Volume 1: Spirit Marriage Chapter 52: Old Ghost

  There were six of us: me, Zhang Yunhao, Zhong Ling'er, Wu Lele, Fan Feng and Niu Niu. But now, suddenly there is one more person among us!

  No, there are still six people, but Niu Niu is gone, and an old man is now squatting in the position where she was originally squatting!

  The old man was about sixty or seventy years old, with disheveled hair and clothes, a sallow complexion, crouching beside Fan Feng, hanging his head, coughing from time to time.

  Fan Feng was opposite me, feeling my strange gaze, thinking I was looking at him, glanced at me, found that I wasn't looking at him, and then withdrew his gaze, and also took a glance into the cave, but ignored the old man beside him.

  Can't he see the old man?

  I gently touched Zhang Yunhao beside me and asked, "Hao Ge, how many people do we have in total?" Zhang Yunhao, who was drying clothes, said, "Six people, what's up?" I told him to count again. Zhang Yunhao looked around us once more and then said, "Five... no, where did that beautiful girl go?"

  Fan Feng said he was going to the bathroom. I asked him where he went to the bathroom, and Fan Feng glared at me, saying irritably: "Where my girlfriend goes to the bathroom is none of your business!"

  I was so depressed that I couldn't say a word. Wu Lele chuckled and said, "He's worried about your girlfriend and wants to go see her." Fan Feng grunted, his face iron-gray, seemingly wanting to get angry, but because there were many of us, he restrained himself.

  "There's a ghost!" Zhang Yunhao suddenly stood up, his face pale with fright.

  Fan Feng was startled, looking at Zhang Yunhao with surprise and annoyance, while Wu Lele and Zhong Ling'er were nonchalant, each stretching out their hands to warm themselves by the fire, without much reaction.

  I understand now, that old man is a ghost, no wonder they can't see him.

  At this time, the old man also looked at Zhang Yunhao with a hint of surprise, probably because he didn't expect Zhang Yunhao to smell the scent on him. However, he didn't move and continued to roast by the fire, even wrapping his clothes tighter, seemingly feeling cold. I let out a slight sigh of relief and whispered to Zhang Yunhao, "I saw him, it's an old man, just pretend you didn't smell anything." Zhang Yunhao asked where, and I said next to that idiot. Zhang Yunhao looked in that direction and slowly squatted down.

  Zhong Ling'er and Wu Lele also exchanged a glance in each other's direction, but neither of them spoke.

  I saw that the old man looked very unwell, so I slowly walked up behind him and softly called out: "Old sir."

  The old man and Fan Feng turned their heads to look at me, and I said: "Old man, can you come over and chat with me?" Fan Feng looked at me in confusion, but didn't respond. The old man stood up, looked at me and asked: "Can you see me?" I nodded, and said let's go talk about it elsewhere. The old man nodded, then coughed twice.

  I was about to head into the cave when Fan Feng suddenly asked me, "Where are you going?" I said I'm just going in to take a look. Fan Feng stood up and said his girlfriend was inside. I told him not to worry, I wouldn't sneak a peek at her. As I spoke, I walked in with the old man. Fan Feng tried to follow but was blocked by Zhang Junhao, who whispered something to him. Wu Lele burst out laughing, and Fan Feng gave me a strange look before squatting down.

  I followed the old man into the cave, it was pitch black inside, I could hardly see my fingers when I stretched out my hand. I shone a light with my phone, but didn't see Niu Niu anywhere. I thought I should call out to her and ask her to go out first. Just as I was about to ask if she was there, the old man spoke up and asked me why I could see him. I said I wasn't sure either, it seemed like I could suddenly see ghosts. The old man went "oh" and then asked me what I had called him in for. I said you're a ghost, aren't you afraid of the cold? You almost scared me to death. The old man coughed and said he had caught a chill, was very cold, saw there was fire over there, so went to warm up by it.

  I'm surprised, ghosts also fear cold?

  Through conversation with the old man, I learned that he died thirty years ago and his soul was bound in this cave, unable to reincarnate. I asked how could this be, who had bound his soul? He let out a long sigh, saying it's hard to put into words, followed by two more long coughs. Seeing him unwilling to speak, I didn't press further, after all, this matter has nothing to do with me. I asked if he was ill, and he said yes, lately he didn't know what happened, couldn't catch his breath, felt itchy in the throat, and feared coldness. I said you've caught a cold then. In my heart, I was puzzled, how could ghosts also catch colds?

