Chapter 116: The Sun and the Moon

As I drew closer, I realized I had mistaken the person. The one standing by the willow tree was not Wei Qi, but a chubby lad. He was slightly taller than Wei Qi and had a broader build; from a distance, he did bear a passing resemblance to him.

Feeling disappointed that it wasn't Wei Qi, I turned to leave.

"Hey! Stop right there," the chubby boy called out from behind me.

"Is there something you need?" I turned around and took a closer look at him. He had fair skin and rather oversized facial features.

"Buddy, who is that girl? Your sister or your girlfriend?" His eyes flickered with a lecherous glint as he ogled Wan'er, which thoroughly annoyed me. It seemed he was just another skirt-chaser.

I ignored him completely and turned away. There was no point in bickering with a neighborhood troublemaker.

"Not going to tell me, huh? I'll ask her myself." He headed straight toward Wan'er. Looking at his waddling back, I couldn't help but smirk. You fool, you have no idea what you're getting into—daring to flirt with a female ghost?

"Hey there, pretty lady, still in school? I'm the one and only 'Young Master Fatty' of Luohe Town—beloved by all, the heartthrob who makes flowers bloom and car tires pop just by passing by. Let's get to know each other." The fatty approached Wan'er, squinting with a cheesy grin.

Wan'er glanced at me, then at the hand he extended, and shook it with a faint smile.

As soon as he gripped her hand, his expression froze. His body spasmed, and he tried to pull away, but his hand was firmly trapped in hers. Being a ghost, Wan'er possessed immense strength, and she must have exerted pressure, as the boy began to grimace in agony.

"Big sister, have mercy! It hurts!" The fatty’s face contorted, and he was on the verge of tears.

"Is that all you feel?" Wan'er gave a seductive smile. She flicked out her tongue—which elongated like a half-meter snake—and swirled it right in front of his face. Terrified, the fatty let out a yelp and collapsed in a dead faint.

"Little brat, daring to flirt with a female ghost? You must be tired of living," Wan'er said as she walked over and linked her arm in mine.

Seeing the fatty scared half to death, I knelt down and checked his breathing; it seemed normal, so I headed home with Wan'er. "Wan'er, don't do that again. We're going to be staying here for a year; it's not a good idea to reveal your ghostly nature."

Wan'er giggled. "I'll listen to you, Brother."

Back home, my aunt was watching TV while Wan'er and I prepared dinner. Although Wan'er didn't eat, she insisted on helping. When I suggested she go keep my aunt company, she claimed she felt too shy.

As I sat down to eat, Wan'er watched from the side. We were just enjoying the meal when someone came stomping into the yard, shouting before they even reached the door, "Auntie! Auntie, it's terrible! I ran into a ghost on the street!"

I recognized the voice immediately—it was the fatty. When I looked out, sure enough, it was him. His white T-shirt was stained from where he had fallen, and he looked quite disheveled.

Li Jinglian walked out, frowning at him. "Zhang Chuyuan, look at the state of you! Doesn't your mother keep an eye on you?"

"Auntie, this is serious! I ran into a beautiful female ghost outside, it scared the life out of me!" the lad said, shrinking his head into his shoulders.

"Have you never seen a ghost before? Always idling about and getting into trouble," Li Jinglian scolded.

"Auntie, don't be like that. Didn't I come here today? My mom sent me to learn the Green Dragon Technique from you," the fatty said with a cheeky grin.

"The Green Dragon Technique? With your physique? You'd be better off practicing the Toad Squat. Look at this young man here—that’s what someone with the potential for the Green Dragon Technique looks like," Li Jinglian said, pointing at me.

The fatty slowly turned around. When he saw me and Wan'er, he let out a yelp and scrambled behind his aunt. "Auntie! That girl is a ghost!"

Li Jinglian smacked his head. "You coward! Isn't your aunt a ghost too? What's there to be afraid of?"

