Chapter 10, Something is amiss

At that time, I was very grateful that it was Jiang Li who rescued me; otherwise, I would have certainly been eaten by the ghost monkey child

Upon arriving at the nearby village, it was indeed as quiet as Grandpa Yao had said, with only a few households in sight. Just then, we encountered an elderly man on the road. Jiang Li asked him for directions to the man's house. The old man pointed the way and informed us that there was a pond called Qingguan Tan in front of the man's house, which was quite eerie. He mentioned that children often got pulled into the water by something within it. It was said that the pond was not originally there, but rather it had been a family grave. It was unclear which unscrupulous person had dug up the grave to create the pond, resulting in Qingguan Tan harboring malevolent entities.

A shadow suddenly dashed out in front of us, and Jiang Li immediately chased after it. I followed closely behind him as he hurled his wooden sword, piercing it into the left shoulder of the shadow. When it turned its face, we discovered that it was none other than Zhang Duangong, who had already transformed into a walking corpse. Although his skin had turned black and purple and had become stiff, his face remained unchanged and was clearly recognizable.

In the past, I heard my great-uncle talk about the matter of the Ghost Monkey Child. He said that this creature was originally a spirit monkey. In our rural area, there are particularly many mischievous children, some of whom use firecrackers to blow them up, while others set them on fire. In short, many spirit monkeys were killed. These spirit monkeys, filled with resentment, formed spiritual entities that particularly enjoy lingering in dark, damp places or in water to seek revenge. In the past, when children misbehaved, adults liked to scare us with the Ghost Monkey Child, and it turns out that there really is a Ghost Monkey Child.

The people keeping vigil outside have long since caused a commotion, waking the nearby villagers in the dead of night. Villagers living not far from my home have all put on their coats to come over and join the excitement, coming to my house out of curiosity.

After the villagers dispersed, the grandmother sat alone in the room crying, lamenting as she wept, "You old man, even in death you have to create troubles for me. Where are we supposed to put the Chen family's face from now on? All of this is the result of your own misdeeds!"

Grandpa Yao was sad for a long time before he finally regained his composure. Jiang Li asked me to pour a cup of hot tea for Grandpa Yao to help calm his nerves.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't break free from that monkey. In an instant, it dragged me into the water, and its sharp claws left several bloody marks on me. I struggled in the water for a while, and then I felt my vision starting to blur

Mother looked at Jiang Li in surprise, not quite understanding. Jiang Li continued to explain to my mother, "Its excessive yin energy is due to the milk you have been feeding it. It has now become a yin-yang constitution. If this continues, the corpse energy you are transferring into its body will turn it into a purely yin constitution, which would be the same as a ghostly infant."

I told Jiang Li that when someone dies here, we must keep vigil for seven days, and I cannot leave. However, Jiang Li told me that the guilt of my grandfather's death would not compel me to keep vigil, and this spirit does not need to be kept.

Zhang Duan Gong revealed a smile, showing his white teeth, and said, "It is indeed his grandfather"

Just as there was a knock on the door, Grandma did not respond kindly, "Stop knocking, go back where you came from, and don't come here to gossip!"

After we thanked the old man, we walked over there, and indeed there was a water pool. At that time, being young, I was curious about everything. There were many small stones by the edge of the pool, and I casually picked one up and threw it into the water. I watched for a long time, but there was no response.

As Jiang Li just stepped out, I pointed to the side and informed him that it was Zhang Duan's house. Jiang Li initially intended to say something to me, but upon seeing Zhang Duan's house, he took my hand and led me in that direction

I could not help but listen from the side, "The graveyard is your choice!"

Upon hearing these words and seeing grandmother's expression, father became so enraged that he smashed a bowl and kicked a stool, then began to cry uncontrollably. Jiang Li sensed that the atmosphere at home was off, so he asked me to accompany him outside.

