Winter of the 14th year of the Republic of China, Beiping 'The ghost is here! The ghost is here!' The crowd of onlookers was making a deafening noise, all focused on one single target. The children waited with bated breath. Forgot to open his mouth, and a puff of white breath escaped h
- Book content
- Chapter list
Chapter 1
Winter of the 14th year of the Republic of China, Beiping
"The ghost is here! The ghost is here!"
The crowd of onlookers was making a deafening noise, all focused on one single target.
The children waited with bated breath. Forgot to open his mouth, and a puff of white breath escaped his lips with a chuckle.
The spirit and soul were frozen in place.
A black demon leaped out from the left, and a white demon from the right, waving and thrashing about amidst the chanting of sutras. Behind the black and white demons were lamas wearing animal masks; their duty was to "fight demons," also known as "jumping step zha." Demons were considered unlucky; chasing, beating, and driving them out of the house ensured peace for the year. The sounds of Tibetan musical instruments and the clamor of gongs and drums brought out a high lama carrying a begging bowl and chanting mantras. His yellow face remained impassive, clad in yellow brocade robes, as he presided over the event.
People from near and far watched the performance intently until the black and white ghosts had finished their dance. Then they removed their ghost costumes, replaced them with two gray-faced human figures, and chopped them off with knives, thus ending the "ghost-beating" day. The next day was another one, called "Temple Visiting Day." This was the grand Yonghe Temple Fair, held from the 29th day of the first lunar month to the 1st day of the second lunar month.
It was Dandan's first time watching "Fighting Ghosts," and her eyes were wide with excitement, like ink dots, unwilling to blink. Seeing the black and white ghosts circle around to the other side of the temple, she immediately scurried away from the crowd.
Uncle was carrying her on his back when he turned around and caught a glimpse of the end of Dandan's unusually long braid.
Dandan thought that by taking a shortcut and going in circles, she could catch a trace of the ghost. But as she stepped through the first gate and turned the corner of the hall, all the noise seemed to gradually be sealed off, becoming muffled and silent. Ten-year-old Dandan knew she had taken the wrong path, but she wasn't afraid; she was just momentarily at a loss. When she looked back to find her way, she saw the seated Maitreya Buddha, who seemed to be welcoming guests from afar with a beaming smile. Beside him were the Four Heavenly Kings: one holding a whip, one holding an umbrella, one playing with a snake, and one cradling a pipa, all very majestic.
Dandan remembered that she had come to the Yonghe Temple for her beloved Huang-gege. A sudden pang of anxiety gripped her as she recalled their acrobatic performance that day, the "climbing the mountain of knives." A thick wooden pole stood upright on the ground, long ropes stretched to both sides, and a table was tied to the top. She imagined the rope ladder, the crossbeams, the gleaming upward-pointing blades, Huang-gege, barefoot, stepping onto the blades, climbing to the top of the pole, scaling the table, and then—he fell, and a burst of bloody smoke erupted on the ground…
It turns out that we inexplicably arrived at Wanfu Pavilion, a three-story building, where the head of the Buddha statue stretched all the way up to the third floor. It is said that the Buddha's body is 75 feet long, and there is an additional 24 feet buried underground, making a total of 99 feet.
Dandan strained, only to find herself incredibly short, unable to see the end of the Buddha statue. She didn't understand whether the Buddha had any power, and wondered if she could ask her brother Huang to take a step or two as usual—she didn't want him to toss up a water meteor, leap up, somersault, and catch it with a wave of his hand. Nor did she want him to have a head-to-head contest with her…
As long as he takes a normal step or two, he can simply step from one door into the other.
His uncle carried him to the temple to pray to the gods. He was thinking that there was a ghost, and that if he could bring good fortune and exorcise the evil spirit, he would probably get better. So when the lama waved his colorful ritual implements and scattered white powder along the way, his uncle, like everyone else, reached out to collect it, carefully put it in his pocket, and went back to mix it with water for the disabled patient to drink.
Brother Huang is paralyzed. To put it bluntly, he can no longer move his entire body. All this because he had to "climb mountains of knives" and fall onto hard ground.
"Please, Buddha, bless my brother Huang!" Dandan kowtowed three times. "If you are effective, I will come to pray to you again. If you are not effective, even if you are three stories tall, I am not afraid. I can climb up to you and smear your face! We are going back to our hometown the day after tomorrow. You have to hurry up and drive away the ghosts around you."
"oh"
A reply came from the hall, where incense smoke and tea swirl. Dandan looked around sharply, but saw nothing. It must be the Buddha's reply.
……
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
