Chapter 187 — The Ghost Path

Mr. Gui was taken aback, and heard Xiaowan continue: "This soul-gathering art—when I was little and mischievous, I was playing carelessly in Grandfather's old house and slipped and fell into a dry well. That was where I found these arts recorded on the well wall. I was still young then and learned them haphazardly, and in all these years I've used it only once. Why—is Senior very interested in this art?"

Mr. Gui was silent, and after a long while he gave a long sigh. His voice carried a desolate note, a sense of bleakness.

Xiaowan and Zhou Yixuan exchanged a glance, neither knowing why the black-clad man had suddenly grown so low in spirits. But after a moment, they heard Mr. Gui call out hoarsely from in front: "Little girl, what is your name?"

Zhou Yixuan frowned, but Xiaowan had already answered: "My name is Xiaowan."

Mr. Gui nodded and said: "There are some things I would speak of with you alone. Will you come over here?"

Zhou Yixuan's brow furrowed deeply; plainly he did not want Xiaowan staying near this fellow reeking of ghostliness. But Xiaowan did not think so much of it—remembering that this man had after all just saved her life, she nodded and said: "All right." With that, ignoring Zhou Yixuan's silent attempts to stop her, she walked over.

Mr. Gui watched Xiaowan come before him and nodded slowly, seeming rather approving of this young woman. When she drew near, he spoke slowly, as though carefully weighing his words even as he spoke, and said in a low voice: "Would you be willing to cultivate these Ghost Path arts?"

Xiaowan started, speechless for a moment. But looking at the eyes behind Mr. Gui's black veil—eyes that shone bright and piercing—it was clearly no joke, and she could not help hesitating and wavering.

With Mr. Gui's experience, a close study of Xiaowan's expression let him guess her thoughts **. He did not press her, only saying: "When you were casting just now, facing countless wandering spirits, what did you feel in your heart?"

Xiaowan blushed, then paled a little, and said in a low voice: "I—I was a bit afraid."

Mr. Gui said mildly: "There is no shame in being afraid. The world is ignorant and mostly fears ghosts and spirits, not knowing that the talk of ghosts is but a state between a man's death and his next birth. What men fear lies mostly in their own inner demons."

He pointed at Xiaowan and said: "Take you, for instance. When you cast just now, fear was in your heart. Though you could still cast, before your eyes there must have been countless illusions—all sorts of hideous and savage visions, no?"

Xiaowan nodded again and again and said: "Yes."

Mr. Gui gave a cold laugh and said: "In truth, the crux of the so-called Ghost Path is the mastery of inner demons. If you are calm and composed, no wandering spirit or phantom can move your will. And think carefully—those wandering spirits grew angry and struck back, and seemed utterly hateful and violent. Little do you know that they are just like the countless people of this world: once they see a chance to escape with their lives and return to the span of yang years, how could they not go mad for it?"

He clasped his hands behind his back and sneered: "The people of this world accuse ghosts of ferocity, never knowing they are just the same themselves. Is that not laughable?"

Xiaowan's face turned thoughtful, and she nodded slowly.

Mr. Gui said again: "I know your mind. You dislike the Ghost Path's reputation. But just now you used a Ghost Path art to save that Wild Dog's life—which shows the Ghost Path is not utterly without merit. Today I see in you a gift for the Ghost Path such as appears once in a century, and I truly cannot bear to let it pass. So I have a mind to teach you." Here he gave a faint smile and said, "As for what comes later—if you find my deeds too wicked and wish to kill me, that is of no matter either. We of the Ghost Path have always held these worldly courtesies to be so much dogshit."

Xiaowan was startled and took a step back.

Mr. Gui was silent a moment, his gaze resting on Xiaowan's face again, and he saw great hesitation there, her delicate features creased now and then with a frown. He said no more, but reached into his robe and tossed Xiaowan a black-bound scroll, half a finger thick and blank on its cover. Xiaowan caught it by reflex and looked up at him in astonishment.

Mr. Ghost said mildly, "What is recorded in this book is some of the insights I have gained from half a lifetime of cultivating the ghost path. Among them are many methods of artifact refinement, and I am confident that in all the world there is no one to be named alongside me. Whether you study it or not is entirely up to you." With that, he turned and made to leave.

Xiao Wan watched his retreating back and instinctively called out, "Senior, wait."

Mr. Ghost's body paused, and he stopped. "What is it?"

Xiao Wan choked up for a moment, and only after a long while said, "I—I still do not know your name, Senior."

Mr. Ghost stood with his back to her, utterly still, and after a long time said mildly, "I am passing the arts to you, not asking you to remember me. Take good care of yourself."

With that, he rose and again made to go. Xiao Wan's face grew anxious, and suddenly she said loudly, "This—this... You saved my life and passed the Daoist arts to me. I must—must at least call you Master, must I not?"

Mr. Ghost's body shook violently, as though that one cry from the young, delicate woman behind him struck him more fiercely than five thunders splitting the sky. But his cultivation ran deep after all, and he soon regained his calm. Slowly he turned around, his face masked in black gauze so that none could see his expression, yet from his glittering eyes anyone could tell the uncommon agitation in his heart at that moment.

"You call me Master?"

Xiao Wan blushed, and instead grew somewhat embarrassed, stammering, "This... this was my own idea. If—if you are unwilling, Senior, I..."

Mr. Ghost cut in suddenly, "Enough. Say no more."

Xiao Wan started, and looked up to see Mr. Ghost gazing deeply at her. He nodded, reached once more into his robes, took out some things, and held them before her, saying, "For the sake of your calling me Master once, I shall give you these."

Xiao Wan looked down and saw a stack of seven dark, triangular, plate-like objects, each about an inch and a half across, their edges smooth, their material unrecognizable—like iron yet not iron. Xiao Wan hesitated a moment, glanced at Mr. Ghost, and seeing his eyes rather softened, reached out and took them. Looking closely, she saw that each triangular piece had a small hole at its tip, threaded with dark red silk cord binding them together. On each piece, front and back, were different mysterious dark red patterns—some like raging flames, some like beasts roaring—no two alike. Taking them in hand, she felt them icy cold to the touch, and at the same time faintly tinged with the smell of blood.

Behind her, Zhou Yixuan had sharp eyes, and at a glance recognized these triangular pieces as the very things Mr. Ghost had used to save Xiao Wan.

Mr. Ghost said mildly, "These are called 'Blood Jade Bone Shards,' a supreme treasure of the ghost path. They have the wondrous effect of drawing out the ghost path's strange arts. A cultivation originally of the fifth layer, with this treasure, can at least exert the power of the seventh; and one of better talent may draw out the efficacy of the tenth."

Xiao Wan was both startled and delighted, nodding again and again, while Zhou Yixuan in the distance shook his head vigorously.

Mr. Ghost gazed at Xiao Wan for a long while, then suddenly shook his head and sighed, saying in a low voice, "Counting tonight, you and I have met but twice, and yet... let it be. It is fate, I suppose. When you have achieved success in your cultivation in days to come, if there is the chance," he raised his head to the sky, "help me save a person."