After the visitors from Yi Shui Mining Company left, Xie Lingya pondered on a thought for a moment and then asked Shi Changxuan and Zhang Daoting, “Don’t you think it is weird? Since they also care about feng shui, why didn’t they get someone to take a look when they built the new building?”
Shi Changxuan replied, unsurprised, “This is indeed strange. They probably have some other concerns that they did not mention.”
Xie Lingya agreed. After all, this was a competitive industry and it was their first time working together. They wouldn’t explain everything in detail. “You’re right. Either way, I am only in charge of performing the ritual.”
On the weekend, Mr. Liu came to pick up Xie Lingya and Shi Changxuan.
Xie Lingya had packed many things required for the altar setup. Some items were too bulky to bring, so he had them sent to the mine ahead of time.
By car, Willow River Mine was approximately an hour and a half away from the center of Niuyang. The outer perimeter consisted of residential buildings for mine workers, and heading inwards they could see the new building that Mr. Liu was talking about. It was ten stories high with a courtyard, which included a fountain, and was brand new.
Mr. Liu stopped his car in the courtyard and brought them into the building because Shi Changxuan wanted to start his inspection from there.
This office building was rectangular with a slightly arched roof. Shi Changxuan took a look around inside but didn’t speak. When he was done, he simply said, “Let’s have a look at the mine.”
He turned to Xie Lingya and asked for the birthdate and eight characters of the deceased worker. Mr. Liu had passed the information to Xie Lingya previously to prepare for the ceremony.
Xie Lingya took out his phone and handed it to Shi Changxuan. All the information was stored on it.
As he continued leading the way, Mr. Liu anxiously asked, “Are there any problems with this building?”
“Let’s finish the inspection first.” Shi Changxuan examined the eight characters and didn’t intend to say more.
Xie Lingya was also very curious, but there were outsiders, so he put on his enigmatic persona. He said, “Liu-ge, no need to rush.”
Mr. Liu replied, embarrassed, “I am a little worried.”
Mr. Liu led them to the coal mine. Shi Changxuan asked to go down to the mining shaft. Because Shi Changxuan had previously mentioned that the mining activity was emptying the mountains hence affecting the feng shui, Mr. Liu did not think much of it and got an experienced worker to lead the way.
The worker was called Zhou Mao. He was initially impatient because it was his break time, but after Mr. Liu whispered something to him, his attitude improved. “Masters, let’s get your clothes changed first.”
Xie Lingya guessed that Mr. Liu told the worker that they were here to perform purification rites and assess the feng shui. This identity was quite useful here. Many workers might not be firm believers but they would be more respectful of these things.
Mr. Liu’s responsibility was to accompany them the whole time. Even though he was nervous, he still donned the protective clothing, rubber boots, and safety helmet. He even brought a location detector.
When they were putting on the protective gear, Zhou Mao noticed Xie Lingya arranging the talismans he had prepared.
Usually, when miners bought talismans from exorcists, one piece could cost from a few hundred up to thousands. There were so many incidents in the shaft recently that it made him nervous.
“One for each of you.” Xie Lingya did not think much about it. This time, Yi Shui Mining Company was paying him, so giving them a few talismans was no matter at all.
Hearing his words, Zhou Mao and Mr. Liu eagerly snatched the talismans from his hand.
Then the two laughed awkwardly. Zhou Mao sheepishly apologized, “Sorry. I used to be braver but recently… well, you know.”
Mr. Liu had explained the situation to Xie Lingya beforehand but without much detail. They would be heading down in a bit, so Xie Lingya thought they should be more prepared. He asked, “Zhou shifu, can you tell us what strange things have happened in the shaft? Have you encountered any?”
They were not in the mine yet and the sun was still shining brightly in the sky. As an experienced worker, Zhou Mao started, “I’ve actually had an encounter. It wasn’t just me, but many from our team also encountered it. That day, I was guarding the loader at the vertical shaft. I was alone and suddenly heard footsteps. But when I went over to look, there was nobody there.”
Xie Lingya said curiously, “Footsteps? What kind of footsteps?”
Zhou Mao didn’t think he would ask for such details. This master was really brave. “The sound of rubber boots. The place I was in was just about one square meter, and there was a curtain between it and the outer passageway.”
“I heard an echoing crash from the passageway. I didn’t think much of it at first but went out to investigate. But there was no one there. I went back in and there were footsteps again. I checked twice and didn’t see anybody. I nearly got a heart attack from the scare.”
Xie Lingya nodded. “Anything else?”
Zhao Mao tried recalling more and continued, “Once when I wasn’t there, the roof in our work area started rumbling like thunder. Some workers on our team kept saying, ‘Luo Xiaojun, we all worked together and got along nicely. Please don’t disturb us!’ It was a while before the sound died down!”
Luo Xiaojun was the name of the worker who died in the mine. Most people who encountered supernatural incidents suspected they were caused by the ghosts of people they knew and would plead for them to stop.
Xie Lingya felt something was off. He exchanged a glance with Shi Changxuan but refrained from saying anything. “Let’s go down to the shaft.”
Although it was daytime outside, the shaft was pitch black. It extended deep into the mountain. The ventilation was poor and the air was humid, making it hard to breathe. The illumination from the mining lamp was also limited.
Xie Lingya understood how this environment could easily induce claustrophobia.
Zhou Mao said, “In the shaft, we are also concerned about air and water. Not the feng shui of masters like you, but as in air ventilation and water drainage.”’1
Xie Lingya nodded. There were toxic gases and dust in the shafts. Air ventilation was very important.
If the toxic gases were inhaled, it could cause hallucinations. Therefore, places like these were particularly superstitious. Sometimes taboos were formed from a summary of experiences but the cause of the phenomenons was unknown, making such taboos seemingly superstitious. Sometimes taboos were formed from a number of experiences caused by an unknown phenomenon, making such taboos seemingly superstitious.
Zhou Mao repeatedly reminded them to listen to his instructions: they should not remove the mining lamp and safety helmet; they should not bring flammable objects. The shafts were dangerous. Each safety precaution was key to saving lives, there must not be any carelessness.
Everyone carefully listened and remembered the instructions. Zhou Mao was the expert in these matters.
Shi Changxuan held the mining lamp up to scan the surroundings. Zhou Mao explained the functions of the different sections of the mine. When they reached a bend in the tunnel, Zhou Mao lit up the surroundings and explained, “We store the explosives here. Do you want to see it?”
“Let’s have a look.” Shi Changxuan gestured for him to head in.
Zhou Mao led the way while explaining, “Bends must be made in the tunnel for safety reasons.”
The tunnel was pitch black except for the light from the mining lamp. It was humid and cramped. Occasionally, droplets of water fell on Xie Lingya’s helmet, making soft sounds.
Xie Lingya was at the back. Suddenly, the people in front stopped. “What’s the matter?”
