Chapter 77: The Night of the Mid-Autumn Festival

“It’s already showing some progress on the matter assigned by Director Mei.” Zhao Dayou hurried over as soon as he saw Mei Qing return, lowering his voice to speak.

“Oh? Tell me about it.”

“After the orders from you that day, Old Zhao found a few ruffians and had them hang around Liangshui Well, asking around among the local toughs they knew. It turned out that there’s a beggar chief named Cheng Laoda around Liangshui Well, who has controlled that area for a long time and knows everything about it. Cheng said that Yang Zui’s house has been sealed ever since he got into trouble and his corpse was dumped there. Later, with no one to manage it, some bold beggars started sneaking into the courtyard through a dog hole in the wall to rest there. But starting last year, suddenly ghosts began appearing!”

“Ghosts? How so?”

“Not entirely clear, but apparently some people actually saw it: dressed all in white, covered in long hair, very scary. And…” As Zhao spoke, he seemed to grow fearful, gripping his knife handle tighter and tighter: “Last month, strange noises began frequently coming from there, like a ghost crying. People were too scared to pass by, even in broad daylight, preferring to take a detour.”

After listening, Mei Qing showed a satisfied expression and thought for a moment before saying, “Officer Zhao, interested in joining me to catch this ghost?”

“Catch… ghosts…?” Zhao’s eyes went wide. After stammering for a while, he swallowed hard and hesitated: “You see, sir… Actually, this ghost doesn’t seem to be a bad one; there’s no report of it oppressing the locals or harassing people… I mean, this probably isn’t our jurisdiction. Master Zhang might sue us for infringement…”

“Stop stammering! I’m just saying we’re going to catch the ghost. Just tell me if you’re with me or not?” Mei Qing snapped.

“Sure! Sure!” Zhao nodded like a pecking chicken, then his face fell: “But sir… that’s a ghost!”

“Catching ghosts!? Sounds great! Master, when are we going?” In stark contrast to Zhao’s reaction, Hou Shen, who had just returned to the garrison, was thrilled to hear about Mei Qing’s plan. His bright eyes sparkled with excitement, and he eagerly declared he wouldn’t miss this opportunity for anything.

“Probably in two days, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival,” Mei Qing said confidently, revealing his plan to Hou Shen.

“Oh?” Hou Shen’s eyes twinkled: “Master, you mean the ghost is Yang Jin? He’s hiding in his old family house, making all the noises and scaring people into thinking it’s a ghost?”

Mei Qing nodded: “That’s exactly my deduction. The place we captured Yang Jin and Zheng Jiu before was likely one of their sect’s hideouts. Now that Zheng Jiu is dead and Yang Jin escaped, if possible, he must have returned to his ancestral home. The ghost story surrounding the house must somehow relate to him.”

Hou Shen nodded: “True. As long as he’s still in the capital, he wouldn’t ignore his father’s remains lying there. However, if he was taken by someone else, he might not be at his ancestral home anymore.”

“I’m just doing what I can. Besides, he mentioned that retrieving the inkstone was related to rescuing his father’s soul, so this matter must be connected to his ancestral home. As for whether he was taken, we can only speculate. Even if it’s a wild goose chase, we still need to check it out,” Mei Qing explained.

“Why are you so sure he’ll appear on the fifteenth?” Hou Shen asked, still puzzled.

Mei Qing smiled: “First, the fifteenth is a night for family reunions. Especially for Yang Jin, who’s now completely alone, he’s likely to return to his ancestral hall to pay respects during this festive time. Second, since he mentioned rescuing his father’s soul, you understand, supernatural matters often peak during full moons. So while catching ghosts might sound absurd, we might indeed encounter something unusual. You need to prepare accordingly.”

“Fine, let me go prepare thoroughly to ensure nothing goes wrong,” Hou Shen said, his eyes gleaming as he excused himself.

“What exactly are you preparing?” Mei Qing frowned, looking at the large and small packages Zhao Dayou brought.

“Oh, sir, these are all great items,” Zhao Dayou eagerly showed off his collection: “I worked really hard to get them. Look, this is a demon-sealing talisman personally drawn by Master Bai from Taqing Palace in the western capital; this is a demon-subduing mace blessed by Abbot Wuming from Jingming Temple in the southern city; these two peach-wood swords were specially obtained by my old wife from the Guanyin Nunnery; and here we have donkey hooves, a bag of glutinous rice, and this bottle contains black dog blood. And this one here is especially powerful…”

“What’s this?” Mei Qing asked curiously, eyeing the item wrapped most meticulously in several layers.

