The Bewitching Curse

That day, Hu Ma stayed at the estate and had a meal with Second Master. He returned to the stockade before dusk fell.

He lit an oil lamp and read for a while, then went to bed early.

Now, with the help of that Erguotou fellow, he had found his way into the Night Watchers' trade. All that remained was to proceed one step at a time and make his plans bit by bit.

But Hu Ma slept soundly and peacefully, without a single dream. He had no idea that, in the stockade, the Cui Family's eldest brother's house was now packed with several of the Cui brothers, Cui Xie'er's mother, and her sisters-in-law, all gathered around the Eight Immortals table.

Only one oil lamp had been lit on the table, casting their faces in alternating light and shadow. Cui Xie'er had been sent outside, while the eldest Cui brother sat with a cold expression and pounded the table hard.

"The Clan Leader sent his own grandson in, and now he wants to play the good guy."

"All he had to do was bring that Hu boy down and put our Xie'er in his place. It would've been a simple matter, but he flat-out refused."

The others were furious when they heard this, too.

The Cui Family had already agreed to pay a steep price this time, but that old, addled Clan Leader had still refused in the end.

"Heh. The Zhou Family's afraid of us, too..."

Just then, the Cui Family's white-haired, disheveled old woman, sitting on the bed beside them, let out a cold laugh. "Our Xie'er is a good, sensible boy. If he joined the Red Lantern Society, he'd surely do better than the Clan Leader's grandson. At the very least, he could become a steward someday, maybe even a Shopkeeper."

"The Zhou Family only became the Clan Leader because Second Master is capable and they have a lot of people. The Cui Family's no worse."

"He's worried that one day our Cui Family will get the upper hand over his Zhou Family!"

At first, the Cui brothers had simply been confused. The old Clan Leader had clearly been tempted, so why had he ultimately refused?

Now, hearing the old woman's words, they suddenly understood. "That old bastard was playing this game all along. Shameless..."

After cursing him out, they looked at one another. They all felt the matter was unlikely to work out, and hesitantly asked, "Then what should we do?"

"A bunch of good-for-nothings. Looks like this old woman has to take matters into her own hands."

Seeing that grown men still had no idea what to do, the Cui Family's old woman grew angry as well. She thumped the bed and said, "Eldest, don't just stand there. Come help me pull out the black-wrapped chest under the bed."

"Huh?"

The eldest Cui brother froze, then immediately understood. A trace of excitement flickered in his eyes.

He was old enough to remember clearly that his mother knew a thing or two about these matters. In her youth, she'd even enjoyed a little fame. But later, after the Hu Family came to the stockade, something happened, and she put her things away and stopped using them.

When Cui E got into trouble earlier, it was the old woman who'd said to keep that little piece of gold. She'd said it was nothing to worry about, and they could save it for Xie'er to use when he married.

Unfortunately, the Hu Family later did something wicked and killed the girl.

They pulled out the chest, and the Cui Family's old woman fished a key from beneath the head of the bed and opened it.

Inside were red papers and white talismans, along with some strange objects. Some looked like bones, others like hair.

The Cui Family's old woman's gaze grew somber as she looked at them. She slowly scanned the things inside the chest, and her bearing took on a hint of authority.

After pondering for a long while, she took out a blackened object that looked like dried meat and said to Cui Xie'er's mother, "Second Brother's wife, aren't you pregnant again? Go burn some paper at Old Fire Pit tomorrow and thank the ancestors... Burn this thing at the same time."

The second brother's wife had no idea what was going on. Trembling, she took it and repeatedly agreed.

"Eldest, third..."

The Cui Family's old woman took out a paper effigy and some hair, then said, "You two, bury these beneath that crooked tree behind the Hu Family's house. Remember to go after Second Brother's wife has burned the paper, and don't let anyone in the stockade see you..."

The eldest and third brothers hurriedly agreed, too.

The old woman turned to the fourth Cui brother beside her. "And you, don't just sit there. Don't you like drinking and playing cards? Go play. Even better if you get worked up and cause a scene."

The fourth Cui brother hadn't expected such a good opportunity. He nodded excitedly.

After she'd finished giving all her instructions, the whole family still felt a little nervous. "If we do all this, will our Xie'er get to go?"

The Cui Family's old woman glared at them. "If you had a way, would you need this old woman?"

No one in the room dared say another word.

Hu Ma had tidied the house and packed his things, preparing to go to the city. Everything else was fine, but he had to keep the pouch containing the ashes from Old Fire Pit close to his body at all times.

He'd packed simply and properly, ready to leave at any moment. But then, one morning, he suddenly woke to find the world spinning. His mouth was parched.

His throat felt as if he'd swallowed a piece of burning charcoal, dry and painful. When he touched his forehead, it was frighteningly hot.

"Do I have a fever?"

He was a little surprised, and even found it absurd.

Well, when he hadn't eaten enough Tai Sui Meat, his body had been as cold as a block of ice. He couldn't summon even the slightest warmth.

Now, perhaps because he'd had enough blood food, he'd gone and developed a fever...

Dazed and groggy, he struggled to get up, hoping to ladle out some water to soothe his throat. His body felt so heavy that he could barely walk steadily.

It seemed his body wasn't just sick—it was seriously ill.

