On the road, I picked up the previous topic: "We don't need the reed pipe dance, it's too showy with all the singing and dancing. If the exorcism ritual can escort the departed spirits, then we'll keep it. Can we find the Yang Master we just mentioned?"

"He will definitely do. He is the most respected person here, people from neighboring counties often come to seek his help. He is well-versed in divination, calling spirits, and selecting burial sites."

I was very surprised: "He's so powerful, is it free?"

"Of course not, he charges a fee."

"Then I wonder, my grandmother shouldn't have money to pay him, right?"

"For your grandmother, he doesn't charge."

Seeing my confusion, the village chief grinned:

"If you want to know about this matter, I can tell you.

"In our Lan Dang Miao Village, your grandmother and Yang Master are the two oldest people. But one is respected by all while the other is cursed by everyone. Strangely, the person with the highest status is the one who protects the one with the lowest status. Not many people are willing to have dealings with your grandmother, but Yang Master always inquires about her well-being every now and then. It has been like this for decades."

"To put it bluntly, if it weren't for him, your grandmother wouldn't have survived until today and would have died long ago. During the movement in the last century, the families whose relatives were killed by the little devils all wanted to kill her for revenge, but Yang Master managed to protect her."

"Could it be that my grandmother once saved his life or his family's lives?"

This is the only reason I could think of that made sense.

Unexpectedly, the village chief burst into laughter:

"Dear nephew, you are thinking too much. It seems like your father didn't tell you much about your grandmother's past.

"It was your grandmother who caused the most tragedy for the Yang family, almost wiping them out. It was really tragic! The whole family was gone except for Yang Master himself. Wait, back then he hadn't become the master of exorcism yet.

"Your grandmother followed their family to the county to sell herbs, but only Yang Master returned. His wife and children were all gone. A few days later, your grandmother brought a Japanese officer and killed his parents. Since then, he went mad, communicated with spirits, and became Yang Master."

After listening to the village chief's story, I was full of question marks: "With such deep hatred and enmity, why would he still protect my grandmother?"

"That's why we respect him, he is a great benefactor."

As we were talking, we had already reached the village, and the villagers on the roadside were all looking at me.

Although I knew they were just looking at a stranger, after hearing the details of my grandmother's story, it felt like their eyes suddenly grew thorns, making me feel itchy all over.

It was as if I was also walking on the path of the Japanese invaders, flowing with Japanese blood.

I wanted to finish things quickly and leave. Suddenly, I understood my father's decision to leave this place back then.

"How many villagers will come to the banquet tomorrow? How many tables should we prepare?" I asked.

"Probably quite a few. In the past, you couldn't even find anyone willing to carry a coffin, let alone have a meal. But now things are different. The younger generation doesn't remember or dislike the Japanese, and not many remember what happened over sixty years ago."

It seemed to include me as well. It was because of my childhood love for anime that I chose to study in Japan for my postgraduate studies.

"Leave the arrangements to me, I will take care of everything for you, don't worry." the village chief said.

I took out twenty thousand yuan from my bag and handed it to the village chief, telling him that I was unfamiliar with the place and he should take care of purchasing the items for the banquet. If it wasn't enough, I would make up for it, and if there was any surplus, he could keep it, after all, he had put in a lot of effort.

He sighed: "Aside from being the village chief, before Yang moved to live on the mountain, we played together naked for two years. Hmm, lived a hard life, only to die such a tragic death in the end!"

This reminded me, should I hire a professional to prepare the body for burial in the county?

The village chief said: "No need."

"Can't we find someone to do it?"

"The best professional is already at your grandmother's house."