Chapter 23:
Tormented by an Evil Spirit (Part 6):
“Either I Guide You, or I Destroy You…”
Li Xiaoqiang confessed that he had seen the dog while walking home from school. The black dog would wander around the neighborhood every afternoon, keeping its distance from people. But that day was different. The dog had followed him, drooling and barking, perhaps hungry. He had brought it some fish from the kitchen, but it refused to eat, trying to bite him instead. Frightened, he had hit the dog with a stick, accidentally striking its head. The dog had collapsed and died.
“Where’s the body?” Chen Henian asked.
“Buried in the vegetable garden.”
“Take me there.”
Li Xiaoqiang, his eyes still swollen, looked outside. The sun had risen. It was morning. Li Gang carried him downstairs, where he pointed to a general area in the garden.
Chen Henian glanced at the soil, immediately identifying the spot. “Dig it up.”
Li Gang went to fetch a shovel.
“Go take care of your brother,” Chen Shu instructed Li Xiaoxiao, then joined Li Gang with the shovel.
Chen Henian turned slightly, whispering to the shadowy figure beside him, “Go see if that man is still outside. If he is, open the gate and let him in.”
The mirror ghost glared at him resentfully. It had become his slave, fetching and carrying, scaring children, now opening doors. Chen Henian ignored it. The ghost snorted and vanished.
Li Gang’s first shovelful of dirt caught Chen Henian’s attention.
“Red soil?” He crouched down for a closer look.
Li Gang dug further, unearthing more red soil. It was everywhere, beneath their feet. He asked, “Is there a problem? A feng shui master chose this plot of land for me. He had to leave, so he gave it to me.”
Chen Henian observed the house’s layout. “No problem, excellent feng shui for wealth.” Red soil symbolized the Vermilion Bird, ascending to the heavens. The white walls and red tiles represented prosperity, the iron fence containing the auspicious energy. It was a perfect location for accumulating wealth.
“That’s good,” Li Gang said, relieved.
“But this good feng shui has been ruined,” Chen Henian continued. “It’s not bringing fortune, but misfortune and death.”
“What?” Li Gang’s smile vanished. “Why?”
“Keep digging,” Chen Henian said.
He already knew the reason.
The dog wasn’t buried deep. A few more shovelfuls revealed black fur. The dog’s head was caved in, clearly not just from a single blow.
“Take the body out,” Chen Henian instructed.
Li Gang and Chen Shu, holding their noses, lifted the body with a cloth.
The black dog’s form was revealed. Strangely, its body hadn’t decomposed.
“Wealthy people like to keep pure black dogs as guardians. Do you know why?” Chen Henian explained, “Because black dogs have strong yang energy, repelling evil. In our line of work, they’re considered auspicious creatures. Your son buried its body in this yin-rich red soil, disrupting the feng shui, turning it inward, turning a wronged soul into a vengeful ghost!”
“Little Master, can you get rid of it?” Li Gang asked.
“Of course,” Chen Henian replied. “Cremate the body, offer incense, and pay respects daily. That will gradually appease its resentment.”
Li Gang’s face fell. “That’s so troublesome. Can’t we just get rid of it directly?”
“There is another way,” Chen Henian said. “But your son won’t survive tonight. The sixteenth, another full moon. It’ll be even stronger than last night. I won’t interfere. After it devours you, I’ll destroy it.”
“That’s not acceptable!” Li Gang panicked. “Then cremate it, cremate the body!”
“You’re not the one doing the burning, why are you so anxious?” Chen Henian smiled faintly. “Before cremation, we should ask its family and friends.”
“It’s a dog, where are we going to find its dog friends?” Li Gang was exasperated.
“You don’t have to look. He’s already here.” Chen Henian said. “And he’s human.”
They turned and saw a figure limping towards them. It was the homeless man, his dark face flushed, his breathing labored.
“How did he get in?” Chen Shu’s face hardened at the sight of him.
