“

Boom…

”

The fire engulfed everything, revealing the original night sky.

As the flames subsided, the once elegant and refined pavilion, the colorful and beautiful lanterns, and those seductive yet grotesque female ghosts all vanished, as if they had never existed. All that remained was a pitch-black desolate mountain.

Even though Heroine Wu had good vision, the sudden shift from the brightly lit ghost pavilion, combined with the dazzling firelight, left her temporarily unable to see anything. However, she could hear voices nearby—some filled with suspicion, others with fear—causing her to grip her sword tightly and swiftly turn around. But since the voices were from ordinary men, she held back from attacking immediately.

“Relax,” came a familiar voice from behind her.

Heroine Wu exhaled in relief.

As her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, under the crescent moon and the twinkling stars, she could vaguely make out the desolate mountain. Countless tree stumps surrounded her, with horses from the southwest tied to them. Her companions from Yizhou stood behind her, and several terrified men had already sat up on the ground.

Though the night concealed much, the pale forms of the men were faintly visible, suggesting they weren't wearing any clothes.

“Your clothes should be nearby,” Song You said. “Feel around and put them on.”

“Who are you?”

“Where is this place?”

“Wasn’t I just...?”

“Isn’t it still night?”

Four different voices spoke in confusion.

It was clear that some of them were regulars of this haunted pavilion, having been here more than once, while others were unaware and likely experiencing this for the first time and were completely unfamiliar with the situation.

Some voices still carried strength, while others were weak. A few even groaned, likely from aching backs and sore muscles. Soon followed the sounds of them fumbling to put their clothes on.

Just as they finished dressing, there was a sudden sound of fire bursting into life, “

Boom…

”

A flame appeared in the night.

It was Song You, who had picked up a branch from somewhere. The branch had ignited on its own, illuminating a small area on the desolate mountain.

The flickering firelight cast shadows over their faces, each showing different expressions. The shadows of people, horses, and tree stumps stretched across the uneven ground, creating an eerie contrast that made the flickering fire seem even more like ghostly figures than the pavilion's bright lights and painted faces had earlier.

“Where are the ghosts?” Wu Suowei asked Song You.

“They're gone,” he replied.

“Just like that? They're gone?”

“They’re only minor ghosts,” Song You said calmly.

“This kind of thing is still the expertise of you Daoists.” Wu Suowei frowned. “Too bad there’s no keepsake left behind.”

“Each has their own specialty. If you ever encounter such ghosts in the future, and blades can't hurt them, it's best to leave,” Song You advised. “But if you must fight, you can smear fresh blood on your blade. The blood of martial artists is rich with vital energy, which can counteract the yin spirits.” �

“I know that,” Wu Suowei retorted, “But with you here, why should I go cutting myself for no reason?”

The other four men, overhearing the conversation, finally understood what had happened.

The four men's expressions were all different. One had wide eyes, still in fear from the ordeal. One was relieved but had a lingering aftertaste of the experience. One felt disappointed but was also somewhat relieved. One blamed them for meddling unnecessarily.

The flames on the branch cast shifting shadows across their faces. The Daoist observed their expressions with a calm demeanor, trying to gauge their thoughts.

Indeed, fire was indispensable in this world.

“You're all a bunch of lustful idiots!” Wu Suowei was furious and kicked the man who had been complaining.

Song You did not intervene and remained where he was. “The night is cool in the mountains. There might be villages nearby where you can find lodging. If you live close, you should return home. If you live far, find a place to stay.”

Some thanked him, some were resentful. One of them stayed behind because of Wu Suowei.

“The ghost was burned away completely by your fire, leaving nothing behind. Although catching demons and ghosts often ends like this, according to the official rules, we will only receive the reward if no further ghostly incidents occur in the next month to six months after we report it,” Wu Suowei said. “However, there's an eyewitness who was awakened by your fire. With his testimony, we might be able to get the reward in a few days.”

“Heroine Wu you're truly thoughtful,” Song You said, bowing slightly. He then turned to the disheveled man dressed like a scholar. “I am Song You from Yizhou. I accepted a job notice and came here to exorcize the ghosts. Pleased to meet you.”

“I am Wu Suowei!”

“And I am Gu Yi from Jingzhou. I am deeply grateful for your help. I am truly ashamed.” Gu Yi was patting his own head.

“I was really foolish. I must have lost my senses. I know full well that this is a desolate mountain. How could there be such a magnificent pavilion here, one that even cities in other provinces don't have? And how could there be so many charming and alluring women? But somehow, at that moment, I didn't find it strange at all.

“I even thought the prosperity of Changjing was just naturally like this. Truly, I feel ashamed before the classic works I've studied.…”

Song You said, “Demons and ghosts can easily confuse the mind; it's not so easy to distinguish.” Song You knew that even if there had been a bewitching spell, given the meager abilities of those two little demons, it must have been their own lust clouding their minds that gave them the opportunity to take advantage. Still, if they wanted him to testify on their behalf, he didn't mind offering a few comforting words.

“Remember this in the future, ‘Lust is one of the seven deadly sins.’ Especially in desolate areas, you must be more discerning.”

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

“I understand, I understand…”

“Can you still walk?”

