In the morning, at the set.
Finally, it was Lan He’s last scene, very simple, a long shot. He and Old Wang had to release all the pigeons, capturing the beauty of the pigeons flying past him.
This was not difficult at all. Lan He just had to stand there, and the pigeons would fly away. Whether it looked beautiful or not, it didn’t matter much since humans and pigeons had different aesthetics, and the audience wouldn’t know if the pigeons were unhappy.
They shot several takes, with Old Wang repeatedly calling the pigeons back.
Zhang Xunchun stood on the desolate grass field, hands behind his back, listening to the pigeon whistles in the sky. His figure was tall but carried an inexplicable loneliness.
Nearby, another ceremony was taking place. Several young men from the crew were bringing out the tablet of the fox deity, wrapped in red cloth. They burned the last three incense sticks and set off to deliver it to the designated cave.
Due to customary rules, no one from the crew or the village spoke to or interacted with them. They were like ghosts, protecting the tablet as they left the Yang family house, passing through the village entrance.
At the village entrance, Zhang Xunchun stood among the pigeons, his gaze gradually returning.
“Cut!” Liu Chunyang shouted loudly, “It’s a wrap, Zhang Xunchun, it’s a wrap!”
With a few simple words, Lan He’s work was done.
The innocence and cruelty that represented Zhang Xunchun’s expression on his face gradually transformed into his usual friendly smile.
Lan He and Old Wang stood at a distance. As Old Wang was herding the pigeons back, Lan He was about to walk back but noticed a familiar girl in red coming from the group delivering the tablet.
Hu 79? Right, today was the day her tablet was to be moved. Lan He didn’t know why she left the group and came over. Was she here to say goodbye to Liu Chunyang?
Hu 79 walked swiftly, bypassing Liu Chunyang and the others, and soon reached Lan He. She looked at him with her slanted eyes and said, “Hehe, I came to say goodbye to you.”
Lan He pretended not to see her and continued walking forward nonchalantly, but his heart was racing. How did Hu 79 know he was the one from last night?
“Just by looking at you, I would really think you can’t see me. No wonder you’re an actor.” Hu 79 chuckled confidently, “No need to pretend, yesterday I deliberately left some hair on you. Let’s see where you go. Last night I was puzzled, your behavior wasn’t like a ghost officer, you even offered incense to me and asked me to communicate with the monk. The monk was baffled. I know all the ghost officers around here, where did you come from… I investigated and found out you’re a living ghost officer, a member of this crew.”
She uncovered his secret! He underestimated Hu 79!
As expected of a cunning fox deity, Lan He thought First Lady Hu was also fooled, but that was with Old Bai’s help, and First Lady Hu hadn’t interacted with his work.
Unexpectedly, he overlooked the less powerful, teary-eyed Hu 79. With just a word and a gesture, she figured out so much and secretly took action. He was too careless!
But with people around, Lan He stayed silent, not even changing his expression, just signaling for a private chat later.
At that moment, the pigeons, which Old Wang was herding back, stopped moving when Lan He and Hu 79 stood there.
Not that they didn’t want to move, but they didn’t dare to, frozen in place.
Pigeons are naturally afraid of predators like weasels and foxes. Hu 79 had become a significant presence. They shrank back from Lan He out of fear of his ghostly aura and were terrified of Hu 79, like prey already paralyzed with fear, waiting to be eaten.
Old Wang was puzzled, “Huh?”
They couldn’t see the fox deity, only Lan He standing there with pigeons all around him, quite close.
On the other side, Cheng Haidong, Liu Chunyang, and others who were coming over to celebrate with Lan He saw this scene and started joking as they got closer:
“What’s going on! What’s up with the pigeons? Did they get fed bear’s heart and leopard’s gall yesterday?”
“This world is unreal. Why aren’t the pigeons flying away from the pigeon whisperer?”
“Did someone take the pigeons to Miao Gan Mountain to pray?”
Lan He: “…”
What were they even talking about?
He didn’t plan to explain. Since when did he need to explain this kind of thing? He casually said, “Maybe my bioelectric or magnetic field changed? Is there a big magnet on site?”
