Chapter 56: The Ghost Soldiers Pass Through¹

Watching the Producer lie back down again, Xie Sui thought something might have gone wrong with his health. He quickly set down the camera and lightly patted the man’s face. “Producer? Are you okay? Do you feel unwell anywhere?”

The Producer opened his eyes in despair. Before him was still the familiar sky, the familiar Xie Sui, and the familiar little ghosts crawling all over the ground.

He really wanted to ask Xie Sui if he could do something about those little ghosts crawling out from his person… but he didn’t dare.

The Producer sat back up, pretending he had seen nothing.

Even without the Producer’s reminder, Xie Sui had noticed the little ghosts crawling everywhere. However, with the Producer right there, it wasn’t convenient for him to start catching them.

Those little ghosts weren’t the resentment-filled Ghost Infants Xie Sui had brought with him; rather, they were the souls of children and babies who had died in this village.

Most of them had died very young and had no understanding of the world, nor any ability to care for themselves. They couldn’t find the entrance to the Netherworld on their own like adult ghosts could. Even with Xie Sui’s guidance, they could easily wander off from the Sanzu River² into the Yin-Yang Gap, so Xie Sui needed to personally deliver them into the Netherworld one by one.

Aside from these little ghosts, the water ghosts and other spirits in the courtyard were also ones he hadn’t had time to send away yet. Xie Sui had just finished extracting the resentment from them and hadn’t yet guided them back into the cycle of reincarnation.

These ghosts wandering around the village could be dealt with later. Since the village was currently in a state where one could enter but not leave, there was no fear of these spirits getting lost.

The most important thing right now was to calm the production crew members and ensure they stayed safely within the village.

The Producer quickly regained his composure. After all, he had filmed several seasons of a Supernatural Variety Show; he was a man of the world who had seen his share of big scenes.

These ghosts only looked terrifying; they weren’t actually harming him. Since Xie Sui and the other staff members were so calm, there was no need for him to make a fuss… though he couldn’t rule out the possibility that Xie Sui and everyone else were actually ghosts in disguise.

The Producer gave himself a sharp slap across the face. He didn’t hold back at all, and his cheek immediately became red and swollen.

Good. It hurt a lot, and he could control his own body. This was reality, not a dream.

The Producer stood up, trying his best to ignore the horrifying apparitions as he began to inspect the courtyard.

The entire production crew was present. Over seventy people were sitting scattered around the small courtyard, seemingly having just woken up like him.

However, the other staff members showed no reaction to the ghosts in the yard. The Producer even saw someone accidentally walk right through a ghost. The person merely shivered, while the ghost was so startled it floated a long distance away.

The Producer felt even more relieved.

No one else knew the ghosts existed; it must just be that something was wrong with his eyes.

But as he continued looking, the Producer noticed something amiss.

“Where’s Wen Yue??”

The Producer, who hadn’t panicked after seeing so many ghosts, was now starting to lose his cool. If they lost this particular ancestor, her fans would skin the production crew alive.

Xie Sui looked at the Producer strangely and pointed behind him. “Isn’t Wen Yue right behind you?”

To be honest, Xie Sui was a bit worried about the Producer’s health. Since waking up, the man had been acting dazed and foolish, unable to focus and constantly jumping at shadows… Could it be that the influence of the evil control technique had been too deep, causing some physical issue? But the other staff members who had been controlled were fine, so what was going on with him?

Prompted by Xie Sui, the Producer turned around to look.

He saw a plain-looking girl sitting not far behind him, frowning as she drank water handed to her by a staff member.

Although the girl had fair skin and regular features, her looks were nowhere near those of a great beauty; she was just an ordinary girl you might see anywhere on the street. Furthermore, there was a large, inverted triangular red birthmark on her left cheek that looked like a beast-head tattoo, making her otherwise decent appearance look somewhat sinister.

The Producer looked blank.

Who was this stranger? Where was Wen Yue? Where was the Wen Yue who could commit crimes with her beauty, the top star who became the most followed celebrity in the industry based on her face alone?

Before the Producer could voice the questions in his heart, he saw the strange woman knit her brows and splash the water in her hand directly onto the staff member.

“You’re giving me cold water? I just woke up! Do you have any idea how much damage drinking cold water right after waking up does to my body?”

As the woman scolded him, the red beast-head on her left cheek seemed to slightly open its mouth. The water-soaked staff member across from her apologized submissively, not daring to say a single word in rebuttal.

The voice and the temper were correct… The confusion on the Producer’s face deepened.

“That’s Wen Yue?” the Producer asked Xie Sui again, sounding uncertain.

Xie Sui nodded.

The Producer randomly grabbed another passing staff member and asked where Wen Yue was.

After receiving the same answer, the Producer fell silent.

