a temporary halt in this mind-boggling and devastating matter; an impasse that maintained indefinitely, until one day when Time would deem it otherwise. "Be careful," Father said, gesturing towards the Shiyan Sword I was holding, "There might be trouble that may find you, since you now hold the sword. Deal with them, as your destiny dictates lest your sniveling Master Six comes disturbing me again!"


    Days flitted by slowly, as the passing of Time dulled what pain I felt that day. Life returned to normal at the Center although we began to worry of funds. Our days had turned bare and dry like the desolate soil in a famine since the conclusion of the Creed of the Eight Trigrams. For five months, we had not had any clients walking through the doors of the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies until November beckoned. It was only fortunate that we had earned many funds during our strife against the Creed that we were able to survive this long.


    It was another quiet day at the Center. Only scuds of fallen leaves and dust skimmed over the pavements outside. Yuan Chongxi crushed out the butt of his cigarette in the ashtray sullenly. "It''s seven! Let''s go to eat! There''s nobody for sure!" He grumbled. I nodded my tacit agreement.


    We took out coats and was about to leave when our way out was blocked by a figure. At first glance, I had almost thought that it was a prospective client, until I realized that it was Lin Feng''s girlfriend Yuanyuan. She was now a frequent visitor of the Center, coming frequently every few days to look for Lin Feng that both Yuan Chongxi and I were beginning to feel embarrassed. But Yuanyuan has a gift of being able to be friends with anyone with ease. Her charismatic demeanor and cheerfulness were no small part of that. "Where are you boys going to?" She asked. "Dinner, where else," I said casually, pulling a drag off my cigarette. To our surprise, Yuanyuan said quickly, "Heh heh heh! Come with me then! My colleagues and I are having a get-together!" I scratched my head. Yuan Chongxi never refused such invitations, but I was hardly interested. "You and Brother Lin just go ahead. It''s weird having both of us along!" I said, but Yuanyuan grinned and said, "Come on! Everyone knows about you, Murong Shiyan! They are anxious to meet you! Moreover, you have not a girlfriend yet, have you? My colleagues are all beautiful and gorgeous!"


    "I''m not interested in romance now! I do know even know who I am!" I muttered bleakly. "Come on, Brother Shiyan! I just don''t understand you rich boy types! You worry about so much, even though you are showered with wealth! I myself would have been enjoying myself if I were to have much money!" She barked indignantly, still beaming widely. I could only grimace quietly. What loose lips you have, Lin Feng, I hissed to myself, must you tell your girlfriend everything!


    Still, I eventually relented to Yuanyuan''s pestering. We followed her to her gathering with her colleagues with Yuan Chongxi smiling ever so broadly at the prospects of food.


    In the car on our way to the party, I remembered suddenly that Chongxi was also an orphan. "Have you ever wondered who your parents are, Chongxi," I asked him. "Me? Nah. I''m not like you; to me, my teacher is all I have. Moreover, my parents would have been searching for me if they are alive. But if they indeed are well, and they are not looking for me, then it only says that they do not need me. But my teacher, he needs me!" I could only smile at his reply; Yuan Chongxi''s answer was exactly as I expected. So was I, I mused, my parents were everything to me. The choice that Father had posed me that was hardly a choice.


    The car screeched to a halt outside a restaurant and the four of us disembarked, with Yuanyuan tugging at Lin Feng''s arm up the stairs while we followed behind. She looked excited enough to show off her handsome boyfriend to her bunch of colleagues.


    Both Yuan Chongxi and I shared a weak smile as we watched from behind.


    The gathering turned out to be an awkward affair; there was only three male ¨C I, Lin Feng, and Yuan Chongxi ¨C at the table of more than ten youngsters. Yuan Chongxi had only the deepest interest in the food, hence he could gobble down everything before him with hardly any discomfort. So same could also be said for Lin Feng, who already has a girlfriend in Yuanyuan. Despite not as dashing as Lin Feng, I alone felt terribly uncomfortable and out of place, being the only unattached male with nothing to do.

 Chapter 103-104 Dead Man Driving Chapter and Turmoil at the Zhang Residence

    Yuanyuan was a sales girl of female apparels and most of her colleagues were girls about her age. Females of their age all shared a common habit: gossiping. They would spend every minute of their spare time prattling about boyfriends, relationships, and of course, the ever-so enigmatic topic of paranormal incidents.


    Inadvertently, all eyes around the table were naturally directed upon the one single person who had no short of encounters with the paranormal: me! As the youngest and possibly the most powerful medium in town, the name of Murong Shiyan had become a household topic across the little hamlet of Wu Zhong County. As we ate, my companions and I endured the ceaseless bombardment of weird and strange questions unleashed upon us by the girls. "Oh, Brother Shiyan! Are the rumors about your encounters true, or were they merely publicity stunts?" One of the girls asked. My eyeballs rolled upwards involuntarily while I nearly scowled out loud. But Yuan Chongxi was quick to answer; mumbling through the food in his mouth, he barked incredulously, "That''s up to you! It''s only true if you choose to believe, and these things do not exist if you don''t!" It was a just a bunch of nonsense Chongxi sprouted to keep the girl occupied, but I almost vomited my food when the girl yelled pompously, "Oh, My God! What deep wisdom!" My eyes rolled again.


    But another girl badgered me with another question, "Brother Shiyan, Brother Shiyan. People say ghosts are just around us, even though we can''t see them? Is that true?" At last, a question of substance, I almost breathed with relief, however menial it was. My fingers instinctively traced along the already-healed scar on my face, feeling the prickly sensation grazing on the tip of my fingers as I pondered a response. "Urm... Well... The statement is right and wrong at the same time, I guess. Some people only believe in what they see. But there are times when what we witness are merely illusory distractions meant to lead us astray. On what grounds are we to judge if a person standing before us is a human or a ghost?" The girl immediately pointed at her own eyes. "Our eyes of course!" "That is true, only if we are looking at humans," I said, giggling gently, "But the same cannot be said for ghosts. You see them, and sometimes you don''t. We rely on our minds."


    The table had turned quiet suddenly and all other chatters across the table died down as I began to feel the weight of the gazes from everyone at the table upon me. The girl was about to ask some more, when another girl beside her rummaged for her mobile phone. She fiddled at the controls of her phone and clicked at an icon that looked like a streaming app to me. She raised her phone and began speaking to its camera, "Hi, everyone! Here we are, at a gathering where renowned medium..." My voice was stuck halfway at my throat and I fell silent, watching as the girl began receiving "gifts" from other users of the app...


    Suddenly I heard a disembodied voice emitting from her phone, "Hey, it''s Shiyan! Guess who I am!" Flustered, I barked at the direction of the girl''s outstretched hand holding her phone, "How can I know who the hell you are?" Another voice, unfamiliar to me, rang too, "What medium! Just a bunch of shysters and charlatans!" And I choked hard, speechless beyond words...


    Nevertheless, it was plain and clear that the girl had managed to reap a heap load of pixelated gifts from fellow users of the app, by using my face.


    Girls today were so attracted to the mystic and mysterious such as the paranormal and supernatural. I was only able to breathe easily when we reached the end of the dinner, having weathered the shelling of bizarre questions. But to my dismay, that was not the end of the gathering; the girls wanted to adjourn to a karaoke joint for some more fun. Immediately, Yuan Chongxi and I quickly bowed out with the pretense of business, leaving Lin Feng to fend for himself among the girls. He was looking at us incredulously as we left, with Yuanyuan dragging him with her...


    Yuan Chongxi and I immediately fled to our car and I pedaled hard on the throttle. Within ten minutes, we were back at the Center. But we had barely sunk ourselves into the sofa when Lin Feng called. I was thinking of teasing him as soon as I answered the phone, only to hear his agitated voice. "Shiyan! We need you! There''s been an emergency!" My brows creased into a frown. "What''s wrong?" "We were on the way to the karaoke joint when we witnessed an accident! A bus filled with people had collided with a heavily-laden truck! Blood is everywhere!" "Ah..." I murmured. Lin Feng would have been calling first to Zheng Shuang and not me, if this was a simple and straightforward accident. "What did you see, Brother?" I asked again, sounding more definite now. And he answered, "It''s not just me... Even Yuanyuan and the girls saw it too..."


    A chill dread ran down my spine suddenly. "What is it that you saw?" I pressed again. "I saw a female ghost, her hair disheveled and wild, who has only the upper half of her body! The bisected ghost was stuck to the rear axle of the truck when I saw it, grabbing on desperately to the shaft of the truck with her two arms wrapped around it tightly..." Ghosts would not easily allow themselves to be so easily seen by humans. But Lin Feng had explicitly mentioned that everyone was able to see her! This was no ordinary female ghost, I mused; she might have mutated into something worst and more malevolent. Most spirits retain their former emotions and awareness even though as ghosts, they have weaker willpower than humans, allowing them to be easily affected by other elements, especially hatred and grudge!


    Xiao San was the only one among the Seven Sisters to die in an accident. This was also why she has the strongest hatred among them all. Without her sisters to keep her hatred in check, Xiao San would have long turned into another female ghost with as much malevolence as the one Lin Feng witnessed, one most commonly known as vengeful spirits.


    These were not vengeful spirits we usually see in fiction; in fact, true vengeful spirits were not technically ghosts anymore, but an entity devoid of the ability to reason and feel, an impartial and neutral natural occurrence like a shark or a tsunami. But unlike most natural catastrophes, vengeful spirits dwell and lurk only at a designated spot, most likely the location where it died, such as the site of his or her fatal accident and among others.


    "Get to somewhere safe at once!" I barked into the phone, "Have the girls go home as soon as possible! I fear that our problems are only beginning. That is heavy stuff you witnessed there. Chongxi and I are on the way!" I slammed the phone back to its cradle and dragged Yuan Chongxi out the doors of our Center. Bewildered and perplexed, Yuan Chongxi did not know what was happening. "Something bad has happened with Brother Lin," I said before telling him the whole story. Chongxi began making calculations, trying to divine whatever he could on the way. He too had noticed that there was more than meets the eye to this case than a simple vengeful spirit.


    "It''s OK. We''ll be fine," Yuan Chongxi said suddenly, breaking my train of thoughts. He had finished his calculations and concluded that everything will be well. I was relieved to hear this. A bad omen now would spell disaster for us all.


    We reached the scene of the accident within minutes. Apparently, the accident had occurred hours before Lin Feng and the girls passed by. Zheng Shuang was present when we came, and we found him talking to Lin Feng. He came to us when he saw us and we exchanged words of greeting. "How is the situation? I did not expect you to be here?" Zheng Shuang''s forehead creased. "I was notified by the Traffic Police about this incident, hence I was summoned here. This is a terrible accident, and the driver of the truck..." He paused for seconds before he continued, "According to the coroner''s report, the time of death of the driver does not match the time of the accident! He was long dead for at least two hours even before the accident!" "Interesting... A dead man driving..." I muttered with a sly smile forming slowly on my face.


    "You have noticed something, did you Shiyan?" Zheng Shuang asked, noticing my wry smile, "Could this be another plot of the..." "We cannot be sure yet," I said sharply, "I''m sure Brother Lin had reported to you everything that he witnessed, did he not? Nevertheless, there are still some details that we need to iron out before we can be certain..." I gave Zheng Shuang a short summary on what vengeful spirits really were and instructed him to find out everything he could about the pickup truck and its driver. The information would be crucial to our investigations. Accustomed to our ways, he would report at once any information that he could glean before his superiors heard of anything!


    As soon as I finished, my phone rang suddenly. It was a number that I could not recognize. I clicked the "Answer" button only to hear nothing, save for the noisy static buzzing on the line.


    "Who''s this? Say something! Bad signal?" I barked into the mouthpiece of my phone, feeling annoyed and exasperated.


    But with no response to my yellings, I ended the call. Who was that, Zheng Shuang asked and I shook my head, saying, "I don''t know. There was no one. Leave it." I followed Zheng Shuang to the scene of the accident which was just in the middle of the road. A police officer stepped in my way with an arm forward to bar me. "Halt! Unauthorized personnel..." He realized it was me and immediately swallowed hard. "I''m sorry, Brother Shiyan. Please, please." I thanked him and went straight to the wreckage of both vehicles. The bus was empty; its passengers and driver had already been sent to the hospital and the driver of the pickup truck had already been detained by Zheng Shuang and his team. All that was left, was the unrecognizable heap of the wreck which was once the two vehicles.


    I went to the rear of the truck and crouched on all fours. I examined the rear axle of the truck with my Spirit Sight and found nothing wrong, contrary to what Lin Feng had told me. But it was hardly unexpected, although I began to feel uneasy. My phone rang again, much to my chagrin, and I saw a new message. I was feeling annoyed when I opened the message to find that it was sent by the number that called me earlier! Scrolling down below, I saw the message: Where are you, there''s an emergency here! Come quick! At the bottom was a name, Xiao Qi!


    So the phone call earlier was made by Xiao Qi! That would explain the incessant static I heard! But Xiao Qi and her sisters were all ghosts! It must really be an emergency if even they could not handle it! I spun and ran to Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi, hastening them to our car. "Hey, Shiyan! Where are you going?" Zheng Shuang yelled from behind. I merely reminded him to give me a call if they find anything, pulling my companions with me and we rushed off.


    "What''s wrong?" Lin Feng asked me on our way to Aunt Fen''s home and I merely muttered a curt "don''t know". The tone of Xiao Qi''s message unsettled me deeply. I merely told my companions of Xiao Qi''s message without much elaboration. "This could be serious!" Yuan Chongxi said, "The Seven Sisters are not your average ghosts. There isn''t much that they could not handle!" Yuan Chongxi and I shared the same sentiments, I noticed, although Lin Feng was thinking otherwise. "We cannot be certain," he said, "They are but ghosts nonetheless, unlike us mediums. It may be something that only we can handle, since she explicitly asked for us. Something might have happened to Aunt Fen or Mr. Zhang!" "I don''t know. There''s no use guessing now," I said, my finger caressing my scar instinctively, "Just get there quick."


    We were nearby Aunt Fen''s residence when I began to feel an ominous aura sweeping across the neighborhood. Something bad has indeed happened, I thought. Our car came to Aunt Fen''s home and we found her already waiting anxiously for our arrival, and she was so relieved to see us.


    Immediately, I asked Aunt Fen what happened and she replied hastily, her expression worried and distressed, "Go upstairs quick! My husband, he''s... He''s gone mad suddenly! Xiao Qi and the others are still trying to hold him down!" So, Mr. Zhang was possessed! Despite being the eldest of the Seven Sisters, Aunt Fen no longer wielded the powers she once had as a ghost after she was resurrected. She could only rely on Xiao Qi and the rest of the Sisters for help.


    The three of us bolted up the stairs and Lin Feng, who was at the front, immediately kicked open the door. Xiao Qi and her sisters were embroiled in a fierce tussle with Mr. Zhang, whose eyes were blood-shot and his face pale as Death as he roared and grunted like an angry bull trying to break free! Yuan Chongxi immediately began calculating with his fingers, trying to divine what had happened, only to exclaim with alarm, "Oh my God! The omens are bad!" I was stunned to hear this and immediately shared a dark look with Yuan Chongxi, who was still grimacing from the dire signs he had just received. A bad omen, of all times! I threw my gaze back to the raging Mr. Zhang. As if sensing my gaze, he channeled his strength and his voice boomed like a deafening thunder, shaking off the six Sisters who were trying to subdue him! He threw his head back, roaring again triumphantly and glared at me with his wild, red eyes!


    A rush of aura gushed from his angry stare; the feeling of hatred and grudge! Like an unstoppable tide, a malevolent aura spreading hate and anger swept over the entire room, sending chills down my spine. Beside me, I could see that Lin Feng had felt it too. But Lin Feng was more accustomed to violence than I was. The wave of hatred tainted his soul when it hit us and he too emitted a roar himself like an intoxicated beast high on the thirst for blood! He lunged at Mr. Zhang, throwing at him a diversion before landing a kick into the older man''s face!


    Lin Feng''s kick hit Mr. Zhang squarely in the face, but the older man held his ground! He was as sturdy as a rock! Instead, he reached up and grabbed Lin Feng''s ankle and was about to swing him around like a chain mace when Lin Feng used his other foot to kick himself free! With a somersault in mid-air, Lin Feng landed safely on the ground. This is terrible, I realized. There was no way I could strike without endangering everyone! But even with my Spirit Sight, there was no indication that he was being possessed; there was no foul aura emanating from him! He looked as if he was all right!


    But there was no way that a normal Mr. Zhang would be able to defeat Lin Feng in a fight! Lin Feng emptied his entire bags of tricks, still, he could not even injure the madly-frenzied Mr. Zhang who was running amok! Instead, Lin Feng began to tire from the successive attacks he had delivered. With one last heave of strength, he kicked at Mr. Zhang''s calf. It began to swell, but the man felt no pain nor fatigue! He caught Lin Feng''s leg again and yanked at the leg, pulling Lin Feng close to him and releasing Lin Feng''s leg, his hands grabbed at his throat, trying to strangle Lin Feng to death! Seeing this, everyone, including me, rushed forward to stop Mr. Zhang!


    Suddenly, I heard the sound of a horse blowing its nostrils outside. It was a sound I could easily recognize due to the time I spent in Mongolia. But a horse, here in Wu Zhong County? Mr. Zhang too froze in his tracks, his hands still gripping tightly at Lin Feng''s throat although the latter finally had a moment of respite to breathe. But before we even realize, the sounds of a horse galloping rapidly came from the stairwell, rushing towards us!


    The pandemonium in the room immediately gave way to a silence that was pierced only by the swift galloping of horses. A gust of wind, dark and menacing, flooded into the room as the dark form of a strong stallion in a coat of jet-black fur charged into the room, dashing past me and Yuan Chongxi while headed straight for Mr. Zhang! Mr. Zhang cast aside the now-feeble Lin Feng and made ready to evade. But the horse was too fast; it zipped across the room like a bolt of black lightning and with a loud bang, Mr. Zhang was hit off his feet and crashed into the wall! He staggered to his feet, but the black stallion allowed him to time to gather himself, thundering at him with a furious neigh. It raised its front hoofs and stomped into Mr. Zhang''s chest, trampling him to the ground that he could not move!


    Yuan Chongxi and I were stunned by the sudden turn of events, our mouths gaping wide! A cascade of hurried footsteps rumbled up the stairwell and three men rushed up the landing into view. The leader of the trio was holding an ordinary-looking bundle of cloth. But when he unfurled the bundle, it contained a collection of fine acupuncture needles! What was more, these were no ordinary needles; the needles were all radiating with a strong aura! These needles were a rare set of magical instruments!


    The leader motioned his companions, and one of them nodded knowingly, producing two papers from his pockets before setting them alight. The papers, engulfed by flames, slowly reduced into crisp flakes of black, charred remains. Two wisps of smoke rose from the ashes and transformed into two armored sentinels! Without further ado, the two conjured knights hurried forward and manhandled Mr. Zhang, dragging him from the floor!

 Chapter 105 Zhang Zhigui

    In the midst of our bewilderment and confusion, the third stranger rushed forward to the restrained Mr. Zhang and extracted something from his pocket, which he used it to wave around Mr. Zhang who was struggling to break free from the strong grip of his captors.


    With the situation almost under control, I realized that the object the man was using was a large wooden ruler! Lines of graduation, which I was almost certain were not measurements of length, were etched along the side of the ruler.


    He continued waving the ruler for some time like a magic wand until he finally stopped and motioned to his leader a spot near Mr. Zhang''s chest. The leader nodded, and took out a needle and pierce through Mr. Zhang at the spot designated by his companion. Immediately, the thrashing Mr. Zhang began to simmer down like a balloon being deflated and fainted! The leader quickly stabbed more needles around Mr. Zhang''s body with astonishing speed; a testament to his impeccable skills. Before long, there were so many needles on Mr. Zhang that he looked like a porcupine to me!


    He flicked his wrist in a dramatic flourish and pulled off the first needle that he used to pierce Mr. Zhang in the chest. As soon as the needle was pulled off, the blacked-out Mr. Zhang instantly shuddered and he vomited!


    With my Spirit Sight, I saw wisps of foul energies escaping from Mr. Zhang like ink from a squid as he continued vomiting. The two conjured sentinels released Mr. Zhang and both began to retrieve the foul energies with their bare hands, drawing the foul energies upon themselves like a vacuum cleaner. "It''s lucky that we were in time!" The leader of the three exclaimed! But he had barely finished when the second of the three, the one who summoned the two spectral sentinels, snapped with indignance, "Stop babbling! Come help! The energies are fleeing!" But the leader, much to my dismay, said, "Ah! But what am I to do?"


    By now, the form of the dark stallion was beginning to dissolve, so was the two spectral sentinels who were still trying frantically to seize the foul energies radiating strongly of hatred. The spectral guards glanced at their conjurer. The magical effects maintaining their existence was beginning to fail! "Let me try!" The stranger with the ruler exclaimed! With the ruler, he hacked at the tufts of foul energies swirling around. But instead of trying to help, the foolish stranger instead inadvertently struck at the two spectral guards, causing them to fully dissipate and vanished...


    Chaos broke out immediately: the conjurer began blaming the stranger with the ruler, and the latter began blaming their leader, while the leader was trying to divert the responsibility of their failure to the conjurer...


    But as they bickered like children, the wisp of foul energy took its much-awaited opportunity and flew straight at Mr. Zhang! Still being stuck with needles like a pincushion, there was an invisible magical barrier hindering its advances. The wisp of dark energy realized suddenly that there was an exhausted and utterly-spent Lin Feng lying just beside! As if with a sentience of its own, the foul energy switched its target and charged straight at Lin Feng, its new target to possess!


    This jolted me from my momentary bewilderment. I yanked off the cork of my Spirit Gourd and recited incantations while drawing the foul energy into my Gourd.


    I breathed heavily, relieved at last, as I returned the stopper to the mouth of my Gourd. The three bickering strangers immediately fell silent as they stared awkwardly at the three of us.


    Finally, for the first time, I could look properly at them. The leader of the three who used needles was a young man slightly younger than I am, looking in his early twenties. With average-sized eyes and a high nose bridge, he looked smart and sporty with an ordinary physique. But his companion who wielded a ruler was a stark contrast to his dapper looks. Despite looking about the same age, his hair was completely white. The conjurer who used talismanic strips to summon familiar spirit looked like a frail young man, but there was an unmistakable air of deathliness about him that he looked more like the dead than the living, a quirk that I find terribly unsettling.


    Before I could barely utter a syllable, the leader of the three suddenly asked Yuan Chongxi, "Ah? Could this be Brother Yuan?" Yuan Chongxi was surprised, his eyes going wide as eggs as he finally recognized the stranger. "Zhigui?!" He stammered and the stranger nodded his acknowledgment before he greeted me and the now-revived Lin Feng. Casting strange and suspicious looks at Yuan Chongxi, Lin Feng and I asked, "You know each other?" Opposite us, the companions of Yuan Chongxi''s associate too posed the exact same question.


    Aunt Fen, hearing the ruckus we caused, rushed up the stairs to find Mr. Zhang, still being stuck with needles all over, being helped to a sitting position by Xiao Qi and the Sisters. She hurried over to her husband and asked me, "How is my husband?" The leader of the three spoke before I did, saying to her, "All is well with Mr. Zhang. He is just exhausted from the exertion and now has fainted. That''s all. Don''t worry." Aunt Fen breathed, so relieved that her husband''s danger has gone that she even forgot about saying a "thank you".


    Being closest to Lin Feng, Xiao Er and Xiao Liu too helped him to a sit while asking him if he was well. "It''s okay," he said to them, "Although this is the first time I''m on the receiving end of such a beating. I have not been so miserable even during our final fight against the Creed." I squat down and placed a hand on Lin Feng''s shoulder, consoling my friend whose pride was undoubtedly hurt, while extracting a pill from my Gourd and handed it to him. But my actions did not go unnoticed; the leader of the three was observing me so keenly that I could almost swear that I thought I saw a scathing look, fleeting and quick, passing through his eyes. But he swiftly spoke to me, "Thanks for your help, Brother. If not for you, we would have been in trouble indeed. My name is Zhang Ying, and my courtesy name is Zhigui. I met Brother Yuan in a chance encounter years ago. May I know your name?" I almost felt a shiver; Zhang Ying was speaking with a manner so strange and odd like a character from historical fiction. Nevertheless, he was Mr. Zhang''s benefactor. I returned the gesture, bowing also to him, "I should be the one to thank you instead. We were at our wit''s end until you appeared. My name is Shiyan, Murong Shiyan," while still feeling odd about the three newcomers. It was strange for people to still have courtesy names these days that I wondered for a split second if they were time travelers from the past.


    With Mr. Zhang tucked safely in bed, we left Aunt Fen''s residence. We talked as we left and I found out that Zhang Zhigui had met Yuan Chongxi and Zheng Shuang about a year ago. It was during a trip to investigate a case in Yishui County that they met. I was then cooped up in the Center, still deep in study on my father''s swordsmanship. Hardly unlike him, all three of them have strange names too. Zhang Zhigui''s white-haired companion with the ruler was called Lu Bugong, while the foul-mouthed conjurer was called Yan Jishi.


    I was thinking of treating them to a meal, especially since Zhang Zhigui and his companions had been a great help to us. "It''s a long way from Yishui, Zhigui," I said to him, "How about a meal together?" To my surprise, Zhang Zhigui had the very same intention, "No, no. Brother Shiyan. It is I who should invite you to a drink. Would you be game?" "But you are guests from afar, Zhigui," I said again, feeling embarrassed this time, "It is I who should be buying this drink as host." "Nay, Brother," Zhang Zhigui said again, "If it was not for you, we would not have been able to subdue the foul substance. I should be the one buying."


    "Come on, Zhigui," Lin Feng quipped, "We should be the ones buying. If it was not for your timely intervention, I might already be dead." But Yan Jishi spoke on Zhang Zhigui''s behalf, "But if it was not for you, we would still be neck-deep in trouble!"


    Just as we were quibbling over our drink, a voice boomed from behind. "Enough prattle! I should be the one buying!"

 Chapter 106 The Champions of Yishui

    The sudden remark made everyone''s head turn. It was Xiao Qi and the rest of the Seven Sisters. She approached us, patting on my shoulder before patting on Zhang Zhigui''s shoulder as if wanting us to back down, saying, "We will buy everyone a meal for the trouble today. We''ll have it no other way; our brother-in-law''s life would have been in danger if not for all six of you!"


    Zhang Zhigui was flabbergasted to find six women appearing around him suddenly. With a dumbfounded look, he bowed to them. "My greetings. You are..." In what seemed to be a fit of magnanimous profusion, Xiao Qi began introducing her sisters proudly. "Greetings to you too, Brother Zhang. I''m Xiao Qi. This is Xiao Liu, and that''s Xiao Wu... That would be Xiao San.." And Xiao San hissed with great annoyance, "Off with you!" With an impish chuckle to Xiao San, Xiao Qi continued again, "Mr. Zhang''s wife is the eldest of us Seven Sisters. That is why we are thankful for your help today. But you three are powerful indeed. We have tried everything, still, we could do nothing to hold down our brother-in-law. It''s fortunate we have you three here to display your formidable skills!" Zhang Zhigui''s face immediately flushed with doubt as he peered at Xiao Qi. "B-but... There was only Shiyan and his two companions earlier... From where did the six of you..." Finally I realized, Zhang Zhigui and his friends were unable to see ghosts! Xiao Qi too was surprised by this and was too bewildered to respond. I took over the conversation and smiled at Zhang Zhigui. "The rest of the Seven Sisters including Xiao Qi are no humans, Brother," I explained tactfully, "They have been in the house all along, although you can''t see them." Out of nowhere, Yan Jishi gasped suddenly, "Damned! Wh-what the!" My head turned immediately, and there was Xiao Si, with a tentacular tongue sticking out of her gaping mouth to frighten Yan Jishi!


    "Come on now," I said to her, "What if somebody outside were to witness this! All of us will be on the papers tomorrow!" Xiao Si scowled at me and stretched her tongue out at me. Being accustomed to the antics of the Seven Sisters, I was hardly perturbed by her long tongue, but Zhang Zhigui and his friends were visibly shaken. Possibly due to Xiao Si''s intimidation, Zhang Zhigui and his friends finally relented to allowing Xiao Qi to foot the bill for the meal.


    Apparently all thanks to Aunt Fen''s ceaseless badgering of my father, Father had finally agreed to forge physical bodies for the six of the Seven Sisters. They were then taught how to use their physical bodies to manifest themselves like ordinary human beings and were cautioned to avoid the Three Sources of Lights¡ªthe luminescence of the Sun, the Moon and the stars¡ªat all times. Only fellow mediums or witchdoctors would be able to see through their guise. With their newfound physical forms, Xiao Qi and her sisters were able to go out at night, and they had been squandering Mr. Zhang''s wealth lavishly like vampires upon blood, with an endless spending spree of handbags, clothing, and even the latest mobile phones! But there was another matter of note: cameras were not being able to capture any images of them. Hence, it was also fortunate that the six Sisters could not drive, otherwise, news might appear one day carrying the headlines, "Speedtrap in Wu Zhong County captures driver-less moving vehicle!"


    With Xiao Qi leading us, we adjourned to a restaurant and ordered a table full of food. Lin Feng, Yuan Chongxi, and I barely dabbled at the food, since we had already eaten before coming. Zhang Zhigui and his companions, on the other hand, wolfed down everything they saw like a pack of hungry wolves. As they inhale with such speed that I could only stare in amazement, I asked Xiao Qi, "Wait a minute, you guy can eat too? I thought you only need to inhale the fumes of incenses?" Xiao Qi took a bite off her fried shrimp and mumbled through the food. "Of course. But the food is too tempting, see?" I shook my head with an exasperated smile. "So what are you guys doing on most time at night?" I asked her again, "Surely not on the streets scaring off innocent passersby, I hope!" "Of course not!" Xiao Qi quipped with a light-hearted chuckle. "We have been spending time like normal humans again basically, ever since your father created these forms for us, although there is also an exception..." Her voice faltered at the end of her sentence, and I eyed her warily with narrowed eyes. "Exception?" Xiao Qi nodded, and gestured at Xiao San with her chin. "She''s the exception. She does nothing else but sits by the road every day to look at cars," she muttered. Then I remembered, Xiao San''s cause of death was a terrible road accident. I turned to Xiao San at once. "Surely you are not beside the road waiting to cause havoc!" With a seething glare, she hissed, "Hmph!"


    Zhang Zhigui had been watching our banter with interest as he gobbled his food. "You''re so close with them," he observed with a smile on his face and said, "It''s a blessing to be able to see ghosts!" Xiao Qi giggled, looking at Zhang Zhigui then she asked him suddenly, "So... Brother Zhang... How did you find our house actually?" Zhang Zhigui wiped his mouth and explained, "Well, it''s a long story actually. We had been pursuing a lead..."


    As it turned out, Zhang Zhigui and his companions were from the Yishui of Yi County in Hebei. A string of strange cases had begun happening six months ago and the local police force had commissioned Zhang Zhigui and his companions to help with the investigations. In the course of their observation, they found that a mysterious organization was suspected to be responsible for the crimes where the victims of the crimes all died in terrible and gruesome manners consistent to the torture methods used in ancient times. Until now, Zhang Zhigui had fought head-on with members of the mysterious organization, which they temporarily labeled as the Order of Pain, for numerous times and the trio later found that the souls of all victims would be tainted by an infectious and diabolical curse so potent that the victims'' souls were turned into malevolent spirits like the one that Lin Feng had seen coiling itself to the rear shaft of the truck in the accident before. The curse was able to completely despoil the Yin energy of dead spirits and used the corrupted energies to turn simple souls into spectral monstrosities that contained nothing but intense hatred and grudge. This was why my Spirit Sight had failed to find out what was wrong with Mr. Zhang when he was possessed.


    It was only this morning when Zhang Zhigui and his friends had caught another "malevolent spirit" created by the Order of Pain. But with no method or vessel to contain the captured soul, it escaped their clutches and coiled itself to the bottom of a passing pickup truck. Zhang Zhigui and his friends sought for the help of the Yishui police force and the pickup truck was identified to be from Wu Zhong County and it was indeed moving towards that direction. Hence, the trio immediately hopped on the next bus to Wu Zhong and rushed here as quickly as they could. But four hours had passed when they finally reached here, only to find nothing but a heap of wreckage in place of the truck they were locating and the malevolent spirit had already fled. It was already dark and the gravity of the situation permitted them not even the time to eat. They conducted some simple rituals to summon any available Guards or Wardens of the Underworld and finally one of them pointed to them that the malevolent spirit had lodged itself into Mr. Zhang.


    These malevolent spirits usually targeted only rich people, Zhang Zhigui added. Nevertheless, the true purpose of the Order using ghostly slaves in such ways was still unknown.


    As Zhang Zhigui was explaining his story, Yan Jishi quipped, "You might not know! It was lucky that we made it there on time lest Mr. Zhang would have ended up like the driver of the pickup truck! The evil men controlling these mindless fiends are capable of any savagery! Surely the pickup truck driver had already been pronounced dead by the authorities, no?" I nodded. Seeing my reaction, Yan Jishi went on, "The curse might not affect humans directly; but the spirits can possess humans, and the host spirit will die in two hours! Whenever these malevolent fiends entered a person''s physical body, there will be a fit of deranged madness as the host spirit struggles against the pervasive intrusion of the evil fiends. But in two hours, the actual soul of the person will die and the seizure ends. Anyone would think that the person had finally recovered from his sudden streak of insanity but no one will realize that the actual person is already dead!"


    I was doubly shocked to hear this. Even I too, I realized, would have fallen for the ruse and mistake Mr. Zhang to had recovered if not for the timely appearance of Zhang Zhigui and his companions.


    But just as we were still talking and eating, the doors of our room opened suddenly. Two men came into the room together; one was Father, while the other was Old Man Xie, Xie Bingyi!


    Zhang Zhigui was still chatting happily with us when the newcomers entered suddenly and he peered at them, only to nearly spit his food with astonishment. He sprang to his feet and bowed so deeply that he almost fell over. In a meek and respectful voice, he said, "My apologies to not have sought for you and greeted you earlier, Granduncle..." At first, I was confused. Was he referring Father as Granduncle, I thought, until I realized that he was speaking to Old Man Xie. The old man regarded Zhang Zhigui with evident contempt and hatred and spat. "Leave."


    With the same deferential tone, Zhang Zhigui replied, "Yes, Granduncle. Thank you so much..."


    End of Volume Fou

 Chapter 107 Mobilization

    The Creed of the Eight Trigrams was finally decimated after a long and arduous struggle. But that was hardly the end of my trials; or rather, it was only the end of the beginning. From Master Six and Father, I then found out that I, Murong Shiyan, was an unnamed orphan of unknown origins. Father had found me when I was still a toddler, and there was a sword with me which bore the name "Shiyan". Hence, I was so named, and I was raised until I reached adulthood.


    Something about how Master Six and my parents conveyed the trembling message told me that they knew about me and where I came from. I could see that there was something against them telling me the truth. But that mattered not to me. In anyhow there was nothing I could do save to wait and see.


    For a motor accident later cast us into another mysterious adventure where we met the three Champions of Yishui¡ªZhang Zhigui (born Zhang Ying), Lu Bugong, and Yan Jishi.


    The sudden appearance of my father and the maven of Chinese medicine, Xie Bingyi, at our meal together had surprised me. But there was more: Zhang Zhigui even addressed Old Man Xie as his granduncle on his mother''s side! Zhang Zhigui scrambled to his feet at the sight of Old Man Xie and immediately gave a deep and respectful bow while muttering something along the lines of "I have no idea of your coming, dear Granduncle". With his ever so haughty aloofness, Xie Bingyi merely snorted with contempt, "Hmph! Leave!"


    The benign and reserved Zhang Zhigui merely uttered his thanks in spite of the scorn shown to him by his granduncle. "All right now... Everyone have a seat," Father said subtly. With his usual smugness, Father moved a chair away and sat on the table while reaching for a flask of liquor and filled a glass with the amber-brown liquid. Wearing a slight frown, I asked quietly, "Er... Father, Uncle Xie... What brings you here?" Father took a draught of his drink before he replied, "We just came back. We were at Mr. Zhang''s earlier..."


    Father began giving to us his account of what happened. He had long foreseen that Mr. Zhang would be in trouble. But he did not come to his friend''s aid, no matter how close they were, for he realized that this was part of the cycle of Karma; what goes around comes around. But what he only discovered later was that the matter had exceeded my ability to handle adequately. Knowing that Zhang Zhigui and his companions would be around, Father had intentionally asked Old Man Xie to come along to Mr. Zhang''s residence, and after making sure that Mr. Zhang was fine, they came directly to the restaurant in search of us. From the looks of things, it was clear as day that Old Man Xie had only loathing and dislike for Zhang Zhigui. Still, Xie Bingyi deferred only to Father, and so here he was at Father''s behest.


    "Not bad, young one." Father regarded Zhang Zhigui. "To think that you have such impeccable command of the magic of Zhuyou at such a young age! You''re hundred times stronger than my hopeless son!" Father glanced at me briefly. I kept silent, despite the churning displeasure at what my father said. "Hmph! What are you waiting for, boy?" Old Man Xie snapped at his nephew. "Thank Master Murong for his kind words!" Zhang Zhigui might have heard of Father''s name. Immediately he sank into another low bow with reverence towards Father, saying, "I thank you for your kind words, Senior Murong. I am merely millions of miles away from what my granduncle is capable of." That earned him another snort from Old Man Xie, who mumbled in a low voice, "Such sophistry from your lips, brat."


    Later I found out that Zhang Zhigui, like any other children of his age when he was young, began his tutelage under Old Man Xie once upon a time ago, hence his skillfulness in the magic of Zhuyou. Somehow, he began emulating his grandfather, whom Old Man Xie disliked and hated, and started to behave more genteelly to a point until Old Man Xie got angry of him and abandoned teaching him.


    With the atmosphere more amicable, Old Man Xie began talking to the rest of his juniors at the table. He saw the ruler Lu Bugong was holding and remarked, "You are the boy from the Lu Family, are you not? Hmph... You''re very much better than your old man and his before him." Lu Bugong shuddered and reached for his cup, raising it with appreciation to Xie Bingyi. Old Man Xie waved him off coolly, and peered at Yan Jishi. "Heh heh heh! Look at your sullen looks! You remind me of those who died by hanging! You are a son of the Yan Family!" But before Yan Jishi could reply, Xiao Si cut him to the chase instead, barking at the elder man, "Come on! You have something against us to died by hanging?!"


    And the whole table fell into a fit of laughter.


    "Father," I asked as our laughter slowly subsided, "Do you have any idea as to why these maleficent spirits targeted Mr. Zhang?" "I have contacted Zheng Shuang about this," Father replied, nodding his head, "And we found out that the truck belonged to Mr. Zhang''s company. That is why. But take no more heed in this case..." Father flicked his wrist and conjured a pocket watch. He handed it to me, which I studied it briefly before something made me scream with shock, "Th-this!" Everyone around the table turned towards me and Father nodded. "Yes," he said, as an answer to the question I have yet to ask, "This is Ulan''s pocket watch. Something has happened up Inner Mongolian. Without any way to directly contact us, she has sent somebody here to look for us. As you well know that it is hardly appropriate for me to go there; so I''m sending you. I''ll see to the things here in Wu Zhong, don''t worry."


    Even so, what Father said merely piqued my curiosity. Father was one who would never consciously intercede in such mundane matters yet this time, he was acting out of character. He seemed to notice my apprehension, and immediately said, "This is a case that is related to me somehow. So it might only be trivial to me, but I will have to intervene this time, whether I like it or not." The word "trivial" did not escape my notice; what seemed to us like a difficult case was only a trivial matter to Father.


    Zhang Zhigui puffed his chest at the news of us going to Inner Mongolia. "Brother Shiyan! Let us come with you!" he said, "Especially, since all these issues stemmed from our case." Zhang Zhigui was eager to solve the case of this Order of Pain, not unlike how I felt when we were trying to defeat the Creed of the Eight Trigrams too. But before I could agree, Old Man Xie immediately retorted, fishing out a letter from his pocket and handing it to Zhang Zhigui. "Have a look at this first! You''ll have no time to go to Inner Mongolia!" With shaking hands, Zhang Zhigui carefully took the letter and opened it. As he read its contents, a fearful expression formed on his face and he looked with horror at his granduncle. "Grandgranduncle! Th-this! I, I''m afraid this is beyond my ability to handle!"


    Much to everyone''s surprise, Old Man Xie glared at Zhang Zhigui. It was the first time since his entry that he truly set his eyes upon his grandnephew; he had been avoiding looking at him as if Zhang Zhigui was nothing but filth earlier. "I''ll go with you!" He growled, "No one from your Zhang Family will dare defy me as long as I am present!" The whole table was stunned by this; this was one of the rare moments where Old Man Xie would agree on a trip! I did not ask about the contents of Zhang Zhigui''s letter, more so since I caught the gist that it was a private family matter. At the end of our meal, Old Man Xie immediately headed to the train station with the three Champions of Yishui following behind.


    Whereas my companions and I went back to my home with Father that night. It was already midnight when we arrived. We walked through the door and there was a tall lady, dressed in Western style, sitting with her back to us. She was talking to Mother, although I could hear from her voice that she was clearly embarrassed and disturbed by my mother''s youthful looks and warm hospitality.


    The lady''s head turned as she heard the door clicked opened. As she turned, our eyes met and I felt a strange tingle in my heart. The girl was pretty; but not lavishly gorgeous like princesses or noble ladies, but she wore a remarkable temperament about her, a spirit of tremendous vim that no city girls embodied. But something about her seemed very familiar to me! But I could not remember if we had truly met before!


    Hence I was standing dumbstruck at the door, staring at the lady. Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi too were staring at her, equally speechless beyond words just like I was. But the lady stood up, and held right hand to her chest and bowed, uttering, "Well met again, Young Master!"

 Chapter 108 Inner Mongolia Revisited

    The cry of "Young Master" was clear and unexpectedly strong, that I instantly realized who it was! There was no one else among the female brigands at Aunt Ulan''s encampment who would address me as such; only one: Alatan Qiqige! I looked hard at the woman, and there she was, the one and the same Edelweiss who once disguised herself as a village farm woman and had tried to steal my bag!


    I would not have recognized her, given her present appearance in au courant fashion and makeup! Her current look was a stark difference to the amazonian female brigand I met in Mongolia that I was too bewildered to react! Lin Feng let out a whistle before saying, "Oh my, it''s Edelweiss! Look at you now! I would have mistaken you for a woman of the metropolitan!" The remark made me I eye Lin Feng with narrowed eyes.


    Quickly, I chuckled weakly and returned Edelweiss'' salute. "Really, I was not able to recognize you earlier," I admitted and said, "So you are the messenger that my father told me about." Edelweiss responded with a nod. "Indeed I am," she replied, "The Chief is in trouble. It is an emergency that we are unable to handle ourselves and I have come to seek for your help. You had left so urgently last time that we have forgotten to exchange correspondences, hence the inconvenience now." "But what is so grave a matter that you cannot use a simple phone call?" "There''s no signal at the camp," she said, "It was until finally this morning that I decided to come myself."


    What she said filled me with dread. "What happened," I asked at once. Edelweiss could not answer, wearing a troubled look as if she was still looking for a better way to convey the message. After some hesitation, she finally revealed. "I too do not know what is going on. A man came to the camp a few days ago, looking for the Chief. But during his meeting with the Chief, he demanded to see you. The man turned angry and spiteful when the Chief told him that you were not at the camp, feeling that we were lying to him. Before leaving, he left a threat: in three days, the entire encampment would be in turmoil, if you did not show yourself. But we initially believed it only to be a bluff to draw you out, therefore the matter quickly slipped out of our mind. Moreover, it was common for people to come seeking revenge in our line of business. But three days later, the man appeared again at the gates. He demanded once again to see you and was infuriated to hear that we had not been taking him seriously, and went on fighting against the Chief."


    Surely Aunt Ulan did not shoot the man to death, I wondered quietly. I began hoping that that was not the case, otherwise, Edelweiss would be here to ask for me to help her intervene with the police force of Inner Mongolia.


    But the matter was hardly so simple and mundane; Edelweiss'' forehead creased into a distressed frown. "Well, we have guns, no? And the person was hardly a formidable fighter," she went on, "With only a few moves, the Chief was able to subdue and incapacitate him. But what happened next really baffled us. We had the man tied up in bounds, but he vanished into thin air! To make things worse, the Chief immediately fainted!" I gulped hard, wishing that Aunt Ulan was fine.


    Edelweiss must have noticed the change in my expression. Fearfully she squeaked, "The man even left you a letter, Young Master... Look..." She extracted a missive from the pockets of her down feather coat and handed it to me. It said, "To Murong Shiyan" on the top, I saw. But when I flipped the envelope over, the wax seal was already broken. A look apprehension crept into my face. "I opened it earlier," Father said suddenly from his seat on the couch, "I have broken the spell inside. Don''t worry." I turned back to look at Father, whose face was locked in an upset frown himself even though he was sipping at his liquor and cigarette.


    I nodded to Father and opened the envelope, taking out the letter and read it. Written in hard and forceful brush strokes were the words: To Murong Shiyan, Destiny wills you to be extraordinary indeed, if you are still able to read this message. But in three days, show yourself, or your mother will have her soul disintegrated!"


    Whoever it was, the person was holding Aunt Ulan''s life hostage! Filled with rage, I tore the letter into bits and spat. "Goddamnit!" Father crushed the butt of his cigarette. "Calm down," he said, staring at me grimly, "At least, for now, your Aunt Ulan is safe." Father might not retain any feelings for Aunt Ulan, but he was an upright and conscientious person who would never abandon others without reason, especially a person who once saw herself as a spouse to him. Knowing that he too was equally worried, I listened to him and calmed myself.


    Father called for Mother. "Let''s first let our guest have a rest for her journey," he instructed her before he turned to us three, "The three of you best prepare yourselves. You''ll go to Inner Mongolia tomorrow with Edelweiss." He stood up, and swung his arms dramatically and Lin Feng''s and Yuan Chongxi''s gear magically appeared on the coffee table like a magician at his show. We were hardly surprised by Father''s display of his magic, but Edelweiss was startled to see this. Mother patted her on her shoulder, regaining her attention and leading her away.


    Father fell back into his seat on the couch and warned, "The wax seal on the envelope held a curse; one that will draw away the soul of anyone who breaks the seal. You will be faced with a formidable opponent this time. Be careful!" My eyebrows raised quizzically and asked, "Do you know this person?" "One of the members of the organization that Zhang Zhigui is investigating," Father replied after a heavy sigh, "But they are after you this time. Just be careful."


    My head nodded my agreement. My heart felt slightly at ease, knowing that at least who our adversaries were this time and Father was still hardly perturbed, although he was indeed worried of Aunt Ulan''s condition.


    The following morning, we rushed to the Wu Zhong County train station. Just like before, we would be traveling to Beijing before hopping onto the Airport Express and boarded the plane where we finally had a respite. It was the first time Edelweiss boarded a plane, for she came to Wu Zhong via railway. She was excited in her first flight, tugging at my arm and pointing and asking about everything around her. During the flight, she was looking out of the window all the time, watching the clouds flitting by in the blue sky that she had only seen from ground level. It was an experience that she enjoyed so immensely that all worries and concerns seemed to have escaped her momentarily. Unlike city girls who normally craved material comforts, I wondered, the cheerful Edelweiss who was now peering out of the airplane window with joy seemed more appealing to me...


    As soon as we got off the plane, we immediately placed a call to Mr. Zhao, the proprietor of the rental car service we met before. He was especially warm and enthusiastic to see us, then I remembered of Yuan Chongxi''s advice for him when we last met him. He must have profited a lot then.


    Without further ado, Mr. Zhao whisked us off to the best restaurant in the vicinity and showered us with praises and compliments during the meal. Being a straightforward person from her life being a horse bandit, Edelweiss was slightly vexed by his sophistry and she did her best to ignore him. But Mr. Zhao, hardly bothered by this, never stopped his flattery of her charms and appeal as we ate. Nevertheless, I was not one who liked enjoying the hospitality of others without repaying them, more so when I knew Mr. Zhao had arranged for lodgings for us at the most lavish hotel there. But as if things were not yet worst, Mr. Zhao had misunderstood Edelweiss and I as a pair of couple! He had booked only three rooms for all of us! No wonder he was smiling slyly at me when he left, I brooded quietly.


    I went to the lobby myself and wanted to ask for another room quietly, which I later found out was terribly expensive. But to my dismay, the entire hotel was fully booked! Dumbstruck, we stood together in front of the three rooms, looking foolishly at each other as I held the room cards in my hand. Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi peered at me, and I glared back at them, trying my best to ignore the burning sensation flushing on my cheeks.


    But the two rascals immediately snatched two room cards and darted for the doors before locking them behind them! Hence only I and Edelweiss remained, looking at each other with the last remaining room card in my fingers...

 Chapter 109 The Lordling of Horse Bandits

    What should I do, I asked myself. Should I share a room with Edelweiss, or should I bang on the doors of Yuan Chongxi''s or Lin Feng''s room and sleep with them instead? I might be in for a terrible and excruciating night if I indeed suggested to Edelweiss that we share the room together...


    A taut silence fell upon us both as I peered at her, hoping to detect any reactions that would help my decision, only to find myself the first to falter into shyness after we stood there, staring at each other for minutes. Finally, she said, "What are you waiting for, Young Master? Open the door." "B-but..." I muttered drearily, "W-we only have one room... H-how should we..." To my amazement, she bellowed as-a-matter-of-factly, "Why, you, of course!" I was stunned by her reaction and stammered, "B-but what about you?" Only to regret my probity. She began to realize what I was thinking of and began blushing herself. "I''ll sit out here. Someone has to guard outside here so that you can rest easy. I was also usually the one who watched the door of the Chief during our struggles against the Creed, remember?" She squealed with a flustered voice. "But you were watching the doors of Aunt Ulan from your own cabin," I said to myself, "Can I really allow you to sit out here in the corridor when I am in a room?"


    Through gritted teeth, I stomped my foot and decided finally! "You''ll come in too," I spoke with as much courage I could muster, "There''s no way we can allow you to sit here alone outside while we boys are sleeping indoors. My face and reputation would go into the shitters." "If the worst comes to the worst, I could just spend the night in the toilet and rid myself of any shame while escaping the fate of being pummeled by her when anything goes wrong," I thought. Without waiting for her to reply, I swiped the card and pushed the door open, pulling her with me.


    But what country bumpkins we were, I realized, when we entered the room! It was a presidential suite! The largest and most luxurious suite in the hotel that had an area larger than my house! What a generous arrangement by Mr. Zhao, I wondered, the conniving fellow must have made quite a great sum of profit with Yuan Chongxi''s advice! Not only the entire suite was spaciously large, we also discovered that the suite had two bedrooms!


    With shades of pink still flushing on our cheeks, Edelweiss and I shuffled uneasily to our separate bedrooms like wary little cats. I did not sleep well that night, knowing that a young, pretty girl was just next door. What was more, she was also a horse brigand who had shared some embarrassing moments with me.


    I got up from my bed and drifted to the sitting area of the suite. I stood quietly in the dark, embellished by the illumination from the lights that came from the bar area as I beheld the extravagance and affluence I was drenched in. I went to the bar and took a bottle, the name on its label was nothing which I could recognize, and unscrewed its cap. I filled a glass with its content and took a gulp, feeling the rich, woody aroma of the drink in my mouth after drinking it. But it was something alien to me, a liquor that I had never tasted before, although the pomp of the presidential suite itself was enough to tell me that this must be something expensive. I emptied my glass and laid it down on the wooden surface of the bar, taking in the surrealistic sensation now flooding through my senses. Still without any hint of sleepiness, I went back to my room and sat on my bed and began training the methods that Father taught me to channel Qi.


    Time seemed to pass quickly when I was busy with my training. It was only near the morning when I finally succumbed to sleep, only to wake up two hours later to the repeated bangings on my door. It was Edelweiss. I dragged myself off, with the last vestiges of drowsiness trying to lug me back to the folds of my blanket. After washing up quickly, we left our suite and went downstairs. Mr. Zhao was already there, with Yuan Chongxi and Lin Feng with him. But to my intense annoyance, the three of them were sniggering at me from afar, seeing how tired I was and how Edelweiss was following!


    Mr. Zhao seemed to have observed our anxiety; without any further banter, he handed us a set of car keys and told us that the car was already waiting for us at the hotel entrance and promptly took his leave. I looked at the sleek black key and noticed the name on it. Mr. Zhao must have had a look at the car we used before when we returned it. He must have known that we had used the car on off-road terrain, hence this time, the vehicle that he prepared for us was a Landrover.


    We journeyed as fast as the car could carry us, reaching Aunt Ulan''s camp in the evening. My heart raced even faster as I saw the sign of Aunt Ulan''s camp and I willed the car faster through the sandy dunes as its engine roared. As soon as we came to a stop, I leaped off the car and bolted for Aunt Ulan''s cabin. Many of her girls were standing at her bedside, and there she was, lying on her bed with her lifeless eyes closed. With my Spirit Sight, I studied her and found that her soul was not in her body; it was only an empty husk lying on the bed.


    A person would die if his soul were to leave his body for extended periods. It was a cruel and brutal way to murder someone like this! Aunt Ulan''s forehead was creased into a deep frown even though her soul was absent. Anger was boiling within me. Trembling hard with rage, I growled, "Where is this man!" There was only silence. No one knew where he was. I fidgeted for a cigarette, lit it without looking away, and smoked in jerks, trying vainly to calm myself. It took a few quiet minutes before I was finally able to ask again, "Where are the ropes used to tie the man?"


    A girl scurried off quickly and came back with some thick ropes. I held the rope in my hand and unstoppered my Spirit Gourd, waving its mouth around the rope. I went outside and whistled. Immediately a spectral form sprouted from my Gourd and took the form of an eagle. With a screech, my spirit eagle took into the air.


    The spirit eagle circled for one round in the sky before it began vectoring East. From the worried and terrified look on my face, everyone began to fully comprehend the peril their chief was in. Immediately everyone saddled up their horses and prepared themselves to follow me on the crusade to exact vengeance for their currently incapacitated leader. The din of the female bandits cocking their guns as they clambered up their horses filled the air of the encampment with a rising crescendo of the tenseness of what was to come. Edelweiss appeared suddenly and handed me the reins of another horse with an encouraging nod. My faithful companions, Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi, were already riding on horsebacks, ready to get on the pursuit. No one uttered a word in the grim silence and everyone looked at me for leadership as if I was indeed the lordling of this bandit garrison. I climb onto the saddle of my horse and immediately darted out the camp with a host of seething women, all armed to the teeth, following behind me. We rode towards East, following the spirit eagle, leaving only the deafening gallop of hooves and the battle cries in our wake.


    It was fortunate we were riding on open fields, for the eagle was flying in a straight course towards its quarry. For the whole afternoon, the cavalcade of bandits thundered on and the eagle flew on tirelessly. "This mongrel has fled so such great distance," I wondered. It was already five in the evening and the sun was already sinking in the horizon, slowly robbing away what was left of the sunlight. Edelweiss called at me from behind suddenly and she tossed to me a cloth bundle when I looked back. With a quick swipe, I caught the bundle and unfurled it to find some dried meat jerkies with a flask containing kumis drink. Only then I realized, I had not eaten anything the whole day, my companions and Edelweiss too! Night was approaching and the stinging chill of the desert dusk was following too. But I steeled myself, reminding myself that this was no time for compassion; we had to go on.


    I gobbled on the dried rations quickly and took a few gulps of kumis, feeling the warm sensation seeping back into me. Along with it, came the heavy weight of fatigue that reminded me that we had been riding for almost the whole afternoon. But there was no time to stop. The girls were looking up to me as their leader. There was no way I could stop for a rest!


    We rode on for another hour in silence until we finally caught sight of my spirit eagle hovering around a man-made structure in afar. Finally, I gasped with joy. I raised my riding crop and pointed it forward at our long-awaited target in the distant. Edelweiss gave me a knowing nod and drew her sidearm. She fired once into the air as a signal, and the host of female warriors spurred their horses forward to full-speed.


    As we grew closer, we discovered that it was not a single structure, but a cluster of Mongolian yurts grouped together. There were tens of horses tied outside of the camp while close to twenty people were singing and dancing around a huge bonfire. The entire camp was enclosed by makeshift fences and barricades with a sign hanging outside bearing a few Mongolian words. From the looks of it, the whole camp looked like a group of horse caravans functioning as mobile lodgings.


    My spirit eagle was still flying in loops overhead when the female brigands swiftly had the whole camp surrounded! I leaped off my horse and whistled again, conjuring my spirit wolves from my Gourd. With another few left-hand seals, my sword, the Shiyan Blade, came to life and sprang out of its sheath and flew into my grasp. "Let it come," I said to myself, "Let the showdown begin!"

 Chapter 110 Showdown

    The members of the caravan who were dancing and singing merrily around the fire realized they were being surrounded by a ring of bandits and were horrified, more so, when Edelweiss let loose a shot from her gun which instantly smothered the music and laughter.


    We dismounted and marched ferociously into the campgrounds. The people inside were terrified by the sight of my six spirit wolves and the seething glares from the stony-faced female bandits. None of them dared move as Edelweiss raised her gun menacingly at them. There was even a plump tourist, clad in a windbreaker with a roasted lamb''s leg in his hand, who was about to enjoy his feast when he was frozen in his tracks by our sudden arrival.


    I could see the fearful stares from the flickering illumination of the fire. They were no strangers to news of bandits roaming around the lands, although they did not expect to be assailed by a group of women led by a young man looking barely out of his early twenties. I heaved a breath. Despite the warmth of the crackling bonfire, a cold and icy voice emitted from my lips, "Show yourself, you who seeks me."


    For five minutes, there was only quietness; a macabre silence substantiated only by the incessant and sharp frizzle from the flames. A middle-aged man stood up. His appearance and features told me that he was a local of this vicinity. He bowed to us, and his mouth opened to speak in heavily-accented Mandarin. "My apologies, dear Chief. We do not know how was it we had angered you. Do let us know frankly. Money or horses; we will be willing to surrender them, as long as you leave us in peace." I ignored him, simply casting a brief glance towards Edelweiss who came over to me and whispered into my ears, "I''ve looked at everyone. None of them seemed suspicious." With a curt "oh", I smiled, albeit frostily. "I see," I muttered under my breath, "You wish to test me! Heh heh heh! Good." Like an arrow let loose, the spectral wolves immediately bolted forward into the midst of the frightened tourists and members of the caravan and chaos ensued. Terrified yelps and cries rang everywhere as my wolves sniffed for the perpetrator quickly and they closed in on one person: the plump tourist with the lamb''s leg that I noticed earlier!


    The thickset man was still clutching his food, watching us with a dumbfounded look on his face. The roasted meat fell off his hand helplessly to the ground as he shivered with panic. Frightened beyond words, he mumbled incomprehensibly to himself and the middle-aged man earlier, who was evidently the leader of this caravan, quietly slunk aside. Still shaking with angst, the plump man finally summoned enough courage to begin screaming, "M-my Lord! I, I did you no wrong! This must be a mistake! A mistake!" I glared at him, still wearing my frigid smile. Despite being cornered, still, the perpetrator intended to deny by using some foolish playacting!


    The plump man adamantly denied having been involved with me repeatedly. Whispers and murmurs began to arise from all quarters of the anxious crowd. Some muttered if we were here for the wrong man while some began speculating if the plump man had indeed done something to offend us. Edelweiss began peering at me doubtfully. Yuan Chongxi walked up suddenly with a lamb''s leg he had liberated from one of our frightened hosts. He took a hungry bite and mumbled, "Quit pretending. Your theatrics might work on others but not on me! You are nothing but a dead corpse! I had long noticed this ever since I laid eyes upon you!" Being the anointed heir of his mentor, Yuan Chongxi was extremely skilled in the arcane knowledge of divination. With his magic of divination, he had already found out that the plump man was nothing but a dead body pretending to be alive!


    I turned to Yuan Chongxi and gestured to the lamb''s leg he was clutching. "Have you paid for that?" "Our hosts gave them to us for free!" Yuan Chongxi scowled indignantly. I said nothing, merely frowning at him and he smiled apologetically. "Errr... Perhaps it''s better if I pay for this then." With that, he spun and trotted off. Lin Feng came forward, brandishing his whip and keeping it cracking in the air.


    I raised up my Shiyan Blade that its tip was merely inches away from the plump man''s nose. "Enough with the dramatics. Show your true self!" Without waiting for a reply from him, I drew a breath and immediately stabbed forward. But before my sword hit him, the plump man fell back on to the ground with a loud thud. I drew back my sword and approached the man. Lying on the ground, he was already dead. His eyes were overturned in their sockets and his face had reduced into a ghastly-pale white. Indeed, he was a corpse already long dead. Screams and shrieks of terror immediately ensued, followed by pandemonium as the crowd began scrambling frantically like mice off a sinking ship. Dark fumes began trickling out of the corpse''s mouth and floated into mid-air, exactly the same as what had happened to Mr. Zhang! Finally, the true culprit had shown himself!


    A raspy, disembodied voice boomed from the plume of fumes black as soot, "Heh heh heh! Remarkable! The helpless child decades ago has become a powerful person in his own right! I have been right, I have been right all along!" The hoarse voice cackled with a burst of shrill laughter as the figure of a man slowly emerged from the fumes and he dropped to the ground with a plop. Edelweiss studied the man''s features and gave me a thoughtful nod, indicating to me that this was the man I was seeking!


    The edges of my lips curled with malice as I acknowledged Edelweiss'' gesture. "You are the one responsible for holding my Godmother''s soul, are you not? I''m not interested to know who you are, nor do I even care. I just want my Godmother''s soul. Return her to me and you''ll be free to go!" Instead, the man fell into a fit of guffawing laughter as if I had just uttered a jest so ludicrous and silly. There was only contempt and derision in his laughter. "You? What makes you think you''re fit to command me? Dream on! Hahahahaha!" The man sneered and began laughing again. I shook my head wearily. The fool wished death so much that he wished to witness his himself, I brooded. I extracted my Spirit Gourd.


    But before I could recite any incantation, the man had caught sight of my Gourd. With an aghast expression with his mouth hanging, he shrieked, "Impossible! The Spirit Gourd! Well, we''ll see about this!" With that last reluctant yelp, he leaped into the darkness and vanished, melting into the shadows.


    Lin Feng and I traded sullen looks at our failure. We shook our heads. It appeared that the culprit had recognized the Spirit Gourd. He knew about its abilities. But this time, our leads had been broken! We had no way to find him now! Heaving a rueful sigh, I withdrew my spirit familiars back into my gourd and sheathed my sword. I waved to the bandits, signaling a retreat, then I walked over to the leader of the caravan. I fished some money, a little more than two thousand yuan, and gave it to him. "There are things which are better left untold. I''m sure you understand what I mean. This is some money, consider this a token of gratitude for having us, and a gesture of apology for the trouble you''ve all been through. We''re not interested in your money and horses. Relax."


    The leader was bewildered after hearing what I said, clutching the two thousand yuan while staring at me blankly. I spun on my heels and began to leave as he regained his senses and quickly sank into a deep bow. It might have been his first time, I guess, having a night so surreal and shocking.


    I began walking out of the campfire site and Edelweiss followed demurely behind. "What should we do now, Young Master? The last time we encountered the man, he also vanished into thin air like this. What else can we do now?" "We''ll do nothing for now. Everyone will need some rest after an afternoon''s worth of riding," I replied, shaking my head, "Moreover, my spirit eagle is too exhausted now after leading us here for so far. I''ll need to allow it some rest before we can embark on another chase. We''ll go back to the camp for now to regroup, resupply, and plan a new course." With an obedient note of acknowledgment, Edelweiss trotted before me to relay my orders.


    Just as I was reaching the fences outside, I saw Yuan Chongxi sitting aside, still enjoying his roasted meat. There was a woman, dressed in the female garb of Mongolians, holding four hundred-yuan notes and a tray in her hands. There were bones neatly arranged on the tray, held by the woman''s trembling arms as she looked fearful and worried.


    I strode over to him and patted him on the shoulder, gesturing to him that it was time for us to leave with a shrug of my chin. But before I could move away, he yanked at my arm. He pointed to the tray that the woman was carrying and grunted, "Look." My gaze wandered to the contents of the tray and saw only three bones; vestiges of his feast while we were dealing with the enemy. I looked back at him and he was still gnawing on his meat. He gave me a deliberate stare, followed by a brusque nod. Realizing that he was trying to hint something, I looked again and studied the bones and realized that the bones were arranged in three rows parallel to each other, but the bone in the middle was broken into two pieces! Heaving in the air of the chilly desert night, I gasped, "The sign of Li (signs of divination from the classics of Yi Jing), he''s gone southwards?!"

 Chapter 111 Hasri Naohai

    I smacked my lips with surprise and relief! Yuan Chongxi was not only idling and enjoying his food; he had quietly worked his magic when the culprit fled away! The three bones on the tray were arranged to resemble the sign of Li (South in Yi Jing terminology) from the Manifested Bagua Signs! The sign itself represented the direction of South; the culprit must be fleeing south now, I realized! Yuan Chongxi''s keenness whenever he was eating had yet to let us down!


    Behind me, Lin Feng was smiling too, obviously thinking the very same thing too.


    "What will we find due South?" I asked the woman still holding the tray of bones. The woman pondered for seconds. "There''s a small town not far from here if you ride South. The journey on horse will take about an hour." I nodded and muttered a curt "thanks" and she replied with a bow, "Don''t mention it. And urm..." I was about to leave after thanking her but her hesitation made me turned quickly. She pulled some notes out from the sheaves of money she was holding. "The lamb leg is only 50 yuan a piece. You''ve overpaid," she muttered. But I made no attempt to take the money. "Keep the change," I said, "We''ve caused you much trouble tonight. Consider it a token of our apology." I turned and left, leaving her still stammering "B-but... I, I..." in my wake.


    Yuan Chongxi got up and followed just behind me, handing me the unfinished lamb''s leg. I took a bite of meat and handed the leg to Lin Feng who also followed suit. "Wait," I said suddenly, "We''re short of one person." Edelweiss appeared at once, scurrying towards me. "I have asked everyone to withdraw, Young Master," she reported, "We are ready to go now." Yuan Chongxi peered at Edelweiss and chuckled, casting a thoughtful glance at Lin Feng who handed the leg to her. Edelweiss held the roasted lamb''s leg with confused and perplexed looks before she promptly took another bite herself...


    We got on our steeds and began riding southwards while the rest of the girls had been sent back to Aunt Ulan''s encampment.


    We rode through the entrance of the little town which functioned as the county seat of the vicinity at a little more than eight in the evening. Despite its relatively modest size compared to most cities and towns, this was a proper settlement with brick and mortar buildings rather than the Mongolian yurts commonly found elsewhere. Nevertheless, at only 8 pm, the whole town was eerily silent and dark as if a blanket of fear and despair had been draped over it. There was only one building with lights still blazing in the carpet of darkness across the vista of gloom: a white three-storeyed building illuminated like a lighthouse in a sea of shadows.


    Yet even with its radiant lights that beckoned from afar, the building looked hardly inviting. There was something sinister and creepy about that building that we observed was the hospital of this town. With my Spirit Sight, I surveyed the surroundings and trained my sights ultimately on the strange building. This was no ordinary hospital, I realized! Like an iron pen, every shred of Qi that entered the hospital could never come out. A deathly aura hung about the entire structure of the hospital; a prison where souls of the dead were condemned to incarceration.


    It was usual for hospitals, being places of deaths, to have souls wandering about, hence substantiating the common beliefs and superstitions that gave hospitals their pallid and macabre facade. This was also further reinforced by the frequent occurrences of paranormal incidents in hospitals. But unlike most hospitals, the hospital before us was acutely different; a magical barrier or enchantment of some sort must be present, keeping the souls of the dead from leaving the hospital, hence the even more cadaverous ambiance that lingered around it like the fetid decay of corpses. This must be where our quarry was hiding himself.


    "Heh heh heh! ''Auspicious'' location!" Yuan Chongxi remarked suddenly, giggling ominously, "The living may enter but the dead are kept within. Do they even have so much space for everyone?" Lin Feng quipped as well, "We might have to relief the head of this hospital from duty, it seems!" Edelweiss'' mouth fell open, puzzled by what we were saying.


    We dismounted and walked to the entrance of the hospital. The grated doors were shut and there were several beat-up old vans parked in front of the main entrance of the hospital inside. Everything seemed normal on the surface. But I could detect the stench of rotting corpses from the rickety vehicles. These must be the vehicles used to transport the corpses which our culprit used for himself to operate under different disguises! The doors of the entrance swung opened to admit us and my eyes first caught sight of the photos of the physicians and doctors as well as the head of the hospital stationed there. Immediately I found him! Above the words "Director of the Hospital" was the same narrow face with gloomy eyes and sharp ears; the culprit that we had been pursuing! There was a name beneath the photo: Ha''ri Naohai. We traded dark looks and nodded grimly. Yuan Chongxi crept over to me, "The nurses at the reception are all corpses. I don''t think anything here is normal." My head nod quietly and we walked over to the reception as casually as we could. I tapped on the glass window of the reception cubicle.


    Behind the glass window was a middle-aged nurse. She raised her head to see who it was and asked if I was here to report any sickness. Ignoring her question, I said brusquely, "Tell your head that Murong Shiyan is here to meet him!" The nurse was stunned to hear my name. Behind me, Lin Feng cracked his whip, brandishing it like a ferocious serpent. The deafening crack of his whip shuddered the entire corridor that the spirits wandering nearby began howling and wailing in fear. Realizing that who we were, the nurse immediately collapsed back into her chair and was dead.


    The soul must have left behind its physical body to report our arrival to this Ha''ri Naohai, I surmised. Yuan Chongxi came over to me again. This time, he was holding his luopan. "The geography of the feng shui around here has been forcibly altered. Can you use your Spirit Sight to see if there is anything wrong in each direction? If I''m right, there must be something that the culprit is using to work as the cornerstones of the barrier to block all Qi from exfiltrating. We might be able to break the spell if you can find anything."


    I began looking around, but found nothing out of the ordinary. I informed Yuan Chongxi of my findings and he began shaking his head, raking his mind for other ways. "But I thought it is technically impossible for one to forcibly alter the feng shui of an area?" "Be that as it may, nothing is impossible. I''m suspecting that the culprit must have used some evil methods to bend the geography of the feng shui around here to his will. You mentioned that you saw nothing that hindered Qi from flowing out of here... I think..."


    But a piercing croak broke the silence before Yuan Chongxi could finish. "Remarkable indeed! You found me!" Ha''ri Naohai appeared at the end of the corridor, walking towards us. "I was still thinking about how should I subdue you. Yet here you are, darkening my doorstep at your own accord!" He remarked proudly, "Surrender yourselves at once!"


    "Surrender? Why should we?" I remarked, slightly irritated. "Of course you should. You are now in my domain! Everything here is under my dominion!" He roared with laughter. "I guess you''re thinking of forcibly withdrawing our souls from our physical bodies to keep us here, are you not? You are reported to have used an evil spell to turn souls of innocent people into vengeful spirits that serve your bidding, or are you also one of the products of this heinous witchcraft?" The information seemed to catch him off-guard that there was an evident moment of hesitation in his demeanor. But quickly, he regained his composure. "Smart! That should be expected of one who possessed the Spirit Sight!"


    Unlike our previous encounter, the Ha''ri Naohai before us now was a true human. What we encountered at the caravan campsite earlier was a vengeful spirit in his image, although what we were speaking to now, was the Ha''rii Naohai who had truly returned to his physical body. Zhang Zhigui had mentioned that the Order of Pain controlled their spectral slaves to take over the physical bodies of their victims. Being able to leave and re-enter his physical body at will, Ha''ri Naohai''s method seemed similar to the diabolical contrivances of the Order of Pain. He must also be one of them, although I had yet to determine the actual spell that he used to corrupt the souls of innocent people.


    Without allowing me time to think through my options, the culprit snickered in his raspy, ghoulish voice again. The entire hospital began shuddering as more ghosts began howling and shrieking, slowly aggrandizing into a bedlam of sinister hubbub that resounded across the entire ghost town. Dark, gesticulating fumes began emerging from the crevices of the floor under our feet and slowly encircled us. The vengeful spirits under his command, I reflected. Ha''ri Naohai walked lackadaisically towards us and giggled wickedly. "Slowly, I will have your souls refined into usable resources... Heh heh heh..." But before he could finish, the vengeful spirits that surrounded instantly vanished! He had no idea; I had used my Spirit Gourd and had his spectral sentinels all drawn into my Gourd!

 Chapter 186 Who on Earth Is It?

    Ever since Qin Sheng and Lin Su were in Qingyang Country Hospital, they had never used their original information. They now used all the other information arranged by Zhuang Zhou in advance, or to be more exact, which was arranged by Qin Changan. Based on Qin Changan''s capability, this petty issue was just a piece of cake for him. That was the reason why other people could not find Qin Sheng and Lin Su.


    Firstly, without basic information, it would be the same as looking for a needle in a haystack to seek someone out in China with vast its expanse. Secondly, whether for the Lin Family or the Yan Family, it was not impossible for them to put up pageantry while trying to locate them. Moreover, since Qin Changan had found some faults with them during this period, they consequently had no time for these trivial issues. Only the issues connected with their vested interest could be counted as big issues. Take the Lin Family for example, their on-sale project in Jianhe was closed down by the Real Estate Bureau, which acted simply as a drastic measure for them and made them lose cash flow completely. They did not have time at all to think about Lin Su.


    It was sort of a coincidence that Lin Yue knew that Lin Su was in Xiamen. One of her besties was now pursuing a doctorate degree in finance at Xiamen University. Since Lin Su often boasted about her cousin, her bestie consequently had seen Lin Su''s photo. This female student who got a straight-A''s came to Spring Breeze by accident and met Lin Su in person. She found it a bit incredulous at that time. However, upon learning that the lady boss''s real name was Lin Su, she then called Lin Yue in a hurry for confirmation. Lin Yue got the news and was so excited that she talked incoherently. Unexpectedly, her cousin who had been missing for three months was actually in Xiamen. She then pleaded with her bestie to find a way to get Lin Su''s contact number. Then she got in touch with Lin Su.


    Lin Su sat waiting in the hall of the hotel for a few minutes. Then Lin Yue popped into her sight, dressed in a fresh style and dragging Rimowa luggage. Lin Yue also caught sight of Lin Su from afar. She directly flew over as if she were sprinting the last 100 meters.


    They finally met each other after a long separation and they missed each other deeply. While yelling out the word "sister" excitedly, Lin Yue also intended to give Lin Su a big hug at the same time. However, Lin Su evaded her and said frowningly, "Can''t you calm yourself down a bit?"


    Suppressing the excitement inside her heart, Lin Yue held Lin Su''s hands and said, "Sister, I can''t because I have not seen you for such a long time, right?"


    "For three months only. When you studied abroad previously, I did not see you get that excited even we had not seen each other for over a year," Lin Su replied calmly. Except for Qin Sheng and Grandmother, it seemed that she now cared about nobody at all.


    Pouting her mouth, Lin Yue said, "It is different this time. You actually have been missing for three months all of a sudden. Once, I thought you had been abducted."


    "You are so imaginative. Check in the hotel quickly. After that, I will take you to have dinner." Lin Su stroked Lin Yue''s forehead and taunted her smilingly. She knew this girl was really good to her and loved her dearly. Lin Yue was one of the few peers who she got along with.


    Lin Yue checked in successfully and put down her luggage. Then Lin Su drove her to a seafood restaurant. As a seaside city, of course, Xiamen was best known for its seafood. Though seafood was also available in Ningbo, its variety was not as abundant as in Xiamen.


    The car that Zhuang Zhou had prepared for Lin Su was a Volvo XC60, which was famous for its safety. Usually, when Lin Su took Qin Sheng outside to take a stroll or do an examination, she feared that some accidents would take place. Consequently, she chose the safest Volvo.


    "Sister, you have lost a lot of weight in these two months. You also look a bit haggard." Sitting beside the French Windows in the restaurant, Lin Yue felt a bit sorry for her. She knew her sister must have led a hard life in these three months. It was unknown how much hardship she had endured.


    Lin Su peeled a shrimp for Lin Yue and said smilingly, "You are exaggerating. I now enjoy my current life very much, which is ordinary yet fulfilled and happy."


    "Where is brother-in-law? How come you didn''t bring him? Originally, I thought you had eloped with brother-in-law. You don''t know how angry the group of elders in our family were then. They frothed at the mouth and glared with rage. It was Grandmother who said in the end that since that you had made up your mind, then they should just let you be." Lin Yue sighed in despair. It did not occur to her that the corny plots that took place in distinguished families depicted in TV dramas actually happened around her for real. The group of members in the Lin Family were really snobbish.


    Lin Su replied without any disguise, "Oh, speaking of him, he is now busy doing things in the cafe. I don''t want you to meet him because I am afraid that he will overthink. After all, the current life we now have is so peaceful. I don''t want it to be disrupted."


    "My bestie told me that brother-in-law was supporting himself with a crutch. What is going on?" Lin Yue actually could understand what her sister had said. For the lovers'' world that they strived to achieve with great efforts, of course, neither of them would like to have it disrupted. Her showing up obviously would make her brother-in-law overthink.


    Lin Su frowned slightly. Every time she thought of Qin Sheng getting injured, her heart ached slightly. No one knew what Qin Sheng had gone through. Thinking back to the time when he started to recover, he would have needed a large number of tranquilizer and painkillers if he were an ordinary patient. Everyone knew how much harm these drugs do to the human body. However, every time Qin Sheng''s wounds ached, he ground his teeth instead and hung in there. There were even a few times when he ached so badly that he hid under the blanket, with sweat all over his forehead and tears rolling directly down his cheeks. Lin Su knew all of this and she felt sorry for him more than anyone else. But she kept silent. It was simply a miracle for Qin Sheng to be alive after having suffered such a serious injury. The initiator of all the evil was exactly Yan Chaozong. Lin Su even doubted that the Lin Family had been complicating the situation behind the scenes. So she hated both Yan Chaozong and the Lin Family.


    "He is slightly injured. No big deal at all." Lin Su had no choice but to explain with such an excuse. She did not want Lin Yue to overthink.


    Lin Yue nodded quietly. Sensing the delicate change of her sister''s expression, she cursed herself in secret that she was so inconsiderate. She then changed the topic in a hurry and said, "Sister, then what do you plan to do? You plan to lead such a life in later days, don''t you?"


    Lin Su said thoughtfully, "I am at his disposal. Whatever life he wants to lead, I will accompany him. Anyway, as the saying goes, follow the man you marry."


    Though Lin Su said so, she knew clearly that Qin Sheng''s heart was not yet settled down. Moreover, with such profound hatred in his mind, he was not possible to let it go that easily. He would go back someday in the future eventually. He would be faced with the gang and spit out his spite.


    Lin Yue could somewhat not understand Lin Su''s inner world. She sighed and said, "Sister, is it worth it that you have sacrificed so much for my brother-in-law?"


    "I feel I am pretty blessed to have met the right person." Lin Su did not answer whether it was worth it or not. This topic was simply meaningless to her. Qin Sheng could look death in the face for her sake. What could she offer for the Qin Sheng''s sake? Could it be worldly possessions?


    Lin Su did not want to grapple with these questions anymore. She asked casually, "Let''s stop talking about these issues. How is the Lin Family doing these days?"


    "Just so-so," Lin Yue shrugged and said somewhat helplessly.


    Lin Su was confused. "What do you mean?"


    Lin Yue then explained slowly, "After you left, out of the blue, the whole Lin Family was in a mess. At first, the elder uncle said they would find you in any case. However, following that, big issues took place. Ningbo Commercial Bank, where we held a share, conducted a shareholders'' meeting all of a sudden and kicked our family off of the board of directors. Our real estate project was specifically criticized by the Provincial Housing Development Department because of its fake advertisement and illegal sales. Then it was all closed down by the Real Estate Bureau and prohibited from being sold. You also know what that would mean to us. The whole capital chain was in trouble. So during this period, all the members in our family were as busy as bees. The elder uncle and my father were barely seen for several consecutive days, which happened frequently. They were either on a business trip or engaged in social activities. So none of them had time to pay attention to your issue."


    When Lin Yue finished her words, Lin Su stared at her in astonishment. It did not occur to her that so many issues had taken place in the Lin Family over a few months, which was a short period. How could such a huge misfortunate have occurred? What exactly was going on? Lin Su was a bit confused. She did not think that it had happened coincidentally. Could it be that someone had placed obstacles in the way?


    In Ningbo, the Lin Family was sort of a distinguished family, whose status was almost the same as a local emperor. Moreover, since they had been building connections for so many years and they also maintained a good relationship with the authorities in the province, it was impossible that someone would rise in revolt all of a sudden. Obviously, another stronger power was blocking the Lin Family''s way. But why?


    Could it be related to Qin Sheng''s issue? Was it Uncle Zhuang? Uncle Zhuang should not have such a powerful connection. Then who else could it be? Could it be that the Yan Family was getting revenge on them? It sounded reasonable.


    "Somebody was playing against the Lin Family on purpose. Do you know who it is?" Lin Su asked Lin Yue.


    Everybody knew the Lin Family now was targeted. It did not surprise Lin Yue that Lin Su also guessed correctly. She nodded and said, "That is true. Our Lin Family was targeted. However, as for who was playing against the Lin Family, that could not be found."


    "Is it the Yan Family?" Lin Su said randomly.


    Lin Yue heard her words and then sniggered. "Sister, you do think the Yan Family is getting revenge on us, don''t you? No, it is barely possible. Since there were a lot of business interactions going on between the Yan Family and the Lin Family, if they were playing against us, they would be greatly affected. What''s more, over these days, the Yan Family is also having a hard time. There are also a lot of issues going on on their side."


    Lin Su''s look changed drastically. If a lot of issues had also taken place in the Yan Family, then it would be thought-provoking. She was almost sure that it had something to do with Qin Sheng''s issues. Someone was definitely getting revenge for Qin Sheng. Who on earth was it? Since Uncle Zhuang did not have such powerful connections, could it be Xue Qingyan? Since the Xue Family was deeply rooted in Zhejian and it now was a fresh startup in Shanghai, her assumption made sense. However, though Qin Sheng respected Xue Qingyan as his sister, it was impossible for Xue Qingyan to offend both Yan Family and Lin Family simply because of Qin Sheng. Even if she were willing to do so, the Xue Family would never consent.


    Then who on earth was it?


    Lin Su started to ponder on it. Uncle Zhuang said that he was an old friend of Old Master Qin. Qin Sheng also said previously that Jiang Xianbang was somewhat connected to the old master. Consequently, Lin Su was thinking, who on earth was this Old Master Qin? He actually had prepared so many leeways for Qin Sheng. Perhaps what had happened this time might be related to Old Master Qin.


    "Well, let''s not talk about all this anymore. I am not connected to the Lin Family anymore. Eat dinner in a hurry. I even don''t have time for you. You should go home tomorrow." Cutting her talk short, Lin Su started to chase Lin Yue away.


    Lin Yue said pretty unhappily, "You put dates before mates. The way I see it, you even out me, your little sister in the last position."


    In Spring Breeze, Qin Sheng was having a good talk with the uncle. It definitely never came to Qin Sheng''s mind that this middle-aged uncle could be his biological father. Qin Changan chose to approach him in this way and got along with him gradually. It was unknown how Qin Sheng would react after he knew the truth.


    They talked about economic rules and patterns. Qin Changan was an authentic commercial tycoon, who was yet an invisible one. He knew he should keep a low profile. Instead of showing his face in public place, he used his agent to take care of everything. Compared with Qin Sheng, who was a theorist, Qin Changan had more experience and insight. Qin Sheng simply regarded himself as an obedient student who was waiting for his respected teacher''s advice. He obediently listened to what the middle-aged uncle was saying about economic rules and patterns.


    In the end, they talked about geomantic omens, feng shui, and Zhou yi. Since they both had been by Old Master Qin''s side since their childhood, they were influenced by what they had constantly seen and heard. They more or less understood these topics, such as using a divining rod to locate the lifeline, feng shui and its layout, the illustrations of gods, and so on. All in all, they had a great conversation.


    Lin Su returned to the cafe a few minutes past eight o''clock after she accompanied Lin Yue to eat dinner. Qin Sheng and Qin Changan were still chatting. Lin Su saw them talking cheerfully and humorously from a distance. She could not help finding it a bit surprising. There were few customers in the cafe.


    At this time, the scoundrel, who had been beaten badly by Qin Sheng yesterday, showed up outside Spring Breeze. This time, he brought more scoundrels along with him. He yelled out loudly, "Hey, cripple inside the cafe, come out now."


    Qin Sheng and Qin Changan both heard this sentence and they both looked out the window at the same time. They both frowned subconsciously...

 Chapter 112 Judgmen

    t


    What an oaf, I thought. Despite recognizing my Spirit Gourd, Ha''ri Naohai deeply underestimated its power.


    With all of the malignant spirits drawn into my Gourd, I did not stop. Instead, I continued reciting my incantations and aimed the mouth of my Gourd at Ha''ri Naohai. With a low hum, the culprit immediately collapsed to the ground, dead.


    But as soon as Ha''ri Naohai''s soul entered my Spirit Gourd, the entire hospital erupted into a clamorous cacophony of shrieks and howls from the ghosts roaming in the vicinity like a sirening horn. In the midst of the pandemonium, my thoughts wandered to my Godmother, wondering if she might be around. "Where is my Godmother''s soul!?" I spoke bitterly into my Gourd. But instead of answering me, the soul of Ha''ri Naohai cackled gleefully inside. "So, this is how the Spirit Gourd looks like from the inside! Interesting! You wish to know your Godmother''s whereabouts? Impossible! Heh heh heh heh!" A rush of anger filled me that I would have immediately reduced the brute into nothingness, if not for Lin Feng''s pat on my shoulder, reminding that I should remain calm. I shook my Gourd and hissed with a devilish grin this time, "Interesting, you say? Then I''m sure you''re bound to enjoy this!" I muttered another spell. Before Ha''ri Naohai could retort, his gloating laughter immediately gave way to agonizing screams.


    Let me break you then, I thought, so that I could easily interrogate you! But as if he had heard my mind, Ha''ri Naohai immediately surrendered before I could do anything else, begging for my mercy. I might not have really tested the methods of forcibly disintegrating the soul of a still-living person before refining a pill, but I imagined that it should be very tortuous and excruciating for the spirit. The wounds inflicted upon one''s spirit were very much harrowing than physical wounds. "I''ll speak! I''ll speak!" Ha''ri Naohai''s frantic cries came out from within the Gourd, "She''s not here!" I stopped reciting my spell at once. "Where is she?" I snapped. "She, she had been taken away..." Ha''ri Naohai''s meek voice replied. Filled with anxiety, I yelled into the Gourd, "Be specific!"


    Finally, at my behest, Ha''ri Naohai admitted to everything and told us the whole story.


    Zhang Zhigui''s pursuit of the evil spirits was itself a trap hatched by the leader of the Order of Pain who had a deep grudge against the ancestors of Zhang Zhigui''s family, the Zhang Clan of Yishui Town. He had always wished to vanquish every descendant of the Zhang Clan to ensure the line would be broken and Zhang Zhigui, like a mule being led by a carrot, was being lured slowly and gradually into an intricate ploy! Somehow, his encounter with us had the Order of Pain''s attention sidetracked. The insidious organization began coveting me and my Shiyan Blade for other sinister plots. Father had once told me that the Shiyan Blade possessed extraordinary value. But what sinister plots were they, Ha''ri Naohai could not say. He was merely a low-leveled stooge in the organization.


    The leader of the Order of Pain now had his sights set upon me, my sword, and Zhang Zhigui. He wished to first eliminate the line of the Zhang Clan and use me and my sword to further his schemes. But to his dismay, Zhang Zhigui did not set out to Inner Mongolia with me. Hence, Ha''ri Naohai was charged to abduct me, bidding that he believed would earn him favor with the Order. This culminated in the fool''s own plan to bait me to this town, thinking that I was still the powerless young man before my defeat of the Creed of the Eight Trigrams. It was his underestimation of my abilities that had ultimately spelled his downfall.


    What of my Godmother, I prodded him again. He admitted, that he knew full well that he lacked the strength to pit against my father, the great Murong Hai. But just when he was out of ideas, somebody had come to him with a plan to first abduct my Godmother, Aunt Ulan, whose soul they had taken away when they returned to this hospital. They had now long gone.


    "Very well," I hissed quietly to myself, "So be it then! I will pursue you all to all ends of the world! I swear I will turn you all into pills with my Spirit Gourd!"


    The anger burning inside me churned uncontrollably as the vociferous dissonance of the wailing ghosts continued around us. Unable to contain my rage any longer, I bellowed as loud as I could, "ENOUGH! SILENCE!" Everyone, including myself, was surprised by my sudden outburst. But the roar seemed to have quelled the uproarious din of the ghosts. Everything became silent around us; a barren stillness that was devoid of even the faintest rustling of leaves outside.


    But the outburst had done its job: I felt calm once again. With rational creeping back into me, I peered at my companions who were still bewildered. "I suppose our pursuit continues." I sighed dejectedly. "But before we continue," Yuan Chongxi was the first to respond, "Should we not first restore the feng shui of this hospital. I''m afraid things might turn dire if the situation continues..." Indeed, I reflected. The unceasing accumulation of Yin energies here due to the deathly aura was like a ticking time bomb. There would surely be one day when all hell would break loose when the barrier here reached a breaking point. The eruption of the immensely concentrated Yin energy would spread for hundreds of miles, affecting everyone nearby.


    But there was nothing we could do; even Yuan Chongxi, the only one who could see that something was wrong, was powerless.


    There was only one way in such dire need. With a heavy expression, I fished for my mobile phone and reluctantly dialed Father''s number. It was fortunate that I still had three bars on the signal indicator on my phone. After several seconds of dial tones, Father answered my call and I could hear his hiccups from my end. He must be drinking again with Mr. Zhang, I guessed. "What is it?" he asked wearily with a half-drunken voice. I told him everything and admitted that we lacked the ability to alter the feng shui of the hospital. He needed to come, I told him. There was a faint sigh from his end. "End the call," he said suddenly, "Let me call you back."


    As soon as I hit the End button, Yuan Chongxi, Lin Feng, and Edelweiss surrounded me, hoping to hear for good news from me, only to be disappointed by my shaking head. However, Father''s discarnate voice resounded in my mind suddenly. "You''re destined to carry the Spirit Sight for a reason, Son. Anything, as long as you are able to see it, you''ll be able to destroy it!" I was filled with shock, although I did not know which was more amazing to me: the fact that Father had explicitly mentioned that I possessed the ability to alter the feng shui of the hospital, or the fact that Father was able to communicate telepathically to me.


    Yuan Chongxi and the others were puzzled to see me standing motionless with a blank look on my face. I shook my head again, gesturing that I was fine. Only I was able to hear Father''s message, I realized. I rubbed my temples and asked, "You said just now, that the flow of energies here are closed off by something, did you not?" "Yes," Yuan Chongxi replied, "But if I''m not mistaken, the elements might not exist in the physical plane..." He did not finish, but instead, his finger was pointing to the ground, denoting that the elements were either underground or incorporeal in nature. I nodded. The appearance of Ha''ri Naohai had disrupted my train of thoughts earlier. Ha''ri Naohai would most likely have hidden the elements that were causing the disarray underground in order to prevent any damages to his magical barrier. But how were we supposed to find and destroy these elements...


    Worried and distressed, I frowned hard. The turbulent aura of hatred and Yin energies rushed and thrashed around violently like a raging storm, adding only to my angst and restlessness. "What am I to do," I asked myself inwardly, "or am I only a worthless fool?"


    The swelling emotion boiled within me as the disquiet and anxiety I felt only grew. Finally, exasperated, I drew my Shiyan Blade and swung it wildly at the rush of energies flailing about. To my amazement, the flow of energies at the spot where my sword at arced around had sealed off! My jaw fell open wide as Father''s message echoed in my mind again, "Anything, as long as you are able to see it, you''ll be able to destroy it!"


    "If that is so," I asked Yuan Chongxi again, "Where should the elements that are blocking the flow of the energies be?" In a terse manner, Yuan Chongxi barked, "The directions of the signs Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, Dui, Qian, Kan, Gen!"

 Chapter 113 My Mother and My Godmother

    According to the signs of Bagua divination that Yuan Chongxi had given, I hacked at the directions of East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West, Northwest, North, and Northeast with my sword where the flow of energies swirled uncontrollably around us. With each stroke, the flow of the energies was immediately sealed as if blocked by an invisible wall. Could this be the hidden ability of the swordsmanship Father taught me?


    As if on cue to my thoughts, noises like splintering glass and snapping wood began cascading from every corner of the hospital before slowly intensifying into a chaotic amalgam of crashing din until everything stopped, giving way only to a still blanket of silence. But with my Spirit Sight, I could see countless of ghosts, vengeful spirits, drifting away like air escaping from the puncture of a balloon. The ghastly spectacle of wraithlike figures escaping to their freedom sent me a jolt of shock. How could I have forgotten the countless innocent souls trapped here!


    Something must be done, I reflected. With my Spirit Gourd, I had all the wandering ghosts and vengeful spirits drawn into captivity. It was fortunate that the Gourd, my father''s gift to me, was so potent a magical instrument that it could contain so many souls within itself.


    I extracted a yellow talismanic charm from my knapsack. It had been more than two years since I last used items like this. I had not needed them ever since Father had given me his Gourd and taught me the magic of controlling my sword via telekinesis. Still, I had always kept them with me, knowing that there were still situations where they might come handy, such as curing illness or sickness induced by supernatural means. The talismanic charms would have to first be dissolved in water before it was ingested by patients because the power contained within these charms were too powerful for raw consumption by humans. Nevertheless, the purpose of using these charms now was not for curing illnesses, but to summon certain entities.


    I set the charm alight, and watched the green fumes rising from the conflagration and into the air. The strange smoke did not rise further into the sky, rather, it snaked into the distance towards West like a phantasmal serpentine leviathan. Within minutes, two figures appeared from that direction, following the course of the shadowy fumes to us. They were not humans, but the keepers of the Underworld responsible in ferrying the souls of the dead to the afterlife.


    Quite sometime later, I would later find out that I no longer needed to burn talismanic charms to summon any Hell Guards or the ilk due to the demise of Yan Jishi of the three Champions of Yishui. Formerly unbeknownst to us, Yan Jishi was the eldest son of the Yan Clan of Yishui. The Yan Clan were known to be a clan of Hell Guards. On a later date before his death, I would later hear from Yan Jishi himself that an ancestor of his clan had once served as one of the keepers of the Underworld. Due to his exemplary service, he was accorded the privilege of rebirth and one from each generation of his descendants was bestowed the opportunity to serve in a similar capacity in Hell.


    The availability for Yan Jishi''s generation was given to him, hence he began serving in the Underworld after his demise and would personally come to us whenever we needed the assistance of the Underworld''s custodial services.


    The two spectral figures drifted towards me and ascertained that it was me who had summoned them. "Speak, stranger. What business do you seek with us?" One of them began speaking. "Let it be known that a terrible price will come if we, the keepers of the Underworld, are summoned without purpose!" I remained silent; I did not wish to exchange barbed words with them. These were nevertheless the servants of the Underworld who served both the living and the dead. With a respectful bow, I embarked on my tale on everything that had happened and stated my wish for them to take over the souls in my Gourd that numbered to more than a hundred.


    The guards were immediately stunned when their eyes caught sight of my Gourd. They surveyed me again and was again shocked to see the sword in my hand. With a heretofore unknown civility, they returned my courtesy by bowing back to me, saying, "I see. Thank you for your help."


    I gave a quick nod and released all the souls in my Gourd to the Hell Guards, keeping only the soul of Ha''ri Naohai. For his transgressions, he would be denied the chance of rebirth! This shall be the price of incurring my wrath!


    With more than a hundred ghosts for them to escort into the Underworld, the two Hell Guards could not be more overjoyed as if a fat reward would be waiting for them. It was only much later when we mentioned this matter to Yan Jishi, he told us that Hell Guards were indeed rewarded for the number of souls they shepherd into the Underworld. The pair of Hell Guards must be waiting for a lucrative prize for sending so many spirits in one single night!


    The pair of Hell Guards finished their preparations and bowed before leaving. "Thank you for the trouble," I said to them, bowing to them as well with a smile of my own. "How about leaving your names and birthdates? I shall sacrifice some offerings for you both as a token of thanks." To my surprise, the Hell Guards immediately declined sheepishly, "No, please. Still, we are grateful for your kind gesture. Now, if that is all, we''d be taking our leave then."


    The Hell Guards promptly left, leaving Edelweiss staring wide-eyed at us. For entire night she had been following at our heels, but she had not been able to fully comprehend what had happened. But I was wearied with the fatigue and toil of riding throughout the night. We spurred our horses and began riding back to Aunt Ulan''s encampment.


    We arrived at the camp in time for lunch. But I wanted only to sleep. Still, there was another pressing matter to attend to: Aunt Ulan''s physical body could hold out no longer. I immediately placed a call to Father and told him everything only to be reciprocated with Father''s harsh rebuke for my failure to recover Aunt Ulan''s soul. But I responded with nothing; I knew Father too was anxious about Aunt Ulan''s safety.


    Finally, when he was done bombarding me with a heavy tongue-lash, Father said, "I''ll have your mother travel there at once. She can project her consciousness from her body and enter Ulan''s body temporarily. This will buy you some time. Use it well to recover Ulan''s soul this time." But what Father said almost had me leaping out of my chair with astonishment! Never had I imagined that Mother was capable of such astral projection magic! Before I even ended the call, the door of Aunt Ulan''s cabin opened suddenly and I felt a breeze from nowhere gusting into the room, and Aunt Ulan''s body rose from her bed! My eyes caught sight of the screen on my phone; Father had ended the call. Everyone in the room began huddling around Aunt Ulan, peppering her with questions, asking how she felt although Aunt Ulan merely wore a blank look. Only then I realized! Everyone was speaking to her in the Mongolian tongue! It was Mother''s soul who had entered Aunt Ulan''s body and she could not understand Mongolian!


    I meandered through the crowd surrounding her and spoke timidly, "Errr... Mother?" She nodded. "Yes. Have some rest first, Son. I''ll help Ulan hold up her physical body for now." Everyone else in the cabin gasped with disbelief. Her voice was different from Aunt Ulan''s! Yuan Chongxi, Lin Feng, and Edelweiss; all of whom who knew Mother''s voice were speechless beyond words. "I-is that Auntie?!" Lin Feng stammered, his eyes as wide as an egg. But Mother was hardly perturbed; in fact, she seemed as if she was enjoying all this. "Feng, Chongxi. I trust you too are tired. Go have some rest for now!" She remarked casually to them. With their mouths falling open with awe, I quickly gave a short explanation of what was happening, while avoiding to delve too much into the details with so many people around.


    We had a quick lunch and the four of us immediately trotted off to bed. For hours I slept until I woke up in the wee hours of the next day. I must have been too exhausted, I reflected. I might need some work-out to improve the state of my health. Lin Feng was already outside training, while Yuan Chongxi was still in bed, filling the entire room with the coarse rumble of his snores. "What bliss it is to be one like him," I wondered aloud.


    Just as I was gazing at the slumbering Yuan Chongxi salivating in his sleep, a brief ring of music chimed from somewhere. It was his phone.


    But who would send messages to this slowpoke in such early hours, I asked myself. I flipped myself off my bed and swiped his phone. It was a contact called "Xiao Yu" who had sent him a message, saying, "Are you still in bed? How are you at Inner Mongolia?" with crimson-colored hearts at the end.

 Chapter 114 Mother and Father

    I scoured through my memory. The name of Xiao Yu sounded familiar to me. Finally I remembered. It was when we had split up to deal with the spirits of the slaughtered infants during one of our bouts against the Apostles of the Creed of the Eight Trigrams. Yuan Chongxi had rushed to the rescue of a wealthy widow and her two daughters.


    Xiao Yu was the eldest of the two daughters. She would be graduating this year. What a blissful pair of lovebirds! Due to his help, the widow and her family had more-or-less recognized him as the future husband of the eldest daughter who had, by a stroke of luck, immediately fallen for him! It was just like how his teacher had prophesied that he might be enthralled by the sweetness of romance!


    In a stroke of mischief, I immediately keyed in a message, "Chongxi''s still sleeping. I''m Shiyan. Do you want me to kick him up?" I promptly recorded a short footage of Yuan Chongxi salivating in his sleep with the drumbeats of his snore in the background and sent it to the girl. With almost no delay, she replied, "It''s all right. Let him rest then," with a snickering emoticon just behind.


    I returned the phone to his side and woke Yuan Chongxi up notwithstanding. The sun was already blazing high up in the sky that the shadow of Lin Feng swift and sharp movements stretched into the room. Yuan Chongxi rubbed his eyes and looked at his phone. With a scowling smile, he pointed at me. "Another of your mischiefs, you brat."


    I giggled and slipped out of the room quickly and went to Mother''s cabin. I had just turned the corner when I heard the whimpers of some of Aunt Ulan''s girls saying, "Please come down", "It''s dangerous." But I could not be sure since I barely spoke Mongolian. My forehead creased into a frown. Hoping that it was not anything bad, I quickened my pace and broke into a small run towards the other side of the camp where the main hall was situated.


    From afar, I saw a group of girls gathering outside the entrance of the main hall. There was even a person sitting on the roof! Who else could it be, if not for my mother! I sped forward and had everyone dispersed, assuring them that all would be well. Even so, the girls were still worried as they reluctantly went off on their own business.


    With great difficulty, I clambered out of the second-storey window and heaved myself up to the roof. Mother was guffawing at my miserable attempts to climb up. "It should have been simple for you to climb up. What a pathetic state you were in." I glowered at her. This is the roof of a two-storeyed building, I almost snapped in return but I only managed a weak smile and sat beside Mother on the ridge of the roof. Despite having entered Aunt Ulan''s body, Mother could not hold back her usually-playful temperament like a little girl that even I felt embarrassed.


    Suddenly, she sighed. "Four decades. It has been four decades since I came here!" Huh, I almost gasped aloud. Then I realized. That would mean that Mother was also present during Father''s encounter with Aunt Ulan! But it was a matter so long ago that I could hardly make anything of it, I brooded. "Urm... Mother... About Father and Aunt Ulan..." I said quietly. Mother smiled. "Come to think of it, I only feel sorry for her, your Aunt Ulan. For forty years she had been waiting for naught."


    There was a hint of melancholy in her voice. Was she sad or was she merely feeling apologetic towards Aunt Ulan? I could not tell. I put on a smile. "Well. Father''s centuries-old love for you is as strong as the sturdiest oak, Mother. Surely..." But what I wanted to say was immediately guillotined by Mother''s sigh. She shook her head. "We have been together for more than centuries. But your Father has shown me anything but love. I would never be able to attain such affections from him." Her sudden lamentation left me speechless. I had always believed that Father loved Mother deeply; a love that has endured for centuries. But it was the first time I hear Mother speaking about their relationship. But what was most baffling to me, was Mother could not even tell if Father truly loved her. But how could it be possible? How could they have been together for centuries with no true love? What about me then? Not that I really had anything to do with their relationship.


    We talked the whole morning, sitting atop the roof. For the first time in my life, I understood a little more about my parents.


    Apparently, Father had long been together with Mother, although there was no love between them. They had posed as a pair of husband and wife in order to provide the facade of a happy family just for me when in truth, a much deeper secret laid between the relationship of my parents which seemed more akin to a master and his handmaiden, after listening to Mother''s murky explanation. There was nothing I could bear to say to them as I finally realized that I understood too little about my parents.


    Your father, Murong Hai was a generous person, even before he attained his powers and immortality, said Mother. He was a person who would gladly give up his everything for the good of others, including his own life. He had one chance to leave everything behind and live quietly with the person he truly loved. That was long before he achieved his current omnipotence. But he did not make the choice of doing so; all for the sake of his own siblings. But how could you bear to follow a man like him with such unfettered obedience, I asked Mother and she replied that it was their opportune encounter that had allowed Mother to realized the true aim of her existence. He was family to her, even though the sentiment was not mutual, she said to me. I could say nothing. It was a phrase I had heard many times in fiction; a phrase I had never expected to hear in person.


    She was hardly the one the great Murong Hai truly loved, Mother gasped again, although he has had his share of lovers and paramours. Uninterested in delving more into Father''s dalliances, I said softly to her, "Well, don''t look so bleak, Mother. Surely Father has feelings for you, otherwise he would never have wanted to be married to you, no matter it is for me or not."


    Mother smiled gently. No one truly understood Murong Hai, she remarked suddenly, not even she who had spent countless years with him. Despite being his companion for centuries, she could only say that she knew a part of him and no more. He had always remained an enigmatic person all his life, she muttered again, a person could even hold on to a promise for centuries with one whom he barely knew.


    I would never have been able to take in everything Mother had told me that morning if not for my experiences in the past two years. Much had changed in my life in recent years that had truly changed my perspective. I had always thought that Father and Mother were powerful mediums that could communicate with all Three Realms of Existences, only to discover that they were actually immortals with deific powers. I would never be able to believe that my family had been harboring so many secrets and a frisky old man like Father was so benevolent a person.


    Then I remembered something. "Mother," I asked, "Was it because of me, that both of you refused to ascend into the Heavens?" To my astonishment, Mother''s head gave an unmistakable nod. "To ascend or not to ascend, that was hardly the question," she admitted and said, "Not that we would have anything to gain. Moreover, your father and I are hardly the immortals that require to ascend into Heaven in order to achieve immortality." I nodded quietly. Father and Mother were different from Master Six, I long realized. Unlike Master Six who had first ascended into Heaven to become a true immortal, Father and Mother had reached the zenith of immortality without the need of the ascension.


    The kick of hooves on the ground robbed us of our attention to continue our talk. We looked down and saw Yuan Chongxi, Lin Feng, and Edelweiss with a large group of girls already on horses, ready for the next chapter of our pursuit. They waved at me.


    Unlike the difficult episode of climbing up the roof, leaping down was hardly difficult for me. I strode quickly to a horse, lighting a cigarette before I took the reins. "What''s up?" I asked Yuan Chongxi, "You found where we should go to this time?" But his answer was the last one I expected: No.

 Chapter 115 The Hunt Begins

    My cigarette nearly fell out of my mouth. "What the hell? So how are we going to pursue the enemy without any information?" I hissed. I could feel the annoyance slowly showing on my face. "But I can really do nothing," Chongxi muttered with a discomfited smile. "Even so, we''ll scour through every fen and hollow of the whole Mongolian prairie to look for our Chief!" Edelweiss growled fiercely which elicited by a couple of whoops of assent by the rest of the girls.


    I turned back to look at Mother, who was still watching us from her perch on the rooftop. As if she had heard what we were saying, her arm rose suddenly, pointing into the distance. She was pointing towards Northwest, I realized. She was telling me that we should go to the northwest! I nodded to her and scrambled up the saddle of my horse, and we rumbled out of the encampment with our hunt renewed. Despite rarely being at my side to mollycoddle me, my parents had always been there for me whenever I needed them most. My heart had never felt so at ease, knowing that they were always watching me.


    The endless stretch of prairies opened up before us as we galloped swiftly towards Northwest. After hours of riding, we finally came by a tract of woods. "Should we search in the woods too," Edelweiss asked nervously, yanking hard at the reins of her horse to pull it to a halt. The girls have buccaneered the Mongolian steppes, striking fear into anyone who dared roamed their domain without their auspices, but they rarely ventured into forests and woods. "No problem. We''ll have a look as well," I said casually. "Fret not," Yuan Chongxi added gleefully, "Brother Shiyan here is our lord of the wild who fears not even tigers or wolves!"


    I merely smiled and said nothing, taking the lead and began walking into the forest.


    As we moved deeper into the woods, I slowly felt the creepy sensation of being watched. It could be due to the beasts and birds of the wild that were taking shelter in the forest; there were more animals in forests compared to the open fields of the grasslands. Nevertheless, my intuition was tingling; we could be near to our quarry and I could feel it!


    The light of the sun was already slowly ebbing away. We ought to make camp for the night, I decided. We had the horses tied to the trees and began foraging for firewood to start a fire. With a knife, I began scraping tree barks to weave them into ropes for the use of erecting makeshift tents. But hunger began to bite; our rations were finished.


    "I had already mentioned before leaving that we should first take care of our rations!" Yuan Chongxi began grumbling. "Look! Without food, how are we supposed to continue the hunt tomorrow?!" "Quit fussing!" I snapped, "Just get your barbeque set ready and sharpen some branches to be used as skewers! Just you wait, our ingredient will come! "What are you?! You want to emulate the miracle of the loaves and fish?!" Yuan Chongxi retorted indignantly. "Surely Brother Shiyan has something up his sleeve," Edelweiss quipped, "You know him! He has no short supply of ideas and ingenuity!" Yuan Chongxi began getting to work, stripping the bark of several branches while still hissing irately, "You don''t know! I''ve lost count of the times. Lin Feng and I have been hurt and walloped for nothing, only because of his ideas and ingenuity which only work in the last minute!" He quickly spun to face me. "Do you know whom do you remind me of? The heroes from action movies! They only come in at the last minute when everyone is most desperate to save the day!" This made everyone laugh. I wagged my finger at Yuan Chongxi. "You know what? And you remind me of the aunties at the market with your mouth that rivals the deadliness of barracuda!"


    The night''s shroud of blackness fell upon the forest. We sat around the fire under a tree. Yuan Chongxi was peering up at the starry canopy above us through the boughs of the forest. "Here I am, waiting for manna from the sky!" "There will no manna," I teased him and said, "Manna you can eat immediately. But what we are waiting for is the main ingredient for our food. We need to process it before cooking! I did explicitly mentioned ''ingredient'' earlier, did I not?" "So where is it? Give it here!" Yuan Chongxi snarled in jest, spreading his arms wide dramatically. "Just you wait. It will be here in no time," I muttered. Lo and behold! Something fell from above our heads suddenly and leaped near the fire! With a branch, I bolted forward to hold it down, screaming, "There you are!" It was a wild partridge!


    "Here you are! Quit complaining now and get to work, peel off its feathers!" I snapped at Yuan Chongxi gruffly, handing to him the wildfowl. Lin Feng and Edelweiss bustled closer with amazement. "How did you do it?" the latter asked, "Is that a spell? Teach me!" Saying nothing, I merely pointed at the fire with my stick. Out of nowhere, another two partridges leaped out of the bushes, beating their wings frantically to reach the fire! Exultant hoots came from the girls with joy! Some began plucking off the feathers of the carcasses and cleaning their insides while others remained in waiting, hoping to catch more wildfowls. Indeed, a few more partridges were attracted by the fire and everyone busied themselves with preparing a dinner of barbecue chicken. With some beer and liquor to pair up with our meal, some of the girls began dancing around the fire, celebrating our bounty!


    Still, Edelweiss continued hounding me to teach her the magic to summon the wildfowls. "That is no magic!" I exclaimed with a snickering laugh. "I did not draw them here!" Nevertheless, she carried on badgering me and some of the other girls joined her in tugging at my arms. I motioned for them to calm down. "You are accustomed to living in the steppes. This is the forest. It''s different here. You might not be able to see them, but there are lots of feral partridges in these woods."


    I set ablaze a cigarette and took in the sweet flavor of the tobacco. "It was not me who had drawn this chickens here. It''s the fire. They can be easily attracted by any source of light, for example, the moon. They might even have mistaken the fire as the moon!"


    More and more girls sat around me to listen to me talking about living in the wilderness. "All right! All right!" I relented at last. Even Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi joined in the fray as well.


    With a stick, I motioned at the fire in a circular motion. "Do you know what our ancestors call this? Us sitting together around a fire?" "What do they call it?" Yuan Chongxi''s voice came from the back of the crowd. "It''s called ''Zhe'' (Õß: literally ''people'' or ''matter'')!" I answered.


    "Come on now!" Yuan Chongxi barked again. "Quit trying to con the girls here! How can this be ''Zhe''?!"


    With the stick still twirling between my fingers, I had its tip burnt and wrote the ''Zhe'' (Õß) word on the ground. "I''m serious!" I said again. "This is now read as ''Zhe''. But in ancient times, it was pronounced as ''Zhu'' (Öó). Yes, the same ''Zhu'' we now used for the cooking. But many do not know that the four dots below the current ''Zhu'' was only added thereafter. You will notice that Chinese words bearing the ''Zhe'' word within shares the same consonant ''Zh''. There''s ''Zhu'' (Öî) that means everyone, ''Du'' (¶¼) that means capital or town, ''Zhu'' (Öø) which means authorship, among many others. In the past, when the ''Zhe'' (Õß) word was contrived, the top half of the word, the ''Lao'' (ÂS) halve was devised to resemble a stove or a hearth. The ''Ri'' (ÈÕ) bottom halve was not meant to refer to the sun, but an illustration of a group of people sitting around a hearth, chatting and eating merrily."


    More girls began pelting me with strange questions that I was quickly overrun by their non-stop bombardment. The light-hearted hour passed quickly into the late night until we fell asleep in each other''s arms.


    We were awoken the second morning by the incessant chirps of the birds heralding the coming of a new day. We had some leftovers of the barbecue for breakfast and continued our hunt.


    The journey was uneventful until we came near the foot of a hill at noon and stopped near a gurgling brook. I motioned for the company to stop for a rest and everyone dismounted, pulling the reins of our horses and left them to graze at the meadows while we went to the brook to refill our water pouches. Glass-like shards of ice festooned the grasses around the creek but the water was hardly icy cold. We then sat down to refresh ourselves while some of us took a puff with cigarettes.


    "So what should we do for lunch, Mr. Quartermaster?" Yuan Chongxi asked, "We have no fire here." Everyone''s gazes shifted to me. "And all you know of is eating!" I snarled, brandishing my riding crop at him in a farcical manner. Then I had an idea. "How about some meat? Pork?" I asked, only to be faced with confused stares as if saying, "But where in the world are you going to find pork around here?" "Just you wait. Edelweiss, Brother Lin; both of you, come with me. We''ll go hunting!" "But you seemed to be immensely certain that the hunt will yield bounty?" Yuan Chongxi hissed with comical disdain. "Leave that to me. Just prepare the things we need for the barbecue and some firewood! We''ll come back with meat!"


    When we readied the horses, I set out with Lin Feng and Edelweiss at my heels. We came across a jungly woods and I extracted my Gourd to release some of my spirit wolves. The wolves sauntered around aimlessly at first, before they caught the scent of prey in the winds and immediately darted forward. I drove my horse forward, with Edelweiss and Lin Feng still following behind. After running for a couple of miles, the wolves slowed to long, stealthy lopes and began broke formation. They had found their prey and were moving to surround them. Edelweiss, not understanding anything, merely followed closely behind with a bewildered expression. We followed the wolves and found not one, but a herd of wild boars!


    I immediately drew back my wolves. "What are you doing?" asked a puzzled Lin Feng. I left my Gourd uncorked. "Wolves will first attack the easiest prey of the entire herd," I explained with a devilish grin, "But I am not interested in catching a small prey!" I aimed the mouth of my Gourd at the largest and fattest boar and zapped it with a curse, the Soul-banishment Curse, and forcibly tore its soul from its physical body into my Gourd. The boar squirmed in its death as if it had been shot and immediately fell dead, frightening the rest of the herd and they immediately darted away in terror.

 Chapter 116 Hag in the Highlands

    Quickly, I instructed Lin Feng to bleed the boar out thoroughly by using his darts otherwise the meat would taste bad. He rode over and took out one of his darts and began to work on the carcass. Edelweiss'' mouth fell open. "Your Gourd is a hidden gun!? Where''s the trigger?" I handed her my Gourd and she looked at it. "But there''s no trigger here! How did you use it?"


    "It''s magic," I replied, "You''ll never understand!" She continued harassing me for the fun of it. "It''s a silenced weapon! Where''s the silencer?!"


    This time, I said nothing, merely pointed to the horses, gesturing her to bring them to us. She strode to the horses and had it knelt down so that they could lift the carcass and set it on its back. "Well, Mr. Boar, due to your actions in your former life, you have been reincarnated as a boar. I''m now ending your suffering. This is the end of your penance! Let''s send you back to the Underworld for your rebirth!" I muttered into the mouth of my Gourd. I recited another spell, sending it off to the Underworld. "Why did you not use its soul to refine pills?" Lin Feng asked. "It''s not right to unwisely tamper with the workings of Karma. I''ll only use the souls of evil men for my own use!"


    On the way back, Edelweiss continued pestering me with more questions, asking me how was I able to track the herd of boars. Due to the rich Yang energy in daytime, it was only natural that she could not see my spirit wolves.


    We went back to the site where the rest of the company was waiting and were greeted by exulted cheers at our catch. The barbecue utensils and firewood were ready. With the rope that I weaved yesterday, we hung the boar in between two branches like a spit and Yuan Chongxi went to work, skinning the carcass and cleaning its insides. Edelweiss trotted off to relate our little hunting excursion to her sisters and I searched through the jungle foliage and found some wild onions which I cleaned at the brook and prepared some soup. As he worked, Yuan Chongxi never stopped sprouting praises for the sharpness of Lin Feng''s dart which he was using in his chore. The three of us were especially thrilled; somehow, despite the comfort of sitting at the roadside stalls and the availability of condiments in our food, we seemed to enjoy greatly the experience of barbecuing food in the wild. I looked for some pebbles from the creek and tossed them into the fire. The barbecue must begin with first the internal organs of the boar before we dive into the main course: the roasted pork!


    Before our meal was almost finished, I fished the pebbles from the fire and cleaned off the soot before tossing them into the pots of water which contained the wild onions. This allowed the water to boil almost immediately. Everyone took a swig and were happy with its taste, including Yuan Chongxi, who quipped that we must try this method again one day when we return! "What a bumpkin are you!" Lin Feng teased and said, "People use this way to roast bread, you know?" "Well, if you can''t find them," I added, "I''m sure Taobao has plenty!"


    For the rest of the journey, it was I who handled the food by leading little hunting trips. We had even encountered a pack of wolves; seven of them. But we did not slaughter them for food, merely driving them away with my spirit wolves and spirit eagle. It was the first time the girls had such a chance to enjoy so much exotic meat!


    As days went by, our pursuit began to grow colder as we entered the region of snowy highlands.


    We came before a strange-looking hill which looked like someone had bisected it at its waist, forming a flat plateau at the top with steep towering slopes around it. My spirit eagle circled around its top and we stopped at the cliffs hanging precipitously above us. We moved around the hill, climbing up the precarious paths through the mountain pass to hike around the hill as quickly as possible, otherwise, we would lose sight of my spectral familiar when it continued flying.


    But before we react, the unmistakable cracks of gunfire erupted from over our heads! Bullets rained over us and slammed into the walls of the cliffs! From the noise of the uneven gunfire, I recognized the sound. Those were AK47-like rifles! And our enemy was firing at us from close range, even though we had yet to locate them! Knowing we were already nearing the borders, I cautioned everyone to be more careful.


    Just then, a huge crash came tumbling down. "What was that noise?!" Yuan Chongxi was the first to scream, throwing his head around to look for the origin of the new cacophony. As I looked intently into the snow, I realized something. An avalanche! The gunfire earlier must have triggered an avalanche! I was standing just beside Yuan Chongxi, and we were just outside of the cliffs. Realizing the impending danger, I sprang to my feet without thinking and pushed him into the other girls who were under the shelter of the cliffs. Next thing I knew, snow poured down on me like a thundering train and everything around me went dark.


    For some time I remained unconscious, until I finally woke up. But I could feel nothing of my body as if I was dead. There was no feeling from my limbs or any part of my body, even my eyelids! With that, I succumbed to the weight of sleepiness and fainted again. When I woke up again, I felt nothing but pain. Intense pain that stabbed at every part of my body, even though I smelled a fragrance familiar and intimate although I could not recognize it. I began to feel my limbs. But I could not move, like I was in ice. I was sprawled on the ground face-down with something soft and fluffy beneath me. Then I felt the soft and tender skin of a person''s arms swaddling me like how a mother would with her child and I passed out again.


    For the third time, I woke up again to find the nails of my fingers and toes painfully sore. I was lying in somebody''s arms. I looked up and saw that it was Edelweiss cradling my head! "He''s awake!" She gasped.


    Only then I realized that we were in a cave! Before us, seated a young woman. She studied me with a keen and piercing glance from her almond-shaped eyes that accentuated her oval face, her ravishing features marred by the distinct air of anger and hatred emanating from within her. A piece of sable fur was draped over me. With barely any consciousness, I panted, "Gourd! My gourd!" Edelweiss quickly handed my gourd to me, which I tipped over and a pill fell out on my hand. I swallowed it as Edelweiss instinctively handed me a water pouch. I took a few thirsty swigs and closed my eyes again to rest.


    Seconds passed as I felt the pain abated. My hands felt around my waist anxiously, where was my sword?! The young woman came to me and took away my Shiyan Blade. She peered at it and gripped it tightly. "You are the son of Murong Hai?" she asked. "Yes, I am!" I croaked. My answer was reciprocated with the woman''s fierce stare. "Speak!" She spat suddenly. "Who is your mother?" I made no reply. My hand wandered to my pocket as I began looking for a cigarette before a thoughtful Edelweiss helped me extracted one and my ZIPPO lighter from the pack in my pocket and lighted it for me after inserted one between my lips. I took two draughts. "What are you asking about my mother for?" I asked casually.


    "I want to know which trollop of a woman has the charms to captivate such a man like Murong Hai and has remained in hiding so long that they even have such a b*stard child!" Yet despite her angered words, I noticed tears welling in her eyes! Oh my God, I gasped, another one of Father''s paramours! Feeling more invigorated now, I studied the young woman again with my Spirit Sight. She was hardly a young woman, but rather, an old hag! A demoness of untold age, even though she was under the guise of a young woman! With a contemptuous glare in return, I stretched my sinewy neck and said, "And why should I tell you?"


    The woman clambered to her feet and stare at me angrily, her nostrils flaring! Edelweiss sprang up and stood in front of me. "What honor is there in striking an injured person?" She screamed defiantly. "Take on me first if you dare!"


    "Oh my?" The demoness teased and said, "What is this? Lover''s romance? To think that you were so reluctant when I had you stripped to warm him with your body! You should''ve done so! Maybe you can go on and have a baby while you''re at it!"


    Such vulgar words, I thought quietly. But then I realized something: Edelweiss had stripped herself naked to give me warmth and prevent me from freezing! A sweet tenderness and gratefulness for her kindness seeped through me! I tugged at her arm and pulled her aside, while performing several hand seals. With a lightning-quick swish, the Shiyan Blade zipped out of its sheath and into the air before propelling back into my hand. I thrust a finger at her. "I am not a trueborn of my mother! I''m adopted! You''re happy now?! Now give me back my scabbard!" "Look at yourself, a demon of countless age! Yet here you are, trying to frighten a young lass barely twenty years old! You call yourself a senior?!"


    A bright pink patch blazed furiously on Edelweiss'' cheeks. With my sword in one hand, I wrapped my other arm around her. "Don''t be afraid! I''ll protect you!" "Y-you! Murong Hai has taught you his swordsmanship!?" The old crone yelped with astonishment.

 Chapter 117 Another Godmother

    The demoness tossed me my scabbard quietly. There was a distinct change to her expression. She appeared to feel more relaxed to know that I was not born by Mother. I caught the sheath and slid my sword slowly back into it and hung it over my back. The demoness, her eyes still fixed upon the sight of me and Edelweiss, lamented with envy. "Look at you! Kind and adoring towards each other! Look at your father! A block-headed fool!"


    "Where is the son of the block-headed fool? Let us all have a look!" A yell came from outside just then. A group of people entered the cave, all wielding arms. The old crone leaped before us, blocking their way. "They are my playthings! Mine! Why should I allow you a glimpse of them?" She barked furiously. Behind her, I scowled, so I am now a plaything! I threw my gaze over the band of newcomers; a group of men and women that looked ordinary, until I recognized one of them! A woman whom I encountered when I was very young!


    The woman looked simple and plain; hardly ugly nor gorgeous, but there was something about the profile her chin that I could not forget. A distinct trait about her that I had an indescribable dislike for! It was when I was a very small child. I was living with my parents somewhere in a little hamlet far away from Wu Zhong County.


    It happened on one day, just before dinner. Mother bade me to go to buy a bottle of sauce. The market was merely a stone''s throw away from my home. The little me scampered as quick as I could towards the market, gripping tightly the money Mother had given me. I saw a woman pushing her bicycle. Over the rear wheel of her bicycle was a small wooden plank which laid bottles of sauce. I ran over and handed her the money, squealing loudly, "I''d like a bottle of sauce!" The woman gave me one of her bottles and returned me 5 yuan in change. I noticed that the 5-yuan note was a very new banknote and was pleased, thinking, "Mother will be happy and praise me for getting a new note in return!" I dashed all the way home and gave Mother the bottle of sauce and the money. She peered at the banknote. Hold on, she gasped, "It is a fake!" Unscrupulous traders these days, she complained, to think that they would even prey on innocent kids! The woman who sold me the bottle of sauce and gave me the fake note in change, was none other than the woman I recognized now!


    Father and Mother made no sign of wishing to look for the vendor. But deep inside me, my anger was boiling! How dare the woman cheated me! Angrily, I swooped down on the fake note, took it, and bolted back to the market. There, I found the woman! She was already packing her wares back onto her bicycle and was beginning to leave. I ran to her and she started to push her bicycle out of the market. Chasing behind her, I screamed at her, "Hey you! Cheater! Give me back my money!" Strangely, the woman did not ride and pedal away; she merely continued pushing her bicycle, even though she maintained her pace that I had to keep on running to catch up. Slowly, we wended out of the little town and still, I failed to take after her! We finally came to a junction on the path where she stopped her bicycle under a tree which sat beside a patch of cornfield. Turning back to me, she shouted, "What money are you talking about, little boy? Come, let''s go to my home, I return the money to you!" She lunged at me suddenly!


    Crack! A hand came from nowhere and landed a huge slap on the woman''s face that she nearly stumbled! It was Mother! Mother stood in front of me, shielding me from her and jabbed a finger at the woman. "You worthless wench! How dare you try to abduct my son?" The woman snickered derisively. "I did not ask him to come with me. He followed me all the way himself!" "You outrageous b*tch! You were prodding him to follow you by maintaining your speed! How dare you deny!" "Enough talk! Let''s do this!" With her signal, a man appeared from the furrows of the cornfield. He was wearing a strange cap, which I remembered and now recognized, a Taoist headdress commonly worn by Taoist priests. The woman walked up to the man and greeted him reverently. Mother hugged me tightly in her arms. "Who are you, Taoist priest, and state your intentions!"


    An evil grin broke wide on the priest''s face. "Why, your son, of course!" He bellowed maliciously. A bolt of lightning-like shot down from the sky with cold fury and drove mercilessly into the man''s skull from above, leaving only its hilt visible over his head. It was a sword; a sword from the sky! The blade of the sword was slightly narrower in comparison with the Shiyan Blade, although it was intricately damasked with feather-like motifs that lend it a divine ambiance.


    Father''s figure materialized suddenly. With a swing of his arm, the sword withdrew from the man''s head on its own and flew into his hand. The corpse vanished instantly, with only a puddle of blood as the merest reminder of the brief battle that had taken place. The woman crumbled to the ground, prostrating herself before Father with her head knocking on the ground like bobbing corks. "Please, Your Holiness, Dear Immortal! Forgive me! Please give me one more chance to do good!" Father walked towards her coolly, the sword still in his grasp. I ran to the woman and gave her a kick. "Bad Auntie! Give me back my money!" The panicky woman rummaged anxiously in her bag and pulled a handful of money that fell on the ground in her panic. I peered at Mother who gave me an encouraging nod and I took a 5-yuan note and left her the fake note. Father and Mother shared a knowing glance and Mother lifted me in her arms, praising me, "Good boy! Wise and smart too!" and she snarled angrily at the woman, "Look at you! Even a child knows better than you!" But she spoke to Father, "She has labored long to achieve her current powers. We''ll just let her go this time!" After a harsh rebuke by Father, they allowed her to leave. But I would never forget the unusual profile of her chin; a trait of hers that I remembered to this day.


    "So, the bad auntie who once tried to cheat me of 5 yuan, are you here today to abduct me again?" I jeered with a mocking grin. The woman was stunned to hear this although she quickly recovered her composure and spat. "It''s true! This is the son of Murong Hai! It was his father who had killed Teacher!" Hearing this, the rest of her companions began looking at us with furious and angry stares.


    But I merely giggled. I drew my sword and began muttering incantations. The woman yelped with fright, "Drat! Run!" She spun on her heels and ran for her life with the rest of her companions on her heels, just in time before my sword plunged into the ground where they once stood. I walked slowly over and pulled my sword from the ground. The whole pack of them had reverted back to their original bestial form and scampered into the undergrowth.


    I went back into the cave. "Just a pack of rabid dogs," I hissed with contempt to Edelweiss and said, "They''ve fled so fast before I could skin them for a fur scarf for you! Humph!"


    The demoness was clearly unhappy to hear me saying the words "rabid dogs". "Where do you live now?" She snapped at once. "Wu Zhong County!" "But why Wu Zhong? Why not Inner Mongolia!?" She muttered with evident surprise, before she knocked on her own head and began murmuring to herself, "But of course! I''m such a fool!" Her head raised instinctively again. "What''s your mother''s name?" "My mother is Murong Jinghong." I revealed truthfully. "Jinghong..." The woman repeated softly after me. It was a name Father gave Mother only for the purpose of the official papers when I was born. In truth, Mother had another name; an actual name which was given also by Father, although it was not used for it did not seem suitable to be used during the registration of their identification.


    The demoness'' knees buckled as she collapsed to the ground, defeated and dejected. Despite her youthful appearance, she was after all an aged demoness. For centuries she had fallen for Father and had waited for nothing; a pain that she had endured far longer than Aunt Ulan! Feeling sorry for her, I walked over to her. "There''s no need to be sad actually. Before I came, Mother had just spoken to me. Their marriage and love are only a facade of a happy family for my sake." The demoness'' eyes gleamed with hope. "D-do you mean, you mean that I still have a chance..."


    "Be that as it may, think about it yourself. How good are your chances when after centuries of being together, still, Mother has yet to make Father truly fall for her?" The demoness immediately became crestfallen all again. I patted on her shoulder again. "Well, nevertheless, if you don''t mind, I am willing to become your Godson. How does that sound? You will be my Godmother from this day onwards." The demoness looked up at me for a few seconds, her expression lost and perplexed until she leaped up to hug me, crumbling into tearful sobs.


    "So, here am I, Father," I grimaced to myself, "Your son is doing his utmost to undo all the twisted tangles of your romance! First Aunt Ulan, now another Godmother!"


    For minutes, Godmother continued weeping hard, until she released me suddenly. She tugged at my hand and reached for Edelweiss'' wrist. "Good, good! My good son, Mother will now prepare a bridal chamber for you both..." I put a hand on hers at once to stop her. Edelweiss'' cheeks were nearly purple with embarrassment. "Hold your horses, Godmother! This is hardly the time for this! You''re jumping the gun! There are more pressing matters than this!" I immediately steered away from the subject, frowning at the shenanigans of my new Godmother.


    Being a demon evolved from a beast, Godmother was hardly as sharp as humans. Luckily for us, her attention was easily diverted and she halted. "There are only the three of us here?" I said again, now scratching the back of my head. "Have you seen my two companions and the rest of the girls who were with them?"

 Chapter 118 Chongxis Dismay

    We began talking. The cave was where Godmother resided. She was roused from her sleep yesterday morning by the sound of gunfire. As a fox spirit who had drudged for centuries to achieve her current powers, she had only the deepest loathing for firearms. She left her cavernous lair and was just in time to witness me pushing Chongxi to safety when the avalanche fell.


    On the path through the mountains, there was a chasm which hung precipitously beside. The torrent of snow and ice had swept me off into the ravine as everyone could only watch in horror, except for Edelweiss, who threw herself off the cliff after me...


    I immediately glowered at Edelweiss, "What are you thinking of?! What help is there in jumping off the ledge to death yourself?" But my temper subsided as quickly as it came; I knew Edelweiss was being silly, only because she tried to save me, although it was an ill-advised move. It was Godmother who then climbed down the ravine and dug us out of the snow and had us brought to the far side of the chasm where her lair was at. Edelweiss'' face was completely red. Godmother immediately interjected. "All right, all right! The girl''s being silly only because she''s genuinely concerned about you. Don''t fret, my son." I smiled weakly, finally beginning to see why Father had abandoned emotional attachments with women!


    When I was found, Godmother realized that I was completely frozen in ice. But strangely, there was no danger to my life. This could not have been possible if I was an ordinary human being. I would later find out that it was the Qi-cultivation methods that Father taught me that had saved me.


    When Godmother found me, she discovered that I was carrying both the Shiyan Blade and my Spirit Gourd. The latter was the signature instrument of Murong Hai, hence she realized that I must be related to him. She revived Edelweiss and interrogated her, finally ascertaining my identity as the son of Murong Hai.


    Edelweiss was aghast beyond words with trepidation when she saw me lying frozen in ice, seemingly dead. But Godmother revealed to her that I was still barely alive, and there was but only one way to save me...


    Almost an entire day had passed since I was rescued and she has yet to leave her lair, said Godmother, hence she had no idea what happened to the rest of the company. I merely nodded. I was not worried about the rest of my companions. With their abilities, they could surely suffer our absence for a day or two in the rocky and mountainous tundra, although they would have to forage for food themselves. That said, I could not shake off the pangs of concern about my companions'' wellbeing. "It''s late," I said to Godmother and Edelweiss, "they must be looking for us. And since it''s noon, we might as well hunt for some food while looking for them too."


    Edelweiss nodded intently, and Godmother insisted that she tag along. She was still worried about my body.


    I walked out of the lair and stretched my body. I released my spirit wolves, who, at first, were merely idling around, sniffing into the air, when they suddenly turned taut and their movements became stiff and terse. I held my Gourd warily on full vigilance and followed slowly behind with Edelweiss and Godmother shadowing me. After a few moments, the wolves lunged at their quarry, a deer. I quickly recited the Soul-banishment Curse and the deer fell dead at once.


    "Shiyan''s silenced pistol!" Edelweiss said to Godmother, beaming widely, "I have never seen him miss!" She drew a small dagger and began bleeding the deer dry. Godmother smiled benignly; being no stranger of the Spirit Gourd, she knew about its powers, although she did not elaborate further to Edelweiss. "Come," said Edelweiss, "lift up the deer and put it on my back! I''ll carry it!" She is truly a spirited girl of the wild, I stared with awe. But I stopped her. "This will only dirty your clothes. Let''s leave the carcass here for now. We can have the others come to collect it once we find them!" Behind us, Godmother quipped suddenly, "If only your father was as caring and kind as you are now..."


    Her voice was loud enough for us both to hear her. But we did our best to ignore what she said. I tugged at Edelweiss'' hand and we walked down the mountain. We barely walked for minutes before we saw Lin Feng and the rest of the company under a tree, discussing ways to search for us! Their horses were all idling around by the slopes of the foothills.


    "Call off the search!" Godmother yelled suddenly and they raised their heads in our direction. "My son and his wife have returned!"


    The company looked up the hill and saw us walking down. Yuan Chongxi''s eyes were red as tears broke out. "Where have you been!" he screamed. But he was quick to the take; his eyes crept down and saw that I was holding Edelweiss'' hand. "So here we were, trying our best to look for you, when you have been busy with some girl..."


    "Watch your trap, young man!" Godmother hissed venomously at Chongxi, "be careful of what you speak!" I waved her off to stop her. "I''ll leave the explanations for a later date. Get two strong people up to the hill. I have a deer carcass waiting up there!" One of the girls immediately sprinted for the horses and Edelweiss led a few of them on horses back to the site where the carcass was waiting. We waited until they came back. Lin Feng took out one of his darts and passed it to Yuan Chongxi, "Well, you''re the best at this kind of job." "But I''ve never slaughtered a deer before!" Yuan Chongxi pouted indignantly. "Allow us then!" one of the girls remarked, drawing her Mongolian scimitar, "just prepare yourselves for dinner!" "Surely we can''t!" Yuan Chongxi replied, "there''s still work to do! We still need some wood to build a spit and raise a fire!" I trotted off, leading Godmother and some of the girls in search of firewood and branches.


    When the meat was roasted, I tore off a leg and handed it to Godmother, who was especially delighted. "Good, good, my son!" But she gave it to Edelweiss, saying to her, "Have this! I prefer organ meats!" As how a mother-in-law would do to her daughter-in-law!


    I chewed on the meat and talked to Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi about what happened, while conveniently omitting most parts about what happened between me and Edelweiss. Yuan Chongxi was unusually reticent during the meal, keeping himself mostly to his food. He was mostly most chatty during meals and was especially sharp whenever it came to food. Sometimes he would even begin using his divination magic to find out answers himself. But today, he was strangely quiet. There was something wrong with his expression. He looked paler than usual, as if signs of fatigue were showing on him. "What is it", I asked him. "Are you not feeling well?" I asked again. But instead of answering me, he began sobbing! He gave no reply to me, only continue biting into his meat.


    My eyes quickly met Lin Feng''s. What happened to him, I asked. Lin Feng heaved a long breath and began recounting their experiences after I was dragged by the avalanche into the ravine.


    As it turned out, Yuan Chongxi was appalled and was on the verge of breaking down when he realized that I had pushed him to safety, only to plunge into the chasm myself. He turned even more dismayed and grievous when their preliminary searches yielded nothing of us. Lin Feng had tried consoling him, but he was deeply crestfallen, sitting at the edge of the cliffs for almost a day and a night, with no food nor sleep, watching only into the darkness of the abyss, hoping to see me climb out. This morning, when Lin Feng woke up from his sleep, he saw that Yuan Chongxi was still sitting by the jagged banks of the craggy cliff and talked to him again, asking him to use his magic to divine both the fates of Edelweiss'' and mine. They could mount another search for us, he said to the despondent Chongxi, or they could ask for help from my father if I had indeed met my end.


    With hands trembling beyond control, Yuan Chongxi forced his fingers to move. Slowly and warily, he struggled against the dread and trepidation and performed his magic. He was so afraid that the omens would show him my death. Finally, the results of his divination showed that Edelweiss and I were still alive. Only then, he sighed grimly, recovering from his sullen and disheartened state, with the weariness of an old man.


    They called the rest of the company and mounted their horses, circling around the mountains to reach this side, where we finally met each other again.

 Chapter 119 Godmothers Pas

    t


    Feeling emotions surging into me, I was touched by my companions'' concern for me. My hand snuck into my pocket and gripped on my phone. I peered at its screen. But it was cracked. One more item to add to my loss this trip, I brooded. Time for another new phone.


    I smiled weakly to myself and lighted a cigarette. "I recognized a woman from the group of people who attacked us earlier," I said to everyone, "they had tried to abduct me when I was very young, and they failed. Seems like this time, they came prepared. This would mean that Aunt Ulan''s soul is with them! But still, we know little of them and I am at a loss of what to do now." Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi too nodded morosely. Not only we did not know why were they targeting me like sharks on a trail of blood, they seemed to know every bit of our movement.


    Godmother was puzzled to hear about Aunt Ulan and asked me about her. Sheepishly, I began telling her what happened between Father and her. At the end of my story, Godmother turned melancholic. Like sisters in suffering, she felt sorry for Aunt Ulan too. This, however, sparked a curiosity within me. "How about telling us how you met my father, Godmother?" I asked at once. She smiled and caressed the back of my head and began her tale.


    It began more than three hundred years ago, when Godmother was still a feral fox. She could speak in the tongue of humans but she did not have the magic to turn into humans yet. Her family was in a struggle with other tribes on the spat of territory and most of the males in her family were dead due to the strife. But in the final battle against the opposing tribe, came a troupe of human hunters! They slaughtered everyone fox there, regardless of tribes or not.


    Godmother had an elder sister then. Despite not having magical powers like Godmother, she was blessed with intellect and wit. She escaped with Godmother, who was injured by the humans, and they fled into a cave. But the cave was not part of the lands they were familiar to, but due to the pressing need, they had to enter into the depths of the subterranean tunnel without knowing what awaited within.


    The sisters crawled deeper into the cave. Strangely, the human hunters did not pursue them into the hole. The two sisters finally drew long breathes of relief. Without the panic of being chased by the hunters, the sisters began to survey their surroundings. Not far from them was an underground lagoon. At the banks of the water was a huge boulder, upon it was seated a man. The sisters looked closely and saw a fox sitting on the man''s shoulder! The man, young and comely, was sitting cross-legged on the boulder in meditation and the white fox opened its eyes, peering warily at their intruders with its sparkling blue eyes.


    The sisters knew better than to anger the man and his fox, knowing that they must wield powerful abilities. They could not discern if the pair were true deities or immortals, still, they decided that proper niceties should be observed. "Our apologies for intruding your peace, dear lord. We had no knowledge that you were here. We were escaping for our lives. Our apologies again for the disturbance. We''ll just..." The "leave" word came without a sound from her mouth, for to both sisters'' amazement, the young man opened his eyes and regarded the newcomers! He studied them for seconds and smiled thoughtfully. Suddenly, without warning, the man and his fox vanished and re-appeared before them in the blink of a second! A single thought flashed through the minds of the sisters: This must be a powerful person with magical powers! They did not know how did he move to them, knowing only that the young man must be wielding powers that could crush them into dust. Additionally, there were no flaming torches in the cave, yet the entire cavern was illuminated by a mysterious source of light!


    Beads of cold sweat broke out on the foreheads of the sisters. Fear and panic gripped them so hard that they could barely move an inch. Immortals were often known to be eccentric or strange, regarding minor demons as nothing but specks of dirt and soot. They would never have any qualms in disposing of them like ants or vermin. Fearing the worst, the sisters began to regret entering the cave and incurring the wrath of the immortal!


    But to their surprise, the young man unleashed no such horror! He bent down to look at the young Godmother who was in her elder sister''s arms. An arrow was protruding from her frail body and her life was slowly ebbing away. The young man magically conjured a small calabash gourd and uncorked it. He tipped it over and poured some white medicinal powder on Godmother''s wound, and gently tapped on the arrow with another hand. Instantly, the arrow vanished into thin air like fumes and the wound began to heal quickly!


    I took out my Spirit Gourd from my pocket. "Is this the same gourd he used?" I asked and Godmother nodded. That must be Father when he was younger, I mused. He just seemed to enjoy making dramatic appearances! My thoughts were cut short as Godmother continued her tale, "My powers were very low, but I can communicate with humans. It was then when I began to develop feelings for your father. But my powers were still too weak for me to transform into a human form then."


    That was not Father''s only act of kindness; he allowed them to stay and take refuge in the cave and even provided her with more medicinal pills. He had even taught her magic, helping her to assume a human form at will. The sisters grew closer to Murong Hai and began to discover that he was hardly the cold and aloof immortal that most people encounter. Later on, they even helped Murong Hai in providing aid to other people in need when they left the cave.


    All was fine until one day, a military convoy came to the area where they were providing food to victims of natural disasters. The soldiers of the convoy immediately stopped their carriages and wagons and got off. The soldiers came and confiscated the wicker baskets containing food for the poor and needy and were about to leave when the sisters got into a rough spat with them! With their magical powers, the sisters could defeat the small number of soldiers. But the soldiers escaped and radioed for reinforcements! It did not take long for a larger contingent of soldiers to arrive and the sisters were forced to flee into hiding!


    Murong Hai was sitting on a horse carriage when the larger force of soldiers came. He was hardly perturbed by the sight of the army, merely smiling benignly at the commanding officer of the troop that arrived. "Which of you are the rebels who dared attacked the celestial armies!" Murong Hai heard him and giggled as if he had heard a joke. "Celestial armies, you say?" He mocked, "how celestial were you? You are soldiers of the Imperial Court! The armies of the Ming Empire! You are sworn to protect the people, not oppress them! You failed to repel the invasion that has had the people running away in fear and destitution, yet you dare take their food! You are not soldiers! You''re nothing but mere brigands!" Murong Hai paused and continued, "Let Heaven be my witness today that I hereby exact judgment upon you!" A sword appeared magically out of nowhere before he had finished and shot into the air before piercing down the sky like a bolt of lightning and beheaded the officer!


    Trumpets blared suddenly and roars of bellowing soldiers came suddenly, filling the entire region like the roars of a thunderstorm. But the noises came not from the pillaging soldiers, rather, they came from another huge host of an army that appeared suddenly! The army, like a swarm of ants pouring out of a nest, immediately filled the entire landscape, surrounding the marauding soldiers of the Imperial Court. Frightened like a pack of beaten dogs, the soldiers quickly leave, limping away with their tails hanging between their legs.


    "Wait a minute," I interjected, "from where did the army appear?" Godmother merely smiled. "I did not know too myself then. But later your father revealed to us that he knows magic that allows him to turn any blade of grass or any single tree around him into the guise of soldiers." I nodded quietly. Father has so much powers and magical abilities that not even I, as his son, could fully comprehend. I had heard of such magic of turning plants into soldiers, but never did I expect Father to know such magic.


    When the marauding soldiers had left, Murong Hai hopped off his carriage and knelt beside the corpse of the dead officer. With a smile, he muttered, "It''s best that someone like you are gone for good." He pointed at the corpse and immediately it was reduced into ashes that disappeared into the scuds of breeze that blew by!


    The incident made the sisters truly admired Murong Hai. They would often visit him at the cave. One day, a senior of the elder sister came looking for her. He left her some instructions which the elder sister went to her younger sibling and bade her goodbye. There was something she had to do, said the elder sister, and she would only be back after some time.

 Chapter 120 Three Centuries Ago

    Once her elder sister left, Godmother immediately went to Murong Hai and told her about her sister''s departure. To her shock, Murong Hai too informed her that he would be leaving soon. When would he return, the young Godmother asked him. Sadly, he would not be returning, said Murong Hai to her.


    Despite now being able to turn into humans, Godmother still retained much of her animalistic disposition. The notion of Murong Hai leaving frightened her that she blurted suddenly that she wished to be his wife. Murong Hai said nothing. He merely smiled at her and shook his head. But the snowy-white fox that had been draping over his shoulder opened its eyes at that very moment, sending a fierce and piercing glare at her.


    Fools do often rush in where angels fear to tread; ignoring the snowy-white fox, who undoubtedly wielded greater power and magic, the young Godmother pestered Murong Hai, begging him to bring her with him. Murong Hai declined at first, but in the end, he relented. Murong Hai kept her in his magical gourd and took into the air, riding on his sword. For long after that, he released her from his gourd. They had arrived at a bustling town. It was a busy settlement with a very strange name, although she no longer remembered it after so many years. A wide river, filled with merchant vessels and barges, intersected the river port city, hence everywhere in the town was noises and crowds with plenty of things sold at the local markets, including Western merchandise as well. Thus giving the town another name: Yanghuoqiao (literally, the Bridge of Western Goods). Young Godmother roamed around the markets with awe and amazement, taking in the sights and scenes of the city life she had never experienced before.


    Just as she was sauntering about in the marketplace, she caught sight of a group of angry-looking people that even the locals gave them a wide berth. The crowds of people kept away from them like how the flows of a river parted around stones. It was a group of Taoist priests. Each of them looked old and gnarly in their Taoist robes, carrying swords over their shoulders and looking grim and somber like soldiers preparing for war. But the young Godmother did not expect to see her elder sister following closely behind them!


    She darted forward through the thronging mob of passers-by and pulled her elder sister aside. Her sister was also shocked to see her there. But she quickly placed a finger over her lips, gesturing for silence. She led her sister into a quiet corner of the streets and bade her warn Murong Hai that the duel tomorrow was a trap. He must never come, she cautioned and she promptly left to catch up with her companions.


    Godmother immediately hastened back to the inn. She related to Murong Hai about her meeting with her elder sibling and conveyed the warning to him. However, Murong Hai merely giggled. "I must not go? Then for what reason have I come here? Fear not! None of them will escape my fingers tomorrow!" The young and naive Godmother could only behold with consternation at Murong Hai''s indifference to the impending danger. She suddenly remembered that her sister was part of the group who had wished ill upon Murong Hai. "What in the world is going on," she asked him. Murong Hai smiled thinly. "Many covet to gain from the transition of power whenever an empire withers. Little did they realize that everything is written in Destiny. No one alters or overrules Destiny, that is the Law. I was bidden to guard a relic while your sister and her cohorts wish to gain possession of it. My duty is to prevent them from committing a grave mistake. But they have been so persistent in their pursuit of this relic that eliminating them permanently is the best way to remove loose ends!"


    Murong Hai''s cryptic message merely left Godmother confused. But she knew enough to understand that Murong Hai wanted to kill the entire group. Realizing finally that there was no way she could change his mind, she relented, knowing that her sister''s relationship with Murong Hai would never be able to stay his hand. Even if she had truly loved him too, Murong Hai, when duty called, would never waver. She collapsed to the ground and begged for Murong Hai to show leniency to her sister. "We''ll leave it to Fate," he simply said, his head shaking like a dreadful premonition.


    Just then, something began to dawn upon me: Father would never be at the cave in the first place without reason. He must have been there to better get to know the sisters; and by taking them both with him in his endeavors to spread goodness by helping victims of natural disasters, he was trying to enlighten Godmother''s elder sister about the wrongdoings of her actions. Father had tried to save her, although she still had not realized it...


    The duel between Murong Hai and the band of Taoist priests whom Godmother''s elder sister was in league with was held on a boat. The devious priest, in a bid to gain an edge against the great Murong Hai, had set an ambush underwater where some of them would be hiding under the waterline to drag him down into the water when the battle began.


    But when Godmother rushed to the river, the duel had ended, and she saw only the corpse of her sister. A few of the boatmen who had witnessed the combat told her what happened: a young man had hopped onto the boat and began fighting with the bunch of elderly Taoist priests. The young lad had thrown something into the air during the fight and strange wraith-like shadows began emerging from the water. They were drawn into the instrument that the young man had toss above his head. After that, the young man merely chuckled and the priests fell off the boat. Every one of them was dead, with a huge grisly wound on them as if a sword had driven through them. But their corpses vanished after falling into the water, save for the corpse of the girl, Godmother''s elder sister, which was magically retrieved from the water by the young man with a wave of his arm.


    Since then, for three centuries, Murong Hai vanished from Godmother''s life. She never saw him again. But through the countless years, she loved him deeply although she begrudged him too for his slaying of her beloved sister.


    At the end of Godmother''s tale, Lin Feng was the first to speak. "Err... Senior," he asked, "You mentioned the town that Shiyan''s father had brought you to has another name, Yanghuoqiao, is it not? There''s a river in the town, you say?" Godmother nodded. "Do you remember in which direction was the river flowing to?" "All rivers flow from West to East. That goes without saying," quipped Yuan Chongxi just then. But Godmother was stunned. "No..." Her voice came suddenly, "The river... I remember now... It flows to the South." Lin Feng breathed heavily, cold puffs of air escaping his nostrils. "This was three centuries ago?" He confirmed with her and Godmother nodded again. Filled with revelation, Lin Feng stared strangely at Yuan Chongxi and me.


    "You still don''t know, do you, Shiyan?" Lin Feng uttered, "A town, which also bears the name Yanghuoqiao. There''s also a river that flows towards South! That''s where I used to live! Yahong Bridge!" The news struck me like a bolt from the blue. Indeed! Lin Feng was right! But why the awe? "All right. That is remarkable. But what does it mean?" I asked. Lin Feng slapped hard on his own knee. "Do you still not understand! This was three centuries ago! Your father explicitly mentioned ''an empire withers''! And the fight was a contest of a relic! Three hundred years ago was during the fall of the Ming Dynasty and the rise of the Qing Dynasty!"


    The strange and surrealistic sensation of the dawning comprehension surged into me as I began to remember the details of a memory long dormant in my mind! Chen Yixuan, Master Six, the graves of the Bian Clan and Bian Dashou!


    "The Dragon-slaying Blade!" I blurted at once, "So Godmother''s elder sisters and her companions were after the Dragon-slaying Blade!" Lin Feng gave another breath, followed by a curt nod. Yuan Chongxi dropped the meat he was chewing on and finally realized. "So Uncle Hai was guarding the relic of the Qing Dynasty!"


    This was indeed an astounding epiphany! We had earlier found out about Master Six''s involvement in sealing off the dragon leys of the former monarchs of China, effectively putting an absolute end to any hopes of reviving it. This would explain the bitterness between Father and Master Six! It was the latter''s attempt to permanently sealing off the dragon leys to eliminate any use of the Dragon-slaying Blade which had been the crux of their enmity! This also explained Father''s dogged refusal to ascend into Heaven! It was all because of the Blade which was lost! Master Six had once mentioned to me that the sword was lost after it was last heard to be in the possession of Puyi, the last emperor of China. Father must have been terribly shaken by the failure of his charge to protect the sword and voluntarily relinquished his chance to ascend!


    I sighed heavily, pondering on Father''s decision, then something bugged me again. "But, Mother," I asked my Godmother, "What about the snowy-white fox who had been with Father centuries ago? I have never heard of it before."


    Godmother turned to me and breathed wearily. "Do you not understand yet, my boy? There has only been one fox... No. It''s a person now... A person who has, for centuries, never left your father''s side. Do you not see it?" I was shocked, my mouth immediately fell open as I finally understood.

 Chapter 121 The Truth About Mother

    The truth struck me to the core like the deafening toll of a bell. "The one snowy-white fox who has, for centuries, never left Father''s side? And the person who has been with Father for so long? That could only be Mother!"


    "How is this even possible! It was a fox who has been Father''s companions through centuries and it has now been replaced by Mother! Could it be, that the white fox was Mother! Impossible!?" Everyone was gaping with disbelief at the revelation about the truth about Mother. Lin Feng''s and Chongxi''s jaws were hanging in a bewildered stupor. They saw the change in my expression as the very same thought that I had flashed through their minds.


    Then I remembered about Father''s tale about his decimation of the Creed of the Eight Trigrams in his time, when he spared the weasel demon only because of its distant kinship to Mother. I was puzzled then because I was left wondering, what kinship could Mother be sharing with such an animal? Another memory then came to me: whenever I referred to foxes as ''rabid dogs'', Mother would immediately chastise me or even punish me for saying such things.


    I began to remember even more instances where should had long have directed me to line all the dots together. But such a possibility had never once crossed my mind! There was also my Third Uncle, who, despite my mother''s insistence that she was his distant relative, could hardly remember that he had such a cousin like Mother!


    This was a truth so shocking that everything felt like a hypnagogic hallucination. I reflected on the talk I had with Mother when we were sitting atop the roof at Aunt Ulan''s camp. I was quite upset about what Mother had said then. However, no amount of words would be able to fully describe my emotions now.


    Then again, I was hardly a person who would get into a blind alley. Even after knowing that Father and Mother were not my biological parents, I hardly felt anything after a few days. What mattered to me, was that I was not the one preventing Father from ascending into Heaven. So was the fact about Mother''s true form, as long as they both loved me! I began to feel better. Everyone noticed my expression softened and my face warmed up and Lin Feng quickly changed the subject. "So, Senior," he asked Godmother, "Do you know about the people who had tried to attack us?"


    Godmother nodded. "I know the location of their lair," she replied, "I''ll lead you there tomorrow. But I know little about them. We are beyond the circle of influence of the zoomorphic deities, the Wudaxians of the Liaoning Region. Most of the other animals here that have learned magic actually belong to the same faction as my elder sister''s when she was alive, or what''s left of them. But the Mentor of the organization and most of the stronger students have all been slain, leaving only the weak and helpless. It was only because they have begun operating in the prairies of Mongolia, that I began to take notice of them."


    My head nodded grimly. So many of these demons were still begrudging Father for his act of slaying their mentor. This would explain the woman''s attempt to try to abduct me years ago.


    Godmother began telling us more about what happened in the last three centuries. For hundreds of years, she had been wandering about China, trying vainly to search for Father. But I know my father. No one would be able to find him, especially when he wished it so. He had the means and powers to keep himself hidden. Hence, for decades and centuries, Godmother had journeyed around China for naught, until one day, she received word from Mongolia that a person was seen flying in the air on a sword like the immortals from Chinese folklore. Realizing that it could be my father Murong Hai, Godmother began renewing her search in Mongolia once again. Little did she realize that that was me, not Father, who remained at Wu Zhong.


    For decades she stayed there, searching through every stubble of grass for Father that she became no stranger to the endless Mongolian steppes. She became aware of the activities of the demons at Mongolia, although she did not know that the purpose of their coming into Mongolia was to set an ambush for me.


    At her invitation, we went back to her lair that evening. We left the horses outside and prepared to overnight inside.


    To our amazement, there was more to Godmother''s cave than meets the eye. Edelweiss and I had ventured only at the outermost chamber of the cave, without knowing that the cave actually honeycombed deep into the mountain! There were more chambers in the cave system, all fully furnished with beds intricately hewn from stone. Unbeknownst to us earlier, we were not alone all along! There were many more girls inside the cave, all of them were younger fox demons who were still novices in the arts of magic. Despite being able to assume human form, many of them still had their tails hanging at their rear.


    She led us into the cavern full of girls and said to them, "This is my son," she pronounced loudly, motioning at me. The girls immediately scrambled to their feet and curtseyed, greeting me as "Young Master." Although they did their best to behave like humans, they could not resist sniffing at me like little puppies. Godmother gently tugged at Edelweiss'' arm and said to them again, "And this is my daughter-in-law!" Quick to the catch, the lot of them quickly uttered, "Young Mistress," sending Edelweiss into a fit of embarrassment.


    Then again, I brooded, we were no nearer to regaining Aunt Ulan''s soul. The very crisis concerning her survival vexed me that I hardly slept that night. Beside me, Edelweiss too tossed about restlessly like one in the grip of a fever. I patted her lightly and whispered to her, asking her to rest early. A long journey awaited us tomorrow, I said to her. There might even be a fight too. Nevertheless, I myself found it hard to sleep with troubled thoughts of Aunt Ulan''s safety swimming in my mind.


    Still, fatigue took me some time in the wee hours of the morning. I woke up at noon and discovered everyone, Yuan Chongxi included, was already waiting for me. Some of the girls from our company were struggling to stifle their giggles to the knowledge that Edelweiss and I had spent the night together in a room, much to my chagrin.


    We made ready for our pursuit. With Godmother sharing a horse with Edelweiss, she rode at the head, leading us ahead. Riding just behind, I mused at how they looked really like a woman who doted on her daughter-in-law. For more than ten kilometers we galloped and reached the foot of a hill. It was only when we came near to the hill, we realized that the trees around the hill had all been felled to make space for a large open space enclosed by palisades of wood from the fallen trees. With the absence of a forest to obscure its entrance, the cave was visible now. Fences made of branches girdled the mouth of the cave with a pair of sentries guarding at each side.


    Edelweiss yanked at the reins of her horse and compelled it to come closer. "It''s too bad that there are trees in the way. Otherwise, I could have led some of my sisters with me to creep near the entrance from the sides while you take out both sentries with your silenced pistol! We can immediately storm the cave quickly!" Yuan Chongxi overheard us and jabbed at my ribs. "You brought a gun? Why did you not tell us! Let me have a look!" Yuan Chongxi was an avid gun enthusiast. He studied firearm with ardent fervor and passion that bordered on fanaticism. Anything about guns; be they the design and structure of guns, the speed of the projectiles, and the strengths and weaknesses of different models, Yuan Chongxi knew them all! That was why he could easily disassemble the guns when we first encountered Aunt Ulan''s girls when they tried to steal our baggage! I extracted my Spirit Gourd, and much to his annoyance, I teased him, "This is it! Have a look! I''m sure this is something very new even to you!" I turned back to Edelweiss, getting back to business. "The trees will not obstruct me. Just take your sisters with you. Send me a signal once you''re ready to rush in!"


    With a gesture to her girls, Edelweiss led the girls with her. They fitted bayonets at the muzzle of their rifles and moved stealthily towards the mouth of the cave. When they were ready, Edelweiss flashed me a V-sign from her hiding spot and I uncorked my Gourd. I aimed the mouth of my Gourd at the two guards watching the entrance and they quickly collapse! Immediately, with the speed of lightning, Edelweiss and her band of sisters charged into the cave!

 Chapter 122 The Massacre of the Foxes

    Seeing the girls rushing into action, we too leaped forward and followed their lead into the cave. We were welcomed by the crackling of the flames on the torches that hung on the walls of the bowels of the cave at intervals, illuminating the path deeper inside like beacons in the darkness. I released my spirit wolves, and much to their surprise, the girls yelped and screamed with shock. It was the first time they had actually seen my wolves as their enormous opaque girths shimmered into visibility. This was only because the wolves were unleashed under the brightness of sunlight where they could not see them.


    I held up a hand to signal for silence and assured everyone that my wolves only act on my bidding. With a nod to my orders, my familiar spirits dipped their heads and sped off into the darkness. I looked at Lin Feng, who returned a knowing glance to me. With a swing of his arm and a steely swish, he brandished his whip, giving off with a glistening sleekness in the fiery glow. Chongxi was smiling, having already taken out his teacher''s heirloom, his Luopan. My face contorted into a frowning grimace, "You lot seem to be enjoying yourselves like we are going to a park?!" With an exasperated smile, my hand reached over my shoulder to tug at the rope, undoing the knot that tied the scabbard of my sword to my back. With my other hand, I caught my sword and I drew my weapon, readying myself for the upcoming battle!


    We began moving deeper into the cave, following the trails of my spectral wolves. After some time of walking, we found them all halted to a stop dead ahead. They began shuffling around uneasily as if stopped by an imaginary wall. What was wrong, I thought when I heard Chongxi''s mutters, saying, "Why are the torches ahead all dead?" Then I realized that only a pitch-black wall of darkness laid ahead. The line of torches that stretched intermittently from the entrance had ended here! Something must be wrong, I brooded, otherwise my spirit wolves would not be behaving so strangely!


    I walked my past my wolves and hazarded a step into the peal of utter blackness before us. But as soon as my foot plunged into the black shroud, it vanished! Panicked, I quickly yanked my leg back and my foot was fine! A murk of darkness loomed ahead of us, obscuring our sights of what was inside. Yuan Chongxi came forward and walked headfirst into the smog, muttering testily, "What''s all the surprise about? Look at me! I''m fine... Argh!" He had barely finished when he quickly retreated outwards. He gasped for breath, gagging on the verge of throwing up. "What is wrong." I was the first to ask, until he finally uttered only a one-syllable expletive, "Fart!"


    Bewildered, I did not understand what he was trying to say. Godmother walked up to Chongxi and flicked at his nose grumpily. "You just don''t know how to express yourself, do you?" She snapped. But her gesture of flicking at his nose must be some kind of spell, for Chongxi immediately recovered from gasping. "What is wrong," I asked again and he squatted down, setting a cigarette ablaze. He took a sip. "I thought it was only darkness inside, but it is not! It''s a smokescreen! A mass of black fumes blocking us!" Behind him, Godmother merely snorted edgily. Still, we were confused and puzzled about the barricade of blackness that now impeded our progress.


    I took out my flashlight and shone it inwards, but the shaft of light from my flashlight seemed to hit the wall of blackness and could penetrate no further. It was as if the light had been swallowed by a deep and unfathomable black hole from the point where it hit the screen of darkness. Wearing a troubled expression, I turned to Godmother, the only one who seemed hardly perturbed by what laid before us. "Do you know what is this, Mother?" I asked. Hearing my voice seemed to calm her down from her exasperation. "You have to remember that your enemies are also fox demons, Son," she said to me, "This is merely one of their magical contrivances, a petty one too at that. I''m guessing that the line of torches actually extends further inwards, but our sight ahead is merely blinded by this magical smog of their device. It is miasmic flatulence created as a byproduct during their meditation and training in the arcane arts. Ordinary humans will feel nauseous and sick once entering the smog for it is slightly toxic. Inhaling too much will kill you."


    Finally, I understood! No wonder Yuan Chongxi had said the word ''fart''! It was not intended as an expletive after all, although the word did slightly annoyed Godmother. But now with Godmother''s full explanation, everyone finally understood what before us was merely the toxic miasma expelled by the fox demons during the cultivation of their magic, rather than a true abyssal blackhole!


    "So it is just a simple parlor trick!" I exclaimed, extracting my Spirit Gourd with a glee. With a recital of a spell, the smog of darkness quickly vanished as the fumes were all drawn into my gourd and the way ahead was once again opened. Indeed, the way was reopened to us again as the darkness began to subside. The same fiery radiance once again filled our eyes with the line of torches continuing inwards.


    We continued our exploration. Before walking long, Yuan Chongxi''s luopan gave a gentle shudder. Even my spirit wolves seemed to be more and more agitated. "We are near," I said to myself! With no stomach for niceties, especially since these demons were the first to initiate hostilities towards me, I gave a shrill whistle, siccing my wolves ahead. At the sound of the signal, my minions jostled against each other and tore ahead with fury and bloodlust. I unsheathed my sword and performed some hand seals while reciting a spell. With a sonorous ring, the Shiyan Blade shot out of my grasp like a released arrow. Realizing from my actions that we were finally near our quarry, everyone began readying themselves with cascading echoes of rifles being cocked batted to and fro the walls of the rocky tunnel we came in.


    By the time everyone charged into the cave chamber, the fight had already ended. The wolves had set upon the foxes without remorse, leaving carcasses of foxes strewn around the chamber, numbering at more than thirty of them. From the looks of them, they were already prepared for a fight. But clearly, they have underestimated my powers. I reflected upon the efficiency of my wolves at their dealing of death; none of the foxes were left alive. I extracted my Spirit Gourd. But before I could absorb the souls of the dead foxes, I heard Godmother''s curious gasp. "It looks dead, but... Strange!" she said. I turned to face a corner of the chamber and saw her moving towards a dead carcass. Unlike the others, there was not a splatter of blood on this carcass. The carcass shrank into a corner with its face obscured, until I saw that it was still breathing; its chest was still heaving for air! It was still alive! But Godmother was merely steps away from it, still unaware that it was still alive until the fox suddenly sprang up, producing a crossbow aimed at her!


    I heard the distinctive twang of the crossbow as its bolt was instantly released! D*mned, I cursed as I could only yell, "Mother!" At the same time, I dragged her aside, only to inadvertently place myself in the path of the arrow as I felt the intense surge of air barreling towards my throat!


    Courage leaked out of me as quickly as a punctured balloon. Death was circling over me and the bolt from the crossbow was coming at me as time seemed to slow down. The only thing that flashed through my mind at that very instant was the actual cognizance of my impending death!


    What Master Six had said to me before, it was the last thing on my mind at that very moment. I had completely forgotten that he had told me about Father''s enchantment on me. His enchantment would protect me in the face of certain death, said the immortal to me when I woke up in my sickbed months and months ago. For a split second, I braced myself for my doom, when I realized that the bolt did not hit me after all until Lin Feng''s furious roar jerked me back to reality. "How dare you!" And the sound of something being lashed raw by his whip filled my ears.


    I lowered my gaze and saw one of the most unbelievable things in my life: the bolt was hanging in mid-air just a foot from my throat as if its travel had been magically stopped by the suspension of time.


    Oh my God! Those the words that almost escaped my lips, if not for my still-bewildered state at the inconceivable spectacle before me! With a crack, the bolt fell to the ground helplessly. But Godmother was still peering around every corner of the chamber, as if she was looking for something. "What are you searching for, Mother?" I asked, and she said she seemed to have felt Father''s presence when I had pushed her away from danger. She might be thinking that he might have appeared to save me and had quickly hidden himself. I gave a feeble chuckle, followed by a helpless shrug of my shoulders. There would be no stopping her, hence I could only allow her to her whims for now.


    I returned to my work of collecting the souls of the dead foxes before I began interrogating them.


    I first looked for the fox demon who had turned into a woman who cheated me when I was a boy. "You still owe me 5 yuan!" I shouted once I found her. Everyone, including Lin Feng and Edelweiss, burst into waves of stifled laughter. The woman begged miserably, "Please, my young lord, we are all dead now! I can only beseech for your mercy to allow us into the Underworld for a rebirth!"


    "So it''s ''young lord'' now?" Yuan Chongxi pouted through his pursed lips, sipping slowly on his cigarette. With his luopan, he smacked it hard on the head of the wraith-like apparition of the woman, "Too late for that now! Speak up, where is Aunt Ulan''s soul!"

 Chapter 123 Forlorn Hopes

    Yuan Chongxi''s luopan was made of a block of wood from a peach tree that was struck by lightning. It was a sacred item immensely potent against ghosts and evil spirits. With hardly any shred of clemency, Chongxi slammed it down on the head of the powerless apparition! What an agonizing pain it must be for a soul to endure such a hit!


    The soul of the fox demon wailed pain achingly that I almost felt my a tug in my gut. "Is this not a tad too brutal? Should I just destroy it completely to shorten its suffering?" The rest of souls of its kin inside my Gourd heard her screams and began to tremble with fright that my Gourd began to shake and terrified groans began to emit from its uncorked mouth.


    The soul of the fox demon took several minutes, squirming painfully until it finally recovered. Surely Chongxi had not driven it into insanity, I hoped. The spirit whimpered between her intermittent sobs, "Show mercy, lord. I said nothing about hiding the truth... Please..." "Speak," I said to her again, "Where is Aunt Ulan''s soul?" But the ghost, hearing me speaking Aunt Ulan''s name once more, failed to concentrate at all and instead became fidgety and jittery. Struggling to bring herself to tell the truth, she stuttered, "Sh-she... H-her soul''s been taken..."


    I have been dreading to hear something like this. But I could not help feeling even more morose and deject to actually hear the words. But unlike before, I longer lost my composure. "What do you mean by she''s been taken? And what do you intend to do with her?" I asked coolly. The ghost paused as if she had detected that frosty tone in my voice before she could answer, "I-it was an old man. The old man saw us holding the Flask of Souls that contained her soul and snatched it from us. We could not do anything; the old man has the powers resembling that half of an immortal." My eyes narrowed. "Then what was your previous intention of taking Aunt Ulan''s soul!?" I snapped and the ghost almost jumped with fright. "E-er... Your mercy, my lord, we had only wanted to use her soul to lure you into showing yourself before..." She could not bear to finish for the fear of angering me further. As if being decapitated, the rest of her sentence went on unspoken. But I knew what she was trying to say. Aunt Ulan''s soul was merely the bait for them to lure me into a trap for them to try to kill me.


    The ghost of the demon noted the uneasy and tense silence between us as I pondered and mistaken, thinking that I was wondering on ways to best torture her. She threw herself to the ground and began banging her head on the ground, prostrating herself at my ankles like a humble slave. "Mercy, my young lord! Please allow us a chance for rebirth! Please, my lord!" Godmother had come up to me wordlessly. She patted on my shoulder and whispered into my ear, "Ask her, my son. See if they were doing this by the bidding of others. Somehow with their likes, I do not think they dare to darken the doors of Murong Hai! There must be someone else involved, especially when these worthless can hardly accomplish anything!"


    Hearing this struck a bell in my mind! Indeed! These fools were too easy even for me! They should know they were no match for us, yet the fact that they still dared to offend us could only mean that someone else was the mastermind of this whole affair!


    A cold and steely smile appeared on my face. "Heh heh heh! You''re begging me to allow you all a chance for rebirth? Very well. But I require the truth from you. Who is behind all this? Who is this person who wishes ill upon me and what is his purpose?" I was confident that their purpose would hardly be anything more than revenge for what Father had done in the past towards them if these worthless fools were the ones planning everything. But a greater and more insidious scheme might be in the offing if someone else was behind everything! There was also the possibility of attempting to abduct me to force Father to divulge the location of the hidden Dragon-slaying Blade, now that I understood the link between Father and Bian Dashou, as well as the Dragon-slaying Blade. What was worst, any one who knew about the Dragon-slaying Blade would undoubtedly be informed about its capabilities and its potential to bestowing one the kingship of the entire nation!


    The ghost was still mumbling incomprehensibly, with hardly any lucid words from her. It took her great exertion for the merest understandable message, "N-no one... W-we did everything on our..." I cut her off instantly with a roar, "So be it then! I''ll have you all reduced into ingredients for my pills!" The prospects of completely disintegrating into nothingness struck panic into the ghost that she threw herself to my feet again, begging profusely, "Please, my young lord! Mercy, please!" My chest heaved as I breathed heavily. "Speak truthfully! Who ordered you!" I spat intensely at her again. Realizing that there was no other way for her, the spirit of the demon stammered, "N-no... P-please... I, I cannot speak of this..." Chongxi could take no more. With a stomp on the butt of his cigarette, he stormed towards the ghost, his hand raising high his luopan as he prepared to strike again on the ghost, screaming loudly, "What the No, you say? I''ll have you sprout the truth this instant!" The ghosts raised her arms to shield herself, horrified beyond words, fearing that one more strike with the luopan might actually reduce her to bits!


    I raised an arm to stop Chongxi from doing anything brash. "You mentioned that you cannot speak of this. Why?" I asked again sternly. The ghost squirmed and twitched restlessly with fear as if afraid that she might be watched. Grappling with hysteria, she finally spoke, "Death awaits whoever divulges this secret... Moreover, there is only a little that we know. We do not know the identity of he who commands us, truth be told." My eyes narrowed again as I held her in an inquiring gaze. "Oh? Really?" "Indeed, young lord. Many years ago, our mentor and the seniors of our sect were all slain by your father, leaving only the paltry wretch of us. At that time, our mentor intended to stop the protagonist of the legend from turning into a dragon and ascending into Heaven. Our mentor wishes for the Dragon-slaying Blade. But instead, they were all slain by your father. The news of our mentor''s and seniors'' fall sent us into hiding. So was the Blade, which slowly faded away under the sands of Time. It was then..." The ghost''s voice trailed off. With a hard gulp, she fell silent, indicating that anymore she reveal would result in her death. "It was then, your benefactor appeared, is it not?" I asked, finishing her sentence for her.


    Still, the ghost merely cast frightened glances at me without even the courage to nod at what I said. That was enough for me to understand the rest of her story. The incident between Father and her mentor and seniors had alerted the benefactor of their existence and the said benefactor had then enslaved what remains of the flock of fox demons to do his bidding. Evidently, their slave driver coveted the lost Blade to forge an opportunity of kingship over China! The protagonist that the ghost had spoken of must be Bian Dashou, although Fate deemed it inevitable that only failure awaited his attempt for ascension into Heaven. But there must be more intrigues and conspiracies surrounding Bian Dashou''s failed bid for immortality! The benefactor obviously knew about Bian Dashou; he might even be the mastermind who had engineered the failure! This could explain his precise information about the Blade that was lost and news about my parents and me.


    Another long talk with Father might tick off all the question marks, I brooded. I became sure that there must be more than what Master Six and Father had told me about their affair. But now that the matter was beginning to involve me, there was no way I could continue without a need-to-know, more so, when every hostile around us apparently thought of me as the weakness of the great Murong Hai.


    What a messy business, I mused. Just as I was still busy thinking, Edelweiss came patting on my shoulder. "Shiyan," she asked, "Why are they addressing you as ''young master''?" Only then it occurred to me: Godmother must have cast a spell on Edelweiss and her sisters since entering the cave. This allowed them to see and listen to the ghost of the fox demon that I had extracted from my Spirit Gourd. They have heard every word that she had said.


    But before I could reply Edelweiss'' question, Godmother sighed loudly. "How not to," she lamented suddenly, "His mother is practically a living progenitor of all foxes and their kin! This makes him a young lordling in his own right!" Oh my God, I uttered to myself, "Godmother is jealous!" With a benign and consoling voice as soft as a lullaby, topped by a gentle smile, I quickly said to Godmother, "You are too a mother to me!" She broke into a cackle, all vestiges of sullenness gone instantly! No wonder Father chose to avoid her, with such tempers of hers!


    I smiled weakly as a response and quickly turned back to business. Once again, I demanded for the identity of the person who took Aunt Ulan''s soul, only this time, Godmother interjected before the spirit could barely react, "You might as well have asked me, my son!" What do you mean, I almost blurted. "Does Godmother know the name of the person who took Aunt Ulan soul? Who could that be?"


    With a curious glance at Godmother, she threw back a sly and impish chuckle without saying a word!


    With her chin, she gestured at the ghost still kneeling and bowing at my feet. "We''ll talk later. Let''s deal with them first!" I shrugged my shoulders before allowing them to fall loosely on my side. I set alight two yellow-colored talisman strips and waited. The fumes from the burning papers slowly snaked out of the cave. Before long, a strange and ghastly wind began breezing in the enclosed cave chamber and two shadowy figures stepped into view at the entrance.

 Chapter 124 The Mysterious Fores

    t


    The two dark and cadaverous figures drifted towards me and stopped. "Who summons us?" One of them spoke before they recognized me. With a quick change, they began to speak more amicably, "Oh! It''s you, sir! So fate has brought us together once again! What is your purpose today?"


    Much to my amazement, it was the same pair of Hell Guards whom we had encountered after our adventures at the haunted hospital!


    I immediately released the souls of the fox demons from my gourd and told the two keepers of the Underworld about our fight. They were gleeful at the prospect for more rewards, bowing respectfully while wearing cheerful smiles as they muttered words of thanks before they left.


    The pair of Hell Guards had barely disappeared and Yuan Chongxi grumbled, "You should''ve asked the two Guards about the whereabouts of Aunt Ulan''s soul while you''re at it! They are the keepers of the Underworld. Surely they know a thing or two!" But before I could answer, Godmother knocked on his head with her knuckle. "And what makes you think they''ll tell you? Every life and death is destined by Fate. They would be going against the will of Heaven by divulging such secrets! Severe penalties will be awaiting them!" Chongxi rubbed at his head and muttered a disinterested "oh". "Godmother is right," I said, nodding, "The Hells Guards have their own rules. Imagine the embarrassment if they could reveal nothing to what we ask."


    With the matter of the fox demons concluded, it was time we continue on our hunt for Aunt Ulan. With a brisk wave to Edelweiss, I began strolling towards the entrance and motioned for everyone to leave. But nobody moved. I turned back and discovered Edelweiss and the girls all shocked with their mouths hanging wide! It took a moment before one of the girls uttered, "B-brother-in-law... What were those two!?" But what she said left me stunned. I was usually addressed as ''Young Master'' because I was Aunt Ulan''s godson. But somehow they have begun addressing me as ''Brother-in-law'' all of a sudden! Then again, it was understandable; Edelweiss has always been viewed by the rest of the girls as Aunt Ulan''s second-in-command. Given their younger age, it should be normal that they call me such.


    With my cheeks emblazoned with red patches, I replied, "That two? They''re Hell Guards, what else? They were here to help escort the souls down to the Underworld." Still, despite my explanation, the girls were still frightened. It was surreal for common humans to encounter the paranormal. Even Edelweiss was still perplexed. But as bandits in the Mongolian wilderness, the girls quickly recovered from the ordeal, although they began surrounding me, peppering me with more questions about the supernatural.


    Edelweiss'' snickers came suddenly from a corner. "How brazen of you!" She scowled her fellow sisters, albeit much to their amusement, "Our Chief and Shiyan''s parents are still unaware about everything between us. Yet you decide everything on your own!" But Godmother quickly quipped, "It''s okay! Let Godmother decide for you!" Realizing that things were spiraling out of hand, I immediately put a halt in their banter by roaring loudly, "ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT! OFF WE GO NOW!"


    I survived the trek out the cave system by enduring the constant teases pelted at me by everyone and we got back on our horses. We began riding again and the trees around us began to look more sparse and thin. We must be far away now, I mused as we came before a mountain gorge. I made a signal to slow down to observe as our horses traipsed uneasily amongst the wood. The dusting of frost on the ground of the forest was no more.


    Suddenly, a loud "eh" came from one of the girls. She called at me, saying, "Look, Brother-in-law! There''s a human skull here." The sudden remark made all of us turned. A human skull was hanging from a broken branch on a tree. With my Spirit Sight, I found there was nothing peculiar about the skull that was festooned with dust and bird droppings. I heaved a sigh of relief. "It''s all right. No problem here," I pronounced to everyone.


    However, Lin Feng was still wary. He was looking around, surveying our surroundings carefully while murmuring, "Who the hell would hang such a thing on the tree?" "I''ve heard of a kind of bird which loves to hang their prey on a tree after catching them!" Yuan Chongxi interjected. "Nah..." I disagreed, "If this is the work of such a predator bird, then there would also be other bones from the rest of the person''s remains. But there''s nothing under the branch. I''m guessing that this might be the sinister prank by some hunters to ward people off!" "Such an awful prank!" Some of the girls began complaining, "how terrible!"


    We circumvented the tree with the human skull and continued our way forward. That said, the encounter with the skull had induced a dreadful foreboding that I could not explain myself.


    We rode till sunset when the sun was already plunging far away into the arms of the mountains that surrounded us from afar. We eased our horses to a stop. "It''s getting dark. Let''s stop here and make camp. It could be dangerous if we cannot make a fire when the night sets in," I commanded. We dismounted and Yuan Chongxi was suddenly just behind me, poking at my ribs, "So what''s for dinner, dear Quartermaster?"


    It was because of Chongxi''s question, that I instantly grasped the dread that I have felt lingering on my spine! The woods that we have entered was too quiet! Ever since entering the woods, I have yet to hear any chirps of birds or ringing of crickets! The ground of the forest was bare and spotless, completely devoid of any animal tracks! I quickly took out my gourd and summoned my wolves, commanding them to look for prey. But they merely circled around me aimlessly. There were no animals at all in this forest! A shiver of fear ran down my shoulders as cold sweat began to break out. The utter absence of animals did not bode well; no humans would be able to inhabit this sinister place as well! We must leave as soon as possible!


    Then I remembered, I have magic and my magical instruments while Lin Feng has his expertise in combat and Yuan Chongxi his savvy in seeing the future. That was nothing we should be afraid of! I set aside my consternation and drew my spectral familiars back into my gourd and began to help to raise a fire. Let them come, I mused to myself, we''ll deal with anything that comes as we always do!


    It was before dark when our makeshift canopies and tents, constructed using dried fallen branches, were ready. Without any animal to hunt, it was fortunate we brought rations. We nibbled at our meat jerkies while sitting around the fire, sipping at the liquor we brought with us for the trip. Muffled and quiet t¨ºte-¨¤-t¨ºtes began around the fire as the rest of the girls paused their teasing about Edelweiss and I. We offered some of our rations to Godmother but she declined the food, saying that she was a demon with powers accumulated through centuries. Missing a meal or two would hardly weaken her. But she was trying to help us save some food for the journey, I full well knew. Despite her behavioral misgivings, Godmother was nevertheless a kind person.


    Yuan Chongxi had found a dead tree which he used as kindling for the long campfire we sat around. He must have been dreaming of another feast of wild partridges when he worked, I wondered. This would explain why the long and huge campfire was raised by razing the fallen tree in three separate parts to build a large fire!


    Through the night, I sat just next to Edelweiss and she never stopped asking about my parents; finding out about their likes and dislikes which I obliged by replying to all her questions.


    It was only then I realized that I knew nothing about Edelweiss'' parents. "What about your father and mother?" I asked in return. To my surprise, she merely smiled. She was an orphan, she said, and it was Aunt Ulan who had found her and raised her like her own daughter. She knew nothing about her biological parents. Like me, our foster parents were everything to us and to know about our biological parents hardly mattered.


    Hearing Edelweiss'' story, I sighed wearily. "Hmm... I too am hardly different myself," I lamented. "Technically, I am also an orphan. Father found me being carried by an old Taoist priest on his back when I was still a toddler. The priest was fatally injured when he met Father. With his dying breath, he entrusted me and the Shiyan Blade to Father..." I told him what Father had admitted to me about my past and confessed that I cared little about my true parents, a sentiment that even I myself could hardly explain.


    Just as we were talking, I realized that the embers were stirring in the fire, creating fresh sparks that made the blaze grew stronger. Winds began to howl over our heads. It was fortunate we have Godmother with us, I mused. It was with her magic that we could construct the canopies and tents in time before night fell upon us, otherwise, we would still be working in the darkness of the forest.


    But something interrupted my thoughts suddenly. The Shiyan Blade slid off the side of my knapsack to a loud clang on the ground and it was vibrating intensely in its sheath!

 Chapter 125 Malice at Midnigh

    t


    The Shiyan Blade was a magical sword. It stirs and vibrates restlessly whenever it detects the presence of evil and supernatural entities. This made it extremely potent in comparison to the two other common-looking swords which were only special because they were imbued with Father''s enchantments to ward off evil.


    But the Shiyan Blade, unlike the two other swords which will only warn me about the presence of enemies, would also alert me to any imminent dangers as well.


    The wind merely sustained for mere minutes before it gradually subsided. But the Shiyan Blade, still shuddering restively in its scabbard, did not stop cautioning me of danger! I picked it up with a frown of concern and grasped at its handle with a hand. Immediately, like a bolt from the blue, the tingling sensation of premonition assailed my senses!


    Sensing something wrong himself, Lin Feng raised a hand to motion for silence. "Quiet! Listen!" He said to everyone. Every voice around us quickly died down, replaced with merely the crackling of tinders in the blaze before us before I could hear distinct rustling noises that seemed to come from a distance, although we could not tell from where.


    My eyes narrowed and I lowered myself to a crouch to try to get a better gist of the sound. It grew louder and louder as time passed until we discovered that it was the noises of galloping horses from afar! "Shhh! Someone is coming on horses, and quickly too!" Lin Feng nodded his agreement, saying nothing. Edelweiss was wearing an expression of shock. But instead of keeping down, she stood up at once!


    What''s wrong, I asked hushedly and she cupped a hand over her ears to listen. "T- this... This! This is definitely more than a few horses! This is the number of an army cavalry, or else it would not be so noisy!" Having spent long years as a horse bandit, we could only trust in her extensive experience about horses. Something must be wrong, since she so said such!


    But there was only one way to ascertain. Seconds passed and the distant galloping broke into the cacophony of gnashing steel and battle cries, laced with sporadic screams of pain and anguish as if a bloody battle was being waged just before us! But everything was fine and normal around us save for the noises and screams! The hairs on my arm were standing on their ends and an aura, lurid and tremendously insidious, lingered over us that we felt it very hard to breathe. I looked over my back and several of the girls were already hugging each other in fear! Even Godmother herself was looking distressed! As a demon who was once a beast, she has only the deepest fears for the sounds from the instruments of human''s atrocity and carnage! Even Lin Feng, Chongxi, and Edelweiss were frozen by fear themselves. But what is going on?! In the late hours near midnight, the thunderous hubbub of a battle was upon us!


    Despite the apprehension that sent me into goosebumps, there were many peculiarities! This was a deserted forest with the nearest human settlements miles and miles away! Of all the places for a fight, these people chose here! What was more, we had not encountered any living animal or people for miles since entering this region. On the other hand, I was sure that the noises of the fighting were not the work of ghosts or evil spirits for I had surveyed our surroundings with my Spirit Sight before night and found no ghosts around!


    The fight outside only got fiercer; the spine-chilling cries and clamorous noises of the raging battle only grew stronger. Yet, we could not tell from which direction were the noises coming from as if the noises were transmitted directly into our minds! Struggling against the freezing panic, I calmed myself down and conjured my spirit wolves. I slipped them my instructions to have them gather what information they could about the noise but they merely took a few paces away from the campsite and turned back! The wolves detected nothing beyond the compound of our hearth!


    I relayed to everyone about my suspicions. Lin Feng was the first to stand up. He crept to his knapsack and took out his whip before going to the fire. He chose from amidst the fire a burning branch as a torch. Then he began walking outside, hell bent on finding out about the noise himself. Fearing he might be in danger if he was alone, I ran to the fire and pulled a burning branch myself and followed after him.


    Chongxi and Edelweiss were about to trail behind when I stopped them. Some of us have to stay to guard the campsite and be prepared in case some reinforcements were needed.


    Lin Feng and I melted into the darkness, with only the fiery glow from our flaming brands illuminating our way. Without the ability of the Nocturnal Sight that grants night vision, I could hardly see Lin Feng. It was only by his torch that I could see where he was moving. But my Spirit Sight cautioned me of the murderous aura that wafted around us for miles!


    We reconnoitered the perimeter of the campsite several times, still nothing could be found. Lin Feng began to lose any desire to go on. He turned back and glared at me crossly, "Say something, Shiyan! What is going on!"


    My forehead creased into a troubled frown. Unable to aptly express what I felt using words, I could only sigh in return. "Let''s go back," I said to him, "Something is fishy here." Lin Feng made no reply but he turned as I bade and we began moving back towards the campsite, having noticed the terrified and anxious expression on my face.


    Back at the campsite, I was still unsettled, feeling that something paranormal must be at work around us. I stepped outside the tent and drew my sword. The Shiyan Blade gave a cold and shrill ring as it escaped its sheath enough to strike fear into any foe that might be lurking! "Evil beings and malicious spirits, come if you dare!" I muttered under my breath, "The Shiyan Blade awaits!" With a flick of my wrist, I plunged the Shiyan Blade several inches into the ground. Lo and behold, the Shiyan Blade was indeed feared by the evil and foul! The ghastly aura of malice and blood that hung over the campsite immediately subsided like the falling of tides of the sea! The noises and cries of bloodshed and carnage immediately reduced and gradually diminished completely that even the ghastly aura was utterly no more.


    The Shiyan Blade''s warnings were true; something was trying to attack us! Yet it was averted by the sacred powers of the Shiyan Blade to deter evil!


    I turned and withdrew back into the tent and tossed the sheath of my sword on my knapsack which was lying in a corner. I trod back to the fire and lit a cigarette. It was an eerily cold and silent night that a mere moment away from the fire, I could feel the chilliness trying to stab into my bones. The rest of the company were beginning to feel more at ease now as the strange noises and disembodied cries had died down. Lin Feng was the first to react; he glowered at me, "What was that just now?! Speak up, Shiyan! What''s gone into you!" Some of the girls began begging for answers, "What is going on here, Brother-in-law? Are we in danger?" Still trembling myself, I caught sight of Godmother who was still balled into a fetal knot, quivering herself as she grimaced with terror.


    With a finger, I tapped on my cigarette and watched its ashes falling to the ground like blackened snow. Edelweiss came to me timidly and handed me a cup of kumis drink. I took a quick swig and spoke to her for the first time since the noise began, "We saw nothing outside when we were looking around the perimeter of the campsite. Still, I saw something with my Spirit Sight..." Lin Feng overheard me and immediately sprang up, struck with astonishment, "What did you see?!" He and Chongxi knew well about my innate Spirit Sight to know that it was more potent than simulated Magical Sights conjured using magical talismans. I could see the flow of aura or energies, pure and foul alike. I sighed paused for a breath before I continued, "It was an evil aura that reeked of blood and gore. For miles and miles, it stretched around us, yet it was so thick that we could almost feel we were amid a blood-curdling slaughter ourselves..." "Like a blade might fall upon us anytime, innit!" Lin Feng breathed, adding sharply. I nodded. As a practitioner of combat arts, he was acute to the feeling of such aura. He too had felt it earlier, but he did not mention it without my confirmation.


    With my affirmation of what he felt, Lin Feng slapped on his thigh as if he just had a dawning inspiration, "No wonder! I had been feeling that same inexplicable fear since the voices and noises began! I thought that I was imagining things, since nothing was going on around us after all!" "It''s not true, something was going on..." I remarked, shaking my head, "What we felt was absolutely evil, but it''s like..." "Like we''ve been petrified, is it not?" It was Godmother.

 Chapter 126 The Odious Old Man

    The dawning of Godmother''s statement surprised me. I squashed the stubble of my cigarette. "That''s it," I said, looking at Godmother, "What I felt, was like being gripped at the throat by an invisible hand. The dense aura of malice and evil was so strong and powerful that we could barely move an inch. This could be why we were still unhurt despite being in such dangers."


    Godmother nodded. "Despite my magic and being able to turn into human form, I am a still beast. My senses are more acute than you. That is why I felt the stupefying presence even when the gust of thrashing wind began. I too was petrified by the terrifying presence that I could not move." Indeed, I mused, even Godmother, with all her magical powers notwithstanding, was still a demon nonetheless. This made her susceptible to any magic affecting foul and evil entities.


    "Mother," I said brusquely, "You know who took Aunt Ulan''s soul, do you not? Please just tell us now! I''m afraid that whoever he was, he might not want to meet us, hence this might be one of his ways of driving us away!" "But I am hardly certain myself," Godmother said suddenly with a sigh, "The person I was referring to has very great powers. For centuries, I have not come here. But you can rest assured that if it is really that same person whom I''m referring to who had taken your Aunt Ulan''s soul, she''ll be safe. That person is not an enemy." Much to my annoyance, the cryptic manner in which she spoke reminded me of Father. "How about you just tell us who he is?!" I replied sharply. "Relax. You''ll meet him tomorrow and you''ll know then. I''m guessing that he is now aware of your presence," Godmother abruptly broke into a smile. I fell silent with dismay. Godmother seemed adamant to not reveal the identity of whoever he was, like how Father usually would when he told me anything. Knowing better than to pry and further, I could only wait.


    With the magic of the Shiyan Blade repelling away all foul and evil aura, we could finally retire to a peaceful night. The night hung over us with the macabre silence of a wake with the absence of the noises and cries from the evil aura. Too quiet, in fact, that the company began to realize that no living animals inhabited the forest. It was ghastly and uncanny, a tacit crescendo of building dread. Some of the girls began to feel restless. Even Edelweiss burrowed closer to me, whimpering with fear. The night was simply too quiet.


    Just when the girls were cowering nervously, a peal of deepthroated snores broke the ghastly silence of the night air! All of our heads turned. There was Yuan Chongxi, fallen asleep in a corner just when everyone was worried sick! As he slept, he muttered to himself, "Tenderloins... I want some lamb tenderloins..."


    "Pffft!" Stifled giggles and chuckles dispelled the grim atmosphere before another snore followed then came another burst of laughter.


    With the night finally peaceful, we had a good night''s sleep.


    At the break of the next dawn, everyone got up and got themselves readied. Through the entire night, I had not really slept. Like a few of the other girls, Edelweiss was still frightened by the creepy silence and she snuggled up close to me all night that I could also feel her uneasiness. Lin Feng too had hardly had his eyes closed for he was up, alert the entire night, in case something went wrong again. His former enlistment in the army had made him extremely acute. The incident of the foul aura had unsettled him that he chose to keep himself up all night. Godmother had been resting the night in a meditating poise; there was no way of telling if she had a good night''s rest. The only one of the whole company to have had a good rest was Chongxi, whom I had to deliver a kick into his hind parts to wake him up.


    We demolished our makeshift tents and canopies and put out the fire and mounted our horses, riding deeper into the woods. The morning air was extremely refreshing and reinvigorating, as if the evil aura last night had not existed at all. Even the Shiyan Blade was still and calm now.


    For a little more than an hour, we rode until we saw something obstructing our way from far away. With our eyes set upon the obstruction on the road ahead of us, we willed the horses to go faster. But as we grew closer, we found that they were nothing but some fallen logs and branches. Beside the heap of wooden debris, there was a distinctly recognizable hearth, a long and squared fireplace still smoldering with fumes and steam! "W-what''s this?" Yuan Chongxi was the first the voice our shock, "T- this... This is our campsite last night?! How did we come back!?" "Nay," I disapproved, "The campsite has come back to us." Puzzled, he asked, "What do you mean by ''the camp has come back to us''?" "We were riding towards the east when we left this campsite," I muttered in a breath, "See for yourself the direction we are coming from now." He took out his luopan and found that I was right! We were on the west side of the campfire! This could only mean that we had virtually been traveling in a huge circle!


    "Could this be the magic of Ghost Barriers?" Lin Feng''s voice came unobtrusively from behind my shoulders. I shook my head. "I have detected nothing out of the ordinary all the way until now. Moreover, no Ghost Barriers would be able to affect me, seriously speaking."


    Chongxi, Lin Feng, and I moved to a corner. We might be in one of those haunted forests, Chongxi suggested. Many unwary travelers were known to unwittingly wander into haunted forests, only to find themselves trapped forever until the day they die. But Lin Feng was still holding on to his suspicions that we were under the influence of Ghost Barriers. Without any unanimous decision, we finally decided to try traveling along the same route as before!


    Only this time, we rode at a slower pace to leave marks on the trees that we rode past. We galloped towards East again and it took us an additional hour for us to find ourselves back at the campsite once more. Nevertheless, I had found nothing peculiar during the ride, no matter how closely I looked. Hoof marks littered around the ground from whence we came, the signs that we left when we first came back!


