Chapter 25: The Manifestation of Death

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Zhang Wen, seeing the geography teacher provide such an accurate answer, hung his head low and fell silent. In an instant, the atmosphere in the room became heavy once more.

(Back to reality)…

Zhang Moyun stopped her story just as the sky outside began to darken. I sat across from her, the events she had recounted replaying in my mind. To me, there were many puzzling aspects, but what troubled me most was how her younger uncle managed to leave on his own, how he could act as if nothing were amiss, and where exactly his hand had pointed. My master once said that if the deceased mysteriously move on their own and their hand points at a place or a person, that place may be where they met their end, and if it points at a person, then within three days that person will certainly suffer—at best, bedridden with illness, at worst, facing mortal danger.

Thinking of this, I suddenly slapped the table, startling Zhang Moyun. I hurriedly pressed her, “You said your uncle’s hand was pointing somewhere—do you know which direction? Did your brother tell you?”

I fired off question after question. Zhang Moyun thought for a moment but shook her head. I sighed, “For me, your uncle’s case is clearly supernatural. If you trust me, I can go to your home with you. There are too many unresolved doubts—just as the geography teacher said, if this isn’t handled properly, it’s your Zhang family’s descendants who’ll suffer. Such matters usually affect six generations. Go home and think it over, then come find me. Night’s falling, let me walk you home.”

With that, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and stood up, but Zhang Moyun remained seated, eyes fixed on me. Puzzled, I urged her, “Come on, why are you still sitting here? Cooling off? I actually find the air a bit chilly.” I shivered slightly.

Her face changed as she replied, “Lin Xuan, I appreciate your kindness, but I have to say something that might offend you. Maybe what I’m about to say is a bit blunt, but you and I are just middle school students. Though your words just now made sense, I still find it hard to believe. Some things require evidence, right? So, thank you for listening to me today.”

After her awkward words, she stood, ready to leave the pavilion. But as she moved, a dazzling golden light suddenly shone inside. Alarmed, she spun around. In my hand was a ghost-expelling talisman. After a moment, the golden light dimmed, and with a wave, the talisman ignited and burned all the way to my fingers. I didn’t let go—the flames were harmless to ordinary people, but for vengeful spirits, it was a different matter.

Zhang Moyun was speechless with shock, but I nonchalantly said, “So, do you still want more evidence?”

She shook her head, mouth agape. I laughed and continued, “Let’s go, I’ll walk you home, or your aunt will think you’ve been abducted.”

I strode out of the pavilion. Passing by, I gently lifted her chin, closing her open mouth. She snapped out of it and hurried after me, asking, “Lin Xuan, was that some magic trick? You weren’t joking with me earlier?”

I glanced at her—she was a head shorter than me—and replied, “Why would I joke with you? So, I’m not just your listener tonight. By the way, don’t tell anyone about this, just keep it secret for me. Which way is your home?”

Unconsciously, we reached a fork in the road. Zhang Moyun pointed left. Surprised, I said, “Really? Me too. I know there’s only one residential area down this road. Do you live there?”

She was surprised as well. “You mean Yunshan Residence?”

I nodded. She continued, “So coincidental—I live there. Lin Xuan, do you live in the complex? Which building, which floor?”

Embarrassed, I shook my head. “I don’t live in the complex. My place is nearby, just across from the Full Flavor Dumpling House.”

“Full Flavor? Isn’t the owner Mr. Li?” Zhang Moyun asked.

I nodded, and she exclaimed, “Wow, what a coincidence! That’s the best dumpling shop I’ve ever tried, and the owner is so nice—always gives us extra dumplings.”

I laughed, and we chatted idly. Before long, we parted ways at the dumpling shop’s entrance. Before leaving, I told her, “Fate brought us together—you and I are hometown folks, and even in the city, we live so close. I’ll help you with your family’s matter; it can’t be delayed. If you agree, let’s buy tickets and head home tomorrow.”

Zhang Moyun nodded, just about to speak when I cut her off, “No need for thanks. We’re from the same place; helping each other is only right.”

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But right after I said that, Zhang Moyun pinched me. I winced, stepping back and asking with a frown, “Ow... Why’d you pinch me? That hurts!”

She laughed at my twisted expression. “Who said I wanted to thank you? I just meant I’ll ask for leave from school soon and head back tomorrow morning, but…”

“But what? Say it! And who says girls are weak? If someone dares say that, let me at them—I’ll show them. This is definitely going to leave a bruise,” I said, pointing to where she’d pinched me.

Zhang Moyun laughed again. After a moment, she said, “But still, thank you. I feel a bit better today.”

I smiled too, rubbing the sore spot. “Thank you can wait till later. Let’s head home so your aunt doesn’t worry.”

She nodded, and so did I, turning toward home. I never looked back, unaware that Zhang Moyun was still standing there, watching me reach a luxurious villa, take out a key, and freeze in shock.

I pressed the sensor to the door, which unlocked with a click. I went inside, and only then did Zhang Moyun turn, still amazed, and walk toward the residential complex.

“Ahhh—” I pushed open the living room door, flopped onto the sofa, and sighed deeply.

