C165 — [6.31 – Strange Tales of Fengjia Town]

The muscular man was named Zhou Yuan, a death squad member sent by the Security Bureau to carry out a mission in the ghost domain.

This time, his task was to enter Fengjia Town and find a way to suppress the Ghost King.

“Ghost King? You must have watched too many horror movies. There are no such things as ghosts in this world.”

The officer listened to Zhou Yuan’s explanation with an expression of utter disbelief.

Even though religion was widely practiced, materialism was still dominant in big cities. Only some remote towns were occupied by cults, and even then, they were rare cases.

So the officer didn’t believe in this so-called “Ghost King” or “ghost domain.”

He started to think he had encountered a lunatic.

“I wish there were no ghosts in this world too.”

Zhou Yuan looked at the skeptical officer, shook his head with a good-natured smile, and let out a bitter chuckle.

There indeed hadn’t been many ghosts in the past. Or at least, vengeful spirits strong enough to wreak havoc were rare. A few supernatural occurrences weren’t enough to disturb the order of the human world.

But everything changed over a decade ago.

One day, the terrifying curse centered around Fengjia Town erupted.

Countless vengeful ghosts started appearing in ordinary people’s lives, even disrupting the stability of the entire country.

For instance, the phenomenon tied to the Ghost King Gu Yin, known as [Ghost Nightmare], caused a city of over a million people to fall into endless nightmares, leading them to slaughter one another.

When they awoke, they moved like the walking dead, mindlessly wandering outward and spreading the curse even further.

And according to research, this happened just because the Ghost King had passed through that city.

It hadn’t even fully manifested its true form, nor had it deliberately gone on a killing spree—yet it still caused an entire city to collapse.

Other supernatural calamities, such as [Ghost Revenge], [Ghost Possession], and [Ghost City], emerged one after another, bringing destruction on an unprecedented scale. Humanity, unprepared and inexperienced, was caught completely off guard.

Spirits that were once meant to dissipate after death instead turned into mindless, hate-driven wraiths, massacring the living. In a short period, the death toll skyrocketed, sparking worldwide panic.

Even more terrifying was the fact that this wasn’t just a national disaster—it was a global catastrophe.

 

Other countries began experiencing similar supernatural phenomena.

Even in places untouched by the Ghost King’s domain, ghosts still appeared in great numbers. Like their counterparts, they were devoid of reason, driven only by an instinctive hatred for the living.

During that chaotic time, humanity was almost completely defenseless.

 

Fortunately, before it was too late, people discovered a way to counter these spirits: if they could uncover the ghost’s killing rules, they could find a way to survive. Additionally, certain talismans and artifacts proved useful in suppressing spirits.

But that alone was far from enough.

The rate at which humans suppressed ghosts could never keep up with the rate at which new ones emerged.

People died every moment, which meant that as long as someone died with unresolved resentment, they could become a terrifying ghost.

They would lose all rationality after death, slaughtering their own kind. Even blood relatives weren’t spared.

The situation only grew more dire.

 

In response, humanity began searching for the source of this supernatural disaster. Through research, they discovered the horrifying existence of the Ghost King Gu Yin.

Gu Yin was the first recorded ghost to possess a ghost domain.

 

According to ancient texts spanning centuries, only the rarest vengeful spirits—those strong enough to rule over entire ghostly territories—could be called Ghost Kings.

And Gu Yin was, without a doubt, one of the most powerful Ghost Kings ever recorded.

Even after more than a decade, the world had seen the rise of numerous equally terrifying vengeful spirits, many of whom possessed their own ghost domains, each capable of wiping out an entire nation with a mere wave of their hand.

Yet, Gu Yin remained the most unique among them, earning the title “Ghost King.”

When Gu Yin first emerged all those years ago, it was active for a brief period before falling into a long slumber.

It had since remained confined within Fengjia Town, only appearing when trespassers triggered its curse.

Compared to other vengeful spirits that had massacred entire nations and gained terrifying notoriety, Gu Yin’s behavior seemed almost… unremarkable.

