Qiu Sheng heard the familiar creak of the front door opening and immediately stuck his head out from the kitchen to see that his Master and his two friends had finally returned. The moon was already hanging high in the darkened sky, casting silvery light across the mortuary grounds.
All the traditional lanterns throughout the charity cemetery had been carefully lit, supplemented by flickering torches positioned at strategic intervals. Even with this illumination, however, they could only barely achieve the lighting level of tungsten filament bulbs from later generations, falling far short of the brightness provided by modern incandescent lamps.
"Master, Master Gustave, Taoist Master Tiantong, please wait just a moment longer!" Qiu Sheng called out enthusiastically when he confirmed the identity of the returning visitors. "The dinner will be ready very soon!"
His voice carried obvious excitement about presenting his culinary efforts to such distinguished guests.
"After you..." Lin Jiu began, preparing to invite Gustave and Zhang Zhiwei to sit comfortably in the main hall while they waited for the meal preparations to be completed.
However, his words were interrupted by the sound of insistent knocking at the front door.
"It's already this late in the evening. Who could possibly be visiting us now?" Lin Jiu wondered aloud with obvious puzzlement and concern.
Most sensible people would never come to a charity cemetery at night without extremely urgent reasons. Not only was the atmosphere genuinely frightening to ordinary folk, but visiting such a place after dark was also considered highly unlucky according to traditional beliefs.
When Lin Jiu opened the heavy wooden door, he was greeted by the sight of a Taoist priest with a distinctive short, flat haircut, wire-rimmed glasses, and an impressively tall stature. This was Lin Jiu's junior brother Simu, who had arrived with his own particular type of guests in tow.
"Senior Brother, I've been knocking on your door for quite a long time! Why did it take you so long to come and answer?" Simu complained with obvious dissatisfaction about the speed of Lin Jiu's response.
His tone carried the petulant irritation of someone who felt he had been kept waiting unnecessarily.
"Junior Brother Simu, what brings you here at this hour?" Lin Jiu inquired with genuine surprise and curiosity.
Lin Jiu distinctly remembered that it had only been a few days since Simu's last visit, so there should have been no reason for him to return so soon according to his usual schedule.
"Haha! Well, your junior brother here accepted a job that's located much closer than usual, so I can complete the round trip much faster this time," Simu explained with obvious satisfaction at his improved efficiency.
Simu laughed heartily and prepared to escort his distinctive guests to the charity cemetery area where such visitors were typically housed during their temporary stay. However, as soon as he stepped through the doorway, he unexpectedly encountered Gustave and Zhang Zhiwei standing in the main hall.
"Senior Brother, who might these two be?" Simu asked with natural curiosity about the unexpected visitors.
"These two are my esteemed friends, Gustave and Fellow Taoist Tiantong," Lin Jiu replied, providing the same introduction he had used earlier in town.
"Fellow Taoist?" Simu repeated with obvious confusion and bewilderment.
After hearing Lin Jiu's formal introduction, Simu found himself genuinely puzzled by the terminology being used. "Fellow Taoist" was specifically a term of address used among practitioners of equal standing and rank, yet Gustave and Zhang Zhiwei presented a striking visual contradiction. One appeared to be looking like a handsome western foreigner approximately the same age as Qiu Sheng and his fellow students, while the other possessed completely white hair that suggested advanced years. Based purely on their physical appearances and apparent ages, they should logically be addressed as either junior or senior to Lin Jiu and Simu, not as equals.
If an uninformed observer were to see Gustave, Lin Jiu, and Zhang Zhiwei standing together without any context, they would naturally assume they were looking at three generations of a family: grandfather, father, and grandson.
"This humble practitioner respectfully greets Gustave and Fellow Taoist Tiantong!" Simu declared formally, executing the appropriate bow.
Since Lin Jiu had specifically identified them as fellow Taoist, Simu felt obligated to follow his senior brother's lead and address them as equals, regardless of his personal confusion about the matter.
"Taoist Simu!" both Gustave and Zhang Zhiwei responded courteously, returning his greeting with equal formality and respect.
"My two esteemed Taoist friends, I have important guests following behind me who require my immediate attention," Simu explained apologetically after the initial greetings had been completed. "Would it be acceptable if we continue our conversation after I have properly settled them in their accommodations?"
After the exchange of pleasantries, Simu needed to focus on his professional responsibilities with his unique clientele. If he failed to provide adequate care and service for his guests, he would not receive a single penny of payment. For someone with Simu's deep love of money and profit, the prospect of earning nothing would be genuinely unbearable.
"Please, go ahead and attend to your duties!" both Gustave and Zhang Zhiwei replied graciously, stepping aside to provide Simu with clear access to the interior of the mortuary.
Ding ding ding!
As Simu began ringing the small brass bell he carried in his hand, his distinctive guests responded by lining up in perfectly neat formation and hopping into the charity cemetery with synchronized movements.
Gustave observed these unusual visitors with tremendous interest and fascination. This represented the first time he had ever witnessed such extraordinary creatures as Chinese hopping vampires, commonly known as jiangshi or zombies.
