Chapter 20: I Don't Want You to Be Deceived

"In the past, this road was remote, and often thieves and bandits would rob passing merchants here. After taking away the women, the remaining men and children were simply killed, their bellies slit open and then hung on nearby trees, their blood spilling out with a splat—the leaders of the caravans met even worse fates, hung upside down as a warning lantern, to intimidate any merchants daring enough to resist."

"Later, these bandits grew more and more rampant, even daring to ambush the family members of the county magistrate. The officials in the yamen could no longer stand idly by, so they summoned the Official Army to eliminate the bandits—capturing and killing them one by one, and tossing their bodies by the roadside. If they caught the leaders of the bandits, dismemberment was not enough; they also displayed their severed heads as a public warning."

"As time went on, the number of bodies by the roadside increased, and no one dared to claim and bury the bodies of the bandits, fearing the Official Army would bind them as accomplices. Before long, the stench of rotting corpses filled the air, and evil spirits started to cause trouble—people claimed they saw Fierce Ghosts snatch and gnaw on humans, spreading panic."

"It was not until one day that a Barefoot Monk, a man of uncommon ability, passed by. He boasted mastery of his craft and walked in knee-deep snow during the depths of winter, wearing only a thin monk's robe and barefoot, yet his skin was ruddy and his complexion normal."

"After wandering around this place for a whole night, the next morning the Monk went straight to the yamen, claiming that this forest was a rare gathering place for Yin energy where the souls of the deceased did not disperse, but rather accumulated together. Some had already almost taken form and, if left unattended, the lives of everyone in the entire city could be in peril."

"The officials in the yamen didn't believe in such ghost stories and ordered their subordinates to beat and expel the Monk. Unexpectedly, upon confrontation, seven or eight of the yamen's servants were beaten down by the seemingly frail Monk. He then pulled out two round objects from his large pocket and threw them on the ground, scaring everyone present—it was two human heads!"

"These two heads were familiar to the officials; one belonged to the notorious bandit 'Zuan Shan Long,' and the other to the bandit leader 'Xiao Xi Feng.' These two had been eliminated by the Official Army half a year ago and had been publicly executed by dismemberment at the marketplace, with their heads ordered to be hung by the mountain road as a deterrent. Yet, upon inspection, these heads showed no signs of decay and were as lifelike as ever."

"Without saying much, the Barefoot Monk held the heads and pried open Zuan Shan Long's jaw to reveal a half-eaten bloody ear, still with a jade earring attached."

"The Monk recounted that the previous night, he heard strange noises from the forest and happened upon these two evil spirits harming humans. There were eight people present, almost completely devoured, and after a fierce battle, he finally destroyed the roots of these two evil spirits and retrieved their severed heads."

"Seeing this, the officials immediately sent men to the place mentioned by the Monk, confirming the truth of his claim. Following the Monk's instruction, they summoned craftsmen and erected a Buddhist pagoda at the site selected by the Monk—where we had just passed—the most Yin place along the entire road, for the purpose of suppressing the surrounding evil spirits."

"Then, they collected the unclaimed bones, burying them near the newly built Soul-Suppressing Pagoda. Since then, the road became much more peaceful."

"Over time, any bodies of persons who died unjustly or whose corpses were unclaimed were brought and buried under the pagoda, so that even if they turned into Fierce Ghosts, they would be suppressed by the Soul-Suppressing Pagoda and unable to do harm."

"Oh, and it's rumored that the Monk left his personal Buddha statue within the pagoda. Whether that's true or not, I have no idea."

The Coachman concluded there, but Yang Xiao grew alert. The Coachman seemed to know too much, and there was a discrepancy in his account.

The Coachman had mentioned that people nearby would bury unclaimed bones near the Soul-Suppressing Pagoda, but in this haunted place, people are forbidden to speak or look directly as they pass—how then could anyone dare to dig a grave and bury bodies?

"With this place being so cursed, how can you dare to come close and bury bodies?" Yang Xiao feigned a mix of fear and curiosity.

Speaking of this, the coachman scratched his head sheepishly, "Oh, you mean this? It's easy to handle, just hold a mouthful of grave soil. Once we're busy with everything and leave that place, we can just spit it out."

The perilous mountain roads were behind them now, and as the path ahead opened up, the coachman relaxed, took out a red cloth bundle from his bosom, and upon opening it, revealed some very finely ground soil, "It's these. People traveling the road always prepare some in advance. It's just that the taste..."

The coachman, probably just over fifty, smiled innocently. Yang Xiao knew what he meant; mainly, the taste of the grave soil was truly unpleasant, or else he would have already shared some with himself and Xu Su before passing by there.

The next second, the coachman was taken aback as Xu Su suddenly reached out, grabbed some of the grave soil, and then divided some with Yang Xiao.

"What are you guys..."

"Better safe than sorry," laughed Yang Xiao, stowing away the soil. This so-called Soul-Suppressing Pagoda was a bit too sinister to not take precautions against.

Continuing on their journey, after about another half-hour, the carriage finally stopped. Yang Xiao could already hear the sound of waves lapping against the shore.

After getting out of the carriage, they saw a not-so-large port bustling with activity. Besides some richly dressed merchants, most were laborers of the dock, carrying burlap sacks half their height to and fro between the carriages, storerooms, and the large wooden boats moored at the waterfront.

Because carriages not loaded with cargo couldn't stay there for long, they arranged to meet the coachman again in half an hour and he drove his carriage away.

Without the coachman, Yang Xiao and Xu Su had more freedom. "Thank you, Miss Xu, we might need this grave soil when we head back."

Xu Su nodded, somewhat embarrassed, "It was nothing. I was really scared when we passed by there. I'm glad you were there."

I don't trust you at all! thought Yang Xiao, but his face showed only pleasantly surprised gratitude, with a hint of proud and smug satisfaction at receiving a beauty's favor. After a moment, he replied solemnly, "Miss Xu, you're too kind. We're teammates; we should help each other!"

"Yes, you give me a different feeling... from the other people I've met," said Xu Su, somewhat shyly raising her head to look into Yang Xiao's eyes. The vulnerability and hope in her gaze were as tender as the ripples of spring water, "So you must survive. You're a newcomer. If there's anything you don't understand and others refuse to tell you, you can always ask me."

Here it comes! Exactly what I thought!

A beautifully blooming white lotus indeed. Surely, she had sensed his usefulness and was willing to deploy her charms to win him over. Best to also play a divide-and-rule strategy while binding him to her side, then stab others in the back—like her supposed ally, Kuang Hongyi.

Xu Su brushed a lock of hair from her temple, her expression troubled. After a long pause, she mustered up her courage, "Yesterday, I saw you talking with Kuang for a long time. He's a good person too, I can feel it, but... I just worry you might be deceived. I've seen many newcomers like you who ended up being deceived and left behind in the world of the script forever."