Chapter Ninety-Four: The Phantom’s Elusive Trail

Before Cui Yue could react, Xiao Feng blurted out an even bigger piece of news.

“Actually, it’s not just my family that has the custom of worshipping spirits and gods—every household in this village does. Almost everyone here believes in it!”

“What?”

Cui Yue and Zhang Hao stood there, mouths agape, utterly stunned.

In rural areas, while some families might honor spirits, it’s rarely widespread. Usually, only a handful of households in a village observe such practices. But in Shangwan Village, the entire village worships spirits—it was unheard of.

Xiao Feng, thinking they were merely chatting casually, poured out everything she knew.

She lowered her voice, feigning mystery.

“Moreover, although everyone knows about the spirit worship, no one dares to discuss it openly in the village, let alone mention it to outsiders. It’s a strict taboo here!”

“That’s so strange. I’ve never heard of anything like this before.”

“I heard this too—and here’s something even stranger. Every household worships different things, all kinds of oddities. Some offer shoes, some clothes, and some even have cosmetic boxes on their altars. Isn’t that bizarre?”

Cui Yue was even more perplexed—what was going on? He had never heard of families worshipping such items. What was their connection to the blue-clad ghost? It seemed the entire village was guarding a huge secret. Perhaps the old woman at the village entrance knew the truth, but she stubbornly refused to speak or even open her door.

“Xiao Feng, try to recall carefully—did your father ever say anything before he passed?”

“He only kept warning me never to step into that room. He was always the one going in to make offerings. Ever since we moved down the mountain, every third and seventh day of the lunar month, he would return to the old courtyard to make his offerings, never missing a single time.”

Xiao Feng paused, then suddenly remembered something and hurried on.

“One time, after drinking, my father said some strange things—he said his life was tied to this place, and when he died, it would all end. Fortunately, I’m a girl; I can do whatever I want and never have to return to this little mountain village again. I thought he was just drunk and rambling, so I scolded him harshly. He only patted my head and said nothing more.”

“The third and seventh days… At the start of the lunar month, the first few days are considered yin—lacking yang energy. The third and seventh days are significant. If I’m not mistaken, the day your father had his accident was the seventh day. Could it be that he rushed back to the village for the offering?”

Cui Yue furrowed his brow, his mind racing as he muttered to himself.

“Huh? Brother Cui, what did you say?”

“Nothing. Has your father never missed a single offering in all these years?”

“Yes, not once. Rain or shine, no matter what happened, he would come back on those days. But this time... unexpectedly...”

At that, tears streamed down Xiao Feng’s face like beads breaking free.

Cui Yue and Zhang Hao quickly stood to comfort her, urging her to think positively: the deceased have passed on, and the living must carry on.

Cui Yue still couldn’t decide what to do. At this critical moment, Da Zhuang was missing, and the bespectacled kid’s whereabouts were unknown. If he were here, maybe they could hold off the blue-clad ghost together. Alone, Cui Yue felt powerless. Fortunately, the talismans given by the bespectacled kid last time were still with him. He wasn’t sure if they would work, but it was worth a try—desperate measures for desperate times.

Lost in thought, Cui Yue suddenly felt something move beside him. Looking down, he found a wooden stick in his hand, as if it had magically appeared.

“What the hell are you staring at? Hold it tight. If that thing really dares to show up, we’ll deal with it!” Zhang Hao said fiercely, scaring even himself.

Cui Yue’s expression grew strange. After three days apart, was this really the Zhang Hao he knew? Today, he sounded braver than ever!

“Hey, did you take some medicine this morning? You’re acting totally different—so courageous for once. Wait, why did you give me the stick and come empty-handed?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll protect Xiao Feng with my bare hands. You just focus on fighting it!”

“Damn you. All talk, and you’re still a scaredy-cat hiding behind me!”

“That’s unfair. We’re on a mission, each with our roles. No personal gain or loss.”

Cui Yue was too tired to argue further. The wooden stick was the best teaching tool—honestly, Zhang Hao just needed a good thrashing.

Past midnight, the outside world was silent and still. All creatures slept, reluctant to wake from their dreams. Watching the night wind, one wondered where it would go.

After waiting most of the night, the spirit hall was utterly quiet, not a sound in the air. At first, Cui Yue and Zhang Hao remained alert, unwilling to relax. But weary and exhausted, sleep finally overcame them, and they slumped in their chairs.

Zhang Hao was fast asleep when suddenly he was jolted awake by a full bladder. Groggy, he intended to relieve himself but glimpsed faint movement in the small dilapidated room to the southwest.

The shabby little room was dimly lit, yet there was a shadow hanging from the beam inside!

Zhang Hao thought his eyes were playing tricks—no one had entered that room. Where did the shadow come from?

The fright was so intense that even his urge to urinate vanished.

A tall, slender figure hung from the beam; its long sleeves slipped down, then it leapt gracefully to the floor, dancing with an alluring and seductive poise.

“What is that? A ghost?”

Zhang Hao’s mind cleared instantly. Wiping his eyes, he confirmed what he saw was real—it had to be the blue-clad ghost Cui Yue had mentioned!

Without warning, the ghost swayed, then suddenly turned, locking eyes with Zhang Hao!

Beneath the black hair bun was a hollow face, yet it feigned coquettish charm—a strange, eerie allure beyond words.

“Holy crap, a ghost!”

Zhang Hao screamed in terror, almost wetting himself.

Cui Yue jolted awake from his dream, snatched up the wooden stick, and sprang to his feet.

“What? What’s wrong?”

Trembling, Zhang Hao pointed at the room, shouting in panic.

“It’s here! In that room! I saw it!”

Cui Yue and Xiao Feng looked in the direction Zhang Hao indicated. But there was no ghostly figure—just the dilapidated room as before, the door tightly locked.

The three exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, a faint sound whispered in their ears, sending a chill deep into their bones.

A stray spirit with no resting place, under the dim stars and moonlight, the wind and dew cold...

From the garden came a mournful wail, the solitary lamp casting shadows through the gauze curtain...

The haunting melody drifted slowly, shifting with twists and turns, descending suddenly and changing tones thrice—a voice of deep resentment, pouring its anguish into the heavens and earth.