Retracting the Dragon’s Roar from its sheath, Ling Feng, Shen He, and Pei Yu arrived at the main entrance. Since Pei Yu was a specter, she could pass through walls, so she entered the house a step ahead. Ling Feng and the other waited to knock.
“Is anyone home?”
“Who…is it…?”
A response came from inside, from an old grandmother, though she sounded weak and out of breath.
“Hello, I’m Pei Yu’s friend. I’ve come to visit today. I wonder if you could open the door for us.”
“Little Yu’s friend? Come in, the door isn’t locked.”
“Alright.”
Ling Feng grasped the doorknob and pushed the door open. As soon as it swung inward, he smelled a foul odor. He frowned but said nothing, stepping inside, with Shen He following closely behind.
Though there was no light, both of them could see clearly. The house was simply furnished, with a large hall, two rooms, and a kitchen. Honestly, the house was quite spacious.
“You two are Little Yu’s friends?”
In the center of the hall sat an old grandmother with a face full of wrinkles, in a rocking chair. Pei Yu, who had entered earlier, stood beside the elder, her eyes streaming with tears as she looked at her grandmother.
However, the old grandmother was an ordinary person and couldn’t see Pei Yu. Pei Yu was helpless to make her grandmother see her and could only weep with her hands covering her face.
The old grandmother looked at Ling Feng and Shen He, who appeared to be much older than Pei Yu, and felt some doubt. Pei Yu was still young, so how could she have friends so much older than her?
“Yes,” Ling Feng nodded. Shen He was not good at such conversations, so it fell to him.
“Please, sit. I’ll get you some water.” The old grandmother struggled to rise from the rocking chair, but after trying for over ten seconds, she couldn’t stand up.
“I apologize, I can’t seem to get up. I can’t host you properly. If you want water, please go to the kitchen. The oil lamp is on the table in the hall, and the matches are there too. Please light a lamp first.” The old grandmother said apologetically.
Upon hearing this, Ling Feng started walking towards the center of the hall, but Shen He stopped him by extending an arm.
“Junior brother, you chat with the elder. I’ll go.” With that, Shen He walked to the table by the wall in the hall, picked up the matches, and struck them against the box with a *shing*. The match ignited.
Shen He lit the oil lamp, and the soft glow illuminated the hall. Carrying the lamp, Shen He walked towards the kitchen.
Ling Feng, the elder, and the still-crying Pei Yu were left in the hall.
“What a beautiful young girl. I wish Little Yu could be as pretty as her when she grows up,” the old grandmother said with a smile.
Then, her smile vanished, her eyes lost their light, and she sighed, “I don’t know where Little Yu has gone. She hasn’t been home for two or three days.”
Hearing her words, Ling Feng looked at Pei Yu. He desperately wanted to tell the old grandmother that Pei Yu was right beside her, but as Pei Yu saw Ling Feng look at her, she seemed to understand his intention. She covered her mouth and shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
Then she spoke, “Please don’t tell Grandma I’m dead… she won’t be able to bear it.”
“Sigh.” Ling Feng sighed helplessly. This was Pei Yu’s choice, and he would respect it.
“Is that Little Yu?” The old grandmother suddenly said something.
Both Ling Feng and Pei Yu were stunned. What was happening?
“I’m sorry, I’m getting old. I often hear phantom sounds. Just now, I thought I heard Little Yu’s voice.” The old grandmother scanned the room and then slowly sat back down.
“Junior brother, come here for a moment.” Shen He’s voice came from the kitchen. Ling Feng, somewhat puzzled, said he’d be back shortly and entered the kitchen.
Upon entering, Ling Feng found Shen He standing by the stove, holding the lid of the cooking pot, as if she had seen something.
He walked over and discovered that the cooking pot had grown mold.
“What is it?” Ling Feng asked, confused.
“The old grandmother hasn’t eaten anything for two or three days,” Shen He said calmly.
“What? How is that possible? Didn’t Pei Yu say it was yesterday?” Ling Feng exclaimed in disbelief, lowering his voice.
“I’ve investigated the kitchen thoroughly. There’s dust everywhere. Judging by how it’s accumulated, no one has entered this room for about three days.”
“Then… why could that be?”
“It must be that when she was resisting the evil spirit’s control, she lost her sense of the passage of external time, thus believing it was still yesterday.”
“But what if someone brought her food…”
“No, junior brother. You should have sensed how weak the old woman’s life force is outside, right?” Before Ling Feng could finish speaking, Shen He interjected.
“Yes, indeed. Her life force is so weak it could disappear at any moment.” Ling Feng nodded.
The two fell silent for a moment. Now they both knew that Pei Yu’s grandmother hadn’t eaten for two or three days. Logically, with her physique, two or three days without food would have severely impacted her bodily functions. Yet, she was still able to converse with them, which meant something.
It meant the elder was holding on by sheer will, usually because there was an important matter unfinished, and she was unwilling to leave.
This reminded Ling Feng of old Yuan, who had departed only after formally passing on the baton of hybrid rice to others.
“I understand. I’ll handle the rest,” Ling Feng said, lowering his head as he walked out of the kitchen. He had already made a guess about Grandma Pei’s “important matter.”
“What is it? Didn’t you find water?” Grandma Pei asked Ling Feng as he approached, her voice filled with doubt.
Ling Feng didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he walked up to the elder, glanced at Pei Yu beside her, and placed a finger on the old woman’s forehead, circulating his true qi.
Both Pei Yu and her grandmother were confused about what Ling Feng was doing.
“Brother Ling Feng, what are you doing?” Pei Yu asked curiously.
To Pei Yu’s surprise, as soon as she spoke, her grandmother trembled all over. It was as if she had heard Pei Yu’s voice. Her head slowly turned, and she saw standing beside her the person she missed the most, who had been absent moments before.
Grandma Pei wanted to say something, but due to her excitement, she didn’t know what to say. From her expression, it was clear she had guessed something.
“Little Yu, you’re back?” Grandma Pei said, her voice hoarse, tears involuntarily falling.
With a strength she didn’t seem to possess, Grandma Pei stood up from the rocking chair and embraced Pei Yu.
“How can this be? Grandma, you can see me?” Pei Yu exclaimed, looking at Ling Feng. Only Ling Feng and Shen He could do this: “Brother Ling Feng, you…”
Ling Feng had already withdrawn his hand and had, at some point, walked to the doorway. Shen He was already standing outside. As he stepped out of the house, Ling Feng spoke his last words.
“Pei Yu, your grandmother… is also fading. But she’s holding on by a thread. So, say whatever you need to say now, to let go of her lingering attachment.”
“What! Grandma, you too…”
Without listening to their conversation, Ling Feng closed the door and walked to Shen He’s side. He looked up at the moon in the sky and gave a wry smile, “Leaving together, isn’t that also a beautiful ending?”