Humans are truly fascinating individuals; normally ignorant and unaware, yet incredibly perceptive under specific circumstances.
The occurrence of some events, even if separated by thousands of mountains and out of sight, can still be sensed.
It's like you're walking down the street, suddenly feeling danger, and then quickly dodging a vase falling from the sky.
Or when you just leave your house, but feel uneasy, so you rush back home, only to find the firewood still burning and spreading, and if not dealt with, a fire will be inevitable.
Even when a loved one suddenly passes away, even if you are far away in a foreign land, you will feel grief in an instant of disorientation…
All these instances.
They are all pre-warnings from one's spiritual perception.
Some can be avoided, while others can only be watched as they unfold.
And at this moment.
Chen Yushu also triggered this spiritual pre-warning.
In his dream, he felt someone beside him.
This was a horrifying experience.
Silently, a person stood beside him, not speaking, not moving, just standing there quietly, watching him…
This was too terrifying, making one's hair stand on end.
“Who is it?
Or, that… person from a few days ago?”
Chen Yushu was horrified.
He had had this feeling for more than just one day.
In fact, three days ago, on his first day in this strange world, he had this feeling.
At that time, he had just undergone Transmigration, or rather, his memory had undergone an Awakening, and he vaguely accepted the fact that he had undergone Transmigration and Rebirth, arriving in this small mountain village that resembled ancient China, and becoming a child of about ten years old.
Then he felt a sudden palpitation, jolting him awake; at that moment, he also felt someone by his bed.
However, when he turned to look, there was no one there, and under the clear moonlight, there was no shadow either, but the feeling of 'someone' persisted until it gradually disappeared after a while.
The second day was the same.
That chilling sensation, though nobody was around, constantly reminded him—there really was 'someone'.
This was too horrifying.
At that time, he had already mentally called out the names of all the gods, demons, and Buddhas he could remember.
Now it was the third day.
Even if he was still somewhat naive, he now understood.
He had encountered 'something'.
He was being haunted!
Thinking of this, his scalp tingled.
This world was not the materialistic world of his previous life, where everything was about science and evidence… As a new-generation 'lying flat' youth, he had never believed in such things, but even so, legends of ghosts and monsters were endless, and once various mysterious things happened, there were always people who tirelessly discussed and debated them.
“What should I do?
What should I do?”
Chen Yushu was at a loss, his heart pounding.
His mind subconsciously stirred, and a line of text appeared before his eyes.
Name: Chen Yushu
Age: Twelve years old
Skills:
Reading: Literacy (21/100), Calligraphy: Self-Discernment (27/100))
...
This was something he discovered after he woke up.
Initially, he was indeed very surprised by it.
Although there were only two skills listed, it filled him with immense confidence.
Then, he met a ghost.
And obviously.
This thing was of no help to his current situation.
So, he was even more bewildered.
And he didn't know if it was his imagination, but he felt that the chilling aura emanating from that 'thing' was much stronger than yesterday.
It was as if.
It was growing stronger?
“I can’t just sit here and wait to die.”
Chen Yushu’s eyes trembled as he slowly opened them, but the fear in his heart prevented him from looking directly in that direction; he only glanced sideways with the corner of his eye.
No one?
The room was not dim.
The bright moon shone through the window, spilling into the room, allowing him to vaguely see the furnishings inside.
A cabinet and a window; the cabinet was a low bamboo one, serving as both a bookshelf and a table, while the window was a large square one, with a few horizontal wooden bars in the middle covered with white paper, though the paper had long been weathered by wind and rain, leaving several large holes through which a small tree in the courtyard could be seen.
The floor was compacted earth, somewhat uneven but very solid, and beside it was a small chair with a piece of clothing on it—a coarse, short, greyish-black jacket with two noticeably different colored patches neatly sewn on, not unpleasing to the eye.
Everything was clearly visible.
But, there was no 'person' as he had imagined.
Nothing.
It seemed as if it didn't exist.
However, 'it' was still there.
That feeling, like a thorn in his back, was incredibly clear.
'It' was right beside him.
It hadn't moved an inch.
And it was staring directly at him, as if observing some kind of beauty, or 'food'.
Chen Yushu’s heart sank.
An intense feeling of dread overwhelmed him.
But at that moment, he felt the 'it' beside him also move.
It seemed to have been absorbing something from afar, or perhaps his 'essence,' and slowly became more solid.
Then, he could 'see' the other party; vaguely, a humanoid shadow gradually emerged.
'It' had materialized.
Though very blurry, his peripheral vision did not clearly perceive it.
But it was incredibly real.
Immediately following, he felt the surrounding chill intensify greatly, goosebumps rose all over his body, and he became stiff, momentarily paralyzed, unable to move at all.
Then, he watched as the figure reached forward, extended a hand, and stepped over the edge of the bed; it had already gotten onto the bed, and then its body shifted…
It was pressing down?
