Chapter 36: Scheming with the Tiger Part 2

Wang Cheng’an said, “Then I peed myself in fright!”

Wang Ya silently mourned that toilet ghost for two seconds in her mind: What rotten luck—grabbing a forty-something virgin kid was bad enough, but it had to be her dad. She seriously doubted if that ghost’s claw would survive. Airport restrooms didn’t spawn ghosts out of nowhere, especially not at a time like this. That toilet ghost might well be connected to the Lingnan Ghost Family.

Wang Ya reached the arrivals hall exit and saw crowds of greeters packed three deep beyond the barriers. Old Tang waved at her from the throng. As she headed toward him, she noticed several unfamiliar faces staring at her and pushing through the crowd. But those approaching were shoved aside by Old Tang and his eight burly bodyguards, who formed a protective ring around Wang Ya.

Wang Cheng’an’s voice rang out from behind her. “Yaya! Wait for me!”

Wang Ya turned back to see her dad separated outside the human wall by the bodyguards.

Wang Cheng’an panicked when people pushed him away from Wang Ya. He pressed a hand on the shoulder of the bodyguard blocking him and shoved him aside. Squeezing through to Wang Ya’s side, he shouted, “Yaya, there are so many people here! They squished me!”

Old Tang asked Wang Ya, “Who’s this?”

Wang Cheng’an puffed out his chest and declared, “I’m Yaya’s dad!” His voice boomed with pride and joy.

Old Tang stared at Wang Ya in shock. “He’s really your dad?”

Wang Ya said offhandedly, “It says father and daughter on the Household Registration Book. Fake?”

Old Tang chuckled awkwardly. “Your dad’s… a bit unique.”

Wang Cheng’an thrust his chest out even more and boasted, “Yeah, I’m the strongest and best-looking guy in our village.”

Old Tang extended a hand to Wang Cheng’an. “Mr. Wang, pleased to meet you!”

Wang Cheng’an spread his fingers and gripped Old Tang’s hand hard. “You know what? I flew on a plane today! It went so high, houses turned tiny, people like ants, itty-bitty…” He gestured with his fingers while chattering.

Old Tang was convinced something was wrong with Wang Cheng’an’s head—definitely wrong! He gawked at Wang Ya, too polite to ask outright, “Wang Ya, is your dad a fool?”

Wang Ya ignored Old Tang and lifted her gaze to Zhang Qingshui, who stood coldly aloof about ten meters away.

Zhang Qingshui wore a skirt suit and stood tall in High Heels, graceful like a lotus blooming proudly on still waters—noble, serene, ethereal. Flanking her were two old men in their sixties or seventies. Their faces glowed ruddy and smooth without a wrinkle, eyes sharp and electric. They exuded a steady, mountain-like presence just by standing there.

Wang Ya thought to herself, What a lineup! Zhang Qingshui, Old Tang, eight bodyguards, plus two experts holding the fort. She glanced around with her peripheral vision and spotted many eyes fixed on her. “Looks like plenty want a piece of me.”

Old Tang, fearing misunderstanding, said, “Once the Ghost Family saw the Zhang Family mobilize, they leaked word that you’re here.”

Wang Ya smiled and asked, “What, is the Ghost Family afraid of the Zhang Family?”

Old Tang stayed silent.

The group reached the parking lot, and Old Tang accompanied Wang Ya into a sedan.

Wang Cheng’an, riding in such a car for the first time, poked around curiously before turning to Wang Ya. “Yaya, why haven’t I seen Mom yet? Where’d she go? It’s been one, two, three…” He counted on his fingers, paused, then said, “Three days since I saw her!”

Wang Ya looked at Wang Cheng’an. “Grandma’s gone missing. We have to find her.”

Wang Cheng’an asked, “Where do we look?”

Wang Ya said, “To find Grandma, we gotta beat off those bad guys who hit her that night.”

Wang Cheng’an anxiously stammered, “But… but…”

Old Tang asked, “But what?”

“The bad guys hit Mom, she spat blood, went down a road with lots of red flowers blooming, then they chased, and out came…” Wang Cheng’an blinked, raised both hands to his forehead like horns, and mooed, “Moo—Oxie! Oxie was fierce, killed all the bad guys.” He held up fingers in a big “four.” “Four guys, stomped dead by Oxie! Mom, Mom vanished with the red flowers.”

Old Tang looked utterly baffled.

Wang Ya’s brows furrowed into a river character, her face darkening ominously.

Wang Cheng’an pulled at Wang Ya’s hand with a woebegone face. “Yaya, let’s go find Mom.”

Wang Ya irritably glared at Wang Cheng’an.

Seeing Wang Ya angry, Wang Cheng’an pouted aggrievedly and sat quietly, not daring to speak.

Old Tang mulled it over for a while before suddenly yelling, “Fuck! Opening Yellow Springs, Other Shore Flower, Ox-Head and Horse-Face! Did Feng Yuyang charge into the Underworld Courts again?” He stared at Wang Ya in shock. “Don’t tell me she took the Yin-Yang Scroll to the Underworld Courts too?”

Wang Ya huffed noncommittally. After a moment, she said, “Does Old Tang want the Yin Spirit Scroll too?”

Old Tang protested, “I wouldn’t dare touch that thing!”

Wang Ya eyed him with a half-smile. “Then why pry so much?”

Old Tang grinned sheepishly. “Curiosity got the better of me. Wanted to see what this thing everyone’s fighting over looks like.”

Wang Cheng’an couldn’t hold back. “Yaya, there’s a ghost in the sky staring at me.”

Wang Ya said, “Stare right back at it.”

Wang Cheng’an said, “Okay!” He looked up, eyes bulging at the ceiling. After a bit, he stuck his hands up by his foreheads, tongue out in a ghost face, playing stare-down and face-making games with the overhead ghost—you glare, I glare; you scare with face, I scare back—having a blast.

Old Tang told Wang Ya, “To shake the Ghost Family’s tail, we need to take down that ghost up there.”

Wang Ya said, “No need.” She gave the addresses of the three people she’d gotten at the County Public Security Bureau. “Just drop me there.”

Old Tang eyed her suspiciously. “So late, going all that way? Hiding in plain sight in the city would be easier, right?”

Wang Ya said, “Don’t ask. Just do it.”

Old Tang instructed the driver to head to the address Wang Ya provided.

About ten minutes later, Old Tang’s phone rang. Wang Ya heard Zhang Qingshui’s voice. “Why aren’t you taking the planned route?”

Old Tang said, “Wang Ya changed it.”

Zhang Qingshui asked, “To where?”

As Old Tang opened his mouth to give the address, Wang Ya interjected, “Either let her follow, or tell her to back off.”

Old Tang glanced at Wang Ya. “Little Zhang, you heard that, right?”

Zhang Qingshui hummed in acknowledgment. “If it were me, I’d want to storm the enemy’s lair and end the trouble too. But the Ghost Family’s roots span all of Lingnan after all these years. You think you can uproot them single-handed? Wang Ya, you’re joking, right?”

Wang Ya kept her face cold and said nothing.

Zhang Qingshui’s voice continued from the phone. “Your guts to charge into the Ghost Family rely on two things: one, Opening Yellow Springs with the Feng Family Secret Arts; two, the Feng Family’s scroll. Then what? Like Feng Yuqin, use Yellow Springs Escape into the Underworld to flee? You want to drag your father into reenacting Feng Yuqin’s tragedy?”