Grandfather didn’t really share much with me,
Li Xia told us.
We have the leader’s address so we can work from there.
So we’ll find him with the pretense of visiting my grandfather’s battle mates?
Li Xia asked.
Yeah, not appropriate for you to do the visitation, eh?
Dahai noted.
Granny’s probably already done that. It should be fine,
Li Xia answered.
How do you know?
I questioned.
You said that the spirit wanted a tuft of hair or something? My Granny got it, didn’t she?
Li Xia rationalized.
Let’s go then,
Dahai said.
I cut in.
Wait. Don’t we need a plan?
My grandfather died at age 84. How much time do you think the leader has left?
Li Xia said.
Let’s hurry, then,
I replied without hesitation this time.
When we arrived at Han Dong’s residence, Li Xia immediately knocked on the door.
A middle-aged man greeted us and asked for the purpose of our visit.
Is Grandfather Han Dong around? I’m Li Bai’s grandson. They were once battle mates and even gathered at a reunion a year back,
Li Xia informed.
An old lady came to look for my dad, too. If you’d like to talk to him, you can find him in the nursing home. He’s been in there for a long time,
he informed us.
Nursing home?
Li Xia repeated.
The middle-aged man nodded.
He’s been suffering from dementia and I can’t take proper care of him.
But he was fine just last year,
Li Xia commented.
Old age. He was fine last year but he had a fall half a year ago and deteriorated,
Han Dong’s son explained.
The three of us left Han Dong’s house and headed down to the nearest nursing home.
He’s not lying, is he?
Dahai asked.
Unlikely. Didn’t Granny get his hair?
Could he have gotten the illness from the curse instead of death,
Dahai suggested.
Possibly,
I agreed.
Or perhaps this watch requires a conscious soul for it to work? Dementia patients aren’t completely conscious, are they?
Li Xia proposed.
Maybe,
I hedged.
We reached the simple-looking nursing home, where the walls were covered in vines. It must’ve been established for a long time. We entered and the security had us register our ID and contact number before letting us in.
We asked about Han Dong and the nurses brought us to him immediately.
We were led to a small garden corner where an old man in a wheelchair was sitting motionlessly.
That’s Han Dong,
a nurse introduced.
We approached him slowly, with Li Xia standing in front.
Hi,
Li Xia started but gained no response from the old man.
Hello?
Hello, sir?
Li Xia greeted insistently but to no avail.
A fool?
he asked.
I walked over and looked at him straight in the eye.
He was really old and his face was covered with wrinkles.
He had on a padded wool sweater. I followed his gaze, discovering only a small tree and nothing else.
Dahai sighed dejectedly.
There goes our lead. Look at him.
This is probably why his son sent him here in the first place. He wanted the house for himself since his old man is none the wiser.
True. Probably how your granny had managed to get a lock of his hair, too,
Dahai said, reaching out for the old man’s hair but evoking no response.
Li Xia shook his head.
Definitely a fool.
Your granny could’ve easily smashed him with a brick. Should I do it now to avenge your grandparents?
Dahai joked.
Stop playing around,
Li Xia admonished with a roll of his eyes.
I pointed at the necklace the old man was wearing.
Don’t you guys find this odd?
What are you pointing at?
Dahai asked.
Why is a man that’s over 80 years old wears a jade necklace?
I said.
Old people do whatever they like. Let me take this down. This will fetch a good price at the market.
Dahai extended his hand toward the old man’s neck.
That’s not too kind, is it?
Li Xia commented.
He won’t even know. Plus, I’m just looking. My mouth is dirty but not my character.
The next thing we knew, the old man had Dahai’s hand in a death grip.
Fck! Let go, Dahai!
I shouted automatically.
He’s so strong,
Dahai exclaimed.
After a round of tugging, it looked as though Dahai’s hand was going to be ripped off.
I pulled Dahai back, thinking that the old man’s strength was impossibly extraordinary.
Help,
I called out for Li Xia, who immediately joined in the tug of war.
3, 2, 1, pull!
Dahai shouted from the front.
With a final tug, the three of us fell to the ground while the old man remained unfazed.
Thankfully, no one was around to witness the event.
A fish-shaped jade pendant that was vibrantly green suddenly appeared on the old man’s neck.
This guy is unbelievably strong,
Dahai panted.
Strong? You gotta be kidding, he’s a monster,
Li Xia cried out.
Dahai!
I shouted.
What is it?
Can you identify the purity of the jade?
That’s gonna be hard, but it looks valuable,
he answered.
That jade has an evil aura. Could it have been snatched from the Japanese, too?
Like the watch?
I took out the watch and compared it with the jade.
Upon seeing the watch in my hand, the old man opened his mouth wide.
Why… why’s it in… in your hands?
he stammered.
The three of us exchanged shocked glances.
It’s mine,
I answered.
Yours? It’s the nation’s,
the old man replied.
He spoke perfectly fine this time, much to our amazement.
The nation’s?
I repeated.
Who is Li Bai to you?
he asked me before Li Xia interrupted,
I’m his grandson.
He scraped it open and told you about Lop Nor?
he asked before getting up from his wheelchair.
