Chapter Twenty-Five: The Ghostly Emissary

The bizarre scene left everyone present stunned. The Zhao family had been working in the field of Feng Shui for years and had seen their fair share of strange occurrences, yet they were left speechless by the sight before them.

Old Man Zhao’s eyes were rolled back, showing only the whites. His fingers, thin as bamboo stalks, looked like chicken claws, trembling violently as if trying to snatch a life.

I had already concluded that Old Man Zhao was dead. His soul had left his body, his allotted lifespan had run out, and the grim reaper would likely be arriving to collect his spirit at any moment.

I noticed the yin energy around Old Man Zhao’s soul growing dense; it appeared something was coming to claim him. Grim reapers are souls carrying underworld talismans, so even to someone with yin-yang eyes, they appear slightly different, with a paler hue.

The soul that had arrived to collect him looked like a small, elderly man. He stayed far off to the side, not daring to approach, shrinking back as if his own soul were unstable.

The strength of a grim reaper is not much different from that of any other deceased soul; most are simply assigned tasks by the underworld. Consequently, the job of collecting souls is dangerous. If they encounter a soul with deep resentment, they risk being consumed by it, making it difficult for them to return.

If someone were to place a few anti-ghost talismans nearby, the reaper wouldn't even dare to approach, forced to wait and watch for an opening. The little old man currently hovering there was clearly in that exact situation.

Moreover, one shouldn't expect the likes of Black and White Impermanence or Ox-Head and Horse-Face to help. Given their status, unless a direct order came from above, they would never be summoned for minor tasks.

However, since the underworld has operated for ages, it has learned to be flexible. Most of the souls sent to act as reapers are those who had prior connections to the deceased, such as departed relatives or friends.

When the soul being collected sees a familiar face, they follow willingly. This works time and again. This is why, before death, an elderly person’s yin energy often becomes heavy; they see their ancestors calling to them, whispering names and claiming that so-and-so has come to take them away. Shortly after, the person passes on.

The old man hiding by the bed was likely either an ancestor of Old Man Zhao or a brother who had once been his closest confidant.

Of course, if the deceased is filled with murderous intent, they don't care who comes to collect them; they will simply consume the reaper. Having killed a reaper without a guide to lead them into the underworld, they become wandering spirits or earthbound entities that harm the living. Some particularly malevolent ones, after absorbing enough life force, transform into fierce ghosts that are incredibly difficult to deal with.

The underworld has enough to worry about and cannot afford to lose so many souls. Generally, if a collection attempt fails, they won't try again. After all, if they can't collect a soul the first time, they likely won't find it once it starts wandering. If they run into a fierce ghost, it’s a losing deal they won't make.

Of course, grim reapers are registered in the underworld. If an important reaper is killed by human interference, it becomes a major incident.

My "Spirit-Piercing Talisman" had long since lost its effectiveness. I had spent the last few days pondering why I could still see ghosts, and I finally concluded that it was likely because my own yin energy was heavy.

I couldn't see them before because my wife-sister was present. Now, she seems to have exhausted a great deal of energy, so I have reverted to the state I was in as a child, where I could see spirits. Besides, on the road from Kanglong Village back to the city, wasn't I almost possessed by a ghost? This is proof enough.

As the reaper hesitated to come forward, Old Man Zhao’s soul hovered in bewilderment, watching his own corpse thrash about with no response.

"Zhao Qian, hurry and remove those ghost-repelling talismans!" I urged quickly.

Everyone believed Old Man Zhao was still alive, but since he was already dead, those talismans were likely to disperse his new soul. Seeing his spirit flickering, I couldn't worry about why his physical body was still moving.

Zhao Qian didn't react immediately, but Old Mother Zhao panicked first. She refused to believe that the husband she had spent decades with was dying at this moment. Seeing Old Man Zhao clawing at the air like a madman and even standing up, she instinctively ran over to see what was happening.

I frowned, but it was too late to stop her. Old Mother Zhao rushed over to grab him.

Old Man Zhao seemed not to recognize her at all. Before she could even reach him, his claw-like hands gripped her throat, squeezing with lethal force!

Unable to breathe, Old Mother Zhao’s tongue began to protrude, just like his!

"Grandfather! Grandmother!" Zhao Qian cried out. Forgetting my warning, she only wanted to rush over and pull them apart.

I immediately ran over and grabbed Zhao Qian firmly; I didn't want her to get hurt.

Seeing me and Zhao Qian at the bedside, the other relatives—Zhao Xi, Zhao Yuan, and Zhao Zhou—also realized what was happening and rushed over.

But before they could get close, a sickening crunch of bone echoed through the room. Old Mother Zhao, being a sturdy woman, had snapped Old Man Zhao’s arm!

Old Mother Zhao had been a cadre in the Red Guard's militant faction during her youth. The reason the Zhao family hadn't been purged back then was largely due to her. Even now, she was still robust. She was much stronger than Old Man Zhao, and given his osteoporosis and calcium deficiency, her forceful snap had broken his arm.

One of Old Man Zhao’s arms hung at a grotesque angle, yet his other hand continued to choke Old Mother Zhao with a death grip. His long, unkempt fingernails dug deep into her neck, and blood began to flow profusely.

Old Mother Zhao, turning vicious, saw that her two sons and daughter hadn't stepped up yet, and she grew furious. "What are you idiots standing there for? Help me! You heartless wretches! Don't you see your father is strangling me to death!"

The group immediately swarmed him, pinning Old Man Zhao down. He struggled incessantly, muttering ghost-talk that no one could understand.

