Die Schönheiten der Song-Dynastie

Kapitel 13

I had them put the bones back in the coffin, rebury them, and perform a proper rite of passage. I also instructed them to observe a vigil for forty-nine days, like filial sons and grandsons.

"How did you know that woman wasn't dead? And that she could be saved?" Tian Juan asked admiringly.

"After a person dies, the soul does not leave the body immediately; it still retains a faint consciousness. In fact, our weeping, grieving, washing the body of the deceased, and changing their clothes are often harmful, but that's another topic. Generally speaking, the soul of a normal person stays in the world for a short time before disappearing and participating in reincarnation. Only a few remain in the world due to some circumstance."

That day I sensed the ghosts of two people, one of whom still had a strong human presence. After some divination, I determined that I could return their souls to the young woman's body. And that's exactly what happened.

I always assumed it was the old woman's ghost who caused all this trouble, and I didn't think much of it.

"So, according to you, it was those two ghosts who were manipulating things? They witnessed both your ability to bring the dead back to life and your ability to deliver the souls from suffering."

"Did they contact you afterward?" Jiang Ping asked.

"I don't remember, but to be honest, ghosts usually don't dare to approach me, whether they're awake or asleep. The one who dared to lure me into the trap that day probably took advantage of my drunkenness. I've never been drunk since."

"So what is their purpose in doing this?" Tian Juan asked Jiang Ping with a puzzled look in her eyes. It seemed that she was beginning to believe in Jiang Ping's reasoning ability.

Jiang Ping shook his head: "I feel like I have a vague idea of some things, but it's just an intuition, I can't quite put my finger on it. I believe this is the key to resolving this feud."

I really want to talk to that ghost, but I don't know if I can find him.

"But he harbored ill intentions all along, which is probably hard to resolve. He even managed to rescue Mr. Bian's ghost," said Mrs. Tian, still shaken.

"I'll be careful not to overdo it. In fact, I felt it very strongly just now. I've never felt so eager to do something before. If that ghost wanted to harm me, it definitely could. If it had asked me to stab myself, I think I would have done it without even flinching."

“Yes, he once said that he disdained controlling people’s souls to harm them,” Tian Juan added.

Mr. Sun said, "Being a ghost is actually a very unfortunate thing. They often stay in this world because they have suffered some injustice or are unable to extricate themselves. You can imagine how desolate they feel when they look through the window on a cold winter night and see families gathering and having fun together. Over the years, I have generally not advocated using violence to suppress those ghosts that harm people, or indiscriminately sending them to an abyss of eternal damnation."

In my opinion, a person without conscience and devoid of humanity is more terrifying than a ghost.

Jiang Ping said respectfully, "Grandpa Sun, I will remember your advice. Rest assured, I will only resort to extreme measures if I am unable to control the situation. I must ensure the safety of Mr. Bian and his family."

I believe he has feelings for me because I am the reincarnation of his youngest son. However, apart from a small fragment, I really can't remember anything else from my past life.

If you can remember it, it will definitely be very helpful.

Another thing I'm really curious about is how the clan chief resurrected his people.

Mr. Sun said approvingly, "It seems you will be more successful than me in the future. I believe you can handle this matter well."

Since inheriting Mr. Sun's magical powers, Jiang Ping has become exceptionally charismatic and decisive, no longer giving off the impression of a weak scholar.

He said without hesitation, "There are only four days left until July 15th, time is too tight. I need to find the graves of the clan chief and Bian Jizhong as soon as possible."

Let's head to Wuhan right away. Driver, could you please have someone book five train tickets to Changsha for tonight? It's 7 PM now, we should be in Wuhan by 10 PM.

Mr. Bian thanked Mr. Sun repeatedly, and Tian Juan and her mother both cried.

Mr. Sun smiled and said, "After you settle this matter, we will have another chance to meet. For now, we will listen to Jiang Ping."

The following afternoon, we returned to Hunan without incident. Along the way, Jiang Ping advised us not to discuss that matter anymore, speaking with an air of confidence. We accepted his advice with peace of mind, because we were all uneasy and easily frightened, needing a strong figure to give us confidence. We chatted about local customs and traditions, enjoying the conversation immensely.

Mr. Bian has barely spoken since yesterday. At first, I thought he wasn't a talkative person, but then I realized I was wrong. He was probably afraid that if he talked too much, people would think he was cowardly. He is very knowledgeable and has a strong literary foundation. He can readily recount the local customs, traditions, and anecdotes of the places he encountered along the way. This is exactly what Jiang Ping excels at. The two of them complemented each other perfectly, giving the impression that they were kindred spirits who had grown up together.

Tian Juan's eyes shone with admiration; she was so pitiful that I felt as if I were seeing the same Tian Juan's mother from over twenty years ago.

As a girl, I tend to be rational, while Tian Juan tends to be emotional. I can appreciate her, not envy her.