After drinking some water, he'd meant to make porridge, but he had no appetite at all, so he lay back down to rest.

At noon, Zhou Datong came over. He pushed open the door and said, "Brother Hu Ma, Grandpa says we should all come to my house for dinner tonight."

"He wants to tell us about the rules we'll need to follow after we get to the prefecture..."

"...Huh? Why aren't you up at this hour?"

"..."

Hu Ma weakly waved a hand. "I think I'm sick."

"You picked a bad time. We're going to the prefecture in a few days."

Zhou Datong came over and felt his forehead. It seemed a little hot, so he hurried out. Before long, the Clan Leader came to check on him, and Second Master came too. They seemed rather concerned, but after looking Hu Ma over, they found no trace of anything evil and decided he'd simply caught a chill.

They figured that since Old Woman had entered Old Fire Pit, there probably weren't any Evil Spirits in the stockade that would dare bother Hu Ma. So they could only sigh and offer him a few words of comfort.

"Your Old Woman's gone, and you're still just a half-grown boy. It's true you don't know how to look after yourself."

"We'll get someone to gather some herbs for you. Drink them hot and you'll be fine."

"..."

So Zhou Datong ran around to get Hu Ma some herbs, and even brought him two steamed buns from home.

After drinking the herbal medicine, Hu Ma felt a little better. Thinking he should go to the Clan Leader's house to learn the rules, he got up in the evening.

But just as he was about to leave, his head suddenly spun and his vision blurred.

He didn't know why, but even the breath rising from his throat felt scorching hot. Golden sparks danced before his eyes. He struggled to keep his balance, but after only a few steps, he nearly fell.

He looked up. Night had already fallen. The trees in the stockade stood crooked and uneven, spinning before his eyes like clawing, snarling ghosts.

Strange laughter rang in his ears, and waves of bone-piercing cold swept over him.

In his daze, he suddenly saw Xiao Hong Tang jump in front of him, baring her teeth at the deep darkness all around.

A sense of unease suddenly stirred in Hu Ma's heart. He quickly asked Xiao Hong Tang, "Who are you snarling at? Is there... something over there?"

"I don't know."

At his question, Xiao Hong Tang seemed confused again. She shook her little head. "But Xiao Hong Tang feels..."

"...There's something there."

"But I don't know what it is, either."

"..."

"Something's there?"

Hu Ma's heart tightened. "Am I really just sick, or is it... something else?"

He tried with all his might to stand, but his body was weak. He fell to the ground and passed out.

Xiao Hong Tang grew anxious and dragged Hu Ma into the house. The stockade was silent, while the darkness all around them writhed and swelled. Who knew what was lurking in it?

The people in the stockade had all shut their doors and gone to bed early. No one knew that after the second Cui brother's wife returned from burning paper for the ancestors by Old Fire Pit that day, black smoke had been drifting and swirling around her, as if concealing something.

After Old Woman left, the elders had arranged for able-bodied men to patrol the stockade when they had time. But today, their attention had been scattered. They'd heard that someone farther down the road was gambling, and that a fight had broken out when tempers flared.

No one in the entire stockade noticed Hu Ma, unconscious in that little house.

"Quick, go to the Clan Leader's house and learn the rules."

At that moment, the Cui Family's old woman was lecturing Cui Xie'er. "If you don't learn the rules, how will you know who to offend and who not to offend once you get to the city?"

Cui Xie'er sulked. "They didn't pick me. What am I supposed to go listen for?"

"You're still going to listen."

The Cui Family's old woman gave a cold laugh. "What if one of the people they picked can't go? Wouldn't you have to take their place?"

"Listen to your grandma. Go!"

"..."

Seeing that his grandma was angry, and getting a kick from his eldest uncle too, Cui Xie'er had no choice but to go, grumbling under his breath. At the Clan Leader's house, Second Master was explaining the rules to Zhou Datong and several other children when Cui Xie'er suddenly arrived. Second Master's expression froze for a moment.

The second Cui brother had brought Cui Xie'er over. He hurriedly smiled and said, "I heard you were teaching them the rules, so I thought Xie'er might as well listen too. Who knows, maybe he'll get a chance to go to the city."

Second Master frowned slightly at that, and a faint sense of unease stirred in his heart.

Back at the Cui Family's house, the eldest Cui brother was worried, too. Seeing no one nearby, he asked cautiously, "Mother, nothing will go wrong, will it? What if Second Master sees through it..."

"..."

"Even a rat has more courage than you."

The Cui Family's old woman cursed angrily and snorted. "Always afraid of wolves in front and tigers behind you. How do you expect to get anything done?"

"Put your mind at ease. Your mother went in hard. By the time they see through it, it'll be too late..."

"..."

"..."

At the same time, as Hu Ma lay unconscious, he drifted in and out of awareness, on the verge of sleep. He felt as if his body were a lump of burning charcoal, as if the stove inside him had cracked open and the fire within had caught, leaving him dazed as it burned him up.

But just then, he felt a coolness spread faintly across his chest.

In his daze, he seemed to see Old Woman appear beside him, watching him with tender concern. "My good grandson, my precious grandson, don't sleep."

"Get up and find the crooked parasol tree behind the house. Chop it three times."

"Get up!"

"Chop it three times, and you'll be better."