Chapter 88
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Chapter 88 The Ghost Knocked on the Back Side of Head
Zuo Qingmu looked in shock at the pile of amulets I had assorted on my desk. He stood staring for far too long.
"Senior Fellow Apprentice Left, Why don't you take them?"
He shook his head as if to clear it and said, “My master is going to cherish you as part of our circle. He might even pass on his position to you some day.” He tussled my hair and I felt a warm pride soak into my heart. “I do have a suggestion though.”
“Yes sir?” I asked.
“Someone high in power or position is likely to draw unwanted attention. You shouldn’t let anyone know that you can make these amulets.” He gestured to them. “Especially Taoists.” I looked up at him in surprise. He matched my gaze with his intense brown eyes. “Not all Taoists are good men.”
I nodded in amazement.
Zuo Qingmu reached for the four amulets he needed. “You can take more if you want.” I told him.
He shook his head and looked at me again, still serious. “Your amulets are your fortune, Shi Yong. I am grateful for these four, but I dare not take too many or I might be tempted to abuse the power of Taoism. You’ll understand more when you’re older.
I nodded again, awed at his wisdom.
He pocketed the four he needed and helped me put away the remaining amulets. Instead of leaving with Zhao Jie, Zuo Qingmu shared his knowledge of amulets with me. I was surprised to find out that he knew so much more than I did, but couldn’t make as many or as well. “You mustn’t rush when infusing them with your supernatural air. There’s a thing called the range of accommodation. It makes it a little more difficult to finish the conjuration, but if you find out the appropriate range, you can double your results with half the work.
“Wow!” I said, making a mental note to research range of accommodation. I shared my story about summoning the spirit and accidentally loosing all of my energy around the room and at Master Ge, and went on to tell him how I learned to control the release with my spirit’s guidance. Zuo Qingmu took out a notebook and started writing things down halfway through.
Zuo Qingmu and I traded stories until lunchtime. I grew to like to man, who was soft spoken when he wasn’t hunting down or challenging ghosts. Zhao Jie listened to us intently, and sat to attention when we got to Da Hong fist. “That’s one of the strongest skills in our circle,” Zuo Qingmu said. “If you keep your training, you could become one of the greatest masters on the planet.” He looked from Zhao Jie to me, a soft smile playing on his lips.
“Can you teach me anything?” I asked him eagerly.
“Oh no,” He said too quickly. “Master Liu is your master, you’ll have to follow his instructions, not mine. I can’t interfere.”
I nodded, only a little disappointed. In my head I made plans to see what Zhao Jie learned and try to garner something by watching him. Zhao Jie and I showed Zuo Qingmu around the village that afternoon. He brought us new clothes and we wore them proudly. Both of our fathers accused us of tricking Mr. Left into buying us things when we returned home.
Zuo Qingmu came with us to school on Monday to meet with the head teacher. I watched him go into the office, but didn’t get to see the conversation. When he left, two safeguarding amulets were on the office windows. We didn’t see him the rest of the day, and he never came to say goodbye,
The following days went by without incident. As Zuo Qingmu expected, the shadow spirit was hurt and didn’t bother people.
Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Without word from any of the masters we’ve come to know and love, out of nowhere it was winter break again. The students who lived in the dormitories returned to their villages, us locals didn’t have to trek to school through the snowy roads, and the school was once again empty. The frozen plague from the year before was all but forgotten.
I called Master Liu when my winter freedom turned into winter boredom. I left a message as I had the previous time, and I told him about Senior Fellow Apprentice Left. After a few days I received a letter in the mail with no return address. Master Liu’s elderly scrawl was on the front, reading “Shi Yong.”
The letter read, “I do not want you to be in touch with the other apprentices. Do not talk to them.”
An ugly disappointment filled my head and then turned into anger. I read the letter over and over again, feeling blood pulse in my eyes. “That’s all you have to say? Why can’t I speak with Zuo Qingmu?” I asked the empty room.
