Maiyi Onmyoji

The Mysterious Death

Fang Laosui silently pursued, scythe in hand, his expression grim and foreboding.Compared to the menacing scythe in Fang Laosui's grasp, the white, misty figure ahead seemed far less threatening.With my heart pounding, I cautiously stepped toward the desolate graves, and soon, I noticed a large, fog-like entity hovering above the grass before an old burial mound.Its outline resembled that of a mischievous child nestled within the undergrowth.Grandfather always told me that while people fear ghosts, ghosts are even more afraid of people.He also said that ghosts were once human and that as long as we treat them with respect, there's nothing to fear.With these thoughts in mind, I decided to handle the situation as my grandfather would.So, I spoke to the white figure with a hint of reverence, "I apologize for intruding. It's not my intention to disturb you. I'm being chased by a wicked man and need to pass through this place. Please, don't be angry. If given the chance, I will return with offerings to show my gratitude."To my surprise, after saying these words, I felt a sudden calmness wash over me.Yet, the white figure remained unchanged, showing no sign of response.As Fang Laosui drew closer, I quickly retreated deeper into the cemetery.Upon seeing the white figure, Fang Laosui halted, visibly shaken.Hiding behind a burial mound, I watched Fang Laosui in secret.The white figure drifted closer to him, causing him to stumble backward in fear.I couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of satisfaction; even Fang Laosui had moments of fear!Seeing him frightened gave me a strange comfort, as if the spirits of the cemetery were on my side against him. But I knew it was just a fanciful thought.Determined not to let him leave unscathed, I grabbed a clump of mud and hurled it at Fang Laosui.He was about to flee but, struck in the chest by the mud, he erupted in anger, swinging his scythe as he charged toward the white figure.To my astonishment, the white figure seemed to sense danger and moved aside.Damn! Seeing Fang Laosui rushing toward me again, I turned and ran for my life.The deeper I ran into the graveyard, the more overgrown it became, with tall weeds and underbrush, heightening my anxiety.As I fled, I suddenly noticed an old mat rolled up beside a neglected grave. A red iron chain was wrapped around the mat, and from one end, I saw a pair of feet clad in red embroidered shoes!Undoubtedly, there was a female corpse wrapped within.A ghostly wind rose, swirling around the mat, carrying a nauseating stench that made me gag."Excuse me, excuse me," I muttered, holding my nose as I hurried past.Fang Laosui arrived and hesitated upon seeing the mat.Without saying a word, he resumed chasing me.I ran north through the graveyard, stumbling over tangled roots and bones, horrified by the sight. No wonder no one dared to visit this place—it was terrifying.At the cemetery's deepest point, I unexpectedly encountered a small thatched hut with a few gray clothes drying beside it.Could someone actually live here?Clearly, ghosts wouldn't hang clothes. But who would dwell in such a place?Curiosity piqued, I wanted to investigate the hut, but Fang Laosui was still on my tail.Glancing back quickly, I continued north.Ahead, a reed marsh appeared, the reeds standing taller than a person. I crouched low and moved forward cautiously.I ran until I reached a river at the northernmost edge of the graveyard, blocking my escape. The river was about four meters wide, filled with water hyacinths and wild water chestnuts.Grandfather had warned me that rivers overgrown with aquatic plants were dangerous; they could entangle those who entered, and the water was often ominous and cold, posing unexpected dangers.I looked back and listened; there was no sign of Fang Laosui.Could he have realized there was no escape this way and decided to hide, waiting for me to return?I dared not go back. If Fang Laosui caught me, I'd be done for. If he could kill his own wife, he wouldn't hesitate to kill me.No matter what, I had to find a way to escape first.To be safe, I broke some reeds and laid them down as a makeshift bridge, then crossed the narrowest part of the river. After that, I made a wide detour along a better path toward home.This route was familiar; I often took it to school. Just over a mile ahead was our village's old assembly hall, adjacent to the elementary school, which had been closed for three years.Many villagers had left to work in the cities, and those with some money had bought houses there.The push toward urbanization was an urgent matter.As I walked, I saw a group of about ten people gathered in front of the assembly hall.From a distance, I thought I saw my grandfather.The group was noisy, as if something serious had happened.Could it be that grandfather and the old village chief had a dispute? My heart sank as I put aside thoughts of Fang Laosui and ran toward the assembly hall.Seeing me approach, grandfather