Chapter 001: The First Encounter with a Ghost

As soon as the words were spoken, action was taken.

The onlookers were quite frightened, and everyone stepped back

At that moment, I immediately thought of the female ghost I had seen the night before last, but at that time when I told my parents about it, they just thought I was talking nonsense and ignored me

Iron Old Man put on his sunglasses again, stroking the gourd, and a strange smile appeared on his face: "Although she is just an unformed female ghost, at least I can exchange her for a few soul-binding charms, hehe." If I hadn't just witnessed his brave and unrefined way of collecting ghosts, I would definitely think this guy is a swindler

The matter arose in the home of an elderly woman with the surname Wang

Since my home is right next to Old Lady Wang's, one evening, after I and Er Gouzi had wandered around the village and found no entertainment, we decided to head back home. At that time, I was young and bold, often staying out late to play. After parting ways with Er Gouzi, I started walking home. Although the sounds of barking dogs echoed throughout the village, I was feeling a bit tired and was preparing to go home to sleep. As I passed by Old Lady Wang's door, I turned back to take a look.

At this moment, Old Wang's corpse also lay on the ground, shedding no blood or tears, truly dead.

Iron Old Man remained quite calm and leisurely remarked, "The underdeveloped fierce ghost is just right to be collected; I estimate that the old fellows from Longhu Mountain can offer a good price for it"

My name is Luo Yan, I am twenty-four years old, and I have an appearance that is quite ordinary; if placed in a crowd, I would likely go unrecognized. I have no fixed residence and wander from place to place. However, my profession is somewhat unique; I am a traveling merchant, specializing in the buying and selling of peculiar items... such as little ghosts, such as souls, and some antiques imbued with spiritual energy...

That night, strange things occurred

Under this sharp reprimand, the piercing scream intensified, as if it were about to penetrate the very heart, causing my heart to race and my face to turn pale

Although I was bold since childhood, I was still greatly startled when I saw such unclean things. I ran home without looking back, crying as I ran. After rushing home, my parents were in the yard and quickly came over to express their concern upon seeing me. I was genuinely frightened and incoherent, unable to articulate what had happened. My parents assumed I had been scared by a wild dog, so they did not ask many questions and comforted me to sleep. I was indeed exhausted and fell asleep in a daze while still crying. After rushing home, my parents were in the yard and quickly came over to express their concern upon seeing me. I was genuinely frightened and incoherent, unable to articulate what had happened. My parents assumed I had been scared by a wild dog, so they did not ask many questions and comforted me to sleep. I was indeed exhausted and fell asleep in a daze while still crying.

Little wicked spirit, do you still refuse to submit under my Ta Qing divine gaze

In our village, in the past, people were buried in the ground after they died. Later, with the government's promotion of cremation, this practice gradually changed. However, many older villagers still insist on returning dust to dust and earth to earth after death

At that moment, Tie Laotou opened the lid of the small gourd again, reciting incantations, and finally uttered the word "receive." I witnessed with my own eyes as the female ghost was drawn into the small gourd, completely unable to resist

Iron Old Head remained calm, the water in his hand spilled again, and the white smoke rising from the corpse thickened, as if it were heart-wrenchingly unbearable.

At this moment, a sudden transformation occurred; Old Wang's corpse abruptly sat up. The previously tightly shut eyes suddenly opened wide, and blood-red tears flowed from the vacant eye sockets. His face displayed an expression of extreme anger as he fixed his gaze intently on Old Tie.

The next day, I woke up to hear that a major incident had occurred in the village

I entered the profession at the age of seven, and the master who took me in was an old man with the surname Tie. I still vividly remember the scene from when I started, even though many years have passed.

Old Tie was quite amiable and often gave us children candies, specifically those cheap local sweets, which, although inexpensive, were quite delicious for us country kids. Old Tie liked to pat our foreheads. One time, when he touched my forehead, he suddenly froze, his expression filled with regret, and he said, "What a pity, it is truly a waste for you to live in this world." At that moment, I did not understand, but later I realized what he meant. Despite his kindness, he did not allow us to touch his large bag. On one occasion, when he was not around, Er Gouzi rummaged through his bag and ended up getting scolded severely by Old Tie.

Upon seeing this situation, the village chief was taken aback and looked towards Old Iron.

The conversation has strayed off topic; let's return to discuss matters concerning the Wang family

I couldn't help but exclaim, "Be careful"

In an instant, I was petrified

While speaking, Tie Laotou took out a crumpled yellow talisman from his close-fitting jacket, which was densely covered with what appeared to be chaotic scribbles.

There are neither too many nor too few itinerant merchants like us, some are genuine while others are not. However, it is certain that those vendors selling antiques on the street are definitely not part of our trade, and our presence is also absent in the antique market. We only procure goods upon receiving orders; we do not set up stalls or openly hawk our wares, as most of the items we sell are not meant to be seen by the public

He said: "Old buddy, what do you mean? The person has already passed away; it is time to bury them for peace."

My mother probably didn't hear, but it seemed that Iron Old Man heard it, as he turned his head and glanced at me

The entire process of the duel made me feel as if I were watching a ghost-fighting film, leaving me completely stunned throughout.

I tugged at my mother's hand and said: Mother, there is a female ghost crying next to Old Wang.

