Maiyi Onmyoji

Harassed by Ghosts and Zombies

I lit the kerosene lamp and placed the high-heeled shoes over the fire. No sooner had I done this than the flame abruptly went out, despite there being no draft in the room. The lamp had plenty of oil, so why did the fire extinguish?I relit the lamp, and the flame seemed stable. However, as soon as I brought the high heels near, it weakened again. When I moved the shoes away, the flame returned to normal. Good grief, could there be a female ghost living in these shoes? Not willing to take a third chance, I quickly placed the shoes on the ground and stepped back, staring at them with growing unease. Perhaps the stockings and underwear were safe?Wearing plastic bags on my hands, I reached for the stockings, but the flame snuffed out once more. What on earth! Fine, you win... I admit I'm a coward.I hastily grabbed the shoes, stockings, and underwear and put them back in their place. Feeling frustrated, I paced around outside the shop. Why should I be afraid? This is my rented place! Even if there are malicious spirits, they can't just take over my space. If I show weakness, I'll only be bullied more. These items must go; if anyone leaves, it's them!In a fit of anger, I moved the counter and bed outside, along with other belongings. I decided to get rid of everything that wasn't mine. After finishing, hunger gnawed at me, so I returned to make breakfast. But as soon as the rice was in the pot, a mysterious stomach pain gripped me. I turned off the stove and rushed to the bathroom. When I came out, my head began to ache, as if a heavy stone pressed down on it.Feeling dizzy, I wondered if I caught a chill last night. From a distance, I saw the wreath shop's door open and the owner staring at my discarded things. He jumped in fright upon seeing me and hurriedly retreated inside. What was he so afraid of?Returning inside, my headache worsened, leaving me with no appetite. It had been a long time since I'd felt this way, and I suspected it was due to a poor night's sleep and the cold. As I was about to continue making breakfast, the wreath shop owner peeked in and whispered, "Old Huang, the kid doesn't know better. He's young, so go easy on him. It's just a few old things; moving them back isn't a big deal."After saying this, he quickly withdrew his head, as if mustering the courage to speak up for me. Strangely, after his words, my headache significantly lessened. What the heck? Could it be?I rushed to the door, but he was already gone. I couldn't believe it; my stomachache and headache were caused by the ghost of the previous landlord, Uncle Huang! Damn it! Anger welled up inside me, cursing my own powerlessness. If I had any skill, I'd have dispersed his soul.It was then I gained a new respect for my ghostly wife's abilities. I began packing my things, preparing to leave. Frustrated, I grumbled, "Damn it! I can't afford to provoke them, but I can certainly escape! Consider my two thousand yuan as your funeral expenses."Leaving the keys behind, I grabbed my backpack, loaded the rice from my grandfather's house onto the bicycle, and headed back to my grandfather's home. As I reached the entrance, my headache suddenly vanished. There's no place like Grandpa's!I quickly made a big bowl of noodles to fill my stomach. After eating, I pulled up a chair, propped my chin on my hands, and sat outside in the sun, puzzled. Why did my ghostly wife want me to rent Uncle Huang's shop? She must have known he was a malevolent ghost. So why push me to rent it? Could Uncle Huang really help me get rich? And what was the deal with the high heels and stockings?Unable to figure it out, I even questioned my ghost wife's intelligence, or if there was something else going on. Lacking sleep, I drifted off. In my haze, I saw the evil spirit Uncle Huang sitting on a stool, smoking gloomily, while my ghost wife stood by the bed, looking at me with concern. Seeing my nemesis, I felt a surge of anger. "Huang, why are you still haunting me? Haven't you done enough harm?"My ghost wife quickly intervened, "Da Lei, Uncle Huang is actually quite powerful. If you help him, he will repay you. Honestly, your fate after eighteen will be extraordinarily rough. Help Uncle Huang, and he will definitely assist you in return."Her voice quivered as she continued, "I'm afraid I can't protect you much longer...""Da Lei..." she was cut off by Uncle Huang. He stood and said, "Here's the deal: if you help me, I'll find a way to teach you ghostly energy. What do you say?""Ghostly energy? How do you know about that?"Uncle Huang scoffed, "What's the big deal? I've seen your book on ghost appearances. Enough with the games. Will you help me or not?"The nerve of this ghost, rifling through my things! Anger surged within me. "Uncle Huang, do you think I'm capable? I'm not even eighteen. What makes you think I can help? You know about the high heels and stockings, don't you? How can you expect me to get involved in your mess of romantic entanglements?""Enough! Stop bothering me. You've already given me a stomachache and a headache this morning. I've had enough!" My anger boiled over. What a mess!Uncle Huang coldly chuckled, "Don't be naive. A little pain and you're already whining. If you hadn't thrown my things out, I wouldn't have bothered you. And don't think I hold you in high regard. If it weren't for our similar fates, I wouldn't have sought you out. A good-for-nothing who can't even support himself!"Unbelievable! Asking for help and still treating me like this! I was stunned, never before had I been so demeaned. But I couldn't argue; I've never earned a penny.Before I could retort, Uncle Huang continued, "You can't stay in your grandfather's house; there's a tricky ghost curse left behind. If you sleep here tonight, that malevolent spirit will take your life. And there's a zombie in the village, forcing people to flee. If you want to stay, fine, stay!"With a cold laugh, Uncle Huang vanished. "Da Lei!" My ghost wife bit her lip. "I went through great trouble to get the City God to send you two dreams. Listen to me, Uncle Huang knows the mystical arts, and as a ghost, he will be powerful. I won't be able to protect you much longer..."As she spoke, a female ghost in white suddenly appeared behind her, claws bared. I recognized her; she was the one who had crawled out of the wall at Grandpa's house. "I can't defeat her. Wake up!" My ghost wife rushed over and pushed me, and I jolted awake. Looking around the room, I saw a faint white shadow dart to the window. Damn, even Grandpa's house isn't safe! In a panic, I grabbed my clothes and backpack, rushed outside, dressed, and hurried away with my bike. The village was eerily quiet, with most houses locked up. What happened? How could the villagers and police not deal with a single zombie? My ghost wife's warning about my fate felt real now; I was left without a place to stay. As I walked, I noticed a shadow in the weeds near the poplar grove at the village entrance. Could it be the village head turned zombie?I stopped and shouted, "Who's hiding there?" The zombie village head leaped out, charging at me. His face was dark, with two sharp fangs and blood-red eyes. I didn't have time to turn my bike around; I ran. The zombie stopped at the edge of the shade, wary of sunlight. But I couldn't retreat..."Damn it!" I muttered. "The landlord harassed me, Old Huang tormented me, the female ghost scared me, and now this zombie is after me. Let me tell you, Shui Lei isn't someone you can easily push around!"I was livid! I wasn't going to let them force me out without a fight. As I considered my next move, a large cloud blocked the sun, causing the zombie to let out a low growl and leap towards me. I panicked and ran. I didn't want to die; life, no matter how rough, was better than death. The zombie, unable to walk, hopped high and far. I couldn't return to Grandpa's; I ran aimlessly around the village, exhausted and sweaty. What to do?Desperation setting in, I saw Xiao Qiang's shop door open. He saw me. I shouted, "Xiao Qiang, help me!" But his mother pulled him inside and shut the door. My heart sank...Next, I thought of Fatty's dad, a butcher with great strength. Maybe he could save me. I pushed myself and ran to Fatty's house, only to find it empty, bloodstains everywhere.