Chapter Fifteen: Beggars’ Alley

Chapter Fifteen

“In the southern part of Wan’an County, there stands an ancestral hall, which was later rebuilt into a temple dedicated to the Master.”

Fan Bisi began his account:

“That ancestral hall originally belonged to the Liu family, a prominent clan in the county, prosperous and numerous. However, for reasons unknown, one night they were struck by a calamity of ghosts, and in a single evening, most of the Liu family were killed or wounded.”

When he mentioned the previous two cases, he spoke only briefly, but with this third, perhaps because it took place right in Wan’an County, he described its background with unusual detail, causing Zhao Fusheng to glance at him with added interest.

“The Liu family was thrown into panic. Afterwards, the family head sought help from the Demon Suppression Office, offering half the family’s estate in exchange for their intervention, hoping the chief at the time would save them from their plight.”

So, the Demon Suppression Office was involved in the past, no wonder Fan Bisi was so well-informed about this case.

“The Liu family spared no expense in their desperation to survive, but such ghostly disasters are not easily dealt with. Although the Liu family was willing to pay any price, the chief did not agree recklessly. It wasn’t until later, when the Liu family somehow persuaded Zhang Xiongwǔ—”

He noticed Zhao Fusheng’s puzzled look, realizing she did not recognize the name, so he explained:

“Zhang Xiongwǔ is the grandfather of the one we call Paper Zhang.”

“Somehow, Paper Zhang’s grandfather also convinced the chief. The two worked together and discovered the source of misfortune was the Liu ancestral hall. They rebuilt it into a temple for the Master, and since then, the ghostly calamity vanished, and no more heirs of the Liu family died.”

“So it’s this temple that’s now in trouble?” Zhao Fusheng asked.

Fan Bisi shook his head.

“No,” Fan Wujiu interjected. “After that event, the Liu family’s fortunes and fate were both damaged. Eventually, they moved out of Wan’an County, leaving only a temple caretaker to tend to daily affairs.”

This surprised Zhao Fusheng, and Fan Bisi continued:

“The trouble actually began in Beggar’s Alley, the street adjacent to the Master’s temple.”

“Beggar’s Alley?”

By rights, since the Liu family’s ancestral hall had once been haunted but the calamity was resolved, and as Fan Bisi himself said, ghosts cannot be truly destroyed, only driven away or contained. Paper Zhang’s grandfather and the chief of the Demon Suppression Office joined forces to resolve it, and for forty years there had been peace at the temple—a testament to their success.

Yet, since the site had a history of hauntings, and now trouble arose again, Zhao Fusheng could not help but speculate: was it possible that the fierce ghost handled forty years ago by Zhang Xiongwǔ and the chief had returned?

But Fan Bisi said the problem arose not in the temple, but in the neighboring Beggar’s Alley, making Zhao Fusheng hesitate to draw conclusions.

“What is the story behind Beggar’s Alley?” she asked.

“There’s not much to say,” Fan Bisi replied, parched, and turned to his brother. “Wujiu, you tell her.”

Fan Wujiu explained:

“When the Liu family was still around, they were very wealthy and generous, and every year they set up porridge stalls to provide for the poor in the neighborhood.”

“Many homeless beggars gathered there, living off the Liu family’s charity. Over time, as the number of beggars grew, the place earned the nickname Beggar’s Alley.”

These seemingly minor details might be crucial to Zhao Fusheng’s future survival, so she memorized every word from the brothers.

“It’s said that before the Liu family left, they entrusted a large sum of silver to the temple caretaker, instructing him to continue distributing porridge without interruption.”

Fan Wujiu’s information surprised Zhao Fusheng again. She asked, “You said the Liu family’s disaster happened forty years ago. Has the temple caretaker really been giving out porridge all this time?”

“Yes,” Fan Bisi replied after a pause. “Until a month ago, porridge was still being distributed at the Master’s temple, so the area was always bustling, especially Beggar’s Alley.”

“So the incident occurred a month ago?” Zhao Fusheng surmised.

“Indeed.” Fan Bisi nodded. “A month ago, a young man came with a message, claiming to be sent by the temple caretaker. He sought someone from the Demon Suppression Office to fulfill an old agreement.”

“What agreement?” Zhao Fusheng asked curiously.

“We don’t know.” Fan Bisi shook his head. “This happened before my brother and I were born. But according to the messenger, the chief of the Demon Suppression Office made a pact with the Liu family long ago. Yet you know the state of the office these days—at the time, we could barely protect ourselves, let alone concern ourselves with others.”

“We turned him away, and he grew anxious,” Fan Bisi sighed. “Soon afterward, we heard that trouble had broken out in Beggar’s Alley.”

“If the Demon Suppression Office was in dire straits, and yet you paid attention to the trouble in Beggar’s Alley, it must have been no small matter,” Zhao Fusheng remarked.

“Indeed,” Fan Bisi replied, drawing a deep breath. After a moment’s hesitation, he said quietly, “A ghost domain has appeared there.”

The phrase ‘ghost domain’ was not new to Zhao Fusheng, but this time Fan Bisi’s expression was particularly grave.

“What’s different about this ghost domain?” Zhao Fusheng sensed the seriousness. Of the three cases, two provided almost no clues. The situation in Beggar’s Alley was complex, tied to a forty-year-old ghost case, but at least the leads were clearer—and most significantly, it involved Paper Zhang’s grandfather.

As a participant in the previous event, Zhao Fusheng reasoned she might be able to glean useful information from Paper Zhang, the grandson.

“Fusheng, I advise you not to dwell on this case,” Fan Bisi warned, shaking his head. “You are young and inexperienced, and have never dealt with ghosts; you do not realize how terrifying they truly are.”

“Finish your story, and I’ll judge for myself,” Zhao Fusheng replied, disregarding his warning.

Fan Bisi let out a cold laugh and shook his head. “You really have no idea how high the heavens are or how deep the earth.”

Yet he refrained from further persuasion, and spoke instead about ghost domains:

“All ghosts possess the power to create illusions—some strong, some weak.”

The weaker ones can still terrify ordinary people, but those in the Demon Suppression Office, if prepared, might find a way to survive.

“But once a ghost reaches the level of a curse, it can create a ghost domain of considerable size.”

Generally, the larger the domain, the greater the power of the ghost, and the more victims there will be.

“A ghost domain not only traps ordinary people, but even those from the Demon Suppression Office struggle to escape. Once inside, unless you manage to evade the ghost’s gaze, the moment it finds you, your death is certain.”

“There are two ways to break a ghost domain…” Fan Bisi trailed off, shaking his head. “But both are far beyond your abilities.”

He returned to the matter of Beggar’s Alley:

“When we heard the news, we went to the temple, but saw that the entire Beggar’s Alley was shrouded in the ghost domain. We dared not venture any further.”

“Fusheng, that place now belongs to the ghosts—do not enter lightly. Once inside, you are delivering yourself into the hands of a vengeful spirit. Easy to enter, hard to leave!” he warned again. “This ghost domain is unlike any other. Beggar’s Alley is no small place, and for the domain to envelop almost the entire street shows that the ghost within is truly formidable.”

“Not to mention you, a novice barely able to control ghosts—even if Zhao Qiming were still alive, he would have turned back at the sight of this ghost domain!”

Fan Wujiu added in a low voice, “He might even have bowed before leaving, for fear of provoking the ghost.”