Chapter 001: Haunted House

As time went on, the young people in the village gradually became hesitant to venture into this place. The courtyard door no longer needed to be locked, for even the most mischievous children in the village had been warned countless times by the adults at home: there are malevolent entities in this courtyard, and entering it would surely bring misfortune, perhaps even cost one’s life. Chickens, ducks, geese, dogs, and cats that entered would simply vanish, and it seemed that a small child being devoured by some unknown entity within was not an unlikely occurrence.

A chill breeze swept through, and the villagers, along with the village chief, almost simultaneously shivered in fright. The two half-open courtyard doors behind the Taoist seemed to transform into a gaping maw, instilling a sense of dread in those who beheld it. The crowd instinctively took a few steps back, and the village chief, mustering his courage, asked: "Master, according to what you said, what should we do?"

The expression of the Taoist became even more righteous: "Villagers! I have been cultivating at Mount Longhu for many years, and now is the time to travel the world, subdue demons, and accumulate merit. The demonic energy in your village is overwhelming; I could see it from a thousand miles away. That is why I have traveled such a long distance, to help you subdue the monsters here. If this continues, the monsters in this courtyard will grow stronger and stronger. At that time, they will not just hide in the courtyard eating some chickens, ducks, geese, dogs, and cats, but will devour all the living beings in this village one by one! The demonic energy in your village is overwhelming; I could see it from a thousand miles away. That is why I have traveled such a long distance, to help you subdue the monsters here. If this continues, the monsters in this courtyard will grow stronger and stronger. At that time, they will not just hide in the courtyard eating some chickens, ducks, geese, dogs, and cats, but will devour all the living beings in this village one by one! At that time, this place will not just be a haunted house, but will turn into a ghost village! Villagers! These monsters grow stronger the more people they eat. After consuming the people of your village, they will also eat the people from other villages. If this continues, not only your village but also your township and county will be in great danger!" At that time, this place will not just be a haunted house, but will turn into a ghost village! Villagers! These monsters grow stronger the more people they eat. After consuming the people of your village, they will also eat the people from other villages. If this continues, not only your village but also your township and county will be in great danger!

As night fell, the villagers closed their doors and turned off their lights, going to bed with a sense of trepidation. It must be said that this night was far from peaceful; the families living near the haunted house could clearly hear the clanging and banging coming from within for most of the night, until dawn when they seemed to hear a wretched cry for help. However, the Taoist had warned them sternly beforehand, and no one dared to venture outside to investigate. Eventually, the sounds gradually faded away. Yet, the Taoist's stern warning had left everyone too frightened to step outside. In the end, the sounds slowly disappeared.

In those chaotic years, the villagers did not dare to report the incident, and could only, under the leadership of the village chief, wrap the Taoist's body in a mat and hastily bury it in a place. However, the haunted house appeared even more ominous in the eyes of the people, and even the two open courtyard doors were left ajar, with no one daring to close them, remaining that way for a full three years.

In the legend of the haunted house, the climax should be the arrival of a wandering Taoist priest

In the autumn of this year, a middle-aged man dressed as a tattered Taoist suddenly appeared in the village. This event is quite peculiar, as wandering monks and Taoists are extremely rare in this impoverished and remote area. It is said that this is the first and last time an outsider monk has appeared here—after all, the villagers barely have enough to eat, who can afford to make offerings? However, it is evident that this Taoist was not here for the villagers. After entering the village, guided by a delicate compass that was quite incongruous with his attire, he walked straight to the door of a haunted house.

The villagers looked at each other in confusion, and the village chief said, "This is not right! This family all died of natural causes; we have seen the corpses, and they are all buried in the village cemetery, not eaten!"

These words were spoken as if one had witnessed the events firsthand, sending chills down the spines of the surrounding villagers. Each of them nodded their heads vigorously, resembling a group of nodding dogs, and even the village chief had to concede with a nod.

