Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Old Lady with the Yellow Pelt

Finally, the sedan chair touched the ground, the curtain was lifted, and the yellow-furred creature holding the lantern beamed at me and said, “We’ve arrived. Please step out.”

I descended, and my elder brother had already stepped down as well. But the sight before me left me utterly stunned. There, looming in front of my eyes, stood a massive ancient building. Around it hung countless red lanterns, casting a crimson glow over both the structure and its surroundings.

In front of the old building, a stage had been erected, where shadow puppets performed. Many tables were arranged about, laden with fruits and delicacies. At each table sat several yellow-furred creatures. From the looks of it, I could scarcely believe this was the domain of such beings; it seemed more like an ancient theater scene from television.

“Gentlemen, please,” said the yellow-furred creature, bowing slightly. “Grandmother has been waiting for quite some time.”

My elder brother nodded and walked ahead. As we approached the stage, nearly all the yellow-furred creatures stopped watching the performance and turned their heads, their signature beady eyes fixed upon us. My brother’s face was calm, and I struggled to maintain composure. The creature led us to the center of the audience, and there I saw the yellow-furred matriarch whom Chen Qingshan had mentioned.

She was draped in a white fur coat, exuding the air of a noblewoman. Semi-reclining in a grand armchair, she was attended by several maidservants. As we approached, the elderly lady cast a cool glance our way, then addressed the gathering: “What are you staring at? Never seen outsiders before? If anyone else saw you, they’d think you lacked all manners. Go about your business—these are my guests. Unless I say so, no one is to eat the pair of them.”

With a wave of her hand, she continued, “They’re from the Old Ye family beyond the mountains. Prepare seats.”

At her command, two maid-like creatures rose and soon brought over two small stools, placing them beside the matriarch’s grand chair. These stools were tiny, mere trifles compared to the chair, and even smaller than those the other yellow-furred creatures used.

Honestly, by human standards, these two little stools were a slight against us—when you sit lower, it’s as if you’re beneath others. I thought so, and my brother surely did as well. He simply looked on, refusing to sit. I was nervous and decided to follow his lead, lest trouble arise.

With neither of us taking seats, the old lady cracked a melon seed and said, “What, are my little stools beneath you? When Ye Tianhua came here, he sat on these same stools.”

My brother remained standing, silent. The matriarch continued to eat seeds and watch the puppet show, while the maids looked at us with disdain, clearly displeased with our lack of manners.

After a while, the old woman gave my brother a sidelong glance and remarked, “Indeed, the Ye family breeds stubborn ones. When Ye Tianhua refused the stool, I granted him a proper seat. But you two aren’t skilled enough; if you won’t sit, then stand. Suit yourselves. Outsiders can’t say I lack hospitality. Girl, serve tea.”

Her bearing was not that of a yellow-furred creature, but rather of an empress dowager. My brother and I stood as the two maids brought over tea, and two more carried a tea table, setting it before us.

My brother had warned me not to speak or eat upon arrival. At the time, I didn’t know why, but now, even without his warning, I wouldn’t have touched their offerings. Who would dare drink tea served by a yellow-furred creature? So, despite the fragrant steam rising from the cups, I didn’t so much as glance at them.

The matriarch spoke to herself, “You refuse the seats, and now won’t touch the tea. Are you taking advantage of my age, giving me no respect?”

At last, my brother replied, his gaze fixed on her, “What is it you want?”

She eyed him coldly, “You finally speak. I thought you were mute. You ask what I want? Truth is, I invited the young one, not you. You came unbidden. What is it you want?”

My brother’s face darkened, and he said nothing. The old woman glanced at me, “You’re Ye Tianhua’s youngest son, aren’t you? I know you have many questions. Here’s the deal—drink that tea, and I’ll answer three of your questions.”

Her words tempted me greatly; I was desperate to know what was going on. If I’d come alone, even if the tea were poisoned, I might have drunk it for answers. But since I was here with my brother, I had to follow his lead. I looked at him, and he was glaring at me, shaking his head gently.

I immediately abandoned the idea and gave the old lady an awkward smile. “Grandmother, I’m not thirsty.”

She could see it was my brother who stopped me. She cast him a chilly glance, her eyes glinting, “Sun Zhongmou, are you meddling too much?”

My brother stayed silent, his silence always his greatest weapon, and it made the atmosphere tense and awkward.

The matriarch sighed, “Truly cut from the same mold. Fine, I’ll be frank. Ye Tianhua did come to see me, but I wasn’t the one who killed him.”

“Then who?” my brother asked.