    "Damn it!" Yuan Chongxi snarled to nobody in particular, "What a God-forsaken place is this!? How did we ever find ourselves in such a torment!" As he was still grumbling, an insidious voice, sonorous and disembodied, boomed from overhead. "Heh heh heh! You can curse for all you want! You''ll never escape this place!" Heads began jerking around as we sought to find the origin of the voice, but to no avail. Like the battle cries, screams, and noises of iron and steel of a battlefield last night, the hollow voice boomed as if the voice was speaking directly into our heads! We were indeed under a spell from God knows since when!


    "Who is there!" I yelled at the top of my voice, "Show yourself!" But before the vile voice could reply, another voice rang suddenly like a blaring trumpet, "He?! He does not meet anyone!"


    Just as the new voice ended, everything around us began to change! The view of the campsite and the forest around us immediately shimmered out of sight replaced with the view of a snowfield! It was like waking up from a long nightmare! As we recovered from our surprise and astonishment at the enchantment being lifted, we began puffing steam from our mouths and realized that we were no longer alone! Another man had appeared near us, standing just beside the icy path we were standing on. The squat old man, looking at least fifty, was even shorter than Yuan Chongxi. Rough and stiff stubbles strewn around the chin of his wide face as he grinned at us with a smile behind a set of coffee yellowed teeth. With a fur Ushanka commonly wore in the colder parts of Northern China, his appearance reminded me of a less handsome Arnold Schwarzenegger from the film Red Heat!


    It was the first time I had met a man so odious and revolting! It was lucky that I was not alone, or else, I might have even died of shock! The stocky man stretched his sinewy neck and narrowed his slitted eyes. As if speaking to the disembodied voice, "Here I am with the kids and I have undone your magic! This should show the difference between our powers!" The voice retorted with suppressed wrath, "What kids? These runts? Are they yours?" The words thundered across the open tundra as if it was echoing off the walls of a deep ravine.


    The stout man, seething with indignance, remarked sharply, "This is the son of Brother Hai! This makes him my nephew!"

 Chapter 127 The Labyrinthian Canyon

    As soon as the short old man had revealed that he knew Father, I was perplexed with astonishment! He knew Father?! Could he be the one that Godmother was speaking about? Amid my bewilderment, my eyes wandered to Godmother, staring at her as if hoping that her face might contain answers to my suspicion. But what I received was merely a doubtful nod from her.


    But the reverberating rebutted harshly, "Nephew, you say? Is your hoodwinking of them with your magic a fitting gesture of hospitality by an elder for younger kin?" "The boy is a medium himself! Wading through dangers are his bread and butter! These simple obstacles were merely trials for him! Consider this a necessary but much-needed lesson from a concerned elder for him!" Instead, the faceless voice broke into a less frosty sneer, "Hahaha! Let me tell you then, in case it has slipped your notice. Murong Hai''s daughter-in-law is also present! As an elder, you have deceived them with your magic and have frightened them! I''d love to see how Murong Hai''s wife will make of this!"


    Finally, the truth dawned upon me! These people have been waiting for us; the old man had been using his magic to force us into traveling in circles! Frankly, I could not help but felt slightly vexed as I wondered if the old man had intentionally tried to fool us. Moreover, from what the voice had said, it was clear that this stocky old man had once suffered a lashing by Mother so severe that now the incident has become the subject of shame and embarrassment for him!


    The fuming old man stomped his feet with an ear-splitting "Aee-yah!", before he added, "I just don''t care! It was not my fault then!" But he quickly spun on his heels to face me. "My nephew!" He called to me warmly, "I''m sorry. I did not know that you have your wife here with you! Come indoors and have some hot tea to stave off the cold!" He reached to pull at the reins of my horse, only for the horse to flinched away, making me wonder if my horse too was finding him too ugly! My beast continued stepping away to avoid him, even as the old man tried vainly to seize the reins, creating a brief but hilarious moment.


    I swung myself off my horse. With a bow to the air, I shouted to the voice, "My deepest thanks to you for your concern over our wellbeing, Senior!" "That''s his magic. It allows him to project his voice for miles. For all we know, he might be far away, outside the gorge," snorted the squat old man, "Pay him no heed!" Since he addressed me as a nephew, this could only mean he is of similar seniority to Father. I quickly bowed to him as well. "My apologies to Uncle for the delay greetings. We''re sorry for intruding your peace!" "Enough with the formalities," he muttered, waving me off, "Come! My home is just near! Let''s have some tea for the cold! Come, my good boy!" He pointed ahead. "I''ll walk in front to lead, just keep up with your horses..." He began pacing away.


    Mysteriously, he appeared to be walking slowly ahead of us, but our horses could only catch up to him and maintain speed by trotting. He led us on a short journey until several burrows that looked like huts on a hilltop could be seen sprouting fumes from their chimneys came into view. The compound was enclosed by wooden stockades with a little door. The old man opened the door and invited us in. We fastened the reins of our horses to the stockades before retreated indoors to escape the frost. The little hovels belied its outwardly small size; it was spacious inside with plenty of room for all of us. The old man unfurled a carpet which was propped up against a wall and asked us to have a seat. With all of us settled down on the carpeted floor, he slipped into his chambers and came out not long later and sat with us.


    A boy came out minutes later, carrying trays of silver tableware containing steaming hot tea, the Mongolian milk suutei tsai. Living close to Mongolia, he was no stranger to their ways. Hardly a lover of the local beverage, I raised my cup and sipped perfunctorily. Still, I welcomed the warmth that it restored to me nevertheless. Recognizing their local drink, the rest of the girls performed a few Mongolian rituals before enjoying the drink. Only Yuan Chongxi dove at the drink with tremendous alacrity, much to the old man''s amusement. "Hahahaha! I like him!" He broke into a peal of guffaws, "He reminds me of myself!" Yuan Chongxi could merely return a silly giggle as he continued downing his drink. The old man must have considered Chongxi as a kindred spirit, since they were similar in stature, I mused quietly to myself.


    Moments later, we began to realize the warmness rising from the floor. A recess had been dug into the ground underneath the floor we were sitting on so that fires can be kept burning below to keep the burrow from the cold! We began to feel more comfortable, enjoying being free of the biting frost. The boy returned, bearing two large wooden platters and laid them on the floor. The old man waved at us, motioning for everyone to sit around the plates like two doughnuts.


    "He is mute," remarked the old man, "I found him when he was still a poor young thing. His parents were killed by brigands in the mountains. He was just a little thing when I took him in and he has lived with me since!" The boy appeared as the old man finished, carrying a huge slab of meat just freshly cooked. Tatters of steam scudded and filled the room as the gigantic hunk of meat was lowered on to the wide platter with a deep thud as if it was a rock. The boy then went inside and returned with another similarly massive chunk of meat and placed it on the other platter. For the third time, he returned again with some knives. It might be a local custom native to Mongolians, for the girls immediately drew their scimitars and laid them before themselves respectfully and they looked at the old man again like they were waiting for a cue from him.


    It might be a Mongolian custom of respecting an elder''s honor to begin a meal, I brooded. But the old man bellowed cheerfully, "We''re not in Mongolia! All customs be damned! Just dig in!" The boy emerged from inside with a huge urn of wine. With a curt gesture, the old man motioned for him to leave it in a corner. "Come on!" The old man turned his attention back to us, "Make yourselves at home and enjoy this meal!" A warmness glowed in me as I beheld the old man''s kindness and hospitality that he has shown to us. To think that we were able to stumble upon him in such rough weather and desolate wilderness, despite his weird methods to try to stall us.


    I peered at Yuan Chongxi. He was already enjoying himself, with or without the old man''s beckoning calls. Never to be one for niceties at the table, Chongxi mumbled through a mouth full of meat as he took a thirsty swig of wine, "Oh my, the meat is good! The wine is delicious too!" His straightforwardness only made the old man laugh. They looked quite a match for each other that any other person would have mistaken them for father and son. The old man emptied his cup with a single gulp and remarked, "Hahaha! You are just like me when I was young, boy! I like you, boy!" "You don''t know me, old man!" Chongxi replied, his voice muffled by his full mouth, "I was a poor orphan when my mentor found me. We were so poor then that we eat as much as we could whenever we found food!" He chewed ravenously on the meat with shreds spewing whenever he opened his mouth to speak. The old man slapped hard on the table, exhilarated beyond measure, "Good! This is what I''m talking about! Just eat as much as you can!" That must be it, I wondered, the frank and honest audacity that Father admired, hence they became friends.


    I took a bite of meat and asked the old man curiously, "But, err... Uncle? There are not even birds here nearby. Where do you normally hunt?" The old man laughed. He normally hunted outside the gorge where we were now in. He''d skinned the animals he caught and stored the meat in the cellar as rations for the winter.


    After almost three rounds of wine, I had enough. I offered a cigarette to the old man before offering my pack to everyone else. When it came to Edelweiss, she blushed and declined my offer for a smoke. She would be quitting smoking, she muttered sheepishly. I do not mind, I told her and she took one of my cigarettes and set it alight herself. "So, Uncle," I said to him while heaving a swig myself, "I guess you are apprised of my purpose for coming this far, do you not?" He nodded. He searched around his pockets and found a very small flask the size of a thimble from his chest pocket. He tossed the flask to me. "The bunch of foolish demons wandered here a few days ago and I overheard them talking about you. At first, I did not know you are my friend, Murong Hai''s son until I heard them mentioning the Spirit Gourd your father used so many years ago. It was only then I realized who you were! How dare these lousy curs come into the Labyrinthian Canyon and wish ill upon my nephew! Filled with anger, I severely punished them and took this Flask of Souls from them!"


    The snowy gorge we were now in was called the Labyrinthian Canyon. The old man had cast a powerful enchantment over the entire area that anyone who enters the canyon will be lost. There was but only one way to escape the bowels of the bewitched canyon, that is to retrace one''s steps towards the direction they came from. The pack of fox demons had unwittingly ventured here and were apprehended by him. After some interrogation, he found out where we were and took the Flask of Souls that contained Aunt Ulan''s spirit.


    The sun was setting by the time we finished our long meal. We had spent the entire afternoon having lunch, talking, and having dinner too. Through the whole afternoon, I talked to the old man about my parents, whose stories delighted him immensely.


    Night was completely upon when we decided to take our leave and return to the encampment, having achieved our purpose of regaining Aunt Ulan''s soul. But the old man stopped me. "How about another night? You can visit the old senile waiting for you at the other side of the canyon. He''s been expecting you ever since he''s got wind of your arrival!"

 Chapter 128 Shang Pei

    We decided to take up lodgings at the old man''s burrow that evening. For the first time in many nights, I finally had a proper rest. Edelweiss shook me awake the next morning after she had brought me water to wash up. As I sat up groggily, I could not help feeling touched at being able to enjoy the bliss of having a young woman like Edelweiss taking care of me.


    We had meat again for breakfast. It was the only food available since winter began ravaging across the wilderness. In contrast to Yuan Chongxi who wolfed down his food with tremendous vigor, I merely took a few disinterested bites.


    I was fortunate somehow that our host hardly has an eye for detail. He did not notice my reluctance for our breakfast and I kept from troubling him any further. I was already grateful enough for his hospitality thus far. The old man urged that we should set out as soon as possible, for ''the other old man'' waiting at the other side of the canyon must be anxious to see us. He was truly an honorable person, despite his eccentric manners. Yet, even after spending almost a day and a night with him, I did not know his name. But I decided not to ask since he made no mention of it as we bade him goodbye and took our leave.


    We began riding towards the other side of the canyon. Through our casual trot out the snowy gorge, Yuan Chongxi released his grip on the reins of his horse. His hand would sneak into his pouch for pieces of beef jerkies, chewing on them like snacks as our company moved. The old man had made sure that our supplies were well-stocked with dried rations, water, and even wine! We really owed a great deal to him for his kindness!


    We picked up our pace whenever we could and slow down to a lope whenever we encounter trees or other obstacles. After tens of miles of journeying, spotters at the front of the company reported of a tent far ahead of us. A black stallion was grazing lazily outside the tent and on its saddle was seated a young lad donning a wolf pelt cloak. Noticing our arrival, the young lad squeezed his legs around the horse''s flanks and rode up to meet us. He saluted and bowed. "Do I have the pleasure of addressing Young Master Murong?" "I am he," I replied, "My name is Murong Shiyan!" The young man gave another bow to me, acknowledging me. "The Master of the House is expecting you. At his behest, I am here to escort you. We''ve erected a small tent ahead with some refreshments," he motioned to the tent ahead of us. Such excess, I brooded quietly, while saluting in return to the young man. "Thank you very much. But I am still uninformed of the name of the master you serve?" "Our Master goes by the name Shang. He''s the Master of Fort Enigma," revealed the young man.


    Hearing this, Godmother quipped, "Shang? The Third of the Six Terrors of the Frontier, the divine Shang Pei himself?" "Indeed, he is!" The young lad replied. Godmother glanced at me and gave a nod. We rode to the tent and went in. We walked through the openings of the tents to find inside furnished with tables and ornate silverware. We enjoyed some suutei tsai tea with compliments of our mysterious host and I remarked, "My thanks to you too as well for your reception." "Please, don''t mention it. I was bade by the Master to see to your needs," said the young lad, "He is close friends of your father. His son was present during your investigation agency''s opening, I believe. It''s a pity I was not able to attend."


    We quickly ended our brief respite and continued our journey with the young lad in the lead. Edelweiss and I rode at the forefront just behind him with Godmother sharing a horse with Edelweiss. Such was the advantage of using magic, I mused, that Godmother might even be able to pass off as Edelweiss''s sister.


    We finally came before the gates of the fortress after another tens of miles of riding. Another man was waiting outside to receive us; another young man who looked nobler in stature. He smiled as he walked slowly towards us, "It has been two years since we''ve met during your opening, Young Master Murong! How is business?" I returned his salute. "All is well, all thanks to your blessings! I hope you''re well too, Young Master Shang!" We dismounted and the Shang the younger held my hand like a brother, leading me into the fortress.


    Still, despite his warm affability, I could help but wonder, have I truly met him before? There were just so many people during the opening; guests during the day and ghosts during the night who had come from far and wide to congratulate us on the opening that I could hardly remember most of them!


    We reached into a great hall. Seated on a dais at the end of the hall at the seat of honor, was an old man. This is my father, said Shang the younger. I took a few brisk steps forward and bowed, "My greetings to you, Uncle. My name is Shiyan!" I lowered myself into kneel, but the young Shang immediately stopped me. "There''s no need for such decorum!" Shang the older pointed out heartily, "Treat yourselves at home! There may be no proper arrangements between your father and me to recognize our brotherhood, still, we have bled together in the past. This makes us brother-in-arms! He''s very much older than all of us, hence all six of us, the Six Terrors of the Frontier, address him as our Big Brother!" The old man rose firmly from his seat and walked down the dais. He held my hand and led me to a chair by his table. "I was hampered by some business during the opening of your own investigation center. Hence I could only send my son to attend the ceremony in my stead. I hope all is well at your center so far!" "Of course, Uncle! It''s all thanks to your good wishes!" A maid appeared and set the table for tea.


    "This is..." I began to gesture towards Godmother but to my surprise, the old man added quickly before I could introduce her, "I know her!" He smiled at Godmother and greeted her, "It''s been three centuries since we last met. Have you been with Brother Hai all these while?" The remark of Father''s name reminded Godmother of her sorrows. "Three hundred years, eh..." She lamented, "For three hundred years I have been searching for him in vain!" The old man chuckled. "It is as I have foretold. You and he are not meant to be! But I was afraid that the revelation might be a blow to you. Hence I had never been able to be frank to you. Brother Hai is a practitioner of magic and a keeper of arcane knowledge. It is only normal for him to choose to remain free, unlike we mere earthly beings!" Godmother''s expression began to soften. The old man had referred himself as well, to be one of the "mere earthly beings" he mentioned even though Godmother once mentioned that he had the powers close to that of half an immortal. It was beyond any doubt that he was several times more powerful than Godmother.


    I began introducing the rest of our company to the old man and his son. The girls of Aunt Ulan''s horde, observing the traditional customs of their ways, conveyed their respects the old man and toasted to his health. When it came to Edelweiss, I introduced her as my girlfriend. Hearing this, the old man was overjoyed. He tugged at his son''s arm excitedly as if his own son was getting married. This called for a gift, he began yelling. A bright girl herself, Edelweiss began addressing him as Uncle like how I did, much to the old man''s delight that he started to turn ecstatic! How about a golden knife, he suggested. But when Edelweiss declined his offer, he turned sour like a pouting boy! I shot a knowing look at Edelweiss and gesticulated quickly to her so that she would agree. Little did she knew that a gift from such a person, one who was merely inches away from attaining immortality, could only be a very impressive item!


    Seeing that Edelweiss finally accepting his gift, the old man was pleased. I continued presenting to him my companions, Lin Feng and Yuan Chongxi. It happened that the old man knew Chongxi''s mentor, Old Man Chen! "So, your Old Chen''s heir!" The old man chuckled blithely and said, "He''s indeed blessed to have found such a good student! He should thank his fortunes to have found you!" "Thank you, Senior Shang for your gracious words!" Chongxi remarked cheerfully, proud of himself too.


    "How is he now?" The old man burst into laughter. "Has he changed from his bad habits?" Chongxi began to look puzzled. Seeing his expression, the old man said, "You don''t know, eh? When he was young, your mentor was proud of himself! Too proud of himself, in fact, that he brashly revealed secrets from his divination!" Yuan Chongxi was surprised. This old man knew his teacher since before he lost his eyesight!


    But Chongxi, being a blunt person, blurted quickly, "He has long refrained from his old ways. He''s been blind for decades!" The news of his friend''s loss of sight struck the old man silent. With lips trembling on the verge of breaking down, he stammered, "D-decades? H-how long has it been?" Chongxi paused and thought before he uttered, "Close to five decades now. More than forty years ago." All of a sudden, the old man began shedding tears! Silent trails of droplets rolled down his cheeks as he remained in shock at what had happened.


    Shang the younger went to his father and held him up. I followed too. But none of us knew the reason behind Old Man Shang''s surprise behind the news of Old Man Chen''s blindness. The old man sat on the edge of his dais, sobbing hard as he pounded on his own chest, screaming hoarsely, "Old Chen, my friend! For decades we''ve not met! I''m to be blamed for your ill tidings, my friend!" This shocked everyone: was he part of the reason behind Old Man Chen''s blindness? Even his son was equally flabbergasted, although he could say nothing, merely reaching for his father''s cup of tea and handed it to his father, asking him gently to calm down.

 Chapter 129 Shang Pei And Old Man Chen

    Old Shang turned forlorn and mournful once he heard about Old Man Chen losing his eyesight. His son judiciously ushered us out of the main hall. He made some arrangements for our accommodations and had a manservant lead us to our rooms while he attended to his father and prepared the feast tonight.


    Later, Shang the younger came to me and he told me what he knew about Old Men Shang and Chen many years ago.


    It was the year 1976; a year recurring so frequently in this story of ours. The same year when the calamitous Tangshan Earthquake took place. Everywhere was turmoil and pandemonium in the entire northeastern region of Hebei province following the huge disaster, so was the Underworld due to the great loss of lives. Fearing that evil parties might exploit the turmoil to exact their insidious schemes, the Underworld mustered help from all mediums and practitioners of magic from across the lands to help restore peace. The message from the Underworld was conveyed via strange dreams to every clairvoyant, conjurer, and even witch doctors across the country and everyone, be they shamans from the South or mystic hermits from the Northern wilderness, traveled as fast as they could to Tangshan proper. Murong Hai, my father, was appointed their chief, and this was why Father had left Aunt Ulan decades ago.


    Old Shang was one of those who had rushed to Tangshan then. Shang Pei had just begun to achieve breakthroughs in his study of magic and hence he was seen as one of the few superiors among the many, along with a seer of great renowned whose name was Chen, and a shamanistic healer, Xie Bingyi, whose expertise in the forgotten arts of Zhuyou was a myth on its own. Being able to attain the elementary mastery of immortality in his young age, Shang Pei looked extraordinarily fair and young despite his age and magic. With his other two peers who were also in their twenties, they became fast friends and were inseparable.


    The three forged new legends: Shang Pei, the invincible conjurer with invincible magic; Old Man Chen, whose impeccable divinations complemented Shang Pei at every juncture; and the supportive role by Xie Bingyi using the curses and enchantments from his Zhuyou magic. The three became known as the Triune of Wu Zhong by all practitioners of magic and arcane arts in the vicinity for they were assigned to operate in the region, thwarting any attempts of evil folk to usurp the dead souls of the innocent for their diabolical rituals.


    But all that is good must come to an end. Once their work was complete, the three separated their own ways. Shang Pei tearfully said his goodbyes to his two brothers-in-arm and set off with his five other comrades back to their homes at the outskirts of the frontier. But before he left, Old Man Chen held his arm. "On the path to North on which you roll; Here''s a gift that keeps the soul; Remain steadfast in the storm of life; The Phoenix will flap its wings of strife!" This was his cryptic message as he squeezed a long bundle into his arms. Nestled in Shang Pei''s arm was a sword wrapped in oiled cloth.


    Shang Pei was no fool; he was a learned student in the magic of immortality. Immediately he could only surmise one reason: Old Man Chen must have divined his impending doom and was trying to save him!


    Expectedly, Shang Pei and his comrades returned to Mongolia and the sky turned dark and gloomy. Dark cumulonimbuses hung over their heads ominously with bolts of lightning flashing intermittently. A lightning storm was upon them. Strangely, no matter which direction they rode to, the dark clouds never seemed to lose them. It shadowed them from overhead whenever they went. Shang Pei began to understand that the dark clouds were after him like bloodhounds on a trail. They were about to enter the Labyrinthian Canyon when the gloom above them stretched for miles, shrouding over them maliciously! Bewildered, Shang Pei looked up poignantly at the sky; Heaven was wishing for his death to stop him from gaining true immortality!


    As it turned out, Shang Pei had once requested for Father''s counsel during their time together in Wu Zhong about the studies of achieving immortality. With a little advice, the bright Shang Pei immediately understood the lessons that Father tried to impart to him. Since then, he began to feel indebted to Father. Unbeknownst to him, long before they met, Father was already a minor legend in the domain of mediums and practitioners of magic called the Demigod of the Soaring Sword, a true immortal who wielded supreme capabilities. Heaven might have spared him if he were to discover the truths of immortality without Father''s help. But Father''s subtle hints had prodded him into the right direction, allowing him to achieve several breakthroughs that he achieved enough magic to be a partial immortal! Angered by this, Heaven was determined to rain lightning upon him as a test. Survive the test, and Shang Pei would be allowed to live. But the Shang Pei then, in all his invincibility and prowess, was still no match for a stroke of Heaven''s blow. It was then he remembered Old Man Chen''s gift and his cryptic poem and he extracted the bundled sword his friend had given him.


    He unfolded the cloth that clothed the sword. But Heaven gave him no time for respite; a bolt from the sky lashed mercilessly down at him! A single speck of glitter from the sword twinkled in the glow of the lightning flash just as the blow from Heaven fell. The sword shot up, rising into the sky like a shooting star with its sheer speed and force puncturing a hole through the clouds and met the bolt of lightning! A huge explosion of lightning poured forth, flooding everything in sight with pure white brilliance. Finally, when the radiance subsided, Shang Pei looked up. The sword was no more. In its place, was a gold-crimson phoenix, holding back the stroke of Heaven''s fury!


    Never had anyone present laid eyes on such a transcendental spectacle!? Stunned beyond words, they watched the phoenix''s battle with their jaws hanging loosely. The mythical bird, its feathers covered with a coat of glimmering gold-scarlet luster, cawed with rage. It pushed forth again to meet the lightning bolt, shrieking ferociously that Shang Pei and his companions'' horses collapsed to the ground, startled with shock. The final line of his friend''s poem echoed in his mind, "The Phoenix will flap its wings of strife!"


    The phoenix emitted a long howl, followed by another before it burrowed into the murky darkness of the rain clouds overhead and disappeared, its sparkling sheen engulfed by the shadowy plumes. Seconds passed and the dark clouds began to thin and dissipate. The groaning thunders began to cease and the Phoenix reappeared, circling triumphantly in the atmosphere before veering South and vanished out of sight!


    This was the story that Old Shang had recounted many times to his son. He could also see his father again, excited beyond control at the unbelievable episode which had almost spelled his doom. The story was also why Old Shang was so concerned about Old Man Chen, the dear friend who had saved his life! But for decades he had not realized that Heaven was jealous and Old Man Chen was punished for his resistance. The robbing of Old Man Chen of his eyesight was the penance for standing up against the will of Heaven! For this very reason, Old Shang was devastated to hear about his friend''s plight. The plight which his friend had suffered in order to save him. Even we were also surprised, for we did not expect to know that Old Man Chen, who always exuded a vile and sinister demeanor, had accomplished such a heroic deed!


    It was a matter that I would later speak to Father about. "Shang Pei did seek my counsel on some methods to help overcome his obstacles in his studies in the magic of immortality. But he was a genius himself; I had merely pointed out a little and he quickly understood the rest. At that very moment, I feared the worst: his brilliance could one day be his undoing. Knowing better, I decided that Destiny should determine his fate. Little did I know that Old Chen too had divined what would happen to Shang Pei. He lied to me, asking to borrow my sword. I knew what he was up to, but I made no mention of it, merely acceding to his request. His loss of sight came not long later and he came to me, asking about the reason Heaven took away his sight. I made some simple and perfunctory inquiries and did my best to placate him, hoping he would never know the actual truth about his blindness. But just like how everything is written in the stars, I fear that he will one day realize the truth, since you have visited Fort Enigma."


    But Old Man Chen was hardly a fool himself. He would never have not realized that it was by his own hand that his gift of sight was revoked by Heaven? But he was vain, more so following his fall from grace. He refused to admit that it was Heaven''s retribution towards what he did. By the time he came to terms with everything, Chongxi had already grown up.


    With a bleak and rueful smile, young Shang ended his tale about his father. We breathed heavily, hardly saying a word. The tale was incredible and its outcome even more so. We began talking about other cheerful matters to lift the mood. A handmaiden entered the chamber and reported to Shang the younger that the feast was ready. Should we fetch the Master, she asked him. "Let us do the honors, Young Master Shang!" I interjected and said, "It is only right that we extend this courtesy ourselves!" We got up and returned to the hall with the handmaiden in tow. Old Shang had regained his composure. Beaming once again widely, he led us into his dining hall.


    Eat up, shouted Old Shang merrily, presenting to us his best stock of liquor and wine and meat as if we were his own sons. Abashed by the cordiality of our host and his son, we toasted to his health and prosperity. Cup after cup, we drunk ourselves sot. Drinking and fistfights were two of the best ways for men to bond and liquor often loosed one''s tongue.


    Just then I remembered something. "Uncle," I asked Old Shang, "The elder man at the Labyrinthian Canyon. Who is he? Well, I still don''t know his name and he made no mention of it..."

 Chapter 130 The Windchaser, Zhu Mei

    Old Shang began laughing loudly. "Hahahahah! That squat shorty is the Fifth of the Six Terrors! A friend as close as a brother of mine!" He gulped down his liquor and went on, "We enjoyed quite a reputation out here away from the borders. Hence, people began calling us the Six Terrors of the Frontier! All six of us served during the relief of the great earthquake long ago and we met your father then. It was during our battles together that we came to respect and admire him. He is not one of the Six, but he remains a brother to us. I''m the Third of the Six, so you can call me Third Uncle. The shorty is the Fifth, so you can just call him Fifth Uncle too."


    So these are the Six Terrors, I thought to myself. The name of the Six Terrors traveled far and wide; their exploits were known to all practitioners of magic and arcane skills across the land. Each of the Six was rumored to possess extraordinary powers or skills, but they rarely ventured away into China proper, preferring to remain in the frontier. But the name of the Six Terrors summoned to mind the impression of outlaws. The younger Shang had confessed to knowing that his father was somewhat of a marauder in his younger days. The Six Terrors were hardly simple and nice folk, but they were hardly evil too.


    Just when Old Shang revealed to us the identity of the stocky old man from the canyon, Godmother''s hand banged on the handle of her chair with shock. "Could he be... Zhu Mei, the Windchaser?!" She gasped. Old Shang merely smiled thinly, his head nodding faintly. "If only we knew..." She muttered under her breath, "Shiyan could have learned a thing or two from this great man!"


    Shang Pei chuckled. "This brother of mine may appear ugly and unpleasing to look at. But rest assured, he is a kind man! He had wanted to attend the opening of Shiyan''s investigation agency when he got wind of it. But I stopped him. Your appearance will only frighten the guests, I told him!" Shang Pei laughed again.


    Most of the conjurers and mediums who had worked with Father during the great calamity of the Tangshan Earthquake were non-partisans; independent hermits or vagabonds who neither mingled nor lived with ordinary folk. Many of them, the Six Terrors among them, chose to live far away from the common people. Hence Fort Enigma was in truth an enchanted fortress. The entire structure of Fort Enigma was under a powerful spell; enchantment cast upon the very foundations of the stronghold to remain unseen and unnoticed by others to prevent any prying folk. The fortress would never be accessible to us, if not for Godmother. Instead, we would have been walking in circles around aimlessly, even if the fortress was just beside us!


    As we talked and drank, our subject looped back to Zhu Mei. "I''m afraid Zhu Mei''s name has as much respect as a scorpion in a desert. He is feared by many, but only a handful of people like him. He just loves to toy with people. It''s a bad habit of his that he has never been able to sever from himself. But he has always been a kind man. The Labyrinthian Canyon, as you now know it, was a haunted area. An army was ambushed there and none of its soldiers survived. As a result, the place became a haunted forest due to the grudgeful spirits and wraiths that still reside in that area!" "But we did not find any remains of humans save for a lone skull of a dead man!" It was Lin Feng who had quipped after clinking cups with the younger Shang. "It has been centuries since the massacre. Time and weather have done much of the work to bury the soldiers'' remains several feet underground now. The skull that you see might be Zhu Mei''s warning to ward off hunters! It was a gesture of kindness so that no hunters will get lost there!"


    "But we did not see any ghosts!" Yuan Chongxi countered, before he fell into a subdued mutter, "But we did encounter something strange nights ago..." We related to Shang Pei about the ghastly encounter with the evil aura during the night we stayed in the Canyon. "When we first came here hundreds of years ago, there was a fortress outside the canyon. The chief of the brigands occupying the fortress was a man called Gao Jun. He was known to be a great runner before he was discharged by the army and became a bandit. The horde of brigands were ordinary outlaws without any magical powers. There is a cliff that hangs over the canyon. Birds would fly past every day, only to be struck down by the evil aura of the vengeful spirits in the canyon. The terraces under the cliff became known to the bandits as a bountiful trap where bird carcasses would crash to the ground every day for them to forage as food, until the day we came. Zhu Mei went to the fortress and challenged the bandits. In the end, the chief of the bandits, Gao Jun, was frightened into pooping his pants!"


    Lin Feng adjusted himself in his seat, displaying a sudden amount of interest, saying, "What did he do to frighten the man so?" "He fought against Gao Jun in single combat with the rest of the bandits watching. Unbeknownst to the marauders, he cast a spell on the ring they were both fighting in. Whenever they tried to enter the ring to help their leader, they could not reach the ring no matter how they walk. Even the arrows they fired at him vanished immediately as soon they entered the ring. Gao Jun was armed with a long and large sabre while Zhu Mei was weaponless, but the bandit leader was helpless against him. None of his strokes still to hit Zhu Mei who merely yawned lazily. After a few rounds, everyone heard a loud crack. It was Gao Jun who was hit with a powerful flick on his forehead by Zhu Mei!"


    Zhu Mei was having fun teasing the powerless Gao Jun. The latter almost jumped with pain when he was hit. "How''s that!" Zhu Mei taunted him. Gao Jun got up and threw himself at Zhu Mei again, only for Zhu Mei to flick at his forehead again. A pair of swells could clearly be seen on the bandit leader''s forehead as he grimaced with agony. Still, he got up again, refusing to give up. This time, Zhu Mei hit so hard on his forehead again that blood began trickling down on the forehead wound. "Oh my!" Zhu Mei yelped with joy, "Your head is burst open like a watermelon!"


    Gao Jun realized that he was being played like a fool! He began fleeing, running out of the ring and sped towards East. Confident with his speed, he forsook what pride he could, hoping only to retreat to safety. For more than ten miles he ran until he stopped under a large tree, gasping for breath. But he had barely taken two breaths when Zhu Mei appeared from behind the tree, smiling viciously at him. "You''re here!" he said, "I have been waiting for you!" Gao Jun leaped with fright and bolted away, heading towards South. After another few leagues, he stopped at another tree. He made sure no one was behind the tree before collapsing down on the ground, panting hard. "Finally," he muttered under his breath, "I''ve shaken him off!"


    But instead, Zhu Jun''s voice rang again, striking him like the toll of a bell! "You did! Only you shook me to your front!" Zhu Jun was sitting on a branch above, waiting for him! He jumped down and Gao Jun was on the verge of fainting. He scrambled up and ran again. This time, he thought of the adage, "The most dangerous place is the safest," and fled back to his fortress, hoping that Zhu Mei would never think of chasing him there. Gao Jun was already exhausted when he reached before the gates of his fortress. He sat down on the ground. His men came to him, wanting to help him up. But none of them could seem to reach him! Strange, yelled some of the bandits. Suddenly, Zhu Mei walked out from inside the fortress! "No, it''s not strange!" He boomed loudly. How was it possible that he is in the fortress, the bandits began to think. Zhu Jun reached for a broom and tore off a bamboo bark and continued sauntering slowly towards Gao Jun while using a knife to sharpen the bark. "I wonder how it would be if I were to slowly pierce this into somebody''s eye!" He uttered, much to everyone''s terror! He reached before Gao Jun and slowly pointed it at his eye, moving gradually towards him. But Gao Jun, now utterly spent, could not even move an inch! Horrified beyond his wits, he began pooping his pants! Everyone dropped to their knees and begged for Zhu Mei''s mercy. They demolished their fortress and moved somewhere else!


    Old Shang laughed and so did we. "That''s the Windchaser for you!" Godmother exclaimed with a hint of pride on her face, "No one escapes from his clutches!" Indeed, I mused quietly, so this was the magic that had us walking in circles in the Labyrinthian Canyon days ago. Not even my Spirit Sight was able to help me see through the deep magic. Ghost Barriers were merely sorcery that causes hallucinations to anyone affected, whereas this is true magic! The magic that could be used to actually bend the physical laws of Time and Space!


    Old Shang Pei spoke again as our laughter subsided. "We had noticed that this was a haunted area when we came. Zhu Mei realized that the place was immensely rich with Yin energy due to the vengeful spirits wandering in the canyon, hence he wanted to keep the place as his own. Informed of your arrival this time, he cast a spell to seal off the vengeful spirits in the canyon for your safety! Still, the evil aura endures. What you heard and felt was the sensation of the carnage during the massacre. It was a spiritual sensory reenactment of what happened then that you almost felt you were there yourself. This illustrates how strong the aura is, and how deep was the grudge borne by these spirits. As to why Zhu Mei refused to reveal his name, he is abashed that his sorceries are nothing if compared to your father''s. He was afraid of being embarrassed to have the son of Murong Hai learning some parlor trick from him! Just like what your Godmother just said herself, she would surely have you to learn something from Zhu Mei if you realized who he is. But learning from him is not without its disadvantages: Zhu Mei''s magic is of the Fire element, hence he chose a place rich of Yin energy to practise magic. So are you, Shiyan, learning from him might be more helpful to you than we know."

 Chapter 131 Aunt Ulans Recovery

    So this was magic of Zhu Mei, the Fifth of the Six Terrors: the magic to control the earth and enable its user to control the movements of a target! This was the sorcery behind the mysterious trap-like enchantment that had us walking around the Labyrinthian Canyon like mice in a maze!


    This is one of the two most fascinating magic used to manipulate movements, said Old Shang, with the other being Father''s Autumn Decline. So this was the reason Godmother would have wanted me to learn something from Zhu Mei, I reflected. Father''s magic was like a fairy tale and myth from a bygone age to me; I would never be able to perform the things that he could do nor would I be able to achieve the feats that he did. Learning Zhu Mei''s magic, on the other hand, seemed more realistically doable to me.


    Everyone laid drunkenly sprawled on the floors of the fortress when the feast ended. Delirious and badly-stoned, Old Shang tugged on my arm, asking me to stay for a few more days. I said nothing. Aunt Ulan was still waiting for us, so was Father, who was anxious for my return.


    At first light the next morning, we took our leave from Old Shang and made ready to ride back. Shang the younger saw us out the gates of the fortress and bade us farewell. We did not go to the Labyrinthian Canyon, galloping instead at full speed towards Aunt Ulan''s encampment in the South. Strangely, we saw the distinct arch of the gates of Aunt Ulan''s camp even before the sun was down in the evening. It cannot be, I brooded, unless... This could only be somebody''s work: Zhu Mei. He had cast his magic on us to help us reach Aunt Ulan''s camp quicker than was usual. The journey to the Labyrinthian Canyon took at least a few days but we were able to return the same distance with just a day''s ride. Feeling grateful for his help, I stopped at the gates of the camp and gave a deep bow towards the direction of the Canyon afar. "Deepest thanks to you, Fifth Uncle..." I muttered furtively like how I once saw Zhang Zhigui did. And indeed, I could hear his recognizable sniggers echoing from a distance before it faded quickly with the setting of the sun into the mountains beyond.


    Rushing into the encampment, I sprang off the saddle of my horse, leaving it to be handled by others while I rushed into the main hall with others trailing behind my heels.


    But the main hall of the camp was empty. Mother was sitting on the roof of the main hall again. It was fortunate that it was a low season for the camp which occasionally provided accommodations for tourists and backpackers. I could imagine the horrified screams and gasps if anyone were to see Mother leaping around atop the main hall building.


    With a somersault, Mother flung herself off the roof and landed safely on the ground. With an outstretched arm, she said to me, "Give me the Flask of Souls." I shrugged, grimacing at her childish antics as she took the flask with a playful grin before she noticed the deadpan expression of Godmother behind us...


    In fact, it was Godmother who had specifically insisted to come back with us to Aunt Ulan''s camp when she found out that Mother was helping to sustain Aunt Ulan''s body by entering it. She was noticeably annoyed when she heard me speaking of Mother. But now that they have met, Godmother merely wore a despondent frown despite her best efforts to remain taciturn. She said not a word. She was just too crushed to say anything, knowing that Mother possessed considerably more powers than her.


    Mother, however, seemed hardly perturbed by her presence. With a gentle smile, she said to Godmother, "How are you? It''s been three hundred years..." The words struck deeply. So deeply that Godmother was frozen on where she stood. Rings of red circled her eyes as she did her best to stifle any tears. Mother turned and walked to Aunt Ulan''s cabin, allowing Godmother at least to salvage some pride.


    But I could almost comprehend how Godmother felt. Mother has always been her greatest rival in their contest for Father''s love. But meeting together again after so many years, at that very moment when their eyes met, Godmother truly understood that there was no one else other than Mother who would have been more worthy of Father''s affections. It was a feeling of defeat and forlornness that not even a demoness with hundreds of years of powers and experience would be impervious to.


    What happened next became simpler and quicker: with the Flask of Souls, Mother restored Aunt Ulan''s soul to her physical body while she departed back to Wu Zhong with a gentle whiff of wind. Aunt Ulan reopened her eyes and tears welled in the eyes of everyone present. Finally, after so long, Aunt Ulan has recovered! Her eyes opened and I was the first person they laid on. Trembling, her frail arm extended towards me and caressed my cheek. There must be so many things that she wished to speak to me about that her eyes too grew wet with motherly adoration.


    Tears trickled down my cheek. There was no way I could hold them back. Crouching beside her bed, I clasped my hands around hers and said, "It''s all right, Mother. Everything''s fine now." Aunt Ulan nodded profusely, her eyes brimming slowly with tears of joy as she grinned blissfully. Her face was pale as snow, a symptom which could only be explained by her spirit''s long absence from her body. She was still too weak to move. "Rest, Mother," I said to her, "Have some sleep. I''ll be around for now to accompany you." She nodded again, still beaming lovingly before she fell asleep.


    As she slept, I waved to everyone to get out of her cabin quietly. We shuffled out as silently as we could while rubbing the tears off our eyes. A call came from the camp''s mess halls, announcing that meals were ready. For the first time in the whole day, I felt my stomach groaning with hunger. We had been riding all day, chewing only on our rations in our haste to return that we had completely forgotten to eat.


    In the harrowing pursuit to save Aunt Ulan, beginning from our struggles with Ha''ri Naohai, we have barely rested well. At long last, we could finally sit back and talk more leisurely. I introduced Godmother to everyone during the dinner, much to the amazement and daze of everyone for her youthful looks. I hastily prevaricated by saying that she was skilled in disguising techniques, rather than revealing the truth that she was a more-than-three-hundred-year-old demon.


    Even though she has been spending much of her time away from civilization, Godmother was no stranger in dealing with humans. It did not take her long for her to mingle with the girls at Aunt Ulan''s camp. In just the matter of a time during dinner, she managed to get close to them that everyone at the camp welcomed her as one of their own. But no one took her vernal girlish looks seriously; for her behavior and dispositions made her seem more like a long-lost older sister to all of them.


    Her chatty verbosity kept her busy at all times, indulging with never-ending gossips with anyone who got within a meter near her and regurgitating tales after tales of her adventures that she even blurted to everyone about everything between Edelweiss and me! This was further substantiated by her notion that Aunt Ulan''s ranch was like Edelweiss'' family home, and to make it worse, she believed that it was time to begin discussing about marriage preparations...


    With the help of Godmother, the story of Edelweiss and I spread like a contagion through the entire ranch that some of the girls even began making sure that we have enough lambs for a banquet! But having been a single man for all my life, marriage life sends shivers down my spine. It was something that was as far away as the stars hanging above us much less contemplate seriously. Citing Aunt Ulan''s health, I implored everyone that we delay any arrangements for marriage beforehand. The subject would only be broached again once she is better.


    Unbeknownst to the others, it was merely a pretense to delay everything as best as I could while hoping that the fervor and enthusiasm would gradually weary. If Aunt Ulan were to indeed hear about this, she might be springing out of her bed literally with excitement. Edelweiss and I needed more time to understand more about each other. Marriage was something I viewed with utmost seriousness.


    Days passed slowly at Aunt Ulan''s ranch as her health improved slowly. A week flitted by swiftly, after which I received summons from both Godmother and Aunt Ulan, bidding me to meet them at the main hall of her camp. Finally, the day of reckoning, I mused, Godmother must have blabbed to Aunt Ulan!


    In one single week, Godmother and Aunt Ulan became so unbelievably close that Godmother had decided to move out of her lair to reside at the camp! It was all Aunt Ulan''s idea that the two "sisters" should stay together. Godmother even agreed to teach her some of her magic to change her appearance, pointing out that she, as an elder sister, should present a gift to her younger sister for such a great favor. It was a decision that Aunt Ulan came to after finding out from me everything about Godmother, which I revealed truthfully, especially about her actual condition as a demoness with magical powers.


    Godmother must have leaked my romance with Edelweiss to Aunt Ulan, seeing as she had recovered fully. Expectedly so, Aunt Ulan was ecstatic to hear about this. To my dismay, my fears came true. Once I stepped into her main hall, she gleefully pestered me to get things going by bringing Edelweiss home with me to meet my parents.


    Just when I could almost envisage the expression of my parents, Aunt Ulan quipped, "Ala is like a daughter to me! It''s important that your parents and we meet together to discuss your engagement!"

 Chapter 132 The Homecoming Dinner

    I could hardly believe my ears when I heard Aunt Ulan uttered the words. So this was the true reason she was so anxious to expedite matters! She wanted me to bring her to Wu Zhong where she could once again see Father! "Is this even fine?" I collapsed into a chair and fumbled miserably for other options. Still, my mind was completely blank!


    Just as I was still grappling for ways to answer, Godmother spoke suddenly, "Sister, I think it''s better if you stay here." Aunt Ulan stared at her, shocked by her words. Quietly, she turned to Godmother, who promptly continued, "There was indeed passion between Murong Hai and us, Sister. But the time has long gone, and you are a mortal. Mortals grow old. Even today, Murong Hai maintains a youthful and exuberant appearance, while you are now a frail old lady? Do you really wish to let him see you like this? Frankly, Sister, even I... Even I would never dare show myself before him again!"


    Godmother must have remembered meeting Mother, I reflected. It was then she had decided she had lost, for good. Aunt Ulan said nothing. But a flash of gleam in her eyes told me she fully comprehended what Godmother was trying to tell her. Aunt Ulan chuckled lightly and sat down before speaking again, "Oh my... Look at me... I''m getting too excited at all this... Seeing the children getting together..." The rest of us smiled, gently nodding to ourselves. The unmistakable hint of forlornness and squalor was present when she snickered, although none of us knew better than to point that out.


    Aunt Ulan sank slowly back into her chair. To Edelweiss she said, "Ala, you will accompany Shiyan this time on his journey back!" In all events, I could see that Edelweiss had not expected herself to hear this. Quickly, she asked, "But if I''m not around, Chief... Who''s to take care of you..." Before Aunt Ulan could answer, Godmother replied in her stead, "Just you relax! I''m here, ain''t I? Moreover, I have the bunch of girls from my lair with me! Your Chief is in good hands! With me here taking care of things, just you relax!" Aunt Ulan assented with a tacit acknowledgment and Edelweiss smiled. She bowed deeply to Aunt Ulan and Godmother, so happy that she could hardly speak.


    And thus we reached the end of my second foray into Inner Mongolia. Oddly, it was weird to have a cavalcade of horse riders as our escort as our car headed towards the train station. It would have been a wacky scene to city folks from where I came from...


    Edelweiss exchanged tearful farewells with her sisters and Aunt Ulan before leaving. I patted and comforted her, "Hush now, there''s no need to cry. We''ll be coming back here when we have the time." She nodded, wiping her wet eyes. I placed an arm over her shoulders and grinned. "So you''re sad that I''m bringing the best assistant of my Aunt Ulan back with me as a wife?" She smiled in return at my joke, now with tears of joy welling her eyes.


    The road homeward bound seemed always long and weary; even with the speed and rush of the Beijing subway, I could not help feeling that everything was moving too slowly for me. It was a tiresome journey that lasted till night when I finally heard the laconic and disinterested voice from the train intercom saying, "Next stop, the Wu Zhong County Station. Next stop, the Wu Zhong County Station..." Edelweiss had been sitting all day by the window, taking in the sights and sceneries that whizzed by the train. Still, she was looking lively and excited as ever, while I could already feel my shoulders and back sagging by the fatigue of traveling one whole day. Her attention was captivated by the strings of golden flickering lights outside, her face blithe and bright with enthusiasm and joy.


    We got off the train when we reached Wu Zhong. Just like before, Father and his fellow colleagues were already there, waiting for us. Only this time, our reception party included even Mr. Zhang, the Seven Sisters and even Old Man Xie! It was an ensemble that kindled a warmth in my heart for the care they showed us.


    But seeing Old Man Xie being present, I remembered about Ha''ri Naohai. I told him everything and warned him that it was hardly a coincidence that Zhang Zhigui had encountered the Order of Pain. They were obviously plotting something insidious against him. I told Old Man Xie gravely and pointed out that we should caution Zhang Zhigui to be careful. But the old man merely chuckled and waved dismissively. "Rest assured, my boy. He already knows about it! Tell me about this gorgeous lass you brought home with you! Last I remember, you were supposed to be on a trip to rescue somebody, not a matchmaking engagement!"


    Everyone laughed at what he said! Edelweiss'' cheeks burned furiously. Quickly, I said, "Heavens, old man. Have some decency, you. You''re an elder, act like one! Look at yourself teasing a young lady!" Just then, Old Man Chen made himself known by his distinctly hoarse voice. Held by Chongxi at one arm, he croaked, "Heh heh heh... And what does this old fool know? He''s only a bumpkin! He knows nothing about the likes and dislikes of young people these days!" He cast a mischievous glance at Old Man Xie, who refused to look back at him. I could only grimace with exasperation. How on earth did this nutty pair manage to have themselves revered as the Triune of Wu Zhong then?! Their characters hardly matched each other!


    We did not head home directly. Instead, we adjourned to a restaurant with Father leading the convoy of cars. As he drove at the head of our motorcade, he proudly pronounced that he was "fetching his daughter-in-law".


    Sitting in the car, Edelweiss could have died to beg for a hole to sneak into. The intense embarrassment battered her into a docile and shy young girl who was a stark contrast to the fiery Amazonian demeanor she had whenever she was riding atop a saddle!


    We talked about our trip over the meal and admitted to Father that I knew about his involvement in the whole affair surrounding the Dragon-slaying Blade. I had also told him about my encounter with Shang Pei and Zhu Mei.


    Father merely nodded restrainedly at what I said, opining nothing at all. However, I did observe something during the meal: the hands of Old Men Xie and Chen shuddered for an ephemeral second when I mentioned about the Tangshan Earthquake. It happened so quick that it had nearly escaped my notice.


    With food once again before him, Chongxi was delightful as he exclaimed through his full mouth, "Wow, Teacher, Old Man Xie. To think that both of you once had such glorious days!" Old Men Xie and Chen both scoffed loudly at each other with a loud "humph" while turning away from each other disdainfully. Still, they could not resist revealing a thin smile as they reminisced of their swashbuckling days together in thwarting evil folk.


    Afterward, I continued with the story of Godmother, on which Father began to look abashed and flustered. Uncle Quan chuckled with glee at the tale of Father''s former dalliance, listening intently as he sipped at his liquor. With a playful nudge, he said to Father, "Heh heh heh, Brother Hai, I wonder why have you kept such interesting tales of yourself to yourself! They are fascinating! I wonder how things would go if these two paramours of yours were to come visiting one day... Wait a minute, does your wife know about this?" Father shoved him with an annoyed smirk in return and said, "You''ve had too much! Look at you, behaving like a boy!"


    We talked at length about Shang Pei and Zhu Mei, and immediately the flood doors opened wide; almost everyone at the table had something to say about the two Terrors of the Frontier. Old Man Chen chuckled viciously and said, "How is Shang Pei now? Is he rotting with age? Does he still speak loudly like a horn?" I smiled and nodded. "Old Shang is very close to reaching immortality. His body is practically ageless now!" Old Men Xie and Chen smiled approvingly. As former comrades, they were proud of him. But I said again, "I''m sure he is thankful of you, Old Man Chen! It was your help that he is able to reach such heights today!"


    Old Man Chen was depositing a tender piece of braised pork into his mouth when he heard me. With another tremble, his hands faltered and his chopsticks clattered loudly on to his plate and bowl. I was surrounded by a flurry of expression staring back at me at what I said. Father merely shook his head wearily, saying nothing. Old Man Xie was quiet, taking another quiet gulp from his glass. Mr. Zhang and Uncle Quan merely peered quizzically at Old Man Chen, hoping for an elaboration on a tale they obviously had not heard before. Beside them, Aunt Fen, Xiao Qi and the rest of the Sisters continued chomping down their food without any apparent concern. While Chongxi, Lin Feng and I were looking at Old Man Chen with renewed respect.


    The old soothsayer was blind, but he was no fool. He could feel the tenseness rising from the sudden quietness around the dinner table and understood that everyone wished to listen to what he wanted to say. With a long and heavy sigh, he replaced his chopsticks on the table. He stretched two fingers in a V-sign, and Chongxi dutifully placed a cigarette between the fingers before setting it alight.


    He took a long swig and began. "Well... It has been so long. So long ago that I would have thought this would be a secret that I would carry with me into the grave... Still, the cruel irony of Fate... Heh heh heh..."

 Chapter 133 Chongxis Conundrum

    Mr. Zhang and Uncle Quan knew nothing about the history behind Old Man Chen''s blindness. In fact, not many at the Institute knew about the affair, not even Old Man Xie, his former comrade, realized that Old Man Chen had gone blind decades ago because he tried to help Shang Pei.


    Old Man Chen stopped to take a heave from his cigarette. "That nitwit Shang Pei came to Tangshan immediately after the earthquake that year and Brother Hai assigned him to serve at Wu Zhong, as part of a team that comprised of me and Old Xie here. He would spearhead any offense with his sorceries while we provided him our support. We depended much on him especially in duels!" "Quit trying to be humble, Blind Master," Lin Feng added, "Old Shang was full of praises for you both when we met him. He could not stop bragging about how powerful you were! You three were even known as the Triune of Wu Zhong!"


    "Humph... The Triune of Wu Zhong..." Old Man Xie snorted coldly, albeit, with an apparent whiff of pride and melancholy. "Before long, we''d be the Tramps of Wu Zhong!" He must also miss his former brother-in-arms too, like Old Man Chen. It must have been years since they last separated.


    An abrupt sigh came from Old Man Chen. "Shiyan," he spoke to me, "So, Old Shang is now almost an immortal, eh? He''d better do. Otherwise, my pair of eyes would have been sacrificed for naught!" His shoulders sank as he heaved a long and heavy breath. "I had already foreseen that woe would come seeking for him when he decided to leave Wu Zhong then," he admitted, "But there is only so many people I could speak freely to, Old Shang being one of the handful few. I could not sit still without doing anything! I was also young then; I could not watch a brother fall, hence I borrowed your father''s sword and gave it to Old Shang, hoping it would keep him safe. But it did... And the price of my transgression came due... My sight was gone..."


    Beside us, Mr. Zhang understood not a word that we said. Without the whole story, he could not comprehend what we were talking about. So I told him everything; beginning from the earthquake in Tangshan, how the Triune of Wu Zhong came into renown and their heroic derring-dos decades ago, ending with the tale that Shang Pei told me about how Old Man Chen lost his sight and his reactions when he received the news.


    Through my recounts of the story, Mr. Zhang listened with great interest, chuckling whenever I reached points where he felt amused or enthralled. He had even raised a thumb to Old Man Chen, although the Blind Master could not see his reaction. At length, the blind old man snubbed his cigarette out. Then he remembered something. "Shiyan," he spoke to me again, "You said you met two of the Six Terrors of the Frontier? Who else did you meet other than Shang Pei?" "Yeah, there''s another. The Fifth of the Six Terrors, Zhu Mei the Windchaser!" I replied with a grin, but what I uttered wiped the morose expression off the blind old man''s face and he began roaring with laughter! Puzzled, all of us started to peer at him skeptically when even Old Man Xie was struggling to hold back his urge to laugh! We stared at them strangely, waiting for them to stop and explain.


    It took them almost one whole minute before the two old men stopped laughing. Still sniggering derisively, the old man finally said, "I bet the lot of you wishes to know why we were laughing, do you?" I nodded. Only then I was reminded of the fact that the old man was blind, and I responded with an "hmmm".


    The Blind Master smirked and motioned for another cigarette to which Yuan Chongxi obliged. With a heave of smoke, he said, "Now whenever the name of Zhu Mei is mentioned, we''d always remember of something funny about him!"


    And so Old Man Chen embarked on another tale: the Six Terrors had left their reclusive abodes in the frontier and heeded the call of the Underworld to come aid during the crisis of the Tangshan Earthquake. Being proud and grouchy folk, they were hardly willing to submit themselves to be captained by a young man looking barely in his twenties. Not knowing how powerful Father actually was then, Zhu Mei was the first to stand out and voice his displeasure, screaming loudly that why should Father give commands to them. As everyone would know, Zhu Mei was a short and stocky person with slits for eyes and long front teeth like a rabbit''s. Hardly the most handsome of appearances. This was made no better by his fiery temper and venomous mouth filled with scathing remarks and expletives. But he did not know that Father too had a tongue that was no less vicious. Father shot back at him with a savage spat. "I am fitter than you because I''m more handsome than you!" It was the first time Zhu Mei had suffered such a stinging prick.


    But it did little to discourage Zhu Mei; adamant to defeat Father in a contest, he challenged Father to a duel of speed. The winner shall dictate over the loser. A woman who was beside Father, who could only be Mother, added with a sneer of her own, "All right, but if you lose, you''ll not only have to submit yourself; you''ll take three slaps from me!"


    Zhu Mei was tremendously confident of his victory; his Windchaser magic had never once failed him! Without even a moment''s thought, he agreed to the terms readily!


    It was a simple competition: whoever reaches the finish line first would be the winner. As soon as the signal was given, Father leaped onto his sword and took into the sky like he was riding on a skateboard. Seeing Father using his magic, Zhu Mei too performed his magic, using the Windchaser technique, hoping that it would give him an edge. What he did not realize, was Father had another trick up his sleeve, the Autumn''s Decline technique.


    The Windchaser magic allowed its user to manipulate and bend the continuum of space on land to the will of its user. This allowed the user to affect the travel and speed of any other person on the ground. Similar to Father''s Autumn''s Decline technique, Father''s technique controlled the movements of anything or anyone in mid-air. With his magic rendered obsolete before Father''s magic, Zhu Mei suffered an utter defeat!


    Old Man Chen paused and sniggered wickedly. Mr. Zhang''s face was spirited to once again hear the name of "Autumn''s Decline" for he had once felt the effects of this wizardry firsthand! Enraptured by what was going to happen next, he urged Old Man Chen to get on with the story. "What happened then? Come on, Old Chen! What happened next?" "What else? Zhu Mei lost so badly that he was huffing and puffing like a boar barely escaping from a tiger when he reached the finishing line, before Shiyan''s mother gave him three slaps on his cheek!" Across the table, everyone guffawed loudly again.


    So this was why the Six Terrors of the Frontier admired Father greatly, I mused. It was all because of Zhu Mei''s contest, that they were all immediate witnesses to Father''s omnipotence!


    It was a long dinner that stretched on for three hours; we sat and talk until the restaurant was about to close before we settled the bill and left.


    And because of Edelweiss and I, Lin Feng and Chongxi began contemplating bringing their girlfriends home. Lin Feng began discussing this with Yuanyuan but there was no visible reaction from Yuan Chongxi and his girlfriend, Xiao Yu. It was only one day, I found out why. "Chongxi," I asked him, "Xiao Yu seems to be an honest girl. It''s almost the end of the year now. Should you not be planning on a meet-together between your Teacher and Xiao Yu''s mother to talk about you both?"


    Oddly, Chongxi was hardly in his usually-dull self. With a morose sigh, he said, "Well, as you well know, my teacher has his weird eccentricities. I''m afraid he might frighten Xiao Yu''s family. Moreover, look at me... She''s from a wealthy family but I am merely a penniless fool..." For all their power and loftiness, the Blind Master and his student barely had much money. They simply could not afford a wedding. Although we had our share of generous patrons and benefactors at the Center, we were far from being prosperous. Money makes the world go round; without it, there were reasons for Chongxi to be worried. He would need money to survive the future with his betrothed, despite what Xiao Yu and her mother thought about him.


    It was a blow struck to me strong and hard. The conundrum of money was something that hardly mattered to us, especially me for the past two years. Only now I began to realize the troubling gauntlet we found ourselves in. Hence, I decided to speak to Lin Feng alone about this.


    It was about two months just before the new year, when Lin Feng and I quietly decided to talk alone when it was Chongxi''s turn to be at the Center that day.


    "Shiyan," he asked once we walked out of the Center, "What is it that you wish to speak to me about without Chongxi with us?"

 Chapter 134 The Marauder and the Burglar

    I said nothing at first, leading him to a snooker lounge where we had a game of billiards.


    But he could see that I had something to talk to him about. Unable to concentrate with the game, he pointed his snooker cue at me and bellowed, "Come on! What is it that you wanted to talk about!?"


    To me, the Center was a joint venture; a shared interest that should be equally divided between us three. So was the decision which I strongly believed that we should make together. Apprehensively, I asked Lin Feng, "So, how go things between you and Yuanyuan?" He was surprised to hear me saying this; this was one of the last questions he was expecting to hear from me. "Well, what else? We''re still the same," he answered after shrugging his shoulders, "My parents are fine. But I have yet to meet her parents." I nodded and took a swig from my can of Coke. "You know Chongxi also has a girlfriend now, do you? A girl called Xiao Yu?" He merely nodded. My head bobbed slowly too as I continued, "I talked to him about his relationship just days ago. There''s been a problem..." Stunned, Lin Feng asked immediately, "What''s wrong? Are they quarreling?" Shaking my head, I said, "No. It''s just the meeting between her parents and his teacher..."


    Still, Lin Feng could not understand what was wrong. "What''s wrong with you," he snapped, "what is with your hesitation today." I sighed. "I''ll be frank, Lin Feng," I muttered at last, "We''ve barely made much money at the Center aside from the 1 million yuan we got from Zheng Shuang''s uncle. I was thinking if we should take out the money for Chongxi. You and I, our families hardly have a problem with money. But Chongxi is different, you see. His girlfriend is from a wealthy family. There would surely be expectations from her family..."


    One million yuan was hardly a small sum of money. Moreover, it was the first time I had to discuss with my closest friend about the most sensitive issue of money. It would surely be easy to imagine how jittery I was.


    Lin Feng fell silent for a second before he slapped at his forehead with dawning comprehension. "Oh my! I have not thought of this! It''s true, what you said! The Blind Master barely has any wealth for Chongxi! He''ll need money for a wedding!" I nodded in agreement. But Lin Feng was quick and straightforward, "Well, it''s not that we need the money! Our families have left us enough assets. But our pal here is alone. I agree with what you say!"


    What I was dreading about this test of our friendship turned out to be a tremendous relief. I remember hearing a quote: a real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. The same could be said of Lin Feng who readily agreed to my proposal to help Chongxi. With our conundrum resolved, we were in marvelously good spirits that we enjoyed game after game of billiards, forgetting the time that when we returned to the Center, it was already three in the evening. But to our surprise and shock, Chongxi was not at the Center. There was only Edelweiss and the six ghosts of the Seven Sisters chatting happily.


    "What is going on," I asked as soon as I walked in. But "We have never seen Chongxi today," Xiao Qi replied, "The Center was closed when we arrived. Chongxi was already long gone!" "Where could he be?" I asked myself. But he might be out with a customer. Chongxi had no lack of customers coming to seek advice from him regularly, in the affairs of Fengshui or simple fortune predictions.


    I set aside my worries and sat down on the couch. Edelweiss began asking me if I would like anything for dinner, to which I replied that anything would do. She went out shopping not long later.


    As soon as she left, Xiao Qi''s spectral form glided close. "Remember what I once said to you, Shiyan?" She was sniggering as she was saying, "I knew then that you had fallen for Edelweiss. But you denied. Look at you now..." I responded with a simple smile. What a busybody, I reflected, as I remember what she said to me then. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! That makes you Ms. All-correct! Away you go! Stop buggering me!" I snapped, and with a displeased scowl, she floated upstairs to have fun with her sisters.


    I went upstairs to join Lin Feng in waiting for Edelweiss and Chongxi to return. But as time passed, an untold dread grew within me as I peered at my watch that said six o''clock in the evening. Still, there was no sign or news at all about them. Just then, my phone rang. On my screen was a number I could not recognize. I answered the call and a frantic voice called my name. "Shiyan! Brother, where are you now!?" It was Zheng Shuang. Only then I remembered: I was using a new phone with a new SIM card because I damaged my phone when I fell down the ravine at Inner Mongolia. I had forgotten to save Zheng Shuang''s contact into my phone.


    "I''m at the Center, what''s up?" I replied. "Bro, you need to come here at once. There''s something that I need your help with," he uttered strangely. There was a definite air of guardedness in his voice, a grim undertone that has never been there before. "What''s going on," I prodded again, and only then he admitted, "We are solving an assault case at the station. It''s a thief, a regular perp here; he stole a girl''s purse but was terribly beaten by the girl. It would have been a simple matter, but we found that the girl was carrying a controlled weapon¡ªa knife." "But is hardly within our line of business," I almost blurted. "Sounds kinda vanilla to me, Brother. Does not seem to be related to anything paranormal," I said. Then the air of hesitancy and tension returned into his voice before he summoned enough courage to speak truthfully, "Err... I know... B-but... Still, we need you to come at once. Some of my guys questioned the girl about the provenance of her weapon. She said it was a gift. But when I asked her where she was from, she said she was from the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies."


    Here I was, sitting with my legs crossed and sipping on my Coke, when what Zheng Shuang said had me spewing out everything in my mouth! The girl must be Edelweiss! Putting down my can, I barked into my phone, "Wait for me! I''ll be right there!" I ended the call and rushed out the door. I started the car and slammed the pedal, getting as quick as I could to the station while hoping that things at the police station would never be worse!


    As soon as my car veered into a station, a pair of police officers whom I knew was squatting by the gates, sharing a smoke as they talked. They recognized me and stood up at once. I hopped off my car and asked them, "Where''s your captain?" They smiled at me and reported, "Captain Zheng is at the office inside. He''s trying to mediate a quarrel. Do go in quickly!" "Oh my God! This is turning into a very hairy business!"


    Without any appetence for niceties, I quickly bolted through the doors, weaving through the corridors and office area into Zheng Shuang''s room. The office was almost empty now, with barely a handful of officers who were working on shift. My anxious footsteps echoed in the bare corridors as I finally found Zheng Shuang''s office still illuminated brightly. I tore through the door to find Edelweiss holding a man by the scruff of his neck, raining punches on the badly-swollen face of the poor man! Zheng Shuang was trying his best to placate her but to no avail, the vehement temper of Edelweiss, especially when she became angry, was not one that Zheng Shuang could ever hope to douse!


    I immediately rushed to her, asking her to stop and spoke softly to calm her down. Fortunately, my presence had done its magic: Edelweiss dropped the man dismissive to the ground and stop. The man, his face purple and blue and his eyes red and swelling, collapsed like a rag doll. "Oh my God, Shiyan!" Zheng Shuang exclaimed under his breath, "Finally, you''re here!"


    As it turned out, Edelweiss had gone to a KFC branch to get some food. Caught up in a crowd, her purse was stolen by a pick-pocket. But she was able to catch the perpetrator red-handed. But instead of returning the purse to her, the man had tried to dismiss her accusations and lie his way out of trouble. What was more, he even threatened violence when Edelweiss refused to let him go. Incensed by the thief''s shameless and devious manner, she gave him a punch so powerful that he immediately crashed to the ground.


    Just when Edelweiss thought that the matter would be resolved, the thief instead began feigning innocence and cried loudly to anyone who bothered to listen to him, saying that he was being wrongfully beaten and screamed for justice. But Edelweiss, being a proud marauder who lorded over the Mongolian prairies with pride, could never stand being dishonored by such crookedness. With her anger now burning to its boiling point, she began raining an onslaught of punches upon the burglar...

 Chapter 135 Edelweisss Wrath

    With Edelweiss'' ferocity, she could easily take down three people herself. More so, since the thief was merely a petty hoodlum who knew nothing other than to cheat and lie.


    But the crowd of onlookers witnessed only how Edelweiss had pummeled the thief; they did not know that he had tried to steal her purse. With all of them being none the wiser, they wilfully made a report to the police and Edelweiss, together with the thief, were arrested and brought to Zheng Shuang''s station.


    As the clock slowly ticked in the interrogation room, the officer-in-charge''s questioning was hardly helped by Edelweiss'' restlessness as she was worried about my dinner instead of trying to cooperate. Reluctantly, she merely responded during the interrogation with angered snorts and disdainful chuckles.


    What should have been a simple inquiry turned into a lengthy wrangle no thanks to Edelweiss'' poor attitude and the accusation by the thief that she carried a knife. The thief had lost no time in taking special care to remind everyone that he was wrongfully beaten and walloped. But after a search on her, the officers did indeed found a knife on Edelweiss! It was the knife that Shang Pei had given her! Seeing as it was a special gift, she had carried it with her at all times. Moreover, it was common for Mongolian girls to carry knives, although it had become an encumbrance to her this time.


    Even the officers could not believe their eyes when they found a knife on such a lovely girl like Edelweiss. They called their superior, Zheng Shuang for instructions, who ordered them to check on her identity. Fortunately, a look on her identity card revealed that she was indeed a Mongolian and this silenced the complaints of the thief about her knife. A further investigation involving a view at the security camera footage of the KFC branch showed that Edelweiss was indeed there to buy dinner and she only turned hostile when her purse was almost stolen by the thief. Hence, Zheng Shuang had initially wanted to close the case and let her go once the formalities were completed.


    It was only then, Edelweiss realized that it was already five in the evening. Upset that she had not got my dinner, she was angry by the delay caused by the whole debacle and the tough female bandit in her demanded that the thief compensated by repaying her with money for dinner! Zheng Shuang, trying to be courteous, could not allow this; but he was also hard-pressed to refuse her since the policemen were also partly in fault for causing the delay. But there was nothing he could do in the face of Edelweiss'' seething temper!


    All of a sudden, he blurted a blunt question, one which as good as saved his day, "Wait, please, girl. Where are you from?" Without much thoughts into it, she quickly snapped, "The De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies!" An answer that Zheng Shuang could never believe he was hearing! He rushed out of his room to make a quick call to me. But when he came back, he found Edelweiss on another fit of raging frenzy, laying blows after blows again on the poor thief like a punching bag...


    This continued until my much-awaited arrival at the station, and Edelweiss finally stopped torturing the man at my insistence. My appearance quickly melted what anger she had and she quickly turned back into the docile demeanor of a wife-to-be, whimpering to me, "Shiyan, this thief tried to steal my purse and he blamed me for beating him! Look at the trouble he''s caused me! Your dinner, I have not got it yet..." I swallowed hard and wave her off at once, "Shush now, we speak no more of this!"


    After a long and detailed discussion with Zheng Shuang, I finally knew everything, feeling both exasperated and frustrated. Zheng Shuang could see the irritation on my face, and hesitantly, he asked, "So... Err... Brother, is she... She''s really from the Center?" I nodded my head gravely. "She is. You have not come recently so you might not know. She''s my girlfriend, Ala." Zheng Shuang''s eyes went as large as eggs as he stared at me for seconds silently before he warily eyed the still fuming Edelweiss. Not knowing how to react, there was a palpable uneasiness between everyone in the room. Finally, I fished out my pack of cigarettes and offered one to everyone; first to Zheng Shuang and Edelweiss, before crouching down to give one to the pickpocket. Then I took out my Spirit Gourd and from it, I took out a little pill and gave it to the man. "Well, I guess apologies are in order, mate. My girlfriend is a tad too harsh on you. But you should have slipped away when you were discovered! Look at the trouble you''ve got yourself into!" With the help of the pill, the thief had much of his health restored, muttering a flurry of incomprehensible "yeses".


    I got up and apologized to Zheng Shuang, "Terribly sorry, mate. What a ruckus we''ve caused you here." "No problem, man. I too have apprehended your wife without knowing who she was. If I knew who she was, things would never be so..." He remarked feebly and smiled at Edelweiss, "Well, I''m sorry for the ordeal you''ve had to go through, Sister-in-law! Such a shame. Let me buy you guys a meal next time!" I grinned, shaking my head. We quickly completed all the paperwork and promptly left the station.


    On the way back, I merely responded to Edelweiss with miffed grunts and monosyllables. "You''re lucky that it was my friend who was in charge of this case! How could you beat a man almost to death! It''s all thanks to Zheng Shuang that we don''t have to overnight in a jail cell!" Edelweiss'' hair drooped over her shoulders dejectedly. In my presence, she had reverted back into her meek and pliable self and offered no insolent defiance. Still, I could see that she was unhappy over what happened. "All right, all right," I switched to a gentle smile and spoke more softly to her, "It''s just dinner. I know you''re worried that I might be hungry. It''s okay. We can just call along Lin Feng and Chongxi. Let''s eat outside." I caressed her head and stroked her hair affectionately.


    We reached back at the Center and the car eased to a halt just in front of the entrance. A car was just coming in the opposite direction, and behold! It was Chongxi who got down from it! He waved to the person at the wheel was about to slip back into the Center only to have been caught by us! I rushed down the car and ran over to the vehicle he just disembarked. Who else would it be other than the mother of Chongxi''s girlfriend! She saw me coming and wound down her window, "Hello there, Head Person! I hope business is well!" I flashed a broad smile at her and whispered through her window, "Auntie, there is something that I wish to talk to you about. Well, my boy here has been close with your daughter for some time, yeah? So I was thinking if it would be fine if we arrange a meeting somewhere near this new year. What do you think of it?" She was delighted to hear this! "Of course! That''s good! When should we meet?" I could not help feeling the knot in my gut loosen; her earnest reaction could only mean that things would progress well. "I''ll set a time then I''ll have Chongxi inform you, how''s that?"


    And so she left, excited and elated as her car vroomed from the curb. Chongxi was standing just outside the door of the Center, staring at our exchange blankly. "Look at you," I said to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and steering him through the door, "Come on, look happy!"


    As we stepped through the threshold, I asked if he has had dinner to which he responded with a curt "yes". "But we''re planning to go out for dinner now? You wanna come along?" Filled with sudden vim, he snapped, "Of course!"


    I went upstairs to get Lin Feng and the six Sisters, and we went to a hot pot restaurant.


    As soon as we were seated, and a brief tussle broke out as the Sisters fought for the menu. I ignored the debacle and turned to Chongxi, "Hey, what''s going on back there just now? You went to visit your in-laws?" "Course not! You two had just gone out and Xiao Yu''s mother came to the Center with somebody with her..."


    Apparently, Chongxi was feeling bored being alone at the Center this morning and he chatted with his girlfriend on the phone. Knowing that he was at the Center, she told him about an acquaintance of her mother''s whose home was struck with strange and weird incidents. Trying to win his girlfriend''s favor, he readily agreed to help, confident that his experiences and encounter would be of use to him now in such "timely" need. This was why his girlfriend''s mother then came, bringing along a man with her to the Center.


    When they first met, Chongxi saw that the man was both distressed and angry. He put on a profession grin as if he would be able to help solve any problems, and said, "Fret not. Just tell me what your problem is and I''ll help you to the best of my ability."


    The man then began telling about himself and his predicament: he was a farmer rearing a flock of more than ten chickens. One of the chickens went missing last month. His wife had initially believed that it might have been stolen by some mischievous rascals so they fenced up the enclosure of the chicken coop. But another chicken was found dead this month; its head had been bitten off. This could only be the work of weasels, they surmised. So they waited, until one day, there was a huge commotion coming from the chicken coop. The weasel is here, they realized. The farmer snatched up a pickaxe and rushed into the chicken coop and began thrashing at the predator brutally. But instead of hitting his target, he nearly swooned at strange and noxious fumes emitted by the weasel which then fled from the scene.

 Chapter 136 The Eld of Yuan Chongxi

    The farmer would have thought this would have been a trivial case of just keeping his chickens safe from predators and the encounter with the weasel might discourage the beast from having second thoughts about his chickens ever again. But in the second morning when he woke up, his fields were covered with litters of bricks and roof tiles!


    Still wearing his trademarked blank and dull expression as he listened intently, Chongxi merely responded with a blunt and short "oh" when the farmer''s tale reached its end. He peered at his future mother-in-law and the farmer. "Which sort of fertilizers do you use at the farm?" he asked quietly. Puzzled by his question, the farmer blabbered, "Manure from horses and mules, of course!" Chongxi chuckled viciously. He whispered into the farmer''s ears who nodded, taking in everything he said and gave the farmer a name card, telling him to place another call to us; we would accept the case. Chongxi then declined the offer of an upfront payment, citing that payment was only collected after our services were rendered.


    Yuan Chongxi might look dumb and dull, but instead, he was no more a fool than any of us. As instructed by Chongxi, the farmer went back to his fields and bellowed as loudly as he could while laughing, "This is good! I was just thinking about how much money I''d need to build a pigsty! All the bricks and tiles would surely cost a bomb! But now they''re here! I''ll have a cart here to have all these free stuff brought away!" He paused and shouted even louder, "Luckily it''s not some filthy horse or mule manure!"


    "What a devious plan! You rotten one!" I exclaimed at Chongxi who sniggered, resembling his mentor. "But this does not explain how you were not at the Center the whole day?" I pointed out. "Heh heh heh, well... I''ve not seen Xiao Yu since coming back from Inner Mongolia. Seeing as I have nothing to do at the Center, her mother asked me to her house for a visit." He giggled, fishing out a large chunk of meat from the hot pot and into his bowl, much to all of our amazement. I almost glowered at him, "Did you not just say that you''ve eaten?!"


    Halfway through the meal, my eyes met Lin Feng who was trying to wink at me. Remembering our plan, I nodded furtively and extracted a bank card from my wallet. I slid it across to Chongxi. "Well, since you''re so close with Xiao Yu now. Perhaps it''s really time for you to arrange a meeting between your teacher and her mother." Chongxi stopped munching and frowned. "Ahh... You''ve forgotten what I''ve told you, mate... It''s difficult for me..." Lin Feng leaped to his feet and snatched up the bank card and stuffed it into his hand. "Fool! We''d never forget! Take this! This is the one million yuan that we''ve got from Zheng Shuang''s uncle! Take this money and all your difficulties are solved!"


    The entire table was instantly plagued by a sudden silence when everyone heard what Lin Feng said. Even the hubbub from the six Sisters, who had been having a fun and rowdy time at the other side of the table, immediately died down.


    Chongxi clutched the card in his hand, and his stare was frozen like ice for seconds before two lines of tears rolled down his face. His lips quivered as he tried to say something, but I stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulders. "There''s nothing that needs to be said. We''re brothers; true brothers. Edelweiss and I don''t need the money anyway." "Yeah," Lin Feng added, "I have enough in my family. Yuanyuan too does not need money! But we know you, on the other hand, are in great need of help!"


    Chongxi took a deep breath, loss for words; although his expression fully illustrated the complex flurry of emotions swirling in him. He drank a lot, and so did we that night. With liquor to loosen our tongues, he began recounting of his past with his teacher and also his foster father, Old Man Chen.


    His shoulders sank as his eyes began to wet; the memories of his childhood came back to him like it was yesterday, still vivid and fresh to him. He was still a baby wrapped in a bundle of cloth when Old Man Chen found him in a sewage pipe beneath a bridge. A thin and scrawny fella that was how Old Man Chen had once described the toddler Chongxi when he was found. In the folds of the blanket that he was clothed in was only a little note, saying that he came from a family with the surname Yuan. Seeing sorry to be abandoned at such a young age, Old Man Chen took the baby into his arms. It was dusk and the sky was painted with shades of darkening hues of red and orange as the sun slowly sank far away into the West. He peered at the sinking orb and reflected how it reminded him of himself, an old man slowly nearing the twilight of his years. Yet it was this very hour, the child had come into his life, restoring colors to the monotony of his dull and dreary life. Hence, the baby was named Yuan Chongxi, and the old man built a little shed under the bridge.


    In the day, Old Man Chen would carry the boy in his arms to beg for food and swindle people of their money. They would return to the shed in the night and he would hug the baby close to him to keep him warm. This went on for years and the pair of father and son would sit on the pavements, relying on the sympathy and charity of others, although they would sometime try to exploit people''s kindness by deceiving and cheating them. But the days had never been kind to them; even beggars and swindlers worked in groups or gangs and the father and son would often suffer being robbed or beaten by rival beggars. Even so, Old Man Chen had never allowed his foster son to starve. The old man had always used a pouch to carry what food or money he received and made sure that Chongxi had enough to eat, even if it meant that he would have to endure a cold night of biting pangs of hunger himself.


    But Fate did not smile upon them; the father and son slowly realized that life was growing no kinder to them as days went by. Finally, they decided that it was time to leave the shed under the bridge. Chongxi was only two then.


    The two-year-old boy never understood; it was never his wish nor his burden to bear so many hardships. But he could not understand the willingness of his father to endure their misfortune without as much as a grumble or complaint as if he was humbly accepting a penance for a sin he had committed. But what he would always remember, that it was the start of their lives wandering around.


    But people might not believe that such grievous life of destitution would be possible. After all, this is the 20th century. I, for one, would never believe that a child would deserve to live so miserably in poverty and indigence, if this was not Chongxi''s own story of his childhood. He sipped on his cigarette, grappling with the urge to shed tears. "I was four then, when Teacher showed me how to cheat others by feigning injury in a scam. It was hardly easy money for them nonetheless; even for a blind old man with a little boy! I could only watch as Teacher slowly meandered towards a car which was moving in reverse. I was so afraid that he might actually be injured! But his instructions echoed in my mind as he moved forward. I was to rush to him and scream for help while calling him Grandpa..." He paused, holding back a sob and breathed heavily. "The car reversed into Teacher, who crashed to the ground with a loud "arghhh" for everyone''s benefit, and I scrambled to him, crying as loud as I could while saying, ''Grandpa, get up, are you all right?''. "The driver of the vehicle got out quickly and was devastated to see an old man being hit! An old man who was blind and there was even a young boy with him! Anxious and afraid, the man tossed a 1000-yuan note and promptly left. But it was that day, Teacher was actually injured. For the first time in my life, we ate at a restaurant and tasted food that was warm. But it was a pleasure that came at so heavy a price that I hardly enjoyed the experience. He ruffled my hair as we ate, like how a father would, asking me if I enjoyed the food... But all I could see was his bandaged arm..."


    Chongxi''s voice faltered. Finally, he could hold back no longer and he began sobbing hard.


    By the time he was six, he was already skilled in deception, thievery, and simple magic of divination. They walked passed a school one day. Students were filing out of the gates of the school after classes. Chongxi tugged at the sleeves of his teacher, "Teacher, Teacher. Why are those children carrying a bag and standing in a line? They look almost my age." Old Man Chen understood what was going on and giggled. "They are students. It''s the end of their lessons now and they are preparing to go home." The young and innocent Chongxi gazed longingly at them, looking at how happy the school children were. For the first time in his life, he made a request to his teacher, "Teacher, I would like to go to school like them too."


    He could not remember what his teacher looked then. He was just too young to remember and understood the rueful expression of his teacher. But he would never forget the two gleaming lines trickling from under his teacher''s dark sunglasses down the gnarly creases of his cheeks.


    But like how all fathers loved their sons, Old Man Chen saved up a hundred yuan and they bought train tickets. The destination was the Wu Zhong County Train Station. Chongxi was six then, and I was seven. That was the first time we met.


    With another glass of liquor, I felt more than tipsy, more like nauseous and tired. I slapped on Chongxi''s shoulders, saying, "There, there, Brother! It''s all in the past! Think no more about the past! You are an able man now! You can take care of your teacher now that he''s old and he needs your help! It''s time we go back! We''ll deal with that weasel tomorrow!" Chongxi wiped his tears, nodding without a word.

 Chapter 137 Wile for a Weasel

    With great effort and time, we finally managed to recover Aunt Ulan''s soul and saved her before returning from Inner Mongolia. It was in this journey that I had had the chance to know another of Father''s former paramours, who later became my Godmother.


    My life was nearly lost during an avalanche when I was thrown off a cliff and Edelweiss leaped into certain death after me. Thanks to Godmother''s magic, we were both alive although Godmother was initially perturbed when she found out I was the progeny of Murong Hai after saving us.


    Fortunately, all''s well that ends well was true. Godmother eventually joined us in the rescue of Aunt Ulan. What was more, the avalanche had also broken the ice between Edelweiss and I that we were now lovers.


    In a conversation with Godmother, I later discovered the true reason Father had refused his ascension into the Heavens: it was the disappearance of the Dragon-slaying Blade which was once possessed by Bian Dashou! Additionally, another shocking revelation¡ªone which had eluded me for almost two decades¡ªthen dawned upon me: my mother was a demoness!


    We then encountered two of the Six Terrors of the Frontier¡ªrenowned practitioners of sorcery and arcane magic who once were comrades with Father¡ªShang Pei and Zhu Mei who helped us in saving Aunt Ulan. From Shang Pei, we found out the story behind Chongxi''s teacher and surrogate father, Old Man Chen''s blindness. We were treated kindly and warmly by Shang Pei, who was deeply indebted to the Blind Master Chen for his sacrifice, and the time we spent with them remained a memorable experience to us.


    It was nearing fall of the year when we finally made it back to Wu Zhong. Lin Feng and I planned to help Chongxi by arranging a get-together between his teacher and his girlfriend''s mother. Yuan Chongxi was hesitant to take their relationship to another level because of his relatively modest background, as his girlfriend was from a wealthy household. Even with his girlfriend, Xiao Yu, and her mother''s eagerness, he was still very doubtful. Since we did not require the money¡ªthe sum of one million yuan that we received during our fight against the Creed of the Eight Trigrams¡ªboth Lin Feng and I decided that we would give them all to Chongxi, hoping that the money would bolster his confidence in the meeting between Xiao Yu''s parent and his foster father.


    At the same time, Chongxi had agreed to a request of his girlfriend''s mother to help an acquaintance of hers to deal with the menace of a weasel demon. We would know for sure if his plan worked the following day when we visit the acquaintance''s farm.


    During the dinner at the hot pot restaurant, Chongxi confessed to us his childhood over seemingly-endless rounds of liquor that all of us were already terribly inebriated by the time our meal came to an end. I had no idea how did I get home that night, although a news headline I saw the second day saying "Phantom Driver: Driverless Vehicle Roaming Wu Zhong During Midnight" gave me a hunch.


    I woke up the second morning with my head still heavy and stoned. What a terrible shock it was when I found Edelweiss sitting by the window beside my bed! She had been staying up all night! Why did you not sleep, I asked her. "You''ve had too much to drink last night. I was worried that you might need anything, so I stayed up the night." A warm tenderness enveloped me. Edelweiss might be a better drinker than I was, but she too, had drunk a lot last night. Knowing she must be terribly tired and intoxicated herself, I said to her, "You must be tired, aren''t you? For the entire night, you''ve not slept at all." She shook her head and told me about how she used to stay up whenever Aunt Ulan got herself wasted on liquor too.


    Even though she has retained the fieriness and aggressiveness of the horse bandit she once was, the Edelweiss now and today was nevertheless the gorgeous young lass who had continually sought to do her best to love me and provide me with affection and passion.


    I flipped myself off my bed and got myself dressed. It was eight in the morning. I tucked Edelweiss into bed and went to the living hall. Mother was sitting alone, enjoying her usual bout of television as usual. Do you need breakfast, she called at me while keeping her eyes still glued to the screen and I declined, stepping out of the door. My stomach was still full of the liquor I had had last night!


    I walked out of my house and started my car, heading back to the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies. I arrived to find both Lin Feng and Chongxi laughing their heads off at the sofa. "What''s going on?" I asked as I snapped my lighter and held it to my cigarette, waiting until its tip glowed burning red. Chongxi gnawed on his Chinese breadstick and answered, "The farmer from our weasel case just called moments ago. The bricks and tiles have all vanished and in their place is mule dung! He is extremely happy, speaking to us on his phone while pulling his plow by car to flip the manure into the soil! Hahaha! That vile weasel demon is hoodwinked by me with just a simple trick!"


    We spent the rest of the morning talking and idling until the phone rang again during lunchtime. It was the farmer. His work was done, said the man, and he was asking about the payment for our help. I instructed Chongxi to postpone the matter of payment, knowing that the weasel demon would surely not give up. It would be more prudent for us to have a look at his farm later. It would surely come back for retaliation, especially when it discovered that it had been deceived.


    Later when we were thinking about lunch, Lin Feng said suddenly, "Food will be delivered here later. There''s no need to go out for lunch, boys!" "Yuanyuan is having an off day, is she?" I guessed aloud. "Yeah! You''re a smart one, aren''t you?" Lin Feng smiled and nodded, but I scowled at him. "Your gleeful expression has already betrayed you," I almost blurted. Not long afterward, Yuanyuan pushed through the door of the Center with a friend in tow. They were carrying large plastic bags filled with our food.


    As always, Chongxi was most eager and enthusiastic when it came to food, having the table and chairs already prepared...


    Yuanyuan''s friend introduced herself during the meal. She was from the same village as Yuanyuan at their hometown, a small town called Linnancangzhen Town to the west of Wu Zhong County.


    Due to Yuanyuan''s relationship with Lin Feng, the friend was aware of what we did for a living. Hence, our subject unavoidably delved into the paranormal as we chatted. "Have you ever heard of a lake that used to be just beside the town of Linnancangzhen? There used to be stories; creepy stories about strange things at the lake. It began a long long time ago, but till this day, no one knows for sure if there was really anything spooky lurking about there!" I merely chuckled. "Come on, even if there was, that could only be a thing of the past. The lake''s not even there now. The whole area''s now filled with industrial plants and factories. There are no ghosts there but the din of machines and steel." Yuanyuan was biting on her chopstick like she would with a toothpick. "There might not be anything there now," she interjected, "But there was, so said my grandma years ago!"


    Tens of years ago, the lake was so large that six separating hamlets skirted along its banks. There was a legend that a gigantic Ao, a mythological tortoise from old wives'' tales, fell from the sky. It hit the earth and its tremendous impact created a huge crater. A heavy deluge came not long after the mythical beast''s fall from the sky and filled up the crater with water, becoming the lake that people saw afterward. Until one day, a fisherman was spreading his nets into the waters of the lake, only to haul up a long iron chain. But it was strange to him. For many times, the fisherman had been to the lake but never had he ever seen such an iron chain.


    With the urge of curiosity getting the better of him, the fisherman began pulling at the chains, thinking of keeping it himself. But the chain was so long that he never saw the end of it. The more he pulled, the heavier it grew and he felt the waterline on the hull of his boat slowly rising. Fearing his boat might not be able to bear the weight, he relented and returned the chain back into the water.


    He went back to his village and enlisted the help of several able-bodied men. They sailed to the same spot where he found the chain only to realize that the chain was no more. They returned empty-handed, and many people began chiding the fisherman, claiming that he was lying. The matter was soon forgotten, although tales of the chain''s discovery routinely resurfaced, proving the fisherman''s innocence.


    Decades later, the lake gradually dried up, entirely quashing all rumors of any mythical Aos residing in the lake. The site was reclaimed and an industrial area built over it now, thus ended the legend of the mythical beast.


    During the meal, I asked Yuanyuan and her friend, "The three of us will be going out later on an errand. Would you like to sit around here and help us man the Center while we''re away?"

 Chapter 138 Checkmating the Weasels

    From the sound of it, Yuanyuan and her friend could hear that we were going to help with a client about some spooky cases, and they agreed to help us.


    Chongxi was already pestering us to get a move on even as we barely finished lunch. He was anxious to meet the farmer, this being the first time he had handled a case by himself.


    The farmer had already completed his work of flipping the fertilizers into the ground when we reached his fields. He immediately tossed his cigarette to the ground and grounded it with his boot when he saw us stopping the car and got up to his feet, walking towards us with brisk steps. He was in good spirits; offering each of us a cigarette while thanking us, "What a tall order you''ve accomplished indeed! You guys are the real deal!" Real, of course, I mused wryly, we are as real as it gets. Chongxi chuckled gleefully, extremely pleased at himself, "Don''t mention it! It''s just a simple task for us!"


    I breathed and exhaled a puff of smoke from my cigarette. "Would you like to have a look at the weasel, or weasels, which have harmed your chickens?" My question seemed to have caught the farmer off-guard. Stunned for a second, he replied tentatively, "O-of course, I do..." I simply chuckled. Chongxi was equally surprised himself, although he too began to snicker as Lin Feng was grinning with his cigarette between his lips. He has realized what I was up to. "Make some signboards," he told another farmer, "Write down the message ''Caution: Explosive Mines Underground. Keep away!'' and then stick the signs around here," his finger pointing at the spot where he stood. He flashed a devious smile at Chongxi and me.


    A little more than an hour passed, and two elder men came walking to the fields with several signboards. With Lin Feng''s instructions, the signs were stuck into several spots along the edges of the field.


    The work was done by four in the evening and the presages of dusk were beginning to show in the faraway sky. I stood up, pulling a strip of talismanic charm from my pocket, a Charm of Divine Sight. With a curt mutter of "open", the piece of paper burst into flames, and my sight immediately changed. The Charm of Divine Sight grants a temporary and weaker simulation of the actual Divine Sight to its user.


    I peered around and saw a ghost standing by one of the paths just beside the fields. I waved to the ghost and called out to him, "Hey, you! Come here!" The spirit was shocked to see a human calling out to him. He looked around and saw that there was no one else around him and pointed to himself inquiringly. I nodded hard and yelled again, "Yeah, you! Come here!" The ghost drifted towards me. "What do you want?" he asked, and I smiled, "Do you know how to cast Ghost Barriers?" He shook his head, "Nope." "No matter, go look for three more ghosts. Anyone would do." Knowing that I am hardly an ordinary person, he turned and vanished. Before long, he came back, bringing with him three ghosts ¨C two male and one female. From their appearance, they were well past their teens when they met their deaths.


    I assigned each of the ghosts to four locations around the field, "Each of you will stand here, here, here and here..." I pointed to four different spots and left them orders, "Wait until the night. Do not stray from these spots. But if something comes your way, do this..."


    When everything was ready, I retreated out of the field, wearing a broad smile on my face. The farmers were waiting for outside by the road. I spoke to the farmer, the one who looked for our help, saying, "Bring as many people as you can tomorrow morning! You''ll enjoy a show of weasels running a marathon!" The farmer tried inviting us for dinner at his home, but we declined respectfully and promptly left.


    We arrived back to Wu Zhong at six in the evening. It was already dark, and the streets were filled with blazing rows of lights from cars choked at the intersection due to the busy traffic. The jam on the streets was not helped by everyone rushing to reach home after work and the restlessness of being caught in the middle of the chaotic clamor and tumult grew incessantly. For more than half an hour, our journey was stymied by the rush hour traffic that it was almost seven when we were finally before the entrance of the Center. A van was parked just outside. Clients surely, I thought, and I quickly got off and went inside.


    A young couple in their early thirties stood up at once as I walked through the door, smiling benignly at me. Yuanyuan and her friend were just beside them and Yuanyuan quickly introduced, gesturing at me, "This is the Head Person of this center." The man and wife came forward and we shook hands, as Yuanyuan added, "This couple is our neighbor from our village. They have encountered a problem and they need some help. Since I was here when they called us, I decided to ask them to wait for you here." I nodded and said to them, "Please, have a seat. So, how can I help you?"


    "Please, Sir! We need your help! It''s my husband!" The woman screamed first. Her finger was jabbed straight at her husband. I studied him with my Spirit Sight on and found a faint whiff of demonic aura shrouded over him like perfume on a lady, although the aura was too weak to do him any harm. I went to the door, thinking that the couple was here to request for Chongxi''s fortune-telling services, and stood there and yelled, "Hey, Chongxi! You''re up!" He heard me and came running over as I walked back in. "So, what is it that you wish to find out?" Chongxi came in just in time to hear the lady explaining, "We love fishing. Last Sunday, we went to a lake nearby. But instead of getting fish, my husband fell into the water! I was just in the car at that time when I saw him in the water. I ran quickly to him and a few other anglers just nearby came over to help him up. He swallowed a few gulps of water, that''s all. The strange thing is, my husband knows how to swim! But he nearly drowned! Something was pulling at his leg when he was in the water, he said, although everyone, me included, did not believe him initially. Some of the other men even teased at him for trying to lie! Finally, we decided to call it a day and head home. But when we reached home, I discovered that his calf... Maybe it''s better if you see it yourself!"


    The man rolled up his pants and there was a very visible swell on his calf.


    My hand snuck into my pocket and I extracted my Spirit Gourd. With a little spell, a black foul aura which had been swirling over the swelling was drawn into my Gourd. It was a foul, demonic aura for sure, although it was faint and weak, posing no danger to humans. "So... This is what you want us to see? This swelling?" Chongxi uttered in dumb incredulity at the man. Chongxi reached forward and was about to ask the man about his birthdates for the fortune-telling, but I cut him short. "Your husband is safe, there''s nothing to worry about," I said quickly to the woman, "So is there anything else we can help you with?" "I need you to help us see if anything has followed us home since our fishing trip at the pond!" The woman exclaimed, "Will it affect our fortune and our futures? Was it really something sinister lurking in the pool? Something which had yanked his leg in the pond?!"


    "No, no. It''s only underwater weed or some other vegetation that coiled around his leg when he was in the water. I''m sure of it. It''s nothing paranormal, so nothing has affected your fortune. Don''t worry. Just enjoy yourselves when you go fishing again and be careful. We''ll not charge you this time but do not hesitate to come back to us if you have any inquiries!" I stood up and extended a hand to shake theirs. The husband and wife were relieved and was comforted by our reputation. They shook our hands gratefully and left.


    As soon as I saw them out the door, Chongxi grumbled, "A dark smog is hanging over them. It''s clear as day that they are in terrible fortunes! Why are you showing them out! Do you not want money?!" "Of course I can see that too," I replied, "I know that the swelling is not caused by anything ordinary. But they are safe now. Something tells me that the misfortune they now endure will be part of their destiny. We will not interfere with that. As for the malevolent entity responsible for this, it will be of no more concern to this couple. That is why we will not collect payment from them. But I had kept the foul aura so that we could track it down. We will tell the couple nothing of this since they are merely bystanders caught up into this. They will never dare go near any pond to fish again if they know the truth."


    Chongxi was left dazed and speechless. For a moment, he was speechless, before he said, "So... You mean..." I set alight another cigarette. "We''ll have a look at the pond after dinner and eliminate whatever is that which lurks inside." "All right, dinner!" Yuan Chongxi quipped with delight. Having witnessed the whole episode, Yuanyuan stifled a giggle, "You moron! Food is all that matters to you!"


    Apart from the word "dinner", Chongxi seemed to have barely heard a word I said. Unlike me, who had grown to become insensitive to Chongxi''s sensitivity towards food, Yuanyuan could not hold back a snort at his shenanigan.


    I made a phone call to Edelweiss to ask her to get us dinner on her way to the Center. Once we had finished dinner, we made our way westward towards Linnancangzhen town, with Yuanyuan and her friend directing us.

 Chapter 139 Nights Errand

    As our car crunched along the way out of Wu Zhong, Yuanyuan began a delivery about her hometown Linnancangzhen Town like a tour guide.


    It was in the 1970s when the township of Linnancangzhen Town started a mining company to quarry coal, an operation that would continue for decades until 2016. Everything was fine when the mining operations began. But years passed and residents in the vicinity began to observe cracks slowly appearing around their houses. No one realized that the tremors from the mining operations were the cause of the damages to the residents'' houses, until the buildings around the quarry were toppling down with devastating alacrity. The cracks began to spread and grow like ivy and webs on a wall and the residents began to fear the worst.


    My mind slowly drifted away as Yuanyuan rambled on about the residents'' ardent pursuit for their interests and compensation. Instead, my thoughts closed in on the area which the ground had sunk.


    According to Yuanyuan, the site of the pond was the site where substantial coal deposits were found. The mining site was abandoned when the ground began collapsing. But I remember coming here when I was young. I had passed by this place once when I followed Father on one of his errands. I could remember feeling puzzled by the lowly-built houses and structures in this town when we passed.


    According to Yuanyuan''s story, the buildings and structures in this locale were falling like dominoes, especially when the mining site was still active, where the ground would be sinking at a rate so dangerously apparent that many would shudder to comprehend. With no sewage system beneath the ground, the rainwater began accumulating in the sunken part of the town, thus creating the large pond. The ground never stopped sinking, that even today, we could see walls that were almost waist-deep into the ground and the roof of a sunken guard post sticking out of the ground like a mushroom.


    The mining site was completely gone, with what remained of it joining the rest of the lake when it sank, now fully submerged like an underwater necropolis. Somehow, fish began growing in the lake, either by the act of man or Heavens, and slowly, this pond became a popular fishing spot for anglers around here; among them, were the husband and wife who visited us.


    Seeing is believing; the time on my phone showed "8 PM" as the tires of our car ground to a stop. We got out and immediately felt the cold winds whistling by our ears. I clicked on my flashlight ahead and saw a few smaller pools of water, all with fishes swimming happily as if to welcome the beams of light from us. I peered at the largest pool of water, the lake which we came for. Nothing. There was nothing wrong yet so far with my Spirit Sight. I turned to face Yuanyuan, who nodded, tacitly indicating that we have reached the spot.


    "Let us begin then," I mused. I took out my Spirit Gourd and shook it gently, hearing a soft gurgle emitting from within. The whiff of foul aura I took was still too faint. I would have doubted any success, if I had not my spirit eagle, spirit wolves and, last but not least, my spirit cat, Smoky.


    I conjured my spirit eagle. With a screeching hoot, it soared into the sky and circled for a second overhead before flying towards North. Lin Feng looked into the distance where it flew to and smiled proudly. "It''s time for me to show you my driving skills that rivals Takumi of Initial D!" Over his shoulders, Chongxi and I scowled behind his back. "You''re just trying to show off to your girlfriend," we almost grumbled.


    We got back into the car and Lin Feng spun the steering wheel, veering the car off the main road into a gravel path. The bumpy and choppy ride down the narrow path had us bellowing and yelping all the way; little pools of water lined along the sides of the path which had no fences or barricades to prevent vehicles from straying off. The two girls were grimacing with fright, even though Lin Feng was doing his best to drive as safely as possible. We could not have found a better driver; I myself would have long plunged into the pools of water if I was at the wheel.


    Finally, we saw the gray silhouette of my spirit eagle flying in loops in the sky as if it has locked on to a prey. A thought flashed through my mind, "We''re near!"


    Lin Feng eased the car to a halt somewhere near the other side of the lake. "There''s no more way ahead. I guess we have to get closer on foot." With a dramatic swish of his hand, three of his throwing knives appeared between his fingers like magic; the steely tips glinting precariously in the moonlight. "You just can''t stop showing off, could you?"


    We got down and walked upwind towards the spot where my spirit eagle was waiting, the frigid breeze of the night slamming crisply into our faces as we traveled. The rapid industrialization of the area caused a perpetual mist to linger no matter day or night. Through the diaphanous veil, the moon reflected off the stagnant waters of the pools, painting the view before us in an eerie green. With the coldness of the winds that reached deep into our bones, this was hardly a place I would enjoy staying a minute longer.


    We waded through the thickets of undergrowth and finally reached our destination, where we were already shivering from the stabbing cold. With a wave of my hand, the spirit eagle vanished into a thin wisp of smoke that returned into my Spirit Gourd. I left it uncorked, pointing its mouth at the lake. With my lips reciting a spell, the still waters of the lake began churning uncontrollably, until a black figure emerged from the bubbling waves and into the air and was drawn into my gourd.


    A confused "huh" escaped my lips. "Why?" Lin Feng asked, "Something wrong?" He saw the doubtful frown on my face and Chongxi was the first to answer, "Haven''t you noticed, Brother? Did you not notice something is different today in how the spirit was seized?" "Ah! I see! You and I were able to see what was being seized!" He slapped on his forehead. "We have never been able to see anything and could only hear a little sound at most before! But this time, somehow we''re able to see what was being sucked into Shiyan''s gourd!"


    Yuanyuan and her friend, however, did not understand a word we said. "What''s going on, Lin Feng?" she asked, "Is there anything wrong?" "Not really," I interjected, "Just that, in most cases, the physical body of an entity would remain as a lifeless corpse whenever I use my magic to draw its soul into my gourd. This is in fact the first time that an entity, with its physical body included, was swallowed a whole into my gourd." Still suspicious that my magic worked, I shook my gourd and listened. Hearing some groans emitting from inside, I was finally satisfied. My magic had not failed. Only then, I put away my gourd.


    Despite the inconsistency that occurred when I used my spell, I was convinced that everything worked fine. It was time for us to leave. More so, with Chongxi''s incessant gripes and whines about the cold. He urged us to return to the car, and we did, allowing me no more time to reflect on what happened.


    On the journey back, Lin Feng and Chongxi were chatting. They had expected a gritty struggle from the malevolent spirit, not a simple and facile undertaking that had been settled in mere minutes. Only an entity with more than a century of age and magic could inflict a noticeable wound on a human with just a simple grip like the one on the injured man who came with his wife. Entities of such maturity would surely defy against any attempts to pacify or subdue them. But why was this demon allowing itself to be so easily seized by us?


    Back at the Center, I had Lin Feng sent off his girlfriend and her companion. It was time we had a true look at the demon and it was dangerous for them to remain in case things turned hairy. In any case, the experience of what might happen could be traumatic to them.


    We waited for Yuanyuan and her friend to leave first, then we shut the doors and drew the curtains. The curtains have been enchanted by Father before we hung them. Only demons or entities with more than thousands of years of age and power could escape from the Center as long as the curtains held.


    I uncorked my Gourd and recited a spell quietly, conjuring the entity from within it. Following a loud whistle, a black fume sprouted out and formed a blob that gesticulated before us and turned into a naked humanoid figure. Our eyes set upon the grotesquery that materialized before us: a thin and dark furless ape of a demon with long slender limbs. Its four sharp, protruding claws glistened in the eerily dim light as we held our breaths, not only to be wary of it, but also because of the fetid stench of rot that it gave off.


    The dark, vaporous form slowly stiffened as it fully materialized and the demon peered at us. Our eyes locked for a moment. But instead of baring its fangs or its eyes flaring with malice, the demon dropped to its knees! Its shoulders began to tremble with fear and the demon began prostrating itself humbly before us, groveling at our ankles while begging for mercy!

 Chapter 140 The Forest Sprite

    With my Spirit Sight, I could see the thick tendrils of foul aura curling around the demon. It must be at least centuries old like Godmother. But why did it surrendered itself as soon as it saw us, behaving so meek like a sheep? In anyhow, I would gladly choose to talk rather fight any day. Feigning arrogant magnanimity, I heaved a puff from my cigarette, and stared down at it. "Enough fretting," I said, with all the frostiness I could muster, "Speak up. What are you and what evil have you wrought? I''d have no lies from you!"


    My cold and steely voice sent a chill down the monster''s spine. It looked even more fearful than before as if Death was lurking from behind every syllable I uttered. Its lips quivered as it struggled to summon the courage to speak, until he spoke at last, "Er... Er... P-please! H-have mercy on me!" The monster''s courage was no better than its hideous looks, I mused. Then I smiled and said, "Very well, mercy it is, for now," I added quietly, trying to sound insidious.


    Hearing that its life was not in immediate danger, the demon heaved a breath of relief. An impatient Chongxi slammed his fist on the table. "SPEAK! Do you need us to repeat ourselves?!" The bellow from Chongxi scared the demon out of its wits and it threw itself to Chongxi''s ankles. I held up a hand to signal for restraint and said to the demon, "Enough bootlicking for now. Answer my question."


    There was something about my voice that the demon was especially fearful of. Even with a placid tone, the demon almost leaped with fright everything I spoke. "M-many many years ago... Y-you''ve slain all of my kin... I was the only one who barely escaped... Through the centuries, I could still hear the agonizing screams of my sires from within your gourd... The parents who sired me and nurtured me... All gone..." Realizing that the demon had mistaken me for Father, I spoke with a bit more warmth, "Rest assured that you will never need to suffer the same fate as long as you do as I say. Tell me everything about you. There''s no need to fret!" The demon must have recognized my Spirit Gourd and believed that I was Father. Feeling more at ease, the demon began telling its tale.


    For years, the demon had kept to itself by remaining underwater, shying away from contact with other life forms. Hence it had lost much of its ability to communicate effectively without our help.


    A dense woodland once sat to the north of the lake. A brackish, inconspicuous pond laid hidden inside. Just outside the woods, perched atop the crest of a mound, was a villa; an estate owned by a young lady whose name was called Xiao Yanyan. She was the precious daughter of Xiao Siwen¡ªa Warden of the Imperial Court of Liao¡ªwho later became Empress.


    The heretofore-unknown Xiao Yanyan would then ascend into prominence, becoming one of the most famous figures in the history of China, Empress Dowager Xiao of the Liao Dynasty. Following the demise of her husband the Emperor, their son was crowned as his successor and she as the new Empress Dowager. The villa then became one of her Imperial estates.


    But no one knew that Forest Sprites were living in the forest just by the estate. The Sprites enjoyed the nourishment they derived from the dragon leys in the vicinity, allowing themselves to be vigorously strong and healthy, that many even had pure and angelic auras. With the mountain ranges of Mount Yan skirting the northern edges of the woods, the woodland was surrounded mostly by bodies of water and all sorts of life, plants and beasts alike, thrived robustly in the deep of the forest. To the south, was a sea that stretched far out of view; an endless blue ocean that met the sky at the horizon. The Sprites became accustomed to water and they roamed the place freely, unhindered and unafraid; there was barely thousands of humans living nearby for the area of Wu Zhong County then was at the borders of the Empire of Liao. The colony of Forest Sprites grew steadily until their luck ran out during the end of the Hongwu Emperor''s rule. More and more humans began settling in the region during the rule of Yongle Emperor. The humans felled trees and dug for land, pioneering new settlements for human habitation. In the end, none of the lush forests remained, leaving only the lake here. Much of Wu Zhong was still lakes and lagoons then, and the vast abundance of marine life and the Forest Sprites were able to survive.


    Until the final years of the Ming Dynasty, came a group of Taoist priests who then fought against the Forest Sprites. Both factions were able to hold their own in the struggle; the Forest Sprites being accustomed to fighting in water and the Taoist priests were capable sorcerers themselves. But the stalemate was broken when the Taoist priests enlisted the help of a sea serpent; a wrym which undermined the Sprites'' superiority in marine warfare. With a simple heave from its snout, the sea serpent had all the water in the region all sucked into its belly, leaving only a few bodies of water far away from their battlefield. With its magic, the sea serpent prevented all water from flowing towards the battlefield. Some of the Forest Sprites tried desperately to reach the nearest bodies of water they saw, but none of them survived the onslaught of the sea serpent, leaving the rest unwilling but easy captives of the priests.


    The demon paused in its tale to add that it was a juvenile in age when the fight occurred. The sea serpent and the priests gave the captured Sprites an offer: either to live and submit themselves to a lifetime of servitude, or end up as food for the serpent. Naturally, the chieftain of the Sprites chose to live and the sea serpent belched the water it sucked away so that the Sprites could once again survive in the lake. Before long, the first commands of the priests came. The Sprites were to go to Yahong Bridge Town and hide in the depths of the Huan Xiang River. A duel would be fought there and the Sprites were to assist the priests during the fight. Their opponent was of course Father. During the fight, the Sprites tried to capsize the boat Father was riding on. But instead, Father tossed the Spirit Gourd into the air and a huge vortex appeared in the center of the river. The lone demon held on to an anchor for dear life as it watched the rest of its kin swallowed by the vortex before being transported into the Spirit Gourd. Their screams and howls would forever haunt it until today...


    At this point, I finally understood. The Forest Sprites were the ones hiding underwater to ambush Father in his duel against Godmother''s elder sister and her cohorts! They were the ones who were seized by Father with his Gourd, the ones that Godmother mentioned in her tale, and this demon was the lone one who had slipped through the cracks.


    "But why do you pull at peoples'' legs underwater?" I asked suddenly. The Forest Sprite fumbled incomprehensibly with fear before it summoned enough courage to string a proper sentence, "We do not eat human flesh, but we absorb the vigor of any humans who fall into the water. With each consumption, our powers increases. In the early years when humans began settling in this area, they wear only thin clothing when they worked by the rivers or lakes. We would pelt them with mud and drag them into the water when they come near to clean themselves. Slowly, the humans began realizing that this was hardly a prank by fellow humans and they began fearing us."


    I took a swig off my cigarette, with a prodding gesture to urge the Sprite to get on with its tale.


    "We were so afraid, my brother who survived the first clash and I. We were so scared that if you were to notice us... Fortunately for us, you did not... Instead, you took a demoness, one who was allied with the priests against you. You took her with you and leaped off to the edge of the river. We saw you stripped her of her powers before you left, riding on your sword into the air. It was only then, we dared to breathe freely..." Then the truth of Godmother''s elder sister was enlightened to me: Godmother had always believed that her sister was killed by Father, but the truth might be otherwise.


    I cast a quick glance at the demon, hoping that the Sprite had not read my thoughts while restoring my stern facade. "But I heard the demoness did not live long?" I asked inquiringly. "S-she did not. Just moments after you left, the demoness gazed towards North longingly. She muttered something softly; I couldn''t hear her. She then took out a dagger and stabbed herself in the chest." A voice muttered weakly, "So this was what happened..." It was Edelweiss beside me who gasped with surprise, her eyes distant and brooding. I gripped her hand tightly and gave her a gentle squeeze, indicating that I too finally understood. She nodded gently to me and I told the Sprite, "Very well. Continue."


    After that, my sibling and I continued staying in the Huan Xiang River. The currents were strong there and floods occur almost every year. It became easy for us to absorb the vitality of humans who were caught up in the floods. Until decades ago, there were no longer floods at the Huan Xiang River. Without the vitality of humans to sustain ourselves we were forced to forage for human life force elsewhere. We traveled downstream and came upon a bridge hanging over a river fork, where we saw a convoy of carts and wagons moving on the bridge. My brother swam to the supporting beams of the bridge and shook them furiously; it was a trick he had used regularly. People might be thrown off-balanced and might fall off the bridge. But Brother did not survey the convoy before he acted; at the end of the convoy was an army officer. He saw my brother and immediately fired his weapon. With just two shots from his gun, and my brother was slain!"


    Tears began streaming feverishly down its face. The Sprite''s hands raised to his face to cover its sobbing face. Our eyes met, Lin Feng, Chongxi, and I; we cocked our heads and traded sympathetic frowns to the Sprite''s sad tale. Edelweiss'' hand trembled. She was about to approach the Sprite to console her but I stopped her. It was not yet time for compassion, especially we still did not know about the Sprite''s intentions.

 Chapter 141 Wiped off

    The howls of the Forest Sprite were unbearable. Anyone walking past the Center outside would surely be frightened by its ghastly voice.


    We waited for minutes as the Sprite continued weeping before it realized that we were staring at it. It choked back a sob. "I was alone after my sibling was killed. Somehow the floods of the river only occur once a year since then. I could only wait for 12 months before I was able to absorb any more energy. Then came three years which persisted without a flood. I was famished and became worried. The river could be drying up at any moment. With my survival at stake, I had to flee from the river. My chance came when a heavy storm battered the town of Yahong Bridge and I took off under cover of the night and returned to the lake. The lake was as miserable as when we left it, if not worst. But there was still plenty of water there in the reed-infested mere. I could no longer hope to be able to absorb any more vitality from humans, but I might be able to live on. Days went by, and the water levels were gradually dropping yearly. It was time to leave again. But in my distress, I found only a well to live in. There I hid, until two years ago when a man tried to commit suicide by drowning himself in the well..."


    Lin Feng''s brows rose curiously. Cutting the Sprite off with a voice steely and quiet, he hissed, "Did he fell into the water on his own, or did you drag him down?" The sudden question sent a shudder through the Sprite. It collapsed to its knees again, begging profusely, "Please, Lord! I speak the truth! The man was one of the miners who used to work at the nearby coal quarries. Long has he been away from home that his wife became involved with another man. Grief took him before madness claimed what was left of him and he tried to kill himself! I swear, that was not me!" I looked hard at Lin Feng and raised a hand to him. Then I said grimly to the Sprite, "I know. Go on!"


    The Sprite took an easy breathe to calm itself. "Somehow, the grounds around here began sinking. More began collapsing until much of the lands were engulfed by the lake. Eventually, some of the villagers and settlers started to rear fishes in the lake and the fishes began growing more and more by the day. Realizing my chance, I slipped into the lake once more. A few days ago, I saw a human in the water, one of those who came to the lake to fish. Driven by hunger, I was about to drag him underwater when another human, one of the few who came to the man''s aid, was wearing a Buddhist bead that shone brightly in the water. Fearing of its magic, I could not even open my eyes before its sacred brilliance and I fled deeper into the lake. When you used your Spirit Gourd to seize me earlier, I recognized it instantly as the instrument of my kins'' doom! Please, my lords! Spare me a chance, I will do no evil anymore!"


    So, this Forest Sprite had been in the lake for quite some time. The angler falling into the water could have been his first meal in years. What a fateful coincidence it was that the man came knocking on our doors and this Sprite immediately remembered the Spirit Gourd that caused the deaths of its kind and had tried to burrow and hid within the mud on the lakebed.


    With a dismissive wave, I gestured to the Forest Sprite that there was no more need to continue with its tail. "But there remains one other question. I used a Soul-banishment Curse earlier to seize you. What should have been only your soul has instead become your entire self being drawn into my Gourd. Do you know why?" After so long of deliberation, I have yet to find an explanation to the inconsistency that had occurred. Father had yet to teach me the full usage of the Spirit Gourd; hence the Soul-banishment Curse was one of the few spells I could utilize. If there were indeed other functions of the Gourd, I was afraid I was still not yet trained in them. The Forest Sprite was surprised to hear my question and was speechless. For seconds it struggled to find any hypothesis to my question. At last, it mumbled hesitantly, "B-but, but it was the same centuries ago when you seized my kinsmen... All of them just, just gone..." He flailed his arms to illustrate his point, his limbs swaying to mimic the motions of how an entity was drawn into the Gourd.


    My head shook wearily. "I was not the one who slew your kinsmen..." I admitted flatly. The Forest Sprite bellowed, "AH?!" It sprang to its feet, all hints of humility and defeat completely evaporated. "It was my father who killed your kin, not me," I added bluntly, and the Forest Sprite sank to the ground on its knees once again just as quickly as it got up, cowering as if a bolt of lightning from the sky might reach down to hit it. "Relax. You should thank the stars that it was me, not my father, who got you, otherwise you would not have left the lake alive! Now just wait aside. I''ll come back to you!" The Forest Sprite quickly slunk to a corner, still on his knees but very much glad.


    Edelweiss could not help but feel a knot of pity for the creature. She walked to it and held it up, looking at it as if it was a pet, and led it upstairs, saying something about giving it a bath.


    As they retreated up the stairs, the rest of us traded quick looks. "So... what now?" Chongxi first asked. I shook my head. "I''m not sure myself. We''ll need answers. I''m afraid there''s more to it than meets the eye." I went to a desk and rummaged in a drawer for a yellow-colored talisman strip. It was time for another chat with the Hell Guards to find out more about this Forest Sprite. Knowing what I was up to, Chongxi went to the windows and opened it.


    The moss-green fumes snaked out of the windows and two shadowy figures floated in through the window just moments after...


    As the smoky figures began to take on humanoid shapes, I began to realize who there were! The same Hell Guards whom we had always summoned, the ones we had met at Inner Mongolia! The two Guards bowed as we came face to face and greeted politely, "It has been long, Master Shiyan." "I wonder. What a coincidence." "Hardly, Master Shiyan," one of the Guards replied warmly, despite the ghastly chill they gave off, "Ever since you''ve granted us tremendous favors in the many souls we''ve been able to ferry to the Underworld, the Lord of the Underworld has ordered us to be specifically in charge of any affairs concerning you. So, is there anything we could help you with today? Some more souls, perhaps?" "I''m afraid not," I muttered, bowing courteously to them in return, "I do not have souls that require your help today. But I need your counsel this time."


    "Of course, considering how close we are now. Ask away, we''ll help you in any way we can!" I nodded and went to the stairwell and called for Edelweiss. She heard me and led the Forest Sprite down. Still, the dark, furless ape of the Sprite was no less dark than before. I could have sworn that he might not have bathed at all if not for the smell of shampoo lingering off it.


    But the pair of Hell Guards was shocked to see it. "Impossible!" One of them gasped. "Another one who''d escaped!" "This is the very creature about which I wish to find out more," I said to them.


    "I''d do well to be frank, Master Shiyan," the Guards began to speak, albeit grimly, "The matter of this Forest Sprite is beyond our authority to handle. Most of these creatures were in fact exterminated by your father centuries ago following reports of their cruelty and savagery on many innocents. The Underworld has all but destroyed all traces of the existence of their breed. One of us did encounter the soul of a Sprite who had survived your father''s purge decades ago. That ally of ours was severely punished for the blunder while the creature''s soul was subjected to intense excruciation to wring the truth from it. Still, even with the harrowing pain, the creature insisted strongly that it was the last of its kind. It seems that what he said was a lie. But all records of this creature''s breed have been completely wiped off the Tome of Mortality. We cannot act without the directions from the Lord of the Underworld himself. Please allow us to first request His Lordship''s counsel!" I bowed, indicating my assent, and the Guards muttered, "Please allow us just one moment. We''ll be back shortly." As soon as they vanished out of sight, Chongxi breathed hard, "So this was why this creature''s entire form was sucked into the Spirit Gourd. Without a place in the Tome of Mortality, its soul could not leave its body, lest its soul would return into oblivion!"


    The Forest Sprite crumbled to the ground and began crying again, battered by the story of how his sibling had tried protecting him even in its death. We watched with grim silence. "Even creatures like them understood Love, I mused, the urge to protect one another like how us humans would."


    We took the time and had a smoke while waiting. Barely after my second cigarette, the Hell Guards returned, their spectral form shimmering into view. With a bow, one of them reported, "The Lord of the Underworld had decided to leave the creature in your good hands, Master Shiyan. You may keep the creature if you wish to, otherwise, you can just eliminate it. The goals of the Underworld are overflowing with spirits and wraiths that the Lord wishes no expend and no more resources upon a creature which should be allowed to continue to exist. But he is confident in your ability to keep it out of trouble as long as it remains under your charge."


    "Understood," I replied, "I will handle him myself!" The pair of Hell Guards then took their leave, vanishing into wisps of fumes. "So, I believe you''ve heard everything?" I asked the Forest Sprite, "What say you? You can stay in my Spirit Gourd and serve my bidding, or I can eliminate you now for good." The creature immediately begging for mercy, addressing me as its master and promised that it would serve me forever. With a shake of my Gourd, it returned to my Gourd. We shared some high-fives to celebrate our success before we went home that night.


    Edelweiss and I went back home. As soon as we walked through the door, the Spirit Gourd shuddered in my pocket. It was the Forest Sprite in it grimacing with fear. Then Father''s voice rang at once, "Oh? You''ve brought back something?" He must have sensed the creature, and it had realized itself being found. With an amused chuckle, I said, "Your veins must be coursing with ice when you slew the entire brood of Forest Sprites centuries ago." To my surprise, he merely shrugged, throwing his arms up helplessly. "I was merely performing Heaven''s justice. The Sprites were responsible for the loss of countless lives. None of those who had committed the sacrilege of murder were to be spared." No one defies the Will of Heaven, a tenacious and rigid Father would always say. But the final sentence clearly meant something: he had intentionally spared the still-surviving Forest Sprite and its sibling because he deemed them innocent of murder.


    The next morning at five, I rolled off my bed and got dressed as quietly as I could to not awake Edelweiss and I drove back to the Center...

 Chapter 142 Zero Remorse

    Lin Feng was already up, working on his combat skills training when I reached the Center. If he had noticed me coming in, he certainly made no sign of it. His passion for training was equaled only by Chongxi''s compulsion for food.


    I went straight upstairs and delivered a kick into the bum of a Chongxi who was still salivating into his pillow in his sleep. "Come on, get up! It''s time for your workout!" Chongxi spun in his bed, rubbing his behind painfully. "What are you talking about... Sleeping''s... fine..."


    I looked down at Chongxi, exasperated beyond words. Oh, what a troublesome one this is, I mused, we had already agreed to take a look at the weasels today! Then a wicked idea came to me. I walked to the door. Just before walking out, I feigned surprise and exclaimed, "Yo, Xiao Yu? What brings you here so early in the morning?" Immediately a thud came from behind. I turned and saw Chongxi almost finishing dressing up, looking completely wide-awake!


    He rushed past me to the door, only to discover that he was tricked by me. He came back and punched me in my arm before he shuffled languidly into the bathroom.


    We got just in time for Lin Feng to complete his training, and we immediately rushed to the farmer''s fields without having breakfast. When we got near, we saw the farmer already there, waiting for us. His electric cart was parked just beside the field. I could see that he was slightly anxious, his brows littered with beads of sweat as he walked around the fields in circles. At the center of the field, a group of weasels was running in a line as if they were in a race. The farmer was relieved to see us. "I can''t walk into the fields, Master! Is this a spell of yours? The weasels ran past me, missing me barely by inches, but I can''t seem to touch them!"


    His worried demeanor sent us into fits of laughter. More compassion, less judgment, I advised the farmer. The beasts have been through a regimen of penance, so there was no need to harm their lives, I added.


    But the weasels seemed to have heard our talking and laughter. They looked distressed and worried; their heads jerking everywhere to locate the source of our voices but they can''t seem to see us as if their visions were blinded. I raised a hand and signaled to the four ghosts that I had enlisted to sentry the field for them to cease their magic. I went to the car and took out some ritual offering. I burned them all for the four spirits and said my thanks for their help.


    With the magic of the Ghost Barrier undone, the weasels finally regained their sense of sight and direction and bolted into the bushes to their safety. Everyone laughed at their antics. The farmer fished out a wad of notes as payments to us, but I only picked out a 100-yuan bill. We shook hands. "Thanks for your breakfast treat then," I muttered, and we left. We headed straight for a roadside stall for breakfast, during which Lin Feng grumbled glumly, "It''s 100 yuan for all the trouble... I''m afraid..." But before I could react, Chongxi chuckled. "The money''s only for breakfast. The matter is still far from over." Lin Feng looked at me inquiringly. I nodded and muttered, "Just you wait!"


    But the peace only lasted for a day. On the third day, the farmer came to the Center again.


    After letting the weasels go, everything was fine that day. But the second night, all hell broke loose. The farmer was jolted awake by a loud bang and his house shook. Then another bang, and again, and the noise and shaking never ended. Someone was raining bricks and tiles at his house! The farmer got up and opened his door to go out, only to be driven back by a brick that missed him merely by inches! Horrified beyond wits, he slammed the door shut at once and waited out the hailstorm of bricks and mortar until daybreak. When he went out in the morning, his entire compound was scattered with debris, bricks, tiles and splintered shards of glass!


    Yuan Chongxi stomped his foot with rage. "How could they! We only punished them lightly for what they did! How dare they come back for revenge! The bunch of mongrel pups has a death wish!" I waved to Chongxi for restraint. I offered the farmer a cigarette and lighted one for myself. "The weasels must have had help. They do not have enough brains between them to know that they have been tricked by the "manure feint" of my friend''s here. Yet, they returned in the second night, falling for the ruse completely; and now, they come pelting bricks and tiles in revenge! Very well, we''ll do all we can to help you. Where are the debris and tiles now?" "I have piled them just outside my compound!" I nudged with my head toward the door, saying, "Let''s go then!"


    Leading us at the front, the farmer drove his electric cart all the way back with us following us behind. The farmer was about to lead us into his house but I stopped him. Lead us to the pile of debris and bricks, I said to him. We went to the mound of debris and I took out my Spirit Gourd, waving its mouth over the pile. "It''s okay. You can go on with your work. We''ll settle the weasels!" I conjured my spirit eagle and we followed it to a warehouse to the north of the village. The warehouse used to be a plastic materials factory and had long been abandoned, its welded pipe gates now locked.


    Chongxi approached the gate and studied the lock. "Easy!" He chuckled and took out a metal hairpin. He stuck it into the keyhole of the lock and it snapped open with a metallic chink. He pursed his mouth smugly and tossed the opened lock on the ground. He held up the contorted hairpin he used to pick the lock and said, "Time for a new one!" Apparently, the hairpin was supposed to be a gift for Xiao Yu, and now he would need to get her a new one.


    We made our way inside. The spirit eagle had returned to my Gourd but my spirits wolves were now at the front, spearheading our incursion. Suddenly the wolves'' heads raised and they sniffed the air. As if on command, they immediately surrounded a locked section that looked like a production area. Chongxi took out his hairpin and picked the lock. The wolves slithered in headfirst and led us to a corner just beside rows of electrical switches. Some yellow earth was peeking in at us from outside. The lower part of the metal wall panel was bent outwards, a showcase of the lamentable building standards in rural parts of the country. A hole had been dug under the pried-opened panel and judging by the direction of the tunnel. I would guess that it led to a small hut just outside the wall of the factory''s compound. The little windowless shed was the factory''s power supply substation, with generators and transformers inside, and was now the lair for the weasels.


    Very well, there shall be no need for mercy this time!


    I took out a yellow-colored strip of paper, a talismanic charm and burned it. But this was not the same type I used to summon Hell Guards; this kind of charm summons evil spirits to me! There was no longer any need for any shred of leniency since the weasels disregard the courtesy we showed them!


    The vaporous silhouettes of eight evil spirits slowly came in to form amidst the whorls of fumes from the burning charm. With their advent, we could feel the evil aura churning from their very beings that also smothered the warmth of the air around us, shrouding our surroundings with a chilly and macabre atmosphere. They bared their fangs at the prospects of devouring us when they see us. But as they realized who I was, they turned relatively tamer. Their malicious urges held back in restraint in fear of me. These were lesser evil spirits which I can handle with tremendous ease. "You are summoned here to assist me. I believe you know who I am," I addressed them and none of the beastly entities dare to answer me.


    I stationed all eight of the spirits around the shed and the hole, commanding them to keep their Ghost Barrier magic sustained indefinitely until my say-so. Then we looked around and found a blackboard. With some chalks from the rail at the bottom of the blackboard, I left a message on the concrete floor just outside the hole, saying, "This is a penance for what you did. Come to the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies for negotiations!" A cheeky Chongxi added a touch of his own just below, "Delay and you shall suffer the consequences!" We then decided to leave and wait for the fish to take its bait.


    We reached back to the Center just in time for lunch. We were famished for not having breakfast and it was already noon. I suggested going out to eat and Lin Feng concurred. But Chongxi declined, citing the cold weather. He requested that we buy something back for him. I merely nodded and Lin Feng and I walked out the door.


    We reached the nearby restaurants, but every one of them was terribly packed with patrons. It took us quite a delay before we finally found a restaurant that still has available seats for us. We sat down and made our order, topped with some beers. Serviettes laid across the table bore printed messages: All-new Laba congee for a warm and happy Laba Festival! We have been so busy that we did not realize that the Laba Festival is already so close!


    Lin Feng too noticed the message. He lighted himself a cigarette and heaved a breath. "The year is nearing its end; the Laba Festival is already looming near," he muttered off-handedly, "Shouldn''t we start looking into Chongxi''s matter now?"

 Chapter 143 Plans for New Years Eve

    Now that Lin Feng had mentioned this, only then I remembered that I had spoken to Xiao Yu''s mother two days ago! It was the time we make some plans with Chongxi about this.


    Lin Feng noticed my look and sniggered. The waiter came with our beer and we ordered three bowls of Laba congee. "How about a New Year''s Eve dinner?" he suggested when the waiter spun and left, "We can get everyone together. Xiao Yu and her mother, Chongxi and his teacher, my parents with Yuanyuan''s parents, and of course, your parents and Edelweiss! All three of us together, and we''ll settle the matters in one go!"


    This was one of the few times that I could not help but admire Lin Feng. As the elder member of our trio, he has always exhibited a reassuring and comforting presence by helping us plan everything ahead for us and giving us his support and help. He had never ceased to be a person we could count on. "All right then, Brother! We''ll do it your way! Let''s us get on tonight!" And we drank toasts to our plan and its success...


    Finishing our dinner, we made sure our take-out order of a Chinese street rice platter and a Laba congee was ready and we drove back to the Center. It was late after one in the afternoon when we got back and Chongxi must already be seething by now.


    We drove quickly back to the Center. But when we reached the front, there was a crowd of people surrounding the entrance as if they were watching a spectacle. "What the hell in the world is going on," I asked myself.


    We got down the car and swam through the crowd to see a man standing at the opened door of the Center, yelling angrily towards inside. Amongst the crowd was a mother who was there with her child. The mother and child were talking about what happened. From the sound of it, she was one of the first onlookers to witness everything. "As they spoke, the plump uncle gave this man two slaps and kicked him in the bum when the latter is coming out..." So it must be Chongxi who gave the man two slaps on the face and as the man was coming out, he had even given the man a kick to his behind. The man stood at the door, shouting loudly, "So you think that you are powerful, eh? All you of this Center? You''ll see! You''ll regret this!" Before he could utter another word, Lin Feng rushed to him. He lifted the man off his feet by the scruff of his neck before dropping him like a sack of rubbish. I could only watch with my mouth hanging open. "You''re so good at yelling, eh? Let''s see if your fighting is as good as your tongue!"


    Knowing that he could never best Lin Feng in a fight, the man scrambled to his feet and immediately ran away, vanishing into the crowd.


    With the end of the spectacle, the crowd began to disperse. We went inside and Chongxi began explaining what happened. The man was here because of the message we left at the abandoned factory. But before he could say much, Chongxi began walloping him and this was how the show and the crowd started.


    Having met more than his fair share of such unscrupulous reprobates in his past, Chongxi quickly dismissed him and turned his attention to the food we brought back, whining about how late we were and how he would have starved to death waiting for us. "But people are already calling you Plump Uncle," I almost blurted out loud, "Does that not mean anything to you?"


    Chongxi wolfed down his lunch in no time and inhaled the bowl of Laba congee. Lin Feng was sipping on his cigarette, studying him disapprovingly. "Shiyan and I have discussed," he said to Chongxi who was finally smiling at his starvation being satisfied, "We''ll book a nice New Year''s Eve dinner at a nice restaurant and we''ll..."


    He went on telling Chongxi of our plan but the latter''s expression soured at the end. "Well, it''s a good plan, Brother," he replied, "But you know how he is, my teacher... He does not tidy himself nor clean himself up... Moreover, he is forever in the same set of dirty clothing... Never mind his table etiquette which might frighten others..." Indeed, no ordinary person could stand sitting beside Old Man Chen on a table. Chongxi already had the grace of not mentioning one of his most-feared habits: the venomous tongue of his that could even put a rattlesnake to shame! But Old Man Chen was by no means a fool; he would surely understand the need for subtlety especially when this was a matter of happiness for his own foster son. Nevertheless, perhaps it would be more prudent to get Father to speak to him personally.


    That night, none of us remained at the Center. Everyone went home to brood about the New Year''s Eve dinner. I told Father about it. He was quiet for a moment, gently lifting his flask and took a sip from it as if deep in contemplation. Finally, he spoke, "Well, are you sure you''ll be able to book any tables at a good restaurant this time of the year? Last I remember, the bookings have already begun piling up three months ago. I''m afraid only restaurants that are hardly nice and respectable are still available by now. This will not do, I''m afraid..."


    Indeed! I would never have realized it if not for Father''s reminder! It was already too late for us by now! Even the places for a decent restaurant next year would already be fully booked by now! Then Father feigned a cough and said, "Urm... Look here..." He turned his palm face-up, and produced a set of keys. I looked at him with narrowed eyes as he explained, "This is the keys for the house your mother had just bought for you and Ala at the city center of Tangshan. We''ve just finished the paperwork today. Feel free to have a look if you have the time. I think it''s a nice spot to have our New Year''s Eve dinner there. I''ll be cooking myself, for the sake of Old Man Chen!"


    I was frozen as Father dropped the keys into my hand. When did this happen, I almost asked. Guessing my thoughts, Father chuckled and said, "Your mother has been busy these days, bringing Edelweiss with her to look at houses, although you know nothing of it. Do you think your mother will be able to sit still when you''ve already brought home a wife for yourself? She''s excited!" A rush of warmth nearly wet my eyes as the care Mother had shown me. Then I remembered about Father saying he''d be cooking himself. This reminded me about Old Man Chen. "Urm, Father," I said again, "Well... You know about Old Man Chen... Don''t you think that we ought to let him know that he needs to dress more appropriately during the dinner? Well, you guys are more or less like sages or venerable hermits to the likes of common people; he needs to at least dress the part!" Father snorted and chuckled. "What makes you think that I have not thought of that?"


    Filled with good news, Edelweiss and I went back to the Center the following morning and we met up with Chongxi and Lin Feng. Both Lin Feng and I had been given the green light to proceed with the dinner, including Chongxi himself, although he still retained certain reservations.


    We hung a sign with a message that said "Out for business. Kindly contact the number: 186..." and we drove towards Tangshan proper to the house that Mother had bought for me and Edelweiss. With Edelweiss pointing the way for us, we wound through the busy streets of Tangshan to find that the house was not in the swankiest area in town but the outskirts of the city. But to our tremendous shock and disbelief, the house was by no means modest or simple; it was a bungalow villa! "Heavens! Mother must have emptied her entire fortune for this!"


    The jaws of all three of us were hanging wide as we cruised slowly through the exclusive residence area filled with luxurious bungalow villas and jaunty cars. Edelweiss directed us to our new home and we stopped the car in the garage of the spacious villa. Finally, we stood at the door, still hardly believing our own eyes as I slid the key into the lock and twisted it...


    It was the residence of anyone''s dreams; a mansion that appeared only on films or television. I would never have believed that I would be staying in a house as grand as a palace! It was the first time I heard that homes could be customized and built to its owner''s liking and preferences directly by the developers. There was absolutely no need for us to renovate the house. At the center of the palatial living hall, sat a water fountain that was ornately furnished to the finest detail. Then again I began to wonder, "Would I have to worry about my utility bills every month for such a large and luxurious home..."


    But we were satisfied: the house was the perfect venue for the New Year''s Eve dinner. But I did not fail to notice a hint of morose delectation flashing briefly on Edelweiss'' expression. She must be missing Aunt Ulan, I thought. It has been some time since she arrived here.


    I clapped gently on her shoulder and said, "Well, Aunt Ulan might not be here for this New Year''s Eve dinner. But we can go and visit her later!" She awoke from her momentary stupor and looked at me blankly and nodded, beaming with smiles as she rested her head on my shoulders.


    But what a tragedy it was that the moment of bliss and happiness had to be broken abruptly. My phone rang suddenly. I took it out and peered at the screen. I was looking at a stranger''s number.

 Chapter 144 Farce

    I answered the call, "Hello there. This is the Head Person of the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies. How can I help you?" "We''ve met yesterday. You know who I am. Tomorrow at 9 am. The Nanjiao Park at the south of town. Let''s see what you''re made of!" "Very well. We''ll be there!"


    I ended the call brusquely and yelled to my friends who were still exploring upstairs, "Boys! Come here! We have a job!" They skipped down the stairs, asking about what was happening and I told them about the phone call. "Shouldn''t we get some help? The officer we met the other day at the police station seems close to you. He calls you ''Brother'', you''re close, aren''t you?" Edelweiss asked softly, tugging at my arm. "It''s fine. The police can only intervene if the crime is taking place. There''s nothing they can do now since nothing''s happened yet. There''s nothing to prove any wrongdoing yet. Moreover, the police do not believe in the paranormal."


    Chongxi said, "Let''s have Xiao Qi and the Sisters with us then! They might be able to be messengers at least if they cannot help! You can also have all your spirit familiars conjured beforehand; the wolves, the eagle, the cat, and the Forest Sprite!" I waved at him, motioning for patience. "Relax. We''ll do nothing of that. I do not believe they are more powerful than us. Moreover, my sword is no ordinary sword; it is the bane of everything evil!"


    In a display of his composed maturity, Lin Feng muttered in turn, shaking his head, "There''s no need for so much fanfare. We only need to react to their offenses and counter them. My steel quarterstaff and throwing knives; all of these will all be hidden under the carpet in the boot. My iron whip should be enough. There might be onlookers during the fight, and somebody might contact the police. Having controlled weapons on us will only encumber Zheng Shuang from helping us!"


    I sniggered in agreement. "Indeed. Zheng Shuang had admitted that the local station has considered us to be one of them. When the police intervene, we can have him arrested under charges of disrupting public order. We''ll then inform Zheng Shuang that he is a part of the Creed of the Eight Trigrams as the final nail to the coffin!"


    Little did we expect that everything was nothing but a farce. The second morning we went as early as we could to the park in the south of town. Edelweiss came along with us, out of concern for our safety. There were no parking spaces at the park, so we had to park the car some distance away and walk to the park on foot. Our enemy was already waiting for us when we got there. A single man. There was no one else with him. "You there!" Chongxi yelled at him, his lips pouting irately, "Say your piece! Pick one of us! We''ll take you on, one-on-one!"


    The stranger sneered icily. "Heh heh heh. I won''t be fighting against the likes of you. My help will be arriving soon and it''d do you well to go down on your knees and beg for my forgiveness before he arrives. Surrender now or suffer your regrets later!" Chongxi instead began teasing him, "Oh my! I must be scared! I''m shivering with fright!" His hilarious and comical behavior made everyone laugh.


    Before long, a rickety van skidded to a halt by the road with its ramshackle brake screeching in protest. "Here he is! Man of the hour!" The stranger proclaimed triumphantly as if he had won the battle even before it began, "Surrender now and I''ll show you leniency! There was once a powerful fox demon skilled in magic and witchcraft here in Wu Zhong, known as the Thirteenth Sister. But she was slain. By one person, him! And now, it''s your turn to have a taste of his magical sword that vanquishes evil!" Lin Feng has had enough; he held up a hand to silence the pompous imbecile of an enemy and snapped, "All right! Enough with all the dramatics! I have never laid eyes on one so boastful and conceited such as you! We''ll see how good this help of yours is!"


    The stranger ran to the van, screaming with glee, "It''s good that you''ve come, Master!" The driver of the van got off and walked towards us and the bumbling fool scampered to meet him, offering him a cigarette. The man took the cigarette and deposited it between his lips. But there was something familiar about the man which I could not describe, although it was clear that he seemed reluctant to come. They talked as they got closer to us until I finally heard the newcomer said, "Really? Let''s see who these people are then!"


    Finally, when they got close, the newcomer froze in his tracks immediately when he saw us. His expression quickly changed and he ran to us, "Oh my God! It''s you!" He reached for my hand and held it tightly, shaking it warmly. Then he dug through his pocket for his own pack of cigarettes and offered one to the each of us. The stranger who asked for this newcomer''s help could not believe what he was seeing and collapsed into a sit on the grass! We were confused and shocked ourselves, especially when the newcomer went to the stranger and gave him two slaps on the face, leaving his cheeks flaming red. "How dare you trick me! This is the Great Master Shiyan! You are fortunate that Master Shiyan here is showing you mercy! Otherwise, you would already have long lost your head!"


    I drew a breath through the cigarette, trying to remember who this is until the answer came to me! This was the scaredy-cat whom we saved from the Thirteenth Apostle of the Creed! It was with the first magical sword that Father had given me that he had killed the Thirteenth Apostle! The Thirteenth Apostle who was a demoness who loved seducing men, and this man had almost become her final prey.


    People began crowding around us due to the commotion. Most of them were regular park-goers here to use the facilities, exercising in the morning, or fishing. A few of them knew the "wimp" and peppered him with questions about what was going on, and I heard him telling them, "This man"¡ªhe pointed at the fool still sitting dazedly on the ground¡ª"He enlisted my help to defeat his enemies. As it turns out, his enemies are my benefactors! He''s just trying to set me up! How dare he try to make me attack those who saved me before! Take this!" He began beating the stranger up in a fit of rage! The four of us were holding onto our stomachs as we laughed. "So much about trying to teach us a lesson!" Chongxi scoffed. Lin Feng waved for us to leave, and we walked away.


    We would later find out that the scaredy-cat has achieved some sort of fame for slaying the Thirteenth Apostle. No one knew what really happened and no one knew that the sword belonged to me. Everyone only knew that the Thirteen Apostles of the Creed of the Eight Trigrams were mighty foes that only fools would dare hastily trifle with and anyone who could defeat any of them was surely a powerful person in his own right. Hence, many came to revere the scaredy-cat as a master of vanquishing evil.


    We were still guffawing in the car on the way back. "It''s lucky that we''ve been able to evade a fight today. The fool would surely plan another revenge. We must be ready and what''s more, I''m thinking we should regain the initiative. Heaven forfend that the fool might have an ambush set for us next time!" "Yeah, that''s what I have been trying to tell you!" Edelweiss quipped, "It''s better to inform your police friend so that he can be ready to help in case you need his assistance!" I peered at Edelweiss briefly; it was clear that what happened to Aunt Ulan had deeply unsettled her.


    "But the park is an open area! He''d never dare set ambushes in such a public place!" I nodded. "Yeah. So we''d need to be especially careful if the next encounter is not at a public area. And yes, it''s time we keep Zheng Shuang in the loop. We''ll need his help to contain any news of this lest our next street brawl erodes the reputation of the Center."


    Once we had returned to the Center, I called Zheng Shuang. "Hello there, Shiyan! How are you?" "Hi. I''m fine. It''s been some time since we last met at your station. I have not spoken to you about my fianc¨¦e yet. Well, seeing as we''d be free tonight, how bout dinner together?" "Fine! But I should be the one buying! Consider it a show of courtesy for your wife too after the fiasco last time!" I giggled into the mouthpiece. "Nah. Both of us should not be buying. Let my fianc¨¦e handle the bill. She''s getting married to me!" There was a brief beat of silence. "All right then. Where to?" But before I could answer, Chongxi roared into the phone, "The Fishing Village Restaurant!" To my surprise, Zheng Shuang heard him. "Which Fishing Village Restaurant?" he asked and Chongxi whisked my phone from my hand and replied, "The one just next to the Majestic Hotel in town!" "All right then!" Edelweiss stifled a burst of laughter while Lin Feng scowled at Chongxi, jabbing a finger at his head, "Eating is all you do best!"


    I hung up the call and said to Edelweiss, "Remember, speak to Zheng Shuang nicely and apologize to him for what happened at his office then. It was fortunate we know him; otherwise, it would have been impossible for us to get off the hook cleanly..." She nodded obediently; even though she was once a notorious horse bandit, Edelweiss was hardly unreasonable, especially as far as I was concerned.


    I slipped my phone back into my pocket, but it rang again. I looked at the screen and there was yet another stranger''s number! Who could it be this time, I almost asked out loud. Annoyed by the recent frequency of strange phone numbers, I barked into the mouthpiece after tapping the "Answer" button, "This is the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies! Who''s this!"


    My voice seemed to have frightened the caller. A meek, girlish voice came from the other end, "Err... Is this Senior Shiyan speaking?"

 Chapter 145 Uncanny Coincidence

    Senior? That could only be one of my juniors from university, I realized, although I don''t know which.


    "Who is this?" I said into the phone, albeit more gently. The caller was still frightened, stammering haltingly, "I-I''m Su Yixuan..."


    The last we met, was during the strange incident at the university where everyone from my zither class got sick and Old Man Xie came to the rescue by using beefsteak plants to cure everyone. Among the students was a girl called Su Yixuan, the one whom I referred to as my girlfriend in my lie to persuade Old Man Xie for his help. "Ah!" I exclaimed and chuckled, "I remember you. How can I help you?" Sheepishly, Su Yixuan''s voice rang again, "Well, we had a reunion meal for all alumni of the zither class days. We tried inviting you last time, but your line was out of service when we called you." "Ah..." I muttered. That must have been when we were still in Mongolia.


    She continued again. "So during the reunion, we talked about the strange disease which had spread to everyone in the class..." I felt a sudden dread looming over me. Surely she''s not calling to blame me for telling Old Man Xie that she''s my girlfriend is she? Impossible! But what if it''s true? My eyes crept to Edelweiss, who was still looking at me with a smile on her face. I shuddered and tried to recompose myself before Edelweiss noticed anything. Feigning nonchalance, I replied, "And?" My remark seemed to caught Su Yixuan off-guard that I almost heard her choked. For a brief beat, there was silence before she managed to go one, "A junior then mentioned that it was you who had found a physician to help save everyone! For the past few years, we didn''t know! So, we''re wondering if we can invite you and the physician for a meal as a sign of gratitude!"


    I paused and thought before I replied, "Urm... I don''t think the physician will want to attend. He''s a strange person who prefers to keep to himself. I, on the other hand... I''ll be there, I guess." I was about to decline to appear at first, but it might be prudent to use the opportunity to explain everything to them to prevent any misunderstandings in the future. There''s nothing more troublesome than loose ends. There was a palpable cheerfulness in Su Yixuan''s voice as she said, "All right! How about tonight? There''s a restaurant called the Fishing Village Restaurant in town! It''s just next to the Majestic Hotel! We''ll meet there then!"


    The call clicked shut. What an uncanny coincidence! It was the same place where we would be meeting with Zheng Shuang tonight! I was still dazed as my hand lowered slowly. From her voice, I could hear that she was excited about tonight''s dinner. They must have planned this beforehand and it was too late for me to decline.


    Still feeling strange and surreal, I thought, "Uncanny coincidence indeed! How is it even possible that two dinners could be held at the same time and the same place just like that!" Lin Feng noticed my expression. "What''s wrong? Who were you speaking to on the phone?" I shrugged, allowing my arms to fall loosely to the side. "Remember the time when I went back to university to get my graduation certificate?" I asked him and he stopped for a second, thinking. "Ah!" He said at last, "The time when you got Old Man Xie to help you!" I nodded and told everyone about what happened. I told everyone with as much clarity as possible, leaving no avenues of ambiguity, that it was only a ruse to get Old Man Xie to help that time when I told him that Su Yixuan was my girlfriend. There was nothing between us, I stressed gravely, although Edelweiss seemed hardly perturbed, still beaming brightly at me.


    "So I''ll have to run between both tables tonight it seems... What a hassle!"


    We did not go directly back to Wu Zhong. Instead, we circled around the city, looking for clothes suitable for Chongxi. The clothes that he normally wore were either too shabby or dull, and he would need something more appropriate for the dinner on New Year''s Eve. For hours we had scoured, yet we only found him a shirt. The 1.6 meter and 68 kilograms lumpy potato of a Yuan Chongxi could not find himself a pair of pants that suit him. Everyone we saw was either too long or too narrow for him.


    Still, we have had fun running around the city the whole day. We arrived at Wu Zhong at five and immediately headed toward the Fishing Village restaurant. Zheng Shuang''s car was already parked outside when we reached. We pushed through the doors and walked abreast but I stopped. My phone was ringing. It was Su Yixuan, telling me that they were already there too, waiting for me in a booked room, and I replied that I too have just reached.


    Just when we were climbing up the stairs, Zheng Shuang''s voice thundered from one of the VIP room that lined the corridor. "Shiyan! Sister-in-law!" But his voice came not only from the direction of his room, it also reverberated from my phone which was still connected to my call with Su Yixuan! Just when I was still bewildered, a rumble of noises came from the other end of my call and I saw the heads of a few girls peeking out from the room just opposite Zheng Shuang''s...


    My legs seemed to weigh heavier suddenly as we finally reached the top. Zheng Shuang was standing at the door of his room, looking blankly at the bunch of female juniors and seniors from university. "Well, it''s a stroke of luck it is that I have two meetings on the same day at the same venue! Ah yes, this is Zheng Shuang, a Captain of the Wu Zhong Police Department." Zheng Shuang snapped to a salute with lightning-fast alacrity and greeted the girls. The girls acknowledged politely. Apparently embarrassed by the awkwardness; the stiff and uncomfortable atmosphere seemed to have smothered all warmth and merriness, leaving only an icy chill...


    I had Chongxi ushered Zheng Shuang back to his room and I said to the latter, "I''ll be back in a while. Those are my ex-classmates from university." "No problem, Brother. Take your time," Zheng Shuang remarked cordially. Being close, there was no need for pretense between us. He quickly turned to Edelweiss, lifting a flask of baijiu spirit, "Allow me to apologize for the trouble last time we met, Sister! Please have a drink!" He filled her glass and Edelweiss replied heartily, "I was also at fault myself. You are like a brother to Shiyan, that makes you my brother too! Forget about everything and just let''s have a toast!" She raised her cup and emptied it with one gulp, as expected of one who was formerly Aunt Ulan''s second-in-command! Her straightforward demeanor surprised Zheng Shuang. "That''s baijiu spirit!" But he quickly realized that Edelweiss was a woman with fortitude and strength! Nevertheless, he was greatly amazed by Edelweiss'' ability to empty the large glass of liquor with just a single gulp!


    I smiled to myself with a hint of pride on my face as I turned around and walked out the door of my room and walked to the door opposite. I knocked and walked in and was welcomed with whoops and cheers from the girls as if I was a triumphant conqueror returning from a victorious campaign. Confetti rained down all over me as if it was a festival and the girls were having the time of their lives! Art students indeed! With thrill, excitement and creativity, they''d even spice up the most boring meeting! I giggled and slid into a chair. "Your charms have not lessened even when I was away, sisters!" I exclaimed to the delight of everyone in the room. Su Yixuan filled her glass and raised it up at me. "A toast to you, Senior! For so long the truth has eluded us. We only knew recently that it was you who had helped save us all. Here''s to a belated thank you!" Almost every one of the girls was hospitalized and quarantined that day. They raised their glasses to me, their eyes shining with respect and appreciation. I stood up, filling up my glass with the same amber-brown liquid as everyone''s and said, "It''s just a small matter, ladies! I should thank you all for organizing such an event for me! Here''s to everyone!" Like Edelweiss just now, I threw my head back and emptied the glass of its contents.


    Everyone sat back down. I remained on my feet and filled my glass again. I raised it once more at Su Yixuan, "Well, words might have reached your ears that I might have said something unseemly to the old physician I called that day. But it was just a lie to get him to help everyone, so I hope that there would be no hard feelings between us! Here''s to my apologies!" And I gulped down the glass full of liquor that burned its way down my throat.


    Su Yixuan giggled merrily and raised her cup, "Well, I was informed about it. I understand your need for haste, Senior, and I''d never once blamed you for it! In fact, we have to thank you!" I heaved a relieved sigh. "Well, I do hope that you did not really begrudge me over it, otherwise, I''d be in trouble!"


    A girl sitting beside punched me in my arm playfully. I recognized her as Lu Shengnan; a tomboy from my year in university. I was the only male student in my class then and she liked dressing up like a boy, hence we became fast friends. But we had lost contact with each other after our graduation. "Wow, Shiyan, in just a few years, you''re looking more and more like a real man! I was not there when everyone got sick. What happened actually? Come on, tell me!"


    I chuckled. So began my recounts of what happened that day, "Well, I got a phone call from the office the day before, asking me to come to the university to collect my graduation certificate. When I reached the entrance of the university..."

 Chapter 146 Chongxi and Shiyan

    ...


    I gave a summary of what happened during the incident, coupled with a short introduction on Old Man Xie. Everyone was captivated to my tale; so intently they were listening to my story that they could not tear their eyes off me. Somehow I began to wonder if I could one day write a story myself.


    Lu Shengnan reached for some vegetables. "Wow... We did not know..." She muttered and chewed on her food, "I had always thought that you were merely a brat born with a silver spoon in his mouth. To think that you are a master of hidden talents! But you said you used a magical gourd to absorb the Yin energy from everyone and this helped save everyone. Did you have this gourd with you now? Come on, let me have a look!" Another girl was tugging at her sleeve, motioning her for silence so that I could continue.


    The boyish Lu Shengnan scowled at the girl. "What?!" She barked indignantly. The girl was also from my class, although she was very much more feminine and graceful that Lu Shengnan. "You shouldn''t ask, Shengnan!" The girl glared at Lu Shengnan, "I''ve heard before that we shouldn''t ask people like Shiyan about their magic and instruments! There must be a reason why Shiyan had never mentioned his abilities before in the four years we''ve studied together!" Lu Shengnan expression turned into one of surprise. I chuckled. "Nevermind, that''s hardly a secret. I was forbidden by my father to talk about it when I was young because I was hardly skilled enough to use it then. But now that I have my own investigative center, it''s all right!"


    The entire table fell silent. "Huh? Center? I thought you..." Lu Shengnan was the only one still capable of stringing words into a comprehensible sentence. No one expected that I was now a medium skilled in magic myself; everyone was under the impression that I had become a zither music instructor. I smiled wryly at their expressions. "There''s nothing to be surprised of. I have been in this line of business at a very young age. It''s just that none of you know." I began telling them a little of my Center and the peculiar stories I''ve encountered, including our triumph over the Creed of Eight Trigrams and the latest incident involving the Order of Pain, including Zheng Shuang and his position as the chief of the police task force now assigned to hunting the remnants of the Order.


    After some time, I peered at my watch. I placed down my glass and said to the girls. "I''d take my leave for a moment to see to my friend next door. I''ll be right back. I rose up and slipped through the door, just in time to see Lin Feng chomping down on a tentacle of an octopus. I pointed to Edelweiss and said to Zheng Shuang, "My fianc¨¦e here was instrumental in the demolition of the Creed! You were not informed of this because her background might be a tad sensitive for others."


    Zheng Shuang sprang up, his eyes wide opened with shock while training upon Edelweiss before turning to me. "That is why a petty thief was no match for her! If only he knew who she was... He would never dare lay a hand on Sister here! Ah, so love blossoms between you both during the heat of battle! Hahahaha! That must be it!" He lifted his glass to Edelweiss who downed her entire glass without a doubt and Zheng Shuang, with apparent uncertainty, had to follow suit.


    "Well, it''s hardly the simple matter of love blossoming like high school children! If it were not for her, Shiyan and I would never be able to come back safely!" Chongxi added, speaking through a filled mouth with an octopus tentacle wriggling out of his mouth before he chomped it down. Chongxi''s dreary and dismal expression came back to mind. It was one of death and hopelessness; an expression that suggested he might have chosen to commit suicide if I was indeed dead that day. A smile broke unconsciously upon my face as I was touched by the brotherly love we shared. In the ticklish peal of silence that sudden hung between us, Zheng Shuang was still on his feet, staring blankly at us. Not knowing what really happened that day, he could not understand what Chongxi said. But he offered no more toasts; He wondered if he would be the first to collapse if this became a drinking match between him and Edelweiss!


    I stood up. The groaning of my chair against the floor cured the silence as I rose. Then I took out a pack of cigarettes and offered it to everyone. Zheng Shuang''s eyes went wide as eggs again when he saw Edelweiss sipping casually at her cigarette! He swallowed hard! "If only you realize that she was formerly a horse bandit, that you''d be even more surprised!" I drew a heavy breath and changed the subject, telling Zheng Shuang about our bout against the weasels. At the end of my tale, I said to him, "They''ll be back. I''m sure of it! But this time, I might need your help." "Do you know about the true identity of the person who is helping them?" "Not yet." The two-syllable phrase sprouted almost in unison from the rest of us. "We can arrest him for now under the charges of fraud," Zheng Shuang offered. "No," I said, "That''s not what I mean. The fool might look to gangsters or hoodlums for help. There might be injuries if any altercation ensues. But it would do little to send a warning to our enemy if we retaliate too lightly; too strongly, and your guys would be in a difficult position. That is why we might need the police to intervene on our behalf completely!" "No problem!" Zheng Shuang said at once, his chest puffing with pride, "The police force does not look kindly upon folks seeking to incite anarchy and violence and disrupt public order. Rest assured, if he dares to enlist the help of crooks and mobsters, the police force will not sit still! Just give us the say-so, and we will act!"


    I nodded. Zheng Shuang has always been good on his word and we could always depend on him to send in cavalry once we had given him the word. I filled my glass and raised it, clinking our glasses together and sharing a toast with him.


    But after a few glasses of liquor and beer, my head began to feel woozy. Edelweiss'' ability to drink was a marvel upon its own, which I can only envy. There was no way I could drink like her and sometimes I wondered if this was a Heaven-bestowed gift for her.


    Seeing the affection Edelweiss and I shared, Zheng Shuang asked, "Chongxi, you said moments ago that you and Shiyan would never have returned, if not for Sister''s help? What happened in Mongolia?" Chongxi held Zheng Shuang in a long gaze before he lighted himself another cigarette. He drew a hard and long breath through it and exhaled deeply, the fumes pouring from his mouth. "It''s all my fault," he said at last and he began retelling what happened that day, although his version of the story espoused much of his guilt and shame that I could not help feeling my eyes getting wet just by listening to him.


    Beads of perspiration formed on Zheng Shuang''s forehead as he listened to Chongxi''s gut-wrenching tale despite the coolness in the air-conditioned room. His eyes were growing moist as well and Chongxi was on the verge of shedding tears himself. I stopped them, my hands gently clapping on their shoulders. "All right now! Look at you both! What matters is, everyone is fine at the end of the day! Look at me and your sister here!" The liquor must have opened a dam full of emotions in Chongxi; a hand of his raised to pat on my hand which was still on his shoulder. He looked at me with deeply-redden eyes. "I''m a stocky and stunted boy when we were still kids in school. It was always Shiyan who stood by me and helped me. I remember there was once when I got into a fight with an upperclassman. I punched the boy in his face and bludgeoned his nose. The boy went home and complained to his parents and they came with him to the school, seeking retribution. It was Shiyan who stood up at once and took the blame for me... Then there''s another time..." I stroked his shoulder and squeezed it to stop him and his voice faltered. For all these years, I had never expected him to remember so much of our past.


    "You know? Zheng Shuang. When Shiyan fell off the cliff, all of these memories came back to me, as vivid as yesterday. Twenty years have passed between us and there has never been a day that Shiyan would hesitate standing out for me. Even this time..." He could say no more, reaching for his glass and poured everything down his throat in one go.


    Realizing things were getting too emotional, I took my leave and quickly slipped to the opposite room.


    The girls were deep in conversation about the strange sickness when I got in. One of them was saying, "Hey, do you guys know what medicine it was that the old physician gave us that day? I found out! Can you guess what is it?" Everyone around the table looked at her, bewildered and daze. I walked through the doors just in time and muttered bluntly, "Beefsteak plants."


    "Yes, correct!" The girl declared proudly as if I had won a prize. "What are beefsteak plants?" Another asked. I took out my handphone and looked for an article about beefsteak plants on Baidu and found a picture. Then I showed it to them, "It''s quite common actually in farm areas..." I sat down and began a lecture on what Old Man Xie has said about how they were cured, leaving out the more-shuddering details which might unsettle the girls. In contrast to Chinese traditional medicine, Old Man Xie''s healing magic was the ancient shamanistic healing methods of Zhuyou. Some of the common and uninitiated would also call him "witch-doctor" or "voodoo healer".


    But the girls understood little about medicine. By the time I finished the lecture, they were all quiet, confused and speechless while trying to digest of what I said. I would not blame them; even experienced doctors that day were left silent after Old Man Xie''s explanation during the meal.


    But I did not bother to elaborate any further. Another girl asked again, "Shiyan, Shiyan. You said that the old physician is strange. How strange is he?" I chuckled. "His name is Xie, Xie Bingyi in full. He''s a renowned shaman healer in this vicinity and before this incident, he had once done any house call visits. This was why I needed to lure him to the hospital with a lie! But he is a very potent healer with extraordinary powers. During the 1976 Tangshan Earthquake, he and another two powerful colleagues of his were known in our line of business as the Triune of Wu Zhong!"


    I had barely finished when Lu Shengnan emitted an inquiring "Ah?". "Wait a minute," she said, "I have heard of the Triune of Wu Zhong! But it was a name coined centuries ago! It was my grandmother who told me this story. She said that the original Triune of Wu Zhong were three immortals!"

 Chapter 147 Real Deal

    What Lu Shengnan said piqued my curiosity. "Huh?" I looked at her, confused and dazed, while scratching the back of my head. "Tell me more."


    Lu Shengnan shrugged her shoulders, saying, "Well, I''m not from here, but my grandma was. It was after getting married to my grandpa, then they moved away from Wu Zhong later. But when I was very young, she had been telling me stories. Some old wives tales or fables that I used to find entertaining. But as I grew up, I began to dismiss them as mere fairy tales and myths, and before I know it, I have had the whole thing tossed at the back of my head. But now that you mentioned it, I began to remember that among all the stories that Grandma used to tell me, the exploits of the Triune of Wu Zhong were the ones she repeated the most!"


    As it turned out, the Triune of Wu Zhong from Lu Shengnan''s grandmother''s stories did not comprise of the usual crew of Old Men Xie and Chen, and Shang Pei. The story originated from Lu Shangnan''s third-great-grandmother long, long time ago that there was no way for anyone to ascertain any truth. In the stories, the Triune of Wu Zhong was a trio of three mysterious deities who would appear to anyone in need of help, providing aid and advice to the common people. Slowly, as the fame of the deities grew, the name "the Triune of Wu Zhong" became synonymous to generosity, kindness, and benevolence.


    Then again, very much like the lost monastery of Shangri-La from James Hilton''s 1933 classic, the Lost Horizon, the myth of the three deities might only be mere objects of fantasy and imagination; a means to satiate the people''s craving for a Messianic figure in troubled times. There has been no lack of forklores or heavily-fictionalized renditions of historical figures such as Robin Hood and King Arthur of England, Hua Mulan of China or even Momotaro of Japan throughout history, all illustrating the very same longing that people in need share all around the world. But Lu Shengnan''s story of the Triune of Wu Zhong was quite illustrative about the three deities. One of them was said to be tall and warrior-like, another was a short and stunted, and the last a gaunt and feeble man that looked like a scholar. They were all skilled in magic and sorcery; all capable of any fantastic and unbelievable feats. But if one were to think closely, the physical descriptions of the deities were hardly remarkable, ambiguous even. Any other Tom, Dick, and Harry from the streets could easily be any one of the Triune from her story.


    By now, I too, was beginning to feel convinced that Lu Shengnan''s fairy tale as a mere fairy tale with no factual basis. But it was nevertheless news to me that the "Triune of Wu Zhong" title now shared by Old Men Xie and Chen and Shang Pei was not original, but rather, a name based from a folklore story. Their exemplary services in defending Wu Zhong County has earned them the title of Triune of Wu Zhong by colleagues as well as the Underworld as a tribute to the original folklore. In some ways, they might even be the "second-generation of the Triune of Wu Zhong".


    I jerked myself back to the dinner table where my former schoolmates were still clinking glasses with broad smiles and cheering at the top of their voices in merriment. The subject of their banter had wandered to the other paranormal cases they had heard or handled by me and for some reasons unknown, we went back to the case of the mysterious disease. "Truth be told," I muttered, "The pathogen that caused the disease came from the tomb that was freshly excavated, or more accurately, the ancient zither." Halfway through the story, Lu Shengnan interjected with a question, "Wait, does that mean that you have the sight to see ghosts? Can you see the aura of these spirits? This sounds like those ghost stories I read online!"


    That made me giggle. "Well, there are certain things from these stories that truly exist. Just not exactly the way as to how you''ve seen in movies and TV. What I have is not the usual Yin-Yang Sight we know. I was born with a gift called the Spirit Sight. The Yin-Yang Sight, which is clear as day by its name, is a group of two different sights, the Yin Sight and the Yang Sight. The Spirit Sight which I have is better, and is essentially different. It''s not that I was born with a special set of eyeballs per se, but an ability to perceive and detect an aura. The aura of Yang Energies that we humans exude, the Yin Energy that ghosts and spirit give off, the sanctified aura that hallowed and consecrated grounds have, and the ominous and dark aura that lingers around cursed places and so forth..." I noticed that everyone was staring blankly at me. Su Yixuan cut in, "So, Senior, you said that you saw Yin Energy seeping out from the ancient zither? T-then... W-will it hurt us?"


    I shook my head quickly. "No. The zither should not have caused such a pandemic in the first place. I''m guessing it''s because of our lecturer''s singular skill and talents, hahaha. Wait, where''s the zither now?"


    "Forget about it," Su Yixuan answered, "Everyone''s focus was on us during the crisis that nobody thought anything about the zither. By the time we remembered about it, it was already missing. It might be in some museum or some dusty cabinet in somebody''s home." But that was almost impossible. The zither was an item of intrinsic historical value which was just recently unearthed. It was illegal for an individual to keep something like that privately. That would only mean that it was most likely delivered to a museum for keeping.


    The two dinners in tandem lasted until it was ten. I was beginning to think if we were eating at a banquet instead. I watched my schoolmates out the door and they went straight home that night. They had come back to Wu Zhong just for this dinner with me.


    I went back to rejoin Zheng Shuang and the others. They were almost done too, with Chongxi not forgetting to have some remaining food stored in some to-go boxes for him to bring home. Despite his usual banter with Old Man Xie, he was actually a filial son to his foster father.


    We reached home at eleven that night. The cold of the night was enough to discourage me from showering, so I drifted sleepily to my bed and collapsed into a slumber.


    I awoke to the sound of my handphone ringing the next morning. I swiped it off the table and yawned into the mouthpiece. It was the same man from before who had challenged us to a fight! After the thrashing Chongxi gave him, it seemed that he would never dare come to our Center again. On the phone, he challenged us to another duel at an empty field in a farming village just north of Wu Zhong city. I smirked and ended the call, and drove back to the Center with Edelweiss. The first thing we did was to discuss our battle plans. We know that luck would never be forever in our favor. Hence, we needed to recon the venue before the fight. The duel was set in two days. That would mean that our challenger and his cohorts would surely be making preparations today. Hence, we came to a unanimous decision of first reconnoitering the movements of our adversaries today!


    It was perfect; the weather was misty and cold, and this would be a perfect assignment for the Seven Sisters! They have not been at the Center for quite a few days. So I picked up my phone and called Xiao Qi. After a few dial tones, someone answered the call. But there was nothing but a noisy blur of garble from the other end. I let my shoulders fall helplessly and said into the mouthpiece, "Listen up Xiao Qi! I know you''re there, but I can''t hear you! So just listen to what I say..."


    I told her my instructions as simple as possible. But the call had barely ended for 10 minutes when the six ghosts of the Seven Sisters flew through the doors of the Center, looking exuberant and excited! They were very anxious to get out to help us and have some fun while they were at it. Should we teach them a lesson, Xiao Si first asked and I stopped her. "No. We don''t want to rattle their cage too early. This is only a recon mission. Go in, look at what they''re up to, and get out. Simple as that." The six ghosts squeezed into Lin Feng''s car along with me, Lin Feng, Chongxi and Edelweiss. We drove out of town immediately towards the village, as we did not need to worry about the sun during a cloudy day. We left them somewhere before the village, but not before I reminded them that this is only a recon mission. The plan was for them to look around and we would return in the night to fetch them. Edelweiss was sniggering all along. Without the gift of sight, she could not see the ghosts of the Seven Sisters. But she was amused by me leaving instructions to the Sisters that looked as if I was talking into the air.


    After dinner that night, we rushed back to the same spot we agreed to rendezvous. We waited until it was 9 before Xiao Qi and her sisters reappeared. We went back to the Center and debrief them about their findings. "They have prepared two large woks of boiling oil, a charcoal stove as if they''re going to forge a sword, with a large millstone. There''s a bunch more of items that we cannot remember. But they''re all wacky if you ask me. But there''re seven guys loitering around. They were drinking liquor when we left, with a row of sabers they''ve freshly stoned and sharpened." Yuan Chongxi listened and cackled suddenly, repeating what Xiao Qi just said in between his fits of laughter, "Huh?! Two woks of boiling oil... Oh my God, I can''t take this anymore..."


    Chongxi''s eyes and mine met and I burst into peals of laughter too! We laughed so hard that we fell back into the sofa we were sitting on, clutching our stomachs. But Lin Feng and Edelweiss were confused. What''s wrong, they asked and Chongxi began explaining, "As you well know, there are two types of soothsayers and fortune-tellers in my line of business. Charlatans and actual seers. The same can be said for mediums like Shiyan! There are true conjurers; true students of arcane magic, and the other kind: swindlers and fraudsters. The items that Xiao Qi had seen were merely props for a freakshow!" ¨C Another fit of laughter gripped him again before he could go on ¨C "Charlatans like this might be able to hoodwink common people but not the real deal like us! What''s worse, they even enlisted the help of some thugs in case things go south for them. It''s stupid! Our win tomorrow is as good as certain! We might as well begin planning on how to mop them up tomorrow! No, wait. Leave this to me. I daresay I have some amount of expertise in this!"


    The next day came swiftly in anticipation. We journeyed to the empty field as agreed. It was a flat ground, now bare and barren, once used by farmers to thresh wheat. With the introduction of combine harvesters, the grounds have been enclosed and left abandoned. Immediately once we reached, I opened the door and released my spirit wolves. They sniffed into the air and looked around warily. Xiao Qi and her sisters flew out before us and we disembarked the car. Then I saw him, our challenger! There he is, I said to my companions. My spirit wolves scattered and surrounded the grounds from the other side in a hunting formation. The man was thrilled to see us. "I''ve enlisted the help of the elders from the order I''m in! They are powerful people, I warn you! You should kneel down and beg for mercy!"

 Chapter 148 The Charlatan

    It seemed that our challenger had made quite a fanfare in his preparations, for he had attracted quite a crowd of people watching from the edges of the field. Man and women, elders and children, all huddled by the fields to see what we were up to, murmuring among themselves excitedly.


    I stepped into the fields which would serve as the arena for our duel and raised an arm, motioning to the crowd for silence, "Enough with the theatrics. Get him out!" I barked at the man. He turned to a helper who was near a little cabin, "Have the Elder out please!" A man emerged almost immediately and his appearance almost made me burst with laughter! Of all my experiences in dealing with charlatans and fraudsters, this must be my first! The man was dressed up in a set of old Taoist frock, holding a hossu in his hand, while cradling a fish drum in another!


    The fish drum was exactly identical to the ones we usually see in the illustrations of Zhang Guolao, one of the Eight Immortals of Chinese mythology. It is a Chinese percussion instrument, made of a long and slender piece of bamboo with two smaller pieces of bamboo sticks inside. I seemed to remember that Sun Wukong of the Journey to the West had once carried something similar when he disguised as a Taoist priest! The elder man came nearer to us and cleared his throat pompously. "Seeing as we are all fellow mediums, I''d suggest that you both make peace. There''s no need for hostilities. Please take my word as an elder and a senior. But if any of you refuse to heed my warning..." He stopped short and walked to a table. He placed down his fish drum and hossu and extracted a piece of the rod from the burning flames in the stove. He licked at the red-hot steel, much to the dismay and amazement of the crowds nearby who immediately howled with shock, and continued, "The wok of oil here, and a reenactment of the hill of knives from the Underworld will be at your service."


    The old man had barely finished, and Chongxi''s voice snapped from behind as he came to me, "Heavens! Spare us your ''elder and senior'' speech!" He reached a hand into the wok of oil with a splash, and the crowd gasped, "He''s reaching into the wok of boiling oil!"


    Chongxi played with the bubbling oil churning around his hand for a few seconds then he did the unthinkable! With a kick, he knocked over the wok. Realizing his opportunity, Lin Feng took a step front and delivered a fist into the air in front of him. With a deafening crack like the clap of thunder, the millstone broke into two halves! A voice came from the crowd, "That''s the Six Meridians Divine Swords! (A technique from the wuxia novel Demigods and Semi-devils)" But another voice refuted him, "Rubbish! You know nothing! That''s the Buddha''s Palm technique!" In truth, the millstone was destroyed by Xiao Qi and her sisters, and only those with true powers or the gift of Sight could see them. Ignoring the cries from the onlookers, Lin Feng delivered another fist at the flaming stove with knives and swords inside, toppling it to the ground. The burning charcoals poured to the ground, sizzling in protest. The first voice screamed again, "Look, guess what kungfu this is!" "That''s the Relentless Waves technique!" said the other. But a third voice quipped this time, "Nonsense, all of you! That''s the Dragon-grappling Technique!" These guys must have too much kungfu novels and flicks. I grimaced helplessly.


    The man who challenged us gaped with shock at the sudden turn of events. He clapped a signal and seven young men rushed into the fields, each of them armed with menacing-looking sabres. But before they could come closer to us, every one of them fell headfirst to the ground. However, the first of the seven did not fall. But he stopped suddenly when he passed under the branch of a tree and slipped to a fall on his back suddenly with his sabre falling loose from his grasp and clattered harmlessly on the ground. A strange force lifted him into the air. But no matter how he kicked, he remained floating helplessly. The rest of the six started to howl with pain on the ground until another strange force dragged all six of them backward! Many of the people from the crowds averted their eyes, not being able to take in any more. I raised my hand and snapped my fingers, signaling to Edelweiss. She immediately placed a call to Zheng Shuang, who had already been waiting nearby.


    My arm remained outstretched after the signal; I pointed at the tree, and the young man who was hanging in mid-air fell to the ground with a loud thud. He sat on the ground, panting for breath while massaging his neck. His cohorts finally stopped moving too, although the skins at their haunches have been rubbed raw and there were several bite marks too so severe that some of them were bleeding profusely.


    I approached the Taoist priest pretender and snatched the burning rod of steel from him. "Strange. What does pomegranate skins taste like? I bet they''re far from good."


    The old man face immediately turned white with shock. Mumbling incoherently, he did not know what else to say. I looked around and raised an arm slowly into the air and stretched my palm out. The old fraudster saw and fell to his knees at once, clutching at my ankles while begging for mercy. That made me chuckled. "What are you doing? I have not even done anything yet!" "I know what you''re going to do; you''re going to kill me with the Thunderclap technique! Ghost or demons, humans or supernatural beings, no one survives a blow from the Thunderclap!" His voice must have reached the crowds, as many among them quickly covered their ears as if anticipating a bolt of lightning to fall from the sky. "Were you not some Elder of that bumbling fool? Surely you''d not be afraid of something as trivial as this! Come on, let''s try it." From the crowd came a little voice. It was a boy, a naughty imp who shouted, "Let''s try it, let''s try it! It must be fun!" Chongxi strode over and wiped his hands on the old fraudster''s Taoist robes, saying, "Relax! It''s not painful, heh heh heh heh!" The jaunty little rascal shouted again from afar, "Of course! Come on, you''ll feel no pain once you''re dead!"


    But the old Taoist fraudster banged his head continuously on the ground, begging miserably, "Please, dear lord! I am merely a common swindler trying to make a modest living! I beseech your mercy for intruding upon your peace and anger you. But I didn''t know you''re a true immortal! I''ll never cheat anyone ever again! Please give me a chance to repent!" "Heh heh heh," I replied, "People might criticize me as a bully if I were to kill you now. Very well, I''ll show you mercy then! But you''ll have to accept your punishment in jail!" I threw a signal to everyone. My companions and I, with the Six Sisters, returned to the car where Edelweiss was waiting and we made our way home. As the car roared to life when Lin Feng twisted the key, we could hear the sirens of police cars coming. Zheng Shuang has arrived. From where we parked the car, we moved slowly to the main road where we could get a better height that overlooked the fields. There, we saw from afar the swindler and the seven young men were escorted to the police cars in cuffs. Pleased with our handiwork, we headed home, laughing merrily at our triumph.


    I reached the Center the following morning to find Lin Feng charging at me anxiously, "It''s bad! It''s really bad!" "What''s wrong?" I asked. He shoved his phone to me and pointed at the screen. "We''re all on the news!" I looked at the screen and saw a headline that says, "Reel to Real: Pretender Medium suffers a humiliating defeat in the contest against the real deal!" There were even recording footage of what happened at the fields yesterday and even photos too, all courtesy of the many onlookers. Below a small video clip of Lin Feng demolishing the millstone was a caption that said, "The Buddha''s Palm!" and another line, saying "Man dips hand into wok of boiling oil as if it was a bowl of cool water!", just below another video clip of Chongxi dipping his hand into the wok. I scrolled down, and found another video clip that said, "Display of magical powers." It was the one where the seven young men were held up into mid-air by Xiao Qi and her sisters. Fortunately, there was nothing about the Thunderclap technique in the recording of the fraudster kneeling at my feet. It might have been too noisy then for anyone to hear us.


    What in the world?! This is bad! The news of our exploits could be viewed as the spread of superstitious beliefs in the eyes of the government! We might even be arrested by the police! I called for an emergency meeting with my companions. Publicity for the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies was always welcomed, but we would now have to think of ways to handle the loose ends. Zheng Shuang could be calling any minute now!


    After some intense discussion, we decided to stick to the "Chinese wushu" story. We agreed to dismiss everything in the video footages to simple science and Chinese wushu instead of magic or sorcery. "But wouldn''t this drive away any future clients?" Chongxi asked, frowning with concern. But Lin Feng quipped, patting on Chongxi''s shoulders, "It''s fine. It''s more appealing, in fact. The more you try to hide it, the more people grow curious. Anyone who''ve seen the video clips would believe that it''s magic and we are the real deal."


    Indeed, Zheng Shuang''s name appeared ominously on the screen of my phone as it blared before noon. We arranged to meet for lunch to discuss the matter. As soon as we have met, Zheng Shuang tendered his first inquiry. "Look at this. Our coroner has reported that he has never seen this kind of wounds before! The holes bore right through the bones, look! There''s not even any fracture as if the holes were made by a drill!" Quietly, I muttered, "Those are wounds caused by throwing weapons like darts. The doctors will know what to do!"


    They should count themselves lucky! I had specifically ordered my spirit wolves to not kill anyone, otherwise, all seven of the young boys would already be in the morgue by now! We continued discussing how should Zheng Shuang respond to the rumors in the news over lunch. Expectedly, an official statement was released by the police station on WeChat that evening, saying, "Citizens Murong Shiyan, Lin Feng, and Yuan Chongxi are hereby recognized for their exemplary services to the nation and country to help the local police in apprehending several members of forbidden religious cults. The religious cult involved in the most recent incident had even tried to enlist help from several local triad members to incite more unrest and destabilize public order. But thanks to the help of the citizens, all suspects have been successfully arrested and investigations are still underway. The De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies have also confirmed that the techniques and methods used in their aid to apprehend the suspects are merely Chinese Wushu techniques instead of sorcery and magic. The public is henceforth encouraged to refrain from spreading words of the contrary..."


    News of the released statement slowly reached the local radio stations and news on television. For once, the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies became the talk of the town.


    On most parts, some believed that the entire show at the fields was a meticulously-planned publicity stunt, while some held on to what they saw at the scene, claiming that we were truly mediums who possessed supernatural powers. Either way, everything was beginning to move in the direction like how Lin Feng had predicted.


    In truth, Zheng Shuang himself was filled with brimming interest that he had asked us about what happened in the fields that day. "That''s simple actually," I explained, "The steel rod was really heated to the point of red-hot. But the charlatan had first applied a layer of a concoction made from pomegranate skins. It numbs his skin, allowing him to lick at the burning steel without feeling pain. But the wok of boiling oil is nothing but a sham. There''s only a thin layer of oil over a thick layer of vinegar below. What was boiling and bubbling that day in the wok, was not the oil, but the vinegar below. You''d hardly feel any heat above..."


    But just when we were thinking that we have reached the end of the entire affair with the weasel, we found ourselves vastly mistaken. We went back to the warehouse where the lair of the weasels was later one day. But not only were the weasels missing, even the evil spirits that I have stationed there to watch their entrance were already gone!

 Chapter 149 Teacher

    On a flashback on the second day after Zheng Shuang arrested our challenger, the fraudster, and the seven young thugs he enlisted for help, we decided to return to the abandoned warehouse to release the weasel demons. Despite their wrongdoings, it was only right to release them lest they starve to death.


    As we forced through the rusted doors of the warehouse, we were aghast to discover everything in disarray inside. The evil spirits I had stationed at the entrance to seal the entrance were gone and the ground was strewn urine and feces as well as stubbles of fur from the weasels. The air was thick with an acrid stench of something being burnt, laced with the telltale aroma of wood chips. We covered our noses as we walked slowly deeper into the warehouse and examined the aftermath. Someone was here to help the weasels! My companions came back to me after clearing the rest of the warehouse, indicating that they have found nothing. But they stared at me wordlessly, as if hoping for an answer.


    I sighed heavily. "Someone was here. That person had dispelled the evil spirits which were sustaining Ghost Barriers around the weasels'' lair and released the vile beasts," I explained. "Huh?! Is this even possible!? Who could it be? Could it be true that the weasels really had somebody powerful to support them?" Lin Feng was the first to voice his shock, but he almost immediately realized something, his face shining with dawning comprehension, "I KNOW! Remember the pack of weasels who had almost killed you with an avalanche in Mongolia? The bunch of them refused to divulge the identity of their benefactor even with the pain of death! Could it be that person?"


    I nodded slowly at first as I pondered on what he said. But my head shook barely a second later. "Maybe, and maybe not. But we can be sure that this is hardly the end. I thought everything had reached its end with the arrest of the human who''s been challenging us on their behalf to fight us. But clearly, I''ve been wrong."


    Back at the Center, Chongxi could not sit well; he climbed up and down the stairs, much to Lin Feng''s annoyance, with a distraught look on his face. The latter watched him pacing about with a similarly ugly expression on his face as he sipped on his cigarette. "Quit walking around now! I''m getting dizzy just watching you! Can''t you sit!?" Lin Feng barked at last. Chongxi retorted, his nostrils flaring with anger, "I am bothered, just like you are! Our leads have all come to an end and we don''t know what is going on with the weasels possibly plotting another go at us! Can you honestly ask me to sit well?"


    I raised my hand, gesturing them to simmer down. "Relax. It''s not the end of the world yet. Our leads will appear itself when the time comes. Trust me." Chongxi stood there, just staring at me, tacitly prodding me to elaborate. But I merely ignored him and waved at him, motioning him to go away.


    At 2 in the afternoon, Zheng Shuang pushed through the doors of the Center, rushing in with heaving breaths. But I spoke before any word escaped his throat, "I''ve been waiting for you. Out with it!" He stood there, lost for words, with admiration in his gaze at me. I was indeed expecting him, or more precisely, the results of his interrogation. It was almost impossible that he had gleaned nothing from his questioning of the suspects, between the seven young thugs, the old fraudster, and most importantly, the young challenger who has pursued us tirelessly.


    He rummaged a booklet from his bag and handed it to me, saying, "Have a look, Brother Shiyan. But I''m not sure, though. Something tells me that not everything can be trusted. The booklet contains the transcript of everything they said."


    Chongxi traded a quick look at me. Finally, he understood that I was referring to Zheng Shuang when I told him that "the leads will appear itself". He patted on my shoulders gently as he walked past me and swiped the booklet I just received.


    Chongxi pored over the report of the interrogation intently for a few minutes until he slammed the covers shut. "The thugs have revealed nothing of use. So did the old charlatan. But I did not expect that even the young fool was also nothing but a fake. He''s not even one of the weasels or part of their group! According to what he said, he''s merely instructed by them to do their bidding when they communicated to him via dreams. There''s no way for us to ascertain if the weasels have formed a band or a following here of their own. So convenient of the fool to say that he''s here in Wu Zhong County to help the weasels to scour for a suitable site to establish a stronghold."


    I held up a hand to stop Chongxi immediately. "Impossible. As far as I know, there''s no place in Wu Zhong County that is suitable for such a purpose. At least for these weasels. But we can be sure that the young fool is no part of the weasel''s group. He''s only a patsy. Followers of the Wudaxians of the frontiers do not reach these parts. Moreover, the Wudaxians would never suffer such misdemeanor by one of their members."


    Zheng Shuang offered a suggestion suddenly. "How about you handle the questioning this time, Brother Shiyan? After all, you did help to question one of the perpetrators we''d arrested during the crisis of the Creed..." I pondered quietly, hesitant at first. But in the end, I relented, nodding wearily. We were severely lacking of information. Perhaps I might be able to wring something out of him this time.


    We went to the station that afternoon and reached there at 10 minutes past 3 PM.


    Most of the officers at the station were fairly young, being in their early twenties. Hence they have been close with us, especially after fighting together against the Creed and dealing with the Edelweiss'' fiasco just not long ago. We walked into the station and were immediately greeted warmly by two young female officers. "Oh, my! What brings you here, Master Shiyan? You''re involved with another case?" I chuckled at her and remarked lightly, "Nothing special. Just the bunch of thugs Captain Zheng arrested days ago. I''m just here to help out with some statement."


    As we walked and talked, we found ourselves just before the door of Zheng Shuang''s office. We said our farewells to the female officers and knocked, before letting ourselves in. Zheng Shuang was speaking into the receiver on his office line. He muttered a few instructions and returned the set to its cradle on the table. "So, Brother Shiyan. That fool has insisted that he knows nothing about magic. But should we not take some precautions, just in case?" "Nay," I countered, shaking my head, "He would not be in such a miserable position if he really commands magic." Satisfied, Zheng Shuang nodded.


    Five minutes later, the phone on Zheng Shuang''s table rang and he swiped at the receiver almost immediately. He listened to it closely and finally replied, "All right. We''ll be there shortly." He placed down the phone and got up, motioning for us to follow. "Let''s go. The interrogation room is ready."


    We sat in the interrogation room with the weasels'' young hireling opposite us with a table in between. He was sour as a lemon with cuffs on his hands, looking entirely different since we last saw him before he was arrested. The few days in jail have hardly been kind to him that he looked visibly disheveled and emaciated. Even the dark circles around his eyes seem particularly palpable despite being in a dimly-lighted room. At that exact moment, I was wondering if we might have been overly harsh to him.


    Feeling sorry for the man, I looked at Zheng Shuang and said, "Uncuff him, please. We''ll be fine with me here." With complete confidence in me, Zheng Shuang immediately relieved the man off his irons without any hesitation.


    I offered the man a smoke. We waited until he took a drag before I began, "I''ve gone through your statement. I remember seeing something about you not being a native of Wu Zhong, is it not? You''re here because you''ve been directed to seek out a suitable lair for the weasels?" The young man took another breath and croaked hoarsely, "Yes. I''ve spoken truthfully. Just as I told them yesterday..." I nodded. "Of course, you have. But I also know that there is no suitable place here in Wu Zhong for minions of the Wudaxians. The environment here simply does not fit them. That is the main ambiguity of your statement which I find hard to believe." The young man could say nothing, merely looking at me with wide, perplexed eyes. For seconds, he looked dazed and stunned, until he finally uttered, "I-I... I don''t know... It''s just how I told you. My teacher had given these instructions to me in a dream one night, saying that a companion wishes to look for a lair in this area..."


    "I see," I muttered, nodding my head absentmindedly, "What''s your teacher''s name?" This particular weasel must be a demon with certain powers and standing among the rest of its ilk, since it was able to harness magical powers and communicate with humans; it might even be their leader too. But the young man did not dare to divulge his name, merely trying his best to deflect my question by mumbling incoherently to himself.


    But I knew better than to ask further. It was an unspoken rule in our line of business to refrain from divulging one''s teacher''s name as a show of respect, minions of the Wudaxians or not. More so, if this young hireling is part of an order or a sect which was based around here in the North-eastern parts of the country.


    Still, despite my several seconds of spacing-out, the young hireling showed no indication of answering. Thinking that it was best to switch gears, I asked another question, "I have been to the production space of the warehouse this morning, you know. The weasels I have kept inside there have all escaped, presumably by the help of a third-party. Do you know anything about this?"


    It was a long shot that I had never expected any probable outcome from. But to my surprise, the young man nodded intently!

 Chapter 150 The Fox and the Weasel

    I had thought that my companions and I were the only ones who were aware of the weasels'' escape from captivity. So we were beyond shocked when the young hireling confessed that he too knew about what happened. Rather, he even knew who it was who had helped them.


    "So who was that?" I pressed immediately. I could feel the sinews on my neck taut anxiously. He looked at me, his eyes steady and firm, saying grimly, "My teacher!"


    I lighted a cigarette for myself and took a puff. "Do you mean to say that your teacher has communicated with you via dreams again?" "No," he answered to our amazement. "Then how could you be sure that it was your teacher who had helped the weasels?" I asked again, the hint of apprehension clear as day in my voice.


    The man revealed that he came here with the weasels from Yizhou City in search of a suitable hideaway here. But the name of Yizhou City did ring a bell; Zhang Zhigui and his companions were all natives of Yizhou City themselves.


    He was tasked to scout for a suitable site between Yizhou City and Qinhuangdao City, as bidden by his teacher through a dream. He was instructed to search somewhere between both cities, but he was not told specifically where, and the weasels have been moving with him. When they passed by Wu Zhong, some of the weasels were caught trying to steal chickens. Being a beast known to be notoriously vain and spiteful, the weasels returned that night, littering the fields of the farmer with tiles and bricks, and thinking that it would give him much trouble. But being beasts, they lacked the intelligence to pit wits against Chongxi and was tricked. The weasels would not have returned. But it was this young man who had tipped them off to Chongxi''s ruse. That paved the way for what happened later.


    Never had the weasels suffered such reprisals and humiliation. They were more than angry when they realized that they had been hoodwinked. But the boy was nothing but a half-witted and incompetent hireling. Hence he had to, again and again, look for outside help to deal with us.


    Finally, he confessed that he knew nothing about the weasels'' escape, although he was aware of me using evil spirits to maintain Ghost Barriers around their lair to prevent them from leaving. But he was adamantly certain that it could only be the work of his teacher when I told him about the weasels'' flight to freedom.


    The interrogation continued with a few more questions, but the young man could not give any concrete information, leaving me confused and distraught as we watched him being returned to his cell. We could not tell if he was feigning ignorance, or he was simply a fool in the greater scheme of things.


    We dragged dejected selves out the police station in the end, utterly devastated by the lack of information gleaned from the young hireling. The time was already five in the evening. But he and his confederates would be detained until the end of the New Year season, Zheng Shuang pointed out, hence there was no need for us to worry about them disturbing us during the festive seasons. But there''s no need for that, I said to Zheng Shuang. There was no bad blood between us and I did not believe that he would have the nerve ever again, after our last showdown against him.


    Edelweiss had been watching the Center in our stead during the time we were at the station. But she realized the forlorn and grim looks when we returned. I told her a summary of what happened and was met only by a blank look from her. But she knew better than to prod further. She looked at her watch and saw that it was almost time for dinner. Trying to raise our spirits, she suggested, "Let''s have something to drink tonight! Come on, let''s frown no more!" With no objections from any of us, we immediately went out, heading straight to the barbeque hawker stalls.


    Most of the shops in Wu Zhong were closed for the cold season as the New Year approached, never mind barbeque restaurants or hawkers, especially those outside. Then again, even I would refrain from eating open air in such chilly weather. That left only one option: the barbeque restaurant we usually frequented. Not only because it was near my home, but the proprietor, having known us for quite some time, have always been friendly to put up with our brouhaha and loitering.


    We stepped into the restaurant to find it completely empty. The proprietor was on the verge of falling asleep if not for our timely entry. He sprang to his feet when he heard the doors swung open and rubbed his eyes before he could clearly see it was us. Without even taking any orders from us, he barked with brimming fervor, "There''re fewer people today! It''ll be quick, just right up!" After coming for so many times, he already knew our usual orders without showing us the menu.


    A minute barely passed before the proprietor returned with a bucket of beer bottles. "I''m afraid we have been out of lamb entrails these few days. This means that we''re out of clay pot lamb stew. So perhaps you might like to try something else..." He muttered candidly as he unbottled our beer.


    As always, Edelweiss inhaled bottle after bottle of beer with as much ease as drinking plain water. I remembered the first time I brought her here. She was also drinking like a fish then that even the proprietor was astounded then. I bet it was the first time he saw a girl who could drink so much. Before we got engaged, my companions and I rarely drank much during our barbeque meals. Our usual number was merely half a dozen, until Edelweiss joined us and our number skyrocketed drastically.


    With the lack of customers, the proprietor drew up a chair and sat with us. It was frequent of him to join us, although we rarely found it easy to chat, given the large age gap between him and us. But this time, the things we talked about were different.


    "Look, this might interest you guys!" He fished out his handphone, swiping along with the screen as he looked for something. We stretched over his shoulders and peered at his phone. It was a video clip on a video-sharing app. At first glance, I saw two yellow-brownish furballs were prancing and pouncing at each other. With another closer look, it was two beasts fighting and tearing at each other. One was a large weasel, and the other was a fox.


    A sudden dread filled me; for the past few days, we have been busy dealing with weasels, that the video clip of another weasel gave me the jitters. I averted my gaze from the playing video footage and flushed a mouthful of beer down my throat while muttering with annoyance, "For the love of Heavens, of all things!" As if oblivious to my frustration and irritation, the proprietor continued explaining, hardly tearing his eyes off the screen, "Did you not see this? It''s a fight between a weasel and a fox! You guys are too young to know, I think. No weasels would dare fight against a fox. But it''s normal, I guess. None of these beasts live around here anymore. When I was young, we have lots of these vermins around here. We''ve even hunted them as boys. If only you know how stinking these creatures can be! But what do you think? I''ve never seen such a fight before; these two kinds usually keep to themselves!"


    You must mistake us for kindergarten kids, I almost blurted aloud. But instead, I asked, "Who recorded this?" "Some fellow Internet users, of course!" he replied. Of course, I know it''s an Internet user, but I want to know who specifically! I almost groan with frustration. It was truly difficult to communicate with the man.


    But the proprietor clearly detected no problems with the way he talked to us. He continued to drone on absentmindedly, "The user who posted this lives around here. The Yellow Soil Ridge, it says here. Look here, it''s posted just this afternoon!" I tore a piece of flesh off my barbequed chicken wing, shaking my head. What''s this with weasels lately! We seem to find them every day and every corner! I had not the slightest fancy for vermins of this ilk. But I supposed it was because of the Leader of the Creed of the Eight Trigrams who was a weasel demon itself. But what is it with weasels and us? Almost every case that we have encountered in Wu Zhong recently was perpetrated by weasel demons! Can''t these creatures just take a break?!


