Chapter Eleven: Impermanence

Liu Hu opened his eyes, yearning to see the face of the newcomer, but unfortunately, he was incapable of such a feat at that moment. The thing pressed against his body obscured all vision, and his strength so depleted, he could barely move, let alone rise or make any gesture. A sense of helplessness welled up within him, soon mingling with a faint glimmer of hope.

“Help me…” he whispered.

In other circumstances, it would have been unimaginable for him to utter such words.

…

Cui Xiu did not answer Liu Hu. He was somewhat astonished; it had never occurred to him that Liu Hu would be reduced to such a miserable state. The man’s earlier demeanor had been fierce—so much so that even with the aid of source energy, Cui Xiu’s own strength had improved, yet he still wouldn’t have claimed confidence in facing Liu Hu.

Now, however, this formidable adversary lay pitifully on the ground, utterly disheveled—a sight quite contrary to expectation. Cui Xiu had considered the possibility of encountering Liu Hu, but never in such a situation.

Yet, there was no sympathy in his heart; instead, a sense of relief prevailed. After all, this was an enemy—he could hardly feel pity for someone who had sought his death only a short while before.

“Big brother, he’s a bad man. Grandma said it was him and other wicked uncles who killed everyone in the village.”

The innocent voice sounded at Cui Xiu’s ear. He turned and looked at the girl beside him. Dark-skinned, she was none other than the little Grass he had met the day before. The ‘grandma’ she mentioned was naturally the old woman.

Indeed, Cui Xiu had escaped the cycle thanks to Grass’s help. He knew Grass’s ghostly identity, but felt no fear—only a pang of tenderness. Along the way, he had gleaned fragments of the story from her.

Grass, her grandmother, and her younger brother were once true villagers of the Liu family village. More precisely, they belonged to the old Liu family village. Then, a band of robbers arrived from somewhere, slaughtered the villagers, seized the land, and masqueraded as the present Liu family village. The bodies of the original villagers were discarded here, Grass’s family among them.

Perhaps due to the environment, many villagers became ghosts. Yet as the years passed, only Grass’s family remained. The exact reason was unclear; Cui Xiu could not guess.

Earlier, when Grass’s grandmother had offered him shelter, it was to keep him from falling victim to the dangers of Liu family village and the bandits.

…

In fact, the ghostly villagers warned all travelers, but few would stay overnight. Wu Yu’s party, for various reasons, preferred to lodge at the nearby Liu family village—and paid for it with their lives.

As for why the truth was not revealed outright, it was a matter of human nature’s complexities. Cui Xiu, for example, would not have believed such tales without firsthand understanding.

Grass smiled stiffly when Cui Xiu looked her way, but he paid it no mind. Hearing Grass declare that Liu Hu was one of the villains, his relief deepened into a resolve to kill.

In either his past life or this world, men like Liu Hu were reviled.

“Heh, so it’s a little ghost…”

Liu Hu, still pleading moments before, seemed to comprehend and spoke coldly, falling silent. Having suffered under the burden for a day, he no longer feared ghosts. Bold by nature, unafraid of death, and despairing, he made no further pleas for mercy.

Of course, he believed that death would bring him a guide to the other side…

Yet he did not voice a wish for death.

A sharp sound cut through the air.

Cui Xiu, now fully apprised and with no hesitation, delivered a sword strike. He had killed before—not long ago—and felt no unease. He remained ignorant of Liu Hu’s transformation, nor could he see the horrors that filled Liu Hu’s eyes, but that did not hinder his hand.

Drawing his sword, he regarded Liu Hu’s surprised expression without emotion, though he frowned slightly at the spurting blood.

“Grass, take me to see Grandma.”

Moments later, Liu Hu lay lifeless, and Cui Xiu turned again to Grass. She had said her grandmother wished to meet him. He wondered, perhaps fancifully, if he glimpsed something odd in Grass’s eyes as he turned—but the feeling vanished when he looked again.

Cui Xiu frowned, unsettled, and shook his head. While the stories he heard from Grass could not be taken as absolute truth, the old woman had not shown any intent to harm him. There was no harm in meeting her.

Besides, to leave this place, he needed her help.

…

“Grandma, we meet again. I must thank you and Grass for saving my life.”

Led by Grass, Cui Xiu seemed unaffected by the environment, able to break the cycle as if dispelling a bewildering formation. Soon, he met the old woman. Unlike the previous night, she was now alone; the other child was gone, and her face paler still. Cui Xiu could even discern a faint ethereal quality to her figure.

“Young master, you are a scholar. It is your own good fortune. I merely offered a word of advice, nothing to warrant your thanks.”

The old woman treated Cui Xiu with respect, apparently due to his scholarly status.

“May I ask why you wished to see me, Grandma?”

He did not insist further. Though she had become a ghost, she remained much as she had been in life. He kept his gratitude in his heart, wondering how he might repay her. Grass had said her grandmother sought him out, so it was likely she had a reason.

The old woman hesitated, glanced at Cui Xiu, then at her granddaughter, and lovingly stroked Grass’s head.

“I have a matter, young master, and I hope you might lend your aid.”

“Please speak plainly, Grandma. You and Grass have shown me kindness. If it is within my power, I will not refuse.”

Cui Xiu did not know what she would ask, but he wished to repay her and would not decline.

“Would you mind untying the bundle on your back and showing it to me?”

Her smile deepened as she made her request.

Cui Xiu was momentarily surprised, but his bundle contained only some human bones, so he had no objection. He handed it to her.

The old woman opened the bundle, selected the child’s skull, and touched it with sympathy. Then, as if relieved, she looked to Cui Xiu with hope.

“Was it you who removed the thing within these bones, young master?”

Cui Xiu was surprised; she seemed to know of the gray currents once present in the bones.

He quickly realized that her request was related to those gray currents. If he could help, he would not mind.

He had thought that, as ghosts, the old woman and Grass might have nothing for him to assist with, but now it seemed there was a way.