Zhang Enpu and Liu Dashao wandered through the streets and alleys until they arrived at Yusuos house. A crowd had gathered noisily in front of the pond in front of their home. When the villagers saw Zhang Enpu dressed in Taoist robes, they parted to make way. Yusuos uncle approached and asked, “Master Zhang, what should we do?”
Zhang Enpu walked forward, gently patted Yusuos mothers shoulder, and comforted her, saying, “Female benefactor, please do not grieve too much; the dead cannot return to life.” Upon hearing this, Yusuos mother wept even more bitterly.
After observing the pond for several minutes, Zhang Enpu determined there was a corpse-drowning ghost inside. Immediately, he summoned several middle-aged men skilled in swimming and asked each to bring a small knife from home, tying it around their neck with a rope. Following Zhang Enpus orders, these men entered the pond. At this time, the edge of the pond became crowded with people—nearly the entire village had gathered, with guards stationed every three steps and sentries every five, surrounding the pond so tightly that not even water could seep through.
Zhang Enpu had asked everyone to bring a small knife because once a Taoist priest passed through Xiushui village during a time of corpse-related chaos. When the corpse-drowning ghosts saw the priest, they jumped into the water and disappeared. The priest told the villagers that if they carried a small knife into the pond, the ghosts would not dare to approach. One skeptical man jumped into the pond with a knife around his neck, but as soon as he hit the water, the ghost grabbed his foot. Before he could react, he swallowed several mouthfuls of water and began wrestling with the ghost at the bottom of the pond. Fortunately, he was skilled in swimming, and at the crucial moment, he remembered the knife around his neck. He quickly drew it and stabbed the ghost fiercely. The ghost, in pain, released him and fled in panic, allowing the man to escape. As he surfaced, he shouted to the people on shore that he had defeated the ghost and confirmed the priest’s words—the corpse-drowning ghost indeed feared small knives. Soon after, the ghost floated to the surface, surrounded by green water, clearly its blood. Thus, just as snakes fear sulfur, the corpse-drowning ghost feared small knives.
The men diving into the pond searched everywhere for the ghost, creating a scene like rivers overturning mountains. In no time, the previously clear pond became murky. After searching for a while without finding the ghost, one diver below asked Zhang Enpu if it had escaped upon hearing their approach. Zhang Enpu replied, “Impossible! I know it is still in this pond, probably hiding in the mud. Everyone, come back ashore.”
Zhang Enpu then instructed someone to fetch wood ash from his kitchen stove and some kerosene oil. When asked why, he smiled and explained that wood ash and kerosene, being fire-related, could counteract the water-bound corpse-drowning ghost, just like the small knives. He emphasized that the ash from the bottom of the stove was best. Soon, someone brought a basket of ash and several pots of kerosene. Zhang Enpu ordered the ash and oil to be mixed on the ground and then spread across every inch of the pond, even the most hidden corners, after which everyone waited for changes.
Thus, the crowd waited by the pond for about an hour. Gradually, the water surface turned silver-white, indicating the fish could no longer tolerate the mixture. However, the ghost still had not surfaced. Someone, impatient, ran over to ask Zhang Enpu why the ghost had not appeared. Zhang Enpu observed the pond carefully but found no abnormalities and frowned. Suddenly, his face lit up as if he had thought of something. Immediately, he asked people to bring drums and gongs. Soon, the drums and gongs were brought, and Zhang Enpu instructed several strong men to beat them vigorously. The noise became deafening, and some people instinctively covered their ears.
This continued for another half hour. The drummers and gong-beaters were nearly exhausted from constant pounding, and more and more fish floated to the surface, but the ghost still did not appear. Just as everyone was about to lose hope, Yusuos aunt shouted from the opposite side of the pond, “Quick, look! The corpse-drowning ghost!”
Everyone turned to where Yusuos aunt was pointing. There, a baby-faced head emerged from the water, gasping for air. In a flash, Yusuos uncle swung his stick toward the ghost’s head. However, as the stick descended, the ghost dived underwater, and the strike only splashed water into the air, missing its target.
Chaos erupted on the shore as people rushed toward Yusuos uncle. Seeing this, Zhang Enpu shouted, “Stay calm! Everyone remain at your posts. Keep beating the drums and gongs. Do not let that cursed creature escape into another pond!”
Zhang Enpu issued this command because if the ghost slipped into another pond unnoticed, all their efforts would be in vain, giving it a chance to recover. Capturing it afterward would be extremely difficult. Upon hearing Zhang Enpus words, the people calmed down and resumed their positions, ready to act.
True to Zhang Enpus prediction, within minutes, people on the other side of the pond also spotted the ghost surfacing. The villagers already hated the ghost like a rat running across the street, and they were eager to destroy it. Without hesitation, they swung their sticks, raised their poles, and even grabbed their hoes and rakes to attack.
After another ten minutes of chaos, the ghost was nearly exhausted. If a human could not endure such a prolonged struggle, how could the ghost? Despite its strength, it could not withstand the combined assault. Unable to bear the ash and kerosene in the water, the ghost surfaced, gasping desperately for air, its breaths filled with despair.
Coincidentally, the ghost surfaced directly in front of Yusuos father. He swung his stick and struck the gasping ghost on the head. A dull thud echoed, and green liquid spread across the water surface. Soon, the ghost floated lifelessly on the water. Yusuos father jumped into the pond and pulled the ghost ashore like a chicken. Only then did everyone see its true form: a baby-faced creature with duck-like feet, a body and hands resembling a child’s, but with ten fingers each bearing long, terrifying nails. Its head continuously dripped thick green liquid onto the ground, creating a revolting sight.
It was such a small monster that had taken Yusuos life. Yusuos father, eyes bloodshot, laughed maniacally, emitting an eerie cry that sounded like both a laugh and a sob. He lifted the unconscious ghost high above his head and slammed it down onto the stone slab beneath his feet. The crowd heard a chilling scream, sending shivers down their spines. The sound resembled a child crying, and several women, too frightened to approach, stayed back. Bolder ones gathered around Yusuos father, surrounding him.
The monster was slammed onto the ground over a dozen times. Except for the first scream, the remaining strikes only produced dull thuds. Each time, Yusuos father lifted the ghost high above his head and threw it down with all his might, as if he were trying to throw his own arms along with it.
Only when Zhang Enpu intervened did someone finally restrain the enraged Yusuos father. Panting heavily, he sat on the ground motionless, clearly exhausted from overexertion. As people murmured among themselves, Yusuos mother rushed into the crowd and kicked the ghost several times, crying out, “Give me back Yusuos life! Give me back my Yusuo!” Several women nearby quickly pulled her back.
The ghost was now reduced to a pulp of greenish flesh, a horrifying sight. Once able to stir up trouble in the water, it had met such an end on land. Truly, a triumphant cat outshines a tiger, but a fallen phoenix is worse than a chicken.
That night, someone came to Yusuos house and took the ghost away. Many days later, people learned that the ghost had been cooked and eaten by that person, who proudly claimed that eating corpse-drowning ghosts could enhance male vitality. Many people at the time felt disgusted and horrified by his actions. Such behavior is akin to the black-market myth today that consuming infant broth can enhance virility—it deserves strong condemnation.
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