The Zhongshan suit Liu Yan wore was kept in a ceramic jar in the southeast corner of the yard, weighed down with a pebble, the one with the strongest yang energy. Even through the mud and the jar, I could occasionally hear the faint sound of fingernails scratching the jar's walls at night, making it hard to sleep soundly.
The village chief was quiet for the time being. I heard Liu Yan had been "well-behaved" for a few days, but her appetite had become increasingly strange. The village chief's wife killed a chicken, and before the blood was completely drained, Liu Yan drank it, scaring the old woman so much her legs went weak.
Meanwhile, my business inexplicably "expanded."
It all started with Aunt Liu from the village, the one who came crying on the seventh night after my grandfather's death, telling me her husband had remarried in Africa. She'd somehow heard I could "communicate between the living and the dead and ease lovesickness," so she came to my door with half a basket of eggs, hesitantly asking me to tell her if her dead husband abroad had truly forgotten her, and what the other woman was better than her.
How could I possibly tell that? Looking at the eggs, I steeled myself and pretended to examine her palm (mainly to see if her skin was rough), asked for her birth date and time (she gave a rough estimate), and then rattled off a bunch of platitudes like, "Your marital palace indicates an extramarital affair, but the foundation is unshaken; distant water cannot quench immediate thirst, you still need to patiently wait," and so on.
Unexpectedly, Aunt Liu nodded repeatedly, her eyes welling up with tears, saying I had hit the nail on the head. She put down the eggs, thanked me profusely, and left. Before leaving, she whispered to me if I knew of any "talisman" or "method" to make her husband dream of her abroad and remember her goodness.
This… touched on a blind spot in my knowledge. Grandpa didn't seem to have taught me how to draw a "dream-telling talisman." But seeing Aunt Liu's expectant eyes, a thought struck me. I told her to find a piece of clothing her husband often wore before leaving home (preferably close-fitting), cut a lock of her own hair, wrap it in red cloth, and put it under her pillow, so she would think of her husband's goodness before going to sleep.
This was purely something I made up, a clumsy imitation of a "love potion." But Aunt Liu was overjoyed, practically begging me for a favor.
Then, less than two days later, Aunt Liu came again, this time carrying an old hen! She said she did as I said, and that very night she dreamt of her husband, who treated her incredibly well in the dream! She insisted I had supernatural powers.
Me: "..." This psychological effect is too strong, isn't it?
Somehow, word spread, and suddenly, all the aunties and sisters-in-law in the village whose husbands were away looked at me with burning eyes. Today one came asking if her husband was having an affair, tomorrow another came asking for a "lucky charm" to "get her husband to send more money," and some even dared to secretly ask if I had any "secret techniques" to make their men "come home sooner" or "be more homesick in that aspect."
I was exhausted from dealing with them all. My wrist ached from drawing charms, and my throat was dry from explaining things. But the eggs, cured meat, and vegetables I stored at home increased, and life was actually a little better than before. Of course, the way those aunties and sisters-in-law would casually brush against my arm during their "consultations," the scent of soap lingering in their eyes, and their half-hidden, wistful, and longing gazes—it all took a toll on my otherwise vigorous body, leaving me with nightmares filled with images of white flowers.
Just when I was almost ready to become a "friend of the left-behind women," an even more outrageous and troublesome matter came knocking.
It wasn't an auntie who came; it was Wang Xuemei, the substitute teacher at the village primary school.
Teacher Wang Xuemei was in her mid-twenties. She was a teacher's college graduate from the neighboring village who had returned to teach at the village primary school after graduation. She was pretty, had a good temper, and was well-regarded in the village. When she found me, her eyes were red and swollen, her face pale with anger, and she was tightly clutching something wrapped in old newspapers.
"Cha Nan…Master Chen!" She bit her lip, her voice trembling with humiliation. "You have to help me! This…this is too much!"
I invited her inside and poured her a bowl of water. "Teacher Wang, don't panic, tell me slowly, what happened?"
Wang Xuemei slammed the old newspaper bundle on the table and opened it. Inside were several hand-bound booklets on rough paper, their covers bearing titles like "Deep Mountain Erotic Tales" and "The Amorous Young Widow" written in crooked handwriting. I immediately understood; these were handwritten copies that had circulated in town, their contents obscene, and we teenagers had secretly passed them around before.
"This…Teacher Wang, this stuff is bad, students shouldn't read it, confiscating it and giving a reprimand is enough…" I was a little puzzled. Why was she so angry?
"No!" Tears streamed down Wang Xuemei's face as she pointed to one of the books. "Look at what's inside!"
I picked up "The Amorous Young Widow" with a puzzled look and opened it. The first few pages contained common erotic tropes, the handwriting messy. But when I turned halfway through, my eyes widened.
