Chapter 46 Motherly Roots

Upon stepping into the main hall, Xia Baokun's first gaze fell upon the statue of Paolongkou, while his second fell upon an elderly woman seated below. The old woman had a head full of white hair, was short and exceptionally thin, and her face was covered in wrinkles. However, her eyes shone with a piercing brilliance that unnerved anyone who met her gaze.

"Mother Priestess." Xia Baokun cupped his hands together and bowed to her slightly.

The old woman looked at him and asked with a smile, "Officer Xia, are you here to arrest me again?"

"How could that be? Things aren't like the old days anymore..." Xia Baokun felt a bit embarrassed.

Not long after he had first joined the police force years ago, he had indeed arrested the old woman under the pretext of propagating feudal superstition and defrauding people of their money. Later on, he had paid her a few visits, and each time she never failed to bring that incident up. Yet this old woman possessed genuine abilities; otherwise, Xia Baokun would never have come seeking her help.

"Speak, what brings you to me this time?" the old woman asked.

The boundless world is full of wonders and oddities, and not everything can be explained by science. In all his years as a police officer, Xia Baokun had encountered several cases that defied scientific explanation. On such occasions, they would typically seek external assistance. Over the years, they had arrested many charlatans and swindlers, yet some indeed possessed genuine skills. However, under the surging tide of humanity, no matter how great one's abilities might be, everyone feared a bullet. Consequently, many had died or fled, though naturally, some survived and managed to live quite well.

The old woman was precisely one such person. As a native of the local Li ethnic group, she was deeply rooted and commanded immense prestige among her people. Even back then, the authorities dared not push matters too far so as not to disrupt ethnic unity, which was how she managed to survive.

Although the Li people worshipped Paolongkou, their beliefs were fundamentally rooted in ancestor worship. Even Paolongkou was a composite figure designed later by Li tribal elders based on the imagery passed down among various village strongholds. Initially, the Li people worshipped the Stone Ancestor—essentially a long, oval-shaped pebble. This form of phallic worship was a branch of ancestor worship, and every Li village enshrined a Stone Ancestor, which was the cultural equivalent of the Han Chinese Earth God.

When Xia Baokun had first entered, he had noticed a stone wrapped in red satin ribbons right in the flower bed; that was a Stone Ancestor. The Li society was patrilineal, but the Huang Mother Priestess before him was an exception. Their bloodline and abilities were transmitted through the matrilineal line, passed exclusively from mother to daughter. Only females possessed the capacity to communicate with ghosts and spirits. Furthermore, upon awakening this ability, regardless of one's original surname, one would adopt the surname Huang.

For instance, the young girl who had just led Xia Baokun inside—if she truly was the maternal niece of the Huang Mother Priestess, then no matter what her father's surname was, she would eventually take the surname Huang. This was because the bloodline of their lineage was inherited from the Holy Mother Huang. As for who Holy Mother Huang actually was or which tier of deities she belonged to, the Mother Priestess herself probably could not say.

Seeing that the Mother Priestess had opened the floor for discussion, Xia Baokun did not beat around the bush and directly explained the reason for his visit.

Upon hearing this, the Mother Priestess pondered for a moment and said, "Ordinary people rarely see ghosts unless their three vital flames are weak, their life span is nearing its end, and their fortune has decayed to the absolute limit. Only under those conditions is it possible to see them."

"It's that serious?" Xia Baokun's eyes widened in shock.

The Mother Priestess nodded. "Unless the person themselves is extremely unusual."

As she spoke, she glanced at her granddaughter standing off to the side.

Xia Baokun noticed this as well, but paid it no mind, asking instead with deep anxiety, "My niece is still very young and has a long life ahead of her. Is there any way to save her?"

"What I spoke of was merely a possibility. Whether it applies here can only be determined once I see her. Bring her over first," the Mother Priestess instructed.

Hearing this, Xia Baokun politely replied, "Then I must trouble the Mother Priestess to wait a moment. I will call her over right now." With that, he walked straight out into the courtyard to make the phone call.

Seeing him step outside, the young girl who had remained silent until now finally spoke up, addressing her grandmother.

