“Do you have one too?” Lan He asked.
“Yes.” Cheng Haidong rolled up his sleeve, revealing the five-colored rope. “The boss also said I already have a peace charm from Juehui Temple, and the last time I went there, I even struck the bell for blessings. But I still feel that, as a chosen one like me, it’s better to have more protection.”
—Over the past period, Cheng Haidong’s mentality had completely recovered. He even turned his ghostly encounters into dinner party stories, entertaining no less than ten tables of people with his tales.
“Help me verify this later, will you? I even mentioned it to Wu Ling today, thinking of using it as material for her. She said I was talking nonsense,” Cheng Haidong said. The Wu Ling he referred to was the screenwriter of the drama, who stayed on set because Liu Chunyang frequently had new ideas.
Lan He said, “You’re talking about the story of the Blue and White Impermanence again, no one will believe you…”
Cheng Haidong straightened up stubbornly: “I don’t care… ow.”
He strained his whole body and felt a pain in his back.
Cheng Haidong was a Steadicam operator, and his equipment was very heavy. Normal people would feel uncomfortable after a day’s work, let alone him with his high workload.
“No, no, can you go buy some pain relief patches for me? I’ve run out,” Cheng Haidong said to Lan He.
There were two scenes without Lan He later, but Cheng Haidong was different; he would have to start working again after a brief rest and really had no time to fetch pain relief patches himself.
“Okay,” Lan He responded and left.
There were many shops at the film studio, and while Lan He was looking for pain relief patches, he overheard two girls talking:
“…that prop was specially purchased according to the original novel, and several sets were bought as backups. They’re not antiques, but they seem to have some age and weren’t cheap either, costing thousands.”
“Yeah, so now there’s a legend that the ghost is a cultured ghost, attracted by the fine inkstone.”
“But we’ve already shot many scenes with the inkstone, what do we do now, reshoot everything?”
“There’s no other choice… We still can’t find the missing one. Not sure if we’ll have to stop production for a ritual, it’s still being discussed.”
Lan He figured they must be from the neighboring crew that was experiencing hauntings, inadvertently providing him with an explanation. However, Lan He didn’t join in the conversation, silently picked up his items, paid, and went back.
Lan He returned to the set and saw from a distance that the screenwriter Wu Ling was there, with a plain-faced girl by her side.
And Cheng Haidong, seizing the moment while the director was briefing the actors, said to Wu Ling, “Sister Wu, look, Lan He is back. Ask him if I didn’t encounter a ghost before!”
“Screenwriter Wu,” Lan He greeted Wu Ling. As for the girl next to Wu Ling, he didn’t recognize her. She seemed familiar, probably a crew member. He nodded politely, and the girl smiled back at him.
Wu Ling said amusedly, “I don’t disbelieve you, it’s just that your version is too far-fetched.”
Cheng Haidong asked, “What do you mean by far-fetched? Screenwriter Wu, do you know how Nuwa mended the sky?”
Without hesitation, Wu Ling answered, “With five-colored stones.”
Cheng Haidong wagged his finger, “A friend from the north told me that in their village, the legend says that the northeast corner wasn’t sealed tightly, so Nuwa Mother used ice blocks to plug it. That’s why it’s particularly cold in the northeast, and the northeasterly wind is cold too.”
Wu Ling: “…”
Other people: “…”
Wu Ling was somewhat convinced, “That makes sense, some versions do have local characteristics. But I’ve never heard of Nuwa using ice to mend the sky, nor have I heard that the hats of the Black and White Impermanence read ‘since I’m here.’ Usually, the folk versions are ‘seeing wealth upon arrival’ and ‘peace throughout the world’ or ‘you’ve come too’ and ‘we’re catching you’…”
She paused, amused, “If one reads ‘since I’m here,’ what would the other say, ‘safe entry and exit’? ‘The child is still young’?”
She looked around, seeking Lan He’s agreement.
Lan He certainly gave an affirming look: “Hmm!”
“Not right!” The quiet girl suddenly widened her eyes, “Sister Wu, it really says ‘since I’m here’!”
“…Ah?” Wu Ling paused, “What did you say?”
“Sister Wu, believe me,” the girl earnestly said, “It really says ‘since I’m here.’ Last month after a performance, my partner and I encountered something dirty. Then a ghost catcher came, his hat reading ‘since I’m here,’ and he let us go.”
Saying this, she also looked around, seeking affirmation from Lan He and the others.
Lan He: “…”
He knew why this girl looked familiar!
