Tales of Folk Feng Shui Mysteries

The police officer's words struck Jiang Shiyu like a death sentence. Time was life, and Wang Yi had warned her that I was on the brink of death. In a panic, Jiang Shiyu made a risky decision. Highways, designed to prevent pedestrians from wandering, are typically constructed with high fences, especially at night. Jiang Shiyu pulled out her phone and checked the map.

The location where they were stuck in traffic was less than 10 kilometers from Tongliao City, but to reach the nearest suburban area would require an additional 5 or 6 kilometers. After studying the map, Jiang Shiyu confirmed the direction and swiftly climbed over the guardrail.

Master Yicheng quickly stopped her, "Jiang Shiyu, this is dangerous."

She replied without hesitation, "Master Yicheng, move aside. There's a slope over there, it's not dangerous. If we wait here, who knows how long this traffic jam will last? Da Bao doesn't have time to waste."

Master Yicheng shook his head. "The danger I speak of is not this. We're currently on the Yangguan Road. Once we leave it, we will be entering a path that no living person should walk. This road is perilous."

"I'm not afraid," Jiang Shiyu replied firmly. "Zhang Da Bao said I am immune to the Hundred Ghosts, and even if there are ghosts, I'm not afraid."

Master Yicheng continued to block her. "Normally, you would be safe, but not tonight. The Gate to Hell is opening tonight, and the ghostly energy is at its peak. Your virtues can control regular spirits, but tonight is different. This is the special time when the Yin Soldiers march, and you… you might become their offering."

What Master Yicheng meant was that if wandering souls wanted to join the Yin Soldiers, they would need something—a human soul to steal, or an offering. Jiang Shiyu's Yin-bone body naturally attracted these spirits, and although she had Buddha's blessings, she was not a practitioner. Tonight, she might become a target, a sacrifice for the Yin Soldiers.

Jiang Shiyu took a deep breath and said, "Master Yicheng, I know you're concerned for me, but Zhang Da Bao helped everyone escape death despite his own punishment. Today, I, Jiang Shiyu, can do the same!"

With that, she jumped over the guardrail.

As she disappeared into the darkness, Master Yicheng sighed, murmured a Buddhist chant, and followed her.

The two of them made their way through the desolate mountain road. The mountains were pitch-black, with no lights in sight, except for the faint glow of their lamps. In a place like this, a light source meant they were visible, and any passing ghosts would notice them. A living person, especially with a monk in tow, was bound to attract attention.

Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, trouble arose. Jiang Shiyu had to conserve her phone's battery since they couldn't risk losing the GPS navigation. They only had the starlight to guide them, and whenever they felt lost, they would check the map. Just as they stepped onto a dirt road, a man and a woman appeared ahead of them.

The woman was wearing a plaid dress, and the man was dressed in a Zhongshan suit. They looked as if they were in a hurry, walking quickly towards Jiang Shiyu and Master Yicheng. The man stopped in front of them and spoke, "Excuse me, can I ask for directions?"

By now, Jiang Shiyu was already on edge, desperate to move quickly. Although she didn't want to deal with this, she took a deep breath and replied, "I'm not from around here, I don't know the way either."

"You know this road," the man insisted.

Jiang Shiyu frowned, finding his persistence unreasonable. She was about to ignore him when Master Yicheng stepped forward and calmly blocked her. He stood tall and dignified, and with a single hand in a Buddhist mudra, he said, "The road you seek, I know."

"Oh? Then tell me, where is the road?" the man asked.

Master Yicheng held his beads and lowered his eyes, his voice calm and measured, "The paths I know are the Six Paths of Reincarnation: the Path of Heaven, the Path of Humanity, the Path of Beasts, the Path of Asuras, the Path of Hungry Ghosts, and the Path of Hell. In these six paths, humans follow the Path of Humanity, and ghosts follow the Path of Ghosts. Tell me, which path is yours?"

It was then that Jiang Shiyu realized that the man was not human. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly glanced at the woman beside him. To her horror, the woman had no feet, and her face, heavily powdered with white, had thick blush on her cheeks. Her eyes were wide open, staring at Jiang Shiyu with an eerie intensity.