I was still trying to figure out what Nantian was thinking when the director called out, and the whole group got moving.
"Han Ji" walked with the group, right beside Bian Sijun. When she breathed through her mouth, warm breath even puffed from her lips, just like everyone else. She wore no expression, but she looked every bit as alive as the others.
She showed no surprise at my following her, either.
After the group had been walking for a while, I noticed the female ghosts' aura of yin drawing closer to them.
The two groups were like the two sides of a triangle, steadily approaching as they moved forward.
Before long, the torii I'd seen in my dream came into view.
It was small, its red paint weathered and peeling. It hadn't collapsed, but rot had spread across its pillars.
The people in the group exclaimed in awe, their voices rising into a low buzz of chatter.
The director called out instructions, and the lighting and camera crews sprang into action. Some people cleared away the snow nearby, while a drone took off to film the torii from above.
People with nothing to do, like "Han Ji," weren't even allowed to get close to the torii. They were told to stay back and keep out of the shots.
After a brief flurry of activity, I couldn't find Nantian anymore, and I didn't know where the Shimada family had gone, either.
"Han Ji" and Bian Sijun stood together, silently watching it all.
The female ghost didn't seem the least bit anxious. She was so calm that she showed no trace of hatred or intent to attack.
Once the director had finished filming what he wanted and packed up, the group set off again.
I flew higher and looked ahead. Nantian