    I was so deeply in thought that I didn''t see how Edelweiss was staring at me chewing at my skewers strangely. Handing me another fresh pick of meat skewer, she curled up to me, chirping playfully into my ears, "What are you thinking about, Husband? You seemed so detached. Which girl are you thinking about? Tell me, and I''ll nab her for you!" That made me giggle. But I know she was just trying to cheer me up. "I wouldn''t dare," I whispered back, "I''m afraid my betrothed would skin me alive if she were to catch me eyeing some other lass."


    Our barbeque repast finally came to an end as the time neared 10 PM. We did not drive, knowing that we would be drinking. But it was quite a walk to get back to the Center and the freezing weather hardly seemed appropriate for an after-dinner walk, hence we flagged down a taxi.


    We got back to the Center and I got down, starting to dig through my pockets for some change for the fare. Then a surprised yelp came from Lin Feng who was behind me, "What in the world is this?!" Yuan Chongxi turned to his direction and blurted himself, "What the?!"


    I slammed the door of the taxi shut and looked back only to be equally astonished as how my companions were! It was dark outside the Center, for the streetlamps were not working, but we could make out a row of hounds sitting on their haunches just outside the Center!?

 Chapter 151 Faring with Foxes

    "What the hell is this?!" Chongxi gasped again with shock before a musty stench of alcohol burped out of his mouth.


    Sitting at the entrance of the Center was a row of short, shadowy figures obscured by the darkness of the night. They sat motionless on the ground like a line of hunched gargoyles, but we could see the steam jetting from their nostrils as they breathed in the cold weather. I took two careful steps nearer, hoping to catch enough light to see them. But much to my dismay, they remained steadfastly immobile.


    Clinging to hopes of any reaction, I ventured another two steps ahead. Still, the figures did not move. Only this time, I got annoyed. I marched brusquely towards the door, only to realize that they were not hounds or dogs, but a row of foxes!


    I almost laughed out loud. What is this? First, weasels, now foxes?! In my exasperation, my head shook as I chuckled weakly. Chongxi knelt them before one of the foxes and giggled, "So why are you here so late in the night, eh?" If the foxes could understand him, they definitely made no indication of it. But even if they do, something told me that they would only heed my instructions. Hence I chuckled as I unlocked the door and barked at the foxes, "All right now. All onboard. We''ll talk inside."


    Lo and behold, the foxes stood up as one. Edelweiss was jovially cheerful as she held my arm. She was getting used to all this strangeness. Chongxi smirked and swung open the door. But the foxes gave no reaction of moving. Their eyes were still trained intently upon me. I giggled again, marveling at their human-like decorum and walked indoors. Only then, the foxes filed into the Center after me.


    I went straight to the couch at the sitting area and sat down before I lighted a cigarette. The foxes sat in an orderly line in front of me like an honor guard. I took a quick swig and said quietly, "All right now. What is it?"


    One of the foxes, the middle-most one, and raised its paws in a gesture resembling a human''s salute and spoke in the tongue of humans, "We need your help, young Lordling!" All of them lowered themselves to the ground like they were kneeling to me. Chongxi, who was sitting at another couch, chuckled. "Damned, a fox which is as good as we are in the human tongue!" I tapped my cigarette, watching the ash falling into a tray as I asked, "What help do you need of me? Speak up then."


    But I was hardly perturbed nor surprised by the fox''s addressing me of "Lordling"; since my mother was not a human but a very ancient fox demon with magic, she might as well be one of their oldest living matriarchs. It was only acceptable that I was addressed as such, although the same could not be said for the matter they later told me about.


    It was an incident which I should have made the connection and realize, the fight between the fox and the weasel which was recorded and shared on the Internet, the same one that the barbeque restaurant proprietor had shown us. As it happened, these foxes were, in fact, fox demons who were learning magic in the vicinity of the Yellow Soil Ridge. But they were still very young. Hence they know little magic to transform themselves into humans. According to the foxes'' tale, there has been an influx of numerous weasels to the Yellow Soil Ridge since yesterday.


    The demons that inhabited the proximity of the Yellow Soil Ridge have territories that they have staunchly defended through generations. But the weasel demons have emerged from nowhere and seized the foxes'' lands by force, sparking a war between the two species. Not unlike humans though, I mused, for wars and conflicts have been waged for less.


    The foxes of the Yellow Soil Ridge had tried diplomacy with these marauding weasels, but the peace talks have fallen through due to the importunate attitude of the latter. There has been peace in the Ridge for centuries, argued the foxes, as everyone studied their magic there as allowed by the deities of the mountains nearby. But the weasels then claimed the territory nevertheless, taking it by force, citing that the deities could just easily look for another spot for the foxes.


    Animals can be extremely territorial when it comes to their own domain. More so, for beasts that possessed magic. The weasels were no stronger than the foxes in magic, but they were superior in number. The video clip we saw at the barbeque restaurant showed only two animals fighting against each other. But in truth, there were hundreds of foxes and demons tearing at each other that time. With the gentrification of nearby cities and towns, the area that the foxes could inhabit was dwindling rapidly. This resulted in only a small colony of foxes still living in the vicinities of the Yellow Soil Ridge. But they did not expect so large a force of weasels would be invading their lands. Moreover, weasels have always been known to be more adaptable than foxes to different living conditions. They could survive even in the most barren of fields and steal whatever they need from human dwelling, something which foxes are not capable of.


    But the scourge of the weasels was not only confined to the mountains and the wilderness. There was quite a number of people living in the areas of the Yellow Soil Ridge, one of them being Fearless Hao. There has been news of houses being broken in by the vermins and no was yet able to come up with any solution to deal with them. The pack of weasels that emigrated here was just too large; numbering more than a hundred of them. With a group so large, the only way to make sure their stomachs were full, was only through plundering and marauding.


    The chieftain of the foxes knelt at my feet again, ending its tale, "With powers as minuscule as ours, we do not dare show ourselves before your mother, the Lady Matriarch. We could only come to you, dear Lordling. Please do us justice, we beg you!" I fell silent for seconds, pondering for options. Before long, I said, "Very well. So..." I muttered, extracting my Spirit Gourd. I summoned my spirit cat, Smoky, who greeted me with a lazy yawn before stretching itself. Then with a graceful leap, it curled itself on my thigh, hoping for some affection from me.


    I scratched at Smoky''s head and said to the Chieftain, "I will allow my spirit cat to go with you. I trust that it will be able to help you against the weasels." They might not understand my intent, but I was under the impression that the foxes would never doubt me.


    And Smoky left that night with the foxes. Lin Feng has been quiet all the time. But as soon as the foxes left, he asked curiously, "Do you expect your spirit cat alone is able to go against a horde of weasels?" I chuckled and it was Chongxi who answered, "Heh heh heh... You don''t know about cats, do you? Even if it''s only a normal cat, it alone is enough to scare the living daylights out of those vermins!" "What do you mean?" Lin Feng was still oblivious. I trotted off to the fridge and came back with a can of Coke. After a refreshing gulp, I said, "Most cats you see are house cats, Brother. House cats are too docile against vermin. But Smoky is different. It''s a wild cat. It''s not easy for a cat to survive in the wild. Hence they grow up with more ferocity. Rats are nothing to them, not even to satiate their hunger. So feral cats sometimes hunt weasels for food. It is quite normal back in the days, especially. Moreover, Smoky is a black cat; black cats are said to have the ability to communicate with the paranormal and cats have nine lives. Most of all, it is now a spirit cat. Hence it is in all aspects more superior than any weasels could have hoped to match."


    I went home that night and mentioned to Father about our recent adventures with the weasels. But to my surprise, Father was hardly the cool and disinterested self he normally was. He sighed wearily, his brows creasing into a heavy frown. He unstoppered his liquor flask and poured a drink down his throat. "I''m afraid I am the root of all these problems."


    That made me confused. "But how can all this brouhaha begin from you, Father? No chiefs or sires of these beasts could ever hope to match you in magic or influence. I fail to see your part in all this," I muttered suspiciously as Father set alight a cigarette for himself. "If only you know..." He said, drawing a breath off his cigarette, "Do you still remember the things Master Six and I talked about the last time you were bedridden?"


    "I think I still remember a snippet of it. What of it?" "Human''s magic and animal''s are different!" Father pointed out before he drank from his flask again.


    "Wait a second, Father. I still don''t see where you''re getting at," I said again. What Father said has done little to dispel the gloom of perplexity over me? "Ohhh, for the love of Heaven," Father groaned. He stared at me for seconds before he finally grumbled, "How far will you go, I wonder, with that brain of yours... Heavens... Please tell me how I cannot feel distressed by this..." "How distressing should you be?" I retorted, slightly annoyed, "Surely you can''t expect me to catch your meaning like how Mother does?! What do you mean!?"


    He heaved a long breath. "To put it simply," he explained finally, "The demons and beasts are looking for places to expedite their study of magic to prepare for the coming crucible."

 Chapter 152 The Crucible of Heaven

    I was no nearer to understanding what he was trying to say. But unlike his usual proclivity of speaking in riddles, he began to explain everything patiently.


    "You may know that some people will leave their physical bodies when they achieve immortality. By shedding off their physical chrysalis, they do not have to endure a hit by a stroke of lightning, the Crucible of Heaven. But beasts are different. They can assume human form once they achieve higher powers. But to climb even further, they would need to suffer the Crucible of Heaven, with or without their physical bodies." Father paused to light himself another cigarette. "There are five different Elements to the Crucible of Heaven: the Elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. We''ll not delve into that for today. But simply put, the Crucible of Heaven is one''s final test; a test of righteousness. If one has committed sacrilege or sin during one''s lifetime, the person would be judged and the Crucible of Heaven shall fall upon him like a guillotine. Just like how I achieved immortality while retaining my physical body, beasts that wish this too would have to prepare themselves to withstand the final Crucible."


    With Father''s explanation, all of those questions were instantly answered! Unlike Master Six and most other immortals, Father became an immortal by retaining his physical body as a human. This would require him to pass through the Crucible of Heaven! The demons were all flocking to Wu Zhong because they knew that Father was the primary target of the Crucible of Heaven, and they were hoping that they could qualify with more relative ease once the Crucible has been weakened because of Father. This was why the demons were fighting for the best spot to study magic, to get themselves ready as soon as possible!


    I now understood why Father blamed himself: the next Crucible of Heaven was for Father. Not knowing that Father had no intention of ascending so soon, the beasts and demons had been fighting amongst themselves and Father believed that the ruckus all began from him.


    "Well, in that case, you might want to appear and mediate matters," I uttered, shrugging, but father just shook his head and said, "The matter might have begun because of me. But still, it is hardly appropriate for me to show myself. I''m afraid that it is your shoulders that this responsibility will still have to fall upon." He got up and moved to his room, ending our conversation for the night.


    I chuckled at myself helplessly and retreated to my own room.


    With nothing much to do, Edelweiss has been spending much time with Mother shopping. I entered our bedroom and found the top of our bed scattered with the bounties of her exploits with her mother-in-law as she went through the clothing one-by-one. As I walked in, she asked me if any of them looked nice. I shuddered. "Can I seriously say no? One simple wrong answer; that''s all it takes, and I''ll be spending the night on the cushions of the living hall!" That left me with only a Hobson''s choice. "Every one of them seems nice on you, dear. All of them looks good," I piped quickly with feigned interest. "Can I seriously criticize any of them when everything you''ve spent here is as much as the Center''s mid-year expenditure?!"


    Three days passed uneventfully. I was upstairs at the Center, reading the booklet Father gave me, when an audible knock came from the door. I heard the door being opened and knew that that could only be Lin Feng. It was confirmed with his voice, asking, "Hi there, and how can I help you?", followed by some muffled voices before Lin Feng''s voice barked up the staircase, "Hey, we have clients! Come down!"


    We came down immediately. The client was a young lad. But he wore a sullen look on his face that I thought something was wrong with him on first glance. But there was nothing I could detect even with my Spirit Sight. I turned to Chongxi to see if he had noticed anything. But he merely shook his head. There was nothing wrong with him too, even with his divination magic based on the lad''s facial features. "What could be the problem then," I wondered. We ushered him to the sitting area and made him tea. Finally, came the customary greeting, "How can we help you?"


    But our client seemed to show no signs of loosening up. Rather, I noticed a hint of doubt forming on the edge of his eyes. Was he too shy to ask for fortune-telling on romances? "Are you here to seek advice on fortune-telling, or do you have other problems you need our help in solving?" I asked quickly, hoping to break the proverbial ice that was hanging over us uneasily. But I had subtly refrained from asking if the young lad was seeking services in handling marriage or funeral proceedings, especially after I found no suggestions of happiness or sadness from him.


    There was a brief beat of pause before he asked skeptically, "Are you the real deal?" His question almost made me laughed. How did he expect us to answer this?!


    But before Lin Feng and I could react, the bumbling fool of a Yuan Chongxi burst immediately, "OF COURSE WE ARE! WE ARE AS REAL AS IT GETS!" I almost threw up with shock. How can we admit we were real when we had not even listened to the complaints of the client?! I quickly interjected, "Well, we may have to first listen to your grievances before we can decide if we are able to help you." The young lad nodded before he began to speak hesitantly. "I have a case that needs handling. But it''s strange. Very strange indeed. Can you help?" I chuckled. "That, we will have to see how strange this matter is. Out with it then."


    The young lad began his tale, although he continued regarding us with untrusting stares. "A few days ago..."


    The young lad was a local student; a high-schooler from the town from which we had retrieved the Forest Sprite. On one of his truant escapades, the boy had gone to an Internet cafe to have fun with his classmates. They were caught by the school authorities and were given severe warnings. Driven by anger and revenge, one of the lad''s classmates planned to teach the disciplinary teacher a lesson.


    This boy came back to school after the weekends, and showed his fellow truants a little cauldron and some joss sticks. He said to his other fellow students that he would be casting a ritual, hoping to invoke paranormal beings for help. Dismissing this as mere ludicrous nonsense, everyone ignored him. Everyone knew that this particular boy was a true fanatic of fantasy stories and fables who believed all fairy tales to contain shreds of truth. Some even claimed to have seen him talking to himself, reciting incantations and words of spells while burning sacrifices and joss sticks at night in the dormitory; a sight which was both ghastly and unsettling to most people.


    But to everyone''s disbelief, the disciplinary teacher came back to school a badly-injured and bruised man. Word began spreading across the entire school that the teacher was so badly drunk in a dinner, that he plummeted into a manhole the night before. The manhole was left open due to the ongoing repairs being done on the way to his home and it was unfortunate that the teacher had actually fallen into it.


    The students who were caught running truants were happy to hear the news and the boy was so elated that he brought his felonious classmates to lunch.


    But just when everyone thought that was the last of it, the disciplinary teacher came back to school the following day, looking even worse for the wear. An arm of his was injured and was bandaged in a sling around his neck. As it turned out, he got ended up in a street brawl after work the day before. He was in a terrible mood after falling into the manhole, and inadvertently got into a quarrel with some thugs which then escalated into a fight.


    The truants were ecstatic. No one had expected the boy''s jinx to work. They flashed thumbs-ups at him, congratulating him for his "success", much to his pride and joy.


    Then came the third day. The disciplinary teacher did not come to school; in fact, no one saw him. The boy who cast the jinx became afraid; fearful that something bad had happened to the teacher because of what he had done. He began asking around his classroom and the ones next door for any news. But no one in his year knew anything. Despite being a boarding school, news did not travel as fast as a bushfire there. Finally, he overheard some teachers talking and discovered that the disciplinary teacher was involved in an accident. He was not fatally wounded, but bad enough to be warded nevertheless.


    The boys began to feel as if something sinister had caught up with them. The young teenage boys could not believe that their hands were almost stained with murder. One of them hissed at their classmate, the one who jinxed their teacher, saying to him, "That''s enough! It''s getting worse! At this rate, somebody will die!" But to their dismay, the boy said to his friends, "Of course I want that too! But I have already done another ritual to stop everything last night, but I didn''t know that the misfortunes will continue today!"


    "So, that''s why people always say, ''Be careful of what you wish for'', innit?" I chuckled through the smoke.

 Chapter 153 Canine Conflic

    t


    What I said seemed to have struck a gong in him. He was beyond shocked to hear me and pressed frantically, "So, that means that you''ll be able to help?"


    I drew another breath. Then I noticed the boy was eyeing my cigarette. I chuckled and offered him one from my own. "I''ll have to first meet your friend¡ªThe one who did the ritual¡ªbefore I can be sure," I said. The young lad took my cigarette with a blank look in his face. He looked at it and asked, "How do you know I smoke?" "Because we''re the real deal," I muttered, handing him a lighter, "Your teacher might not know. But nothing escapes my eye."


    "What a simple lad," I mused, "He''s fallen for it." There was no longer any doubt or suspicion in his eyes. There was no need for magic to know that the boy was a regular smoker; one simply had to observe how hungry he looked when he eyed my cigarette.


    But with a smoke, the boy seemed more relaxed and at ease. "My friend returned to his dorm that night and tried to see if he could end the jinx with another ritual. But it is as you might have guessed; the jinx remained." I nodded. "The ritual that your friend use must be taught to him by someone. But it is clear that the person has other insidious intents!" A simple student like the young lad or his classmate would never be able to cast magical rituals without skill and knowledge, both of which hardly comes from fantasy novels and stories. Rituals like this require sacrifice; something in offering to request help from the otherworldly entity which would be summoned. In most cases, roasted chicken, swine''s head, or the like are used for such rituals. But the main question remained: what came as a result of the ritual? What being had answered his calls?


    "What has my friend done?" The young lad asked, only to be answered by a disdainful snort from Chongxi. "What else? Your friend has conducted a magical ritual. You''ve got yourselves involved in something worse than silly Ouija boards, which you can easily put an end to by destroying the boards if you feel something is not right. But this... This is something very much worst, especially if the cauldron is broken..."


    But Chongxi''s voice faltered; the boy had jumped when Chongxi mentioned "the cauldron is broken" as if he was jolted by electric. "Oh, no," I thought, "Surely his friend did not?!" Our deepest fear was answered: the boy fearfully confessed. "Ah... For many times my friend has tried, but he could not withdraw the jinx, or whatever it was he summoned. He''s a little strange, angry even, most of the time. In his frustration and rage, he smashed the cauldron on the floor..."


    As if on a cue, Chongxi and I slapped on our foreheads in unison. What was it with kids these days?! How reckless of them! The boy continued his tale, "Then, on the second day, after smashing the cauldron, that friend of mine... H-he, He was...." I cut him off. "He''s fainted, is he? And the doctors cannot seem to find out what''s wrong with him, am I right?" The young lad bobbed his head profusely, saying, "Not only that. In his coma, he''s barking mad, saying things like, ''I want to die! I want to die!''."


    I shook my head. "Well," I gasped, "What are we waiting for? Bring us to your friend. Let''s have a look at him." Lin Feng went to retrieve his car keys. He depressed on a button on the remote and heard the car''s alarm chirped once dutifully outside.


    The classmate of the young lad lived in the city center and that was where we headed. As soon as we were nearby, my Spirit Sight alerted me to the presence of foul aura lurking around. I looked up, and saw two demonic auras, in the forms of fumes, swirling outside one of the windows of a building ahead. I threw a finger at the building and patted on Lin Feng''s shoulders. "There! That building, Brother!" Without any shred of doubt, Lin Feng immediately knew what I had seen. He maneuvered the car and brought us towards the direction of the building. Sitting with us in the car, the young lad looked silently at us with a disbelieving expression, bewildered at my sudden knowledge of our heretofore unknown destination.


    From my seat in the car, I looked up again. The air outside the window was thick with the two demonic auras entangling into one another furiously as if one was trying to devour the other whole like fishes in a fierce fight. From the strength of both auras, I could feel that their conjurers must be powerful entities themselves. While they might not be as powerful as the weasel demon of the Creed, but they would certainly be as powerful as my Forest Sprite. I could defeat one such demon with hardly any difficulty, but handling two in the same time was a completely different matter!


    We stopped at the nearest parking space we could find and rushed up to the house of the young lad''s classmate. The lad led us into the house and we filed right in after him with our equipment at the ready. The door was unlocked and we entered the house to find a woman, presumably the unconscious boy''s mother, sitting with a bewildered expression on the ground as if she was under a spell. The young lad ran up to her and helped her to her feet, leading her away to a corner. With the way clear, we rushed into the room where the demonic auras were churning outside.


    We barged into the room and were immediately astonished! In the room was an old man with a haggard almond-shaped face which was lined and creased like a monkey''s. He was peering down angrily at the unconscious boy who was sprawled upon his bed with needles around his body like acupuncture! A dark shape emerged from the boy''s mouth like fumes and hung in mid-air, slowly assuming the shape of a huge and menacing fox!


    The woman outside was clearly shocked out of her wits. But from the churning auras outside, I could see that there had been a fight or some sort in here.


    Chongxi quickly closed the door and threw me a curt nod. I drew up a chair and sat down, facing the dingy silhouette of the fox and the lean old man. I stared them down and lighted a cigarette for myself. "The boy must have summoned a fox spirit for help, no doubt," I thought. Banking on my authority as a young lordling of the foxes, I said to the fox spirit, "First, dislodge yourself from the boy." "As you command, Lordling," the fox spirit squeaked. Its diaphanous form, in its entirety, flew out of the boy''s mouth and landed on the ground before turning into a fox with earth-colored furs. I could almost see a pair of mustaches; it must be quite old. With a salute, it bowed and squeaked again, "My respects to you, dear Lordling. I''m sorry for the messy greetings earlier..." I raised a hand to silence it and threw a look at the old man. "You are a weasel demon, are you?"


    The old man cast me a scathing look in return and snorted without so much as a reply. So much for beastly manners, I mused. But that was hardly surprising, considering the many lessons I had taught its kind. But the old weasel demon''s unkindly snort angered the old fox spirit at my heels. It barked and charged ahead, snarling with its fangs bared. Seeing this, the old weasel quickly made several hand seals and muttered incantations. The atmosphere in the room immediately turned tense like a tinderbox ready to explode. The rising pressure seemed to take the breath out of everyone in the room that I began to feel uncomfortable and restless. Feeling annoyed and irritated, I snarled loudly, "ENOUGH OF THIS!"


    Unexpectedly, the weasel and the fox demons immediately backed down obediently, turning suddenly docile and bewildered as the air around the room turned normal once more.


    I took another swig off my cigarette. "Can anyone just explain what in the world is going on here!?" The weasel demon recovered from its shock and gave another disgusted snort. The fox spirit scowled at it before it bowed again and said, "My dear Lordling, this boy has done the rituals that summoned for my help. And it was my help that I had accorded him, as per the covenant established during the ritual. But the boy did not offer any sacrifices once the deed was done. Worse still, he destroyed the cauldron that was used to worship me! With that, I decided to teach the boy a lesson. But this mongrel interfered with me and even tried to expel me from his body by using his needlework! I have long got wind of what happened with our kin at the Yellow Soil Ridge. But here he is, thwarting my efforts too!"


    I could not say anything. "How nice of you talking from above the high horse when you had almost killed an innocent man at the boy''s behest!" But I was careful: everything that the fox spirit had just related to me was merely a one-sided account, at least before I was certain at its veracity. There are always bad apples in every group, humans or demons alike. There was no reason that I can fully take its word as gospel only because he was a kin of my mother.


    I crushed the butt of my cigarette under my shoe and turned to the old weasel demon, who was looking revolted and angry. "He''s finished his tale. What say you?"

 Chapter 154 Celebrity

    The gnarly old man who was an ancient weasel demon heard me. It scoffed. "Humph. Why should I answer you? Your cat has caused enough damage to countless of my kin. Come at me if that''s you want. Here I am!"


    I chuckled. "I always try to be just and forthright in everything I do. I will not blindly listen to his story only because he''s of my kin. Rest easy." But my endeavor to make truce hit a brick wall; the old weasel raised a suspicious eyebrow and sneered. "We''ve come all the way from Yizhou City, doing nothing but good and helpful to everyone we''ve encountered. It was the boy''s mother who came to me for help. She told me that her boy was sick. As a master of healing myself, I decided to help. But when I came, I saw this fox wrecking the boy''s life. Here I am, trying to help. Am I to be blamed?"


    "You? Good and helpful? Seriously? What about the farmer and his chickens?"


    I shook my head, exasperated. "Leave the boy and his family out of your interspecies feud. This is purely between you both." I looked down at the fox sitting at my feet. "You are right in answering the call of your summons. Let''s talk about the reason the boy summoned you. You appeared to him and you performed the boy''s hateful bidding! You should be stopping him, not collaborating with him! An innocent man almost died! The boy is to be blamed for destroying the cauldron but don''t you dare speak as if you''re right! Do you honestly think that I don''t know the truth?!" My voice rose higher and higher into a thunderous clamor that the fox spirit seemed to shrink in stature and size. The old weasel was sniggering in his corner, sadistically delighted.


    "Don''t you laugh," I snapped at the weasel, "You are no better yourself. Talk about righteousness and kindness when you were around, robbing chickens from farms all the way from Yizhou City!" The weasel had initially wanted to reprimand me when I began growling at him. But what objections seemed to stuck in his throat when I brought up the chickens. "B-but what about my disciple and my kin... Y-you''ve landed them into huge troubles yourself..." He mumbled hesitantly. I nearly laughed out loud. "So this old senile is the teacher of the young hireling!"


    Realizing that he was in the wrong and there was no way he would win in a fight, the old weasel demon gave a brusque bow and spoke sharply, "Since the matter has been clarified, I''d believe it''s best I take my leave now. I''ll have no interest in your domestic affairs. Seek me out at the Yellow Soil Ridge if you need me." He waved an arm and magically withdrew all the needles from the unconscious boy before he marched out the door pompously.


    The rest of us traded confused looks before we broke into weary smiles. "D*mn, what a fickle one, this weasel is!" But there was nothing we should do; the weasel demon was, at least in this case, doing something good. The time for the reckoning of their other misdeeds would come later.


    I switched my attention to the other matter at hand: the fox spirit. "SPEAK! Did you teach the boy the ritual to summon for your help?" I asked fiercely. It started with fear at my voice and prostrated itself at my ankles. "Not me! I did not teach him to, dear Lordling!" "Think carefully. Consider what I''d do if I were to discover that you are lying..." The ancient fox spirit trembled with fear. Groveling and begging profusely, it stammered again, "It''s true, my Lordling! It''s true! I may be a little eager for some worship, but I did not teach him the ritual!"


    Satisfied, I heaved a long breath. I tapped the floor with the front of my foot and the fox spirit looked up. With a tilt of my chin, I motioned for it to get up, which it did at once. "So, you might not be the one who taught the boy the ritual, but you sure as well did help him in his sinister designs. Redeem yourself by healing the innocent man before submitting yourself to my mother willingly."


    The prospects of meeting Mother to be punished seemed to be an egregiously terrible prospect as the fox spirit yelped with fear as soon as I finished. But Chongxi asked sharply, "What''s that? Is that defiance I detect in your voice?" "No, no, no!" The fox spirit wailed. I motioned for it to leave and it immediately vanished into thin air. As soon as it had left, I placed a call to Mother and told her everything. I could barely hear her voice through the busy mayhem at her end of the line. She must be out with Edelweiss shopping again! With a quick acknowledgment, she shut off the call.


    It was time we resuscitate the boy. With a gulp of water from within my Spirit Gourd, I revived him. His eyes opened immediately after I belched the water on him and he sat up, still in the school uniform that he has been wearing ever since he fainted. But the first words to escape his lips were, "What time is it now, Da Li?" He was trying to speak to his classmate! Clearly, he believed that it was still the night he destroyed the cauldron.


    With our work done, we walked out of the room. The boy''s mother and his classmate, the young lad, was sitting in the sitting area, staring at us with their eyes wide. They were still in shock, especially after seeing a fox appearing out of nowhere suddenly.


    I went to the boy''s mother and shook her hands. "Please relax. Your son is fine now." She was relieved to hear this, her tense expression loosening finally. She began muttering words of thanks and I chuckled. "There''s no need to thank us. Thank him." I pointed to the young lad. "It was he who had led us here in time, else your home would have become an inter-species battleground." The lady could not understand a word I said, but she knew that she owed her son''s classmate a thank. "But now," I said to the woman, "I have something to ask you."


    The woman let out a soft cry, as if she understood something. "Of course, of course. Silly me! We''ve not spoken about the payment! Please, inform me of the charges." I smiled and waved her off. "You''ve misunderstood me. There''s no need for payment." The whole matter was the mistake of the foxes to begin with; I should be the one offering compensation to her, much less taking payment.


    "But you are the mediums from the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies, are you not? Do you not need payment..." The mother stammered, bewildered. Apparently, we have become minor celebrities in Wu Zhong after what happened at the Nanjiao Park. The boy''s mother could hardly believe her eyes when she first saw us appearing at her doorstep, recognizing us immediately. But now that everything was said and done, instead of charging a steep price for our services, she was further astounded to hear that the work we had done was a gratis service.


    "That''s right. We are from the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies. But we do not have a fixed price on our services; it depends on the circumstance whether or not payment should be. Ah, yes. Before I forget, I need to ask you something. Is there anything in your family about certain rituals or something?" The mother sighed immediately. "Of course not! My boy has become obsessed with all these ever since he started junior high. His father is always busy at work and nothing I say could dissuade him from this particular passion of his. I have always feared a day like this might come as a cost of his dabbling..."


    The three of us exchanged apologetic looks. "Your son will be weak for now," I said to the woman, "Get him more nourishing food." We went back to the room to check on the son who was still abed. He was already sitting up although he was dazed by everything that had happened. He saw me and cried, "What the...? Wait a minute! You''re Murong Shiyan! I saw you on TV!" The boy flipped his leg off the bed. But before he could get up, he collapsed to the ground, still saying, "I can''t believe it, it''s Murong Shiyan! You''re my hero! I..."


    I yanked his arm and lifted him to his feet. "All right, all right. That''s enough flattering for now. Back to your bed and rest!" I snapped. Lin Feng came over and helped to hold him up by his other arm. Together, we got him back into bed.


    The sight of us seemed to have injected a dose of epinephrine into him; he began talking more excitedly, "The news reports that you are merely an investigative agency with no skills in magic! Those are all lies, innit? I knew it!"


    The three of us traded bleak smiles again and shrugged. "Enough of the prattle," I said to the boy, "You''ve been reading too many novels and storybooks. Tell me, who taught you how to perform magical rituals?"

 Chapter 155 Trump Card: Zheng Shuang

    I had but the deepest loathing for such ways of tormenting people ever since our last bout with Bai Chuanwei, one of the Thirteen Apostles of the Creed. That was because ways to cause pain to people could only be concocted by those with the vilest and most insidious of intents. Moreover, I detested troubles that were messy and required a lot of grunt work. But everything hinged on the answers that the boy would give us.


    Bewildered, he scratched his head. "Urm... I bought this small cauldron from a stall at the market. It''s a long time ago. But the methods to use it were taught to me by an online friend I met through Internet forums." Rubbing my chin, I uttered an "Oh?" with interest as he continued again, trusting us fully, all thanks to our small-time fame, "Most, if not all, of the discussions at the forum, is about you. The things that you all do. Of course, most of us are merely amateurs in such matters. There have been fellow users who claimed to be mediums or shamans too, but their fake identities are easily punctured. Even I know more about these things than they do, for crying out loud! But this particular user was quite knowledgeable in matters of the paranormal, hence we talked quite a lot."


    "What have you learned from him so far?" I asked. I was still rubbing my chin, intrigued as to who could this person be. The boy wore an earnest and passionate expression as he began talking about this friend of his, "Well, I wouldn''t say learn, per se. But we discuss a lot, really, so we picked up a few things from each other." I felt a dread creeping into me and my blood feeling cold suddenly. "If this friend of his is indeed a person with sinister designs, he could have easily corrupted the boy through their communication!"


    But the boy went on, "Some of the things I learned from him included how to summon spiritual entities to do our bidding and the inscriptions on talismanic paper strips to tame and subdue ghosts and spirits. I''ve not tried them all before, but they are all true, I guess..." "NO, THEY''RE NOT!" I snapped and the boy gaped at me with his eyes as large as eggs. "Surely not?!" He gasped.


    The boy knew too much for his own good and it was clear that he would never take our word for it, even with our warnings. Still, I hissed to him, as forthcoming as I ever was, "What you''ve seen online are all lies. DO NOT EVER test the methods you saw. Remember what I say. More so, if you value your life. REMEMBER!" He stared at me frightfully, his eyes quivering uncertainly as he yelped an incomprehensible affirmation.


    Our conversation with the boy finally ended with a request for his mysterious friend''s online ID and another few heavy warnings, before we promptly left.


    We were on the way of going back to the Center, when Lin Feng asked me, his eyes still on the road ahead, "Why did you ask for the friend''s online ID for? You wish to become a friend to approach him?" Chongxi peered at me with a blank look, hoping for an answer as well. His IQ seemed to suffer a plunge everything if there was no food. I chuckled and wound down the window to light myself a cigarette. "Of course not! Have you not remembered what happened with Bai Chuanwei? Now that the boy''s almost in trouble, I doubt this friend of his will ever appear at the forum anymore. No one is foolish enough to paint a target on his own back." "This begs the question: why the online ID at all?" Lin Feng scratched his head and pressed.


    I exhaled a mouthful of smoke out my window. "D*mn, you guys have become fools today? Surely you remember we still have a trump card!" Chongxi, with a sudden recovery in his IQ, yelled from backseat suddenly, "I KNOW! ZHENG SHUANG!" "CORRECT!" I boomed from the front, giggling with glee. "This online ID may only be a glass hammer to us, but its value is entirely different in Zheng Shuang''s hands!"


    "But this is hardly something that concerns the police," Lin Feng muttered hesitantly, "Can we really trouble him to work on this? This seems something beyond their jurisdiction?" I shook my head, saying nothing, but fished my handphone from my pocket. I searched for Zheng Shuang''s name in my phonebook and tapped on the "Call" button.


    It did not take long for Zheng Shuang to answer his phone as he always did. "Zheng Shuang, I need your help with something..." And I told him everything. At the end of my account, I said gravely, "I understand that this is actually beyond your jurisdiction and it might be a bit difficult for you." But Zheng Shuang''s jovial voice rang from the other end, "No problem, Brother. What we need to do, is to make sure that our stories tally well in the end. We can just report it as a possible case of evil cults again! Or maybe the remnants of those we''ve arrested before! I''m sure it''ll work. No one expects the infestation of such vermins could be wholly eradicated, see?" "Very well," I chuckled and said, "Just get to it then. I''ll wait for your good news." I ended the call, and Chongxi and Lin Feng guffawed.


    But Lin Feng''s confidence quickly deflated. We had barely walked into the Center, when he asked again, "Wait, Shiyan. Something''s still not right." "What''s not right?" I asked. "Well... Just saying, what if this mysterious online friend has discovered the procedures for the magical rituals by accident? Would that not be a waste of time? We would have a lot of explaining to do, especially to the police after all the hoo-ha?!"


    Chongxi and I exchanged quick glances. He was slurping on his instant noodles. "You might not notice, Brother, that it''s only one-to-one-thousand that one can chance upon a magical ritual. Or one that actually works, to say the least. Even if the person is indeed so lucky, he or she would also have to know the incantations to recite! Only a person who is initiated, a fellow member in our line of business knows all these. The probability is just as much as winning a lottery!"


    "So Murphy''s Law might just be proven after all!" Lin Feng grumbled irately, scratching his head. I shook my head. "I understand why you still don''t get it. But listen closely. I would not have paid close attention to this matter at another time. But we are in a critical stage; one that you have yet to understand. Do you remember what I said to you all as to the reason for my father''s refusal to ascend?" My question was met by the blank looks and nods from my companions. I continued, "That is the very reason. The demons and paranormal entities in the vicinities are growing restless because of the upcoming Crucible of Heaven. Many of them, especially the evil ones, are viewing this as a chance to increase their powers and longevity. It''s no way that this case is a coincidence to happen now. My best guess is that these are all part of a greater scheme. We cannot be more careful by letting something like this to pass our notice."


    With the story of Father and the Crucible, the realization about the gravity of the events came finally to Chongxi and Lin Feng. We talked about the upcoming Crucible and the possible implications. There might be other immortals-to-be who could also be taking the test this time. But there was one thing we could be sure: the Crucible of Heaven this time was especially for Father. Ironically, he never wished to ascend to true immortality, at least for now. This begged another question: what would happen to the beasts and demons hoping to hitch Father''s ride? It would be interesting to see the Crucible''s stroke of lightning smiting upon them in all its fury, including the evil and vile entities who had tethered their hopes to Father. They would be in for a tremendous disappointment, if Death did not claim them first.


    For more than two decades, Father and Mother had showered me with nothing but undivided love and care. Although highly unlikely, I could not help but feel an incident or someone might appear to manipulate Father, especially at such a critical hour with the Crucible of Heaven in the offing. Hence, it was up to me to help Father and make sure that nothing would go wrong.


    With the truth now finally made known to them, my companions immediately offered nothing but their full cooperation and help. In times like this, I could not stress enough my gratitude to have such friends who constantly lived up to our "one for all, and all for one" brotherhood.


    The evening passed by with more talks and banter until Edelweiss came back from shopping with Mother and we decided to go for dinner. We locked up the Center and went to a nearby restaurant. As soon as we had just placed our order, my phone rang suddenly. It was Zheng Shuang. "You''re still at the Center, are you? I''ve traced the login ID of our mysterious friend." I threw quick looks to my companions as I spoke into my phone, "We''re at a restaurant now. How about you come here too?"


    I told him where we were and he arrived not more than ten minutes later. He charged in the restaurant like a thunderous locomotive that the waiter at the door turned pale, thinking if he was going to be arrested. "H-how can I help you, Officer?" he asked a fully-uniformed Zheng Shuang who entered hastily, panting for breath as he peered around for us. With a dismissive rebuff by the wave of his hand, Zheng Shuang found us at last and left him frozen at his spot, coming to us directly.


    One of the patrons at the table beside ours whispered, "Heavens, he''s coming for them! They must be wanted for something!" "I''m sure they are!" said another.


    But Zheng Shuang marched to us and drew himself a chair, sitting down nonchalantly as he barked at another waiter, "Another set of tableware please."

 Chapter 156 Lao Tao

    Zheng Shuang had barely settled in but he immediately dove right into business. "The online ID you asked for my help has been found, Brother!"


    I nodded. I poured him a glass of beer as I asked, "Relax. Take your time." He took the glass of beer from me and took a sip. "The owner of the online ID is a smart one. He has not done any verification with his true name, and every login IP we''ve traced came from Internet cafes. Safe to say, it''s merely a burner account, so there''s not much value I can give you, I''m afraid." Chongxi slapped the table. "Heavens! All the trouble for nothing!" But I chuckled through the smoke of my cigarette and hushed him down. "Relax. Let Zheng Shuang finish."


    Zheng Shuang gave me a quick nod and smiled. "Well, it''s not completely nothing, though. We were not able to find the identity of the ID''s user, but we know where is he from! The IP addresses every time he logs into the ID shows that he is from Yizhou City!"


    "I see," I chortled lightly and said, "Well, I''d say that it''s not unexpected. But with your confirmation, my guess is coming true." The dishes were being laid, and Chongxi was already beginning gorging down on whatever he could find. "I get it now!" He exclaimed through a mouth full of food. "The owner of the ID is from Yizhou City, and the weasel demons are from there too! That''s too coincidental to be a coincidence! There''s no way that they do not know each other!"


    I reached for a piece of pork liver and put it into my mouth. "Correct. There''s also the old weasel who helped to heal the boy. There''s something fishy about him too. I suspect kindness has little to do with his willingness to help. There might be another story we''ve yet to be privy to." "Just let me know if you need the help of the police..." Zheng Shuang was saying, but I cut him off with a wave of my hand. "No," I said at once, "It''s not prudent for you to interfere this time. Moreover, these are demons we''re talking about." Zheng Shuang nodded knowingly and tendered no objections.


    Lin Feng nipped at his glass and asked, "Shiyan, I remembered hearing the old weasel saying about Smoky''s triumphant routing of the weasels at the Yellow Soil Ridge. Should we not be prepared for any countermeasures that they might come up with?" I responded with a nod of assent. But I shook my head hastily after. "No. It''s still too early to tell. We can only plan on the go for now. The main theater of war here is nevertheless the battles raging between the weasels and the foxes, and as a human, notwithstanding me being a lordling of the foxes, it may be inconvenient for me to interfere too directly."


    Despite my earlier intentions of merely driving the weasels away and warning them against trying to exploit any chances during the Crucible, it seemed that there might be more to their schemes than simply trying to claim the lands of the Yellow Soil Ridge.


    Time flew swiftly that it was almost ten when we left the restaurant. We separated with Zheng Shuang at a junction and walked back to the Center. The Center was within our sights when my eyes caught a dark silhouette sitting at the door! "How is this possible?! Has Smoky lost in battle?! Or have the foxes returned for another plea for help? But wait, how can Smoky be defeated so easily?! In its present form, it could have easily given the old weasel a hard time! That must not be Smoky. But, what else could it be?"


    We hastened back towards the direction of our Center, eager to find out who it was. Our hearts thumped anxiously as we grew nearer until the silhouette got up suddenly, sending a jolt of shock through us that we nearly jumped! It was a man! But how could a man be waiting outside a closed shop when we already had our contact number printed outside!


    I drew closer warily. To my amazement, the person began moving towards us when he saw us. As he stepped out of the awning of the strip mall into the pale glow of the moonlight, we could finally see him. It was an old man with white flowing hairs and beard that resembled the image of deities and wise sages of old. Even the clothes he was dressed in were ancient Chinese robes with large flappy sleeves. The first thought that came to me was, "Could this actually be the true chieftain of the foxes of the Yellow Soil Ridge? But no, there was no demonic aura or the distinct air of divinity that only immortals possessed. Who could this old man actually be?"


    A warm smile creased on the elderly face of the old man who immediately knitted his fingers into a salute. "Greetings, Master Shiyan! I''m afraid I have to apologize for calling upon you at such an inopportune hour!" I responded with an equally friendly gesture and said, "Please, there''s no need for such formalities. How can I be of service? Is it something urgent, given the hour of your visit?" Unlike my two companions, a helpful Edelweiss was already unlocking the door, motioning us to enter.


    "Let''s talk inside, dear sir," I said to the old man and ushered him inwards. "Please," he quipped, much to my chagrin! "Can we not talk with normal, everyday language instead of such refined mannerism?!"


    Nevertheless, despite my disquiet, I observed a hint of anxiety on the rosy cheeks of the old man, even though he had been trying hard to conceal it. Realizing that he could be needing urgent help, I skipped through the usual customs of making tea, and instead extracted a can of Coke from the refrigerator. I set it down on the table and asked, "How can we help you, old man?" The old man took out a small, marble flask and unstoppered it. Immediately, Smoky emerged out from the thumb-size bottle quietly!


    "What in the world?!" I almost blurted. The hairs on my arm stood at once like needles as my mind heightened to peak alertness from the little grogginess I had been feeling after drinking and dining with Zheng Shuang. "But wait, there''s no way he''s an enemy, else he would not have to allow Smoky to return to us." A quick look at Smoky told me that it was very weak, with much of its mana expended. I took out my Spirit Gourd at once and returned Smoky into it. After watching everything, the old man finally spoke again, "My apologies again, Master Shiyan for the late hour." I nodded. "How can I help you, old man?" I repeated myself again. But the old man fell quiet as if he was wrestling with the notion of confiding to us. Finally, he said, "I am the Mountain Deity who oversees the Yellow Soil Ridge. My name is an old and ancient one, that I am afraid you might not have heard of it. But I''m commonly known by the name, Lao Tao (literally, Old Tao)."


    "WAIT A MINUTE!" I almost cried out loud again, "You are Lao Tao?!" The name was one I had once heard before, although I had never expected to hear it now, of all times. During our first encounter with Master Six, he had subdued a weasel demon and a vengeful spirit who had reborn into a cat. At that time, Master Six had shown leniency to the culprit, a weasel demon, and ordered it to seek out an entity called Lao Tao at the Yellow Soil Ridge. "Was the Lao Tao that Master Six had mentioned then really this old man?!" Then again, this would explain the absence of any demonic nor divine aura, because Mountain Deities were hardly demons and yet they were hardly immortals with invincible powers and magic. "No wonder my Spirit Sight picked up nothing!"


    Still, it was only prudent that I establish some bona fides; with as much politeness I could muster, I asked, "I presume you are the Lao Tao of the Yellow Soil Ridge that Master Six had spoken of?" My guess was confirmed with a curt nod by him and a short reply, "Indeed, I am he." But his presence now and Smoky''s exhaustion of mana only added to the grimness of this late-night encounter. Mountain Deities, despite being immortals with relatively weaker powers and magic, wielded great importance and authority. They were in charge of all entities that walked their domain; be that demons or beasts, spirits or sprites, every living being in the area answered to them. "Is he here because of a crisis that not even he could handle on his own?"


    My doubt must be showing on my face, for the Mountain Deity then explained his visit, saying, "The gang of weasels came to me this morning about the matter of territory." "I see. Because of my spirit cat, they failed to take it by force, so they''re asking you to intervene?" "Nay," the elderly deity shook his head, much to my surprise, "They came to me with your spirit cat. They would do to me, just as what they did to your spirit cat, if I do not do as they want. Moreover, they wanted me to be a messenger as well; to return the spirit cat and say this to you: the foxes have you as their strong support behind them, but as do they. The weasels have sworn to fight to the end. What a pity, that despite my position, I am powerless against them. I''m afraid that even I can do nothing if the weasels really have a strong and powerful benefactor aiding them..."


    To describe himself as "powerless" seemed more like an overstatement; as a Mountain Deity, Lao Tao must have methods and powers of his own, notwithstanding his authority. On one hand, I had Master Six and Father to support me, but Lao Tao must have realized that the Yizhou weasels must have powerful aid themselves, so he relented...


    Nevertheless, there was no other way but to continue down the road we had been treading upon. With a smile to Lao Tao, I said, "Rest at ease, old sir. We''ll accept the challenge of the weasels and we will not surrender either!"

 Chapter 157 The Yellow Soil Ridge

    Hearing this, Lao Tao bowed and said his thanks. He must have already expected my answer. With the can of Coke still unopened, he took his leave and left.


    The primary purpose of this ancient Mountain Deity''s visit was mainly to enlist our help to drive the weasels away; everyone knew full well that no peace would come if the marauding weasels were allowed to continue their reign of terror.


    When Lao Tao had left, Chongxi asked, "How can you accept the challenge just so haphazardly, Shiyan! After all, we know nothing about this benefactor of theirs..." I yawned and glanced at my watch. "So who do you think that might be?" Chongxi shook his head with a blank face, indicating his lack of knowledge. Lin Feng went to the table and picked up the can of Coke that Lao Tao had left unopened. He popped it open and took a swig. "Who else? I bet it''s the one we''ve asked Zheng Shuang to find out!"


    "Oh, my! I''ve almost forgotten about him!" Chongxi exclaimed. "All right, all right! We''ll just have to plan along the way! What we need now is sleep!" I barked, "I''m awfully sleepy!" I wrapped an arm around Edelweiss and we moved out the door.


    On my bed at home, Edelweiss grew worried. "What do you think about the weasel demons? Will it be dangerous to fight against them?" "I guess so," I muttered. Edelweiss fell into contemplative silence, which I quickly noticed and said, "I''ll have to visit the area around the Yellow Soil Ridge tomorrow. There''s nothing much that I know about that area, and I need to reconnoiter the area to plan for the battle." Edelweiss sat up at once, and said, "No. I''ll go with you. There could be dangers..." I pulled her back down. "All right, all right. As you say, my dear wife!"


    But I could not hear what Edelweiss said after that. She was still telling me about something, when I had drifted off into my dreams.


    In truth, I would have no qualms against bringing Edelweiss with me to the Yellow Soil Ridge. Many people loved going there to enjoy the beautiful sceneries there. It was part of the administrative region of Zunhua City, one of the county-level cities of Hebei. The city was quite famous for the Eastern Qing Tombs and war-time stories during the World War.


    One of the reasons that many demons and spiritual entities concentrated on the Yellow Soil Ridge was because of the Eastern Qing Tombs. The Manchurians came from the North prior to the inception of the Qing Dynasty, reigning over the northern frontiers before they ruled the Central Plains of China Proper. Hence, they were revered by many among the minions of the Wudaxians as their lords and kings. With many deceased emperors interred at the Eastern Qing Tombs, many of the minions wished to be closer to their resting remains. The minions, being primarily animals and beasts, showed greater loyalty to their former lieges than humans. But there was also another reason: the fengshui and the southern arm of the range of Mount Yan had made this vicinity a hallowed ground, especially with the divine aura of the dragon leys.


    With the crisis of the Crucible of Heaven in the horizon, it was no wonder that entities from abroad wished to profit from the rich divine aura of the hallowed grounds for their own study of magic. But now that we knew that the weasels from Yizhou City have a powerful benefactor hiding in the shadows, it was up to me to thwart them. More so, if their insidious designs included manipulating Father and his plans for ascension.


    I called my companions the first thing when I woke up the next day and told them about my plans to survey the Ridge. With their agreement, Edelweiss and I drove our car to pick them from the Center and we went straight towards Zunhua City.


    The journey there was merely a one-hour ride. We were amazed to find that Zunhua was a beautiful city. The sky was a clear blue with a few strands of clouds overhead. There was no haze at all and the air was fresh, unlike Wu Zhong. Then again, Zunhua City''s environment, if compared to the tranquil steppes of Inner Mongolia, would merely be the proverbial pot and kettle to Wu Zhong. Hence, only Lin Feng, Chongxi and I were impressed, while Edelweiss merely wore an indifferent look as we looked out of the windows.


    Our first stop was the Eastern Qing Tombs. It was the first time Edelweiss was here and we thought of bringing her to have a look. But we were flabbergasted when we paid for the entry tickets. "A whopping 162 yuan per person?!" Chongxi was so immensely vexed that he gave the ticket collector a seething glare when we went in, as if meaning to say, "What a daylight robbery is this!?"


    Anyone at first glance could instantly appreciate the auspicious terrain of the Tombs. I could feel the rich divine aura swirling around with abundance. This was exactly where the dragon leys of the ranges of Mount Yan concentrated upon. With such bountiful divine aura in these grounds, one could have wondered how did the Qing Empire ever decay and decline. But I knew full well that it was Master Six who had checkmated the Empire and doomed them. At first, the Imperial Household was fully aware that their dragon leys were all well beyond China Proper. Many of their remains were initially interred near their home domain of Manchuria. But most people might not realize that dragon leys had perishable lifespans; there would come one day when their powers would dwindle and die. This prompted the Qing Empire to locate a secondary site for the burial of deceased members of the Imperial Family: the Eastern Qing Tombs. Little did they know that the dragon leys there would later be severed by Master Six, effectively smothering the life out of the suffocating Qing Dynasty?


    We sauntered around the Tombs for three to four hours and left during noon. We stopped at a restaurant for a brief recess before heading towards the Yellow Soil Ridge.


    We reached our destination at two in the afternoon. Despite the translucent mists of winter, it was the brightest hour of the day. The entire Yellow Soil Ridge was a vista of pure white. In another season, this area would have been filled with the lush deep green of the dense boughs of the fruit trees blanketing the terrain. But it was the cold season and there was not even anything green in our sights. With my Spirit Sight, however, I could see the strands of demonic aura drifting lazily around the snowy dunes, indicating the presence of the many demons and entities lurking in silence.


    Fortunately for us, the landscape was hardly too treacherous for amateur hikers like us. "Let''s go up!" I beckoned to my companions and Edelweiss, only for Chongxi to yell, "WAIT! NO! I''ve been afraid of mountain hiking ever since the avalanche at Inner Mongolia!" I shook my head, exasperated. "What a killjoy! What else are we doing here if not climbing up the hills?!" At last, the rest of us worked together and dragged Chongxi upwards.


    Halfway uphill, our initial fervor and zeal slowly exhausted. Edelweiss and Lin Feng were leading ahead, while I and Chongxi were panting for our breaths, several meters behind. As we heaved and puffed, I looked at the backs of my fianc¨¦e and Lin Feng. "Perhaps it is high time I begin working out. All this climbing and hiking seems to tell me how old I am!"


    We stopped at intervals to rest, with Chongxi and I quietly rejoicing that the grounds there were relatively flat. But Chongxi required so many stops, that it was almost sundown by the time we reached the peak. I collapsed to a seat under a tree, panting hard. Over my shoulders, Chongxi was already lying on the ground, too tired to walk anymore. Then Lin Feng asked suddenly, "Errr... Shiyan, what are we here for actually?"


    I waved off his question, gesturing for him to wait while I catch my breath. Beside me, Edelweiss casually pulled a drag on her cigarette. Looking neither tired nor flustered, she answered loudly in my place, "We''re here to not only survey the terrain here for the upcoming battle, and also to make contact with the foxes here to find out more information. So there''s that." A loud, and mildly surprised "Oh!" came from Lin Feng as he sniggered impishly. "You''ve come a long way, Edelweiss! Shiyan must have been teaching you a lot!"


    I threw a glare at Lin Feng, still heaving for breath while Edelweiss giggled. "I''ve learned almost nothing from him! It''s his mother who''s been teaching me all these. It was good she did too, else I would have long been frightened to death when a fox appeared before us yesterday, kneeling and talking in human language!" It must be the old fox spirit whom I had sent to apologize and seek penance from Mother yesterday. It must have found her when she was shopping with Edelweiss.


    We rested at the crest of the hill for some time until the sky was almost dark. With a quick look at my watch, I said, "All right! It''s time we prepare. Lao Tao and the others should be coming any time now." I spun and was about to look around, when I almost crashed into someone!


    I staggered backward. Recovering from my shock, I looked and breathed. "Lao Tao?! Since when did you come?!"

 Chapter 158 Lost Paradise

    I was so astonished by Lao Tao''s appearance that I had almost thrown all manners and decorum out of mind. But he was hardly perturbed, giggling jovially as he answered, "I''ve been here all along."


    As it turned out, Lao Tao had long sensed our presence since we had entered into his domain, the Yellow Soil Ridge. He had not appeared to us, watching our banter with interest and silence while we were climbing. It was only when we reached the top he appeared. But he remained quiet to not disturb us, while observing us behind our backs.


    It was hardly unexpected though; he was, after all, the Mountain Deity here, although the prospects of being quietly watch did send a chill down my spine.


    Lao Tao led us to an inconspicuous part mid-hill, before he turned to us suddenly and gestured with a flourishing wave of his arm. "Please, all of you." Behind him, a door appeared out of thin air on the rock-hard face of the solid rock with a loud "Click". "Wow, is this one of the perks of being a Mountain Deity?" And we followed Lao Tao into the cave. Anyone outside would only see a bare face of a cliff with jagged and sharp rocks, festooned by weeds and grasses. To think that such a cave exists just behind the face of a cliff! We entered the cave to find ourselves in a stone passage. The tunnel was wide, but there was nothing but pitch-black darkness around us. I would never come in, if not for Lao Tao. Fortunately for us, we switched on the flashlights of our handphones and followed Lao Tao deeper into the cave.


    We walked on for what seemed like more than an hour. Even I began to grow restless by the never-ending hike. Lao Tao remained ahead of us, shuffling forward in the light from our flashlights, but he had been unusually quiet all the way. Finally, I trotted nearer to him and asked, "Are far are we now?" The ancient deity turned to look at me and muttered, "We''re near." Fortunately for him, he could not see my frown in the darkness. Where was this rabbit hole leading us to?! But I was hardly worried if Lao Tao had any devious plots; not only I was almost on-par with him, even my companions were hardly ordinary folks themselves.


    We pressed on for another ten minutes. Finally, we caught sight of the first glimmer of light since entering the cave. We raced to it and the stone passage ended abruptly, opening into a vast expanse with no beginning and no end. Instead of finding a stone cavern, we found ourselves before a subterranean settlement. The underground city covered as far as we could see; houses and dwellings, granaries and storehouses, all alive through the dark orange glow from the flaming brands and flickering torches that lit up the impossibly vast cavern from where we stood as we took in the view with disbelief. The streets were busy with frenetic activity and clamors of people busying about in their daily activities.


    With my Spirit Sight, I could see that they were not ordinary humans. They were all spiritual entities; demons, sprites or the like. We stood there, dumbfounded by the revelation. It took us minutes before I finally recovered from the stupor and asked Lao Tao, "Where are we?! What in the world is this?!"


    Lao Tao began explaining, this was a separated domain; one between the Mortal Plane and the Underworld. Like fictional domains in subterranean fiction and legends such as Jules Verne''s prehistoric underground world and James Hilton''s Shangri-La, people had been getting lost while wandering in the wilderness, only to find themselves in a new world alien to any realities they believed in. But when these people left these mysterious domains, they would never be able to find their way back ever again. To think that the four of us would have the opportunity of encountering such an incredible experience ourselves...


    And this, said Lao Tao, is one of the lost paradise hidden from human eyes, a lost realm concealed beneath the Yellow Soil Ridge. Realms like this were neutral grounds for spiritual and paranormal entities to meet and communicate, for even demons and sprites, ghosts and spirits, all could not survive alone. With Lao Tao keeping the peace and order at the Yellow Soil Ridge, there had been little conflicts here but instead a network of information and intelligence that passed to and fro like the gentle tingles on a spider''s web. It was this very reason that long ago, Master Six had bade the weasel demon we had encountered then to come here to seek out Lao Tao for help.


    The lands of the Yellow Soil Ridge might not be vast and capacious, but supernatural beings were more capable of discovering strange and rare treasures or minerals than humans. Hence, the lost paradise of the Yellow Soil Ridge slowly became a bazaar for unique and valuable goods.


    This reminded me of an old wives tale I once heard from old men talking in leisure. There was a mountain to the North-West of Wu Zhong County called Bieshan (Literally, "the Mountain of Farewell"). The foot of the mountain stretched into the westernmost corner of Wu Zhong, where a knoll, called Tizishan Mountain (Literally, "the Hill of Stairs") sat there. From afar, one could vaguely see that the hillside cascade downwards, protruding like the tiers of a staircase, hence its name. Right at the foot of the hill was a quiet little village, called the Baishan Village (Literally, "the Village of the White Mountain").


    There was a legend that originated from this village. There had been claims from the villagers that the crickets of Tizishan Mountain were known to have a distinct golden ring around their eyes, and every night, the villagers could see lights flickering from the crest of the knoll. But no one had been able to find out the source of the light. Instead, a song began to mysteriously spread among the villagers, "The day grows grey and the mountains old; In darkness lay the silver and gold; Deep behind Mount Tizishan, a trove is stashed beneath the trees; There lies the gold in forest deep; Ere it wakes again from sleep."


    And one day, a man from the South came to the village. No one knew from whence he came, for everyone in the village grew up in the North with no knowledge about the South. The Southerner came to the village and was astonished to see a bottle gourd hanging from the vines on a farmer''s rack. He went to the farmer and begged to buy the bottle gourd growing in this farm.


    Some people might not realize that bottle gourds share the same species as calabash gourd, and were hardly the most lucrative farming product.


    The farmer was confused. He had planted the gourds out of his own hobby rather than profit. But clearly, the Southerner saw great value in the gourd. "Sell me this gourd! I''ll pay any amount you offer me!" he declared proudly. "Who do you think you are? The Deity of Wealth with sackloads of gold to spare? A gourd like this would cost at most two copper coins! What else do you think, tens of thousands of gold?" But the Southerner said, "I want your gourd, but not now. Let it be after autumn. I''ll come again when the gourd is fully ripe to collect it!" He paid the farmer a piece of silver, and asked him to take good care of the gourd. He would be back as he promised the farmer.


    At first, the farmer paid no heed to the words of the Southerner, dismissing them only as mere ramblings of a madman. He was rather pleased to have received a piece of silver for nothing. But after some thought, he began to suspect that in no way that the Southerner was insane! A piece of silver was a lot of money in those days and no madman would have that kind of wealth to squander for a worthless gourd! He spoke to his wife about the Southerner and the gourd and they both concluded that there must be something about their bottle gourd that had caught the eye of the Southerner.


    Out of greed, the husband and wife picked the gourd and stowed it away, right before the end of the autumn season.


    And indeed, the Southerner did return to the farmer just before winter loomed around. To his dismay, the bottle gourd was no more! "What happened!? Why is my gourd missing?!" he cried. The farmer, feigning innocence and distress, complained, "It''s all your fault! The last time you came, you gave me a piece of silver as a stake to buy my gourd. Word of this must have traveled, for it was stolen just not long ago!"


    The Southerner grimaced with exasperation, slapping at his thigh hard while looking terribly upset. "But it''ll be useless! The gourd needs to fully mature to be of any use! I guess I''m not fated for this, I guess..."


    The Southerner''s reaction was enough to convince the farmer that his gourd was no ordinary farm produce. "I can see that you are a man of prosperity and wealth, dear sir. But what is so special about my bottle gourd that you are so interested in it? Could this gourd really worth tens of thousands of gold?"


    Hearing this, a weak smile broke on the face of the Southerner. "Alas! I''ll tell you the truth then, since I''m not fated to keep the gourd. It might look simple and ordinary, but it is the key to unraveling the mysteries of what is hidden behind Tizishan!"

 Chapter 159 The Foxes of the Yellow Soil Ridge

    The farmer could hardly believe what he had heard. As a native of Baishan Village, he had lived at the foot of Tizishan Mountain for all his life.


    A mantra, long dormant in his mind, came back to him like an apparition returning to haunt him, ¡°The day grows grey and the mountains old; In darkness lay the silver and gold; Deep behind Mount Tizishan, a trove is stashed beneath the trees; There lies the gold in forest deep; Ere it wakes again from sleep.¡± And yet here was a Southerner who was speaking about a legend where treasures were hidden at the rear of Tizishan! The farmer felt an exhilarating rush of joy swelling in his chest, but he did his best to maintain his facade; trying to look grieved and rattled by the loss of the gourd. ¡°Well, the missing gourd can do you no good now. I¡¯m sorry that it has to be stolen. Back to where you come from then, Outsider.¡± With a few simple words, the farmer tried to send the Southerner away.


    Before the break of the next dawn, the farmer got up early. He took the bottle gourd with him and began his journey to the rear of Tizishan with hopes of treasure and glory!


    The sun was already up in the horizon by the time he reached the rear of Tizishan. Unlike the forested knolls of Yellow Soil Ridge, he had climbed long and hard, traversing the jagged and rocky mounds of Tizishan to reach there.


    But there were no other clues for his hunt. The farmer tried hitting everywhere he could find with his gourd like a bat. He had not the slightest inkling of how the gourd would serve as a key, thumping around like a crazed madman all day, until he collapsed out of exhaustion. The twilights of dusk were streaking overhead when he finally leaned on a rock to rest. There was a crack on the face of the cliff which he had hardly noticed at first. But then he realized that the bottle gourd he was holding could fit nicely into the hole on the wall. He slipped the fruit into the wall out of curiosity and sat down on the ground to drink some water, when everything around him began to shake violently like an earthquake!


    The farmer panicked and scrambled meters away to safety. But when he looked back, he saw a huge, gaping crack as wide as a door on the face of the rock!


    Frightened, the farmer remained frozen at where he stood for minutes. He was afraid if something might pounce out from within. But he waited, and there was nothing. At last, he summoned enough courage to creep closer to the crack, hoping to peer inside. But it was too dark, and he did not bring a lamp. His knees were already threatening to buckle if not for the prospect of treasure that lingered in his mind. Muttering prayers under his breath, he braved himself to step into the crack, plunging himself into the darkness of the cave.


    Such was the driving strength of greed, so compelling and irresistible that a fearful man like this farmer could ignore the pangs of fear and step into an abyss of darkness with similar audacity and foolhardiness like how drug-slinging thugs peddling their wares despite the pain of the death sentence.


    The farmer wandered in the dark for so long that he lost track of time. Finally, he saw his first sign of light. A glimmer of hope. He emerged into the light and saw a ramshackle hut. The windows were alive with the dim, flickering glow from an oil lamp and everything outside was black. Then he saw an old lady sitting inside, busy in weaving a piece of fabric.


    The farmer went inside. ¡°Old lady,¡± he asked, ¡°I¡¯ve heard people saying that there are treasures in here. I¡¯m here to look for them.¡± The old lady shot a cold and brief glance at him, her hands never once stopping from her chore. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in here but me, a simple old lady. Go back to where you come from. It¡¯s not safe here. Wolves and tigers prowled about here in the night. Beware!¡± The farmer might look the part of a simple peasant, but he was hardly a fool. There was no way this old lady was an ordinary person! He pestered and begged her for something. In the end, she relented, saying, ¡°I have nothing valuable here in this rickety shack of mine. Go to the back. There are two large jars out there. Take what you can and leave!¡±


    Jars? Then he remembered an old Chinese fable about treasures hidden in jars; an old tale which was common among hillside village folk of that era. With a yelp of joy, he rushed to the back and found a storage shed. There were two huge jars outside. He threw away the covers of the jar and found them both containing full of beans and grain respectively. He almost fainted out of disbelief. For all his trouble, he thought that he had chanced upon a hidden domain and the old lady was an immortal. Badly disappointed, he sank his hands into both jars and took fistfuls of grain and beans before leaving ungratefully without so much as a word to the old lady.


    But what he did not expect to hear was the deafening roar of a beast when he stepped out of the hut. He spun on his heels with alarm and saw a huge tiger, snarling at him with its fangs bared before it lunged at him! With a frightened groan, he bolted towards the direction from where he came from.


    The farmer panicked. He ran in the dark for dear life, his mind reeling while his heart pounding like a drum. The creature was chasing behind, thirsty for his blood. Many a few times, the tiger¡¯s ferocious blows wheezed by his face, barely missing him by inches. At long last, he made it out, leaping back out of the crack.


    After a moment of running, he stopped. Then he realized the tiger was no longer chasing him when he got near the entrance. But his tingling senses were warning him against going back; a step back into the cave would surely spell his doom! Out of desperation, he took a leap of faith and exited the cave through the crack. Immediately, the ground shook again and the mouth of the cave immediately closed in and the crack was no more!


    He looked around and found that it was already daytime. Then he remembered the beans and grains. In his hysteria, he had lost them all. had forgotten about what he was holding when he was running for his life that he had almost lost them all. There was but three granules of beans and two bits of grain still stuck on his hand. But then he saw: sticking to his hands, were beans of pure gold and magical grains that could grow and sprout overnight!


    But the tale of the farmer and the mysterious old lady was but merely a myth. One that shared similarities with this lost underground realm that Lao Tao was leading us through.


    When I woke up from my momentary lapse into the bygone fable of the Yellow Soil Ridge, I found myself sitting in a little garden with a table before me laid with tableware and tea. Lao Tao was seated opposite me and we were met by three middle-aged people, all with almond-shaped eyes, who were in fact fox demons. Despite their human forms, their gestures and behavior distinctly differed them from ordinary humans. This must be the representatives of the foxes of the Ridge, here to speak to us.


    Lao Tao nipped at the tea in his cup. ¡°Pray speak freely. Master Shiyan is here to offer his help.¡± I nodded, indicating my assent. One of the trio, a man who looked to be greater in authority than the two, spoke, ¡°My greetings to you, ah¡­ dear Lordling.¡± I smiled at him. ¡°There¡¯s no need for all the niceties. I¡¯m afraid this crisis matters my father greatly. It is also at his behest that I am here.¡± The mention of Father seemed to bear so great a weight that the slightly-bowed figure of the speaker lowered slightly. ¡°Indeed. As it happened, the weasels from abroad have got into a fight with some of our brethren. But with the assistance of your spirit cat, dear Lordling, we were able to secure a victory in that battle. But recent days have been sour; the weasels have requested help from their benefactor and worse, they swore that they will invade and take our territory! The domains occupied by the beasts of the Yellow Soil Ridge were all designated to us by the Lord Mountain Deity himself. How dare these vermins disobeyed the covenant set by the Mountain Deity! It is our great fortune to have you, young Lordling! Your presence gives us great assurance!¡±


    The fox demon paused, hesitating to continue. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± I asked bluntly and the demon jumped with apprehension. He bit his lips hard, struggling against the words caught in his throat before he finally croaked, ¡°Your observations are keen, dear Lordling. Truth be told, we¡¯ve only known this morning that the weasels too have sensed your presence in Zunhua City. And they have sent word to their benefactor!¡±

 Chapter 160 A Walk in the Lost Settlemen

    t


    Oh my, I gasped quietly. I would never have expected the weasels from Yizhou City to notice me entering Zunhua City. They must be thinking that I was here to launch a preemptive attack against them, which made them anxious enough to call for their benefactor.


    I might have told Lao Tao about my decision to answer the weasels'' challenge, but I certainly had misinterpreted the status quo. Not only it was more delicate than I presumed, but my mere presence had caused a chain reaction that escalated the situation; I became the person who had struck a match to the tinderbox of the conflict.


    So, the fight has become inevitable, eh? I grimaced, shaking my head helplessly. Still, there was no escaping from this; the wellbeing of Father and the plans for his ascension hinged on this upcoming battle. Then, I told the fox demon. "I will fight beside you, no matter who their benefactor is. But there is something you have to know: the day to ascend into the Heavens is coming, but my father has no intentions of taking part in the Crucible. Those of you who might be thinking of manipulating your chances with him, consider yourselves warned. Otherwise, when a great calamity is impending over you, I cannot do anything to help." I got up and began to leave.


    My caution was loud and clear: no foxes should try taking part in the Crucible with hopes that Father would weaken the stroke of Heaven because he never wanted to ascend in the first place. Should anyone choose to disregard my warning, they would find themselves suffering the full strength of the Crucible and horrible death. Hence, they''d better be well-behaved.


    I had informed the foxes. But there was no way for me to deliver my warning to the weasels from Yizhou City, nor would I intend to be responsible for any of their deaths. Nevertheless, I was confident that word would spread across the Yellow Soil Ridge; the foxes would help me in notifying the rest of the other beasts at the Ridge.


    As we left Lao Tao''s residence, Edelweiss followed demurely behind, her wrist gripping tightly on the golden dagger hanging at her waist. "I promise you, Husband. If anyone dares to come near you..." I giggled and playfully pinched her big cheeks lightly. "Look at you! Don''t worry, have you not seen what I''m capable of?" Chongxi was playing with his slingshot when he heard us and chuckled. "There''s no lack of pebbles here though..." I sniggered and said to my companions, "Tell me if this does not seem familiar to you guys: Journey to the West! The Monkey God needed help, and he went to request for aid from some deity, while some Demon Lord in the story laughed..." Lin Feng''s sudden guffaws cut me off. "Let them come! Let the monkey come! Let anyone come! I''ll defeat them all!" With this, he stood proudly with his hands on his waist like a king of the mountain. His action made the three of us feel overwhelmed with joy. Seeing Lin Feng''s vivid imitation, Chongxi burst into laughter and started to sing while swinging his arms. "The king of the mountain asked me to patrol the mountain."


    We decided to spend a little more time on the streets of the underground village. If we were trying to assimilate ourselves into the thronging mob of demons in the busy streets, we were surely doing a lousy job; everyone was staring at us strangely for they began to notice that we were humans. But they also knew that we were not some ordinary humans because we had powers and skills of our own; otherwise, we would have already been in danger.


    Unlike the real world outside, the demons in the underground settlement were more active at night. The streets became lively and frenetic with peddlers and hawkers, passersby and prospective patrons when dusk came and they filled every street and alleyways. The night markets here looked more like the night festivals of the antiquity, with blazing lanterns of assorted colors and designs lighting up the night, hanging from the eaves of the buildings on both sides of the streets. There were many things sold by the peddlers, especially those for beasts such as strange animal parts. We were slightly repulsed by the gory spectacle, but that was hardly any reason for us to be surprised, since most, if not all of the villagers here were demons.


    As we weaved through the crowd, Edelweiss'' attention was suddenly captivated by the items sold at one of the stalls. Even as we walked by, she arched her head to get a better look. What could that be? She has seen so many articles of luxury with Mother every day, is there anything in a village here that could interest her much? I took her hand in mine and led her back to the stall to have a look.


    "Ah! A patron! Please, have a look!" A hoarse voice blared like a trumpet. But when we got near after wading through the current of people, we were astonished when we saw the peddler as I felt Edelweiss'' grip on my arm tightened with shock. Even Chongxi could hardly suppress a yelp of apprehension when he saw who it was.


    The stall owner couldn''t be considered as a human at all. But instead, he was a gigantic rat the size of a full-grown man! A pair of long whiskers hung from its snout, a relic of its age as its large bulbous eyes trained at us! It grinned vilely as we remained frozen, licking its lips hungrily.


    "Ah, we''re just looking around," I remarked nervously. We averted our gaze from the appearance of the proprietor, and focused our gazes on the wares it was peddling. Fortunately, unlike the repugnant appearance of the stall owner, the sight of the wares was very much welcoming. We found ourselves enthralled by the skillfully-crafted paper umbrellas, feasting our eyes on the colorful and beautiful patterns that adorned the hand-crafted umbrellas that came in both reds and greens. Edelweiss reached for one of them and lifted it above her head, opening it and studied it with interest. "You like it?" I asked, smiling at the behavior of my fiancee who looked like a little girl upon seeing a toy she liked. She looked shyly at me, a stark difference from the Edelweis who roamed the Mongolian steppes on horseback like a conquerer. She nodded timidly at me, which made me chuckle. "Very well, let''s have one then."


    "Er... Shiyan. Something like this seems a tad inauspicious, don''t you think so?" Chongxi whispered. But Lin Feng immediately cleared his throat and motioned him for silence. "What''s wrong with this umbrella?" Edelweiss asked, wearing a confused look on her face and Chongxi immediately stammered, "No, no, no! There''s nothing wrong with it!" Edelweiss stared at him blankly, unaware of the fierce look I was giving Chongxi.


    Knowing that he had muttered something wrong, Chongxi slipped away, citing his need for some supper. He took off hastily and trotted to a stall selling dumplings. "That young man didn''t fully understand the meaning of this gift, I''m afraid." The giant rat interjected suddenly and sniggered vulgarly. "The man who wishes to buy you an umbrella, which signifies his wish to be your umbrella and shield you from life''s swelter and torrent!" I narrowed my eyes at the giant rat. You may lack the magic to assume human form, but your mouth is already magic on its own, I scowled at the rat before saying out loud, "Before we talk about what fortunes these umbrellas of yours herald, how about we talk about the provenance of these umbrellas? Didn''t you steal it from a home of death, I hope?"


    The rat peddler heard my words and explained with an expression of bitterness!"You must be joking, dear customer! We make these umbrellas ourselves! Honest!" "Of course, I''m merely joking," I giggled lightly. The hawkers and peddlers selling their wares required Lao Tao''s permission before they could begin their business here; as Mountain Deity of the Ridge, Lao Tao would never allow anything shady and illicit to take place under his nose. Lin Feng snickered and teased the giant rat, "Of all the wonders magic could do you, yet you are here selling stuff like a common peddler!" The old giant rat sighed. "You''ve driven the spike right to the spot, young one!" He lamented mournfully, "My magic is nothing. I am so bad with magic that I am easily the worst among my kin, let alone the four of you who have clearly possessed stronger magic than me! For centuries I have labored hard but to no avail! Even the younglings who barely have decades of study time could do better than me. Finally, I got tired of studying magic. I decided that perhaps I''d better try my luck in commerce!"


    While smiling, I picked a red umbrella and opened it. The snowy white petals of an illustration of a plum blossom flushed radiantly across the deep scarlet background. The flamboyant combination of colors seemed a tad too striking for my liking, although it has a charm of its own; the picture of the plum blossom was indeed a work of art, although the giant rat''s taste for colors might need some refinement. "Well, at least you displayed quite a propensity in commerce and art, Proprietor!" I remarked playfully, "Look at this drawing! It''s quite good!" I pointed at the flower and said to Edelweiss, "Look at the white flower here, it''s as beautiful as you, innit?" A flush of crimson blazed on Edelweiss'' cheeks and she nodded timidly like a bashful maiden.


    I smiled and closed the umbrella. "Very well, I''ll have this then. How much should I pay for it?" The giant rat flustered and replied hesitantly, "Just take it, please! It will be my honor to present this as a gift to you!" Lao Tao must have announced to the whole market about our arrival; hence, the courtesy was shown to us outsiders. Still, I fished out my wallet. The giant rat said immediately, "I''ll have no use of the money even if you wish to pay me, young lord. If you must, you can just walk around with my umbrella. I''d be immensely honored to have you bearing this keepsake of mine, which is already good publicity for me!"


    Indeed, demons have no use for human currency, I reflected. I put away my wallet and said, "Very well then. I see no reason to decline your courtesy other than to cause you displeasure instead. Come to me if you need any help. I shall be at the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies at Wu Zhong County." We looked around and found Chongxi reading as he was filling his mouth with one dumpling after another at a streetside hawker. Where did he get the thread-sewn book he''s reading? I wondered. When we walked near, we saw the title on its cover: The Tale of the Demigod of the Soaring Sword!

 Chapter 161 The Zoomorphic Deities of Shamanism

    I could not believe it! Chongxi was holding up a book, one that looked freshly-printed and its pages held tightly by string bindings, with its cover facing us; and there were the words, printed clearly even from our distance: the Demigod of the Soaring Sword!


    My eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets. Of all the names for books and stories, I would never have expected to see this title. The style of "the Demigod of the Soaring Sword" belonged to no one else but my father, Murong Hai! Although I had heard him being addressed in this name for one too many times, I never thought I would see a book bearing his name! It must be the reason that prompted Chongxi to begin reading it.


    We walked to Chongxi''s table and sat beside him. The nice proprietor of the stall and his wife immediately welcomed us with three steaming bowls full of wontons even before we had made our order. The warm friendliness was further garnished with a plate of garlic freshly-chopped. We whirled to them as they left our table, smiling with gratitude before I said to Chongxi, "Where did you find this book!? Let me have a look at it!" But instead of handing the book to me, Chongxi pointed somewhere else. We followed the direction of his hand and saw a young little chap sitting at a roadside stall, clad in the guise of a scholar from the ancient times as he busily riffled through the pages of a book.


    I got up and walked to the stall, only to find lots of new books on display! I took one up and opened it and was surprised; the books were all hand-copied. Before I knew it, I was poring through the lines of infinitesimal writings crammed every page of the books, captivated by the stories which could have easily eclipsed the storybooks and novels in the market today! I placed down the book I was holding and looked at the others, all of which looked like novels to me with titles such as "The Demigod of the Soaring Sword," "The Triune of Wu Zhong," and "The Neverending Tales of Wu Zhong."


    "Ahhh," I mused to myself, "There was no reason for alarm! The stories here are all fiction!" As I peered through the books, the young chap, whose face was still shielded behind his book growled impatiently, "Are you buying these? Otherwise, I''d thank you for not messing them up!" I immediately dropped the one I was holding and looked up. In spite of his best efforts in disguising himself as a scrawny-looking scholar, I could make out the stiff strands sticking out from his hair. Porcupine thorns, I realized. "So he''s a porcupine demon assuming human form, heh heh."


    I swiped up "The Triune of Wu Zhong" book and asked, "How much for this?" A pair of disinterested eyes looked up from over the top of his book before they sank back down like a pair of suns setting into the mountains. "Ten yuan! Whoever you are, it''s ten yuan for each book here. Even for the Triune of Wu Zhong themselves!" I was stunned. What did he mean by "even for the Triune of Wu Zhong themselves?" His eyes rose up again to meet mine and he barked irritably, "Ten yuan! All storybooks and novels are ten yuan each!" I fished for my wallet and extracted a ten-yuan note. Feeling curious, I asked, as I handed him the note, "Why is it that you need human money?" The proprietor regarded me with a strange look, before he remarked gruffly, "How else would I buy my stationary if not for human money?"


    What a contrast to the wonton stall proprietor, I wondered, reflecting on the rough and curt manner of this scholarly-looking porcupine. I took my new purchase and went back to the stall and discovered that Chongxi was already on his third helping as the proprietor of the stall retreating away after bringing a fresh bowl of wonton for him.


    I chuckled and asked the proprietor before he was out of earshot, "Why is that stall owner so unfriendly?" "Heed him not, my friend. He''s too deeply buried under his books to manage his manners. Even the rest of his kin, us, pay him little attention." So, I realized, "this proprietor and his wife are also porcupine demons too." I smiled at him as he left and I sat down, flipping open my "The Triune of Wu Zhong."


    I began diving into the rabbit hole of the fictional world of the story. But I began to find the story less interesting than I had hoped it to be, and the fact that it was written in archaic Chinese did not improve my reading experience not one bit. But I did read enough to find out the story: Three humans attained the powers of demigods during the era of the Qing Dynasty, just after the fall of the Ming Empire. They were known as the Triune of Wu Zhong, famed for their heroics and invincibility and their impartiality when dealing with humans, evil beings, demons, and even ghosts. What followed was the details of their various derring-dos and how they eventually came to be respected and revered, although my interest in poring on slowly waxed and waned.


    I chewed at my wontons with stoic indifference, staring at Chongxi who seemed to be enjoying his story very much. I kicked at his heels. "How''s your story? Mine''s terribly boring." Chongxi gulped down his soup and mumbled, "It''s good. The story portrays Uncle Hai as a true hero!" Peeved, I asked, "I''m asking if the book contained anything we could use!" Chongxi looked up at me, dumb and dazed, until his large, round eyes finally blinked twice. "Take a look yourself," he muttered and tossed me his book.


    I took the book from Chongxi and began reading it. The plot of the story seemed much livelier and more fascinating than mine. Not only the storyline was meticulously arranged, burnished with the author''s very own vivacious expressions and witticisms; the protagonist in the story and his disposition mirrored exactly the very same, eccentric Murong Hai who was my father. Additionally, even the various appendixes and inscriptions were written with the exact same manner and nuances Father used as if the words had sprouted from his very mouth!


    There was an entry detailing the Five Zoomorphic Deities (The Wudaxians). Worship of the Wudaxians began from the shamanistic rites of the Jurchen tribes who established the Qing Empire. It was a practice that had become a tradition that endured until today and was still widely adopted by all worshippers of the Wudaxian and the students of their craft and magic, which also gave the beasts and demons some form of understanding of human behavior and understanding.


    There was also much explanation for the five species of the Wudaxians. Legend had it that Yu the Great had taken a white fox spirit with nine tails as a consort during his attempts to help control floods. Since then, fox spirits or demons became highly regarded in Chinese culture, which also explained their first position in the Wudaxians.


    The weasels, or weasel demons, worshipped Huang Shigong as the patriarchal primogenitor of their kind. The legendary teacher of Zhang Liang of the Han Dynasty was said to have become an immortal after learning magic and were since then honored and glorified by all weasels alike. In spite of being notorious for their penchant for mischievous and wilfull use of magic, weasel demons also possessed a benevolent and kind side, having known to have helped save countless lives with the shamanistic magic which was fabled to have been created by Huang Shigong himself.


    Porcupine demons were known to be more compassionate than the rest, famed for saving innocent lives with their magic, even though there was no lacking of bad apples that would need no further explanation.


    Ranked slightly below, were the snake demons, who both loved and feared the mother goddess Nvwa, who often appeared in the form of half-woman, half-snake; like Echidna from Greek mythology. In association with the mother goddess herself, snake demons were commonly believed to be most the powerful with magic after fox spirits. But they were rarely seen and have always kept to themselves.


    Rodents, on the other hand, were as common as grass. Their ability to hide and survive well gave them the reputation of having keen smartness and wits. But according to old wives'' tales, rodent demons with magic were often adept in divination. This was commonly attributed to their victory and first placing in the race of the 12 Zodiac and their role in the myth about the human world''s primordial creation, where the rodent was alleged to have been the first beast to free itself from the confinement of oblivion into actual existence.


    Chongxi''s "The Demigod of the Soaring Sword" was undoubtedly a better read than my book. No wonder Chongxi was already addicted to this story! I mused. Even I myself was already beginning to enjoy the story, when Chongxi asked hesitantly. "Shiyan, there''s a question I wonder if I should ask you." I took a long swig of my wonton soup and replied, "Just fire away." He nodded. "I''m sure you saw it yourself. Yu the Great took a nine-tailed white fox for his wife." I nodded at him, and he continued, "Is your mother the white fox from the legends?" My hand, which was going to suspend my bowl for another gulp, frozen suddenly. "You mean, my father and Yu the Great were..." Chongxi said nothing, merely staring quietly at me. But I said, dismissively, "That''s impossible! Come on, Father would have long ascended if that was indeed the case. It''s impossible that he would still be here in the Mortal Plane!"


    Chongxi looked at me with his usually bewildered look and held me in a stare for seconds before he shook himself. "Just wait till you continue reading! I''m sure you''d be in for a great shock!"

 Chapter 162 Disturbing Discoveries

    I stared at Chongxi blankly for seconds. Then I swooped up his book and looked into its pages. The more I read, the more I found traces that could only indicate Father was part of the whole story, including many other fairy tales and myths I had not been privy of.


    One of them was the tale about Ba, who was commonly assumed as the matriarchal forebearer of the Chinese vampires, the Jiangshis, was actually the daughter of Huang Di in the legends. But what was more intriguingly interesting, were the nine toenails that certain tribesmen under Chiyou''s command had in the tales.


    I skipped to the end of the book and leafed through the final pages of the book when I stopped. The final part of the novel was a short account about the Wufang Shangdi, a tale heavily promulgated among entities of the Underworld and mediums alike. The Wufang Shangdi (The Five Emperors of the Highest) comprised of Bai Di (Emperor White) of the East, Qing Di (Emperor Green) of the West, Yan Di (Emperor Flame) of the South, Xuan Di (Emperor Black) of the North, and Huang Di (Emperor Yellow) of the Center. Each of them possessed one from a set of five immensely powerful magical swords, and all of each was adequately named; Shiqing (Servant of Green) for Qing Di of the West, Shibai (Servant of White) for Bai Di of the East, Shixuan (Servant of Black) for Xuan Di of the North, and Shihuang (Servant of Yellow) for Huang Di of the Center. And the final sword in possession of Yan Di of the South was a magical blade called Shiyan! My name!


    I stopped at the mention of my name, gaping with bewilderment as my heart drummed loudly. "What in the name of Heavens is this?!"


    Chongxi swallowed the last of his soup and stroked his tummy with a satisfied grin on his face. He looked at me and the Shiyan Blade hanging behind my back. "So, what do you think about my suspicions?" I looked at him before my eyes met Lin Feng and Edelweiss who were had been looking at us. They did not know what Chongxi was talking to me about but Chongxi pressed on, looking serious and solemn as ever. "We may not know if the book tells the truth. But I daresay that there''re still shreds of truth here," he thumped the cover of the book with his finger and continued, "and the story about the swords of the Wufang Shangdi is enough to convince us so."


    Nevertheless, I still found everything hard to believe. "Impossible!" I countered, drawing the Shiyan Blade from its sheath. My eyes fell on the two runic scripts chased upon its long, slender blade. "These are runic scripts. Since when in history were runic scripts used? But if the book says the truth, then it''s impossible; runic scripts were not yet invented during the era of the Wufang Shangdi!" Chongxi shook his head. "You are forgetting the enigmatic powers of demigods and immortals, Shiyan." I fell silent, unable to counter that. While looking inconceivable to mere humans like us, traversing through time was hardly a feat for the likes of Father and Master Six and the creation of runic scripts definitely seemed more trivial in comparison to the ability of time travel.


    Before entering this lost domain underneath the Yellow Soil Ridge, I had already decided to unravel the mysteries myself, even though I had often found myself staring at the implausible and astonishing revelations to the riddles and secrets even before I was ready. The elucidation of the truths between Father and the Dragon-slaying Blade and my purported association to the mythological Yan Di were few of the many shocking discoveries which came knocking on my doors with uncanny happenstance. How on earth was I rescued by Godmother when I almost plunged to my death before she revealed to me Father''s history with the Dragon-slaying Blade? How was it possible that I happened upon a secret so indescribably astounding behind the Shiyan Blade when I was just enjoying a walk in an underground lost domain? And who was behind the hidden hand of Fate, slowly prodding me along like a gullible mule without knowing what was waiting for me in the future?


    I had little sleep that night. Edelweiss laid beside me, her hand patting gently on me like a nanny lullabying a baby to sleep as she softly cooed a berceuse in the tongue of Mongolia. I whirled restlessly and rubbed my hair, as if the futile gesture would expel all the thoughts that were haunting me that night, and wrapped my arms around Edelweiss'' shoulders before I succumbed to my somnolence.


    I woke up to the next morning with a pale gaunt face with dark rings circling around my eyes. But just as soon as I stepped out of the yard of our lodgings, we saw a mob of demons thronging at the entrance leading into the underground settlement as if they were congregating around to watch an interesting spectacle.


    A voice behind me made me whirl. "What are these foxes flocking there so early in the morning. It could only be the weasels, I guess." It was from Lin Feng. I nodded grimly and said, "Let''s go and have a look. We can ill suffer a mishap by the foxes now. We have to do right by Lao Tao by making sure that the foxes do not get themselves in trouble." He nodded a tacit assent and we walked together to the entrance.


    Before we even got close, we heard a snippet of whispers and murmurs from the massing crowd. "There''s been a fight. Some weasels from Yizhou City are fighting for lands against the foxes here." "We''d best keep a safe distance then. There''s no need for us to get ourselves embroiled into this ruckus." A third voice quipped, "Can''t say I''d blame the foxes, though. The land that the foxes now own is the best of all the lands around the Yellow Soil Ridge. Even I too, have been jealous of them for having such a good place to train, nevermind some weasels from abroad!" A voice behind me added, "There are rumors that the weasels from Yizhou City had enlisted outside help in their fight against the foxes here. We still don''t know how the foxes would respond!"


    Feeling exasperated, I opened my mouth to speak. But Lin Feng beat me to the chase by squeezing himself into the midst of the crowd and swam through the masses of bodies to reach the center with me following close behind. The chieftain of the foxes we met the day before was there, barking commands to scores of foxes standing in neat lines like soldiers ready for war. I scampered straight to the chieftain who saw me and bowed so low to me that the rest of its kin realized who I was and were about to prostrate themselves when I quickly waved at them to stop. I helped the chieftain up. "What''s happening? Has the benefactor of the weasels appeared?" The chieftain nodded solemnly, "I''m afraid he has, young lordling. The benefactor is now within the vicinity and is marching here as we speak... I only fear..."


    I nodded at him and asked, "Is Lao Tao informed of this?" "The Lord Mountain Deity has been notified of this," said the wizened fox, "It''s time for us to meet our adversary. The Lord Mountain is already there, he told us. He will be trying his best to request for a parlay. But if the parley fails..." I waved him off. "Tell everyone to go home. I''ll deal with this myself. I''ll first go to meet this benefactor of theirs and see for myself who he is."


    But I was surprised to find Chongxi and Edelweiss among the crowd when everyone dispersed. Edelweiss rushed to me and tugged at my arm, looking deeply into my eyes with brimming concern. She was worried when she heard me telling the chieftain that I would be treading into danger and her eyes told me that she would be coming too. Chongxi merely grinned, twirling his slingshot between his fingers. Lin Feng coiled his whip around his shoulder, signaling that he was ready. With a chuckle, we began moving outside together, jesting leisurely as we moved.


    Strangely, it took us barely seconds to reach back to the outside world; a stark contrast to the absurdly long and winding route we had been subjected to us when we first went in. As soon as we plunged into the darkness of the cavernous entrance we immediately saw the glimmer of light beckoning from just barely meters away like a beacon. But something told me that this was beyond Lao Tao''s magic. This could only mean that the entrance was created by magic far greater and older than even him. The blinding light from the sun welcomed us when we came out and it took us seconds before we finally got used to the swelter and brilliance of the sun again before we slowly meandered uphill.


    Fortunately for us, we emerged back into reality somewhere mid-hill and it was hardly long before we finally reached the peak. With his keen sight, Lin Feng was the first to exclaim, pointing a finger downhill, "Look! There!" It was at the far side of the hill, the same slope where we first climbed yesterday when we came. The rise of the bevel was not too steep, hence the view of everything at the foot of the hill opened up like a vast panorama to us.


    Would that anyone was looking down from the top of the crest right now, they would surely be amazed. One could scarcely fail to make out the multitudes of weasels in immaculate ranks and files on the barrens plains at the base of the hill. They were looking up at the hill as if they had sensed our presence. Three men stood at the front of the legion of weasels, although we could not see their appearances clearly from our distance. There was a fourth person, standing opposite them and speaking to them. That could only be Lao Tao, I surmised. But our sudden appearance which caused the host of weasels to notice us did little to prevent the three from looking at us themselves.


    A huge, lumbering weasel emerged from the ranks of its kind and stood just behind the three. It said something to the three, and one of them began gesticulating peculiarly. But being too far from them, I could not see for certain what he was doing. But the man stopped after a while and magically conjured a huge, black hound half as tall as a man from within his voluminous sleeve. The gigantic dog padded furiously at us, bolting towards us at breakneck speed!


    I was surprised; not by the sudden appearance of the ferocious hound, but by the stranger''s deftness and ingenuity in his magic! That must be no ordinary dog! For all my experiences, I had never known another person who was famous for having a huge hound as a companion, save for Yang Jian, the Erlang Shen of Chinese mythology. While there was naturally no way that this person was Yang Jian, I could never be too careful with such a person who undoubtedly wielded strong and powerful magic!

 Chapter 163 Dueling Below the Hill

    Standing at the top, looking downwards, we could hardly move when the dark dog zipped through the underbrush and streaked beyond mid-hill in the blink of an eye!


    Knowing there was no time to lose, I uncorked my Spirit Gourd. Six tendrils of mist swirled out and materialized into snowy-white wolves snarling at my feet at the incoming hound. The wolves charged at the hound, white meshing into black, and their melee, savage and horrifying, began. Yet despite being outnumbered, the huge black hound held its ground. It attacked with a dogged decisiveness, all while defending itself from my wolfish minions with frightening composure. The sight of its valor, even though it was an enemy, made cold beads of sweat roll down my forehead as my mana began to drain; instead of wounding the black dog, my wolves were bitten, clawed, and mauled by it. The wounds that my minions suffered would cause a toll on my mana and I had lost almost half of it in just mere moments!


    Suddenly, my wolves reared and pounced as one to overwhelm their black, furry adversary. With no way to evade cleanly, the ebony hound retaliated. It locked its jaws on the first wolf it could find as the other wolves brutally tore and ripped at its flesh until it collapsed on the ground, as dead as a log. Its carcass disintegrated in black soot and blew away in a wind! Then I realized, the dog was merely a figment of magic conjured by its master, just like my wolves. I quickly retrieved my wolves and tipped my gourd over. A pill fell out and I immediately swallowed it, feeling my mana restoring. I heaved a breath of relief. "What a powerful enemy," I reflected, "If that was a pack of dogs instead of one, the outcome of this battle would have been entirely different."


    But that was hardly the last of it; another one of the three below stepped forward to join his comrade while extracting something out of his pocket. From afar, I saw him tinkering with it before a flurry of paper balls flew into the air. Only those were hardly ordinary blobs of papers smashed together, but a flock of paper cranes flying slowly into the air. Knowing better, we watched on warily whilst reminding ourselves to be ready. The paper cranes flew higher and higher but they were flying everywhere incoherently instead of heading towards us. But a sudden smell, fragrance but pungent, stung my senses; the floral and herbal scent of medicinal herbs registered in my mind and so did my companions. Lin Feng looked up and his eyes narrowed. "It''s the paper birds! They must be carrying some poison or drug! He''s using them to spread them around!"


    Then I remembered the first time I met Aunt Ulan. There was a strange but sweet-smelling aroma in the room when we first met; the same smell that made me lose consciousness. I would later find out that the smell came from some specially-cultivated devil''s snare. The dread filled me at the very instant. There must be something behind the strange, sweet smell! I barked to Lin Feng and the others, "Quick! Hold your breath! That must be poison!" I covered my nose and mouth with a hand while muttering a quick spell. A dark mist sprouted from the mouth of my gourd and enveloped around us, filling our nostrils with an acrid stench. This was the same black and noxious miasma that I had drawn into my gourd during our pursuit of the wicked foxes in the cave at Inner Mongolia!


    Naturally, I did not release all of the foul-smelling smog; merely a layer of it, to ensure that we could still see everything around us. But it was unbearably putrid that we were becoming dizzy and nauseous, in contrast to the sweet redolence from the paper cranes flying around.


    Only that instead of causing any harm to us, the entire side of the hill we were standing on had gone through a massive transformation! Every patch of weed grew into lush shrubbery when a paper crane flew over it and every bare and deaden tree, still barely clinging to life, immediately sprouted green leaves as if being rapidly revitalized! When we looked up, the characteristic pale yellow glow of the cold December moon was no more, being replaced by a soft green luster that cast a burning green blanket over the ground around us. We gaped with astonishment, hardly being able to believe what we were seeing. "How can we triumph against such a foe," I quaked with fear, "Here we have a foe who was skilled in rejuvenation magic! There''s no way he''s the same as any ordinary foes we''ve met before! This must be demigod magic instead!"


    Just then, from the midst of the shifting pall of shadows of the woods, the last of the three strode forward to join the line of his two compatriots. He raised a hand into the air and waved as everything around him turned into a brown-yellow blur in an instant! The host of weasels behind the trio rushed past them like flowing water around stones and charged into the trees at the foot of the hill, rushing towards us! With no time to lose, I pointed my Spirit Gourd forward and muttered quick incantations. The rest of the noxious mist I had been keeping in the gourd gushed out like a broken dam in powerful jets and engulfed the entire hillside forest, keeping the innumerous weasels away. By then, the three men had rejoined the weasels. The man who cast ahead the army of flying paper cranes stepped nearer to the wall of black, putrid mist and carefully reached into the black fog. He waved his hand in the dark swirling smog and sniffed at his hand. Finally he rummaged in a box he was carrying on his bag like a backpack and retrieved three face masks.


    I snickered at myself. "What do you think this is? An ordinary haze that you can protect yourselves with mere face masks?" But before I could hardly brace, the three men plunged into the dark hazy smog and darted up the hill! With great speed they covered much distance, coming closer and closer to the crest, clearly unperturbed by the noxious miasmic effects of the fog! Lin Feng brandished his whip, unable to sit still any longer. "Let''s do this then, if that''s how you want it," he said and breathed to no one in particular. "If only I have my rifle and my destrier with me, I would have come with you, Brother Lin," a fiery Edelweiss quipped. From where do you expect me to find you a horse and a gun, I grimaced silently. But to our astonishment, a voice squeaked from behind us. "We have a horse here, My Lady!" Edelweiss jerked her head back so quickly, leaving me wondering if she was surprised at being suddenly addressed as "My Lady" or the presence of a stranger in our midst. A little boy, a fox demon in human form, strode to us, leading a handsome stallion by its reins. "Where did you find him from?" I asked, my face contorted into a frown. "We have not only horses in our underground domain, dear Lordling, we have also weapons too!" I nodded quietly. I might not like the notion of my betrothed riding into battle like a medieval knight, but I feared that all hands were needed on deck by now.


    With a reluctant nod of approval to Edelweiss, I cried to her, "You''d have to make do without guns for now. But you have your throwing weapons with you, do you not? But remember to only wound, not kill. We''re not in Inner Mongolia now!" Edelweiss gave me a curt nod before she flipped herself gracefully up the saddle and reared her horse. But she paused for a heartbeat, remembering suddenly the golden dagger hanging from her waist. It was a gift from Old Man Shang Pei, a weapon with magical properties, but a dagger nonetheless which looked unsuitable for battle on horseback.


    But she quickly dismissed any doubts and charged down the hill. I cast another spell and conjured a coat of translucent veil that enveloped around Edelweiss and her horse, protecting her from the black smog. Lin Feng gave me a nod as a signal and he lunged downhill as well, but not before I cast the same protective charm on him as well to keep him safe.


    With me and Chongxi remaining on the peak, Chongxi jogged down eagerly, pulling me to come with him. He tested his slingshot as he moved down while crying loudly, "I''ll be hiding to snipe anyone that comes near!" He released my arm suddenly and there were a couple of thuds and he was missing. He had climbed up a tree and was hardly visible in the near-zero visibility of the dark smog. I could hardly even see my own hands. In such conditions, Chongxi''s gift with directions and divination magic might be most valuable. He would not need to rely on his sight to aim at the enemy, who were all running blind in the dark like the rest of us were.


    I activated my Spirit Sight to see the flow of Qi around me. Almost immediately, I sensed an aura of malicious intent rushing at me from behind a tree nearby. With several hand seals I weaved frantically, the Shiyan Blade flew into my grasp and I gave it a swing. Just then, a huge saber sliced through the dark mists, hewing down at my head. I raised my weapon to parry it and whirled, using my momentum to hack my weapon at the enemy''s hand grasping the weapon.


    But the hand disintegrated and vanished, and so did the murderous aura I felt. It must be another figment conjured out of magic like the giant black hound earlier! I rushed to the tree, hoping to find the conjurer of the spirit familiar, but there was no one there. Disappointed, I crouched. And there I found a little man folded out of paper! The arms of the paper man had been cut off and it burst into flames, its magic having been destroyed by me, leaving on some smoldering ashes in the end.


    I dug some of the ashes up with my finger and held it close to the mouth of my Spirit Gourd. With another spell, my spirit eagle materialized and it flew into the air, in pursuit of the scent I gave it. It circled in the air, searching for its prey before it swooped down suddenly. I got up at once. But before I could move, a deep growl came from behind me, before the deafening peal of ferocious barks of a vicious hound!

 Chapter 164 Battle in the Blind

    A myriad of padding thuds followed almost immediately as soon as its howl broke the silence. I jerked my head back in time to see a gigantic hound in mid-air towards me, the saliva dripping from its fangs with a savage glint in its bloodshot eyes.


    Would that Father had not so meticulously trained me himself, I would have been on the ground with blood spouting uncontrollably from my neck as life slowly ebbed away. But I was expertly trained with an adroit flair with my sword that few of my peers could ever hope to reach. I bent down quickly and leaned back, evading the hound''s pounce while stabbing my weapon ruthlessly into the neck of the dog and it crumbled to the ground, fading into dust.


    With a quick, long breath, I got up and continue my jog down the slopes. I had barely gone far when I suddenly heard long whistling noises like something being hurled at high speeds into the air. But before my mind registered anything, a pebble smashed into the bark of a tree just over my shoulder. I spun just in time to see the carcass of a dead hound dissipating into dust. It was Chongxi, although I could not see from which direction he was aiming from. I raised a hand and flashed an "OK" signal to him and plunged into the darkness of the smog once more.


    By now, the light from the sun had all but been blotted out by the thick hazy mist. Darkness prevailed in this deaden hillside battlefield now fraught with carnage and the sporadic screams of agony from any corner everywhere. Even I did not expect the dark noxious mist to have such a powerful effect. Suddenly, I caught sight of three blobs of Yang energies! They blazed proudly in the darkness, as seen from my Spirit Sight, huddling together before they split up. These must be actual people! But their movements resembled nothing like Lin Feng''s, so they could only be the three captains of the host of weasels!


    Anxious, I rushed to the spot where the three men who hiding just moments before. But once I got near, I smell the same acrid herbal stench and quickly covered my nose and mouth. The experience with Aunt Ulan had taught me enough to be careful of anything with strange and peculiar scents, faint or thick. We simply knew too little about our enemies while they clearly know a lot more about us than we possibly did about ourselves. From the magic they had been using: the conjurations of spirit familiars and the restorative magic with the flying paper cranes, suffice it to say, these were all calculated strategies being aimed specifically against us.


    I crouched on the ground, hoping to find if the three had left any trails. A voice rang suddenly and I felt my Spirit Gourd shaking. "Let me help, Young Master!" The voice had caught me unawares and I was stunned before I recognized the voice as the Forest Sprites! "How can you help?" I asked at once. But before waiting for an answer from it, I said a quick spell and released it into the open. The Forest Sprite got to its feet and made a face that resembled a grin. "I am a Forest Sprite with amphibious properties. This forest is the perfect place for me to show what I am capable of, dragging people to drown to say the least!"


    I was stunned by its confidence before I realized it was telling the truth. I nodded; the Forest Sprite was more than capable in jungle warfare. With my nod, the Forest Sprite gave a blood-curdling scream before it vanished. Forest Sprites were able to flit unseen in forests and underwater like shadows without so much of a rustle or ripple that could give away its trace. But I had no idea if this Forest Sprite was skilled in magic, hence I could scarcely say if he would prove to be useful.


    The Forest Sprite left to help and I barely got up when I heard the whinny of a horse to my left, followed by the forceful gallops of a horse! Edelweiss must be fighting some enemies somewhere in that direction! I ran towards the noise but I halted when I heard something wheezing through the air. I raised my sword instinctively and a loud, ringing clang tremored through the air as something struck my sword. It fell to the ground and I looked, finding a wooden bolt. A chill crept down my back. I looked and saw the demonic aura of the Forest Sprite circling above the boughs of trees far away to a corner. It would mean that it was not it who had shot this wooden spike at me, assuming it was even capable of hurling throwing weapons from its distance. But there was no way it would even dare to attempt to assassinate its own master, not after knowing who I truly am.


    Nevertheless, the bolt was fired from a distance and it must have been a stray shot. Could this be formerly intended for Edelweiss? But it must have missed her and hence it came this way and no one knew that I was just around, at tens of meters away from Edelweiss.


    I hastened ahead; Edelweiss might hardly be your average womenfolk, but she was still an ordinary human nonetheless. The force of the flying bolt was still very strong even despite missing its target by tens or even hundreds of meters! That said much about the strength of the person who had hurled it and Edelweiss could very well be in danger!


    I ran for another fifty meters until I saw movements ahead and I raced as quickly as I could. Then I heard the crack of a whip resounding from in front. Is that Lin Feng instead of Edelweiss? But I did not stop running. Sure enough, there was Lin Feng, flailing his whip in his fight against an enemy whose appearance was shrouded in the shadows. The enemy was armed with a long spear, and he drove his weapon at Lin Feng who easily sidestepped it. But another shadowy silhouette appeared from just behind him and lunged for his neck! It was another huge hound familiar! Before I could even think, I shouted the magical words of command and the Shiyan Blade came to life, streaking through the air with blinding speed and impaled the black hound before it could sink its fangs into my friend.


    They both turned towards me, realizing my presence for the first time. Then I realized that I had shouted too loudly and they had heard me. I ignored the suffocating haze around me and twirled my fingers, controlling the Shiyan Blade to turn back. Another cold whistle broke the silence in the air and the Shiyan Blade charged back, heading straight for the enemy!


    The Shiyan Blade lanced through the man with astounding force. But to our astonishment, the man burst into dust; no more different than the black dog I just skewered! "He''s also a magical familiar!" The thought came to me instantly, "a magical contrivance just like the dog!"


    Realizing it was me, Lin Feng came to me. "I heard the neighing of a horse just now, so I thought it was Edelweiss. I never expected to find you here, Brother," I said, my forehead contorting into a frown. Lin Feng breathed heavily. "I know. I am also here because I heard her horse too. But when I came here, I found nothing. Only to be ambushed by this shadow." I nodded. "This noxious haze has impaired all our vision. I''m sure they are the same now. But there''s no one else but Chongxi who would be able to make something out of this now!"


    "This is too reckless!" Lin Feng complained. "I might have been defeated earlier if not for your timely arrival." I shook my head. "There''s nothing else we can do for now. The enemy is better than us with magic. Going head-on is hardly the right thing to do now!" Lin Feng gave no reply, but he tacitly agreed.


    A heartbeat of silence passed until we heard a loud thud not far from us as if something had fallen from a tree. We snatched our things and ran towards there to find the figure of a person rubbing his shoulder as he cursed, "What the hell?!" It was Chongxi. He got up and examined the wound on his shoulder and saw the stub of a wooden bolt sprouting from his shoulder as we ran to him. Hearing the brushing of our shoes he spun immediately and realized that it was us, and he relaxed.


    We got near him quickly and I examined his wound. Fortunately for him, the wooden spike had driven through his flesh but narrowly avoided his sinews and bones. Biting his teeth, he pulled out the spike plugging the gash and burst with a flurry of expletives in addition to trickling blood once the spike was dislodged. "One of the three was taken by Edelweiss," he reported, "But I immediately lost sight of them because of the thick haze."

 Chapter 165 The Hillside Hun

    t


    I might have been the only one in the entire world capable of coming up with such a wacky way of fighting a battle. The trio must have not expected me to have a weapon like this noxious haze that could impair their visions and turn the tables on them. Edelweiss could even incapacitate one of them so easily.


    "But it was hardly an occasion for celebration. We still have no way of ascertaining Edelweiss''s situation. After some discussion, we decided it was best we move together. With Chongxi guiding us, we realized that we had wandered into the middle part of the hazy area, where the fight was most intense, due to the many spirit familiars that the three strangers had unleashed, although they could scarcely see well in the dark themselves.


    Lin Feng lashed his whip at another attacking hound, and watched it dissipate to dust. To step into the darkness and endure the never ending gauntlet of enemies charging at them, was was like stepping into the chaotic and gaping pit of an abyss; a never-ending climb up a mountain, the peak seemingly to elude us. We have been encountering scores of conjured attack hounds and humanoid minions, and they have never stopped coming out of the woodwork. Exasperated, Chongxi asked, "Have you not managed to find out what sort of magic this is? At this rate, the battle will never end before we tire out!" I shook my head, depositing a pill into my mouth to restore my energies. "I can''t. They seem more like wraiths or spirits... Beings without corporeal bodies... I''ve never seen anything like this before." I felt my veins coursing with renewed strength, and I thrust my finger, controlling the Shiyan Blade with my mind, as it lanced through another huge black dog.


    We stopped for a break, and I took a deep breath, all three of us welcoming the brief moment of respite. By now, our hike was going downhill, and the enemies would be waiting in greater numbers, the further we descended. As if to rub salt into our wounds, we began to notice spirit familiars flying in the air, under the guise of ravens and crows. They zipped and darted over our heads, swooping down on us when we least expected them, to try to peck and claw at us. But we have Chongxi with us. Armed with his slingshot, we were saved by his marksmanship that delivered us every time the dreaded flutter of wings approached us in the blight.


    We continued our charge forward, unleashing whatever we could from our plethora of skills and weapons. Much to our astonishment, we broke out of the haze in the next second! We had reached the base of the hill! But there was hardly time for a breather or be jubilant. We were standing right in front of a vast group of weasels, all watching us with dumbstruck expressions on their faces. We stared at each other wordlessly for seconds, until the weasel at the forefront of the vanguard squealed vociferously and took off! The rest of its kin followed suit, running away frantically as if they had been routed. It took merely seconds before the last of them were gone, leaving only the old, wizened weasel; the very same one we encountered in a human form, helping to cure a boy. It stood not far away, staring at us eye-to-eye, with a horrified and disbelieving look.


    Lin Feng''s hand slowly traveled to the handle of his whip and his figure slowly lowered into a prowling stance. The gnarly weasel trembled and yanked a sword out of its scabbard. "I''d never think you''d be capable of so heinous a scheme! Releasing the haze to ambush us!" I was left grimacing quietly as the weasel''s disgruntled ramblings continued. "We were also lost ourselves in the haze," I almost blurted out loud. But I put on a smug and proud look, and spat, "Who do you think asked for this fight?" I patted Lin Feng''s back and we turned as one, plunging back into the noxious haze.


    But before we were completely blinded by the darkness, I could see that both Chongxi and Lin Feng were confused, even though they would have followed me to the ends of the world. We ran as fast as we could uphill, my mind swirling with thoughts about Edelweiss and the Forest Sprite, as I wondered about their wellbeing. Once again, we ran through the darkness like blind men, our minds and impaired senses clinging only to our determined race up the slopes. "The trio must also be the same," I reflected, "although we now have no idea where they are now."


    My concern for the others merely quickened my pace, instead of weighing me down. Then a sudden noise made us freeze in our tracks! Somewhere on the slopes ahead of us, came the deafening roar of a tiger! As one, we griped with horror and frustration, "A tiger?! That must be against the rules!" We traded quick looks, and I activated my Spirit Sight. But as soon as my vision changed, I quickly saw a ball of aura, hateful and malicious, charging down the inclination towards us!


    I looked at my companions and they at me. Lin Feng chuckled weakly, "Any suggestions would be sorely welcomed now, I suppose. We''ll be meeting it head-on, if we go on straight. We might be able to avoid it if we veer away now." "I suppose so," Chongxi agreed, "These things are also lost in the darkness. It''s only by a dumb stroke of luck that it''s caught on to us. I''m sure we''ll be able to evade it if we divert now!" Just before I could say a word, the hoofbeats of a galloping horse passed could be heard nearby, and I could have sworn that I heard Edelweiss''s grunts!


    We stared at each other again, mouths agape with shock and our eyes as round as eggs. "What else! We go ahead!" Chongxi was the first to yell. "Indeed. Any delay and Edelweiss might stray off somewhere else!" Lin Feng added. I nodded. "Very well. Let the hunt begin!" I hissed, and I took the lead to head up the level of the slope.


    Lin Feng and Chongxi trailed at my heels, trotting swiftly along. Just then, a blob of malicious presence darted down towards us, coming near and nearer and I almost expected to see a dark and hulking silhouette emerging from the hazy veil of the noxious mist at any time. We could not help slowing down to a walk, and the tiger seemed to have reduced its speed suddenly; clearly, it found us.


    We paced warily through the fog-shrouded undergrowth. Before long, I could make out the massive and sinewy frame of a carnivorous beast of prey, and the sleek, black coat of a black tiger! It saw us and bared its teeth at us in a vicious snarl, and pounced suddenly, aiming for me who was standing at the center. Lin Feng darted forward with a leap, unleashing his Twin Kicks technique. There was a loud and muffled thud, before Lin Feng and the tiger crashed to the ground together!


    The brief exchange was met with a sudden and surprised "Ah?!" from me. Lin Feng spun and somersaulted to his feet, and so did the tiger, which flipped itself up with frightening agility, despite its massive girth. Chongxi circled around them with a stone set in his slingshot, preparing to fire when he asked, "What did you see, Shiyan? Did you notice anything?" I nodded and barked at Lin Feng, "There''s something different about this tiger, Lin Feng!" Lin Feng and the tiger circled around one another, prowling and alert like a matador and a raging bull ready to charge. "Yeah, I noticed that too. What should I do now?" He yelled.


    At the exact moment when Lin Feng kicked out at the tiger, I could have sworn that I heard the sound of his foot slamming against the strong and brawny torso of the tiger. Since the very beginning of this battle, the minions that we had encountered did not have corporeal forms of their own. Unlike the huge hound familiars and humanoid golems which would have crumbled into dust at the slightest impact, the tiger did not disintegrate when he was struck by Lin Feng''s Twin Kicks technique, as if it was an actual real tiger!


    The tiger grew impatient at Lin Feng''s hesitation, and gave a deafening roar, before it lunged at him! Lin Feng swung his whip at the beast and split its skull with an echoing crack that reverberated through the woods around us. It was a stroke that could have even halved a rock too, never mind the head of an animal. The tiger''s head split like a smashed watermelon, as it tumbled to the ground, very much dead than alive! Behind them, Chongxi and I breathed easily, at last, relieved that the fight was over.


    We formed behind Lin Feng, who crouched down to examine the carcass. But what we saw made us dumbstruck with shock. The carcass of the dead tiger was rotting rapidly, decaying with such speed that it turned into dark soot in no time, before a light breeze came and whisked it all away in scuds of dark fume-like tendrils that whipped through the dark, hazy forest. We shared long, dark looks among ourselves, clearly unsettled and shaken by what we had just seen!


    Chongxi was the first to break out of the stupor. He stomped his foot and cursed, "Dammit! That''s impossible!" Then he turned and took the lead, sprinting uphill! Lin Feng looked at me and our eyes met. Without so much as a nod, we took off, hurrying after him. The humid air in the forest did little to dry my slick back, now wet with cold sweat, as I yanked off the cork of my Spirit Gourd to draw in the noxious haze around us, while keeping up the pace to run towards the direction where we last heard Edelweiss''s horse!


    The miasmic fog around us began to thin and our visibility gradually increased. Before long, we finally saw Edelweiss! She was still galloping around on her horse, fighting furiously with another man who was also riding on horseback, with a strong and brutish destrier between his legs, while brandishing a weapon to fight against Edelweiss!


    The air near the peak of the hill rang with the sounds of their swords clashing. Edelweiss jerked at her reins and squeezed her legs, willing her horse to dart forward to meet her foe. But she was not alone; the stranger steered his horse around and charged at her headfirst too. He raised his arm and I finally saw clearly what he held in his hands ¨C a small wooden bow with some arrows!


    Yet no matter how fast we ran, there was simply no way we could reach her in time. I frantically yelled at the top of my lungs, my arms reaching forward in vain, "STOP!"

 Chapter 166 Reacquainting the Champions

    With the dawn of a new year looming near, so too the day of the Crucible of Heaven approached. Our adventures brought us to another theater of battle that was taking place because of the Crucible ¨C beasts related to the Wudaxians (the Five Zoomorphic Deities) were waging war against one another, contesting their claims for fertile grounds on which they wished to train and meditate in preparation for the Crucible. Unbeknownst to most, if not all parties, the ripples of another plot, insidious and meticulous, were beginning to surface from these conflicts.


    An unknown hand was behind the weasels of Yizhou City, driving them to encroach into the vicinities of the Yellow Soil Ridge near Zunhua City. They were here to seek out hallowed grounds suitable for training and study of magic. The weasels, prior to coming here, were not aware that the regions of the Yellow Soil Ridge were being guarded by the Mountain Deity Lao Tao. It was he who authorized and assigned different areas to different parties for their use. The weasels came and demanded the grounds now assigned to the foxes of the Ridge, and this triggered a huge uproar. This culminated in several clashes between the foxes and the weasels, but with the latter being stronger in force and powers, the foxes¡¯ prospects were beginning to look bleak.


    Furthermore, there were bad apples amongst the weasels, who had been rampantly involved in petty crimes and thefts, contrary to the rule of conduct that their upper echelon had set ¨C to spread kindness and compassion in the land of others, while persuading others to compensate us better. But the foxes remained adamant and rigid, refusing to relinquish their claim of their grounds. The weasels summoned for help, and then came a benefactor who began instructing them not only in high magic and summoning rituals, but also supplied them with weapons and other instruments of war, fashioned by the heir to the skills of Lu Ban, the famed engineer and inventor from the ancients.


    The foxes began to suffer a series of successive defeats, and with no other options, they came to Wu Zhong to seek help from the young lordling of the foxes, namely, me. Heretofore uninformed of the whole story, I lent my spirit cat Smoky to the foxes, and this allowed me to somehow encounter a senior of the weasels of Yizhou City. Smoky¡¯s triumphant exploits in battle almost compelled the weasels to retreat, but the hidden force behind them prodded them on, and instigated the weasels to implore help from another party whom they were allied to, determined to defeat me in battle.


    The duplicitous weasels went to their ally and sought their help, feeding them lies about how they have been wronged and terrorized by us and the foxes. The skirmish between the reinforcements of both parties ensued, although none of us knew that everything was but only an intricate scheme hatched by the unknown figure still shrouded by mystery. So too were his motives, which remained an enigma even until now. By now, each and every party in this conflict were but mindless chess pieces, oblivious to the hand moving us all.


    Back to the present: I began withdrawing the noxious haze back into my Spirit Gourd and we finally reunited with Edelweiss, who was in a gripping horseback duel against a stranger. Edelweiss was riding atop a blood-red stallion from the herd kept by the foxes in their underground settlement, which had been thriving in secret, away from the eyes of the common folk. But the stranger was riding upon a bulky, strong destrier; one that I vaguely remembered, including its rider!


    With a head full of white hair, armed with a little wooden bow, and in his hands were the wooden spikes that we have been looking around for! Who else would it be, but Lu Bugong, one of the Champions of Yishui!


    Lu Bugong¡¯s nostrils flared angrily as he glared at Edelweiss, who whipped out her golden dagger in a precarious curve near his head. Chongxi and Lin Feng together with me, raced as quickly as we could towards them. Just as Lu Bugong was about to release his arrow, I screamed, ¡°STOP!¡±


    Unexpectedly, my voice was so strong and thunderous that everyone stopped in their tracks. Even Chongxi shuddered when I yelled, his neck nearly retracting like a tortoise withdrawing back into its shell! But my voice surprised Lu Bugong that he inadvertently released the wooden bolt from its string! The bolt shot straight at Edelweiss¡¯ throat, as if it had grown eyes. But there was only so much that we could do from such a vast distance. Not even the Shiyan Blade would be able to make it there on time! Still, in desperation and panic, I ripped the sword out of its sheath and recited the words of command, willing the sword forward with my mind. As if sharing my anxiety and emotions, the Shiyan Blade charged with all the speed it could muster, howling as it chased hysterically after the wooden bolt now aiming at Edelweiss!


    Nevertheless, the Shiyan Blade was one millisecond too late. It pierced through the strands of the bolt¡¯s tail, missing the bolt itself by mere millimeters. And at that very instant, an overwhelming dread and trepidation gushed in our stomachs.


    But what happened next left us all astounded! The bolt was at a mere hair¡¯s breadth from splitting Edelweiss¡¯ throat, when her golden dagger blocked its way! With an ingenious move, she parried the incoming projectile, striking cleanly at its head, and deflected it away from her! The projectile careened off-course, although it still retained much of its momentum. Beads of cold sweat trickled down my forehead. But I knew what I saw. The bolts that nearly got me and had struck Chongxi¡¯s shoulder, must be parried away in the same manner by Edelweiss earlier. But the unnatural movements she made seemed more like the dagger was moving with a mind of its own, rather than Edelweiss¡¯ skill!


    By now, we finally got between Edelweiss and Lu Bugong, standing in the middle of the two horses to stop any more aggression, although they were both surprised to see us. ¡°SHIYAN?!¡± They yelped aloud, before they looked at each other incredulously, out of shock. Another figure emerged from the thick of the woods, cursing with a string of expletives as he came nearer. ¡°Dammit! Lu! How are you! What¡¯s going on?!¡± The noxious haze had been fully redrawn back into my Spirit Gourd, and the visibility at the crest of the hill was back to normal. The man saw Lu Bugong, and his eyes then traveled to us. ¡°WHAT IN THE GODDAMNED WORLD?! SHIYAN?!¡± Yan Jishi shrieked in disbelief.


    Correctly guessing that we knew each other, Edelweiss returned her dagger to her sheath. She vaulted gracefully off her saddle, and came to me, clutching at my arm demurely, while tacitly indicating to everyone who she was. Lu Bugong and Yan Jishi stared at her in silence, their eyes as large as eggs, as their dubious gazes wandered to me, as if seeking for answers.


    ¡°Heavens, what a terrible twist of luck that this turned out to be a huge misunderstanding. I did not realize that you three were the help that the weasels have summoned!¡± ¡°Does that mean¡­ you are the young lordling of the foxes they were speaking about?¡± Lu Bugong uttered in complete surprise. I nodded heavily and sighed. ¡°Please accept my apologies. This is my girlfriend, and also my betrothed, Alatan Qiqige.¡± Lu Bugong and Yan Jishi¡¯s eyes grew even wider as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. I scratched the back of my head apologetically, ¡°She was once a marauder in the wilderness, the goddaughter of my foster mother. Please don¡¯t mind her fiery temperament.¡± But I realized that Zhang Zhigui was missing. ¡°What about Zhigui?¡± I asked, ¡°Could he still be lost because of the haze earlier?¡±


    Lu Bugong and Yan Jishi traded quick looks before they both shook their heads. It seemed that they have not seen Zhang Zhigui since they decided to split up in the darkness. Then I remembered about Edelweiss having caught one of them earlier, and my head turned to look at her.


    Edelweiss noticed my gaze, and her eyes met mine. Then a dawning thought loomed over her as she finally understood. ¡°The man I caught earlier?¡± We said nothing, merely fixing her in a stare, which indicated the predicament we were in. ¡°Please tell me you have not slaughtered the man, Edelweiss,¡± I begged in my heart, ¡°Please, or his death would haunt me forever!¡±


    But Edelweiss broke into a bashful giggle. ¡°That man, you mean? He¡¯s a useless one. I chanced upon him when I was riding through the fog, and I immediately fished him out and dragged him all the way uphill, and gave him to the foxes who are now holding him captive.¡± Everyone was dazed and bewildered when we heard this, although I was partly thankful that things had not turned dire. Zhang Zhigui might still be at a loss at to what was going on, before he was taken captive by Edelweiss just barely moments after splitting up with his companions.


    We led Yan Jishi and Lu Bugong up the hill to the crest when I suddenly heard the shrill cry of my spirit eagle. Heavens, I have completely forgotten about the spirit eagle and the Forest Sprite! I took out my Spirit Gourd and muttered a spell of command, bidding my eagle to return. With a screech, it swooped down and immediately vanished into my Gourd. With the sun still hanging high over us, Yan Jishi and Lu Bugong could not see it. Then a black, shadowy silhouette tore forth from the depths of the forest behind us, and zipped past them, before being drawn back into the Gourd with a loud wheeze like a popped balloon. Unlike the spirit eagle, the Forest Sprite has a corporeal form; Yan Jishi and Lu Bugong saw a dark flash flitting past them, and that made them totally amazed. Hardly, I griped quietly to myself, Considering that it took six of my wolves to defeat only one ruddy hound of yours.


    We quickened our pace and raced further uphill, myself and Edelweiss going ahead of everyone on the horse to save Zhang Zhigui. Yan Jishi informed us that he would catch up later; there were still humanoid minions and hound familiars of his, still roaming about the forest and they might injure others if he did not retrieve them. Lu Bugong flipped himself off his horse, leading his steed, as he walked together with Lin Feng and Chongxi.


    When we got up to the top, we found Zhang Zhigui under a tree, bound by ropes and being watched by two testy little foxes who looked at him, as if he was a maximum-security inmate. He recognized us when we arrived, and grinned weakly at us.

 Chapter 167 Repast of Reparation

    I leapt off the horse and hurried to Zhang Zhigui. He was overjoyed to see me, "GOD! SHIYAN?! Are you here to save me?" But just as quickly, his joy disippated when he saw Edelweiss, who was still on the horse.


    "Release him, quick!" I bellowed to the two foxes. Despite their flabbergasted and unconvinced looks, my command as the lordling of their kind, were enough for them to trust me fully, as they untied Zhang Zhigui. He got up, flexing his arms, although he still had a skeptical and dull look. Still, he bowed to me, "It has been quite some time since we''ve met, Brother Shiyan." "I''m sorry for all these, Zhigui," I muttered, with an embarrassed look myself, "Had I known that you are the help that the weasels have sought, I would have stayed my hand." I gestured towards Edelweiss, "This is my girlfriend, Alatan Qiqige. Please forgive us for any dissatisfaction that you''ve felt." Considering Edelweiss'' propensity for aggression, I was almost certain that he must have had quite a beating, after being caught by Edelweiss earlier.


    I almost burst into laughter when I saw Zhang Zhigui''s dumbstruck look, when he heard me saying that the vehement female brute who had abducted him, was my girlfriend. I could have sworn that I saw a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face, and I chuckled, "What an embarrassing farce this is. To think that the strife between the foxes and weasels involved even us... What a burlesque irony..." I could not bear to continue, but Zhang Zhigui remarked, grinning apologetically himself, "I was still seething with anger just now, fretting at my defeat. But now that I know it is you, that changes things! You are indeed a cut above all of us!"


    What he had just said might have sounded fine. More so, since he had been taken captive by our side. But I honestly did not think so. "You''re being modest, Zhigui. That was you earlier, is it not? Releasing the paper birds into the air just now? That regeneration magic you were using earlier; that alone is miles beyond what I am capable of." Zhang Zhigui chuckled weakly. He said nothing, but merely pointed to the hill behind us. I immediately swirled around and looked. The hill, which formerly had lush and dense vegetation, as a result from Zhang Zhigui''s magic earlier, had returned to normal, reverting to being barren and scraggy!


    Edelweiss and I exclaimed with surprise. Then Zhang Zhigui began to explain. "You have been too kind, Shiyan. I know nothing about any rejuvenation magic. This is only a little Zhuyou magic which temporarily accelerates the growth of plants and other fauna." I could almost hear myself uttering a "Wow." So there is definitely more than meets the eye with this Zhuyou magic, that it can even manipulate nature in such ways. Moreover, Old Man Xie had mentioned that Zhang Zhigui could hardly be considered a skilful user of the mysterious and yet wondrous shamanistic magic. But to be able to employ such quaint sorcery was enough to earn my admiration and respect.


    As we spoke, we were joined by Lu Bugong, Chongxi and Lin Feng, and a little while later, Yan Jishi came huffing and puffing, as he had hiked up from the other side. With all seven of us together, the entire debacle had safely come to an end. But our talking and chatting together sent the foxes and weasels into fits of disbelief and shock. Even Lao Tao could not hide his confusion, when he came up the hill and saw us. Requesting from us an explanation of what was going on, we began a lengthy tale, beginning from how we knew each other. We watched with hilarity as the expressions on the faces of Lao Tao, the foxes, and the weasels shifted and changed like the four seasons. Feeling amused, I regarded the wizened, old weasel, "If only you had told me about them. It would have saved us all the trouble." Seeing how friendly we were, the old weasel''s head sank bashfully. At the same time, Zhang Zhigui was also exchanging courtesies with the leader of the foxes, whose head also hung over his shoulders shyly.


    With a sit-down to talk everything out, the truth finally came to light: when the weasels just arrived from Yizhou City, it was the foxes of the Ridge, not they, who had first initiated hostilities. To made it worse, the foxes came to me for help, when their efforts to despotize the immigrant weasels failed miserably. What an awkward farce! I was so ashamed that I wanted to look for a hole to bury myself in! But as if on a cue, Zhang Zhigui saved me from dying from embarrassment, by snarling loudly at the old gnarly weasel, "AND YOU DID NOT TELL ME ABOUT THE PETTY CRIMES YOUR OFFSPRINGS ARE COMMITTING!" The weasel swallowed hard and began yammering incomprehensibly, all the while addressing Zhigui as a chief or some sort.


    "Wait a minute," I stopped them, "Zhigui? What ''chief'' is this? Are you the chief of a tribe or a clan now?" Zhang Zhigui smiled. "I''m afraid much has happened since we last met, Shiyan. But this is hardly a suitable place for a lengthy conversation. Let''s go somewhere for a drink. My treat. I should buy you all a drink."


    "Not this again," I chuckled, "You are all guests here. Let this also be a gesture of reparation for what my girlfriend has done." But Zhigui immediately rambled on about his morals forbidding him from accepting a treat from me, and I shot a knowing look at Lao Tao, who quickly caught my gist, and bowed to Zhang Zhigui. "Please, Master Zhang. More so, since Master Shiyan had already insisted. Let this also be a gesture of apology from me too. I should admit that I have been too lenient with the foxes of the Ridge, and have been biased in my judgments." Lao Tao''s voice bore not only the authority of sound common sense, but also his clout as the Mountain Deity here, obliging Zhigui to relent. "Very well, Lord Mountain Deity. It shall be as you command, and I humbly accept your hospitality."


    We adjourned to a lavish tavern in the subterranean village, and Zhang Zhigui, with his companions, had nothing but wondrous compliments for this exotic drinking hole which was constructed and established to resemble a true tavern from the bygone age of the Qing Dynasty, something that clearly appealed greatly to Zhigui''s tastes. He was agape with amazement when he stepped through the doors of the tavern, extremely pleased to be here.


    Everything, even the tableware, were modeled after articles of antiquity from the ancient years, and this was beginning to turn out as a tremendous delight for him. But by contrast, the four of us were hardly flustered by the authenticity of the furnishings of the tavern; we had been here the day before. Lao Tao got up, raising his glass like a host receiving his guests. "Everyone. Please accept my apology for the lack of hospitality and the troubles that everyone had to endure. Please, cheers." We emptied our cups and refilled them with liquor again, and we began toasting each other. After a few rounds, Zhang Zhigui began his tale on what happened.


    Just before we last parted, Old Man Xie appeared at our meal with Zhang Zhigui, to hand him a letter. A letter from his home. After reading it, Zhigui was aghast with shock and apprehension. As it turned out, the letter was to let him know about the passing of his grandfather, the former chief of Clan Zhang of Yizhou City. The letter also contained the summons from his family, bidding him to return quickly to assume the leadership of the family affairs as the new Chief. This made me confused. "Why was he the new Chief, instead of his father following the death of his grandfather? " But I stayed my lips and refrained from encroaching into what seemed to be a private family matter.


    Zhigui then explained that he too, believed that he was too young for a role so important and significant, him being a mere novice shamanic healer in a small village. But Old Man Xie, who was also his uncle, insisted that he go with him to his home. He nominated Zhigui as the head of the clan, a notion which was especially taken with contempt by the rest of Zhigui''s family. But in the old ways, the suggestion was only a right and sound one, for Zhigui was the direct heir in the primogeniture of the leadership of the clan. This claim was especially substantiated by Old Man Xie''s appearance, who immediately silenced any detractors. Clearly, Old Man Xie was a greatly respected figure among Clan Zhang of Yizhou City.


    With that, the transition of power ensued smoothly enough for Zhang Zhigui to be appointed the new Chief of Clan Zhang, where he then became privy to a great many secrets he never knew before. One of those included the mysterious cult, the Order of Pain''s purpose in targeting Zhang Zhigui, and by extension his family, while also including the weasel colony in Yizhou City, who was allied to Zhang Zhigui and his clan.


    The bond between Clan Zhang and the weasels began centuries ago, when an ancestor of Clan Zhang rescued a weasel who was on the brink of drowning, at the site of Yishui River. Weasels are not known to love water, although they can swim. But that weasel was on the verge of drowning due to a predestined tribulation, and the ancestor''s timely appearance saved it. This forged a tie of friendship between their kind and Clan Zhang; an alliance that would endure forever. Hence in their need, the weasels came to Clan Zhang for help, and likewise, Zhang Zhigui was obliged to heed their call.


    Finally, the curtains finally closed on the whole debacle of the Battle of the Yellow Soil Ridge. Like us, Zhang Zhigui and his friends were oblivious to our involvement in this matter. But it was hardly surprising, considering that the whole Yellow Soil Ridge falls under the municipal jurisdiction of Zunhua City, which was considerably farther from Wu Zhong. Zhang Zhigui ended his tale and looked at me, tacitly hoping for a tale from me this time about what happened.


    I took a mouthful of liquor and began. "Well, after we''ve parted, we went to Inner Mongolia..." And we recounted our adventures in Mongolia to Zhang Zhigui and his companions, with emphasis on the parts of Ha''ri Naohai. Zhang Zhigui nodded grimly, agreeing to our cautions that he needed to be careful. Then I went on, "Then later, Edelweiss ¨C that is, Ala here ¨C and I was..."


    When my story ended, I said, "Everything here actually begun when a few of the weasels ¨C naive and impulsive, I might add ¨C stole some chickens from some farmers..." I embarked on a lengthy but concise version of the prologue of this whole fracas. I felt it better that some facts were omitted so that Zhang Zhigui can retain his dignity.


    Zhigui was silent when our side of the story ended. He did not know what else to say. But Yan Jishi broke the awkwardness, saying, "Errr... Wait up, Shiyan. We seem to have missed the part where you became the lordling of these foxes?"

 Chapter 168 The Chief of Clan Zhang

    One way or the other, Yan Jishi was not only a talker, but also a curious one, albeit with his regular bursts of expletives. What he pointed out quickly piqued the interests of Lu Bugong and Zhang Zhigui, all of whom began to stare at me strangely.


    I merely smiled and slowly reached for my glass, and called for another toast. Another quiet round of cigarettes ensued before I finally began my tale, "I think Old Man Xie might have forgotten to tell you that my father, Murong Hai, is not my biological father. Of course, my mother is not my biological mother as well." All three of me fixed me with a dumb and bewildered look. But a dawning expression formed on Lu Bugong''s face, then he asked hesitantly, "Shiyan, are you... are you a fox demon in human form?"


    "Cough!" I almost choked from the fumes of my cigarette when I heard him. "What in the world had led this dumb fool to think of this?" But Yan Jishi and Zhang Zhigui wore the exact same expression as Lu Bugong, obviously sharing the same notion that they thought I was a non-human masquerading as one.


    Edelweiss was already stifling her urge to burst out laughing, and so was Chongxi and Lin Feng, who were all equally entertained by the notion that I was a demon. All three of them merely giggled, instead of trying to help explain, leaving me to face my predicament alone. But their wry demeanor led Zhang Zhigui and his companions back into a state of daze and bewilderment again, wondering if they had spoken out of turn. At last, I spoke, "I am a human through and through. For real. But... but my parents are not." "HUH?!" Yan Jishi cried, his mouth hanging open in shock. "There''s no need for such surprise," I said, grinning, "My father was once human. But, by his words, he had attained immortality for Heaven knows how long. As is my mother. But she was not formerly human, but a white fox. Hence, in the eyes of the foxes today, she is a living ancestor; a matriarchal ancestor whom they still worshipped, so that makes me their ''lordling''."


    I paused just in time to see Zhang Zhigui and his friends taking a long deep breath with their eyes wide opened. Despite their being fellow practitioners of arcane magic and sorcery like us, they clearly did not take what I said well, wrestling with their beliefs and realities pertaining to the truths about demigods, immortals, and demons. Seconds passed in stiff silence, and I decided to shatter the ice. "Actually, I am beginning to have some ideas about my history." I got up and took my sword, unsheathed it, and placed it on the table for everyone to see. "Look at these two runic words that said "Shiyan." My father told me that he met a gravely-injured Taoist priest, during one of his pilgrimages with Mother. It was then when he first found me. I was still a baby then. A toddler wrapped in a bundle of cloth, carried on the priest''s back, along with this sword..."


    Zhang Zhigui interjected suddenly. "Wait a minute. I am hardly a true student of lore and legends, but I did notice something in the archives of my family... something about the word "Shiyan." According to legend, the five Wufang Shangdis ¨C collectively, Qing Di of the West, Bai Di of the East, Yan Di of the South, Xuan Di of the North, and Huang Di of the Center ¨C each of them have magical swords of their own. Each were named after the color they represent. The swords were named..." I interrupted this time, continuing in his stead, "Shiqing, Shibai, Shiyan, Shixuan, and Shihuang." That left Zhang Zhigui''s mouth hanging wide open again, but he quickly nodded.


    We looked around and everyone else were dumbstruck; stunned by our exchange and the revelation we shared. Yan Jishi''s and Lu Bugong''s eyes were threatening to pop out of their sockets, when Zhang Zhigui hesitantly went on, "Shiyan. If my guess is true... It''s possible that... it''s possible that might be a descendant of Yan Di of the South, a son from the lost ancient clan Shennong." I nodded. It was something that I came to know not long ago, and I too suspected that it might be true.


    Zhang Zhigui cleared his mouth with a gulp of liquor. "It is either coincidence or providence that there was some information about these five swords kept in the archives of my family, especially the two ancient monarchs Yandi and Huangdi. According to Chinese mythology, Yandi and Huangdi together joined their powers to defeat the tribal leader of the ancient Nine Li Tribe, Chiyou. With the swords Shiyan and Shihuang, the monarchs slew Chiyou by beheading him. And yet here we are, with this sword name Shiyan in our presence. Could it actually be the very same sword from the legends..." Zhang Zhigui''s eyes slowly wandered to the Shiyan Blade. I turned it over, handing the hilt to him, allowing him to have a closer look.


    Zhang Zhigui received the sword and began studying it. With his companions, they began examining it intently, muttering nonstop about how handsome the sword looked, despite its ancient design. Knowing nothing about archaeology, I could scarcely deduce the age of the Shiyan Blade. But Lu Bugong knew a little about the study of ancient and intrinsically valuable items. He inspected the sword with great detail, swinging it around and weighing it, before he finally nodded to Zhigui, indicating his satisfaction that Zhigui''s deductions could well be true.


    However, I might be the only one hardly taken aback by the background story, for I have discovered them myself some time ago. Rather, Zhang Zhigui and his friends have never stopped drowning in waves after waves of astonishment and epiphany, since they sat down. Then I noticed Lao Tao. He had never once uttered a word since we began recounting our stories, and sharing about what we know about my sword. But I would then discover some time later that Lao Tao must have had knowledge pertaining to my identity, although he must have his reasons for keeping quiet. What a fool I was then!


    Suddenly, Lin Feng asked Yan Jishi. "Yishi, I have something that I do not understand." The latter turned, and said, "What is it, Lin Feng?" Lin Feng fell silent, wondering how he should piece his question together and asked, "The humanoid golems and huge black hounds are all your magic, are they not?" Yan Jishi responded with a nod. "We know that they have no corporeal bodies of their own, and they crumble to dust at the slightest impact. But we encountered a black tiger when we were running back uphill. That tiger was a true tiger. Despite a strong kick from me, it did not crumble into dust like your paper golems and familiars. What magic did you cast on that tiger?"


    Then Edelweiss quipped suddenly, "Indeed! There''s also Lu Bugong''s horse! That''s a truly strong stallion! Hardly a wisp of fume or a whiff of dust." Yan Jishi stared at them for a split-second, before he shared a quick look with Lu Bugong and they grinned playfully at each other. "It''s quite a story. But here''s the short version: this is a fusion technique that Bugong and I came up with! What do you think? Is it any good?"


    As it turned out, Yan Jishi had an inspiration during a funeral he attended. He saw the papier-mach¨¦ figurines used during the funeral, and had an inspiration, which he then discussed with Lu Bugong. Hence they came up with an idea: Lu Bugong would first build a frame with wood, before Yan Jishi formed the likeness of his figurines with his very own papier-mach¨¦ material. Coupled with his enchantments, this would allow Yan Jishi to summon paper minions with actual corporeal forms.


    Similar to how humans burn offertory effigies and sacrifices with hopes that they would appear in the Underworld for the use of their dead loved ones, Yan Jishi possessed the innate magical ability to animate to life anything that he burned. This was only because this magical ability was bestowed upon his birth as a member of a family of Hell Guards, which allowed them to be conduits between the Mortal Plane and the Underworld. As for Lu Bugong, whose ancestor was fabled to be the legendary engineer and artificer Lu Ban, he did not find his calling as a craftsman until he completed his university. He had returned home one day following his graduation, and since that night, he had been visited by an old wilted man in his dreams, who began teaching him woodworking. Strangely, that was also when his hair started to turn white. When the old man finally taught him his final lesson, it was also the day when his hair turned fully white. There had been speculations that the old wizened man, was in fact their mythical ancestor Lu Ban, but no one could tell for sure.


    In Eastern esotericism, woodworkers are known to wield some knowledge of magic. Furthermore, Lu Bugong''s skills in carpentry and magic, which were imparted to him by the mysterious old man in his dreams, hardly used any nails at all. His crafts relied solely on the Lu Ban Lock, an ingenious design by his ancestor. Unlike the Lu Ban Locks we now see being sold in the markets and stores as toys, the actual Lu Ban Lock was integral in Chinese wooden architecture, its design bearing the hallmarks of various Chinese mystical disciplines and teachings. Hence, only the combination of Lu Bugong''s skills and Yan Jishi''s abilities could make such a feat of turning paper figurines into actual living beings, possible.


    Our talk then shifted back to Zhang Zhigui, where he revealed that he had recently clashed again with the mysterious cult, the Order of Pain. It was during the rites for his deceased grandfather, after the seventh day of his death.


    We knew about the fixated grudge that the Order of Pain had for Zhang Zhigui, although we knew not their reason. The truth behind the Order''s hatred towards Clan Zhang was made clear when Zhigui went home. At his deathbed, Zhigui''s grandfather revealed to him the truths of their clan and all the secrets they had been guarding, including the tale of his duel against the leader of the Order many years ago, where, by a stroke of luck, he was able to undo the magic of the latter, and injured him gravely. This would culminate in the Order''s deep hatred for Zhang Zhigui. They have sworn an oath to end the line of Clan Zhang by killing the sole male heir of the clan, Zhang Zhigui himself.


    When the Order''s leader discovered about the death of Zhang Zhigui''s grandfather, he had plotted to abduct his soul for revenge. Little did they realize that the three Champions of Yishui were not the only guards present during the ritual to make sure everything went smoothly; Xie Bingyi, one of the infamous Triune of Wu Zhong was also there. Despite the suddenness of their assault, the Order, with the help of Clans Lu and Yan, where two of the three Champions hailed from, was ignominiously routed.


    Then came a short period of peace that hardly lasted for long, for the weasels then came, imploring for Zhang Zhigui''s help.


    We began talking about the Battle of the Yellow Soil Ridge, and I remembered how easy it was for Edelweiss to restrain Zhang Zhigui and took him captive. "I remember you have formidable skills yourself, Zhigui," I asked, "How was it possible that you were so utterly defenseless against Edelweiss?" It was hardly out of courtesy that I said so, because I knew that Zhang Zhigui had magic and skills of his own, both of which were awesome and impressive as well.


    Instead, Zhang Zhigui grinned weakly and pointed his nose before he gasped aloud, "Alas!"

 Chapter 169 News

    Edelweiss and I were equally confused when Zhang Zhigui pointed at his own nose, grimacing with a smile. Suddenly, a rosy-red patch blazed on his cheeks and suddenly he was silent, giving only a tacit response.


    "Come on, Zhigui," Yan Jishi, the expletive-vending machine roared with laughter, "Did you not always brag about how strong your sense of smell can be? How did you fail this time?"


    As it turned out, that was Zhang Zhigui that we saw from the top of the hill, reaching a hand into the noxious and miasmic haze before he took out some face masks and applied some medicine on it. From atop the crest of the hill, that was all that we saw. What we did not know was, Zhigui had sniffed at the smell of the haze, hoping that he might know something about it.


    Unlike the conventional methods of "Watching, Listening, Inquiring, and Examining" of traditional Chinese medicine, the healing skills Zhang Zhigui learned included smelling, which ironically shared the same Chinese word as "Listening." This was due to his gifted sense of smelling and his years of honing this very sense which has always made him proud of. Some might even argue that his sense of smell was as good as a hound. But little did he expect that I would release the noxious miasmic gas which was excreted by fox demons...


    "Alas... This trick of yours, Shiyan, was a natural counter against me that I was immediately robbed of the use of my most precious sense. And being unable to see in the haze, I was no more useful than a cripple..." Zhang Zhigui admitted, his face burning brightly in red.


    With that, Zhang Zhigui and his companions stayed in the subterranean village for a day to help ease the tensions between the foxes and the weasels before he led the weasels back to Yizhou City. Then I went to Lao Tao. "I remember the immortal who calls himself Master Six had sent a weasel here. But I have yet to notice its presence here during my stay? Am I right in guessing that the weasels from Yizhou City were here because they wished that it might help to speak to you on their behalf to let them stay?" Lao Tao giggled, "Then it might interest you to know that that weasel has never once come out of its lair since coming here. It must be the rebuke by the demigod Master Six that it is now afraid of causing more trouble. I was surprised myself that it never once showed itself even when its kin from Yizhou City was here. But I suppose it''s afraid of incurring the wrath of any more powerful beings and entities. "But that weasel is older than even you, Lord Mountain Deity,¡± I mused quietly. Then again, this weasel must be a sharp and cunning one. It must have long realized that the appearance of its kin here and everything that followed was more than an interspecies squabble and it had correctly predicted that somehow I would be involved.


    The rest of us enjoyed another two days in the lost paradise of Yellow Soil Ridge before we took our leave and said our farewells to Lao Tao to return to Wu Zhong. During our parting, Lao Tao, with a retinue of various demons and sprites, had accompanied us all the way to a nature resort just outside of the Ridge where we parted and said our thanks for their hospitality. But I could not help but feel worried for them; imagine the panic setting loose on the media if anyone were to notice such a large troupe of demons loitering about in daylight!


    We went back to the resort. For the past few days, we had left our car there before we ventured into the wilderness of the Ridge. The proprietor of the resort was overjoyed and anxious to meet us. "Heavens! I was going to call the police! Where have you been!? I thought you were lost in the Ridge or somewhere!" I merely smiled and said nothing. His reaction was understandable, and hence forgivable, although we would dispense with providing him any details.


    We arrived back at our Center in the afternoon and the first thing we did was to recharge our phone batteries. Our phones had long gone dead for the past few days. But as soon as our phones were powered on, they began buzzing, ringing and vibrating uncontrollably. Edelweiss'' phone was peppered with advertisements while Lin Feng''s and Chongxi''s were undoubtedly packed with messages and emails from Yuanyuan and Xiao Yu. But when mine was on, I was surprised to find my phone buzzing as well! It was all messages from Zheng Shuang, asking for me and telling me that something bad had happened!


    I immediately placed a call to Zheng Shuang. "Hey, Zheng Shuang, it''s me." He was relieved to finally hear my voice. "Oh my God! Shiyan?! Where have you been!? Why is your phone dead!? I was so worried?!" "Relax," I said, "I was busy for the past few days and had been away from Wu Zhong for a few days." But before I could say anymore, Zheng Shuang''s voice had come from the other end of the phone. "Where are you now? The Center? Wait, I''m coming right over now!"


    Within just ten minutes, Zheng Shuang''s car screeched to a halt just outside our door.


    Zheng Shuang stormed through the doors, his hands digging deep into his pockets as he moved. When he came to me, he showed me his phone, displaying a news article. "This news has been blazing through the entire region east of the capital for the past few days! Look at this video footage!" I looked into the screen, frowning slightly at Zheng Shuang''s anxiety. But when I saw the video, I immediately held my breath. It was footage recorded somewhere in the outback, depicting millions of weasels scurrying in innumerable numbers like an army of locusts! From above, their number looked so great that they blanketed the entire landscape from horizon to horizon, sweeping through everything; fields, residential compounds, and even roads! The lands everywhere turned brownish-yellow from the coats of their fur and it was nothing short of amazing or even awesome! I scrolled up and saw the title saying "Disaster or Apocalypse: Legions of Weasels Mustering in Zunhua City!" My hand shuddered that I almost dropped the phone. But I quickly placed it down and asked Zheng Shuang, "When did this video turn viral?"


    Zheng Shuang must have noticed something from my expression. Grimly, he said, "About five days ago. It was uploaded to the Internet five days ago and the clicks have never stopped. Even the local papers began reporting about this the following day. As Zunhua City was only nearby Wu Zhong, the bizarre phenomenon has captured the attention of the authorities of all cities and towns in the vicinity. Who knows what could become of this?!" Before I know it, Zheng Shuang opened another video clip for me with another intriguing title, "Accelerated Growth of Vegetation at the Foothills in Yellow Soil Ridge While Shrouded in Dark Haze"


    "Someone had noticed Zhang Zhigui''s rejuvenation magic and had recorded it on video!?" I could not help feeling a knot forming in my gut. "Were we caught on video too?! Oh Heavens, this cannot be! We''d never be able to explain ourselves!"


    At the same time, Lin Feng, Chongxi, Edelweiss huddled over to see what I was looking at. As soon as they saw the screen of the phone I was holding, I heard only long and heavy breaths from them as they looked on from over my shoulders like their very breaths had been robbed from them. "Where do we go from here?" I asked under my breath. "A joint task force between the authorities of the surrounding cities and towns and Zunhua City has been formed to investigate this matter. But so far, there has yet to be any headway. I was there yesterday with some other officers from other municipal districts but we found nothing either. But even the experts can come up with no explanation about what happened and this has unsettled a great many hearts. If the investigations continue to yield no results, I fear..." Zheng Shuang''s voice broke, but he spoke again, his voice renewed, "In truth, I care nothing about all that. But I was wondering if this could be the work of some monster or demon? Surely this is only my imagination?"


    We almost burst out laughing when we heard him. He was looking confused as I got up and patted him on the shoulders. "Heh heh heh... Relax. Those are not demons. I was the one who conjured the dark noxious haze at the hills." And I went on with a summary of what happened during the Battle of the Yellow Soil Ridge.


    "Oh my God, Shiyan! Look at what you''ve done!! How would you expect me to get by this now! The higher-ups are hot at our heels, chasing us for answers! We''d be in trouble if we cannot find a proper explanation for all this!!"


    I scratched my head and said, "Can''t you just dismiss the video as fake?" "Would that I could. But the person who uploaded the clip had stressed that his video is true and he had looked for a professional to verify that for good measure. There''s no way I can throw it out the door and call it a fake now. No one would believe this! Moreover, he''s not the only one then to witness everything!"


    Chongxi and Lin Feng were quiet now, having doubts of their own. Edelweiss was however smoking casually as she chuckled. "That should be easy. Just call your experts to come up with some reason or whatever. That should do." "That''s easy for you to say, Sister," Lin Feng added, "No one is as daft as that!"


    But what Edelweiss said inspired an idea. "Wait up. Relax. I got an idea. But we''ll need your expert to agree with us. Can you give me the contact for the expert? I''ll need to speak to him."


    Zheng Shuang stared at me wordlessly for a couple of seconds before he pondered a while. At last he said, "Well, giving you the contact of the expert is easy enough. But how do you expect to explain everything to him, Shiyan?" I giggled. "What else? The truth, of course."

 Chapter 170 Professor Zhang

    Zheng Shuang''s superiors must have been pressing down on him so greatly that he immediately brought us to his station without question.


    The Deputy Director was also overjoyed and relieved when Zheng Shuang reported to him that I have come up with a way for them to explain the incident. "Personally, I myself failed to make out why was this incident related to the police? Since when does "natural phenomenon" like this fall under the jurisdiction of the police?" Then I heard how serious this matter had become: the higher-ups of the authorities had deemed this case so serious that this task force involved not only the city police forces but also the county-level headquarters.


    But I was too young to understand the significance of this. It was only when I was reminiscing this incident with an older Zheng Shuang many many years later, when I finally got it. It was only human behavior. Fear and panic would sweep a community when faced with the inexplicable and incomprehensible. Thus, the authorities would have no other ways but to act, or be seen to be acting to it to restore order and peace.


    But that would be a subject of discussion for another day.


    The expert that Zheng Shuang introduced us was a local geologist who was famous in the country. He had come all the way from the capital and had temporarily taken up residence in Zunhua City. But he was also a stubborn and intransigent person who would have no other way but the truth and only the truth. Sadly, it was this very temperament of his that later posed a good many hindrances to resolving this matter.


    The sky was dark at night when we met the man in a motel. Apparently, the old professor had refused the lodgings that the city had arranged for him, instead insisting to stay on his own initiative. When he first saw us, he misunderstood who we were. Accompanied by a few of the officers when we arrived, he saw us through the door and asked, "You kids are the ones who had witnessed the scene and took the recording, did you? Come on, tell me what you saw?!" We were stunned and Zheng Shuang hastily explained, "Err... Professor, these are not the people who uploaded the video clip. They are..." He paused to look at the few other officers who were from the Zunhua City police force, not knowing how he should continue.


    The Professor stared strangely at us before his eyes twinkled as he understood Zheng Shuang''s intention. He waved at the other officers escorting us. "Please, officers. I''d like a moment with these young chaps."


    So all of the police officers, Zheng Shuang included, were huffed out of the room, even with the protests of the officers who tried vainly to reason to the old man about safety and security. At last the door shut, with only five of us in the room, the white-bristled man turned to regard us briefly before he spoke. "Speak. What do you four know about? Truth be told, I doubt there''s anything these days that will surprise an old man like me. But even I could make nothing of this. Tell me. Is there more to this than a simple natural phenomenon?"


    I nodded. "What an old fox you are, eh?" The old man was able to guess much just from Zheng Shuang''s hesitant mumbles. I smiled at him wryly and nodded silently. His eyes twinkled again with interest and enthusiasm. "Heh heh heh heh! I knew it! I knew it when the captain contacted me, saying that somebody wishes to speak to me. What else could it be? Surely you''re not here to ask an old senile like me to tea?" "So Zheng Shuang merely told Professor Zhang that some people wished to speak to him," I mused, "And he had intentionally omitted the purpose of our visit. But this old man was able to correctly divine who it was who wished to speak to him!"


    I would have immediately spewed everything to him, including my idea of how should we resolve this matter. But it was hardly something that I could be open with him. Instead, I began by asking, "Mr. Zhang, have you ever considered the possibility that what happened at the Yellow Soil Ridge was something inexplicable by science?"


    The white stubbles of whiskers on the old man''s face rattled as he let loose a chuckle. "Of course I did. There have been instances such as the mysterious rays of light over the top of Mount Emei, and the haunted forest at the foot of Paektu Mountain; some of the many things once considered mythical and beyond the comprehension of humankind. But these have all been debunked by our country''s top scientists of different fields and studies. Hence, I am sure that we will also discover the scientific and logical explanation behind the sudden growth in the vegetation of the Ridge despite the cold season!" Lin Feng giggled and said, "Be that as it may, old man. But how would you explain the crop circle mysteries, the UFO sightings, and the hanging Pantuo Rock? What about the Beijing Wanggongchang Explosion in 1626? The giant skeleton found at Mount Kunlun? The mysterious island near the Spratly Islands first seen in 1933? The 1988 Nanfu battery found in Dunhuang in 1965? The Death Valley of Kunlun? And the sightings of lightning streaking across the skies of Shanghai two years ago where there were speculations that someone was trying to endure the Crucible of Heaven?" Like a Gatling gun, Lin Feng hurled examples after examples at the old professor, finally putting to good use all the strange and unsolved mysteries that he had been so interested in reading about.


    There was virtually no way that science could explain the events which Lin Feng had listed out, although we could. Take the discovery of the Nanfu battery at Dunhuang, for example. We knew that demigods or immortals with powers such as Master Six''s could travel back in time with apparent ease. The Death Valley at Kunlun, come to think of it, was hardly different from the Labyrinthian Canyon that Zhu Mei had enchanted with his Windchaser magic. Then there were also the sightings of the mysterious island in 1933; that, for all we knew, could have been another demigod or immortal performing his or her magic by conjuring a piece of land in the middle of the sea and the event must have been witnessed by someone.


    But the old man was overwhelmed into speechlessness by Lin Feng''s retorts. Until he broke into laughter, a roaring, thunderous laughter! This time, it was our turn to be flabbergasted! The old man continued sniggering as he produced a box of teabags and made us tea. He chuckled again. "Good, very good! I''m pleased that you are so interested in all these, young lad!" I nudged Lin Feng in the ribs and whispered, "Hey, did you just drive him nuts by your machine-gun-like peppering?"


    The old professor burst into another peal of laughter. "No, no, no! I''m nowhere as nuts as any of you! I am really glad! The things that you just mentioned..." He looked at Lin Feng and continued, "Indeed, we cannot explain most, if not all, of them. Some of them may just be myths or hoaxes, but I daresay that scientists today like me do indeed have no way to explain them!" He pointed a bony finger at Lin Feng. "And it all falls to young people like you to unravel these secrets!" And he continued guffawing again!


    But I was still confused. I interrupted immediately. "Wait a minute. Professor, we''re not here to talk about unraveling mysteries and secrets. We''re here to discuss with you about what happened at Yellow Soil Ridge. Is there any way you can attribute this incident as "unexplainable" or "inexplicable?" I''ll be direct¡ªthere''s no way you''d find any scientific way to expound what happened then. This is why we are here. To implore upon your authority to keep things under wraps lest panic and fear will spread."


    The old man eyed me suspiciously. "He must be wondering if we were behind what happened!" But I knew better than to keep the truth from him. "I''ll be frank. You might not believe in the paranormal. But what happened was just exactly that!"


    The old man slammed a fist into his table. "NONSENSE! How can young people like you believe in such rubbish!" My head shook as I sighed, exasperated. It was as I feared; the old man was a stubborn intransigent unless we pummel some sense into him. I took out a pair of glasses; the ones Father gave me last year. It functioned like a set of lenses that allowed mortals to see spiritual beings like ghosts and wraiths. The old man saw me producing the glasses and barked, "What''s this! Save it! There''s no way I''ll believe in all that nonsense!" I ignored him, smiling weakly as I used a talisman to activate a pseudo-Divine Sight while handing the set of glasses to the old professor.


    That was because Professor Zhang was of an advanced age that did not permit the consumption or use of any talismanic charms. Hence, the glasses were the only viable alternative for him to glimpse the supernatural. I walked to the window and opened it, looking out to find a few wandering spirits drifting aimlessly about. Satisfied that they looked harmless enough, I was hardly perturbed to find them, but an impatient Professor Zhang grumbled, "What are you up to, boy!?"


    Just then, one of the ghosts drifted by under the window. Realizing my chance, I shouted at him, "Hey! You there! Yeah, you! Come here!"


    Two minutes later, the old professor was sitting in his room, his mouth hanging wide, stunned beyond words. Somehow, we were beginning to worry; it was a relief for us that the appearance of a ghost did not scare the living daylights out of him, but he might be caught up in despair as the very foundations of his belief system could crumble!


    The old man stared wordlessly at the ghost for so long that we could have thought that he had truly gone mad. But the ghost turned to me suddenly and asked, "So, what is the reason for summoning me here, dear sir?"

 Chapter 171 A New Year

    The sudden question caught every one of us unawares that even Professor Zhang awoke from his torpid stupor. He slowly plucked off the glasses, as if to speak something, but upon finding that he could not see the ghost without the glasses, he put them back on.


    He peered at the ghost hesitantly and said, "Er... I have to ask... Are you human or...?" The ghost tossed a funny look at him. "Of course I''m a ghost. You think I''d like to be one?!" And that almost made us all cackled. "It''s all right," I cut in, saying, "This old man does not believe in ghosts. So I''m only trying to demonstrate to him the existence of ghosts. It''s all right now. You may go." Despite showing its annoyance, the ghost would never dare to do anything; not when I''m here. But when it was about to leave, Chongxi took out a stack of joss papers and went to the balcony of the room and burned them. "Here''s for your trouble." That seemed to have swayed the ghost''s mood somehow and it left jovially in the end.


    Professor Zhang had been watching everything in silence, his gaze still trained upon the empty balcony even after the ghost had left. I walked up to him and offered him a cigarette. "So, old man, it''s time you believe what I said then?" Professor Zhang opened his mouth, trying to speak, but the words seemed to have stuck in his throat.


    "Well, it''s not only ghosts. Even demons, demigods, and other supernatural beings exist too, although much of the tales you''ve heard about them are mostly exaggerated. But what happened at Yellow Soil Ridge was, in point of fact, a paranormal incident. I''d not dare to say that you cannot explain it by using science, but not today. I''m afraid the present comprehension of science that Human now wields has not yet reached that depth."


    "Paranormal events are not fake science; like the dark side of the moon, they belong to the other face of science which Human has not yet to discover and pry into. Science is defined as the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment, and paranormal events are definitely part of our natural world as well!"


    The old professor did not know how he should react. Here he was, a young lad who was not even half his age, trying to convince him that the world was not what he had always believed it to be! It took moments before he finally moved again, his expression curdling into a frown. "Boy. You came to see me, and you showed me all this. What do you want?" I almost belched my cigarette. "Does he still not get what I said earlier?!" Still, I answered as politely as I could. "We are here to request that you act upon your authority as an expert to come up with a pretense to keep this matter under wraps. The paranormal world must remain hidden, at least for now. The public is still not able to understand all this lest panic and anarchy erupt. Take this from us, for this is what we do. This is what we deal in." I proceeded by giving the old professor an account of what happened during the Battle of Yellow Soil Ridge, and he listened closely, although I wondered how much could he take in. Nevertheless, it was enough for him to reluctantly agree in the end.


    His response was only understandable; the psychological toll now felt by the old professor was too much for him and following today, he might never have any difficulty in believing anything anymore from now on. That said, his still-clinging existence desperation drove him to agree to our request for his help.


    A few days later, Professor Zhang appeared in a television science program aired by Central Television. It was a special centered upon Zunhua City, featuring the incidents at Yellow Soil Ridge. The professor first began by explaining the geology of the Ridge, revealing that the phenomenon of the dark haze and the sudden growth of green in winter were caused due to the unusual ground conditions and the weather there. Then, true to his word, the professor began saying, "This is nothing short of a miracle in terms of both geology and meteorology, that such a place on each fulfills the conditions for the phenomenon to take place. One can easily dismiss this as ludicrous, but it is veritably logical at the same time. But it''s a random event and there is no way for us to predict if such phenomenon might take place again, here or anywhere else in the country." The hairs of my arm immediately stood when I heard his final sentence. "Was he hinting that I might be causing the same incident again one day in some other place?"


    But the host of the program was reluctant to let it go. "But Professor Zhang, how would you explain the sudden large-scale exodus of the weasels?" And the professor went on, "Animals have the sense more acute than us humans. They are able to sense the change in weather even before we humans can. In truth, it''s not only the weasels who were immigrating. It''s just that weasels are the prime predators atop the food chain here in the Ridge, hence when they move in such great numbers..." The professor''s scientific prevarication went on until the television host was finally convinced. "I see!" The host exclaimed at the end of the show, "So, thank you, Professor Zhang, for your time today. Your explanations on this mystery have restored hope and confidence to us. So, ladies and gentlemen..." By then, I could not help but feel guilty; the professor had piled layers of lies on another to help us to keep the public placated while putting his own standing and honor at stake.


    I turned off the TV and saw Lin Feng and Chongxi struggling to hold back their laughter. It did not take long for the professor to reach us; my phone rang a few hours later and I heard his glowering voice, "I''m sure you''ve seen my appearance on TV, boy? At the risk of my reputation and integrity, I''ve done the unthinkable by lying on national TV! Let this be the first and the last time I see you!" "I''d hope not, Professor!" I quipped, "Who knows what might come up next time! We might need your help again!" I could hear that the Professor hardly begrudged us on his troubles; he merely scoffed before he ended the call.


    Zheng Shuang''s visits continued for the next few days as he scrambled back and forth to provide us with reports. The furor slowly subsided as the heat slowly ebbed away and everything was back to normal, all thanks to the prattling of Professor Zhang on TV. But the site of the battle would then become a sightseeing venue, creating a never-ending flow of tourists and hikers that frequented the hill resort nearby.


    In a blink of an eye, the year reached its end and the Chinese New Year loomed near. Most of the shops in the streets were closed by now and all paranormal activities died down in this time, retreating into the fold like glowing embers. No demons or malignant entities would dare invite trouble with the Chinese New Year just in the corner, not when firecrackers, one of the most potent items to ward off evil, were readily available at all families and homes.


    More accurately, demons and evil beings were not afraid of firecrackers per se; only the monster Nian was afraid of firecrackers. But the strongest form of power in the world, was none other than the power of faith. It was the strong faith of people in the ability of firecrackers to keep evil away that gave it strength. Similarly, deities and gods who were most worshipped possessed the strongest powers. The measure of their magic and their very existence hinged on the unbridled love and devout faith showered upon them by their worshippers. The widespread genuflection of the Wudaxians during the Qing Dynasty was what gave rise to their prime. As was the same with the firecrackers today; the utmost faith of the masses in firecrackers allowed them to be one of the best instruments in warding off evil, even until today.


    Back to the present, the bangs and cracks of firecrackers and fireworks abounded the night of this New Year''s Eve. We were all together in my new home, enjoying a pleasant meeting we had specially set up for Chongxi and his girlfriend.


    Our preparations began a week ago, when I was discussing with my companions about closing for the festive season and Lin Feng brought up the subject of the New Year''s Eve dinner, much to Chongxi''s abashed surprise. But we came to a unanimous decision that we should close and prepare for the dinner.


    We busied ourselves from buying decorative ornaments to the preparation of ingredients for the dinner, and that took us almost all week. Finally on the big day, Edelweiss and I, Lin Feng and Yuanyuan, with Chongxi and his girlfriend Xiao Yu, whom we finally met for the first time, all met at my new home. During which, I asked, "Xiao Yu, I heard your mother is really interested in Chongxi. But honestly, I fail to understand what is it in him that you find it so special? Moreover, most people would view us as nothing more than charlatans and swindlers." And that made everyone laughed; Chongxi even prodded me in the rib, knowing that I was merely joking. Chongxi immediately quipped to Edelweiss, "To tell you the truth, Edelweiss! I too do not know how you two have got together..."


    A busybody Yuanyuan immediately propped a head from her end of the table, looking at us both. Edelweiss'' cheeks blazed with pink patches, unable to say anything. But what happened between Edelweiss and me was hardly appropriate for table manners and I deftly sidestepped the question by saying, "Well... There has been an attraction between us both even before it began... But somehow it blossomed during the trip into the mountains!" "Wow! That''s romantic! It''s like a story from a novel! I''m envious of you both!" Yuanyuan exclaimed with clapping her hands.


    "Envious?" Lin Feng retorted indignantly, "How about I jump off a cliff too? Would you jump with me?" Yuanyuan shot him a scathing look that made Chongxi roar, "You can too, if you have a Godmother who can save you!"


    Another burst of guffaws followed the lively banter between them. And then out of the blue, something hit Chongxi''s head hard with a loud thud and he yelped in pain!

 Chapter 172 The In-Laws

    Chongxi grimaced, clutching at his head as he looked back and saw Father standing right behind him, grinning widely. "Talk if you will, but nice of you to toss me into the fray, are you?" He chuckled.


    Chongxi''s mention of Godmother had inadvertently grazed the surface of Father''s stack of former dalliances, and as if the timing could not be worst, Father must have wandered out of the kitchens to take a brief cigarette respite from his cooking and that was when he heard Chongxi saying, "You can too, if you have a Godmother who can save you!"


    "Heh heh heh, Uncle Hai," Chongxi giggled as he rubbed his head and said, "Surely your heroics in your heydays have won you scores of many admirers..." Only to have his head banged again. The rest of the table, Xiao Yu included, were snickering quietly, although there was an unmistakable hint of concern in her eyes. She was a more introverted girl, a stark contrast from Yuanyuan, whose temperament was colloquially labeled as a "blabbermouth."


    Our banter managed to survive until six in the evening, when Uncle Quan reached my new home in his car with Old Men Xie and Chen in tow. Lin Feng came back after leaving earlier, bringing Yuanyuan''s parents with him, and lastly, Xiao Yu''s mother arrived with her sister Xiao Xue.


    The dinner commenced at seven sharp, with everyone seated around a large round table laden full with a spread of delectable dishes and delicacies never before seen by us (except Uncle Quan, maybe). Father chuckled as he came out of the kitchen, carrying a well-kept keg of liquor Father must have saved only for the special occasion. Something told me that these private stores could well be antiquated brews that Father had been hoarding since Heaven knew when! He tore the seal off the top, saying, "Well, let''s have something good tonight! Tis a season to be jolly!" The aroma of the liquor wafted out of the keg and filled the whole dining hall with the wooden sweetness of the beverage that we could almost taste it. The blind Old Man Chen smacked his lips and chuckled in his usual, vile fashion. But he immediately remembered that of all days, there could be no crude and boorish misdemeanors from him, and immediately restrained himself. Sitting not far away, Chongxi, Lin Feng, and I traded amused looks.


    Father drained his glass, gulping liquor down his throat and he got up, beaming brilliantly at everyone. "On occasion of the New Year, I want this to also be a chance for everyone to meet. Our young ones have reached the age where it is time for us parents to decide on their future!" He elbowed Uncle Quan who, was clearly an inexperienced rookie in matters such as this, got up quickly with his wife and they raised their glasses to Yuanyuan''s father and mother.


    Yuanyuan''s parents, who were equally greenhorns too in the matters of conjugal arrangements, hurried to their feet as well. The two couples looked at each other awkwardly and a strange silence lulled between them. It was a strange scene for me since I have always been accustomed to seeing Uncle Quan''s boisterous and proud outlook. It was the first time I saw him so flustered, an amusing side of him. But Aunt Quan was quick to the take, taking the initiative to speak first. "It might be a tad too early to address each other as in-laws, I think. Although that time would not be far ahead now, since our young ones have been together for so long. I must apologize for any discourtesy and effrontery!" "No, no! I must apologize for our Yuanyuan too if you have found her wanting. Hahaha!" Yuanyuan''s father raised his glass and toasted to the health of their two families.


    An infinite number of thoughts must be swirling in their minds now, I mused; both the parents of Lin Feng and Yuanyuan were too anxious and embarrassed that they were beginning to spew nonsense! Lin Feng and Yuanyuan, on the other hand, were together, blushing so madly that they could hardly utter a word, developing a certain interest in their shoes. Finally, they could take no more and they got up, saying, "All right, Father and Mother! Just drink!" They lifted his glass and downed it. Seeing this, with jittery smiles on their faces, everyone gulped down their drinks as well. Then Uncle Quan and Yuanyuan''s father each took out a red packet, as per our local customs, and gave them to both Yuanyuan and Lin Feng respectively.


    Old Man Chen was also aware of this tradition, but as a blind man, he could hardly see anything, let alone searching for a red packet and filling it with a respectable sum of money. His face burned tensely as he grew worried. Then I saw Father slipping a large, stuffed red packet into his hand. "All right, Old Chen. It''s your turn now, with Lin Feng''s case settled. It''s now Chongxi and his girlfriend''s! Come on, say something!"


    Old Man Chen fumbled with his glass and struggled against his anxiety to get up, his face still red wildly. He was about to let his reflex to get the better of him by emitting his trademark wicked chuckle when he realized he should not! But he was able to adroitly change it into a gentle giggle I had never thought possible! Somehow, he managed to make himself look more sensible and decent! He raised a glass into the air, saying, "My boy Chongxi. He has been with me since he was a baby. For so long he has endured many hardships with me. But you''re a big boy now, my son. And you now carry everything I could have taught you. Although this boy might look ordinary and simple, but his skills are the real deal! By my fame as the Blind Master I..." He began to realize he was turning back to his usual self and he quickly controlled himself and altered, "Errr... Well, our children have reached the age of adulthood..." He broke in the end, embarrassed to the point of being unable to speak. "Time to unleash your sharp tongue, Old Man Chen! This of all time it must work!" I observed with amusement.


    But I was wrong; Old Man Chen faltered and silence took him as he craned down, overwhelmed by the pouring emotions of nostalgia. The blind old man instead threw back his head and gulped down a mouthful of liquor, feeling its heat coursing down his throat. But Xiao Yu''s mother, a career woman who had single-handedly saved her family from ruin, quickly caught the gist of what Old Man Chen was trying to say and finished it for him. "Of course, you cannot be more right, Old Master Chen. The kids are big now and it''s time for them to spread their own wings. Please don''t feel sorry for them. The greatest legacy you can give, and have given him, is the legacy of your character and faith. Therefore, I''m sure you have educated and nurtured Chongxi well. He''s an honest person and it is all thanks to you."


    Old Man Chen said nothing. He merely sank back into his seat and smiled dryly, but not before he remembered about the red packet. He pulled it out of his pocket and held it into the air, saying, "Take this, girl. I''m afraid Chongxi can be a fool sometimes, so he''ll be depending on you." That won some laughter from everyone around the table. Chongxi was smiling too, although his grin was laced with pain. He knew best of all how difficult it was for Old Man Chen to speak in such manner and how reluctant he felt as if he was giving his own son away. But it was partly true; they had been through thick and thin together for so long and this could be the end to their time together, even though this was hardly an engagement dinner or a wedding. But it would not be far before they tie the knot, and for Old Man Chen, his surrogate son would be starting a family of his own soon. Still, the Blind Master was happy for his prized protege.


    Realizing that the atmosphere around the table was diminishing, Father stood up and raised his glass again. "Well, finally, for my son and Ala." He beamed at us. "Your future will be bumpy, Son. But these are mere growing pains you''d have to endure nonetheless. But I''m happy you are able to affirm your love for each other through tribulations, Ala. And as a father, there is no more that I can ask." Father and Mother emptied their glass and handed Edelweiss a red packet. But I noticed a trace of sadness in her smile, and that could only be her longing for Aunt Ulan, who should have been here today. But everyone had deftly avoided mentioning her.


    The dinner went on cheerfully, although I did not realize that the time that Old Man Chen had unspoken concerns of his own. It must be a secret shared between Father, Mother and him, although this matter would return later to plague us.


    The day of Chinese New Year was abundant with friends and guests coming to visit. It was only on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year when we could finally take a long-welcomed breather. We booked a flight and Edelweiss and I went to Inner Mongolia to visit Aunt Ulan and Godmother. It had seemed only yesterday when we left, but I know that it was like an eternity for Edelweiss.


    We were first noticed by one of the girls manning the guard post at the gates of Aunt Ulan''s campsite. She dashed inside, screaming at the top of her voice exuberantly, "The Young Master is home! The Young Master is home!" I grinned at Edelweiss and we trotted inside. Aunt Ulan and Godmother hurried out of their cabins and were beaming widely when they saw us. I smiled and paid my New Year''s respects to them, while Edelweiss was hugging Aunt Ulan tightly, sobbing profusely like a newly-wedded maid on her first visit home.


    Life was carefree and simple here in the prairie, unlike the wanton suffocation of the hectic monstrosity called city life. And with most of the girls here Amazonian plunderers and marauders, dissimilar to the fragile and delicate behavior of city girls, no one was perturbed by my lone male presence here. But I was rather surprised to find Aunt Ulan looking younger and more youthful than before, which could only be attributed to Godmother''s cosmetic genius. "Oh, Heavens! Look at my Aunt Ulan and Godmother! You look so young and gorgeous! Heh heh heh!" I complimented at once, much to the amusement of both my foster mothers who giggled while pointing at me.


    Unexpectedly, I went to bed badly drunk that night. Between the one hundred more girls of Aunt Ulan''s camp and the ten more young fox demons who had followed Godmother here, I had to gulp down glass after glass of liquor as every one of them came to me for a toast with the newly-wedded Young Master. Perhaps only Father, with his mysterious way to remain sober, could weather this torrent of overflowing liquor.


    The sun was bright up in the sky when I finally woke up to a heavy hangover. It was already noon when I peered at the time displayed on my phone. I rubbed my hair, still feeling groggy, and had a late breakfast before I went to see Aunt Ulan and Godmother, indicating to them my intent to visit the Labyrinthian Canyon.

 Chapter 173 Wish the skull in the Labyrinthian Canyon a Happy New Year

    Aunt Ulan was a stranger to the Labyrinthian Canyon. Part of it was due to Godmother not telling her before about our experiences there. But it was not without reason; knowing Aunt Ulan¡¯s temperament, Godmother understood that she would surely insist on a visit to convey her thanks for their help in saving her. More so, the two of them were friends of Father. However, Shang Pei and Zhu Mei were not only near-immortals, but they chose to live as hermits, who never enjoyed the company of others but preferring only to keep to themselves. Hence Godmother had decided not to spare her the details of the Canyon.


    But Aunt Ulan¡¯s love for her surrogate son, me, was as great as Godmother¡¯s love for me; she did not ask much about my decision, only reminding me to come back early. Godmother, on the other hand, said nothing; she must have guessed my reason for visiting the Canyon.


    Edelweiss and I went back to the same way we rode back to Aunt Ulan¡¯s camp from the Canyon, retracing our route until we finally reached the mouth of the gorge by the second evening. I saw the skull still hanging at the entrance, the very same one which we had seen during our first trip here. It was intentionally hung here by Zhu Mei to stop unwary wanderers from entering this dangerous place, although, the whole gorge was under his enchantments to keep him apprised of any intruders. The Windchaser magic, now enchanting the whole gorge, would bewitch any intruders and keep them running in circles no matter how far they tried to go. But despite his impish and sadistic appearance, Zhu Mei had a kind heart; intruders would be directly transported to the entrance of the gorge if they wished to withdraw, allowing them to leave the Canyon peacefully.


    But Zhu Mei had reasons of his own for keeping intruders away from the Canyon. The Canyon was once a site of a bloody battle; the air in the gorge was thick with the aura of blood, gore, and death that continually lingered for centuries. No ordinary living being was able to survive in the Canyon, but it was safe for Zhu Mei himself who needed a place where the stench of death was the strongest and heaviest. It was a place where the Yin energies thrived to counterbalance the element of his own magic. This Canyon was the perfect place for Zhu Mei to continue his honing his Yang magic. Moreover, the vengeful spirits of the dead were too malignant for any ordinary humans to handle. Zhu Mei¡¯s residence here was also to keep them placated with his powers while keeping innocent people away.


    On the other hand, Shang Pei¡¯s Yin magic required a place with burgeoning Yang energy. Hence the site of his own stronghold, Fort Enigma, was just outside the Canyon. With a robust supply of Yang energies, Shang Pei too whetted his skills, just like how Zhu Mei was doing the same deep within the Canyon.


    Edelweiss and I stood before the entrance, looking deep into the hollowed-out eyes of the skull. Then we reminisced about the makeshift tent we erected nearby and the dreadful night we had ¨C hearing the agonizing screams and shouts, tangled with the clashing of steel and iron and the galloping hooves of war steeds, and we looked at each other, grinning. Only this time, it was different. We were well-prepared.


    In fact, I had spoken to Father about my plans to visit Shang Pei and Zhu Mei before coming here. Hence we were prepared for what might happen again in the gorge. I smiled at Edelweiss, saying, ¡°I guess Father¡¯s right. Uncle Zhu Mei will never show himself easily. We¡¯ll have to seek him out ourselves!¡± Edelweiss was beaming widely as if she had barely heard a word I said.


    I vaulted down off my saddle and tied the reins of the horses to a tree. Then I strode to the skull and bowed. ¡°It¡¯s been a year, my friend. I bid you a Happy New Year!¡± Edelweiss found me paying New Year¡¯s respects to an empty skull funny and she giggled. I took out my Gourd and released my Forest Sprite. ¡°We¡¯ll be spending the night out here. Please get some wood and build a small makeshift shed.¡± With a curt acknowledgment, it turned. But before it slipped out of sight, I called, ¡°Remember not to wander too far. It¡¯d be a hassle if you get lost.¡±


    With a polite ¡°Yes,¡± the Forest Sprite turned and left.


    Edelweiss and I busied ourselves with the rest of the preparation: emptying our bags and starting a fire. The warmth of the fire was something we greatly welcomed in the cool, chilly night in the wilderness, and so was the picturesque view of the sun setting in the mountainous horizons. It was a romantic scene, although Edelweiss hardly felt anything, she being a former brigand of sorts.


    But she never stopped feeding pieces of meat jerky one after another into my mouth as she watched the fire, looking just like a docile and kind little wife. The sentiments of romantic, while alien to her, was something that I might have been demanding about. But she grew bored, looking into the flames and peering at the burning dry wood. Suddenly she said, ¡°Husband, can you tell me more about Father¡¯s and Mother¡¯s plans as to their ascension? I don¡¯t understand most of it, and I dared not ask with them around.¡±


    I chuckled and playfully pinched her big face. ¡°You might not have read fantasy novels before. The Crucible is something of a test that humans or beasts have to endure when they have reached the highest level of their magic. It¡¯s a test Heaven ordained upon all mortal kind before they can finally achieve true immortality, a test to judge one¡¯s behavior and acts. Say a fox demon attains magical powers. But with its powers, the fox demon wrecks carnage and havoc. The Crucible shall function as a form of judgment; the fox would, at best case, lose all its powers, or be directly sentenced to death. The same goes for humans as well.¡± Humans intending to acquire true immortality and gain a wholly divine physique requires enduring the Crucible of Heaven too.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ what will happen to Father and Mother¡­¡± Edelweiss whimpered, her face fraught with concern. ¡°I don¡¯t know, honestly,¡± I shook my head. ¡°But I am sure, from the way he has been talking, that he cares nothing about this Crucible of Heaven. He once said something about the Crucible being useless against him. Moreover, he has long qualified himself for immortality¡­ In this way, Father and Mother are like students specially-accepted into Matriculation without going to the usual rote channels of qualifying for university, hence they do not have to sit for the exams like everyone else.¡±


    Edelweiss stared at me, her eyes as wide as ping pong balls, although she understood most of what I said. The Forest Sprite returned not long later with enough timber, and she began helping me in building the shed. But with only the two of us, we needed only a little shed enough for us both and that saved a lot of time.


    The clock ticked seven in the evening and Edelweiss was curled up with me in our sleeping bag. But she grew bored again and began bugging me for stories about the derring-dos that my companions and I had performed before we met. But that was only understandable; in her eyes, I was like a gallant and charming swashbuckling hero with never-ending tales to fascinate her. This could only be ascribed to her innocence which most city girls lacked. I chuckled. ¡°Well, there¡¯s not much trouble. Moreover, Father has always been keeping a watchful eye over my back especially if I am in the vicinity of Wu Zhong. So there were hardly any dangers.¡± But Edelweiss¡¯ eyes continued being fixated upon me, her gleaming eyes indicating her hunger for more tales that would enamor her.


    Her face was round but perfectly rosy and fresh. I was hardly uninterested in petite girls with a slim waist and almond-shaped face, but Edelweiss was the ideal girl for me. A girl whose look and spirit were true and honest to the core. But she was hardly a rowdy and boorish girl with a stalwart body nor was she a meek and fragile maid with a dainty frame and a slender waist. But the curvature of her figure was as enticing as I hoped her to be, as lovely as I wanted her to be.


    But when I awoke from my brief stupor of admiration of her figure, I realized that she was looking deep into my eyes, still waiting for a reaction from me. I chuckled. ¡°All right, a tale then!¡± And that won an exultant whoop from her. She spun herself up and laid prone, propping her head on her hands, ready to listen to my story.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ what story should I tell¡­¡± I wondered aloud, then I said, ¡°Let me tell you about a story which happened during my first year in university¡­¡±


    As my tale began, the nostalgia of varsity life swirled in my thoughts. We were a bunch of boisterous, proud, and hot-headed young men when we just entered university then. In fact, most university freshmen were like that. The customary rite of entering into our varsity life: an arduous and agonizing military exercise that not only allowed people to earn money from military uniforms but had other benefits.


    At first, the military exercise was set to be conducted at Mount Pan, which was more than 100 kilometers away and one of the only two AAAAA Tourist Attractions in Tianjin! We were so overjoyed and enthusiastic then. But we were dismayed when word finally came that the school authorities had made an urgent arrangement: the training spot was changed to our school¡¯s playground! Immediately, bleak and crestfallen looks could not have looked more common in our midst.


    Some students even went personally to the school office to tender their indignant protests, but none of their complaints were duly entertained.


    But somehow, the military exercise at the school ground had allowed me to experience a thrilling encounter with the supernatural!

 Chapter 174 The Bold Confession

    There was hardly anything much in my recollections of music students'' varsity life aside from the habitual eating, sleeping, and repetitive practice sessions, although much of it was bedewed with the occasional truants, and dates. But there was something that set me apart from your usual university undergraduates: a hidden talent called "Ghost-hunting." Of course, dating was a necessity of varsity life. Besides, as the only little brother who played the Chinese zither, I surely had several female fans. But I never dared to tell Edelweiss about that. Readers please kept this secret for me. Thanks a lot!


    It was only the third day of the military exercise. I was still not used to waking up even before the rooster''s crow, although I would continue the first jog of the morning with half-opened eyes and a still-dozing mind. We would be drilled into running lap after lap. Rest would only come when we could finally run no more. But we had neither any complaints, considering the trouble our instructors had to go through to transform us undisciplined and mischievous greenhorns into proper "heirs to the future" material.


    The instructor was a captain from a nearby military district, although I never knew which. Although he was similar to us in age, he hardly looked like a peer to us with his mature and hardened look; bearing a proud and stern demeanor than even we, who could only strum the strings of our instrument with the creativity and flair like an artist with his brush, had to admire, not to mention those female students. They thought highly of and always fixed their eager eyes on him.


    But there were rules for military officers serving as instructors, forbidding them from divulging any contact details and names. The only thing we knew about him, even until the end of our exercise, was his surname Cao. Some of the freshmen had overheard other instructors calling him by that name, calling him Old Cao.


    Because his gallantry and dashing look that enameled him, plus his serious expression, Instructor Cao quickly became a favorite of the girls from my class who were known to be carefree and unrestrained folks, the usual labels commonly tagged upon us students of music.


    We were just having a break after a tiring morning on the third day when one of the girls who looked relatively gorgeous in my class darted towards Instructor Cao. All of us instantly trained our eyes upon her as she beelined towards the handsome army officer and produced a large bouquet of flowers! It was a mystery upon itself; no one noticed her holding anything during our long jog in the morning, and there she was, with a bouquet of flowers out of nowhere! The army instructor was dazed when he saw the flowers, flustered by the sudden show of favor. The girl, true to our brand of being "free and unrestrained," immediately squeaked, "Please be my boyfriend, Instructor!"


    The shrill cry of the girl rang through the entire field, and everyone else fell silent, staring at the episode with disbelief. The cheeks of Instructor Cao burned with a shade of scarlet as he stammered a decline, "We have rules against this, Student. Please take this away, and we''ll say no more of this. Your main focus now should be your studies..."


    The same day, this girl was criticized in a circulated notice as expected. So the news of the confession burst across the whole varsity like the eruption of a bomb. The school was no stranger to tales and rumors of students confessing their love and affection to the instructors, but this was the first time everyone witnessed one such larger-than-life occurrence! I would have buried myself alive out of shame if I was in the girl''s shoes. But instead, she was rather pleased to hear her exploits now being the talk of the entire school. No one knew what was swirling in her mind then until another rumor broke out. As it turned out, the girl was happy because she believed that the rumors would affirm to the Instructor of her love for him. I was so shocked to hear this news that I began to wonder how would Instructor Cao continue with his training for the entire week.


    The girl, and by extension the whole lot of the class, along with Instructor Cao, then fell under the scrutiny of the entire school as the rumors not only did not diminished but instead continued snowballing out of proportion.


    Finally, on the evening of the third day, we retreated back to our dormitories, a bunch of fatigued boys dragging their limp and wearied bodies. No one spoke about the rumors that day. We were still hardly close to each other then. But a strange thing happened that night.


    On that night, the still silence of the darkened dormitories of the school was broken only by the cacophonic blasts of snores coming from my asleep dormmates. It was so hot in the summer, and I got up in the blackness of the room to look for some water to drink. The windows were opened, and the girls'' dormitories were right opposite our building. They were targeted by a good many boys who had telescopes or binoculars propped by the windows. Well, I had my Spirit Sight. Prior to my freshman year, I had barely any experience with encountering supernatural events. Hence, I was especially anxious, looking forward to my own adventures one day.


    I instinctively peered out the open window into the hot summer night and I almost jumped! A pale glow was shimmering from one of the windows of the girls'' dormitories and one could have thought that that was merely mischief concocted by some of the playful ones from the opposite building if not for the shadowy silhouettes drifting about in the eerily faint light behind the curtains at the window! Come to think of it, that was a scene that would have continued to send me goosebumps if I had not been used to Xiao Qi and the Sisters.


    I immediately believed that it was something paranormal and I looked again, this time with my Spirit Sight. Lo and behold! Tendrils of Yin energies swirled about just outside the window, growing thicker and thicker like a mob of the crowd enjoying a scene!


    It was a sight that did not bode well; even with my experiences today, I would have thought the same. Some foolish girls must have been meddling with spiritual entertainment like an ouija board, or similar spiritual rituals commonly performed with mirrors or little saucers. But I felt no fear or dread; instead, I was feeling rather anxious to test my skills. Then I remembered that it was after midnight. Therefore, there was no way I could slip out of the dormitory''s doors which had already been locked no matter how curious and how rabid I am to delve more into this mystery.


    I was still new and I barely knew the old watchman who guarded the entrance of the dormitory. Hence I crouched at the window and watched from afar while trying my best to stamp down the flames of fervor burning in me. But nothing else happened the whole night and here I was, an equally foolish boy who had watched through the night for nothing. The spirits inside and outside the window opposite were merely dancing and drifting about aimlessly all night; they had not done anything malignant as yet.


    It was hardly my first time dealing with ouija boards or specifically the mishaps which might occur thereafter; I had encountered once in my high school, although the matter was easily resolved by me snapping the pen in question into halves before I destroyed the malignant spirit with just a simple talismanic charm. But this time, it was different; not only the incident occurred within the confines of the girls'' dormitories, which were strictly off-limits to us boys, but the wandering spirits and ghosts hardly did anything aside from lolling about idly.


    I endured the laborious morning with dark-ring eyes. Then something happened. At the first break, the bold girl from yesterday walked up to Instructor Cao, insisting that she buy him lunch. The instructor had braved the constant teasing by his colleagues and the embarrassment that entailed the day before and he was immediately stunned when faced with the question. But the girl''s face was brilliant with confidence, beaming at the young man whom she was swooning over, whereas everyone looked on, expecting to see her being rebuffed. But what happened next shocked everyone: Instructor Cao spent a few seconds contemplating his answer, and he finally nodded!


    A voice cried, "What the hell?! Did the instructor react completely different from yesterday?!" Muffled murmurs and excited whispers rose from all quarters like the buzzing of bees as the girl walked out of the field with Instructor Cao, looking absolutely happy and pleased!


    I must be the only person in the midst of the surprised and astonished crowd able to be calm; I rubbed my chin and smirked. No one but me could see what happened to both the girl and Instructor Cao. With my Spirit Sight, I had long noticed dark aura churning and twirling in faint wisps around the girl. Instructor Cao looked normal at first, but he was infected by the dark aura just when the girl offered her invitation, and the influence of the dark aura immediately took hold of him.


    But the dark aura emanating from the bold girl was Yin energies. That must be this girl''s room which I saw the apparitions all congregating around last night. But the dark aura that lingered above Instructor Cao''s head was hardly the usual Yin energies but rather, the aura of someone being cursed!


    Still rubbing my chin and grinning to myself, I watched them leave, anxious to see how things would unfurl from then on. In my smugness, I did not notice a person approaching me. The person slapped a hand on my shoulder and I nearly jumped out of fright! I yanked myself to whirl and saw that it was a girl! A girl with short hair like a boy!


    "Hey, what''s your name? I remember you were the one with the strange name, are you not?" The girl asked jauntily. "Murong Shiyan. That''s my name," I answered, shrugging. "Ah, yes! That''s it! Murong Shiyan! Say, why did your parents give you such a long name? And yeah, what were you thinking about, staring at my friend and the instructor? You were even grinning like a fool?!"

 Chapter 175 Lu Shengnan

    I was annoyed. Honestly. The girl was too direct and blunt for my liking and I retorted coldly, "I am my father''s son and this is the name he has given me. The name which I am proud to bear and I am not pleased with what you said about my name."


    The girl merely shrugged her shoulders at my reluctance to banter. "Moreover, I don''t know that girl and I don''t know that she''s a friend of yours. Is it wrong to look at them and just grin?" I continued viciously. I didn''t know what this girl was thinking; either to try to talk to me or she was approaching me only for some other motives. But most girls would have immediately left indignantly after such sharp words from me. But instead, she giggled. "Come on, there''s no need to be so serious! I''m just trying to chat! There''s no need to demonstrate to me your close father-and-son love!" I did my best to keep my face straight, staring at her with hardly any more words.


    But the girl seemed rather impervious to the tense awkwardness lulling between us. She broke into a cheerful grin herself and patted my shoulder, "Come on! Don''t sulk! Let me buy you lunch as a show of goodwill!" But I had no interest in entertaining her invite. But before a "No" escaped my lips, I remembered that the bold girl smitten with Instructor Cao was her friend! This could be my chance to put my skills to the test, the thought flashed through my mind and I said, "Yes."


    I sat with the impossibly-generous and unpretentious girl at lunch. In truth, I was hardly interested in the food. The enigma of the girl and the dark aura was all that occupied my mind. But she was in contrast having a great appetite! I stared as she wolfed down some potatoes and steak and was instantly reminded of Chongxi.


    A flatly disinterested me looked on with a hand holding my head and I was growing restless. The girl seemed to notice suddenly and she tore her eyes off her food. "Why aren''t you eating?" I shook my head dismissively, "I''m not hungry." She gave another shrug and continue digging in. Then I asked, "Should you not tell me your name, since I have already told you mine?" She looked at me and mumbled through her food, "You heard my name when it was called out loudly during a head count!" "And do you expect me to remember the names of everyone in the class in the first few days of our school year?" I rebutted, exasperated. She chuckled. "My name is Lu Shengnan!" And she scratched her cheek sheepishly. "I saw you talking quite lively to others in the past few days. Why are you being so sour towards me?"


    If there was anything that I wished to say that the time, it must have got stuck on its way out of my throat. I stared at her, not knowing how to react. But I bore well in mind that I had need of help from her: information. In a single blink, I quickly wiped my expression clean and shrugged too, smiling. Lu Shengnan giggled and finished the last bit of her food and pushed the plate from her, stretching herself and steering off the subject. "What are you studying here?" I looked around and saw some fumes rising into the air; this was a smoking cafeteria, I saw, and I took out a cigarette, deposited it between my lips and lighted it. Unexpectedly, Lu Shengnan sprang up and pounced on my cigarette, taking it and putting it into her mouth instead. Briefly dumbfounded for a split second, I took out another cigarette and set it aflame, while saying simply through the smoke, "Zither."


