"Are you asking about my Master Ji or that infant?" I replied, confused, then immediately cursed myself for being an idiot. Although Master Ji cryptically mentioned that the infant who died at birth was his master, that baby was, after all, the crystallization of Qiao Ge's father's essence and his wife's blood. How could he refer to the flesh fallen from his own body as the "old man"? Sure enough, Qiao Ge answered, "I'm asking about Master Ji!"

I forced a wry smile. "We don't know where he is now either. After he spoke with you, he wrote these two characters in blood on the wall, didn't say a word, and then just left carrying that... that thing. I guess... he went to find a place to bury him!" I pointed to the inexplicable characters "Mǎo Wèi" on the wall.

Qiao Ge stared blankly at the two blood characters on the wall, let out a long sigh, and remained silent for a long moment amidst the sound of rain and thunder. Only then did he raise his head and offer a desolate smile, saying, "Look, under normal circumstances, you all helped me so much in the dark, I should have kept you for the night, prepared some good food and fine wine to treat you properly. But... with my wife in this state, after such a major incident, and my parents... my parents passed away so long ago, I truly have neither the heart nor the time to thank you all..."

"Drinking is a small matter. Brother An said, what exactly is the sin you and your wife committed?" Man Niao Niao, ever outspoken, asked with curiosity. I quickly stomped on Man Niao Niao's foot, thinking to myself, is this the time to ask such a thing? The man is already heartbroken, and you want to cruelly rip open his wound? Actually, when Qiao Ge mentioned his parents just now, his tone held hesitation mixed with terror, and I had already vaguely guessed that Qiao Ge and his wife must have done something wrong to their parents, which is why retribution followed—the child died upon birth. Since Master Ji said the sin they committed has concluded, what meaning is there in digging deeper into these matters? Moreover, this might be the privacy Qiao Ge would least want to bring up in his entire life.

"This..." Qiao Ge hesitated. I quickly interjected, "You should hurry and take care of sister-in-law. We won't intrude further. Some things, once they pass, let them pass. Don't grieve too much, you and sister-in-law. We'll come back this time next year to drink the 'Zhù Mǐ Jiǔ' (Celebration Rice Wine), alright?" Qiao Ge nodded gratefully, choking out, "If we truly have a pair of twins next year, we will specially invite you to drink." "I'll go find you some cloaks, rain gear, and flashlights..." (Zhù Mǐ Jiǔ: A banquet held three or ten days after a child is born. In the Tujia region, these three or ten days are also called 'Dǎ Sān Zhāo' or 'Dǎ Shí Zhāo,' typically when the maternal grandmother's family comes to offer congratulations.)

Leaving Qiao Ge's house, I realized our situation was far from ideal. Although it was just past ten at night, it was pitch dark and pouring rain. We hadn't anticipated so many events unfolding, so we hadn't arranged any lodging. We were unfamiliar with Tangya, and looking around, every house had its doors shut and lights out; clearly, almost everyone was attending the vigil for Old Man Xiang. Not only would finding a place to stay be difficult, but even getting a bite to eat would be tough. After rushing around all day, our stomachs were already signaling an emergency.

"What now? My stomach is staging a revolution!" Man Niao Niao was smoking, the faint glow of his cigarette tip flickering in the darkness, strikingly visible.

I gritted my teeth and said, "Let's go to Brother Xiang Yao's place. They're probably having their 'late supper' now. Haven't you been clamoring for three bowls? Today is the chance, and we'll probably have to spend the night there. This is good for a few reasons: first, we can keep vigil for Old Man Xiang; even though he's not related to us by blood, keeping vigil for an elderly man of his age isn't a big deal; second, we should tell Elder Chen about Qiao Ge's situation to stop him from worrying; third, I want to ask Elder Chen if there are any descendants of Tan Cheng left, so we can inquire about the Blood Soul Stele; and fourth, I estimate Master Ji might go there after burying the child, so we can rendezvous there."

Man Niao Niao and Tan Ping'er had nothing to say and agreed with my proposal.

To reach Brother Xiang Yao's house, we had to ascend from the bottom of the slope to the top, and we had to pass through that large stretch of graveyard. Although Elder Chen mentioned that the Tusi Imperial City originally had forty-eight streets, we hadn't had time to walk through them all ourselves. Even though there must be more than one path to Brother Xiang Yao's house, the quickest way was to retrace our steps.