  The old man said he was indeed catching a cold and wanted to go see a witch doctor, but there wasn't one nearby. I told him I was the witch doctor, that his illness was simple, and I'd go back and get him two doses of medicine. The old man was surprised, half believing and half doubting, saying I didn't look like a witch doctor. I said don't worry about whether or not I'm a witch doctor, anyway I can cure your illness, it's too late tonight and it's raining, I'll bring you the medicine tomorrow. The old man said that human medicine was useless for him, but I could get him some dry grass medicine, burn it with his birth symbol into ashes, and he could take it. I agreed to do so.

  I was about to ask him what a birth symbol is, when suddenly a faint coughing sound came from not far away, like someone couldn't help but let out a cough. I only then remembered that there was another person in the cave, so I used my phone to shine some light over there and saw Nini standing two meters away with her eyes wide open staring at me. Before I could even speak, she furrowed her brow and asked: "Who were you just talking to?" I said I was talking to a ghost, do you believe it? She cursed and called me crazy, then cautiously stared at me while quickly walking towards the outside of the cave.

  She must have thought I was talking to myself just now.

  After she left, I found that the old man was gone, so I also went out.

  As soon as they went outside, Zhang Yunhao said, "You two finished so quickly? I was worried that Fan Feng and Zhong Ling'er would misunderstand, so I told them you were just messing around. I went inside to do some real business." Zhang Yunhao said, "I know you went to do some real business, but isn't the time a bit short?" Fan Feng fell for it and asked Nian Nian what she was doing with me inside earlier. Nian Nian cursed back at him, saying "Mind your own business!"

  We were all startled, this chick is quite fierce!

  The rain has stopped, Niu Niu is making a fuss to go back. Fan Feng says it's already dark and they should spend the night here. Niu Niu refuses, saying her clothes are wet and she must leave. Fan Feng says his clothes are dry and offers them to Niu Niu to wear. Zhang Yunhao blurts out: "What about underwear?" Niu Niu gives Zhang Yunhao a dirty look, curses him as shameless, then wants to jump down towards the cave entrance. Fan Feng grabs her, saying he'll call for someone to come and pick them up. As he speaks, he takes out his phone, presses a few buttons, and says it's gone into water and is broken. Niu Niu hums in discontent, turning her face away, sulking.

  Zhang Yunhao said, "How about this? He'll call a car to come and pick us up, and Fan Feng will pay for the fare." Fan Feng agreed, as long as he could get a car to come, no matter how much the fare was. Zhang Yunhao stretched out his hand to me and asked for my phone. I asked him who he was going to call to come and pick us up, and he said he would call a taxi.

  After taking my phone, Zhang Yunhao dialed a number, and the other party answered quickly. Zhang Yunhao asked them to send two cars over, and when they asked for the address, Zhang Yunhao said it was at the cave on the south side of Panlong Mountain where gods were said to reside. The other party fell silent for a moment before asking seriously, "Sir, are you joking?" Zhang Yunhao replied, "Do I look like I'm joking? Send the cars over immediately, and I'll pay ten times the price." Fan Feng suddenly shouted, "Are you crazy? Ten times? You're out of your mind!" Zhang Yunhao put away his phone and said, "Sorry, the car has been called. When it arrives later, whether or not you get in is up to you."

  Within two minutes, my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number. The other party claimed to be a taxi driver and asked about our specific location. I told him where we were, but didn't expect that he would know exactly where it was just by listening. He then asked how many people there were, and I said six, so two cars would be needed. He said each car would cost 300 yuan. I hesitated for a moment, thinking it was too expensive, and was about to haggle when Zhang Junhao snatched the phone from me, saying "It's 300, we've already prepared the money, come quickly!"

  He hung up the phone, and Zhang Yunhao asked Fan Feng to give him money first. Niu Niu got angry and said, "The car hasn't arrived yet, why do they have to pay?" Zhang Yunhao said it was to prevent him from welching on the deal. Niu Niu didn't say a word. Fan Feng said he would only pay for one car, and the other one they would pay themselves. Zhang Yunhao said that men should keep their promises, and earlier you said you'd pay for the car fare. If you go back on your words, how can you still flirt with girls in the future? He glanced at Niu Niu intentionally after saying this. Fan Feng's face turned very ugly, and he reluctantly handed over six Red Bull cans. Niu Niu stared straight ahead beside him, and Zhang Yunhao intentionally kissed one of the Red Bull cans in front of her. Niu Niu snorted and walked to the other side with her back facing them.

  About half an hour later, the taxi arrived and we jumped down one after another. I was just about to get on the car when I suddenly heard the old man calling me from behind. I turned my head and saw him waving at me. I told Zhang Yunhao and others to wait, then walked towards the old man, thinking what good thing he wanted from me?