Chapter 2: The Eccentric Old Woman
Chapter 2: The Eccentric Old Woman
Could a coffin board become a spirit and seek revenge?
And why did it claim to be the grandson of this eccentric old woman, and why did it lock itself up in such a cruel manner? The bizarre scenes unfolding before him, coupled with the intense unease stirring within, sent a jolt through Hu Ma's mind, which had just begun to recover.
Fear, confusion, and bewilderment surged through him, making his vision blur and his head spin.
But this time, he forced himself not to faint, struggling to keep his eyes open and fix his gaze on the old woman.
The old woman, standing by the door, continued to stare at Hu Ma with a chilling gaze, her eyes unmoving beneath her disheveled hair.
She saw him teetering on the edge but not falling unconscious, and her expression grew complex.
After a long pause, she slowly lowered her eyelids and said in a faint voice, "You woke up earlier than I expected, and you seem more energetic than I thought. It looks like you're almost better."
"..."
"Finally willing to talk?"
Hu Ma mustered his strength, realizing this was different from before. He had screamed at the old woman countless times, sometimes fainting, sometimes waking up in pain, and at other times trying to struggle and resist when she approached. But the old woman had always remained indifferent, leading him to doubt whether she could even speak.
Hu Ma immediately fixed his gaze on her, his voice trembling. "You... What's going on with me?"
"Why did you lock me up?"
"..."
"You're sick."
The eerie old woman slowly walked in, sat down on a small stool, and said in a low voice, "I'm treating your illness."
"Treatment?"
Hu Ma's voice wavered. "Does treatment require this?"
Piercing his shoulder blades, chaining him to the ceiling beam, chanting scriptures, burning talismans, pouring hot oil, and inflicting all sorts of torture—was this really treatment? It felt more like a form of punishment, or perhaps some dark ritual.
The old woman seemed to read his thoughts and said in a grim tone, "You are very ill."
"?"
Even the sickest person wouldn't be treated by being hung up, right?
Hu Ma felt his mind spinning, and he decided to take a bold step, shouting, "Stop playing these tricks. You... let me down first..."
"..."
The old woman listened to his shouts but only had a stern expression, slowly putting down the bundle she had brought back.
It seemed she had returned to her usual state of ignoring him.
But the little girl with two small braids suddenly spoke up in a clear voice, "Brother Hu Ma doesn't remember Grandma anymore."
"The Meng family sent a ghost to kill Brother Hu Ma, but Grandma is powerful and brought Brother Hu Ma's soul back."
"But Brother Hu Ma kept trying to run away, so Grandma fixed his soul to his body."
"Grandma chants calming spells every day, feeds Brother Hu Ma medicinal soups, and even gives him meat from Lord Taishui to eat. Now Brother Hu Ma doesn't run around anymore, but he doesn't recognize Grandma or Little Hongtang."
"..."
By the end, she looked somewhat disappointed, her lips pouting.
But her words left Hu Ma feeling utterly bewildered.
What was going on? He couldn't help but recall the constant buzzing of chants, the strange talisman water and medicinal soups he had been forced to drink, the distorted images, and the repeated torture. The fear of his nightmarish situation became almost unbearable.
"He just had his soul stabilized, so it's normal for him not to remember."
As the little girl spoke, the old woman, with a grim face, slowly took items out of the bundle. There were incense sticks, paper money, and a large piece of meat wrapped in red paper, the grease seeping through.
Her voice was slow and deliberate, "You will get better."
"The last heir of the Hu family won't be killed by the Meng family..."
"..."
At this point, Hu Ma was in a state of utter confusion. He remembered the chaotic memories of her looking at him with a chilling, vengeful gaze, and he struggled to control himself, almost shouting but stopping himself at the last moment.
He slightly pursed his lips and then looked up at the old woman, tentatively asking, "So..."
"If I'm better now, will you... let me down?"
"..."
The rest was secondary. If they insisted on this, the priority was to get them to release him from the hooks.
Sure enough, under his worried gaze, the old woman's expression seemed to darken, and she slowly shook her head.
