"Either make the offering and cross the bridge, or take a detour below, carry someone on your back, and secretly find a boat to cross!"
Hu Ma had more or less grasped the situation. He glanced at the tea house before quietly walking back to discuss it with Aunt Zhang.
Aunt Zhang was squatting by the bridge, silently staring at the water's surface. She said in a low voice, "They all say there's something on the bridge, don't they? But I see the bridge is clean and clear."
Hu Ma, puzzled, followed her gaze and saw her throw a Copper Coin into the river.
The Copper Coin had been used by countless people and was imbued with their human energy. Being made of copper, it slowly sank to the bottom once it hit the water. The clear, greenish-blue river water quickly swallowed the coin, rendering it invisible.
"If there's something in the river, the coin wouldn't sink to the bottom," Aunt Zhang said softly. "But clearly, the bridge looks clean and tidy."
Hu Ma felt a faint heaviness in his heart as he listened. He lifted his head to look forward.
He saw an ordinary stone bridge. It had stone pillars and long slabs of bluestone spanning the river, was about a zhang wide and ten or so zhang long, and had low rope railings on both sides.
Though the bridge wasn't particularly long, the mist steaming up from the river lent it an ethereal quality. It shrouded half the view, adding a touch of mysterious strangeness.
If there's nothing on the bridge, can we just cross directly? Hu Ma considered for a moment and said in a low voice, "But since there are people blocking the way selling offerings, it probably won't be easy to cross."
"With these people guarding it, even if there's nothing on the bridge, it won't be easy to pass," Aunt Zhang also said, gazing at the bridge. After a long moment, she slowly shook her head and spoke in a low voice, "However, Shopkeeper, we don't have time to ponder this. We can only follow the rules for now.
"We're out to escort the spirit home. The rule is: walk if you can avoid the mountains, cross a bridge if you can avoid a boat, and stay in roadside inns rather than guesthouses.
"If we go down to find a boat, people might not want us because we're carrying a coffin, and they might refuse us passage. Besides, if something happens on the water, no matter how capable we are, our lives would be in their hands. Walking on the bridge feels more secure."
Hu Ma, sensing Aunt Zhang's internal conflict, readily agreed. "Then we'll listen to you, Aunt Zhang."
Crossing the bridge merely meant an additional offering. He had come prepared this time, his senses heightened, and a little extra caution wouldn't hurt.
So, he asked Aunt Zhang to keep watch while he returned to the carriage. He quietly gave Housekeeper Zhou some instructions, telling him what to prepare and what to say. Housekeeper Zhou listened, but he couldn't help feeling a bit awkward.
"This... isn't this too disrespectful to the Young Miss?"
Hu Ma responded in a low voice, "Do you want safety, or do you want to worry about your relationship with your Young Miss?"
Housekeeper Zhou immediately understood. After all, they had agreed on the way here not to hide anything from Hu Ma and to listen to him if problems arose.
He hesitated for only a moment before suddenly bellowing, "No, no!"
His shout attracted a lot of attention from those nearby.
Housekeeper Zhou angrily shouted at Hu Ma, "There's no way we're taking a boat! My old wife lived for over seventy years, and she was terrified of water her whole life. In the end, she still drowned in a river! Now that she's gone, how can we possibly let her travel by boat again? Absolutely no boats!
"We must cross the bridge! We have to cross the bridge!
"You go make an offering to Old Master Qiao. We'll beg him properly. We must cross by the bridge!"
Hu Ma looked helpless and sighed. "Alright, we'll listen to the Old Master."
He's certainly from the trickster's trade, Hu Ma thought, secretly impressed. He gets into character so quickly, and his emotions are so convincing...
Feigning helplessness, Hu Ma returned to the riverbank. The people waiting to cross had heard the commotion and were now watching curiously to see how he would handle the situation.
Hu Ma braced himself and approached the tea house. He smiled at the fierce-looking men, whose origins he couldn't guess, and said, "Gentlemen, my respects."
"We are accompanying our master to escort the spirit home. We wish to cross the bridge. How should the offerings be made? Are there any particular customs?"
Inside the tea house, a burly man heard him and sneered, "Offerings?"
"For that, you'll need the small three sacrifices. Just offer them to Old Master Qiao the same way you offer to your ancestors at home."
The small three sacrifices consisted of chicken, fish, and a pig's head. The large three sacrifices, which were even more significant, included a whole pig, an ox, and a sheep.
Hu Ma put on a troubled expression and asked, "And where can we buy those?"
The men sneered and produced the items, clearly having had them ready for some time.
The chicken was already prepared, the fish was arranged on a platter, and the pig's head was so dark it looked like it might have been used in previous offerings and then reclaimed. These items weren't cheap either; they demanded three taels of Silver from Hu Ma for this meager set.
Realizing they were all in cahoots, Hu Ma conceded and paid the Silver, taking the offerings back.
He handed them to Aunt Zhang, then called over the old housekeeper and the coachman.
The old housekeeper nodded at Hu Ma, indicating he was ready.
Aunt Zhang immediately set up the offerings at the head of the bridge, lit incense, prayed silently for a while, and burned some paper money.
The group started onto the bridge, the carriage wheels creaking as they rolled over the bluestone slabs.
