Wu Xin: The Monster Killer

Chapter 41 Saving a Life

Without intention, Wuxin followed the faint light of the souls. If there were indeed powerful ghosts haunting the building, the other scattered souls would inevitably be affected. As the source of yin energy, ghosts naturally attract souls to gather there; and relying on his perception of the flow of souls, Wuxin climbed step by step to the second floor.

He remained silent, while the old general, holding his cloak, followed diagonally behind, also anxious and not daring to speak. Only the un-glued tips of his beard trembled with each step. The further Wuxin went, the wider his eyes became; when he stopped in front of a door, his small eyes shone, and joy appeared on his sallow face—behind the door was the young master's bedroom!

"Master, you are truly brilliant!" the old general praised softly, afraid of disturbing the master's supernatural powers. "My son has been lying inside for many days."

Wu Xin ignored him, put his hands behind his back to calm himself down, and then with a "bang", he kicked the door open!

The old general was startled, and the two maids guarding the room also cried out in surprise. Against the wall stood a large Western-style brass bed, on which lay a boy of about ten years old, who remained perfectly still and quiet. Wu Xin, his killing intent palpable, strode in, stopped before the bed, and bowed slightly, the image of a ghost already forming in his mind.

When a person becomes a ghost, since they have not cultivated into a malevolent spirit and their physical body no longer exists, it seems that they have no image to speak of. However, if a ghost's resentment is extremely strong, it can still manifest a faint phantom. The phantom is mostly the appearance it had when it died, because the death was extremely painful and left a very deep impression. The pain was so profound that it lingered and refused to be reborn, so even as a phantom, it remained in the most unforgettable moment.

Wuxin had seen countless ghosts, nine out of ten of which were terrifying beyond belief. But the one on the bed was one in a hundred. He was surprisingly human-like, with disheveled hair and a bluish-purple face. Apart from his messy hair and pale complexion, everything else was neatly arranged, and his internal organs were all inside his stomach. Judging from his clothing, he could even be described as luxurious and wealthy. He wore a pair of three-inch bound feet in red satin slippers, his small feet exquisite, and the shoes were beautiful too. He lay on the bed in a leisurely posture, stroking the little boy's body gently, while simultaneously raising his eyes to look at Wuxin standing in front of the bed.

Wuxin didn't remove the blindfold, but he had already locked eyes with the female ghost. The ghost flinched slightly, and Wuxin said, "Let's go."

The female ghost remained still, continuing to lovingly pat the little boy.

Wuxin added, "Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. Don't take your anger out on the child. The child's yang energy is weak; he won't last long."

The female ghost finally responded: "I watched him grow up, and I like him very much. If he dies, he can be reborn into a different family. Being the son of a beast worse than a pig or a dog will bring him retribution."

Unwittingly, he noticed the female ghost's voice was melodious and lingering, as if she had once been a singer, carrying a pleasant rhythm: "Everyone has their own fate, it's none of your business. If you want revenge, just say so, no need for excuses. He's full of murderous intent, you can't do anything to him, so you're picking on the weak at home, aren't you?"

The female ghost's face subtly changed, a fierce aura swirling between her brows: "If I can't do anything to him, can't I do anything to others?"

Wu Xin shook his head: "Stop talking nonsense and get lost, or I'll make sure your soul is scattered to the winds!"

The female ghost seemed to find it a joke, and immediately threw her head back and laughed loudly: "Hahahaha..."

Wuxin leaned over the bed and suddenly realized the female ghost had a large forked mouth. She had been speaking with her head down, and her long hair hanging down on either side had somehow concealed her mouth, creating the illusion of a small one. He secretly put a finger in his mouth, bit down hard, and flicked a drop of blood at the laughing ghost. The ghost, caught off guard, abruptly stopped laughing with a loud "Ha-ow!" and vanished without a trace.

Wuxin didn't sense any new soul and assumed the female ghost had escaped. As soon as the female ghost left, the yin energy in the room immediately weakened. He raised his hand and tore off the black cloth strip in front of him. Before the blood on his fingertips had congealed, he pointed a finger at the little boy's forehead and solemnly scribbled wildly, making the little boy's face look like a cat's face.

