Chapter 479: The Old Woman, the Dry Well, and the Little People

“Scoundrel!”

Everyone was utterly shocked and enraged upon hearing his words.

The elder brothers and fathers glared at him, cursing aloud. The younger siblings and juniors looked at him with surprise and confusion. Yet, a few of the younger men secretly nodded in agreement.

“Do you even realize you’ve ruined the bright futures of your nephews? Three of them still haven’t returned—whether they’re dead or alive, who knows?”

“Shame on you! You lack even this bit of self-control—unworthy of being an elder!”

“You lazy fool! If this weren’t truly the work of some demonic force—and if you weren’t so close to the end of your days—you’d deserve to be cast out by Father and left to fend for yourself!”

“Enough quarreling! You’ll only make a fool of us in front of the gentleman.”

The old man’s single rebuke silenced the crowd immediately.

Song You observed their expressions with quiet interest. The family’s dynamics, desires, and conflicts made for an amusing sight.

“Father, Eldest Brother, Second Brother—why worry about Yun and the other two? They’re probably having the time of their lives down there right now!” said the fourth son of the Xu family leisurely, showing no fear. “You’re simply too cowardly to go down yourselves. If you had the courage to venture below and experience the earthly paradise down there, you probably wouldn’t want to come back either...”

“Wretch! Shut your mouth!”

The old man’s sudden fury startled him. Frightened, he quickly shut his mouth, not daring to utter another word.

“My apologies for letting you witness this disgrace, sir.”

“Not at all,” Song You replied with a faint smile. His gaze swept over the other middle-aged men present. “Have none of you truly gone down there even once?”

“That place is full of demonic forces—who would dare venture down so recklessly?”

“Going down there would shorten one’s lifespan!”

“Spending a single day down there shortens one's lifespan by a month. We have families, wives, children—and at our age, how could we be tempted by such illusory demonic enticements? Only those few young fools, who know nothing but indulgence and pleasure, would lack the willpower. Even knowing there are demons and spirits down there, they still let themselves be lured in by Fourth Brother and went willingly!”

The fourth son of the Xu family moved his lips upon hearing this, wanting to respond. Yet, intimidated by his father’s authority, he ultimately held his tongue.

But deep down, he knew all too well—

If he hadn’t fallen in by accident, if he had known beforehand that demons lurked inside and that entering would shorten his lifespan, would he have gone down so easily, no matter how much others claimed there was unimaginable pleasure within? At his age, of course not.

Still, he believed that his father and elder brothers, no matter how immovable they seemed now, would have reacted differently had they experienced it themselves. If they had been down there even once, only then would they truly know whether they could resist the temptation.

Song You, listening quietly, offered polite praise, “To stand firm in the face of such temptation without wavering—truly admirable. It’s no wonder the Xu family has endured for so many generations; it is well deserved.”

He then turned to the fourth son of the Xu family and added, “And you, sir, having experienced such supreme temptation and still managing to escape—such willpower is even more worthy of respect.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the servants brought in food and drink.

There was freshly brewed sweet fermented rice soup, served warm with poached eggs and brown sugar, along with large cuts of freshly cooked chicken, thin slices of cured pork, and a plate of fresh fruit. The rice served was white rice mixed with various grains, giving it a richer texture and flavor.

Lady Calico, who had taken a keen interest in Yuzhou’s cuisine, stretched her neck for a look. She seemed disappointed there was no rat meat, yet her eyes lit up with surprise upon seeing the sweet fermented rice soup.

With a slight pout, she turned and gave the Daoist a sidelong glance—

He had escaped yet another calamity.

“Honored guests, please enjoy the meal!”

“Much obliged.”

“Thank you.”

Though the Xu household had already dined earlier, they hadn’t merely prepared bowls and chopsticks for Song You and Lady Calico. Several extra sets had been laid out as well.

It wouldn’t be proper for the guests to dine alone while the hosts merely watched. Thus, the old man and several middle-aged men took up chopsticks and sat down symbolically to accompany them.

