Master Liu watched with an old man’s patience as I wept and pleaded not to go. He allowed my squalls for only a moment before squatting down on his haunches and putting a kind wrinkled hand on my chin. "Xiao Yong, my good boy. If you come with me, I’ll get us all ice cream after we return.

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Most of the cold treats were very expensive in our village, my eyes widened.

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I looked at Master Liu with serious determination and tears in my eyes, "I want two."

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He laughed and stood up with a swiftness that defied his age.

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Master Liu turned to look at Sun Sheng and Sun Yueying while I was wiping the tears and snot off my face. Sun Sheng had a dark, worried look on his face. His daughter, standing next to him with her head lolling unnaturally, was delirious.

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The master walked to the girl and performed a Taoistic prayer. Sun Yueying who was babbling incoherently stopped short when he pointed her forehead. The old man’s index and middle fingers had only just brushed the skin above her eyes when they drooped heavily shut.

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Sun Sheng stared at his daughter with a dazed horror. The master, still looking at Sun Yueying, spoke, "People have many souls, the living soul of your daughter is gone. The others that remain inside her have slid into chaos and lost balance. If you don't save her, the restless souls inside your daughter will fade out. In the end she will die."

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Sun Sheng made to speak, but his mouth just fell open and snapped shut once, twice. He looked at Master Liu helplessly. "There is no need to fret just now, I have used account block therapy.” The master went on, “The souls, though turbulent, can’t be taken from her body. She will remain in a coma until we can resolve this.”

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I looked at the two men standing beside the empty girl, not understanding at all.

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Master Liu nodded and went on, "If we can find the soul that was taken from her body in time, the worst she will have to deal with is illness. It will not influence her life long term."

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Illness would be better than death, yet Sun Sheng didn't appear relieved by the news.

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“I will follow your orders master.” Sun Sheng promised.

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“Lead the way Xiao Yong!” Master Liu hollered at me, wasting no time at all. “Sun Sheng, carry your daughter, we must reach the place where it all happened!”

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Sun Sheng hoisted his unconscious daughter and began to mutter under his breath, “Come back home young one. Come back home to me.”

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We went back up the path much faster than the time before.

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I looked back at the miserable father and his empty girl, asking Master Liu in a low voice, "Has Sun Yueying's father seen the ghosts?"

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Master Liu's face darkened and he suddenly shouted, "How ferocious the air is!"

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“What?” I puzzled after him.

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The old man looked around casually, but lowered his voice and said to me, "He hasn’t met them yet.” His hand fell on my shoulder in a grandfather’s grip. “Well, Xiao Yong, now it is your time to shine. If you see Xiao Chun’s mother, tell me.” He blinked his bright eyes at me and winked. “I can’t summon a supernatural sight of my own just yet, I need to save my strength."

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I stared at him in in amazement, started to protest and then thought of the ice cream. “Keep your promise, Master Liu.” I muttered.

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When we arrived at the place we’d met ghosts, I felt the fear creep into my belly. The ice cream courage disappeared faster than an actual ice cream would have in the day’s heat. I stopped, not wanting to go forward any farther. Master Liu took a deep breath and asked me, "Xiao Yong, I don't want to scare you, but you’re part of this now. It is your destiny. You must continue forward, not just now, but always. You have the power to help your friend, don’t you want to?"

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My favorite stories were always about heroes. My favorite movies always shone a brave beacon of light on those courageous enough to stand up for what was right. Those heroes always saved the day, never letting  anyone get hurt or go unpunished for their wrongs. They were brave, so they could save others. Master Liu lit the torch of my own heroic heart that afternoon.

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I looked back at Sun Sheng with a firm resolve in my eyes. He met my bravery with mournful eyes of his own, his daughter still hanging limply in his arms. With a voice louder than I meant it to be, but quite brave I said, "Follow me."

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Master Liu's face turned in a weary smile. I looked at him uncomfortably, feeling a crack in my resolve because his smile looked like that of one scheming. It held the look of a man who was pulling strings, making little wooden people dance to his preferred rhythm.

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Heart pounding and determination focused I took a few steps. I thought of Xiao Chun’s mother and my legs started to shake. I began to slow down. My steps grew slower and shorter.

