Chapter 121: The Meeting

The voice was clear, yet it felt incredibly blurred, as I could not distinguish the specific name she was calling out.

Drowsiness deepened, and my consciousness began to drift. I fell into a heavy slumber.

The next day, I was stung awake by the sunlight. My face felt scorching hot. I opened my eyes to find the grass hut filled with morning light. Li Yue was no longer inside. It had been a rare, restful sleep, and I felt as though the weariness had been almost entirely purged from my body. The ghost-raising jar hanging at my waist remained untouched, and the Thousand-Yin Rope was still with me.

I drew a deep breath, and as I recalled the events of last night, a lingering chill remained in my heart. After Zhang Chang had left, I went to catch ghosts on my own and encountered a pair of ghost spouses who dragged me straight into the Yin Dragon River. If my companion ghost had not intervened and eliminated one of them, I would likely have become nothing more than a floating corpse by now.

Having captured ten ghosts, I had fully mastered the use of the Thousand-Yin Rope and the ghost-raising jar. These two items given to me by Zhang Chang were of immense help; with a constant supply of ghosts, I could even draw the God-Shaking Talismans!

I looked down and pulled out the jade pendant hanging against my chest. Amidst the warmth, there was a trace of coolness—soft and comforting. This was the item Chan Shu had left for Li Yue, which was what led Li Yue back to save me.

The voice I heard before falling asleep last night... it was clearly Chan Shu’s. The name she called—I couldn't hear it clearly, but I was certain it was not mine. That name had three characters, while mine had only two. Moreover, to Chan Shu, the "me" she perceived was not truly me, but rather someone of vital importance to her.

An indescribable sense of sadness and oppression welled up in my heart. I tucked the jade pendant back under my shirt and murmured, "I will return. I will give you an answer."

"Time to eat!" Li Yue’s crisp voice echoed into the hut, pulling me back to reality.

Stepping outside, I was immediately greeted by the enticing aroma of porridge. A pile of stones had been stacked in the clearing, with a wooden board placed on top. Several large bowls were filled with steaming porridge, accompanied by a few basins of freshly stir-fried wild vegetables.

"Eat something quickly, Xie Yuan. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a hot meal. I saw the kitchen was quite clean, and although the field nearby hasn't been tended to in a long time, there were plenty of wild vegetables, so I picked some. I also made plenty of dry rations for us to take on the road."

Li Yue emerged from the kitchen, her face smudged with dust but beaming with a smile, as if she had completely forgotten the events of the previous night. I, too, was famished, so I sat down and began to gulp down the porridge. Li Yue squatted nearby, watching me, which soon made me feel uneasy.

Fortunately, Zhang Chang descended from the stilt house as well. A smile played on his face. "This rice is mountain rice grown by my old woman. The wild vegetables were also grown from seeds she gathered in the mountains and planted nearby, because I used to love them."

My wariness toward Zhang Chang diminished significantly. Perhaps he did not intend to harm me; it was more likely that his way of thinking simply differed from mine—in short, our values were not the same.

After the three of us were full, Li Yue tidied up the kitchen. This time, she was sensible enough not to ask about the old woman from the night before.

***

Once we left the stilt house, we were finally far away from the Yin Dragon River. I felt a mix of hesitation and nervousness. Even though so much time had passed, the thought of returning to Baihu Village made it feel as if I had only just stepped out of it. My mother, Old Master Wang, my father, and Aunt Gray were all still waiting for me.

The journey back would take at least eight days. I wished I could grow wings and fly straight back to Baihu Village. The main road was wide; once we reached the nearest town, we could catch a ride. Being away from the ghosts of the mountains was a relief for both Li Yue and me. I recognized this road—it was the same path Li Yue and I had traveled when we first arrived. It would take about half a day to reach the town.

But before we could head forward, Li Yue suddenly stopped in her tracks at the side of the road. She looked down at the ground, calling me over with a look of astonishment.

When I walked over, I discovered a small peach-wood sword stuck into the ground, with a yellow paper talisman tied to it.

"Master... he’s here... has he been following us?" Li Yue’s voice trembled, and tears welled in her eyes.

