Chapter 6: Evil Will Be Punished

  The loud voice of the Second Master scared Yang Ersheng and everyone else, but only the women and children in the Yang family dared not to come closer. They were all staring at Yang Ersheng with suspicion and uncertainty, wondering how the Second Master could have asked such a question. Was there something strange going on here?

  Yang Ersheng's face changed greatly when asked by Second Master, under the dim light, his complexion was uncertain, and his eyes were even more complex and difficult to understand. After a while, he swallowed his saliva and rubbed his face several times before stiffening his neck and saying: "Didn't I tell you? This morning, my mother and I were discussing something in the courtyard, but my words angered her, so she came over to hit me. I dodged, who would have thought that my mother would crash into the wall head-on? That wall was too fragile and it broke just like that. My mother rolled down from the mountain and fell to her death."

  Everyone present at the scene had heard it before, and Yang Ersheng's wife and children were in the front yard. When they heard Yang Ersheng's cry of surprise, they rushed over and saw that only Yang Ersheng was left, and the old lady had already rolled down the mountain. Then the neighbors from both sides came over to surround them. After all, rural people still attach great importance to neighborhood relationships, which is different from the indifference in cities today. Whoever has an accident will go to help, regardless of whether they have a good relationship or not. However, when they rushed over, they saw Yang Ersheng, like a madman, wanting to rush down from the broken wall to find his mother. Fortunately, he was stopped by the neighbors; otherwise, rushing down from such a steep place would likely result in a similar outcome as his mother's.

  The villagers all believed Yang Ersheng's words, because the wall really did collapse with just one push. They helped bring back the old lady's body from down the mountain and then invited Second Master to come over and start making arrangements for the funeral. After all, it was an accidental death, so the village accountant issued a certificate of proof, and not even a police report was filed. From then on, I knew everything that happened next.

  However, in response to Yang Ersheng's words, Second Master snorted with disdain, his mouth curling up into a mocking smile:

  "Die, but I'm afraid it's not that easy. Since you don't want to say anything, I won't ask much either. But let me remind you, tomorrow morning at dawn, go and cremate the body immediately, or else if there's a fake resurrection, it will implicate all the old and young masters in the village."

  Yang Ersheng's face tightened, he glanced at Second Master, his face changed again, and his face turned iron-green. He wanted to speak but only opened his mouth without making a sound. Some things were not dared to be said out loud, but Second Master's words were remembered firmly. At dawn, he went to Huahua and came back to bury it, but he couldn't care about so many rules anymore. This night of horror almost scared Yang Ersheng's three souls and seven spirits away, if this continued, he would be scared to death sooner or later.

  Yang Ersheng didn't say anything, and Second Master got angry, hummed, turned his head away, and stopped looking at Yang Ersheng. He simply helped me up and went to Old Lady's side, watching for a while before relaxing. He looked up at the sky, estimating that it wouldn't be long before dawn broke. At this time, Old Lady had also stopped struggling, lying still on the funeral bed with her face as pale as ever, but somehow seeming to have gained something.

  They sat like this until dawn, fortunately nothing happened, otherwise someone might not have been able to bear it. As soon as the sky brightened, Second Master ordered Yang's family to quickly cremate the body. However, when Second Master left, he said: "Don't look for me in the next few days, I won't care even if you do."

  As he spoke, he hastily led me away, and Fat Dog and Zhu Zi naturally didn't dare to stay behind either. They followed Second Master's footsteps and left, and soon the villagers also dispersed slowly. It seemed that the matter had come to an end at this point. The Yang family had already found a car to send Old Lady's body for cremation. Once it was burned, such a terrifying thing as resurrection would not happen again. Even now, thinking back to the scene at that time, I still involuntarily shudder.

  However, all the way back, Second Master's face remained gloomy, and he didn't know what he was thinking about. He didn't say a word until they returned home, still looking distracted, which made me worried. Finally, I couldn't help but grab Second Master's sleeve and ask: "Master, what's wrong with you? Isn't it all in the past?"

  When he heard me speak, the second master glanced at me with his eyebrows still furrowed, and after a long while, he let out a sigh: "It's over, humph, but it's not that simple. I dare say that Yang's eldest sister is absolutely not dead from just falling down. There must be some hidden reason inside. In a few days, it will be the seventh day of her death, and I'm afraid we'll still have to come back to stir up trouble again - this matter isn't over yet."

  "Ah——" I exclaimed, looking at Second Master in a daze, wanting to say something, but my mind was a mess and I didn't know what to say. At this moment, I naturally wouldn't doubt Second Master's words.

  Look at my surprised look, the second master shook his head, and his face was also very gloomy: "In a few days it will be the seventh day, at that time the old lady must come back along her own footprints. You have been affected by her yin energy, so on that day you absolutely cannot go out, otherwise it's looking for trouble for yourself. This matter is beyond our control."

