The first book in the Master of Mischief series Who Am I

Chapter 4

“We’re not going back. Time is of the essence, and we need to cooperate with your work! Of course, as long as the teacher has the right heart and doesn’t get the wrong idea, what’s wrong with wearing pajamas?” Pearl retorted.

As a result, I was embarrassed.

After an overnight investigation, we learned that Xiao is a very remote surname in Yong'an Town, but it is quite famous among the people. Especially in recent years, with the freedom of religion, weddings, funerals, ancestral worship and festivals all require shamans to perform rituals and put on a show. However, it is mostly just a formality, and we have never heard of anyone actually catching any ghosts or exorcising any evil spirits.

"Forget it, I'll get some sleep and we can discuss it tomorrow!" I pulled the blanket over my head, not caring whether they were around or not, and fell asleep snoring away.

In the middle of the night, a cool breeze blew in through the window, and I felt a gentle, warm hand stroking my face and tucking me in with the blanket.

The next morning, I was woken up early by the two little devils.

janeadam

Reply [15]: After breakfast, the three of us and the ghost, led by Lao Yan, a retired cadre of the forestry station, toured the scenery of Yong'an.

Xiaoling and Zhu'er told Station Chief Yao that they were history teachers at the Third Middle School and were very interested in the local customs, traditions, and historical sites of the various towns and villages. They had even published many related travelogues and papers in the newspaper. They spoke with great conviction, and since they were indeed teachers, the station chief believed them and specially arranged for a local retired cadre to take them around and act as their tour guide.

Yong'an Town has a history of 1,200 years and is the earliest town in Mingning County. "Yong'an came before Mingning." Four hundred years ago, it was a notorious bandit stronghold, and it always actively responded to every major peasant uprising. During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, after the imperial court sent troops to suppress the bandits and build forts and towns, peace was restored, and Yong'an was taken over.

Old Yan told us that Yong'an Town has many small temples, eleven in total, which worship various gods. The larger ones include Guanyin, Maitreya, Laozi, Huang Feihu, Mazu, etc., while the smaller ones include Taibao Houwang, Xuanwu Zhenren, Jialan, Zhang Gong, Minzhu Gong, Riyue Yingguang Dadi, etc., which is dazzling. Sometimes, several Buddha and Taoist deities sit in one temple.

"Master Yan, I heard there's a family named Xiao around here who are very powerful in magic and such. Is that true?" I asked Old Yan.

“Oh, it’s those witches and shamans surnamed Xiao. Don’t listen to those rumors. All that magic, rituals, talismans, and scriptures is just a bunch of tricks. They were criticized to death during the Cultural Revolution, but now that the policies have been relaxed, they’ve immediately come back to life. People just love to believe in this stuff. As teachers, you must educate your children properly and make them believe in science.”

I nodded repeatedly, listening attentively. "Where are they? I'd like to see. Although it's a superstitious activity, it's still a kind of folk custom. Many folk activities, such as lantern parades and dragon lantern processions, were started by them."

"That's true. These are the most idle and troublesome people in the town."

So we wandered around a few corners and entered a small alley. The alley was filled with the smell of cigarette smoke. On both sides of the alley were old houses and luxurious villas, decorated like high-end apartments in coastal cities.

Xiaoling and Zhu'er exclaimed in amazement, "You rarely see houses like this even in our county!"

"The whole alley belongs to the Xiao family. They use the old houses as their religious sites, and the new Western-style buildings are their residences," Old Yan said disdainfully. "They made their fortune through superstition, they're rolling in money."

After speaking, he led us into the largest old house. This old house had obviously been renovated, freshly painted, with carved beams and painted rafters, and was magnificent. In the main hall stood a colorful clay statue of the Three Pure Ones, and incense smoke filled the air in front of the altar. Judging from the layout, the renovation cost was probably several times higher than that of the Western-style building next door.

A tall, thin middle-aged man dressed in a Taoist robe came out, laughing loudly as he greeted them, offering a cigarette as he said, "Oh, it's Secretary Yan! What brings such a distinguished guest like you here? Have a smoke!"

Old Yan brushed the cigarette away, saying, "Don't give me that. I'm here with a historian from the county to see the old houses. Professor Luo, this is Xiao Fugui, the current patriarch of the Xiao family. He's the most powerful, haha!"

I could only shake his hand and laugh awkwardly, saying, "Business has been good lately!"

"Thanks to you, things are alright, it's all thanks to the Party's good policies..."

janeadam

Reply [16]: Chapter Eight, Linshui Palace

Then I told them that we just wanted to look around the house.

Chief Xiao turned around and started talking to Old Yan again.

Xiaoling and Zhu'er moved closer to me and said, "Could this mercenary charlatan really be a powerful sorcerer?"

Miss Ghost spoke in my mind: "I can't sense any spiritual energy in him. He is not the person we are looking for. The Xiao family's descendant must be someone else."

