Chapter 034

Master Ding arrived.

Then Master Ding left again.

Faced with Master Ding’s sudden change of attitude, Director Liu was completely baffled and could only rush to stop him. He clung tightly to the car window and said anxiously, “Master Ding, please don’t go. The troubles on my set haven’t been resolved yet. If you leave, then… well, you know, won’t there be more trouble?” When it came to mentioning the ghost, he mumbled through it, afraid of disturbing the spirit.

Master Ding let out a cold snort. “This humble Daoist’s abilities are lacking. Sir Liu has already found someone else, so why go through the unnecessary trouble of seeking me out?”

“Who did I find?” Director Liu said blankly. “I only invited you, Master Ding.”

Master Ding pointed furiously in Qiao Man’s direction. “The person arrived before me, and you still deny it!”

What?

What person?

Director Liu looked in the direction he was pointing, utterly confused, and only saw a dense crowd of onlookers, mostly crew members from both in front of and behind the camera. One child stood out among them, fair-skinned, delicate, and adorable. Director Liu thought to himself: When did my production hire this little actor?

Beside the child, someone met his gaze and ran over.

“Director Liu.” Xiao Hui greeted him and spoke quickly. “I’m the one who asked Master Xiao Man to come. He heard there was a ghost causing trouble on our set and came to help us catch it.”

Director Liu: “Master Xiao Man? Who’s that?”

Xiao Hui: “The Little Master from Wilderness Challenge!”

At the mention of Wilderness Challenge, Director Liu remembered. As a hit variety show, Wilderness Challenge was extremely popular, and everyone in the industry had heard of it. This year’s season in particular had generated plenty of viral buzz, with the most famous thing being the little master on the show who could tell fortunes and use talismans.

When Director Liu watched the show, he had been amazed too.

But still…

Just a child. Even if he really did have some ability, could he possibly compare to the master he’d invited?!

The Master Ding he’d invited was a genuine master. No matter how ferocious or terrifying the vengeful ghost, capturing one was effortless for him. How could a child compare to that kind of skill? Setting aside everything else, just looking at their ages, Master Ding was clearly far more credible than that round-cheeked little kid across the way.

Hiring a five-year-old to catch ghosts? Was this some kind of joke? Did they think ghost hunting was child’s play?

Without time to scold Xiao Hui for acting on his own, Director Liu hurriedly turned back and said, “Master Ding, you heard him. That was someone else’s doing. Of course I trust in your abilities, and this matter absolutely cannot be resolved without you.”

Master Ding let out a huff through his nose.

But Director Liu’s attitude was very gratifying to him, at least better than President Zhang who changed face faster than turning a page. This was the kind of treatment he was used to receiving, being warmly welcomed everywhere he went. At the same time, he was also thinking to himself: the trouble on the set was a haunting, and that child couldn’t catch ghosts anyway, so wouldn’t this matter have to fall to him?

So what if he could divine and calculate? When it came to catching ghosts, you needed the right specialist for the job.

Master Ding put on airs for a while longer, as though he had been persuaded by Director Liu, before finally and reluctantly stepping out of the car.

“Where’s the place with the trouble?” Master Ding lifted his chin and said haughtily. “Take me to see it.”

Director Liu was overjoyed and personally led the way.

After watching Master Ding and the group of people all file away, Xiao Hui came back dejected. “Maomao, Master Xiao Man, I’m really sorry…”

Qiao Man watched the departing crowd with an absent-minded look. “Can I still go in and take a look?”

“Go in again? To watch the ghost catching?” Xiao Hui scratched his head. “Probably, yeah.”

“…Mm!”

Actually, Qiao Man wanted to keep watching the filming on set, but since the haunted place was the filming location, there wasn’t much difference anyway.

The group trailed behind and headed inside. Maomao asked, “Brother Lu, do you know that Master Ding?”

Lu Jianxing: “We met him once a few days ago.”

Xiao Hui didn’t know, but Maomao knew that Lu Jianxing had gone on a “business trip” with Master Xiao Man a few days ago. Since they’d met at a ghost-catching scene, Maomao breathed a sigh of relief. “In that case, he must be a capable person too. He’ll definitely be able to catch that ghost shadow.”

“You could say that,” Lu Jianxing replied.

Some ability, but not much.

Because a ritual was about to be performed, the entire production had shut down, and the place where the ghost shadow had been caught on film was cordoned off. The filming location was an antique-style street in the Film and Television Base. Most period street scenes in TV dramas were shot here, and the site of the incident was a building on the street with carved beams and painted rafters¹.

