Ghost Stocks

Chapter 44

Chang Wu: "Then Lin Zhenzhen doesn't need to give me a blood transfusion. The hospital has a system now that blood is supplied by the blood bank and on-site blood collection is prohibited."

Feng Junzi: "Who knows how lucky you were last night? The blood bank driver was drunk and drove the emergency blood delivery van into a ditch. He's still in the hospital. If we had waited for the blood bank to send another vehicle, you probably wouldn't be alive. We had no choice but to collect blood on-site. It's a pity, not because I'm not a good friend, but the only people who came that night were Lin Zhenzhen and Yuan Xiaoxia, who also have type A blood like you. However, by the time Officer Yuan arrived, the blood bank's second delivery van had already arrived, so only Lin Zhenzhen..."

Feng Junzi rambled on for a while, and Chang Wu finally understood. It turned out that Lin Zhenzhen's blood had saved his life after he was injured last night. Before Feng Junzi could finish speaking, he said, "Chang Wu, you should rest well. Lin's parents have moved their home to the hospital and will take good care of you two. Your team has already started hunting down those criminals. They even dared to touch our Captain Chang; they're incredibly bold. Don't worry, this won't happen to you again... Now that you're awake, I can go and handle other matters with peace of mind."

Of all those present, only Chang Wu understood the meaning behind Feng Junzi's rambling words. He wanted to reach out and grab Feng Junzi, but he was still too weak and could only watch as Feng Junzi walked out of the ward.

Part 4: A Pair of Chopsticks, Chapter 29: Deepest Feelings Unnoticed

Answer two questions from the book review.

Boss, I found a mistake! The first chapter is set in 1999, but it changed to 2002 later. (xrwbdfjian <7-21 23:24>)

A: You're probably referring to the first book, "The Deception of Gods and Ghosts," which is set in late 2002 to early 2003. There's an introduction before the main text that recounts an experience the protagonist had in 1997, but it's unrelated to the main plot.

Does the young master really enjoy reading the Book of Songs? He's even mentioned the "Airs of the States," "Odes," and "Hymns." Actually, I still think the joking interpretation, "The first chapter of the Airs of the States, 'A fair maiden, a gentleman's good match,'" is more suitable for a gentleman. :)(Feihan <7-15 14:41>)

A: You noticed? When I first started writing my novel, I happened to have a copy of the *Classic of Poetry* on hand, so I used allusions from it to name the characters. This included not only the *Airs*, *Odes*, and *Hymns*, but also names like Changwu, Zhaonan, Dongshan, Wuyi, and Boxi—all from the *Classic of Poetry*. Even Shiwei and Fangsi in the second book were from it. It wasn't until later books that the scholarly feel faded.

———————————————————————

Feng Junzi locked the study door, sat in front of the computer, covered his face with his hands, and peered through his fingers at a video recording on the screen. He had an urge to smash the monitor, but calming down, he remembered it was his own computer. Last night, Sun Weidong not only sent people to attack Lin Zhenzhen, but Feng Junzi had also just received news that a fire had broken out in the reporter's dormitory at the same time as the attack. The cause of the fire was said to be a short circuit, and the fire started in Lin Zhenzhen's room; everything flammable was burned. It seemed Feng Junzi had to think of a solution. He took out his phone and switched to a China Mobile SIM card.

While Feng Junzi sat deep in thought in his study, Sun Weidong was also lost in thought in his office. Shortly after the office theft, Lin Zhenzhen had resigned, and he instinctively suspected her involvement. However, despite the commotion, the accidental injury of a policeman by his subordinate, and the lack of leads on the stolen documents, the situation was dire. Inexplicably, rumors had begun circulating these past few days that the office building was haunted, and he had no idea where these gossips came from. Sun Weidong himself had even seen posts on some online forums titled "Top Ten Strange Places in Binhai City," which included Dormitory 9 of the University of Science and Technology, the laboratory building of the Medical University, the Exploration Cave in Binhai Park, the poplar forest on Laodong Mountain, and most incredibly, his own office building. Some of these places already had strange legends in Binhai, but some bored person had instigated them for his office.

