Tales of Folk Feng Shui Mysteries

The wind roared fiercely, whipping up sand and stones that made me squint as I tried to observe what was happening. It turned out the stone slab was suppressing a well. Thunder cracked incessantly while the surrounding vengeful spirits trembled and kowtowed on the ground, as if praying for mercy from heaven.

What shocked me most was the furious roar coming from below the well's mouth. Torrential rain poured down like a falling Milky Way, the horizon blurring between water and sky. Slowly, a black shadow emerged crawling out of the well — a huge black turtle about one meter in size!

Its shell was pitch black and gleaming, its head about the size of a grown man's fist scanning left and right. Thunder rumbled while lightning struck around it but never directly on it. The violent storm and oppressive black clouds gave the world a terrifying, apocalyptic feel. Standing in the rain, the thunder rattled my ears. Suddenly, steam began rising from the well beneath the turtle, and I thought I heard faint wailing noises emanating from there.

White mist billowed and swirled thickly in the air, adding a strange eeriness to the surroundings. Suddenly, the back of my neck felt a warm flush.

A thought struck me — divine protection! The ancestral masters' protective spirit strike! Could there be a malevolent energy attempting to seize control, causing the leftover righteous Qi in my body to defend itself automatically?

The rain intensified, and because this spot was elevated, water flowed in all directions. The turtle clumsily crawled to the water's edge. Suddenly, a flash of lightning blinded me, and when the storm paused, the turtle was gone.

The white mist brought to mind the word "Frostblight." All evil spirits and creatures of the world release a kind of gas that, when trapped in sealed places, becomes denser and eventually crystallizes into frost-like vapors.

I stepped back, my scalp tingling. Frostblight is one of the most sinister forces in existence. One breath of it causes mortals to lose their minds and commit terrible crimes against humanity. It acts like a catalyst for evil — and for ghosts, it is nourishing energy.

As the wind and thunder ceased, the frostblight began to writhe in the air like a living thing. The spirits that had been kneeling before the pagoda scattered like flies escaping a foul smell, rushing into the mist.

I saw a ghost in a bridal gown stagger and sway, utterly entranced by the fog. Hundreds more spirits followed.

I was dumbfounded — today I truly committed a great sin. Humans lose their sanity from the frostblight; what about ghosts? I couldn't imagine.

Just moments ago, the power of the thunderstorm had vanished, and these wandering spirits broke free like wild horses.

At that moment, Yuan Beitang sprinted toward me from the trees, shouting, "You hurry to get the relics! I'll try to catch those ghosts!"

"What's going on?!" I asked in surprise.

"How would I know? After I divined the ill omen, I set up a ghost-blocking formation here. I never expected frostblight. The ghosts are following the Yin path. I hope the underworld officials arrive soon or many will die!" He looked anxious.

I realized the gravity of the situation. There was no turning back now.

The vengeful spirits flooded into the streets of Tawan Street. The ghost-blocking formation only directed their path; it couldn't trap them.

I watched as the spirits flooded the street. Streetlights flickered out. Midnight on Tawan Street was a night of ghostly parade — humans fled or died upon encountering them. The wandering ghosts in various attire floated on the street as if rushing somewhere. I saw a truck loaded with goods crash violently into the roadside.

There were still over three hours until dawn. If this continued, who knew how many would die.

Yuan Beitang took a peach-wood sword and chased after the ghosts. I looked at the dry well and then at his retreating figure and resolutely headed to the well's mouth.

I crawled down and shone my flashlight. The well was about five to six meters deep. At the bottom was an octagonal floor of brick.

Shining the light to the left, I saw a black hole. Without hesitation, I jumped in.

But as soon as I landed, things went awry.

Opening my eyes, I realized this wasn't a dark cramped well — it was an enormous open space.

In front of me crouched a Golden-haired Hou (mythical beast). The Qing dynasty's "Shu Yi Ji" records: "In the East Sea there is a beast called Hou. It can consume dragon brains, fly up and down fiercely. In battle with dragons, it spews fire several zhangs long and usually wins. In the summer of the 25th year of Kangxi, a Hou chased dragons from the sea into the sky, fighting three days and nights. People saw three dragons and two dragons fighting one Hou, killing one dragon and two dragons, but the Hou died as well, falling into a valley. One creature was about two meters long, horse-like with scales and mane, which upon death still glowed with firelight. That was the Hou."

The Golden-haired Hou's greatest fame is as Guanyin Bodhisattva's mount.

I suddenly realized I had fallen into a trap. Ancient masters use Qi Men Dun Jia (mysterious arts) to manipulate magnetic fields and cloud the mind, creating illusions. But illusions are not delusions — anything experienced inside can affect the body and spirit. Death in illusion means brain death in reality.

Steeling myself, I knew I was trapped. This Golden Hou was the formation's core.

It scratched its ear with a forepaw, then stopped upon seeing me. It slowly walked over and stood before me.

I felt incredibly small, my heart pounding to my throat.