Chapter Seventy: The Guiding Incense

It was impossible to tell when the fire would finally die down. Old Ma explained the situation to Meng Chengde, who then told his driver to call the police officer and handed the phone to me.

I glanced at the number on the screen and committed it to memory.

When the call connected, I walked a few steps away and told the officer about the woman from last night, omitting any mention of supernatural elements and focusing only on her suspicious behavior.

The officer responded and thanked me, showing no annoyance that I was only now providing this information.

Without betraying any emotion, I glanced at the people nearby and asked quietly, “May I ask what grade the deceased child was in?”

“Do you have any leads?” he countered.

“Not exactly,” I replied.

There was a brief pause, as if he was hesitating, then he said, “His name was Miao Bin, fourth grade. If you remember anything, contact me at any time.”

I acknowledged and hung up.

Fourth grade—what a coincidence.

No one knew how long the fire would burn, nor when the bones would be reduced to ashes and the spirit laid to rest. Thus, Old Ma, Gu Yangyu, and I stayed behind to keep watch, while the others left.

Old Ding told us to call him if we needed anything.

The rain gradually came to a stop. There was nowhere to sit around us but a few scattered bricks; Old Ma and Gu Yangyu didn’t mind and sat down. I wiped a spot dry and joined them.

“Master, what exactly is this bone-burial ghost-forging ritual?” I asked.

Old Ma explained, “Since ancient times, there have been countless kinds of sorcery—some righteous, some wicked. This bone-burial ghost-forging is a sinister art. It involves sealing a corpse’s bones in a jar, locking its soul within, and burying it in an accursed place. At a certain appointed time, a sacrificial animal is offered to open the jar, completing the ritual. The forged ghost is then bound to the sorcerer’s will.”

“Is it like raising a little ghost?” I asked.

Old Ma cast a disdainful glance at me. “That’s just one method of ghost-forging, but it’s nowhere near as extreme as this. The jar contains the remains of children around ten years old—and not just one, but several.”

That explained the ghostly children’s opera after the jar cracked.

Old Ma’s expression grew somber. “And according to what you said, that woman called out only one little ghost, which likely means the ritual’s main focus was on a single spirit. The others were merely supporting elements.”

In other words, the one that escaped was the true centerpiece—the most powerful of them all.

By dusk, the fire was still burning. Seeing that it was about time, Old Ma contacted Old Ding and asked him to have others take over the watch so we could leave.

Throughout the day, Old Ma had told me many things about sorcery and the supernatural, broadening my horizons considerably.

Gu Yangyu returned to Old Ding’s house, while Old Ma and I went back to stay at the neighboring home where we’d been offered lodging. Since we would be heading out tonight, the host served dinner early.

At the table, I covertly observed Duan Tianqi. He remained silent, his face tinged with worry. I hadn’t returned the school badge to him, as I had other plans.

After dinner, back in the guest room, Old Ma took two talismans from his backpack and handed them to me. Like the one he’d given me last night, they were ghost-suppressing talismans.

“We didn’t bring many supplies this time, so take these two talismans in case you need them,” Old Ma said, slinging his backpack over his shoulders.

We left the house; night had fallen completely. Gu Yangyu was waiting for us outside.

“Take us to where you last saw it,” Old Ma instructed.

I led them to the fork in the path where we’d hidden the night before. “We were hiding right here last night when the little ghost disappeared.”

Old Ma took out a stick of incense from his pack. This incense was different from the usual kind—shorter, thicker, and already used at one end.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“Guiding incense. It reveals the path of a ghost, leading us to it. It’s valuable stuff. If I weren’t worried that this little ghost had been forged and that regular incense wouldn’t work, I wouldn’t have used it,” he explained.

He held the incense in both hands, murmured an incantation, and bowed twice. With a flick of his wrists, the tip of the incense glowed red—it had ignited!

The smoke from the guiding incense was yellowish and swayed for a moment before angling sharply in one direction. Old Ma followed the slanting smoke, and Gu Yangyu and I went after him.

“Master, what were you chanting just now?” I’d long been curious about his whispered words.

“A spell. Stick with me, I’ll teach you in time,” Old Ma replied.

We followed the direction of the smoke along the main road. The streetlights glowed dimly, hardly any pedestrians in sight. Old Ma watched the smoke carefully, adjusting our route as needed.

After a long walk, he turned into a narrow path without any streetlights. At first, the glow from outside illuminated the entrance, but deeper in, it was pitch black.

I switched on my flashlight.

The guiding incense’s smoke slanted even more sharply, growing dense. Old Ma said, “Looks like we’re close.”

I instinctively reached into my pocket, gripping a ghost-suppressing talisman.

We softened our steps and moved forward, following the smoke. A strange chill wafted from ahead, sending a shiver down my spine and making my hair stand on end.

I swallowed hard, focusing all my attention on the darkness ahead.

Old Ma and Gu Yangyu fell silent as well, making no sound—tension hung thick in the air.

Suddenly, a flash of white light split the darkness, followed by a deafening thunderclap overhead.

The thunder struck without warning—was it about to rain?

As if to confirm my thought, another flash lit up the sky. In that moment, a small, thin figure appeared ahead—hair disheveled, clothes in tatters. I stared in shock, eyes wide.

Boom! The thunder rolled, sending a jolt through my chest.

“There!” I shouted, shining my flashlight on the figure. But it darted into the darkness, vanishing from view.

We rushed after it. Old Ma watched the smoke closely and led us down another path. Rounding a corner, we spotted the little ghost ahead.

Old Ma stopped abruptly, stood straight, covered his face, and let out a piercing roar: “Aaahhh—!”

It was the sorcerer’s howl!

The sudden, earsplitting sound nearly burst my eardrums. I quickly covered my ears and stepped aside. Gu Yangyu did the same, retreating a few steps.

The little ghost was flattened to the ground, as if crushed by an invisible weight, unable to move.

Gu Yangyu nudged me, signaling toward the ghost. I understood, clutching a talisman and approaching the ghost.

Under the thunderous howl, I felt waves of force smashing into me—through skin and bone, straight to my soul.

When I reached the little ghost, I raised the talisman, ready to strike. Suddenly, a hand reached out from the side and slapped a red talisman onto the ghost before I could react.