Chapter Six: Where Does the Dust Settle? (Part One)

Zhou Wei recalled that the incident dates back to the last day of last year, which was also the first day of the new year. That day, he and Xiang Wan visited Juxia, and then strolled around the streets until almost midnight before slowly making their way back. In the nearest village, two or three people were setting off fireworks. Zhou Wei saw them, went up to greet them, and they treated him. Zhou Wei lit one for himself, but when he looked back, he found that Xiang Wan was just walking slowly forward, ignoring him. Zhou Wei didn't think much of it; his master was walking quite slowly anyway, so he followed behind her. When they reached the gate, Zhou Wei prepared to follow Xiang Wan through the side gate back, but Xiang Wan reached out and blocked his chest, shouting, "Where did you come from? What do you want by barging into my house!"

If the bricks and tiles of the Xiang family's old house could speak, they would jump out and say that they haven't heard such a noisy sound for decades.

"Master, what's wrong?" Zhou Wei asked, puzzled but feeling uneasy.

"What master! Who are you! What are your intentions!" Zhou Wei had never seen Xiang Wan so calm before, and this anger seemed to have come out of nowhere. So Zhou Wei could only explain again, "Master, I am Zhou Wei, your disciple. I became your disciple at Kongyun Mountain, and later came to the old house with you to recuperate." Zhou Wei hoped that this was just an accidental incident, because after hearing his words, Xiang Wan's expression calmed down. She stared at Zhou Wei's face for a moment, then said, "Chang Qi, your master is getting senile and has forgotten something. Chang Qi, it's getting late, you should go back to your room."

"Master, let me take you back to your room first."

Xiang Wan didn't respond to Zhou Wei's words, nor did she pay attention to Zhou Wei following behind her. She walked blankly towards her study. Back in her inner room, Xiang Wan took off her outer robe and lay down on the bed, immediately falling asleep with her eyes closed. Zhou Wei didn't dare wake her, so he closed the door and quietly returned to his own room.

During the holiday, Deng Lin went home, leaving only the master and disciple in the large house. The next day, Zhou Wei woke up, still thinking about the previous night. He quickly dressed to check on Xiang Wan, only to find his master, who usually sat in front of him, still fast asleep. Zhou Wei washed his face first, then went to the kitchen to start a fire and cook. After a while, he brought out the simple meal and saw Xiang Wan standing under the eaves, lost in thought, wearing the same robe she had worn the night before.

"Master, have something to eat." Xiang Wan only noticed Zhou Wei when he approached and spoke. As usual, she ate with Zhou Wei and told him not to be too diligent in his cultivation during the holidays, but to go back to Kongyun Mountain and get together with Yuan Bei, Tian Guang and the others.

Zhou Wei, recalling Xiang Wan's unusual behavior yesterday, asked his master to come back with him so that Elder Ji could examine his master and see if he was becoming confused due to old age. Xiang Wan was exactly one hundred years old this year, a rare sight indeed, while Zhou Wei was still young and inexperienced, lacking confidence in many things.

Xiang Wan said she wanted to go outside for a walk.

The "outside" that the cultivators referred to was the place where ordinary people lived. Most of them followed a dynasty and were unaware of the existence of cultivators and evil spirits. Because cultivators lived within a protective barrier year-round, their daily lives consisted of cultivation and exorcising evil spirits, which was very different from the lives of ordinary people in the dynasty. Over time, this way of speaking became the norm.

"Where is Master going? Please take your disciple with you to broaden your horizons."

"This morning I suddenly remembered that I used to eat roasted pork with my parents in the capital during the Lunar New Year. I dreamt about it last night and can't forget the taste. You didn't go back for New Year's Eve, and your parents and relatives will be unhappy if you don't go back soon." Seeing that Xiang Wan hadn't changed much, Zhou Wei said that he would go back tomorrow, even if it was only one day later. Xiang Wan wasn't a difficult person to talk to, so she agreed to take him along.

Zhou Wei hadn't been to the capital often before and wasn't very familiar with the city. Xiang Wan, on the other hand, was full of energy and led Zhou Wei around the city. Xiang Wan walked very fast, and Zhou Wei felt pressured to keep up. By the time the flustered Zhou Wei caught a whiff of meat, he was already standing in front of a restaurant.

