The sudden scene left me completely stunned; whether it was the will-o'-the-wisps floating in midair or the eerie paper effigies carrying the palanquin, it all seemed so bizarre that it made your hair stand on end. It's that peculiar sense of creepiness that drills right into your head, as if cold ants were crawling on the soles of your feet.
I was not frightened, nor was I very afraid, just deeply unsettled by the eerie atmosphere.
"Who's there, stop this sorcery before this celestial master!" Su Qing shouted loudly.
"Hehehe..."
A sharp voice from an old crone emanated from the palanquin; her laughter was grating, especially in the dead of night, accompanied by the four paper effigies carrying her transport, it sounded exceedingly terrifying.
"Little girl, even your master wouldn't dare to call out like that in my presence," the old woman finally spoke. Yet, she still didn't reveal herself. The paper palanquin seemed weightless, and it was impossible to discern any movement inside. The eerie green will-o'-the-wisps flickered as if a flaming human skull was floating in the air.
"What kind of person is this, with such a bold tone, constantly engaging in deceptive tricks?" Su Qing muttered, somewhat defiant, yet she didn't act rashly without knowing the strength of her opponent.
"Will-o'-the-wisps lead the way, paper effigies carry the palanquin—she's a ghost crone!" Aixing, the dwarf, seemed somewhat afraid of the old woman, hiding behind me and not daring to speak.
Yet, from the way Aixing spoke, it seemed he knew who this old woman was.
"Aixing, come out. This tattoo parlor hasn't opened for twenty years, and Tang Yun is not here. Who is in charge now?" The old crone seemed to recognize Aixing as well.
Aixing didn't dare to come forward, staying hidden behind me; however, it seemed he couldn't ignore the old woman's call completely. His short fingers pointed at me as a form of response.
"Oh, judging by your age, you must be Tang Yun's grandson, right?" asked the old woman from inside the palanquin.
I didn't answer her right away but turned to Aixing instead: "Uncle Xing, who is this person? Do you know her background?"
Aixing nodded. He said the old lady goes by the nickname 'Ghost Crone,' but her real name is unknown.
The Ghost Crone was originally a sorceress from the south. At the age of twenty-eight, she married a sixty-year-old paper effigy craftsman.
This craftsman's skill in making paper effigies was so profound it was said his creations could move freely, just like living people, which was quite uncanny. The young Ghost Crone married him out of greed for this very skill.
After bearing a son for the old man, he finally passed on the art of paper effigy crafting to her. Combining her sorcery with the paper arts, she developed a new form of dark magic.
This nefarious art of hers was said to be so sinister that it was rumored her paper effigies could serve as spectral soldiers, aiding her in murder.
There was a legend of an entire village being slaughtered in one night, leaving no human or animal alive; and among the corpses, many crafted paper effigies were discovered.
Of course, in this day and age, no one could be condemned based solely on a collection of paper figures and rumors. It was virtually impossible for a woman alone to annihilate an entire village, so the Ghost Crone was never convicted.
Besides, she was not only nefarious in her dark arts, but she was also ruthless and brutal.
She married the old craftsman to swindle his skills, and once she had learned his art, she turned both him and their son into paper effigies and burned them at their doorstep—how cruel is that?
This was why Aixing feared her. Back when my grandfather was the boss of the shop, she had come a few times to request a 'ghost tattoo' and had seen Aixing, but my grandfather had always refused to serve her. She never dared to make trouble in front of my grandfather, and after being rejected, she skulked away and never returned.
After telling me this, Aixing shrank back slightly, clearly frightened of the Ghost Crone outside. He said that if she held a grudge against him, she might turn him into a paper effigy as well.
Such a person indeed seemed terrifying. But what was her purpose tonight? Could it be that she came to request a ghost tattoo again?
I definitely didn't want to oblige her, but without my grandfather's skills, would refusing her bring reprisal?
I glanced at Su Qing next to me, wondering if she could handle the Ghost Crone.
"Speak up, are you Tang Yun's grandson?" The Ghost Crone pressed on when I didn't answer, and this time her voice was more piercing.
"Yes, I am Tang Yun's grandson, Tang Hao. May I ask, elder, why do you visit so late at night? What brings you here?"
As I responded, my mind was racing—what if she demands a ghost tattoo? Should I ink it for her? If I refuse, what reason could I possibly give?
But the situation took an unexpected turn. The Ghost Crone was not here to request a ghost tattoo, but to prevent Xu Meng from aborting the zombified fetus.
The Ghost Crone said we better stay out of Xu Meng's affair. She is a woman coveted by the Lin family—Lin Lao Ye, the only son of the Lin family, died suddenly of an acute illness. It was the Ghost Crone who temporarily resurrected him through necromancy so that Xu Meng could successfully conceive this undead offspring.
That fetus represents the last hope for the Lin family's lineage. If we intervene, we'd have to face the consequences!
So the mastermind behind all this was the Ghost Crone herself. All for the sake of the Lin family, she'd use Xu Meng as a tool, indifferent to her life or death? How ruthless.
And then, has Xu Meng even agreed to act as a surrogate mother?
"Hehehe..." Upon hearing my thoughts, the Ghost Crone let out a sinister laugh that sent a chill down my spine.
"You know what Xu Meng does for a living better than I do. Once it's done, the Lin family won't shortchange her. After all, her body has also been used."
"Do you think I want to find such a woman to continue the Lin family line? The only reason is that she is born with a bitter fate and no fortune, making her the perfect candidate. Born under the sign of the Rat at midnight, she is naturally shadowed by yin energy—there's no one more suitable to carry the undead fetus than her."
"After the zombie child is born, she won't need to take care of it. I have ways to raise it into a living person. At that time, Lin Lao Ye will give her a sum of money. Isn't this a win-win?"
Hah, the Ghost Crone makes it sound so benevolent. If it really was that perfect, why not just negotiate with Xu Meng openly instead of being so underhanded? Does she think everyone's a fool?
The risks of bearing a zombie child are well known; who would joke with their life for money?
"Let's not talk about anything else for now. But the body that your young master Lin Feng borrowed—can the child really be considered the Lin's?"
I've always been curious about this. If it's only Lin Feng's spirit that is resurrected, then the child ought to be from the deceased driver.
"Heh, you needn't worry about that. I have my sorcery to handle it. Before that, I had already arranged for Chen Xiaomei at the entertainment club to secretly add sorcery water to Xu Meng's drink, continuing for a week."
So, Chen Xiaomei was doing the bidding for this Lin Lao Ye. No wonder she'd rather die than spill the beans—perhaps Lin Lao Ye is even more ruthless than Brother Li from the entertainment club; she dared not tell.
Moreover, Xu Meng was under a spell all this time. No wonder she could become pregnant with the Lin family's undead child through a corpse.
"I'm only explaining this to you out of respect for your ancestors. If you continue to meddle in affairs that don't concern you, I won't be so polite next time!"
The Ghost Crone finished speaking, and then there was a 'puff' sound—the palanquin suddenly burst into flames along with the four paper effigies, reducing to ashes. The will-o'-the-wisps also dimmed and fell to the ground with a 'thud.' It turns out they were indeed skulls but now charred...
What's going on? Could it be that there was no one inside the palanquin all this time? Who was speaking, then?
This Ghost Crone, isn't she too terrifying?