Chapter 102: The Spiritual Object

"So, Chen Baishi is your grandfather?"

"That's right!"

"Then... then Chen Bailian is your great-aunt?"

"Exactly, that is how the seniority is ranked."

Old Man Chen chuckled, covering his mouth, inwardly sighing at how sheltered this young man was. In the countryside, ranking by seniority was as normal as could be.

Cui Yue looked him up and down, unable to fathom that the man before him was actually related to Chen Bailian.

"Secretary Chen, we would like to know more details about what happened in Shangwan Village."

"Very well, follow me, you two!"

Old Man Chen lowered his voice, as if he were afraid of startling someone. The three of them reached a secluded spot before he slowly began to speak.

"Forgive me for being blunt, but before we proceed, could you two reveal your identities?"

Cui Yue had not expected Secretary Chen to be so straightforward. As the saying goes, one sizes up the person before serving the dish; this particular dish had been prepared many years ago, and many of those who had tasted it had ended up dead or injured. Secretary Chen had his own reasons for asking.

Old Man Huo, however, was unbothered. He snapped his fingers.

"My surname is Huo. I’ve been in this trade for decades. Whatever happens, I will take responsibility."

Cui Yue suddenly didn't know how to start and scratched his head.

"I’m Cui Yue. My uncle is a feng shui master, and a good friend of mine is a Taoist priest who exorcises demons. I am... I am..."

"He is currently learning the ropes under me; you could call him an apprentice," Old Man Huo interrupted before Cui Yue could finish, giving him a secret kick.

Cui Yue glared at him. *What is this? When did I become your apprentice? I never said I wanted to learn your trade. If I had, my father would have broken my legs before I even entered the profession.*

Old Man Huo shot him a look, signaling him not to get ahead of himself—he hadn't offered to teach him either; he just wanted Cui Yue to play along.

Old Man Chen nodded upon hearing they were master and apprentice.

"So, Master Huo, you likely already understand the situation in our village. I don't know if, with your abilities, you can... To be honest, there is a great master of yin and yang in Longcheng named Qin Wei, but we country folk lack the connections to invite such a powerful man..."

"Little Qin, is it? He used to be my apprentice!"

"What?"

"Little Qin?!"

Both Old Man Chen and Cui Yue widened their eyes, wondering if they had misheard. Did this Old Man Huo actually have an apprentice, and such a capable one at that?

"Hmph, you don't believe me? You can go find out for yourselves when you have the time. That said, aside from being a little clever, that boy is nothing but show."

Cui Yue rolled his eyes. *Old Man Huo, at best you’re just blowing hot air; if you’re going to lie, at least make it believable.*

Fortunately, Old Man Chen didn't press the matter. *Whether you say it is your business, whether I believe it is mine!*

"Ahem, Master Huo, I don't mean to doubt your abilities, it's just..." Old Man Chen said, his face awkward as he cleared his throat.

"You're right. This matter is indeed thorny, far beyond my expectations."

"Then, I must entrust the affairs of Shangwan Village to you both."

In truth, ever since Chen Sanwa reported that yin and yang masters had arrived in the village, Old Man Chen had been observing them in secret. He had seen Old Man Huo and Cui Yue break the Seven-Fold Northern Baleful Formation, and he was waiting to see if they could finally break the curse of Shangwan Village. If they succeeded, everyone would be happy; if they failed, he could simply pretend he knew nothing.

Old Man Chen reached into his shirt and pulled out a bone flute made from sheep bone, laying it in his palm.

"This flute was picked up by the Chen family from that pile of items on the riverbank. To put it bluntly, it is the curse of our family."

Cui Yue looked on in amazement. The palm-sized flute was white, smooth, and exquisitely crafted.

"It seems the cursed objects for each household are different."

Old Man Chen looked at the flute in his hand with a complex expression, as if he had endless words to say and endless suffering to recount.

"This thing has been passed down since my grandfather, Chen Baishi. It is said to be the same as the objects worshipped by other families in the village, yet... not quite the same?"

"Are you referring to its design, or something else?" Cui Yue asked curiously.

"This thing can communicate with spirits!" Old Man Huo stared at Old Man Chen, saying every word with deliberate weight.

Old Man Chen shuddered, looking at Old Man Huo in shock.

"Yes, that is... that is the case," Old Man Chen mumbled.

Old Man Huo’s face was as cold as water. He gave a faint huff and continued.

"This bone flute is not only an object of worship for your family, but also a bridge to communicate with the female ghost in green. Through this flute, the ghost makes demands, and your role is to satisfy them one by one!"

Old Man Chen’s face turned deathly pale, his whole body trembling. He never imagined that the secret he had hidden his entire life would be laid bare by a stranger in a single sentence.

"You! Who exactly are you? How do you know these things?"

"I told you, my surname is Huo! Don't you know what I do?"

Old Man Chen's face cycled from red to white to purple before he slumped to the ground, dejected.

"Fine, fine. Since I dared to invite you here, I won't hide anything anymore. This day was bound to come."

Cui Yue asked in a low voice, "Master Huo, how did you know all this?"

"Hmph, the death aura has already seeped into his meridians. The bone flute is a spirit-channeling object; do you think a living person dealing with the dead lives a long time? If I am not mistaken, no one in his line lives past fifty-five!"

Old Man Chen hurriedly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nodded. "Master Huo is right. My grandfather passed away at fifty-two, and my father didn't even reach fifty... I have lived a bit longer; I will be fifty-five in the lunar calendar on the seventh of the eighth month."

"What? How can this be? Does that mean, Grandfather Chen, this year..."

Old Man Chen stared at the bone flute, silent, shaking his head with a heavy sigh.

"Sinful, we of the Chen family have committed such sins."

Cui Yue listened, deeply confused. Why did Old Man Chen’s words sound identical to Chen Bailian’s? What hidden truth was buried here?

"Masters, now that things have reached this point, I will tell you the truth. My grandfather was Chen Baishi, the village teacher. That day, many things washed down from the riverbank. After everyone divided them up, strange things began to happen. Later, we couldn't get rid of them even if we wanted to. My grandfather obtained this bone flute and met the 'Opera Lady.' To stop the deaths in the village and live in peace, he had to make a pact that our entire village would worship it for generations."

Old Man Chen paused, then continued.

"My grandfather led the village in worshipping the Opera Lady, and she kept her end of the bargain and stopped causing trouble. By my father's generation, the Opera Lady made new demands, telling my father, my father..."

Seeing Old Man Chen struggling to speak, Cui Yue urged, "What happened? Tell us!"

"She told your father to collect seven baleful objects and bury them at seven locations in the village, thus creating the Seven-Fold Northern Baleful Formation!"

Old Man Huo suddenly spoke, his voice as cold as ice.