Killing Rules

Near San Niang Temple, Ding Shi spotted the fleeing village chief. The old bastard was moving with brisk, flying steps now, no longer leaning on his cane. Constantly glancing back over his shoulder, he weaved through the bamboo grove until he found the densest thicket of bamboo, where he squatted down. "Hey," Ding Shi greeted the village chief two meters away. The village chief leapt straight up, flashing his flashlight over. "Xiao Ding?" Ding Shi drew closer and asked, "What's the situation?" The village chief peered outside warily. From here, one could see the village's main road. The village chief said, "Daoist Baiyun is missing. San Niang showed up and killed several people." Ding Shi asked, "Several?" The village chief replied, "At least three." Ding Shi asked, "How did they die?" "How did they die?" After recalling, the village chief said, "One had their neck twisted around to their back, one had their heart ripped out, one..." Ding Shi cut in, "I'm asking what they did right before they died." The village chief countered, "Why are you asking that?" Ding Shi said, "Daoist Baiyun told me that thing follows rules when killing people. I know one of them. If you've discovered anything, Chief, we can trade intelligence." The village chief was shocked. "Trade? Xiao Ding, how could you be this kind of person? I am so disappointed in you." Ding Shi said, "Chief, at a time like this, don't waste time." The village chief glanced at Ding Shi, began to recall, and said, "I know about Xiao Yang. She wanted to go to the toilet, so someone spooked her, and she said she wasn't even afraid of that. Blind Zhao once said, 'By day, don't speak of people; by night, don't speak of...' I think she uttered that word." The village chief continued, "San Niang suddenly appeared in the room and flew at Xiao Yang at blistering speed, twisting Xiao Yang's neck around to her back. There were about a dozen people in the living room at the time. Everyone was scared out of their wits, and someone even wet their pants from fright." Ding Shi frowned and asked, "You're not saying the one who wet their pants died, are you?" The village chief nodded. "San Niang whipped around, flew right up to him, thrust her hand into his chest, and pulled out his heart." The village chief said, "The third one kept screaming 'that thing, that thing!' as he fled Haitang's house. San Niang shattered the window glass and caught up to him in an instant. That's all I've got. What about your intelligence?" Ding Shi said, "You can't make eye contact with it." The village chief said sternly, "Xiao Ding, lying is not right." "Hmm?" The village chief said, "When that thing appeared, plenty of people saw her, but only three had anything happen to them." Ding Shi said, "When she manifested, she already had a clear target. That doesn't count as making eye contact." The village chief countered, "If you can't even see it, how do you make eye contact?" Ding Shi raised two fingers in an oath and disclosed another piece of information to the village chief: "There's a zombie in the village. Within fifteen meters, it can sense a living person's breath. If you want to avoid it, you have to hold your breath." The village chief was half-convinced. Thinking it over, he said, "Xiao Ding, if we go straight home now and hide until daylight, there shouldn't be any problem, right?" "Daylight should be better," Ding Shi said vaguely, lacking confidence. The village chief looked left and right, asking, "Huh? Where's my daughter-in-law?" Ding Shi answered honestly, "I don't know." The village chief grabbed Ding Shi's hands. "Xiao Ding, please, bring my daughter-in-law back." Side quest: Find the village chief's daughter-in-law and escort her to the village chief's house. Ding Shi looked at the village chief. "Chief, are you kidding me?" The village chief said, "I won't make you work for nothing. I'll pay twenty dao." Ding Shi said, "Two hundred dao." The village chief said, "Even if you sold my whole family, we wouldn't fetch that price." Ding Shi said, "Forget it, then." The village chief's eyes darted as a thought struck him. "Do you know there are four deserted graves on Mount Taoyuan?" Ding Shi nodded. The village chief said, "Twenty years ago, a small landslide occurred on Mount Taoyuan, washing out a tomb. The entire village went to gawk at the spectacle back then, and everyone took plenty of gold, silver, and jewels for their children to play with. Later, those things were confiscated by the relevant authorities. I turned in most of it, but there was one item I took a special liking to, so I