Ghost Record

  After the three of them hastily got ashore, one companion said that adults say that water ghosts can transform into fish to lure people to catch them, and then drag them down to drown in deep water to find a substitute. The three little companions couldn't help but wipe away their sweat for recklessly entering the water earlier.

  Besides, such a big fish, with great strength, how can it be caught? They all thought they were foolish to get into the water earlier. At this moment, the big carp swam back to the shore again, and after coming up with the so-called Water Ghost Incarnation theory, they definitely didn't dare to go down and catch it. But seeing such a big fish on the shore, not catching it makes them feel itchy inside, so they think of going home to get things to set traps for it.

  They went back home and made a big fishing basket with bamboo, putting skinned dead mice inside as bait, and came to the riverbank again.

  At this time, the sky had already darkened, and it was impossible to see the situation in the river. All that could be seen was the dark surface of the water. They threw the cage into the water where the carp appeared during the day, leaving a rope tied to a tree on the shore, and then went home, planning to come back and collect the cage early the next morning.

  The next day, it was barely light, and Xiao Fu went to call the other two to go to the riverbank to see if they had caught any fish. After calling one companion, he went to call the second companion, but he wasn't at home, and his parents didn't know where he was either. So Xiao Fu and the other companion went to the riverbank with the basket just the two of them.

  They arrived at the riverbank just as it was getting light, and the ropes that bound the cage were still tied to a tree, but the bark of the tree had been rubbed away in places, so they knew they might have caught something.

  After using the strength of nine cows and two tigers, they finally pulled the cage out of the water, but what they saw inside was not a big carp, but a dead person. The deceased was another young fishing companion, 12 years old this year.

  The two of them were scared to death and quickly ran to call the adults. Before long, they called a grown-up who was herding cows by the river. The adult found a few more people, and before long, the news spread like wildfire, and dozens of people came to the riverside. Later, the police also arrived, as well as the family members of the deceased young man.

  The family of the deceased cried out in grief and wrapped up the body with a sheet to take it away, while Xiaofu and another accomplice were taken away by the police.

  The deceased's family, although suffering from the pain of losing their child, did not lose their rationality, and they also did not believe that Xiaofu had killed their son. The police station soon released them, only asking a few questions, to which Xiaofu answered truthfully.

  After returning home, Xiaofu and his companions also told the adults about catching the big carp before and after. The adults listened and initially judged that it was a water ghost who had bewitched the child, letting him run to the river at midnight and jump into the river.

  But judging is still judging, and someone needs to take a look, so they came to find Zhang Shenniang.

  After listening, Zhang Shenniang asked the woman to tell her the eight characters of the deceased and the place where he drowned. After the woman finished speaking, Zhang Shenniang washed her face and came to the altar, asking me to prepare a bowl of rice and a bundle of incense sticks. She sang a few sentences of unintelligible songs, then, just like that day, she knocked her head on the table and didn't move. When she woke up, she said that the deceased child was destined to have this disaster in his Ben Ming year, with eight characters too light and not enough fate to avoid it.

  But that big carp was possessed by a water ghost and had long since ceased to be just a fish, but a fish demon, becoming a spirit.

  As soon as I heard it, I became interested and asked Zhang Shenniang what a fish demon was. The young man also asked the same question.

  Zhang the godmother told us that every district, river, and mountain has something guarding it. Large mountains and rivers are called mountain gods and river gods, while small reservoirs, streams, and hills are called water ghosts and hill ghosts. Their commonality is that they cannot leave their place of death, unless a substitute is found to replace themselves as guardians.

  The water ghost, unable to find a substitute, was unable to reincarnate and possessed the body of a fish, becoming a fish demon. It often lured swimmers to their deaths, absorbing their souls and essence, causing it to grow particularly large. To absorb more souls and essence, it would swim to the shore to entice people to catch it, then drag them to the deep water to drown, providing for its own consumption. According to ancient books, these spirits live for several hundred years, and if they avoid being struck by lightning, they may transform into a dragon, becoming a great river god.

  What is it like to become a dragon? I asked Zhang Shenniang in confusion.

  Zhang Shenniang couldn't answer either, only saying that the ancient books mentioned it, but in reality, no one has ever seen it. Who knows if such things exist? Just treat it as a story from the past.

  After sending away the mother and son after dinner, Zhang Shenniang said she wanted to go to town to buy some things for preparation. Tonight, they would go take a look at that fish demon.

  In the afternoon, Zhang Shenpo returned and bought several catties of pig blood. It wasn't until after 9 pm that Zhang Shenpo called me over, bringing a flashlight and kerosene lamp to the riverbank where the fish demon appeared.

  At the end of the month, on a moonless night, there were no villages around the riverbank, and it was dark and desolate. Zhang Shenpo lit an oil lamp, covered it with a lampshade and placed it by the road, I asked her if she had any preparations for catching fish demons?

  Zhang the godmother smiled and told me that there's nothing to prepare for now, she just came to take a look. This fish demon is bloodthirsty, she used pig blood to lure it out, as long as we see it appear, we won't worry about not having a chance to catch it.

  Zhang the fortune teller told me that the fish demon is also a fish, it's just that it can charm people with eight characters lightly. For most people, it's just a big fish, if they're unlucky, they'll be scooped up and chopped by a knife, and become a delicious dish on the table.

