Lan He did smell the scent of burnt paper. The person had also been fooled by the paper figure and had held its hand. But soon, the figure seemed to move closer to the paper figure before parting from it and continuing to approach Lan He. โMother, is that youโฆโ
A strange thought flashed through Lan Heโs mind. This didnโt sound like Granny Longโs voice from his memory.
He hesitated to act, and just then, the moon emerged from the clouds, illuminating the area. Lan He got a clear look at the personโs face and widened his eyes in shock.
โUncle Long?!โ
They had all thought the one knocking on the door was Granny Long, but upon seeing the face, Lan He realized it was Uncle Long. This was clearly a case of the soul leaving the body. Although there was the smell of burnt paper, it was likely because his family was holding a funeral.
Uncle Long was calling for his mother. Could it be that Granny Long had taken him along? But where was Granny Long?
No matter how Lan He looked, there was no sign of Granny Long.
Using the invisible soul-capturing cord, he bound Uncle Long. Uncle Long couldnโt move, and Lan He called out again, โUncle Long?โ
Grandmother also called him by his name, โLong Jijun!โ
But Uncle Long didnโt respond at all. His gaze was dull, and he muttered, โMotherโฆ where are youโฆโ
Long Xuemei, seeing Lan He, somehow gestured alongside Song Futan, and Uncle Long stopped moving. She let out a soft hum, โGuโฆ Brother is amazing.โ
Even though her brother had tricked her earlier during the day (QAQ), she instinctively wanted to say that her brother wasnโt just great at acting, but also really skilled in dealing with these things. It gave her a sense of safety.
โThe soul seems to be under control,โ Song Futan said.
โYes, it does. If he was just taken along, his mind wouldnโt be so unclear.โ Lan He suddenly thought of Ma Qinghui. Could thisโฆ have something to do with him? But why was Uncle Long looking for his mother? This was scarier than tadpoles looking for their mother.
Grandmother suddenly said, โWe should hurry to the mourning hall.โ
โHmm? Okay.โ Lan He simply carried Grandmother on his back and walked.
Long Xuemei followed closely, glancing repeatedly at Lan He and Song Futan. She felt like she had stumbled upon something monumentalโฆ
Lan He could sense Long Xuemeiโs gaze and thought to himself that his secret identity was becoming increasingly flimsy. Having deceived Long Xuemei just during the day, it felt like his cover was blown immediately at night without any time to adjust. Yet, he felt no emotional fluctuation about it.
This was probably like a habitual fractureโhabitually exposing oneself.
Lan He: โSister, you wouldnโt go around telling others, would you?โ
Long Xuemei: โUh, probably notโฆ?โ
Such a big matter, even she couldnโt fully trust her own ability to keep quiet.
This was probably the most surreal thing she had ever experienced in her life. Seeing a ghost was already miraculous enough. What was even more miraculous was that the celebrity she admired had captured the ghostโand this was someone who had lectured her during the day about not being superstitious.
Song Futan calmly said, โEven if you told someone, no one would believe you. And your brother would probably claim youโre just a troll trying to blacken his reputation.โ He had this excuse down pat. He asked Lan He, โIsnโt that right?โ
โโฆโ Lan He, โWell, technically, in her case, it wouldnโt be called trolling. The professional term would be a fan-turned-hater.โ
Long Xuemei: โโฆโฆGu.โ
โฆ
They used their phones for light and found their way to the Long familyโs house. The music had already stopped, and Uncle Longโs body was lying on a long bench.
Ma Qinghui was facing off with the Long family. Or rather, the family was hiding behind the Daoist priest and confronting Ma Qinghui, accusing him, โItโs Ma Qinghui! Everyone saw it! He pointed at Uncle during the day! Then Uncle lost his soul, and he showed up here!โ
โWe have strength in numbers! Donโt be afraid of him! Heโs too vicious!โ
Although the crowd was large and their accusations loud, they still feared the Gu master, especially a powerful one. Uncle Long had lost his soul after just being pointed at during the day. They could only yell from behind the Daoist priest.
The Daoist priest looked terrified. โDonโtโฆ donโt push me forward! Iโm not that strong!โ
Ma Qinghui glanced at them disdainfully, clearly not taking them seriously. Accepting the tea that Ying Shao offered him, he said coldly, โIf anyone keeps shouting, Iโll unleash my Gu.โ
The scene immediately fell eerily silent, though the crowdโs faces were still full of anger.