As they ate, they continued to question Song You. “Sir, might you have a solution?”

“May I ask—does the singing and dancing from the dry well occur every night?”

“Every single night,” came the reply.

“And what methods have you considered to deal with it?”

The eldest son of the Xu family answered, “We tried filling the well. But no matter whether we used soil or bricks, it was useless. If we used soil, it would vanish into thin air. If we used bricks, they would all reappear stacked neatly in the courtyard by the next morning. The well remained just as it was—completely unchanged.”

“We later followed the advice of a so-called master and tried burning it by throwing lit firewood into the well, both during the day and at night.”

“Did it have any effect?”

“There was some effect,” the eldest son of the Xu family replied. “That very night, everyone in the household dreamed of several dusty-faced songstresses and dancers. They accused us of being too cruel. A few days later, after Yun and the other two went down, they never came back.”

“I see.”

“Sir, what do you think?”

“In my opinion...” Song You set down his chopsticks. “There are quite a few strange occurrences in this residence. We must tackle them one by one. Since this particular disturbance happens every night, let’s start with it.”

“Sir, you sound confident?”

Everyone in the room fixed their gaze on Song You.

Most looked at him with hope, though a few faces showed disappointment or reluctance.

“We are very powerful!” The little girl interjected proudly, despite being busy.

Right after speaking, she buried her head back into her sweet fermented rice soup, slurping noisily and without a hint of table manners.

“And how do you plan to get rid of it?”

“It doesn’t sound like a particularly formidable demon. It’s not necessarily stronger than a human,” Song You said calmly. “If, when you first encountered them, you had shown a bit less mercy and a bit more ruthlessness, I daresay that even if you hadn’t destroyed them completely, they would no longer dare to cause trouble in your esteemed residence.”

He paused briefly before continuing, “However, there’s still the matter of the three young men trapped in the well—their fates unknown. They must be rescued first.”

“A valid point!”

“Do you have a brilliant solution?”

“The well appears ordinary by day but changes at night. Clearly, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Someone must venture inside at night to bring them out.”

“But who would go?”

“Ah, you honor me by your hospitality, and I would gladly go myself,” Song You said with a smile, “but alas, my powers are too great. If I were to enter recklessly, I fear I might frighten them off entirely—or worse, I might not be able to enter at all.”

“I do have a young fire-tender girl under my care, skilled in dealing with demons. And there’s also a guide—descended from immortals. However, the boy is too young and impressionable; I fear he might see things he shouldn’t, corrupting his innocent eyes. The guide, meanwhile, is shy by nature and prefers solitude. In fact, he’s still up on the roof right now—these matters don’t suit him.”

“Then what should we do?”

Panic spread among the gathered crowd. They glanced at one another, none willing to volunteer.

Even the household servants lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact.

The little girl, still sipping her fermented rice soup, turned her head and stared curiously at the Daoist.

Fortunately, the food kept her distracted enough not to say more.

“Hahaha...”

Suddenly, laughter echoed through the room.

It came from the fourth son of the Xu family.

“If you ask me,” he chuckled, “everyone down there is probably having a good time, all willing participants. Why bother getting rid of them? Why not keep the place as it is, open it up to outsiders, charge a few taels of silver for entry? Wouldn’t that be delightful?”

“Throw him out!”

With a wave of his sleeve, the old man signaled the servants.

They approached the fourth son respectfully, yet firmly, and escorted him out of the hall. To his credit, the man left without a fuss—still laughing as he walked away.

Song You withdrew his gaze, pondered for a moment, and then said,“In any case, let’s focus on bringing the three young men back first.”

“Please, sir, tell us how.”

“I have a bamboo staff,” Song You began, “that has accompanied me for many years and has absorbed a touch of spirituality. Whoever holds this staff can ward off demons and evil spirits. Should they encounter malicious ghosts, a single strike from this staff would be enough to destroy them.”

