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墨書 Inktalez
My intuition told me that something was wrong with Big Mouth Lee, and it wasn't just any ordinary issue. I was with Lu Jianguo, who looked equally surprised and urged me to call the old man.
I quickly pulled out my phone and dialed the old man's number. "Old man, something big has happened with Big Mouth Lee in Baisha Village!" On the other end, the old man's smile seemed to freeze. After a long pause, he finally said, "Come over, we’re getting ready to leave!" I hurried home to grab Furball and quickly packed a bag.
Following the address provided by the old man, I arrived at his residence. It was a farmhouse with an outer courtyard leading to an inner one. Lu Jianguo navigated it easily; the front yard was simply decorated with many revolutionary propaganda posters. We made our way to the back yard, which had a completely different style filled with mysterious symbols and various jars and bottles. The old man chuckled, "Ghost Infant, has the foundation helped you out?" I nodded, unsure why he still found it amusing.
The old man took out a gourd and flicked his finger at its mouth, releasing a puff of blue smoke. Lady Ghost Ali knelt on the ground, and upon seeing her familiar face, I couldn't help but be startled. Ali quickly waved her hand, "I won't harm you; where's the master?" Lu Jianguo recounted the details of the Corpse Raising Ground incident. Upon hearing that her corpse had been destroyed, the female ghost began to weep uncontrollably. When she learned that Ghost Infant had turned to ashes, she started wailing in despair. The sound of her cries pierced through the air like a knife scraping against glass—sharp, shrill, and hauntingly tragic. It sent chills down my spine!
"I already told the master not to trust that Taoist's words about greed for Spirit Yang Body; now look what’s happened—Soul Shattering!"
I urgently asked, "What is Spirit Yang Body?"
"I don't know!"
I pressed Ali for more information about Spirit Yang Body, but all she could say was that it could restore souls to their bodies; beyond that, she knew nothing. When I continued questioning her, she shook her head vigorously like a rattle drum. I looked at the old man and Lu Jianguo, hoping for some useful information from them, but they remained silent.
"Who is that Taoist?"
"I don't know; I've only seen him once and didn't even get a good look at his face!"
When I asked again, she fell silent and continued crying, which was becoming increasingly frustrating for us. The old man hurriedly put Lady Ghost Ali back into the gourd. He sealed it with a talisman and placed it back on the shelf while silently reciting a spell.
The old man took out a cigarette and lit it leisurely. "Can you handle Big Mouth Lee's situation on your own?" I was taken aback at first and shook my head. The old man's expression shifted slightly. "I'm getting old; I can't take care of you forever!" His words seemed to carry an underlying meaning. I thought to myself, "Damn! Who needs you to take care of me?" But I replied instead, "Master, is this situation with Big Mouth Lee very sinister?" The old man's demeanor changed from joy to seriousness in an instant. "Very sinister! Xia, your path ahead is still long; I'll have Jianguo accompany you once more!" Lu Jianguo nodded eagerly.
" Big Mouth Lee's troubles are related to you!"
"Related to me?"
The old man fell silent again. I looked at Lu Jianguo; he nodded in affirmation. After this incident with the Corpse Raising Ground, I had developed a strong trust in Lu Jianguo. Since he agreed, I didn’t press further. My circle of friends was small; Big Mouth Lee counted as one of them. Just days ago, we had fought against Ghost Infant together—I wasn't ungrateful.
The old man handed a package to Lu Jianguo and pulled him aside for a long conversation. As the clock approached seven or eight o'clock, Lu Jianguo and I arrived at the entrance of the courtyard. A high-chassis truck was parked at the gate, its contents concealed beneath a tarpaulin.
Lu Jianguo gestured for me to get in. He was an experienced driver with excellent skills. The truck drove out of Rongcheng and headed towards the outskirts. I couldn't help but ask, "What kind of place is Baisha Village?" "Savage Tribe," he replied, and my expression changed dramatically.
Among the ethnic minorities, those who had assimilated more into Han culture were generally referred to as Savage Tribe. Conversely, those who had little contact with Han People were also called Savage Tribe. The Savage Tribe lived in remote mountainous areas, almost completely isolated from the outside world. They not only drove away Han People but also ignored other Savage Tribes. The villages of the Savage Tribe were primitive, with many unique customs. After the founding of the nation, although there had been some contact with the outside world, their geographical isolation meant that little had changed.
The Savage Tribe of Baisha worshipped the Big Belly King, believing that all things in nature possessed spirits. Each village had a Big Belly King Temple, and the temple priest was known as Gao Lao to outsiders. Regardless of weddings or funerals, they would invite Gao Lao to preside over the ceremonies. The Gao Lao of each village held significant power and was considered the most knowledgeable person in the community. They practiced rituals and sorcery, with each village possessing unique "cursed water." Anyone affected by this cursed water would inevitably suffer severe vomiting and diarrhea within three to five days.