Wen Cai heard the characteristic sound of Simu's bell ringing and poked his head out from the kitchen to investigate the source of the noise, immediately recognizing the familiar visitor.
"Uncle Simu!" Wen Cai called out with obvious pleasure and excitement at seeing his master's junior brother.
"Wen Cai! Come here quickly and help your uncle move these guests to their proper accommodations!" Simu commanded with authority.
Wen Cai hadn't emerged from the kitchen when Simu first arrived, leading the Taoist priest to assume that the young man wasn't present at the mortuary tonight. Now that Wen Cai had appeared, Simu naturally expected him to provide assistance with the demanding task of managing the hopping vampires.
"Oh, yes sir!" Wen Cai responded obediently, though with obvious reluctance.
Hearing Simu's direct command, Wen Cai reluctantly removed his cooking apron and trudged out to help his uncle with the challenging task of guiding and positioning the supernatural guests.
By the time Simu and Wen Cai had successfully dealt with all the hopping vampire guests and secured them in their designated resting places, Qiu Sheng had completed his culinary preparations and served all the dishes. The assembled group was now waiting only for the two workers to take their seats at the dinner table.
"Wow, Senior Brother! Have you completely changed your temperament today? Why is tonight's meal so abundantly prepared?" Simu exclaimed with genuine shock and amazement.
Looking at the impressive array of more than a dozen elaborate dishes covering the entire table, Simu found himself stunned by the unexpected generosity. This lavish style was completely unlike anything his notoriously stingy senior brother would normally provide.
This represented a classic case of being able to see the speck in another's eye while ignoring the log in one's own. When it came to actual stinginess and penny-pinching behavior, Lin Jiu was far superior in generosity compared to Simu. Simu was the type of ruthless miser who possessed an entire box of gold bars hidden away but remained reluctant to purchase even a single piece of new clothing for his long-suffering apprentice.
"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up to eat your dinner! Everyone has been waiting patiently for you!" Lin Jiu snapped with obvious irritation, his face darkening at his junior brother's tactless commentary.
When Simu observed Lin Jiu's expression change so dramatically, he immediately pulled out a wooden stool and sat down without further comment. Although Simu was known for his flowery speech and tendency toward sarcasm, he still maintained proper respect for his senior brother Lin Jiu and knew when to stop pushing boundaries.
Although neither Qiu Sheng nor Wen Cai possessed cooking skills that could compare to Gustave's extraordinary culinary mastery, they had been preparing meals as apprentices for many years, and constant practice had made them genuinely proficient in the kitchen. If nothing else could be said for their efforts, the dishes arranged on the table were visually appealing and aromatic.
"Qiu Sheng's cooking skills are truly excellent!" Gustave commented warmly while sampling the various preparations.
His praise was genuine and encouraging, recognizing the effort and improvement the young man had demonstrated.
"Really? Thank you so much, Master Gustave!" Qiu Sheng replied, touching the back of his head with obvious embarrassment while smiling bashfully at the unexpected compliment.
The praise from such a distinguished guest meant more to him than he could adequately express.
Simu observed this interaction with growing doubt and confusion. Was this really the same Qiu Sheng he had known for years? When had the young man ever displayed such polite and respectful behavior toward strangers?
Wen Cai also found himself unable to understand why Qiu Sheng was being so remarkably polite and deferential toward Gustave, who appeared to be nothing more than an attractive young man. The stranger looked approximately the same age as themselves, yet somehow he could address both their master and Uncle Simu as "fellow Taoist" with apparent equality?
If Gustave had been able to hear Wen Cai's internal thoughts, he would definitely have complained indignantly: How can you possibly claim we're almost the same age? Based on your appearance alone, you look old enough to be my father!
Wen Cai possessed a particularly aged appearance that made him look far older than his actual years, and when combined with his characteristic bowl-cut hairstyle and generally timid approach to most situations, his overall bearing and temperament were vastly inferior to Gustave's natural confidence and charisma, not to mention falling short of even Qiu Sheng's more dynamic personality.
Usually when Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng ventured out together into town, the attention of young women was almost exclusively focused on Qiu Sheng. As long as he wasn't being directly compared to someone like Gustave, Qiu Sheng was actually quite handsome and attractive. Combined with the confident temperament that came from regular martial arts practice and physical training, he projected a distinctly masculine and appealing presence.
After the meal concluded, Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai dutifully cleaned up all the dishes and cooking implements. Lin Jiu provided them with specific instructions and asked them to burn incense for their ancestral spirits, while Gustave and the other three adults remained in the main hall discussing various strange people and supernatural events they had encountered during their travels.
The conversation was primarily dominated by Simu, who served as the main storyteller while the other three listened with varying degrees of interest and attention. Simu had traveled extensively throughout the country over many years and had accumulated an impressive collection of unusual experiences and encounters with the supernatural.
