Translator: Exodus Tales
Editor: Exodus Tales
I was dumbfounded. Was this still the swollen ghost infant I just saw?
He was chubby and still looked cute despite his pale face. He didn’t look like a living person at all.
“What do you want to talk to me about?” I stared at him vigilantly, afraid that he would suddenly attack me.
My right hand was touching the skull ring on my left hand tightly and I was ready to use the Nether Blade to fight him at any time. He obviously noticed my move, giggled and said, “Big sister, don’t be so nervous, if I was going to do something to you, you would be a dead person by now.”
Yo! This small baby has a big mouth!
Ming Si was the Netherworld King and he had always been low profile. This brat dared to talk wildly and belittle the thing that Ming Si gave me.
“I warn you. Don’t play dirty tricks.”
He smiled, “Of course not. I just want to ask you for help, why would I play tricks with you?”
He blinked his big black eyes and looked at me so eagerly. I was slightly relieved, but I still did not dare to relax completely.
“Speak up.”
“I want you to help me meet someone.”
“Who do you want to meet?”
Before he could speak, I heard the voice of my aunty from outside as if she was calling someone. Her voice sounded urgent.
“This is a matter of life and death, you can’t make it? What to do… please think of a solution first. What? Ghost subduing talisman?… What about our Sixi…?”
When I heard my aunty mention my name, I had a vague hunch in my heart.
I glanced at the baby boy in front of me. The corner of his lips curled and he was about to continue speaking when my room door was pushed open by my aunty. Seeing me awake, she asked, “Sixi, where’s your blindfold?”
I reached under the pillow and took out the blindfold. Aunty snatched it and took out the ghost subduing talisman from the blindfold. I was shocked, “Aunty, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to borrow it temporarily. Shang Yi will send a few ghosts subduing talismans again in two days.”
“But I…”
“Be at ease. It’s okay for just two days. Saving Lin Xiao’s life is more important right now.”
Aunty didn’t explain to me in detail. She turned around and walked out of the room. I got out of bed and followed her to see her loosen Lin Xiao’s shirt who was lying on the bed. She placed the ghost subduing talisman on Lin Xiao’s bulging belly. At that moment, I heard the sound of a baby boy screaming.
I looked back at the baby boy. He stood in the corner and had returned to his swollen and hideous appearance. He seemed unable to move and was yelling in pain with a twisted face while staring angrily at me with his sunken eye sockets. Lin Xiao’s belly that had the ghost subduing talisman stuck onto it slowly sunk down.
“Aunty, what are you doing?”
Aunty lowered her eyes to look at me, used her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead, and sighed heavily, “According to Shang Yi, the ghost infant should now be temporarily sealed with the ghost subduing talisman so that he can’t do any evil deed for now.”
“And then?”
“Shang Yi will come and treat him as soon as possible.”
Treat him? Is he going to kill the ghost infant?
I haven’t even heard what the ghost infant wanted me to do. Maybe he had an unfulfilled wish.
“Okay, Lin Xiao will be fine tonight, you can go back at ease,” Aunty said to Old Lin.
Old Lin looked worried, “Is he really alright?”
“I promise you he’ll be fine tonight, you can go back home.”
Old Lin was about to speak but hesitated. In the end, he looked at Lin Xiao and finally left with his head hung down with a tired face.
Aunty went out and closed the gate of the courtyard. Seeing that the God Statue on the door had fallen off, she quickly took some tape from the house and pasted the God Statue back.
Afterward, we went back to our own rooms.
Throughout the night I heard the ghost infant crying to me in a low voice, “Big sister, please help me, I really just want to meet someone. As long as I meet that person, I won’t hurt that big brother.”
I didn’t know if I should believe him or not. He emitted a bitter cold aura and just looking at his hideous appearance gave me an eerie feeling. I covered my head with the blanket and finally managed to endure it to dawn.
I did not have much sleep so my head was drowsy.
Aunty asked me to wake up to eat breakfast, so I washed my face with cold water to sober myself up.
The ghost infant was still standing in the corner. He couldn’t move and was staring at me fiercely as if I was his mortal enemy.
While eating, the ghost infant yelled at me frantically, “You have the ability to link between the yin and yang, but you don’t have the heart to help ghosts. Such a wasted ability.”
I ignored him and did not even look at him. I was afraid that seeing his disgusting face would make me lose my appetite.
I treated him and Lin Xiao as if they didn’t exist.
Lin Xiao’s swelling on his body came down a lot, but he still looked like a corpse soaked in water for a long time, and even exuded an unpleasant smell. Fortunately, the smell was not too strong. Otherwise, I would really have difficulty swallowing my food.
When we were eating, Old Lin hurried over, holding a roll of money in his hand which was all new one hundred yuan notes neatly rolled into a tube, tied with a black rubber band.
He stuffed the money into my aunty’s hands, and pleaded, “I only have three thousand yuan at hand. Please help me ask the expert to come over and save my son.”
Aunty returned the money and said firmly, “Don’t worry, I will ask Shang Yi to come over, but he has an important memorial service today and tomorrow. He will only be able to come over the day after tomorrow. For the time being, the ghost subduing talisman will seal the ghost infant. Your son is fine. Please keep your money first.”
Aunty knew that Old Lin’s family was struggling financially. How could she collect money from him at this juncture? Not to mention she felt that she hadn’t helped much. They were all staying in the same neighborhood and she could not bring herself to accept a single penny from Old Lin.
Old Lin was grateful and had tears welling up in his eyes.
I called out to him, “Uncle Lin, you haven’t had breakfast yet right? Let’s eat together.”
Aunty reached her hand out to caress my head and persuaded Old Lin to sit down and eat.
A day passed and I finished all my homework in the evening. As I took a break and started stretching, I heard the ghost infant yelling at me, “You are a cold-blooded and ruthless person. You are not willing to do a small favor for me. Even If you ask an expert to help, you won’t be able to send me away.”
I don’t know if he is just flaunting himself, but Shang Yi is a capable man. A ghost subduing talisman could easily suppress him and yet he still has the nerve to raise his voice here. So ridiculous.
I ignored him and poured a glass of water to drink. He shouted at me again, “Don’t pretend to be deaf. I just want to ask you to do me a favor. Why won’t you believe me?”
He is so annoying, it makes my brain hurt.
I glanced at him. His face was disgusting, and I quickly turned my eyes away and said, “It’s not that I won’t help you. When Shang Yi comes, you can tell him whatever you want. He is more powerful than me. If you ask him for help, he would definitely help you.”
“Who knows if that Shang Yi is a good person.”
“…”
No matter a good or bad person, he is still better than a malicious ghost.
However, I just thought this in my heart and did not say it out loud. I had a feeling that this would irritate this cranky ghost even more.