Ha, Karma! – Chapter 61
by Little PandaNo wild guessing.
Chu Sining and Ye Linlin immediately told Chu Zhaohua and Chu Zhaoqiu about this matter.
They explained it once over the phone, and then again after returning to the Chu family home.
After listening, Chu Zhaoqiu was silent, seemingly lost in thought.
Chu Zhaohua glanced at her silent granddaughter, then called for Ah Li, dispatching personnel to reinforce Bu Yu. She instructed them to watch over the injured man together from the shadows, in case the Red-Clothed Female Ghost suddenly returned to kill, leaving Bu Yu unable to handle it alone.
After Ah Li and the others left, she returned to her seat and asked her granddaughter, “Have you thought of something?”
Chu Sining and Ye Linlin also looked over.
Chu Zhaoqiu recalled aloud, “I just feel that this method is very similar to the ‘Fingerless Madam’1.”
Ye Linlin seemed to have thought of something, her expression slightly surprised.
Chu Sining didn’t understand. “Who is the Fingerless Madam?”
Chu Zhaoqiu explained, “It’s an ancient folk name for a Red-Clothed Female Ghost.
“She wears a red wedding dress2, lacks the index finger on her left hand, her movements are unpredictable, but almost every appearance is accompanied by death.
“She bewitches gamblers into cutting off their fingers, then tortures and kills them. In many people’s eyes, this is no different from carrying out justice on behalf of Heaven. So, even though she is a dangerous Evil Spirit, quite a few people respectfully call her ‘Fingerless Madam’.”
Chu Sining had a sudden realization and immediately said, “Then she really is carrying out justice on behalf of Heaven!”
Recalling the drunkard man’s3 ugly face4 towards his wife and daughter, a fire burned in Chu Sining’s heart. “That man just now deserved to die!”
“Maybe… we shouldn’t capture this Fingerless Madam?”
Chu Zhaoqiu paused, then gently shook her head after a moment.
“No. Eliminating demons and defending the Way, protecting worldly peace, is the responsibility of a demon hunter.”
“Besides, she’s too mysterious, difficult to control. No one can guarantee she won’t kill other people in the future.”
Currently, they couldn’t confirm if this Red-Clothed Female Ghost was the legendary Fingerless Madam.
Even if she was, since she had appeared in Zhoucheng, as demon hunters, they had to capture her to prevent further loss of life.
Even if the people the Red-Clothed Female Ghost wanted to kill were truly bad, truly vile, they should still be handed over to human laws for judgment. Otherwise, how could the order of this human world be maintained?
Furthermore, the Red-Clothed Female Ghost’s existence might not only pose a threat to immoral people.
What she did could indeed be called carrying out justice on behalf of Heaven, but no one knew her purpose for doing so.
Was it simply hating this type of person and wanting to carry out justice for Heaven, or was it wanting to use human lives one by one to nourish herself, making herself stronger and stronger?
If it was the latter, then after she became powerful, would she pose a threat to innocent people?
Therefore, they had to take precautions.
The duty of demon hunters is to protect innocent humans from being disturbed by evil spirits and demons.
After Chu Zhaoqiu finished speaking, silence fell in the room.
Their identities destined them to view this matter more rationally than ordinary people.
“So, what should we do next?” Chu Sining asked.
Chu Zhaohua calmly picked up her teacup and took a shallow sip.
She didn’t intend to speak, leaving the handling of the matter entirely up to her granddaughter to decide.
Chu Zhaoqiu looked at her two younger sisters, who were very concerned about this matter, and asked, “If she really is that ‘Fingerless Madam,’ you wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to her, right?”
Ye Linlin and Chu Sining nodded in tacit understanding.
“Then capture her, don’t let her kill anyone.”
Chu Zhaoqiu rose calmly.
“Demon hunters only make enemies of harmful supernatural creatures.”
“Let’s go, we’ll head to the hospital too.”
Chu Sining and Ye Linlin immediately followed her steps.
Chu Zhaohua reminded them to be careful and to leave early and return early, saying nothing else.