The Daoist priest, born and raised in the village, was inwardly bitter. He knew he couldnโt handle Ma Qinghui, but he still had to muster the courage to say, โLetโsโฆ letโs talk.โ
Ma Qinghui sneered, โYou think youโre qualified to talk with me?โ
Daoist Priest: โโฆโ
โฆNo, Iโm not qualified.
Ma Qinghui mocked, โYouโre holding this ritual to send Granny Long off. So Iโm helping you. Whatโs the problem?โ
Everyone was indignant but didnโt dare to speak up. Was Uncle Long knocked down just because he didnโt want help?
Uncle Longโs wife buried her face in her hands and began to cry, โPlease let my husband go, I beg you. Itโs our fault. We shouldnโt have called you Grass Ghost Mother. For Grannyโs sakeโฆโ
โXiaohui,โ Grandmother called softly.
Ma Qinghui turned his head and saw her, his expression shifting. โGranny Wu.โ
The Long family, upon seeing Grandmother, reacted as if theyโd found a savior. โGranny Wu, youโre finally here! Heโs too cruelโฆโ
Ma Qinghui merely sneered.
โEnough,โ Grandmother said as she climbed down from Lan Heโs back. Lan He nodded at her, and she continued, โI just arrived and saw Long Jijun.โ
Gasps erupted. If Uncle Long was lying here, then who had she seen? Was it his soul?
Uncle Longโs wife immediately cried out, โGranny Wu, you have to help my husband!โ
โOf course, I can, but you need to open the coffin first and let me take a look,โ Grandmother replied.
Uncle Longโs wife sobbed, โGranny Wu, you know Granny passed at an ominous hourโฆโ
Ma Qinghui interjected with a faint smile, โWas it an ominous hour of death, or was the death itself ominous?โ
He hadnโt bothered explaining anything earlier, but seeing Granny Wu now, he couldnโt help but speak up.
From the moment they arrived, Lan He had confirmed that Granny Longโs soul wasnโt there. Even though the ritual was being performed for her, she was nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Ma Qinghui had taken Uncle Longโs soul to look for his mother.
These matters of the underworld always had roots in the living world.
Uncle Longโs wife burst into loud sobs, accusing Ma Qinghui of disrupting the funeral, harming her husband, and stirring up trouble in the village. She even claimed he was trying to manipulate Granny Wu.
Seeing that Grandmother was about to be labeled as bewitched, Lan He interrupted her, โAuntie.โ
Uncle Longโs wife assumed he was about to reason with her.
Lan He said, โLetโs stop wasting time and open the coffin. Ying Shao.โ
Uncle Longโs wife: โโฆโ
Lan He, Song Futan, Ying Shao, and his junior apprentice moved to lift the coffin lid together. Thankfully, it hadnโt been nailed shut yet. Although the Long family wanted to intervene, Ma Qinghui simply stood there, and no one dared to move.
Ying Shao was especially eager. His master had no interest in explaining, but he couldnโt hold back anymore.
Uncle Longโs wife, however, couldnโt restrain herself and threw herself onto the coffin lid. โPlease, donโt hurt my familyโฆโ
โMove aside!โ Grandmother shouted, startling her. Initially, she had intended to wail, but seeing Grandmotherโs imposing demeanor, she hesitated and awkwardly stepped aside.
Up close, Lan He clearly saw the panic in her eyes.
They pushed aside the heavy coffin lid. Inside lay Granny Long, but the most striking detail was the red sash tied around her waist and the red cloth at her feet.
โGrandmother, thereโs a red cloth,โ Lan He called out. โWasnโt it said that she passed at an ominous hour?โ
โWhat?โ The Daoist priest stepped forward and examined it. Sure enough, there was a red sash.
If someone passed at an ominous hour, they would need to be buried quickly. But if the death was from illness, there wouldnโt be a need to tie a red sash around the waist. This practice was for unnatural deaths. When he had first been summoned to the Long familyโs home, the body had already been placed in the coffin, and he hadnโt given it much thought.
The others, hearing this, also realized something was amiss.
As they approached, the Daoist priest caught a strong scent. โWhat kind of herbal medicine is this? Itโs so strong.โ
Uncle Longโs wife looked like she wanted to say something but glanced at Grandmother and stayed silent.
