Chapter 3 The Ghostly Office "Poor thing, what a miserable life."...
The cold wind, blowing from south to north, traveled hundreds of miles through the valley, stirring up the withered branches and leaves on the barren plains, causing them to tremble slightly and rustle in the night.
The man in blue suddenly stopped and listened intently, catching a series of chaotic footsteps, as if someone was trampling on dry branches and running around aimlessly.
The man in blue instinctively gripped his bamboo cane tighter, leaning his body to the north. Then he heard a series of rapid breaths; it wasn't just one person.
"Run...run..." This was the man's low growl in fear, mixed with heavy, rapid breathing.
“…Big brother…” The woman’s voice choked with sobs and panic; she was clearly already crying from fright.
Then came a hoarse scream: "Help...help...help..."
Without hesitation, the man in blue rushed toward the source of the sound.
The man roared, "Qin San, run!"
The hurried footsteps grew closer and closer, and suddenly someone rammed into him, and the man in blue caught him squarely.
Qin San was running too fast and couldn't stop. He screamed and lunged at the other man, his forehead hitting the man in blue's ribs hard.
Neither of them felt the pain. Qin San looked up in panic, her face drained of color, with thin scratches from the dry twig on her cheek. She stammered, "Help...help me...no...run...run..."
The man in blue asked in a deep voice, "What's going on...?"
Before he could finish his question, he was interrupted by a piercing scream from not far away, a scream that seemed to pierce his eardrums like a sharp sword.
Amidst screams, Qin San whirled around, her eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. Her turbid white pupils instantly became bloodshot, and a bizarre and terrifying image was projected into her dark pupils—her sallow-skinned, thin, and sickly older brother rapidly shriveled up, his flesh and blood instantly drained away, leaving only a layer of intact human skin clinging to his skeleton like a rag.
The skeleton remained in its fleeing posture, legs forward, one arm raised, mouth wide open as if still screaming, yet no sound came out. It could only stare unhappily in the direction of its little sister, its eyes now dark, empty sockets, having met its untimely end in its escape.
Qin San opened her mouth to shout, but the shock made her lose her voice, and only tears welled up in her eyes. She tried to lunge forward, but was held firmly by a hand.
On the wasteland, people were still running for their lives. The man in blue steadily caught Qin San's struggling body and strode back with him. Although he couldn't see, he could sense that he was in a dangerous situation, and even smelled a strong smell of blood. He also knew that someone had died just a few steps away from him.
The thin, frail person in his arms trembled uncontrollably, large hot tears falling onto the back of his hand, which quickly turned cold.
A hoarse, desperate sob escaped Qin San's throat: "...Big brother..."
After shouting, he suddenly went black and fainted, losing consciousness.
The man in blue grabbed the person, suddenly turned his back, and followed the series of disordered footsteps.
Several porters had already abandoned their loads in their panicked escape. Faced with this disaster, no one cared about those baskets of salt, iron, and cloth. Two of the villagers who had come out with them to make a living as porters were killed in bizarre and strange ways.
Because it happened so suddenly and was so dangerous, everyone was terrified. No one could explain why, they only remembered that they were chanting as they hurried along when suddenly the villager at the back of the pack let out a scream. Before anyone could react, they turned around and saw the villager scream and shrivel up, as if some unseen thing had sucked away his flesh and blood, shrinking and twisting little by little, all in the blink of an eye...
Another porter, unaware of the situation, tried to go forward to check, but before he could get a few steps closer, he was suddenly and tragically killed on the spot. The others were terrified and abandoned their work, fleeing for their lives.
The city gate was just two miles away. Several porters rushed toward the guards, shouting as they ran, "Sir, help! Help! Sir, someone has been killed!"
Several porters, still shaken, recounted the events to the soldiers. They were all pale-faced and stammered, their legs giving way as they slumped against the wall of the city gate. The memory still sent chills down their spines.
