[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-book-of-strange-tales":3,"chapter-the-book-of-strange-tales-the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-2":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Book of Strange Tales",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2317282,4532,"Chapter 2: Leave Quickly","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-2",2,"\u003Cp>Heng Village was large, also built beside water; from afar, it looked like vast stretches of white walls and blue tiles, mirrored in the lake alongside dark ink-colored stone slabs and pale ink-green hills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do not underestimate this village—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this place, whether merchants and the wealthy or high officials and nobles, their mansions and clans all resided in the countryside, not within the city; thus, nearly every village was a single-surname clan settlement, with no other surnames mixed in—each village was a massive family, a small fortress; cases like Lin Jue, an outsider living in Shu Village, were rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heng Village was of the Wang surname, still relatively prominent, with clan members still serving in the imperial court; in this age, people valued ancestral reverence and filial piety, and they had built over twenty ancestral halls alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One main ancestral hall, two primary branch halls, beneath them were subordinate branch halls, and even some households had private family shrines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one currently plagued by strange events was a primary branch hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After investigating and inquiring, Lin Jue arrived at a large courtyard and met Wang Laotaiye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a spacious hall, with a skywell above for light, water jars below holding turtles, several couplets on walls and pillars, a vase on the east and a mirror on the west; the old man sat regally on a master’s chair, dressed in luxurious robes, his pea-sized eyes glancing down at Lin Jue:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whose descendant are you? If you get scared, you won’t be able to pay for it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I come from Shu Village, surname Lin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, that Lin family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve got quite the courage…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Always have.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue maintained his composure as best he could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how bold he had once been, now he stood in an unfamiliar, poorly understood place, having listened to village elders’ ghost stories for a year, his heart could not help but tremble slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anxiety came from the unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At your age, studying for merit and official rank is what matters; don’t risk your health for some money or a moment’s bravado,” Wang Laotaiye warned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wish to see it for myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve got real guts. Good—today you’ve got a companion.” The elder spoke calmly, neither overly worried about the shrine’s troubles nor treating them as anything truly shocking—just a curious, if unusual, matter, “Have you eaten dinner yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re here to help the Wang family—we won’t neglect you. What do you need? Say it now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A knife or sword would be best.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give him a firewood axe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anything else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue fell silent, thought a moment, then said: “It’s cold at night—also need a quilt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anything else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good lad!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Laotaiye waved his hand, addressing both Lin Jue and a servant beside him: “Prepare a quilt for him, feed him here, then take him to the shrine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A scholarly family indeed, with great attention to refinement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For dinner they ate bamboo shoots stewed with cured pork.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t eaten such good food in a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While eating, Lin Jue saw the other companion Wang Laotaiye mentioned—a burly man reeking of alcohol and despair, beard unkempt; clearly also here for the ten-thousand-cash reward, which gave Lin Jue a faint sense of reassurance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Human unease mostly came from isolation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having company made it much better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dinner, someone led them to the shrine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They passed through the village, smoke and lanterns glowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just go straight to the end.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky was already growing late; the servant’s steps slowed noticeably, as if afraid to approach further, pointing ahead with one hand while holding an oil lamp in the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue followed his gesture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahead lay a straight, narrow alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On both sides rose high firewalls, originally white, but years of rain had worn them down, revealing black beneath, streaked with mottled ink. At dusk, when light barely clung to the sky, the tall walls and narrow passage—though short—gave an unnerving sense of deep darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue took a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after recalling what he’d heard and thinking of his uncle’s illness, he felt little left to fear, and declared firmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The steward can stop here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Oh, alright...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The servant handed him the oil lamp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue took the lamp and stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hand held the lamp, the other clutched the quilt; he carried the firewood axe and walked into the alley, never looking back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not once did he turn around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon he reached the shrine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shrine’s gate stood open; by the dim twilight, he could see the interior was empty, the ancestral portraits on the far wall plainly visible—nothing else seemed present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue forced himself not to dwell on it and stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crossing the high threshold, there was a chill, but the sensation matched that of an ordinary home—no eerie dread as imagined; behind him came another man’s footsteps and voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing special...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, he was trying to reassure himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue said nothing, continuing forward while scanning the shrine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heng Village’s shrine resembled Shu Village’s: a three-court structure. The first court was the ceremonial gate, with a small space inside—effectively two rooms, one large, one small, one low, one high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first room was a hall with tables and chairs, called the Hall of Commemoration, used for clan meetings, honoring the worthy, punishing the wicked. A wall behind blocked the second room; Lin Jue’s first sight was the ancestral portraits of the Wang branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A middle-aged man of considerable dignity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then looked at the couplets on the pillars:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivate filial piety and brotherly love to uphold human relations;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strengthen clan ties to manifest harmony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Circling to the rear, ascending steps, he entered the second hall—slightly smaller than the first—housing the ancestral tablets of the Wang branch, called the Hall of Rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shrine also had a skywell for light and moonlight, with carved beams and painted rafters, exquisitely built.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the roof tiles above were slightly disordered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everywhere in the hall hung couplets and clan rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue watched silently, murmuring the words to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, there was no sense of dread—only respect from descendants for ancestors, a continuation of clan culture, even a solemn dignity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him came the man’s voice again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re bold, lad—just walked right in without hesitation!