The main characters' names had changed to "Wang Xuemei" and "Chen Chanan"! The plot was even more outrageous, detailing how "Teacher Wang" was lonely and restless in the elementary school dormitory at night, "accidentally" encountering the charlatan "Chen Chanan" who knew metaphysics, and then... The writing was clumsy, but the details were extremely bold and explicit, portraying Wang Xuemei as a lustful, eager, and seductive woman, while I was a lecherous opportunist.
What chilled me to the bone even more was that some of the scene descriptions subtly resembled reality! For example, it mentioned an old locust tree outside Wang Xuemei's dormitory window (which it is), and that she liked to wear a floral-patterned pajama (I think I saw it once by chance)...
"This...this is pure fabrication! Utter nonsense!" I was so angry I almost tore the notebook to shreds. "Teacher Wang, who did this? It's so despicable!"
"I don't know!" Wang Xuemei covered her face and cried. "A few naughty boys in the class secretly looked at it during class, and I caught them. When I saw the contents...I almost fainted! I asked them where they got it, and they said they found it in the cracks between the bricks of the abandoned old toilet behind the school. There seems to be a 'secret exchange point' there, and there's more than one...Cha Nan, someone is deliberately trying to frame us! My reputation...how can I teach anymore? How can I face anyone?"
She cried, her shoulders heaving. I felt angry, embarrassed, and a little strangely like I was being framed. But mostly, I was wary: this wasn't simple. If it were just a student prank, they couldn't have fabricated such a detailed and somewhat "realistic" plot. If it was an adult playing a trick, what would their purpose be? To ruin Wang Xuemei's reputation? And incidentally, to discredit me, this newly famous "little charlatan"?
Besides, the location was an abandoned old toilet at school…that place is inherently gloomy and prone to breeding filth.
"Teacher Wang, please don't cry," I said, composing myself. "This is probably not just a simple rumor. The notebook was found in the old toilet; there might be something wrong there. Tell me in detail, has anything strange happened at school recently, or personally?"
Wang Xuemei stopped crying and tried to recall: "Strange things…I don't think so. It's just…it's just that lately I've been grading homework late at night, and sometimes I feel particularly cold in the dormitory. I keep seeing shadows flickering outside the window, but I thought I was just seeing things. Also, a few nights ago, I thought I heard a child crying near the toilet, but when I went out to look, there was nothing there…"
An abandoned toilet, a child crying, a chill, a phantom…plus this "custom-made" handwritten notebook filled with obscene scents.
A strange spirit, mentioned in my grandfather's notes—the "Ink Demon"—popped into my mind. This creature prefers to gather in filthy, dark places with a touch of scholarly atmosphere (like schools or piles of old books), feeding on people's lewd thoughts and desires, especially the filth and corruption found in written records. It can spy on the hidden desires of the human heart, amplifying, distorting, and even materializing them to harm people. This handwritten copy is very likely its "masterpiece," satisfying its appetite while simultaneously spreading its filth and nourishing itself.
Wang Xuemei, young and living alone, is bound to have some youthful thoughts, and my recent "reputation" in the village has probably caught its eye. It's using us both as "ingredients" and "tools for its spread"!
"Teacher Wang, I think I know what's causing this," I said in a deep voice. "It's hiding in the old toilet, feeding on evil thoughts and spreading filth. This handwritten copy is its doing. To solve this, simply destroying the copy won't work; we need to find the thing and deal with it."
"Ah? There really is… something dirty?" Wang Xuemei's face paled even more. "Then… what do we do?"
"Tonight, I'll go to the old toilet at school and confront it," I said. "I need your cooperation."
"Me? I… what can I do? I'm scared…" Wang Xuemei shrank back.
"This thing arose from certain thoughts we had. You'd better be there, act as 'bait,' and lure it out," I explained. "Don't worry, I'll protect you. Besides, only by completely eliminating it can you clear your name."
Wang Xuemei hesitated for a long time, looking at the filthy handwritten copies on the table, finally gritting her teeth and nodding: "Okay! I'll do as you say! What do you need me to prepare?"
"Prepare a red candle, a bowl of water, and…" I paused, "something you usually carry with you for a long time, like a handkerchief or some hair, lend it to me. Setting up the array requires guiding energy."
Wang Xuemei blushed and nodded.
Night fell, and the village quieted down. Wang Xuemei and I quietly arrived at the village primary school. The school was small, with only a row of single-story classrooms and a dirt playground. The abandoned old toilet was in the far corner of the playground; it was an old-fashioned dry toilet, long since disused, its walls peeling, its wooden door crooked, looking like a crouching monster in the moonlight.
From a distance, I could smell a faint, musty, stale odor. The air was heavy with gloom.
Wang Xuemei followed closely behind me, clutching my clothes, her hands icy cold.