For a time, people even overlooked it, dismissing it as a minor entity rather than the true source of this supernatural disaster.

But Zhou Yuan would never forget the incident that changed everything.

It was an event so horrifying that it forced humanity to reevaluate the silent Ghost King.

At the time, an enemy nation had gotten its hands on a fragment of [Ghost World], a spirit strong enough to erase entire civilizations.

Their plan was to lure the true form of [Ghost World] into the heart of an inland city near Fengjia Town, creating chaos within the country. In the ensuing disaster, they would seize the Ghost King for their own research.

Everything was going according to plan.

With the upper ranks completely unaware, [Ghost World] was successfully drawn to the city—on the verge of manifesting its domain, ready to transform the entire region into a howling abyss of the dead.

Despair settled in.

People could only curse the enemy nation’s ruthless tactics as the inevitable unfolded before their eyes.

And then—

Something unexpected happened.

The moment [Ghost World]’s domain touched Fengjia Town—

—it disappeared.

Completely.

Vanished without a trace.

And in that same moment, those close enough to observe saw something that would haunt them forever.

For the first time in years, the once deathly silent Ghost King, Gu Yin, smiled.

A grotesque, exaggerated grin—one too wide, too twisted to belong to anything human.

Dragging a deformed, grotesque, unidentifiable corpse, Gu Yin vanished into the mist.

From that day onward, no one dared to touch the Ghost King again.

No one dared to disturb the slumbering monster.

Scholars and researchers rushed to re-examine the first and oldest recorded vengeful spirit, only to unearth terrifying possibilities.

Gu Yin’s uniqueness became undeniable.

It was very likely—the true source of this supernatural plague.

Unlike other spirits, no one could decipher its killing rules.

Sometimes, just seeing it was enough to drag someone into an inescapable nightmare.

Other times, people could pass right by it completely unharmed.

It would vanish for months, only to suddenly appear in a distant city, spreading curses—

—then just as suddenly, return to Fengjia Town, wandering its streets as though nothing had happened.

The inconsistency of its patterns was unlike any other spirit.

It was as if… Gu Yin still retained some level of reasoning.

Which was impossible.

Every other vengeful spirit was driven purely by instinct, mindlessly following its own fixed killing rules.

They couldn’t be reasoned with.

Only Gu Yin was different.

This was the true reason why the Security Bureau sent investigation teams every year—

Everyone desperately wanted to understand Gu Yin’s killing rules.

If they could decipher its patterns, they could find a way to suppress it.

The ultimate goal?

To seal the Ghost King.

If they could seal the source of this supernatural disaster, perhaps they could finally put an end to the ever-growing onslaught of spiritual calamities.

Perhaps… humanity could finally breathe again.

Zhou Yuan was this year’s chosen investigator.

From the moment he accepted the mission, he never expected to come back alive.

He had only one purpose—

To uncover more information about the ghost domain.

To pass that knowledge on.

To light the path for those who came after.

To contribute to humanity’s survival.

###

“Hah! You sound like a damn novelist. I swear, you’re actually insane!”

The officer burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.

Zhou Yuan’s dead serious expression made it all the more hilarious.

He had never seen someone take ghost stories so seriously—let alone make up such an elaborate backstory.

It was just too ridiculous.

“You say you’re from over a decade in the future? Alright then, tell me this year’s lottery numbers! If I win, I’ll call you ‘big bro’ on the spot!”

The officer laughed as he reached for his car keys, trying to snatch them back from Zhou Yuan.

He had work to do—no time to waste arguing with a delusional man. Every minute spent here was another minute of overtime, and that was absolutely not worth it.

But Zhou Yuan’s brows remained furrowed as he stole another glance toward Fengjia Town.

Those red lanterns hanging in the distance—

They shouldn’t be there.

His expression grew even more serious.

He didn’t care whether the officer believed him or not. What mattered was getting more information about the current timeline.

Instead of returning the keys, he snatched the officer’s phone.

“Hey! What the hell?!”

The officer flipped out, rage written all over his face.

But faced with Zhou Yuan’s sheer physical advantage, he was helpless.