Ye Linlin and Chu Sining thought of that pitiful mother and daughter, and their steps couldn’t help but quicken significantly.
Chu Zhaoqiu walked behind the two.
She gazed at Ye Linlin’s back.
It seemed someone’s attention had already been diverted by the event, forgetting the sadness of heartbreak. This was also good.
She smiled faintly and went downstairs with them.
When Chu Zhaoqiu’s group of three arrived near the hospital, Bu Yu and Ah Li’s team were still on the stakeout.
She asked about the situation.
Bu Yu said, “Very quiet.”
“That Red-Clothed Female Ghost hasn’t reappeared. It’s like she knows we’re nearby waiting for her.”
Chu Zhaoqiu nodded slightly. “Okay.”
She glanced towards the brightly lit hospital room.
A disheveled5 man lay on the hospital bed. Beside the bed stood a woman looking hurried and anxious, and a little girl.
The woman still wore an apron, seemingly having rushed over before finishing her chores.
The man was red in the face and thick in the neck6 towards the woman.
Chu Zhaoqiu’s brow furrowed slightly.
The three labels – domestic violence7, alcoholism, gambling – each made it difficult to look favorably8 upon this man.
She gently lifted her chin towards his room. “Is that the person?”
Bu Yu didn’t look pleased mentioning this person either.
Her older brother Ah Li, standing beside her, helped answer, “Yes, that’s him. His name is Liu Guohui9.”
“Beside the bed are his wife Guo Qin, and their eight-year-old daughter Liu Xiaomeng10, whose nickname is Niu Niu.”
Chu Zhaoqiu asked again, “How’s his condition?”
“The severed limb is infected, it couldn’t be reattached. His left hand will be missing one finger from now on.”
“He’s still lying in bed yelling that he saw a ghost, but basically no one believes him.”
“The neighbors who brought him over all say he comes home drunk every day, so they’re more inclined to believe he got drunk himself, wasn’t clear-headed, and chopped his own finger.”
“The police came too. After some investigation, they confirmed he was indeed alone at home at the time, so…”
——No one believed he saw a ghost.
Ah Li found it amusing as he spoke, “He’s even starting to suspect he really was drunk and mistaken.”
Chu Zhaoqiu suddenly asked, “So what’s he doing now?”
Ah Li looked towards the hospital room. The man was lying in bed cursing loudly. Contempt showed in his eyes. “Him? He’s directing his impotent rage12 at his wife and child, blaming his wife for not being home at the time.”
Blaming the wife for not being there, blaming the wife for being slow to arrive.
Blaming heaven, blaming earth, blaming others, just not blaming himself.
The ugliness of human nature was displayed vividly in him.
Ye Linlin said indignantly, “What kind of person is this!”
If she had known earlier, she wouldn’t have saved such a thing13 just now!
Bu Yu looked at Chu Zhaoqiu and asked, “Eldest Miss, what should we do now?”
Chu Zhaoqiu replied, “Keep watch, wait for her to appear.”
Bu Yu asked, “What if she doesn’t appear?”
Chu Zhaoqiu said very calmly, “Then she doesn’t appear.”
They weren’t certain the female ghost would definitely appear anyway.
The stakeout was just an attempt.
Ah Li asked, “And after she appears?”
Chu Sining quickly answered, “After she appears, we talk to her, persuade her to lay down the butcher’s knife14 and enter reincarnation15 sooner!”
Hearing this, Bu Yu and Ah Li looked at each other blankly.
Normally, when demon hunters encountered this kind of yaoguai with obvious malice towards humans, the option to “sit down and talk” didn’t exist; otherwise, it would be unfair to the victims.
Although the victim’s situation this time was special…
“Then how should he be counted?” Ah Li asked.
Chu Zhaoqiu looked at the hospital room window, her gaze deep and profound.
“Heaven’s law, karma.”
The group staked out all night with no results16.
A little later, Liu Guohui would be going home, and the sun, which ghosts fear most, would also be coming out, but the female ghost simply never reappeared.