I nodded and said, "I can't feel it either, I only smell the stench of money and mercenary attitude."

We visited every household in Xiaojia Lane, but none of them were the people we were looking for.

After leaving Xiaojia Lane, we visited some temples under Lao Yan's guidance. Before 2 p.m., Xiaoling and Zhu'er started urging me to leave, and we searched all the alleys and wealthy households in the town, asking around for any remaining members of the Xiaojia family.

Another day has passed by, and apart from Lao Yan, we're all a bit dejected. Where are the descendants of the Xiao family? Next Thursday is fast approaching, what should we do?

The next morning, Lao Yan enthusiastically led us to a scenic spot located about a mile west of the town—a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit: the Wind and Rain Bridge. It was a typical ancient bridge with a covered pavilion. There used to be one in our county town, but it was later demolished and replaced with a new bridge.

We sat on a bench on the bridge to rest, and then I noticed a small, very old-looking temple nestled among a pine forest on the other side of the bridge.

A sudden thought struck me, and I walked over.

The temple's name, engraved on a granite block, is somewhat blurred by wind and rain, but the three characters "Linshui Palace" are still clearly visible. The temple's main gate is half-closed, and the interior is very dark.

Old Yan, Xiao Ling, and Zhu'er also came over and stood at the door to watch.

Old Yan explained, "Linshui Palace is probably the oldest temple in our town, but its exact age is impossible to verify. Linshui Palace has never been very famous in the town. According to my grandfather, Linshui Palace is dedicated to a local witch named Qian Gu, who died at the age of twenty. Before her death, she cast a spell on herself, using her spirit to relieve the pain of women in childbirth."

Her descendants built this small temple for worship and lived for generations in a small hermitage behind it. Although they were shamans, they never engaged in witchcraft or deception, so the villagers didn't consider them shamans at all and rarely visited the temple to offer sacrifices or alms, resulting in its desolation and dilapidation. By the way, they also shared the surname Xiao; only a brother and sister remained in this generation, named Xiaofeng and Xiaoyue.

Old Yan's words delighted us beyond measure; it was truly like finding a needle in a haystack!

"I sensed a very strong spiritual energy inside the temple," Miss Ghost said joyfully in my mind.

I nodded excitedly to Xiaoling and Zhu'er. Zhu'er immediately pushed open the door and rushed in first. There was no one in the temple. A coal lamp hung on the ceiling, and a few sticks of incense were lit. On the shrine stood a female Taoist statue less than half a meter tall. She was beautiful and refined, with a simple and honest temperament, like a village girl.

My heart ached. His features were so similar to Xiao Qingzi's!

As Old Yan walked, he kept muttering, "Although I don't believe in ghosts and gods, I was very moved when my grandfather told me about the girl Qian Gu. She originally performed exorcisms for pregnant women to ensure a smooth delivery, and even after she died, she was still thinking about helping women and children. She is truly admirable."

Suddenly a gust of wind blew, and a boy of about ten years old, holding a peach wood sword, rushed out from the back room like lightning and stood in front of us.

The little boy was handsome with round, bright eyes, clearly a mischievous and clever fellow. But at this moment, he was staring intently at the small backpack behind Pearl (which contained a ghost), his gaze unusually sharp, sometimes fixed on me, sometimes filled with suspicion.

I felt that the spiritual energy in the temple came from him.

Pearl probably sensed that the little boy might be a threat to her ghost "pet," so she hugged her backpack tighter and glared at him with displeasure, saying, "Little brat, what are you staring at? Never seen a ghost before?" Then she walked over curiously and asked, "That Walkman on your waist looks so new, what brand is it?"

The little boy immediately became smug, took off his Walkman, and held it up in front of Zhu'er to show off: "It's a famous Japanese brand, Sony. My sister just bought it for me, and it's the only one of its kind in the whole county!"

janeadam

Reply [17]: "What a cool design! Fully automatic programming. Where can I buy this? It must be quite expensive!"

"It cost over six hundred yuan in the provincial capital!"

At this moment, Lao Yan asked, "Xiaofeng, is your sister home?"

"She went out of town on business. Is there anything you need her for?"

"What? They've gone out?" we exclaimed.

At this moment, I turned to Lao Yan and said, "Excuse me, Master Yan, I would like to have a private chat with this young man to learn about the history of Linshui Palace and the story of his Xiao family. I am very interested in them. How about this, could you go back first? We already know how to get there."

Old Yan could only instruct Xiaofeng to take good care of us, and then, somewhat disappointed, he went back first.

As soon as we entered the inner hall, Xiao Feng glared at me and asked, "You are also a cultivator, why do you keep a dead spirit by the side of a young girl? Don't you know that's dangerous?"

Upon hearing this, the little girl became indignant and pointed at Xiaofeng's nose, shouting, "Little brat, are you that old? I like raising a ghost, what's it to you!"

