Chapter Seven: "The Immortal's Abode"

The two of them walked along the path, one supporting the other. Kang Ge appeared as if he were leaning entirely on Yan Xue’s shoulder, unable to stand without her help. Yet Yan Xue knew it was all an act; Kang Ge barely put any weight on her, and she had to deliberately pretend that supporting him was a struggle.

They reached the large iron gate. Unlike the ornate, hollowed iron gates common in villages, this house’s gate was painted pitch black and towered over two meters high. Atop the gate was a row of arrow-shaped spikes, and the red brick walls on either side were capped with half a meter of iron wire fencing.

Yan Xue resisted the urge to roll her eyes. A mere charlatan had turned his residence into something resembling a miniature prison—what sort of drama was this?

At the entrance, Yan Xue looked around and spotted a doorbell beside the iron gate. She led Kang Ge over and pressed it several times. After a moment, the sound of footsteps shuffled from within. A small hatch opened in the black gate, revealing half the face of a man who looked to be in his early twenties.

“What do you want? Who are you looking for?” He saw two strangers outside and his tone was less than friendly.

“Hello, we’re here to see Master Bai Li Jiufang! Please let us in—we’ve come a long way to ask for his help!” Yan Xue, desperate and helpless, pleaded, “My husband’s been possessed. We’ve tried everything, but nothing works. My aunt’s grandson had a similar problem recently, and it was Master Bai Li who cured him. That’s why I brought my husband here—please, the master must help us exorcise this evil, or our family won’t be able to go on!”

“Which one is your aunt’s grandson?” The man’s voice carried an inexplicable arrogance. “Listen, Bai Li Jiufang is a Celestial Master, and he values fate above all. Some things he does reveal heavenly secrets, and the price is steep—it’s terrible for him. If the fate isn’t right, he won’t risk getting involved.”

What a grandiose tone! Not satisfied with “master,” he elevated himself to “Celestial Master.” This charlatan was evidently a thorough fraud, worse than those so-called “witch doctors” who peddle folk remedies.

“My aunt’s grandson is the young man who came here a few days ago for an exorcism—early twenties, couldn’t sleep at night, kept seeing strange things. He came to the master, drank some talisman water, and went home cured, no more sightings, and could sleep well!” Yan Xue pleaded pitifully, “Please let us meet the master!”

The man scrutinized Yan Xue through the hatch, then told them to wait while he asked the master if fate allowed for this meeting. With that, he turned and left.

“What do you think? Is this reliable?” With the man gone, Yan Xue tilted her head, whispering.

Kang Ge, feigning listlessness as he hung on Yan Xue’s side, murmured, “Don’t worry. Money sent to the door is never turned away. We’ll just stick to our act as planned.”

About twenty minutes passed. Yan Xue had pressed the bell several more times and was beginning to worry their plan had failed, that the so-called “master” was being cautious and refusing to see strangers. At last, the man returned, unlocked the gate, and pulled it open a crack.

He had small features and wasn’t tall—only a few centimeters taller than the average Yan Xue, perhaps not even reaching one hundred seventy centimeters, with a thin, slight build. Even leaning on Yan Xue, Kang Ge appeared much larger than him.

“Come in, follow me, and don’t look around. If you bump into anything, it’s your own problem!” Whether he was simply unfriendly or intimidated by Kang Ge’s size, the thin young man quickly stepped back and gestured stiffly for them to enter.

At least they were inside now—step one accomplished. As long as they could meet the charlatan in person, Yan Xue thought, everything else would be manageable.

Yan Xue still had no clear idea of Kang Ge’s actual fighting ability, but his build alone ensured he wouldn’t be easily outmatched. As for herself, she’d never slackened on physical and professional skills over the years, whether out of duty or personal ambition. She couldn’t boast about everything, but the man who opened the door was certainly no match for her.

This time, since they couldn’t directly prove the charlatan was the culprit—only that he was highly suspicious—it wouldn’t do to storm in with overwhelming force. If he was the perpetrator, it would be foolish to alert him before gathering evidence.

Yan Xue quickly assessed their strength and mentally rehearsed how to control the situation if conflict arose. With her mind settled, she felt her steps become impatient—if Kang Ge hadn’t held her back, she might have strode ahead without thinking.

Fortunately, the thin young man leading them didn’t notice her restlessness.

