C20 Huang Xian

We caught a taxi and made it to our destination in under thirty minutes. The driver even remarked on our courage, noting that although the old temple was known to be spiritual, coming here late at night was particularly daring.

I kept quiet, but Ma Qiang retorted, "Mind your own business."

As we walked along a short path, Ma Qiang grumbled, "I checked the address online, and it should be right here. Maybe it's been demolished? That would be better for Yu Bing to accept. I always feel uneasy about being in such a deserted place at night, and given my past experiences, I'm even more fearful of encountering monsters like Cripple Zhou or some lantern-bearing specter. Aside from my bravado, I have no special skills. If we run into anything supernatural, I'm likely to be scared out of my wits."

Yu Bing challenged him, "Ma Qiang, are you serious? Can't you do one thing right?"

Chilled winds swept around us as Ma Qiang wrapped his arms around himself, saying, "No, something's off. I double-checked; it should be here. Why isn't it?"

I suggested, "This area is barren and deserted, without even a village in sight. You must be mistaken. Let's head back."

Ma Qiang scanned the area, reluctant to leave. Yu Bing came over and clutched my arm, whispering, "Lee Fan, I'm getting scared."

I was taken aback and instinctively slipped my arm away from her grasp, relieved that Ma Qiang hadn't witnessed the gesture—he would have been furious. I reassured her, "Don't worry. Your grandfather would appreciate your devotion. Let's go back, and we can visit another temple after work tomorrow."

Ma Qiang insisted, "It can't be. The driver didn't mention a wrong turn, so it has to be here."

I thought to myself that Ma Qiang's stubbornness was getting out of hand. If we kept this up, I'd be late for work again. I told him, "Ma Qiang, give it up. This place is desolate, with not a temple or even a house in sight."

Although Ma Qiang was reluctant, Yu Bing seemed somewhat relieved and kept asking me if I felt an eerie vibe. I couldn't help but smile inwardly. She had been so adamant about coming here, yet she hadn't considered how terrifying this place could be in the dead of night. It's easy to act on impulse, but there's always a price to pay afterward.

I tapped Ma Qiang on the shoulder and suggested, “Let’s head out.”

Reluctantly, Ma Qiang agreed, feeling embarrassed in Yu Bing’s presence, but with no other options, he simply nodded and acquiesced.

We made our way along the path back. Yu Bing remained silent throughout, ignoring Ma Qiang's attempts at conversation. Ma Qiang, seemingly content with his own monologue, didn’t appear bored in the slightest. Upon reaching the main road, a few cars sped past, none of them taxis, and we didn’t bother to flag them down. After waiting for a bit, Yu Bing turned to me and said, “Lee Fan, could I borrow your coat? I’m freezing.”

Before I could respond, Ma Qiang quickly offered, “Take mine.”

Yu Bing accepted it with a look of distaste and glanced at me, but remained silent.

Seeing the headlights of an approaching car, I hoped it would be a taxi; otherwise, I wouldn’t make it back to the office in time. Just then, Ma Qiang grabbed Yu Bing’s arm and asked, “Yu Bing, do you still want to visit the temple?”

With a sly grin, Ma Qiang pointed excitedly back to the path we had come from, exclaiming, “Damn, we were in such a rush earlier, I didn’t notice the old temple right off the side of the road.”

I paused, puzzled, as Yu Bing skeptically peered back at the path we had just traversed. Sure enough, under a few locust trees stood a small building, possibly a temple, with light shining from within as if someone had just ignited a flame. Something didn’t add up; the three of us had walked this route twice—how could we have missed it? The area was quite open; an old temple would have been conspicuous.

Shaking my head, I reasoned that perhaps the temple had been unlit and the darkness too enveloping for us to see it before. Ma Qiang was already proposing we head back the same way. Yu Bing called my name twice, and after acknowledging her, I followed along.

Reaching the roadside, a dense thicket of dried grass obstructed our path. Ma Qiang, eager to help, offered to carry Yu Bing, but she declined with a wave of her hand. A shadow crossed Ma Qiang’s face, but he remained silent. As Yu Bing stepped over the grass, she let out a sharp scream. Ma Qiang and I asked in unison, “What happened?”

Yu Bing exclaimed, "I think I stepped on something!"

Ma Qiang illuminated the ground with his phone, grimaced, and quickly reassured Yu Bing, "It's nothing, just a puddle of mud."

Relieved by Ma Qiang's words, Yu Bing didn't dare look down. Meanwhile, I, standing behind her, saw everything clearly. Yu Bing had inadvertently stepped on a toad. Suppressing my disgust, I hastened to catch up with them.

Approaching the temple entrance, Ma Qiang, puzzled, remarked, "Why is there so much paper on the ground?" I hadn't noticed until he pointed it out, but looking down, I saw scattered yellow papers beneath my feet. "Someone's inside the temple," Ma Qiang added. Sure enough, as we looked up, we could see a figure pacing in the open hall of the temple.

