Xiao Taos Geistergeschichten (Vollversion)

Kapitel 19

Without even looking up, Tao Rujiu knew it was Dong Li Bupo's voice. If you removed the unusual ethereal and eerie quality, the voice could even be described as pleasant. However, Tao Rujiu still didn't seem ready to raise his head and face the ghost's face, which might very well test the limits of his courage.

The two people and the ghost remained silent on the wasteland for a while. Then, Hua Kai walked up to Tao Rujiu again, tugged at his arm, and seemed to be comforting him, telling him there was no need to be afraid. Meanwhile, Dong Li Bu Po's sarcastic voice gradually reminded him of another person who loved to mock him.

"What? I remember you guys were quite brave in the underground palace yesterday, why have you lost your nerve now? Do I have to scare you to be satisfied? I don't mind if that happens..."

Before she could finish speaking, Tao Rujiu felt Hua Kai make a gesture towards the ghost. Dong Li Bupo immediately changed his tone, speaking to the boy with gentleness and doting affection. Although Tao Rujiu wasn't used to hearing these things from a ghost, it did indeed lessen his fear considerably.

Just as the ghost and the flower were fighting, Tao Rujiu quietly raised her head and looked over there, but she did not feel the surprise, horror or fear she had imagined.

Dongli Bupo was indeed the tall man with the silver mask, wearing an ancient robe, and long black hair. Strangely enough, the silver mask that had almost terrified him in Lingli's villa last time didn't look so scary now; in fact, one could even see some primal aesthetic appeal in it.

Tao Rujiu composed himself and mustered his courage to speak, "You... hello, I am Tao Rujiu. I'm sorry to bother you, but the matter is like this..."

This was the most polite opening he had ever used in his experience as a journalist. However, to the other two people present, it still sounded incredibly ridiculous.

"Enough with the small talk. Just tell me what you need my help with, then we can discuss the terms. If we can reach an agreement, I'll do it; if not, there won't be a next time."

Tao Rujiu was secretly surprised. He had always thought ghosts were dark and melancholic, but it turned out they, like humans, had various temperaments. Dongli Bupo seemed quite straightforward. Thinking this, he became even bolder, straightened his back, and said, "Qimao Xian only told me to come to you, saying you must have a way to persuade Ling Li to withdraw his people from Hailing City, and also hoped you could help him get rid of those three evil spirits. But..."

He paused slightly, prompting Dongli Bupo to urge him impatiently, "But what?"

"But from beginning to end I was just following Qi Maoxian's instructions. I didn't know why I was looking for you, or even who you were or why you were here."

Dongli Bupo didn't answer immediately after hearing his words. Instead, he turned around and asked Qin Huakai, "Little darling, didn't you tell him about me?"

Hua Kai, who was affectionately called "Little Darling," shook his head habitually. Dong Li Bu Po frowned, then gently kissed his forehead and said, "I'll explain to this person that I won't come looking for you tonight. Make sure you take the amulet I gave you and go back to the opera troupe first. Darling."

Tao Rujiu stood not far away, watching Dongli Bupo's kiss, which was merely a formality, a kiss on Qin Huakai's forehead. Two bodies of different natures could never truly touch—just like the passion they shared in the woods outside Corpse Soul Town, a ritual that only satisfied Huakai's senses. Hearing Dongli Bupo's instructions, Huakai obediently left the bushes and walked back. Afterwards, Dongli Bupo kept his eyes closed, actually using meditation to follow the boy, confirming that he had safely returned to Cuiying Pavilion before coming to his senses and explaining to Tao Rujiu:

"I was originally the son of a general of the ancient city of Xiyao, and also his vanguard. My father and I led the army to fight against the pirates, and our military exploits were outstanding. However, fate is unpredictable, and I died in battle. After my death, the villagers buried me on this cape as the guardian deity of the city, and I was given a silver mask to preserve my soul. The sea eagle is the guardian deity of those who go to sea, and also the ancestral deity of our family. Huakai was my lover seven lifetimes ago. He committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea after my death. In his subsequent lifetimes, he was reborn near Xiyao City, hoping to reunite with me in the afterlife. However, it was only in this life that he came to Hailing City, which has long since become an island, and we finally reunited."

