Chapter 5 The Woman In White

• Time gradually slipped by. Before long, it was already the dead of night.
• My grandfather was neither anxious nor restless, still waiting quietly.
• Ting-a-ling!
• At that moment, the small black wind chime hanging quietly on the door frame began to sway gently. It moved by itself without any wind, making for an eerie sight.
• My grandfather stared in the direction of the shop's entrance. Narrowing his eyes, he appeared as though talking to himself yet also to me, “Here she comes!”
• I widened my eyes and stared out of the shop, filled with anxiety.
• Huh? There's no one!
• It was desolate outside the shop, a sea of complete darkness with no sign of anyone around.
• N-No, that's not right!
• My eyes caught sight of the space just outside the shop's threshold. At the spot where my grandfather had previously laid down a thick layer of incense ash, a set of messy footprints manifested out of thin air right then.
• It felt as though someone was walking back and forth on the stretch of incense ash.
• Upon witnessing that scene, I sensed a chill running up my back, shooting straight to the back of my head.
• A ghost?
• This bizarre sight instantly drained the color from my face and made my teeth chatter uncontrollably. I couldn't help but inch closer to my grandfather.
• “G-Grandpa, what—” I stammered, almost robbed of the ability to speak.
• “Hush! Just watch!” My grandfather cut me off without looking at me, his gaze still fixed on the shop's entrance. In a deep voice, he barked lowly, “Greater ghosts to scram, lesser ghosts to buzz off, and wandering ghosts to flee!”
• As soon as he had finished saying that, he splashed a large bowl of rice wine straight out the door with a wave of his hand.
• When the liquor spilled on the incense ash outside the door, the incense ash unexpectedly started to bubble and sizzle like food being fried in hot oil, crackling incessantly.
• At that sight, my grandfather frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled.
• Suddenly, a cool breeze blew in from outside.
• The gust of cold wind was a bit startling and somewhat eerie. It dissipated the stuffy atmosphere in the shop while also making me shudder uncontrollably.
• Ting-a-ling!
• The tiny black wind chime on the door frame swayed rapidly, tinkling incessantly.
• At the same time, the flames of the two thick candles on the round table suddenly diminished significantly. The initially brilliant flames became somewhat dim, a faint green glow materializing in them.
• At that moment, my grandfather's face suddenly took on a grim expression, the look in his eyes grave. The corners of his eye twitched, and he muttered, “What kind of ghost marriage did Ghost Hag arrange? This seems like no ordinary ghost!”
• No sooner had his words fallen than the lights in the shop began to flicker, plunging the surroundings into brightness and darkness alternately.
• The temperature plummeted drastically. It was as if they were suddenly in the dead of winter.
• Immediately after, a hazy silhouette appeared outside the shop door. It was a woman.
• After getting a good look at the woman's face, I was completely stunned. I stared at her, entranced.
• Whoa! She's beautiful, so incredibly stunning!
• Her eyes were bright, her teeth gleaming white, her skin as fair as snow, and her features exquisite. Even the female celebrities on television fell several notches short compared to her.
• She had a slender figure with curves in all the right places. She was dressed in a white gown, her petite and fair feet on the ground adorable, striking an irresistible urge in others to hold them in hand and admire them.
• She could be described as an unparalleled beauty, beautiful without being ostentatious, making hearts flutter.
• The only flaw was that she seemed a tad too aloof. Her beautiful eyes reflected an indifferent demeanor. It was as though she didn't care about anything.
• I was not the kind of person who would forget everything at the sight of a beautiful woman. After a brief moment of stupefaction, I quickly regained my composure. With mixed feelings, I looked at the woman in white at the shop entrance.
• Judging from that sight earlier, it was evident that she was not human.
• So, she's the ghost bride that old lady arranged for me? If only she weren't a ghost!
• As I was lost in thought, my grandfather rose to his feet beside me, his eyes fixed on the woman in white standing outside the door, an intense look in them. In a deep voice, he said, “Miss, our family has also been sabotaged by others. We do not agree to this ghost marriage. Please have mercy on us!”
• As soon as he had finished speaking, he took a piece of black paper out of his pocket. It appeared in the coffin alongside the paper mache clothes some time ago. Unexpectedly, he kept it with him all this time.
• I was right next to my grandfather, and I glanced at the piece of black paper when he took it out, only to see a few lines of writing on it. It appeared to be someone's birth chart.
• With a shake of his hand, the black paper flew out of his grasp to float toward the woman in white.
• The woman in white gently reached out, grasping the piece of black paper with long and slender fingers. After sweeping her gaze over the writing on the paper, she rubbed her fingers together lightly. The black paper turned into a flash of fire and vanished.
• Having done all that, she didn't leave. Instead, she pointed at the black coffin in the corner of the shop and said softly, “Release Ghost Hag!”
• Her voice was gentle, but her tone carried a hint of stiffness. It was as if she hadn't spoken in a long time. Nevertheless, her voice was pleasant to the ear.
• My grandfather's expression changed again, his gaze becoming even more somber. In fact, a hint of caution and wariness crept into his eyes.
• In a grave voice, he asked. “Miss, what is your relationship with Ghost Hag? She sabotaged the Meyer family. After all the trouble I went through to suppress her, I couldn't possibly let her off the hook so easily—”
• Ting-a-ling!
• The black wind chime above the threshold began to sway more rapidly, interrupting his words.
• The woman in white didn't pay my grandfather any heed. Lifting a fair and delicate foot, she gracefully brought it over the threshold to land lightly in the shop.
• Whoosh!
• A chilling wind swept through the shop. The surrounding temperature again dropped significantly at that moment.
• With a dull bang, the tiny black wind chime hanging on the door frame shattered.
• Meanwhile, my grandfather's expression had darkened entirely.
• The woman in white moved with a graceful lightness, heading straight for the large round table. As she drew near, the flames of the two candles on the table had turned a mysterious green completely, making for an eerily sight.
• She paid neither me nor my grandfather any mind, reaching directly for the rice wine on the table. She poured herself a bowl and took a small sip. At the same time, she extended a fair hand and snuffed out the three incense sticks emitting green smoke in the small incense altar. Throughout it all, she had an air of nonchalance.
• Grandpa's eyes widened, his face a picture of disbelief.
• The woman in white set down the bowl of wine and looked at him, murmuring, “These tricks of yours are of no use against me!”
• While saying that, she headed straight for the black coffin in the corner. Meanwhile, my grandfather's expression changed endlessly. With a flick of his hand, several long black nails appeared in his palm, similar to those he drove into the old lady's body.
• He hesitated, seemingly very wary of the woman in white.
• “As I've said, your tricks won't work on me!” The woman in white had her back to us. As if knowing that my grandfather was about to make a move against her, she said softly, “So, don't do anything foolish. Otherwise... Hmm?”
• Before she could finish her utterance, she stopped before the black coffin, seemingly having discovered something unusual.
• She slowly turned around, her gaze falling on her grandfather. A peculiar gleam flashed in her eyes, and she murmured, “This is... Ghost Suppressing Coffin?”