“This one…” Zhao Dayou looked around cautiously before whispering into Mei Qing’s ear, finally proudly declaring: “Specifically for countering all sorts of magical artifacts and evil techniques! Impressive, right? It was really hard to get from my old flame in Fenzihutong.”

“Ugh!” Mei Qing angrily exclaimed: “What kind of dirty stuff is this! All this… nonsense! Besides, have you ever heard of getting peach-wood swords from a nunnery? Where did you learn this?”

Zhao Dayou clutched his collection tightly: “Please don’t be angry, sir. All these items were hard-earned by me. Huang Mazi, the storyteller outside Qianmen, said that to deal with monsters and evil spirits, people use these…”

“Master Mei, the task you assigned has made some progress,” Zhao Dayou said in a hushed tone as he approached Mei Qing upon his return.

“Oh? Do tell.”

“After you gave the order, I rounded up a few local thugs and had them scout around Liangshui Well. I also asked some familiar local figures to keep an ear out. Coincidentally, there’s a man named Cheng Lao Da, a leader of the beggars, who knows everything about the area around Liangshui Well. He mentioned that since Yang Zui’s incident, his house has been sealed off after his body was dumped there. Later, it was abandoned, and some bold beggars sneaked in through holes in the wall to use it as a resting place. But since last year, it’s been haunted!”

“Haunted? How so?”

“It’s not entirely clear, but some claim to have seen a ghost, all white and covered in long hair, terrifying to behold. And since last month, strange sounds have been heard, like ghostly wails, scaring people away. Even during the day, no one dares to pass by, preferring to take a longer route.”

Mei Qing listened with a satisfied expression and then asked, “Officer Zhao, would you be interested in joining me to catch this ghost?”

“Catch… a ghost?” Zhao Dayou stammered, his eyes wide. After a moment of hesitation, he swallowed hard and said, “Master, you see… the ghost hasn’t been causing any harm, no reports of it terrorizing the village or harassing women… I mean, it’s not really our jurisdiction. The Taoist priests might accuse us of overstepping…”

“Enough! I said we’re going to catch a ghost. Are you in or not?” Mei Qing barked.

“Yes, yes!” Zhao Dayou nodded vigorously, but then his face fell. “Master… it’s a ghost!”

“Catching a ghost? Sounds great! When are we going?” In stark contrast to Zhao Dayou, Hou Shen, who had just returned to the guard post, was thrilled at the prospect of catching a ghost. His eyes sparkled with excitement, and he eagerly rubbed his hands together, determined not to miss this opportunity.

“Probably in two days, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival,” Mei Qing said confidently, sharing his plan with Hou Shen.

“Oh?” Hou Shen’s eyes narrowed. “Master, are you suggesting that the ghost is Yang Jin? That he’s hiding in his old family home, causing all this commotion and scaring the locals, who then mistake it for a ghost?”

Mei Qing nodded. “That’s my assumption. The place where we last caught Yang Jin and Zheng Jiu was likely a hideout for their sect. Since Zheng Jiu is dead and Yang Jin escaped, if possible, he would return to his old home. The haunting must be related to him in some way.”

Hou Shen agreed. “True, if he’s still in the capital, he wouldn’t leave his father’s remains unattended. But if he was taken by someone else that day, he might not be in his old home anymore.”

“I’m just doing what I can. Besides, he mentioned that retrieving the inkstone was related to freeing his father’s spirit, so it must be connected to his old home. Whether he was taken or not, we can only speculate. Even if it’s a wild goose chase, we should check it out,” Mei Qing explained.

“But why are you so sure he’ll appear on the Mid-Autumn Festival?” Hou Shen asked, still puzzled.

Mei Qing smiled. “First, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunions, especially for Yang Jin, who is now alone. He would likely return to his ancestral home to pay respects. Second, since he mentioned freeing his father’s spirit—you know how it is with spirits and ghosts, they are most active during the full moon. So, while catching a ghost might sound like a joke, we might encounter something unusual. You should prepare accordingly.”

“Alright, I’ll go prepare to ensure everything goes smoothly,” Hou Shen said, his eyes darting around before he excused himself.

“What is all this?” Mei Qing frowned as he looked at the assortment of items Zhao Dayou had brought.

“Master, these are all essential items,” Zhao Dayou explained as he showed them off. “I went through great lengths to acquire these. Look, this is a talisman drawn by the Taoist priest from Taiqing Temple in the west of the city; this is a demon-subduing staff blessed by the abbot of Jingming Temple in the south; these two peach wood swords were obtained by my wife from Guanyin Nunnery; and here we have black donkey hooves, a bag of glutinous rice, and a bottle of black dog blood. And this one is particularly powerful…”

“What’s this?” Mei Qing asked, pointing to the most securely wrapped item.