He could only fume in silence.

Zhou Yuan, however, wasn’t paying attention to him anymore. He scrolled through the phone, his heart growing heavier with every passing second.

Too real.

This place, this time—

No matter how many times he checked, the truth didn’t change.

He had somehow traveled ten years into the past.

The officer before him was truly a person of the past.

This had never happened before.

None of the previous sui-cide squad members sent to investigate Gu Yin had ever reported time travel.

Which meant—

This was a new anomaly.

Or worse—

A new rule of Ghost King Gu Yin.

Zhou Yuan clenched his fists.

The known rules of Gu Yin’s domain were already terrifying enough:

Rule #1: Always travel alone.

Groups were more vulnerable to mental corruption, turning them into murderous puppets trapped in an eternal nightmare.

Rule #2: If you hear the sound of Gu Yin’s snake-like tail slithering—

–Stop moving immediately.

If Gu Yin saw or heard you, it would drag you into a nightmare you would never wake from.

Your body would then become a mindless puppet, cursed to spread the nightmare further —until it was destroyed.

Zhou Yuan had more rules to explain, but before he could continue—

The officer interrupted.

With an exasperated sigh, he pointed at Fengjia Town.

“What do you mean ‘don’t travel in groups’? Just look at the town! It’s full of people!”

Zhou Yuan whipped his head around.

Indeed—

Silhouettes.

Moving busily about.

Going about their daily routines.

At first glance, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary countryside town.

But to someone like Zhou Yuan —a man who had spent his entire life fighting ghosts—

 

This was the most terrifying sight of all.

“You can’t be sure they’re human!”

His voice was grave.

Those figures—

They could be part of a killing rule.

An illusion.

A trap.

But the officer had had enough.

Zhou Yuan’s paranoid nonsense was driving him insane.

“You’re out of your mind! A whole town full of ghosts? That’s ridiculous!”

The people inside were alive! He was sure of it!

Enough of this lunatic!

Without another word, the officer bolted.

Straight toward Fengjia Town.

“Shit—! Stop! You don’t have a protective artifact! If you go in unprepared, you’ll trigger the rules—!”

Zhou Yuan lunged forward—

But the officer was already too far ahead.

He could only watch in horror as the man stepped into the town.

According to previous records, as soon as someone rashly entered the town, rolling fog would instantly appear, followed by the eerie, deep laughter of the Ghost King Gu Yin. After that, the intruder would fall into an eternal nightmare, never to wake again.

However, to Yuan Zhou’s surprise, this time, the officer was completely unharmed.

In fact, when he almost tripped from running too fast, a nearby townsperson even reached out to steady him.

“Thank you!”

The officer had nearly smashed his head against a sharp rock and, still shaken, quickly expressed his gratitude.

“You’re welcome,” the townsperson replied with a smile.

Behind him, the other town residents also turned to look. Their faces all bore the same cheerful expression, and even the curves of their smiles were eerily identical.

They observed the stranger who had entered their town, as if taking a moment to decide how to deal with him. There was an indescribable emotion flickering in their eyes.

Yuan Zhou’s breath hitched. He swore he saw a chillingly identical intent to kill in every single one of their gazes.

But the officer noticed nothing. He was still panting from exhaustion while casually scanning his surroundings.

Seeing the houses adorned with festive red decorations and the townsfolk in high spirits, he curiously asked, “Wow, it’s so lively here. Is someone getting married?”

The moment the word “marriage” was spoken, the tense atmosphere seemed to instantly ease. Though the crowd didn’t disperse, the eerie feeling lingered.

“Yes, the wedding will take place at noon today,” one of the townspeople responded with a bright smile.

“Oh, well, congratulations then! Wishing the newlyweds a long and happy life together!”

The officer was skilled in social etiquette and quickly offered his blessings.

Then, he turned to glance at the road he had come from.

But all he could see was thick fog.

Earlier, from the outside, the mist over Fengjia Town had seemed rather light. Yet now, looking outward from within, he could only see an overwhelming, impenetrable fog. There was no sign of that lunatic named Yuan Zhou anymore.