Old Man Zhao was indeed dead, and his soul was on the verge of vanishing. While these people still thought he was alive, I shook my head. In the chaos, I took the opportunity to pocket the two ghost-repelling talismans and the calming talisman. Although I know how to draw such talismans, the ones drawn by Canyun were clearly superior to mine, and their effects were much stronger—it would be a waste not to take them.

Without the ghost-repelling talismans, the reaper’s soul stabilized and promptly took Old Man Zhao away. Old Man Zhao seemed to have no resentment regarding his own death and followed willingly. I felt as if I understood something, though I couldn't quite put my finger on it yet.

The old master brought by Zhao Zhou took a look at me, revealing a hint of surprise. I glared back at him and frowned: *You old scoundrel, since you could see, why didn't you come over to remove these talismans? Don't think I’ll treat you as a good man again. And I haven't even settled the score with you for cursing little Zhao Qian! You’d better not let me catch you in the act.*

The old master seemed to see through my thoughts and looked away, standing to the side with a calm expression.

"Old Master Zhao has passed on..." the Taoist Canyun sighed, looking at Zhao Xi.

Zhao Xi stood frozen. "How could this be... how? You placed a calming talisman and a ghost-repelling talisman! How could my father still be possessed?"

"It’s not... Oh! No! My ghost-repelling talisman must have dispersed the old man’s fresh soul!" Canyun wasn't a bad person, but he hadn't seen many fierce ghosts and lacked practical experience. Caught off guard, he had forgotten his own talismans. Cold sweat soaked through his robes.

"My heavens! You foul Taoist! Give me back my husband’s soul!"

Upon hearing that he was not only dead but that his soul might be lost, the crowd turned hostile. Old Mother Zhao burst into wails. If the soul is lost, the person cannot be reincarnated, and there is no chance for an afterlife. With eyes turned green with rage, she grabbed a broom and swung it, striking Canyun across the bridge of his nose.

Canyun’s nose bled profusely, but clinging to a sliver of hope, he couldn't afford to make more mistakes. He rushed to the bedside, only to find that the talismans were gone, which left him stunned.

"The talismans... they’re gone!" Canyun muttered, confused, as they had clearly been there a moment ago.

I kept silent. I’m like Lei Feng—I do good deeds without seeking recognition. I wasn't going to tell them.

Without yin-yang eyes, one cannot see the faint yin energy of a soul unless they burn incense or possess heavy yin energy like mine. Therefore, Canyun and the others didn't see that Old Man Zhao’s soul had already been collected and taken to the underworld.

"Get out! Get the hell out of here! You killed my father! One of these days I’ll burn your Sanxian Temple to the ground!" Zhao Zhou, driven mad with rage, kicked Canyun in the rear. The other relatives were equally incensed; if Old Man Zhao hadn't still been thrashing about, they might have even beaten Canyun’s disciples.

"Brother! Look at the people you brought in! All charlatans! Father was definitely killed by his spells. And he had the nerve to say Father was dead—he’s just spouting nonsense to deceive us!" Zhao Yuan grabbed the broom from Old Mother Zhao and chased after them, trying to beat a dog that was already drowning, but she was held back by the other relatives.

Canyun shook his head and smiled bitterly. He had intended to help exorcise the ghost possessing Old Man Zhao, but now he realized that staying any longer would be suicide, so he mournfully led his disciples away.

Zhao Xi, helpless, could only watch as Zhao Zhou kicked Canyun out. He stood stunned. Not only had he failed to secure the title of family head, but his father was also dead. The Zhao family was about to undergo a massive shift.

Old Man Zhao was definitely dead, and his body had been possessed by a fierce ghost—there was little doubt about that. I could have had my little fierce ghost destroy it, but what I couldn't figure out was that I hadn't seen when or how the fierce ghost had possessed him. Otherwise, I could have stopped it before it happened.

"You took the talismans... then Grandfather’s soul..." Zhao Qian looked at me, tears streaming down her face. Her grandfather had loved her dearly since she was a child and had even taught her the ancestral Feng Shui techniques that were supposedly only for men. In the family, she was the little princess everyone envied.

"Your grandfather was kind; he went to the underworld safely and will be reincarnated," I comforted her. Although I didn't know what would happen to Old Man Zhao in the underworld, saying this would ease her pain. Perhaps her grandfather’s spirit in heaven would agree with my words.

Zhao Qian began to cry again, wanting to go over to see her grandfather, but I pulled her back. "There is something still in his body. Wait until Master Wu over there clears it out before you go."

Having saved her grandfather’s soul, she trusted me implicitly. I had my reasons for not stepping in, so she wiped her tears and watched.

"Too much time has passed. Brother Zhao has already moved on. The dead cannot return to life. Little one, you should accept your grief. What the children are holding onto now is just Brother Zhao’s body; the person inside is no longer him. Do you understand?" The old master walked into the room. He carried only a satchel and no disciples. He had an otherworldly, scholarly aura, and his tone was so firm that one couldn't help but believe him.

"Brother Wu... Brother Zhenghua, since the old man is gone, please tell us what to do. I truly regret not asking you to come first. I wanted you to oversee things and only step in if the children failed, but I never expected those two incompetent kids to ruin everything..." Old Mother Zhao sobbed, glaring at Zhao Yuan and Zhao Xi with clear resentment. The monk brought by the third daughter had tossed the old man around all day, nearly killing him, and the Taoist brought by the eldest son had been even worse, killing him outright.

If she had known, she should have trusted the Master of the Wu Family’s Taoist arts, Wu Zhenghua.