Part 2
Before he could drop Wang Zhao off at the hotel, he received another call from Fu Rui. The news was a bombshell: “Shi Danhang is dead. Someone sliced his stomach open while he was in the hospital bathroom.”
Jiang Si processed the news for a moment. A few seconds later, he found his voice. “Did he wake up before he died? Why was he in the bathroom?”
“No.” Fu Ruiās tone was eerie in its calmness. “He was dragged into the bathroom.”
After hurriedly settling Wang Zhao, Jiang Si received a message from Shen Hu. It was the same news: Shi Danhang was dead.
The rearview mirror in the car clearly reflected Jiang Siās face, half-illuminated by the light. He met his own gaze; the reflection in his eyes was also himself. His amber pupils looked even more transparent and pale under the light, the highlight in his eyes shifting with the light source. The sun high above transformed into a stark white ceiling light in his vision.
“The victim is Shi Danhang. The cause of death is a massive hemorrhage caused by a sharp object slicing open the abdomen. The time of death was between 12:30 and 12:40 PM, with an error margin of no more than ten minutes.”
The police were discussing the case behind Jiang Si. He stood in the bathroom where Shi Danhang had died, staring at himself in the mirror.
Shen Hu had asked him to come to the scene to observe the situation with the police. In truth, both Shen Hu and Jiang Si already had their suspicions. Shi Danhang didn’t die at the hands of a humanāor rather, he wasn’t killed by an ordinary person.
The state of Shi Danhangās death was still seared into Jiang Siās mind: his abdomen sliced open, his intestines and blood spilling out. The floor was slick with bloody water; it was impossible to tell if it was from the blood loss or if the sinks had overflowed.
Shen Hu stepped over the white chalk outline on the floor and walked to Jiang Siās side. “Checked the surveillance. Not a single person entered. There were masters taking turns standing guard outside, and they didn’t sense any spirits slipping in. This is very strange. Shi Danhang couldn’t have sliced his own stomach open, could he?”
As Shen Hu spoke, Jiang Si noticed his own reflection moving as well. The reflection in his pupils was also moving; in that moment, it felt as though he wasn’t just one person.
“He could have sliced himself open,” Jiang Si said suddenly. “Why did we assume the Shadow Ghost and the Infant-head Curse were two separate things? Is it possible they are essentially the same?”
“One is a spirit, the other is a curse. How could they be the same?” Shen Hu argued. “You were the first to discover them. You should know the difference better than I do. Demons, monsters, ghosts, spiritsāevery term refers to a different categoryā”
“Thatās not what I mean.” Jiang Si interrupted him, turning his head slightly, his words coming fast. “Iām saying the Shadow Ghost was formed from Shi Danhangās shadow, and the Infant-head Curse was made from his child. Aren’t they both essentially Shi Danhangās incarnations? Shi Danhang is the one who brought them into existence. As long as Shi Danhang is alive, no matter how we guard against them or drive them away, or even if I pull the curse insects from his body, itās useless.”
“They were already one with Shi Danhangās flesh and blood; they couldn’t be separated. Which means… Shi Danhang had to die.”
He whispered the last three words. Jiang Si couldn’t help but find his previous naivety laughable.
Shen Hu had an epiphany. “No wonder even Mrs. Shi woke up, but heāthe one with the ‘life-borrowing’ blessingācouldn’t wake up.”
“I went to talk to Sister Fu recently.” Jiang Si relayed the information he had gathered to Shen Hu. “Where is Sun Yu now?”
“Still in the detention center. I was afraid heād be in danger, so I had someone keep an eye on him.”
“Ask him where he found Shi Danhangās mistress,” Jiang Si said. “I didn’t think about it before, but for a waste like Gong Tianye to refine an Infant-head Curse… isn’t that a bit too easy? If Gong Tianye didn’t have help, it must be because of the mother.”
Shen Hu strode out to make a call, returning ten minutes later. His expression had turned grim. “Gong Tianye was the one who recommended her to him.”
“Then it makes sense.” Jiang Si met his gaze; both had thought of the same thing.
A funerary figurine.
