Faced with the gold medallion of the Old Lady of Viewing Flowers that Tian Guoqiang had proudly displayed, Liu Dashao directly voiced his objection, shaking his head furiously like a rattle drum. “No way, absolutely not! We can’t go find that old hag!” His tone was extremely firm.
“Why not? The Old Lady of Viewing Flowers is very powerful,” Tian Guoqiang couldn’t understand why Liu Dashao reacted so strongly at the mere mention of the old woman’s name.
“Just no way!” Liu Dashao pouted, “If we go to her, the moment we step out the door, she’ll run straight to our parents to tattle. Then, at best, we’ll be kneeling on a washboard, and at worst, we’ll get our butts whipped raw! Besides, even if she doesn’t snitch, she’ll definitely give me a cold reception, maybe even mock us and deliberately mess things up!”
“What happened? Do you have a grudge with her?” Tian Guoqiang immediately developed several dark lines on his forehead.
“Don’t you remember? Last year, I and Xiao Mazi couldn’t stand her arrogant attitude, so during the harvest season, we sneaked into her vegetable field at night and blew up an entire acre of pumpkins with homemade explosives!” Liu Dashao explained.
“Oh right, that did happen! I was slow running away, and that old woman kicked me in the butt. Damn, she’s ancient, but her legs are still super strong!” Xiao Mazi eagerly added, never missing a chance to stir things up.
Faced with Tian Guoqiang’s suggestion to seek the help of the Flower-Watching Granny, Liu Dashao immediately opposed it, shaking his head vigorously like a rattle drum: “No, no, we absolutely cannot go to that old woman!” His tone was resolute.
“Why? The Flower-Watching Granny is very effective,” Tian Guoqiang couldn’t understand why Liu Dashao reacted so strongly at the mention of her name.
“Anyway, it’s just not possible!” Liu Dashao pouted: “If we ask her for help, she’ll snitch on us to our parents as soon as we leave. Then, hmph, at best we’ll be kneeling on the washboard, at worst, our butts will suffer! Besides, even if she doesn’t snitch, she definitely won’t give us a good look, and might even mock us deliberately!”
“What? Do you have a grudge against her?” Tian Guoqiang immediately had a few black lines appear at the back of his head.
“Don’t you remember, last year, Xiaomazi and I couldn’t stand her arrogant attitude, so we sneaked into her vegetable field during the harvest and blew up all her pumpkins with homemade explosives!” Liu Dashao said.
“Yeah, yeah, that happened. I ran slowly, and that old woman kicked me in the butt. Damn old hag, even in her seventies or eighties, her legs are still strong!” Xiaomazi added, as if he enjoyed stirring up trouble.
“You guys! Always causing trouble for me!” Tian Guoqiang was at a loss for words. With this, the path to the Flower-Watching Granny was also closed. Helpless, he could only rest his chin on his hands again, sinking into thought, pondering over what to do next.
Unfortunately, he was neither Zhuge Liang nor Sima Yi, so after much deliberation, apart from feeling his head swell, he gained nothing else.
“Brother Tian, maybe we should just let it be for now, wait a couple of days, and if nothing happens, it’ll pass. We’ll just be more careful in the future and avoid that haunted temple,” Xiaomazi suggested. By now, the sun had shyly hidden half its face behind the clouds, and the temperature on the ground had noticeably dropped several degrees. The once comfortable environment had suddenly turned chilly. Unable to bear the cold, Xiaomazi started to complain.
“Easy for you to say, wait a couple of days, but what if something happens during those two days? If we offend those Bodhisattvas, we might not even make it through tonight!” Gou Dan retorted, tucking his hands into his sleeves, clearly annoyed.
“Get lost! You and your crow’s mouth!” Tian Guoqiang glared at him, seeing Gou Dan’s round face, the anger he had just managed to suppress flared up again: “Even if someone were to harm us, they’d start by devouring you, you fatso!”
