Chapter Sixty: A Transaction

A chill ran through my heart as I looked around, only to discover that what had fallen onto the ground was not leaves, but round, white paper money with square holes in the center. In the depths of the mountain forest, a thick, rolling mist of gloom spread in every direction. Gusts of cold, eerie wind swept past my ears, sending shivers down my spine. Upon closer inspection, the path beneath my feet and Li Nanhua’s was no longer the one we had walked before. Judging by the state of this new road, it was all too familiar—it was the Yin-Yang Road I had once traversed.

The yellow-mud path stretched onward, flanked by withered grass on both sides, the mournful wind whistling and moaning, while the white paper money fluttered through the air, lending the scene a desolate misery. Almost in the next instant, the sound of a rattle drum echoed once again from nearby.

Dong, dong, dong... Each beat was low and oppressive, striking a chord deep within me. Then, through the swirling mist, a dark figure appeared, shaking a rattle drum, balancing a pole with baskets on either end, staggering toward us.

“Needle and thread, foreign soap, matches, candy, tobacco pipes—knives for scissors, we have it all, trade what you have for what you want, whatever you need...” He cried out in a sing-song voice as he walked.

“To open the Yin-Yang Road with a single hand—this ghost warden is certainly no ordinary being,” Li Nanhua remarked, unable to hide his surprise. Clearly, the spirit-puppet technique Li Nanhua had used earlier had been seen through by this peddler, and now, he had opened the Yin-Yang Road to trap us here.

I did not understand what it truly meant to open the Yin-Yang Road at will, but I had never heard of ordinary ghost wardens, nor even the commanders of the underworld soldiers, possessing such a power.

The peddler approached. He glanced at us and said, “What a narrow road for enemies to meet! Now that you have set foot on the Yin-Yang Road, you must follow me to the underworld for judgment—if guilty, you shall be punished; if innocent, you will be released. You two, come with me.”

“You think you can just take us away as you wish? Do you take me for nothing?” Li Nanhua retorted, unwilling to show any weakness. I had seen this peddler slap a rat spirit to death with one blow, but I had also witnessed Li Nanhua subdue two underworld soldiers with a pair of talismans. I truly could not tell which of the two was stronger.

The peddler seemed unprepared for Li Nanhua’s defiance. He paused, turned, and stared at us. “Don’t think I’m afraid of you just because you’re a Daoist priest!”

Li Nanhua sneered, undaunted. “You are afraid of me—otherwise, when you saw the thunderstruck ruler I left behind, you would not have dared take away Lin Yi’s grandfather, am I right?”

The peddler stiffened and set his pole down, then glared at Li Nanhua. “So it was you who ruined my plans! I was looking for you to settle accounts!”

As he spoke, his aura surged. He drew a gleaming kitchen knife from his basket and gripped it tightly. “Any Daoist I meet must die!”

Suddenly, his face twisted with fury, and as a violent wind howled around us, he lunged at us. His speed was incredible—within a heartbeat, he was upon us, swinging his knife directly at Li Nanhua’s neck.

Li Nanhua leaned back slightly, dodging the blade by the narrowest of margins. Simultaneously, he formed a three-finger seal, and a burst of golden light erupted from his palm, striking the peddler square in the chest. The peddler could not evade—the force sent him flying backward.

This sight left me astonished. Li Nanhua was indeed powerful, but the gap between him and the peddler shouldn’t have been so great. That single move had subdued the peddler, which was odd.

The peddler lay on the ground, gritting his teeth in pain. Li Nanhua frowned and said, “He was already gravely injured.”

So that was it—who knew what formidable opponent he had encountered to end up so badly hurt.

Nevertheless, the peddler pushed himself up, supporting himself on the ground. “You Daoist, how dare you attack a ghost warden! Come with me to King Yama for judgment!”

Li Nanhua drew a yellow talisman again. I thought he intended to strike once more and hurried to stop him. After all, this peddler had saved my life—if Li Nanhua attacked again, he might destroy him completely. Li Nanhua waved his hand and said, “Don’t worry. He’s gravely wounded. Defeating him now would be dishonorable. I won’t strike again.”

He pressed the yellow talisman to the ground, forming a seal with his fingers. With a thunderous sound, everything around us shifted and swirled in a swirl of fog—the eerie Yin-Yang Road vanished without a trace.

