Chapter 17 Finding Clues

Old Liu Tou said, "I knew the ghosts were coming when I saw the reeds by the river burning. But I was thinking of having you take everyone away, and I'd stay behind and let the ghosts kill me. As long as they come back within ten days, they'll be fine."

Old Liu Tou added, "The reeds caught fire when my father died."

I nodded and asked, "What's the connection between that fish and the ghosts entering the village?"

Old Liu Tou said, "I can't say for sure. But I think they're definitely related. The village only gets haunted when that fish comes out. Otherwise, things are peaceful!"

I tapped the ground with my foot and asked, "Is there an underground river under the village?"

"There probably is!" Old Liu Tou said. "My father and grandfather suspected it. But no one ever confirmed it. It's not that they didn't want to go down and look. It's just that their cultivation was too shallow, and they were afraid to see it!"

"Mm!" I nodded and asked, "Does the Wang Li Shi I'm looking for even exist?"

"Who knows!" Old Liu Tou shook his head. "After the sudden deaths of our seven ancestors, all the family trees disappeared. After that, no one was in the mood to make new ones. Over time, no one remembers what people were called before three generations ago."

"The family trees just disappeared!" I pressed. "How many families in the village are named Wang?"

"Only one!" Old Liu Tou pointed towards the end of the village. "The Old Wang family is over there. Their ancestor was a military officer in charge of the water patrol."

"Oh!" I sat up straight. "Didn't you ever ask him about the water patrol?"

"Ask a load of crap, there are only a few idiots left in that family. It's a sin!" Old Liu Tou said. "Back when the village sorcerers died violently, the Old Wang family suffered the most deaths. After that, the Old Wang family stopped producing male offspring. After a few generations, there was only an old woman and her idiotic grandson left."

"Logically, an idiot shouldn't be able to marry and have children. But the old woman refused to let the Old Wang family line die out. She took out all the remaining wealth of the Old Wang family and found an idiotic wife for her grandson. In the end, they had two more idiots. It's a sin!"

"After the old woman closed her eyes for good, the villagers took care of their affairs. The daughter-in-law's family took her back when they found out the old woman had died. The Old Wang family's idiotic son ran out to find his wife and never came back. I reckon he died somewhere."

Old Liu Tou paused here and said, "The remaining two idiots in the Old Wang family are living off the care of the villagers."

"The Oldest Wang, accidentally fell into the river a few years ago and drowned. When they fished him out, the fish had almost eaten his corpse raw. The Second Wang is doing well. Unlike the oldest who was always running around, he just eats and sleeps at home all day long. When he's hungry, he comes out to ask the villagers for food. If he's not hungry, you won't even see him."

I frowned. According to Old Liu Tou, the ghost Wang Li Shi that the underworld couldn't find was the Old Wang family's daughter-in-law. But there's only one idiot left in the Wang family. Who am I supposed to ask?

I pondered for a moment and said, "I want to go to the Wang family to look for clues. Will you take me there?"

Old Liu Tou hesitated. "It's so late already. We might scare the idiot if we go. How about we go when it's light?"

I pointed to the coffin in the yard. "I can wait, but can the one lying outside wait?"

"That…" Old Liu Tou said with a trembling voice, "I skewered that thing outside with a peach wood stick. Isn't it dead yet?"

I replied, "The one outside is a corpse, and the one who carried away your door is a ghost. Do you think the ghost will wait for us?"

Old Liu Tou suddenly stood up. "Let's go! Let's go now."

Old Liu Tou hurriedly led me out. When I passed the coffin, I specially put two soul suppressing talismans on it before following Old Liu Tou out the door.

Old Liu Tou led me towards the big willow tree. Halfway there, I suddenly asked, "When was that willow tree planted?"

"It was planted when the seven ancestors moved here. There are seven such trees in the village, arranged according to the Big Dipper."

Old Liu Tou said as he walked, "The seven ancestors planted these seven trees, firstly to set up a Big Dipper formation. Secondly, to remind future generations of the bond between the seven families, the people of the water patrol were sworn brothers back then!"

"Oh!" I replied, not expecting Old Liu Tou to change the subject. "Unfortunately, two of the seven trees are gone."

I casually asked, "Which tree is your Liu family's tree?"

"The one behind my house!" Old Liu Tou said. "The seven families each guard their own tree. The Old Wang family lives near the willow tree."

At first, I didn't pay much attention to what Old Liu Tou was saying, but when we arrived at the Old Wang family's door, I frowned slightly. "This Wang family house doesn't look like an old house! It looks much newer than yours."