Seeing a customer, the innkeeper quickly led him inside, recommending his specialty, roasted mutton. Xiang Wan readily agreed and ordered another pot of wine. The two, master and apprentice, ate and chatted, the familiar feeling and delicious food temporarily making Zhou Wei forget what he had been worried about earlier. After finishing their meal and paying the bill, the two returned to the Xiang family home, where Xiang Wan went straight to her study to read. Xiang Wan always read for hours on end and disliked being disturbed, a fact Zhou Wei knew well. So, he took this opportunity to return to Changhe Town, where he found his nephew lighting firecrackers at the gate after dinner. His mother was sitting in the courtyard picking vegetables, listening to her grandson's movements outside. Seeing Zhou Wei return, she invited her second son inside. Zhou Wei tried to come home often, so he hadn't been away from his parents, brother, and sister-in-law for a long time. They chatted around the table until dinner was served, at which point Zhou Wei got up and told his parents he might have something to do the next day and couldn't stay overnight. His parents were understanding.

When Zhou Wei returned, it was just getting dark, but Xiang Wan was already asleep, just like the day before. Zhou Wei felt a little relieved and quietly went back to his room. The next day, he cooked as usual and came out to find Xiang Wan still standing under the eaves. The two ate together, and Xiang Wan suggested that Zhou Wei go back to town. Zhou Wei was about to say that he had already gone back the previous afternoon when he heard Xiang Wan say that she was going to the capital city that day to look for the roasted mutton she used to eat with her parents during the New Year.

Zhou Wei said, "Master, please take your disciple with you."

Xiang Wan agreed.

The route was the same as yesterday, except that instead of the manager, a waiter was at the shop. The master and apprentice ordered the same food and wine as yesterday, and after finishing their meal and paying the bill, Xiang Wan returned to her study. This time, Zhou Wei didn't go anywhere; he stayed in the small courtyard outside the study to cultivate, but he was distracted and didn't gain any significant insights. Xiang Wan also went to bed early that evening.

When Zhou Wei woke up again, he felt uneasy. He had woken up with a start, and although he had slept all night, he felt particularly exhausted, even his eyes were sore. He splashed some cold water on his face, and the water was so cold that he had to take several deep breaths. Before going to the kitchen, Zhou Wei wanted to go to the study first, and found Xiang Wan already standing under the eaves, lost in thought. He went up to greet his master, and Xiang Wan greeted him, then said that she was going to the capital to look for the roasted meat she used to eat during the New Year.

Zhou Wei said, "Master, eating too much roasted meat isn't good either. Let's not go now, let's go next time."

Xiang Wan stared at Zhou Wei: "Why are you calling me master again? I've never taken on any disciples! Besides, I'm only seventeen years old. What's the big deal about eating a little more meat!"

“We already ate yesterday. It’s easy to overeat during the New Year, so let’s eat something else. Let’s go to the city and have some vegetarian food.”

"You and I went together? Are we that close? Why were you at my house so early? You live here too? I don't remember you at all." Xiang Wan's face grew increasingly gloomy as she stared at Zhou Wei, demanding an explanation.

"The old master took me in to study here. It's been three years now. We've been eating and living together the whole time. Think about it carefully," Zhou Wei fabricated an explanation. His master, the old master, claimed to be seventeen years old, and he didn't know how to react. He was exhausted, as if he hadn't slept all night, and now his brain was almost unable to function.

“You’re my father’s disciple. No wonder you’ve been calling me ‘Master’ all day long. They don’t come back even during holidays, why don’t you leave? What are you doing here?” Xiang Wan hesitated slightly, but he seemed to genuinely remember such a thing and didn’t suspect anything.

"Of course, you should visit friends during the New Year, so here I am. I'll go to the kitchen to cook some breakfast, and then we can go out together, how about that?"

"Let's go! Who wants to stay here during the New Year! What's your name? I am Xiang Wan, courtesy name Huaiyan. I'm going to Kongyun Mountain this autumn to study under a master."

"My name is Zhou Wei, and my courtesy name is Changqi."

The two of them wandered around the city all day, slept in an inn that night, and then browsed some shops the next day, finally preparing to head back as darkness fell. Zhou Wei was exhausted and only went to his room after Xiang Wan closed the door. When he woke up the next morning, he suddenly remembered that Deng Lin was coming back today. Not knowing what time it was, he got dressed, got up, and ran to Xiang Wan's study. He found Xiang Wan standing in the courtyard, talking to Deng Lin who was sweeping the floor. Seeing that Zhou Wei had also arrived, Deng Lin said he would go prepare breakfast first.