The building’s interior was equally old-fashioned. The set from the day before yesterday’s shoot hadn’t been taken down yet. In the center was a broad platform, open above all the way to the roof, with corridors wrapping around on all four sides and staircases winding upward. Standing in the corridors, one could clearly see what was happening on the central platform.

This morning they had been reshooting the day before yesterday’s scenes, so the actors were still in ancient costumes, scattered around in small groups. The sight of elegant clothing and beautiful figures dazzled Qiao Man’s eyes. If it weren’t for the cameras and other filming equipment still set up everywhere, he might have thought he’d climbed right into the television.

Qiao Man asked, “What is this place?”

Maomao coughed and explained vaguely, “It’s, you know, the building behind the red-light district and all that.”

Lu Jianxing glanced at him and ruffled the soft hair on the kid’s head, then clarified, “A brothel.”

Qiao Man had a sudden realization.

That’s right. The big hotel he stayed at in City X was very similar to this, except it was bigger there, and the center wasn’t an empty platform but a big fountain.

Director Liu first led everyone to see the props that had been causing problems.

The haunting on set first started with props growing legs and moving around on their own. The prop master would carefully set up a scene, and then a short while later, the positions of various props on the set would shift, causing no end of trouble for the filming process.

One had to understand that although the scenes in a TV drama played out continuously, the actual filming wasn’t completed in one go. Within a single set, a scene had to be shot many times and then go through post-production editing to create the final television image. Props served as the anchors of each shot. Every time they filmed, the prop master had to place the props in exactly the same positions as before. When props shifted on their own, they became continuity errors instead.

Director Liu pushed open a door. Inside was another filming location that had been used recently, so the scene was still fully set up.

“Master Ding, please look, this is…” Director Liu was in the middle of his introduction when he suddenly frowned. “Why isn’t this tea set complete? …Wait, who put a Peppa Pig in here?”

The antique-style room had sheer curtains, wooden tables and chairs, a guqin² on one table, and a tea set with pastries on another. No one knew if the pastries were still edible, but the tea was already cold. The tea set should have been a matching collection, but the cup with poured tea had a pink pig printed on its side.

Qiao Man poked his head out to look. Heh, it was the exact same pig he always watched.

Qiao Man was absolutely delighted. He looked up with pleading eyes. “Xingxing, I want that.”

Maomao’s face went green. “Baby, let’s… not take that one…”

Who knew where the hell that thing came from!

Director Liu went to check the footage with the cameraman. There, in a close-up shot of the male lead drinking tea, a huge pink pig filled the screen.

Director Liu’s face turned green too. It hadn’t been like that when they filmed it!

Master Ding pondered for a moment. “Mm… this object bears Yin Energy. It must be the work of malicious spirits.”

Director Liu wiped his face and vented, “Before, it was just props moving around. Now, even the footage is getting messed up. But we can’t film without the props, and this is seriously disrupting our shooting schedule.”

Like that Peppa Pig teacup shot. That’s definitely getting reshot.

Director Liu was filming a historical idol drama adapted from a massive female-oriented IP³. It had a huge reputation, huge investments, and high production values. To ensure the right aesthetic, they had hired a professional styling team who custom-made the costumes based on historical designs. The clothing, accessories, and furniture were all exquisitely crafted, some props even being genuine antiques, nothing like those cheap wholesale items.

Yet after all that meticulous preparation, what ended up on camera was a bright pink pig. Director Liu nearly fainted from rage.

“The props are a minor issue. What we’re more afraid of is an actual casualty.”

Director Liu led the group up to the third-floor hallway. Pointing at a spot, he said to Master Ding, “Right here. That day, we were shooting a scene where the third male lead⁴ had to fly down from there. Halfway through, the wire suddenly came loose. Luckily, he wasn’t that high up at the time, so the actor didn’t suffer any serious injuries. And this is exactly where we captured that ghostly figure on camera.”

The onlookers all looked deeply unsettled.

“The third floor? That’s a bit too high. A fall from there could break a person’s legs.”

Maomao nodded. “Yeah, seriously. Way too dangerous.”

“We’ll be using this set too. We better check for safety hazards when the time comes.”

“Definitely… Huh?”

Maomao turned around and realized the person standing beside him had somehow changed.

Lu Jianxing recognized the person. “Director Yang?”

Qiao Man greeted him. “Uncle.”

