Chapter Sixty-One: Another Calamity Strikes

Master patted me gently and whispered, “Hey, kid, be careful. Look all you want, but keep your drool to yourself.”

I was startled, only then realizing I’d been staring absentmindedly. When I returned to myself, Chu Mengxi was standing beside me, and she seemed to have overheard Master’s words, her cheeks flushing red.

I chuckled awkwardly and quickly changed the subject. “Come on, let’s get something to eat. I’ve heard there’s plenty of good food in this ancient city.”

Master stood up, shooting Chu Mengxi an equally awkward smile. “Let’s go, time for a meal.”

We nodded and followed Master, just about to wander into the city, when we heard voices coming from inside the building, chatting as they walked.

“Hey, did you hear it last night?”

The others nodded, replying with a hint of lingering fear.

“Of course I heard it! How could I not? Last night I was alone in my room, and that bell-ringing outside nearly scared me to death.”

“You’re really that timid? Scared to death? I heard it too. I even peeked outside, but saw nothing.”

“Yeah, I slept pretty soundly last night, so I didn’t hear any bell ringing, but…”

“But what? Go on, finish your story,” one of them urged impatiently.

He finally continued, “Last night, when I was sleeping, I woke up needing to use the bathroom. Groggy, I wandered out and heard voices coming from the room opposite. I stood there for a while and heard them talking about ‘corpse-walking lineage’ and ‘accepting disciples.’ I thought it was just a bunch of people staying up late, telling ghost stories, so I didn’t pay much attention. I was so sleepy, I just went to the bathroom and headed back to bed.”

As he spoke, the others were a bit stunned, then chimed in, “Hey, you must have been sleepwalking.”

“Yeah, probably sleepwalking. Otherwise, it was just ghost stories next door.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. The man had no choice but to let it go, saying, “Enough about that. The weather’s so nice today, not going out would be a waste of the money in my wallet.”

They all laughed, pulled out their cigarette packs, handed each other smokes, and strolled past us.

Watching their backs, I glanced at Master—so there were other guests in this inn after all; I’d thought it was just the three of us.

Master shrugged, heading forward, and Chu Mengxi and I followed. We wandered around the ancient city for a while and spotted a place called Shun Ji Bun Shop, so we went in. Master called out to the owner, “Boss, bring us three bowls of porridge, three fried dough sticks, and five buns.”

“Alright, coming right up!” the boss replied, busy as he worked.

We found a spot and sat down. After a while, the boss brought over three bowls of porridge, three fried dough sticks, and five buns. Hungry as we were, we didn’t say much and started eating our breakfast.

Half an hour later, we left Shun Ji Bun Shop. Master lit another cigarette, and I quickly said, “Master, you should smoke less.”

He ignored me, while Chu Mengxi giggled beside me. I was a bit embarrassed, smiled wryly, and the three of us continued wandering the ancient city. Along the way, I kept hearing groups discussing something, and I caught snatches of conversation—mainly about last night’s bell ringing. I even overheard some locals say,

“Hey, did you hear? Yesterday Old Zhang’s kid fell ill again, same symptoms as before. Who knows what they did to offend someone, making the child suffer like this.”

“Yeah, I know. Yesterday I went to Old Zhang’s house and saw Little Zhang lying in bed, his face ashen—really scary. He kept convulsing, and the most terrifying thing was, he was lying there peacefully, then suddenly sprang up, pacing around the room, making strange noises like a crow. We tried holding him down, but he kept convulsing, and green liquid started dripping from his mouth. Poor kid.”

Hearing this, we didn’t pay much attention, since we were just here for a relaxing trip. But as we walked forward, I saw someone rush through the crowd to a pharmacy, shouting anxiously, “Mr. Hu! Mr. Hu! Please hurry, Old Zhang’s child is convulsing again, worse than yesterday!”

Moments later, an elderly man carrying a medical kit emerged and replied urgently, “How did things get worse? Didn’t we stabilize him yesterday? Come on, let’s take a look.”