Old Wang was equally confused. This was beyond his understanding. “Uh, this…”
Too many question marks floated over the set, but Liu Chunyang didn’t bother with it. He signaled the on-site photographer to keep filming. He found the scene fascinating.
“Lan He, move a bit over there,” Liu Chunyang said.
Everyone: “…”
Hey, those words sound familiar. As expected of you, Director Liu.
Lan He was already close to the pigeons and took a few more steps towards them. Naturally, the pigeons didn’t move.
Hu 79 giggled and walked behind the pigeons, causing them to instinctively flutter up and then crash into Lan He’s arms.
Others: !!!
Old Wang: “Oh my god!!”
Lan He: “…”
He awkwardly held the pigeons, while Hu 79 stood beside him, poking the pigeon’s head. The pigeon retracted its head and entered a state of calm.
However, in others’ eyes, it looked like the pigeon was snugly enjoying being held by Lan He, its neck retracted, legs pulled in, peacefully relishing the handsome guy’s embrace.
Chen Xingyang exclaimed, “King of Pigeons!”
Cheng Haidong shook his head, “Lan He, you said you don’t practice witchcraft. This must be the legendary pigeon spell…”
Of course, no one believed such nonsense. The magnetic field explanation was more plausible.
The producer marveled and shared his opinion, “Did you notice that once Lan He wrapped up his scene, the pigeons’ attitude towards him changed instantly? The cameras must have recorded it—he broke character, changed his expression, and then the pigeons changed.”
Liu Chunyang: “What are you implying?”
The producer countered, “Don’t you think the pigeons’ reaction is because of Lan He’s acting? It’s said that animals instinctively fear butchers. Lan He’s character is very ruthless, so the pigeons are not afraid of Lan He, but of ‘Zhang Xunchun’!”
The writer, Wu Ling, immediately applauded. She loved the drama in that explanation!
The set became noisy.
That explanation seemed reasonable. Even when not filming, the pigeons’ fear could be attributed to Lan He remaining in character. Regardless, it provided a plausible explanation for the extraordinary scene.
How else could one explain how Lan He went from being a pigeon’s dread to their beloved in an instant?
Those who loved a good spectacle quickly echoed the producer’s words, marveling at the brilliance and capturing more evidence.
The producer’s smile grew more meaningful. Whether it was due to a magnetic field or acting prowess, this would be his promotional angle! He glanced to ensure that all previous content had been filmed.
Lan He’s mouth twitched at the myriad human reactions. Unsure of what to say, he released the pigeons. “Well, thank you everyone, and thank you, pigeons. I need to use the restroom.”
He squeezed through the crowd.
Hu 79 followed him.
As soon as they left, the pigeons revived, fluttering away with a chorus of pigeon whistles, soaring into the sky. This seemed to further confirm the producer’s theory, making even the doubters believe.
Old Wang scratched his head: If it wasn’t Lan He’s bio-magnetic field suddenly changing, then it had to be that Lan He’s pigeon-taming skills were far superior, so deep that he could conquer the pigeons Old Wang had trained for so long in such a short time!
…
Lan He reached a secluded spot, turned around, and asked, “What do you want?”
Hu 79 smiled, “I said, just to say goodbye.” She mimicked Lan He’s tone from the previous night, “You don’t want your identity revealed, so you wore a mask. Don’t worry, I can keep your secret.”
Lan He scrutinized her expression, trying to gauge her sincerity. Last night, she had spoken while preparing to attack. But if Hu 79 genuinely wanted to keep the secret, it would save him a lot of trouble.
Otherwise, he could imagine all sorts of harassment. Not to mention, First Lady Hu would visit him daily… Although there were benefits, this part-time job was indeed troublesome.
Hu 79’s demeanor grew serious, “Don’t you know a person’s worth? I am not like those spineless ones; I keep my word. Since I lost to you, I won’t use this to cause trouble. I won’t even tell First Lady Hu! I was just cautious, wanting to know your identity. Besides, it’s good for us to know each other. It’ll be easier if we need to interact in the future…”
Lan He: “… I don’t channel deities.”
Hu 79 looked disappointed, “Why are you so decisive? You don’t know my virtues yet.”
I already do!