This put the officer somewhat at ease.

Maybe that madman was afraid of entering the town because of the number of people here, which was why he hadn’t chased after him. That meant his life was no longer in immediate danger.

Having escaped a potential life-or-death situation, the officer finally relaxed a bit. He casually began questioning the townspeople about the missing persons.

 

“…So that’s the situation. I’ve received multiple reports about disappearances—at least a dozen people have gone missing. They were all thrill-seekers who came to the town after watching some livestreams.”

The townspeople simply shook their heads, indicating they knew nothing.

The officer pulled out his notebook and jotted down a few notes.

His plan was simple: take a quick look around the town, then leave immediately.

All he needed was a routine response record. He didn’t have the time or patience for a full investigation. If the situation escalated, the higher-ups at the police station would send the criminal investigation unit to handle it.

He absentmindedly scribbled a few more lines in his notebook, then glanced around at the townspeople who were still bustling about.

Ever since yesterday, his luck had been terrible—first, his car got stuck, forcing him to go hungry for an entire night. Then, he encountered a lunatic, got scared out of his wits, and had to flee for his life. His mood had been completely ruined.

But now, the lively wedding atmosphere in the town lifted his spirits a little. The cheerful smiles on everyone’s faces were oddly infectious.

The townsfolk were warm and welcoming, walking alongside him, step for step. They inquired about his earlier distress, curious as to why he had seemed so shaken.

“Ugh, don’t even mention it! I ran into some guy with a few screws loose—crazy strong too. He snatched my car keys right out of my hands! Scared me so much I had to bolt into the town just to get away. Good thing he didn’t dare follow me in, or I’d really be in trouble!”

Speaking of which, the officer grew increasingly irritated. “That guy must think I’m an idiot! Telling me the whole Fengjia Town is full of ghosts and that there aren’t any living people? He’s not even trying to make his lies believable!”

“Superstitions! And trying to fool the police with them, no less!” He continued to rant, completely unaware that the townspeople around him had slowly stopped smiling.

Some of them quietly walked toward the outskirts of town, seemingly heading off to find the so-called lunatic he had mentioned.

The rest simply stood there, watching him in silence.

Unnoticed by the officer, the fog on the streets had grown denser and denser, creeping closer as if preparing to assimilate the outsider.

“If people want to be superstitious, they should at least choose good superstitions,” the officer continued, oblivious. “Now, take your wedding customs, for example—this is great! The decorations are beautiful, and every house has red lanterns hanging up. If you turned this into a tourist attraction, I bet you’d get tons of visitors!”

He admired the exquisitely crafted red lanterns, which, though dim in the daylight, still radiated a festive charm.

But the more he looked, the dizzier he felt. A strange haze clouded his mind as if his consciousness was slipping away into the mist.

He shook his head, dismissing the feeling, and continued chatting away with enthusiasm.

“Speaking of folk customs, where I come from, we have this tradition where newlyweds tie a red string around their fingers. I don’t know if you guys have something similar? They say the longer the string, the longer the couple will stay together in this life. People went so overboard with it that it got labeled as superstitious nonsense, haha!”

As he spoke, the heavy fog in his mind suddenly lifted. He rubbed his forehead in confusion, wondering if it was just due to lack of sleep.

Just as he was considering finding an inn in town to rest for the afternoon, he realized that the townspeople had all drawn closer.

Every single one of them looked at him with an intense curiosity, their eyes gleaming as they bombarded him with questions:

“Red string? What red string? Are there any special requirements?”

“How long should the red string be?”

“What material is best for the string?”

“Can it be used to connect souls in the next life?”

“Can we cut a third party’s red string?”

A dozen or more townspeople surrounded him, all speaking at once. Their clamoring voices made his head pound.

The officer stared at them in bewilderment.

Why were they suddenly so excited, as if they were the ones getting married?

Seeing their eager, expectant faces, he had no choice but to force himself to explain.

It was, after all, just a local tradition—tying a red string around the newlyweds’ pinky fingers.

