Chapter 017 Calling for and Sending Away Ghosts

When Sun Sheng knelt with the comatose girl in his arms, Master Liu whispered to me, "Xiao Yong, stand by. If something comes out of the tomb, tell me immediately."

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“Out of the tomb…” I repeated.  

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I almost ran away from his words, the blood coursing through my body was cold and my hands shook. Then I remembered my friend needed me to save her. I gritted my teeth and nodded.

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To this day, I don’t understand how I was so brave at the age of six.

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Sun Sheng’s knees sank into the soil before his father’s tomb and he touched his daughter’s head, saying "Xiao Ying, are you here? It is time to come home.” He raised his head and looked into the tomb, “Father, if Xiao Ying is here, please let her go. It is time for her to be with her family. If you miss her, we will visit you. I promise. Father, let me have her back..."

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Sun Sheng spoke as if the tomb would reply for his fallen father. I watched the horrible speech and twitched, ready to call out at any moment. I turned my head slightly to see if Master Liu was still with me, but found he had moved quite far away.

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My head grew hot at this. When I opened my mouth to ask why he’d left me, he made a sign to keep silent.

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I made an effort to turn back to the tomb and there I saw two shadows clawing out of it. It was Uncle Sun and Sun Yueying.

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Uncle Sun’s face, for the first time since I saw him leave his body, was no longer empty. He was smiling as if he wanted to say something. His shadowy hand held the hand of his granddaughter. No sound came from the gaping dead mouth when it opened.

Sun Yueying’s soul clutched onto her grandfather’s ghost and she wasn't scared. The transparent girl smiled at her father before her.

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Master Liu and I didn’t seem to exist in their world. They looked at Sun Sheng, not even glancing towards us.

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The sight of Sun Yueying and Uncle Sun wasn’t horrible, so I took a deep breath and let my courage fill me. My supernatural eyes sought for the shadow of the third visage, seeking the origin of my horror.

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I looked around earnestly, but didn't see Xiao Chun’s headless mother. My eyes moved in a final sweep and settled on Uncle Sun and Sun Yueying.

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Uncle Sun’s mouth opened and closed in an unheard conversation with his kneeling son. No voices filled the air, and I thought of the silent movies my father enjoyed watching late at night. Master Liu moved close to me and spoke slowly as if reading my thoughts, "Xiao Yong, whatever words Uncle Sun has are only for those he would like to inform.”  

"Oh." I said in a low voice, afraid that I would upset the family reunion. The scene playing out before us was somehow sweet.

I focused on Sun Sheng again, but he was silent. He was staring ahead at something with a horrible expression curling his mouth downward. He must be hearing the voice.

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“What do you think he’s saying?” I asked Master Liu.

Master Liu mirrored my whispered tone, "Although Uncle Sun is a ghost, I believe he’s being controlled by something more ferocious. Now, he has come to his own consciousness, yet his words do not have logic. He may speak for a long time, but I think he means to let her go."

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Before I could reply Master Liu motioned for me stay there. He walked slowly to Sun Sheng, taking two willow leaves out of his pocket as he went. When he neared the strange conversation he said, "Sun Sheng, you must know what your father has said. Now, I will give you the sight. Don't scream, no matter what you see.” He reached Sun Sheng and began the ritual. “Just stretch your hand out and take your daughter's soul. When you have her, go and wait for me in the distance. Understand?"

Sun Sheng, his face pale and eyes impossibly bright, nodded firmly.

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Master Liu whispered an unheard mantra and reached his hand out to wipe Sun Sheng’s eyes with the willow leaves. Although Sun Sheng had prepared for this in his mind, he screamed in shock when he saw the two standing before him. With a loud gasp he looked down at his daughter’s body in his arms.

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Master Liu laid a hand on Sun Sheng’s back and pushed him forward saying quickly, "Don't be stunned! Kowtow to your father, and bring your girl's soul back." His voice was wise and strong.

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Sun Sheng immediately obeyed the master. He knelt and rested his forehead on the ground at his dead father’s feet, then took the free hand of the ghost girl in front of him. Her unconscious body below him stirred with a jerk. Using one hand to grasp her pants by the belt and the other to hold onto her soul, Sun Sheng made to move.

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The girl’s soul looked up at her dead grandfather. Uncle Sun’s ghost didn’t move and the girl’s shadowy figure grasped onto her father’s hand. Sun Sheng swallowed loudly enough for me to hear several meters away. He looked to Master Liu. Master Liu nodded slowly as if to remind him of his instructions. Sun Sheng, grasping two halves of his daughter’s life, stood on knees that popped like firecrackers and began to retreat from the tomb entrance. 

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Uncle Sun stood at the tomb steadily and his expression gradually began to wilt. In a mere moment he looked just as he had whenever Xiao Chun’s mother was beside him.

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Sun Sheng stopped in the distance, a few paces from myself. Master Liu, not turning his back to Uncle Sun’s visage, paced back to where I stood. He grasped my hand and pulled on me to follow him. Master Liu and I reached Sun Sheng and his daughter’s split existence. He traced the tactic of Taoism when we reached the others, and then Master Liu touched Sun Yueying’s forehead has he had before. The soul holding hands with Sun Sheng became a brilliant white light that rotated in place for a moment and shot into the empty girl’s body. The light shone out of her mouth and eyes, shooting into the air noiselessly.