Supported by Long Xuemei, Grandmother walked up slowly. With just one look, her expression changed. She reached out to press on Granny Longโs face and staggered slightly before steadying herself. โYou used A’Fengโs corpse-preserving water on her? Sheโs been dead for at least two months. No wonder you didnโt want me to see her. How exactly did A’Feng die?โ
The crowd erupted in shock. Corpse-preserving water, a type of Miao sorcery, could prevent corpses from decaying or emitting odors for extended periods. The more refined the technique, the slower the body would dry out, allowing preservation for over half a year.
Miao sorcery included thousands of herbal remedies and hundreds of single-use formulas. Among them, corpse-preserving water was the most mystical. Some families believed in auspicious burial dates and used this to delay funerals.
Years ago, skeptics had wagered with Granny Long, using animals as test subjects. Chickens and ducks treated with corpse-preserving water remained intact after two weeks, while the untreated control group had already decomposed and stunk horribly.
Granny Long had built her reputation in the surrounding Miao villages with this unique skill, passing it on to her descendants. Currently, only Uncle Long knew the technique; neither his children nor siblings had mastered it.
Lan He thought, now it all made sense. If Granny Long had died long ago but it had been kept a secret with no proper rituals, her un-guided and confused soul would naturally be lost.
This was why Ma Qinghui had said the ritual was for sending off Granny Long. His implication wasnโt about performing the ritual together but that her soul needed to be found before she could be sent off. And who should find it? Whoever had a hand in this mess should.
Lan He glanced at Uncle Long. His soul, still under Ma Qinghuiโs control, stood blankly to the side.
Uncle Longโs wife went limp, and one of Granny Longโs brothers stepped forward and grabbed her, demanding, โWhat did you do to your mother?! Why secretly preserve her body?โ
If it had been a normal death and they were merely waiting for the burial, it would have been understandable. But announcing it only now after two months was suspicious.
Granny Long had been sick and elderly. Her sudden passing hadnโt raised many questions, and due to longstanding taboos, people didnโt insist on viewing her body. Granny Long had always been blunt and hot-tempered, often clashing with her daughter-in-law. After falling ill, these conflicts had only worsened, with her son siding with his wife. When her condition deteriorated in the past few months, arguments ceased, leading everyone to assume she was too weak to quarrel.
Who would have thought she had already passed away? In hindsight, many visitors who had come to pay respects or visit the bedridden Granny Long might have seen nothing more than her preserved corpse.
The realization made many people’s skin crawl. Long Xuemei, for example, immediately recalled greeting the bedridden Granny Long and felt a chill.
Because Grandmother mentioned a timeline of two months, someone remembered, โDidnโt they have a big fight two months ago? You could hear it from outside the house.โ Though arguments were common, that one had been especially loud.
Uncle Longโs wife lowered her head and admitted, โThat time, we had a fight. She couldnโt take it and passed away in one breath. We were afraid of misunderstandings, so we preserved her body and waited to handle the arrangements laterโฆโ
Granny Long had healed many people during her lifetime, and everyone would have sided with her.
โDid she pass away from a breathless fit, or did you strangle her?โ Considering her history of lying, no one believed her explanation. Some even suspected she and her husband had gone so far as to kill Granny Long deliberatelyโa cruel act not unheard of in remote areas where some saw the elderly as burdens and intentionally neglected them.
Uncle Longโs wife firmly denied this, insisting they were only afraid of being misunderstood.
The room fell silent until someone suggested, โAsk Mr. Ma. He can go beyond and ask Granny Long.โ
โYes! Mr. Ma is already dealing with these unfilial children.โ
โMr. Ma, how should we handle this?โ
Ma Qinghui, once a feared Gu master, was now being addressed as “sir,” a term of respect usually reserved for senior shamans in the village. People eagerly looked to him to use his methods to verify the truth.
Noticing the shift in their attitudes, Ma Qinghui felt no satisfaction. Instead, he sneered, โMy only concern is finding Granny Longโs soul and sending her off. If she seeks revenge at night, thatโs on you. As for earthly punishment, take it up with the police.โ
His words left everyone stunned. The police? According to village customs, wasnโt this a matter for the family and the shaman?