Alright, it was confirmed. He was the one with the problem.

It was likely that due to some unknown reason, his optic nerve was being compressed. That was why he was seeing so many strange ghosts after waking up, and why Wen Yue had transformed from an impeccably beautiful woman into this sinister-looking person.

So it was all just a problem with his eyes.

The Producer felt a sense of relief. With a mysterious smile hanging on his lips, he watched with a calm expression as a group of transparent ghosts drifted past him.

Once they finished filming this variety show, he would take a vacation and go to the hospital for a thorough eye exam.

Xie Sui hadn’t intentionally tried to deceive the Producer. In his eyes, Wen Yue had always looked like this; she had never changed.

Regarding someone like Wen Yue, who proactively prayed to a Fox Immortal for charm, Xie Sui would not interfere. This wasn’t a case of a Fox Immortal actively harming someone. Wen Yue paid a price, and the Fox Immortal granted her wish. It was a case of a willing seller and a willing buyer, a fair trade that didn’t require his intervention.

However, the Producer’s repeated attempts to confirm Wen Yue’s appearance made Xie Sui realize one thing – it seemed the Producer’s eyes could now see ghosts.

Although the Yin Energy in this village was heavy and ghosts were numerous, it was still difficult for ordinary people to see the full appearance of a spirit clearly. They would only feel that the village was eerie and uncomfortable, perhaps catching a glimpse of a transparent afterimage in their peripheral vision at most.

However, the Producer’s reaction suggested he had seen the ghost’s appearance with total clarity.

Logically, the Producer had been with the rest of the crew throughout the journey to the village and had shared the same experiences. Even if he were being controlled by some evil sorcery… the staff members who had stayed behind in the village had been exposed for much longer than him, yet they were fine. Why was the Producer the only one having an accident?

Wait, there was one thing that set the Producer apart from the other staff members: the Producer had twice eaten the donkey meat that Chef Shao had created using Zaochu.

He had eaten it once six months ago, which was why he had brought the crew here for this shoot in the first place… It was likely that this had caused the Yin Energy in his body to become too heavy.

Xie Sui looked at the misfortune on the foreheads of the other staff members, which had already dissipated to a thin layer, and then at the stubborn dark cloud on the Producer’s forehead, letting out a soft sigh.

He would have to keep a close eye on this Producer. He hoped the man wouldn’t get curious and approach anything strange, as this village certainly had no shortage of oddities.

After confirming that his entire crew was present, the Producer breathed a sigh of relief and pulled his phone from his pocket.

The time displayed on the screen was March 30th, 5:47 AM.

That recurring nightmare had allowed the Producer to remember the exact time they had boarded the vehicle: March 29th at 5:33 PM. They had then driven into the mountains… which meant he had lost a full twelve hours of memory.

How exactly did he end up in this courtyard? What happened after they entered the village?

The Producer subconsciously looked toward Xie Sui, the first person he had seen upon waking.

Last time at Shao’s Restaurant, the first person he saw after waking up was also Xie Sui… Right, he seemed to have suffered a brief memory loss at Shao’s Restaurant as well. Back then, Xie Sui told him it was because he had been drugged by Chef Shao.

But this time he had lost twelve hours. How was he going to explain it this time?

As if knowing what the Producer wanted to ask, Xie Sui said in a serious tone, “You all got drunk last night.”

The Producer’s face was a mask of confusion.

Xie Sui continued with a straight face, “It’s like this. The villagers were too hospitable. As soon as we arrived yesterday, they threw a banquet for us. The crew underestimated the local homemade brew and everyone blacked out.”

The Producer opened his mouth to argue, but Xie Sui interrupted him.

“You were drunk.” Xie Sui’s expression was stern. “You all blacked out last night, which is why you don’t remember anything. Miss Nie and my assistant didn’t drink. We dragged you all back here with the help of the villagers.”

The Producer felt the surrounding temperature suddenly plummet. The ghost… no, the Xie Sui standing not far from him was staring at him intently. Those pitch-black, lightless eyes were like bottomless abysses. It felt as though if he said the wrong thing, his soul would be snatched away instantly, casting him into a dark hell for all eternity.

The Producer didn’t dare say another word. He nodded obediently. “Yes, yes, you’re right. We all blacked out.”

“The bloody smell in the village…” Seeing the shift in Xie Sui’s expression, the Producer cleared his throat, his voice trembling slightly. “It’s because the Qingming Festival is coming up, so the village is slaughtering pigs and sheep to sacrifice to their ancestors, right?” He completely ignored the fact that Qingming was still six days away, frantically inventing excuses to give Xie Sui a way out.

Sometimes, knowing too much only led to misfortune.

Xie Sui breathed a sigh of relief. This Producer was easier to fool than he had imagined. Could it be that his acting skills had improved, and his persuasion techniques had followed suit?

