First Steps into the Ethereal Void 100. Layers of Suspicion

Li Hao carefully searched the area, yet found no trace of who might have set the fire. He mused to himself, "Why not ask the nearby neighbors?"

Suppressing the grief in his heart, he immediately darted toward the south.

Half a mile from his home lived Uncle Guo. His childhood memories of the path remained vivid, and with his lightness skills, he reached Uncle Guo’s dwelling in no time.

Passing through the bamboo leaves, he suddenly caught a sliver of lamplight from the window. Knowing Uncle Guo had not yet retired, he approached the door. Just as he was about to knock, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning: "In this attire, if I wake Uncle Guo in the middle of the night and he sees me—a monster that looks neither human nor ghost—it will surely scare him to death."

Hesitating at this thought, he stepped lightly and slowly hid himself beside the window.

As he neared the window, he heard a long sigh from within: "Ah San’s mother, are you asleep?"

An old woman’s voice replied, "I don't know what's going on. Ever since Master Li and his wife went to offer incense, their house has been raided by bandits. My heart has been pounding ever since. For these past five or six days, I haven't slept well. Every time I close my eyes, I have nightmares. It’s terrifying."

Recognizing the voices of Uncle and Aunt Guo from his memories, Li Hao held his breath and listened intently.

Uncle Guo sighed again. "Truly, 'the heavens have unexpected storms, and men have misfortunes from dawn to dusk.' Master Li was such a kind and upright man; to think he would suffer such a catastrophe..."

Aunt Guo continued, "Indeed. Those bandits are so heartless, they deserve to be sliced into a thousand pieces and struck by thunder."

Uncle Guo added, "That child, Li Hao, was not only clever but also lovable. Everyone in our village admired him, saying it was because of Master Li's virtue that he was blessed with such a son. Who would have thought that after he went to Shanxi, there would be no news of him? His parents were nearly driven mad with worry."

Aunt Guo sighed. "Ten days ago, I went to visit them. I heard that there was news of Li Hao, but then this disaster struck."

Uncle Guo gasped, asking in astonishment, "Is that news certain?"

Aunt Guo yawned and said, "Sister Li told me herself. A month ago, an elderly man with white hair came and asked if they had a son named Li Hao."

Uncle Guo said urgently, "That white-haired old man's arrival was suspicious!"

Aunt Guo replied with some annoyance, "You love to guess blindly. Sister Li said the old man came to ask for a portrait of Master Li so he could go to the desolate mountains and bring back the long-missing Li Hao."

Uncle Guo sneered, then coughed before saying, "That old man is clearly a bandit chief. He came to claim the portrait so he could hunt people down based on their likeness."

Aunt Guo felt his reasoning had some merit and sighed, "Even if you’re right, I’ll say no more."

Uncle Guo muttered to himself, "Indeed, my guess cannot be wrong."

However, Aunt Guo recalled Sister Li saying the old man had a very kind face and was surely not a bad person. Hearing his certainty, she retorted, "Don't be so sure. That old man is said to be over a hundred years old, yet he walks as if he were flying. If he were a villain, how could he live to such an age?"

Uncle Guo snorted coldly, "The good die young, while the wicked live for a thousand years."

Aunt Guo spat, "You’re nearly seventy and you aren't dead yet; perhaps you are one of the world's wicked ones too."

Uncle Guo, stung by his wife’s retort, said repeatedly, "Then he is a living immortal, a living immortal!"

Aunt Guo said slowly, "If that white-haired man isn't an immortal, how did he know Master Li had a son named Li Hao? In this vast world, how could he find Li Hao in the desolate mountains?"

Hearing her stubborn argument, Uncle Guo sneered, "By that logic, their house was also burned down by an immortal."

Aunt Guo replied firmly, "Who is to say it wasn't?"

Uncle Guo let out two cold laughs and remained silent.

Aunt Guo asked, "Are you laughing because you think I'm wrong?"

Uncle Guo continued his cold laughter. "I am laughing at your senility. It is said that Master Li and his wife were abducted by bandits on their way to offer incense, and then the bandits returned to burn the house. Yet you insist on spouting fairy tales."

Aunt Guo said angrily, "You are the truly foolish one! In our Three-Surname Village, for dozens of miles around, everyone—young and old—knows that after the Li house was burned, a monk suddenly appeared, carrying a wooden fish as large as a bucket. He walked around our village singing, 'Amitabha, the Goddess of Mercy favors the virtuous. The Li family's merit is complete; Buddhist law shall guide them to the heavenly court.' How could this be false?"

Uncle Guo sighed heavily. "How hateful, how tragic! Master Li and his wife were clearly abducted, and their servants were brutally murdered, yet you call it—"

Aunt Guo interrupted him furiously, "What madness are you spouting? If you don't believe it, I won't say another word. If you don't believe, you will surely be cast into hell one day."