Ancient royalty and nobles placed extreme importance on burials. Not only would they calculate the timing of the funeral, but they would also scout for feng shui and “dragon veins” while they were still alive. In an excellent feng shui spot, it wasn’t uncommon for burial objects interred for thousands of years to develop a spirit.
In the past few decades of modern archaeology, there had been many instances of artifacts mysteriously “disappearing” on their own.
But this was the first case of such a spirit having a relationship with a human, becoming pregnant, and being used to refine a curse.
Everything now had a rational explanation. The figurine spirit had been utilized by Gong Tianye and sent to Shi Danhang to conceive a child. Finally, the Infant-head Curse was used to tear open Shi Danhangās belly and retrieve the Suihou Pearl.
Jiang Si was only glad that he hadn’t handed the figurine over to Shen Hu yet, but had placed it at home next to Old Man Jiangās memorial tablet. Spirits feared true deities; it wouldn’t dare act up, let alone escape.
Shen Hu left in a hurry. Jiang Si borrowed a few pages from a policemanās notebook and folded a few paper beasts, burning them in the bathroom to suppress the lingering yin energy.
After finishing, Jiang Si drove home.
Wang Zhao was surprisingly waiting at his door, fiddling with his phone. Seeing Jiang Si, his eyes lit up and he grabbed Jiang Siās arm, clearly excited.
“I just sent the video over via email, and a director I worked with before called me immediately to ask who filmed it. I told him it was you. He said he wants to talk to you about a shoot!”
Jiang Si opened the door, asking suspiciously, “Your reaction isn’t right. Who is this person that has you so worked up?”
“Heheheā” Wang Zhao gave a bashful smile. “You really know me. Itās my idol! The one who just won an international awardāDirector Tong Yong!”
“Oh, him.” Jiang Si knew of him as well. “What could he want to talk to me about? No matter how well we do, we’re just making low-budget short films. How could we catch his eye?”
“Hah, the project he’s prepping has a similar theme to ours. He probably wants to ask you for inspiration.” Wang Zhao waved it off. “Thatās not the point. The point is I get to meet my idol!”
“…” Jiang Si said, “I haven’t agreed yet.”
Wang Zhao meaningfully gestured with his fingers, indicating a number. “Heās coming with sincere intentions.”
Jiang Si immediately changed his tune. “In that case, itās fine.”
“…You really areāHoly crap! What the hell is that?” Wang Zhao was startled by something behind him, staring at Jiang Si in disbelief. “Wait, since when did you start ‘hiding a beauty in a golden house’?”
A long-haired woman in white was leaning respectfully against the wall, bowing slightly. Her slender, delicate fingers and pale face marked her as a stunning classical beauty; just standing there, she looked like she had stepped out of a masterpiece painting.
Jiang Si was silent for a moment, then gestured toward his bedroom. “Go into my room and play some games. Don’t come out until I call you.”
Seeing Jiang Siās serious expression, Wang Zhao realized something was wrong and hurriedly did as he was told.
Once the door was closed, Jiang Si spoke. “Figurine spirit, you killed someone and still dare to show yourself.”
The woman knelt on the floor, her forehead touching the ground. Her long hair spread out like a flower, but the tangled strands looked more like a spider’s web. “Please, save my sister. I will accept any punishment, but my sister is innocent. Please, save her.”
Translatorās Note
Suihou Pearl (éä¾Æē ): Also known as the “Marquis of Suiās Pearl.” In Chinese mythology, it is one of the most famous treasures, often mentioned alongside the Heshibi (the jade from which the Imperial Seal was carved). Legend says the Marquis of Sui saved a wounded snake, which later returned with a glowing pearl in its mouth to repay him.
Liuxian (ę³ä»): Literally “Willow Immortal,” a respectful term for a snake spirit or deity in Chinese folk religion (especially the “Five Great Immortals” of the North).
Hiding a beauty in a golden house (éå±čåØ): An idiom originating from Emperor Wu of Han, who promised to build a golden house for his cousin. It now refers to keeping a mistress or a secret lover in a luxurious setting.
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