Chapter Twenty-One: Strange Occurrences in the Neighboring Village

Seeing me looking like I was about to fall asleep, Master slapped my arm and said, “Hey, kid, did you remember what I just told you? When a client is in financial difficulty or can’t pay the commission, we can choose to waive the fee. But if the employer can afford it, we must ask for the commission. Each case is its own matter. While we help others, we also help impoverished families. And listen, from now on, you must donate fifty percent of your earnings to charity. Learn from your master. Don’t be fooled by this big house—I’m a past charity ambassador, and the donations I’ve given are no less than this amount. As long as we keep ourselves from starving, we must help others and do good deeds.”

Master held up seven fingers, and I was startled, blurting out, “Seven hundred thousand?” But he shot me a look and replied, “Seven million. One must accumulate virtue and do good—help where you can. Do that, and you might have a good reincarnation after death.” Hearing him mention death, I quickly spat twice and said, “Master, can’t you say something positive? Still, you’re really great—your image in my heart just soared!” He shot me another look, saying, “So, my image was low before?” I shook my head with a smile, and Master chuckled, reaching out to rub the back of my head. “Go to bed. You have school tomorrow.” I nodded, stood up, and was about to head upstairs when I turned and saw Yoon floating by the wall, her soul flickering. I turned to Master and said, “Master, Yoon may have a lot of resentment, but I can guarantee she’s a good ghost. Please don’t capture her—she’s pitiful.”

Master pursed his lips and nodded. I was delighted and asked, “Where should we settle Yoon, then? We can’t have her wandering around the room forever.” Master agreed, thought for a moment, and said, “Alright, tomorrow I’ll remove her resentment. She can stay here. I have an unused spirit vessel in my room—it’s perfect for her.” Hearing this, I was overjoyed and nodded vigorously. Master looked at Yoon and said, “Your name is Yoon, right? I’m not ruthless. You may reside here, but I have one condition: no harming others. If I find out, I won’t hesitate to eliminate you. I’ll prepare the spirit vessel and burn three incense sticks for you daily. After all, respect is due to the dead. You may move about freely here.”

Yoon was moved, bowed to Master, and said, “Master, rest assured, I won’t harm anyone. Thank you for taking me in.” She looked at me, her face radiant with joy. I nodded and smiled. Master didn’t say more, setting up an offering table beside the hall and retrieving the spirit vessel, which emitted a faint fragrance. I asked, “Master, what is this? It’s all black.” Master placed the vessel on the table, formed a seal with his fingers, and tapped it thrice. Finished, he explained, “This is a dedicated vessel for rhinoceros horn incense. In Chinese history, the Book of Jin records that Jiaoxuan, upon reaching Wuchang, was told that the waters below were full of monsters. He burned rhinoceros horn to illuminate, and soon saw strange creatures emerge. Folk wisdom says burning fresh horn produces a unique scent that clings to clothing, allowing communication between humans and spirits. Rhinoceros horn incense is considered a demonic item, which ghosts love. It’s rare now, but I found this vessel by chance years ago and kept it until today. Now it finally serves its purpose.”

I nodded. Master called, “Yoon, come in. This will be your residence from now on.” Yoon nodded, transformed into a plume of blue smoke, and drifted into the vessel. Master took three incense sticks, twisted them lightly, and they ignited on their own. He placed them in the incense burner, completing the ritual. Stretching, Master said, “All done. Tomorrow I’ll cleanse your resentment. Xiao Xuan, go to bed now. You’ve seen enough—I need to sleep, too. I’m exhausted.” With that, Master and I headed upstairs. As we left, I heard Yoon’s voice from the vessel: “Thank you, Lin Xuan. Thank you, Master!” Without turning back, I waved and returned to my room, falling asleep without even bothering to shower.

The next morning, Master’s shouting woke me. I crawled out of bed, groggy, and reluctantly washed up. The weather was pleasant, the sun high in the sky. I stretched, headed downstairs, and saw Master in an apron, carrying two plates. I grabbed some bread from the table and began munching. Master finished his chores and sat across from me, saying, “Eat slowly. No one’s fighting you for food. It’s still early; you won’t be late. Why rush?” My mouth stuffed with bread, I replied, “I’m starving!” Master rolled his eyes, pushed the milk over, and said, “Don’t choke. Drink some milk first.” I nodded, took a sip, and instantly felt much more alert. After breakfast, I slung my backpack and set off, treading the dreaded path to only one place—school!

