Chapter Thirty-Six: Sacrifice

That voice was none other than Aunt Hui’s!

Granny Li had said my father and Aunt Hui would both turn into ghosts—were they both watching over me nearby?

As the voice echoed, a faint force seemed to rise beneath my feet, as if something tried to stop me.

My heart trembled violently, and I suddenly halted.

My eyes stung, a sour ache flooding my chest. Overwhelmed, tears spilled down my cheeks.

Two streams of hot tears slid from my face as I stood rooted in place.

“Aunt Hui?” I called hoarsely, scanning my surroundings.

But I saw no ghostly silhouette. Aunt Hui did not appear.

Did she not wish to be seen?

At that moment, my father’s expression grew far grimmer. He beckoned me again, his voice urgent: “Xie Yuan, are you not listening to your father? Come here! Your grandfather is about to arrive! We must leave immediately!”

Pain twisted deeper in my chest. When my father spoke, the longing in his eyes was unmistakable.

The shadowy infant cradled in his arms regarded me with a chilling gaze.

I sank to my knees with a muffled thud, bowing my head sharply to the ground. The impact left me dizzy.

Tears ran into the corner of my mouth, their salty taste intensifying my sorrow.

“Father, your son will return. I cannot save you now, but one day I will lay you to rest in peace.”

“Your son has failed in filial duty, unable to care for you and Aunt Hui in your old age, but I swear to avenge you both!”

Wang Erjun and Mister Wang hurried to my side. Mister Wang’s voice was tight with urgency. “We can't delay any longer. Move! The black cat won’t hold out for much longer. Liu, the funeral master, will be back soon. The evil ghost is wounded—haven’t you noticed something’s changed here?”

At his words, I realized the air around us had grown colder—not simply chilly, but oppressively grim, like the bone-deep chill of keeping vigil beside a corpse in the dead of night.

Dawn had not broken.

The sky above was shrouded in mist; neither moon nor stars could be seen.

At some point, thick white fog began to seep in.

Beyond the Earth God’s temple lay the village’s back hill, the resting place of its elders.

The fog drifted down from the hill, spreading toward the village.

Meanwhile, the family of the village chief, who had been shielded by Mister Wang’s talismans, found those seals rapidly darkening as the mist touched them, as if about to peel away.

“Xie Yuan, we truly must go now! The trouble in your family is my fault. Once we’re out, I’ll lay down my life for you! Run, quickly!” Wang Erjun, his face contorted with grief, clutched my arm, his voice trembling.

His tears rivaled mine. After speaking, he collapsed to his knees, kowtowing toward my father. “Uncle Xie, the blame for your suffering is all mine. I’ve lost my conscience, I’m a thankless bastard, blinded by greed. Once I settle my mother, I’ll return with Xie Yuan. My life is his—wherever Xie Yuan goes, I’ll follow!”

My heart ached unbearably.

Wang Erjun, too, had lost his father.

Both of us had watched our families fall to ruin.

The architect of this disaster, Liu the funeral master, sacrificed the lives of the village chief’s family, Aunt Hui, and left us with nothing but despair and vengeance, all for his son who’d been dead for decades.

I rose, grabbing Wang Erjun’s arm and reaching for Mister Wang to help him up, hurrying toward the village entrance.

Wang Erjun sobbed quietly.

Mister Wang’s breathing was rapid; at some point, he clutched a white incense stick.

The smoke from the incense did not drift away, but curled eerily around us.

Each breath drew a little of the smoke into our lungs.

Anxiety gnawed at me. I forced myself to swallow the pain and asked, “Mister Wang, isn’t incense meant for the dead? Why can we inhale it?”

After the smoke entered my body, I felt a chill deepen, a shudder ran through me, and it felt as if coldness pressed so hard I might lose control.

“The black cat ate part of the evil ghost—it could never consume the whole thing, especially with Liu in pursuit. The ghost itself isn’t so weak. Those bones you saw were formed from its resentment and dark energy. To inhabit the shadowy infant, it had to suppress itself until it was fragile. Now it’s furious and afraid. Haven’t you noticed the bones are gone?”

“When an evil ghost is enraged, it stirs the village’s yin energy. All those buried on the hill who haven’t moved on will rise. Ordinary vengeful spirits seeking rebirth must find someone to die in their place. This incense is corpse musk, made from bones—it allows us to inhale, temporarily suppressing our own yang energy. Don’t speak further, just follow me and get out quickly!”

Mister Wang’s explanation was brief and to the point.

Wang Erjun’s sobbing ceased out of terror, and my skin crawled.

We were inhaling bone ash?

We hurried forward, covering several yards. Just as Mister Wang said, all the bones that had flown from the ash boxes had vanished.

We dared not pause, nor speak, pushing ahead with grim determination.

As we reached the edge of the village, I couldn’t help but look back.

My father was no longer beside the Earth God’s temple. He turned his back to us, heading toward the hill, moving quickly like a thief.

He slipped into the woods, vanishing after only a few steps.

The village road was eerily quiet.

We soon passed the rubbish heap, where cat fur lay scattered, and blood stained the ground.

The trail of blood led into a thornier path on the other side of the heap.

We saw torn clothing belonging to Liu, the funeral master, and trampled thorns.

If not for the black cat’s sudden attack, we would never have gotten close to Wang Erjun, let alone rescued him. Now, with the cat carrying off the evil ghost, we had a chance to save Erjun. My father’s appearance and his taking of the shadowy infant would surely trouble Liu greatly.

The fog grew thicker.

Suddenly, a voice called from behind, “Erjun?”

The sound was familiar.

My heart thudded—wasn’t that Carpenter Wang’s voice?

Wang Erjun abruptly stopped.

I saw tears streaming down his face.

I feared Carpenter Wang, like my father, might try to lure Erjun away. At this point, I felt as though many things were following us, closing in fast.

Just as I was about to speak, Carpenter Wang’s voice sounded again.

“Erjun, once you escape… remember to apologize to your mother for me. All these years, I was stubborn and foul-tempered, making her angry so she wouldn’t return home.”

“Your mother has had a hard life. She’s spent the last few days keeping vigil by my body, suffering greatly. Find her someone to rely on, and never upset her again.”

“I’ve been a coward all my life. Live well, take good care of your mother.”

“Father!” Wang Erjun turned sharply, his whole body trembling.

Hearing Carpenter Wang’s words, I felt a crushing sorrow.

Carpenter Wang stood behind us, holding several cat corpses, blood dripping steadily onto the road.

His body was far more insubstantial than my father’s or any other ghost—he seemed liable to disperse with the slightest breeze.

“The village’s increased yin energy allowed him to form his soul. He was too timid in life, and since he was killed by a ghost, he was nearly frightened into oblivion. That’s why he didn’t become a ghost before,” Mister Wang suddenly explained.

“Go, Erjun!” Carpenter Wang shouted, turning abruptly. He tore into the already broken-necked cat corpse, splattering blood across the village road behind us!

His body, stained with cat blood, collapsed and dissipated instantly.

What chilled me to the bone was the sight of dozens of pale, bloodless villagers, raggedly dressed, packed tightly on the village road behind us.

Ten years ago, Widow Zhou drowned herself in the river—her body still soaked, she reached out with a twisted face, but the cat blood blocked her path.

Three years ago, the Sun family’s daughter-in-law died in childbirth—her belly swollen, her face wracked with pain, she stretched out her hand pleading, “Save me… save my child…”

Others I knew, or their clothes belonged to eras even older.

I’d felt them drawing closer for some time.

If Carpenter Wang hadn’t sacrificed himself suddenly, we would have already been caught!