Chapter 5

Many villagers starved.

People decided the buried brigands must have become hanba—drought demons.

Lý Cần, then the village head, was tasked with opening the grave and destroying them.

Burning the bodies.

Grinding the bones to ash.

The two hanba offered to teach him a dark art: controlling people with older women's skin.

Greed blinded him.

He agreed immediately.

The pills required two essential ingredients.

Older skin.

And hanba saliva.

Knowing hanba feared water, he imprisoned their true bodies beneath the Water Ghosts' Lair, where the current was strongest.

They couldn't grow in power.

But trapped underwater, they lacked the intensely yin energy they needed.

Women born under yin signs in Long Đường could replenish that deficiency.

Let one such woman fall into the lair, and the hanba could break through the water.

And be free.

“Our meeting wasn't an accident.”

Thẩm Nghiêu wound a lock of my hair around his fingertip.

His lips curved without warmth.

“Out of hundreds of girls born in Long Đường, I chose you.”

“We've been married so long.”

“I hadn't actually intended to kill you.”

“Kỷ Quy Hoằng found your mother.”

“She was enough to break the seal.”

“We didn't need you.”

“Unfortunately, he believed Lý Cần.”

“Thought that if he helped harvest her skin, he'd be released on his own.”

In the light reflected off the water, my face was white as paper.

Full of terror.

“Văn Văn.”

“My brother and I risked our lives for years to accumulate that fortune.”

“Kỷ Quy Hoằng was only holding it temporarily.”

“It belonged to me.”

“And you wanted to donate it?”

Something dimly clicked.

“Đỗ Ngọc Mai stopped appearing... Did you...”

“I had her pretend to demand the estate, to force you back to me.”

“Who told her to get greedy?”

“She deserved it.”

He looked down at the black water and unconsciously licked his lips.

“I said I'd avenge you.”

“I didn't lie.”

My breathing quickened.

There was nowhere to retreat.

The man before me had been a brigand chief terrorizing this region seventy years ago.

And a hanba everyone feared.

I'd lived with him for years.

“Văn Văn.”

“I've been imprisoned for seventy years.”

“You want to save me, don't you?”

He lowered his voice.

His tightened mouth radiated an indescribable chill.

Human.

And not human.

“The Water Ghosts' Lair is just ahead.”

He leaned toward my ear, his voice horribly gentle.

“Any last words?”

I drew a deep breath.

And screamed in despair.

“HELP!”

At that moment, a deep boom sounded.

Huge walls of water crashed down from every direction.

Thẩm Nghiêu shrieked.

In an instant, the violent waves dragged him away.

I was saved.

Tần Nguyệt Nguyệt had clung to Lý Cần, crying and making a scene, claiming he'd cheated her out of love and money and she didn't want to live.

Someone on the bank called the police.

A river patrol passed by just as Thẩm Nghiêu was pushing me into the water.

Several blasts from their water cannon sank the covered boat.

Underwater, he couldn't fight back at all.

Apparently, hanba really did fear water.

The current was stronger at night.

The Water Ghosts' Lair was notorious for its deep, treacherous waters.

In a blink, it swept him away.

Years earlier, Lý Cần had thought Thẩm Nghiêu too cunning to control.

So he'd persuaded Kỷ Quy Hoằng to betray him.

Thẩm Nghiêu pretended not to know.

Behind the scenes, he'd turned the scheme against Kỷ Quy Hoằng and eliminated him.

With no alternative left, Lý Cần had been forced to keep working with Thẩm Nghiêu.

Now he was dead, too.

The hanba saliva lost its power completely.

The whole village seemed to wake from a dream.

Countless women demanded divorces.

Lý Cần begged his wife to stay.

The woman who'd endlessly professed her love wouldn't even look at him.

She contacted her family and prepared to bring him to justice.

He'd lost everything.

Once strong and healthy, he abruptly looked over seventy.

He couldn't even straighten his back.

After my rescue, I gave Tần Nguyệt Nguyệt a bitter smile.

“But I still don't understand.”

“Lý Cần only knows how to treat ordinary headaches and colds.”

“How could he make everyone have sons?”

She sighed.

“Hanba carry intensely yang energy.”

“Anyone who consumes their saliva will find it difficult to have a daughter.”

“Those poor women.”

“The best years of their lives were ruined.”

She looked me up and down.

“Fortunately... you never became pregnant with a hanba's child.”

I coughed.

“Thẩm Nghiêu and Kỷ Quy Hoằng's money wasn't clean.”

“I'll pay your fee first.”

“Then donate the rest to charity.”

“Don't pay me.”

“I'd donate it anyway.”

She was generous.

She didn't even ask me to cover treatment for her bruises or dislocated arm.

I watched the security video Thẩm Nghiêu had hidden.

My mother knelt before him and Kỷ Quy Hoằng.

Her eyes pleaded.

Her lips trembled.

Her voice broke.

“I'm old... My life isn't worth much...”

“Don't hurt my daughter...”

“Take my life...”

“Don't hurt my daughter...”

Only then did I understand.

Mom hadn't been dazzled by a handsome face.

The so-called honeymoon in Long Đường had been to protect me.

Seeing I was about to grieve for her again, Tần Nguyệt Nguyệt quickly changed the subject.

“To be fair, those two hanba were handsome.”

“Your mother had you, too.”

“Not a total loss. Not a total loss.”

We looked at one another.

Then laughed.

“I brought this back for you.”

She produced a jar.

“Lý Cần controlled too many people.”

“He used up a lot.”

“Only three or four pills remain.”

“Keep them as a memento.”

I thought for a moment.

Opened the jar.

Poured everything onto the earth.

Covered it.

And stamped it down.

Mom had always said she wanted to return to her roots.

Now, at last, her wish had come true.

Over the next few days, many people came to Tần Nguyệt Nguyệt's stream asking whether the hanba story was real.

At first, she offered explanations.

People accused her of staging it for views.

So she changed her answer.

Whoever asked, she said it was fake.

The viewers still wouldn't believe her.

After all, Thẩm Nghiêu had revealed his deathly aura by the river.

Too many details couldn't be explained.

I spoke up for her.

“If you believe, it exists.”

“If you don't, it doesn't.”

“There's plenty of evil in this world.”

“But most of it... is hidden in human hearts.”

Comments poured in agreeing.

Tần Nguyệt Nguyệt hurried to lighten the mood.

She clapped, her smile growing slyer.

“As anyone who's been possessed knows, spirits are easy to invite and hard to send away! Today I've sourced a batch of pest-expelling talismans, especially for getting rid of the rotten men beside you who are no better than hanba! Limited stock! Twenty percent off for a limited time!”

I had no words.

Among the teasing comments, one suddenly passed.

“Hanba belong to the earth element and like burying treasure. If you aren't making this up, have a good look around your home. You might find a surprise.”

I paused.

My gaze slowly moved to the seven enormous flowerpots on the balcony.

Thẩm Nghiêu had treasured them like his life.

Even when the plants were withered and barely alive, he'd tended them carefully every day.

Rain or shine.

Without fail.

I went over, gripped one, and tried to shift it.

So heavy it barely moved.

That couldn't just be potting soil.

I took a hammer and brought it down hard.

Brilliant gold flashed.

The seven flowerpots...

Were all cast from solid gold.

And studded with jewels and precious stones.

THE END