Could a coffin board really become a spirit and seek revenge? And why did it claim to be the grandson of this strange old woman? Why did it use such a cruel method to lock itself up?
The bizarre scenes unfolding before his eyes and the overwhelming unease in his heart once again struck Hu Ma, who had just regained his senses.
Fear, confusion, and bewilderment made his vision blur and his head spin.
But this time, he managed to stay conscious, forcing his eyes open to look at the old woman.
The old woman, standing by the door, had been staring at Hu Ma with an eerie gaze, her eyes seemingly unmoving beneath her messy hair.
She noticed Hu Ma swaying but not collapsing, and her expression grew complicated.
After a long while, she slowly lowered her eyelids and said indifferently, "You woke up earlier than I expected, and your spirit seems stronger. It looks like you're almost healed."
"..."
"Is she finally willing to talk this time?" Hu Ma thought, realizing the difference from before.
He had shouted at this old woman countless times, sometimes passing out, sometimes waking up in pain.
Sometimes, when she approached, he had tried to struggle and resist, but she had always remained cold and indifferent, making him doubt if she could even speak.
Hu Ma immediately fixed his gaze on her and asked in a trembling voice, "You... what exactly is happening to me? Why are you locking me up?"
"..."
"You're sick," the eerie old woman said slowly as she walked in and sat down on a small stool.
"I'm treating you."
"Treating me?" Hu Ma's voice cracked.
"Is this how you treat someone? You pierced my collarbones and hung me from the beam, chanting spells, burning talismans, pouring hot oil on me, and torturing me day and night. And you call this treatment? Isn't this more like torture? Or some kind of evil ritual?"
The old woman seemed to guess his thoughts and said darkly, "You're very sick."
"?"
No matter how sick someone is, you don't hang them up to treat them, right? Hu Ma felt his mind was in chaos.
He decided to take a risk and shouted, "Stop playing these tricks! Just... let me down first!"
"..."
The old woman listened to his shouting with a calm face, slowly putting down the bundle she had been carrying.
It seemed she had returned to her previous state of ignoring Hu Ma.
But the little girl with two small braids suddenly spoke up in a clear voice, "Brother Hu Ma, don't you remember Grandma? The Meng family sent a ghost to kill you, but Grandma is powerful and brought your soul back. But you kept trying to run away, so Grandma had to anchor your soul to your body. She chants calming spells for you every day, feeds you medicine, and even cut a piece of Tai Sui's flesh for you to eat. Now you've finally stopped running around, but you don't remember Grandma or me, Little Hong Tang."
"..."
By the end, the little girl seemed upset, her lips pouting.
But her words left Hu Ma utterly confused.
What was all this? He recalled the constant buzzing of chants, the strange talisman water and potions he had been forced to drink, the distorted images, and the repeated torture.
It all filled him with an indescribable fear of this nightmare-like situation.
"He's only just anchored his soul. It's normal for him not to remember," the old woman said darkly as she slowly unpacked the bundle.
Inside were incense sticks, paper money, and a large square piece of meat wrapped in red paper, soaked in grease.
After a long pause, she added, "He'll get better. The last descendant of the Hu family won't be killed by the Meng family like this."
"..."
By now, Hu Ma's mind was in turmoil.
He remembered the old woman's eerie, hateful gaze from his fragmented memories and could hardly contain himself.
He wanted to shout at her, but the words caught in his throat.
Instead, he pursed his lips and looked up at the old woman, testing the waters.
"Then... if I'm better now, can you... let me down?"
"..."
Everything else was secondary.
If they insisted on this narrative, the priority was to get them to remove these hooks.
Sure enough, under his worried gaze, the old woman's expression darkened slightly, and she slowly shook her head.
"Even though you're better, it's best to stay anchored for a few more days..."
"..."
Just as Hu Ma's heart sank, she paused mid-sentence, as if making a decision, and suddenly looked at him.
Her gaze was sharp, and Hu Ma quickly averted his eyes.
He could feel her scrutinizing him, perhaps even noticing the blood seeping from his shoulders where he had tried to escape the hooks.
Then, to his surprise, her tone softened.
"But hanging like this must be uncomfortable. If you want to be released, then so be it."
"..."
Hu Ma was momentarily stunned.
"Then..."
"I'll do it!" Before he could ask how, the little girl in red suddenly exclaimed excitedly.
She was tiny, less than a meter tall, with thin arms and legs, but surprisingly agile.
She leapt onto Hu Ma's back, her embroidered shoes pressing against his shoulders, and her small hands gripping the iron hooks.
With a swift motion, she pulled.
"Pop!"
A sharp pain shot through Hu Ma before he could react, and one of the hooks was out.
She quickly moved to the other hook and repeated the process.
Blood gushed from his shoulders, but Hu Ma felt a sudden lightness.
However, the pain quickly overwhelmed him, and his vision blurred as he collapsed to the ground.
But then he heard a giggle, and a flash of red passed before his eyes.
The burning pain in his shoulders was replaced by a chilling coldness, jolting him awake.
He opened his eyes to see the little girl licking his wounds with her long, thin tongue.
The bleeding stopped almost instantly, and the pain subsided significantly.
"What is this little girl...?" Hu Ma wondered, but before he could think further, the girl flipped him over and began licking the wounds on his back.
Despite Hu Ma's frail body weighing over a hundred pounds, her slender arms moved him effortlessly.
The rapid series of events left Hu Ma's mind in chaos, and he gasped for breath.
Throughout it all, the old woman simply sat on the stool, sipping cold tea, her eyes slightly narrowed as if deep in thought.
The room was silent except for Hu Ma's heavy breathing.
After a long while, the old woman stood up and said to the little girl, "Little Hong Tang, take care of your brother. I need to visit the Cui family's grave. Old Master Cui died under suspicious circumstances. I had a locust wood board watch over him for twenty years, but the recent thunderstorm might have washed away the grave, and the coffin board came back to seek revenge. Old Master Cui's body probably isn't resting peacefully either."
"..."
As she reached the door, she turned back and warned Hu Ma, "You've just recovered, and your body is still weak. You're susceptible to evil spirits, so don't wander off. Wait for me to return, and I'll heal you completely."
"..."
"Not wander off?" Hu Ma thought groggily.
"I'd be a fool not to run!" Even with his eyes closed, he could still feel the old woman's sharp, cold gaze.
The memories of the past few days of torment were still fresh—the pain of being boiled in oil and skinned alive, as if he had endured the tortures of the eighteen layers of hell.
He remembered the old woman's sinister gaze when he was in a daze, the strange meat forced down his throat, the dizzying pain in his head, and the feeling of something monstrous growing inside him.
He had reached his limit and couldn't imagine what horrors awaited if this continued.
Sacrifice? Soul transfer? Raising a ghost? What did she mean by "healing"?
Countless questions flooded his mind, but Hu Ma knew this was his only chance.
If he were hung up again, it would all be over.
His panicked mind clenched his teeth, gathering the last of his strength to stay conscious.
Once he estimated the old woman was far enough away, Hu Ma suddenly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the little girl in red squatting nearby, staring at him.
Their eyes met, and neither spoke.
Hu Ma's heart sank.
The old woman might be gone, but she had left this little monster to watch him.
If he wanted to escape, he'd have to deal with her first.
(End of Chapter)