Although Tao Rujiu listened carefully to every word he said, it still felt like some kind of theatrical performance. A faint sense of emotion stirred within him, yet it also felt so distant, almost like a story from another world. After a long pause to process it, he continued, "You are a general who died in ancient battles, buried in this Hailing City as a guardian. Hua Kai is your…lover, but what exactly does all this have to do with Ling Li?"

Dongli Bupo replied calmly, "My father had four sons. Apart from me, who died young, the other three brothers all carried on the Dongli family line. And Lingli is one of them..."

“You’re a descendant of your brother…” Tao Rujiu had completely forgotten her fear by this point and interjected, “But Ling Li’s surname is Ling, not Dongli. Could it be that a collateral branch changed their surname…”

"Don't make wild guesses!" Dongli interrupted him unhappily. "Don't you know that Ling Li has a mother?"

Tao Rujiu quickly corrected herself, embarrassed: "Oh, right, you can also be part of his family..."

“I’m from your family…” Dongli Bupo said through gritted teeth. Tao Rujiu knew she had said the wrong thing again, and her face turned red with shame. She quickly changed the subject.

"So that's how it is. Then the ancestor that Ling Li worships in the villa must be you, right?"

Dongli Bupo nodded, "However, I don't have the ability to ensure his livestock thrives and his crops are plentiful. At most, I can protect him in Hailing City. Although people regard me as their protector, the living cannot even protect themselves, yet they place their hopes on the dead. Isn't that living too easily?"

Tao Rujiu awkwardly chuckled twice and said, "Then the strong wind protecting Ling Li in the underground palace was created by you, right? But since you have such an ability, why don't you just get rid of those three ghosts directly? That would save you from this trouble."

Dongli Bupo rolled his eyes at him and said, "I am neither the Wuchang who captures souls nor Zhong Kui who catches ghosts. Besides, even ghosts have reasons and rules for killing each other. I have no interest in asking you to do anything."

Tao Rujiu then remembered that Qi Maoxian had once said that there were conditions for not breaking the eastern fence, so he tentatively asked, "So what exactly would it take for you to be interested?"

"Are you willing to make a deal with me based on the conditions I've set?" Dongli Bupo's lips curved into a devilish smile beneath his silver mask.

"Then please tell me first..." Tao Rujiu suddenly felt powerless, feeling as if the conversation was being completely dominated by Dongli Bupo. "I need to tell you so I can decide whether to agree or not."

“I want your body, for one night,” Dongli Bupo answered readily.

"What...what would you do with my body?" Tao Rujiu was naturally very surprised.

Dongli Bupo remained calm and composed as he replied, "You don't need to use it to kill or set fires. I'll borrow it properly and return it to you properly. No scars, no pain. What are you afraid of?"

Tao Rujiu became increasingly wary: "But you don't just want to use my body to walk around and see the sunrise, do you?"

Dongli Bupo rolled her eyes at him: "Of course not, I want to spend a night with Huakai."

Tao Rujiu listened for a while before he understood the true meaning of "the eastern fence is not broken". His face turned pale with fright, even more so than if he had seen a ghost.

"You...you want to use my body to do...do that kind of thing with Huakai..."

"What's there to be afraid of? Do you think that when I'm with Huakai, I'll be the one on the bottom?" Dongli Bupo's voice remained icy cold. Although this matter sounded absurd to Tao Rujiu, it was the only way to satisfy both Dongli Bupo and Huakai at the same time.

"I'll only temporarily seal your soul. As long as I don't let you see or hear anything, you won't feel anything. I can also give you a second option: to temporarily remove your soul. We'll put it back when it's light. Which one do you want?"

Tao Rujiu only heard that the second method involved expelling one's soul from the body. What if a gust of wind blew the soul to the three vengeful ghosts? Wouldn't that be extremely dangerous? This was absolutely unacceptable, so he quickly replied, "The second method is absolutely not allowed!"

To everyone's surprise, Dongli Bupo chuckled sinisterly and said, "Then let's go with the first option, it's settled?"

Tao Rujiu then realized he had been tricked and accused him through gritted teeth, "You...you should at least let me think about something this important!"

Dongli Bupo scoffed, "What's there to consider? You won't be affected at all, and even Huakai won't see your face—I'll use illusion magic to make him see my face." After saying that, the ghost was silent for a moment, "I want to touch his face; this is my only wish for hundreds of years."