"We should get going; it's getting late," Ma Qiang suggested.

Once inside, we discovered the old temple was quite small. The hall housed statues of an elderly man in a Taoist robe and an old woman with white hair. Their attire was similar, but the man's Taoist crown gave him a worldly air. The pacing man, taken aback by our presence, bluntly inquired about our purpose.

Ma Qiang, ever-prepared, offered a cigarette with a friendly smile, explaining, "My friend here wishes to pay respects to the revered immortals."

The man accepted the cigarette, squinting as he asked, "Oh, you have a request? What might it be?"

I couldn't help but wonder; aren't temple deities usually non-smokers? This man seemed more like a roving Taoist. After Ma Qiang finished speaking, Yu Bing proceeded to bow and light incense, silently making her plea.

I watched as Ma Qiang and the man stepped aside, with Ma Qiang continuously offering cigarettes and discreetly slipping him some money. The man didn't refuse, conversing with Ma Qiang through narrowed eyes. I had no interest in their conversation, my thoughts solely on leaving this eerie place. Then, out of the blue, Ma Qiang bowed slightly and softly expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Master."

As Yu Bing was preparing to leave, the man suddenly called out to her, claiming that during her prayers, he had sensed her grandfather's presence nearby through a spiritual connection.

Yu Bing's face paled as she stammered, "Is that true?"

The man nodded affirmatively, adding that her grandfather had communicated with him, instructing him to pass on a message.

Skeptical, Yu Bing inquired, "What message?"

The man declared, "He wants you to marry the man standing next to you!"

I was completely taken aback, and Ma Qiang, who was beside Yu Bing, was equally stunned, shooting the man a questioning look. Yu Bing, visibly upset, retorted, "Nonsense. Who would believe that?"

We had barely walked away when the man hurried after us, seizing Yu Bing's wrist and stating icily, "You cannot leave. If you don't marry in front of the Huang elders today, you won't be allowed to go."

A chill ran down my spine as I glanced around, sensing that something was amiss. The old adage says that a pagoda tree by the door brings wealth to the deity, but the presence of such a tree at the old temple's entrance was unsettling. My gaze fixed on the two wax figures at the front of the Guest Hall, and it dawned on me—the so-called deities of the temple were none other than the Yellow Deity and the Yellow Weasel.

I immediately shoved the man aside and said sharply, "Back off. We're not going through with this marriage."

The man's tone turned ominous, "The ceremony is done. You can't just walk away. You wanted her, didn't you? I'm making it happen!"

Ma Qiang, shaking with fear, tried to explain, "Master, you've got it all wrong. This sort of thing... it can't be coerced. Besides, about marrying..."

The man scoffed in disgust and, without warning, kicked me in the stomach.

Caught off guard, I fell to the ground, writhing in pain and unable to stand straight. The man, with seemingly superhuman strength, held onto Yu Bing's wrist with one hand and Ma Qiang's with the other. Yu Bing's struggle might have been expected due to her slight frame, but Ma Qiang was effortlessly subdued like a helpless chick.

Gritting my teeth, I rose to my feet, grabbed a stone from the ground, and, catching him off guard, I hurled it at his head, thinking furiously, 'You son of a bitch, I won't let you get away with this!'

After I struck him, the man turned around in a fury. Quickly, I swung my fists and landed two punches on his face, but he just glared at me, unflinching. The stone hadn't even left a scratch, let alone drawn blood.

A bizarre croak emanated from his mouth as his already grotesque face began to convulse and distort.

I was so terrified that I nearly lost my composure and forgot how to defend myself. His face sprouted strange bubbles, resembling a rash or the warty skin of a toad — utterly repulsive.

In that instant, he cast Yu Bing aside and lunged at me with a slender hand, sharp as a blade, piercing straight through my heart.

The pain was so intense I nearly passed out. Yet, that eerie face kept its gaze fixed on me: "Mind your own business, or it'll be the death of you!"

As I collapsed, my body felt incredibly weak. Touching my chest, I could feel large drops of blood oozing out. I thought to myself, "This is the end..."

Through my hazy vision, I saw the strange man dragging Yu Bing by her hair and gripping Ma Qiang by the neck. They were forced to their knees as he brutally smashed their heads against the ground. Ma Qiang was crying, Yu Bing was screaming...

I faintly recalled Ma Qiang offering a cigarette to the stranger, whispering something in his ear. After a moment's contemplation, the stranger gave a peculiar nod, and then Ma Qiang began to pull out his wallet... What had Ma Qiang said?

How did an old temple appear out of nowhere on this desolate path?

What had Ma Qiang uttered that put all our lives in jeopardy?

From the depths, a voice reached out to me. Then, she tenderly stroked my chest and whispered, "Just one more day, the very last day..."