Chapter 32

Chapter 32

I raised an eyebrow slightly and greeted him with a smile.

It was a foregone conclusion that the Bai Family would come knocking sooner or later. However, I had expected it to be the Bai Family Matriarch; I hadn’t expected a young man in his early twenties.

As I walked toward him, I sized him up, searching my memory for his identity. Since we were from the same town and the Bai Family ran a Medical Hall, the neighbors all knew each other to some extent. He looked to be in his early twenties, not much older than me-we might have even played together as children.

Before I could recall who he was, he greeted me first. “Xiao Jiu, it’s been a long time.”

So we did know each other!

“And you are?” I asked.

“Xiao Jiu, you don’t remember me?” The man looked hurt. “I’m Bai Jingmo.”

Bai Jingmo?!

I did remember him.

When I was ten, Granny had gone out to handle a spiritual matter. Upon her return, she was struck by a severe headache, rolling around on the bed in agony while clutching her head. She sent me to the Bai Medical Hall to find someone to help.

That day, it seemed some VIP had come to the Bai Medical Hall for treatment, so they were closed. No matter how hard I pounded on the door, no one answered. Then, I happened to run into Bai Jingmo, who was back home on school break. He performed acupuncture on Granny, and she recovered quickly. In fact, her headaches never returned after that.

Whenever the subject came up later, Granny would praise the Bai Family for producing a successor as talented as Bai Jingmo.

Back then, however, Bai Jingmo had been chubby and dark-skinned with shoulder-length hair. I vividly remembered the sight of his pudgy, dark little hands working the needles while he constantly flipped his hair out of his face. He looked nothing like the handsome young man standing before me now.

I recalled Granny mentioning a few years ago that Bai Jingmo had been accepted into the Provincial Double First-Class Medical University and had a limitless future ahead of him.

“Brother Jingmo,” I greeted him. “It has been a long time.”

Bai Jingmo sighed. “It has. I heard you were accepted into Jiang University this year. I was actually planning to treat you to dinner once you got settled in.”

“Are you still studying?” I asked curiously.

“I’m in a combined bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral program,” Bai Jingmo explained. “Currently, I’m interning at the Provincial People’s Hospital Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine Department while finishing my studies. I’ve been so busy these last few years that I rarely make it back to Wufu Town. It’s only natural that you’d forget me.”

I wanted to say I hadn’t forgotten, but then I remembered he was one of the Bai Family members. My warmth instantly cooled, and I regained my composure. Given what had happened just last night, it was impossible not to be suspicious of him showing up at the Pawnshop this morning.

I invited Bai Jingmo inside. Li Qingying served tea and then stood to the side, listening to our conversation.

Since it was Li Qingying who had gone to the Bai Medical Hall last night to deliver the message and the item, Bai Jingmo didn’t mind her presence. “Xiao Jiu, I came today because I want to discuss a partnership between the Bai Family and the Pawnshop.”

Bai Jingmo was refreshingly direct.

I smiled, set down my cup, and said, “Brother Jingmo, I’m sure you’ve heard. Yesterday, a man named Fang Yuan nearly killed me using the Bai Family’s medicinal powder. Whether it was Fang Yuan acting alone or if there’s more to the story, I think you know the truth better than I do.”

Bai Jingmo gave a bitter smile. “The grudges of the older generation resulted in you being caught in the crossfire. I apologize to you on behalf of the Bai Family.”

“Was it really just an accident, Brother Jingmo?” My tone sharpened. “As far as I know, Wufu Town has been waiting thirty years for me to walk into this trap.”

“You are different, Xiao Jiu,” Bai Jingmo said seriously. “The affairs of the older generation in Wufu Town are incredibly complex-too much to summarize in a few words. But it all boils down to one thing: suppressing whatever is inside the Zhu Pan River. Everyone acted out of necessity. If there were any other choice, who would want to be the villain for generations?”

He paused, looking deep into my eyes before continuing. “Before, there truly was no choice. But now things are different. You’ve endured it all, Xiao Jiu. You are the turning point. Now that a turning point has appeared, who would want to keep playing the villain?”

I frowned and asked, “What exactly is suppressed in the Zhu Pan River?”