“Maybe he doesn’t understand.” I thought, “Maybe I said something by mistake in my message. I’ll wri-“ I paused and looked at the envelope. “Of course there’s no return address.” I said loudly, feeling the anger flash red again.
I thought about the wonder of three rainbows and made a silent prayer that it would come soon.
When spring came I ran outside every day and looked to the sky for the rainbows. Disappointment filled me every time. On occasion there would be a single rainbow. I would study it closely, daring another two to appear. When spring ended and summer made itself known I resigned myself for another winter of waiting. Summer fell into autumn, and autumn’s chill became winter. In the beginning of December I caught a bug and had to stay home for a few days as to not infect my classmates.
I was doing my homework in bed when Zhao Jie came rapping at our door. My mother let him in and he flew into my room out of breath. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
"It’s back, Xiao Yong! The frozen ghost is back!"
“What?” I said, drawing a blank for a moment before the memory came rushing back. “What?” I said again, now excited. “Tell me what happened!”
“I went with dad to get something from the village and one of our teachers was at the store! He told us he’d seen a ghost!” Zhao Jie said excitedly.
“How? Where?” I asked.
Zhao Jie recounted the man’s story. “He went to the washroom at midnight and was, well you know.” He paused for a fart noise and followed it with a giggle. “Anyway, he was singing to himself when he felt the room get cold. He stopping singing, but when he did…” Zhao Jie paused for dramatic effect, “Somebody else…kept…singing…the song!”
Zhao Jie stopped to monitor my reaction. I leaned forward and almost yelled, “So? What happened next? Tell me!”
Zhao Jie’s shoulders sagged and he flipped his hands around. He shook his head and jumped back into his storyteller voice, “He heard someone singing, so he finished in the stall and went to investigate. He walked into the open bathroom and he saw…” He dragged out the word, dropping it off as if accepting guesses from the audience.
"What? I asked. “What did he see?"
“The ghost!” Zhao Jie almost shouted. "The black shadow was half squatting through the wall like it was his own personal porta-potty! The teacher looked real sick though.” He finished by crossing his arms and looking matter off fact.
“Which teacher was it?” I asked.
“The second grade math teacher, I think.” He told me.
I wracked my brain, but couldn’t think of the man’s name. I shrugged and went on, “Did anyone tell the head teacher?”
He nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah, the teacher described the ghost to a tee, long black hair, green coat, blue skin, and black eyes! The works!” Zhao Jie was almost grinning.
“If it is the frozen ghost, it’ll probably come after us. You remember what happened last time! We practically tried to kill it!” I told him. A bubble of inexplicable excitement was rising in me as well.
“You think it’s gonna come after us in the bathroom too?” Zhao Jie giggled.
I cut through his laughter, "Let’s hope we’re luckier than the teacher! We have to prepare!”
“With what? How?” Zhao Jie asked. “Why don’t we call Uncle Left? He scared it away last time…”
I felt my face flush uncomfortably. “Umm, Master Liu doesn’t want me to contact Senior Fellow Apprentice Left. I don't know why, so don’t ask. I’ll try to figure it out next time he visits.”
Zhao Jie raised an eyebrow at me saying, "Master Liu might not come for a while. Three rainbows, right? Maybe he made that up to trick you. My dad says he’s never seen three rainbows at once in his whole life!”
“Master Liu would not lie to me!” I half shouted, suddenly feeling very hot. “There will be three rainbows this year. There will.” I told him.
Zhao Jie fell silent, but his expression didn’t change.
Word of the ghost spread throughout my school, but this time the head teacher didn’t make any announcements. He started to look solemn and grave in the office, and hardly ever came out to address the students.
Students started reporting sightings in the washrooms on the second floor. Both boys and girls would come screaming out of the rooms and run to their teachers with word of a disheveled man grinning at them or knocking on the back of their heads. In each story it would disappear after a series of three laughs.
It didn’t take long for the teachers to realize that every student who encountered the ghost was stricken ill. The squeakier of wheels soon stopped coming to school all together, and the second floor bathrooms were all but ghost towns.
