Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 12: First Blood

The procession moved with lightning speed, the evil spirits carrying the palanquin as fast as Usain Bolt.

Brother Scar remained still, pulling out a talisman and slapping it onto his forehead. Jia Xu swallowed a scream, instinctively wanting to run but was firmly held back by the spirit binding chain.

Fang Xiu, standing shoulder to shoulder with Bai Shuangying, appeared calm, as if the approaching evil spirits weren’t hostile but long-lost relatives.

Since Fang Xiu didn’t move, Jia Xu, bound by the same chain, couldn’t run far either. His face twisted in frustration, nearly cursing out loud at his “useless teammate*”.

*Pig teammate (猪队友). The term comes from DOTA, where it’s an insult to teammates who are as stupid as pigs.

The procession came to a halt just in front of the trio.

The two large-headed evil spirit children stood on either side of Fang Xiu, their suona almost pressed against his face. The music became stranger and more urgent, like rocks tumbling down a mountain, threatening to shatter one’s mind.

The bearers’ chant also changed. “God descends from Weishan—guests arrive with the bitter rain—”

The figure on the palanquin leaned forward at an impossible, stiff angle for a human. The cracks on its face twisted, as if it were smiling.

“Weishan Village—welcomes guests—Weishan Shrine—hosts guests—”

The music grew sharper and more piercing, and the creature on the palanquin stretched out its long arms, its claw-like hands reaching toward the three of them.

…Then its hands were suddenly caught by Fang Xiu with a loud “clap”.

Instantly, the music and chanting stopped, as if strangled.

“You even came to greet us in person, how kind of you.” Fang Xiu looked up, speaking with heartfelt sincerity. “I’m embarrassed by such courtesy.”

Jia Xu: “?”

Brother Scar: “…?”

Bai Shuangying kept his expression neutral, continuing to conceal himself. He realized he was gradually getting used to these situations. His emotions remained stable, just like Fang Xiu’s strange behavior.

However, the thing on the palanquin was experiencing this for the first time. It remained silent with a slight crack on its face, seemingly unsure how to respond.

Fang Xiu, adept at breaking the awkward silence, asked, “May I ask your name?”

“Old Man Fu.”

After a moment, the spirit who called himself “Old Man Fu” slowly spoke. “I am the village chief of Weishan Village.”

Hearing this name, Brother Scar’s brow furrowed deeply. 

In some regions, the God of Fortune is called “Old Man Fu”, but the creature before them was anything but a god. When evil spirits take on the names of deities, they are extremely fierce, indicating a Great Evil.

Fortunately, the talisman on Brother Scar’s forehead could erase his living soul’s aura. As long as he kept silent, the evil spirits wouldn’t notice him.

…But what was with that guy stepping forward? Wasn’t he supposed to be the cowardly one? 

Brother Scar glanced at Fang Xiu, then at Jia Xu. Surrounded by evil spirits and chilled to the bone, Jia Xu was trembling like a leaf in the wind. This was the reaction he expected from a newbie… Whatever. As long as the chain held, they couldn’t stir up much trouble.

The suona began again, though hesitantly, with much less vigor than before.

Fang Xiu still held Old Man Fu’s hands. “So, you’re the village chief. Where are you taking us?”

“Not having three meals a day is hardly proper.”

Old Man Fu’s fingers wriggled like dead branches. “Please, esteemed guests, come to my home for a meal to welcome you properly…”

“A welcoming meal sounds great, but I have a question first,” Fang Xiu said. “Yesterday morning, two of my friends were killed. Do you know anything about that? Weishan Village seems a bit unsafe.”

Can you just say that outright? Jia Xu stood frozen in shock.

“Three died upon entering the village.” Old Man Fu actually answered. “One woman fled without notice and was killed by wild ghosts outside the village. As for the couple, it wasn’t the villagers who did it…” 

His voice stretched at the end, his eye slits curving upwards, his mouth slitted downwards, forming a terrifying smile.

Fang Xiu continued to complain, “Last night at the market someone tried to attack me.” 

Old Man Fu: “Youngsters who don’t know better. I apologize on their behalf.” 

