In the dead of night, within the village cemetery, a moonless sky veiled by ominous clouds cast a pall of darkness over the surroundings. Amidst this eerie atmosphere, the trees in the cemetery emitted the unsettling cries of strange birds, sending shivers down one's spine. Lin Shenhua, a stranger to such nocturnal environments, had never before ventured alone into the wilderness. Yet, here he found himself, engulfed by an unsettling fear within this graveyard. Regret began to seep into his thoughts for agreeing to accompany Lin Li to this place. However, retracing his steps was not an option now; the prospect of being scrutinized by others prevented him from doing so. His reputation, earned with great effort, could not be jeopardized so easily. Nevertheless, from nightfall until now, Lin Shenhua's nerves had been stretched taut, his heart weakened by several minor frights. Could he withstand further unexpected occurrences?
Reciting to himself the enigmatic words, "The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao; the nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth," Lin Shenhua attempted to recall the incantations he had learned. Unbeknownst to him, his flawed recollection rendered those words utterly ineffective. Fatigue began to weigh upon him, and noticing an unmarked mound in the cemetery, he laid himself down upon it. However, his repose was short-lived as he soon heard movement beneath the earth. Startled, he hastily rose to his feet, only to find nothing amiss. "Was it a trick of the mind?" he murmured to himself. Yet, before his words could fade, a white apparition drifted towards him, prompting him to let out a startled cry and flee.
As he sprinted to the other side of the graveyard, relief washed over him momentarily. Yet, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the white specter once more, this time to his right. He dared not look directly, swiftly turning and running again. Aware that leaving the cemetery would equate to conceding defeat, he resolved to stay. "Even if they are spirits, I have heard they no longer harm humans!" he reassured himself inwardly. Let them frighten him; he was determined not to yield. Seeking refuge behind a mound, he inadvertently struck a stone. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a tombstone inscribed with the words "Grave of Beloved Daughter Wan'er"! Astonished, Lin Shenhua sat up abruptly, realizing his predicament.
His gaze fell upon a figure clad in red before him. Initially mistaking her for a visitor to the graveyard at this late hour, he was taken aback to see her eyes bleeding. "My word!" Lin Shenhua's endurance reached its limit. Abandoning his promise and forsaking even the thought of returning to the provincial capital, his fear now eclipsed all else, including the allure of the beautiful Lin Li. Yet, as he fled, he stumbled upon a meticulously crafted tombstone bearing the inscription: "Grave of Lin Shenhua!" Whose grave is this? Lin Shenhua's mind swirled with confusion at the sudden appearance of this new grave, envisioning a desolate future where ghosts roamed freely.
Witnessing the grave split open before him, revealing a gaping hole within, Lin Shenhua recoiled in fear. From a distance, he discerned a coffin within the cavity alongside a small white bottle. Though tempted by curiosity, he dared neither enter the hole nor approach the bottle. Pallor overtaking his complexion, he turned and fled once more, only to be inexplicably tripped by an object—a white bottle. Realization dawned upon him; this was the same bottle he had seen in the tomb. Struggling to escape, he found himself repeatedly ensnared by the bottle, each fall leading him to peculiar gravesites.
His terror now reaching its zenith, Lin Shenhua finally succumbed. After stumbling once more and retrieving the bottle, he prepared to cast it away when its inscription caught his eye: "Half-smile, half-step dispersal." Reading further by the faint starlight, he discovered the message: "Half-smile, half-step dispersal; open the lid, and happiness beckons to you." Bewildered, he cautiously removed the lid, unleashing a swirling mist from within. To his astonishment, Lin Li emerged from the mist, her presence ethereal, like a vision from a painting. "Lin Li, it is you!" Lin Shenhua exclaimed, reaching out to her.
In an instant, however, he found himself colliding with an unseen barrier. "Good heavens, where am I? What is this wall?" Lin Shenhua lamented, his surroundings now illuminated dimly by an oil lamp. Before him lay a thin-skinned coffin bearing the words "Coffin of Lin Shenhua"! Unable to voice his frustrations, he pondered his fate within this cramped space. His thoughts were interrupted by movement from the coffin.
Lin Shenhua's heart raced as he watched the coffin lid crash to the ground, his gaze fixated on the figure emerging. "Is this not my coffin? How can it move? Am I not here?" Yet, as the chill wind extinguished the oil lamp, a figure—neither man nor ghost—rose from the coffin and approached him. Trapped against the wall, Lin Shenhua's pleas for mercy went unheeded.
As the figure drew near, Lin Shenhua cowered, his escape routes cut off. "Stay back, stay back!" he cried, his tears on the brink. However, the figure turned, retreating slowly back into the tomb. Lin Shenhua cautiously opened his eyes, realizing he could not linger a moment longer. Hastily, he fled the graveyard, his path set toward the village.
Meanwhile, concealed in the shadows, Lin Li smirked to herself. "Junior Brother, you truly are skilled. Lin Shenhua won't dare show his face around me after this! Oh, Junior Brother, your specters are quite entertaining. When will you let me play with those props?" With a casual turn, she paused, her gaze falling upon the apparition—a Qing dynasty official with a crimson plume atop his hat—his visage pallid and grim.
"Junior Brother, Lin Shenhua has already fled, haven't you had enough fun? Time to call it quits," Lin Li teased. Yet, the apparition remained impassive, advancing towards her.
"Ha! Junior Brother, are you not tired yet? Your legs are so stiff!" Lin Li jests.
At that moment, the apparition fixed its gaze upon Lin Li, as if recognizing a familiar face, studying her intently. Suddenly, a chill gripped Lin Li's heart.
"Junior Brother, Junior Brother!" she called out.
In response, a voice from behind replied, "Senior Sister, I'm right here. I had a sudden stomachache, so I stepped away for a moment."
Startled, Lin Li turned to see Jian Yumei.
"And what's that behind you?" Lin Li inquired.
"What 'what'? Didn't we finish scaring Lin Shenhua just now? You said not to frighten him to death. I was about to head back to bed!" Jian Yumei responded.
"But what about that behind you?" Lin Li
's heart raced with trepidation.
Turning around, Jian Yumei spotted the apparition!
In that moment, Jian Yumei cried out, "Senior Sister, run! It's a real zombie!"
With that, he grabbed her hand, and they fled. However, after running for a while, they too stumbled and fell.
Recalling a saying, "Treat others as you would like to be treated," Jian Yumei watched as the zombie advanced slowly. He and Lin Li were consumed by fear. Yet, as the zombie drew near, Jian Yumei remembered the prayer beads in his hand. With a gentle wave, a peculiar light emerged, vanquishing the zombie instantly.
As dawn approached, Jian Yumei heard the crowing of a rooster. In the distance, he and Lin Li heard screams. Slowly, they approached, discovering the village boys—some unconscious, others too terrified to speak.
Together, Jian Yumei and Lin Li left the graveyard behind, their hearts heavy with the memory of the night's terrors.