He paused before continuing, “However, the head of the household must select someone whose heart is resolute and who won’t be easily tempted. Such a person will be able to enter the well and bring the missing men back. But let me make this clear: this bamboo staff can only shield its bearer from the bewitching spells of demons.

“If the person, upon entering, becomes captivated by the revelry, the singing, and the alluring dancers, and cannot control themselves, the staff will be of no use. Therefore, it must be someone with an unwavering mind and the courage to face evil. Otherwise, they will surely enter and never return.”

“Sir, are you telling the truth?”

“This bamboo staff has vanquished many evil beings,” Song You replied solemnly. “I would never dare deceive the master of the house.”

“Then who among you is willing to go?”

The old man immediately lifted his head and swept his gaze across the room.

However, whether middle-aged or young, everyone avoided his eyes.

“A bunch of cowards!” The old man trembled with rage.

“Father, it’s not that we fear temptation,” one of the men explained hastily, “but that we have no idea what powers these demons possess.”

“My legs aren’t as nimble, and the well’s entrance is so narrow...”

“Grandfather, I’m too weak in body...”

“There are many brave and strong men in the city. Why not post a notice tomorrow, offer some silver, and explain the risks? Surely someone will step forward.”

“That’s a good idea...”

“Let’s do that then!”

One by one, they chimed in, and the plan was settled.

Song You lowered his head with a faint smile, picking at his food. They clearly still had reservations.

They were likely worried about whether his words were true—unsure if the bamboo staff truly had the power he claimed.

Such doubts were understandable. In fact, the fact that they refrained from voicing them directly showed considerable restraint.

“Let’s proceed with that plan then,” Song You finally said, having eaten his fill.

A bowl of rice, along with generous portions of meat, left him quite full. He set down his chopsticks and glanced at the little girl beside him, who was clutching her bowl and looking at him longingly, though too shy to speak.

With a slightly embarrassed expression, Song You cleared his throat and said, “My young attendant here loves sweet fermented rice soup. Might I trouble the host for another bowl?”

“Of course—she may have as much as she likes!”

“And add more sugar.”

Song You sighed helplessly and turned to look at the little girl.

The young girl, holding her bowl, turned her head and stared at him in a daze.

After dinner, the Xu family arranged a guest room for Song You. The old man, leaning on his staff, personally escorted him there and reminded him, “Sir, please be cautious. There might be some little people causing mischief in the residence tonight. Although these little ones aren’t like the old crone or the well-dwelling demons that drain a person’s yang qi or shorten one’s lifespan, they can still be quite frightening when encountered for the first time. And noisy—extremely noisy.”

“Oh? Little people?” Song You raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

The young girl beside him immediately turned her head, staring intently at the old man.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“They’re only about half a chi tall,” the old man explained with a sigh. “But they frequently disturb people’s sleep.”

“Do they cause harm?”

“That’s hard to say,” the old man replied. “Though these creatures haven’t openly harmed anyone and mostly just make a racket, they are still demons after all. They only appear at night, and though we’ve grown somewhat accustomed to them over the past half year, their noise surely shaves a few years off our lives. For the younger ones trying to study, it’s even worse—impossible to concentrate.”

“I see.”

“Sir, here is your room.”

“Thank you.”

Song You nodded, then turned to the old man and bowed slightly, the young girl following suit.

“Thank you for your hospitality. I regret that I wasn’t able to resolve the matter of the dry well tonight. However, if those little people come to bother us this evening, I shall take the opportunity to persuade them to leave. Consider it a small token of appreciation for your kindness today.”

“Ah, I must thank you in advance, sir.”

Hearing Song You’s calm and gentle tone, the old man felt reassured that his words were no bluff. He quickly returned the bow with a respectful gesture.

“No need for thanks.”

With that, Song You stepped into the guest room.

The room was neither large nor small. A single candle had already been lit, casting a warm glow that just barely illuminated the space. His bedding and luggage were neatly placed inside, and water for washing had also been prepared.

Such thoughtful hospitality.