Uncle Guo retorted indignantly, "Even if I suffer for not believing in these superstitions, I will not agree with the opinions of an ignorant woman like you."

Aunt Guo spat, "If you don't believe, I didn't force you to! Why are you scolding me? If I am an ignorant woman, why did you marry me?"

Uncle Guo snorted, "Talking to you is like playing the lute to a cow. I have no energy left to argue. Sleep."

The room suddenly fell silent. Li Hao looked at the sky and saw that it was nearly the second watch of the night. He stood by the window for a while, but heard no further sound from the couple.

Knowing they had finished their quarrel and gone to sleep, he turned and left the courtyard.

His mind was in turmoil. Regarding his parents' disappearance and his home's destruction, he felt momentarily lost. As he walked, he guessed to himself, and suddenly, realization dawned. He said furiously, "This must be the work of the monks from the Dharma Gate Temple. Those bald scoundrels feared I would return to kill them, so they abducted my parents as hostages and burned my home. This is clearly revenge for me burning the temple gate. They hide behind the facade of saving the world to deceive believers, while committing all sorts of evil in the shadows. I will not rest until I have exterminated every one of those bald heads and razed their temple to the ground."

Li Hao returned to the ruins, shed tears of grief, knelt on the ground, and bowed three times. He whispered a prayer: "I have come without incense or offerings to present to your spirits. I grew up with you; though we were master and servant in name, our bond was deeper than that of siblings or kin. Because of my unworthiness, you met such a tragic end, dying in the fire with no remains left behind. Even if I were to take my own life before you, it would not wash away my sins. My body may feel as dead as yours, but I still have the resolve to avenge you. One day, I will use the brains and blood of our enemies to honor your souls. I will care for your families; if you have awareness in the afterlife, you may rest in peace."

After the prayer, he stood up slowly, feeling his face mask and the clothes on his chest soaked through with the tears he had shed.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard intermittent voices from the nearby bamboo grove: "Wine... wine is the hero’s courage. Wealth... wealth is the source of boldness. As long as I, Old Five He, have had a drink, let alone coming to a place where people were burned to death to dig for treasure, even if I were asked to kill... to kill, I wouldn't be afraid."

Li Hao was startled. *Who could this be, wandering in this bamboo grove in the middle of the night?*

Then he heard another stuttering voice reply, "Fifth Brother, w-we dig up gold and jewelry this time, hehe, I’ll first marry a pretty wife. Happiness, happiness."

The one called Fifth Brother let out a cackling laugh. "Black Ox, your wish will surely come true. The Li family has been officials for generations, and their wealth is beyond counting. They must have hidden plenty of jewels, and since the disaster happened so suddenly, not a single male or female servant escaped alive."

Li Hao recognized the voices as two troublemakers from He Family Village he had seen in his childhood. He thought to himself, *These two lazy gluttons haven't changed their nature. Tonight, I shall teach them a lesson.*

The voices drew closer. He hid himself and peered toward the source. Two ruffians emerged from the bamboo grove, each shouldering a hoe. They stopped near the rubble and carefully examined the area.

Black Ox pointed at the debris and asked, "Fifth Brother, have you been to the Li family courtyard before?"

Old Five He nodded. "I only entered once, to help carry the late Madam Li's coffin."

Black Ox said, "I suspect the valuable jewelry is hidden underground in Master Li's bedroom. Think carefully—where was their bedroom? Let's dig there to avoid wasting effort."

Old Five He nodded. "You are truly sharp. In my memory, their bedroom was in the left wing, near the south."

Having agreed on the plan, they walked toward the rubble on the left.

In the darkness, Black Ox asked cautiously, "Fifth Brother, you aren't misremembering, are you?"

Old Five He shook his head. "Don't doubt it. Even though I've had a few cups of liquor, I'm not drunk enough to be confused. Start digging; it's getting late."

Black Ox did not hesitate. He took his hoe and began to dig.

Obsessed with wealth, the two dug as if their lives depended on it. With every swing of the hoe, they were sweating within moments.

Suddenly, a cry of shock rang out in the darkness: "Eek! A dead body!"

He stumbled back a step, staring at the corpse he had unearthed, his face drained of color.

Under the faint moonlight, the corpse's head was shattered, and the body was charred like a piece of twisted charcoal. It was a gruesome sight.

Old Five He felt a tremor in his heart. He straightened up, leaning on his hoe handle, and asked urgently, "Is it a male or female corpse? Can you tell?"

Black Ox took a breath of cold air, steadied himself, and replied, "With the body in such a wretched state, how could anyone tell?"

Old Five He, being bolder, walked over with his hoe. He leaned down and looked, then suddenly laughed in a frenzy of joy: "It’s a female corpse! She still has a gold bracelet on her wrist."

As he spoke, he reached out to pick up the bracelet. But just as he bent down, he felt something strike his back with great force. Startled, he stood up abruptly and shouted, "There’s a ghost! A ghost!"