    But my answer seemed to be the one that she did not expect. She choked and coughed. Only when she was feeling better, she stared at me incredulously, "WHAT?! YOU''RE IN THE ZITHER CLASS TOO?! THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I''VE HEARD A BOY TAKING THIS CLASS!" I could almost feel the veins popping on my forehead, but not to the point of being angry. That could be due to her being a fellow smoker. I chuckled, "What are you? A country bumpkin? Have you never heard of boys learning how to play the zither before? But what you said earlier, does that mean you are also a zither class student too?"


    Lu Shengnan shook a fist in front of my chest. "You''re right! So that makes us part of a brotherhood, or a sisterhood, I suppose! But your name''s too long! I''ll just call you Shiyan then!" What a blunt and honest girl, I mused. I shook my head wearily and nodded.


    We talked some more before I did my best to look nonchalant when I finally began asking, "So, that bold girl from our class is a friend of yours." Lu Shengnan flicked the ash from her cigarette and answered, "Who? Oh! You''re talking about Huang Li!" So her name was Huang Li, I mused, What a well-given name! The name of "Huang Li" shared the same pronunciation as "Huangli" (also known as "Tung Shing" - the Chinese divination almanac), and it was generally considered auspicious for anyone to take a view at the Huangli almanac before leaving home. Huang Li was a student of the piano, Lu Shengnan then told me, and she was a cheerful and bright person. But she could be very persistent, Lu Shengnan warned, and she was also a superstitious person. But these were traits that I had already guessed.


    "Well, I guess it''s public knowledge that she is persistent and headstrong. But what about her being superstitious?" Lu Shengnan raised a leg on the seat beside her and propped an arm on that knee, looking more masculine than almost every boy in the cafeteria, "Have you played with an ouija board before?"


    The mention of "ouija board" almost had me doubling over inside, but I put on a blank expression, "Nope." I might not have meddled with such things before, but I definitely know more about these things that all of you!


    Whereas Lu Shengnan looked earnest when she heard me saying no; she began on a long oratory about ouija boards, saying that they originated from the West and shared similar principals with Chinese divination methods that involved ghosts such as those using little saucers and pens.


    Her long lecture began to sound more passionate and vehement, but I quickly stopped and interrupted her, "Wait. I''m meaning to ask, what does the board has anything to do with being superstitious?" Lu Shengnan glowered at me with indignance. "Do you not understand? Do you believe in these things?" I did my best to maintain my expression while shaking my head rationally, and she slammed a fist into the table, "And that is why! No one does! But Huang Li truly believes in these things! You know nothing! She had been sitting with the board through the entire night till this morning, sounding as if she had gone mad, murmuring to herself, ''Does he love me?'' ''How should I confess to him?'' ''Should I buy him lunch or treat him to chocolate?'' and so on!"


    I see... So this Huang Li had been asking the bunch of ghosts a whole slur of nonsensical questions! Heaven knows which bloody ghost had so much patience in entertaining her! But there was still one last doubt: Huang Li was supposed to have been possessed by now. Yet she was still looking just fine, aside from the dark aura haunting over her like a shadow. "What happened next?" I asked Lu Shengnan again. She pursed her lips and went on, "When I woke up this morning, I heard her saying to the board, ''I still have four days. Please help me. I need to have him!'' or something like that!"


    I stifled a laugh, and so did Lu Shengnan when she saw me almost bursting. She was thinking that I was amused by what she said, but I was almost curling up at how stupid Huang Li was! Everything comes with a price. That was the eternal law that governed everything in the world. No ghost would have agreed to help her without its price. And although there was no knowing what the ghost might demand, the price always came due. Huang Li might have succeeded in summoning ghosts to help her and they had naturally acceded to her request. But what she had failed to fully comprehend, was the price of their help that would surely come after four days if she managed to win the instructor''s heart.


    That would also mean that I would be in no hurry to deal with the ghosts for now. I might as well just enjoy the show for the next few days!


    I squashed the stub of my cigarette and looked at the time. We were almost due for the next session. I went to the university mini-mart and got two cans of iced Coke and tossed one to Lu Shengnan, "Let''s go. It''s time to regroup and let''s see what happens next between her and the instructor." Lu Shengnan chuckled and prodded me with a fist before we walked back to the direction of the school field when her arm over my shoulder.


    We had only stepped out of the cafeteria when we met face-to-face with Huang Li and Instructor Cao! They were walking abreast while Lu Shengnan''s arm was still over my shoulders, looking more like brothers than mere friends. I smiled at them and they quickly traded a sheepish look after seeing us and immediately blushed! "Err... I''ll leave you to it. I''ll need to get prepared. Please do not be late for the next regroup," he muttered and trotted away quickly. I resisted any attempts to smirk and gently shook off Lu Shengnan''s arm instead, saying to them, "You guys go on. I have something to do too." And trying not to laugh, I whirled and left.


    Back at the school field, there were many freshmen who were back and ready for the next exercise session. A fellow dorm mate waved at me, looking gleeful. "Way to go, Shiyan! Look at you! How did you manage to get a girl to approach you!" I noticed that Instructor Cao was just nearby and he was listening. I giggled. "I''m just a small fry! Look at Instructor Cao, he''s the real deal!" And that made the instructor''s cheek blazed red again although he glared at me incredulously. But there was nothing he could say nor do, not when everyone''s eyes were upon him at the same time.


    Instructor Cao said nothing. But he sure did his best to make sure we would never get on his wrong side again; that dorm mate and I were sentenced to an additional ten rounds of running around the fields. We crumbled to the ground when we finally reached the end, both tired beyond reckoning. We lay down on the grass as everyone else was dismissed and there we remained, talking and chatting, until a figure stood in our view of the setting sun and kicked me.

 Chapter 176 Squaring off with Soldiers

    The kick landed right on my sore thigh. The afternoon had seen me running Heaven knows how many laps around the field. My legs had become so frail that I could have sworn they had turned as soft as marshmallows. A painful yelp escaped me when the blow hit my leg and I cursed, "Who the hell would do such a terrible thing!" Even before I could clearly see who it was, I swore, "What the hell! Are you crazy!?"


    In truth, I had no reservations of sprouting any expletives; not when most of the students in my zither class were almost my size, even though I was still the same scrawny boy fresh out of high school. I was never afraid to get into a fight, more so, when the odds of physical size were more or less even. Right after the chain of curses, I thought, "Here am I, tired as a log, and you dare come provoke me! Come at me then! But don''t you ever blame me when I get my tit for tat with a Charm of Divine Sight to make you honest! Let''s see how you''d dare come at me again after two whole days of seeing ghosts!!"


    But just when I was still thinking about ways to retaliate against my attacker, another blow struck on the same spot on my thigh. A sharp voice cut through the air over us, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, MURONG SHIYAN! YOU''RE DISMISSED! GET OUT OF HERE!" He crouched down and sneered. "How do you like my hospitality today? It''s just barely more than ten laps today, so you''d better learn how to behave!" "Oh Heavens, it''s Instructor Cao!" I grimaced quietly. But I was hardly pleased with what he did and what he just said. "Asking me to behave when you clearly have a personal vendetta against me!" With an unknown burst of strength, I sprang to my feet and barked loudly enough for everyone to turn their heads our way, "So what if I do behave, and what if I refuse to behave!!"


    Being spoken to this way must be a first for Instructor Cao; he was stunned beyond words when he heard me. But he was nevertheless a young man in his early twenties, the same hot-headed youth as all of us were. He quickly recollected himself and coldly hissed, "Humph. Behave, and slink back quietly to your dorms like how a good dog would. Otherwise, my fists..." I cackled before he could finish. "Enough prattling. Here I was, wondering if I should help you. But your manners clearly show that I shouldn''t. So good luck!"


    As a matter of fact, I knew why Instructor Cao was losing his temper. The cursed aura about him was influencing him. It would not be enough to cause him a danger, but it was adequate enough to make his life miserable. He had been met with a string of bad luck and clearly, the bad fortune had hardly seen its end.


    I did not wait for any reaction from him. I promptly spun on my heels and helped my dorm mate up. We were barely a couple of steps of clambering away when a hand grabbed on my shoulder. "What did you say?! Speak clearly!" Instructor Cao barked. I looked back and pushed his hand away, but not before shooting a wicked smile. "Nothing. Just food for thought." My dorm mate nudged me hastily, motioning me to stop prodding him and get on our way. But I was rather enjoying myself as Instructor Cao stood rooted to the spot, his face boiling with rage to the point of becoming purple. Suddenly, he raised his arm and prepared to punch.


    The punch would have lopped off my row of front teeth. But I chortled and that made him stopped. "Think before you act." The fist stopped barely some inches away from my face and I continued giggling. "I''m sure you''ve noticed how bad your luck has become today? You''ve barely hit the bottom yet. But hit me, and you''ll see." The army instructor''s expression turned infinitely sourer. Even my companion was too perplexed to speak a word.


    Instructor Cao lowered his fist. He stared at me and yelled, "What the hell is going on?!" My friend and I traded quick looks and we smirked, still saying nothing.


    Instead, we turned and held on to each other on our way out of the field. But the episode did not go unnoticed. Everyone crowded around us with inquisitive and curious questions, asking about what happened between the instructor and us. I guffawed, as if to make things worse, and remarked, "What else? I merely uttered a joke, but someone here seems to take it really personally and now he wants payback." Out of the crowd waded out a horrified Lu Shengnan. She coiled an arm under my armpit and steered me away, whispering, "What''s wrong with you? I''d just left you alone for a minute and you''re asking for a fight with the instructor in the next!?" I chuckled. "Well, I guess that''s the short version of it."


    Mistaking that Lu Shengnan and I were a couple, my dorm mate expertly eased himself away from my arm and slipped away into the crowd, but not after leaving me to her. I shook my head when I realized he was gone, scowling, "What a bloody snake!"


    Lu Shengnan took control of my wearied and sore self, steering me away as she began grilling me for answers. "Everyone could clearly see that the instructor was in you two like a viper! You''d think no one noticed his flaring eyes when he sees you? What have you done to get on his wrong side?" I shook my head. "How else? Your friend, Huang Li, of course! I had merely made a little joke about him just before the afternoon session and he used his chance to get back at me." Lu Shengnan grumbled while jested how daft I was. But this tomboy girl had become my only friend aside from my dorm mate, so I was only too happy to set aside her rebukes.


    But I suddenly realized that Lu Shengnan was not bringing me to the cafeteria. "Where are you taking me to?" She grinned. "Come on, Let''s go someplace good! Let''s have steak!" I narrowed my eyes at her and relented at last, "All right then."


    Lu Shengnan then told me about her. She came from a prosperous family, although she was a tad too manly for her own good. Her parents were both business people who were too busy in their career lives to have a proper look at her, and hence she became a carefree daughter with too much cash in her pockets to spare.


    I had never been a stranger to eating steaks since I was a child; Father had always shown extraordinary talents in culinary and I was accustomed to eating the steaks he grilled. But as I watched the plate of steak laid before me in this so-called "good place" that Lu Shengnan had brought me to, I could not help but feel vexed. "Can this poorly-cooked slab of meat even be called steak?! It''s stark different from the ones Father makes!" But I lifted my fork and knife nevertheless, knowing better than to judge a book by its cover. Lu Shengnan noticed my familiarity with using knives and forks and she chuckled. "Wow. I see you''re an aficionado of Western food too." "Can this be adequately seen as a true Western food joint?" I asked and that made her frown. "Why? What makes you say that?" "Of course not," I mused, "This restaurant is nothing but a fraud to cheat young and gullible rich like you... And what makes you think eating steak is only for the rich and famous? What''s so great about the medium-well ribeye you seem to be enjoying now?"


    But I merely kept my thoughts to myself. I shrugged. "Enough of this. Let''s talk about Huang Li." Lu Shengnan held me in a long stare before she grinned. "Why are you so interested in Huang Li? Ah... I understand now! No wonder Instructor Cao punished you!" "Well, that''s one way of thinking about it, I guess, although not the right one." I shrugged again. "No. It''s not what you''re thinking of right now. I''m only curious about how you became friends. You weirdos seem unlikely friends, you two." She was hardly perturbed by the "weirdo" remark; it must be something new to her.


    Huang Li and Lu Shengnan met only after they were assigned to share a dorm. The rest of the other girls in the dormitories had shunned them; one being a tomboy, a girl wrongly born into the body of a girl, while the other was most undoubtedly deranged. As the only two pariahs among the girls, they had only each other to look after for and they became intimate as sisters. But it was hardly a surprise, since Lu Shengnan had the gift of making fast friends. "So, has she always been prone to speaking to herself?" I asked and she nodded. "Too much, actually. She''s been talking to the ouija board almost every day and no one in the dormitory would get near her without a ten-yard pole. In truth, I''m on the brink of going mad myself."


    I pursed my lips. So Huang Li was no stranger to games like this... I smiled bleakly and said nothing. But Lu Shengnan began interrogating me for answers, asking me about my family background as the dinner went on and I merely did my perfunctory best to satisfy her curiosity.


    We departed the restaurant and I walked through the doors of my dormitory, realizing the time was already eight at night. But the boys in the dorm were all waiting for me. They stared at me when I came in and I, dumbfounded by their stares, was frozen on the spot. "WHY ARE YOU BACK?!" They bellowed and I asked, genuinely confused, "What''s this? Am I not allowed to return to my own dorm?" I would later find out that everyone had thought that I would be spending the night with Lu Shengnan like actual lovebirds!


    I snickered, exasperated. Young boys, I mused, All hot-blooded youth with wild imaginations! I refused to provide more coal to the bonfire of their gossip and scandals, extricating myself to get myself cleaned up for bed. I was too tired and sleep came quickly for me.


    I woke up to a brilliant and sunny morning. The exercise would only end after three days, a fact that gave no pleasure to everyone. We quickly dressed and dragged our limp bodies out to the school field, stepping on the mushy grass still bedewed with the fresh morning dew. Lu Shengnan found me and scampered over. "Shiyan, I''m sorry! I''m so, so sorry!" "What''s going on? Have you gone insane too?" I stared at her. Then I saw someone approaching her from behind. Huang Li angrily yanked at Lu Shengnan''s hand and pulled her away from me, but not before shooting a seething and venomous look at me.


    I stood there, dumbfounded and dazed, as Huang Li''s hated and spiteful look fixated upon me even as she grew further away. What the hell?! Then two men, both clad in military fatigues, strode through the scores of students purposefully. One of them was Instructor Cao, while I could not recognize the other. The man found our class and yelled, "Which of you is Murong Shiyan!"

 Chapter 177 The Bonfire Finale

    Hearing my name being called, I walked up to the two officers. "I am Murong Shiyan." Instructor Cao was wearing an ugly look while the other studied me darkly. "What''s this? Some trouble for me? Is this what Lu Shengnan referring to when she said sorry to me?"


    I eyed the two army officers suspiciously, and the officer snapped to a salute suddenly! Even I was surprised by this and I returned the salute. "I am the platoon leader in charge of this year''s exercise. My name is Song. I have been notified of what happened yesterday and please let it be known that I have reprimanded my man here for what he did. I have called you out today to tender our apology on his behalf and I hope you''d gladly accept it." He paused and turned to Instructor Cao and hissed, "Apologize, quick!" The junior instructor took a step closer and said, "I have been overboard yesterday, Murong Shiyan, and I apologize for my misdemeanor. Please forgive me." He must be trying his best to sound earnest, for everyone could clearly see how reluctant he was to utter these words.


    But I finally understood why Huang Li was so angry at me. I flashed a genuinely benign smile at Instructor Cao; I was, by no means, a spiteful person especially for a debacle so trivial. "All right. And please don''t mind my bad manners yourself." Instructor Cao''s expression immediately softened and so did his commanding officer, who then announced, "Due to your training exceeding yesterday''s allowance, I am compelled to give you the day off. The rest of you, form up at the middle of the field! GO!"


    There left only me and Officer Song by the running tracks around the edge of the field. He looked hardly older than me; his age would be around Lin Feng''s at the very least. Suddenly, he said, "I hope this is the end of all this fracas, although I won''t be able to help it if you wish to escalate matters. But please bear in mind that bringing this to the higher-ups will also reflect badly upon you in the eyes of the university deans." "I see, he''s advising me to let the matter slide," I realized. Magnifying the scale of this feud would mean that the commanding officer of his company would be aware of this, or worst, the chief overseeing the entire corp. And Instructor Cao would not be able to escape with just a simple slap on his wrist. Evidently, Officer Song was trying to bail his man out of trouble.


    I giggled. "Relax, Officer Song. Like I said to Instructor Cao, I''m not a spiteful or a vindictive person. We are, after all, young and rash people. We''d merely rubbed off each other the wrong way. Rest assured that the matter is water under the bridge." Officer Song looked truly relaxed finally and began to speak more freely. "Where are you from?" he asked as he offered me a cigarette in a friendly way. I grinned and took the cigarette and lighted it, saying, "Wu Zhong County." He cracked a smile suddenly. "Ah?! Wu Zhong?! You must know a guy called Lin Feng!" I nodded. "He''s a good friend of mine. We grow up together. You were comrades with him?"


    "Yes!" He exclaimed, sounding excited and wistful at the same time. He looked positively happy with the memory of Lin Feng. "We were in the same year when we joined the army. But he did not stay long; his heart was not in the military. But he was one of our best guys; scoring high in all departments and he''s good in fighting too! In fact, I would not have been promoted if he did not leave service!" "Heh heh heh, what a coincidence that we would meet," I said. At that very moment, what little ice between us finally all but melted completely.


    And there we sat for the whole morning, talking and reminiscing until we finally parted when the morning session was over. Before he left, Officer Song made me promise that I would pass his regards to Lin Feng.


    As it comes to no surprise to anyone, Huang Li attached herself to Instructor Cao immediately when the morning session was dismissed with so much alacrity that oddly reminded me of a pair of Siamese twins. But Instructor Cao''s face could not be any acrider and grouchier. He had kept a watchful eye on me throughout the morning and, obviously to his dismay, his commanding officer and I had become fast friends. There was even a shred of fear in his eyes as he was undoubtedly quaking at how I managed to be so close to his superior. He turned his attention to the matter at hand: Huang Li. With a brusque decline to Huang Li''s assertive invitation to lunch, he turned and left. Angered and frustrated, Huang Li''s flaring eyes close in on the possible reason of her being snubbed: me. She cast towards me a look so furious and rancorous like a snake waiting to pounce and she promptly left too.


    But I instead felt that it was funny. I guffawed like a madman and everyone, shocked and apprehensive, gave me a wide berth; they walked around me like a river flowing through a rock, keeping me at arm''s length like I was a leper. For the next two and a half days, Instructor Cao avoided contact with Huang Li. And that brittle calm endured until the night of the exercise''s final day.


    Although the venue of the exercise had been changed into the school grounds, they certainly did not attempt to deviate from the usual custom of organizing a bonfire night on the evening of the finale. The night''s event was held at the old school field, because the surface of the new school field where we had our exercise was made of a type of artificial rubberized compound. The old school field, long left to neglect and disrepair, was a flat ground of dirt and grass, where it would be more suitable.


    The bonfire was raised to the merriment of all the freshman classes who had joined the exercise, and everyone sat around the huge fire, including my class. Instructor Cao stood in front of the fire and lifted high his can of Coke. "Students, a week had gone by like the blink of an eye! I hope you commit the training, the experience, and everything we''ve felt together in these seven days to heart! You will all be always in my heart!" He took a long swig with some of his drink dribbling down the side of his mouth. The air around the fire, filled with the loud, intense crackling of the burning kindling, enmeshed with the mix of noises of us popping our bottles and cans. As everyone gulped down their drinks, the scene felt so much like the toasting of wine and liquor to me and a voice rang from somewhere, screaming, "A song, Instructor! Sing a song!"


    "Come on," Instructor Cao squeaked sheepishly, "There are music students here. I would not dare to show my feeble singing skills here!" Still, a tune began from his lips and he sang; a song that was called Zui Hou Yi Ci Zhan Gang (literally, The Last Post), a well-known army song by the singer Xiao Zeng, although Instructor Cao''s singing was not quite true to key. Nevertheless, his modest singing ability did little to ease the melancholy of parting and saying goodbyes. When the song finally ended, Instructor Cao shuffled back to his seat and Officer Song had appeared out of nowhere, sitting just beside him and clapping his hands encouragingly.


    With Officer Song''s confidence, a thunder of clapping hands rolled across our midst. Officer Song walked towards us, specifically towards me! Then we realized that he was carrying a guitar behind his back! He patted on my shoulder. "Come, sing with me!" "Oh? Okay!" I chuckled. I was no good with a guitar, but I can still play the ukelele and what a fortunate surprise that I had brought one with me in my knapsack.


    Officer Song removed his guitar from its carrying case and said, "That Zui Hou Yi Ci Zhan Gang you were singing just now. That kinda reminded me of Lin Feng. Let''s sing one of his favorites!" And he began strumming on the strings.


    Lin Feng had once joined the army partly because of the influence of his family members. But it was also because of his painful heartbreak when his girlfriend had left him. For that few years, he particularly liked Harlem Yu''s Qing Fei De Yi (Can''t Help Falling In Love With You). It was public knowledge to anyone who knew him well, and I joined in the intro of the song with my ukulele.


    The strong and portly voice of the army platoon leader mingled with my young and keen voice into a harmonious duet. But I could not fully enjoy the song; a chill raced down my spine and I looked around the fire and found a green little bulbous fiery flash hovering just nearby.


    Swaying to the beat of the song, I stole a look at Lu Shengnan and Huang Li. The latter''s eyes were moist and red; she must be reacting to the song. But contrary to her wistful mood, she was fixing me with the same venomous stare and her lips were quivering as if she was muttering a spell.


    An unnatural cold breeze caressed my side and I activated my Spirit Sight, chuckling as I continued singing. Then I saw it! A black blob of gas was accumulating just not more than three feet above the fire, its gaseous mass swirling and rolling before it charged at me! I pretended to continued singing while trying to look more and more euphoric with the building mood around me and tilted myself to smile at Officer Song while adroitly evading the black shadowy mass that hurled past me!


    Whatever that black mass could be, it must be stunned and surprised that I was able to evade it. But it must be thinking that my evasion could only be a fluke as it charged at me again from my left flank. But what it did not notice, was the song''s chorus was reaching its highest climax! I whirled and leaned to the back.


    And the black mass passed just in front of my nose. It had missed me again!

 Chapter 178 Finale Furor

    The can of Coke I was drinking clunked with Officer Song''s as we together toasted to a song well sung! We emptied our drink and I swung my arms dramatically as if drunk by the excitement and exhilaration of the atmosphere. But no one knew that when I swung my arms, my hand was aiming at the black mass just beside me!


    The punch landed right into the black bulbous mass with a soft thud and it careened away. I had no time to prepare any talismanic charms to deal with this malignant spirit, but charms were not the only one of the many disciplines of my repertoire in dealing with ghosts and spirits! My thumb was pressed against the stub of my ring finger when that fist smashed right into the black gaseous blob. This was a trick called the Vajra''s Fist which faintly enchants one''s fist with powers to repel evil. The strength of the punch might hardly be enough to fully destroy the spirits, but it was enough to show that I was not your ordinary university student!


    A thunderous peal of roars and cheers erupted from the crowds of freshmen. But I looked away. Huang Li''s eyes were bloodshot and the hateful glares from her shot right at me like a pair of arrows. I pretended to not notice her and returned to my place in the group of my class while the other students, with shrieking catcalls and howls, called out Officer Song for another performance from him. Instructor Cao quipped, beaming widely, "Most of you don''t know, I''m sure. Officer Song is the real deal; he''s really good with wushu... A style called... Ah! Yes! The Hung Ga style! Come on! Let''s ask him for a show of his skills!" He got to his feet and led everyone to a blast of tumultuous claps, urging the army platoon leader for a demonstration. Officer Song smiled shyly and whispered to me, "Well... In truth, it was Lin Feng who taught me the Hung Ga style of wushu when he was still in the army. There''s not much I know; just a few tricks." I smiled and flourished with a wave of my arm, gesturing him to go on and he assumed a stance...


    But I had not any interest in enjoying Officer Song''s display of his paltry Hung Ga wushu skills. I quickly took out a blank yellow piece of paper, the same ones used for talismanic charms, and looked around to make sure everyone''s attention was on the demonstration before I quickly scribbled a message, saying, "That was a little price for your impudence! Now leave unless you want to be utterly destroyed!" Then I did my best to look normal while tossing the paper into the fire.


    I watched as the paper was reduced into red-hot cinders that rose into the sky, my face wearing a devilish smile as my gaze shifted to the black effervescent form of the malignant apparition still hanging over the fire. It was not a ghost, but more accurately, a bunch of ghosts acting together as one. The ghosts are obviously doing the bidding of Huang Li, although it was still not known what price would come, or had come. But I would never allow such a sweet chance to slip away!


    At the same time, true to my expectations, the malignant spirits obviously paid no heed to my warning! It hung up there momentarily before the bulbous mass of black renewed its charge at me! A few drifting embers of green flickered amidst the scuds of red cinders rising up from the bonfire, as if in response to the ghosts'' burgeoning malice. At the very same moment, Officer Song''s demonstration ended with a final punch in the direction of the fire. Another clamorous round of claps rose from the crowds. Everyone had mistakenly thought that the green embers were part of Officer Song''s demonstration. I too clapped and shouted, "Bravo, Officer Song! That''s a great demonstration!" As if caught up in the excitement and frenzy, I threw a few punches into the air. Officer Song grinned. "It''s just some simple trick. It''s just for show. I''m not as good as Lin Feng, who''s actually skilled enough to really use it in actual combat."


    But I scarcely paid any attention to what Officer Song had said! The few punches I threw earlier were in fact a series of Vajra''s Fists delivered into the dark vaporous mass of ghosts which had charged at me!


    In retrospect, I was still a brash and young fool then; I had hardly spared a thought before deciding to completely destroy the spirits. I looked around and found Huang Li still glowering seethingly at me from afar. Then an idea came to me, I cackled and shouted to everyone, "I see that tonight''s finale will be dominated by you and me, Officer Song. How about a magic trick from me?"


    The news of a magic show took everyone by surprise and joy! I beamed gleefully and raised an arm, flicking a finger at the black mass which had returned to its original position above the fire, taunting it to come at me again. But no one knew what I was doing and no one asked. But the ghosts realized what I was doing and incensed with rage, they lurched at me again! With a successive series of hand seals made behind my back, I aimed my finger like a gun at the black mass of ghosts dashing towards me.


    It was a simple spell, the Binding Hex, that Father once taught me. It was a spell to restrain malignant or violent ghosts. But it could only be used to hold down ghosts with powers weaker than mine. The ghosts all separated from the singular black gaseous form and each of them froze in mid-air. But no one could see them; everyone was still under the impression that my movements were part of the magic trick. I looked around and opened my arms wide before making another hand seal in front of my chest while reciting an incantation. Then I thrust a finger at the fire before drawing it back, as if pulling something from the fire although my hand was empty.


    There was not one face that was not flabbergasted among the crowd. No one knew what I was doing. I chuckled and yelled, "Don''t blink your eyes!" Then I quickly recited aloud a simple "Hocus Pocus!" and pointed two fingers into the palm of the left hand which I extended towards the fire earlier. With a faint but conspicuous bang, a ball of flames burst alive in my hand, hovering just barely an inch over my spread-opened palm and that sent the crowds into surprised murmurs and exclamation.


    This was actually another simple spell that Father taught be before, the Fire Charm. As mentioned before, the element of the magic I studied was of Fire and therefore, simple tricks like this were like mere child''s play to me. But spells like this were hardly useful for any actual use in combat ever since Father had given me the Spirit Gourd.


    But it was the right spell to use for this occasion. I cradled the ball of fire with my left hand and walked around the bonfire, holding it high for everyone to see while basking in the curious and wondrous stares from all my fellow freshmen whose eyes were fixed upon the red-flaming ball in my hand.


    I circled the fire and returned to my spot and beheld the crowds of students before me and motioned for applause, and they responded with a hubbub of claps. Then I raised a hand to gesture for silence. "This is not the end. Let''s see some fireworks!" With my two fingers still pointed, I muttered a quick spell, and I threw the ball of flames at the invisible but still-restrained ghosts in mid-air!


    A blast of explosion rumbled in mid-air, splashing the dark sky with brilliant green and red lights that erupted over the old school field with joyous arches of lights before everything quickly returned dark! I heaved a breath and spread my arms, dramatically bellowing loudly, "Thank you for watching!" The merry crowd returned their gratitude with a huge thunderous ovation and screams and cries began to ring from their midst, "How did you do it?!" "Is there some instrument in your hand?" I shrugged helplessly and merely smile. Then I heard Lu Shengnan shrieking, "Huang Li! What''s wrong with you! Talk to me!" Still wearing my smile, I hardly cast so much as a glance at their direction, for I knew Huang Li had merely fainted by the blowback of the ghosts I destroyed; she would regain consciousness in no time.


    In the sudden outbreak of panic and chaos, Instructor Cao appeared to feed Huang Li some water and she slowly woke up. When she opened her eyes and first saw the army instructor, she dove into these arms and broke into tears. Officer Song was about to storm forward to separate them, but I held him back with an arm. I cast a look at them and nodded with a smile to the army platoon leader. He looked at me suspiciously but immediately emitted a dawning "Oh!" when he noticed my smile. "I see... There''s something else to your magic show, is there?" He whispered furtively, "Could it be that you were..." He paused and mimicked what I did earlier with my fingers and hands. I understood what he meant but I said nothing. "Lin Feng had once told me before about something like this..." He muttered under his breath.


    But I stopped him, raising a finger to my lips. Realizing that I offered no denial, Officer Song''s expression relaxed, having understood at least a part of what was happening and said nothing.


    From a distance, I saw Lu Shengnan was still trying to console her sobbing friend. She might be a weirdo, but she was nevertheless a good person and a great friend. This could be due to her lack of friends, and hence she treasured what little friends she had. But little did she realize that she was merely a third wheel when Instructor Cao was present. I crept towards her and laid a hand on her shoulder, motioning to her to come with me and we left Huang Li and the instructor alone.


    The night of the finale would later go on, but I had no more interest in the rest of it as the rest of the evening went on with street dances and so on, including a Chinese allegro performance with castanet clappers too!


    Lu Shengnan would then come to understand everything after a lengthy explanation from me, where she would later learn how much of a third wheel she had been to her friend.


    A short period of break then followed after the military exercise, as it was a weekend and the school wished to allow some time for us freshmen to recuperate. But just when I thought the entire matter of Huang Li had come to an end, I was wrong; trouble came seeking me in Wu Zhong when I was on holiday.

 Chapter 179 Clash from the Pas

    t


    It was the second day of my break when Lin Feng, Chongxi and I went to one of our most-frequented town squares in Wu Zhong. We were watching a bunch of kids having fun with their roller skates. We usually hang out or eat together, all three of us. I would have gone to the internet cafe if I was alone; but with Lin Feng''s lack of interest in computer games and Chongxi''s lamentable ineptitude to master any computer game, loitering around seemed the only thing we could do together.


    We were just idling about when a voice called from our backs, "Are you Murong Shiyan?" I whirled and saw a burly man, sullen and visibly irate, standing behind ME. We eyed the stranger apprehensively and I said, "I am Murong Shiyan." The man gave a curt nod and said, "Please come with me then." I got up and the man was already walking out of the square, heading towards a small alleyway in the corner. Then I saw from a distance that two rows of men were waiting for us, numbering to at least ten.


    The three of us traded quick looks but I tore away first and followed the stranger. Lin Feng and Chongxi could see that trouble might be coming; they looked at each other and chased up, forming up to me and the former whispered, "Shiyan, have you offended anyone?" "Impossible. Who would dare to anger us, least of all in Wu Zhong?" Chongxi quipped from my other side. I chuckled and waved them off; there was no way we would cowardly back away from a brawl.


    And so indeed, we stepped into the gloom of the dark alley and saw the thugs all wielding weapons, watching us with unfriendly and nasty glares. The stranger, who was obviously the leader of the band, turned to face me. He thrust a finger at my shoulder and said, "You have guts, boy!" I giggled and answered, "I DO have guts, all right. But what are you trying to accuse me of?"


    When the stranger first showed, I had instantly realized what this was all about: Huang Li. It could only be her, for she was the only one I had offended, if one were to insist that way, recently. Naturally, she had employed these thugs to teach me a lesson.


    And indeed, the man laid a beefy hand on my shoulder and rubbed his neck. "I''m sure you know what you did!" He growled, speaking as if he knew the truth. I giggled. "Oh? But I dare say I don''t know what you''re talking about!" A wicked glee curled at his lips. "Very well! You''ll need some help remembering, I think!" He raised a thickset arm the size of an elephant''s trunk, ready to give me a slap to my face but I gave him no time and instead delivered a powerful kick into his beer belly and he lurched backward, clutching his stomach as he groaned with pain.


    Without a word, all hell broke loose. The rest of the thug''s underlings sprang into action, bearing down on us with their weapons like birds of prey.


    But it was a street brawl in a darkened alley that merely lasted barely five minutes. Despite the advantage of number, our attackers clearly misunderstood their position, mistaking themselves as the predators when they were actually preys. We sat on a heap of badly bruised ruffians, all sixteen of them piled up like a large mound, some whimpering in agony while some already fainted to make even a noise. We sat on them and treated ourselves to a cigarette and I asked the leader of the band at the top of the heap whose back I was sitting on. "I seem to remember that you had said something about helping me to remember..." The man was still trying to sound tough. "Do you even know who you offended?!" "Of course not," I replied casually. In unison, all three of us bent down to look at the terribly-swollen face of the ringleader, "How about refreshing my memory?"


    The ringleader of the bandits was about to say something defiant, when one of his underlings from below screamed, "Please get them to come down, Boss! The guys below are not gonna make it any longer!" The ringleader looked at us and hissed, "You''ll never get away with this! Not especially if one of us dies! Get off!" I smacked at his forehead. "Then just die! Like I care! You''d think I''d worry if one of you worthless scums dies? I''d hardly do!" I raised a leg and propped it on his back lackadaisically and ignored the painful cries from below that ensued.


    But it was true: some of those below might have been squashed or suffocated to death if they were not stout, able-bodied men themselves! Even so, I was hardly worried about any deaths; I could have easily had any wandering spirits help me deal with any corpses by possessing the body and transporting it somewhere else where no one would find it. But I was still young and simple then, unlike the present me who no longer had any scruples in exacting the judgment of death upon those who deserved it like what I did in Inner Mongolia.


    Realizing that I was never going to allow them to go and understanding fully that they were strangers in a place alien to them, the ringleader of the thugs quickly came to a decision before any of his men indeed dies. "What is it with these three young boys?! Do they know someone so powerful that even being accused of murder hardly appalls them?! No, this is not worth it for me! For all I know, I might be trying to bite off more than what I can chew!" He began to beg. "Please, we surrender!"


    Fortunately for him, his surrender came just before I lose patience. I leaped off his back and so did my companions. The mound of badly-bruised and groaning men collapsed with all of them panting for breath while those who were most below were already foaming at their mouth. Each and every one of them was injured one way or the other; some had even broken bones and twisted tendons. The ringleader clambered to us, his face swollen and battered that I could have burst out laughing. But I did my best to put on a friendly smile. "Go back to your master with your tails between your legs, you bunch of worthless mongrels. Tell your master that I, Murong Shiyan, was merely trying to save her. But now she''s repaying me by wishing ill upon me! Tell her that if she wishes more, I shall be expecting her!" My companions and I allowed them to pass and the thugs, seeing their chance to escape, immediately scrambled out of the alleyway, the pathetic and wretched things they were.


    But that was hardly the end of my troubles. Gangsters and ruffians came to me almost every day in school, all trying to beat me up and teach me a lesson, although none of their attempts had triumphed. It continued for almost six months, when Huang Li suddenly tendered her request to leave school. She would then slowly ebb from my memory. Even until today, no one knew her reasons. She might have found out something about me and realized that she would never be able to punish me. But there were mixed reactions in school pertaining to her departure, that I at least I knew. Most of every one was rather pleased to see her leave, although Lu Shengnan, for one, was among the ones unhappy. Especially so, since she had lost her only friend in school.


    Back in the Labyrinthian Canyon with Edelweiss, her face was brightened with thrill to listen to my story. "So what happened between that tomboy Lu Shengnan and you later?" she asked with brimming interest. I shrugged. "Why? You''re also thinking that we were a couple? Come on!" Edelweiss chuckled and gave no answer. I grimaced quietly; despite her good looks, Lu Shengnan''s temperament was hardly a fit with mine. "She''s a tomboy," I said frankly to Edelweiss, "Her attitude will never fit mine. Moreover, she''s far from what you are capable of. Remember our meal with Zheng Shuang? When you wanted it as a meal to offer your apology for the fiasco in the police station? The one where I have to run between two tables because a few of my former classmates from university were here? There''s a tall girl with short hair; that''s Lu Shengnan." "Ah?!" Edelweiss exclaimed with mocked surprise, "She''s a girl?! I thought that''s a boy all this while!" Our eyes met and held for seconds and we burst out laughing together.


    Our pillow talk continued until it was almost twelve. Then the tumultuous noises of galloping horses pierced the silence around us, just like before! The fact that we were sleeping in sleeping bags on the ground made the experience no less comfortable, but we were not anxious and worried this time. A shadow of anxiety hung over us as the clamorous din of battle cries, clashing of weapons, and last but not least, the unmistakable and suffocating atmosphere of bloodlust and carnage lingered over the air, sweeping forth the breadth of the whole canyon like the radioactive plume of an atomic bomb! Edelweiss stole a glimpse at me, her face curdled with fear and angst and so was I. "Something is different this time! But what?!" It was a feeling that we both felt, although we could hardly put it to words. I listened intently for seconds; the first time when we came, the bedlam of a raging battle came from nearby, but this time, it seemed as if the battle was being fought just outside the makeshift shed we were in!


    "True! The sound of leather scuffing on dirt just outside!" Everything else was the same, but we heard no footsteps so close to us the last time we came! Edelweiss realized this too; she dove out of the sleeping bag and prepared to storm outside. Beside me on the ground, the Shiyan Blade trembled anxiously as if waiting to join in the battle! I leaped up, snatching the Shiyan Blade. With a quick look at Edelweiss and a curt nod, we rushed outside.


    A blast of the infernal aura that reeked of blood and malice slammed into our faces as soon as we stepped outside. An apparition, a spectral warrior riding on a huge but scrawny wraith-like destrier charged at us! The ghostly warrior, despite its bulgy fur clothing, was only a bag of bones; but it was no less menacing with its crescent-shaped scimitar as the weapon hewed mercilessly down on us!


    I instinctively parried with my sword and a loud clang rang out with sparks from the gnashing of iron and steel! A ghost wielding an actual weapon!? But it was a weapon long left to centuries neglect and disrepair as if snapped into splinters as soon as its blade met the indestructible edge of the Shiyan Blade.


    I tossed the sheath of my sword to the ground and made a hand seal while muttering a spell, while my other hand flourished my blade. Then I raised my sword up to my shoulder, pointing it at the spectral warrior rounding his horse back for another assault. With a whoosh like the howl of wind, the Shiyan Blade tore through the ghost and his apparitional beast like a powerful spear and they faded into the darkness, leaving only the broken hilt of a rusted scimitar and a rotting piece of horsehide. Only now we heard: our horses were whinnying with fear! They would have long escaped the gorge if we had not kept their reins bound tightly to a very strong branch!


    Another fresh series of horse gallops thundered through the darkness and Edelweiss and I quickly spun on our heels. Another ghostly warrior, his curved scimitar glinting in the moonlight as he swung it at his opponent, a cavalry rider clad in armor of full-black. The latter raised his shield to deflect the blow and we were stunned! ¡°That jet-black armor?! Impossible! One of Li Shimin''s Black Ironclads?!¡±

 Chapter 180 Foiling of the Windchaser

    Anyone who knew about the history of China might have heard of the Black Ironclads. The elite armored cavalry that was instrumental in laying the foundations of the prosperous Tang Dynasty was famous for their trademark jet-black armor which became their namesake.


    ¡°But if this rider in jet-black armor is a ghost of the Black Ironclads, then these riders clad in fur clothing and curved scimitars can only be barbarians from ancient Turk!¡± But there was hardly time for me to think. Another black-armored rider appeared out of nowhere, brandishing his long saber as he stormed at us!


    The side wing of the saber came dangerously close. Edelweiss and I immediately ducked, barely evading it by inches. Showing greater aptitude in dealing against mounted adversaries, Edelweiss immediately sprang from her crouched position like a tigress and pounced forward, drawing her golden dagger. The magical weapon sang as it escaped from its scabbard and sank its edge deep into the legs of the spectral horse! The weakest point of riding cavalry were the legs of the horse since most of the top parts were all heavily-shielded. The golden blade of the dagger sliced through the shriveled bones that were the horse''s legs and the legs melted into nothingness like wisps of vapor! The ghostly war horse crashed to the ground. The rider lost his balance and fell off the horse!


    Edelweiss lunged forward. The black-armored rider was just getting back on his feet but she was too quick; her blade bit deep into his neck and sliced off his head and he crumbled, slowly vanishing into thin air too.


    Knowing that the golden blade had the magical powers to slay even incorporeal beings like ghosts was one thing, but actually witnessing its awesome power was another completely different matter. I flashed Edelweiss a thumbs-up. ¡°I see, Zhu Mei not only held back from helping us this time; he''d even removed the magical seal that restricted the strength of the malignant spirits in the canyon!¡±


    With a backhanded stroke, I drove the Shiyan Blade into the neck of another horse galloping furiously towards us before drawing it back and delivered a powerful hack that bisected its rider at his waist. But there were simply too many ghost soldiers around here and we would be overwhelmed and exhausted in no time! Then I remembered: this was a war! In the chaos of battle, soldiers would surely swing their weapons at anyone clad in liveries and armors different to theirs! What made things worse was that our clothing was different from both sides of the battle! We were caught in the middle of a crossfire! Moreover, the grudge and hatred of these malignant spirits had grown rapidly through the centuries when they were trapped here, making their bloodlust insatiable and unrestrained!


    But Edelweiss had invested hardly any thought before she threw herself into the fray; she bolted close to two riders locked in battle and single-handedly slew both their horses with just a couple of swishes! After being thrown overboard, the two riders renewed their attention in unison upon Edelweiss and attacked her together! I grimaced with panic and threw the Shiyan Blade into the air. With a deafening whoosh in the blink of an eye, the head of the evil spirit rider who aimed at Edelweiss''s back fell to the ground. But this made all the heads around us turned to stare at us! Suddenly, every rider still on horseback, be they Black Ironclads or mounted barbarians, they all charged towards Edelweiss! She ducked and dove, evading as best as she could from any dangerous blow which could have easily cloven her into half. Still, a hoof came from nowhere, pummeling deep into her back and sent her reeling for several meters!


    A sudden rage took me! I bolted forward and bounded, decapitating two riders who came in for the kill with two simple strokes and rushed to Edelweiss and took her into my arms.


    Blood trickled down the edge of her lips and she was in delirium; she must have been badly injured! But before I could do anything, the furious sound of hoofbeats hammering on the ground, coupled with the nostrils of the horses flaring told me that I was surrounded! I looked up and saw us in the middle; to one flank was a troop of Black Ironclads and to the other were riders in fur. They eyed each other coldly while watching us closely and here we were, stuck between the anvil and the hammer!


    We were tightly surrounded with nowhere to escape and the ghostly warriors all watched us intently. Incensed beyond measure, I took out my Spirit Gourd and shook it before tipping it over. Pouring out my last remaining pill, I fed it to Edelweiss. Then I laid her down on the ground gently. I got up slowly and looked at the riders of both sides. I lifted the Shiyan Blade, feeling the anger inside me boiling. Despite the empty sockets of their eyes, the ghostly warriors glowered at us smugly as if we were lambs waiting to be slaughtered! I screamed a long deafening "Arrrggghh!" and my hand released the hilt of the Shiyan Blade with another spell. It took into the air like a soaring eagle, its movements directed by a finger of mine like a magic wand and it spun violently like a predator circling for a target to sink its fangs into. At last, my finger stopped and the Shiyan Blade froze in mid-air as if time had stopped, like a cobra waiting to strike.


    None of the riders moved an inch; they seemed to have been petrified by my loud bellow. Then the unbelievable happened: the horses between their legs began to shift restlessly before they writhed and squirmed with visible agony and they crashed to the ground. Within seconds, they faded and so did the spirits of the riders! But there was hardly time to bask in the shock of what happened. I bent down to look at Edelweiss and was relieved to see her recovering. She no longer looked in pain. Still, the elixir pill produced by the Spirit Gourd could only help to resuscitate unconscious people and heal wounds; they could do nothing to lift the fatigue and soreness of our wearied bodies. We were both spent and exhausted from the fight and we helped each other up, limping back to the shed. Before we slept, I stabbed the Shiyan Blade into the ground just outside the shed as insurance.


    The sun was looming proudly over the canyon when we woke up. We packed our things and made ready to continue our journey. When we got out of the shed, the sun was beautiful and outside the shed, it was still the same serene and tranquil forest as if the battle last night had never occurred. We mounted our horses and we rode. Expectedly, we found ourselves back at the shed after an hour''s journey. I chuckled. We tugged at the reins of our mounts and began trotting in the other direction which we found ourselves back at the shed again.


    ¡°This must be it,¡± I mused, ¡°the ghastly battle last night and now this, the Windchaser magic, must be the tests that Shang Pei and Zhu Mei had left for me.¡± I set alight a cigarette and willed my horse to press on. We rode past the shed and the hearth of the fire we made last night and suddenly, I flipped myself off the saddle.


    I began walking, taking small little steps, and I suddenly stopped after barely two paces. I had found it! Just a foot from where I was standing, I found a bizarre and unusual ripple in the air as if a wrinkle in the very fabric of space itself! I smiled. I took two brisk steps forward and took an abrupt step back! To my secret delight, another ripple broke the stillness of the air just in front of me again! This time, I cantered forward, taking two steps before I paused, my foot lifted just before I took a third, then I ran forward again for another few steps and lifted my foot again, only this time, I took a step backward. This weird and offbeat swapping of pace continued for almost half an hour and I finally jogged forward and backpedaled before running forward. At long last, I broke the pattern: instead of stepping forward, I stepped backward again!


    Lo and behold! Just when my foot hit the ground, everything around us turned blurry as if we had fallen into the center of a giant kaleidoscope before a new scene opened before us! ¡°I was right!¡±


    Prior to the trip, I had consulted with Father. He said, "Zhu Mei''s Windchaser enchantment has the ability to control the ground that one steps upon. But it has a weakness: the enchantment only works in one direction!" Hence, the enchantment would not work if Zhu Mei failed to predict my walking pattern and direction! Hence, my plan: walk, pause, continue forward; then, walk, and take a step backward. For half an hour, I maintained this very same sequence, then I finally broke the pattern to catch him off-guard by backpedaling twice in succession and this finally foiled Zhu Mei''s Windchaser magic.


    The scene before us changed and we found ourselves in front of the same little hovel with smoke gently sprouting from the chimney of Zhu Mei''s home. I flashed a smile at Edelweiss and she too looked at me cheerfully. We got up our horse and we galloped forward.


    Smiling, Zhu Mei was already waiting for us when we arrived. He burst into laughter and he helped us with our luggage. The stocky old man stood on the ends of his feet to pat me on the shoulder, exclaiming, "That was crafty, my boy!" I scratched the back of my head and giggled in a silly way. "Well, if you had not given me a handicap of yours, I''d never be making out of the Canyon alive!" He cackled, pleased at my flattery. He led the horses off and made sure they were well tied and invited us indoors.


    Inside the house, Zhu Mei''s surrogate son, the mute boy had already made tea. With a gentle smile, he filled our cups with suutei tsai before he left to prepare food.


    He came back not long later with a huge slab of meat. All four of us took out our sabers and dug in ravenously. I reached for my knapsack and took out a small, tightly-sealed urn of liquor. I handed it to Zhu Mei. "I spoke to Dad when I got back after our last meeting, Uncle. He was pleased. Before I came, he had me bring this to you. You must be missing this, he told me!" Zhu Mei beamed when he saw the earthen liquor flask. He tore off the seal and took a swig. Enjoying the flavor of the draught, he slammed his fist into the table. "Heavens, many years have gone by, and your father''s liquor has never lost its edge! It''s still the very best!" As it turned out, Six Terrors of the Frontier had tasted Father''s very own brewing masterpiece, the Draught of the Drunken Deities, in the earthquake event in 1976. Its unique flavor and taste had them all longing for it even after so many years. Zhu Mei then told me that the Draught was not meant for mortal men without magical powers; ordinary men might drink themselves to death.


    But there was no way Zhu Mei would be instantly drunk; his magical powers were already nearing full immortal. Zhu Mei took another gulp. "That was quite a mighty roar last night, Nephew. I must say, even I was shocked by that dragon''s roar of yours. Was that something your father taught you?"

 Chapter 181 The Champions Bane

    I was dumbfounded. "What did you say? Dragon''s roar?" I spun to look at Edelweiss incredulously and she too, was staring at me; her large eyes egging me for an explanation. Then I realized even Zhu Mei''s muted son was also staring strangely at me, hoping for an answer as well.


    I stared into a blank space, trying my best to remember as much of the details as I could. At length, I said, "Well... I don''t know what happened myself. I saw how Edelweiss was injured and that made me very angry. Then I screamed suddenly. But it sounded like a normal scream to me. I wouldn''t say it''s that thunderous to the point that it''s like a dragon''s, to say the least..." Zhu Mei frowned at once. He placed down his cup and began thinking. I cast a confused look at the muted young man, who was mumbling incomprehensibly to himself as he was trying vainly to make several hand signs to communicate but I failed to understand him. Then I looked at Edelweiss, who was looking at me with a surprised expression as if I had unknowingly done something wrong.


    "Why are you looking at me like this? Do you not know what I did last night?" She nodded in response. "Of course I do. I was almost stomped to death by a ghost horse and then you fed me a pill. Then..." Her voice broke and she whimpered. Impatiently, I pressed, "Then what?!" Edelweiss jumped at my voice raising, frightened, and she squeaked, "Then you emitted a roar. But that was not a human''s voice that came out of you... Actually, this is not the first time you did something like this. But I thought you have always been aware of this... I thought this is one of your tricks..."


    "Not the first time?!" I barked dubiously, "When did you hear me scream like this before?" "The first time I saw you did something like this was when we were chasing the Black Dog (Ha''ri Naohai means "Black Dog" in Mandarin). It was at the county seat hospital in Inner Mongolia when I heard you roar at the spirits in the hospital then. Then there was also the time during the Battle of Yellow Soil Ridge! I was fighting against Lu Bugong when you emitted the same roar too. And I agree with what Uncle Zhu Mei just said; it does really sound like a dragon''s roar... Well, not that I''d heard a dragon roaring before, but it definitely sounded like one!"


    "I see... What I thought was just a yell out of frustration and restlessness at the hospital when we were trying to rescue Aunt Ulan was actually a dragon''s roar... No wondered everyone, both humans and ghosts, were all petrified by my voice..." Then I remembered vividly what happened at the peak of the hill during the Battle of Yellow Soil Ridge: Edelweiss and Lu Bugong were locked in a furious battle and it was that frantic cry from me that stopped them.


    Then I remembered something else; I asked Zhu Mei, "Uncle. I remember Father telling me about a deep magic called the Champion''s Bane, although I never really got deep into it. Is this it? Had I used it without knowing how I did it?" Zhu Mei stared at me, shocked and disbelieving, before he pondered silently again. After several minutes, he answered, "Definitely possible. I believe so, and that is what happened. You are your father''s son after all!" He broke into another peal of laughter, absolutely pleased and proud of what I had become as if I was also a son to him.


    Then came another question from Zhu Mei. "When''s your wedding, Nephew?" I looked at Edelweiss, who now turned abashed and looked away. "I''m afraid the wedding ceremony will have to be delayed, Uncle. I''m still busy at the moment. As you well have realized, the date of the next Crucible is not far ahead; many minor demons and mages are hoping to exploit on the off-chance that the Crucible will be weakened by a strong demigod vying for full immortality. What''s more, there are still sinister undercurrents underneath this whole affair. I''d be busy at least until the end of it." Zhu Mei guffawed again, booming and boorish at the same time. He patted my shoulder encouragingly. "Hahahaha! It''s good! I''m pleased to see that you are able to decide by looking at the big picture! You''ve become a man!" He knocked his cup against mine and emptied it.


    But coming to pay my New Year''s respects to Shang Pei and Zhu Mei was hardly the main reason I came to the Labyrinthian Canyon; seeing as the time was ripe, I said at last, "Uncle Zhu Mei. There is something I need to speak to you about." Zhu Mei lowered his cup with an inquisitive "Oh?" and looked at me, tacitly indicating for me to go on.


    "I have made a few discoveries during my adventures and I found out that Father is entangled within the webs of mysteries surrounding the Dragon-slaying Blade. I heard that he was bidden by an unknown party to guard the Blade, is that true?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as still and calm as possible.


    Zhu Mei''s face instantly curdled into shock, despite his best attempts to look placid. "I see. But I know nothing about this, my boy! Your father is on a wholly different level to us; it''d be no wonder that he might have some mission that none of us ordinary demigods are aware of. I''d only knew your father for a little more than a handful of years then. It''d be understandable that he''d wish to keep matters like this a secret!" I nodded. But the slight change in his expression did not go unnoticed by me. Still, I could see that he would wish to divulge no more about this matter and I would best let it go for now.


    But he might have noticed a frown forming on my face. He immediately chuckled. "I might know nothing of this. But perhaps your Uncle Shang Pei can tell you a little about this. You can speak to him tomorrow. In his younger days, he used to travel a lot. I''m sure he might have heard of something!"


    Knowing that there was no use in dwelling on the subject, I steered the topic of our conversation somewhere else. "Ah! Uncle! Godmother had told me that you''d teach me something! Come on, tell me about your Windchaser magic." That made him chuckled proudly, although he tried feebly to be modest. "Nah... It''s nothing compared to your father''s Autumn''s Decline! Surely you have no need for my Windchaser?" I made a pained expression, "Come on, Uncle Zhu Mei! You know Father! He refuses to teach me that, saying that it would have to wait until he is satisfied with my skills in sword fighting!" I extended my middle and index fingers of my left hand, my thumb pressed against my folded ring fingers and pinky; the Seal of the Sword gesture which I so commonly used whenever I used telekinesis to control my sword. With a flourish of my left arm, the Shiyan Blade escaped its scabbard with an imperious "Chink!" and circled in the air like a little flying dragon before it flew to my outstretched hand.


    "Heh heh heh! That is no ordinary skill you have there, Nephew!" Zhu Mei giggled approvingly. "No ordinary mortals can reach such level of mastery like you have there! But I suppose this proves you have a flair for the mystic arts. All right then! Let me tell you about the Windchaser enchantment!" I quickly sat upright with close attention like a student readying himself for a lecture.


    And so Zhu Mei began. "The Windchaser is an amazing enchantment that allows its user to manipulate the ground..."


    Like the common Chinese mantra in Fengshui and Bagua, "the manipulation of the cosmos and the reversal of Yin-Yang," the Windchaser enchantment allows its user to do exactly that. There is a total of 88 order of directions in the study of Chinese esoteric cosmology, each bearing a name of its own and its own place in the entire sequence of the whole system. The ability to freely manipulate all 88 of these directions, is part of the crux of the Windchaser enchantment. The other half of it, is the reversal of the two sides of everything, the Yin and Yang of everything in the universe: the ordered systems of directions, the human body, and even our limbs. One would fully master the Windchaser enchantment when one fully understands all 88 of the ordered systems of directions and the control of yin-yang. In certain ways, it bears striking resemblance to the magic of onmyodo of Japan. In a race between an ordinary person and one who wields the Windchaser magic, the latter would be able to use the enchantment to make sure that he gains the geographical advantage while subjecting the former to the opposite. The Windchaser magic changes the directions and route of one''s movements, not the person itself, hence ultimately changing the path that one is taking.


    But still, nearing the end of the lecture, I still could not fully understand how should one switch the directions and how should I choose which directions to swap. "What would happen if I switch which and which? Which directions am I to change to Yang? And which should I change to Yin? Which directions would naturally switch their Yin-Yang properties when I make certain changes?! It''s all confusing!!"


    Nevertheless, in spite of Zhu Mei''s detailed explanations, I could not bear to cram anymore of these infinitesimal and mind-boggling minutiae into my mind. I interrupted Zhu Mei at once, scratching the back of my head sheepishly. "It''s too hard, Uncle Zhu Mei... I hardly understand half of what you''re saying!" The stocky and stout old man howled with laughter. "I''ve bored you with my ramblings! Ha hah hah! But you just have to remember the main formula of this trick and you''d do well. Everything in the universe has its place in the cosmology of existence. Understand it and the power to manipulate it at your will shall be at your fingertips!"


    But for all his life of study, Zhu Mei admitted that he had only been able to unravel the mysteries of the cosmology of the ground, which culminated in his prized oeuvre, the Windchaser enchantment. It was his life''s work, even though the study of this alone had robbed him of the opportunity to venture into the study of something else. But in the face of Father''s greatness and awesome power, the Windchaser was but a mere drop in the bucket. What did Father say about this Windchaser enchantment, I asked him curiously, and Zhu Mei merely squinted, caught within the fantasy of the reminiscences of his time together with Father.


    Zhu Mei then told me about the story when he contested Father in a race. It was a story I had heard once before, but out of respect for him, I listened to his recounts nevertheless. In the end, the old man rubbed a gnarly hand on his coarse, wrinkled cheek. "Wow, now that I think of your mother''s slap at me... That''s one slap I''d forever remember..." A visible trace of horror and trepidation flashed briefly on his face as if the pain from Mother''s blow was more terrible and scathing than Father himself.


    "After the earthquake," he said again, "I came back here. I began thinking about how your father beat me and how he did not even touch the ground. He was floating in the air, that was why I failed to manipulate his steps. But how on earth was I been manipulated by him in return?!"


    He paused. His face twisted into a wry smile laced with apparent admiration. He took a gulp of liquor and went on, "For years, I thought and thought... How did he do it, I kept asking myself this. Finally, after two decades, the answer came to me at last!"

 Chapter 182 Revisiting Fort Enigma

    His face beamed suddenly as he reached the climax of his tale. He clenched his fists excitedly. "Finally, I found out how your father had restrained me using his Autumn Decline! You know how?!" I gave him a sideways glance and shook my head, indicating I do not.


    "It took me twenty years. I was out there, in the deep forest of the Canyon when it came to me out of the blue!" he said, immensely proud of himself, "My Windchaser magic allows me to control the ground and your father''s technique allows him to control the air. Initially, I believed that as long as he''s in the air, I''d not be controlled by him! Then I finally understood: whenever I run, there is always a tiny moment when both my feet are in the air! Your father had realized this when he saw me and he had been using this against me! Even before I landed, I had already fallen into your father''s enchantment!" He slapped his thigh and exploded in roaring laughter.


    My head nodded slowly as I wondered, "So, that would mean that the manipulation of the cosmology of the air might be a tad similar to the ground... So when Uncle Zhu Mei was running, the moment when his feet were off the ground was the very moment he was vulnerable to Father''s spell!" But one would also have understood that without Zhu Mei''s masterful grasp in the skills of elemental manipulation, I would never have appreciated the extent of Father''s ingenuity too!


    We drank and we talked for hours until we were finally stoned.


    We woke up the next day to a bright and sunny day. Like the last time we were here, Zhu Mei was already up and he hurried us to travel to Fort Enigma. Knowing him, we could hardly be perturbed by him; he was a warm and caring person, despite his grisly looks. He must have guessed that Shang Pei must be expecting us too.


    Edelweiss and I made full sure that the saddlebags were filled with rations and water as Zhu Mei went to the stables for our horses. But this time, he looked as if he was coming with us. He noticed my perplexed expression and cackled. "My boy, how did you think you''d be able to reach Fort Enigma last time?" My eyes widened with shock. "I see, so it was Zhu Mei who had secretly led us with his magic to make sure we found Fort Enigma the last time we came!"


    Zhu Mei saw that I had realized the truth and stroked his goatee hanging from his chin. "You''re a bright one, aren''t ya! Come, I''ll demonstrate the Windchaser while we''re on the way!" And he began marching ahead.


    It was an eye-opener! For the first time since encountering the Windchaser technique, we were looking from the perspective of the caster of this magic! But this fresh experience, although gratifying, was fuzzy; scenes and views swept by us with blinding speed! We zipped through curves and slopes, flatland and bumpy ground with astounding speed! Before long, we saw the spires of Fort Enigma beckoning from afar. Finally, I could finally immerse myself in the enchantment and truly felt how the ground shifted under our feet and how was it to literally wield the geographical advantage of the Windchaser. The ground beneath us broke into ripples whenever we moved as if we were walking upon the still surface of a lake. Then I realized that while Zhu Mei seemed to be walking normally, ripples spread forth with every step he took and the ground beneath his feet shifted with a dazzling but indistinct blur! For the first time in my life, I actually felt how little we humans understood about the universe! Even the mere study and research of the magical manipulation of ground or air was but only one of the many secrets we humans yet to fully unveil! Such was the frame of reference that demigods and immortals lived in!


    With the portcullis of Fort Enigma just up ahead, we saw a huge group of people waiting for us. They moved towards us when they saw us but we stopped. Zhu Mei looked at me blithely, "How about you give it a go for this short distance?" My mouth was left gaping wide as I failed to find a response for that. "Come on, give it a go!" Zhu Mei said again supportively. I vaulted off my horse and stood there with my eyes closed. But I could feel nothing as yet; the ground was as dead as a log to me and I failed to actually feel the energies of the ground in my wielding. I sighed, exasperated and shook my head.


    Zhu Mei placed a consoling hand on my shoulder. "It takes time! Relax! Just remember: From Nothing comes the Creation (Taiji), and from it come the Two Polarities, which in turn derives into the Four Signs (also known as the Four Symbols or Four Aspects), and the Four Signs would be further inferred as Bagua (the Eight Trigrams), which births everything in existence. Hence all things contain a force of its own. Understand it, master it, and wield it! You can do it!"


    He had barely finished when a hollow voice echoed off the rocky walls of the foothills surrounding us. "Zhu Mei, I see you''ve begun imparting your craft!" I recognized the voice: Shang Pei, the Third of the Six Terrors and the Master of Fort Enigma!"


    Shang Pei had arrived with his welcoming retinue. He laughed jovially. "Come on! Let''s not prattle outside here! Let''s go in!"


    His son, Shang the Younger was also joyful to see us. I paid my New Year''s respects to them, saying, "Happy New Year, Brother Shang! It''s been a long time yet you look as spry as ever!" He smiled, bowing to us, "You are being too kind! I daresay I''d have no more good news than you!" And that made everyone hooted with laughter. The things he said might seem nothing more than sophistry and theatrics, but I could see that he sincerely meant every word.


    But Shang Pei was pestering Zhu Mei. "Don''t make me beg, Zhu Mei! Where''s the liquor!" The thick-set bear-like girth of Shang Pei towered over Zhu Mei''s stocky and dwarf-like stature, barking for Father''s liquor as he flailed his voluminous sleeves. They were like the exact representation of the Two Polarities, both of them. Despite his creased and ancient face, Shang Pei must have been a handsome and dashing man himself during his younger days. Zhu Mei beckoned with also a swing of his sleeves, "All righty then! Let''s drink to our heart''s content!"


    At the table, I produced another sealed urn of the Draught of the Drunken Deities. I slid it over to Shang Pei, whose eyes gleamed with the same frenzy and fervor of a heroin addict. Zhu Mei cackled, "I''m sure you recognized what this is!" "After our parting, I told Father about Fort Enigma and he too reminisced about the days when you were comrades," I said, "Hence he had bidden me to bring a flask of this Draught for each of you." In spite of their constant banter and bickering, I witnessed how close Zhu Mei and Shang Pei were; the latter immediately moved to fill Zhu Mei''s glass before filling his own, although Zhu Mei said at once, "It''s fine! I still have an urn of my own! Brother Hai had prepared enough for us both!" "But I''d sip lightly on this if I were you! Do remember that this is not your average liquor, see?" Shang Pei cradled the urn of liquor in his arms like it was a prized grandson. "Well, I''ll keep this for myself then! More for me!"


    "What''s so special with Uncle Hai''s liquor, Father?" Young Master Shang asked curiously. Even though he had no intention of coveting a share of his father''s liquor, he could feel that it was definitely unusual. The two older men shared a look and chuckled. Shang Pei then tore off the seal and took a little swig. He smacked his lips as he felt the liquor blazed down his throat. "You''re right that it''s special! So special that only people with powerful magic truly understand how special this liquor is! This is called the Draught of the Drunken Deities! A magical brew Brother Hai made himself with his sorcery! Only those with powerful magic can withstand the force of this divine nectar and it helps enhances our powers! But if anyone with lowly magic were to take so much as a little sip of it, that person would be instantly drunk!"


    Shang the Younger exclaimed with awe. Taking note of the merry mood at the table, I realized that the time was ripe. "Uncle Shang Pei," I asked, "There''s something that I wish to ask you." The blunt and straightforward Shang Pei burst into a shot peal of laughter and roared, "Of course! Anything for you, my lad!" I smiled and clinked my glass with his before I burrow into the subject, "I have discovered during my adventures that Father was charged to watch the Dragon-slaying Blade many many years ago. But somehow, the Blade got missing. Is Father refusing his ascension because of this matter? And who is the person who entrusted the Blade to him? Can you tell me what actually happened? I have had numerous adventures in the last two years but everything points to the fact that somebody or some entity is hiding behind the shadows, a hidden hand that is influencing everything around me. Do you have any idea who might that be?"


    For the first time since meeting us, Shang Pei fell silent. His grip on his glass tightened uneasily, I noticed, before it relaxed again. "I have heard a little," Shang Pei admitted, "It''s true. Your father was once charged to guard the Blade. But I too, do not know what happened to it. But if there is one thing I am certain of, it''ll be your father''s refusal to ascend into full immortality. Trust me, it has nothing to do with the hallowed sword." I shuddered. There must be more mystery and reason to Father''s insistent rejection of becoming fully immortal! But I was so sure! I was so certain that it was because of the missing Blade! I knew that Father had always deemed it his mistake that the Blade was missing. Even the Blade was not lost because of him, Father would surely shoulder the blame most readily and he would be on the constant lookout for it. But was it possible that Father had continually refused full immortality because of other reasons?


    As if on a cue, Shang Pei said again like he had read my thoughts, "Your father refused to ascend, because he did not need to. During the Tangshan Earthquake crisis, I had once spoken to him about this. He told me that he had long endured the Crucible before, or something of a similar manner, or so I believe. And I do. Otherwise, he would not have his current divine physical form that allows him to retain his youth. But if I''m not mistaken, he did not endure the Crucible here; he did it somewhere else. Some other alternate worlds or domains. Then I asked him if there were such things as alternate worlds. But he gave me no definite answer. But as my powers grew and my knowledge in magic deepened, I found out that it could be true. True immortals like your father possess the ability to travel freely through the multitudes of alternate universes and even the Six Paths of Samsara. I assure you, my boy, your father refused his ascension has nothing to do with the lost Blade. But I''m afraid I can tell you nothing about this hidden hand... In truth, despite our friendship, I did not know your father long. So there was quite a lot that I did not know about him..."


    I nodded, indicating my understanding of his message. But what he said had opened up more questions: "What are these ''alternate universes''? Does the phrase indicate something literal or was it figuratively referring to something else? And if Father indeed had achieved full immortality, how would Master Six not realize this?"

 Chapter 183 Another Fools Errand

    And that was all that Shang Pei was willing to divulge, in spite of the obvious fact that both Zhu Mei and he knew more than they were willing to admit.


    We hurried back from Inner Mongolia to Wu Zhong and my first stop was home. I needed to ask Father what was going on. Naturally, he refused to divulge anything too. But that hardly dampened my thirst for answers. "Why did you not tell Godmother the truth about her sister? You knew what happened to her all along? And how did the Dragon-slaying Blade go missing when you were supposed to be watching it? And how could Master Six not realize that you had achieved full immortality?"


    Father threw me a sideways glance, his narrowed eyes studying me for a second before he took a puff of smoke from his cigarette. "Why are you asking all these suddenly?" I slammed a fist into the table. "Father! There are people hidden in the shadows whose eyes are fixated upon the lost Blade and you! They believed that the Blade is not lost, in fact, they suspect that you are still keeping it! But they know they have no way to deal with you, not with your great powers and abilities. So they are targeting me! You might think it''s all OK for you, but I definitely do not think so!" But instead, Father gave me a mere lackadaisical and dismissive wave of his hand. "There are chapters best left unpublished and stones best left unturned. Knowing the truth will not only won''t help, rather, it could also well be your bane."


    Still, no matter how hard I tried, Father remained adamant to not say anything else. With no other options left, I had only one last person to turn to: Master Six. It was unlikely that Master Six knew nothing at all, and he could well be the last person who could tell me anything I need to know about Father!


    I returned to the Center the next day and I spoke to my friends about my decision to seek out Master Six. But both Lin Feng and Chongxi believed that a demigod like Master Six would never show himself needlessly to any human mortals. It''d only be a fool''s errand, they insisted. But the need to know the truth was like an itch that needed to be scratched; there was no way I would let the matter of Father and the lost Blade go and in the end, my companions relented to help in whatever way they could.


    After a lengthy discussion, we finally decided that if there was anyone who could make contact with the immortal, it could only be Lao Tao! Lao Tao must have regular channels of communication with Master Six, especially since the demigod had relegated the care of a weasel to the care of the Mountain Deity of Yellow Soil Ridge when we first met him!


    We traveled at once to Yellow Soil Ridge and came to the entrance which would lead to the underground village. But this time, the rocky face of the cave yawned opened for us on its own even before we made any attempts to call and we plunged into the darkness of the cavernous passage.


    Needless to say, Lao Tao was not Taotie, one of the Four Perils of Chinese myths, despite both names sharing the same "Tao." The name of "Lao Tao" itself was most likely a nickname which was commonly used to denote a person''s insatiable appetite, although we never knew why the Mountain Deity of the Ridge was so called.


    We went passed the passage and reached the subterranean settlement of demons where we went to Lao Tao''s residence. In one of his reception halls, I immediately asked, even before tea had been made and set ready, "Lao Tao, do you know how to establish contact with Master Six?" "Why do you need to reach out to him, Master Shiyan?" the old mountain deity asked dubiously. Just with his reaction, I was certain: He indeed had ways to contact Master Six! I immediately related to Lao Tao about my plight and stressed that he was the only one who could help me and how important it was for me to speak to Master Six.


    But to my dismay, Lao Tao''s face turned hesitant when my tale ended! A dread began looming overhead me as I feared the worst!


    "Master Shiyan, I''m afraid that I may be the Mountain Deity of the Ridge, but when it comes to Master Six, I fear I hold as much authority as even you too. I do not seek him, only he seeks me. For I do not command the same omniscience he wields to find out where an immortal like him is!" Lin Feng immediately interrupted hotly, "Wait a minute! The last time, Master Six sent a weasel here to your care. That clearly shows you have a channel of communication with him!" Lao Tao shook his head and smiled weakly. "You do not understand, Master Lin Feng. Master Six''s former incarnation was an actual celestial being; he wields powers so great that the likes of us can barely comprehend. With just a simple hoot from him, all Mountain Deities around him would instantly hear him. There is barely any need for him to show himself to us."


    Thus ended our trip to Yellow Soil Ridge; a fool''s errand indeed, just like what Chongxi said. Not even Lao Tao could help us, for no one finds Master Six except himself.


    Dejected and morose, we returned to the Center. The disconcerted quadruple of us balked at our bowl of noodles as we raked our minds for solutions to no avail. Night came later and a group of people pushed past our doors into the Center. It was Xiao Qi and the Sisters. When they saw our sad and sorry state, Xiao Si slapped on my shoulder and guffawed. "Come on! What''s wrong with you guys! Why the sad face as if somebody''s dead! Heh heh heh! In some ways, you remind me of myself! Like a person who''s dead by hanging!" I stared at her. Did she know that she was just jabbing at herself?! Chongxi scowled, "Leave us alone, Xiao Si! We''re already worried enough as it is!"


    Xiao San seemed to realize that we were seriously distressed and something seemed wrong. She came to Edelweiss, held her hands and asked her softly, "What''s wrong?" Despite her usual taciturnity and poker face, Xiao San seemed to be fond of Edelweiss and they had grown to like each other like sisters.


    Edelweiss then began to disclose to Xiao San about our fruitless visit to Yellow Soil Ridge. The six Sisters looked at each other at the end of the tale. This was the first time they heard about Master Six and they clearly could not comprehend the significance of seeking him out. But at last, Xiao San whispered something into Xiao Qi''s ears and the latter bellowed cheerfully, "Come on! Let''s not fret! Let me speak to our Big Sister! She''s the most knowledgeable out of the Seven Ghostly Sisters! She might be able to help!"


    With a minuscule sliver of hope for us to tether on to, we waited until the next morning where Aunt Fen came to the Center with her husband, Mr. Zhang.


    As soon as we made them tea, Mr. Zhang immediately asked, "Who is this person that is so hard to find?" I took out a cigarette and offered it to him. "An immortal-like person. No, wait. He''s in fact one!" "Huh?! An immortal? How''s he if compared to your father?" I paused. It was a question I had hardly thought of before. I pondered for seconds and said, "Well, I would believe that they are on par in powers and abilities. Honestly, I have only seen them talking to each other and he is the only person who would dare speak in equal terms to him. Like how common peers speak to each other." Mr. Zhang shook his head wearily and sighed. "I see... With powers on par with your father, then he must be some sort of legendary figure himself! You mustn''t take him seriously! For all we know, he might only be a figment of imagination!"


    "No!" Chongxi interjected, "We''ve met him before! He''s not some ''figment of imagination!''" But instead, Aunt Fen, when she heard Chongxi saying that it was a true person who wielded the same levels of power and magic as Father, grew interested. "Tell us more about him!" I took a swig off my cigarette. "It''s quite a long story. But he was introduced to us by an old man who is nearly a century old. So it began when..." Mr. Zhang stopped me with a loud "WAIT!" and a wave of his arms. "Wait. Let''s find a quiet place to talk and eat! I have long wanted to talk to you young people too, to remind myself I am young too," the childish story-loving Mr. Zhang exclaimed. We stared at him and burst into laughter the next second, exchanging devilish smiles amongst ourselves. Aunt Fen scowled at us, "Naughty ones you are! With you guys, there is always no short of mischief!"


    We crammed ourselves into Mr. Zhang''s luxurious sedan and we went to a restaurant. Unlike normal eateries, this was a joint for exotic food. We walked into the entrance and found ourselves in a garden of peach blossoms, blossoming handsomely as if to welcome us. The stewards led us through the halls which were all furnished like a tranquil countryside and brought us into a private room. We skipped the small talk, immediately ordered some dishes and filling everyone''s glasses with liquor and began our tale, starting from how we went to Chen Yixuan and what happened with Master Six thereafter (kindly refer to Chapters 15-19 of Volume 2: Probation). Aunt Fen, Mr. Zhang, and Edelweiss were all fascinated by our story and Mr. Zhang asked immediately, "What happened to that three joss sticks!? Do you still have it?" We shook our heads. We had all but completely forgotten about the joss sticks when Master Six appeared. For all we knew, it could still be at the motel.


    Aunt Fen heaved a long breath. "You unseasoned boys really lack experience... You should have kept it. It could be a memento of your adventures together! You''re just like a child leaving his fishing pole after getting his first catch!" Edelweiss nudged me and asked, "What fishing pole?" But Aunt Fen heard her, despite her best attempts to keep her voice soft. She giggled, her laughter thick with happiness and bliss. We stared at her at first, then we remembered: the love shared between Mr. Zhang and Aunt Fen began when they met each other catching loaches by a river! If not for the little truck that escaped Tangshan after the earthquake, Aunt Fen would not have traveled until the river where she met Mr. Zhang and they fell in love. It was her first love, the most tender affection a girl could ever feel in her rosy years. A love story that could have moved the hearts of many. And even after her death, Aunt Fen had remained a ghost who watched Mr. Zhang for thirty years and even keeping him from harm. It was fortunate that their love story ended joyfully that she was about to be resurrected and they even got married. It was a love story transcending life and death that many soft-hearted lasses would have died for!


    "You young lads just love to exaggerate!" Mr. Zhang roared with laughter. But through his eyes, we could see that he too, was swimming in the sweet memories of his reminiscences. He stopped and began telling us his story.

 Chapter 184 Three-way Spli

    t


    "In those days, we use fishing poles to catch fish and a snare called Ti¨CYes, the same Ti that means ''hoofs'' in Chinese¨Cto trap wild hares. To put it simply, it''s just a basket that we leave in the water during daytime and by nightfall, we can easily expect to find any haul in the baskets," Mr. Zhang explained while drinking.


    This is the difference between university students of the past and college students like us today! They were actually imparted true knowledge while we were only trained to pass exams... The significance of their qualification could not be adequately equated with ours...


    Aunt Fen raised an arm and silence immediately fell upon us. "I suggest here''s how we should go on. Let''s split up into three groups. The first group will first start with the Bian family burial grounds. The next group will begin searching along the river for the highland where the dud was hidden. Coordinate with this Master Six and Chen Yixuan''s route for a better clue of where it can be. And the final group will investigate the few bridges on the river! Keep in touch!" Mr. Zhang added enthusiastically, "There''s only one car now. I''ll arrange for two more cars. It will be better because one of them is a four-wheel-drive for you to better traverse the uneven terrain along the river."


    The next morning, our investigations began with us separating into three groups: Edelweiss and I would begin our search for the Bian family burial grounds, and Chongxi would investigate the bridges nearby. Being a native of these areas, Lin Feng would be most suited to look for the dud''s hidden place in those mounds and hills.


    Right after splitting up, I switched on my phone and activated the map app. With the convenience of the information from the app, we began our search for any villages that might bear the name Bian of Bian Family and found one. Filled with hope, we sped confidently towards there but only to find that it was almost 2.5 miles away from Yahong Bridge! But the burial grounds were supposed to be just near the village! We then asked around, hoping to find some other clues. Finally, a merchant told us that a village, although not named Bian, had a great number of families with that surname.


    Nevertheless, knowing that it could be an important clue, we went to the village that the merchant had pointed us to. When we went there, after asking around, we found out that the village cemetery was just outside the little hamlet. But to our dismay, it was nowhere near any river! Devastated, I stood frozen with shock and disbelief and an old lady saw us. She was sitting on a large rock just beside the dirt road of the village, sitting in the morning sun. Seeing that we were strangers, she asked, "Hey, you two! Who are you? I have not seen you here before! Are you looking for relatives or someone you know?"


    We went to her and told her that we were searching for a Bian family or any villages that might carry that name. She thought for a moment, then she said, "There used to be a Bian family village not far from Yahong Bridge. But it is so old that not many people remember about it now. I bet only the older folks might have heard about it. It should be somewhere in North-West of the town of Yahong Bridge, if my feeble memory still serves!"


    ¡°Heavens! She''s right!¡± I realized instantly. The tale of Bian Dashou took place during the fall of the Ming Dynasty, just before the rise of the Qing Empire. That would have put the incident at least two or three centuries before! The village which now comprised of Bian Dashou''s descendants would now be at least a century old! For all we know, no one could even tell us if Bian Dashou had lived there! Only the older folks might still know something about him!


    With that revelation, we traveled in the direction of North-West from the town of Yahong Bridge and reached a place called Gao Qiao¨Cor also, Tall Bridge. It was also about 2.5 miles from Yahong Bridge, well out of the vicinity of Yahong Bridge. But the rapid development from both areas now filled their distance with buildings, apartments, and hovels that no one would realize that this place was well beyond the boundaries of Yahong Bridge town. We looked for an old man, hoping that we had finally found our target, and he yelped with a surprised and confused look, "Ah!?" Thinking that he might have remembered something, I pressed with another question, "Do you remember any notable landmarks here or anything else here that was from the old Yahong Bridge town?" He stopped and took a few paces back, studying me intently, before he said at last, "You might wanna check the bus stations or expressway rest areas! You''re that boy from the paranormal investigation agency on TV, right? Come on! Let''s take a picture!" He took out his mobile phone and would not allow me to leave unless I took a picture with him.


    We left the town and went to the nearby expressway rest area and spoke to many of the villagers that lived nearby. Finally, we found an old man who told us that the last Bian family village had changed its name. It was now a mere settlement with barely a few families, hence not many people heard of it. It was one of the five villages that joined into a local production brigade. Lastly, he bade us go somewhere near the Tangjin Expressway south of here.


    And so we journeyed south this time and finally found several families with the surname Bian. But to our horror, their ancestral burial grounds were nowhere near the river too! For an entire day, we had been traveling in all directions all for nothing! A quick glance at the time told us it was already five in the evening. Dejected by the forlorn failures, we then decided to return to the Center and call it a day.


    We met Chongxi, who told us about his end of the search. There were two bridges but they were all brick and mortar bridges built in recent years! Lin Feng was the latest to return to the Center. He came through the doors with a face sagged with fatigue and weariness. For tens of kilometers he had been driving through fen and forests, and the highest ground he had found were merely concrete dikes that towered seven to eight meters over the water. The rest were low marshlands left after the huge floods. Along his way, he had also found two cemeteries that hugged closely to the river banks. But after talking to the neighborhood, he was told that the cemeteries were public burial grounds, not the ancestral burial grounds that we were looking for! With that, all of our leads had come to nothing!


    With enough disappointments for a day, we could not have been more morose and sorrowful. Even Edelweiss could not help feeling sad after seeing us. We went home after dinner and I, still battered by the successive letdowns, switched on my computer and began looking in Baidu, still clinging to that last fragment of hope that the Internet might be able to yield something that we failed to find.


    It was a blog that I found some information on the history of Yahong Bridge. But with no contact details listed on the site, all I could do was register myself as a subscriber of the blog to message the owner. Fortunately, a reply came as speedily as I could barely believe myself. It appeared that the owner was also an avid writer who checked his site regularly. We exchanged contact details and he later told me that he reposted the article from a Wu Zhong forum. A glimmer of hope sparkled amidst the gloom of despair as I immediately asked for the link to that forum.


    But my hopes were quickly dashed when he said that the forum was closed down due to some irreconcilable differences between some of its members. All that the blogger knew about the original author of the article, was that he was a historian who had spent more than a decade of his life quietly delving into the past of Yahong Bridge. But it was a pity that the blogger didn''t know his contact.


    I turned off my computer. When I turned, Edelweiss was already half-asleep with her head on my shoulders, her drowsy eyelids already falling to a close. It was already ten at night, I saw the clock. She must be tired after our search all day. I was in no shape to carry her to the bed, but she might still be able to carry me. I tapped her gently and slowly helped her to the bed. Then I placed a call to Mr. Zhang.


    "Mr. Zhang, I found something from a friend that I just made online..." And I told him what I found online, specifically that historian. Then, there was a silence lull from the other end of the line. Mr. Zhang pondered for seconds before saying, "I might have heard of him before. If he''s the same man I know, I don''t think he''s from Yahong Bridge, more likely the Yangjiatao in the North. But don''t worry about it! I''ll handle it!"


    The next morning, Mr. Zhang contacted me. He had found the historian but the latter was busy. Apparently, the historian was engrossed in some work involving some calligraphy script used by ancient tomb markers and he could not come to Wu Zhong. Mr. Zhang urged us to go to him instead and it was best that we step on to it.


    We scrambled into our car and took off with Mr. Zhang to meet with the historian. He was cheerful and warm to receive us when we met the elderly expert who heard that a bunch of young men was interested to know more about the history of Yahong Bridge. That filled with renewed vim and verse as he embarked on his tale. (The following information is referred from the works of historian Zhang Zhenjiang)


    Yahong Bridge first came into prominence because of the great bazaar that farmers and peasants flocked to since early history. There was no definite information on how the great bazaar came to be, only that it was one of the largest marketplaces due east of the capital and there were records that it originated as early as the Ming Dynasty, in the third year of Jiajing Emperor''s reign from traveling markets that moved markets moved from town to town with each on a designated day on every month, beginning from Yahong Bridge on the fifth and tenth days of each month, Gaoqiao town on the second and seventh days, the town beside Xixuan Lake on the third and the eighth days, Zhushuwu town on the fourth and ninth days, and Qianjiagou village on the first and sixth days. The venues of the markets were about 3 miles away at each stop and mostly were characterized by small scale and scattered distribution, catering to 120,000 people in the entire county in those days.


    By the twentieth year of Kangxi Emperor''s reign, the names of Gaoqiao town and the town beside Xixuan Lake were all but faded. The traveling markets were traveling no more and Yahong Bridge became the center where the great bazaar would remain indefinitely. With the population boom during the two centuries when emperors Kangxi and Qianlong ruled, commerce and trade grew exponentially around Yahong Bridge and more and more traders came after hearing its name. Before long, Yahong Bridge became a bustling market city that sprawled for tens or even hundreds of miles wide.


    The grand bazaar of Yahong Bridge endured four great economic climaxes and four downturns as well during its three hundred years of activity. Its first climax occurred during the reign of Tongzhi Emperor of Qing when more and more cotton farmers began to appear by the banks of Huan Xiang River. By the tenth year of Guangxu Emperor''s rule, the cotton industry began to boom with numerous families in the southern parts of the county making fabric. The products of the county ranged from common rough spun to cotton yarn and cotton fabric too. Their products were sold across the country, all with the help of the growing river trade and land trade. The Huan Xiang River was connected to Tianjin City and the Jing-Hang Grand Canal through the river trade network and trade caravans covered as far as the passes of the Great Wall, then the Lengkou Pass and the Xifengkou Pass, reaching even Chifeng City as well as other settlements in Inner and Outer Mongolia. In the East, the trade network extended to Shanhai Pass and reached the three northeast provinces of China. Like a spider''s webs, the complex circuitry of Yahong Bridge''s economic upsurge filled the air of the trade city with constant ringing bells of camels and the swishing of paddles in the water. In the early years when Jiaqing Emperor first took the throne, there were records indicating the famous Sam Sing Kung Temple needed repairs, and then a total of seventy-four enterprises, from large to even greater manufacturing giants, donated vast amounts of money for the restoration. Of all the enterprises which had contributed, there were many large enterprises like oil manual workshops, producers of noodles or vermicelli, wine breweries, vinegar breweries, fabric manufacturers, silk weavers, pawnbrokers, banks, and so on.


    ...

 Chapter 185 Headway

    The development in Yahong Bridge in that era was not anyone could easily comprehend. The city today was but a mere shadow of its former glory, which could well be attributed to the auspicious aura given off by the Dragon-slaying Blade when it was kept by Bian Dashou there. But on the other hand, one had to give the old historian great credit for his detailed and meticulous work.


    Some of the records even documented various miscellaneous events. Merchant Dong Sixiang moved to rejoin his kin Dong Siyuan at Yahong Bridge after moving from Tonghua Village of Pujiang County in Zhejiang during the reign of Qianlong Emperor. He started a pawnbroker business and opened a shop named Xingshun Pawnshop.


    The Three Wang Brothers from Shanxi came to the town of Yahong Bridge during the reign of Daoguang Emperor, bringing with them printing methods and vinegar brewing technology, and they operated three stores named Jin Tai, Jin Yuan, and Jin Cheng. The Cao Clan from Hedong District later came to Yahong Bridge and introduced the tanning method.


    In the notes made during the second and third years of Guangxu Emperor''s reign, there was an entry about repairs made at the Temple of the Fire God. The entry also mentioned about three long-standing enterprises of the Cao Clan of Hedong, three stores selling fur pelts called De Shun, Wan Shun, Yong Shun. These three trading establishments closed around 1987 when China carried out the reform and opening-up policy. In total, they had a history of 150 years.


    The second economic surge for Yahong Bridge came in the early twilight years of the Qing Dynasty, beginning from the Opium War when commodities and products from both the East and the West began flowing into the markets of Yahong Bridge from Tianjin. Prominent goods and commodities introduced from the West included kerosene used to fuel oil lamps, candles, matches, flour for food, foreign currency, socks, even cotton napkins, etc. The bazaars of Yahong Bridge slowly became an agora of blending cultures where West met East, and stores that formerly only retailed began to wholesale items and wares, too, providing storage services in addition to logistical solutions. These stores turned into huge goods depot for merchants from abroad.


    By the second year of Guangxu Emperor''s rule, Yahong Bridge had various goods depot specializing in grain namely the Dongshenglong, Kuishenglong, Fushun, Yongshun, Gongxing, Fuqing, and many other depositories. Fushun, the depot which was started by Jiang Hao, a prominent veteran of the Revolution, sold at least 700 shi (42,000 kg) of grain yearly. Western influences slowly seeped into Yahong Bridge; a Wan Family from Lijiaqiao town near Beijing came and started a pharmacy that sold both Western and Eastern medicine, and a clothing store was furnished with brick and mortar, a method used only by Western buildings in those days. Churches began to open in the city and the sight of foreigners walking the streets soon became a common scene.


    The third economic boom for Yahong Bridge then came during the First United Front. The leaders of the city turned the market into a battlefield of political ideals. In the fall of 1928, a meeting held at the Temple of the Fire God in Yahong Bridge by several communist members from Yutian County pointed out five main points. Out of the five points, the third was about using the huge crowds at the bazaars of Yahong Bridge to spread the awareness for the masses to launch a protest to cut rent, cut interest rates, and cut taxes while opposing the notion of raising taxes and rents to finance military expenditure.


    Local political groups used the tremendously crowded market population to incite laborers and dock workers on a strike against low wages. Five to six thousand people from Yahong Bridge and neighboring towns came together as one to protest against taxes and triumphed. Their victory attracted many local lower- and middle-class landowners to invest into the development of Yahong Bridge by purchasing real estate. Before long, stores selling pottery, porcelain, glassware, as well as other modern aesthetical decorations began to appear. Books stores selling New Year woodblock prints, erotic illustrations, stationary too opened not long after. Another enterprise started by a family of brothers called Zhang would then move to Yahong Bridge, bringing in the trade of seafood and coloring dyes.


    Even Muslims migrated to Yahong Bridge; a Muslim family called Ma was famous for owning the Taihexuan Restaurant. Another Muslim family, Xu, was also well-known for their Lanting Restaurant too. Zhang Baifa, First Deputy Mayor of Beijing once mentioned about his childhood in Yahong Bridge. He was particularly fond of his memories enjoying the fragrant smell of food from the restaurants that lined the street outside his childhood home.


    The fourth would come after the economic reforms, when the contract responsibility system was introduced to allow part of the population to thrive following the devastation of the Cultural Revolution. More Western merchandise was seen in Yahong Bridge such as sofas and women''s handbags. It marked the beginning of the country''s industrialization spurt as factories began to open everywhere and jobs at the factories were readily available for everyone.


    The bazaars at Yahong Bridge evolved due to this change in trend; their markets expanded, catering wholly for the entire nation rather than just their local community. Trade activities blazed so expeditiously that there were at least three thousand vendors and merchants operating at the bazaar. The name of Yahong Bridge began synonymous with the prestige of national and even international wholesalers as their network began to stretch beyond China''s border''s and this was shown in various nomenclature of local infrastructure and products. Futuristic brand names bearing the words "Galaxy," "Space," "Shuttle," and many more began to appear, and streets began to sound more modern and avant-garde, namely, the Zhongyang Dajie (Central Avenue), Fuxing Jie (Restoration Street), Xianggang Jie (Hong Kong Street), Wenhua Lu (Cultural Road), Zhengfa Lu (Lawful Road), Wuzhou Shangmao (the Five Continents Trading Company), Guoji Shangmao Cheng (International Trade City), and so forth. Everyone looked towards the future with hope and fervor and no one was hardly unproud of the stature of Yahong Bridge across the entire country.


    But there were also four downturns which could have almost brought the illustrious trade city to its knees. The first came during the Japanese occupation of Yahong Bridge during the World War. Strict martial law and curfew were enforced and no one was allowed to roam the streets without a pass by the Japanese forces. The second decline occurred when the struggles of capitalist industry and commerce were the grittiest. The third drop happened when trade was being rigorously held by the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives (ACFSMC). In their ardent ferocity to move toward the socialist market economy, the ACFSMC became the main channel of goods and commodity circulation in Chinese villages and the economy was suffocated. Finally, the fourth economic slump for Yahong Bridge took place when regulated socialist markets were finally implemented and any shred of capitalism was frowned upon by the state and the nation. The great bazaar of Yahong Bridge, with its beating heart of commerce suffocated, became a shade of its former splendor, when the once-bustling trade city had fallen into a ghost city with virtually nothing to be offered for sale.


    The creases and wrinkles of the old man seemed to have momentarily vanished as his tale of Yahong Bridge''s history went on. He was so lively and energetic with the chance to tell his story, like a little boy whose face was brightened with zeal and passion. The things that he told us were rich in so much detail that no textbook could have been able to provide. With my flames of hope rekindled, I asked, my fists clenched with excitement and anticipation, "Senior, have you ever heard of a Bian Family and their ancestral burial grounds?" With a beat of silence, the old man thought and answered, "Nope. But I have seen something about it before in the Wu Zhong online forum. It was a news article from the 30s. It spoke about three persons in the Ming Dynasty, all of whom shared the same given name "Dashou." I''ve heard before the name Zu Dashou, but I can''t say the same for Bian Dashou!" "Very well, where was the actual Yahong Bridge located at last time?" "Somewhere not far north from the concrete and mortar bridge today!" With that, we said our thanks to the old historian and we shook his hands, feeling grateful for his invaluable information.


    On the way back, Mr. Zhang asked, "So, what do you think with the information he just told you? Do you think it''ll help?" "Of course! The old historian has much to offer. Moreover, historians only accept proven findings which are backed with evidence, so we can be sure of the information he provided. What''s more, the information he has dated from the period of Jiajing Emperor of Ming to Kangxi Emperor of Qing. This is exactly the time frame we need."


    Back at the Center, our discussion continued when Lin Feng suddenly remembered a detail that we had long omitted. "Did you remember old Chen Yixuan''s story? Two army commanders were charged by the imperial court to set up a ranch somewhere to the south of the burial grounds as a pretense to observe them. That place was formerly burial grounds for a Feng Family and they were forced to move somewhere south, and the horse ranch was called the Dafeng Zhuang (Great Feng Ranch)! It''s now a village and I know where it is! We can go there and ask around! I should have thought of this earlier!" He giggled at his own carelessness.


    We went to Dafeng Zhuang the next day. But to our regret, the whole village consisted mostly of families bearing the surname Zhang or Lei; they could be the descendants of the two army commanders who set up the ranch. We spoke to a few more elders but not one of them knew anything about the Bian Family burial grounds or the secret imperial edict given to their ancestors to keep the Bian Family under close watch! Our lead had yielded nothing yet again!


    We went back to the Center again and Aunt Fen and Mr. Zhang were there. They had borrowed a projector and a white screen from one of the classrooms at the Institute. I connected the projector to my computer and laid out a larger version of the map on the screen which could help us study more thoroughly.


    I looked at the map and narrated absentmindedly, "So there''s the Dafeng Zhuang in the north and the old bridge in the south. That leaves only four villages that lasted since the ancient times: the Xiaoliu Zhuang (Little Liu Ranch), Miao Jiazhuang (Miao Family Village), Li Jia Zhuang (Li Family Village), and Wangjia Hutong (Wang Family Back Street). What happened then must have happened somewhere near these villages and the river. We cannot be sure which village Master Six''s family was from, but we know for sure that his family sold guns! If only we could..." I was still speaking when Lin Feng slammed the table suddenly with a hand and he stood up at once, screaming, "I KNOW IT!"


    Every pair of eyes in the darkened room stared at him. Lin Feng slapped his own head, yelling loudly, "I should have thought of this earlier too!" "Spit it out!" Aunt Fen hissed impatiently, "Quit keeping it to yourself!" "Li Jiazhuang (Li Family Village), the village that my family was from had families who made and sold guns!" I sprang up, being unable to contain the contemplation of hope, "How many families were there?" Lin Feng froze. Then he slumped back to his seat slowly, sighing softly, "I don''t know... Almost everyone in that village sold guns..."


    "Our village was made of smiths and forgers. So almost all the families have guns. Even the soldiers from the Eighth Route Army came to our village to have their guns repaired and maintained!" But he leaped up again, "Wait! But there are only two families with more than six sons!" But just as quickly, he crumbled back into his chair again. "One of the family has eight sons, but the sixth son was just as old as I am... The other also has eight sons, but all eight sons are years beyond Master Six in age... They are almost our father''s age..."


    "Wait," Aunt Fen spoke suddenly, "Foolish boy! Didn''t you tell me that Master Six told his grand-uncle that the latter''s father has eight grandchildren? That would mean that the eight offspring are not necessarily of the same branch of the family! The ''eight'' is the number of all the children in the entire generation!"


    "Oh my God! You''re right!" Lin Feng stammered under his breath, his eyes as wide as golf balls. He snatched up his phone and called his father. "Father, is there any family in our village which has eight grandchildren in total?" There was a tacit silence as he listened then he clicked off his phone, ending the call. "So?" We asked, almost in unison and all eyes bored down on him. He sighed. "But Father doesn''t know... He doesn''t know if any families have more than eight grandchildren... Because most of the families in the village bear the same surname Lin! So he doesn''t know if how many of the families are actually related to one another..."

 Chapter 186 Master Sixs Kin

    Just when we thought that Uncle Quan would only be another dead end, Mr. Zhang pounded the table with his fist suddenly!


    "I know the officials in your village!" He said at once, "Leave this to me. I''ll organize an activity. I''m sure we''ll succeed this time." He patted himself on the chest, looking absolutely confident. Then Aunt Fen, his supportive and sensible wife, added immediately, "Xiaojun (Nie Xiaojun) called me yesterday. He''s coming to visit us with his family. He''s the director of a hospital now. I''m sure I can get him to get a few of his men to organize a charity clinic event at the village for the old people there. Husband, arrange for some caterers to prepare food. The checkups would need the participants to have their stomachs empty before the event, so they''ll be hungry and thirsty. I''ll foot any medical bills if anyone needs immediate treatment. Let''s make them all happy!"


    Her husband nodded and Aunt Fen looked at us, "The few of you will join in as volunteers to help out. We''ll also have the officials prepare some liquor and wine. We''ll have some nursing staff with them to make sure they''ll have just enough for you people to wring some stories out of them. I''m sure you''ll find something, just as how it is written: in vino veritas!"


    Overwhelmed by Mr. Zhang''s generosity, I said at once, "Wait, we should be the ones to foot the bill!" "Spare yourselves," Mr. Zhang added dryly, "You''ve been working so much for charity yourselves that you''ve barely made enough money to line your pockets! Let me handle the bills!" Then he said to his wife, "We''ll speak to the village officials tomorrow right away, Wife!" With that, they promptly left.


    We received word from Mr. Zhang later that the event shall be held in three days. Uncle Quan then told us that he would be coming too. When we got there on the third day, we were astounded to find a huge fanfare at the event. Mr. Zhang must have pulled every string he had to make sure that this event go well! There was a long banner announcing the event and a live band, a marching band display, and even a dance performance! In one corner were many chairs for waiting participants and a long screen divided the waiting space and the treatment area where instruments such as stethoscopes, sphygmomanometers, and test tubes were waiting to be used. Specially-made caps for the event were worn over the doctors'' caps and the physicians present all wore armbands that denoted them as volunteer doctors. Several ambulances were even on standby in case of urgent need. Further behind was a great tent, where many tables fully-laden with epicurean delights sprawling under its shade. A few men, all chefs clad in white, were busy over bubbling pots of boiling soup and simmering woks of food! To another corner, we looked and we saw the army of volunteers, all with their armbands worn at the ready, waiting for any participants to appear. It was a great event that could even dwarf a lavish marriage ceremony! We immediately ran over and looked for Aunt Fen, and received from her our caps and armbands and we got ourselves ready as we joined the ranks of volunteers.


    For the first time since everything began, I began to realize something: why did everything seem to have something to do with Yahong Bridge? Even Mr. Zhang and Uncle Quan were natives from around that area! This was just too good to be a coincidence!


    The Li Family Village was hardly a large and vast one, so there were only so many elders there that the performers, volunteers, and medical staff numbered higher than them! One by one, the volunteers helped the old people to the waiting section before they were looked at by the doctors and nurses. Most of them came with their families, and once each one had completed their examination and training, we led them to the tent where food was waiting for them. Before long, the food tent became crowded with people and noises.


    As it turned out, even the village officials had been recruited into our cause by Mr. Zhang. The chiefs of the village intentionally assigned the more talkative elders together into a corner for the benefit of our endeavor, and that particular table soon became the rowdiest and most boisterous racket of haggard old men! As they laughed and joked, I quietly slipped into a position just behind them.


    A rosy-cheeked elder blared vehemently, "One of the little girls here was asking for a tale from me. So, here''s one! I was a little boy in the Children''s Corps that supplied intelligence to the Eighth Route Army. The commander of the detachment from the Army stationed here was a man called Li Yunchang. He commanded me to deliver some frozen bean curd. Unbeknownst to me, the intelligence was hidden in the bean curd. But on our way back, I fell into a hole and got my shoes damaged! The leader of my corps had to carry me all the way back to base, so my feet were hardly cold. But he instead was so tired that he collapsed when we got back... Hahahaha..."


    I went over to him with a glass of liquor. "Oh! What an interesting story! Is that leader of yours here today? I must treat him to a toast!" "He''s gone. Just a few years back," the old man shook his head, "He''s a year older than I am, born back in 1932. He''d be 87 by now if he were still around!" Then I realized my chance!


    Uncle Quan was also at this table. He offered a cigarette to this old man and asked, "How many siblings and cousins of his generation were in his family altogether, Uncle?" "He?" The old man yelped an off-handed reply and began to think, "Eight of them, I think!" "Eight?! So many? I thought they were fewer than that!" Uncle Quan quipped with feigned curiosity. "Most of them are no longer here! They are working elsewhere! You''re too young to know any of this!" The old man responded loudly, pointing a finger at Uncle Quan, "The second of all of them is abroad. He once worked as a factory manager before he retired to his own family near there. The fourth is also elsewhere; working construction before he became some municipal leader. He too has his own family out there. The fifth was a soldier and was promoted to a high position. He did not return too. The sixth is also out there somewhere. He was a university graduate before he began working... Wait... what about the seventh..." He paused as his voice faltered; the old man began raking his mind for any recollections about his cousins. Then a voice spoke suddenly just beside him, another old man of similar age, "My third brother is the seventh. He was also a factory manager. But his factory went bankrupt not long later, and he joined another factory. He''s retired now; spending most of his days fishing. He has even grandsons of his own now. I''m the only one left here. I''m the fourth among my brothers, but the eighth among all my siblings and cousins put together!"


    Uncle Quan thrust a finger to another old man, a quiet old man sitting beside the man who addressed himself as the eighth of his cousins and siblings. "What about him?" "Me?" That old man answered himself, "I''m the eldest among my brothers, but the third among all my cousins!" With another phony exclamation, Uncle Quan cried, "I see why I''ve not heard that you have so many cousins before!" "We only refer to ourselves according to our seniority among cousins when we''re together. In most times, we refer to our own brothers and siblings."


    I was, however, shocked beyond words. This must be Master Six''s family! And this old man must be Master Six''s brother! But instead of being accompanied by his own son, he was here with his youngest brother! The youngest brother stood up and walked to Mr. Zhang and Nie Xiaojun, "Well, I have you both to thank for your help with my child! I haven''t yet properly thanked you both!" "Come, let me drink to your health!" Mr. Zhang and Nie Xiaojun scrambled to their feet, fumbling with their glasses of liquor. I see... So, they knew each other all along and have always remained in touch...


    When the meals ended, we saw the participants off, and Aunt Fen began distributing souvenirs to every member of the staff, volunteers, and performers who had helped to make the event a success! We helped along by collecting the volunteers'' badges and armbands and gave everyone a keepsake mug. We met up just beside Mr. Zhang''s car when our work was done and Uncle Quan cried, "You could''ve told me that it is the sixth brother of that family you''re looking for! He''s a childhood friend of mine!"


    And how do you think we''re supposed to know that he''s your childhood friend?! I almost blurted.


    Suddenly, Master Six''s youngest brother, the old man who was the eighth of his generation, came to us and invited us to his house for tea. With the grizzled-haired senior refusing to take no for an answer, we relented. He began to tell us more about him. His son was still in the city, completing a course at the university. To be precise, it was the same city where Mr. Nie (Xiaojun) was working in. There was once when he got sick and Uncle Quan helped by making a call to Mr. Zhang who in turn asked for Mr. Nie''s help. Mr. Nie rushed to the young man personally with an ambulance to bring him to the local hospital. For him, this was home to his sworn-brother Zhang Baoguo, and hence in extension, it was his as well. One could imagine his anxiety and concern when he knew about somebody from the village being sick as he viewed the young man like his own son. He had even helped to foot the medical bills for the bed-trodden and finally got to meet his father when he came to visit his son at the hospital. When he got wind that Mr. Nie would be coming to help in the charity clinic event today, he came personally with his brother to join the event, not only for his aged brother''s benefit but also as a support to Mr. Zhang and Mr. Nie''s event.


    Mr. Zhang reached for the old man''s hand. "I have a favor to ask of you, Brother. In fact, it is the very purpose of this event today!" "Just tell me, Brother!" The old man exclaimed, "We''ve been so close, there shouldn''t be any secrets!" Mr. Zhang motioned for me, and I, taking the cue, trotted forward and offered him a cigarette. "Actually, we need to speak to your sixth brother. But we can''t seem to find him..." The old man fell silent, staring at me before he finally spoke. "Truth be told, I have never been able to contact him. It has been years. But none of us have been able to call him. I know it''s strange, especially to you all, but he seems to know everything that is happening in the family. Whenever we needed him, he would appear unbidden out of nowhere!" "We are sure that by seeking you out, we might be able to reach him," Aunt Fen quipped, "But we know that by doing this, we might also anger him. Hence we need your help to placate him if he''s indeed enraged!"


    "Of course, I''ll do it!" He cried again, "When I was still a young boy, it was he who was always there for me. He doted and pampered me so much that he would let me have anything that was his! Well... if all else fails, there''s still insurance¡ªmy eldest brother! Let''s have him here! He has the final say usually in family matters!" He was about to get up, but Mr. Zhang tugged at his arm. "Wait. He''s older than me. By right, I should be the one paying him a visit. Let me go with you!"


    As we adjourned, Uncle Quan and Aunt Fen were busy making calls, although we had hardly any mind into what they were saying. We weaved across two dirt-track streets and finally reached the home belonging to Master Six''s eldest brother, the third among all their cousins. He was also a warm person who poured us tea when he received us. Uncle Quan first engaged him into some small talk while Mr. Nie began asking him about his health. He was old, but still very much spry. However, he was hardly a chatty person.


    Finally, Master Six''s youngest brother admitted the purpose of our visit. But before he could answer, a man walked in. It was somebody from Uncle Quan''s workplace. He gave a key to Aunt Fen, who nodded quietly, and the man left. "Well, I''m afraid this brother of mine is eccentric, to say the least. I''d hope that his behavior would not be an embarrassment," said the eldest brother. "I''ve been to his home several times, but no more. He moves regularly. But worse, each time I visited him, he had a different wife! As his elder brother, I must say I could not be more appalled and displeased whenever I met him! In the end, I no longer visited him. I don''t even know where he is living now. We can''t even reach him by phone call. It''s either a number not in service or an engaged line. Sometimes the operator would just say he was not available! But somehow, he managed to call us! But we have never once been able to call him!"

 Chapter 187 Master Sixs Returning

    Before we could say anything else, a child''s crying voice broke just outside. An old lady walked through the door and spoke to the old man, "Look at your grandchild! He is not coming off the electric car that he just got on outside! He''s not listening no matter what I say!" Aunt Fen scrambled forward, saying, "We''ll have ways for him to show himself, but we''ll just need you to help calm him down when he comes!" She held out a key, "This is the key for the electric car outside."


    Before Master Six''s eldest brother could yelp any protest or assent, a portly man walked through the door this time. When he saw Mr. Zhang and Aunt Fen, he immediately addressed them respectfully, "Master Zhang! Mrs. Zhang!" He took the key from her and muttered a quick "Thank you" before walking out. Next, we heard him saying outside, "Come on, son! There''s no need to cry! Come, let Daddy take you for a ride!"


    So that man was this old man''s grandson! He''s also Mr. Zhang''s business partner! By accounts of seniority, Mr. Zhang was in the same generation as his grandfather, and the child crying outside was his son! The old man looked amused; Mr. Zhang and Aunt Fen had as good as bribed him and he was only compelled to play along with our tune now. "Wait. Let me think of an excuse," he said at last. But it did not take long; barely a split second later, "Very well. I''m ready now. So, where do you intend to find him?"


    "We''ll only need Master Six''s birthdates and time!" Aunt Fen pointed out. The old man nodded and told us just that. I nodded to Chongxi, gesturing to him that it was up to him now. He began calculating, his fingers fiddling as he worked his numbers. But he stopped suddenly, and he began calculating again. Then he stopped again, this time with beads of perspiration rolling nervously down his forehead. "Strange... I can''t seem to get anything right today..."


    Aunt Fen reached for her phone and made a call. "Where are you guys now?" She barked into the mouthpiece. But just as quickly, an ancient but no less vile voice broke the silence, "I am here!" Old Man Chen walked in, with two of Mr. Zhang''s female staff helping him through the door!


    So, these were the phone calls that they were making! Mr. Zhang was making arrangements for somebody to help him purchase an electric car while Aunt Fen was calling for someone to fetch Old Man Chen! The Blind Master entered the house, and we made space for him. Aunt Fen then said, "Please give your brother''s birthdates and time of birth to him." She indicated towards the blind Old Man Chen. But when Old Man Chen realized who the birthdate and time belonged to, he screamed, "Just wait a minute! Of all people! I cannot do this! I''ll regret doing this!" I hurried to him and whispered into his ears, "Come on, Old Man Chen! You can just lie to us or keep some of the details hidden! We have prepared insurance! He''ll never harm you! There will be no problems with his brothers here agreeing to help us!"


    "But... but that''s sacrilege..." Old Man Chen stuttered hesitantly. A cold voice cut through the room with the keenness of a knife, "And right you are. Put down your hand." The voice smothered what warm merriment going on in the little living room of the cottage, and everyone froze. We whirled and saw a man standing at the door, stroking a little bird lulling idly on his palm as he landed a foot through the door. The man of the hour, Master Six!


    Old Man Chen immediately fell unnaturally silent as his hand sank back to his side. With a wry but no less dangerous smile, Master Six eyed the Blind Master viciously as he hissed like a slithering serpent, "So... Aren''t you the soothsayer?" Old Man Chen, now fidgety and fearful like a frightened little child, whimpered, "Err... No... I''m just a simple fortune teller..." "How about a prediction then? Just for sports. What am I going to do with this bird? Will I release it or will I kill it?" "Err..." The Blind Master muttered meekly. The immortal smiled again. "What about this? My feet. One of my feet is inside while the other is outside. Will I be walking in, or will I be retreating out?" Knowing that he''d better not antagonize a true demigod with powers beyond any comprehension of anyone present, Old Man Chen croaked hoarsely, "I''d just decline..."


    Master Six smirked. But he did not notice his eldest brother wearing a dark look, glowering at him scathingly. His youngest brother walked up to him, "Brother! Finally! You''re back!" Master Six threw him a look, and he asked dryly, "Am I not welcomed now?" He walked inside, drifting past us, ignoring our greetings of "Master Six!" and stood before the Blind Master. "You still haven''t learned your lesson, have you? You dare overstep your boundaries and try divining about me?" Old Man Chen could hardly emit so much as a whimper as sweat rolled down uncontrollably his forehead. But an angry voice boomed, breaking the palpable ice in the living room, "I AM THE ONE WHO ASKED FOR HIS HELP!"


    Surprisingly, the immortal''s head retracted into his shoulders when he heard the thunderous shout like a frightened tortoise retracting its noddle within the shelter of its shell. It was Master Six''s eldest brother, the third of their generation, who had shouted so loudly that no one missed the hint of rage in his voice. Instead, all bitterness that Master Six exuded immediately vanished as he smiled with the gentleness of a little brother, "Heh heh heh! Big Brother! There''s no need to shout like that! Come on, you don''t have to rely on such a way to find me!" "I made him do it! Otherwise, how else do you think I''m to find you? Your phone never seems to work whenever we call! It''s a wonder that you still remember us, including me! It''s a marvel that you still call this place home!"


    Master Six muttered a string of yeses and of-courses as his brother''s reprimanded continuously like an elder rebuking his son. After a while, his elder brother simmered down and said, "I''m calling you back because I''m calling everyone back. Every single one of our brothers. Surely you still remember what day is two days after?" "It''s your birthday, Brother, after two days," Master Six admitted docilely, and his brother merely tapped the floor with his walking stick in agreement.


    In fact, in two days, it would be the Spring Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. What a stroke of timing that his birthday would coincide with such a propitious festivity.


    In fact, there was no way that Master Six would not realize that I was the hidden hand instigating the whole debacle, although he feigned ignorance in front of his brother. One day, he called me to the banks of Huan Xiang River, asking me to go for a walk with him. But deep inside me, I was dreading any punishments that Master Six might have had in store for me.


    Still, the dark peal of apprehension hung over us as we walked. We strolled along the course of the river with hardly a word to each other, and I hardly dared to make a sound.


    At length, he stopped at the pier of the bridge and set alight a cigarette. "Ask away," he said suddenly, "I''m sure that''s the reason for all these fracases." A wispy tendril of fumes sprouting out of his nostrils as he spoke.


    I nodded. Finally, I felt at ease. At least he''s not going to kill me or turn me into a ferret after all. I quickly reorganized my thoughts, and finally, I summoned enough courage to speak. "Master Six, there are things that Father is keeping from me. This is the reason I have wished to speak to you. I need to know what actually happened between Father and the Dragon-slaying Blade. And who was it that charged him to guard it? Where is it now? And who are those still vying for it? But why did he not eliminate them once and for all?" Master Six merely stared at me with his same uninterested look. My heart thumped for seconds as I waited, and finally, he tossed off the stub of his cigarette. "What use is the Blade now? The Blade is no longer the Blade since the day I sealed the dragon leys of the Qing Court. What good can it do now? As for the whole fiasco between your father and the Blade..." His voice faltered again.


    But I knew about Master Six''s sealing of the dragon leys. Father had long told me about it. After visiting Chen Yixuan, I had spoken to Father, and it was he who had told me that Master Six had reincarnated to Mortal Plane only because of this.


    Silence prevailed for minutes until Master Six finally made a sign of moving. He sighed and waved at me to come closer. I cantered over with two quick steps, and he pointed to the pier of the bridge. "Go see for yourself if you will. Only then, you''ll know." I looked to where his hand was pointing to, and I saw with disbelief a door materializing on the wall of the stone and mortar column! It was like a cut, a large gash in the shape of an entrance. But it was dark on the other side, pitch-black and empty like outer space, saving for the countless sparkles that twinkled back at me like stars.


    Master Six''s finger was still pointing at the breach. He gave me a look and motioned me to enter. Despite the fear of not knowing what could be waiting on the other side, I was sure that Master Six would never wish me ill. With a curt nod, I walked through the gash.


    When I walked through the entrance, it closed and vanished! I was left standing, or rather, hovering in the middle of nowhere! There was completely nothing around me as if I was hanging in the middle of outer space, and I would have freaked out if not for the corporeal but invisible feeling of something solid under my feet despite the dark, star-speckled void that I was engulfed in.


    Suddenly, I noticed a light flickering somewhere far away. It was shining so brightly that its brilliance dwarfed the rest of the sparkling stars blinking at me so that I was unconsciously drawn towards it. Step by step, I slowly began to walk, hoping to reach the flickering light as if it was summoning me. But no matter how many steps I took, I was hardly making any progress as if I was being suspended in nowhere, and I cannot escape!


    Dread began to creep up my spine as panic slowly took hold of me. My pace increased as I broke into a run, and finally, the stars slowly crawled to my back as I finally began to make headway. I was moving finally! But the stars began to fleet more and more quickly. Before long, I was running so quickly that I would have thought that I was running at the same warp-speed I saw on Star Wars movies! Like an arrow let loose, I shot as quickly as I could towards the flickering light!


    I ran through the boundless space of this outlandish and surrealistic domain that I lost all sense of time. I began to wonder about the time. How long have I been here?! Trepidation grew within me like a monster waiting to devour me as I once again felt how helpless and trapped I was, being caught up in the middle of nowhere in space.


    Just as my fear and panic slowly taking over any curiosity left in me, the flickering light grew in size and intensity suddenly! The blinding white light grew so rapidly that I was immediately flooded in white!

 Chapter 188 Back to the Pas

    t


    I supposed there are times when, despite all our beliefs and convictions in our realities, we had to encounter something that would still amaze, astound and even boggle our minds. Just like what I was seeing.


    The white brilliance that engulfed me gave way to a view of a busy street, filled with people walking around me. But what was more unbelievable was that everything and everyone was ancient; the people were dressed in clothing articles that only belonged in medieval China and so were the architecture and buildings around me!


    "This is impossible?! Have I been hurled back to the past?!" I shook my head, as if vainly trying to reawake myself from a long and unbelievable dream, then I remembered Master Six''s words before he sent me here. "Go see for yourself if you will. Only then, you''ll know." "Has he really?!"As I reeled with trepidation the full comprehension of traveling through time, I broke into a stroll, ambling absentmindedly through the mob of passersby shuffling by me. Hardly anyone looked good; life must be difficult in those days. Then I saw a young man and I walked up to him. "Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me where I am and what year is this..." But I could not finish; as if I was invisible, the young man merely walked on without a pause to look at me.


    "What the?!" I stood rooted to the spot as I stared at the leaving person of that rude young man. "What am I? An invisible wisp of air?!" But I remained mum; the young man could have avoided me because of the way I was dressed in. Moreover, he might not be able to understand at all. If this were really ancient China, they could be speaking in archaic languages that we no longer speak nowadays.


    With a weak smile to myself, I spun and looked around to see a little stall peddling vegetables. A middle-aged man was busy arranging more of his ware and so I went to him. "Hi there, sir. Excuse me, I''d like to..." But before I could finish, the elder man, who had threw not so much as a look at me, spun and went about his business, ignoring me.


    "Wait a minute..." I felt something was wrong. I went over to the man and waved a hand in front of his face. But there was no reaction from him! "Am I really invisible?!" The man could not see me nor even hear my voice!


    Like a ghost, I flitted through the crowds aimlessly as I wandered the ancient town for a day. It was only in the evening when fear came to me: what am I ought to do for the night? But at the very exact moment, it dawned upon me: I had hardly felt tired or hungry despite walking for a day! Dread began to build up in my gut: Could I be dead? Has my soul been transported back through time?! Am I a poor and miserable spirit now, condemned to wander the ancient world for eternity?!


    Yet despite the fear brimming so greatly that it could have churned out of me, there was nothing I could do. Master Six must have his reasons to have me sent here. With no other options yet opened to me, I could only continue gliding around.


    As my desultory wanderings continued, I took a sudden notice at the city gates. A huge horde of carts and wagon pushers, plus several peasants with carrying poles rushing in and out of the gates like the quick and frequent flow of rapids in the rivers. Curious, I strolled towards their direction. When I got near, I saw some of the people with carrying poles with wicker baskets on both ends of the pole. Some of them looked happy, with a child or two in their baskets while a few were sobbing uncontrollably, looking absolutely wretched and broken. The latter few''s baskets were empty, I observed.


    I waded through the crowd and made my way out of the town. The line of cart-pushers and pole-carriers never seemed to stop and never looked to be dwindling even as I journeyed further and further down the road. But there were always people who looked relieved and delighted on the line that was heading back into the city, and they were always seemed to be carrying children in their wagons or baskets! Just when I was still trying to make sense of all this, a shrill voice cried from the top of the gates. "TIME''S UP! SHUT THE GATES!" With a loud bang, the gates slammed shut, leaving me still outside!


    The people still outside laid down their poles and stopped pushing their carts. They sat down by the road and rested. Some even spread some sheets and laid on them to sleep. A few people sat by the road, choking with tears quietly and some, I noticed, went to the walls of the city and rested nearby. Before long, the quiet evening air outside in the wilderness began to fill with the sounds of stifled weeps and whimpers. This only served to make the people who were traveling from the city anxious; they began to quicken their pace as if wanting to gain more headway in spite of the night.


    The sad bawling almost made me want to speak some words of consolation to the crying people. But I was only a ghost there! They could not even see me! But what is going on with this place! What is wrong with these people and what is causing them so much pain! I looked around, still wondering, both puzzled and confused when I began to feel that something looked weird with the city walls. The walls were varnished in myriads of colorful hues, unlike most city walls which should have just the dull colors of mortar and bricks.


    Inquisitive, I walked closer to the walls, hoping to examine them. Then I finally saw why. The city walls were pasted full with notices, notices of missing people! They came in different manners and designs, but they were all of the same content: children! The people missing here were all children! Then I remembered that it was the same for the other side of the city walls; even on the inside, notices on missing children filled every inch of the walls inside even though I failed to notice it earlier due to the crowds rushing in and out!


    I looked upwards suddenly and what I saw made me froze. The huge plaque hanging at the top of the gates of the city said two large words: Wu Zhong!


    A shiver ran down my shoulders and my hair immediately stood even though there was hardly any night time breeze today. I even felt momentarily dizzy that I almost collapsed! I rubbed my shoulders, feeling the goosebumps oozing on me from my skin and my heart thumped rapidly. The overwhelming vertigo did not subside; it instead grew. So much that I was almost beginning to see stars.


    The suffocating and nauseating sensation made my head whirled; I could no longer stand and I had to crouch to feel better. With deep, heavy breaths, I asked myself, "What the hell is going on here?! Is this really Wu Zhong?! What year is this?!" A flurry of question burst forth like a dam, followed by a sense of sadness and melancholy that filled me as I struggled to keep myself still.


    More people came from afar, heading towards the city gates. They put down their loads and rest by the side of the road at the sight of the city gates being closed. Just then, a strange but familiar sensation swept through me! Before I knew it, a queer, inexplicable, but yet no less staggering force crashed down on me, before it clenched swiftly over me and condensed into point high overhead.


    I threw my head up and looked. But there was nothing above me. I looked again, this time with my Spirit Sight. And I saw plumes of iridescent clouds lumping together into one, gleaming brilliantly until the bright glow concentrated into the pillowy folds of the clouds as it descended. The strange asphyxiating and staggering force disappeared just as the clump of iridescent clouds landed somewhere in the woods nearby. Seconds later, a Taoist priest, clad in long flowing robes of jade-green and a Taoist head cap, appeared from the undergrowth, waving his horse-tail hossu lazily.


    The same surrealistic but chummy sensation churned again in my gut. "Do I know him?" Yet nothing about him resembled anyone I knew. He looked absolute like a stranger to me. But oddly, there was something about him that summoned suddenly what Father told me about my origins: it was an old Taoist priest, tall and proud despite his age, carrying a baby¡ªme, that Father encountered many, many years ago...


    "Wait! No! The time doesn''t match! It is clear that wherever I am or whichever time I am in, it is definitely nowhere near the Qing Dynasty! It is much earlier than that, in fact. Father was entrusted with me by the dying Taoist priest somewhere in the 1990s, so the years would hardly match." But I could barely shake off the familiar sensation that I perceived from the elderly Taoist priest emerging from the forest like he was someone I used to know. Yet I could not seem to recognize him.


    The priest stopped a man who was carrying a child in a basket hanging from his pole. With a flail of the tail of his hossu over his shoulder, the priest bowed, muttering gently, "Greetings." "Wait a minute," I thought, "I know that voice! There is no doubt, I must know him! As if etched into the rock of my mind, it was a voice that I would never forget! I might not recognize the face, but I definitely knew that voice! A voice that I could have sworn I know since the day I was born!"


    I walked closer to them and the man bowed in return to the priest. "From whence did you come from, priest?" Despite his shabby clothing, the man spoke with the tone and the manner of an educated person. I would have thought that he must be somebody with prestige or standing if not for his beggar-like appearance.


    "I come from the East; Fengrun District, to be exact. But I have been seeing people carrying baskets on poles and some are pushing carts and wagons. But most are empty but some of them are carrying children. What is happening around here?" The man listened and laid down his basket and lifted his child, a toddler who could barely walk, and said, "It''s a long story. Look, priest..." He raised an arm and a finger pointed towards the multitudes of missing children notices pasted around the city walls.


    The priest looked up and studied the innumerable notices that festooned the city walls like wallpaper. "What on earth is going on here?" The man exhaled long and heavily. "You do not know, it seems. People around here, like me, are traveling to Fengrun District to redeem our children!"

 Chapter 189 The Ming Dynasty Murong Hai

    As soon as the words escaped from the man who was carrying his child, the Taoist priest and I were immediately stunned. Redeem your children?! "What do you mean?" The puzzled Taoist priest sputtered, and the man began disclosing the truth.


    War was ravaging the lands and the hundreds of thousands of Ming soldiers who were powerless to repel the Northern barbarians and rebels had instead taken to torturing the common people. The wretched armies, instead of protecting the people, had come to rob and plunder and had taken the children of Wu Zhong County with them when they retreated to Fengrun District. Then they delivered letters of demand to the parents of the children, demanding ransom. Worse, the children would be slaughtered if the parents were late in delivering the ransom. Those that I saw leaving the city with sullen looks on their faces were those who were on their way to Fengrun to redeem their children. Those whom I saw on their way back, but with empty wagons or baskets, were those who had failed to amass enough money or those whose children had been brutally slain because of being late. It was pitiful that these poor peasants had to give up and scrounge for every ounce of gold and silver that they could to reclaim their offsprings.


    As they spoke, I listened and heard the man saying, "The end is not long ahead for the Ming Empire. It will fall anytime soon..." "I see, so this is somewhere near 1640," I finally realized the time. That would mean this was somewhere during Li Zicheng''s siege of Beijing. Wait, so this was also when Bian Dashou was secretly decreed to destroy Li Zicheng''s dragon leys! It was the eventide of Chongzhen Emperor''s reign at the eventide of the once-glorious Ming Dynasty where the Emperor''s rule was marred with long years of war and turmoil, and the corruption and decadence found rife in the Ming Court was definitely not helping! In the end, the imperial government had wantonly lost what dignity and prestige it once held, and resorted to the depraved measures of robbing the people!


    A vein throbbed on the Taoist priest''s forehead as he listened to the man''s plight. Despite his best attempts to repress any emotions, his eyes flared with fury and the intent to shed blood! The air of sternness and restraint percolated from his very person that just by standing beside him, I could feel his powers and rage churning inside him! "Who is he?!" I asked myself curiously.


    But just when I still wondering about him, the Taoist priest gave a bow to the man, turned, and left. I scampered at his heels but I found that I was having a hard time keeping up to him. His brisk, long strides, although looking ordinary like how Zhu Mei normally walked, was forceful and strong! He retreated quickly into the depths of the forest and rose into the sky, surrounded by the iridescent clouds swirling around him. With him, the drowning mood of pressure and sternness went with him. But seeing him fly made me anxious. But just when I tried to keep up with him, I flew! With just a simple urge in my mind, I could fly! And so, I took into the air after the priest, following close at the rear of the tendrils of colorful opalescence roiling behind him.


    "Oh my God! So this is what flying is!" I almost screamed. In truth, I had once before experienced flying, but the ordeal was hardly as enjoyable and gratifying as this!


    We pressed North for Heaven knew how long and I finally saw with my own eyes how pathetic and tragic was life for the common folk caught up in the turmoil of war and chaos! The mass of iridescence stopped in mid-air before me; the Taoist mage was pausing for a look. Then I looked down to see what interested him. It was a battle between two armies. From the liveries and raiments, one of them was the army of the Ming Empire while the other was the northerners dressed in furry wraps: the bannermen of the future Qing Empire! But instead of having the size of a detachment from a formal army, the latter looked more like a band of brigand or highwaymen. Anyway, before I could make sense of it, the Taoist mage, still shrouded in his vividly-hued luminescence, tore off towards West.


    I chased after him and we continued flying for some time. For one of the many times since I saw him, I could feel that the Taoist mage noticed my presence. But instead of warding me off, he seemed to be leading me somewhere as if intent on showing me something.


    Then he stopped and landed and so did I. It was already morning after a few days of flying. The iridescent clouds descended and the Taoist mage reassumed his human form. His appearance was still the same, although his clothing was completely different. This time, he was richly-dressed in the outfit of a nobleman or a wealthy merchant. Then I noticed that we had landed in a remote spot somewhere in the corner of a town and there was no one else around. The priest looked around and he began walking out into the open, moving towards the town''s market.


    The priest sauntered about idly across the market square, wandering around listlessly until he finally stopped after so many rounds in front of a local tavern. "What''s this? Is he hungry?" He went in before I realized it and went up to the second floor. A waiter came to him and addressed him warmly, "This way please, sir..." But the priest cut him off wordlessly, pointing instead to a room that looked like a private lounge. The waiter respectfully withdrew and the priest quietly moved towards the lounge.


    He stretched an arm towards the door and rapped it thrice. Then a male voice came from the other side, "Yes." It was just a curt reply, with nothing more. But the simple, one-syllable word that came from the other side of the door almost made me faint! It was a voice that I had heard for decades, a voice that I could never be any more familiar with. A voice that could only belong to Father!


    The priest hastily adjusted his head cap and hair and brushed the dust off his robes. When he was satisfied that he was looking prim and proper, he pushed at the doors to let himself in and I hastily followed in. In the room were a table and a porcelain flask of wine. A man clad in a simple robe was sitting at the table, his long sinuous hair was let hanging down on his back. A snowy fox perched on his shoulder, its scarlet eyes studying the newcomer wordlessly as the latter came in like encrusted rubies. It really was Father and Mother!! A bizarre sensation coursed through me as I began to wonder if I was dreaming! "This is simply unbelievable!"


    I stood before the "centuries-ago Father" and the priest plumped to a chair opposite. Despite my invisibility, I could feel that they could sense my presence. Even Mother was throwing the occasional strange looks towards my direction every now and then. With a deep breath, I mustered as much courage as I could, and I squeaked, "Father? Mother?"


    But no answer came from them. I was still very much like the air around them. No one could hear nor see me.


    No amount of words would fully describe the complicated feelings eddying in me. But my years of experience and the encounters that had whetted me into a better person has had me no longer the same impulsive and fervid young man I used to be. By now, I was calmer and more reserved. With no signs of acknowledgment from Father and Mother at me calling out to them, I made no more attempt to garner their attention and merely stood quietly beside the priest to listen in on their conversation.


    When the man sat down, he did not directly speak. Instead, he sat quietly as if reconstituting the things he wanted to say before he finally began. "The dragon leys of the Ming Empire are waning just as the dragon leys of Li Zicheng are thriving. I''d say now is the right time to sever the dragon leys for good. But..." His voice broke as he paused as if to study Father''s reaction. But if he wished to divine Father''s thoughts, I would guess he would never will; Father continued wearing the blank and disinterested look as I had been seeing for decades and the priest finally continued, "Li Zicheng''s rebel army, though nowhere near as refined and disciplined as a formal army, has enjoyed a string of successes on the battlefield. But that would do little to change my mind whether he is suitable for the throne. He is not kingship material!"


    This made Father cock an eyebrow as he blurted a mildly-surprised "Oh?" The priest immediately broke into a hurried explanation, "Li Zicheng might have had roots once as a farmer. But he had long shed that part of his past behind like a snake losing its skin. He no longer has the best interest of the common folk at heart by allowing his men to indulge in pillaging and ransacking the poor and needy! I''m afraid that peace will still be elusive even if he takes the throne!" Father merely gave a few curt and spiritless nods, looking absolutely bored as his eyes bored into his guest.


    The priest quickly understood the tacit gesture and sputtered hesitantly, "I was watching and examining the movements of the dragon leys, when I found another set of dragon leys, well beyond the frontiers, being awakened." He paused again to look at Father''s reaction. Clearly, he was afraid of Father as if Father might smite him to smithereens if he uttered anything wrong. Catching the priest''s doubt and indecision, Father twisted into a smile and chuckled. "Rest easy. Just go on."


    The priest''s head lowered humbly before it rose again and he went on, "I have also looked into the lives of the common folk during my travels. Imagine my dismay when I discover soldiers, the military of the Ming Court, robbing and stealing from the poor. The wretched folks are left with not even a sack or bread! The depraved courtiers and ministers of the imperial government are now bleeding poor dry by kidnapping children and demanding a ransom for them! How are they different from marauders and thieves!? In contrast, look at the purported barbarians of the North! They rode into greater Central Plains of China, sparing every fen and field and every common folk they encountered! The end is inevitable for the Ming Empire. In fact, I''d say that saves us the trouble of dealing with their dragon leys. But I can''t say the same for Li Zicheng; we must do something lest we condemn the common folk to wreck and ruin for centuries! If I may suggest, we could just simply allow the Jurchens the rule of the country by conveniently helping this freshly-awakened dragon ley of theirs. It will be better than handing the fate of the nation to Li Zicheng at any rate!"


    His eyes throbbed with passion and his hands shook with fervor as he spoke with overflowing vehemence and excitement and that made Father laughed and clapped his hand in applause! But watching from the sidelines, I could scarcely comprehend that this was a conversation about the future ruling dynasty of the country! From a historical standpoint in the future, it was public knowledge that the Qing Dynasty, or the Jurchens that the priest just mentioned, would later reign supreme. And everyone knew full well about what happened to Li Zicheng. He was merely the lord of greater China for barely months before his downfall. But the change of a dynasty was no trivial matter. Yet here are two demigods discussing the change of the ruling dynasty of China as if they are merely talking about the change of seasons?


    Just as I was still teetering on the shock and disbelieve at something so grave and astounding, the priest stood up. "With your permission, I shall help the Jurchens to the best of my ability and set everything into stone as soon as possible!" The priest turned and his hand reached for the door. But before he could barely take another step, Father spoke in a slow, casual, and unemotional voice, "A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under Heaven. Leave the rest to Destiny and focus only on your task: severing the dragon leys. Nothing more."

 Chapter 190 Ringside Witness

    When Father finished, the priest went out. But before he swung the door of the room shut, he gave Father a curt nod, indicating his assent.


    But I was however left stunned like a large frozen snowman in the middle of the room. "What did I just hear?! His mission is severing the dragon leys?!" My past recollections about the history of the dragon leys rushed back into my mind like a broken dam: Bian Dashou not only severed Li Zicheng''s dragon leys by orders of the Ming Court, he''d even made full sure that both dragon leys of Li Zicheng and the Ming Empire were snapped in the same time to allow the Jurchens to take the country and founded the Qing Empire! "But here is the priest whose task is to destroy the dragon leys of Li Zicheng!? Does that means he''s Bian Dashou?!"


    My head shifted slowly as I slowly turned to look at Father, who was still nonchalantly sipping at his wine, and Mother, who remained perched on his shoulder. They hardly said a word even after Bian Dashou had left, but from the expressions on their faces that changed, it was as if they were communicating with each other using telepathy. A heartbeat later, Father stood up. He lifted his shoulder as if to shrug off the snowy-white fox that was Mother and it shook itself, turning into a gorgeous woman dressed in garments of ancient China. Who else would it be if not for Mother! But it was no less amazing to see with my own eyes that Mother was actually a white fox with magic powers and seeing her transform almost made my knees buckled!


    They traded a brief look then Father, narrowing his eyes, said suddenly, "Go North-east. Speak to them through their shaman. Speak to them as one of the Wudaxians and help them fulfill their calling as the future monarchs of China. I might always say that no one should change history, but there is no denying that chance is a regular happenstance in the course of history too." Mother nodded wordlessly. With a demure smile, she spun on where she stood, her dress billowed like the wings of a butterfly as she whirled and she was gone.


    Father got up too and pushed through the doors. I followed close behind, anxious to see what he was up to. But to my shock, he ordered some food and a large urn of wine! For the rest of the day, Father did nothing but indulged in the epicurean pleasures that this tavern had to offer.


    I got bored from watching Father that I almost slept. But just when I was drenched with lethargy and tedium, Father''s mouth which had never stopped chewing paused suddenly. A flash of light gleamed in his eyes and I leaped to my feet. The next second, he vanished! I slapped at my thigh in dismay! I should have realized this long ago; with his magic, Father could easily teleport himself anywhere in a moment''s notice and I''d never be able to catch up! I should have been following Bian Dashou instead!


    I spat bitterly with regret. But there was no other way. I pushed past the doors and out of the room. The waiter outside saw the doors swinging open but he could not see me coming out. He strode over, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was inside while closing the door, when he almost jumped with fright! The room was empty, save for the empty dishes and plates! The food was gone and worst, and the customer had not paid! He rushed in, worried and jittery, when he noticed something silver twinkling at him between the plates and dishes and he broke into a relieved grin...


    With no interest in the waiter, I left. More so, since nobody was able to see me. By now, I was quite certain of my situation now: I might be neither seen nor heard by anyone at this time. But I could still affect items and matter around me like how I was able to open the doors like a normal person.


    I walked out of the tavern and tried flying again, which I could still do with little difficulty. Then again, I was also puzzled. I had traveled through Time back to the past, but I was nothing more than an incorporeal entity. Yet I could affect matter around me like normal, although no one could feel or perceive my presence. Moreover, I was not only invisible, I can also fly. This left me wondering if only my soul was transported back through Time and not my physical body.


    I flew back towards the direction from where I came from, relying on my vague sense of direction. Before long, I finally returned to the gates of Wu Zhong where thousands of missing person notices hung from the city walls like countless Post-It notes. But unlike before, the whole townscape of Wu Zhong abounded with chaos and turmoil as if war was coming! Everyone was scrambling with their belongings, dragging their families along while running away from the town, heading towards the direction of Xiguan town.


    "What is going on?" I asked myself and I landed in the middle of the bedlam where the noises of cries and shrieks of despair filled the air. Within the midst of the clamor, I heard people saying, "Run! Run for your lives! The barbarians have invaded Zunhua City! They''ll be here in no time!" Everyone was frantically deserting the city as war was INDEED in the offing after all.


    "The Jurchens have reached Zunhua City..." I pondered quietly. "So this must be the historic Jisi Incident!" I had once read about this from a book. The Jisi Incident was the first time the Jurchen''s invasion penetrated past the fastness of the passes and pierced into China proper. The Chinese general Yuan Chonghuan initially refused to send any reinforcements to support the defense of Zunhua City and with Wu Zhong City now bare and empty after being continually plundered by the renegade Ming soldiers, the Magistrate of Wu Zhong could do nothing but lead the common people away to safety.


    That, at least, was the gist of what was happening around me. That would also mean the death of Yuan Chonghuan would not be far ahead; according to history, he would be sentenced by Chongzhen Emperor to death by lingchi¡ªa method of torture and execution so excruciating and tormenting by slicing the flesh off the sentenced offender slowly and systematically to exact the most pain. And right after that, the pillars that once held the foundations of the Ming Empire would collapse complete, if they had not already. Then I remembered what I read in history books depicting how the Jurchens ravaged the farmlands and pillaged the villages as they passed by. Bian Dashou''s earlier words to Father returned to me and I finally understood as I pieced the information together. The Magistrate and the people of Wu Zhong had decided to desert the city because they were utterly disappointed in the Ming armies. Sometime after this, according to history, the Jurchens would eventually be repelled and they would withdraw while pillaging the districts of Tongzhou, Qian''an, Zunhua, and Luanzhou. From the way things were progressing, doubtless to say, Wu Zhong also hardly be spared. Before long, the Jurchens would come knocking and find the house empty without a fight.


    Last but not least, I must not forget about Li Zicheng''s rebel army. The books I had read about the Jisi Incident had also noted that this was also when the rebel army began to make good progress on their conquests. I slowly glided up into the sky and flew away from Wu Zhong.


    As I swam among the clouds in the sky, my thoughts wandered somewhere else. I should have long guessed that Father knew Bian Dashou since he was the one charged to watch the Dragon-slaying Blade. This was further insinuated by Bian Dashou''s deference and respect when he spoke to Father. Preoccupied with my thoughts, I began to look around. But what I saw sent me into a shock!


    The sun came and gone and so did the moon overhead! The passing of Time around me was suddenly accelerated at a breathtaking rate! The sudden spike in the pace of Time began as soon as I took off into the air and even so, I found myself as if being steered like a ship as I flew. I was not in control of myself as if an invisible hand was guiding me! I had merely thought about Li Zicheng, and before I knew it, I was already in the air and I did not even know where I was going to.


    When I finally landed, I was at a complete lost at the days and nights that had fleeted by as if I had passed through a wormhole. But from the thick accent in the chatter of the people around me, I should be somewhere near Shaanxi.


    I began looking around. But before long, I came to a building that looked odd to me. But when my head slanted up for me to glance at the plaque board hanging from the eave of the building, I saw the two words that said "County Magistrate." "Heavens," I shrugged helplessly, "I should have known... A person from the future now trapped in medieval times." It should have been no wonder that I find ancient architecture strange.


    I smirked at my own ignorance as I began to walk away. But in just a few paces, I stopped. Something had flashed through my mind, although I do not know what it was. But I knew only one thing: it was urging me, drawing me back to the building of the County Magistrate.


    With the confusion driving me to the point of becoming mad, my fingers dug frantically for my pack of cigarettes. So there I was, an invisible soul from the future now cross-legged and sipping on his cigarettes on the steps at the doors of the magistrate building, thinking about that momentary vision that flashed through my mind. But I burned through my cigarettes with great alacrity as I failed to make any sense of it. But somehow the repeating echoes of the nearby hawkers hooting and plying their wares reverberated in my mind and the word "Shaanxi" kept on ringing in my mind like the tolling of bells.


    But just when I was still drowning in the disconcerting apprehension still gripping me, a man walked past me and up the steps. He banged at the doors of the magistrate building loudly and I looked up. He was wearing the same outfit as magistrate constables as I had oft-times saw in movies and dramas and a bundle wrapped in a large piece of lotus leaf nestling in his arms.


    The large timber doors of the magistrate office cracked opened with the clatter of somebody removing the drop bar from the other side. A head then popped out of the opened doors and the man looked at the constable carrying the lotus-leafed bundle. A loud cackle rang amidst the hubbub of the markets nearby before the man continued, "Heh heh heh! Zhang Zixiang! The Magistrate has been expecting you for some time! Come on in!"


    But I was however frozen with my hairs standing when I heard him and sweat began breaking down my back!

 Chapter 191 Zhang Zixiang

    Slow recognition went off like a bomb as the name "Zhang Zixiang" resounded in my mind! The glimmer of inspiration that flashed through me earlier finally made sense! "''Zhang Zixiang'', ''Shaanxi'' and the ''County Magistrate!'' I should have known! I am in Mizhi County of Shaanxi! Bian Dashou is here!"


    According to Chen Yixuan, Zhang Zixiang''s actual name was Li Zixiang! He was the older brother of Li Zicheng. Hence this magistrate office in front of me could only be the Mizhi County Magistrate building and the County Magistrate serving here would be none other than Bian Dashou himself! The keeper of the Dragon-slaying Blade!


    Excitement swelled in me, burgeoning quickly that it made me leaped to my feet and I flew over the walls of the building. In the frenzy of my elation, I had not thought about how I even manage the jump. Next thing I knew, I was already speeding after Zhang Zixiang who was already being led inside.


    With a small jog, Zhang Zixiang cantered into the inner cloisters, still cradling the leaf-wrapped bundle. He came to an antechamber where a man was waiting for him, seating at a table while sipping at some wine. Despite the creased face and the grey stubble of beard growing from his chin, I recognized him almost instantly. It was Bian Dashou indeed, despite his aged and wearied looks from before! Zhang Zixiang came in and Bian Dashou stood up. "You''re here, Brother Zixiang! Come, have a seat!" He sat down and filled a cup for his guest.


    Zhang Zixiang sank into his chair, his face curling with a smile as he unfurled the leaf wrappings of the bundle and unveiled a crusty-coated and succulent roast chicken! He laid it on the table, pushing it closer to Bian Dashou, saying amiably, "Come, have a taste of this! I bought it specifically for you, Brother Dashou! It''s a lotus-leaf baked chicken! Come, come, come!" He lifted his cup, clinked it with Bian Dashou''s and gulped down its contents.


    Bian Dashou''s eyes betrayed a devilishly hungry look as he gazed at the chicken. He reached a hand and tore a piece of flesh as he sipped at his wine. I retreated to a corner and sat quietly as I tried to rake out the recollections of what old Chen Yixuan had told me: At this time, Bian Dashou was maintaining the facade of being close and intimate with Li Zixiang. They were even addressing each other as brothers in private. It was a ruse Bian Dashou had devised since receiving his orders from Wang Qiaonian, the Governor of Shaanxi; to get close to Li Zixiang, the brother of Li Zicheng, and indulge him with wine and women to portray himself as a corruptible ally.


    With three rounds at the back of their heads, Bian Dashou finally spoke, "There has been word yesterday that the Dashing King¡ªLi Zicheng, that is, shall be invading Tongguan County! It will not be far till the day the Ming Empire falls and the Dashing King shall sit upon the throne not far thereafter!" Zhang Zixiang grinned cheerfully, obviously pleased with the prospects as being brother to a king in the making when Bian Dashou clapped his hands suddenly and the door of the antechamber was flung open at once. A man walked in, bearing a tray covered with a piece of red fabric, much to Zhang Zixiang''s suspicion. But as he teetered with hesitation, Bian Dashou dramatically drew the cloth and Zhang Zixiang froze. It was a tray full of silver-white ingots.


    The glimmering tray of silver immediately dawned upon me what was happening! Bian Dashou was trying to keep Zhang Zixiang away now while he would travel to Mount San Feng Zi! More people came in, bringing in a large chest. When it was opened, the whole room shone with the brightness of the silver ingots filling the chest to the brim. Bian Dashou explained, "With the Dashing King''s success at hand, I need your help, Brother. Please bring all twenty of our sworn brothers to Tongguan County tomorrow. You will first bring our brothers to join the Dashing King in his endeavor and please send the 7,000 taels of silvers to him and mention to my support for his cause. Please help me win his favor, for my future. I will come as soon as I have settled all my business here."


    Zhang Zixiang beamed proudly at the news and could have not agreed more readily. "Very well! I''ll depart tomorrow! Rest assured, Brother, that your contributions will make a lasting impression upon the Dashing King himself!" He left immediately, leading the porters lifting the chest of silver away.


    I inched quietly into a chair at Bian Dashou''s table, looking at him and the man who was still holding the tray of silver. He waited for Zhang Zixiang to wander out of earshot and he said to him, "Follow them tomorrow and make sure they indeed join the Dashing King and the rebel army, then report back to me." With a grunt of acknowledgment, the man turned and left. If old Chen Yixuan''s accounts turned out to be correct, then this man could only be Jia Huan, Bian Dashou''s most trusted subordinate.


    But what happened next baffled me: Bian Dashou sat back down but he did not move for minutes as if he had been stuck in an ice block. "What''s happening? Is he astral-projecting?!" I waited for minutes until I grew restless enough to light myself another cigarette as I waited. But the smell of my burning cigarette stung his nose as a great plume of smoke rose up in the wind and he sneezed! The sneeze seemed to have jerked him back from his stupor and he rose up at once, looking around strangely. Finding nothing, he sighed and he walked out of the chamber.


    I flew up and sat atop the roof, watching the sun slowly descending into the arms of the mountainous horizons. Somehow I too began to see the pleasure and satisfaction Mother had always enjoyed looking at sceneries atop a roof. But from above, I also kept a close watch on Bian Dashou; the fire from the candle in his room had never once extinguished through the night. He was continually walking in rounds as if in deep thought. The following day, right before the break of dawn, a band of people quietly slipped out of the building. Almost immediately after they left, another man, disguised and packed for a journey, led a horse out of another side entrance and followed behind them like a shadow.


    Bian Dashou waited until the twilight of dusk was hanging above the sky then he left with some men. They went to a village somewhere to the west of the river and they sought out a man.


    When I finally caught up to them, Bian Dashou was unrolling a bundle. He showed the man the payment of silver he had brought and confessed he wished the man to be his guide. "This man must be Li Cheng," I mused, "the fellow townsmen of Li Zicheng who was present when the Dashing King''s father was interred, if old Chen Yixuan''s accounts are accurate!"


    I would have thought that Li Cheng would decline the offer. But Bian Dashou might have tendered too enticing an offer for him or he could have been seduced by the sight of gleaming silver in the onset of darkness. With tremendous alacrity, he cried, "Of course! I''ll take you up on your offer!" With Li Cheng at the forefront of the convoy, Bian Dashou and his men immediately rode with haste that night, riding out of Mizhi County and headed straight for their destination. Shaking my head with disgust at Li Cheng''s avarice, I took into the sky. Fortunately, with my ability to fly, I had little to no effort in making sure I did not lose them. They rode non-stop for a night and a day, with hardly any stops to rest the horses. But that did not prevent the steeds and men from growing fatigue as their speed finally began to slow. But suddenly, a drop of snow landed on my head and melted like rain.


    We must be nearing the foot of Mount San Feng Zi! The slopes of the mountain I had heard of so much was nowhere as steep and precipitous as I imagined it would be. In fact, I was rather downtrodden when I finally saw the place for myself. Mount San Feng Zi merely towered over the foothill of Yellow Soil Ridge, and by the fraction of a difference, rather than being a tall, lofty mountain with peaks being surrounded by mists and clouds of the sky. But before I could properly look upon Mount San Zi Feng, as if by the will of Heaven, the light snow had become a downpour of snow that quickly carpeted the entire mountain in white!


    The snow was already more than 0.6 meters deep by the time Bian Dashou arrived. I would not have believed it possible if not for providence. Despite the winter, the falling of snow was simply too strong for me to believe it to be true. This could almost be considered a miracle that the snow could be falling this fast. But it was hardly implausible; Li Zicheng was destined to be king and Bian Dashou, although not against the wishes of Heaven, was acting in contrary to the laws of Nature. This could be Heaven''s providence for Li Zicheng for his destiny, in spite of the torment and turmoil he might have brought to the nation if he was allowed to rule indefinitely. Then again, there was but another question: history would show that Bian Dashou succeeded in his endeavor and the Jurchens would take the country and establish the Qing Empire. Li Zicheng would merely enjoy a brief 18-day stint as Emperor before he was quickly stripped of his kingship with his dragon leys destroyed. But why was Bian Dashou not punished for his transgression in acting against the laws of Heaven? And if Li Zicheng was indeed destined to be king, how could Bian Dashou succeed with hardly any impediment or difficulty?


    Prior to this encounter, I had always thought Li Zicheng was the one acting against the wishes of Heaven by trying to force himself upon the throne of the Emperor. But I seemed to be mistaken. In the later two days, I would realize that Bian Dashou''s attempt to destroy Li Zicheng''s dragon leys was hardly a simple task, but rather a perilous struggle that could have easily cost him his life!


    I woke up from my deep train of thought. By now, Bian Dashou''s convoy has stopped at the foot of the mountain and Li Cheng was screaming in the snowstorm. "The snow''s too thick! The horses will not be able to make it up the slopy inclines of the mountain. We''ll have to move on foot here!" I landed on the snow as well. But to my surprise, my feet did not sink into the snow and I was merely stepping as light as a feather on the frost leaving hardly any tracks or footprints!


    Just when I was still caught up in my surprise, Bian Dashou roared his orders, "Relay my orders: Tie the horses here! We''ll move on foot!"


    End of Volume

 Chapter 192 The Yeti Horde

    With more and more secrets heaped upon my lap, I was forced to seek out the one person who held the answers to all the mysteries: Father. I wanted to speak to him about his past and his connection to the Dragon-slaying Blade but to no avail.


    Following some deductions, I concluded that Master Six was the only one aside from Father and Mother who knew everything. Hence it was he I sought. Although we were many a time beaten back by difficulties, we finally found the immortal but he looked reluctant enough to impart the truth he knew.


    But at last, he relented. He wanted me to see the truth for myself and I was sent back through time to the eventide of the Ming Dynasty.


    Here, I saw the keeper of the Dragon-slaying Blade, Bian Dashou and also my parents in this era. By following Bian Dashou, I came to Mount San Feng Zi where Li Zicheng''s late father and grandfather were interred. Without any doubt, Mount San Feng Zi was hallowed grounds which would have been boon to one''s dragon leys - the sign of one''s kingship in China. Just by standing at the foot of the mountain, I could almost feel the ground reverberating with power and majesty that only a dragon ley could give off, but also a trace of hatred and malice in the air.


    A blizzard came suddenly just when Bian Dashou arrived at the foot of Mount San Feng Zi and before long, the treacherous inclines of Mount San Feng Zi became shrouded with a 2-meter deep cloak of snow. With no other option left, Bian Dashou and his hundred-man strong party had to dismount and continue on foot. But no one knew about the true danger lurking in hiding!


    I followed the rearguard of Bian Dashou''s party as they clambered uphill. After barely an hour, the air around us screamed with the hideous and terrifying roars of beasts! It sounded like a human shrieking but it sounded like the angry howl of a beast the next second! A sharp premonition of dread began to seep through me in ways that the cold of the snow had failed to and the men around me were looking around, their heads jerking around frantically with panic. Only thirty of the hundred men were adequate bowmen and they immediately surveyed their surroundings warily with their arrows nocked at the ready. But the rest of the sixty-plus people were merely ordinary laborers; common folk with no combat abilities nor experiences. The sudden snowstorm had unsettled them when they first arrive and what was left of their courage were immediately withered when the beastly howls tore through the air! Hesitant voices and fearful whimpers began arising from their midst, "Lord Magistrate! We should wait till the snow stops tomorrow morning before we climb! The sky is going dark and with the snowstorm so strong, I don''t think we should press on. Not when things are lurking in the dark..."


    But Bian Dashou was hardly perturbed; with a determined flung of his arm, he barked, "Press on!" A grim-faced me followed quietly behind. Whatever it was, I had never heard it before and nor did I like it. It sent shivers running down my spine and I dreaded to see what would happen to everyone here, for all the good that Bian Dashou and his magic could do.


    But Bian Dashou could fly. That alone was proof that he wielded enough magic to be a mage. But what threats could endanger him then? That remained to be seen; Bian Dashou might be a mage or even a demigod, but this endeavor of his was an act against the wishes of Heaven. He could never weather any challenge Heaven might have had in store for him, just like what happened to Sun Wukong, the Monkey King who was trapped underneath a huge mountain for centuries for his transgressions.


    This was Bian Dashou''s conundrum; he could have easily just destroyed Chongzhen Emperor''s dragon leys and end the Ming Empire with his own hands. Not only it would be in accordance with the will of Heaven, he might also be blessed for that. But his current actions were certainly not, not even the slightest, to say the least.


    So here was I, watching from the back like a spectator with a ringside seat, watching as the events unfold!


    No one in the party dared to defy Bian Dashou''s orders. Despite the curdled, reluctant look on their faces, they dragged themselves on. A thick woods lied ahead and the journey slowed to a glacial pace as the party dug through the elevated path through the thick of the wood of skeletal trees and branches glistening with frost and icicles. But slowly as they climbed, the slow ascent allowed the party time to study everything around them.


    As the crunches of boots on snow filled the otherwise silence, a voice rang suddenly, "Look! What''s that!?" Everyone''s head turned at the man, a middle-aged peasant clutching a poled shovel. His other hand was outstretched, pointing somewhere deep into the woods and everyone could clearly see the whites of his trembling eyes.


    We followed his finger to where he was pointing and horrified cries began to erupt from all quarters of the crowd! A shaking voice, clear but evidently fearful, asked Bian Dashou, "What in Heavens is that thing, Lord Magistrate?!"


    I looked and saw a blur of white silhouettes darting about between the bare and bony trees in the snow. No one would have noticed them in the thick blizzard if not for their quick and abrupt movements. Even I was amazed and appalled. What are they?! The snow giants?! No, wait! Snow giants exist, if they really do, only in Kunlun! They''d never be in Shaanxi!


    I looked at Bian Dashou. He was looking courageous, but even so, the look on his face betrayed a hint of fear. He flailed an arm, commanding loudly, "Archers!" The bowmen made ready, lining up in three rows with the first kneeling down and the two other rows behind opening up like a fan. With arrows from the quivers that hung from their waists, they drew their bowstrings tightly, prepared to fire at command!


    The silhouettes never stopped moving. As they drew closer, we could finally see what they looked like. Tall, ape-like creatures, fully cloaked in furs of white. They looked no better than baboons with fangs and their claws, although they had no tails. In herds, they charged toward us furiously, scrambling quadrupedally as they howled and shrieked!


    Another horrified cry came from the peasants, "Y-yetis!? They''re yetis! Run! Run for your lives!" The cry curdled the blood of every living man around. I had not heard of the name "yetis" but they must be trouble if the very mention of the name was enough to strike fear into the hearts of the men! Everyone scrambled and began to run for their lives and the thirty archers were also showing signs of wavering. Some were clearly thinking of retreating, but no one dared to move an inch without the Lord Magistrate''s orders.


    Just then, one of the bowmen accidentally released his arrow! The shaft whistled dangerously through the air but everyone turned to look at Bian Dashou. Despite his evidently-distressed expression, he merely looked at the charging horde of yetis, saying nothing. Yet he looked grim and as steadfast as a rock.


    The loose arrow came down hard, sinking deep into the snow and just mere inches short of hitting a yeti. The yeti screeched to a halt and looked up incredulously as if with disbelief. Suddenly, the ground it was standing on shook and churned as if the ground was boiling! The yeti''s gaze traveled to the arrow still lodged into the ground and its huge claws drew it up. It twirled the arrow shaft like a toothpick in its gigantic hands before it sniggered smugly. Next thing we knew, it emitted a thunderous roar and renewed its charge at Bian Dashou again!


    Only this time, the leading yeti was trampling over everything in its path, storming closer toward us on bipedal walking! He kicked up the snow as he led his ferocious brood at us as the rest of the yetis began walking on their hind legs too like their leader, hammering their chests with their fists like gorillas!


    Any fool would have realized by now that it was time to attack; otherwise, we would be overrunned! Without waiting for their lord''s commands, the archers let loose every arrow they could! The shafts streaked through the cold air, singing viciously as their vanes spun. But they clattered harmlessly off the thick hides of the yetis! None of the raging beasts were in the least injured!


    If the sight of the charging beasts was not enough to send the archers into frenzies of panic, the revelation that their arrows were powerless against the beasts certainly made their knees buckled! They threw down their weapons and stripped off their armor and ran! Bian Dashou''s face could not have turned uglier but he could not run; he was still the Lord Magistrate and he did his best to maintain his dignity. Idiot! I hissed under my breath. Everyone but me had fled out of the woods, leaving both of us alone. I ran to Bian Dashou''s side but by now, the enemies were already upon him! The leading yeti raised a claw the size of a tiger''s and swiped at him. In the delirium of the moment, I could see the shiny talons glinting perilously as it swooped down on Bian Dashou; at any moment now, it could easily sever his neck and send his head flying off!


    But what was more unexpected was, Bian Dashou chose to remain motionless! As if resigning to his fate, he closed his eyes to await the fateful blow!


    I was flabbergasted! "What in Heavens does he think he''s doing?!"


    Before I knew it, I acted. I raised a foot and delivered a kick into Bian Dashou''s hind parts, sending the man crashing into the snow with a painful grunt just when the yeti''s fierce swipe of his claws whizzed above him precariously, missing him by a moment of a second! But the blow was so powerful that it churned up scuds of snow into the billowy winds!

 Chapter 193 Interference

    My interference seemed to have saved Bian Dashou, much to his and the yeti''s surprise. They paused for the briefest of a second with shock and I was shouting, "What the hell were you doing?! Use your magic! Or are they just for show?!"


    But I know no one was able to hear me. Bian Dashou clambered up with flakes of frost falling from his robes and furs. But to my shock and dismay, the fool moved closer and closer towards the yeti like a lamb offering itself to be slaughtered!


    I was utterly shocked by Bian Dashou''s behavior and it somehow made the herd of more-than-ten yetis angry! Despite the snowstorm, I felt my blood froze. Is he mad?! Why is he not running for his life at least?! The yetis bared their fangs at him and roared, then they stormed at him again!


    But Bian Dashou continued his casual stroll toward them! He would either have conveniently chosen to be blind at this exact moment, or he was willingly embracing Death! The yetis came at him with blinding speed and with no time to think, I yanked hard at the collar of his clothes. With my other arm fastened around the trunk of a little tree, I pivoted and spun, pulling Bian Dashou as hard as I could! Fortunately for him, it was able to propel him out of danger and the yetis certainly did not expect Bian Dashou would be able to move and avoid them with such an improbable move and cleanly evaded the pounce of the leading yeti the rest of the brood piled themselves on him like an American-football fumble! But quickly, they got to their feet.


    By now, I had regained my balance and my hand instinctively traveled up to my shoulder, hoping to reach for my Shiyan Blade. But my hand grabbed at the air; I had forgotten that the sword was not with me! But in my haste, I did not stop; my other hand dug through my pockets and I could scarcely forget my glee and relief when I found my Spirit Gourd still with me!


    I tore the stopper off the Gourd and screamed the incantations, summoning into form my six spirit wolves. But I could have not been any more disappointed; I immediately realized that the yetis to my spirit wolves were like kryptonite to Superman! None of my wolves dared to move even with my persistent urgings and they merely loped hesitantly at my heels, eyeing the ferocious ape-like beasts fearfully! The yetis regrouped for another assault and they rushed at Bian Dashou again, but not before I aimed the mouth of the Gourd at them and I muttered another spell: the Soul-banishment Curse!


    The entire horde of yetis collapsed into the snow with a sickening thud as soon as I finished the last of the incantation; all of them as dead as doornails. I wiped some sweat off my forehead. Would that I am absent, Bian Dashou would have been ripped into shreds before he''d even make it to his destination! It seemed that I have to stay by his side, at least until the end. This way, I might be able to interfere and help, otherwise, the course of history might hit a snag and it could change!


    But Bian Dashou, whose eyes were still closed, was none the wiser; he continued stepping forward, his boots biting deep into the snow until he paused when he heard the commotion ended. He stopped and opened his eyes, turning back and saw the carcasses of the dead yetis. With a wry look on his face, he gazed upon the dead bodies of beasts for seconds and he looked around. The rest of the party who had fled to the outside of the woods were already crawling back to him when they saw the yetis collapsed, making their way back miserably like a bunch of routed rats.


    With hardly any regard to them, Bian Dashou turned to the front and continued venturing deeper into the woods. One of the peasants ran up and begged, "Lord Magistrate, please! We should stop for a rest until the snowstorm is over! There''s no knowing what else might be ahead!" But Bian Dashou shook his head resolutely. "All is fated. Even the tribulations that are waiting for me up ahead. Turn back if you''re afraid. I shall not force anyone of you to carry on the journey with me. But I have a mission and I''ll not turn back until it''s finished!"


    Some people were about to speak against his decision. But their words got stuck in their throats after they heard Bian Dashou''s dogged determination to press on. The men all wore troubled looks, even Jia Huan was looking pale himself. Then whispers began rising as the pall of gloom lingered over the party. "Li, let''s go home! My wife is alone at home and I dread to think what will happen to my family if I die here!" "What about me?" The man called Li answered, "My youngest brother is only eight! My eldest brothers have all gone to join the army, so I''m the only man in the house!" But another voice stopped them. "Enough prattling. Look at the Lord Magistrate. Look at how calm he was just now! He must be blessed with the protection of the gods! Think about this: how do you expect to get your 100 taels of silver if you go back now?"


    I groaned. By the end of the day, it is still gold and silver that makes the world spin!


    Bian Dashou stood at the head of his party with his hands still held carelessly behind his back. Without so much as a look to the back, he called, "Have you all done reconsidering?" Then he walked on, showing no eagerness to wait for an answer. The archers and Jia Huan loped after him quietly, leaving the sixty peasants still gawking at each other wordlessly. But the decision came quickly for them; some shook their heads and left, wearing weak and resigned smiles as they turned their backs while some gritted their teeth and scampered after Bian Dashou and his men, resolving to survive while relenting to the fact that fortune only favors the bold.


    Those who left have weighed and decided that they valued their life greater than all the riches in the world. They might also have difficulties or doubts of their own, although no one knew better than themselves. The remaining twenty-or-so people who caught up with Bian Dashou to renew their quest were looking no better themselves. But their eyes were steady, indicating their either their grave need or greed for silver and gold.


    I might have cursed Bian Dashou as a madman earlier, but I knew full well the predicament he was in. The dangers that awaited him would be no less perilous even if the blizzard stopped, assuming if it would even stop in the first place. But one thing was certain: dangers abounded the path ahead of him and if he so chooses to turn and leave, his life would be spared.


    Then again, turning back now was a decision that even I would not allow; as Father said before, Chance is a regular happenstance in the course of history. History could be changed with even the slightest ripples and if Bian Dashou were to waver in his convictions, everything in the future could crumble and disintegrate.


    I scoffed. All the thinking is futile. I am here to find out the truth, I told myself, Otherwise, I will forever be groping in the dark, forever lost and unaware of the hidden hands that are steering things from the shadows. I withdrew my spirit wolves and followed after them.


    The journey went on peacefully. For more than an hour, we trekked through the desolate forest and snow. Nothing happened and feeling more comfortable now, I took out my Spirit Gourd, wanting to take a look at the spirits of the yetis I had absorbed earlier. They could be valuable additions to my army of spirit minions if I could tame them.


    But I stopped. The yetis were too ferocious for the present me to control. None of my earlier attempts to tame them with my spiritual will managed to dent their savageness and fearless. I scoffed again helplessly. I would have to try again later or I might just reduce their spirits into pills and medicines. As I put away my Gourd, I looked ahead. Everyone was gone and there was nothing else in my line of sight but a thick blanket of white, stubbled with thorny and denuded trees.


    I swung my head around and found Bian Dashou''s party. They had traveled somewhere ahead to my right, still wrestling against the snow as they made slow progress. I had been too deep in my thoughts that I barely noticed them veering off.


    I ran after them as the party crawled slowly through the snow. Then I noticed that the entire party was slowly veering off the right again! Anymore right, they would be walking right off a cliff or moving back downhill! Something is wrong, I said to myself, These people have been confounded by a trick of some sort! Even Bian Dashou began to notice the error of their movements. The forest looked all the same to everyone; a vista of white with hardly any notion of directions, but they had begun moving down instead of climbing uphill.


    Bian Dashou thrust an arm into the air and yelled a loud "Halt!" He turned to his guide, Li Cheng, and asked, "Where are we now?" Puzzled, Li Cheng croaked, "We should be nearly out of the woods by now. After the woods, we''ll see the rocky face of a cliff. We''ll have to scale that cliff." Bian Dashou''s head shook. "Nay, look properly. Are we moving up or down now? Are we actually making progress or are we backtracking?" This made Li Cheng confused. He looked around, studying intently their surroundings and he gasped with shock, "Impossible! How have we been walking backward?!"

 Chapter 194 Lost in the Fros

    t


    "So, I am right! These people were confused!" But I could not see for sure what sorcery or contrivance was leading them astray.


    There were ways to confound people and render them lost and clueless. Ghosts Barriers, a simple magic that common ghosts and spirits were capable of, was one of them. Zhu Mei''s Windchaser enchantment was also another. But there were also mazes that could be conjured or erected. But I had not been looking closely enough, hence I failed to make out what was it leading us running in circles in the snow.


    Bian Dashou stopped and surveyed their surroundings, looking deeply into the falling snow quietly. But even he failed to see anything out of place. He waved and beckoned his party to keep moving. With their bearing renewed, the party pushed on. Only this time, I became more alert.


    We pressed on for another hour, then the lethargic and humdrum silence was shattered by a cry. We looked around and saw the cry came from the guide Li Cheng! The party came to a stop and Bian Dashou demanded, "What''s wrong?!" With a voice on the verge of breaking, Li Cheng croaked, "Something''s not right, my lord. We should have been out of the woods by now as usual! Even with the snow to slow us down, the journey shouldn''t have taken so long! We''ve been circling around the woods for more than two hours!"


    I was standing behind Li Cheng when he spoke and I began to see what he was trying to say. The hillside woodlands might span far beyond our sights, but its length and breadth were by no means infinite, considering the size of Mount San Feng Zi. My gaze slowly climbed up as I looked up at the sky, wondering where we were actually in this deep thick wood.


    My feet slowly left the ground and I floated higher and higher into the sky. I looked down. The forest of thousands of bare and emaciated trees ringed around the slopes of Mount San Feng Zi but the party was standing at the spot where they had begun, the very same spot not far from where I had dealt with the yetis! For two long hours, we have been grappling against the thick snow without knowing that we were hardly making any headway! Not even I realized this!


    It could not be Ghost Barrier or any magic manipulating elements, since I was invisible. So it could only be a reason: an enchantment that was cast unto the ground here. An enchantment that would affect anyone who walked this earth!


    I could boast no expertise in the magic of bounded fields and formations. I knew only so little of them. But simple fields and formation to distract and hoodwink were hardly beyond my abilities. But this was of a wholly different level; whatever this was, it was able to trick the senses of anyone caught inside and lull its victims into believing that nothing was wrong and nothing of the surroundings has changed. Then it was also able to continually deceive its victims that none of us realized that we were straying off our path. But there was nothing but a vista of white around us in these wildernesses, what had the conjurer used to cast his magic here?!


    Shaking my head wearily, a despondent me returned back to the ground. Bian Dashou was looking up at the peak of the mountain with a forlorn gaze, still wearing the same troubled expression that never faded from his face since arriving. After several beats of silence, he continued marching uphill. Thinking that he might have come up with a solution, the party and I trailed after him. I kept a watchful eye from behind. When I walked past a tree that I found conspicuous, I leaped and snapped a twig. The broken sprig fell to the ground but not before a lump of snow from the branch above dropped to the ground and the twig came down, plunging deep into the little mound of snow like an odd little tomb marker.


    The crack of the broken twig made the heads of those behind turned. Frightened stares came from all around, although none of the men could see me. A man sighed, as if with relief that it was not a rampaging monster, and said, "It''s fine. Just a twig broken by the weight of the snow. That''s all! Press on!"


    I continued shadowing the party from behind. As we walked I noticed the falling snow raining gently but in unusually strong volumes. The snow was covering the tracks that the party had left so quickly, leaving no signs as if no one was here. "How is it possible that no one notices something is wrong with the snow!? It is doing just that: blinding the senses so that no one could see what was going on around them! The seemingly-undying blizzard continued covering up our two-foot-deep tracks as soon as we passed by and this made everything seemed the same around us; small wonder we failed to notice that we have been circling back here again!"


    I looked up again. I gasped with shock. The mountain peak which was dead center ahead of us was now to our left! We had strayed off-path again!


    But clearly, Bian Dashou and his party had yet to notice this. They were still moving ahead, blinded in each and every step by the scuds of frost lashing at their faces. We continued for another hour, until Bian Dashou stopped. The party eased to a halt and everyone threw inquiring glances to the front, wondering what was holding them back this time.


    But I could guess what they saw; Bian Dashou was standing, dazed and quiet, before a tree. One of the twigs of the few branches of the tree was broken and the stem still looked fresh. Under the tree was a little heap of snow with the fallen twig stuck into it. Bian Dashou looked up at once, hoping to see the mountain before it, only to find that it was looming over the party from behind!


    I was looking aghast myself, although I now fully realized what this contrivance was all about. Whatever it was, it was all the snow. The tempestuous snowstorm had been whipping at our faces, keeping our sights veiled with hardly much visibility that we could not even see what direction we were moving in. With the help of the snow, we saw only the trees and the snow-overspread ground surrounding us and we failed to realize the difference in the terrain wherever we go. The trees of the forests look almost the same to us, all skeletal and leafless. With their visions obscured that they could scarcely see the peak overhead, Bian Dashou and his party did not even notice that they were traveling back down the path we had been climbing on! Only Heaven knew how many rounds have we been circling here.


    A hum of murmurings rose again from the crowd of peasants as their faith threatened to give way once more. "We should turn back, Lord Magistrate! At this rate, we might be trapped in here forever!" That was the last straw that broke whatever resolve these peons struggled to maintain; a few more voices rose from the crowd, saying, "Indeed!" "Aye!" "We should!"


    Bian Dashou looked on wordlessly. He stared blankly into the falling snow, bewildered and lost, as Jia Huan turned and tried to rally the men. "Silence! Stick together! We have not been making progress, which also means we might not be able to make it back either! Stay together while we make plans! Do not stray off alone and get yourselves lost!"


    But with all faith in the cause lost, his words fell on deaf ears; many of the peasants, in groups of threes and twos, began to turn and ran like soldiers routed in battle. They ran with their backs to the peaks of Mount San Feng Zi towering overhead, running like mice abandoning a sinking ship. Jia Huan was about to scream something, but a hand stopped him. It was Bian Dashou. With a simple wave, he gestured his most trusted subordinate to stand down and Jia Huan obediently bowed and retreated.


    Bian Dashou looked up again at the peaks of Mount San Feng Zi that could have been within reach. No one dared to speak a word in the billowing snowstorm and they merely watched him and waited for his next order as they shivered with cold.


    Before long, the howling and merciless winds of frost were coupled with a litany of crunching footfalls in the snow. We looked. It was the deserters! Despite their attempts to escape, they had been running in a circle!


    As the flocks of deserters regrouped with the main party, everyone was hardly unsurprised by this. A few of the escapees began crying and wailing as the last sliver of their hopes faded, "What is going on with this Heaven-forsaken place!?" "No, I don''t want to die here!"


    Bian Dashou, whose expression hardly improved especially in the white glow of the snow, continued to say nothing. No one knew what swirled in his mind. Was he frozen by the cold, or was he stricken with despair; no one could tell. I too was troubled myself. "What can I do to undo this magic?" I asked myself again and again. There was no way the party could continue walking aimlessly in the blizzard.


    I began combing my mind for every detail of what happened before, wishing that I might be able to glean some detail that had escaped my notice earlier. My memories replayed in my mind like an old videotape, passing back the point where we found the lump of snow that dropped from the tree, past the point I snapped the twig, moving by the point when Bian Dashou discovered that we had been straying off-path, and finally reaching the point when I was still checking on the spirits of the yetis I had drawn into my Spirit Gourd.


    My fingers grazed upon the surface of the Gourd as I pondered. "The yetis... Yetis... Wait a minute?! The yetis!"


    A glimmer of hope shone from the pall of gloom in the form of inspiration suddenly as I remembered trying to tame the spirits of the yetis and I failed. Then I thought of just disintegrating them to use them as ingredients for pills and elixirs. My attention was transfixed upon the Gourd during that time and I did not notice Bian Dashou''s party veering off-path. That was because I was still walking on-track!


    "I see! The blizzard, the snow, the trees, and the terrain are all fooling our senses, but during then, my attention was solely on my Gourd. That''s why I was able to walk straight, and that''s why I was able to remain on the path! So if that were true..."


    My eyes climbed slowly as they zeroed in on Bian Dashou.

 Chapter 195 The Grotto Graves

    It seemed that I had found the solution to the conundrum; armed with this revelation, I walked over to the still-bewildered Bian Dashou.


    The despaired Bian Dashou was still muttering quietly to himself when I got to him, a forlorn and beaten man who knew not what should he do. I let loose a wretched chuckle for the wretched man and hesitated quietly. Then, I steeled myself and reached for his hand. He nearly flinched when he felt me grasping on his wrist and jumped with shock. He looked and looked but still, he could not see the hand guiding his. Jia Huan and Li Cheng both witnessed this; they looked with disbelief at Bian Dashou whose arm rose suddenly and wondered if the Lord Magistrate had gone mad. "What''s wrong, my lord?"


    But Bian Dashou said not a word; he looked at his hand being raised and the aporetic man could move not even an inch. I pried open his fingers and opened a palm, then I took his other hand and began writing a song: Through fen and snow lies your mark ahead; Seek the hidden path to tread; Through shadow through snow or edge of night; Let your heart set your path alight.


    Bian Dashou looked at his hand with a deep frown creased on his forehead, trying to read what I was writing. In the end, his face shone with dawning comprehension! With renewed fervor, he barked at Jia Huan, "Tell everyone! Keep their eyes shut and walk forward! DO NOT OPEN YOUR EYES NO MATTER WHAT! Tell them! Use your feet to feel the ground and make sure you''re walking straight until we walk out of this wood!" Jia Huan''s face twisted with apparent suspicion, but he knew better than to contradict his lord. He turned and relayed the orders to the men, all of whom were also doubtful when they heard his message although none dared to offer any objections. And even if anyone wanted to, Bian Dashou had already begun leading the blind trek through the snow.


    Even without my guidance, Bian Dashou had long guessed that they could have been trapped in a magical bounded field or formation. He was after all a student of magic and was, by no means, a dimwit. No Ghost Barriers would be able to impediment one such as he and only a handful few people in the world knew the magic of elemental manipulation, so it was unlikely that anyone could be employing it now and he might not have thought of it either. But he was quick to capture the gist of my message after my hint and that was evident when his face radiated with inspiration.


    And thus my theory was proven right: for barely a half-hour''s blinded trek through snow and wood, the party finally walked out of the woods and I could see that steep rock face standing out imperiously and tall overhead. I was relieved and happy to see that my plan had worked. Satisfied that we had finally passed this stage of the gauntlet, I went forward and patted twice on Bian Dashou''s shoulder. It made him jump with fright again and he opened his eyes. He immediately saw the dark craggy cliff hanging before like a tall tower and he turned to the rest of the party, exclaiming with joy, "Open your eyes, all of you! We''ve made it out!"


    The members of the party opened their eyes and the cold air was rife with throaty breaths of relieve and warm wisps of vapors escaping everyone''s mouth. Some even collapsed to the ground, thankful that their lives were spared. "Finally! We''ve made it out of that accursed woods!" Bian Dashou asked Li Cheng, "How far ahead?" "Not far now, milord. It lies not far after this cliff." Bian Dashou''s head rose to observe the tall, precipitous rock face overshadowing the whole party and nodded. "Very well, prepare to scale the cliff!" A few reluctant moans wailed from behind as some of the men nodded grimly.


    I looked up too and surveyed the treacherously steep cliff. The cliff was hardly dangerously tall or precipitously vertical in angle, but snow peeked from every crevice and tendrils of vines hung down everywhere. The top of the cliff seemed to give way to a flat ground but no one had been here in ages and no one could truly tell what might be waiting up there. Bian Dashou''s forehead curdled into another heavy frown. "Rest assured, milord," Li Cheng said suddenly, "Scaling this cliff might look impossible. But there are lots of footholds along the way that enables easy climbing." Bian Dashou responded with a tacit nod and took the lead, grasping first on a jagged rock and pulled himself up.


    The rock face was angled just so that no one could walk up, but had to climb with one''s hands and legs. Fortunately, most of the parties were all abled-bodied men. Despite the ordeal in the woods, they were still able to scale the cliff. Before long from below, I could see that Bian Dashou was already vaulting himself up the top of the cliff.


    Seeing that Bian Dashou had reached the top, there was no longer any reason for me to dawdle down here; what happened to the rest of the party hardly interested me. With a kick into the snow, I glided upwards. I reached the top to find Bian Dashou helping the rest of his companions up and I took the time to look at the surroundings.


    The top of the cliff opened up into an expanse before another rough stone wall loomed before us. From a giant''s point of view, this area could have been a chipped part of Mount San Feng Zi where a huge chunk of the mountain was removed to create this space. We stood at the edge of the precipice, surrounded by the arms of the surrounding mountains and their foothills. Below us, the thick emaciated forest from which we escaped spread far and wide until which our sights could not penetrate because of the still falling snow. I looked again at the rugged rock face in front. Through the convoluted and bedraggled stubbles of weed and clumps of snow that littered the rock face, we saw many a great large and small holes, crevices, and cavities. Many of these holes were already used. It was filled with the corpses of the dead as grotto graves as Chen Yixuan had mentioned in his tale. But I was somewhat surprised to find these holes crudely hewn from the stone. They looked nothing like caverns or halls of stone we usually see in fairy tales, just a simple hole hacked from the stone of the mountain. But the remains of the dead had been left in peace; no one would have known that these areas were graves if we had not come here.


    I stood there, awestruck and amazed. Then I activated my Spirit Sight to see the flow of Qi around here. But my hair stuck as straight as needles on my skin immediately! The Qi of the dragon leys were swirling richly like the strong and powerful flow of a river, moving from faraway West towards East. But there was an unmistakable hint of malice and grudge in it. It was the same as when I had seen it before, only it looked noticeably stronger and thicker now that I was looking at it here and now.


    A strange, surrealistic sensation swept through me like a tide. I flew into the air and looked down again from above the sky. Only then I realized that the Qi of the dragon leys was moving in a circular motion when they passed by Mount San Feng Zi, churning slowly and rising up higher into the shape of a cyclone. As the cyclone spun round and round like a top, the whiff of malicious aura from all around swirled and transfused into the Qi of the dragon leys. The river of Qi of the dragon leys that stretched from the West formed an odd cyclic tornado when it came here before continuing its rapid rush eastbound. It was here that the Qi of the dragon leys were tainted!


    Long ago, I had spoken to Father about this. He told me the whiff of malice and hatred was proof that Li Zicheng would be a cruel ruler in the future. One''s innate character and disposition were always reflected in the Qi of the dragon leys he or she controlled. This explained how inhumane and brutal monarchs often lose the mandate to rule through the deterioration of their dragon leys which became tainted through the evil they wrought. The rancorous aura now tainting the Qi of the dragon leys came from nowhere but Li Zicheng himself and the cyclone of the Qi had also marked this river of Qi his. With the corrupting influence from him contaminating the Qi of the dragon leys, the river, that also bore the semblance of the dragon was now a feral and bloodthirsty creature. It was the same for what happened to Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu before the Han Dynasty, although on a very much different scale; it was no secret that Xiang Yu was more hateful and bitter than Li Zicheng and that corrupted his own dragon leys which was later forcibly destroyed.


    Back at the grotto graves where Li Zicheng''s progenitors'' remains were kept, I waited albeit with brimming impatience as the rest of the party climbed up. Bian Dashou called for Li Cheng. "Which of these graves belong to the rebel Li Zicheng''s father, Li Shouzhong?" "During the time when Li Shouzhong''s remains were brought here, milord, his sons chose one of three remaining graves for their use. In that hole, the remains of Li Shouzhong were interred along with a black clay bowl. A bowl used as a lamp of oil. Find that bowl, and you''ll find Li Shouzhong''s remains."


    Bian Dashou nodded. He waved and shouted, "Let''s begin!" And the wearied and squirmish peasants hoisted high their hoes and picks and began digging...


    They began digging and burrowing through the first grave. But despite being in the face of the cliff, the graves were all dug angled downwards. The peons needed to dig far and deep before they could be sure of anything. When the first grave was fully dug, a voice, sounding definitely downcast, yelled from inside, "There''s no black bowl in this one, my lord!" But sounding oblivious to the sullen looks of the peasants, Bian Dashou roared, "The next one!"


    And thus, the men continued delving deep into six graves to look for any signs of a black bowl to no avail. The pale silvery orb of the moon hung high overhead now. It was too late for them to continue, and with the snow continued assailing them and hindering their work, Bian Dashou could only give the unwilling command for everyone to rest in the caverns that they had dug.


    The men were visibly glad to hear this and some even sat down immediately as their knees gave way at the reprieve. They shuffled one by one into the caverns and the six holes were flooded with the glow from burning fire pits.


    I stood alone at the verge of the cliff, looking down at the silent and ghastly forest sprawled upon a sheet of white below my feet. The view was unbelievable. I redirected my mind back to the grotto graves. Something about them was strange. But I did not know yet, whatever it was. The snow and the veil of night made it difficult for me to properly see what was wrong and I shrugged, flying up into the sky again. I hung in mid-air, standing in the midst of the rushing Qi of the dragon leys and wallowing in the indescribable but palpable sensation that churned around me. But if you asked me, it was like a fish enjoying his first swim in the waters of the ocean! Feeling the rich dragon ley Qi sweeping over me, rushing down my skin reminded me everything about our universe with a flurry blur of visions that assailed my senses: the celestial bodies, the mountains, and the rivers, the beasts and birds, and all human civilization! There really was no way to fully put all the feeling, the emotions, and vibes that filled me that very instant as if I was one with the Qi of the dragon leys.


    But it was merely for a fraction of a second; the sensation did not last long for I began to feel the Qi rejecting me. Perhaps only Li Zicheng himself would be permitted to enjoy the enrichment of the dragon leys'' Qi.


    I glided back down to the graves and looked in the six caverns for Bian Dashou. When I finally found him, he was in a hole, sharing it only with Jia Huan and Li Cheng. They were sitting by a fire which burned exuberantly despite the glum looks on the faces of the quiet men and the entire room was shrouded in a pall of somber mood otherwise heartened only by the crackling kindling burning in the flames.


    But in the midst of the jaunty crepitation of the fire, I heard a faint voice murmuring, "Ah... Ha... Ho..."

 Chapter 196 Menace in Midnigh

    t


    No one seemed to notice that voice. They were all so pre-occupied with their own thoughts and the crackling from the flames had deafened the sound.


    But I knew something was gravely wrong! I might not have encountered such things personally before, but I had definitely read or saw about this in movies and fiction! I might have not read the whole series of Goosebumps, but I definitely saw enough; that, plus movies such as the Mummy and the Mummy Returns were enough to make me quiver. The jiangshis in Lam Ching-ying''s films might scream and shriek, but I would never bet against those corpses now resting in the coffins now buried all around us!


    Bian Dashou was sitting with his back to one of the exhumed coffins, with a mere three meters away from it. The stone chamber was hardly a large one and the moaning echoed from behind him yet he was showing no signs of having to notice it! I could feel the skin on my face curdling with worry and apprehension when suddenly a shrill cry rang from outside, "OHHH MMYY GODD!"


    It was a cry so frightening and fearful as if one had seen a ghost. Bian Dashou, Jia Huan, and Li Cheng were awoken from their stupor and they instantly got up and moved outside. "What''s this? What''s going on?" Jia Huan was shouting as he walked out. The three men strolled out of the grave chamber and a man was tugging up his pants. One of his arms was outstretched with a finger thrust at the cliff top hanging overhead us. We looked up to find the pale glow of the moon pouring down on the cliff. Immersed in the soft, faint luminescence were rows of innumerable silhouettes, all lumbering and hulking, as they stared down at us from atop. We could not see them in the dark as their backs were kept to the moon. But I had a feeling that they were yetis! Ferocious ape-like beasts that surveyed us with unfriendly emerald-green eyes that shone like stars in the dark or flames that flared with unbridled fury!


    The hordes of yeti greatly outnumbered us, but they merely stood overhead and watch us. Looking at us with their fiendish eyes like hungry vultures surveying their prey. Just then, I felt the Spirit Gourd in my pocket shuddered. As soon as I took it out, I could hear my Forest Sprite''s voice, saying, "The yetis will not come here, Master! They''d never dare come near these graves!" That sent me reeling in shock. ¡°I had forgotten about my Forest Sprite! Forest sprites share the same family of creatures with yetis! How could I have forgotten about this?!¡± "How did you know that they would never dare to come here?" I asked at once. There was a brief beat of silence before the Forest Sprite responded, "We''re not of the same species, but we share the same family tree. I can understand their tongue and speech. They are now communicating amongst themselves, waiting for ways to hunt you down as soon as you leave the vicinity of the graves!"


    With a surprised "Ah", I prodded further, "What else do you know about them, Freaky?" Freaky was a name I gave to my Forest Sprite. It was thought up from the common nickname used to describe amphibious Forest Sprites, grindylows. The Forest Sprite fell quiet for a moment before it said again, "We have different species in our family of xiaos (sprites or monstrous and mythical simians), although few still live to walk the earth today. But my kind is smaller compared to these yetis, but we can traverse forests and lakes and rivers with ease. Yetis are different; they live in the snow. Only in the snow and nowhere else. But we share a common similarity: we are forbidden to enter any hallowed grounds rich with the Qi of the dragon leys without a permit from anyone learned in arcane skills and magic. But snow is not a regular occurrence here; hence I am not sure myself how could yetis live around here."


    I nodded. "I see. So without a person with authority agreeing, these yetis would never intrude into these burial grounds. Am I right?" "Yes," came the confident voice of Freaky, "Not only them. I too would never dare enter these grounds if not for you, Master!" I nodded again. I walked amongst the fearful crowd towards Bian Dashou and placed a hand on his shoulder. He shuddered again, shocked at being touched by an invisible hand again. I took his hand and began writing on his palm, "Have no fear, gloom, nor fright of doom; in hallowed grounds of sacred bloom; Evil hath no seed sow; to neither hurt nor ruin you Bian Dashou!"


    This time, Bian Dashou quickly understood my message. He exhaled heavily with relief. But I did not tarry outside any longer. I went back to the grave cavern, for there could still be untold horror waiting in the casket inside!


    Like shadows that trailed behind me, Bian Dashou, Li Cheng and Jia Huan returned back to their cave chamber and sat around the fire. But I instead strode towards the exhumed coffin. The wood did little to dull the soft moaning emitting from inside and the sounds sent another jolt of shiver through me! I was right! The corpse inside had absorbed human aura from the peasants digging the grave and it was reanimating! This was made worse by the fact that we were at the hallowed grounds for the dragon leys where the Qi was richest! For all we knew, the corpse might reanimate into something terrible with unspeakable powers!


    For now, I was thankful that the nails on the coffin were far from rusted and crumbling. With unyielding staunchness, they held on, keeping the lid tightly shut. But it was the wood of the coffin which had moldered and deteriorated by age and moisture and the decay was further accelerated when this grave chamber was dug and outside air came in.


    I laid my head on the wooden lid and listened. The voice was weak and soft. At least whatever it was inside, it was still far from reaching full strength. I made the Seal of the Sword and pointed at the tip of the flames at the burning hearth before I drew my hand back swiftly and cast a spell, the Talisman of Sealing Undead, on the wooden lid.


    It was a spell I rarely used. Or in fact, I had yet actually used it in real life before. The last time I used it during our early skirmishes against the Creed of the Eight Trigrams was on a human. A living man. Hence, with no prior experience of success, I was scarcely certain if my magic would work. But it was all I could do and it was what I did to the other five coffins in all six grave chambers that we had dug today.


    Yet even the magical Talisman of Sealing Undead could do much to quell the murmurs of unrest from within the coffins. It was impossible that the deep ominous voices had gone unnoticed by the rest of the party, although none dared to speak anything of them. The common folk of ancient times was exceedingly superstitious folk and they must have realized as well what was going on. It was only when the morning sun began to peek from the horizons when the deep rumbling voices died down. But everyone slept deeply through the night. It could be the fatigue of the journey and the work or the relief after being worried and tense for almost the entire day. Either way, everyone had had a good night''s rest that even Bian Dashou himself could hardly wake up from his deep slumber. I scowled at him and shoved him.


    His eyes blinked open at once, taut as a bowstring, as he got up and looked around. But he saw nothing, save for the black words, "Back to work" that stared up at him from the floor of the chamber, written from the ashes from the extinguished fire from the hearth. The message seemed to jerk him awake at once and he woke up Jia Huan who was still asleep beside him.


    Then he got up and erased the message with his feet. He could not see me, but he knew something, or rather, someone, was helping him. But he was uncertain of my intentions, and that must have prompted him to keep me a secret for now.


    As the eastern sun continued its climb, the men resumed to their chores of digging through the rest of the graves. I watched from the sidelines as they worked, looking at them toil with sweat and strain and only to move on to the next grave when the disappointment came with no signs of any black bowl was found.


    When the noon sun was high overhead, a voice broke the dull and humdrum of the peons'' drudgery. "We''ve found it, milord!" My head jerked towards the voice and I saw one of the hired hands was raising a dirt-stained bowl. Its clay surface glistened in the bright sunlight as the man approached Bian Dashou proudly. Everyone ran to him, including Bian Dashou. Li Cheng took the bowl in his hand and studied it closely, nodding anxiously afterward. "Indeed, this is it! This is the bowl that was buried with Li Shouzhong''s remains!" For one of the rarest moments since arriving, Bian Dashou''s face broke into a delightful grin. He thrust an excited hand at the grave chamber from which the black bowl came from, roaring only two words, "DIG ON!" The peasants all rushed inside and began their work with renewed fervor. Deeper and deeper, the diggers clove and hewed; finally, the remuneration for all the suffering and agony that they had experienced was beginning to look as certain as the sun rising from the East, although everyone could hardly deny their curiosity to steal a glimpse at the remains of the father of the infamous rebel Li Zicheng.


    "Hey!" "Ho!" "Hey!" "Ho!" The men grunted loudly as they worked, chiseling off inch by inch of rock and dirt from the walls of the cave. Bian Dashou looked on quietly. His eyes were narrowed, his mind swimming in deep thought. I could almost guess what he was thinking of. He must have not brought the Dragon-slaying Blade with him. In fact, I had never seen him carry it before. Bian Dashou must be worried of any perils or traps that could be waiting inside, especially since the Blade was not with him now.


    But I was hardly bothered by it; the household of Li Zicheng had never enjoyed much wealth and prosperity and the shabby and simple grave chamber of Li Shouzhong was exactly proof of that. That alone convinced me that there would not be any traps hidden inside. "At most, there would only be the reanimated corpse of Li Shouzhong," I mused dryly, "and I am more than able to deal with it." I chuckled at myself and set alight a cigarette for myself.


    But I had barely taken a couple of swigs, when the peasants came out, hooting elated shouts, "We''re through! We''re finally through!" Bian Dashou got up at once, looking as if he was woken up from a long dream. With a wave of his arm, he beckoned Jia Huan and the rest of the men to follow in and the interested mob rushed in after them with me in tow as I hastily crushed the stub of my cigarette. But as soon as my eyes got used to the darkness in the chamber, I was surprised by what I saw!


    The insides of Li Shouzhong''s grave chamber was simple and bare, looking no less different from the other stone chambers we had emptied, save for a freshly-furnished wooden coffin. But what was more unbelievable was a strong and huge elm tree growing robustly at the top of its lid!

 Chapter 197 Li Shouzhong

    Seeing this scene, I suddenly remembered that the old man Chen Yixuan had described it in a story: an elm grew on Li Shouzhong''s tomb. However, it had never occurred to me that this elm was actually growing on the coffin!


    This elm was sitting on the coffin, like a living person sitting on the hillside. The creeping roots of the tree wrapped around the whole coffin and then extended into the mud below it. One must know that the elm was in a tomb dark as hell. However, it even managed to develop lots of branches that could even fully extend in the tomb! I observed the elm with my Spirit Sight and found that mixing with the dragon leys'' Qi, a powerful stream of evil Qi filled the elm. So, the elm was leafy but had a black-purple body. When someone went forward to touch it, the elm even shivered and dodged him as if it were alive. After taking a closer look, I noticed that those crooked branches were all strangely shaped. Also, they had twisted with many vines, making an unspeakable weird and hideous scene.


    This tree grew up in this place, and it could even move. Seeing this, the first thing that came to my mind was the Hydra Cypress described in "The Lost Tomb." But on second thought, the tree before me was not a cypress. It was an elm, a kind of shade-loving tree that had a strange appearance. That was why elms always played the role of monsters in many legends since ancient times. When seeing this creepy elm, Bian Dashou, me, and others were all stunned on the spot. At this time, Jia Huan whispered to Bian Dashou, "Sir... What should one do?"


    Recovering from the shock, Bian Dashou also didn''t know what to do next for the time being. At the moment, a doubt popped up in my mind. "Bian Dashou must know that the elm is the center of the dragon ley. This tree grows in the dragon ley''s center and absorbs its essence. Thus, we only need to destroy this tree. I can come up with the solution even without using my Spirit Sight. So, does Bian Dashou really cannot think of that?" At first, I was puzzled. "Bian Dashou is Dragon-slaying Blade''s user. In previous, I have seen him mount the clouds and ride the mist. But why does he act like a mortal now?"


    After thinking for a long time, Bian Dashou finally made up his mind and ordered, "Chop it down!" Immediately, Jia Huan beckoned to the group of people behind them. All those villagers picked up the axes hanging behind on their waists and rushed to the strange elm. Meanwhile, the elm started to tremble as if it were an animal facing its prey.


    When others saw the elm''s leaves trembling, they became so afraid that they dared not go even half a step further. Watching this scene, Bian Dashou also did not know what to do. I frowned and pushed him from behind. Being suddenly pushed by me, Bian Dashou staggered forward. At once, he looked back but saw nothing. However, he instantly understood that I wanted him to cut the tree. After hesitating for a while, he finally nodded slightly at the invisible person behind him. Then, he turned around and walked toward the elm.