Upon hearing this, Tao Rujiu also fell silent. He admitted that he was beginning to sympathize with this unusual couple, but that did not mean he agreed to offer his body as a bridge for their one-night stand.

"Could you give me two days to think about it?" the young man replied hesitantly. "I don't know how to answer you right now."

Dongli Bupo replied, "As long as those three fierce ghosts are willing to wait, I have no objection."

Tao Rujiu remembered what Qi Maoxian had said about the Vajra Net, and immediately asked Dongli Bupo about it. The ghost answered without hesitation, "Do you know why those three souls didn't reincarnate after being exorcised? It's because the cape past Hailing City was the battlefield against the pirates. Although those who died in battle were reincarnated, their resentment and anger were hard to quell, so it transferred to the three dissatisfied souls. That Vajra Net is a real object, and it does have a certain effect on retaining resentment. The reason it's ineffective against me is because I have silver protective gear, which prevents resentment from penetrating. But even if there is resentment, it's not impossible for it to seep out slowly from under the wall by relying on physical entities like flowing water. So there's no time to lose; we should act as soon as possible."

Tao Rujiu's unease intensified upon hearing his words. To make matters worse, Dongli Bupo, wanting to scare him further, suddenly moved closer, saying he wanted to show him the power of those three vengeful ghosts. As he spoke, Tao Rujiu felt a force lift him up, followed by an invisible barrier protecting him. Dongli Bupo vanished, leaving only his cold voice in his ear.

"I'll take you to the Netherworld Palace and see what's going on inside."

When Tao Rujiu heard that he was to be taken to the underground palace, he was terrified. He kept refusing, but Dongli Bupo still forcefully lifted him into the air and, under the cover of night, sped towards the direction of the Netherworld Palace.

The underground palace, which had already been sealed off, remained unusually closed. High-powered lights temporarily installed on the palace walls shone throughout the night. Tao Rujiu looked down at the earth from mid-air; the grove of trees and the town of Corpse Souls, the solitary graves, were all silently bathed in a white-purple light, making them appear even more eerie.

"Do you know where those three vengeful ghosts are?" Dongli Bupo's voice rang out. "They're no longer satisfied with that cramped underground palace, you see..."

Tao Rujiu looked down, and beneath his feet was the slightly sunken passageway of the underground palace. The cement floor was no longer visible; in its place was a river.

The underground river flows backwards to higher ground.

“By following this river, we can find out where those three vengeful ghosts are—and of course, we might also find Wang Baihu’s corpse.”

Tao Rujiu was unable to exert any strength in mid-air and could only let Dongli Bupo carry him around. He comforted himself, thinking that at least the ghost wouldn't abandon him to those three vengeful spirits; at most, he would be frightened, but it would pass once he closed his eyes.

But thinking about it is easy; putting it into practice is a completely different story.

Along the path where the underground water flowed out, Tao Rujiu saw many things floating in the water that had been washed out of the underground palace: all sorts of debris, large pieces of white cloth, severed limbs and heads of wax figures, and wigs resembling seaweed sinking and tangling in the slower-moving parts of the water. Dongli Bupo lowered Tao Rujiu down a little, and he immediately smelled a pungent, sour stench mixed with the smell of mold and wax, making it almost impossible to breathe.

“These are still considered good,” Dongli Bupo said. “You’ve never smelled the stench of rotting corpses in the summer… but it’ll be soon.”

Upon hearing this, Tao Rujiu was startled and unconsciously began to pay attention to the surrounding movements.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already moved far from the entrance to the underground palace and Soul Society, arriving near the Reincarnation Street. It was a narrow street modeled after a residential area from the 1980s. On both sides were dilapidated five-story buildings, the ground floor converted into equally run-down shops. Although it was only a tourist attraction open to visitors during the day, it was deliberately arranged to create a scene full of life. Foot basins and waxed vegetables, benches and slippers were placed along the street. Even clothes were drying outdoors. However, upon closer inspection, one would discover that all these items were covered in a thin layer of blood, as if a horrific incident had just occurred.

