In the Dabie Mountains, our region is known for its towering peaks, dense forests, and an eerie atmosphere. Over time, countless ghost stories have emerged, many of them featuring mountain spirits. According to the elderly in our area, spirits in the wilderness mainly fall into two categories: mountain spirits and water spirits. Water spirits have a tendency to transform into something alluring in the water to draw you in and then drown you. Mountain spirits, on the other hand, play a different game – they drive people mad. So, when someone is found drowned, even if it was the work of a water spirit, we wouldn't know. Mountain spirits, however, are a different story.
There's a woman in our village, I'm not sure what she believed in, and she's likely in her forties or fifties. She's considered a bit of a lunatic, timid during the day but prone to wandering at night. Her husband is a local laborer. When I was a child, I was curious about her condition, so I asked my grandfather why she became a lunatic. He told me a story: Many years ago, when the woman was in her early twenties, she went to the mountains alone to collect firewood. However, she didn't return all day. The villagers became worried and went up the mountain to search for her. After half a day, they found her alone on a rocky plateau at the mountaintop, covered in mud with dirt in her mouth. She had also chewed through several earthworms. She couldn't walk anymore, and her husband had to carry her back home. After resting for a few days, it became apparent that she had gone mad.
My grandfather explained that she had been lured away by a mountain spirit. Those entrapped by mountain spirits don't know anything; they follow the spirit aimlessly, doing whatever the spirit commands. If they're not in good health, their mind won't return, and they become lunatics.