“Pfft.” Gou Dan, unlike his timid self in the temple, now seemed bold, as if he had some sort of backing: “Anyway, my family worships Buddha, offering incense three times a day. Staying at home, with Buddha’s protection at night, I’m not afraid!” With that, Gou Dan stood up, patted the grain dust off his pants, and without a word to the other three, headed straight for his home.
“Gou Dan’s grandma seems to be a Buddhist,” Xiaomazi murmured, watching Gou Dan’s retreating figure.
“Damn, being a Buddhist is so great, huh? Superstitious nonsense. When the cultural revolutionaries come down to investigate, the first thing I’ll do is have my dad, the village chief, smash all your Buddha statues to pieces, and watch you and your grandma cry over them!” Tian Guoqiang spat a thick glob of saliva on the ground and cursed.
“Wait…” Liu Dashao’s eyes lit up, as if he had grasped a lifeline: “Brother Tian, what if we also invite a deity to worship? That way, those demons and ghosts surely wouldn’t dare to mess with us.”
“Hey, that actually makes sense!” Tian Guoqiang slapped his head: “Why didn’t I think of such a good idea earlier!”
“But, where would we get a deity from? And which one would be the most effective?” Tian Guoqiang was puzzled.
“That’s easy!” Liu Dashao, having found a solution, naturally felt much better, and the gloom that had been weighing on his face due to the strange events now blossomed like flowers: “I often hear in storytelling that Guan Yu, the Lord Guan, is the most powerful, loyal and righteous, with his Red Hare horse and Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Having him at home, any impudent little ghost that dares to cause trouble would have its head chopped off by Lord Guan’s divine spirit, guaranteed!”
“That makes sense!” Tian Guoqiang nodded repeatedly: “I’ve also read ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms,’ Guan Yu is a real man, pure and simple.”
“As for where to get one…” Liu Dashao furrowed his brows: “If necessary, we can make the effort to go to town and buy one!”
“Town? That’s too far!” Tian Guoqiang smiled bitterly. Indeed, from Xiushui Village, one had to cross two mountain valleys and walk several hours on the main road to reach town.
“What, are you expecting to find a statue in Chen Da’s pitiful little shop that even mice would cry over?”
“It’s still early, making a round trip should be fine. As for the money, the three of us can split it. Buying a small statue should be enough.” Liu Dashao rummaged through his hidden stash of private money, counted it, and said.
“What do you think, Xiaomazi?” Tian Guoqiang was somewhat swayed, after all, at this critical moment, having some psychological reassurance was better than nothing.
“I’ll follow your lead,” Xiaomazi smiled.
“Alright, then it’s settled!” The three clapped their hands and immediately left the village, taking a shortcut into the mountains.
The journey was uneventful, except for a few crows cawing in the forest, which made the boys a bit nervous. Fortunately, on the main road, they happened to run into Old Man Hu, who was about to transport corn to the city for sale.
Old Man Hu drove a tractor, which, although loud like thunder, was a real treasure at that time. Liu Dashao proposed to hitch a ride, but Old Man Hu wasn’t too keen, saying that more people would cost him more fuel. After much persuasion, and with Tian Guoqiang bringing up his father, the village chief, Old Man Hu reluctantly agreed.
Black industrial smoke rose sparsely as the tractor carried the group towards the town.
The town, in reality, was much worse than the rural areas that have now achieved moderate prosperity. Looking around, there were only a few three or four-story buildings standing there. The roads were relatively well-connected, paved with asphalt, and the walls and electric poles were adorned with various red banners. The alleys were bustling with vendors selling all sorts of things, lively and vibrant.
Since time was of the essence, Liu Dashao and the other two quickly bid farewell to Old Man Hu, agreeing on a meeting point for the return trip. Without further ado, they headed straight to the second floor of the department store to select an affordable yet majestic statue of Lord Guan, intending to worship it at home to ward off evil.
The statue looked heavy but was actually hollow, which was why it was cheap, right? The group packed it in a plastic bag, then entrusted it to Tian Guoqiang, who was relatively steady in character, while Xiaomazi and Liu Dashao took positions in front and behind, guarding it amidst the crowd. Although the stairwell was still dim, the light was sufficient to see everything clearly.