Originally, half a meter of string was enough, symbolizing protection from evil and an unbreakable bond between hearts.

Over time, the belief evolved—people started thinking that the longer the red string, the longer the couple would stay together.

Back in his hometown, one couple had gone so far as to stretch a red string for two whole miles for good luck. When the wedding procession was driving the bride to her new home, the tangled string nearly caused a car accident. That fiasco was the reason why the practice was later dismissed as outdated superstition.

He never imagined that this trivial custom would make the townspeople of Fengjia so excited, as if they were ready to incorporate it into today’s wedding on the spot.

“This is a bit…” The officer wanted to say it was a little ridiculous—shouldn’t a wedding be planned out in advance? Suddenly adding a red string in the middle of everything just seemed out of place.

But before he could finish his sentence, he caught the way the townspeople were looking at him.

There was something in their eyes that sent a chill down his spine.

His instincts screamed at him to swallow the rest of his words.

But soon, the townspeople returned to normal, warmly thanking the officer for providing them with such a wonderful wedding decoration idea and inviting him to attend the ceremony at noon.

“The wedding will be held at the church. We’d love to have you there!”

A lively wedding was always better with more guests, and inviting an outsider was considered a good thing.

With great enthusiasm, they handed the officer an invitation, officially welcoming him to the celebration.

The officer thought about it for a moment—attending the wedding meant he could get a free meal. That alone was enough reason to accept the invitation happily.

He still had no idea who was getting married, but that didn’t really matter. A free banquet was a free banquet.

The townspeople, noticing his exhaustion, even offered him a place to rest in one of the nearby houses.

Not wanting to refuse, and indeed feeling quite tired, the officer agreed and settled into a clean, spacious room, waiting for the wedding to begin.

—

Meanwhile, outside the town, Zhou Yuan watched tensely as the officer was escorted away by the villagers. He tightened his grip on the umbrella-shaped artifact in his hand.

The scene before him was beyond his comprehension.

A mere human had stepped into a ghost domain completely unharmed. The obviously unnatural townspeople hadn’t attacked him. In fact, they seemed cheerful, even welcoming.

Something was deeply wrong.

It had to be related to those red lanterns.

Zhou Yuan’s expression darkened as he carefully studied them, trying to figure out their purpose.

Could it be the influence of another powerful ghost? But the Ghost King’s domain had always rejected intrusions from other entities.

Was this a new rule forming within the domain itself?

Or—was it the ridiculous thought he had at the start?

Was the Ghost King getting married?

That theory was absurd. Zhou Yuan frowned, feeling like he was overthinking things out of paranoia.

But no matter how much he analyzed it, he couldn’t come to a conclusion.

In the end, he took a deep breath, checked his gear, and prepared to enter the ghost domain himself.

If logic failed, then firsthand investigation was the only way to get answers.

The Ghost King Gu Yin’s domain had undergone a dramatic change—there had to be a reason. If no one figured it out, the next investigator would be walking straight into a trap.

Ghost domain rules only allowed one person to enter at a time. Zhou Yuan’s best chance to infiltrate the town was now, while the townspeople were distracted by the officer.

He had no time to waste.

Opening the red paper umbrella in his hands, Zhou Yuan stepped into the ghost domain of Fengjia Town.

From the outside, the fog looked thin.

But from beneath the umbrella, Zhou Yuan could see the truth—the mist was so dense it completely engulfed the town, thick enough to obscure everything within arm’s reach.

As he walked deeper, a strong stench of blood filled the air.

Then, through the shifting fog, he caught sight of the town— or what had become of it.

“—!”

 

Zhou Yuan’s breath hitched in shock.

The town that had been filled with lively townspeople just moments ago was now a grotesque, horrifying nightmare of flesh and blood.

Splash.

A wet sound came from beneath his feet.

He looked down.

He was ankle-deep in blood.

All around him, the town was drowned in it—blood and twisted flesh had swallowed everything.

And in the very center stood a massive structure, towering over the rest of the town.

A building that was no longer made of stone or wood, but of pulsating, living flesh.

