Chapter Thirty-Two: Offering Incense in Fulfillment of a Vow

At that moment, the household was moving about with lanterns, and an elderly woman, appearing to be in her forties or fifties, her hair wrapped in gray cloth, wore an expression as if facing an imminent enemy.

“Originally, now that the child is awake, there shouldn’t be any major trouble. But since he dreamed that the thing followed him home, that’s truly frightening.”

The old woman spoke in a low voice, “Therefore, I must invite it here, negotiate with it, and ask it to spare your child. Otherwise, whenever your child touches water, you must beware of its revenge. And as long as this matter isn’t resolved, it will keep watching your family—first the little one, then your grandson, your son, and finally yourself…”

Beside her, the old man’s face changed, and he hurried to say, “Grandma Sun, you’re the expert. We’ll do whatever you say. Everything is up to you.”

“I’ve come, so I will help you handle this,” the old woman replied confidently, about to continue when she suddenly turned her head, gazing out beyond the backyard fence. “It’s here.”

“Ah…” The old man was startled.

Without a sound, a figure stood there. In the darkness, vision was blurred, but from the clothing it was clear—a woman, long hair hanging wetly over her face, appearance chilling and terrifying.

“Every debt has its debtor, every grievance its cause. This child is young—not your enemy. You may raise your hand and let him go; the family here is willing and will offer incense and worship afterwards, increasing your merit. If not, though I am but an old woman with little skill, I will contend with you.”

Grandma Sun stepped forward, manipulating something with her hands, murmuring as she moved.

“That’s impossible.”

She seemed to be listening to something, then quickly shook her head. Indeed, she was communicating, bargaining with the apparition.

After some time, it appeared a deal had been struck. The old woman turned to the old man, saying, “Tomorrow morning, place a chicken and a duck by the riverbank, burn three sticks of incense, and have the child kneel and pay respects; then this matter will be resolved. But from now on, do not let the child enter the water. His fate lacks water, yet he is naturally blessed, and entering water makes him an easy target. The things in the water are full of resentment—whenever they come seeking aid, the child is too young and powerless, and if he cannot bear it, he could lose his life.”

She spoke directly to the old man.

While she spoke, the shadow outside the door seemed to truly concede, step by step retreating back toward the river…

…

The next morning, with the crowing of roosters, Chen Yushu awoke. After washing up, he went straight through the backyard, following the small path toward the riverbank.

Soon, he arrived at the familiar spot by the shore. Autumn had arrived, and the early morning wind carried a chill. Yet, after days of cultivation, Chen Yushu’s constitution had improved greatly; even in a thin shirt, he felt little cold.

Without hesitation, he began practicing his stance training.

The King of Medicine Stance, paired with breathing techniques, every move possessed an unusual elegance.

Soon, as his body trembled, his breath seemed to harmonize with heaven and earth, his whole being shuddering intensely, countless beads of sweat pouring from within.

At the same time, a strong warmth surged from within, spreading throughout his body.

King of Medicine Stance +1

Chen Yushu, breathing heavily, sat to rest, gazing around. He happened to see, some ten yards away, an old man and a young boy standing by the riverbank.

They stood at the shore, offerings laid out before them, as if worshipping something.

“Is it them?”

Chen Yushu had already sensed someone approaching while practicing, but paid no mind. Now, recognizing the pair, his expression changed.

He had seen them both—the old man surnamed Wu who cried for help at the pharmacy yesterday, and the boy who had encountered misfortune.

Now, the boy was awake, standing beside the old man, kneeling three times before the river.

“It seems Grandma Sun truly has skill and resolved their trouble. Yet, according to the ‘Li Chao’s Ghost Records,’ what they’re doing now is called incense repayment—meaning Grandma Sun only helped them escape the predicament, but the ghost remains. It’s still here… and not far from these waters.”

Chen Yushu’s eyelid twitched.

He knew that incense repayment must be performed within a certain range of the ghost. Since the grandfather and grandson placed their offerings here, it meant the ghost was in these waters.

Reflecting on his daily training and reading here, practicing his throwing techniques, his face darkened.

Truly—

At that moment, the grandfather and grandson finished their worship and, without delay, headed back.

Passing by Chen Yushu, the old man smiled and greeted him, “Young man, you’re from the Liu Family Pharmacy, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Chen Yushu nodded.

“How fortunate. Unlike my boy, who’s unlucky,” he said, glancing at his grandson. “He can no longer make his living from the river; who knows what he’ll do. If only he could join the Liu Family Pharmacy like you.”

He sighed.

As a neighbor, he knew full well how difficult it was to enter the Liu Family Pharmacy.

A precious medicine worth dozens of taels of silver, or a treasure fish of equal value—such wealth equaled nearly ten years of food expenses for an ordinary family.

Even if luck brought him a treasure fish, he couldn’t bear to part with it, with several mouths at home waiting to be fed.

His grandson was just that—a grandson.

Moreover, as an old fisherman with decades of experience, he knew the difficulty of catching treasure fish. Even when caught in a net, their strength allowed them to escape.

Over the years, he’d only occasionally heard of someone catching one, each time causing a stir among the fishermen.

Chen Yushu smiled, saying nothing.

The old man didn’t expect an answer, and pulled the boy home.

Chen Yushu intended to finish his practice and find another spot, but after surveying the area, he found his spot the most suitable.

He thought, after all, the ghost could only harm those who entered the water; he was on the shore and it was broad daylight—surely it wouldn’t dare harm him here.

So he sat down, once again opening ‘Li Chao’s Ghost Records’ to read.

This time, he came upon a case of encountering a ghost in the river—a corpse porter at the dock facing a ghost, and finally inviting Li Chao to exorcise it.