Chapter 1: Are there ghosts and gods in this world?

A blue stone slab path, mottled corners of walls, a murmuring stream, and a continuous stretch of white walls and black tiles along the bank. Crossing the stream is an old stone arch bridge, and upon the bridge sits an eight-pillared wooden pavilion, its wooden pillars already faded.

In the pavilion sits an old man leaning on a staff, surrounded by seven or eight children.

He is telling stories of old.

A youth in old clothes, looking to be fifteen or sixteen, carries a bag of rice, standing alone by the wall, silently looking ahead.

One can hear the old man's words and the children's exclamations.

The old man is an elder in the village; advanced in age and with plenty of leisure, he often tells stories under the tree at the village entrance. This is both to let the young know of the world's affairs and the rise and fall of history, and to pass on his own life experiences and lessons to the descendants of the village. In this day and age, in rural villages, many things are passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation like this.

It is just that once there are many children, the storytelling changes its flavor.

From telling of great events of the past and present, it turns into tales of immortals and ghosts.

Such stories have always been popular throughout the ages.

Those who listen love to hear them, and those who tell love to speak them.

Lin Jue has also often come to listen over the past year.

Speaking of which, his arrival in this world was only a year ago. Coming to a strange, backward place for no reason, few would be willing, but since he is already here and there is no other way, he can only strive not to be trapped in this small village for his entire life.

He assumes every world must have its own brilliance, and different eras must have different pleasures; he must go and see them.

To walk out, it is not difficult to say it is hard, nor easy to say it is simple.

It depends on how one walks.

Lin Jue initially planned to take the path of study, pass the imperial examinations, and leave this place, at least to greet this world in some way.

It just so happens that trade has flourished here in recent years, and most of the Shu-surnamed families in the village have formed groups to do business, selling local brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, tea, and wood to the capital, gradually becoming wealthy. Coupled with the fact that this place is greatly influenced by Confucian clan and local cultural concepts, once there were many rich people, they hoped their own clansmen and fellow villagers would produce more scholars, so that they could help each other after passing the examinations, and thus they raised funds to open a clan school. Even Lin Jue, a fellow villager with a different surname, benefited a little from this.

And so, he studied for a year and listened to stories for a year.

The days were frugal, but after getting used to them, they were quite leisurely.

It is just that now there is sorrow—

Last month, his uncle went out fishing, and upon returning, he suddenly fell critically ill, his whole body covered in sores, and before long, his life was hanging by a thread.

The original body's family was poor in childhood, his mother was abducted by a peddler, and his father raised him alone. Later, he followed the Shu-surnamed families in the village to go out and trade, earning some hard-earned money, but in the last two years, bandits and thieves have been rampant. It is said that the year before last, after one trip out, a team of merchants never returned. After that, his uncle took over his father's responsibilities, providing for his clothing, food, and studies.

Even when he arrived, he fell into the water, and it was this uncle who risked his life to save him from the river.

After his uncle fell ill, his cousin went to invite a famous miracle physician from the surrounding area to take a look, who wrote a prescription and gathered medicine. The medicine was useful, but the price was also expensive.

For an ordinary family, relying on local convenience to have enough food and clothing is already not bad, and being able to support a scholar is already the limit. The medicine money for one month had long since emptied their savings.

The money left by the original body's father was also used up.

The Shu-surnamed head of the village is kind-hearted, letting him go to the residence every ten days to collect a small bag of rice, so that the villagers would not starve to death at home.

Lin Jue has just returned from the Shu-surnamed head's residence.

And according to the miracle physician, to treat a stubborn illness slowly, if one wants to get better, such medicine must be drunk for at least three months, costing at least twenty strings of cash.

Yet he does not know where to look for it.

Lin Jue is truly worried.

In a trance, he came back to his senses and heard a voice coming from the pavilion ahead:

"... That person was not a Daoist priest or magistrate with any cultivation, just a bold and strong man. After drinking some wine and getting tipsy, he stubbornly entangled and fought with that ghost for half the night. When the sun was high, he was already exhausted. He climbed up and took a look, guess what happened?

"Beside him, where was there any ghost? There was only a skin like a torn cloth bag on the ground. When the sun came out and shone on it, it smoked blue, smelling foul."

The many children listened, both shocked and stunned, obsessed with it.

Yet there was one child whose eyes held a trace of doubt:

"Second Granduncle, are there really ghosts in the world?"

Over the past year, listening to stories, Lin Jue has also often thought about this question.

Are there really immortals and ghosts in this world?

Having never seen them, naturally, he dares not lightly say they exist.

But if they did not exist, the rumors would not be so widespread and real.

"Of course there are! How could there not be?" The village elder raised his eyebrows. "I have told you so many stories of spirits and ghosts, many of them with names and surnames; are they all made up?"

"Have you seen them?"

"Of course I have! Haven't I told you before?"

"But the teacher says there are no spirits or ghosts in this world, and he has never seen any in his whole life."

"The teacher, ah..."

The old man held his cane, which he was leaning on, smiling and pondering, thinking carefully before saying:

"In this world, there are a thousand kinds of people. Some fear ghosts, and some do not. Ghosts are the same. There are ghosts that fear people, and ghosts that do not fear people. Therefore, some people walk around ghosts, and some ghosts walk around people. The teacher is well-read in the sages' books, his learning is high, and he is full of righteousness. How could ghosts easily dare to appear before him?"