“This…” Zhao Dayou looked around before whispering into Mei Qing’s ear, then proudly declared, “It’s specifically designed to break all kinds of evil spells! Took a lot of effort to get this from my old acquaintance in Fenzihutong. Not easy at all.”

“Disgusting!” Mei Qing was furious. “What kind of filth is this? And what’s with all this nonsense? Have you ever heard of a nunnery giving out peach wood swords? Where did you even learn this?”

Zhao Dayou clung tightly to his collection. “Master, don’t be angry. I went through a lot of trouble to gather these. The storyteller Huang Mazi outside Qianmen Gate said these are used to exorcise evil spirits…”

“Nonsense!” Mei Qing snapped. “You think you’re some kind of Taoist master now? You didn’t wear a Taoist robe under there, did you?”

“How did you know?” Zhao Dayou was shocked, secretly revealing a corner of his Taoist robe. “I thought it might have a deterrent effect, you know, matching the tools…”

In contrast, Hou Shen’s preparations were much simpler.

“These daggers are specially borrowed. They’re said to be effective against evil spirits,” Hou Shen said, not showing the daggers but just gesturing with his legs.

But Mei Qing knew that Hou Shen’s tools were far superior to Zhao Dayou’s collection. Though not displayed, Mei Qing could sense a powerful aura emanating from them, along with an uncontrollable杀气. These daggers were likely not only blessed by a powerful figure but were also weapons that had tasted blood, hence their fierce aura.

When weapons have taken many lives, this杀气 condenses, becoming especially potent during the full moon. These daggers could probably resonate on their own if hung on a wall. While it might be an exaggeration to say they could repel gods and ghosts, ordinary spirits would definitely keep their distance.

Yao Dingguo and Zhou Chang also stood quietly nearby. Normally, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunions, but upon hearing that Mei Qing had business to attend to, they showed no signs of dissatisfaction, earning Mei Qing’s approval.

As the moon rose high, full and bright, illuminating the surroundings like daylight, it was still early in the night, and the area was quiet except for the distant barking of dogs in the deep alleys.

“It’s time to go,” Mei Qing nodded, then suddenly turned and called out, “Seniors, since you’ve graciously agreed to assist us once more, please reveal yourselves!”

Zhao Dayou, Yao Dingguo, and Zhou Chang looked around, knowing Mei Qing was referring to Sun Busan and Sun Busi, who had previously demonstrated their ability to appear out of nowhere. Hou Shen, however, was surprised. As a former thief, his senses were far keener than most, yet he hadn’t detected anyone lurking nearby, which puzzled him.

“Huh? I was extra careful this time. How did the kid spot us again?” a familiar, sharp voice rang out, filled with surprise and confusion.

“Shame on you, Second Brother. He couldn’t have seen us. He must be bluffing again,” Sun Busi’s deep voice followed.

Sun Busan’s sharp voice retorted angrily, “Why do you always say I’m wrong? He clearly mentioned there were two of us. If he was bluffing, how would he know there were two? Hey, kid, let me test you. Since you said there are two of us, even if you’re right, can you guess who we are?”

As Sun Busan proudly posed what he thought was a clever question, Mei Qing and the others exchanged glances, speechless.

Yang Zui’s old residence wasn’t particularly large, with three main halls and two courtyards, and a few tall buildings in the back where the ancestral shrine was located.

Since Yang Zui’s conviction, the house had been ransacked, the family scattered, and the body dumped there, leaving the place abandoned for a long time. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and the doors and windows were riddled with holes, making the place look especially desolate under the bright moonlight.

Mei Qing whispered, “We need to enter unnoticed this time. We’ll have to rely on the seniors’ exceptional skills.”

Sun Busan chuckled sharply, “I knew you’d need my expertise. I’m already prepared. See? I’m always one step ahead. No need to praise me; I’ve always been this clever.” With that, he swiftly produced several small talismans and slapped them onto everyone.

Mei Qing and the others felt their bodies lighten, floating up as they had that night. This time, however, something was different—they suddenly found themselves invisible, unable to see each other or even themselves.

Zhao Dayou exclaimed, “Where am I? Where am I?” After a moment of panic, he said, “Okay, okay, I’m still here, just invisible. Hehe, if I’d known this trick earlier, I wouldn’t have spent so much money in Fenzihutong. I could’ve just…” He suddenly fell silent.