My heart surged with excitement, too. But the reason for my excitement was not Li Canshui—it was Wang Erjun! A moment ago, those ten-plus days felt like the blink of an eye, but now they felt extraordinarily long, as if years had passed. I wondered how his study of Taoist arts was coming along, and the "Yin Monkey" behind his ear still needed to be dealt with. He would certainly want to come back with us. If Li Canshui was willing to help, this journey would proceed without any hitches!

"Where are they?" I asked Li Yue, suppressing the thumping of my heart.

Li Yue dripped a drop of her blood onto the talisman. It immediately floated into the air, pointing in a certain direction. However, this was not the path back to Baihu Village, but rather the opposite, leading further away.

Li Yue pulled out the peach-wood sword, took a deep breath, and said, "We must go find Master. If he’s here, he must have something to tell us."

I nodded. After waiting for so many days, one more wouldn't matter, and most importantly, there was the matter of the Yin Monkey on Wang Erjun’s ear.

As I turned to call for Zhang Chang, I realized he was already walking in the direction indicated by the talisman. "It’s been decades; it’s time to see an old friend," he said, his voice tinged with melancholy.

We had traveled this opposite path before, as that was where we had boarded the boat. It took about half a day of travel to reach the town. The small town was bustling with merchants; itinerant traders bought mountain goods to sell, and mountain folk brought their own wares to the market. It was mid-afternoon, and the town was incredibly lively. The buildings here were no longer stilt houses, but ordinary flat-roofed houses, tile-roofed buildings, and modern structures.

Li Yue walked in front, while Zhang Chang and I followed behind.

***

After entering the town, we reached a busy street within minutes. It was crowded and noisy, and in one spot, a large group had gathered. The talisman drifted down at this moment. Li Yue’s face lit up with joy as she squeezed into the crowd. We followed closely behind.

Fortunately, with Zhang Chang by our side, people who normally wouldn't have made way for Li Yue and me cleared a path as soon as they saw his elderly figure. At the center of the crowd were two people and a table.

Wang Erjun’s round body stood by the table, his expression vibrant. "The talismans drawn by me, Master Wang, can cure fierce ghosts and vengeful spirits, and protect your home! Buy one, get one free! Ghost-repelling talismans for ten cents each, and get a peace-and-safety talisman for free! Don’t miss out!"

I couldn't help but chuckle. Li Canshui sat quietly on a chair nearby, motionless. This truly fit Wang Erjun’s personality—greedy, stingy, and always looking for profit. Now that he had learned to draw talismans, he was already selling them for money. Li Canshui waiting nearby didn't surprise me; he believed in the principles of karma and the concept of "letting things take their natural course," never obstructing what others wished to do.

Li Yue, however, looked stunned. Her fists were tightly clenched, her eyes red, and she whispered, "That damn fatty! He’s actually dragging my Master around to make a spectacle!"

I quickly grabbed Li Yue. At that moment, Zhang Chang, with a smile on his face, hunched his back and walked toward the table with feigned shakiness. His voice carried a note of gratitude: "It was this little Master’s talisman that helped my family greatly; otherwise, I would have been dragged into the Yin Dragon River by the ghosts."

As soon as he finished, the surrounding crowd erupted, surging toward Wang Erjun. Within minutes, the crowd dispersed as people hurried home, excited. Wang Erjun was blushing with joy, clutching a handful of loose change.

"Master, your apprentice hasn't shamed you! I’ll take you for tea in a bit," he said, looking up excitedly, then paused. "Old man, you look a bit unfamiliar. I don't recall when I gave you a talisman." His expression suddenly froze. "Xie Yuan!"

Zhang Chang looked at Li Canshui and smiled. "Old friend, it’s been many years. The little girl from back then has grown into an adult. Won't you open your eyes and look at me?"

Li Canshui opened his eyes. Li Yue knelt beside him, sobbing as she called him "Master." Wang Erjun stared at Zhang Chang in astonishment.

I took a deep breath and nodded to Wang Erjun. "In just a few days, you've learned to draw talismans. Li Yue and I have completed the task Senior Li entrusted us with. This old gentleman is Zhang Chang, and he will help you remove the Yin Monkey behind your ear later."

Wang Erjun’s chubby face lit up even more. "That would be wonderful! I was just worried that for someone as dashing as me, having a monkey thing on my ear was quite the problem."

Suddenly, Wang Erjun’s eyes widened, and his voice turned serious. "Are we... heading back to the village now?"