Wandering Spirit Tavern - Chapter 5 - The Tavern

It was probably the busiest night the nameless tavern in Luo’an Town had seen in a decade. All the regulars had gathered early at the entrance, waiting for the owner to return, just to confirm the rumor that had been circulating for months-the tavern was about to change hands.

At midnight, the owner finally arrived, accompanied by a dazed young girl named Lin You, who was particularly bewildered because of a story she had heard on the road-a story she was reluctant to believe.

It was about a little girl who played with marbles and lost all but one. Unwilling to accept defeat yet afraid to continue, she stormed home. The more she thought about her loss on the way, the angrier she became, until she fell into a river.

By the time she was pulled out, her belly was swollen and she was breathless.

The girl’s mother refused to believe her daughter was dead and wouldn’t let anyone touch the body. When someone disguised as a doctor tried to take the body for burial, the mother saw through the deception and drove him away.

As the neighbors were at a loss about what to do, an old woman thought of a solution: if science couldn’t solve the problem, why not turn to superstition? They decided to call a Taoist priest to appease the girl’s mother under the guise of calming the girl’s spirit.

The Taoist priest arrived quickly-an old Taoist priest.

As soon as he arrived, he sent everyone away, claiming he needed to perform a ritual.

In the end, only the old Taoist priest, the girl’s mother, and the girl’s corpse remained in the house.

The old Taoist priest did not perform the ritual as expected, but instead calculated for a long time before finally telling the mother, “Your daughter is indeed dead.”

The mother was about to lash out in anger.

The old Taoist priest quickly added, “But her soul has not yet departed, and there is a way to bring her back to life.”

In fact, the mother had known her daughter was dead but had refused to believe it. Now, confronted with someone claiming they could revive the dead, her first reaction was that the man was a fraud, yet this also reaffirmed the painful truth of her daughter’s death.

Caught in this logical paradox, the mother broke down.

The Taoist priest knew this was his moment, as a person in despair is most susceptible to hopeful words. He began to reassure the mother while honestly disclosing that he knew some people who operate between the worlds of the living and the dead, and that they had the ability to revive the dead, but it would require a sacrifice.

The very notion of a transaction made it seem more credible.

Determined to take a chance, the mother followed the Taoist priest to a small tavern at dusk, where she met the tavern owner-a mysterious woman.

After explaining her situation, the tavern owner replied, “I can transfer twenty years of your lifespan to your daughter. Besides your lifespan, you’ll also need to give up some yang qi¹. You must understand, it’s yang qi that sustains the living in this world. This is no small transaction; the yang qi you give up could leave you in poor health for many decades…”

“I’m willing,” the mother quickly replied.

The tavern owner chuckled coldly, “Of course, you are. If it meant your death, you’d agree to that too. But let me remind you of the rules of the trade once more. Our establishment supports all transactions between the living and the dead, whether they concern wishes, good fortune, or life. What you need to give up is only yang qi, although you may also try to buy it back later, but it will cost you even more…”

As the rules were being explained, the mother suddenly interjected, “Can we also trade luck? Can I give all my good fortune to my daughter, so even if she can’t live longer like others, at least she can be luckier and happier?”

The owner replied, “Yes, of course, as long as you can afford it. But the most pressing issue now is finding your daughter. After death, netherworld enforcers quickly come to claim souls, and it takes a strong will to evade them. It’s up to your daughter’s capabilities now.”

With the old Taoist priest as a witness, the agreement was swiftly reached, and the tavern owner mobilized all her resources to find the girl.

Soon, the tavern owner found the girl on a road next to a school.

The girl had resisted the search of the netherworld enforcers, driven by an obsession-to win back the lost marble. At that moment, she was unaware of her own death and did not comprehend the significance of the ensuing events.

The tavern owner lured the girl into the tavern and had her drink a wine laced with blessings and curses.

Subsequently, the girl’s soul returned to her body, and she came back to life.

In the following years, the girl won back her marble and many other things, but her mother remained ill until twenty years later when her lifespan and luck ran out.

The story ended.

Lin You, of course, knew the girl was herself, and thus realized that her own death was near.

She followed the mysterious woman, the tavern owner, to the tavern, ready to accept her fate, but the owner gave her a surprise.

“I’ve called you here not just for the previous transaction; we’d like to make a new deal with you,” the owner said, handing Lin You a drink.

Lin You was frightened, “I’m about to die, what else is there to trade?”

The owner replied, “It’s precisely because you’re about to die that you’re the perfect candidate. This deal wouldn’t be of any benefit to most, but it might be very appealing to you.”

Lin You asked, “What exactly do you want me to do?”

The owner explained, “We want you to take over this tavern.”

Lin You was puzzled, “What do you mean?”

The owner continued, “Our tavern specifically serves those souls who do not wish to enter reincarnation, and sometimes the living, but serving the living helps us better serve the dead, as the dead need yang qi to move about in the living world. When they completely run out of yang qi, they descend to the netherworld, so transactions with the living are necessary. The tavern is the place for these transactions, and you’ve experienced them firsthand, so I won’t go into detail.”

Lin You hesitated, “Wait, why would you hand the tavern over to me? What do I need to trade?”

The owner explained, “We’re giving the tavern to you because I’m about to die. This tavern needs both a living and a dead person to operate it. Previously, the living person was me, and the dead was my husband. Now that I’m dying, we’ve decided to enter reincarnation and are looking for someone suitable to keep the tavern running. We hope that person is you.”

Lin You objected, “But isn’t it true that I’m about to die?”

The owner clarified, “If you take over this tavern, you can live another twenty years. That’s why you’re the most suitable candidate.”

Lin You still wasn’t convinced, “There are so many dying people, why choose me?”

The owner responded, “First, you’ve already done a transaction with us, which might make you easier to persuade than a stranger. Second, I like your willingness to gamble. Much of the business we do here is a gamble, potentially affecting others’ lives with a single decision. When I met you at the age of eight, I thought, ‘When I die, I’ll have you replace me.'”

Lin You hesitated, “Then…”

The owner cautioned, “Don’t rush your decision. Being the owner of the Wandering Spirit Tavern involves many sacrifices, such as not getting too close to the living. Those who deal with wronged spirits carry bad luck, which can bring misfortune to the living. Additionally, you’ll witness much evil, make many painful decisions, and see many suffering living and dead people. It’s a very agonizing job.”

Lin You asked, “If I refuse, when will I die?”

The owner revealed, “Actually, you’re already dead. If you reject this deal tonight, a netherworld enforcer will come for you at dawn. About seven days later, you’ll descend to the netherworld, and three years later, you’ll enter reincarnation, possibly reincarnating as something like a rat, dog, or ant, completely forgetting this lifetime.”

Lin You pondered for a moment, “Alright, I’ll take a gamble and make the deal.”

The owner reminded, “Don’t hurry; remember what I just said. The tavern owner is two people; if you become the living owner, you’ll need to find a dead owner yourself-we won’t have time to help you with that.”

Lin You replied, “Okay, enough talk, hurry up, it’s almost dawn.”

The owner added, “Don’t rush; both the end of the previous transaction and the start of this one require a witness, and the witness is still on the way.”

Just then, Feng Bei appeared at the tavern’s entrance.

Footnote:

1. Yang Qi(阳气):In Chinese supernatural and philosophical concepts, yang qi embodies positive, life-sustaining energy. It is associated with warmth, vitality, and the living world, often in opposition to yin qi.