Chu Sining looked up at the brightening sky, then lowered her head and yawned.
Ye Linlin beside her, as if infected, also yawned.
The others remained still as mountains17, as if they were used to enduring18.
After Chu Sining finished yawning, a hand gently landed on her head and softly stroked her hair.
“Everyone go back and sleep.”
Her jiejie’s voice reached her ears.
Chu Sining rubbed her eyes. “What about you all?”
Chu Zhaoqiu said, “Changing shifts.”
“I’ve already arranged for other personnel around their home. We can hand it over to the next team now. Everyone worked hard19 tonight, go back and rest well.”
She turned back to look at Ye Linlin. “Linlin, you go back and get some good sleep too.”
Ye Linlin nodded okay, then, seeming to sense something, asked, “What about you? Aren’t you going back?”
Chu Zhaoqiu shook her head.
“I need to find someone, so I won’t go back just yet.”
Just waiting wasn’t a solution, and it was too passive.
If this female ghost didn’t appear, were they supposed to just wait forever?
If the female ghost changed targets, wouldn’t they just be following her around like idiots?
Rather than waiting blindly, it was better to actively seek her whereabouts.
The demon hunters didn’t know, but maybe… other yaoguais would know?
Ye Linlin and the others watched her take two steps out, then suddenly retreat and stop.
Ye Linlin: “?”
Chu Sining: “What’s wrong?”
“Just remembered the person I’m looking for isn’t up yet at this hour,” Chu Zhaoqiu said with a calm expression. “So I’ll go back with you all first to wash up, then leave.”
A certain Great Demon didn’t have work today, definitely wouldn’t wake up early.
Chu Zhaoqiu guessed correctly. Fu Lianxue wasn’t up yet at this time.
Light was blocked outside by tightly drawn curtains; the master bedroom was dim.
Fu Lianxue lay sideways on the bed, sleeping soundly and sweetly.
Chu Zhaoqiu sat lightly on the edge of the bed, quietly watching her sleeping face, suddenly starting to hesitate whether to wake her up and ask.
Just as Chu Zhaoqiu was struggling20, the yaoguai on the bed suddenly moved.
She turned over, her eyes opening slightly. Upon seeing Chu Zhaoqiu, she couldn’t help but freeze, looking around helplessly21. “…Is it noon?”
Seeing her like this, Chu Zhaoqiu couldn’t help but smile22.
“No, it’s still early before noon.”
Fu Lianxue frowned slightly, looked up at the clock on the bedside table: 08:32.
Her brow instantly smoothed, and she lay back down again.
“Chu Zhaoqiu, are you sick23? Why come over so early…” Her voice was slightly hoarse, and a bit soft, almost like pouting.
Chu Zhaoqiu smiled and said, “Because I have something to ask you, wanted to inquire about a ghost.”
Fu Lianxue didn’t answer, curling up under the covers.
Chu Zhaoqiu continued, “Lianxue, have you seen the ‘Fingerless Madam’?”
The yaoguai under the covers stopped moving, seeming to want to hear her clearly. “Who?”
“Fingerless Madam.”
“That name sounds familiar24…”
“It’s a female ghost wearing a red wedding dress, missing the index finger on her left hand. Many gamblers have lost their lives at her hands.”
After Chu Zhaoqiu finished speaking, she heard the yaoguai under the covers make a sound of sudden realization. “Oh… her.”
As if acquainted.
“You know her?” Chu Zhaoqiu saw hope.
“Don’t know her.”
Her words poured a basin of cold water25 on Chu Zhaoqiu.
She let out a big yawn under the covers.
“Just seen her, not familiar at all…”
“Why suddenly ask about her? Did she come looking for you…”
The next second, she suddenly threw back the covers, staring at Chu Zhaoqiu, her tone astonished. “Chu Zhaoqiu, you gamble?!”
Chu Zhaoqiu: “…”
She couldn’t help but laugh, raising her hand to tap the tip of her nose.
“No wild guessing.”
