Once Upon a Time

It was the year 1934, Sexagenary Year of the Wood Element, Zodiac Year of the Dog on the Chinese Calendar, in the first month of autumn, when it all began. At the tomb of the Bian Clan alongside Huan Xiang River which flowed at the foot of Mount Yan, the swift galloping of horses broke the silence of the night. Horse bandits were riding fast, holding flaming torches in their hands. One of the bandits was barking hoarsely, ordering his men to round up the family, who had been the keepers to the graves, before restraining them with ropes, gagging them and covering their heads with black bags. A few of the men tied a thick rope to a tree before lighting it on fire. Some of the rest ran for the cluster of graves in the mausoleum of the Bian Clan, with shovels, pickaxes, and other tools. Not far away, a large man, with a face covered by a beard, sat on his horse. With proud eyes and a stern gaze, the man, who seemed to be the leader of the bandits, pointed to a mound and sp

A sudden disappointment filled me as soon as I heard the woman mention that her husband had encountered a "white fiend". I thought I would have an opportunity to demonstrate my skills, but it was only a "white fiend". "White fiends" were different from "black fiends". "Black fiends" sought to endanger humans but "white fiends" did not. I spoke to the woman, "Lady, 'white fiends' do not harm humans. Are you trying to say that your husband is bothered by one?" The woman grew worried. "No. No. Well, it's my husband himself..." The discrepancies of her statements somehow annoyed me. I bellowed, "Please be frank, lady. What has happened and how is your husband now!" The woman became stunned by my sudden uproar. With no other way, I invited the woman to sit and poured her a cup of water. "Be calm and tell me everything slowly." The woman swallowed a gulp of water and relaxed before she began. "My family lives in Yellow Soil Ridge, and there is thi

As usual, my father never failed to amaze. The husband was clutching the iPad in his hands as he looked incredulously at my father:"Impossible! It's impossible that anyone was around there! Why did you not call out to me if you were there?" My father shook his head gently, still wearing his smile. He lifted his finger and pointed at the person in the video clip playing on the tablet, saying:"This video clip was recorded using an infrared camera, hence the black and white color. The bag you had there was blue, and the flashlight you were using was red, right?" The man was stunned. But still, he could not believe my father even though my father had pointed out correctly the color of the items he carried that night. My father then said again, "You've seen my Nocturnal Sight technique just now. In truth, there's nothing special about it, other than allowing me better clarity in the dark. But I have a hobby. I love to set traps to catch wild hare

What my father said sent everyone into surprise and bewilderment, including me. But Mr. Lee was first to break the silence, asking hesitantly, "But Brother Hai? Did I just hear you say 'one-night-stand'? Can one-nighters be owed?" "Of course," said my father, nodding matter-of-factly. He turned to the female ghost and said, "Let me elaborate on your past since you refuse to accept... "You were a servant girl of a wealthy and prosperous household. One day, the young lady and the madam of the family you served wanted to go to a temple outside the city to offer some prayers and offerings. You helped the young lady with her dressing and make up before the madam took her daughter out, leaving you at home. But when you were clearing up the young lady's dressing table, a golden hairpin caught your sight. You put on the pin and admired your looks with a mirror. But you should know that everything has its owner in this world, so you should not covet what

"The old man paused and stopped for a moment before he went on with his tale, 'Despite feeling astonished, I paid little care to it. I'm an old man. I might have been seeing things or hallucinating. After completing my purchases, I saw my wife leaving the house, her eyes straight ahead as if in a trance as she continued walking, ignoring me even though I asked her where was she going. But she just kept on walking and walking. I tried calling her, but she continued ignoring me, so I rushed forth and pulled her back. Strangely, she seemed to have more strength that she usually had, sending me into a tumbling fall with just a swing of her arm. Therefore I could only follow behind to see what's happening. " 'We continued walking until she stopped and began stretching her arms and grotesquely flailing her legs that I felt so horrified. Not knowing what to do, I called my son with my phone, and it did not take long for my son and his wife to come. My daughter-in-law is us