Master Liu stood holding the newly embodied jade stone. He looked tired and out of breath, but it was finally over. The paper man could cause no more harm. We put our things away, and Master Liu yanked on the ribbon, wrapping it securely around his right hand.

​

“What are you doing with it?” I asked, nodding to the red line encompassing his palm.

“It could be useful…later.” He told me, “It’s been blessed by the amulets and water. It might even be stronger than your necklace there.” He nodded to my chest, where my own jade pendent was hanging forgotten. He slipped the ribbon from his hand and offered it to me. “It’ll keep them away.”

I accepted it wordlessly and turned to blow out the candles. Master Liu put the jade triangle into a pocket of his wallet. We gathered up the incense, candles, and table then turned to where my father had gone up the slope.

​

My father and Zhao Laohei stood silently at the edge of the quarry. “Didn’t I tell you to leave?” Master Liu called to them as we approached.

​

My dad didn’t hesitate, "I was worried about my son."

​

Master Liu waved this away, saying, "Bah with your worry. The matter has been settled. These ghosts are more troublesome than most people." He squinted old wrinkled eyes up at the two men.

Zhao Laohei looked confused, but spoke with the polite reverence of a student, "Master Liu, what was the purple eddy in the sky? Was it sky thunder?"

​

"Oh you know of sky thunder, do you?” He grinned a little, “Well, you're right. Not the complete power, fortunately.” Zhao Laohei looked baffled. “No matter! It’s spreading out now and won’t harm us. There’s no time dally. Let’s be on our way.” Master Liu said curtly.

​

The men rearranged the items we’d brought out of the quarry between the four of us and we turned to head back into town.

​

The villagers were chattering amongst themselves and gaping at the purplish clouds that lingered above us when we drew near. The sparse dark clouds were dissipating as they spread from the epicenter.

​

“The immortal will come from the east with a reign of purple mist!” Someone called down the street.

“It’s a demon!” Another answered.

​

“It’s a god!” A new voice added.

​

“Psh” Master Liu laughed when he heard them. “They’ll see a god when they learn the east from the north.” He shook his head, a small smile playing on his old face.

​

The gossip fluttered around us like perverse butterflies as we trudged back towards my house. I had the feeling we’d be talking about the purple clouds in length over dinner.

​

Mom’s face filled the window as we approached the house. I could see color flood back into her cheeks when she saw us.

​

“Well?” She asked.

​

“Well…we’re hungry.” Master Liu told her.

​

Her eyes rolled sarcastically. "The food is almost ready. I expect to hear all about it soon."

The dishes she laid out on the table were delicious and lush; plates of chicken, bowls of sweet mung bean soup, even a baked wheaten cake. I ate until I couldn’t eat any more and felt dismally full.

Sipping a fine rice wine, my father finally broke the tension. “Well Master, what happened?”

Master Liu said, “The spirit masquerading as a paper man has been taken care of.” He placed the triangular jade stone on the table.

​

My parents and Zhao Laohei gasped and fell back as if a riot squad had pushed them all at once. I giggled at their extreme response.

​

Master Liu continued, "Don't be scared. He’s part of the stone now. He can’t come out again until he’s reincarnated.

​

The relief was palpable.

​

My dad started, "I don’t understand the relationship between this stone and the... man, whatever he was.”

​

Master Liu sighed and closed his eyes. "This stone has the ability to generate lost souls. To ‘bring them up’, you might say. I don’t have the power to help our spirit friend any longer. It’s up to him to connect with the lost soul through the stone. To do this, he’ll need to be ‘raised’ so to speak by the living ones who put him in this position. Wang Qi can help him. It was his dog that ate the poor fellow’s head and made him a ghost. Wang Qi destroyed the paper body and ruined my religious rites, thereby excluding the spirit from our world.” He opened his eyes to make sure we were paying close attention. “So… to some extent, Wang Qi’s mistake will be our spirit’s resolution. He’ll have to raise the jade to atone for his error and guide the spirit within to reincarnation.” He held up two fingers and then dropped one, “Two birds, and one stone."

​

My dad nodded knowingly, his face grim. He spoke slowly, "Wang Qi is traitorous. Let him wear the jade, but don't tell him the truth."

​

Master Liu shook his head, "It won’t work if he doesn’t know the truth."

​

The table was quiet as we contemplated.

​

At nine that evening when everything had been cleaned and put away, Master Liu changed back into his ordinary clothes. Following Master Liu, my father, Zhao Laohei, and I went to see Wang Qi.  

He opened the door to us, greeted my father, nodded to Zhao Laohei, and then dropped all pretenses upon seeing Master Liu. He turned and went back into the house, the door creaking weakly behind him..

Zhao Laohei’s awkward laughter filled the silence as we walked into the house.

​

Elder Wang and his wife greeted us pleasantly. They offered us sunflower seeds and tea.

Dismissing pleasantries, Master Liu asked, "Could you call your son in here? I have some questions for him."

​

Elder Wang’s face firmed and he called, "Wang Qi, come here now."

​

The tone in his voice reminded me of every time I’d gotten in trouble. I felt the familiar weight settle in my belly, awaiting reprimand and unconsciously straightening my posture. “This is silly,” I thought, “I’m not the one in trouble!”

