Chapter 003: The Peculiar Statue

At that time, I couldn't think of so much; the pressure on my neck was increasing, and I gradually felt that I was having difficulty breathing. Fortunately, the door of my house was not locked; it just allowed me to bring it over, and that old superstitious person from our town rushed in directly.

My family lives in a small building from the 1990s in the town, on the fifth floor. When I opened the door, I saw my mother offering incense to a stone statue on the north wall of the room. My mother, Wang Lianhui, is nearly forty but looks very young. However, I don't know why, but she is quite superstitious. I remember when I was a child, I once saw a woman in white clothes at the door. At that time, I didn't know if she was a ghost or something else. I told my mother about it, and she hurriedly knelt down in front of the statue she worshipped, mumbling something I couldn't understand, looking very anxious. Later, when we moved to the small town, we brought the statue along with us. But I still don't know why my mother is so superstitious. I remember when I was a child, I once saw a woman in white clothes at the door. At that time, I didn't know if she was a ghost or something else. I told my mother about it, and she hurriedly knelt down in front of the statue she worshipped, mumbling something I couldn't understand, looking very anxious. Later, when we moved to the small town, we brought the statue along with us.

Anyway, this statue gives off a very unsettling feeling. At that time, my mother was still unaware that I had returned, her eyes closed as if she were meditating on something. I suddenly thought to tease her with a * picture * book, quietly sneaking up behind her and in a voice that I tried to make sound eerie, I said: "Return my life..."

What I didn't expect was that as soon as he finished speaking, my mother collapsed to the ground, fainting, while I was also gasping for breath, it was close, I almost got choked to death by my mother

Is this a dream? I am sitting on the bus home, my mind in a state of complexity. After that little girl entered my body last night, I fainted. The next morning, I took the bus straight home because there is an old fortune teller in my hometown who is very accurate. I plan to have him take a look at what is really going on with me.

This old madman is named Li Shigao, and he appears to be in his sixties. He is rather eccentric and seems to have a special relationship with Brother Xiang. Usually, he acts quite crazy, often talking about places being haunted or claiming that certain individuals are born with a fortune. However, we all regard him as just an old superstitious person.

I have not returned home for nearly half a year. Although the journey from the main city of Chongqing to Changshou takes only about one hour by car, I have always found it troublesome and have not come back.

This statue stands approximately 20 centimeters tall, with eyes resembling those of a monkey, lips like vermilion, and a gaze akin to a mirror. It has long horns atop its head, a flesh-colored hue with a bluish tint, and blue flesh-like wings on its back. Its limbs are yellow, some of which have tails resembling those of a leopard, and it holds an axe in its hand.

When he mentioned it, I recalled that when I was younger, probably around thirteen or fourteen years old, I was quite greedy. There was nothing to eat at home, and I saw a plate of pears on the stone statue table, so I ate one. The next day, I fell seriously ill and was hospitalized for half a month before I recovered. Later, I heard that an old superstitious person was consulted, and he gave me some talisman water to drink, which helped me get better. Of course, this incident happened a long time ago, and I had not paid much attention to it, so I had almost forgotten about it. It was only when he brought it up that I remembered. However, this has made me even more puzzled. What exactly is this stone statue? Is it really a ghost? Does the world truly have ghosts?

This old superstitious man was wearing a black vest, black shorts, and a pair of flip-flops, holding a large fan in his hand, as if he had just come out to enjoy the cool air. Upon entering, he did not appear flustered, nor did he attempt to pull my mother away; perhaps he was not strong enough for that. He went straight to the stone statue, bit his right middle finger, and pointed it at the statue's forehead, shouting: "By the urgent command of the law! Be obedient!"

However, this old superstition seemed unwilling to say much. He walked over, kicked me on the backside, and said: "What does a little brat like you need to know so much for? Just do as I say. Also, when you come back, don't touch that statue, understand? Don't steal its offerings."

Although my mother is somewhat superstitious, she is also quite bold. However, at that moment, she seemed to be greatly startled, suddenly jumping up with sweat all over her forehead, her pupils constricted. She turned around and appeared anxious, looking left and right. What puzzled me the most was that it seemed as if she didn't see me at all; her lips had turned pale, and her whole body was trembling uncontrollably

Then my mother reached out and grabbed my neck, pressing me down to the ground in an instant. I hadn't even realized what was happening when I found myself lying on the floor. I didn't understand why; my mother is about 1.65 meters tall and usually quite slender, but her strength now was much greater than that of an adult. I couldn't push her away at all. I could only call out her name with all my might, but she showed no reaction, and instead, her grip seemed to tighten even more.

My hometown is in the Changshou District of Chongqing, but it is not in the main urban area of Changshou District; rather, it is a small town called Duzhou on the outskirts. Duzhou Town is a medium-sized town, and I grew up here. I only went to the main urban area of Chongqing after my first year of high school, and I return home twice a year.

I returned to Duzhou Town at 3 PM that afternoon. As soon as I got off the bus, I felt a wave of heat. Initially, I intended to ask that old superstitious person first, but then I thought about it and realized I hadn't seen my mother in quite a while. I decided to go home and check on her first, and I would visit that old superstitious person in the evening.

This old superstitious person came over and said to me: "Little fellow, you’re not dead yet, are you? If you’re not dead, hurry up and help your mother back to bed to lie down, then brew some ginger soup for her to drink. Also, later on, come to my place to get a talisman to stick on that stone statue of yours, so that it remains calm and peaceful."

"Old man, what on earth is this thing?" I rubbed my neck and said with lingering fear. Although I was reluctant to believe in ghosts, the little girl I encountered yesterday, combined with what just happened, and the pain still lingering in my neck, suddenly made me feel a bit uncertain.

I quietly walked up behind my mother and looked at the statue as well. This statue was quite strange; it did not resemble the wealth god from Xiang Ge's family, nor did it look like any deities from other mythological stories. Instead, it appeared more like an evil god

At that moment, I was facing the statue that my mother had previously worshipped, and I noticed that the strange statue, whether it was my illusion or not, seemed to have its eyes glowing red, and it appeared to be looking at me.

"Mom, Mom, what’s wrong with you?" Seeing my mother’s expression, I realized that I must have done something I shouldn’t have. My mother’s eyes gradually became a bit dazed, and then she rolled her eyes upward, revealing the whites of her eyes, just like the female ghosts in horror movies. I was immediately frightened; I had just encountered a ghost yesterday. Could it be that I ran into something evil again today?

At that time, I was just joking around, seeking some amusement