Wandering Spirit Tavern

The sky was beginning to lighten, but Feng Bei and Lin You remained seated on the floor, leaning against the door. Neither had slept, nor did they show any intention of moving.

Last night, Feng Bei had recounted everything to Lin You-the boy’s issues, the tavern’s problems, the matter of his master’s remains, and so on. The more he talked, the more muddled it all became.

Lin You grasped the general idea, understanding that all these problems were quite serious and that someone might even die. Yet, she simply didn’t want to move.

Feng Bei, naturally, didn’t want to move either. They sat there, lost in thought, musing, “The world doesn’t really concern us. Saving others isn’t our mission. ‘With great power comes great responsibility’-that’s Spider-Man. We’re not Spider-Man. We’re fine just like this. Let the night last forever.”

Of course, the day would break, and it did. But the Wandering Spirit Tavern never saw daylight. The entire tavern lacked windows, including Lin You’s office. The only indicator of time was an old clock, the kind seen in period dramas. It was taller than Lin You and chimed loudly at every hour, often startling her.

But this morning, Lin You wasn’t startled. Fearing the passage of time, she kept glancing at the clock. As dawn approached, she looked more frequently, until finally, she watched the hands point to seven.

Then the clock chimed.

The loud sound jolted Feng Bei awake, nearly causing him to leap up.

Lin You said, “Awake now? Go get me a bowl of rice noodles, less spicy, with extra cilantro.”

Normally, if someone ordered Feng Bei around like that, he’d find a sharp angle to mock them. But this morning, he didn’t. He obediently got up, went out, and bought two bowls of rice noodles-one less spicy with extra cilantro, the other extra spicy with no cilantro.

Returning to the tavern, he found Lin You asleep on the floor. Feng Bei covered her with a blanket, head and all. Lin You didn’t react, curled up under the brown blanket, resembling a small mound.

Feng Bei looked at the little mound, silently ate the two bowls of noodles, and felt dizzy from the cilantro.

In a daze, Feng Bei left the tavern and headed to the boy’s home.

Before going, Feng Bei considered several scenarios: the boy might have attempted suicide again, as he had twice before, and succeeded this time, with the neighborhood watching. Or perhaps the boy had kidnapped the girl from last night, killed a cat in front of her, feeding off her fear…

Thinking these thoughts, Feng Bei arrived at the boy’s doorstep and knocked. The door opened, revealing a middle-aged woman who politely asked, “Who are you looking for?”

Feng Bei hadn’t expected a friendly face behind the door. The contrast was too stark, and his brain couldn’t process it. His mouth wouldn’t cooperate: “Uh, nothing… Is anyone else home? Your son…”

Seeing Feng Bei’s flustered demeanor, the woman grew suspicious and retreated, trying to close the door. “Who are you? What do you want?”

Feng Bei noticed her wariness and panicked further, gesturing as he spoke, “I mean no harm, really. I just want to see your son…”

The woman became more vigilant. “He’s not here.”

With that, she shut the door.

Feng Bei wondered if he had come to the wrong place. He wandered up and down the stairs, confirming he hadn’t, but he couldn’t bring himself to knock again. He left, intending to return to the tavern to see if anyone could help devise a plan. But halfway there, he turned back to the boy’s house because he saw a missing person poster: He Mi, female, 16 years old, about 1.6 meters, long hair in a ponytail, wearing a school uniform or a white T-shirt. Missing since last night. Family is searching and will reward anyone with information.

It included a phone number and a photo of the girl.

The girl from last night was missing, and Feng Bei was convinced the cat-killing boy was responsible.

He returned to the boy’s door and knocked loudly.

After two knocks, the door opened, and the boy stood there, bleary-eyed.

The boy said, “You again?”

Feng Bei demanded, “Where’s the girl?”

The boy replied, “What girl? You’re crazy!”

As the boy tried to shut the door, Feng Bei forced his way in, only to hear a scream and feel a sharp pain in his calf. He looked down-a cat had its tail stepped on and scratched him before running off.

It was the same black cat the boy had picked up by the trash last night.

Hearing the cat, the woman from earlier emerged from another room.

The woman said, “You’re back again.”

Feng Bei knew he couldn’t explain things clearly now, so he changed his approach. “I just need a moment with your son.”

With that, Feng Bei pulled the boy into another room.

Feng Bei said, “Where’s the girl? As long as she’s unharmed, I can help reduce your sentence. If you don’t talk, you’ll be found out sooner or later.”

The boy replied, “What girl? I really don’t know what you’re talking about. If you keep this up, I’ll call the police.”

Feng Bei insisted, “Don’t think I can’t find out. I have my ways.”

The boy retorted, “Then go find her.”

“You!”

Feng Bei felt a rush of blood to his head, his mind clouded as if wrapped in cotton, his ears buzzing. Then everything went black.

When he awoke, he was in a hospital, the first person he saw was the boy.

“Finally awake. This has nothing to do with me. The doctor said it was sudden death. If it weren’t for me, you’d be dead,” the boy explained irritably.

Feng Bei had no strength to respond. He didn’t know where he was or if he was dreaming or awake. All he wanted was to grasp something real, something he could see. He scanned the room-a hospital ward, night had fallen, and he could see the lights of the building opposite. Inside, the boy sat by the bed with several takeout boxes, the kind that looked unappetizing, yet Feng Bei couldn’t help but swallow. Behind the boy was another bed, occupied by a balding fat man, smiling at Feng Bei.

The boy picked up a box. “Hungry?”

Feng Bei nodded.

The boy said, “Fifteen a box.”

Feng Bei took the box. “I’ll pay you later.” As he spoke, he glanced at the man behind the boy. “Your dad?”

The boy said, “Insulting me after taking food? Who are you?”

Realizing the fat man behind the boy wasn’t human, Feng Bei understood immediately.

The fat man nodded, acknowledging Feng Bei’s realization.

The boy followed Feng Bei’s gaze, seeing nothing, and looked back at Feng Bei, puzzled. “Seeing ghosts?”

Feng Bei nodded, then suddenly serious, “Does the girl’s disappearance have anything to do with you?”

Feng Bei said, “Ask the ghost!”

With that, the boy tossed a stack of bills at Feng Bei. “This is what you owe. Pay it to this account.”

The boy pointed to a handwritten bank account number on the bill, then left.