Wen Shu took out other magazines, beginning her search for the tales of the Black Blood. In less than half a day, she found another account concerning Huang Banxian.

One clear morning, as Huang Banxian was tidying his sparse belongings, preparing to finally rest, a sudden, sharp knocking startled him. Opening the door, he found a massive, imposing man standing outside, his body riddled with wounds, clutching a bundle. As soon as the man saw Huang Banxian open the door, he dropped to his knees with a heavy thud, thrusting the bundle forward. Huang Banxian was momentarily stunned. He took the bundle, unwrapped it, and found inside a stack of joss paper and paper effigies of clothes.

While Huang Banxian was puzzling over this, the huge man struggled to pull a silver ingot from his chest. He stated it was for Huang Banxian, begging him to safeguard the package, explaining someone would return for it in five days. If the visitor was fierce, the package must be burned; if the visitor was refined and courteous, it should be handed over. Finally, the wounded man whispered that the very lives and fortunes of his entire household—eighteen souls—depended on this package, imploring Huang Banxian to guard it with utmost care. With that, the man stumbled away.

Holding the package, Huang Banxian studied it intently for a long time, finding that the joss paper and paper garments were indistinguishable from ordinary funerary items. A knot of suspicion formed in his mind: why would this man pay such a high price just for him to hold onto this parcel?

When the fifth day arrived, Huang Banxian did not step foot outside his dwelling, utterly focused on awaiting the person coming for the bundle. Around noon, a rhythmic, heavy knocking finally sounded. Huang Banxian sat motionless by his altar. At first, the knocking was slow, soft, and measured, but it gradually quickened and intensified, until the visitor resorted to kicking the door violently. Hearing the impact growing heavier, Huang Banxian dragged the brazier out from under the bed, retrieved the package, and set it alight. A thin plume of blue smoke curled up from the room. The knocking ceased abruptly, followed by a deep, desolate sigh from outside, and then, absolute silence.

After a long stretch, the sun dipped below the horizon, plunging the world into shadow. Estimating that the visitor must have left, Huang Banxian finally rose and opened the door. The area outside was indeed deserted. However, just as he turned to go back inside, he noticed a scattering of marks upon his own door. Shining his lantern closer, they appeared to be bloodstains, though the dim light made them indistinct.

The very first thing Huang Banxian did the next morning was swing the door open to inspect the damage. Indeed, the door was covered in distinct impressions, as if a fist had smashed against the wood, deeply staining it. Yet, the marks were entirely black, though they carried an unmistakably thick, metallic scent of blood.

This incident remained fixed in Huang Banxian’s memory. One day, while visiting a temple, he recounted the strange event to a monk. The monk listened, then produced two paper talismans, instructing him to soak the first one in his own blood and affix it to the door. If the vengeful party returned to knock, their vital essence would be seared by the charm. Back home, Huang Banxian followed the instructions, slicing his finger with a bronze dagger and letting his blood drip onto the charm before pasting it onto the door.

That very night, someone arrived to batter the door down. This assault was utterly different from the first; it began immediately with the palpable tension of a gathering storm. The door shook violently, appearing ready to give way, each shudder accompanied by a deafening roar. Huang Banxian grasped his bronze dagger firmly, standing steady beside the altar. He reached into his pouch, pulled out the monk’s second talisman, pricked his finger, let a drop of blood fall onto the center of the paper, and ignited it. Again, a wisp of blue smoke rose, and the door’s violent shaking began to slow, the battering sounds growing fainter, until, moments later, the external commotion completely subsided.

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