If Han People or other Savage Tribes entered Savage Tribe territory, they would be expelled. If they refused to leave after three warnings, Gao Lao would pray to the Big Belly King. If the divination results were unfavorable, the person would be burned alive as a spirit offering to outsiders. If favorable, they would be thrown into the river, leaving their fate to chance—a practice known as Duwangming.
"Could it be that Big Mouth Lee offended Gao Lao?" I asked.
"I heard he saved a Fallen Cave Woman and offended Cave God, causing many youngsters in Baisha Village to die. Gao Lao believes he is a demon sent to cause trouble and plans to perform a spirit offering on May fifteenth."
"May fifteenth? That's just five days away!"
"About two months ago, strange occurrences began in that village. It started with three mothers and daughters dying one after another under horrific circumstances. Then five or six young laborers also died."
"That's eerie."
As Lu Jianguo and I talked along the way, I formed a vague impression of this village. Baisha Village was located in the Rongshan Mountain Range north of Rongcheng, approximately one hundred kilometers away. As we entered the mountain range, the road became rugged and uneven; the dirt path was only about one and a half meters wide, winding steeply upward through the mountains. No wonder the old man insisted on using such a high-chassis truck. What usually took two and a half hours now took much longer.
Bouncing along the road, Furball peeked out from my backpack; it was still sleeping soundly inside. Since its injury last time, it had only been awake for about three hours each day. Its wounds had mostly healed, and it had grown a bit larger.
We set off around eight or nine in the morning and finally reached Outer Baisha Village by four or five in the afternoon. Although Outer Baisha Village was also inhabited by non-Han people, they were all part of the Savage Tribe. We parked our truck by the roadside and carefully observed this village. Stilt houses dotted the landscape, rising in clusters at varying heights. The men wore red-and-white striped headbands about two fingers wide and floral-patterned tunics made of coarse fabric—most were sleeveless, exposing their dark arms—paired with black skirts; some wore Liberation Shoes while others wore straw sandals. The women simply added a wild chicken tail feather to their hair; otherwise, their attire was similar to that of the men.
The villagers spoke in their native language, with only occasional snippets of Mandarin reaching our ears. We didn’t pay much attention to them; instead, they stared at us curiously as if we were monsters come to visit. Soon after, a group of villagers surrounded an elderly man who looked to be around eighty years old as he approached us. He wore a Zhongshan Suit and had white hair and eyebrows. Speaking in somewhat broken Mandarin, he asked us, "Outsiders, what brings you to our mountain village?"
I guessed that this old man must be the local Gao Lao. Unsure how to address him as an outsider, I simply replied, "Sir, we are heading to Baisha Village!" Upon hearing this, his hair seemed to stand on end; his face shifted from pale to dark as nearby youngsters let out hisses of disapproval.
"Are you going to Baisha Village of the Savage Tribe?"
"That's right. My friend was captured by Baisha Village for offending the Cave God!"
"You absolutely cannot go there! Even the youngsters from Outer Baisha Village dare not venture there. The Gao Lao over there are incredibly formidable and very exclusive. Several youngsters from our village went to Baisha Village, and they returned vomiting and with severe diarrhea. Not long after, they kicked the bucket!"
"I must go to Baisha Village. Do you have any advice, old sir?"
"You can't go! Your friend is most likely dead. I heard someone say that a middle-aged thin man was offered as a Spirit Offering to the Cave God recently by the Gao Lao over there!"
"As the saying goes, I would risk my life for my brother! I cannot stand by and watch him die."
"Alright, youngster, I admire your spirit. I'll personally escort you to the village entrance. When you get there, look for a middle-aged man wearing a tiger skin coat; he is the Gao Lao of Baisha Village! Be very careful of his 'curse water'!"
Lu Jianguo and I were naturally very grateful. After passing Outer Baisha Village, the road became rougher; vehicles could not pass, and we had to continue on foot. We took our luggage and followed the old man to a riverbank. The old man's face turned pale as he pointed across to the smoking village. "Youngster, that's Baisha Village! It's been extremely eerie there lately; seven or eight youngsters have died!" With that, the old man turned and left in a hurry.
The bridge was a single log over ten meters long, spanning both banks. The river water was as clear as glass, with schools of fish frolicking beneath the surface. The trees in the village across were much denser, creating a picturesque scene, but we had no heart to admire it.
Filled with fear, we stepped onto the Single Log Bridge leading to Baisha Village. As we reached the middle of the bridge, a loud shout startled Lu Jianguo and me so much that we nearly fell into the river.
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