Director Yang adjusted his glasses and chuckled. “I heard Director Liu’s crew hired a master to catch a ghost. I had some free time, so I came to take a look. What a coincidence! You guys are here to watch the show too?”

He even joked with Qiao Man, “Master Xiao Man, if a ghost shows up later, you have to protect me, okay?”

Qiao Man nodded very seriously, puffing out his little chest. “No problem. I’m very strong.”

Director Yang burst out laughing.

Over there, Master Ding had already circled the third floor once. Director Liu followed closely behind him. When Master Ding stopped again at the spot where the ghostly image was captured, Director Liu’s heart leaped into his throat. “Master Ding, did you find something?”

“This spot has the heaviest concentration of Yin Energy. A malevolent ghost definitely lingered here,” Master Ding declared.

Director Liu sucked in a sharp breath. Now that he knew it was definitely a ghostly figure and not some technical glitch, he didn’t relax at all. He only grew more anxious.

The actor playing the third male lead was also here today. Hearing this, his face instantly turned deathly pale.

“Is the ghost still here? Aren’t there going to be more accidents?” Director Liu asked quietly. “Our production schedule is very tight. Taking even a single day off is a huge hassle. If possible, it’d be best to resolve this today.”

Master Ding nodded slightly, stroked his beard, and instructed his assistant, “Set up the altar. I will perform the ritual.”

The assistant skillfully took out the ritual implements and props they had brought and began setting up the space. Conveniently, the stage in the center of the hall was empty, making it a perfect spot for the ritual.

Master Ding adjusted his Taoist robe and walked down from the third floor, an expression of profound mystery plastered on his face. Director Liu and the others trailed behind him, asking questions nervously, but Master Ding ignored every single one.

He sat down on a chair and closed his eyes slightly. Dressed in his Taoist robe, he looked like he was preparing some grand technique. Seeing this, Director Liu and the others dared not disturb him. A moment later, when the assistant had finished preparing the ritual, Master Ding opened his eyes, stood up languidly, and smoothed out the wrinkles in his robe.

After straightening up, he looked up and immediately spotted Qiao Man standing right at the front.

Having waited forever, Qiao Man was squatting on the ground, utterly bored. His little hands propped up his chin, squishing his chubby cheeks out of shape. He let out a huge yawn, two drowsy tears squeezing from the corners of his eyes.

Master Ding: “…”

The assistant respectfully handed over Master Ding’s Peach Wood Sword. “Master.”

Master Ding kept a stern face, silently recited the Heart Purification Sutra⁵ in his mind, and only then reached out to take the Peach Wood Sword.

Then came the familiar shamanic ritual⁶.

Master Ding was a seasoned master. His Taoist robe was very imposing, and he knew exactly what his clients wanted to see. The shamanic ritual was absolutely essential. The mesmerizing footwork, the arcane chants, the curling green smoke, and the yellow paper talismans flying everywhere. Even though no one understood any of it, just watching it inexplicably put their minds at ease.

A cold gust of wind blew past. Maomao shrank back, hunching his neck, and asked quietly, “Baby, is there really a ghost here?”

“Yep.”

Maomao: “…”

The people nearby silently shuffled closer to the child, huddling together.

Qiao Man rested his chin on his hands and looked up at a spot on the second-floor balcony. A bald male ghost with a long braid, dressed in a long gown, was leaning on the railing, watching the commotion with great interest.

On the platform, Master Ding was still performing his shamanic dance. The male ghost seemed to have seen enough; he straightened up, stretched lazily, and walked behind the dancing Master Ding. Then he waved a hand, and the bronze incense burner on the table was slapped over.

No one but Qiao Man saw what he did. All they saw was the incense burner suddenly topple, and then the rest of the items on the table: plates swept to the ground, melons and fruit rolling, bowls shattering, pens snapping, yellow talisman papers scattering wildly, and finally the entire table flipped over by thin air!

The orderly ritual site was a scene of utter chaos in the blink of an eye.

“Ghost—a ghost!”

Screams burst from the crowd.

Qiao Man felt a sharp pain in his ears, then a pair of big hands clamped under his armpits and he was hoisted up. He kicked his dangling little legs helplessly, a head pressed tightly against his back.

The whole upheaval happened in the span of a few breaths. When the incense burner was knocked over, Master Ding heard the commotion, stopped, and turned around to witness his ritual site being wrecked right in front of him. The male ghost stood there with arms folded, smirking proudly at him.

Master Ding’s expression turned sharp. He gripped his Peach Wood Sword. “Wicked ghost! You dare deliver yourself to my door!”

