Chapter 26: Averting Disaster

"First, have the child set off the firecrackers to announce the passing," Wu Zhenghua said with a nod. He signaled for someone to retrieve the firecrackers, then walked toward the door, waving for everyone to step back.

In truth, even without his command, the legs of Old Man Zhao’s relatives were already trembling. Old Man Zhao was dead, and the thing possessing his body was a malevolent spirit; who would dare to hold him down? If it weren't for the fact that Old Madam Zhao was still present, everyone would have fled long ago.

Once released, Old Man Zhao remained hunched over, muttering under his breath, before suddenly lunging at Wu Zhenghua.

Wu Zhenghua remained calm and unruffled. He took a steady step forward, his brow instantly regaining an air of natural authority, and shouted, "Begone!"

Old Man Zhao was thrown backward as if struck by an invisible force, collapsing flat on his back.

"Righteous vital energy!" someone exclaimed in shock. The surrounding crowd suddenly realized what had happened and began to look at Master Wu Zhenghua with immense reverence.

I glanced at the blood-brown tortoise shell he was toying with in his hand. I wasn't particularly impressed by his use of external force to drive away the spirit; I suspected the object was doing all the work.

Regardless of whether it was a crowd-pleasing stunt or mere posturing, the malevolent spirit had been driven out of Old Man Zhao's body. Wu Zhenghua seemed to see the entity; he swept his hand through the air, and a gust of wind accompanied by white mist surged forth. The spirit vanished instantly.

I frowned, unable to discern where that white vapor had gone. Could Wu Zhenghua truly possess such formidable magic to dispel spirits with a mere wave of his hand?

"It is done. The spirit has been dispelled," Wu Zhenghua said faintly. He then looked at me, his expression carrying the smile of an elder regarding a junior.

I remained expressionless. Even if he were powerful enough to overturn the heavens, as long as he didn't trouble me, it was none of my concern. Besides, having the spirit eradicated without me having to intervene was a welcome outcome.

"Brother Zhenghua, thank you so much. If only you had used this spirit-dispelling skill sooner," Old Madam Zhao said gratefully. She then instructed the relatives to change Old Man Zhao's clothes and others to arrange for the coffin.

"Mother, leave these trivial matters to me. I will handle everything perfectly for you. You should go and rest; you’ve been busy all day and must be exhausted," Zhao Zhou immediately stepped forward, taking charge.

Only then did Old Madam Zhao look squarely at her second son, nodding with relief. "Very well. Zhou, you must manage this properly. Your father did not pass away peacefully, so ensure you have Master Wu oversee things carefully."

"Understood, Mother," Zhao Zhou replied with a solemn expression. The implication of Old Madam Zhao's words was clear: he was to be the next head of the Zhao family. After all, she hadn't addressed her eldest son, Zhao Xi, and she ignored her third daughter entirely.

Zhao Yi appeared outside at some point. Instead of going to the hospital, he was bustling about, giving orders as if afraid no one would notice him.

Seeing this, Old Madam Zhao felt even more reassured. "Zhou, your son Yi is also very sensible. You’ve raised him well. I used to listen to the gossip of others calling the child reckless, but I think he’s quite capable."

"Mother, he may be a bit mischievous, but he takes after me in facing matters—he’s reliable." Seeing his chance, Zhao Zhou immediately helped his mother out of the main hall. As they passed Zhao Qian and me, he didn't forget to glance at Zhao Qian and ask, "Where is your brother?"

The Zhao relatives under the mosquito net were changing Old Man Zhao’s clothes and wiping his body. Zhao Qian, out of propriety, stood by the doorway. Her eyes were red from crying, and she sobbed, "Brother went back to the county."

"Drinking again, I suppose? Zhao He’s friend just called Yi, inviting him to a birthday party. Hmph, at least Zhao Yi knows filial piety; he sternly refused because he knew his grandfather was unwell. I heard he asked your brother to return, and he was unwilling," Zhao Zhou said coldly.

"Indeed, the eldest one’s household is hopeless. Still drinking at a time like this?" Old Madam Zhao glared at Zhao Qian. She wasn't like Old Man Zhao; she didn't care much for Zhao Qian. Hearing that Zhao He was out drinking made her furious. "Xi! Are you not going to call your son back? Are you letting him drink and celebrate your father’s passing?"

Zhao Xi, who was inside directing the preparations, heard his mother’s shout and ran out. Upon hearing the news, his face went pale. He pointed at Zhao Qian, "You! You girl! Why haven't you told your brother to come back immediately? Drinking at a time like this—are you trying to kill me with anger?! Why are neither of you sensible?"

Zhao Qian nodded, tears falling like beads. I stood by without saying a word.

Wu Zhenghua walked over and said to the old lady, "Sister, don't take your husband’s passing too much to heart. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the normal course of life. Now that he is gone, I am relieved that Zhou is here to manage things. I’ve come to bid you farewell; I have matters to attend to back in the city tonight."

"So soon? I wanted Zhou to have you stay for a few more days," Old Madam Zhao said with concern, looking at Zhao Zhou.

Zhao Zhou spoke in a low, troubled voice, "Mother, you don't know—if it weren't for the eldest and the third interfering today, things wouldn't have ended up like this. Do you know how hard it is to request Master Wu? He was attending a meeting in Qinghai when I called him yesterday; he flew in, and his superiors only granted him one day of leave. He was supposed to perform rites all day, but that was ruined by my brother and sister. He has to rush back now. Someone of his status can't just be expected to preside over a funeral, can he?"