At first, all was calm, and they had quietly crossed more than half the bridge. But then, just as they were about to reach the other side, the cart wheels suddenly slipped, and the cart lurched towards the river.
The coachman cried out in alarm, yelling, "WHOA! WHOA!" but he couldn't stop the donkey pulling the cart.
Hu Ma rushed forward and grabbed the donkey cart, planting his feet firmly as if rooted to the spot, holding it steady.
But, unsure what was happening, he looked urgently at Aunt Zhang and asked in a low voice, "Aunt Zhang, what's going on?"
Aunt Zhang looked ahead, her voice low as she said quietly, "There's no evil spirit on the bridge, but someone has left something behind!"
Hu Ma followed her gaze and saw, to his surprise, a pair of tattered shoes tied with silk thread to one of the bridge pillars ahead.
The shoes were dilapidated, looking as if they had been worn for many years, with several holes in them. Now, they were inexplicably tied to the bridge.
"With broken shoes tied to the bridge, it's no wonder we can't cross peacefully," Aunt Zhang said in a low voice. "But it looks to me like someone tied these here deliberately. What do you think, Shopkeeper?"
Hu Ma didn't answer immediately. He stared at the pair of broken shoes. They looked ordinary enough, yet gazing at them made him feel a wave of dizziness, as if the world was spinning. The sound of the river water splashing around them became extremely clear, and the path under his feet seemed to writhe like a great snake.
Looking ahead, the bridge itself seemed to twist and undulate like a noodle. They felt unsteady even standing still; if they tried to walk forward, they would become completely disoriented and likely fall headfirst into the river.
"The thing on this bridge is causing trouble..."
The coachman and the others were even more alarmed. They hadn't heard the conversation between Hu Ma and Aunt Zhang and only felt that the bridge was incredibly strange.
Just then, Aunt Zhang, who had clearly identified the problem on the bridge, suddenly called out in a deep voice, "Old Master guarding the bridge, we've already given you your offerings!"
"We beg you, Old Master, be magnanimous and let us pass!"
Everyone held their breath, listening intently. No one on the bridge answered, and the pair of broken shoes remained still. But then, they heard voices from behind them; the menacing men from the tea house were catching up.
They brandished knives and swords, sneering, "Old Master Qiao thinks there's something unclean in your coffin. He wants you to open it up for him to take a look."
Aunt Zhang's expression turned grim, and she shook her head. "What Old Master Qiao asks is unreasonable.
"Ghost Walkers have their own rules. Since we've accepted this task of escorting the spirit, we must deliver them home safely. The coffin cannot be opened before reaching the grave. You've already accepted our offerings, yet now you go back on your word and demand we open the coffin for your inspection. What kind of reasoning is that?"
The menacing men merely sneered. From the other end of the bridge, more men, having noticed the commotion, rushed over, trapping Hu Ma's party in the middle.
Someone shouted loudly, "Rules are rules! Old Master Qiao isn't trying to make things difficult. If you open it up for a look, you can pass. If you refuse, then you can go into the water!"
As these words were spoken, the bridge began to sway even more violently. Even the donkey knelt, too frightened to move.
The men converging on them from both ends of the bridge exuded a palpable killing intent; they were clearly not to be trifled with.
Even Aunt Zhang was visibly angered. She understood the problem, but their opponents were clearly playing dumb, insisting that they open the coffin and pressing them step by step.
It's a good thing we didn't actually take a boat, Hu Ma thought. Otherwise, wouldn't they have seized the coffin by now?
Seeing the menacing men blocking their path both ahead and behind, Hu Ma quickly assessed the situation. If they fought on the bridge, they would have to deal with whatever was causing the bridge's strange behavior while also protecting the others. It seemed too risky and difficult to manage everything.
He quickly weighed his options and then suddenly shouted, "Aunt Zhang, just let them see!"
Aunt Zhang was taken aback for a moment and turned to look at him.
Hu Ma nodded at her. "It's better than falling into the river."
As he spoke, he struggled to keep his balance and walked towards the donkey cart. He pushed the coffin lid hard, sliding it open halfway.
The men who had rushed up from both ends of the bridge craned their necks to look.
As soon as they glanced into the coffin, they immediately clapped their hands over their noses, cursing, "Pah! It stinks to high heaven!"
"The person has been dead for over two months!" Hu Ma said. "That's why we're in such a hurry to get them home. But you... why did you insist we open the coffin?"
"Quick, go, go! It's not them!" The menacing men at the bridgehead retreated more than a zhang, frantically waving their hands.
When they looked again, the men on the other side were also retreating, cursing under their breath. And the bridge, which had seemed so bizarre just moments before, was now perfectly normal again.
Even Aunt Zhang was greatly surprised. She glanced at Hu Ma, a questioning look in her eyes, but she refrained from asking anything.
"Quick, let's go!" Hu Ma urged the others. They hurriedly crossed the rest of the bridge and continued quickly along the road. After they had gone some distance, he glanced back and saw a group of people gathered at the bridgehead, apparently discussing something.
Suddenly, a terrifying thought flashed through his mind. He turned to Housekeeper Zhou. "Look, what do you think those people are up to?"