Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Water Coffin

I could not make sense of it in the end, except to attribute everything to the soul I had swallowed and fused. Wang Erjun generously patted my shoulder and said, “Xie Yuan, when you owe so much, what’s one more debt? When you have so many lice, what’s one more itch? The shadow monkey has crawled behind your ears, what’s another flower in your hand?”

I didn’t worry much anymore. Since it came from the soul, from that man, it couldn’t be harmful to me. Next time I return to Wang Family Ravine, even if Chan Shu’s soul has forgotten me, when her true soul sees this mark, she surely won’t doubt me.

Yet every time I thought of Chan Shu, a pang of uncontrollable guilt stirred within me, and I could only bury these feelings deep in my heart.

Just then, Wang Erjun exclaimed in surprise, “Xie Yuan, the itch behind my ear is gone! And I don’t feel that constant chill anymore!”

Li Yue snorted, “Of course! I’ve rescued you all. The shadow monkey has left Baihu Village and won’t awaken easily again. But its lingering presence is still a risk; who knows what effect it might have on you? If that thing in Baihu Village wakes up, it’ll definitely come for you. We need to find my master so he can remove the shadow monkey from you.”

Wang Erjun chuckled nervously and tried to curry favor with Li Yue, “Shouldn’t we hurry to town, then? The further we are from Wang Family Ravine, the safer we’ll be.”

Li Yue’s gaze fell on me.

I took a deep breath and nodded, “Let’s go.”

My wounds began to ache again, and Wang Erjun came to support me as we walked onward.

I had lived in Baihu Village since childhood. My mother passed away early, and after, my father remarried Aunt Hui. The complicated family relations meant I never left the village at the foot of the mountain. The farthest I’d ever gone was Wang Family Ravine.

I knew nothing of the world outside.

Wang Erjun had been to town and the county city a few times with his father to buy goods, and he had seen much more than I ever had. He would often brag to me and bring me trinkets from the city or town.

Li Yue hopped playfully along the roadside, darting left and right.

Wang Erjun’s eyes widened, “Xie Yuan, this little lady may be a bit stubborn, but she’s got a fine figure! None of the pretty widows or young wives in the village can compare. If only she could be my wife—”

Before he could finish, suddenly I couldn’t hear anything by my ear.

Yet Wang Erjun kept moving his lips, as if practicing speech.

Soon, his expression turned panicked, and he tapped his mouth in alarm. His eyes were wide with fright, clearly calling my name.

Ahead, Li Yue laughed gleefully, “A toad wanting to eat swan meat? Now your tongue’s all tied up—you can’t even eat a mosquito’s leg!”

Wang Erjun wore a mournful face and shook me twice, making me groan in pain.

Li Yue turned back and snorted at Wang Erjun, imperiously saying, “Fatty, that was a little punishment for you. Don’t ask Xie Yuan for help—he doesn’t know how to save you. Just get to town safely, and don’t shake him to death. Otherwise, not only will you lose your voice, my master might turn your fat into jerky in a fit of anger!”

Wang Erjun was thoroughly frightened.

Li Yue’s words, though, held no threat for me. She was just sharp-tongued, but deep down, a kind-hearted girl.

The road to town was long. We walked until noon, under the blazing sun, before seeing signs of life and houses.

At the town’s entrance, many villagers were gathered for market day. Vendors of all kinds shouted, selling vegetables and food.

Wang Erjun swallowed hard, let go of my hand, gestured a few words, and rushed to a steamed bun stall.

“Fatty, all you think about is eating!” Li Yue grumbled.

I caught my breath and asked, “Where do we find your master now?”

Li Yue pointed into the town, “There’s a guesthouse further in. When I snuck out, my master was there resting and recovering. He probably doesn’t know I’ve left. When he sees you bring him something, he’ll be surprised!”

Her face brightened with a smile.

Wang Erjun bought buns, stuffed one in his mouth, handed me one, and gave a small bag to Li Yue.

He kept mumbling something.

Li Yue flicked something off her hand, and immediately Wang Erjun found his voice.

“Sweet—so sweet—delicious—”

Li Yue snorted, “Let’s see if you dare talk nonsense again!”

Wang Erjun laughed awkwardly, focused on eating, and stopped talking.

My stomach was empty, and eating filled me, giving me back some strength.

Soon, we reached the guesthouse.

The front desk was an old wooden counter. A plump, sleepy middle-aged woman nodded off behind it.

Li Yue led us upstairs and knocked on a room door.

After waiting a few minutes with no response, Li Yue frowned, “Maybe my master’s still asleep?”

She gently pushed open the door. The guesthouse room was small: a bed, a little bedside table, nothing more.

It was immediately clear—no one was there.

Li Yue looked uneasy, but when she found a bag on the floor, she relaxed, “My master probably went out—he left his things behind.”

The cloth bag was bulging, and I had no idea what was inside.

Wang Erjun’s nervousness showed—clearly still cowed by Li Yue’s earlier threats.

Li Yue sat at the bed’s head and told us to sit and wait.

I sat, but Wang Erjun barely dared to, pacing like an ant on a hot pan.

Li Yue stared bored at her toes.

We waited for more than half an hour; finally, she couldn’t sit still.

She guessed her master might have gone to the pharmacy for medicine and wanted to ask where it was.

I felt a hint of awkwardness.

Li Yue bit her lip and glared at me, “It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t hurt my master, none of this would’ve happened!”

With that, she ran downstairs.

Wang Erjun’s mouth was wide enough to fit an egg as he stared at me, “Xie Yuan, you hurt her master?”

I forced a smile and shook my head, “It was an accident.”

Wang Erjun still looked incredulous.

I told him to help me downstairs.

We arrived just as Li Yue was speaking with the plump woman.

The woman’s brow furrowed slightly as she explained, “Early this morning, just at dawn, a coffin came floating down the river behind town. Many people went to watch. The Taoist priests from the temple went too, and your master joined them. I was there watching, and it seemed your master had some conflict with the temple folks.”

“The Taoists said coffins from the water foretell prosperity for the town. Your master said it was a sign of disaster and insisted the coffin be buried ten meters deep and suppressed with something equally fierce, or the town would face calamity.”

“They argued fiercely, and since today’s market day, I came back to mind the inn. But lots of people are still down there. You’d better check—your master even coughed blood.”

Li Yue’s face turned anxious and she dashed outside.

Wang Erjun and I exchanged glances and hurried after her.

On the road, Li Yue stopped some passersby and quickly found directions.

Within five or six minutes, we reached the riverbank behind town.

Dozens of townsfolk stood watching.

We squeezed through, and at the river’s edge, lay a deep yellow wooden coffin.

The coffin did not look particularly strange, but it gave an unsettling feeling.

Several Taoist priests surrounded it with unfriendly expressions; their leader was clearly old, his hair completely grey.

On top of the coffin, Li Cangshui sat motionless.

Blood stained his mouth and the front of his clothes.

His expression, however, remained utterly calm.

Just then, the grey-haired priest shouted loudly, “This outsider can’t stand to see our town turning its luck! Coffin from the water, wealth for the town! He wants to take the good fortune for himself, and we’ll all suffer! Let’s get him down! If he won’t leave, throw him into the river!”