I stopped about ten meters from the toilet, finding a relatively clean open space. I made Wang Xuemei stand still, placing a small lock of her hair (which she had cut for me) and a handkerchief at her feet. Then, I drew a simple protective circle around her with cinnabar, instructing her never to step outside of it, no matter what she saw or heard.
Next, outside the protective circle, I used cinnabar mixed with incense ash to create a simple "manifestation to exorcise impurities" array, lighting a red candle at the center and placing the bowl of water directly in front of Wang Xuemei.
"I'll go in and lure it out. Keep an eye on the water and the candle," I whispered. "If the water ripples, or the candle flame turns green and flickers violently, it means it's here, or I'm in trouble inside. Shout my name loudly and stomp your feet."
Wang Xuemei nodded nervously, her lips pale.
I gripped the copper coin sword, tucked the talisman into my pocket, took a deep breath, and walked towards the dark, gaping toilet door.
The wooden door was ajar; I pushed it open, and it creaked loudly. Inside, it was pitch black, and a stench filled the air. I switched on my flashlight; the beam pierced the darkness, illuminating the cobweb-covered, stained walls and several dilapidated squat toilets.
A chilling aura, almost tangible, enveloped me. I focused my mind, sensing the eerie "literary energy" emanating from the filth.
"Come out, I know you're here," I said to the empty toilet. "What kind of skill is it to feed on filth and create obscene words to harm people?"
There was no response. Only the sound of dripping water, drip, drip, drip.
I slowly walked towards the innermost stall. That was where the yin energy was heaviest. Just as my flashlight beam was about to shine in—
"Hehe…"
A shrill, childlike laugh, like scratching a blackboard with fingernails, suddenly rang in my ears!
Immediately afterwards, the beam of my flashlight abruptly went out! Not because it ran out of power, but as if something had smothered it!
Darkness instantly engulfed me. At the same time, countless rustling sounds arose from all directions, like countless tiny creatures crawling, or like papers being rapidly turned over.
A gust of cold wind, carrying the stench of blood and ink, rushed towards me!
I was prepared; with a flick of my left hand, I threw an exorcism talisman forward!
The talisman burst into a green flame in mid-air, instantly illuminating the scene before me—a blurry humanoid monster, about half a person's height, pitch black, and seemingly made of mud and old book pages, lunged at me with its filthy maw wide open! It had no facial features, but its face seemed to flash with various distorted characters and obscene symbols—the contents of those handwritten manuscripts!
"Ink Demon!" I shouted, thrusting my copper coin sword forward!
The Ink Demon moved swiftly, slippery as an eel, dodging the copper coin sword, and flicking a few drops of black, viscous "ink" from its body, splashing towards my face!
I dodged to the side, the ink splashing onto the wall, wriggling like a living thing, transforming into smaller, tadpole-like black characters, hissing.
This thing was indeed troublesome! Physical attacks were ineffective; it was itself a condensation of filth.
While dodging its spitting ink and the filthy characters constantly peeling from its body, I frantically searched for a solution. Grandpa's notes mentioned that the Ink Demon feared fire, purity, and righteousness. Fire… I couldn't set a fire here. Pure water? There was a bowl outside.
I fought and retreated, slowly moving towards the toilet door, hoping to lure it into the outer formation.
The Ink Demon seemed to sense my intention, its attack intensifying. Countless tiny black characters formed from obscene words swarmed towards me like locusts, trying to burrow into my mouth, nose, and ears!
I swung my copper coin sword; the golden light of the blade clashed with the black characters, producing a hissing sound. But there were too many characters to defend against; some had already stuck to my clothes, even trying to penetrate the fabric, bringing a chilling, nauseating sensation.
Just as I was scrambling to react, Wang Xuemei's trembling, tearful voice suddenly rang out from outside: "Chen...Chen Chanan! The water...the water's shaking so badly! The candle...the candle's turned green!"
Her shout seemed to provoke the Ink Demon. It abruptly turned its head, seemingly even more eager for Wang Xuemei's presence outside—one of the sources of its "creation"!
Perfect opportunity! Taking advantage of its distraction, I slammed a "Dispelling Evil Talisman" onto its muddy back!
"Awooo—!" The Ink Demon let out a strange cry, a cloud of foul black smoke exploding from its back, its form becoming somewhat unsteady. It glared at me venomously (though it had no eyes), then abandoned me, transforming into a wisp of black smoke and darting towards the toilet door, its target Wang Xuemei in the center of the formation!
"Teacher Wang! Close your eyes! Don't move!" I shouted, chasing after it with all my might.
The Ink Demon burst from the toilet, crashing headlong into the simple array I had set up. The cinnabar lines of incense ash within the array immediately glowed faintly, creating some obstruction. The bowl of water sloshed violently, and distorted, ghostly faces appeared on the surface. The flame of the red candle instantly turned a ghostly green, flickering wildly.
