Chapter 1: The Ghost of the Imperial City

In early autumn, after the great bell of the Imperial City had struck three times, threads of rain, carrying a deep chill, began to fall.

As dusk approached, a side gate of the Imperial City opened without a sound. Two rows of attendants holding paper umbrellas and faintly glowing red lanterns glided slowly through the gateway.

The middle-aged man at the head of the procession wore the robes and cap of an official. After passing through the gate, he paused his steps for a moment, his expression solemn as he gazed down the misty, rain-swept road that wound between the deep courtyards and high walls.

“Elder Ning, this way, please.”

The one addressed as Elder Ning was an old man named Ning Qingshui. He was well past seventy, his hair a mix of white and grey, yet he was still meticulously dressed in Daoist robes, his hair tied in a Daoist topknot. Though his face was gaunt, the brilliant light deep in his pupils was like an unextinguished ember beneath ashes.

Behind the old man followed a pair of youths, a boy and a girl, also dressed in Daoist attire.

The boy appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen, while the girl was younger. Both were slender and had delicate features. They kept their heads lowered, though their gazes would occasionally lift to steal a glimpse of the magnificent and imposing palaces within the Imperial City.

In the drizzling rain, the Imperial City seemed exceptionally quiet and desolate.

As they passed through a long, covered corridor, towering palace halls crowded into their vision. The boy in the simple Daoist robes felt a sense of oppression weigh on his heart. His expression grew faintly uneasy, and his pace slowed. The young girl beside him glanced at him, the corner of her mouth twitching into a contemptuous smirk.

The middle-aged official led the three into a palace courtyard. It was a spacious compound. A serving maid, holding an umbrella while trimming the flowers, gave a slight bow upon seeing the official.

Winding past a spirit screen and through a long gallery, the man led them forward. The door to a wing-room at the end stood open. The official explained, “The master of this residence is temporarily away. Elder Ning may first settle in here with your two disciples. Regarding the matter of exorcising the filth and dispelling the spirits, a Master of Rites will be by shortly to discuss the details with you.”

The fingers Ning Qingshui had been pinching within his sleeve suddenly stilled. He turned to look at the official and abruptly smiled. “This old bag of bones doesn’t mind, but my two disciples are in the prime of their youth. To be tainted by a vicious, baleful qi is no small matter. They cannot stay in this cursed house.”

The official’s expression shifted slightly. He forced a smile and asked, “Elder, why do you say such a thing?”

Ning Qingshui smiled faintly, knowing the man had led him here to test him. He did not step over the threshold himself. Instead, he drew a single copper coin from his sleeve and tossed it lightly. The coin landed perfectly on the threshold, but it did not stop. It flipped and danced as if it were alive. Finally, the old man held out his palm, and the coin leaped back into it.

Ning Qingshui closed his hand, gripping the coin tightly. His expression grew several degrees more solemn. After a moment, he spoke slowly.

“The owner of this room died three days ago. This resentful energy has lingered without scattering, which means he likely hung himself after being possessed by an evil influence. During that time, someone came to perform rites, but… that person also died. Everyone in this entire residence has fallen ill to some degree. If not for our arrival today, this entire palace courtyard would have been sealed, would it not?”

The middle-aged man looked at him deeply, his expression now filled with admiration and approval. He raised a hand, and the serving maids, along with the women who had been trimming the trees, all withdrew. Once the courtyard was quiet, the man cupped his hands in a fist and said:

“The rumors are indeed true. The Elder’s mastery of the Daoist arts is utterly different from the previous ones. I brought you here today with the intent to test you; it seems I could not hide it from you after all. Please, Elder, do not take offense.”

Ning Qingshui smiled. “It doesn’t matter. I know that several wandering Daoists of insufficient skill have already died. Your testing of my abilities was also for my own good.”

“This courtyard is naturally unfit for lodging. Please, Elder, allow me to escort you to another residence.” The man nodded gently. “May I ask when the Elder can begin the ritual?”

Ning Qingshui glanced at the darkening sky as the rain began to subside.

“At the hour of Zi (the midnight hour).” The old man’s voice was slightly hoarse. “When the time comes, I hope that noble lord has not forgotten his promise.”

“Naturally not,” the man smiled. “This humble official’s name is Song Ce. If there is anything else you need, you have only to send someone to find me.”

As their voices faded, a small, vermilion sparrow on the corner of the eaves shook the rain from its wings and flew away.

“As your master, I have often told you that we who cultivate the Dao uphold a body of righteous qi,” Ning Qingshui said, his tone earnest. He sat in a high-backed Master’s chair, looking at the boy and girl standing by his side. “We are like a candle flame in the dark. Let the night be as vast as a deluge; it cannot drown this tiny flicker of light. Therefore, as long as you stay close by my side, you need not fear. Even if we fail, the worst that can happen is we make our escape.”