"I'm scared! Just thinking about it terrifies me. I'm not learning anymore, I'm going home!" With that, the fatty bolted toward the gate.

"Trying to run? I'll break your legs!" Before he could reach the entrance, a woman in her fifties caught him by the ear and dragged him back in.

"Mom! Am I even your son? You're so heavy-handed!" the fatty winced, clutching his ear.

"Heavy-handed? This is just me. If it were your father, he’d have broken your legs by now," the woman said, shoving him toward Li Jinglian. "Sister, he's your problem now. He’s failing at school and spending his time flirting with high school girls. He’s a disgrace. Teach him some real skills, or he’ll end up starving to death."

"Sister, I'll take him, but it's understood: if he doesn't listen, I will discipline him."

"He's your nephew—beat him if you have to. I'm off; the sow is about to farrow." With that, she dumped her son at her sister’s place and left.

The fatty looked miserable. "Auntie, am I really their biological son? Why are they so cruel to me?"

Li Jinglian smiled. "Don't ask me, ask them. But listen: you stay with me, but you'll have to ask your parents for money—I won't be cooking for you. And no more of that bad behavior; no more ogling young girls. Understood?"

"Auntie, I just finished doubting if I was my mom's son, and now I'm doubting if I'm your nephew. You're so harsh!" The fatty pouted in defiance.

"One more word and I'll hit you. Your mother put you in my care, after all," Li Jinglian said, raising her hand.

The fatty’s expression changed in an instant, and his sour face broke into a smile. "Auntie, you wouldn't hit me! I'm your favorite nephew!"

Li Jinglian laughed and tapped him on the backside. "See them? That's Da Chuan and Wan'er. If you have any sense, get on their good side—you might be able to share meals with them."

The fatty cast a cold look at me, then looked at Wan'er with eyes full of lingering fear. "Auntie, I don't dare hang out with them. They'll scare me to death!"

"Suit yourself," Li Jinglian said, heading into her room and slamming the door shut behind her.

The fatty stood there for a moment before slowly approaching me, looking sheepish. "Buddy, what's your name? I'm Zhang Chuyuan. You can call me 'Young Master Fatty'—that's what everyone calls me."

Since he was Li Jinglian's nephew and clearly just a small-time hoodlum rather than a true villain, I reached out and shook his hand. "Wang Da Chuan."

"Sister, sister-in-law, I—I apologize!" Zhang Chuyuan looked at Wan'er, still terrified, his face turning slightly pale.

"It's fine. You boys go ahead and talk; I'm going in to visit Auntie." With that, Wan'er walked into Li Jinglian's room. This female ghost was truly strange; just a moment ago she was too shy to talk to her, but now she was perfectly comfortable.

"Buddy, is that your wife?" Zhang Chuyuan whispered, watching Wan'er walk away.

"That's right. Why?"

"No reason. No reason at all. You’ve got guts, living with a female ghost. I’d rather be a bachelor for the rest of my life than marry a ghost."

I just smiled and said nothing.

As the sun set, I became more acquainted with the fatty. He was actually quite enthusiastic. He eventually told me he had no other requirements for me, other than that I had to call him "Young Master Fatty." I figured that was a small price to pay.

When the moon rose, Li Jinglian sent us up to the flat roof—a concrete expanse where farmers often sat on summer nights to cool off.

Under her instruction, we began practicing the horse stance, facing the rising moon with our palms extended, leveled with our eyes. She called this "gathering the yin," explaining that all power in heaven and earth came from the sun and the moon. The sun governed yang energy, and the moon governed yin. If we wanted to learn to deal with ghosts and evil spirits, we had to absorb enough yin energy.

We stood there while Li Jinglian and Wan'er watched. Before long, we were exhausted. The fatty, in particular, was drenched in sweat, which was dripping down his pant legs.

"Auntie, let me ask you something. Have you heard of Luoshui Temple?" Wan'er asked Li Jinglian just as my legs began to shake uncontrollably.

"Luoshui Temple? Why do you ask?"