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墨書 Inktalez
In our world, there are always some kind-hearted people. They find joy in helping others and never tire of it. When they see someone in trouble, they eagerly lend a hand. Such individuals accumulate good karma; even if they cannot achieve great wealth in this life, they will be blessed in the next.
In the spirit realm, there are also some Spirit Gods who remain in the human world to rectify the unfinished Yin De of the mortal realm. They use their own means to help people avoid danger. Afterward, they quietly depart, causing no harm, entanglement, or fright. The method these Spirit Gods use to assist is to lead people astray. Some individuals manage to find their way out on their own, while those who cannot will eventually be freed after some time without any negative consequences.
Those who remain lost for a long time are not necessarily in danger; rather, some Spirit Gods may be a bit mischievous and simply want to play for a while longer. We refer to these Spirit Gods as Road Ghosts, and in some places, they are called Reverse Road Ghosts. Their actions are known as Ghost Walls.
Scientifically speaking, a Ghost Wall is a state of blurred consciousness that causes a person to deviate while walking, ultimately leading them to walk in circles. I agree with this explanation; the conditions for this phenomenon require a wide area—at least 23 kilometers—to manifest. Another possibility is that the individual is intoxicated, causing significant deviation in their walking. However, when we walk through narrow alleys or along straight roads, we can still encounter situations where we cannot find our way out. This cannot be explained scientifically; even with deviations, one should be able to notice if they are going the wrong way. In such cases, relying on science for an explanation becomes quite challenging.
Some people believe that Ghost Walls and Ghostly Veils are the same concept, but they are not; in fact, they are quite the opposite. A Ghost Wall usually helps you avoid danger, while a Ghostly Veil often obscures certain dangers from your view and leads you into peril. Of course, it is also possible that some Spirit Gods seek help and intentionally create Ghost Roads; however, such encounters are rare for ordinary people and more common among those familiar with the supernatural.
The former saves lives and does good deeds; the latter causes harm and evil.
Not long ago, a friend of mine encountered a Ghostly Veil while driving at an intersection with traffic lights. When the light was red, he could not see the cars ahead and assumed there were none, leading him to crash directly into a red car he had not noticed until it was too late. He has good eyesight, had not been drinking, and was mentally stable and alert. Thus, encountering a Ghost Wall is fortunate; encountering a Ghostly Veil is simply bad luck. Some might ask how I can say that Ghost Walls do no harm. The answer is simple: aside from causing you to get lost and waste some time, they do not actually harm you at all.
Tonight, I want to share a story about my own experience with a Ghost Wall. Whether it kept me away from danger remains uncertain; however, I believe it did. Therefore, when I later helped it with something, I did so with gratitude in my heart. Even though I spent that night sleeping in my car in a remote area, I felt no displeasure.
It seems this happened last year during the seventh month of the lunar calendar—around the time of the Ghost Festival—though I can't recall the exact day; please forgive me for being insensitive to time. One day, after dining with friends in Huangpu District, I was heading home around ten o'clock at night. The route from Huangpu to Panyu is one I prefer: taking the elevated ring road towards Nansha Port and then exiting onto Jinshan Avenue in Panyu. Although it's not the shortest route, it's usually free of heavy traffic due to my familiarity with it.
I arrived at the elevated ring road just after ten o'clock. As soon as I got on it, I sensed something was off inside my car because I was listening to one of my favorite radio stations—but every time I tuned into that frequency, it would automatically switch away. Assuming it was just interference from the station's signal, I switched to playing CDs instead; however, each song would only play for less than a minute before skipping to the next one. Normally, I wouldn't think much of it; after all, my car has amulets and protective items that generally keep Spirit Gods out—if they do manage to enter somehow, they usually don't stay long.
I turned off the sound system directly; however, within seconds it turned back on by itself again. At this point, I felt certain that it wasn't just an issue with the audio system since there was no one in the passenger seat and nobody in the back either when I glanced back. Just as I was feeling perplexed by this situation, I caught sight of a vague outline of a head through the rearview mirror—it seemed to be sitting right behind me. The interior of my car is entirely black while that head appeared light yellow; upon closer inspection, I could only make out its outline but couldn't see its face clearly—I realized then that I had encountered a Spirit God.
After driving for a while without seeing any movement from that outline behind me, I decided not to pay it any mind—I thought perhaps it was just hitching a ride. I even asked casually where it wanted to get off but received no response. Noticing that we were approaching Nansha Port with its right turn sign just 500 meters ahead made me feel more at ease despite everything strange happening around me. Since my speed wasn't high at that moment, I turned on the sound system again and said I'd play Jay Chou's songs together so nothing weird would happen.