Upon hearing the porter's description of his death, the officers and soldiers' expressions changed drastically, and they hurriedly asked, "Where is he?"
The porter pointed forward, and everyone turned around to see the man in blue carrying an unconscious girl in his arms as he walked out of the tall weeds.
The porters certainly recognized the man in blue and the girl in his arms, since they had stayed overnight in the same dilapidated temple just the night before.
These porters, carrying heavy loads, walked dozens or even hundreds of miles every day. Through years of practice, their pace was naturally faster than most. Even though they started late this morning, they caught up with the group two miles from the city, and unexpectedly encountered the girl and her elder brother. Before they could even exchange greetings, tragedy struck. Not only did two of their fellow villagers die, but the girl's elder brother also perished.
The scene was so eerie it was chilling. Everyone was filled with fear and dread. The younger porter was still trembling uncontrollably, unable to suppress his terror. The girl started crying as soon as she woke up, and her heart-wrenching cries only made everyone more panicked.
Qin San was about to go find her older brother when the porter who had ladled rice soup for her the night before stopped her in time: "You can't go, girl, are you out of your mind?"
Upon hearing this, Qin San's mind flashed with the image of her elder brother, now emaciated. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to her knees before the soldiers guarding the city. She crawled a few steps, her face blurred with tears and snot, crying, "Sir, please save my brother… I beg you to save my brother…"
None of the soldiers guarding the city dared to make any rash moves, but instead led them all to the county government office without exception.
As they passed by the stalls in the alley, an old woman glanced at them several times, seemingly afraid that her old eyesight was failing, before finally daring to recognize them: "Oh my, isn't this the youngest daughter of the Qin family?!"
Qin San's eyes were swollen from crying, and she kept wiping away her tears.
The old woman strode up to her and said urgently, "You're finally back! Where's your eldest son? Hurry back and check on him, something terrible has happened to your family!"
Qin San was stunned upon hearing this, still reeling from her elder brother's death, and asked blankly, "What terrible thing happened?"
At this moment, nothing is more important to her than the unjust death of her elder brother.
However, the old woman said with a look of horror, "Your second sister-in-law went crazy the night before last and killed your second brother with a wood-chopping knife."
Qin San's bloodshot eyes widened, and her mind went blank. She felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her skull, splitting her in two.
The old woman looked shaken: "What a tragedy! She slashed him ten or twenty times. Blood was splattered all over the floor, walls, doors, and windows. It was terrifying! How could a woman like her be so cruel to her husband? She was absolutely ruthless..."
Before the old woman could finish speaking, Qin San had already run out like a madman.
The officer leading the way raised his arm at her retreating figure, but before he could stop her, he could only lead his group to catch up.
Qin San darted away like a rabbit, running incredibly fast; several grown men almost couldn't catch her. After twisting and turning along two more narrow paths, just as she emerged from the alley, a mournful wail echoed from a shack ahead.
Everyone was alarmed by the noise and rushed to the dilapidated shack. Inside, tables, chairs, and benches were overturned and broken, and pots and pans were scattered all over the floor, as if a fierce fight had taken place.
Just as the old woman had said, blood was splattered everywhere in the room, though it had long since dried and turned brown. Qin San was kneeling in the bloodstains, banging his head on the ground, crying out in grief and despair.
"Second brother—brother—"
She slammed her forehead hard against the floor, causing her head to bleed profusely. The first officer and a porter who rushed in quickly stepped forward to stop her, supporting her arms on either side to prevent her from being overwhelmed by the shock and dying on the spot.
As everyone knows, this girl had just witnessed her eldest brother's murder, and then, less than half an hour after entering the city, she heard the devastating news of her second brother's death. Losing two beloved brothers in one day and night would be heartbreaking for anyone.
Qin San looked at the skinny, frail woman, who possessed astonishing strength when she became ruthless. She broke free from the officers' grasp, and thankfully, the porters held her down to prevent her from lunging forward relentlessly: "Girl, if you hit your head, don't do anything foolish..."