She wasn’t from the crew but the Sichuan opera actress he had encountered before. Without her stage makeup, she was hardly recognizable.
——Actually, because two scenes on set required Sichuan opera actors, professionals were specially invited. Wu Ling just happened to know Meng Qing and brought her in. Right now, she hasn’t put on makeup yet, and they are chatting together.
Meng Qing didn’t recognize Lan He either. Back then, who would dare to stare at the face of Impermanence? Even if she did, she could only see the eyes since Lan He was wearing a mask.
“My god, beautiful lady, have you also encountered a ghost messenger?” Cheng Haidong, as if seeing a relative, was very excited. “That’s great. I’ve been wronged for so long! I’ve been saying, there are such things as ghost messengers, but they all think I’m talking nonsense.”
“Is that so…” Wu Ling initially found Cheng Haidong’s claims ridiculous, but the examples he cited made her half-believe, half-doubt. Now, Meng Qing, who is completely unfamiliar with Cheng Haidong, said the same thing, even claiming it to be a true experience, which made her ponder.
“This is quite interesting. I want to ask more people… Actually, this explanation is more dramatic than the other two!” Wu Ling became more excited as she spoke. “Such an Impermanence is indeed more interesting.”
Lan He suddenly felt a bit uneasy, worrying about inadvertently creating a new legend…
At that moment, Liu Chunyang gave an order, and Cheng Haidong stepped back to his position to prepare for filming. Meng Qing also had to prepare for makeup.
Wu Ling recorded what Meng Qing had just said on her phone.
Lan He asked, “Screenwriter Wu, are you planning to write a ghost drama for your next project?”
“Yes, I want to write a supernatural anthology series, so I’m collecting material everywhere. By the way, Lan He, I heard from the photography director that your grandfather owns a paper effigy shop. Do you have any similar experiences?” Wu Ling asked.
“Uh… It depends on belief. If you believe, it exists; if you don’t, it doesn’t,” Lan He vaguely said. “I only know some of the older generation’s taboos. Let me tell you about them.”
“Sure, sure.” Wu Ling wasn’t actually interested in whether ghosts exist in the world. If they do, she only wanted to know whether the ghost’s story is dramatic or the setting is bizarre.
Lan He began to recall and said, “For example, the scissors we use for making paper effigies cannot be taken to someone else’s house. It’s bad luck…”
Lan He shared what he knew about folk customs with Wu Ling, who finished recording and muttered to herself, “I wonder how many people know about ‘since I’m here.'”
Lan He: “Hard to say.”
…It all depends on how many more living people I will meet from now on.
.
The crew shoots for more than ten hours every day. Occasionally, when Lan He doesn’t have his own scenes, he can rest. After wrapping up for the day, he has to take a shower to prepare for the next day’s shooting.
At night, feeling sleepy, Lan He left his room, wanting to buy a drink from the hotel’s vending machine.
Coincidentally, he ran into Chen Xingyang also buying a drink there. He nodded to him and playfully called him by his character’s name in the drama, “Xunchun.”
Lan He also wanted to joke with Chen Xingyang, but not using Zhang Xunchun’s superficial personality. Instead, he lowered his face and called out the protagonist’s name in a creepy voice: “Meng Jing—”
As he called out, the lights flickered twice.
The floor was silent and devoid of people. With the lights flickering like that, Chen Xingyang was indeed startled.
“Damn, that scared me!”
“I didn’t know the lights would flicker.” Lan He couldn’t help but laugh.
After exchanging a few words, they walked back together. The long corridor stretched their shadows exceptionally long.
Decorative cabinets with statues on top were placed in the hotel’s corridor. As they passed by one, a “bang” sound came from inside, as if something had been hit.
“What’s that?” Chen Xingyang thought the noise was too loud and reached out to check.
“Don’t look. It might be a rat.” Lan He couldn’t understand people with excessive curiosity.
Let it make noise; it’s not like an alarm went off, yet you open the cabinet to look.
Chen Xingyang had already opened the cabinet door, only to see several inkstones stacked inside, one of which had tipped over, likely the source of the noise.
The inkstone was uniformly colored, clean, fine in texture, and seemed to have some age to it. Chen Xingyang picked it up and turned around with a puzzled look, “Did the crew next door… lose their inkstones?”
It couldn’t be these, could it? His voice trailed off. He was boldly holding the inkstone when it almost slipped from his hand.
“Don’t—”
A soft voice sounded, and at the same time, Lan He quickly reached out and caught the inkstone. These inkstones, looking delicate and ancient, emitted a faint fishy smell.
“Please… don’t…”
It was that soft voice again.
