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Human Sacrifice
Those who have studied medicine know that after death, muscles gradually atrophy. However, for a robust young man, it is quite abnormal for there to be no signs of swelling in that area, even in death. It was this detail that made Guo the Blind suddenly pull down Dazhuang's pants, as he recalled a certain possibility.
The crowd gasped, and the women of the village screamed. Some peered over with curiosity while others turned away in embarrassment. Yet, the villagers who looked at Dazhuang's lower body were filled with shock, for there was almost nothing to see between his legs.
"Long ago, the girls from the village chose Dazhuang because of his tall and strong build. What happened here?" one villager complained.
"This is too much; it's all shriveled up," several men mocked, unable to hide their glee.
Dazhuang's father had naturally seen his son's private area before, and upon seeing it now, he was startled and quickly asked Guo the Blind, "Uncle Guo, what happened to my son? Why is there not even a complete corpse?"
Guo the Blind stood up, worry etched on his face. "It's not that he doesn't have a complete corpse; it's that it has shriveled up. He has been drained of Yang Qi."
"What does it mean to be drained of Yang Qi?" Old Man Wang asked.
"Men are associated with Yang and women with Yin. The reason male reproductive organs are called 'Yang objects' is that they embody pure Yang energy. If the Yang Qi in a man's body disappears completely in a short time, it will cause atrophy of those organs. The ancient eunuchs spoke in high-pitched voices because they lacked the substance that maintains a man's Yang Qi. If I am correct, the culprit must be a female ghost who specializes in draining Yang Qi."
Upon hearing Guo the Blind's words about a female ghost haunting the village, the villagers turned pale and shivered. Although people in the mountains were generally superstitious, with advancements in technology and the spread of television and the internet, many rural folks had begun to embrace science. Despite this shift, such a horrifying death made them question their worldview.
"Dazhuang was such a good child; how could he have offended a female ghost?" Big Zhuang's Mother wailed.
Guo the Blind remained silent as he slowly scanned the crowd. When his gaze passed over me, it fixed on me intently.
Guo the Blind raised his voice: "Recently, I have seen several young people with black veils floating above their heads. It is said that when black veils appear overhead, it means that Yama has come for you. Why is it that only certain individuals are experiencing problems? Perhaps they have done something harmful? Right now, with Ghost Killing underway and two dead already, it’s inevitable that a third will follow. I do not know who will be next; even if someone wants to help, they may be powerless."
As everyone noticed Guo the Blind staring at me while speaking, they began to chatter: "Is that Yang Hao? He has grown so much after not seeing him for years."
"Yang Hao! You are our village's only college student! Have you offended something unclean? Guo the Blind mentioned a female ghost!"
Hearing their questions made me feel somewhat embarrassed. I hadn't intended to get involved in this matter, yet somehow it had fallen onto my shoulders. I explained: "I just graduated from university and returned home two days ago. The person who died yesterday in Dagu Village was a distant relative of mine named Yang Kuan. Today’s death is Dazhuang’s; I haven’t seen either of them for over ten years. During these years, I hardly went out when I returned home for New Year celebrations and had no contact with them at all. How would I know what happened?"
"I can vouch for that. Hao Cong has grown up right before our eyes. He only cares about studying and hardly plays with the kids from the Village. Guo the Blind, are you sure you saw correctly?" said the neighbor's aunt.
Upon hearing this, Guo the Blind's eyes sparkled with a peculiar light. He looked at me with a half-smile, as if he could see right through me and uncover the secrets hidden in my heart.
"Maybe I did see wrong. We'll find out tomorrow," Guo the Blind replied without questioning me further, turning to walk out the door. "Ah, these young people nowadays."
"Uncle Guo, don't rush off! What are we going to do about my son?" asked Dazhuang's father.
"What else can be done? Just stick a Willow Branch at the entrance and tie some willow twigs on his hands. Although Dazhuang doesn't have a wife, he's an adult now. We can put him in a coffin and bury him after dusk. You all understand these funeral customs," Guo the Blind said, coughing a few times as he spoke. At over seventy years old, he looked rather frail.
After taking a few steps, Guo the Blind paused and added sternly, "But I must remind everyone: if anyone has done something harmful, it's best to confess early. For instance, just a few days ago, a whole truckload of people died in the back mountains, and the police still haven't figured out what happened. Don't wait until someone else dies and then expect me to clean up the mess. I'm getting old; seeing dead people staring at me frightens me too."
"Wait a moment, Uncle Guo," Widow Li from the Village suddenly called out to him.
Guo the Blind turned to her, noticing her panic. "What is it?"
Widow Li hesitated before speaking, "I just wanted to ask... if there really are female ghosts, how can one save themselves?"
"Widow Li, you aren't behind this mischief, are you? Did you disturb someone's Ancestral Grave and bring disaster upon us all?" one woman mocked.