Maybe because the weather was so nice, my mood was lighter, even cheerful, savoring the fresh morning air. Still, I preferred cloudy or rainy days for reasons unknown. Surely I’m not the only one, right? Haha! Walking through the campus, I watched students heading toward the academic building, backpacks in tow. I was no exception, strolling along when suddenly a voice called out. I stopped, looked back, and saw Yu Wenzhou had just arrived as well. Seeing him, I smiled and said, “Wenzhou, you just got to school too?” Yu Wenzhou walked up and said, “Yeah, just got here. Lin Xuan, why did you take leave yesterday? Funny thing, not only you—Chu Mengxi was absent, too.” I didn’t want to explain yesterday’s events, so I feigned surprise, “Oh? Chu Mengxi took leave too? I had no idea; I was absent for family reasons.” Yu Wenzhou nodded, “Forget yesterday, I have some explosive news. Want to hear it?”

I looked at him in confusion, prompting him to continue, “Listen, Lin Xuan, you’re famous now. Remember those guys we dealt with in the cafeteria two days ago?” I nodded. Yu Wenzhou went on, “There were a lot of people present, so word spread throughout the school. Even your issue with Kang Shun is known. You’re completely famous now—aren’t you happy?” He grinned, but I felt no joy, only frowned. No wonder people kept staring at me since I arrived. Yu Wenzhou saw me spacing out, puzzled, and tapped me. I snapped out of it and gave him a bitter smile, “Let’s go. I don’t want fame.” Yu Wenzhou shrugged and followed me into the classroom. As soon as I entered, I saw a crowd gathered. Puzzled, I walked to my desk. When they saw me, the group surged forward, surrounding me and bombarding me with questions.

“Lin Xuan, is it true you disciplined some upperclassmen in the cafeteria two days ago?”

“Yeah, I heard from a friend who was there. Lin Xuan knocked them down with a single punch, kicked them flying. So impressive! Do you know martial arts? Teach me, I’ll pay for lessons.”

“Me too, I want to learn from you. If I can take on a group by myself, I’ll look so cool. Lin Xuan, say something!”

Sitting at my desk, surrounded by the noisy crowd, I felt irritated. I slammed the table and said, “Quiet! You’re too loud. I don’t know martial arts, I’m not accepting disciples, and it wasn’t as serious as you think. Stop spreading rumors and get back to your seats—morning self-study is starting.” The crowd dispersed, disappointed. When they left, I noticed Kang Shun sitting with his group, four or five people watching me, including the buzz cut troublemaker from earlier. I ignored them, pulled out my textbook, and started reading. After a while, Chu Mengxi arrived and sat next to me. I smiled at her.

She stared blankly, then said, “Why are you smiling? By the way, Lin Xuan, I saw Uncle Zhong’s message this morning. Zhong Yan is awake and in good spirits. He said he wants to thank you properly.” I was surprised—she woke up this morning? Did I misjudge? Embarrassed, I said, “So soon? Well, that’s good. I’ll visit when I can and talk to Uncle Zhong.” Chu Mengxi nodded, “Lin Xuan, did you expect you’d misjudge?” I was stunned again, then smiled bitterly, “Well... let’s not dwell on it, alright? It’s embarrassing.” We burst into laughter. Kang Shun, sitting nearby, stared at me with resentment, but was powerless. Soon the bell rang, everyone quieted down, and time flew—before long it was noon. As usual, Yu Wenzhou and I headed to the cafeteria. Walking down the corridor, I noticed a female classmate sitting there, head buried in her knees, crying into her phone...

“Brother, how’s home? Are the arrangements taken care of? How could it happen so suddenly? How did Uncle pass so abruptly? I... I...”

I stopped next to her, Yu Wenzhou puzzled, about to speak, but I stopped him. The girl suddenly shuddered and, incredulous, said into the phone, “Brother, what did you say? When Uncle’s coffin was lowered, five of you couldn’t move him? How is that possible? He was always good to us—don’t joke. I’ll take leave and come home tomorrow.” Hearing her, I was shocked—couldn’t move the body? That’s impossible; a corpse is supposed to be lighter. Intrigued, I stood by the railing, pretending to look elsewhere, actually listening in.

“I don’t believe it. How could that happen? You must be lying. I’ll come home tomorrow,” she insisted. My curiosity grew. Yu Wenzhou whispered, “Lin Xuan, are you eavesdropping?” I shot him a look, “You know nothing. Quiet. I’ll treat you to lunch.” Yu Wenzhou finally settled down. The girl continued, “Did you call the geomancer? What did he say?” (Note: ‘geomancer’ is a colloquial term for a feng shui master.)

To hear the other side, I pulled a talisman from my pocket and pressed it to my ear. The talisman amplified all nearby sounds a hundredfold, making voices crystal clear. With it, I heard a male voice on the phone: “Of course we called the geomancer. He said Uncle’s death was suspicious—he doesn’t want to leave. He’s working on a solution, so don’t come home yet. Once it’s settled, I’ll let you know. Focus on your studies—don’t let Mom and Dad down.”