When he went to the village, he noticed something was amiss; there were hardly any people in the village. It was said that there used to be many people, but now it seemed that the population had dwindled. The entire village had only six or seven households, yet he unexpectedly discovered that Zhang Duan Gong had once lived in their village before moving to the neighboring village.

Zhang Duangong lowered his head and said, "Although the burial site was chosen by me, it was also at the request of your Chen family. If you have questions, you should ask your grandfather; he cannot escape responsibility in this matter"

I informed Jiang Li of the situation just now. He smiled slightly and pointed at my belly, saying, "It seems that this ghostly child has a natural instinct to protect the mother body. Knowing that you are in danger, they do not wish to perish either. The resentment allowed that ghost monkey to see it. The negative energy of the five children is stronger than that of the ghost monkey, and the entity in your belly has instead saved your life."

Grandmother then got up to open the door and let Uncle Ya in. Upon hearing the news of my grandfather's passing, Uncle Ya trembled all over and began to cry in front of my grandfather's memorial. Uncle Ya and my grandfather had a close relationship since childhood, and their bond was the deepest. The news of my grandfather's departure caused Uncle Ya to completely lose his composure.

Mother was stunned for a moment, then turned around and stared at me blankly. I sprang out from behind Jiang Li and, without thinking much, rushed to embrace Mother. Whether she was alive or dead, she was still my mother, and I firmly believed that she would not harm me

Jiang Li saw that the situation outside was not good, so he hurried out to tell the villagers, "Karma and retribution, do not look at what should not be seen, do not speak of what should not be spoken. When the cycle of karma and retribution comes upon you, it becomes difficult to handle"

During the day, there are always villagers who come to our house, claiming to visit grandpa to comfort us, but in reality, they are just curious and then turn around to gossip with their relatives. At first, grandma politely invited them in, but later, when she became angry, she chased everyone who tried to enter away.

"Big sister, open the door, it's me!" This is the voice of Grandpa Yao. Previously, Jiang Li had arranged for Grandpa Yao to investigate the identity of the man who was to marry his mother in a ghost marriage, and he went to their village.

I stand at the doorway and can see Zhang Duangong's house right in front of me. It has been some time since the incident involving Zhang Duangong, yet I notice that his door is slightly ajar.

Upon hearing Jiang Li's words, the villagers all obediently closed their mouths. Everyone believed that Jiang Li's words were highly credible, as he was indeed a Taoist priest from the temple, and they held a deep sense of reverence for him. Thus, a single statement from Jiang Li could outweigh many other things.

When Zhang Duangong saw us, he was taken aback, and suddenly turned fierce and menacing towards us, saying, "Little brother, it is unreasonable for you to strike me without any grievance or enmity, right?"

Jiang Li originally wanted to ask his mother why she wanted him to run, but she seemed reluctant to speak, hesitating and stammering, and finally, she simply darted into the woods.

Upon entering the room, I found it to be very clean, as if someone had tidied it up. Jiang Li urged me to remain silent and informed me that Zhang Duan had transformed into a walking corpse and had likely come here to seek refuge. He held a wooden sword in one hand and a talisman in the other, intending to capture Zhang Duan alive. I asked Jiang Li if the talisman would harm Zhang Duan, as he had been helping me before, and I felt reluctant. Jiang Li reassured me that it was merely to immobilize him, preventing his escape. I inquired again whether the talisman would harm Zhang Duan, recalling his previous assistance to me, and I felt a pang of guilt. Jiang Li reiterated that it was only to restrain him, ensuring he could not flee.

The woman lowered her head and placed the infant in her arms down, softly murmuring, "Thank you, Master Jiang Li"

I looked at my grandmother with a heavy heart, yet I did not know how to comfort her. I tightly clutched the hem of my clothes, lowered my head, and began to cry silently.

As Zhang Duan was about to speak, strange noises suddenly came from behind. I turned around and saw a group of restless spirits and wild ghosts gathering, glaring at me and preparing to pounce.

Jiang Li nodded thoughtfully after listening, turned his head to tell me, "It seems I still need to go there in person, Chen Xiao, you will accompany me all the way."