As Qin San struggled, he cried out in heart-wrenching sobs: "Brother—"
Finally, the officer struck her on the back of the neck, knocking her unconscious.
The commotion attracted many neighbors, including the old woman who had arrived earlier. She rushed to the scene, panting, and pushed her way through the crowd to enter the house. The man in blue made way for her, and the old woman looked at the unconscious Qin San anxiously and said, "Oh dear, why is there blood all over her forehead? What happened to Qin's youngest sister?"
Perhaps she had walked too fast, because the old woman was panting heavily.
The porter replied, "She bumped into it herself."
The old woman couldn't bear it: "Poor thing, such a miserable life."
The officer reached out and lifted Qin San's upper body: "Come on, let's put her on that couch over there."
The porter offered a helping hand: "Where are her parents at home?"
The old woman stepped forward to help, bringing a pillow and setting it up. Upon hearing this, she could only sigh and shake her head.
The porter then asked, "No parents? Does she have any other relatives or elders who can help with the arrangements?"
The old woman lived across a narrow alley from the Qin family, making them close neighbors. She had watched the three siblings grow up: "No, their parents died early, leaving the three siblings to depend on each other. The eldest brother of the Qin family often went hungry, running from house to house doing manual labor every day, barely managing to raise his two younger siblings. I reckon that eldest brother probably never had a proper meal himself; he was skin and bones, like a consumptive, it was so tough. Now that such a big disaster has happened to the family, why is only Qin San back? I didn't see her eldest brother. Didn't they go on a long trip to sell millet wine together?!"
Upon hearing this, the few people in the know were momentarily at a loss for words, and they all turned to look at the unconscious Qin San with a mixture of sympathy and pity in their eyes.
After settling the people in, the kind-hearted porter stood by the bed, glanced at the mess in the room and the bloodstains splattered on the walls, and couldn't help but ask, "What exactly happened?"
"Isn't this just bullying honest people!" the old woman said angrily, with a hint of indignation. "The eldest son of the Qin family would rather remain a bachelor for life than not save up enough money to find a wife for his second son. It took a lot of effort to arrange this marriage. Ever since that young wife entered the family, the eldest son and his youngest sister moved to the warehouse by the ferry, making room specifically for the young couple to live alone. Who knew they would bring back such a jinx? It's no wonder they've been cursed. The Qin family has had the worst luck imaginable. I told you something bad was bound to happen sooner or later. And sure enough, the eldest son and his youngest sister just went on a trip to sell their brewed millet wine, and that jinx killed the second son with a woodcutter's knife!"
"No, why would she suddenly take a knife and kill her own man for no reason?"
"It wasn't without reason," someone watching from outside interjected. "This young wife was restless and ambitious. She climbed up to the eldest son of the Shen family. The Shen family is rich and powerful. Would she really stoop to living a miserable life in a thatched hut with Qin Lao Er? In the end, she's just a snob. I guess she was so desperate to get into the Shen family that she couldn't get rid of Qin Lao Er, so she simply killed him."
It's common knowledge that Qin Lao Er's unfaithful wife and the eldest son of the Shen family have been having an affair. People don't talk about it openly, but they gossip about it behind his back.
"What a wicked woman! It's one thing for her to have affairs outside, but she actually killed her own husband."
The porter, not expecting it to be a crime of passion, sighed and then asked, "Where is Qin Lao Er's body?"
The old woman said, "The Qin siblings went out to work, and since there was no one at home to collect Qin Lao Er's body, the government placed him in a mortuary in the suburbs. They are waiting for Qin Lao Er and Qin San to return and handle the matter."
The porter was inquisitive: "Has the government arrested the murderer?"
"What are you arresting?!" The onlookers slapped their thighs. "That wicked woman got away, and the authorities are searching the whole city for her."