Zhou Mao’s teeth clattered, “T-there’s light in front.”
Xie Lingya looked up curiously. Indeed, there was faint light on the wall just before the bend. “Your colleague?”
“W-who is it?” Because there were other people around him, Zhou Mao mustered his courage and advanced a few steps.
There was no reply from the empty passageway.
When he moved forward, the light moved forward as well, following the bend in the tunnel, as if hiding from him.
Mr. Liu cried out, “No… Wait… There’s light there but there is no shadow!”
Xie Lingya shivered. He glanced to the side. The glow from their lamps cast shadows on the walls. Where there was light, there were shadows. But why were there no shadows cast by this light?
The passageway fell into a strange silence, leaving only the pitter-patter of water.
Drip, drop. Drip, drop.
Zhou Mao started to retreat while muttering, “Xiaojun, I was always nice to you! Leave me alone!”
Xie Lingya held a talisman and stopped Zhou Mao, “Don’t go.”
Zhou Mao was a big, sturdy guy, but he said timidly, “You guys chat with him, I am going to wait outside.”
Xie Lingya: “……”
Oy, wait—Zhou Mao, have you never watched a horror film? How can you split ways with the priest?
Shi Changxuan held down Xie Lingya’s wrist, “Put that away.”
Xie Lingya looked at him, confused.
Shi Changxuan shook the lamp in his hand, stating calmly, “It is the reflection of our lamps from the water on the ground. There is nothing in front.”
The other three took a closer look and realized that that was really the case!
Xie Lingya: “……”
Zhou Mao and Mr. Liu were embarrassed by their overreaction “I-I thought…”
Xie Lingya glanced at them, full of understanding. Not everyone could remain calm and think clearly in such a situation. He, too, had a knee-jerk reaction to start purifying, “Hahaha, just a scare. Let’s go.”
Suddenly Shi Changxuan said, “Let’s go directly to the site of Luo Xiaojun’s accident.”
Zhou Mao and Mr. Liu stood frozen for a moment. Their heart rates hadn’t yet recovered. “G-go there now?”
Shi Changxuan nodded.
Mr. Liu could only answer with a pale face, “T-then let’s go there… Zhou shifu.”
Luckily, Zhou Mao was an experienced worker. He manned up and led the way. As they approached the incident site, Zhou Mao’s voice trembled as he explained that they were near.
Luo Xiaojun had died in the area in front of them. It was a loading pocket for the deposition of coal before it was transferred up the shaft. Coal was transported via a conveyor belt and then dumped into the loading pocket through a funnel. A loading pocket could deposit up to one hundred tons of coal.
Shi Changxuan looked at the conveyor belt and asked, “He died from a fall?”
Mr. Liu had mentioned this previously. Zhou Mao replied with a shiver in his voice, “He fell down in the loading pocket. There is a safety fence before the funnel but he somehow fell over it. The coal that kept coming from behind all fell onto him. When we dug him out he was already dead. I think he was buried alive.”
First, Luo Xiaojun fell into a space that could hold up to one hundred tons of coal, then the coal piled on him continuously, layer upon layer…
No one said anything for a moment. Mr. Liu’s breathing became even more labored.
Everyone involuntarily imagined the scene and how despairing it was.
After a while, Shi Changxuan said, “Let’s move forward.”
Click, clack.
A sudden sound in the empty passageway made everyone jump. They glanced around.
The sound came from the front. It echoed slightly as if someone was walking in their direction, their boots landing heavily on the ground. Click, clack.
This was a straight tunnel. There was nothing in front of them when they illuminated the area ahead of them with the mining lamps. This was different from the tunnel bend from before. They could see the whole span of the tunnel, with the dark funnel at the end looking like a mouth that engulfed life. They couldn’t identify the source of the sound.
Zhou Mao and Mr. Liu’s eyes widened and their pupils shrank, their faces tense with fear.
It wasn’t some reflection trick again this time, was it?
“FUCK!” The two of them screamed at the same time and ran towards the exit.
“Hm??” They ran so quickly that Xie Lingya, who hadn’t reacted in time, could only call after them, “Hey, don’t leave!”
What are you running away for? You should stay and watch my performance before leaving!
The two men were carrying Xie Lingya’s talismans. Xie Lingya felt that they should totally have stayed to witness his prowess. He was already holding several talismans in his hands.
At this moment, Shi Changxuan once again stopped him. He grasped Xie Lingya’s wrist and said, “Don’t move.”
Xie Lingya looked at Shi Changxuan with a confused expression again. Shi Changxuan lifted his hand and applied some liquid on Xie Lingya’s eyelids with his cold fingers. When Xie Lingya opened his eyes again, a ‘human’ figure appeared where the lamp shone.
From this distance, half of ‘his’ body was in the funnel. His upper body was holding onto the safety fence of the funnel and his feet were struggling to get a foothold on the walls, trying to climb out of the funnel…
It was this motion that caused the ‘clicking’ sound like footsteps.
Xie Lingya took a step back but looking at the ghost he made a sound of confusion. “This doesn’t look right.”
After running for a while, Zhou Mao and Mr. Liu started to regret their actions. But that moment just now was so frightening that they ran away out of reflex.
“We should go back to look for the masters, ” Mr. Liu said in a trembling voice.
Zhou Mao was still frightened. “Let’s try to yell for them first…”
“Or maybe we should get a few more people to come?”
Before the discussion was over , they saw two rays of light approaching. Shi Changxuan and Xie Lingya were walking over leisurely. They seemed very calm, making Zhou Mao and Mr. Liu appear even more pathetic.
“Teacher Xie, Shi Daozhang, are you alright?” Mr. Liu asked awkwardly. “We were just about to go look for you…”
“Luo Xiao Jun, were his boots green in color?” Xie Lingya asked.
They were. Zhou Mao had seen his body that day. He broke out in cold sweat, “You saw him?”
“Oh, it was him after all. Then, something doesn’t add up.” Xie Lingya looked at Mr. Liu. “Shi Daozhang examined the feng shui in the new building and here in the mine. He is sure that there is no issue with that aspect. And that includes Luo Xiaojun’s eight characters. I also just saw Luo Xiaojun earlier. His soul is very weak and his consciousness is still stuck at the moment of his death. He couldn’t even leave this place, let alone have the ability to harm people or incur illness.”
Zhou Mao was a little superstitious due to his work environment. His legs became weak hearing Xie Lingya accurately describe Luo Xiaojun and saying that he saw him. “Can we speak outside?”
Mr. Liu was shocked and confused, “T-that’s not possible! Then we…”
Zhou Mao also seemed to remember something, “Oh, right, what is with Manager Bai then?”
Xie Lingya echoed, “Manager Bai?”