The many children listened, confused, seeming to understand but not quite.

The old man smiled again, stroking his beard and saying:

"What I just said was about the neighboring county. If you don't believe me, the Wang family's branch ancestral hall in Heng Village has also been haunted by ghosts recently. The Wang family has offered a reward, saying that as long as someone dares to go to the ancestral hall and stay for one night, they will give ten thousand cash. It just so happens that you young ones have high spirits; do you dare to go to the ancestral hall and sleep for a night together?"

"Really?"

"If you don't believe me, go home and ask your parents!"

The many children looked at each other, all very afraid.

"Has anyone been there?"

"Yes. There are a few gamblers and drunkards in our village who went. Except for someone bold last month who got the money, the others were all scared and ran out in the middle of the night, and some even got sick for a few days after returning."

After the old man finished speaking, he added:

"If you don't believe me, you can go and ask!"

The many children immediately shut their mouths.

Only Lin Jue on the side showed a strange expression.

The reason he was waiting here was to wait for the knowledgeable village elder to finish telling a story of spirits and ghosts, and then go to ask him for a way to make money. Whether it was a side path he could do, or relying on the village elder's seniority to let him do something in the Shu clan's caravan, as long as he could earn money, it would be good.

He did not expect to hear this just now...

He had heard of drunkards betting to sleep in graveyards after drinking, and had heard many stories of spirits and ghosts from the old man in this bridge pavilion. At this moment, these were all churning in his heart.

Thinking back carefully, pondering seriously.

Finally, the youth carried the rice bag and took a step.

Along the stream, he went up to the bridge pavilion and came before the village elder. Facing the kind-hearted octogenarian, he naturally had to be a bit more respectful, first calling out:

"Shu Granduncle."

"It's the Lin family's child, what's the matter?"

"What you just said, the Wang family's granduncle in Heng Village offered a reward, saying that going to the ancestral hall to sleep for a night would earn ten thousand cash; is it true or false?"

"Hmm? Could it be that you want to try?"

Although the Lin family has a different surname, they are fellow villagers after all. How could the old man not know his family's situation? He usually helps out a bit. Hearing him ask this, he immediately guessed his thoughts.

"Are there really ghosts in the Wang family ancestral hall?" Lin Jue asked first.

"How would I know? I just told these young ones to go and try, just to scare them. You must not think of going just because you heard me say this."

"..." Lin Jue was silent for a moment, then asked, "Has anyone really gotten that ten thousand cash?"

"Of course. I heard it was a drunkard from the county, tall and strong, bold, don't know if he practiced martial arts. He went in for a night, and the next morning he came out, took the money, and left."

"Has anyone lost their life?"

"I haven't heard of that." The old man said, "Losing a life is a big deal. It's not deep mountains and old forests. Wherever people live, there is the rule of law. Even if there are spirits and ghosts, they wouldn't dare to take a life casually."

Lin Jue stood still, thought for a while, and then said:

"Thank you, Shu Granduncle."

"Are you really going? Aren't you afraid?"

The old man had already seen through his thoughts.

"..."

Lin Jue is not a real youth; his heart has both considerations and calculations, but at this moment he did not say anything, but continued to bow and salute:

"Please give me more guidance, Shu Granduncle."

"Sigh..."

The old man sighed: "I am not a Daoist priest, magistrate, witch, or alchemist; how would I know any methods to ward off spirits and evil? Even if I did, it would be useless. If it were useful, would it be your turn?"

Saying this, he paused and pondered for a moment:

"It's just that I often hear people say that people only become ghosts after death, and ghosts are inherently weaker than people. Even if foxes and mice in the mountains become spirits, initially they are only slightly stronger than before; in fact, few have high cultivation."

"There is also an old saying: Spirits arise from people."

"You have never done anything bad, your heart is clear, you are young, have no illness or disaster, and your blood is strong; ordinary spirits and ghosts will not trouble you. If you really encounter them, you must not be afraid when facing them. Fear will disturb the heart, a disturbed heart will scatter the spirit, and when the spirit is scattered, ghosts will take advantage of it. Not being afraid will settle the heart, a settled heart will make the spirit whole, and when the spirit is whole, spirits and ghosts cannot invade."

"Therefore, whenever a family has strange events, they must invite bold and high-spirited people to sit in town. Boldness is the first, and high spirits are the second!"

"Not to mention spirits and ghosts, it is the same when confronting people."

"Boldness must never fade..."

Lin Jue listened seriously, his expression relatively calm.

Over the past year, the strange stories heard from the village elder were mostly like this.

Spirits and ghosts are not necessarily stronger than people.

People are not necessarily weaker than spirits and ghosts.

There are spirits and ghosts that bully people, and people that bully spirits and ghosts.

There are also often those who are on good terms with each other.

There are often accidental encounters and short-lived fates.

Strange, romantic, and eerie.

Fascinating.

If there really are spirits and ghosts in the world, they should always be somewhat consistent with secular legends.

It was still early morning, the village under the mountain was very quiet, the dwellings were shrouded in a faint white mist, and for a moment, only the chirping of birds in the trees and the sound of flowing water could be heard. The youth had already thanked the old man, carried the rice bag, and returned home.

Walking while thinking.

He did not know if the strange events at the Wang family ancestral hall in Heng Village were really ghosts, or if people with ulterior motives were making trouble.

He also did not know how this world really was.

Ten thousand cash...

Let's go and see it today. ===== CHAPTER 2 =====