chapter 15
Liu Hao glanced at Iron Head, his face flushing slightly, but he held back his anger and whispered to Little Pole, “Little brother, how about this: as long as you can help me, Liu Hao, get through this difficulty, I will reward you handsomely afterward.”
He had already made his meaning very clear.
Little Pole hesitated as well.
“If you want to go, then stop calling me ‘brother’!” Iron Head glared at him and scolded.
Little Pole hurriedly said, “Sorry, Boss Liu, I’m not going.”
A trace of disappointment flashed across Liu Hao’s face. He tried to persuade him a few more times, but to no avail, so he had no choice but to return to Taoist Priest Sun.
“You go first!” Taoist Priest Sun said with a dark face, pointing at his eldest disciple.
“Master, I… I can’t do it. I haven’t been a virgin for a long time!” The eldest disciple immediately refused with a troubled expression.
Taoist Priest Sun snorted coldly and pointed at his youngest disciple. “You!”
“Master, I… I’m not either…” The youngest disciple was startled and tried to find an excuse.
“Not what? You used virgin blood just a few days ago. How could you not be one in just these two days?” Taoist Priest Sun scolded.
The youngest disciple had no way to avoid it. With a miserable face, he said, “Master, I…”
“Enough!” Taoist Priest Sun slapped him on the shoulder, forcing the rest of his words back down his throat.
Under Taoist Priest Sun’s coercion, the youngest disciple had no choice but to take off his shirt, cut his wrist to let blood, and then used the blood to draw Talismanic Symbols on his chest and back.
The eldest disciple began to beat the drum, while Taoist Priest Sun waved the Peach Wood Sword in front of the altar. At his command, the Eighteen Heroes filed out and stood at the eighteen positions within the house.
According to Taoist Priest Sun, these were the Eighteen Vajras, specifically used for House Pacification and exorcising evil.
Once everyone was in position, the eldest disciple brought over a stack of Gold Foil and silver paper, placing them on the incense table.
Taoist Priest Sun waved the Peach Wood Sword and chanted incantations.
Suddenly, a gust of Yin Wind howled in from the courtyard gate, blowing the Gold Foil and silver paper on the incense table into the air!
For a moment, cries of alarm rang out in the courtyard.
“Don’t panic!” Taoist Priest Sun shouted, raising the Peach Wood Sword upright. He sliced his finger on the blade, flicked drops of fresh blood, and chanted incantations.
The eldest disciple also began to beat the drum.
The drumbeat was deep and, together with the chanting, grew louder and louder.
That sudden Yin Wind was gradually suppressed and finally faded away.
“Taoist Priest Sun, is… is it over?” Liu’s Mother asked, her face pale and trembling.
“A minor matter,” Taoist Priest Sun replied with a faint smile.
Liu Hao went over to speak with him for a bit, then came to Uncle Yang and said, “I’ve booked a hotel for you. I’ll take you there now.”
“Why go to all that trouble? We can just stay at home,” I said, stretching and standing up.
“Yes, staying at home is fine,” Uncle Yang nodded in agreement.
Liu Hao frowned. “You’ve seen for yourself, it’s not peaceful here. It’s better to stay at a hotel…”
“It’s fine. Where are we staying?” I interrupted.
Liu Hao glared at me, his tone hardening as he said to Uncle Yang, “I’ll have someone take you to the hotel!”
“I’m waiting here for Xiuyu. I’m not going anywhere,” Uncle Yang shook his head, firmly refusing.
Liu Hao’s face darkened, and he couldn’t help but snap, “You’re Xiuyu’s father, so you should think of your daughter’s family. Why do you keep causing trouble?”
“I don’t want to trouble you either. I… I just want to find my daughter, I just want to find Xiuyu!” Uncle Yang said.
“Why are you being unreasonable?” Liu Hao said angrily. “After Xiuyu married me, she’s had good food and clothes, and can spend money as she pleases. Are you afraid I’ll sell your daughter?”
“I…” Uncle Yang’s lips trembled. “Xiuyu isn’t someone who values wealth over poverty. Back then, you promised to help her find her younger brother. Xiuyu thought you were a good person, so she agreed to marry you.”
“Why are you suddenly bringing this up?” Liu Hao suddenly roared.
Everyone present was startled.
I noticed that, in that instant, Liu Hao’s face twisted with a ferocious, ghostly expression. Although he quickly returned to normal, I couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
“Uncle, when did Xiuyu’s Younger Brother go missing?” I asked Uncle Yang.
“Enough, if you want to stay, then stay. I’ll have someone take you over!” Liu Hao interrupted.
He immediately found someone to take us away.
“No rush.” Seeing his reaction, I grew even more suspicious and stood my ground.
“It’s been… about ten years,” Uncle Yang said, tears streaming down his face as he spoke of his lost younger son. “If he hadn’t gone missing, he’d be about your age now.”
“Ten years?” I was stunned.
“Yes. Back then, Xiuyu took her younger brother out to play. She looked away for just a moment, and he disappeared,” Driver Zhang sighed. “And that Grave Mound Ridge…”
“Grave Mound Ridge?” My heart trembled as I asked in shock, “Driver Zhang, did you just say Grave Mound Ridge-the one near Willow Stream?”
“Yes, you know that place too?” Driver Zhang was surprised and explained, “Uncle Yang’s family lives near Willow Stream, very close to Grave Mound Ridge.”
“The night before the incident was the Fifteenth of July. There was thunder and rain on Grave Mound Ridge. The next morning, Xiuyu took her younger brother to pick wild vegetables at the foot of the ridge after the rain. Who knew… sigh, it’s fate!”
My mind buzzed as I looked at Liu Hao, whose face was dark and gloomy.
This was too much of a coincidence-so much so that it was terrifying!
Ten years ago, on the Fifteenth of July, Liu Hao and another person went up Grave Mound Ridge, dug me out of the ground, and planned to carry my corpse back.
But I had a Zombie Resurrection halfway through, scaring the two of them off the mountain.
Without my corpse, the two of them couldn’t return to report.
These two had witnessed Cao Xuerong’s ruthlessness with their own eyes. Would they dare return empty-handed?
If they didn’t want to go back empty-handed, what else could they do?
They could only Substitute One for Another-find a child of about the same age to take my place!
And a few years later, Liu Hao just happened to marry Yang Xiuyu, the older sister. The motive behind this is chilling!
During my years on Grave Mound Ridge, the things I encountered most with Mute Granny were all sorts of spirits and monsters. But compared to the malice in people’s hearts, even the fiercest ghosts are nothing.