Mr. Liu became awkward again. “Uh…”
Before this, both Xie Lingya and Shi Changxuan had the feeling that Yi Shui Mining Company was hiding something. But at the time they thought it was some internal politics. Affairs of the living were none of their business.
After they got here and heard Zhou Mao’s account of what happened in the mining shaft, he felt that even the supernatural affairs were off.
According to them, Luo Xiaojun’s spirit had gone to the office and caused illness to someone. But if that was the case, then why was he so easy-going in the mines? He would even stop making disturbances after being pleaded at and no one was injured.
After seeing Luo Xiaojun, Xie Lingya was certain that he was not a malevolent spirit. He even thought that maybe most of the incidents, like the reflection of light, were natural phenomena but the miners were too imaginative and blamed them on Luo Xiaojun.
When they got out of the mine, Mr. Liu made a call and then said, “Masters, something strange is going on!”
Xie Lingya agreed, “We are waiting for your explanation on that.”
“……” Mr. Liu was a little embarrassed. He started recounting the details he had left out before.
He was actually the secretary of the general manager of Willow River Mine, Manager Bai. Manager Bai was an atheist and he staunchly refused to believe anything supernatural or superstitious. After he was appointed general manager, he approved the construction of the new building.
At the time, many had suggested him to hire someone to examine the feng shui but he didn’t heed their advice. The whole company had heard of it but did not pay much attention either until Luo Xiaojun’s accident. Then, there was a rumor that the feng shui was inauspicious.
Manager Bai, however, did not believe in such superstitions. Even though he was under a lot of pressure because of the recent happenings, he still refused to believe.
Manager Bai even went down to the mine shaft personally to investigate. In the end, he concluded that it was all an accident. The floor in the shaft was wet and slippery. Although Luo Xiaojun had not violated any safety rules, there were still many dangers in such an environment and some accidents were unavoidable.
As a result, Manager Bai only requested everyone to improve their safety precautions and work hard on minimizing the chance of accidents.
Following that, some supernatural disturbances started occurring in the mines. Manager Bai similarly scoffed at those theories. He claimed that it was all psychological, everyone was scaring themselves and everything could be explained by science.
At this time, accusations of him destroying the feng shui in the mine had spread throughout the company. There were many opinions regarding the matter but most leaned towards the supernatural.
Although Manager Bai was negatively affected by this incident, he insisted on his views. That was until one day the power went out while he was working overtime in the office. He diligently continued to work after lighting a candle. It was at this time that he saw Luo Xiaojun’s spirit. The spirit said he was miserable and demanded that Manager Bai hired someone to perform a three-day ritual for him.
Manager Bai fell sick after that. There wasn’t a wall in the world without a crack. Word of the haunting quickly got out.
This time Manager Bai finally believed in the supernatural, but he was still stubborn. He refused to hire the exorcists that the company was in contact with. However, he heard a family relative mention their attendance at Baoyang’s Ghost Festival ceremony. He trusted his relative, so he ordered his employee to invite the Baoyang priests.
Despite rumors already spreading like fire within the company, when Mr. Liu invited the priest, he still decided to hide some details, especially those regarding Manager Bai.
In light of the new information, Xie Lingya finally understood why a place like Willow River Mine that believed in superstitions did not hire a feng shui master when they built the new building. He could more or less understand Manager Bai’s point of view. But in this case, how did Manager Bai see Luo Xiaojun’s spirit? Perhaps the source of the problem lay in Manager Bai?
“Can we meet Manager Bai?” Xie Lingya asked.
“Yes, of course! Manager Bai also said that he would like to meet the two masters just now,” Mr. Liu quickly said.
Manager Bai had just returned to his dorm from the hospital. Mr. Liu brought them to the dormitory. Manager Bai was on a business call when they arrived and nodded to them in apology.
After Manager Bai was done with his call, he greeted them.
“Teacher Xie, Shi Daozhang,” Manager Bai looked anxious. “I heard that there is no problem with the feng shui of our new building and Luo Xiaojun is not a malevolent spirit? But, I definitely saw him in the office!”
He figured these two would not be lying to him about this just to scam him since it would have been more believable to just say that there was a ghost.
Xie Lingya was puzzled as well. He asked, “Can you tell us what happened that day in detail?”
Manager Bai put his hand over his heart as he recounted his experience.
That night, he was working overtime. At 9 p.m., the power suddenly went out. He wanted to finish up his work so he lit up a candle.
Not long after, the candle flame all of a sudden became smaller and turned green. Manager Bai was surprised. Curious, he stood up to take a closer look.
At this time, the flame grew bigger and bigger, like a firework, filling the whole room with a green glow.
Following that, a ghostly figure appeared from the wall. It bowed to the flame. Every time it bowed, Manager Bai felt his heart being constricted and the flame dimmed. The more the ghost bowed, the more pain Manager Bai felt, and the smaller the flame got.
By the time the flame shrank to the size of a pea, his eyes just about rolled back into his head from the pain.
Then the ghostly figure introduced himself as Luo Xiaojun. He demanded that Manager Bai hired someone to perform a three-day prayer ceremony or else, the next time he would choke the flame till the end—and when the candle flame extinguished, Manager Bai’s life would go out as well. That wasn’t all, he would also go to his family and continue by doing the same to his family members.
Manager Bai lost consciousness then. By the time he came around, he was already in the hospital. He thought it was a nightmare but when he examined his body, there was a bruise over his chest. He had always been healthy and never had any signs of a heart disease. Then, wasn’t this the result of his encounter with the ghost?
Xie Lingya did not know what skill this “flame-bowing” was, but something else caught his attention. “So you didn’t see the face of the ghost? You can’t be absolutely certain it was Luo Xiaojun?”
Manager Bai hesitated. “I-I didn’t see his face. It was just a black figure. But he said he is Luo Xiaojun…”
His voice went softer and softer as he spoke. After a moment of silence, he said confusedly, “What actually happened? Was I really dreaming and someone deliberately gave me a bruise? But how did they do it and how could they have known that I would have such a dream?”
There was, of course, another possibility—there was another supernatural being in the office which for some reason was pretending to be Luo Xiaojun and targeting Manager Bai.
Xie Lingya exchanged a glance with Shi Changxuan, then said, “Lend us your key to the office tonight.”
The man had not set foot in the office since the encounter. He shivered and said, “Ok. Please be careful!”
Before Xie Lingya left, he gave Manager Bai a protection charm and asked him to wear it at all times. Mr. Liu, on the other hand, arranged for their lunch and place to rest.
Taking the opportunity when Mr. Liu left them, Xie Lingya turned to Shi Changxuan. “Do you know what that is?”
“Never seen it.” Shi Changxuan said, “But a black figure…”
Xie Lingya nodded in agreement. If it was a black figure, neither red nor green, it probably wasn’t a fierce spirit. After listening to Manager Bai’s story, he thought that handling a ghost probably wasn’t difficult. He just wasn’t sure if it wasn’t some other creature.