“Hey, you brat, finally remembered to come home! Look at the time!” came a voice from the kitchen. I looked over in surprise—my master stood there in an apron, sprinkling spices into a pot. I asked incredulously, “Master, how are you home? Weren’t you out? And you’re cooking yourself today?”

He flipped the food in the wok and called out, “You think you’re like you, never home on time? No takeout tonight—it’s not healthy to eat out so often. Cooking for yourself is more nutritious. You’ll need to learn for the future—these days, marrying means knowing how to cook. If you can’t even make rice, finding a wife will be tough.”

I got up and went to the kitchen, standing beside him. “Master, I’m still young—thinking about marriage already is a bit much, don’t you think?”

He glanced at me, covered the pot, and said, “How’d you get in here? And what do you mean, too young for marriage? Back in the day, everyone married and had kids early. You’d better pull your weight—I’m waiting to hold your child someday.”

He laughed, and I rolled my eyes. “Didn’t you tell me to learn how to cook? Now you’re asking me again. Master, are you so desperate for grandkids?”

He paused, then smacked me on the head. “You brat, mind your manners. I said learn cooking later, not now. Go wash your hands, dinner’s ready, hurry up.”

I laughed and shouted, “Yes, sir!” and dashed out to tidy the table. A little later, my master brought out all sorts of dishes, and we ate with gusto. Every plate was emptied—his cooking was truly exceptional.

After dinner, we washed the dishes and cleaned up, then went up to sit on the rooftop. Hugging my knees beside him, I said, “Master, tonight’s moon is beautiful. Why did you choose this place? The scenery is so lovely and peaceful—almost like paradise.”

He chuckled, rubbing the back of my head. “Nonsense. Paradise is much more beautiful. My little spot here can’t compare.”

“Have you been to paradise? What’s it like? Are there really immortals in this world?” I asked.

He sighed, gazing at the moonlit mountains. “There once were. Now, no more.”

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Those few simple words tugged at my heart. I pressed on, “Then tell me, master, what are immortals like? Are they all white-robed elders with dusters, exuding an ethereal aura?”

But he shook his head. “Who told you immortals are all old? There are young ones too. Like Bai Li Su Feng—he became the leader of the Immortal Clan while still young.” He realized he’d said too much and fell silent.

My curiosity was piqued. I nudged his arm, “Master, who is Bai Li Su Feng? Is he powerful? What is the leader of the Immortal Clan? Tell me!”

He sighed, looking at me, just about to answer when I guessed and spoke at the same time, “You’ll know in time.”

He stared, then laughed. “Well, you even know what I want to say now.”

I rolled my eyes. “You always say that to brush me off. How could I not know?”

Hearing this, his gaze turned distant and a bit sad as he patted my shoulder. “Xuan, there are things you don’t need to know yet. The more you know, the heavier the burden. It’s for your own good…”

But before he could finish, I interrupted, “Master, I’ve never blamed you. I know how well you treat me. You’re already the dearest family I have—of course, Grandpa and Grandma too. If you hadn’t saved me back then, I’d have died in the mortuary. I can be odd sometimes, and speak out of turn—don’t be angry. I’ll change.”

With that, I knelt before him. He laughed and told me, “Enough with the sentimentality—I know your character well. Come on, get up.”

He helped me up, and I threw myself into his arms. He laughed, patting my back. After a while, we sat again on the rooftop. I gazed into the distance and said, “Master, I want to ask for leave tomorrow.”

He looked at me in surprise. “Leave? You just asked not long ago. Tell me the reason.”

I nodded. “It’s like this, master. A classmate of mine, also a fellow villager—her name is Zhang Moyun, and she lives near our village. Her family’s in trouble. Her uncle died, but what seemed like a normal funeral has many oddities. She told me that when lowering the coffin, five strong men couldn’t move her uncle’s body. Then last night, his corpse inexplicably appeared in a grove, standing upright with his hand pointing into the distance. The geography expert they hired said this must be handled by someone knowledgeable, or the Zhang family descendants will suffer.”

I recounted Zhang Moyun’s story to my master, who listened carefully, repeating the key points under his breath. After a while, he said, “This is simple—it’s called a death manifestation. It means a departed spirit forcibly enters a soulless body and manipulates it to do certain things. There are many methods. As your classmate said, the body ended up in a grove—that’s a death manifestation. The spirit wants to show living relatives how and where it died. It’s not that rare. But… the direction the hand pointed, that’s unusual. Usually, with such signs, either the descendants suffer, or the curse intended for them is transferred to everyone present. This seems simple but is actually quite troublesome.”

He paused, thinking for a moment before saying, “Alright, I promised to take you home to check things out anyway. We’ll set out tomorrow. This is a thorny issue—if not resolved, I fear complications. The underworld is already in chaos; I don’t want more trouble. Let’s help if we can.”

I nodded, and we sat a while longer before heading downstairs. This time, my master decisively called Principal Qin, putting the call on speaker. On the other end, Principal Qin replied with a smile, “No problem, Brother Tan. It’s a small matter. I guarantee Lin Xuan’s studies won’t fall behind, and he’ll graduate smoothly from our school. Haha, alright, you go ahead—I won’t keep you.”

With that, he hung up. In my heart, I couldn’t help but admire my master: even the principal treated him with such respect and humility. It made me wonder just who he really was.