t's call him Mu Yu Gui and Mu You Nan.""Mu""Hmm, Mu.""Why... um... just stop for a moment...""Why" he chuckled softly, biting my lip and saying, "Little Qiao, my wife... figure it out for yourself..."...A slow, rhythmic sound of the watchtower's call resonated from afar, seemingly echoing in the small alleyway outside our house.

The old house had a very high wall. Even from the second floor attic window, I couldn't see what was beyond it.

What activity is making this strange noise

Today is not a solar term.

My father is not home, my mother never comes back, my elder sister went to Hong Kong again, and Jun's senior brother is not in his own courtyard either.

In this vast backyard, I'm the only one left. My senior brothers live in the east wing of the front courtyard, and my senior sisters in the west. Have they all gone to sleep Can't you hear the sound of the wooden clapper

What's even weirder is if it was some kind of folk activity, there should be voices.

Outside the wall, one could faintly hear the sound of the night watchmen's bells, but there wasn't a single human voice.

I couldn't help but shout towards the wall outside: "Stop it! What are you banging on at this late hour You're going to wake the dead!"

The sound sent out, yet it lightly brushed past the darkness and vanished without a trace.

I helplessly wanted to close the window, when my eyes caught sight of the pavilion, and I suddenly stopped.

Where is my little black cat

How did it all become so quiet

It was very perceptive, even greeting Fifth Senior Sister when she came and went with little chirps. Now, there wasn't a single sound from it.

Something's wrong, that sound doesn't feel right.

I clutched my phone, took the small peach wood sword from behind the screen, and ran out of the attic.

As soon as I stepped out of my small building, I felt a strange atmosphere in the entire courtyard - the black cat was gone, and everything was eerily silent, not even a breeze.

Lights out, all alone.

I walked to the front gate and looked out at the courtyard colonnade and my father's study in the center. There wasn't a single light or shadow.

"Senior sister~ my stomach is rumbling~," I shouted loudly towards the courtyard in the west.

My voice trembled with nervousness, and when I pulled out my phone to check, there wasn't a single bar of signal.

Oh no, what kind of monster has gotten into our home Will my senior brothers and sisters be in danger

"Senior Brother, has your electricity gone out" I shouted towards the east.

It was supposed to be a shout, but my voice was so small that even I found it ridiculous—fear had changed the sound of my voice.

This has to be something wrong, I felt a chill down my spine when I was just outside my front door. That's a bad omen!

Where did my senior brothers and sisters go

I hesitated whether to step out of the hospital. In this state of fear, people instinctively want to run back to their rooms, preferring to hide under the covers like ostriches rather than actively confront the unknown fear.

But there are so many people in my house, could they have all just vanished into thin air

I took a few steps back and turned towards my little house.

A faint shadow and haze hovered at the entrance of the small building. A crimson hem appeared from within the darkness, and I followed it upward to see a pair of hands adorned with numerous ornaments clasped together and hanging down. The figure was petite and graceful.

Only the stark white chin and lips were visible.

Is it you again who's behind this!

I clutched the small peachwood sword, pointing it at her and blurted out, “It’s you again! You’re being too much!”

The other person's lips curled into a strange smile, silent and standing at my doorstep, shrouded in a faint black mist.

A peachwood sword has no sharpness, but peachwood has the efficacy of warding off ghosts and slaying evil.

There are three categories of people: monks, Taoists, and laymen. Among Taoism and folk customs, peach wood has always been imbued with special cultural beliefs. This can be seen from the nicknames of peach wood - Dragon Subduing Wood and Ghost-Fearing Wood.

Still, it is the first material for warding off evil and exorcising ghosts. The most primitive Spring Festival couplets were made of peach wood. Back then, they weren't called Spring Festival couplets, but peach talismans.

This small peach wood sword belonged to your senior brother. I don't know which famous master gave it to him. It has been hanging in my room these days, and the female ghost hasn't dared to fully appear.

At this time, as the peachwood sword pointed, the female ghost's form flickered like ripples, dimming considerably.

"What do you want You should just die already and move on. Why keep coming back to scare me Is that really interesting to you Even if you're trying to scare me, you won't live to see the end of this." I said in a low voice.

The female ghost remained silent, but a faint smile played on her lips, a smile that was both alluring and chilling.

I couldn't help but raise my sword. The black mist swirling around her was slashed into pieces, and she didn't even try to fight back. There was only a tattered image flickering in and out of existence.

"Bang!" A deafening crack of the gong startled me.

How is this voice so close!

In the corner of the courtyard, a figure suddenly emerged, wearing a pointed hat and trailing a blood-red tongue.

He had a pale face, his eyes drooped at the corners, and his mouth split open in an upward grin, looking both deeply pained and maniacally deranged.

"Ah——!!" My scalp exploded, and my legs went weak. I almost couldn't stand.

"Hee hee hee..." He let out a strange laugh: "I'm here to collect souls, little girl. Don't be startled. The fact that you can see me means you're not an ordinary person—if you scare yourself to death, don't blame me."

What the heck is this!

"You, what kind of soul are you going to collect!" I took a step back and fell on my bottom in the yard.

The silent female ghost on the steps beside me vanished quickly. Was she also afraid of this white-clad figure with its sharp hat and blood-red tongue

"Receiving end chaos...or, perhaps the souls of the deceased..." The man in white chuckled wryly and drifted towards me.

The thing he held in his hand looked light and airy, thin as paper. But when he struck it, a deafening crack echoed in my ears.

"...My house doesn't have any wandering souls, that female ghost just ran away, you better go catch her quickly." I said, my voice trembling.

"Hehehe...ghost... That was just a little spirit, not even a real ghost... I better get back to business..." He said that as he "floated" out the courtyard gate.

I was stunned, my scalp tingling. I don't know where the courage came from, but I roared, "Get out! Don't wander around in my house! My family has nothing to do with you—"

"None" He grinned wickedly, his blood-red tongue flicking.

"So many mouths in your house... They've been taken, good for the quota..."

I, I'm about to cry—is this a ghost messenger from the underworld I've never seen such a terrifying ghost before, what does he want!

"Don't mess around! Life and death are predetermined. My family is well, how could anyone die prematurely! What kind of demon are you! Don't try to fool me!" I swung my peach wood sword.

He leaped lightly outwards, hovering and landing on the roof of my father's study.

"Hee hee hee... I need to make up for the lifespan I sent out, and with so many people in your family, it's a stroke of luck... Considering you're an 'outsider', I'll give you a chance..."

Opportunity

He stood on the rooftop, baring his teeth in a menacing grin: “Use yourselves to save these mortals in this house— ”is kind of running and jumping thing doesn't concern me, this useless burden. Jiang Qiyun gave me a cold look, and I obediently got into the car and sat there waiting.That man who was kicked out was L...