Chapter Twenty-Nine: Spirits of the Mountains and Wild Creatures

As night approached, the village chief finally returned with the items Fang You had requested. In such a small mountain village, finding these things was no easy feat. It was remarkable that they managed to gather everything before darkness fell.

“Little Taoist, here are the things you asked for!” The village chief placed them on the ground. Fang You began the soul-calling ritual.

He set four bowls of plain white rice before the heads of the four bodies. Into each bowl, he stuck three sticks of incense. Next, he sprinkled rooster’s blood along the threshold of the doorway. Finally, wrapping a talisman around cinnabar, he chanted softly: “In this life, there are souls, in this life, there are spirits. Today, your family of four has suffered great misfortune, surely your grievances are unresolved. Now, only one daughter remains. If your souls have not yet moved on, if you still linger here, please return to your bodies and speak your hearts, so that your daughter’s life may be preserved.”

Finishing the incantation, Fang You swiftly waved the cinnabar-wrapped talisman around the heads of the four corpses and shouted, “By decree, go!”

A crowd had gathered at the doorway, watching the bodies, barely daring to breathe. Fang You was tense. By all logic, in a family of five with only one survivor, if they truly were family, someone should return to explain the cause, if only to save their last child. There was no reason for them to remain silent.

He watched the four bowls of burning incense. Suddenly, the incense in the first bowl burned halfway and extinguished. This meant the first person had entered the cycle of rebirth, leaving this world behind. The incense in the second bowl burned and suddenly fell to the ground, signifying the second person had no intention of involving themselves further, refusing the ritual offering. Unexpectedly, the third bowl’s incense burned into two short and one long segment before slowly extinguishing—a warning: this matter was not to be meddled with, neither by themselves nor others.

Only the last bowl of incense remained. Sweat beaded on Fang You’s forehead. If this incense failed, he would have to find another way. He still did not know what he was facing. With only one daughter left, even the slightest misstep could mean her death, and Fang You would be burdened with guilt.

The final incense burned well past halfway, yet there was no response. It seemed the last soul hesitated, unwilling to return. As Fang You began to fear the ritual had failed, a strange wind swept in through the doorway. Though not strong, it carried a chilling cold.

Suddenly, a human-shaped footprint appeared in the rooster’s blood on the floor, slowly walking toward the bowl of incense still burning. The footprint paused, hesitant, then gradually vanished as if merging with the body.

Seeing this, Fang You was overjoyed. “It’s done!”

The man’s body before him suddenly shuddered, startling the onlookers. What happened next was beyond belief: the man slowly sat up from the ground. His neck, broken from hanging, dangled awkwardly at his chest. He pushed the severed neck back onto his shoulders, but it fell again to his chest.

“Wang Ge’er is alive! Look, Wang Ge’er is alive!” the villagers cried in amazement.

“This little Taoist is truly extraordinary!”

Fang You, eyeing the incense that was almost burned out, hastened to question the newly revived Wang Ge’er, “Time is short. Tell me what happened!”

Wang Ge’er, his neck broken, did not hesitate. He opened his mouth—missing several teeth—and began to speak: “My name is Wang Ge’er. That day…”

Everyone listened with bated breath. Fang You searched for clues in his words.

“I am the village’s barefoot doctor, usually tending to small ailments and helping animals give birth. One night, someone dressed in dazzling gold and silver knocked at my door. I hesitated—such fine clothes were unheard of in our village. The man, sporting two small mustaches like a wealthy family’s servant, urgently told me to assist with a birth.

“I said I only deliver animals, not people. But he insisted I’d understand once I arrived, and promised me ten gold bars afterward.

“Ten gold bars could buy a whole field. Tempted by such wealth, I bade farewell to my wife and hurried after him deep into the mountains.

“In the wilds, it seemed impossible for anyone to live there, but he kept urging me on. After a long walk, I was stunned to see an imposing mansion—a rich man’s home, no doubt.

“He led me inside, and the interior was even more lavish, every detail immaculate. I wiped my feet, afraid to dirty their floor.

“I asked where the expectant mother was. He said she was upstairs.

“Following him up, I entered a luxurious boudoir and saw only a yellow-tailed fox lying on the bed.

“After all that, I was called to deliver an animal, not a person. My nerves eased, but when I called it a beast, the man instantly turned fierce, striking me and insisting I address her as Lady Yellow. I found it amusing—rich people, indulging their pets.

“But their eccentricities were none of my concern. I focused on the task, eager to finish and collect my gold.

“Delivering animals was second nature to me. In less than half an hour, I helped birth a little yellow fox.

“The wealthy man was pleased. After placing the cub on the bed, I followed him downstairs. He was generous, praising my work and offering another ten gold bars.

“When I saw the gleaming gold put into a bag and handed to me, I was thrilled. Then he made a strange request: I must not open the bag before returning home.

“I thought, since it was already mine, what difference did it make? Still, I nodded and left the mansion.”