The strange incident happened right in the broad daylight of the lobby!
Liu Dashao stepped aside at the corner of the stairs to let Tian Guoqiang, who was carrying Lord Guan, go down first. He took a breath and was about to follow when he suddenly felt a hard push on his back, causing him to lurch forward uncontrollably.
Fortunately, he reflexively extended his hands and grabbed Tian Guoqiang’s arm, preventing himself from falling flat on the ground. Tian Guoqiang, however, was hit by the force, his hands loosened, and the statue of Guan Yu fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Tian Guoqiang looked at Liu Dashao in surprise, about to ask if he had missed a step, but Liu Dashao, with a panicked expression, shouted: “Someone… someone pushed me!”
Xiaomazi, leaning to the side in panic, immediately waved his hands, distancing himself: “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me.”
With that statement, without needing to say more, the three of them understood: something had attached itself to them!
Liu Dashao immediately rushed up the stairwell, and sure enough, within a ten-meter line of sight, there was no one around. Even if there were a few people, they were at the counter, coveting the items in the glass cabinets, with no motive or opportunity to commit such an act. This indicated that it wasn’t a human playing a prank.
It was only the afternoon, and those things were already impatient? We merely stayed in their temple for a while, played a game of cards, and ate some offerings. What deep-seated grudge could there be that they would want to kill us?
Liu Dashao’s face turned ashen, his mind in turmoil.
It seems that tonight, life and death are hard to predict! At the very least, it won’t be a peaceful night!
Unfortunately, he wasn’t Zhuge Liang or Sima Yi, so after much thinking, all he felt was a headache, with no solution in sight.
“Brother Tian, maybe we should just wait a couple of days and see what happens. If everything stays calm, we can just move on. We’ll just be careful not to enter that demon’s temple again,” Xiao Mazi suggested at this point. The sun had already shyly hidden half its face behind the clouds, and the temperature on the ground had clearly dropped several degrees. The previously comfortable environment had suddenly turned chilly, prompting Xiao Mazi to start complaining from the cold.
“Easy for you to say, ‘wait a couple of days.’ What if something happens in those two days? If we offend those gods, we might all be dead tonight!” Goudan tucked his hands into his sleeves and snapped.
Faced with Tian Guoqiang’s suggestion to seek help from the Flower-Watching Granny, Liu Dashao immediately opposed it, shaking his head vigorously like a rattle drum: “No, no, we absolutely cannot go to that old woman!” His tone was resolute.
“Why? The Flower-Watching Granny is very effective,” Tian Guoqiang couldn’t understand why Liu Dashao reacted so strongly upon hearing her name.
“Anyway, it’s just not possible!” Liu Dashao pouted, “If we ask her for help, she’ll snitch on us to our parents as soon as we leave. Then, hmph, at best we’ll be kneeling on the washboard, at worst, our butts will suffer! Besides, even if she doesn’t snitch, she definitely won’t be nice to me, and might even mock and provoke me on purpose!”
“What? Do you have a grudge against her?” Tian Guoqiang immediately had a few black lines appear at the back of his head.
“Don’t you remember? Last year, Xiaoma and I couldn’t stand her arrogant attitude, so we sneaked into her vegetable field during the harvest and blew up her entire acre of pumpkins with homemade explosives!” Liu Dashao explained.
“Yeah, yeah, that happened. I ran slowly, and that old woman kicked me in the butt. Damn old hag, even in her seventies, her legs are still strong!” Xiaoma added, seemingly enjoying the chaos.
“You guys! Always causing trouble for me!” Tian Guoqiang was at a loss for words. With this, the path to the Flower-Watching Granny was effectively closed. Helpless, he could only rest his chin on his hands again, sinking into thought, pondering their next move.
Unfortunately, he was neither Zhuge Liang nor Sima Yi, so after much deliberation, all he felt was a headache, with no other gains.