“Changqi, look at that girl, she’s so dazed, she keeps calling me ‘Old Master Xiang’. I asked her where she came from, and she said she wanted to work to help support her family, so Old Master Xiang took her in. I think my father could tell that this girl is not very bright and doesn’t recognize people, so he kept her. But it’s really strange that she recognizes you.”

“I heard that she suddenly became like this, and the doctors outside had never seen her before and didn’t know how to treat her. Her family was also struggling financially, so the old man took her in at least to give her a meal. We should just do whatever she says. Although she is like this, she is fine in other aspects.”

"This is a strange illness; I've never heard of it before. It's so pitiful. I'll go back and look through some books to see if there's any way to help her." With that, he walked inside.

Zhou Wei stood there blankly in the courtyard. He considered returning to Kongyun Mountain to seek help from the elders, but he wasn't sure if Xiang Wan would still recognize them. He didn't know how long he stood there when Deng Lin came over with a bowl of noodle soup to greet him. Zhou Wei then came to his senses and told her that his master was old and sometimes couldn't remember things. Deng Lin wasn't surprised and said, "I know. There's an old lady in our village who's almost ninety. She's in good health, but she can't remember people. A few days ago, I went to pay my respects during the New Year, hoping for her blessings. She suddenly grabbed my hand and said I was her eldest son's daughter, saying how much she'd grown in the blink of an eye. Her eldest granddaughter was standing next to me, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. That's how it is when people get old."

Xiang Wan stayed in the study for a long time, seemingly engrossed in studying the illness Zhou Wei had fabricated. At least this way, he wouldn't wander off, which put Zhou Wei at ease. Perhaps it would be better to see a doctor now, or talk to Ming Jin and Pang Ming; his master was truly getting old. But for a while, Zhou Wei chose to believe Deng Lin's story, staying in the study with the disoriented Xiang Wan, studying an illness that didn't even exist.

The situation took a dramatic turn about a month and a half later, one morning. Zhou Wei, exhausted from his cultivation the previous day, hadn't slept well and woke up before dawn. His stomach was empty, so hungry it felt like someone was pricking it with needles. He decided to find something to eat and go back to sleep. He groggily headed towards the kitchen, but before he even reached the door, he heard footsteps and rummaging inside. Thinking it was Deng Lin up early, he pushed open the door and found a young man with his hair half-tied up, holding a candlestick and cooking something on a small stove.

"Who goes there!" Zhou Wei felt uneasy.

“Changqi, that’s me, Xiang Huaiyan.”

Something was simmering in the pot, making a muffled sound. Zhou Wei stood at the doorway, too afraid to move, watching the figure walk briskly towards him. However, the closer it got, the clearer it became, and the more frightened Zhou Wei became, because standing before him was indeed a boy who looked seventeen years old, with features and build exactly like his master.

"Xiang Huaiyan? Xiang Wan?" Zhou Wei stammered.

"It's me. How could you forget my name? I was reading a book until midnight yesterday and fell asleep at the table. Then I woke up hungry. I was just about to cook some porridge. Are you hungry too? Shall I get you a bowl? What's wrong?"

"Yes, I'm a little hungry. Could you cook me a bowl too? I'm not dressed warmly enough. I'll go back and put on some more clothes and come find you later. You keep a close eye on the stove and be careful not to burn the pot."

Zhou Wei didn't even have time to hear what the boy had said before rushing to Deng Lin's door. He hurriedly knocked, waking Deng Lin, and opened the door, slightly annoyed, asking what was causing the commotion so early in the morning. Zhou Wei lied, saying that he and Xiang Wan were preparing to test a new spell in the courtyard and were worried about accidentally injuring Deng Lin, who wasn't a cultivator, so he told Deng Lin to head home immediately. Deng Lin said he had already learned a spell called Mountain Magic from Xiang Wan and could protect himself, but seeing Zhou Wei's insistence, he thought Zhou Wei didn't believe in his work and angrily packed his things and left through the back door. After seeing Deng Lin off, Zhou Wei quickly went to the study. Standing at the door, he saw the white-haired old man, draped in a robe, slumped over the desk, motionless, as if he were too tired and had fallen asleep.

Zhou Wei quietly walked to Xiang Wan's side, straightened his body, and bent down to look at the old man. He had become Xiang Wan's disciple at the age of seventeen, seeing him almost every day for five years now. Over the years, he had spent much of his time fighting evil spirits, so the moment he saw the young man's figure clearly, a guess immediately occupied his mind, causing him great distress.

Elder Xiang Wan, who was renowned in the cultivation world, became a vengeful ghost after his death.