    He randomly took an ax from the man. Without hesitation, Bian Dashou walked under the elm. He swung the ax and cut into the elm''s trunk! This time, Bian Dashou hacked with a huge effort. After that, the elm seemed to suffer from a sharp pain, and so its whole crown began to tremble violently! The moment Bian Dashou cut into the trunk, in my Spirit Sight, I could see the dragon leys'' Qi and the evil Qi in the elm pouring out from the cut of the trunk, just like the water flowing out from a broken bucket!


    Once again, Bian Dashou swung the ax and chopped at the same place. The cut there became a few centimeters deeper. The dragon leys'' Qi spewed out from the elm like the water from the fountain. In no time, it disappeared. Meanwhile, the tree withered from the top of branches at a fast speed. As Bian Dashou was chopping, the elm gradually shrank. The others saw that nothing happened to the old man after he cut the elm, so one after another, they too went forward to chop with their axes.


    After a while, the group of people cut the elm in half! "Click!" The trunk tilted backward. Then, a large amount of the dragon leys'' Qi leaking out from the cut surged out fast like a flood! Almost at speed visible to everyone''s eyes, the entire stump left there, and the fallen tree trunk dried up. Finally, they turned into something like a pile of ash and never moved again.


    Bian Dashou ordered some people to clean up the dead tree roots. After that, he spotted a wooden coffin placed there. It was neither old nor new. Waving his hand, Bian Dashou shouted, "Open the coffin!" At this point, I knew that a white snake would dart out from the coffin, if what Chen Yixuan said was right.


    Sure enough, just as the cover of the coffin was pushed open, a white shadow directly shot up from the coffin and reached the top of the tomb. Then, it fell back into the coffin. Now everyone saw it clearly that the white shadow was actually a 33-centimeter-long white snake!


    Well, it was not exactly the same as a white snake because it had a dragon head, just like what was described in the story! From time to time, the half-snake, half-dragon creature would stick out its scarlet forked tongue! Just as I had expected, it hadn''t turned into a dragon and still had some snake nature! At this time, Bian Dashou was no longer a good-for-nothing. He reached into the coffin and grabbed the dragon-snake creature in his hands! Right now, I could see that the two eyes of the creature were truly different. The left eye was like a burning torch, which ran down everyone before it with radiating vigor. But its right eye could only look at one direction, which was exactly the same as the ordinary snake eyes.


    Bian Dashou beckoned. Then, Jia Huan came forward and handed him a brocade box. Cautiously, he reached out to stuff the white snake into the box and lock it up. After that, he breathed a sigh of relief. However, I did not put my mind at ease at this time because everything was exactly like what Chen Yixuan had said. Accidently, I looked down into the coffin and saw that the body was quickly growing new black hair! "Holy sh*t! A fu*king real black-haired Jiangshi!" I cried out in my heart.


    At this time, some other people also saw the change of the body in the coffin. Uttering a heartrending cry, someone said, "S-s-s-sir! Look!" With this, he pointed to the coffin. Bian Dashou instantly looked down to check and was shocked! In an advanced state of decay, the corpse was already out of shape. But now, it was covered with a layer of newly grown black hair! Like a beast, there was no hairless place on the body from head to toe! In horror, Bian Dashou said, "Hurry up! Carry it out and burn it!"


    However, staring at each other, none of those villagers moved. They were afraid, of course. Also, the corpse made them sick. The stench of the liquid from the decayed body and the pile of rotten meat in the coffin was overpowering. But then, Jia Huan urged them. "Why are you still in a daze? Be quick!" Then, a villager whispered to the people beside him. "Let''s quickly get this dead body out. I heard that when a corpse grows the long black hair, it will come back to life soon! If we do this later, we are all going to die from its bite!" As he said that, they rolled up their sleeves and reached into the coffin.


    Just when the two villagers put their hands into the coffin, something unforeseen suddenly happened! The black-haired body in the coffin moved all of a sudden. The rigid dead body made a few crack sounds, and unexpectedly it swiftly grabbed the hand that reached into the coffin! "Ow!" Screaming, the villager was much frightened and fell to the ground. His arms slipped out of the corpse''s grasp when he fell down. But to everyone''s surprise, the hairy black hand caught his arm again like pincers. Thus, the villager who fell behind with his hand pulled the black-haired Jiangshi up. Now that it was sitting in the coffin!


    Almost instantaneously, I heard the howls of terror from all the people in the field! Sitting in the coffin, the Jiangshi was covered with black hair, including his face. Under the black hair, its two rows of fangs that it bared were faintly visible. There were no eyeballs in its eye sockets! "Ka! Ka! Ka!" Along with a cold feeling it brought, the black-haired Jiangshi made several sounds which were much more terrible than the sounds the mouse made when it was grinding the teeth!


    Everything happened within a second. Before everyone could react, they saw the black-haired Jiangshi raise its head, open its mouth and bite the villager''s arm in passing! The villager was in shock. After this bite, his long scream turned into a row of shrill cries! In no time, shreds of black color began to spread along the person''s arm from the place where he was bitten! The sharp-sighted Bian Dashou was quick with his hands. He swung the ax in his hand and cut at the villager''s arm at this crucial moment. "Click!" After a crisp sound, his forearm was separated from his body! Then, the villager whose arm was cut kicked his legs and fainted because of the great pain.


    By this time, screaming, all the people in the tomb rushed to get outside of the tomb madly. Only Bian Dashou and the fainted villager with the broken arm were left there!


    Bian Dashou turned around to look at the black-haired Jiangshi sitting in the coffin, but now it had already stood up! It was gnawing the villager''s forearm in his black claws. At this time, the forearm had turned entirely black and rotted. It was eating with appetite when the black blood of the forearm was still dripping! Bian Dashou''s face became ghastly pale. He was about to escape. However, the black-haired Jiangshi, which was standing in the coffin, seemed to be irritated! "Aoao!" It howled. This hoarse sound was as unpleasant as the vomiting sound made by the throat that was smoked by 20 cigarettes. Unconsciously, Bian Dashou turned around. Then, he saw a black shadow flew over his head with winds carrying an offensive smell of blood. "Plop!" The black-haired Jiangshi fell to the tomb''s gate. It blocked Bian Dashou''s way out!

 Chapter 198 Bian Dashou Was Caugh

    t


    "Sh*t!" I exclaimed in my heart. Bian Dashou turned back and found that the black-haired Jiangshi had already blocked his way. Subconsciously, he took two steps back. But to our surprise, it seemed that every single move of him could stimulate the black-haired Jiangshi. This time, he only stepped back for two steps. But after that, the Jiangshi immediately stepped forward twice. Holding up its hands stiffly, it came right at him!


    From Bian Dashou''s expression, I knew all his hopes must have already dashed to pieces at this point. He slowly closed his eyes and waited to die! In a hurry, I rushed forward, quickly raised my leg, and kicked at the Jiangshi''s outstretched claws. However, my kick only pushed its claws away. Its body didn''t budge an inch because it was as hard as a rock! But my feet hurt like hell. Apparently, the Jiangshi hesitated a little because it somehow missed its close target. While by taking this chance, Bian Dashou ran back to the center of the tomb.


    In my heart, I abused him. "Alas, Bian Dashou! You are Dragon-slaying Blade''s envoy. How could you become such a wuss?" Though I secretly cursed him, my hands were still moving fast to cast a spell, and I also chanted incantations. Soon, I transferred the Qi in my body to my hands, which were making finger gestures. Then, I spread my palm. "Pow!" A raging flame emerged in my palm!


    Originally, the spell "Burning" was almost powerless. But I was no longer as I had been. My great inner energies greatly enhanced the spell''s power.


    I did not hesitate at this time. Raising my hand, I pushed the flame in my palm to the black-haired Jiangshi. Then, it went after the Jiangshi as if it could see! The moment the flame touched the Jiangshi, I moved the fingers of one hand and slightly ordered, "Rise!" In no time, the small ball of flame expanded fast. "Whir!" It instantly enveloped the Jiangshi''s whole body.


    At the moment, Bian Dashou was trying to escape from the Jiangshi''s chase. Suddenly, he heard the whirring sound when the flame of the spell Burning started to expand. Without thinking too much, he turned around and saw a burning claw coming right toward him! Unconsciously, he raised his hands to block. "Click!" The claw of the Jiangshi broke and fell to the ground. Only at this time could he collect his wits. He noticed that it slowed down quickly and finally stopped on the spot. Then, it lost all its power in the flame and fell on its knees. In an instant, it turned into a burned skeleton in the raging flame.


    I breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground with Bian Dashou. A weak feeling stroke me. I knew it was because I had overdrawn a lot of energy to cast the Burning spell. Then, the feeling enwrapped me, and I gradually lost my consciousness...


    Not knowing how long the time had passed, I opened my eyes and found myself still in the tomb. It was just that I didn''t know how long I had been staying at this place. At the time, Bian Dashou and others had already left.


    I walked out of the tomb. In the sunset, I looked down around. All the trees in the nearby forests had been cut down, and it was a total mess under the place where I stood. When I came here, it was snowing. But now, the snow had thawed. So, I suppose that a long time must have past.


    Once again, I jumped into the air. Without bothering to move a muscle, I naturally started to fly to somewhere. After a while, I arrived at a village. Seeing from the air, I saw a group of soldiers and horses rushing into the village and quickly surrounded it. Then I saw someone pushing the door open and walked out of a house. With his hands clasped behind, the person leisurely walked out of the door. The leader of these soldiers asked, "Are you Bian Dashou?" Now I found that the person walking at a leisurely pace was not someone else but precisely Bian Dashou, who dressed like a civilian!


    But Bian Dashou totally ignored his question. "Click!" Several soldiers then stepped forward and put chains and shackles on him. Pushing and pulling, they took him away.


    These people came and went away in a hurry. Touching my chin, I thought, "At this time, Li Zicheng must have confiscated the property of the unlucky guy Wu Sangui. Meanwhile, Wu Sangui had fought all the way from Shanhaiguan to Beijing with his Manchu troops. Then, when Li Zicheng was on his way to escape, he passed by here and caught Bian Dashou by the way."


    I did not land on the ground. Instead, I continued following the troops on the run. Pushed all the way by those soldiers, Bian Dashou also left the village and was going with the defeated troops. On their way, Wu Sangui''s Manchu troops had caught up with those Li Zicheng''s troops a lot of times, and they fought many battles.


    Since the time I experienced in the air passed by much faster than the time they had below me, several days of them had gone within the blink of an eye to me. At this time, the defeated troops had undergone many battles after being caught up with Li Zicheng''s troops, so they were already in noticeable mental fatigue. Now the troop carried Bian Dashou arrived at a mountain pass. Tied by chains and ropes, Bian Dashou was still pushed and shoved to move forward by the soldiers.


    Then, they were through the mountain pass. "Whoosh!" When the soldier with him wasn''t watching, Bian Dashou instantly darted into the woods nearby! Immediately, those soldiers burst into an uproar. I heard someone shouting something like, "Bian Dashou ran away!" After that, they rushed into the woods to pursue him. For a moment, there was a whole mess of clops and shouts. I was delighted and thought, "Did Bian Dashou become enlightened this time?" But on second thought, I remembered that there was a plot about Bian Dashou''s escape on the way in Chen Yixuan''s story.


    Those soldiers pursuing him were on horses while Bian Dashou was running like mad with fetters. I could not bear the sight so that I quickly flew down to Bian Dashou.


    At this time, wearing a panic-stricken face, Bian Dashou rushed all around aimlessly. But the surroundings helped him a lot. As those soldiers chased him on the horses had difficulty in moving through the woods, they hadn''t reached him yet. However, I guessed that Bian Dashou could never outrun those war-horses so that he would be caught again sooner or later. Though the plot in the story said Bian Dashou successfully escaped, I thought I should help him escape the danger at this time.


    Thinking of this, I looked around. This place that only had trees and bushes was full of clutter. Suddenly, I recalled the Battle of the Yellow Soil Ridge that Zhang Zhigui had. "Hehe!" I smiled and opened my calabash gourd. Then, large amounts of black noxious haze gushed out and covered a large clump of trees in an instant.


    All of a sudden, those soldiers who chased Bian Dashou saw the black haze cropping up in front of them. Soldiers at the forefront had no enough time to brake, so they ran directly into the haze. Then, both the soldiers and horses collapsed to the ground. Lying there, they kept twitching. Seeing such a horrible scene, none of the soldiers behind them dared move further. One after another, they turned their horses around and ran along the edge of the black haze, trying to go around it. But they didn''t know that I controlled the haze. No matter in which direction they ran, I could make the haze float there. Looking back to check Bian Dashou, I found that this track-minded guy had already run far away without turning back.


    Seeing that Bian Dashou was far away, I said to myself, "But Bian Dashou almost did nothing to make himself escape. If it hadn''t been not for me, would those soldiers brutally have beaten this track-minded guy up already?"


    While thinking randomly, I took back the haze and left the mountain pass. Involuntarily, my body rose up to the sky once again. This time, I didn''t know where I would go.


    This time, I arrived at a barren mountain. Somehow, I landed at its foot. Checking around, I found a village in the near distance. At this time, smoke from the kitchen chimney had wreathed over the cottage. Although I couldn''t feel sleepy or hungry, I still walked toward it subconsciously.


    I didn''t know what my situation was now. But I understood one thing: wherever I was sent, Master Six must have his purposes. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be able to fly at random. Thinking of this, I smiled in my heart and strode into the village. When I walked to the entrance of the village, I saw a person coming to the entrance from another direction, swaggeringly.


    Wearing Taoist priest''s crown and robe, this man held a hossu with a Taiji Sword on his back. He seemed like a Taoist priest. Raising my eyebrows, I thought, "In troubled times, it''s pretty hard for a Taoist priest to make a living. He must also see the smoke in this village rising from kitchen chimneys and prepared to beg some alms there." Then, I walked to the entrance of the village with him. However, an unexpected scene appeared in front of us when we finished turning the last corner before the entrance. Under the leadership of an old man, a group of male villagers stood at the entrance.


    The old Taoist priest waved his hand to greet them. And then, he quickened his pace and walked into the crowd. Seeing that he came, the people there all cheered up, and some of them even cried with joy! It looked like that they finally had their savior here. At this point, I understood that I guessed it wrong. This old Taoist priest seemed to be invited here by the villagers.


    The old Taoist priest walked up to the old man who led the villagers and kowtowed to him, saying, "Thanks to you for greeting me here, sir." With the help of a crutch, the old man took a step forward. He slightly bowed to the Taoist priest and said, "You are welcome, sir. Nowadays, weird things happened repeatedly in our village, which made all of us feel helpless. So, we have to bother you to come all the way to conquer the evil thing. Since you are willing to come here, we certainly should come out to greet you." Lifting his eyebrows, the old Taoist priest slung his hossu and said, "Dealing with the evil is surely an obligation that I will not decline. But I have just finished a long journey..." Upon hearing this, a young man next to the old man went forward in a hurry and said, "Sir, you must be fatigued by a journey. Please come to our village to have a meal." The old man added, "We have prepared a big meal for you. But since our village is in the middle of wildness, there are only unfiltered wine and scanty meals. I hope you will not blame us for that, sir." With this, he showed the way with his hand and said, "This way, please!"


    Satisfied, the old Taoist priest smiled. Then, being escorted by the crowd, he slowly entered the village.

 Chapter 199 The Clown-like Old Taoist Pries

    t


    When I saw this scene in front of me, I laughed in my heart. It seemed that I thought in the wrong direction. At first, I felt that the old Taoist priest wanted to beg those villagers for alms. But it turned out that the old priest was invited here to handle the evil thing. In the turbulent days without peace, the ordinary citizens normally couldn''t live in affluence. Then, why these villagers wanted to spend their money and time on the Taoist priest?


    Feeling curious in my heart, I also entered the village with them. When I was in the village, I discovered that this village was not that good as I had imaged. There stood many thatched cottages. But basically, not a single one of them looked decent. Also, there was basically no livestock wandering outside the houses. The overall appearance of the village was quick desolate.


    A group of people crowded around the old priest, and they arrived at a small courtyard, which was said to be the best one in the village. To be honest, it was not very good, but it was at least built by bricks. At this time, I saw women from each household going out of their houses and walking toward the small courtyard with plates and bowls. The men from the village gathered around the old priest. When they went into the yard, I also got in with them. Now I saw clearly that there was not so much food in the pot of this courtyard. Only a few steaming buns were placed on the pot. Then, those women walked in one after another with their plates and bowls. They brought their dishes here. One by one, they put the dishes on the table with strange looks. In total, there were only a dozen dishes.


    At this moment, I finally understood something. People in the village didn''t have money at all. They were so poor that they had to gather everyone''s strength to make a full table of dishes. I was afraid that the buns on the pot must have cost all the flour from the dozen household of the whole village!


    Without any invitation, the old priest sat at the table by himself. Then, in no hurry, he asked, "You invited me here for what kind of strange things that happened in your village?" He asked, but he was glancing at the dozen dishes on the table. However, he looked unhappy after examining the dishes around because all of the dishes on the table were green vegetables. There was not a single piece of meat. But perhaps, he would never think that after this special meal prepared for him, the people in the whole village might have to live on bark and grassroots from then on.


    The old man sitting opposite the priest could see his unpleasant expression. However, since the old priest asked the question, he ignored his ugly look first and replied with a sigh, "You didn''t know, sir. This village is the only one within several kilometers around. One month ago, something weird happened in the village. At first, the chickens and ducks in the village reduced for no reason. After a few days, villagers began to disappear. There were nearly 30 households in the village. But after a month, only a dozen of them were left!"


    When he spoke of this, the old priest was putting a piece of mushroom on his chopsticks into his mouth. Upon hearing this, the old man stopped. "Oh?" He thought for a moment and asked, "Do you know what the evil thing is?"


    Smiling bitterly, the old man said, "I really don''t know. Our people or livestock disappeared each time silently. There was no trace to follow!" Then, a young man next to him said. "Sir, you didn''t know the situation. My grandfather has the highest seniority in the village. So he ordered the men in our village to guard in every corner when people began missing. However, those people who guarded others also disappeared overnight. Otherwise, we would not lose more than half of the people. Sometimes, when people went to the toilet outside would disappear without a sound."


    The old priest took a sip from the wine bowl and asked, "So, the evil thing only haunts you at night, right?" All the others remained silent, making no comment. In fact, this was an unnecessary question. Neither all sorts of evil-doers nor bandits would choose to harm others in broad daylight.


    The old priest smiled slightly, and then said, "Relax, everyone. I will certainly eliminate whatever the evil thing for you. But I need to make some preparations first..." When he said this, he lengthened her voice. Well, seeing him act like this, I smiled wryly. "Fu*king fraud! Now you are going to ask for money from them!" As I had expected, the old man immediately understood his meaning. Hurriedly, he waved at someone behind him. Then, a middle-aged man outside the crowd walked toward them, carrying a cloth bag. When he put it on the table, the sounds of metal banging on metal came from inside. Everyone could tell from the sound that there must be gold, silver, copper coins, and jewelry in the bag.


    Smiled slightly, the old priest opened the cloth bag. Then, he saw a small piece of silver, a few copper pieces, several gold hairpins, and earrings. Though I had no idea how much all of this was worth, it should be all the property from the entire village. Judging by the old priest''s reaction, I suppose that they were worth quite a bit of money. With satisfaction, the old priest nodded and put the bag into his pocket. Finally, he said slowly, "Tonight, everyone should lock your doors and windows. No matter what happens, don''t peep because of your curiosity! If you see something that you aren''t supposed to see, you will not only prevent me from catching the evil thing but also get yourselves into trouble!"


    Touching my chin, I watched at the old priest eating and drinking with others on the table. But only the priest was enjoying the dishes and wine. The others all looked quite gloomy, but there was a little bit hope in their eyes. Obviously, to invite this old priest to handle the evil thing, these people had given him all their property. After this, they might have nothing to live on. However, only after getting rid of the evil thing could they finally set their minds at rest. Seeing this, I couldn''t help sighing in my heart. "It is always the choice of humans. To be frank, these villagers burned their bridges by giving away all their fortune. But even if the priest pinned the evil thing down, these villagers would starve to death. However, if they didn''t invite the old priest here, they would still be killed by the evil thing. Either way, they would die. But they don''t want to live in the fear that they will be taken away by the evil thing one day. No matter they are starving or caught by the evil thing, they will die. But why are they so afraid of being caught instead of hunger? I don''t believe that these people are willing to walk to their death. Since they are bound to die, being killed by the evil thing will be much less painful than starving to death. But why I feel that I''d rather be killed by the evil thing! In this case, I would at least not let this fraud advantage of them!"


    It was dark now. The old priest asked all the villagers to go home because he had to make some preparations. At this time, he alone set up a table on the empty ground in the village and opened his traveling bag. Then, he placed a censer, a pair of candles, his peachwood sword, and charms on the table. After lighting the candle and burning the incense, the old priest began to wave the peachwood sword. Gesturing with hands and feet, he started to speak in gibberish. "Gods between heaven and earth, please come here to help me! The very high lord, please help me..."


    I was now sitting cross-legged on a haystack behind the old priest, very much bored. With my head resting one hand, I smoked and watched him acting like crazy. The moon had slowly risen above the mountains. Villagers here were so poor that they couldn''t even afford to use the candles. Except for the two candles of the old priest were still shinning slightly, there was only moonlight in the village. An awful atmosphere was added to the originally desolate village, which made me feel bad. At this moment, I felt a little bored. So I jumped off the haystack and walked up to the old priest when he was still chattering something. Although I couldn''t hear it clearly, they must be some meaningless incantations. All of a sudden, I wanted to give him a hard time. "Puff!" I bent down and blew out his candles.


    The old priest looked down to check and found that the candle went out. He stopped speaking the nonsense. Picking up his flame lighter, he was going to light his candles again. He muttered, "But there is no wind here..." Just when his hand was about to touch the candle, I heard a rustling sound from the nearest thatched cottage to him. A woman lowered her voice and asked, "Chief, can this priest handle the evil? Then in a low voice, a man scolded, "Don''t talk. You may disturb our priest!" Then, everything quieted down again.


    The old priest lifted his eyebrows, lighted his two candles, and continued acting like a mad man. I laughed in my heart, saying, "Your priest is probably a lazy, good-for-nothing cheater!" Thinking of this, I picked up the peachwood sword in passing to take a closer look. It actually had a pretty good appearance. I supposed that its fine and smooth surface texture must be formed by many years of careful maintenance. However, under my Spirit Sight, it was simply a useless decoration because it had no spiritual light at all. In other words, the sword was definitely a good craft. But as the main weapon to slay demons, it must be as useless as a plastic model gun on the battlefield.


    The old priest couldn''t see me, so he only saw that his peachwood sword went up into the air. He was startled first and then stretched out to it. But I leaned to one side. Thus, his fingers closed on empty air. The old priest''s expression changed dramatically. Hands open, he sprang on the sword in my hands. But again, he missed his target and almost tumbled. Holding the peachwood sword in my hands, I burst into laughter. After that, the priest adjusted his Taoist crown and tried to stand still. Then, he pointed to the place where I stood and said in a low voice, "Wait and see what I can do to you."


    With this, the old priest grabbed a charm from the table and lighted it up by the candle. With his two fingers pinching the charm paper, he wagged his head and mumbled some words. After a few seconds, the old priest held the charm with one hand and pointed to the peachwood sword in my hand. "Go!" However, I felt nothing.


    But his act amused me. I said in my heart, "Since you are so funny, I will play with you." Then I pinched the peachwood sword and made it go between my fingers. I flourished the sword and sent it forward. Then, the peachwood sword passed through the burning charm paper and flew back to me. Placing it vertically before me, I made a hand seal beneath the charm by my right hand and whispered an incantation in my heart!


    "Buzzing!" The charm paper was burned up. In my Spirit Sight, the peachwood sword was shining brilliantly! Smiling slightly, I ordered with a gentle voice, "Cut!" I moved my wrist and threw the sword at the old priest''s Taoist crown!

 Chapter 200 A Pseudo Demon Killer Met a Real One

    After I launched this sword attack, the dazzling light on the sword suddenly turned into a spurt of raging fire and cut right at the Taoist crown of the old priest! The fire came so fast that he had no time to dodge. And so, his body took all the impact the fire brought!


    "Whoosh!" His Taoist crown was turned into a trail of ash flying in the air by the flame, and in an instant, this old Taoist priest became an old monk without eyebrows. Dumbfounded, the old priest touched his head. The burning pain gave him a chill and his consciousness at the same time. He flushed first. Then his face became ghastly pale. And then lots of colors vied with each other to appear on his face. This scene was incredibly funny such that I nearly laughed my ass off! This moment I was eager to play more tricks on him. But to my surprise, in this critical situation, wit suddenly came to his rescue. Quickly, he grabbed his traveling bag and the Taiji Sword on the table and then ran away fast. While he was running for his life, he still remembered to shout, "You evil thing, where are you going? I am coming to you!" In the blink of an eye, he disappeared.


    I intended to catch up with him, a plaything of me at this time. But when I was about to move, a woman''s voice emerged in the direction where the old priest escaped. "Trust me. I will never run away from you, and you are also not allowed to run away from me!" "Gee?" Then in the moonlight, the old priest fainted after uttering the sound. I was greatly surprised because the woman''s voice sounded so familiar to me! The voice belonged to no one but my mom!


    Narrowing my eyes, I looked toward the voice. A bundle of shadows swayed in the light of the moon, and then they became one. The light was dim, but I still managed to see that those were shadows of many swinging tails. When I was making my secret guesses, the ball of white shadow slowly moved from there to me. It was a white fox! I was overjoyed. "It is definitely my mom!" I originally intended to say hello to her, but soon I remembered that my mom couldn''t see me because we were now in the Ming dynasty.


    In the darkness, another sound rose. "Villagers, you can come out now." Needless to say, this voice was my father''s. Then, I saw my father strolling toward here with the fainted old priest on his back, not in a hurry. While walking, he was pouring wine into his mouth from his iconic flask.


    Though it was midnight, overwhelmed by such a huge outstanding problem, people in this village would never fall asleep tonight. Upon hearing my father''s words, someone bold pushed the door open and walked out. It was a young man who was the grandson of the previous old man. Not as I had imagined, he didn''t timidly pop his head out to check. Instead, he directly opened the door and strode toward my father and mother with no fear on his face.


    "I like him," I exclaimed in my heart. He also won a little approval from my dad. Smiling, my father asked him, "So, aren''t you afraid that I am the devil thing?" The young man also smiled and replied, "You are not, but she might be." With this, he raised his hand and pointed to my mother. My mother was instantly stunned, but then she giggled, saying, "You are telling me!" As she said this, she darted to my father''s feet like a gust of wind. Then, going around my father, she went all the way up to my father''s shoulder and squatted there.


    When the young man saw this scene, he clicked his tongue in wonder. But then, he turned to my father with a puzzle and asked, "You don''t look like the devil that ran amuck in our village. Then, who are you?" My father laughed and said, "We are passers-by who came across a pseudo demon killer doing his dirty business, so we wanted to lend you a helping hand in passing." While saying, my dad raised the old priest''s hands and placed the priest''s face next to his to display to him and said, "All of you are indeed stupid. How could you believe in a man who is obviously a cheater?" Smiling shamefacedly, the young man stopped talking.


    At this time, the other people in the village had heard the conversation between the young man and my father. They knew that my father meant no harm. Therefore, one after another, they also pushed the door open and walked out.


    "Boy, you seemed to be quite a young man. Why did you come to this remote village?" A middle-aged woman asked with an anxious look. My dad replied her with a smile. He took out the cloth bag containing the whole village''s property from the old priest''s traveling bag and put it on the table. Then, he said, "Thank you for your compliment. But in fact, I am very old. Hehe." This was what dad often said to others. After all, he still had a youthful appearance at his age. Sometimes, he felt a little unpleasant to be taken as a boy by others. The middle-aged woman was apparently choked by my dad''s words and stopped talking. The other village also didn''t believe that my father was old, but they also remained silent. After all, they had already known that the fox on the boy''s shoulder was a real demon, so naturally, everyone understood that my father could never be someone ordinary.


    Dad opened the cloth bag and said, "Check those things to see who they belonged to and give them back. Oh, right. I have some spare money, and you might as well take it." Then, he raised his hand, and a large package popped up on his hand. When he opened it, ingots of silver appeared in front of everyone!


    The scene startled all the villagers here, and they didn''t know whether or not they should take the silver. All of them were standing there in shock. Suddenly, an old man''s voice rang outside the crowd, "What on earth is going on?" Then, the light of the fire appeared behind the crowd. Holding a torch, a middle-aged man supported the old man with a hand, and they walked inside the coward. Someone explained the situation to the old man. Then, after a brief thought, he went up to dad and said, "On behalf of people from the whole village, I thank you for exposing the priest''s fraud! But we can''t take the silver. You have helped us a lot by exposing the priest''s tricks and recovering our stolen money. How can we also accept your silver?" The old man said in a way neither servile nor overbearing. He knew that my father was absolutely not a normal man, but he showed no fear. He wasn''t like the others who showed more or less some fear on their faces after they knew this guy might also be a demon.


    The old man expressed thanks to my father. But by refusing my father''s gift, he was actually telling my dad that he should leave as soon as possible because he feared he would harm them. But the old man had never expected that my dad didn''t want to leave at all. Instead, he plumped himself down on the table and landed his smiling eyes on the old man, not saying a word.


    His action puzzled all the people here. No one knew what my dad meant by doing so. After gazing at my father for a long while, perhaps due to the dim light, the old man drew nearer to him and looked at him very carefully. My dad also put his face nearer to his as if he wanted the old man to take a good look at his face. Everyone that presented here, including me, didn''t know what was happening. We could only see that the old man looked at my dad, doubtfully.


    Just when everyone''s head was floating in the clouds. the old man suddenly took two steps back. His eyes widened as if he had seen something extremely horrible. Pointing at my father''s face, he stammered, "You! You! You..." Dad lifted his eyebrows and asked, "Do you remember me?" Hearing my dad''s question, the old man became even more frightened. If he were not at such an old age, he would have already cried out in terror! The crutch in his hand kept trembling, and he was now speechless with his mouth wide open. Before he could say anything, dad asked with a smile, "Didn''t I tell you that no one was allowed to go to the northern foot of the mountain?" With this, my dad pointed to the barren mountain not far away.


    After my dad''s words came out, not only the old man but all the villagers at the scene were surprised! In surprise, they all looked at the old man. Obviously, they didn''t know what the thing was they were talking about or why my dad would mention this.


    After a long while, the old man finally recovered from his surprise. "Plop!" The old man suddenly knelt before my father with a gloomy face. "Sir, you are right. I failed to manage the people in the village well! But sir, please save us!" His words and act greatly shocked the others on the spot. Gazing at each other, they wandered what had hit the old man''s nerve.


    However, my dad didn''t reply to him immediately. Instead, lowering his head and narrowing his eyes, he continued looking at the old man with a smile. Now the old man was on his knees before my dad. He looked like a primary school student who was admitting his mistake and asking for forgiveness. Seeing that my dad said nothing, he was at a loss. After a long pause, he said, "In the past, you have told us to stay away from the northern foot of the mountain because we might get into trouble. When my father was alive, he forbade the people in our village to go there. I have abided by his command and never allowed anyone to set foot at the northern foot. But none of us had ever thought that we would then live in a precarious life because of the chaos of the war. Some young people didn''t know how serious the thing was and disobeyed the command..."


    Before the old man could finish his words, my father gave a wry smile and said, "Well, let it pass! Now things have already happened, so it is useless to talk more about that. Initially, you fled to this place. I forbade you to go near the northern foot of the mountain because I was afraid that some of you would get evil thoughts and make a big mistake. Since some villagers had already made a mistake, you guys should not spend time in regret. Instead, you should think about how to solve the issue."


    Upon hearing this, I finally understood. No wonder there was a village in those deserted mountains. It turned out that all the people in the village had fled to this place. I supposed that this village had been here for quite a long time. From the old man''s words, I knew he arrived here with his father when he was a child. So it must have been more than fifty years from that time. When the elder generation of the villagers escaped to this place, they should have met my dad. That was why the old man said my father gave them a command at that very year.


    "Ow!" A loud sound came from somewhere when everyone was in a fog. The howl gave everyone here a shiver.

 Chapter 201 The Ancient Cryp

    t


    Father cast a long look at the mountain, smirking wryly to himself. But there was something about his that indicated he knew what it was that made the hideous howl just now. But if anyone could remain calm and collected after hearing so ghastly and terrifying a sound, I could think of no one but Father and Mother. No one else!


    A shaky voice rose from the crowd of terrified villagers, "W-what... what in the world is that..." But Father did not attempt to explain. With a lazy and dismissive wave of an arm, he declared, "Go back to your homes and have a good night''s rest. But remember! None of you will ever again venture into the woods at the northern face of that mountain. You''d do well to remember these words." He got up and sauntered casually towards the entrance of the village. No one moved an inch. They watched as Father meandered slowly away, staring at him wordlessly with shock and bewilderment! With hardly any concern about their fate thereafter, I scampered after Father at once.


    As he walked, Father never stopped filling his mouth with wine. He reached the mouth of the village before long and began moving towards the foot of the mountain. I caught up to him after exiting the village and was just in time to saw a black wraith-like shadow flitting around in the dark under the pale glow of the moon! For a brief moment, Father almost crashed face-first into him! Whatever it was, it was humanoid in shape, a dark figure hovering before Father scornfully and smugly as if challenging him, but it was not standing up straight. It was stretching its limbs wide with its back bent and from its silhouette, I could feel a faint whiff of familiarity from it. Where have I seen it before? I asked myself and I picked up pace, running after Father.


    But before I reached him, I heard Father''s comtemptuous cackle ringing through the dark just before a flash of fire illuminated the blackness of the night for a fleeting second! A heartbeat later, it was gone! Father smirked to himself again and chuckled, shaking his head. But that did little to dissuade him from continuing his journey; he continued marching uphill and I followed close behind.


    From the conversation Father and Mother were having before, this must be an unwanted epilogue from one of their pasts. Father reached the barren mountaintop just when I finished brooding. I must really give it to Father and his magic; I would not have been able to keep up to his speed if not for my present spirit-like form.


    Father perched at the crest of the peak, looking down at the grim-looking patch of forest squatting just at its feet. A sardonic smile curled at his lips and before I knew it, he threw himself off the edge! Feeling a rush of anxiety, I tossed myself off after him, plunging into the dark. We were halfway down the mountain when a silvery glint flared conspicuously and a sword appeared out of nowhere under Father''s feet and he was riding on it as he flew! I stopped my fall but I noticed something strange on the slopes up the mountain. Dark and foul things were emerging from the woods to the north and were making their way uphill. But the precipitous angles of the rocky mountain hardly helped their climb and they were making slow progress. I activated my Spirit Sight and behold! A group of no more than twenty creatures, all exuding deathly auras, were clambering up with great difficulty!


    Suddenly, I heard Father snapping his fingers. Something in the dark swooshed through the air around us, slicing the very air that held us in mid-air before its dangerous whistle traveled far away towards the mountain. One by one, through my Spirit Sight, the blobs of deathly auras in my vision were immediately wiped out!


    The decaying aura of death could only come from something dead; a dead corpse or an animal''s carcass. So it was hardly difficult for me to guess what were those infernal beings were. With the monsters on the slopes vanquished, Father landed with his sword halfway on the mountain. I followed after him and found him stopping at the mouth of a cave. But I could see that the cave was not naturally-formed; roughly-hewn marks littered around the opening of the cave indicated that the cave the work of man. There was also a burnt-out hearth near the mouth of the cave; someone had been here.


    Father cast a cursory glance at the ashes in the hearth. With a curt nod to himself, he began walking straight into the black abyss of the cave. There must be something about me and caves, I mused. Almost every adventure of mine involved caves or some sort. And this one seemed particularly intriguing than the rest. I walked at Father''s heels for quite some time until we saw stairs leading downwards when we reached the end of the cave passage. Father descended down the steps, calm as he always was, as if he was strolling in his own house.


    Frowning, I trailed after him down the steps. For a few silent minutes, we walked down and Father suddenly vanished with a whoosh of the wind! Stunned, I looked around to search for him. Then I saw him already at the bottom of the stairs. Wherever we were, I was quite sure we were very deep inside the bowels of the mountains by now. I skipped forward, taking two steps as one, only to step on nothing but air! I fell, tumbling into a hole-like chasm and I panicked. Then I realized, this must be how Father leaped down earlier!


    I slid down the passage that would have looked like a well on the ground above, a tunnel-like hole leading down into pitch-black darkness. The size of it and its position told me that this could only be a thieves'' hole and we must be venturing into an ancient tomb! I see, this ancient tomb was the reason Father had warned the villagers from coming here! He did not want them to come here and plunder this final resting place for some accursed being and the deathly auras I saw earlier must have come from jiangshis!


    I was jarred back to present just when the sensation of my hind parts sliding on rock was suddenly gone! I had reached the end of the rocky slide down from above and landed with a painful thud on cold, hard flagstones. I rubbed my back as I got up, peering around curiously. Unlike the passages outside, this place was well alighted! I looked incredulously around. Then I saw it: the still-flaming lampion of this tomb. For all the stories and novels I have read about ancient tombs and catacombs, I had never believed in flames that could burn eternally.


    Grave lampions are oil lamps that people leave in graves and tombs as a superstitious means of illumination for the dead. In most cases, they burst to flames when grave robbers and thieves unseal a crypt and these led to many of these thieves believing that the lampions have never stopped burning since the day they were left there, hence the Chinese colloquial term for grave lampions, "the lamps of eternity." Experts ofttimes claim that white phosphorus is used in grave lampions and it was this substance that erupts into flames when oxygen floods into a tomb once plunderers opened it. But I never once took the words of these so-called experts as gospel; the flashpoint of white phosphorus is around 40 degrees Celsius but we were standing in the cold and eerie stone chamber of at least 15 degrees Fahrenheit!


    Something strange is indeed afoot here! And I felt a cold jab like a dagger fluttering down my spine.


    The subterranean tomb resembled nothing like what I have seen in archaeological programs on TV; it was like an actual stone chamber that served as a basement. But most archaeological excavations involved removing completely the roof to preserve what is hidden below; that explained the difference in what I perceived. I guessed this stone chamber would have looked the same if the entire roof of this chamber is removed.


    The thirty-something square-meter chamber was filled with urns and vats. I would not boast myself as a learned student of archaeology, but I knew enough to know that this must be an antechamber of this entire crypt. Then I realized Father was missing. I walked out of the antechamber and saw a doorway just in front of me that led to a similar hall. The two antechambers were like a pair of ears on a man''s head; they come in pairs with a corridor that passes right between them. I peered left and right to make sure the corridor was empty, and I walked head-first into the hall opposite.


    But everything in this hall was furnished exactly the same as its other half and Father was nowhere to be seen. I shrugged and retreated from the room. Both directions of the corridor outside were nothing but a black wall of darkness. Not knowing which way to go, I simply picked one and just stepped into the dark.


    But I had barely taken a few steps when I found myself at the end. A set of tightly-shut stone doors laid quietly and motionlessly before me. The two slabs of stones were as tall as the height of two men and a crossbar hung overhead. How did the builders of this crypt managed to set the crossbar from outside? But I was hardly interested for any history of tombs and crypts, so I whirled on my heels and went the other way.


    It did not take long for me to finally see the back of Father strolling indolently. Mother had appeared and was with him now as they traipsed unconcernedly as they talked. Father chuckled, "It has been quite some time since I was last here. I was just a young lad then, on a pilgrimage as a fresh student of magecraft and sorcery. How the years have passed. I have to admit, those were good times." Mother giggled. "Yu Yun was also a lad then... Although one might at times mistake him as an old man! Heh heh heh!" A hint of tenderness flashed in Father''s eyes as his face creased into a smile.


    There was nothing that I could make sense of what they were talking about. For all I know, they could be talking about things from centuries or millennia ago. But if there was anything I understand about my parents, it was they have but only a handful of people they considered as friends. And I could have sworn that I knew most of them by now. But I have never once heard of this "Yu Yun." Who could he be? From what era did he come from?


    Just when I was still mulling over this, Father and Mother''s merry banter halted suddenly with a low, deep pronouncement from him, "We''re there!"

 Chapter 202 Blood, Steel, and Fire

    I looked to the front and the stony passage had given way into a huge cavernous hall. In some ways, it would be more apt to call it a square, for it was easily larger than the size of two basketball courts put together!


    But I was more shocked by the heap of human bones piling up into a huge mound on the floor. The presence of human skulls among the heap of bones was the very reason I immediately recognized them as human remains and the decaying dark greyish hues of the bones showed that they have been left here for quite some time. The air was thick with the fetid stench of rotting flesh; the same which could be imagined belching from the bowels of a man-eating monster after its pleasures of human flesh and tossing the bones aside lazily.


    Father fanned himself with a palm, his nose wrinkling with disgust at the smell. "I did not know that there were so many human sacrifices buried alive here when this crypt was completed. These could either be prisoners of war or even slaves." I see, I gasped quietly, He''s right! Whatever it was which had eaten these people, it could not have caught so many people! Moreover, the decay of the bones clearly shows that they have been dead for a long time! This is a mass burial crypt with humans buried alive! My face curdled with horror at the revelation. When was this crypt built? And why were so many people so savagely sacrificed alive?


    I might know little about history, but I was sure that the practice of human sacrifice was discontinued as early as the reign of Qin Shi Huang. Could this crypt predate even that era?


    Father began walking slowly into the huge spacious hall. But just when he set foot into the stone cavern, my Spirit Sight picked up a wisp of foul aura emanating from the heap of bones. But a wisp it might be, the malice and hatred in it were the strongest I have ever encountered! Oh God, I gasped with fright. Unlike most other foul auras, this was the demonic aura of Wretched Ghouls! With such malice, grudge, and evil, who could say what power could this Wretched Ghoul hold?


    But that hardly stopped Father from continue pacing forward! By the time I looked at him again, he was already near the mound of bones. As if a Wretched Ghoul was not bad enough, my Spirit Sight picked up another burgeoning aura ready to burst!


    Father stopped. He stood motionless, his person illuminated by the flickering glow of the fire. The growing aura within him burst forth like a broken dam and a ripple of divine aura, awesome and powerful, swept around the entire hall; unstoppable tide so rich with celestial power! Many a time I have been reminded that my parents were demigods and immortals. But I have never once felt the true extent of his powers, until now! They have always kept their powers hidden; even with my Spirit Sight, I could detect nothing that set them apart from common human beings. But now, at this moment and this place, here was Father, revealing his true strength in all its glory and splendor that not even my Spirit Sight could truly fathom its depths.


    I was so amazed that my mouth was left hanging wide. But that was hardly the last of the spectacle; Father leaned to the back slightly as he drew a long breath, his chest puffing up with air! I watched incredulously. What was he trying to do? Through my Spirit Sight, I saw a huge mass of Qi of an unknown element, one that I have never before seen, accumulating in his mouth! The volume of the Qi grew larger and larger, as did the feeling of excitement swelling in me and Father raised his left hand. His fingers, other than the fore and middle fingers, bent to make the Seal of the Sword and he raised it to his mouth like how cowboys in Western movies usually blow the fumes from their smoking guns and blew hard with a loud "Poof!" at the heaps of bones!


    But what came out of Father''s mouth was not mere air; it was fire! A powerful jet of fire squirted from his mouth like the breath of a dragon! Not even the afterburners of jet planes could boast such fiery intensity! The searing tongues of his flames lashed at the broken and shriveling bones, reducing them to cinders that leave not even ashes in their wake!


    All of a sudden, a shrill and horrid howl emitted from within the heap of bones and a deafening "Bang!" followed almost immediately as something lunged from within the mound, tossing bones, skulls, and rib cages into the air! Something huge and menacing had appeared and with it came its angry howl! Mother, now back to the form of a fox, stood upright suddenly on Father''s shoulders, and an aura, similarly divine and pure, ballooned in the blink of an eye! My eyes grew so wide as I watched Mother at work with her magic; she tilted backward like Father did and released a blaring roar so powerful that a powerful gust of wind with the force of a storm erupted. The walls of the stone hall shook as the vestiges of her voice continued ringing off the eaves of the great but barren crypt and the winds buffeted the fire and enveloped around that huge monster!


    The tornado fused with the jets of flames still spurting from Father''s mouth and formed a fiery inferno that wrapped around the monster and engulfed it in fire and blood! The monster ripped and tore vainly at the winds and fire with its claws, writhing and squirming in agony as the winds sliced at its flesh and the flames gnawed at its soul. Before long, the monster gave off one last dying howl of defiance and it crashed to the ground, very much dead at last.


    As soon as the monster breathed its last and collapsed, the expanding divine aura, fire, and winds immediately ended. Father and Mother stood quietly, looking down at the heap of blackened soot on the ground, looking no more extraordinary and awesome like a common human. Silence returned to the entire chamber as if everything that had just happened was just a dream!


    Everything had transpired in just a brief moment of seconds that I barely had time to see what the monster actually was! All I saw from the chaos of fire and blood was that the monster towered at least three-meters tall with abnormally long limbs.


    I looked around to study the aftermath. Not a single piece of bone was left lying around; the fire had incinerated everything to dust and the entire subterranean chamber was utterly bare and empty now! Father was already on the move to the next chamber with obviously no intent nor purpose to delay. I jerked myself back to the present and chased after him. Just when I reached the center of the hall, I saw a large hole on the ground! It was deep and wide; the very same spot where the heap of bones was sitting on earlier. The giant monster earlier must have been lurking here inside before Father flushed it out and destroyed it with his fire.


    I exhaled heavily and picked up my pace. As he walked, Father quenched his thirst with another swig of wine. My parents hardly spoke anymore as they continued walking in the dark. I would have thought myself lost or drift off into some hallucinations of my own if not for Father''s footsteps pattering off the hard flagstones in the dark.


    The somber march continued for almost twenty minutes and we reached another chamber. Sunlight flooded this stone hall from above like a patio in Chinese traditional architecture. But as I looked up at the ceiling meters and meters up high, I could see something blocking out part of the sun at above. I looked around. This stone hall was smaller by at least half the size of the chamber earlier, carved and hewn round as if we were standing at the bottom of a large well. Innumerable coffins lined the walls of this circular hall in rings, cramming into every inch available from the ground to the top where our eyes could no longer reach. There must be at least hundreds or even thousands of coffins here!


    Father chuckled with amusement. "What''s this? A crypt for an entire legion of soldiers?" He observed dryly.


    Just then, a litany of creepy rattling noises came from the lower rings of coffins around us just when Father barely finished speaking. My head jerked around frantically; most of the coffins were opened but their innards were hardly visible from the lack of light. But one after another, large, hairy hands crept out slowly, wincing and jerking every now and then as they moved with their inches-long hairs wiggling with their motion. Some of the hairs were white and many more were black. But through my Spirit Sight, every one of the coffins was radiating with sinister auras of the undead!


    Oh, Heavens! I cursed, Surely not all of these coffins contain jiangshis fully grown with hairs?! There was simply no way to make out how many jiangshis could be in the coffins here! I remembered about the jiangshi of Li Shouzhong at Mount San Feng Zi. I shuddered to think about what I could have done in such peril. No. There''s nothing I can do. I might as well just surrender myself with inevitable death staring at me in the face!


    But I could hardly believe my eyes; Father nonchalantly continued walking towards the center of the circle as if he had not seen the jiangshis rising! Then, the sounds of metallic clinking filled the air as the jiangshis emerged from their wood caskets. They were all clad in decrepit and rusted armors and chainmails. What was left of these pitiable raiments barely covered their decomposing flesh but it was clear that these jiangshis were all once soldiers!


    Despite the jittery angst, I was still feeling far from panicking; I might not know what other tricks Father might still have up his sleeves, but I was sure that he would be fine.


    Indeed, Father stood in the middle of the rings of rousing jiangshis. He nudged a shoulder and the sword hanging on his back shot into the air, hovering just over him, glinting dangerously at the menacing threats closing in on its master. Then the unbelievable happened again: the sword shook and split into two, and two into four, four into eight and more doppelgangers of Father''s sword began to materialize until they were as many as the stars in the sky. Their tips shone with fury and they attacked with minds of their own! Like silvery serpents, the swords lunged at their foes with the intensity and speed that would have paled even a bolt of lightning, spilling blood and viscera at every blow as red blood marred every white bolt of flash that streaked the air. The windstorm of blades whirled and whirled, tearing and ripping at every jiangshis it could find and in barely seconds, the slaughter had ended as quickly as it began with scarcely a whiff of the undead aura still remaining!


    But that was the least of the wonders Father wrought; the swords disappeared all at once. I see, I realized, They are not actual swords of steel or iron, but weapons conjured by Father with magic and Qi!


    I rubbed my chest, trying to calm myself as I stood in awe of Father''s power. Father walked to a coffin and I ran after him, puzzled at what has interested him. He looked into the casket and I took followed suit and what I saw made me gasp with shock!

 Chapter 203 The Graverobbers Journal

    The coffin Father and I were peering into had damaged so badly that its sides were littered with holes and slits from neglect and disrepair, from which the fluids and watery flesh were seeping out like vomit being belched from a person''s mouth. But what was inside left my mouth agape with surprise! There was a body lying inside!


    The body lying inside looked nothing like the rest; it was a man who had died only recently. A brown-copper rag bundled a bun on his head, as was the common fashion for men in the Ming Dynasty, but he was looking positively horrified as if he was screaming for his life when he died. The gaunt and scrawny man, short in height and small in girth, had green and purple wounds all around him. A closer inspection revealed that those were bite wounds; Jiangshis, no doubt. But who had left him here in this coffin?


    A thin smile lined across Father''s lips. Saying nothing, he continued walking, heading towards the dark corridor at the end of the hall.


    I thought about the fresh-looking firepit outside the cave. Clearly, this corpse belonged to the man who camped there. But who he was, I wondered. Was he a peasant from the village nearby? Or a grave robber hoping to plunder some gold and riches?


    I was still grappling with the mystery of all this when I noticed Father''s step slowed to a careful tread as if he had discovered something. I walked past his shoulder to find out what was it this time and I saw something lying on the ground. However, it was too dark for me to make out what it was.


    Father strode to that thing and I followed just behind. It was a bundle made of something leathery. As we drew closer, we saw that it was not so much a bundle than a bag. A large leather bag that could have filled something the size of a basketball. Father crouched to study. He opened the bag and found everything inside the bag were neatly arrange and organized.


    He took out something that almost made me double over with laughter. It was a book. A book of erotic illustrations! Father chuckled and shook his head, tossing it aside snidely and rummaged for something else.


    This time, he took out some flasks. Porcelain flasks containing medicine. But they were all unmarked and we knew nothing of what was inside them. But Father seemed hardly concerned by them. He dug again and found a little booklet and a letter. He frowned and delved again and finally found a little bundle wrapped in white rags.


    He unfurled the little packet and found some dried buns. I stared at Father incredulously. He''s looking for food! But it was hardly surprising; Father and Mother, despite their state of divinity, still have to maintain their physical bodies and that requires the sustenance of food.


    Father gave one of the buns to Mother and he began nibbling on another. But he seemed rather unpleased; the bun must taste bad. But as he munched, he kept himself busy by riffling through the pages of the little booklet.


    This was hardly anything bawdy or obscene. The first page bore only the words of a name, "Zhao San''er'' ¨C The third son of Zhao. This could be the name of this booklet''s owner, although one scarcely thought over. Father continued to the next page and found some dates and some entries; this is a journal. He skipped to the end and read through the final pages and found nothing mildly informative and instructive.


    But before he could slam the lid of the booklet shut, something caught his eye and he stopped. I stooped down to see what was it and saw written on the page was an entry saying, "The seventeenth year of Chongzhen Emperor''s rule; the eighth day of the fourth month on the lunar calendar. Confirmed sighting of a tomb in the mountains." Father flipped to the next page and it said, "The seventeenth year of Chongzhen Emperor''s rule; the ninth day of the fourth month on the lunar calendar. A party of five including me were led by two peasants from the village at the foot of the mountain. We traveled through the woods at the northern face of the mountain and we found the entrance." A strange foreboding lulled over me that very instant. What is this all about?! I looked towards the direction of the coffin where the fresh corpse laid and everything dawned upon me finally!


    So I was right; whoever the owner of this journal was, he and the dead man now lying in the coffin were graverobbers! The owner of this booklet must have kept this journal to make notes and this leather bag must be his bag of tools!


    When I looked back at Father, he was already several pages ahead. I returned my attention to the page he was at and it said, "The seventeenth year of Chongzhen Emperor''s rule; the fourteenth day of the fourth month on the lunar calendar. It has been three days, I am nowhere near getting out of this accursed crypt. I am the only one left of the party of seven. Danger lurks at every corner and traps abound every square inch of this foul place. There is no way out and the monsters are coming." The last thing written is in a mournful, trailing scrawl, "They are coming."


    That was the end of the entries in the journal; there was nothing more in the rest of the blank pages that followed behind. Father stuffed the last chunk of the stale bun into his mouth and chewed as he tossed the book aside. He switched his view to the letter and tore the top off the envelop.


    There was no mention of any writer or recipient. Not even a wax seal. It was just a simple letter, with barely a few words scribbled on the thin piece of paper, saying, "Over Shandong and far away; A village sat gloom and alone; At Mount Tianzhu many turned away; A town wallowing in forlorn. In the holes in caves the dead still dwells; Beckoning like ringing bells, In places deep, where riches sleep; In dreadful halls beneath the fells."


    Father chuckled, grinning to himself. "I knew it," he breathed. Someone must have written to these graverobbers, betting on their greed and need for money while prodding them here this way. Obviously the anonymous author of this letter had intentionally left out the details about how dangerous this place was. But why? Why this evil scheme to set these plunderers on a quest of doom?


    Father seemed to share my thoughts. "They are still oblivious about the site of the dragon leys of the Ming Empire," he muttered, "But they were certain that the Dragon-slaying Blade will once again reveal itself to the world when the change of a dynasty is at hand. That explains why they are still looking to destroy the dragon leys of the Ming Empire to trigger the rising of any undead watching the tombs to force Bian Dashou into walking into certain death. And with the keeper of the Blade death, they will swoop in and take it. But they know nothing. There''s no way they''ll succeed even if they know where the dragon leys are. Heh heh heh heh."


    I immediately caught the gist of Father''s words; by then, he must mean the parties hiding in shadows, preying on the Dragon-slaying Blade! The extent of Bian Dashou''s wretchedness was no secret to me and these sinister parties must be lurking around him, waiting for a chance to strike at him!


    Having earlier comprehended the significance of the Dragon-slaying Blade, I could understand the pith of what Father was trying to say. The "they" that he mention must be the insidious people that had masterminded all the troubles around me; the very same hidden hand which I have been trying to make sense of! Still, despite not knowing yet who they were, it was plain as day that their endeavors begun as early as this era until my time. Never had they faltered nor wavered from their quest even after so many centuries.


    Then again, it was fortunate that Bian Dashou had avoided falling into their trap by not searching for the dragon leys of the Ming Empire; instead, he had sought out Li Zicheng''s dragon leys and destroyed them. But one way or another, the dragon leys of the Ming Empire and Li Zicheng would have been destroyed eventually, no matter it was by Bian Dashou''s hand or not.


    Mother voice rose up suddenly, "But would Bian Dashou be in danger, seeing as this failure might serve only to frustrate them?" My head lurched at once towards Father whose head shook. "There''s no point anymore. The Ming Empire is in ruins now and Li Zicheng''s demise is at hand. The Jurchens are perfectly in place to step in to establish the Qing Empire. The opportunity for them to harm Bian Dashou has long gone now and they would have to wait until the end of this dynasty for the Dragon-slaying Blade to reappear once more." But I knew full well that there will not be another dynasty anymore after this.


    Ending his meal, Father got up to his feet and clapped the crumbs off his hands. The exploration continues as Father ventured deeper into the crypt''s darkened corridor. This crypt must also be on certain dragon leys, although clearly not the Ming Empire''s, since the dragon leys'' Qi was not yet activated nor manifested. Moreover the articles in this cavernous tomb that honeycombed this entire mountain clearly showed that they preexisted even the Ming Empire.


    As we walked, I tried to piece together the information I have gleaned thus far: Until now, the motive of them was unequivocally the Dragon-slaying Blade. It was they who had instigated Godmother''s sister in attacking Father and it was also them who had tried to locate the Blade at the Bian Dashou''s graveyard to no avail. Then there were the Japanese people who charged the brigands to find Blade...


    My thoughts were interrupted suddenly when the stone tunnel we were walking in ended. When I looked up, my breath stopped at once. We were in an underground cave chamber with length and breadth of enormous proportions!

 Chapter 204 The Sepulchral Necropolis

    I could hardly utter anything as I took in the impressive vista opening before me. This was no ordinary crypt chamber. This was a palace!


    Many mighty pillars hewn of stones laid neatly before us, smooth as glass, each ornately-furnished with carven illustrations of mythical monsters and beasts baring their fangs ferociously. On the black polished walls on either side, images of the activities of an ancient civilization were sculpted and etched for eternal posterity. Some depicted hunting activities, some were about warfare, and there were also some about festivals and religious celebrations and so on. The vast roof far above our heads glittered with precious stones that twinkled at us like the stars in the night sky. A huge, baroque effigy of a monster hung from the ceilings with the likeness of a living beast, bedecked with precious gems that sparkled cheerfully in the dark!


    The stone behemoth was a gigantic mammoth that sprawled across the length and breadth of the absurdly enormous rock-hewn roof. A drop of sweat rolled down my back as I could not help but feel its eyes were alive, boring deep into me with silent sternness!


    Sitting in the centermost region of this colossal underground necropolis was a tall and handsome palace. Obviously, this whole underground crypt complex must be the mausoleum for some fallen king or emperor of a bygone age. No single man could have been able for such profligacy which would have easily exhausted any kingdoms'' finance and human resources!


    When I recovered from my astonishment and wonder, Father and Mother had gone far ahead! Where are they?! Just when I was looking for them, an earsplitting scream came from the palace building! It was so petrifying and daunting that I almost jumped with fright! The scene where the Incredible Hulk tore to shreds metal plates like pieces of paper came to mind immediately as the raucous shrieks continued. Then out of nowhere, Father''s divine aura ballooned suddenly, dwarfing the sudden evil aura of hate and foulness that arose before the infernal presence quickly vanished!


    I was stunned, then I knew what happened. Something must have risen... Something... Something that dwelt in this ancient sepulchral palace! But the foul aura from the monstrous presence that arose... Could it be...


    The feeling of malice and hatred was palpable in that hellish aura but what was more distinct was the demonic presence of it! The tingly sensation of fear was different from what I have encountered before and no amount of words would be sufficient to describe what I was feeling now. But I was no stranger to fear and surprises nevertheless. In fact, I have had so many surprises today that I was beginning to wonder if there was anything else that could possibly shock me out of my wits anymore. It was a safe guess that thing that Father had just slain was most likely a corpse that had risen as a Wretched Ghoul. Worse, it was already turning into a demon! I have once seen legends about undead demons on books and stories. Finally, I was able to feel its malevolent aura and presence for myself, although I did not manage to catch a glimpse of it.


    Father emerged from the shadows, walking away from the direction of the palace. He strolled casually, surveying the antiquated relics of building and architecture as he walked nearer to me. He stopped and looked around, and I too, began to look at what was catching his attention. It seemed that the route we took just now was hardly the only way here. Many hollow arches and doorways scattered along the walls in all directions. Father stopped for a heartbeat and continued walking towards me, opting to leave the way we came in.


    I dogged Father''s heels as he began the way back. There was a strange dread swelling in me, something that I could not put any words to but I do not know what was it. I shook my head, exasperated, as I followed after Father''s echoing footfalls.


    We were walking well past a quarter of an hour and we came before a three-pronged fork. Wait a minute! It was just one straight passage when we came! There was no fork when we came! A phrase from the graverobber''s journal rose up in my mind like a nightmare as a shudder swept through me, "There is no way out." I should have realized that! There''s no way I''d know which way should we be taking now!


    How are we supposed to make it out? I asked myself in distress. I looked to Father, as if hoping for an answer for this predicament, but there he was, as carefree and relax as he ever was. He barely looked worried! Instead, he coolly took the leftmost passageway.


    Father''s lack of doubt restored my faith and stifled any fear in me and I remained close behind him as we strode in the dark for more than another quarter of an hour. But there was nothing but an endless wall of darkness looming before us. Feeling my anxiety rising once more, I swallowed hard. It''s not right! The journey from the circular chamber with the rings of countless coffins did not take long to reach the underground palace complex! We''ve even yet to find the leather bag Father had been digging through earlier! Does this mean we''re lost!? Surely Father has ways to get out of this!


    The pressing darkness and shadows around me made me sick. But all of a sudden, like a glimmer of sunlight from behind the palls of gloom, I saw a light. A little speck of light that sparkled from some distance away in the dark. It was almost the end of the stone passage! The light was flickering gently at us with a beckoning glow and obviously that could only be another grave chamber ahead. Still, the little glow rekindled my faith and I was anxious to run as fast as I could to it. But Father was still maintaining his casual gait and I could only suppress to my best efforts any urge to run ahead of him.


    When we finally made it to the end of the gloomy corridor, I was astounded again. Not only by the room, but the items it contained. We were not here before. But what was more, this was a large room stuffed with shining mounds and mounds of gold, jewels and silver glittering proudly at us that I could hardly keep my eyes open!


    What happened next left me flabbergasted. Father giggled playfully, "What a waste for all these to be left here! Let''s confiscate them all!" He began marching forward and suddenly vanished, teleporting to the other end of the room! When I looked back into the room, everything was gone! The gold, the jewels, and the silver had vanished into thin air, leaving only the grave lampion still alighted with its lonesome flame wavering unsteadily, casting shadows that flitted and disappeared every now and then.


    Through the flickering glow of the light, I noticed a man stooping in the corner of the room! He was hugging his knees, burying his face into his chest. Father walked to him and patted him on the shoulder but the man sprang up suddenly like a jack-in-the-box, howling like a madman as he swiped away Father''s hand and he darted to another corner of the room!


    This man was still alive! But there was no telling what horrors he had encountered here that rendered him in such a shocked and feral state. Father sniggered and shook his head gently, saying nothing. But the man wheeled around when he reached another corner, charging headfirst into Father although he seemed to be running blind! Finally, he crashed into Father, his head diving into Father''s stomach like a bull and he stopped. The lanky little man could do little to knock Father over and he halted at once.


    He stopped and stared at Father, as dumb as a doornail with a bewildered look as if all wits had left him. Father patted on him and he took in Father''s benign smile and suddenly, out of the blue, he leaped! He began to realize that Father was a true and living person and managed only a one-syllable word, "HELP!" and there was it, he fainted.


    Father shrugged impassively before he sniggered helplessly. He flicked his wrist and the Spirit Gourd appeared magically on his open palm. Unstoppering it, he tipped it over and a little pill rolled out. Father deposited the pill through the lips of the fainted man and helped him swallow it.


    Without a doubt, this must be one of the seven men who ventured into this underground mausoleum. He could even be the owner of that journal. Without his leather bag, he must have been in here, alone and hungry for days. The multitudes of traps and countless of jiangshis have driven this man to the brink of insanity and death. The sight of Father, the first living man he saw in days, was somehow too much for him to take in and thus he fainted.


    Father did not dawdle to wait for the man to wake up; he yanked at the man''s scruff and began moving towards the passage at the other end of the stone chamber. I did not know where did he wanted to go this time, but I have to keep on following him, that was all I knew.


    To my dismay, Father walked with his usual and relaxed pace, but with every seemingly normal step of his, the distance between me and him began to triple by leaps and bounds! In just a few heartbeats, Father, with an unknown magic of his, grew further and further away and in the end, he drifted out of sight and vanished!


    Oh my God! What am I to do now! I don''t even know how should I get out of this place!


    I should have known! Father''s mastery of elemental manipulation far surpassed that of Zhu Mei''s! He could enter this crypt as slowly as he would have liked it, and he could just have easily exited with just a snap of his fingers with this sorcery!

 Chapter 205 Alone in the Dark

    I stood, a miserable soul alone in the dark. Gut-wrenching powerlessness and helplessness swelled in me as I felt a tingle in my nose and tears were threatening to burst. Ever since I became a man, this was the first time I had the urge to cry. The first time I felt so alone and forlorn, powerless and weak; and me alone in the shadowy passage with complete blackness around me merely reified this sensation.


    I rubbed my nose and calmed myself. I have to think, and sniveling in tears would help me escape this accursed place not one bit. Wait, I thought suddenly. We took the leftmost path at the fork after leaving the main underground palace. That brought us here¡­ I could go back and try the middle and the last path! There must surely be a way out!


    With my mind made up, I whirled and retrace my steps back. There was no more need to mosey around.


    But to my dismal astonishment, I turned back, I reached another three-way fork! The words from the graverobber¡¯s journal rose in my mind again like a hidden horror, long-buried in my mind, stirring slowly from a dormant slumber, ¡°There is no way out¡­¡± The way leading out of the treasure chamber earlier must have also been one of these three paths!


    I almost collapsed at the staggering weight of defeat. There was no way I could call Father for help and my trusted companions, Chongxi and Lin Feng were no way near me. There¡¯s just no way I could get out of here on my own! I could almost scream to myself. I chuckled with chagrin and chose a path with hardly a look, plunging into the dark, narrow walkway, dejected and morose like a broken man. For all I knew, I could be spending the rest of eternity here alone, drifting like a wandering soul, forsaken and desolated.


    I dragged my wearied self through many a hall and so many more tunnels that I already lost count of. Not one of them I could recognize and none were as familiar to me than the previous ones before. Not even my Bee Scout could help me; it merely buzzed around aimlessly, failing to find me a vector that could lead to my salvation. Like a creature with no mind of its own, I walked towards every glimmer of light that drew my sight, my heart now filled with despair.


    I lost all sense of time. Minutes, hours, days, or even weeks could have passed, until I finally came into a stone chamber which resembled in great detail to the first hall Father and I chanced upon when we first came. A mound of decaying bones, some white while some greyed and blackened, sat at the center of the hall. But this was not the same chamber, I was sure of it, for Father had incinerated the mound of bones to utterly nothing before we left. I smirked weakly and continued shuffling to the far end of the hall, my deadpan eyes set upon the passage ahead that snaked off into gloom and misery.


    Just then, the cold, hard flagstones of the hall shook under my feet! Mistaking this as an earthquake, I crouched immediately. Before anything else, the roof of the hall cracked and crumbled. Broken debris and rock showered down like hailstones and my head jerked upwards. The roof was falling! Long cracks stretched quickly in every direction like a cobweb of ravines and canyons. Suddenly, they broke and a huge chunk of rock came down with fury! A shaft of sunlight spilled through the hole. Sunlight that gave me warmth and restored my hope! What providence! This infernal crypt is collapsing!


    There was no time to lose. I have been here for far too long! I rose with a kick and flew upwards. Bits and pieces of the crumbling roof were raining down from above, falling down around me and rubbles peppered the floors of the hall below me. The hole was just enough for me to fly out and I darted through it and finally feel the heat of the sun upon the skin of my face.


    I¡¯m free! At last! That was the first notion that came to mind and I heaved a relieved mouthful of breath.


    I looked around and the first thing I saw was Father, hovering in mid-air over the mountain! He stood in the air, borne by his flying sword and one of his hands was in the form of the Seal of the Sword. I immediately grasped what was happening: Father had returned to flatten this whole mountain! He wished to utterly lay waste to this infernal crypt and rid the lands of their evil and horrors! And by doing so, thus came the chance for me to escape!


    I exhaled heavily. So much for Fate and Chance! I must really look into learning everything about the intricacies of the Windchaser magic after this, no matter how hard it is! Heaven forfend if I am to find myself in a similar predicament again with no ways to get out!


    I looked up. But I was no longer at where I was. I had been transported away again before I even knew it. This time, I find myself standing right in the center of a busy marketplace. I shook myself free of all troubling doubts and thoughts. I¡¯m here for answers, I told myself, And there¡¯s no way I should be beaten back by these trials like waves on the shores! As if I even have the option of turning back¡­


    From the hustle and bustle around me, I could detect no whiff of unrest or turmoil of war from the crowds of people passing around me. I must have been transported through time as well this time. From the clothing and the dressing of the common folk in the market, I surmised that I am in the Qing Dynasty now, although where, I still do not know. I began to walk around, a tourist in the noisy and boisterous village bazaar centuries from present, hoping to find from within the midst of this cacophony and clutter my purpose for being sent here.


    I was right. Before long, I saw the glittering sheen bouncing off the rippling waves of a large river like silk. Dozens of ships and merchant barges and as many boats and ferries filed up and down the river and the piers were crammed with mobs of people. The sights and scenes around me made me thought of the tales that my Forest Sprite and Godmother shared with me: the tales about how Godmother¡¯s sister met her end! I leaped into the sky and flew into the sky overhead the people, wishing to see if it was really so.


    A woman with immense beauty but pale of complexion was raising a dagger when I looked down. Her hand fell as she was about the sink the blade of her knife into her own chest! I could hardly believe my eyes; the surrealistic feeling of witnessing history with my own eyes assailed me again. Then I remembered how sad and mournful Godmother always was whenever she thought of her sister. A streak of insanity took me; I swooped down from her and grabbed at the woman¡¯s wrist just in time to stop her from killing herself! She froze, aghast with shock at being clutched by an invisible hand. Then she tried to shake herself loose of my hold when she realized that only her wrist was being held but to no avail. My hold was as firm as a vice. She stiffly shoved the dagger to her other hand and tried again to stab herself!


    With a loud crack, my other hand closed in tightly on the other wrist. With a bit of strength, I forced both of her arms down! As if injected with a sudden resolve or fervor, Godmother¡¯s sister began threshing and floundering wildly like a fish on land, struggling to free herself! The sobbing woman began howling with tears and this earned a peal of murmurings and whispers from the crowds watching her. But there was no time for any of their gossips; I reached for her blade immediately, trying to wrestle it out of her grasp for good measure.


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    But just when I thought it¡¯s over, a shrill whistle screamed through the air and I was startled beyond any reaction! My gaze slowly lowered, as did Godmother¡¯s sister, and our eyes closed in on the very same item: a dagger jutting out of her chest. Blood was gushing out from where the dagger¡¯s blade had plunged into her, soaking her robes into a blossoming scarlet red as it tumbled down. I tore my eyes away and looking towards where the dagger could have come from. But there was use. There was hardly a face that stood out from the midst of shocked and bewildered looks. The surprise attack had caught everyone unawares that hardly anyone could scarcely react!


    But something else demanded my attention. Godmother¡¯s sister¡¯s dying body shuddered and I looked down. Her cadaver jolted and rocked unnaturally towards the direction the dagger flew from and that left me confused. What¡¯s going on with her?! Suddenly, before I knew it, the dagger dislodged itself from the corpse with the sickening tear of her flesh, spattering blood all everywhere, and it flew away! Heavens!? The murderer is capable of some sort of telekinesis magic similar to how I control my sword! This is how he assassinated her and how he was withdrawing the murder weapon!


    I took into the air. A higher vantage point might allow me to see where the dagger was traveling to. I might be able to catch a glimpse of whoever this murderer could be. But as soon as I reach sufficient height to look around, I saw an arm, extending out from the window of a boat cabin, catching the hilt of the dagger as it flew to him. I thought of pursuing him, but a strange feeling burgeoning from under me. I looked down and saw wisps of green fumes leaking out of the knife wound on the cadaver of Godmother¡¯s sister. What else could it be if not her soul!


    The spirit rose quickly into the air, which hardly boded well. Spirits of recently-deceased people normally find themselves still disoriented and their minds dulled. But the soul of Godmother¡¯s sister was rather the contrary! She looked resolutely stern, positively wide awake and alert!


    With hardly any hint of hesitation, the soul drifted along the banks of the Huan Xiang river at once and I recovered from my surprise and caught up. I had to see where she was heading to.


    The ghost flew quick and far until we reached a residence bedecked with thin, pearly sheets of white shroud. It was a funeral. But goosebumps began sprouting on my skin as a deep, dreadful foreboding began to fill me. Dogging at her heels, I followed the ghost inside.


    A group of people was kneeling in the courtyard of the house, all of them in mourning garb. Some were wailing in tears, while the rest sobbing quietly as they were on their knees in front of a wooden casket. At its head was a table filled with incense burners, candles, and other offerings and worshipping instruments. I drew closer to have a look at the table and to my unspeakable and indescribable horror, I saw the words inscribed upon the memorial tablet, saying, ¡°Deceased Forebear of the Bian Family, Bian Dashou!¡±

 Chapter 206 Bian Dashous Burial

    IMPOSSIBLE! I almost gasped aloud. A shudder crept down my spine as the name of the deceased registered in my mind. What purpose could she have for coming here?! Then I realized why. No... Surely not...


    I looked around frantically, searching for the whereabouts of the ghost! The people here were all dressed in mourning garb; ghosts and spirits would find them ripe for the pickings!


    And my fears were proven true: the ghost found a woman in grieve, bawling loudly like a lamb being slaughtered and stepped into her, possessing her with hardly any difficulty. The woman''s body jerked and fidgeted when the ghost took her and her wailing stopped and she collapsed to the ground. Two young men got up from their places beside the coffin hurriedly and they rushed to her. Others came to her aid as well and they helped the woman to her feet. The two young men must be his sons, I mused, Bian Dashou''s sons. The two young men called at the unconscious woman loudly, "Aunt! How are you?! Wake up!"


    Ah... I realized at once, This possessed woman is Bian Dashou''s sister!? But why? Why did the ghost choose to possess her? But the answer to my doubt came just as swiftly. Her eyes blinked open at once and she got up. But she was no longer Bian Dashou''s sister. From the look on her eyes, I was sure that she was the sister of Godmother! But she was able to maintain her guise by breaking into tears again and went back to howling and weeping like before! Only this time, she thrust a finger at Bian Dashou''s trueborns, glowering at them with tears still streaming down, "You unfilial pups! How dare you allow your father to be buried naked! Oh, Brother! What sons have you fathered that treat you so!" Her voice hardly faltered; she went on, hurling a dozen or more curses and insults at the young men.


    Oh Heavens, I dreaded what could happen, So this is what she''s up to! She''s trying to force the sons of Bian Dashou in disobeying his last wishes! And if she succeeds, Bian Dashou''s body would be dressed in clothing and this will be like how old Chen Yixuan had told me in his tale: Bian Dashou''s corpse would fail to turn into a dragon and thus the Dragon-slaying Blade would be lost.


    So this is what Master Six wished for me to see! Whoever they were, these people have been busy with their sinister schemes while remaining behind the shadows ever since Bian Dashou began his preparations to destroy the dragon leys. First, they sought to locate the dragon leys of the Ming Empire and hope to sabotage and kill Bian Dashou. But since they have been thwarted, they have begun plotting about this instead! The loss of its keeper would render the Blade masterless so that these foul folk could swoop in on it. It would not be a far cry to guess that the theft of the Blade later then must also be them too!


    So who are these people? The Japanese? Or someone from Puyi''s faction?


    The possessed sister of Bian Dashou continued wreaking chaos and havoc the whole day until night came and there left no one else in the quiet courtyard save for his sons who remained vigil by their father''s remains.


    I sat atop the lid of Bian Dashou''s coffin, listening to the brothers talking. The younger brother said, "Look at the mess today, Brother. We can never bury Father like this! Aunt will go on blaming us for the rest of our lives!" The elder brother grimaced. "I knew," he answered, "I knew this would happen when Father gave us the order before his last breath. There''s no right answer to this conundrum; no matter what we do, we''d be branded as ungrateful sons nonetheless." "You speak true, Brother," said Bian the younger, "No one will accept having Father interred a naked man. But Father was specific: we should leave his body naked during his burial. What a Gordian Knot this is... We are unfilial sons no matter what we do!"


    "That said, we cannot dress him," said the elder brother, "Father''s last wish takes precedence. That was the last and final thing he begged of us! I''d gladly bear the blame but we cannot ignore Father''s wishes!"


    "But Brother!" The younger brother insisted, "What of the future? Aunt will forever haunt us about this, nevermind anyone else! You saw how she was just now. She''d never relent so long as Father continues to be naked!"


    The brothers frown as they held each other in a long stare. Finally, the younger of the two pressed on, "I still feel that we ought to dress Father, Brother. He''s no longer with us. Allowing him to leave naked will be no good for him too in the Underworld!"


    "No," said the eldest of them firmly, "Father must have his own reasons. There''s no way I''d disobey Father''s last will!"


    Despite his own reasons, the younger of the two brothers could find no words to counter his elder brother. But they remained grimacing at the conundrum and the debate continued even until the early hours of the morning. In the end, the younger brother came up with a plan that would bring to fruition future events. He came with a suggestion, "Brother, I have an idea. Father said that we should leave him naked. But we should at least dress him in a pair of trousers. That could slightly placate everyone else and we would not be fully disobeying Father after all."


    The elder brother''s face creased even harder. But he could find no other pretense to disagree with his sibling. It took him some time, but in the end, he relented.


    Seeing his brother''s persistence finally crumbling, the younger son hastened him at once, seeing as the iron was still hot, "Come on, Brother. The morning is nearly upon us. We must not let anyone see us; it''s indecent. Let''s get a pair of trousers unto Father quick. Morning is upon us any time now." The elder son nodded quietly and they got up, moving slowly towards the coffin.


    Obviously, they could not see me and I, as feather-light as a ghost, was lifted up as well when they removed the lid from the coffin. A stark naked Bian Dashou was lying inside, a man very much dead and bare. His hair and beard were a flowing tangle of white; no more recognizable than a stranger. He was still an able-bodied middle-aged man when I last saw him. A man with radiating with vim and verve worthy of his standing and vitality. But now, he was but a dead man lying in an oaken box, waiting to be buried six feet under the ground. But strangely, the colors and look on his face looked not like a dead man to me. Rather, it looked as if he was only sleeping.


    Bian Dashou''s sons took a pair of pants and tried to pull the trousers up to his legs, but I reached for it and wrenched it hard, drawing it back down to his ankles. This made the brothers jumped with shock. One of them, the younger brother, fell to his knees with fright and began wailing, "Father! Please, Father! Pray do not blame us for this! No filial son could allow his father to be interred a wretched and naked man! We are only doing this for you!" And the two brothers bowed deeply, prostrating themselves before their dead father.


    Their heads rose not even an inch for minutes until they began to see that their father was still dead. The brothers traded fearful looks before they got up and made sure that their father hardly moved aside from the pants that I tugged off and carefully, they took the pair of trousers and tried to put it on again.


    The siblings, still shivering hesitantly, slowly lifted Bian Dashou''s body and put it on. But this time, they gripped on the pants so firmly that I could do nothing to prevent them. I tugged and yanked to no avail as the younger brother held on tightly while the eldest son slammed the lid shut at once and I was almost trapped inside! I let go just in time for the lid to be closed, and I failed to prevent the sons from putting on the trousers.


    But I knew. This is history. Nothing I do would change history in the end no matter how dissatisfied I felt knowing what would come after this. But there really was nothing I could do but to shake my head with helpless dejection.


    Little did I realize at the time, that Bian Dashou wearing a pair of trousers when he was interred was never meant to be history!


    Father came to the burial grounds of the Bian Family the next day when Bian Dashou''s family was committing his body into the ground, riding atop his sword. I flew up to him when I saw him and I heard him snarling through gritted teeth, "Dammit! I''m still too late!" Huh?! I was surprised to hear him cursing. Was Bian Dashou supposed to have succeeded in turning into a dragon? Then Father said again, "I was tricked! Just when I thought I had him! And it all turns out to be a diversion! Damned!"


    Father must have been pursuing somebody after dealing with the cohorts of Godmother''s sister, only to have fallen for a ruse instead!


    Mother said suddenly from her perch atop Father''s shoulder, "What will happen to the Blade now? Since Bian Dashou will have no chance of turning into a dragon now?" Father could find no words to express his dismay. He merely shook his head, although he seemed as if there was something he wished to say, but he decided again it. But it was clear: Father intended for Bian Dashou to become a dragon but his plans were ruined and that culminated in the future events thereafter.


    I sank into a ponderous wonder myself but the sky around me darkened suddenly. Night had come out of nowhere. But noises below my feet roused my attention and I looked down. A band of riders all armed with flaming torches was galloping quickly towards the burial grounds of Bian Dashou.

 Chapter 207 Powerless

    The band of riders arrived at the burial grounds in no time. But something about the graveyard perturbed me.


    I looked and only then I realized that Bian Dashou''s grave was hardly the only one there. A cluster of tombstones now littered the burial grounds of the Bian Family and the riders were dressed not in the fashion of the Qing Dynasty!


    Then it dawned upon me: I have been hurled through time again. This was 1934; the night when Bian Dashou''s grave was plundered!


    The brigands acted swiftly. They quickly apprehended the three people living in a hut nearby and had them tied to a tree with their heads covered in black bags. Unlike the unruly bunch they usually were, these marauders worked with order and system. Some began coiling ropes as thick as a boy''s arm atop the boughs of the trees and set them alight. The pungent scent of mugwort rose and filled the air around the craggy cemetery grounds while another fired three warning shots into the air from his gun, barely missing me! The man who fired his gun then barked orders to other men who worked the grounds, digging and delving, as they looked for their quarry. I would have mistaken these men as disciplined soldiers if I had not known that they were robbers and highwaymen.


    I looked on with uneasy trepidation. A strange dread grew in me while the men below me continued their nocturnal travail, a strange fear that made me felt jittery.


    Just then, a hoarse voice screeched, "We''ve found it, Boss!" The voice broke through the darkness like a tolling bell and everyone''s head turned. Everyone huddled over to the origin of the voice. Unsettled by the voice, I glided to the ground.


    The man lifted a ragged coffin, dusty with soot and soil, and laid it beside the crater they dug. It was the very same coffin I saw not long before; the very same that housed Bian Dashou''s body. It looked battered and moldered with a large hole at its side. But that was not what interested me. What was happening in the crater dug from Bian Dashou''s grave did.


    A large burly man leaped into the hole and drew a dagger hidden in his boot. He grated at the soil in the bottom and he got up, bellowing loudly, "This is it!" A few other men leaped in after him, all clutching hoes and shovels. A voice called from the crowd at the top of the hole as those below dug, "Careful! We don''t want to damage it!" It did not take long; the large man clambered out moments after, holding a sheathed sword in his hand!


    Good Heavens! My gaze fixated at once upon the gilded sword. My heart beat wildly and the feeling of dread burgeoned at once. Is this the Dragon-slaying Blade!?


    But before I could go on, the large man handed the Blade to a bearded man seated atop the saddle of a horse. Just when the bearded man gripped at the Blade''s hilt, a strange sensation of bitterness rose in me and I felt a strong headache piercing my brain! The excruciating pain, so great that I could barely describe it, assailed me like a thousand lances stabbing at my head and I began to feel the world whirl around me.


    Dizziness dulled my senses. With what remained of my vision, I saw the bearded man drew the Blade with a flourish. The edges of the sword shone deep gold in the flickering orange glare of the torches, emitting a blinding sparkle that hit me like a cannonball. The jet of light slammed into me and I was sent reeling backward like a ragdoll!


    Like arrows, pain shot in my chest and I could hardly draw enough air to breathe. Writhing and moaning, that was the last thing I remembered before everything went dark.


    Heaven knows how long has time passed when I woke up. Somebody was kicking at me.


    My eyes peeled open to see a foot delivering another kick at me. Whoever it was, he seemed to have noticed that I had regained consciousness and he turned. Wait a minute, I almost blurted, No one should have been able to see me and touch me in my incorporeal state! But how?! How did this person see me and kick me!


    I got up and a dull throb of pain shot up my front. The man was wearing an earthen-brown colored Zhongshan suit with boiled leather wrapping around his ankles and a peaked cap sitting atop his head. But there was something oddly familiar from the man''s gait and the view of his back! I ran to his front. It was Master Six, in the uniform of a police officer in the era of the Republic of China!


    All words seemed to fail me. Nothing came of out my throat as I reeled with shock. But Master Six merely ignored me as if he had not seen me at all! "Master Six?" I asked testily and no reply came. But I was sure he could hear me, lacking that, there would have been no other way to explain him waking me up with kicks into my hind parts.


    But just when I was still thinking, he vanished! I cantered to the spot he stood at before he disappeared in a vain hope to catch any scent of him but I paused. Master Six must be hurling me through time again and thinking of catching up to him would merely be a fool''s errand.


    My steps came to a halt and I broke into a despondent smile at myself. Just then, something streaked across the air over my head with the whistle that resembled an arrow. I looked up and I saw a speck of light with a blazing tail tearing across the late morning sky like a comet. But I was still gazing at the streaking star in awe when it veered and circled around the air, looking lost and aimless like a living creature!


    The comet swirled and swirled in the air and after several moments, it landed somewhere faraway out of sight.


    What does this mean? I almost asked myself. But the sun rose and sank right in front of me like a video footage playing in fast-forward. Then many comets fell from the sky, smearing black-blue sky with bright, burning lines. They fell down like the lone comet before, flying along the banks of Huan Xiang River before they descended into the shadows of the mountain ranges in the horizon.


    I could only watch with a bewildered look wiped across my face as I struggled to make sense of these implausible events unfolding before me. After some time, the moon sank and the sun rose up again almost simultaneously. Time seemed to have returned to its normal flow but I have lost almost all track of time. Then another lone meteor appeared, flying northbound before the northern mountain ranges embraced it. There was nothing more in the barren sky. But when I looked down, a little boy was standing right in front of me!


    The boy, with his back facing me, was looking up into the sky like I did, gazing into the distance where the final comet had disappeared. He sighed in the end and spun on his heels. Then he did the unthinkable: he stared at me.


    It was a stare that immediately made my hair stand and goosebumps never stopped bursting all over me and I shuddered! There was nothing about the boy that was familiar to me, save for that stare! That stare! That same, disinterested and contemptuous stare! Master Six!


    I see now! This boy is the reincarnated Master Six! So those comets just now... Could they be...


    There was still too little information for me to reach any conclusions. But I was certain that the last comet could only be Master Six''s consort! The final comet had landed somewhere in the northern mountain ranges which were the very same place where we first met him!


    I squeaked a soft "Master Six?" at the little boy to see his reaction. He heard me and turned, throwing at me a placid look. But we were interrupted by the appearance of another boy who trotted up the little hill. The newcomer, looking almost the same age as this young Master Six, yelled something to him. Master Six wheeled around and ran to the boy before they both disappeared.


    I ran towards the direction where I last saw Master Six. But before I could barely take a few steps, the sun fell and night came almost immediately.


    Exasperated, I stomped and spat, "Dammit!" But I lost my balance when I kicked hard and I fell on the ground with a loud thud. What the hell?! I hissed quietly, frowning hard and I got up again, shaking my head.


    Like a roller coaster, the dizziness took me. My head spiraled and the world revolved in a blurry swirl around me and I fell to the ground again. What the hell is this?! I snarled at myself. What is going on with my head? Am I injured by the Dragon-slaying Blade earlier?! But there was no pain about me; even the spot where the ray of light from the Blade had hit me was no longer throbbing.


    The world continued spinning around me; the brilliant sparkles of the fluttering waves of the river and the trees around me wavered and gesticulated as the nauseous vertigo intensified.


    Suddenly, a strange bright blueish ray of light filled the air. The tide of blue swallowed the world awhole and the ground shook as if the world was coming to an end!

 Chapter 208 The Earthquake

    I staggered and lurched. With a kick of dust, I flew up into the air before I could fall again. The ground was shaking! There was nothing wrong with me! The terrifying blue flash of light and the shaking of the earth told me enough: it was an earthquake!


    What else could it be but the Great Tangshan Earthquake of 1976 and here I was, standing in the Yahong Bridge town near Wu Zhong County, merely leagues away from the epicenter of the quake. The ground''s shudder aggravated with fury under me and I began to see people running from their homes to safety like ants abandoning their nests.


    The Bian Family''s burial grounds were just to the west of Huang Xiang River. Looking east at the other side of the river, I saw a little tent erected using some poles and a felt blanket. An old man walked briskly out of the tent hurriedly as I rose into the air, his long white beard waving as he moved towards north along the river''s flood embankments. With another few steps, he vanished! A strange sensation of deja vu rose in my mind although I could not remember what it was. The blue flash of light engulfing the earth died down finally, and darkness returned to take its place. The clamor of anxious cries and shrieks from the people below me filled the air. But I was occupied by something else: a dash of multi-colored lights streaked before my eyes when I was scanning the surroundings with my Spirit Sight and the river of rainbow circled across the sky like a long and wide river, showering its magic on every inch of Wu Zhong County. The earthquake continued rumbling and the houses, buildings, flats, and everything else were wavering precariously, threatening to topple and collapse any second. But they were held with an invisible power that supported them as long as the river of rainbow flowed in the sky!


    I followed the streak of lights, flying to find out its origin as it extended like a ribbon of rainbow across the air. It did not take long to locate it, or rather him; a young man was on the ground, with his both hands on the ground and the rainbow was bursting from his back like powerful jets of water! I landed at once and peered at him, it was Master Six!


    Then I realized: Master Six was using his magic to support the buildings to buy time for the people to escape. I might not have magic or sorcery as powerful as Master Six''s, but I needed to do something to help! I leaped into the air and flew to the villages. I saw a little cottage nearest to the embankment of the river and a boy, barely the age of ten, scampered out of the small house. He ran to a man standing just outside and the man yelled loudly, "Get out of the house, all of you! It''s an earthquake! Run!" The boy ran to the young man, "Big Brother, where''s Mother?" "Huh?! Mother''s still not out yet!? I thought she was with you! Dammit! Quick! We need to get Mother out!"


    The little boy was already whirling even before his brother told him and they ran back home. But just when the little boy turned, I saw his face and I nearly keeled over at the familiar face of the little child my eyes had set upon. It was a young Lin Feng!


    But there was something in his appearance and temperament, then I realized how mistaken I was. That''s not Lin Feng, it''s Uncle Quan! The young Uncle Quan!


    The boy Uncle Quan reached his home and was about to dart inside but the house was in its final death throes, groaning and shaking violently as if it would be crashing down any second now! I darted forward without hesitation. I placed myself under the falling beam of the house and held it up and the battered house stopped its groaning death rattle! Uncle Quan dove headfirst into the house and came out seconds later with a middle-aged woman on his back. With brisk footsteps, he escaped to safety and I released my hold of the beam and I ran. A deafening boom crashed behind me and when I looked back, the house was in ruins save for a roof still perching on its pillars; its walls had caved in right where Uncle Quan''s mother formerly was. The dread that she could have well been dead if not for my intervention sent a shiver through me.


    It was a strange sight to see the house still standing although its walls have all fallen like a house of cards. Lacking that, I would have looked like a fool trying to support the beam of the roof earlier.


    Everyone in the village deserted their houses and the air was thick with the screams and wailing of babes in their mother''s arms. Some were so petrified with fear that they could hardly even move, their feet weighing like lead under them. The tremor had begun in the wee hours of the morning and this had caught everyone by surprise. They had hardly even the time to dress themselves properly before fleeing their collapsing houses. I sat beside the boy Uncle Quan and we saw a young man helping an old gnarly man across the street, running towards us.


    The pale glow of dawn was showing overhead us; an hour or more had passed and the tremors were beginning to lessen. A cry rang from the crowds, "The Qiuzhuang Reservoir has broken!"


    There was hardly a croak nor a whimper from the crowd of evacuees as the news registered! Then the ice broke and all hell broke loose as chaos and panic ensued. The Qiuzhuang Reservoir was a water catchment just upriver of Huang Xiang River. It breaking due to the earthquake would mean that a terrible flood was afoot! The plains on either bank of Huan Xiang River would be swarmed by an unstoppable tide of rushing rapids before long and nothing in miles would still be left standing! Everyone rushed to higher ground: the flood embankments at the sides of the river and the brick and mortar dikes were crammed with people huddling together for dear life!


    Uncle Quan carried his mother up the dike and set here down safely up there when he remembered something he had forgotten. He tore his eyes back down and cursed under his breath and he ran southwards as quickly as he could!


    I ran down with him and we reached the little felt blanket tent. He looked around anxiously as if searching for something, or someone! Because I then understood: the old man I saw earlier running across the street was Uncle Quan''s teacher!


    Failing to find his teacher, Uncle Quan sighed heavily and walked back to his mother with his head hanging between his shoulders. Unbeknownst to him or everyone else for that matter, a little boy was crouching on the ground just at the foot of the flood dikes, with his hand firmly placed on the ground. It was Uncle Quan''s childhood friend, Master Six, who was using his magic to help suppress the earthquake!


    A dull but rumbling "hum" came from the earth beneath us as if a monster had awakened from a dormant slumber. The hues of the rainbow lights still spraying from Master Six''s back dimmed suddenly and I immediately understood. Something is wrong, Master Six''s powers are failing!


    The ground began to resume its shaking and I almost lost my balance and fell down myself. I flew up to the air and looked at Master Six. He was still maintaining his posture, doing his best to regain control of his magic, but his face was deathly-pale now. It dawned upon me synchronously; despite being reborn with his magic and divinity of a former celestial being, Master Six''s current physical form was still the body of a 15-year-old human boy! The frail body of a mortal child could not contain the massive strain due to the continued use of his magic and he looked as if he was going to collapse any moment himself!


    I ran to him and stooped beside him. But there was nothing I could do. No amount of screaming or fidgeting would do any good for the immortal boy who was now at his limits but I could do hardly anything to help but sweat profusely with anxiety. Then I thought of my Spirit Gourd! I took it out. There must be something that I can do to help! I clutched the calabash gourd in my hands, muttering a desperate spell and the spirits of the yetis inside immediately roared furiously!


    Producing a rejuvenation elixir with the Spirit Gourd normally takes up to one day. But it was sink or swim; I began channeling my powers and will into my Spirit Gourd, willing it to dissolve the spirit of the yetis inside. The angry and defiant snarls from the yetis began to subside and I could almost visualize what was going on inside the Gourd. Tens of crystalline pellets, all of varying forms and sizes, began to form inside. This was the first time I was able to see what goes on inside the Gourd. Unlike my usual way of perceiving the contents of my Gourd with my spiritual senses, this time it seemed as if I had become one with my most sturdy tool!


    A sweltering blaze melted the crystals in the Gourd and reduced them into clear and limpid beads of liquid soul. The beads boiled and quivered and slowly solidified as the anger and ferocity of the yetis and other chaff were all separated from them. Finally, they gradually congealed and hardened into round, almond-like pills. The chaff removed from them continued swirling like flies over them until the blaze within the Gourd incinerated everything and baked the pills to perfection.


    This was the first time I had a glimpse of how pills came to be inside the Spirit Gourd. I have always been accustomed to sparing myself of all these copious details by allowing the Gourd to produce the pills automatically while this time, it was different; I was controlling the process myself. When I dragged myself back to the present, the morning sun was hanging brightly over us and Master Six had gone so pale that I would have mistaken him for a corpse if not for his shuddering hands! I immediately unstoppered my Gourd and poured out a pill and fed it to him.


    But before I could slip the pill through his lips, Master Six''s body jerked and down he fell, passing out in exhaustion! The ground beneath my feet groaned again and the tremors resumed violently and the buildings around us were throbbing to the pulse in the earth. I immediately forced opened Master Six''s mouth and shoved the pill inside before I flew up the sky.


    I instinctively looked towards Uncle Quan''s house and saw him clinging to a tree with a trunk as wide as a little bowl. The tree swayed uncontrollably to the trembles of the earth, its crown nearly hitting the ground every time it bent and it looked as if it could be crashing down any second!

 Chapter 209 Tales of the Pas

    t


    The ground gave another shudder and the walls of the compound of Uncle Quan''s house buckled and fell over the young Uncle Quan! Acting by reflex, I dashed towards him at all speed!


    The boy was hugging for his life at a tree, lurching wildly as it shook to the violent undulations of the destruction occurring around him. I somersaulted and reached him just in time to deliver a kick at the wall crashing down on him, snapping the wall into half and sending the upper half careening elsewhere.


    The wrecking din of the falling wall made Uncle Quan looked around. But he saw nothing but the rubbles and debris that once was the wall that ringed the compound of his home crashing down before his very eyes! What remained of his house continued wobbling as if its bedrock was made of jelly and all the walls came coming down like London''s Bridge. A surge of iridescent glow flooded from Master Six''s direction suddenly. He has recovered! The tremors in the ground softened and relaxed like a monster being cooed to sleep. I looked back at Uncle Quan''s house which was now nothing more than a four-pillared barn or shed with no walls.


    I heaved a silent breath of relief. Master Six must be all right now, I surmised. Uncle Quan went to his house and got a basin with pots and pans and ran back to the embankment while I darted towards Master Six. But before I could reach him, a dark, murky shadow dove straight at my face!


    It swooped down on me like a bat so quickly that I could barely see what it was before it missed me by inches! But I knew exactly what it was, or rather, who it was. That was Father, flying at intense speeds on his sword towards Tangshan City! But that would also mean that he was just returning from Inner Mongolia!?


    I wheeled around to follow after Father! But the notion died as swiftly as it came; Father disappeared out of sight just before I could see his back! But I knew, despite the letdown, that my place was here with Master Six, not with him and I flew back at once. The noon sun blazed cheerily in the sky, oblivious to the destruction and carnage beneath. My gaze wandered down and I saw three little children sitting by the side of a river ditch. This is not Huang Xiang River, I realized. In fact, just a little trench nowhere near it. And there was nobody else in the vicinity save for these little children.


    Feeling strange and puzzled, I landed beside the children. One of the children puffed his chest and said proudly, "Our ages are almost the same. We should pledge ourselves as sworn siblings!" "Of course, Brother Zhang! I agree with you. After all, it was you who had saved us both!" Another boy said after hardly a heartbeat of hesitation. The lone girl of the trio nodded, "I agree too! It''d be like the tale of Water Margin! We should be sworn siblings since we were brought together in adversity!"


    The three children propped to their knees and they bowed to the sky. It can''t be... I almost gasped aloud with shock.


    The stocky boy pronounced solemnly, "With the Heaven as our witness, I, Zhang Baoguo..." "I, Nie Xiaojun..." added the other boy. "...and I, Dong Xuefen!" The little girl squeaked. "shall henceforth be sworn siblings. From now till our last breath. We so swear by the Heaven that watches us on high!" The children bowed to each other again.


    Good Heavens?! They are the children Mr. Zhang, Aunt Fen, and Mr. Nie?! I could scarcely believe what I was looking at. What twist of luck was this that I was able to witness this very moment!


    I return to Master Six to see that it was already evening. Master Six used every chance he could to recuperate whenever the earthquake paused. Came the dusk, the aftershocks have reduced to mere feeble trembles that no longer threatened the foundations of any building that still stood. Master Six departed for his home at last after his day-long exertion.


    Trucks came the next morning, carry emergency service personnel who came from afar. The roads continued to be busy the rest of the day with lines of vehicles of the disaster relief services passing by, heading straight for Tangshan City. From above the sky overhead, the column of vehicles could have easily coursed from one end of the horizon to another.


    I sat under the pale moon that night, on the mass of scraps and scree that was formerly a wall of a farmhouse. Then a sudden gust of wind blew in the air. An unnatural blast of wind that howled ominously in the black night! Good Heavens, could this be something foul or evil?! But Master Six was still weakened by the strain of his magic today and I must do something then!


    I sat up at once and looked towards the direction of that foul wind. It was blowing towards the west side of Huan Xiang River and I could see a dark, humanoid-shaped figure zipped by in its wake. But it made no sign of stopping when it came near Huan Xiang River, instead, it picked up its pace, racing straight towards Wu Zhong City, the eponymous seat of the county! This must be one of them, one of the foul beings and entities who seek to exploit this calamity to their profit! One of the reasons that have compelled all mages, witch doctors, and practitioners of mystic arts to come to Tangshan. They were here not only to help to keep the peace, but also to protect all beings, man and ghosts, from these sinister parties hoping to hatch insidious schemes.


    I got up at once and raced after that black fleeting shade before it could escape my sight!


    It hardly took long before I caught up to the dark shadow darting through the night sky. It flew as swift as a falcon, but it circled backward and veered off-course many times like a blind bull and that allowed me to close in on it somewhere around the eastern outskirts of the city, which was the No.2 Middle School of Wu Zhong in present time. In my year, this place belonged to the Balipu Village to the east of the county seat. But in 1976, the school was the first middle school of Wu Zhong before it was renamed when another school was built. There were scarcely any buildings in these parts and wild meadows and plains blanketed much of the landscape here. The dark silhouette descended into the sea of grass and I landed just beside him.


    I took out my Spirit Gourd at once and prepared myself. But when I saw the face of the man, I swallowed hard as goose pimples oozed my skin again! Another face which I knew! Shang Pei''s son! No, wait, I remembered the timeline, This is Shang Pei when he was young!


    I see it now! Shang Pei must have come to Wu Zhong at Father''s bidding! I had mistaken him for the enemy! Well, I would have wanted it no other way. No one would welcome an invasion in such small hours of the night.


    Shang Pei surveyed everything around him as soon as he landed and found nothing but placid emptiness aside from forests and fields. There was nobody else. He scratched his head, looking positively puzzled and confused, and continued moving west towards Wu Zhong City.


    When Shang Pei finally arrived at the county seat, he was aghast with horror and so was I. The county seat of Wu Zhong was like a ghost city, a necropolis under the moonlit night ravaged by death and disaster with virtually nothing remained standing. The entire city of Wu Zhong was in utter ruins! Despite the veil of night, howls and cries could be heard every now and then, emitting from unknown crevices and corners, beset by the sporadic clatter of rocks and debris as people raked through the wreckage for loved ones. It was a hideous sight. Shang Pei might not have been a completely blameless man, but he tried to be as veracious and righteous whenever he could. He rushed forward and helped to dig through the rubble. Anyone with any conscious would have known that it was the right thing to do: to offer any help without needing any behest or instruction. Those were kinder days and people were more helpful to others then. All it took was a knowing nod to one another and it was off to work for everyone. The work to save lives. A man close to Shang Pei tossed him a hoe and the latter took it without so much as a glance, and the long toil to rescue anyone caught below the rubble began.


    Rescue points were being set up in various spots around the battered city to provide relief to the sick and wounded. Shang Pei slung the two people he found on his shoulders and jogged towards the nearest rescue point. His hands shone with a glow as green as grass as he moved, slowly channeling his powers to restore the two men, salvaging them from death. Following behind him, I could see what he was doing. He was funneling his divine aura into them to save them from dying!


    I followed Shang Pei to the rescue point and we saw a man with a hair of disheveled, twisted wisps that reminded me of a raven''s nest, busying himself with tending to the wounds of any injured survivors and bandaging them. Shang Pei said nothing, merely stepping into the tent and lowering the two men he carried on two mats sprawling on the ground. He was about to leave but the young, sloppy-looking man looked at him through narrowed eyes which then widened and he cried, "You there, please wait!" Shang Pei spun and stared into the dusty face of the young man, "What is it?"


    Instead, a smile curled upon the lips of the young man. He pointed a hand towards the left and said, "Go there! There''s somebody dying down there!" Shang Pei stared at him incredulously before he peeled his eyes off the boy and looked towards the direction he was pointing at. It was the site of a huge pile of wreckage that once belonged to a tall building. A huge mortar slab sat just over the mound of rocks and boulders and Shang Pei understood the young man at last. This was no job for a mortal but someone like him!


    Shang Pei gave a thoughtful nod at the young man and hurried over. With his superhuman powers, he lifted the humungous stone slab and rescued a little girl trapped below and he ran back to the tent. As he rushed back, he cradled the little girl in his arms and a gentle glow like fresh moss shone around her and she came back to life, drawing a long, hard breath as she panted for life.

 Chapter 210 Meeting of the Triune

    I looked on with admiration and concern. Shang Pei was saving people from death by channeling his divine Qi into these people, the divine aura that he has amassed after years, decades or even centuries of hard work. Saving just a couple of men would hardly put a dent in his magic, but if the numbers pile up, he could just as well see his powers exhausted and spent...


    Shang Pei and the other men scoured every fissure and crevice for survivors and under the directions of the beggar-like young man, they found almost everyone, even the corpses of those who had died.


    Morning came brightly as ever, still, none of the men stopped their hunt for anyone still alive. But many too collapsed due to fatigue. I suppressed the urge to help; I could not risk everyone witnessing rocks hovering in the air on their own, or bodies moving on their own as if they had been reanimated.


    The young lad heaved an easy breath, the first one since the calamity had struck. He recognized Shang Pei from the midst of the crowd of relief volunteers and waved at him, beckoning him to sit together. Shang Pei wore a wry smile as he strode near and plopped to a seat beside the younger man. "Are you different too, are you not?" The boy cast a glance at him as he gulped down some water for his thirst, emitting a curious, "Oh?" "Everyone else around here addresses one another as ''Comrade,'' but only you called me ''Brother.'' Do you know who I am?" Shang Pei asked with a smirk.


    The young lad grinned, saying nothing, and upended his flask of water into his mouth. "You have great powers. But channeling your aura into dying people, that reduces your own. But more importantly, Heaven does not look kindly upon the Fates of the people being tampered with." Shang Pei''s hand betrayed a slight trembled at the mention of "tampered," and he immediately stood up, staring at the young lad with disbelief.


    But the young lad merely simpered and waved him down, motioning for him to sit back down. His gesture casual and lackadaisical. "We live and die by the Will of Heaven, and Heaven suffers no contradiction nor defiance. By the way, you don''t seem local?" Shang Pei carefully descended into his chair, never once taking his eyes off the young lad. "I''m the Third of the Six Terrors of the Frontier."


    The young lad stuffed a Wotou, a Chinese cornbread, into his mouth and chewed. When he heard Shang Pei''s identity, he froze and he slowly turned to regard Shang Pei, shocked and unconvinced. "Shang Pei of Fort Enigma?!" Shang Pei jumped with surprise too. He had not thought that his identity could be divined so quickly. He bowed at once, "Well met. How about you, Brother?" The young lad immediately shoved another Wotou between his teeth, holding it in his mouth and he gave a hurried bow before he took the Wotou and said, "I''m Chen. I was an orphan when my teacher found me and I grew up with him. But he died before he could give me a name. But I''m known around as ''Chen the Seer.''" They bowed again to each other, muttering, "Your reputation precedes you" to each other, although I could hear from Shang Pei''s voice that he was merely trying to sound polite. I daresay he must have never heard of the name "Chen the Seer" before.


    So this ragged-looking young lad was Old Man Chen when he was young! He cackled and said, "I am in awe of your divine aura, Shang Pei. It''s extraordinary." Shang Pei grinned, tacitly pleased with the flattery. There was small wonder that Old Man Chen had heard of Shang Pei''s name; the Six Terrors of the Frontier were well-known among the magical community and folk people. Then Shang Pei had a question of his own. "You were pointing us towards almost every survivor that we''ve been able to rescue. You''re able to see them? Is that your power?" Old Man Chen stifled a burst of laughter. "It''s just a simple trick. Nothing special at all. Divination and soothsaying are my forte. That''s all." Shang Pei realized that he had mistaken Old Man Chen''s ability as X-ray vision. Hastily, he bowed again, "I see. The Seer indeed!"


    Their small chat went on until a bicycle''s bell could be heard ringing from a distance. A man whose sight was as sharp as an eagle''s cried loudly, "A doctor! That''s a doctor!"


    The cry roused everyone and not a man remained sitting as the volunteers all got up to look at the direction from which the ringing bell came from. A man was riding a rickety Flying Pigeon, paddling his way towards the rescue point. On his back, the man was carrying a medicine case the same as all barefoot doctors did, a large brown box bearing the large red cross insignia.


    It was when he was near that only I had a good look at him. He looked young, a lad about my age. He parked his bike just outside the tent and he stepped quickly inside. As soon as he saw Old Man Chen, he barked, "What in the bloody world are you lulling about for!? GO GET SOME WATER!" He immediately strode inside with his medicine box before waiting for a reply, leaving a flabbergasted Chen still gaping outside. He sprang to his feet a heartbeat later, throwing aside his Wotou, seething and cursing, "How dare you?! You wretched..."


    Still, despite the litany of expletives he spewed, he trotted off quickly and returned with a basin full of hot water.


    Shang Pei left alone, looking on, dazed and confused. He watched as Old Man Chen returned with more hot water and flasks and he went into the tent after him with me just behind. The young healer was taking on flasks and flasks of medicine and ointments, none of which were marked. As he bent down to examine the wounded and taking their pulses, his mouth never stopping yapping, "What an utterly hopeless fool you are, Chen!" "And what does that leave you, damned Xie!" Old Man Chen hissed defensively.


    I almost laughed at their banter. Who else could this be but our very own eccentric healer, Xie Binyi? It seemed that their rivalry had begun long when they were still boys, a loathing that could have been as long as the years they had lived.


    "What about Xiguan Town? Have you dealt with those people?" Old Man Chen asked with ice. "Of course, I did! Who do you take me for?!" Xie Bingyi retorted at once.


    At the same time, Xie Bingyi''s hand touched the wrist of a little girl, one of the many whom Shang Pei had saved by channeling his divine aura into them. As soon as he felt her pulsating radial artery, he gave out a surprised "Ah?!" and he threw a confused look at Old Man Chen who responded with a brusque scoff. He nudged at Shang Pei who had been standing beside them. "You''ve felt it, did you? It was him who had saved her." Xie Bingyi got up and bowed to Shang Pei. Shang Pei returned the gesture but a stony-faced Xie Bingyi growled suspiciously, "I am Xie Bingyi. And you are..." Shang Pei smiled benignly. "I am the Third of the Six Terrors of the Frontier." A dawning expression shone on Old Man Xie''s face. "I see! Shang Pei of Fort Enigma! Small wonder indeed! So you were the help that Brother Hai mentioned in his message yesterday night?!" Shang Pei merely nodded and I was witnessing this unbelievable event. This was how the Triune of Wu Zhong came to be!


    Xie Bingyi walked out of the tent and took out a wad of yellow strips from his case. He stood in front of the row of corpses and crouched down, setting the yellow talismanic strips ablaze. Green plumes of smog rose gently into the air, summoning forth a company of Hell Guards.


    Strangely, none of them could see the Hell Guards and the sentries from the Underworld hardly paid any heed to Shang Pei and his companions. They dexterously rounded up the wandering spirits that once belonged to the corpses and lead them away! This must have been a predetermined arrangement that whenever bidden to, the Hell Guards would appear and lead any spirits or ghosts nearby with them away. There was hardly any need for further communications between the summoner and the Hell Guards.


    With their work done, the Triune of Wu Zhong retreated to a quiet and isolated corner to talk. "What happened last night in Xiguan Town?" The Seer first asked. Xie Bingyi shot a distasteful glare at his companion before he replied, "Nothing special. Just a bunch of thieves stealing corpses, calling themselves the Cult of the Damned." "What is this Cult of the Damned?" Shang Pei interjected curiously, "I''ve never heard of them before." But Xie Bingyi merely shook his head before he exhaled grimly, "I know little of them myself. I''ve never heard about them too before this. I''m guessing that they originated from some evil sect that existed a long time ago. They are seeing this disaster as a chance to steal more dead cadavers. From the way they operated, they share several similarities to the voodoo and necromancy witchcrafts of the Miao tribes in Xiangxi. They have this strange kind of insect. Bewitched bugs that they released into dead bodies so that they could control them with their accursed sorcery. The corpses would then arise once more as the walking dead. I shudder to think how many people at the rescue point of Xiguan Town would have been dead by these walking fiends if I had not reached there in time. The dead bodies piled up at the rescue point were already showing signs of rising and I had to quickly use some water mixed with my talismanic strips to destroy the insects before their foul magic took hold. In the end, I received a note left by the Cult, asking me to leave them alone."


    "You reach there on time?" The Seer smirked with apparent disdain, "Come on, you''d never have reached Xiguan Town in time if not for my divination." Both Chen and Xie both scoffed at the same time and refused to look at each other. Caught up in the middle, Shang Pei watched on with a bemused expression. "Come on, there''s no need to fuss with all the details," he said, hoping to placate both of them. "Master Shang," Xie Bingyi said to him, "I''m fairly certain that that is hardly the last of the Cult. I''m sure they''ll retaliate tonight. But if things were to turn ugly, we''d need your help." Shang Pei bowed. "Of course. Lacking that, Brother Hai would never have bidden me to come here!"


    They both turned to look at Old Man Chen. The Seer was nowhere as slow and dull as his surrogate son Chongxi and he immediately understood the tacit message from them both, "There''s no need to divine where they''ll strike. Without a doubt, this is the place they''ll come tonight." He raised an arm and pointed towards East. "East side. The fertilizer manufacturing plant at Balipu Village."


    Hearing this, Shang Pei''s gaze turned suddenly to where he came from.

 Chapter 211 Cult of the Damned

    There has been no lack of stories and fables during my time that many a great paranormal incident traced back to the Great Tangshan Earthquake of 1976. In truth, no paranormal mishaps took place in Tangshan when the earthquake ended. There were too many people dead and no one had the stomach for more horror stories and tales. I doubt anyone would have had a mind to bother with anything, even if something strange was staring at them in the face. There were also the many volunteers of the magical community who had come to help defend the peace to help sustain the balance between the Underworld and the Mortal Plane. But this was something that no common folk would be privy to.


    It was the same in Wu Zhong, although the help that came to Wu Zhong merely numbered a handful. But among them, the Triune of Wu Zhong was the most famous.


    I was crouching on one of the many unkempt fields in Balipu Town, watching as Xie Bingyi struggled on his Flying Pidgeon with the young Old Man Chen riding shotgun behind. Shang Pei was just behind them, loping along with hardly any difficulty in contrast.


    I had always known that Shang Pei possessed divinity and potency nearing the state of full immortality. But this was the first time I witnessed a glimpse of his magic. Despite following only on foot, his feet were hardly grazing the ground! He glided over the grubby and dusty path with the grace and the speed of a sparrow that reminded me of the time when I first saw him flying to Wu Zhong. This must be one of his many plethoras of skills, I surmised.


    It was almost ten, when the Hour of the Boar was close to reaching its end and the Hour of the Rat was beginning to peek. This was the time when the Cultists of the Damned operated, according to Xie Bingyi''s accounts.


    The fertilizer factory sat in the middle of nowhere and there were but barely a handful of buildings and structures in the compound of this manufacturing plant. Hence there was hardly any fallen buildings or rubble. But why did these evil cultists choose to come here, of all places? I almost asked myself. Clearly, Xie Bingyi was also wondering the same. He asked Old Man Chen, "Are you certain with your calculations? Why would the cultists come here?" But before The Seer could answer, Shang Pei intoned darkly from over their shoulders, "I found this place fishy when I passed by here yesterday. The stench of death was so strong that I could have thought that this was a cemetery. But when I landed, I was surprised to find an abandoned factory here. There must be hardly anyone staying nearby and the factory must have been deserted because of the earthquake. With such a large building now empty, this could be the makeshift lair for the foul folk of the Cult."


    The last syllable had barely escaped Shang Pei''s throat when a cascade of clapping came from somewhere in the shadows! All three of them jerked their heads immediately towards the direction of the sound and a dark figure walked out of the dark into the pale glow of the crescent moon hanging above like a half-eaten slice of watermelon. The faint luminescence looked as if it was swallowed by the large black cloak of the stranger that no one could see his face. The stranger approached Shang Pei and the others, drawing closer and closer with each step. Then I realized. That was not a cloak, but a blanket! The man was dressed in ripped and tattered clothing like the survivors of the earthquake in Tangshan and the upper half of his body and face were covered in the wraps of his dark blanket.


    I looked from afar, sitting comfortably on a large boulder as if I was enjoying a show, anxious to see what will happen between the Cult and the Triune. Shang Pei took a step forward. "At the behest of our sworn brother Murong Hai, we are here to purge Wu Zhong of any foul beings and folk. Are you one of them?!" His voice was steely and vociferous like a battle trumpet and there was hardly any trace of the kindness and courtesy I had seen from him. A vile cackle rang from within the folds of the dark blanket as the man husked, "Heh heh heh... We would never have been here if Murong Hai himself is here. But he sent you. Three little minions of his to do his bidding. What an insult. We of the Cult of the Damned have no concern for little minions!"


    As soon as he finished, the stranger tore off the blanket, letting loose the miasmic flatulence of rotting corpses and the malevolent presence of hatred from within himself. Even from my distance, I could not help but shudder at the thick malignant presence now spreading around the stranger like a shroud of leprous mephitis that lingered around him. But that also told me something else: the blanket was no ordinary fabric. It must have bewitched to isolate foul auras. Now that it was being cast off, everything putrid and rancid within have escaped, revealing the true identity of the stranger. He was no man. He had been; a dead rotting corpse.


    Old Man Chen nonchalantly lighted himself a cigarette from the pack and a box of matches he produced from his pockets. With a guffaw no less horrid than the walking corpse, he said, "And what does that make you? Something powerful and scary?" Xie Bingyi and Shang Pei sniggered in response.


    That seemed to be enough to drive the dead monster to rage! Letting loose a horrible shriek, it charged at Old Man Chen, the rancid stench of its rotting flesh filling the area as its foul aura burgeoned substantially, vibrating through the air as it pounced and attacked the Seer! But the clairvoyant easily sidestepped the lunge, then I saw his hand traveled to his back and pulled out something and slapped it with a deafening crack on the forehead of the monster! With hardly so much as a grunt, the reanimated corpse collapsed, no more as dead than a log. Even the putrid stench and the foul aura from it were utterly gone.


    Old Man Chen sipped at his cigarette, looking down gleefully at the decaying remains of the corpse, "So? That''s it? Just like that?" Chongxi must have taken after him, I mused. I could almost hear that git again, saying something like this whenever he wins a fight.


    I hopped off the large rock and walked nearer to Old Man Chen. Lo and behold! He was holding the same peachwood luopan that he would later give to Chongxi! Funny, I thought, most mediums or mages depend on magic or sorcery to deal with foul beings. But Chongxi and his teacher depended on their instruments.


    Shang Pei was also watching with a mildly amused look. But he did his best impression for the sake of manners, "Incredible skills, Brother Chen." To my amazement, the Seer nodded and smugly accepted the compliments!


    Just then, another cascade of clapping sounds came again from the shadows. Another figure appeared. But before it could walk nearer, Old Man Chen ran up to it, brandishing his luopan proudly! Shang Pei was about to stop him but it was too late; the Seer had already leaped into the shadows to meet his foe. It barely took a heartbeat and we hear Old Man Chen screaming frightfully, "OH MY GOD!!" dashing back twice as fast towards us.


    Xie Bingyi muttered a contemptuous "Fool" and rummaged the lowermost drawer of his medicine case, pulling out a slip of yellow talismanic strip. He walked coolly towards Old Man Chen who was running back, crooning gently a litany of incantations that sounded more like a song.


    Most incantations of Chinese sorcery or magic originate from verses of the Yi Jing and Qimen Dunjia. They are not necessarily needed when casting a spell, but the effect of the spell would be severely weakened if omitted.


    But I understood nothing from Xie Bingyi''s song. In fact, what he was chanting was hardly anything human.


    His song came to an end and the talismanic strip between his fingers smoldered and burst into flames with a poof. Through my Spirit Sight, I could see a concentrated mass of Yang energies swirled with the fumes from the burning paper before they were drawn into Xie Bingyi''s body until the strip was completely a crisp of ashes. By then, Xie Bingyi''s entire form was shrouded in a brilliant white radiance.


    The stranger was getting close. As he drew nearer, the two-meter-tall silhouette of the monster, obscured by a mantle of thick noxious smog, slowly came into view. We could see the hairs that grew thickly on around him like fur, although, a humanoid moving on two feet, that hardly made him anything resembling an animal. The hairs were clearly the signs of a reanimated corpse, but has razor-sharp talons in place of toes and fingers, looking rather like a lanky and skinny yeti.


    Xie Bingyi maintained his casual pace towards the monster. A cool breeze, despite the torridness of summer, brushed our skins eerily. A white light flashed suddenly just when I was wondering what the young Old Man Xie would do and a boom ensued. I looked again as I recovered from the temporary blindness from the flash. The monster had lost one of its arms! From the wounded stub on its torso, it seemed as if its arm was blown off by an explosion! I swallowed at the grotesque glimpse of the white, bloodless flesh and bones rotting at the damage. The classic sign of a revived corpse!


    I turned and saw Xie Bingyi again. The light encasing him had dimmed a little, but he was hardly grazed nor injured.


    The monster let loose a blaring wail before it wheeled around and ran, dragging its damaged arm with it. Suddenly, an icy chuckle came from Shang Pei. With just a little skip, he hopped forward and disappeared and reappeared with a poof just in front of the monster, barring its retreat.


    The monster raised its other paw and slammed it down at Shang Pei with a desperate maul, who raised his own arm to deflect the blow! What came was a sickening crunch and the last remaining arm of the monster froze like an icicle and snapped before it fell to the ground and smashed into pieces of frosted viscera!


    Shang Pei''s other hand grasped at the head of the monster in a vice-like grip and an icy aura churned in him and transmitted into the monster. I watched with my Spirit Sight as the aura of frost engulfed ravenously the body of the monster and the deathly aura that enveloped it, leaving nothing but an icy sculpture of the monster in the end with scarcely any sign of life. Shang Pei smirked with despise, letting go of his grip. The monster fell on its back, crashing into the ground and shattered into countless bits and pieces with a nasty crash.

 Chapter 212 Midnight Madness

    I watched with shock and awe at Shang Pei''s display of his prowess. So this is Shang Pei''s magic... He possessed the magic of the manipulation of temperature. One, through the optics of my Spirit Sight I saw, which he wielded with terrifying finesse. Zhu Mei had told me before about this; that Shang Pei''s magic was of the Yin and the coldest element, and what I just saw affirmed to this.


    Shang Pei dusted off the crumbs of frost from his hand and turned back, grinning at Xie Bingyi and Old Man Chen, who stared back at him uneasily. But Shang Pei made no attempt to explain, merely smiling at Old Man Chen.


    It took almost a few heartbeats before Old Man Chen could recover from his bewilderment; he took the cue from Shang Pei, his hand inched up slowly and he calculated again, working on his magic to divine the position of the enemy. Within seconds, he jabbed a finger towards the north-eastern corner of the factory. "There, the north-eastern face of the factory." Shang Pei nodded and led the way towards the wall of the compound. He lifted a foot and stomped hard at the wall, smashing a large hole that allowed them to enter the enclosure. Xie Bingyi and Old Man Chen traded a quick look before they follow Shang Pei through the hole into the fertilizer factory.


    I trailed after the Triune, bending down as I passed through the wall and I looked back. I gulped hard and felt my heart drumming loudly. The shattered remains of the monster had vanished! I frantically scanned the site of the battle earlier. Even the hideous pulp of flesh of the corpse that Old Man Chen had destroyed was also missing! Dread and trepidation swelled in me and the foreboding that trouble could be waiting for the Triune sent a shudder through me.


    The north-eastern corner of the factory was nothing but a weed-infested field with rows of little sheds or storehouses which I believed was used for goods storage. But they were empty now; looking more like barns now left in the lurch. Old Man Chen paced carefully, his face now slowly changing as his fingers never moving as he worked his divination. By the time we arrived at our target, he was already as pale as milk. "W-we... We''re tricked..." He blubbered weakly. But before any of his companions could demand an explanation, the thin, screeching voice from earlier came again from the dark, "Heh heh heh! Too late, I''m afraid!"


    A peal of scuffing accompanied the cackling laughter and more than a dozen mounds began to swell from the ground like the goose pimples oozing on my skin. They grow like balloons and burst suddenly with a rush of bangs, revealing what was growing within: hands. Hairy limbs of revived corpses! Xie Bingyi realized things were going amiss and he took out another bundle of yellow talismanic papers from his case and toss them skillfully at the writhing hands now struggling to crack out of the ground.


    Balls of flames burst into life as soon as the papers glanced off the twisting arms of the undead, lighting up the darkness around them. But the fireballs were but a short-lived spectacle with hardly any effect on the monsters; they finished burning in seconds, the yellow talismanic strips reduced to ashen cinders but the undead was still grappling against the earth''s hold of them to get out of their holes as if they had been impervious to the flames. The raspy croaks of the undead filled the darkness as I recognized what these fiends were: Jiangshis. Jiangshis with hairs, which made them all the more worst! The jiangshis slowly freed themselves, clambering up at last one by one. But unlike the others I had seen before, these monsters were clothed in attire from different times and dynasties.


    Xie Bingyi had seen enough to understand that his fire magic was of no use. He stopped flinging his talismans into the air and turned to face Shang Pei, his eyes imploring for help. The half-immortal chuckled. "Just a bunch of grave-diggers! And here was I, thinking that this Cult of the Damned could throw something more terrifying at us!" But it did little to dent the confidence and disdain in the disembodied voice. It cackled again, sneering viciously, "Cult or grave-diggers, we do not concern ourselves to what you think of us. The living does not concern itself with the opinions of the dead, which you will all be joining! Once we''ve dealt with you lot, we''ll continue amassing more cadavers. By the time we''ve finished, not even the great Murong Hai will be able to do anything against us!"


    "And what makes you think Brother Hai would even want to trouble himself with the likes of you?" Shang Pei scoffed with a trailing guffaw. "I know what you''re up to. But let it be known that the Dragon-slaying Blade is not something that filth like you are worthy of!" The hairy jiangshis pounced at them just as soon as Shang Pei finished, their hollow screeches echoing the martial defiance of their conjurers, the Cultists of the Damned. But relaxed and laid-back as usual, Shang Pei reached to his back and grabbed at the air. A large, menacing saber appeared out of thin air and Shang Pei''s fingers closed in on its handle. With just a spattering few swishes of his saber, he easily dismembered the jiangshis into mere chunks of rotting meat on the ground.


    I exhaled heavily. There must be more than what Shang Pei was willing to let on about the Blade. More secrets that he had elected to keep from me. For an odd moment, I became uninterested in how Shang Pei would defeat the jiangshis, for I was more concerned with what he just bellowed about the Blade.


    A loud cry of "Careful!" from Xie Bingyi jerked me back from my stupor. A still-living jiangshi, who was bisected waist down, was scampering at Shang Pei from behind on its two arms like a little wolf! And Shang Pei was too busy dealing with the others at his front to look back! Just before it sank its teeth into Shang Pei, Old Man Chen appeared out of nowhere and slammed a shoulder into the upper torso of the jiangshi, sending it careening away. I looked again. Old Man Chen had his luopan attached to his shoulder when he knocked the jiangshi aside!


    Peachwood struck by lightning are a substance which wards off all that is evil and foul. As one of the foulest of the undead, the collision was met with a painful groan from the monster as it staggered away. The spot where it was struck with the luopan sizzled and smoldered with fumes rising in lazy rivulets. But Old Man Chen was also on the ground himself, vomiting frothy spittles of blood. The impact has left him wounded and the Seer cursed out loud, "Goddammit! What is it?! A mountain?!" But it was hardly a surprise to me; my past experiences have shown me enough how impregnable was the tough skin of a jiangshi with hair. Old Man Chen was not only not known to be strong and sturdy, but he also depended too strongly on tools and instruments when dealing with foul beings in the absence of innate magic or powers of his own. It was small wonder that he was easily wounded.


    Xie Bingyi and Shang Pei hurried to check on the fallen Seer. Xie Bingyi checked his pulse and muttered, "He''s all right. Just some internal injuries from the blow." He dug for some more talismanic strips and laid some on his chest before he sang an incantation again.


    As a firm believer of chivalry, Shang Pei had only the deepest regret and respect for Old Man Chen''s valiant attempt to save him and the strongest fury and loathing for the repulsive disembodied voice. He swung his blade and thrust a finger at the hunks of dismembered corpses strewn on the ground around him, bellowing at the top of his voice, "SHOW YOURSELF!"


    Whoever was that or whatever was that, the master of the voice had never once shown itself thus far. The same voice, with its unmistakably despicable cackle, came from the throats of every undead we had encountered so far. I needed no magic or sorcery to conclude that whoever it was, he was speaking through the undead minions he controlled whilst remaining hidden himself.


    "Heh heh heh heh heh! I am here!" The shrill voice howled again, this time from the mouth of another jiangshi from another corner. Shang Pei lunged forward at it, bringing down his saber hard and sending a green magic bolt in the crescent shape of a scythe that smashed the jiangshi into smithereens.


    "Heh heh heh heh! Wrong! Here I am!" The voice tooted again like a dagger through the air. Shang Pei, with his eyes bloodshot with rage, sent another magic blow in its direction. Another jiangshi fell into pieces. Still, the voice came again and again, each time from a different jiangshi or corpse.


    Old Man Chen yanked at the right foot of Shang Pei pants before he could unleash another blow. The latter looked down at his friend who was still lying on the ground and saw the Seer motioning imperceptibly towards the storehouses in the empty field. Shang Pei quickly caught his gist and hacked towards the direction he was pointed to!


    The magic bolt darted furiously towards its mark. A dark shadow flitted out of the storehouses just moments before the magic blow pulverized the structures, but Shang Pei was already in the air, waiting for it! He howled with glee, and brought his blade down hard on his quarry! But the dark figure gave a feral howl and mauled at Shang Pei with the force and speed far greater than Shang Pei''s!


    A dull bang followed as the huge, stubbly claw met the blade of Shang Pei''s saber and the force propelled Shang Pei away, sending him crashing into the ground! Shang Pei had barely been able to defend himself by parrying the monster''s retaliation or he would have been gravely injured.


    The dark hulking silhouette landed on the ground. Under the dim moonlight, we saw that it was the same huge undead that Shang Pei had destroyed with his frost magic outside the factory earlier! Only this time, it looked neither damaged nor hurt, with the same ominous voice cackling smugly, "Heh heh heh heh... Often times I have heard praises lauding the demonic powers of the great Shang Pei, the Third of the Six Terrors of the Frontier. But you turned out only a huge disappointment!" Shang Pei scowled venomously at the remark, saying nothing. It was news to me nevertheless. I only knew Shang Pei now possessed the high magic of immortals and demigods. It was the first time I heard that he was once famed for his prowess in demonic magic, although he must have forsaken them all after achieving the divinity of a near-immortal.


    Shang Pei rested his blade on his shoulder, staring viciously at the monster who went on again in a voice both conceited and revolting, "You mentioned earlier that beings like me are unworthy to touch the Blade, did you not, Shang Pei? What about now, hmm?!" A growl formed in its abyssal mouth and it roared! Heeding the call of the wild, the dismembered limbs of the fallen undead jerked and twitched. Then they moved. They scurried on the ground like mice, limbs attaching to torsos, calfs attaching back to thighs. Before long, the fallen undead were fallen no more as they rose again, ready for another fight with the Triune as they surrounded them in a ring of countless jiangshis!


    There was no knowing if what came next was the providence of Heaven or the fluctuation of the weather following the great earthquake. Drops of rain began showering down on the weed-strewn field and they were cold as they pelted at the skins of the Triune and slowly drenched their clothes. The monster emitted another deafening snarl, and the jiangshis in thick hairs and fur lunged at the heroes!


    But Shang Pei bellowed triumphantly in laughter, "Divine intervention, it is!"

 Chapter 213 Grappling with Ghouls

    The monsters were nearly so close to bludgeoning Shang Pei when his voice thundered like a blasting trumpet across a battlefield. But before they could even graze his overcoat, they fell facefirst into the ground like blocks of ice, smashing into the ground with a crunch before they broke into pieces.


    I looked more closely, my eyes narrowing into a slit as I struggle to see in the night. The rain was falling like a shower of needles and bolts from the sky, hammering into the assailing horde of black-haired jiangshis, bringing them down while pummeling them into pulps of flesh and meat.


    The leader of the pack, the huge monster, gave a roar of defiance and fury. A lightning bolt in the distance illuminated the night sky that I almost thought it was morning for a transitory second. But as swiftly as it came, the lightning bolt disappeared just as quickly and darkness pervaded again the sky overhead us. But before the dark of the night devoured the last sliver of light, I saw thousands of shadowy, little silhouettes rise up from the ground and flew like bees towards the huge monster!


    What came after the brief deluge of light, was the unstoppable tide of darkness. For a few seconds, I could see nothing at all as the blackness closed in on me like a staggering weight; the light earlier was too bright that I needed more time to get used to the darkness.


    The first thing I saw when my eyes grew accustomed to the absence of light was the many broken limbs, severed torsos and all other parts of the mutilated jiangshis fusing into the body of their leader, the hulking monster. They melted into him, becoming one with it and its length and girth slowly grew as more thick hair began to sprout and grow from every inch of it. The more it grew, the lesser it looked like a man, looking more and more like a wolf-man or a werewolf by the second, although the burgeoning foul aura and the stench of decaying flesh told me otherwise!


    A series of explosions that echoed off the walls of darkness around us followed after another guttural thunder from the giant monster and a huge wave of foul aura rippled across the empty, weed-sprinkled field! An aura so thick and full but yet so evil! I felt my hands quivering. This accursed thing had absorbed its own kind to bolster its strength! It is no longer any ordinary undead, but the strongest of their kind, a Wretched Ghoul!


    The last of the explosions reverberated into the night and rain fell like a pouring sheet of water over us. I looked back at the Triune. The huge saber propped against his shoulders suddenly began to grow in length and change in shape!


    Growing rapidly before my eyes, the saber morphed and changed within seconds into a long polearm, a long guandao that shone with a cold fury that would have made any foe shudder. He flung his limp, wet hair back over his shoulder and his face turned to stone, his eyes flashing with an unmistakable fit of anger and hatred.


    By now, I fully understood it. Shang Pei''s magic must be related to the Element of Water and the rain could not have come at a more better time; a Heaven-sent boon for his magic that greatly augmented his powers, thus allowing him to shape matter out of water and ice. And the guandao he now wielded must be it.


    But how would he fare against a Wretched Ghoul? I wondered. How would his cold magic manage against a fiendish monstrosity of the foulest and most dark?


    Like a prelude to the impending showdown I was expecting to witness, Shang Pei let loose an ear-splitting roar and the Ghoul responded with a thunderous shriek of its own!


    With his foot firmly planted into the ground, Shang Pei pivoted and swung his weapon with all his might and weight! But the Ghoul emitted a long and rasping growl, vanishing instantly in the puff of vapor like a magician''s trick!


    A pair of startled yelps escaped the throats of Old Man Chen and Xie Bingyi. But Shang Pei was clearly faster than them; his hands rose and he made a hand seal over his forehead. The air screamed as if a thousand arrows were whistling through the air and the rain fell like an endless barrage of icicles that bombarded the ground mercilessly. Then came a deep thud and something black and large crashed to the ground behind Shang Pei. It was the hulking Wretched Ghoul!


    Its back was slick from the rain of water and ice, but the hairs of the monster stood on their ends like a porcupine''s quills. It stood up, lumbering over Shang Pei, its eyes flashing dangerously with anger and malice. Shang Pei swiveled on his heels, whirling around and swinging his long guandao at the monster behind it. But it evaded with hardly any effort and a short but hideous chuckle.


    Xie Bingyi, who had remained with Old Man Chen, extracted a yellow talismanic strip warily just as the monolithic fiend evaded Shang Pei''s attack and drew closer towards them. He held it tightly between his fingers when the monster leaped near and tossed it at the Ghoul when it came within range. The yellow strip of paper stuck to the fur on the back of the monster and Xie Bingyi began his crooning chant and the talismanic paper erupted into flames and the same brilliant glow burst forth again. Only this time, the concentrated aura of Yang energies did not swirl around the conjurer of the spell Xie Bingyi but instead around the body of the Ghoul!


    Pure Yang energies enveloped the Ghoul; it squealed and howled in pain, frantically clawing at its back but the white glow in its back burned with the scorch of the fires of Hell, roasting it alive as its flesh sizzled and seethed! Seeing his chance, Shang Pei delivered another stroke with his weapon, slashing down fiercely at the monster''s head! The rain of water and ice answered the summons of Shang Pei, shelling at the monster from all directions, painting a strange and surrealistic scene as I watched from a distance.


    A sonorous hum groaned to life and vapor began pouring from the blob of white glow still melting the flesh of the monster now squirming at the excruciating pain! The volleys of ice and water spikes reduced the strength of the talisman''s magic as the Yang energies began to dwindle; Shang Pei''s magic was dwarfing over Xie Bingyi''s talisman and it began to fail before it too, was shredded into pieces like the rest of the monster''s body, leaving only an unrecognizable mash of bones and flesh with hardly any furs left. Much of the monster''s hairs have been reduced to ashes by the white flames of Xie Bingyi''s magic.


    The Triune heaved a breath of relief and the guandao in Shang Pei''s grasp began to dissolve into streams of water that ran down the weapon until nothing was left. The weapon, first a saber before turning into a guandao, was completely formed from ice; a fitting testament to Shang Pei''s masterful grasp of ice manipulation sorcery!


    Xie Bingyi nodded approvingly as a smile curled on his lips. Then he kicked lightly at the Seer who was lying facefirst on the ground. "Get up, come on! Stop trying to pretend you''re dead!" Old Man Chen turned and chuckled playfully then he got up. He was barely firm on his feet when he saw another dark shadow racing towards them from the backs of his companions! I saw it too; an ominous and shadowy silhouette, closing in swiftly towards Old Man Xie and Shang Pei under the cover of the pattering raindrops!


    "Goddammit!" The Seer spat suddenly and he reached his arms forward to push his comrades aside like a set of doors. The desperate shove threw both Xie Bingyi and Shang Pei off-balanced and the former hissed angrily, "WHAT THE HELL!? WHAT''S WRONG WITH YOU..." Before Xie Bingyi could finish, a gigantic paw that resembled a bear''s forearm smote at Old Man Chen''s chest from the space between his two companions!


    The Seer braced himself for the blow only to hear a loud boom! The unknown monster which had attacked was sent flying for meters away before crashing into the ground.


    But the me watching from the sidelines saw everything: just when he was being pushed aside to safety, Shang Pei had realized what was happening! He twisted while struggling to regain his balance, channeling his powers to his fists that they glowed brightly in beryl green and he delivered a forceful punch into the face of whatever it was that nearly struck Old Man Chen!


    But just when Shang Pei''s fist hammered into the face of the monster with a dull boom, what came along was the pronounced nasty crunch from the very same hand that struck the blow! Shang Pei''s vociferous howl of anguish! Xie Bingyi scrambled from the ground and clutched at Shang Pei''s injured hand. That punch earlier must have fractured his wristbone and damaged his tendons! The voodoo healer examined briefly the hand still quivering from the throbbing pain before he yanked a talismanic strip and wrapped it gently around the hand. With his hymnic invocation, the talisman shone with a gentle luminescence that was gradually absorbed by the hand.


    The glow ebbed gently as if being injected into Shang Pei''s hands, but he was unable to suppress a yell of pain as if he had gone mad!


    The evil voice cackled again derisively, only this time it sounded mildly subdued. "I see. You do have a few tricks hidden up your sleeves!" We turned to look at the monster Shang Pei had just sent flying. It was the very same massive Wretched Ghoul that he had just defeated before! But I understood how. It had survived the onslaught later by using one of the many lesser jiangshis it had absorbed as a decoy while it escaped certain death!


    But now that Shang Pei has lost the use of one of his hands, the Triune possessed neither the power nor means to defeat this abomination. My heart raced quickly. Then a sudden thought rose in me, Does this mean I have to intervene here as well?! But my powers are no better than even the Xie Bingyi now! What can I do?


    But there was hardly any time to think. The Ghoul leaped into the air, lunging for the Triune with the ferocity of a stampede. I quickly muttered the incantation for controlling my sword. But I was not even halfway when the air screamed a sharp, piercing whistle and something drove through the Ghoul''s head like a powerful lance!

 Chapter 214 Provenance

    The Triune, and me too, were all dumbfounded. None of us knew what was happening. All we heard was a whining pitch that tore through the air and the head of the Ghoul exploded like a watermelon and the impact from the blow was enough to make it careen like a gyroscope out of control before it crashed into the ground. Xie Bingyi and Old Man Chen traded incredulous looks while Shang Pei jerked his heads towards somewhere in the dark, still clasping his injured hand.


    I looked towards where Shang Pei was looking to and saw a figure approaching us, his white robes growing more conspicuous in the dark as he drew nearer. It was only when he was a few stones away I realized that it was Father! Relieved smiles and joyous grins broke upon the faces of Shang Pei and his companions when they saw him! Father chuckled playfully and walked to the Wretched Ghoul and smirked, "So, not even I can stop you, you say?" But he did not wait for any answer from the fiendish monster. He grabbed at it with one hand and raised it up like an adult lifting a dwarf by the scruff of his neck.


    The mouth on what remained of the horribly mutilated head of the Ghoul spat truculently, "Kill me if you will, Murong Hai! The rest of the Cult will never rest until you''re..." "The Cult is no more," Father cut him short, "You''re the last one left." Gesticulating fumes began rising from the skin of the rotting flesh of the Ghoul as its corpse began to smolder. Then flames burst alive and took it, devouring it so rapidly and ravenously that only ashes and blackened soot remained in the end. "And the last is no more," Father observed dryly.


    I watched with awe as Father walked to Shang Pei and reached for his injured wrist! Shang Pei grunted with pain as Father held his hand firmly, showing no signs of letting go. A tendril of green smoke formed around Shang Pei''s mangled right hand for several moments before they fluttered gently away, leaving the disfigured hand as good as new!


    Shang Pei''s grunts and yelps turned into a hollow gasp and Father released his hold and patted on his friend''s shoulder with a grin. Then he turned and walked off, his back slowly vanishing into the still-falling rain of the night, leaving all of us agape with bewilderment. I leaped from my spot and chased after him. But no matter how hard I tried, Father only grew further and further from me.


    For miles and miles, I pursued him and the sky was flooded with light suddenly! Good Heavens! I groaned in dismay, Time must have taken another leap! I looked far ahead of me and found Father completely missing! Come on! I cursed How many times do I have to go through this!? I continued pressing ahead, but I kept a close lookout on where I was. But I have no idea of where I was nor when was this. All I knew was I was running in an endless coppice of lush and thick red pines that stretched far out of view.


    I huffed and puffed with exasperation as my pace slowed to a walk. My hand rummaged deep into my pockets for my cigarette, then I found nothing but a pulp of tobacco shreds and paper. The rain when I was still in 1976 with the Triune just now must have ruined it! I tossed the misshapen mash to the ground, frustrated, and began ambling aimlessly through the kaleidoscope of red, brown, and green.


    There was hardly any need for me to be anxious nor worried about where I would go to, for Master Six would make sure that the answers appeared to me whenever I wanted them to. There was no reason it would not be the same this time.


    And the answer came looking for me indeed. Here I was, sauntering lazily in the red pine woods when the loud bang of a gunshot rumbled among the trees and a flock of frightened birds scrambled into the air. I looked towards the direction where the thunderous bang had come from but I saw nothing but miles and miles of trees. I breathed hard and flew into the air, hoping that I might be able to see something from above. But to my dismay, the boughs of the pines of this verdant grove were too lush and thick for me to see anything. Defeated, I descended back to the ground and ran on foot. The gunfire sounded like it came from a short-barreled hunting rifle and whoever had fired it must be close, since the noise was sharp and loud.


    I darted among the trees as quickly as I could like a prancing stag with the crunching sounds of breaking twigs and pine cones in my wake.


    I shove and dove through thickets and fen until I finally saw the blurred figures of people wavering in the distance. Then I kicked and flew! But what I saw made me halted three feet over the ground like a high-speed vehicle screeching on its brakes!


    Every shred of my fiber including my mind froze like ice. A band of people, all clad in peculiar outfits were pursuing a Taoist priest! The priest was carrying a sword on his back and he was cradling a bundle in his arms as he ran desperately for his life! He was bleeding on the back of his waist profusely, a red patch growing like a red blossom and more blood trickled down as he ran, leaving a trail of blood in his furrow. His pursuers roared and heckled after him, firing their weapons every now and then as their pursuit remained hot and fresh.


    But that was not what made me froze. It was the pursuers. I knew all of them! Clad in old and ancient clothing and some even in Taoist robes, these were the evil fox demons I slew in Inner Mongolia!


    I hovered in the air for seconds, lost in the reminiscences of my encounters in Inner Mongolia as the pursuers and the Taoist priest drifted out of sight. Then I jerked myself back to the present and I ran after them! A deep sense of foreboding twisted in my gut even though I could not yet make sense of what was happening. When I caught up again to the demons, they were drawing closer to the priest. One of the demons raised its rifle, cursing under its breath, and took aim at the back of the fleeing priest''s head. Realizing this, I did what I could. I reached to the hand holding firmly at the barrel of the rifle and yanked it hard as soon as the demon pulled its trigger. A loud bang echoed off the tall trees, but the shot missed. It missed the Taoist''s head and hit his calf instead and the priest fell forward into the ground with a loud thud. The bundle in his arms tumbled onto the soft, moist soil of the forest and a baby''s wail broke the otherwise tranquil silence around them.


    A woman broke from the group of pursuers, sauntering pompously towards the wounded priest. She simpered, looking absolutely pleased with herself as she went past the priest, ignoring him completely. She wished only for the wailing toddler. But before she could go closer, a hand clutched at her ankles firmly. It was the Taoist priest. The woman let loose a short scream of fright when she felt her leg being held but when she was it was the priest with his last-ditch effort of defiance, she cruelly kicked him in the abdomen and freed herself before squatting down to lift up the baby in her arms.


    I was still rooted to the spot, unable to move as a hint of recognition flashed across my dumbstruck face. This woman! The very same one who would one day try to cheat me of five yuan! So this is why my memories of this woman and her peculiar-looking jaw have been so vivid in my mind! This was what happened! I have met these people even when I was still a baby! And this woman had carried me before in her arms and this is how I remembered her strange-looking jaw!


    Rage churned in me. This must be it! What Father told me before! A tall and lean Taoist priest running for his life while carrying me and the Shiyan Blade! These are the ones hunting him! These bloody pack of fox demons!


    Feeling my anger inching beyond control, I thrust a hand at the Shiyan Blade hanging on the back of the Taoist priest, my fingers forming the Seal of the Sword. The sword shuddered in response to my summons like a beast eager to heed the commands of its master! But despite finishing my incantation, the Shiyan Blade refused to free itself from its scabbard!


    The Taoist priest lingered near death, clinging to life at the precarious mercy of the life, the strength and the blood seeping out of him. He looked up and saw the female fox demon cradling the baby me in her arms and felt himself filled with anger that supplied him with the strength necessary for a frantic and audacious retaliation! His hand swung over his shoulder and gripped tightly the hilt of the Shiyan Blade and yanked it hard and hewed it with all his might at the female demon! But the woman easily evaded it and reciprocated with a bitter stomp on his sword hand, earning a hurting scream of pain from the priest!


    Another person broke apart from the group; a baldy who delivered a kick so hard into the face of the priest that he fainted. The bald demon stooped down and unfasten the scabbard from the priest and took the Shiyan Blade for himself. He examined the Blade with interest as he asked the female demon still carrying me, "Senior Sister. Are you certain that the blasted dragon can help us in our quest for vengeance if we give it this sword and its spirit?" The female demon gave an annoyed but light kick on the baldy''s calf, "You fool! We now possess both the sword and its spirit! All we have to do is find a secluded place to hide them both and nurture him to do our bidding! He would be so powerful that not even Murong Hai or that wretched dragon can defeat him! What could have possibly possessed you that you could think of giving them both away?!"


    The baldy rubbed his smooth and glabrous head and gave a silly giggle. "Of course, Senior Sister. Of course. I have been foolish."


    Good Heavens, they have always wanted me not because of my value to Father, but they want to use me against Father! What did they call me? A spirit!? Am I the Spirit of the Shiyan Blade?! But I did not delve further for now. The boiling rage in me made me ball my fists before I smash it like a hammer into the face of the female demon who yelped with both pain and surprise. The baby fell from her arms and I dove to catch it like how I would with an American football and I thrust my hand again at the Shiyan Blade with the Seal of the Sword, urging it to heed my command!

 Chapter 215 Waking Up

    Whether because I was carrying myself, or my magic was finally beginning to work, I did not know. But one way or another, the Shiyan Blade screamed as it freed itself from its sheath and flew to my grasp! Without any shred of hesitation, my fingers closed in tightly on its hilt and the first thing I did was to swing it fiercely at the throat of the female demon!


    The edge of the Shiyan Blade turned searing white with an insipid smolder. The demoness could not move. She could not understand how did the baby left her arms, nor how did the Shiyan Blade fly from behind her and was now attacking her. Petrified and astonished, even the notion to evade my blow was all but lost from her.


    The tip of the Blade barely grazed the demoness'' throat when she finally regained my senses in the nick of time. With a loud swoosh, a smog of dark and foul miasma burst out in front of me and I saw a small yellow-brownish silhouette brushed past my ankles! The demoness had released a pall of foul miasma ¨C the fox demons'' signature defense ¨C and turned into her true form to escape! The rest of her brood followed suit and fled in a heartbeat and none of them remained. The Shiyan Blade began to lead me ahead as if it has a sentience of its own until I realized that it wished for me to release its hilt. My grip relaxed and it shot out of my grasp and returned to its sheath.


    Then I heard the soft footfalls of somebody approaching from the deep of the woods. Excitement grew in me, for I know who was coming. The story that I have heard a few times since knowing that I was not Father''s trueborn was coming to life before my very eyes. In just barely moments, the same white-robed figure drifting carelessly out of the woods was indeed Father!


    I placed the baby me down, laying myself just beside the unconscious Taoist priest. Father was barely a handful of paces away. His reaction when he found the priest was something I hardly expected. More so, since Father was accustomed to leaving out vital details whenever he told a tale, especially the ones about himself. He merely told me that he chanced upon an unfortunate priest, saying nothing about his lackadaisical lukewarmness even before a man on the brink of Death. He drew closer to the priest and lifted the baby me.


    As if struck by a calming effect emanating from Father, the baby me immediately stopped my wailing when Father hugged me. The toddler blinked his eyes at Father with interest and Father smiled at him. Then he whistled. The Shiyan Blade, now returned to its scabbard on the priest''s back, extricated from its sheath and flew obediently into Father''s hand. He took the scabbard and lazily threw the sword into the air. Either by skill or the Blade''s very own sentience, the sword came down and slid perfectly into the scabbard Father was holding. With a flick of his wrist, the sword was gone.


    I chuckled with amusement. But this seems hardly the time to admire Father''s prowess in swordsmanship, I remembered suddenly. I crouched down to examine the tall Taoist priest. But there was nothing else I could do for him. His life was hanging on a thread now and the thread could be snapping any moment now.


    It was no new news to me that Father could at times be ruthless and callous especially in the past. Knowing that the priest has zero chance of surviving, Father decided to not even try saving him. He walked to the priest and bent down. Then a powerful burst of mana rippled forth, sending me crashing to the ground! Through the tendrils of mists and fogs, Father radiated a strong and powerful aura as he reached and clutched the skull of the dying priest and he sprang up straight. But instead of lifting the priest, he drew out a white, translucent silhouette in the shape of a man from the body of the priest!


    Just so easily... I gasped. Just as simple as lifting a cup, Father had separated the Taoist priest''s soul from his body. But it was true. What Father drew out from the body was indeed his soul. With a placid look and voice, Father said, "Tell me what happened." The shade of the Taoist priest was still at a loss from what Father did; he fidgeted anxiously and fumbled. "I was charged by the chief of my order to locate and bring to him the Shiyan Blade and its Spirit. And that I did. But on my way back, I was waylaid by these vile fox demons who also coveted the prize." The soul spoke with an emotionally anemic voice, his gaze lost and hollow dad and his expression bare and blank, resembling a mindless machine.


    "What is this order of yours?" Father asked again. "The Creed of the Eight Trigrams," the ghost replied blankly but I almost sputtered. What?! The Creed?! This Taoist?! A member of the Creed!? Father told me nothing about this! But I immediately understood why Father had kept this particular detail from me; I would have wanted only to delve more into the secrets of the Creed if I am aware of this Taoist priest''s identity. Hence, to spare me of wanting to find out more about myself, Father had decimated the entirety of the Creed to prevent me from doing so.


    Much of the fog that veiled the answers I was seeking was beginning to thin. And I have Master Six to thank for sending me back through Time to seek out the explanations for myself. Father, on the other hand, would have preferred that I lived the rest of my life without knowing about my true identity as the Spirit of the Shiyan Blade, the very same sword which the legendary Yan Di of the South had wielded.


    The Shiyan Blade would have been securely safe in Father''s keeping if I knew nothing about my true existence and continued my life as a common man. The world and I would forever be safe no matter how many times I die and reincarnate. This was what Father had been doing. For my sake and for the world''s.


    Then again, the Shiyan Blade is a legendary weapon with godly powers. Why has Father been keeping watch of it for so long? He had been charged with guarding the Dragon-slaying Blade in the first place, but since when he began to watch me and the Shiyan Blade and why? What caused him to change his objective? Could it be... Has something happened to the Dragon-slaying Blade? Was Father preparing to use the Shiyan Blade against it in the odds that it is now in the hands of an enemy?


    The Dragon-slaying Blade must have existed since the discovery of the fourteen dragon leys of China, while the Shiyan Blade enjoyed its own prestigious fame as one of the most powerful weapons of ancient Chinese legend since the time of the Wufang Shangdi. There was no telling which of these two weapons were better than the other.


    But this theory was not without its flaw. Father should have long trained me in the use of the Shiyan Blade, if that was really his motive! He would never have kept the truth from me! He would never have to wait until Master Six''s dogged insistence before he agreed to pass on to me the Shiyan Blade! Then there was also the matter of true identity: the Spirit of the Shiyan Blade. What does it mean? What is it to me? Am I the reincarnation of the Spirit of the Shiyan Blade? Does that mean that the Shiyan Blade is now only an ordinary sword? That would only mean I have to rejoin the Shiyan Blade as the actual Spirit of the Sword before it could regain its former invincibility. But if that were true, Father should have really begun training me a long time ago!


    Weary from all the thinking, fatigue came to me suddenly, urging me to leave all my trepidations aside for now. I leaned on a red pine, sliding down to a sit and slowly drifted away, my eyelids grew heavier than lead every fleeting second...


    I found myself still at the very same spot when I woke up, although there were mild differences to the scenes around me. I got up and stretched my limbs and looked around. Something about the forest I was in had certainly changed, but I could not well describe it. I shrugged helplessly and kicked to fly. But instead of rising, I fell into a roll on the ground and hit my hind parts. I spun myself up, rubbing my sore parts and cursed. I see! I was feeling as light as feather earlier, without any throbs of hunger or fatigue. But now, I regained the sensation of my own weight and my stomach was groaning from the pangs of hunger! Have I returned? But why am I here in this red pine coppice?


    Reeling with confusion and starvation, I stuck my hand into my pocket and felt in one side my cell phone. It was off; the battery had long gone dead. In the pocket the other side, there was my wallet. I have no more cigarettes left and the notes in my wallet were all creased after being wet. Was it all real? I began to doubt myself, did everything I saw really happened? Or was it just only a surrealistic midsummer''s night dream? But how am I here then, at the place where Father found me? And how do I explain the wrinkled money in my wallet?


    But the rest of the contents of my wallet was intact. And that seemed comforting. At least, with money and proper identification, I could still get back home. But I would first need to get myself out of here and find out where was this place. I might need to book a flight or a train ticket if this was somewhere far from Wu Zhong. My stomach rumbled again as if to serve me another reminder of my starvation.


    I exhaled heavily. I began walking, hoping that I could somehow walk out of this seemingly endless patch of red pine. Night came quickly, but this really seemed like an endless patch of red pines to me! A whole day''s worth of walking and I was still trapped here! Then I remembered what I saw when I was gazing at this forest from the sky when I was still in the past; this bloody forest sprawled across an entire hillside! It would definitely take more than a day for me to get out!

 Chapter 216 Changbai Mountain

    Dusk darkened to full night but here I was, utterly lost in the middle of nowhere. I do not usually wear watches, hence I could not tell the time. I was disconnected from society and the rest of the world. For one of the rarest moments in my life, I began to comprehend how we humans depended so greatly on our cell phones to remain part of civilization.


    Chilly winds blew and their icy fingers licked at my skin, sending shivers creeping up my spine. It was extraordinarily cold here. Red pines are trees that stay evergreen all seasons but the melting patches of ice and snow on the ground told me that this place recently snowed. That, and the never-ending winds of the night continued testing the dignity of my thick fur velvets.


    With my options numbered few, I looked for flat ground and found some branches as kindling to start a fire. But I have no flint to produce any spark and the feeble flame of my lighter could do little to set alight the kindling in such rigid weather. But the leaves of the red pines here could not be used as tinder hence I have to tear off the hood of my velvety overcoat and use it as fuel.


    I was renewed with hope and warmth as the flames began to crackle cheerily in the hearth. But then came my next conundrum: food. I have had numerous experiences of hunting in the wild for food. But with Chongxi and Lin Feng, it was different; we have more manpower and a stronger fire. The little firepit now blazing could hardly attract anything nevermind patriarch or any wildfowls. But nothing would come from just waiting, I surmised, and I took out my Spirit Gourd and released my spirit wolves. Perhaps they could find me something to eat.


    True enough, the wolves immediately sniffed the air and found something not far away. I got up and followed them. After more than hundreds of meters, I saw a little shadowy silhouette darting around quickly. With steely patience, the wolves slowly gave chase. They closed in on whatever it was together, growling menacingly. I marveled at the tactical ingenuity of my wolf pack as I followed them and finally, we stopped. They have pinned their quarry at a tight little corner.


    I held out my Gourd like a gun and was about to speak the Words of Command of the spell to kill the animal but I stopped short. I saw what it was. It was a young little fox. I waved off my wolves and they, having understood my gesture, withdrew reluctantly but no longer paying any heed to the whimpering little fox.


    Still, it was still rooted to the spot. The look of being surrounded by six snarling wolves must be a petrifying sight to behold. But the fox did not escape immediately. Its glistening eyes, black as onyx, stared at me as if it had recognized me. I scoffed. Even little foxes who have yet to learn any magic know who I am too? That''s a surprise.


    I exhaled. "What are you waiting for? Do you really want to be my dinner?" I barked at the fox and I threw a dismissive wave of my arm. Hearing this, the fox immediately scampered off into the bushes. I motioned for my wolves to look for something else, only this time, they failed. It was just past winter and most, if not the rest, of the animals could well still be hibernating by now. There was nothing everywhere.


    I returned to the hearth, half-expecting the fire to be mere glowing embers by now with no one to continue feeding fuel. But when I got back, I saw a person tossing more logs into the fire! The wolves, feeling my trepidation of an unknown stranger, began baring their teeth and growl, advancing slowly with their backs arched and their furs standing. I narrowed my eyes to see through the dark and the shifty glow of the fire and saw that it was a girl. A young girl, although I could not quite make out her age. She was wearing a thick hiking jacket and her knapsack was sitting right beside her and she looked like a lost traveler to me. The young woman tossed more branches into the fire and poked at them to make them burn more fiercely.


    The hesitation in me subsided a little and I walked closer to the fire. My approaching footsteps warned her of a coming stranger and her head immediately turned towards me and she yelped a frightened cry, collapsing back to the ground by the fire. I lowered my gaze and saw my wolves glaring hungrily at her as if they had found a prey. I quickly held out an arm to prevent them from pouncing. I would never succumb to cannibalism no matter what. With my signal, the wolves softened. They sat down on their haunches demurely around the fire.


    The young woman could barely move an inch. All strength has left her and her voice failed her. Gripped by fear, she could only watch as I stepped nearer to the fire until I finally sat down.


    The palpitating spasm of discomfort from my stomach reminded me of my hunger as soon as I got down. "Do you have food?" I asked at once. The girl stared at me, startled that was the first words that came from me. Then she broke into action, rummaging in her knapsack for food and held up one for me. It was a can of chips. I looked down and saw other chips as well as chocolates and other junk food. For Heaven''s sake, I almost blurted out loud, You''re inviting Death by expecting these to satisfy your hunger in the wilderness! I shook my head and chuckled bleakly to myself. From within the pile, I dug out a bag of hardtacks and a sausage. As I crunched on the biscuits, I asked, "Where is this place?"


    My question caught her off-guard and it took her more than seconds before she could finally summon the courage to answer. Hesitantly, she squeaked, "This is China and we''re in the spring of 2019..." I almost choked. Of course I know this is China and we''re in the year 2019!


    Then it dawned upon me. This young woman must have thought I am a time traveler!


    I scowled. "Stop imagining things. I''m only asking where are we. I''m not a time traveler or something!" An apparent hint of disappointment flashed in her deep eyes and she answered, "This is Changbai Mountain."


    "WHAT?!" I jumped to my feet immediately, "Did you just say Changbai Mountain?" How is this even possible?! "What''s the date today?" I asked again. But her answer came just as quickly, "It''s the fifteenth day of the lunar month today. The Spring Lantern Festival." Huh?! The Spring Lantern Festival?! So my time traveling had taken me two days?!


    I bit furiously at my biscuits, all the while seething within. What had Master Six done this time to send me here?!


    The young woman never once peeled her eyes off me. She could sense my anxiety and restlessness, although the sight of my six wolves kept her from speaking. An awkward silence lulled over us for minutes and the air was filled with the crunching sounds of me chomping on my biscuits and the buoyant crackling of the fire. When my quick dinner was over, I stared blankly into the fire. I could do with a bit of smoke, but my cigarettes were out. With a hopeful glance at the young woman, I noticed that she was peering warily at me. "Urm... Do you have any cigarettes with you?" I asked expectantly. She quickly avoided my gaze and shook her head. I sighed heavily, discouraged as my head sank. I reached a hand to stroke the fur of the wolf sitting just beside me and I introduced myself, "My name is Shiyan. Murong Shiyan."


    Hearing this, the girl quickly responded, "I''m called Qin Le." "Are you lost?" I asked, trying to smile nicely. She nodded and her mouth opened as if to speak. But her voice was lost when she noticed my six wolves again.


    I chuckled and took out my Spirit Gourd to withdraw my wolves. This left Qin Le''s mouth hanging like a door. She had no idea how six large wolves could disappear in just a blink of an eye! "The six wolves..." She whimpered hesitantly. "They''re mine," I explained at once, cutting her short, "But they''re not real, living wolves. Only their souls." A twinkle blazed in her eyes. "You''re not human, aren''t you?!" She asked finally, exploding like a balloon and her question made me froze. "What the hell? Is this an actual question or are you trying to insult me?!" But I quickly realized that it was the former; barely a heartbeat I answered, "No. I''m a human, not some monster that you might be imagining. But I know some magic. That''s all."


    Her eyes flared with interest and enthusiasm and she began pelting me with a barrage of questions. "You must be looking for tombs to plunder, are you?!" I scowled at her again. "You''ve been watching too many movies." But she pressed on, "Then you must be one of those urban mages or sorcerers!" But before I could answer, she went on again, "Otherwise, you could be a hermit in the mountains who study magic and sorcery while keeping away from us, the common people!"


    I said nothing, shaking my head all the time. At last, I admitted, "I don''t even know how am I transported here." But that did little to quell her fire. She tossed a few more questions my way, and I answered none of them. "You''ve been reading one too many novel. You sneaked away from your tour group, did you not? But instead of fulfilling your fantasy of enjoying the sights and sounds of the wilderness on your own, you find yourself lost in the middle of nowhere?"


    "How did you know that?" She asked incredulously.

 Chapter 217 The Geeky Girl

    Are you not the foolish female geek! I wondered as I stared at Qin Le. Not that it mattered now, I thought again. I sighed. "Do you have your cell phone with you?" It was just a hope too sanguine to be true; I knew her answer beforehand: she would not have been lost in the first place if she has her phone with her.


    She shook her head flatly, confirming my thoughts. She fished out a cell phone which was also dead too, shaking it in front of me. "It''s dead. I have made sure the battery was full when I got out. But it has been dead since I got here. It just wouldn''t start." I nodded and told her the same about mine and we began to talk more casually.


    As it happened, Qin Le was here with a tour group to visit Changbai Mountain. But the curious and inquisitive girl wandered off on her own and was separated from her group and it was too late when she realized how lost she was. Hence she could only wait for the group to notice her absence and come looking for her. The management of the tour group must be on general quarters by now, doing all they can. But time waits for no man and the inevitable night came, Qin Le began to realize that she could no longer stay put. She started to wander and chanced upon the fire I started. She thought it was started by the search-and-rescue personnel looking for her, and she sat there, waiting for them. But instead of any emergency services personnel, all she got was a young man, that was me, with six vicious wolves.


    I told her a summary of how I got myself here while omitting many a great detail but apparently the concise version of my tale was enough to interest her. The burning fire reflected in her deep, black eyes that twinkled like huge gold nuggets. When I reached the part when I admitted that I was a medium of sorts, the young woman rushed to me and grabbed at my elbows, shaking me like a ragdoll. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I know you must be one of those hermits learned in sorcery and magic! Come on, teach me something! Just a trick or two!"


    I cast an annoyed look at her. "I am not a hermit. I have my own agency. A paranormal investigation agency. We take walk-ins. And magic is not like a magician''s trick anyone can learn on the fly. You need training. There''s no ''hocus-pocus'' or ''abracadabra'' for a rabbit to appear with a puff of brimstone. If that were true, we would have wizards and mages at every corner of the streets. You must have had too much Harry Potter for your own good? Can I trouble you with a magical textbook?" But what she answered was no less nauseating: for all I have told her, she had heard only the last part of what I said about "a magical textbook." Conveniently for her, she had readily ignored everything of what I said about being sensible and realistic.


    "A magical textbook?! Like those in Harry Potter?! Come on, let''s see it!" She yanked at my arm, pestering me. I shook her off brusquely. "Magical textbooks, tomes, grimoire, and the sort are things in Western fantasy. What makes you think that I would have one of those? You want something interesting to read? Head to the bookstore and get your own Daodejing."


    My rough manners seemed to have quieted her at last, although it did little to quell her eagerness to learn more. She removed the camera hanging from her neck and insisted on a picture with me. "Why would I want to take a picture with you when we could be dead if we don''t find our way out of here soon!?" I snarled. This female geek was getting on my nerves. "Moreover, you just said your cell is out of power! Won''t your camera be the same?" But girl flipped opened her camera bag and presented, much to her amusement and my chagrin, a Polaroid that runs on battery.


    Qin Le powered up her camera and tested to see if it was working fine. In the end, she tugged at my arm, badgering me for the picture when she was satisfied with it. It was imperative for her to record this historic moment in her life, she said. If only I have one of these, I grimaced, I could have taken a picture during my time travels. That could really be historic. Literally, even!


    With a rambunctious click then a whirr, a little photograph popped out of the Polaroid. The image it captured slowly appeared after a minute and there was a little geeky girl, beaming brightly, while clutching at a sulking me. But there was something odd about the photo; strange and weird, although I could not say how.


    But the loggerheaded geek had not felt anything was amiss. She was pleased with the picture, "Hahaha! It''s perfect! Hahaha! This alone is worth the entire trip!" She coiled her arm around my elbow. "And here I''ve found a hermit sorcerer living in the wild!" I narrowed my eyes and hissed, "While I have caught a wild female geek!" Hardly abashed, she clung on tightly to my arm, begging, "Please take me as a student, O Great Wizard!"


    I shook her off like I would with a crockroach and ripped the picture out of her hand. "Careful. My wife would skin you alive if she sees this." That was hardly a joke, I mused. Edelweiss would have made sure nothing would remain of her if she had witnessed how sticky a girl Qin Le was. Not that Edelweiss was a stranger to acts of this kind in the first place, though.


    "HUH?! You''re married?! How old are you!?" Qin Le shrieked out loud with surprise. But I barely favored her with even a glance; I was still busy finding out what was wrong with the photograph and I answered offhandedly, "She''s my fiancee. I''m 24." Completely oblivious of my lack of attention, she went on prattling, "Oh, so you''re older than me. I''m 22. Is your fiancee beautiful? What is she working as? Is she a witch? Er... Maybe not. She must be the daughter of a wealthy family! Yeah, this is how it often is in novels!"


    I remarked lackadaisically again, "She''s formerly a brigand." I was poring at the photograph carefully. The picture seemed stranger by the second as long as I looked at it. But my answer made Qin Le jumped with fright, "WHAT?!"


    But before she could utter another syllable, my arm shot up immediately like a bolt of lightning and that silenced her. And only the screeching of the bugs of the night pervaded around us. I had finally found what was wrong with the photograph. Qin Le began to notice the grim look on my face and she grew quiet at once, her neck ducking into her scruff like a terrified tortoise.


    It was in the darkness behind us in the picture that I saw what was wrong. Far beyond the reach of the light, I could see many pairs of green, glowing eyes, surrounding all around the fire in a ring meters away from the hearth. But we felt nothing nor realized anything at all! Those green emerald-like eyes could only be nocturnal beasts such as wolves. But small wonder, given Qin Le''s loud cries and the fire which would have served as a homing beacon for whatever predators that lurked around. But I was quite certain that they could only be wolves, for only wolves travel in packs of these sizes while being able to come close to us with such stealth. I peered at the timestamp. The picture was taken two minutes ago. How far behind would they be now? Five meters? Three meters? Or are they just skirting around the edges of the glow from the fire?


    How have I gone so careless! I cursed quietly as goosebumps began pimpling my skin. I immediately motioned to Qin Le to come over to my side and whispered urgently to her, "Listen well. We are now surrounded by beasts. Most likely wolves. Do not scream and make no sudden movements!" I handed the photo to her with a finger pointed to the green eyes peering in the dark. Her hand quivered as she took over the photo, but I could not make out what she was feeling, whether she was shivering with fear or was she actually fumbling with panic.


    But I have more things to worry about than the panicking fits of a timid girl. I extracted my Spirit Gourd and performed a series of hand seals to complete the spell to summon the Shiyan Blade. Holding the Gourd in my left hand, I recited the spell that released my spirit wolves who immediately stood around me and Qin Le in a protective circle, snarling vociferously at whatever they were prowling in the dark.


    Suddenly, I felt a tug at my sleeves. Qin Le was pulling at them, trying desperately to gain my attention as another of her arm was outstretched, pointing into the sky through a small opening in the midst of the thick boughs overhead us. "Look," She squeaked at me and I saw a red light streaking through the sky like a comet. But I knew what it was. I thrust my arm upwards, my hands opening wide! The sky screamed and the thing fell firmly into my grasp, the Shiyan Blade!


    My fingers grasped tightly on the slender hilt of the sword that was my namesake, feeling more comforted with it accompanying me into battle. With a confident whistle to my wolves, I signaled my wolves to charge with me while my left hand formed the Seal of the Sword while pointing my sword ahead of me. Then my grip loosened and I released my hold of the Shiyan Blade. It flew out of my grip and did a somersault, hovering just over me as I ran, tense and taut like a nocked arrow that was ready to spill any blood at my command!


    But just before we reached the edges of the light where the predators were waiting, I screeched to a halt with the gravel and pebbles under my feet crunching in protest. Seeing this, my wolves pulled to a sudden stop as well. The beasts had crept into the light as soon as we began our stampede and they were not wolves, but rather hundreds of foxes, all in varying kinds and sizes! The foxes sat on their rumps docilely in a large ring around me, sitting obediently as if expecting my orders!


    I was more at ease seeing myself surrounded by the foxes. Then I became wary. I might be a lordling of the foxes, but there has been no lack of foxes who wished for my life. There was no telling to what insidious intent these beasts might have for encompassing around me in such numbers!


    With a flick of my wrist, the Shiyan Blade flew back to me. "What is this? What are you up to?" I asked icily. Then I noticed the admiring and respectful gazes from the foxes, although none of them squealed any answer.


    Suddenly, a scream came from behind me at the firepit! Qin Le''s in trouble! I tore my attention back and ran back towards the fire!

 Chapter 218 Magic against Magic

    When I got to Qin Le, I saw a fox, with a coat of fur as white as snow, baring its fangs at her. She was on the ground near the fire, lying on her back as if someone had kicked her down, seething at the fox herself.


    What happened here, I almost asked. But Qin Le was grimacing with pain. I helped her up and was relieved to know that she was fine after asking her. Then I turned my attention to the proud and uppity white fox, "What is this? What do you want with us?" But instead of replying to me, the fox lunged at me with its claws showing!


    I felt my blood churned. The sight of the fox attacking me removed whatever scruples left in me and I thrust my hand, still in the form of the Seal of the Sword, at the fox, signaling that I would attack without hesitation if she were to take just one more step. But she was hardly perturbed by my wordless threat and pressed on towards me!


    With no other way, I thrust my sword at the fox while uttering the Words of Command. The Shiyan Blade left my clasp and spun in the air before it charged at the head of the fox with a sharp whistle!


    But just before the tip of the Shiyan Blade could bite into the fox, something unexpected happen! The clangor of steel against steel rang in the air! An icicle, forged in the shape of a sword, had materialized out of thin air and clashed against the Shiyan Blade! Of all times?! I cursed. But there was hardly time to think; I willed my wolves to envelop the white fox in a pincer formation and I repeated my spell again to regain control of my deflected sword for another charge!


    The Shiyan Blade wheeled around to renew its attack but before it could, the ice sword shot at it, hampering its attempts! They clashed again, their edges gnashing against each other and the Shiyan Blade was once again deflected away, spinning dangerously in the air before it came down, stabbing deep into the trunk of a tree. The ice sword crumbled into a pile of splintered ice; it was nevertheless hardly a match for a legendary weapon with godly might. I chuckled at the success and swung my arms, motioning my wolves to attack, pleased and triumphant. Let''s see what other tricks you''re hiding this time!


    The wolves pounced on their quarry like a group of sharks on the scent of blood. But just before they could bear down on the fox, another ice sword conjured in mid-air and lanced through all six of my wolves with just a few simple strokes! The wolves collapsed and disappeared, the wounds they sustained taking a sudden and arduous toll on my mana and I staggered as a sudden nauseating sensation hammered my brain. I felt so dizzy and I would have fallen, if not for Qin Le helping me to remain steady. "How are you, Shiyan?!" She screamed, worried and concerned. I waved gently, indicating I was all right while upending my Spirit Gourd to for a quick pill to restore myself. My mana slowly grew as soon as I swallowed the pill and I made the Seal of the Sword again, channeling my inner energies for another attack.


    The Shiyan Blade responded to my summons with a dull but conspicuous hum that reverberated through the air. It broke itself free from the tree and streaked through the air with the speed of a bullet at the white fox. Then I noticed the unmistakable look of smugness on the fox and it reacted; the ice sword hanging over its head drew a circle of frost in the air and more icicle-swords appeared! One of them struck forcefully at the Shiyan Blade, sheering it aside before it shattered at the completion of its task while the rest of its siblings darted towards Qin Le and me like a stampede of bees!


    In the midst of panic, my arms wrapped around a fear-stupefied Qin Le while I pivoted on my heels to shield her from the icicle-swords with my back. Then I felt three stabbing chills penetrating me. There was not yet any pain. My wounds must have immediately numbed when the icicle-swords drove through me, I later realized. Then I felt the sinews and muscles of my back tensed at the presence of foreign objects then I felt my gut churned as if something was struggling to belch out of my mouth before I felt something warm flowing into my lungs. With an agonizing Arrgghh, a gush of bubbly slobber of blood and saliva escaped me. Then came the unmistakable sting of pain and chill-numbing soreness. I began to have difficulty breathing; my lungs must have been punctured and everything was growing dark around me.


    Am I to die here? Did Father not cast an enchantment over me to protect me when my need was most dire? Yet how...


    A multitude of thoughts and memories flashed before me at that very instant as if I had been hurled through a kaleidoscope of my most vivid recollections. Am I really going to die a miserable and destitute man in this desolate forest?


    The overwhelming sense of helplessness and misery flooded me like a tide. But there was no fear of death. In fact, I rather blamed myself for my carelessness. Nevertheless, the white fox possessed magic stronger than me. And its ability to conjure swords out of thin air alone attested to that.


    But wait, that was telekinesis magic that the fox was using earlier to control its swords! The very same I have been using! But there should only be two persons in the world who know this magic: Father and I! From where did this beast learn this magic?!


    With great difficulty, I managed one final look at the snowy white animal. It was looking at me, its eyes as large as saucers as it regarded me curiously. A conceited grin spread across its face and looking at it made my blood boil! But I immediately remembered how I roared whenever I felt angry or uncontrollably restless and the effects that followed and I decided that it was another of this "do or die" situation. I might as well, I wondered, Seeing as this could be my last!


    With an arm to steady myself, I drew a deep breath and puffed out my chest, only to have three fountains of blood sprouting from the wounds of the icicle-swords still jutting out of my back and the pain nearly made me faint! But that did little to douse out my resolve; with what was left of my strength, I emitted a roar with all the strength I could muster!


    "AARRRGGHHH!"


    The power of my roar was well beyond what I had ever expected. The three icicle-sword still planted in me shattered instantly and everyone ¨C all the foxes surrounding us, the white fox, and Qin Le who was behind me ¨C were all so petrified and taken aback by the rumbling tremor of my voice like frightened tortoises! The Shiyan Blade however released a blinding glow so powerful to resonate with my spiking emotions. It flew back to me and pierced deep into the ground just in front of me with a loud crunch; proud and stern like a staunch sentinel!


    But immediately after the thunderous roar, I felt a knot twisting in my chest and I released a harrowing Arrgghh and I spat another mouthful of blood! The Shiyan Blade stood, tall and upright, just a couple of paces away from me and some of the blood I disgorged spattered on the long iron blade of the sword, dribbling down and drenching the two runes that said "Shiyan" in red.


    The runes were slick with blood, but not for long! Like a sponge, the words looked as if they were absorbing any of my blood that trickled near. Then the iron blade began to shine, emitting a glow so intense and blinding before it dislodged itself from the ground and hovered just inches high, trembling and vibrating with power!


    As if an invisible hand was lifting me, a groggy me felt myself clambering to my feet. I had little control of myself then as if my body was moving on its own then I felt my fingers grasping tightly on the hilt of the Shiyan Blade, feeling a rush of warmth that rippled from the sword and swept through me. The wounds on my chest were beginning to feel aggravatingly itchy. I lowered my gaze and saw soft wisps of fumes escaping from my punctured wounds which were healing at a visible rate! The wounds were replaced by a fresh layer of skin as if I was not even injured and the fiery glow radiating from me diminished and swallowed by me. I took in a long breath of chilly cold air, feeling my senses acutely heightened suddenly! It was like something had enhanced me, a tingling sensation that had me feeling a power that I have never felt before!


    Every layer of me, from my insides up to my skin, trembled at the power trying to explode out of me like a monster and it took some time before I was able to calm myself.


    I exhaled heavily, seeing my breath steaming before me like a white veil as I fixated the white fox which had nearly claimed my life with a cold stare. The vaporous steam dissipated and I raised my sword, pointing its glinting tip at my enemy!


    But the white fox looked neither nervous or afraid. Instead, it looked absolutely pleased with itself. Then it did something that I least expected it to: it began to speak in human tongue, smirking conceitedly, "Heh heh heh! Out of the blue a manna from Heaven! The sword and you are one!" It got up, standing on its hind legs and growing in size and shedding her fur and morphed into a woman! The woman flicked her wrist and another ice sword materialized in her hand.


    Nevertheless, the fox demoness'' human form was not yet complete. She still had claws for toes and a bushy tail hung at her rear while the fox''s ears budding at the top of her head made her looked all the more worst with the smug grin hanging on her face. Eager to wipe that grin off her face, I released my Shiyan Blade with its tip pointed at her. The Blade whistled precariously like a flying razor at its target and the demoness matched me move by move, releasing her ice sword with a hand of hers forming the Seal of the Sword to steer its movement as the two swords met!


    The two swords clashed and the ice sword, like its former counterparts, was crushed by the Shiyan Blade''s might. The Blade was once again deflected off-course just when the ice sword was reduced into splinters of ice, but it did not careen away! The Shiyan Blade, at that very moment when it was struck, felt as if it was one of my limbs; just before it pirouetted away, I was able to regain control of it in barely the fraction of a second!


    The Shiyan Blade spun in the air and returned to me. I grasped the sword and lunged forward, hacking it forward at the beastly woman in front of me!

 Chapter 219 Taken

    The figure of the half-woman, half-fox shimmered and when I just blinked my eyes, she was gone and the Shiyan Blade missed its mark! Her voice intoned from behind me suddenly, "You''re fast!" I swiveled to my back immediately and stabbed in the direction of her voice!


    A fierce clang resounded as the Shiyan Blade gnashed against the ice sword the demoness had conjured in the nick of time to defend herself, albeit rather hurriedly as if she did not expect me to be able to attack her with such swiftness. But I too felt it myself. My speed and my strength were growing beyond the usual limits of humans since my miraculous recovery moments ago.


    The belligerent demoness swung her weapon, whipping my sword away. Similar to how I used my telekinesis magic, she thrust her blade at me with her other hand forming the Seal of the Sword as she muttered the incantations. The ice sword left her hand and circled around her like a dragon of ice enveloping its master in a protective cocoon. Then I felt my senses tingling wildly. Oh no! I leaped instinctively to the back and a handful of ice swords bayoneted the exact spot where I was just standing a fraction of second ago! They were driven so deep into the ground that only their guards and their hilts remained above ground. But there was no time for me to reel with the shock; before I knew it, I felt the cold rushes of air slamming into my face. Four of them. Without hardly even a look at what was coming, in the frenzy of alarm and confusion, I hacked forward with my weapon while putting all my weight behind it!


    There was nothing at first but the brief and short-lived grinding screeches of steel on steel. Then I saw chips and flakes of ice exploding. All four of the ice swords were destroyed by my Shiyan Blade in one fell swoop when I parried them all.


    My powers and abilities, despite the sudden enhancements, were nowhere near as capable of defeating this fox demoness. Nevertheless, now being one with the Shiyan Blade, as she was saying before, has spared me from being mortally harmed by her. Moreover, her ice swords wield no power against the Shiyan Blade itself.


    Clearly, the demoness realized these points as well herself. She knew her hastily-conjured ice swords were no match for the Shiyan Blade if this duel were to prolong with more exchanges of magic and sorcery. Deciding to settle this fight in a more rudimentary and primal way, she skipped and rushed at me with a lunging pierce! Little did she realized that I was actually pleased to see this. My magic is weaker than you, but I cannot say the same with my mastery of swordsmanship imparted to me by my father, the Demigod of the Sword! With a skip myself, I charged at my enemy!


    Just before our weapons collide, I drew myself backward suddenly and spun, delivering a quick upward stab like a unterhau! It was a move that I was proud of, a move that I thought would have ended in my victory. But instead, I saw the demoness using the exact same move by pirouetting in mid-air before stabbing upwards herself!


    Clang! The tips of the two swords rang as they smashed into one another. The demoness smirked sardonically when she saw the horrified look on my face!


    Everything happened so quickly. With a flick of my sword, I tried to flip my blade over hers and force her weapon down. But the unexpected happened again! The demoness employed the same exact technique as I was, trying to force my blade downward too! The points of our swords bit into each other, casting fiery speckles of sparks like stars!


    Blasted! I cursed and my sword hand withdrew at once! My retreat gave the demoness a breath of new life into her offense; she readily charged and executed a vicious upthrust of her sword that came so near to my eyes like a pit viper! Fortunately for me, my sword hand was not yet completely withdrawn; with a circular motion, I parried her attack and repaid her with the same exact favor she had almost done unto me!


    Again, thrice the unexpected befell! The woman defended herself with the same circular stroke that I used and staved off my attack just like how I did! I watched as the iron blade of my sword stabbed into the air uselessly just as my confidence crumbled as much as the demoness'' ice sword. The short bout of swordplay between us had done enough damage to cripple the sword beyond any repair, hence sparing me from another of the demoness'' onslaught for now.


    Seeing my enemy''s sword shattering into bits and pieces filled me with renewed vigor and joy; I swung my blade down with all my might at her throat!


    Another hopeless clang rang through the chilly air and I was sent reeling backward with disbelief!


    It was another ice sword. Another one of the demoness'' meddling conjurations that had fended off my stroke. Along with it came a powerful surge in her strength when she deflected my sword, leaving me careening away off-balanced that I have to steady myself by driving my sword into the ground.


    The demoness regarded me with the same ironic and mocking grin she had been wearing, looking hardly anxious nor nervous. I could not say the same for myself. The duel of magic and iron had left me breathless as beads of perspiration rolled down the side of my cheeks. Even my clothes were slick with sweat, hugging tightly on my back as cirruses of vapors rose indifferently from me in the cold.


    The vixen sneered triumphantly as she realized how exhausted I was and came closer to me. My face turned as hard as stone and I gripped my sword tightly. But before I could raise it to defend myself, my knee buckled! My legs were as wobbly as marshmellow after the short respite! I staggered, nearly losing my balance, but I was able to keep myself upright. But that was the last thing I could do as I watched my enemy approached pace by pace. Closer and closer she drew near. Yet instead of raising her sword to attack me when I was clearly vulnerable, she flicked her wrist and her ice sword vanished!


    She came so close that I could almost hear her breathing, still wearing that ever-so sardonic smile. Then her hands clutched at me tightly!


    I was as taut as an arrow stretched and ready for release. I shook from side to side, hoping to free myself from her grip. But it was futile; I was just too weak. With a heave, the demoness effortlessly lifted me off my foot and cast me on her back! Then she swirled and stare at the petrified Qin Le. With a terse gesture of her chin motioning Qin Le to follow, she turned and began walking into the thick of the woods.


    Qin Le was holding a flaming brand, brandishing it like a sword in front of her when the vixen turned to look at her. She was already shivering with fear and the vixen''s stare made her jumped with fright. But seeing the demoness wishing to do her no harm except to carry me off, Qin Le, for all her geekiness, could see that I was powerless enough to defend myself. She shouted loudly in a desperate attempt to fill herself with courage and scrambled to the Shiyan Blade still stuck into the ground and gave it a tug with all her strength. Screaming and howling, she tried and tried but to no avail. The Shiyan Blade just would not yield.


    The vixen threw a giggle over her shoulder at Qin Le who was clearly now up the creek without a paddle. "It''s no use. Keep up." Without waiting for her decision, the foxes surrounding the fire now stood around Qin Le menacingly, forcing her to come after us. The foxes advanced upon her, their green eyes glimmering threateningly with off the glow of the fire and Qin Le released a peal of horrified screams as she ran after us.


    Hanging on the demoness'' back like a useless piece of log, my strength was all but spent. And my mana utterly exhausted in its entirety, the Spirit Gourd has as much use as a glass hammer to me for now. But I was still able to remain awake and speak. Through gritted teeth, I hissed, "Who are you and what do you want with me?!" The vixen cackled, "Relax. I won''t harm you." She increased her pace and strolled deeper into the woods.


    Before long, the vixen carried me to a cave carefully hidden amongst the brushes and thickets of the jungle. I would not have noticed it there had not for the vixen''s bringing me along. We plunged into the gaping mouth of the cave as if we were entering the bowels of a huge monster. It was but only a very short walk until the darkness of the cave gave way to light. My mouth was left hanging by what I saw, even for me who has had many a great experience in exploring caves. Countless twinkling crystal, encrusted into the ceiling and the eaves of the cave, winked like the stars in the night, casting a soft and pale green glow that flooded the whole cavern chamber which was the size of a sitting room. An ornately furnished wooden bed sat in a corner, accompanied by an ancient but still well-maintained dressing table and an elaborately-carpentered table which was bedizened with a set of time-honored tableware. This is not just an ordinary abode, I realized, But a chamber of a lady or a maiden!


    It was a sight that almost had me belching my breakfast down the back of the vixen carrying me.


    She set me down on the wooden bed and set beside it. Then she ran a lascivious finger down my sweat-bedecked chin! What the hell!? I almost cursed out loud. What do you take me for? A food for demons like Tang Sanzang?! Or have you captured me to force me to become your husband?!


    I forced myself to sit up and hit her hand with the back of mine angrily. "Who are you?!" I spat, "And why am I here?!"


    But before I could get an answer, a screaming Qin Le stampeded into the chamber. She seemed evidently surprised to find the chamber lighted and she sat down on the floor, panting for breath. She looked back to make sure none of the little foxes were following her in and she finally exhaled with relief, beginning to survey the room.


    I thrust a finger at Qin Le and glared at the vixen. "You can take me, but why take an innocent person!? Why is she taken here too!?"


    End of Volume

 Chapter 220 New Sister?

    On the fifteenth day of the lunar month just after the new year, I was sent back through Time. Unexpected and unfathomably, I came to the red pine coppice that Father found me when I was still a baby. Everything I saw seemed like a hypnagogic midsummer''s night dream to me. Was it just a vision or had I really taken a step down the old lane of Time to witness everything myself? I could not say. But if I had really returned, why was everyone unable to see nor hear me? Why was I able to fly? Why was I not hampered by fatigue nor hunger? But if it was only a dream or a vision, why were my cigarettes and the contents of my wallet wet when I returned after the torrential deluge in 1976?


    When I was trying to leave the forest, I began to realize thinking of walking out was an ignorant naivety on my part; the forest was just too wide an expanse for me to find my way out in a day or two. I had to start a fire that night but that allowed me to know a new friend in a geeky girl who got lost from her tour group, Qin Le.


    But the fire provided us a false sense of security while the darkness veiled the dangers that lurked unseen. A huge score of foxes, disregarding my position as the lordling of their kind, besieged the fireplace. The leader of the pack, a female white fox wielded great magical powers that dwarfed even mine and I was no match for her.


    But what was more baffling was the magic she used. Not only she was skilled in sword telekinesis, her mastery of this brand of sorcery was greater than mine, to say nothing of the sword techniques that mirrored mine in almost every way.


    In the end, I had expended all my strength and mana, allowing myself to be taken a prisoner by the vixen. I was carried off to her lair while Qin Le was herded along by the legion of foxes under her command.


    "You can take me, but why take an innocent person!? Why is she taken here too!?" I jab a vehement finger at Qin Le, hissing angrily at the demoness. The demoness''s face curdled into a skeptical look. She peered at a breathless Qin Le now sitting on the ground of her stone chamber, eyeing her warily and suspiciously before she finally asked, "She''s not that lover of yours?"


    Then it dawned upon me. This demoness had mistaken Qin Le as my girlfriend Edelweiss! "No," I hissed, frustrated, "She''s just a lost traveler. My girlfriend is nowhere as weak as her!" I quickly soften. "Send her away, please. She has no place in whatever score you have against me. I, and the Shiyan Blade, are all that you want. Not her."


    To my surprise, the vixen burst into a fit of giggles. "Your weapon might be a legendary weapon with magical powers that many covet. But not me. I''m only looking for you." My eyes narrowed when she finished with a notion of distrust and hesitation ballooning in me. Unless somebody has ways to refine my soul and properly transfuse me back to the sword, the Shiyan Blade was nothing but a shadow of its former might and glory. Anyone who covets the Shiyan Blade would also be needing me and that was the unequivocal fact. But why is this demoness hardly interested in the Shiyan Blade and only me? Could my deepest fears be true?! Does she want me for a mate?!


    I shook my head like a rag doll and tried to clear my mind. I looked at the demoness again, my eyes imploring her for answers. She smirked cheerily at me, looking more harmless than before. Then I remembered the sword techniques and the sword telekinesis magic she was using against me earlier, and I probed, "That magic you were using just now. That''s sword telekinesis, is it not? Who taught you that?"


    The last thing I would have expected from her was a confused and surprised look like how one would when looking at an abysmally dumb person, as if sword telekinesis was a skill that everyone should know.


    "Your grasp of this particular brand of magic is better than mine," I breathed, "Even the swordplay techniques are identical to mine! So who are you, really!?"


    "Stupid fool!" The vixen scowled, giving me a glare that made me feel like a little boy, "Do you not understand yet?!" I stared at her blankly. Unlike how she was during our first encounter in the forest, she was not exuding any malicious nor cruel air of a killer. In fact, there was not even a whiff of enmity! My head shook very slowly. Suddenly, she smacked hard on my head! With an exasperated tone, she said, "A hint then. My name is Murong Qinglan. Surely that''s enough for you to know who I am now?"


    "WHAT?!" My eyes grew as large as teacups. Wait a minute... She knows sword telekinesis magic... and her name''s Murong... Oh, Heavens?! Could it be?! Another member of the family?! Murong Qinglan noticed the change in my expression and knew that I have realized who she was, nodding with a wry smile at me. Hesitantly, I stammered, "S-sister?!" She burst into a fit of guffaws as she acknowledged with a playful snort. Then she reached over to me and rubbed my hair like I was the little brother she was supposed to have.


    "Now just hold your horses!" I screamed, pushing her hand away. I glowered at her, "This whole thing is just a cock and bull story of yours! Father and Mother told me nothing about a big sister?! No. I need proof. I need proof before I can be sure you are who you claim you are!"


    She bent down closer to me and turned her face aside, showing me her ear. Then I saw it. A little earring hanging from the fox''s ear protruding from her head. I drew a slow and long breath with trepidation. There it was, a little stone, looking slightly dark, blueish, and purplish at the same time, encrusted on the earring!


    It looked nothing valuable, but this was not the first time I have seen a stone that looked exactly the same. In fact, it was a stone I had seen so many times that I would never forget it, for the same one, looking almost identical in all aspects including size, was embedded on Father''s liquor flask!


    The revelation struck me so hard that I lost my senses momentarily. I reached and yanked her ears, pulling her closer so that I could examine the earring properly, conveniently forgetting that it was her ear. My sister howled with pain and slapped my hand and retaliated by tugging at my ears and I too began wailing, "Sister, sister! Nooo! Nooo! Please! Let go!"


    There was no margin for doubt; Murong Qinglan is a sister of mine and the earring she wore could only be given to her by Father. All that, with Sister''s sword telekinesis magic and her style of swordplay made me all the more certain. And that allowed me to address her freely as "Sister."


    My ears were almost purple when she finally let go. She looked at me, with tenderness and concern in her eyes this time as she stroked my hair lovingly. "It has been twenty years. You''re a big boy now." I nodded and I asked about what happened earlier in the woods. "And such love you showered upon me after twenty years, Sister. The first thing you showed me was that anger and enmity just now. You really wanted to kill me just now, did you? Please don''t say no. I''m born with the Spirit Sight; I can see the aura of malice and hatred about you just now." That earned me a soft giggle from her. "You were just a toddler chewing on your own hands when I last saw you a couple of decades ago. Come on. I''m not Father. How was I supposed to know it was you?"


    My lips pursed indignantly. "Liar. You knew who I was the moment we met. With your aptitude in sword telekinesis magic, surely that did not escape your notice?" She imitated me and grumbled, "So what? And here I was, thinking that you''d be stronger than me. I only wanted to test you. But you turned out to be a worthless clod." That did little to assuage me. Test, you say? I thought quietly, You were trying to kill me! I was skewered with three of your ice swords!


    Sister seemed to have seen through my thoughts. She snickered, "Who do you take me for? A clod just like you? Come on, I can save you even if you were punctured with thirty swords like a pin cushion, to say the least of only a meager three." Finding nothing I could say against that, I merely glared at her and threw an ugly look.


    Just then, Qin Le woke up from her stupor. Her head swiveled from left to right, staring strangely at Sister and me. Then she remembered the short banter between us and she stuttered, "What are you both..."


    Sister and I looked at Qin Le in unison, staring back at her in such a way that made her fidgety and jittery. "It''s all a misunderstanding," I explain hastily, "As it happens, this is my long-lost sister! She thought you are my girlfriend, otherwise, you wouldn''t have been caught up in this fracas."


    Qin Le froze, her eyes transfixed upon me with a blank gawk on her face before her head pivoted towards Sister again. Then I knew. Sister looked like a fox demoness through and through. And with the recently-discovered revelation between me and her, it was small wonder that she would begin to think that I am also a demon myself. Moreover, she had just witnessed the fight in the woods just now that looked like a chapter from fictional books and stories. I could hardly blame her.

 Chapter 221 Stages of Mastery

    I realized the confused and aghast expression on Qin Le''s face and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It''s fine. I am a human. Not a demon." After a heartbeat, I said to her again, "Ah, right. So with my sister here, I suppose we''ll have no problem getting out of this forest. This is her domain, after all." I cast a glance at Sister and she nodded with a smile at me, attesting to what I just said.


    Then, it was time for explanations.


    Apparently, Sister was informed of my presence after I allowed the young little fox cub caught by my spirit wolf to go. It had scampered off to Sister and told her about me. The news of a young man with considerable magical skills and armed with a magical gourd appearing in the forest reminded Sister about Father, hence she led her retinue of foxes with her. To her dismay, she found only me instead.