“Brother Tian, maybe we should just let it be for now and wait a couple of days. If nothing happens, it’ll pass. We’ll just be more careful and avoid that haunted temple from now on,” Xiaoma suggested. By now, the sun had shyly hidden half its face behind the clouds, and the temperature on the ground had noticeably dropped several degrees. The once comfortable environment had suddenly turned chilly. Unable to bear the cold, Xiaoma started to complain.
“Easy for you to say, wait a couple of days. What if something happens in those two days? If we’ve offended those Bodhisattvas, we might all be dead tonight!” Gou Dan retorted, tucking his hands into his sleeves, clearly annoyed.
“Get lost! You and your crow’s mouth!” Tian Guoqiang glared at him, and seeing Gou Dan’s round face, the anger he had just managed to suppress flared up again: “Even if they want to harm someone, they’ll start by devouring you, you fatso!”
“Pfft.” Gou Dan, unlike his timid self in the temple, now seemed bold, as if he had some kind of backing: “Anyway, my family worships Buddha, offering incense morning and night. Staying at home, I have Buddha’s protection. I’m not afraid!” With that, Gou Dan stood up, patted the grain dust off his pants, and without a word to the others, headed straight for his home.
“Gou Dan’s grandma seems to be a Buddhist,” Xiaoma murmured, watching Gou Dan’s retreating figure.
“Damn, being a Buddhist is so great, huh? Superstitious nonsense. When the cultural revolutionaries come to investigate, the first thing I’ll do is have my dad, the village chief, smash all your family’s Buddha statues to pieces. Let you and your grandma cry over them!” Tian Guoqiang spat a thick glob of saliva on the ground and cursed.
“Wait…” Liu Dashao’s eyes lit up, as if he had grasped a lifeline: “Brother Tian, what if we also invite a deity to worship? That way, those demons and ghosts surely wouldn’t dare to mess with us.”
“Hey, that actually makes sense!” Tian Guoqiang slapped his forehead: “Why didn’t I think of such a good idea earlier!”
“But, where would we get a deity? And which one would be the most effective?” Tian Guoqiang was at a loss.
“That’s easy!” Liu Dashao, having found a solution, was in much better spirits. The gloom that had been weighing on him due to the strange events now lifted: “I often hear storytellers say that Lord Guan Yu is the most powerful, loyal and righteous, with his Red Hare horse and Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Having him at home, any mischievous spirits that dare to cause trouble will have their heads chopped off by Lord Guan’s divine spirit. It works every time!”
“That makes sense!” Tian Guoqiang nodded repeatedly: “We’ve also read ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms.’ Guan Yu is a real man, pure and simple.”
“As for where to get one…” Liu Dashao frowned: “If necessary, we can make the effort to go to town and buy one!”
“Town? That’s too far!” Tian Guoqiang smiled bitterly. Indeed, from Xiushui Village, one had to cross two mountain valleys and walk several hours on the main road to reach town.
“What, you expect to find a statue in Chen Da’s pathetic little shop that even mice would cry over?”
“It’s still early. We should have enough time for a round trip. As for the money, we can split it three ways. It should be enough for a small statue,” Liu Dashao rummaged through his hidden stash of private money, counted it, and said.
“What do you think, Xiaoma?” Tian Guoqiang was somewhat tempted. After all, at this critical moment, having some psychological reassurance was better than nothing.
“I’ll follow your lead,” Xiaoma smiled.
“Alright, then it’s settled!” The three clapped their hands and immediately left the village, taking a shortcut into the mountains.
The journey was uneventful, except for a few crows cawing in the forest, which made the boys a bit jumpy. Fortunately, on the main road, they happened to run into Old Man Hu, who was about to transport corn to the city for sale.
Old Man Hu was driving a tractor, which, although loud like thunder, was a real treasure at the time. Liu Dashao suggested hitching a ride, but Old Man Hu wasn’t too keen, saying it would cost him more fuel. After much persuasion, and Tian Guoqiang bringing up his father, the village chief, Old Man Hu reluctantly agreed.
Black industrial smoke rose sparsely as the tractor carried the group toward town.