  When Zhang Shennu said this, I thought that the fish demon was nothing more than that. It seemed like we didn't come to catch a water ghost or a fish demon, but rather a delicious red vinegar carp, and I couldn't help but drool.

  Zhang Shenpo sprinkled the pig's blood onto the surface of the river, and hid in the bushes by the riverbank. Before long, there was a commotion on the surface of the river where the pig's blood had been sprinkled.

  Zhang the godmother drilled out of the grass and looked, shouting in surprise: "Blood centipede." I borrowed the light from the flashlight and saw that on the surface of the river, several blood-red centipedes were writhing.

  This crimson worm is no different from a centipede, only much longer, ten times the length of those on land, like bicycle chains. Zhang Sheng said that this kind of worm is extremely rare, highly toxic, and compared to the silver ring snake, it's like an ant versus an elephant.

  In the end, we didn't wait for the fish demon to appear, and it was the same on the second night. On the third day, Zhang Shenpo said to me: "That beast may have felt threatened and didn't dare come out, she won't go tonight. Changing methods, she decided to let me go, because I would make that fish demon drool from either my age or eight characters.

  As soon as Zhang Shenniang told me to go alone, I shook my head like a rattle drum and repeatedly declined. I'm afraid to take a stroll by the river at midnight, let alone catch a big fish with a water ghost attached to it, not to mention that someone drowned there just a few days ago.

  But Zhang Shenpo had also made preparations for me to go alone, giving me a needle the size of a pencil lead and telling me that if I was caught by the big fish's net and dragged into the water, I should use this needle to stab it. She would wait for me under the large longan tree one mile away from the riverbank, and if the fish still appeared in that area, we could set up a trap to catch it.

  At night, Zhang Shennu sent me to the west riverbank and then left. I sat by the river with a kerosene lamp, but I wasn't Zhang Shennu's eyes, so I couldn't see the situation on the river surface at all. So I found a pile of dry firewood and lit it up, putting a large handful of dry firewood into the bonfire. The flames were higher than a person, and my sense of security increased greatly in an instant.

  At around one or two o'clock, people started to feel drowsy. Suddenly, a loud "splash" sound came from the river surface, as if someone had jumped into the water from the riverbank. This sudden splash startled me greatly and I became highly alert, but upon looking at the river surface, nothing was found.

  More than half an hour passed, and the river surface began to rise slowly with fog, reducing visibility. I was thinking that tonight would probably be another wasted trip, and tomorrow night I wouldn't come even if you killed me.

  Just then, a child's cry suddenly came from behind me. I quickly turned my head and saw a six or seven-year-old little girl standing by the road crying loudly. The little girl was stark naked with two ponytails on her head.

  It's the middle of the night, how can a little girl suddenly appear here? It's scary, no matter what. Although I've seen the banana ghost before and my courage has increased a lot, but when a little girl suddenly appears on the riverbank and cries loudly, I'm still afraid. Whose child would run to this place, is she human or ghost? The latter is more likely!

  I heard Zhang Shennu say that ghosts don't have shadows, but that little girl not only looked like a real person, but also had a long shadow behind her under the light of the fire.

  This little girl looked harmless, and with the presence of people around, who would have thought she was a ghost if it wasn't for the fact that it was midnight. I plucked up my courage to approach her, taking out the needle the fortune teller gave me from my pocket as a precaution. I stopped two meters away from her, not daring to go any further, and asked across this so-called safe distance: "Little sister, why are you crying in the middle of the night? Where is your home? Brother will send you back."

  The little girl heard me speak and put down her hand that was wiping away tears, looking at me with big, shining eyes.

  Seeing this little girl, my heart suddenly softened. Maybe it's because I always think of little girls as my own sister back in Hunan. As the saying goes, "love the house and also love the crow," I don't know why, but after taking one glance at this little girl, I put down my guard and walked closer to her side.

  The little girl was up to my chest. I held her hand and asked her why she was crying here. But the little girl's hand was heart-piercingly cold! It scared me so much that I quickly let go.

  The little girl blinked her big, teary eyes and didn't say a word, but instead pointed to the riverbank with her finger. I followed where she was pointing and saw that on the riverbank, just one step away from the water's edge, lay a skirt - wasn't that the little girl's clothes? Was she asking me to pick it up for her?

  I asked the little girl, "Little sister, why is your skirt by the river?" I really couldn't tell if this little girl was human or a ghost, and her clothes being by the river were truly baffling. After feeling the needle in my pocket and the knife that the immortal from Zhang's family had given me, I gained some more courage and asked the little girl again, "Do you want big brother to help you get your skirt back?"

  The little girl nodded, her eyes looking very pitiful.

  "Why aren't you speaking?" I asked her

  The little girl still didn't answer, but kept shaking her head.

  Forget it, I couldn't wait for the fish demon tonight. Instead, I met a little girl who was hard to tell whether she was human or ghost. I sighed and found a stick, walked to the riverbank and used the stick to hook the little girl's skirt.

  I didn't dare to go directly to the riverbank, so I could only use a stick to hook it. From time to time, I would turn my head to look at this little girl, who was watching me by the side of the road. After hooking twice, I finally got the clothes close to me, and just as I was about to pick them up, there was a sudden huge impact from behind, like a cow crashing into me.