A cigarette had barely been smoked a few puffs when hurried footsteps sounded from behind.
"Mr. Song, please wait a moment." From the main hall to the entrance, a distance of only tens of meters, Fang Huixin ran with her face flushed, gasping for breath with one hand covering her chest.
I turned back to look at her, thinking, have you figured it out?
Fang Huixin nodded and said, "I've figured it out. I just called Old Li and confirmed that what you said is true." Her complexion paled slightly, but then quickly returned to normal as she said, "I can add fifty percent on top of the original amount. I hope Mr. Song can save me."
Hearing her terms, my heart pounded wildly. Ten million had already been given in the check, and now another five million. Was this windfall falling from the sky too quickly?
"Young brother, you should consider carefully." Seeing my somewhat dazed expression, Zhang Dabiao couldn't help but advise.
I didn't reply, but instead pondered how much money I had. After a rough calculation, in less than a month and a half, including this income from Fang Huixin, I had already accumulated fifty-five million, which was enough to meet my master's financial needs. As for the money my master owed to the Ox-Head and Horse-Face, I would discuss it with him later.
Thinking that I had managed to save the life-saving money my father needed in less than two months, my heart burned with passion.
As for danger? Where is there no danger in life? Eating might lead to choking, drinking water can easily lead to drowning, and crossing the road can easily lead to being hit by a car.
"Go back to the room, let's perform the ritual."
Seeing that I agreed, Fang Huixin finally breathed a sigh of relief. She invited me into the courtyard and directed her subordinates to arrange food, her attitude completely different from before.
"Young brother, you..."
"Brother Zhang, I know what you're worried about. But my father needs money. With the fifteen million from Fang Huixin now, the money is enough. My master gave me a maximum of three months to gather it. For life-saving treatment, delay is the most feared. So, the sooner the money is transferred, the greater the hope for my father to wake up. Do you understand what I mean?" I looked at him seriously. Actually, there was one more sentence I wanted to say, which was to hope that Zhang Dabiao would return home immediately. However, thinking of his stubborn personality, the words were held back. This time venturing into the mountains was dangerous, and even if I died, I would protect him.
Returning to the main hall, I performed the ritual again, using Yang fire to ignite a ghost-dispelling charm. After it burned, I put the ashes into a cup of water. This time, Fang Huixin didn't even frown. She snatched the cup and drank it down.
A gray mist, invisible to ordinary people, overflowed from Fang Huixin's body. It then condensed above her head, forming a hazy human face. Immediately, the face let out a silent roar and then charged towards Zhang Dabiao and me.
Before we could even react, the gray mist dissipated in front of us, as if what we had just seen was an illusion.
After expelling the phantom蛊 (gu), Fang Huixin appeared much more energetic, as if she had been reborn. It could also be said that she had been reborn, because if the phantom蛊 remained in her body, she would eventually go mad.
"I feel like something is missing from my body. It's lighter, not so heavy. Has that ghost thing dissipated?" Fang Huixin's face was filled with joy, but her words still held a hint of doubt. After all, it was fifteen million, not one hundred and fifty yuan. To part with it, she still felt a pang of heartache.
"What do you think? Don't give me a check, transfer the cash," I said impatiently.
"Am I short of money for you? You're so stingy. Give me your bank account, and I'll transfer it immediately." After confirming she was fine, Fang Huixin didn't delay. She took out her phone, asked for my bank account, and the money arrived in less than a minute.
Looking at the zeros on the screen, I gripped my phone tightly with excitement. Father, the money you need for survival has been gathered. I hope there hasn't been any delay in saving your life.
As soon as the money arrived, I quickly called my master. The line was still out of service. So, I sent my master a text message and then waited for his reply.
"Boss, everything is ready. We can have dinner now," a subordinate of Fang Huixin reported at this moment.
"Okay, I know." Fang Huixin waved her subordinate away and then said to us, inviting us to have a simple meal, to fulfill her duties as a host.
"That would be great. I'm hungry. Let's go!"
At the dinner table, Fang Huixin repeatedly toasted. I didn't touch a drop, while Zhang Dabiao accepted every toast without hesitation. For a while, the host and guests conversed happily. During their conversation, I learned from her why Ghost City had ended up in Molu Village.
According to Fang Huixin, Ghost City was no longer the Ghost City it used to be. It was now beyond control, and its range was constantly expanding. At night, Ghost City and the mortal world would overlap, making both humans and ghosts uncomfortable.
Fortunately, a group of strangers appeared later. They used some unknown method to separate Ghost City from the mortal world and gave each household a peace charm, thus allowing humans and ghosts to coexist peacefully.
As she spoke, Fang Huixin had her subordinate bring out a golden statue the size of a firecracker box. The statue was of a deity whose name was unknown, with six arms and three faces. It looked like a Buddha statue, but its face was incredibly ferocious and very strange.
"Huh? Acala?" Zhang Dabiao immediately recognized the identity of the golden statue.
"What is Acala?" I and Fang Huixin said in unison.
"Acala is the foremost of the Eight Great Ming Kings in Esoteric Buddhism, appearing with an angry gaze. Simply put, even Buddhas have moments of anger. You can consider it a Vajra Bodhisattva specifically for dealing with evil spirits," Zhang Dabiao explained, draining his cup of wine.
Vajra? Bodhisattva?
Could it be that Buddhist figures were also involved in this venture into the mountains to search for the Half-Yin Realm? If that were the case, then this trip to find the Half-Yin Realm would be much more interesting.
After eating and drinking our fill, Zhang Dabiao and I got up to take our leave. Fang Huixin did not stop us, arranging for someone to escort us to the residence she managed, and stating that all food, lodging, and transportation in Molu Village would be taken care of by her.
I never refuse, nor can I refuse, the kindness of others. Now that Molu Village had changed, finding accommodation was troublesome. It was better to follow her arrangements.
Upon arriving at the residence, I called Wang Defa and told him where I was staying. He said he understood and quickly hung up. Although we didn't talk much, I could hear from the phone that a commotion had broken out on his end, and at the moment of hanging up, I heard the sound of air breaking, and I didn't know what was flying towards him.
At Fang Huixin's house, Zhang Dabiao appeared to be drunk and acting tipsy. Once we were alone, Zhang Dabiao jumped up from the bed and looked at me seriously.
"How was it? Young brother, did I act well?"
"So-so, almost gave myself away."
"So-so? I feel like I'm almost on par with a Golden Horse Award winner." After a moment of self-satisfaction, Zhang Dabiao continued, "How did you figure out Fang Huixin was lying? Is Sui Wan'er's skeleton still in her courtyard?"
"The address."
"The address?"