A cobblestone road, mottled corner walls, and a gentle stream flowing beside an endless stretch of whitewashed walls and dark-tiled roofs. Across the stream stood an old stone arch bridge, and on the bridge, there was a wooden pavilion with eight pillars. The wooden pillars had long since faded in color. Inside the pavilion, an elderly man leaned on a cane, surrounded by seven or eight children, telling stories.

 

A young boy, dressed in old clothes and looking about fifteen or sixteen years old, stood silently by the wall, holding a sack of rice, gazing forward. The old man's voice and the children's exclamations could be heard. The elder was a respected figure in the village, old and leisurely, who often recounted stories under the tree at the village entrance. His stories were not just to inform the young about the affairs of the world and the rise and fall of history but also to pass down his life experiences and lessons to the younger generations in the village. In these times, many things in rural villages were passed down orally from one generation to the next.

 

However, when more children gathered, the nature of the stories changed. From tales of recent events, they turned into stories of gods and ghosts. Such tales had always been popular throughout history. Both the listeners and the storytellers enjoyed them.

 

Lucas, too, often came to listen over the past year. Speaking of which, it was just a year ago that he arrived in this world. To suddenly find oneself in an unfamiliar and backward place was something few people would welcome. But since he was already here, and there was no other way out, he could only try his best not to spend his entire life trapped in this small village.

 

He thought that each world should have its own wonders and that different eras would have their own joys, so he had to go out and see for himself. To venture out, it wasn’t too hard, yet not too easy either, depending on how one approached it.

 

At first, Lucas planned to leave this place by studying for the imperial exams to gain some official recognition and at least make himself known to this world. Fortunately, in recent years, trade had flourished in this area, and most of the Shu families in the village formed business groups, selling local goods like ink, paper, tea, and wood to the capital, gradually becoming wealthy. Influenced by the Confucian ideas of family and hometown, as the rich increased, they wanted more scholars among their kin and fellow villagers to help each other after gaining official recognition. Thus, they funded the establishment of a clan school, where even outsiders like Lucas from the same village benefited.

 

So he studied for a year and listened to stories for a year. The days were hard, but after getting used to it, they were also leisurely. But now, he was troubled.

 

Last month, his uncle went out fishing and came back suddenly stricken with a severe illness, covered in sores, and soon on the brink of death. Lucas’s family was poor when he was a child. His mother was taken away by a peddler, and his father raised him alone. Later, his father, who had followed the Shu family, went out with a merchant group one year, and none of them returned. After that, it was his uncle who took over his father’s responsibilities, providing for his clothing, food, and education. His uncle even saved his life by jumping into the river to rescue him when he first arrived.

 

After his uncle fell ill, his cousin invited a famous doctor from nearby to examine him. The doctor prescribed medicine that worked but was very expensive. For an ordinary family, it was already a blessing to have food and clothing without worry, let alone support a scholar. A month’s worth of medicine had already drained their savings. Even the money left by Lucas's father was used up. The Shu family, being kind-hearted, allowed him to come to their house every ten days to receive a small bag of rice, ensuring that no one in the village starved to death at home. Lucas had just returned from the Shu family’s residence with a bag of rice.

 

According to the doctor, to slowly cure the stubborn illness, such medicine would need to be taken for at least three months, costing at least ten to twenty guan. But he had no idea where to get the money. Lucas was genuinely worried.

 

In a daze, he heard a voice from the pavilion ahead:

 

"...That man was not a Daoist or a judge with some spiritual powers, just a brave and strong fellow who had a bit too much to drink. He fought with that ghost all night, and by the time the sun rose, he was utterly exhausted. When he got up and looked around, what do you think he saw? There was no ghost anywhere near him, only a tattered piece of skin on the ground, smoking under the rising sun and emitting a foul stench."

 

The children listened, both frightened and fascinated, lost in the story. However, one child had a hint of doubt in his eyes: "Great-Grandpa, are there really ghosts in this world?"

 

Over the past year, Lucas had often pondered this question while listening to stories. Do gods and ghosts really exist in this world? He hadn’t seen any, so he dared not easily claim that they did. But if they didn’t, why were the rumors so widespread and seemingly real?

 

"Of course, there are! How could there not be?" The village elder raised his eyebrows. "I’ve told you so many stories about ghosts and goblins, and many of them have names. Are they all made up?"

 

"Have you seen one?"

 

"Of course, I have! Haven’t I told you about them?" "But our teacher says there are no ghosts or goblins in this world. He’s never seen any in his life."

 

"Ah, the teacher." The old man grasped his leaning cane, smiled thoughtfully, and said after some consideration, "There are all kinds of people in this world. Some fear ghosts, and some don’t. Ghosts are the same; there are ghosts who fear people and those who don’t. As for a learned man like our teacher, who is full of righteousness and looks down on ghosts, how could they easily appear in front of him?"