Wang Xuemei screamed in terror, tightly closing her eyes, her body trembling like a leaf in the wind, but remembering my words, she stood firmly within the protective circle, unmoving.
Blocked by the array, the Ink Demon became even more agitated, rapidly circling the protective circle, constantly charging, attempting to break through the cinnabar lines. The black ink and characters it flung from its body turned to wisps of smoke upon contact with the light of the protective circle, but the light of the protective circle itself was also rapidly dimming.
I rushed out, and without hesitation, bit my tongue (damn it, here we go again!), spitting a mouthful of pure yang blood mixed with saliva onto the copper coin sword. Then, I took a step forward, pointing the sword at the Ink Demon: "Yang blood dispels filth, true fire burns evil! Heaven and earth are clear, the filth dissipates! Command!"
The copper coin sword, stained with blood, flashed red light, and I hurled it with all my might!
The copper coin sword transformed into a streak of red light, piercing precisely into the center of the billowing black smoke!
"Swoosh—!!!"
Like a red-hot iron block falling into ice water, a violent corrosive sound rang out! A shrill scream echoed from within the black smoke as countless filthy characters instantly crumbled and burned! The figure of the Ink Demon twisted and shrank violently, finally exploding with a "bang" into a cloud of foul-smelling black mist, quickly dispersed by the night wind.
The light of the array went out. The red candle returned to its normal yellow glow, though only a small stub remained. The bowl of water calmed down, but became murky.
My legs went weak, and I knelt on one knee, panting heavily, my tongue stinging and drawing out cold breaths. The copper coin sword lay on the ground, its light gone, covered in black stains.
Wang Xuemei cautiously opened her eyes, looking at the dissipating black mist and my disheveled state, and asked in a trembling voice, "Is...it over?"
I nodded, speechless.
Only then did she dare step out of the protective circle and run to my side, wanting to help me but hesitant to touch me: "Are you...are you alright? Your mouth is bleeding..."
I waved my hand, indicating I was fine. Struggling to my feet, I picked up the copper coin sword, walked to the pile of ashes (the remains of the Ink Demon), covered it with the remaining incense ash, and then stuck on a talisman to prevent it from reigniting.
"Teacher Wang, it's alright. That thing has dissipated. Just burn those handwritten copies. In the future...try not to stay at school too late at night," I said hoarsely.
Wang Xuemei looked at me, her eyes glistening in the moonlight, filled with gratitude and lingering fear, and a complex, unreadable emotion. "Chen Chanan...thanks so much for you today. I...I misunderstood you and those aunties before...I'm sorry."
I smiled bitterly and shook my head. Misunderstanding? In a way, not entirely a misunderstanding.
"I'll take you back to your dormitory," I said.
Walking back to the dormitory, the night was deep and quiet, save for the sounds of footsteps and insects. Wang Xuemei walked beside me, very close, seemingly still somewhat frightened. The faint scent of soap on her was a stark contrast to the stench from before.
"Cha Nan," she suddenly whispered, "that thing... what it wrote... was it because of me...? Sometimes when I'm alone, I do overthink things..." Her voice was barely audible, tinged with shame.
I was taken aback, not expecting her to ask that. "It's normal for spirits to spy on people's hearts and amplify desires. Don't overthink it, it's in the past," I offered a dry reassurance.
"Oh..." she said nothing more.
At the dormitory door, she hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Thank you for tonight... I... I'll go in now."
Watching her close the door, I breathed a sigh of relief and turned to walk home. My tongue still ached, and my clothes were stained with the stench of the Ink Demon. But a strange feeling lingered in my heart. Teacher Wang... seemed different from the aunties in the village.
However, after this commotion, the "rumor" about me and Wang Xuemei will probably be confirmed in the village. The days ahead will likely be even more lively.
Just as I reached the village entrance, before I even got home, I saw several figures standing in the shadows outside my door, seemingly waiting for me.
My heart tightened. What had happened now?
As I got closer, I saw it was the village chief, along with Tie Dan and his mother, Aunt Wang. The village chief's face was ashen, while Aunt Wang looked extremely anxious.
"Cha Nan! You're finally back!" Aunt Wang grabbed my arm. "Go check on Xiao Fen! She's acting strangely again! Even worse than last time!"
My heart sank. The river ghost story—is it over yet?
The village chief said in a deep voice, "Cha Nan, it seems Liu Yan's situation... it's getting out of control too. She found the incense ash you gave me today and threw it all away. And... she even smiled at me, a smile that sent chills down my spine."
Looking at their anxious faces, and remembering the filthy handwritten copy I'd taken from Wang Xuemei, with our names written on it, I felt a heavy pressure wash over me.
The "copy" of Widow Village seems to be getting harder and harder. And I'd only just dealt with one of the spirits in the elementary school toilet.
Looking up at the sparse stars in the sky, I sighed.
"Let's go, let's go check on Xiao Fen first."