Upon hearing this, the village chief was taken aback for a moment, his face filled with confusion

However, everything changed after Iron Old Man arrived

It was originally not a big deal, but unfortunately, Wang Laotai's husband was a stubborn old man who insisted on a burial. As a result, there was no other option but to find a few strong men in the village, who selected a spot on the outskirts of the village for the burial.

Iron Old Man did not explain, but took a small gourd from his waist, opened the lid, and poured out a little green liquid, which he dabbed on his hand. He then casually sprinkled the liquid on Wang Old Man's corpse. As a result, the moment the corpse came into contact with the water, white smoke began to rise, and the body started to rot extensively. A sharp scream erupted from Wang Old Man's mouth, frightening the young man who was lifting the corpse, causing him to fall to the ground.

Old Lady Wang's husband also fell into the well last night and drowned

Iron Old Man came to our village half a month ago, carrying a large bag on his back, with a small gourd at his waist, wearing sunglasses, and having a full head of white hair. He is quite tall, estimated to be over 1.8 meters, and his physique is particularly robust and energetic

The corpse was howling, the sound piercing my ears painfully. I covered my ears and vaguely saw a female ghost beside Old Wang's corpse, clutching her head in agony. The howling sound was emanating from her mouth.

Only heard Iron Old Man softly shout: "Stop!"

However, now that everyone has left, no one gave it much thought. The village chief, along with a few young men, prepared to bury Old Wang in the ground, but they were stopped by an old man passing through the village. He was Old Tie, the master who brought me into the trade

As he spoke, it seemed as if a faint blue light flowed in Tie Laotou's eyes. When the female ghost came into contact with this blue light, it was as if she had encountered her nemesis, causing her to kneel on the ground in agony, unable to move.

I saw a woman, drenched from head to toe, standing in the yard of Old Lady Wang's house. Her face was pale, resembling that of a character from a book, and she had sparse hair. She wore an expressionless face, or rather, one devoid of any anger, with dark eye sockets and bloodless lips, her complexion ghostly. Opposite her, the black dog of Old Lady Wang was barking furiously, yet Old Lady Wang's husband was nowhere to be seen.

When he first arrived in the village, the village chief received him and inquired about his occupation. He stated that he was a traveling merchant, dealing in various goods to make a living, and expressed his hope to stay in the village for half a month. Later, seeing that he bore no ill intentions and considering his advanced age, the village chief allowed him to remain in the village

Then, he bit his finger and gently touched the paper with it. This small action was extraordinary; the seemingly inconspicuous yellow talisman suddenly floated away from Iron Old Man's hand, suspended in the air, emitting a faint glow.

Iron Old Head remained calm and composed, his movements not slow at all. He swiftly removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of extremely authoritative eyes, which exuded both dignity and righteousness

On the first night of the seventh day, the dogs guarding each household in the village suddenly began to bark frantically as if they had gone mad, and they did not stop for the entire night. The villagers were quite puzzled and came out to see what was happening. At that time, I was still young and could not sleep all night due to the noise, so I sneaked out of the house with my friend Er Gou, only to witness a scene that I would never forget for the rest of my life

Iron Old Man smiled and said, "If you bury him like this, your village will be finished"

Because the dog was barking at night, no one heard him calling for help

The village chief saw that Iron Old Man had stopped the funeral procession, and his expression turned grim

Old Lady Wang's husband also shares the surname Wang, and he has a poor reputation in the village. It is said that he made a name for himself in the city years ago, but later fell on hard times and came to our village to escape misfortune. Eventually, he decided to settle down here and married Old Lady Wang. However, after so many years, they have neither children nor grandchildren. The reason for his bad reputation is that he always carries himself like a city dweller, looking down on us rural folks. He also has a foul temper and does not socialize with others.

This was the first time I encountered Iron Old Man, and also the first time I met the itinerant merchant Feng Gui. Later, before leaving, Iron Old Man personally came to my home and subtly expressed his desire to take me as his apprentice. At first, my parents disagreed; although I was the youngest in the family with two older brothers, I could still help out during busy farming seasons. Moreover, they were concerned about me engaging in dealings with ghosts and monsters. However, I insisted on going (of course, I was young and naive at that time), and with Iron Old Man's various arguments, my parents eventually agreed to this matter. Thus, I began my journey as an itinerant merchant under the guidance of Iron Old Man.

This situation is immediately clear to everyone; there are unclean elements at work.

Just as I was feeling puzzled, a small whirlwind suddenly stirred up beside Old Wang's corpse. I vaguely saw the female ghost, with a face of blood and tears, reaching out to grab Old Iron.

Old Lady Wang was quite elderly, probably in her early eighties. She suffered from an eye ailment that left her unable to see anything, not even light. Later, while fetching water without anyone accompanying her, she fell into a well. Although she was rescued afterward, her advanced age and the struggle in the water for a considerable time ultimately led to her passing away

At that moment, a resentful voice rang out: "Old fool, you meddle too much in others' affairs; I want you dead!"

When people discovered him the next day, he was stiff, his face was ashen, and it was quite terrifying

This sound I truly hear, yet when I glance at those around me, they seem oblivious, covering their ears in confusion

The village where I was born is not very isolated, yet it retains many local customs