Otherworldly Merchant

I smiled, “You will know when the time comes! Now, I’ll send you away to do something. As long as you can do exactly what I say, I’m sure all the folks here will be saved in less than two days.”

Niu Dazhuang nodded. “Okay, I will do whatever you tell me.”

I told him, “After you go back, you will tell the folks that I have fished up the kneecap and the clay jar. I’ve solved it all. You will tell them not to worry anymore. Just do that. I’ll take care of everything else.”

Niu Dazhuang didn’t believe it.

I shrugged. “Do as I say. I’m sure there’ll be no problem.”

Eventually, Niu Dazhuang agreed. However, before he left, he threatened me. “If you’re deceiving me, I’ll dismember you, cutting you into eight pieces and feeding you to the hungry wolves in the mountain.”

After we returned to the village, Niu Dazhuang started to act as I had instructed him, while I went to see the old shaman.

The old shaman’s house was ruined, however, it was clean. Everything was arranged neatly on the shelves or the tables.

I could tell that the shaman was a hard-working woman when she was young.

I didn’t know if the shaman was unhappy to see me in her house or if she treated everyone the same. Anyway, she didn’t seem friendly.

Throwing a glance at me, she asked, “Why are you here?”

I smiled at her, “Do you have any idea about the villagers’ sickness? Is it infectious?”

The old shaman burst out. “How could I know? I cure them every day, but I’m still okay.”

I asked her, “Can you give me some water? I’m afraid Niu Dazhuang is going to confine me to the Earth Temple again today, and he won’t leave us food or water.”

The old shaman was suddenly agitated, bellowing, “Everyone living here is like that. If you don’t get used to it, get lost. Or else, you’ll die here.”

I sighed helplessly. “If I could, I should have left already. My brother’s kept in the temple. How could I leave him here and flee alone?”

The old shaman kept silent for quite a long time before speaking up. “You really want to leave?”

I nodded.

“Good then, I can save you and help you run away.” The shaman said, “No matter what, I’m a doctor. I don’t want to see you beaten to death by the folks here. However, you have to remember. After you leave, you will never come back here again. And, you’ll never let Dazhuang find you!”

I was excited. “Shaman, what should I do?”

The old woman asked me to stay in the Earth Temple. Tonight, someone would come to save us. And, for Li Mazi’s sickness, she was helpless. Everything must depend on the will of God.

I nodded. “Good. Tonight, we shall wait for our savior!”

Then, I proceeded to leave. Before leaving, my eyes swept through the shaman’s room one more time.

When I came back to the Earth Temple, I was informed that Li Mazi was taken to Niu Dazhuang’s house.

I couldn’t do anything else but go to Niu Dazhuang’s house to find him. It turned out to be the biggest, tile-roofed house in this village. It seemed the way they were treating us had gotten better.

When I asked to take Li Mazi back to the Earth Temple, Niu Dazhuang was bewildered.

“Brother, what do you mean? Aren’t we treating you well enough?” Looking at Niu Dazhuang’s embarrassed face, I didn’t have the heart to argue with him.

I told him, “It’s a part of the plan. You shouldn’t think too much.”

Although I said that, Niu Dazhuang still didn’t look willing at all.

Eventually, I had to bring Li Mazi back to the temple without any help.

The Earth Temple was extremely shabby. When we arrived there yesterday, it was nighttime so I didn’t get a close look at it. And now, I felt a little regretful.

The walls had so many big cracks. The statues here were crooked and covered in layers of spider webs. The beams above our heads looked as though they could fall off at any moment. 

Am I torturing myself?

I laughed at myself then put Li Mazi down, cursing under my breath. As Niu Dazhuang was about to leave, I called him, “Mister Secretary, don’t leave yet. I want to ask you something.”

Niu Dazhuang immediately came back, “What do you want to know? Please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“It’s about that old shaman. I can tell that from her accent, she’s not a local folk, right?” I smiled, trying to calm Niu Dazhuang down.

Niu Dazhuang was surprised. He found it strange but he couldn’t object. “Why have you suddenly asked about the old shaman?”

However, the man answered me honestly. “It’s true. That shaman isn’t from around. She moved here after her marriage.”

“From where?” I asked, “Where does she come from?”

Niu Dazhuang stuttered. Eventually, he shook his head saying he didn’t know.