The author has something to say:
The content warning is because everyone’s tolerance for horror plots is different la.
Some readers have said they found it a bit scary, so I added the warning.
Next time I’ll continue to add warnings. Everyone can judge for themselves based on the level of scary content in the preceding text ao~
Footnotes
- 断指娘娘 | Duànzhǐ Niángniang | Lit. “Severed-Finger Lady/Madam”; Niangniang (娘娘) is a respectful term for a goddess, empress, or sometimes a female spirit.
- 红嫁衣 | hóng jiàyī | Red wedding dress; Traditionally worn by brides in China. A ghost in a red wedding dress often signifies a tragic death related to marriage or betrayal, carrying strong resentment.
- 酒鬼男 | jiǔguǐ nán | Lit. “alcohol ghost man”; Meaning: drunkard, alcoholic man.
- 丑恶嘴脸 | chǒu’è zuǐliǎn | Lit. “ugly-evil mouth-face”; Meaning: hideous features, vile expression, despicable behavior/appearance.
- 狼狈 | lángbèi | Lit. “wolf-狈(a mythical creature)”; Meaning: in a difficult position, embarrassed, battered, disheveled.
- 脸红脖子粗 | liǎnhóng bózi cū | Lit. “face red neck thick”; Describes someone flushed and agitated, usually from anger or exertion.
- 家暴 | jiābào | Abbreviation for 家庭暴力 (jiātíng bàolì); Domestic violence.
- 给好脸色 | gěi hǎo liǎnsè | Lit. “give good face-color”; Meaning: to show a pleasant expression, look favorably upon someone.
- 刘国辉 | Liú Guóhuī
- 刘晓梦 | Liú Xiǎomèng
- 尽职尽责 | jìnzhí jìnzé | Lit. “exhaust duty exhaust responsibility”; Meaning: conscientious, responsible, dutiful.
- 无能狂怒 | wúnéng kuángnù | Lit. “unable-power mad-anger”; A modern slang term meaning impotent rage, furious because one is powerless.
- 东西 | dōngxi | Lit. “east west”; Meaning: thing, stuff. Can be used contemptuously to refer to a person.
- 放下屠刀 | fàngxià túdāo | Lit. “lay down butcher knife”; From the Buddhist saying 放下屠刀，立地成佛 (fàngxià túdāo, lìdì chéng Fó – lay down the butcher knife, become a Buddha on the spot); Meaning: to repent from evil deeds, reform oneself.
- 轮回 | lúnhuí | Samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth, reincarnation (Buddhism/Hinduism).
- 毫无收获 | háo wú shōuhuò | Lit. “completely without harvest”.
- 不动如山 | bù dòng rú shān | Lit. “not move like mountain”; Meaning: steadfast, unmoving, resolute. From Sun Tzu’s Art of War.
- 熬习惯了 | áo xíguàn le | Lit. “stew/endure accustomed le”.
- 辛苦了 | xīnkǔ le | Lit. “hard/bitter le”; A common phrase expressing gratitude for someone’s hard work or trouble, “Thanks for your hard work,” “You’ve gone through a lot of trouble.”
- 纠结 | jiūjié | Lit. “entangle-knot”; Meaning: to struggle with indecision, feel conflicted, be in a dilemma.
- 满脸无措 | mǎn liǎn wúcuò | Lit. “full face without-measure”; Meaning: face full of helplessness, at a loss, bewildered.
- 忍俊不禁 | rěnjùn bùjīn | Lit. “endure handsome not prohibit”; Meaning: cannot help laughing or smiling, find something amusing.
- 有病 | yǒu bìng | Lit. “have illness”; Slang meaning “Are you crazy?”, “What’s wrong with you?”.
- 耳熟 | ěrshú | Lit. “ear familiar”; Meaning: sounds familiar (having heard it before).
- 浇了一盆凉水 | jiāo le yī pén liángshuǐ | Lit. “poured one basin cold water”; Meaning: to dampen someone’s enthusiasm, discourage, throw cold water on something.
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