After driving approximately one thousand meters without spotting the entrance for Nansha Port—which I've taken at least ten times before—I found myself puzzled because there should have been no chance of getting lost on this route. At that moment, I thought there was still another entrance up ahead leading onto Huazhong Expressway which would also take me back to Panyu; however, just as I felt we were nearing that intersection again—I still couldn't find any sign indicating how to access Huazhong Expressway.
Not even a single directional sign appeared in sight.
At that moment, I was feeling quite anxious because I was really tired and wanted to sleep early. I turned off the music and glanced at the blurry silhouette in the rearview mirror, saying, "You're not messing with me, are you, big brother?" After asking, I kept my eyes on the outline of the head, and it surprisingly nodded slightly. I was at a loss for words and wanted to pull over to have a serious talk with it, but I couldn't find a suitable place to stop. I could have parked right by the roadside, but I was afraid passing cars would suspect I was up to something inappropriate. So, I took a small detour off the ring road, looking for a place to turn around and head back.
When I exited the ring road, I realized I wasn't familiar with the area at all. I had ended up in a desolate place with fields and patches of land where vegetables were being grown. I parked the car and turned to look at the back seat, but saw nothing. However, when I checked the rearview mirror, that head-shaped outline was still there. Sighing, it seemed like it was playing games with me again—refusing to show itself and rejecting any form of communication. So, I took down the Amulet and Four-Faced Buddha hanging in the car and placed them in a small storage box on my right. Then, I opened the navigation app and said while searching, "I'll set the navigation; you just control where we go. I'll follow your lead."
Although I had no idea if it could actually control my navigation and even though the destination was my residential community, it didn't say anything to me. There was nothing else I could do. Once everything was set up, I started the car and followed the navigation instructions. After driving for about half an hour, I found myself in a village with very few houses. I didn't know what this place was called; there were not many residents but plenty of factories. The roads inside were complex, so I kept following the navigation. After about half an hour of driving in circles, I realized that despite having originally been twenty kilometers away from my destination, I had only managed to get one kilometer closer.
To be honest, by then I was really tired and felt inexplicably angry. Looking in the rearview mirror, that head was still there—still blurry as ever—and it hadn't become clearer just because I'd put away my protective items. Frustrated, I began mumbling to myself: "Big brother, enough already! I'm really going back to sleep now. I know you're protecting me from disaster; thank you for that. But if you keep this up, I'm not going to last much longer! I'm going to break your wall now; thank you!" With that said, I pulled over to the side of the road and got out of the car.
The method for breaking a Ghost Wall is quite simple; many people do it by getting out of their car to smoke or relieve themselves on the ground—just leaving some warmth outside will do. Of course, I didn't do anything like that; instead, I quietly lit a cigarette and started smoking while talking to myself: "Big brother, if you're done playing around, just go home! You don't sleep at night while I'm trying to rest." Since I hadn't brought any Joss Paper today, I thought if we crossed paths again in the future, I'd burn some Joss Paper for you as thanks—just like that!
After finishing my cigarette, I returned to the car. Logically speaking, it should have been time to leave. Looking at the back seat and then at the rearview mirror again, I noticed that yellow outline had disappeared. Letting out a sigh of relief, I rolled down my window and shouted out into the night as if possessed: "Thank you!" My tone resembled that of a comedian's skit before happily driving off. Just two minutes later, out of habit, I glanced in the rearview mirror again only to find that it had gotten back into my car... Hadn't it left? Or had it just followed me? Moreover, for some reason, the sound system turned on again as if announcing its presence: "That's right; it's me again!"
At that moment, my anger flared up—really flared up. "What do you want? What are you doing?" I shouted angrily; however, it was no use at all. With no other options left, I began reciting an Exorcism Spell—not so much reciting as shouting it out loud. After only a few lines of incantation, there came a sound of something hitting against the seat—three sharp knocks made me stop abruptly. It was clear that it was resisting me. The spell seemed effective enough to torment it since it didn't get out but continued resisting instead. At this point, I realized it must have something important for me to help with; however, I had no idea where we needed to go.
As they say: where there's a will there's a way. Not wanting to dwell on it any longer—I thought if you want to cause trouble then go ahead—I turned on some music at full volume and rolled down my windows while starting to sing along with Jay Chou's tune from "In the Name of the Father." Singing felt almost like chanting an incantation.
