Wu Xin: The Monster Killer

Chapter 2 Mr. Gu

The old man was an old-fashioned man, and his speech and behavior were reminiscent of the late Qing Dynasty. The "Lord Gu" he mentioned was Commander Gu, who had led his troops into Wen County two months ago. Before Commander Gu, the master of Wen County was Brigade Commander Ding, who was also respectfully addressed as Lord Ding by the old man.

The old man wasn't a servant of Lord Gu; it was his third son who worked for Lord Gu. Wen County was a wealthy and prosperous place, with a newly built train station offering direct train rides to Tianjin and Beijing. Lord Gu, occupying this strategic location, was quite pleased with himself and decided to settle down. So, at the urging of others, he bought that spacious mansion—or rather, he robbed it. The three-courtyard house, along with its side courtyards and back garden, was given to the homeowner for a pittance. The homeowner, unable to afford to offend him, accepted the pittance and fled with his family; where they went, no one knows. Lord Gu, happily moving into his new home, began to experience strange occurrences after only a few days.

"I saw it with my own eyes." The old man led Wuxin and Yueya through the streets and alleys, his face constantly pale. "I'm too old to make things up."

Wuxin walked to the side and asked, "What did you see?"

The old man lowered his voice, sweating profusely under the blazing sun: "A woman, with very long hair, was pressed against the roof beam, motionless."

Wuxin glanced back and, seeing that Yueya was following closely, felt relieved and continued to ask, "Anything else?"

The old man, as if about to faint, half-closed his eyes and raised three fingers: "Three people in the family have already died... Oh dear, their deaths are too gruesome to look at!"

"What did Lord Gu say?"

The old man lowered his hand: "Damn it, Lord Gu moved to the headquarters, leaving my third son to look after the house. Could I let him die? So I came in his place. Young master, to tell you the truth, now I sit outside as soon as it gets dark, and I sit there all night long. It's exhausting... I'm already sixty-seven..."

At this point, the old man stopped. Looking ahead, he saw a large courtyard house with blue-gray tiles and green bricks, guarded by two imposing guards at the gate—presumably Lord Gu's headquarters. The old man went to speak with the guards, and Yueya, seizing the opportunity, grabbed Wuxin's sleeve, spitting out the words through gritted teeth: "You fool, you've lost your mind! You dare to mess with the high-ranking officer! Before they let us in, you and I must run!"

Wu Xin looked at her, puzzled. "Don't you want to eat something good?"

Yueya already felt her fate was unlucky, and now, encountering a monk who insisted on exorcising ghosts without a second thought, she was even more worried. She'd never seen a ghost, but she believed in them and was afraid of them. Taking on this task rashly was risky; if she were killed by a ghost, that would be bad; but if she survived but failed to catch one, that would also be bad. Over the years, large armies had been coming and going in waves, and Yueya had seen plenty, but she'd never encountered a reasonable soldier. Lord Gu, commanding tens of thousands of men, was practically the king of soldiers, and who knew how arrogant he'd become—perhaps even capable of cannibalism!

Crescent Moon didn't want Wuxin to be killed by ghosts or soldiers, so she preferred him to go hungry rather than risk his life. However, before she could explain the situation, the guards ahead had already let them pass.

Wuxin followed the old man into the courtyard, stealing a moment to turn back and smile at Yueya. Yueya resigned herself to her fate but ignored him.

The courtyard house was tidy, with blue brick floors. The sounds of string and wind instruments wafted from the main house, creating a pleasant atmosphere. An adjutant stepped forward and lifted the curtain; the old man immediately bowed respectfully at a ninety-degree angle and entered on all fours. In the short time it took to exchange a few words, the music and singing stopped, and the old man poked his face out of the doorway, beckoning repeatedly to Wuxin. Wuxin, as if afraid Yueya would escape, pulled her inside.

The interior was bright and clean, furnished with luxurious furniture, somewhat like a small mansion, but not at all like a command headquarters. Looking ahead carelessly, Wuxin saw a burly, imposing officer sitting in a large armchair. This officer had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a high nose; his legs were spread wide, each occupied by one of two flamboyant young women. He raised his chin at Wuxin and asked smugly, "So you're the sorcerer who can exorcise ghosts?"

Wu Xin's expression turned serious: "You must be Lord Gu?"

The officer shook his head: "Yes, it's me. So what?"

Wu Xin, with a chilling air, asked again, "Has Lord Gu ever seen a ghost?"

The officer shook his head: "I've actually never seen it myself; I've only heard about it from others!"

Wuxin lowered his eyes and noticed a small tea table in front of Lord Gu, laden with fruits and pastries. He swallowed imperceptibly, his voice softening slightly: "Lord Gu's murderous aura is too overwhelming; even ghosts are afraid of you!"

The officer immediately threw his head back and laughed, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth: "You're absolutely right. I've fought my way to the top with swords and spears; I've indeed killed countless people!"

Unwittingly realizing that Lord Gu was a difficult character, he racked his brains and, after a moment of silence, said, "Lord Gu has a strong yang energy, and an even stronger killing intent. If you want to get rid of the evil spirit, Lord Gu will have to come back to the manor with me!"

The officer immediately stopped laughing and looked at Wuxin, asking, "Huh? Do I, the commander, have to personally handle this?"

Without a straight face, he replied, "Yes, Lord Gu is an exceptional talent, one in a million. If we want to lure out the evil spirit without being harmed by it, only Lord Gu can do it."

He then looked into the officer's eyes: "Could it be that Lord Gu is afraid?"

