Chapter 32: The Bond of Childhood Sweethearts

I raised my eyebrows slightly and had already smiled as I went to meet him.

It was a sure thing that the Bai family would come knocking.

I thought it would be the Bai family matriarch, but I didn't expect a young man in his twenties.

As I walked, I sized up the man from head to toe, searching my memory for his identity.

Everyone in the town knows each other to some extent, and the Bai family runs a medical clinic.

He's in his early twenties, only a few years older than me; we might have played together as kids.

But before I could recall who he was, he greeted me first: "Xiao Jiu, long time no see."

Sure enough, I knew him!

I asked, "Who are you?"

"You don't remember me, Xiao Jiu?" the man said with a hurt look, "I'm Bai Jingmo."

Bai Jingmo?!

I do remember.

When I was ten, Grandma went out to do a reading for someone, came back with a headache, clutching her head and rolling in pain; I was about to go to the Bai Family Clinic to find someone to look at her.

That day, it seemed some big shot had come to the Bai Family Clinic for treatment, so they closed shop; no matter how I knocked, no one paid attention to me.

Then I happened to meet Bai Jingmo, who had come back from school break; he gave Grandma acupuncture, and she soon improved.

And from then on, Grandma's headache never recurred.

Later, whenever this was mentioned, Grandma praised the Bai family for producing Bai Jingmo, saying there was a successor.

But back then Bai Jingmo was chubby and dark-skinned, with shoulder-length hair; I always remember his chubby black hands administering needles while tossing his hair.

He's completely unlike the handsome young man before me now.

I recall Grandma mentioning a few years ago that Bai Jingmo had gotten into the Provincial City Double First-Class Medical and Pharmaceutical University, with a bright future ahead.

"Brother Jingmo." I greeted, "Long time no see."

Bai Jingmo sighed, "Yeah, I heard you got into Jiang University this year, Xiao Jiu. I had originally planned to treat you to a meal once you were settled."

I asked curiously, "Are you still studying?"

"I'm in a continuous bachelor's-master's-doctorate program," Bai Jingmo said. "Now I'm studying while also interning at the Provincial People's Hospital Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Department. I've been swamped these past few years, so I rarely return to Wufu Town. It's only natural that you'd forget me, Xiao Jiu."

I wanted to say I hadn't forgotten, but then I realized he was a Bai family member, and my enthusiasm instantly cooled, leaving me much calmer.

Something like that happened only last night, and this morning Bai Jingmo showed up at the pawn shop to find me—it's hard not to overthink it.

I let Bai Jingmo in; Li Qingying brought tea and stood aside listening to our conversation.

Last night Li Qingying had gone to the Bai Family Clinic to deliver something and pass along a message, so Bai Jingmo didn't avoid her: "Xiao Jiu, I came today to talk about cooperation between the Bai family and the pawn shop."

Bai Jingmo got straight to the point—quite refreshing.

I smiled, set down my cup, and said, "Brother Jingmo, you must have heard—yesterday a man named Fang Yuan almost killed me with Bai family medicinal powder. Was it Fang Yuan who did it, or is there something else? You surely know better than I do."

Bai Jingmo gave a wry smile: "The older generation's grudges accidentally hurt Xiao Jiu; I'm here to apologize on behalf of the Bai family."

"Really just an accident, Brother Jingmo?" My tone turned sharp. "As far as I know, Wufu Town has been waiting for me to walk into the trap for thirty whole years."

"You're different, Xiao Jiu." Bai Jingmo said seriously. "The elders' affairs in Wufu Town are too complicated to sum up in a few words, but at their core they're all about suppressing whatever is in Zhu Pan River. Everyone's actions are reluctant; if they had a choice, who would want to be a villain for generations?"

He paused, looked deeply into my eyes, and continued: "Before, there really was no choice, but now it's different. Xiao Jiu, you've withstood everything—you're the turning point. Since there's a turning point, who would still want to keep doing evil?"

I furrowed my brows and asked, "What exactly is being suppressed in Zhu Pan River?"