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Did you lose a bet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or just showing off?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah! I thought I’d be alone tonight—now that there’s another, I feel a lot better!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man spoke as he laid down his quilt and mat, sitting inside the shrine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue sat down too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lit the oil lamp and chatted with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were locals; they spoke of their villages, who they knew, and night gradually fell—the already dim shrine grew darker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the tiny flame of the lamp flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Say, if we ran out now, found another place to sleep tonight, and came back before dawn, how would they know we didn’t sleep here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone grew increasingly earnest, as if he truly believed this plan feasible—if Lin Jue so much as nodded, he’d immediately leave to check for watchers and drag Lin Jue away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue’s first thought upon hearing this was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This companion didn’t seem very reliable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue replied calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t gamble, nor did he wish to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having made up his mind to come, and now seated here, he would not leave lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man, rejected, began self-reassurance again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There aren’t that many ghosts in this world. I used to... well, anyone who claims to meet ghosts at night is either drunk, hallucinating, or just boasting for fun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mostly like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here, it’s probably just wild cats or dogs from the hills making noise—these villagers scare themselves. Or maybe someone’s sneaking around here for trysts, making noise to frighten people. Or perhaps Wang Laotaiye did something to anger the ancestors—but either way, they won’t trouble us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You agree, don’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, the ancestral hall fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that the two had fallen asleep; no one slept. No one dared to. They simply had nothing left to say, so they wrapped themselves in quilts, leaned against the wall, and kept their eyes open in the dimness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The oil lamp still flickered with a faint glow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a moon tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moonlight was bright, casting a white frost-like sheen across the courtyard ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night grew deeper, and the people grew increasingly drowsy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unconsciously, their eyelids began to droop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chill breeze stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man beside him suddenly widened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What was that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue was also slightly startled, looking forward—but saw nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he thought the idle man was merely scaring him for amusement, or overreacting to the wind rustling grass, he truly saw a flicker of light outside—and almost at once, another gust of wind blew in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The oil lamp was smothered, instantly dimming; the flame struggled back to life after several breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What was that?” the man turned to Lin Jue again, eyes wide and bright. “You saw it too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I saw it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What was it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe… it was the village dog.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue himself was uncertain, but compared to this older, stronger man beside him, he was far calmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The village dog?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe, maybe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The idle man repeated this several times, as if trying to convince himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just then, there was movement outside again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, it was a voice speaking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are there more fools who dare come?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice was shrill—not only genderless, but even sounded unnatural, as if not born of a human throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The idle man was instantly terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What was that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still said the same thing—but his voice trembled violently, as if he had entirely forgotten his earlier analysis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue was also a student of Old Master Shu of Shu Village, influenced by his master’s belief that “there are arts and techniques, but no ghosts or gods.” Yet now, unsure whether the Wang ancestral hall truly harbored demons or was merely the work of men, he began, under the weight of this strange voice, to lean toward the former.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing else—just how utterly unnatural it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he hesitated, a sudden shaking came from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rattling…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clanging…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the sound of roof tiles shifting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then tiles began to fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Crack…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One tile struck the ground and shattered instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another gust rushed in—whistling—and the single oil lamp in the sleeping chamber was snuffed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darkness swallowed the chamber. Only the continued rattling above remained, as if swept by a gale, with tiles occasionally crashing down—pounding the floor with sharp cracks, sometimes sending shards flying onto Lin Jue’s skin, leaving faint touches, even stings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue widened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was happening now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did ghosts truly exist in this world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were the strange tales told by the village elders all true?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder so many boastful drunkards and desperate idle men, lured by money, had come here—and none had survived the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If demons truly existed, who wouldn’t be afraid?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a voice came again from outside the sleeping chamber:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you don’t want to die, leave quickly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still shrill, inhuman, accompanied by the clattering and cracking of falling tiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Survival was paramount. The idle man didn’t think—he rolled over, scrambled up, and before even standing straight, crawled and tumbled out the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue made no move to stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the Wang ancestral hall had been unsettled for some time; many had come to spend the night, and even the Wang family had sent their young men to guard it—but aside from those who returned home terrified and ill, Lin Jue had never heard of anyone being harmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, the idle man running out now, under the courtyard’s moonlight, would reveal whether the thing outside was man or spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it was a gang of conspirators?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The idle man’s frantic footsteps grew distant, passed through the chamber door, and seemed to trip over the threshold or steps—then outside, came an even more terrified scream:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaah!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound quickly faded into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The village was now utterly still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many villagers must have been woken—or heard someone had entered the ancestral hall tonight and simply stayed awake—but not a single sound dared to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Lin Jue remained in the sleeping chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>",2064,"2026-06-20T14:45:35.226Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","aef4f18ea99d3d076aa713ee9a6a1169723e47241d907a7f663805cabd574a76","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-3","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-1",608,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-book-of-strange-tales-cover.jpg"]