Thinking about this, Sun Weidong felt a little uneasy. After the theft, he had asked a professional with criminal investigation experience to privately examine the scene, and the conclusion was unbelievable! The office doors and windows were tightly closed, and there were no signs of forced entry into the filing cabinets and desk drawers; no clues were left at the scene. Almost all the materials in his entire office had been moved, not only important documents, but even the pens in the drawers were gone. Such a thief was probably rare indeed! Although he didn't really believe in ghosts and spirits, he still asked a friend to invite a "master" to take a look, leaving behind a few "auspicious items" for "exorcising evil."

Just as Sun Weidong was lost in thought, the phone rang, interrupting his reverie. He picked up the receiver, and a faint male voice came through: "Hey Sun, do you know where your materials went?"

These words startled Sun Weidong, who asked urgently, "Who are you? Do you know where my things are? What do you want?"

"I am a wronged soul from hell."

Sun Weidong shouted, "Don't play tricks on me, state your conditions."

"Playing tricks? I'm not playing tricks, I am a ghost. If you don't believe me, I can tell you that my whole family of five is hospitalized in Jinsha Village, Longwangtang. Now we are all wandering ghosts. Now you must know who I am."

These words sent a chill down Sun Weidong's spine. He had heard Zhou Song mention that some time ago, a fisherman from Jinsha Village had somehow broken into the air-raid shelter at the Bayi Fishing Ground, stored seafood inside, and even stole some cement pillars to use as ship piers. They all died from radiation sickness. He thought the matter was long gone, but the person calling today claimed to be the ghost of that family. He composed himself and still spoke menacingly into the phone, "Even if you're a ghost, I'm not afraid. Since you've called, just say what you want to say. Where are my documents?"

"You're quite decisive, Mr. Sun. I have all the things you lost. How about we make a deal?"

Sun Weidong: "Name your terms."

"I'll give you a bank account number. You need to deposit 5 million yuan in cash into it within a month. We'll talk again after the money arrives."

Sun Weidong breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. It seemed the other party wasn't a ghost but a charlatan. Ghosts wouldn't ask for so much cash and wouldn't have a bank account. After calming down, he asked the other party, "I have plenty of money, but why should I trust you? What if you take my money and don't give me the goods? Let's find a time and place to exchange money for goods."

“I’m not interested in playing this game with you. Whether you pay me or not is up to you. If the money doesn’t arrive within a month, I can submit the materials to the central government, or I can just post them online and you can play by yourself then.”

Sun Weidong was getting a little anxious: "You've taken my money, you have to give me a guarantee, otherwise why should I believe you?"

“The fact that I took your money is itself a guarantee. If I took your money, I would be your accomplice. How could I possibly report you?”

Sun Weidong thought for a moment and decided that he should keep the other party calm for the time being and find out who he was through other means. So he said, "Tell me your account number and I can consider your suggestion."

The other person's voice remained unhurried: "Listen carefully, the account number is... Also, I forgot to clarify earlier, the 5 million I mentioned isn't in RMB, it's in USD..."

Sun Weidong: "What did you say?!" The other party had already hung up, leaving only a dial tone. At this point, Sun Weidong had no more interest in Lin Zhenzhen's matter; he immediately had someone trace the phone number and the bank account.

...

Feng Junzi hung up the phone with a cold smile. He pulled out the SIM card and threw it in the trash, thinking he'd let Sun Weidong investigate. The bank account Feng Junzi left for Sun Weidong belonged to someone else: Momoki Shinobu, the head of the China Binhai branch of the Japanese company Mokcho, the same guy who challenged Feng Junzi to a duel a month later. Feng Junzi couldn't understand why he did this; his purpose certainly wasn't to help Momoki Shinobu get rich. Sun Weidong and Zhou Song had shady dealings in Longwangtang. Momoki Shinobu and his men were also active in the Longwangtang area, possibly related to a historical case from sixty years ago. Whether it was a coincidence that these two groups appeared in the same place at the same time was unknown, and Feng Junzi wanted to test the waters.

...

