The word "ghoul"?
Hearing those two words made my head ache. Despite the word "ghoul" having "live" in it, they were actually considered dead, they just didn't know it themselves.
It was like sleepwalking, completely unaware of one's actions. They looked like ordinary people, only disliking sunlight. Fortunately, they rarely harmed anyone, staying only in places where they had unfinished business before death, repeating their original intentions until their bodies completely rotted or were pacified by a Yin Master.
"It's been half a year since this happened. Their bodies should have rotted by now. Why do they still look like living people? No change at all. Is there something I don't know going on here?"
Zhang Dabiao shook his head and said with a wry smile, "That's what I don't know. That's why I asked you to come. Besides appearing on the road occasionally, they don't go home or into the village. After the car accident, the car was found burnt to a frame at the bottom of the cliff, but no bodies were found. So, I'm asking you not only to help them find a suitable Yin dwelling but also to find their bodies."
"Oh, you just keep talking about these things. Hurry up and let the brother eat. Rest for a night, and we'll talk about it tomorrow. Talking about it late at night is quite scary, really..." Mrs. Zhang complained to Zhang Dabiao. He just smiled and said to eat quickly before the dishes got cold, and they would talk about it tomorrow when they met the concerned parties.
I nodded in agreement. After all, to search for their bodies, I would need their birth dates. Moreover, the fact that no one survived in the car gave me the feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed.
This made me think of the old woman on the bus holding the urn. Perhaps she held the key to the matter...
Zhang Dabiao was a man who enjoyed his wine, usually taking a few sips. Today, as his guest, he was exceptionally hospitable, clinking glasses with me left and right. Only when I pretended to be drunk did he, under Mrs. Zhang's scolding, help me to the side room.
My body was already tired, and coupled with the considerable amount of alcohol, as soon as my head hit the pillow, I fell asleep.
I don't know how long I slept, but I felt the temperature in the room drop considerably. I also felt many people murmuring something in my ear, their voices hazy, like sleep talking.
My heart tightened. This was bad, I was experiencing sleep paralysis. I wanted to open my eyes to see what kind of evil spirit it was, but my eyelids felt glued shut, impossible to open.
I silently recited the Tiangang Jue and simultaneously tried to control my fingers to form the Tiantui Seal to ward off evil.
"Kid, I advise you not to meddle in other people's business, or else... hmph."
With a final cold snort, I suddenly opened my eyes. The window that had been closed was now open, and the wind blew in, making a clattering sound. A trace of Yin energy remained in the room, along with an indescribable smell.
I checked the time; it was exactly three fifteen. Seeing the sky already showing the first light of dawn, I sneered inwardly. I hadn't intended to meddle, but your warning ignited a spark of anger within me. Being subjected to sleep paralysis as an Yin Master was an insult delivered right to my doorstep.
I was determined to earn this bit of Yin virtue.
I lay in bed for a while longer until I heard Zhang Dabiao and the others get up, then I followed suit.
"How was it? Did you sleep well last night?" Zhang Dabiao asked, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he sat in a chair, yawning.
"It was fine, I slept until dawn."
I didn't tell him about the sleep paralysis. Firstly, it was embarrassing to admit, and secondly, if Zhang Dabiao knew that his house had been visited by spirits, with his temper, wouldn't he have ground those spirits into dust?
After breakfast, it was already past eight. Zhang Dabiao wanted to have a few more drinks, but I stopped him. It was more important to handle the business first. After it was resolved, we would have a good drink.
After a simple tidy-up, we left the courtyard and headed straight for the village committee. As we walked, Zhang Dabiao explained that the village chief was dispatched from above. Since he wasn't a local, he lived at the village committee.
It was already getting dark when we arrived yesterday, so I hadn't seen the village's general appearance clearly. Now, walking on the village road, I felt something strange.
Whether it was Zhang Dabiao's house or the houses on both sides of the road, every household had willow trees planted in front of their doors and behind their houses. Some of the willow trees were almost as thick as a waist.
Seeing me staring at the willow trees all the way, Zhang Dabiao asked, "Why are you staring at these willow trees?"
"Don't plant mulberry in front, don't plant willow in the back. Don't raise ghosts clapping hands in front of the door. Doesn't planting willow trees in every household in this village easily attract evil?"
Zhang Dabiao burst into laughter upon hearing this. "It seems you still have a lot to learn about the Yin path. These principles you mentioned, not to mention the elders in the village, even children know them. But do you know why the villagers still plant willows?"
I shook my head, indicating I didn't know.
"That's because the villagers were all afraid of poverty. The branches of these willow trees can be broken off and woven into baskets to be sold in the county town. The buds that sprout in spring can also be eaten. Although the taste isn't very good, it's still a delicacy. You don't know what it's like to starve. Back then, you'd want to gnaw on the bark... Besides, they've been planting them for decades, and no spirits have ever caused trouble, so everyone has become accustomed to it."
I knew Zhang Dabiao was referring to the grain shortage decades ago. It was said that one village had no survivors, all starving to death. Some might ask why they didn't go out to beg.
At that time, every household had no food, and there was a locust plague in the fields. It was truly a living hell...
As we spoke, we arrived at the village committee. It was a row of three tiled houses, looking somewhat old, but thankfully built with red bricks, making them sturdy.
A man in his forties, with a dark red complexion, was holding a large bowl filled with millet porridge in one hand and a large scallion in the other. He ate the porridge and bit into the scallion, savoring it.
"Dabiao, why are you here so early? Have you eaten?"
"I've eaten. Hurry up and finish, and then we'll talk about something."
The man paused, then poured the porridge into his mouth in three mouthfuls, placed the bowl on the windowsill, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, a look of deep suspicion on his face. "Don't tell me the gentleman you found to solve the problem... is him?"
Facing the man's doubt, my heart was calm. This wasn't the first time I had been doubted. After all, my age was obvious. Anyone would doubt whether I could solve the problem of spirits, given my appearance.
Because in the common perception, those who could survey and find Yin dwellings, and pacify spirits, were usually men in their fifties or sixties with long beards, looking like immortal hermits.
Not someone like me, who looked rather thin and, at first glance, like a high school student. If our perspectives were swapped, I would also be doubtful.
"What, you look down on people?" Zhang Dabiao rolled his eyes and said sideways, "Someone introduced by me, Zhang Dabiao, how could they be bad? If you don't trust me, you can find someone else yourself..."
Before Zhang Dabiao could finish speaking, the man interrupted him.
"How could that be? I trust the person you found. Let's go inside and talk. As long as they can be resolved and the village's baskets can be sold, I'll kneel down and kowtow to him..."