However, shortly thereafter, a work team suddenly moved into the village and directly occupied the haunted house. Subsequently, news spread that there was an ancient tomb in the courtyard, which had long been excavated, with the entrance located beneath the large kang in the main room. Unfortunately, all the valuable items in the tomb had already been removed, leaving behind only a dilapidated coffin and numerous scattered bones

The village chief nodded repeatedly like a woodpecker, then loudly repeated the Taoist's words to the villagers. He then instructed his wife to hurry home and prepare some food to send to the Taoist, after which everyone dispersed in a rush

The Taoist smiled and said: "You can rest assured! Since I have traveled thousands of miles to come here, I am certainly confident in my ability to resolve your issues. Here’s the deal: I will stay here tonight to exorcise the demon for you. However, there is one condition: all villagers must extinguish their lights and go to sleep before 8 PM tonight, and regardless of any sounds they may hear, they must not leave their homes, nor are they allowed to sneak a look here. Otherwise, when I am battling the demon, if it needs to replenish its strength by consuming humans, whoever it catches will simply be out of luck, and at that time, I will not have the energy to save you! Do you understand?"

For reasons unknown, ever since this small courtyard was built, the family of the homeowner began a rapid decline—within a mere decade and a half, this family was completely shattered. By the time this residence was recognized as a haunted house by the people of the surrounding villages, the entire family had already passed away—some died of illness, others drowned, and some went mad, with various inexplicable causes and methods. In short, there was only one outcome: this courtyard became a haunted house that people spoke of with fear.

The Taoist revealed a hint of a mocking smile at the corner of his mouth: "You are mistaken! What I said is that they were not consumed in body, but in soul. The monsters here gradually absorb the yang energy from them, and when their bodies weaken to a certain extent, they will devour their souls, which is why they die one after another. If you still do not believe, then let me ask you: has this courtyard not been empty for many years? After the monsters here gradually absorb the yang energy from them, when their bodies weaken to a certain extent, they will devour their souls, which is why they die one after another. If you still do not believe, then let me ask you: has this courtyard not been empty for many years? Is it not the case that once chickens, ducks, geese, dogs, or cats enter, they disappear? Is it not true that those who have spent the night inside inexplicably fall ill? If so, then my judgment must be correct.

The days of working at sunrise and resting at sunset pass quietly and unremarkably, without the ominous predictions of the Taoist coming true, that the monsters in the haunted house would evolve to the point of running out to eat people. However, whenever the chickens, ducks, geese, dogs, or cats of the villagers occasionally wander into the yard, they still mysteriously disappear as usual

Three years have passed in this manner, and one morning, the villagers suddenly discovered that the door of the haunted house, which had long been closed, was now tightly shut, and the family had mysteriously vanished again! Thus, the villagers began to speculate: perhaps the monster in the haunted house had been asleep all these years? Look, it has just awakened, and once again, this good family has been harmed!

At that time in the countryside, autumn had already become a season of leisure for farmers, with children running around wildly and adults sitting in groups chatting everywhere. The moment such a person entered the village, he immediately attracted everyone's attention. When he stood in front of the haunted house, constantly fiddling with his compass and peering around, many curious villagers gradually gathered around. However, the simple-minded men and women in the village held an inexplicable reverence for these messengers of the gods, so although they formed a crowd whispering among themselves, no one dared to step forward to ask questions, nor did anyone think to intervene. It was not until the village chief arrived and bravely inquired of the Taoist priest that the priest solemnly stated, "There is a monster in this courtyard, and it has already devoured the entire family!"