The Long-braided Ghost grinned. “Oh, you can actually see me? Not completely useless after all.”

Qiao Man patted the person behind him with his little hand and said pitifully, “Maomao, let me down.”

Maomao sheepishly put him down. “Sorry, baby, I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay.”

Qiao Man’s feet touched the ground again, but before he could steady himself, he felt someone pinch his clothes. Maomao curled into a chubby ball behind him, desperately trying to hide behind his tiny body, hoping Qiao Man would shield him. Qiao Man sighed and swung his Little Yellow Duck Backpack around to his chest to give him more cover.

Xiao Hui took one look, then mimicked Maomao, crouching down into a ball. The two good friends huddled together, shivering.

In the center, the man and the ghost were already locked in a magical duel.

This long-braided male ghost⁷ was nothing like the programmer ghost from President Zhang’s office. That ghost had no ill intent, only harmless pranks like flickering lights and faucets running blood. This Long-braided Ghost was different. Who knew how many years he’d been alive? He was far stronger than the programmer ghost and brimming with malice toward people.

Master Ding held his Peach Wood Sword in one hand and clutched a stack of talisman papers in the other. Not the props used for atmosphere—the real ones, always on his person, deployed only at critical moments. He struggled frantically against the Long-braided Ghost, the talismans in his sleeve consumed at a rapid pace.

Blasts of wind, flashes of lightning, flickering in and out inside the small building.

Though the onlookers couldn’t see the ghost, they could feel these unnatural phenomena that should never happen indoors. Many screamed and fled, while the rest scrambled for cover, terrified of getting caught in the crossfire.

A cameraman boldly switched on his camera and aimed it at the center, but all he could capture was the image of Master Ding fighting alone against an invisible evil ghost.

More and more people were now cowering behind Qiao Man, trembling.

Master Xiao Man spread his arms wide and unhesitatingly planted himself in front, shielding the grown-ups behind him.

His small face was taut, watching the one man and one ghost in the center with solemn intensity.

While others couldn’t see, he saw it all crystal clear. Master Ding was clearly on the losing end against the Long-braided Ghost.

Master Ding was a certified Taoist⁸, but his abilities were only average. He could handle ordinary minor ghosts, but this Long-braided Ghost had clearly existed for many years. His power might not be top-tier, but dealing with one Taoist was effortless for him.

When Ding’s Thunderbolt Talisman struck him, the ghost didn’t even change expression. He merely reached back and tore the talisman off.

Though they couldn’t see the ghost, they could see Master Ding constantly getting beaten. Director Yang had also curled into a ball, pressed tightly against Maomao. When the Long-braided Ghost smacked Ding to the ground, Director Yang’s whole body shuddered.

Qiao Man was absorbed in watching ghost-hunting when he felt someone pinch his ear. He lifted his head, and Lu Jianxing asked softly, “Xiao Man, can you help me see?”

“You want to see too?”

“Mm.”

Qiao Man rummaged in his backpack. A talisman paper crumbled to ash in his hand.

The howling wind swept the talisman ash onto the Long-braided Ghost, and soon, everyone could see him.

The Long-braided Ghost had a pallid, ghastly face and a sinister look. He held Master Ding by the collar, landing punch after punch on his face. Suddenly, he sensed something, stopped, and turned his head to stare.

Countless pairs of eyes met his.

Everyone froze, clamping their mouths over the screams about to burst out, and frantically ducked behind cover, their bodies trembling uncontrollably from head to toe.

The Long-braided Ghost swept his gaze around, then his eyes settled back on Ding’s face. “Taoist, that your doing?”

Master Ding: “…”

The Long-braided Ghost sneered nastily. “So what if they see me? With your pathetic, cheap tricks, you want to exorcise me? You’d be better off calling for some actual help.”

Ding’s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to say something, but another fist smashed into his face. The pain made his eyes roll back, nearly knocking him unconscious.

Then he felt his body lighten as the Long-braided Ghost seized his collar and shot straight up. Amid the crowd’s terrified gasps, Ding’s body dangled like a kite swaying in midair, suspended three or four stories high, supported only by the collar the ghost gripped.

Every heart leaped into every throat.

The Long-braided Ghost bared his teeth in a grin, the corners of his mouth stretching nearly to his ears, his pallid face hideous, a faint red gleam flickering in his eyes—all traces of humanity gone. He asked, “That last guy didn’t die when he fell. Will you?”

