Chapter 109: Action

I understood what my master meant. He felt deep guilt for not eliminating the hungry ghost in time and ultimately allowing it to harm people. At the same time, he was also lamenting his lack of preparation. After all, he had never encountered this kind of blood fed hungry ghost before, and his understanding of it was insufficient.

“Ah, this courtyard is filled with resentment. Let me help them attain liberation,” Hui Jue said.

After speaking, Hui Jue walked to the center of the courtyard. The people around automatically made way for him. He did not mind how dirty the ground was and simply sat down cross legged, beginning to chant scriptures for salvation rites.

My master glanced at the courtyard and walked out alone. I followed him and stood quietly with him at the entrance of the courtyard.

After about ten minutes of silence, my master took out his dry tobacco pipe, packed some tobacco leaves, and lit it. My mood was also heavy. Seeing him exhale smoke, I could not help but say, “Master, let me try a couple puffs too.”

Old Man Jiang glanced at me and said, “You already smoked last time, right? I will allow it once more this time. Before you turn eighteen, you are not allowed to touch it again.”

I tried to laugh like usual, but I could not. I took a puff from the dry tobacco pipe, and the smoke was so strong I nearly choked.

Old Man Jiang rubbed my head, took back the pipe, and continued smoking.

After holding it in for a while, I said, “Master, didn’t you say fate is set by heaven? This is their destiny, so don’t feel too bad. And there is still that worm to catch, right? I can even go be bait again.”

Old Man Jiang knew I was trying to comfort him. He looked at me with a hint of relief and said, “There is no more. Only that one worm.”

I immediately became curious and asked, “Master, what exactly is going on?”

“I can roughly figure it out now. The hungry ghosts came from the same mother ghost, so they can sense each other. You understand that, right?”

“Mm!” I nodded hard.

“Last time, when we distributed the medicinal pellets, we took out so many of their brothers and sisters at once. The remaining two sensed danger and hid. I am not sure about the other one, since there are many woods here and plenty of wild creatures. But one of them hid inside Qian Dagui’s cow stomach. They can sense each other and likely have some special way of communicating. Then they met up and began slowly devouring Wang Laizi and his wife,” my master said.

“But their bodies were already so badly decayed…” I still could not understand.

“Kid, listen to me finish. The confusing part is this. They were slowly devouring the couple bit by bit, hiding inside livestock stomachs most of the time. Do you understand?” Old Man Jiang said, even he sounded somewhat unwilling to believe it himself.

Small hungry ghost worms had actually developed intelligence to this extent.

I swallowed hard and said, “Master, I understand now. No wonder Qian Dagui’s cow kept mooing every night. So it was crawling in and out every night? Slowly eating them bit by bit. That is why Wang Laizi’s symptoms were not obvious, and they even escaped our medicine distribution. They were that smart?”

“Yes,” my master said. “What is even more unbelievable is that they chose Wang Laizi, someone who had little contact with others in the market town. That is something I still cannot understand. Maybe I am biased. Hungry ghosts have their own world. They are a kind of life form, and some are even fallen human souls. Their intelligence…” My master sighed. It seemed he was blaming himself.

“Then Master, you said there were two. Why is there only one left?”

“You forgot? Hungry ghosts can devour each other!” Old Man Jiang said, then fell silent while smoking.

I was shocked. I had always treated these as mere rumors of the hungry ghost world, but now it had actually happened before my eyes.

“Why would it devour its own siblings?” I could not understand. I thought of my own two sisters.

“Maybe it felt the surroundings were too dangerous and wanted more power to protect itself,” Old Man Jiang said, exhaling smoke and tapping out his pipe bowl, sounding uncertain.

By then, Hui Jue had finished his salvation rites. I had to admit, after his chanting, I could clearly feel the courtyard becoming much calmer and clearer.

My master stood up and walked into the courtyard. Hu Xueman quickly came forward and said, “Master Jiang, there are dead people, and in such a state too. This is going to be very troublesome.”

No wonder my master had said earlier that many troubles were waiting for us. I roughly understood their line of work. Some matters had to be minimized as much as possible, and some things had to be concealed without anyone noticing.

But two people dying in a place like the market town was clearly not something that could be hidden.

After thinking for a moment, my master said, “Go contact the higher authorities through the township office. This is no longer something we can conceal. We need them to handle it.”

The next day, during lunchtime, I was sitting alone eating from my lunch box in front of the ping pong table when Su Rou came over.

“San Wa Er, have you heard?”

“Heard what?” My mood had not fully recovered, and I was not interested in school gossip.

“This morning the police came. They said they had caught a vicious criminal case who confessed to murder, then they took away Wang Laizi and his wife’s bodies. They were wrapped tightly, nobody saw anything,” Su Rou said, poking at his food without much appetite. He could not bring himself to eat.

Not eating was understandable. Even I had no appetite. Normally I could eat three boxes, but this time I could not even finish half of one.

“Ah, so ordinary people like us will never know the truth behind things,” Su Rou sighed again when I did not respond.

I fell silent. Yes, this is the hidden current beneath calm surfaces. Ordinary people just need to live their lives peacefully. Many things are quietly covered up like this.

In 1982, when information was still so underdeveloped, who would question the police? Who would think of something like hungry ghosts?

Even in today’s world of advanced information, in the face of a powerful state system, once something is declared, all discussion eventually fades. Life goes on. Sometimes, not knowing is a hundred times better than knowing.

“Su Rou, I might be understandable, but how did you get dragged into all this?” I suddenly felt a bit reluctant. No matter how slippery he was, Su Rou was only a fifteen year old kid. Was all this too heavy for him?

“Who told me to be fated with you? So you might be leaving, but I am not sad at all. I trust Master Jiang. I know we will meet again,” Su Rou said rarely in a sentimental tone.

That was only because we had been friends since childhood.

I looked at Su Rou, feeling a little moved. Usually he was carefree and loud, but he still remembered something I had long forgotten.

“What are you staring at? San Wa Er, don’t stare at the school hens like that, I cannot take it,” Su Rou suddenly shivered, probably creeped out by my gaze.

“You bastard, who are you calling master? Eat your food. Anyone who does not finish is a bastard,” I shouted.

Su Rou looked miserable and said, “San Wa Er, don’t set me up like this. I really cannot eat.”

Three days later, the school atmosphere became tense. There were only seven days left until final exams, meaning the semester was almost over. I felt a vague sadness in my heart. I did not know if after these seven days, I would leave here with Old Man Jiang.

I also felt a bit of anticipation. What would the outside world be like?

After school, I met someone at the school gate, the big bearded man, Hu Xueman.

“Why are you here?” I was curious why he was waiting for me at the gate.

“I was originally going up the mountain to talk to Master Jiang about something, and I thought I might as well pick you up,” Hu Xueman said, taking my school bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

“Hey, don’t do that. I am already grown,” I said, snatching it back and putting it on properly. “My master is definitely busy today. He and Master Hui are going to help those hungry ghost souls. Why are you looking for him today?”