Witchcraft

  The next day, I woke up early, feeling terrible, having hardly slept all night until around 3 or 4 in the morning when I dozed off for a bit.

  I had a bit of breakfast with Bo Jin at the hotel and then we left. During breakfast, I tentatively asked Bo Jin about last night's events, but she remained silent. Moreover, since she saw me rummaging through her cloth bag last night, she seemed to be on guard against me, and that cloth bag was no longer put into the suitcase, but was always held in her own arms. Looking at that cloth bag, I was worried that the centipedes and spiders inside would crawl out, of course, what made me most afraid was still the box of wriggling red larvae last night.

  I followed my father's instructions and looked for his former colleague Wang Chengbao, dialing the phone number he gave me last night. The phone rang twice, and an old voice said, "Hello?"

  "I replied: 'Hello, excuse me, are you Mr. Wang Chengbao?'"

  "Right, who are you?"

  "I am Fan Jiyun's son, I'm now in Kunming, it was my father who told me to come find you."

  The person on the other end of the phone thought for a moment and said, "Oh, you're Pei Xi, right?"

  Then, I exchanged a few pleasantries with Wang Chengbao, and he told me to go to a Qingming tea house in Kunming first and wait for him. I hung up the phone, hailed a taxi, and told the driver where I wanted to go. The driver was surprised and said while driving, "Why would two young people like you go to that kind of place?"

  I found it somewhat strange and asked: "What's so special about that teahouse?"

  "That's not it," the driver explained. "It's just that it's a very ordinary small teahouse in the old city, and many people don't even know there is such a place. Moreover, it's usually a gathering place for retired old men, and young people who go there will definitely feel very bored."

  "Oh, I'm going to find someone."

  "Looking for someone? Do you still have acquaintances there?"

  "He was a former colleague of my father's."

  The driver's eyes widened as he looked at me, seemingly having a brand new understanding of me, and said: "Then your father must have been a big shot in Kunming back then."

  I felt strange and asked: "Why say that?"

  The driver chuckled and said, "Because the old men in that Qingming Tea House were mostly high-ranking government officials when they were young. Now that they're retired, they have nothing better to do. If you ask me, that place is really not great. It's just a bunch of retired old cadres who rely on their age and status, gathering together every day to talk about politics and complain about how bad the current government is."

  "I explained: 'No, no, my father is just a university teacher.'"

  As we spoke, we arrived at the Qingming Teahouse. Indeed, as the driver had said, its location was extremely remote, and most of the surrounding buildings were residential buildings for retired officials. Although it seemed like there weren't many people here, the decor wasn't bad, with a wooden sign above the entrance featuring bold, dark green cursive characters reading "Qingming", and inside were small tables and rattan chairs. At this moment, over ten elderly men in their sixties and seventies sat inside, some playing Go, others reading newspapers, and three or four gathered around a small table chatting.

  I pushed open the beaded curtain with Bo Jin and stepped inside, where the noisy voices suddenly stopped. Those dozen or so old men all looked at us in unison, their expressions somewhat surprised. It seemed that this tea house really hadn't had any young customers for years, basically relying on these retired cadres as regular patrons to keep the business going. So when two new people came, both of whom were over twenty years old, it was no wonder those people felt surprised.

  I looked around the store for a week, but I didn't know which one was Wang Chengbao. Maybe he hadn't arrived yet. At this time, those old men also returned to normal and continued with their own business. Yu Jin and I found a secluded corner and sat down. A middle-aged man in his 40s who was missing a front tooth immediately came over and asked us what we wanted to drink.

  I've never had much tea since I was a kid, and I don't know anything about it. Even the best tea tastes no different to me, so I simply told him: "Whatever those old men drink, just bring that."

  The middle-aged man nodded and left. After a while, two cups of warm tea were brought up. I was bored and tried to talk to Bo Jin, but she didn't even bother to respond to me. I guessed that she was probably still angry with me from last night, after all, she's also a girl, and girls will have times when they're upset, which made her somewhat more relatable.

  I sat idly, starting to search my mind for this Wang Chengbao. Of course, I had heard the name mentioned in passing during casual conversations with my father, who would occasionally mention that he had worked happily with Wang Chengbao and shared some archaeological experiences with him. However, in my impression, I had never met Wang Chengbao before. The taxi driver just now said that most people who come to this teahouse are retired cadres, and I thought to myself, could it be that this Wang Chengbao was indeed a government official in Kunming back then?

  Just as I was thinking, an old man with white hair suddenly walked in at the door. He looked like he was over 70 years old. But judging from his neat clothes and straight back, he walked with a spirited and elegant demeanor, looking like he was also a handsome guy when he was young.