Chang Wu's injuries weren't serious; the critical situation that night was merely due to excessive blood loss. A few days of rest would be enough, and Lin Zhenzhen was also fine now. However, Lin's parents insisted that Chang Wu stay in the hospital for a couple more days. Chang Wu's parents weren't in Binhai, and the Lin family practically treated him like their own son. The three of them, including Lin Zhenzhen, took turns caring for him at the hospital, making Chang Wu feel uncomfortable but also somewhat happy. Unfortunately, Feng Junzi didn't feel happy; he felt equally uneasy. He tried to visit Chang Wu in the hospital as little as possible. Lin's parents looked at Chang Wu with the eyes of a son-in-law, while Chang Wu looked at Lin Zhenzhen with the eyes of a lover. Although Lin Zhenzhen was still depressed, there was a hint of warmth in her eyes when she saw Chang Wu. It seemed that as long as Lin Zhenzhen could overcome her emotional trauma, things would be more or less right between them, and Feng Junzi, caught in the middle, would seem superfluous.

It was midday, and Feng Junzi was eating at a Western restaurant. Not far from the restaurant was the spot where he and Tao Muling had first met by the sea. He didn't know why he was there. Feng Junzi ordered a bottle of red wine and, while drinking, thought about Chang Wu and Lin Zhenzhen. He was happy for Chang Wu's feelings, but at the same time, he felt a strange pang of sadness. He didn't understand why he was like this. Feng Junzi suddenly muttered to himself, "Could it be that I also like Lin Zhenzhen? Why didn't I realize it before?" As he drank, he suddenly tossed his head, thinking to himself, "I thought I was smart, but I'm just a fool. Chang Wu did so much for Lin Zhenzhen because he loved her. So why did I? Actually, what I did was the same thing as Chang Wu… Sigh! What's the point of thinking about this now? I should just drink…"

Feng Junzi was sitting there alone, drinking in silence, when he suddenly heard a girl's voice across from him: "Sir, is this seat taken? May I sit here?"

There were plenty of empty seats in the restaurant, but the girl insisted on sitting opposite him. Feng Junzi, not in the mood to think much of it, replied without looking up, "No one's here, you can sit."

The girl across from him didn't seem to be there for a meal. She only ordered a glass of juice, took a few sips, and then asked the waiter for the bill. As she got up to leave and passed by Feng Junzi, she quietly placed a small note in front of him. The note read, "Be careful, you're being watched by bad guys. There are two Xinjiang people over there."

Feng Junzi was startled and instinctively wanted to look up and speak, but the girl was already gone. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of her face through the glass window; it looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he'd seen her before. Not far from the restaurant, two men with high noses, deep-set eyes, and dirty jackets sat at a table, eating with their heads down, their eyes glancing at him intentionally or unintentionally. He remembered seeing these two men several times on the street earlier that day; their presence in the same restaurant now was probably more than just a coincidence! Normally, he might have been more alert in this situation, but today he was somewhat distracted, thankfully the girl had reminded him. Feng Junzi didn't know who the two men who had been following him were, but now he was more interested in the girl—in today's society, people willing to secretly help strangers are few and far between.

Perhaps it's because he's had too much to drink that he's become so bold. Seeing the girl cross the street and enter a shopping mall across the street, Feng Junzi decided to play a game of stalking and counter-stalking. He stood up, crossed the street, and entered the mall, noticing the two people following him. There were two security guards at the mall entrance. Feng Junzi approached them and whispered, "I just saw those two people stealing something in the mall. After they finished, they came out through a side door, circled around, and tried to go back in. I was afraid of getting into trouble, so I didn't call the police. Be careful."

Feng Junzi walked into the mall and turned around to see the security guard pointing to a sign that read "No service for those who are not properly dressed" and stopping the two people at the entrance. He quickened his pace and chased after the girl's retreating figure.

The girl didn't linger in the mall. Instead, she walked through the lobby, winding her way past several counters, and exited through another door. After leaving, she walked a short distance along the main road, then turned into a small alley, finally stopping in front of an old-fashioned building. She took out her keys to open the stairwell door. Just then, she heard a voice behind her ask, "Miss, I haven't thanked you yet. We seem to have met somewhere before. May I ask your surname?" The girl turned around and saw Feng Junzi standing nearby.