When night came, the two of them brought their tools and went to Manager Bai’s office.
The building was empty and dark at this hour. The only spots of light came from the dormitory area in the distance.
Xie Lingya hid his peach wood sword and talismans, then took out a stack of joss paper and burned it in a washbowl. “Luo Xiaojun, Luo Xiaojun? Are you here?”
Xie Lingya kept calling out for Luo Xiaojun. The real Luo Xiaojun definitely couldn’t hear it, but they only needed the thing they were looking for to hear it.
Xie Lingya continued to call out for it for a while but there was no response. He had an idea and changed his tactics.
“Luo Xiaojun, we are here to burn you paper money. We want to discuss something with you. The priests that Manager Bai hired couldn’t get here so quickly, so the ceremony will need to be pushed back. Take this money as interest first, is that ok?”
Suddenly, wind started billowing in the room and the temperature dropped by several degrees.
Nevermind a veteran like Shi Changxuan, even Xie Lingya had accumulated some experience in such matters, so neither of them was nervous. They just observed their surroundings.
Just like Manager Bai said, a ghostly figure emerged from the wall. It was a faceless dark shadow that could be made out to be a humanoid figure. A thin voice shouted, “No! No! No! If you are late by even one day, then I want a ceremony for seven days and seven nights!”
…It’s here.
Xie Lingya looked at the figure strangely, “Luo Xiaojun?”
The shadowy figure expanded in size until it almost covered the entire wall. With a creepy voice, it wailed, “It’s me. I have died so horribly…”
Before it could finish, Shi Changxuan impassively stuck a talisman on it. Immediately, the figure shrank to its original size and rolled on the floor.
Xie Lingya pulled out the Three Treasures Sword from the cupboard next to him. He dashed forward and walloped the ghost, “Damn it! How dare you lie to me? To hell with you! Luo Xiaojun? I dare you to say you are Luo Xiaojun again!”
Shi Changxuan: “……”
“Ah! AHHHH!” With each strike of the peach wood sword, the shadowy figure faded little by little. In the end, after a good beating, the dark fog around the figure disappeared and revealed a middle-aged male ghost. He screamed in anguish, “I won’t do it again! I won’t do it again!”
Tired after administering the good punishment, Xie Lingya sat down on the floor, the sword in his hand. “Speak! What did you do? You have a grudge against Manager Bai?” he asked.
The ghost hesitated before answering shakily, “N-no. No grudges.”
Xie Lingya stared at him. “You’re not Luo Xiaojun and have no grudge. But you came to disturb people and demand that they hold a three-day ceremony for you. You…” Then he realized, “Oh! You shameless thing! You are scamming for offerings!”
There were always many lone wandering spirits and wild ghosts; not every one of them would receive offerings from the living. The spirits were human before they died, so naturally, some odd ideas would take root, such as scamming for offerings.
Xie Lingya had only heard from his uncle about such things. These ghosts impersonated some famous dead people, some even going as far as pretending to be the spirits of ancestors. The unsuspecting victims, upon hearing these ghosts’ claims to be Li Bai, Du Fu, etc., would make offerings out of respect and admiration.
However, the power of the spirits varied, and spirits who would do something like that were usually not powerful. They couldn’t do anything to threaten people’s lives, and could only rely on fear and deception to swindle a meal.
Moreover, the stories that Wang Yuji told him were from a long time ago. Nowadays, not many people had faith, so they were harder to scam. Often, the ghosts wouldn’t even be noticed.
The One-Legged Wutong, for example, would have been much harder to placate back in the days when it had many worshippers. But these days, there weren’t many who even knew about it. When someone finally brought it home, it only scared them when it wasn’t given offerings. It didn’t dare to outright kill them.
Xie Lingya didn’t expect to see such a daring ghost. Not only did he harm a person’s life, but he was also so audacious. He didn’t just ask for food offerings, he wanted a ceremony! Look at this greed!
The ghost covered his face in humiliation when Xie Lingya exposed his deceit. “Master! I have no children, I’m just a wild ghost. I never received offerings and couldn’t win against other ghosts in a fight. I couldn’t get any food or clothes at all. I have starved for decades!”
Spirits that were venerated got to have a few meals a year, but the wandering spirits could only get some offerings when oblation was performed, like during the Ghost Festival. Even then, they needed to fight with other ghosts for these limited resources. Those who were unable to best other ghosts, like this ghost here, had not had a meal for decades.
It was precisely because of this that he took the opportunity with the panic in Willow River Mine and pretended to be Luo Xiaojun to scare Manager Bai. When Manager Bai caved in, he made the outrageous demand for the ceremony.
As a wandering spirit with weak powers, this ghost could only pretend to be another person to scare people, using the fear in people’s hearts. The more frightened a person was, the more arrogant the ghost became.
Manager Bai felt some guilt towards Luo Xiaojun. When the ghost introduced himself as Luo Xiaojun, Manager Bai believed him and even imagined all sorts of things in his mind.
“I somehow feel there is a hole in your story. Starved for decades? Are you saying this is the first time you are doing this?” Xie Lingya continued his interrogation. “So you have never used this skill of bowing to the candlelight to kill anyone?”
Hearing Xie Lingya’s words, the ghost burst out crying.
“…What the heck?” Xie Lingya jumped. He turned to Shi Changxuan. “Am I that scary?”
That even ghosts were frightened to tears?
Shi Changxuan: “……”
The ghost nearly collapsed from crying. He sobbed, “Master! It is too depressing! I’m not lying… This really is the first time I harmed someone and I didn’t even succeed!”
“I starved for decades. I finally managed to get a bowl of rice during last year’s Ghost Festival but an old ghost came up to me and said if I give the bowl of rice to him, he will teach me how to bow to the candlelight. The more I bow to the flame, the more pain the person will feel and when I bow till the flame extinguishes, the person will die.”
“I agreed to the exchange. I wouldn’t dare to actually kill anyone though, I only wanted to learn to scare people. I worked hard on it and it took me a year to learn. I didn’t even go out to fight for offerings this year. I could finally scam for food!”
“B-but I only found out after I used the skill… That cheating old ghost was a damn ghost from the Qing Dynasty. That skill can only be used with candlelight, it can’t be used with fluorescent light! Boo hoo hooo!“
Xie Lingya and Shi Changxuan: “…..”
The crying got even louder and he was inconsolable. “That bastard ghost cheated my rice. Who the hell uses candlelight these days? Even fewer than people who believe in ghosts! I searched long and far, here and there, and finally found this mine where someone just died and the power went out!”