Lan He thought, she said so much and emphasized not telling First Lady Hu, all for this!
He should have known. First Lady Hu had always wanted to move into his place to enjoy the offerings every day.
Hu 79 persisted, “Why do you walk the path of the ghost officer?”
Lan He: “Uh, right now, it’s for a living.”
Hu 79’s eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands, saying, “Isn’t that perfect? If you take me home, I promise your family will never run out of rice, never have to pay for gas, and never have to worry about electricity bills. You’ll always have good health and fortune.”
She had initially offered to serve the Yang family out of gratitude, but wanting Lan He to take her home was purely out of greed. Some households build the most luxurious altars for the God of Wealth, yet no deities are willing to come. But there are some families that make her want to volunteer herself…
Lan He shook his head. “No, I just mean earning a basic living. As long as I can eat, that’s enough.” Although he wasn’t wealthy, he wasn’t poor either, and he didn’t seek fortune. Additionally, people from Hunan Province pronounce ‘eat’ as ‘qia.’ “I walk the path of the ghost officer because acting requires dieting, and being a ghost officer allows me to eat offerings without gaining weight.”
Hu 79: “…”
She was truly speechless. With a darkened face, she said, “Alright, we can still be friends. Since I know your identity, to show my sincerity, I will tell you my maiden name.”
In the underworld, names are significant symbols. These deities rarely reveal their real names, with disciples typically referring to them by nicknames, often based on their surnames and ranking, like Great Lord of the Three Foxes or Silly Er Xiangu.
Lan He only knew a third of Song Futang’s name.
Knowing someone’s real name signifies trust and responsibility. You must honor the person who confides in you. Of course, if you’re a scoundrel, that doesn’t matter.
Lan He quickly said, “I trust you, there’s really no need…”
But Hu 79 was faster, saying before he could refuse, “My name is Xiren!”
Lan He: “…”
Well, he had no choice but to accept the trust.
Lan He forced a smile and politely complimented, “Good name. Do you read ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’? A fox girl named Xiren sounds like a character from ‘Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio.’”
Hu 79 looked at him, puzzled. “What Red Chamber or Green Chamber? I’m called Xiren because I used to love ambushing the living on the mountain when I was little. They were so annoying, always cutting trees.”
Lan He: “…”
Hu 79 then took out a nail clipper and said to Lan He, “Judging by your nails, they must be a gift from First Lady Hu. I’ll also give you a piece of my nail. Try it out. Although I’m not as powerful as First Lady Hu, I have my strengths…”
Without further ado, she clipped a piece for Lan He, insisting he take it. “Hehe, if you find it useful and want to find me, come to Shangqiu Mountain or burn midnight incense and call my real name. If I hear it, I’ll come.”
Lan He reluctantly wrapped it in paper, feeling a headache coming on. “You’re all like enthusiastic sales assistants. Thank you, 79th Lady. Let’s meet again sometime.”
Hu 79, who lived in the Xiao Yang family for ten years, had a mix of human knowledge. She didn’t understand everything, and Xiao Yang didn’t wear makeup. “Huh? What sales assistant?”
Lan He said, “Nothing. Thank you, 79th Lady. Goodbye for now.”
Hu 79 waved eagerly. “I should go too. Remember to try it out!”
…
After parting ways with Hu 79, Lan He walked back. Just as he exited the courtyard near the restroom, a bunch of leaves hit his face. “Ugh, ugh!”
‘Damn, an assassin!’ This was clearly a human attack. Lan He retreated a few steps and saw it was Chen Xingyang and Cheng Haidong holding willow branches.
“No problem, hey,” Cheng Haidong said. Without peach wood, he found willow wood, also known as ghost-fearing wood. It carries life energy and yang energy, similar to peach wood, and can ward off evil spirits.
Lan He said irritably, “I wrap up filming today. If this is a farewell, it doesn’t need to be so intimate.”
Cheng Haidong and Chen Xingyang exchanged a glance. “What? We’re worried that you’ve suddenly become obsessed with pigeons. Did some deity possess you?”
Lan He remained expressionless. “Didn’t the producer say my acting was outstanding? Director Liu also said I’m immune to all evil.”