Part 4: A Pair of Chopsticks, Episode 30: Whispers Under the Moon in the Mountains

Feng Junzi carefully observed the girl before him. She was young, appearing to be in her early twenties. She had a typical oval face, a cute little chin, slender, slightly downturned eyebrows, and a pair of small but clear eyes that gave her an approachable air. The girl was about 1.6 meters tall, reaching just to the tip of Feng Junzi's nose. She was slightly slender, dressed simply, but her features were quite pretty. Feng Junzi felt he had seen her somewhere before.

When the girl saw that Feng Junzi had followed her, she looked slightly flustered, glanced behind him, and asked, "Sir, did you shake off those two people? This area is a bit chaotic, so it's best to be careful when you come here in the future."

Feng Junzi chuckled. This girl was much younger than him, yet she spoke with the air of a seasoned veteran, advising him to be careful when he went out. He replied with a smile, "Those two were just minor characters. By the way, why did you help me? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

Perhaps it was Feng Junzi's expression that eased the girl's wariness. She said a little shyly, "Sir, don't you remember me? We met in that shopping mall just now. I'm a saleswoman at the women's lingerie counter. We even crossed paths a little over a week ago, and you helped me back then..."

Feng Junzi suddenly remembered where he had seen her before. It was when he was shopping with Lin Zhenzhen and others. Lin Zhenzhen had gotten into a conflict with the shopkeeper while buying lingerie, and Feng Junzi had helped mediate. The saleswoman in front of him was the girl in front of him. At this moment, Feng Junzi felt a surge of emotion: he had helped this girl back then, though it was a very small thing for him, not even a minor incident in life. But the girl remembered it and remembered him, and she had helped him again today. Thinking of this, Feng Junzi extended his hand and said, "I remember now. I didn't expect to meet you again. I really have to thank you for today. Let me introduce myself. My name is Feng Junzi, Feng as in wind and rain, and Junzi as in a righteous gentleman."

The girl hesitated for a moment, then smiled and extended her hand: "Your name is really strange, Junzi (君子), as if you're afraid people won't know you're a good person. My surname is Liu, Wen Dao Liu (文刀刘), and my name is Liu Ke'er... I live upstairs, why don't you come up and sit for a while?"

From Liu Ke'er, Feng Junzi learned the origins of the two men he had just spoken to. The western commercial district of Binhai, specifically the area from Carrefour to Parkson, used to be the territory of the so-called Jilin gang. Most of the street vendors and petty thieves there were from Northeast China. However, a group of Xinjiang people arrived over a year ago. Relying on their even greater ferocity than the Northeasterners, they gradually encroached on this territory and have now become a small force. Some of these people run small businesses or play cat and mouse with the city management officers, operating as unlicensed vendors. Others engage in petty theft when it's crowded and snatch-and-grab robberies when it's less busy. The police are also very troubled by this situation, having conducted several concentrated crackdowns, but the problem hasn't been completely resolved.

Liu Ke'er works at a nearby shopping mall and also rents an apartment in the area. She's somewhat familiar with the local thugs, as are the mall security guards. No wonder the mall security guards stopped those two men at the entrance today. Liu Ke'er was working the early shift today. When she changed shifts, she saw Feng Junzi wandering around alone, looking dejected. She recognized him and also noticed two familiar-looking thugs following him. Liu Ke'er remembered that this man had helped her before, and felt it necessary to remind him, which led to what happened later.

After hearing Liu Ke'er's words, Feng Junzi realized that the two men watching him were just petty thieves from the neighborhood, which explained how easily he had gotten rid of them. The two chatted for a while longer before Feng Junzi got up to leave. As he went out, he smiled and said to Liu Ke'er, "You should be more careful in the future and not let strange men into your home." (Note by Xu Gongzi: There is another story between Feng Junzi and Liu Ke'er, but it is unrelated to this article. Interested readers can refer to the next novel, *The Goddess's Heart*.)