Xie Lingya and Shi Changxuan: “……”
Translator: Velvet
TL checker: Darkchocolatesan
Editors: Darkchocolatesan, Miiya
Proofreader: Taalia
After the visitors from Yi Shui Mining Company left, Xie Lingya pondered on a thought for a moment and then asked Shi Changxuan and Zhang Daoting, “Don’t you think it is weird? Since they also care about feng shui, why didn’t they get someone to take a look when they built the new building?”
Shi Changxuan replied, unsurprised, “This is indeed strange. They probably have some other concerns that they did not mention.”
Xie Lingya agreed. After all, this was a competitive industry and it was their first time working together. They wouldn’t explain everything in detail. “You’re right. Either way, I am only in charge of performing the ritual.”
On the weekend, Mr. Liu came to pick up Xie Lingya and Shi Changxuan.
Xie Lingya had packed many things required for the altar setup. Some items were too bulky to bring, so he had them sent to the mine ahead of time.
By car, Willow River Mine was approximately an hour and a half away from the center of Niuyang. The outer perimeter consisted of residential buildings for mine workers, and heading inwards they could see the new building that Mr. Liu was talking about. It was ten stories high with a courtyard, which included a fountain, and was brand new.
Mr. Liu stopped his car in the courtyard and brought them into the building because Shi Changxuan wanted to start his inspection from there.
This office building was rectangular with a slightly arched roof. Shi Changxuan took a look around inside but didn’t speak. When he was done, he simply said, “Let’s have a look at the mine.”
He turned to Xie Lingya and asked for the birthdate and eight characters of the deceased worker. Mr. Liu had passed the information to Xie Lingya previously to prepare for the ceremony.
Xie Lingya took out his phone and handed it to Shi Changxuan. All the information was stored on it.
As he continued leading the way, Mr. Liu anxiously asked, “Are there any problems with this building?”
“Let’s finish the inspection first.” Shi Changxuan examined the eight characters and didn’t intend to say more.
Xie Lingya was also very curious, but there were outsiders, so he put on his enigmatic persona. He said, “Liu-ge, no need to rush.”
Mr. Liu replied, embarrassed, “I am a little worried.”
Mr. Liu led them to the coal mine. Shi Changxuan asked to go down to the mining shaft. Because Shi Changxuan had previously mentioned that the mining activity was emptying the mountains hence affecting the feng shui, Mr. Liu did not think much of it and got an experienced worker to lead the way.
The worker was called Zhou Mao. He was initially impatient because it was his break time, but after Mr. Liu whispered something to him, his attitude improved. “Masters, let’s get your clothes changed first.”
Xie Lingya guessed that Mr. Liu told the worker that they were here to perform purification rites and assess the feng shui. This identity was quite useful here. Many workers might not be firm believers but they would be more respectful of these things.
Mr. Liu’s responsibility was to accompany them the whole time. Even though he was nervous, he still donned the protective clothing, rubber boots, and safety helmet. He even brought a location detector.
When they were putting on the protective gear, Zhou Mao noticed Xie Lingya arranging the talismans he had prepared.
Usually, when miners bought talismans from exorcists, one piece could cost from a few hundred up to thousands. There were so many incidents in the shaft recently that it made him nervous.
“One for each of you.” Xie Lingya did not think much about it. This time, Yi Shui Mining Company was paying him, so giving them a few talismans was no matter at all.
Hearing his words, Zhou Mao and Mr. Liu eagerly snatched the talismans from his hand.
Then the two laughed awkwardly. Zhou Mao sheepishly apologized, “Sorry. I used to be braver but recently… well, you know.”
Mr. Liu had explained the situation to Xie Lingya beforehand but without much detail. They would be heading down in a bit, so Xie Lingya thought they should be more prepared. He asked, “Zhou shifu, can you tell us what strange things have happened in the shaft? Have you encountered any?”
They were not in the mine yet and the sun was still shining brightly in the sky. As an experienced worker, Zhou Mao started, “I’ve actually had an encounter. It wasn’t just me, but many from our team also encountered it. That day, I was guarding the loader at the vertical shaft. I was alone and suddenly heard footsteps. But when I went over to look, there was nobody there.”
Xie Lingya said curiously, “Footsteps? What kind of footsteps?”
Zhou Mao didn’t think he would ask for such details. This master was really brave. “The sound of rubber boots. The place I was in was just about one square meter, and there was a curtain between it and the outer passageway.”
“I heard an echoing crash from the passageway. I didn’t think much of it at first but went out to investigate. But there was no one there. I went back in and there were footsteps again. I checked twice and didn’t see anybody. I nearly got a heart attack from the scare.”
Xie Lingya nodded. “Anything else?”
Zhao Mao tried recalling more and continued, “Once when I wasn’t there, the roof in our work area started rumbling like thunder. Some workers on our team kept saying, ‘Luo Xiaojun, we all worked together and got along nicely. Please don’t disturb us!’ It was a while before the sound died down!”
Luo Xiaojun was the name of the worker who died in the mine. Most people who encountered supernatural incidents suspected they were caused by the ghosts of people they knew and would plead for them to stop.
Xie Lingya felt something was off. He exchanged a glance with Shi Changxuan but refrained from saying anything. “Let’s go down to the shaft.”
Although it was daytime outside, the shaft was pitch black. It extended deep into the mountain. The ventilation was poor and the air was humid, making it hard to breathe. The illumination from the mining lamp was also limited.
Xie Lingya understood how this environment could easily induce claustrophobia.
Zhou Mao said, “In the shaft, we are also concerned about air and water. Not the feng shui of masters like you, but as in air ventilation and water drainage.”’1
Xie Lingya nodded. There were toxic gases and dust in the shafts. Air ventilation was very important.
If the toxic gases were inhaled, it could cause hallucinations. Therefore, places like these were particularly superstitious. Sometimes taboos were formed from a summary of experiences but the cause of the phenomenons was unknown, making such taboos seemingly superstitious. Sometimes taboos were formed from a number of experiences caused by an unknown phenomenon, making such taboos seemingly superstitious.
Zhou Mao repeatedly reminded them to listen to his instructions: they should not remove the mining lamp and safety helmet; they should not bring flammable objects. The shafts were dangerous. Each safety precaution was key to saving lives, there must not be any carelessness.
Everyone carefully listened and remembered the instructions. Zhou Mao was the expert in these matters.
Shi Changxuan held the mining lamp up to scan the surroundings. Zhou Mao explained the functions of the different sections of the mine. When they reached a bend in the tunnel, Zhou Mao lit up the surroundings and explained, “We store the explosives here. Do you want to see it?”
“Let’s have a look.” Shi Changxuan gestured for him to head in.
Zhou Mao led the way while explaining, “Bends must be made in the tunnel for safety reasons.”
The tunnel was pitch black except for the light from the mining lamp. It was humid and cramped. Occasionally, droplets of water fell on Xie Lingya’s helmet, making soft sounds.
Xie Lingya was at the back. Suddenly, the people in front stopped. “What’s the matter?”
