Chapter 118: The Curse Lifted

Secretary Chen hurriedly pulled the bone flute from his inner pocket. The flute, which had previously been pale and imbued with an evil aura, had now transformed into a black, foul-smelling bone. With the slightest pressure, it snapped into two pieces, rendered completely useless. He cradled the broken flute, a sudden wave of sorrow washing over him. For so many years, Shangwan Village had drifted in uncertainty, shrouded day and night in an atmosphere of terror, with generations of villagers living in constant, trembling dread.

Yet today, they were told they were free. They would never again have to live under the shadow of that malevolent spirit. Secretary Chen, despite his age, burst into loud, childlike sobs. After crying, he began to beat his chest and laugh, oscillating between tears and laughter like a madman. Those watching him felt a profound sense of heartache. The entire history of Shangwan Village’s ups and downs, the blood and tears of three generations of the Chen family, were all encapsulated in this moment. The curse had been broken; at last, there was deliverance.

"Master, do you mean to say that the female ghost has truly been taken away by you?" Secretary Chen finally pulled himself out of his delirium.

"Thanks to your good fortune, she has been granted salvation and has long since moved on to the cycle of reincarnation," Old Man Huo said dismissively, having no desire to discuss the details.

Secretary Chen pretended not to hear the sarcasm in the master’s tone and quickly signaled Chen Sanwa to go house-to-house, notifying everyone to bring out the objects they had been worshipping and burn them. Chen Sanwa responded, ignoring the pain in his chest, and turned to leave.

Old Man Huo suddenly called him back. "Hurry and bring back some medicinal herbs to counteract that wine!"

"Yes, yes, right away! I'm going now!" he shouted, turning and running off so quickly he didn't even notice he had lost a shoe.

A short while later, the sound of gongs—"Clang, clang, clang"—shattered the silence of the sleeping village. "Listen up, men, women, and children of Shangwan Village! Take your household offerings and hurry to the Dai family’s mourning hall!"

***

"Husband, listen to what Sanwa is shouting out there," a woman said.

"It sounds like something has happened." The man rolled off the kang and onto the floor, pressing his ear against the door to listen closely to the commotion outside. The woman nudged his shoulder and gave him a look. "Do you think she was eaten by the Opera Lady..."

"Nonsense! You women only know how to spout gibberish. Stay here and don't go anywhere; I'm going out to take a look!"

***

The man threw on his coat and headed out the door. The Dai family’s mourning hall had never been this lively. The small courtyard was teeming with people. Having taken the herbs brought by Chen Sanwa, the Dai family members felt the numbness in their bodies gradually fade; though their limbs remained sore and weak, they had at least recovered their normal functions. If it weren't for Old Man Huo holding them back, Zhang Hao and Da Zhuang would have already rushed over to give the two Chen men a brutal beating. These black-hearted scoundrels had actually intended to offer them up as snacks for the female ghost; it would be a travesty of justice not to beat them.

At first, the villagers were skeptical of Secretary Chen’s words. After all, it had been so many years; no one could easily accept that the "Opera Lady" they had worshipped their entire lives was truly gone. Was the blade that had been hanging over their heads really gone? Were they truly free now? Could they leave this place without being imprisoned in Shangwan Village for the rest of their lives? Everyone whispered among themselves, for this was a matter of life and death, and no one dared to joke about it.

At this moment, Secretary Chen regained his usual authoritative image in the village and coughed. "Everyone, be quiet! These two masters behind me have already granted the Opera Lady—no, that female ghost—salvation. We never have to fear her again!"

With that, he took the two halves of the bone flute from his pocket and threw them into the large fire basin in front of him. Immediately after, Chen Sanwa pulled out his own family’s offering—a tattered theatrical costume—rolled it up carelessly, and tossed it into the basin. The villagers craned their necks, watching as the costume turned to ash. Finally, a few bold souls stepped forward, deciding to take the risk, and began throwing their own family offerings into the flames. The crowd erupted into a frenzy, everyone scrambling to cast their items into the fire. The flames in the basin surged seven or eight meters high, reducing everything to ash and bringing the hope of a new life to the people of Shangwan Village.

Secretary Chen secretly found Old Man Huo and asked in a low voice, "Master, even though the Opera Lady is gone, what you said before about the 'Eight Fiend Meridians'..."

Old Man Huo snorted coldly. "Although the Eight Fiend Meridians formation is extremely dangerous, there is no immediate threat in the short term. Let me go back and think it over!"

"This... but..." Secretary Chen looked troubled, his voice hesitant.

"There are no 'buts.' What I promised Shangwan Village, I will fulfill. The time is not yet right to break the Eight Fiend Meridians formation, and I am still missing a few items. Once I have gathered everything, I will naturally break the formation!"

"Good, good, Master, that is good!" Secretary Chen quickly pulled a stack of banknotes from his inner pocket and shoved them into Old Man Huo’s hand.

Old Man Huo’s eyes lit up at the sight of the money. He moistened his fingertip with saliva, counted the stack, and then tossed half of it back to Secretary Chen. "I always take payment based on the work I do! This stuff is good, but I have my principles!"

***

Secretary Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead and said hurriedly, "Yes, yes, the Master is right, absolutely right!"

Old Man Huo walked over and handed half of the money he had kept to Cui Yue. "Here, this is your share of the reward."

To his surprise, his hand was pushed away. "I do things based on my conscience, not for money. I owe Chen Bailian a life, so I will repay it double. Besides, I won't touch a single cent of this kind of dirty money," Cui Yue declared firmly.

Old Man Huo had no choice but to shut his mouth, unable to say anything more. Zhang Hao, standing to the side, felt a pang of regret, thinking, *Why is this fool Cui turning down the money in his hand? What is going on in his head?*

The next day, the time came for the funeral procession of Xiao Feng’s father. It was rare for the entire village to be present. Although it was a violent death and could not be celebrated with grand ceremony, everyone did their best to help out, ensuring Xiao Feng’s father made his final journey smoothly.

Standing at the edge of the village, the group reached the moment of parting from Shangwan Village. Looking at the blue bricks and black tiles of the village, Cui Yue felt a whirlwind of emotions. Chen Bailian, the female ghost in green, Pei Yusheng... these scenes flashed through his mind like a cinematic sequence. The events of the past few days were simply too unbelievable.

Old Man Huo snapped his fingers and stared at Cui Yue. "You brat, you’re really not coming with me? It’s rare for me to have the urge to take on an apprentice; you won't get another chance like this!"

Cui Yue remained indifferent and simply shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I’m not cut out for this. If I have the chance, I’ll introduce some business to you!"

"Hmph, remember to come find me if you have any trouble." As Old Man Huo turned to leave, he added, "By the way! Use that sword you have well!" He cast a meaningful glance at the small peachwood sword in Cui Yue’s pocket.

Cui Yue was puzzled by his hidden meaning and could not fathom what he meant. With that, the group finally bid farewell to Shangwan Village and embarked on their journey home.

Old Man Huo looked at Cui Yue’s retreating figure and muttered to himself, "The future is unpredictable. You brat, there is a divine providence in all things!"