Ma Qinghui mocked them, โBack then, my family was innocent, but you all accused my mother of raising Gu and drove her to death. I wonโt let history repeat itself. After all, if I werenโt here, who could distinguish the guilty from the innocent? Would you just keep forcing confessions and blaming ghosts and gods?โ
The room fell into a heavy silence.
This time, he could discern the truth. But what about other times? Who would judge accurately? Who could ensure the truth, especially if the accused were as innocent as Ma Qinghuiโs mother?
Without Ma Qinghui, the crowd wouldnโt even have been able to differentiate between Uncle Long and his wife.
Because of the villageโs past ignorance, Ma Qinghui, despite his own suffering, became a Gu master. Yet, he was determined to prevent others from relying blindly on shamans for judgment. This was also what he instilled in his apprentices.
Elder villagers who remembered the events of the past felt uneasy. Even those who hadnโt participated in the persecution had been complicit through silence. Over time, such incidents had lessened and been condemned, but Ma Qinghuiโs personal account struck a nerve and brought discomfort.
โYouโre right, Xiaohui. Times have changed. Nowadays, people go to the police for such cases,โ Grandmother said slowly. โLet the funeral and rituals be handled by โMr. Ma.โ Everything else, let the police investigate and examine the body. Then, everything will be clear.โ
With Grandmotherโs decision, the Long family had no objections. Even those who did wouldnโt dare voice them in front of Ma Qinghui.
Lan He released Uncle Longโs soul, allowing him to search for Granny Longโs missing spirit.
…
Standing at the Long familyโs gate, Lan He felt a wave of melancholy. It was humanityโs fear of the unknown that birthed faith and the concept of ghosts and gods. But this same fear and ignorance also led to acts of exploitation in the name of the divine. Perhaps this was why the underworld had evolved to include new functionsโto punish the wicked.
Still, if people could overcome their ignorance and adopt a proper attitude toward ghosts and gods, wouldnโt that be better?
As Lan He pondered, Grandmother spoke softly beside him, โThat young Song also works with the underworld.โ
Lan He: โ…Ah, yes.โ
He had almost forgotten. Song Futanโs actions earlier had completely exposed his ability to see ghosts, leaving Lan He unsure how to respond.
Grandmother added, โYou two are quite a match.โ
Lan He: โโฆโ
Song Futan: โWhat is Grandmother saying?โ
โUhโฆโ Lan He glanced at her, unsure if she was joking. But Grandmother merely smiled and said, โListen.โ
โPoor souls, return home. Return to our homeland, where the hills are lush and green, the rivers clear and gentle, the moon bright, and the sun warm. That is the true place to dwellโฆโ
Ma Qinghuiโs singing echoed again, carrying far into the night.
Lan He listened, entranced.
โAh Feng loved lively gatherings,โ Grandmother said with a faint smile as she listened to the song. โSheโll return to her homeland.โ
ใใ.
Lan He thought that his grandmother already knew and tacitly approved of his relationship with Song Futan. They stayed in the village for two days before returning to the city. Ma Qinghui needed to wait until things settled down, so his grandmother exchanged phone numbers with him. She seemed quite adept at using her old-fashioned mobile phone.
During the New Year celebration at home, Lan Heโs father also found an opportunity to learn about their love story. As Lan Heโs father, he was more understanding of the matter regarding “spiritual detachment” and was deeply moved. After hearing the story, he was in tears, exclaiming, “This is so touching!”
Lan He: “…”
Over the following days, with their interactions, Lan Heโs father and Teacher Long came to accept Song Futan. His father even patted Lan He on the shoulder, saying, “Your grandmother is quite old now, so letโs not… I think we shouldnโt tell her immediately.”
Lan He figured his grandmother already understood the situation, but with her enigmatic nature, he could only reply, “Alright.”
After celebrating the Miao New Year at home, Lan He and Song Futan prepared to return. Ying Shao and his master seemed to have stayed in the village to handle matters related to Granny Long. Lan He made plans to meet Ying Shao after returning to Beijing, as he was still somewhat concerned about Granny Longโs affairs.
Meanwhile, Long Xuemei dropped by to visit. She came specifically for Lan He, claiming she hadnโt slept well for days, filled with uncontainable passion and feeling suffocated.
“You still shouldnโt say that. Are you trying to go from a fan to a black fan?” Lan He said.
