Chapter 32: Action

I understood what my master meant. He was very sorry that he had not killed the hungry ghosts in time. In the end, the hungry ghosts had caused harm to people. At the same time, he was also sighing that he was not prepared enough. After all, he had not encountered this kind of blood-eating hungry ghosts and did not know enough about them.

“Hey, the courtyard is full of resentment. Let me convert them.” After saying this, Huijue walked to the middle of the courtyard. The people around him automatically made way for him. Huijue didn’t mind the dirt on the ground, and sat cross-legged, beginning to recite the scriptures of transcendence.

The master glanced at the courtyard and walked out alone. I followed him and stood quietly at the entrance to the courtyard.

After about ten minutes of silence, the master took out his pipe, put some tobacco in it, and lit it. I was also feeling heavy, and when I saw him puffing away, I couldn’t help but say, “Master, I’ll have a puff too.”

Old Jiang looked at me and said, “You smoked last time, right? This time I’ll let you have one more. From now on, until you’re 18, you’re not allowed to touch it!”

I tried to laugh like I usually do, but I couldn’t. I took a puff from the pipe, but the tobacco was so strong that I almost choked.

Old Jiang rubbed my head and took the pipe, continuing to smoke his pipe.

After holding my breath for a long time, I said, “Master, you always say that fate is determined by heaven. This is their fate, so don’t feel bad. Don’t you still have a bug to catch? I’ll even go back to being bait.”

The old man knew that I was trying to comfort him, and looked at me with a relieved smile, saying, “There’s no more. It’s just that one bug.”

I was curious and asked, “Master, what’s going on?”

“I can probably figure out what’s going on. The hungry ghosts come from the same ghost mother, and they have a connection with each other. You know that, right?”

“Yes!” I nodded.

“Last time we distributed medicine pills, we killed so many of their siblings that the two that were left felt threatened and hid. I don’t know about the other one. After all, there are so many wild animals in the forest, and the other one hid in the stomach of Qian Dagui’s cow. They have a sense of connection, and I guess they have some special way of communicating. Then they met up and started to nibble on the Wang Laizi couple.” The master said.

“But the bodies of Wang Laizi and his wife have already decayed so badly…” I couldn’t figure out the reason.

“Listen to me, you little brat. The thing that confuses us is that they nibble away at the couple little by little, hiding in the stomachs of the animals! Do you understand?” Old Jiang said, unable to believe it himself.

The little hungry ghost insect has such a high IQ.

I swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said, “Master, I understand what you mean. No wonder Qian Dagu’s cow moaned every night. It must have been sneaking in and out every night. Little by little, Wang Laizi’s symptoms became less obvious. They even avoided the time when we gave the medicine. How could they be so smart?

“Yes, the most incredible thing is that they chose Wang Laizi, who rarely interacts with people in the market! This is something I can’t understand. Maybe I’m biased. Hungry ghosts have a world of their own. They are a kind of creature, and some are even the result of the corruption of human souls. Their wisdom…” Old Jiang sighed, as if he was blaming himself.

“Master, weren’t there two? Why is there only one?”

“Have you forgotten? Hungry ghosts devour each other!” Old Jiang took a puff of his pipe and fell silent.

I was shocked. I had only heard the legend of the hungry ghost world, but I never thought it would really happen in front of my eyes.

“Why did it swallow its own siblings?” I couldn’t imagine it. I thought of my two sisters.

“Maybe it felt too dangerous around it, and it wanted the strength to protect itself.” Old man Jiang took a puff of tobacco, knocked the tobacco pipe, and said with some uncertainty.

At this point, Huijue’s transference was complete. I had to admire this old man. After his transference, I could clearly feel that the courtyard had become clearer.

Old man Jiang stood up and walked into the courtyard. Hu Xueman hurriedly said, “Master Jiang, someone died, and it died like this. This is really a problem.”

No wonder the old man Jiang said before he left that there was a pile of trouble waiting. I roughly knew the nature of my master’s work. Some things could be kept to a minimum, and some things could be kept secret without anyone knowing.

But in this rural area, two people have died, and it is indeed not a good thing to hide.

After a moment of thought, the old man said, “Let’s go to the township office and contact the higher authorities. This kind of thing is not something we can hide. We need to get the higher authorities involved!”

The next day, at lunchtime, I was eating alone in front of the ping-pong table with my lunchbox, when soon after, the crispy pork came over.

“Sanwa, have you heard the news?”

“What did you hear?” My mood had not completely recovered, and I would not care about what my classmates usually discussed.

“The police came early in the morning, saying that they had caught a vicious criminal and confessed to a murder. Then they took out the bodies of Wang Laizi and his wife, wrapped them up tightly, and no one saw what happened.” Su Rou had no appetite, and he couldn’t eat the food in the lunch box. He was lucky that his mother had brought it to school early in the morning, because he had spent the night with me at Qiang Dagui’s house last night and didn’t go home.

However, it is normal not to be able to eat. Even I don’t have much of an appetite. Usually I eat three boxes of food, but this time I only ate half a box and felt like I couldn’t eat anymore.

“Hey, it turns out that there are some things that the average person like me can’t possibly know.” Su Rou saw that I didn’t answer and sighed again.

I was silent. Yes, this is the surging undercurrent behind the calm. As long as the common people live quietly, many things will be covered up in silence.

In 1982, when information was not well developed, who would question what the police said? Who would think of hungry ghosts?

Even today, when information is developing at a rapid pace, in the face of a powerful state apparatus, once a matter is decided, any discussion will subside, and life goes on as usual. Some things are actually a hundred times better not knowing than knowing.

“Su Rou, you said I was excusable, but why did you get involved in so many things?” I actually found it a bit hard to bear. Su Rou was only 15 years old, and even though he was slick, was it too much for him?

“Who says I’m destined to be with you? So, you may have to leave, but I’m not sad at all, because I trust Master Jiang, and I know we’ll meet again.” Su Rou was unusually sentimental.

It’s a good thing we’ve been friends since we were in diapers.

I looked at Su Rou and was moved. Usually, this kid is so carefree, but I didn’t expect him to remember something I had already forgotten.

“What? Sanwa, you’re staring at the old hen at school, don’t stare at me like that, I can’t stand it.” Su Rou suddenly shuddered, probably because I was looking at him and he felt uncomfortable.

“Who the hell are you? Eat, eat, whoever doesn’t finish eating is a son of a bitch.” I shouted.

Su Rou looked at me with a bitter expression and said, “Sanwa, you shouldn’t treat people like this. I really can’t eat anymore.”

Three days later, the atmosphere at school became tense because there were only seven days left before the final exam, and there were only seven days left in the semester. I felt inexplicably sad. I didn’t know if I would leave here with the old man Jiang after I finished these seven days.

I also had some expectations. What would the outside world be like?

After school, I met someone at the school gate, a bearded man, Hu Xue-man.

“Why are you here?” I was very curious why he was waiting for me at the school gate.

“I was going to the mountains to talk to Master Jiang today, and I thought I’d pick you up on the way. Can’t I?” Hu Xue Man took my bag and carried it for me.

“Don’t do that, I’m a big guy.” I grabbed the bag and put it on my back, then said, “My master is definitely busy today. He and Master Hui are going to liberate the hungry ghosts. What are you looking for him to discuss today?”

“Operation 5th.” Hu Xueman said casually, and then suddenly looked at me with a hint of embarrassment, as if she had realized she had let the cat out of the bag.