The so-called town was actually much worse than the rural areas that have now achieved moderate prosperity. Looking around, there were only a few three or four-story buildings standing. The roads were relatively well-connected, paved with asphalt, and the walls and utility poles were adorned with various red banners. The alleys were bustling with vendors selling all sorts of things, lively and vibrant.
Since time was of the essence, Liu Dashao and the others quickly bid farewell to Old Man Hu, agreeing on a meeting point for the return trip. Without further ado, they headed straight to the second floor of the department store to select an affordable yet imposing statue of Lord Guan to ward off evil spirits at home.
The statue looked heavy but was actually hollow—that’s why it was cheap, right? They packed it in a plastic bag, and Tian Guoqiang, being the most composed, was entrusted with carrying it. Xiaoma and Liu Dashao took positions in front and behind, guarding it through the crowd. Although the stairwell was still dim, the light was sufficient to see everything clearly.
The strange incident happened right in the broad daylight of the lobby!
Liu Dashao stepped aside at the stairwell’s turn to let Tian Guoqiang, who was carrying Lord Guan, go down first. He took a breath and was about to follow when he suddenly felt a hard push on his back, causing him to lurch forward uncontrollably.
Fortunately, he reflexively reached out and grabbed Tian Guoqiang’s arm, preventing himself from falling flat on the ground. Tian Guoqiang, however, was knocked off balance, and his hands loosened, causing the Guan Yu statue to fall to the ground and shatter into pieces.
Tian Guoqiang looked at Liu Dashao in surprise, about to ask if he had missed a step, but Liu Dashao, with a panicked expression, shouted, “Someone… someone pushed me!”
Xiaoma, standing to the side in a panic, immediately waved his hands, distancing himself: “Not me, not me.”
With that statement, no further explanation was needed—the three of them understood: something had latched onto them!
Liu Dashao immediately dashed up the stairwell, but within a ten-meter radius, there was no one in sight. Even if there were a few people, they were busy eyeing the items in the glass cabinets, with no motive or opportunity to cause mischief. This indicated that it wasn’t a human prank.
It was still afternoon, and those things were already impatient? We only stayed in their temple for a while, played a game of cards, and ate some offerings. What deep-seated grudge could they have to want us dead?
Liu Dashao’s face turned ashen, his mind in turmoil.
It seems that tonight, life and death are hard to predict! At the very least, it won’t be a peaceful night!
Faced with Tian Guoqiang’s suggestion to seek help from the Flower-Watching Granny, Liu Dashao immediately opposed it, shaking his head vigorously like a rattle drum: “No, no, absolutely not! We can’t go to that old hag!” His tone was resolute.
“Why? The Flower-Watching Granny is very effective,” Tian Guoqiang couldn’t understand why Liu Dashao reacted so strongly at the mention of her name.
“Just no!” Liu Dashao pouted, “If we ask her for help, she’ll immediately tattle to our parents as soon as we leave. Then, hmph, at best, we’ll be kneeling on the washboard, and at worst, our butts will suffer! Besides, even if she doesn’t snitch, she definitely won’t give us a good look, probably sneering and deliberately making things difficult!”
“What’s the matter? Do you have a grudge against her?” Tian Guoqiang’s face darkened with confusion.
“Don’t you remember? Last year, Xiao Mazi and I couldn’t stand her haughty attitude, so we sneaked into her vegetable field during the harvest and blew up her entire acre of pumpkins with homemade explosives!” Liu Dashao explained.
“Yeah, that’s right. I ran slower, and that old hag kicked me in the butt. Damn old woman, even in her seventies, her legs are still strong!” Xiao Mazi chimed in, eager to stir the pot.
“You guys! Always causing trouble for me!” Tian Guoqiang was at a loss for words. With this, the path to the Flower-Watching Granny was effectively closed. Left with no choice, he cupped his chin in his hands again, sinking into deep thought, trying to figure out a solution.
Unfortunately, he was neither Zhuge Liang nor Sima Yi, so after much pondering, all he felt was a headache, with no solution in sight.
