“Can ordinary people not see ghosts?”
Nanzhi was very interested in what the mud ghosts were saying and continued the conversation along that line.
“I often hear people say that so-and-so in some place can see ghosts, and some can even see immortals. Is it really true that only a few people can see ghosts?”
Although she couldn't be sure if this was the Northern Song dynasty of history, she had still heard many strange stories and anecdotes from Chen Jingui.
There was the story of a scholar in some place who came back from the dead. After waking up, he claimed he had gone to the Underworld to take an examination, and that he was to become a City God after his death.
The King of Hell saw that he still had an elderly mother to serve at home, so he allowed him to live for a few more years. 《Liaozhai: The City God Examination》
Then there was the story of a filial daughter-in-law whose mother-in-law had been dead for many years, yet people still saw her sitting on her grave mound every night, crying and telling everyone she met that she had died a wrongful death.
Later, a brave soul dug up the grave and opened the coffin, only to discover that the mother-in-law had indeed been strangled to death.
There were even stories of a scholar who fell into a deep sleep at home for over three months, neither eating nor drinking, yet never losing any weight.
After the scholar woke up, he insisted on leaving home to become a Daoist priest.
When his parents asked why, he said he had spent those days in a certain immortal realm where a celestial maiden had taken him to a banquet hosted by the gods.
From then on, the man devoted himself entirely to cultivation, though he never had that dream again.
Gods, ghosts, demons, and monsters—it was a tapestry of dreams and illusions. It seemed as if out of every ten people, two or three had seen a ghost.
Even those who hadn't seen one would swear up and down that ghosts existed, making oaths as if they had witnessed it with their own eyes.
As Nanzhi recounted these street rumors one by one, the mud ghosts in the temple looked at each other and began to chatter and discuss among themselves:
“The appointment and removal of a City God is decided by the Underworld. It is true that virtuous people are sent to the places where they served as officials in life to become City Gods after they die.”
“Those people truly have good lives. They are officials while alive, and they remain high officials after death, riding in litters with eight carriers and having little ghosts clear the way for them!”
“How could a celestial maiden from the heavens fall for a mortal? That scholar was likely bewitched by a fox. Those rank foxes love to pretend to be immortals the most.”
“Quite right! Didn't the previous City God deal with a yellow weasel who was boasting about being a boy who carried the foot-washing basin for the Queen Mother of the West?!”
“The people who see ghosts are either unlucky wretches with very low fortune, or people who are about to die. Ordinary people cannot see ghosts.”
“Hahaha, that scholar was truly foolish to actually believe a fairy liked him.”
The group of mud ghosts huddled together, chattering away. Some had shrill voices, some were coarse; some spoke unclearly as if their mouths were full of mud, while others had deep voices like the tolling of a bell. No two were exactly alike.
“Stop shouting! Stop shouting!”
The most short-tempered one, the big-bellied ghost, opened its mouth wide, its throat bulging like a giant toad's.
It suddenly blew a gust of air, sending several other ghosts scurrying around the hall like withered grass swaying in the wind.
“What is all this clamoring! You have eaten someone’s wine and meat, so you must answer properly. Are you not afraid that the wine and meat will burn through your intestines and bellies?!”
After saying this, it turned to Nanzhi with a face full of indignation and spoke in a booming, muffled voice:
“Young Lady Nan, the world is full of strange people and events, so I do not know if there are those born with the ability to see ghosts, but I imagine they are few and far between.
I have lived in this City God Temple for decades, and I have only ever seen two living people who could see us.
As the saying goes, ‘a person fears a ghost by thirty percent, but a ghost fears a person by seventy percent.’
A living person has three fires of vitality on their shoulders. Robust people and those who never fall ill have heavy yang energy; even old ghosts like us who have existed for years have to steer clear of them.”
As it spoke, the big-bellied ghost patted its stomach, and its massive head swelled a bit more, covered in bulging veins and glowing red like a large lantern.
“As for those naturally weak of body, those with poor luck, women who have just given birth, patients recovering from a major illness, and children whose fontanelles have not yet closed—they can also see us.
As for those about to die, they are shrouded in the aura of death. Sometimes we get curious and gather around to watch, seeing exactly when they will kick the bucket.