The Mother Priestess waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine. People from the government have backing behind them and feel secure in their hearts, so naturally they don't hold the same reverence for us as ordinary people do. You needn't mind it. Times have changed; you were born in a good era."

When Jiang Xiyue received Xia Baokun's call, though surprised, she obediently rode her motorcycle over.

"Captain Xia." Seeing Xia Baokun waiting at the entrance, Jiang Xiyue quickly removed her helmet and greeted him.

"I'm a friend of your father's. You should call me Uncle Xia," Xia Baokun said.

Jiang Xiyue smoothly complied and called him Uncle Xia, then asked, "What is this place?"

"Don't ask too many questions. Just follow me inside."

Xia Baokun led Jiang Xiyue into the house, and the Mother Priestess immediately approached them.

"Is this the young girl?"

She thrust her head close to Jiang Xiyue, startling the girl so much that she recoiled and took a step back, only to have her arm seized by the Mother Priestess.

"Don't move. Let me take a good look at her." The Mother Priestess reached out and began prodding and feeling all over her body.

Jiang Xiyue cast a look at Xia Baokun standing nearby.

With a calm expression, Xia Baokun said, "Let the Mother Priestess examine you properly."

Hearing the title "Mother Priestess," Jiang Xiyue immediately understood who the other person was. In Qionghai, there was only one kind of person addressed as Mother Priestess—a shamaness who communicated with ghosts and spirits. She also understood why Xia Baokun had brought her here. Remembering the strange young girl she had seen yesterday, she reined in her usual skepticism and obediently submitted to the inspection.

The Mother Priestess examined her with meticulous care. Not only did she prod and feel her limbs, but she even pulled back her eyelids to inspect her eyes. Afterward, her expression turned solemn.

This reaction caused both Xia Baokun and Jiang Xiyue's hearts to leap into their throats.

"Well? Is the problem serious?" Xia Baokun pressed urgently.

"Problem? What problem?" the Mother Priestess asked in confusion.

Xia Baokun gave a bitter laugh. "Mother Priestess, please don't play riddles with me. Just tell me straight. I admit I was wrong in the past, so please spare me the games."

The Mother Priestess chuckled and said, "She has no problem at all. She's fit as a fiddle, full of vital energy—a fine young girl."

"Then she...?" Xia Baokun asked, bewildered.

"Since she has no problem, naturally the problem lies with that ghost." By the end of her sentence, the Mother Priestess's expression had turned grave.

"The ghost has a problem?"

"A ghost capable of taking visible form is exceedingly rare," the Mother Priestess stated.

Xia Baokun opened his mouth to ask more, but the Mother Priestess raised a hand to cut him off.

"As long as the girl is fine, that's enough. Whether the ghost has a problem is none of your business. You two should leave."

At that moment, Xia Baokun's phone rang again. With no other choice, he reluctantly summoned Jiang Xiyue, who was still standing there in a daze, and prepared to leave.

"Hello, it's me. What is it?" Xia Baokun answered the phone as he walked outside.

"Another new victim?"

A headache began to throb behind Xia Baokun's temples. With the discovery of each new victim, the pressure on him mounted.

"Wait for me. I'm coming right now."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Xia Baokun strode toward his car, completely ignoring Jiang Xiyue, who stood trailing behind him with a look of hesitation, as if she had something she wanted to say.

"The identity has been confirmed? It's Fang Yunlou, who has been missing for several days?"

Xia Baokun was slightly surprised by the news, yet not entirely shocked. Ever since he realized that Fang Yunlou was a classmate of the previous victims, he had a premonition that the next victim might well be him. His speculation had proven correct.

He paused in his tracks and called out to Jiang Xiyue, who was just about to mount her motorcycle.

"Grandmother, they have gone."

Seeing them depart, the younger girl closed the courtyard gate and returned indoors. The Mother Priestess did not respond immediately; instead, she continued her devotions to Paolongkou.

When she finished her worship, she stood up and instructed, "Go and ask your grandfather if any unusual people have come to Binhai recently."

The girl nodded and walked toward the inner room.

As for the girl's grandfather, he had actually passed away many years ago.