The homeless man, seeing the crowd, flinched, his hands clasped together, shaking his head and muttering unintelligibly.
“Your dog is here,” Chen Henian said, pointing at the dog’s corpse. “You can take it with you, or you can leave it to me, and I’ll guide its soul to reincarnation.”
The homeless man tilted his head, his eyes scanning the ground until they landed on the black dog. He cried out, his pace quickening.
His injured leg buckled, and he fell to his knees, catching himself with his hands, then quickly scrambling up.
He reached the dog’s body, its fur stiff and cold beneath his calloused hands, a small bell tied to its neck with a red string.
He picked up the body, turning to leave.
“Put the dog down!”
“Don’t go!”
Seeing Chen Henian’s silence, Li Gang and Chen Shu blocked the homeless man’s path. “It harmed my son, and you want to leave?! Leave the body! We have to cremate this beast!”
The homeless man’s eyes widened, his mouth opening in a silent cry.
They grabbed his arms, trying to take the dog’s body, the bell jingling.
“Your damn animal! Damn beast!” Chen Shu cursed.
The homeless man struggled, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his eyes bloodshot, his throat raw as he roared, “Puppy!”
“This is my puppy!”
His voice, raspy and hoarse, was filled with anguish. “My puppy!”
“Ah, uh…”
He wasn’t mute after all. His voice was a guttural cry of despair, his dirty fingernails digging into the dog’s fur as he pulled, his shoulder bumping against them, his head pushing, his entire body twisting, straining with all his might.
But his broken leg couldn’t support his efforts. He collapsed, his body falling heavily on top of the dog. He bit his lip, his eyes wide, refusing to let go.
Chen Shu tried to pull him away, pushing and shoving, then resorting to fists, her face contorted in rage, her blows landing on his frail body, her foot kicking his injured leg.
“It’s not his fault! Why are you hitting him?!” Li Xiaoxiao yelled, running towards them, her voice louder than ever before.
She was small, but her voice was powerful, her body pushing against Li Gang. “This is his dog! His family!”
“Father, Mother, you’re wrong! You can’t hit him!”
Li Gang pushed her away. “This is about your brother’s life! Whose side are you on?!”
Xiaoxiao fell, then got up, grabbing her father’s hand. “You love my brother! Can’t he love his dog?!”
She fell again, then got up, again and again, the pain and exhaustion fading, a sudden sense of fearlessness filling her, her eyes hardening with determination.
As she fell again, someone pulled her up, not gently, but by the collar of her shirt.
She looked up, surprised, and saw Chen Henian.
He pulled her away from the fight, shielding her behind him.
A dark shadow had appeared beneath the struggling bodies, a low growl echoing through the air.
A gust of wind sent Li Gang and Chen Shu flying, landing a few feet away, unconscious.
“You’re here,” Chen Henian looked at the black dog’s spirit. “I knew you would come. You appeared because of him last time too. You heard them, you still want to protect him.”
The black dog stood before him, circling the homeless man, growling menacingly.
It barked, its form flickering in the sunlight.
Its barks grew weaker, its voice unheard by the man beneath it, but it lingered, refusing to leave.
The homeless man lay on the ground, his head bleeding, his arms wrapped around the dog’s body.
“You’re not inherently evil. Even if you can’t become a celestial hound, you can still guide souls in the underworld. But if you kill now, you’ll become a true vengeful ghost, unable to be reincarnated. You’ll lose yourself, forget the ones you care about, until you become a malevolent entity. Then, others will come to destroy you, not just me.” Chen Henian’s voice was calm. “Either I guide you, or I destroy you.”
“If you have grievances, I’ll hear them.”
“You’re no match for me in daylight. Enter my dreams, and show me your past.”
He held out a red string. The black dog, its form fading, looked at the homeless man, whimpering sadly, before the string wrapped around it. Chen Henian held it captive, then held up the mirror. The mirror ghost appeared, and together, they pulled the black dog’s spirit into the mirror.