“Absolutely not,” Long Xuemei grinned awkwardly. “I was just wondering if I could boast a little about how weโre childhood friends in a sense?”
“No problem,” Lan He replied. “We can even take a photo together.”
Long Xuemei was overjoyed. She hadnโt been able to take a photo with Lan He during the funeral in the village.
Lan Heโs father came out of his room to see them taking pictures. Lan He had his arm around Long Xuemeiโs shoulder, and before Song Futan could react, his father worriedly suggested, “Wait, why not include Xiao Song in the photo? Better to have him join.”
Lan Heโs father felt that since they were together now, they should be more careful. A potential rumor might impact their relationship. He planned to remind Lan He later to be more considerate of Xiao Songโs feelings.
Thinking he had taken Xiao Song into account, he expected Long Xuemei to be a bit unhappy. Instead, Lan He and Song Futan stood on either side of her for the photo. After it was taken, the young lady happily cried “gugu” twice and ran downstairs to jog.
Lan Heโs father: “??”
Lan He: “Sheโs happy. โGuguโ is an expression of joyful excitement.”
“Oh,” Lan Heโs father thought. He realized he was increasingly out of touch with modern slang.
Still, Lan Heโs father wanted to connect with the younger generation, so during lunch, he loudly exclaimed, “Gugu! Wife, this cured meat you made is delicious!”
Lan He and Song Futan nearly chokedโฆ
โฆ
Long Xuemei posted the photo on Weibo, claiming she had just realized she and Lan He were from the same village and that her life was now complete. The post went viral within minutes, with fans singing praises and even referencing the popular “Three Treasures of Happiness.”
Although the flight details werenโt revealed, based on Long Xuemeiโs location, netizens quickly deduced that Lan He had taken Song Futan home for the New Year. Looking at the photo, it exuded a strong “one big happy family” vibe. That day, Long Xuemei suddenly gained countless “sisters from different fathers and mothers.”
Lan He stayed at home for nearly half a month in total.
Although he was thousands of miles away, with todayโs advanced technology, he could still keep up with events in Beijing through various app notifications.
While lying down and browsing Weibo, replying to fans, a news pop-up caught his attention. It reported that Beijingโs Northern Park had suddenly closed for renovations.
He accidentally clicked on it.
The abruptness of the closure puzzled many.
Some speculated that mysterious antiques had been unearthed in the parkโafter all, it used to be an imperial garden.
Others suggested it was due to an unidentified flying object landing there, leading to all sorts of bizarre theories.
[Haha, Beijing has been strange these past two years. My master says itโs due to changes in feng shui.]
[That other place where they suddenly built the Red Lotus Park was also said to be feng shui-relatedโฆ]
[Though I havenโt personally experienced it, Iโve heard lots of urban legends lately. Wasnโt there a sudden daytime blackout not long ago? Some ancient book called that a “Night Demon.”]
[My childhood friend passed by that area and said there were a lot of vehicles coming and going, giving off an eerie vibe.]
[Stop it, youโre making me want to visit Juehui Temple to pray for blessings.]
Lan He scrolled through the news. Over the past two years, some incidents were real, some fake, and some half-true. He thought the closure of Northern Park might just be overthinking by the public.
Before he could dismiss the thought, a message from a Taoist priest at Eastern Peak Temple popped up: [Master Lan, when are you coming back to Beijing? I heard something happened at Beihai.]
Beihai, despite the “sea” in its name, was actually a large lake in Northern Park, popular for boating.
Lan He: [?? What happened?]
Eastern Peak Taoist: [A few days ago, one of the boats stopped moving in the middle of the lake and couldnโt be moved. The park management sent other boats to pick up the passengers, but after disembarking, several of them fainted. One of the passengers seemed to have an unusual backgroundโdetails are unclear. Theyโre now in the hospital, but the cause remains unknown. This led to people quietly seeking spiritual practitioners. The park was sealed off, and the first master they found was useless. So, theyโve opened the search to recruit someone skilled in soul-calling. It seems theyโre leaning towards Buddhist monksโฆ If you were here, I think youโd be a strong contender.]
The Taoist priestโs tone was slightly sour, treating Lan He as one of their own.
Lan He: ใ…ใ
“Whatโs wrong?” Song Futan came over and saw Lan Heโs uneasy expression, then asked.
