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Human Sacrifice
Huang the Lame: "So, who is the female ghost? Brother Guo has known for a long time. I was puzzled as to how Brother Guo, being a disciple of Old Scholar, could be as clueless as I am about distinguishing between yin and yang."
Guo the Blind: "You don't know too many things."
Huang the Lame forced a smile: "The more you know the truth, the more you will fear it. Brother Guo, you are no exception. You were wrongfully imprisoned and had one eye gouged out, your wife was humiliated and jumped into a river to commit suicide, your father died of depression, and your son was killed right before your eyes. Just recently, you even killed your own mother with your own hands. Oh brother, above us are deities; do you think you can hide from the sea? In fact, someone is always watching."
Upon hearing Huang the Lame's words, Guo the Blind looked somewhat agitated. He took a deep breath, his eyes reddening as he said, "What does it matter if you know? I'm just a dying man, clinging to life to reminisce about my past!"
Guo the Blind snorted and waved his sleeve as he gradually disappeared into the night.
After Guo the Blind left, Huang the Lame looked up towards my position and said, "Come down; he's gone."
Indeed, Huang the Lame had discovered me long ago. I climbed down from the tree and rushed to support him. " Old Huang, let me take you to the hospital."
Huang the Lame replied, "It's useless. My organs are shattered; an ordinary person would have died long ago. I'm just hanging on to give some final instructions."
"Then I'll go wake up Huang San'er. Hold on."
I stood up to call the unconscious Huang San'er, but Old Huang pulled me back and said, "No need to wake him; he can't help me."
I didn't understand what Huang the Lame meant by that, but I could sense a tone of helplessness in his words.
Huang the Lame continued, "San'er is my grandson. It’s because our Huang Family spoiled him that he ended up like this. I thought no one would want his life in Futu Ridge, but now that the ghost has come, there’s nothing we can do. It really is ironic."
Fate can be quite strange at times. Some people manage to maintain their innocence even in the face of hunger and cold, while others, despite living in wealth and luxury, willingly fall into depravity. Huang San had always been protected since childhood, born into a wealthy and powerful family. Yet, he chose to become a lackey for the wicked, bullying the weak and treating human lives as mere grass. In the end, he could not escape the cycle of retribution.
Huang the Lame looked at me and said, "You saw what happened tonight. Li Fugui is a ruthless killer, and Guo the Blind is filled with wolfish ambition. If I’m not mistaken, Guo the Blind has been biding his time for a reason. Although I can’t guess his exact intentions, he won't let go of his family's grievances easily. I thought I might uncover his plans before I die, but he is very cautious."
I replied, "I’ve spent a few days with Guo the Blind and never expected him to be such a person. On the other hand, Old Huang is someone who understands right from wrong."
Huang the Lame forced a weak smile and said, "You are also someone who navigates situations skillfully while remaining true to yourself. I did not misjudge you. However, I am no gentleman either. During the Ten-Year Catastrophe, I was left with a crippled leg by someone, and I have remembered it ever since. After that calamity, I moved the ancestral graves of those who disabled me to a desolate place. Now they live worse than dead; they still have to call me Brother Huang when they see me, which makes me feel somewhat better."
I said, "I, Yang Hao, am also someone who believes in settling scores. If others do not offend me, I will not offend them. Old Huang did nothing wrong."
Huang the Lame sighed and said, "Children distinguish right from wrong; adults only see benefits and losses. Sometimes things don’t go as smoothly as one wishes; there are complexities that only those who have experienced them can understand. It has been many years since I’ve spoken like this with anyone. To have you as a friend before my death is something I can die peacefully about."
"Old Huang..."
"Enough; my time is short. Once I've finished my instructions for after my passing, I must go." Huang the Lame interrupted me. "In the storage box of my living room lies an Old Huang Family heirloom—the Feng Shui Secret Record—detailing the fundamental theories and practices of Feng Shui divination. The first half covers Feng Shui itself; the latter half contains methods for exorcising spirits and accounts of extraordinary individuals compiled by our ancestors. It may not be suitable for public display or effective against true extraordinary beings, but it represents generations of effort from my Huang Family. I hope you can take a look when you have time."
I nodded. Although Huang the Lame's passing on this record didn’t count as an inheritance of skills, it surely pained him to give it to someone he had just met instead of Huang San'er. Despite my lack of interest in Feng Shui, I couldn’t refuse this elderly man on his deathbed.
Huang the Lame's voice grew weaker as he continued, "The last few pages of that Feng Shui Secret Record were added by me. Years ago during the Snake Goddess incident in the northern wilderness near Futu Ridge, I discovered some strange clues and secrets. Since then, nothing unusual has occurred in the Forbidden Area of Futu Ridge, so I stopped investigating. With this recent incident involving hanging coffins on the cliffs behind us, I suspect it may be related to that forbidden area; even Guo the Blind’s ambitions might connect back to it."