“Chen Ping,” Bai Jingmo said solemnly. “From what I know, after Chen Ping returned from his final campaign abroad, he attempted to declare himself emperor in Wufu Town. He met with fierce resistance from the locals. In a fit of rage, Chen Ping seized a group of defiant villagers, dug a pit, and burned them alive.”
Bai Jingmo’s words suddenly reminded me of that night on the First Day of the Eighth Month. I remembered the ghostly wails as the large red bridal sedan carried me through the gates and into the Main Hall, the sky filled with firelight, and those charred limbs amidst the flames…

Were those the commoners Chen Ping had ordered to be burned alive?

Chen Ping truly was a monster of unspeakable evil!

“Chen Ping carried out massacres like that three times in a row. The people were furious, but they didn’t dare speak out. Whether it was a guilty conscience from his many crimes or something truly supernatural, Chen Ping’s mental state began to deteriorate afterward. He became paranoid, and at his worst, he executed a group of his most loyal soldiers. He then found a master of the occult to perform a ritual, trapping the Souls of those soldiers together with the Vengeful Ghosts of the commoners, forcing them to slaughter one another for eternity…”

“Scumbag!” Li Qingying cursed.

I felt sick to my stomach as well. Heavens, this Chen Ping really was beyond redemption.

“But the suppression was only temporary. Later, the formation was broken, and Chen Ping was killed. Wufu Town was consumed by overwhelming resentment. Chen Ping’s failure to become emperor only fueled his hatred. He was a force to be reckoned with in life, and in death, he became a king among ghosts. Wufu Town faced another massacre.

And that time, it was a ruthless, one-sided slaughter!”

As Bai Jingmo spoke, his emotions became visibly stirred. “Seeing Wufu Town on the verge of being wiped out, the older generation had to step forward and find a way to suppress him. The only solution they could find at the time was a Sacrifice-using a Pure Yin Body to suppress Chen Ping’s Vengeful Ghost and ensure the peace of Wufu Town.”

After saying this, Bai Jingmo looked at me and said earnestly, “Xiao Jiu, I know you harbor resentment in your heart, but for the sake of Wufu Town and its innocent people, we must stand up.”

I remained silent for a long time before finally asking, “What do you need me to do?”

Bai Jingmo pointed to the Hexagonal Palace Lantern hanging at the west end of the Corridor Front. “That Hexagonal Palace Lantern is a Soul-Guiding Lantern. Take it down, and when the time is right, use it to lure Chen Ping’s Vengeful Ghost ashore so we can destroy him.”

I glanced at Li Qingying and asked, “That Hexagonal Palace Lantern can be taken down?”

“Others might not be able to, but you can, Xiao Jiu,” Bai Jingmo said. “After you reopened the Pawnshop, the Hexagonal Palace Lantern, which had been dormant for over a century, finally reacted. This proves it accepts you. You can try it, Xiao Jiu-you are the only hope for everyone in this town!”

I asked again, “And which day is the ‘right time’?”

Bai Jingmo replied, “My Grandmother has looked at several dates and is currently selecting the most suitable one. Once it’s chosen, I will notify you in advance. Xiao Jiu, you handle luring the soul ashore, and we will handle the killing.”

I nodded in agreement.

Bai Jingmo chatted with me for a while longer before departing.

I spent the entire afternoon mentally reviewing everything Bai Jingmo had told me.

Li Qingying warned me repeatedly, “Xiao Jiu, even though that Bai guy makes a lot of sense, he isn’t necessarily trustworthy. We have to think twice before we act!”

I took her hand and comforted her. “Don’t worry, Sister Qingying, I’ll give it careful thought.”

Li Qingying looked like she wanted to say more, but she held back. I knew she had my best interests at heart.

Before dinner, I went to the Main Hall.

I saw that the small Bronze Tripod on the Altar Table was gone, while the Lingchi Blade was still sitting there undisturbed.

Everything was exactly as I had expected.

I breathed a sigh of relief, ate and drank as usual, and went to bed early to catch up on sleep since there was nothing to do that night.

However, with so much on my mind, I couldn’t fall asleep at all.

In the middle of the night, the mattress beside me suddenly sank. The familiar scent of agarwood enveloped me as a powerful arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me into a firm embrace.

Then, Liu Junyan’s voice rang out: “Did you see Bai Family members today?”

I gave a soft hum of affirmation. “Bai Jingmo, the most promising of the Bai Family’s younger generation.”

The hand around my waist stiffened slightly. Liu Junyan’s voice turned low and heavy. “I heard… the two of you were childhood sweethearts?”