The master spoke casually, still packing tobacco into his pipe.
I had been nursing this grudge all day.
Hearing the master say it was time to depart, I immediately nodded.
"Right away, Master! I'll call a car!"
With that, I took out my phone, set the location, and booked a ride-hailing car.
However, when I looked back at the master, besides his pipe,
he was only holding a teacup. He hadn't brought anything else.
"Master, aren't you bringing any magical artifacts? Peach wood sword, talismans, anything like that?"
I asked tentatively.
But the master scoffed.
"The fact that I can go there is already giving that mother and daughter face.
Why would I need to bring any magical artifacts? Let's go!"
With that, the master, pipe in mouth, swaggered out of the shop.
Seeing the master's serious and confident demeanor, I didn't say anything further.
I was also curious to see what methods the master would employ tonight...
I followed behind, closing the shop door, and went to the street.
I found the master with a grim expression, muttering curses under his breath; "stupid dog, old scumbag..."
I followed his gaze.
He was looking at "Wanshou Hall" across the street.
An old man was standing at the entrance of Wanshou Hall.
He was about the master's age, tall and thin.
He was wearing a grey Zhongshan suit and holding a black gourd.
He looked at the master, also with a hostile expression. Judging by his lip movements, he seemed to be saying "national treasure," and even gave the master the middle finger.
I witnessed this with considerable surprise.
Had the commercial competition between these two funeral parlors reached such an irreconcilable state, where they would tear into each other on sight?
No wonder the first rule after I became his disciple was to have no dealings with anyone from Wanshou Hall.
The master, seeing the old man across the street giving him the middle finger, reciprocated with an international gesture of friendship.
I watched, feeling rather awkward. Although the master possessed true abilities,
he was still a far cry from the ethereal, enlightened master I had initially imagined.
Just then, the ride-hailing car I had called arrived.
The master was still giving the old man across the street the middle finger, becoming more animated with each gesture.
I genuinely feared the master might impulsively charge over and start a fight.
I quickly called out,
"Master, the car is here! Let's get in!"
After saying that, I opened the car door.
The master spat on the ground.
"Bah, you old scumbag!"
After giving another fierce middle finger while cursing, he got into the ride-hailing car.
After getting in, the master still looked displeased.
He complained to me.
"If this weren't a civilized society, I'd beat that bastard until he shit himself!"
I gave an awkward laugh, not knowing how to respond.
The driver couldn't help but glance in the rearview mirror.
The master's mood had suddenly soured. After a burst of curses, he closed his eyes and leaned back.
I sat beside him, not disturbing him.
In about twenty minutes, we reached our destination.
After getting out of the car, we were facing a long, dark alley.
The ghost building, which had been burned and was now surrounded by blue corrugated iron fences, stood deep within the alley.
The surroundings were all old buildings, with no pedestrians in sight. It was chilling.
"Master! That ominous building is down the alley, about two to three hundred meters further."
I said, pointing towards the alley.
The master lit a match and ignited his tobacco, taking a puff.
"Hoo!"
"Lead the way."
Due to the earlier incident, the master was clearly in a bad mood, and I didn't want to provoke him further.
So I just nodded and led the way.
It was a good opportunity to vent my frustration on the mother and son ghosts with the master.
Soon, we entered the long alley.
But not long after we walked in, the streetlights in this alley suddenly flickered.
With a "kacha" sound, they all went out.
The entire alley was instantly plunged into darkness, leaving us only with the moonlight to see the path.
I looked up at the extinguished streetlights and said to the master beside me.
"Master, the wires might have short-circuited! It's dark, take your time."
The master didn't reply, only a faint smile curved his lips as he took another puff of his pipe.
I turned on my phone's flashlight and illuminated the path ahead for the master.
The master simply followed quietly behind me.
The alley was quite long, and the deeper we went, the darker the surroundings became.
Earlier, there was a bit of moonlight, allowing us to discern the outlines of the alley.
But now, apart from the pool of light cast by my phone's flashlight,
the surroundings were so dark it was impossible to see anything even with outstretched hands.
The alley grew colder as we walked, and it felt like we were descending deeper.
Apart from the sound of our footsteps, "tap-tap-tap," echoing in the alley,
the surroundings had become eerily silent.
This in itself wasn't anything alarming. What I found eerie was that,
although this alley was quite long, it should only take a minute or two to traverse.
But now, we had walked a considerable distance, and still, there was no end in sight.
I felt something was amiss.
I shone my phone's flashlight forward, but ahead was only pitch blackness, completely impenetrable.
Apart from the old walls extending endlessly into the darkness, there was no visible end.
Seeing this, my heart began to feel uneasy.
This was clearly not normal!
I suspected we might have encountered what people often called "ghost wall" (a supernatural phenomenon where one feels stuck in a loop).
Thinking of this, I abruptly stopped walking.
Before I could say anything, the master beside me spoke.
"Xiao Qin, why have you stopped?"
He then leisurely took a puff of his cigarette, appearing unfazed.
I, however, showed a hint of nervousness.
"Master, something feels wrong!
This alley is at most eighty to ninety meters long.
But we've walked such a long stretch and still haven't reached the end.
Have we... encountered a ghost wall?"