"Even though you're better, it's best to stay fixed for a few more days..."
"..."
Just as Hu Ma's spirits sank, she paused mid-sentence, as if making a decision, and suddenly looked at him.
Her gaze was too sharp, and Hu Ma quickly looked away.
He could feel her eyes scanning him, perhaps even noticing the blood seeping from his shoulder where he had tried to escape the hooks.
Then, unexpectedly, her tone softened.
"Being hung up is indeed uncomfortable. If you want to free yourself, go ahead."
"..."
Hu Ma was taken aback. "Then..."
"I’ll do it!"
Just as he was about to ask how, he heard the little girl in the red dress, who had been on the ground, shout excitedly. She was tiny, barely a meter tall, with thin arms and legs, but her movements were surprisingly agile.
She sprang up and landed on Hu Ma's back.
Her feet, clad in embroidered shoes, pressed against his shoulders, and her pale, tender hands grabbed the iron hook. She tensed her body and pulled.
"Phew..."
A sharp pain shot through Hu Ma before he could react, and the iron hook was pulled out.
She quickly moved away, rolled over Hu Ma's back, and grabbed the other iron hook, repeating the process.
Blood gushed from his shoulders, but Hu Ma felt a sudden lightness in his body.
However, the pain soon hit him hard, stars danced before his eyes, and his body uncontrollably fell to the ground.
But then he heard a series of giggles, and red flashes appeared in his vision.
A cold, bone-chilling sensation followed the fiery pain in his shoulders, making him feel more alert.
He opened his eyes to see the little girl in the red dress licking his wounds with her long, slender tongue. The blood flow stopped immediately, and the intense pain subsided.
"What is this little girl... exactly?"
Hu Ma was aware of the problem but couldn’t think clearly in the chaos. The little girl had already flipped over his body and started licking the two wounds on his back. Despite his weak and frail body, she moved him around with surprising ease.
The rapid changes left Hu Ma disoriented, and he panted heavily.
Throughout this, the old woman remained seated on a bench, calmly sipping a cold tea.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, as if deep in thought.
The room was silent, filled only with Hu Ma's heavy breathing, which was strong and steady.
She seemed to feel a bit more relaxed and, after a long while, slowly stood up and said to the little girl,
"Xiao Hongtang, take care of your brother. I need to check on the Cui family's grave."
"Cui Laotai's death was suspicious. I had a locust wood board watch over his grave for twenty years, but the recent storm might have washed away the tomb, and the coffin boards are now coming back to me for retribution. His body probably won't stay in place either..."
"..."
She walked to the door, then turned back to Hu Ma.
"You're still weak and vulnerable to evil spirits. Don’t go wandering outside."
"Wait for me to return, and I’ll heal you..."
"..."
"Don't run?"
Hu Ma heard her warning in a daze, thinking to himself, "If I don't run, I must be a fool!"
Even with his eyes closed, he could still picture the old woman's sharp, cold gaze.
The torture and suffering of the past few days were still fresh in his mind. Each time he had regained consciousness, the pain of being boiled in oil and skinned was excruciatingly clear.
It felt like he was enduring the tortures of the eighteen levels of hell every day!
He remembered the old woman's sinister look as she watched him in his delirium, the forced feeding of strange meat, the dizzying pain in his head, and the sensation of something monstrous growing inside him.
He had reached his limit and couldn’t be sure what horrors would follow if he continued.
Sacrifice? Soul transfer? Raising a little demon?
What did she mean by "healing" him?
Many questions swirled in his mind, but Hu Ma knew he had only one chance. If he was hung up again, everything would be over.
His panicked mind made him clench his teeth, silently gathering the last of his strength and forcing himself to stay awake.
Once he estimated that the old woman was far enough away, Hu Ma suddenly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the little girl in the red dress, squatting nearby and staring at him.
Their eyes met, and neither spoke.
Hu Ma's heart sank, but he forced himself to stay inside.
Although the old woman was gone, she had left this little monster to watch him. If he wanted to escape, he would have to deal with her first.
(End of Chapter)
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