The reason why the haunted house is considered haunted is not solely due to the bizarre deaths of the homeowner's family, but also because of some perplexing strange occurrences that followed: for instance, the chickens raised by the neighbor to the west, if they accidentally fly over the wall, often end up disappearing shortly thereafter—regardless of how much the neighbor calls or lures them, the chickens that fly over the wall will invariably jump into the yard on the east side. Moreover, this is not all; at that moment, if a person climbs up to the wall to look over, the chickens will definitely have vanished without a trace, disappearing completely and silently. Often, they will disappear shortly thereafter—regardless of how much the neighbor calls or lures them, the chickens that fly over the wall will invariably jump into the yard on the east side. Moreover, this is not all; at that moment, if a person climbs up to the wall to look over, the chickens will definitely have vanished without a trace, disappearing completely and silently. Later, some brave young men from the village, not believing in the supernatural, decided to sneak in at night to spend the night, wanting to see what kind of demons or monsters were hidden in this house. However, strangely enough, no matter how nervous or scared you feel when you first enter the yard, once it reaches eight o'clock in the evening, you will become so drowsy that you can barely stand. With just a slight relaxation, you will unconsciously lie down on the kang and fall into a deep sleep.

Later, in the autumn of the fourth year, a young couple fleeing from another place arrived in the village. They were penniless and had nowhere to stay, yet they set their sights on this haunted house. According to the young man, their hometown had suffered a disaster, and all their family members had perished. Reaching this place was already their limit, and they no longer wished to wander aimlessly. Although the villagers kindly warned them that this haunted house was uninhabitable, the outsider Zhang Lianyi said he was not afraid. Even if they were to die here, at least they would have a place to rest. If they died, it was their fate; if they survived, they would have gained a house.

The young couple had no relatives in the village, and despite everyone's advice, they chose to go their own way. Thus, the couple tidied up the house a bit and moved in.

However, there are some strange things in this world: ever since this young couple moved in, the haunted house has not experienced any bizarre occurrences, and they quickly transitioned from having nothing to being well-off. By the end of just two short years, not only had this family flourished with a lively pair of dragon and phoenix twins, but they also miraculously became the richest family in the village—no one knew how this couple had acquired their wealth. They did not farm, nor did they engage in any legitimate business; they simply went out with a small bag every month or so, and did not stay away for long—at most a month, at least ten days before returning. The villagers could not uncover the truth, so they could only sigh: what belongs to someone will ultimately belong to them, everything has its rightful place, just like how tofu is set in brine! It seems that this house was destined to belong to this young couple.

This drowsiness is utterly uncontrollable, as if one has entered a vague and ethereal dream: around you are faint yet noisy voices, with some indistinct figures swaying in front of you, and then there is nothing more—one enters a state of complete unconsciousness: it seems that many things have happened, many people have been seen, yet you remember nothing. Only when dawn breaks, you will surely awaken in the courtyard, drenched in dew. You do not know whether you walked out by yourself or were thrown out by some force. And then there is nothing more—one enters a state of complete unconsciousness: it seems that many things have happened, many people have been seen, yet you remember nothing. Only when dawn breaks, you will surely awaken in the courtyard, drenched in dew. You do not know whether you walked out by yourself or were thrown out by some force. Moreover, when you awaken, you will undoubtedly be sprawled out, head south and feet north, your body icy cold—a serious illness awaits you.

Until the sun was high in the sky, the villagers cautiously stepped out of their homes in small groups, inviting each other to muster the courage to visit the haunted house. To their shock, they found the gate of the haunted house wide open. The Taoist priest, who had appeared so spirited the day before, was lying there in nothing but a pair of shorts, covered in dirt and blood. His upper body was outside the door while his lower body was inside, his eyes wide open in shock. There was a large, gaping wound on his exposed belly, with intestines spilling out. The village chief, gathering his courage, approached and touched him: he was icy cold and stiff, clearly having been dead for some time.

It is, in fact, an utterly ordinary rural courtyard, facing south with the north side bordered by five main rooms built of rammed earth. To the west, it is separated from the neighbor by a low courtyard wall, while the east side features an auxiliary room. The south side contains several low and rudimentary storage rooms along with a kitchen. It is said that vegetables were once grown in this courtyard, and at the base of the wall near the main house, there was a grapevine and two fig trees. Although the courtyard is now in a state of disrepair, the grapevine still bears abundant fruit each year, while the two fig trees have grown wildly into a sprawling patch of low greenery due to lack of pruning.