Chapter Six, The Old Beggar

"The residence of the living, the residence of the dead," the person said softly, then closed their eyes again

The old woman silently walked out of the west room. I took one last glance at the elderly person on the bed and followed her out of the room

"Child, come here." The figure of the old woman appeared at the door.

A chill ran through my body, and cold sweat broke out on my forehead as I hurriedly observed the eyes of the naked infant statue under the moonlight...

With a cry of "Ah," I woke up, drenched in cold sweat; it turned out to be a nightmare

Under the moonlight, the fingers of the naked infant moved slightly. Indeed, it was the sixth finger. I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I was seeing things. Suddenly, the cold, naked infant opened its mouth and smiled. I was taken aback and hurriedly released my grip, causing the statue of the naked infant to roll off the bed.

I stood there, unable to speak for a long time. After a while, I gently walked to the bedside and saw the old man who had already become rigid

I was secretly astonished; it was Pasum, the witch from the Laotian kingdom

I stepped out of the earthen house with heavy footsteps, the mist lingering in the mountains and forests, and a light rain drizzling down from the leaden gray sky, the droplets falling on my neck, cold and desolate

I was startled and turned around, only to collide with the sinister gaze of the feng shui master

Who are you? I asked with a trembling voice

"Listening to the accent, it seems that you, sir, are not from our Xiangxi region. You are..." I retracted my umbrella and asked tentatively

I am also almost there she sighed softly

I silently gazed at Wu Zitan, originally intending to ask him some more questions today, but now it is no longer possible

The naked infant did not respond, suddenly leaping up and pouncing onto my neck, biting into my throat

My heart suddenly leaped into my throat, and the hair all over my body stood on end. Looking around, I saw a naked infant standing on the ground, with bright eyes and a small mouth open, revealing two rows of white, blood-stained teeth

"Let us go, child, hurry back home," the old woman said to me, as if her face had aged considerably overnight

***

I hesitated, unsure whether I should squeeze in

Mouse? I was utterly astonished

I turned around and walked back, my eyes fixed on the old woman

Sigh, the two people next to me are most likely doomed to a bad end, the feng shui master muttered to himself

"The heavens are unpredictable, why not come inside to take shelter, little brother?" said the beggar as he suddenly opened his eyes.

The old woman gazed vacantly and let out a soft sigh: "It is a grievance, just like the mice, the same as those deceased villagers."

Ahead lies the cemetery we passed last night, where not a single owl can be seen. In the misty rain, the graves stand solitary, overgrown with weeds, evoking a profound sense of desolation

I did not know what to say, I just stood there in a daze for a long time, before I finally asked softly: "What bit you?"

"That is an evil woman," someone said from behind.

"Did you not want to find me?" The voice of the naked infant emerged, old and hoarse.

This is no longer of use, you can take it." She handed me the small, dusty frame, inside which was the yellowed group photo.

A series of strange, eerie laughter emanated from beneath the bed

I gazed intently, and indeed, whether to the left or to the right, Pasum's gaze was always following you, while her father and Wu Zitan beside her were not the same

The old woman sat by the ancient bed, her face marked with tears. The mosquito net had been lifted, and when she saw me walk in, she simply said softly, "He has gone."

In the corner, a ragged old man resembling a beggar, emanating a sour odor, was huddled in the rat race. He had his eyes half-closed and a dark red nose, seemingly dozing off.

"Grandma, what will you do in the future?" A feeling of indescribable compassion arose within me

Ah, you are that witch!

It is somewhat strange. I noticed that the figures in the photo are all flat, so how can her gaze move? Moreover, she looks so familiar, yet I still cannot recall where I have seen her before. Alas, perhaps she resembles someone I know

Within the sunken eye sockets of the old man are two eyes wide open in terror, resembling the expression of the legendary one-eyed old man Xiao. The elderly man has a long, grayish-white beard resting on the pillow, and on one side of his frail neck are clearly marked two rows of deep bite marks and dried blood stains

***

She is Pasum. I told him that Pasum is a shaman from the northern part of the Kingdom of Laos, and this photo was taken over thirty years ago

In the early morning, a faint sobbing sound awakened me, the sound coming from the west room. I turned over, got out of bed, dressed, and sleepily made my way to the west room

"Who is this woman?" the feng shui master asked

The image of the two rows of dense bite marks on Wu Zitan's neck surfaced in my mind, precisely located on one side of the carotid artery, severing the blood supply to the brain. The mice in this village are surprisingly cruel; no wonder everyone has fled.

I was taken aback, thinking to myself that this beggar's speech was surprisingly eloquent, so I smiled kindly at him and bent down to enter.

I gazed at the misty rain in the mountains and forests, feeling an emptiness in my heart, a sense of bewilderment

I am even more astonished. It seems that this person might be a master in the way. By chance, should I not tell him the events that have transpired and the many questions in my heart, and ask him for guidance in unraveling the confusion?

The rain suddenly intensified, with droplets pattering on the umbrella fabric, creating a rustling sound. The mud splashed up from the mountain path clung to the cuffs of my trousers. I looked around and noticed a small earthen house under a large tree not far away; it appeared to be a village shrine. I hurried over to take shelter from the rain.

You see," he took the frame and moved it back and forth, "no matter from which angle you look, the woman's gaze is always fixed on you

"How can you be so sure?" I asked with suspicion

Holding up the umbrella, I hurried along the road under the gentle drizzle

"Finally liberated, after more than twenty years, you, this living dead, are finally free." The old woman grasped Wu Zitan's lifeless hand, murmuring softly. At last, she stood up and gently lowered the curtain.

"Pasum," the naked infant replied, licking the blood from its lower lip

The moonlight slants onto the bed, and the statue of the naked infant lies quietly by the pillow. There is nothing unusual, yet in a moment of daze, it seems as if something flashes through its vacant pupils... What could it be? Ah, yes! It is a gaze! A look has appeared in the vacant eyes of the statue of the naked infant!

As I walked further away, I turned back and could still see the solitary and frail figure of the old woman standing in front of the earthen house

"Who is the evil woman?" I asked in confusion

Although the land temple is not large, standing only as tall as a person, it is quite spacious inside. Against the wall, there is a clay statue of the Earth God, and on the ground, there is a broken porcelain basin filled with some paper ashes

The woman in this photograph." He pointed to the old group photo in the frame I was holding.

Oh, so he is a feng shui master. Since ancient times, the people of Xiangxi have been superstitious and enthusiastic about mysterious things. Geomancy, which is the art of feng shui, has been particularly prevalent, and this profession is also relatively easy to earn money in

Those eyes remain dull and vacant, with dark pupils that are deep and unfathomable; it is still a dead and petrified infant.