“I guess it’s not so bad,” Zhao Jie told me while we were walking between classes. “At least he’s contained to those two bathrooms.”
If only he was.
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Chapter 88 The Ghost Knocked on the Back Side of Head
Zuo Qingmu looked in shock at the pile of amulets I had assorted on my desk. He stood staring for far too long.
"Senior Fellow Apprentice Left, Why don't you take them?"
He shook his head as if to clear it and said, “My master is going to cherish you as part of our circle. He might even pass on his position to you some day.” He tussled my hair and I felt a warm pride soak into my heart. “I do have a suggestion though.”
“Yes sir?” I asked.
“Someone high in power or position is likely to draw unwanted attention. You shouldn’t let anyone know that you can make these amulets.” He gestured to them. “Especially Taoists.” I looked up at him in surprise. He matched my gaze with his intense brown eyes. “Not all Taoists are good men.”
I nodded in amazement.
Zuo Qingmu reached for the four amulets he needed. “You can take more if you want.” I told him.
He shook his head and looked at me again, still serious. “Your amulets are your fortune, Shi Yong. I am grateful for these four, but I dare not take too many or I might be tempted to abuse the power of Taoism. You’ll understand more when you’re older.
I nodded again, awed at his wisdom.
He pocketed the four he needed and helped me put away the remaining amulets. Instead of leaving with Zhao Jie, Zuo Qingmu shared his knowledge of amulets with me. I was surprised to find out that he knew so much more than I did, but couldn’t make as many or as well. “You mustn’t rush when infusing them with your supernatural air. There’s a thing called the range of accommodation. It makes it a little more difficult to finish the conjuration, but if you find out the appropriate range, you can double your results with half the work.
“Wow!” I said, making a mental note to research range of accommodation. I shared my story about summoning the spirit and accidentally loosing all of my energy around the room and at Master Ge, and went on to tell him how I learned to control the release with my spirit’s guidance. Zuo Qingmu took out a notebook and started writing things down halfway through.
Zuo Qingmu and I traded stories until lunchtime. I grew to like to man, who was soft spoken when he wasn’t hunting down or challenging ghosts. Zhao Jie listened to us intently, and sat to attention when we got to Da Hong fist. “That’s one of the strongest skills in our circle,” Zuo Qingmu said. “If you keep your training, you could become one of the greatest masters on the planet.” He looked from Zhao Jie to me, a soft smile playing on his lips.
“Can you teach me anything?” I asked him eagerly.
“Oh no,” He said too quickly. “Master Liu is your master, you’ll have to follow his instructions, not mine. I can’t interfere.”
I nodded, only a little disappointed. In my head I made plans to see what Zhao Jie learned and try to garner something by watching him. Zhao Jie and I showed Zuo Qingmu around the village that afternoon. He brought us new clothes and we wore them proudly. Both of our fathers accused us of tricking Mr. Left into buying us things when we returned home.
Zuo Qingmu came with us to school on Monday to meet with the head teacher. I watched him go into the office, but didn’t get to see the conversation. When he left, two safeguarding amulets were on the office windows. We didn’t see him the rest of the day, and he never came to say goodbye,
The following days went by without incident. As Zuo Qingmu expected, the shadow spirit was hurt and didn’t bother people.
Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Without word from any of the masters we’ve come to know and love, out of nowhere it was winter break again. The students who lived in the dormitories returned to their villages, us locals didn’t have to trek to school through the snowy roads, and the school was once again empty. The frozen plague from the year before was all but forgotten.
I called Master Liu when my winter freedom turned into winter boredom. I left a message as I had the previous time, and I told him about Senior Fellow Apprentice Left. After a few days I received a letter in the mail with no return address. Master Liu’s elderly scrawl was on the front, reading “Shi Yong.”
The letter read, “I do not want you to be in touch with the other apprentices. Do not talk to them.”
An ugly disappointment filled my head and then turned into anger. I read the letter over and over again, feeling blood pulse in my eyes. “That’s all you have to say? Why can’t I speak with Zuo Qingmu?” I asked the empty room.
