The Price of Protection

　　The corpse-ghost, flung into the courtyard, staggered to its feet and stumbled towards the gate. 

　　It barely took a step before a large tobacco pipe slammed into the back of its head, sending it crashing to the ground. 

　　Liu, pipe raised high, moved with an uncanny grace, her left foot rooted, her right hovering above it as if suspended in mid-air.

　　"One strike to separate the soul!" she cried, bringing the pipe down with a sickening thud.

　　"Two strikes to banish the spirit!" The corpse-ghost wailed, its body convulsing violently with each blow.

　　"Three strikes to end the grievance!" The final strike fell, and an eerie silence descended upon the courtyard. 

　　Liu, utterly spent, collapsed beside the still form of the corpse-ghost. 

　　Inside the house, Grandpa, who'd recovered from the ghost's vicious kick, rushed out. 

　　The courtyard was a scene of carnage. 

　　Scattered around were the bodies of weasels and foxes, loyal companions who had come to their aid. 

　　 Even the powerful black dog lay lifeless, its belly ripped open. 

　　The giant weasel, gravely wounded, looked at Grandpa for a fleeting moment before limping away with its injured comrades.

　　Grandpa, who had lived in harmony with these creatures for three years, felt a pang of gratitude. 

　　"Thank you, Yellow Great Immortal," he whispered to the retreating figure, receiving only silence in return.

　　He turned to Liu, her face, already weathered, now bore a fresh, gruesome scar that stretched from forehead to mouth, seemingly claiming an eye.

　　"Liu, are you alright?" he asked, his voice heavy with concern.

　　"Still breathing," she rasped, pain evident in her voice. 

　　"The corpse-ghost..." Grandpa's eyes darted towards the motionless form, worry etched on his face.

　　"It's finished," she assured him. "I scattered the soul of Ma's wife. The corpse can't harm anyone anymore. Return it to Ma for burial. This nightmare is over."

　　As they spoke, Dad appeared in the doorway, drawn by the silence. The sight of the carnage made him flinch.

　　"It's alright now, son," Grandpa beckoned him inside. 

　　"Father… it's Xiao Jie! Something's wrong!" Mom's frantic cries echoed from within the house.

　　Grandpa and Dad exchanged a worried look and rushed inside.

　　"What happened?" Grandpa asked, his eyes falling on me, limp in Mom's arms.

　　"When your brother's wife came in, a giant fox shadow with eight tails appeared on the wall behind Xiao Jie!" Mom sobbed. "She jumped out the window, and Xiao Jie… he just fainted. We can't wake him up!"

　　Fear gripped Grandpa and Dad. 

　　They rushed to my side. 

　　 Liu, listening intently, finally spoke, a glimmer of understanding in her eyes.

　　"Don't worry," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "The child is possessed by a powerful spirit, a celestial being. 

　　It saved your lives, drove away the corpse-ghost, and left it vulnerable for me to finish off. 

　　The exertion has weakened the spirit, but it's one soul in two bodies with the child. He'll be fine, in three days, maybe seven. He'll wake up."

　　Her words were a balm to their frayed nerves. 

　　Relief washed over them. 

　　 But there was still much to be done. 

　　Dad found a truck and took the corpseto the mountains, promising to inform Ma Loa San at daybreak. 

　　The courtyard was cleared. 

　　Over thirty weasel and fox bodies, their fur still vibrant, lay at their feet.

　　 Grandpa, unable to bring himself to profit from their sacrifice, buried them with a heavy heart.

　　Dawn arrived, painting the sky with hues of pink and orange. 

　　Mom had bandaged Liu's wounds as best she could. 

　　 Grandpa, filled with gratitude and guilt, escorted her to the town hospital on a donkey cart.

　　"Big Sister, you've lost an eye for us, for strangers," Grandpa said, his voice thick with emotion. "Our family can never repay you."

　Liu smiled sadly. 

　　"Lao Wu, I seek no reward. Helping a celestial being is a blessing. Your grandson is special, destined for great things.

　　 But his life will be fraught with trials. Every three years, he'll face a tribulation, a test of life and death. 

　　I can guide him, but the ninth year will be different, dangerous. It's beyond even my power. 

　　His fate will hang in the balance. Remember, on his ninth birthday, keep him safe, keep him inside."

　　"The ninth year?" Grandpa frowned. "But the sixth year…?"

　　"I can handle the sixth," she said, her voice laced with an unknown emotion. "The ninth… that lies in the hands of fate." 

　　 She puffed on her pipe, her gaze fixed on the distant Jiu Shan Village, her face a mask of unreadable thoughts. 

　　Three days later, I opened my eyes…