However, we do not dare get too close, for fear that the Underworld messengers might see us and drag us off to the Underworld as well.”
Nanzhi imagined the scene and found it somewhat hilarious.
A dying person lying in bed, looking up through a haze—
Beside the bed, in addition to the family members keeping watch, there was a circle of ghosts joyfully betting on when they would draw their last breath!
Talk about a hellish joke.
“True, true.”
The hanged ghost, its tongue lolling out, slowly lowered itself from the rafters, its hair brushing against Nanzhi's face.
“I did not notice earlier; I only felt that the scent of a living person on Young Lady Nan was not that strong.
Now that I look closely, the three fires on Young Lady Nan's shoulders are burning very brightly!”
As it spoke, it leaned in closer, skillfully rolling up its long tongue and stuffing it back into its belly before saying:
“You truly are brave. No wonder you are the daughter of Nan the Butcher! You aren't even afraid of a Painted Skin Ghost.”
The hanged ghost was the only female ghost in the hall. Her delicate face was tinged with blue, and a bloody rope mark remained around her neck. Her crimson tongue would occasionally roll out from her throat, making her look even more terrifying.
She did not intend to scare Nanzhi; she simply looked this way when she died and could not control her resentment after death.
To speak, she had to roll and wrap her tongue up before she could open her mouth.
The hanged ghost was the most 'normal' and human-looking among these ghosts; the others were missing heads or had broken legs, and some even had their intestines trailing on the ground—it was pure horror.
This was why most ghosts were hideous and terrifying; beautiful, sorrowful female ghosts were a rare minority.
The reason her living scent was light was likely because she had the 【Human Skin Painted Garment】 in her inventory.
Nanzhi, whose eyes were strained from staring at the screen, had gone through a lot of trouble to find the hanged ghost amidst a sea of mosaics.
It wasn't that she was brave.
It was that this game actually had a health screening feature. Scenes that were too bloody—like intestines, severed limbs, and blood pits—were all blurred out with mosaics.
This resulted in her seeing the hanged ghost as a vivid, beautiful head resting on top of a patch of mosaics.
It was quite startling in its own way.
“Actually, I had a fortuitous encounter. For the past eighteen years, I received guidance from an immortal in my dreams. After waking, I entered the path and became a Qi Condensation cultivator.”
After chatting for so long, Nanzhi finally brought up her purpose for coming to the City God Temple:
“Previously, at the Qiao family's place where I buy tofu, I met a Grey Rat Spirit. It was the one who warned me, allowing... my father to kill that Painted Skin Ghost.
Now that the Painted Skin Ghost is dead, I want to find the whereabouts of that Grey Rat Spirit. Firstly, to ensure its safety, and secondly, to ask if there are any other harmful demons or monsters in Dingyuan County.
Even if my skills are insufficient to subdue them, it would be good to know their taboos in advance so I can avoid them for now. Once my cultivation is successful, I will go and exorcise them.”
The mud ghosts looked at each other and suddenly burst into loud laughter:
“A tiny Grey Rat Spirit has only lived for how many years? If you want to know what demons are in Dingyuan County, why not ask us?!”
“Hahaha, this is a case of ‘the true Buddha is right before your eyes, yet you insist on seeking a false one’!”
“In all of Dingyuan County, who knows things more clearly than we do?”
The big-bellied ghost slapped its belly with a series of loud thwacks, giving its guarantee:
“We ghosts have lived in this City God Temple for decades. Regardless of the level of our cultivation, when it comes to gathering information, no one can surpass us!”
Nanzhi's expression was subtle as she looked up at the ghosts with a meaningful gaze:
And yet you were all so scared by the Painted Skin Ghost that you huddled in the City God Temple and didn't dare go out?
“You! How can you look down on us ghosts, young lady!”
The big-bellied ghost blustered with false bravado:
“We are ghosts who follow the proper path, not like those evil ghosts who eat human hearts!
Since we have eaten your offerings of wine and meat today, we must naturally repay you. Go on home for now. Tomorrow, after the rooster crows three times, I will have someone deliver the information you want!”
Rate on N.U.