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Master Liu didn't urge me, but followed patiently.

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Although we walked slowly, it didn't take much time to arrive where I’d last seen Uncle Sun and Xiao Chun’s mother. The transparent Sun Yueying was still gone, and the only sign of what happened was a mess of thistles and thorns by the road.

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“Was it here boy?” Master Liu asked. I nodded.

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Master Liu looked around, and then walked in front of me. He stooped to ask in a low voice, "Tell me what you were seeing when it happened.” I opened my mouth and he shot a glance that snapped it shut. “Quietly!” He whispered, “In a low voice. Don't let them know." I wondered who ‘they’ were, but quickly regaled my story to the old man. We sat whispering in the middle of the path for several heartbeats when I’d finished.

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Sun Sheng and his empty daughter stood behind us in the path. The man looked worried, but a hint of anger was creasing his mouth.

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Master Liu thought in silence, holding his chin. He called to Sun Sheng, "Is your father's tomb nearby?"

Sun Sheng nodded, "Yes, what's wrong? Is my daughter's madness related to my father's tomb? Is it related to it’s feng shui?"

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Zhao Laohei had helped them choose the position of the tomb, Master Liu would be shamed if his apprentice had chosen poorly. The master shook his head and said, "No, no, not the tomb.” He looked back at the miserable man, “Your father’s soul has gone awry."

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"What?" Sun Sheng asked incredulously.

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Master Liu shook his head. "I can’t know for sure until we go to the tomb." He gestured for Sun Sheng to lead the way.

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Sun Sheng hoisted his daughter into a better grip and nodded resolutely at us. He immediately led the way for Master Liu and I, stomping down the path much faster than before.

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I thought of the tomb, and of the old woman’s severed head. My body was hot, and then cold, and my skin protested when the thorn and thistle cuts were raised and opened by goose bumps. “I won’t let Sun Yueying die.” I thought, so I gritted my teeth and followed.

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We walked forward about a dozen meters. A fork appeared on the path and a cornfield rose beyond it. Several tombs stood at the end of the cornfield. Each one shone the family name of Sun.

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Uncle Sun’s tomb was the newest. It was the only one without grime and moss covering it. No dirt was yet caked into the symbols.

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"We’ll go there." Master Liu raised a spotted hand and pointed to the tomb.

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Sun Sheng hesitated, but only for a moment. He took a quick look at his daughter’s blank face and trudged towards the tomb. It was his father’s after all, why should he be scared there?

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I followed Master Liu, shivering with fear. I moved closer to the old master, thinking I would be safe if I was close to him.

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We stopped five meters past the cornfield. We had trampled through the crop and our footsteps shone in the soft soil behind us. Master Liu held out his hands to stop us and spoke to Sun Sheng with a blank look on his face, "I caught your daughter's smell beneath the cornfield. Try to call her…” The master looked pained, as if he had stepped into a thorn bush himself. “Maybe you can bring her out and we can avoid hurting your father?" He finished.

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Sun Sheng looked at Master Liu wonderingly and asked, "You think my father hurt my daughter? She was his granddaughter! That doesn’t make sense, there must be a mistake!"

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Master Liu sighed, "To us it’s pain, but in his eyes he was simply inviting his beloved granddaughter to be with him. He misses her. It is a kind of love, though it is unnatural." His voice sounded old and tired.

I opened my mouth to correct him. “It wasn’t Uncle Sun that hurt Sun Yueying, but Xiao Chun’s mother!” I meant to say, but the master touched my head before I could speak, "Xiao Yong, you keep silent. Just listen to me."

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I didn't understand, though I kept silent for him.

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Sun Sheng’s eyes bleared with tears at Master Liu’s words. "Perhaps, my father spoiled her very much. He would always climb the mountain to pick wild jujubes for her, despite his age or the weather.” He smiled at the memory. “And he only ever got a few handfuls,” A choked teary laugh came from the man, “But she would laugh and hug him, every time.”  

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Sun Sheng walked slowly towards his father’s tomb while he spoke. He reached the entrance and he knelt slowly down, brandishing his empty, unconscious daughter before him.

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