Standing a Chopstick Upright

Wasn't that the Route 13 last bus I drove every day?

How had it ended up on the road? Who had driven it out?

I turned to glance at the northwest corner of the compound. My Route 13 bus was parked in its space, perfectly intact.

But when I looked back at the road, the street was as silent as before, without a trace of anything.

Little Six was walking ahead. Seeing me standing dazed at the gate, he called out:

"Buddy, what are you thinking about?"

I caught my breath and hurried back to the dorm with Little Six.

Early the next morning, Little Six woke me up. I muttered impatiently, and he said happily:

"Liu Qingzhu's here to see you!"

At the sound of Old Liu's name, I shot upright.

"Where?"

"At the gate!"

I hurriedly pulled on my clothes and rushed downstairs without even washing my face.

The truth had come to light over the past few days. Old Liu had had a reason for setting the fire. Not only did I no longer suspect him, I had come to admire him from the bottom of my heart!

Old Liu looked the same as ever, wearing his hole-ridden white undershirt and leaning on the battered stick he never let out of his hand.

Excited to see him, I rushed over and pulled him into a hug.

Startled, Old Liu shoved me away hard and said coldly:

"What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?"

Seeing that he looked well after the few days we hadn't met, I asked with a smile:

"Old Liu, I've been going to your place every day, but you're never home. Where have you been?"

Old Liu gave me a sidelong look and took a step back.

"Where else would I be? Asking around for that yin-yang master named He for you."

I was deeply touched. All this time, I had been suspecting Old Liu and investigating him, while he had been sincerely helping me.

"Really? Did you find him?"

Old Liu nodded.

"I don't know whether he's the person you're looking for, but this old friend of mine named He is one of the very best in the field!"

I was overjoyed. Back when Old Wu drove Route 13, an expert named He had saved him. Now that Old Liu said the Mr. He he knew was one of the foremost experts in the field, the chances of them being the same person had to be pretty high.

I suddenly remembered the book Old Liu had wanted all along and said:

"Old Liu, didn't you want that book of mine? Wait here. I'll get it for you!"

As I spoke, I started to turn back toward the dorm.

Old Liu grabbed me and said:

"The book can wait. Mr. He's movements are unpredictable. Let's hurry."

I agreed, intending to ask Old Wu for some time off, but when I went to the office, I found that he still hadn't returned since going out a few days earlier.

I suddenly remembered Old Wu asking me where Liu Yunbo was, saying he was going to find him. But a whole week had passed. Why hadn't he come back? Could Old Wu be in danger?

Worried for Old Wu, I asked Little Six to drive for me for a few days, then left with Old Liu.

On the way, Old Liu told me many stories about Mr. He. His heavenly eye had opened at three. From the age of six, no ghosts dared approach his home. At eight, he had begun treating people without a single failure. At eighteen, he had attained the Dao and become a half-immortal.

Old Liu's fantastical account made me even more curious, and even more convinced that this yin-yang master named He had to be the man I was looking for. He would surely be able to help me escape the curse of Route 13!

The journey wasn't far. We finally reached an old residential complex in the city. Just as Old Liu was about to ask around, we saw several people downstairs helping a middle-aged woman up the stairs.

The woman's eyes were vacant and her legs were weak. She looked extremely frail. A middle-aged man beside her spoke to a man in an overcoat behind them:

"Sir, do you really think my wife's illness is supernatural? Is it serious?"

The man in the overcoat nodded.

"It's definitely supernatural. Once I subdue the evil spirit in her, she'll be fine!"

Hearing this, the middle-aged man deferentially lit a cigarette for him.

I quietly asked Old Liu beside me:

"Old Liu, is that lady's illness supernatural?"

Old Liu nodded.

"There is an evil spirit. Since someone's handling it, let's not meddle!"

With that, he went aside to ask someone where Mr. He lived.

After asking a few people, Old Liu pointed at an entrance. "Seventh floor. Let's go up."

As Old Liu and I passed the third floor, we found an apartment door open. I glanced inside and saw the woman who had been helped upstairs sitting in the middle of the living room, surrounded by people.

I had just stepped onto the stairs leading to the fourth floor when a terrible scream suddenly rang out!