    Only, when she first saw me, the little baby brother who was still wetting his bed when she last saw me was the last thing on her mind. Being in the mountains did little to sharpen Sister''s comprehension of the flow of Time. Twenty years was like a lackadaisical wave of a hand for her and she could hardly believe that the toddler was a full-grown man now. This also illustrated the difference between the perception of demons and humans. Twenty years was hardly time enough for much progress in ones'' magic as far as demons were concerned. It was hardly surprising that Sister never expected that it was me who appeared with our Fathers'' trademark weapon, his magical gourd.


    That prompted her to first have her lackeys surround us. She wanted to observe us. All the while waiting for more news from her spies abroad for urgent information about the new wielder of the Spirit Gourd. When every shred of intelligence that came back to her finally convinced her that I was Father''s son and confirmed my betrothal with Edelweiss, she was no less surprised upon the incredible revelation about me than she was jealous and sour. For more than two decades, Father and Mother had never once come to see her; the unwanted daughter miles and miles away, forgotten and neglected. And here I was, the heir to not only Father''s magic, but also his trademark regalia. It was only understandable how bitter Sister was.


    It was finally when she was certain of who I am, Sister decided that she needed to test me. At her command, her legion of foxes drew closer to the fireside and I would have remained none the wiser if not for the photograph Qin Le had taken with me.


    Sister only watched with amusement as I charged at the foxes, leaving Qin Le alone by the fire. Then an idea came to her. She turned herself back into a fox and pounced at Qin Le, mistaking her for Edelweiss and wishing to test her too. Little did she expect, the geeky Qin Le was thrilled to see Sister in her fox form, thinking her adorable and she couldn''t help rushing to carry Sister in her arms. Seeing this as an insult by a mortal, Sister thrashed violently and delivered a kick at Qin Le, sending her falling backward, screaming at the top of her voice and it was Qin Le''s scream that had made me turn back and come to her aid. This was how our fight began.


    "So, have you never left this wilderness, Sister?" I asked dryly, "Have you never visited Father and Mother?" "No," she replied flatly, "I have been here all this time, busy with my training."


    Sister was taken in by Father and Mother when she was just a demon with a-century-long of magical powers. She was a scourge of destruction in these parts until Father and Mother came to stop her. But they showed her mercy by not killing her, instead, she was accepted as a daughter-surrogate. And the reason Father stayed his hand, when Mother told Sister sometime before they left her, was because Father saw Mother in her.


    Sister failed to understand what Mother was trying to say then. But she had little to complain; not when her life was spared when she was inches away from being slaughtered.


    But Sister knew enough about repaying the kindness that she had received. She kept to herself mostly, staying deep in the jungle and concentrating her time only in her studies of magic. She paused and caressed the ear ornament hanging on her ear, fingering it wistfully. "Father and Mother first took away my demonic powers. But they took me in, imparting to me the magic of sword telekinesis and this earring." From under her pillow, she took out a little booklet which could not have looked more familiar to me: the Hai''s Mystic Arts! I took it from her and gave it a look before returning it to Sister. "Yep, it''s completely the same, all right. I have one too. I''m sure Father conjured this out of thin air for you." Sister giggled at that, nodding.


    "But Sister," I remembered something else suddenly. "What is that sword you were using just now?" She smirked playfully and waved. The sword of ice appeared in her hand and she handed it to me by its hilt. "This is something I made myself!" The chilliness of the ice handle tingled as soon as I grasped it and began studying it. The sword was made completely of ice, just like Shang Pei''s pole-arm. But a sheen of golden luster limned the edges of the glittering weapon, making it all the more amazing to behold.


    "But, you have created more copies of this weapon?" I swung the sword, testing its balance. "What do you mean?" Sister blurted incredulously, "I don''t understand what you mean by more copies?" "I''m asking if you made only one ice sword, or do you have many, many of this?" "Of course there''s only one!" She gave me a look that made me felt silly. Then she stifled a giggle, finally catching my meaning. "Stupid boy. You haven''t realized it do you?" "What do you mean," I almost asked aloud.


    Then she explained, "The rest of the ice swords you''ve been seeing are merely copies conjured using Qi." I blinked hard. It was hardly my first time witnessing such a feat; Father had demonstrated to me something similar before. But it had not occurred to me before that the copies could be conjured without the actual sword itself.


    Sister seemed to have guessed my thoughts again. With a disdainful frown, she said again, "There are different stages of mastery of the magic of sword telekinesis. The first one is the ''Sword of Steel'', meaning one''s mastery in conventional swordplay, but not yet in the crux of its magic..." I interjected almost immediately, "And the next is the ''Sword of Mind and Steel''?" Sister gave me an approving nod, clearly missing my jestful jibe.


    I stared at Sister, egging her to explain. She slapped at the back of my head gently. "The first stage refers to those who are able to wield the sword like how a normal swordsman would, but failing to use magic yet."


    I said nothing. With a look from me and a scratch on the back of my ear, I motioned her to go on.


    "The second stage refers to users like you. Users who are adept in the magic of sword telekinesis, although only the rudimentary basics." I narrowed my eyes skeptically and muttered, "Then what about you?"


    A cryptic grin broke on Sister''s face. "I am of the third stage¡ª''the Sword of Mind''!" Unable to contain my annoyance at her smugness, I was about to say something but she droned on, "I can conjure swords even without my actual weapon and I can control them solely with my mind now."


    "But you said something about me becoming one with my sword just now? What did you mean by that?" My question burst forth at once. Sister smiled. "You are still not yet near my level, is because you are not yet one with your weapon. To conjured weapons purely using your Qi without your actual weapon requires you to embody part of the essence of your weapon. That is what we call ''truly becoming one with your weapon''. As of now, you are but only one step closer to reaching this stage. But, I had underestimated your weapon. I did not expect that a legendary weapon has such might. You might have just barely grazed this level of mastery, but the invincibility of your awesome weapon could have allowed you to defeat me, if not for your poor stamina!"


    I threw her an ugly look. The self-satisfied grin on her was just unbearable. "You''ve been training for two decades while I have barely a year or two into this!"


    But even this did not seem to escape her guess. She placed a hand on my head. "But you mustn''t be proud. You are talented, and I give you that. But that does not mean you can slack off on your training. You don''t have nine lives to spare, see? Foes and enemies don''t show you the same mercy as your sister did." With that, she pursed her lips pompously again.


    But that made me laugh. I tugged at her fox''s ears. "But what''s this, Sister? Is your growth not complete or is your magic still far from perfect? Your fox''s ears and tails are showing! Look at these legs too!?"

 Chapter 222 The Invisible Hand

    Sister delivered a powerful smack to the back of my head with pure indignance. "And what do you think I have been doing for centuries?! I''ve come a long way to reach where I am now!"


    Unlike most other demons, Sister has been studying in the same magic as Mother''s, which made them similar to how humans achieved immortality and godhood. The greatest difference between Sister''s methods and the rest of the Wudaxian beasts chasing the same, Sister practiced her magic by retaining her human form. The more her powers grew, the more she would be able to change more like a human. Considering Madame White Snake who took more than thousands of years for her to morph into a full-fledged human, Sister''s ability to turn into a partially-imperfect lass with just barely a century-old of magic was a feat upon itself. I should be proud of her. Moreover, I must not forget that Sister once had her demonic powers stripped by Father 20 years ago before she had to start anew. That alone was sufficient to account for Sister''s remarkable talents.


    "So, Sister, I guess you too are a gifted student of magic yourself!" I remarked flatteringly. She puckered her lips but proffered no objections, clearly pleased with herself, and I chuckled. "So... Can you help me with these..." I gestured at my soggy clothing. "I''m freezing like an icicle in the soaking clothes!"


    My fur coat was not spared despite being my outermost garment; it was as sodden as the shirts I was wearing inside and I was shivering with cold and wearied with fatigue that the only thing I would have only ever wanted to beg for at that very moment was a cozy cot. Rolling her eyes, Sister drifted to a wooden chest sitting just beside her bed and took out a set of clothing.


    As I took the set of clothing she offered me, I looked at it and found something oddly familiar about it. Inadvertently, I was thinking aloud, mumbling, "This... looks so familiar..." "Of course it is," Sister said again through puckered lips, "This clothing is completely the same as the ones Father wore when he was last here. I have been keeping this, hoping that one day if he comes, I could give it to him myself. But here you are instead! Do you know how long have I been making this clothing myself? Just take good care of them!" I unfurled a shirt to look at it and asked offhandedly, "And you''ve made these without having referred to other designs before?" "Of course! I have never once left these mountains! What other designs do you think I''d be able to stumble upon here!?"


    "So this is a new set of clothing Sister has made herself for Father according to the same ones he wore when he was still here..." A long black trench coat particularly popular in the early 90s with matching sets of pants and shoes. Sister was especially pleased with her handiwork, although the fur-trimmed coat made me felt awkward only by wearing it.


    But how strange it was, I would have chosen it any other day if compared to my squalid clothing. But as I began peeling off the muggy drapes of my clothing, I froze. I could feel Sister''s and Qin Le''s eyes on my back, staring at me wordlessly. "Two young women watching a young man like me stripping myself? As if things could have not been any more weird?!"


    It was finally when I scowled tacitly at Qin Le only she understood why I stopped. "Oh, God! I''m so sorry! I''ll excuse myself!" She screamed, moving quickly towards the entrance of the chamber with her cheeks blazing red. Sister giggled, watching a leaving Qin Le retreating past the portal of the doorway while mumbling to herself, "Well, this little lass is interesting." She swiveled and found me staring at her with the same look I had been giving Qin Le and she turned bashful herself. "What?! I''m your sister! Do I have to excuse myself too?!" She yelled, her face reddening by the second. With a glare, I breathed, "Otherwise?" "Humph!" She puffed indignantly. "I''m no stranger! I''ve seen you even when you were still in your diapers!"


    "And that affords you the right to refresh your memory by looking at me naked again?" I scowled. That seemed to have done the trick; Sister''s face grew as red as the embers burning at the fireplace as she spat. "What a bully!" and she left. "Demons..." I thought quietly, "How different they are from ordinary humans after all... Heh heh heh..."


    I gave a hoot once I finished changing and the ladies came back. At first sight of my outfit, Qin Le burst into a peal of laughter! She jabbed a finger at me, yelling loudly, "Oh my! You look like you''re from my father''s generation!" I said nothing, gaping at her incredulously, although I had to admit that she was partly correct. Sister, however, was looking confused. She was scratching the back of her head, muttering a puzzled "What''s wrong?" I shook my head and waved her off gently. "It''s fine. You won''t understand it even if I tell you. At any rate, she''s just praising your handiwork." If Sister was doubtful at what I said, she certainly said nothing. She merely eyed Qin Le and me suspiciously, the former bobbing her head profusely at Sister when she realized she said something that could have angered Sister. Fortunately for us, Sister was quick to dismiss the matter aside despite her reservations.


    "So, what brings you here, little Brother?" Sister spoke suddenly, "Has Father told you everything?" "Would that he did." I sighed. "I would have never come here if he did!" "Ah?!" Sister uttered with shock.


    My hand reached into my pockets as it was wont to, hoping to find myself a pack of cigarette but I found none. "Do you know about the Crucible, Sister?" I asked, drawing my empty hand out of the pocket. "Course, I do. It should be on the full moon''s night on the fifteenth day of the following month," said Sister, looking rather surprised, "What about it? It''s an open secret across the realm of the supernatural and paranormal." But it was news for me. I had never heard of the exact date of the Crucible before and I certainly did not expect to be just as near as a month. Only I was still too numb from the flurry of astounding discoveries during my recent adventures in the past. "So," I went on, "Did you know about Father being charged to guard the Dragon-slaying Blade?" Contrary to my hopes and expectation, Sister shook her head. "I know nothing about this. But does that have anything to do with you coming here?"


    "The Blade was lost right under Father''s nose." I sighed and revealed, "And it has remained hidden even until today. This has been part of Father''s regrets and the reason he has never wished to ascend. The Blade that was Lost. And through my experiences in these recent years, I have discovered the existence of a shadow organization. An invisible group of men with insidious intent. Once, I thought they were trying to abduct me to threaten Father for the Lost Blade. To understand everything and to root out the members of this sinister cabal, I have sought the help of a demigod. A celestial being with powers to send me back through time. It allowed me to see many things. Among them, at the end of my journey, was how Father found me. Then I found myself here in these parts when I returned to the present."


    Sister''s brows creased into a frown as she listened. Finally, when I finished, she said, "You said something about an invisible hand directing all these conspiracies from the shadows?" I nodded. "A person or a gang of people, I don''t know which. For all I know, they could only be a bunch of unaffiliated people working on a common purpose. I don''t even know what they are actually after." With her head bobbing non-stop, Sister pondered quietly in deep thought.


    All of a sudden, out of nowhere, Qin Le leaped to her feet, screaming loudly, "I know!" Sister and I immediately transfixed our stares on her and I asked, "What do you know about?"


    Qin Le was burning with excitement. "I understand it now! You were saying that there is this group of evil people who are after this weapon with legendary powers. But not even its guardian knows where it is now. Am I right so far?" I nodded quietly at her summary. "What about your weapon?" Qin Le asked again suddenly, her finger thrusting at my Shiyan Blade, "That is a legendary weapon itself, no?" I nodded again. "And this group of evil men is after you too, no?" And my head nodded again.


    "Then, that does it!" She snapped her fingers at her sudden inspiration. "Hasn''t it occurred to you yet that this Dragon-slaying Blade you are all looking for, is in fact the Shiyan Blade you are using? It sounds logical, no?"


    Sister and I fell silent. We peered at each other without a word until I spoke up. "I have considered this possibility a very long time ago. But it''s not a theory which agrees with many of the other facts. First, the Shiyan Blade is the fabled weapon of Yan Di of the South. The Dragon-slaying Blade, a different weapon altogether, is an instrument with celestial powers to determine the future dynasty to rule the lands. From the purpose of their existence, it is as plain as day that they are two different items. Moreover, the Blade seemed nothing more than a legend to the masses. I was sent back through Time just not long ago and even so, I had never once laid eyes upon the Blade itself. But if there is anything I am sure of, it''s that the Shiyan Blade and the Dragon-slaying Blade were divine weapons forged for expressly different purposes!" I made a few hand seals and summoned the Shiyan Blade.


    The familiar feeling of having the Shiyan Blade nestling comfortably in my grasp was never too comforting before I handed it to Qin Le. "There''s the runic engraving of the words ''Shiyan'' on the blade of this sword. I''m sure the truth would be out before long if the Shiyan Blade was actually the Dragon-slaying Blade."


    Qin Le looked visibly crestfallen at her theory being refuted. But it was true; the possibility that the Shiyan Blade could be the Blade that was Lost was one which that I had long discussed with Chongxi and Lin Feng and we concluded that things could never be so easy and obvious.


    "All right there," Sister interjected softly, placing her hand on my head, caressing my hair, "Fret not. There''s no use worrying now. We''ll cross that bridge when it comes to that. You''ll have me, your Big Sister here to help you if anyone dares to come for you!"


    I giggled, shaking my head.

 Chapter 223 Former Acquaintance

    I woke up at daybreak the following morning to Sister''s incessant shaking of my shoulders. Rubbing my eyes, I slowly clambered up from my bed and put on the old 90''s fur-trimmed trench coat that Sister made herself.


    It was already nine in the morning, or so I gathered from the Sun perching cheerily up above. There was hardly any more reason for us to dawdle here, so I hurried Qin Le to get a move on. "Wait," Sister''s voice came suddenly. I turned to see Sister, standing sheepishly behind me. She looked too embarrassed to speak, but I knew why. She must have been too lonely here and she must really want to come with me to see Father and Mother.


    "Do you like to come home with me, Sister?" I invited with a grin. But Big Sister seemed awfully apprehensive despite her earnest wish to say yes. But it was only understandable; Father and Mother had only met Big Sister once and it has been so long. She was worried if Father and Mother might not recognize her.


    Then again, our parents were nowhere near dimwitted or stupid; they would never forget her. I went to Sister and took her hand. "All right. No sulking! Let''s go home!"


    When I took Sister''s hand, I could feel a slight intransigent resistance from her. But all defiance crumbled to nothing as soon as I finished saying "Let''s go home."


    We walked out of the cave entrance to find the mouth of the cave being flanked by a legion of foxes all standing in ranks and files like a sending-off. I waved to them as we walked and Qin Le scampered around, touching and stroking every one which she found adorable or cute, although the foxes did their best to remain indifferent. I chuckled and dragged Qin Le along as we made our way out of the woods. "This geeky girl is definitely a forgiving one! Has she forgotten how Big Sister had given her a kick last night!?"


    With Big Sister in the lead, we tore straight through the woods until we finally caught our first glimpse of human activity somewhere around two in the afternoon. Seeing the silhouettes of people moving in the distance, Qin Le began barking with excitement, "Hey! Hey!"


    I quickly gave Sister a tug on her sleeves. "It''s best you turn back to a fox for now, Sister. It won''t do us any good to have you popping up on the evening news with your peculiar looks." She did not understand anything about "evening news", but she nodded and did as suggested. With a swivel, she morphed back to her fox creature form. At least she would not look too conspicuous, unlike her half-human, half-fox appearance.


    As I crouched to carry Big Sister in my arms, Qin Le seemed to have managed to get capture the attention of the people ahead. She was screaming at the top of her voice, "Here I am! Hey!" They heard her and raced towards us, gradually slowing down when they finally drew near. It was either my strange outfit or these people were genuinely relieved to find Qin Le that they slowed to a brisk canter when they came nearer. Anyway, the entire group arrived before us in no time.


    The leader of the search group, another girl, squeaked loudly, "Where have you been, Qin Le! We were so worried!" She darted to Qin Le and I tore myself away from the buzzing girl-talk between them both, heading towards the rest of the search group for the first thing I had been missing since I was lost¡ªa cigarette. "A smoke please, anyone?" I asked immediately.


    But my question was met only with queer and unfriendly stares as the people shifted uneasily, some sharing dark looks.


    Just then, from the midst of the crowd, a young man with a scarlet-red baseball cap scrambled to me. He looked at me with an incredibly unbelieving look and stammered, "Master Shiyan?! Is that you?!" I was dumbstruck by the sudden call of my name and even Big Sister who was curled up in my arms looked up at me strangely.


    The gaunt, pale man resembled only the likeness of a man high on drugs, although he looked oddly familiar. Still, I failed to make out who he was, responding only with the merest nod as I could manage. "It is," I uttered. "Oh, God in Heaven!" The young man remarked, thick with accent attributed to Northern natives, "It really is you, Shiyan! Why have you come to these parts? Oh, Heavens, it''s been almost two years and I almost can''t recognize you!"


    "Two years?!" I almost said aloud. "Who the hell is this man?!" Qin Le came to us now with her friend and they asked the young man, "Wait a minute. You know this man, Mr. Guide?" The ashen young man in his red cap, who was clearly the tour guide of this troupe of travelers, nodded. He shook my hand warmly and said to Qin Le, "I do! In fact, it was Master Shiyan who had once saved me and my wife''s life! Heaven forfend I would never be here now if he failed to save me then!" "Well, you''re just being too kind. I''m sure it''s just a simple matter," I remarked humbly. But even now, I still could not recognize him.


    "All right now, we''ve found them! Let''s head back!" The tour guide turned to the crowd of people and shouted to them. With Qin Le found safe and sound, the group of tourists began heading back, buzzing with hushed whispers among themselves.


    It was already in the evening when we finally made it out of the woods. There was this bus waiting just by the skirts of the forest, the kind normally used to ferry travelers. The tour guide invited me to join them and I shared a seat with Qin Le. As soon as the bus began moving, Qin Le began peppering the tour guide with questions, "Come on, Mr. Guide. Tell us how you met Shiyan?"


    The tour guide twisted the cap of his flask and took a long swig of tea and began to speak with steam puffing from his mouth like a dragon, "Did I not tell you what I was before I became a tour guide?" He looked at me and looked diffident suddenly. "Before this, I used to be a medium myself. Quite a good one, I might add! Now don''t give me that doubtful stare! I knew it!"


    It was for the first time, I began to realize who he was! I might have had a great many peculiar experiences in the course of the past two years, but I had only encountered a fellow medium once! The tour guide had only needed to reveal that he was formerly a medium and I instantly remembered how we met! He was the one who almost lost his life over a 1.2 million yuan errand!


    With a beaming grin, I added, "He used to be a good medium indeed; one who could subdue malignant spirits and ghosts with ease." I chuckled myself and the tour guide scratched his head, abashed. "Come on, Master Shiyan! You jest! It was my own mistake that I ultimately decided on a change of careers." "And you are certain you have not dabbled in anything you shouldn''t, I hope?" "Of course! I''m more than happy about my current livelihood now and that is all that matters. My wife still owes you her thanks for your help last time! What an awful business she''d got herself in then and it''s all thanks to you she''s OK. Anyway, she''s now helping out with this business of mine. So we''re doing fine, I''d say."


    "And I hope this venture of yours is something honest. Surely there''s nothing as pernicious as scams or rip-offs?" I teased. "No no no! Of course not! Come on, Master Shiyan! Woe would betide me if anyone were to take you seriously!" He hushed hastily.


    The banter continued merrily for us, although it must have been boring for Big Sister who could only pretend as a dumb little beast on my lap.


    According to the tour guide, the tour was supposed to have ended yesterday for the group. But they stayed on for another day because of Qin Le and they came back for her. The bus arrived at Baishan City at nightfall and we adjourned to a reserved hotel.


    I would have gotten myself a room, but the tour guide offered to pay for mine at his own expense. It was an offer I welcomed readily, for there was hardly any need for any scruples in enjoying the hospitality of a person with questionable ethics.


    I went out on a quick purchasing run for some fresh cigarettes and a new phone charger before I returned to my room. Just as soon as the door clicked shut, Big Sister turned into her human form. "What''s the deal with that little red-capped boy? He seems particularly apprehensive and anxious in front of you." I was sending a Wechat text to Edelweiss, hoping that it would help calm her down after my unannounced absence for the past few days, when I replied without so much as a look, "He?" I let loose a heavy sigh before I went on, "The greedy fool nearly lost his own life when he was tinkering with magic beyond his understanding. Fortunately for him, I was there to save his hide..." I told Big Sister the whole story and there she was at the end of my tale, gawking with her mouth wide open. Just then, as if Fate could have not been more demented and crueler, a loud rapping came from the door and the tour guide''s voice came from the other side, "Are you still up, Master Shiyan?"


    Without any shred of hesitation, Sister trotted to the door and yanked it open by the handle. The fool''s imagination must have been spinning wildly when he first saw her and he trembled before a sly grin appeared on his face! The bloody fool must be thinking that I was engaging myself with a call-girl! "Oh, my! I see you''re busy, Master Shiyan! I thought you might want a drink. Anyway, I''ll leave you to it." Before he could run off, I raced to him and yanked him back by the scruff of his neck, dragging him into the room and slamming the door shut behind him. "You''re mistaken," I pointed out, "This is my..." Before I could finish, Sister impatiently spun on her heels and turned back into a fox before reassuming her human form, muttering flatly, "I am Shiyan''s sister."

 Chapter 224 A Sally into Society

    "SISTER?!" The tour guide yelped like a frightened pup, his eyes as large as the saucers at the pantry. "Err..." he stammered and I told him about Sister while making full sure to remind him that I was a human!


    At the end of my story, the tour guide nodded his head profusely. "So, would you like a drink, Master Shiyan?" Still, I had hardly any desire to acquiesce to his invitation. Citing my need for more suitable clothing for my sister, I declined.


    It was well past dinner when we got out. Fortunately, the busy streets of Baishan City were still bustling with people with neon signs of the myriads of shops still open blazing proudly overhead. I led Sister with me as we walked through the streets and Sister remarked uncomfortably, her eyes wandering to her fox''s tail, ears and legs, "I do not feel right, Little Brother." "Relax, Big Sister. No one''s looking!" Still, I knew what I said did little to ease Sister''s nerves as she followed uncomfortably behind me.


    We veered into another crowded commercial alley that I almost thought I was a sardine when a chorus of cries and screams from girls filled the air. From the voices, they did not seem local. "Are you a cosplayer? Which character are you portraying as?" I turned back and saw Big Sister being surrounded by a bunch of young teenage girls. In a loss of what to do, the horde of young girls took pictures with her while I could only watch with amusement at her helplessness and chagrin.


    One of them ran to me. "Hi there. Is this woman your girlfriend? You must also be a cosplayer too then? What character are you?" But before I could say a word, she took her cell phone and had a picture with me.


    Then I realized what she was talking about¡ªmy fur-trimmed trench coat! She must have mistaken my strange outfit for some anime character! "I''m not a cosplayer," I pointed out, slightly exasperated, "That woman is." I motioned at Big Sister. The girls around her still pelting her with questions, asking about what character she was pretending to be. I went to her aid and said to the girls, "She''s portraying herself as a fox demon from Chinese mythology, one of the nine-tailed foxes." That made the girls squealed in amazement. Sister hurriedly whispered into my ears, "We need to be more careful! It''s a sacrilege to pronounce myself a brethren of the nine-tailed foxes! Say, what are those devices they are holding? The ones that sparkle with bright flashes? I notice you have one too."


    We quickly sent off the girls with a group photo as a finale and I quickly dragged Big Sister into the crowd quickly. "You''ve been far too long from society, Sister," I said to her, "That flashing device is a cell phone."


    We strolled into a mall and I began to realize the curious stares boring into our backs. We were not in Beijing after all where people dressed more flamboyantly otherwise we would have blended in easily. We were like ducks in flocks of hens here in these parts and Sister was beginning to feel vexed from being stared at, her head flinching left and right with angst and irritation. "Why am I feeling like I''m being hated here?" she asked softly. And a "you''re thinking too much" was all that I could come up for now.


    We were passing by the front of a clothing store when I stopped. I walked in and found a long winter coat and handed it to Big Sister. "Put this on." She looked at me and understood my intention. Then I pointed at the fitting room where she then headed to try it on.


    The shopkeeper came to me while I waited, saying warmly, "Here''s a sweater that would go well with the miss''s winter coat, sir." I nodded and took the sweater. "It should be fine. I''ll take the entire set, all of it with the top and bottom, with any matching set of shoes. Wait. I want a pair of boots for her. The taller the better." The shopkeeper did her best to mask her puzzlement, but she trotted off to do as I requested.


    Sister came out of the fitting room, wobbling awkwardly as she drew nearer. "Errr... Sister, surely you must have something underneath this winter coat..." Big Sister gave me a strange look. "Of course not. Why? Do I need something inside?" I shoved the sweater into her hands, saying, "Wear this inside." With a shrug, she went back to the fitting room without a word of protest.


    After a great deal of work, Sister finally looked less conspicuous. At least, with her fox''s tail and legs hidden, she looked more like a human. Only, her fox''s ears were a tad more tricky. But it was nevertheless a problem solved when I saw a fur-spangled beret perching on the top of a mannequin. I yanked it off and fit it on Big Sister''s head, tucking her ears nicely inside. She shifted uneasily with the hat on top of her, still, she did not object.


    We wandered into the men''s section and I found something to finally shed off the absurdly-anachronous fur coat Sister made for Father. With a wholly-new set of clothing, I looked once again normal. Standing behind me, looking into the mirror from over my shoulders as I looked at myself, Sister murmured, "Hmmm... Maybe the coat I''ve made for Father needs some adjustment..."


    We proceeded to the cashier''s counter to settle the bill. To my shock and disbelief, everything we bought cost a five-figure sum. Fortunately for me, the credit card belonged to Father otherwise I would have to mourn for the hefty damage of my wallet.


    I took Sister''s hand and we left the store, going for a brisk walk before going back. We came to the food court at the top story of the mall and the delicious scent of broths bubbling in hot pots, steaks, and countless other delicacies hit us face first. Sister''s nose never stopped sniffing the moment the elevator doors opened to admit us. With her sensitive nose tingling to the delicious smells of the food surrounding us, instead of me leading her, she was dragging me around like a dog on a leash! We weaved through mobs of people carrying food trays and pushing carts and finally stopped in front of a hot pot restaurant and Sister began ogling at me imploringly.


    "So, that''s it then? A hot pot dinner?" I chuckled. Sister jabbed her finger inward, nodding like a little girl. She must be terribly curious and interested to find out what hot pot was, having lived almost all of her life in the mountains. I giggle and led her inside.


    In truth, I had only a sparing appetite for hot pot; barbeque skewers had always remained my absolute favorite. But Zhang Zhigui, as far as my memory serves, did have an everlasting craving for hot pot cuisines. Poring through the menu, Big Sister recognized not a word. But she was hardly discouraged, jabbing her finger so fervently at every illustration of meat she saw that she could have almost perforated the menu with holes. "This! And this! And this too! Let''s not forget about this!" She screamed excitedly. The waiter taking our order whimpered, "Err... Miss... Our portions are quite large... Are you sure you want this much meat?" But it did little to dissuade Sister from casting pleading looks which I could not bear to refuse. It was the first time for her to venture this deep into society and this reminded of Edelweiss'' first time in the city too. "It''s all right. We''ll take them all," I said calmly to the waiter.


    The waiter shrugged helplessly before he retreated to submit the order. It was only then I realized that this meat galore would cost me at least 500 yuan. It was small wonder that the waiter had to speak out. He must be wondering if I had made the mistake of bringing a girl who was actually a bottomless blackhole in disguise to dinner! Then again, there was nothing left to be done save to swipe Father''s credit card on the machine.


    Before long, we found our table laden full of plates and dishes bearing all varietals of meat. Pork rib slices, bacons, and many more sat before us as Sister''s mouth began to water. I smiled at her, amused by her behavior and gestured her to tuck in. With no more need for any hesitation, she swiped some pork slices off a platter with her bare hands and shoved them ravenously into her mouth!


    I almost cursed in exasperation. "I had forgotten Sister was a fox demon who had never once tasted cooked meat before! She does not even eat anything cooked before!"


    I leaped to my feet and pried open her mouth quickly, fishing the meat from her jaws. That earned me an incredulous scowl from her and I shook my head wearily. "Look," I said to her, trying my best to be nice, "Put the meat into the boiling broth and wait for it to cook before you enjoy it! You''re a human now!" That made her "Ohhh" so loudly like a little girl on her first cooking lesson, her eyes growing wide with anticipation as she watched the meat boil in the gurgling pot of soup.


    Like a parent demonstrating to his child some table manners, I fished the cooked meat out of the broth with my chopsticks and added some condiments before I fed it into Sister''s mouth. With an interested "Ahhh" as she opened her mouth, she wolfed it down with a loud crack. She had snapped the tip of my chopsticks with the meat! I reached frantically over the table and held her mouth again, screaming, "Spit out the wooden tips!" She regurgitated the splintered tips of my chopsticks on my hand obediently and began chomping down on the delicious meat...


    The meal and dinner etiquette lessons went on until it was ten in the night and we finally finished all the meat.


    We began heading back to the hotel. Halfway, we passed by a little alley when Sister''s footsteps halted suddenly. "Wait, Little Brother," she hissed suddenly. She peeked into the shadows that darkened the narrow backstreet. But I, noticing nothing amiss, merely said, "The hotel''s this way!" Sister''s hand shot up at once, a gesture for silence, and she walked into the obfuscated wall of blackness in the alleyway.


    I trotted at her heels, feeling like a father being led around by a tireless and spirited little daughter. But before I could lead my absentminded Sister back to the main street, a voice rumbled from within the darkness. A voice so dark and sinister with an evil cackle, "Heh heh heh! What do we have here? The Spirit of the Sword gracing us with his presence!"

 Chapter 225 The Intruder

    The hairs on my back stood up like needles as soon as I heard the shrill voice. Sister stood in front of me, crouching warily as if ready to pounce and her ice sword gleaming white-bluish in her hand.


    I weaved my fingers, making the hand seals to summon the Shiyan Blade to me. The air screamed with a sharp whistle and my sword appeared overhead, lowering itself gently into my grasp. The crisp, disembodied voice of the intruder came again from deep inside the alleyway, "Heh heh heh... You really are the Spirit of the Shiyan Blade! Remarkable!" "Who are you?" I growled into the darkness but Sister interjected brusquely, "Strike first, questions later! Show no patience for fiends like him!" Her fingers, forming the Seal of the Sword, moved and she directed her ice sword to charge at the enemy like a lunging spear.


    Suddenly, there was raspy ringing in the air like a chorale of chimes despite the lack of a breeze. Like the bells commonly worn on a person''s bracelet or a bangle. Sister''s figure shuddered uncontrollably in front of me and she began shrinking in at an alarming rate! In mere seconds, she was gone, with only the clothes she was just wearing in an unkempt heap! "SISTER!" I screamed with horror. Then from within the folds of the clothes strewn on the ground, a little white fox popped its head out, staring at me with fear and disbelief in its eyes. Sister had been reduced back to her original form!


    "What is happening? How is this possible? Sister assuming her original form during battle!" The voice of the figureless intruder bounced off the walls, "We have methods to deal with fox demons like you. So I''d advise that you sit tight while I have my little chat with the Spirit of the Sword." A fearful dread dawned upon me. "Is this person one of those who had been watching and directing things from the shadows? One of the invisible hand conspiring against Father and me?" With another spurt of courage, I found my voice and croaked, "Who are you?"


    Footfalls echoed and a dark figure emerged from the blackness. With a crew-cut hair and a Polo T-shirt to go with a large mink trench coat, the common fashion fad for people in North-east China, the gaunt man, his cropped pants swaggering maladroitly, drew closer. "You looked really like a DJ, my friend." I stifled a giggle. I almost half-expected him to break into a dance in his goofy outfit. As a student of music, his flamboyantly weird clothing was not something I find tasteful, hence the hint of derision in my voice.


    But to my surprise, the intruder laughed jovially. "How can you tell? I do some deejaying once in a while." "Your costume, I guess. But let''s not stray further. Who are you and what do you want with me?" I replied. "Fret not, Master Spirit. I only want to talk. I am known as Jin Qichen." "I see. And what about the one behind you now digging his arse?" A visible hint of surprise flashed across Jin Qichen''s face before he burst into laughter. "Remarkable indeed! You really are extraordinary!" He raised a hand and motioned for his companion to join him.


    The newcomer emerged from the shadows, a man with beggar-like locks of hairs hanging down his face and crumpled, disheveled clothing of a peasant. On his waist, a belt hung with numerous bells made of copper and bronze. It must have been these instruments which have undone Sister''s magic, I mused and Jin Qichen introduced his companion, "This is Na San. My servant." I merely nodded, signaling the intruder to go on.


    "I''m here with a proposition, Master Spirit. We wish to invite you to join us on a collaboration." "Oh?" "As you undoubtedly realize, you and your sword combined is one of the mightiest weapons in existence. An ancient legendary weapon with awesome power. I''m sure you understand the invincible might one commands when one wields such an instrument. Like how Arthur achieves his kingship with Excalibur. So, this is my proposal: join me and let us rule the world together..." "No," I cut him off before he could finish.


    Strangely, Jin Qichen seemed hardly perturbed by my blunt rejection as if he had expected me to refuse him. In a silky voice, he prodded again, "It might surprise you to find out that underneath Changbai Mountain lays one of the fourteen dragon leys of the lands! All you have to do is to rekindle the life of the dragon ley for me and the entire country will bow at my..."


    "No can do." I rebuffed him flatly again without any patience to let him finish before it was my turn to speak, "It might have failed to occur to you that a celestial being has been sent down from Heaven to put an end to all dragon leys since the fall of the Qing Empire. There is no more dragon ley. Even if any does survive, a mere mortal like you would never be able to wield its influence and sheer magnificence to achieve kingship." "But I would. With your help!" Jin Qichen answered, as sharp as a blade. I shook my head. This time, I turned my attention to his manservant Na San. "And you there, quit shaking your bunghole or I''ll drive my sword through your arse."


    Na San stopped at once at my threat and the chiming stop. Lo and behold, Sister turned back into her human form as soon as the ringing ceased and she scampered to my side. "Be careful of that man''s bells, Little Brother!" Big Sister whispered worriedly, "My powers fail whenever he rings his bell that I cannot even maintain my human guise! Beware!"


    Unbothered by the momentary intermission, Jin Qichen was hardly dissuaded from continuing his sales pitch. "I''d hope you would at least consider my proposition, Spirit of the Sword." I scoffed crustily. "There''s nothing to consider. I would never help you even if I indeed possess such power. What''s more, why would I need you for if I have such power to awaken the dragon leys on my own?" Jin Qichen turned rapacious suddenly, his voracious eyes gleaming with desire and greed. With his hands trembling as they rose when he spoke with brimming frenzy, he said, "Think about it! Work with me, and everything you desire shall be yours! Woman? Money? What is it you want? Everything! All of them! Shall be yours!" That looked so funny to me that I burst into a fit of guffaws. "And what makes a deejay like you believe you can achieve these accomplishments?"


    Jin Qichen erupted into a peal of maniacal laughter all of a sudden like a deranged madman, leaving us quietly staring at him. When he finally stopped, he said, "This is the Will of Heaven! Can''t you see this, Spirit of the Sword! We are destined to meet! We are meant to work together!" "This is getting too much," I was starting to feel. Beginning to feel annoyed by this senseless brouhaha, I glared at Jin Qichen, "And the fact that you are aware of who I am makes me curious and wary to who you really are."


    What I said seemed to have struck logic into him. In a relatively calm voice, he said, "When the Empire of Manchuria fell so many years ago, both the Dragon-slaying Blade and the Sword of the Nine Drakes were taken by the spymaster Dai Li. Then came the news of his aircraft mishap. Since then, all we''ve heard was that the Sword of the Nine Drakes ruined and the Dragon-slaying Blade lost. Completely lost from the world. But now, here you are! The emergence of the divine weapon of the legendary Yan Di of the South! You and I, were are fellow kins of his descendants. With the power of the Shiyan Blade, we will surely be able to reawaken the dragon leys and bring forth the resurgence of the Qing Empire! And I shall be the first Emperor of the renewed Qing Empire!" He screamed hysterically, his furor fermenting with insanity that I could only grimace at the nonsense he was babbling.


    "And have you not heard that the Manchurians of the Qing Empire were the descendants of Qing Di of the West, not Yan Di and certainly not Huang Di?! You should be looking for the Shiqing Blade if you indeed with to resuscitate the dynasty of your forebears." The Jin Qichen smirked. "The Dragon-slaying Blade is no more," he said, "You are all I need. Just by helping me, we can forge a kingdom that would last through ages! Are you not intrigued by any of this?" "Dragon leys do not last forever, you fool! You sure have a lot of catching up to do! A mere mortal like you spending your days constantly lulling in delusions of grandeur! Don''t you have something better to do!? And how come you by the knowledge that I am the Spirit of the Shiyan Blade!? Who told you about the Blade that was Lost?"


    Jin Qichen''s face hardly shifted from the smirk he was still wearing. "That is hardly your concern. But if it is so important to you, swear me your fealty and the knowledge shall be yours!" A hand gripped on my arm and I turned to see Sister shaking her head imperceptibly, urging me to not agree. "But of course I wouldn''t," I almost blurted. First things first, I did not wield the power to awaken dragon leys. But even if I did, Heaven forfend a bolt lightning might shoot down from the sky to kill me for trying to act against the wishes of Heaven by hoping to resurrect the Qing Empire. I looked at the intruder and smirked derisively as I tossed the Shiyan Blade into the air, allowing it to spear through the cobblestones a foot from where Jin Qichen was standing. "Go if you will," I said to him, "Take the sword. That I can borrow you at least. But I''ll never help you achieve the kingship you so believe you deserve."


    His face changed suddenly, revealing a devilish and ravenous glare that betrayed his thirst for power at the sight of the invincible Shiyan Blade now sticking out of the ground like Excalibur in the stone. He lunged for it, ripping it out of the ground and sending gravel spattering on the ground. Just then, Na San formed up to his master and whispered into his ears. Something he said smothered the intense craving for power blazing in his master''s eyes and Jin Qichen tossed the Shiyan Blade to the ground, allowing it to clatter harmlessly on the puddled cobblestones of the back alley. But I was actually bothered of something else; the Shiyan Blade would have weighed a tonne in the hands of a mortal. Yet Jin Qichen was able to yank it free from my grasp and swing it like a normal sword! "He is no mere mortal after all!"


    "It is true then. The Shiyan Blade and its Spirit must be one. Otherwise, the Blade is nothing but just a piece of worthless steel. This I do know," Jin Qichen remarked with a hint of disappointment. I snorted coldly and picked up my weapon. "Tell me the truth and answer my question. And enough of all that day-dreaming... Otherwise..." Forming the Seal of the Sword, I released the Shiyan Blade from my grasp and it hovered briefly over my head before it lunged at Jin Qichen with a blinding speed before stopping precariously at a mere hair''s breadth away from biting into the skin of his forehead.


    Jin Qichen raised his hands in a surrendering gesture and muttered mockingly, "Easy, Spirit." "Then answer my question!" I growled. With his hands still raised, Jin Qichen shrugged. "Very well. A show of good faith would not hurt, I guess." He remarked dryly, "There was indeed someone who told me who you are. But the knowledge of the Blade that was Lost is known to me since I was a boy. This matter is a secret closely-guarded within my brethren."


    "Your brethren?" I gasped suspiciously.


    "My brethren. My family. Jin. Although tens of years ago, we would have been known by the name Aisin Gioro and I would have been Aisin Gioro Qichen."

 Chapter 226 Na San, the Shaman

    Aisin Gioro, the ruling clan that once occupied the throne of the Qing Empire. Contrary to the beliefs of many, the name Aisin Gioro was hardly a family name or a surname, but rather the name of the clan itself. Similar in nature to Clan Xuanyuan and Clan Shennong which descended from Huang Di of the Center and Yan Di of the South respectively. The sinicized surname Jin was adopted later following the fall of the Qing Empire, which could also mean that this eccentric stranger, Jin Qichen was a progeny that hailed from the line of emperors of the Qing Empire.


    Jin Qichen looked positively proud when the name "Aisin Gioro" was mentioned. So proud that he looked as if he was going to burst. "The Dragon-slaying Blade became missing after the fall of Manchukuo. Since then, my clan and that of the shamans have retreated into hiding until now."


    I rubbed my chin and asked a pondering question, "Your name is Qichen, you say? So you must be cousins with the famous calligrapher Qigong?" Jin Qichen returned a smug nod as a tacit reply. "So that means, according to Qing Dynasty ranking, I should address you correctly as Prince Beile Chen?" Jin Qichen continued wearing his self-satisfied smile, saying nothing. But deep inside, I was doubling over with laughter. A self-professed prince... when he is but a mere distant cousin of the actual ruling branch of the Aisin Gioro Clan, I mused. "So tell me," I said again, "Who told you that I am the Spirit of the Shiyan Blade?"


    "Well..." Jin Qichen chuckled. "I suppose I can tell you a little about this. I am working in collaboration with them, but I am afraid I don''t know much about them. But I am hardly the only one these people are working with; we have two other parties working in tandem with us. And I am immensely integral in this venture because I am a true son from the line of kings and emperors who can command the dragon leys! The one who can be king!" "Be that as it may," I snubbed him brusquely, "You Aisin Gioros might have survived, but let''s not forget there''re also the descendants of Temujin¡ªGenghis Khan, the progenies of the former ruling clans; Clan Zhu of Ming, Clan Zhao of Song, Clan Li of Tang... What about Clan Liu of Han and even Clan Ying of Qin... wait... they''re known to carry the surname "Qin" now... What''s more, there are also the descendants of Clan Xuanyuan and Clan Shennong. For all I know, I might even be a true son that originates from Clan Shennong!"


    Prince Beile Chen''s face changed. He looked stony and unflappable; I must have hit a nerve there. But he was quick to control himself to not betray any of his emotions any further. "You of all people should understand what is it to carry the true air of a king, Master Spirit of the Sword. Do you not feel the presence and aura of a king from me?" I shook my head at once, scorning him further. Deep inside me, I thought, You think calling you Prince Beile makes you a true prince, you delusional fool? The "presence and aura of a king?" Come on, for crying out loud, my Spirit Sight can''t even detect a whiff of fart from you!


    Jin Qichen merely smiled thinly. "Never you mind. Join me. Join me and I''ll make you see..." The pompous fool seemed to have not realized my patience waning. I did not allow him to finish. My fingers formed into the Seal of the Sword and I pointed at my Shiyan Blade. It shot up in a deadly arc, swishing as it bore down on Jin Qichen''s head.


    A loud clang resounded; the Shiyan Blade was stopped by a saber, winking gold in the faint light. Na San had come forward with the strange weapon to defend his master, raising it to stop the Shiyan Blade. But I was surprised. Not even Big Sister''s ice swords could stand a blow from the Shiyan Blade, yet this golden saber was powerful enough to withstand the might of the Shiyan Blade with hardly a dent or a notch!


    As if on a cue, Big Sister quickly whispered into my ears, as if she understood my surprise, "This Na San must be from the clan of shamans that serves the Aisin Gioro and had retreated into hiding with them. The golden saber and the bells are their signature weapons!" I quirked an inquisitive brow, and curled my fingers still in the stance of the Seal of the Sword, motioning it to return to me. With another swish, it somersaulted and returned to my grasp.


    "I see. So the shamans'' heir is also a person not to be trifled with. But surely you can''t expect him alone to be able to keep you from harm, Prince Beile?" I swung my sword deftly, sneering mockingly. "How about a test of his abilities then!" Jin Qichen burst confidently. Na San immediately leaped forward, shaking his waist and lower body in a very strange stance. Bursting into a scornful guffaw myself, I shouted, "Is ritual dance a part of street fights these days?"


    Flustered, Na San seemed perturbed by my derisive remarks; he began chanting in a tongue that sounded alien to me. Then he lunged, swinging his saber at me while never stopped shaking his waist!


    The tip of the golden blade sailed perilously by with a strange, visible auric energy streaming at its edge. Quickly, I slanted my sword and a loud clang followed as I tried to deflect Na San''s attack. But instead of bouncing off, his saber weighed down on my sword with the force of a bull that I almost fell!


    Oddly, Na San did not press on; he leaped backward, his lips never stopped murmuring his spell-like song. That must be some sort of incantation for his shamanic sorcery, I thought, magic which accounts for that brutish strength just now!


    Na San showed no sign of rushing for another attack. He continued swaying his waist, the hanging belts on his bell jingling to his movements as he slowly spun as if it was part of some ritual dance. But I did not lunge. I did not know what he was doing and I only knew I needed to be careful. Warily, with my fingers forming the Seal of the Sword, I released my hold on the hilt of the Shiyan Blade, controlling it with my magic. It took into the sky overhead and when I directed it at Na San with a thrust of my fingers, it charged straight for Na San''s wobbling head. But Na San only carried on warbling his song. Just at the nick of time, he threw forth his golden saber at the incoming Shiyan Blade!


    Another loud ring of steel on steel echoed in the darkened alleyway. Both weapons met and deflected each other away, but the Shiyan Blade fell out of my control! Maintaining the Seal of the Sword, I tried desperately to regain control of my weapon, only to find Na San snarling and pouncing at me with his fingers clenched like claws waiting to rent at my flesh! So quick as a rampaging beast, I knew at once that there was no evading him. With my other hand immediately forming also the Seal of the Sword, I crossed my arms. With one hand pointing into the sky and the other into the ground, I roared at the top of my voice, "BREAK!"


    There was a powerful bang that came with a sudden rush of power from inside me! It was so strong that Na San was caromed off several yards! This was actually a trick Father taught me. A double-edged sword that could only be used only at the gravest moment. This magic expunged all my spiritual energy in an instant, pushing everything around me away with a powerful force. But this would not only deplete most of my spiritual powers; it could also kill me. As if it could not be any worse, this magic deals little to no damage to any enemies around me. And since this magic forced everything around me away, not only was Na San tossed into the air; Big Sister too was howling as she was tossed into the air.


    What followed after was a litany of angry curses from Big Sister. "You foolish whelp! What did you try to do? Kill me?!" But I could hardly even manage to stand; my spiritual powers were utterly spent and her angry remarks and expletives were the last thing on my mind. Scrambling back to me, Big Sister was about to pinch and twist my ear when she realized how weakened I was. "Huh?! Your powers?! They''re gone?!" That earned her a weak smile from me. But that was the only thing I could do lest that brutish Na San could have easily and savagely strangled me to death.


    Na San slunk back as well, never once stopping his crooning chant. Jin Qichen remained where he was; he had not moved from his spot since Na San attacked. It was clear that he would be nothing more than cannon fodder in a real fight; even in my weakened state, the self-professed heir to the Qing Empire looked more than incapable of rushing at me for a coup de grace.


    By then, Na San finally got back. This time, he was holding in his grasp a long pole. Everything of it looked like an ordinary wood staff save for the awful-looking snakeskin wrapped around it. At its bottom end, a flanged-shaped iron head was affixed like a mace while perching at the top end, was a bronze figurine with a coin in its mouth. This was another iconic instrument of the Manchurian shamans, their shamanic staff. The golden saber Na San was wielding before must be the hallowed blade of the shamans.


    The shamanic staff clinked as it wobbled to Na San''s movements. To my annoyance, he was still continuing his song! Big Sister grabbed at my shoulder and spoke tersely, afraid that the shaman might conjure up something else again, "Use the Shiyan Blade. You are part of it and it a part of you. With the divine might of the Shiyan Blade, he''d never be able to defeat you!" I glared at her with my eyes narrowed, wondering, Why is it that only now you''re telling me about this?


    Nevertheless, what Big Sister said was right and it was all I could do! With what was left of my spiritual powers, I recalled the Shiyan Blade. I gripped the handle firmly, expecting to see something awesome happening but nothing came. I looked at Big Sister skeptically and she too peered at me with eyes as wide as saucers. "Come on, you have done it before! Do it again! Use your powers!" I glowered at her and hissed, "How?!" She stomped her foot angrily and spat. "Your blood, you fool! Drench the sword with your blood! You did it once before!"


    It was only then I remembered what happened that day: I had inadvertently coughed some blood on to the Shiyan Blade when I was almost killed by Big Sister then! So it was how I became one with this sword! But Na San was nowhere generous enough to grant me time to learn; he raised his staff, shrieking and howling like a deranged ape. But I knew he was up to something. I run a finger along the sharp edge of the Shiyan Blade, feeling a painful prick and I saw blood oozing out of the gash. I rubbed my blood along the flat of the blade and it shone brilliantly all of a sudden and I began to feel a rush of strength gushing into me!


    At the same time, Na San howled a long and deafening battle cry and the little bronze figurine on his staff too began to shine in resonance to his call! The brilliant light seemed to concentrate on the small coin it was biting on and a sharp whine screamed across the air and a ray of light shot from the little figurine, heading straight towards me! It streaked over the cobblestones of the alleyway, leaving a smoldering trail in its wake and I finally realized what it was!


    A laser death ray!?

 Chapter 227 The Shamans Devices

    I stared, bewildered and awestruck at the beam shooting right at me from Na San''s staff! Then I felt a jolt; Big Sister shoved me aside and the ray of light shot between us harmlessly.


    Lurching sideways, a thought flashed across my mind: since when do shamans use laser technology?! But Na San, the boorish brute that he was, was already readjusting the direction of his staff to send another death ray my way! The beam blazed a trench no more than three fingers wide as it charged at me like a red spear and the cobblestones sizzled with protest with a long fuming and blackened streak as the beam headed straight at me.


    But I was already one with the Shiyan Blade; a state of harmony and union that allowed the Shiyan Blade to accord me unbelievable speed and superhuman strength. I leaped up, reaching as high as almost ten yards, cleanly jumping out of the trajectory of the laser beam. This is my chance to retaliate!


    I raised the Shiyan Blade before my eyes, my finger sliding on the smooth and slender steel of the sword as I muttered the incantation for the Fire Charm. The blade of the sword erupted with flames as if a dragon had breathed on it and I yelled a wordless battle cry, swinging hard the Shiyan Blade and sent forth a fiery half-moon burst of flames at Na San!


    The speed of my retaliation caught Na San off-guard; he looked up just in time to see the scythe-shaped mass of flames boring down on him!


    But Na San reacted with lightning-speed agility; hardly terrified beyond measure, he quickly tossed aside his staff and puffed his chest defiantly. He undid the clasp of his old, battered down jacket and showed his naked chest.


    Boom! The flames hit him squarely in the chest and a huge burst of fire blinded everyone. But just before my eyes closed, I caught a glimpse of a copper-bronze radiance sprouting richly from Na San''s chest like a gushing geyser. But the burst of fire was too strong and it was all I saw before my eyes shut.


    I felt myself crashing to the ground with a thud and I knew I was somewhere behind Na San.


    If there was anything that I have learned from my experience in fighting Big Sister, it was that I must always be prepared to accept that even the most powerful attack could fail. Immediately when I hit the ground, I quickly sprang up and charged with my sword ahead. Even with my eyes closed, I stabbed with all my weight behind my sword, trying to remember where Na San was standing, and aiming straight for his heart!


    In the state of being one with the Shiyan Blade, I felt as if I was the Flash. The fiery burst had barely begun dissipating when I felt my sword hitting its mark. Only, instead of feeling the blade plunging through him, tearing through his skin and flesh, I only heard the raspy metallic clang of something hard and the Shiyan Blade bounced off something hard!


    But as I regained my sight, I finally saw what it was that my sword had hit. The Shiyan Blade did not miss. Its tip had seared through the down jacket and hit the back of Na San, right where his heart would be, only something hard was in its way like a shield! A bright shade of copper winked from the cut where the Shiyan Blade had pierced through. Then I began to realize that the front of Na San''s torso was also shining brightly in bronze as if he was wearing a suit of armor and the Fire Charm had not so much as singed a hair off him!


    Big Sister and I were instantly shocked beyond words! The Fire Charm I just used was not powered by my inner powers or mana, but rather the strength of the Shiyan Blade itself! Yet here was Na San, emerging completely unscathed by the power of the Shiyan Blade! An occurrence that should not have been possible!


    Na San whirled around, looking fierce and ugly. Suddenly, his expression softened and he broke into a smug sneer. He puffed his chest and there it was, hanging from his neck a bronze mirror, gleaming brightly in the dark. He gleefully removed his down jacket, revealing a frayed shirt with numerous repaired patches sewn all over it and another bronze mirror hanging down his back! It must be these mirrors that had stopped the Shiyan Blade and the bolt of flames from the Fire Charm!


    "You''ve spent quite a lot on equipment," I observed with a cheeky remark, "Aren''t you a spendthrift one!" And I chuckled at my own joke. Na San merely looked at me dumbly but Jin Qichen who had been watching from beside stirred uneasily, clearly understanding me. "So," he muttered with feigned curiosity, "How am I to defeat you when you have such epic-level equipment?" I jabbed again, giggling mirthfully.


    "Oh my! We should not have forgotten about you, Prince Beile!" I turned to Jin Qichen, slapping my forehead with mocked surprise. "I should have dealt with you first! It''s just like playing a video game. Defeating first the Boss while ignoring the small creeps!" I lunged before I even finished with my arm outstretched, clawing for Jin Qichen''s throat!


    For once, Jin Qichen looked absolutely fearful. Panic was evident in his trembling eyes for just a fleeting second before it quickly became a self-conceited smile. My hand was so close to grabbing at his throat when I felt a chill down my spine and I quickly withdrew and an earsplitting crack hit the ground! Right where I was standing just half a second before was Na San''s staff, driven inches deep into the ground! My gaze traveled further and I saw Na San still frozen in his tracks; still in his throwing stance with his arms outstretched. But I knew better than to retreat; realizing that Na San was now without his weapon, I pivoted and swung my sword, putting all my weight behind the blow that aimed for his throat! With my enhanced agility and speed, Na San could hardly even react and he could not even withdraw his arms to defend himself!


    At the same time, I spied Big Sister frantically flexing her fingers at Na San from behind him with one of her hands forming the Seal of the Sword and her lips fluttering with a spell! Lo and behold, right before my sword reached Na San''s throat, three menacing icicles materialized right over his head, threatening to drive right into his skull!


    Before he could draw back his arm, Na San felt the warning tingle of danger crawling on his skin. With three quick rolls to the back, he dodged my attack and the three falling icicles just in time.


    Noting, Big Sister''s study of arcane magic after shedding her former demonic ways revolved around cold elements. Hence, her magic of ice manipulation. Big Sister''s conjuring of icicles and swords of ice was similar in method to my Fire Charm. Only the nature of our elements remained different, hence hers would naturally be the Ice Charm.


    But as Na San rolled back in his haste, the bells hanging from his belt emitted another chiming peal of rattle and jingles and Big Sister''s magic immediately failed. She began returning back to her true form. Yet, Na San''s rolling brought him just before Big Sister! With what strength remaining before she fully returned to her fox form, she made a vicious kick into his groin!


    She was still wearing the long boots I bought her when she sent the kick. A pair of boots with hard, pointy ends! The kick hit Na San right between his legs. His eyes instantly enlarged when he felt her boots hitting him; so large that I could almost see the veins in his eyes and he crumbled to the ground with an agonizing groan of pain with Big Sister nowhere to be seen; she had fully been transformed back to her fox form. For all the good his bells are doing him against demons, I smirked, and they won''t protect him against a bodily kick into his crotch! Good one, Big Sister!


    Big Sister quickly transformed herself back to her human form. She emerged from her heap of clothes and lifted the now-unconscious Na San like a trussed chicken and came to me.


    With a chuckle, we returned our attention back to Jin Qichen. "What else do you have now?" I pointed my sword at him. He was looking terrified with his bodyguard defeated. Even his legs were shaking that I was wondering if they were going to buckle and give way. With an aghast howl, he turned and ran, escaping deep into the darkness of the alleyway ahead.


    "And where do you think you''re running off to?" I chuckled and ran after him. But in scarcely a couple of steps, a strange and staggering weariness struck me with such force that my knees immediately felt like marshmallow and I crashed to the ground! I forced myself arm with what strength remaining, feeling all strength in me ebbing like a leaking balloon and the bond that I shared with the Shiyan Blade instantly broke.


    "Little Brother?!" Big Sister rushed over to help me up. "What''s wrong?!" I raised a hand to indicate I was fine. "You''ve forgotten to tell me that there''s a time limit to how long I can maintain the state of being one with the Blade... I''m okay. I''m just tired from the exertion and my link with the sword broken..."


    We looked into the alleyway, seeing the red lamps of a car moving further and further away until it was but a single dot before it disappeared completely. Big Sister had wanted to chase after Jin Qichen, but she could not leave me alone there.


    She carried me on her back like how she did before, dragging the fainted Na San with us back to the hotel. Then we had Na San tightly bound in ropes and left in the toilet. "So, what should we do with this shaman pup?" Big Sister asked sourly.

 Chapter 228 Back to Wu Zhong

    I squirmed on my bed, feeling the throbs of cramps and soreness all around me. After a heartbeat of thinking, I replied, "Well, I guess we can only bring him back with us to Wu Zhong. We''ll bring him to Father and let him decide." Big Sister nodded her assent. That was the only viable option we could take.


    The next morning, I heard a series of loud rappings on our door. The tour guide was knocking to find out if we intend to join his troupe back. Remembering that we still have a captive, I whispered through the narrow slit I opened at the door, "We''ll find our own way back. I''d best not get you into trouble since my Big Sister has no papers with her and we can''t well take a train. Moreover, I intend to stay for another couple of days here for fun."


    The door was barely shut for minutes when someone came knocking again. I opened it and put on a drowsy look to find Qin Le standing outside. She also wanted to know if we would be joining the tourists on our way back. I supplied her with the same pretense I gave just moments before and she left after taking my contact details.


    Finally, a moment of peace, I mused, closing the door. I went to my phone and dialed Father''s number. But all I got was a long bombination of a dialing tone; Father might be busy speaking in class. I ended the call and waited.


    My phone rang suddenly after almost a half-hour later. It was Father. I gave him a quick report of what happened at Baishan City, especially noting that we had caught Jin Qichen''s servant, a descendant of the shamans. With a lazy and uninterested voice, Father said, "Shamans? I don''t know them much. Your mother does. Speak to her about this. In our former days, she''s the one who handled all the dealings with them." And that was it. The line was dead even before I could tell Father about Big Sister.


    Within seconds, my phone rang again. It was Edelweiss this time. With a tender voice, I spoke into the mouthpiece, "Hello, my dear." But instead of Edelweiss'' voice, a miffed voice berated from the other end, "Humph! So you have only your wife in your eyes! What about your mother?!" But the phone belongs to Edelweiss, I thought, it was only natural that I thought it was her!? But I quickly chuckled with a giggle and replied with a playful tone, "Of course not, Mother. I thought it was Edelweiss. At least, that''s what I thought from the caller ID I''m getting here."


    In a straightforward and business-like tone, Mother went on, "Your father has told me about everything. Bring the shaman boy to me as quickly as you can. I was the one who established contact with them on behalf of the Wudaxians centuries ago. I''ll deal with him!" I muttered my assent and thanks and quickly spoke to Mother about Big Sister. "Qinglan, you mean? Bring her back with you too!" she muttered indifferently and ended the call before I could say another word.


    "What is it with all of them!? Why is everyone so rushed!? I haven''t even heard Edelweiss'' voice!" I grumbled to myself. Hearing this, Big Sister jabbed a finger on my head. "Look at you! Are you missing your wife after just a few days?!" I glared at her and mumbled, "Speak for yourself, you spinster." Big Sister raised a hand in a mock attempt to hit me and I quickly steered the subject, trying to sound serious, "We need to consider on ways to go back to Wu Zhong. I can have just take a ride on the train and make some arrangements to have you transported as a pet if you can turn back into a fox. But our situation is different now with a POW. I''m afraid the police would be upon us even before we can board the train!" We were not in Wu Zhong where we could easily rely on Zheng Shuang to help us iron out any kinks or wrinkles with the police!


    Big Sister gave me a stare so bewildered that could only mean that she understood not a word I said. But she chuckled and muttered, "I don''t have to travel so primitively like you! I can fly! With my sword!" I sprang up and bellowed, "Why didn''t you tell me about this earlier!?" She smirked and remarked bluntly, "You didn''t ask."


    We quickly checked out and dragged a struggling Na San to a secluded spot where we rode on our swords into the air. Under my direction, the journey lasted for almost the entire morning until we could finally glimpse the monolithic granite slabs of the Tangshan Earthquake Memorial Park.


    We landed on a spot to the east of the town of Wu Zhong County, a place called Balipu Town. Then I remembered: this was the place where the Triune of Wu Zhong had fought against the Cult of the Damned. I breathed deeply, wondering how fierce a fight it was. The fertilizer manufacturing factory looked different now compared to how I saw it when I was sent back through Time. Even the school now had changed its name. We were just right on time to hear the bells ringing to signal the end of classes. There was a still silence like the calm before a storm, then the stampede of footfalls rumbled as students rushed into the canteen like the wild rapids of the Yellow River for their meals...


    It was a sight that brought back memories of my school life. Big Sister noticed my trance and stroked my hair. "What is it, Little Brother?" I shook my head. "Nothing. Just remembering what it was like to be in school."


    Then I realized how solemn-looking Big Sister was. She looked absolutely flustered and nervous. I smiled at her. "It''s okay. You''re not meeting somebody as important as your future parents-in-law. You''re just coming home." That seemed to make her feel a teensy bit more comfortable. She nodded, trying to hide how she looked so much like a nonplussed little girl.


    I could only chuckle as I dug in my pocket for my phone and called Lin Feng, who immediately answered when the line was connected as if he had been expecting me to call, "HEY! AT LONG LAST! Where have you been?! For three days! Here we were, thinking that you have been kidnapped! Where are you now!" I giggled. "Heh heh heh... Relax... I''m just coming back! I''m at the gates of the old school and I need a ride." Lin Feng immediately ended the call brusquely without saying anything and barely five minutes later, I saw two cars speeding from afar towards us, kicking up dirt and sand into the air like two charging destriers. One of them I recognized almost instantly as my old rickety Volkswagen and the other, a police cruiser most likely driven by Zheng Shuang.


    The cars screeched to a halt in front of me and a bunch of people poured out of the cars and I was manhandled like a scarecrow with my friends shaking me down to see if I was hurt in any way!


    I pushed aside Chongxi''s hands which were nipping at my cheeks. "Come on! I''m fine! I''m okay!" Lin Feng pushed a fist into my chest. "How could you! Missing for a few days without any word to any of us! Where have you been for the past three days, speak!" "Yeah," Yuanyuan quipped, her arm curled around Lin Feng''s elbow, "How can you leave Edelweiss alone!?" Zheng Shuang was still in his uniform; he must have come directly from his station. He came forward and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Would that you knew what a ruckus it was at the station when we heard about your disappearance. Even the Director himself has ordered for a special task force to search for you! That should impress upon you on how important you are to us!" Chongxi nudged at Big Sister, noticing her and the still-restrained Na San for the first time. "And errr... what have we here..."


    With her magical powers, Big Sister''s maintained the appearance of a gorgeous young woman. She might not be as ravishing as Mother, but she would have no trouble having her own flock of admirers in no time. With everyone''s attention on her, she blushed like a helpless and demure young lass in need of a gallant prince to rescue her.


    Through the crowd that congregated around me, I saw Edelweiss. She was looking at me from afar, standing alone at the back with traces of tears visible on her cheeks. She must have misunderstood me and Big Sister, otherwise, she would have been the first to rush to me and leap on to me with an excited hug and not hiding at the back weeping alone.


    I ran to her, wading through the crowd. With a silly giggle, I hugged her. "You must be worried sick, my dear. Heh heh heh." She wrapped her arms around me, unable to hold back any more tears and two lines streamed down her face quietly. I pinched at her cheeks softly, teasing her gently, "Why are you crying? How were you a horse bandit feared by all when you like to cry so much?"


    A loud Ahem! From the crowd over my back reminded me that we were in public and I let go of Edelweiss, both of us looking sheepish and embarrassed. I hastily diverted everyone''s attention and quickly introduced, "This is my long-lost Big Sister, Murong Qinglan. And the man she''s holding is our captive." Chongxi pulled a face and muttered, "Long lost Big Sister?!" But before I could explain, he chuckled and said to Big Sister, "Well, you are not just a simple lass, are you, Big Sister Qinglan?"


    Chongxi has indeed taken up after his teacher. True to their calling as seers, they were so accustomed to reading people from their faces. As soon as they had met, Chongxi had immediately realized that Big Sister was not a human. Everyone else was still wearing confused and bewildered looks, clearly not understanding what Chongxi was saying when Big Sister plucked her beret cap off her head and revealed her fox''s ears. That was enough to make everyone hold their breaths. "She''s not human, but a fox demon..." And a slap from Big Sister on my head cut me off.


    On our way back to Wu Zhong, Chongxi turned to me and said, "We''ve received a letter during your three-day escapade, Brother Yan. It''s from Zhigui."


    "Letter?!" I blurted incredulously, "What is he? A cavemen?! What''s wrong with a phone call?!"

 Chapter 229 Letter

    I sank into the sofa in the sitting area of our Center and read Zhang Zhigui''s letter. To my amazement, it was written in calligraphy brushstrokes, although "beautiful" was the last word I would use to describe his penmanship.


    Dear brother, I write today to inform you about a mishap which has befallen me and I could find no other way to resolve it other than to request your aid. I humbly beg for your assistance and I shall be awaiting your arrival at the residence of Clan Zhang of Yishui. I shall be at your disposal to provide any more details. The letter went on with more redundancies about the times we had spent together, illustrating his excitement and pleasure of having meeting us, even though we have only met twice.


    My hand lowered as I finished and I noticed Lin Feng and Chongxi staring at me with the very same look on their faces. "What shall we do now?" Edelweiss voiced out the very question that everyone was meaning to ask. I looked at everyone and said, "What else? Zhigui has helped us before. It''s only right that we reciprocate the gesture." But everyone merely maintained their odd stare, neither agreeing nor objecting to what I said. Finally, Lin Feng launched a smoke-ring into the air. "Well, truth be told, Chongxi and I were having the same idea when we first saw this letter. Then Xiao Er mentioned something. Something practical. The letter told us nothing about what happened, saying only that he was in trouble and he needed our help. So we can''t even know for sure if the letter was actually written by Zhigui himself."


    I nodded thoughtfully and a grin broke across my face. It was a possibility I had spotted too. Edelweiss added, "Even if the letter did indeed come from Zhigui and he is really in trouble, there is also another thing wrong here. We know full well how capable Zhigui and his friends are. Honestly, their abilities are no weaker compared to all three of you. So what is this trouble that they can''t handle themselves and they really need your help for?"


    Big Sister was lying on another couch. She yawned with her mouth gaping wide. "Well, I don''t know who this is you''re talking about. But I''m on Shiyan''s side on this one. They have helped you before. You should go no matter how great a trouble this is."


    She had just come back with me from the home of our parents and was looking positively groggy and drowsy.


    Mother was already at home, waiting for us when Big Sister and I first went home with Na San. She grinned broadly when she saw Big Sister, saying only a simple "Welcome home." It was like a mother receiving her daughter home from school.


    I was no stranger to Mother and Father''s lack of passion and emotions in their interactions with others. But Big Sister was not. She fell to her knees, weeping profusely as she bowed at Mother''s heels, addressing her as godmother. Mother swooped down and lifted Big Sister up. "Times are different now. There''s no need to bow in the 19th century. And dispense with the "Godmother," call me Mother." The simple words were enough to reduce Big Sisters into more tears and she began wailing on Mother''s shoulder. Edelweiss was so touched by this that she patted my long-lost sister on her back consolingly, shedding tears of her own.


    "What actually happened between you and Big Sister then? Surely you didn''t accept her as a daughter only because you wish to even out the numbers after having me as a son." "Of course not!" Mother retorted, pouting her lips, "It was right after we''ve found you. We chance upon your Big Sister harming some humans. She was still a common demon then, still using demons'' own kind of evil magic."


    As it turned out, Father and Mother were about to leave the place after they had found me. On their way down the slopes of the hill, they came upon a demon that was about to slaughter some humans for food. Even with his usual indifference and apathy, Father could not allow such a savagery to happen right before his eyes. He stopped her from harming the humans and the demon immediately roared, "Who dares intrude upon me!?"


    At that time, Father was nowhere patient and agreeable as he was known; he was once an irascible person with a sharp tongue and blunt manner which never stopped him from spewing expletives. A great bully of the highest order, some might say! When the demon voice thundered, Father nonchalantly shot back with an equally deafening "Your Father!" while slamming a fist into the demon''s face.


    The demon, which would later become my Big Sister, was a creature of recluse who had spent almost all of her life in the mountains. Hearing someone addressing himself as her father, especially one who wielded powers beyond her comprehension, she limped back to Father and asked a most ludicrous question, "Are, are you really my father?"


    I almost choked when Mother''s recount of what happened reached here. Is she actually a fox or just a dumb rodent?!


    Somehow, Father and Mother seemed to find her adorable and silly. Moreover, Big Sister''s true form was the same as Mother''s: a snowy-white Siberian fox. They took her in as a daughter and given us both names. I was named Shiyan after the Shiyan Blade while Big Sister was given the name Qinglan.


    In truth, "Murong Qinglan" was at first the name Father had wanted Mother to use when he was going to forge their own identities in order to blend into society. But Mother seemed to prefer "Jinghong"¡ªa phrase many ancient poets used to adopt to describe the gracefulness of a woman¡ªand hence it stuck; Mother took up the name "Murong Jinghong" and "Qinglan" was given to Big Sister instead.


    Big Sister was hardly pleased to know that I was named after a sword, feeling that hers was but a simple name given on a whim. Hence she used her magic to forge a sword of ice of her own which she named the Qinglan''s Edge to make herself feel more comfortable.


    Big Sister cried for almost an hour during that reunion with Father and Mother until we decide to leave for the Center to deal with some pressing matter. As for Na San, Mother told me that she would need some time to wring some answers from him. So I just left him there with her.


    Big Sister''s eyes were so badly swollen from all the crying by the time we were going back. Extremely conscious of the appearance of her human form, Big Sister turned back into her fox form to prevent anyone from noticing it.


    Back to the present, Chongxi was hardly impressed with Big Sister''s remark. "Well, you might be right there, Big Sister Lan. But I can''t help but feel something is amiss. Look, the contents of Zhigui''s letter are scrambled and cluttered, although it might have been written in haste. Still, something is wrong. That''s all I can say. I''m most familiar with Zhigui, out of all three of us. He''s a sucker for writing eloquently, no matter how rushed he might be. This is why I am feeling that there''s something wrong with letter."


    I cast a wry look at Chongxi. "Have you eaten?" That made him glowered at me. "You''ve been missing for the past three days. What makes you think we''re sleeping and eating well?" Any other people would surely be left dumbfounded with such a strange question, but not Chongxi, who always seems to be a whole lot smarter whenever his stomach is filled. But he must be still hungry now, since he failed to catch the gist of my question.


    Sitting at another corner, Zheng Shuang sniggered at our banter. "Chongxi just never fails to amaze me. Everything he says is just simply unexpected." I chuckled and went to the refrigerator for a can of Coke. I popped it open, took a swig of it and said to Zheng Shuang, "Well, you''re the cop here. Show us some investigative skills. Tell us what you find from the letter." He nodded. "At first, we cannot be certain about the provenance of this letter. But we can almost be fully sure that it came from Zhang Zhigui. No one else would call you to Yishui Town. An imposter would never call you to the residence of Clan Zhang there; instead, they''d prefer to divert you away. Based on this point, I''m sure this is written by Zhang Zhigui himself."


    Zheng Shuang paused and looked around as if waiting for the weight of his words to sink in with dramatic effects before he went on. "But, the content of this letter is blurry and imprecise. Let us think. Under what conditions do we write letters to people? And why would we write a letter in such a fuzzy manner?" But he did not wait for any reply, instead, he answered his own question himself, "That''s because he wants to put up a facade! A facade as if he is in danger and haste! He''s lying, and that seems the only possible explanation for me!"


    With an approving pat on his shoulders, I smiled. "Very good, Zheng Shuang. Nice work. Zhang Zhigui is trying to lure us to Yishui Town. But do any of you know why?"

 Chapter 230 Stepping on a Tigress Toes

    "But why!?" Everyone blurted as one. I snickered. "Zhang Zhigui is hardly the smartest person we know. Someone else must have goaded him or induced him to lie to us."


    "Huh?!" Lin Feng scratched his head. "What''s going on?! Who''s lying to whom actually?! I''m getting confused!" Zheng Shuang slapped his thigh in dawning comprehension. "I see! So that''s what''s going on!" That made every head turned to him. "You understand what''s going on?" A voice asked and he nodded. "Yes. After listening to Shiyan''s deduction. Zhang Zhigui is indeed in trouble, and that is why Shiyan insists that we should go to his aid! Zhang Zhigui is trying to lure you to Yishui. For what and why, I cannot say. But I don''t think it''s for anything pleasant. But he is doing this only due to coercion or persuasion by someone else. Someone whom he trusts very much. Someone close to him. That makes it very dangerous for him. An unknown person with insidious intents whispering into his ears, poisoning his thoughts. I remember you once told me about another cult that Zhang Zhigui is fighting against? A cult that sounds like the Creed of the Eight Trigrams that we''d defeated. So, there''s a possibility that this unknown person is a member of this cult!"


    I snapped my finger and pointed at him. "Exactly." Lin Feng stared at me and swung his head back at Zheng Shuang which he remained transfixed for almost a second before he uttered suddenly, "What are you two?! Sherlock and Watson?!" Zheng Shuang got up at once and adjusted his uniform, brushing out any wrinkles and folds and exclaimed proudly, "Come on now, let''s be clear: I''m the Sherlock Holmes here!" "And I''m the Conan Doyle of the mystic domain!" I quipped. Zheng Shuang choked, turned around and muttered sheepishly, "Wow, Shiyan, since when you''re so good with jokes!"


    With that, we made plans for our departure to Yishui Town with a better keynote of what was going on with Zhang Zhigui. The entire evening had been spent discussing and my stomach was growling when I checked my watch to see that it was already six. "So, what shall we be having for dinner?" I asked everyone, "Let me buy you guys dinner as an apology for the furor I''ve caused with my disappearance." The mention of "dinner" was like a shot of adrenaline to Big Sister. Even before anyone could answer, she leaped up from the sofa like an overexcited ferret, screaming, "HOT POT!"


    With no objections from anyone else, we adjourned to a hot pot restaurant with conveyor belts ferrying dishes around us like little toy trains. All-you-can-eat dinners like this suited Big Sister best with her voracious appetite which could easily dwarf all seven of us. Yuanyuan and Xiao Yu were hardly big eaters while Chongxi and Edelweiss would at least allow us to get our price''s worth. Lin Feng, Zheng Shuang, and I could not even match Edelweiss when it came to eating, hence it was Big Sister''s penchant for food that we could rely on getting our money''s worth.


    Big Sister was staring at the vast array of food that scurried by her like mice on the conveyor belts with misty eyes. Beef, mutton, or chicken; they made no difference to Big Sister. Her reclusive life in the mountains had left her with as much understanding of the modern society as a three-year-old child and just as gullible as one too that I began to dread if anyone might be able to kidnap her with just a hamburger.


    Just then, I caught notice of a man from the table next to us rising up from his chair. He began walking towards our table, his height fully drawn up with his shoulders spread out like how a thug would. From his seat at the table, he could have easily seen Big Sister clearly. I could already guess his reason for coming over, dressed in a sleeveless shirt despite the cold weather and walking over in a gait which flaunted the mantis shrimp tattoo he was obviously so proud of.


    The thug came to our table and stopped beside Big Sister. He bent down and accosted her with a broad grin. "I have not seen you here before, lady. Would you mind leaving me your Wechat ID?" Big Sister stared at him incredulously and asked, "What''s a Wechat ID?" Mistaking it as an innocuous form of rebuff by Big Sister, the thug straightened up and looked at us. None of us paid him any heed, preferring to withhold our attention on our food with only Zheng Shuang looking up at him. Thinking that all of us except for Zheng Shuang were afraid of him, he flexed his biceps again, trying once more to show off his tattoo in a menacing manner.


    Us continuing to ignore him and focus on eating somehow made him even more pleased. He bent down again and wrapped his arm around Big Sister''s shoulder, "It''s fine, lady. Look." He pointed at the building opposite the restaurant. "I''m a VIP member at the hotel opposite. How bout we go there for a quiet little chat?"


    Little did the buffoon realize that Big Sister hardly understood a word he said. She looked at the thug still grinning sleazily at her and looked at the hand grabbing at her shoulder before she blinked twice and barked at me, "Who is this, Little Brother?" I looked at her and smiled benignly. "I don''t know him." She nodded thoughtfully and asked again, "What was he telling me just now?" With an expressive smile, I said, "He''s trying to start a conversation with you, Sister. Or more precisely, he''s trying to accost and tease you."


    The thug slammed a fist into the table when he heard me, flustered and angered. "You have guts, boy! Do you know on whose toes you are stepping on!?" A bunch of stifled gasps and chortles could be heard from all around the restaurant. Big Sister was still wearing an oblivious look, clearly failing to comprehend what was happening; animals do not react to human jokes. But the thug was seething with rage at being made a fool of by what I said. He reached for a half-empty beer bottle and smashed its bottom at the edge of our table. Splinters of glass and beer rained down the floor. The thug pointed the broken beer bottle at me threateningly and bellowed, "VERY GOOD, BOY! LET''S SETTLE THIS WITH..."


    He did not even finish. There was first a loud bang and we saw the thug flying like a cannon ball before he crashed into his table, bringing his friends and mates down with him together. It was Big Sister! She had kicked the thug so hard that he flew!


    Big Sister stood over the men lying on the ground amidst the damage and debris, speaking loudly with ice in her voice, "I do not understand what you were saying just now, nor do I have any interest to understand you. But threaten my brother again and you''ll pay!" Out of nowhere, the Qinglan''s Edge had materialized in her hand even before I noticed it.


    The ruffians crawled to their feet with the leading thug who accosted Big Sister boiling with rage. The dumb brute did not even realize how a sword appear in Big Sister''s hand. With an angry roar, he cried, "I''ll have your hides tonight! Come on, guys! Hit them!" Big Sister tensed; she was hardly a person of many words. Instead, she made the Seal of the Sword, readying herself to attack. I immediately grabbed her hand and stopped her. Then I shot a quick look at Edelweiss. "Can you handle them for me, dear?"


    Everyone else in the restaurant stopped eating as the entire commotion managed to draw a small crowd of people whipping out phones to take pictures and record videos of the fight. With a girlish and adorable smile at me, Edelweiss turned to face the ruffians alone, her face turning swiftly into the snarl of a tigress...


    In just a matter of seconds, the rowdy hoots and heckles by the gangsters turned into an endless peal of agonizing screams and groans of pain. All of the ruffians were left writhing on the ground when the fight ended and Edelweiss quickly turned back into the demure and dutiful wife sitting beside me. The leading thug dug through his pockets for his phone and quickly made a call. Much to our surprise and amusement, what I thought was a call to more gang members for reinforcements turned out into a phone call to the police station, "Hello! Is this the police station! I''m at the buffet hot pot joint just opposite the hospital! We''re being walloped badly..."


    A hand appeared out of nowhere to snatch at his phone before he could finish and the person listened and replied, "It''s fine. It''s Zheng Shuang here. This bunch of fools picked a fight they never thought they would lose and now they''re licking their wounds for it." Immediately, Zheng Shuang ended the call and tossed the phone to the ground. The iPhone landed with a loud smack and everything broke into smithereens. He fished from his pocket his police identification card and waved it in front of the bewildered faces of the ruffians and announced himself, "Captain of the Wu Zhong Police Department." The entire gang of ruffians shook with fright when they finally saw who Zheng Shuang was and he guffawed proudly, "That''s what you get for stepping on the toes of a tigress! Serves you right!"


    "Are you all police officers!?" The leading thug asked in a wavering voice with tears streaming down his face. Chongxi came and looked at him deeply into his eyes, his feet crushing what was left of the broken phone with ominous crunching coming from under his feet. "You do not watch much local news, do you?" Anyone who watched the local news regularly would have recognized us, for our exploits with the local police have frequently become the talk of the town.


    But we could never continue our dinner in peace at the hot pot restaurant after all the mess we had caused. In fact, I doubt the proprietor would ever want to see us ever again. We got up and began to walk towards the exit after settling our bill. I pushed the doors open and walked out, only to collide facefirst into a stranger!

 Chapter 231 Na San Tamed

    In truth, we did not bang headfirst into each other. The stranger was very much shorter than I was. But the person was in a hurry, so we bumped into each other.


    A weak Argh! And a pair of arms came simultaneously as the stranger tried to push me away. In the midst of the confusion, I mumbled a quick "Ah, I''m sorry." But my hands instinctively shot up when I saw the pair of arms, grabbing firmly on the wrists. The many life-and-death experiences of battle had given me quick reflexes. But as soon as my fingers enclosed around the wrist, the tingling sensation of chill streaked up my arms. The skin of the stranger was so cold that there was barely any bodily warmth from the person! A ghastly cold so unnerving and harrowing that I would never have thought possible!


    I looked down at the stranger who raised her head and saw it was a young woman with long hair that stretched down her shoulders. She was hardly gorgeous or ravishing by my standards, but she would have still been a lovely lass, if not for her pale-white face.


    Immediately once she saw me, the young woman planted her fist into my chest. "You''re finally back, Shiyan!"


    I should have recognized her in the first place. Xiao Qi, the youngest of the Seven Ghostly Sisters.


    "Gods in Heaven, what''s all the rush about, Xiao Qi! You look like you''re rushing to Hell!" I jibed. That made her stomp at my foot. "Come on, say something nice!" I froze. Xiao Qi was stopped by Father then when she was trying to get to Hell. Of all the things that I could have said, I realized I had inadvertently struck her sore spot.


    "Er... I''m sorry. Shouldn''t have brought that up," I muttered weakly. She hugged her shoulders with an indignant "Humph!" and Lin Feng came over. "You''re all back?" he asked and Xiao Qi nodded. "Where did they go off to?" I asked, turning towards the direction of our Center. Lin Feng sniggered. "We''ve sent Xiao Qi and her Sisters ahead to get an idea of things as soon as we got Zhang Zhigui''s letter. Yesterday."


    I nodded with approval. "So, what did you find there?" I asked Xiao Qi whose forehead quickly broke into a frown. "It was not hard to look for Zhang Zhigui''s home once we''d reached Yishui. But he was not at home and nor were his friends! After some digging and information from the locals, at last, we found that Zhang Zhigui and his friends had retreated back to his ancestral residence. We found the address and located the residence, but something is barring our entry! No matter how hard we try, we just can''t pass through their doors and none of them had ever stepped outside! After some questioning of some nearby wandering spirits, they told us that the residence of Clan Zhang now looked strange. But with no signs of Zhang Zhigui and his friends, that is all that we''ve managed to find."


    Our short walk ended right in front of the Center. Chongxi rummaged his pockets and took out the keys. "That''s enough. We made some progress of our own with Shiyan''s return. We''ve deduced that Zhang Zhigui is lying to us. He''s trying to lure us to Yishui."


    Chongxi led us through the Center doors and lighted for himself a cigarette as he and Xiao Qi delved more into the details of the Sister''s reconnaissance mission to Yishui before he recounted our evening discussion, leaving Xiao Qi gaping with her mouth opened. Then she seemed to remember something, saying, "Wait. Just a minute. When we were at Yishui, we felt the presence of somebody with magical powers. But we cannot say if the aura radiated from inside the Clan Zhang residence."


    "So that means we''re not far off from the truth," I said, "Whoever this is, this person might well be the one hiding at Zhang Zhigui''s side, instigating all these. I think that''s all for tonight. Get some good rest tonight and regroup here tomorrow and prepare to go to Yishui."


    Everyone left, leaving on Chongxi to watch over the Center. With Edelweiss and Big Sister, I drove back home. But I was flabbergasted as soon as I walked into my parents'' home! A strange dread had left me wondering if Father and Mother had hung Na San from the ceiling while they tortured at him from below. But I had never expected to find the shaman now wrapped in an apron, sitting on a stool, helping Father to peel cloves of garlics!


    I was so shocked that I nearly fell over. What on Earth is going on here?! Am I dreaming?! Am I insane and this is just an illusion, or is this true and he''s actually insane?!


    Na San''s unkempt hair was no longer... unkempt; it was now held in a ponytail at the back of his head and he was dressed in my old clothing. A closer look at his face would show that he had also washed himself up and shaved. He rose to his feet as soon as he saw me, squeaking an obedient "Y-young... Young Lordling." What had Mother did to him, I almost blurted. It was the first time I heard Na San actually speaking properly. But I could recognize his hoarse, raspy voice from the time when he was chanting his spells. I nodded, my face still looking awestruck. Father''s head popped out of the kitchen when he heard us, beaming brightly, "You''re back! Have a seat and drink something!" And I nodded again.


    We might already have had one dinner earlier, but Big Sister and Edelweiss clearly did not have enough. Moreover, Father''s cooking, which could easily overshadow even the oeuvres of professional chefs, was enough to make anyone''s mouth water. Big Sister and Edelweiss quickly took their seats at the dinner table, their gleaming eyes gazing expectantly at the kitchen. Despite still not yet fully acclimatized to the warmth of having a family, Big Sister was getting there. She looked more comfortable mingling with us now. "What is this with you?" I turned my attention to Na San, asking him, "What''s behind this huge change in attitude? You were still snarling at me the last time I checked."


    A blush of red burned on his face as he quickly rubbed his hands with a table cloth to mask his embarrassment. "My apologies for the offense. I had no idea that you are the son of our most esteemed matriarch." I nodded. It was true and I had seen it myself; in my travels through Time, I had glimpsed with my own eyes how Mother had turned herself into one of the earliest ancestors of the shaman tribe and made a pact with the Wudaxian zoomorphic deities. This would make Mother one of the foremost matriarchs of the shaman tribe which served the Aisin Gioro. As a descendant of the shaman tribe, Na San had but only the deepest respect for Mother.


    I chuckled and that seemed to make the scarlet patch on his face blazed even brighter. "Err... I hope you won''t mind what happened before, Young Lordling..." Na San croaked diffidently. I smiled and shook my head, indicating everything is fine.


    As it happened, Na San came from Clan Yehe Nara. He blushed again; the name of Clan Yehe Nara was a prominent one especially due to Empress Dowager Cixi, one of the clan''s most famous members and also Na San''s distant cousin.


    His service to Jin Qichen started back when his grandfather had pledged the clan''s fealty to Jin Qichen''s grandfather, swearing that the shamans would forever serve the house of the former monarchs of the fallen Qing Empire. Just as much as how the house of Jin Qichen prided themselves as deposed princes of the former Qing Empire, Na San''s family reveled in the glory of their shamanic heritage. Since his birth, he was slated to serve Jin Qichen just like how his father served Jin''s father and his father before him. And this was apparent from how Jin Qichen dressed so richly while Na San was only clad in frayed and battered clothing. Still, regardless of all the respect and deference that Na San had reserved for his master, he was visibly crestfallen and downcast, knowing that his master had so readily abandoned him in the slightest face of adversity. It was when he finally met Mother, an ancestral matriarch of his family, Na San knew better: it was time for him to switch sides.


    Father walked out of the kitchen just when Na San finished his story. "This boy has lived a miserable life himself. Hence, your mother and I had not given him a hard time. But he still has loyalty for his prince. So I''ll be sending him back to the North-east tonight." A gleam of moroseness flashed momentarily in Na San''s eyes. But it waned just as quickly as it came as he got up and said a grateful "Thank you" to Father.


    I nodded, understanding his plight. Big Sister and Edelweiss emerged with plates of dishes. As they set the table, I took the opportunity to speak to Father about Zhang Zhigui and his letter. "We''ll be going to Yishui tomorrow. I''m afraid that Zhang Zhigui has been under this person''s spell for quite some time. But this is not something we can tell him directly; not only will he refuse to believe me, but things could also escalate into something worse and we risk alerting this stranger before we are ready."


    Father said nothing. He took a long, deep swig from his cigarette, eyeing me thoughtfully for seconds until he finally spoke quietly, "I gather that Master Six has told you everything." "Not really," I muttered, smiling weakly, "He told me nothing, in fact. What he did was he sent me back to the final days of the Ming Dynasty."

 Chapter 232 An Awkward Family Dinner

    "I know," Father replied, sounding puzzled, "But doesn''t that mean that he told you everything?" I stared at him, a question mark hanging in my mind. How does that mean he told me everything?


    As if he had read my mind, Father chuckled. "He actually sent you back into the past by using astral projection¡ªdrawing out your Spirit Core and magically sending you back. And you were shown anything that you wished to see. Is this not better than simply telling you verbally?" That left me in a frown. Still, that hardly seemed like telling me everything. There were a good many things I had witnessed during my journey through time that I could not even understand until now.


    Observing that I was still very much perplexed, Father said again, "I know what you''d seen in your journey through Time and I can tell you this: every answer that you seek is in there. All of it. It all depends on whether you can understand what you saw." I scoffed, smiling bleakly. Now why am I not feeling cheerful after hearing this!? But I knew better than to delve further into Father''s cryptic message; I would rather just leave it at that for now.


    I looked around and saw everyone staring awkwardly at me. Mother sat beside Father, wearing an amused but no less ambiguous smile. Next to me sat Edelweiss and further away, Big Sister. Na San was still perched on his stool and no one uttered a word. "What''s wrong?" I asked hesitantly, "Come on, what''s wrong with all of you? What''re you doing, Na San? Eat up." Na San stood up slowly, his back inclining a little into a bow. "The likes of me would never dare share a table with the Lady Matriarch and you, Young Lordling. I''d be just fine here."


    There was something about Na San''s demeaning of himself that sent uneasy jitters through me. I thrust an arm at him and dragged him to the empty chair beside me. "Come on, for gods'' sakes. It''s the 21st century. What do you take me for? That egotistical and narcissistic prince of yours?" Na San said nothing, but his eyes were brimming with tears. Gods in Heaven, I almost scowled, there''s no need to be so emotional with just dinner! Are all slaves like this?!


    But Father and Mother seemed hardly perturbed; their many adventures through the ages had made them no strangers to the abasement of slaves. As far as Big Sister and Edelweiss were concerned, Na San was only a hostage. A captive who should well be glad and grateful for us letting him live. That left only me. The only single odd one out wondering why am I in a family of such strange and peculiar behaviors.


    It was only very long after this incident that I had the opportunity to understand more about the lives of slaves like Na San who lived under the brutal servitude to their masters, the remnants of the Qing ruling family. They had no personal freedom, not even basic human rights. They were expected to wait on their masters during meals and were only accorded food only at their masters'' whim and fancy. Even if there remained a whole table full of delicious food left unfinished, no slaves were permitted to partake unless with the permission of their overlords, even if the food would go to waste. Even in the case of Na San, he had only a rickety shack that looked no different to a dog''s kennel whilst his master Jin Qichen lived in a lavish villa.


    Later that night, after our dinner, I went to Na San to offer him some blankets. He refused. A piece of newspaper. That was all he needed. And a little space at the corner of our living room. He would never dare allow himself to enjoy the luxury of sleeping in beds. At least not under our roof. Finding no other way to treat him as humanely as possible, I drove him to our Center and instructed him to sleep on the couch. At that time, I was feeling slightly annoyed at Na San, thinking that he was indeed a good-for-nothing. It was only after understanding more about him that I began to feel sorry and guilty at what I thought about him. But all that guilt and remorse would amount to nothing, for Na San died no very long after.


    Back to the present.


    Na San lifted his bowl of rice and rubbed away his tears with his sleeves. He peered down the table full of dishes, not knowing what to do. Father and Mother said nothing, merely grinning benignly at him that I remembered how they used to smile at the classmates I brought home for meals when I was a little boy.


    Still, one thing still bothered me: no one was moving! Despite the aroma of delicious food wafting around us, no one had moved their chopsticks! Shaking my head, I took up my chopsticks and reached for the nearest dish when another pair of chopsticks slapped on my hand with a deafening crack! With a loud Ah! My hand withdrew as if a snake had bitten me and I saw Big Sister staring at me, seething. "What''s wrong, Big Sister!?" I cried indignantly and she replied reverently, "You impudent whelp! How can you start when Father has not yet started first! Where are your manners?"


    I gawked with exclamation. Allowing elders to begin first at the dinner table was a practice we seldom practice at home. But in truth, what Big Sister said was right. Young people these days do not place much emphasis on mannerism anymore but it is these traditions that define and illustrate the gentility and nobility of the Chinese as sons of the Huaxia culture.


    There was no way I could argue with such good sense. I shrugged and lowered chopsticks. But I could well be the only one at the table who grasped the least about mannerism and courtesy. Mother deferred to Father in almost everything; she would never move until Father did. Edelweiss might be formerly an outlaw, but brigands like her were known to have a sense of gallantry that made them firm believers in chivalry and courtesy; she would never lift her chopsticks until Big Sister and I made any move. And Big Sister was clearly different from me; she might be new to most idiosyncrasies of modern human society, but she was by no means an uncultured brute who knew nothing about respect and culture. And I was rather relieved to be spared of further embarrassment when Na San did not request to eat only our remains after we were finished, seeing as everyone at the table now was higher in status than him.


    Father seeped at his cigarette and muttered dryly to me, "Look at your Big Sister. You could certainly take a leaf out of her book." He crushed the stub and whisked up his chopsticks. "All right, let''s not dawdle anymore! Eat up!" And he reached for a stalk of vegetable.


    Big Sister got up and took a flask of liquor. She filled Father''s and Mother''s cups before hers. Raising her cup, she exclaimed cheerily, "A toast to you, Father and Mother!" And she quickly downed it in a gulp before they did. Father and Mother beamed at her before they emptied their cups. "I understand that life has not been easy for you, Qinglan. You have a home with us here. Stay here. You don''t have to go back to the mountains," said Father. "Thank you, Father," Big Sister smiled demurely. Father turned to us, adding merrily, "I suppose we might need to keep an eye for any prospects for Qinglan. Shiyan is already getting married." And he guffawed.


    "Father..." Big Sister exclaimed with her cheeks burning red, trying to hush down a silly Father.


    The dinner went on well, albeit awkwardly. I drove Na San to the Center after dinner. On the way, I asked, "Na San. Can you tell me about the people Jin Qichen is working with?" Na San fell silent for seconds before he mumbled hesitantly, "B-but..." Na San was taken captive, but he still maintains a strong loyalty to his master. Understanding this fully, I shrugged my shoulders and said, "It''s fine. I suppose I''ll just have to wait until these people show themselves to me then."


    Na San blushed. "Well, it''s not that I do not wish to help. But I''m only a slave. The Prince Beile would never divulge anything to me. But I know that a stranger came to the Prince Beile sometime before. He told the Prince Beile about you and your imminent arrival to Jilin. That is all I know. Slaves like me have no place beside our masters when they meet with guests."


    I nodded. "Can you tell me anything about this stranger?" "She came full-cloaked in black, so I couldn''t see her. But I knew it was a woman from her voice," Na San revealed after some thinking.


    I smiled weakly, knowing that Na San would hardly be able to supply any more valuable information. The journey went on without any more questions and I left Na San with Chongxi. The latter was sleeping when we got to the Center and I made him promise that he wouldn''t bully Na San before he crawled back upstairs to continue his sleep.


    Zheng Shuang came to the Center first thing in the following morning and handed me a temporary identification card. It was a temporary ID for Big Sister before her own card was ready. With it, Big Sister would be able to ride on trains with us without needing to fly on swords.


    "So, how should we transport our gear? The same way again?" Lin Feng asked. I raised my shoulders and nodded with exasperation; that was the only way we could get our weapons to our destination without worrying about safety checks. Lin Feng''s whip and throwing darts, along with my Shiyan Blade, were all dangerous items that could easily land us in jail even before we step foot into Yishui.


    "What''s wrong?" Big Sister asked, overhearing us. I told her about our difficulty in transporting our weapons and she sniggered suddenly. She placed her hand over Lin Feng''s set of equipment and waved it. Lo and behold, Lin Feng''s whip and throwing darts instantly vanished!

 Chapter 233 Big Sisters Train Ride

    Our eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets when we saw the things disappearing right before us! Slowly, all of us turned our gaze at Big Sister, imploring her tacitly for an answer.


    Big Sister chuckled, pleased with herself. Her fox''s ears twitched as we watched her and she pointed at her earring which shook and twinkled once like a little star. Out of nowhere, Lin Feng''s whip appeared in her hand!


    Big Sister chortled again proudly. "You are not the only one whom Father had left an heirloom; this earring Father gave me is also a magical item too!" Being all too familiar with fantasy novels about magic, sorcery, and the attainment of immortality, I confirmed, "That''s an earring with storage abilities?" "Well, I guess you can call it that," Big Sister tilted her head in wonder before she finally nodded. "I''ve not heard anyone calling it this way before though. This was something Father kept with him. It opens a small magical dimensional space where we can store anything, large or small, inside except living things."


    I was slightly mesmerized if not envious of Big Sister''s earring. But wait. Big Sister had mentioned before that Father took it off his own ear and gave it to her. Since when does Father wear earrings?! I have never seen him wearing one before!


    Then again, Father had always been known for his quirkiness. Wearing earrings should suit him well enough, I smiled.


    We hopped on a train at the county seat of Wu Zhong. Big Sister never stopped keeping her eyes peeled for anything that whizzed by the windows. Just then, a voice approached us, calling loudly, "Beers, drinks, mineral water! Peanuts, baked seeds, and instant noodles! Hey, boy! Get your legs off the aisle!"


    I immediately withdrew my foot to allow the woman pushing the food cart to pass. She smiled at me as she trotted off, plying her wares with the voice of a blaring trumpet. Big Sister tore her eyes off the window and asked, her head nudging at the back of the woman. "What''s she doing?" "I''m sure you''ve seen peddlers pushing carts of food around the streets before?" I said and Big Sister nodded tentatively. "It''s almost the same," I said again, "It''s quite a journey from here to our stop. And this woman is pushing her cart around, selling snacks and refreshments." And Big Sister nodded again.


    Big Sister had learned a great deal since leaving the mountains. She understood that she would need to better equip herself to survive and thrive in today''s society¡ªa matrix of differing ideas, views, beliefs, cultures, desires, and distractions. Yet Big Sister preferred to learn and comprehend her new environment on her own without asking many questions. But I guess that could only be normal; my Big Sister took immense pride in her exceptional learning and reasoning abilities after all.


    Lin Feng and Chongxi sat together, talking to each other sporadically about Zhang Zhigui and his letter. But I had hardly any interest in the conversation, at least not until we knew more. Edelweiss sat by my side with her arms curled around mine, wearing a set of headphones as she listened to some guzheng music.


    It has been some time since we got hitched to each other, I mused. Edelweiss was the kind of girl almost every man would dream of. A girl who would try her best to understand you and that included your likes and dislikes as well as your job. I knew from the start that Edelweiss was good with a horsehead fiddle¡ªmorin khuur in Mongolia¡ªand only that. But now, she had been trying to learn more about guzheng, listening to guzheng music whenever she was free, just for me. But that was not all. She had also been learning about online games and reading about my line of work¡ªChinese magic and sorcery, the paranormal and the occult and the like. All because all of these were part of my life and she wished to know more about me like how a good little wife should. But despite the many times I had told her that she needed not to push herself too hard, Edelweiss still felt that she could have done more.


    But it should have not been surprising to me. Edelweiss admired Aunt Ulan so greatly that she did her best to emulate her in every way and every mind. Simply by reading Aunt Ulan''s expression and gestures, she could immediately read Aunt Ulan''s mind and she was indeed the best person to be Aunt Ulan''s deputy at her camp. And now, being my wife, Edelweiss was doing the same. But a strange dread crept through me. In some ways, this is love: you surrender to the person you love everything else that you hold dear, including your freedom and your deepest secret! It could virtually be impossible for me to keep a cache of money of my own, I grimaced quietly, nevermind cheating behind her!


    I shook my head, smiling to myself dismally. But Big Sister saw me and asked, "What''s wrong, Little Brother?" "Nothing!" I replied at once, "Just thinking about the state of becoming one with my sword." She was however pleased, thinking that I was actually earnest to learn more. "Just ask me if you need anything, okay!"


    I merely nodded, wondering if I had said something I should not have.


    Still, Big Sister never took her eyes off me, watching me intently as if she was prodding at me to ask her for help. Relenting, I asked the first question I thought of, "I can''t seem to understand how being one with the Shiyan Blade could make me so tired." "Err... I don''t know the answer to that either," Big Sister answered, "No one sword is exactly the same as another. Each blade is singular, you need to first remember this. So is the state of each person''s oneness with his weapon. But I have never thought of this exhaustion of yours before. You are the Spirit of the Shiyan Blade; your oneness with it should have been the most perfect."


    I pursed my lips and shrugged. "Well, I guess we''d have to ask Father when we get back then. If anyone should know anything about it, it must be him," I muttered. That seemed to fill Big Sister with a whiff of pride, "Of course! Father is so great that no mortal man could ever hope to equal." That compliment from her earned a shrug of assent from me.


    We were talking when suddenly we felt someone coming close. We turned and saw a young lad dressed in the uniform of the train company, carrying a shopping basket as he shuffled down the aisle. He stopped beside us and put down his basket to take out something.


    We stared at him. This must be one of the salespeople on the train, now peddling whatever things he was trying to sell. I watched him curiously as he took out something from the basket, peeled off its wrapper and took out something that I first thought was candy. Then he began giving a sample each to everyone in the coach, saying aloud, "Exotic blueberries from Mount Changbai! Wild exotic blueberries! How is it, young lady? Is it good? How about a bag of it? It doesn''t cost a lot. Only ten yuan each!"


    Big Sister smiled as she chewed on the blueberries and the young lad hovered around her like a butterfly over a rose, saying, "How is it, lady? It''s good, eh?"


    True to the tradition of our Murong family, Big Sister was also a deviously mischievous one. From the nasty look she gave the little lad, I could see that she was concocting some mischief! She spat out her blueberry, now a blue-black misshapen blob both wet and lumpy and smacked her lips. "Hmm... I can''t see how especially "exotic" these berries are..." Last but not least, she flashed a coquettish smile that made the young man''s heart swoon. He took out another berry from his bag and even assiduously peeled its skin before feeding it to Big Sister, whose mouth gaped wide with tremendous alacrity.


    I stared at Big Sister''s bold and suggestive grin as she chomped at the berry and thought, you should be careful of what you wish for, young man!


    "How was it?" The young man asked again, "Do you like it?" "Hmm... Taste''s not bad..." Big Sister nodded, wearing a satisfied smile. "How about a bag? We have a 5+1 offer; buy 5 bags and get 1 for free!" "How much is a bag of these berries?" Big Sister asked, wantonly unabashed. The smile on the young man''s face only grew wider by the second. "Oh, it''s not a lot. It''s only 10 for each!"


    For the past few days, among the many things that I had been trying to drill Big Sister in many basics about living in modern society, the concept of money was one of the most important lessons that she had a knack in. As soon as she heard the price of the bags of blueberries, Big Sister pouted her lips at once, putting on a look that would have so easily melted the hearts of so many boys. "10 yuan?! That''s so expensive! I used to pick these freely when I lived in the wilderness of Mount Changbai. They''re everywhere! But here you are, selling a bag of a paltry few berries for 10 yuan!" Hearing this, the boy was not in the least angry. Instead, the grin on his face only grew broader; in fact, he began to reveal his true self, saying, "Oh, we must be neighbors then! I live nearby too! Let me offer you one for free as a token of friendship!" The mention of "free'' made Big Sister nodded profusely, her head bobbing up and down like a balloon. The young man took another new bag of berries from his basket and gave it to Big Sister. But he did not forget to whip out his cell phone. "How about leaving me your WeChat ID? We can be friends and chat, seeing as we''re neighbors!"


    Big Sister''s hand froze before her fingers even closed in on the bag of blueberries when the phrase "Wechat ID" reached her ears. Then there was the unmistakable whiff of rage in her eyes! The phrase was now a taboo to Big Sister; the brawl at the hot pot restaurant started because of thug''s request for Big Sister''s Wechat ID, hence until this day, the definition of the phrase "Wechat ID" was synonymous to bullying her darling Little Brother and teasing her!


    I quickly reached for the bag of berries and tried to hush Big Sister down before things could escalate, speaking to the young man, "My Big Sister grew up in rural areas far away from the city. She''s only been with me for just a few days. So she doesn''t have a Wechat account yet."

 Chapter 234 Clan Zhang of Yishui

    The salesman immediately froze when I yanked the bag of berries out of his hand and realized that he had been too direct and facetious. He stowed away his phone and quickly withdrew away with Big Sister enjoying her berries, simpering at herself.


    He quickly took out more bags of berries from his basket and began hawking his goods to other passengers as if the earlier episode with Big Sister was only a dream. But no one else would be foolish enough to let such a fat chance to get away! The rest of the other passengers mobbed the salesman with shouts and screams, "We are also your neighbors too! Give us each one free bag! We''ll give you our Wechat IDs!" This train was coming from the direction of North-eastern China and most of the passengers boarded the train from the first stop. Everything turned into a disaster for the salesman. Never did he realize that his flippant attempt to get Big Sister''s contact would turn into a catastrophe!


    Big Sister flashed a proud smirk at her triumph that made us all giggled. Then I thrust a hand into Big Sister''s bag and grabbed a handful of berries. I shoved one into my mouth and peeled another before feeding it to Edelweiss. Feigning exasperation, Big Sister grumbled, "Come on! There''re only so many berries inside one bag! What you just took is almost everything! Gimme back a little! Come on!" I raised aloft my fistful of berries so that Big Sister could not reach them, screaming, "No! I''ll tell Father and Mother about what you did! You cheating charlatan! I''ll make sure they''ll punish you for cheating innocents!" "Mind your own business, you little whelp," Big Sister hissed as she leaped, trying to grab at my outstretched arm, "Gimme that!"


    Sitting opposite our seats, Lin Feng and Chongxi burst into guffaws watching us. Chongxi patted on the former''s shoulders and said, "Shiyan is still good to me. I''m even shorter than Big Sister Lan and yet he never once tried this on me." And another burst of laughter erupted.


    We reached Shanggu, Chengde after another three hours. Yishui Town was not very far from Shanggu, being in Yi County, Hebei. Wu Zhong was famous for the Eight Sights of Wu Zhong while Yi County was also known for its very own "ten sights" which were all popular tourist attractions. Additionally, Yi County was also the place where many prominent figures in history hailed from. Among them included Jing Ke who was most famous for his assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang and the Five Heroes of Mount Langya, five war heroes during China''s repulsion of Japanese forces during the Second World War.


    We called for a cab and told the driver our destination, Yishui of Yi County. "You''re looking to go sightseeing, or..." The cab driver asked. I quickly turned to Chongxi, scratching my head. "Do you know where Zhang Zhigui''s home is?" Chongxi thought for a moment and he told the driver, "It''s somewhere north of Yishui. A village called Dongyubu." The cab driver nodded. He twisted his keys and the taxi roared to life. "You guys look like some students looking for classmates?" And that comment made my lips curled. That was hardly surprising. A bunch of young people going to somewhere unknown instead of the usual tourist attractions.


    Getting no answer from us, the cab driver turned back to face the front and steered his vehicle out of the train station. Apparently, the journey would take a while. According to the cab driver, our destination, Dongyubu Village was at the north-eastern corner of Yi County while we were still in Shanggu Town, very well beyond the outskirts of Yi County itself.


    The one-hour journey would then cost me more than a hundred yuan, much to my chagrin. When we finally reached our destination, I got down the taxi, feeling sort of cheated. But there was hardly anything we could do as strangers here. Places like these would most likely be serviced by express buses, but we did not know where the bus terminals were at.


    We were dropped at the front of Dongyubu Village and to our amazement, it was a very old village. There were also quite a number of new brick-and-mortar buildings, some of them even few stories high, but we felt as if we had strolled into a settlement in some bygone age.


    Just then, a young man was riding an electric motorcycle, coming out of the village. I quickly strode over and waved him down. "Hi there. I would like to ask if there''s a family called Zhang here." The man stared at me with a perplexed expression and said, "Most of the people here are Zhang." Oh my, I should have known! "My apologies. We''re looking for a Zhang family where the head of the family is a young man in his twenties."


    "What is the name of this person you''re looking for?" The man asked suddenly. "Zhang Zhigui. Wait. I think he should be called Zhang Ying," I muttered apprehensively. The man broke into a smile. "You should''ve just said so! He''s a kin of mine! Come, I''ll bring you to him!"


    The man wheeled his bike around and led us back into the village with us trotting behind. I cantered ahead and said to the man, "So, Zhang Zhigui''s your brother. So you''re..." "I''m Zhang Su. But according to the customs of my family, I''m more commonly addressed as Yuelu (literally, Lunar Deer). It''s the courtesy name given to me. Zhigui is an elder cousin of mine." I nodded, uttering an off-handed "Oh." So this is Zhang Zhigui''s younger cousin, I mused. It was a surprise to run into a member of Zhigui''s family just at the entrance of the village. Still, it was strange finding Zhang Zhigui''s family nowhere near as pedantic and abstruse as he was.


    Before long, we came to a large set of doors. A looming monolith with tiled roofings built in ancient Chinese style. Zhang Su went to the door and banged hard on the doors with large knockers. Then I began to realize why did we felt as if we had walked back into older times: all of the buildings in this village retained old Chinese architectural styles, especially older buildings that maintained styles of the Han Dynasty!


    A series of hurried footsteps came from the other side of the doors. The loud scuffing of shoes on stone stopped suddenly and one of the doors creaked open. A lean, scrawny face looked out and the emaciated frame of the person who opened the door emerged and I saw the same baggy eyes that always reminded me of Nagato from the anime Naruto whenever I saw them¡ªYan Jishi, one of the Champions of Yishui! Zhang Zhigui''s companion who would never stop sprouting expletives!


    Seeing us standing outside, Yan Jishi chuckled. "You''re here! That''s so fast! We were just talking about how you guys might need another few more days to arrive! Come on in! Come on, don''t dawdle outside!" He waved us in, pushing the door wider for us.


    We walked into the wide courtyard and there was Lu Bugong and Zhang Zhigui. The former was inside the main hall, twiddling with some wooden blocks and Zhang Zhigui was playing with a little girl. They both stop when they saw us and froze for a second before they smiled. Zhang Zhigui rushed to me and grabbed my hand. "I can''t believe that you''re already here, Shiyan! I''ve been expecting you!" "Look at you," I replied serenely, trying to put up my best face, "I was already on the way as soon as I read your letter." Zhang Zhigui then greeted everyone warmly. But all of us knew that everything was only a play. A play-acting on Zhang Zhigui''s part. Hence, none of us really took his words to heart.


    Lu Bugong noticed Edelweiss and greeted her mildly, "Hi, Edelweiss. Wow, you two lovebirds are sure inseparable," which Edelweiss returned only a polite and placid nod.


    My patience was evaporating with all the small talk going on. "Zhigui," I said, putting up a benign expression, "Tell me. What''s going on? Your letter only said you needed our help." It was hardly time yet for me to show my hand and I thought it best to play on for the moment. We could not alert our enemy, whoever or whatever he or she might be until the time was right. With a fake smile to pretend to fall for his ruse, I went on, "You sounded really hurried in your letter and said nothing about this trouble."


    Zhang Zhigui first led us inside and ushered us to our seats. Then he said to Zhang Su and the little girl, "Yuelu, Youwei. Please leave us." Zhang Su and the little girl looked at each other and promptly turned and left, leaving only the five of us with Zhang Zhigui and his companions.


    "What is it? Trouble so grave that not even you three can handle?" I pressed. Zhang Zhigui nodded first before he evaded my question. "Shiyan, I have been looking into your Shiyan Blade. Do you know what have I found?"


    Chongxi, I, and the rest of my companions traded quick looks before I turned my gaze back to Zhang Zhigui and asked, "What is it that you''ve discovered?"


    Zhang Zhigui chuckled. "Here''s what I found: Woe is at hand whenever Shiyan Blade reemerges! To put it more precisely, whenever the Shiyan Blade appears out of hiding that would be when trouble strikes!"

 Chapter 235 The Feud

    Just as soon as Zhang Zhigui finished, I spied Lu Bugong''s smile fading as he extracted a little wooden box from his pocket.


    "What do you mean, Zhigui?" I asked, ignoring that while trying to look cordial. "I have scoured through many ancient manuscripts and documents. This is not the only era in which the Shiyan Blade has reappeared. Even during the times of the Warring States, the Northern and Southern dynasties of Wei and Jin, and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the Shiyan Blade has continually reentered the fold to cause havoc across the land. And each ripple that it caused mostly involved the dragon leys; ripples caused by the sons of Yan Di of the South wielding the Shiyan Blade!"


    The smile had all but vanished off his face when he reached this point and the look he cast at me was fierce and penetrating. Suddenly, the air screamed with a wood projectile wheezing right past my nose and drilled deep into the wooden pillar beside me.


    Behind me, everyone sprang to their feet, brandishing their weapons with their backs arched like they were ready to pounce! Lin Feng was the fieriest of my companions. Seething with rage, he lunged at Lu Bugong who shot the wooden bolt at me, swinging his whip at him! Yan Jishi growled in response and Lu Bugong was suddenly yanked away by a shadowy figure as Lin Feng''s whip smashed the wooden stool that Lu Bugong was just sitting on before! As he avoided Lin Feng''s attack, I saw what he was holding in his hand: a wooden crossbow!


    I quickly raised my arm to stop Lin Feng from unleashing another attack and I looked back, signaling my companions to cool down. Despite the hesitant looks from them, Lin Feng and the others relented. With one calm look from me, I managed to have my companions put away their weapons, although they sank back into their chairs, glowering at Zhang Zhigui and his friends.


    "What is the meaning of this, Zhigui?" I asked, sighing. He looked at me, saying nothing. "I do not know from where you heard such nonsense," I said, "But I can be certain of this: I am not as bad as you might believe me to be. You might not even believe what I''m saying now, but..." I paused to look at the wary Lu Bugong and Yan Jishi. For all we knew, both of them could be the ones who had been whispering lies into Zhang Zhigui''s ears, although I would find that hard to believe. Because they were as surprised and shocked as we were when Zhang Zhigui divulged his discovery about the Shiyan Blade. They were evidently none the wiser as we were before this.


    That would make them both unlikely candidates to be our true enemy and we would need to look further and be more careful. I said again, "I don''t know what you want. But I am not your enemy and I mean you no ill will. In fact, whatever dangers or harms that you might be feeling might have come from your own eyes and ears." I stopped again and took a deep breath. "So, what do you want?"


    "I would expect no less from you, Shiyan. Truth be told, I have no wish for a feud against you either. I ask only this: leave your sword, Shiyan. Leave it here for the good of all mankind."


    Apparently, Zhang Zhigui, or the person who had been poisoning his mind did not know that the Shiyan Blade needed me to be completely whole. Making use of this knowledge, I smiled and nodded, "Very well... So..." I turned to Big Sister and gave her a tacit signal. She waved her hand and conjured the Shiyan Blade from her earring, allowing it to fall into my hand. "I leave you to decide: to trust me or to trust whatever is it you are hearing. But at present, you seem more inclined to fall for the latter. So, here''s the Shiyan Blade."


    "NOO!" Lin Feng, Chongxi, and Edelweiss howled in unison. They understood the significance of the Shiyan Blade to me and why Jin Qichen and his cohorts wanted me and the sword. Without the Shiyan Blade, I would be without almost all of my powers and I would be defenseless.


    I turned back at them and flashed them a smile, motioning for them to relax.


    Zhang Zhigui''s forehead instead creased with doubt, visibly surprised by my compliance. He obviously did not expect me to so easily surrender the Shiyan Blade and deeply confused and shocked. I turned the sword over, offering him its hilt and my head bobbed encouragingly at him, gesturing him to take it. Slowly, his hands inched closer as he drew nearer until he finally grasped the sword. I let go as soon as he held it and he almost fell suddenly with zero anticipation that the sword could weigh so heavily.


    In truth, the Shiyan Blade weighs far from a tonne. The Shiyan Blade possessed a will of its own; it identified strangers and warded them off by making itself many times heavier if any stranger tried to take it. But Lin Feng and Chongxi had been frequently playing with it with hardly any difficulty, for the Shiyan Blade deferred to me to who it viewed as strangers or enemies.


    Zhang Zhigui''s face creased into a grimace as he struggled with the weight. I spun on my heels and began walking out. Waving over my shoulders to the Champions of Yishui, I shouted, "I''m sure the real truth would be made clear before long. Anyway, I''ll take my leave for now and there''s no need to see us out." With that, I pushed past the doors and left the house.


    As we were leaving Dongyubu Village, Chongxi griped angrily, "I''m particularly angry about that fool Zhang Zhigui! I know he''s been tricked, but I''m just angry! For all we know, he might not even realize that we do not wish to get into a fight against them! He might be under the impression that we''re the guilty party since we''re willingly surrendering that sword!" I placed an arm around him, "Come on, relax! There''s nothing to worry about. The Shiyan Blade is as good as a useless piece of iron in their hands. Zhang Zhigui will realize that he''s been trick in no time. So we will only need to wait."


    Edelweiss coiled an arm around mine, shaking with frustration and fear. "But how about you, without the Shiyan Blade?" "Don''t worry, my dear," I said to her, shrugging my shoulders, "There''s more to the definition of "Spirit of the Blade" than a mere 4 words. It''s true that most of my magic and power hinges upon the Shiyan Blade. But that''s not the same as being completely helpless without it." Big Sister formed up beside me and poked gently at Chongxi''s head, making him scowl at her. "Don''t worry, Ala. Little Brother''s sword telekinesis magic might be far from perfect. But he can just easily summon it back to him. He only needs to say the words and the Shiyan Blade will come flying back to him."


    On that note, Edelweiss breathed more easily this time. "Not only that," I added, "Zhigui did mention that someone will use the Shiyan Blade to cause havoc upon all mankind. But no matter how, there''s something he''s seriously mistaken."


    "What thing?" Everyone asked incredulously as one. I grinned at every pair of eyes watching me and chuckled. "You guys still haven''t noticed it, have you? The Shiyan Blade alone doesn''t cause any havoc. Only the person who uses it. And in this case, Zhigui thinks I am the user of the Shiyan Blade. But I am not the possessor of the Shiyan Blade. I AM the Shiyan Blade!"


    For a heartbeat, no one moved. Lin Feng and Big Sister were the first ones to react. Lin Feng slapped at his thigh, screaming, "Oh my gods! You''re right! You are not the wielder of the sword! You are the sword! So technically, they did not have the Shiyan Blade yet!" Big Sister giggled. "So, taking either you or the sword is useless. This is why the prince had wanted to badly to have you on his side. He wants you together so that he could be the true owner of the Shiyan Blade!"


    I nodded at him approvingly. "But wait," Lin Feng asked, "You said something about ''the real truth would be made clear before long'' just now. What do you mean?" I looked at everyone imploringly, hoping that someone could answer in my stead. Then Big Sister said, her eyes narrowing, "The prince had been anxious to have Shiyan working with him. In fact, not only him, but also those with whom he is working with. Zhang Zhigui will quickly inform the stranger about his procurement of the sword and the stranger will appear to try to use it. The truth will be out then."


    I showed another grin at Big Sister and took out my phone and tapped on it, showing to everyone the map of Yi County that I had downloaded. "The express bus terminals are here..." I muttered but Lin Feng stopped me. "We should make the most of this trip. Look, Chongxi is already feeling hungry salivating at that mule meat barbeque restaurant!"


    We looked back and saw Chongxi staring at the direction of a restaurant. It said "Old Dong''s Meats and Innards" on the signboard and there was a long menu list just below. The first being on the menu was an "Exotic Mule Meat Barbeque."

 Chapter 236 - The First Savoring

    Our party of five stepped into the restaurant, purportedly famous for its broths of meat and innards. Chongxi pulled up another chair from an adjacent table and plopped down on it, calling loudly, "A menu please, waiter!"


    Never one to be shy to show his vehemence whenever it comes to his gourmet cravings, Chongxi could be rather insistent or impassioned, if not rabid. Big Sister and Edelweiss could only gawk at his antics with amusement. As for Lin Feng and I, we have long grown accustomed to his antics that we have become numb to his lack of table manners. We nonchalantly set alight a pair of cigarettes as we watched Chongxi recited a list of orders to the waiter.


    Before long, the five of us were ripping off barbecued meat off our donkey burgers with bowls of mule offal brew. Chongxi gnashed his teeth as he bit and tore at his roasted bread-wrapped mule meat and slurping down his soup with obtuse boorishness, utterly oblivious of the vulgar noises he was causing around the table that even Big Sister, a fox-demon who had only just entered society, could not help but dip her head with embarrassment and intentionally averted her eyes too, at times. But all was hardly well for her beside her where Edelweiss was also rending her meat with equal ferocity. But what more could I expect from a girl who was formerly an outlaw who used to inhale mead and meat like oxygen without any concern for tactfulness and elegance?


    Big Sister could only stare blankly at Lin Feng and me with her eyes gaping wide. Sitting opposite her across the table, Lin Feng and I were holding back our urges to burst out laughing. Her eyes met ours and everyone erupted into howls of guffaws. Big Sister grumbled, in a tone which mirrored Mother whenever she was admonishing me, "Gods in Heaven, look at you lot! Every one of you..." Her voice stuck halfway and she did not know how to go on. "... are so vulgar." I finished for her. She might not understand what I was referring to by "vulgar," but she nodded nevertheless in assent.


    As if he had not heard us, Chongxi upended his bowl and gulped down more soup before he hooted again, "Waiter! Two more!" A couple of minutes had barely passed after the waiter had set our table with our order and Chongxi''s sudden shout for more food left him dumbfounded as he uttered a surprised "Ah?!". But he quickly saw the empty plate sitting idly in front of Chongxi and yelped a wordless reply before trotting off into the kitchens for more donkey burgers.


    The brief episode left Big Sister succumbing to laughter, not knowing what to say to a hopeless Chongxi. "Don''t you point fingers, Big Sister." I sneered playfully. "They might have not seen how you were when you first ate hot pot, but I certainly did. And I can safely say you''re nowhere better than him!" The elder sister blushed and glared at me like a young flustered lass and said nothing more. Lin Feng and Edelweiss were staring at me curiously. "How was she then?" I looked at both of them, their eyes prodding me for answers, conveying to me their fervent curiosity to find out how Big Sister behaved then.


    But from across the table, Big Sister threw at me a glance so scathing and venomous that I almost thought a pair of laser aiming-beams from rifles honing in on me. A classic moment of how a big sister would try to bully her little brother into submission, I mused. I shrugged and pursed my lips, grumbling, "I wouldn''t dare. Big Sister won''t allow me to! I could be in for a bout of bullying if I were to disclose anything!" Lin Feng cast a strange, cryptic look at me while Edelweiss laughed and they shook their heads with exasperation at the shenanigans of my Big Sister and me.


    Just when our exchange ended, Chongxi''s hand shot into the air again, "Another two more, Waiter!" We could clearly see the waiter''s body shudder before he turned around with a disbelieving ogle at Chongxi before disappearing into the kitchens again. He should be wondering, What is he?! Slimer from Ghostbusters?! But only Lin Feng and I began to realize that something was wrong with him. A usual Chongxi had the loquaciousness that could easily match his appetite whenever he ate. Yet why was he being quiet today?


    Lin Feng and I traded quick looks and he placed a hand on Chongxi''s shoulder. "What''s wrong with you, Chongxi?" Chong Xi did not deign to show that he had heard him. He kept his head down, brooding, as he ate quietly as if he had not heard us. With a slight frown at me, Lin Feng winked a signal at me, indicating that something was truly wrong with our friend. Chongxi''s third helping came. Without even a look at it, he whisked them off and deposited them into his mouth, leaving the plate bare as if the burgers hardly existed at all.


    With only a few bites, Chongxi demonstrated to the fullness his efficiency in inhaling the burgers. Then he looked purple as if he was choking. He desperately snatched at his bowl of soup and washed all the food down his throat. Edelweiss and Big Sister too noticed that Chongxi''s unusual behavior. The merriment came to a still as they threw knowing glances at Lin Feng and me.


    Our brows furrowed in return and we threw back confused looks at Edelweiss and Big Sister, indicating that we did not know what was going on ourselves.


    Chongxi put down his soup bowl suddenly with a heavy thud and shoved another burger into his mouth. The bowl was only on the table when I saw something: a crystalline rivulet fell into his soup with a minuscule splash before melting into it. It was a drop of tear that had rolled down Chongxi''s face.


    All four of us looked dazedly at each other. But I knew what happened finally. Dawning looks of comprehension soon spread upon Lin Feng''s and Edelweiss'' faces, leaving only Big Sister still none the wiser. Lin Feng replaced his hand on Chongxi''s shoulder and asked with the brimming concern that only a friend as close as a brother could have, saying, "You''re thinking about your childhood, aren''t you?" Chongxi''s head bobbed solemnly with silence, still saying not a word. A tactless Big Sister, who knew nothing about Chongxi''s past and experiences, blurting loudly, "What happened to him as a kid?"


    Lin Feng and I tossed angry looks at her and Edelweiss hurriedly tugged at her arm, signaling to her to speak carefully. Only then, Big Sister realized that she had misspoken and she hushed down at once. But I understood fully that Big Sister was hardly to be blamed for her ignorance. She did not know what hardships and pain that Chongxi had endured as a child. Added with her ineptitude to observe people due to her long-years of being dissociated from society, Big Sister was only a fox-demon who was far from proficient in the subtlety of human interactions. We continued our dinner in funereal silence in espousal to Chongxi and no one uttered anything else.


    In truth, Chongxi''s childhood and experiences hardly mattered to our story. Still, I had always felt it important and significant to relate his accounts for everyone''s benefit. It was after all his life that molded Chongxi into the person he was today. A queer friend who was our best friend nonetheless. Hence, I felt that we owed it to him to relate more about his life to explain his peculiar disposition.


    Back to the score at hand¡ªChongxi.


    At long last, after countless more donkey burgers and gallons-full of soup, Chongxi finally got up, brushing aside his tears as he opened wide his mouth and released a huge, thunderous burp that sounded like a war horn. The blare of Chongxi''s gastrointestinal siren was enough to draw the attention of all the other diners present that curious and wide-eyed stares came from all directions, homing in on the teary little plump boy clutching at his inflated tummy. Naturally, it was a spectacle that we had become no stranger to. Lin Feng patted gently on Chongxi''s shoulder at an utter loss for words.


    An apologetic Big Sister offered a box of tissue to Chongxi, indicating to him to wipe off the tears and snot that cascaded down his cheeks. He ripped out a piece of napkin and wiped his face, cleaning his face of all the liquid and slime. He ripped out a piece of napkin and wiped his face, rubbing his face off with all the liquid and slime. Then he sat back down. But that was not before he opened his mouth again and let loose another triumphant burp that shook the restaurant. Looking dreamy, he said suddenly, "I bet you remember what I told you about my past." He was not really looking at us when he said the words, his incoherent manner leaving us wondering if he was speaking to himself or to us. But all four of us nodded still, including Big Sister who knew absolutely nothing about Chongxi''s past as a child.


    Chongxi''s eyes blinked shut and he drew a deep breath. "Remember the time when I told you about how Teacher took me to hustle for cash, then he brought me to this restaurant where he gave me a treat so great that I would never forget for my entire life? Remember me saying that it was the first time I ate food that was hot?" Our heads bobbed again. But I could already see where Chongxi¡¯s tale was leading to and I interjected, speaking in his stead, "And I bet the restaurant that your teacher brought you to sold donkey burgers, am I right?" That elicited a nod from him. With a voice still on the verge of breaking, Chong Xi went on, "I was too young and ignorant to know what I was eating then, only that it was the most delicious food I had ever tasted. But only after my first bite just now, I realized that this was what Teacher had bought me then. Only the taste... the flavor is no longer the same... After so many years... And I''m afraid I will never be able to savor it ever again..."


    His voice finally faltered. But we need to hear no more and every one of us placed a hand on Chongxi''s back to console him. Chongxi would never be able to forget the taste of his first savoring of donkey burgers. It might have not been as tasty as the meat we were just eating, but the significance of that meal was too deep and momentous for him.


    I remembered Chongxi once said that it was somewhere near Shanggu, Hebei where he and his teacher used to conduct their hustling. He was too young to remember exactly where was the barbecue joint at that time, but the taste of the food was something that he would never forget. Not for the rest of his life.


    Silence lulled over our table for heartbeats until Chongxi finally recovered from his melancholy and we reverted back to our merriment and banter once more. Chongxi was far from being fickle. In fact, he was anything but that. But his years of pain and suffering had strengthened and steeled him.


    As we carried on with our talks, laughter, and revelry, a figure stood up suddenly at one of the tables in the corner. At first, I paid no heed to him, dismissing him merely as a patron who was going to pay for his bill and leave. But instead of moving towards the counter, the man headed straight for us. Sauntering towards us alone, wearing a cool and casually-confident smile.


    Unabashedly, he reached for an empty chair not far away and sat right down beside Chongxi.

 Chapter 237 - Futures

    The stranger looked nowhere near impressive; more like any Tom, Dick, or Harry on the streets. By the stubbles and dashes of white in his hair and the wrinkles crayoning his face, he looked over forty years old. A man in his late-middle age, looking hardly unusual nor remarkable. But it intrigued me that he was here in a restaurant like this.


    But it was odd. Why was I wondering about his looks when I should be feeling bothered about him intruding on our dinner? He sat at our table, looking as if he was one of us and all of us had our eyes trained upon him.


    Feeling slightly perturbed, I was the first to ask, ¡°Urm¡­ Dear sir? What are you doing¡­¡± The stranger smiled at me. ¡°You lot are not common people.¡± The ends of his lips twitched when he finished. He might be trying to look friendly, although ¡°friendly¡± would be hardly the word that came to mind when I laid eyes on him. An air of sophistry hung about the stranger and his insincere smile and I could only surmise that he could be a charlatan or a swindler.


    ¡°Hahaha,¡± Lin Feng laughed and said then, ¡°How can you tell?¡± Still maintaining his benign facade, the stranger said, ¡°I know a little about divination and I can see that you are all not ordinary people.¡± Chongxi interjected, mimicking Lin Feng¡¯s laugh. ¡°And how about you give us any advice or two since you are skilled in such knowledge?¡± He could not help feeling competitive. As a rare prodigy in the hidden crafts of Chinese divination and augury, he just had to ask.


    But the stranger seemed oblivious to Chongxi¡¯s challenge. He waved a hand smugly and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can only take a look at one of you. You might not know that soothsayers like us are dictated by rules. And one of them says that we can only examine one person every day.¡± Chongxi sniggered and was about to say something when I raised a hand to stop him. I smiled at the stranger and said, ¡°Well then. Do me!¡± The stranger fished out a pack of cigarettes and lighted himself a smoke and offered one to me. I showed him the still-smoldering cigarette I had been holding under the table and declined. But that was hardly the main reason I refused his offer. No purveyors of sorcery and sacred arts would easily and nonchalantly accept anything from strangers in fear of falling victim to malignant hexes and curses.


    The stranger merely smiled and began puffing on his cigarette. I tossed my finished stub to the ground and grounded it with my foot. The man took two drafts and chuckled. ¡°Your facial features are really good. You are blessed with good fortune and long life and even an extraordinary destiny!¡± By now, I was as good as certain that this stranger was nothing but a worthless charlatan who knew only to sprout lies and flattery to hoodwink unsuspecting innocents. Beside me, Chongxi was already shaking, holding back his laughter. But the man suddenly looked around as if to make sure no one was eavesdropping before he leaned forward and whispered, ¡°You have the air of a ruler! You are destined to be King! The world would be yours if you so wish!¡±


    A knot tightened in my gut as soon as I heard the words of omen. Could he be actually the real deal like Chongxi? At the very least, he was right in one thing: I hailed from the line of Yan Di of the South. But whether or not I truly possessed ¡°the air of a ruler,¡± that remains to be known. Then again, Chongxi¡¯s disdain for this stranger was not without reason; he had once tried to foresee my future and failed.


    Chongxi scoffed derisively. ¡°Enough with your razzle-dazzle, old man. Here was I, thinking that you might really be a fellow student in the arcane skills of augury and divination. A senior even! But now, after hearing what you just said, I am certain that you are nothing but a charlatan and a fraud! How about I do you instead?¡± He hardly waited for the stranger to react and bulldozed on, ¡°You look terrible, stranger¡­¡± His eyes narrowed as he threw a look that could have never seemed warm. ¡°Surely you¡¯ve heard of Cao Cao?¡±


    The man¡¯s expression immediately froze. Wrinkles began creasing over his brows despite his best attempt to maintain his jovial outlook. He got to his feet, muttering, ¡°Well, since I¡¯m not welcomed here, I see no reason to stay on. Farewell.¡± And he turned to leave.


    But before he stepped outside, he called for a waiter and took out his wallet. He paid the waiter three hundred yuan and said loudly, as if to reclaim what dignity he had lost. ¡°I¡¯m paying for that table,¡± he said, gesturing at us. And so, instead of hustling us for money, the charlatan ended up paying for our dinner.


    Lin Feng picked at his teeth with a tooth-pick, saying, ¡°Pitiful b*stard¡­ Shame that he has to meet us and end up losing his money.¡± ¡°Must be one of those who believe they are good enough to swindle unwary outsiders after just a couple of reading or lessons,¡± Chongxi observed and said dryly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Big Sister asked strangely and Chongxi replied, ¡°Well, you might not be aware, Big Sister Lan, that I once tried to read Shiyan¡¯s future and did you know what happened?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing! Nothing at all! There was nothing I could read from Shiyan, Uncle Hai, your mother, and of course, you too, Big Sister Lan. No soothsayers or seers would be able to read anything from all of you. Your futures are simply unseeable.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Big Sister pressed on. Obviously, hearing this was a first for Big Sister and Edelweiss and they became mightily interested in this topic. ¡°The methods of fortune-telling involves observation using our senses of sight, hearing, and smell. But there are several types of people or items which we seers will never be able to read: immediate relatives, dead people, and photographs. Oh, and before I forget, non-humans too. That means seers and soothsayers can only read living humans who are not their kin.¡±


    Big Sister and Edelweiss finally understood why. Big Sister and Mother were no humans; they were she-fox demons that were assuming human form. Father, on the other hand, was no longer human. He was immortal. A demigod.


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Big Sister protested suddenly, ¡°But Father is human.¡± ¡°He used to be,¡± Chongxi remarked curtly, smiling. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Edelweiss asked this time. Chongxi shrugged and explained, ¡°First, Uncle Hai is a demigod. A higher existence that dwarfs us humans. Next, I¡¯m sure you lot still remember about Master Six and my Teacher?¡± Every one of us nodded except Big Sister. ¡°There¡¯s also one other criterion that applies to the term ¡®non-human¡¯¡ªlong life. Humans that exceed one hundred years of age are also considered as ¡®non-human¡¯ in this sense.¡± Big Sister and Edelweiss shared a long, bewildered look before they looked back at Chongxi queerly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of the metaphorical proverb that says ¡®ÈËÀϾ«¹íÀÏÁ顯? It means a person amasses more knowledge and experience as he grows older, no? But this proverb exists in the first place for another reason. A literal reason, because humans who live beyond a hundred years are extraordinary beings like how demons are to beasts and animals.¡± Big Sister and Edelweiss emitted a long dawning ¡°Ohhh¡± and the former pointed a finger at me, asking, ¡°But what about Little Brother? How could you not read him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Chongxi muttered, shaking his head slowly, ¡°I used to think that Shiyan could be a long-lost brother of mine until I finally scrapped the idea.¡± The absurdity of the notion was reflected in Big Sister¡¯s and Edelweiss¡¯ stifled giggles and even Chongxi himself chuckled when he mused at how foolish it was. ¡°But even until today, after knowing that Shiyan is the Spirit of the Shiyan Blade, I still fail to explain why is he unreadable. He may be the Spirit of the Sword, but he has since reincarnated as a human. So technically, his fate should be readable. But the only viable theory I¡¯ve come up with so far, although I have yet been able to prove it, is that Shiyan needs the Blade to be one. Without it, he is only ¡®half-a-human¡¯. So I guess there¡¯s that.¡±


    We nodded our assent to the probable reason. But it was a long time later until I finally understood why was I unreadable.


    Chongxi shrugged his shoulders. ¡°So that is why I found what the stranger said just now about Shiyan nothing but an utter sack-load of nonsense! I dare say that I am one of the best seers around here and only Teacher has skills beyond mine. But I¡¯m sure that not even his teacher before him would contradict me if I pronounce Shiyan as unreadable.¡±


    And our heads bobbed again, accepting his explanation.


    But only I remained motionless and Big Sister was first to notice my head dipping glumly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Little Brother?¡± she asked. I looked up, still wondering about what Chongxi was saying, and breathed heavily. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I might be just feeling too sensitive.¡±


    But an impatient Big Sister smacked at the back of my head, hell-bent on shaking an answer out of me. ¡°Come on, out with it!¡±

 Chapter 238 - Mystery of the Bizarre Murder

    I rubbed the back of my head and shrugged. ¡°You guys still remember what the man was just saying, do you?¡± Bewildered looks came at me from around the table. ¡°Well, let¡¯s first forget about what he read about me. But what he said itself was wrong.¡±


    Chongxi and Lin Feng had obviously not paid careful heed to what the stranger was saying. They had forgotten almost everything that the charlatan had said. After all, who would put much stock in the piffle sprouted by a common swindler? Edelweiss and Big Sister had been listening intently to him. But I could hardly rely on them to remember every single word the hustler was saying since they were amateurs in this line of business. But Big Sister somehow knew what I was talking about. ¡°Are you referring to the part where he said that you have the air of rulers?¡± she asked, ¡°That the world could be yours if you so wish?¡±


    I nodded at her and everyone looked positively shocked when they finally understood what it meant. I exhaled gravely and said, ¡°Indeed. Let¡¯s forget about the air-of-rulers and destiny-to-be-king-sort of nonsense. Most importantly, this is not the first time I¡¯ve heard the phrase ¡®The world would be yours if you so wish!''¡± Before my surprised companions could say anything, I went on, ¡°Jin Qichen. He¡¯s the one who said the exact same phrase to be before. Aisin Gioro Qichen! During my first encounter with him, he wanted me to help him awaken the dragon ley of the Qing so that he could rekindle the flames of the Empire. Naturally, I refused. But he tried to sweeten the offer by telling me that I could easily wield dominion over the entire world, so long as I wish to. But the stranger just now was saying the same thing! I wonder if he knows who I am and if he¡¯s one of Jin Qichen¡¯s cohorts?¡±


    Chongxi rubbed his chin ponderously. ¡°Do you know why did I ask him if he knew Cao Cao just now?¡± I shook my head. Chongxi explained somberly, ¡°He¡¯s an evil man. Warm on the outside but cold as Death on the inside. He is the kind of man who would smile warmly at you but he would be holding a knife behind his back, waiting to rob and kill you. A typical villain or usurper like Cao Cao. That was why when I asked him if he knew Cao Cao, he grew flustered with guilt. This is an evil man through and through with insidious schemes and plots hidden up his sleeves!¡±


    He paused for a heartbeat before he went on, ¡°From his words, I¡¯d surmise he knows who you are, Shiyan. Moreover, something about this encounter makes me wonder if¡­¡± Chongxi leaned forward, his voice lowered into a hushed whisper, ¡°¡­ if Zhigui and his friends are now¡­¡±


    Heads bobbed around the table in agreement. Chongxi straightened up and spoke in his usual voice, ¡°I have divined what would happen to Zhigui and his gang. Apparently they would have a trial. A terrible one. But they should be able to get past it safely, albeit with some difficulty.¡± I nodded and gestured to everyone. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no point worrying now. We¡¯ll leave Zhigui to sort out his fate on his own. After all, we¡¯re not his nanny. Come on, let¡¯s go for a walk since we¡¯re already here!¡±


    That was a change of mood that everyone welcomed and we strolled out the doors happily, hand in hand or with our arms on each others¡¯ backs.


    We spent some time contemplating how should we spent our day only to decide one place: the Building with Scripture of Ethics or also known as the Pavilion of Laozi¡¯s Daodejing. It was the only tourist attraction in Yi County where we came to a unanimous decision. The rest were either too expensive or were simply uninteresting to us. There were a few tombs and mausoleums in Yi County that we would not even deign to visit and that left only the Jingke Tower and Mount Langya. The Tower sounded like a drearily boring choice to us. We did not even enjoy the history of Jingke the Warring States era assassin, let alone visiting a tower built in his honor! And no one who had ever heard of the stories about the Five Heroes of Mount Langya would ever want to look at mountains! Especially with Big Sister who had spent almost every minute of her life in the wilderness! Given our numerous adventures in the wild, Mount Langya was definitely out of the question. In fact, we would like to avoid visiting mountains and hills. We had already had one too many visits to mountains and hills in our numerous adventures in the wild and none of us was eager for more.


    It was almost sundown when we finally boarded the express bus that headed straight for Shanggu town. Chongxi was rather grouchy on the way, feeling that we should have had dinner before we depart but we decided to press on, much to his dissatisfaction and chagrin¡ªwe would have missed the bus if we stopped for dinner. But it hardly made any difference; a hungry Chongxi is just as quick as a tortoise on the road. We quickly got him a couple of buns and a bottle of milk and fortunately for us, we finally got on the bus. Big Sister, Edelweiss, and I occupied the third-row seats while we watched a pleasantly-contented Chongxi nibbling joyously at his buns opposite the aisle. Bit by bit, he pecked at his food, looking absolutely jaunty and cheerful with a slightly-peeved Lin Feng scowling at him.


    But just when we allowed ourselves to be lulled by the peace and comfort, Fate oft-times comes knocking even at the most unexpected hour, reminding us that the world was actually never at peace.


    Chongxi¡¯s pleased expression froze suddenly and I too felt a tingle that made my hair stand! A strange and ominous sensation coming from the expressway ahead! Chongxi and I scrambled to our feet in unison and we saw the flickering lights from police patrol cars flooding the scene ahead. We traded quick looks and the same thought flashed across our minds: Something¡¯s wrong!


    The bus slowed to a glacial crawl and we realized that we were caught in a traffic jam. Vehicles were only allowed to use one of the two lanes of the expressway, while the other half of the road was closed off by police barricade tape; an occurrence typically rare for an expressway unless an accident had taken place.


    Our express bus eventually came to a halt by the shoulder of the road, much to the chagrin and irate protests by some of the other bus passengers. Some berated the driver, urging him to get on the road while some complained and whined about the terrible jam. Some were even screaming for a toilet. The driver of the bus looked ahead and saw the extent of the terrible jam and concluded that we would not be moving for quite some time. He got off the bus and slipped away for a smoke, but not before leaving the bus doors opened. This allowed everyone to disembark the vehicle. Some of the more curious ones meandered to the crash site, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was wrong while some ducked into the bushes to relieve themselves.


    I peered to the police barricade tape and saw a crowd forming by the edges of the closed-off area. The tangle of people trying to look over each others¡¯ shoulders shielded the crash site from view. But Chongxi put his stocky and squat girth to great use. He dove into the swarming crowd and disappeared even before I could stop him. I could still not shake off the strange feeling when the ominous sensation struck me earlier and wandering off alone was definitely dangerous! Chongxi might even be detained for trying to trespass the police line! But before I knew it, I heard his voice calling for us from inside the cordoned area!


    ¡°Shiyan! Lin Feng! Come here!¡± I stood on my toes, trying to look over the crowd and I saw Chongxi jumping like a ferret and his hands flailing to catch our attention. Lin Feng and I stared at each other for a split second and we exchanged a quick nod before swimming through the mass of curious onlookers. Just then, a voice called from inside. A loud, authoritative voice trying to restore order. ¡°Stop loitering here all of you! Make way for experts! Come on! Make way, make way!¡± A uniformed officer materialized amid the people and opened a way for us, leaving me thinking, ¡°What in the world is going on?!¡±


    The police officer waved at us, beckoning us to pass quickly. We ducked under the police tape and found a large plastic screen, towering at a height taller than two persons, had been erected to shield whatever carnage inside from the eyes of the public.


    The police man snapped to a salute and offered his hand to shake mine. I took his hand. ¡°I have heard about you, Officer Murong.¡± ¡°Ah?!¡± I yelped with shock. The officer went on as if he had not heard me blurting, ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡± He led us inside, telling us as we walked, ¡°Officer Yuan had told me just now about you. It¡¯s fortunate that we have you here with us! We¡¯re just frowning over how should we proceed! But I guess we have nothing to worry about now that you¡¯re here. I must implore for your assistance in this case; you being one of the most prolific investigators in this region. We know about Officer Yuan and we¡¯ve heard all about you from him and Captain Zheng Shuang!¡±


    He lifted a curtain of the long, white wall of plastic sheet to allow us inside and there we found Chongxi already there. ¡°Heh heh heh, you guys are lucky indeed to have all three of us here! Rest assured that we shall be of valuable assistance!¡± He sniggered proudly as he turned to meet us and nudged with his chin, gesturing us to look behind him.


    I looked up and felt a tremor running down from head to heel of me! The large, white plastic screen was erected just in front of a power utility pole and a hunk of flesh, large and bloodied, was impaled by it, still dripping from the top! It was a sight so horrible and gory that our faces were the color of milk and it was all that we could do to prevent shaking ourselves. The police officer realized our composure and looked at us with even more respect.


    I looked closely. The hunk of flesh impaled at the top of the utility pole like a piece of steak was actually a human corpse! It was a man, utterly dead with his mouth gaping wide. The trunk of the pole was driven through the man¡¯s mouth and exited through his hind parts. The fact that the utility pole remained intact, still standing on the ground as if it was still functioning properly if not for the corpse of the man skewered at its top mast made the sight even more appalling! Even the power cables suspended at the top of the pole looked undamaged to us. From where we were standing, it was as if he was driven through the utility pole like meat through spike magically!


    ¡°How is this even possible?¡± Edelweiss gasped with disbelief and I could only shake my head in response. ¡°It¡¯s simple actually,¡± Big Sister said suddenly, ¡°It just involves some magic. But it¡¯s not doable by normal means, hence it¡¯s strange and bizarre to you guys. But I must say, this is heinous and savage. No demons would ever go this far.¡± I nodded, although I could still find nothing to explain what happened here.


    The police officer who led us here then began to speak, ¡°Well, here¡¯s what we have here. This man was found here all of a sudden. A dead corpse hanging on the top of a utility pole. Freakish, if you ask me. That¡¯s why we decided we need to cordon the area and keep this scene from public eye. None of the cars seemed to notice at first what it was. I bet nobody could imagine that that is a corpse of a man hanging up there.¡±

 Chapter 239 - Death by Impalement

    I frowned, my forehead creasing deeply. ¡°When is this body found? Have you ascertained the time of death?¡± I asked the police officer. I would have peppered him with a flurry of more questions when I suddenly realized that I had not even known his name. Scratching my nose abashedly, I asked him, ¡°Urm¡­ I¡¯m afraid I still don¡¯t know your name, officer?¡±


    The policeman looked nowhere near as perturbed by my inadvertent lack of manners. ¡°The victim was found in this condition somewhere at around 17:30, which is almost an hour ago. Forensics shows that the time of death is somewhere between 3 to 3:30 pm. That means this corpse has been hanging up there for almost two hours before it was discovered. But it¡¯s not surprising, considering that this scene is quite a ways from the main road and it lies away from the scanning range of our real-time cameras. Ah, yes. My name is Wang Qingwen, a Captain of the Criminal Investigations Division of the Yi County Police Force. I have once had the privilege of working with Officer Yuan and Captain Zheng from your station.¡±


    It must be him, I mused. The officer who worked with Chongxi and Zheng Shuang when they first came to know Zhang Zhigui. Obviously, he could see that we were not part of the police force but we were just consultants helping the police. But without a proper way to address us in front of his colleagues, he had resorted to addressing us as fellow officers. After all, it was a police officer from a neighboring county and a civilian consultant who had helped solve a case that had given him a hard time. That alone was enough proof to him that we were no mere ordinary consultants. That, added with Chongxi¡¯s propensity for exaggeration, Captain Wang had only the deepest respect for us in addition to imploring for our assistance.


    Lin Feng came over and placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°So, what do you make of this?¡± I said nothing. Instead, I walked to Chongxi, who had been circling around the corpse, studying it. ¡°You¡¯ve found something, have you not?¡± ¡°Course,¡± he whirled around to face us and said, ¡°And that¡¯s not all. This case would have been simple if it had been just a mere murder. But too bad, it¡¯s not¡­¡± Before he could blurt more, I quickly put a finger to my lips, cautioning him for silence and Chongxi snickered knowingly.


    The condition of the corpse and the direction it was facing were enough for Chongxi to glean ample formation; among them included facts of how was the corpse here, the history of the dead man and so forth. With even more clues, perhaps it would not be far off to hazard that Chongxi might even be able to divine the dead man¡¯s former life and incarnations.


    Chongxi understood full well my reasons for not wanting to divulge anything in public. Prying eyes and eavesdropping ears abounded the scene of the crime now teeming with every Tom, Dick, and Harry that saw the commotion like ants on sweet. With a curt nod, he muttered simply, ¡°Let¡¯s first start by retrieving the foul aura then.¡± I nodded quietly. The soul of the dead man was no longer here and only a whiff of foul aura left by the ghost due to the grisly murder remained. The savage manner of the murder had turned the ghost into something similar to the evil spirits we had encountered during our defeat of Ha¡¯ri Naohai, only the dead man¡¯s ghost was just an evil ghost still fresh and juvenile. Nevertheless, we had to retrieve the foul aura now. There could be evil people who would want to steal it for insidious purposes.


    I took out my Spirit Gourd and looked for the speck of foul aura, drawing it into my Gourd while Chongxi finished his prescient calculations. When his calculations were done, he showed me the signs¡ªthe results of his contrivance and one thing instantly became clear: this man had committed sin. A sin that was retributed with a terrible death. But instead of the mixing of Yin and Yang in rape or molest, the signs we saw showed two Yang elements. I stared at Chongxi and asked, ¡°Are you sure your calculations are right?¡±


    He nodded profusely, extremely confident. ¡°Of course. And this would mean only one thing. This man, hanging dead on top of this utility pole, is a homosexual.¡± That revelation made my gut churned and I had to hold back the urge to vomit. This man had committed the sin of lying with a man and for that, he had been punished to a death so gruesome that he was no more than a slab of meat on a spit.


    The grotesque manner of the man¡¯s murder and his homosexuality, as well as the foul aura now in my possession made it easy for us to guess the identity of the perpetrator. I lifted the curtain of the white screen and walked out. The first thing I did was to release my Spirit Eagle, then I said to Big Sister, ¡°Do you have paper and pen, Sister?¡± She gave me a strange look but she nodded all the same and produced a pen and a small notebook. ¡°Since when you do keep such items with you?¡± I asked and she smirked. ¡°Well, I¡¯m learning how to write now!¡± With a long ¡°Oh¡­¡± I said nothing else, merely nodding.


    I flipped to a blank page and wrote a line, ¡°Murder case at the expressway to the east of the seat of Yi County. Death by impalement.¡± I tore off the page and rolled it up before I lifted it high and I whistled for my Spirit Eagle. It swooped down and snatched the message off my fingers and took into the air, flying away in the direction from where we were coming from.


    It was a message intended for Zhang Zhigui, although I was not interested to know if he would guess that I was the author of the note.


    Captain Wang approached us, hoping to get some answers or hints from us when a loud voice called from outside the cordoned area. ¡°Come aboard! We are 5 passengers short! Where are you! Come on, this is a bus to Shanggu Town! Are you there?!¡± Captain Wang gave me a perplexed look and I smiled apologetically at him and explained, ¡°That¡¯s our ride.¡± I waved to the others, gesturing them to get a move on. Captain Wang opened his mouth as if to say something, but Lin Feng and the rest of every one were already moving back to the express bus.


    ¡°Well, my apologies, Captain Wang. I¡¯m afraid I have to be going now. But I can tell you where you would find your answers.¡± The message came as a relief to the Captain and he drew closer to listen. ¡°Head to Dongyubu Village and look for Master Zhang,¡± I told him. With that, I wheeled around and strolled away before he could react. Chongxi had once told me that Zhang Zhigui should be no stranger to Captain Wang. So, being aliens to this vicinity, it was only for the best that we left this matter to the locals.


    We scrambled up the bus, much to the puzzled and peculiar stares of the other passengers. Our journey continued without any word from anyone. But after barely a hundred meters, the driver of the express bus could no longer bridle his inquisitiveness. He looked back and burst out, ¡°How did you guys pass through the police tape?¡± ¡°Urm¡­ We know the police officer leading the investigation, that¡¯s all.¡± A hint of realization appeared on his hardly-surprised expression. ¡°I knew it. I heard some officers calling you as experts! You¡¯re plainclothes officers, are you not?¡± And I could only manage to shake my head at the absurd idea.


    That was it. The dam broke loose. No one in the bus could hold back the ballooning eagerness to find out more about what happened and the entire bus erupted into rushes of buzzing, whispers, and chatters. Some began bombarding us with questions, demanding answers from us, but we did our best to deflect the inquiries, especially those that pertained to the victim¡¯s death, dismissing only with a curt reply, ¡°You won¡¯t wanna know how he died.¡±


    Night was already upon us when the express bus finally reached its destination. Missing the last train to Wu Zhong, we could only spend a night in Shanggu before going back tomorrow. We booked a hotel room and went out for dinner. The first thing that Big Sister saw as soon as we stepped outside the hotel was the bright blazing signboard of a hot-pot chain restaurant beckoning at her. The knowledge of various hot-pot restaurants and their signages were one of the few things Big Sister made full sure to equip herself with since plunging into society. Without even asking us, she dragged me towards the hot-pot restaurant with Lin Feng and the rest grinning weakly as they followed behind.


    The waiter at the door was also soundly surprised by Big Sister storming into their store and could only manage to whimper timidly, ¡°Urm¡­ You people are¡­¡±


    If Big Sister had heard him, she certainly gave him no sign that she did. Still dragging me like pulling a stubborn mule, she made her way to an empty table while barking at the waiter, ¡°I want to place an order!¡± The brief tumult was enough to make every other pair of eyes in the restaurant turning to our direction and that was enough incentive for Lin Feng and Chongxi to quickly sink into the chairs opposite us. As did Edelweiss, who could only sit down beside me with an obedient smile.


    But Lin Feng looked at her and she too looked back. Then Lin Feng began to ask, ¡°What happened there just now?¡± I saw Big Sister still busy reciting the names of every meat dish she could find on the menu to the waiter, I turned to the rest of my companions and revealed, ¡°Remember Ha¡¯ri Naohai? The one whom we defeated at the hospital in Mongolia?¡± And their heads bobbed. ¡°It appears that crushing the Order of Pain¡ªthe evil cult that now Zhang Zhigui is fighting against¡ªwould be no less easier than vanquishing the Creed of the Eight Trigrams. What I retrieved from the corpse just now was not the soul of the dead man but the evil aura left by the malignant spirit. It was the same as when we were encountering Ha¡¯ri Naohai.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Lin Feng gasped with shock, ¡°So you mean to say that the manner of the person¡¯s death was also a type of corporal punishment?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± I nodded and said, ¡°Death by impalement. A most brutal way to take a man¡¯s life. I¡¯ll spare you the details. It¡¯s too ugly and horrifying. But the fact remains: this is a feud between Zhang Zhigui and the Order of Pain that I find no reason for us to entangle ourselves into. Moreover, there¡¯s nothing I can do with the Shiyan Blade in Zhang Zhigui¡¯s keeping.¡±


    Edelweiss and Lin Feng nodded finally. But she asked again, looking slightly worried, ¡°But the Order of Pain had once tried to harm you too. Are you sure it¡¯s safe for Zhang Zhigui to keep your sword?¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°You still don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± I said to her.

 Chapter 240 - My Wealthy Big Sister

    ¡°Get what?¡± Edelweiss uttered incredulously. ¡°Edelweiss still doesn¡¯t understand what is going on.¡± Chongxi observed wryly. ¡°Come on,¡± Lin Feng quipped, ¡°Just tell us!¡±


    Big Sister had just finished placing our order. Putting down the menu, she joined into the conversation. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened before. You mentioned just now that Zhang Zhigui is fighting against a cult. An organization. And that organization also covets Little Brother¡¯s Shiyan Blade. Don¡¯t you find it odd that of all times, Zhang Zhigui turned against us now and has taken the Blade?¡±


    A waitress came back for the menu and Big Sister handed it to her. With a look as if she was staring at a bunch of loony psychos who had just escaped an asylum, the waitress took the menu, spun, and left.


    Lin Feng smacked the back of his own head in dawning comprehension. ¡°Oh, my God! I didn¡¯t think of that! So that means somebody from the Order of Pain is instigating Zhang Zhigui to take Shiyan¡¯s sword?¡± With a nod of my head, I went on, ¡°Defeating the Order of Pain shall be no easy feat. We are well-informed of everything, compared to Zhang Zhigui. That allows the Order to easily infiltrate the ranks of his family and household to influence him. That means, whoever he is, this stranger must be close to Zhang Zhigui and he must be a member of the Order. Based on our experiences with Ha¡¯ri Naohai, I can safely say that there must be more than just taking my sword. Hoodwinking Zhang Zhigui to change his stand against us is merely Step 1.¡±


    Lin Feng sniggered. ¡°Only they did not realize that we had seen through their plans. That is why we did not get into a real fight with Zhang Zhigui and his friends. Instead, we quietly allowed them to take the Shiyan Blade, no?¡± And that earned him an approving nod from me.


    Before long, the food came. We delved into the food and Big Sister asked, ¡°So what¡¯s your plan now, Little Brother?¡± I stopped for a moment to think. Then I said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess we¡¯ll first wait and see. This is definitely the end of their schemes, so I¡¯d wager there would still be more. But for now, their focus would be on the Shiyan Blade now in Zhang Zhigui¡¯s possession. So that allows us some time. But I might need to speak to Father. Without the Blade, I am useless.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Big Sister muttered through her food, ¡°Moreover, you need to ask him about becoming one with your sword. The last time you manage to spiritually fuse with your sword looked soundly different compared to our first fight. You might wanna talk to Father about that too.¡±


    Everything Big Sister said was spot-on. Becoming one with my sword should have been an achievement. An enhancement that was supposed to grant me more power. Only now, it had become more of a hindrance than help. That was why I agreed to Big Sister¡¯s suggestion that I needed to speak to Father.


    Not even Chongxi could match Big Sister¡¯s ferocity. She chomped and swallowed every piece of meat she could find with maniacal frenzy while the rest of the table gawked in silence. Chongxi was holding his chopsticks in mid-air, wearing a dazed expression that he lost all appetite. It took several minutes until Big Sister notice our inactivity and she looked at us quizzically. ¡°It¡¯s time you learn some table manners, Big Sister,¡± I muttered, ¡°You can morph into the most beautiful girl on the planet. But you would be easily betrayed by your indecency at the dinner table.¡±


    She threw me an ugly look and ignored me. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t think Zhang Zhigui¡¯s a good person,¡± she said suddenly, much to my amazement, ¡°Look at him. The man even wears a queue on the back of his head! Funny, if you ask me.¡± As she spoke, she glanced briefly at our hairs and nodded her approbation. ¡°Wow,¡± Chongxi said at once, ¡°Big Sister Lan, you do really know your hairstyles, don¡¯t you!¡± ¡°Come on,¡± she replied, ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. I have been observing everyone on the streets and Zhang Zhigui¡¯s the only one that stands out. That¡¯s enough for me to know he¡¯s a queer one.¡±


    I had never before elaborated on Zhang Zhigui¡¯s appearance. While definitely not looking the ugliest or most repugnant, Zhang Zhigui kept his hair long and wore only traditional clothing. At first glance, some might even think he was an artist of sorts. As a student of arts and most specifically music, I did not find his queue peculiar. So did Lin Feng, who trained martial arts and wushu. As for Chongxi, his extensive experiences in the wild in his youth had rendered him no alien to the peculiarities and eccentricities of some people. On the other hand, Edelweiss, who was a former outlaw, was by no means a shallow termagant who would pin-point at the quirks of others. Rather, we were amazed by Big Sister. A she-fox demon who had spent centuries in the wilderness was feeling perturbed and bothered by Zhang Zhigui¡¯s idiosyncrasy!


    Same as before, Big Sister refused to leave until a member of the restaurant¡¯s staff had to show us our bill, tacitly indicating that it was time for us to pay up and leave. Unsurprisingly, it was a meal that cost me a whopping few hundred yuan. ¡°Wow,¡± Chongxi swooned and said, ¡°Big Sister Lan will need a high-paying job. Otherwise, we would go broke trying to feed her!¡± Lin Feng and I returned weak smiles. Indeed, at this rate, even our credit cards would be way past their limits¡­


    But foxes have more acute hearing than man. Our quiet exchange did not go unnoticed. With a slap each to every back of our heads, Big Sister scowled jokingly, ¡°You filthy whelps! How dare you plot against me here!¡± ¡°We¡¯re sorry! We¡¯re sorry!¡± Chongxi and Lin Feng looked like chickens pecking the ground as they bobbed their heads in unison. Big Sister threw an amused look at us before she turned to a quiet Edelweiss and slipped to her a little battered-looking pouch that she produced from thin air.


    ¡°I wonder how much money can we exchange from this now?¡± she muttered. I took the small but heavily-patched cloth pouch and opened it. To my disbelief, it was filled with gleaming gold sycees! That made me suspicious. With a strange look at Big Sister, I had to ask, ¡°Where did you get this many gold pieces?¡± ¡°Where else?¡± Big Sister replied nonchalantly, ¡°It¡¯s the stash I kept during my stay at the mountains.¡±


    ¡°Stash?!¡± We blurted as one. Big Sister threw a narrowed-eye glare at us, looking slightly annoyed. ¡°These were found on the bodies of the humans I ate. I thought that I might have use of them if I morph into a human, so I began stockpiling as much gold as I could find.¡± Big Sister¡¯s explanation might have sounded calm and casual, but we felt a lick of chill up our backs and shuddered.


    ¡°Urm¡­ Big Sister Lan¡­ So how much have you amassed in total?¡± Chongxi stammered fearfully and a calm and relaxed Big Sister muttered lackadaisically, ¡°A lot. It would have filled one whole wagon.¡± ¡°How many humans have you actually eaten before?!¡± Lin Feng retorted sharply and that earned him a harsh glare from Big Sister who then resumed her laid-back demeanor, ¡°It used to be a lot until I used the lion¡¯s share of it to forge a sword. I didn¡¯t know what metal would be best for making swords, so I used every type I could find; gold, silver, copper, and iron¡­¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± I pressed. She shrugged, ¡°Then I realized that these were all ordinary metals. I needed a magical sword and no amount of ordinary metals would be of any use.¡± ¡°And then?¡± I hissed again, slightly peeved at her loathing to reveal more and she chuckled and said, ¡°Then I remembered about the earring Father gave me. There were already different types of metal ores in addition to some jewels and valuables inside when he imparted it to me. Some metal ores which I don¡¯t know the names of. By then, my powers have grown and I began to realize the properties of these rare metal ores which some I used to forge the Qinglan¡¯s Edge which is most compatible with my brand of magic.¡±


    I nodded with a whiff of relief. At least she did not end up plundering or robbing others.


    What Big Sister said about Father having hoarded a huge mound of gold, silver, jewels and precious stones in his magical earring reminded me about the scene long ago in the past when Master Six had sent back through Time. We were in an ancient crypt and Father had made a huge heap of valuables disappear into thin air in the blink of an eye. I guess that was how he made it missing: he had stored them all into his earring.


    ¡°So,¡± I cackled and said, ¡°It seems our Father is also a very profligate spendthrift; look at the amount of gift he¡¯s given his daughter!¡± That remark made Big Sister felt she was no less loved than I was and she smiled.


    I proceeded to recount the tales of that night in the ancient crypt to everyone, much to everyone¡¯s marvel and gasps.


    By the time my tale ended, we were almost back at the hotel. The time was almost midnight and the staff in the hotel lobby had long gone off. But we crept inside only to find that the quiet lobby was far from being empty.


    Somebody was sitting alone on the plush sofas of the lobby lounge. I paused my story, lest the person might overhear me and think I was insane. Noticing the person sitting alone, every one of us hushed and tried to sneak in quietly. Just then, the person stood up and whirled around, heading straight for us!

 Chapter 241 - The Hitwoman

    Adorned in a jet-colored down jacket that came with a hood that fully concealed the person¡¯s appearance, I could only guess that this stranger was a woman, although I still knew nothing about her intentions for coming close.


    Our party of five separated in the middle to allow her to pass, thinking that she might be headed somewhere else and we were only in her way. But instead of walking past through the gap we had opened up for her, she followed me and stopped right in front of me, standing as still as a tree.


    There was no way I could know what she wanted. But any other people would have been frightened by now by this woman¡¯s brusque behavior. Ordinary people would already be dreading if a ghost or a demon was hidden under the hood, but I was sure I would deliver a hard blow with my fists.


    The hood retracted to reveal a face. Not pale as Death like a ghost would have worn, but a black-colored face mask that completely cloaked the woman¡¯s face, leaving only her gleaming eyes tunneling into mine. ¡°Urm, hello?¡± I uttered, but the stranger said nothing, keeping her stare transfixed upon me.


    I frowned. ¡°How can I help you?¡± I asked again, but the woman only maintained her stare, not even deigning to show any indication that she had heard me.


    I grew annoyed; as would anyone if a masked stranger was barring your way yet ignoring you. ¡°What is she? Is she insane?¡± Beside me, my companions were similarly puzzled. But no one said a word. They looked at me and I shook my head, gesturing that we should walk away. I sidestepped past the woman and began to leave then I stopped short; a hint of malice and fury surged from the woman. It did not come with the force of a tide, yet it came as sharp as the little dagger she brandished, quick and deadly.


    I instinctively ducked and grabbed at her hand. Only then I realized that it was not a dagger; her hand had looked like a dagger in the dimly-lit lobby! The hand was only a few inches from my abdomen when I stopped her. But a small, lithe woman like her had the strength of an ox! I could no longer hold back her strength!


    The hand stabbed into my abdomen with the efficacy of a sharp knife, much to the horrors of my companions. Not even Big Sister managed to react swiftly enough! Everyone was utterly flabbergasted! Lin Feng and Chongxi were the first two to spring into action. Our extensive experiences of street-brawling together had made us no stranger to sudden incidents. Acting as one, they surprised the woman before she could deliver another blow to me, sending a pair of kicks into her!


    But before they could hit her, the woman, seeing both kicks coming at her from both sides, immediately ducked backward! A jet of blood sprayed from my open wound with so much pain I nearly fainted. Big Sister finally regained her senses. With a wave of her hand, she conjured everyone¡¯s gear! ¡°Goddamned woman!¡± Lin Feng snarled. He lunged forward, bringing his iron whip down on the woman¡¯s head mercilessly with a crack that sounded like thunder.


    Her head would have been smashed into an unrecognizable pulp of skin, flesh, and blood if Lin Feng¡¯s stroke had struck true. But the woman had the agility of a cat. With a twist of her body, she easily evaded Lin Feng¡¯s serpent-like whip. Unyielding, a glint of steel shot from Lin Feng¡¯s other hand followed by a sharp whistle. Lin Feng had thrown his flying dart! The projectile screamed through the air like a shooting star in the dark, charging straight at the woman¡¯s head with a speed just barely shy of a bullet¡¯s. During his battles against the demons and beings of the Creed of the Eight Trigram, Lin Feng¡¯s darts had never once missed their mark. But for the first time, it finally did. The dart was just inches away from the woman¡¯s face when she was evading Lin Feng¡¯s first stroke. But she threw herself back, somersaulting in reverse! The dart missed her cleanly and slammed into the pillar just behind her, still trembling from the force even as its tip buried deep into the wood.


    Lin Feng was left awestruck. He had seriously intended to mortally injure the woman. Any one of the two strokes he unleashed was enough to kill. But the woman had managed to evade both of them with seemingly zero difficulty and Lin Feng was, for a brief second, stunned. But it was all that the woman needed to mount her escape. She ducked and skittered across the darkened lobby, darting towards the doors!


    Muttering a curse, Lin Feng whirled his whip over his head like a lasso and gave chase. Edelweiss kept a hand to my wound that never stopped gushing with blood, looking panicked and worried. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I croaked hoarsely, ¡°Go help Lin Feng!¡± She looked as if she was wrestling with herself. But as a former outlaw, it was hardly her first time seeing blood and wounded comrades. Her golden dagger ripped free from its scabbard and she circled around the other side, trying to close off the hitwoman¡¯s escape route!


    She might not be as skilled as Lin Feng in combat techniques, but she had enough combat experience to make up for it. She reached in front of the hotel doors, just before the woman could escape, and thrust her weapon directly at the woman. It was a feint; Edelweiss only wanted the hitwoman to slow down so that Lin Feng could mount another attack. Indeed, the iron tip of Lin Feng¡¯s whip came right behind the woman like a serpent snapping its jaws as the hitwoman slowed her pace. However, without so much as a look to her back, she avoided the blow again with another sidestep!


    Suddenly, something white shot past my shoulders with the loud crack of a taut rubber band! Whatever it was, it whacked into the back of the woman¡¯s head and she staggered, nearly falling to her front. Realizing her chance, Edelweiss charged, her dagger aiming for the woman¡¯s throat! It was also a fatally-dangerous blow, no less unexpected from Edelweiss who was a former outlaw!


    I looked up and saw Chongxi beside me, grinning wryly to himself. He was holding his slingshot and his other hand was twiddling some glass ball-sized silver sycees! The sycees could only be given to him by Big Sister!


    A fierce clang from the direction of the fight made me jerk my head back to the front. Edelweiss was exchanging blows with the hitwoman but the unarmed woman, with a move that shocked everyone, used her bloodied hands to deflect Edelweiss¡¯ dagger! Similar to how her hand had managed to cut a deep hole in my abdomen, she was able to use her bare hands like an iron knife to defend herself! ¡°There¡¯s more than meets the eye with her hand!¡± Big Sister hissed with a look of comprehension and I gasped through gritted teeth, ¡°I can manage myself, just go!¡± Take her down!¡± Big Sister¡¯s eyes lowered briefly to check on my still-bleeding wound with a reluctant look on her face.


    But she could not avert her eyes from the hard look I gave her. She heaved a heavy sigh and dropped me on one of the sofas. ¡°Both of you, back down!¡± She barked at Edelweiss and Lin Feng. She did not wait for them to answer and immediately turned into a bolt of white light that lanced straight through the darkened expanse of the lounge only to reappear in front of the hitwoman in the blink of an eye. A sickening thud hit the floor and we saw one of the hitwoman¡¯s arm plopped helplessly on the floor! The woman reeled with the excruciating pain, her other hand trying vainly to hold at an arm which was no longer in place, although strangely, there was no blood.


    Realizing that the odds were against her, the woman knew she could never win. Not with Big Sister, a formidable opponent for her, entering the fray. She backtracked and wheeled around, running away from Big Sister and the hotel doors, storming straight at me! Chongxi raised his slingshot and took aim. ¡°How dare you come back here!¡± His fingers released the taut rubber band of his slingshot and the silvery bullet of a sycee tore through the air. Yet, with only a simple lean of her torso, the woman dodged Chongxi¡¯s attack and kicked, flying over me like a prancing horse! She landed right behind the sofa I was lying on and grabbed at the dart still planted into the pillar and yanked it free before throwing it at the relentless Big Sister and the other two who were chasing behind.


    But Big Sister conveniently deflected the dart with her Qinglan¡¯s Edge, sending it careening away.


    But the move bought the hitwoman the distraction that she so sorely needed. She slipped into a stairwell and disappeared. She is not running out of the hotel now, she¡¯s hiding inside! So she must be one of the guests here! We¡¯ll lose her if she gets to her room! Edelweiss cursed in a foreign tongue that I could only surmise as Mongolian and pursued her into the stair but I yelled through the pain and agony at her, ¡°Edelweiss, come back here!¡±


    Edelweiss stopped at once, then she looked back at me, her eyes wet with tears and flaring with anger. I shook my head wearily and with a last, trailing, disgruntled look at the stairs, she stomped and then came back to me.

 Chapter 242 - The Severed Limb

    Lin Feng strode to a corner where he found his dart and returned it to its pouch before he rejoined us. Edelweiss hurried back to me, anxious to check on my condition.


    Big Sister patted on her shoulder gently and gestured for her to remain calm. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him just now. The wound is deep but his organs are fine. He¡¯ll be okay.¡± Edelweiss wiped away her tears, nodding, and she held my hand, still choking between her sobs. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Shiyan¡­¡± I forced a weak smile and pinched her cheek softly. ¡°What is there to be sorry about. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°If only I knew what she was going to do, I¡¯d never let her hurt you! Aunt Ulan had instructed me to take good care of you. Yet I¡­¡±


    Well, this is how a strong woman thinks, I mused amid the pain, She would never whine and moan like some teensy little girl and ask how am I. Instead, she only wants to protect me from harm. ¡°Shiyan,¡± Lin Feng suggested and said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we notify the hotel management? They have surveillance cameras here in the lobby. We might be able to find out where did the woman go to.¡± I thought for a moment and said, shaking my head, ¡°No. I believe we can safely say that the woman is no our usual garden-variety hitwoman. Escalating the issue will cause panic and innocent people might get involved and hurt. We cannot risk that. Moreover, it¡¯s clear that this woman has a beef with me. I don¡¯t think flipping the whole hotel over to search for her will yield anything now. She can easily escape through the windows upstairs even if she¡¯s not a guest here.¡±


    Big Sister came back to us. She had gone off to collect the hitwoman¡¯s severed arm. She swung it around, waving it like a toy and I realized that it was not even a real arm, but an artificial prosthesis. It looked so much like a human¡¯s arm, but if the fingers clasped together, it would make the palm of the artificial hand looked like a knife. It was a meticulously-built contrivance and it was still dripping with my blood. Chongxi was fiddling with his calculations when he looked up with a confused expression. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°You can divine nothing about her, am I right?¡± I confirmed his doubts and he nodded. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on but it¡¯s just strange. I can¡¯t even find out where she¡¯s going to. Everything about her is completely blank and I can¡¯t even find out who she is.¡±


    Before any of us could say anything else, a cascade of footsteps filled the lounge as seven to eight men poured out of the elevator, rushing towards us. With a quick wave, Big Sister made everything¡ªeveryone¡¯s weapons and the severed limb¡ªdisappear. It was the security personnel of the hotel. They saw me clutching at my bloodied wound, sitting on the sofa being surrounded by my friends and yelped, ¡°What on earth happened here?¡±


    Lin Feng was about to recount to them everything but I quickly stopped him by gripping his hand firmly and giving him a hard look. Then biting my teeth through the pain, I clambered to my feet and asked the captain of the security guards, ¡°What took you so long?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve had some issues with our surveillance system. We were just back online when I saw you wounded! What happened here!?¡± A sharp Big Sister realized her chance. She yanked at the collar of the captain¡¯s uniform and spat, ¡°What happened?! My brother was mugged here! In your hotel lobby! A robber was hiding here and he tried to mug my brother and now my brother¡¯s stabbed! Where have you been and how are you going to solve this!¡±


    The captain became flustered with Big Sister shaking him down aggressively. Frantically, he gasped, ¡°P-please! Please calm down! We were fixing our CCTV system, and none of what you said was recorded! We need more proof!¡±


    We all saw the light. So the hitwoman in black had done something to sabotage the CCTV surveillance system with some unknown methods while she mounted her attack. It was only when she had successfully escaped, the CCTV system came back online and the security guards saw only a wounded me lying on the sofa. That was why they came rushing to us. They were frightened to see me injured during the course when they were still trying to fix their system.


    ¡°But my brother is hurt!¡± Lin Feng bellowed, ¡°That is proof enough! Don¡¯t you try to shirk off your responsibility by an excuse as feeble as ¡®it¡¯s not recorded¡¯!¡± ¡°Indeed! Our brother is hurt and we want justice!¡± Chongxi quipped, ¡°Your management must answer for this! They must answer for the laxness in security!¡±


    The captain¡¯s head was rolling with beads of anxious perspiration as he began to fear for his job. The rest of his underlings did their best to calm and placate Big Sister and Lin Feng. But this was attempted murder. Something was so serious that he, a simple security guard, could not handle. His hands moved down and into his pocket where he found his phone. Another security guard appeared with a little first-aid kit. He offered some iodine and gauze for the few-centimeter deep wound which was fortunately not life-threatening, otherwise the entire hotel would be on general quarters by now.


    The captain of the guards spoke into his phone. He winced suddenly and grimaced. Clearly, somebody must be giving him quite an earful from the other end of the line. He put down his phone later and came back to us, grinning broadly in a beguiling way to Big Sister and Lin Feng who were still seething. ¡°The manager is on the way here. Do you need an ambulance?¡± My companions looked at me and I nodded.


    It was late in the night and the ambulance arrived in no time. The manager followed us to the hospital in the ambulance. He did not neglect to rain more admonishments to the security guards although I suspect it was only for our benefit. Then again, I was not interested in the guards. Going to the hospital, I was only wondering who was that woman and I could see that my companions were also brooding quietly over the same question. One that none of us uttered because of strangers around us.


    The hotel manager tried to convey his apologies for the mishap much to the indifference and disgust of Lin Feng and Big Sister that the hotel manager grew worried with sweat.


    ¡°Rest assured that the hotel shall take care of the medical charges. That also includes the rest of your stay at our hotel,¡± the manager muttered with sweat raining down his head. Big Sister propped up her leg and snorted disdainfully. This made the hotel manager all the more anxious at Big Sister¡¯s disinterestedness to come to a peaceful solution. But an idea came to him suddenly and he slapped his thigh hard. ¡°Ah, yes! How about this! We¡¯ll pay for everything you need. So long as you keep this whole affair a secret from the authorities!¡± He turned to plead as a last resort. ¡°Please, all of you. We will never be able to survive a lawsuit! I admit, this incident is a result of our own negligence, but I beg of your forgiveness!¡±


    Big Sister tossed a probing look at me, signaling me to make the decision. Lying on the stretcher, I waved to the hotel manager, indicating silence. ¡°So be it then,¡± I said at last, ¡°I won¡¯t force you off the edge and sue you.¡± And the decision from me, the victim of the mishap with no objections from my companions came as a relief to the hotel manager


    Just then, the driver of the ambulance up front seemed to have heard our exchange. ¡°Now wait up there, my friend. I have met my fair share of cases like you. The police will be waiting for you to get a statement later. This is attempted murder!¡± He ripped his attention from the wheel to look briefly at the hotel manager. ¡°You¡¯re the manager, aren¡¯t you? If he were really attacked in your lobby, there would be no way to keep the hotel out of this. These kids here might not sue you, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re off the hook.¡± The manager¡¯s neck shrank in fear as more cold sweat began to flow.


    The nurses immediately wheeled me into the emergency room as soon as the ambulance veered into a stop at the hospital entrance. The doctor on duty cleaned my wound and chatted with me, ¡°So, what caused this, my friend?¡± Thanks to the anesthesia, much of the pain was no more although there was no way I fail to miss the throbs as the doctor sewed my wound shut. ¡°Would you believe me if I tell you a person stabbed me with her hand?¡± ¡°Humph. Quite the joker, aren¡¯t you? Most people with such cases would have already been unconscious. You¡¯ve trained before in martial arts?¡± ¡°A little,¡± I muttered, drowsy from the sedative effect. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll pry no further since you have no intention to talk. People like you are rare these days. All that gallantry and bravado, these are things of the past. I have sewed guys like you for years, but I¡¯ll say that very few of them are like you.¡±


    I managed a weak smile. This doctor must have mistaken me for a street urchin injured in a street brawl. Still, it beats having to explain more, I mused The doctor must have seen more than he was willing to allow from my wound.


    Finally, I was pushed out of the ER where I found my companions outside. But they were not alone. Aside from the hotel manager, they were joined by a few police officers. The nurses brought me to a medical ward and the officers came to me. I had already thought up a story to feed them, but the leading officer spoke before I could utter anything, saying, ¡°Wow, whoever she is, that person must be not your everyday variety of thug or hoodlum. To think she¡¯d dare attack an officer of the law.¡±

 Chapter 243 - Nemesis

    I was startled by what the officer had just said. He snapped to a salute and introduced himself, ¡°I am Officer Li of the Shanggu Police Station. After some inquiries, I have come to know that you are our colleagues from the Wu Zhong County police.¡±


    I see, the police officers had run a background check on us, I realized. Due to our countless cooperation with the Wu Zhong police, they have considered us one of them, although technically, we¡¯re only consultants no different from auxiliary police officers.


    Wearing a respectful and polite look, he said, ¡°I have made some calls to Wu Zhong. It seems you have solved a good many cases there. So I guess I would not be far off by saying that this could be some sort of retaliation? A loose end from one of your cases which ended bitterly, I guess?¡± I shook my head and chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re being dramatic, Officer Li. But I believe this is something personal.¡± Finding nothing to contradict me, the officer could only smile sheepishly. He sat down on the edge of my bed and whispered like a big brother, ¡°Come on, what really happened here?¡± ¡°Honest, Officer Li. This is only something personal. So I would not like to involve anyone from the police force. I¡¯ll handle it myself,¡± I muttered, frowning slightly. But this only served to infuriate the cop. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you!¡± He bellowed, ¡°Firstly, this is a criminal case! You are also part of the force. You should know better than to handle it yourself and trust the system! Secondly, this incident has taken place inside our territory! It¡¯s only right that I should help you solve this! It¡¯s a matter of pride!¡±


    Just when I was raking my mind for ways to mollify the police officer, my phone rang. Officer Li helped me to take it out from my pocket and before he handed the phone to me, he saw the name appearing on the screen: Zheng Shuang. ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± He muttered, ¡°Where have I heard that name before?¡±


    Zheng Shuang¡¯s voice came blaring like a trumpet as soon as I tapped the ¡°Answer¡± button, ¡°SHIYAN! HOW ARE YOU!?¡± His noisy bluster left me wondering that with his wailing voice, anyone would have believed that it was he who had been stabbed and not me. ¡°All right, calm down,¡± I muttered, ¡°I¡¯m still alive. Look at you, screaming and wailing as if you¡¯re at a funeral?!¡± ¡°I have gotten a call from the Shanggu police, telling me that you are hurt,¡± he said, ¡°What happened?!¡± ¡°Enough about that for now. I need your help. Help me make some arrangements. I need to go back to Wu Zhong. Get me to a hospital there.¡± ¡°All right! I¡¯ll make some calls! Just you wait!¡± And he slammed his phone shut.


    I put down my phone with an exasperated smile with Officer Li looking on skeptically. ¡°It¡¯s a friend from the Wu Zhong Police Station. Apologies for the intrusion.¡± Instead of listening to me, Officer Li was muttering to himself distantly, ¡°Zheng Shuang¡­ Zheng Shuang¡­ Wu Zhong Police Station¡­¡± He flinched suddenly as if he was having a stroke and he grabbed at my hand, ¡°Wait, is he the Zheng Shuang who solved the case of the evil cult?!¡± I nodded. ¡°No wonder!¡± He exclaimed, ¡°No wonder his name sounds so familiar! He¡¯s a famous name here!¡±


    ¡°Spare him the praise and glory,¡± I muttered smilingly, ¡°He¡¯d get proud.¡± The police officer remembered how I was talking to him like close friends and finally pieced two-and-two together, his face breaking into astonished bewilderment. ¡°Oh, my God. You¡¯re the one¡­ the one who helped to solve the case of the evil cult!¡± ¡°My help was inconsequential. I didn¡¯t do much.¡± But the police officer now regarded me with a newfound admiration and respect. ¡°Could it be that¡­¡± he whispered suddenly. Realizing my chance to just dismiss him with a story, I quipped at once, ¡°Yep. I was hurt by the remnants of the cult. As you would undoubtedly understand, the case of the evil cult has been closed. But it¡¯s only normal that remaining dregs of the cult are still at large.¡±


    ¡°I see! I understand now!¡± Officer Li yelped. Knowing better than to pry further, he promptly led his men away after a few more words of niceties, much to my relief. Having completely fallen for my ruse, Officer Li would now keep his distance from us, fearful that he might, in turn, become a target of these ¡°imaginary remnants of the evil cult¡±.


    A car came for us the next morning and brought us back to Wu Zhong. With all the arrangements completed by Zheng Shuang for me, I was sent to the Wu Zhong County Hospital. Father and Mother came later that evening to have a look at me and along with them came the others from the Institute, although they looked as if they were indeed here for nothing more than a look at me.


    Father and Mother were about to turn and leave after their ephemeral visit when I hesitated and called for Father. Father turned around and looked at me deeply in the eye. Seeing that I had something to say, he had Uncle Quan and the others go before them. With only Lin Feng, Chongxi, Big Sister, Edelweiss and them both in the room, Father looked at us all and heaved a heavy breath, saying finally, ¡°What is it. Spit it out.¡± With no need for pretenses, I delved in just as directly, ¡°I remember you said you have cast an enchantment on me. Why did it not work this time?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Father nodded and said, ¡°But the enchantment works only if your life is in mortal danger. So there could only be one reason it did not activate: the person who injured you did not have the intention to kill you.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± I screamed, my fist slamming into my bed. But it hardly achieved anything aside from aggravating my wound and a jolt of pain shot up my abdomen and I winced and grimaced in pain. Edelweiss quickly held me and helped me down. Big Sister added frowningly, ¡°But Father, we were all beside Little Brother. We saw it ourselves too. Her stroke was quick and deadly, and there¡¯s no mistaking that murderous aura emanating from her.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I affirmed and said, ¡°I could feel that murderous aura from her. It came at me, as keen as a blade! There¡¯s no way she did not intend to kill me!¡±


    Father chuckled and shook his head. It took him several seconds until he finally said, ¡°There are people who radiate a murderous aura whenever they get aggressive. But that does not mean that they intend to kill. People like them need only raise a finger and they can release an aura so staggering and strong that foes would cower in fear. This is a gift and also a birthright.¡±


    ¡°What are these people?¡± I asked and Father chuckled again. ¡°They are rare. Extremely rare. But they are also your natural nemeses.¡± ¡°Huh?! My natural nemeses?¡± Father nodded. He looked to Mother and they smiled at each other weakly with the rest of us staring at them blankly, puzzled.


    ¡°How much do you know about yourself?¡± Father asked suddenly. ¡°I¡¯m the Spirit of the Shiyan Blade reincarnated. The Spirit of the legendary weapon of the gods,¡± I replied truthfully, ¡°That was why Jin Qichen had come seeking me: to ask for my help to help him rule the world. In fact, the reason Zhang Zhigui sought for me was also the Blade. But this woman seemed nothing like them. She seemed only bent on killing me. At least she¡¯s acting in a manner utterly contrary to them, even if they really are cohorts.¡±


    ¡°Since you know what you are, could you still not know what people out there could be your nemeses as a descendant of the ancient Tribe Shennong?¡±


    ¡°Urm¡­¡± I could not answer him. Father threw me a look that looked positively annoyed as if the answer was staring at me in the face. ¡°The descendants of Tribe Jiuli (or the Tribe of the Nine Dawns).¡± Big Sister leaped from her chair and burst out, ¡°Chiyou?!¡± before I could say anything. Father nodded. ¡°It¡¯s important to take note that Chiyou might have been defeated by Huangdi and Yandi but that doesn¡¯t mean that Chiyou¡¯s tribe, Tribe Jiuli was utterly destroyed. The people of Tribe Jiuli were known to be furious in battle and they could easily muster up strong and thick murderous auras whenever they fight. So it¡¯s hardly surprising.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ that means that woman in black is a descendant of Chiyou?! What the hell?! So this is a battle of Fates?!¡± But Father betrayed nothing.


    Big Sister waved a hand and conjured the severed limb from her earring. She showed it to Father. ¡°This is the artificial limb we¡¯ve managed to strike down from the woman.¡± Father took the severed prosthesis into his hands and studied it. He chuckled and said, ¡°It seems that this descendant of Chiyou herself has not a happy and pleasant past.¡± He returned the arm to Big Sister and said nothing else.


    He got up from his chair suddenly. ¡°If that is all, I guess I¡¯ll be going then.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± I called quickly, a hand raising. Father turned back and looked at me. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing,¡± I mumbled and Father and Mother sat back into their chairs, looking at me.


    ¡°Why did I became one with the sword differently compared to Big Sister? Was there anything I did wrongly? My becoming one with my sword seems to do me more harm than good!¡± ¡°Humph,¡± Father snorted and said, ¡°You had me thinking that you had something more urgent to ask about. The answer to this question is simple: your powers are not enough. Your becoming one with the sword is not a product of your training; it is merely because you are the Spirit of the Blade.¡±


    ¡°So what should I do?¡± I yelped frantically, ¡°I can feel that my powers have risen, but I still feel as if I¡¯ve barely made any progress. What¡¯s going on with me?¡± Father gave a short giggle. ¡°Tell me, Shiyan. Haven¡¯t you felt that you have been more restless; more prone to anger and outbursts recently?¡±


    Indeed, I almost gasped aloud at Father¡¯s indication. I was never an irascible person. In fact, I had always been calm and composed even if the sky was falling. But I had been different since I had traveled through Time with Master Six¡¯s help and had become more prone to anger and outbursts.


    ¡°Your powers have grown considerably since your last encounter with Master Six.¡± Father looked at me. He could see that I agreed with his assessment. ¡°But you have yet to make great headway with your progress and that is why your temperament has soured.¡±

 Chapter 244 - The Visitor

    No one understood what Father was trying to say. No one but Big Sister and I. She nodded. ¡°I see. Little Brother has enough magical powers but he lacks finesse. He needs more understanding and comprehension of high magic.¡±


    I scratched my head. ¡°Wait,¡± I tried to make myself clear, albeit impatiently, ¡°So, like in an RPG-game, I now possess a high-level technique but I do not have enough experience points to level up? So I still cannot use this high-level technique?¡± Father frowned at the comparison but he nodded nonetheless. ¡°Roughly put, but yes. You really take after me after all. You remind me of when I was young.¡± And that remark made Mother, who was sitting just beside him, giggled in agreement.


    ¡°So what can I do?¡± I asked again, vainly earnest for a solution, ¡°Surely you won¡¯t tell me that I have to wait until I¡¯m thirty or even fifty before I can use it? And what about Big Sister? She¡¯s been using sword telekinesis for barely how many years? Why is it that she can use it and I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Qinglan¡¯s case is different,¡± Father insisted and said, ¡°She has been using magic for more than a century even before she began using her sword while you have barely drawn breath for less than a quarter of a century. What¡¯s more, Qinglan has been using sword telekinesis magic for twenty years. That¡¯s ten times more than your two years. You are smarter and brighter, I will admit, for having thought up ways to expedite a process that should have taken more than two years. But you will appreciate that your big sister¡¯s far ahead in experience compared to you.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that I¡¯m a genius?¡± I cracked into a simper but Father, in his readiness to puncture my glee, remarked placidly, ¡°Not really. I¡¯d say this is expected of a Spirit of a legendary relic.¡± Surely it wouldn¡¯t hurt to praise me just once, I scowled quietly.


    Father seemed to have guessed me. He chuckled. ¡°Well, let¡¯s leave this for a future conversation. Tell me about your trip to Yishui.¡± I recounted everything; starting right from the start to the end where I was stabbed by the woman in black. ¡°Uncle Hai, I have a question,¡± Lin Feng spoke suddenly and Father¡¯s gaze turned to him. ¡°Why can¡¯t we use Shiyan¡¯s Bee Scout to look for the woman? We have her prosthesis.¡± Father smiled and replied, ¡°I see. So Shiyan¡¯s not the only one green and raw here. You and Chongxi are the same too. Tell me. Would you allow anyone to track you? Won¡¯t that defeat the purpose of keeping herself masked?¡±


    Lin Feng was stunned speechless. But just as our conversation came to a pause, a shrill hoot came from outside the window. It was my Spirit Eagle, circling high up the sky outside. Lin Feng got to his feet and opened the window and the spectral bird flew in and perched on the windowsill with a message attached to its leg. Lin Feng took it off and I withdrew the Spirit Eagle back into my Gourd. He unfurled the paper and saw two words: Thank you. Lin Feng smirked. The whiff of indifference and alienation practically seeping from the two words told us enough: he still believed that we were his enemies.


    Later that night, Xiao Qi and her Sisters came with Yuanyuan and Xiao Yu. Lin Feng and Chongxi then went off with the latter two girls. They had slept not one wink the entire night and they needed rest. With my condition now stable, it was only right that they return to the Center. Big Sister left with them. She ought to go back to Father and Mother. So that left Edelweiss and the Seven Sisters with me in my ward.


    Edelweiss would understandably wish only to stay by my side. But Xiao Qi and her Sisters were only here because they were terribly bored. The nurse who was doing her rounds became utterly shocked when she found my room crowded and of course the Sisters was mercilessly driven away by the nurse .


    Edelweiss watched me the whole night, her gaze distant and blank as if in a trance and I too, looked at her in a similar fashion. We stared at each other for moments of silence until I finally burst out laughing. ¡°Why are you looking at me so strangely?¡± I could not resist any longer. Edelweiss pursed her lips and looked away, shaking her head. We might not be old couples who have spent half of our lives together, I brooded, But we had certainly gone through our fair share of thick and thin together. Still, she looks like a little lass young and fresh into love.


    Edelweiss kept her lips pouted and remained wordless. The dark circles that ringed her eyes betrayed the fact that being awake for the whole night had taken their toll on her. She had been with me all the time even though she had been struggling against sleep to remain awake. ¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± I said, gently patting her hand, ¡°You should get some sleep. Look at those dark rings around your eyes.¡±


    She nodded demurely and lowered her head on the side of my bed and dozed off.


    Just when Edelweiss¡¯ soft snores began to fill the ward, a litany of footfalls began to echo off the walls of the quiet corridor outside. Edelweiss immediately stirred, her hands wandering stealthily to the hilt of her golden dagger. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I assured her, ¡°It might be someone going to the bathroom. Relax.¡± Edelweiss nodded. Her hands were about to let go of her dagger¡¯s hilt when the footsteps stopped suddenly outside my door.


    Edelweiss straightened up, her hand clutching on her dagger and crept slowly to the door. If there was anything I had learned from my experiences, that was I should never take chances with any unknowns. As Edelweiss moved closer to the door, I quickly took out my Spirit Gourd and released Smoky, my Spirit Cat and it padded skulkingly beside her.


    Edelweiss reached the door and she reached out a hand to grip on the door handle. But before she could, we hear three loud raps knocking on the door. She looked at me and I nodded. She carefully twisted the knob and the door swung open to reveal a tall but scrawny silhouette. Edelweiss switched on the lights and ward was flooded with bright luminescence that I first caught sight of that distinctive fur outercoat and the eccentric-looking combination of capri pants and well-polished leather shoes. Having not seen him before, Edelweiss threw him a look reeking of disgust and suspicion.