Only then did I realize why my brother was here, and that he didn’t know who killed our father either. All this time, I thought he understood everything.

“Drink the tea, and I’ll tell you,” the old woman said.

My brother’s face was cold. Then, I suddenly gritted my teeth and asked, “Is that a promise?”

She sneered, “I’ve lived this long—would I lie to a youngster like you?”

My brother turned and glared at me; I knew he wouldn’t agree. Yet the answer was so close, I could hardly resist. Just as I was about to lift the cup, my brother seized it first and drank it down in one gulp. He tossed the cup to the floor and said, “Speak.”

Startled, I realized I’d only hesitated, never really intended to drink. My brother’s swift action caught me off guard. I hurried to his side, and he waved me off, “I’m fine.”

The old lady honored her promise, “It was the City God—also known as the Ghost Daoist.”

This answer had lingered in my mind before, so I wasn’t too surprised.

But my brother reacted sharply, “Nonsense!”

He said it bluntly, and around us the yellow-furred creatures rose, seeming ready to surround him. The old lady waved her hand, “What are you doing? Sit down and watch your play!”

She sighed, “Believe it or not, it’s up to you. You think entering the Twelve Ghost Caverns and the corpse yard means you know the secret? Even if Old Sun were alive, he wouldn’t dare speak to me like this. But I won’t blame you; I know you don’t trust the answer. I was going to answer three questions, but your disrespect angered me. You can’t ask the other two. I’ll tell you whatever I want. When Ye Tianhua came to see me, he wanted to know how to bring this child into the world. That’s your second answer.”

She pointed at me as she spoke of “this child.”

Suddenly, I recalled Fatty’s speculation—that my father’s death might have been due to my birth. I also remembered Lord Guan’s attempt to kill me because my “destiny chart was tainted with ghostly energy.”

Everything seemed connected by the old lady’s words.

My brother looked at her, “There’s one more.”

She watched the shadow play, cracked a melon seed, and said, “Though the Ghost Dao has few successors, don’t think it’s easy to bully. It has many outer disciples. When the Ghost Dao flourished, it led all Daoist sects. The thing in the old temple—you killed it, and I won’t hold it against you. He wasn’t living well anyway. But you must have noticed—he was the previous Ghost Dao guardian here. We’re all his descendants. He ended up like that for betraying the Ghost Dao. Your father, Ye Tianhua, was no different.”

She glanced at me again, “I wanted to see what kind of child Ye Tianhua risked everything to bring into the world. But I can’t yet tell what you’re made of. Ye Tianhua had clever means—he extinguished your fate lamp before you were born, not fearing the great Daoist masters who might have struck you down.”

Just then, a voice rang out from outside, laughing, “Daoist masters? Are you talking about Fatty here?”

The old lady glared at my brother, “You actually brought him along!”

My brother shrugged, “He insisted on coming—what could I do?”

Apparently, the old lady truly feared Fatty. He strode in, followed by several wounded yellow-furred creatures who knelt before her, “We couldn’t stop him.”

“Useless—get out!” she snapped, and the creatures retreated.

Seeing Fatty arrive filled me with surprise and delight. With my brother, things were stifling—he controlled me too strictly. But with Fatty, everything felt lighter.

Fatty walked over, grabbed a handful of melon seeds from beside the old lady, and began eating, “What, am I not welcome?”

The old lady, so composed before my brother, now turned pale. Even the little yellow-furred creatures looked at Fatty with fear. Fatty grinned, “Relax, carry on as you will. I just came to check on my little brother’s safety. Besides, with my skills, if all of you attacked, I’d hardly survive.”

Then Fatty said pointedly, “Aren’t you going to offer a proper seat and tea? They’re guests—am I not?”

Though conflicted, the old lady signaled to the yellow-furred creatures, who soon brought over a grand chair and set out fragrant tea and fruit for Fatty. He looked at our little stools with smug satisfaction and sat down, crossing his legs and pulling yellow talismans from his pocket.

At the sight of these, even the matriarch’s face changed. But she maintained her regal composure, “We’ve withdrawn to the mountains, left the Ghost Dao behind. Though good and evil are opposed, not all spirits are evil. If you wish to act, you’d better have a proper reason.”

“What are you afraid of? I’m just showing them off, not using them. Tsk tsk, I heard tales of accomplished yellow-furred creatures in the mountains. At first, I thought it was the Qing dynasty’s dragon lineage. Turns out it’s just this bunch. But since Fatty made this long trip, I’m not here merely for tea and melon seeds. Tell me what’s really going on. If I’m not happy, I might just burn this place down with Samadhi Fire.”

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