Chapter 81: The Offering

I lowered my head and looked at the skull mark on the back of my hand; its color had turned even more deathly pale. Previously, it had only appeared on the surface of my skin, but now it seemed to have sunk deep into the flesh. It almost felt alive—every time I looked at it, I had the uncanny sense it was staring right back at me.

“That mark of yours… I think it’s even creepier than that shadow monkey. The monkey was already scary, but yours is downright chilling. It feels like a ghost—honestly, when that old ghost woman was clinging onto you, it didn’t seem half as cold as this thing.” Wang Erjun shuddered, drawing his shoulders in.

I fixed my gaze on the mark. There had been two times when Chanshu had grabbed my hand—she wanted to see if anything had appeared, something that would prove my “identity” beyond question. I told Wang Erjun it was nothing, that this thing wouldn’t do me any harm. Though I had no real idea what it was—Li Yue couldn’t make sense of it either—I was now certain that Chanshu meant me no harm.

I tore off a strip of cloth from my pant leg to cover the mark. Wang Erjun sat on the other side of the bed and didn’t bring up my hand again. Instead, he fiddled with the talisman and muttered, “Xie Yuan, how did you suddenly learn so much? I’ve always wanted to ask: why does Old Master Wang call you master? And why is Granny Li so hot and cold toward you? She seems a bit afraid of you, too.”

I looked out the window, fingering the jade token pressed to my chest, pondering for a moment before explaining to Wang Erjun, “It’s not that I’m unwilling to talk, but some things are impossible to explain. Granny Li had me pick up a hairpin at the ghost woman’s courtyard, and after that, a female ghost started following me.”

“Then she took me to see Old Master Wang, who bombarded me with all sorts of strange questions—and that’s where I learned to draw talismans.”

“Granny Li told me the female ghost would always help me, but also warned me not to speak with her much, saying she’d bring me harm. After that, well, you and I have been together ever since.”

When I finished, Wang Erjun looked utterly baffled. After a while, he muttered, “Granny Li’s story doesn’t add up. Does she want the ghost to protect you or hurt you? I don’t get it.”

His eyes took on a more cautious gleam. I forced a smile and said, “Don’t be afraid. She’s helped me many times already, and she’s not here right now.”

“Before, Granny Li mistook her for another soul of the ghost woman, which is why she acted that way. Back then, she fought against the ghost woman herself and died in that courtyard. I went in there to find her body.”

Wang Erjun’s face cleared with sudden understanding. Then, looking envious, he said, “If Old Master Wang had taught me to draw talismans, I could go anywhere I pleased—finding a wife would be a breeze.”

“Don’t overthink it. Maybe Old Master Wang thinks you’re the reincarnation of his old master. He’s too old and needs something to hold onto.”

Wang Erjun’s offhand remark struck closer to my secret than he realized. I simply smiled and said, “We’ll go back to Wangjiaya eventually. There are still things left unresolved.”

He nodded. “My mother’s still there. Of course, we’ll go back.”

“But…” He hesitated, then grinned. “Xie Yuan, could you teach me to draw talismans? If I could learn, that’d be amazing.”

I stiffened inside but didn’t nod or shake my head. Instead, I replied, “Drawing talismans is complicated. I only have one brush—the one Old Master Wang gave me—and I don’t know how to teach anyone. Why don’t you just copy what you see for now? Later, we’ll figure out how to do it properly.”

Excitement lit up Wang Erjun’s face. He immediately sprawled out on the bed and stared at the talisman with intense concentration.

I lay down and slept for a while. Ever since I’d gotten the jade token, my heart had grown much calmer. It was as if Chanshu were still by my side.

Submerged in sleep, I dreamed. In the dream, Chanshu lay beside me, gently stroking my hand. Her expression was soft as she said, “This is the true bond between us. Even after death, it will keep us together. If there is a next life, I won’t forget you, and it will help me find you.”

I could see clearly that in the dream, the skull on the back of my hand looked even more sinister. Two tiny white dots flickered in its hollow eyes, vanishing as quickly as they appeared.

I could feel distinctly that it was alive, lurking on the back of my hand. The feeling unsettled me deeply, as if it were watching me. Yet I didn’t want to wake up, because Chanshu was right there beside me—if I opened my eyes, I might never see her again.

I had no idea how long I slept before a voice calling my name broke the dream apart, shattering everything within it.

I jolted awake.

“It’s getting dark. We need to go,” Wang Erjun said, looking even more energized than he had that morning.

I sat up and rubbed my forehead, while he grinned and said, “I’ve memorized the talisman. It’s drawn with blood, right? I think I’ll buy a brush and give it a try. Maybe I’ve got a hidden talent.”