Just after singing a short segment of it, there came a loud "bang" that startled me. Out of instinct from shouting earlier on cue with my song lyrics: "This isn't an incantation; I'm singing! How long are you going to keep banging?" Before finishing my sentence though—I realized something felt off—it seemed like I'd gotten a flat tire.
After parking properly again and getting out to check what happened confirmed my suspicion: indeed it was a flat tire! Taking out my emergency light while scanning around.
In the distance were some houses but this area felt desolate—next door was a vegetable patch alongside a small stream while across from me lay flat ground with what appeared to be a stone standing upright nearby. Upon closer inspection though—it wasn't just any stone; clearly it was a tombstone behind which lay a small mound topped with a floral wreath.
It turned out to be a New Grave; however there were no inscriptions carved onto its surface nor did that mound seem significant in size at all. As I approached for a closer look—I noticed there weren't even traces of burnt paper nearby—it looked like one of those hasty burials done without care—a nameless Tomb or perhaps just another New Grave? What exactly was going on here?
Seeing that New Grave left me puzzled; this mound surely didn’t belong to whatever Road Ghost had gotten into my car.
First off—the location where it got in wasn’t right; although deep down inside me—I knew this sudden flat tire couldn’t be mere coincidence either. Secondly—if this truly were a New Grave—the spirit should only linger nearby; unsure whether or not it had passed Seven Days After Death—but definitely hadn’t undergone any Ritual for Releasing Souls since there weren’t even signs of incense or paper offerings around here either! Most importantly—the tombstone bore no inscriptions—not even basic surnames—but what about that wreath? That detail struck me as odd too…
The soul in question might not have been taken by Yin Chai, which means there’s a chance it’s still here. If that’s the case, along with the spirit from Ghost Road, it suggests that there are two Spirit Gods nearby. The one from Ghost Road won’t attack me, but I’m unsure if this New Soul is aggressive.
With this thought, I suddenly felt less tired. Perhaps out of curiosity or professional habit, I was eager to understand what was going on with this New Grave. Setting aside my thoughts, the most direct way to gather information would undoubtedly be through the Call of Souls. However, I didn’t have the tools for that. I didn’t carry the Call of Souls equipment with me, nor did I have anything to Send Soul; all I had were a few emergency attack talismans in the car.
I glanced at the distant house; it didn’t look like a convenience store. Even if it were, they wouldn’t sell Joss Paper or incense, let alone rice. After some consideration, I realized I had to go home to get what I needed. But then my tire blew out, and I couldn’t drive. It was already past midnight, and being in the wilderness meant I couldn’t call for a ride.
After thinking it over, I decided to change the Spare Tire myself and then head home to grab what I needed. To prevent another flat tire, I got into the car to see if the spirit from Ghost Road would follow me. If it did, I planned to negotiate with it; I wasn’t going to just stand by. I'd be back quickly after retrieving my items. Once inside the car and turning on the interior lights, I looked in the rearview mirror and saw that it indeed followed me.
I quickly said to it, "I know you brought me here for a reason; is your purpose related to that New Grave?" After saying this, I fixed my gaze on the rearview mirror, and the spirit lowered its head.
Continuing, I explained, "I need to communicate with him, but he probably can’t manifest right now. So I'm going back home to get my Call of Souls tools. Please don’t mess with my car. I'll be back soon; is that alright?"
Seeing it lower its head again, I hurriedly opened the trunk and took out the Spare Tire. It took nearly half an hour to change it; by then, my emergency lights were almost out of battery. It was already past one o'clock... My mind was filled with thoughts about that New Grave. Initially, I could have ignored it entirely, but since fate had led me here, I felt inclined to learn more about this Spirit God—even if there was no reward for doing so.
After packing up my things, I didn’t bother putting the blown tire in the car; instead, I just drove home. At that moment, my navigation system started working perfectly again. Since it was late at night, it only took me about twenty minutes to reach home. I quickly went upstairs to grab my usual work bag and drove back out again. The route wasn’t complicated at all; plus, on my way back earlier, I made sure to remember the way. Thus, when I arrived at that New Grave location, it was just around dawn—early morning hours when Call of Souls is easier than at Midnight but also riskier for the operator due to fatigue and difficulty controlling consciousness. The ease and danger are relative; it's like a fifty-fifty chance versus a forty-sixty chance—there's not much difference—so I didn’t worry too much.