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She inhaled with a gasp that was too loud and exhaled deeply. The light was gone. Coughing, the girl shook and woke up. Her eyes shone the sickly green they had turned for only a breath before darkening into their natural beautiful deep brown. She looked very weak.

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Master Liu nodded and said, "Your daughter is fine. She has exhaled the tainted air. You should take her home to rest. Cook a good meal for the child."

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Sun Sheng hugged his daughter fiercely and nodded thanks to Master Liu. The old man waved his hand at him and looked at me, saying "Come on, we have something to deal with."

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Sun Sheng stopped and called to Master Liu who was already walking back to the tomb, "Master Liu, what will you do with my father?"

Master Liu didn’t turn as he spoke, "Don't worry, I won’t harm him. On the contrary, I shall make it so that he may be reincarnated.”

Sun Sheng began to thank Master Liu, but the old man wasn’t listening. “Leave immediately!” He called over his shoulder, “Don’t waste my time! We don’t know what may still happen.”

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Sun Sheng, nodding his head like a toy, took his daughter by the hand and hoisted her to her feet. The two began to walk towards the village. I yearned to leave with them, but was stopped by Master Liu’s beckoning, "Xiao Yong, come here and help me."

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I gulped down my disappointment and walked to where the old man had stopped. Master Liu, still looking at the tomb where Uncle Sun stood said to me, "I am here. Don't be scared."

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Before I could say anything about not being scared, Master Liu grabbed my hand again and marched us to Uncle Sun. When we were close to him and Sun Sheng had disappeared around the cornfield, Master Liu said to the ghost, "You must be controlled."

Uncle Sun stood in silence, face still expressionless.

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Master Liu took a yellow paper amulet from his pocket, saying, "Fine, fine, my dear man. If the one controlling you does not wish to appear, I shall send you away to be reincarnated." He raised his voice as if calling to something in the graveyard. The words “Wish to appear,” echoed around the tombs.

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Master Liu’s voice lowered in a murmur. The yellow paper amulet in his hand thrashed in the wind. I was afraid the talisman would tear as the wind picked up and grabbed at the small piece of paper.

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The yellow paper amulet rustled heavily, but did not split.

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The master moved his feet in the same conjure footwork he had used in Zhao Laohei’s yard, tracing the pattern in front of Uncle Sun’s tomb. Using the strength and practice of a master, he thrust the yellow paper amulet towards the tomb. It spun in the air as if on a string and floated through Uncle Sun’s ghost.

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The ghost’s dark hue lightened and its blank expression lifted into one of peace. Uncle Sun knelt in the front of the tomb and then began to kowtow to Master Liu, placing his see-through forehead to the earth at the master’s toes. The dead man’s visage lightened further, becoming difficult to focus on. Finally, he disappeared.

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As Uncle Sun disappeared, Master Liu sighed heavily.

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"Where is he?" I asked quietly, already knowing the answer.

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"The ghost? He left just now." The old man smiled and looked around at me like I were a foolish student who hadn’t been paying attention.

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"Will he come back?"

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Master Liu smiled his old man smile and said, "It is hard to know. Often time ghosts will linger on the border of the tomb and nether world. He may wake up in a particular situation either here or there. Don't worry, my boy. Xiao Chun’s mother has no power over him any longer. We’ve taken care of that.”

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I thought for a moment then blurted out, “Why did you stop me from telling Sun Sheng the truth? Uncle Sun never hurt his daughter.”

"Peace is the most precious thing, lad. If Sun Sheng knew the truth, he would hate Xiao Chun and his mother. Do you think Xiao Chun would lead a happy life with enemies so nearby? Now, if he thinks that his father missed his granddaughter so much, enmity can’t occur. Do you follow?"

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I didn’t understand actually, Master Liu was prone to using language beyond that of a six year old. However, he was a good man. So I nodded cheerily and said, "Yep, you are right. Don't worry. I won’t tell anybody about Xiao Chun’s mother.”

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Master Liu nodded back at me with a satisfied grin, "Xiao Yong, you are a good boy. Xiao Chun’s mother became a monster because her son was bullied. We do not need to add fuel to her ferocity."

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I cocked my head and thought. "If we treat Xiao Chun well, will his mother stop hurting people and give up being a ferocious ghost?"

Master Liu’s eyes widened and he laughed, "Xiao Yong, you do have the heart of a Taoist! It’s a shame you have no talent for it. If you ever choose to be one of us, I’d still call you my apprentice.”

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I listened to the old man, only half hearing because something else had splintered into my mind. "You don't have to pick me as your apprentice, but you do have to buy me ice cream!" I showed him all of my teeth in a hungry grin.

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The old master laughed until he was coughing and pat me on the back. When he could breathe normally again and the redness had darkened his face, he coughed out, "If there’re no monstrous spirits for us today, at least we can get that ice cream."

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