​

“What?” Wang Qi said, entering the room.

​

"Sit over there.” His father commanded. “Master Liu will talk with you."

​

"Oh." Wang Qi said, his face blank. He avoided all eye contact and sat down opposite of us. He grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and began idly playing with them in his lap.

​

Elder Wang opened his mouth to reprimand the man, but Master Liu spoke first, "How old are you?"

"Twenty." Wang Qi said, spitting a sunflower shell on the floor. He didn't look up.

​

Master Liu chortled a kind laugh and lowered his face so Wang Qi could see it. "Your forehead is black my boy. You're unlucky these days."

​

He held the triangular jade stone towards the brooding man, saying, "Wear this. It’ll make you lucky."

Wang Qi spat a laugh at the old man, "Shit! You expect me to believe you? My dad trusts you. I don't. You used willow leaves to deceive us! You tried to make me think I was crazy! I don’t trust you. No way..."

Elder Wang’s face had gone a deep shade of purple. “He’s gonna explode!” I thought.

​

Master Liu cut in again, "I’m not asking for anything in return. In fact, let me tell you a few things about this stone…whether you wear it or not is entirely up to you.” His old eyes shone brightly in the room’s light.

​

Wang Qi only snorted. Master Liu said, "I control something inside this jade.” His eyebrows cocked. “It’s the headless ghost that ran away from your home not three days ago!"

​

"Are you trying to kill me?" Wang Qi balked.

​

His parents looked just as stunned, their eyes darted from Master Liu to the jade stone in his palm.

“Why would our son ever wear a… a ghost?” Elder Wang’s wife asked timidly.

​

Master Liu only smiled his polite smile and then turned back to the boy. "Why are you scared of something you don’t believe in?"

​

Wang Qi kept silent, munching and spitting sunflower seeds on the floor.

​

Master Liu turned towards Elder Wang and his wife. He repeated what he’d told us at my house about the stone, the souls, and the responsibility of raising it. "Buddhists believe in cause and effect, but Taoists believe in opportunity. This is an opportunity. If you deliberately avoid it, there will be consequences. If you refuse..." He dropped off, gazing away from them ominously. “I only ask you to reconsider.”  

​

No one spoke. All eyes were on Wang Qi.

​

Wang Qi all but exploded, "Stop it! Stop talking! I won’t help the man who killed my dog! Even if disaster is looming!” He said looming like a kid telling ghost stories, the word stank of disrespect and ignorance. “He should be excluded from our world!” Wang Qi’s voice was high pitched and whining now. “He'd better stay inside that shitting stone so he can’t hurt anyone else!"

​

Master Liu shook his head. He looked old and tired again. “It’s amazing that he can just turn that off an on…” I thought.

​

The master spoke as if to all of us, "As I thought, the human's obsession is worse than that of the ghost’s.” He turned to Wang Qi. “Fine, if you don't want to wear it, I will not force you. If you come upon trouble, disease, disaster…” His eyes were bright again.  “Then you can ask Zhao Laohei for help. I’ll give him the stone. What comes next is on you."

​

Master Liu rose and turned to leave in one sweeping motion. Zhao Laohei bowed and bid the Wangs goodbye then followed suit. Elder Wang turned from the door and Master Liu’s back to his son, still spitting seed shells on the floor. In the end he rounded on his son and began scolding him in words I don’t want to repeat.

​

“Come,” my father said, pulling me out of the house.

​

On the way home, Master Liu gave the jade to Zhao Laohei, asking, "You know how precious this jade is, don't you?"

​

Zhao Laohei nodded.

​

"Give it to your boy. It won’t be as useful on Xiao Jie, but it might keep the disease and disaster at bay."

Zhao Laohei lit with excitement and said, "Thank you, Master!"

​

Master Liu asked, "You’re not worried that the ghost will hurt your son?"

​

Zhao Laohei laughed kindly, "I believe that you are very powerful. You said that the soul had mixed with the stone. It’s part of it now. The jade has knowledge, but it won’t hurt anyone." A confident smile rested on his face.

​

"You’ve been taught well.” Master Liu told him.

​

As we approached Zhao Loahei’s house, Master Liu added one last thing. “If Wang Qi asks for the stone, give it to him. Remeber that! It's his decision, and his fate."

​

Zhao Laohei hesitated, but nodded, "Yes, Master.” He took the stone and went into his house.

We arrived at my house shortly after and settled down for the night. Before an hour had passed I fell asleep.

​

The next morning I awoke to Master Liu barking orders at me. “Get into your pose boy! It’s time to practice! Two hours this time!”

​

I scrambled out of bed and set my feet, bending my knees and clenching all of the muscles I could. “Two hours? Why?” I whined, still not fully awake.

​

“Practice!” He called in a drill instructor’s bark.

​

“But, I helped you last ni-“ I started.

​

“Three hours!” He cut me off.

​

I fell silent, tears of outrage filled the corner of my eyes and I felt the first tendrils of fire curl into my clenched thighs and lower back.

​

He leaned down so our faces were almost touching. I didn’t see malice or humor in his eyes, but something sad. I grit my teeth to keep my tongue in check. He placed a hand on my head and looked at me.

​

"Xiao Yong, I have to leave today.” He whispered. “I won’t see you again until next year."

And so he left.

​