The peddler stared at Li Nanhua in shock. “Who are you, to be able to dispel the Yin-Yang Road?”

“I am but a wandering Daoist, not worth mentioning,” Li Nanhua replied calmly, then gestured for us to leave. The peddler, now injured, would not trouble us further.

However, after we had taken only a few steps, the peddler shouted, “Wait!”

Li Nanhua turned. “What now?”

The peddler stood tall once more. “You know I’m a trader. Since fate has brought us together again and again, why not make a deal?”

I thought to myself, this peddler changes faces faster than flipping a page—from attacking us, to treating us as customers for a trade. What nonsense was this?

I sensed there might be a trick here. I glanced at Li Nanhua, who nodded slightly, as if sharing my suspicion. Yet his curiosity was piqued. “Tell me, what sort of deal?”

With a sly grin, the peddler replied, “In my baskets, I have whatever you need. Perhaps there’s something here you’re looking for.”

Li Nanhua and I were both taken aback. What we needed—I immediately thought of the Mountain God Token. But, on consideration, how could the Mountain God Token that had fallen into the ravine possibly be here with the peddler? He was surely just playing tricks.

“Your baskets are full of trinkets and soap—women’s things. We don’t need them,” I said with disdain.

The peddler chuckled bitterly. “Young man, that’s not right. I have all sorts of good wares. I fear only that you won’t dare to look.”

Li Nanhua smiled. “Come, let’s see.”

With him by my side, I had no fear of the peddler’s tricks and followed along to see what might happen.

I had seen before that wherever the peddler set his baskets down, a pool of blood would be left behind. Whatever was in his chest surely wasn’t anything good. Yet when we approached, the peddler opened every drawer on his pole, revealing a dazzling assortment of small curios and trinkets.

“So, is there anything you need? Want to make a deal?” the peddler asked.

“What’s your price?” Li Nanhua asked, sounding every bit the interested customer. I wondered if he really intended to buy some red thread or a bar of soap.

“That depends on what you want,” the peddler replied.

“I want what’s in that drawer—will you sell it?” Li Nanhua suddenly pointed to a drawer at the very bottom, the one the peddler had not yet opened.

The peddler was momentarily surprised, then said, “Daoist priest, you have a keen eye. That’s my most prized item. If you want it, I can sell it.”

He certainly had a gift for words. I suspected that before becoming a ghost warden, he really had been a traveling peddler.

With that, he opened the drawer. The moment the drawer slid open, I froze—the last thing I expected was to see my grandfather’s Mountain God Token lying inside.

Li Nanhua and I exchanged incredulous looks.

The peddler leaned close. “Well? Didn’t I tell you—whatever you want, I have?”

I was about to speak, for this was the key to saving my grandfather, but Li Nanhua stopped me. “Indeed, you have something we need. What’s your price?”

“You can take it now, free of charge,” replied the peddler.

“And later?” Li Nanhua was clearly aware the peddler had more to say.

“When the blood moon is in the sky, I’ll come for payment. But this item is valuable—when I come, the price will be seven taels and one mace of gold, and a human life.”

I glanced at the bright moon overhead, not knowing when this ‘blood moon’ would appear. I was about to speak, but Li Nanhua quickly agreed, “It’s a deal.”

“Refreshing!” The peddler was delighted, left the Mountain God Token, and departed.

After he was gone, I said to Li Nanhua, “There’s something strange about that peddler. I fear there’s a trap in the deal you made with him!”

Gold could be gathered, but the matter of a human life was ambiguous. Still, a blood moon was a rare occurrence. Li Nanhua said, “Let’s save your grandfather first.”

I nodded.

Niu Dahuang had not yet returned from below the cliff—if we’d known the Mountain God Token was with the peddler, he wouldn’t have had to risk his life down Breaksoul Cliff.

Li Nanhua and I reached the cliff’s edge. I called down, but there was no response. The mist below was thick and impenetrable—nothing could be seen.

“Let me try,” said Li Nanhua.

He took out a black talisman, folded it into a little man, and cast it over the edge. But before the paper man could become a life-sized shadow, it turned to ash and was scattered by the wind.

“Your grandfather’s formation is formidable indeed,” Li Nanhua sighed.