Chapter Seventeen: Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Here

Hu Sanqi’s figure suddenly appeared before me. “I’m here!”

“Godfather!” Though I knew it was only a projection of his consciousness, I still threw myself into his arms and broke down in tears.

He held me gently, comforting me softly for a long while. Only when I’d finished crying did he pull me up and say, “Rest for a bit. I’ll make you something to eat.”

“For now, don’t say anything, don’t think about anything. Just sleep. As long as I’m here, you’re safe.”

His simple words, “As long as I’m here,” were my strongest talisman.

I hadn’t slept well in days. Even though I was lying in a run-down house haunted by ghosts and stained with the blood of murder, with a corpse still sprawled on the floor, the presence of Hu Sanqi allowed me to sleep peacefully.

When I woke, it was already the afternoon of the next day. The room had been cleaned thoroughly; the dishes on the table still steamed with warmth. Hu Sanqi sat cross-legged by the table, as if waiting for me to wake.

I had searched Old Man Guo’s house more than once and knew everything he owned. Aside from some grain, even the most basic seasonings were missing from the kitchen. Yet Hu Sanqi had managed to prepare a table full of dishes, even a carp over a foot long.

While I’d slept, he’d gone into the mountains to catch a wild pheasant and into the river to catch a carp.

The sight of the table full of dishes made my eyes sting; I nearly wept again.

Hu Sanqi handed me a pair of chopsticks. “Eat! Have as much as you can.”

I took them and wolfed down several mouthfuls before tears began to fall again. “Godfather, my grandfather is dead. I…”

I haltingly recounted everything that had happened. “Godfather, was it my fault? Did I kill him?”

Hu Sanqi spoke sternly, “Xiaoyun, remember this: don’t take all the blame onto yourself.”

“A true man stands tall. If it’s my fault, I’ll admit it. If not, don’t shoulder it yourself.”

“Don’t concern yourself with what others say. Right and wrong look different to everyone. Some may say you’re wrong, but that’s just them wanting to prove themselves right. Some say you’re blameless, but that’s just them comforting you.”

He paused. “In all things, consider the cause, the outcome, and whether you had any other choice at the time.”

“If you hadn’t acted against your grandfather, would your family have survived? I can tell you this: if you hadn’t, none of your family would have lived, not even anyone left to avenge them.”

“You did the right thing!”

He added, “Besides, your grandfather isn’t dead yet!”

I looked up sharply. “Godfather, are you telling the truth?”

Hu Sanqi smiled. “When have I ever lied to you?”

“Before I came to you, I’d already been to your home. Your grandfather is possessed by another ghoul, and is in a state of suspended animation.”

“There’s still hope for him!”

I hurried to ask, “Godfather, tell me—how can I save my family?”

Hu Sanqi replied, “When you burned down the Children’s Tower, did you find anything?”

I quickly took out the wooden box from the Children’s Tower. “This is what I found.”

He examined it. “There’s a saying: ‘Where venomous creatures dwell, within a hundred paces is an antidote.’ It applies to spirits as well. Inside this box is the thing that can suppress the ghoul.”

“Why didn’t the hundreds of ghosts in the Children’s Tower run rampant in the world? Because the box in your hand kept them sealed.”

He spoke gravely. “But the box is sealed. Every evil spirit carved on it is a lock. Only by finding the corresponding items or keys can you open the box and retrieve what’s inside.”

I pressed him, “Godfather, what do I need to find? Please tell me!”

He said, “I have some idea what’s needed to open the box. But since the box can only be sealed, not destroyed, it means what’s inside is extraordinary. Once you get it, it may set off a chain of events even more dangerous. You might get your revenge, but you’ll bring even greater trouble upon yourself.”

“Think carefully!”

I looked at him. “Godfather, is there any other way I can take revenge?”

Folk methods for dealing with spirits exist, but they’re useless against powerful ones. I’d already proven that twice.

I can’t become a spirit medium, nor learn the arts, so besides opening the box, what else can I do? Am I to just let it go, watch my family die in vain, and spend my life hiding?

Hu Sanqi nodded after hearing me out. “Since you’ve decided, I’ll teach you how to open this Spirit Hall Casket.”

I looked at him in surprise. “Godfather, you know the history of this casket?”

He answered, his expression grave, “I know a little.”

“You truly are fated with this casket—not only did you stumble upon it, but you even found the place where the first key was hidden.”

I was shocked. “Godfather, are you saying…the murderous spirit in the mountain is connected to the key?”

He pointed to the evil spirit carved in the upper left of the casket. “Look closely at its face.”

I realized that the spirit’s face bore a striking resemblance to the ghost I’d encountered the night before.

I asked, “Godfather, if this casket is no longer a secret, why has no one taken it?”

He shook his head. “Very few know the casket’s secret. I only learned a little by chance. If the original owner hadn’t left clues, I might be the one who knows the most.”

“Eat first. I’ll explain everything in detail.”

Just as I was about to eat, I heard voices outside. Turning to the window, I saw the village chief heading up the mountain with four or five men. They were armed with old muskets and machetes, looking ready to kill.

Hu Sanqi said calmly, “Pay them no mind. Just eat.”

He’d cleaned the house but hadn’t repaired the broken doors and windows. Yet the men outside seemed unable to see inside; they crept forward with their guns at the ready.

As the village chief approached, he wet his finger, poked at the window paper, then closed one eye and pressed his face to the window.

But what they saw was not reality. Hu Sanqi had cast an illusion—they saw only a perfectly intact house and nothing else.

I remained inside, eating my meal.

The village chief watched for a while before finally speaking.