Hundred Ghosts Entanglement

But thoughts are one thing, and reality is another. I walked cautiously for about a hundred to two hundred meters from the village entrance.

Looking up, it was still the same as when I came out, enveloped in a thick layer of fog.

The fog had spread even further, though. Gritting my teeth, I decided to just charge through it.

I took a few deep breaths and sprinted towards the other side.

As I neared the village entrance, I lowered my head and closed my eyes.

I told myself, I won't listen, I won't listen, I won't look, I won't look.

After running through the village entrance at full speed, I dared to look up and open my eyes.

But I didn't stop; I kept running, listening carefully to the sounds around me.

Then I realized it was quiet all around, with nothing there, and none of those terrifying things from before.

Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, disaster struck. I heard rustling sounds behind me getting closer and closer, scaring me half to death.

I ran with all my might, my legs a blur like the Wind Fire Wheels. Having learned my lesson once, I didn't dare look back.

As I gritted my teeth and ran, I suddenly felt a chill.

It wasn't the chill of the wind; it was a chill that went from the soles of my feet to my spine and then to the back of my neck.

This isn't right, this definitely isn't right, I thought, and quickly reached into my bag.

I pulled out a worn-out Taoist robe and tried to put it on, but I couldn't get it on.

When people are anxious, they tend to make mistakes. I was trying to put it on while running.

I hadn't paid attention to what was on either side of the path, and suddenly my hands felt empty.

In my panic, my mind went blank. I glanced to the side and saw the tattered robe hanging on a tree branch.

It must have gotten caught on a branch as I was putting it on, and then slipped from my grasp.

I cursed inwardly. As if things weren't bad enough, when I glanced at the sides of the path, my peripheral vision caught a glimpse of what was behind me.

Behind me, there was a dense mass of people. "Ah, all familiar faces."

They bared their teeth and yelled, their faces looking like they were covered in a layer of plaster, unnaturally white.

Some dragged their intestines with one hand while lunging at me with the other, their mouths agape.

Some had eyeballs dangling down, swinging like little bells on their faces. I was so scared I cried.

I wanted to scream, but my throat was completely silent, as if it had suddenly lost its function.

When people are in extreme fear, they can't make any sound; they can only open their mouths wide.

As I ran, my legs felt like they were filled with lead, growing heavier and heavier. I really couldn't run anymore.

In just a few short hours tonight, I had run who knows how far.

My body was nearing its limit. I looked around, and my heart sank even further.

I hadn't even gotten far from the village, and there was still a long way to go to the wasteland mentioned in the note, let alone the bamboo forest.

Thinking of the note, I remembered what it said about using the paper horse if I couldn't run anymore.

Gritting my teeth, I ran and fumbled in my pocket, taking it out and looking at it.

Thinking that I was already at my wit's end, I decided to give it a try. I then recalled the sentence written on the note.

So I shouted: "With Red Hare in hand, a thousand-mile journey is like walking on flat ground. Haste, haste, like the law commands!"

After shouting, I threw the paper horse at my feet.

Suddenly, I felt myself being lifted high up, accompanied by the neighing of a horse.

Looking closely, I saw a magnificent, dark red horse appear beneath me in an instant.

I wobbled precariously on its back, immediately scrambling to grab the reins.

Since it was my first time riding a horse and I had no experience, I was leaning to one side. I wanted to adjust my posture.

I thought, This horse is running so fast, if I lose my grip and fall off, I'll probably shit myself.

At that moment, I stood up slightly on the stirrups, adjusted my sitting position a bit.

Then I sat down. As I sat down, I landed on my balls again, and the pain brought tears to my eyes.

Riding the horse was fast, but those things behind me were like sticky plasters, impossible to shake off.

I didn't have a whip or a stick or anything, so I kept patting the horse's back with my palm.

The speed increased, but no matter how fast I went, I couldn't shake off the things behind me.

I wondered what to do, but before I could come up with an idea, I suddenly felt my body sink.

It was as if something had landed on my back. My face turned pale with fright.

Without thinking, I reached into my bag and grabbed a handful of soybeans, throwing them behind me.

After a moment, there was no movement. Did it not work? I thought.

My body still felt heavy, and I could hear indistinct sounds around me.

I remembered I hadn't said the phrase when I threw the soybeans earlier, and I immediately wanted to slap myself twice.

I grabbed another handful of soybeans from my bag and shouted, "Divine Soldier, hurry as the law commands!"

Then I tossed them behind me and immediately felt my body lighten, as if the thing pressing down on me had gotten off my back.

Then, I heard rough shouts and killing cries in my ear, "Kill... kill..."

And the clanging sound of cold weapons colliding. I was completely stunned.

Accompanied by extreme curiosity, I couldn't afford to worry about not looking back anymore.