Upon reaching my destination, I hurriedly set up the Call of Souls array. Just as I was about to summon souls, a thought struck me: if there truly were two Spirit Gods nearby and they both responded at once, that could be problematic—not because they would team up against me but because my offerings wouldn’t suffice and might come off as disrespectful. So I turned back to the car intending to lure the Ghost Road spirit inside before proceeding with Call of Souls.
However, while my thinking was meticulous, reality didn’t align with my expectations; it didn’t follow me this time. This left me puzzled—had the Ghost Road spirit already departed? With this thought in mind, I quickly pulled out my compass for guidance. According to its readings, there were indeed two spirits nearby; however, why wasn’t one following me? Did it somehow realize my intention to trap it? At this point, using Soul Guiding methods wasn’t an option either.
It’s worth mentioning that Soul Guiding and Call of Souls are three different methods with varying effects; I'll refrain from explaining them here.
After contemplating various ways to separate them without success, confusion began to set in.
As they say: where there's a will there's a way. When pushed to a certain extent, one can think of all sorts of solutions. Looking back now, I realize how clever my approach was at that moment. Pretending to pack up items into my car while saying aloud that this matter was beyond me and that I'd be heading home for some sleep—if they weren’t happy about it they could just follow me—I hopped into the car with intent to trick them into coming along.
Once inside the vehicle, I turned on the lights and placed the compass on the dashboard. As I started the engine, I noticed the compass shaking violently for a moment; glancing in the rearview mirror confirmed that familiar circular outline had indeed entered my car.
I quickly drove several hundred meters away before stopping; it remained inside.
To be honest, at that moment I felt quite pleased with myself—who knew this would work? Although I'd deceived you, hopefully you could understand.
Without further ado, I secured it in place just like before—no need for further elaboration on how that was done—and once everything was settled down outside of the car, I placed talismans on all four doors and even on the trunk... just in case it tried to escape.
After confirming that everything was in order, I quickly grabbed my things and rushed towards the New Grave. I needed to finish my task before dawn. Upon reaching the grave, I began searching for souls, as I needed to pinpoint a general location. The range of the Call of Souls couldn't be too wide; in this desolate area, a larger range could easily attract unrelated spirits. Even though the probability was low, it wasn't impossible. If I summoned one spirit, it would be manageable, but if several appeared, it could lead to trouble—perhaps I wouldn't see the sun rise the next day. At that moment, I felt a twinge of fear because there was a small stream nearby, which inevitably meant a small bridge. The area beneath the bridge was heavy with yin energy, and the farmland and vegetable patches created numerous crossroads. I'm sure everyone knows that such places are favored by Wandering Souls.
To be safe, I first set up a Water Bowl. Since there were no streetlights in that area, relying solely on the flashlight in my bag didn't provide enough illumination. However, with no wind blowing, lighting a red candle would offer some light as well. I placed the flashlight on the gravestone and lit the red candle while illuminating the Water Bowl in front of me. After checking the results, I sighed in relief; there was indeed only one Spirit God nearby, and it was quite close to me. With that worry lifted, I arranged my items and began chanting the Call of Souls.
I initially thought I would directly summon the spirit in front of the gravestone, but when the soul emerged, even though I had mentally prepared myself, I was still startled. The summoned spirit was not facing me but had its back turned instead. It was crouched down beside the Mound rather than standing. The reason for my shock was its position; I feared it might suddenly turn around and reveal something unexpected. By "unexpected," I didn't mean a grotesque appearance with a long tongue or bulging eyes but rather an overwhelming sense of Resentment and malice. Since I had been brought here without knowing whether it needed help or intended harm, if it were hostile, I'd have no choice but to run away. A Spirit God capable of commanding other spirits to lure them over was not something I could confront.
The saying "Good deeds are rewarded" holds some truth; acting out of kindness would not lead to bad consequences for me. Within three minutes after calling out to it, I remained silent while it stayed crouched there, only sobbing softly without any other reaction. Given this behavior, my concerns seemed unnecessary. If it were a Vengeful Spirit, it would have attacked me by now; since it showed no aggression, it appeared to be waiting for me to speak. It should have known that I was there to help it. Judging by its form, it seemed to be an elderly man over fifty years old.
I tentatively asked, "Sir, I know you are lost. I'm here to help you. If you accept my assistance, please stand up and turn around." Upon hearing this, it seemed to hesitate for only a moment before slowly standing up and turning around.
Due to the insufficient light source and my inability to shine the flashlight directly at it, I couldn't see its face clearly; all I could make out was a hunched figure. It had a slight hunchback and unkempt hair that resembled someone who had been living on the streets—a pitiful sight akin to an elderly beggar.