"Twenty-five years ago, this was a crowded yet harmonious community. The residents of this street knew each other and were friendly. However, the peace was shattered by the son of a family who had just been released from prison. ... This thug committed all sorts of evil deeds, making the street no longer peaceful. Finally, one day, the neighbors united, killed the thug, and dismembered his body. To prevent the police from finding the body, they cut it into small pieces and took them home to hide. But on the night of his supposed seventh-day memorial, the entire neighborhood of residents on the street met a violent end..."

This is the explanatory text printed on the wooden sign at the entrance of the alley. Although it is fabricated, it still sends chills down one's spine. Dongli Bupo placed Tao Rujiu on the roof of one of the buildings. At the end of the street below, the eerie underground river was slowly flowing towards them.

"Shh, don't make a sound. Watch carefully." Dongli Bupo ordered him to lie down.

The strange aura of the underground river quickly spread, and Tao Rujiu saw it spreading through the streets, instantly turning the flooded areas into a rotten, dark brown. Weeds withered, and even the occasional rat that passed by rotted instantly into a pool of waxy liquid.

"That's him absorbing the hostility of the environment and the fear of tourists," Dongli Bupo explained. "This is his paradise. How long do you plan to leave it here?"

Tao Rujiu covered his mouth and nose, shaking his head frantically, wanting only to leave as quickly as possible. He tried to stand up, supporting himself with his right hand on the ground, but instead touched a round, ping-pong ball-like object. Upon closer inspection, it was an eyeball. "You've found the hardest part—the eyeball. Truly remarkable," Dongli Bupo sneered from the side. In the Reincarnation Street, there was a public activity: finding the waxy body parts from the story on this ghostly street. The eyeball in Tao Rujiu's hand was clearly the most difficult part to find.

However, before even hearing this explanation, the young man let out a sob and threw the eyeball downstairs. Immediately afterward, the sound of running water on the street below suddenly ceased.

The surrounding silence was unsettling. Tao Rujiu was about to peek out to see what was happening when Dongli Bupo suddenly grabbed him and lifted him into the air.

"Are you asking for it?!"

The next instant, a giant wave suddenly crashed down from below, striking the spot where Tao Rujiu had been lying. A muffled boom was heard, and a dent about a meter square was punched into the concrete roof.

Tao Rujiu was suspended in mid-air by Dongli Bupo, a chill running through him to the core. If he hadn't dodged in time, he would probably be a pile of minced meat in that crater by now.

"Hurry...I want to go back..." He looked at the water still flowing and searching for its target at his feet, and pleaded with Dongli Bupo with trembling hands. However, the ghost insisted that he calm down and look at one last incredible thing.

"See that? It's right there in the strongest part of the river!"

Tao Rujiu steeled himself and followed Dongli Bupo's directions, looking towards the very front of the river. The spear-shaped tip was passing through the area illuminated by the streetlights. There, Tao Rujiu saw a headless, greenish-blue lower body, wrapped in fragments of white cloth from the underground palace, drifting forward with the constant propulsion of the river.

“That’s part of Wang Baihu’s corpse,” Dongli Bupo said. “The three vengeful ghosts divided his body up, and the stream we see now is clearly controlled by only one vengeful ghost. How about that? Interesting, isn’t it?”

Tao Rujiu had no ability to answer. Apart from sadness and fear, all he could do was choke back his tears and try to stop himself from vomiting.

After this final ordeal, Dongli Bupo finally agreed to let Tao Rujiu go. He took the young man out of the Netherworld Palace, placed him at the entrance of the Misty Rain Jiangnan district, and left on his own. He only left a message saying that he would come to find him again at midnight the day after tomorrow.

The moment his feet touched the ground, Tao Rujiu began coughing and vomiting, as if trying to expel all the musty, rotten smell he had just inhaled from his body. He squatted weakly by the roadside sewer opening, his whole body almost curled up in a ball. When the nausea subsided slightly, he got up and staggered forward a few steps. When he looked up again, he suddenly felt warm water running down his cheeks, and realized that his eyes were filled with tears.

The feeling of powerlessness and helplessness was like being trapped in a huge, dark haunted house, forever subjected to fear and torment. Tao Rujiu became increasingly convinced that the person he encountered at the entrance of the ghost marriage hall that night was not a wax figure of a bride, but Wang Baihu, who was being haunted by ghost water. However, he was blinded by fear and thus made himself a substitute for the vengeful ghost.

