Spirit Reaper - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Mass Graves—Exercise Caution When Climbing the Mountain at Midnight

Laden with a head full of doubts, Yu Wuyi dawdled and “shuffled” toward home after bidding farewell to A-Chun. No matter how many worries plagued her, she had no way to clear them up now. Rather than living in constant fear, it was better to let things take their course. Grandmother always had her reasons; it was best not to overthink it.

The moment she stepped over the threshold, the unpleasant stench of burning joss paper rushed into her nose. Caught off guard, she let out a string of sneezes.

“Wuyi, you’re back?” In the center of the courtyard, Yu Song stood with her back turned, bending over to toss golden ingots into the rising flames of a large iron tub.

As Wuyi approached, Yu Song tossed a massive black plastic bag into her arms and instructed: “Take this bag to the mass graves on the back mountain and burn it at midnight.”

“Remember: you must go alone. Do not open the bag until you arrive.”

“No matter what you hear or see on the road, do not respond, and do not stop. Remember, you have only one purpose: to burn this thing.”

“Do you hear me?”

Seeing the unusual gravity on Yu Song’s face, Wuyi swallowed hard. She didn’t have the mental energy to think deeper; she just nodded blankly. “I understand.”

“Good.” Seeing her agreement, the tension on Yu Song’s face softened, and she returned to her usual smile. She tilted her head, signaling Wuyi: “Put that away, then come help me burn the rest of these.”

Wuyi turned to look where her grandmother pointed and realized that behind the large bag of gold ingots lay various paper offerings—paper houses, servants, and furniture. But the most striking item was a bright red wedding dress with gold embroidered edges, featuring a female phoenix in the center.

On the deep blue sleeveless jacket (Xiapei), white silk threads outlined two mandarin ducks playing in the water. The brownish-gray silk filling the feathers shimmered with gold under the light. The edges were draped with fine pearls, emitting a soft, white halo.

Wait… Wuyi leaned in closer. Her eyes widened. Those aren’t mandarin ducks. Entirely brownish-gray feathers and black beaks…

Those were a pair of swan-geese playing in the water.

Instinct told her these things weren’t simple. A chilling thought slowly rose in her heart. Suppressing the cold shiver, she looked at Yu Song, who continued throwing paper goods into the fire while muttering to herself.

“These things… are they for that ceremony?” Wuyi asked.

The hunched figure stiffened slightly. Then, Yu Song gave a faint, almost inaudible “Mhm.”

Wuyi panicked. She quickly threw the black plastic bag into her room and rushed back to the yard, grabbing Yu Song’s hand just as she was about to toss another ingot. “Grandma, don’t fool me. Are you preparing for a Ghost Marriage (配陰婚)?”

“That kind of thing ruins one’s karmic virtue…”

The more she thought, the more terrified she became. Her grip on Yu Song’s hand tightened until—Thwack! A sharp “chestnut” flick landed squarely on her forehead.

“What was that for…” Wuyi whined, pouting and clutching her head, casting a resentful glance at her grandmother.

Yu Song rolled her eyes and laughed. “You little brat, where do you get these wild ideas? How could I ever violate the precepts left by our ancestors? I would never do such a thing.”

“Then why are you being so mysterious?” Wuyi grumbled under her breath. She couldn’t be blamed for overthinking when Grandma kept her in the dark.

A helpless sigh echoed as Wuyi’s hand was pulled toward the red wedding dress hanging on a wooden rack. The fabric felt soft and icy, like ripples of water. For no reason, Wuyi broke out in goosebumps.

“This is a wedding dress made of high-quality Shu brocade,” Yu Song said, lowering her gaze with a deep sigh. “A family commissioned a master to make this. A daughter appeared in her parents’ dreams, saying she found a good ghost ‘down there’ and wanted a grand wedding, but she couldn’t find a dress she liked in the entire underworld… I’m just helping a little girl deliver her clothes and dowry. Stop being so paranoid.”

“Oh, so that’s it.” Wuyi opened her mouth in surprise, feeling a wave of guilt for doubting her grandmother. She knew Grandma was a person of integrity.

Relieved of the mental burden, Wuyi relaxed. Seeing Grandma was still busy, she went to her room to prepare for the night’s task. This was her first time going to the mass graves alone at night. Despite years of study, most of her skills had never been used in real practice—until that fight with the Red Spirit.

By the time she was ready, night had fallen completely. The village lights went out one by one. The mountains returned to their primal state: silent, with no trace of birds or beasts for miles. Only Wuyi’s small room remained lit, and even that light flickered out as she stepped out the door.

Carrying her backpack and the heavy black plastic bag, she crept toward the back mountain. The night was eerily still. She could hear her own breathing and the frantic thumping of her heart. To her surprise, not a single star was visible in the pitch-black sky. She felt as though she were trapped under a heavy black shroud.

Suddenly, a chill shot from her heels to her skull as a sound broke the silence. Crack. It sounded like a dry branch being snapped by a heavy footstep. She didn’t dare think about what caused it. Remembering her grandmother’s words, she didn’t stop for a second and pushed forward toward the graves.

As she walked, the humid summer heat vanished, replaced by a sudden, bone-chilling drop in temperature. Though it was mid-summer, she was only wearing a thin short-sleeved shirt. She had no choice but to cross her arms and rub them for warmth.

Whoosh—whoosh—

A demonic wind rose, growing stronger by the second. Wuyi knew that if she continued at a slow pace, she’d be picked clean by something before she arrived. Steeling herself, she gritted her teeth and began to sprint through the freezing cold. The wind felt like a flaying knife, slowly slicing at her skin. But she didn’t dare stop. Compared to being swallowed by a ghost, this pain was nothing.

After sprinting for what felt like forever, the biting cold receded, replaced once more by the summer heat.

“Cough, cough—” Wuyi slowed down, a metallic taste rising in her throat.

The path was no longer empty. Rows of withered trees draped with white cloth strips lined the road. When the wind blew, the strips fluttered like small ghosts in white. To most, this would be a heart-stopping sight, but to Wuyi, it was beautiful—because it meant she had reached her destination.

Pushing deeper into the soil path, she soon saw rows of nameless white grave markers. She picked an “agreeable-looking” grave, set down her plastic bag, and found the iron basin Yu Song had hidden in the corner.

Click— Whoosh!

The rusty iron basin erupted with fire, tearing through the black curtain of night and illuminating a small circle around her.

“Solitary souls of all paths, please make way…” Wuyi muttered, using long-handled iron tongs to turn the burning paper. She wanted to finish this and get out as fast as possible. She didn’t want to stay in this place for another second.

“Wait… the wind is back?”

The wind rose again, but this time it seemed to have a mind of its own. It began to brush up and down Wuyi’s arms. Unlike the previous knife-like gale, this wind was slightly cool and gentle.

It felt… as if someone were flirting with her.