Chapter Four: The Haunting Spirit

"Brother Tian!" Yu Xiaoxue was trembling violently, and I could feel the icy cold radiating from her body.

I was just about to offer some awkward comfort, flustered by the young girl’s body heat and the soft swell of her chest, when the door suddenly swung wide open, as if pushed by someone again!

My "Wife Sister" tugged urgently at my hem. Startled, I stood up immediately, pulling Yu Xiaoxue back two steps with me.

Outside the door, a group of people stood waiting, though I had no idea when they had arrived. Every single one of them was sallow-skinned and pale as death—had they not eaten in two days? I thought to myself.

Yet, I recognized these people. They were the uncles and aunts from the village, and there were even a few children among them. Most of the young people had gone away for work, leaving behind mainly the elderly and the young.

Had they all come to offer incense together?

Soon, the slight warmth that had remained on my face faded into a rigid mask, for these people showed no intention of taking another step forward.

"Uncle Li, Aunt Li, are you here to offer incense?" I asked, suppressing the fear in my heart, calling out to the middle-aged couple standing in the center of the crowd from a distance.

What sent a sudden chill through me was that Uncle and Aunt Li acted as if they hadn't heard me at all; they stared blankly at the incense burning in the basin.

The few children were sucking on their fingers, giggling as if they were eating candy. To me, however, their smiles looked ghoulish and bone-chilling.

Could it be...

My heart began to race. A cold sensation washed over me as if it were pouring from all directions, and I found my legs trembling uncontrollably. The things I had never believed in were now assaulting my nerves.

"Tian... Brother Tian... They... they won't come in to offer incense. They only stand at the door watching me when it's my turn to burn it. Once the incense goes out, they leave. They don't answer when I call them..." Yu Xiaoxue stammered, her face as white as a sheet of paper.

Hearing this, my mind felt like it had exploded. I thought, *Yu Xiaoxue, should I call you innocent and simple-minded, or just thick-headed and brainless? The incense burns so fast—didn't you notice anything wrong? It’s that group of 'things' right in front of you that are eating it!*

I was caught in a dilemma. The incense could not be allowed to die out, but as soon as I burned it, it would attract these "filthy things." I had never seen a ghost before, but now, I was suddenly confronted with a whole group of them!

"Can you see them?"

Yu Xiaoxue nodded like a chick pecking at rice: "Yes!"

"You don't know what they are?" I stared at her in bewilderment, speechless. How dull must this girl's nerves be!

Yu Xiaoxue shook her head, then seemed to realize something. She covered her mouth with her hands, unable to utter a single word.

It wasn't just her; even I was seeing these ghostly things for the first time.

My Wife Sister tugged at my hem, and this time, she showed no signs of letting go. I couldn't take a single step forward, and truthfully, I didn't dare to get any closer to them either. I could only watch helplessly as they enjoyed the offerings.

My grandmother used to say that those who come into contact with wandering spirits fall ill at best, and lose their souls at worst. I had dealt with spirits before, which was why I often fell into bouts of serious illness.

As the fastest-burning of the three incense sticks died out, a few of them began to slowly turn their heads toward Yu Xiaoxue and me, as if they wanted to walk inside. However, something seemed to be blocking them at the doorway.

"Brother Tian, my father's spirit is out there too, but for these past two days, no matter how much I call him, he ignores me. Whenever I get close, he walks away... Even at home, I see him standing at the door, but when I run home, he hides from me..." Yu Xiaoxue said, her eyes rimmed with red, looking at a loss.

Uncle Yu's spirit was indeed standing outside, merged into the crowd, keeping a relatively far distance.

Seeing signs of a mental breakdown in Yu Xiaoxue, I felt a jolt of alarm. It seemed she wasn't just innocent and simple-minded; she must have experienced something unbearable earlier, causing a gap in her memory and distorting her perception of reality.

I started thinking about Zhang Yidan and changed the subject: "What about Brother Yidan? Have you seen him?"

Upon hearing my question, Yu Xiaoxue regained some focus: "On the day Grandmother passed away, Brother Dan took his wife and left the village; he never came back."

I let out a sigh of relief, but then sank into a daze again. *Yidan took his wife? Then why did I see him alone on the road as I was entering the village? And that was two days after he had supposedly left!*

Could it be...

Was Zhang Yidan dead?

I felt a wave of sadness. My friend was dead, and Yu Xiaoxue and I were like clowns on a stage, being observed by that group of "things" outside. Perhaps we would be finished off soon, too.

I almost wanted to close the door, but I couldn't move from where I stood. My Wife Sister held me tight, preventing me from moving—effectively pinning me in place.

As I searched for another solution, the two doors began to creak and rattle. I shot a look outside; Uncle and Aunt Li, along with the rest of the villagers, were wearing strange, mocking smiles, their grey, ashen faces looking indescribably demonic.

"Burn the incense!" Seeing the last stick in the ash basin burn out, I urged Yu Xiaoxue to keep it going. We had to hold on until dawn at the very least.

Since my arrival, Yu Xiaoxue seemed to have cleared her head a bit. Sensing the gravity of the situation, her small body trembled as she picked up a few sticks and lit them.

These sticks were just like the ones I had burned—strangely uneven in length, still the "Incense of Evil Omens." It seemed there would be no easy end for us tonight.