Zhou Mao’s teeth clattered, “T-there’s light in front.”
Xie Lingya looked up curiously. Indeed, there was faint light on the wall just before the bend. “Your colleague?”
“W-who is it?” Because there were other people around him, Zhou Mao mustered his courage and advanced a few steps.
There was no reply from the empty passageway.
When he moved forward, the light moved forward as well, following the bend in the tunnel, as if hiding from him.
Mr. Liu cried out, “No… Wait… There’s light there but there is no shadow!”
Xie Lingya shivered. He glanced to the side. The glow from their lamps cast shadows on the walls. Where there was light, there were shadows. But why were there no shadows cast by this light?
The passageway fell into a strange silence, leaving only the pitter-patter of water.
Drip, drop. Drip, drop.
Zhou Mao started to retreat while muttering, “Xiaojun, I was always nice to you! Leave me alone!”
Xie Lingya held a talisman and stopped Zhou Mao, “Don’t go.”
Zhou Mao was a big, sturdy guy, but he said timidly, “You guys chat with him, I am going to wait outside.”
Xie Lingya: “……”
Oy, wait—Zhou Mao, have you never watched a horror film? How can you split ways with the priest?
Shi Changxuan held down Xie Lingya’s wrist, “Put that away.”
Xie Lingya looked at him, confused.
Shi Changxuan shook the lamp in his hand, stating calmly, “It is the reflection of our lamps from the water on the ground. There is nothing in front.”
The other three took a closer look and realized that that was really the case!
Xie Lingya: “……”
Zhou Mao and Mr. Liu were embarrassed by their overreaction “I-I thought…”
Xie Lingya glanced at them, full of understanding. Not everyone could remain calm and think clearly in such a situation. He, too, had a knee-jerk reaction to start purifying, “Hahaha, just a scare. Let’s go.”
Suddenly Shi Changxuan said, “Let’s go directly to the site of Luo Xiaojun’s accident.”
Zhou Mao and Mr. Liu stood frozen for a moment. Their heart rates hadn’t yet recovered. “G-go there now?”
Shi Changxuan nodded.
Mr. Liu could only answer with a pale face, “T-then let’s go there… Zhou shifu.”
Luckily, Zhou Mao was an experienced worker. He manned up and led the way. As they approached the incident site, Zhou Mao’s voice trembled as he explained that they were near.
Luo Xiaojun had died in the area in front of them. It was a loading pocket for the deposition of coal before it was transferred up the shaft. Coal was transported via a conveyor belt and then dumped into the loading pocket through a funnel. A loading pocket could deposit up to one hundred tons of coal.
Shi Changxuan looked at the conveyor belt and asked, “He died from a fall?”
Mr. Liu had mentioned this previously. Zhou Mao replied with a shiver in his voice, “He fell down in the loading pocket. There is a safety fence before the funnel but he somehow fell over it. The coal that kept coming from behind all fell onto him. When we dug him out he was already dead. I think he was buried alive.”
First, Luo Xiaojun fell into a space that could hold up to one hundred tons of coal, then the coal piled on him continuously, layer upon layer…
No one said anything for a moment. Mr. Liu’s breathing became even more labored.
Everyone involuntarily imagined the scene and how despairing it was.
After a while, Shi Changxuan said, “Let’s move forward.”
Click, clack.
A sudden sound in the empty passageway made everyone jump. They glanced around.
The sound came from the front. It echoed slightly as if someone was walking in their direction, their boots landing heavily on the ground. Click, clack.
This was a straight tunnel. There was nothing in front of them when they illuminated the area ahead of them with the mining lamps. This was different from the tunnel bend from before. They could see the whole span of the tunnel, with the dark funnel at the end looking like a mouth that engulfed life. They couldn’t identify the source of the sound.
Zhou Mao and Mr. Liu’s eyes widened and their pupils shrank, their faces tense with fear.
It wasn’t some reflection trick again this time, was it?
“FUCK!” The two of them screamed at the same time and ran towards the exit.
“Hm??” They ran so quickly that Xie Lingya, who hadn’t reacted in time, could only call after them, “Hey, don’t leave!”
What are you running away for? You should stay and watch my performance before leaving!
The two men were carrying Xie Lingya’s talismans. Xie Lingya felt that they should totally have stayed to witness his prowess. He was already holding several talismans in his hands.
At this moment, Shi Changxuan once again stopped him. He grasped Xie Lingya’s wrist and said, “Don’t move.”
Xie Lingya looked at Shi Changxuan with a confused expression again. Shi Changxuan lifted his hand and applied some liquid on Xie Lingya’s eyelids with his cold fingers. When Xie Lingya opened his eyes again, a ‘human’ figure appeared where the lamp shone.
From this distance, half of ‘his’ body was in the funnel. His upper body was holding onto the safety fence of the funnel and his feet were struggling to get a foothold on the walls, trying to climb out of the funnel…
It was this motion that caused the ‘clicking’ sound like footsteps.
Xie Lingya took a step back but looking at the ghost he made a sound of confusion. “This doesn’t look right.”
After running for a while, Zhou Mao and Mr. Liu started to regret their actions. But that moment just now was so frightening that they ran away out of reflex.
“We should go back to look for the masters, ” Mr. Liu said in a trembling voice.
Zhou Mao was still frightened. “Let’s try to yell for them first…”
“Or maybe we should get a few more people to come?”
Before the discussion was over , they saw two rays of light approaching. Shi Changxuan and Xie Lingya were walking over leisurely. They seemed very calm, making Zhou Mao and Mr. Liu appear even more pathetic.
“Teacher Xie, Shi Daozhang, are you alright?” Mr. Liu asked awkwardly. “We were just about to go look for you…”
“Luo Xiao Jun, were his boots green in color?” Xie Lingya asked.
They were. Zhou Mao had seen his body that day. He broke out in cold sweat, “You saw him?”
“Oh, it was him after all. Then, something doesn’t add up.” Xie Lingya looked at Mr. Liu. “Shi Daozhang examined the feng shui in the new building and here in the mine. He is sure that there is no issue with that aspect. And that includes Luo Xiaojun’s eight characters. I also just saw Luo Xiaojun earlier. His soul is very weak and his consciousness is still stuck at the moment of his death. He couldn’t even leave this place, let alone have the ability to harm people or incur illness.”
Zhou Mao was a little superstitious due to his work environment. His legs became weak hearing Xie Lingya accurately describe Luo Xiaojun and saying that he saw him. “Can we speak outside?”
Mr. Liu was shocked and confused, “T-that’s not possible! Then we…”
Zhou Mao also seemed to remember something, “Oh, right, what is with Manager Bai then?”
Xie Lingya echoed, “Manager Bai?”