"Chen Ping." Bai Jingmo said solemnly. "As far as I know, after Chen Ping's final campaign abroad, he tried to declare himself emperor in Wufu Town, met with fierce resistance from the locals, and in his rage he seized a group of people who opposed him, dug a pit, set it alight, and burned them alive."

Bai Jingmo's words suddenly reminded me of that night on the eighth day of the first lunar month, when a bridal sedan carried me from outside the gate into the main courtyard, amid the wailing ghosts and wolves, the sky full of firelight, and within those flames the charred hands and feet…

Were those people the civilians Chen Ping ordered to be burned alive?

Chen Ping is truly heinous beyond measure!

"Such a massacre, Chen Ping carried it out three times in a row. The people dared to be angry but not speak, not knowing whether it was guilt from too many wrongdoings making him nervous, or whether something really had happened. Afterwards Chen Ping's mentality started to become abnormal; he was constantly suspicious, and at his worst he killed a batch of his loyal troops, had a high priest perform a ritual, and trapped the souls of those soldiers together with the vengeful spirits of the civilians, making them fight each other…"

"Scum!" Li Qingying cursed.

I felt awful too—good heavens, this Chen Ping is truly unforgivable.

"But the suppression was only temporary; later the formation was broken, Chen Ping was killed, Wufu Town's resentment surged, his failed imperial bid only deepened the hatred. In life he called the wind and summoned the rain; in death he remained a menace, and Wufu Town suffered another slaughter— a one-sided, crushing, merciless massacre."

Moreover, it was a one-sided, crushing, merciless slaughter!

Bai Jingmo's voice grew agitated as he continued: "Seeing Wufu Town about to be slaughtered to the last person, the elders had no choice but to act; the only solution they could think of was sacrifice, using a pure-yin body to suppress Chen Ping's vengeful spirit and keep Wufu Town peaceful."

Having said that, Bai Jingmo looked at me and said earnestly, "Xiao Jiu, I know you hold resentment, but for Wufu Town and for those innocent folks, we must step up."

I stayed silent for a long time before asking, "What do you need me to do?"

Bai Jingmo pointed to the six-corner palace lamp on the west side of the porch and said, "This six-corner palace lamp is a soul-guiding lamp; take it down and, at the right moment, lure Chen Ping's vengeful spirit ashore to be strangled."

I glanced at Li Qingying and asked, "Can that six-corner palace lamp be taken down?"

"Others might not be able to, but you can, Xiao Jiu." Bai Jingmo said. "After you reopened the pawn shop, the six-corner palace lamp, dormant for over a century, showed a response— that means it acknowledges you, so you can give it a try. Xiao Jiu, you are our town's only hope."

I asked again, "And when is that proper moment?"

Bai Jingmo said, "My grandmother has been examining a few days, picking the most suitable one; once she decides, she'll notify you in advance, Xiao Jiu. You'll handle luring the spirit ashore, Xiao Jiu, and we'll take care of the strangling."

I nodded in agreement.

Bai Jingmo chatted with me a good while longer before leaving.

The whole afternoon I went over everything Bai Jingmo had told me today.

Li Qingying kept reminding me, "Xiao Jiu, although that Bai fellow speaks plausibly, he might not be trustworthy—we need to think carefully before acting!"

I took her hand and reassured, "Sister Qingying, rest assured, I will consider things thoroughly."

Li Qingying wanted to say more but held back; I knew she meant well.

Before dinner, I went to the main house.

I saw that the three-legged bronze cauldron on the offering table had disappeared, while the Lingchi dagger remained firmly in place.

The situation is exactly as I thought.

I breathed a sigh of relief, ate and drank as I should, had nothing to do at night, and went to bed early to catch up on sleep.

But I had too much on my mind, I simply couldn't sleep.

In the middle of the night, the bed beside me suddenly sank, a familiar sandalwood scent enveloped me, strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me into an embrace.

Afterwards, Liu Junyan's voice sounded: "Did you see the Bai Family today?"

I hummed in response: "Bái Jīngmò, the most promising young generation of the Bai Family."

The hand around my waist tensed slightly, Liu Junyan's voice low and deep: "I heard... you and he are still childhood sweethearts?"