Once the incense was lit, the surrounding ghostly wind subsided, and the spirits outside stopped their restless movements. Most importantly, my Wife Sister let go of my clothes, giving me a moment to breathe.

But then, it suddenly occurred to me: Yu Xiaoxue was the only living person left in the village. Why was she safe and sound in Xiao Yi Village?

"Xue, think carefully. What was Grandmother doing before she passed away? What were the... people in the village doing? When did these... spirits appear?" I asked her, keeping my composure.

Hearing the word "spirits," the color drained from Yu Xiaoxue's small face. She sat down beside me, hugging her knees.

"Two days before Grandmother passed, she told everyone in Xiao Yi Village to pack their things and leave. I didn't know what was happening, and the adults were in a complete panic. Those who had elderly family members living with them left one after another, though some of the elderly were nostalgic and refused to go."

Yu Xiaoxue recalled the events with lingering fear, glancing at Uncle and Aunt Li at the door.

Uncle Li, named Li Changkun, was the village head. It was only natural he wouldn't leave, and his refusal to go had likely influenced most of the others.

As for those with elderly family members, they were the ones who had lived in Xiao Yi Village since my grandmother first arrived. They knew of her abilities, whereas the younger generation had never experienced anything supernatural and thus lacked any trust in her.

"Grandmother tried to persuade them for a long time, but it was useless. Then she told me to go convince my father to talk to Uncle Li, but when I went, Father wouldn't listen. After Grandmother passed, a thick fog rose in Xiao Yi Village, and everyone started catching colds, running fevers, and then coughing up blood."

Yu Xiaoxue’s chest began to heave. She looked fearfully at Uncle Yu, who was still staring into the room, and said in confusion, "I remember I caught a cold and a fever, too. But then, I slept for two days and two nights, and when I woke up, I was fine. Father seemed fine too, but he just kept avoiding me..."

According to Yu Xiaoxue, Grandmother's death had brought the fog to the village, which was the trigger for everyone's illness. But in this day and age, it sounded absurd that a cold and fever could be fatal.

I didn't know why Yu Xiaoxue hadn't died like the rest of the villagers, but I soon attributed it to my grandmother. Perhaps she had given Yu Xiaoxue some powerful protective charm.

Like the Spirit-Piercing Talisman I had on me. Recalling the paper talisman, I took it out and held it in my hand. I tried waving it a few times, and the next moment, both Yu Xiaoxue and I saw the spirits outside flicker, their forms becoming unstable. It seemed their hesitation to approach us was largely due to this talisman.

The Spirit-Piercing Talisman was drawn in pure Yang essence and blood; it could communicate with ghosts and gods and ward off evil.

However, I clearly noticed that the talisman had faded significantly compared to before. It was a good item, but not very durable. Once it lost its effectiveness, I feared it would be the end for Yu Xiaoxue and me.

"Have you ever seen this?" Since Yu Xiaoxue had been safe for these past few days, the only explanation was that she had one, too.

"It's Grandmother's Spirit-Piercing Talisman!" Yu Xiaoxue replied, her eyes wide as she covered her mouth.

She must have seen the spirits at the door falter as well. If she still thought they were human now, she would truly be insane.

"So you recognize it," I nodded.

"Grandmother burned it into a talisman water... and made me drink it a few days ago. It was so disgusting." Her face was deathly pale as she struggled to process the reality that the things outside were indeed spirits.

I slapped my forehead. *Of course! How could I have forgotten that! The Spirit-Piercing Talisman can be burned and dissolved in water to be consumed, which multiplies its duration!* Holding it in my hand like this was just for show—it looked impressive, but its utility was greatly diminished.

I reached for a disposable cup, intending to light the talisman, but just as I did, my Wife Sister grabbed my hand.

I looked outside sharply. Uncle and Aunt Li’s eyes were bulging, their faces twisted into hideous, savage smiles. It seemed they were waiting for the moment I burned the paper to pounce. Even if the door-god paintings my grandmother had left were powerful, a hoard of vengeful spirits could easily kill me if they were willing to pay the price.

I quickly put the talisman back into my wallet, thinking how close I had come to a greedy, fatal mistake.

Yu Xiaoxue didn't understand why, asking me why I didn't do as she had. I had to make an excuse that I wasn't used to drinking such things.

"The incense is almost out again." I told her to keep burning it while I began to plan our next move.

Based on the fading of the talisman's power, I could hold on for at most two or three days. As for how much longer Yu Xiaoxue could last, I didn't know, but given her complexion, it couldn't be long. After all, staying in a village full of "dirty things" for days would take its toll on anyone.

Once the Yin energy overwhelmed her Yang energy, her time would be up. It wouldn't be just a cold next time—it would be coughing up blood, and then, her life would be forfeit.

I couldn't think of a way out, having never encountered anything like this before. After much deliberation, I decided to check my grandmother's bedroom. If I could find another Spirit-Piercing Talisman, that would be ideal; at the very least, I might find clues left behind by my grandmother regarding this incident.

To save Yu Xiaoxue, I stood up and headed for Grandmother's bedroom, ignoring my Wife Sister's obstruction. But in the blink of an eye, my hem was caught.

I was so angry I tried to pull away from her hand, but a solid, firm sensation came through. My heart sank: *Wife Sister, are you joining in on the trouble too?*