Fang Xiu: “I was just saying it casually. No need to take it to heart…”

Bai Shuangying: “……”

These two were actually having a back-and-forth conversation. But it didn’t matter. Under his watch, Old Man Fu wasn’t capable of killing Fang Xiu.

With Old Man Fu’s warm hospitality ahead and Brother Scar’s pressure behind them, the group followed the ghostly palanquin.

Old Man Fu’s house was very close to the Weishan Shrine, just at the end of the path. Though it was called the village chief’s house, it looked no different from the other homes. It was plain and unremarkable on the outside.

However, the inside was quite the sight.

The interior was quiet, devoid of evil spirits, and rather peaceful. The walls were covered in upside-down “Blessing*” characters, all in black ink on white paper. The paper was thin, yellowing, and emitted the faint, musty scent of grave dirt.

*Note: This is the same character [Fu] (福) as in Old Man Fu’s name.

Even the tables and chairs in the main room were covered in these “Blessing” papers, except for the dining table. The dining table was set with jade cups and silver chopsticks, resembling burial offerings.

Jia Xu finally snapped out of his shock when he saw the food on the table. It was the same offerings from the Weishan Shrine! 

The table was an ordinary wooden one, but the meat dishes and pastries were placed on jade plates, and various candies were arranged in small bamboo baskets. Unopened cartons of Wang Zai Milk and cans were stacked at the edge of the table.

Old Man Fu bowed his head and awkwardly squeezed into the room. “I was supposed to entertain guests at the Weishan Shrine, but unfortunately, it was burned down by villains.”

After saying that, he shook his head in imitation of a human, producing a creepy creaking sound from his neck.

Brother Scar stood by the door, gripping the chain tightly, his eyes fixed on the two of them.

Fang Xiu naturally sat down at the table and Jia Xu hesitantly followed suit, inwardly miserable— 

Old Man Fu sat directly across from Fang Xiu, radiating an intense, sinister aura. His vaguely human face occasionally twitched, sending chills down Jia Xu’s spine. Meanwhile, Fang Xiu seemed completely oblivious, as if he were blind to the horror before him.

“You’re too kind,” Fang Xiu said as he drank from a can of milk and used his chopsticks to grab some roast chicken. “Had I known you were so hospitable, we wouldn’t have gone through so much trouble.”

“I intended to invite you much earlier, but I feared startling my guests by visiting unannounced.” 

Old Man Fu, over two meters tall, squeezed into the chair, stiffly moving his arm to mimic eating with chopsticks, though he was only poking at the air.

Seeing Fang Xiu eat and drink normally, Jia Xu reluctantly picked up the silver chopsticks. He had no appetite, but he knew he’d better eat as much as he could. Who knew when they’d get another chance? Back in the cage, they might be forced to eat human flesh.

But… were these evil spirits truly malicious? 

Jia Xu, chewing on a pastry, found himself lost in thought.

Since they had arrived, none of the evil spirits had directly attacked them. The worst things that had happened were all done by humans. It wasn’t the evil spirits fault that the woman ran off on her own, and the deaths of Lao Mian and Mai Zi were caused by breaking taboos, not by the spirits.

Perhaps these evil spirits were just living peacefully near the “E”. It was they who had barged in, making a fuss for no reason.

As this thought crossed his mind, Jia Xu couldn’t help but glance at Fang Xiu. But Fang Xiu was eating with such relish, showing no reaction at all.

In the midst of the clinking chopsticks, Old Man Fu leaned forward again. He moved in an unsettling way, his face slowly approaching Fang Xiu’s, like a snake observing a frog.

“I know why you’ve come,” he said suddenly in a low, eerie voice. “If you want the ‘E’ of this place, you can take it.”

Fang Xiu stopped his chopsticks.

“I came here to enjoy the Yin energy, but who could have predicted that ‘E’ would be so overbearing, trapping us here.” 

Old Man Fu leaned even closer, his neck bending downward until his face was just a fist’s distance from Fang Xiu’s head. 

“The barren mountain and evil waters are dull and lifeless. Rather than being bound here, I’d prefer you take the ‘E’ away, and I’ll find another place to settle.”

“Understood. I’ll pass along the message for you,” Fang Xiu replied without even looking up.

