Chapter 45

This was not a good commission, but Tanyin knew that Han Nu would accept it without hesitation. Even if she anticipated unexpected consequences once the embroidery was completed, she would still throw herself into the task without looking back.

Just as Tanyin was fanatical about her craftsmanship, Han Nu had the same fervor for embroidery. The temptation of creating something she had never done before, of honing a new skill, was something neither of them could resist.

Years ago, someone from a distant land had paid a fortune for the Ji family to craft a wooden figure used in witchcraft to curse their enemy. Tanyin’s ancestors knew it wasn’t something good, but they still spent months pouring their heart and soul into its creation. Such is the nature of craftsmen, filled with sincere passion. In their hearts, there is no set line between good and evil; all their spirit and enthusiasm are dedicated to the work they produce.

The “Ghost Embroidery” was bold in color, and its style was sharp and fierce. For Han Nu, this was a brand-new challenge. Her basket no longer held the usual silk threads and beads she worked with daily but instead was filled with countless strands of dyed human hair prepared by the matron of the embroidery house. The needle she used was not her usual embroidery needle, but one made from polished human bone.

For three whole days, she did not eat, drink, or sleep, engrossed in her embroidery with a solemn and serious expression. What she was making was a wicked and malicious tool of curse and death, yet her face bore the look of someone creating their greatest masterpiece. If one could see her soul, it would be ablaze with a fervent fire.

Surprisingly, Ah Chu did not disturb her during these three days. Han Nu didn’t know where she went to play, but every night Ah Chu would return to sleep and leave again at dawn. Han Nu was too busy with her embroidery to pay her much attention.

On the final day, just before dawn, the “Ghost Embroidery” was finally completed. Han Nu cut off the last thread and held up the embroidery for a closer look. The ghost was stitched from human hair, and each stitch was made with the bone needle. It was so lifelike that when you got close, you could almost feel a chilling aura emanating from it. The light and shadows were subtle, making it seem as though the ghost was about to stretch its limbs and leap out of the embroidery.

“Stay where you are,” Han Nu whispered softly. She wasn’t sure if she was speaking to herself or to the vividly depicted ghost. Yet the ghost in the embroidery did not leap out like a fish. It remained obediently within the picture, its eyes glistening as if it had a mind of its own.

With a sigh of relief, Han Nu switched back to an ordinary embroidery needle and silk threads. She filled the picture with various flowers, trees, and plants. Soon, the once sinister and terrifying embroidery had transformed. Now, it depicted the vibrant beauty of a springtime garden, with no trace of the ghost. The malevolent spirit was hidden within the distant and indistinct mountains, no longer visible.

After finishing everything, Han Nu looked exhausted but deeply satisfied. She lovingly caressed the embroidery, carefully folding it and placing it into her basket. Today, she could deliver the commission. The payment was three gold ingots, enough to build a few large tile-roofed houses and buy brand new furniture. Ah Chu would no longer have to wear her old, worn-out clothes. She loved the town’s dumplings and meat rice dumplings, and today Han Nu could let her eat her fill.

Just as she was about to leave with the basket, she heard faint footsteps in the living room outside. Pulling back the curtain with a smile, she said, “Ah Chu, you’re up early today. Come with your sister to the town…”

Before she could finish, she saw Ah Chu looking disheveled and battered, her face covered in bruises and a split lip with dried blood. It looked like she had been beaten. Upon seeing Han Nu, Ah Chu turned and ran. Han Nu hurriedly caught up to her, grabbing her tattered clothes and anxiously asking, “What happened? Who hit you?!”

Ah Chu stubbornly said nothing, her eyes swollen from what must have been a heavy blow. Han Nu pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from her mouth, but as soon as she touched her, Ah Chu winced in pain and pushed her away, shouting, “Leave me alone! All you ever do is embroider! When have you ever cared about me?! Don’t start now!”

As they struggled, a money pouch fell out from Ah Chu’s clothes—it was the deposit given by the embroidery house matron a few days ago. The pouch was now empty, with not a single coin left inside. Han Nu, shocked and angry, yelled, “Did you steal money?!”

“I didn’t steal!” Ah Chu shouted even louder.

After a long while, Ah Chu finally stammered out the whole story.

The two sisters had only lived in this small village for two years. Before, they had lived elsewhere with their parents. Han Nu had been fond of embroidery since she was young, and by the time she was six or seven, her work amazed the adults. Her mother had wanted to train her to become a professional embroiderer, often asking her to stitch flowers and plants for the neighbors. Everything had been fine until one day when she embroidered a pair of Mandarin ducks on a pillow for a neighbor. That night, the ducks came to life and flew away, scaring the neighbor half to death. From that day on, rumors and criticism surrounded the family. Unable to bear the gossip, her parents moved with the children to this village. Things were peaceful at first, but rumors have a way of spreading. Eventually, the villagers learned of Han Nu’s past. Though they didn’t know if the stories were true, the nickname “witch” never left her.

Her parents had both died from illness, likely hastened by the relentless rumors, leaving the sisters to fend for themselves. Han Nu rarely left the house, and most of the village children were still a bit afraid of her because of her “witch” reputation. But Ah Chu, being young, lively, and stubborn, never said anything when the village children bullied her.