Inside the black iron gate, the courtyard was larger than it appeared from outside and distinctly eerie, mostly due to certain arrangements. Immediately upon entering, Yan Xue saw small incense burners lined along the walls, each burning sparsely. Further ahead, on a narrow path, a coffin sat atop two benches, its black lacquer gleaming in the morning sun.

Yan Xue, a staunch materialist, found it hard to feel spooked in broad daylight, but still froze for a moment at the sight. After so many years of cremation being standard, she hadn’t expected to see someone display such a large coffin in their yard.

“Don’t look at things you shouldn’t!” The man in front, passing by the coffin, turned to warn them. Though his words cautioned against looking, his tone held a peculiar pride. “With the morning’s strong yang energy, the master is expelling evil and corpse poison. Don’t say I didn’t warn you—if you see anything, don’t be afraid!”

Kang Ge suddenly drew a sharp breath, covered his eyes, and leaned harder on Yan Xue, trembling as if he’d caught a chill. In a quivering voice, he urged, “Let’s go… let’s go… don’t look over there. Maybe we should go home. I don’t want to be here, I don’t want any master’s help. I just want to go home. Can we leave?”

This was pure improvisation on Kang Ge’s part—there had been no plan for such a performance, but Yan Xue was quick to adapt. She comforted him, asking if he’d seen something again. Kang Ge only lowered his head anxiously, refusing to answer, as if something terrifying truly lurked beside them.

His reaction and expressed desire to retreat surprised the thin young man, who quickened his pace, leading them to the main hall’s entrance before hurrying inside to whisper something to a man seated there.

Yan Xue surveyed the hall’s furnishings—rather shabby, with a square table in the center and a row of shrines along the wall behind. Indeed, a whole row—at least a dozen by her quick glance, varying in height, each draped in red cloth and fronted by a small incense burner with freshly placed incense.

Beside the table was a grand chair, occupied by a man around fifty, equally thin, equally small-featured. It was clear from their looks—they were father and son, running a family business.

From the courtyard to the hall, everything felt eerily quiet, and now, with only this man in the hall, it seemed the compound housed just the two of them—no other helpers, a promising sign.

“You’re Master Bai Li Jiufang, aren’t you?” With her confidence restored, Yan Xue slipped easily into her role. “We were sent by Xu Wenrui’s grandmother. She said Xu Wenrui had been possessed, and she brought him here for your help. You cured him, right?”

“Yes, that was me. What’s your situation?” The middle-aged man, full of arrogance, sized up Yan Xue, his eyes drifting from her clothes to the handbag slung over her shoulder, barely glancing at the “afflicted” Kang Ge.

“Xu Wenrui really was cured by you?” Now, face to face with Bai Li Jiufang, Yan Xue’s tone held a trace of skepticism, lacking the urgency and reverence from outside.

Her attitude clearly displeased both the master and his son.

“How can you say that? You said outside someone referred you, and now you don’t believe us?” The son, young and hot-tempered, couldn’t help but protest.

“I never said I didn’t believe you—I just asked! I was anxious at the door and told you everything. You don’t even have a number outside—what if I’m at the wrong place and you use what I told you to trick me?”

“Honestly, I don’t even care if you cheat me for money. I just want to find someone who truly knows what they’re doing, someone who can help my husband!” Yan Xue retorted.

The young man wanted to argue, but the “master” silenced him with a gesture.

“You mentioned Xu Wenrui—is he a tall, slender young man with a small mole beneath his eye? Am I right?” The master adopted the air of a sage and asked calmly.

When he described Xu Wenrui’s appearance, Yan Xue felt reassured and smiled. “Yes, yes! You must be the master we’re looking for. My husband’s case is similar to Xu Wenrui’s—can you help him? He’s terrified of pain, can’t stand acupuncture or cupping. I heard from my aunt that Xu Wenrui wasn’t hurt at all, didn’t suffer, and was cured. Is that true?”

“Xu Wenrui recovered after drinking the Celestial Master’s talisman water!” The young man interjected.

The “master” shot him a fierce glare for interrupting, then turned back to Yan Xue with a mysterious air. “You can’t generalize about these matters. That young man did recover after drinking my talisman water, but I haven’t heard your husband’s details yet. I can’t say anything for certain now.”