Chapter 6: Demonic Fiends and Malevolent Spirits

"When the nine nines are over and spring returns, the apricot blossoms bloom; it is yet another year. When the nine nines are over and spring returns, the wild geese depart and the swallows arrive..."

A discordant, grating singing voice echoed incessantly. It did not sound much like the Qin opera of the Shaanxi region; it was more reminiscent of the theatrical style of Henan. Given that the two regions were not far apart and had seen their populations merge during the disasters of earlier years, its presence here was not entirely unexpected. Still, hearing such wailing in the dead of night made one’s skin crawl.

As the singing drew closer, the ghostly presence seemed to have entered the room. Suddenly, a pair of three-inch, cyan-colored lotus-embroidered slippers appeared in the center of the study. Liu Qingya pulled me behind the sofa. As we lay on the floor, I could only see the slippers hovering two inches off the ground, pacing restlessly around the room. It seemed to be searching for something, but to no avail.

Gradually, the ghost seemed to grow impatient. Its singing became increasingly frantic and high-pitched, and the pace of the cyan slippers quickened. As the sound entered my ears, my eardrums vibrated with a tearing sensation.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

Suddenly, a knocking at the door broke the tension, followed by a middle-aged man’s voice: "Who is in there?"

I held my breath. Why would someone show up at a time like this?

"It’s one of my uncles; he must have come by unintentionally," Liu Qingya whispered.

"Whether he meant to or not, if he runs into a ghost, it’s too dangerous." I instinctively prepared to stand up. The books my grandfather had me study were filled with secret techniques. I just didn't know how I would fare against this spirit.

"Do not ruin my plans," Liu Qingya said, pressing a hand firmly on my shoulder. "If we fail tonight, there will likely be no other chance."

A chance? What kind of chance? Was a chance more important than a human life? I did not understand what Liu Qingya meant, but a living, breathing life was at stake right in front of me.

"Fine, fine, you win."

Liu Qingya stood up and pressed a yellow paper talisman onto her forehead. In the moonlight, I saw several characters written on it. In the darkness, they were hard to read, but I caught "Yi-Mao, Xin-Si..."

It was a birth date—the Eight Characters! It must be Uncle Dazhuang's.

If I remembered correctly, I had heard that Uncle Dazhuang was born in '75, which was the Yi-Mao year. Oh no—she intended to deceive the ghost, making it believe she was Liu Dazhuang. This was no small matter. We didn't know the origin of this ghost or its connection to Uncle Dazhuang. If she acted rashly, Liu Qingya might be the first to perish.

In the study, the female ghost lunged at Liu Qingya.

"Heaven and Earth in all four directions, suppressing from all eight sides! Demons and specters, disperse!"

I chanted, stepping in front of Liu Qingya. I bit my right index finger and drew a simple Taiji diagram on my left palm. I had learned this from my grandfather’s ancient books; it should have some effect.

At this moment, I saw the ghost in its entirety: she wore a colorful theatrical costume, her hair was styled in a bun, and her pale face was tinged with a sickly black hue. When the entity came within five meters of me, the symbol on my palm finally took effect. It felt as if I were pushing against a heavy iron gate. The ghost, despite her efforts, seemed to be trapped in a quagmire, struggling as she lunged toward me.

"Seal!"

Before I could collect my thoughts, Liu Qingya shouted from behind me. She darted forward and slapped another talisman onto the ghost.

"Ah..."

The ghost let out a series of shrill cries. A "sizzling" sound filled the room, like food being dropped into a deep fryer. In less than a minute, the ghost was suppressed, and the study fell silent once more.

I slumped onto the sofa, staring at Liu Qingya. "Who are you exactly?"

The person before me was definitely not the Liu Qingya I knew; the difference was too stark. The Liu Qingya in my memory was a frail girl who could never be this calm.

"Li Yiran!"

In the moonlight, she took off her coat, revealing a purple short-sleeved shirt, and peeled a layer of skin from her face. The face revealed was the very same woman I had seen on the second floor of the villa earlier that day.

Li Yiran!

I committed the name to memory. She was the first peer I had encountered since leaving Miaodi Village, though she seemed to have no interest in me.

"Where is Liu Qingya?" I continued to ask. Uncle Dazhuang had been kind to me; I had to ensure his daughter’s safety.

"Don't worry, she is perfectly safe. I only came to retrieve something, and once I have it, I will leave." Li Yiran reapplied the mask, transforming back into Liu Qingya. She turned on the lights and began to search the room.

Minutes later, she peeled back a corner of the carpet under the coffee table, revealing a hidden compartment. Li Yiran pulled a dagger from her waist and jammed it into the wood. With a few swift movements, she shattered the flimsy compartment.

Beneath it sat a small, brass-colored box, about the size of a compass. Li Yiran picked it up and prepared to leave.

"Hold on, I need an explanation." I blocked her path. The brass box from the rumors was now before me. According to the villagers, it was nothing more than cheap scrap metal. But given Li Yiran’s actions, it was clear she was after something far more valuable inside. What was it? Did it have a direct connection to Uncle Dazhuang's death?

"You want this too? So, you're in the business as well! I don't want to fight you. Go to 145 Nanshan Road tomorrow, find the manager, and tell him to give you 200,000." Li Yiran looked at me with disdain; she clearly thought I was just another scavenger.

"You’ve misunderstood. The late Liu Dazhuang was my uncle; I am here solely to pay my respects."

200,000 was a lot of money to me, but I had no intention of stealing the box. It belonged to Uncle Dazhuang, and now that he was gone, it belonged to Liu Qingya. I couldn't let someone steal it without her consent.

"You're from Miaodi Village too?"

Li Yiran paused, then realized something. "I see you have some skill. Here is a piece of advice: move away from that place as soon as you can. Actually, never mind—just try to survive tonight first. If you don't make it through tonight, there's no point in saying anything else."

"What do you mean?" I pressed.

Earlier, a cold wind had delivered a card with the word "Run" written in blood. Now, Li Yiran was telling me to survive the night! I didn't doubt her; there was no reason for her to lie.

As I stood there stunned, Li Yiran leaped from the second-floor window. By the time I chased after her, I saw people waiting for her below. The four or five men in black who had been with her earlier covered her retreat as she vanished into the night.