Chapter 13 Inner purity

　　“Yeah, Brother Fusheng gave me one too, but I lost it.”

　　I sighed deliberately, “Fusheng is really good to you.”

　　“Yes, Brother Fusheng always shares everything with me, so I really like him.”

　　“Then can you really bear to see him lying in bed, sick and weak like this?”

　　“I...” Li Xiaoniu said anxiously, “That’s not it, Gouwa, of course I want Brother Fusheng to be well.”

　　“Then you shouldn’t keep clinging to him; it’ll only make things worse for him!”

　　She lowered her head, lost in thought. Seeing she wasn’t speaking, I added, “It’s not just bad for him; it’s not good for you either, is it?”

　　I wasn’t just trying to scare her. The elders say that humans are Yang and ghosts are Yin; ghosts can’t stay in the Yang realm for too long, or they’ll suffer from the Yang energy. It’s similar to how humans shouldn’t be around ghosts for too long, as it can be harmful due to the Yin energy.

　　Li Xiaoniu’s situation was indeed already affected. Although I didn’t know much about ghosts, her floating and translucent appearance suggested she wasn’t in a good state.

　　“So what should I do, Gouwa?”

　　“You need to leave here and go where you belong,” I said softly.“I should go to where I belong...” Li Xiaoniu hesitated a bit.

　　“Do I really have to?” Her voice was barely a whisper, filled with desperation.

　　Seeing her reluctance, I sighed and was about to say something when she suddenly smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll go. I don’t want anything bad to happen to Brother Fusheng.”

　　Although her stiff expression was somewhat awkward, at that moment, I could sense the pure heart of a child.

　　I sighed in relief, smiled, and then looked at my master.

　　He slowly approached, holding the yellow talisman in his hand.

　　Seeing this, Li Xiaoniu quickly stepped back, her eyes fixed warily on the talisman.

　　“Don’t be afraid, Niu Niu. This is my newly acknowledged master; he’s a Feng Shui master.”

　　Mentioning Feng Shui only seemed to scare Li Xiaoniu more.

　　The elders say that those who understand Feng Shui also understand Yin and Yang. Therefore, Feng Shui masters are also called Yin-Yang masters. To ghosts, Feng Shui masters are their nemeses. Especially powerful Feng Shui masters can banish them in an instant.“Don’t be afraid, Niu Niu. As long as you don’t take Fusheng with you, I won’t harm you,” my master said quickly.

　　Li Xiaoniu looked at me, and after I nodded at her, she seemed less frightened.

　　“Master, you should put away your talisman now!”

　　My master nodded at me, then lifted his hand and glanced at the talisman. Suddenly, he shook his hand, and the talisman burst into flames!

　　I was stunned, thinking, "Master is really something—his skills are incredible!"

　　With the talisman gone, Li Xiaoniu finally relaxed a bit.

　　“Niu Niu, it’s getting late. You should leave soon; it will be troublesome when daylight comes,” I urged.

　　Niu Niu glanced back at Wang Fusheng’s room, feeling a bit reluctant. “I understand, but I…”

　　“Niu Niu, just go peacefully. Please!” I pleaded.

　　Miao Cuifen and Wang Chunsheng arrived at that moment and knelt down, begging her.

　　“Uncle Chunsheng, Aunt Cuifen, I... I don’t know how to leave.”

　　“What?”Wang Chunsheng and Miao Cuifen exchanged startled glances, clearly taken aback by the idea that a ghost might not know how to find the underworld.

　　“Niu Niu, don’t lie to your Uncle Chunsheng!” Wang Chunsheng urged, his voice tinged with anxiety.

　　“I’m not lying,” Niu Niu insisted. “If someone doesn’t make it to the underworld within seven days of dying, they miss their chance, and it’s really hard to get there on their own. That’s why there are so many wandering souls.”

　　“What are we going to do?” Miao Cuifen’s voice was trembling, on the verge of tears.

　　Everyone understood the gravity of the situation: if Niu Niu didn’t leave, she’d continue to bring misfortune to Fusheng.

　　“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it!” my master reassured them.

　　He turned to Niu Niu and asked gently, “Niu Niu, when’s your birthday?”

　　After thinking for a moment, Niu Niu quietly told him.

　　My master looked up at the darkening sky. “It’s getting late. Gouwa, take Niu Niu to the three-way junction west of the village.”

　　“Alright!”

　　Just as we were about to leave, my master reminded me, “Make sure she stays hidden under a tree and doesn’t wander off!”

　　“Got it!”

　　The junction west of the village led to two other paths—one heading northeast and the other southeast—forming a three-way split.

　　Niu Niu and I hurried along the deserted road, the only light coming from a distant, flickering lamp. I had no idea whose house it was.

　　“Gouwa, why are we going to the junction?” Niu Niu asked softly.

　　“I’m not sure, but if Master says so, there’s definitely a reason.”

　　“Oh,” she murmured, her voice faint.

　　Sensing her unease, I quickly added, “Don’t worry, Niu Niu. Master won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

　　“Okay,” she replied, a bit more reassured.

　　After about ten minutes, we reached the junction. Following Master’s instructions, I guided Niu Niu to wait under a large tree.

　　The fields around us were silent, with only the sound of crickets breaking the stillness of the night.

　　Niu Niu hovered quietly beside me, her gaze fixed on the village, lost in thought. Watching her, I suddenly remembered my grandpa. It dawned on me that ghosts aren’t as terrifying as people make them out to be. At least, the ones I’ve met haven’t been scary at all.“Gouwa,” Niu Niu called softly.

　　“Yeah?” I replied.

　　“Is my grandpa going to be okay?”

　　Her question hit me right in the heart. Here she was, going through all this, and she was still worried about her grandpa. This little girl was pure and kind, through and through.

　　“Don’t worry, everything will be fine. The village chief will take care of it.”

　　“Okay,” she nodded.

　　Just then, my master’s voice rang out, “Gouwa!”

　　I looked up and saw him hurrying towards us, carrying a bunch of random items.

　　When he got closer, I realized he had some paper bundles, an old iron basin, two large stacks of ghost money, and a pile of gold ingots made from yellow paper.

　　“Master, are we going to burn offerings for Niu Niu?” I asked.

　　“No, these are for the underworld messengers!” he replied.

　　“The underworld messengers?” I glanced at Niu Niu, wondering if he was planning to summon the Black and White Impermanence again.

　　“Enough questions. Hurry up and get to the junction!” my master ordered.