“So, Producer, do you still plan to stay in this village to film the variety show?”

Hearing Xie Sui’s words, which sounded like a threat, the Producer’s body involuntarily shuddered. He forced the corners of his mouth up into a very strained smile. “Do… do you want me to film it?”

“Of course,” Xie Sui replied bluntly. “I only get my appearance fee if you film the show.”

The Producer wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. “No problem! We’ll film! We’ll start filming right now!” As he spoke, he began calling out to the other newly awakened staff members to pack the equipment.

Seeing the Producer’s sudden burst of enthusiasm, Xie Sui quickly stopped him. “There’s no need to be in such a rush. The staff just woke up from their ‘drunkenness.’ Let them rest for a bit. It won’t be too late to start after breakfast.”

“Right, whatever you say,” the Producer nodded repeatedly.

Xie Sui felt a bit strange. The Producer’s behavior made him feel as if he had usurped the position and become the producer of this Supernatural Variety Show himself.

Whatever. As long as he had fooled him, it was fine. As long as the Producer agreed to stay in the village, the opinions of the other staff and guests didn’t matter.

Just as Xie Sui expected, the Producer smoothed things over with the rest of the staff and convinced the celebrity guests to stay and continue filming.

Next was breakfast.

Seven large tables were set out in the courtyard. True to Xie Sui’s word, the villagers were exceptionally hospitable, fearing they wouldn’t have enough to eat. A simple breakfast had been turned into a full-scale banquet.

“It’s a bit strange, though. Why are all the people coming and going in the village women? The men are all…”

Before the observant staff member could finish his sentence, the Producer stuffed a steamed bun into his mouth.

“Can’t even keep your mouth shut while eating,” the Producer said crossly. “Don’t be curious. Curiosity killed the cat. The men have obviously gone out to find work. It’s perfectly normal for the women to help out in the kitchen.”

The staff member really wanted to say that it wasn’t like this the last time he came. Last time, the women were all hidden away in the houses, and it was the male villagers who did the cooking and greeted the guests.

Seeing the Producer’s unfriendly glare, the staff member silently bit into his bun and stopped talking.

After a tasteless meal eaten without appetite, the Producer gathered the crew, preparing to officially begin filming the variety show.

Then they hit their first obstacle.

The young miss Wen Yue refused to film.

“I don’t care who films it! I was scared unconscious yesterday! Is your show really this heartless? I don’t care, I need to rest! No matter what you say, I’m not filming today!” Wen Yue stomped back to her room and slammed the door shut.

With one guest missing, the pre-designed segments of the variety show couldn’t proceed.

The assistant director looked at the Producer with a troubled expression.

The first segment was supposed to involve all the guests participating in the village’s local customs to learn about a ritual for a god of wealth known as the “Wutong God.”

Afterward, the production crew would take the guests to worship the Wutong God. During the ritual, the crew would trigger some mechanical devices to create the illusion of the “God of Wealth” appearing. The guests would then be divided into two competing teams to find the manifested Wutong God based on the ritual steps. Whichever team found it first would gain points.

Naturally, whether it was the filming or the ritual, the Producer had communicated with the village in advance and obtained the villagers’ consent. The village chief who spoke with them had been very welcoming, even offering to personally lead them to worship the Wutong God.

He just didn’t know where that village chief was now…

Recalling the dark red stains he had accidentally seen on the hem of the cooking lady’s clothes earlier, the Producer shook his head violently, clearing all doubts from his mind.

Knowing too much leads to misfortune.

The village chief was probably just out on business. Yes, that must be it.

The Producer forced himself to shift his focus back to the filming.

The folk custom of worshipping the “God of Wealth” didn’t have a fixed time limit and could be done any day, so filming tomorrow would be the same.

The Producer sighed and instructed the executive director, “We’ll film tomorrow. Let the guests do a live stream today. Then, have the editing team organize the footage from the journey and what you’ve filmed in the village to put together a rough cut of a teaser.”

The Producer paused, then added, “Highlight that terrifying tension of Chinese folk horror. I want to see a rough cut tonight… Hmm, make ten versions first so I can see the effect.”

The faces of the editing staff standing nearby turned green. Did he think they were making a PowerPoint? With just a few words, he wanted ten teaser edits in a single day. They couldn’t pull that off even if they worked themselves to death.

“Um, for ten teasers, we might not have enough footage…” the head of the editing team said as tactfully as possible.

The Producer waved his hand dismissively. “If there’s not enough footage, just walk around the village more and film whatever you like.”

The editing staff’s faces turned even greener. There were only six of them in total, and now they had to spare people to go out and film? It was truly a case of the leader talking while the subordinates ran their legs off.

The executive director asked, “Then for the live stream, which guest should go first?”