Sun Busan scolded sharply, “How dare you use my talismans for such filthy thoughts! Even I haven’t dared to try such things, and you think you can?!”

“…”

“How did you know, sir?” Zhao Dayou was shocked, secretly unbuttoning his jacket to reveal a corner of a Taoist robe: “I just thought, one thing counters another, wearing a Taoist robe might help intimidate the ghosts…”

In contrast, Hou Shen’s preparation was much simpler.

“These two daggers are specially borrowed; they’re said to be effective against evil spirits,” Hou Shen didn’t reveal the daggers but just shook his legs slightly.

But Mei Qing knew that these two daggers were incomparable to Zhao Dayou’s pile of junk. Although not shown, Mei Qing could faintly sense a spiritual energy attached to them, along with an uncontrollable killing aura. These must have been weapons blessed by a powerful cultivator and had drunk much blood, hence their fierce killing aura.

When too many lives are taken with a weapon, this murderous aura accumulates, becoming especially potent on full moon nights. These daggers might even howl when hung on a wall. While calling them capable of driving away gods and ghosts might be an exaggeration, ordinary demons and ghosts would certainly dare not approach.

In addition, Yao Dingguo and Zhou Chang stood quietly nearby. Normally, on the Mid-Autumn night when families reunite, everyone should be with their loved ones. However, upon hearing from Mei Qing that there was a mission, they showed no sign of dissatisfaction, which Mei Qing appreciated greatly.

The moon had already risen quite high, a full, bright circle illuminating the surroundings as if it were daylight. It was only the first watch of the night, yet everything was already quiet, with only faint barking from deep within the alleyways.

“It’s time to go,” Mei Qing nodded, suddenly thought for a moment, then turned and called out loudly: “Senior experts, since you’ve kindly decided to help us again, please reveal yourselves!”

Zhao Dayou, Yao Dingguo, and Zhou Chang looked around, knowing Mei Qing must be referring to Sun Busan and Sun Busi. They had witnessed the two’s ability to appear suddenly from hiding before, so this time they weren’t surprised. Hou Shen, however, showed a look of shock. Originally a thief, his hearing and vision were far sharper than ordinary people. When he heard Mei Qing call out like that, despite observing carefully, he couldn’t detect any hidden presence, naturally causing him surprise.

“Huh? This time I was extra careful, so why did this kid discover us again?” a familiar sharp voice sounded, full of surprise and confusion.

“My apologies, brother. You must be wrong again. He definitely couldn’t see us; he must just be bluffing again,” Sun Busi’s deep voice followed.

Sun Busan’s sharp voice angrily retorted: “How come you keep saying I’m wrong again? He clearly mentioned us as two people just now. If he was bluffing, how could he know there are two of us? Hey, kid, let me test you. Since you say we are two people, which two of us can you guess?”

Listening to Sun Busan proudly posing what he considered a profound question, Mei Qing, Zhao Dayou, and the others looked at each other in silence, at a loss for words.

Yang Zui’s former residence wasn’t particularly large, with three halls and two courtyards. Several tall buildings in the back courtyard were the ancestral hall of his family.

Since Yang Zui’s conviction, the family was exiled and their property confiscated. With the disgrace of having his remains discarded, this estate had long been abandoned. Weeds grew wildly in the courtyards, and the buildings’ doors and windows were riddled with holes, making the place look especially desolate and lonely under the bright moonlight.

“This time, we need to enter without anyone noticing. I’m afraid we’ll have to rely on the two seniors’ superb techniques,” Mei Qing whispered.

Sun Busan chuckled sharply: “I knew you’d need this expert’s help eventually. I’m already prepared. Impressive, isn’t it? No need to praise me; I’ve always been this clever.” As he spoke, his hands moved quickly, placing several small talismans on everyone present.

Mei Qing and the others felt their bodies suddenly become light, just like that night when they floated upwards. This time was even more different. Suddenly, everyone’s vision went blank, and they could no longer see each other. In alarm, they looked down at themselves and found they had completely disappeared.

“Mommy!” Zhao Dayou cried out: “Where did I go? Where did I go?” Then a sound of panic followed. Soon after, he said: “Okay, okay, seems like I’m still here, just can’t be seen. Hehe, if I had this wonderful technique earlier, I wouldn’t have wasted money in Fenzihutong, I could have done everything directly… Mmm…” Suddenly, he fell silent.

Sun Busan sternly said: “What do you think of my talismans, you rascal? How dare you speak such filth!… I’ve been thinking about it for a long time but never dared to try, and you actually dared to think about it!?”

“…”