Ding’s pupils shrank, but he had no time to stop it, already feeling his body plummeting downward.

Screams erupted from every direction in an instant.

“Help—!”

“Xiao Man!”

Qiao Man swiftly yanked talismans from his backpack. A fierce gust of wind swept through, and the people crouching behind him were nearly blown over.

The wind rushed onto the central platform, spiraling into a small cyclone that caught the falling Master Ding and gently lowered him to the ground. Safe on the ground, Ding drew a huge, ragged breath and lay motionless.

The Long-braided Ghost turned into the wind and scanned the area. First he spotted Lu Jianxing standing there, then his gaze settled on Qiao Man beside him, clutching a yellow talisman in his hand.

The child looked so young and innocent that the Long-braided Ghost froze for a moment. “A child?”

Master Xiao Man stepped forward, looking a bit troubled. “Mm…”

Had been studying for ages and still couldn’t manage it.

Ghost hunting was so hard. If only Master were here.

He took out a Thunder-Inducing Talisman. Before using it, he recalled his master’s warning and said hesitantly, “If you surrender willingly, I won’t catch you.”

“You, a child, think you can catch me?” The Long-braided Ghost flew right up to him, cackling. “Even this Taoist can’t do anything to me, and you? A child?”

The Long-braided Ghost bent down, leaning in close, his monstrous face made even more horrifying by the proximity. “How do you plan to catch me? You—”

BOOM! Before he could finish—a deafening crash! A thick bolt of lightning struck down out of nowhere, flooding the small building with blinding radiance. After the harsh glare faded, all that remained was a charred black crater.

The Long-braided Ghost stared in horror at the spot near his feet, where lightning flames crackled and burned. He stumbled back several more steps.

If he hadn’t dodged in time, that bolt would have nearly struck him directly. Even so, he was caught by the aftershock, his spirit body trembling violently as if wracked by a massive earthquake. He could feel himself clearly growing weaker.

He’d been an inch away from utter annihilation!

Who had done that?

“Huh? Did I miss?” Qiao Man pulled out another Thunder-Inducing Talisman. “Hold on, let me try again.”

The Long-braided Ghost was speechless.

The Long-braided Ghost slowly reined in his ferocious expression.

“W-Wait!” he said weakly. “I-I think I can still be saved⁹… I can explain!”

“I can explain!”

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Translator’s Notes

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1. carved beams and painted rafters: A translation of the idiom ‘diaoliang huadong’ (雕梁画栋), describing traditional Chinese architecture with intricate craftsmanship. It typically signifies a building of high status, luxury, or historical elegance. ↩
2. guqin: A plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family. It has been associated with scholars and the literati for millennia and is a staple prop in period dramas to signify a refined or historical setting. ↩
3. female-oriented IP: A translation of ‘nüpin IP’ (女频IP), referring to content from the ‘female frequency’ or female-targeted sections of Chinese web novel platforms. These stories typically focus on romance, drama, or female-led adventures and are a major source for television adaptations. ↩
4. third male lead: In Chinese drama production, characters are often ranked by their importance to the plot (e.g., Male 1, Male 2, Male 3). The ‘third male lead’ (男三) is a supporting actor, usually part of the main cast but subordinate to the primary and secondary leads. ↩
5. Heart Purification Sutra: Likely referring to the ‘Qingjing Jing’ (清静经), a short Taoist scripture focused on attaining stillness and clarity of mind. It is often recited by practitioners to maintain composure or prepare for ritual work. ↩
6. shamanic ritual: The translation of ‘tiao dashen’ (跳大神), a folk ritual involving rhythmic dancing and chanting to commune with or drive away spirits. While sometimes used seriously, it is often used colloquially or derogatorily to describe performative, exaggerated, or fraudulent spiritual displays. ↩
7. long-braided male ghost: The ‘long braid’ (长辫) and ‘long gown’ (长褂) signify that the ghost dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912), when men were required to wear their hair in a queue. This visual cue indicates the ghost has been around for over a century. ↩
8. certified Taoist: In modern China, Taoist priests can be officially ‘certified’ by the state-sanctioned Taoist Association. This detail highlights that Master Ding has the formal credentials of a professional, making his lack of actual spiritual power more ironic. ↩
9. I think I can still be saved: The phrase ‘I think I can still be saved’ (我觉得我还可以再抢救一下) is a popular Chinese internet meme. It originated from a comedy sketch and is used humorously by characters who are in a hopeless situation but are desperately trying to avoid a final ‘death’ or defeat. ↩