The officer sneered, his eyes widening. "What the hell am I afraid of! Even if there really is a dead ghost, I'll make it die again!" Then he pushed the young woman aside and stood up. "Go now?"

Without thinking, he replied, "I'll go now!"

Lord Gu took a step forward, only then noticing that Crescent Moon was hiding behind Wuxin. To be fair, Crescent Moon was currently covered in soot and wasn't much to look at, but her graceful figure was unforgettable. Lord Gu thought that Wuxin, as a monk, shouldn't be openly running around with a young woman, so he couldn't understand it and asked with a grin, "Oh, which fairy maiden is this?"

Wu Xin pulled Crescent Moon behind him: "My sister."

Lord Gu left the headquarters and rode home on a chrysanthemum-green horse. Wuxin and Yueya rode a chestnut horse, following closely behind. They were completely surrounded by Lord Gu's guards. Yueya hung her head, feeling utterly hopeless. She thought to herself, "I have no way out anyway, so I might as well follow the silly monk. Even without the silly monk, I'd starve to death after eating the last cornbread."

A moment later, the group returned to the black lacquered gate with their heads held high. The old man, who had been with them all along, stepped forward and unlocked the gate. The guard pushed open the two black lacquered doors with a series of rough creaks. Outside, the sun was shining brightly, but inside, it was as if a layer of darkness had fallen. Although the flowers and willows were also in full bloom, perhaps because no one was there, the scenery was so desolate and vibrant that it was almost blinding.

Lord Gu, head held high and chest out, was the first to step over the threshold. Wu Xin followed beside him, whispering to Yueya as they walked, "You stay behind me. I walk, you walk; I stop, you stop."

In front of so many soldiers, Yueya dared not say much, nodding as she followed Wuxin closely. Lord Gu raised his hand and pointed forward, saying, "In less than a month, three people in my family have died—two women and a boy. None of them died a good death; they were torn to pieces by some unknown force, only their heads remained intact. And they even drove one of my concubines insane."

After passing through two courtyards, the gate to the third courtyard was tightly closed. The old man came up again and unlocked the large lock. This time, as soon as the gate opened, Crescent Moon felt a chill run down her spine, a coldness seeping from her very core. Stealing a glance at the reactions of the guards around her, she saw that they were all young men, and several of them were also frowning.

The old man opened the door and left, while Master Gu casually walked into the courtyard and said to Wuxin, "Master, take a look around. After you've seen enough, go check out the side courtyards. There's a big garden in the back!"

Without a word, Wuxin turned and pushed Crescent Moon into the pile of guards, then took out a handkerchief and blindfolded himself again. Lord Gu, standing at the doorway, watched him slowly walk along the four-sided veranda. Suddenly, he squatted down and struck the ground with his palm.

He then got up and walked forward, slapping a pillar with his second hand.

Lord Gu's expression changed slightly, but he remained silent. Wu Xin stopped, then slammed his hand on the railing of the veranda. He untied his handkerchief, turned to Lord Gu, and asked, "Is it?"

Lord Gu stepped forward, one hand on the holster of his pistol. He rubbed the ground he'd carelessly patted with the sole of his riding boot, then looked up and said, "Master, if no one had tipped you off beforehand, you really are something. Those three men did indeed die in those three places. Look, there's still dried black blood in these cracks between the bricks!"

Wuxin slowly walked towards the southeast corner, where there was a well. The well platform was surrounded by a low railing, and a rather new small iron bucket lay beside it. There were rules about digging wells in the courtyard, and from a feng shui perspective, this well was fine. He leaned down, holding onto the well platform, and everyone saw him go deeper and deeper until his shoulders were completely submerged. Yueya, fearing he would fall, was about to grab him by the back of his shirt; but Lord Gu beat him to it, heading straight for him. However, before Lord Gu could warn him, he slowly raised his head and left the well. A "pui" was heard as he spat into the well.

He turned and sat on the well platform, facing forward, and said: "The three men suffered terribly as they died, yet they could neither move their bodies nor speak. First they were skinned alive, then their bones were dismembered, their eyes were gouged out, and their hearts were ripped out—nothing was spared."

Lord Gu squatted down in front of him and asked in a furtive whisper, "Master, are you sure... it really is a ghost?"

Wu Xin ignored him and continued, "More powerful than a ghost is a malevolent spirit. Ghosts are formless, but malevolent spirits are tangible."

Although Lord Gu prided himself on his fierce and valiant nature, even he felt a chill upon hearing this: "I know that people become ghosts after they die, but I've never heard of them becoming 'sha' (煞). What exactly is 'sha'?"

Wu Xin replied, "Humans have three souls and seven spirits, which are the light of a person. When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out; the three souls and seven spirits dissipate, and all the love and hate of a lifetime vanishes like smoke. Lord Gu, the soul and spirit are inherently immortal, but if your three souls are combined with my seven spirits, the resulting new soul will have nothing to do with either of us. Therefore, most of the millions of people in the world do not know their past lives, only this one. Only by holding onto a steadfast belief that one's soul and spirit will not dissipate after death, remaining a complete soul, and refusing to be reborn into a new life, can one become a ghost in the eyes of the world."

Lord Gu blinked: "Oh dear, being a ghost isn't easy!"

Wu Xin nodded in deep agreement: "Indeed, it's easy to be a ghost for a while, but to be a ghost for a lifetime requires perseverance."

Lord Gu nodded in agreement: "Go on, what should I do if I've offended a ghost?"

Wuxin laughed without warning, turning to the side and patting the well curb as he laughed: "Eat lunch first, we'll talk after we've eaten. The solution isn't in your hands, it's in mine."

(End of this chapter)