    ¡°I see my partner has come to make her acquaintance,¡± he sneered and said. ¡°And what of you, Prince Beile? What business do you have in so late an hour?¡± I scoffed in return to Jin Qichen¡¯s quirky opening speech.


    He chuckled. ¡°I was informed by my partner that you were wounded by here. So here I am to visit. I am only here out of concern. You might notice that I haven¡¯t brought Na San with me as a show of goodwill.¡± And I let out another wordless scoff before saying, ¡°And so?¡±


    Earnestly, Jin Qichen tried persuading me once more. ¡°You should have agreed to my terms, then you would never have to endure such troubles, Spirit of the Sword. By your release of Na San, I trust I won¡¯t be far off by guessing that there are still grounds for a repeal. How¡¯s that? Think about it. Work with me and none of my confederates will ever come to darken your door again!¡±


    My eyes narrowed with disdain. ¡°Tell me about your collaboration with these people. How did you come to be?¡± Believing that a show of candor might win me over, Jin Qichen revealed, ¡°We each have our own individual goals, even though we call this a collaboration of sorts. I only told them about my meeting with you and one of them, a woman, passed on my word to the others.¡± I let out a thoughtful ¡°Oh?¡± and Jin Qichen took it as a cue to go on. ¡°With the exchange of information going on, I was told that you have encountered two other of my partners at a restaurant and the hotel at Shanggu.¡±


    No doubt the woman is one of his cohorts, but the restaurant, he says? That could only mean the middle-age charlatan?! Jin Qichen spied the shift in my expression which was enough to confirm his words. In a tone that sounded as if I had agreed to become his partner, he went on saying, ¡°I have two more partners anxious to meet you. Honestly, I have no idea what they would do to you, Master Spirit of the Shiyan Blade. But work with me and I will see that no one will come to bother you anymore.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Thank you for providing such invaluable information. I believe it¡¯s best you get on your way.¡± Hearing this, Edelweiss, who had been standing behind Jin Qichen, opened wide the room door with a look that tacitly said: ¡°Get out!¡±


    The brusque change in the mood only displeased my visitor. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank,¡± he added crossly, ¡°These are people who have designs for your power. Insidious designs. And I can safely say the same about their modus operandi. To them, I am both a partner and a rival. Hence, I daresay I would enjoy it immensely if they can be removed off the chessboard. I need you, Murong Shiyan! Work together and we can defeat them together!¡±


    Saying nothing, I took out my Spirit Gourd and yanked off the stopper. I released my Spirit Wolves and had them driven Jin Qichen out of the hospital. Finally, when he was gone, Edelweiss came back to sit by my bed. ¡°Who is this man?¡± she asked.

 Chapter 245 - Purpose

    It was the first time Edelweiss had laid eyes on Jin Qichen and naturally, she only understood half of what we were saying. Ponderously, I told her about our visitor, ¡°He is the one behind this whole debacle. A member of the group of people who wish to lay their hands on me and the Shiyan Blade. This Jin Qichen is a son from the line of the Manchus of the Qing Dynasty and so his goal is, as anticipated, the revival of the Qing Empire.¡±


    ¡°He came unarmed. I could have easily lopped off his head and be done with it. Why did you allow him to leave?¡± Edelweiss frowned and I pinched gently at her cheeks. ¡°He¡¯s the least of our concern for now. To put it frankly, he¡¯s only cannon fodder for those so-called comrades of his, a daydreamer who fantasizes about of being emperor. But among those comrades of his that now remained hidden are our true quarries. One of them is my nemesis and the other is that strange but malevolent organization. So Jin Qichen is nothing but an inconsequential pawn to us and to them.¡±


    Edelweiss nodded at my deductions. But she never once slept a wink for the rest of the night.


    The next morning, Lin Feng and Chongxi came to visit me and I told them about Jin Qichen¡¯s visit in the night and the things he said to me. ¡°I say,¡± Chongxi breathed and said, ¡°So, it was no coincidence that we encountered that strange man at the donkey burger restaurant.¡± A slightly more mellowed Lin Feng rubbed the bottom of his chin, muttering thoughtfully, ¡°Well, we have already anticipated what Jin Qichen would be saying to you, haven¡¯t we? But I fail to understand why is he here? Does he really believe that you can be bought over by this little information to provide?¡±


    ¡°Nay,¡± I cackled, ¡°At least, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s this foolish yet.¡± ¡°Then what do you think he¡¯s here for?¡± Lin Feng asked, his head tilting inquiringly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not difficult actually,¡± I said, grinning, ¡°He¡¯s just trying to sell out his cohorts. It¡¯s helpful to his purpose. By telling us what he knew about these hindrances, he hopes that we could help remove them for him.¡±


    There was a click of a lighter and Chongxi set his cigarette aflame. ¡°So,¡± he said after a puff of smoke, ¡°These cohorts of Jin Qichen¡¯s are also his rivals? But why?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Lin Feng quipped, ¡°Jin Qichen wants Shiyan to reawaken the dragon leys for him so that he can be the ruler of China. It¡¯s not hard to guess. He doesn¡¯t want any other contenders vying for his throne!¡± That earned an assenting nod from me. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that could only be it. Jin Qichen himself admitted that they are partners and rivals. The purpose of the woman in black is still not yet known. But I think the goal of the Order of Pain is similar to Jin Qichen¡¯s. They also want to reestablish a kingdom or an empire for them. Jin Qichen is by no means a naive fool. In fact, he¡¯s cunning. He knows he lacks the strength to vanquish the Order, so he wishes to leverage us against them!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God! That¡¯s his true goal!¡± Chongxi exclaimed, slapping his hand on his thigh. His voice awakened Edelweiss who was just barely asleep after staying up the whole night and she sprang up, her hand instinctively grabbing for her dagger. Lin Feng scowled at Chongxi and Edelweiss, satisfied that nothing was wrong, went back to sleep.


    The door to my ward opened and a nurse came in and caught Chongxi smoking. She seethed at him angrily, ¡°No smoking allowed in the wards! Get out! Go to the stairwells if you must!¡± Chongxi grimaced guiltily and snuck out, leaving Lin Feng and I grinning. Lin Feng helped me to my feet and I slid off my bed where we together went out, thinking of going after Chongxi to the stairwell for a cigarette break.


    We were just out the door when we saw Zheng Shuang coming with a large fruit hamper in his hand. He saw us and hurried over, saying concernedly, ¡°What is this, Shiyan? You shouldn¡¯t be out! You should be in bed resting!¡± ¡°Come on,¡± I said, waving him off, ¡°I¡¯m not dying just yet. Gimme a break.¡± He sniggered and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± I pointed to the stairwell where Chongxi was already inside. ¡°What else? Cigarette break.¡±


    Zheng Shuang joined all three of us, squatting in the stairwell. After a round of cigarettes, he reported, ¡°We still have nothing about the person who stabbed you, Shiyan. It¡¯s as if that person had vanished into thin air. I have asked the Shanggu police who have been running the investigations the entire night, yet they could find no useful information.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to go on,¡± I said, ¡°I know who is it.¡± ¡°Who?¡± He sputtered and I told him about the information I have gotten most recently with a bewildered Zheng Shuang looking unbelievably at me in the end. He set alight his third cigarette and said, ¡°So, that woman who stabbed you is a descendant of that mythical Chiyou?¡± I nodded. ¡°I could be the purest heir to Tribe Shennong and also the tribes of Yan Di of the South. Long ago in prehistoric China, Huang Di and Yan Di together defeated and vanquished Chiyou. So technically, what lies now between that woman and me is a feud that has lasted through the ages of Time.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Zheng Shuang muttered hesitantly, ¡°What if what your father said is wrong? No offense, but this sounds like a true myth to me.¡± ¡°Suffice it to say that Father will never be wrong. This at least I am sure.¡± I said.


    Zheng Shuang nodded wearily. ¡°Well, if that is so, what plans do you have, Shiyan?¡± I thought for a moment, then I told him. ¡°I need your help. To check on someone.¡± He straightened up excitedly with interest. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°His name is Jin Qichen. He¡¯s a Manchurian. He¡¯s working as a deejay, I think.¡± ¡°Urm¡­¡± Zheng Shuang gasped, his brows creasing deeply. ¡°I¡¯ll need more details. It¡¯s too vague. What else can you tell me?¡± ¡°He should be an Aisin-Gioro, since he told me before he¡¯s from the line of Qing Emperors and he¡¯s from the North-east.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Zheng Shuang hissed through his cigarette, ¡°I¡¯ll run a check on him. You¡¯d want everything about him, no?¡± I nodded. He tossed the stub of his cigarette to the floor and grounded it with his boots before he left curtly without any more word.


    We decided to head back to my ward where we found Big Sister already there. She was draping her coat over a dozing Edelweiss when we walked through the door and she quickly jabbed a finger to her lips, urging us to be quiet. Chongxi, however, stood at the door, staring blankly at Big Sister¡¯s fluffy tail showing at her back and asked a question that he would later regret. ¡°Urm¡­ Big Sister Lan¡­ I¡¯m curious to know how does your tail come out when you¡¯re wearing pants¡­¡±


    Big Sister¡¯s face flushed red at that very instant and she lunged at Chongxi like a madwoman, hitting him on the head. I quickly pulled her aside and muttered to Chongxi under my breath, ¡°Well done, mate. Of all questions, you just have to pop this one. I had made a hole on the back of her pants when we bought it.¡± Chongxi broke into a dawning smile as he stared furtively at Big Sister, who proceeded to give a punch each on our heads. ¡°What does this have to do with me! I did nothing!¡± Lin Feng, clutching his head, yelled indignantly but Big Sister only pouted her lips and ignored him, still very much miffed.


    Clutching his head, Chongxi snickered and remarked, ¡°You two are just upside down. Shiyan¡¯s brand of magic is of the Fire Element but his attitude is as chill as ice. Big Sister Lan¡¯s magic is water-based, but you¡¯re fiery and feisty. Something¡¯s wrong with you two, heh heh heh heh!¡± I giggled. Another witty joke, I mused, He maybe a maven in the skills of divination, but he clearly failed to see what¡¯s coming for him next. Lo and indeed behold, Big Sister came at him with another blow hammering on his head.


    I was discharged from the hospital one week later. Fortunately for me, my magical powers and properties, as well as the shallow depth of the wound, allowed me to heal quickly. Zheng Shuang came not long after, just in time with information about Jin Qichen for me.


    I riffled through the dossier he had prepared containing every shred of information he managed to glean about Jin Qichen while lazing on the couch at the Center¡¯s sitting area. At the very top was the heading, ¡°Jin Qichen, male, age 29. Born in Baishan, Jilin.¡± The next few pages detailed his family. Apparently, his parents were long dead due to an accident, although there was not much detail surrounding the incident. Feeling something amiss, I called Zheng Shuang to asked about the lack of particulars covering the incident that robbed the lives of Jin Qichen¡¯s parents but there was nothing he could do. I was already holding in my hands the entirety of what he could find on the system and that left me wondering if there was more than meets the eye with Jin Qichen¡¯s background.


    According to the dossier, his parents were killed when he was five. Since then, he grew up with his neighbor. Jin Qichen would later leave school after finishing junior high to become a local thug. But there was one tiny information that caught my eye. The name of the family that took him in bore the surname Na. The very same Na that Na San shared.


    Na San had told me before then his family had been serving Jin Qichen¡¯s family for generations. Therefore it was not hard for me to imagine how the adoption of Jin Qichen came to be. But I was more concerned with how Jin Qichen¡¯s parents met their deaths.


    Just when I was in deep concentration, the door of the Center clicked opened suddenly and I heard someone walking in. Giving no bother to look at the guest, I did not even raise my head, my eyes still peeled on the contents of the dossier, uttering only a tedious and uninteresting greeting, ¡°How can I help you? We provide an array of services, ranging from fortune-telling, Feng Shui services for home and premises, astrology, handling of marriage or funeral arrangements, and even exorcism.¡±


    The newcomer, sounding amused, merely replied, ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone.¡± I looked up, finding the voice oddly familiar and I was utterly shocked when I saw her face and I blurted, ¡°Lu Shengnan?!¡±

 Chapter 246 - A Former Classmate

    ¡°What happened to you, Shiyan? I heard you were injured. How are you now? Where were you hurt? Let me see it!¡± Lu Shengnan pelted a flurry of questions at me before I could say anything. ¡°How did you know I was hurt?¡± I almost laughed out loud and she chuckled. ¡°Humph. What makes you think you can keep secrets from us?¡±


    Smiling weakly to myself, I shook my head. A rascal that should have been born a boy instead of a girl. She must have heard from somewhere that I was injured although something told me that she was not here only for a simple visit. Lu Shengnan was never known to be fastidious about manners with me and me her as well. ¡°So, what brings you here?¡± I asked directly. She plopped into the couch opposite mine and lighted herself a cigarette. ¡°I hope I can rely on you to remember most of our classmates in university?¡±


    I shook my head and I was serious. Aside from Lu Shengnan, I had almost forgotten everyone else from my class. I was usually distant and aloof and kept mostly to myself during the four years in university. That was why I had hardly remained in contact with anyone from school since my graduation. For the past two years since leaving university, the incident involving the cursed zither and Lu Shengnan¡¯s reunion at the restaurant was the only few times I encountered anyone from my class.


    But Lu Shengnan looked neither dismayed nor disheartened. She knew already that I would forget everyone else from class. She was about to reveal the purpose of her visit when Edelweiss¡¯ voice came from behind, ¡°I didn¡¯t know we have a guest.¡± Lu Shengnan spun and saw her. She then waved to her and broke into a cheerful smile. ¡°Yo, hi there! We meet again, Sister!¡± Edelweiss threw her a suspicious look before she stared at me, failing to recognize her.


    Naturally, Lu Shengnan knew who she was. In fact, they had met the first time Edelweiss came to Wu Zhong. With not many associates to boast of all thanks to her eccentric attitude, Lu Shengnan has but only a handful of people she could call friend and should remember. And for that very reason, Lu Shengnan found it easy to remember people she saw.


    Noticing the awkwardness, I hastily made the introductions. ¡°This so-called sister of mine, whose attitude is no different from a boy, is the Lu Shengnan I told you about. I believe you¡¯ve met before.¡±


    At that, Edelweiss finally knew who she was and the two girls began exchanging courtesies warmly. But the conversations lasted barely minutes. Despite being a former outlaw, Edelweiss was still very much a lass in disposition and behavior. ¡°If only we¡¯d been able to meet earlier, Shengnan,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you from Shiyan. I have you to thank for being a friend to him during his university years¡­¡± Like a dutiful wife, she spoke in the same manner that any wife would to her husband¡¯s friend.


    Whereas Lu Shengnan, in her usually boorish inclination, slapped on Edelweiss¡¯ shoulder, ¡°You have a strong body, Sister! No wonder you¡¯re able to snag a weirdo such as Shiyan! Good!¡±


    Her remark left both Edelweiss and I stunned beyond words. Lu Shengnan¡¯s greatest weakness, the cause of her inability to make friends, was beginning to show: her inability to make conversation.


    On the other hand, Edelweiss curled her hands around my arm, looking more suspicious with Lu Shengnan here today. She might be a former outlaw, but she was still a woman nonetheless. And having a woman in the same room must have made her jealous as she squirmed uneasily beside me, readying herself to listen to what we were going to talk about. I adjusted my sitting position and asked, ¡°So why are you here today?¡±


    But the clumsy Lu Shengnan did not seem to notice Edelweiss¡¯ unfriendly gaze. She threw a knowing look at me, as if asking for my permission to speak openly in front of Edelweiss and me being able to pick up her tacit signal seemed to do justice to our four-year-old friendship in university. I grinned and said, ¡°Speak freely. There¡¯s nothing I would keep from Edelweiss.¡±


    As soon as the words left my lips, I felt Edelweiss¡¯ grip on my arm loosen and so did my heart!


    ¡°Well, do you remember Huang Li who was with us when we just started university?¡± Edelweiss and I traded a look. I would not have remembered anyone else. But Huang Li was a name that I would never forget. ¡°The one who was using spirits that I caught? Your first friend at university?¡± Lu Shengnan nodded although she quickly sighed. ¡°She came looking for me two days ago, asking me for your contact.¡±


    My forehead wrinkled in thought. Why and how did Huang Li find Lu Shengnan to locate me? ¡°Have you been in contact with her?¡± I asked and Lu Shengnan shook her head. ¡°Nope. In fact, we have lost contact ever since she¡¯d left university. I told you then, remember? She even changed her number. I have no idea how did she find me. And it was not through the phone. She came to me at my place.¡±


    ¡°Your place?¡± I uttered. Lu Shengnan nodded her affirmation. ¡°Well, after our graduation, I have taken up a teaching position at an agency until last year, I asked my dad for some money and I started my own tuition center. It¡¯s not big, but it keeps me busy.¡± Lu Shengnan paused to grind her cigarette in an ashtray and she went on, ¡°Then two days ago, out of nowhere, Huang Li appeared before me. She looks so different now that I could barely recognize her!¡±


    ¡°Get to the point!¡± I stressed impatiently and a block-headed Lu Shengnan said, ¡°All right! I was just about to get to that!¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Go on.¡± I nodded and smiled bitterly.


    ¡°I did not recognize her, but she knew who I was at first glance!¡± Of course, I almost blurted aloud, Anyone would have recognized you from miles away! Not wishing to interrupt her, I waited for her to go on. Lu Shengnan was a garrulous talker to an Olympic degree; she would never rest until she had made sure we got every word out of her.


    She went on talking about her first encounter with Huang Li in many years. Lu Shengnan asked about what Huang Li had been doing and the latter revealed that she had been working at her family¡¯s company while deftly evading the rest. Everything about her had changed, according to Lu Shengnan. The look she gave Lu Shengnan when their eyes met, the type of clothing she was dressed in; Huang Li was a completely different person having undergone some unknown life-changing experience. But Lu Shengnan knew better than to pry. Despite being formerly friends as close as sisters, there was no denying that they had gone distant due to the many years of not keeping in touch.


    ¡°So, Huang Li was telling me that her house is haunted! With her home now uninhabitable and no other friends to ask for help from, she could think of only me. She came to me, asking if she could stay in for a few days. That reminded me of you! This is a job for you!¡± Lu Shengnan paused for a breath. ¡°But Huang Li chickened out when she heard your name. She¡¯s still raw from that incident, see? Obviously, she¡¯s still embarrassed over what happened then and till now, so she refuses to see you. Apparently, her father had enlisted the help of many priests and mediums, but none of them seem to be of any use. She¡¯s staying at my place now; her husband has gone somewhere else to stay too. I hear it¡¯s one of his colleagues in the military. So here I am to ask for your help!¡±


    ¡°Wait, you said ¡®colleague in the military¡¯? So that means she really got hitched to that army officer Cao?¡± Lu Shengnan slapped her thigh and said, ¡°Yeah! Unbelievable, is it? But they¡¯re not really married yet. They¡¯re just living together for now.¡± I nodded. So they¡¯re almost the same as Edelweiss and me, I thought quietly.


    Just then, I felt Edelweiss¡¯ hold on my arms seem to tighten spontaneously. I turned and found her looking at me. We shared a quick look and I immediately realized that she was worried about my wound. Giving her an encouraging smile, I said to Lu Shengnan, ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have no problems with me. I¡¯m all in.¡± ¡°How are the charges?¡± Lu Shengnan squeaked excitedly, but I was a little awkward at that, saying, ¡°Well, truth be told, we haven¡¯t received many jobs yet since our opening. So I¡¯m afraid I have yet to fix a price on our services. How¡¯s this? I¡¯m giving you a special rate, for old time¡¯s sake. I¡¯m charging less than a thousand yuan, as long as the job is nowhere near dangerous.¡±


    Lu Shengnan frowned and said, ¡°Come on, that¡¯s not right, Shiyan! I know that you¡¯re a nice guy and you¡¯re giving me a good rate out of friendship, but this is business! You¡¯re undercharging me!¡±


    At first, I was stunned, failing to understand what she was saying. Then I understood: she was being serious in saying that I was undercharging her. She must have thought I was too abashed to charge a former classmate the usual rates. But it was understandable. Charlatans and swindlers oftentimes charged at least a five-figure sum for exorcisms or other cases of similar nature.

 Chapter 247 - Reacquaintances

    ¡°Come on, this is MY rate. An honest one to boot!¡± I glowered at Lu Shengnan with tremendous exasperation. ¡°What makes you think the rates charged by swindlers and hustlers are the correct ones?¡±


    Only Lu Shengnan seemed to misunderstand me. She was thinking I was being too courteous. ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve known you for so long, Shiyan. This is the first time you¡¯re so soft-spoken! I¡¯m not a complete amateur! I know the market rates for exorcising spirits! They usually charge at least tens of thousands!¡±


    Edelweiss and I broke into fits of laughter. ¡°And were they effective?¡± ¡°Urm¡­¡± Lu Shengnan stuttered, ¡°Well, I know at least that those Huang Li went to were useless. Otherwise, she would never be forced to come to you. She had looked for more than ten of them, having spent hundreds of thousands for nothing!¡±


    Wow, so being a swindler could still be such a lucrative calling, I almost burst into another fit of guffaws. I was pondering on ways to explain to a thickheaded Lu Shengnan when the door swung open suddenly and Chongxi¡¯s voice came from outside, ¡°Of course swindlers would charge higher! They don¡¯t know if they¡¯d be able to find another target before their money runs out! It¡¯s call insurance!¡± He walked in, plump and stocky as he was with a slender and tall Xiao Yu following in tow. In his hands, he was carrying plastic bags of food.


    Lu Shengnan looked at Chongxi. Obviously he remembered Chongxi this short guy and he screamed, ¡°You! We met before! Do you remember me?¡± But Chongxi could only gape at her with a puzzled look on his face.


    Knowing Chongxi, I introduced him and Xiao Yu to Lu Shengnan again. He must have long forgotten about Lu Shengnan, considering the last time they met it was during a dinner where he would have most likely reserved his attention to the food and Lu Shengnan then was present with a group of girls.


    Chongxi and Xiao Yu took their seats and began eating. Xiao Yu was not much of a chatter, but she was attentive to detail. Time and again, she would pluck out slices of meat from her rice box to offer it to an oblivious Chongxi, who never stopped inhaling his food.


    My head shook at my friend¡¯s laughable antics and I turned to Lu Shengnan. ¡°As you have heard, those who demand astronomical rates are most likely swindlers. They will slaughter any gullible prey with zero mercy. But we are the real deal. We would never charge exorbitant rates and at times, we even help people out of charity. Because we believe in karmic retribution.¡± Chongxi burst into stifled giggles, his head rising from his rice box with grains of rice stuck on his face, sniggering. ¡°Remember the 1.2 million yuan that the foolish charlatan almost sold his life for?¡±


    ¡°Right on,¡± I chuckled at him and said, ¡°Oh, yeah! I met the guy at Mount Changbai!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Lu Shengnan interjected dubiously and I told her the tale about the swindler who had now become a tour guide to demonstrate how we charge our clients.


    Lu Shengnan slapped her thigh and said, ¡°All right! So you¡¯d be coming with me later in the evening?¡± I rolled my eyes at her unbridled fervor. ¡°Wait up. You have yet to tell me about the condition at Huang Li¡¯s house. How else would you expect me to prepare?¡± ¡°But she did not tell me anything about her house?¡± Oh, for the love of the gods, I groaned. But a confident Chongxi quipped, ¡°Have no fear! Since when have we met with any problem that we had failed to handle?¡±


    ¡°But Lin Feng¡¯s not back yet, I¡¯m afraid,¡± I said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we wait for him?¡± As if on a cue, from outside the door, came Lin Feng and Yuanyuan¡¯s voice. ¡°You were not there,¡± Lin Feng was saying just outside the Center, ¡°If only you¡¯d seen Big Sister Lan¡¯s sword telekinesis magic¡­¡± Chongxi and I looked at each other. Talk about impeccable timing. Obviously, Lin Feng must be bragging about his experiences to Yuanyuan again.


    ¡°Quit gloating out there, Lin Feng! Come in quick!¡± I yelled at the door. Hearing me, Lin Feng came in, wearing a broad grin on his face. ¡°Your hearing must be really good to hear me from outside!¡± Then he saw Lu Shengnan and he hurried over to greet her.


    I quickly introduced Lin Feng to Lu Shengnan who recognized him. The platoon leader during my university¡¯s military training never stopped praising Lin Feng then so it had left quite an impression on her. More so, after truly meeting for the first time at the restaurant dinner where she found him tall and handsome.


    Hearing about a new job, Lin Feng rubbed his hands together eagerly. ¡°At long last! We have been idling for so long! What time are we leaving? Evening? All right. I¡¯ll get my gear ready!¡± With that, he trotted upstairs. Lin Feng really took after his father¡¯s fervent and enthusiastic demeanor, in contrast to Chongxi¡¯s devil-may-care attitude. That left only me wondering that something felt amiss, although I could not quite put the feeling into words. So I could only dismiss my apprehension to the back of my mind for the moment.


    With no objections from everyone, we agreed to Lu Shengnan that we would depart to Huang Li¡¯s place in the afternoon. This time, we decided not to bring Big Sister along out of the inconvenience of chaperoning a she-fox demon and Edelweiss would remain at the Center.


    Later that afternoon, we traveled with Lu Shengnan to a street called the Xinhua West Road. We parked our car just outside a street market and followed Lu Shengnan to her teaching center. She had chosen this place due to the bustling ambiance of the crowd in the vicinity to cater to younger teenagers.


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly cigarettes, liquor, and clothing here? Look, there¡¯s even a bridal photography agency. You should open a clothing store here so we can buy some from you next time, heh heh heh!¡± ¡°Come on, no one would sell clothing in physical stores these days! People shop online for clothing!¡± Having parents who were business people, Lu Shengnan had displayed a flair for enterprising even since we first met in university. Selling snacks, cigarettes, liquor, and even musical instrument accessories between classes had become her main past time aside from joining me at internet cafes overnight for games during our campus life.


    ¡°This reminds me of how I used to follow you around campus peddling your wares,¡± I chuckled and said, ¡°Are you still doing things like these now?¡± Lu Shengnan smiled. ¡°Of course not. I can¡¯t rely on such hawking trade to make enough money to pay my bills. It¡¯s enough only if we¡¯re doing it in school.¡±


    We reached Lu Shengnan¡¯s tuition center, a unit at the near-end of the street numbered 14-9. ¡°This is the cheapest unit I could find here.¡± She admitted shyly. ¡°My father did not give me much money, so this is the best unit I could find. A unit at the remote corner of the street, unlike your Center. Heh.¡± She unlocked the door and pushed through only to see a woman, her hair flowing long over her shoulders hurrying over to meet her. I instantly recognized Huang Li, the quirky girl from my first week on the campus. Only she, true to how Lu Shengnan had described her, had undergone a huge transformation.


    One way or another, it was her poise¡ªher air, her bearing¡ªthat had undergone an indescribable shift. Everything about her was different. She looked very much the same Huang Li from all those years ago, but the Huang Li then sounded nutty and weird and the Huang Li now before me seemed very distant¡ªan aloofness or a remoteness that no one could penetrate.


    Huang Li came forward and her eyes noticed me immediately. But she looked strangely placid as if I was a person whom she hardly knew, her eyes as still as a mirror. What the hell¡­ I gasped to myself. As of right, after what happened that culminated in her leaving university, I should have been her most hated person. Having seasoned from the experiences I had had, I could safely say that I was now a better judge of character. There was hardly any change in my appearance since my graduation, so I was certain that Huang Li recognized me the moment she saw me. Yet, there was nothing in her gaze at me that indicated anger or any sort of swirling emotions. A gaze so reticent and taciturn as if I was but a mere speck of dirt.


    Nevertheless, the look she gave me was so unnervingly unnatural that I could not help but feel wary. ¡°It¡¯s been so long,¡± I said first, ¡°You¡¯ve changed so much that I nearly fail to recognize you.¡± Unexpectedly, Huang Li replied indifferently, ¡°Hmm. A lot, I must say.¡± She raised a hand, offering to shake mine.


    I could only smile. I reach out to take her hand to shake it but as soon as I felt the tingle of my skin on hers, I felt a staggering heaviness in my mind that almost made me faint!


    End of Volume

 Chapter 248 - Better Is a Neighbor

    More of the mysteries that haunted me began to unfurl as the hidden hands hiding in the shadows began to show themselves. Among them included a descendant of the Emperors of the Qing Dynasty, Jin Qichen, and the Order of Pain which Zhang Zhigui had been fighting against; and now, our latest discovery, a woman in black whom we discovered to be an heir of Tribe Nine Li, the tribe once led by the legendary tribal leader Chiyou from prehistoric China.


    According to what paltry information Jin Qichen was willing to divulge, the three parties were vying for the same goal: the possessorship of the Shiyan Blade. What was more, everyone seemed to be aware of the disappearance of the Dragon-slaying Blade and this clearly indicated that anyone could freely reawaken any of the dragon leys and claim them to become king without suffering any consequences and this culminated into a race for the Shiyan Blade.


    Right now, one of my former classmates from university, Lu Shengnan, came looking for me with a job offer. Only unexpectedly, the actual client of this assignment was not Lu Shengnan, but Huang Li, another former classmate with whom I had had a beef with.


    Accepting the job should not have been too hard for me. A long time had passed since my estrangement with Huang Li. But I was utterly astonished when I saw Huang Li again. Her manner of speech and her poise had undergone a huge transformation that she looked as if she was a different person. The coolness that she exuded mimicked the taciturnity of a person who had had all her emotions stripped like a machine completely devoid of emotions or sentiments.


    But the truest extent of her transformation was only felt at the very moment when I took her hand to shake it!


    The bite of chill from her hands stung as soon as my fingers closed around hers, so cold that I was briefly reminded of cadavers in a morgue right before a strange, unknown dizziness struck me before my mind was assailed by myriads of hallucinations!


    I found myself surrounded by swirling dust and smoke; I was standing in the midst of a battle! Everyone around me was clad in strange-looking armor and mail and the weapons they wielded were battered and rusty. Through the chaos, I spied a man coming at me, the bright eyes on his misshapen face gleaming maliciously as he drew nearer. Despite his hardened look, there was also weariness and fatigue. Then everything blurred around me and I was hurled into another scene. A lumbering giant with a hideous face and the length and breadth of a huge tree towered menacingly over me. He swung his giant battle axe at an enemy and I was just in the way of his weapon¡¯s dangerous arc!


    The flurry of images whizzing before my eyes would have looked like a film strip, yet every image and sensation felt so real that they were struck into my mind like bolts of lightning hammering relentlessly at me. I felt myself shaking and my back slick with cold sweat. Just when I was drowning in the suffocation of phantasmal hallucinations, I felt a hand suddenly at my shoulder and Huang Li¡¯s hand slipped quickly from mine and everything stopped. I was back. Lu Shengnan leaned over to me, staring at me strangely as she withdrew her hand from my shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± she asked, ¡°You looked as if you were hit by lightning. Must you look so surprised and stunned from meeting Huang Li?¡±


    I frowned and shook my head. Ignoring her remark, I stared quietly at Huang Li, who gave me a dry and frosty smile before she curtly spun and moved upstairs. Noticing the strange atmosphere, Lu Shengnan merely shrugged and waved at us. ¡°Come on up! Let¡¯s talk upstairs.¡± I feigned a benign smile and nodded, looking on as Lu Shengnan trotted up the stairs.


    With Lu Shengnan and Huang Li moving up, there left only the three of us. Lin Feng briskly stepped forward and whispered urgently, ¡°What happened just now, Shiyan? You looked as if you were possessed. Is there something wrong with this Huang Li girl?¡± I said nothing and Chongxi remarked instead, ¡°Well, there¡¯s something wrong with her all right, although I still cannot quite point out how. Only that my instincts would never be wrong.¡±


    I sighed. Shaking my head, I jabbed a finger upwards and motioned for my companions to go up with me.


    We reached the upstairs landing to find the second floor furnished into a little sitting area decorated by slews of different wallpapers. A teacups-laden little coffee table sat in the middle of a ring of rattan-made long chairs¡ªa simple Bohemian setting with a dash of modest bourgeois comfort.


    Lu Shengnan appeared from a corner where she extracted three cans of Coke and offered it to us. ¡°I know you like drinking this!¡± She beamed and I chuckled. She still remembered what I loved and despite not resembling a woman, she understood me just as much as Lin Feng and Chongxi did. Then again, if Lu Shengnan was a tad more feminine, I might have fallen for her instead of Edelweiss. Still, these were sentiments best left unspoken or else Edelweiss would kill me.


    We sat on the rattan long chair facing Huang Li, popping open our Cokes. Huang Li sat at the other side of the coffee table, still wearing that sardonic smile of hers. Chongxi gave me an imperceptible nudge that only I could feel and gave me a look that implied, ¡°Nothing about her seems like a woman reeling in fear of a haunted house!¡± I signaled my assent and Lin Feng chuckled, indicating that he too, shared our doubts.


    The atmosphere in the sitting area was tense, as a silence appeared and lasted far longer than felt comfortable. Lu Shengnan did not predict such an awkwardness would follow as she clearly knew nothing about what she should be doing. Finally, after a brief moment passed, Lu Shengnan croaked, ¡°Urm¡­ Huang Li, you can tell Shiyan about the troubles at your place now. Shiyan is a professional in this line of business. Talk to him about your problems, Shiyan has been a very good friend to me and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to help!¡±


    ¡°Oh? So our former classmate is now as skilled as the charlatans and swindlers I¡¯ve encountered?¡± Huang Li hissed after being prodded by Lu Shengnan.


    ¡°Err¡­¡± Lu Shengnan gasped abashedly. She did not expect Huang Li would spit such belittling mockery after she had come to me for help on her behalf.


    But I did not wait for Lu Shengnan to reply and I tapped a finger loudly on my can of Coke. ¡°Well,¡± I said thoughtfully, ¡°If I am indeed only as good as conmen and hustlers, then I would have been the one in trouble during the military exercise in university long ago.¡± Huang Li was stunned beyond words, but only for a split-second. She did not anticipate such a vicious retort from me that cited the wound which I caused her, a wound which still clearly throbbed to this day.


    ¡°So, since the former classmate is learned in such disciplines, how much would you charge me for the services of helping me to solve the problem at my place?¡± Huang Li asked, still wearing that satirical smile.


    Lu Shengnan¡¯s face blazed full red with bashfulness at the helplessness to keep us all from trading barbs. She was badly embarrassed at the nastiness both of her good friends were viciously trying to hurl at each other.


    ¡°Charges, eh?¡± I cackled lightly. ¡°It would depend on what¡¯s in store. I¡¯ll see what have you prepared for me before I can decide. But if it¡¯s the same as before, I guess I¡¯ll only charge you¡­ ten yuan.¡±


    Huang Li¡¯s eyes flared with malice as she hooted a laugh that chilled the air around us. ¡°So be it then, former classmate. I shall await your good news.¡±


    Lu Shengnan exhaled heavily at last, relieved that everyone had survived the situation as tense as a powder keg and we had reached an agreement. ¡°All right, then! Let¡¯s have dinner together tonight! My treat!¡±


    Huang Li cast a deadpan look at Lu Shengnan and uttered blandly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m engaged tonight. I¡¯m eating with Xuedong. He has an appointment with some of his old colleagues.¡± I threw an inquiring look at Lu Shengnan, who hastily explained, ¡°That¡¯s Huang Li¡¯s husband. Remember our former instructor? His name is Cao Xuedong.¡± I responded with an ¡°Oh¡± and turned to face Huang Li. ¡°I see. Just give me your address then. I¡¯ll go with my partners at midnight tonight.¡±


    A devilish smile curled at her lips and she took out a paper from her purse and laid it gently on the table. Scrawled on the paper was a few words, ¡°Unit 104, Nanhu Villa Precinct (the Villa Precinct of Nanhu Lake in Tangshan district)¡±


    I almost burst out laughing. Lin Feng stared at the paper and he froze. Suddenly, he choked and nearly spat out the mouthful of Coke he was drinking. Gulping it down hard, he screamed, ¡°Wow, Shiyan! This woman is your neighbor!?¡± Chongxi craned over the table for a look at the paper and giggled. ¡°This must be bought just after the new year! Must be a new home!¡± All three of us looked at each other, grinning broadly. The villa home that Mother had bought for me and Edelweiss was in fact Unit 105, also of the Nanhu Villa Precinct.


    Lu Shengnan was the only one still oblivious of what was happening. She stretched her neck for a look at the paper. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What neighbor?¡± she asked as she took the paper to look at it while saying to Huang Li, ¡°Oh, yeah! You haven¡¯t told me where you¡¯re living now, Huang Li.¡± But when her eyes finally saw the writing on the paper, she almost exploded.

 Chapter 249 - Rejected

    Lu Shengnan stared at me with the paper held between her fingers for seconds until she finally uttered, ¡°You said you are neighbors?!¡± ¡°Urm¡­ Heh heh heh,¡± I giggled sheepishly and said, ¡°I¡¯m staying in Unit 105.¡± Lu Shengnan gaped with disbelief at me for another few seconds. ¡°Oh, my God! You¡¯re hiding a huge fortune, are you!? The villas there cost millions each!¡±


    Never to miss out any chance to brag, Lin Feng placed a hand on my shoulder, quipping triumphantly, ¡°Heh, as if that amount would matter to Shiyan! He can easily win that amount of money in a single bet! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of the children abductions that happened before around Wu Zhong? The case that involved some evil cultists? That was solved by us! One million yuan, piece of cake!¡±


    The hoiden Lu Shengnan watched as Lin Feng carried on with his histrionics with awe, rubbing her hands, her eyes dreamy and mystified. At this, I hurriedly waved my hands and said, ¡°All right, enough there! Don¡¯t take his word for it! He just likes to brag! The house is bought by my mother for my wedding. It¡¯s my parents who bought it, not me.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. You told me before that your father is the head person of a National Studies Institute and your mother¡¯s a housewife. How¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re like those invisible billionaires or hidden tycoons. They just prefer to remain out of sight.¡± Lu Shengnan nodded pensively, taking my word completely without a shred of doubt.


    But what¡¯s a couple of million for a villa house, I mused. After seeing Father whisking away the mound of treasures and jewels in the ancient crypt during my time travels, I have now a lucent idea of how much money Father has hoarded and I can swear that any one of the little trinkets from that large heap of treasure was worth even more than that large villa house.


    Lin Feng was continuing with his gloating and he had reached the part where we were fighting against the Creed of the Eight Trigrams, albeit his version of the events was rampant with exaggerations and melodramatics. He even made it a point to specifically mention about the one million yuan bet between me and Zheng Shuang¡¯s uncle. As if it was not bad enough, Chongxi even joined in the double act! Finally, when the tale came to a pause, the tomboy Lu Shengnan threw me a coquettish look. ¡°You must need an agent or a manager to handle things for you, Shiyan?¡±


    ¡°Gimme a break!¡± I grimaced.


    Our light conversation in Lu Shengnan¡¯s place lingered on until the sky grew dark outside. She led us to a restaurant where I was subjected to her relentless pestering during the entire meal until I finally relented and paid the bill. By then it was already eight but Chongxi and Lin Feng never stopped enthralling her with more tales about our adventures that she began to develop an interest in joining our band.


    With the admiration and pride as if she was speaking to a childhood hero she grew up with, she beamed, ¡°Count me in, Shiyan! Let me join you! Operating a tuition center is nowhere near as fun and thrilling as you! Come on, I¡¯ll join in so we¡¯re now a quartet!¡± ¡°Nope, you can¡¯t,¡± Chongxi bluntly rejected her and said, ¡°Each of us is skilled in something. I¡¯m skilled in the magic of divination, astrology, and fortune-telling. Lin Feng is skilled in different styles of wushu techniques, like Southern Fists and Northern Kicks. And Shiyan? He¡¯s even greater; the man¡¯s the son of a demigod who has greater magical powers! But what expertise do you have to offer?¡±


    Lu Shengnan puffed her chest and declared proudly, ¡°I¡¯m a trouble-maker! Look at all movies and stories, they always have a character who is a trouble-maker that lands everyone in new adventures! I¡¯ll be the trouble-maker and I have no fear of getting into trouble! Heh heh heh!¡± ¡°Nope,¡± I scoffed jokingly and said, ¡°We don¡¯t need trouble-making talents! If you still haven¡¯t grasp the entirety of Chongxi¡¯s ability, he can divine out almost anything; humans, demons, ghosts, almost anything! He¡¯s the reason we don¡¯t need trouble-doers like you.¡±


    Lu Shengnan sighed at the rejection, looking positively crestfallen. ¡°Come now,¡± I said to her consolingly with a hand patting her shoulder, ¡°Our job has its risks. One wrong move and we might lose our lives. You would be nothing but fresh meat since you have no ways to defend yourself.¡±


    But that did not discourage Lu Shengnan from badgering us and hounding us until we finally gave in: we would include her into our affair tonight at Huang Li¡¯s place just this one time. I was convinced that the thing Huang Li could concoct would not be difficult for us and the experience of truly experiencing the paranormal, which could be several times more challenging and gripping than continually riding roller-coaster ten times, could well be daunting enough to dissuade her from joining us.


    Realizing that we still have time, Lu Shengnan suggested a visit to the local bar. My companions and I traded quick looks and we nodded, although I swiftly regretted my decision when I found Lu Shengnan giving me that Your-treat-not-mine look.


    The intense beats of EDM reverberated in our ears like pulsating war drums in the bar that I was almost dizzy by the neon and laser lights flickering and dancing about on the floor. We sat at the bar and the bartender filled glasses of liquor for us. Lu Shengnan threw him a naughty look and yelled above the din in the pub, ¡°Gimme your WeChat ID, Handsome!¡± That made me narrow my eyes as I wondered, ¡°Since when does this tomboy behave so girlishly?¡± But¡­ ah! I began to realize that she likes boys that look delicate and soft. On the other hand, a potato-like Chongxi would hardly be the ideal dashing Prince Charming for her whereas I was usually the type that girls would readily swipe left. That left only Lin Feng, the only one out of us three that could barely fit the bill. But he was the tall and stern type instead of the beautiful and gorgeous type laddies that girls these days swoon for.


    Lu Shengnan was actually pretty, although her tomboyish appearance and traits were oft-times the deal breakers for her. Expectedly, the bartender only responded with a professional and polite smile before shredding her hopes with a little shake of his head.


    Refusing to give in, Lu Shengnan began doing what she always did best: hounding others with unyielding doggedness as if she was venting whatever displeasure and dissatisfaction she felt from our rejection of her joining us on the poor bartender. At the end, when the young man was able to stave her off with a stalwart defense, she demanded to know if the bartender already had a girlfriend. The bartender uttered two words. Two one-syllable words that shattered what remained of her dashed hopes to chips and flakes, ¡°I¡¯m gay.¡±


    It was an answer that none of us expected at all and I could no longer hold back and exploded in an uncontrollable fit of guffaw so great that the bartender blushed furiously. It took almost a couple of heartbeats until I realized that I was behaving rudely and I struggled to control myself, shoving another gulp of liquor down my throat in vain hopes that it would help.


    It was a draught that I reeled with anguish to the point of nearly vomiting it out. ¡°What is this?!¡± I jerked my head back at the bartender and the bartender must have thought I was a snapping snake for a moment that he winced and answered, ¡°Margarita.¡± Chongxi and Lin Feng saw the ugly expression on my face and took some testy sips from my glass and they frowned just as badly as I did. The taste of Margarita cocktails did not appeal to us, to say the least. The blend of sweetness, sourness, and saltiness swirling in the concoction was hardly our brand of beverage for leisure.


    ¡°It tastes weird,¡± I complained and said, much to the agreement of my companions who nodded profusely. Lu Shengnan glared at us with a look as if we were aliens from outer space. ¡°Come on, you¡¯re a rich second generation of the nouveau riche! You can¡¯t have not heard of Margarita cocktails! They¡¯re famous!¡± I glowered at her. ¡°Come on¡±, I almost groaned with exasperation inwardly, ¡°Our combination of a martial-artist, a fortune-teller, and the Spirit of a legendary sword is hardly your ideal mates for a night-out party! We¡¯d do better with a bottle of Chinese baijiu!¡±


    ¡°Give him something vanilla,¡± Lu Shengnan muttered with a cryptic grin to the bartender. He stopped for a second before he produced another empty glass and filled it with transparent liquid. Pubs and bars did not usually serve Chinese baijiu so it could never be that, but I did not know what it was.


    I studied the glass of clear liquid and saw only the tiny bubbles sizzling inside the chilled concoction. I took the glass and before I raised it to my lip, the bartender said suddenly, ¡°Drink it down in one shot.¡±


    I nodded and threw my head back, downing the liquid in one go, feeling an inexplicably strange but pure sensation rushing down my throat. Normal Chinese baijiu is an intense amalgam of tastes and flavors. That was the thrill that only seasoned drinkers of Chinese baijiu would feel: the reflection of one¡¯s life when appreciating the complex jewel of the Chinese crown of spirits. But whatever was this, it was a whole deal different. I felt wholly refreshed by the purity of the chilled liquid and, at the same time, thrilled by the icy burn of the liquid that shot through my body.


    ¡°Wow, this is good!¡± I said to the bartender, ¡°What is this I¡¯m drinking?¡± Lin Feng, Chongxi, and Lu Shengnan looked at the bartender too, and the young lad smiled mildly. ¡°Absolute Vodka, straight.¡±


    I nodded with an approving smile, gazing back at the empty glass. Vodka seems like my type of drink. But little did I realize that the hangover that came later that night would come as a terrible miscalculation.

 Chapter 250 - Unit 104

    It was ten by the time we left. We limped out of the bar, clinging on to each other. Chongxi was looking as if he was suffering from a stroke. At least Lin Feng was still able to walk on his own. I was feeling tipsy myself with the dizziness that had me walking in circles and figure-eight round and round. Lu Shengnan was worst; she would have collapsed if not for me still struggling to keep her on her feet.


    I was the undisputed best in drinking out of all four of us. But cocktails, which were nowhere near the beers we normally gulp down like water, were really way out of our league and we were now paying the price for our ignorance and brashness. In a slurry voice, a half-drunk Lin Feng yelled, ¡°W-wait up! Ah (I) will get the cut (car)!¡± I grabbed at the scruff of his shirt and shook him, ¡°Look¡­ at yourself¡­ You can¡¯t even¡­ speak¡­ Quit driving¡­ I want to live¡­ a¡­ long life¡­¡± Lin Feng stowed his keys back into the pocket and crouched on the pavement.


    ¡°We have good weather today! Look at the Sun!¡± Chongxi remarked suddenly amidst his drunken hiccups. ¡°That¡¯s a street lamp, you git!¡± I planted a foot into his hind parts only for the inebriated Chongxi to continue mumbling to himself, ¡°I must make some calculations! One times one equals one¡­ two times two I¡¯d get two¡­¡±


    Lu Shengnan was practically leaning her entire weight on me by now like a piece of dead log then her face hit the side of my face with a smack. ¡°I¡¯m so regretful now, Shiyan!¡± She gasped suddenly into my ears, the traces of cigarettes and liquor now wafting over my nose. She burped suddenly and the stench of flatulence assaulted my nose that I almost puked. Carefully, I shifted her face away from mine, asking, ¡°What are you regretful about?¡± Another rush of drunken odor slammed into me as I heard her melancholic voice saying, ¡°I have nothing but regret now for not telling you when we graduated! I should have confessed to you about my feelings! *burp* If only I had told you earlier, you won¡¯t be snatched away but that foxy little outlaw!¡±


    I shifted Lu Shengnan¡¯s head again, ¡°E-enough! What bullshit! As if I¡¯d believe that!¡± But Lu Shengnan snuggled closer to me and wrapped her arms around my neck, gasping, ¡°It¡¯s true! Honest!¡± Feeling the rush of alcohol kicking in, I croaked desperately, ¡°All right, all right! We¡¯ll talk about this later!¡±


    We grew so drunk that we could not remember what we said that time aside from the stuttered and garbled gibberish that hardly meant anything¡­


    Somehow, we found ourselves in the Nanhu Villa Precinct later. Fighting off the hangover still haunting us, we made our way into my home which was now already fully furnished and I was relieved to find tea leaves ready for consumption.


    One of the many things about Father that had never stopped bugging me was Father¡¯s collection of tea leaves. He never drinks tea. But he loved collecting rare tea leaves and even producing some of them himself. A tea collector who drinks not even a drop of tea? Now that must be one of the greatest mysteries of Wu Zhong, I brooded quietly.


    I took out a can of tea leaves casually from the cabinet and made a pot of hot tea for everyone to dispel the effects of alcohol.


    The water in the kettle was beginning to bubble when I suddenly felt it! A palpable aura, evil and hateful, emanating like the rapids of a rushing river from Unit 104 just down the street! The sensation that almost made my hair stand was enough to dispel much of my hangover and I sprang to my feet. I looked out the window and I could see Unit 104¡¯s third-story window! Someone was there and the strong, evil aura could only be coming from that person! Whoever it was, he or she must have seen me!


    My head spun because of me getting up too quickly and I felt light-headed. With a loud thud, I fell to the floor. My head had been throbbing with a strong headache ever since we left the bar and got a bit of cool air. I willed myself to clamber up and I looked again at the third-story window. The person was missing. But I would never be able to forget that pair of eyes in the dark, so filled with hate and anger.


    Lin Feng struggled to his feet. He, too, had noticed what happened. And the martial artist in him would never allow him to lie down flat anymore. He got up and we looked at each other, still dizzy with drunken weariness, and we nodded. Lin Feng yanked Chongxi to his feet and nudged with a chin gesture at Unit 104, signaling to me that it was time.


    I nodded curtly and walked outside. With Lu Shengnan now out for the count, there was no longer any need to involve her. We could certainly do without a cannon-fodder. We carried a still-unconscious Chongxi and walked across the road. The air was slowly becoming warm to welcome the approaching spring equinox, but the night¡¯s air was no less eerie and chilly especially with the foul aura radiating from Unit 104 just not far opposite.


    The gates were open when we reached the front of Unit 104 as if our presence was expected, so we walked in and headed straight for the door. We tried the doorbell but nothing seemed to be working so Lin Feng rapped on the door. A series of hollow knocks spawned from the door, sounding like echoing thuds that rang off into a dark abyss to a half-drunken me, further intensifying the uneasiness haunting us.


    But the rapping hardly accomplished anything; we waited idly outside and nothing was coming from inside the house. Impatiently, Lin Feng raised a fist and pounded the door again bang bang bang with more strength.


    The half-minute that we waited restlessly outside seemed more uncomfortably longer than it should until we finally heard the casual patters of footfall ambling towards the door from the other side. Somehow being drunk seemed to make Lin Feng notably more irascible and impatient. He yelled hoarsely at the person inside, ¡°Come on! Open up! Quit dawdling around like a whining b*tch!¡±


    The door opened with a click and we saw in the darkened threshold the figure of a man dressed in a set of garb fully black and dark leather shoes with short, army cut hair. But what was more unsettling was the darkness inside the house. There was not even a speck of light inside as if we were looking into the bellows of a monster. That made me wary until the man suddenly snapped to a salute for Lin Feng, ¡°Good evening, Plat¡­ I mean, former Platoon Leader.¡±


    ¡°You were serving in the army?¡± Lin Feng looked at the man and asked with hiccups every now and then. The man in black smiled. ¡°I am Cao Xuedong. I was enlisted as a conscript only after you left but I too left the army two years ago.¡±


    I began studying Cao Xuedong. It took me a second to realize that this was the same person whom I met at the military exercise when I just began attending university. The same military instructor who was attached to my class. Only now, he was just as cold and distant as Huang Li! While Huang Li¡¯s abrupt change of her character could be attributed to her dislike of me, but Cao Xuedong was a wholly separate case! Despite our differences, Cao Xuedong¡¯s behavioral change was definitely peculiar and inscrutable!


    He now looked completely the same as the Huang Li I met just earlier before. Their eyes emitted nothing but a chilly stare despite the smile they wore on their face. To put it bluntly, their expressions looked no different from those on plastic mannequins: fake and dead. There was not a whiff of warmth or vibrancy that I could detect from them as if I was actually speaking to a cadaver. That was why I failed to recognize him immediately.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Instructor Cao!¡± I let out a frosty chuckle. He turned to face me and uttered frigidly, ¡°A long time indeed, Murong Shiyan.¡± And he broke into the same creepy smile again. He offered a hand and I took it, only for another bout of unexpected horror!


    As soon as I felt his skin touching mine, the same electrifying sensation from my first meeting with Huang Li shot through me again! My mind was assailed once again by a horrific vision of countless images zipping by me in an instant!


    Everything stopped suddenly and I found myself standing before a bizarrely-dressed man whose expression looked cold and hard despite his tightly-shut eyes. Then the eyes blinked open without a warning, startling me! There were two more opened eyelids staring back at me from each of the two eyeballs! I felt a cold rush that made my hair stand and the man disappeared!


    Next, I found myself flying through the air at the speed of a bullet and a bolt of golden light was streaking across the sky, heading for me! The golden light struck me and I was blinded by an explosion of light!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Murong Shiyan?¡± Cao Xuedong¡¯s voice came from nowhere as he let go of my hand quickly and the brief Lovecraftian vision immediately dissipated just as quickly and rapidly as they came. I reeled with shock and saw Cao Xuedong throwing at me a satisfied smirk. But his eyes betrayed a shred of fear and he hastily tried to hide the hand that I took behind his back while feigning innocence.

 Chapter 251 - Villa in the Dark

    Unlike Huang Li earlier, Cao Xuedong had inadvertently betrayed his fear of me. Smiling wryly at the former instructor¡¯s inability to fully rein in his emotions, I said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Instructor Cao. I believe you need our help to see what¡¯s wrong with your house?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Cao Xuedong chuckled and said, ¡°Huang Li told me about your visit. I have been expecting you. Come on in.¡± He whirled around and began walking deeper into the darkness of the house and we followed just behind.


    The last of us had barely entered through the threshold when the door swung with an invisible force and clicked shut, plunging all of us into pitch-black darkness that I could not see anything. Blasted hell! I cursed quietly, It¡¯s all because of the bloody liquor that I have become careless and clumsy to have fallen into such a trivial trap!


    ¡°Godd*mmit!¡± Lin Feng was the first to burst with an expletive, ¡°It¡¯s a trap! *hick*¡± His knees began to give way and with Chongxi weighing him down, he began leaning to the back suddenly. Having just entered the villa, he should have been able to lean on the door, but instead, he crashed to the floor with Chongxi down with him. ¡°D*mmit!¡± He hissed and I scrambled over to him, juggling between helping him up to his feet while struggling to pull a completely-stoned Chongxi back up. It was a marvel that despite the crash, Chongxi still showed no signs of waking up.


    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Lin Feng barked at me once he got up and I extracted my Spirit Gourd and released my Spirit Wolves. I needed them to search for Cao Xuedong¡¯s scent.


    Half a dozen of silvery, spectral forms of wolves appeared at my heels. With my instructions, they lowered their snouts and got to work sniffing around at once,.


    Within minutes, the alpha male of the pack stopped to look back at me before it dashed forward into the darkness with the rest of its pack in tow, snarling as they padded after their leader. The six spectral wolves formed a neat file that we followed behind quickly and it oddly reminded me of the time when Master Six hurled me back through Time, although I was accompanied by countless of twinkling stars during my travel through the wormhole instead of a scary and abyssal blackness of complete oblivion!


    I set alight a cigarette and flicked it away from me. We watched it flying away, leaving a short tail of burning embers until it suddenly disappeared. There was nothing of it hitting a wall or ground, otherwise we would have seen a tiny explosion of embers, and we saw nothing in the miniscule glow. Not even the foot of a table or the leg of a chair! We were standing in an empty expanse of nothing! Sh*t, I cursed, This is not the inside of the villa! And I don¡¯t even know where we are now!? And the staggering darkness threatening to engulf us whole only made the trepidation stronger.


    I had once heard that most people had nyctophobia. The intense and persistent fear of darkness, or more accurately the fear of the vast emptiness around us. This was mostly due to the fear of the unknown. The fear of possible or imagined dangers concealed by the darkness that might pop out and catch us unawares. Hence the darkness was a substance of fear itself, more so, since humans could see nothing or feel nothing in the dark. I, for one, might already be frightened and terrified if not for the fact that my feet are still feeling the sensation of hard ground and the sight of my spirit wolves pacing before me in a straight line. Lin Feng was just behind me, still carrying Chongxi. I could hear his heavy pants, although I could not say if he was getting afraid or he was getting tired bearing Chongxi.


    I frowned and lighted another cigarette, welcoming its flavor that supplied me with a brief bout of relaxation and calm. But I knew for sure that I was getting afraid, for even my fingers were trembling as I struggled to hold on to my burning stub. With no Shiyan Blade with me and the complete unfamiliarity to our enemy this time, I could hardly say that I was confident.


    We meandered on in the darkness until I finished my cigarette, then I saw it. Two dim dots of light in the far distance ahead of my wolves. But it was not a comforting sight as I felt myself growing tense. It looked like the eyes of some beasts or monsters, identical to the gleaming eyes in dark I saw at Mount Changbai!


    The wolves seemed to notice my caution and they shared my wariness. Moving coherently, they formed up in a spearhead formation in front of me and crouched, their backs arched menacingly in full readiness to charge. Breathing slowly but heavily, we moved step by step forward carefully. My steps were still wobbly due to the lingering hangover that I was teetering on the edge of collapsing. Absolute Vodka, I reflected in the dark, It¡¯s a good drink, all right! But never again before work!


    Our slow and gingerly approach of the pair of dim glows, concomitant with the low growls of my wolves, ended ignominiously with the discovery of what emitted the glows. It was not the eyes of a monstrous behemoth, but rather, two simple lamps smoldering harmlessly. In between both lamps, flanked by both of them, was a door, closed and locked.


    With a look at Lin Feng, who swallowed a gulp of saliva in disquiet, I heard his voice asking me in the dark, ¡°Open it?¡± which I responded with a nod and a wordless assent. He walked up to the door and before I could stop him, he slammed his foot into the door with a deep Bang! and it burst open, swiveling wildly on its hinges that threatened to give way. Cold winds rushed around us like the rapids of a raging river, coming from outside the door and the air made me shiver. Picking up my anxiety through my telepathic link with them, the wolves assembled and charged like an arrow out the door, their long jaws agape, sharp teeth bared, ready to snap at any foe they find!


    I peered out the door carefully and found nothing wrong outside. The snarls of my wolves came to an end as my emotions began to simmer down. They stood outside the door, vigilantly keeping watch.


    I walked out the door. Everything seemed fine outside, but in truth, nothing was fine at all and I was utterly shocked beyond words when I beheld the view outside. Lin Feng trailed just behind but unlike my more-reticent disposition, he spat and cursed when he saw what was waiting outside, ¡°Sh*t! What in the godd*mned world is happening here?!¡±


    The lonesome street lamp outside, which dull and dim glow did merely a perfunctory job in illuminating the darkened street that was howling ominously in the chilly air and the number blocks on the wall of the villa opposite that said ¡°105¡± left me awestruck. Did we just walked out of Huang Li¡¯s villa!? What the hell is this!? Why am I always caught in something like this?! But we had not been walking in circles just now; we were only walking in a straight file behind the line formed up by my wolves! I was fully alert now, despite the uncanny creepiness of our situation. Whatever this was, Huang Li and Cao Xuedong were making sure we were making every effort to earn our fee!


    Feeling slightly angered, I instinctively looked back at the door we just walked through and what I saw made me shed cold sweat!


    The door that we had just walked out of had closed without us knowing it and the lock that Lin Feng had savagely kicked on to open it looked utterly intact just like how it was when we first came! Lin Feng, with his eyes wide with disbelief, uttered, ¡°What the hell?!¡± If we were not yet fully awake by all the shocking and inexplicable epiphany unfurling around us, we definitely were now. Being able to think more clearly, the first thing I did was to check the time. I dug for my cell phone and saw the time: A half-hour past midnight and still ticking. So whatever this is, time is not yet suspended.


    Biting my lips, I thought hard. Everything about our entry into the house must be true and I was confident that the same could be said for exiting the building. So, something must have happened in the darkness. We must have either turned without knowing or somehow our directions had been switched when we had just entered the house by some unknown witchery! That could explain the reason why Lin Feng was suddenly crashing to the floor when he should be able to lean on the door right after coming in.


    This reminded me of the time when we were at Mount San Feng Zi. Undoubtedly, this would never be any technique similar to Zhu Mei¡¯s Windchaser magic or Ghost Barriers. So that left only one possibility: some sort of metaphysical bounded field! The pitch-black darkness inside the villa just now had rendered us vulnerable to spells and beguilement and it could just as easily be done by manipulating the scent of Cao Xuedong which was our only indication of any bearing to my wolves earlier.


    Seeing my reserved taciturnity and mistaking me as being at a loss for solutions only made Lin Feng more irritable. He walked up to the door without so much as a word to me and rapped on the door. The knocking sound of him hitting the door awakened me from my thoughts and I spun around. There was nothing. Lin Feng applied more strength and banged on the door again and the door opened again, revealing Cao Xuedong.


    ¡°Good evening, Plat¡­ I mean, former Platoon Leader.¡± Cao Xuedong greeting with a salute. Lin Feng¡¯s eyes twitched, his brimming annoyance beginning to spill over. ¡°What tricks are you playing at?!¡± He demanded but a seemingly-dubious Cao Xuedong merely gave a thin smile. ¡°You know me, former Platoon Leader? I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met.¡± ¡°Humph,¡± Lin Feng snorted derisively and said, ¡°Stop faking it!¡±


    But Cao Xuedong chuckled weakly and gave us an expression as if he was truly unclear of what we meant. I froze. Wait a minute. This sense of deja vu! The very same happened just now when we first came! And Cao Xuedong now looks as if he had never seen us before!

 Chapter 252 - Loop

    Shaking off my confusion and puzzlement, I hastily acknowledged and said, ¡°Heh heh heh, it¡¯s been a long time, Instructor Cao.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a long time indeed, Murong Shiyan,¡± Cao Xuedong replied, turning to face me with that unsettling smile of his. What¡¯s happening!? I gasped to myself quietly, Has Time been reversed when we were trapped in the dark? Is this even possible?!


    ¡°Huang Li told me about your visit. I have been expecting you. Come on in,¡± he said and he pivoted around just like he did earlier, once again plunging into the dark interior of the villa. Lin Feng shot me a look that seemed to say: This is completely the same as just now?! There¡¯s no way this is an enchantment! Two persons cannot have the same hallucination at the same time!


    ¡°Am I mistaken in thinking that we are reliving what we experienced just now all over again?¡± Lin Feng stammered in a shaking, doubting what he had just seen and wondering if he was going mad. I grabbed at his shoulder and shook it. ¡°Now listen here, Lin Feng. We had passed through this door just now and we came out just now. For reasons yet unknown, we are experiencing it again. This is very real and I¡¯m sure this is no illusion. So you¡¯re not going mad and you¡¯re not seeing things!¡±


    Lin Feng stared right back at me. This time he looked more sanguine. At least he knew that he was not seeing things. But I could hardly blame him; anyone in our predicament would think they are going insane.


    Lin Feng beheld the pitch blackness inside the villa and lighted himself a cigarette. ¡°So, onward, brother?¡± I set alit a cigarette of my own and stood for a second, hesitating, then I agreed. ¡°Yes. Onward!¡± And I dove headfirst into the dark, mysterious dimension that awaited us. Dragging Chongxi with him, Lin Feng padded close behind. But as soon as they stepped into the opening, the door clicked shut again and darkness swallowed even the last slivers of the moonlight from outside.


    I felt the edges of my eyes twitching restlessly. I flicked my cigarette at the direction of the door and it disappeared as if being swallowed whole by some invisible monster. There was no sign of it hitting the door and no fiery sparks tossed up by any miniature fireworks when the cigarette hit the ground. Visibility was only down to one meter around me and Lin Feng¡¯s facial expression going tense with consternation was the best that I could make out. ¡°What now, Shiyan?¡± Lin Feng¡¯s voice came. But I could only shake my head; I was really at a complete loss this time.


    He might have not seen me shaking my head. But getting no response from me, even after waiting for several beats in the dark, he began to understand that I had yet to discover a solution. A weary sigh came from his direction. ¡°Let¡¯s try our luck and see where it leads us then!¡± He said suddenly, ¡°We can try backpedaling at the direction we came from! I refuse to believe that this space can be as huge as a park!¡± With a grunt, he pulled up Chongxi and began walking back.


    Despite being dragged on his haunches, Chongxi was still sleeping like a dead horse, completely oblivious to what had been happening. Lin Feng was already walking back in the direction we came from and there was nothing else I could do but follow him. I had withdrawn my spirit wolves before coming back into this space, knowing that they could be of no use except only to serve as a distraction.


    We barely walked for a few meters when I noticed Lin Feng¡¯s footfalls stopping and he called, ¡°Come here, Shiyan! Look!¡± I backtracked to him and saw a little red glow on the ground, still burning blazingly in the dark. I stooped down and saw it was the cigarette stub I had just tossed away.


    We looked at each other and Lin Feng¡¯s was a convoluted look of befuddlement. But I chuckled, for the first time with a glimmer of hope. ¡°I see. So this dimension is not without vector. Much of the confusion is caused by the darkness. I daresay I have given Cao Xuedong too much credit.¡±


    The discovery of my cigarette stub behind us was proof enough that the dark void we entered did not confuse one¡¯s direction. Whether this was a pocket dimension or not, this was only a space filled with complete darkness and not a completely empty one.


    Lin Feng mulled on what I said, but he failed to figure out what I just said. ¡°So, should we go on?¡± he asked and I nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go. At least we can be sure now that this dimension is not boundless. By the discovery of this cigarette butt after backtracking, I am now sure that this place is big, but we¡¯ll reach the end eventually. Let¡¯s go on for now.¡± Lin Feng nodded as if he understood me and he heaved up Chongxi and walked on.


    Before long, a door¡ªone that looked identical to the one we saw just now, with two glowing lamps perched on either side¡ªloomed before us. Even the flickers of the luminescence radiating from inside looked the same from before. Lin Feng threw a look at me and I returned an approving nod and I went forth to twist the knob and opened the door.


    A blast of cold wind whistled through the door as it opened and we found ourselves outside once again. ¡°Oh, dear! So here we are all over again!¡± Lin Feng grumbled. But I however had made our single most shocking discovery. ¡°No, wait! Lin Feng, check your time!¡± Lin Feng immediately rummaged in his pocket and took out his phone. Lo and behold, he drew a long breath incredulously, unable to believe what he had just seen. The time on our cell phones was still showing half past midnight!


    My eyes narrowed as I raked my mind for ideas even though I could not quite make out what was happening. I thought the time was still passing like normal and I did not notice anything wrong when I checked the time earlier. Although it was not quite so; no matter how long time passed inside, it would be reset back to half-past midnight when we came back out.


    When did the time turn back? Was it when we walked out the door? It could be. That would explain how we had to knock on the door again to replay the loop.


    With my ruminations still ongoing, I walked to the door and knocked again. Three times. Nothing. Another three times and the door opened, just like before and there was Cao Xuedong all over again. I kept the conversation to the same, only this time, Lin Feng did not say a word. He merely looked on quietly. We waited until Cao Xuedong disappeared into the darkness of the house and he asked, ¡°Why are you keeping to the same script, Shiyan? Maybe you can try changing it. Something different might yield¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I cut him off, shaking my head and said, ¡°The contents of what we¡¯re saying won¡¯t matter much. The conclusion would be the same even if I try to say something else. We would still be walking into whatever dimension that now constitutes the inside of the villa.¡± ¡°I see. So what if we refuse to go in?¡±


    It was something I had not thought of. I was stunned for a moment. Indeed, the thought had not occurred to me in the slightest. My gaze wandered to Lin Feng. Whatever enchantment or spell is this, the infinite time loop has kept us trapped; not only physically, but mentally too! What if we turn now? I wondered. What would happen? Would the spell be broken just like that?


    I signaled a nod at Lin Feng and I walked out of the compound of Unit 104, heading across the road to Unit 105. But as soon as I stepped on the tarmac, I felt a strange sensation, stirring and yet inexplicable, running down me for an instant and it was until I stepped onto the strip of green verge in front of Unit 105 only I realized why.


    The gates of the villa in front of me was ajar, I noticed. But instead of seeing Unit 105, the number on the plaque at the gate was showing ¡°104¡±! So that was the indescribable feeling! Unit 105 and Unit 104 were facing each other with the road in between, the former on the east and the latter on the west. So instead of walking towards east back to Unit 105, I had been walking westbound and back to Unit 104!


    Gods in Heaven, I grimaced, The enchantment of this infinite bounded field is no simple feat! Whoever is behind this, how did they pull off a trick like this!?


    I looked at Lin Feng. His forehead was peppered with cold beads of perspiration. He craned his back and groaned. ¡°D*mmit! Can¡¯t we even walk out of this compound!¡± I took out my cell and peered at the time. Thirty-five past midnight. Five minutes had passed. Somehow, unlike the dimension inside the house, any movements here would not alter the time. Still, the problem remained: no matter what we do, we cannot extricate ourselves from this infinite loop.


    The door of Unit 104 was left open since Cao Xuedong had walked in and inside was an unknown pocket dimension that looked eerily similar to a black hole; a deep black pit that seemed to swallow any light. ¡°So, go in now?¡± Lin Feng croaked. Pausing a beat to think, I replied, ¡°In.¡±

 Chapter 253 - Qimen Dunjia

    For the third time, we plunged into the darkness and Lin Feng¡¯s voice came, asking how should we go. I stood there, unmoving and thinking, until I finally decided. ¡°Whatever direction would hardly matter now. We can take any direction and the result will be just the same.¡± And before I waited for any response, I began walking aimlessly.


    Before long, we saw once again the door lighted by two lanterns again, exactly the same as before.


    But this time, I took out my cell. The time was three in the morning. We have been walking in the dark for more than two hours.


    With a deep breath, I pushed the door and it swung open, revealing the same scene outside: the cold air, the dim street lamp and the creepy and quiet road outside. But I did not stow away my cell. In fact, I had been paying attention to the time when I walked through the door. Indeed! Just when we were outside, the door swung on its hinges on its own quietly and the time showing on my cell phone began to dial backward quickly! By the time the door fully clicked shut, the time on my phone had returned to half-past midnight again.


    This must be it, the crux of whatever this is we¡¯re stuck in. The moment when we passed through the door! If there was one thing I finally became certain of, it was that everything around us was a facade! An illusory facade meant to keep us lulled and distracted! Because no one, not even demigods, could alter time! Even Father, for all his might and omnipotence, could only travel through time but not manipulate the flow of Time of the real world! This would be against the fundamental laws of nature. Hence, I became absolutely certain, that we were not in the real world, where the manipulation of real time is impossible. We were now inside an artificial pocket dimension where its time-flow could be controlled!


    The look on my face gave Lin Feng the impression that I have noticed something. ¡°Have you realized something, Shiyan?¡± he asked anxiously.


    I tried explaining to him what I found, although he could not fully understand me. ¡°What do you mean by controlling time-flow and passing through time?¡± ¡°The former refers to the manipulation of actual time itself. The time of the real world around us. Passing through time would be simpler. It¡¯s like how Master Six can pass through time freely. Both are essentially different; the latter is just a matter of bewitching a person or an object. But controlling time flow is the manipulation of the actual time around us. The actual time of the world! Do you think anyone is capable of this? No one!¡±


    ¡°I see!¡± Lin Feng finally got it, slapping his forehead in dawning comprehension. ¡°So, the villa and everything around us is part of an artificial construct?¡± ¡°Seems like it. We were wrong in thinking that we have walked out of the house when, in truth, we had not walked out at all ever since we first walked through the front door. We exited the real world and entered this artificial pocket dimension after knocking and walking through Unit 104¡¯s front door and we¡¯re still trapped inside now.¡±


    Lin Feng threw a look at the door which just clicked shut. ¡°Wait, now that you¡¯ve mentioned it¡­¡± He went up to the door and banged on it.


    Just the same as before, Cao Xuedong appeared on the second time Lin Feng banged on the door. Ignoring him outright, Lin Feng growled, ¡°Cut the crap. Lead us in now.¡± Cao Xuedong was visibly confused. But he offered no protest. He turned and said, ¡°Come on in then.¡± After that, he disappeared once more.


    But Lin Feng did not walk inside. He thrust a finger at the door suddenly. ¡°Wait, Shiyan! The door opens to the inside. Was it the same just now?¡± I froze and felt goosebumps all over me! He¡¯s right! The door opened outward when we came out just now! But whenever we entered the house, Cao Xuedong would pull it inward!


    I rubbed my chin, mumbling ponderously, ¡°So the door is the conduit to two different spaces. The pocket dimension inside and the real world outside. Or, they are different doors, although they look the same.¡± Lin Feng leaned on the doorframe, resting while he allowed me to think.


    Wait. So everything changes whenever we pass through the door¡­ The door¡­


    Then it came to me. Door¡­ If there is something in Chinese topographical magecraft that involves door, that could only be it¡­ Bamen Dunjia!


    Bamen Dunjia, a name that is not unfamiliar to Chinese fiction that dabbles in sorcery and magic, was one of the many disciplines of learning of the Qimen Dunjia. As its name suggests, the magical bounded field creates a separate dimension that has eight entries or gates: Xiu (the Gate of Repose), Shang (the Gate of Pain), Sheng (the Gate of Fortune), Du (the Gate of Obscurity), Jing (the Gate of Mirth), Si (the Gate of Death), Jing (the Gate of Apprehension), and Kai (the Gate of Heraldry).


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of the Stone Sentinel Maze, Lin Feng,¡± I muttered and my companion scratched his head, wearing a bewildered look. ¡°That Stone Sentinel Maze from the Three Kingdoms era?¡± ¡°Yep, the very same which was thought up by the famous Zhuge Liang himself. I¡¯m now quite sure that we¡¯re are in something similar.¡±


    ¡°Huh?! What the hell?!¡± Lin Feng yelped. ¡°The Bamen Dunjia. It is a topological enchantment that manipulates the metaphysics of the ground we stand on, similar to Zhu Mei¡¯s Windchaser technique. But the Bamen Dunjia is fixed while Zhu Mei¡¯s Windchaser can be handled and maneuvered freely. Users of the Bamen Dunjia will be able to enchant a certain area to completely jumble up the metaphysical properties of the area, including the flow of time within that domain, severing the pocket dimension from the real world. Every gate or entry of the Bamen Dunjia is a dimension of its own that is why we have been trapped in an endless loop! Father once told me that there is no escaping this enchantment once we¡¯ve entered it, save by the will of the caster of this spell. We will be trapped here, going from door to door and not finding the right one. As of now, I daresay that we¡¯ve only passed through one real door. The entry that led us into this enchanted domain. The Gate of Heraldry.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God¡­¡± Lin Feng gasped, ¡°That would mean the size of these pocket dimensions are vast and immense?!¡± ¡°Not really. The natural laws of this domain we¡¯re standing in is now effectively ordered in a way that we are hoodwinked into thinking so. For all we know, it could be the very same pocket dimension we¡¯ve been walking into after passing every door. That would mean that we have not even left the house. We could be just walking in tiny circles just inside the entrance of the house!¡±


    ¡°But surely there¡¯s an exit among all eight gates of the Bamen Dunjia? How else did we come in just now?¡± ¡°Among the eight entries of the Bamen Dunjia, the Gate of Fortune is usually the exit while the Gate of Heraldry is oft-times the entrance into the enchanted pocket dimension of the Bamen Dunjia. No doubt Cao Xuedong will try to prevent us from finding the exit and that is why we have the darkness here. It is to prevent us from discerning our directions, forcing us to wander around aimlessly like blind mice and enter any door that we come upon. We will never find the Gate of Fortune this way. More so, since I am not particularly competent in the magic of metaphysics and cosmology, otherwise I would have long realized what we have got ourselves into!¡±


    Looking completely distraught, Lin Feng complained, ¡°What can we do now? Surely you don¡¯t mean to say that we¡¯re trapped here for good! There must be ways to escape.¡± ¡°There are. But it¡¯s very difficult. Impossible even.¡± ¡°What way?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy,¡± but I quickly sighed and said, ¡°We have to look for the weakness of this magical domain. The chink of the enchantment that holds this bounded field together. Destroy it, and we¡¯ll be able to get out.¡± Lin Feng slapped his thigh and said, ¡°Then what are we waiting for?! Let¡¯s find it!¡±


    I chuckled weakly. ¡°It¡¯s never that easy. If I¡¯m right, Cao Xuedong himself is the weakness of this enchanted domain. He has as good as exemplified this point from the very moment we stepped into the house and after leading us in, he quickly disappeared. The vector that my wolves have been leading us showed that wherever he is now, he had escaped via a door just opposite just now. But that door is not the Gate of Fortune. That is not the way out. This shows that he is the weakness of this enchanted domain, the center core of this magical bounded field, for only he is able to travel freely here.¡±


    Lin Feng scratched his hair. ¡°But what about defeating him when we meet him? He shows himself every time we knock on the door.¡± ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the real Cao Xuedong. Just an illusion or a doppelganger. The first time was the only time we encountered the real Cao Xuedong and he could now be watching us from the shadows, hidden away elsewhere.¡±


    And my explanations seemed to effectively puncture what hopes Lin Feng had for escaping.


    ¡°Then what can we do?! Are we to be trapped here for eternity?!¡± He grumbled grumpily and sat down on the steps below the door. But I knew not what to say. I could find no ideas myself.


    My hand absentmindedly reached for my cell phone. Bamen Dunjia, I brooded quietly, A dangerous and formidable enchantment. In fact, this could be the truest demonstration of the strength of this enchantment since the Three Kingdoms, one that dwarfed even Zhuge Liang¡¯s rendition. Everything is trapped inside here: directions, vectors, and even Time. Not even our voices would reach outside to the real world.


    Just then, my phone vibrated and rang. I looked at the screen. It was a spam message. A loan services advertisement. With a despondent sigh, I tapped on the ¡°Delete Message¡± button.


    Then it came to me. Wait a minute. This domain ensnares people, confounds directions, and alters the time. But not cell phone signals!

 Chapter 254 - The Weak Spot

    With that newfound discovery, I quickly unlocked my phone and looked for Father¡¯s phone number and tapped on it!


    Father sounded as if he was sleeping when he answered after the dial tone with unmistakable lethargy in his voice. ¡°What time is it now, Father?¡± I asked first. A beat of silence ensued as Father checked his watch before he breathed into the mouthpiece. ¡°One in the morning. What is it?¡±


    I quickly gave him a concise version of what was happening. Father remarked in a drowsy voice, ¡°The Stone Sentinel Maze¡­ That¡¯s easy. Just look for the weakness. Find it and destroy it.¡± ¡°I know! But I can¡¯t find it!¡± ¡°Huh?! Then what good is your Spirit Sight for?!¡± Father scoffed impatiently from the other end, although his voice softened just as easily, ¡°Use the Spirit Sight and look east.¡± ¡°But the directions in this enchanted space are all jumbled up. How am I supposed to know where¡¯s East?¡± ¡°Up is North, Down is South, Left is West, and Right is East. Just follow your present course. Disregard the enchantment.¡±


    With my Spirit Sight on, I looked to my east just, as per Father¡¯s instructions.


    Immediately I saw tendrils of malicious aura swirling to and fro at the direction I was looking at despite the darkness. There he is, I thought quietly, feeling my heart beginning to race. Behind me, Lin Feng adjusted his hold of the still-sleeping Chongxi and squeaked a whisper, ¡°See anything there?¡± But I made no reply. Instead, I spoke into my cell phone which I was still holding close to my ear, ¡°What now?¡± Only there was silence. I lowered my cell phone and looked. Father had ended the call! Caught between tears and laughter, I scoffed. What a father I have! Is he not even worried about me?!


    With only myself to shrug helplessly to, I scowled quietly while looking at where the malicious aura was concentrating at and I saw a humanoid shape crouching in the midst of the darkness, shrouded by the thick evil aura. I have found him! Cao Xuedong, the weak spot of this enchantment!


    I tugged at Lin Feng¡¯s arm and pointed at Cao Xuedong¡¯s direction quietly. ¡°So, we go here this time?¡± he asked and I merely nodded and we began moving together.


    Several minutes passed and we got closer to the mass of malicious aura. Strands of it encircled us like a strong fog that would have also blinded us if not for the dark, spreading far and wide in all directions. In the center, where the aura was coming from like a natural spring, was the origin which could only be Cao Xuedong!


    We were very close and there he was, running off in another direction to evade us! By the time we reached the spot where he was first hiding at, the nimbus of malicious aura had moved with Cao Xuedong and was now five to six meters away from us.


    Lin Feng stopped when he saw me halted. Before he could ask me the reason for stopping, he saw me weaving hand seals behind my back. Having grown up with me, he immediately knew what I was doing and he could see that I have noticed something. I spun slowly and gave him a knowing look which he confirmed and quietly slipped his hands under his shirt where the pouch for his throwing darts was.


    A ball of flame burst into life on my opened palm just as the order of hand seals ended with the Seal of the Sword. The mass of evil aura shuddered as if in fear when he saw the Fire Charm I conjured, although he made no other movement, deciding only to quietly observe me. He must be unaware that we have found him.


    In contrast, I was edgy and anxious to put a stop to all this. I threw the ball of flame at the mass of evil aura that was Cao Xuedong like how I would with a baseball and it streaked through the black space like a bullet. With a loud bang, it smacked right on him and engulfed him in flames and the black space was quickly illuminated by the hungry flames roaring to life, licking away the darkness around. Through the flickering luminescence, we could make out a human figure trying desperately to bat away the flames. I¡¯m right, the mass of evil aura really is the weak spot, Cao Xuedong!


    Just then, something flew right past my shoulders! Seeing his target lit up by the flames, Lin Feng had hurled his throwing darts! Three steel blade whistled dangerously towards the fire and the three successive thuds of steel crunching into flesh told us that they have found their mark which was further confirmed by a scream of pain. Through my Spirit Sight, the glob of malicious aura that was Cao Xuedong began running for his life and the flames still trying to ravage at his clothes subsided a little as he drew further into the dark smog. But that also showed one thing: whatever enchantment was this that was causing the darkness around us, it was far from absolute. The dark fog around us could still be penetrated with any strong source of light and the flames burning at Cao Xuedong still flooded enough to tell us where was he escaping to.


    ¡°Stand right there, you lowlife!¡± Lin Feng hissed and he chased after the fiery glow that was slowly turning into a dot in the unseen darkness. He had forgotten that the metaphysics of this pocket dimension has been altered; he would never reach Cao Xuedong in time. And indeed, Lin Feng had barely sped ahead for three meters when Cao Xuedong was but a mere speck of glow far away. Lin Feng let go of Chongxi and the latter dropped to the ground with a thud.


    The still-unconscious Chongxi did not wake up. Instead, he rolled on the floor with a loud snore. But just as he spun like a log, his hand knocked on the floor and he mumbled a sleepy ¡°Where you¡¯re going¡­¡± and suddenly, we saw Cao Xuedong still struggling against the fire running towards us!


    It was a moment that left us all¡ªMe, Lin Feng, and even the fire-engulfed Cao Xuedong¡ªdumbfounded. He stared at us for a split-second, bewildered and stunned, before Lin Feng reacted first with his lightning-quick reflexes by leaping into the air. With his Twin Kicks technique, he landed a kick so hard on Cao Xuedong¡¯s face that a crack that echoed like a thunderclap through the darkness. Carrying too much momentum in his run, Cao Xuedong could not evade in time and Lin Feng¡¯s square blow on his face elicited an anguished cry before he dropped to the ground, unconscious.


    We inspected the fainted man. He looked absolutely hideous with terrible, still-raw wounds covering many parts of his body. I muttered the incantations to stop the Fire Charm. Anymore and the man would be barbecued meat instead of having a grotesquely-misshapen face. Then we found Lin Feng¡¯s darts. Two of them had struck his shoulders and one was lodged in his shoulder blades. Then I looked at Lin Feng, who was still wearing an incredulous look. ¡°What happened just now?¡±


    I bit my lips, my gaze slowly traveling to the still-snoring Chongxi. ¡°What should we call him? Genius or fool? If I¡¯m not mistaken, that was Zhu Mei¡¯s Windchaser technique. Somehow, this buffoon had inadvertently used such a powerful spell in his sleep!¡± ¡°Huh?! The Windchaser?! Just now?! Since when did he learn such a powerful technique?¡±


    ¡°Remember the first time we met Zhu Mei? He did mention some key points about the Windchaser technique. The last time I visited him during the New Year, he had told me more about the gist of it. But let us not forget that compared to me, Chongxi has a greater aptitude in the understanding of the cosmological and metaphysical bearings and vectors. He might have already understood much of it when Zhu Mei first explained his magic although his slow-wittedness is the reason he has yet to fully master the technique. Somehow he must have subconsciously learned it sometime later and he accidentally used it just now.¡±


    Lin Feng stared at his sleeping friend with disbelief. Even I too could not quite believe what happened just now myself. Chongxi? The Windchaser technique?! It was simply unbelievable, although I had to confess my wonder and admiration for him.


    We stood up. It was still dark around us. Had we failed to stop the enchantment? Lin Feng threw me a look that said exactly that. But I chuckled. I took out my Spirit Gourd. With Cao Xuedong physically in front of us, I could now strip him of the evil aura shrouding him and his soul easily.


    Just when Cao Xuedong¡¯s soul and his evil aura were all sucked into my Spirit Gourd, the rest of the infernal ambiance of darkness around us immediately disappeared; all having withdrawn into my Gourd. I stoppered it and explained, ¡°To stop the enchantment we have to destroy the weak spot of this enchantment. That would mean killing him, since in this case, Cao Xuedong himself is the weak spot, the core of this magical bounded field. So technically, he has to die.¡± I pointed to the door that appeared behind Lin Feng.


    By ¡°dying technically¡±, it simply meant that a person¡¯s soul had to depart from his physical body, which could be easily done by withdrawing Cao Xuedong¡¯s soul into my Gourd and with the enchantment broken, the house was back to normal. We found ourselves alone in the wide, empty space that was the ground-floor level sitting area of Unit 104, a bare area completely devoid of any furnishing. Behind me was a flight of stairs that led upstairs and at Lin Feng¡¯s back was a door. A door with two lanterns flanking it, both glowing sluggishly dim.

 Chapter 255 - Spy?

    I wrenched my cell phone and checked the time. It was only twenty minutes past one in the morning. Barely an hour had passed since we came over from Unit 105 opposite.


    Lin Feng was enraged to see the door with two lamps beside, having seen it one too many times when we were trapped in the pocket dimension of the Bamen Dunjia just now. He lifted his foot and stomped hard, only this time, the actual door adamantly refused to yield. With a furrowed eyebrow of mild interest, I walked to the door and twisted the knob. The door creaked open obediently and a chilly gust of night wind hit me face first, indicating my confirmation.


    I whirled around and smiled at Lin Feng, indicating it was time we went back. ¡°You¡¯re sure we¡¯re out now? It¡¯s real now?¡± He croaked, gulping a mouthful of saliva. The experience of being trapped inside the magical domain of the Bamen Dunjia had clearly unsettled him. I chuckled and marched out the door, lifting my cell phone for him to see the time. He kept his eyes peeling on my cell as I walked out and finally, when he saw that the time was moving normally, he exhaled with relief and he came out with a still-sleeping Chongxi who looked as if he was dreaming of food.


    We walked across the road and went back to my Unit 105 where Lin Feng immediately tossed Chongxi unto the sofa once inside. ¡°What a night,¡± he grimaced and said, ¡°That¡¯s what you call a really long night!¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± I giggled and said, ¡°Look at me, I¡¯m all drenched with sweat myself.¡± We both guffawed. We did not have a harrowing experience, but it was a close call nonetheless. We could still be chasing Cao Xuedong in the darkness if not for Chongxi¡¯s unwitting use of the Windchaser technique.


    That reminded me of Cao Xuedong. I took out my Gourd and released his soul. Cao Xuedong¡¯s ghost immediately broke for it as soon as he came out. He might have forgotten that he was no longer in his Bamen Dunjia domain. Moreover, having drawn into my Spirit Gourd, his ghost is now under its control; he would never be able to escape unless I set him free. After a good many futile attempts to flee, much to the amusement of Lin Feng and I who were watching from our comfortable seats on the couch, Cao Xuedong¡¯s ghost finally gave up. Finally, when he stopped, I said to him, ¡°Speak up. What are your purposes?¡±


    ¡°Nothing! I¡¯ll never tell you anything!¡± Cao Xuedong¡¯s ghost spat. Lin Feng, who could not see ghosts, asked, ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He¡¯s saying that he¡¯ll say nothing.¡± ¡°Then tell him: Spit out the truth or stay forever inside the Gourd. Let him have a taste of his own poison!¡±


    I cackled at Lin Feng¡¯s suggestion and relayed the message to Cao Xuedong. Still, he remained tight-lipped, refusing to divulge anything.


    Nevertheless, I could still guess a thing or two. ¡°If I¡¯m right, you and Huang Li are descendants of Tribe Nine Li, are you not?¡± But an incredulous Cao Xuedong shook his head at me.


    Huh?! They are not the living heirs to Tribe Nine Li? Cao Xuedong¡¯s ghost would never be able to lie. That, at least, I was sure of. The thoughts that people kept in their minds were, in truth, the voice of their very own soul. Now, with his soul stripped from his physical body, there was no way a ghost could lie to me. Cao Xuedong was telling the truth, I realized, and he knew nothing about the ancient tribe from prehistoric China. He was only a pawn in the whole gambit with hardly any knowledge of the bigger picture.


    With a dead-end on that avenue, I could only ask Cao Xuedong other things. ¡°What is your true purpose here today?¡± Cao Xuedong kept silent. He¡¯s not a complete fool, I¡¯d give him that, I thought quietly, He knows that ghosts can only tell the truth whenever they speak. But I was also hardly a novice in interrogating ghosts. ¡°Was it Huang Li who wanted you to catch me?¡±


    Cao Xuedong stared at me with disbelief and gasped. ¡°How did you know?¡± Then he swallowed hard, surprised at what he had said. He must have not realized before that ghost could not hide any inner thoughts; anything they thought of would be uttered out verbally. Wearing a wry and amused smile, I smirked at Cao Xuedong. ¡°Heh heh heh. I daresay your reaction answers enough for me.¡± With another incantation, an unnatural gust of wind blew and whisked Cao Xuedong¡¯s ghost off, withdrawing him back into the Gourd.


    ¡°So?¡± Lin Feng asked anxiously, ¡°What have you discovered?¡± ¡°Cao Xuedong is only a pawn,¡± I revealed, kneading my chin and said, ¡°Huang Li is behind all this. And she reminds me of the woman who stabbed me.¡± ¡°You think that¡¯s Huang Li?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but you might notice that the artificial prosthesis that Big Sister had cut down from the woman was her right hand. Huang Li was using her left hand when we shook hands yesterday. So I did not have a chance to take a good look. It¡¯s probable at best; we don¡¯t have any credible proof that indicates that woman that night was Huang Li. Moreover, I don¡¯t think Huang Li has such good skills in fighting. She could have easily murdered me with such formidable combat abilities.¡±


    Shrugging helplessly, Lin Feng rose up and heaved a long and heavy breath. Then he froze, his gaze transfixed to something behind me. I turned around and saw Lu Shengnan dressed in nothing but a shirt of mine, gaping bewilderedly at us from the stairs.


    She looked as if she had just taken a bath upstairs and was coming down. Although we did not know for how long she had been there and how much she had heard. Perplexed and speechless, Lin Feng was rooted to the spot and Lu Shengnan, too, was the same.


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± Lin Feng¡¯s voice was suddenly near my ear, whispering hushedly, ¡°We were drunk last night and so was she. But it took us more than six hours in the magical dimension before we finally become sober. How can she be up after not even three?! It was she who brought us to the pub and we fell for the trap only because we were tipsy. Do you think she¡¯s a spy?¡± Feeling an involuntary shudder, my gaze slowly moved with Lin Feng¡¯s up the stairs and rested on Lu Shengnan, who was embarrassed to be stared at. ¡°Wh-what are you two¡­¡±


    In a split-second, Lin Feng and I exchanged an imperceptible nod and we pounced, springing up the couch and darting up the stairs. We restrained each of Lu Shengnan¡¯s arm and lifted her and tossed her to the couch where I kept her pinned down. Lin Feng removed the sharp ends of his whip and used it to tie her hands behind her back.


    ¡°WHAT IS THIS!? LET ME GO!¡± Lu Shengnan struggled, screaming loudly. As she writhed and flailed, the thin, white sheet of my shirt failed to hide the lovely curves of her body that made me swallowed hard¡­


    Maybe I should focus on the task at hand¡­


    ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SHIYAN?! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS! LET ME GO!¡± A confused Lu Shengnan howled and contorted wildly like a trapped beast. But I ignored her; we could take no chances now. I muttered a litany of incantations, releasing all my spirit minions. Within seconds, all my spirit wolves, spirit eagle, and Forest Sprite appeared from thin air. They huddled around the couch, glowering menacingly at the defenseless Lu Shengnan who began whimpering with fear.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been like a brother to me, Shengnan,¡± I said to her, ¡°Please answer my questions truthfully. Or else¡­¡± The wolves let out a snarling growl as if on cue, attesting to my demand with tremendous effect. ¡°All right, all right!¡± Lu Shengnan squeaked, her head bobbing profusely. ¡°Ask away! I¡¯ll tell you everything you want to know!¡±


    ¡°Was this a ploy between you and Huang Li to abduct me?¡± ¡°Huang Li wants to abduct you?!¡± she stammered incredulously. That made Lin Feng and I shared a quick look before I asked another question, ¡°Was bringing us to the bar part of your and Huang Li¡¯s plan to dull our senses?¡±


    ¡°NONSENSE!¡± Lu Shengnan burst into a fit of rage suddenly. But that elicited angry snarls from my wolves with their furs standing on ends and that did just the job to pacify and silence Lu Shengnan. The Forest Sprite swung its claws over her head intimidatingly and bend itself down, its hideous face drew threateningly closer to Lu Shengnan¡¯s ear.


    Lu Shengnan swallowed hard. The rest of what she wanted to scream seemed lost in her throat. With a soft voice teetering on the edge of another scream, she said, ¡°No. I only wanted you to buy us a drink. I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Is she speaking the truth?¡± Lin Feng whispered. ¡°How can I tell?¡± ¡°Maybe we just need to see if she could be a member of Tribe Nine Li?¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°We read about it at Yellow Soil Ridge. The members of Tribe Nine Li are said to have nine toes¡­¡±


    And our gazes immediately shot to Lu Shengnan¡¯s feet now wearing a pair of fluffy slippers.

 Chapter 256 - The Misunderstanding

    Lu Shengnan did not understand what we were up to. The looks on our faces must have left her thinking that we were intending something untoward and she looked absolutely afraid. She was, after all, a girl and she had just come out of the bathroom, wearing only a thin white shirt aside from the bra visible inside. She must be thinking that we were up to something no good. In fact, anyone would. Two men pouncing on you and tied you up and then stripping off your shoes. What else would one think?


    ¡°Damn you, Murong Shiyan! You scoundrel! What do you want!?¡± Lu Shengnan screamed at the top of her voice. Ignoring her cries and howls, Lin Feng and I each held a leg and plucked off the slippers she was wearing. But we were both dumbfounded. The toes on her slender legs were normal; ten of them and each looking ordinary as ever.


    Shaking at our manhandling of her, Lu Shengnan continued howling her protests as Lin Feng and I shared a look. ¡°You¡¯re sure about that legend?¡± I scowled. ¡°How am I to know if it¡¯s true?¡± ¡°Have you ever seen anyone with nine toes?¡± Lin Feng answered again, ¡°Nope, except for people who are injured or maimed.¡±


    The edge of my lips twitched irritably and we let go of Lu Shengnan. She was drinking with us together and she seems utterly unaware of what happened, I reflected. Is she really innocent? But if she really was part of this plot, she wouldn¡¯t be drunk herself. Moreover, she should also be attacking us when we were caught in the pocket dimension of the Bamen Dunjia earlier if she was indeed a co-conspirator of Huang Li¡¯s.


    Lu Shengnan got up, staring at us with an expression of terror and fright, all the while never stopped at pelting us with curses and admonishments for what we did as she curled into the sofa. ¡°All right, everything is fine now,¡± I sighed and muttered. Lin Feng went to her and undid the cords that bound her and sank into the single-seater just opposite her, finally heaving breaths of relief.


    My Spirit Wolves stopped their snarlings too when they sensed me calming down and they huddled around me, sitting down on their haunches demurely like obedient dogs. The Forest Sprite, still perched on the top of the sofa, stared dubiously at Lu Shengnan before looking at me. ¡°Urm¡­ Master¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine now, Freaky. Thanks. You can come on down now,¡± I muttered to him, smiling weakly. With a wordless assent, he hopped down too.


    Lu Shengnan was however astounded by our earlier roughness and now my Spirit Wolves and Forest Sprites turning docile, at a total loss for words as Lin Feng and I both set alight our cigarettes. Then I took out one and offered it to Lu Shengnan, who finally recovered from her stupor and glowered angrily at me, ¡°What was all that for?!¡±


    ¡°Well, about that¡­ It¡¯s just a misunderstanding,¡± I answered sheepishly, ¡°We thought you could be a cohort of Huang Li¡¯s, see? But after thinking more deeply, you shouldn¡¯t be. Relax, we¡¯re not thinking of doing anything nasty to you. We¡¯re the men having a girlfriend. Come on.¡± Lu Shengnan pouted her lips irately, still clearly miffed. ¡°What about Huang Li? Why was she trying to catch you?¡± she asked. I took a swig off my cigarette before replying, ¡°Surely you¡¯ve noticed her calm and composed demeanor when we met earlier today? Do you really believe her word that her house was haunted and she needs my help? She only wants to lay a trap for me.¡±


    Lu Shengnan beheld me with a disbelieving look, although her expression softened when she recalled Huang Li¡¯s odd and smug disposition when we met, which was just as I described. ¡°But why? What does she want you for? You two don¡¯t have a vendetta so bad, as I recall?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong there. If my guess is correct. She does have a strong vendetta against me. One which could only be destined by Fate.¡± ¡°AH?!¡± Lu Shengnan yelped with incredulity which made me chuckle. ¡°There are something which you should not know, Shengnan,¡± I expounded gently. ¡°But since you¡¯re knee-deep in this too, I might tell you as well.¡± Lin Feng and I traded a quick look. ¡°Remember the time when I told you about how I got my name? That I was named after my sword?¡± Lu Shengnan bobbed her head. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not actually a human in the truest sense. I¡¯m a Spirit. The Spirit of the Shiyan Blade, the legendary relic weapon that belonged to the ancient Yan Di of the South.¡±


    Lu Shengnan¡¯s mouth was hanging so large that she could not say anything. Obviously, this was just unbelievable to any ordinary person. One might even dismiss what I just said as a stupid joke. But coming from me, Lu Shengnan could only believe it to be true.


    ¡°By my deductions, Huang Li could be my nemesis who is the descendant of Tribe Nine Li,¡± I explained further, ¡°In theory, I am the true heir to Tribe Shennong that issued from Yan Di and Huang Li, if I¡¯m right, should be the last daughter of Tribe Nine Li, the tribe of Chiyou, the enemy of Yan Di and Huang Di in prehistoric China. That would make us sworn enemies. There is a strong possibility that Huang Li was the one who attacked me when we were at Shanggu Town.¡± I crushed my cigarette stub in the ashtray and took a breath before I went on. ¡°As to why she wants to abduct me, I can only surmise it has something to do with the dragon leys of this country, based on the premise that whoever controls the Shiyan Blade possesses the power to awaken the dragon leys to build an everlasting empire. With me, the Spirit of the Sword, now separated from the Shiyan Blade itself, Huang Li and her confederates must believe that by controlling me, they achieve at least a 50-50 chance of achieving that motive. We misunderstood you earlier as a cohort of Huang Li¡¯s because you took us for a drink this evening and all of us ended up drunk. And because of that, we nearly got into trouble just now. It seems like a minute possibility that this is a mere coincidence, so we had to check.¡±


    It took more than mere seconds until Lu Shengnan finally digested what I said and closed her wide-opened mouth. She stared at me for another few seconds, as if in a trance, before she finally spoke. ¡°Well, I would have thought that you have been reading too many fantasy novels, if not for your wolves and that whatever-is-that hideous thing just now¡­¡± Freaky Spirit scowled at her, baring his fangs wickedly at her for her overtly-truthful remark about its appearance. It would never hurt Lu Shengnan without my permission and it was only trying to scare her. But the Forest Sprite¡¯s grotesque looks was enough to elicit a scream from Lu Shengnan who howled and covered her eyes with fright.


    ¡°All right, Freaky, that¡¯s enough now. Time to go back.¡± I chuckled, patting his head. I unstoppered my Spirit Gourd and the Forest Sprite, who shot at Lu Shengnan an ugly look before he disappeared, snorted and disappeared, returning back to my gourd with a shrill whistle. With the Forest Sprite now no longer around her, Lu Shengnan finally sighed easily.


    Then I remembered something else. ¡°Ah, were you not drunk just now? How did you get up so early?¡± Lu Shengnan¡¯s face blazed a bright pink at my question and she began mumbling incomprehensibly, lost for words. Lin Feng¡¯s hand quietly reached for his pouch and the Spirit Wolves, sensing me tensed, blinked their eyes opened and stood up, regarding Lu Shengnan warily with the furs on their arched back standing.


    The unfriendly stares from my Spirit Wolves and Lin Feng made her shuddered and trembled with trepidation and she quickly squeaked, ¡°I, I, I was pretending¡­¡± ¡°Huh?! So you were not drinking much just now? You¡¯re only pretending to be drunk?!¡± Lu Shengnan nodded her head timidly and I growled, ¡°What do you mean?! Why pretend?! To lull me into telling you secrets?! Are you Huang Li¡¯s cohort, speak up!¡±


    Lu Shengnan gave a mortified look at Lin Feng and her head sank, saying nothing. Lin Feng noticed and realized that whatever her reasons were, she could not divulge freely with him present. He stood up and feigned a stretch. ¡°Whew¡­ that bout just now had me bathing in sweat. I¡¯d better take a bath first. Just carry on without me.¡± And he quickly slipped upstairs, carrying a straddling Chongxi up with him.


    ¡°So¡­¡± I turned my attention back to Lu Shengnan. ¡°Now, can you tell me why?¡± ¡°That¡­ Urm¡­¡± Lu Shengnan stuttered shyly, her face now getting redder and redder by the second, ¡°I was pretending to be drunk¡­ But I was not pretending when I told you the things I said just now¡­¡±


    I froze, my mind whirling back to what Lu Shengnan said to me. Wait a minute, she was making a confession just now! Oh, my God! She was pretending to be drunk so that she could confess her feelings! I felt my temperature rising and my cheeks flushing with blood. I hastily averted my gaze and stammered, ¡°Urm¡­ Er¡­ That¡­ I¡¯ll just pretend that you said nothing just now and you pretend that I have heard nothing, OK?¡± Lu Shengnan nodded bashfully, her face now completely a scarlet shade.


    Just when I was thinking of ways to extricate myself from the awkward and embarrassing atmosphere, a sudden rumble came from upstairs and amid the bedlam, we heard Lin Feng screaming, ¡°Goddammit! You again?!¡± Shocked, Lu Shengnan and I sprang to our feet almost in unison. The six Spirit Wolves, sensing the spike in my emotions, got up too at once and bounded up the stairs rapidly.


    We pranced up the stairs, taking them in twos and threes and when we got up, we saw Lin Feng with a hand in his pouch and another gripping my other sword; the ordinary one that I had hung on a wall. Chongxi was sprawled in a corner, still snoring peacefully. Before Lin Feng was a stranger cloaked in a dark hood. And from her figure, I immediately recognized her, the same woman in black who attacked me at the hotel in Shanggu! A window behind her was opened; clearly the point of egress which she entered the house stealthily.


    The first thing my Spirit Wolves did when they reached upstairs was to surround the woman. They snarled menacingly at her, their canine teeth bared and fur fully bristled in a poise ready to pounce. ¡°Shiyan, take this!¡± Lin Feng shouted when he saw me coming up. For a brief moment, he tore his eyes off his adversary to throw me the sword. But that was the moment of weakness that the woman was waiting for. She charged at him when he was not looking with something metallic in her right hand flashing dangerously!


    Frantically, I shouted a warning, ¡°Lin Feng, careful!¡±

 Chapter 257 - Knife in the Dark

    CLANG! The house rang to the din of clashing steel. Lu Shengnan, who was earlier dumbstruck with surprise when I rushed upstairs, came up and rejoined us. She was just up the landing on the second story, just in time to see Lin Feng skipping back. His whip lunged forward from within his pouch to meet the woman¡¯s dagger that peeked with a cold gleam from her sleeves.


    With her face covered, her eyes, looking oddly similar to Huang Li and Cao Xuedong, reflected neither compassion nor remorse. The right sleeve of her clothing flapped emptily without a forearm, but the tiny dagger gleamed from inside, aiming straight for Lin Feng¡¯s throat.


    The tip of Lin Feng¡¯s whip came with intense force and fury. It snapped at the dagger thrusting at him and deflected it and Lin Feng immediately yanked at the whip, withdrawing it. The force sent the woman in black lurching from the force of her stroke being parried hard. But I knew better than to idle! Before she regained her balance, I muttered the incantations for the sword telekinesis magic. The ordinary sword, the first one Father gave me, took into the air, emitting a raucous hum like a grunting beast searching for a prey. It was the first time Lu Shengnan witnessed me using sword telekinesis and an astonished her yelped a shocked ¡°Ah?!¡±. This somehow distracted the woman in black, allowing me time to direct my flying sword at her. I thrust my finger at the woman and it stabbed straight at her head!


    The woman lifted her dagger and it struck with my flying sword, eliciting more sounds of gnashing steel. The flying sword drew back after the first clash and arced around. The woman fell back from the blow. No amount of speed would do her any good now; with her steps now wobbling and unsteady, she finally crashed to the floor. My Spirit Wolves pounced on her and sank their teeth into her, biting her hard and preventing her from escaping. Blood began underneath her instantly.


    To our amazement, the woman in black hardly screamed or groaned as if she was not feeling any pain!


    Realizing my chance, I aimed my finger, still gripped in the Seal of the Sword, at the woman, directing my flying sword at her heart. The weapon wheeled around and came down with a steely ring at the woman now being ripped apart by my Wolves, tearing through the air with a deadly whistle!


    The woman watched my sword coming down and in her eyes, a gleam of defiance flashed furiously. She convulsed and rolled violently, shaking off the Spirit Wolves with a sudden burst of strength, finally making an unmistakable grunt for the first time!


    With the agility of a predatory panther, she dove aside, twisting her body and swinging the dagger that was fixed in place of her missing right forearm at the flying sword, hitting it sideways. Lin Feng lunged, eager not to give her any chance for respite. She raised her left hand in anticipation of Lin Feng¡¯s punch only to fall for his feint instead! Lin Feng¡¯s brands of martial art were usually three-tenths of handwork and the rest being legwork. The punch was only a fake for the woman to not notice his kick coming right after at her calf.


    The blow was aimed towards her tibia. The woman instinctively drew back her leg while trying to evade with a backward-skip sideways. I was controlling my sword back to me when I saw her maneuver. I snatched the sword from the air and brandished it straight at her throat!


    Everything happened too quickly; I was upon her just when she had barely escaped Lin Feng¡¯s gambit and the woman could only raise her dagger to defend herself. With a metallic clank, the two steels met and another punch from Lin Feng to her left came at the same time. Seeing the punch coming straight for her left ribs, the woman desperately tried to push away my sword with brute force, hoping that this would give her the split-second opening to duck. But having learned all the techniques of swordsmanship from Father¡¯s ¡°Hai¡¯s Mystic Arts¡± booklet, I could guess what she was trying to do. At the exact moment when she tried to shove my weapon off, I pushed it down hard with all my weight on her dagger before I spun my sword around the dagger, pivoting a quick half-circle that bought me the chance to attack from below and I stabbed with my sword, feeling it plunging through the flesh of her right leg.


    Lin Feng¡¯s punch came almost an instant later, slamming into her left ribs with a deep and dull bang. But instead of wincing or writhing with pain, the woman, with scarcely even a second of hesitation, took a right step forward and sprang, the knife attached to her right elbow flashing lethally as it came at my throat.


    But the relentless and unforgiving Lin Feng was already on the move; right before the woman¡¯s entire weight fell on her right foot, he charged again with another punch aiming for her left ribs, effectively forcing the woman to surrender her initiative of the fight. She retreated backward when she realized Lin Feng coming, withdrawing the dagger and readied herself into a steadied stance to defend against Lin Feng with her left arm. With Lin Feng¡¯s ploy paying off, it was my turn to lunge. I wave the tip of my sword with an upward swipe and the simple but ordinary sword, imbued with my inner powers that rendered it as keen as the sharpest sword, tore through the sinews at the woman¡¯s right shoulder, slicing off her arm cleanly with a disgusting swish that followed with a fountain of blood spattering the floor. The last time, Big Sister had cut off the prosthesis that was her right forearm and this time, I had lopped off an entire arm of hers!


    At the same time, Lin Feng flung away the arm that was defending against his punch and dove into her abdomen! A punch followed just as quickly, burrowing into her stomach with a flat thud, sending her crashing to the ground with her severed arm lying in a pool of blood at the exact spot where she was standing before.


    Such were the finer points in true combat, where everything had only taken place in matters of seconds. It was only in the end when Lu Shengnan realized that it was a human arm waddling morbidly in blood, she shrieked a shrill ¡°ARGHH!¡± just before Lin Feng and I could silence her with a sharp and fierce ¡°Shut up¡±.


    The teamwork between Lin Feng and I could only be described as ¡°impeccable¡±. The woman could only defend herself under our barrage of fists and steel and she hardly had any chance to begin with.


    The woman in black was lying on the ground, as motionless as dead cadavers after she crashed into a wall following Lin Feng¡¯s final stroke. The unconscious her had her left hand clutching the ugly and soggy wound on her right shoulder that was still churning out blood. Lin Feng rushed forward and crouch down, reaching down a hand to remove the woman¡¯s face mask. Suddenly, her eyes blinked open, her gaze still cold and placid even with her traumatic injury. Lin Feng¡¯s fingers were at a mere hair¡¯s breadth from pulling off the face mask and she somersaulted to the back from her lying position on the ground, leaping gracefully through the opened window and vanished. With a blast of expletives, Lin Feng hurried to the windowsill and looked around and he saw only a dark shadowy figure flitting away before melting into the pitch-black darkness outside.


    Twenty minutes later, at half-past three in the small hours of the morning.


    Lin Feng and I sat opposite each other with the severed arm sitting on the coffee table in between. We had removed the sleeve sheared from the woman¡¯s clothing and found a blade attached to the stub of the missing forearm. It was still dripping blood and the arm was fresh with bite marks¡ªthe handiwork of my faithful Spirit Wolves, but we could see that the arm was fair, supple, and lean. If not for the deadly knife attached to its end, it would have been nothing more than the severed arm of a young and fair lady.


    Lu Shengnan sat on our flanks, cowering on another sofa, eyeing us with fear and doubt. The looks on our faces must have been furious especially right after a fight and the glimpse of me using sword telekinesis and the gory, blood-filled scene of the cloven arm flying in the air must have unsettled her, so she chose to keep a safe distance from us.


    But it hardly mattered to Lin Feng and I, whose attentions were trained upon the severed arm. Lin Feng looked at it, saying, ¡°From the size of this arm, it¡¯s a wonder that the woman has such great strength. And I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, she doesn¡¯t know any wushu techniques.¡± I stared at Lin Feng, not saying anything, tacitly indicating him to go on.


    ¡°She was not fighting according to any style of any Chinese wushu schools when we were fighting her just now. Each and every move of hers were instinctive and uncoordinated. She has only speed and brute strength. Nothing else. I had overestimated her when we fought her the last time at the hotel. I thought she possesses greater skill and experience than me in combat. Now I am certain. We were only caught off-guard at that time hence she has had the jump on us then. This hitwoman in black is not as powerful as we initially believed.¡±


    I nodded my understanding. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Lin Feng asked, ¡°Do you think she¡¯s the Huang Li we saw yesterday?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Her stare¡¯s the same as Huang Li¡¯s and Cao Xuedong¡¯s. But there is all to it. I¡¯m still unsure.¡±


    Lin Feng paused, pondering quietly. He suddenly turned to Lu Shengnan. ¡°Tell us, Shengnan.¡± The sudden addressing of her caught her unawares that she jolted with shock before she cast a terrified look at us from the other side of the coffee table. ¡°You know Huang Li more than we do,¡± Lin Feng uttered, ¡°Do you think the hitwoman just now was Huang Li in disguise?¡±


    Lu Shengnan paused with a perplexed expression on her face. Then she thought for a moment before she shook her head in the end, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The woman¡¯s size looks slightly larger than Huang Li¡¯s.¡±


    Lin Feng and I traded a long look and we both sighed. Heavily and morosely.

 Chapter 258 - Veils of Enigma

    We finally got Chongxi to wake up the next morning, not without any difficulty. He rubbed his eyes drowsily as he clambered up, looking at us with a sleepy and blank look. ¡°What time is it? It is time to go?¡± ¡°What go?! It¡¯s already morning!¡± Lin Feng bellowed, slapping the back of his friend¡¯s head.


    Chongxi spun around, his eyes blinking wide with confusion until he saw the bright, vibrant rays of sunlight coming through the window. He scrambled up quickly. ¡°What happened yesterday, Shiyan? I was dreaming! I dreamt about us being trapped somewhere, and then¡­¡±


    I cast him an ugly look. ¡°That was no dream,¡± I uttered, ¡°We were really trapped last night inside the pocket dimension of the Bamen Dunjia bounded field. Fortunately, we were able to get out, all thanks to you, otherwise, we would still be inside by now! Somehow in your sleep, you were able to cast the Windchaser magic!¡± ¡°Ah?!¡± Chongxi gasped, hardly believing a word I said. ¡°Good job. Just like that, you¡¯ve learned Zhu Mei¡¯s most prized technique,¡± Lin Feng quipped beside me. ¡°But since when?! How come I don¡¯t know anything about this?!¡± Chongxi muttered with shock.


    We recounted to him what happened last night inside the Bamen Dunjia enchantment and explained with judicious detail how the Windchaser technique he cast had helped us in the nick of time. ¡°Me?!¡± He breathed. ¡°The Windchaser magic?! Come on, how this can be impossible?!¡± Lin Feng and I traded a look. I was right. It was by accident and luck that he managed to use such high magic and it would be pointless to expect him to be able to use it again in the future.


    Lu Shengnan, now having recovered from the events last night, was fiddling with her dounao (or doufunao, a Chinese soybean pudding) and she asked, ¡°What¡¯s a Windchaser?¡± ¡°Have you ever seen in TVs how wizards can cover a lot of distance with a single step?¡± Lu Shengnan shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s magic that allows its user to shrink or expand distance at will. It¡¯s high magic and you won¡¯t understand anything even if I try to explain,¡± Lin Feng muttered. That earned him a scowl from Lu Shengnan who pouted her lips indignantly, no longer interested in delving further and took a crunchy bite off her youtiao (Chinese fried dough stick).


    ¡°Do you have Huang Li¡¯s contact number?¡± I asked Lu Shengnan, chomping down my breakfast, ¡°Should we not call her for our wages now after a job well done?¡± She stopped short, unmoving with a fixed stare at me before she exploded. ¡°Oh, my God! I¡¯ve completely forgotten about that! Wait up! I¡¯ll give her a call!¡± And she rummaged for her phone.


    She clicked on Huang Li¡¯s number and waited, listening to her phone. But her face formed into a frown and she put down her phone seconds later, saying flatly, ¡°It¡¯s dead. She¡¯s turned off her phone.¡± The rest of us looked at each other. Huang Li must have found out what happened here. I chuckled. ¡°All right then. We¡¯ll go back with Shengnan to her teaching center after this. Let¡¯s see if Huang Li¡¯s still there.¡± Lu Shengnan bobbed her assent but she looked worried just a beat later. ¡°Surely you won¡¯t just break out into a fight there? Or anywhere outside, for that matter?¡± I cackled, shaking my head. ¡°Course not. At any rate, I don¡¯t think Huang Li has such guts to do so, or else, she would have long come to Wu Zhong to find me. There would have been no need for a trap then.¡±


    I took a cab back to the pub we went to last night where we collected our car and Lu Shengnan drove hers and we followed her lead back to her teaching center on Xinhua West Road. With only the three of us in the car, Lin Feng finally asked, ¡°Shiyan. You¡¯re sure we can depend on Lu Shengnan? I still get the feeling that the visit to the pub yesterday was a ruse to get us drunk so that Huang Li could trap us¡­ Just seems too much of a coincidence to ignore, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    Without hesitation, I placed an arm on the car window sill and said, ¡°So far, she looks innocent. But we have to be wary of her too. Be it Huang Li or Lu Shengnan, everything is happening too quickly.¡± Lin Feng nodded. ¡°But you told Lu Shengnan quite a lot last night. You shouldn¡¯t have, if that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a test. I wanted to find out if she was indeed Huang Li¡¯s cohort. I was observing her during my story and that was how I concluded that she was only an unwitting pawn used to lure us. She¡¯s not unlike Cao Xuedong. Cao Xuedong might be a cohort of Huang Li¡¯s but Huang Li has conveniently kept a lot of details from him. I looked at Lu Shengnan closely last night when I told her Huang Li¡¯s true purpose to abduct me and she should have been looking more collected if she was really part of Huang Li¡¯s team. But she was shocked. Positively shocked.¡±


    Chongxi¡¯s head peeked from the center, between our seats and said, ¡°But what if she¡¯s hiding it well?¡± ¡°Tell me. What do you think accomplice, or accomplices, the one who is or are oblivious of what¡¯s going on, would do?¡± I chuckled. Chongxi pondered for seconds and replied, ¡°What would they do¡­ Cower or retreat to the sidelines to get a better read of the situation, I guess?¡± Rubbing my chin, I said, ¡°Yep. If it were me, this would be good timing to remain on the sidelines for now.¡±


    We found a parking slot to stop our car and we followed Lu Shengnan back to her teaching center. We waited for a little more than an hour there until it was almost nine when Huang Li finally arrived.


    Just as how Lu Shengnan had described, Huang Li did indeed like slightly skinnier compared to the woman in black. Lu Shengnan asked Huang Li at once, ¡°Why did you switch off your phone this morning, Huang Li?¡± She smiled at Lu Shengnan. ¡°You might have called too early. I stayed up with Xuedong till it was very late last night.¡±


    The lie made Lin Feng and I traded quick looks. I stepped forward immediately, offering a hand to her. ¡°We meet again, former classmate.¡± With the ever-so insipid expression she reserved for me, she ignored my hand and immediately sank into a sofa. With another look at Lin Feng, who eyed her cautiously, I beckoned to my friends to sit as well. ¡°You said just now that you were with Cao Xuedong last night?¡± I asked, wearing a grin bordering on being smug. Huang Li gave me a frosty look and nodded.


    I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Cao Xuedong was nowhere near you last night, former classmate. He was with us for an entire night.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Huang Li muttered with feigned curiosity, and her brows began twitching. I pulled out a glass bottle from my pocket and tossed it over to Huang Li, who displayed her good reflexes by snatching it from the air with a loud slap. ¡°Bamen Dunjia. I must say that was a neat display of magic. But that would cost you dearly! We present to you the conjurer and catalyst of the trap last night. But whether he¡¯s able to come back to life, I leave that to you. But be quick. Time is of the essence for his chances.¡±


    Huang Li¡¯s eyes betrayed a hint of astonishment. She hastily looked down at the glass bottle in her hand and saw Cao Xuedong¡¯s ghost still trying to scream inside, although no one outside could hear him. Huang Li shot me a scathing glare that wiped away all her former placidity and aloofness but I merely chuckled again. ¡°He¡¯s not a smart one, that boyfriend or husband of yours. Let¡¯s be frank, Cao Xuedong is the conjurer of the Bamen Dunjia and everything else last night. He himself has made that clear enough.¡± Huang Li¡¯s glare only grew more vicious as the sounds of her teeth gnashing with intense fury came from the opposite of us. She must be very, very angry now despite her best efforts to keep herself composed.


    ¡°That was really an impeccable demonstration of the Bamen Dunjia, honestly,¡± I went on saying as a-matter-of-factly, ¡°But you guys just seemed to have underestimated me. What do you take me for? I¡¯m the heir to Yan Di of the South. A simple Bamen Dunjia is nothing to me. Not even the descendant of Tribe Nine Li, armed or not armed, can do anything to me. Heh heh heh heh¡­¡± I ended my story with pride and hubris permeating my smile but the look I received from Huang Li was one of confusion and bewilderment as if she did not understand anything I said. What the hell? Does she not know that I am the Spirit of the Shiyan Blade? Is she not a descendant of Tribe Nine Li? Or she is unaware of her lineage?


    There was a brief, awkward moment of silence until she finally spoke. ¡°So, that means you have solved the problem in my house?¡± I nodded. ¡°Wow, the Bamen Dunjia enchantment! What amount we should charge, I wonder¡­¡± Chongxi sniggered and remarked, ¡°A hundred thousand yuan, no less!¡± Still looking aloof and disinterested, Huang Li remained quiet. ¡°A hundred thousand it is then, for the problem we solved for your home. But there is something else that I was wondering if you might be interested in.¡±


    Lin Feng was already on his feet, moving over to her. He handed her a black plastic bag which she accepted quietly with a frown. But when she looked inside, her eyes went as wide as eggs! In the black plastic bag was the severed arm I cut off from the woman in black last night! But it was only the gory arm; we had removed the short blade attached to it.


    ¡°How much do you think this is worth?¡± I cackled. Despite her coolness, I could see that Huang Li was already burning inside. The veins on her forehead that were threatening to pop were proof enough. Lin Feng and I looked at each other. Perhaps this was finally the time we draw up the veils of enigma surrounding the identity of our mysterious hitwoman.


    But to our amazement, Huang Li threw the broken arm to the ground like a sack of rubbish. She glowered hostilely at me, her voice steely as the hitwoman¡¯s knife last night, ¡°What is this?! A threat?!¡±


    Lin Feng and I looked at each other again. In his eyes, I could read the unmistakable note of disappointment.

 Chapter 259 - My Father and Master Six

    I lighted a cigarette. But deep inside, I was grimacing quietly. Huang Li looked utterly ignorant about the woman in black. I jabbed a finger at the black plastic bag on the floor. ¡°That is the souvenir left by a mysterious guest who came calling last night after we solved the problem at your house. Don¡¯t you want it back?¡±


    Huang Li¡¯s face convulsed into a disdainful moue. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± she muttered firmly and that made Lin Feng and I looked at each other again. ¡°Oh yeah,¡± I went on, ¡°That guest has a stare that resembled both you and Cao Xuedong. So I wondered if you might know each other.¡± Looking rather pale now, Huang Li hissed, ¡°I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re referring to. And what have you done to Xuedong!?¡±


    Huang Li¡¯s apparent ignorance rather bothered me but it did not prevent me from keeping up my smile. ¡°Well, since you insist that you don¡¯t know our mysterious guest. I guess we¡¯d better just leave it at that. As to Cao Xuedong, I¡¯m sure you know what happened to him. You guys employed the Bamen Dunjia so you tell me what happened to him. You must know.¡±


    Huang Li¡¯s eyes flared with rage as their edges twitched irritably intensely. She said nothing, reaching only into her purse for a checkbook. She wrote the cheque and stormed off, carrying the glass bottle that contained Cao Xuedong¡¯s ghost with her. As she reached the landing of the stairs, I gave a final jab, ¡°Neighbors should contact each other more often! Come find me just opposite! I¡¯m in Unit 105!¡± Refusing to deign to even reply to me as she drifted down the stairs, all we heard was her slamming the door on her way out.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to be our mystery hitwoman,¡± Lin Feng uttered, ¡°You saw how she wrote the cheque. She was writing it with her right hand.¡± I nodded. We were still making no headway with the enigma surrounding the identity of our guest last night.


    ¡°Judging her behavior just now, it looks like she doesn¡¯t know about me or the possibility that she could be a daughter of Tribe Nine Li. Maybe she¡¯s not at all, but who knows? Still, were we wrong, I wonder?¡± I said as I rubbed my chin. Lin Feng and Chongxi nodded quietly, all quiet in ponderous contemplation.


    A few beats of silence ensued until a sudden shriek from Lu Shengnan shattered the peace, ¡°LOOK AT YOU! ARE YOU ALL NOT EVEN BOTHERED BY SOMETHING BLOODY JUST LYING ON THE FLOOR! COME ON! DEAL WITH IT, ANYONE!? I DON¡¯T WANT TO BE A SUSPECT IN A MURDER CASE!¡±


    After disposing of the broken arm, albeit in a sanguinary manner, Chongxi said, ¡°What I am certain of, is that something is not right with all of them ¨C Huang Li, Cao Xuedong, with the woman in black included. At least, this I can say because I can¡¯t seem to read their fortune through their faces. Let¡¯s just leave out those who have taken an active part against us ¨C Cao Xuedong and the woman in black ¨C and just look at Huang Li, even I don¡¯t know what role is she playing in all these.¡± I nodded, my gaze was drawn by the sight of my Spirit Wolves feasting ravenously at the broken arm. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not just you. My wolves can¡¯t seem to track the woman either, even with her scent. We have no leads at all for now. Whoever these people are, they are not simple folk, that¡¯s for sure. Compared to the enemies we¡¯ve dealt with before, I dare say they¡¯re definitely a cut above the rest.¡±


    In the past, my Spirit Eagle and Spirit Wolves have always been able to track enemies using their scent. But this time, none of them could do anything with the broken arm left by our woman in black. Between that and Huang Li¡¯s unreadable face, my instincts were ringing madly, informing that we were no longer dealing with foes that were of a similar class to the Creed of the Eight Trigrams. These were enemies with abilities and powers we could not afford to underestimate.


    ¡°Shiyan!¡± Lu Shengnan squealed again through her pursed lips as she gagged, trying to hold back the urge to puke. ¡°I had never taken you for a cruel savage! You allowed your wolves to EAT THAT ARM!¡± I tossed her a careless glance. ¡°And now you know why I¡¯m against you joining us?¡± Lu Shengnan bobbed her head like a bobble-headed doll.


    Then again, I had my reasons for allowing my wolves to gnaw on the broken arm. It was a show of threat in case Lu Shengnan was an enemy in disguise. Her true allegiances were still unknown and the sight of the flesh being ripped and torn by my wolves would create a lasting impression on her. She stared at the gory scene with all colors leaving her face. ¡°Things like these are common to people like us,¡± I muttered nonchalantly, ¡°In fact, Lin Feng is the worst. There was this time where we were lured into a village and we nearly died. Lin Feng swung his whip with so much anger and it split the head of an enemy like a watermelon with grey and white matter flowing out from the man¡¯s skull¡­¡±


    ¡°ALL RIGHT ALL RIGHT! THAT¡¯S ENOUGH! URRGGHH!¡± Her brain was filled with the recollections of the doufunao she had in the morning and she rushed off to vomit, looking green and purple.


    The work this time to earning this one hundred thousand yuan had been edgy, bordering on dangerous and harrowing. Still, we escaped with both our bounty received and our dignity upheld. The money was not all we received from Huang Li; we had also found out more information from our encounter with Huang Li and Cao Xuedong in addition to crippling that woman in black. With his ghost now stripped from his physical body, Cao Xuedong was as good as dead, unless Huang Li had someone to help. That would allow me some time of peace for now especially with the woman in black now having lost an arm.


    We said our goodbyes to Lu Shengnan and we headed back to Wu Zhong.


    We were thrilled to have our wallets flattened with the one hundred thousand yuan. I called Edelweiss to tell her we were coming home. Then I noticed Edelweiss sounding as if something was wrong from the other end. There was also the unmistakable clamor of an argument ongoing in the background. ¡°Tell me, Edelweiss,¡± I said gingerly, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Edelweiss said, ¡°Urm¡­ Not really¡­¡± I asked again, ¡°Then what? I know something¡¯s wrong. But what?¡± ¡°Urm¡­ Master Six is here¡­¡± Edelweiss squeaked hesitantly.


    My heart raced. ¡°Master Six is at our house?¡± Edelweiss responded with a meek ¡°Hmm¡± before she drew a breath and explained, ¡°He¡¯s here now¡­ B-but¡­ He¡¯s quarreling with Father¡­¡± I almost groaned with exasperation. I could still remember how Father was seething like a boiler about to blow a bolt the last time Master Six came. ¡°It¡¯s all right, my dear,¡± I spoke into my phone, ¡°It¡¯s all too usual with them both. They always bicker whenever they meet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s rather a bad day today. They¡¯re on the brink of fighting now,¡± came Edelweiss¡¯s worried voice from the other end.


    ¡°What are they fighting about this time?¡± I scratched my head. A bemused Edelweiss then told me that Father and Mother were preparing to leave for a trip somewhere far when Master Six appeared all of a sudden. He stopped Father from leaving and this was how their quarrel began.


    Hearing that, I understood immediately what was happening. The date of the Crucible of Heaven loomed near with the passing of this month. Father must be looking for somewhere remote! There, he would bide for the eventual coming of the Crucible of Heaven¡ªa terrible bolt of lightning from the sky which would come certainly if and when he refused again his chance to Ascend and it would come with the strength of an atomic bomb which could completely lay waste to all of Wu Zhong County! Master Six¡¯s appearance must also mean that he had guessed Father¡¯s intentions and here he was, trying to stop Father from escaping his Ascension once again.


    But why can¡¯t this be a peaceful debate between two Demigods about their Ascensions instead of a rowdy debt negotiation marred by bitterness and anger?


    Our car barely eased into a stop in front of my house when I could hear Father bellowing upstairs, ¡°So what makes you think you can stop me?! I am going to leave and I¡¯d like to see you try!¡± ¡°Go!¡± Master Six responded vehemently, ¡°Try leaving! Of all the demigods I¡¯ve seen, you¡¯re absolutely the worst!¡± ¡°Try bounding me in ropes and force me to! I¡¯d never go! Try making me!¡± ¡°All right!¡± Master Six retorted with a roar that sounded like a madman, ¡°Come! Let us try!¡±


    A litany of pops and bangs came from upstairs, making the neighbours walking by our house looked up with shock and confusion. Everyone around must be wondering which house was it that was causing all the ruckus.


    All three of us looked at each other, each grinning weakly. We went inside and headed straight upstairs. The door leading into the sitting room upstairs was ajar and we pushed ourselves in. Everything inside was in a complete mess as if a typhoon had just hit us. There was Master Six, his hair disheveled and unkempt. His clothes were crumpled, creased, and slightly stained and his face and ears were a patch of red with rage. Father and Mother were seated on the sofa facing him, both pouting their lips in apparent indignance. They looked relatively fine. Obviously, their greater numbers had worked in their favor.


    I quickly hurried over to Master Six like a dutiful butler. ¡°Master Six, you¡¯re here. You should have told me you¡¯re coming.¡± The immortal demigod narrowed his eyes at me and remarked with a wordless but no less irate ¡°Humph¡±. With a placating smile that looked like a waiter in a restaurant, I tried placating everyone. ¡°Please, Master Six, Father, Mother, everyone. Please come down. There¡¯s no need for hostilities.¡± Father¡¯s and Master Six¡¯s eyes met and they emitted a pair of irritable ¡°Humphs¡± again.


    Oh, my God¡­ What can I do to cool things down¡­ I wondered. I offered Master Six a cigarette and offered another one to Father. ¡°How about a change of pace. Let¡¯s set the matter of the Ascension aside for now. Let¡¯s talk about something else,¡± I said to them. Master Six plopped into a sofa and propped a leg over another and grumpily asked, ¡°What something else?¡± I put up a smile as benign as I could and started with, ¡°Well, we were in town yesterday and we encountered the Bamen Dunjia enchantment. Then¡­¡± I told them everything about what happened in detail, including my suspicions about Huang Li and Cao Xuedong being descendants of Tribe Nine Li too.

 Chapter 260 - The Quest of Pilgrimage

    Master Six¡¯s and Father¡¯s met for a brief and subtle moment when I finished my tale, having voiced out my hypothesis. The look they exchanged would have been imperceptible if I had not been looking, but it seemed to me as if they were exchanging views telepathically for that fleeting second.


    ¡°So, you were having hallucinations when this Huang Li girl shook your hand?¡± Master Six breathed gravely and I nodded. ¡°Not only Huang Li, but Cao Xuedong too,¡± I answered, ¡°Scenes and events I have never seen before and I understand nothing about them.¡± Father took a draft of his cigarette and puffed a smoke ring before saying, ¡°What did you see?¡±


    ¡°It was a strange and peculiar-looking man I saw when I took Huang Li¡¯s hand. Then I saw a bear-like man swinging a battle-ax at me. Then it was the scene of a battle. When I shook Cao Xuedong¡¯s hand, I saw a man with two eyes but four eyeballs. Then I was flying in the sky before a bolt of golden light hit me and that was the end of it.¡±


    Master Six and Father looked at each other again before they both sighed together. But Master Six¡¯s was a casual sigh whereas Father¡¯s was one of gloom and sullenness. A beat of silence hung between everyone until Father finally began saying, ¡°Alas, it appears that you are gradually awakening your senses. I had feared this the moment you first described to me about your being one with the Shiyan Blade. I knew the day was coming soon. You would have regained much of your awareness as the Spirit of the Shiyan Blade, if you still have it in your possession. Alas.¡± There was nothing but grim foreboding limned in Father¡¯s words.


    But my heart was thumping hard. ¡°Awakening? You mean the things that I saw?¡± Master Six nodded and answered instead, ¡°I believe it is true that the Huang Li girl is Chiyou¡¯s descendant. Shaking hands with her triggered something in your latent awareness, forcing your former memories as the Spirit of the Shiyan Blade to surface. The Shiyan Blade developed its own sentience hundreds of thousand years ago and you are it. The sentience, the consciousness, or the mind and will of its own. What you just saw are the memories of your memory as the Will of the Blade before you reborn as a human.¡± ¡°Then what will happen to me when I reawaken?¡±


    Master Six¡¯s head nodded again. ¡°When you fully awaken, you¡¯ll be able to return back into the sword to once again become its true spirit. In fact, you can even¡­ OUCH!¡± An ashtray had come from nowhere and hit him right in the face! It was Father! He had sprung up, grabbing the ashtray and tossing it over so suddenly that Master Six did not see it coming. It hit him and the demigod was forced to stop telling what was almost out of his throat.


    Master Six stood up angrily, his nostrils flaring and I would have thought that their fight was going into Round 2. Only, he took a deep breath and sank back into his seat. Father crushed and extinguished his cigarette and said, ¡°Returning to the sword means that you¡¯d be able to become one with it. But you need more experience and training to be able to fully achieve this, otherwise, you¡¯d still be unable to do so even if you fully awaken your awareness as the Spirit of the Shiyan Blade.¡± ¡°So what should I do? It¡¯s not only the descendants of Tribe Nine Li this time,¡± I frowned and complained. ¡°There¡¯s the descendant of the Qing emperors, Jin Qichen, and the secret organization that is now controlling Zhang Zhigui preying on me. And I finally know why. With the Dragon-slaying Blade now lost, these people want the Shiyan Blade to awaken the dragon leys. All fourteen of them, in fact, for it would help them create an empire that would last eternally.¡±


    When I stopped, I looked at Master Six and Father. An idea had struck me. ¡°How about you two deal with them! No one would be able to stop you both!¡± To my surprise, Master Six sighed glumly. ¡°And what makes you think I don¡¯t want to?¡± I gave him a puzzled and confused look, egging him to explain.


    Obviously, he saw through me and understood what I wanted. ¡°We might be immortals,¡± he said, ¡°But immortals have rules they have to abide by too. We are not to directly interfere with the affairs of the mundane and that is the Law.¡± It provided a chance for Father to snap at him. ¡°And this is why I don¡¯t simply Ascend!¡± But with all of us present, Master Six merely emitted a disdainful scoff instead of trying to counter.


    ¡°But you can see the future, can¡¯t you, Master Six?¡± I asked, ¡°You can see five centuries into the future and the past! Can¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s going to happen next?¡± Master Six shot me a glare and chuckled sardonically. ¡°What do you think you are? You are the Spirit of a godly relic now reborn as a human! Your future is not readable or tellable! No immortals able to see the five hundred years into the future will be able to foretell what will happen to you. Your future is yours to unravel and only you can do it. We cannot help you.¡±


    I pouted my lips and turned to Father. ¡°Come on, Father. Give me a hand here? You must have ways to deal with those people like how you dealt with the Creed.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Father replied curtly. The answer filled me with exhilaration. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked at once. ¡°You only have to train until you are able to fully become one with the Shiyan Blade. Then you¡¯ll be able to defeat anyone who stands in your way. Perhaps even Chiyou himself.¡± The reply had me gawking with disbelief, all of the thrills that came just seconds before was all but dissipated. What kind of way is this?! As if I don¡¯t know about this?!


    ¡°You only have to train,¡± Father said indifferently, ¡°That is all you need to do. Remember what I told you when you fainted and got sent to the hospital? You have magical powers but you are not enlightened enough. Mentally, especially. To put it bluntly, your comprehension of the essence of the cosmos and existence is still too shallow. That is why you have to use your blood to simulate a state similar to actually being one with the Shiyan Blade. You need to see more of the world and hone yourself more.¡±


    ¡°What utter piffle!¡± I screamed, on the brink of going mad, ¡°The problem is I need time! I have none of it now! The flowers outside would have gone through all four seasons by the time I¡¯m finished!¡±


    ¡°But, boy,¡± Master Six interjected suddenly, wearing a wry chuckle on his face, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel that your grasp of your magecraft and sorcery has greatly improved since your venture into the past?¡± It was true; I had felt it since I came back and I had spoken about it with Father. In fact, since returning from the past, I had become more touchy than ever.


    ¡°I might know little about Tao and Buddhism,¡± Master Six went on before I could speak, ¡°But I daresay I understand a great deal more than most people on how the world works. You need to hone yourself more and stretch your horizons. In fact, I think a quest of pilgrimage would do you some good. It is the most simple way to strengthen yourself. To put it crudely, you need to go on quests to vanquish evil and help the weak. See more into the world and learn what you can from it and you will naturally become stronger.¡±


    ¡°But what evil is still left around here now that needs vanquishing?¡± I muttered, annoyed and peeved.


    Master Six and Father exchanged another quick glance for a beat and he said, ¡°There might not be any now. But there¡¯s definitely lots in the past.¡± ¡°You mean you going to send me back through Time again?¡± I blurted. ¡°Not you alone. All three of you,¡± Father quipped with a smile curling, ¡°Chongxi and Lin Feng shall join you this time.¡± My friends looked at each other, grinning excitedly. But I noticed Master Six was looking rather pleased with himself as if a plan of his had come into fruition and Father was shrugging his shoulders as though in defeat. For that very moment, I had the odd sensation that this was a plot hatched between Master Six and Father to have us sent back through Time to complete something for them.


    It was only during our quest of pilgrimage when I finally understood why Master Six was looking so self-satisfied. He had known beforehand what would happen for there were events that were predestined by Fate.


    For the sake of continuity, let us leave the details for a later date. (Our adventures in the past shall be written into a future side-story.)


    With us being present, Father and Master Six set aside their arguments for now, although something told me that there was something that they both wished to keep from me. But I knew better than to pry. Father and Master Six would never bulge no matter how hard I try.


    Master Six came again the following morning. It was time, he said, and we were to get our things packed. We would be sent off in the afternoon. ¡°But this time, things would be slightly different,¡± he said, lighting himself a cigarette, ¡°This time, I¡¯m not sending just your souls. Your physical persons would go to. But I cannot do this alone. I¡¯ll need your father to help me to send all you three back through Time together.¡±


    The news of us three going to be sent back together left Edelweiss stricken with panic. She begged Master Six to send her back with us. But even with the imploring look from me, Master Six shook his head, refusing to yield. In fact, I was not the only one wishing to have Edelweiss coming with me. Even Lin Feng and Chongxi were hoping to bring Xiao Yu and Yuanyuan along. Who wouldn¡¯t? It was not every day you got the chance to step back into the past.


    It was nearly time and Father was talking to Master Six deeply when the door sounded with a series of knocking. I opened it and saw it was Xiao Qi and the rest of the Seven Ghostly Sisters. ¡°Shiyan!¡± She said at once when she came in, ¡°Why is your Center not open today? What a shame, it¡¯s a cloudy day today and you know we don¡¯t get to come out that often¡­¡± And her voice died in her throat when she finally noticed the irked stares coming from Father and Master Six.

 Chapter 261 - Time-travel

    The Seven Ghostly Sisters had never met Master Six before. They immediately ducked behind me, immediately fearing him for what he was, an actual immortal whereas Xiao Qi and her sisters were mere ordinary ghosts sustained in human form through the use of magic. Master Six looked at Xiao Qi, his eye brows furrowing with interest. Then he looked as if he realized something as his head jerked sideways to face Father.


    ¡°Gods in Heaven, Murong Hai. Have you fallen so low?!¡± He glowered. Father only shrugged and muttered lackadaisically, ¡°What is it to you? These girls met their deaths in the most pitiful way. Go below yourself and ask them. Do you think they are reserved any chance to reborn?¡± Master Six landed back in his sofa, seething beyond words yet he could find no valid reason to counter Father¡¯s.


    As ghosts of people who died tragic deaths, Xiao Qi and her sisters should have been escorted to the City of Innocent Deaths in the Underworld where they would remain forever for they would never be allowed the chance for a second incarnation. Xiao Qi, at the cost of her dignity, had found a way to regain a second chance, although it was later unwittingly foiled by Fearless Hao. Nevertheless, the fate of Xiao Qi and her sisters was partly by virtue of Karma and the things they did in their former lives and for that, they were sentenced to tragic deaths in this life and doomed to an eternity of being ghosts or utterly destroyed. But Father, despite his cold and aloof facade, was in truth a compassionate person, or more accurately, immortal who felt their plight pitiable. He taught the Seven Ghostly Sisters the magic that involved using some wooden figurines so that they could remain in the Realm of the Living as a way of making up to them for the injustice they had felt. Still, the magic Father taught the Seven Ghostly Sisters was commonly viewed as black magic; a means that some practitioners of the accursed arts used to keep ghostly minions. Viewed as an immensely dishonorable form of magic by many, it was small wonder that Master Six had such a reaction.


    Xiao Qi was shivering madly behind me by the glare Master Six gave her. ¡°Who¡¯s this?!¡± She squeaked. ¡°Master Six. The demigod we asked his help for the last time.¡± ¡°Quick,¡± she hissed in panic, reaching for my pocket, ¡°Take out your gourd and let us hide inside for a while. He looks scary!¡±


    Suddenly, I yelped something that even I did not expect. ¡°How about Xiao Qi and her sisters? Can she come with us?¡± I asked Father suddenly. Before Father could even react, Master Six gawked with disbelief at me, clearly not expecting this. But Father giggled. ¡°Of course,¡± he chuckled and said, ¡°Of course it can. There¡¯s more to this Spirit Gourd, the heirloom from my mentor, than meet the eye.¡±


    I knew what Father was trying to do. He was purposely going against Master Six who was clearly being outmaneuvered by Father. The demigod glared at Father again, his words stuck in his throat still.


    Hearing that the Spirit Gourd could help transport Xiao Qi and the Ghostly Sisters with us, Edelweiss begged and begged again to come with us. Knowing that Master Six would never bow to her badgering, she opted instead to turn to Father. But Master Six immediately stood up and objected before she could say anything, ¡°ENOUGH! I¡¯ll not have you bring anyone else! No more! What do you think we immortals are!?¡±


    The outburst made me shudder. The flashbacks of how Master Six was using his magical powers to suppress the shocks from the earthquake came back to me. It was how he had saved countless lives that day, at the cost of his own safety. The toll that he was suffering nearly caused him his destruction and the sight nearly made me sweat cold sweat. Despite being a demigod from Heavens, he was in a mortal shell on Earth which could not fully harness his great powers. That was why he needed Father to help him perform the rituals to send us back through Time, I realized. And this really accentuated the gravity of the situation. We cannot allow more people to come with us lest Master Six compromised himself again.


    ¡°Edelweiss,¡± I said to her, ¡°Please stay here and take care of the Center with Big Sister for us. We shall trouble Master Six no longer. I¡¯m sure he has his reasons.¡± Seeing me insisting, Edelweiss calmed down and stopped her fussing.


    Master Six reciprocated a satisfied and genial look, saying nothing while Father looked on indifferently beside. This could be the difference, I mused, Between a true immortal from Heaven sent to Earth and a mortal who achieved true immortality through sheer hard work and will¡­ That the former might be bound by more restrictions and rules¡­


    In the end, before the ritual began, Master Six gave us one last warning. ¡°Remember. This time, you¡¯re going back with your physical bodies. I cannot overstate how grave this can be. If you die in the past, you die completely.¡± Lin Feng however came up with an indelicate remark. ¡°What about cigarettes, Master Six¡­¡± He uttered and earned an ugly look from the demigod for being untactful. Father instead giggled again. ¡°The Spirit Gourd I gave Shiyan can store items. I knew you would need it.¡±


    I shook my Spirit Gourd playfully at Lin Feng. ¡°Look, Lin Feng,¡± I said, ¡°We¡¯ll share what cigarettes and liquor I¡¯d be bringing along. Father has taught me the spell to use the Gourd as storage. I¡¯ve made a list of most of the items we¡¯ll be needing except for phone chargers. Not that we¡¯d be expecting to use any phones anyway, so I guess we¡¯d just leave them here.¡±


    Master Six was giving a disapproving look when I was telling Lin Feng about the cigarettes and liquor, his face absolutely scornful.


    Lin Feng and Chongxi were ecstatic like kids going on their first tour of a theme park. When the portal opened, Lin Feng commented, ¡°This oddly reminds me of the doorway we entered when we got trapped in the Bamen Dunjia enchantment, only that there was nothing but darkness inside the pocket dimension.¡± Chongxi skipped cheerily in front of us, muttering strings of ¡°Oh, God!¡± and ¡°Look at this!¡± as he bounded forward like a hare.


    It was like walking in a tunnel during an astronomy exhibition. We were walking in the middle of the galaxy, surrounded by countless stars twinkling brightly at us. The surrealistic sensation was inexplicable and so was the feeling of freedom being in a space without boundaries and walls.


    An enthusiastic Chongxi was whooping and hooting with delight in front and the Ghostly Sisters inside my Gourd could no longer stand it. Xiao Qi screamed from inside, ¡°Hey, Shiyan! Let us out! We wanna have a look ourselves too!¡± Only then I remembered. Oh, God! I¡¯ve forgotten all about them!


    I wrenched the stopper off my Spirit Gourd and out came the Seven Ghostly Sisters who immediately became astounded by the extraordinary scene before us! As dazed as a child who just had his first balloon, Xiao Er stared into the starry space, hardly moving an inch. Xiao San was putting up an indifferent look, even though the wonder in her eyes was unmistakable despite her best efforts to keep it from showing. As always, Xiao Si immediately ran off, screaming her head off with Chongxi. She wheeled around and came scampering back suddenly, saying, ¡°Shiyan, Shiyan! You passed through all these the last time you were sent back?¡± I nodded. ¡°Is it completely the same as the last time you came?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head as I answered, ¡°The last time I came, it was only my Spirit Core, or my soul, being sent back. I could even fly then and I didn¡¯t even need to sleep or eat. But this time, I suppose things would be different.¡± Xiao Si stuck her tongue out and I looked blankly at her, not knowing what she was trying to express.


    Being every bit as gregarious as Xiao Si, Xiao Wu whipped out her mobile phone, eager to keep a token of the breathtaking scenery. She wandered around, taking dozens of photos with an endless enumeration of snapping sounds trailing her wherever she went. Then she decided to take a look at the photos she had taken but to her dismay, there was nothing but pitch-black darkness in the pictures! Xiao Wu darted to me and said, ¡°Shiyan, Shiyan! Come, help me look at this. Is my phone damaged?¡± I saw the photos and I groaned. ¡°You silly. We are in a timeless void that is leading us back through Time. Nothing around us is corporeal. Your phone is not damaged. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s nothing here that¡¯s real for the camera to capture into the pictures. That is why everything you took is nothing but blackness. Come on, iPhones these days are not as brittle as glass.¡±


    But instead of listening to me, Xiao Wu ignored the irate looks coming from me and also my explanation of how her camera would not work and went off to join Chongxi and Xiao Si who were frolicking upfront.


    Xiao Liu (Little Six) remained just right by us. She too was mesmerized by the star-studded scene of the galaxy engulfing us, but being the most soft-spoken of the Sisters, she kept herself composed and collected.


    Lin Feng nervously sipped at his cigarette. ¡°Honestly, I think I would freak out if I¡¯m here alone.¡± He breathed anxiously. ¡°But why?¡± Xiao Qi turned back and asked, ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful here. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Lin Feng rolled his eyes. ¡°Think about it. You¡¯re stuck here all alone. Not knowing where you are and how to get out. There¡¯s not even any sense of direction or how dangerous we can be. How is that not scary?¡±


    Xiao Qi stopped short at his remark and began wondering with a finger at her lips. ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t thought of that. But I still feel fine though!¡± But I knew Lin Feng was still jittery after our bout in the Bamen Dunjia enchantment. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel worried not knowing where we are? There¡¯s no left, right, front, back here. Not even up and down! This helpless feeling like everything is out of our knowledge and control?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± Xiao Qi muttered quietly, ¡°I the ghost of a person who drowned to death. Of course I do, of all people. I died in a water catchment area. It was so dark down beneath the water. So dark that I could see nothing. It was cold at first. But when my body was gone I felt nothing.¡± Xiao Qi looked as if she was drifting in her memories as she spoke. Suddenly she asked Lin Feng, ¡°Actually, when you just died, you won¡¯t even know it for a time. You won¡¯t know whether you¡¯re dead or alive. For that duration, you see nothing and hear nothing. When I was in the water, it was worst. That is why I understand full well what you are describing. Yet somehow, I don¡¯t think this place as scary as to how you put it.¡±


    Lin Feng gawked at Xiao Qi, unable to retort with anything. It was the first time he had heard Xiao Qi mentioning about her death.


    The rest of our companions were still cheering and laughing merrily until I noticed a star shining particularly brightly like it was signaling at us. I yelled for everyone, saying, ¡°Hey, look ahead! We¡¯re almost there!¡±

 Chapter 262 - Back to the Future

    Our party of three young men and six female ghosts walked through the wormhole rimmed with sparkling lights that shone like diamonds. The familiar scene and sensation moved Lin Feng to tears. He wiped his wet eyes, gasping, ¡°Oh, my God! I really thought we would be trapped forever in the past! I¡¯m so relieved that we¡¯re back!¡±


    Recovering from the shock and consternation, we found ourselves in an empty stairwell. Lin Feng rubbed a hand on the steel railing and felt a hand emotionally on the wall peeling with paint. ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± his eyes were ringed scarlet and wet and he said, ¡°We¡¯re really back! Steel railings and heating radiator, oh!¡± Lin Feng had always longed to return since we stepped into the past. We had spent such a long time there that we were beginning to forget how modern-day Wu Zhong looked like.


    I left Lin Feng to his histrionic revels about returning to the present and began looking around. It had been so long and we were losing touch with modern society that there was this surrealistic sensation to being here. Half of my mind was still in the past while another half was struggling to attune myself to the surroundings. Yet, I was certain of one thing: we have come to this building before. Something about this stairway seemed oddly familiar although I could not put it how. Xiao Qi darted up the stairs, complaining, ¡°Where are we?! It¡¯s terrible here! Open your gourd, Shiyan! Let us go back in!¡± I could only open the gourd and whisk all six of the Ghostly Sisters back into my Spirit Gourd.


    Chongxi was stroking his chin, talking to himself absentmindedly, ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ Amazing, Qiaoyu, you sly bastard!¡± I slapped the back of his head. Clearly, Chongxi was still stuck in the past and had not yet realized that we were back in the future. He gave me a stunned look, uttering a surprised ¡°Ah¡±.


    I patted Lin Feng. ¡°Enough fretting, Lin Feng. Help me find out where we are! This place looks very familiar!¡± We looked at each other and began looking around, but to no avail. Not only we knew nothing about how long had time passed in the present, but our awareness about Time had also become obscured. Yet if there was one thing I was certain of, it would be that we were not in Father¡¯s National Studies Institute.


    Just when we were at a complete loss of what to do, a man came into view, turning the corner into the corridor that stretched from the stairway, guzzling down a cup of noodles hungrily with his crude, lascivious eating sounds echoing off the walls. Chongxi saw him and giggled. ¡°Look! I was just talking about Qiaoyu, and now we have our modern Qiaoyu coming our way!¡±


    The man chomping ravenously on his cup noodles was our friend, Zheng Shuang! He looked absolutely tired and he had not realized us standing in the stairway until he noticed us waving at him. He choked and coughed and a tiny strand of noodles peeked cloddishly from his nostrils. He coughed and coughed again until we walked up to him and I patted his back to help ease the discomfort. ¡°Come on, there¡¯s no need for such a surprise! Look at you!¡±


    Zheng Shuang tugged the wretched string of noodles out of his nose and grabbed at both my sleeves, screaming with his eyes brimming with tears, ¡°Shiyan! You¡¯re finally here! Oh, my God! You don¡¯t know how terrible I have been!¡± I stared at him, not knowing if the tears were coming from his vehement emotions or the noodles that nearly choked him.


    ¡°Why are you like this?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Something went wrong when we¡¯re away?¡± Zheng Shuang nodded quickly. ¡°Did anyone saw you guys coming in?¡± I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re the first person we¡¯ve seen since coming in.¡± Bobbing his head, he dragged us all into his office.


    His strange behavior left us all confused and puzzled. Why are we sneaking around like thieves? This is the Wu Zhong police station! A Captain of the Criminal Investigations Division sneaking suspiciously like a thief! We must have been so long away that either our minds are going haywire or Zheng Shuang¡¯s mind is! An annoyed Chongxi asked, ¡°What is it with you, Zheng Shuang? What are you doing? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Zheng Shuang dove to the windows to check if anyone was watching. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he drew the curtains and finally slammed his cup noodles on his desk. ¡°Where have you been? For an entire week, you lot have been missing! Do you even know what happened here?!¡±


    All three of us looked at each other dubiously. It appeared that we have only been away for a week. The time was hardly long, but something must have happened, judging from Zheng Shuang¡¯s behavior. ¡°Tell us in detail,¡± I told him, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Ah, damned¡­ You! You!¡± Zheng Shuang screamed, pounding his fist. The few years we have had in the past have seen Lin Feng a more matured and composed person now. He smiled thinly as he looked on Zheng Shuang venting his frustrations. Even Chongxi was no longer the block-headed dimwit of the team that he once was. ¡°What¡¯s up? Were we involved?¡± He asked and Zheng Shuang¡¯s head nodded vehemently again. I chuckled. ¡°Then tell us. Everything, starting from the beginning. Tell me, was it the descendant of Tribe Nine Li, the pretender Jin Qichen, or Zhang Zhigui?¡±


    Zheng Shuang jabbed a finger repeatedly as I listed the names, stammering with fright and consternation. ¡°That¡¯s it! Tr-tribe, tribe Nine Li!¡± ¡°I see¡­ Then I know what it is all about¡­ Was it something Huang Li has done, I presume?¡± Zheng Shuang nodded again profusely, ¡°That¡¯s it. You were not here when we received a complaint from the District Headquarters about a murder! A murder!¡±


    Zheng Shuang paused and looked at each other us, especially at Lin Feng and me. We stared at him wordlessly.


    Zheng Shuang struggled with his words, mumbling incomprehensibly for seconds until he was finally able to string proper sentences, saying, ¡°Just last week. The District Headquarters received a report about a murder. The scene of the murder: the Nanhu Villa Precinct!¡± Lin Feng and I shared a quick look as we instantly understood what happened.


    The look did not go unnoticed by Zheng Shuang, who went on, ¡°Officers from the District Headquarters closed the area and investigated the corpse, finding numerous heavy burn marks and three stab wounds, all caused by something sharp like knives. Am I right in guessing that the burn marks are caused by you, Shiyan?¡± I nodded. Lin Feng interjected, saying, ¡°Those stab marks are not caused by knives. It was by my throwing darts.¡± Zheng Shuang broke into a loud, grimacing howl. ¡°Come on, Shiyan, Lin Feng! What am I to do now?! It was that Huang Li who had reported the murder and the District Headquarters officers had a look into the surveillance cameras and saw you three! Then they realized that they were part of this Wu Zhong police department and they have tossed this case to us! Our chief, the Director, I have never seen him look so haggard before except now. Since this goddamned case found its way here!¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± I asked, with a furrowed brow. Zheng Shuang stomped hard on the floor, embittered. ¡°After some bureaucratic wrinkles which my chief managed to finally iron out with a firm word of his that we should investigate deeply before making conclusions. He personally vouched for all you three, insisting that you cannot be murderers. Up until now, we¡¯ve yet to locate any proof implicating you and there were none of your fingerprints at the murder scene. The post mortem report indicated that the cause of death was not the wounds, but loss of blood. He had been left there for too long without being discovered. All these lent credence to the chief¡¯s arguments to keep the matter under wraps, at least until the investigation is completed. But this was made worst with the disappearance of the three of you! Don¡¯t you realize what does this means? You could be suspects feeling guilty and now you¡¯re trying to flee! Well, I guess it¡¯s fortunate that you¡¯re back, otherwise I don¡¯t know how we¡¯re gonna solve this!¡±


    ¡°Why did you not look for my father?¡± I asked, frowning slightly and Zheng Shuang slammed his fist on the desk again, ¡°Come on, what you take me for? Of course I knew I had to look for Mr. Murong immediately! But when I got to the National Studies Institute, he¡¯s not there! Apparently, he¡¯s missing and so is your mother too! I rushed to your home and found only your sister and your wife, all of whom could do no more than a string of ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±! Some guys at the station then began digging deeper and they found that your sister¡¯s ID was only recently made. This made her identity very fishy and of course, your wife! Everything about her background was dug up and laid out to dry! You should have told me about her past! There I was, telling everyone who would listen that your background¡¯s as clean as a sheet of paper! They even found out that your wife was once slapped into jail for 6 months for battery! Now, in the eyes of the brass, you are contaminated liabilities to keep away from! Radioactive!¡±


    I giggled. ¡°Well, I suppose I can only say I really did not know much about Edelweiss¡¯ past. Well, my parents¡¯ disappearance has nothing to do with this case. I have an idea. How about you inform the top brass that we¡¯re back. I don¡¯t think we¡¯d be in much trouble, considering that they don¡¯t have any concrete proof against us yet.¡±


    Zheng Shuang grabbed my hand. ¡°Wait a minute, Shiyan! This is serious, we¡¯re not playing games here!¡± ¡°What if I can revive Cao Xuedong?¡± I muttered nonchalantly and the remark surprised Zheng Shuang so greatly he almost jumped. ¡°Oh, God! You¡¯re right!¡± He swooped on the phone on his desk and hit a series of numbers. He waited several seconds then he spoke into it, ¡°Hello, this is the Wu Zhong Police Station. Our police consultants are back! They¡¯re not suspects! I told you, they are not suspects until we¡¯ve found proof! They are one of us!¡±


    But Zheng Shuang¡¯s rousing defense of us did little to convince the person on the other end of the line, who only ended the call after a long and expectedly stern remark which we were not privy to. In the end, after placing down the phone on its cradle, Zheng Shuang looked at us with a bleak smile. ¡°It seems the guys at the District Headquarters are determined to pin this on you. They will be here in a moment and I don¡¯t think they¡¯d be nice. But please try to hold your temper, I implore you.¡±

 Chapter 263 - The Questioning

    Chongxi scratched his nose. ¡°How rough can these guys be?¡± He muttered, ending with a derisive chuckled that Zheng Shuang could only scowl in response.


    It was almost an hour later, when we were relating about our experiences in the past to Zheng Shuang over tea, when hurried footfalls began to resound from the corridors. Then came three rapid knocks on Zheng Shuang¡¯s door. Three intolerant and terse taps on the timber that portended our unfriendly guests. Zheng Shuang rose from his chair with a flustered but displeased look on his face, replying testily, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door opened with a click and a mob of officers, all clad in the uniform of the department of internal affairs, flooded the room. The squad leader of the officers gave a perfunctory salute to Zheng Shuang before he cast a fierce look at us.


    The beer-bellied barrel of a man, who was clearly the leader of this team of officers, looked hardly young. With an acrimonious stare at us, he gruffly asked Zheng Shuang, ¡°These are the ones?¡± Zheng Shuang nodded without a word and the man¡¯s hand shot up abruptly with a cold sneer.


    The younger officers behind him reached behind their backs. A trio of them came forward to pin us down by holding on our shoulders firmly. With a quick look over my shoulder, I saw cuffs dangling from their other hands as they drew closer menacingly. But just as they pressed down on us, I heard several zzzttts coming from their backs and suddenly, they fell backward awkwardly as if they were being pushed up against the wall. Another series of zzzttts came from behind them as their arms were twisted to their backs as if by an invisible force and everyone in the room was left gasping with shock. All three of the officers had themselves handcuffed instead!


    Who else could it be if not for Xiao Qi, Xiao Si, and Xiao Wu? The three officers howled with pain at their arms being twisted and cuffed and I wondered if this was the first time they have had a taste of their own medicine after cuffing so many crooks and bandits throughout their careers.


    Without being able to see the Ghostly Sisters, everyone was speechless and their burly captain was even more shocked and surprised that his hand darted instinctively to his sidearm. But he quickly realized that we had not even moved a muscle and he slowly withdrew his hand away.


    Xiao Qi crept up to me and whispered, ¡°Well, that¡¯s all we can do, I¡¯m afraid. This is a police station and there are restrictions here.¡± The three Ghostly Sisters immediately retreated back into the Spirit Gourd.


    I shrugged at the captain and said, ¡°So, what should I call you, Senior?¡± An irascible but suppressed snort came from the captain, saying, ¡°Humph! Sergeant Second Class Zhan. You can call me Sergeant Zhan. The same Zhan as Zhan Tianyou (Jeme Tien Yow).¡± ¡°I see. Sergeant Zhan,¡± I repeated, nodding my head, and said, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re proven murderers yet, are we, Sergeant? So, isn¡¯t too soon to have us cuffed so prematurely? Technically, as a senior of ours in the system, I¡¯m sure you understand we deserve more respect than this? Don¡¯t worry. I assure you that we¡¯re not the murderers you¡¯re after. What¡¯s more, we¡¯d even give you our full assistance in solving this case.¡± I reached out an arm.


    With another snort, Sergeant Zhan reaching out his, albeit reluctantly. ¡°I¡¯m only the deputy of this team,¡± he muttered dourly as he took my hand.


    Just as my hand gripped the beefy hand of the sergeant, my mind went dark again as if I was hit by a building! The very familiar sensation hit me again and an image appeared before me. This time, I found myself staring up from below in a strange angle as if I was being carried in somebody¡¯s arms, even though I could not see his face except for the long, billowy sleeves of his robes flapping as he handed me to another person. Then they drew closer to each other, whispering something. But I could not hear them. Their voice was either too soft or they were speaking in a tongue alien to me. Unable to see who this person was, I strained my eyes to take a closer look only for the head of a snowy-white fox popping into view and it looked down at me!


    All the hallucinations snapped to a sudden end as Sergeant Zhan¡¯s hand disengaged from mine and I was violently jerked back to the present.


    The edges of my eyes twitched uncomfortably as I remained disorientated from the ordeal. But it did not prevent me from noticing the hint of fear in Sergeant Zhan¡¯s eyes before it was replaced with a trace of suspicion. He must be feeling awkward and confused about the sudden feeling of fear swelling within him right after taking my hand. I recollected myself and said, ¡°So, are we conducting the inquiry here or the District Headquarters?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re willing to cooperate, we¡¯ll just use the interrogation room here,¡± the brawny sergeant replied. This time, he sounded positively more courteous and gentle now. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯d understand how is this a necessary process, given you are all personnel of law enforcement.¡± I nodded and said to Zheng Shuang, ¡°All right. Let¡¯s talk in the interrogation room here then.¡±


    Zheng Shuang seemed to take comfort in my nonchalance. With a nod to Sergeant Zhan, he turned to face me. ¡°Shiyan, Lin Feng, and Chongxi. Come with me then,¡± he said. He led us out of the room quickly before he shut the door behind us. Then he grabbed my arm and whispered urgently, ¡°Wait, an inquiry?! You¡¯re serious? How are you gonna talk yourself out of this?¡± I stopped and gave a quick moment¡¯s thought and said, ¡°We¡¯ll keep our story straight. Just tell them that it was Cao Xuedong¡¯s girlfriend who first asked for our help to exorcise evil spirits from their house. We went to their place but we found nothing and we left. That¡¯s all. Xiao Qi and her sisters will take care of the rest for us.¡±


    We exchanged knowing nods and I released Xiao Qi and the rest of the Ghostly Sisters. I said to Zheng Shuang and the others, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this Zhan guy. I was hit with another bout of hallucinations when I shook hands with him just now. He could be another descendant of Tribe Nine Li. But there¡¯s something strange about him; he seems different from Huang Li and the others. But he is almost certainly Chiyou¡¯s descendant, that I am sure of. I¡¯m sure of it!¡±


    Chongxi replied hushedly with a frown, ¡°Course he is. I have not been able to read anything off the faces of Huang Li and Cao Xuedong, but this Zhan guy is as clear as day! The narrow forehead and face heavily creased with wrinkles is a telltale sign of a selfish miser. A nastily stingy person.¡± I responded with a nod, thinking, So he really is different from Huang Li and the others.


    A half-hour later, inside the Wu Zhong Police Station interrogation room.


    ¡°Name?¡±


    ¡°Murong Shiyan.¡±


    ¡°Gender.¡±


    ¡°Male.¡±


    ¡­


    After a few opening questions customary of most inquiries and questioning, the sergeant stared into my eye and asked, ¡°Where were you on the time when the victim was killed?¡± ¡°In the same area. We were opposite, in Unit 105,¡± I replied. The sergeant¡¯s eyes were steady as if he was already expecting my answer. ¡°CCTV footage shows that you three had walked into Unit 104 when the victim was killed,¡± he said coolly. I nodded. ¡°The girlfriend of the victim came to us earlier in the day, asking for our help to exorcise evil spirits from her house. But when we got there, we found nothing. So we left. And for the record, Unit 105 opposite is my home. That is why we¡¯re there in the first place.¡±


    There was an imperceptible twitch to the ends of the sergeant¡¯s distrusting eyes, even though he could find nothing to refute my statement. He shook his head skeptically with me sniggering deep inside, for I was sure that they would never be able to disprove what I said.


    The door opened suddenly, admitting another officer. A young police officer who looked positively nervous. He came in and whispered into the ears of Sergeant Zhan who stared at him strangely before he looked at me. ¡°What were the three of you doing after you went into the house of the victim?¡± I took a moment to think and said, ¡°Lin Feng and I examined the house and found nothing wrong. We then told Cao Xuedong, the victim, about our findings truthfully. As for Yuan Chongxi, he was so drunk that he could not even stand. We were carrying him all the time.¡±


    The sergeant gave a curt nod. The young police officer who just came looked flustered and slipped out of the room. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked wryly, amused by the young police officer¡¯s behavior. Sergeant Zhan shifted in his seat uneasily and said, ¡°Well, I know for a fact what you guys are doing for a living. But I don¡¯t understand why are you carrying an unconscious drunk to the victim¡¯s house for?¡± ¡°But we need him,¡± I muttered flippantly, ¡°He¡¯s the best in Fengshui among us.¡±


    The sergeant¡¯s eyes twitched again, speechless by my answer but clearly annoyed by my irreverent mood, although he refrained from voicing out his displeasure.


    Just when we were looking at each other, his phone rang suddenly. He answered his phone with a respectful tone I have never thought possible from him, saying, ¡°Hi, Chief. Yeah, I¡¯m questioning the suspect¡­¡± He looked as if he was cut off by the caller who began telling him something as he listened closely until his eyes widened with shock in the end and he screamed, ¡°WHAT?!¡±

 Chapter 264 - Back to the Center

    ¡°Of course, I understand! Perfectly, sir! I¡¯d be bringing the boys there on the double!¡± Sergeant Zhan uttered apprehensively and he took a deep breath before he redirected his attention back to me. ¡°Well, that was a call from the top¡­¡± He explained wearily, ¡°The¡­ the¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on, Sergeant Zhan?¡± I asked. I just had to, even though I know exactly what was going on.


    Beads of perspiration rolled anxiously down his face as he struggled to keep himself under control after listening to the unbelievable report from the District Headquarters. ¡°The call came from HQ,¡± he said again to me, ¡°The victim has awakened suddenly from death. Everyone there now is either shocked or terrified.¡± An amused smile broke across my face as I emitted an interested ¡°Oh?¡± and the sergeant went on, ¡°The victim has given a statement after he¡¯s woken up and what he said cleared you. You¡¯re free to go.¡± He indicated a signal to the young police officer who promptly left with a nod. Then Sergeant Zhan got to his feet just as I was rising from my chair. He placed a hand on my shoulder with a feigned smile, saying, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry for the trouble just now. But I¡¯m sure you understand that it was my job.¡± I responded with a pretentious grin myself and nodded before I brusquely left the interrogation room.


    Zheng Shuang saw us out of the police station, looking embarrassed and sorry. He hesitated and finally spoke when we were strolling down the steps. ¡°Well, urm¡­ Shiyan¡­ Is there anything I can do for you?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± I said, shaking my head, ¡°But thanks. And thank the chief too. For his confidence in us.¡± Zheng Shuang nodded, saying nothing.


    He drove us back to the Center in a patrol car but he did not come in with us as he still had work to do. Edelweiss and Big Sister were inside and both were worried sick about us. They were so surprised and shocked when they saw us and I gave them a concise account of what happened. ¡°Clearly, Huang Li thought she could land us into trouble. At first, she wanted to trap me inside her Bamen Dunjia enchantment, only for Cao Xuedong to die instead. I guess she failed to resurrect him, so out of spite, she reported to the police. Fortunately, we came back just in time to put a stop to the whole debacle. At least, this part of the trouble is solved.¡± Big Sister nodded approvingly. ¡°You don¡¯t know how worried we were, both Edelweiss and I¡­¡± an uptight her mumbled skittishly, ¡°Father and Mother went missing suddenly without notice, leaving on a little note, saying that they are going for a tour. Then Zheng Shuang appeared, asking to look for Father¡­¡±


    Nodding my head and gently placing an assuring hand on hers, I interjected softly, saying, ¡°All right, all right. Everything¡¯s fine now. Huang Li¡¯s the one behind all this but everything¡¯s okay now.¡± Big Sister nodded again, visibly relieved. Edelweiss had slipped out to make a phone call at the first sight of us coming back; it must be to inform Yuanyuan and Xiao Yu about our return.


    Indeed, even before our seats were warm, Xiao Yu and Yuanyuan rushed through the door, both tense and upset until they finally calmed down after seeing Lin Feng and Chongxi. Yuanyuan wrapped her arms around Lin Feng¡¯s neck and shook it wildly, ¡°Where have you been for an entire week!? Don¡¯t you know how worried we were?! We thought you were really on the run after murdering someone!¡± Lin Feng hugged his girlfriend and consoled her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Look at us, we¡¯re fine.¡± Xiao Yu, the more demure and soft-spoken of the two, only stood by, her lips pouting with tears streaming down her pink face.


    Scowling at Chongxi¡¯s blockheadedness, Big Sister delivered a flying kick into his hind parts. Rubbing his back, Chongxi huddled closer to Xiao Yu and tried his best to comfort her, only to no avail. In the end, he could only wipe the tears of her eyes.


    I grinned and looked at Edelweiss who sat beside me reticently. She looked relaxed, yet I was not. She might have missed me for only a week, but it was years for me! I reached and took her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you miss me,¡± I spoke softly. ¡°Everyone¡¯s looking,¡± she replied, pretending to push me away. ¡°So that means when everyone¡¯s away, we can¡­¡± I whispered, the grin on my face grew broader. A bright scarlet patch blazed on Edelweiss¡¯ face as she averted her gaze, saying nothing.


    As the only single unattached in the room, Big Sister grimaced at us being in couples and pairs without any apparent consideration for her presence. Annoyed, she cleared her throat distinctively, capturing everyone¡¯s attention and we parted instantly when we realized what was happening, all of us embarrassed beyond words.


    With everyone finally settled back to normal, Big Sister began steering the subject back to our travel into the past. ¡°Tell us about your trip of pilgrimage into the past.¡± Lin Feng, Chongxi, and I looked at each other. ¡°Well, what was a week to you all,¡± I said, ¡°Was actually a few years to us.¡± Big Sister¡¯s and Edelweiss¡¯ eyes immediately widened as they became stunned by what they heard. Xiao Yu and Yuanyuan looked only slightly confused as they did not know the whole truth.


    Lin Feng then began explaining to them the true nature of our trip that we were on a journey of pilgrimage, not in the present, but in the past. The revelation left both Xiao Yu and Yuanyuan bewildered with disbelief, especially Xiao Yu, who looked as if she could not quite believe what she was hearing, but Yuanyuan was looking rather envious.


    Hardly witty with words, Chongxi never once mentioned to the introverted Xiao Yu about our quest. In fact, they rarely talked about our adventures. On the other hand, Yuanyuan and Lin Feng were another completely different combination; they talked so much about our adventures that I daresay that Lin Feng must have told her another heavily-exaggerated account of my first travel through Time before and that must be why she looked so envious now.


    Big Sister was at least mollified that we were fine and well. She propped a leg over a knee, saying, ¡°All right then. Let¡¯s talk about that magistrate constable who came looking for Father. What is going on actually? He refused to tell us anything.¡± Knowing that the ¡°magistrate constable¡± was in fact Zheng Shuang, I shrugged. ¡°After I apprehended the Cao Xuedong¡¯s ghost at his house, I handed him to his girlfriend, Huang Li. But it appears that she failed to revive him. Somehow, she came up with the idea of reporting the incident to the authorities so that they would come to arrest me.¡± Big Sister furrowed a brow and pressed on, ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Lin Feng quipped, saying, ¡°We came back in time. Would you believe it? We came back right inside the Wu Zhong Police Station. Zheng Shuang was so shocked when he saw us that he choked when he was eating and noodles sprouted right out of his nostrils!¡± And Lin Feng burst into fits of guffaws.


    Big Sister stared strangely at Lin Feng with a disapproving look on her face. Chongxi, still wiping beads of tears off Xiao Yu¡¯s eyelashes, added, ¡°We sent Xiao Qi and her sisters to the police district headquarters so that one of them could enter Cao Xuedong¡¯s dead body and pretend to be him. That should clear us all.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Big Sister laughed and said, ¡°You must have been learning how to cheat during your time outside! Come on, is it even logical that a person who¡¯s been dead for seven days wake up again! Imagine how many people could be scared witless by this!¡± I giggled, shrugging my shoulders. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the least of our concern for now. At first, I only wanted Xiao Qi to pretend to be Cao Xuedong, move his body somewhere else and leave it there. But I discovered that the officer in charge of this inquiry, the one who came from the district headquarters, was also one of Huang Li¡¯s kin. I was having hallucinations again when I shook his hand. So I decided to play a stronger hand. He could be maintaining contact with Huang Li. God knows what else they¡¯re plotting now.¡±


    ¡°So where are Xiao Qi and her sisters now?¡± I answered with a smile, ¡°Home, naturally. They are to go home immediately right after their errand.¡± That elicited an exasperated smile from Big Sister.


    As we were talking, Chongxi remembered something suddenly. He turned to Yuanyuan, saying, ¡°Speaking of errands, bring us to your old house later. We have an errand to do there.¡± ¡°What errand?¡± Yuanyuan looked at him suspiciously. A perplexed Lin Feng then understood and he quipped, saying, ¡°To take something back.¡±


    Yuanyuan shrugged her shoulder with ambivalence then she too remembered something. ¡°You reminded me of something as well, now that we¡¯re talking about my old place.¡± Everyone looked at her. ¡°The settlements at my old place are being demolished. The building team was moving West, demolishing all of the abandoned buildings there until they were forced to halt. There have been rumors¡­ Rumors that they have encountered something bizarre!¡±


    If she was expecting a strong and enthusiastic reception from us, she would be disappointed. None of us stirred and the few years of training in the past had seen to that. We had been seeing demons and monsters as frequently as we saw humans that there was little that could surprise us anymore.


    A disenchanted Yuanyuan continued, ¡°The building team is now just outside an old residence. They¡¯ve tried everything but nothing they did could do anything to remove any brick or mortar from the ancient building. There have been people saying that the house was so old that it has developed a consciousness of its own. The vehicles and motors that the building team is using fail whenever they want to do anything. In the end, the foreman of the building team sent a man to climb the roof. The man was ordered to start by removing the tiles from the top but guess what happened to him!¡±


    She paused to let the moment sink in, hoping that she could try pique our interest again only to meet the blank stares coming from us. Looking positively forlorn now, she divulged, saying, ¡°An unseen force pushed him off the roof and the man rolled down like a ball and fell to the ground with a good many tiles coming down and crashed on him. He¡¯s in the hospital now, badly injured. I heard that the foreman has sent for a Taoist priest a few days ago. They say he¡¯d be performing a ritual soon!¡±

 Chapter 265 - Help!

    Lin Feng, Chongxi, and I shared a quick look. ¡°It¡¯s been so long,¡± Chongxi wondered and said aloud, ¡°We won¡¯t know whether it¡¯s the same spot she had mentioned as we¡¯re going to. How about a look then?¡± Lin Feng nodded and said, ¡°Might as well. Since we would be nearby anyway.¡±


    Hearing this refilled Yuanyuan with excitement. She screamed to come along and so did Edelweiss and Xiao Yu. ¡°I¡¯m coming along too, since all of you would be going,¡± Big Sister added. ¡°Come on, all of you,¡± I pointed out and said, ¡°Look at the time. It¡¯s not that we¡¯re going now.¡± Only then everyone realized that it was already six in the evening. The debacle at the police station had taken up so much time that we hardly had any drop of water the whole day.


    However, for Chongxi, something else came to mind: food. He jabbed a finger at the clock on the wall. ¡°All right, enough talking. It¡¯s time for dinner! Let¡¯s settle that first! The food in ancient times is nowhere near as delicious as anything here! I¡¯ve been waiting for so long!¡±


    Big Sister turned to Chongxi with an applauding look and nodded, looking just as she had long starved herself. Big Sister and Chongxi together were a force so formidable that nothing would be able to stand between them and food and it was imperative that we settle their dinner before we could look into doing anything else.


    I took out my phone from a drawer and plugged it to a portable charger and switched it on. Lin Feng produced a set of car keys from another drawer. ¡°Well, I do hope my driving skills are still intact. It has been years since I was last gripped a steering wheel!¡± he said as he took the lead to move towards my old Volkswagen parked outside.


    A flurry of pings and rings came just as soon as my phone flared to life. They were unread SMSes, WeChat messages and so forth, numbering to at least a few hundreds of them. Among them all which included Zheng Shuang¡¯s, I saw even a few from Lu Shengnan.


    I took my time during the ride to the restaurant to take a look at the messages Lu Shengnan sent me. She had been trying to get a hold of me since the second day we left on our quest through Time. After getting not even a dial tone which indicated my phone was off, Lu Shengnan tried bombarding me with barrages of WeChat messages. The first few ones were asking why my phone off was, and the ones later urged me to return her call as soon as possible. Those came after told me nothing I did not already know; that Huang Li has lodged a police report against me and so on. I began scrolling down without reading most of them until the last few messages caught my notice. They came from three days ago, saying, ¡°What¡¯s happened to you? Huang Li has come looking for me. She wanted me to go somewhere with her but I refused. I was scared. I told her that I was busy and we should talk tomorrow.¡±


    Then another pair of messages from her said, ¡°There are people from Huang Li¡¯s family coming for me! I¡¯m so scared, help! They are coming!¡±


    Then the last message from her, which came yesterday, the night just before we returned, carried only one word: Help!


    I bit my lip as I re-read the word again and again, my heart thumping with dread. Edelweiss noticed the foreboding expression on my face and asked, ¡°Why? Is there anything wrong?¡± I handed my phone to her and gestured to the message Lu Shengnan sent me. She looked at it and gave a yelp of fright.


    Lin Feng and Yuanyuan, both sitting upfront, jerked their heads back in unison, shrieking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lu Shengnan,¡± I replied, ¡°She¡¯s been taken by Huang Li. Her last message came yesterday, saying only one word: HELP.¡± ¡°Ah?!¡± Lin Feng gasped, so shocked that his foot nearly stepped on the brakes. ¡°For so long we were in the past, I have been thinking. Was Lu Shengnan an accomplice of Huang Li¡¯s? No matter how I thought, I could find no way to prove that she was. Until now, everything is still obscured. I have no way of knowing if she¡¯s really in trouble or not.¡±


    ¡°At anyhow,¡± Lin Feng nodded and said, ¡°We¡¯d be busy in no time.¡± He depressed the brakes, applying more and more force as the car began to slow. Xiao Yu¡¯s car had come to a halt just in front of the barbeque skewers restaurant that we used to frequent so long yet not so long ago.


    Big Sister has been riding with Chongxi in Xiao Yu¡¯s car and they got down when they reached the restaurant. Lin Feng hurried right up to Chongxi and said, ¡°The Lu Shengnan girl is in trouble. Divine what¡¯s happening to her and whether anything she¡¯s said is true.¡± He took my phone from me and passed it to Chongxi.


    Chongxi read Lu Shengnan¡¯s messages and asked me, ¡°Do you know her birthdates and time of birth?¡± Fortunately for her, Lu Shengnan¡¯s particulars regarding her birth were quite special; a most unique detail about her that I would never forget: she was born on April 1, 1995. April Fool¡¯s Day. Oddly, in some ways, Lu Shengnan herself was a bit of a doltish character, a fool even. I gave Chongxi the details he needed and he began to work on his divination calculations.


    The Chongxi today was no longer the Yuan Chongxi of old. Seasoned by our quest of pilgrimage, he could now make calculations swifter and more accurate than before and while his fingers flexed nimbly as he calculated the fate and fortune of others when he worked his magic, he no longer has the clumsy bearing of a halfwit but rather the sage presence like a true master of mystic arts.


    It took only a couple of minutes only and Chongxi lowered his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go in first,¡± he said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about her over dinner. She can suffer our absence for a while longer.¡± I nodded with assent. We followed his lead into the restaurant where the proprietor of the joint saw and recognized us. He made a quick headcount and smiling and nodding, disappeared into the kitchens.


    We settled into our seats and Chongxi began saying, ¡°Well, Lu Shengnan is in a heap of trouble, that¡¯s for sure. But she¡¯s nowhere near mortal danger yet. At least not now. And since Huang Li has taken her, I guess that means she¡¯s not in league with her. During the time when we¡¯re gone, Huang Li had not dared to step into Wu Zhong to find out. But Huang Li did try to approach Lu Shengnan and Huang Li discovered her trying to contact us. I think that is why she was taken; Huang Li believes she knew where we¡¯ve gone to. So she could be tortured for answers.¡±


    Nodding my head in agreement, I added, ¡°That is very, very likely. But there¡¯s also the possibility that this is all one bloody play. A show that both Lu Shengnan and Huang Li are both participants in order to lure us in. We still cannot be 100% sure of Lu Shengnan¡¯s trustworthiness. Everything you just said is only from your divination without any concrete proof about Lu Shengnan¡¯s loyalties.¡± Chongxi nodded. ¡°We believe what we see,¡± he conceded and said, ¡°We¡¯ll have to find out everything ourselves to make sure. But we¡¯ll need to first go for my thing before we can.¡± Lin Feng and I bobbed our heads again.


    Yuanyuan and the others were only looking at us with blank faces. They had not even an inkling of what Chongxi meant by ¡°my thing¡±. Yuanyuan was the first to burst out with curiosity, ¡°What is it that you want to take back! Tell us!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Big Sister quipped, ¡°Tell us! What is it so important that you need to get it first? Stop being mysterious!¡± With nothing more than a cryptic grin and a shrug of my shoulders, I muttered, ¡°You¡¯ll see when we go there tomorrow.¡±


    Big Sister was about to open her mouth to ask prod further when her nose twitched suddenly. Then again, and her eyes flashed with exhilaration! She twisted to the back and saw the proprietor of the restaurant emerging with a huge handful of barbecue skewers, beaming broadly as he came to our table. ¡°Well, I see you have a larger number today, so I¡¯ve made your customary amount with additional tens of them more,¡± he said, ¡°Let me know if you need more.¡± Then he heaved and laid something heavy on the table: a one-dozen stack of canned beer! ¡°It¡¯s been so long since you¡¯re here,¡± he added, ¡°Business is brisk these couple of days, so we¡¯re celebrating! This beer is on the house! Enjoy!¡±


    We thank the restaurateur for his generosity. ¡°Boss, let¡¯s have some more ribs and chicken wings! I¡¯m on an eating spree tonight!¡± An excited Chongxi bellowed with fervor at the proprietor who remarked, ¡°Look at you! You can really eat, eh? All right then, the food will be coming just right up!¡± And he scampered back into the kitchens.


    With the season slowly turning warm outside and it was dinner time, more and more people flocked to the restaurant. Barbecue joints like these often enjoy bustling business during the tepid season and so was this restaurant. Before long, the entire restaurant was boisterous with the din of customers talking and eating.


    Big Sister had her way with all of us, being the most eldest among us. She never stopped swiping every skewer that she could find, cramming them all into her mouth and chewed rapaciously. ¡°God, Big Sister. Slow down,¡± I chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re going to eat even the bamboo sticks too!¡± Everyone burst into laughter. This was the first time Big Sister had barbecue skewers and she loved them so much that she ignored everything we said and laid siege to every ounce of meat she saw. Like a little kid utterly satisfied with snacks, she devoted every shred of her attention to the food with complete disregard for everything else around her. It did not take long for the few bamboo sticks in front of her to be replaced with a huge mound of them.


    The sight of Big Sister wolfing down the food ignited the flame of competition in Chongxi. Refusing to surrender, he pawed at a handful of barbecue skewers and devoured them in one gulp. Another peal of laughter rang across the table. We were grabbing our stomachs, guffawing so badly that our dinner stopped abruptly to give way to the impromptu eating competition between Big Sister and Chongxi.


    With one hand snatching any barbecue skewers he found and another hand upending more beer into his mouth, Chongxi gobbled one skewer after another. On the other hand, Big Sister stocked her mouth full of barbecued meat with both her hands scooping up food like octopus tentacles. Suddenly they stopped, both opening their mouths wide to burp so loudly that they sounded like a pair of war horns.


    In the midst of our merriment, a figure came close to our table. The person drew up an empty chair from another table and spun it around to face the table and sat on it, sitting just right beside me. His hair was frayed and disheveled like that of a beggar¡¯s and so were the tattered clothes he was dressed in, even though there was something about his dressing that looked oddly familiar to me.

 Chapter 266 - Na San, Again

    At first, I could not recognize who the stranger was. It was only when my eyes fell upon that dirty and crumpled shirt that used to be mine, then I knew who he was: Na San!


    He looked just as soiled and haggard as a farmer, with that shirt of mine that looked as if it could do with a washing that it has been owed since I gave it to him last time we met. Nevertheless, Na San seemed to love it very much. Despite the many stain marks, there were two parts where he had patched it up meticulously. His hands caught some oil when he grabbed the chair and when he was about to just flippantly wipe his hands on his shirt, he paused, only to reach further down and wipe the oil of his pants instead.


    I was rather surprised at his unbidden arrival and he noticed my puzzled expression. With an abashed smile, he croaked sheepishly. ¡°Urm¡­ Greetings, Young Lordling.¡± His voice was just as raspy as ever like a broken tin gong.


    Edelweiss and Lin Feng began to notice him too, and they looked just as surprised as I was to see him. But knowing what happened to him the last time he came to my home, they were neither afraid nor apprehensive of him. The race between Big Sister and Chongxi was still ongoing with a white-hot intensity that they did not even realize that we had a guest.


    The owner of the restaurant came back out of the kitchens, carrying some ribs, chicken wings, and sausages. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Na San and quietly, he asked, ¡°A friend, Shiyan?¡± I saw Na San blushing with embarrassment and answered, ¡°Yep. A friend. He¡¯s in construction, so he doesn¡¯t really care much about appearances. I hope you won¡¯t mind.¡± The proprietor smiled at Na San apologetically. ¡°Oh, apologies, young man. Apologies. I did not know you are a friend of Shiyan¡¯s.¡± Na San could only manage a weak smile, saying nothing.


    As the restaurateur turned to leave, I fished up some barbecue skewers and stuffed them into Na San¡¯s hand. ¡°Something wrong between you and him?¡± I asked, nudging my chin at the leaving figure of the restaurant owner. Na San gulped hard and clenched the sticks of meat in his hand and began gnawing them hungrily. After finishing them, he wiped the grease off his mouth and said, ¡°To be truthful, Dear Lordling, it has been days since I last had a meal.¡± I nodded, gesturing him to dig in. He must be so starving that he looked just as voracious as Chongxi and Big Sister.


    Chewing his food, Na San told us what happened, ¡°Well, when I came just now, the owner mistook me as a beggar and he refused to let me in. So instead of coming in here to wait for you, I could only wait outside.¡± ¡°Wait for me?¡± I uttered and Lin Feng tensed at once, growling warily, ¡°How did you know we¡¯re coming here?¡± Na San smiled benignly. ¡°Shamans like me can still communicate with the kin of the Wudaxians even if we¡¯re within the China Proper. The mice told me you¡¯d be here, Young Lordling.¡± I nodded again with an ¡°Oh¡± and asked, ¡°So, what brings you here? How¡¯s your prince?¡±


    Na San was just finishing the last barbecue skewer in his hand when I popped the question and he stood to his feet abruptly, his face sullen and gloomy. Then, without a word, he fell to his knees before me, surprising everyone in the restaurant especially me since every pair of eyes in the restaurant immediately trained upon us. None of us knew what was going on and even Chongxi and Big Sister paused from their race, staring bewilderedly at Na San.


    The rambunctious clamor in the restaurant immediately died down. ¡°What¡¯s with this dirty beggar?¡± A voice asked, ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that Murong Shiyan, the famous medium from that paranormal agency? Is the beggar begging him for forgiveness?¡± ¡°Come on, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know about that open secret? They say Murong Shiyan has supernatural abilities¡­ That beggar must be possessed and now is apprehended by him!¡±


    The hushed buzzing around me was enough to make my face flushed completely red. This is the price of being famous, I suppose¡­ Some of the other customers were already taking out their phones to record videos or take photos. I rushed forward and took Na San¡¯s arm to help him up, but he flung my arm away and knocked his head on the floor, the dull thud sounding extraordinarily ringing and clear in the silence backdrop inside the restaurant, eliciting suppressed waves of wows and oohs from everyone around us.


    ¡°God!¡± Lin Feng slapped his forehead and said, ¡°And that¡¯s another one for the headlines tomorrow!¡± Xiao Yu and Yuanyuan were utterly flabbergasted, still hardly grasping what was going on since this was the first time they saw Na San. To them, he looked no more than a pitifully demented tramp. The soft-hearted Xiao Yu poked Chongxi in the ribs. ¡°Help him up please! He looks so awful!¡± Yuanyuan, however, sounded more cavalier. ¡°Leave him be,¡± she said, ¡°Look, none of Shiyan and Edelweiss are doing anything yet! Relax!¡±


    I could see Na San, a loyal servant of his master to a fault, would never get up. I crouched beside him. ¡°What¡¯s this, Na San?¡± I asked, ¡°You¡¯re making things difficult for me in public.¡± He brushed aside what I said and pleaded, ¡°Please, Dear Lordling, I need your help! I need your help to save my prince!¡±


    As if on a cue, the mob of curious customers crowding around us boiled into peals of anxious whispers. No one understood what Na San was saying, but everyone knew full well from his tone that he was begging for something. A few voices began coming from all directions, ¡°Help him then!¡± A few others spoke on his behalf gallantly, ¡°Come on, Murong Shiyan! Here¡¯s a man on his knees begging you! He¡¯s laid aside his pride to ask for your help! Help him!¡±


    Chewing on a toothpick, Chongxi asked Na San, ¡°What has happened to that Prince Beile of yours? You should know that we are enemies with your prince. So what gives? Why us?¡± Na San did not lift his head. His forehead was still on the ground when he answered, ¡°Please, Young Lordling. His Highness has been taken! They knew about His Highness¡¯ treachery in telling you about them and they have abducted him! With me alone, I can¡¯t do anything against them. Especially since we¡¯re in China Proper where the Wudaxians have no influence here! I have only you to beg for help, Young Lordling! Please!¡± ¡°Who are ¡®they¡¯?¡± I asked and Na San replied almost immediately, ¡°The people who told him about you!¡± ¡°Are they one of the three factions he told me about?¡± But Na San could only shake his head with a baffled look on his face. He did not know who took his prince; whether it was they who were still lurking in the dark at Shanggu or the descendants of Chiyou.


    ¡°What do you know about them at least?¡± I prodded again. Na San paused to think and said, ¡°Ah, yes! They felt the same. They have the same air and poise about them. One would have thought they were clones if not for their different looks.¡± ¡°I see. And they have the same cold and aloof demeanor with that same frosty stare, no?¡± ¡°Yes! Yes! That¡¯s them!¡± Na San nodded his head furiously. I nodded in response. I see¡­ At least Na San is not utterly a stupid oaf¡­ But of all places¡­ He could have come to us at the Center¡­ Not here in the wide-open public before so many eyes¡­ But he wants to kneel in front of me in public so that I could not refuse him¡­ He¡¯s hoping for some onlookers to speak on his behalf¡­


    I sighed. I turned to my companions and asked, ¡°Any thoughts? I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    Lin Feng shrugged and was the first to speak. ¡°Well, sooner or later we¡¯d still be knocking on their doors anyway. I won¡¯t mind bringing the fight to them soon.¡± Chongxi nibbled morsels of flesh of a chicken wing, saying, ¡°I¡¯d like to see for myself if this Prince Beile really has the makings of a king.¡± ¡°That Jin Qichen?¡± Big Sister quipped, ¡°He sounds negligible to me, at best. We can save him if you so wish. Or not.¡± Edelweiss looked at me, as dutiful a wife as she had been a daughter to Aunt Ulan, uttered without a shred of doubt, ¡°I¡¯ll follow you.¡± Yuanyuan did not answer, her mind fully devoted to the chicken wing she was nipping on while Xiao Yu, with tears brimming her eyes, choked and said, ¡°I feel sorry for him, Shiyan! Please help him!¡±


    I smacked my lips and turned charily to face Na San. ¡°All right then!¡± I declared, ¡°Your prince has at least supplied me with useful information. I shall consider this a repayment for his favor!¡± Na San broke into a joy to hear this. With another loud thud, his head banged on the floor again. I reached down and lifted him up and eased him into a chair.


    Whoops and cheers of delight erupted across the entire restaurant, accompanied by uproarious claps of hands! Some, in their euphoric mood, even began hooting and howling like animals!


    I raised a hand and gestured for silence. When the clamor finally stilled to silence and every other pair of eyes in the restaurant rested on me, I bowed to them and said, ¡°Please listen to me, everyone. As you have seen, I have agreed to this friend¡¯s request for help. But¡­¡± I paused to look at the one who yelled just now. ¡°Yet, this friend here speaks truly. This man here has set aside his pride to kneel for my help. It¡¯s something not all men are capable of spelling, much less perform. So, I implore every one of you here today. Please keep this under wraps. Moreover, this matter involves some issues of privacy and secrecy. As you all well know what I do for a living, I hope you can keep this matter today to yourselves. I know many of you here have taken photos or recorded videos. Please, I say. Please do not allow any word of this to leak outside. With that, I thank you all!¡± And I ended my speech with another bow to everyone.


    Another wave of applause ensued with the strength of crashing waves. ¡°Relax, my friend!¡± A voice yelled over the cacophony, ¡°None of this will reach outside!¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Another man shouted, ¡°Rest assured that we¡¯ll keep this a secret! I sank back into my seat with a satisfied look on my face that Na San noticed, looking both relieved and moved to tears himself.