“Yes! Yes!” Gu Yi answered, fearing they might leave him behind.

“Take your bundle and come with us. If we head to Changjing now, we should reach the city gate just around dawn.”

“Alright, alright!”

Song You and the female warrior walked back together, while the scholar hurried to follow them.

“Don’t be afraid, scholar,” Wu Suowei said, leading the horse as they walked. “The female ghost only drains people’s yang energy; she doesn’t eat people. You might just lose a bit of lifespan, and you might feel some back pain and weakness for a while. Even if you were heading to Changjing for an exam, you’ve already finished it, right?”

“Yes, yes, I just finished the exam and wanted to enjoy the peach blossoms. I got lost by mistake.” The scholar, now more frightened, asked, “Will I really lose lifespan?”

“What’s the matter? You’ve had it easy!”

Wu Suowei, carefully navigating, grinned and said, “Yesterday morning, I saw the notice, and the county magistrate said that dozens of people had died from having their yang energy drained. There are probably many more we can’t account for, and many more who are weakened but haven’t died yet. Over the past few years, I can’t even count how many have had their lifespans shortened.”

“Huh?” The scholar was greatly alarmed.

The female warrior seemed to take some twisted pleasure in this, showing a grin.

The stars were countless, and a small fire in the mountains grew more distant as they traveled.

***

If they had traveled through the night as planned, they would have arrived at the city gate around dawn, as Song You had said. However, the night journey was arduous, with both people and horse struggling. They had to find places to take breaks and shield themselves from the wind.

They rested briefly whenever they got cold and walked again. By the time the sky began to lighten with the first light of dawn, they had covered about half the distance, and they managed to complete the remaining part in one stretch.

Song You returned to Willow Street in the morning.

As soon as he inserted the key into the lock, he heard a series of urgent noises from the wooden stairs inside. When he opened the door, he found a calico cat sitting in the room, licking its paws and glancing at him.

“I’m back.”

The calico cat lowered its paw and looked at him with a puzzled expression. “Weren’t you supposed to be gone for a few days?”

“It went smoother than I expected.”

“Did you catch the ghosts?”

“I did,” Song You replied while heading upstairs.

The calico cat followed him, looking up and asking, “Guess where our money went?”

“Didn’t you hide it, Lady Calico?”

“Guess.”

“I don’t know.”

“I hid it.”

“Where did you hide it?”

“In the rat hole.”

“Lady Calico, you’re amazing.”

The cat talked a lot, and Song You made an effort to keep up with the conversation.

When they reached the second floor, he lay down on the bed.

“Are you tired?”

“I’m just sleepy.”

“Are you going to sleep now?”

“Pretty much.”

“You’ve been sleeping during the day too…”

“Yes…”

Song You’s voice grew fainter.

He could only vaguely sense the calico cat rubbing its feet against the head of the bed, then cleaning itself before jumping onto the bed and coming closer to observe him. Song You found it both amusing and comforting. In this comfort, the elegant pavilion from last night, the alluring female ghosts, and the different faces of the four other customers all faded from his mind.

He fell asleep very easily.

When he opened his eyes again, it was dusk. It felt like he had taken an unusually long nap.

“…” Waking up from a nap always felt strange, just like now.

Upon opening his eyes, the room was empty, and Lady Calico was nowhere to be found. He got up, walked a few steps, and pushed open the window. The dim light of the evening sky gave him a feeling of having reached the end of time. The curfew had not yet lifted, so there were no people on the street outside the window, only rooftops stretching in a continuous line. The world was silent and still.

It felt as if a whole day had been stolen, and with it, the entire world of that day.

The sensation was truly peculiar.

So Song You sat by the window, draped in his clothes, enjoying the evening breeze and savoring the feeling until it completely faded from his mind. Only then did he get up and slowly go downstairs.

The door downstairs was open, and in the dim light, the cat was playing with a ball in the street. Heroine Wu, holding a small stool, was sitting under the eaves of her house while resting her chin on her hand and watching the cat.

When she saw Song You come out, she turned around with a bright smile. “Hey! You’re finally awake! I thought you were going to sleep until tomorrow!”

“Didn’t you sleep?”

“I napped just a little.”

“You should rest more.”

Heroine Wu replied nonchalantly, “People in the

jianghu

are in good shape. I just need to go to bed early tonight, and I’ll be fine. I took that scholar to the county

yamen

today to deliver the list, and it went pretty smoothly.

“The scholar’s words seem to be trusted by the county official. They’ll send someone to check the mountain in a few days. As long as no more pavilions show up in seven days, they’ll come and give us the money… Don’t worry, as long as we truly have the ability to deal with the demons, he won’t dare to withhold the payment.”

Song You said, “You handled everything. I truly feel ashamed.”

“Why be ashamed? It’s just a division of labor. You burned those ghosts with a single blaze, after all. I’m the one who feels ashamed. I’ll make sure to give you a bigger share of the reward.”

“You’re well-informed, Heroine Wu.” Song You also took a stool outside and sat by the door, resting and watching the cat play with the ball on the ground.

“This cat is quite arrogant. I just said I’d play with it, and it refused and almost scratched me.”

“Lady Calico has her own ideas.”

“…”

It felt as though the past day had been just an ordinary one.