This time, after Han Nu received a large deposit, Ah Chu wanted to show off in front of Old Man Zhang and the village kids. Last time, Old Man Zhang had accused her of stealing, as the two sisters were known to be poor and couldn’t afford his wares. She could only admire them from afar. This time, she deliberately brought the money pouch full of silver to flaunt. She hadn’t realized that the amount of silver she carried could support a family of five for an entire year in the village. Seeing so much money in the hands of a child, Old Man Zhang grew greedy. He gathered some of the village kids, accusing Ah Chu of stealing the money. They took it from her and gave her a beating, threatening to report her to the authorities.

Ah Chu had been beaten black and blue for no reason and was scared they’d really call the authorities. She had spent the past few days in misery, going to Old Man Zhang every day to ask for the money back, only to be beaten again. She didn’t dare tell Han Nu, holding it all in until now, crying as she poured out the story.

Seeing Ah Chu’s bruised face and limping gait, Han Nu felt both heartache and fury. She didn’t even scold her for taking the money without permission. After hurriedly treating Ah Chu’s injuries, she took her by the hand and stormed off to find Old Man Zhang.

Old Man Zhang was a traveling peddler who sold toys that children loved. He usually came to the village about once every ten days, but recently, for some unknown reason, he had been coming more frequently. As they reached the village path, they saw him surrounded by a crowd of children, his goods laid out as the kids eagerly picked through them.

Han Nu approached with a cold face and said angrily, “You’re an old man, yet you stoop to cheating children out of their money.

Don’t you have any shame?!”

Old Man Zhang, upon seeing her, rolled his eyes and said, “She stole money, and I’m just helping you teach her a lesson. ‘If a child isn’t taught, it’s the father’s fault.’ Since you two have no parents and no one to discipline you, I’ll step in for them.”

Han Nu had never seen such a shameless person. She was so angry her face turned pale.

“Didn’t you say you were going to report it to the authorities? Fine! Let’s go, I’ll go with you!”

She tugged hard at Old Man Zhang’s sleeve, but being young and not very strong, she was easily shoved by him. She stumbled and fell to the ground.

In a hurry to pack up his goods, Old Man Zhang angrily said, “Stealing money and still so brazen! No upbringing at all!”

He turned to leave, but suddenly saw Ah Chu standing in his way. Without thinking, he kicked her, shouting, “Get out of the way!”

Ah Chu was kicked so hard she rolled far away. Han Nu, trembling with rage, was about to get up when she suddenly felt a chilling wind. The evil ghost from the embroidery jumped out in broad daylight, grinning wickedly as it rushed toward Old Man Zhang. It grabbed him like a chicken, and as he screamed, it bit into him, chewing and swallowing him alive.

Everyone was stunned by this bloody turn of events. The children were paralyzed with fear, watching helplessly as the enormous ghost drooled and grabbed another child, devouring them in one bite.

“Ah!” someone suddenly screamed. The adults working in the fields finally reacted. Some grabbed hoes, others sickles, and they all rushed forward to protect their children.

Han Nu was also terrified. She saw the ghost heading toward Ah Chu, who was lying on the ground, and shouted in panic, “No! Go back!”

The ghost, eyeing the chaotic scene of people running and screaming, hesitated. These were all its prey. It glanced fearfully at Han Nu, and she screamed again, “Go back!”

Reluctantly, the ghost dissolved into a wisp of green smoke and returned to the embroidery.

Everything suddenly became eerily quiet. Han Nu picked up Ah Chu, who had been kicked in the chest by Old Man Zhang. Her face was turning purple, and she clung tightly to Han Nu’s clothes, weakly calling out, “Sister…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Han Nu comforted her.

“I’ll take you to the doctor right away.”

Struggling, she carried Ah Chu and quickly headed toward the town. Behind her, someone screamed, “Witch! She’s really a witch! She released a demon to eat people!”

“Don’t let her get away! Catch her!”

Though people shouted, no one dared actually chase her. The ghost had been several meters tall, and it grabbed a grown man as easily as picking up a chick. The villagers were ignorant and terrified; who would dare try to stop her? All they could do was throw hoes, sickles, and stones at her from a distance. One stone hit the back of Han Nu’s head, splitting it open, and blood soaked the back of her clothes.

The two sisters, in the most humiliating way, were driven out of the village.

The incident even caught the attention of the authorities. After all, the ghost had eaten people in broad daylight in front of witnesses. At that time, there were not many sects dedicated to cultivating immortality, nor were there so many enlightened immortals. Most of those who claimed to deal with demons were swindlers. Several “Taoist Masters” were called upon to exorcise the demon and search for the sisters, but after half a year of commotion, there was no sign of them. Eventually, the matter was suppressed by the authorities and was no longer mentioned.

Most of the three gold ingots earned from the embroidery were spent on medicine. Ah Chu had been kicked in a vital spot by Old Man Zhang and was barely saved, though it took an untold amount of ginseng to pull her back from the brink. Though her life was spared, her health never fully recovered. She was no longer the fearless and vibrant girl she once was.

With Ah Chu’s weakened body unable to endure long journeys, Han Nu built a simple wooden house in the nearby mountains, where the sisters lived in seclusion for six years.