Night fell like an enormous sheet of black silk, silently enveloping all of Wutan City. The snow, trampled into slush by children during the day, gleamed coldly beneath the moonlight.
The bitter wind swept flurries of fine snow through the Xiao Clan's long-abandoned courtyard, making a whimpering sound like the quiet sobbing of ghosts. The courtyard was secluded to begin with, and the legend of the "Night-Howling Old Ghost," long circulated throughout Wutan City, made nearby residents hurry past after dark, never daring to linger. They said the old ghost appeared only at night, his cries so piercing and mournful they could steal a person's soul.
At that moment, several members of the Xiao Clan's branch families were making their way home much later than usual after indulging in a few too many cups of wine. With their necks hunched and their hands tucked away, they stumbled along the snow-covered path, their hearts fluttering with unease as they muttered about getting home quickly. As they passed Xiao Yan's old courtyard, they all quickened their pace without a word, not even daring to breathe loudly for fear of disturbing something unclean.
Yet just as they were about to round the last bend and leave that ominous place behind, one sharp-eyed man suddenly let out a startled "Huh?" He stopped short and pointed a trembling finger toward the old courtyard wall a little way ahead. "Y-you, look... inside that courtyard... is that firelight?"
His voice carried unmistakable fear. The others followed his gaze and saw that light was indeed seeping through the cracks in the dilapidated courtyard wall. But that light... was an eerie white! Like frost congealed upon the snow, it radiated an indescribable chill, utterly unlike the warm orange-red glow of an ordinary flame.
While they stood wavering between shock and suspicion, their minds seized by that uncanny white glow, a peal of clear, childish laughter rang out from the courtyard without warning. "Hee hee hee... giggle..." The laughter was innocent and carefree, full of childish delight, but here and now, accompanied by that eerie white firelight and the legend of the "Night-Howling Old Ghost," it sounded more terrifying to these Xiao Clan members than the howls of any vicious ghost! It was as though countless little ghosts were playing inside, and those white flames were their ghost fire!
"Ah-ghosts!" No one knew who let out the first piercing scream, but it was like lighting the fuse of a powder keg. The Xiao Clan youths felt a chill shoot straight from the soles of their feet to the crowns of their heads, every hair on their bodies standing on end! They no longer cared about dignity or direction. Only one thought remained in their minds-Run! Run!
In an instant, they scattered like startled rabbits. One slipped while fleeing blindly and landed face-first in the snow, then scrambled up on his hands and feet and kept running without a thought for the pain; another lost his shoes and raced barefoot over the freezing snow as though countless vicious ghosts were chasing him; yet another ran while squealing like a pig being slaughtered, his voice cracking out of pitch. They left trails of chaotic footprints in the snow, along with one or two belongings dropped in their panic, all of which were soon covered by fresh snowfall.
From that night onward, Xiao Yan's old courtyard firmly earned its reputation as a "haunted house." What had once been merely a vague legend of the "Night-Howling Old Ghost" now became the far more specific tale of "ghostly laughter at midnight in Xiao Yan's old courtyard," told with convincing detail. Stories of "children playing with their lingering resentment" and "the old ghost's white fire bringing heavy snow from the heavens" grew stranger and more elaborate with every telling...
Inside the courtyard, however, the scene was warm and welcoming, utterly unlike the terror outside. Beneath the eaves, Yao Lao's soul form floated before a simple, old-fashioned black Medicine Cauldron. Eerie white flames burned soundlessly, slowly warming its body. Yao Lao was carefully channeling his soul power to nurture the fire in preparation for refining medicine. Once the medicinal ingredients arrived, he intended to begin refining pills immediately and relieve these pitiful children of their illnesses and pain.
Xiao Yan sat on a small folding stool, vividly telling a story to the children gathered around him. "...Now, Zhu Bajie was absolutely starving. He picked up a piece of watermelon and, without even bothering to wash it, opened his huge mouth and took a great big crunching bite. The sweet watermelon juice flowed straight down his throat. He ate so fast that he swallowed the seeds too, then let out a loud burp, which made Brother Monkey..."
The children listened with rapt attention, especially when they heard about Zhu Bajie's comical wolfing down of the food, and could not help bursting into giggles. The fear and unease they had experienced at the alley entrance seemed to fade gradually amid the warm firelight and entertaining story. Childlike innocence and joy bloomed once more on their little faces, and their clear laughter echoed through the courtyard, forming a stark contrast to the terrified screams of the Xiao Clan members outside.
Just then, several piercing screams and frantic footsteps suddenly sounded beyond the courtyard wall. They could faintly make out muddled cries of "Ghosts!" and "White fire!" as the sounds retreated into the distance and quickly vanished into the night. The laughter and conversation inside stopped abruptly. Xiao Yan and Yao Lao, who hovered in midair, both turned toward the courtyard gate, as though an enormous question mark had appeared over each of their heads.
Xiao Yan blinked, feeling rather baffled. He shrugged and muttered, "What a fuss. Did they see a reflection in the snow or something?" Yao Lao merely gave a derisive chuckle, clearly paying no mind to the commotion outside.
After that brief moment of confusion, the courtyard soon returned to its earlier liveliness. Xiao Yan cleared his throat and continued his animated account of Zhu Bajie's embarrassing exploits. The children's attention was quickly drawn back, and their laughter rang out again. Meanwhile, Yao Lao began preparing the first batch of wine to complement the medicine's effects, drive out the cold, and help heal their bone injuries. As for the people fleeing in terror outside, and the increasingly bizarre legends about the old courtyard their flight would inspire, neither of them knew or cared in the slightest.
Just then, the familiar ringing of a bicycle bell sounded. Soon, Xiao Yi appeared at the courtyard gate. He hopped off the bicycle, carrying several oil-paper parcels of different sizes in one hand and a small bundle of medicinal stalks with a distinctive fresh fragrance in the other. His face glowed red with excitement as he strode inside, calling out to Xiao Yan with animated delight.
"I bought all the medicine! Hey, guess what? I went to the Mittel Family's medicine shop and ran straight into that big oaf Jia Lie Ao from the Jia Lie Family! He thought he could use his numbers to cut in front of me, claiming his family needed it urgently! I just..."
Listening to Xiao Yi describe his outlandish antics, Xiao Yan did not know whether to laugh or cry, but seeing that the medicinal ingredients had been brought back safely, he breathed a sigh of relief. He took the ingredients and the cold-averting wood and walked over to the Medicine Cauldron. Yao Lao spoke at just the right moment.
"Mm, everything is here. Youngsters, watch closely!" A gentle wave of soul power spread outward, enveloping all the children, warming their bodies and lifting their spirits.
"Now, let this old man show you a magic trick!" As his words fell, the various medicinal ingredients Xiao Yi had purchased rose into the air on their own. As though guided by invisible hands, they dropped into the now-warm black Medicine Cauldron in a precise, orderly sequence. The eerie white flames suddenly surged higher, completely engulfing the Medicine Cauldron as the silent, wondrous refinement began.
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