“Maybe he doesn’t understand.” I thought, “Maybe I said something by mistake in my message. I’ll wri-“ I paused and looked at the envelope. “Of course there’s no return address.” I said loudly, feeling the anger flash red again.
I thought about the wonder of three rainbows and made a silent prayer that it would come soon.
When spring came I ran outside every day and looked to the sky for the rainbows. Disappointment filled me every time. On occasion there would be a single rainbow. I would study it closely, daring another two to appear. When spring ended and summer made itself known I resigned myself for another winter of waiting. Summer fell into autumn, and autumn’s chill became winter. In the beginning of December I caught a bug and had to stay home for a few days as to not infect my classmates.
I was doing my homework in bed when Zhao Jie came rapping at our door. My mother let him in and he flew into my room out of breath. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
"It’s back, Xiao Yong! The frozen ghost is back!"
“What?” I said, drawing a blank for a moment before the memory came rushing back. “What?” I said again, now excited. “Tell me what happened!”
“I went with dad to get something from the village and one of our teachers was at the store! He told us he’d seen a ghost!” Zhao Jie said excitedly.
“How? Where?” I asked.
Zhao Jie recounted the man’s story. “He went to the washroom at midnight and was, well you know.” He paused for a fart noise and followed it with a giggle. “Anyway, he was singing to himself when he felt the room get cold. He stopping singing, but when he did…” Zhao Jie paused for dramatic effect, “Somebody else…kept…singing…the song!”
Zhao Jie stopped to monitor my reaction. I leaned forward and almost yelled, “So? What happened next? Tell me!”
Zhao Jie’s shoulders sagged and he flipped his hands around. He shook his head and jumped back into his storyteller voice, “He heard someone singing, so he finished in the stall and went to investigate. He walked into the open bathroom and he saw…” He dragged out the word, dropping it off as if accepting guesses from the audience.
"What? I asked. “What did he see?"
“The ghost!” Zhao Jie almost shouted. "The black shadow was half squatting through the wall like it was his own personal porta-potty! The teacher looked real sick though.” He finished by crossing his arms and looking matter off fact.
“Which teacher was it?” I asked.
“The second grade math teacher, I think.” He told me.
I wracked my brain, but couldn’t think of the man’s name. I shrugged and went on, “Did anyone tell the head teacher?”
He nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah, the teacher described the ghost to a tee, long black hair, green coat, blue skin, and black eyes! The works!” Zhao Jie was almost grinning.
“If it is the frozen ghost, it’ll probably come after us. You remember what happened last time! We practically tried to kill it!” I told him. A bubble of inexplicable excitement was rising in me as well.
“You think it’s gonna come after us in the bathroom too?” Zhao Jie giggled.
I cut through his laughter, "Let’s hope we’re luckier than the teacher! We have to prepare!”
“With what? How?” Zhao Jie asked. “Why don’t we call Uncle Left? He scared it away last time…”
I felt my face flush uncomfortably. “Umm, Master Liu doesn’t want me to contact Senior Fellow Apprentice Left. I don't know why, so don’t ask. I’ll try to figure it out next time he visits.”
Zhao Jie raised an eyebrow at me saying, "Master Liu might not come for a while. Three rainbows, right? Maybe he made that up to trick you. My dad says he’s never seen three rainbows at once in his whole life!”
“Master Liu would not lie to me!” I half shouted, suddenly feeling very hot. “There will be three rainbows this year. There will.” I told him.
Zhao Jie fell silent, but his expression didn’t change.
Word of the ghost spread throughout my school, but this time the head teacher didn’t make any announcements. He started to look solemn and grave in the office, and hardly ever came out to address the students.
Students started reporting sightings in the washrooms on the second floor. Both boys and girls would come screaming out of the rooms and run to their teachers with word of a disheveled man grinning at them or knocking on the back of their heads. In each story it would disappear after a series of three laughs.
