“This is no ordinary money—it’s the Five Emperors’ Treasure Coin!” Granny Fan shouted, her hair and beard bristling with tension. With both hands, she simultaneously formed the “Sealing” mudra, pointing at the copper coin and roaring with all her might. Yet all her efforts were in vain, like an ant trying to shake a tree or a mantis attempting to block a chariot. The table calmed for only a few seconds before the force vanished, and the table began to jump even more violently. It flung the copper basin, incense sticks, and other items across the room, causing chaos as everyone scrambled to dodge. Granny Fan, already weakened by age, couldn’t withstand the force. Her legs gave way, and she fell hard onto the ground. Yet her expression showed no pain—only fear, a deep, soul-wrenching terror.
“Granny Fan, are you alright?” Wang Laoshi squatted down to help her up.
“I’m fine, I’m fine—nothing serious,” Granny Fan shook her head, picking up another copper coin that had just fallen and clutching it tightly in her palm.
“Let me help you up.”
“Alright then… thank you,” she replied. As Wang helped her up, the pain finally reached her nerves, and she couldn’t help but cry out, “Ouch!” But the moment she stood steady, her expression suddenly changed. With a surge of unexpected ferocity, she shoved Wang to the ground and turned toward Village Chief Tian, shouting desperately, “Get down! Quickly, get down!”
“Get down?” Village Chief Tian hadn’t yet grasped the meaning of her words, muttering to himself in confusion. Fortunately, Little Mazi’s mother was quick-witted. Sensing danger, she didn’t hesitate—regardless of the odds—and tackled Village Chief Tian to the ground. Dog Egg’s father was also quick, immediately ducking behind a corner and covering his head.
At that very moment, the wooden door—checked twice by Village Chief Tian and secured with all three bolts—let out a sharp creak as a thin crack opened. A narrow beam of light pierced the dim room. The sound of fingernails scraping against wood came from the living room outside, both near and far, echoing eerily and sending chills down their spines.
“Hey, you’re going too far! What’s wrong with you!” Village Chief Tian, now covered in dust and clearly upset, was ready to confront Little Mazi’s mother. After all, he was the village chief! But before he could vent his anger, a sudden, strange noise silenced him.
Creak—another crack formed in the door, and the beam of light widened. At the same time, the pupils of Granny Fan and the others constricted in fear.
“Kikikii~” Suddenly, a cold laugh echoed through the living room.
Pah! Pah! A slow, rhythmic tapping sound came from inside the door—Pah! Pah! Someone was outside. Someone was really outside! And that someone was knocking—Pah! Pah! Pah!
Hearing the knocking, Village Chief Tian’s courage surged. His confidence returned in full force. He stood up, dusted off his clothes, and pointed at Granny Fan with a smug grin. “Old woman, I’m not saying you’re wrong, but it’s just someone knocking on the door. What’s the big deal? Let me see who it is. Hehe, I almost forgot—it might be my wife bringing the town doctor with her.” Saying this, he reached for the doorknob, ready to turn it.
“Don’t open the door!” Granny Fan tried to stop him, but it was too late. Before entering, she had carefully pasted a yellow talisman outside the door, just in case. Perhaps it could hold the evil at bay for a while, giving her time to figure out a countermeasure. But if Village Chief Tian opened the door now, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“Feudal relic! You own land and property yet refuse to work, choosing instead to scam people around the village! When the Cultural Revolution comes, you’ll be the first to be overthrown!” the village chief scolded. But he didn’t notice that a pale, lifeless hand was slowly emerging from the crack in the door. Then came the other hand, followed by a head, waist, and body. A figure was squeezing through the narrow gap, its bones cracking with eerie sounds. It struggled painfully, pausing after each limb emerged. Finally, a twisted, grotesque silhouette took shape in the corner beside the door.
She faced Village Chief Tian motionless, and the air in the room instantly froze, heavy with suffocating silence.
“W-who… who are you?” The sudden appearance startled the village chief so much that his tongue stumbled over his words.
“This is no ordinary coin; it’s the Five Emperors’ Treasure Coin!” Granny Fan’s hair and beard stood on end. She simultaneously used the ‘Suppress’ technique with both hands, pointing at the coin and shouting loudly. However, this series of actions was undoubtedly as futile as an ant trying to shake a tree or a mantis trying to block a chariot. It only calmed the table for a few seconds before losing its grip. When she turned to look at the table, it was jumping even more vigorously, flipping the copper basin, incense sticks, and other items onto the floor, causing them to scatter wildly. This made Village Chief Tian and others cry out in alarm, unable to dodge in time. Granny Fan, due to her old age and frailty, couldn’t hold her ground and was pushed down onto the floor. Looking at her face, there was no sign of pain, but rather a deep, soul-shaking fear!
“Granny Fan, are you alright?” Wang Laoshi crouched down to support her.
“I’m fine, it’s nothing serious,” Granny Fan shook her head and picked up another coin that had just fallen, clutching it in her palm.
“Let me help you up!”
“Alright, thank you…” As Wang Laoshi spoke, the pain in Granny Fan’s buttocks immediately shot through her nerves, causing her to let out a soft “ouch.” She didn’t resist as he helped her up. But as soon as she steadied herself, Granny Fan’s expression changed again. With a sudden burst of strength from who knows where, she pushed Wang Laoshi down and turned to Village Chief Tian and the others, shouting hoarsely, “Get down, get down now!”
