The breeze blew, and the sun cast its last warmth before setting, casting everything around into darkness.
A mobile phone ring pulled Yu Daochen from his sleep. He fumbled to press the answer button and brought it to his ear: "Hello, who is it?"
A man's voice came from the other end of the line: "Master Yu, it's me, Lao Biao."
Yu Daochen rubbed his still-closed eyes, sat up, and yawned, his voice lazy: "You don't call without a reason. Why are you calling me today, Lao Biao?"
The voice on the other end chuckled: "I heard you ran into a ghost last week when you were on duty at the town?"
Yu Daochen looked out the window. Seven days had passed since the incident with Zhao Yicheng.
Seeing no response, the voice on the other end chuckled again: "Actually, I'm calling you this time because a friend wants your help."
Yu Daochen became interested and asked, "Oh, who?"
Then, a woman's voice came from the phone: "Hurry up, I'm ready."
Just as Yu Daochen was about to speak, the man's voice cut in: "You'll know in two days. I'm busy here, so I won't bother you any longer, Master Yu."
The call ended. Yu Daochen imagined the scene on the other end, shook his head, and lay back down. He glanced at his phone; it was almost seven in the evening.
Just as he was about to close his eyes and sleep for a few more minutes, a knock sounded on the door, growing louder and louder. Yu Daochen frowned, put on his slippers, and walked towards the front shop.
As soon as he reached the front shop, he saw the door being knocked so hard it creaked. Yu Daochen lowered his footsteps, reached the door, clasped the doorknob, and pulled it open with a sudden force.
The person knocking didn't expect the door to be suddenly pulled open. Unsteady, they fell inside. Yu Daochen quickly caught them.
When the woman looked up, Yu Daochen finally saw her clearly: an exquisite face, a graceful figure, and a commanding presence.
Zhao Yiyi, standing nearby, saw Yu Daochen staring lecherously at Liu Xiaowei and cursed, "Let go of Xiaowei, you antique man."
Yu Daochen let go of Liu Xiaowei and said indignantly, "What? I'm your brother's savior, at least you should call me Master."
Zhao Yiyi ignored Yu Daochen, pulled Liu Xiaowei to her side, and pointed at Yu Daochen: "It's him, he can help you."
Liu Xiaowei looked at Yu Daochen, who was wearing shorts and slippers, and couldn't believe her eyes. Although she trusted Zhao Yiyi, this man before her didn't look like a master at all.
Yu Daochen ignored Zhao Yiyi, stretched, walked to the rocking chair, and lay down, his voice lazy: "We're not open until twelve. Please help yourself. Thank you." He then closed his eyes.
Just as Zhao Yiyi was about to speak, Liu Xiaowei pulled her arm and said, "We have nothing to do anyway, let's just wait."
Zhao Yiyi glared at Yu Daochen, snorted, moved two chairs, and sat by the door. Yu Daochen paid no mind, still closing his eyes as if asleep.
Zhao Yiyi, bored, started talking about how her brother Zhao Yicheng had his soul called.
When Yu Daochen opened his eyes, he found that Zhao Yiyi and the other woman had moved inside and were sitting down. He took out his phone and saw it was half-past eleven, with half an hour left until twelve.
Seeing Yu Daochen awake, Zhao Yiyi asked, "Can you help Xiaowei with her matter now?"
Yu Daochen pointed at his phone, looking impatient: "Can't you check your phone yourself?"
Just as Zhao Yiyi was about to retort, Liu Xiaowei held her arm and comforted her, "Alright, alright, my Yiyi is a lady, don't be angry."
Hearing Liu Xiaowei say that, Zhao Yiyi snorted and continued chatting with Liu Xiaowei.
Yu Daochen, who had planned to sleep for a few more minutes, was disturbed by their chatter and couldn't sleep. He decided to stop trying, got up, lit the stove, and placed the teapot, which was already filled with water, on it to boil.
Seeing Yu Daochen place the teapot on the stove, Zhao Yiyi pointed to the drawers behind him and asked curiously, "What's in those drawers?"
Yu Daochen pretended not to hear and ignored Zhao Yiyi, sitting in the rocking chair and playing with his phone.
Liu Xiaowei also stared curiously at the drawers on the wall. Seeing that Yu Daochen wasn't responding, Zhao Yiyi called out, "Antique man, I'm asking you a question."
Yu Daochen replied impatiently, "Cinnabar, hundred-year-old peach wood, rooster's blood, yellow paper, aged glutinous rice."
Hearing these strange ingredients, Zhao Yiyi asked, "You use these strange things to catch ghosts?"
"Do you expect me to use you to seduce them?" Zhao Yiyi was so angered by Yu Daochen's retort that she stomped her feet and looked at Liu Xiaowei beside her with a wronged expression. Liu Xiaowei shook her head helplessly.
In a moment, it was exactly twelve o'clock. Yu Daochen glanced outside and then at Liu Xiaowei: "Alright, tell me what happened."
Just as Liu Xiaowei was about to speak, a gust of wind blew outside, and the streetlights suddenly went out. Yu Daochen said, "Go wait in the backyard first," and walked towards the door.
A chill surged into the room from outside. Even the usually bold Zhao Yiyi was too scared to speak. Seeing this, Liu Xiaowei pulled Zhao Yiyi, pushed open the backyard door, and went inside.
Yu Daochen stood at the door and said respectfully, "Little one, I greet General Huo."
A figure emerged from the darkness, clad in leopard-patterned armor, wearing a golden leopard helmet, a red cape draped over his shoulders, and a golden leopard long saber at his waist.
The figure waved his hand and stepped into the shop, his voice carrying a sense of authority: "Alright, we don't need to be so formal with each other." He then sat on a stool.
Yu Daochen took two willow leaves from a drawer, placed them in the teacups, picked up the boiling water from the stove, and poured it in.
General Huo glanced at the backyard door, then at Yu Daochen: "How is it? With the memories of your past life, does it have any effect on your body?"
Yu Daochen shook his head, looked at his palm, and said with confusion, "It's as if I've lived a hundred years. Every detail of my past life feels like my own experience, yet it also feels like a dream, ethereal and illusory."
General Huo took a sip of his tea, as if he had expected Yu Daochen to say this: "Rather than saying you have memories of your past life, it's more accurate to say you never lost them."
Seeing Yu Daochen looking confused, General Huo continued to explain: "After a person dies, their soul goes to the underworld. Before reincarnation, they must drink Meng Po's soup, and after drinking it, they forget everything – language, knowledge, experiences, personality, emotions. Everything starts from scratch. If you don't drink Meng Po's soup, it's like you've possessed someone else. The body isn't yours, but the soul is."
General Huo paused and took another sip of tea: "No matter how a person changes, the soul remains the same. This is also why you know the long-lost Five Elements technique, because it is etched deep within your soul."