He continued, “Later, during the ritual, you two must remember to keep your minds pure. Do not give rise to any wicked or crooked thoughts, lest you give those demonic heretics an opening to exploit. If that happens, even your Master will not be able to save you. Changjiu, Xiaoling, have you remembered?”

The boy’s name was Ning Changjiu; the girl’s, Ning Xiaoling.

Ning Changjiu lowered his head, listening meticulously. When the old man finished, he nodded respectfully. “I have remembered.”

The girl’s reply was equally respectful. She kept her head down, but her eyes darted, a flicker of disdain and resentment hidden within them.

Ning Qingshui nodded. “Then you two may sit and meditate to quiet your hearts. When the hour of Zi arrives, you will accompany your Master to vanquish the demon.”

“Yes,” they answered in unison.

After giving his instructions, Ning Qingshui rose and walked towards the door. Once outside, he waved the horsetail whisk in his hand, and the door swung shut with a thud. The old man glanced back at it, his gaze utterly cold, as if he were looking at the dead.

The boy and girl had never been formally initiated into a Daoist sect, so they naturally did not notice Ning Qingshui’s frigid gaze from the other side of the closed door.

Ning Changjiu followed his master’s advice, sitting cross-legged and murmuring sutras to himself.

Ning Xiaoling shot him a look and said coldly, “You fool. Do you really believe that old devil’s nonsense?”

Ning Changjiu ignored her and continued his meditation.

Ning Xiaoling sat down in the Master’s chair, her small frame seeming to curl up inside it. She crossed her slender legs and rested her hands on her knees, but instead of meditating, she tapped them lightly. “You fool might not feel it,” she said, annoyed, “but the way that old devil has been looking at us lately is getting stranger and stranger. One moment it’s like he’s looking at his privately hoarded gold and jewels, and the next, it’s like he’s looking at…”

She pursed her lips, not finishing the sentence. She sighed. “In any case, who knows when he’ll decide to sell us off.”

Ning Changjiu opened his eyes, displeased. “Master bought us,” he retorted. “And he hasn’t treated us poorly. Why must you speak of him like that?”

Ning Xiaoling sneered. “In all these years, what has he ever taught us?”

“Master has his own profound reasons,” Ning Changjiu said stubbornly.

Ning Xiaoling let out another cold laugh, then sighed. “When you buy chicks and ducklings and raise them, do you teach them martial arts and the principles of being a good person? No. You just wait for the day they are fat and plump, and then you either sell them or slaughter them yourself to eat.”

Ning Changjiu was deeply uncomfortable with her analogy. He frowned, wanting to argue, but the words wouldn’t come. He simply couldn’t understand why his junior sister, who looked so delicate and lovely, could so often speak such cutting words.

“Sigh…” Ning Xiaoling let out a long, slow sigh. She gave up the pretense of meditating and sat in the chair, swinging her small legs gently. She rested her head on the backrest, staring blankly at the ceiling.

She couldn’t understand it either. Her senior brother looked so clever, so why was his brain so dense?

“Actually…” Ning Changjiu hesitated for a moment, then said uncertainly, “Lately, as we’ve gotten closer to the Imperial City, I keep remembering some strange things.”

“Strange things?” Ning Xiaoling’s interest was piqued.

Ning Changjiu nodded. “I often see a Daoist temple. It feels very familiar, as if I had lived there since I was a child.”

“What kind of temple?” Ning Xiaoling asked, perplexed.

Ning Changjiu shook his head. “A very ordinary one. The gate to the temple is always closed, but inside, it feels like there are seven… no, eight people!”

Ning Xiaoling laughed. “Foolish senior brother, the ritual hasn’t even started. Are you already possessed?”

“I don’t know either,” Ning Changjiu shook his head, laughing at himself. He thought he must be getting more and more confused. He silently recited his master’s teachings, chanting a few mantras to clear his mind. His heart gradually settled, and he stopped thinking about such ethereal, illusory things.

The girl took out some cold, dry rations and chewed on them slowly. She looked out the window at the descending night, clutching the secret and the confidence she held in her heart, yet she felt a growing sense of unease.

Time passed slowly. Ning Xiaoling pounded her fists on the back of the chair, feeling increasingly agitated.

When Ning Qingshui returned, it was nearly the hour of Zi. “The preparations are almost complete. Come with me.”

Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling followed him out. As he closed the door, Ning Changjiu whispered, “Don’t be afraid, junior sister. I will protect you.”

You’re the one who should be scared, Ning Xiaoling thought, snorting inwardly. She pretended not to see the beads of sweat on his forehead. Cursing him for a fool in her mind, she nonetheless gave a small nod.

Ning Qingshui took out two yellow paper talismans from his sleeve and handed one to each of them. His expression was grave. “These are precious talismans for protection. Keep them on your person. If anything unexpected happens later, they may save your lives.”

Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling accepted the paper talismans and thanked their master in unison.

A thick night fog gradually enveloped the Imperial City.