Chapter Forty-Two: The Search for Bones

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"You know me?" Zhou Hongxian looked at Xie Qiao in confusion. In her memory, Xie Qiao's voice did sound somewhat familiar, but she could not recall ever meeting him. That night in Qingfeng Fort, Xie Qiao's face had been hidden behind a torch, and in her panic, she had not had the chance to see him clearly.

"I must have mistaken you for someone else, madam. Please pay it no mind," Xie Qiao replied, denying any familiarity. He studied Zhou Hongxian carefully, yet concealed his curiosity and scrutiny behind a calm demeanor.

Zhou Hongxian went straight to the point. "Are you Xie Qiao, courtesy name Ziping?"

"I am. May I ask who you are, madam, and what brings you to my humble abode?"

Upon hearing Xie Qiao confirm his identity, Zhou Hongxian's face lit up with joy. She hurriedly replied, "My name is Zhou Hongxian. I was entrusted by someone to come find you."

"Zhou—Hong—xian?" Xie Qiao frowned slightly. To his ears, the name sounded rather masculine, which clashed starkly with the gentle, delicate air of the woman before him.

"What's wrong? Is there something odd about my name?"

Xie Qiao smiled faintly. "Oh, nothing. May I ask who entrusted you, madam?"

Zhou Hongxian opened her mouth, but then hesitated. Xie Qiao could not help but say, "Why do you falter, madam? Is there something difficult to speak of?"

"Well, what I am about to tell you is rather strange and complicated, so I ask that you prepare yourself mentally."

"What do you mean by that?" Xie Qiao was taken aback. He courteously gestured toward a seat. "You are a guest here, madam. Please, let us sit and talk."

"I'd rather not. I fear you might throw me out once you hear what I have to say!" Zhou Hongxian took a deep breath, her cheeks flushing with nervousness. "To avoid any misunderstanding later, let me be honest about my identity. In truth, I am not human, but a fox spirit."

"A fox spirit?" Xie Qiao was again taken aback, though his eyes glinted with a playful amusement.

"I am not jesting. Please, let me finish."

"Very well, madam. Please continue," Xie Qiao nodded politely.

"Do you remember your wife, Liu Qian?" Suddenly, Zhou Hongxian blurted out a shocking question that nearly made Xie Qiao leap up. "You know my wife, Qian-niang?"

Zhou Hongxian nodded. "She is the one who sent me to find you."

Xie Qiao's eyes immediately reddened and he lost his usual composure. Overjoyed and trembling, he said, "Madam Zhou, please, tell me—where is Qian-niang? I have searched for her in vain these six long years!"

Zhou Hongxian's expression darkened. "I'm sorry, but you cannot see her now."

"Why not?"

"Because she is already dead."

"Dead?" The excitement had yet to fade from Xie Qiao's face, and the abrupt turn stunned him. When at last the words sank in, his face twisted with displeasure. "Madam Zhou, is this some kind of cruel joke?"

"I am not jesting. I am a fox spirit, and it was not Liu Qian herself, but her ghost, who entrusted me. Her soul is in great peril and needs your help!"

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Xie Qiao grew angry. "Madam, I have no wish to listen to such nonsense. Please see yourself out before I am forced to expel you!"

Zhou Hongxian sighed. "I understand how you feel. I expected this reaction, so I asked Qian-niang for a token of proof. See if you recognize this." She turned away, produced a jade hairpin from her bosom, and handed it to Xie Qiao.

"Qian-niang said you gave her this hairpin as a token of your love before your wedding. She wore it in her hair until her death, and thus asked me to bring it to you."

Taking the jade hairpin, Xie Qiao's expression changed dramatically. Shock, longing, and tenderness warred in his gaze. After a long silence, he looked up at Zhou Hongxian and spoke in a low, steady voice. "Your story is hard to believe. I cannot accept that Qian-niang is dead—unless you can prove you truly are a fox spirit!"

Zhou Hongxian looked a bit embarrassed. "Proving I'm a fox spirit is simple enough, though not very...decent."

"Not decent?" Xie Qiao frowned, puzzled, only to see Zhou Hongxian grit her teeth. "Fine, I will prove it to you. It's not as if I'll lose a chunk of flesh!"

A moment later, Xie Qiao stared, dumbfounded, then scolded sternly, "This is improper! Put your skirt down at once!"

Zhou Hongxian hastily pulled her skirt back into place, blushing furiously. "Now do you believe me?"

"Six years... This is the last fate I dared imagine." Xie Qiao sat down heavily, pain rising in his eyes. At last, he looked up at Zhou Hongxian. "Can you tell me—how did my wife die?"

Fifteen miles outside Husu County, in the Pine Slope Forest.

