C5 Granny Earth

"We still have one day left," I said calmly.

The ghostly pact afflicting Wang Lele was only temporarily lifted. To truly eradicate it, we needed to find the old ghost she had made the deal with. Without that, no amount of skill could break the bond—it was a fundamental rule of the spirit world.

Our village might be small, but it was surrounded by a wilderness dotted with graves and shadowy caves. Since last night was the Ghost Festival, the chances of stumbling upon such old ghosts were high, making the search all the more challenging.

After I had set up the Golden Crow Life Reckoning Scale, Wang Dali was thoroughly convinced of my abilities. He respected me, and given that I was capable of saving Wang Lele's life, he had every reason to heed my advice.

I took Wang Dali to where I had last seen Wang Lele, which was the bustling village center.

Scratching his head, Wang Dali asked with a hint of naivety, "Wang Xu, what are we doing here? Aren't we supposed to be curing my sister?"

I had brought Wang Dali along to assist, but he needed to be in the loop. So, I clarified for him, "Dali, your sister is afflicted because she struck a deal with a ghost last night. To heal her, we must find that ghost. That's why we're here—to hunt for ghosts."

Wang Dali nodded, signaling his understanding, though concern creased his brow as he said, "But the area around our village is so vast. Even if we got the whole village involved, we might not cover it all. Just the two of us surely won't be enough."

I smiled, pulled a willow leaf from my pocket, and gently rubbed it over Wang Dali's eyes. Now, he could faintly perceive the spectral realm.

I had the confidence to search for the ghost with Wang Dali because I had an ace up my sleeve—the Floating Spirit that had latched onto Wang Lele. Although this fragment of a spirit wasn't highly intelligent, it remembered where it had been the previous night. And since spirits perceive paths differently from humans, relying on it could lead us to a more precise location.

Wang Dali jumped in fright when he encountered the Floating Spirit, landing squarely on his behind. He asked me what it was, and I offered him a brief explanation. I chose not to mention that I had deliberately allowed the Floating Spirit to attach itself to Wang Lele the night before and had ignored it. I simply said it was a chance discovery.

The Floating Spirit led us on a tour around the village before heading out on a small path towards the wild lands beyond. Wang Dali and I hurried to keep up. After meandering through the wilderness for quite some time, the spirit finally came to a halt at the edge of the area, where only faint village lights were visible.

Glancing at Wang Dali, I saw his face etched with terror. But he wasn't alone in his fear; I too was frowning. This spot used to be a chaotic burial ground over a decade ago, notorious for eerie, flickering ghost lights at night and a hotspot for ghostly encounters. It wasn't until Zhou arrived in our village and convinced the chief to relocate those haphazard graves that peace was restored.

Yet, the last place Wang Lele visited the previous night was here. What connection could her ghostly pact have with the graves that had been moved?

Since the relocation of the graves was thorough and Zhou had performed special rituals, the area was devoid of ghosts, so clean that not even a Floating Spirit lingered. This left us with the question of where to find a ghost.

"Wang Xu, there's nothing nearby. What do we do now?" I asked, sighing in resignation as I led Wang Dali back towards the village.

"The Floating Spirit claimed it was here, but we've found nothing. It looks like we have no choice but to consult him..." I mused.

Wang Dali looked utterly perplexed. "Who is he, and how can you be so certain he has the answers?"

With a smile and a shake of my head, I replied, "He's privy to every whisper and rustle within a hundred miles of our village."

Upon returning to the village, I didn't take Wang Dali home. Instead, at the village entrance, I turned east. After a short walk, we came upon two small pine trees with a modest, stone-carved temple nestled between them, showing signs of age. The temple, however, was coated in dust and devoid of any burning incense.

This temple has been handed down through generations in our village. Traditionally, villagers would gather annually to offer sacrifices to the land god, seeking blessings for favorable weather in the year ahead. But after years of upheaval and now with everyone leading better lives and becoming more impatient, the temple has been largely forgotten.

With a sigh, I took out the divine incense I always carry and lit a stick, placing it before the temple. The land god is a deity of peace and prosperity, surely worthy of such offerings.

As the scent of the incense wafted through the air, the stone statue within the temple seemed to stir to life. I recognized this as a sign that the Earth God had manifested.

Offering incense doesn't guarantee a divine encounter; it requires a certain level of spiritual practice. Take Wang Dali, standing next to me. Despite wiping his eyes with a willow leaf, he was unable to see the Earth God.

I suggested Wang Dali step aside for a moment while I bowed reverently before the temple.

"Exalted Earth Deity, I come before you with utmost sincerity! Our village chief, Wang Lele, has unwittingly entered into a dark pact with a malevolent spirit, and now we face great peril. My own powers are limited, and I cannot locate this evil spirit. I implore you, in your boundless compassion, to offer guidance!"

As a gentle breeze stirred, the fragrance of the incense enveloped the statues. Suddenly, one statue stretched and spoke.

"I am your Earth Grandmother!"

The voice was that of a young girl, no older than sixteen or seventeen, with a sweet, youthful tone. But when it comes to deities, who can truly know?

Upon closer inspection, I realized there were two statues in the temple: one of the Earth Grandfather and one of the Earth Grandmother. It was the Earth Grandmother who had revealed her presence. Embarrassed by my mistake, I had confused the two deities.

"My vision is clouded, and I failed to recognize your true form, Earth Grandmother. I beg your forgiveness! Please, extend your mercy and aid the girl in need!"

Grandmother Earth stroked her chin and gazed at me intently. Anxiety churned within me, as I wondered if she could indeed offer assistance. Yet, Grandmother Earth remained composed, uttering not a single word.

It took quite some time before Grandmother Earth finally spoke in a drawn-out tone, "Young man, why are you so unfamiliar with the customs?"

Her mention of customs sparked my realization, and I promptly sent Wang Dali back to the village to fetch a cup of white wine, a fresh flower, a plate of pastries, and a bowl of mixed grain rice.

The customs in question referred to the need for offerings when paying homage to the land. If even the Buddha vied for an incense stick's worth of attention, how much more so for the land that had been neglected for years? The land is the local guardian deity, and while the worship rituals are not overly complicated, it is preferable to prepare three types of animal offerings. However, if that's not feasible, a simple cup of wine and a fresh flower will suffice.

Once the offerings were presented, Grandmother Earth's eyes narrowed into a warm smile. She addressed us, saying, "Zhou's apprentice, today you've learned a valuable lesson. Remember to pay your respects on the first and fifteenth of each month."

To "pay your respects," I thought, but it's certainly beneficial to maintain a good rapport with Grandmother Earth, so I agreed enthusiastically.

Grandmother Earth chuckled, savoring the offerings before her, and then gestured towards the west side of the village, "There's an old forest in that direction. You may find what you're searching for there."

With those words, the sacred incense extinguished, and the deity's effigy within the temple reverted to an inanimate clay figure. Throughout the entire encounter, the Lord of the Land had remained conspicuously absent.