The Producer fell silent for a moment. He immediately ruled out Xie Sui and Wen Yue. Su Caichuan was his good friend, and his thin frame meant he wouldn’t be able to run if something happened. That left Shi Shen and Miao Xinyi…

“Let Shi Shen stream. He looks like he can handle himself in a fight.”

Though he didn’t know why a live stream was being linked to fighting, the executive director nodded obediently and told the other staff to notify Shi Shen to prepare.

Upon learning he would be the first to stream, the good-tempered Shi Shen agreed without a second thought.

Despite mysteriously entering the village and having that strange recurring nightmare, Shi Shen didn’t take these odd occurrences to heart. As long as everyone was safe, a broad-minded person like him wouldn’t dwell too much on the past.

Shi Shen asked, “Is it okay if I just film randomly around the village?”

The staff replied, “Yes, as long as you don’t reveal the show’s specific content, you can film whatever you like. The guests’ live streams serve as a warm-up for our show. A staff member will follow you, and if there’s anything that shouldn’t be on camera, they’ll remind you.”

“Follow me?” Shi Shen scratched his buzz cut. “I was planning to stream while hiking. This village is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the scenery looks better from a high vantage point. Can your staff keep up with me?”

The staff member hesitated, then gritted their teeth. “We’ll keep up! Feel free to film whatever you want, just stream however you like.”

Shi Shen gave a simple, honest smile. “Great, then I’m relieved. I’ll go back and change my clothes and be out in a bit.”

On the other side, after Xie Sui learned he had nothing to do for the show today, he prepared to use this free time to send the wandering souls in the village down to the Netherworld.

It wasn’t right to let them wander the village indefinitely. Although the village was heavy with Yin Energy, the world of the living was ultimately not suitable for ghosts to inhabit. Besides, it would be bad if the unlucky production crew members ran into a ghost.

The Producer pressed his body as hard as he could against the courtyard wall, watching Xie Sui with a respectful gaze as he saw him lead a large crowd of ghosts out of the yard.

Too terrifying. He was practically a mobile ghost nest. Just what kind of person was Xie Sui…

Thinking of this, the Producer slapped himself again.

Don’t be curious. Curiosity killed the cat. He hadn’t seen anything just now. He had many things to do. First, he had to find a way to soothe the temperamental Wen Yue, and then figure out how to arrange the upcoming segments…

The Producer filled his mind with a mountain of trivial tasks, forcibly suppressing his curiosity.

Xie Sui led the group of ghosts to the foot of the mountains at the edge of the village.

He chose a shaded spot and directly opened a passage to the Netherworld.

The souls of those who had died wrongful deaths lined up, entering one by one.

He would send the adult souls first, then personally escort the Little Ghosts after opening the Yin-Yang Gap.

The souls of these victims had been suppressed and sealed by the villagers using evil arts. While these seals weakened their power and prevented them from seeking revenge, they also kept the souls from being tainted by resentment. Now that Xie Sui had withdrawn the resentment he had temporarily gifted them, these innocent souls could smoothly enter the cycle of reincarnation.

Just as the majority of the souls had successfully reached the Netherworld, a thick white fog suddenly rose from the ground.

The sky darkened in an instant, and a bone-chilling cold rapidly spread across the entire area. The faint sound of bells echoed from the far end of the mist.

Two rows of tall figures wearing bamboo hats slowly emerged from the white fog. They were draped in cloaks made of multicolored rags, and each held a tattered oil-paper umbrella. They swayed as they approached Xie Sui, bringing with them a pungent smell of incense ash.

They were Ghost Soldiers of the Netherworld.

Xie Sui showed no sign of panic, though he felt a touch of confusion.

A Ghost Procession? The foot of this mountain wasn’t a main road, nor was it an ancient battlefield. There hadn’t been a mass casualty event involving living people nearby recently… the souls of those wicked villagers had already been torn apart by their victims seeking revenge.

So why were these Ghost Soldiers appearing here?

However, the ethereal voices drifting from the depths of the thick fog soon answered the questions in Xie Sui’s mind.

“The Yellow Springs Road is blocked. The Sanzu River is at capacity.”

“Stop stuffing more in. We’ve come to escort them.”

Xie Sui felt a bit awkward.

The spirits standing behind him also looked rather embarrassed.

It felt like someone cutting in line and getting caught by the authorities.

Because a Ghost Procession was usually accompanied by a massive surge of Yin Energy, even ordinary people could see the Ghost Soldiers with their naked eyes.

Having just climbed halfway up the mountain to prepare for his livestream, Shi Shen watched the spectacular scene at the foot of the mountain and silently adjusted his camera.

He pointed his phone toward the Ghost Soldiers in the distance and asked the staff member beside him, “Is this allowed to be filmed?”

Translator’s Notes