He withdrew his finger and sucked on it, then turned to the old general with a grim face. The old general and the two young maids had just seen him talking to himself in the void, and because they knew a little about the inside story and had something to hide, they were all terrified and opened their mouths wide. Wuxin had just chased away one of the big-mouthed female ghosts, and when he turned around, he saw three more big mouths in front of him, and couldn't help but frown.

He frowned, and the old general and the two young girls immediately shut their mouths. The old general stepped forward and asked cautiously, "Master, what's wrong?"

Wu Xin lowered his eyes, not looking at anyone: "There's a ghost in the mansion."

The old general's eyes widened immediately: "Huh?"

Wuxin continued, "The female ghost had haunted your son, but I have driven her away. I have drawn a life-saving blood talisman on your son's face. Please, General, move your son to a place with strong yang energy to recuperate. He is not allowed to wash his face for a month."

The old general, like a flea, swayed back and forth beside Wuxin, filled with a mixture of surprise, joy, and fear: "Master, where is the strongest yang energy?"

Seeing that the bedroom was quite spacious, Wuxin casually replied, "Where there are many men, the yang energy is stronger. If the old general is unwilling to move your son, you can add more people to the room, preferably ruthless ones, those with murder on their hands would be even better."

The old general hurriedly waved to the eldest girl: "Go find the adjutant and have him pick a bunch of unruly lads! Did you hear the mage's instructions? Tell the adjutant exactly what he said, quick!"

The two older girls took the opportunity to escape together, and when the old general looked back at his youngest son, he felt that the atmosphere in the room had changed. Although his son's face was covered in blood and he looked even worse than before, the warm sunlight shone in, and his son's face seemed to regain its color.

Overjoyed, he turned to Wuxin, who was about to speak while holding his cloak. Unexpectedly, Wuxin clasped his hands together and bowed slightly, giving him only an arrogant profile: "Amitabha, since your son's life is not in danger, this humble monk will take his leave."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his head and strode towards the door. The old general hurriedly caught up with him, first shouting at the group of people gathered at the stairwell, telling them to quickly call the family doctor to take care of the young master; then he turned to Wuxin and smiled, "No, no, no, Master, you can't leave. You saved my son's life, I must repay you handsomely."

With his back to him, Wuxin raised his hand and waved it gently: "No need. Monks are not greedy for money. As for saving people from suffering, I alone cannot save many. The reason I am here today is entirely at the request of Gu Xuanwu. If the old general wants to thank me, then thank him."

At this point, he suddenly turned his face to the side and said softly, "The mansion is not clean now, so the old general should not go out alone at night."

The old general grabbed his sleeve: "Master, deity, if you're going to help someone, help them all the way! Don't go yet!"

Unwilling to move, he was pulled along and stopped at the top of the stairs. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he said coldly to the old general, "This humble monk is tired today. Even if there are evil spirits to be exorcised, that is a matter for tomorrow. I do not expect them to cause any major trouble overnight."

The old general, not daring to offend him, immediately released his grip. Footsteps echoed down the corridor behind him; the family doctors had arrived before the adjutant-in-chief, running up the side stairs. The old general, quick-witted, had an idea. He called out to the crowd, "Gu Xuanwu, come and keep the sorcerer company for a while. I have many things to say to him!"

The old general ignored everyone else, only inviting Wuxin and Lord Gu to a warm little guest room. He smiled and offered them cigarettes and tea, appearing very kind and approachable. Lord Gu's hands were sweaty, and he dared not sit on equal footing with the old general; Wuxin, on the other hand, sat down calmly on the soft sofa, and when he sank into it, he was startled without making a sound.

Before the old marshal could finish his casual conversation, an adjutant suddenly lifted the curtain and entered, saying that the young master had regained consciousness. The old marshal, deeply concerned for his son, immediately got up and went upstairs. The guest room fell silent. Seeing Wuxin's composed demeanor, Lord Gu felt a little ashamed and muttered, "Sigh, am I being a bit petty?"

