Chapter 478: The Strange Occurrence in the Xu Family

Just as the scholar surnamed Xu had said, when Song You arrived at Fuyao County, he casually asked at a local shop. Not only did the shopkeeper know of the Xu family—this very shop actually belonged to them.

Hearing that Song You had come to exorcise evil spirits and eliminate demons, the shopkeeper gave him a thorough look. Seeing that this Daoist indeed seemed extraordinary, the shopkeeper personally led him through the streets and alleys toward the Xu residence.

By this time, night had fallen, and dusk had turned to darkness.

Song You and the young girl stood outside the Xu residence. From across the courtyard wall, they observed the grand estate.

Though Fuyao was not a major city, it wasn’t small either. The Xu residence, though not overly ostentatious, was clearly refined. The tall walls and deep courtyards could prevent fires from spreading and deter prying eyes or thieves. Every roof corner and eave was decorated with exquisite ornaments. Even the white walls beneath the eaves were adorned with paintings, revealing the family’s deep cultural heritage.

Yet, from within those high walls, a faint evil qi seemed to seep out.

The shopkeeper remarked as he knocked on the door, “Though the master’s family has fallen on hard times, their ancestors once held the prestigious rank of second-grade official in the imperial court. Even now, despite their decline, they remain the foremost family in Fuyao.”

Knock, knock, knock

...

A Second-Grade Official—truly impressive, especially in the Great Yan dynasty.

Due to political circumstances during the founding of Great Yan, officials' ranks were generally kept lower. Second-grade was already the highest attainable rank in life. The first grade was rarely bestowed and often only granted posthumously.

However, the shopkeeper hadn’t specified whether this ancestor served during the Great Yan dynasty. After all, the world had seen countless dynasties rise and fall. Over the millennia, many families could claim illustrious ancestors.

As Song You pondered this, he continued observing the residence. The young girl mimicked him, craning her neck to look around curiously.

Soon, someone inside came to open the door.

Upon hearing that it was the shopkeeper from the city’s rice shop, who had brought a renowned demon-exorcising master from afar, the servant asked them to wait while he went to report inside. Before long, someone came out to welcome them.

Leading the group was an elderly man—the head of the Xu family himself. His presence alone revealed the urgency and seriousness with which he regarded the matter.

With great respect, he inquired, “May I know the esteemed master’s name, place of origin, and destination?”

Song You replied honestly, “My surname is Song, given name You. I am from Yizhou. I have been traveling for nine years since leaving the mountains. I recently came from Yangzhou and Bozhou, passing through your esteemed town.

“I originally intended only to purchase some dried goods and rice. However, upon hearing tales of many strange happenings in this city—particularly those concerning your residence—I grew curious and decided to visit.

“If I can rid your esteemed household of these evil spirits, I would ask for nothing more than some dried goods and rice to take with me on my journey.”

“Oh dear! Dried goods and rice? Even if you couldn’t exorcise the demons, it deosn’t matter. As a Daoist cultivator from beyond the mountains, even if you lacked the skills to remove evil spirits, just by knocking on my Xu family’s door, wouldn’t we still provide you with all the food and rice you need? What’s more, for you to come with such goodwill to help, my entire Xu household is already deeply grateful!”

The old man spoke fervently, almost reaching out to clasp Song You’s hands in gratitude. “Please, come in quickly!”

After speaking, he turned to thank Mr. Yang, reminding him to hurry back while there was still some daylight left. Only then did he invite Song You and his companions into the manor.

“Have you had dinner yet?”

“I’m still hungry.”

“Go, inform the kitchen! Bring out fine wine and good meat!”

“Thank you, Mr. Xu...”

“And your horse?”

“The horse is well-behaved and understands human speech. You may settle it anywhere, just provide some fodder and water. It will not run off, nor will it harm anyone lightly.”

“Sir, you truly are an extraordinary master!”

The old master eagerly led them into the main hall, where several middle-aged men joined them. In a side room, a few women and young girls curiously eavesdropped.

“Mr. Song, you’ve traveled far, weary from the road. Have some tea first, and we can speak after dinner. The spirits haunting our home are persistent—it is not a recent affliction. Sir, please do your best, but there is no need to rush.”

Song You replied, “I do not accept rewards without merit. The meal has yet to be served, but tea won’t delay our conversation. Mr. Xu, please tell us about the disturbances in your household first. Let us consider the matter carefully—otherwise, we won’t be able to enjoy our tea in peace, nor eat our meal with ease.”

“We are very powerful!”

“Of course, of course...”

The jujube-red horse and the young girl were both symbols of Song You’s identity in the world. Anyone with insight could tell at a glance that they were no ordinary beings, and naturally, they would regard Song You as extraordinary as well.

The old master exchanged glances with his sons before slowly beginning his tale. “Since the beginning of this year, our household has been plagued by one strange occurrence after another—not just one or two. We have invited many experts to help, but each has their own methods and specialties.

“Some disturbances they could resolve easily, while others were unfamiliar even to them, so they could only try their luck. Many incidents have been dealt with, but a few still remain, leaving our household restless and uneasy.”

Song You said, “Let’s hear about them, then.”

“Yes, tell us!”

By now, candles had been lit in the hall. Hearing that yet another expert had arrived to exorcise the spirits, more young people sneaked in from outside, quietly settling in the dimmest corners to listen.

Seeing Song You’s calm demeanor and the young girl’s ethereal presence—like a celestial maiden—both master and disciple exuded immense confidence. Even though many experts had already been invited, hope flickered anew in the hearts of those present.