A nest.

Something monstrous lurked within.

Zhou Yuan felt a chill creep up his spine.

Was this still Fengjia Town?

Zhou Yuan tightened his grip on the umbrella, carefully avoiding the writhing flesh around him. After scanning his surroundings, he decided to head toward the tallest building—the place with the most blood and flesh. That had to be the key to everything.

As he walked, he suddenly sensed someone watching him from the shadows. Looking closely, he realized they were tattered and gaunt townspeople—completely different from the healthy, rosy-cheeked people surrounding the officer earlier.

Zhou Yuan observed them cautiously. When he noticed that the protective talisman in his arms wasn’t heating up, he finally spoke.

“Who are you?”

The townspeople, like startled birds, scattered without saying a word.

He couldn’t get anything out of them. Watching their retreating figures, Zhou Yuan had no choice but to continue toward the church.

However, those townspeople seemed to have figured out where he was headed. They kept following him, filling Zhou Yuan with a growing sense of unease.

 

Finally, he managed to grab one of the slower-moving townspeople. Looking at the elderly man’s graying hair and panicked expression, he asked coldly, “Why are you following me?”

He suspected they knew something.

The old man, who seemed to be in his sixties, trembled in fear and stammered, “Because we don’t want you to go to the church! There’s a monster there! And a terrifying priest!”

A monster—was it referring to Gu Yin?

And who was the priest?

Was this related to the red lanterns?

Zhou Yuan frowned deeply, analyzing the situation as he pressed for more information.

Terrified, the old man spilled everything. “The monster is just a monster! It created all this blood and flesh! But the priest is even more terrifying—he orchestrated everything!”

“The priest has immense power, ruling over the entire Fengjia Town. No one dares to oppose him, or they’ll be ‘dealt with!’”

“He’s a cunning and ruthless man! Everyone says… if we ever want to escape from here, we have to kill the priest first!”

—

Jiu Shu was resting in the church, eyes closed.

After changing outfits for a long time in the early morning, he felt slightly exhausted.

To ensure that the wedding went smoothly at noon, he needed to get some rest.

The ceremony had been arranged in quite a rush, but seeing how ridiculously excited the “punished entity” was, Jiu Shu didn’t mind indulging it.

He dozed off for a short while.

When he woke up, he found Gu Yin crouching beside him, staring at him with an infatuated expression.

“Darling, did I wake you?” Gu Yin asked apologetically.

He had tried to be as quiet as possible when entering the room, but he couldn’t resist watching his beloved’s beautiful sleeping face.

No matter how many times he looked, he never got tired of it. He wished he could keep watching forever.

“It’s fine, I woke up on my own…”

 

Before Jiu Shu could finish speaking, he noticed something strange. He lifted his hand, confused, and looked at the red string tied around his pinky finger.

A single red thread stretched from his hand, winding through the room and looping several times before connecting to Gu Yin’s finger on the other end.

His fingers were slender, fair, and beautiful, and the contrast between the deep red string and his cold white skin was striking.

“It’s a tradition!” Gu Yin said excitedly. “They say the longer the red string, the longer we’ll be together. And if our hearts are truly connected, the string will never break!”

“We’ll live happily ever after!” Gu Yin’s smile was as sweet as honey.

“They say… the only time the string breaks is when the husband betrays his wife. Darling, see? I would never—”

Gu Yin knelt on one knee, displaying his matching red string with a solemn expression.

He wanted to swear his eternal loyalty—no husband could be more devoted than him. No one could be a better match for his beloved than he was.

That awful, unfaithful, and violent homewrecker was nothing compared to him!

But before he could finish his sentence, the surrounding space suddenly distorted.

In that moment, the red string snapped.

The timing couldn’t have been worse—it was as if fate itself was declaring that Gu Yin had betrayed Jiu Shu.

“…?”

Jiu Shu raised an eyebrow and turned his gaze toward his now visibly stiff “betraying husband.”

 

---

TN:

That officer is in trouble 😅

If someone told me a place was dangerous, I wouldn’t even think of going lol