He was the one who killed Wang Baihu, causing him to fall into the vast, ghostly waters of the third level of the underground palace. And now, how many more people will be swallowed by that ghostly water, becoming victims of Hailing City? He didn't know.

It was already pitch black. Tao Rujiu then remembered that he hadn't told Master Lü when he left, so he gritted his teeth and quickened his pace to hurry back to Cuiying Pavilion. Just then, he felt a heavy pat on his shoulder.

"It's so late, do you want to die?!"

At dusk, Ling Li went to Cuiying Pavilion as usual, but did not see Tao Rujiu. Although he was a little puzzled, he patiently waited until dark. When everyone became anxious, he was the first to rush out to look for her with a dark face.

"Or was it you who told me to withdraw the people from the city? What, you think you can just wander around at night like that? Do you expect Master Lü and the others to come looking for you again?"

Ling Li's voice was somewhat hoarse. Tao Rujiu simply let him curse without offering any explanation or retaliation. However, the more silent he remained, the more agitated Ling Li became. He could not forgive the young man for leaving without saying goodbye at such a sensitive moment. Especially when he thought of the terrifying scene at the underground palace manager last night, the man was filled with hatred and only hoped to find Tao Rujiu and knock him to the ground with a punch.

However, after finding Tao Rujiu, Ling Li's feelings went beyond simply wanting to beat him up.

The young man's silent demeanor caused him a slight pang of heartache, but when he thought of his earlier anxiety and unease, another voice inside him clamored for punishment.

Ling Li, with a heavy heart, abruptly stopped the young man, shoving him repeatedly during the interrogation. Tao Rujiu silently endured his scolding until he could no longer stand and collapsed unconscious on the roadside lawn. It wasn't until Ling Li noticed Tao Rujiu's unusual behavior and rushed over to help him up that he touched his cheek and discovered the young man had a fever.

"I got wet last night and didn't change my clothes in time, so it's understandable that I caught a cold and had a fever." Tao Rujiu, now fully awake, found himself lying in a guest room on the second floor of the villa. "Thank you for changing my clothes." He looked down at the bathrobe he was wearing, and realized that he was no longer wet or uncomfortable from the fall, understanding that Ling Li must have given him a quick wash. He thanked him, his face slightly flushed.

"No need to thank me." Ling Li placed the pills in his hand. "I shouldn't have pushed you. You're not an employee in the city. Where you go and when you go is your own business."

Tao Rujiu frowned, sensing the man's continued displeasure. Even if she told him about being taken to the Netherworld Palace by Dongli Bupo, he probably wouldn't believe her, so she simply remained silent.

Ling Li had originally thought that he would at least give him an explanation, but he didn't expect that the young man wouldn't even give him an explanation. In a fit of pique, he silently went downstairs, poured himself a glass of water, and shoved it into Tao Rujiu's hand with a huff.

"Drink water, take your medicine!"

Tao Rujiu hesitated for a moment, then reached out to take the cup, but instead of grasping the cup, he gently pressed it against Ling Li's hand.

"Ling Li, I'm sorry..." Tao Rujiu said, still keeping her head slightly down, like a child who had made a mistake. "I shouldn't have made you worry."

The words weren't loud, but they carried a gentle power. Ling Li sighed softly amidst this gentleness, leaned down to watch the young man swallow the pill, and then gently stroked his cheek.

The second kiss wasn't about who initiated it; it seemed like a natural fusion, progressing from light to intense, gradually spreading throughout their bodies with a fiery passion. Tao Rujiu's forehead was still burning hot as he slowly leaned back, letting the imposing, tall body press down on him.

The sash of the yukata was already a little loose, and now, with their movements, it opened wider to both sides. Tao Rujiu tilted her head back, panting. Her bare upper body also rose slightly, naturally slipping out of the white yukata. Ling Li leaned down slightly and touched her smooth, ivory skin. His hands lingered and caressed her, instantly arousing a blush wherever they touched.

Having a fever is painful enough, and in his hazy state, Tao Rujiu could no longer bear the strange burning sensation on his body. He reached out and grabbed Ling Li's hands, intending to remove them from his body, but unexpectedly, the man grabbed his slender wrists and pressed them towards the top of his head. Then, from somewhere, he found a tie and loosely tied them together.

"I can guarantee you'll feel very comfortable..."