Xing Shuishui wasn’t picky about beds. She could sleep anywhere – benches, coffins, as long as He Liansheng wasn’t haunting her nearby.
Though Fengdu City didn’t distinguish between day and night, most newly arrived ghosts kept their mortal schedules. With the surroundings quiet and empty, Xing Shuishui slept soundly that night.
The door opened. He Liansheng looked like he hadn’t slept all night. Xing Shuishui stretched lazily and casually suggested, “Why don’t we eat breakfast before leaving? I haven’t eaten for almost a day.”
She thought he would refuse, but surprisingly he agreed. Before she could even tie up her red hair ribbon properly, he dragged her to a meat sandwich stall.
She fell silent.
The small stall was crowded with wandering spirits. Steam rose in the air as a headless ghost vendor chopped meat – thud, thud, thud. The meat turned to paste. He threw in a few eyeballs, handed it to the ghost at the front of the line, then took some copper coins and blew on them. They made a sound.
Xing Shuishui felt sick to her stomach.
He Liansheng pushed her forward, mocking: “What are you standing there for? Not going to line up?”
Xing Shuishui strongly refused: “I don’t want to eat anymore.”
She made up an excuse: “There’s onion and cilantro in the meat filling. I don’t eat anything with onions or cilantro.”
The vendor turned around upon hearing this, still holding his large cleaver. His neck was empty above the shoulders, looking especially creepy. Xing Shuishui tried to hide behind He Liansheng, but he pulled her out front.
Xing Shuishui: “…”
Faced with the burly headless ghost, she couldn’t dodge left or right. She could only bow her head and apologize.
She looked at He Liansheng, waiting. You’re done for. I’ll hate you forever.
Really.
After letting the tiger return to the mountain for one night, it was time to cast the net.
He Liansheng made a hand seal, and a white thread appeared in the air. This was a tracking line following the medicinal powder trail, leading toward a deep mountain in the east of the city.
It fled there!
The mountain was very high. Xing Shuishui was nearly dead from walking. She hadn’t eaten and now had to climb a mountain. She lifted her skirts, constantly out of breath.
“He Liansheng, you’re walking too fast.”
“He Liansheng, let’s rest for a bit. It’s not like they can escape anyway.”
“I really can’t walk anymore.”
He Liansheng responded impatiently:
“Don’t you usually walk? How are you tired after just a few steps?”
“Xing Shuishui, do you want me to sew your mouth shut?”
“Deep in the mountains, wild ghosts roam. Go ahead and sit if you dare.”
So Xing Shuishui really sat down. She sat on a rock, rubbing her calves. Wild ghosts? They wouldn’t dare. Was this murderous star just for show?
She said to He Liansheng: “Why don’t you go ahead first, I’ll catch up later.”
He Liansheng glanced back. Xing Shuishui’s exposed ankle was already swollen. Though annoyed at mortal weakness, he didn’t continue walking.
He Liansheng: “What trick are you playing now?”
Xing Shuishui: “Actually, there’s another way—”
She deliberately tried to annoy him: “You could carry me on your back.”
He Liansheng said coldly: “I’ll make it so you can never walk again.”
He took out a blank yellow paper and drew a talisman with cinnabar. Xing Shuishui’s face changed. Cinnabar talismans naturally repelled evil spirits, and the Three Realms True Fire attached to them naturally harmed demons. That’s why she usually drew talismans with her own blood.
He Liansheng looked at her coldly: “Since you can’t walk, this will help.”
Xing Shuishui refused: “No need to go to such trouble.”
He Liansheng threatened: “Do you want me to put it on you myself?”
If this continued, he would definitely become suspicious. Xing Shuishui gritted her teeth, about to say her leg was better and she could walk.
An elderly woman passed by on the mountain path, looked at the two of them, then at Xing Shuishui’s swollen ankle: “Are you two heading to the ancient pagoda up the mountain?”
When Xing Shuishui had looked up from the foot of the mountain, she had indeed seen a pagoda. She glanced at He Liansheng and hesitantly nodded.
Though the tracking line pointed up the mountain, they couldn’t be certain the evil ghost was hiding in the pagoda now.
The old woman said: “That pagoda is cursed. Those who enter basically never come out. Young ones like you shouldn’t go in out of curiosity. Look, this little girl’s foot is so swollen. Why don’t you come to my place first to apply some herbal medicine, then head back down the mountain when it’s better?”
Xing Shuishui naturally wanted to go.
He Liansheng was utterly impolite: “In such a remote wilderness, there shouldn’t be any inhabitants. How is an old woman like you living here?”
The old woman sighed: “My son was the forest keeper here. Our whole family lived here serving the mountain god, hoping the mountain god would bless us with a good rebirth in our next life. Who knew my grandson would mischievously run into the pagoda one day? My son went to look for him and never returned. If I hadn’t stopped my daughter-in-law, I would have become all alone again.”
Xing Shuishui had focused on their family reuniting in the underworld, and it took her a while to realize – the pagoda must hold secrets, otherwise how could people go missing even in the underworld?
She said: “Then thank you, grandmother.”
She took a step forward, but He Liansheng grabbed her arm. Xing Shuishui nearly lost her balance and fell. The young man said coldly: “Did I say you could go?”
Xing Shuishui: “I have no cultivation powers, so I can’t help you at the pagoda anyway. Besides, don’t you hate me? You should be happy if I get eaten by ghosts along the way.”