 Chapter 267 - Ins and Outs

    With our persuasion, Na San wiped off his tears. Chongxi called for another round of a hundred barbecue skewers and we dug in again with Na San recounting to us the details.


    ¡°So a week ago, His Highness became worried sick when he heard that you were missing, Young Lordling. Thinking that you had been secretly abducted by the two other parties, he contacted one of them. I was not privy to their conversation and its contents, but the expression on His Highness¡¯ face after the conversation told me enough to know that things did not go well.¡± Na San paused. ¡°According to His Highness, Young Lordling, that person seems to be from Shanggu. A man called Jing, Jing Jiu.¡±


    Chongxi stopped eating and thought aloud, ¡°Jing Jiu? That¡¯s the same Jing as Jing Ke, the assassin, innit?¡± I nodded and breathed grimly. ¡°Yishui Town of Shanggu¡­ He could well be Jing Ke¡¯s descendant. Factor in that connection and the fact that they are after the Shiyan Blade, this could be another progeny of ancient nobility trying to revive a kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Wait up,¡± Lin Feng interjected, scratching the back of his head and said, ¡°My history is terrible. What ancient nobility?¡± ¡°The State of Yan during the Warring States era,¡± I revealed after a quick swig of beer, saying, ¡°And it could be true. Because the ancient capital of the State of Yan during then was situated in present-day Yi County!¡± Lin Feng and Chongxi broke into expressions of surprise from over the table. Finally, we have found the true purpose of the mysterious organization that based in Yishui for wanting the Dragon-slaying Blade.


    ¡°Urm¡­ Young Lordling,¡± Na San cut in, breaking my line of thought. ¡°Of course, Na San,¡± I said at once, ¡°Please go on.¡±


    Na San nodded and went on, ¡°His Highness then wished to contact the third party. But no one finds the woman in black. Only she finds us. The last time she met His Highness was in Tangshan. She told him that you would be going to this housing area consisting of bungalows and villas.¡± I nod my head, indicating that I knew. ¡°But that was the last time His Highness saw her,¡± Na San said again, ¡°And since your disappearance, His Highness has been looking for you, though his attempts remained fruitless. Until one day, I was accompanying His Highness. We were just arriving in Tangshan city after leaving Wu Zhong. Then these people stormed into His Highness¡¯ suite and took him. I fought desperately to save the prince, but they were just too many. They took even my staff and my knife, nearly taking my life too in the process¡­¡±


    ¡°But you hardly look wounded,¡± Lin Feng remarked offhandedly. ¡°I¡¯m not. Because when these people were about to strike the killing blow, a rat deity who was coincidentally passing by the area saw and saved me. He healed me and guided me back here to Wu Zhong,¡±


    ¡°Hold it. You were in Wu Zhong with Jin Qichen all the time?¡± I interrupted. ¡°Yes. We came to Wu Zhong when we got word that you were hurt, Young Lordling and we¡¯ve been staying in a hotel in town ever since until we left for Tangshan.¡± I bobbed my head, saying, ¡°So what have you been doing since your prince was taken?¡± A chagrined Chongxi croaked hoarsely, ¡°Walking¡­ I¡¯ve been walking all the way from Tangshan¡­ I¡¯ve no money¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Chongxi gasped, his eyes dilating with shock, and said, ¡°You¡¯ve not eaten anything for almost a week?!¡±


    ¡°Urm, not really¡­¡± Na San husked and said, ¡°There were several kind people who have given me food when I reached the outskirts of Tangshan. I would never have survived this far without their charity.¡± ¡°How about joining us for good?¡± Edelweiss suggested suddenly, ¡°Following that prince of yours, you don¡¯t even have enough to wear and eat. See how your master dresses and see what he eats, then look at yourself.¡± Na San¡¯s head dipped in silence and Edelweiss gave me a knowing wink.


    I giggled deep inside. Edelweiss might look like a timid and obedient wife on most times, but she was no less a schemer than she was when she was Aunt Ulan¡¯s lieutenant in her band of outlaws. This was Na San¡¯s weakest moment. The frailest moment of his confidence and trust in his master and the best moment where his faith could be tested. If he could join us, we would have added a powerful shaman into our ranks, a talent which could prove to be a potent asset in the battles to come. Slave or not, Na San had many a time demonstrated his loyalty. If only we could win him over. Despite having not yet witnessed Na San¡¯s prowess in person, Edelweiss knew enough to realize that he had powers on par with us after listening to Big Sister¡¯s accounts about our first meeting.


    A hint of doubt flashed in Na San¡¯s eyes. Big Sister, who immediately picked up Edelweiss¡¯ gist, added, ¡°Indeed. Think about it, since when did that Prince Beile of yours has ever given any damn about your well-being? The last time when we took you, your prince fled without so much as a look back at you.¡± Na San grimaced as he struggled between loyalty and self-preservation, not knowing which he should choose.


    I placed a hand on Na San¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That prince of yours has been misled from the very beginning. His dreams of reviving the Qing Dynasty is nothing but a fantasy. With all the piffle about the dragon leys and everything; all of them were nothing but mere figments of delusions of grandeur. You are not a fool, Na San. Even I can see that. I¡¯m sure you can see what a folly this is. Jin Qichen is nothing but a pawn in the greater scheme of things. A cannon fodder prodded to come my way. He would be disposed of if and when those co-conspirators of his have achieved their purpose. You can help us. Help us defeat these people, then persuade Jin Qichen to wake up from his dreams, for his own good. You can decide what you want after that. You can stay with me or you can go with him. Your call.¡±


    Na San wrestled with himself for literally minutes before he pounded a fist on his thigh. ¡°Young Lordling, everyone,¡± he said to us, casting his gaze across the sprawl of the table, ¡°I thank you for the kindness you have shown me. I know nothing I do will be enough to repay you. But I am His Highness¡¯ servant. Everything I do is for this very purpose¡ªto serve him. This was the final bidding my father gave me before he died: The Empire is no more, but His Highness is our king still and that changes nothing about our oath of loyalty. We Shamans will not renege on our ancestral pledge to eternally serve the Aisin-Gioro line. These are our words that we Shamans will hold true, from now until our end.¡±


    Big Sister emitted a scornful ¡°Humph¡± and Edelweiss frowned mildly, both visibly vexed by the failure to crowbar Na San into joining us. Yuanyuan and Xiao Yu looked on with the same look one would have when watching a soap drama. That left only Lin Feng, Chongxi, and I who kept silent. Before our quest of pilgrimage, we would have believed Na San a wretched slave with an equally wretched lost cause. Our years in ancient China have seen our character matured like blades on whetstones and we were no longer the reckless and brash young men we once were that would belittle or deride Na San for his blind loyalty. But now, we only felt sorry and sad for him as we lamented his choice.


    Nevertheless, even with its failure, ¡°Operation Crowbar¡± has at least achieved something useful to us: Na San would, at least, never again view us as enemies.


    And as my companions grappled with the tacit awkwardness that ensued following Na San¡¯s rebuffing of our offer, another stranger approached our table. I looked around and saw it was the same man who had yelled about how Na San had laid aside his pride to kneel before me for help, holding a beer can in his hand.


    I was about to get up but the man put his hand on my shoulder and held me down. ¡°Sit, sit,¡± he said gently, ¡°No offense intended. I just want to have a drink with you.¡± I raised my glass to meet his beer can and they clinked to a toast. ¡°What¡¯s your name, friend?¡± I asked genially. The man, wearing a sleeveless singlet even in the warming season with the tattoos of mantis shrimps down his arm in full display, looked like a street thug. But he was friendly and straightforward, roaring in laughter as he introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Zhang Mingwang. Sometimes known by my being the second in the family as Zhang Er¡¯ge (Zhang the Second) too. You¡¯re a household name in Wu Zhong, you know? What happened just now with this friend here?¡± he asked, gesturing at Na San.


    He sat between Na San and me and propped his arms over our shoulders as if we were close friends. A man accustomed to the roughs and smooths of life, he talked and drank with a plucky and quixotic air that I did not dislike. Instead, I rather like people like him. Straightforward people who do not veil their thoughts and emotions behind cunning lies and shrewd plots. Talking to him was easy as there was hardly any need for secrecy. ¡°If only you understand what¡¯s going on, Zhang Er¡¯ge. The boss of our friend here was actually working with another group of people against me. But his boss offered me a favor and provided me with a little help. Somehow his accomplices found out about this and took him. So here is our friend here, asking help from an enemy to help save his boss.¡±


    Zhang Mingwang¡¯s eyes glittered with ardent passion. His hand slapped and shook Na San¡¯s shoulder encouragingly. ¡°Good man! I applaud you both for your gallantry! People don¡¯t talk and behave like you two do these days! Well, for all it¡¯s worth, let me know if you need any help! I¡¯m at your service!¡± The sinewy muscles on his arm flexed as he grabbed our shoulders passionately and I spied a long and ghastly scar running down his arm. He must have once been hurt before in a fight. A fight that had nearly cost him his arm.


    Big Sister snorted satirically and averted her eyes away, obviously disgusted by the imprints on Zhang Mingwang¡¯s arm which reminded her about our last fight in a restaurant with some hooligans. But unlike common thugs and hoodlums, he merely laughed it off without being offended by Big Sister¡¯s behavior.


    The more we talked and drank, the more we began to enjoy each other¡¯s company. The restaurant owner appeared suddenly, carrying a tray full of barbecue skewers. He saw Zhang Mingwang and remarked surprisedly, ¡°Ah?! Zhang Er¡¯ge. What brings you here to this table?¡± ¡°We seem quite a match for each other! It has been quite some time since I met anyone as stout-hearted as these young men and I admire them for it!¡±


    ¡°I guess you haven¡¯t heard of this friend here, have you, Shiyan?¡± The proprietor said, ¡°This fellow here is like the prodigal son!¡±

 Chapter 268 - Advice Over Drinks

    ¡°Prodigal son? What do you mean?¡± I asked the restaurateur who had aroused my interest to know more about our new friend. He cast a look at Zhang Er¡¯ge and chuckled. ¡°Best you ask him yourself,¡± he muttered and he scrambled around the table, collecting all the mounds of bamboo sticks from our table before he left.


    It was time to delve more about our friend. By the sound of it, Zhang Er¡¯ge¡¯s past did not seem disgraceful. ¡°So, Zhang Er¡¯ge. What did the proprietor mean by ¡®prodigal son¡¯?¡± I asked and Zhang Mingwang giggled as a preoccupied finger caressed the scar on his arm. ¡°It¡¯s all things of the past,¡± he remarked dismissively and I decided to prod no further. But a voice came from another table, yelling, ¡°Zhang Er¡¯ge? You self-conscious clod! If you¡¯re reluctant to, then let me tell his story!¡±


    We twisted our heads back and saw three men grinning as they came to us. The man on the most left was the shortest with a height that almost matched Chongxi. The one in the middle was bespectacled, his back arched and his hair white like a wizened old man. He looked almost as tall as the stocky man, if not taller. And with their taller companion on the most right, the one who had just spoken, they looked like a pair of severed fingers. The last man lumbered at least almost five foot nine, even though he was as gaunt as a pole, which made me wonder if his weight even exceeded fifty kilograms.


    The short, stocky man looked just as doltish as Chongxi while the pseudo-old man in the middle looked haggard and weak. The scrawny too wore a set of spectacles and with the cigarette between his teeth, he looked like a scholarly bag of bones. Yet despite their normal-looking attire, none of them were giving off the ¡°normal people¡± vibe, instead they looked more like delinquents and criminals.


    ¡°What do we have here? Wow, Murong Shiyan, as I live and breathe,¡± the scrawny uttered. I chuckled diffidently and remarked, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sure everything you¡¯ve heard about me has been exaggerated to an Olympic degree. What shall I call you?¡±


    ¡°Liu Siyang.¡±, ¡°Zhu Fengwei¡±, and ¡°Mu Haisong, the same Mu as the folklore heroine Mu Guiying,¡± Shorty, Oldy, and Scrawny introduced themselves in cue. Zhang Er¡¯ge, still sitting between Na San and I, scowled with amused glee, ¡°Mu! There we go again, you running around, sprouting nonsense about me!¡± Mu giggled and remarked to me with a wink, ¡°Look at him brag.¡±


    Mu turned out to be a talkative fellow. Despite his thuggish outlook, one could definitely see that he was a learned person from his speech and conduct. He reminded me of Yan Jishi, who, notwithstanding the strings of expletives that escaped his mouth, was also a nice person to be friends with.


    Mu began telling us about Zhang Er¡¯ge¡¯s past. He once operated an internet cafe of his own. But his business turned poor and he lost money. So he sold the internet cafe to pay off the debts and left to work elsewhere. But without proper education since he was a boy, he could only work as bouncers or ¡°crowd controllers¡± in night clubs and bars, while occasionally engage in shakedowns and extortions for loan sharks, until one day, he was cornered by a rival. He was attacked. Stabbed and cleaved that he almost died and the terrible scar on his arm was the souvenir from that fight.


    In wine lies the truth. After a few rounds, Zhang Er¡¯ge¡¯s tongue became loose and he added himself, ¡°You won¡¯t be able guess how many friends I¡¯ve gotten after working in the roughs for so many years. None! These three of them¡­¡± His finger pointed to each of the Three Musketeers before us and continued, ¡°¡­ they are the closest thing to friends that I have. They truly see me as a friend themselves. It¡¯s not easy these days to find people like them. People like you, Murong Shiyan. And for that, I admire you. These three friends of mine have warned me, implored me, and admonished me countless times. But I was greedy. I always wanted to make big bucks. And for that, it nearly cost my life. Fortunately, I survived. So, that¡¯s the end of my swashbuckling days. I now operate a small mini-market for a living.¡±


    ¡°Rome is not built in a day,¡± Mu commented affably, ¡°You start small, building it up brick-by-brick. Like how you eat barbecue skewers.¡± He pointed at the mounds of bamboo sticks. ¡°You have to eat them one by one. No one eats a whole roasted lamb at a barbecue stall.¡± Zhang Er¡¯ge simpered and nodded, taking a draft of beer from his can.


    Mu and his two friends drew up chairs of their own and sat down with us. He looked at Na San and me. ¡°I heard a snippet of what you¡¯re saying just now. You¡¯re going to save that prince?¡± I nodded. ¡°Be that as it may,¡± Mu chuckled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be easy to get him to give up his purpose. He could still remain an enemy of yours even if you saved him. He could never stop trying to use you to recreate that empire of his.¡±


    I froze. My companions were still eating and bantering, froze too. Their hands paused as they were reaching for barbecue skewers and the entire table fell silent. The merriment suffocated immediately to be replaced by cautious and wary stares at Mu Haisong. Our conversation with Na San about Jin Qichen¡¯s phantasmal ambition of reviving the Qing Empire was soft even amidst the noise in the busy restaurant. Yet how did he?! Lin Feng, his eyes narrowing with suspicion, voiced out the very question I was meaning to ask, ¡°How did you know about Jin Qichen and his goal? Who told you about these?¡±


    To our amazement, Mu Haisong merely smiled and pointed at his ear. Pseudo-old man Zhu Fengwei cackled lightly. ¡°His ears are extraordinarily acute. Just like how all blind people are.¡± We stared dubiously at Mu Haisong, whose wriggling eyeballs under his eyelids seemed nothing unusual to us. He is really blind or¡­I gasped quietly and Mu snorted. ¡°Ignore him,¡± he explained, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not blind. But my sight is terrible. So you can say I¡¯m half-blind, maybe. But my hearing is good. Naturally good.¡±


    That at least shattered the iciness that congealed about the table and everyone broke into laughter. Thank blood God that it¡¯s just a joke¡­ I grimaced quietly. So Mu was born with good hearing, just like how I was born with the Spirit Sight, and the rest of his companions each might have exceptional skill sets of their own.


    ¡°So, Mu, you said Jin Qichen would never give up. Why?¡± I asked and Mu smiled again. ¡°It would not be easy for him to understand. People like him are stubborn. They would never listen to what you say unless the problem is shoved into their faces. Not until he feels the pain itself. It¡¯s just like Zhang Er¡¯ge here. He refused to listen to us no matter how painstakingly we¡¯ve been trying to tell him. It was only after the fight that had almost claimed his life he understood. I daresay this prince is the same. For all we know he might have already realized what he is. A cannon fodder or a pawn. But he just refuses to accept it. He¡¯s in denial. So don¡¯t ever expect you¡¯d be able to convince him. Remember that. This Prince Beile is like a part of the Earth. Headstrong and hard. No one will be able to change him. So we can only change ourselves.¡±


    All around the table, nobody spoke. Simple words by a simple stranger, yet they rang so true. So true that all of us were left astounded. ¡°Change ourselves, you say?¡± Big Sister spoke suddenly, ¡°Do you mean we should help that stupid prince to rebuild his empire?¡±


    ¡°Hell, no,¡± Mu replied, his brow cocking up with interest, ¡°Change the way you¡¯re seeing this problem, not change your purpose and acquiesce to him. Changing your perception of this problem will lend you new angles and perspectives, allowing you other ways to solve it.¡± He ended with a look at Na San. Big Sister scoffed derisively again. I however mulled over Mu¡¯s words which inspired upon me fresh insights. This was how I had always looked Jin Qichen as: an enemy. The very same role he had played in my deliberations. But Na San had changed this. He forced himself to change and plea for our help and this was how he had won our acknowledgment and respect.


    So what happens if I look at things from Jin Qichen¡¯s point of view? I wondered. He had lost both his parents since he was a boy, surrounded by slaves who bowed to his every beck and call, growing up being told endlessly that he was the heir to the line of emperors. The vision of the revival of the Qing Empire was something thrust into his arms whether he willed it or not and with time, he yielded and began to place faith into it, believing that it was his destiny to once again bring about the second coming of the Qing Dynasty. The dream that drove him to so earnestly covet the Shiyan Blade and hope with ferocious fervor that I would stand by his side. Everything looked so right and proper from his point of view. He was only pursuing his destiny. A purpose that he truly believed in that he would willingly become someone else¡¯s pawn if it could see his dreams come true.


    That thought filled me with a pang of sentimental relief as I exhaled lightly. What Mu said was indeed an inspiration to me and I have learned much after listening to him. ¡°Good advice is rarer than rubies, they say,¡± I chuckled and said, ¡°Yours is even more so, Mu. Thank you so much. I guess I understand now.¡± Mu merely emitted a coy smile, saying nothing. ¡°Humph,¡± Big Sister snorted again and said, ¡°What advice? As if there¡¯s anything to be gleaned from the nonsense he just spewed! In the end, the prince is still an enemy of ours. Aside from being their stooge, he¡¯s no different to the true villains hiding in the background.¡±


    Mu made no attempt to reply. I rose up, hoping to assuage Mu for Big Sister¡¯s brashness. Lifting my glass, I said, ¡°Please forgive my big sister¡¯s straightforwardness, Mu.¡± I reached over to fill his glass, but he quickly covered it with his hand. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I do not drink,¡± he muttered, raising his glass to show us its contents. It was Coke.


    If he was offended, he was not showing it. He set aflame another cigarette, one of the many since he sat down with us, and took a swig. Mu might not be a drinker, but he was most definitely a voracious smoker.


    He inhaled calmly and spewed a puff of smoke and gave Big Sister a fixing look, ¡°True villains, you say? How would you differentiate who¡¯s the villain and who¡¯s not?¡±

 Chapter 269 - Demolition

    Big Sister looked blankly at Mu, utterly lost for words as to how she should respond to the question. But she was hardly the only one speechless; around the table, Lin Feng, Chongxi, as well as the others, were all equally speechless.


    Mu inhaled his cigarette so quickly that it was burnt right down to the stub in just seconds. He was just crushing it when Big Sister finally shook her head in dismay. She had no idea how to answer his question. Mu chuckled and nipped at his Coke. ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel troubled,¡± he said, ¡°You¡¯re not the only one. It¡¯s normal. Nobody has the right answer to this question. There is no such thing as fully differentiating good from evil, for there is no such thing as being absolutely good or infinitely evil. No clear line that borders good and bad. The definition of good and evil is subjective, they are just matters of perspective and angle.¡±


    Big Sister took in a long, deep breath, finally understanding Mu¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s Mu for you,¡± Zhang Er¡¯ge chucked and quipped, saying, ¡°Whenever he speaks, he sprouts teachings and enlightenment like a monk or a rabbi. Even I fail to get half the things he says.¡± That made me giggle, although I smiled knowingly at Mu. I had indeed learned much just by listening to him.


    At the table, everyone mulled in contemplative silence. Mu spoke again, breaking the pall of gloom, ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to so be so opinionated about good or evil. Everyone has their goals and pursuits, and that¡¯s all. That prince wishes for his empire to return. So let him be. You wish to stop him. So, just do it! The way I see it, there¡¯s hardly any need to differentiate if anything we do is actually good or evil.¡±


    I exhaled deeply. Indeed, why does it even matter anyway? Why should I even be wondering on whose side Jin Qichen will be at after this? Na San is asking for me help. So I should. Helping Na San is not contradictory to my goals anyway. So what if Lu Shengnan is the enemy? What if she is a friend? She needs my help and so I should help her.


    I looked at Mu again. Nothing about him seemed rough and vulgar anymore. What I felt from him was not the vile and nefarious presence thugs and ruffians often had, but rather a spirit of freedom. An air of unbridled sophistication.


    For years, we had been stuck in the past. I reflected quietly, yet none of us had met anyone near our age with such transcendence in perceiving the nature of the world around us. Perhaps this was what he had been doing; living in the city, immersing himself in the midst of the hustle and bustle of society while working to maintain a true and objective view of the world like how a blade was sharpened with a whetstone. Closing off oneself like a hermit was by no means any way to study and achieve enlightenment. Perhaps this gaunt, bespectacled man that looked so mundanely ordinary was actually a true sage of this era.


    Big Sister looked at Mu no longer with any hint of disdain, but rather with renewed respect in her gaze. The lesson he just gave us was a simple one. But one that none of us had ever delved or thought about.


    Mu extinguished what was the last cigarette from his pack and stood up. ¡°Well, it¡¯s time now,¡± he said, ¡°We should be going.¡± He waved goodbye and all four of them left the restaurant.


    We watched them leave, silent and brooding. None of us said a word, even Xiao Yu and Yuanyuan, who were still oblivious at what was happening.


    It was very late when we got back. I had Na San arranged to stay temporarily at the upstairs of the Center and supplied him with some fresh set of clothing. The Shaman was tearing with gratitude, mumbling inscrutable words of thanks when we left him. In truth, I had never seen Na San as a slave or any lowborn creature. Perhaps that was why I always felt uneasy whenever he expressed his thanks in his overtly-modest way.


    The next morning, we met at the Center as we prepared to go to the site of the building team that Yuanyuan told us about.


    Chongxi came down the stairs, chewing a fried dough stick. But he was not alone. Xiao Yu came down with him. All of us gawked with wide eyes and Xiao Yu¡¯s face was blazing red by the time the pair reached the bottom of the stairs. Edelweiss and I held Chongxi with a knowing grin, nodding furtively at him, but not before I flashed him a thumbs-up and that made Xiao Yu blushed even more furiously.


    To Edelweiss and I, the fondness and desire that a couple had for each other were normal. We ourselves got together when our passion burned the hottest.


    Na San was also hardly bothered by this. Ji Qichen must have had no lacking of female companionship that even Na San had grown indifferent.


    Once we were ready, we embarked on our journey to Linnancangzhen Town. It turned out to be a rough and bumpy ride. A coal mining company once operated in the area and the terrain was left with many craters and crevices, where once we found my Forest Sprite from.


    We passed through the sprawl of sinkholes, troughs, and ponds, pushing towards West until we finally reached the settlement situated at the further outskirts of Linnancangzhen, where there was this school just beside. Lin Feng yelled from the wheel, ¡°Ah! Look, that¡¯s my old school!¡± I stuck my head through the space between the car seats to look front, saying, ¡°Wow, Lin Feng? That¡¯s where you finished high school?¡± Lin Feng nodded tacitly before he lamented with melancholy, ¡°To think that so many years have passed¡­ I used to love¡­¡±


    But he did not finish his sentence. Instead, his voice turned into a song. Harlem Yu¡¯s Qing Fei De Yi that he had always loved so much. The song first came out when Lin Feng suffered his break-up and he could only be singing this song now because the memories of that former heartthrob of his weighed on his mind once more. It was in this school where they first met, although he could never say it out loud. Not with Yuanyuan sitting just beside him.


    Chongxi and I sniggered quietly behind. Yuanyuan jabbed a finger at a little bridge that loomed just up ahead, saying, ¡°Turn left here.¡± Lin Feng followed her instructions and maneuvered the vehicle. Then Yuanyuan said again, ¡°Go straight from here. Yep, there should be a junction just in front¡­¡±


    Before she even said it, I saw our destination. A humble settlement comprised of tenements and cottages, all fresh or old, with some even archaic and medieval which had large enclosed compounds. The alleyways which weaved through the little village were all small and narrow that some were too small for our car to pass through.


    Yuanyuan raised a finger, pointing down on a remarkably cramped pathway between some buildings that stretched long and out of sight. ¡°That¡¯s the way,¡± she said, ¡°Go in through there!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s too small!¡± Lin Feng grumbled saying, ¡°It¡¯s not even large enough for three persons walking together! The car will never make it through.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s walk in then!¡± Yuanyuan said, opening the door and she got down first. She pointed the way for Xiao Yu¡¯s benefit, whose car stopped right behind ours and down came Chongxi and Big Sister.


    We came out of the alley only to find that there were actually two other ways that we could have used to reach our destination. But these alternative routes had been clogged up by the machinery of the building team in charge of the demolition. We could be stuck without any way to even reverse our way out if we had come through either one of them.


    The people of the team were huddled around one of the older residences with an earthen-wall enclosed compound that looked oddly queer with only a little hut in the middle of the grounds. Nevertheless, the view of the surroundings looked no less strange to us; the residence remained the only one still standing with the rest of its kind fully bulldozed to the ground.


    We wade through the crowd of the people of the building team and found an old man at the little hut, gazing morosely at the monstrosity that was the track-hoe just outside his wall and the building team who were jeering at him.


    Lin Feng looked around. Then he walked to a middle-aged laborer and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on here, old man?¡± The man studied us all and asked dourly, ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± His tone was hard and unfriendly as if we were a bunch of good-for-nothings here to cause trouble. Lin Feng smiled and replied, ¡°We¡¯re plainclothes officers.¡± That answer made the older man snapped to attention and he smiled¡ªthis time looking more friendly¡ªand said, ¡°Ah, you¡¯re the police.¡± And Lin Feng nodded.


    The foreman would never have believed me if I was the one to announce ourselves as officers of the law. But Lin Feng was a wholly different matter. He once served in the army and he still retained that stern face and poise that convinced the middle-aged foreman well. ¡°Well, it¡¯s all because of this house, sir,¡± he explained, saying, ¡°The family of this house has been paid their compensation and the old man¡¯s children have given us their green light. Yet none of us seem to be able to do anything. We can¡¯t even drive our excavator into the compound! The place looks like it¡¯s been cursed, and a stranger told us that this house is old, so it must be haunted. Look, there¡¯s the priest we found. He¡¯s erecting an altar for a ritual!¡± He hugged himself, nudging with his chin at the direction of the house.


    Lin Feng and I stood on our toes and we looked inside. There was another cluster of people, standing around a man dressed in the garb of a Taoist priest who was carrying a three-foot-long sword as he adjusted the items on the altar.


    He took up a luopan which was lying on the table when he was satisfied, pointing his sword at it as he muttered some incantations. With my Spirit Sight I observed and saw a whiff of aura, pure and divine, bunching around the luopan as it glittered with flashes of gold. This Taoist priest¡­ He¡¯s certainly not a fake, that¡¯s for sure!


    Chongxi realized my expression shifting and asked hurriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°That Taoist priest¡­ him with the luopan¡­ He¡¯s not a fake¡­ He has powers too.¡± ¡°God!¡± Chongxi yelped with fear, ¡°Get in there and stop him! We cannot let him hurt them!¡±


    ¡°Patience,¡± I waved him off and said, ¡°Let¡¯s look a little bit more.¡±

 Chapter 270 - Duelling a Taoist Priest

    The Taoist priest raised aloft his luopan and began circling around the compound inside the enclosure. Chongxi watched on, scowling, ¡°Dammit! He¡¯s looking for directions! He¡¯s the real deal!¡±


    I said nothing, my lips pursed shut as I studied the Taoist priest at work. He beelined around the enclosure with his luopan and stopped in the end in front of three peach trees. He looked up and the winds overhead churned, with two auras, one demonic and dark and the other majestic and divine, roiling together!


    Whoosh! Sands and dust kicked up into the air by the winds and no one could keep their eyes open with the winds snapping at us. Chongxi cursed loudly, ¡°Dammit!¡±


    All three of the trees were in their springtime opulence with several buds already blossoming. Someone had been tending to them with meticulous care; the twigs and branches have been adequately pruned. The grass straggling at the foot of the trees were beginning to take a shade of green before the winds howled near and sliced them off like blades from a grass-cutting machine! The crashing winds resulting from the collision of both auras hammered at the growing buds, shredding them in their infancy before anyone could glimpse their beauty when they fully thrived. In the winds, I heard the murmurings of an incantation and I jerked my head around! Then I saw him, the Taoist priest. On one hand, his fingers flexed and weaved as he formed several hand seals and on the other, he swung and waved his sword. Before a swear word could even escape my lips, a bolt of lightning shot from the tip of his weapon!


    ¡°Shiyan!¡± A frantic Chongxi grabbed at my shoulder, his fingers sinking into my shoulder in his panic. ¡°Do something!¡± But I needed no telling; my fingers were already forming hand seals and my cheap, ordinary sword shot out of my Spirit Gourd. But before I would command my sword to attack, a shrill whistle screeched through the din of the raging winds, lancing through the pair of churning auras smashing against each other and separated them. We looked back and there was Lin Feng behind us, his poise showed that it was he who had dealt the first blow.


    The ribbons at the end of his dart fluttered wildly like the frenetic flapping wings of a small bird as the iron missile tore straight at the priest¡¯s sword-hand.


    But the priest, with reflexes as quick as a bullet, twisted his wrist and swung his weapon in a sweeping-motion at the incoming projectile!


    Crack! A blinding flash emitted from the bolt of lightning came from nowhere and struck at Lin Feng¡¯s dart, reducing it to soot and cinders in an explosion, its cry as it flew died just as abruptly as it disintegrated.


    With the deafening crack and explosion, the winds came to a rest as if on a cue and so ended with a short-lived clamor of shock and astonishment from the crowd of onlookers. Then the unbelievable happened. Everyone froze and no one moved. I looked at Edelweiss and Lin Feng behind me. They were staring dubiously at me but they were fine and so were Xiao Yu, Chongxi, and Big Sister. Everyone was okay except for the crowd of onlookers and strangers. They were all motionless as if the flow of Time had been suspended suddenly, their faces all blank and stiff and unable to move.


    We stared at each other in the stiff silence until it broke, shattered only from the incessant hum coming from the Taoist priest¡¯s sword and the jittery rustling coming from the trees with us still looking on bewilderedly.


    My eyes darted around with alarm, then I noticed something in the sky. No, not something! Someone! Hovering in a sitting position high up in the sky before he disappeared a split-second later! Dammit, that¡¯s Father!


    And before I could do anything else, a voice came at us. ¡°You there! You bunch there! Is this your doing?!¡± I turned and saw the Taoist priest barking at us. His movements were not frozen too. But he was glowering at us, clearly mistaking us as the culprits who had cast a spell to put a stop to everyone.


    We looked at each other and shared a nod before we clambered out of the crowd and into the courtyard of the ancient residence. But as soon as we emerged from the group of onlookers clustering outside the walls, the three peach trees shook excitedly as if they had recognized us!


    The reaction of the trees, as if they had consciousness of their own, did not go unnoticed; the Taoist priest sneered at us. ¡°So, this really is your doing after all.¡± He studied each of us with unfriendly eyes and stopped when he saw Big Sister. His eyes grew wide with disbelief although his astonishment quickly deflated. ¡°I see, you¡¯re not ordinary people¡­¡± He observed coldly, doing nothing to hide his antagonistic sentiment. ¡°Mr. Taoist Priest,¡± I greeted him with a smile, saying, ¡°Would you please put away your magic and stuff?¡±


    I have no intention of fighting the priest. Beside his angry countenance, he looked noble and valiant. The priest shook his head grouchily, saying only a one-syllable word, ¡°No.¡± That left me frowning. Yet before I could say anything else, the Taoist priest bellowed, brandishing his weapon at me, ¡°So you stand in league with demons! That says enough for me. You¡¯d get no mercy from me, on guard!¡±


    This incensed Big Sister who spat bitterly, saying, ¡°Fool!¡± And Qinglan¡¯s Edge materialized in her hand!


    Chongxi ignored the brouhaha between us. Instead, he tugged at Xiao Yu¡¯s hand, leading her with him as they scampered straight to the three peach trees. ¡°Enough meddling!¡± hissed the Taoist priest. He drew himself back from the stance he was using against Big Sister and switched his attention to Chongxi and ran after him. But Big Sister, hardy willing to let him go, screamed, ¡°Come back here!¡± She thrust her finger at the priest and the sword flew magically in the air, streaking straight at him as if he had a bull¡¯s eye painted on his back! The Taoist priest sensed the threat behind him and jammed his foot to the ground, pivoting himself around with his one-meter-long sword coming right back in an arc. An invisible force hit the Qinglan¡¯s Edge, deflecting it off-course.


    Big Sister flicked her wrist suddenly, drawing a semi-circle in the air and five other copies of Qinglan¡¯s Edge appeared above her! She pointed at the priest again, her fingers forming the Seal of the Sword, and all six of the swords immediately trained their tips at him like serpents poised to attack. Then the air howled. Like bullets, the swords charged at him!


    The Taoist priest could not believe what he was seeing, even though he reacted quickly. His hands reached into his sleeves and he took something out and threw it at the six missiles of steel coming at him. A golden flash of light erupted and I saw what it was: a yellow talismanic strip! Large runic scripts appeared in thin air, mirroring the inscription on the paper talisman like a hologram in a deluge of golden rays and all six Qinglan¡¯s Edges crumbled into nothing with a sickening crack that resounded like breaking ice!


    The brief stalemate left Big Sister and the priest in awe. ¡°What are you, demon?¡± He hissed quietly but Big Sister ignored the question, instead, she retorted with a question of her own, ¡°And who are you?¡± They stood motionless, glaring down at each other from a short distance. Unbeknownst to them, I knew what that talismanic charm was: the signature talismanic charm of the Zhengyi Dao branch of Taoism, the Talisman of the Celestial Master! That was also why Big Sister stopped and glowered suspiciously at the priest. She was wondering if he was related to Celestial Master Zhang, the fabled founder of the Zhengyi Dao!


    By then, Chongxi and Xiao Yu had reached the foot of the trees. He yelled to the trees, ¡°Are you nuts? Why didn¡¯t you run when he¡¯s trying to hit you?!¡± The trees shuddered in unison and young lasses, each from every peach tree, appeared and collapsed to their knees at Chongxi¡¯s ankles. ¡°We wanted to, Master. But we can¡¯t!¡±


    The manifestation of the peach nymphs forced the priest to redirect his attention back to Chongxi. Enraged, he raised his sword and bolted towards him. ¡°DEMONS, MEET YOUR END!¡± He roared as he lunged. Realizing how things were growing further and further out of hand, Big Sister and I controlled our swords via telekinesis. Our swords took into the air and stabbed into the ground right in front of him with two dangerous thuds, forcing him to stop. That seemed to just further infuriate the priest who turned back and snarled at us. Lin Feng scrambled to Chongxi¡¯s side and pulled Xiao Yu aside to her safety, but not before lashing out his whip. The long thong of the whip coiled around Chongxi¡¯s waist and Lin Feng pulled hard, pulling him away too. All three of them retreated back into the crowd, knocking down a few of the onlookers in the process,


    The Taoist priest was surprised by Lin Feng¡¯s mastery of martial arts. ¡°Impressive skills,¡± he breathed.


    Xiao Yu was left in a state of shock following her first true experience of actual battle and magic, and the sudden appearance of the three peach nymphs prostrating themselves humbly before Chongxi and addressing him as their lord did little to help.


    I smiled at the priest. ¡°Well, Master Priest. How about some explanations before we go on? This duel is meaningless. Some innocents might even get hurt for nothing.¡± The Taoist priest returned only a sneer. ¡°What is there to discuss with people like you who fraternize with demons? Look at you, you carry a pure and divine aura yourself, yet you consort with the likes of theirs!¡± ¡°Enough prattling with this old fool, Little Brother!¡± Big Sister interjected suddenly, her anger boiling at being called ¡°demon¡±. ¡°Act first, questions later!¡± With a swing of her sword, she lunged.


    The Taoist priest saw Big Sister advancing and he charged ahead defiantly himself, eager to meet Big Sister in battle!


    The air rang again with the clangs of steel gnashing on steel as Big Sister and the priest attacked each other viciously with their weapons. ¡°Stop! Big Sister, you need to stop!¡± I cried from behind and Big Sister disengaged herself upon hearing me, leaping away from the fight. The priest stayed at where he was and scoffed, his voice venomous with contempt, ¡°Humph! Siblings, both of you. I can¡¯t believe this. What parents could have such abominations like you as children?! Enough talking. On this day let Heaven¡¯s justice be inflicted upon you!¡±


    Despite my best efforts to be patient to this irascible and stubborn Taoist priest, I could hold back no longer. With my anger now bursting like a volcano, I bellowed, ¡°YOU MORON! HAVE YOU NO RESPECT!? YOU DON¡¯T INSULT THE PARENTS OF OTHERS NO MATTER WHAT!? THAT¡¯S THE BLOODY BOTTOMLINE! LOOKS LIKE YOU CAN USE SOME MANNERS YOURSELF!¡±


    The priest was already charging at me and what I said made him raised his weapon, its tip thrust straight at me. But instead of using any magic or even simple techniques of swordsmanship, I ignored the sword still protruding from the ground like a needle on a pincushion and pounced at the priest, delivering a punch directly into his face!

 Chapter 271 - Fire and Lightning

    It was no ordinary punch. The few years of training in the ancient times had seen to that. My fist sank right into the center of the priest¡¯s face and sent him careening backward for several meters before he crashed to the ground, his face confused and perplexed even though I did not know which. Was he rattled by my strength, or was he puzzled at my sudden burst of anger, I did not know which.


    Edelweiss came up and stamped a foot on the priest¡¯s chest to force him down on the ground, but to no avail. The Taoist priest let loose a snarl and he somersaulted back up to his feet again, tossing an unsteady Edelweiss to the ground. ¡°Very good,¡± he commented dryly as he aimed an opened palm at me and he began muttering a string of incantations!


    Edelweiss flipped herself to her feet and was about to charge at him but I stopped her, pivoting her around so that I could shield her with my back being to the priest. A thunderclap ensued, followed by a flash of bright light that poured from over my shoulders and a bolt of lightning fired from the opened palm, coming at me from behind. Fortunately, Big Sister had not been idle. With her sword telekinesis magic and her cloning sorcery, several copies of her sword lanced through the air, smiting at the bolt of lightning with all their fury.


    ¡°Lightning Palm?!¡± I gasped vociferously with shock, even though my voice was drowned by the thunderous explosion that resulted when the Qinglan¡¯s Edges met the lightning missile and the shock that arose from it nearly knocked me off my feet.


    First the Talisman of the Celestial Master, and now the Lightning Palm¡­ If these two were not enough to convince me that this thickheaded priest belonged to Mount Longhu (literally, the Dragon Tiger Mountain), the storied mountain abode of Zhengyi Dao, I did not know what would. These two sorcery techniques were known to be high magic in the circles of mages and the supernatural and they were the trademark techniques belonging to students of Mount Longhu.


    Mount Longhu, the site where the Taoist branch the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice that was founded by Zhang Daoling first came to prominence. The Mount Longhu today was but a mere shadow of its formerly-glorious yesteryears but visages of its greatness when Zhang Daoling reigned supreme still endured even in the slightest with the hereditary titles of Celestial Master, titles given to the heir to the leadership of this Taoist branch. The Way of the Five Pecks of Rice might already be in its twilight, but the line of Celestial Master Zhang still persisted and this stiff-necked priest must be one of his kin, otherwise, he would never have been able to use these two high magic techniques!


    Back to the present, as my eyes recovered from the fleeting blindness caused by the explosion, I saw the Taoist priest sitting on the ground, heaving with exhaustion. Sweat poured down his brows. Big Sister stormed at him, eager to continue the fight, but I stopped her. ¡°Wait, Big Sister. Wait. You saw it too, the magic he¡¯s been using. He¡¯s one of the priests of Mount Longhu.¡± She nodded, albeit reluctantly. ¡°Let me deal with him. It¡¯s time I put to test some of the tricks I¡¯ve been working on during my quest of pilgrimage. We¡¯ll see which is stronger, the sword telekinesis magic of our Murong Family or the Taoist magecraft of the Zhengyi Dao!¡± Big Sister¡¯s eyes sparkled with anticipation and she nodded, smiling.


    Grinning, my fingers, in the shape of the Seal of the Sword, flicked and up into the air rose my ordinary sword and it landed snugly into my grasp. The Taoist priest wiped the sweat off his forehead brusquely and scrambled back up, holding his one-meter-long sword while staring at me warily.


    I did not attack. At least not yet. ¡°Master Priest,¡± I called out to him, ¡°I¡¯ve just learned something recently. Absolute evil or pure goodness are mere fantasies, while the concept of right and wrong is only a matter of perspective and angles. You might see it as right and just to attack me only because I am ¡®fraternizing with demons¡¯, but we have our reasons and our justifications. Don¡¯t you think that your brashness to judge us is also wrong too?¡±


    The intransigence of the priest reared its head once again as he snorted derisively. ¡°Humph. Say no more. Demons like you only cause destruction and carnage!¡± I smiled and raised a finger to point at the three peach trees guarding the old house. ¡°Yet have you ever thought to ask them if they had ever harmed anyone before?¡±


    ¡°Deliberately causing panic and inconvenience to others and injuring the building team workers here. These sound like enough trouble to me,¡± he countered. I smiled again and said, ¡°Be that as it may, why did you not find out their reasons? Why were they stopping the building team from demolishing the house? What are their reasons?¡± The priest scoffed again, saying, ¡°Demons and monsters are different from the likes of us humans. They do not understand compassion and kindness like us. It is only right that we slay them. Why should we even negotiate with them! You are in league with them. That makes you one of them! Enough talking!¡± And he lifted his weapon, the tip of his sword aiming dangerously at me.


    Wearing a moue of annoyance, I asked loudly, ¡°That magic of yours¡­ You¡¯re from Mount Longhu, are you not?¡± The priest seemed surprised to see himself recognized, but he swiftly retorted, saying, ¡°What¡¯s that to you!?¡± I tilted my head and said flatly, ¡°I just need a ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯ from you, Master Priest.¡± ¡°So what if it¡¯s a ¡®yes¡¯?¡± the old priest said honestly.


    I sighed. With a bowing gesture at the sky, I shouted loudly, ¡°I hereby convey my apologies, Celestial Master Zhang. I mean no disrespect to you and your kin!¡± I panned my gaze back unto the Taoist priest and aimed my sword at him. All the training during my quest of pilgrimage had allowed me to fully control the use of my mana and inner strength with the greatest efficiency. Even without my Shiyan Blade, I could still become one with my present weapon freely in addition to using a plethora of magecraft techniques that I had never tried before in actual combat.


    ¡°So be it then, Master Priest,¡± I said with a thin smile, ¡°Let the duel begin.¡± My sword erupted with flames licking down its blade with the Fire Charm and I slowly released my grasp, allowing it to fly away and it circled over my head like a bird. The true becoming one with my sword, I mused. Finally, I can control my sword only with my mind without any incantation or hand seals!


    The flying sword shimmered and separated into two identical siblings, then from the pair came four and four turned into eight. Eight flying swords, each blazing proudly with flames, hung over my head. I lifted my hand and snapped my fingers gently. At my signal, all eight of my swords dove at the Taoist priest. The silvery blades of steel glinting with cold deadliness in the sun sliced through the air, raining down on him in unison. From his view, it seemed as if the swords each had consciousness of their own, each coming at him at its own pace and speed, portending the impending doom that now awaited him.


    His hands dug quickly into his sleeves before he flung out his arm again, conjuring the Talisman of the Celestial Master once more. Giant red runic scripts once again appeared in thin air like before, with the same wall of bright golden rays which blinding radiance engulfed everyone nearby and stopped the flight of my flying swords, all of them deflected off-course as if they had hit stone.


    I waved my hand and summoned all eight of my flying swords back to me. With the brief respite, the Taoist priest realized his chance to wrestle for the upper hand; he lifted high his hand and bright sparks crackled in his opened palm. Casually, I yelled with a smile, ¡°The Talisman of the Celestial Master! No surprise there, I know how to use it too!¡± My finger drew in the air quickly some runic scripts and a set of runes no larger than a hand materialized in the space between us, ablaze defiantly with conflagration. An impromptu Talisman of the Celestial Master!


    The Talisman of the Celestial Master of Mount Longhu. It was one of the signature magecraft techniques invented by the first Celestial Master Zhang Daoling. A magical technique that could tame evil and destroy anything foul. It was also one of the earliest spells I learned as a child and I had been trained to use it without the prerequisite runic seal on a talismanic strip. I could conjure it freely just as long as I had enough mana. Father told me that his teacher was a maven in employing magical charms and seals and the Talisman of the Celestial Master technique was but child¡¯s play to anyone under his tutelage and Father¡¯s too as well.


    The priest could hardly believe his eyes when he realized what I was doing. The sparks in his palm ebbed briefly before he cast out his arm, throwing forth a long bolt of lethal electricity from his hand. I gave the mirage-like runes hanging in mid-air a little push and the same golden inundation of light poured and swallowed everything in its path even in the brightness of the sunlight as the runic scripts glided to meet the lightning bolt. The runic scripts held the bolt of deadly energy at bay, both caught up in a short-lived standoff before the lightning bolt dissipated into nothing. My rendition of the Talisman of the Celestial Master had triumphed.


    The radiance from the Talisman abated finally and the priest crumbled to the ground, his face pale as cream. Using the Lightning Palm technique twice had utterly exhausted his mana. His conjuration of the Talisman just now must have been one which was stored using a talismanic strip by somebody else; with his power, his own rendition was supposed to be stronger than that.


    Yet, despite his fatigue, the Taoist priest showed no signs of surrendering. He raised his sword defiantly and stomped towards me. With a lazy flick of my wrist, one of my flying swords heeded my call and landed snugly in my grasp, allowing me to carelessly deflect his last-ditch attempt to defeat me. That made the priest staggered unsteadily backward and nearly fell. I could feel how feeble he was now and how hurried and impatient was his stroke. He was at his limits. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Master Priest,¡± I warned and said, ¡°You are no match for me. You¡¯ve lost this duel and would have been dead if I really wanted you to.¡± But the priest, in his bullheaded and misguided zeal, charged again, screaming, ¡°I¡¯ll stay no blade for any demons and their kind! Evil and Good are like oil and water, either you die or I!¡±


    I sighed wearily. With another lazy blow, I slapped the sword out of his hand and directed the rest of the seven flying swords to surround him in a ring of steel. ¡°Everything changes, Master Priest,¡± I urged and said, ¡°The Way is the Way, yet is also not the Way, as it is thus said in the very first verse of the Daodejing. Everything that can be named, is never eternal or everlasting.¡± The priest might be a student in the teachings of Taoism, but clearly, he had yet fully understood and embodied one of the earliest lessons in his tutelage.


    Instead of heeding my advice, the priest snuck his hand into his sleeve again. I shook my head, feeling sorry for the fatal stroke I was about to unleash, when a boyish voice rang from the midst of the crowd, ¡°Please, Master Shiyan. Wait.¡±

 Chapter 272 - Wait and Watch

    My sword was but only an inch away from the Taoist priest¡¯s chest. But it could go no further; an invisible force was gripping at my wrist, preventing me from going any further.


    I tugged at my arm, indicating my intent to yield and the invisible force that held me vanished. I looked back, searching for the source of the voice and saw a little boy, dressed in traditional Taoist garb, emerging from within the midst of the frozen crowd. The unusually placid look he gave when our eyes locked told me enough that this was no ordinary boy, for his gaze was as deep and unfathomable as the deepest waters of a quiet lake.


    Lin Feng and Chongxi formed up beside me and we bowed to him. ¡°Our humblest apologies, Esteemed Celestial Master,¡± I said, ¡°I hope you understand that we have had no choice.¡± ¡°I understand fully, Master Shiyan,¡± the little boy that was one of the Celestial Master Zhangs who was now an immortal said, ¡°And I want to thank you as well, for showing kindness.¡± I smiled, even though the edges of my lips twitched uncontrollably with slight irritation; I was nowhere near comfortable and accustomed to addressing a teenager with such respect and reverence. Yet despite his juvenile outlook, he spoke with the glacial pace of an elderly and that was what peeved me greatly.


    Unexpectedly, the Celestial Master failed to not notice the look on my face but he took little heed in it, turning his attention to the Taoist priest now flabbergasted beyond words not far away. He was rooted to where he was standing with shock and bewilderedness. But that was only understandable, I guess. I, for one, might even go nuts if Father¡¯s teacher would appear to me in such a fashion as well.


    But the Celestial Master said nothing to the old priest. He merely held the priest in a long, serene stare before he promptly turned and walked into the crowd with all of us watching him wordlessly and disappeared among the copse of petrified people.


    Big Sister whispered into my ear, ¡°Who¡¯s this brat?¡± ¡°Celestial Master Zhang,¡± I uttered as a-matter-of-factly which elicited a greatly-startled ¡°Ah?!¡± from her before I explained, ¡°Not Zhang Daoling, I believe. The title of ¡®Celestial Master Zhang¡¯ is passed down through generations. This one, I believe, is the next greatest one after Zhang Daoling. One of the most illustrious and brightest among all of the Celestial Master Zhangs.¡± Big Sister could only nod, her eyes still wide with astonishment, although she quickly recovered and spun to face the nonplussed Taoist priest. ¡°So,¡± she yelled, ¡°What say you now?! Would you give up now?¡± The priest shuddered as if he woke up from a dream and his legs buckled as he sank to the ground, sitting dejectedly.


    Chongxi walked back to the side of the wall where the three peach trees were standing. ¡°Tell me what happened here,¡± he commanded and the three Peach Nymphs reappeared, kneeling on the ground and they began talking at the same time, leaving Chongxi confused with the muddled jumble of discombobulated gibberish until he waved them off exasperatedly. ¡°One by one! Not all at once!¡±


    The Taoist priest suddenly spoke, ¡°Perhaps, I should be the one to do the asking.¡± He was already standing beside Chongxi. With a curt nod from the latter, he looked at the three Peach Nymphs. ¡°The family of this residence has made a deal with the demolition team and they have received fair compensation. But the team could do nothing because of your meddling. Why?¡±


    Edelweiss and I stood at the sidelines, watching the proceedings unfold with a cigarette each. Big Sister tapped on my head and asked, ¡°What¡¯s with these three Peach Nymphs? Why are they so special that we have to get ourselves into a fight for them, that even the great Celestial Master Zhang appeared too?¡± Edelweiss whirled her head around and gave me a prodding look too, expecting an answer from me as well.


    I chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s simple, actually. These three peach trees were planted here by no than us so many years ago.¡± ¡°WHAT?!¡± Big Sister, Edelweiss, and even Yuanyuan cried out as one. Lin Feng smiled and joined us, answering, ¡°Well, it was during our quest of pilgrimage. We chanced upon these three Peach Nymphs and subdued them. Then we realized that Chongxi could use them as a means of protecting himself. So they became his weapon. We were not going to stay in the past forever, but we had no idea of bringing them back with us. So we came up with an idea. We planted them here as trees and bade them wait three centuries for our return.¡±


    ¡°Wait, that means that three little lassies of yours have magic even greater than mine?!¡± Big Sister blurted, her eyes as large as eggs. ¡°Course not,¡± I shook my head and said, ¡°In theory, all three of them together are still no match against you alone.¡± ¡°No way!¡± She stammered with incredulity. I took a long swig off my cigarette. ¡°Plants are different from animals when it comes to gaining sentience and magic of their own. Wood and plant nymphs require thousands of years to reach your level of magic, Big Sister.¡± And Big Sister nodded slowly in deep contemplation.


    The three Peach Nymphs bowed their heads to the ground before Chongxi and Xiao Yu. Elder Peach first began to relate their story, ¡°It has been three hundred years since you left us here, Master.¡± ¡°About a hundred years ago,¡± Second Peach continued, ¡°A settlement was founded here and we became part of this house¡¯s compound.¡± Younger Peach threw a long look at the old man who was peeking out of the modest, little hut sitting at the center of the expanse and said, ¡°Through the years, we watched him grow up, from a baby to a child, and from a child to a man. Now¡¯s he¡¯s old. His children might have agreed to move away, but they did not ask him before making that decision, nor was he happy even though he had received the compensation.¡± ¡°Then came one night,¡± Elder Peach took over and said, ¡°We appeared to this man, he who was once the boy we watched upon, in his dreams and we asked him if he was really happy with the notion of having his ancestral home being torn down¡­¡±


    ¡°But he was actually unhappy about it, eh?¡± A testy Chongxi interjected and continued the sentence in their stead. ¡°So it was the children¡¯s own selfish decision after all and this old man could not bear to object to it, isn¡¯t it?¡± The three Peach Nymphs bobbed their head together. Chongxi said to the Taoist priest, ¡°So you understand now?¡±


    The priest nodded wearily, finally enlightened yet he could still not speak, feeling both shameful and speechless for his prematurely judgmental brashness. I walked up to Chongxi, smiling, and said to the three Peach Nymphs, ¡°To your original forms then. We¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± I gave Chongxi a knowing nudge with my chin which he returned with a curt nod and produced a thick rubber band and tossed it into the air right in front of the Peach Nymphs.


    All three of them rose together quickly. Elder and Younger both caught the rubber band at both ends while Second hugged them at their legs and they jumped together, turning into a Y-shaped forked branch before falling into Chongxi¡¯s grasp, fully transformed into a slingshot.


    This was what the trio of Peach Nymphs became after they joined us: Chongxi¡¯s slingshot. This was when Chongxi truly owned a weapon of his own.


    And right when Chongxi¡¯s fingers closed in on the handle of his slingshot, Time began to flow normally once more and noise rose again from the crowd outside the walls. Puzzled looks of disbelief and confusion could be seen on the faces of the people outside. None of them knew what happened as if our fight with the priest and the advent of Celestial Master Zhang himself had never occurred.


    Lin Feng, Chongxi, and I shared a wry smile and my companions followed my lead as we moved towards the little hut. The old man wobbled out unsteadily when he saw us coming, leaning heavily on his stick. He looked worried for he did not yet know our purpose. I smiled at him gently and said softly to him, ¡°We know all about your plight, old man. Tell us. Since you¡¯re not happy with moving away, how¡¯s this? We will speak to the developers on your behalf and have them build you a new house so that you can still stay here. What do you think of that?¡±


    A dubious expression broke upon his face as his head pivoted slowly to look around his compound. His eyes scanned the site where the peach trees once were and the stunned look that passed over him was just unmistakable. Still wearing my smile, I said to the old man, ¡°Look no further. Here they are now.¡± Chongxi intuitively took out his slingshot and show it to the old man who immediately broke into tears as soon as he laid eyes on it. The sweet voices of the three Peach Nymphs hummed through the air to a lofty tune, like a song of lamentation for their imminent parting, ¡°Little one, little one, don¡¯t be so gray; Long we waited and watched for this day; From winter to summer then winter again; We have shared much rapture and pain; A mournful ending to our perfect start; This, we¡¯re afraid, is where we part; But fear not, little one; For our lord will make justice done¡­¡±


    The old man¡¯s hand raised to wipe off the beads of tears on his wrinkled cheeks. I consoled the wizened man gently, ¡°Please don¡¯t be¡­¡± But he cut me off with a weary wave of his hand, sobbing, ¡°I, I knew¡­ I knew this day would come. The peach trees have been here even before I was born. I grew up watching them. Wondering why did they never once bore any fruit. I asked the adults but none of them knew the answer to that. Until one day when I was playing, I grew tired and I fell asleep under the trees. Then they came to me in my dreams, telling me that they were waiting for someone, and how would their long wait finally bear fruit come the day their watch has ended¡­¡± His voice broke. Perhaps it was tiredness due to old age, or it could be the sorrow of having to lose the only company he had had in many years.


    He said nothing else. He hobbled quietly back into his hut with his stick, the view of his lonesome figure so wretchedly dreary and heart-wrenching. The Nymphs had been the only companions he had since the departure of his children. And by taking them away, we were draining away the remaining colors of his monotonous life.


    I felt a knot tightening in my gut. Standing beside me, Edelweiss could find no words to console me and behind her, the pithless Yuanyuan and Xiao Yu were already choking with tears.

 Chapter 273 - Relocation

    Big Sister looked morosely at the retreating back of the old man as he disappeared into his hut. She gave me a look that seemed to say a thousand words and I knew what she was thinking. I raised a hand, indicating my understanding of her notion.


    I panned my gaze unto Chongxi again who understood me and took out his slingshot. He spoke to it, saying, ¡°Would you girls be willing to accompany the old man for the rest of¡­¡± ¡°No need,¡± the raspy voice of the old man came suddenly from inside the hut, ¡°I refused to leave, partly due to you people. Somehow, their long watch for your arrival has become something that we shared. Whoever it was they were waiting for had become whom I was waiting for too. For tens of years, we would wait together and finally, you¡¯re here and the long watch has come to an end and this is where I should bow out.¡± He came out from the hut, carrying a bundle on his shoulder reminiscent to how travelers in ancient times carried their belongings.


    ¡°Old man, th-this¡­ you¡¯re¡­¡± I stuttered and he grinned, ¡°Well, my children are too busy for me. But my grandchildren are all grown up now. It¡¯s time I join them.¡± He paused briefly to look at the house which had seen many a great springs and winters coming and passed, and sighed, saying, ¡°And it is time for this old house to be demolished to make way for the new.¡± He hung his bundle off the end of a stick and hoisted it over his shoulder and began walking away. ¡°But old man, do you even know the address of your grandchildren¡¯s home?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find out!¡± He called out without looking back. I ran to him and stopped him. ¡°Wait, old man. We¡¯re not in the 19th or 20th century now. It¡¯s a ruddy sea of people out there. How¡¯s this? We can let the developers build you a new home. Once it¡¯s ready, you can come back here to stay.¡±


    The old man cast a bemused look at his back and pointed his finger in the same direction. ¡°What of the alleyway that runs through my house? The people to the Northern side use this lane quite frequently¡­¡± ¡°Rest assured that I¡¯ll have them build it into a proper one with stones and mortar path.¡± At last, the old man nodded, satisfied.


    A long, muddy path ran through the center of the compound of the old man¡¯s residence where the main hall was supposed to be and the old man had kept his compound open so that travelers could use the path freely. We were all surprised to hear that despite his own plight, the old man was still concerned about the welfare of others, worried that others might need to detour a longer distance if the muddy path was closed off after the courtyard was demolished.


    The old man narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously, ¡°Really? You¡¯d ensure everything will be done as you just said?¡± ¡°Course! Of course I would!¡± I said hastily, nodding profusely, ¡°I, I have money!¡± It was the only pretense that I could come up for now. But while he was wizened and frail, his mind was still as keen as a whetted blade. He looked at Lin Feng, Chongxi and everyone else, asking, ¡°Really? He¡¯d do as he says?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Came a roar from them. ¡°Very well then,¡± the old man grinned at last although it subsided just as quickly as it came as something came to his mind suddenly, ¡°Urm¡­ So¡­ Now that my house¡¯s being demolished, where shall I put up for now?¡± Blinking my eyes blankly for seconds, I was lost for words. Then I thought of the Taoist priest. I quickly threw a look at him and he quickly caught the unspoken gist and declared aloud, ¡°You can stay at my place! My place will work just fine!¡± ¡°But where are you staying now?¡± The old man asked him, watching him incredulously.


    The priest slapped his chest lightly, saying, ¡°The developers gave me a hotel room when they hired me. You can stay there with me for now until your new home is ready then you can come back here again!¡± ¡°Oh, that seems to be quite an imposition, Master Priest,¡± the old man grinned again and the priest immediately clasped his hands together, saying humbly, ¡°Certainly not! Please come with me, old man!¡± And he led the old man away.


    We saw the old man out of the compound of his old house. He took my hand and shook it, saying, ¡°Thank you so much, young man. You¡¯re even helping me with the money for a new house and a new path for everyone¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, old man,¡± I beamed at him, saying, ¡°You have taken care of our trees for so many years. This is the least we could do for you.¡± ¡°These trees¡­¡± He sighed with a tinge of melancholy. ¡°If only you could see them in spring¡­ The blossoming buds in all their splendor¡­ Now that¡¯s a sight to behold!¡± ¡°It must be, old man,¡± I agreed, saying, ¡°It must be quite a sight indeed.¡±


    Leading at the front, the Taoist priest beckoned, ¡°We¡¯ll take a ride with my car, old man.¡± ¡°Wow, I thought you came riding on an ox, just like the founder of your order,¡± Lin Feng quipped to which the Taoist priest could find no words to respond. His reaction showed that he must have read the famous story of Water Margin before.


    By now, the crowd of onlookers had expanded with half outside and the other half inside the compound and a chorus of chatter and whispers rose. ¡°Look, the old man is leaving,¡± one man said. ¡°Yeah,¡± another answered, ¡°It has been days since I saw him outside.¡± ¡°Then what has he been eating then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. There were rumors about young girls making food for him. But no one knows from which family did they come from?¡± We listened to the exchange quietly, smiling as we watched the priest ushered the old man into his car before he came back to us. ¡°My apologies for the rudeness just now,¡± he said and I replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just a small misunderstanding.¡± The priest bowed. ¡°I heard your conversation with the Celestial Master. He called you¡­¡± ¡°Shiyan,¡± I continued as he broke off, returning the bow, ¡°Murong Shiyan, at your service.¡±


    He inhaled heavily with the distinctive hint of recognition. ¡°You¡¯ve heard of me, Master Priest?¡± ¡°Your surname¡¯s Murong, so Murong Hai¡¯s your¡­¡± ¡°Father. He¡¯s my father and this is my elder sister, Murong Qinglan.¡± I gestured at Big Sister behind me. The priest gave an apologetic bow to her but Big Sister merely snorted with scorn and ignored him.


    ¡°I see, I have been a fool. My apologies, truly,¡± the priest said again. I gently held up a hand, indicating that everything was fine. But he reminded me of something. Something that I had to ask, ¡°Ah, yes, Master Priest. That Talisman of the Celestial Master you used earlier. That¡¯s not your own conjuration, wasn¡¯t it?¡± The priest blushed and responded diffidently, ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid. The seal for the Talisman was written on talismanic strips by one of our earlier Celestial Masters. I had only three of them.¡± I nodded quietly, feeling slightly sorry for him. So he had had to use up two of his remaining three heirlooms and now he had but only one left, all because of Big Sister and me. The Celestial Master Zhang who had appeared just now must have sensed the commotion here the moment this Taoist priest had used his first Talisman. Otherwise, I could think of no other reason behind his timely advent. There was no way the immortal would make such a rare appearance only because I apologized to him for any rudeness to his student beforehand.


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± the priest heaved a long breath, saying, ¡°My school of magic originates from Mount Longhu, even though we have long left Jiangxi.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I nodded and said, ¡°Mount Longhu is only a tourist attraction now instead of the sacred sanctuary for Taoist magecraft it was once.¡± The priest gave a nod at that


    The priest turned to leave. But before he did, he wished to confirm with me, saying, ¡°So you¡¯re sure you would handle things on this end with the developers?¡± ¡°Leave it to me,¡± I said. He must be referring to the matter of the new house for the old man. The priest looked uncertain even when he was getting on his car. Nevertheless, he decided to trust us and he drove off with the old man.


    After they had left, I turned to the crowd and yelled, ¡°All right! Show¡¯s over! Scram! Scram!¡±


    The onlookers dispersed and Edelweiss asked, ¡°So, what now?¡± I looked at her and smiled. I spun around and signaled to Chongxi and Lin Feng who gestured their understanding. The rest, including Big Sister, watched us with puzzled frowns, not knowing what mischief we were going to concoct this time.


    We went to the builders of the demolition team and I asked, ¡°Who¡¯s in charge here?¡± A short, stocky man wearing a safety helmet emerged, stretching his sinewy neck churlishly and answered in a gruff voice, ¡°I¡¯m the foreman here. Who¡¯s asking?¡± I stared at him and rolled my eyes. So this is the fool behind this fiasco. Yet here he is, acting like a big honcho, I mused and scoffed. ¡°You can start demolishing this house and its compound now. But we¡¯ll need you to build him a new house nearby so that he can come back to stay. Do we have a deal?¡± I asked the foreman.


    The foreman gave me a look as if he was looking right into the face of a madman before he burst into fits of guffaws. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± He blurted and I replied placidly, ¡°I¡¯m asking if we have a deal and if you¡¯re authorized to sanction it.¡± ¡°Of course, I can,¡± he gasped between fits of titters, ¡°But why should I? No, I will not!¡± I breathed an ¡°Oh?¡± and swung my arm, smacking the foreman precisely on his cheek, and repeated my question again in the same still voice as he reeled with the shock and pain, ¡°I repeat, do we have a deal and would you sanction it?¡±


    The slap came as a shock, and the foreman rounded on me, his mouth opened, his nostrils flaring, and fire building in his belly. ¡°GET THEM!¡± He roared and a bunch of burly men, each heavily-muscled and clad in safety helmets, surrounded us menacingly. Lin Feng looked around us and asked indifferently, ¡°Ever seen a pileup in American football?¡±


    Twenty minutes later, after a purgatory of cheap shots and quick punches and kicks into the groin, Lin Feng sat atop the pileup of badly-beaten and heavily-bruised men, casually lighting himself a cigarette as he stared down the now-frightened foreman. The chunky and corpulent man shuddered with fear and his lips quivered as he mumbled an unworldly litany of garbled sounds. What a far cry from the proud and aloof man he was a half-hour ago. ¡°So, do we have a deal? Will you authorize it?¡± I asked again. The foreman fished out his cellphone and fumbled with it as he tapped on the screen, hissing sinisterly, ¡°I¡¯ll have your hide for this! I swear! Let¡¯s see what the cops have to say about this!¡± Chongxi yawned lazily and quipped, ¡°Go on ahead then. Save us the trouble. Remember to tell them we¡¯re part of the Criminal Investigations Division.¡±


    The foreman shivered again when he heard who we were. But that did not stop him from tapping on the ¡°Call¡± button. A young, exuberant voice answered the call, saying loudly, ¡°Hello, this is the Wu Zhong County Police Department.¡± The foreman was about to speak when I chipped in, ¡°Tell¡¯em I¡¯m Murong Shiyan.¡± The foreman obediently nodded and spoke into the mouthpiece, ¡°Hey, is this the police station? I¡¯m calling from the demolition team outside the city. We¡¯re being mobbed by a bunch of guys. Their leader¡¯s name is Murong Shiyan!¡± A beat of silence came over the line before the officer on the line began saying something long and windy to the foreman. He froze and slowly handed his phone to me. ¡°He, he, he wishes to speak to you.¡±


    I took over the phone, trying to suppress my snigger when the young voice yelled my name. ¡°Hello? Is that Shiyan?¡± I acknowledged with a curt ¡°Hmmm¡± and the officer continued saying, ¡°This is Wang, Shiyan. What¡¯s happened there?¡±

 Chapter 274 - Im Threatening You

    I gave Wang a compendious account of what happened here. After listening to my tale, Wang asked, ¡°Urm, Brother Yan, do you need Captain Zheng to come over?¡± ¡°Nope, I have it all under control here.¡± Wang responded with a wordless hum, and the line went dead.


    My cordial conversation on the line with Wang left the foreman dismayed, shivering with consternation as he winced at the idea of what could befall him.


    I squeezed his phone back into his hands and placed an arm on his shoulder, ¡°So, back to business. Come on now, I¡¯m still waiting for your answer. Will you authorize my request? If you can¡¯t, then get me someone who can!¡± The foreman floundered with his phone, looking for a number and he tapped on it when he finally found it. He listened to his phone, waiting for someone to answer on the other end until he began saying, ¡°Urm, Mr. Li¡­¡± Fearing more walloping from us, he told his employer, Mr. Li everything, all the while trying to keep himself composed and calm as he provided a water-downed account of what happened which evoked a thin and satisfied smile out of me.


    The foreman then conveyed our request and the caller from the other side roared with indignant outrage, ¡°NO! HAVE WE NOT PAID THEM ANY COMPENSATION!? IT¡¯S ALL IN BLACK AND WHITE! WHY SHOULD WE GO BEYOND THAT?! Send them to me! NOW!¡± And that was it. The foreman looked speechlessly at me, hoping for an answer from me and I shrugged. ¡°Well, lead on then,¡± I said.


    Lin Feng vaulted himself off the mound of fainted men, the sight of which still made the foreman flinched with fear. The foreman ran to a Santana parked at the far side of an excavator and twisted the keys to unlock the door. ¡°Good God, how old is this Volkswagen? Can it still pass inspection?¡± ¡°I still can delay it for two years,¡± the foreman muttered, nonplussed. Saying nothing else, we got into our own vehicle and we followed the lead of the rickety Santana out the dirt road exit of the little hamlet.


    On the way, Na San, who has yet to utter even one syllable since we arrived, said suddenly, ¡°Urm, Young Lordling, is it really fine to¡­¡± ¡°Relax,¡± I broke him off there, smiling, ¡°We¡¯re used to dealing with unscrupulous entrepreneurs such as this one.¡± I knew Na San was worried that we might instead get ourselves into trouble. His numerous run-ins with villainous folk had made him wary of them. ¡°Should negotiations break down, just plug a knife into him,¡± Edelweiss quipped indifferently and Na San could only nod. Sitting up front, a bemused Yuanyuan, who was riding shotgun beside Lin Feng, stuck out a tongue and remarked under her breath, ¡°Human lives mean nothing to you, innit?¡±


    We followed the foreman down the road after we left the village and came to a pay-per-hour fishing spot. We stopped the car quite away from the spot and shepherded us to a man sitting by the pond, sipping on his cigarette as he attended to his fishing line. They exchanged a few words and the middle-aged man twisted to look back and studied us for several seconds before he waved at us, motioning for us to come near. From the way he was looking at us, the man looked exceedingly full of himself and he was replete with the kind of ostentation and self-satisfied vanity native to rich snobs. We went near. Yuanyuan and Xiao Yu opted to wait in the car and I wondered if that had anything to do with the cold-blooded joke about life and death earlier.


    The man lifted his sunglasses to take a good look at us when we got near and asked, ¡°Who among you is this Murong I¡¯ve heard about?¡± I chuckled and went straight to his pile of gear and extracted a foldable stool which I opened and sat on it, right in front of him, and I answered, ¡°I¡¯m Murong.¡± He scrutinized me from top to bottom and squealed, ¡°So you¡¯re the chap who asked us to build a new place for that old senile?¡± I nodded, clicking my lighter to set aflame a cigarette.


    ¡°Humph, and who do you think you are? So what if you¡¯re the police? Everything we do is legal! We¡¯ve contracts and agreements!¡± He burst with indignant guffaws. I bobbed my head apathetically and waited until his laughter ended and I said, ¡°This is just a personal request. It would be fine for everyone if you would agree. But if you won¡¯t, then we¡¯d have to¡­¡± ¡°To what?!¡± He erupted lividly, cutting me off, ¡°WHAT WOULD YOU DO?¡± From over my shoulders, I could hear Edelweiss cracking her knuckles resentfully. I bet she was teetering on the edge of storming over and giving the man a good thrashing, which he really needed.


    Chongxi and Lin Feng each extracted another pair of foldable stools and sat beside me. ¡°You must have not been watching the news,¡± Chongxi observed dryly, ¡°We¡¯re from the De Chang Center for Paranormal Studies.¡± That seemed to have stunned him momentarily before he laughed, ¡°Hahahaha! I see! You¡¯re the trio of swindlers everyone¡¯s been talking about! Hahahahaha! So what? You¡¯re going to sic some ghosts on me or what?! Do you even know who I am?¡±


    I inhaled deeply on my cigarette and said, ¡°Well, you can be the Warlord of Western Chu for all I care. Just tell us if you¡¯d agree to our request or not.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯LL RUDDY NOT!¡± He barked without even the slightest hesitation, his voice awfully proud and haughty that Lin Feng and Chongxi were clicking their tongues disapprovingly. I tossed the stub of my finished cigarette on the ground and crushed under my shoe, saying, ¡°Well, let¡¯s not be too hasty. Who knows, you might chop and change before you even know it. Three days. I¡¯ll give you three days, after which I¡¯m sure you would agree. Hold on to your hat then! I shall be expecting you at our Center after that!¡± We got up from our seats in unison and began leaving. But I stopped just after a couple of steps and turned before adding turgidly, ¡°Remember, three days! During then, you¡¯d be wise to avoid water!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just trying to scare me, aren¡¯t you, boy?! Hahahahaha!¡± The middle-aged snob roared. I turned back when I heard him and I said coolly, ¡°Nope. I¡¯m not trying to scare you¡­¡± and with a steely voice, ¡°I¡¯m threatening you.¡± With that, we walked away, no longer turning back despite the man¡¯s continued string of insults and jeers.


    We ignored whatever the man hurled at our backs as we left. ¡°We¡¯ll see if he¡¯s still able to laugh after this,¡± Edelweiss hissed darkly. Na San had remained quiet until now, even though he understood nothing about what was going on. Walking next to me, Big Sister too peered at me suspiciously, implicitly hoping for an explanation as she too was none the wiser.


    Naturally, I could see that she was expecting my explanation. I stopped, only to give her a cryptic smile before I pointed faraway at the middle-aged man. Everyone turned and saw him crouching by his gear, packing up. Our little chat with him must have extinguished the fun of continuing to fish.


    From afar, we watched as he reached for his fishing rod. Then a claw, with coarse, mottled-green skin, shot out of the water and locked around the man¡¯s wrist! It was so quick, yet when the claw appeared, the water did not even ripple. Quick as a toad¡¯s tongue, the claw dragged the man into the water.


    The angry heckles coming our way instantly became cries of ¡°Help!¡± and ¡°Save me!¡± those were muffled by the water. The foreman, who was still there with him, scrambled into the water to help. Only, his foot was just barely into the water, another claw popped out of the water again and its digits wrapped around the poor man¡¯s ankles and he too plunged into the water with an anguished scream.


    No one else saw the claws and other anglers only realized what was happening when the chaos was already revolving on its own in the knee-deep pool of water. Everyone stood around the pond, watching two grown-ups, thrashing and waddling helplessly like a pair of walruses in a shallow pond of water. ¡°Gods in Heaven, what in the world are you doing in the water!?¡± One of them shouted and another quipped, ¡°What is this? Are they pretending to be drowning? Well, their play-acting looks real, I¡¯d give them that!¡±


    For seconds, everyone watched the two men struggling in the water until they became still. Then a man shouted, ¡°Wait, surely they¡¯re not really drowned?¡± One of the earlier voices who spoke chipped in, ¡°Surely not. The water¡¯s barely a foot deep.¡±


    Nevertheless, men clambered in and lifted the pair out of the water. With a few abdominal thrusts, the two men belched up mouthfuls and mouthfuls of water.


    We were standing barely tens of meters away, taking in everything with mirthful glees on our faces before we finally burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter with everyone finally getting the ominous message I said to the man just now. Gasping between guffaws, Edelweiss asked, ¡°Surely Freaky won¡¯t go as far as to kill them both?¡± ¡°Relax,¡± I dismissed casually, saying, ¡°Freaky¡¯s been getting lots of practices during our quest in the past! I¡¯d pay him the compliment by saying he¡¯s quite the expert in shake-downs like this by now, hahahaha!¡±


    With a thrust of my arm into the air, I waved for everyone to follow me to the car. It was time for us to leave the place. As the engine of the car roared to life, Lin Feng asked, ¡°So, where to now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s first go back to the Center,¡± I said after a moment¡¯s thought, ¡°Some preparations are in order for our trip into town this evening. It¡¯s time we have a look at the descendant of Tribe Nine Li!¡±


    Lin Feng nodded. ¡°So, how do you think is the leader of all the descendants? It would never be Huang Li, that at least I¡¯m sure of,¡± he said. ¡°Course not,¡± I remarked, saying, ¡°She would not have given us that surprised expression when we showed her the broken arm then if she¡¯s really their leader.¡±


    The noon sun was overhead by the time we reached the Center. We phoned for take-out and our lunch only ended after a little more past two.


    We decided that Yuanyuan and Xiao Yu should stay out this time, since both the girls did not have any ways to defend themselves especially if things were to indeed turn out hairy. There was no way we could be sure of their safety. No matter how close Wu Zhong was to the capital, or no matter whether our enemies were armed or not, we should be careful, especially since our enemies were no strangers to magic both foul and good.


    Xiao Yu was worried about Chongxi. But she knew she was no use to man or beast. So she left him her car keys and took a taxi home. Yuanyuan decided to stay and man the Center for us, in case that Mr. Li decided to make an early visit.

 Chapter 275 - Scene

    My watch was showing three when we reached town. Edelweiss and Na San followed along with me at the wheel on my old Volkswagen with Lin Feng driving himself, Chongxi, and Big Sister, in another car, following closely behind. ¡°Shiyan,¡± Lin Feng called to ask, ¡°Where to now?¡±


    I pondered for a second and answered, ¡°Lu Shengnan¡¯s teaching center first. That¡¯s our only lead for now.¡± Lin Feng snorted an assent and the call clicked off.


    Our cars, both moving in a file, came to the street bustling with commercial activity and to our dismay, there were no parking spots available. We circled around and finally found a couple not far away from our destination. In busy shopping areas like this one, beggars can¡¯t be choosy.


    Our party waded through the currents of shoppers until we finally reached the entrance leading up to Lu Shengnan¡¯s place upstairs. Unexpectedly, we found the entrance locked by a sturdy-looking padlock. Lin Feng and I looked at Chongxi simultaneously, who, in turn, began to look around at our heads.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Big Sister scowled when his eyes traveled above her head. ¡°A hairpin,¡± Chongxi muttered, still looking around. She shook her head, indicating she had none. Chongxi¡¯s eyes wandered to Edelweiss, who promptly stroked her long hair and shook her head apologetically too. ¡°If only Xiao Yu¡¯s here,¡± he breathed.


    Big Sister and Edelweiss were still unaware of Chongxi¡¯s other talent in picking locks. ¡°What do you want a hairpin for?¡± The former asked and Chongxi looked strangely at her. ¡°To pick the ruddy lock, what else?¡± Big Sister and Edelweiss turned to face each other and they shared an incredulous look.


    A hand patted on Chongxi¡¯s shoulder. It was Lin Feng, with his other hand pointing somewhere. We followed his hand and saw he was gesturing at a store selling hair products. ¡°That shop might have what you need,¡± he said and Chongxi patted the back of his head, exclaiming, ¡°Right, what luck!¡± We walked off the pavement and stepped on the asphalt to cross the road. Chongxi¡¯s hands nearly grabbed for the handle of the door into the shop when he stopped. He whirled around, asking, ¡°Anyone of you brought any cash?¡± I was just stealing the opportunity to light myself a cigarette and the question made me choke and I coughed. Everyone dug through their pockets and revealed despondent frowns; none of us had brought any money.


    It was quite embarrassing. A bunch of young people standing in the middle of a busy shopping street with not even a dollar between us! We looked at each other, all of us unanimously lost for words.


    Then, out of nowhere, the door of the hair product shop suddenly swung opened and a beefy torso of a man peeked out and when he noticed us, he cast a peculiar look at us, a group of youngsters bunching together in front of his shop. He must be puzzled by the sight of us huddling in front of his entrance and had come out to check. ¡°What do you people want?¡± he asked and I broke into a benign smile. ¡°We¡¯re the friends of the proprietor of the first-story teaching center just opposite. She asked us to come here to help collect some things for her. But I¡¯m afraid I have lost the keys, so we¡¯re here, helpless and hopeless.¡±


    The huge bear of a man walked out and stood in front of us. He took a closer look at each of us and asked suspiciously, ¡°What¡¯s the surname of the girl who runs the center here?¡± ¡°Lu. Her name is Lu Shengnan. I¡¯m her former classmate from university and a good friend of hers. Trust me, we¡¯re not bad people. We¡¯ve been here before. You might recognize us from back then.¡± The man studied us for several seconds, muttering under his breath, ¡°Well, you do look kinda familiar¡­¡± ¡°Of course I am!¡± I quipped.


    He plucked a set of keys off his belt and riffled through the keys to one in particular. He detached it and dangled it in front of us, saying, ¡°This is a spare key for her place.¡± He led us back across the road and he unlocked the padlock for us.


    We stared at each other, dumbstruck and dazed. Big Sister, ever the impatient one, blurted immediately, ¡°How is it that you have the key to her place?¡± The thickset man smiled gently, saying, ¡°This little lass knows how unkempt she is, so she had a spare made just in case she lost her main. She handed it to me so that I could keep it for rainy days.¡± The answer made Big Sister broke into a little giggle. ¡°She¡¯s a girl!¡± She exclaimed, ¡°Girls should be tidy and neat!¡± The big man cackled himself. ¡°Well, I would not have believed it if it was somebody else. But if it¡¯s Lu Shengnan, I¡¯d say that¡¯s her to a tee. She¡¯s a little boy in the husk of a girl.¡± The big man chuckled a tacit agreement. ¡°All right,¡± he said, ¡°Go get your stuff. Just let me know when you¡¯re leaving and I¡¯ll come to lock up.¡± And he trotted back across the road.


    We shared a quick look at each other right before I dove headfirst into the open threshold.


    We climbed up a flight of stairs to find everything in the scene of Lu Shengnan¡¯s abduction in complete disarray. Guzhengs were still there, but the benches were scattered around everywhere, bearing the telltale vestiges of a scuffle. She must have been taken in a hurry and against her will, given how chaotic everything was here. But there was all to what we could find. Even with my Spirit Sight, I could find nothing amiss. In fact, if not for our prior knowledge about her abduction, we would have thought she was only leaving in a hurry and the mess was only inadvertent. Big Sister circled twice around the guzhengs, sniffing like a dog as she moved and she said, ¡°Five men and one woman.¡±


    ¡°HUH?!¡± Everyone gasped. Big Sister spun around like a ballerina and said, ¡°Five men and one woman were here. That one woman must be Lu Shengnan so that leaves the rest of the five men strangers.¡± ¡°So you can even tell whether it¡¯s male or female by their scent?¡± She gave me an absurd look that one would get if one was telling the obvious, ¡°Of course, dummy.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told me about this before?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t ask,¡± she muttered with the same look she would throw at fools spouting nonsense and I could only keep quiet.


    I shook my head heavily, with no more stomach to bicker with Big Sister, and I moved towards the stairs. I wanted to check the second story as well.


    Everything was shipshape upstairs. The furniture pieces were all arranged neatly as if nothing had happened here. Lin Feng and Chongxi came up to join me and after a thorough inspection, we found nothing nevertheless.


    Standing at the stairwell, I shouted for Big Sister, ¡°Hey, Big Sister, come on up! I need your sense of smell here!¡± She came up without replying, with Edelweiss and Na San towing behind. ¡°Come, sniff around and see if you find anything,¡± I said to her.


    Big Sister made a few rounds and pronounced, ¡°There¡¯s only the smell of you three and the girl Lu Shengnan. No one else was here.¡± I inhaled deeply on my cigarette, saying, ¡°So that means those people did not come up here when Lu Shengnan was taken.¡± ¡°That looks like it,¡± Big Sister agreed.


    We retreated back downstairs to the first floor. For Heaven¡¯s sake, I grieved quietly, Lu Shengnan¡¯s been taken by Huang Li but we¡¯re all out of leads. I sat in front of Lu Shengnan¡¯s own zither, the one she used for her lessons, and pondered silently. Could she be at the big house opposite mine? No, hardly likely. That place¡¯s now under the microscopic scrutiny of the District Police Department. But where else could she be?


    I was so deep in thought that my friend knew enough not to intrude. They sat down quietly around me, but the most I could give them were dejected frowns and a few shakes of my head. I really could not think of where Lu Shengnan would be taken to. Huang Li would surely try to avoid leaving anything for us to trace her if she only wanted to take Lu Shengnan. But I was sure her goals were not so provincial. At least she would never be so much as a fool to deliberately avoid me.


    Then my phone rang, interrupting me. I peered at my screen and saw it was a WeChat message from Zheng Shuang, saying, ¡°Where are you Shiyan?¡± I tapped on his name and called him directly, but my call was rejected, much to my surprise. So I wanted to send him a message to ask him what was wrong when another message from him came before I could hit the ¡°Send¡± button. It said, ¡°Busy. At a crime scene.¡± I replied with another, saying, ¡°I¡¯m in town. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    For minutes I expected another message from Zheng Shuang but nothing came. I stowed away my phone but only then my phone buzzed again. Zheng Shuang had replied, finally, and the message said, ¡°I¡¯m also in town. There¡¯s been a development with the case about you being framed for murder.¡±


    What development?! I almost blabbed out loud. ¡°What do you mean by development?¡± was the reply I sent back to Zheng Shuang and he sent back a short video clip. I tapped on it and it buffered and when it played, I almost yelped. The video depicted a bunch of policemen escorting a woman out of a large house. The house which I recognized immediately as Unit 104 opposite mine! The very same one where my friends and I had been trapped inside the Bamen Dunjia enchantment! And the woman who was being escorted out was an unnervingly-placid Huang Li!


    My phone shuddered again, heralding another new message from Zheng Shuang, saying, ¡°It¡¯s too complicated to tell. It¡¯s best you come personally!¡± For a moment, I was utterly petrified by the indescribable shock as my brain grappled to process what I just saw. Heavens, Huang Li¡¯s been found and arrested? But what about Lu Shengnan? Is Jin Qichen with her?


    I slapped my thigh and sprang up like a jack-in-the-box, giving everyone such a fright that some of them jumped. Na San instinctively rose up right after me and bent down to kneel. But I ignored him and barked, ¡°We need to go back to the villa!¡±

 Chapter 276 - Revisiting Unit 104

    By the powers of Master Six and Father, my companions and I were sent back through time, back into ancient China where we embarked on a quest of pilgrimage to strengthen and temper ourselves. With little said about our adventures in medieval China, we returned back to the present, once again being tossed down into the spiraling chaos of the invisible war for the dragon leys of China.


    It was during one of our many adventures in ancient history where Chongxi found himself a weapon. We left it somewhere in Wu Zhong before returning back to the present and recovering it was the first thing we did as soon as we came back. After retrieving it, we went back to town. Lu Shengnan had been abducted by Huang Li¡¯s people during our absence and in the final message she had been able to send me, there was only a four-letter word: Help.


    At the same time, Ji Qichen had been taken as well. His disclosing of vital information to me had been discovered by his confederates, the descendants of Tribe Nine Li, who bit back and took him. With no other recourse, Na San could only beg for my help to help rescue his prince.


    With Big Sister, Edelweiss, and Na San joining us in the pursuit of leads at Lu Shengnan¡¯s teaching center, our hunt had yet to yield any promising results. In our moment of despair, Zheng Shuang rang suddenly with an astonishing piece of news: Huang Li had been found and arrested. For all these while, we had been acting under the impression that it was Huang Li who had taken Lu Shengnan and the video footage of her being arrested by the police had begun to dissolve our only hypothesis. Was Huang Li away from Lu Shengnan after abducting her? Or was it somebody else who had taken Lu Shengnan instead?


    I bounded to my feet and I barked, ¡°We need to go back to the villa now!¡± Lin Feng was startled by my sudden reaction and he yelped, ¡°What¡¯s the hell is wrong with you!?¡± ¡°Huang Li¡¯s been found. She¡¯s been arrested as we speak. We need to get back now. On the double.¡± A surprised peal of ¡°AH?!¡± from everyone resounded like a gong. But I did not wait. I was already out the door even before anyone could move a muscle.


    I leaped down the stairs in twos and threes, storming through the door and the large man, the proprietor of the hair product shop, came rushing out too. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked urgently. Not even stopping, I hurried by him as I muttered, ¡°We have an emergency, Uncle. Please lock the door after us!¡± My friends were already coming down and I rejoined them as we sped around the corner to our cars.


    It was almost six in the evening, where the tide of work goers rushing home was at its highest peak. We found ourselves bogged down in the middle of the busy traffic like a loaded mule in quicksand in the middle of a street jampacked with countless other vehicles. I was flustering with anxiety when my eyes trailed to the rearview mirror and I saw Lin Feng¡¯s car window winding down. Then a white flash zoomed out of the window, shooting up into the sky on a sword like an arrow! ¡°Goddammit, Big Sister!¡± I cursed loudly, ¡°How would we explain a dog flying on a sword into the sky if this appears on the papers tomorrow?!¡± But I knew better than to parade my complaints out the car window car in case anyone else overheard me.


    As I grimaced, my phone rang. It was from Lin Feng. I hit the ¡°Answer¡± button and Lin Feng¡¯s voice blared on the speaker, ¡°Big Sister Lan¡¯s making a first move to the villa. She¡¯s too fidgety to wait any longer and I don¡¯t see how we¡¯re going to stop here, so I thought, ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°So be it then,¡± I breathed, ¡°Let¡¯s just hope nobody noticed it or that will be the next feature to be headlined tomorrow.¡± Lin Feng¡¯s sigh came audibly through the line just before it clicked shut.


    My watch was showing a few minutes past seven when we finally reached outside Unit 104. There, we found a grinning Big Sister waving her paw at us from her perch on Zheng Shuang¡¯s shoulder. Without her clothes, she could not turn into her human form, so she remained in her true appearance. Fortunately for Zheng Shuang, his prior knowledge about Big Sister¡¯s identity had spared him from a frightening shock that would come from a snowy-white fox that could speak in the human tongue.


    We cantered over to Zheng Shuang and he spoke before we could even ask, ¡°The District division had a complete canvassing of everything inside and found nothing fishy. They found a few other people inside and all of them have been taken to the District Headquarters. Do you want to have a look inside, Shiyan?¡± I pondered for just a second and I nodded.


    He led us past the police line and into Unit 104. Lin Feng whispered to him as soon as he walked into the threshold, ¡°This door is exactly where the bloody Bamen Dunjia enchantment began!¡± Zheng Shuang shuddered and stared at Lin Feng. ¡°Brother Lin, so this is the door you told me about?! The door that gave you all that trouble that night?!¡± Lin Feng nodded. Zheng Shuang said as he handed a pair of gloves to each of us, ¡°Wow, luckily for us, you have already taken care of that enchantment, otherwise, it would have been some unwary police officers who could have been walking right into a trap this time!¡± ¡°Disregard what he said,¡± I placed a hand on Zheng Shuang¡¯s shoulder, nudging my chin at Lin Feng. ¡°He¡¯s developed a penchant for ominous melodramatics as if we¡¯re walking into a Lovecraftian horror.¡± The remark made Lin Feng scowl with pursed lips as he went in before us, pulling on his pair of gloves.


    But I would hold no grudge against him. After all, Lin Feng was skilled only in martial arts. He might be unrivaled in his mastery of wushu knowledge, the External Magic, but this was one discipline that could rarely work against elements of the paranormal and this was proven many a time during our few years of pilgrimage in ancient China, where he could only stand back and watch helplessly and the many instances when Chongxi and I had continuously proven our value over him had made him quite easily nervous and overwhelmed.


    As Zheng Shuang led us into the house, I stopped short in my tracks. I could not believe what I was seeing! The entire interior of the villa today and during that night was utterly different! Not only the sitting area was fully renovated, but the interior was also fully adorned with pieces of furniture fit for a proper living! The last time we came, the whole place was as empty as a tomb! Our tomb, if we had failed to escape from the enchantment! Lin Feng, still gawking with disbelief, breathed, ¡°The last time we come, this place was no better than the roughcast house the old man was living in¡­ Wow, look at all these now¡­ That chandelier¡­ this carpet¡­ Wow!¡±


    Zheng Shuang gave us a look that sounded like he did not expect to hear this from us. ¡°Why? Was everything different the last time you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Course not,¡± I shook my head, saying, ¡°Never mind that chandelier and the carpet, this place did not even have these wallpapers that night. Everything¡¯s as empty as a new lot that night.¡± Zheng Shuang emitted an interested and thoughtful ¡°Oh!¡± and he took out a notebook and scribbled something into it. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fishy, I suppose,¡± he muttered, ¡°Her man¡¯s just recently died and yet, she still has the heart to renovate and decorate the house.¡± ¡°But you know what¡¯s actually going on, don¡¯t you?¡± I chuckled and said, ¡°So why do you need to mark all these down?¡±


    ¡°Surely you don¡¯t expect me to just write about Xiao Qi¡¯s possession of the dead man¡¯s body on my report?¡± He cracked and said, ¡°I need to provide something that works.¡± I kept quiet and could only shrug.


    We went upstairs to have a look with Zheng Shuang chaperoning us. In truth, I had had no more interest in the tour of the house. In every nook and cranny of the house, I had detected whiffs of foul aura that reeked of hatred and malice. The same that emanated from Cao Xuedong when we fought him that night. The aura in the house was so thick that I could not see anything else even with my Spirit Sight.


    ¡°So, did you find anything in there, Shiyan?¡± Zheng Shuang asked from over my shoulder. With a languish shake of my head, I said, ¡°Only an aura of hatred and malice. In fact, the whole house is infested with it like an inflated balloon.¡± Zheng Shuang rubbed his chin, thinking as he uttered, ¡°Every bedroom upstairs showed signs of inhabitants. Including Huang Li, a total of five people were arrested just now. But the number of bedrooms being tampered with far exceeded that amount.¡± I nodded my understanding of what he was trying to hint: the people that were arrested were just a small part of a larger band.


    A young officer came to us suddenly and our discussion halted just at once as he snapped to a salute. ¡°Captain Zheng, our chief would like to speak to you,¡± he reported but Zheng Shuang asked without so much as a look at him, ¡°What is it?¡± The young officer hesitated briefly before he stuttered timidly, ¡°Urm¡­¡± Zheng Shuang threw a strange look at him and the young officer¡¯s eyes wandered about us slowly, tacitly indicating his misgivings about revealing the details in front of us. Placidly, Zheng Shuang gestured at us, saying, ¡°These are all our fellow members of the Wu Zhong Criminal Investigations Division. You can speak freely.¡± The officer nodded finally and admitted, saying, ¡°The suspects have all been interrogated at the District Headquarters. But they provided nothing. Or rather, they said nothing at all. They behaved just like a bunch of corpses, if not for the fact that they¡¯re still breathing, ignoring everything we¡¯ve said and done. Our chief is asking for you to discuss how should we proceed.¡±


    Zheng Shuang regarded me with a quick look, which I reciprocated before I regarded Lin Feng and everyone else in turn. They nodded their heads at me and I told Zheng Shuang, ¡°We¡¯ll come with you. I have an idea.¡± With that, Zheng Shuang finally allowed an approving nod to the young officer who trotted off.


    We tailed Zheng Shuang¡¯s car to the District Headquarters where we were shown to the interrogation room where we were reunited with a deadpan Huang Li. Na San behaved oddly by coming near me as if to tell me something, but he stopped halfway before he croaked his first syllable. But I knew what he was trying to do, so I told the officer accompanying us, ¡°Can you take us to the other suspects?¡± The officer nodded dutifully and led the way out to the other rooms.


    We were shown to the other suspects arrested along with Huang Li: three men and one woman. Like Huang Li just now, they stared blankly into the spaces before them with the same impassive and stony gazes, reacting nothing to whatever questions the interrogating officers hurled at them. But to our dismay, Jin Qichen nor Lu Shengnan were among them; these were all strangers whom I had never seen before.


    Na San seemed a great deal more anxious to see that his prince was not here. I patted on his shoulder gently, saying, ¡°Relax. We¡¯ll find him. He could still be okay, aside from being locked up.¡± Na San nodded weakly. He opened his mouth to tell me something but was interrupted by my phone ringing suddenly.


    I drew my phone from my pocket and saw Zheng Shuang¡¯s name on the screen. I answered the call and Zheng Shuang barked as soon as I listened, ¡°Huang Li¡¯s still not saying anything, Shiyan. I think this is where you come in.¡±

 Chapter 277 - Questioning Huang Li

    Na San and I went back to outside Huang Li¡¯s interrogation room where we found Zheng Shuang waiting for us. He gave us two sets of lunch boxes. I pried open the chopsticks and opened my box, saying, ¡°Let me speak to Huang Li and the four stupid dead logs. Do not let anyone in. And, it would be best to have¡­¡± ¡°Already done, Shiyan,¡± Zheng Shuang mentioned, ¡°All recording apparatuses have been shut off. Apparently, our reputation and exploits have impressed the top brass of the District Headquarters and they are doing their best to fulfill any requirements we¡¯ll need.¡± I nodded, ignoring the strange and curious stares from the other officers around us as we went into the interrogation room with the lunch boxes.


    We pushed through the doors and two other officers were on watch inside, one of them being the chief of the District Headquarter¡¯s Criminal Investigations Division whose name I could no longer recall.


    I gave them a knowing look and a curt nod, implicitly signaling our wish to be left alone. The captain, despite the sour look on his face, obliged and left the room without any objections.


    I moved quietly and sat down on the chairs formerly occupied by the two officers, looking Huang Li face-to-face in the eye. Her expressionless countenance suggested as if she was here to help solve an investigation rather than serving as a suspect. I held aloft the lunchbox, waving it in front of her face, and said then, ¡°Some food?¡± She narrowed her eyes, shot me an ugly look, and ignored my jibe. I chuckled and dove into my lunch.


    I nibbled my food and wondered aloud, saying, ¡°Wow, how time has passed! It¡¯s been years since that military exercise and these beef potatoes are bringing back memories of our times then. I could still see this very same dish when Lu Shengnan dragged me off to buy me lunch for the first time.¡± ¡°Humph,¡± Huang Li snorted suddenly, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sure I can rely on you to remember how much trouble you had given me back then!¡± At least I have managed to get her to talk, I mused and I continued the charade by talking about our yesteryears, ¡°Oh, how you¡¯ve wronged me. I was trying to help you! Surely you can see that yourself!¡±


    My words seemed to have struck a nerve; Huang Li shot a piercing glare at me so intensely that I could instantly feel the scalding heat from her eyes. ¡°Xuedong and I would never have had so many troubles if not for your meddling,¡± she hissed coldly. I munched on my potatoes as I mumbled, ¡°And you just have to see the negative side of things. Did you not see during then that your contrivance could land Cao Xuedong into heap loads of difficulties? For all we know, he could be cursed for his entire life.¡± Another snort came from opposite the table, followed by a tense silence. ¡°I did help you, truth be told,¡± I went on, ¡°I destroyed your malicious spirits and by doing so, I had given you both the chance to be together. Moreover, I have had no less of predicaments all thanks to you seeking revenge after that episode. Did I seek retribution from you? Let¡¯s be reasonable. If I was who I am now, I would have just slaughtered you and then get good riddance from all this brouhaha.¡±


    Either she could find nothing to counter me or she chose to ignore me, Huang Li averted her eyes. I continued munching away at my food and tried to sound nonchalant as I threw another question at her, ¡°So, what have you been through these past few years? You¡¯ve changed so much.¡± For that very moment, she stared at me with such surprise, as if she had been slapped right across the face. She looked stunned for several seconds until she finally turned back to look at me. She regarded me once more through narrowed eyes, observing dryly, ¡°And you too. You looked like a completely different man after just a week.¡± ¡°It might seem like a week to you. But to me, it was a few years!¡±


    Huang Li did not comment. Or rather, she looked like she could not understand what I was saying. ¡°Remember when I was arranging to leave university?¡± she said suddenly, with no less sullenness as I noticed the hint of change in her eyes.


    ¡°Of course, I do,¡± I replied hastily, bobbing my head. Huang Li let loose another snort before saying, ¡°I admit, I was ashamed to stay. I felt that I was no match against you. That was why I decided to leave.¡± I shrugged. ¡°You could have stayed,¡± I muttered, ¡°We could have just let bygones be bygones. At least, I would.¡± A weak smile broke across her face as if she looked genuinely sorry for her brashness, although it vanished just as fleeting as it came. ¡°You know nothing. You know nothing of what happened to me after I left.¡± ¡°Enlighten me then.¡±


    Huang Li threw another look at me. Then she began saying, ¡°Xuedong left the army on the second year after I left university. We operated a little florist shop. Things went well for us then.¡± I tilted my head inquisitively and asked, ¡°I heard your father runs a booming business of his own too. What made you refuse to join him and strike out on your own?¡±


    Her eyes took on more another sparkle of emotion the moment the question left my lips. ¡°My father no longer cared about me ever since I left university,¡± she disclosed, saying, ¡°In fact, he never cared at all.¡± I shrugged and said, ¡°Many a time I would wonder if my father too was totally dispassionate about my wellbeing. But time and time again, I have been proven wrong and I have never been any more glad to be wrong. So you should feel the same as well. Don¡¯t begrudge your father.¡±


    What I said struck another chord. Huang Li stomped to her feet suddenly and lost control of otherwise frigid temper. ¡°WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME?!¡± She screamed, ¡°You would not have said the same if you knew what my father had done to Xuedong and me! Not everyone can speak from the same high moral horseback you¡¯re on! Not everyone has the same happy family that you have! Do you think all children are the same to each and every parent? That they are the most precious to them?!¡± She was extremely agitated as if I had just pricked the deepest wound still raw in her heart. Her eyes were flaring with swelling emotions, a stark contrast from the chilly serenity before. Yet, the same dreamy and misty look in her eyes remained. An awkward sluggishness as if her soul was going to break apart from her body whenever her mood swung.


    But Huang Li¡¯s sudden outburst did not go unnoticed. Lin Feng barged in, demanding, ¡°What¡¯s happening here?!¡± Trying to calm him down, I shook my head and answered, ¡°Nothing. We¡¯re just talking. Passionately.¡± Lin Feng saw the look in my eye and understood me, retreating quietly out of the room.


    Huang Li glowered at me with intense anger, her teeth gnashing with rage as if she was screaming and howling like a demoniac beast on the rampage inside.


    I took the last bite and tossed my lunch box into the dustbin sitting quietly in a corner. Then I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, if something I said had rubbed you the wrong way. But I¡¯m honestly curious. What happened between you and your father?¡±


    It was a purposeful question I deliberately tabled. I saw how her supposed-serenity broke right at the moment when she lost control, so I knew I had found the chink in her armor and I intended to wheedle and pry at it even more.


    Her face flushed defiantly with a furious shade of red, indicating how painful a tale it was to her. For seconds, she wrestled with herself mentally until she finally simmered down and she stroked her hair, saying, ¡°My father came to me somewhere a couple of years ago, saying that he wants Xuedong and me to join him in his company. Little did I notice then that my father has ulterior motives¡­¡±


    She spoke in broken sentences, leaving her message pockmarked with missing details. But from what I understood from the story that she then told me, she and Xuedong were asked to return to her father¡¯s company but they were subjected to abuse and treatment so cruel that she no longer wished to say. But I could only imagine it must have been ordeals both harrowing and traumatic. So traumatic that she would hit herself in the head like a demented woman in a streak of insanity whenever she reached the parts where she should be describing what she went through and that would interrupt her story.


    At the end of her eventful and painfully-memorable account, I paused for several silent beats until I finally spoke. ¡°So, can I surmise that you became the person you are today after what your father has done to you?¡± Huang Li made no attempt to answer the question. But she calmed down, reverting back to her loftily cold demeanor as before and that made me felt anxious. But before I could utter another syllable, Huang Li cut right to the chase, ¡°Enough story-telling for now. I¡¯ve lost and that¡¯s it. While I¡¯m still conscious, I¡¯ll take the blame. Consider this the prize of your victory. But be quick; I don¡¯t have much time left.¡±


    Reeling with surprise, I twisted my head to face the room¡¯s one-way mirror. The look on my face must have been an odd and peculiar one for Zheng Shuang stormed in almost at once with a worried and inquiring look. I nodded gently to him, saying, ¡°She¡¯s making a confession. But we need to be fast.¡±


    The chief of the District Headquarter¡¯s Criminal Investigations Division rushed in when he heard me and sat beside me, preparing to write down everything.


    ¡°I killed him,¡± Huang Li confessed blandly. ¡°For what purpose?¡± asked the chief. ¡°I suspected him of cheating on me,¡± she replied flatly. One of the chief¡¯s brows furrowed with doubt, but he went on nevertheless, ¡°How?¡± ¡°I stabbed him. Three times. And when he¡¯s on the floor, I got my people, four of them, to set him on fire.¡± The chief nodded as he scribbled everything down on his notepad. Huang Li then said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to question the others. You will get nothing from them.¡±


    By now, Huang Li¡¯s eyes were two orbs of sparkling crystals. Cold and frigid like ice with only her final shreds of life. With what seemed to be her final strength, she heaved hoarsely with apparent difficulty and spoke her final sentence, ¡°Everyone like me is the same. We all have the same hatred and malice towards you¡­¡± And that was it. Her eyes went completely lifeless. Two lightless crystals staring back at me like frozen ice, her final expression frozen in ice as Huang Li spoke her final words.


    The chief looked oddly at me and I offered him a cigarette. ¡°So, what happens to Huang Li and her four accomplices now?¡± I asked and the chief responded, ¡°It¡¯s not enough to make a case, I¡¯m afraid. I guess this is where this score is officially a cold case¡ªshe might be sentenced to life imprisonment.¡±


    I nodded and walked out of the interrogation room, leaving a trail of fumes that reeked of tobacco and nicotine in my wake.

 Chapter 278 - The Florist Shop

    Outside the interrogation room, everyone mobbed me for answers and I told them everything about Huang Li¡¯s talk with me and her final words. ¡°Did you notice, Shiyan? Something wrong with her when she lost control of her temper just now?¡± Chongxi pointed out, chewing his cigarette, ¡°Her soul was unsteady just now. But only for a brief moment, if you¡¯d noticed.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± I agreed, nodding my head, saying, ¡°Someone has tampered with her soul. She did mention that her father had done something terrible to her and her husband, Cao Xuedong. She did not say what specifically, but I guess it had something to do with their souls.¡±


    Big Sister interjected suddenly, ¡°You said just now Huang Li told you that everyone that looks the same like her bears the same rage and malice towards you?¡± I nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What does she mean?¡± I paused for a moment¡¯s mulling before I answered, ¡°I could only surmise she¡¯s referring to people that have the same cold and frosty look like hers.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand,¡± she countered, ¡°There¡¯s only some people who could harbor such anger and hatred towards you. You are but only a young man after all. Look at the four other people. You don¡¯t know them, do you?¡± I nodded. ¡°And since these people are only strangers, how could they be angry at you?¡±


    ¡°I see. So there¡¯s more to what Huang Li described as ¡®people who looked the same as her¡¯?¡± Only Big Sister could not say whether it was true or not. ¡°Does that mean these are the descendants of Tribe Nine Li?¡± Edelweiss asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I shook my head, saying, ¡°I have been thinking about the true definition of being the last living heirs of Tribe Nine Li?¡± ¡°What do you mean by true definition?¡± It was Zheng Shuang this time, scratching his head. ¡°Check your history books,¡± Lin Feng added, ¡°We are all descendants of the tribes that emerged victorious after Huang Di of the Center. But the tribes of Yan Di of the South and Tribe Nine Li, despite being defeated, were not utterly vanquished. They intermingled through marriages with one another. That means everyone here would bear some blood of both Yan Di and Huang Di in addition to Chiyou¡¯s. So that nullified the term ¡®descendants of Tribe Nine Li¡¯ for we all are.¡±


    No one spoke a word. Zheng Shuang inhaled heavily as Chongxi sighed and explained further, ¡°Following the defeat of Chiyou and Tribe Nine Li, the bloodlines of Yan Di and Huang Di joined in marriage and they intermingled with the bloodlines of Tribe Nine Li after absorbing them. Fast forward tens of thousands of years until today, who could say whose blood are we carrying now? How many of us here still carry the blood of Tribe Nine Li today?¡± Zheng Shuang stared in silence. I sighed again, saying, ¡°So, that would mean that the ¡®descendants of Tribe Nine Li¡¯ as described as Father and Master Six would mean more than just the heritage of bloodlines. They could be the people that Huang Li was trying to describe.¡±


    The chief of the District Headquarters Criminal Investigations Division finally rejoined us as we spoke. He graced us with a salute before speaking courteously, ¡°I thank you all for your help. And I hereby convey my deepest apologies for the difficulties you¡¯ve gone through, Mr. Shiyan. We have all acted under the false report of this Huang Li.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t mention it!¡± I chuckled, saying, ¡°We¡¯re colleagues and I understand it¡¯s part of the procedure. I¡¯ve not seen Sergeant Zhan. Is he here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s reported in sick these couple of days. For all the brouhaha we¡¯re in and yet the fool manages to keep his phone completely off! But pay him no mind. We¡¯re used to him.¡±


    I responded with a disinterested ¡°Oh¡± and our subject began veering off into other topics where I discovered that Huang Li¡¯s florist shop was still operating. The officers from the District Headquarters had first gone there to look for her before finding her at her villa. The chief gave me a note. Upon it was sprawled an address. ¡°This is the address of the shop. It¡¯s somewhere north of town and it¡¯s well-hidden. You can have a look yourself; I still have some touching-ups to finish here.¡± ¡°All right then,¡± I smiled, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t let us be in your way. We¡¯ll have a look at this florist shop.¡±


    It was already nine in the evening when we finally walked down the steps of the District Headquarters. Yet none of us could complain of being tired. We hopped onto our cars and sped northward. We needed to see the florist shop.


    I was rather impressed by Huang Li¡¯s choice of locale when we arrived. The shop was a humble little one, but it was close to a school and a hospital, so there would be no shortages for business. This modest establishment sat just outside the Kailuan National Mine Park and its entrance was narrower than even Lu Shengnan¡¯s teaching center at Xinhua West Road.


    The shop was closed; hardly surprising considering the hour. ¡°Well, I guess I should carry a hairpin with me at all times from now on!¡± Chongxi quipped. He produced one from nowhere, much to our surprise and I asked, ¡°Where did you get this? You didn¡¯t have one just now!¡± Chongxi poked the hairpin through the keyhole and muttered as he began to work, ¡°I saw one lying on the bedside cabinet in one of the bedrooms at Huang Li¡¯s villa. So I just nicked it!¡± That made us laughed. God, he¡¯s really a masterful thief when it comes to it, I mused. He had been within eyeshot the whole day and yet he managed to steal the hairpin right under our noses!


    Finally, the tumblers of the lock yielded with a sonorous clunk. The lock is opened. ¡°Wow, Chongxi¡­ this skill of yours, I must say¡­¡± Zheng Shuang gasped, utterly lost for words. Chongxi snapped at once with a devilish grin, ¡°You heard nothing, you saw nothing, and I said nothing. That¡¯s it.¡±


    We filed into the shop quietly, finding the place completely ransacked with many of the things in the shop scattered in a mess. Someone had searched through this place inconspicuously and the flowers in the shop have all been taken. It could be Huang Li and Cao Xuedong who had taken them while they were making arrangements for a quick retreat. We moved deeper and saw a little door with the sign ¡°Authorized Personnel Only¡±.


    I went to the door and my hand gripped on the handle. The possibilities that there could be nothing dangerous lurking from the other side of the door, or just potentially an empty space did little to ease my growing tension. Everyone formed up behind me, their feet shuffling warily with caution, preparing to lunge as soon as anything peeked out. Edelweiss gave a worried tug on my arm, signaling me to be careful. I looked back and saw her other hand grabbing the hilt of her golden dagger hung on the back of her waist.


    With a nod that I hoped it would instill confidence to Edelweiss, I returned my attention back to the door and I pushed. The door cracked opened slowly, revealing a wall of darkness inside. I should have known, I almost groaned out loud, It¡¯s already past nine. Nobody could see anything in this bloody dark.


    Zheng Shuang took out his phone and tapped around on his screen, searching for the flashlight function. For moments, we waited in the dark until we heard a noticeable click. But it was just not enough; the shop was just too dark for so minuscule a source of light. ¡°If only we have Uncle Hai¡¯s Nocturnal Sight,¡± Chongxi moaned. ¡°Well, I can see in the dark, if that¡¯s what you mean,¡± Big Sister¡¯s voice came suddenly from somewhere. Oh, yes! As a fox, Big Sister was naturally born with the ability to see in the dark! We tried to look at her, although her tall silhouette and darkened visage were all that we could detect in the extremely-low light, in addition to her two green eyes glowing like phosphorus.


    ¡°But what can I do alone?¡± She griped glumly. ¡°Never mind,¡± I said, ¡°You have your animalistic nocturnal sight to rely on and we have¡­¡± I paused to switch on the flashlight on my phone, ¡°¡­ our technological innovations to rely on.¡± Everyone followed my cue and switched on theirs as well.


    More flashlights flared to life, illuminating the inside of the space behind the door with bright columns of light streaking around. Despite the lingering dimness, at least we now have a better view of everything in the room now. It was a cramped little bedroom with a battered two-person bed flanked by a dressing table which mirror glinted sharply with the lights from our flashlights. There was another small door just by the corner of the room and from what little light we had, we could see that it was a little toilet. The whole place, including the toilet, looked no more than thirty square meters, as if the pitiable state of the accommodation here was not wretched enough.


    Huang Li and Cao Xuedong must have lived here for some time. Definitely not a short one at it too. I walked deeper into the room and crouched down to study the two-person bed. A thick layer of dust and soot sprawled upon the surface of the mattress, indicating that this place had been empty for a long time. Edelweiss stooped down beside me and asked, ¡°How about a look underneath?¡± With a moment¡¯s thought, I agreed, nodding my head. Why not? I wondered. We might find something after all that could point us to where Jin Qichen and Lu Shengnan are now.


    We got up together and moved as one, flipping over the mattress with one heavy push, tossing up a smog of dust that suffocated the stuffy air. I coughed and fanned away the dust from my face and looked down. Lo and behold! There really was something underneath! I bent down again and aimed my flashlight at the item to have a closer look. It was a long plastic bag. The long ones commonly used by stationery stores to fill in pencils and pens.


    Edelweiss let go of the mattress and bent down, asking, ¡°What is it?¡± Zheng Shuang joined us, waving to the others. ¡°Hey, come here. We¡¯ve found something.¡±

 Chapter 279 - The Diary and the Photographs

    I unzipped the plastic bag, peered inside, and was immediately dismayed by what I saw. I tipped it over and emptied the bag, pouring a few bank cards and a receipt for the payment of lease for this shop.


    We shared a quick look. exchanging weak smiles and exasperated chuckles. Nothing could have been more trivial than what we found: a couple of Huang Li¡¯s and Cao Xuedong¡¯s bank cards and lease payment receipts. Shaking my head, I tossed the bag onto the mattress and looked around the crabbed little room.


    Only, there was nothing left for us to look into. The room has nothing else besides the bed and the dressing table, save for distinctive scruff marks on the wall which suggested that there was once a portable zip wardrobe here. It was missing now and it could have been taken when they left. If there was anything vital still hiding around, it could only be inside the drawers of the dressing table.


    Zheng Shuang knelt down beside the table and opened every drawer, inspecting the insides, and found another receipt and few empty cigarette boxes. ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing useful here too,¡± Zheng Shuang grumbled as he got up, slapping the top of the table as he rose.


    I stood unmoving and stared at the dressing table. For what it was, I realized it could function as a writing table too. One could have easily removed all the drawers and hide something inside. I hurried over to the vanity table just freshly inspected by Zheng Shuang and drew out every drawer, much to Zheng Shuang¡¯s speechlessness and shock. ¡°God, how have we forgotten about this trick!¡± Lin Feng exclaimed, ¡°I bet every one of us here did something like this before!¡±


    Lin Feng was barely finished when I saw a little paper box standing in the shadows of an obscured corner inside the empty space of the dressing table. Finding that it looked no bigger than a shoebox and was anxious to see what was inside, Zheng Shuang grabbed it and took it out. He got up and laid it on the table with rays of lights from our flashlights homing on it where we saw the ¡°Cookies¡± word printed on the top. This used to be a cookie box. I shook it and tried to listen if anything was inside as Chongxi quipped, ¡°If that was bank cards just now, I¡¯d imagine that it¡¯s bank passbooks this time.¡±


    Shaking my head at his joke, I opened the box. A little book and a few photographs laid harmlessly inside. I took out the book, with everyone staring bewilderedly over my shoulders, and flipped to the first page. With the light, I read the first entry, ¡°24th September 2014. The instructor has accepted my invitation to have lunch with me. Everything was fine and could have been perfect if not for that accursed Murong Shiyan. If only he would just vanish.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± I uttered with revelation, ¡°This diary belongs to Huang Li and the entries here began when she first started university, which was also the time when she first met Cao Xuedong.¡± I riffled to the last written page and read the final entry, ¡°4th July 2018. Daddy¡¯s men came looking for me and they frightened me. It was lucky Xuedong was out taking stocks. Daddy wants me to go back to help him out with Xuedong, but we¡¯re beginning to see the silver lining for our florist shop. We¡¯ve finally saved enough money to get a better place to stay. And Daddy¡¯s look when I saw him as a girl creeps me out. I don¡¯t want to go.¡±


    We looked up, exchanging glances of horror. This was the final entry in the diary; the rest of the diary was blank. I stuck my finger through the pages of the diary and randomly opened a page in the middle. It appeared that Huang Li was not a zealous diary keeper; she rarely filled it in consecutive days. There were numerous instances where the next entry would be days or even weeks after the previous. Everything inside was about her and Cao Xuedong¡ªbeginning from her hot pursuit of him until they finally got together after he left the army. I sipped on a cigarette as I went through the contents of the diary. Huang Li¡¯s parents had been separated ever since she was a girl. The diary mentioned no reason for the separation, only that she grew up with her mother. There was very little mention of her father and his company. But if there was anything useful that I gleaned from the diary about Mr. Huang, it would be the many occasions where Huang Li herself described him as ¡°scary¡±.


    It was his discharge allowance from the army that Cao Xuedong had used to pay for the deposit to lease this florist shop and thus began Huang Li¡¯s and Cao Xuedong¡¯s life of scraping by. Yet despite their near-destitution, Huang Li¡¯s happiness and affection for her man permeated through every word and line she wrote. Huang Li was really in love with Cao Xuedong. Truly, madly, and deeply.


    I closed the diary and redirected my gaze on the photographs lying quietly in the paper box. Some looked immensely old while the rest looked new. The one at the bottom was a cracked and wrinkled photograph of a young man and woman carrying a little girl about four or five, standing in front of the memorial dedicated to the Great Earthquake, dated 1st October 1999. I smiled at the loving family and muttered, ¡°This must be Huang Li when she was young.¡± Zheng Shuang took it from me and had a quick look, agreeing with a nod too. The rest of the other photographs were between the years 2000 and 2002, all of them featuring Huang Li and her parents. There was nothing about them after 2002 and that could determine it as the year they became estranged. Huang Li would have been seven then. So this could be why Huang Li was so agitated just now when we were discussing fatherly affection, I reflected. This could really well be why.


    The others came at more present dates. Most, if not all, of them were taken within the last two years. I flicked through the photos, taking in each for a second or two until I suddenly saw one that made me smile. It was a wedding photo of Huang Li and Cao Xuedong. Despite our enmity, it was a photo that no one could resist feeling happy for. Quietly, I handed it to Zheng Shuang. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said, getting up, ¡°Let¡¯s go back. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow.¡± I began walking out without waiting and Zheng Shuang protested before I was well out of earshot, ¡°Wait a minute, continue what tomorrow?!¡±


    As we lazed on the couches at my villa in Nanhu house later, Huang Li¡¯s diary sat diffidently on the coffee table in front of us. ¡°From the photos and her entries in the diary,¡± I pointed out, ¡°It¡¯s no secret that Huang Li loved Cao Xuedong very, very much.¡± ¡°So?¡± Zheng Shuang asked, still oblivious of where I was getting at. ¡°So, don¡¯t any of you feel what¡¯s wrong here?¡± ¡°But what is wrong??¡± Almost everyone asked in unison. I licked my lips and turned to Edelweiss. ¡°Dearest, put both of us into Huang Li¡¯s and Cao Xuedong¡¯s shoes. Can you see what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She blinked and pondered for several beats and her head shook dubiously. ¡°You,¡± I barked, looking at Lin Feng this time, ¡°Put you and Yuanyuan into their shoes, can¡¯t you feel what¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Feng¡¯s forehead creased into a frown as he thought hard. But he too, failed to make out anything odd. ¡°What about you, Chongxi?¡± I turned to the final pair in the house and said, ¡°What about Xiao Yu and you¡­¡± My voice faltered. The sight of the blank and dazed look on his face was answer enough for me.


    Na San came through the door, heaving and puffing as he carried a carton of coke. He laid it to rest on a corner on the coffee table with a dull thud, fished through his pockets for the change, and gave them to me. I ripped the carton open and tossed a can each to everyone and all around me with a symphony of pops and fizzles ringing around me. I took a swig off my own can and said, ¡°We¡¯ve overlooked something before. Remember about how we defeated the Bamen Dunjia enchantment?¡± Everyone bobbed their heads, save for Na San and Chongxi. ¡°So, if Huang Li was really so in love with Cao Xuedong, how could she not know that her husband was lying dead for an entire morning just opposite from here? She did not even look around for him and in the end, it was we who told her about his death the following morning. Is this even an acceptable behavior of a person who¡¯s madly in love with her husband?¡±


    The revelation seemed to hit everyone so hard that breaths were held and tongues were tied for literally seconds before the silence was shattered by an exclamation from Zheng Shuang, ¡°Oh, Gods in Heaven! I haven¡¯t thought so! Yes, you¡¯re absolutely correct! No person madly in love would sit still for a whole night while the person she loves is missing! There¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t be worried no matter how confident she was of his safety!¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Lin Feng agreed and said, ¡°Huang Li was so calm when we saw her the following morning. Us being fine should have immediately meant that Cao Xuedong was in danger. But still, she was as suave as the smoothest silk!¡±


    ¡°But what does this revelation reveal?¡± Big Sister asked from her corner, clutching her can of Coke. I spouted a puff of smoke and said, ¡°So this reveals that something has happened between Huang Li and Cao Xuedong then that has caused them to be strangers. I daresay it¡¯s what Huang Li told me about. What her father had done to them both. I still can¡¯t say precisely what. But I¡¯d surmise that whatever savagery he inflicted upon them has changed their behavior. Just like how Huang Li and Cao Xuedong became insensitive to everything in their surroundings. Don¡¯t you feel that Huang Li, Cao Xuedong, and the rest of the four people we¡¯ve seen just now behaved like living corpses?¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you know what¡¯s wrong with them?¡± Edelweiss asked beside me. The question made Chongxi look at me and I looked deeply at him too. ¡°I noticed just now during the interrogation that there was something wrong with Huang Li¡¯s soul. Her soul looks unstable.¡± I nodded, concurring to his findings as I added, ¡°I suspect what Huang Li¡¯s father had done was to tamper on their soul. People with their souls damaged often look dazed and dimwitted. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re no stranger to this behavior, Zheng Shuang?¡±


    Zheng Shuang nodded. ¡°Of course,¡± he said, ¡°The Third Apostle of the Creed was like that.¡± ¡°Yep,¡± I nodded and continued, ¡°Only, Huang Li¡¯s different from the Third Apostle. In the latter¡¯s case, I had taken part of his soul. So he¡¯s reacting only by his most primitive instincts. But Huang Li and the rest like her are different. They still maintain much of their consciousness and motor ability, with only their emotions completely blotted out. It¡¯s as if¡­¡±


    ¡°As if what?¡± Zheng Shuang threw in.

 Chapter 280 - Calling On Huang Lis Father

    ¡°Like a robot.¡± Our heads turned and saw it was Lin Feng who said that, with the edges of his eyes twitching uncomfortably. I flashed him an approving nod, attesting to what he said, something which Chongxi agreed too. ¡°True enough,¡± he said, ¡°All of them behaved like mindless drones without any shred of humanity or compassion, only programmed to do as he¡¯s told.¡±


    Zheng Shuang looked positively aghast by that epiphany, looking absolutely shocked that he could not even speak. Big Sister placed her empty can on the table and propped one leg over one knee and called, ¡°Toss me another, Na San.¡± The Shaman hastily placed his can on the floor and knelt down to extract another Coke from the box. Carefully, he popped the Coke open and presented it humbly to her, saying, ¡°Your drink, My Lady.¡± ¡°Gods, Big Sister. Can you be any more imperious!?¡± I frowned from across the coffee table. She shrugged nonchalantly as she took her Coke from Na San¡¯s hands, ignoring my jibe, and gestured at Na San, saying, ¡°So, they¡¯d be just like him?¡±


    We stared at her in silence as her statement drove right to the point. ¡°Huang Li and Cao Xuedong behaved just like tamed and domesticated slaves who will perform any duties hurled at them with utmost devotion and zero care for their own emotions and wishes. You can try asking Na San. Did he ever ask himself if he was willing to perform the task when I asked him for a new can of Coke?¡± ¡°Urm¡­ Serving you is a privilege to me, My Lady¡­¡± Na San squeaked, furthering substantiating Big Sister¡¯s premise. ¡°See?¡± Big Sister said to all of us, brandishing her arms like a magician who had just awed his audience, ¡°Fully tamed and domesticated. They¡¯re nothing more than slaves. Zero wishes, zero wants and needs. Only the will to serve hand and foot.¡±


    Yet despite the impeccable accuracy of her figuration, I could not help but scowl at her treatment of Na San. ¡°Big Sister,¡± I muttered apprehensively, ¡°You¡¯ve been seeing things you shouldn¡¯t have seen, have you?¡± ¡°Nothing much,¡± She shrugged casually again and said, ¡°Just watching the TV. I¡¯ve been bored, you see.¡± ¡°Just keep off from strange and odd TV programs. They¡¯d do you no good. Strange things to your mind, mind you.¡±


    She ignored me and I let it go. I had neither the wish nor intent to bicker with her now. ¡°All right,¡± I said to everyone, ¡°Just like what Big Sister said, to some extent, Huang Li and the rest is similar to Na San. But Na San is a willing servant, while Huang Li and the rest are not. It would not be far off to describe them as being coerced. I could feel it during the interrogation. The difference in her temperament before and after she¡¯d lost control of her temper. She looked as if she had been brainwashed or hypnotized.¡±


    Chongxi, who had been silently thinking on his own, spoke up suddenly, ¡°I really can¡¯t see how and what could have turned them into the poor things they were¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­¡± I remarked, looking at my watch. It was almost midnight by now. ¡°All right, let¡¯s call it a day. We shall visit Huang Li¡¯s parents tomorrow. Go to bed, all of you.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Zheng Shuang asked with a finger pointing at himself. I glared at him and said, ¡°Just pick any room. We¡¯ve so many rooms upstairs.¡±


    Na San clutched his blankets and chose to sleep on the couch instead. I could see that there was no way to strip him of the pathetic slave in him, so all I could do was only leave him be. After all, I mused, He is not my servant and I shouldn¡¯t need to feel too bad about it.


    The next morning, we asked the District Police Headquarters for the address of Huang Li¡¯s parents. Apparently, her father was living in the building of his own electronics company while her mother was now residing in an old housing estate. Through the phone, the chief of the Criminal Investigations Division told me that they had looked for Huang Li¡¯s parents and they found only her father. ¡°Did you not find out where her mother is now?¡± I asked and a heavy sigh came from the line. ¡°Of course we did,¡± the chief replied, ¡°Huang Li¡¯s mother operated a little roadside stall selling fried pancakes. But word on the street was that she¡¯s been vanished since months ago. She¡¯s not really close to anyone nearby and well, nobody cares. So nobody knows where she is now.¡± ¡°Is there anyone whom you¡¯d think would know where she is now?¡±


    I heard the sharp whistle of the chief¡¯s breath through his cigarette and he finally answered, ¡°We¡¯ve checked, and to no avail, I¡¯m afraid. She was last seen appearing near a train station. But that¡¯s all.¡± I sighed. ¡°So what else can you give me about Huang Li¡¯s parents? She¡¯s a former classmate of mine and I believe circumstances have encouraged me to pay her father a visit.¡± A dull ¡°Hmmm¡± came from his end of the line before he went on, ¡°I see. Well, they are both born in 1970. Mr. Huang is local but Mrs. Huang came here from Sichuan. Strangely so, her father seems abnormally calm even after hearing about his daughter. So you can just go ahead and call on him.¡± I responded with a wordless hum and conveyed my thanks before I ended the call.


    ¡°So?¡± Lin Feng glanced at me as soon as I put away my phone. ¡°Huang Li¡¯s mother has been missing for months. The last time she¡¯s been seen was at a train station. She¡¯s from Sichuan. So she could have gone back there already. Anyway, let¡¯s go meet her father. I¡¯m interested to meet him. The person whose name could even strike fear into Huang Li whenever he¡¯s been mentioned.¡±


    The site of Huang Li¡¯s father¡¯s company was somewhere north of Tangshan city. It was a remote part of the province near Fengrun, but the vicinity was populated by many plants and factories of large corporations, each of them taking up huge areas in the wilderness that the imposing chimney spires and concrete buildings surrounded by the lush and wild jungles painted a bizarre and outlandish picture. Just by looking at them, one could feel a strange dread tying a knot in his stomach.


    Big Sister looked out of the window, taking in the view of the concrete and mortar grotesqueries that was part of Huang Li¡¯s father¡¯s factory looming in the midst of the forest with apparent disgust, saying, ¡°Idiots. Wildernesses like these abound with spirits and ghosts¡­ What could have possessed these idiots to think of building factories here¡­¡± ¡°Well,¡± I regarded her through narrowed eyes, saying, ¡°Creepy and quiet¡­ Perfect combination for vulgar and prurient things like you innit!¡±


    Crack! A painful slap came right at the back at my head. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Big Sister scowled at me. And as I reeled with pain, I glimpsed Lin Feng, Chongxi, and Zheng Shuang sniggering amongst themselves. But their glee lingered just as brief and quick as a camera flash or a firework. Three successive cracks resounded barely a split-second later; showing that even they failed to escape Big Sister¡¯s wrath too. ¡°Laughing, eh?¡± Big Sister glowered at them, saying, ¡°Some fun you have here!¡± ¡°Gods, I thought she wouldn¡¯t understand what ¡°vulgar¡± and ¡°prurient¡± mean,¡± I whispered to my friends. ¡°Come on! What do you expect her to believe? That you¡¯re actually complimenting her?!¡± Zheng Shuang scowled hushedly back at me. I pursed my lips, preferring not to answer as another crack rang as Zheng Shuang got another blow from Big Sister.


    We stopped just outside and walked to one of the buildings. The security guard on duty, detecting the presence of strangers, came and stopped us. ¡°How can I help you people?¡± But he quickly spied Zheng Shuang¡¯s police uniform and he asked, ¡°Is there anything wrong, officer?¡± Zheng Shuang nodded and asked testily, ¡°Is Mr. Huang in today? We would like to speak to him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never known him not to be. But please wait a moment while I give him a call.¡± Zheng Shuang nodded curtly and the guard turned, with his back facing us, and took out his phone and made the call.


    Moments later, the guard turned back to us and reported, ¡°Mr. Huang is ready for you, everyone. He¡¯s at the top floor.¡± Zheng Shuang nodded a tacit thanks and led the way towards the elevator.


    The office building had ten floors altogether and Mr. Huang, Huang Li¡¯s father, had his own office on the top floor. We entered the elevator without a word and once the doors slid shut, Zheng Shuang burst with suspicion, ¡°Strange, the guard seems awfully agreeable. He allowed us in without many questions.¡± ¡°The chief of the investigations team at the District HQ told me that they¡¯ve been here before when they came to call on Huang Li¡¯s father. So I guess even the security guard now knows that the boss¡¯ daughter has got herself into trouble, so he¡¯d be expecting the police to visit frequently.¡± The explanation satisfied Zheng Shuang as he emitted an ¡°Oh¡± of comprehension.


    The elevator came to a stop when we reached the top floor and the doors slid opened obediently. A young lady, fully dressed like a corporate professional, was waiting just outside. She was so close to the door when it opened that she nearly bumped headfirst into Zheng Shuang.


    She flashed a welcoming smile and said, ¡°This way please, everyone. Mr. Huang is expecting you in his office.¡± Zheng Shuang responded with another curt nod and crossed his arms behind his back as he marched after the woman with us trailing behind until we came to a set of doors.


    The young lady knocked on the door and announced, ¡°The guests are here, Mr. Huang,¡± and a raspy voice called from inside, ¡°Come in!¡±


    She pushed the doors open gently and gestured for us to enter with her sweet smile. Zheng Shuang put on as an imperious air of the captain of the Criminal Investigations Division as he could, although he only succeeded in making us giggle quietly behind him.


    To call the office ¡°wide¡± would simply be an understatement. It was huge. Expansive even, that it looked more like a suite. I looked around and saw a minimalist design layout of sofas, bookshelves, and a handsome-looking office desk that coupled with a plush leathered executive office chair, upon which seated a man of middle age, looking at us with a cheerful smile as we came in. Even so, the hint of weariness could hardly be missed even through the polite smile he tried to put up.


    ¡°Mr. Huang,¡± Zheng Shuang said almost immediately, ¡°I¡¯m afraid your daughter can now be fully indicted¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± Mr. Huang cut in, ¡°But can I still see her?¡± ¡°Relax,¡± Zheng Shuang assured, saying, ¡°She¡¯d get at most a life imprisonment. You can save the bullet fee.¡± Mr. Huang heaved a breath of relief, and the creases of fatigue on his gnarly face seemed to soften for a heartbeat.


    A life imprisonment would have been a Hobson¡¯s Choice to any loving father when next to the death penalty.


    ¡°Mr. Huang,¡± I stepped forward to say, ¡°We¡¯re here, not to convey this unfortunate news. We¡¯re here on personal capacities, not cops. I¡¯m Huang Li¡¯s former classmate at university.¡±


    And that seemed to elicit a surprised ¡°Ah?¡± from Mr. Huang.

 Chapter 281 - Mr. Huang

    Mr. Huang stared at me as if he was surprised at my introduction. I smiled and stepped closer to him, offering a hand. ¡°Well, I must say, as Huang Li¡¯s former classmate, I¡¯m sorry to hear what she¡¯s gone through. Considering our friendship, I felt it right to come and meet you.¡± With feigned embarrassment, I scratched my head, trying to look as sheepish as possible before I went on, ¡°We¡¯re sorry we came empty-handed; we don¡¯t want to be untactful since you being in your office might attract a lot of unwanted attention.¡±


    A look of comprehension broke on his face just as immediately before a slight hesitation, then he took my hand and shook it.


    The shake of hands was deliberate. Before this, my shaking hands with Huang Li, Cao Xuedong, or even Sergeant Zhan at the police¡¯s District Headquarters had always resulted in me experiencing hallucinations as soon as we came into contact. It was my own way so far of determining if anyone was a descendant of Tribe Nine Li. Yet, nothing happened as Huang Li¡¯s father and I shook hands. He spied the troubled frown on my face and asked, ¡°Anything wrong, young man?¡±


    ¡°Nope, nothing at all, Mr. Huang,¡± I sputtered hastily, ¡°It¡¯s just that recent events, devastating they might be, must not affect you. Do rest well and take care of yourself. You look quite awful.¡± Mr. Huang nodded gratefully and gestured us towards the sofas.


    Once we were settled comfortably into our seats, I started the ball rolling with some small talk, ¡°Huang Li told me that she came here to help you, Mr. Huang?¡± He nodded. ¡°You know how poorly disciplined she could be. She dropped out of university without heeding my advice then. Truth be told, her mother and I were quite appalled when we heard about her decision.¡± Mr. Huang paused a moment, as if drifting in the sea of his recollections, before he said again, ¡°You might have heard about my estrangement with her mother when she was a girl. She grew up with her mother and I admit, I have not been a very good father¡­ So when she announced about her dropping out of school, I could only stand by the side and watch through a looking glass as my daughter sank further down into depravity¡­¡±


    A pall of gloom over us as we felt sorry for him. The sullen, gloomy look on his face was so infectious that we would have believed it real. ¡°There¡¯s no need to blame yourself, Mr. Huang,¡± I consoled and said, ¡°This is the path Huang Li chose for herself. You can only do so much for her as a parent.¡± He nodded and extracted a pack of cigarettes that he distributed to us. When I took the pack, I looked and gasped quietly, Gods, high-end cigarettes that cost more than a hundred yuan!


    With a click of my lighter, I set Mr. Huang¡¯s cigarette aflame and said through the cigarette between my teeth, ¡°Well, about Cao Xuedong¡­¡± The mention of the name hardly affected Mr. Huang. He looked calm and ready, as if he was expecting us to speak about him. He nodded and picked up where I left off, saying, ¡°I know all about Xuedong. That is why I asked my people to bring them here. It was only then I realized how difficult their life was. Xuedong¡¯s a nice chap¡­ Dependable¡­ Responsible and level-headed¡­ yet¡­¡±


    He paused, supposedly for a beat of grieve, and he spoke again, ¡°I should have predicted all these, knowing my daughter¡¯s temperament. Yet I was mistaken, choosing to believe that she had become a more sensible person after everything. I mean, she¡¯s already of marrying age, and God knows how happy I was for her when I heard she has found herself a man. They have lived together for so many years, so I trust them. That is why I bought them that villa house, so that they have a better place to live in after their marriage¡­ Yet! Goddammit!¡± He stopped to choke and hold back tears. We consoled him a bit and he finally cooled down, nodding his head.


    I decided on a change of pace, so I thought it best to speak about Huang Li¡¯s mother. ¡°So,¡± I began and said, ¡°Have you recently been in contact with your ex-wife?¡± It would have been a sensitive question, but Mr. Huang was neither perturbed nor affronted since he was under the impression that this was part of a police questioning. ¡°Actually, she did approach me a few times, citing her intentions for us to re-marry. I know it was all for our daughter. But my company was doing poorly then and I was sailing perilously close to ruin¡­¡± He sighed before he went on, ¡°Then a decade passed without any contact between us. I still went to see my daughter, but I only went to her school and she had been careful to avoid mentioning her mother.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself, Mr. Huang,¡± I smiled gently and said, ¡°Worse things happen at sea. Who knows, you could be landing on your feet after this. Ah, yes. That reminds me. Huang Li has another friend, who is also a former classmate of hers from university by the name of Lu Shengnan. Last I heard, she¡¯s come here to work at Huang Li¡¯s invitation?¡±


    The question stunned Mr. Huang until he could shake his head with a bewildered look on his face. ¡°Lu Shengnan? I¡¯m afraid I have not heard about this before. But I suppose you can go down to Human Resources and speak to them. My daughter has quite a considerable position here and she is accorded certain freedoms; I¡¯m afraid I do not really vet every decision she¡¯s made.¡± I nodded. This at least, I¡¯m willing to believe, I thought. No owner of such a large company could ever hope to know every single detail about every member of his staff.


    I stole a look at my watch and realized that it was almost noon. I rose to my feet, still smiling, and I said, ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s all for today, Mr. Huang. We¡¯d best not to take up too much of your time.¡± With a brusque wave, I motioned for everyone to leave. ¡°How about lunch together?¡± Mr. Huang invited. The notion of food slowed Chongxi to a dawdle although Lin Feng, quick to note Chongxi¡¯s penchant for food, gave him an inconspicuous shove and eased him out of the door. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Huang. But I¡¯m afraid we still have other business to get to.¡± Mr. Huang just said that for politeness. Realizing our persistence to leave, he decided to walk us out and only returned to his office once he saw us into the elevator.


    ¡°So, have you noticed anything, Shiyan?¡± Zheng Shuang looked as if he had been waiting for the whole morning to ask me this. I could only nod, although I did not disclose anything. We walked out of the elevator when we reached the ground floor to find the security guard mooning over his lunchbox. He greeted us warmly when we came out and I teased him, saying, ¡°Wow, that looks mightily good!¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he returned and said as he whisked us towards the exit, ¡°Our company treats its employees well!¡±


    Once stepping out of the gates, Zheng Shuang pestered again, saying, ¡°So what did you find?¡± I scowled at him and said, ¡°No. Not here. Let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡± Zheng Shuang, finally understanding me, nodded and went to his car where he followed behind ours away from the compound.


    We left the place and went first back to Unit 105. After all, Zheng Shuang, in his police uniform and his wheezing around in a police patrol car, would undoubtedly attract much obnoxious attention and make everyone uneasy.


    Zheng Shuang left his patrol car parked outside Unit 105 and got himself a change of clothes before he rode in our car. We found a nice restaurant and placed our order, and only then, I gave a nod to Zheng Shuang, indicating it was finally time to let the secret out in the open.


    ¡°This Mr. Huang is putting up a very good show. But whether he¡¯s speaking the truth or not, something is terribly wrong with him,¡± I said as I took a long breath off my cigarette. Chongxi attested with a nod, saying, ¡°Indeed. This Mr. Huang looks terribly tired. Not because he¡¯s lacking rest, but I feel it¡¯s because he¡¯s been using some sort of black magic.¡± ¡°Not only that,¡± I added, ¡°According to Mr. Huang, he¡¯s very close to Huang Li. But his daughter¡¯s been painting an altogether different picture of him that we can see from her diary. She was afraid of him. Terribly afraid, so to speak. Therefore, I believe we¡¯ve encountered only one of the many faces of Mr. Huang, the infernal and diabolical father of Huang Li. Yet there is one thing I¡¯m puzzled with. I shook his hands just now and I felt nothing. Is he not a member of Tribe Nine Li, I wonder¡­¡± And my voice ended to the shaking heads of everyone around me.


    As the servers filed in one by one, buzzing like a hive of busy bees as they scurried about to set our table, I reached for some food and said, ¡°We¡¯ll have to go again tonight. We need to know more about this Mr. Huang. I say we sneak in quietly.¡± Zheng Shuang mumbled a ¡°How?¡± through his full mouth and I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯ll be staying outside. Keep watch outside that office building we went to just now. The six of us can go in. You can back us up if we get into trouble.¡± He beamed broadly, looking visibly relieved, saying, ¡°Gods, I thought you want me to come with you! Honestly, Shiyan, I nearly shat myself the last time we fought against that bat demon of that Creed of the Eight Trigrams!¡± Chongxi butted in, ¡°Look at you. If only you had more courage as you did in your previous life!¡± Just then, three voices quipped from his waist, squealing, ¡°Indeed!¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± ¡°Indeed!¡±


    That startled Zheng Shuang. For a moment, he thought he was hearing things. He did not know where did the three female voices come from, only that they seemed to have originated from somewhere near Chongxi¡¯s lower body. Their eyes met and for several awkward moments, none of them could say anything.


    But Big Sister crashed into the conversation with the abruptness of an avalanche, splitting the embarrassing moment as she screamed, ¡°All right, all right! It¡¯s no good prattling about useless piffle! Let¡¯s get straight into making our plans for tonight!¡± Her voice was thick with the accent commonly found on people of north-eastern parts, even though she was but only a fox demon from the north-eastern parts.


    I shrugged and said with a smile, ¡°The same as how we settled the case at Unit 104. We go at night. Just be careful not to alert anyone, especially that security guard¡­¡±


    Fast forward to an hour before midnight, the Hour of the Rat. We stood just outside the premise compound of Huang Li¡¯s father company, with the gentle winds of the night howling and rustling by our ears. The pitch-black darkness around us looked ominous and menacing as if hidden terrors were lurking about, waiting to pounce on us and the only single glimmer of light from a settlement not far away did little to provide us with any comfort.


    Quietly as we could, we slunk towards the office block. Then something green and luminous flitted by the edge of our visions, its ghostly shimmer in the field of blackness only made it too obvious for anyone to miss and all of our heads twisted in unison to look.


    The emerald-green fire flickered gently along a wall not far away, bobbing and hovering lazily in the dark with all of us following closely the moments of what we realized was a will-o¡¯-the-wisp.

 Chapter 282 - Night in the Barrens

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! A will-o¡¯-the-wisp!¡± Chongxi spat furiously. ¡°What do you think this place is? Wildernesses like these are where people usually abandon corpses and carcasses, of course, there¡¯d be will-o¡¯-the-wisps here!¡± Big Sister quipped with a giggle, to which Chongxi uttered a surprised ¡°Ah?¡±, not comprehending what Big Sister was trying to say.


    ¡°I¡¯d not be surprised if Huang Li¡¯s father has indeed killed to cover up secrets of his. This area is deserted and he could easily dig a hole and hide any dead body without being seen. That¡¯s what she means.¡± I explained and Chongxi emitted an ¡°Oh!¡± finally.


    We reached the inside of the compound. Crouching by the corner of a wall, Zheng Shuang whispered to me, ¡°Go on then! I¡¯ll keep watch here!¡± I felt like a little child leading his band of merry men bent on mischief and Zheng Shuang¡¯s pretense of ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch here¡± struck as being as best an excuse he could come up just to mask his cowardice like the timid little straggler who could not keep up with us. I chuckled and shrugged. After a moment¡¯s thought, I fished out my Spirit Gourd and summoned Smoky. ¡°I¡¯ll leave Smoky here with you. At least he can accompany you or defend you in case you¡¯re attacked.¡± Zheng Shuang nodded anxiously and rushed to hug the black cat which resembled more of miniaturized panther to me and Smoky meowed twice snobbishly, even though it did not struggle to free itself.


    We gave him silent nods and we gently pushed opened the door, finding it unlocked, and we wriggled our way in like fishes in a channel.


    The slivers of light pouring through the slit in the doorway into the security control room were the only source of light in the darkened hallway. Sneaking on her toes, Big Sister crept closer to the room and peeped through the slit. Having the best eyesight among my friends, I could see that the guard sat alone in his control room, staring up at a bank of screens, all of them CCTV monitors. Then I saw us, clearly being shown skulking surreptitiously outside the security control room on one of the screens. But the security guard seemed to not have noticed us. Big Sister gave me a quick look before she blew a gust of air through the slit. A green mist drifted through the room towards the guard before his head drooped down and his hands went limp and fell, releasing the cell phone he was holding. Just before it clattered on the floor, the recognizable voice from the Arena of Valor AI announced, ¡°Get ready, minions will be deployed in five seconds.¡±


    That put a grin to my face and I pushed my way in quietly. The snores of the guard reverberated through the control room like the rumbles of thunder. ¡°He¡¯d be as dead as a log until the morning,¡± Big Sister beamed proudly, saying, ¡°Not even a thunderclap would wake him.¡± ¡°This is a useful trick, Big Sister!¡± Chongxi praised, flashing a thumbs-up and her smile grew even wider.


    I groaned and shook my head at the banter and redirected my attention to the bank of CCTV screens on the wall, which featured footages from almost every corridor in the building and I saw no one else. I lighted a cigarette. ¡°I wonder if there are more people besides Huang Li¡¯s father and this guard. We¡¯d best proceed carefully and quietly. We¡¯ll look wherever we can and we¡¯ll be depending mostly on your sense of smell, Big Sister.¡± I instructed and Big Sister nodded her assent.


    We left the security control room and I motioned towards the elevator. As we stepped inside after the doors opened, I felt as if something was amiss although I did not know what. We walked in and turned around and I reached forward to hit the buttons when my hand froze! There were only ten buttons during the day when we came earlier. Ten buttons for ten floors. But now, there was another extra row of buttons! We exchanged terrified looks and I whispered to my friends, ¡°Look!¡± ¡°Wait, the building doesn¡¯t have so many floors when we came just now. I don¡¯t remember it being so tall,¡± Edelweiss gasped and Chongxi clicked his tongue, saying, ¡°Not only just now. This building does not have so many floors even when I looked at it from the outside when we¡¯re sneaking in just now!¡± Chongxi added.


    I snorted. ¡°Just look properly!¡± I said to everyone and they studied closely the two rows of buttons and they inhaled deeply with disbelief! The buttons for every floor each have a double just beside it; a pair of 2s, a pair of 3s, a pair of 4s and so on, until the bottom where the last two buttons side-by-side both showed the same number 10.


    Everyone turned to face me, everyone with dubious expressions on their faces. ¡°Urm, what now?¡± Big Sister asked first. I paused several seconds to think, then I said, ¡°We¡¯ll split up. Na San and Edelweiss with me. We¡¯ll take the left column buttons. Big Sister, you¡¯ll go with Lin Feng and Chongxi. You guys will take the right column buttons.¡± When everyone nodded their agreement to the plan, I hit the ¡°2¡± on the left.


    With the chime of a bell, the elevator doors glided open. Through the dark, one could not miss the red sparkling dot at the end of the corridor that denoted the position of the CCTV camera. With a last nod to my friends who nodded back, I led Na San and Edelweiss out of the elevator. The doors closed behind us, plunging us into complete darkness.


    When I looked back, Na San had already produced a shamanic drum and in his hand, his fingers clasped tightly around the handle of a drumstick that looked like a miniature riding crop. He realized the stare coming from me and smiled goofily. ¡°I guess this is all I have for now, since I no longer have my knife and staff.¡± I gave him an encouraging nod. Na San seemed to have missed my curiosity as to from where did he produce that little drum of his. A pair of snakes, a pair of toads, and a pair of lizards were illustrated on the face of the drum head. Six animals around in a circle, surrounding a tortoise. The drum was a meticulous work of art and would have cost a fortune, whether it had magical abilities or not.


    Edelweiss, however, hardly cast a look at Na San. Her hand immediately drew to her back and her golden dagger came out with a steely swish. I muttered a simple incantation while uncorking my Spirit Gourd. My sword, the ordinary one, appeared, along with all a half dozen of my spirit wolves. My weapon glinted coldly in the dark as my six Spirit Wolves began sniffing around. They must have felt the strangeness of this place too, given their sharp senses as predators which were further honed when they became my spirit minions and even mine could not ever hope to match theirs.


    For a second, the wolves began to be tensed and I knew they had found something. They spread out, pausing to sniff at each door one-by-one with us shadowing behind, until the wolf at the forefront sprinted around a corner and we gave chase at once.


    Another darkly-ominous corridor panned out just before us as soon as we turned the corner. Yet, despite its unsettling emptiness, the wolves could not stop smelling around as if they have found something although they did not know what. The common link shared between my wolves and my mana pool allowed me to feel their emotions and me theirs, so I realized what they had found. Someone was here. Or could still be here, even though my wolves could not see him.


    Edelweiss read the hesitation in my expression and she asked quickly, ¡°What happened? Is there anything wrong?¡± I held up a hand to motion for silence and I activated my Spirit Sight to look around. Still, all I got was a gloomy hallway. Nothing looked wrong. Edelweiss looked around warily, finding nothing too. Suddenly, Na San urged, saying, ¡°Please leave the young lordling be, for now, My Lady. He¡¯s realized something is wrong here too and so did I.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You felt something too?¡± I spun frantically to face him, asking, ¡°What did you feel?¡± ¡°I could feel the presence of something here, Young Lordling,¡± he frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s should be just in front of us, yet we see nothing.¡± ¡°Yes, my wolves have felt something too,¡± I nodded and said, ¡°But I see nothing¡­¡± A huge BOOM from somewhere around this floor resounded suddenly, startling us! The loud crash echoed off the walls of the quiet and barren corridors like the explosion of a bomb, nearly sending us into a fright.


    Our eyes met. Yet when Na San and I were looking at each other, he misunderstood the look I was giving him! He returned a brusque nod and raised his shamanic drum aloft as he sprinted back where we were coming from! I sped after him. You idiot fool, Na San! I was screaming in my head, Do you not value your own life! He looked at me and thought I was ordering him to charge headfirst into enemy lines like a foolhardy foot soldier! Edelweiss realized what happened and followed after me.


    Before my quest of pilgrimage through Time, I was so many times weaker than I was now that I used to be slower than Edelweiss. But now, in steps of twos and threes, I easily caught up to Na San.


    We ran back to the same corridor we first came into right after leaving the elevator. One of the doors had been kicked open, its lock mangled beyond repair. Standing in at the door of the overshadowed room, I looked inside and saw it was nothing but an ordinary-looking office with rows and rows of desks. We looked at each other uneasily, still puzzled by this. The door was clearly kicked from outside. But there seemed to be no one else but us! Could it be true that we had something lurking about around us? Something invisible that not even my Spirit Sight could detect?


    The thought of having an invisible intruder prowling like a slithery snake around us made goosebumps ooze out of my skin! Even Edelweiss was giving off a slight tremble; a sign that she too noticed what I realized. Na San, however, was looking rather indifferent. The dread and premonition of imminent danger seemed to hardly daunt him. As usual for a fool that rushes into battle at the first sign of trouble, I guess, I mused as I wonder if the notion of death caused by knife¡¯s chopping and the creepiness of being frightened by a ghost would seem the same to him.


    Edelweiss tugged fearfully at my arm, asking me, ¡°What should we do now?¡± My forehead creased with concentration and worry. I did not know what to do myself, truth be told. I was still raking my mind for solutions, when suddenly, the corridor came alive with the noises of cracking glass and all three of us jumped as one!

 Chapter 283 - The Real World and the Fog World

    The end of the corridor was a particularly dark corner, hindering us from seeing who it was or what had been broken. Without even any signal from me this time, Na San charged again into the darkness with me screaming urgently, ¡°Careful!¡± But Na San kept his pace as if he had not heard me.


    Fearing for his safety, I ordered my wolves to go with him. Then I grabbed Edelweiss¡¯s hand and we chased after him. The corridor was not a long one; it only looked long because of the shadows when it was but only a few paces to the stop.


    We reached the end to find the large glass pane smashed to bits and the night winds were pouring in like a dam being broken. The eerie silence was broken by the mad howling of the winds and the snapping of our clothes. We looked out and saw Zheng Shuang sipping nervously on his cigarette on below a nearby corner. I shouted at him, ¡°Hey! Did you break this glass pane?¡± The sudden cry jolted him and he jumped. Then he instinctively looked up and saw me. ¡°For Heaven¡¯s sake, Shiyan! Is that you?! You sent such a fright through me! What glass pane?!¡± He screamed as softly as possible and I pointed at the broken glass frame I was looking out from. Zheng Shuang shook his arm, saying, ¡°No! I don¡¯t know about that!¡± ¡°Did you not hear the glass break just now?¡± ¡°No! Nothing!¡± He screamed hoarsely, still trying to keep his voice low.


    Back upstairs, we stared at each other as I withdrew from the hole in the glass. ¡°Strange¡­¡± I muttered, yet a split second later, three steely clangs screamed through the air, catching us off-guard and I raised my sword, hoping vainly to deflect something but there was nothing!


    As I lowered my sword-hand, I scanned the area where the three clangs of steel had come from. Somewhere along the wall behind us. ¡°Careful, Young Lordling,¡± a worried Na San urged but my hand shot up to signal for silence without turning my head. Then I saw it. Three deep gashes on the wall lining parallel to each other on the wall. Something had stabbed through the wall and left these marks.


    Na San and Edelweiss formed up beside me. They stared blankly at the gashes when they saw what I was studying, utterly perplexed. ¡°The sounds just now¡­ were these?¡± Edelweiss whispered and I nodded and she asked again, ¡°Were these here when we passed by here just now?¡± And I shook my head grimly before say, ¡°Surely these three marks would have stood out and we would have noticed it just now if they¡¯re here when we came by just now?¡± Edelweiss agreed with a wordless nod and she asked, ¡°But these holes¡­ what could have caused them¡­¡± I looked around us, thinking. I could only think of one possibility behind all these bizarreness, even though how far-fetched it sounded even to myself. ¡°If my speculations are right,¡± I uttered, ¡°The kicked-open door, the broken glass pane, and these three gashes are all the handiwork of Big Sister and the others.¡± I raised my sword and I drove it through the wall just beside the three marks.


    I unplugged my sword from the wall and there was the fourth gash, looking completely identical to its three siblings just beside, leaving Na San and Edelweiss exclaiming ¡°Ah?!¡± together. They stared at me, their eyes wide and oblivious, and I explained, ¡°The door must have been kicked open by Lin Feng, the glass pane by Chongxi and the three holes here left by Big Sister with her Qinglan¡¯s Edge.¡±


    Edelweiss went speechless for several beats before she finally uttered, ¡°Wait¡­ but Big Sister¡­ they are¡­¡± She fell silent abruptly, finally realized that Big Sister and the others were also on the second floor. Or should I say, the other second floor? Na San scratched his head, still failing to get his head around what happened. ¡°But Young Lordling, Lady Qinglan and the others are not here. Are you saying that this is all a prank they¡¯re playing on us? They are invisible to us now?¡±


    For the love of Heavens, Na San, There was only so much I could do to keep myself from screaming out loud, For a Shaman, you¡¯re mightily moronic! I shook my head wearily, sighing hard and I clarified, ¡°No, they¡¯re not. They¡¯re not playing a prank. They are in trouble.¡± Na San let loose a long ¡°Ah?!¡± again as I bit my lip. ¡°You felt it too just now,¡± I said, ¡°Somebody is here, but we can¡¯t see him or her.¡± Na San nodded then a look of dawning comprehension broke out on his face right after a second. ¡°So you mean, you mean the presence that we¡¯ve felt¡­ they¡¯re Lady Qinglan?! Is, is this even possible?!¡± Na San¡¯s voice sounded even hoarser as it quivered even more with the fear. But its pitch was so much of an assault on my senses that I had to wave him before I could faint.


    ¡°Do you watch horror flicks, Na San?¡± I whispered. He shook his head, squeamishly replying, ¡°No, Young Lordling, I¡¯m already a walking horror flick myself. Moreover, His Highness has never allowed me such entertainment.¡± Finding myself unable to respond to that, I could only manage a weak smile as I tried vainly to look away. Edelweiss¡¯s eyes met mine and she shook her head too as an answer to my question. ¡°You¡¯ve seen it before,¡± I muttered seriously, ¡°Silent Hill.¡±


    As soon as I had finished saying the name, Edelweiss jumped as if a bolt of lightning had coursed through her and she convulsed violently for a bit!


    It was when Edelweiss had just arrived in Wu Zhong. We were together one night, watching movies while we were lazing on my bed after a little chat. As usual to all lovebirds, horror movies are always the go-to selection when it comes to watching movies with your sweetheart and the lights all off. Edelweiss might retain little of her ferocity as a former outlaw, but she was just like any other lasses when it came to watching horror movies and that had been our usual after-dinner activity every night.


    So, there was this night when we watched Silent Hill. Edelweiss endured the entire movie being cocooned in the blankets, even though she failed to understand the story. After the film, she asked me, ¡°How did the man and woman fail to see each other, when they¡¯re actually standing on the same spot?¡± (It was the part when the male and female protagonists were actually sitting on the couch at home, yet they could not see each other.)


    I explained to her with a smile at that time. ¡°They call these two worlds the Real World and the Fog World on the Internet. The man was in the Real World while his wife was in the Fog World. Both worlds represent two different facets of the same plane of existence and despite their many similarities, they are fundamentally different.¡± Edelweiss gave me the same bewildered look, signifying that she understood not a word I said. ¡°Put it this way,¡± I tried another way of explanation, saying, ¡°It¡¯s like a mirror. The real world outside the mirror and the world inside it. They may look identical but they are two different domains. The woman was stuck inside the ¡®Mirror World¡¯, that was why she couldn¡¯t see her husband, since they¡¯re both stuck in two different places.¡±


    Edelweiss finally understood the plot of the movie following my lengthy explanation. But it also prevented her from sleeping that night.


    Back to the present, the notion of being personally in a situation that she dreaded shocked her so greatly that she felt into silence. She looked positively horrified, with the ghosts of the horrors from the Silent Hill movie, just as vivid as yesterday, returning like a monster rearing its head from a placid loch to haunt her. I pounded a fist into the wall and cursed, ¡°I should have thought of this earlier. Two rows of buttons¡­ Two buttons for every same floor¡­ So this is where we are and where are the others now. The Real World and the Fog World, as real as life itself.¡±


    It took Na San several minutes to struggle to take in what I said. His eyes blinked dubiously as he uttered a question, ¡°But how could the door be kicked open if Lady Qinglan and the others are fighting there?¡± Before I could answer, an impatient Edelweiss used the mirror theory to explain, saying, ¡°Try kicking a door open in front of the mirror. Surely the door inside the mirror would also be opened then?¡±


    Na San looked as if he was stunned for several seconds more before his eyes shot wide, showing that he finally got there too. ¡°But, but Lady Qinglan and the others¡­¡± he stammered and I cut him right off, ¡°We can only pray that they realize this as soon as possible. I have never once wished so badly that Chongxi is not in his usual self now!¡± ¡°But what can we do?¡± Na San croaked. ¡°We¡¯ll have to keep moving up. We¡¯ll go to them once we¡¯ve finished this side.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Big Sister is fine,¡± Edelweiss agreed, saying, ¡°She¡¯s stronger than we are. So let¡¯s push on so that we can rejoin them quickly!¡±


    With nothing else on the second floor, we went back to the elevator and hit the ¡°3¡± button on the left.


    The elevator doors skated open on their rails, revealing the same darkened offices, corridors, glass-paned partitions and everything identical to the second floor. We barely stepped out of the elevator when we heard its motor whirring to life. It headed downstairs and my brows furrowed curiously. Someone is coming up, I realized. It stopped for several moments on the second floor before the motor began working again and the number at the LED display overhead showed ¡°3¡±.


    Edelweiss and Na San noticed my apprehension and they readied their weapons and I raised my sword, poised to strike!


    A minute passed silently as we waited. Nothing happened. The elevator doors did not open. The elevator did not reach this side! Edelweiss and I shared a quick look and she understood my look, driving her dagger into the wall and leaving a deep gash.


    Just as quickly, on the wall where Edelweiss had left the hole, six smaller holes appeared right below the gash Edelweiss made, each of them looking altogether different.

 Chapter 284 - The First Floor Intersection

    My spirits lifted partially when I saw the six different holes. Lin Feng often carried six throwing darts with him and each of them shaped variously. It must have been Big Sister, Lin Feng, and Chongxi who had just exited the elevator and they must have also realized the peculiarities about this place.


    Naturally, Big Sister must have already realized this when I stabbed my sword through the wall. That reminded me of the movement of the elevator when they were coming up to the second floor. The elevator had to stop for a short extended moment on the second floor before coming up to the third. Then I noticed. This means that the elevator could have returned to the first floor to initiate the transition from the Real World to the Fog World¡­ But if that¡¯s true¡­


    Then I remembered, of all the buttons in the elevator, only ¡°1¡±¡ª the first floor¡ªhas no twin! There was only one button for ¡°1¡±!


    Edelweiss saw me grinning and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The first floor,¡± I said, ¡°That¡¯s where these two different dimensions intersect! The middle-ground between both the Real World and the Fog World! And I¡¯m betting that Big Sister too has discovered what we¡¯re in now.¡± As I said, I used my sword to scratch the taijitu symbol, the round black-and-white symbol that represented Yin and Yang, to illustrate my hypothesis to her. Big Sister and the others were now separated from us like the Yin and Yang parts of the symbol.


    We waited in the dark for quite some time. So long that I would have thought they had left. I was just about to give up waiting when an invisible hand scratched a tick just below my taijitu symbol. I chuckled and thought, Well, at least Chongxi is in his vigilant self now.


    Then, a single English letter appeared. A capital T. ¡°Huh?¡± Edelweiss gasped. But I raised a hand to calm her, signaling for patience.


    And indeed, three little vertical lines with rising lengths appeared beside the capital T, drawn to illustrate the symbol for cell phone signal. Then a cross appeared to denote the failure of our cell phone signals. A comprehending ¡°Ah¡± slipped past her lips as Edelweiss understood finally. So Big Sister and the others had tried calling us, but to no avail.


    I paused to think, then I drew a capital Y and added a circle right below the base of the alphabet. Seconds later, Big Sister returned with a tick above the Y alphabet.


    I flashed nods to Na San and Edelweiss. It was time we press on.


    We rushed through floors second to ninth without any trouble. Every floor looked almost the same and every one of them was empty. There was no one at all. Finally, as we prepared to board the elevator for the tenth floor, we gulped hard. The tenth floor. The boss level, where Mr. Huang would be waiting. We knew that Mr. Huang took up lodging at his office so, Heaven forbid, he would be there licking his lips with anticipation for our arrival. There was no way he was unaware of our presence given all the brouhaha we had caused.


    The doors of the elevator slid open with the ominous chime of the bell that sounded like a death toll and the dark hallway, with not even one lighted lamp, only seemed to portend the terrible showdown waiting for us. We stepped out of the illumination of the elevator and the doors closed behind us, allowing darkness to engulf us whole, casting us all into a somber mood as my grip tightened around the hilt of my sword. I led Edelweiss and Na San ahead, pacing briskly through the same cubicles we had come by in the day.


    The twin doors leading into Mr. Huang¡¯s office was ajar when we arrived. I looked to Edelweiss and Na San to make sure that we were ready. Na San shifted instinctively to stand in front of me and he pushed it open before I could, storming in before I could stop him! But what was inside shocked us greater. Inside the office was contrary to what we were expecting! Mr. Huang¡¯s office was a black hole of silence and stillness, only an eerie shade that welcomed us in. Na San proceeded carefully; he would know better than to let his guard down in a seemingly-empty office. With his shamanic drum held out and his other hand with the drumstick on the ready, he inched step-by-step, stealthily as he could, until we reached the door behind his desk and chair. The one that led to Mr. Huang¡¯s little humble abode, his one-room dormitory.


    I placed my hand on the handle and I took a deep breath. Then, as quickly as I could, I swung it open with a whoosh and Na San began hitting on his drum. Only what came out of his drum was not the sharp ratatata or tumtumtum of normal drums, but instead the rumble of thunders!


    But the thunderclap hardly lasted long. Na San¡¯s hands lowered right after one beat. And we sighed. There was also no one here in this dingy little room, modestly furnished with a little safe, a creaking iron-wrought bed, a matching bedside cabinet, and a sink.


    We looked at each other and relaxed finally. All that tenseness and anxiety, we grinned at each other, only for nothing. So Mr. Huang was not here. That could mean that he could be waiting in his office in the Fog World.


    Then a litany of soft, but audible footfalls echoed off the walls of the corridor outside, rapidly stiffening our smiles. Then came the creak of a door being pushed open and the distinctive click of the door latching to a close. Gods, there really is someone here?!


    Without even a moment¡¯s thought, I dove at the door, flung it open, and I rushed out to the darkened corridor flanked with cubicles of offices, with Edelweiss and Na San hot at my heels.


    When we entered the quiet and shadowed corridor, every door was closed. We could not see which door was just opened and closed by our unseen intruder and so, we could only try to open each of them to be sure.


    The first door refused to bulge, allowing only a loud clack as its lock refused to yield. Then the second, that too came out as a big No. Then the third, which handle twisted readily at my grip. What was more, I realized that the door was left slightly unclosed when I grabbed the handle. Na San and Edelweiss rejoined me when they heard the different sound coming from my way, approaching me softly and carefully. With a nod as a signal to them, I hurled the door open with Na San bounding in deftly like a panther!


    Just as Na San rushed in, he felt something coming at him. Something dark threw itself at him just as his eyes got used to the dimness, howling like a terrified monkey right into his face with foul language, ¡°YOU BASTARD!!


    Bang! The unseen assailant¡¯s blow landed squarely on Na San¡¯s face and he collapsed. The figure looked up, only now he discovered that the enemy he had just incapacitated had two more allies right behind him, and with a howling ¡°Gods help me!¡±, he tried to make for the exit.


    Right before I could make out who our mysterious assailant was, Na San screamed from the floor, ¡°Your Highness! It¡¯s me!¡± Only his warning came a tad too late; Edelweiss¡¯s hand wrapped around the man¡¯s throat and she apprehended him with a headlock around his neck, making him oddly resembling a ragdoll. This allowed me to see the man¡¯s face and indeed, it was Jin Qichen!


    The self-professed prince seemed to be ignorant of Na San¡¯s earlier calls, still struggling to free himself from Edelweiss¡¯s vice-like grip like a furious chicken. Na San, in spite of his bloodied face, threw himself to Jin Qichen¡¯s legs, hugging them tightly as he cried, ¡°Your Highness! Finally, I¡¯ve found you! Thank Heavens, Your Highness!¡±


    The howling monkey teetering on the edge of complete insanity that was Jin Qichen finally cooled down only after he heard Na San¡¯s wails. He twisted around and recognized Edelweiss and then his eyes found me and he burst into tears, sobbing frenetically, ¡°Gods in Heavens! It¡¯s you guys! It really is you guys! I can¡¯t believe it!¡±


    Feeling slightly amused, I asked, ¡°Who else did you think we were?¡± Jin Qichen wiped off his tears and stomped the ground vehemently with frustration, giving a kneeling Na San a contemptuous kick, ¡°How did you find me?! Why is Na San with you?!¡± He glowered at Na San, ¡°And where have you been, slave!?¡±


    With the chance when Jin Qichen¡¯s attention was occupied in chiding his servant, I had a good look at him. He looked absolutely shabby and dusty, with even that expensive-looking mink coat of his missing. In fact, I would have thought he could give Na San a good run for his money! Edelweiss released her grip of Jin Qichen at last and I asked, ¡°What happened to you?¡± Still looking disoriented, Jin Qichen stammered incoherently, ¡°I was meaning to ask you what¡¯s happening here?! There¡¯re monsters here everywhere! Ghosts too! I saw a few Na Sans, then I saw a couple of yous, all in a rampage, bloodthirsty for my life! I¡¯ve been running! But I know. I know they¡¯re not real! Not real¡­¡± He paused to choke back a sob, breathing heavily.


    It seemed rather clear to me that Jin Qichen had had a terrible shock and he looked terribly confused. He bawled and bawled with more tears streaming down, ¡°Oh, Gods! What a long night this is! Gods in Heaven! Please help me!¡± I shoved him and he lost balance and fell. He crashed to the ground, skittered away from us, and curled himself into a shivering ball, but he seemed to calm down a little. ¡°Tell me,¡± I said again quietly, ¡°What happened after you were taken? Where have you been for the past few days?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®past few days¡¯? I thought I was taken here by them today?!¡± He cried with shocking disbelief. Then he halted like a videotape stuck on freeze-frame before he looked as if he had remembered something. Then out of nowhere, he spun and gave Na San one of the most terrible slaps I had ever seen on his face. ¡°You imbecilic slave! How dare you left me on my own!¡±


    Na San only kept his head bowed on the floor, uttering not a single syllable.

 Chapter 285 - The Fog World

    Jin Qichen turned a hair, shifting from terror into anger and slammed his fist into Na San¡¯s face. Only what bothered me was, Na San was allowing himself to be beaten; the poor servant even tilted his face so that his master could get a better angle. But I could not stomach such abuse. So I got up, raised a foot, and shoved it at Jin Qichen¡¯s waist, causing him to lose balance and fall.


    Edelweiss looked equally perturbed herself. She drew nearer to Jin Qichen and was about to reciprocate the abuse he had inflicted on Na San, but Na San loped forward and wrapped his arms around her ankles, begging between chokes and sobs, ¡°Please, My Lady! Mercy, please! His Highness has endured a terrible ordeal! Please, no more!¡± ¡°All right, all right. Let go. It¡¯s unsightly for you to be hugging my wife¡¯s legs,¡± I muttered smilingly with a hand on his shoulder to calm him and Na San quickly released his hold.


    I bent down and stared at Jin Qichen, whose eyes were filled with fright as he looked at us, ¡°So, what¡¯s wrong with you? Have you gone off the rails because of the shock?¡±


    Prior to coming here, I had already wondered if Jin Qichen was being held here after he was taken, although I hardly expected him to make such an entrance. Between the Real and the Fog World, it was clear he had been kept here in the Real World but he had suffered a terrible shock. Something must have terrified him so greatly to cause him such psychological injury. And since we had encountered nothing, I could only surmise that the Fog World abounded with horrors that the Real World was devoid of and that could be the reason why Big Sister¡¯s and the others¡¯ climb to the top had to be a gritting struggle. This could also mean that Jin Qichen was held in the Fog World for some time before he came here.


    Then I asked, ¡°You said just now that you¡¯ve been here for a night?¡± Jin Qichen bobbed his head furiously. ¡°Then where were you before that?¡± I asked again, ¡°Here too? You¡¯ve been missing for a week.¡± The pretender prince shook his head in a bewildered manner, clearly oblivious of the facts. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he sputtered, ¡°It was nighttime when they brought me here. And it has been until you appear! So it¡¯s a night, but a really long one!¡± And he succumbed to more tears.


    Na San busied himself with consoling his lord and prince while I got up and discussed with Edelweiss, ¡°So, there¡¯re still things here that we¡¯ve yet to understand. As far as Jin Qichen is concerned, he¡¯s been here for barely one night. And it could be, otherwise he would have died after lasting for a week without food.¡± ¡°But it has really been a week.¡± Edelweiss pointed out skeptically. I shook my head. That was all I could respond with until I make out everything.


    But there was no point dwelling on that question. At least not now. I asked Jin Qichen again, ¡°So what have these people done to you after you were taken?¡± Jin Qichen¡¯s head sank, refusing to answer.


    I crouched and looked deeply into his eye and I hissed, ¡°You either tell me now, or you can stay here for as long as I like it!¡± That seemed to do the trick, Jin Qichen jerked and flinched and he grunted before he wailed, ¡°All right, all right! I¡¯ll speak! They know about me supplying information to you that they deemed it as a breach of our agreement and they sentenced me to die here! I¡¯ve not seen them anymore since they threw me here! I¡¯ve seen you, and Na San, and my parents too! But all of you wanted to kill me!¡±


    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s hallucinations?¡± I uttered under my breath, rubbing my chin. Edelweiss looked at me, nodding her head imperceptibly in agreement. ¡°Help your prince to get up,¡± I instructed Na San, saying, ¡°It¡¯s time we rejoin Lin Feng and the others.¡± Na San nodded, lifted Jin Qichen to his feet, and put his arm over his shoulder and they began limping towards the elevator.


    Behind them, I uttered hesitantly, ¡°Urm¡­ Na San. Actually, there¡¯s no need for you to come with us now. You¡¯ve found your prince. So you can keep yourself out of more trouble now.¡± I felt that Na San needed to risk his safety any more with us and I believed that he should be given the right to choose for himself.


    Unexpectedly, Na San looked back, his misshapen face grinning at us. ¡°I¡¯d do nothing of the kind, Young Lordling. We Shamans owed greatly to the Wudaxians. The Wudaxians did not abandon us even after the fall of the Qing Dynasty and its emperors, continuing to shower us with their grace until now. And as the Young Lordling of one of the Wudaxian species, you are our benefactor and anyone of us owe you our implacable loyalty and steadfastness! I might only be useless and hardly consequential, even so, I only hope to be of service!¡±


    The sudden outburst of gratitude left me stunned and speechless. It took me seconds before I could break into a gladden smile as I nodded. It seemed that I had underestimated Na San after all.


    Jin Qichen had been keeping unusually mum. I knew he could hear us and I knew full well that he was nowhere near unconscious. In fact, he had never been so alert in his life. At long last, Jin Qichen could fully appreciate his inability and powerlessness to steer the situation. He might as well just join in our party for now and bade for another chance. Redeeming himself into our good graces could score him some points that could prove vital in persuading me again in the future.


    Then, of course, this was hardly the right time for us to travel down that road yet. We walked into the elevator and I tapped on the other ¡°2¡± button.


    The elevator groaned as it began its downward motion. I kept my eyes peeled on the LED display overhead, watching the number change from ¡°9¡± to ¡°8¡±, then to ¡°7¡± and so on until we reached ¡°2¡±. Then I felt it. The elevator did not stop on the second floor but instead, it went further down to the first floor. It went down, not stopping, and immediately rose back to the second floor and the ¡°2¡± button on the right side flared to life. Edelweiss and I swallowed hard as the bell chimed again and the doors opened. Everything outside looked just as dark as the corridor of the second floor of the Real World.


    With a final look at Na San and Edelweiss, we nodded and Na San carried Jin Qichen out of the elevator. Once outside, he looked back at me, his expression grave but calm, to indicate that all was fine for now and we got out. The elevator doors slid to a close behind us and suddenly, the dark corridor began to brighten dimly with a shade of red as deep as blood, shedding everything around us in a gloomy, macabre hue of horror as if someone had spattered a huge amount of blood everywhere. The red light shot through every glass pane and cubicle and just then, loud noises like falling rocks and bricks began cascading around us and the glass pane window opposite us turned into a tiny dot!


    No, the window did not shrink, I realized, It¡¯s the corridor! The corridor had extended in length! What was more, the long corridor stretching from under our feet began to wiggle like a snake as if it has just come alive! Jin Qichen yelped a terrified howl then he wailed with panicking dread, ¡°Coming! It¡¯s coming! It¡¯s coming!¡± His hands flailed violently as if he was trying to get free of Na San¡¯s hold and Na San released him. Jin Qichen crashed to the floor and he crawled desperately backward to the elevator doors, his arms clawing at the air futilely.


    But just when he crawled barely a foot away from us, the short length of the corridor to the elevator doors behind us grew instantly with a horrid swoosh and now it looked as if the elevator was at least a hundred meters away from us! Jin Qichen howled, kneeling on the floor at his chance to escape being thwarted. I could see that from his screams and mortified expression, he must have had endured this before.


    Then I felt something pulling my sleeve and I looked. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked Edelweiss and she said nothing, merely pointing a finger at the far end of the corridor opposite the elevator. And what I saw made me drew a deep breath. Not far away, a ghoulish creature in the shape of a man, with blood dripping off its torso like water falling off stalactites, rose from the ground! I peered more closely and spied its Raiments¡ªthe Taoist cap and the priestly robes¡ªwrapping around its hideously scrawny body. Despite looking like a Taoist priest who should be veritable vanquishers of evil, the presence of this creature looked hardly reassuring. Yet something about the behavior and disposition of this Taoist priest looked strangely familiar.


    I risked a call at the figure, yelling, ¡°Hey?!¡± It stood there, not moving as if it barely heard me. Edelweiss¡¯s dagger emitted a golden sheen beside me as she raised it and I freed my sword from its scabbard. Out of nowhere, Na Sa appeared, hurling himself forward with his shamanic drum raised high, charging at the blood-drenched Taoist priest!


    I would have called for Na San to stop. There was no need for the hastiness to shove himself into the face of Death. But the Taoist priest began bellowing with laughter and looked up. ¡°Heh heh heh heh¡­ AHAHAHAHA¡­¡± His laughter bounced off the walls of the office corridor, spreading across the cubicles of offices around us, sounding no less ghastly than how he looked. Between that and the red morbid shine around us, nothing we encountered could have been any more horrifying.


    But Na San charged on like a fearless knight, undaunted by the unknown terrors that awaited with his drum held at the ready. I had to run after him before he got himself killed and grabbed at his shoulder. He screeched to a stop and looked at me, puzzled, but I ignored him, keeping my gaze fixed on that bloody creature not far away before us.


    The creases lining across his gaunt and bony face and his hollow cheeks only accentuated his thin mouth. Nothing about him¡ªthe deathly-pale color of his face and the dry wrinkles under his sunken eyes¡ªlooked alive and his eyes were completely white with only the sclera visible. As he giggled vilely, his mouth gaped with blood drooling out, blending with bubbly froth as it dribbled down its body. His arms sagged limply by his sides as if swaying to a lurid song accompanied by the sinister laughter.


    Then, I recognized that look. Is this not the old weasel demon of the Creed of the Eight Trigrams?!

 Chapter 286 - The Shamanic Drum

    A surge of memories of that terrible battle against this former nemesis gushed out and into my head, and the ringing, cavernous echoes of his hideous cackles reminded me enough. True enough, it was the very same demonic priest who was killed by Master Six¡¯s Sash of the Stretching Rainbow!


    Whether it realized I had recognized it, the demonic priest gave a frightful lurch and a shudder before his appalling laughter ceased abruptly! Then before I knew it, the priest broke into different parts, just like how he had been crushed into bits and pieces right after he was strangled to death by the Sash of the Stretching Rainbow when we last fought. Very much like before, we watched blankly as blood spurted into the air like fountains and the chunks and slime of flesh and viscera plopped into the puddles of blood before more of them splotched on to the ground.


    And while we were still reeling with the loathsome rush of nauseousness and ghoulishness, the pieces of human flesh and parts on the floor wiggled once, then twice, until they began shaking in a frenzy sickening gore until everything melted into a huge pond of blood right at the center of the office corridor! My senses tingled wildly as we could only behold the horrific scene with aghast looks. And to make things worse, the pond began to bubble and roil!


    Then suddenly, a wave as tall as a man leaped from the puddle, charging straight at us like the gaping jaws of a whale threatening to engulf us whole! I grabbed at both Edelweiss and Na San and dragged them after me, running back towards the direction of the elevators, screaming at the top of my voice at Jin Qichen who was still scrambling away, ¡°RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!¡± The scream jolted him and made him turned over his shoulder and what he saw¡ªa monstrous wave the height of a man storming across the polished floor at us and in its yawn he could vaguely make out the image of the wide and hungry jaws of a monster¡ªhad him gasped with panicking shock and he bolted, overtaking us with the sudden burst of speed that only Olympic runners could boast.


    The huge wave slapped down on where we were just standing before, drenching the floor whole. Standing at several yards away, panting for air, Edelweiss asked, ¡°What now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also hoping for a solution myself!¡± I breathed.


    The pond of blood churned again. Then the same grotesquely crimson wave rose again menacingly like a hawk ready to swoop down on us. Deciding that it was time for another run, I almost yelled to everyone to flee again, but my voice stuck in my throat when I saw Na San suddenly tossing himself forward at the huge wave of blood!


    The red crimson wave swept at us suddenly with a spurt of speed, towering for a brief split-second before slamming down like a solid slab of red human slime so quick that we could barely react! Just when I thought I would be seeing Na San being swallowed into the little sea of blood, his shamanic drum rumbled with a roar of thunder, sending an echo so powerful and deafening that the walls shook and hummed!


    More rumbles ensued and the terrible wave of blood crashed harmlessly to the ground an innocuous pond of deep red sludge. The walls of the corridors continued quivering with the residual murmurs of the thunder and the pool of blood began to shrink rapidly, its shape contracting as if it was flinching and wincing in fear of the reverberating echoes. Na San knew better than to stop; he gesticulated in a strange manner, swaying like a bull in a china shop to the rhythm of his drum as he whined a song of an unknown tongue, filling the entire corridor with his voice and the jagged, raspy thunders from his drum.


    The surface of the blood-red pool shook again. Only this time, it was different. It did not stir or toss up violently like before, instead, it simmered with bubbles just breaking the surface and I saw with my own eyes how the pool grew smaller and smaller like water evaporating just as quickly as dry ice! Every set of door along the still-winding corridor shuddered in its frame as if monsters and beasts were trying to get out, writhing in agony at the thunderous groans coming from Na San¡¯s drum, only the doors held fast, stubbornly refusing to yield.


    By the time I looked once more at the blood on the floor, now only a few harmless blots about to be utterly vaporized, Na San¡¯s drumming stopped. Then his back arched and he vomited a whole mouthful of blood! The thunderclaps from the shamanic drum no more proved to be a new lease of life for the final specks of blood as the blood shot up from the ground into the air and streaked like arrows away from us, tearing towards the far end of the corridor! Half-way, the blood descended and turned into a weasel, its fur scorched and badly blistered, as it fled towards the shadows at the end of the corridor!


    But I could never allow it to get away. Not when the odds were in our favor. I tossed my sword into the air, yelling, ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?!¡± One turned to two, two into four, and four multiplied into eight. Eight swords of steel shot like lances in the air, chasing after the routed weasel and slammed into it with a string of heavy thuds like bullets hitting through hardened ice, splintering the tiles of the floor as an accompaniment to a final squeal of pain and defiance from the weasel before it disappeared into dust.


    Finally, I had the time to check on Na San. Edelweiss was tending to him, but he had fainted. So the use of the shamanic drum was not without any cost, I mused. His powers and mastery must still be insufficient for him to fully utilize it. Worrying and uncertain of Na San, I looked frantically for Jin Qichen, ¡°Hey, Jin Qichen! Come here! Na San¡¯s¡­¡± My voice broke. Jin Qichen was nowhere near us! He was missing!


    ¡°Oh, for Heaven¡¯s sake!¡± I cursed loudly. Then Edelweiss cried, ¡°There he is!¡± I looked at where her finger was pointed at and found our man. There he was, scurrying like a beaten rat towards the elevator doors one hundred meters away!


    ¡°COME BACK, YOU FOOL!¡± I bellowed as loudly as I could, ¡°DON¡¯T RUN OFF YOURSELF!¡± But I was too late. Jin Qichen¡¯s finger hit the elevator button even before he could stop himself and the doors opened, revealing a wall of darkness inside. A large hand stretched out with the speed of a frog¡¯s tongue and grabbed at Jin Qichen¡¯s head like a little ball and he raised the pretender prince effortlessly from the ground. There was no way we could see who or what it was and all we could hear was Jin Qichen¡¯s anguished screams.


    The screams were so harrowing that they filled us with shock and panic that even Na San recovered from his momentary unconsciousness on my shoulder. Oh, Gods in Heaven, I gasped, Is this the end of Jin Qichen?! ¡°YOUR HIGHNESS!?¡± Na San woke up and screamed. In his blind trepidation, he shoved me aside, nearly causing me to fall, and he sped towards the elevator, clawing up his drum and drumstick on the way and he grunted and snarled like a faithful bloodhound eager to defend its master!


    Naturally, Edelweiss and I chased after him with our weapons gripped tightly in our hands. But before anyone of us could help Jin Qichen, the stranger¡¯s arm withdrew, pulling a screaming Jin Qichen into the elevator with him right before the doors slammed shut. Na San snarled, hoping to jam something between the doors. For a moment, I thought he was running as quickly as Liu Xiang, the Olympic hurdler, for he suddenly accelerated, leaving Edelweiss and me to bite his dust.


    BOOM! Na San banged headfirst into the stainless steel elevator doors that adamantly held between him and his master¡¯s salvation. I would have burst out laughing if not for the gravity of the situation. No sane person would run recklessly into dangers nevermind a strong set of steel doors.


    Na San clambered to his feet when we got near and he pounded angrily at the elevator doors with frustration while my gaze panned upwards to look at the LED display. The elevator was on the seventh floor, then the eighth, the ninth, and finally, the tenth. Jin Qichen was now on the top floor. Between the time we had spent in the Real World up there and our brief fight here just now, Big Sister and the others should have reached the top floor too by now. ¡°Would they meet this stranger?¡± I wondered apprehensively, ¡°And we still don¡¯t know the identity of this mysterious assailant¡­¡±


    As I drifted in my thoughts, the dismal bell of the elevator rang again and the doors opened, showing a well-lit empty compartment this time, harmless and innocent. Na San hurried in even before the doors fully opened and we fell in just behind and I hit at the ¡°10¡± button.


    The elevator grunted as if in protest having to jump right back into work after only a brief respite and it began climbing, the numbers on the LED display overhead us rising one at a time. Na San kept a glare transfixed on the display, the hands that held his shamanic drum and its drumstick shaking and throbbing either from the lingering pain from the blowback he had suffered earlier or his rage at his powerlessness to defend his master. I patted his shoulder gently, ¡°How are you? Are you all right?¡± Na San nodded quietly. Then he spoke, with a voice hoarser than his before, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Young Lordling.¡± I responded with an assuring nod and gave another pat, ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. At any rate, I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    The toll of the elevator bell cut me off. We were there. The top floor. The doors began to slide apart; first, a slit, then a larger opening before the irritable Na San squeezed through suddenly like a rat, leaving us both still gaping with shock inside. But just when he left the elevator, he fell suddenly and vanished with a whoosh!

 Chapter 287 - The Tenth Floor in the Fog World

    ¡°Goddammit!¡± Edelweiss and I swore together. The doors grew wider and only then I fully noticed how different was the tenth floor this side to the tenth floor of the real world! The scene outside the elevator doors gave way to a black, empty space. The sprawl of office cubicles that stretched far carried webs of fissures and clefts that coursed jaggedly along the broken tiles on the floor and through them, one could see what laid underneath: a deep, black chasm of nothingness. So were the walls, I realized. Craggy cracks climbed the walls like vines and the same black hole of oblivion peeked from outside. It appeared as though the entire tenth floor of the Fog World was suspended in the midst of outer space.


    And right outside the elevator doors, some distance away from the office floor in the middle of this Lovecraftian dimension, was a gap. That was where Na San had plunged into!


    Edelweiss and I shared a grave look. The gap was easily more than fifty meters wide. ¡°What now?¡± a slightly-worried Edelweiss asked. ¡°If you asked me this last week, I¡¯d fret with anxiety. I daresay it¡¯s different now, my dear¡­¡± My sword buzzed before it escaped my grip and hovered right outside the elevator, magically growing in size in visible speeds!


    The ordinary sword grew wondrously until its blade looked just as large as a surfboard and I stepped onto it. I spun around, before I held out a hand to Edelweiss but she had already jumped onboard even without me helping her. Well, that¡¯s my wife for you, I reflected, A former outlaw is just different to weak and timid girls!


    Despite her reservations and uncertainty, Edelweiss trusts me fully, hence she hopped on without a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    Riding on swords to fly into the air would have sounded like a fanciful fantasy if I was the me before. But after mastering the basics of sword telekinesis magic, taking a ride on a sword sounded just as easy as riding on a skateboard and riding a bike.


    We flew on my sword over to the floating island that was the office level where I dropped Edelweiss there and I said, ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go down below to see if Na San¡¯s still alive.¡± She murmured a wordless assent and I wheeled my sword around and I flew down the space under the floating island.


    The space around the floating surface of innumerable offices was not devoid of anything; under it there were many other floating ruins, drifting lazily in the emptiness. Some were large clusters of fallen pillars and broken structures where one could make out entryways and even chambers, some were so small that they were barely chunks of debris. Fragments from destroyed floorings or ceilings now gliding aimlessly like ordinary flotsam in a tide.


    For quite some time, I weaved among the ruins until I finally found his shirt fluttering in the windless space, caught on a door handle. I flew closer. Indeed, the same blood-stained shirt Na San wore, hanging on the door handle of a door which had been opened.


    I landed before the doorway, preparing to walk up the steps through it when a loud bang startled me. Something black shot out from inside and it would have hit me if its overinflated girth had not got it stuck between the door frame. Only then I realized what it was. A huge baby¡¯s head! Large as a boulder, the head got itself caught between the doorcase and it struggled to free itself. Yet as it shook, one of his eyes, as wide as a basketball, rolled around to stare at me! A stare was so venomous that I felt my hair stand!


    ¡°SCRAM, DAMMIT!¡± I yelled and I kicked furiously at the humongous eye! Only the baby¡¯s head felt not as sturdy or solid as I expected it to be. Like a balloon filled with air, my foot plunged into the head and the baby¡¯s head let loose a squeal so terrible that a pig¡¯s dying squeal would have sounded tens of thousands of times better before it bounced loose from the door frame and glided away swiftly into the distance!


    Then I realized, there was nothing but only a baby¡¯s head! Whatever this monstrosity was, it had no torso and limbs! Just a ball-like grotesquery with the elasticity of a rubber ball!


    Then a thunderclap resounded on high, coming from somewhere beyond the opened door, followed by another squeal of pain from the baby¡¯s head somewhere unseen. I ran through the door and I found a still-standing living hall, and right in the middle, with his chest and shoulders bare but yet bathed in blood, was Na San hitting at his shamanic drum! The thunderous roars that his drum emitted were causing terrible pain to the baby¡¯s head but not without himself suffering great injury! ¡°Na San! Stop!¡± I yelled. My calls made him turned and he looked amazed to see me. Before he could call ¡°Young Lordling¡±, he belched another gulp of blood and he collapsed.


    The end of the thunderous drumbeats meant also a breather for the monstrous baby¡¯s head; he hung in mid-air, looking around and saw Na San lying on the ground with a wicked grin breaking from ear to ear. Then he lunged, hollering a long ¡°Arrgghghh¡± as it streaked towards Na San¡¯s unconscious body. His gaping mouth opened like the yawn of a cave and inside, I realized with horror, were rows of sharp fangs! Panicking, I snarled, ¡°STOP AT ONCE, YOU MONSTER!¡±


    What sounded only like a simple shout in my ears was actually as loud as the deafening blast of a dragon¡¯s roar to the monstrous baby¡¯s head! I did not know if this was the Champion¡¯s Bane technique Father once told me about, only that it has worked for me, at least during my pilgrimage into the past. The baby¡¯s head shuddered and his face rippled visibly with horripilation of dread. My trick had worked, although watching the change on the grotesque face only aggravated my urge to vomit!


    But enough was enough; I could only take so much of the monster¡¯s abhorrent manner and mien. I waved an arm and eight flying swords, each imbued with the flames of my Fire Charm, impaled the giant head like a pincushion. The baby¡¯s head slowly dissipated, sparing me the sight of its death throes, although what became next left me stunned. As the giant head crumbled, in its place remained hundreds of damaged souls, each of them small and infantile, truth be told. Hundreds of impaired ghosts, all of them were babies, and they scattered around like little birds taking into the sky after being disturbed in their sleep, distressed and terrified.


    Upon my observation, I realized something: the infant ghosts were all damaged. In Chinese esotericism, the human ghost consists of nine parts: three Souls and six Spirits. The former three represents the human¡¯s self-awareness to be alive while the latter six represent the human sentience, emotions, and perception of surrounding elements. But all these infant ghosts were lacking two of their three Souls and this deficiency should have been enough to completely destroy them. Yet they were able to maintain their state as ghosts and I did not know how. Until the first among the multitudes of baby ghosts pouring into the sky burst like a harmless air bubble, I finally understood! All these damaged ghosts were able to maintain their state because someone had used some infernal sorcery to bind them all together to form the huge malevolent baby¡¯s head! My destruction of the monster had unmade the sorcery that bound them and freed them all. And now, with the sorcery no longer working, they began to pop and burst, one after another like balloons after a kid¡¯s birthday party! Gods, I grimaced with a motley of revulsion, dismay, and aversion, Gods please have mercy on them all!


    I felt dizziness that the many pitiful and innocent lives being squandered for nothing. Is this all the work of the demented Mr. Huang? I thought with growing dread. Assailed by grief, pity, and anger, I whipped out my Spirit Gourd and aimed its mouth at the fountain of baby ghosts and quickly muttered a spell and I drew them all into my Spirit Gourd. Every single one of them. At least, inside my Spirit Gourd, the damaged baby ghosts would be able to maintain their present state for now. I would think of something later. Perhaps they could be sent to the Realm of the Nine Twilights¡ªthe deepest of the deepest corner of the Underworld that mirrored the Ninth Heaven up above. Maybe they would be able to stay there for eternity instead of being completely destroyed into nothing. Being damaged to such extent, these infant souls would never again be allowed to reincarnate, so that would be the best I could do for them. But I would need to be quick lest they would still vanish after some time.


    Stoppering my Gourd, I stowed it away to kneel down beside Na San. He was still conscious, but barely. He struggled to get up as I slipped an arm under his shoulder to help him up, although he could not without my help. With his arm over my shoulders, I lifted him, muttering under my breath as I heaved, ¡°So all right there?¡± ¡°Of course, Young Lordling!¡± He panted.


    Riding on my sword, we took off again, gaining altitude until we saw the elevator doors. There it was, sitting lonesomely on a single flat piece of rock, floating like a lost buoy in the middle of an ocean!


    I looked at my back and what I saw made me nervous! Edelweiss was gone?! ¡°Oh, my God!¡± I groaned and I willed my sword to pick up more speed as we accelerated towards the floating island that was the office level where I had left Edelweiss just now. As soon as we landed, Na San crumbled to the ground, disgorging more blood! His heavy injuries, coupled with the speedy ride on my sword, had terribly weakened him.


    I bent down to check on him. ¡°How are you?! Are you all right?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Young Lordling,¡± Na San croaked, his waving gesture doing little to assuage my concerns before he said, ¡°We need to find His Highness!¡± I muttered dryly, ¡°It¡¯s not only your prince this time, even my wife is also missing now!¡±


    I propped Na San¡¯s arm up over me again and we hobbled together towards the end of the corridor. What was formerly a long office walkway in the Real World was now only a short passageway here with a three-way junction. The left fork led to into layers of obscured shadows while the right passage led to an opened door.