It didn’t take long for the teachers to realize that every student who encountered the ghost was stricken ill. The squeakier of wheels soon stopped coming to school all together, and the second floor bathrooms were all but ghost towns.
“I guess it’s not so bad,” Zhao Jie told me while we were walking between classes. “At least he’s contained to those two bathrooms.”
If only he was.
Chapter 88 The Ghost Knocked on the Back Side of HeadZuo Qingmu looked in shock at the pile of amulets I had assorted on my desk. He stood staring for far too long."Senior Fellow Apprentice Left, Why don't you take them?"He shook his head as if to clear it and said, My master is going to cherish you as part of our circle. He might even pass on his position to you some day. He tussled my hair and I felt a warm pride soak into my heart. I do have a suggestion though.Yes sir? I asked.Someone high in power or position is likely to draw unwanted attention. You shouldn't let anyone know that you can make these amulets. He gestured to them. Especially Taoists. I looked up at him in surprise. He matched my gaze with his intense brown eyes. Not all Taoists are good men.I nodded in amazement.Zuo Qingmu reached for the four amulets he needed. You can take more if you want. I told him.He shook his head and looked at me again, still serious. Your amulets are your fortune, Shi Yong. I am grateful for these four, but I dare not take too many or I might be tempted to abuse the power of Taoism. You'll understand more when you're older.I nodded again, awed at his wisdom. He pocketed the four he needed and helped me put away the remaining amulets. Instead of leaving with Zhao Jie, Zuo Qingmu shared his knowledge of amulets with me. I was surprised to find out that he knew so much more than I did, but couldn't make as many or as well. You mustn't rush when infusing them with your supernatural air. There's a thing called the range of accommodation. It makes it a little more difficult to finish the conjuration, but if you find out the appropriate range, you can double your results with half the work.Wow! I said, making a mental note to research range of accommodation. I shared my story about summoning the spirit and accidentally loosing all of my energy around the room and at Master Ge, and went on to tell him how I learned to control the release with my spirit's guidance. Zuo Qingmu took out a notebook and started writing things down halfway through.Zuo Qingmu and I traded stories until lunchtime. I grew to like to man, who was soft spoken when he wasn't hunting down or challenging ghosts. Zhao Jie listened to us intently, and sat to attention when we got to Da Hong fist. That's one of the strongest skills in our circle, Zuo Qingmu said. If you keep your training, you could become one of the greatest masters on the planet. He looked from Zhao Jie to me, a soft smile playing on his lips.Can you teach me anything? I asked him eagerly.Oh no, He said too quickly. Master Liu is your master, you'll have to follow his instructions, not mine. I can't interfere.I nodded, only a little disappointed. In my head I made plans to see what Zhao Jie learned and try to garner something by watching him. Zhao Jie and I showed Zuo Qingmu around the village that afternoon. He brought us new clothes and we wore them proudly. Both of our fathers accused us of tricking Mr. Left into buying us things when we returned home.Zuo Qingmu came with us to school on Monday to meet with the head teacher. I watched him go into the office, but didn't get to see the conversation. When he left, two safeguarding amulets were on the office windows. We didn't see him the rest of the day, and he never came to say goodbye, The following days went by without incident. As Zuo Qingmu expected, the shadow spirit was hurt and didn't bother people. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Without word from any of the masters we've come to know and love, out of nowhere it was winter break again. The students who lived in the dormitories returned to their villages, us locals didn't have to trek to school through the snowy roads, and the school was once again empty. The frozen plague from the year before was all but forgotten. I called Master Liu when my winter freedom turned into winter boredom. I left a message as I had the previous time, and I told him about Senior Fellow Apprentice Left. After a few days I received a letter in the mail with no return address. Master Liu's elderly scrawl was on the front, reading Shi Yong.The letter read, I do not want you to be in touch with the other apprentices. Do not talk to them. An ugly disappointment filled my head and then turned into anger. I read the letter over and over again, feeling blood pulse in