I turned my head back and saw a person dressed like an ancient general.

He was also riding a black horse, holding a dark, black spear in his hand.

And there were dozens of people dressed as ancient soldiers, holding weapons like spears or swords.

Those people roared and got entangled with the large group of things chasing me.

But unfortunately, the number of things behind me was simply too great.

In a short while, those soldiers and that general disappeared one after another, turning into wisps of black smoke.

I watched from the horse's back, dumbfounded.

After finally creating a little distance, I saw those things catching up again.

The distance between me and them was shrinking little by little, and sweat beaded on my forehead.

I quickly reached into my bag for another handful of soybeans and shouted, "Divine Soldier, hurry as the law commands."

Then I threw them behind me, and more than a dozen soldiers dressed like the previous ones instantly appeared from the soybeans.

They roared and pounced on those things, and in a short while, they too disappeared into wisps of black smoke.

This is how it went: when those things got close, I threw a handful of soybeans.

I looked at the path; we were almost through the wasteland. After the wasteland, there was a small slope, and then I would reach the bamboo forest.

Glancing at the remaining soybeans in my bag, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Recalling the experiences of this night made it more exciting than the past dozen years of my life.

It wasn't until much later, when I met colleagues and friends in my line of work.

When I told them about this incident, they all gritted their teeth and called me a prodigal son, saying I wasted resources and so on.

Of course, that's a story for another time.

I kept running like this until I passed the wasteland, and from afar, I saw the bamboo forest.

Strangely enough, as I got closer to the bamboo forest, the ghostly things behind me disappeared.

The crying, cursing, and sobbing sounds suddenly vanished, as if they had disappeared into thin air.

Standing outside the bamboo forest, I looked inside. It was pitch black. I dismounted, intending to take a look.

But as soon as I jumped off the horse, my legs started burning with pain.

It felt like the skin on the inside of my legs had been rubbed raw.

I gritted my teeth, enduring the burning sensation, and prepared to lead the horse.

But before I could even touch the reins, the dark red horse instantly turned into a folded paper horse and fell to the ground.

I was taken aback, not knowing what was happening. Given my current situation, I didn't dare to think too much about it, so I picked up the paper horse and put it in my pocket.

Tightening the bag on my body, I walked into the depths of the bamboo forest, looking around as I went.

The bamboo stalks were tall and slender, growing densely and seemingly in disarray.

But upon closer inspection, it seemed as if they had grown according to some pattern.

The air carried a hint of dampness and mold, mixed with a faint scent of bamboo.

Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow, and the bamboo leaves would rustle.

It sounded like an ancient and long melody was being played, yet it inadvertently revealed a sense of loneliness and desolation.

I don't know how long I walked before I saw a glimmer of light. My heart leaped with joy, and I strode towards it.

As I got closer, it seemed to have the structure of a house. Walking a bit further, I clearly saw it was a wooden cabin.

It was made entirely of wood, with a thatched roof. I walked towards the wooden cabin.

I stood outside a simple-looking door made of woven bamboo.

I looked up into the courtyard and saw that the entire yard was filled with jars plastered with talismans.

They were like the jars country folk use to pickle vegetables, stacked one on top of another, countless as far as the eye could see.

Taking a look around, I saw a faint light inside. I pushed open the simple bamboo door and walked into the house.

As I walked, I felt something wrap around my ankle. Because it was too dark, I couldn't see what it was.

Then I stood still and yanked my foot a few times, but I couldn't pull it free.

I was puzzled and lowered my head to get a closer look at my ankle.

With one look, I was so scared my face turned pale, my sphincter loosened, and I let out two farts.

I saw a pale, large hand, tightly gripping my ankle.

That hand looked like it had been coated in putty powder, completely devoid of any blood color.

Scared, I let out a scream and desperately tried to pull my foot free.

But no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't break free from that hand. I couldn't help but yell and scream.

Suddenly, the door to the house opened, and a rather disheveled-looking old man ran out.

The old man roared, "You beast, behave yourself!"

Then, with a wave of his hand, a yellow piece of paper was thrown towards the hand gripping my foot.

I heard a scream, and the hand vanished into thin air. Trembling, I walked towards the old man.

He also looked me up and down, then asked, "Young man, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

Still shaken, my teeth chattered, "G-g-g-g..."

I swallowed and said, "Elder, hello, my dad told me to come here."

The old man stiffened, then asked with suspicion filling his eyes, "Who is your father?"

I said my dad's name was Li Daorong. The old man nodded expressionlessly, then turned and said, "Come in."

Entering the small house, I saw it wasn't spacious but was messy, with various bottles and jars scattered in the corners.

There was a bed made of wood, with a wooden cabinet beside it.

Next to the cabinet were a somewhat crude table and stool.