  The old man came in and looked around, his eyes finally fell on the position where I and Bo Jin were, then walked over with a hint of a warm smile and said: "Is it Pei Xi's nephew?"

  As soon as I heard that, I stood up and shook hands with the old man, saying: "Right, it's me. Are you Uncle Wang?"

  The old man nodded and smiled at me, saying: "You've all grown up now."

  I nodded and smiled, not knowing what to say. Generally, elders would say this when they meet younger juniors, it's just a sigh at the passage of time.

  Wang Chengbao said: "You must not recognize me, because when I first saw you, you were still in your swaddling clothes."

  "Really!" I hastily chimed in, being quite emotionally intelligent.

  Wang Chengbao burst out laughing and said, "Of course! That was when I attended your full moon banquet. Your father and I were in different parts of the country, one in Yunnan and the other in Northeast China, so we rarely saw each other. The last time we met was at your full moon banquet. It's been over twenty years since then, how old are you this year?"

  "Twenty-six." I replied.

  Wang Chengbao also asked the boss of the store to pour him a pot of tea, and while drinking, he asked: "Is your father's body okay?"

  "It's all right, it's all right, just that your body isn't as strong as before."

  Wang Chengbao laughed twice again, his laughter still very artificial, and said: "The young man is quite eloquent."

  I nodded, not saying much. Actually, I had been annoyed by these useless pleasantries for a long time, because when I called him this morning, we had already chatted for a while, and I really didn't want to waste any more time. What I hoped he could tell me was why my father wanted me to stay in Yunnan for the next few days, and specifically instructed me not to be afraid of anything strange that might happen, but to stay here and find this Wang Chengbao in front of me. Now that I've found him, what should I do? It can't just be staying idle at their house.

  "I thought for a moment, then spoke up: 'Uncle Wang, I heard my father say that he wants me to stay in Yunnan temporarily and asked me to come find you. He said you could help me find a place to settle down, this is really troubling you.'"

  "Big nephew, what are you talking about? Your father and I have been old friends for decades. Now that it's been many years since we last met, his son comes to ask me for a favor, would I still decline?"

  I nodded hastily: "Then thank you, Uncle Wang, for your care. However, there is one thing I don't quite understand."

  "I don't understand why your father doesn't let you leave Yunnan to go back home?" Wang Chengbao was indeed formidable, before I even asked, he had already seen through what I was thinking. As the saying goes, "people get more cunning with age", it means that as one gets older and experiences more things, they tend to be especially good at reading people's expressions and intentions, often knowing what the other person is thinking without them even opening their mouth. I thought, this must be what they mean by "old Jianghu".

  I nodded, and Wang Chengbao looked at Bu Jin, who had been silent all along, and said: "This girl is the descendant of your father's lifesaver, right?"

  "Yes, what's up?"

  Is she Miao?

  "Yes." I replied.

  Wang Chengbao leaned back in his wicker chair and said, "Young master, you should understand your father. Ji Yun is not only a historian but also an enthusiast of mysticism."

  I replied that I knew. On my side of the family, many people only know that my father is a famous historian, but few people know that he also has an extraordinary fondness for mysticism. His bookshelves are filled with all sorts of strange and bizarre books, all introducing mysterious events. One time, my partner in opening a bookstore, Gao Peng, came to my house and saw the old books filling the shelves, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he told me that most of the books on my father's shelves were rare editions that would sell for a good price on the market. My father treasured these books, and even I had to get his permission before touching them; more often than not, he would be alone in his study surrounded by these books.

  Wang Chengbao continued, "Your father has always been obsessed with researching the ancient shamanic culture, so thirty years ago he came to Yunnan and conducted an investigation near Dianchi Lake in Yunnan. Eldest nephew, I don't know if you believe in ghosts or gods, but there are indeed many things in this world that cannot be explained by science."

  I thought of what happened last night and couldn't help but glance at Bo Jin sitting next to me, nodding slightly.

  "But you also know your father's temperament."

  "I was born to love lawsuits." I said preemptively.

  "Yes, he often likes to sell official cases, letting our curious minds be led by the nose, I think, he can probably get some satisfaction from it." Wang Chengbao took a sip of tea and said: "So, I'm not quite clear what your father's true intention is, he just mentioned a jade plaque to me, seemingly saying that it was hung around this girl's neck."

  "Yes, my father also mentioned this to me and asked me to check the jade pendant." I said while looking at Bo Jin, not knowing if she understood what I was saying or would get even angrier because of it. Seeing that she didn't react, I continued with relief: "Last night, I took a look too, and there's indeed a jade pendant on her neck."