I have a feeling that Mr. Bian is a very unique person. He is the kind of person whose emotions are very sincere and who is prone to extremes. The way he looks at Mother Tian is very complicated. There is joy, pity, admiration, and melancholy in his eyes... In short, that kind of look is unforgettable.

When he loves someone, he throws himself into it completely, burning like a raging fire, willing to sacrifice everything. If that lover unfortunately passes away, I believe he will never love anyone else again; his heart will be tightly closed, because he will live his remaining days in endless memories of his beloved.

Death is something to look forward to, a chance to reunite with loved ones in another world. Perhaps Tian's mother also possessed this quality.

So back then, it must have been incredibly painful and helpless for Mr. Bian to give up on a girl whose eyes were like crescent moons when she smiled, whose dimples bloomed like flower buds, and whose teeth were as white as jade!

In the illusion created by the patriarch's ghost, I sensed that Mr. Bian's relatives across generations shared this quality: a deep attachment to life and a profound love for their family. Even someone like Bian Jizhong, who had once killed without blinking an eye, could soften even the hardest heart when faced with kinship.

I even feel that the clan chief and Mr. Bian have many similarities. Too many tragedies have already occurred, and none of those involved are happy.

The question Tian Juan asked that day lingered in her mind, refusing to dissipate: "Is there really such a thing as cause and effect? Then what is the standard for judging good and evil? Is it human morality? Who judges, and who enforces it? Is it really true that the net of heaven is vast and its meshes are wide, yet nothing escapes it? Why do so many evil people go unpunished, while so many good people suffer tragic fates?"

Many questions, in the end, are questions that philosophy must answer.

We returned to the small town and found a hotel to stay in. After washing up, we had dinner together, and it was already past seven o'clock when we got back to the hotel.

Jiang Ping said, "You ladies have worked hard, please get some rest. Mr. Bian and I are going out for a walk to find out what's going on."

Tian Juan almost blurted out, "I want to go too!"

Mr. Bian pretended to be angry and said, "What are you going to do with so many people? Do you think it's a fight? Go and let your mother rest."

Tian Juan pouted, clearly unhappy.

I sensed it wasn't just about gathering information, so I firmly said, "I'm definitely going. I..."

Jiang Ping ignored me and started muttering something in a low voice. I had a bad feeling. I was sitting on the bed and suddenly couldn't move, just like the night before last when Grandpa Sun was muttering.

"I'm sorry, please sit for a while and you'll be fine. We'll be back as soon as possible," Jiang Ping said.

We stared blankly as they closed the door and left.

I felt a bit annoyed and tried desperately to stand up, but I couldn't move a single finger. It felt like knowing you'd had carbon monoxide poisoning or oversleeping on a summer afternoon.

When I first started as a reporter, I also had the experience of being abandoned by people I was supposed to interview. Later, I kept summarizing my experience of tracking people and was often able to get some exclusive news. The current situation makes me feel as upset as when I failed my first interview and was scolded by the editor-in-chief.

After a few minutes, I calmed down a bit. I suddenly remembered a story I'd heard on the radio about a ghost bridge. It's about getting lost at night, or discovering an unusual road or something else in a familiar place. One way to break the spell is to calm your mind and silently recite the six-syllable mantra or Namo Amitabha Buddha.

I focused my attention, silently chanting Buddhist mantras. Suddenly, I stood up abruptly, opened the door, slammed it shut, and rushed downstairs. I had a gut feeling they were heading to the cemetery.

I ran very fast, and when I got to the bottom of the road, they were talking to a taxi driver. I rushed forward and, before they could react, dove in.

Jiang Ping wasn't too surprised: "You're no wonder you're a journalist!"

I said angrily, "You're so unfair! You didn't even include me in such a thrilling and exciting adventure!"

The driver got scared: "Why are you going to that deserted place so late at night? You should change vehicles."

I said, "Don't be afraid, we are reporters from the Evening News, we're going there to do an interview. How about I show you my press card? You can call and verify if I'm even here."

The driver was skeptical, but he still made the call after taking my ID. After a while, he hung up, chuckled sheepishly, and said, "Sorry, I'll have to be careful tonight."

The two of them then got into the car, and Mr. Bian said apologetically with a smile, "I flagged down several cars but no one wanted to go. It's all thanks to you! But I still suggest you don't go."

"If I don't go, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. Enough said, let's go!"

The car drove towards the suburbs, and the lights gradually thinned out. After driving for a while, the dark silhouette of the mountains appeared before me, slowly rising higher. There were sparse lights below the mountains, and a bone-chilling cold suddenly seeped into my body as if water had soaked through me; I couldn't help but shiver.

The rain had long since stopped, and the pale moon was moving through a patch of dark clouds, almost a full moon.

The bright lights suddenly illuminated a stone bridge in the darkness, dazzlingly white like jade, and then the sound of rushing water could be heard.