secretly kept it and buried it in the backyard." Ding Shi asked, "What is it?" The village chief said, "A few years ago, when Daoist Baiyun came down the mountain to procure supplies, I knew he was well-traveled and knowledgeable, so I asked him to take a look for me." Ding Shi instantly felt like he had missed out on billions. On the first day of the instance, the three aunties had disclosed a vital piece of information—arguably the most important information in the entire instance: a large tomb had once been uncovered on Mount Taoyuan, and the villagers had all gone to see the spectacle, with many taking away various items. With so many villagers, there were bound to be some with poor civic awareness who secretly hid things away. Ding Shi asked, "What is it?" The village chief said, "A monster-revealing mirror." Ding Shi pondered for a moment. "What does it do?" The village chief said, "Through the mirror, you can see things normally invisible to the naked eye—like that thing." Ding Shi said, "Just a moment ago I couldn't figure out how someone would make eye contact with it. Turns out it's thanks to you." If he looked through the monster-revealing mirror and saw Ghost San Niang, and they locked eyes, Ding Shi would end up chopped into pieces. The village chief said repeatedly, "No, no, Daoist Baiyun said the reason it's a treasure is because others won't know you're looking at them through it. The monster-revealing mirror is only palm-sized; once clasped in your palm, it becomes invisible and colorless, completely unseen by others." Ding Shi thought for a moment, then asked, "This thing doesn't happen to require an incantation, does it?" The village chief froze, thinking for quite a while. "Maybe, possibly, probably there is some sort of incantation." He tilted his head to look at the sky; the moon had vanished. Ding Shi gave the village chief a contemptuous look. "Neither you nor Daoist Baiyun knows the incantation, do you?" The village chief said earnestly, "Xiao Ding, Daoist Baiyun and I never had any schooling. It's only natural we wouldn't know. But you're a college student. You must believe that sooner or later, you'll discover the incantation. Besides, this is the only thing of any value my entire family owns." Ding Shi said, "Add another fifty dao." The village chief said, "Twenty dao. Truly not a coin more." Ding Shi wasn't one to haggle endlessly. After a brief thought, he agreed and asked, "When you last saw your daughter-in-law, where was she?" The village chief replied, "She was at Haitang's house." ... Ding Shi made his way through the dark to the vicinity of Haitang's house, only to see a flash of red fluttering above the house—Ghost San Niang. Why could he see Ghost San Niang? The only answer: Ghost San Niang had manifested to kill. Ghost San Niang drifted down, blocking Haitang and Zhang San's path. Extending both hands, she cupped Haitang's cheeks and spoke: "Why are you so foolish, giving yourself to someone who hurt you? Not only did you forgive and accept him, but you also protect him with all your heart. Does doing this do right by those who were good to you?" Holding Haitang's head, Ghost San Niang floated upward, continuing to address Haitang's face: "You're too foolish. You are truly far too foolish." Ghost San Niang and Haitang's head vanished into the night, leaving behind only a headless body still standing upright. Zhang San was trembling so violently with terror that he collapsed to the ground, completely unable to stand, and could only crawl. After crawling a dozen meters or so to put some distance between himself and Haitang's corpse, Zhang San finally slumped against a wall, panting heavily in deep, ragged gasps. Having regained a bit of his senses, Zhang San shakily unzipped his pants and began to urinate against the wall. Evidently, that terrifying scene had frightened the urine right out of him; fortunately, he still had enough presence of mind not to wet himself. After Zhang San relieved himself, San Niang did not appear. A question arose here: one possibility was that urinating might not be one of Ghost San Niang's killing rules after all. Another possibility was that Ghost San Niang hadn't seen him urinating. Under the setting for malevolent ghosts, unless it was occupied with someone else, it could monitor every move of any living creature within its domain. Therefore, a third possibility: San Niang was busy killing someone else. Among the three possibilities, Ding Shi leaned toward the first. After all, San Niang was very pretty; she shouldn't have anything to do with vulgarities like piss and shit.