Chapter 52: Opening the Ghost Eyes

Li Douniu, a mere seven or eight years old, had actually encountered "Zhao Qingshan," a man who had been dead for over a decade.

For a time, news of Li Douniu’s "extraordinary encounter" spread like wildfire throughout Zhao Family Mansion. People whispered that Zhao Qingshan had died unjustly and that his death was inextricably linked to the family of the current village chief, suggesting he had returned to seek vengeance.

From this, the villagers concluded that Li Douniu was possessed, a victim of Zhao Qingshan’s "retribution in this life," and that before long, the boy’s soul would be dragged away by the vengeful ghost.

Such eerie rumors terrified the village chief and his family. People are not afraid of hauntings so much as they are afraid of their own imaginations; once doubt takes root, they begin to see ghosts in every shadow. Although the old village chief knew the past "grudges" were merely a tragedy of the political climate, a ghost would not see it that way. If a ghost wanted someone’s life, it would simply take it without reason.

Terrified, the village chief’s family prayed incessantly to gods and Buddhas to protect their son, but to no avail. Yet, precisely at that moment, Li Douniu was "cured"—and the one who saved him was a cat.

One day, after returning "manic" from the graveyard, Li Douniu brought back a small black kitten. The old village chief remembered it clearly: the cat was pitch black, save for a patch of white on its forehead, and its eyes burned with a piercing, spiritual intelligence, unlike any ordinary stray.

...Hearing this, I quickly interrupted, "A black cat with white fur on its head?!"

The village chief nodded.

I asked in astonishment, "Was its tail exceptionally long, and was the mark on its forehead shaped like... a tiger’s?"

The old village chief nodded again.

I realized with a jolt that the cat Li Douniu had brought back was the same Fire-Tailed Lian I had encountered! But how had he ended up with that cat demon?

"Chief," I pressed, "could you tell me in detail about how Li Douniu found the cat? This matter is likely deeply connected to my master’s corpse-animation today."

The village chief considered this, looking solemn. Though clearly reluctant, he nodded and told me the rest of the truth.

...The village chief recounted that when he saw his son return with a stray cat, he was furious. After all, there is an old saying: "A man shouldn't keep a cat, and a woman shouldn't keep a dog." What was a young boy like Li Douniu doing bringing home a stray?

He demanded to know why his son had brought home such a creature and ordered him to throw it away, warning him that it was unlucky for a man to play with such beasts. But Li Douniu’s reply left the old chief stunned, forcing him to re-examine the creature, which seemed to radiate a spiritual glow.

Li Douniu claimed he hadn't chosen to keep the cat; a Taoist priest had "given" it to him.

"A Taoist?" the chief asked, surprised. "What kind of Taoist?"

Li Douniu explained that while he was out playing, he had met the old man, Zhao Qingshan, again. Just as he was about to follow him into the graveyard for a "treat," a hand had suddenly grabbed him from behind.

As he was pulled back, the old man Zhao Qingshan vanished into thin air, evaporating like a wisp of smoke. Startled, Li Douniu turned to see who had grabbed him. It was a very old, unkempt Taoist with a face full of whiskers and tattered robes; apart from a bun on his head, he looked nothing like a priest.

The old Taoist took one look at Li Douniu and told him with alarm that he was being haunted by a vengeful ghost and would be dragged away to suffer eternally after forty-nine days. He described the ghost, and it matched Zhao Qingshan exactly. He then asked if Li Douniu had been visiting the graveyard to eat the old man's food.

Li Douniu nodded in wonder.

The Taoist sighed, "That explains it! That food is 'ghostly fare.' The more you eat, the weaker your vital energy becomes. Only when your energy is weak can he take your soul."

Terrified by this revelation, Li Douniu, who had doubted others, found the old Taoist’s vivid description impossible to ignore. He knelt and kowtowed to the old man, calling him "Master" and begging for a way to break the curse.

The Taoist made a calculation with his fingers, slapped his thigh, and declared that the ghost’s resentment was too great to be subdued by anything but one specific item—which happened to be hidden in the Zhao family graveyard.

The old Taoist instructed Li Douniu to go to the graveyard, find a large, sunken grave in the depths, and locate a "cat den" beneath it. Inside would be three kittens: one solid black, one solid white, and one black with a white forehead.

"Go in," the priest directed, "take the cat that is black with a white forehead, and under no circumstances look back. Come straight to me."

Li Douniu asked nervously, "Why can't you come with me?"

The Taoist gazed at the surroundings. "If I do not sit here to suppress the area, Zhao Qingshan’s ghost will cause trouble, and you will not only fail to get the cat but might lose your life. One more thing—remember this!"

"What is it?" Li Douniu asked, his jaw dropping.

The Taoist warned him solemnly, "Once you have the cat, walk straight back. No matter what happens in the Zhao family graveyard, do not look back!" He repeated it a third time, "Remember, do not look back! If someone calls your name, do not answer. Otherwise, you will be trapped in that graveyard forever—half-dead, never to be released."

Li Douniu was young and didn't understand why "looking back" would trap him. He had played in those ancestral grounds his whole life; how could he possibly get lost? He asked half-jokingly, "How could I get lost? Even if I did, my father would bring people to find me."

"They won't be able to find you!" The old Taoist patted his head. "At best... they will only find your clothes. Your body will be picked clean by the cat demon and the vengeful ghost."

The priest's words made Li Douniu tremble, trapping him in a harrowing dilemma. If he went for the cat, he feared being trapped; if he didn't, he feared having his soul taken.

Seeing his hesitation, the Taoist patted his shoulder. "Follow my instructions, and your life will be safe. Just remember: do not look back and do not answer anyone. There is nothing to fear."

Encouraged, Li Douniu found his resolve. If he just didn't look back, there was nothing to fear. He mustered his courage, took a deep breath, and stepped into the Zhao family graveyard.