Without paying attention to the plate of glass candies on the coffee table, he said, "Since you're planning to work for him, you should naturally be more humble. I'm different; even if I don't put on airs, he might not take me seriously. Lord Gu, what are all those red and green things in the plate?"

Lord Gu replied, "You've never even seen fruit candy before?"

Wuxin glanced at the doorway, then grabbed a handful and quickly hid it in his sleeve.

Seeing that the old marshal had not returned for a long time, Lord Gu took out a cigarette from the pipe and lit it. It was a good cigarette, and it smelled good. Lord Gu had been tense ever since he entered the marshal's mansion. Now, after taking a deep breath and letting out a long sigh, he felt much better.

Wuxin sniffed: "Hey, let me have a bite too!"

Lord Gu walked over to the sofa and offered a cigarette to Wuxin. Wuxin leaned in, took a deep drag, and then exhaled the smoke with a rather sultry air: "Good cigarette."

Lord Gu said in a low voice, "Once I've made my fortune, I'll have as much good cigarettes and candy as I want, and I certainly won't treat you badly."

Just as Lord Gu finished smoking a cigarette, the old marshal ran back, with Wuxin's cloak draped over his arm.

"Master!" The old general seemed about to cry, his face etched with countless wrinkles: "You are truly amazing! My son has opened his eyes!"

Wu Xin smiled and nodded: "Your son was not sick to begin with, but was just being haunted by a ghost. Once the ghost leaves, he will naturally recover his health."

The old general sat down, clutching his cloak, and said, "But you said the ghost is still in my house... how can we eliminate this threat permanently?"

Wu Xin half-closed his eyes, remained silent for a while, and then asked, "Old Marshal, have you killed any women recently?"

The old general glanced at Lord Gu, who wisely bowed and immediately tiptoed out. Once Lord Gu had closed the door, the old general sighed, "To be honest, Master, my twelfth concubine is a slut. She never behaved herself after entering the house, always flirting with the adjutants and constantly arguing with me. A few months ago, I got so angry that I had her buried."

Without a word, he asked expressionlessly, "How was it buried?"

The old general answered confidently, "Just wrap it in a quilt, tie it with a rope, dig a hole in the garden, and bury it."

Wu Xin nodded slowly: "Oh... buried alive."

The old general nodded in agreement: "Yes, it's burying people alive. I'm old and have a mild temper; I generally don't like to use knives or guns."

Wu Xin closed his eyes completely, thinking that compared to the old marshal, Lord Gu was a kind and gentle person.

"The timing isn't right today," he told the old general in a nonchalant tone. "I'll try again tomorrow night. The twelfth concubine has a very strong aura of malevolence, and I'm not sure if I can eliminate her completely. However, since I have a connection with Gu Xuanwu, and Gu Xuanwu admires the old general so much, I will definitely give it my best."

The old general cursed, "That wretched woman, even as a ghost she still tries to cause trouble for me. Master, tomorrow night it is. If you can truly rid me of that filthy woman, what do you say, I'll do it!"

Wuxin stood up without saying a word, but smiled slightly and extended a hand to the old marshal. The old marshal, as if struck by a sudden inspiration, immediately unfolded his cloak and draped it over Wuxin's shoulders.

Wu Xin led Lord Gu into the Marshal's Mansion car and rushed home. Neither of them spoke on the way, until they got off at the alley entrance. Only then did Lord Gu ask, "Why are we back? It's rare for the Marshal to think so highly of you; you should have stayed at the Marshal's Mansion."

Without a second thought, he put on his cloak and hood and strode home, saying, "What do you know! If I stay at the Marshal's Mansion, what will happen to Crescent Moon? Besides, do you think I can catch ghosts with my bare hands? Shouldn't I make some preparations?"

The two chatted as they walked, then knocked on the courtyard gate and returned home. Crescent Moon was delighted: "Oh, you're back quite early!"

Freezing cold, Wuxin rushed into the west wing. With Yueya's help, he took off his cloak, flicked his sleeve at the bed, and laughed happily, "Hehe, Yueya, have some candy!"

(End of this chapter)