Chapter Forty-Four: Commanding Spirits, Believing Spirits

Upon hearing this, the old man’s face darkened. “Expensive? What’s so expensive about it? Don’t make careless remarks if you don’t understand. My talismans have always been sold at this price—if you can’t afford them, have you considered it might be your own problem? Has your wage increased all these years? Have you worked hard enough?”

“Besides, these were crafted by the Daoist priest of Pineview Temple. They’ve been consecrated and are efficacious.”

“Then perhaps you should sell them to those who truly believe,” Chen Yushu waved his hand dismissively, then continued, “Just give me some talisman paper and a portion of talisman ink.”

“Hm?” The old man was still a bit displeased, but upon hearing this, he frowned and asked, “How should I address you, young man?”

“My surname is Chen,” Chen Yushu replied.

“Chen? From Chen Family Village? But that’s not right, there’s only one boy with the surname Chen in that village who knows a little about this trade, and he isn’t skilled at making talismans…” The old man questioned, then quickly shook his head, muttering under his breath.

“Shopkeeper, are you selling or not?” Chen Yushu frowned, asking pointedly.

He had no desire to be interrogated. If not for the need to make talismans, he wouldn’t wish to interact with others in the trade, at least not for a while.

“I’m selling, of course I’m selling.” The old man nodded hastily, pulling out a large stack of talisman paper and several vials of ink from the shop. “This is pleated paper—don’t be fooled by its rough appearance. It’s not easy to make, takes over a hundred steps, and can carry spiritual potency. It’s an essential material for talisman crafting. Ten sheets per portion, one tael of silver per portion. As for this ink, it’s called Yin Blood Ink, made from the blood of rare beasts, combined with yin bone and yin stone… One vial is ten taels of silver.”

Chen Yushu couldn’t help but frown at this. Though he knew these items were valuable, the price still stung.

“I haven’t overcharged you. Whether it’s talisman paper or ink, both are hard to make, time-consuming and labor-intensive. If it weren’t for some old fellows in town needing them, I wouldn’t bother making them at all.” The shopkeeper, sensing Chen Yushu’s hesitation, hurried to explain.

“Ten portions of talisman paper, one vial of Yin Blood Ink, and, shopkeeper, throw in two bundles of incense. Twenty taels of silver in total—how about it?” Chen Yushu considered briefly before speaking.

“I’ll give you three bundles of incense.” The old man grinned, neatly packing up the goods.

Chen Yushu took the silver from his pocket.

…

Leaving Old Fu’s Incense Shop, Chen Yushu strode toward his lodgings.

By now, night had fully fallen. Luckily, his mastery of throwing techniques had greatly improved his eyesight; he could see clearly in the dark, and with lanterns still glowing in some homes, it didn’t affect him much.

He pressed on.

Soon he found himself near the Left Family’s Grand Courtyard, the site he’d passed earlier.

He remained wary of this residence. When assisting Shi Hao with the dead, he’d sensed a thick, oppressive gloom emanating from this house while in his shadow-walking state. It was overwhelming—truly terrifying.

He was almost certain something was hidden inside, something big. Certainly not something he could handle at present.

“Hm? There’s someone at the gate?”

Suddenly, Chen Yushu’s expression changed. He could clearly see a slender figure standing at the entrance of the courtyard.

Instinctively, Chen Yushu paused, scrutinizing the figure. After confirming it wasn’t a ghost, he relaxed.

Still, he furrowed his brow next. For some reason, that silhouette sparked a sense of familiarity, as if he knew the person.

“Who is it?” he wondered. Just then, the figure moved.

The person, who had been standing by the gate, seemed to sense his gaze and turned to look in his direction.

That single glance made him recognize her.

It was someone from his own village.

Qiaowa, Liu Qiao’er.

She was the one rumored to be unlucky since childhood, the Liu family girl whose household had produced a ghost-witch with Yin abilities.

“What is she doing here? Why has she come?” Confusion welled up in his heart, and just then, he saw a small figure squeeze out of the dog-hole by the side gate.

Looking closely, the little figure was a girl, only five or six years old, with a braid atop her head.

The little girl wore a red bellyband. After she sprang out of the dog-hole, she hopped over to Liu Qiao’er’s side, her mouth moving rapidly—speaking at a quick pace.

“Is this… a ghost? A little ghost?” Chen Yushu was momentarily stunned, then quickly realized.

The little girl was, in fact, a child ghost.

“According to Li Chao’s Ghost Encounters, the shadow-walker is a most peculiar profession. In times of danger, when escape is impossible, one must use child ghosts to deliver messages and call for help. Such ghosts are often called ‘messenger ghosts’ or ‘letter ghosts.’ Sometimes, they’re even sent to scout ahead and gather information.

So, this little girl was Liu Qiao’er’s messenger ghost? Her letter ghost? Had she just sent the child ghost into the haunted house to investigate?”

Thoughts flashed through Chen Yushu’s mind, and clarity followed.

Previously, when he left the village, he’d encountered a funeral in a neighboring village. The corpse had inexplicably risen from the coffin. Because he’d fixed his gaze on it, the ghost rushed at him, but midway, it was sent flying back at an even faster speed.

He’d suspected then that Liu Qiao’er could also see ‘it,’ and it was her intervention that repelled the ghost.

Now, seeing her suddenly appear here, able to command a child ghost, he understood his earlier suspicions were correct.

Liu Qiao’er was remarkable—not only did she possess supernatural abilities, but she had inherited the relevant arts and had incense-powered cultivation.

He just wondered how deep her cultivation ran—how many sticks of incense power did she possess?

After pondering, he decided to approach.

No matter what, she was a fellow villager; it was only natural to greet her upon meeting.

But he had barely taken two steps when another head suddenly emerged from the dog-hole.

This head seemed to be hanging upside down, peering through the hole in an eerie manner at the world outside.

“Ghost!” Chen Yushu’s heart lurched, his whole body shivering.

It was utterly disturbing—a head hanging upside down, eyes wide, scanning the surroundings… Even though its features were intact and actually rather delicate, in this chilling environment, the upside-down appearance made his skin crawl.

The eyes spun, and because of the angle, they didn’t spot Liu Qiao’er first, but instantly locked onto Chen Yushu’s location.

Then, it smiled.

He could clearly see its mouth stretch wide, as if it had found its target.