Chapter Sixteen: Silhouette

My forehead was covered in a cold, fine sweat. It felt as if something was gripping my chest, leaving me speechless.

Granny Li looked at me gently and said, "Child, don't be afraid. Tell Granny, what did you see?"

"A woman. She was very beautiful, so much so that I couldn't take my eyes off her. If Wang Deshui hadn't slapped me on the back, I might still be standing there," I said honestly, comforted somewhat by Granny Li's calm voice.

Aunt Wang's tone became uneasy. "How do you know Wang Deshui? What did he say to you?"

I hesitated, then replied, "Aunt Wang, I know everything."

Her face grew even more awkward. "Xie Yuan, don't get the wrong idea. There's nothing going on between me and Wang Deshui. He's just been looking for me. Please don't tell Erjun or your Uncle Wang."

Seeing her cautious expression, a strange bitterness welled up inside me.

"Aunt Wang, there's something I need to tell you about what happened on the way," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

She nodded, then glanced at Granny Li. "Auntie, how could there be a woman in that old house? Could Xie Yuan have mistaken it? The place where the old ghost woman lived is clearly—"

Granny Li seemed lost in thought, staring blankly at the spot just outside the door.

"It's nothing, girl. Go home and pack up. You'll be staying in Baihu Village for a while. Once you're ready, wait for us at the mountain pass," Granny Li interrupted, cutting Aunt Wang off.

Aunt Wang blushed faintly. "I'll go pack now. I’ll wait for my parents to return so I can tell them."

She patted my head and told me to talk to Granny Li if anything happened.

She left quickly, leaving just Granny Li and me in the bamboo house.

Feeling uneasy, I said, "Granny Li, I didn’t mistake the house. It’s just below Aunt Wang’s, on the other side of the bamboo grove—a small courtyard with blue bricks and blue tiles, the courtyard wall just up to my shoulder. That beautiful woman in white was standing right there."

Granny Li nodded. "Good child, I know you’re telling the truth. Come with me," she said, then slowly walked out the door.

I followed her, my mind swirling. Was it possible I’d seen a ghost in broad daylight? Aunt Wang said the old ghost woman's place was built of black bricks and tiles, but I clearly saw blue bricks and tiles.

And when I mentioned it, Granny Li’s grip on my hand had tightened.

There was something wrong with that house...

A chill ran down my spine, goosebumps rising on my skin.

I wanted to ask questions, but was afraid Granny Li would think I was troublesome, so I kept quiet.

Soon, I realized we were walking the same road I’d come by earlier.

Within minutes, we reached the edge of the bamboo grove. The blue walls of the courtyard looked damp and cold under the sun.

The yard was empty—not a soul in sight.

"Good child, tell Granny: looking at the courtyard wall now, how tall is it?" Granny Li’s voice was gentle.

"Still about up to my shoulder," I answered truthfully.

"And did you see the woman?" she continued.

I shook my head. "The yard’s empty, not a person in sight."

Granny Li acknowledged this with a soft sigh. "This courtyard is heavy with yin energy, sunlight can barely penetrate it. The reason you can see what others can’t is that you’ve lost two of your souls—you’re neither quite human nor quite ghost. Take a look at the steps by the entrance. Do you see anything there?"

My heart skipped a beat. With her prompt, I noticed a few small stone steps at the entrance, their blue stones ancient and strange.

There, on one of the steps, was a hairpin.

"A hairpin," I murmured, my throat tightening.

"Pick it up and keep it close," Granny Li said.

"But Granny Li... isn’t this place haunted? The hairpin..." I said uneasily.

She smiled. "Ghosts are people too, once. You saw her, she did you no harm, and now you’ve found this hairpin—she’s given you something. There’s no harm in accepting it."

I hesitated, but did as she said.

I then asked Granny Li if that house really belonged to the old ghost woman, if it had been as Aunt Wang described, built from black bricks and tiles, and whether the woman I’d seen was the old ghost herself.

Granny Li shook her head. "The old ghost woman wasn’t young at all. She was over seventy when she died. Her house is indeed black brick and tile now, but it wasn’t always."

As she spoke, she walked to the entrance of the courtyard and pushed the door open.

"Good child, wait outside for Granny," she said, her voice fading as she disappeared inside.

I stood at the door. After three or four minutes, the scent of incense began to waft out.

Was Granny Li burning incense for the old ghost?

She’d mentioned an old friend—could she and the old ghost woman have been friends?

