Chapter 17 At the corner of the wall behind the He residence…

At the corner of the wall behind the He residence, there is an old wisteria vine. The wisteria has not been deliberately pruned or shaped, and it has been allowed to grow wildly. Now it has grown in a twisted and crooked way, and part of it has already climbed onto the wall outside the gate.

Right outside the wisteria-covered doorway, at the base of the wall, sat a burly farmer, his back hunched over, smoking a pipe incessantly. He was none other than Hu Datian, who lived in He Village.

Hu Datian already looked haggard, but after only a day and a night, he seemed to have aged several years. His eye sockets were sunken, his beard and hair were messy, and the short jacket he was wearing even smelled strange and musty from afar, like the smell of someone who had just finished a whole day of farm work under the scorching sun and had gone to sleep fully clothed without washing off the sweat.

He smoked a cigarette while peering at the tightly closed back gate of the He residence.

Occasionally, strange bird calls would rang out on the street. Each time, he would nervously glance quickly in the direction from which the calls came, only to find the night pitch black. He would then immediately bury his head and take a few deep drags on his tobacco.

Something's definitely not right.

But he remained crouched against the wall, unwilling to move an inch, watching the back door carefully and anxiously, as if he would pounce on anyone who came out of the back door.

When Wei Yin arrived, this was the appearance of Hu Datian.

Hearing the door open, Hu Datian looked up and saw Wei Yin. He immediately stood up, leaning against the wall, and looked at Wei Yin with a nervous expression.

Wei Yin glanced at her right side. Although there was nothing there, she vaguely sensed that Lu Hun, who was hiding his figure, seemed to be standing on her side. Only then did she look at Hu Datian again.

"What are you doing...?"

Hu Datian hesitated for a moment before finally speaking: "I... I would like to ask Madam to help my children."

Wei Yin was stunned.

What does he mean by that?

Hu Datian sighed and said, "It's like this, Madam. My daughter, Azhu, who passed away, actually started making strange noises in my house not long after she died. It seems that Azhu... came back and haunted Ahu and his siblings. At first, I didn't believe it, but later I heard from the neighbors that they saw it, and I asked my youngest son, Ahu, before I became somewhat skeptical. However, I only heard some strange noises and never saw Azhu like Ahu and the others did. Until, after you left that day, Madam, I saw that Azhu really did come back—"

He paused here, his tone growing increasingly serious: "Just last night..."

Hu Datian then recounted the terrifying night he had spent the previous day.

Last night, Hu Datian was worried about Afu and felt uneasy. During the day, he dared not leave the children alone at home, so he stayed home to watch over them and do some simple chores. Nothing happened during the day, and the day passed peacefully.

As night fell, he had dinner with the children early and they went to bed.

However, when Hu Datian woke up in the middle of the night, he vaguely heard the sounds of children playing in the room where they were sleeping. He opened his eyes and saw that the lights were on. At first, he thought that Ah Hu and the others couldn't sleep and were playing, so he got up to scold them. But when he got to the door, he heard not only Ah Hu, Ah Yu, and Ah Lang talking, but also Ah Zhu's voice.

Ah Zhu's voice sounded almost the same as when she was alive, except that the children were talking one after another, and it was a little hard to hear what they were saying from outside the door.

However, it seems they are playing games with Ah Hu and the others.

To be honest, Hu Datian wasn't afraid of his dead daughter, but he was afraid that Ah Zhu's tragic death would harm Ah Hu and the others. Hu Datian was so frightened that he quickly pushed the door open.

But for some reason, the door wouldn't open no matter how hard I tried.

Hu Datian was sweating profusely with anxiety and immediately pounded on the door, calling for Ah Hu and the others.

But Ah Hu and the others inside seemed not to hear Hu Datian's voice at all, and continued talking and playing with Ah Zhu as if they were oblivious to him.

Hu Datian got angry and started smashing and throwing things at the door, but it was no use. The door just wouldn't open. He had no choice but to run out and call the people in the village for help, but the people in the village were just like Ah Hu and the others. No matter how much he knocked on the door, they didn't respond. They were completely asleep.

And so, Hu Datian could only sit by the door, listening to Azhu and Ahu playing and laughing inside, until the rooster crowed at dawn before the door could be opened.

He rushed in and found that Ah Hu and his siblings were already asleep. Hu Datian woke them up and asked them what was wrong. Ah Hu and his siblings then said that Ah Zhu had indeed come back to play with them yesterday.

When asked why they wouldn't open the door for their father, Ah Hu and the others said:

They didn't hear their father calling them from outside at all.

Hu Datian's heart skipped a beat.

Previously, the Liu family had been spreading rumors that accidents often happened on the mountain road in Hezhuang, and that Ah Zhu had become a vengeful ghost to take revenge on everyone. Hu Datian did not believe it. In his eyes, Ah Zhu was a sensible and kind child, and even if she really became a ghost, she would not harm others like this.

But Liu laughed at him, saying that once he became a vengeful ghost, how could he still have any humanity?

Last time, Afu ran into the river and drowned himself. Now he's locked Ahu and the others in the house. These successive events have made him no longer dare to disbelieve. So after cooking for the children at home, he called Hu Dali and his wife to his house to keep watch. Then he quickly took advantage of the daytime to come to the He family and has been waiting ever since.