Liu Ke'er's words to Feng Junzi not only failed to resolve his doubts but actually deepened his confusion: if those two were indeed petty thieves in the area, there was no need for them to spend so much time following a young man like himself who wasn't even carrying a bag! He checked himself over; his key pouch and phone were still in his pockets, and his wallet, ID card, and several hundred yuan in cash were intact. The two men had simply followed him, and for a long time, even when they had a good opportunity to dismount, they hadn't tried to approach him—this defied common sense in theft.

Feng Junzi never believed that anything in this world existed beyond common sense. If such a thing did exist, there must be a special reason—it seemed he hadn't just stumbled upon a thief "caring" for him today, but that someone was secretly watching his every move. As for why street thugs would be used for this, the only explanation was that the person observing him didn't want to arouse his suspicion, and that any unexpected events would easily divert Feng Junzi's attention. If that were the case, could there be others lurking in the shadows?

Who could this person be? Sun Weidong? Unlikely. There's no reason for him to find Feng Junzi so quickly. Besides, if it really is Sun Weidong, his methods are probably more complex than this. There are two suspects: one is Tao Muren, who has already noticed him; the other is Zhou Song, whom he himself has walked into to seek trouble. Thinking of this, Feng Junzi frowned. He wasn't worried about himself, but rather about Tao Muling. Tao Muling had been living with him for some time, and if he got into trouble, it might implicate her as well.

Just as Feng Junzi was lost in thought, his phone rang. It was Xiao Yunyi calling: "Feng Junzi, where are you fooling around? The day after tomorrow is May Day. What are your plans for the seven-day holiday? My brother, Officer Yuan Xiaoxia, and I are going on a trip. Why don't you come along?"

Feng Junzi: "Who else is there? Where are you planning to go?"

Xiao Yunyi: "There are two other people who are also your friends, Chang Wu and Lin Zhenzhen. Chang Wu's injury has almost healed, and the two of them also want to go out and relax. Let's go together. It makes six people who ate together last time. We plan to go to a place a little further away. Once the number of people is confirmed, we'll go to a travel agency to inquire tomorrow."

Feng Junzi thought that Yuan Xiaoxia and Xiao Zhengrong's relationship needed a trip to improve, and that getting away for a while would also be good for Chang Wu and Lin Zhenzhen. However, he didn't want to join in, partly because of Tao Muling, and partly for reasons he couldn't quite explain. So he declined Xiao Yunyi's invitation: "I'm so sorry, I have very important things to do during the May Day holiday and can't go out with you."

Xiao Yunyi's voice was clearly disappointed: "You're such a spoilsport. I had already planned it all out. The six of us would go out together and book three standard rooms, which would be just the right number."

Feng Junzi laughed: "Silly girl, even if I'm here, there will still be three men and three women. How do you plan to arrange the rooms?"

...

Feng Junzi declined Xiao Yunyi's invitation, but Xiao Yunyi's words still reminded him. May Day was approaching, and the stock market had a nine-day holiday. Were he and Tao Muling really going to stay home the whole time? Someone was already watching him; it would be best to go out and avoid the situation for a while. Thinking about how Tao Muling would be enrolling at the teachers' college after May Day, Feng Junzi frowned—he'd just have to take things one step at a time from now on.

When Feng Junzi got home, he told Tao Muling that he wanted to go out for a trip during the holidays, and Tao Muling was of course very supportive—she had been cooped up at home for almost a month. Feng Junzi rented a safe deposit box at the bank and secretly placed the chopsticks that Tao Muling had brought there. As for the sword, Feng Junzi didn't carry it with him but hung it in the most conspicuous place in his study, while the jade pendant was always tied to his waist.

The next morning, Feng Junzi and Tao Muling spent a long time in Binhai City, taking a taxi through winding roads, until they were sure no one was following them before boarding a long-distance bus heading north. Their destination was Bingheyu, a tourist scenic area developed over a decade ago. Bingheyu consists of two mountain streams surrounded by mountains, divided into East Valley and West Valley. The two streams converge at the mountain pass to form a canyon, and tourists can only enter the scenic area by boat. The tourist brochure said that East Valley offers views of the scenery, while West Valley offers views of the water, referring to the different terrains of the two valleys. East Valley is at a higher elevation, with intermittent streams and scattered pools and hot springs, while West Valley is at a lower elevation, with a stream running through the entire valley, allowing tourists to ride horses and wade through the stream to enjoy the scenery on both sides.

