Chapter 28: Jianghu Artisan Zhang Yunhao

  I asked Zhang Yunhao why he went to find Li Shenpo, and Zhang Yunhao claimed to be a Jianghu practitioner, well-versed in Feng Shui, understanding ghosts and monsters. He heard that Li Shenpo was able to communicate with heavenly gods and understand the spirits of the underworld, so he traveled far and wide to visit her and learn from her.

  When he said that, I couldn't help but look at him with new eyes. At such a young age, he had already studied Feng Shui and ghosts so thoroughly. He was truly talented. Compared to me, who was around the same age as him, I had only managed to get my hands on the Yin Yang knife by chance and performed a surgery for a ghost once, which was just luck. Feng Shui and ghosts were real subjects of study, and many people spent their whole lives barely scratching the surface, yet he claimed to be well-versed in them.

  Of course, it's also possible he was just bragging.

  However, I had to tell him that Li Shenpo was not at home. Zhang Yunhao immediately stopped the car and turned his head to ask me: "Not at home? Where did she go?" I said I didn't know either, she has been away from home for several days already.

  A hint of disappointment flashed across Zhang Yunhao's face, and he muttered, "Then I've come in vain?" I thought to myself, without Li Shenpo around, he might as well pack up and leave? And I'd have to go back and ride my motorcycle again, what a waste of time. So I said, it's not necessarily so, Li Shenpo has a daughter named Zhong Ling'er, who is also quite skilled in the realm of ghosts and spirits. You can go find her, she won't disappoint you. Zhang Yunhao nodded and said he'd go meet this Zhong Ling'er.

  After the car started, I thought that strange things would appear in the village and Zhang Yunhao came. Would it be that God sent him to save us from suffering? So I tentatively asked: "Brother Zhang, since you are proficient in ghosts and gods, I have a question to ask you." Zhang Yunhao tapped his index finger and middle finger on the steering wheel one after another and said: "What's your question?" I said that our village dogs barked non-stop last night and kept running back and forth. What's going on?

  "This is easy," Zhang Yunhao said without thinking: "There must be a ghost in your village, dogs can see ghosts, the dogs in the village must be chasing that ghost."

  I had a sudden movement, and I doubted, "Are you sure it's a ghost? Could it be some small animal, like a yellow weasel?" Zhang Yunhao said that this possibility could basically be ruled out. What kind of yellow weasel would stupidly circle around the village? As soon as it sees a dog coming to catch it, it would have already run up into the mountains and hidden among the rocks.

  There is some truth in it.

  Zhang Yunhao furrowed his brow and muttered: "No wonder I smelled a faint hint of ghostly energy, it turns out there really is a ghost here!"

  I originally trusted him, but after he whispered to me, I became suspicious. Your nose isn't a dog's nose, how can you smell the ghostly aura? This is clearly a trick of a swindler from the jianghu. Intentionally asking: "Can you really smell the ghostly aura?" Zhang Yunhao immediately picked up the conversation and said: "Yes, since we're on the topic of ghosts, I might as well tell you. Ordinary people can't see ghosts unless they have yin-yang eyes. As for me, I don't have yin-yang eyes, so I can't see ghosts or monsters, but my sense of smell is very keen and I can detect the scent of ghosts and monsters. Hehe, this ability has been with me since birth." When he said this, he looked at me with a proud expression, saying: "Am I not impressive? Am I not different from others?"

  I said yes, indeed it was different from others, but in my heart I was half-believing and half-doubting. So I told him about the old well in our village that had dried up overnight, wanting to hear his explanation. But as soon as I finished speaking, Zhang Yunhao stretched out his hand heavily and said: "Evil spirit! It must be an evil spirit!"

  "What evil spirit? Where did the evil spirit come from?" He answered so quickly, without any thought at all. I became more and more suspicious of him, feeling that he was talking nonsense.

  "That's right, it's a strange aura!" Zhang Yunhao said with a serious expression: "What you just said reminds me of another thing." After that, he looked at me again and asked: "Do you know Zhou Enlai?"

  Who doesn't know that? Premier Zhou, the great man in my heart. You asked this question, and you really took me for a rustic villager who knows nothing!

  Then Zhang Junhao told me something related to Premier Zhou.

  Babao Mountain has a well, which was built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty when the Huguo Temple was constructed. The river water is clear, cool and sweet, and never dries up. During several droughts in the Beijing area, the wells near Babao Mountain all dried up, but this well's spring water never stopped flowing, so people from nearby villages came here to fetch water for drinking.