Lan He showed him the chat log. “Theyโve got a major job. Do you think this has anything to do with the stabilizing artifact?”
Song Futan hugged Lan He. “Are you still worried? Even with the stabilizing artifact in place, Beijing wonโt remain completely peaceful forever. No city does.”
“True,” Lan He murmured. After all, the artifact anchored Beijingโs feng shui, but it couldnโt entirely resolve every entanglement of karma. Ghosts and spirits still existed, and there could still be those who coveted Song Futanโs body. However, under the artifactโs deterrence, none could act recklesslyโespecially characters like Hu 4, who could no longer cause chaos. Compared to before, the past few months had indeed been relatively calm, with only minor disturbances not worth mentioning.
Still, hearing about such a significant incident made Lan Heโs heart race, as if he had a foreboding of something bad. Heโd had a similar feeling when he saw a group of fox spirits before, though it turned out to be his imagination.
Now that feeling resurfaced, and Lan He wondered if he was simply tense from lingering side effects, becoming overly sensitive. After all, he hadnโt been in this line of part-time work for very long.
“Or perhaps,” Song Futan joked, “youโre genuinely considering expanding your business scope?” The Taoist earlier had suggested that Lan He was capable of taking on such jobs.
“Better not,” Lan He replied. There were so many full-time practitioners out there; why should he compete for work? “I still want to keep my alias under wraps.”
Song Futan teased, “You mean your semi-transparent alias?”
Lan He: “…”
Lan He: “What are you talking about? A lot of my fans and friends are still in the dark about it!”
He puffed up with pride for a moment but noticed Song Futan smiling at him. Feeling a bit sheepish, he lowered his hands from his hips. “Itโs not like Iโm proud of fooling peopleโฆ”
Nevertheless, after this incident, Lan He did feel a bit unsettled. When his company called to ask if he could return for a last-minute assignment, he immediately agreed, rescheduling his flight to return to Beijing early.
“I donโt know why, but this time I strangely miss my household spirits,” Lan He said as he got out of the car, opening the front door and talking to Song Futan. In the past, when he was filming, he rarely thought about home.
Song Futan replied, “Youโve already become a good father.”
Lan He laughed.
They entered the house through the floor-to-ceiling glass doors in the living room and saw that, despite their absence, First Lady Hu and Liu 13 had come over to join Hu 79 and Bai Wu for dinner. They were sharing an incense stick Lan He had left behind and chatting casually.
Hu 79 lazily said, “โฆ If those dead fox spirits dare to show up, Iโll scratch every single one of them.”
First Lady Hu coldly snorted. “Iโll fry one, roast one, bake one, and stir-fry oneโฆ”
Lan He: “โฆ”
Listening to them was making him hungry.
“You Hu clan spirits are so petty and possessive,” Liu 13 remarked leisurely, with his legs crossed. “Why not be a free-roaming household spirit like me?”
“Youโd love to join, wouldnโt you? Think anyone wants you?” Hu 79 sneered, hiding behind First Lady Hu when Liu 13 glared at him. He then nudged Bai Wu with his foot. “What about you? No backbone at all?”
Bai Wu quietly replied, “Being honored with Masterโs offerings is already very fortunate. Our Bai clan spirits are dwindling, and comings and goings are common. Master has treated me so wellโฆ”
His tone was utterly humble.
The phrase “comings and goings” referred to the fact that in many spiritual households, new spirits would arrive while older ones might depart for various reasons. It didnโt necessarily imply conflictโsometimes it was because spirits who had been worshiped for years had reached a level of cultivation where they needed to retreat for deeper practice. Such transitions were routine, especially in households with traditions spanning generations.
Lan He, about to speak up, paused upon hearing this and reflected with admiration. *This is my most humble childโsteadfast and forever grateful.*
Bai Wu clasped his hands over his chest. “If I were to leave, I would hope to select a promising youth from among the Bai clan descendants to carry on the legacy for Master.”
Lan He: “โฆ”
He stepped forward and lightly smacked Bai Wu on the back of the head. “Is that how youโre supposed to use that phrase? Planning to pass down fatherhood now?”
Authorโs Note:
The legend of the Bai clan: If you perform exceptionally and become the top assassin among your peers, you might inherit Uncle Bai Wuโs Fortune Tower and the Masterโs honor…