The Hong Ye Village wasn’t very big—just about a hundred households, with a population under five hundred. When the nine of us arrived, it was dinnertime, and every household was eating. Seeing us show up covered in wounds and tattered clothes—wait, scratch that, absolutely battered and bruised—the villagers almost mistook us for fugitives and drove us out. After all, it’s not uncommon for wanted criminals to escape into remote mountains, often in a very sorry state.

Luckily, one of the aunties recognized Jin Xishan. After a quick inquiry, when she learned we’d been attacked by mei hou (demonic monkeys), she immediately invited us into her home. This auntie looked to be in her forties, her face showing only a few wrinkles. She lived alone, as her husband and son had gone to work in the city. After seating us, she brought us some fruit and told us to rest while she went to fetch Jin Xishan’s grandfather.

We didn’t hold back. The auntie’s house had plenty of food—bananas, watermelon, you name it. We circled the table, eating and drinking to our hearts’ content. They say mountain folk are simple and kind-hearted, and it’s true. Normally, strangers wouldn’t be invited into someone’s home for a meal, let alone be left alone in the house while the host went out. That kind of trust? Forget it in the city.

“Xishan, you’re back?”

About ten minutes later, an elderly man with white hair, leaning on a cane, entered the house. His face was pale and weathered. Jin Xishan immediately stood up and rushed to him, hugging him tightly. “Grandpa, are you okay?”

“Cough, cough, I’m fine, just not feeling too well,” Grandpa Jin sighed.

He was dressed in a spotless Zhongshan suit, clearly having changed into something presentable for the occasion. But I couldn’t help noticing a faint shadow of dark energy between his brows. I didn’t think much of it at the time, though. The auntie returned just then, cheerfully saying, “Sit tight, everyone! I’ll whip up some dishes for you.” With that, she turned and headed for the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Jin Xishan held onto her grandfather, chatting nonstop. We’d already heard on the way that she’d always been close to her grandpa, so with his worsening health, her concern was natural.

Before long, the auntie had laid out a table full of dishes. Fortunately, the table was large enough for all of us to sit around and feast together. After a full day of hiking, a night of fighting, and losing so much blood, no one held back. Even the usual ladies—Jin Xishan, Xi Que, and Xia Yumeng—ate with wild abandon.

After the meal, Brother Xiang and I stayed at the auntie’s house, while Jin Xishan, Xia Yumeng, Xi Que, and Han Sifan stayed at Grandpa Jin’s place. Little Fatty, Tai Long, and Liu Tianyi found lodging with a villager next door.

We figured we’d rest up for the night and resume our sightseeing the next day. Though the encounter with the mei hou was a twist we hadn’t expected, our original goal for this trip was still to have fun. Jin Xishan promised to show us around the area.

But that night, Han Sifan and Jin Xishan came knocking at our room.

The two of them were dressed in all-black athletic wear. Brother Xiang and I were lounging around, watching TV when they crept inside. Curious, I asked Han Sifan, “Why are you sneaking around in this getup in the middle of the night?”

“Shh!” Han Sifan held a finger to her lips, signaling me to keep quiet. She carefully checked the doorway, closed the door behind her, and then sat on the bed, looking at us seriously. “Alright, Xishan, I brought you here to tell you something.”

“Huh?” Jin Xishan sat down beside her, confused. Han Sifan continued, “Did you know? Actually, I, Hui, and Brother Xiang are all yin-yang masters.”

Jin Xishan frowned slightly. “You brought me here just to say that? Also, how could ghosts even exist?”

“Didn’t you see it for yourself yesterday?” Han Sifan chuckled. Jin Xishan shook her head. “Those were just monkeys—violent ones, sure, but still monkeys.”

Truthfully, Jin Xishan probably already believed in her heart, but it’s normal for most people to struggle with the concept. Brother Xiang gave Han Sifan a skeptical look. “Why are you exposing our identities, girl? How are we supposed to stay undercover and save the world after this?”

“Come on. Xishan’s dad is a high-ranking government official, and the government has its own ghost-hunting division. If you don’t believe me, Xishan, you can call your dad to ask,” Han Sifan said. “So, it’s not really a big secret. But the real reason I brought you here wasn’t just to spill the beans about us.”

“When I first saw Grandpa Jin today, I felt something was off. His facial features suggest longevity—he should easily live past ninety. But he’s only in his seventies, so his health shouldn’t be deteriorating like this.” Han Sifan turned to Brother Xiang. “You’d know about this better than anyone, right?”

Brother Xiang nodded. “True. Grandpa Jin does seem a bit strange.”

Hearing this, Jin Xishan became anxious. “What are you trying to say? Don’t beat around the bush.”

“To put it bluntly, someone’s harming your grandpa,” I chimed in, puzzled. “But why? The old man lived here in the mountains all his life. It’s not like he’d have enemies.”

“You idiot. Xishan’s dad is a government official. He’s bound to have made enemies somewhere. And look what I found in Grandpa Jin’s room.” Han Sifan pulled a small, black bell from her bag.

The bell was dark and inscribed with strange symbols. I stared at it and asked, “What’s this thing?”

“A spirit-summoning bell, used to call ghosts. I found it by the window in Grandpa Jin’s room and secretly took it,” Han Sifan explained. Jin Xishan frowned, looking increasingly convinced. She asked anxiously, “What should we do?”

“Don’t rush. Your grandpa’s been fine so far, so a little longer won’t hurt. Tomorrow, Hui will go to his room and check how many ghosts are hanging around. This spirit-summoning bell must’ve summoned a bunch of wandering spirits to loiter there. Since your grandpa’s an elderly man, living with ghosts every day is bound to weaken his body. But we can’t just move him out immediately. First, we need to figure out who planted the bell.”

“Geez, this is endless. One thing after another!” I sighed. My shoulder still aches, and now this. Shaking my head, I tried to console Jin Xishan with some generic reassurances. Afterward, the two girls left, and Brother Xiang and I crashed for the night. Tomorrow, we’d have to investigate Grandpa Jin’s room.

The next morning, I woke up early—well, more like Jin Xishan came to drag me to her grandpa’s house. Following her through the village, we weaved left and right for about two minutes before arriving. Grandpa Jin’s house was one of the rare brick structures in the village, a two-story building. As we entered, I felt an inexplicable chill. Jin Xishan pulled me to her grandpa’s bedroom door and called out, “Grandpa, are you still sleeping? I brought my friend to visit!”

With that, she pushed the door open and led me inside.