Chen Xingyang couldn’t hear it.
Lan He, however, did hear it. He glanced sideways as if inadvertently and saw a man in tattered clothes and long beard squatting beside the cabinet, who softly said, “Don’t take away my tombstone again.”
Lan He’s hand almost went limp, and he silently put the inkstone back.
Tombstone?
It was clearly an inkstone. How could it be a tombstone?
Lan He didn’t have time to think much about it and told Chen Xingyang, who was getting goosebumps, “Actually, it might be that someone from the crew stole it and hid it here. They are staying in the same hotel as us, aren’t they? Let’s not alert them just yet. We’ll leave it as is and quietly tell them tomorrow.”
Chen Xingyang, already scared, calmed down a bit after hearing Lan He’s serious and composed suggestion. He thought maybe the noise was just because it wasn’t placed properly, and he had overreacted. “Okay!”
The ghost in the long gown continued to mutter resentfully, hugging his legs.
Lan He pretended not to see and stood up, saying, “Let’s go back and rest then. Good night.”
…
Even though Lan He had risen to the role of a villain, considered as the second male lead, he was still inconspicuous. He and Cheng Haidong shared a standard room, which he didn’t mind. After returning, he saw Cheng Haidong was already asleep and prepared to do the same.
However, the ghost in the long gown, possibly hearing that he and Chen Xingyang had planned to report the incident tomorrow, kept moving around their room, incessantly muttering, “Don’t… don’t touch my tombstone…”
Lan He was disturbed by the noise, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Every time he was about to fall asleep, the ghost from Chen Xingyang’s room would come over again.
Tombstone, what tombstone… Lan He was so annoyed that he felt his soul leaving his body and put on his mask.
As the ghost in the long gown came out of Chen Xingyang’s room, he was confronted by the sight of an officer of the underworld, and his eyes widened in shock.
Lan He: “What’s the matter with you, making noise here?”
The ghost’s first reaction was to flee, then he realized the other was asking about his situation. His lower lip trembled, “Oh, great lord, my suffering is great!! Woe is me!!”
He threw himself down, attempting to hug Lan He’s legs.
What a habit! Lan He, startled, floated up a few inches and leaned down, “Speak if you have something to say, quickly.”
The ghost wiped his tears with his sleeve, “Lord, I can’t be reincarnated because my skeleton is incomplete. I’ve been guarding my own tomb. I’ve been very honest, haven’t done any evil for decades! But someone, that cursed thief, stole my tombstone!”
Over the years, his coffin had deteriorated, and that person even stole his tombstone.
Lan He: “Stole your tombstone? And then what did he do with the tombstone?”
He seemed to have a guess but still pretended not to know.
“He brought it here!” the ghost cried, “Lord, that person is very wicked. They steal other people’s tombstones, grind off the inscriptions, and then sell them to make new tombstones or other items. He stole several in one night, everywhere, and my tombstone, because it was made of a whole piece of Qiyang stone, was split into many inkstones. I had saved up painstakingly to buy that tombstone, woe is me…”
Qiyang stone, also known as everlasting stone, is found in Hunan province and is very suitable for making inkstones, known as Qiyang stone inkstones. Of course, if there is enough large stone material, it can also be used for screens, tombstones, etc., like this ghost’s.
Unfortunately, it was stolen by someone making a profit without any investment.
The ghost cried more sorrowfully, feeling more wronged, “That person is too vicious. I couldn’t scare him, so I just wanted to gather my tombstone, but those who bought the inkstones might discover it soon.”
Seeing him cry so much that he seemed to shrink, causing a headache, Lan He said, “Stop crying. Tell me where the tombstone thief is, you must remember. Also, tell me your name, I’ll burn… I’ll have someone send you a piece of clothing.”
The ghost was dazed, timidly asking, “Really, my lord, I don’t have money.”
It’s not that he didn’t have money, but it’s rare for an underworld officer to bother with the affairs of a lonely ghost for free.
“You don’t need to pay.” Lan He said sternly, “Now find a quiet place to stay, and wait for my message.”
“Thank you, great lord! Thank you, great lord!” The ghost was ecstatic yet still incredulous, “Is this real? I’ve lived in the wilderness for decades without expecting a lord to freely intervene on my behalf. What auspicious day is today?”
Lan He thought to himself about the usual conduct of underworld officers, and having to help out of hand, he was now being doubted. He perfunctorily said, “Today… today is the day the underworld delivers justice to the countryside!”
Author’s note:
Lan He: Becoming a creator of (obscure) legends.