Chapter Sixty: Legends of the Ancient City

I couldn't help but feel puzzled. I pointed at the corpse-herding procession, about to speak, but my master immediately slapped my hand down and whispered, "Don't point carelessly. The corpse herders have extremely sharp eyes and ears. If he sees you pointing, it might not end well for you. And it's possible he's already heard everything we've just said."

I froze, looking at my master in disbelief. "Master, you're joking, right? We're so far away—how could he possibly hear us?"

"Joking? You rascal, you just won't believe it until you see a coffin with your own eyes. I remember there was once a young man in our circle who ran into a corpse-herding team with an old Daoist priest. The young man ignored the Daoist’s warnings—he insisted on pointing at the corpse herder, and not just that, he even started cursing him. Guess what happened next?"

I stared at my master, confused. He continued, "Well, the young man and the Daoist priest both fell victim to the corpse herder’s arts. The Daoist was alright, since he had some skills of his own, but that young apprentice wasn’t so lucky. He vomited non-stop from morning till night, his whole body turning a bluish-purple. And that was considered a light punishment. In the end, the Daoist had no choice but to take his apprentice to the corpse herder’s home, have the kid kneel and apologize in person. Only then was the apprentice spared. I’m telling you all this, and you still don’t believe me? Are you hoping to become the next fool like him?"

Embarrassed, I shook my head. "But you're here, Master, so I’m not afraid, heh heh."

My master shot me a look, then I remembered the question I’d been wanting to ask. "Master, why are they walking so slowly? No wonder it takes them more than a week to guide a corpse anywhere."

He glanced out at the procession and said, "If a corpse falls behind, you have to go back for it. This isn't a sightseeing tour—they’re protecting the corpses, making sure none get lost or separated from the group. The corpse herders have many skills to practice—walking techniques, turning techniques, the 'mute dog' technique; all these are for the corpses, not for the living."

I nodded, and we chatted a while longer in Chu Mengxi’s room. Only when the corpse-herding procession had completely passed did we prepare to return to our own rooms. But as we turned to go, I suddenly felt a wave of heat spread up my arm, the hairs on my back standing on end. My master also paused and said sternly, "Little ghost, if you're playing tricks on me, be careful—I’ll destroy you."

As soon as he finished speaking, a gray shadow slowly floated out in front of us. Chu Mengxi screamed in terror and ducked behind us, her voice trembling: "That's him! That’s the ghost! He was the one crouched at my bedside, staring at me!"

I was stunned. So this was the ghost that had been bothering Chu Mengxi. I stepped forward, ready to act, but the male ghost hurriedly cried out, "Please, young man, don’t! Don’t hurt me!"

I looked at him—the ghost was visibly nervous, shielding his chest with his hands, glancing from time to time at the black and white twin fish circling my right arm. I frowned, and heard my master ask, "Ghost, why do you linger in the world of the living, scaring people?"

The ghost turned to my master, replying, "Master, I didn’t stay in the living world on purpose. I just can’t find my way back."

My master was taken aback, staring at this strange ghost. "Can’t find your way? What do you mean?"

"Oh, Master, it’s like this: During the last Ghost Festival, when the gates of the Underworld opened wide, I came up properly, guided by Wufeng the underworld warden. I behaved myself in the underworld and received some special treatment. But I lingered too long in the mortal realm, even after the festival ended. I thought Wufeng would come to take me back, but he never showed up, and I couldn't find the way back myself. That’s why I stayed here. Master, I really didn’t do it intentionally."

Hearing this, my master burst out laughing. Even my frown relaxed a little. My master said, "This is the first time I’ve heard of a ghost getting lost. And why were you staring at this girl?"

The ghost glanced at Chu Mengxi, who shrank back. He stammered, "Well... um, I just thought she looked so lively, and she’s been here for a while. I knew there’d be bell-ringing at night, and I was afraid she’d be scared alone. So I stayed nearby. But I forgot that I’m a ghost, and ended up frightening her instead. I’m really sorry, heh heh."

The ghost gave an awkward laugh. My master looked at Chu Mengxi in disbelief. "You’ve been here the whole time?"