He Liansheng sneered: “The Yin-Yang candle connects both realms – when one dies, the soul doesn’t return; when the soul perishes, the candle extinguishes. Xing Shuishui, you came down here using my Yin-Yang candle, and now you dare talk about dying? Seems you’re living quite comfortably.”
Xing Shuishui: “…”
So this meant if either of them died, the candle would go out?
No wonder He Liansheng kept haunting her, telling her to behave.
The old woman said: “Young master, I mean no harm. I know you must have urgent business in the underworld and don’t want delays. But this girl’s foot is quite swollen… it will only get worse if untreated.”
He Liansheng pulled Xing Shuishui’s arm and walked: “Such a nuisance.”
“Should have let that fire toad eat you before killing it.”
How vicious. How have you survived until now?
Xing Shuishui felt angry just looking at him.
The old woman’s house sat halfway up the deep mountain, very humble but with all the basic utensils. After lighting candles, the light improved and the view was no longer so dark. Only then did Xing Shuishui clearly see the old woman’s face.
Her skin was charred black, as if burned by fire, smooth skin covered in blisters, five fingers like chicken claws, looking quite frightening. They say a ghost’s appearance after death is similar to when they died.
Was she burned by fire?
The old woman noticed her gaze: “Years ago, our old house caught fire. My son’s family and I all burned to death. Only my husband was outside pulling carts and happened to escape.”
She found some herbal medicine. When Xing Shuishui tried to take it to apply herself, the old woman was very insistent: “Little girl, promise grandmother one thing. If you ever meet him in the mortal realm, please tell him our family is well down here, no need to burn paper money anymore, keep the money for himself. My husband’s name is Xu Dezheng.”
Xing Shuishui paused, then nodded.
Indeed, there are no free lunches in this world.
After applying the herbal medicine, her foot felt much better. The daughter-in-law walked out from the room, holding onto the doorframe: “Mother, who are they?”
The old woman said: “Guests.”
Daughter-in-law: “Where are they heading?”
He Liansheng said: “The pagoda.”
The daughter-in-law’s expression changed, urgently saying: “Noble ones, you must bring my son back, you must bring my son back, he’s only three and a half years old.”
The old woman’s eyebrows rose: “No, you can’t go, I’m still waiting for them to return to the mortal realm to deliver a message to my husband.”
He Liansheng drew his sword at them: “You think you can tell me where I can and cannot go? What right do you have to order me around?”
Though the Peach Spring Sword was only partially drawn, seven steps away, both ghosts’ wrists simultaneously developed thin, long bloodlines.
Dangerous and sharp.
Xing Shuishui couldn’t help but be amazed, considering she had grabbed it with her bare hands before without incident.
She came to her senses and raised a hand to block He Liansheng: “Calm down, I think they’re just concerned for your safety. After all, others have gone in and never returned.”
He Liansheng said coldly: “So your leg is better?”
Xing Shuishui stood up and took a couple steps, smiling: “Folk remedies work wonders, much better than your talismans.”
He Liansheng: “Ignorant. No wonder you’re always aching somewhere.”
The daughter-in-law hesitated, but still said: “Noble ones, your journey ahead is dangerous. You must remember the pagoda’s rules. The pagoda has a master – if you enter and cannot speak the master’s name and sword name, you’ll be trapped inside forever.”
Xing Shuishui suddenly missed the Book of Life and Death, but then thought since it had no illustrations it wouldn’t help anyway. Even if she had it, was she supposed to call out every name one by one?
He Liansheng asked: “Haven’t you reported the pagoda situation to the King of Hell’s palace?”
The daughter-in-law smiled bitterly: “Our king is busy with countless matters, how could common ghosts like us reach him? We reported to the officials before, but they didn’t take it seriously.”
Xing Shuishui said: “That’s too much.”
The old woman slapped her thigh: “Such misfortune! I only had one son.”
Xing Shuishui comforted her: “Don’t worry.”
Pointing to He Liansheng, she continued: “Though he looks fierce, he’s a celestial master. He’ll definitely succeed.”
The old woman asked: “What’s a celestial master?”
Xing Shuishui: “…”
Right, mortals probably don’t know about the cultivation world.
She hesitated: “I don’t know either. But it sounds impressive.”
The daughter-in-law was still worried, repeatedly saying: “Noble ones, you must remember to get the pagoda master’s name! I will keep waiting for you.”
He Liansheng said: “No need for such trouble. Just destroy this broken pagoda.”
Xing Shuishui stood silently to the side. This was so like He Liansheng.
After resting briefly, they bid farewell to the family and continued up the mountain. The path was rugged, ghostly lights flickered in the thin fog, growing darker as they went deeper. Even so, Xing Shuishui kept her distance from He Liansheng, as if he were some fierce beast.
Before setting out, the family had pointed them to the shortest path to the ancient pagoda, and sure enough they arrived shortly. The pagoda was majestic, black bells on the corner eaves rang in the wind, jade beast sculptures crawling on the roof ridges looked lifelike – it seemed to be quite an ancient place.
The tracking line ended here.
He Liansheng originally didn’t want Xing Shuishui to enter the pagoda. After all, with one candle tied to two souls, he could just set up an array to keep her nearby within his range of power. However, Xing Shuishui acted very afraid of being abandoned outside. As soon as she heard she would be left as a mascot, she grabbed He Liansheng’s clothes.
“I don’t want to, I’m scared of ghosts.”
“Xing Shuishui!”
He Liansheng impatiently looked at the fingers on his clothes, having to change his mind. He said fiercely: “Behave once we’re inside, understand?”
The young woman lifted her face and nodded.
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