“Brother Tian, maybe we should just wait a couple of days. If nothing happens, it’ll blow over. We’ll just be more careful and avoid that haunted temple,” Xiao Mazi suggested. By now, the sun had shyly hidden half its face behind the clouds, and the temperature had noticeably dropped. The once comfortable environment had turned chilly, and Xiao Mazi, unable to bear the cold, started to complain.
“Easy for you to say, wait a couple of days. What if something happens in those two days? If we’ve offended those deities, we might not even make it through the night!” Gou Dan retorted, tucking his hands into his sleeves, clearly annoyed.
“Shut up! You and your jinxing mouth!” Tian Guoqiang glared at him, and seeing Gou Dan’s round face, the anger he had just managed to suppress flared up again. “If anyone’s going to be harmed, it’ll be you first, you fatso!”
“Whatever,” Gou Dan, unlike his timid self in the temple, now seemed bold, as if he had some kind of backing. “My family worships Buddha, offering incense morning and night. Staying at home, I have Buddha’s protection. I’m not scared!” With that, Gou Dan stood up, brushed the grain dust off his pants, and without a word to the others, headed straight for his house.
“Gou Dan’s grandma is a Buddhist,” Xiao Mazi murmured, watching Gou Dan’s retreating figure.
“Damn it, being a Buddhist is nothing special, just feudal superstition. When the cultural revolution comes to investigate, the first thing I’ll do is get my dad, the village chief, to smash your family’s Buddha statues into pieces, and watch you and your grandma cry over it!” Tian Guoqiang spat on the ground, cursing.
“Wait…” Liu Dashao’s eyes lit up, as if he had grasped a lifeline. “Brother Tian, what if we also enshrine a deity? That way, those evil spirits wouldn’t dare mess with us.”
“Not a bad idea!” Tian Guoqiang slapped his forehead. “Why didn’t I think of that earlier?”
“But where would we get a deity? And which one would be the most effective?” Tian Guoqiang was stumped.
“That’s easy!” Liu Dashao, now with a plan, felt much better, and the gloom that had been weighing on him due to the strange events lifted. “I’ve often heard storytellers say that Lord Guan Yu is the most powerful, loyal and righteous, with his Red Hare horse and Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Having him at home would scare off any mischievous spirits. If any dared to cause trouble, Lord Guan’s divine power would chop their heads off, no problem!”
“Makes sense!” Tian Guoqiang nodded repeatedly. “I’ve also read *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*. Guan Yu is a real man, a true hero.”
“As for where to get one…” Liu Dashao furrowed his brow. “If necessary, we can make the trip to town and buy one.”
“Town? That’s too far!” Tian Guoqiang laughed bitterly. Indeed, from Xiushui Village, one had to cross two mountain valleys and walk for several hours on the main road to reach town.
“What, you expect to find a statue in Chen Da Tou’s pathetic little shop, where even mice cry?”
“It’s still early. We should have enough time for a round trip. As for the money, we can split it three ways. We should have enough for a small statue,” Liu Dashao said, rummaging through his hidden stash of private money and counting it.
“What do you think, Xiao Mazi?” Tian Guoqiang was somewhat persuaded, as at this critical moment, having some psychological reassurance was better than nothing.
“I’ll follow your lead,” Xiao Mazi smiled.
“Alright, then it’s settled!” The three clapped their hands and immediately left the village, taking a shortcut into the mountains.
The journey was uneventful, except for the occasional cawing of crows in the forest, which made the boys a bit jumpy. Fortunately, on the main road, they ran into Old Man Hu, who was about to transport corn to the city.
Old Man Hu was driving a tractor, which, despite its loud, thunderous noise that hurt their eardrums, was a real treasure at the time. Liu Dashao suggested hitching a ride, but Old Man Hu wasn’t too keen, saying it would cost him more fuel. After much persuasion, and with Tian Guoqiang bringing up his father, the village chief, Old Man Hu reluctantly agreed.
Black industrial smoke rose as the tractor carried the group toward town.