my eyes. That's all you have to say? Why can't I speak with Zuo Qingmu? I asked the empty room.Maybe he doesn't understand. I thought, Maybe I said something by mistake in my message. I'll wri- I paused and looked at the envelope. Of course there's no return address. I said loudly, feeling the anger flash red again.I thought about the wonder of three rainbows and made a silent prayer that it would come soon.When spring came I ran outside every day and looked to the sky for the rainbows. Disappointment filled me every time. On occasion there would be a single rainbow. I would study it closely, daring another two to appear. When spring ended and summer made itself known I resigned myself for another winter of waiting. Summer fell into autumn, and autumn's chill became winter. In the beginning of December I caught a bug and had to stay home for a few days as to not infect my classmates.I was doing my homework in bed when Zhao Jie came rapping at our door. My mother let him in and he flew into my room out of breath. What are you doing here? I asked."It's back, Xiao Yong! The frozen ghost is back!"What? I said, drawing a blank for a moment before the memory came rushing back. What? I said again, now excited. Tell me what happened! I went with dad to get something from the village and one of our teachers was at the store! He told us he'd seen a ghost! Zhao Jie said excitedly.How? Where? I asked.Zhao Jie recounted the man's story. He went to the washroom at midnight and was, well you know. He paused for a fart noise and followed it with a giggle. Anyway, he was singing to himself when he felt the room get cold. He stopping singing, but when he did Zhao Jie paused for dramatic effect, Somebody elsekeptsingingthe song! Zhao Jie stopped to monitor my reaction. I leaned forward and almost yelled, So? What happened next? Tell me! Zhao Jie's shoulders sagged and he flipped his hands around. He shook his head and jumped back into his storyteller voice, He heard someone singing, so he finished in the stall and went to investigate. He walked into the open bathroom and he saw He dragged out the word, dropping it off as if accepting guesses from the audience."What? I asked. What did he see?" The ghost! Zhao Jie almost shouted. "The black shadow was half squatting through the wall like it was his own personal porta-potty! The teacher looked real sick though. He finished by crossing his arms and looking matter off fact.Which teacher was it? I asked.The second grade math teacher, I think. He told me.I wracked my brain, but couldn't think of the man's name. I shrugged and went on, Did anyone tell the head teacher?He nodded enthusiastically, Yeah, the teacher described the ghost to a tee, long black hair, green coat, blue skin, and black eyes! The works! Zhao Jie was almost grinning.If it is the frozen ghost, it'll probably come after us. You remember what happened last time! We practically tried to kill it! I told him. A bubble of inexplicable excitement was rising in me as well.You think it's gonna come after us in the bathroom too? Zhao Jie giggled. I cut through his laughter, "Let's hope we're luckier than the teacher! We have to prepare!With what? How? Zhao Jie asked. Why don't we call Uncle Left? He scared it away last timeI felt my face flush uncomfortably. Umm, Master Liu doesn't want me to contact Senior Fellow Apprentice Left. I don't know why, so don't ask. I'll try to figure it out next time he visits.Zhao Jie raised an eyebrow at me saying, "Master Liu might not come for a while. Three rainbows, right? Maybe he made that up to trick you. My dad says he's never seen three rainbows at once in his whole life!Master Liu would not lie to me! I half shouted, suddenly feeling very hot. There will be three rainbows this year. There will. I told him.Zhao Jie fell silent, but his expression didn't change.Word of the ghost spread throughout my school, but this time the head teacher didn't make any announcements. He started to look solemn and grave in the office, and hardly ever came out to address the students.Students started reporting sightings in the washrooms on the second floor. Both boys and girls would come screaming out of the rooms and run to their teachers with word of a disheveled man grinning at them or knocking on the back of their heads. In each story it would disappear after a series of three laughs.It didn't take long for the teachers to realize that every student who encountered the ghost was stricken ill. The squeakier of wheels soon stopped coming to school all together, and the second floor bathrooms were all but ghost towns.I guess it's not so bad, Zhao Jie told me while we were walking between classes. At least he's contained to those two bathrooms.If only he was.