When Master Ji was with us earlier, the three young men naturally felt much bolder. Now, without Master Ji as our spiritual support, and with that lackey Hua'er having gone off somewhere to enjoy himself, abandoning us, the thought of the three of us traversing that unfamiliar graveyard whose depths we knew nothing about, especially on such a night of lightning and thunder, made our hearts uneasy. "The treacherous and dangerous An Le Cave couldn't defeat me; what fear do I have of your mere graveyard?" I encouraged myself inwardly, then turned and snapped at Tan Ping'er and Man Niao Niao, "Let's go!"

Man Niao Niao didn't move and said with a trembling voice, "Ying Ying, should I walk in front or... behind?"

"You walk in the middle, I'll take the rear!" Before I could speak, Tan Ping'er decisively stated, her tone quite firm. This made me confused again—how could Tan Ping'er's courage fluctuate so wildly? In the past, in such a gloomy and terrifying environment, she would have been clinging to my arm, refusing to leave my side. Now, she voluntarily offered to guard the rear. While I inwardly scorned Man Niao Niao, I found Tan Ping'er's change a bit incredible.

"Well... I won't be polite then. Ping'er, call out if anything happens." Man Niao Niao deliberately puffed out his chest. I chuckled inwardly; even if a duck died on the ridge, this fellow's mouth wouldn't be quiet. I stopped paying attention to him, reminded Tan Ping'er to be careful and watch her footing, and started walking ahead.

The lightning and thunder cared nothing for our moods, nor did the wind and rain show any mercy. They continued to test our psychological endurance. Thanks to the rain washing the flagstone path clean, we didn't feel bogged down by mud, and our steps were steady and fast. With every flash of lightning, the plants, trees, and the grave mounds hidden among them on the mountainside revealed their fierce visages, silently watching the three young people hurrying along the winding flagstone path. Although I pretended to be unconcerned, my heart was still pounding. I made up my mind to try not to look at the surroundings on either side of the flagstone path, keeping my flashlight pointed straight ahead, while occasionally turning back to urge on Man Niao Niao and Tan Ping'er, almost jogging.

When the three of us, panting like bellows, reached the top of the slope and saw the two shadowy, indistinct couples of fir trees in the darkness, our tension slightly eased. We didn't dare linger, rushing toward the brightly lit house of Brother Xiang Yao.

Arriving at Brother Xiang Yao's house, it was indeed time for "late supper." Before taking a breath, Man Niao Niao grabbed a bowl of noodles from the tray handled by an errand runner and wolfed it down, three spoonfuls, and the bowl of noodles was in his stomach. I also took two bowls of noodles, handed one to Tan Ping'er, and seeing her hesitate, I told her, "It's fine, this is a necessary rite during the funeral period; no one will laugh at you. Let's quickly find a corner to fill our stomachs, and I'll get more if it's not enough." Tan Ping'er took the noodles, moved haltingly to a shadowy spot, and began eating quietly. As I ate, I glanced back at Man Niao Niao, who was already eating his third bowl, his ravenous appearance making the man holding the tray burst into hearty laughter.

After finishing his three bowls, Man Niao Niao burped loudly and pushed his way into the crowd to go play "Fight the Landlord."

After Tan Ping'er and I finished eating, we were looking for Elder Chen when he approached us and gestured for us to talk in a corner. I told Elder Chen everything about Qiao Ge's family. Elder Chen sighed and said, "These two children have good natures, it's just their attitude towards their parents that's... Alas, let's not speak of past matters, but hopefully, this tragic lesson will teach them how to live their lives properly. Your Master Ji said that child was his master; I think that might actually be true."

"How so?"

"Didn't Old Man Xiang die around 1:50 this afternoon? And Qiao Ge's wife started having her episode at exactly 1:50. What does that imply? It suggests that Old Man Xiang's death and Qiao Ge's child's birth happened simultaneously. It is highly possible that Old Man Xiang's soul transmigrated into that child. Of course, this is just my speculation based on superstition; the exact reason must be asked from your Master Ji." Elder Chen's voice was very low, but to Tan Ping'er and me, it sounded like a thunderclap.