  Although he had made up his mind not to interfere with the Yang family's affairs, Second Master still couldn't put his mind at ease, because the current situation had exceeded his ability and knowledge. He let out a soft sigh and went back to his room to rest, leaving me alone in the outer room, lost in thought, yet unsure of what I was thinking about.

  In the afternoon, Yang's family returned after cremation. The old lady had been reduced to ashes and would no longer be able to come back to life. However, this did not bring relief to Yang's family. Shortly after their return, Yang Ersheng and his brother Yang Chuanming came to Second Master's house in a hurry. At that time, I was still half asleep, and even in my sleep, I saw the old lady's pale face. It was a knock on the door that woke me up from my nightmare. When I woke up, I felt sticky all over, only to realize that I had broken out in cold sweat. Hearing Yang Ersheng's shouting outside, I reluctantly got up and opened the door.

  It wasn't until the door was opened that I realized all the Yang family members were there, but it wasn't out of respect for Second Master. It's just that no one wanted to be alone, and with more people, they felt a sense of security. When he saw me, Yang Ersheng forced a faint smile on his face, rolled his throat before spitting out a dry sentence: "Xiaohai, is Uncle at home?"

  He nodded subconsciously, but immediately remembered the second master's entrustment and shook his head again. After a slight hesitation, he lowered his voice and said: "My second master is at home, but he said that he can't take care of your family's affairs anymore. If you want to be safe, it's better to go and ask someone who really has the ability during these few days before the seventh day."

  The Yang family's faces all changed color, as if they also remembered the legend of the seventh day after death, when the deceased's soul would return home. The family should prepare a meal for the deceased's soul before it returns, and then avoid it, with the best method being to sleep; even if one can't sleep, they should hide under the covers. If the deceased's soul sees its family members, it will remember them and be affected in its reincarnation as a human. There is also a saying that on the seventh day, at midnight, the family should burn something shaped like a ladder at home, allowing the soul to climb up to heaven along this heavenly ladder.

  The rumor may or may not be true, but the Yang family, who have experienced the fake resurrection, must believe it without a doubt. Just thinking about Old Lady Yang coming back on the seventh day makes the whole family pale with fear, and only Yang Ersheng is terrified. His face has already turned deathly white, his mouth opens several times, and he suddenly kneels down in front of me: "Xiaohai, where can we find someone with expertise? We can't just watch our whole family suffer, please, go and invite Second Uncle out..."

  Before he could finish speaking, the sound of Second Master's voice came from inside the house: "Let's go, even if you say it a thousand times, I still can't help you. The seventh day after death is the most critical time for the soul to return, and I don't have the ability to help you. You can keep pestering me, but it won't do any good."

  Uncle Two had always been kind to others and rarely refused anyone, earning him a reputation as a good person in the surrounding villages. However, it was precisely this time that Uncle Two ruthlessly rejected him, making it all the more clear that he couldn't help. Perhaps it was true that Uncle Two said he couldn't be of assistance, but how could Yang Ersheng accept this? After a brief moment of stunned silence, Yang Ersheng suddenly sprang up, pushed me away with force, and rushed into the inner room. I still heard his pleading voice.

  I was pushed to the side and almost fell to the ground, I could only stare blankly as Yang Ersheng rushed in, a surge of anger rising in my heart, and then I followed him in, but the Yang family hesitated and didn't dare come in.

  As soon as I entered the house, I saw Yang Ersheng kneeling on the ground, holding onto Second Master's pant legs and crying with a big handful of tears and snot. He was also begging pitifully. Seeing Yang Ersheng's appearance, my temper immediately disappeared. What could I say? I just stood silently to one side, watching Yang Ersheng beg so pitiably. Was his own mother afraid to this extent?

  The Second Master just wouldn't budge, his face cold and unyielding, refusing to help, but Yang Ersheng's persistence had also gotten on his nerves. After a long while, he finally let out a cold snort and pushed Yang Ersheng away: "Yang Ersheng, how did your mother die? If you weren't possessed by a ghost, why would you be so afraid? And if it was just an accidental fall, how could there be such great resentment? I'm afraid that once the seventh day passes, she'll become a malevolent spirit. I really can't handle this, go find someone else."

  Perhaps it was the second master's words that stimulated Yang Ersheng, and his pleading voice suddenly stopped. His face had already become distorted, his throat let out a loud noise, his hands were tightly clenched with bulging veins, and his eyes were wide open, looking quite frightening, as if he wanted to pounce on someone. I, who was standing beside him, couldn't help but feel my heart tighten, and subconsciously grabbed the teapot behind me. If Yang Ersheng had made a move, I wouldn't have been polite either. Fortunately, after a moment, Yang Ersheng suddenly seemed to have vented his anger. His body went limp, and he sat down on the ground, actually starting to sob lightly: "Second Uncle, I'll tell you the truth. My mother didn't fall by herself. That day, we had an argument about something, and my mother was angry and wanted to hit me. I just casually pushed her, and she lost her balance, took a few steps back, and didn't expect... didn't expect to bump into the wall and fall down. I really wasn't intentional..."