  People say that the feng shui of Babaoshan is good, it's a sacred place bestowed by the emperor. In 1950, a well was dug and a waterwheel was installed at the entrance, in 1958, a pump was also installed, and a water tower was built, from then on, the public cemetery never had to worry about water supply again.

  In the early 1970s, with the acceleration of urban construction, a large amount of groundwater was extracted, and the water level in the well also decreased year by year, but the spring water never stopped. The people of Babao Mountain were never worried about water either. However, after Zhou Enlai's death, the water volume in the well suddenly decreased, sometimes only enough to fill the water tower, fortunately, the spring water came out again soon, and people didn't pay attention to it.

  On the afternoon of Zhou Enlai's cremation, people turned on the faucet and found that although it was open, not a single drop of water came out. People thought it was because the water tower hadn't pumped up water, so the electrician went to the front of the water tower, closed the circuit breaker, and the water pump made a hoarse noise but couldn't pump up any water.

  Here is the translation:

  Speaking of this, Zhang Yunhao asked: "Is the well in your village also like this?" I said basically yes, and then asked him what was going on. Zhang Yunhao said that when he saw the news, he personally went to Babaoshan to see the well, and found that several new wells had been drilled there, but heard from people that the newly drilled wells did not produce spring water, and the water was not as good as the original well. So Zhang Yunhao asked some local people where the water in the well had gone? People were discussing it, with all sorts of guesses, including some superstitious ones. Because no one could explain why the well that had been producing water for over a hundred years suddenly dried up. And it just so happened to dry up at the time when Zhou Enlai's hearse left the hospital and arrived at Babaoshan for cremation. People couldn't explain this strange natural phenomenon, so they naturally associated it with Zhou Enlai's death. Some people said that not only did the common people cry when the Premier passed away, but even the heavens cried, drying up the spring.

  I said that the well at Babaoshan can be said to have dried up because of Premier Zhou's death, so what about the well in our village? Our village didn't even have anyone die, let alone a great man. Zhang Yunhao said it doesn't necessarily require someone to die for the well to dry up, maybe an earth dragon appeared and drank all the water from the well!

  It sounds like a ridiculous story, I suddenly felt that the talk of ghosts and gods was not very credible, making people feel unbelievable, only scientific explanations can be convincing. However, some things simply cannot be explained by science, which reminded me of the strange events at Qin's house. I told Zhang Yunhao about it and asked him what was going on. Zhang Yunhao looked at me again and said: "Brother, are you testing me?" I said no, I'm asking for your advice. Zhang Yunhao said this is too strange, what village do you live in, how can so many bizarre things happen? Are you intentionally testing me? If this thing is true, I can explain it to you, but if you're making it up, I have no way to explain it. I swore that the story was absolutely true, Zhang Yunhao said "Ghosts would believe you!"

  As they talked, they arrived at Lichun Village. The car stopped in front of Zhong Ling'er's house. After getting out of the car, Zhang Yunhao adjusted his clothes and coughed heavily twice, looking serious and solemn. I saw that this kid was quite tall, probably around 1.8 meters, and wondered what kind of magical medicine he had taken to grow so tall.

  Zhong Ling'er heard the sound of the car and walked out of the house, probably thinking that Li Shenpo had returned. When she saw me and Zhang Yunhao, a hint of disappointment flashed across her face. I went forward to introduce them to each other, and Zhang Yunhao stretched out his hand to Zhong Ling'er, who didn't even look at him and asked indifferently, "What brings you two here?"

  Zhang Yunhao awkwardly withdrew his hand, and with a slight bow said: "I came to pay respects to Li Shenpo..."

  "My mother is not at home." Zhong Ling'er looked at me with a glance, as if asking if my father had returned. I shrugged and forced a smile: "I said your mother is not at home, but he insisted on coming, saying he wanted to spar with you."

  "What's going on?" Zhong Ling'er frowned slightly.

  "This is a rare opportunity, I've come to learn from you," Zhang Yunhao said humbly: "I've long admired the great name of Li Shenpo, and specially came to visit her. But Yang brother said she's not at home. However, you're extremely proficient in the study of ghosts and gods, and I also have some research in this area, so...". He made a gesture and said: "Come to learn from you..."

  "I don't understand," Zhong Ling'er said coldly: "If there's nothing else, then you can leave."