Chapter 187 — The Ghost Path

Mr. Gui was taken aback, and heard Xiao Wan go on: "This soul-gathering art—when I was small and mischievous, playing about carelessly in Grandfather's old house, I slipped and fell into a dry well, and found these arts recorded on the wall of the well. I was still young then and learned them haphazardly, and in all these years I have used it only once. Why—is Senior very interested in this art?"

Mr. Gui was silent, and after a long while he gave a long sigh. His voice carried a desolation in it, a chill of bleakness.

Xiao Wan and Zhou Yixuan exchanged a glance, neither knowing why the black-clad man had suddenly grown so low in spirits. But after a moment, they heard Mr. Gui call out ahead of them, his voice hoarse: "Little girl, what is your name?"

Zhou Yixuan frowned, but Xiao Wan had already answered: "My name is Xiao Wan."

Mr. Gui nodded and said, "There are some things I would speak of with you alone. Will you come over here?"

Zhou Yixuan's frown deepened; plainly he did not wish Xiao Wan to stay near this fellow reeking of ghostly air. But Xiao Wan did not think so much of it. Remembering that this man had after all just saved her life, she nodded and said, "All right." With that, heedless of Zhou Yixuan's silent attempts to stop her, she walked over.

Mr. Gui watched Xiao Wan come before him and nodded slowly, as though he rather approved of this young woman. When she drew near, he spoke slowly—as though even as he spoke he was carefully weighing something in his mind—and said in a low voice, "Would you be willing to cultivate these Ghost Path arts?"

Xiao Wan was startled and for a moment could not speak. But looking at the eyes behind Mr. Gui's black veil, bright and piercing, she saw plainly that he was not joking, and could not help but hesitate and falter.

With Mr. Gui's experience, a careful look at Xiao Wan's expression told him all her thoughts. He did not press her, saying only, "When you cast your art just now, facing countless wandering spirits, what did you feel in your heart?"

Xiao Wan blushed, then paled a little, and said in a low voice, "I—I was somewhat afraid."

Mr. Gui said mildly, "There is no shame in being afraid. The world in its ignorance fears ghosts and spirits overmuch, not knowing that the talk of ghosts and souls is but one state between a man's death and his rebirth. What men fear lies mostly in the demons of their own hearts."

He pointed at Xiao Wan and said, "Take you, for instance: when you cast your art just now, you were afraid in your heart. Though you could still work the art, there must have been countless illusions before your eyes—all manner of hideous and savage visions, yes?"

Xiao Wan nodded again and again and said, "Yes."

Mr. Gui gave a cold hum and said, "In truth, the crux of the so-called Ghost Path is the mastery of the heart's demons. If you remain calm and composed, no wandering spirit or spectral thing can move your will. And think carefully: those wandering spirits grew wrathful and struck back, and seem most hateful and violent—yet do they not resemble the countless people of this world, who, seeing a chance to escape with their lives and return to their allotted years, could not but go mad for it?"

With hands clasped behind him he sneered, "The people of this world accuse ghosts of being vicious, never knowing they are just the same themselves. Is that not laughable?"

Xiao Wan's face turned thoughtful, and she nodded slowly.

Mr. Gui said further, "I know your mind. You dislike the Ghost Path's reputation. But just now it was by a strange Ghost Path art that you saved that Wild Dog's life—which shows the Ghost Path is not wholly without merit. Today I see in you a gift in the Ghost Path such as appears but once in a hundred years, and I truly cannot bear to let it pass. So I have a mind to teach you." Here he smiled faintly and said, "As for what comes after—if in time you find my conduct foul and wish to kill me, that matters not at all. We of the Ghost Path hold these vulgar proprieties to be so much dog shit."

Xiao Wan was startled and took a step back.

Mr. Gui was silent a moment, his gaze resting once more on Xiao Wan's face, where he saw great hesitation and a frown rising from time to time on her delicate features. He said no more, but reached into his robes and tossed Xiao Wan a black book with a blank cover, half a finger thick. Xiao Wan caught it instinctively and looked up at him in astonishment.

Mr. Gui said mildly, "What is recorded in this book are some understandings I have gained from half a lifetime of cultivating the Ghost Path. As for the many methods and artificing techniques within, I am confident there is none in this world to compare. Whether you learn them or not is entirely up to you." With that, he turned as if to leave.

Watching his back, Xiao Wan called out instinctively, "Senior, wait."

Mr. Gui paused and stopped, saying, "What is it?"

Xiao Wan faltered, and only after a long while said, "I—I still do not know Senior's name."

Mr. Gui stood with his back to her, motionless, and after a long time said mildly, "I pass you my arts, not so that you will remember me. Take good care of yourself."

With that, he rose as if to go on, and Xiao Wan, her face anxious, suddenly called out loudly, "This—this... You saved my life and passed me your arts—I ought at least, at least to call you Master, ought I not?"

Mr. Gui's whole body shook, as though that one word from the young, delicate woman behind him struck him harder than a thunderbolt from the heavens. Yet his cultivation after all ran deep, and he soon recovered his calm. Slowly he turned around, his face hidden behind the black veil so that none could see his expression—but from his eyes, shining bright, anyone could tell the uncommon agitation of his heart.

"You call me Master?"

Xiao Wan blushed, and grew rather embarrassed instead, stammering, "This... this was my own notion. If—if Senior is unwilling, then I..."

Mr. Gui cut in suddenly, "Enough. Say no more."

Xiao Wan started and looked up, and saw Mr. Gui gazing deeply at her. He nodded, reached into his robes once more, took out some things, and held them out to her, saying, "For the sake of your calling me Master, I shall give you these."

Xiao Wan looked down and saw a stack of seven dark, triangular, flat pieces, each about an inch and a half across, their edges smooth, their material impossible to tell—like iron, yet not iron. Xiao Wan hesitated, glanced at Mr. Gui, and seeing his eyes grown rather gentle, reached out and took them. Looking closely, she saw that each triangular piece had a small hole at its tip, through which a dark red silk cord was threaded, binding them together. On each piece, front and back, were different dark red mysterious patterns—some like leaping flames, some like roaring beasts, all unlike one another. Holding them, she felt them cold to the touch, and sensed faintly the smell of blood.

Behind her, Zhou Yixuan's keen eyes caught at once that these triangular pieces were precisely what Mr. Gui had used when he saved Xiao Wan.

Mr. Gui said mildly, "These are called Blood Jade Bone Shards, a supreme treasure of the Ghost Path. They have the wondrous effect of rousing Ghost Path arts. A cultivation originally of five layers, with this treasure, can be brought forth to at least seven; and one of better gift may rouse as much as ten layers of effect."

Xiao Wan was both startled and delighted, nodding again and again, while Zhou Yixuan, off to the side, shook his head mightily.

Mr. Gui gazed at Xiao Wan for a long while, then suddenly shook his head and sighed, saying in a low voice, "Counting tonight, you and I have met but twice, and yet... never mind, it is fate. Some day, when your cultivation is accomplished, if there be the chance,"—he raised his head to the sky—"help me save a person."

Xiao Wan was startled and said, "Save a person? Who?"