I heard Auntie Wang praising me from afar, in front of several other aunties. I felt a little embarrassed.
Then, one of the keen-eyed aunties spotted me returning.
She said something to Auntie Wang.
Only then did Auntie Wang turn around and see me coming back from outside.
Her face lit up, and she waved at me, saying:
"Hey! Xiao Qin!"
"Auntie Wang!"
I greeted her politely.
"Xiao Qin, not working today?" Auntie Wang asked with a chuckle.
"No, I'm on leave for a few days."
After speaking, I politely nodded to the other aunties and went into the building and upstairs.
But I never expected that I had barely sat down at home before Auntie Wang and some other aunties were knocking on my door.
I was puzzled when I saw Auntie Wang and the others.
When I asked, I learned that these aunties and madams, upon hearing I had genuine skills, had all come to ask me for amulets for peace. They said the Ghost Festival was approaching and they wanted to hang them in their homes for safety and to ward off evil spirits.
These aunties and madams were the intelligence network of the neighborhood. Their news spread faster than 5G; they could turn white into black. If you wanted to get by in this area, you couldn't afford to offend them.
Since I was idle anyway, I drew a few ordinary peace amulets for them inside. After all, I was someone who needed to contend for ghost lifespan. If anything strange happened nearby, these madams would be the first to know. If I maintained good relations with them, I could obtain information about malevolent ghosts from more channels in the future. This would give me more possibilities and opportunities to seize ghost lifespan.
After sending off these madams and aunties, I had a simple lunch at home and took a nap. In the afternoon, I practiced breathing and cultivation indoors. There were now three strands of true qi within me, and I needed to consolidate them to ensure the stability of my cultivation.
For the next two days, I didn't go anywhere. Besides eating and practicing, I also played games with Mo Ting, doing some duo queue matches.
It wasn't until the third day, the Ghost Festival. This day is also known as the fifteenth of the seventh lunar month, the Ghost Day. Many places have customs like ancestral worship, releasing river lanterns, appeasing wandering souls, burning paper money, and sacrificing to local deities. However, these customs have faded nowadays. More prevalent is the fear of the Ghost Festival, especially among the older generation. People often are reluctant to go out on this day, fearing they might attract something unclean.
But for me, this day was something to look forward to. Because I planned to burn offerings for Qing Dai tonight and hoped to see her again. As soon as it got dark, I left with bags of items and started walking towards the riverbank. I only knew Qing Dai's name, but not her birthdate or origin. I could only burn some offerings for her by the river.
Upon reaching the riverbank, the air felt a bit cool. The river water lapped against the shore with a "swish swish" sound. The river surface sparkled, reflecting the moon tonight. The scent of the river breeze filled the air. It was quite a nice view here.
I glanced around and took out the items I had brought: incense, candles, paper money, fruits, and offerings. I found a flat stone, set up the offerings, lit the incense and candles, and burned the paper money. I took out a yellow talisman with Qing Dai's name written on it and threw it into the fire.
I wasn't sure if Qing Dai would appear, but I still took out the Seven Star Grass liquid to open my Netherworld Heavenly Eyes. My heart was filled with anticipation. After all, she was my savior, and she had protected me in secret for so long.
Wisps of smoke curled upwards, and the river breeze now carried the scent of burning paper money. As I burned the yellow paper, I murmured, "Today is the fifteenth of the seventh month. I'm burning some offerings for you. If you smell it, come and have some!"
As soon as I finished speaking, I felt a gust of yin wind blow past. The next moment, a faint voice sounded from behind me:
"Before you were born, I was not yet born. When you were born, I was already old. Transformed into a butterfly, I seek flowers, night after night resting on fragrant grass."
The voice carried a hint of sorrow, but upon hearing it, my heart tightened. I instinctively turned my head to look.
Not far behind me, on the riverbank, a woman in black was already sitting there. The woman sat by the riverbank, lifting her black skirt to reveal a pair of slender, beautiful feet, letting the cool river water wash over them. The river breeze blew, carrying strands of her dark hair. The woman tilted her head slightly. Although she wore a mask, one could tell she had a melancholic air as she gazed at the moon in the sky.
It was none other than Qing Dai.
My face lit up, and I blurted out: "Qing Dai!"
Hearing her name called, Qing Dai turned her head slightly. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed, her eyelashes curved, and her beautiful eyes looked at me. It seemed as if she were smiling, "Thank you, Qin Ze."
Every time I saw Qing Dai, an irrepressible joy surged within me. I hurried over, "Qing Dai, how long have you been here?"
Qing Dai looked at me and replied nonchalantly, "Just arrived! Come sit, and keep me company watching the moon tonight."
Qing Dai's voice was very pleasant. However, I could sense that she seemed to have something on her mind, a hint of hesitation. I grunted and walked over. I sat down on a bluestone by the riverbank, just like her. Although I was very happy and excited to see her, at this moment, I didn't know what to say. My heart felt inexplicably nervous, and my heartbeat quickened.
Qing Dai didn't look at me. She just gazed at the moon in the sky and continued speaking softly, "Do you know? You are the first person in over two thousand years to burn incense for me."
I was stunned, looking at Qing Dai beside me in surprise. Two thousand years? Could it be that Qing Dai had been dead for over two thousand years? Was she a thousand-year-old ghost?