The so-called town was actually much less developed than the rural areas we have today. Looking around, there were only a few three- or four-story buildings. The roads were relatively well-connected, paved with asphalt, and the walls and utility poles were adorned with various red banners. The alleys were bustling with vendors selling all sorts of goods, creating a lively atmosphere.
Since time was of the essence, Liu Dashao and his friends quickly bid farewell to Old Man Hu, agreeing on a meeting point for the return trip. Without further ado, they headed straight to the second floor of the department store to pick out an affordable yet imposing statue of Lord Guan to enshrine at home for protection.
The statue looked heavy but was actually hollow—otherwise, how could it be so cheap? Right? They packed it in a plastic bag, and Tian Guoqiang, being the most composed of the group, was tasked with carrying it. Xiao Mazi and Liu Dashao walked in front and behind, acting as guards in the crowd. Although the stairwell was dimly lit, there was enough light to see everything clearly.
The strange incident happened right in the middle of the bustling hall in broad daylight!
Liu Dashao stepped aside at the stairwell’s turn to let Tian Guoqiang, carrying Lord Guan, go down first. He took a breath and was about to follow when he suddenly felt a hard push on his back, causing him to lunge forward uncontrollably.
Fortunately, he instinctively reached out and grabbed Tian Guoqiang’s arm, preventing himself from falling face-first. Tian Guoqiang, however, was knocked off balance by the force, and his hands loosened, causing the Guan Yu statue to fall to the ground and shatter into pieces.
Tian Guoqiang stared at Liu Dashao in shock, about to ask if he had missed a step, but Liu Dashao, with a panicked expression, shouted, “Someone… someone pushed me!”
Xiao Mazi, standing to the side, frantically waved his hands, distancing himself from the incident. “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me.”
With that statement, no further explanation was needed—the three of them understood: something had attached itself to them!
Liu Dashao immediately dashed up the stairs, but within a ten-meter radius, there was no one in sight. Even if there were a few people around, they were all busy eyeing the items in the glass counters, with no motive or opportunity to cause trouble. This meant it wasn’t a human prank.
It was still afternoon, and those things were already making their move? All we did was stay in their temple for a while, play a game of cards, and eat some offerings. What deep-seated grudge could they have to want us dead?
Liu Dashao’s face turned pale, his mind in turmoil.
It seemed that tonight, life and death were uncertain. At the very least, it wouldn’t be a peaceful night!
“Goudan’s grandma is into Buddhism, I think,” Xiao Mazi murmured, watching Goudan’s back disappear.
“Big deal, believing in Buddhism? Superstition! When Wen Qing comes down to investigate the local conditions, the first thing I’ll do is ask my village chief dad to smash all your family’s Buddha statues into pieces, so you and your grandma can hug each other and cry!” Tian Guoqiang spat a thick wad of saliva on the ground and cursed.
“Wait a second…” Liu Dashao’s eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had grabbed a lifeline. “Brother Tian, what if we also invite a god to worship? That way, those demons and monsters definitely won’t dare to mess with us.”
“Actually, that might work!” Tian Guoqiang slapped his head. “How come I didn’t think of this good idea earlier!”
“But, where do we invite a god from? And which one is the most effective?” Tian Guoqiang was now stuck with the problem.
“This is easy!” Liu Dashao had a solution, and naturally his mood improved significantly. The gloomy expression he had been suppressing due to the two strange incidents now blossomed like flowers. “I often hear storytellers say that Guan Yunchang, Lord Guan, is the most powerful. He’s known for his loyalty and righteousness, riding the Red Hare horse and wielding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. If you have his statue at home, any small ghosts who dare to cause trouble will have their heads chopped off by Lord Guan’s spirit in a flash. It’s a proven method!”
“That makes sense!” Tian Guoqiang nodded repeatedly. “I’ve also read ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms.’ Guan Yu is a real man, a genuine one.”
“As for where to invite it from…” Liu Dashao furrowed his brows. “If we have to, we’ll make the effort and go to the town to buy one!”