Xie Qiao, the old family servant, and four hired strongmen followed Zhou Hongxian through the woods.

It was midday, the sun high overhead, but the trees were dense and graves scattered everywhere, sending chills down everyone's spine.

As they walked, the four strongmen grumbled. "Master Xie, this Pine Slope Forest is too spooky. We're only here out of respect for you. No amount of silver could get ordinary men to come otherwise!"

Xie Qiao's face was wooden. The old servant spoke for him. "Enough out of you. If you want more pay, just say so. Stop your endless complaining! You call yourselves brave? You're not half as bold as the lady leading the way!"

The four strongmen flushed with shame and finally fell silent.

After some time, Zhou Hongxian stopped and pointed to a crooked-necked tree in the woods. "Qian-niang's remains should be buried beneath this tree!"

Xie Qiao's face finally betrayed emotion. "Madam Zhou, are you certain?"

Zhou Hongxian nodded. "This is exactly what Qian-niang told me."

The four strongmen went pale with fright on hearing this. "Madam, what you say is chilling!"

Ignoring them, Zhou Hongxian looked to Xie Qiao. He nodded, his voice heavy. "Dig."

The strongmen, ordered by their employer, had no choice but to take up their hoes and begin to dig. Soon, a decayed, unpainted coffin emerged from the earth.

Seeing an actual coffin unearthed, the four strongmen stared in shock, then glanced at Zhou Hongxian. Her face was grave. She looked at Xie Qiao, whose gaze never left the coffin, his expression wracked with struggle. At last, he forced out two words: "Open it."

The lid was pried off. Thanks to the dampness of the Pine Slope Forest, only a skeleton remained inside. The four strongmen and the old servant took one look and immediately turned their faces away.

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Only Xie Qiao remained. His tears flowed freely. He collapsed to his knees beside the coffin and wept uncontrollably, sending the crows in the forest scattering in fright.

Zhou Hongxian had meant to remind him not to linger in this place for long, to urge him to take Qian-niang's remains home for proper burial. But seeing how heartbroken he was, she could not bring herself to speak. Like the others, she stood quietly aside, waiting for Xie Qiao to vent his grief.

Suddenly, one of the strongmen cried out in alarm, "What a huge rat!"

"Liu San, are you blind? With a body that size, it's clearly a rabbit—wait, heavens above, it really is a rat!"

Zhou Hongxian, startled along with the others, looked to where they pointed and indeed saw a rat as large as a rabbit burrowing at the edge of the grass. A chill ran through her. She shouted anxiously, "Catch that rat, don't let it get away!"

But it was too late. In the blink of an eye, the rat disappeared into its hole.

As the sun set, the Pine Slope Forest was deserted. The chill of dusk gathered on the earth. Once again, Pine Slope Town appeared from thin air.

In the grand manor of the Pine Slope Ghost, the specter was raging, hurling a blood-soaked wild boar's head to the floor. His voice oozed with malice. "Second Brother, what are you doing? You bring me nothing but cat heads, dog heads, and now a pig's head! I want a human head—a human head!"

Yu Erlang picked up the boar's head in embarrassment. "Big Brother, my skills are limited. Where am I to find a fresh human head on short notice? Just use this one for now—when I find a better one, I'll switch it out for you!"

The Pine Slope Ghost was silent for a long while. "Fine. I'll lay this at that fox woman's door. And as for Qian-niang, who colluded with her, I will not forgive her either! By the way, I sent you to capture Qian-niang. How did that go?"

"Well—"

"What, did you fail at that too?"

"Big Brother, I was a step too late! The fox woman and Qian-niang's husband, Xie Qiao, beat me to it and dug up her remains!"

"What? Couldn't you have snatched them back?"

"Big Brother, listen! The fox woman had too many with her. I thought it prudent not to confront her head-on."

The headless Pine Slope Ghost jabbed a finger in the air. "You—you're as timid as a mouse!"

Yu Erlang grinned awkwardly. "Big Brother, that's not an unfair assessment!"

The Pine Slope Ghost flew into a rage. "Give me the head, now!"

Yu Erlang, trembling, handed the boar's head over. The Pine Slope Ghost raised it with both hands, pressed and twisted it into place, and the boar's head fit snugly onto his neck.

Yu Erlang glanced at him. "Big Brother, if I may say, your last human head was much too small. This pig's head fits you far better—looks rather imposing, too!"

As soon as he finished, the boar's head on the Pine Slope Ghost's shoulders opened its eyes. It snorted, and with its two tusks, its expression turned terrifying. "That fox woman has gone too far! Tonight, I will go to the Xie household, seize Qian-niang back, and tear the fox woman and the others to pieces!"