With that, the old man and the anxious visitor pushed through the crowd toward Old Zhang’s and Old Chen’s houses. We stood back, watching as some people followed behind to see the commotion. We hadn’t intended to get involved—when someone falls ill, they need a doctor, not us—but Master, hearing about the crow-like cries and green liquid, took note, though he showed no sign of acting.

We continued our exploration. There really was a lot to see and do in the ancient city, including some historic mansions of famous figures, which we toured. The preservation was excellent, and stepping inside inspired a sense of awe—it was, after all, the residence of a once-public figure.

Afterward, we visited other sites. The city was packed with people, and Chu Mengxi kept asking for photos. I took many for her, and Master and I even stood shoulder to shoulder by the Tuo River, letting Chu Mengxi snap a picture of us. When I looked at it, I thought it was pretty good and said with a smile, “Master, this one’s quite nice.”

But Master shook his head and said, “I moved a bit just now, see, my hand’s crooked. Let’s take another!”

I stubbornly refused. Master tried to grab the phone, but I stepped back, so we ended up chasing each other along the riverbank. The sight truly filled me with happiness. In the end, Master couldn’t catch me, and, panting, said, “You rascal, getting bold enough to make me chase you all this time. Just wait till we get home—I’ll deal with you then.”

I laughed and said, “Master, this photo is already great. Let’s keep this one.”

Master’s frown relaxed, and he smiled too, beckoning me over. “Alright, if you like it, that’s all that matters.”

I nodded and ran to his side, but he grabbed my ear. I winced, “Ouch… Master, what are you doing? You liar.”

“Who lied to you? You made me chase you in front of all these people.” He let go of my ear.

I rubbed it and said, “Aren’t you always thick-skinned anyway?”

“I…” Master raised his hand as if to smack my head, but instead ruffled my hair. “Enough fooling around. After a morning of walking, my stomach’s empty.”

I nodded, feeling my stomach rumble. Master called over Chu Mengxi, and the three of us went into a restaurant specializing in Western Hunan cuisine. After ordering a few signature dishes, we sat obediently, waiting for the food.

Soon, the dishes arrived. Just as we were about to eat, police sirens sounded outside. I froze and turned to look, seeing several officers get out of their cars and enter the ancient city, directing people aside as they moved forward. Master set down his chopsticks, puzzled. “What’s going on?”

I shook my head, and Chu Mengxi looked equally confused. Then the idle boss behind the counter glanced toward the officers and said quietly, “I’d guess something happened to Old Zhang’s child. Who knows who they offended—poor kids.”

Master was taken aback and asked, “What exactly happened to Old Zhang’s family? I heard people talking earlier. Do you know any specifics?”

“Er… I’m not sure myself. But from what I’ve heard, they must’ve offended someone. This is Western Hunan, after all. People say they crossed someone they shouldn’t have. Anyway, those two kids from Old Zhang’s family are in real trouble. They’ve seen plenty of doctors, but nothing helps.”

After the boss spoke with regret, Master put down his chopsticks. I stared at him, only to hear Master say, “Boss, please pack up the food for us and reheat it. I’ll come back for it later.”

The boss was surprised, looking at us, but Master continued, “How much?”

“One hundred and fifty-three, but I’ll make it one-fifty for you,” said the boss.

Master nodded, pulled out two hundred yuan and placed it under a bowl on the table. “I don’t have change. Just take two hundred, keep the rest.”

With that, Master led us out, leaving the boss and other customers bewildered. Walking beside Master, I asked, “Master, we’re not eating? Where are we going?”

Chu Mengxi nodded, also looking at Master. He simply pulled out a cigarette, hands in his pockets, and replied, “To save someone.”

I was stunned, thinking how compassionate Master was—he’d skip a meal just to help others. I paused, smiling as I watched his back, then hurried after him. Along the way, we asked some locals for directions and learned where Old Zhang’s and Old Chen’s houses were. Since they were close, we went to Old Zhang’s first.

By then, Old Zhang’s house was surrounded by a crowd, and several police officers were keeping people back. Master led us straight through, paying the officers no mind, and entered the house.