Chapter 56: The Third Test of a Good Scholar
As I write, I naturally become more focused and calm, without any distractions.
When Ning Caichen finished copying the Buddhist scriptures, he carefully packed them up and prepared to go to bed. At this time, a gust of cold wind came from nowhere and blew out all the candles in the study.
The study was plunged into darkness in an instant, and suddenly changed from light to dark. Ning Caichen could not see anything clearly.
His heart skipped a beat and he reached out to touch the candlestick on the table, trying to relight the candle.
In the darkness, he didn't know what he touched. It seemed like hard bones covered with mud, and his hands were sticky.
"Who?"
Ning Caichen scolded.
No one answered.
After waiting for a while, until he got used to the darkness in the room, he saw a dark shadow standing in front of the desk in the faint moonlight, with a pair of dim eyes staring at him.
Ning Caichen took a step back, his heart beating like a drum. He asked, "Who are you and how did you get in?"
The black shadow finally moved, walking with one foot high and one foot low, emitting a foul smell, and the voice was extremely hoarse, like air being blown out of a leaky bag.
"Human? I'm not a human."
Ning Caichen listened to him and was certain in his heart, saying, "If it's not a human, could it be a ghost?"
The black shadow kept approaching Ning Caichen, and Ning Caichen kept retreating, always keeping a certain distance from the black shadow.
"You're right!" The black shadow pounced on him suddenly, like a hungry tiger or wolf, like a wild dog snatching food on the street.
Ning Caichen was horrified and picked up the candlestick on the table and smashed it at the black shadow.
The candlestick hit the black shadow and sank into it as if it was caught in mud.
The black shadow's momentum was blocked, but it still pounced towards him.
Ning Caichen stepped back repeatedly and hit his back against the door.
The dark shadow let out a "ho ho" sound and stretched out two black hands to grab.
Ning Caichen rolled over next to the door, flipped over to the window, and propped it up.
The moonlight shone in through the window, and Ning Caichen could see what the black shadow looked like.
A drowned ghost.
His entire body was covered in rotten black mud, and his exposed arms and face had also rotted away, with the flesh melting away to reveal his white bones.
The shadowy figure pounced on the door, but missed. It looked at Ning Caichen by the window and said, "I told you, I'm a ghost."
As he walked, mud fell off his body, but it never lessened.
"I fell into a muddy pond, and a pair of hands pulled me down. I struggled hard, but the more I struggled, the deeper I sank. Finally, I died in the muddy pond."
The drowned ghost said, "I was used as a substitute. I died and he ran away."
The drowned ghost slowly approached Ning Caichen and said, "I died unjustly, but I didn't want to hurt anyone, so I endured it for thirty years."
A hint of bloodshot managed to emerge from his dim eyes, filled with suffocating malice: "But I can't bear it anymore. The water is cold, too cold, and the mud is heavy, too heavy."
"I've endured it for thirty years. If I don't find someone to replace me, I'll never be able to leave."
The drowned ghost said, "You are a good person, why don't you come and help me."
Ning Caichen's face flushed crimson as he said, "I'm a good person, yet you come to harm me. How can this be justified? Even as a ghost, you bully the good and fear the evil."
The drowned ghost said, "I am a good person too. Why didn't you come to help me? What's the point of being a good person if I will be bullied all my life!"
Ning Caichen slowly backed away and said, "Shut up. I don't say things like good and evil will be rewarded, but people have consciences and are not beasts. If everyone is kind, the world will be peaceful. If everyone is evil, the people will be in dire straits."
"Brother Ghost, you've refrained from harming anyone for thirty years, which makes me admire you." Ning Caichen bowed and said, "But I still have other uses for this body of mine. I beg your pardon, I cannot comply with your command."
The drowned ghost said, "It's not up to you. Whether you like it or not, I'll find you!"
Ning Caichen remained calm and said, "Brother Ghost, I am willing to collect your remains and write a biography to commemorate you, but I cannot allow you to kill me."
The Drowned Ghost lunged at Ning Caichen again: "What's the point of having a reputation in vain?"
“It’s so bitter—”
Ning Caichen overturned the desk and hit the drowned ghost.
The drowned ghost was pressed under the table, constantly changing its shape, flowing like sewage, and slowly crawled out from under the table.
Ning Caichen took the opportunity to push open the door and ran out, taking a breath and about to shout.
But before he could finish his breath, a hand covered his mouth and nose.
Ning Caichen almost fainted when he heard a voice behind him say, "I'm going to let you go, don't scream."
Ning Caichen only felt something cold and hard against his back, and nodded in fear.
The hand was retracted, and Ning Caichen took a few deep breaths.
Then he heard the man behind him say, "You scholar, you have some courage. You are not afraid of this drowned ghost."
Ning Caichen said, "I am afraid, of course."
The man asked, "Why don't you turn around and talk?"
As he spoke, he realized that his weapon was pressed against Ning Caichen's back and said, "Sorry, sorry."
Ning Caichen felt his back loosen, and when he turned around carefully, he was startled.
This was a pale-faced man in a white robe, white hat, and white umbrella. In his hand was a mourning stick wrapped in white paper. It was this thing that was pressed against his back just now, making Ning Caichen think it was a sharp weapon.
Just dressed like this, it is obvious that he is not an ordinary person.
Ning Caichen asked carefully, "Is this immortal a soul-collecting messenger?"
The white-faced man smiled and said, "It is Bai Wuchang who is here."
Ning Caichen said more cautiously: "Could it be that I..."
Bai Wuchang said: "That's not because of you, I came here because of this drowned ghost."
Bai Wuchang grabbed the chain on his waist and threw it out. The chain flew out and wrapped around the drowned ghost's neck.
Bai Wuchang pulled the chains closer, dragged the drowned ghost in front of him, stepped on his face with his white boots, and cursed: "You useless thing, you can't be faithful as a human, and you can't be faithful as a ghost either. What can you do?"
Ning Caichen couldn't bear it and said, "Master Wuchang, this ghost brother has done no evil in the past thirty years. Why humiliate him?"
Bai Wuchang sighed, lifted his foot, and shook his head. "If he had hardened his heart and found a replacement sooner, he would have been reincarnated by now. If he had remained steadfast in his heart and refused to harm others, he would have served alongside me after today. Unfortunately, he was a coward in life, and he remains the same in death. His cowardice outweighs his kindness, his bad nature outweighs his goodness. He could neither save himself early nor wholeheartedly escape the mundane world."
"Poor thing, poor thing."
The drowned ghost shed tears, kowtowed twice, and said, "Spare my life."
Bai Wuchang didn't listen to his argument. He pulled the chain and captured the soul of the drowned ghost and stuffed it into the white cloth bag around his waist.
Ning Caichen was stunned by Bai Wuchang's words.
Bai Wuchang glanced at him and asked, "Scholar, you do have some talent and courage. But let me ask you, is your learning of any use?"
Ning Caichen said, "Become an official."
There was a hint of disappointment in Bai Wuchang's eyes, but Ning Caichen didn't see it.
Bai Wuchang nodded and was about to take his leave when Ning Caichen continued, "Only by becoming an official can you display your talents and ambitions, educate the people, and bring peace to the world."
Bai Wuchang clapped his hands and said, "Okay."
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