"Once you're possessed by a ghost, it'll be like having an epileptic seizure—oh oh oh, convulsing, foaming at the mouth—you're doomed! Haha, then I'll have to summon your three souls and seven spirits back, otherwise you'll become a wandering ghost!"

"I'm scared! It's not like I haven't been possessed by a ghost before. You haven't even experienced what it's like. Even a ghost wouldn't want to possess an annoying little brat like you!"

"You! You! You! Little girl, a good man doesn't fight with a woman. If you're so capable, let's play ghost hunting, no, let's play video games!" The little boy named Xiaofeng seemed so angry he was about to vomit blood.

"Alright, I'm the best at playing games! With your skills, I'll definitely beat you to a pulp!"

Xiaoling and I chuckled to ourselves. In class, when it came to arguing, all the boys combined probably couldn't beat Zhu'er. But now wasn't the time for arguing. I naturally put my hand on the little guy's shoulder, patted his head, and said seriously:

“Xiaofeng, my surname is Luo, and I am a middle school teacher. These two are my students, Xiaoling and Zhuer. We have come from Ruli County to Yong'an Town to find you two siblings because we have an important matter to ask for your help with. This matter is very serious; it concerns the salvation of five hundred dead souls and the lives of more than three hundred villagers.”

Strangely, Xiaofeng, who seemed stubborn, accepted my touch as if he were enjoying it, treating me with the same warmth as a family member. He took my hand, felt my pulse, and exclaimed, "Eh—!"

"Brother Luo, your spiritual energy is incredibly powerful, but it's extremely chaotic. Strange, the flow of this spiritual energy seems similar to mine, only much colder. How did you learn about our Xiao family's cultivation method?"

“This is a military secret, Teacher Luo, let’s not tell him,” Zhu’er interjected from the side.

But looking at Xiaoling and her curious eyes, I knew they wanted to know more than anyone else: how could such a lazy teacher have cultivated into a great wizard? And in the most absurd and hilarious way at that.

"We'll talk about this later, Xiaofeng. It seems that although you are young, you are more intelligent than these two girls. (Protests are ineffective. The two young ladies, in order to save their lives, flatter the little devil first.) You're already a little adult. Here's what we'll do: Miss Lin, please come out for a moment and tell the children about the situation in the village."

After a burst of golden fireflies, Miss Ghost Lin Caixia gracefully appeared. Unlike before, she wore a green dress and had flowing hair, exuding a more approachable aura.

janeadam

Reply [18]: “Miss Ghost, why are you dressed like this? You have no personality at all. Don’t you know that a certain teacher is the most tasteless person in the whole school?” Pearl said.

“That’s right, period costumes are all the rage in the market now, especially those from the late Qing Dynasty, they’re the most fashionable.” Xiaoling chimed in, echoing Zhu’er, completely disregarding Master Ben.

After hearing these words, Lin Caixia made a bitter face at me, and then gracefully knelt down before Xiaofeng.

Sure enough, Xiaofeng immediately jumped away. But wherever he jumped, the ghost disappeared.

“I’ve been tricked,” Pearl said, making a face at me. She knew that modern people would never tolerate this kind of etiquette.

Then, using telepathy, I silently recalled the events of 120 years ago, as well as the process of her entering my body and meeting me.

"No wonder I noticed you weren't normal earlier. It turns out you're a descendant of my Xiao family and you've been absorbing Teacher Luo's spiritual energy. You've been staying in the spirit world for so long that you're almost becoming a ghost immortal. It's a pity you can never speak normally and can't stand the sunlight."

"Yeah, why is it that when Miss Ghost opens her mouth, her tone is flat, low, and long, the most terrifying kind?"

“Didn’t you take a physiology class? We humans speak using our throats, but ghosts are formed from rays of light gathered from spiritual energy, not physical objects. How can they produce intonation?” Xiaotian said confidently, but then added embarrassedly, “This is something my sister figured out.”

"What you just said was too dangerous and too interesting. I must go and see for myself. By the way, what was the name of the village you mentioned again?"

"Gantian Village".

"Gantian Village, that sounds familiar—ah, isn't that where my sister went to run errands! Could it be for the Lin Family Haunted House?"

janeadam

Reply [19]: Keep going!

Water pipe

Reply [20]: Chapter Nine, The Son of the Ninth Prince

"Hey kid, you never study hard, and now you're only just turning the pages of a book!" Pearl mocked from the side.

"What can I do? You think witchcraft is easy to learn? Meditation, Qi cultivation, Qimen Dunjia, scribbling talismans—just the talismans alone are enough to overwhelm me. There are 199 important talismans, you know. Besides, I have to study. Right now, I'm a model student at school. Sometimes, out of loyalty, I help my classmates catch ghosts and perform rituals, but I also have to destroy the evidence to avoid causing a stir and attracting trouble—I do more good than Lei Feng!"

"Alright, you're even more gossipy than Zhu'er. Hey, Zhu'er, that's enough, stop touching me. I'm your teacher, or at least a man. There's a difference between men and women."