I didn’t want to dampen his spirits, so I said nothing and got up to check the hallway through the door. I wondered if Li Cangshui had left.

“Nothing happened while I was asleep, right?” I asked.

Wang Erjun shook his head. He’d been watching from the window and saw many townsfolk running toward the river as soon as the market ended.

I relaxed a little. Since nothing had happened yet, and no one had come for Li Cangshui, he probably wouldn’t leave on his own.

“Let’s go,” I said quietly, and stepped out of the room, with Wang Erjun close behind.

Leaving the guesthouse, he immediately ran into a nearby shop and bought a writing brush, his face alight with excitement.

There were still quite a few people heading toward the river. After a few minutes, we arrived at the site.

My pupils contracted, and my heartbeat quickened. Along the river, a protective net had been set up—not to keep people out, but seemingly more for the townsfolk’s own sake. It was little more than a fishing net—anyone could tear through it with a tug.

A few meters beyond stood an altar for the ritual, assembled with several rosewood tables heavy with offerings.

Standing by the altar, Daoist Priest Zhou—the one who’d threatened Li Cangshui—looked grim, holding his horsetail whisk and chanting under his breath.

The sun had set completely, the last traces of dusk swallowed by night.

Suddenly, the incense on the rosewood tables flared to life. Several young Daoists immediately knelt, shouting, “We invite Master to open the altar and perform the ritual!”

The motion startled me. Wang Erjun, equally bewildered, whispered, “Whoa, Xie Yuan, the fire lit itself! These Daoists really know their stuff.”

“Let’s watch first,” I replied, a prickly unease settling over me.

The coffin was still behind the altar, unmoved. But as night fell, something about it seemed to have changed.

Under the moonlight, what had been a deep yellow was now tinged with streaks of blackish red. These colors seeped from the cracks at the base of the coffin.

Suddenly, Daoist Zhou bellowed, “By urgent decree, may the Wealth Gods of the Five Directions deliver fortune! To all three thousand townsfolk of Qianshui, we offer these sacrifices! Ox of Chou, sheep of Wei, pig of Hai—bring forth the three beasts!”

Immediately, several townsfolk led up an ox, a sheep, and a pig. The man at the front clutched a bone-chillingly sharp knife—I could tell at a glance he was the town butcher.

“Offer their blood!” he commanded.

The butcher took a swig from the flask at his belt and spat it over the blade. Others brought up wooden racks for slaughtering the animals.

With swift strokes, all three beasts were killed. Their shrieks echoed along the riverbank, then silence fell as blood pooled everywhere, flowing into the river until it seemed to run red with gore.

“Xie Yuan… what if Li Yue’s master was wrong? This Daoist seems pretty legitimate, and the townsfolk respect him even more than we did Granny Li. He must have helped them a lot—can someone like that really be mistaken?”

I said nothing, but a creeping chill spread through me. Because now I could see clearly—the change in color on the coffin wasn’t due to darkness, but because blood was seeping out from underneath. That blackish red was the stain of foul blood soaking into the wood.

The animal blood on the ground slowly spread until it touched the base of the coffin, mingling with the foul blood seeping from within.

Goosebumps prickled over my skin. The feeling was identical to when I’d first encountered a malevolent spirit at the earth god’s temple.

My voice rasped, “Li Cangshui was right… it’s the Daoist who’s mistaken… there really is an evil spirit in that coffin.”

The cold fear in my heart intensified. If it truly was an evil spirit, I couldn’t absorb it—the talisman would only be a stopgap at best, no match for it.

Just then, Daoist Zhou shouted again, “Let the boy and girl stand by the coffin! From the three thousand of Qianshui, we offer a pair of pure children!”

At that, a few townsfolk led their own sons and daughters up to the Daoist, faces alight with excitement as if chosen for a great honor.

Wang Erjun clenched his fists. My heart pounded faster.

The boy and girl looked terrified, but under the guidance of the young Daoists, they were positioned on either side of the coffin, standing motionless.

“Golden boy and jade girl guard the coffin; the three beasts are sacrificed; let the townsfolk share in the feast and receive the coffin’s fortune!”

My face changed abruptly. The thought flashed through my mind: the meat of these animals—it must not be eaten!

The butcher had already begun carving up the carcasses, while the villagers shouted with excitement, praising Daoist Zhou for bringing prosperity to the town and promising to build him a temple.

Daoist Zhou beamed, standing proud before the altar like a true master.

But a deeper dread gnawed at me. The blood of those animals on the ground was now thoroughly mixed with the blood leaking from the coffin—even spreading to the very beasts lying dead.

The blood of the corpse inside the coffin was now mixed in. I could only imagine the consequences of eating it.

But one thing was certain: it must not be eaten!