It took two steps forward, closing the distance between us slightly, allowing me to see it more clearly. Its pale skin couldn't hide its kind face adorned with a smile. It looked at me like an elderly beggar hoping for alms from every passerby, wishing for just enough money to secure its next meal. My heart ached at the sight.
Even in death, it maintained that smile—the only thing it could offer as gratitude to passersby—and perhaps its last reliance on others despite many dismissing such smiles.
I said softly, "Sir, do you know that you have passed away?" My tone was slow and somewhat choked with emotion. It continued smiling as it replied, "Young man, I'm aware that I've died; however, I don't know where I'm supposed to go now. I've always been a burden in this world without a stable place to call home; little did I expect that even in death I'd still lack belonging." Its speech carried a heavy Henan accent—perhaps someone from Henan who had wandered all the way to Guangzhou. While my words weren't exact translations of its meaning, they conveyed its essence.
I responded gently, "Sir, I can take you where you need to go. We didn't know each other in life; I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances."
"It’s alright," it said. "I just want to leave this world behind. I've received help from many strangers throughout my life but have never been able to repay them in any way. Initially thinking death would bring understanding has proven false; even after death, I'm still causing trouble for others. If you can help me leave this world behind, then thank you."
Hearing this made my heart ache again. Some people may be poor yet constantly think about repaying others for their kindness—feeling unworthy of what they've received and fearing they might burden others unless absolutely necessary—while others who are wealthy seek ways to exploit others without hesitation or scruples.
I asked again, "Sir, do you have any last wishes? You can share them with me; since I couldn't treat you to a meal while you were alive, I'd like to do something for you now." It pondered for a moment before smiling at me and saying: "Thank you young man; I've lived alone for so long that I've lost all attachments. Just living this long has satisfied me; this world has treated me well. I'm grateful for those who helped me along the way—even this grave was dug by a stranger who also left me flowers—a final farewell from someone else while I've been unable to repay them in any way. All I hope is that good deeds are rewarded."
As it spoke these words, another thought crossed my mind: "Why didn’t the person who buried you report your death? Why did they choose to bury you privately?"
"It was a farmer from nearby," it explained. "I lived in a straw hut near the Vegetable Garden and often helped him with his work; that garden belongs to him. In life, I'd told him many times that if I ever died one day, he could just find any place and bury me."
At that moment, everything became clear to me. The Farmer was a good person. After chatting with the old man for quite a while, I realized it was getting late, and I was feeling a bit worn out myself. I said to the old man, "I won't keep you any longer. Let me take you to where you need to go. Take a good look at this world, and may you have a good fate in your next life."
After sending the old man off, I paid my respects at the grave. Then I performed a simple ritual for his soul. I will never forget that kind face, slowly disappearing with a smile. Once I finished the ritual, I packed up my things; my flashlight was almost out of battery. I returned to the car, removed the talismans, and released the Spirit God trapped inside.
I said, "Big Brother, the matter has been taken care of; you may go now." The Spirit God of Ghost Road does not require me to escort them; they know where their souls should return. They simply need to stay behind to help some people accumulate Yin De, and once their virtue is full, they can leave.
After it departed, I intended to head straight home but suddenly remembered something. However, my flashlight had completely run out of power, so I reclined my seat and fell asleep in my clothes. When morning came, I went to the thatched cottage in the Vegetable Garden and found some of the old man's belongings: some worn clothes, bowls and chopsticks, and a plastic box containing some loose change—one yuan coins, five jiao coins, and many one jiao coins. Counting them up, there were less than twenty yuan. I packed these items into a bag and went for breakfast. Once a nearby shop selling Joss Paper opened, I used all the loose change to buy Joss Paper and returned to the Mound to burn it along with those items for the old man. I had intended to spend more of my own money on Joss Paper, but the old man wouldn’t want to trouble anyone further, and I didn’t want him to feel guilty.
Looking at that empty tombstone, I thought it was fine that there were no words on it. He came quietly and left cleanly. Perhaps for him, not having tasted life was not a good outcome.
Although many beggars today are lazy and unmotivated, if you see elderly people who have lost their ability to work begging on the street—smiling at every passerby—if you're not tight on cash, consider helping them out a little. A few coins, some bread, or a bottle of water might seem insignificant to you but could give them gratitude or even courage to continue living.
Giving someone a rose leaves fragrance on your hands; when you do good deeds often enough, blessings will naturally come quickly. Of course, those beggars who are capable of working are not worth your charity. Friends can discern truth from falsehood; good and evil will separate themselves.
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