“Get down?” Village Chief Tian didn’t immediately understand Granny Fan’s meaning and stood there muttering to himself. Fortunately, Little Pockmark’s mother was quick-witted. Sensing something was wrong, she didn’t hesitate and, following Granny Fan’s lead, pushed him down. Dog Egg’s father was even quicker, directly covering his head and hiding to the side.
At that moment, the wooden door that Village Chief Tian had checked twice, with all three bolts securely in place, creaked open a tiny crack. A thin beam of light pierced the dim room, and the sound of fingernails scratching came from the living room outside, seemingly close yet distant, ethereal and terrifying.
“Sister-in-law, you’re going too far, what’s gotten into you?” Village Chief Tian, now covered in dust, naturally wasn’t going to let it go. He was the village chief, after all! Just as he was about to roar at Little Pockmark’s mother, the sudden, eerie sound cut him off.
Creak—the door opened another crack, and the light grew thicker. At the same time, the pupils of Granny Fan and the others contracted.
“Giggle~” Suddenly, a cold laugh echoed in the living room.
“Thud!” “Thud!” Slow, rhythmic knocking sounds came from inside the door. “Thud,” “Thud,” someone was outside, someone was indeed outside! And that person was knocking on the door, “Thud,” “Thud,” “Thud.”
Hearing the knocking, Village Chief Tian’s courage immediately soared, and a confident expression took over his face. He stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and pointed at Granny Fan, laughing triumphantly, “Old woman, I have to say, it’s just someone knocking on the door. What’s the big deal? Let me see who it is. Ha, I almost forgot, it might just be my wife bringing the doctors from town.” With that, he reached for the doorknob, ready to turn it.
“Don’t open the door!” Granny Fan wanted to stop him, but it was too late. Before entering, she had carefully placed a yellow talisman outside the door as a precaution. Now, with the talisman in place, it might buy them some time for her to figure out a solution. But if Village Chief Tian opened the door now, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“Old feudalist, with land and fields at home, you still don’t know how to work and instead go around swindling people. Next time the educated youth come to the countryside, you’ll be the first to be overthrown!” Village Chief Tian said sternly. But he didn’t see that at that moment, a hand was slowly emerging from the door crack, pale and weak, followed by another hand, then a head, body, and waist. A person was slowly squeezing through the crack, her bones making eerie cracking sounds. She struggled so hard that she had to pause after each part she squeezed through. Finally, a twisted figure gradually appeared in the corner by the door.
She faced Village Chief Tian, motionless. The air around them instantly froze, silent and suffocating!
“Who… who are you?” Village Chief Tian, struck by the sudden change, was so terrified that his tongue tied, and he stammered.
“Giggle, giggle~” The thing slowly turned its face, its neck making “crack, crack” sounds. Finally, with a crisp “snap,” its head tilted to one side. Its pale face was devoid of color, its lifeless gray eyes filled with the despair of death. Its cheekbones were deeply sunken, its nose crooked to one side, and its entire face looked as if it had been flattened by a tremendous force.
“Mother…” Seeing this, Village Chief Tian’s eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot. By the bed, Liu Dashao’s entire body stiffened, his heart feeling as if it had been gripped by a powerful hand. A ghost, a real ghost, a pure and unadulterated ghost. If this wasn’t a ghost, then what the hell could be called a ghost?
“Get out of the way!” Granny Fan shouted another warning, quickly throwing a handful of leftover ritual salt towards the ghost, aiming for a direct hit. But to her astonishment, as soon as the salt left her hand, the ghost disappeared—completely vanished. All she could do was watch as the salt scattered like stars, hitting the wall in vain.
“Where did it go?” Granny Fan’s face was tense as she looked around nervously. Suddenly, she felt a chill on her head, as if something was brushing against her face, making her itch unbearably, compelling her to reach up and scratch. Granny Fan’s heart skipped a beat, and she took a sharp breath, slowly looking up towards the ceiling. At that moment, the missing ghost was hanging upside down from the beam, its face twisted in a grimace, its white eyes glaring fiercely at her. Two strands of black hair hung down from its face, passing through its eye sockets like a black waterfall cascading from the roof.
“Mother in heaven…” At the sight, the village chief’s eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot. Beside the bed, Liu Dashao’s entire body stiffened, as if his heart had been gripped by a giant hand. A ghost—this was truly a ghost, a pure, unadulterated one. If this wasn’t a ghost, then what else could possibly be called one?
“Quick, get out of the way!” Granny Fan shouted again, swiftly throwing a handful of green salt—leftover from the earlier ritual—in the ghost’s direction, hoping to strike it down. But to her shock, the moment the salt left her fingers, the ghost vanished completely. Helplessly, she watched the scattered salt grains fall uselessly against the wall.
“Where did she go?” Granny Fan’s face tightened with tension as she looked around frantically. Suddenly, she felt a chill above her head, as if something were brushing against her face. It was ticklish, almost unbearable, making her want to scratch instinctively. Her heart sank. She inhaled sharply and slowly raised her head to look at the ceiling beam. There, hanging upside down, was the ghost—her face twisted in rage, her wide, bloodshot eyes glaring directly at Granny Fan. Her long black hair flowed downward from her face, cascading like a black waterfall descending from the roof.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage