Volume 1, Chapter 13: Shamanic Ritual!

"Hey-hey, hey-hey-yo!"

Is this a Spring Festival Gala? Has Uncle Benshan taken the stage?

"The sun sets behind the western hills, the sky turns dark. The temple monk hurries back to the monastery. A woodcutter descends the high mountain. The immortal fisherman docks his boat at the riverbank. Dragons return to the sea, tigers return to the mountains. The immortal dragon returns to the sea, bringing the rain..."

Huh?

Wang Dong opened his eyes in a daze, only to see a colorful feather duster waving right in front of him.

Wait... that doesn't look like a feather duster...

Is that... the middle-aged woman with a voice like a booming bell and feet larger than the national football team's?

I saw the woman, pipe in mouth, sitting cross-legged on a bench. She was tilted to one side, her eyes slightly closed, puffing away on her pipe and occasionally bobbing her head.

Her attire today was peculiar. Unlike the crude outfit from the other night, she was remarkably vibrant today. Her collar was stuffed with pheasant feathers, a lotus platform rested atop her head, and she was even draped in a tiger skin.

In this position and posture, she was clearly channeling a spirit. The problem was, given her getup, Wang Dong couldn't guess which deity she was hosting, assuming it was just some local folk spirit.

Beside her, an old man beat a King Wen drum, shouting with a voice like a cracked gong:

"If you come, I shall welcome you. I will greet you seven miles out, eight miles out. I will meet you at the Changsha Inn nine miles out. I will meet you at the Resting Sand Pavilion ten miles out. I will tether your horse at the Changsha Inn. You can rest from the wind at the Resting Sand Pavilion. I hang lanterns at the main gate, red ribbons at the second gate. I have hung the towering gauze lanterns. I shall welcome you, the immortal, into the camp..."

Before the spirit-medium's chant was finished, the woman channeling the spirit began to move. Whether she realized Wang Dong had woken up or possessed true divine foresight, she shook her head more violently and finally waved her hand:

"Halt!"

Hey, I'll be damned—it actually had the flavor of a theatrical aria.

"Get up!"

*Pfft... slap.*

Before Wang Dong could react, the red copper pipe blew a cloud of ash directly into his face. Then, the woman smacked him on the head with the pipe before sitting back down on the bench.

Well. Even if someone were truly dead to the world, they’d likely be jolted awake by that smooth little combo.

Wang Dong blinked and quickly played along:

"Eh? Where am I?"

"Hey, he’s actually awake!"

"You bet! My grandma is definitely the number one spirit-medium in the three provinces!"

"Alright, alright, he must have been possessed by that girl!"

"How ominous, how ominous! How come everyone who gets involved with her ends up suffering?"

"Exactly! Young Hong was such a fine lad, not only is he crippled, but if he hadn't run into this brother here, he’d have lost his life too!"

Listening to the chattering around him, Wang Dong just wanted to close his eyes.

There was no other reason. Every time he heard them talk, he couldn't help but think of the mess he had made. How on earth did he get so lucky—or unlucky—that he ended up saving his own romantic rival?

While Wang Dong’s mind wandered, the woman who had finished channeling the spirit had already sent the immortal away. She took off her regalia and glared at the gossiping women nearby.

"Shut your mouths! What possession? He just has a refined and noble destiny and was momentarily struck by a clash of energies. What 'possession' are you talking about? Is that something you people should be saying?"

After scolding the gossips, the woman reached out to help Wang Dong.

"Child, are you awake?"

Hearing the woman defend Xiangyu, Wang Dong knew she was a good person. Indeed, this spirit-channeling business was, at its core, feudal superstition and held no water. However, it was a necessary evil. Just like now, even without this woman, those gossiping busybodies would have blamed everything on Xiangyu, ruining the poor girl's reputation. It was only because the woman had a kind heart that she spoke up for her.

Wang Dong sighed. "I'm fine, ma'am."

Looking at the woman now that she had shed her ritual attire, some blurry memories surfaced in Wang Dong's mind.

He seemed to recall that there really was such a person who had become famous for spirit-channeling. Her name was, let's see... Grandma Wei.

The woman wasn't actually that old, but she was called "Grandma" because of her high seniority and great reputation. She was well-regarded in the village, so the younger generation all addressed her as Grandma.

Wang Dong didn't rush to ask about Xiangyu. After all, in the eyes of these people, he shouldn't know her; he was just an outsider.

"Grandma, what about the person I dragged back..."

Hearing Wang Dong ask about the injured man again, a look of appreciation flashed in Grandma Wei's eyes.

"Don't you worry, don't you worry. His wounds are stitched up. He broke two bones, and he went home this morning. Losing money averts disaster, losing money averts disaster, that's all!"

The onlookers wanted to chat more with Wang Dong and hear how a scrawny guy like him managed to save a man from the mountains, but Grandma Wei didn't give them the chance and shooed them all away.

She led Wang Dong inside, took off her shoes, and climbed onto the *kang* bed. She began puffing on her pipe again, and the smell of stale smoke filled the room.

Through the hazy smoke, Grandma Wei squinted at Wang Dong, who sat opposite her, wearing a constant, smiling expression. Wang Dong felt a bit unnerved, growing restless.

"Grandma... what... what is it?"

"Heh, nothing is wrong with you. Just wait a moment."

She puffed on her pipe with an air of mystery, just sitting there watching him.

After about a few minutes, the young girl from earlier pulled another girl inside.

And that girl was Xiangyu.

Seeing Xiangyu again, Wang Dong felt a complicated mix of emotions.

This damned fate really knows how to toy with people! Could it be that in this second life, he would still be unable to find fulfillment?

Xiangyu looked timid, her face streaked with tears. She had clearly been crying recently, her eyes red and swollen. She knelt down in front of Wang Dong with a thud.

This time, she didn't even dare to speak. She just kowtowed twice and hurried away with her head down.

Wang Dong didn't even have a chance to say a few words to her.

Watching Xiangyu's somewhat fragile silhouette in the sunlight, Wang Dong was stunned.

Should he run up and stop her?

But even if he did, what could he say to her? That he was the one destined for her, and he would give her a good life? That would be too ridiculous—after all, she had a fiancé now!

Wang Dong sighed and turned his head, only to see Grandma Wei looking at him with a playful and teasing glint in her eyes, her pipe still hanging from her mouth.