My heart jolted in fright. I turned to look. The sound had come from the woman on the third floor who was being treated for a supernatural illness.

The man in the overcoat stood in front of her, holding several silver needles and driving them down into her head one by one.

At the sight, Old Liu frowned, turned, and walked inside.

The man in the overcoat had already inserted two needles. Just as he was about to insert the third, Old Liu grabbed his arm.

Old Liu said sternly:

"Why are you being so heavy-handed without first finding out what's going on?"

The man in the overcoat froze, then asked irritably:

"What do you know? This isn't acupuncture. I'm driving out a ghost and saving her. Get out of the way!"

Old Liu snatched the silver needles from his hand and said coldly:

"You haven't even checked who's possessing this woman. What if it's a deceased member of his family? If you use the Bai Family Thirteen Needles, you'll make it hard for them even to reincarnate!"

The man's expression grew complicated at this. Narrowing his eyes, he said:

"Family or not, they're all dead souls once they die!"

With that, the man in the overcoat took another silver needle from his box.

The woman's husband spoke up:

"Sir, please don't put in any more needles yet. This elderly gentleman has a point. Why don't you first check whether it's someone from our family possessing my wife?"

The man in the overcoat grew a little impatient and muttered:

"Check what? If you don't understand, stop interfering. Once people die, they're ghosts. There's no longer any distinction between ghosts from your family and ghosts from outside it."

The woman's husband hesitated for a moment, then said to Old Liu:

"Brother, you seem to know something about this too. Could I trouble you to help us figure it out first?"

Old Liu nodded. Ignoring the man in the overcoat, he asked:

"Has anyone in your family died within the past year?"

The man hurriedly nodded.

"My wife's second aunt passed away two months ago!"

Old Liu acknowledged this, then instructed the man:

"A folk method will do. Go to the kitchen, fill a bowl halfway with water, and bring a chopstick."

The man dared not delay. He went to the kitchen and quickly brought both items.

Old Liu placed the half-full bowl of water on the table and handed the chopstick to the frail woman.

"While saying your second aunt's name, put this chopstick in the middle of the bowl!"

The woman took the chopstick and did as Old Liu said, muttering the name as she inserted it into the water.

When Old Liu saw the chopstick reach the bottom, he said softly:

"Let go!"

The woman gave Old Liu a hesitant look, then released her hand.

Something uncanny happened!

The chopstick actually stood perfectly upright in the half-full bowl of water. Old Liu nodded at the sight.

"That's it. The evil spirit possessing this woman is your family's second aunt, who passed away two months ago!"

Hearing this, the man in the overcoat felt he was losing face and snapped:

"What damn good is a crude folk method like this?"

As he spoke, he grabbed the chopstick in the bowl, intending to pull it out and throw it away.

He pulled hard, then froze.

It wouldn't budge!!

The chopstick seemed to have taken root, fixed in the bowl without moving an inch.

The man in the overcoat grew agitated. Seeing everyone watching him, he began to blush.

"You evil spirit! You dare mess with me?"

With that, he simply used both hands to pull the chopstick.

Seeing this, Old Liu said coldly:

"When I saw you knew the Bai Family Thirteen Needles, I thought you were somebody. Turns out you're a half-trained swindler. You can't remove the chopstick like that. Stop right-"

Before Old Liu could finish saying "there," a crack rang out.

The chopstick snapped!!

As it snapped, the man in the overcoat cried out and was flung far away.

The remaining half of the chopstick finally toppled into the bowl as though it had lost its strength.

Old Liu frowned at the sight.

"This is bad!"

The family gathered around panicked.

As the chopstick broke, the woman sitting on the stool suddenly closed her eyes and lost consciousness!

The woman's husband anxiously asked Old Liu.

"Why has she fainted now?"

Staring at the half-chopstick in the bowl, Old Liu said:

"The chopstick guides the soul. Now that it's broken, it'll be hard to send away the second aunt possessing this woman!"

While Old Liu was speaking, an elderly woman nearby suddenly closed her eyes and fainted just like the other woman.

The family was utterly shocked. What was happening now?

Old Liu pondered for a moment at the sight, then said quietly:

"We're in trouble. Besides her second aunt, there was another ghost possessing her!!"