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Chen Yushu’s heart pounded violently, as if his entire being was submerged in water, suffocated to the point of being unable to breathe.
He struggled fiercely in his mind, desperately trying to control his hands and feet.
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But it was futile, like a wall collapsing, no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't move it an inch.
“How dare you!”
Just then, a low shout rang out.
Immediately after, with a bang, the door was forcefully pushed open, and then a figure quickly rushed in, holding a bell in one hand and shaking it forcefully, while with the other hand, a whip was casually thrown out and lashed forward with great force!
“Ah…”
Chen Yushu heard a terrified scream, and a violent gust of Yin wind swept through, clearly blowing across his face, making him shiver.
Then he felt that he had regained control of his body, and that eerie aura was no longer present.
“Zhong Bo?”
Only then did Chen Yushu clearly see the person who had arrived, his face filled with surprise.
Zhong Bo was also a villager, said to be very capable. Occasionally, he would tell ghost stories and share his experiences from his youth wandering outside under the big tree at the village entrance, so he was very popular with the village children.
Yesterday, he heard that Zhong Bo had returned and had intended to join the crowd and mention the problem he encountered, but he only managed to greet him before Zhong Bo was called away by someone.
Given the current situation, did Zhong Bo sense something amiss beforehand?
“Yu Shu, Yu Shu, are you alright?”
Then, a beautiful woman walked in from outside the door and quickly rushed to embrace Chen Yushu.
Behind the woman, a tall, thin man also looked anxious, but he said nothing.
These two were Chen Yushu's parents, Chen Baihe and Zhao Hehua.
“Dad, Mom, I’m fine.”
Chen Yushu shook his head, then his gaze fell on Zhong Bo, a wave of curiosity in his heart.
What just happened?
A bell rang, a whip snapped, and that 'ghost' dispersed?
Was that Martial Arts? Or something else?
“Don’t worry, this was just a minor ghost, not a fully-formed Dao, so it posed little threat. In fact, if you were a bit bolder, it wouldn’t have been able to do anything to you.”
Zhong Bo, thinking he was still scared, laughed heartily and comforted him.
“Hurry up and thank Zhong Bo.
I told you, child, you’re really something, encountering a ghost, such a big deal, and you didn’t even tell us.
If Zhong Bo hadn’t noticed something was off with you this time and told us, who knows what would have happened.”
Zhao Hehua grumbled, unable to resist patting his bottom a few times, though her movements were large, her touch was light.
“Thank you, Zhong Bo.
Zhong Bo, what was that you used just now? Can it kill ghosts?”
He asked with a curious expression.
“This is an old bell, and over time, it gained some spiritual essence, which has a restraining effect on such things. When my bell rang, it got scared. This thing was never fully formed, so with that fear, most of its soul scattered, and then with a lash from my willow whip, wouldn't it just disperse?”
Zhong Bo explained with a smile, then continued, “Actually, it’s the same for humans; humans fear ghosts by three parts, and ghosts fear humans by seven parts. This ghost must have been haunting you for a few days. Precisely because you were afraid, it dared to keep clinging to you. When you’ve been drained enough, your life will be gone too.”
“Then what should we do?”
Zhao Hehua, who was nearby, jumped in fright upon hearing this.
“Don’t worry, now that this thing has dispersed, it certainly can’t harm anyone.
Moreover, for such a minor ghost to reach the point of taking a human life, it would need to continuously absorb Qi for at least seven days. With that much time, it would have been noticed long ago, and naturally, someone would have been found to get rid of it.”
Zhong Bo said with a comforting smile.
“Then can I learn this skill from you?”
Chen Yushu now understood that the minor ghost haunting him was not very powerful.
But the feeling of being helpless in the face of a ghostly invasion was too unsettling and helpless.
He naturally didn't want to be like that.
And clearly, this Zhong Bo was a capable person, at least able to exorcise ghosts, which is why he dared to ask.
If he could learn this skill of exorcising and destroying ghosts, he wouldn't be able to act without restraint, but at least he could protect himself.
“Learn from me?
What I have isn't much of a skill; I've only grasped some rudimentary principles.
I can't teach anyone.”
Saying this, he also shook his head.
If he truly possessed great abilities, he wouldn't still be in Beijiao Village. It was only by relying on some techniques he learned in his youth, understanding some principles, and accumulated experience over time that he held a certain status in the village, able to preside over some auspicious and inauspicious ceremonies.
True encounters with evil were actually rare.
Of course, if he did encounter one, as long as it wasn't too powerful, he could manage it with his 'experience'.
Especially regarding funerals, if one doesn't understand them, it's very easy for things to go wrong. So, they also have their own set of theories: who is suitable for burial, who must be cremated, the direction of burial, the time of interment, avoiding Yin and seeking Yang—all have their specific rules.
Otherwise, a single mistake could lead to misfortune, affecting future generations.