“But I...” The girl began, but the man interrupted, “No buts. That’s it. I have to go now. Eat lunch and study hard. We’re all here—don’t worry. I’m hanging up!” With that, I heard the busy tone. I removed the talisman, frowned at the girl, then at Yu Wenzhou. “Let’s go, Wenzhou. What do you want to eat?” Yu Wenzhou, relieved, rubbed his hands, “Forget the cafeteria, let’s eat at a restaurant. Today I’m going to make you pay!”

I sighed and went with him to a small restaurant outside school. To my shock, he really could eat—a meal cost me over a hundred, and he didn’t even care. But I had to honor my promise, even if it hurt! After lunch, we returned to school. On the way, I asked, “Wenzhou, what’s that girl’s name? I forgot.” Yu Wenzhou looked at me suspiciously. Uncomfortable under his gaze, I nudged him, “What are you staring for? Don’t tell me you don’t know her name.”

“I know, of course. Her name is Zhang Moyun. She introduced herself last time—she’s from Zhangjia Village in Wanzhou, I think. Not sure, though—might have forgotten,” Yu Wenzhou replied.

I thought for a moment—Wanzhou? That’s my hometown! And Zhangjia Village sounds familiar. I remembered there’s a village next to mine, everyone there is surnamed Zhang, not far from us. The more I thought, the more confused I got, so I stopped.

At dusk, as school let out, Chu Mengxi asked me to go to the Zhong family villa that evening. Zhong Ming was hosting a banquet to thank me, inviting many relatives and friends to celebrate his daughter’s recovery. I agreed, but didn’t head home right away. Instead, I went to Zhang Moyun’s desk, tapped it, and she looked up, puzzled, “Lin Xuan? What’s up?”

I gathered my thoughts and said, “You’re from Wanzhou too?” Zhang Moyun nodded. I continued, “Me too—my home’s in Linjiawan Village. What about you?” “I know you’re from Wanzhou—I’m from the countryside, too, Zhangjia Village. Linjiawan rings a bell,” she replied.

I nodded, bent down, and whispered, “I overheard your phone call in the corridor today. If you need anything, you can come to me.” With that, I left the classroom. Zhang Moyun sat there, staring after me in confusion.

After leaving school, I walked home, took a quick shower, and changed into fresh clothes. Master saw me dressed up and asked, “Why are you so well-dressed? Going out?” I nodded, adjusted my clothes in front of the mirror, and said, “Zhong Ming invited me to his banquet.” Master stood at the door, surprised, “Zhong Ming? Oh, the one you helped with the Laoshan Daoist last time. No wonder. You get a free dinner and don’t even invite your master—don’t you know your place as a disciple?” I replied, “Master, he didn’t invite you. I’ll bring you a takeaway later.”

“Takeaway? Am I the kind to eat leftovers? Never mind. Wait for me, I’ll shower and change, and we’ll go in my Rolls-Royce. Let you show off a bit. I know the Zhong family—they know all the big shots in business. At least we shouldn’t lose face at an event like this,” Master said.

I cared about appearances, so I agreed. After a while, Master was ready, and we set out together. The car was surprisingly comfortable, with ample space and soft seats. I navigated for Master, and soon we parked at the Zhong family’s gate. I admired Zhong Ming’s efficiency—since yesterday, he had the place in order, with housekeepers and servants everywhere. The villa’s garden had been trimmed, dead branches piled in the corner, and all kinds of cars parked in the lot.

Master drove in, the gate guards didn’t question us, but when we reached the villa entrance, two security guards stopped us. Master lowered the window and said, “What, you won’t let me in?”

“Sorry, sir, this is a private event. We need to see your credentials before you enter,” one guard said.

Sitting in the passenger seat, I silently prayed for the guards. I knew Master’s temper. Sure enough, he got out, annoyed, “Call Zhong Ming out. He invited us.”

“Sorry, sir, the boss is entertaining guests. If you want to see him, you must show your credentials, or we’ll have to take action,” the guard insisted.

That really angered Master. He pointed at them, “Take action? Try it. Listen, I respect your orders, but I was invited. Why must I show you credentials? Why didn’t the gate guards ask me?”

His words left the guards speechless, mumbling with nothing to say. The commotion drew a crowd of guests, some holding champagne, watching the spectacle.

I overheard whispers among the guests...
“Look at that car—a Rolls-Royce! This guy must be rich. That guard’s in trouble—he has no sense.”
“Yeah, hardly anyone around here drives a luxury car. He’s definitely a big company boss. I’ll try to get to know him later.”

Master heard the comments but didn’t smile, since the guard was still fixated on credentials. Not wanting to make trouble, Master said, “Fine, you want credentials? I’ll show you.”