"Guo the Blind's hatred will inevitably lead to a major reckoning with those from Futu Ridge. If you’re not confident in facing him, it would be best to leave Futu Ridge; after all, Guo the Blind is a disciple of Old Scholar—it's normal if you can't compete with him. One reason I value you is because of your father; he was renowned in Futu Ridge as a remarkable figure within Daoist Sect circles—Guo the Blind wouldn’t dare act against him easily. The second reason is that perhaps you are not as simple as you appear."
Huang the Lame's words left me confused. "Old Huang," I said, "I am just an ordinary person; there’s nothing special about me."
"Huang the Lame" said, "A person like your father would never allow you to live a mundane life. Although I do not know the reason behind it, I remember when we were at the back mountain of Bright Moon Village, and Guo the Blind had me give you the Zhou Compass. You were struck by a strange force; do you remember?"
I nodded, recalling that moment. When my fingers touched the compass, it felt as if I had been jolted by a powerful electric current, burning my fingertips. At that time, I thought Huang the Lame was doing it on purpose to mess with me.
Huang the Lame continued, "I know that the Zhou Compass is a Taoist artifact, but I did not realize it was what Guo the Blind referred to as a Daoist Sacred Artifact. This Zhou Compass was obtained when Ancestor Huang led several extraordinary individuals into the Forbidden Area of Futu Ridge many years ago. Over generations, this compass has been used for exorcism; it can locate anything with spiritual essence nearby and is quite accurate in feng shui assessments. I am not sure what other specific uses it has, but since it reacted so strongly with you, there must be something unusual about it. If you can obtain the compass in the future, perhaps you can study its properties."
"Also, I suspect that you may not be as simple as you appear on the surface—not just because of your father but also your mother. I asked San'er about her; he mentioned that she suffered from a peculiar illness that prevents her from bleeding."
I nodded again. Back in school, things were quite chaotic with frequent fights among students. My mother never allowed me to bleed; I had a rare condition where if I bled even slightly, it could be fatal. She communicated with the school multiple times to ensure that teachers paid extra attention to me. The other students knew about my condition too; when Huang San'er bullied me, he was careful not to hit me too hard for fear of causing me to bleed. Over the years, I had become accustomed to protecting myself from external harm and would immediately apply a bandage at the slightest scrape.
As I grew older, I learned that this condition was called hemophilia, caused by a deficiency in clotting factors. When injured, blood would flow uncontrollably. However, there was one time when I accidentally fell and scraped my arm, causing a little bleeding. To my surprise, the blood clotted quickly like it does for normal people; nothing strange happened afterward. Since then, I had not thought much about it and did not understand why Huang the Lame brought it up.
Huang the Lame said, "Your mother must know something. Perhaps if you find yourself in danger, you could intentionally cut yourself and see what happens."
By this point, Huang's gaze had begun to drift; he spoke weakly, "Go get San'er; I have a few final words to say."
I went toward Huang San'er and pinched his philtrum—the acupoint located between the lips and nose used for reviving someone who has fainted. When Huang San'er woke up, he looked around alertly and asked, "What are you doing here?"
I replied, "Old Huang called for you; he's been gravely injured by Li Fugui."
Following my gaze outside toward the poplar tree where Huang the Lame was pinned by a spear, Huang San'er scrambled over and exclaimed, "Grandpa! What happened? How could that beast Li Fugui hurt you like this? I will take revenge!"
"San'er, don’t be foolish," Huang the Lame replied. "Even if you train your whole life, you will never be able to match Li Fugui. Right now, you're being targeted by a female ghost, and your protective jade has been taken by Li Fugui; your life is likely in grave danger."
"Huang San'er" cried, "Grandpa, you have to save me. I'm the only male heir of the Huang Family. If I die like this, the Huang Family will have no future."
"Huang the Lame" sighed and said, "You can avoid some sins, but those who commit them cannot live. It's unfortunate that your fate is poor; you stirred up trouble at the beginning of the Calamity in Futu Ridge."
"I'll go find my dad," "Huang San'er" replied. "He knows many people and can definitely protect me. And that Li Fugui, I won't let him off easily."
"Huang the Lame" shook his head, pulled out a yellow talisman tied with a red string from his sleeve, and handed it to "Huang San'er." Then he looked at me and said, "Yang Hao, go inside and get the book."
I understood that "Huang the Lame" wanted to speak with "Huang San'er" privately, so I walked into the main room of "Huang the Lame's" house to find the book titled "The Huang Family's Feng Shui Secret Record."
At the bottom of a red storage box, I found "Huang the Lame's" Feng Shui Secret Record. The book was wrapped in fine silk, its cover a dull yellow, and the pages inside were old and moldy, clearly having been around for some time.
I tucked the Feng Shui Secret Record under my arm and stepped outside, only to see "Huang San'er" kneeling before "Huang the Lame," sobbing, while "Huang the Lame's" head hung low—he had already passed away.
I patted "Huang San'er" on the shoulder twice in a gesture of comfort. Although he had led the bullying against "Zhou Manman," I couldn't bring myself to hate him in this moment.
"Take care," I said my farewell to "Huang San'er" before turning to leave. I knew that "Huang the Lame" must have told "Huang San'er" how to survive.
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