The ghost nodded. My master’s expression changed as he looked at me, and I started to feel uneasy. The ghost, quick on the uptake, waved his hands frantically: "No, no, Master, it’s not what you think. I have been here for a while, but not in this room—I only just arrived."

My master finally relaxed, and I shot the ghost a sidelong glance. My master nodded, asking, "Where do you live?"

"Huh? Where do I live? Oh, at Number Fifteen, East Street, Ghost Market, Southern Quarter," the ghost replied.

My master nodded again. "Ghosts shouldn’t stay in the world of the living—it disrupts the order of the underworld. Since you haven’t harmed anyone, I’ll send you on your way."

With a wave of his hand, the Gate of the Underworld appeared behind the ghost with a whoosh. The ghost turned, terrified, and backed away, but my master reassured him: "Don’t be afraid. Go inside—it will take you straight home."

The ghost glanced at my master, then at the gate, hesitated a moment, but finally chose to trust him and stepped through. Only when the ghost had vanished did my master close the gate, yawn, and say to us, "Alright, it’s late—time for bed. Girl, if you’re still scared, come sleep in my room. I’ll take the floor, you take the bed."

Chu Mengxi shook her head. "Thank you, Uncle Tan, but there’s no need. The floor is cold—better you sleep in the bed. I’m not that scared anymore."

My master nodded. "Alright then. Here, take these talismans—one for the head of the bed, one for the foot, one for the side, and one for the window. Before I leave, I’ll draw a charm on the door, invisible to others, just to be safe."

He pulled a few talismans from his pocket and handed them to Chu Mengxi. "This one is a Calming Talisman—put it at the head of the bed. The others go where I said."

Chu Mengxi nodded, holding the talismans, and we returned to our rooms to sleep soundly.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window, evaporating last night’s rain from the ancient city streets into mist. I rubbed my eyes, crawled out of bed, yawning and stretching. The bright weather lifted my spirits. After a moment, I put on my shoes and stepped outside. My master was already up, exercising in his room. I walked in, yawning. "Master, you’re up early."

He paused, turning to me. "You’re not up late yourself."

I nodded, sitting down. "What are you doing?"

"Practicing Tai Chi. Haven’t you seen it before?" He began to move again.

I was taken aback. "We need to practice Tai Chi in our line of work? Isn’t that what old folks do in the park?"

"You know nothing. Early morning exercise is good for body and mind, understand?" he replied.

I gave a wry smile and nodded. "Master, let’s go eat—I’m hungry."

He glanced at me. "Alright. Go call Miss Chu. I’ll come as soon as I finish this set."

I agreed and headed out, knocking on Chu Mengxi’s door. After a moment, a clear voice called, "Come in!"

I opened the door to see Chu Mengxi at her dressing table, combing her hair—she must have been up early too. I walked to her side and opened the window, letting in a warm, gentle beam of sunlight. I asked, "How did you sleep last night?"

Looking in the mirror, she replied, "Quite well. The Calming Talisman Uncle Tan gave me worked wonders. I slept straight through the night and felt nothing."

I smiled. "That’s good. Once you’re ready, let’s have breakfast. The weather’s nice—we can go out and explore."

She set her comb aside, smiling. "Yes, thankfully the sun’s out today. Otherwise, there’d be nothing fun to do here. Oh, by the way, here’s your jade pendant."

She fetched the Yang-Ming Jade from her bedside and placed it in my hand. I put it back around my neck. "I’ll wait for you downstairs and check if Master’s ready."

She nodded, and I left, closing the door behind me. I saw my master standing at his door, adjusting his clothes. He looked up. "Where’s Miss Chu?"

"She’s still getting ready. Let’s wait for her downstairs," I replied.

He nodded, and together we went down, finding stools by the door to sit on. My master lit a cigarette and said, "There are quite a lot of people in this old city. As soon as the sun comes out, everyone pours into the streets."

I nodded as well, gazing at the bustling crowd moving through the ancient streets, the air filled with the hum of voices and the charm of old-world architecture—it truly felt like a lively market scene from the past.

After a while, Chu Mengxi came downstairs, neatly dressed. Today she wore a dress, her hair styled in a trendy bun, and with her fairy-like beauty, she left me utterly spellbound.