A fire burned in the middle of the room, with a broken aluminum pot hanging over it, boiling water.

The old man sat by the fire, holding a pipe and puffing on tobacco.

He then pointed to the spot beside him and said, "Close the door and come sit."

I glanced at the yard full of bottles and jars outside, feeling a bit uneasy, then closed the door and sat next to the old man.

Pointing outside, I asked hesitantly, "Grandpa, what are those things outside?"

The old man looked up at the jars and pots outside and said leisurely, "Some lonely souls who can't reincarnate and some wicked mountain spirits and wild monsters."

He then shifted his gaze back to me, "Tell me, what did you come here for?"

I said I didn't know! My dad's message just said to run here.

The old man gave me a suspicious look and said, "Tell me what happened, in detail."

So I told him everything from being buried alive by my dad to escaping here.

The old man stared at me, his expression distant, and muttered, "It's finally escalated, hasn't it."

Confused, I asked the old man, "Grandpa, can you tell me what's going on?"

The old man was silent for a long time, then sighed and said, "Sigh! Alright, this old man will tell you."

Before the old man finished speaking, I felt a wave of dizziness, and my body tilted to one side.

The old man quickly stood up and helped me up, asking, "What's wrong?"

I mumbled groggily, "I feel incredibly cold, and I really want to sleep."

The old man quickly flipped open my eyelids and saw that the whites of my eyes and the corners of my mouth had turned blue.

He then lifted my clothes and looked at my back, where a patch of skin had already turned black.

The old man said urgently, "It's Yin energy, Yin energy has entered your body."

My consciousness was already very hazy. My head tilted, and I knew nothing more...

When I woke up, it seemed to be the afternoon of the next day.

Opening my eyes, I saw I was stripped down to just my underwear and submerged in a large wooden tub.

The tub was filled with some unknown plants, colorful and varied.

Unlike the foul-smelling baths my dad used to make me take, this one had a faint, pleasant fragrance.

The old man pushed the door open and came in, saying, "You're awake?"

I nodded, then quickly asked about what happened last night.

The old man curled his lips and said, "You had Yin energy enter your body. If I hadn't found out in time, and if I didn't know a thing or two about this kind of stuff, you'd already be reporting to the King of Hell."

He then told me to put on my clothes and come out. I did as he said. As I stood up, I noticed my skin had turned pale from soaking.

I put on my clothes and walked out. Outside, I saw a crude table.

On the table was a bowl of water. I picked it up, intending to drink.

The old man placed one hand on mine, saying, "Wait."

Then, he took out a yellow talisman from his sleeve, holding it between two fingers.

Without any visible action, he just shook the talisman, and it spontaneously combusted with a "poof."

He then pressed it into the bowl of water and stirred with his finger before gesturing for me to drink it.

I felt a bit nauseous and hesitated to reach for it.

The old man glared at me and said, "Drink it quickly. You were infected with Yin energy. Although the medicinal bath last night expelled most of it, there's still some remaining within you that couldn't be fully removed. It requires my cultivation and the talisman to clear it completely."

I figured if he wanted to harm me, I would have already died last night. He wouldn't wait for me to wake up and then try to poison me, would he?

Suppressing my nausea, I picked up the bowl, closed my eyes, and gulped it all down in one go.

Strangely, after drinking it, my body felt significantly lighter.

The slight dizziness disappeared, and my senses of hearing and sight became much sharper.

I then bowed to the old man and said gratefully, "Thank you, Grandpa, for saving my life."

The old man grinned, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth, and said, "Oh! So polite. No need to be so formal. Your grandfather and I were old friends.

When you were just born, your grandfather invited me for a drink, but you hadn't been named yet back then."

"Lad, what's your full name?"

"My name is Li Yutong."

The old man smiled and said it was a good name.

I asked the old man, confused, "You said you were old friends with my grandfather, so who are you?

And what exactly happened? Could you tell me?"

The old man sat down by the table and pointed to another stool, gesturing for me to sit.

I hunched my shoulders and sat next to the old man, waiting for him to speak.

What happened last night shattered my worldview, and I desperately wanted to know the truth.

It was through this conversation with the old man, and what I saw and heard with him afterward, that I transformed from an atheist into a complete 'charlatan.'

My life took a dramatic turn because of this old man.

Of course, that's a story for another time...

The old man took out a pipe and packed some tobacco into it. As he fumbled for a light, I quickly took out a pack of cigarettes from my pocket and offered them to him, "Have mine. These are Purple Cloud Comes, much better than yours."

The old man took the cigarette, and I lit it for him with a match.

He took a couple of puffs and then kept staring at the cigarettes in my hand.

I understood immediately and offered him the rest of the pack with both hands. He smiled, took them, and put them in his pocket.