Old Man Fu’s eye and mouth slits widened in unison, his face creasing deeply with a twisted smile. “Good, good… Once the shrine is restored, you’ll be free to come and go, with three meals a day.”

After the meal, Old Man Fu let them go without making any further demands.

Though they hadn’t uncovered any new taboos, they had learned a lot. Brother Scar didn’t force the two to stay. He stood at the door, deep in thought, his brow furrowed tightly. 

Fang Xiu, full from the meal, stumbled as he walked out, accidentally bumping into Brother Scar.

“Sorry, sorry,” Fang Xiu apologized quickly.

Brother Scar glared at him and yanked the spirit binding chain, nearly pulling Fang Xiu to the ground.

After leaving Old Man Fu’s house, Brother Scar finally spoke again. 

His first words were short and ominous…

“…So itchy!” 

Brother Scar’s body convulsed, his eyes filled with disbelief. One hand gripped the chain, while the other scratched his skin furiously. “So itchy, so itchy. Damn it. Why…”

He had broken a taboo. 

But when? How? What taboo had he broken?

The itching intensified rapidly, as though his entire body was being gnawed at by venomous insects. Brother Scar dropped to one knee in the mud, panting heavily.

He needed to figure out what taboo he’d violated, fast… He had to fix it…

A pair of feet stopped in front of him.

“Hi.” 

Fang Xiu squatted down in front of Brother Scar, propping his cheek on one hand, casually greeting him. 

“Thanks for testing the taboo so successfully.”

Brother Scar’s bloodshot eyes widened as he instinctively reached for the chain. 

Then he realized that at some point, he had let go of the spirit binding chain. His hands were barely under his control, furiously scratching at his chest. His fingernails were filled with bits of his own flesh, blood gushing out.

Damn it, testing the taboo? He had been cautious, just like before, simply observing, not touching anything—!

…No, wait, he hadn’t touched anything, had he…? 

Just before they left, he had been thinking about Old Man Fu… and then Fang Xiu had lightly bumped into him…

Brother Scar gritted his teeth and reached for the spot on his waist where he had been bumped. There was something soft there, damp to the touch. 

The moment he realized what it was, a chill ran down his spine.

Jia Xu said in horror, “That’s…”

It was one of the upside-down “Blessing” characters from Old Man Fu’s house, a palm-sized piece of paper stuck to Brother Scar’s waist.

“Stealing is a violation of a taboo. Doctor was right.” Fang Xiu observed Brother Scar intently. “As expected, the ‘E’ only cares about actions, not intentions. You forced the madman to burn down the shrine, so the madman broke a taboo. I made you take something out, so you broke a taboo.” 

“Stealing from the village chief’s house has serious consequences… If you don’t return it, the itching will never stop.”

The rain continued to pour, and the fragile piece of paper had already turned to mush. 

It can’t be returned now, Brother Scar thought numbly. It can’t be returned…

He needed to get back to the base as soon as possible. Doctor had numbing ointment. If he applied it, he could hold out through this ritual…

Just as the thought crossed his mind, there was a loud rattling sound, and the spirit binding chain tightened around his neck. Fang Xiu held the other end with a bright smile.

“We’ve only had breakfast. The day’s just getting started.” 

Fang Xiu’s tone was cheerful as he prodded the bloodied Brother Scar. “I still have a few things I want to confirm. Didn’t we agree to test taboos together?”

Behind him, Bai Shuangying yawned, looking thoroughly bored. Old Man Fu hadn’t done anything, and now Brother Scar was down too. It looked like today would be a dull day for him.

“Oh, speaking of which.” Amid Brother Scar’s groans of pain, Fang Xiu turned to Bai Shuangying with a wide grin. “To celebrate our friendship, why don’t you pick the next spot today?” 

“Bai Shuangying, where would you like to go?”

Bai Shuangying blinked happily. 

He suddenly realized that this whole sacrificial ordeal was actually quite fun, and having friends wasn’t so bad either.

“I want to go to the cemetery.” His voice was filled with equal cheer.

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The author has something to say:

Good friends, hand in hand, out for a stroll! 

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By the way, the two protagonists of this story aren’t exactly what you’d call… “upright” (gestures 

Maybe you could call them… morally ambiguous? (…This is a new kind of experiment _(:з」∠)_

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