"You have a point. It’s all your brother and sister's fault! Sigh, then you should personally escort Master Wu back to the county. We will find another suitable master." Old Madam Zhao felt this made sense. Using a man of Wu Zhenghua's status to preside over a funeral was like using a butcher's cleaver to kill a chicken; it would only invite ridicule. She felt it would be insensitive to insist on keeping such a master of Daoist arts.

And so, Zhao Zhou escorted Wu Zhenghua away.

Old Madam Zhao looked at the pale-faced Zhao Xi and then at Zhao Yuan, who stood by looking dejected. Sighing deeply, she had to make the decision herself. "Your father is gone, yet you still won't let me rest and grieve, forcing me to manage the household affairs. Look at what you've done today! Sigh, if the two of you were even half as sensible as Zhou, it would be enough. Now, discuss which master from the county would be appropriate to oversee the funeral. Mother is tired."

Zhao Xi looked at Zhao Yuan, who was looking at her eldest brother. Since she lived in the city and didn't understand these traditions, she dared not take the lead. "Whatever Brother says, I’ll follow. How could I have any objections?" With that, Zhao Yuan washed her hands of the matter.

"Mother, how about Master Wang Heng from the county? He is a descendant of the Wang family; he should be quite capable." Zhao Xi, being the eldest, had to swallow his frustration. The relationship between the Wang and Zhao families was decent, and they were one of the four great metaphysical families in the county; inviting someone from the Wang family was a solid choice.

"Do as you see fit. Just don't let any more problems arise," Old Madam Zhao said after some thought, nodding in agreement.

"Very well, I will go invite him now." Zhao Xi picked up the phone and called his friend Wang Heng, while Old Madam Zhao left, supported by Zhao Yuan.

After the call, Zhao Xi turned to Zhao Qian and said, "I am going to pick up Uncle Wang Heng myself. Stop standing there like a statue and tell your brother to come back and wear mourning clothes!"

"I already called Brother; he is on his way," Zhao Qian sobbed.

"Prodigal son!" Zhao Xi sighed heavily. Everything had gone wrong for him today; he had even lost the position of family head to Zhao Zhou and had left such a poor impression on his mother. Although his father had managed the family affairs, his mother had always been more decisive. Now that his father was gone, she would naturally be the one in charge.

Furthermore, his mother's name was on half of the Zhao family’s assets. In her eyes, Zhao Zhou was now the favorite; his father's share would likely be transferred to him, leaving him with only the scraps. No matter how mild his temper was, he couldn't remain calm now.

After the three firecrackers announcing the death were set off outside the door, the relatives arranged the mourning clothes and other necessities.

Zhao He also arrived in a taxi, looking apprehensive. Zhao Xi had gone to pick up the master, otherwise, he would surely have received a slap from his father.

"Brother... Grandpa has passed away... wuu wuu." Seeing Zhao He, Zhao Qian began to weep uncontrollably.

"Qian, it’s all my fault. If I had known, I would have stayed," Zhao He regretted. He didn't know what else to say.

When Zhao Qian saw Zhao He, her legs gave out, and she sank to the floor at the doorway, crying. Seeing how pitiful she was, I went to help her up, and she wiped her tears and snot directly onto my clothes.

"Brother Tian, what should we do?" Zhao Qian asked, looking up at me with tears in her eyes. She had lost her sense of direction.

"The dead cannot return to life; please accept your grief. Your grandfather loved you dearly when he was alive, and no matter what you say or do, he will watch over you. Just follow the procedures with the master presiding over the rites later," I comforted her. Perhaps losing an elder in a four-generation household was different from my own experience; I hadn't shed a tear when my grandmother passed, though perhaps that was because I hadn't seen her body.

"Brother Tian, sigh, it’s thanks to you for looking after Qian while I was away. Otherwise... if you ever need anything, just let me, Zhao He, know. I will be at your beck and call. Brother Tian, you’ve been busy all day too; why don't you go back and rest? It’s almost midnight." Zhao He shook his head, sighed, and gripped my hand.

I smelled the alcohol on him and knew he had been drinking, but he seemed sober enough. Seeing more cars arriving from outside, I felt a bit more at ease.

Thinking of Yu Xiaoxue alone at home, I said, "Fine. Things are as they are now; don't overthink it. Call me if you need anything. I’ll come by again tomorrow morning."

Zhao Qian nodded, her face tear-streaked, and pressed the keys to the house and the car into my hands.

I didn't linger. I lit a stick of incense for Old Man Zhao. Checking the incense before leaving, I saw it was burning evenly—one long, two even. This was a "disaster-dispelling" incense; disasters are removed, difficulties are resolved, and blessings follow. It seemed Old Man Zhao was a good man in life; he had simply been possessed by something unclean. After tonight, the Zhao family should be fine.

With Wu Zhenghua and Zhao Zhou heading back to the county, the incident that had happened to Zhao Qian on the national highway likely wouldn't repeat itself.

Moreover, as Old Man Zhao was a well-known figure in the county, there would be many people keeping vigil. The more people, the stronger the yang energy, and no unclean thing would dare to take advantage of the situation.

However, I did not know that once I left, the situation would spiral beyond my control.