"That particular time, I was passing through a dense wild forest with my guests when suddenly there was an enormous gust of cold wind that seemed to come from nowhere," Simu narrated with dramatic flair. "The originally noisy forest filled with bird calls and insect sounds suddenly became completely and unnaturally quiet..."
Simu was in the middle of recounting his encounter with a century-old evil ghost that had occurred during his passage through a remote forest when his story was dramatically interrupted.
"AHHH!"
"AHHH!"
Two terrified screams suddenly pierced the night air, completely disrupting Simu's ghostly tale. Upon careful listening, it became clear that the panicked cries were coming from Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, and the location appeared to be exactly where Simu's hopping vampire guests had been securely housed for the night.
The four adult men immediately looked at each other with alarm and concern before rushing toward the scene of whatever incident was occurring.
As soon as they entered the storage room, they were confronted with a chaotic sight: the protective talismans that had been carefully pasted on the foreheads of Simu's supernatural guests had somehow been removed, and Wen Cai was being actively chased around the room by the animated hopping vampires.
"My precious guests!" Simu wailed in anguish when he witnessed this disaster unfolding before his eyes.
This represented a tremendous financial catastrophe for him, as each of those supernatural beings represented significant money in transportation fees!
Just as Simu was experiencing this profound financial distress, Lin Jiu had already moved into action and successfully subdued two of the rampaging guests using his Taoist techniques. However, Lin Jiu's response had been somewhat too forceful and vigorous, causing all of Simu's supernatural guests to become visibly weakened and damaged. Observing this additional complication, Simu felt his heart breaking even more completely.
When Lin Jiu attempted to subdue the third supernatural guest, an unexpected scream emerged from that particular figure. It turned out that this "guest" was actually Qiu Sheng in disguise, attempting to impersonate a hopping vampire.
The reason for the riot among Simu's supernatural guests was finally revealed: Qiu Sheng had been unable to sit still and remain patient, so he had decided to disguise himself as a zombie to frighten the naturally timid Wen Cai. Unfortunately, he hadn't anticipated that his prank would disrupt the protective talismans and cause such a serious incident.
"I'll deal with you properly later!" Lin Jiu warned his disappointing apprentice sternly, preparing to continue the process of subduing the remaining supernatural guests.
However, before Lin Jiu could take any further action, Gustave casually raised his hand with minimal effort. Immediately, all of the rampaging hopping zombies seemed to be restrained by some invisible force—their mouths remained open and they continued making biting motions, but their bodies became completely immobilized and unable to move.
"Thank you immensely, Gustave! Thank you so very much!" Simu repeated gratefully, bowing multiple times in appreciation.
Although Simu had no understanding of what supernatural methods Gustave had employed to control the hopping zombies, he clearly recognized that this was the perfect opportunity to restore order and calm to his valuable guests.
Simu hurriedly retrieved protective talismans from his pockets and carefully applied them to each supernatural customer one by one. The dangerous riot was finally brought to a complete end.
"So incredibly!" Wen Cai exclaimed with obvious awe and admiration.
Seeing Gustave casually raise his hand and instantly stop all the hopping zombies' actions, Wen Cai couldn't help but feel profound amazement. No wonder Qiu Sheng had been behaving so respectfully and obediently—it was because he had witnessed firsthand just how powerful Gustave truly was.
Wen Cai couldn't help but let his imagination run wild, fantasizing about how many young women he could charm and impress if he possessed the same incredible abilities as Gustave. As these pleasant thoughts occupied his mind, Wen Cai began unconsciously drooling.
Qiu Sheng was equally shocked by Gustave's effortless demonstration of power. He had known that Gustave possessed impressive physical combat skills from their earlier encounter during the day, but he had never expected to witness such overwhelming supernatural abilities at night.
"Thank you again and again, Gustave!" Simu repeated his gratitude once more after successfully controlling all his supernatural guests.
He approached Gustave with obvious relief and continued appreciation. If it hadn't been for Gustave's timely intervention, Simu would have suffered tremendous financial losses on this particular business trip.
"Taoist Simu, you're being far too polite about such a small matter!" Gustave replied with characteristic modesty, waving his hands dismissively to indicate that such assistance was completely trivial and required no special thanks.
"Junior Brother, I sincerely apologize for this incident," Lin Jiu said, hurrying to express his regret to Simu. "My two incompetent disciples nearly caused a complete disaster tonight. Why don't you remain here as our guest for the evening? I will make proper amends to you tomorrow morning."
Lin Jiu's tone carried both genuine remorse and concern for his brother's welfare after such a traumatic experience.
"No, no, Senior Brother! I think I'd better return to the road immediately and continue my journey while I still can!" Simu replied quickly, shaking his head vigorously in rejection of the offered hospitality.
Simu didn't dare remain at the mortuary any longer than absolutely necessary. If he stayed overnight, who knew what additional trouble Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, those two troublemakers, might manage to cause?
Therefore, Simu immediately began packing his traveling equipment and personal belongings. He rang his brass bell to summon his supernatural guests back into formation, and set off once again into the night with his valuable but dangerous cargo, eager to put distance between himself and any further potential disasters.