turned and hurried to meet me.Noticing the mud on my trousers and my arrival from the north, he looked puzzled and asked, "Dalei, what's happened to you?""I'm fine, Grandpa. I was looking for you. Are you okay?"Seeing grandfather well, and everyone discussing something else, with Er Zhuang saying it was mysterious and not simple, I felt relieved.Grandfather smacked his lips, "What are you looking for me for? I'm not a child. Just take care of yourself. By the way, have you had breakfast?"At this moment, with everything going on, grandfather still had the mind to ask if I'd eaten. Clearly, whatever happened had little to do with him.I nodded, "I did, Grandpa. What's everyone doing here?"Grandfather frowned and whispered to me, "The old village chief hanged himself. Don't speak carelessly; the police will be here soon.""Uh..."I was stunned.Last night, grandfather was still suspicious of the old village chief, and now, early in the morning, he was dead. It was too strange!The uncles and elders were all discussing it. The old village chief's family was well-off, he wasn't ill, and he hadn't quarreled with anyone. Why would he suddenly hang himself?Soon, the police and an ambulance arrived.The old village chief's eldest son, Zhou Xinfan, also showed up. Oddly, he stood there silently, saying nothing.The police questioned him, but he remained mute.The current village chief, Wang, coordinated with the police and took Zhou Xinfan inside the assembly hall with some elders, trying to talk to him.The police cordoned off the scene and reported to their superiors.Standing beside grandfather, I observed Zhou Xinfan.He was about forty, around 1.7 meters tall, fair-skinned and chubby, with a square face and regular features, though his eyebrows were sparse, giving him a somewhat vacant look.I heard that Zhou Xinfan had suffered from mental illness as a child but was cured by a famous doctor and hadn't relapsed since.Despite everyone's efforts to persuade him, Zhou Xinfan remained silent.With no other options, Village Chief Wang sought my grandfather's help, whispering, "Old Shui, can you think of a way? Is the child going dumb?""Don't worry, let me see."Grandfather, a steady man who only acted in critical moments, stepped forward to check Zhou Xinfan's pulse.Then, he leaned close and whispered something in Zhou Xinfan's ear. At that moment, Zhou Xinfan suddenly came to life, grabbing grandfather's hand with tears streaming down his face, "Uncle Shui, my father was murdered. He was definitely murdered!""Calm down, take your time."Grandfather waved at Village Chief Wang, "Call the police in, quickly!"Village Chief Wang trembled and hurried to fetch the police.Grandfather patted Zhou Xinfan's hand, "Don't worry, we will help you. When the police come, just tell them everything. We'll ensure justice is served.""Da Fa, tell them. Don't hold back.""Yes, speak up. We're all here to support you.""And the police are here too. What are you afraid of?"Encouraged, everyone urged him.The police entered.One officer began recording.Zhou Xinfan, trembling, glanced around and muttered, "Last night, the village dogs suddenly started barking. My father put on his clothes and went out with a miner's lamp. He didn't come back for a long time, so I went out to find him. In the peach orchard, I saw a man in black wearing a straw hat. I was scared and ran back.""And then, this morning, Li Er came and told me my father hanged himself..."Zhou Xinfan swallowed hard and looked at the police, "Officer, that man will come back to harm me. You must protect me!"Hearing this, the middle-aged officer stroked his chin, "But based on our investigation, the deceased clearly committed suicide. There were no other footprints in the house.""No! Impossible, my father would never commit suicide."Zhou Xinfan shook his head vehemently.Suddenly, my grandfather stood up, "Officer, may I examine the body?"The officer looked at him, puzzled, "Have you ever worked as a forensic expert?"Before my grandfather could respond, Village Chief Wang quickly interjected, "Old Shui is the most skilled feng shui master within hundreds of miles, and the last living heir of the Ma Yi Ghost Image tradition. We were at a loss just moments ago, but with a mere word, Zhou Xinfan started speaking, didn't he?""What?""Oh my, you must be the renowned Old Master Shui!"The police officer was visibly astonished.It was evident that my grandfather's reputation preceded him, and the police had heard of him as well.This made things easier.Grandfather shook hands with the police officer, and then we all entered the conference room at the brigade headquarters.On the table lay the corpse of the old village chief, perfectly straight.As we approached, the clothing on the chest of the corpse suddenly moved, startling us all.Then, from the collar emerged a white weasel!"Damn it!""It's that cursed weasel spirit!""Quick, kill it!"Enemies meeting again, we were filled with rage; I couldn't resist picking up a chair and smashing it down.