The Mystical Feng Shui Files

I entered the room, changed into dry clothes with my master, and hung the wet ones on the bamboo pole in the hall. Through the misty rain, I gazed outside.

The dim sky tangled with the black malevolent aura, creating an unsettling atmosphere.

“Come, come, Master, Little Master, let’s eat!” the village head called from behind.

I turned around and walked to the table, sitting down. I waited for my master to pick up his chopsticks before following suit.

The village head and my master chatted intermittently while I focused on eating. My ears, however, were alert.

From outside the village came noises reminiscent of the sounds Shi Zhu’s wife had made during her frenzied episodes. But the distance, combined with the occasional shouts of men, made it hard to discern clearly.

Suddenly, I caught the village head mentioning Shi Dan.

“Shi Dan’s a sensible kid. His father passed away early, leaving just his mother to raise him. Who would’ve thought she’d end up possessed too? Sigh, there are so many unfortunate families in the village, but we can’t look after them all.”

“When did the possessions in the village start?” my master asked.

“About half a month ago, I think,” the village head recalled. “It was on a day like this, with heavy rain. Shi Zhu came running to find me, and I brought some men to check it out. My goodness, his wife was acting like a madwoman-several grown men couldn’t hold her down, and she was biting anyone who got close! At first, we thought it might be rabies, so we planned to take her to the county hospital at dawn. But before morning came, more cases started popping up all over the village! That night, the dogs were barking like crazy. We figured maybe one of the dogs was sick and passed it on to people, so we decided to kill all the dogs.”

Suddenly, it all made sense. No wonder I hadn’t seen a single dog since entering the village-they’d all been slaughtered!

Dogs are sensitive creatures; they can perceive things humans can’t, which is why they bark so fiercely. But who would’ve thought the village head would order all the dogs killed?

And what about the roosters? Why were there no roosters either?

“But killing the dogs didn’t help. People in the village kept getting possessed, and everyone grew terrified! Then someone suggested it might be possession. If that’s the case, wouldn’t rooster blood drive away the spirits? So I had people catch the roosters, kill them, and sprinkle their blood on the afflicted. We even made them drink some. But in the end… sigh! I was at my wit’s end, so I told the villagers working outside to find a master to come and take a look.”

So that’s what happened.

Listening to this, I couldn’t quite describe the feeling in my heart.

In a place where malevolent spirit energy gathers, killing dogs and roosters-creatures brimming with yang energy-only makes things worse. No wonder the situation had spiraled out of control.

But it wasn’t surprising. Ordinary people don’t understand these things. When faced with desperation, they’ll try anything that offers even a glimmer of hope.

My master nodded thoughtfully, sipping local liquor with the village head at a leisurely pace.

The village head let out a long sigh. “Our village is so poor. No young women are willing to marry into this place. Those with any skills or ambition have left for the city to find work. All that’s left are the elderly, the children, and just a handful of able-bodied men. Now, even the wives at home have become possessed, and the whole village feels like it’s falling apart… Sigh!”

“Don’t worry,” my master finally spoke, his voice calm and steady. “Once the rain stops, we’ll take a look tomorrow. This matter will be resolved.”

Hearing my master’s reassurance, the village head seemed noticeably more at ease. After dinner, he brought over some mosquito coils and lit them.

“Master, you’ve been busy ever since you arrived. You must be exhausted. Get some rest early tonight!”

“Thank you for your trouble,” I said, taking the mosquito coil and expressing my gratitude. Once the village head left, I placed the coil under the bed and climbed onto it.

The room had two bamboo beds, scrubbed clean and neat. Lying down, the cool surface of the bed felt refreshing and comfortable.

Back in Jiang City, I used to sleep in a black coffin at night.

When traveling with my master, he always instructed me to lie down, close my eyes, and no matter what I heard, not to move. Then, I would sleep straight through until morning.

At first, I struggled. Voices would whisper in my ears, urging me to open my eyes or calling me to go outside and do something. Sleep never came easily. But over time, I got used to it. Eventually, even if someone set off firecrackers next to me, it wouldn’t disturb my rest.

But tonight was different. I tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. My eyes stayed open as I lay on my side, staring out the window.

The rain outside was relentless. Fine droplets drifted through the window, carrying a coolness that was a stark contrast to the stifling heat and restlessness of the city.

“Close your eyes,” my master said from the other bed.

“Oh!” I quickly shut my eyes.

As soon as I did, my hearing sharpened. I could distinctly tell the difference between the sound of rain hitting the trees and the roof. I could even discern the faint splashes of raindrops hitting the muddy ground, the droplets splattering against walls or tree trunks with barely audible thuds.

But then there was another sound-soft and muffled, like rain falling on a person. A “plop-plop” sound, damp and heavy.

On a person?

A chill ran through me, and I instinctively wanted to open my eyes. But years of training held me back. Instead, I strained my ears, trying to make sense of the sounds outside.

Who would be out there in such heavy rain? And why behind the village head’s house?

A shiver ran down my spine, and I almost opened my eyes again. But my master’s words echoed in my mind, and I forced myself to stay still.

In a low voice, I called, “Master?”

There was no response.

“Master?” I called a little louder, but still, there was no answer.

Panic began to creep in. I tried to steady my breathing and tilted my head to listen, but I couldn’t hear the familiar sound of his breathing.

My heart pounded violently in my chest. Unable to hold back any longer, I opened my eyes and sat up in bed.

But the bamboo bed next to mine-where was my master?

“Master?” I called out again, louder this time, but there was still no reply.

In rural homes, there’s often a wooden bucket kept indoors for convenience at night, so people don’t have to go outside. On normal days, it might not be used, as the outdoors serves just as well. But with the heavy rain, the village head had brought in an old bucket, one that carried a faint, unpleasant odor.

My master wouldn’t have gone out to use the bathroom.

So where had he gone?

I stared at the pitch-black room, listening to the rain outside, which seemed to grow heavier and heavier-until, suddenly, it stopped.

The silence that followed was unnerving. It was so quiet that every hair on my body stood on end.

I got out of bed, slipped on my shoes, and walked to the door to listen. Outside, there was no sound at all, so I reached out and opened it.

Outside the door was the village head’s living room. The dining table was still there, untouched, and the front door was wide open, letting in quite a bit of rain.

I hurried outside, glancing around. Where had master gone?

As I reached the doorway, the eerie silence suddenly vanished. The rain had stopped, and faint sounds began to reach my ears.

Something seemed to be happening in the village. A group of people was running toward the front of the village.

But it was too dark to see clearly.

I quickly moved to the main gate and peered outside.

I saw Shi Zhu and six or seven other men I didn’t recognize, carrying flashlights. One of them had a sack slung over his shoulder.

The sack was moving.

“Hurry up! They’re waiting over there!” Shi Zhu said, sounding unusually excited.

“What are you guys doing?” I shouted.

But they acted as if they hadn’t heard me. No one responded, and within moments, they were running deeper into the village.

During the day, Shi Zhu had been scared out of his wits. How had he suddenly become so spirited at night?

I glanced back at the village head’s house. It was pitch black inside, and master was still nowhere to be found. After thinking it over for a moment, I decided to push open the gate and follow them.

The group, carrying the sack, twisted and turned through the village paths until they arrived at a house at the back of the village.

The house wasn’t large. It was a shabby stone building, but the inside was brightly lit. Red happy characters were pasted on the windows, and several women were standing at the doorway, laughing cheerfully. One of them, a plump woman, looked oddly familiar.

When they saw the men arrive, the women hurried forward. “You’re finally here! Shi Suo, that bachelor, is finally getting himself a wife!”