Feng Junzi and Tao Muling stayed at the Bingyu Hotel, the largest hotel in the scenic area. The hotel's location was quite unique, situated on a protruding sandbar near the riverbank, not far from the canyon entrance. In front of the hotel was a small square, leading to a boat dock. Behind the hotel was an open space, beyond which lay rugged cliffs and precipices. Tourists needed to travel by boat to leave the valley or enter the scenic area; it was truly a secluded place, which was precisely what attracted Feng Junzi.

At the front desk, the clerk asked Feng Junzi how many rooms he wanted and how many days he wanted to stay. Feng Junzi hesitated for a moment, then glanced back at Tao Muling. Tao Muling answered for him, "One standard room, for seven days." Feng Junzi wanted to say something, but after thinking for a moment, he remained silent. After completing the registration process, Tao Muling followed Feng Junzi upstairs. Just as their figures disappeared from the elevator, five young people—three men and two women—walked in through the hotel entrance. Leading the way was Xiao Yunyi!

What a small world! Lin Zhenzhen and her friends also chose to vacation at Binghe Valley and stayed at this hotel as well. They booked three rooms in total: one for Chang Wu and Xiao Zhengrong, one for Yuan Xiaoxia and Lin Zhenzhen, and one standard room for Xiao Yunyi by herself. Xiao Yunyi seemed a little dissatisfied with this room allocation, but couldn't find a reason to object, so she just pouted and settled in.

Xiao Yunyi felt uncomfortable being alone in an unfamiliar room in an unfamiliar place, and couldn't fall asleep until midnight. She got up, drew back the curtains, and leaned on the windowsill to look at the night view of the mountains. Her room faced the cliffs behind the hotel, and the mountain peaks in the night appeared serene and mysterious, with only black outlines visible, and the moon drawing white bands of light on these outlines.

Xiao Yunyi suddenly noticed two people taking a walk in the clearing below the cliff—who would be out for a walk so late? Judging from their figures, it was a man and a woman. Because the light was too dim and the distance was too far, Xiao Yunyi couldn't make out their figures clearly. She only felt that the man's figure seemed somewhat familiar, while the woman's figure was even stranger! When the two occasionally stepped out from the shadows of the cliff into the moonlight, the woman didn't even have a shadow!

What Xiao Yunyi saw was not two people, but one person and a ghost; they were Feng Junzi and Qingye Yazi.

Under the moonlit mountain, in the still of the night, no one could hear the conversation between Feng Junzi and Qingye Yazi. Feng Junzi walked along, head bowed, and asked, "I have now fulfilled your first wish. Can you tell me your other two wishes?"

Masako's voice was both close and seemed to drift from a great distance: "My first wish is to know the whereabouts of my daughter. Although she is no longer alive, you helped me find Peach Bell, my granddaughter, so it can be considered fulfilled. My second wish is to see Feng Xingzhi again, whether he is alive or dead, or even if we meet as ghosts!"

Feng Junzi said thoughtfully, "It has been sixty years. If the people are dead and their souls have been extinguished, I don't know how to make you meet again."

Masako: "If I really can't see him, then so be it. Actually, I'm already very satisfied to have seen you. You and he look so alike that I can hardly tell you apart."

Feng Junzi: "So you now believe that I am not the Feng Xingzhi of back then?"

Masako sighed: "Of course you are not him. He has been dead for so many years, but you have his shadow and aura on you. Can you tell me how this is?"

Feng Junzi: "I don't know either. Why don't you tell me your third wish?"

A hint of sadness flashed in Masako's eyes: "This is a kind of resentment, and perhaps it is this resentment that has kept me from finding peace for the past sixty years. I want to find Momoki Kenjiro and see what his fate will be."

Feng Junzi: "It is said that Momoki Kenji died sixty years ago, but his descendants are still alive. I have already told you that his son, Momoki Kenji, once married your daughter, Honda Aoyuki."