The porter pressed, "Where did he go? Can't we find him?"
"It is said that someone witnessed that after that wicked woman killed someone..." The old man, who knew a little about the matter, suddenly lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "...she ran to the underworld and hid in the Yama's palace!"
Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed: "She really dares to barge into that damned government office?!"
“I passed by this morning and saw that there were officials guarding outside.”
The porter was very puzzled: "What Yama's Palace or Ghost Office?"
The old woman looked at him: "You don't know?"
The porter shook his head: "I just came from out of town and am passing through here."
The old woman told him, "This happened a long, long time ago. In the past, the county government office in Beiqu handled many wrongful convictions, resulting in the deaths of many innocent victims. As a result, the people below dared not appeal their grievances, let alone go to the government office to file a complaint. If they went, they might be inexplicably accused of some crime and would definitely not return. So everyone secretly called that place the Hall of Yama. Until one night, a man who had died in prison suddenly came back to life and went to the government office to beat the grievance drum. This was a real ghost. The county magistrate and several yamen runners all hanged themselves from the beams. Later, the county government office moved, and the original place became the ghost government office."
The porter's face froze as he listened, then he slowly turned his head, exchanging silent glances with his companions.
Beiqu County, the Ghostly Government Office.
Isn't this the ghost story the old porter told them last night?!
The man in blue stood in the crowd, his brows furrowing at the words, his knuckles turning slightly white as he gripped the bamboo cane.
Just then, a series of footsteps approached from afar, followed by a clear voice: "Ya Ren!"
The man in blue turned his head and looked toward the source of the sound.
A clear voice rang out again, this time calling out her full name: "Zhou Yaren!"
Several officials arrived, and the young man in the lead stared intently at the outstanding man in blue. Overjoyed at the reunion, he took three steps at a time and rushed to the man in blue, giving him a warm bear hug: "It really is you, Zhou Yaren."
Zhou Yaren recognized the voice and knew it was from a close old friend. A smile immediately spread across her face: "Lu Bing, it's been a long time."
"That's been so long! I thought I was seeing things. When did you arrive? Why didn't you just come to me? I already gave you my address."
"Just arrived, haven't had time yet."
Lu Bing tightened his grip on the person's arm and then released him, his excitement overflowing: "I've been waiting for you to come. You don't know how much I've missed you these past few years since we separated."
Zhou Yaren couldn't help but smile: "You can't get rid of your old habit of talking nonsense."
Lu Bing grinned at him, showing his white teeth, and asked familiarly, "Did you receive my letter?"
Zhou Yaren thought his question was unnecessary, "If I hadn't received it, would I be standing here?!"
“If I hadn’t sent a message, you would never have come to visit me in Bei Qu in eight lifetimes. That would be so unfair. I’ve treated you like a brother and thought about you every day.”
"It's not that I didn't want to come..."
"I know, I know." Lu Bing complained casually, then expressed his complete understanding. He didn't really mean to criticize the other party, but that didn't stop him from having a bellyful of complaints to vent.
"I was really afraid that the letter I sent to you would be intercepted by the eunuchs who were checking it, and then handed over to that old stubborn man. Wouldn't it be burned to ashes?! So I specially asked Lord Zuo for help and asked him to personally deliver it to you in the palace. Even so, I still felt uneasy and was worried every day that something might go wrong."
"You know your strict teacher who has connections everywhere. He keeps a close eye on you. Who manages their child like that? You have no freedom at all."
"I was so afraid he'd catch you and wouldn't let you out, then send some useless piece of trash to glare at me. It's not that I look down on those mediocre people, they just can't compare to you. Thank goodness, now that I've seen you, a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders." After his tirade, Lu Bing patted his chest, seemingly relieved. Then, his expression softened, and he changed the subject, getting back to the main point, "Yaren, about what I told you in the letter—"
Zhou Yaren lowered her eyes and said, "I might have run into her just now."
A note from the author:
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