Hu Datian said with a bitter face, "Madam, when you came last time, I didn't dare tell you about Azhu's trouble at home. Firstly, I was afraid of frightening you, and secondly... I really felt guilty towards that child. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache. But now I really have no other choice. I'm afraid that child Azhu will harm Ahu and the others. Madam, since you were able to rescue Afu from Azhu the night before last, you must have a way. Please save Ahu and the others..."

Wei Yin never expected that Hu Datian would come to her to ask her to deal with Azhu... When she recalled Azhu's horrifying rotting corpse, her legs went weak and she couldn't stand up.

Are you kidding me?

Send her to deal with the vengeful ghost?

She's currently looking for some experts to protect her.

not to mention……

Wei Yin recalled the Ah Zhu she had seen by the stone house that day. She was just a little girl of thirteen or fourteen, timidly crouching in the corner. Even as a ghost, she looked terrified and dazed, her death a painful experience. All of this was caused by her own father. Before she died, she still hoped that her father would save her, but in the end, she died in despair. Now, her going home to cause trouble was Hu Datian's own doing...

Wei Yin felt a pang of discomfort and refused, saying, "It was just a coincidence; I don't actually have that kind of ability. You should find someone else."

Hu Datian opened his mouth bitterly, "Then... what about my children..."

He hung his head dejectedly and stood there blankly. Wei Yin stared at him expressionlessly for a while, then turned to leave.

At that moment, Wei Yin heard a boy's voice that only she could hear coming from not far away.

"Say yes."

Wei Yin suddenly turned her head away.

“Now, Ah Zhu is filled with resentment and has become a vengeful ghost. Her mind is sometimes clear and sometimes not. She takes the life of anyone she sees. Many people have already met with misfortune on that mountain path in He Village. If this continues, she will soon become a demon. At that time, she will completely lose her mind and act solely on instinct. Then, the entire village of a hundred or so people will be shrouded in demonic energy. At best, every family will suffer a decline in fortune; at worst, they will easily die young and violently. Moreover…”

Lu Hun paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:

“Ghosts are the most vengeful. You have already offended her. Anyone who has a grudge against her will be haunted by her to death by instinct.”

Wei Yin's eyes widened. Wasn't that really a persistent ghost?

“Therefore,” Lu Hun said, “we must capture her before she transforms into a demon and send her to the nearby Pudu Temple. There is a high-ranking monk there who can dispel her resentment. Otherwise, once she is completely transformed into a demon, she will only become a walking corpse and will be unable to reincarnate.”

Wei Yin quickly frowned. Judging from his tone, did he mean for her to go and catch ghosts...?

Although she didn't ask the question aloud, Lu Hun seemed to understand her thoughts and nodded.

Wei Yin's expression shifted several times with difficulty. If she didn't go, Ah Zhu would haunt her for the rest of her life. But to ask her to face a ghost, especially a vengeful one, sent shivers down her spine.

Hu Datian stood there for a while, feeling sullen. He looked up at Wei Yin, then looked down at the pipe in his hand. After a long while, he seemed to realize that he had been too demanding of others. So he lowered his head completely and prepared to leave.

Wei Yin had no choice but to call out to him, "Uncle, I'll go with you."

Hu Datian froze, then turned around in disbelief, afraid she would change her mind. He was about to kneel down excitedly before Wei Yin, but Wei Yin quickly told him to get up. Hu Datian pleaded cautiously, "Madam, I'm afraid that child will come to our house again tonight. My younger brother and his wife are watching over Ah Hu and the others at home. It's getting late, so please come with me home quickly. If we stay any longer, I'm afraid something else might happen..."

Wei Yin nodded with a bitter face.

However, she couldn't just go ghost hunting casually. She wanted to bring some servants from the manor. More people meant more strength. Even if they couldn't defeat the ghost, they might be able to hold their own. Besides, Hu Datian's house was too simple. She wasn't used to staying there. She should bring a few more maids to serve her. Oh, and she should also prepare some tea, snacks, and treats. Lu Hun heard her thoughts and simply said softly.

Do you want Lord He to know?

Without saying a word, Wei Yin immediately dismissed these thoughts.

Hu Datian then hurriedly picked up a lamp from the side, lit it, and walked in front to illuminate Wei Yin's path. Wei Yin looked to the side again but couldn't see anything. However, she could clearly sense that Lu Hun was still standing there. Looking at the increasingly bizarre situation, Wei Yin pressed her brows and braced herself to follow Hu Datian.

Walking in the pitch-black night again, but this time at least there was a living person, so Wei Yin was not as uneasy as before.

As they approached Hezhuang, Hu Datian, who was leading the way, slowly stopped. He looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Wei Yin frowned and asked him directly, "Uncle, is there something you want to say?"

After remaining silent for a long time, Hu Datian finally spoke: "Madam, I've heard some old people in the village say that if a soul is lost, then even reincarnation is impossible. Although my child has become like that, she is still my own daughter. I was wrong to her back then. I beg you, Madam, to have mercy and just take her in. Please don't harm her soul..."

Wei Yin looked at the farmer in front of him, who was in the prime of his life but had aged prematurely, with a complicated expression.

"I will take her to Pudu Temple for a ritual to help her pass on to the afterlife."

"That's good, that's good..."

Hu Datian remained silent and continued to hunch over, illuminating the way ahead.

Soon, we arrived at Hezhuang.

As they entered Hu Datian's courtyard, they bumped into Hu Dali and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Liu, who were hurrying out of the house. The couple hadn't expected to run into Hu Datian, who had just returned home, and their faces instantly turned awkward.

"Big brother..."

A note from the author:

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