“To the town? That’s too far!” Tian Guoqiang smiled bitterly. Indeed, from Xiushui Village, they had to cross two mountain valleys and walk for several hours on the main road to reach the town.
“You don’t expect to buy a statue from Chen Da Nao’s tiny store where even rats would cry at the sight of it, do you?”
“It’s still early. We should be able to make a round trip, and as for money, we’ll split the cost among the three of us! Buying a small statue should be manageable.” Liu Dashao rummaged through his pockets, pulling out all the secret savings he had hidden in various places on his body, and counted them.
“What do you think, Xiao Mazi?” Tian Guoqiang was somewhat convinced, after all, at this critical moment, having some psychological reassurance was more important than anything else.
“I’ll go with you guys,” Xiao Mazi smiled.
“Alright, then it’s settled!” The three of them clapped hands and immediately left the village, taking a shortcut through the mountains.
The journey was uneventful, except for a few crows cawing noisily in the woods, which made the young boys a bit nervous. Fortunately, on the main road, they happened to meet Old Hu, who was just about to transport his corn to the city for sale.
Old Hu was driving a tractor, which was loud like thunderclaps, making people’s eardrums hurt. But back then, it was a real treasure. So Liu Dashao suggested hitching a ride, but Old Hu wasn’t too willing, saying that having more people would cost him extra fuel. In the end, after much persuasion and with Tian Guoqiang bringing up his village chief father, Old Hu reluctantly agreed.
With black industrial smoke rising faintly, the tractor carried them toward the town.
The town, though called a town, was actually much worse than the rural areas we have today that have already achieved a moderately prosperous society. Looking around, there were only a few small buildings of three or four stories. The roads were paved with asphalt, and the walls and utility poles were covered with various red banners. The alleys were filled with vendors selling all sorts of goods, bustling with activity.
Since time was pressing, the three boys quickly said goodbye to Old Hu, agreeing on a meeting place for their return, and without hesitation, went directly to the second floor of the department store to buy a cheap but imposing statue of Lord Guan, intending to place it at home for protection against evil spirits.
The statue looked heavy, but it was actually hollow, which is why it was so cheap, right? They packed it in a plastic bag and entrusted it to Tian Guoqiang, who was relatively calm and steady among them. Xiao Mazi and Liu Dashao walked one in front and one behind, guarding it through the crowd. Although the stairwell was still dim, the light was sufficient to see everything clearly.
A strange incident happened in the brightly lit atrium in broad daylight!
As Liu Dashao reached a turn in the stairs, he stepped aside to let Tian Guoqiang, who was carrying the statue of Lord Guan, go down first, while he caught his breath. Just as he was about to follow, he suddenly felt a hard shove on his back, and his body involuntarily lurched forward.
Fortunately, he instinctively reached out his hands and grabbed Tian Guoqiang’s arm, preventing himself from falling flat on the ground. Tian Guoqiang, however, was hit hard and instinctively let go, causing the statue of Guan Gong to fall to the ground and shatter into pieces.
Tian Guoqiang looked at Liu Dashao in surprise, just about to ask if he had slipped on the stairs, when Liu Dashao cried out in panic, “Someone… someone pushed me!”
Xiao Mazi, who was standing nearby in a panic, immediately waved his hands to deny any involvement. “It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!”
As soon as he said that, there was no need for further explanation. The three of them understood at once: something had latched onto them!
Liu Dashao immediately rushed up the stairs. Sure enough, within a ten-meter radius, there was no sign of anyone. Even if there were a few people around, they were just eyeing the items behind the glass counters, clearly having neither the motive nor the opportunity to commit such a prank. This proved that it wasn’t a human playing a trick.
It was only the afternoon, yet those things were already so eager? We merely stayed in their temple for a while, played a few rounds of poker, and ate some offerings. What deep hatred could there be that they would go to such lengths to kill us?
Liu Dashao’s face turned pale with anger, his heart in turmoil.
It seemed that tonight would be a matter of life and death! At the very least, it would definitely not be a peaceful night!
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