Just as I was about to turn and follow Jiang Li inside, something suddenly yanked at my ankle with great force. I couldn't shake it off at all. I then saw a pair of reddish-brown furry hands pulling me vigorously, and from the water, I could see that it resembled a monkey.

Jiang Li gently touched my head and said, "You suffer because your cultivation is insufficient. If you wish to rid yourself of suffering, you must make yourself stronger." I quickly wiped my tears and nodded.

Someone without any sense directly asked my grandmother, "Isn't Xiao Wazi's mother reluctant to part with your old partner, and has she come back to steal someone again?" This remark infuriated my grandmother to the point where she stomped her feet and grabbed a wooden broom to hit the person.

Interestingly, there is only one household separating Du Hai's house from the one where Zhang Duan Gong used to live. Later, he inquired through the residents of that middle household and learned that Du Hai was raised by Zhang Duan Gong during his childhood. Eventually, Du Hai's parents returned from work and took him back. However, there have been reports of haunting in that area these past few days. Although Zhang Duan Gong's former residence has been empty, strange noises have been consistently heard there recently

Afterward, Jiang Li and Grandpa Yao began to converse in my room. Previously, Jiang Li had asked Grandpa Yao to investigate the identity of the man involved in the ghost marriage in his village. Grandpa Yao informed Jiang Li that the man's name was Du Hai, and the situation was indeed somewhat peculiar. The main issue was that Grandpa Yao's health was not very good, and he could not walk for too long, so he had to return after staying for just one day

I have deep bite marks on my calf, and blood keeps flowing. Jiang Li frowned and said that my blood is heavy with yin energy, which will surely attract the wandering souls and restless spirits nearby. This village is already sinister; with fewer people, the yang energy naturally diminishes, and yin energy nurtures yin entities. The things in this village are more numerous than those in our village.

At that time, I did not understand what he meant. I originally wanted to say that my grandfather had already passed away, but Jiang Li interrupted me, saying, "Are you sure it is Chen Xiao's grandfather?"

Upon hearing the scolding, Jiang Li said, "Nonsense, you might have some reasons for others, but Chen Xiao's grandfather would never choose this grave site. You can fool them, but don't think you can fool me. What exactly are you up to!"

Jiang Li hurriedly urged me to take off my wet clothes, "Didn’t I tell you to stay away from this pool? This Qingguan Pool has been around for some time, and there are yellow-haired creatures by the grass. It’s the season when the March spirit beings shed their fur, so it’s likely inhabited by ghost monkeys that specifically feed on the flesh and blood of little children"

I followed Jiang Li and peeked at my mother. Seeing her turn around and prepare to leave, I couldn't help but call out, "Mother—"

Jiang Li took advantage of the moment when he was not paying attention to stick a talisman on him, "Speak, why did you choose a heart-piercing grave for Chen Xiao's mother?" Zhang Duan Gong, upon hearing this, quickly told Jiang Li that this matter had nothing to do with him; it was all done by the Chen family themselves, and he could not be blamed for it.

I picked up a stone beside me, intending to throw it at the monkey. The monkey lunged at my stomach, which happened to roll at that moment. The monkey suddenly stopped and let out a piercing scream. Before I could react, Jiang Li had already pulled me up onto the shore.

Jiang Li wanted to take me to the nearby village, but my grandmother naturally disagreed and argued loudly with Jiang Li. Jiang Li simply said politely to my grandmother, "There are some things that the old man asked me not to speak of before his death." Upon hearing this, for some reason, my grandmother suddenly fell silent and surprisingly agreed to let me go with Jiang Li.

After a simple bandaging to stop the bleeding, I followed Master Jiang Li to the room of the man involved in the ghost marriage, but my leg hurt and I did not want to walk anymore. Jiang Li had no choice but to let me sit outside while he went in to check the situation in the room

Mother trembled as she reached out to pat my back, softly whispering in my ear, "Remember what I said, run"