Mr. Liu became awkward again. “Uh…”
Before this, both Xie Lingya and Shi Changxuan had the feeling that Yi Shui Mining Company was hiding something. But at the time they thought it was some internal politics. Affairs of the living were none of their business.
After they got here and heard Zhou Mao’s account of what happened in the mining shaft, he felt that even the supernatural affairs were off.
According to them, Luo Xiaojun’s spirit had gone to the office and caused illness to someone. But if that was the case, then why was he so easy-going in the mines? He would even stop making disturbances after being pleaded at and no one was injured.
After seeing Luo Xiaojun, Xie Lingya was certain that he was not a malevolent spirit. He even thought that maybe most of the incidents, like the reflection of light, were natural phenomena but the miners were too imaginative and blamed them on Luo Xiaojun.
When they got out of the mine, Mr. Liu made a call and then said, “Masters, something strange is going on!”
Xie Lingya agreed, “We are waiting for your explanation on that.”
“……” Mr. Liu was a little embarrassed. He started recounting the details he had left out before.
He was actually the secretary of the general manager of Willow River Mine, Manager Bai. Manager Bai was an atheist and he staunchly refused to believe anything supernatural or superstitious. After he was appointed general manager, he approved the construction of the new building.
At the time, many had suggested him to hire someone to examine the feng shui but he didn’t heed their advice. The whole company had heard of it but did not pay much attention either until Luo Xiaojun’s accident. Then, there was a rumor that the feng shui was inauspicious.
Manager Bai, however, did not believe in such superstitions. Even though he was under a lot of pressure because of the recent happenings, he still refused to believe.
Manager Bai even went down to the mine shaft personally to investigate. In the end, he concluded that it was all an accident. The floor in the shaft was wet and slippery. Although Luo Xiaojun had not violated any safety rules, there were still many dangers in such an environment and some accidents were unavoidable.
As a result, Manager Bai only requested everyone to improve their safety precautions and work hard on minimizing the chance of accidents.
Following that, some supernatural disturbances started occurring in the mines. Manager Bai similarly scoffed at those theories. He claimed that it was all psychological, everyone was scaring themselves and everything could be explained by science.
At this time, accusations of him destroying the feng shui in the mine had spread throughout the company. There were many opinions regarding the matter but most leaned towards the supernatural.
Although Manager Bai was negatively affected by this incident, he insisted on his views. That was until one day the power went out while he was working overtime in the office. He diligently continued to work after lighting a candle. It was at this time that he saw Luo Xiaojun’s spirit. The spirit said he was miserable and demanded that Manager Bai hired someone to perform a three-day ritual for him.
Manager Bai fell sick after that. There wasn’t a wall in the world without a crack. Word of the haunting quickly got out.
This time Manager Bai finally believed in the supernatural, but he was still stubborn. He refused to hire the exorcists that the company was in contact with. However, he heard a family relative mention their attendance at Baoyang’s Ghost Festival ceremony. He trusted his relative, so he ordered his employee to invite the Baoyang priests.
Despite rumors already spreading like fire within the company, when Mr. Liu invited the priest, he still decided to hide some details, especially those regarding Manager Bai.
In light of the new information, Xie Lingya finally understood why a place like Willow River Mine that believed in superstitions did not hire a feng shui master when they built the new building. He could more or less understand Manager Bai’s point of view. But in this case, how did Manager Bai see Luo Xiaojun’s spirit? Perhaps the source of the problem lay in Manager Bai?
“Can we meet Manager Bai?” Xie Lingya asked.
“Yes, of course! Manager Bai also said that he would like to meet the two masters just now,” Mr. Liu quickly said.
Manager Bai had just returned to his dorm from the hospital. Mr. Liu brought them to the dormitory. Manager Bai was on a business call when they arrived and nodded to them in apology.
After Manager Bai was done with his call, he greeted them.
“Teacher Xie, Shi Daozhang,” Manager Bai looked anxious. “I heard that there is no problem with the feng shui of our new building and Luo Xiaojun is not a malevolent spirit? But, I definitely saw him in the office!”
He figured these two would not be lying to him about this just to scam him since it would have been more believable to just say that there was a ghost.
Xie Lingya was puzzled as well. He asked, “Can you tell us what happened that day in detail?”
Manager Bai put his hand over his heart as he recounted his experience.
That night, he was working overtime. At 9 p.m., the power suddenly went out. He wanted to finish up his work so he lit up a candle.
Not long after, the candle flame all of a sudden became smaller and turned green. Manager Bai was surprised. Curious, he stood up to take a closer look.
At this time, the flame grew bigger and bigger, like a firework, filling the whole room with a green glow.
Following that, a ghostly figure appeared from the wall. It bowed to the flame. Every time it bowed, Manager Bai felt his heart being constricted and the flame dimmed. The more the ghost bowed, the more pain Manager Bai felt, and the smaller the flame got.
By the time the flame shrank to the size of a pea, his eyes just about rolled back into his head from the pain.
Then the ghostly figure introduced himself as Luo Xiaojun. He demanded that Manager Bai hired someone to perform a three-day prayer ceremony or else, the next time he would choke the flame till the end—and when the candle flame extinguished, Manager Bai’s life would go out as well. That wasn’t all, he would also go to his family and continue by doing the same to his family members.
Manager Bai lost consciousness then. By the time he came around, he was already in the hospital. He thought it was a nightmare but when he examined his body, there was a bruise over his chest. He had always been healthy and never had any signs of a heart disease. Then, wasn’t this the result of his encounter with the ghost?
Xie Lingya did not know what skill this “flame-bowing” was, but something else caught his attention. “So you didn’t see the face of the ghost? You can’t be absolutely certain it was Luo Xiaojun?”
Manager Bai hesitated. “I-I didn’t see his face. It was just a black figure. But he said he is Luo Xiaojun…”
His voice went softer and softer as he spoke. After a moment of silence, he said confusedly, “What actually happened? Was I really dreaming and someone deliberately gave me a bruise? But how did they do it and how could they have known that I would have such a dream?”
There was, of course, another possibility—there was another supernatural being in the office which for some reason was pretending to be Luo Xiaojun and targeting Manager Bai.
Xie Lingya exchanged a glance with Shi Changxuan, then said, “Lend us your key to the office tonight.”
The man had not set foot in the office since the encounter. He shivered and said, “Ok. Please be careful!”
Before Xie Lingya left, he gave Manager Bai a protection charm and asked him to wear it at all times. Mr. Liu, on the other hand, arranged for their lunch and place to rest.
Taking the opportunity when Mr. Liu left them, Xie Lingya turned to Shi Changxuan. “Do you know what that is?”
“Never seen it.” Shi Changxuan said, “But a black figure…”
Xie Lingya nodded in agreement. If it was a black figure, neither red nor green, it probably wasn’t a fierce spirit. After listening to Manager Bai’s story, he thought that handling a ghost probably wasn’t difficult. He just wasn’t sure if it wasn’t some other creature.