I more or less understood and gave him a faint smile. “It’s good then. All right, send someone to watch the well tonight. Try to hide yourself! If someone comes to take the water, capture that person. But remember, you must treat that person well.”

Niu Dazhuang found it weird. “Ever since bad things have happened, our folks haven’t taken water from that well anymore. We have to go about ten miles away to get the water from a stream in the mountain.”

I couldn’t help it and said, “Just do as I ask. Someone will come to take the water. Remember, hide yourself carefully.”

Niu Dazhuang looked at me, his eyes strange. However, he didn’t object and hurriedly ordered his people.

I checked Li Mazi’s wounds. They didn’t seem to be turning worse.

Li Mazi was drowsy. “How are you doing? Could you save this old life of mine?”

I comforted him. “Relax! I have a plan.”

I chatted with Li Mazi for a while. When it got dark outside, Niu Dazhuang sent two villagers over, bringing us dinner.

The dinner had various dishes with bacon and vegetables, and even a boiled chicken. Li Mazi and I were starving. We dug in and wolfed down the food.

After having dinner, we lay down to sleep. Niu Dazhuang came to check on us. Seeing us going to sleep, he looked helpless. “Brother, how can you sleep now? I’m so worried I could die.”

I asked, “What are you worried about?”

Niu Dazhuang said, “If our plan fails, will that thing harm the villagers even more? I’m worried it could get worse.”

I smiled. “Haha, don’t worry. This time it is foolproof!”

After seeing Niu Dazhuang off, I sighed then lay down again, pulling the blanket and covering my body.

I didn’t know how long I had slept until someone was calling my name and waking me up. I opened my eyes and found my surroundings completely dark, I couldn’t even see my fingers.

At first, I thought I was dreaming, but when I closed my eyes, the voice called again.

I didn’t know what was going here. But when I woke up Li Mazi was nowhere to be seen.

I panicked. I called his name, but nobody answered me.

I was so anxious that I had started sweating. I switched on the flashlight, swept it around the place.

At the moment I switched on the flashlight, I heard the voice that had called my name. “Little Brother Zhang, Little Brother Zhang…”

My misty mind was cleared immediately. I moved the flashlight, shining at the source of the voice. I recognized Li Mazi, who had lost his mobility, standing absent-mindedly at the door of the Earth Temple, looking through the door.

“Li Mazi?” I had goosebumps all over my body. I gently called him, “Your legs… did they get better?”

Li Mazi cocked his head to one side, looking at me with surprised eyes. He opened his mouth and called out mechanically. “Little Brother Zhang.”

Hearing Li Mazi’s voice, I shuddered on the spot. It wasn’t Li Mazi’s voice, and it sounded very feminine. That tender voice was familiar. It was like… the young widow’s voice who lived at one end of the village.

It was so similar that if I closed my eyes, I would feel as if the young widow was standing in front of me.

Li Mazi’s face was pale, frowning, his moves stiff.

My eyes fell to his legs. I could see that he couldn’t stand steadily, and dirty fluid was oozing down his pants. It looked disgusting.

Li Mazi’s eyes were dull and it was clear that he wasn’t aware of his surroundings. I was sure that he didn’t know what he was doing.

I tried to sound calm. “It’s very late. You should sleep.”

He didn’t look at me. He slowly turned around then jumped, kicking the worn-out door of the temple open.

My heart was beating frantically. Cold sweat beaded my forehead. That wasn’t something a patient with leg disease could do. What force has taken him and controlled him?

I believed that Li Mazi wasn’t possessed by some ghost or demon. It was because the voice that came out from his throat was the young widow’s voice. And, when I met her, her Yang energy was rich, and she had red cheeks. Hence, she was a living person.

If so, it must be the young widow who had performed some evil magic.

I had a headache. At first, I had assumed that the old shaman was the ringleader behind all of this. That was why I had my plan aimed at her.

But now, the young widow had joined out of nowhere. It was really hard for me to defend!

But it was too late to regret anything. Now I could only take one step at a time.

Seeing Li Mazi walking out of the temple, I followed close behind him. I was worried that the two aunties watching outside would stop me if they thought we were trying to escape. That was what worried me the most.

It was really surprising that the two aunties were chatting as if they didn’t hear our loud commotion. They didn’t even look at us.

I was so flustered. The young widow’s evil magic was much beyond my imagination. I wasn’t so sure if I could deal with her.