  "Oh?" Wang Chengbao raised his eyebrows and said, "I think the secret your father wants to hide is in that jade pendant. Big nephew, I think you must be as curious about it as I am."

  I said: "That jade pendant I saw last night, it's a fine piece of white jade, but the characters engraved on it I don't recognize."

  "White jade?" Wang Chengbao seemed somewhat surprised, saying: "Big nephew, I, Uncle Wang, have worked with your father before, and I can also understand some rare texts. I wonder if you could let me take a look at that jade plaque?"

  "This... I have to ask her." As I said that, I touched Bo Jing's arm and she turned around looking at me with an expression as if asking "what's up?"

  "I gestured with my hand and slowed down my speech, saying: 'Can you let us take a look at the jade pendant on your neck?'"

  After understanding what I meant, Bo Jin subconsciously grasped the jade pendant on her chest through her thin shirt and shook her head at me. In my impression, that was one of the few times she shook her head instead of nodding at me.

  I took a glance at Wang Chengbao, and the old man's expression was somewhat awkward. I said: "Uncle Wang, don't worry for now, let me talk to her again." Wang Chengbao nodded awkwardly after hearing this.

  Just then, my mobile phone suddenly rang. I picked it up and saw that it was Liu Zhen. I said to Wang Chengbao: "I'm really sorry, Uncle Wang, I'll go out and answer the call."

  Wang Chengbao nodded, and I explained it to Bu Jin again before leaving the Qingming Teahouse. Liu Zhen was one of my father's students, two years older than me, but a hundred times smarter. After graduating from university, he directly pursued his master's degree and then his Ph.D., becoming a doctor of historical studies at a young age. He was also the first doctoral student trained by my father. For a period of time, he often came to my home to play, and since our ages were not far apart, we gradually became very good friends. My mother always told me to learn from him, but Liu Zhen had one advantage - he never felt superior to others, which was also why I liked him.

  I'm a bit puzzled because I heard from my father the other day that Liu Zhen was recently sent to Inner Mongolia for some archaeological activities, and should be very busy. I don't know why he has time to call me now.

  I answered the phone and got straight to the point: "Old Liu, what made you think of calling me? I heard you've been really busy lately?"

  Unexpectedly, Liu Zhen asked me bluntly, "Pei Xi, are you in Yunnan now?"

  I was taken aback and thought to myself how did he know I'm in Yunnan, could it be that my father told him? So I said: "Yes, how did you know?"

  "It was the teacher who told me."

  I heard it was my dad who told him, so I didn't think much of it and joked: "Oh, what's this? Wanting local specialties? I was thinking of you, I'll give them to you when I get back."

  On the other end of the phone, Liu Zhen let out a sigh, seemingly anxious, and said: "What do I care about your local specialties? I'm also heading to Yunnan soon, and I'm currently waiting for my flight at the airport."

  "Are you coming too?" I felt strange and asked: "I heard from my dad that you are going to Inner Mongolia for some archaeological activities recently, aren't you?"

  Liu Zhen replied: "The situation has changed. It was your father who entrusted me, saying that you have gotten into big trouble and asking me to come to Yunnan immediately to help you out."

  "What's wrong?" I thought to myself that there have been quite a few strange things happening recently, but it couldn't be considered a big deal. So I said: "I haven't encountered any major problems, and besides, I even talked to my dad on the phone last night."

  "The person who spoke with you on the phone last night was not a teacher."

  As soon as I heard Liu Zhen's words, my whole body broke out in goosebumps, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I hastily said: "Impossible! Could I have misheard even my own father's voice? That was my father's voice last night!"

  "I know you'll think this is a bit suspicious, but you have to believe me. The person who talked to you on the phone last night was absolutely not the teacher, because...because the teacher went missing on the third day after you left Northeast." Liu Zhen said with some excitement.

  As soon as I heard this, my head buzzed and I blurted out: "What? Missing? What's going on?"

  "There are too many things involved here, I can only discuss them with you in person because our phone calls may be tapped."

  "Eavesdropping? What's going on here?" I've been feeling more and more that things aren't developing as simply as I imagined.

  Liu Zhen didn't ask for further explanation, but instead asked me: "Last night, the person who pretended to be your father, was he asking you to go find someone named Wang Chengbao?"

  "Yes, and I'm with him right now, he was a colleague of my father's."

  "That man is not Wang Chengbao!"

  I was startled and asked: "How did you know?"

  Liu Zhen said excitedly: "Because the real Wang Chengbao had died thirty years ago."