Masako: "How could this be! Who are these people? Never mind, I don't think they're good people. This is a conspiracy, it must be a conspiracy!"

Feng Junzi turned around, looked at Yazi's face which resembled Taomu Ling's, and said, word by word, "Do you want to take revenge on the descendants of the Taomu family? This matter seems to have nothing to do with them."

Masako: "If I wanted to, would you help me?"

Feng Junzi looked up at the moon and said, "If they continue to do evil and have not abandoned their scheming nature from sixty years ago, I will not let them go, no matter how insignificant my power may be."

Masako: "Thank you."

Feng Junzi: "You just said you've been to this place before, so can you tell me why it's called Bingheyu (Ice River Valley)? Was it called this place more than sixty years ago?"

Yako lowered her head, seemingly lost in thought: "Sixty years ago, this place was also called Ice River Valley. It was Feng Ye who told me that. Back then, there were no boats in the mountains, so it was usually inaccessible. People could only enter this valley when the river froze in winter, hence the name Ice River Valley. It was a place rarely visited by anyone..."

Feng Junzi: "You should bask in the moonlight a little longer. I'm going to take you back in a bit. The room is too yin and it's bad for living people. Although I don't care, I'm afraid the peach wood bell won't be able to stand it for long."

Masako: "You're sharing a room, what are your plans for tonight?"

Feng Junzi: "Tonight, I plan to tell her your story."

...

Feng Junzi summoned Aoba Yako's ghost after consulting Xiao Yunyi about the so-called soul-controlling technique, on the very night Lin Zhenzhen was humiliated. Feng Junzi clearly remembered the scene: after 11 p.m. that night, he sat cross-legged on the ground, his jade pendant in front of him, and pricked his middle finger, dripping blood onto the pendant. The blood didn't splatter; instead, it was quickly absorbed by the jade, and the blood itself became unusually vibrant. Feng Junzi didn't follow the ritual of the soul-controlling technique Xiao Yunyi had described; instead, he used his own method.

After dripping blood, Feng Junzi closed his eyes, regulated his breathing, and entered a meditative state. This was also how he heard the voice from the chopsticks. However, now he wasn't listening to the chopsticks, but rather to what sound the jade pendant might be making. In his meditative state, he used his inner voice to ask, "Yako, are you there?"

Almost immediately he heard the echo: "Master Feng, was that you calling me?"

Although prepared, Feng Junzi still involuntarily jolted, his mind scattered, and he withdrew from his meditative state. But the voice in his ears continued: "Master Feng, I've finally seen you." Feng Junzi opened his eyes, and Ya Zi's figure sat before him, her features only a foot or so away from his face, exactly as he had seen in his dream. This was Feng Junzi's first formal face-to-face encounter with the ghost of Aoba Ya Zi. Later, Aoba Ya Zi stayed by Feng Junzi's side and accompanied him to the Ice River Valley.

...

In the latter half of that night, neither Feng Junzi nor Tao Muling slept. Feng Junzi told Tao Muling the story of Aoba Masako from more than sixty years ago—

Part 4: A Pair of Chopsticks, Chapter 31: A Trapped Beast Breaks Through the Formation and Endures Lingering Hatred

In the early winter of 1941, Masako was lost in thought at her home in Xinjing (present-day Chang'an). She knelt on the tatami mat, a piece of unfinished ivory and a small carving knife on the low table before her. Masako's maiden name was Aoba; her father was a renowned ivory carver in the Yokohama area, particularly skilled in miniature carving. However, after the outbreak of war, her family followed a land reclamation corps to Northeast China, where she married her future husband, Taro Honda.

Japan doesn't produce ivory, but its people greatly admire ivory products; almost every adult's name badge is made of ivory. Masako learned ivory carving from her father from a young age, occasionally using it to pass the time at home, though ivory was extremely rare in those days. The ivory and the knife lay on the table, but Masako had no interest in touching them. A few days ago, a friend of hers had committed suicide, the reason being to encourage her husband who was going to war. This incident had even made it into the Tokyo newspapers, and even her own husband spoke of this woman with great admiration. Thinking of this, she felt a chill.