The old man spoke, “The first strange occurrence involves an elderly woman who claimed to be a healer. Our family has a hereditary ailment—chest pains passed down through the generations. In this generation, both my eldest and second sons suffer from it. Most of the time, it does not trouble them, but when an episode strikes, the pain is unbearable.

“At the start of this year, as we slept, we suddenly saw an old woman standing by the bedside. She claimed she could cure the chest pain but asked us to erect a spirit tablet for her.

“I have never put much faith in ghosts and deities, so at first, I ignored her. But the very next day, my eldest son suffered another severe attack. My heart ached for him, so I decided to give it a try...”

The old man spoke while pointing toward the two people below.

The two middle-aged men seated at the uppermost seats on the left and right were likely his eldest and second sons, who suffered from chest pains.

“After the tablets were placed and the incense altar was prepared, that very night, in a daze, I again saw that old woman by my bedside. She said that the chest pains afflicting my sons had been cured by her and asked that we offer her the six domestic animals as gratitude for her magical healing.

“And indeed, for several days after that, my sons' chest pains did not return. 'Six domestic animals are nothing much,' I thought. So we did as she instructed. But not long after, she appeared again by the bed, demanding six more animals.

“Healing the chest pains of my two sons was a great favor. I am not a stingy man, so I prepared the six animals for her again.

“However, after that, she began appearing frequently, repeatedly asking for livestock. She even claimed she had a daughter and a son and demanded that we find a husband for her daughter and a wife for her son. How could such a thing be acceptable?

“To make matters worse, she insisted that we attend her birthday banquet—where more than half the guests were ghosts! After that, she roamed about the house at night, frightening many people...”

The old man couldn’t help but turn to glance at Song You.

Listening to the story, Song You nodded. “Though the favor she granted was great, it would have been best to settle it quickly. Besides, humans and spirits walk different paths. For her to behave with such disregard for boundaries—this is indeed greedy and troublesome.”

“Sir, you are absolutely right!”

“Truly, she’s stirred up quite a storm...”

“And terrifying as well!”

“Even if we offered her livestock regularly, it wouldn’t be a big deal...”

It seemed Song You had struck a chord with everyone; voices rose and fell throughout the main hall.

“And then?” Song You pressed them to continue.

“Later, one time...”

The old man lowered his head as he spoke, seemingly reluctant to go on.

“One night,” said the Xu family’s eldest son, “the old woman came again to see Father. She claimed she had chosen a husband for her daughter and had taken a liking to our ancestral home. She demanded that we vacate the residence for forty-nine days and decorate it as a bridal chamber for the wedding.

“Father lost patience and scolded her. At first, the old woman said nothing. But then she warned Father not to regret it and vanished into thin air.

“After that, not only did my and my second brother’s chest pains return, but even our third sister, fourth brother—who had never suffered from such pains—and my wife all began experiencing the same affliction.”

“I see...”

Song You tilted his head back, glancing around the residence. It was indeed well-built—warm in winter and cool in summer.

“Has that old woman returned since then?”

“She comes too—on the fifteenth of every month,” the middle-aged man said, turning to Song You. “But Father has never paid her any attention since.”

“What does she come for?”

“If not to threaten, then to mock us,” the middle-aged man replied with a helpless shake of his head. “If there’s still no way to resolve this, we might have no choice but to move out of this ancestral home. Such a pity—this is a fine residence passed down from our ancestors.”

“The fifteenth...”

Song You looked up and gazed outside. A half-full moon hung among the branches. It seemed the fifteenth wasn’t far off.

“Are there any other strange occurrences?”

“There’s more than just one,” the Xu family’s second son spoke up. “The most deadly one—deadlier than that old woman—is the dried well in the courtyard.”

“Oh? How so?”

“That well was built by our ancestors, and there’s even a poem inscribed on its wall. Although it dried up long ago, we never filled it in. Sometimes, we’d even use it to store things,” the second son explained. “But not long after the start of this year, one night, as we passed by the well, we heard music and singing coming from inside—pleasant and enchanting.

“My fourth brother leaned over to take a look—and fell right in.”

At those words, everyone turned to look at a thin, haggard-looking middle-aged man sitting in the back. He had a sparse mustache, sunken eyes, and an exhausted appearance.

“We were frantic, but the well had somehow become bottomless. All we could hear were the sounds of singing, dancing, and laughter. Sometimes, there’d be a faint glow, but we couldn’t see anyone inside, nor did we have any way to rescue him.

“We worried all night. But by dawn the next day, he climbed out by himself. From that day on, for a whole month, despite Father’s objections, he jumped into the well every night to ‘play.’ He even took quite a few people from the household with him.

“But as time passed, he grew thinner and more haggard. When we finally brought in doctors and spiritual experts, they said he had already shortened his lifespan by thirty years. Only then did he give up the idea of going back in.”

The second son gritted his teeth, his voice filled with frustration. “But though he came back out, several of the young men from our Xu family, who once had bright futures, have been ruined because of this. Even worse, two or three of the younger ones went in a few days ago and still haven’t come out. We don’t even know if they’re alive or dead.”

“What exactly is in that well?” Song You couldn’t help but glance curiously at the second son.

“He won’t say. None of them will, no matter how we ask.”

The eldest son also gritted his teeth. “We have no idea what’s inside that well that fascinates them so much.”

Hearing this, Song You turned his gaze toward the thin, haggard man again.

The others followed suit.

But the man only shook his head, refusing to speak directly. Instead, he sighed and said slowly, “There is bliss beyond compare within that well. I cannot say more. If it weren’t for my wife and children waiting for me above—my daughter having just been born—I would have stayed down there with Yun and the others. To die there would have been worth it.”