The driver stopped the car, turned around and said, "This is the most I can take you; I can't go any further."

"Why is the stone bridge closed to traffic?" I asked casually.

"No, this is a haunted mountain. Nobody dares to come here at night. Don't ask anymore, I don't know the specifics either. You should be careful." The driver didn't dare to say anything more.

“Alright,” Mr. Bian took out a hundred-yuan bill and handed it to him, “If you can wait for us, I’ll pay you double the amount based on the time, how about that?”

The driver readily agreed. We got out of the car, and the chill that hit us made me shiver several times. Apart from the sound of flowing water, it was so quiet here that it felt like my heart was on edge, and the slightest noise would make it snap.

This is a barren mountain. After thousands of years of rain washing away the vegetation, only bare rocks remain on the summit, gleaming faintly blue in the cold moonlight. The hillside is a slippery lawn.

I know Jiang Ping wants to find the clan chief's grave and meet his ghost. But this mountain is just too big, and it's nighttime!

We stood there for a while, then Jiang Ping took a large flashlight out of his pocket. The bright beam of light pierced the darkness like a sharp sword. We slowly walked diagonally upwards.

I walked in the middle, Mr. Bian walked behind, and Jiang Ping led the way. After walking for a few minutes, we heard the sound of a motor starting up down the mountain. The taxi was heading very fast towards the city, and its two taillights quickly dimmed and disappeared into the night sky.

“It’s alright, my cousin lives nearby,” Mr. Bian reassured him.

My eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness. The mountain wasn't actually steep; its slope was concave upwards. After walking for a while, the fear slowly disappeared, and suddenly the path seemed to brighten.

We all turned to look back at the same time, and two beams of light were speeding towards us from the bridge—it was a car! It sped across the stone bridge and rushed towards us.

Before we could react, the blinding lights made it impossible for me to open my eyes. My mind went blank. Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt, and Jiang Ping rushed over, shouting, "What's wrong?"

The driver stared at him blankly, saying, "Behind, behind!"

"What happened next?"

The driver didn't dare to turn around for a long time. Only after a while did he dare to turn his head back and say in a trembling voice, "Just now, someone held a knife to my neck and ordered me to speed up and drive this way!"

"Who is it? Did you pick up passengers on your way back?"

"No! It's a ghost! It's a ghost! How did he get on the bus?" The driver was so frightened that his face turned pale.

"Did you get a clear look at the man's face?" I asked.

"How could I dare to look! I really shouldn't have come here. May the Bodhisattva protect me, may the Bodhisattva protect me!" The driver was terrified.

Jiang Ping gave him a small wooden talisman and said, "Wear this, it'll ward off evil! Go back quickly, and everything will be fine."

The driver asked, trembling, "How much longer? I'll wait for you. I'm too scared to go back alone."

Jiang Ping whispered a few words in the driver's ear: "Just silently repeat these words to yourself here and everything will be fine! We'll be back soon."

"Is the clan chief trying to intimidate us? Is he trying to make us back down?" I asked.

Jiang Ping sneered, "Don't be afraid, come with me, let's see what other tricks he has up his sleeve!"

After the driver slowly reversed the car back under the bridge, we continued uphill. The sound of the water gradually subsided, leaving only the sound of our footsteps. My heart tightened again, fearing that a skeleton or something else might suddenly appear by the roadside.

After walking for a while, I realized something was wrong again; the man behind me suddenly went silent. I turned around and saw him walking blankly towards the river.

I shouted, "Hey, Mr. Bian, this way!" But he seemed not to hear me and kept walking straight ahead. I turned around and called to Jiang Ping, and immediately turned pale with fright. Dozens of flickering, motionless orbs of light appeared in the air ahead. Jiang Ping stood still, staring intently ahead, ignoring my shouts.

I got goosebumps all over as I watched Mr. Bian walk step by step into the water. In a panic, I pulled my MP3 player out of my pocket and threw it hard across the river. There was a splash, and Mr. Bian stopped, then turned and ran back to us.

"What happened?" he asked, panting.

When I looked back at Jiang Ping's side, all the orbs of light had disappeared.

"Why did you go over there?" I asked fearfully, knowing it must have been something sinister.

"I saw a bright light over there just now, and it looked like there was a very wide road. I don't know how I wandered over there in a daze. It's really weird! Luckily, that noise woke me up, otherwise I would have been swept into the river."

Jiang Ping shouted towards the mountain, "Come out now! Stop playing tricks!"

Suddenly, a piercing laugh came from the other side of the mountain, and the whole mountain seemed to shake.

"I know what you're trying to do. You don't need to resort to these little tricks anymore!"

The laughter suddenly stopped, and silence fell all around.

Jiang Ping sneered, "If I don't want to, you can't intimidate me! You want to play hide-and-seek with me, huh? But don't blame me for changing my mind later."