When night came, the two of them brought their tools and went to Manager Bai’s office.
The building was empty and dark at this hour. The only spots of light came from the dormitory area in the distance.
Xie Lingya hid his peach wood sword and talismans, then took out a stack of joss paper and burned it in a washbowl. “Luo Xiaojun, Luo Xiaojun? Are you here?”
Xie Lingya kept calling out for Luo Xiaojun. The real Luo Xiaojun definitely couldn’t hear it, but they only needed the thing they were looking for to hear it.
Xie Lingya continued to call out for it for a while but there was no response. He had an idea and changed his tactics.
“Luo Xiaojun, we are here to burn you paper money. We want to discuss something with you. The priests that Manager Bai hired couldn’t get here so quickly, so the ceremony will need to be pushed back. Take this money as interest first, is that ok?”
Suddenly, wind started billowing in the room and the temperature dropped by several degrees.
Nevermind a veteran like Shi Changxuan, even Xie Lingya had accumulated some experience in such matters, so neither of them was nervous. They just observed their surroundings.
Just like Manager Bai said, a ghostly figure emerged from the wall. It was a faceless dark shadow that could be made out to be a humanoid figure. A thin voice shouted, “No! No! No! If you are late by even one day, then I want a ceremony for seven days and seven nights!”
…It’s here.
Xie Lingya looked at the figure strangely, “Luo Xiaojun?”
The shadowy figure expanded in size until it almost covered the entire wall. With a creepy voice, it wailed, “It’s me. I have died so horribly…”
Before it could finish, Shi Changxuan impassively stuck a talisman on it. Immediately, the figure shrank to its original size and rolled on the floor.
Xie Lingya pulled out the Three Treasures Sword from the cupboard next to him. He dashed forward and walloped the ghost, “Damn it! How dare you lie to me? To hell with you! Luo Xiaojun? I dare you to say you are Luo Xiaojun again!”
Shi Changxuan: “……”
“Ah! AHHHH!” With each strike of the peach wood sword, the shadowy figure faded little by little. In the end, after a good beating, the dark fog around the figure disappeared and revealed a middle-aged male ghost. He screamed in anguish, “I won’t do it again! I won’t do it again!”
Tired after administering the good punishment, Xie Lingya sat down on the floor, the sword in his hand. “Speak! What did you do? You have a grudge against Manager Bai?” he asked.
The ghost hesitated before answering shakily, “N-no. No grudges.”
Xie Lingya stared at him. “You’re not Luo Xiaojun and have no grudge. But you came to disturb people and demand that they hold a three-day ceremony for you. You…” Then he realized, “Oh! You shameless thing! You are scamming for offerings!”
There were always many lone wandering spirits and wild ghosts; not every one of them would receive offerings from the living. The spirits were human before they died, so naturally, some odd ideas would take root, such as scamming for offerings.
Xie Lingya had only heard from his uncle about such things. These ghosts impersonated some famous dead people, some even going as far as pretending to be the spirits of ancestors. The unsuspecting victims, upon hearing these ghosts’ claims to be Li Bai, Du Fu, etc., would make offerings out of respect and admiration.
However, the power of the spirits varied, and spirits who would do something like that were usually not powerful. They couldn’t do anything to threaten people’s lives, and could only rely on fear and deception to swindle a meal.
Moreover, the stories that Wang Yuji told him were from a long time ago. Nowadays, not many people had faith, so they were harder to scam. Often, the ghosts wouldn’t even be noticed.
The One-Legged Wutong, for example, would have been much harder to placate back in the days when it had many worshippers. But these days, there weren’t many who even knew about it. When someone finally brought it home, it only scared them when it wasn’t given offerings. It didn’t dare to outright kill them.
Xie Lingya didn’t expect to see such a daring ghost. Not only did he harm a person’s life, but he was also so audacious. He didn’t just ask for food offerings, he wanted a ceremony! Look at this greed!
The ghost covered his face in humiliation when Xie Lingya exposed his deceit. “Master! I have no children, I’m just a wild ghost. I never received offerings and couldn’t win against other ghosts in a fight. I couldn’t get any food or clothes at all. I have starved for decades!”
Spirits that were venerated got to have a few meals a year, but the wandering spirits could only get some offerings when oblation was performed, like during the Ghost Festival. Even then, they needed to fight with other ghosts for these limited resources. Those who were unable to best other ghosts, like this ghost here, had not had a meal for decades.
It was precisely because of this that he took the opportunity with the panic in Willow River Mine and pretended to be Luo Xiaojun to scare Manager Bai. When Manager Bai caved in, he made the outrageous demand for the ceremony.
As a wandering spirit with weak powers, this ghost could only pretend to be another person to scare people, using the fear in people’s hearts. The more frightened a person was, the more arrogant the ghost became.
Manager Bai felt some guilt towards Luo Xiaojun. When the ghost introduced himself as Luo Xiaojun, Manager Bai believed him and even imagined all sorts of things in his mind.
“I somehow feel there is a hole in your story. Starved for decades? Are you saying this is the first time you are doing this?” Xie Lingya continued his interrogation. “So you have never used this skill of bowing to the candlelight to kill anyone?”
Hearing Xie Lingya’s words, the ghost burst out crying.
“…What the heck?” Xie Lingya jumped. He turned to Shi Changxuan. “Am I that scary?”
That even ghosts were frightened to tears?
Shi Changxuan: “……”
The ghost nearly collapsed from crying. He sobbed, “Master! It is too depressing! I’m not lying… This really is the first time I harmed someone and I didn’t even succeed!”
“I starved for decades. I finally managed to get a bowl of rice during last year’s Ghost Festival but an old ghost came up to me and said if I give the bowl of rice to him, he will teach me how to bow to the candlelight. The more I bow to the flame, the more pain the person will feel and when I bow till the flame extinguishes, the person will die.”
“I agreed to the exchange. I wouldn’t dare to actually kill anyone though, I only wanted to learn to scare people. I worked hard on it and it took me a year to learn. I didn’t even go out to fight for offerings this year. I could finally scam for food!”
“B-but I only found out after I used the skill… That cheating old ghost was a damn ghost from the Qing Dynasty. That skill can only be used with candlelight, it can’t be used with fluorescent light! Boo hoo hooo!“
Xie Lingya and Shi Changxuan: “…..”
The crying got even louder and he was inconsolable. “That bastard ghost cheated my rice. Who the hell uses candlelight these days? Even fewer than people who believe in ghosts! I searched long and far, here and there, and finally found this mine where someone just died and the power went out!”
Xie Lingya and Shi Changxuan: “……”
Translator: Velvet
TL checker: Darkchocolatesan
Editors: Darkchocolatesan, Miiya
Proofreader: Taalia
