Earth-Fire (Part Two) (Thanks to Tianxianmu)

At this point, Xu Feng saw that Master's expression had turned utterly solemn. He looked like a stone statue.

Xu Feng had not spent much time with Master, but he had rarely seen him look like this.

So Xu Feng grew serious too.

In the howling north wind, Xu Feng felt increasingly uneasy. He looked up at the sky and fell silent for a while.

This was a transitional chapter.

With such a "major event" unfolding, Xu Feng could not help worrying.

He wondered whether this "major event" was a warning of what would come later, or perhaps its beginning.

Xu Feng asked, "Master, are you saying we might run into people from the Earth-Fire Cult when we enter town this time? Is it that easy to predict where they'll turn up?"

Master replied, "Aye, aye!

"It isn't that we might run into the Earth-Fire Cult. We certainly will! Those six bodies were all women. Someone used incense to lure souls into them. That's an Earth-Fire Cult method.

"The Earth-Fire Cult never commits evil without a reason. They only do what serves their purpose.

"Mr. Zhou looks set to spoil their plans. That's why he's holding this ritual—the Earth-Fire Cult is bound to show up! Once they set their sights on someone, they'll take that person no matter what. I even suspect there's something unusual about the Qian Family estate, or about the birth date of one of the women in the family."

Xu Feng frowned. "Then, Master, should we warn Mr. Zhou or tell Master Qian? They could prepare too, so we don't get caught like fish in someone else's calamity when the fire spreads to us."

"No need," Master said. "Mr. Zhou probably knows already. He's a meticulous man. If he dares do this, I expect he's setting a trap to lure them in."

Xu Feng still had questions.

First, why was Master so certain this ritual would draw the Earth-Fire Cult?

Second, why had no one from the Earth-Fire Cult appeared while they were performing Corpse Stitching?

But Master seemed so sure.

Xu Feng chose to trust him.

He could ask later.

And from the scattered clues in their conversation,

Xu Feng sensed that Master was unusually familiar with the Earth-Fire Cult.

More familiar, even, than Mr. Zhou.

Before Xu Feng could ask another question, Master said, "So this time, you must follow my orders. If I tell you to go east, you go east. Understand?

"What makes the Earth-Fire Cult dangerous isn't their wicked sorcery. It isn't even the cultists themselves. It's that they aren't human.

"You can't judge those people by ordinary sense."

"Got it!" Xu Feng said.

His heart grew heavier. When Master spoke of the Earth-Fire Cult, he sounded as though he were talking in his sleep, saying whatever came to him next.

Even Xu Feng, his apprentice, could barely understand what he meant.

But he could promise to obey.

Hearing his apprentice's answer,

Master gave Xu Feng a long look. "Good! That puts my mind at ease. Remember, the people of the Earth-Fire Cult aren't afraid to die. Their thinking is nothing like an ordinary person's. If you run into them, don't kill them—and don't die at their hands."

Out loud, Xu Feng said, "Got it!"

Inside, he thought, What exactly have I got?

He would treat it like a ghost story and follow the rules!

As they spoke,

the sky kept darkening, and Xu Feng spotted eyes along the roadside—wolves' eyes, or perhaps wild dogs'.

He could not tell which.

But he knew the creatures those eyes belonged to were getting restless!

Master pulled a firecracker from inside his robe. Xu Feng did not see how he lit it, but Master tossed it beside the road, where it went off with a deafening bang!

The beasts stopped in fright!

Then Master told Xu Feng, "Just remember what I said. I'll tell you the rest later, lad! Besides, if we kill anyone from the Earth-Fire Cult here today, they won't let it go! Just wait. Our county town is in for a spell of turmoil!

"Once we've served as Spirit-Bait this time, we'll have to get out of town and lie low!"

With that, Master fell silent and hunched over his donkey's back. Xu Feng followed suit. Before long, they finally saw the low walls of Luoyin County.

Flags spun in the wind atop the walls, and the gale even tore things loose

and sent them tumbling beyond the walls.

It was a desolate, end-of-days sight.

The three of them on their three donkeys seemed to ride straight into an ink-wash painting where "black clouds pressed down upon the city, threatening to crush it," then into the gaping jaws of silence.

They vanished into the world within that great maw.

At that moment,

Qian Dayou's estate

was decked out with lanterns and decorations.

His family's lanterns lined the whole street.

If they had not all been white, a passerby might have thought the family was holding a wedding celebration that filled the street!

Inside, hired musicians sounded their suonas and cymbals.

The Qian Family's servants hurried in and out, every face strained and unnatural.

This time, the Qian Family's main gate stood wide open.

To the left of it, someone had planted three sticks of incense.

A servant stood watch over them.

If the three sticks went out, another three had to be lit.

The whole scene was stifling beyond words.

Only the large courtyard beyond the side gate

held any sign of life!

Past the side gate stood a great banquet spread.

Red candles, red lanterns, wine and meat.

Some people were already eating and drinking at the tables.

Mr. Zhou sat in the host's seat with his iron jar in his arms, looking over the Spirit-Bait who had been invited. He was very pleased.

These people had reputations in and around the county town. They were more or less everyone available to serve as Spirit-Bait tonight.

A few had yet to return.

Mr. Zhou reckoned that, at this hour, even if the remaining people hurried back on donkeys, they likely would not make it in time.

Two short, but it'll do.

Mr. Zhou had asked for eight people, though he actually needed only six. If the host wanted twelve, that was no concern of his.

That was being clever!

Beside Mr. Zhou stood the host family's servants, each holding a tray.

Each tray was covered with red cloth.

Judging by the shape beneath the cloth, every tray was piled high with copper coins!

Xu Feng and Master came in through the side gate and chose seats at random.

Master gestured for Xu Feng to eat.

"Eat. You'll need a full belly to do the work."

Xu Feng put everything else aside. He went to the side to wipe his hands, picked up a roast chicken, and tore off both legs. He handed one to Master, then began eating the other.

He wolfed it down.

Mr. Zhou counted the guests. Once he knew everyone had arrived, his smile grew more genuine. He did not rush to begin anything. He waited quietly until they had finished eating before saying, "Everyone, you've come here today to serve as Spirit-Bait for the host family. My usual terms still stand: one tray, three fingers high, for each of you! A full tray, three fingers high!

"What I need you to do tonight..."

He stood and personally brought out four chipped, broken bowls. They still bore stains from the earth.

There were also four paper soul-guiding banners, each with a lantern hanging from it.

He set the objects before them himself and said, "At midnight tonight, I want you to carry these to the nearby street corner and deliver the meal.

"Leave the bowls at the corner and plant the banners beside the road. Then you Spirit-Bait may return. Once that's done, whatever happens to the host family has nothing to do with you.

"Any questions?"