 

The children were confused, understanding only a little of what he said. The elder, still smiling, stroked his beard and said, "What I just mentioned happened in the neighboring county. If you don’t believe it, you can check out the recent hauntings at the Wang family’s ancestral hall in Heng Village. The Wang family has posted a large reward, saying that anyone who dares to stay in the ancestral hall for a night will receive ten thousand coins. Now, all of you youngsters with fire in your bellies, do you dare to spend a night in the ancestral hall?"

 

"Really?"

 

"If you don’t believe me, ask your parents!"

 

The children looked at each other, all very frightened. "Has anyone gone?"

 

"Yes, some gamblers and drunkards from our village went. Last month, someone brave enough got the money, but the rest ran out in the middle of the night, scared. Some even fell ill for a few days after returning."

 

After finishing, the old man added, "If you don’t believe me, you can go and ask!"

 

The children immediately fell silent, except for Lucas, who had a different expression on his face. The reason he waited here was to ask the well-informed village elder for advice on how to make some money. Whether it was something he could do by himself or if the elder could use his connections to get him a job with the Shu family’s trading group, as long as it could make money, it would be good.

 

Unexpectedly, he overheard this conversation... He had heard tales of drunkards betting on sleeping in graveyards before and many ghost stories from the elders in this pavilion. Now, these memories surged in his mind. After careful thought and consideration, the young man lifted the rice sack and took a step forward.

 

He crossed the stream to the bridge pavilion, approached the old man, and respectfully greeted the kind elder:

 

"Grandpa Shu."

 

"Ah, it's the Lin family’s boy. What’s the matter?"

 

"You just mentioned that the Wang family in Heng Village posted a reward, offering ten thousand coins for staying in the ancestral hall overnight. Is that true?"

 

"Hmm? Are you thinking of trying it?" Although the Lin family was an outsider, they were from the same village. How could the elder not know about his family's situation? He often helped them out. When he heard the question, he immediately guessed what the boy was thinking.

 

"Is there really a ghost in the Wang family’s ancestral hall?" Lucas asked.

 

"How would I know? I just told these kids to scare them. You wouldn’t really go, would you?"

 

Lucas remained silent for a moment before asking, "Did someone really get the ten thousand coins?"

 

"Of course. I heard it was some drunkard from the county, a big, brave fellow, who might have trained in martial arts. He stayed the night and came out the next morning to claim the money and left."

 

"Was anyone killed?"

 

"No, I haven’t heard of anything like that," the old man replied. "If someone had died, it would be a big deal. This isn’t some remote mountain. Anywhere people live, the law still applies. Even if there were ghosts, they wouldn’t dare to cause death casually."

 

Lucas stood still, thinking for a while before saying, "Thank you, Grandpa Shu."

 

"Are you really going? Aren’t you afraid?" The elder had already seen through his intentions.

 

Lucas was not truly a young boy; he had his own thoughts and considerations, but he didn’t voice them. Instead

 

, he continued to bow respectfully:

 

"Please give me some guidance, Grandpa Shu."

 

"Sigh..." The old man sighed. "I’m not a Daoist priest, a shaman, or a sorcerer. How would I know any methods for repelling ghosts? Even if I did, it wouldn’t help you. If it were useful, it wouldn’t fall to you."

 

After a pause, he thought for a moment before continuing: "I’ve often heard that people only become ghosts after they die. Ghosts are inherently weaker than the living. Even if a fox or mouse in the mountains gains some spirit, at first, it’s only slightly stronger than it was. There are very few with high levels of cultivation."

 

"And as the old saying goes: ‘Ghosts are stirred by human actions.’ If you haven’t done anything wrong, have no guilt in your heart, and are young and healthy, with strong energy, ordinary ghosts won’t bother you. If you do encounter one, the most important thing is not to be afraid. Fear will cause confusion in your mind, and once that happens, the ghost will take advantage of it. But if you stay calm, the ghost won’t be able to harm you."

 

"That’s why, when strange things happen, people always call on someone brave and energetic to keep watch. Courage comes first, and strong energy comes second."

 

"It’s the same whether you’re facing ghosts or people. Never lose your courage."

 

Lucas listened carefully, his expression relatively calm. Over the past year, the ghost stories he heard from the village elder were mostly like this.

 

Ghosts weren’t necessarily stronger than people, and people weren’t necessarily weaker than ghosts. There were ghosts that bullied people and people who bullied ghosts. There were even cases where the two sides became friends.

 

There were often chance encounters and fleeting connections, strange and curious, romantic and eerie, captivating. If there were really ghosts in this world, they would likely match some of the folklore.

 

It was still early morning. The village at the foot of the mountain was very quiet, shrouded in a light white mist. Only the sound of birds chirping in the trees and the flowing water could be heard. The young man had already thanked the old man and was heading home with the rice sack. As he walked, he thought.

 

He wondered if the strange happenings at the Wang family’s ancestral hall in Heng Village were due to real ghosts or if someone with ulterior motives was causing trouble.

 

He also wondered what this world was really like.

 

Ten thousand coins...

 

I’ll go find out today.

 

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