A chill ran through me. A spirit medium befriending a ghostly figure?

And Wang Erjun had said that after Granny Li came to the village, the old ghost woman faded away and was never seen again, not until everyone assumed she had died.

About ten minutes later, Granny Li finally emerged from the yard.

She patted my head. "Come, child, let’s go to Baihu Village. You can tell me what’s happened along the way."

I put aside any further thoughts about Granny Li and the old ghost woman. That was their business, not mine.

Right now, getting Granny Li back was most important.

As we walked toward the mountain pass, I gathered my thoughts and recounted everything to her: how the village head’s father had suddenly died during his birthday feast, how the family had come into ill-gotten wealth, how I’d seen Bai Shi Liu carrying a straw mat at midnight, a corpse’s shoes falling out, and how he had the same silver bowl the old man used before his death.

I told Granny Li all my suspicions about Bai Shi Liu.

She listened quietly, not saying a word.

Soon, I got to the part where the village head’s house caught fire—five of the six family members burned alive.

Granny Li’s brow furrowed slightly. I stopped and asked if something was wrong.

She shook her head and told me to continue.

I left nothing out, including how the youngest son hadn’t died in the fire but was hacked to death with an axe, reappearing at midnight to try to bite Wang Erjun—only to kill Carpenter Wang instead.

Then, when they searched Carpenter Wang’s house, they found the village head’s family’s valuables, and everyone believed he was the murderer.

My father stood up for Carpenter Wang, insisting he couldn’t have done it, refusing to leave his body until the party secretary arrived with an expert. My father, too, began to suspect Bai Shi Liu.

Finally, I explained how Wang Erjun escaped to my house and summoned me to Wang’s Pass.

By the time I finished, my face was pale, my voice trembling. "Granny Li, do you think Bai Shi Liu is behind all this?"

Granny Li paused, then said, "It seems likely, but if he stole the longevity, there’d be no reason to kill the entire family. If he didn’t steal it, then he’d have no reason at all. Maybe someone else did all this."

I was stunned. Someone else—who else would kill the village head’s family?

Then Granny Li said, "After stealing longevity, Bai Shi Liu should look younger and healthier."

I nodded vigorously. "Yes, that fits—his illness vanished overnight."

Granny Li nodded as well. "But all you have are suspicions. We need to get to Baihu Village. I must examine the old man’s body myself."

Soon, we arrived at the footpath below the mountain pass.

Granny Li sighed. "Don’t mention Carpenter Wang yet. Your Aunt Wang won’t be able to bear it."

I murmured my assent.

We met up with Aunt Wang, who was carrying many bundles and pushing a wheelbarrow.

"Granny’s old now, her legs aren’t what they used to be. Xie Yuan, you push the cart," Aunt Wang said.

Granny Li grinned broadly, insisting she was fine and could still walk.

I felt uneasy, watching Aunt Wang lug her things—worried about how she’d react if she learned the truth.

The wheelbarrow sped us up; I persuaded Granny Li to ride up front.

She finally sat down, and I pushed on.

The downhill road was easier, and we moved quickly. Aunt Wang was eager to get home, keeping pace with me.

But as we approached the village, the sky darkened.

Though it was only a bit past four, the sky was heavy and overcast, the sun vanished.

"Xie Yuan, we’d better hurry. Looks like it’s going to rain," Aunt Wang suddenly said.

By now, we’d reached the village entrance.

Granny Li suddenly spoke. "Stop the cart."

I halted immediately as she stared intently in one direction.

I turned to look as well.

She was staring at the withered old peach tree. Now, its buds seemed to have grown, and under the tree, someone was crouching...

The figure’s back was familiar.

"Isn’t that—" Aunt Wang gasped, turning to me, her face deathly pale.

I felt cold all over, my scalp tingling.

"Aunt Wang... why are you looking at me like that..."

"Child, go and tap that person on the shoulder," Granny Li suddenly said.

I froze, but carefully parked the wheelbarrow and walked toward the old peach tree.

When I got close, I noticed the buds on the peach tree weren’t normal—they had a faint reddish hue, as if soaked in blood.

The person beneath the tree remained with his back to me, unmoved by our voices.

"Don’t call out to him—just tap him on the shoulder," Granny Li’s voice whispered in my ear.

I raised my hand and patted his shoulder.

At that moment, my eyes widened as I realized the clothes he wore were exactly the same as mine.

And just then, my hand landed on his shoulder.