"Could it be that you've been stealing men and caused another death? I almost forgot—your husband died right on your belly in the middle of the night! A true husband-killer!" another woman sneered disdainfully.
"Stop shouting nonsense! Didn't you hear that Uncle Guo said it was a female ghost? If it were a man who died, how could he be attracted to men?"
"Oh please, haven't you seen how times have changed? Can’t men be involved with other men now?"
Seeing the crowd angrily accusing Widow Li, Guo the Blind grew increasingly irritated. His expression darkened as he let out a heavy snort. The moment they realized Guo the Blind was angry, everyone fell silent and ceased their bickering.
Guo the Blind was the most renowned Feng Shui Master in all of Futu Ridge and its surrounding villages. For many years, families sought him out for funerals and house inspections; many referred to him as an immortal, giving him considerable prestige in Futu Ridge.
Guo the Blind looked at the flustered Widow Li and asked, "So, what happened?"
Widow Li stammered, "It’s about the accident behind the village. My son and a few of his friends did something terrible that led to that crash!"
Guo the Blind snorted, "Even now, you're still trying to cover it up. Just tell me what your son did!"
Widow Li turned to a young man at the back of the crowd and cried, "You ungrateful child, come here and bow to Grandpa Guo! Are you just going to hide and wait to die?"
Everyone turned to see a tall, thin young man standing by the wall, looking utterly unwilling. This young man was none other than the Tall and Thin Guy who had been bothering me on the bus.
Widow Li's son was named Li Tong. I remembered him as a rather insecure person who was often bullied by his peers in the village. After he went to school in town, he suddenly changed his personality, dyed his hair blonde, and frequently picked on people from our own village. Back then, Futu Ridge School was chaotic, with students forming cliques. Li Tong had started hanging out with an older boy in sixth grade named Huang San'er, and from then on, he became quite popular. Thankfully, my mother raised me well and helped me escape from that impoverished mountain village; otherwise, I might have ended up mixed up with them too.
Hearing Widow Li's words, Li Tong hurriedly ran over to Guo the Blind and bowed. Under Guo the Blind's questioning, he finally revealed what had happened on the bus.
When the villagers heard that several young men had committed such a disgraceful act, they erupted in anger.
"How could they be so shameless? A bunch of grown men doing such things! Do they really think the police won't find out? If it were me, I would report them immediately and have them arrested and executed for bringing shame upon us mountain folk!"
"I've always thought he was no good! He has bullied my son since childhood—an ungrateful wretch without a father! How could our village's bus overturn? That girl you mistreated is either insane or dragging everyone down with her!"
The crowd shouted accusations at Li Tong, who felt humiliated but dared not retort.
Guo the Blind sighed, "So it seems that the vengeful female ghost causing all this chaos might be the bus driver."
At this point, my palms were already sweating. The bus driver was Zhou Manman; she was currently at my house with my mother, having slept peacefully in the same bed with me for two nights without incident. How could she possibly be a ghost?
I wanted to tell everyone that Zhou Manman was at my house right now, but then I thought about how she would have to face questioning about that nightmare scenario in front of everyone. As a girl, how could she handle such a blow?
Fortunately, I hadn’t taken Zhou Manman out for a stroll; otherwise, if others saw her, it would be disastrous. Although her photo hadn’t been released in the news, they had mentioned her name. If anyone in the village asked about Zhou Manman’s name, it would lead to trouble.
I decided that I had to take her home tonight to avoid any trouble later on.
"That must be the female driver," Li Tong continued Guo the Blind's words. "Yang Kuan and Dazhuang are already dead; the next one will definitely be one of us. Grandpa Guo, please save me! I don't want to die."
"Yes, Uncle Guo, please save my son! I'll do anything you ask, as long as it can save his life!" Widow Li cried out.
"Hey, you can't change a dog's nature. This bought bride is nothing but a promiscuous woman, and she agrees to everything," Zhang Widow, who had always looked down on Widow Li, remarked.
"How dare you insult my mother? Are you looking for a fight?" Li Tong glared fiercely at Zhang Widow.
"Just look at the face of her son. A beast like that, who has committed such heinous acts and shows no remorse, even dares to hit me! Uncle Guo, you can't save such a disgraceful person!" Zhang Widow retorted.
"Alright, everyone quiet down!" Guo the Blind scolded with some annoyance before asking Li Tong, "So how many of you are there in total? Who else?"
Li Tong replied, "There are seven of us in total. From our village, it's just me and Dazhuang; the rest are from Dagu Village. We didn't want to do it that way; it was Huang San'er who insisted on going first. He led the way, and we followed him because he has connections at the police station—no one dared to touch him!"
"Huang San'er?" Guo the Blind furrowed his brow. "Is he the grandson of Huang the Lame from Dagu Village?"
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