The Tale of the Ghost Eyes Chapter 114 Sending away Xiao Yi

When I walked into the side room that Lv Bin had reclaimed, he spoke as if expecting me. "They're not here yet."

"Huh?" I asked, more surprised than confused.

"Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei, they aren't here yet." He repeated.

I sat down at the table across from him. "That's fine. We have something to discuss." I crossed my arms and told him my plan.

He listened intently and then laughed. "Xiao Yong, don't be ridiculous! You don't need us to help you. All you have to do is call on your green master and take care of it in one fell swing."

I shook my head at him. "Not this time Lv Bin." I told him, wagging a finger at him and smiling. My heart sped up at the idea of being caught. "Xiao Yi is a calm and steady spirit now. I think it'd be best if we band together and send her away on our own. We don't need to call on my friend this time."

Lv Bin studied my face for a moment before nodding. "I guess we can do that." He spoke slowly at first, but a smile grew on his face. "It'd be my pleasure to cooperate with Master Liu's apprentice."

"Come then, I want to show you something." He told me. We walked out into the hall where I was surprised to find Zhao Jie.

"What're you doing here?" I asked.

"Lv Bin told me to come." He looked to Lv Bin. "Though I don't know why…"

"You'll see." Lv Bin sad mysteriously. He walked down the hall a bit and then turned to us. "Well come on!" He led us to the holding cells at the back of the building where Zheng Baolong was huddled behind bars. He sat on the bunk holding his knees to his chest. Although he was only a middle-aged man, his hair had gone stark white. He looked at us with open hatred and bared his teeth. I was surprised to see he only had a few left.

"Who're the kids?" Zheng Baolong said. "I don't know them." His voice was unnaturally gentle for his disposition.

"They've come to alleviate your pain." Lv Bin told the prisoner. "Your soul has been marred by the influence of Yin air. Don't you want to be cleansed before you die?"

Zheng Baolong's dull eyes brightened and he asked, "Are they doctors?"

I stepped forward. "A doctor can't help you. I've come to help your immortal soul before your life is snuffed out." My words came out harsher than I expected. I cursed my temper inwardly. I let out a breath and asked, "Who were your accomplices?"

His eyes widened and then he squeezed them shut. "I can't tell you anything. They'd kill my kids if I did."

"What?" I asked in shock, but the man only shook his head. "Well…" I said, stumped. Zhao Jie put a hand on my shoulder and nodded reassuringly. "Okay… then there is another way. I need you to apologize before the tomb of one you wronged. Through this you may be forgiven."

"Forgiven?" He gave a coughing laugh. "Who's going to forgive me? The dead? Their ghosts?" He laughed again.

I frowned at him. He's about to die, he's supposed to be scared! He returned my look with a heavily gapped grin. "What's so funny?" I asked him.

"If you walk by the river, your shoes must be wet." He chuckled again. "I stole corpses, I've seen death, but you're right!" He clapped a hand on his leg. "I did a no-no, I guess I'll say sorry."

I raised an eyebrow. Something itched in the back of my mind. "If you truly mean it, you must make a sincere apology…" I warned.

Zheng Baolong stood up and approached the bars. "Don't try to frighten me kid." He grinned again, the missing teeth making it look monstrous. "I'll give them my true thoughts. Tell me though, how old are you to be leading this religious experience?" He waved his hands in a mock ritual. "I've seen sixty-year-old masters start religious rites, but never a pup like you…"

I didn't respond. When he didn't get the answer he wanted he returned to the bunk and brought his knees up once more. Behind me, Lv Bin shook his head. "Let's go." He told us.

Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei arrived at the police office at ten that morning. They greeted us timidly.

"Did you bury her?" I asked.

Zheng Hongjun nodded his head slowly. His wife was silent and looking at the floor. "Yes we did." She's in a new tomb by the rest of my family, just like you said."

I nodded sympathetically and thanked them.

Now that everyone was here, we went to the watermelon field. The police escorted us in their patrol cars to speed up the process. When we arrived, we sought out the Wangs. Wang Xian's son, Xiao Yi's adoptive father joined us. His wife wasn't present, and I didn't feel it was my place to ask why.

I approached Xiao Yi's tomb and burnt several amulets, scattering their ashes into the dirt as Master Liu had taught me. I instructed Lv Bin to set the altar before me and went about placing the candles. When everything was in order, I took out the stean and placed it gently down. Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei were silent throughout this, watching the stean with the same remorse they showed the shadow child. Xiao Yi's adoptive father on the other hand, was openly weeping. Zheng Baolong stood behind everyone, flanked on either side by police officers.

I lit the candles and incense before turning to Lv Bin, "Let's begin." I told him.

"We'll protect you." He whispered.

Without the green spirit, I used the Peach Blossom Mirror to begin the ritual. It sat on the ground by the altar, reflecting the stean, a few candle tops, and my upper body. I murmured the incantation and moved my feet in the conjuration steps. The air around me began to thicken with supernatural power. I finished the incantation and shouted, "In the name of the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord, I command you! Begin!"

Behind me, Lv Bin, Da Lin, and Bi Lian each moved their arms in a Taoist rite. The supernatural air around me coiled and danced, strengthening the ritual. I was in control of all of it.

Similar to housing the green spirit, I felt the power pump through me. The world didn't pulse and waver through heightened senses, but the feeling was similar. My mind cleared and my heart beat in heavy thumps in my chest. I reached out and pulled the soul controlling amulet off of the stean before me crying, "Xiao Yi, come out!"

A red light shot from the stean and into the clear blue sky. She rose in an arc and then landed before us, floating above the altar in her red dress. Her black hair hung in braids and her cheeks glowed with pinkish hue. Her eyes roamed over Zheng Hongjun, Song Shuangmei, and Zheng Baolong. When she saw her adoptive father, her expression softened.

I waved a hand at Lv Bin. He began passing out the willow leaves we'd prepared for everyone. One by one, Wang Xian, Zheng Baolong, Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei spread the balm over their faces to unlock their own supernatural eyes.

Police Li and one of the other officers moved to use the leaves themselves, but Lv Bin stopped them, saying "You'd better not. This one is ferocious. Anyone not related to her might strike a nerve." Police Li nodded and gestured his colleague back. The two stepped further away from the ritual.

"I've brought these people to you to apologize for wronging you." I called to Xiao Yi. "Is there anything you'd like to say to them?"

The red girl's eyes flowed over them slowly. "No." She said, her voice coming in a sad echo. "Let them speak first."

Her red color pulsed weakly and I knew she was on her way. "Perhaps she's already forgiven them…" I thought, "What a kind spirit."

I turned to those behind me. "Who will be first?"

Chapter end