In truth, these two had guessed half correctly by sheer luck…
“Haha, you’re really something,” Chen Xingyang said, patting him. “Are you leaving today? How long will you be resting?” After hearing the answer, he said regretfully, “By the time I wrap up, you’ll be working with Director Wang Mao, and we won’t be able to meet up. But my sister will probably invite you over.”
“Sure, I’ll visit when I have time, and I’ll check on Miaomiao too,” Lan He agreed.
.
After bidding farewell to his new friends from the crew, Lan He headed home. He would have about ten days of rest before joining the cast of “Dreams of Youth” as the third male lead.
Lan He took the bus and then the subway to get back to his residential area, where he ran into his neighbor Ying Shao in the elevator.
“Hey, you’re done with work? I saw your news again,” Ying Shao said enthusiastically. “Impressive, you seem to be quite familiar with the goddess Xingyu and her brother, Chen Xingyang, right?”
Lan He: “Yes, haha.”
Wow, such a good actor, pretending not to know who Chen Xingyang is…
Ying Shao had to admit he regretted claiming to be a fraudster to Lan He in a moment of bravado.
Recently, he was so broke that everyone looked like a potential client. He had wanted to protect his neighbor before, but now he thought, given how many people in the entertainment industry are superstitious, Lan He could be a good client!
Ying Shao decided to shamelessly try: “Hey, do you have any beliefs or superstitions?”
Lan He replied, “Not really, I don’t believe in that stuff.” He smiled politely, “Why? Doing market research?”
“Actually, I wanted to clarify something…” Ying Shao said awkwardly. “You remember the loud noises from my place recently, the broken surveillance, and my injuries… Do you really think that was just illness? Doesn’t it seem strange?”
Lan He smiled silently, like someone looking at a fraudster. And because this fraudster was a somewhat familiar neighbor, the smile was perfectly polite and appropriately distanced…
Since he was on vacation and in a good mood, he decided to play along.
Ying Shao said seriously, “That day, I was actually helping a client deal with something sinister. I entered a mysterious realm and had a close brush with death. Fortunately, I had someone helping me from the other side — in our line of work, we need to communicate with ghosts and gods. You know about the Black and White Impermanence, right?”
Lan He: “…”
He had every reason to suspect Ying Shao was bragging. Black and White Impermanence? You’ve only seen Lan Impermanence.
Lan He calmly said, “Are you talking about spirit possession or entering the underworld?”
Ying Shao: “Exactly! Have you heard of it?”
Lan He: “It’s probably due to the exhausting ritual combined with self-suggestion, leading to a hysterical fainting spell.”
Ying Shao: “…”
Lan He was quite skilled at dealing with charlatans.
—These people who deal with the underworld have different ways of becoming masters. Some are apprentices seeking masters, others are masters seeking apprentices. Back when Lan He’s acting skills were not as refined, and he occasionally exposed his ability to see ghosts, a Miao shaman thought highly of Lan He and wanted to teach him to set up a spiritual altar.
That guy was much more mystical than Ying Shao, asking Lan He if he knew what ghost mushrooms were. He said that the “Baopuzi” mentioned that eating them would enable one to see ghosts and gods.
Lan He replied, “I don’t know, but I think poisonous mushrooms would have a similar effect.”
The shaman was so angry he rolled his eyes and gave up.
Lan He thought Ying Shao would also give up, but Ying Shao continued, “If you’re talking about biology, we also have scientific evidence. Our inherited mantras can produce infrasound waves, containing 3 to 6 Hz vibrations…”
Lan He: “…”
…This charlatan was tough! His content was more systematic and scientific, possibly educated!
Luckily, Lan He’s phone rang at that moment. He quickly signaled and put on an evasive expression.
Ying Shao was quite disappointed. It was really hard to recruit such a steadfast person.
The elevator arrived at their floor. Frustrated by his failed pitch, Ying Shao sulked to his door, opened it, and loudly scolded his junior disciple, “Still lying around? I’ve been working my butt off, and you can’t even cook a meal when you arrive…”
Lan He’s call was from his mother. They usually communicated via WeChat, but today his mother, who was visiting his grandmother, called directly.
Lan He’s family had always lived in the city, and their household registration listed them as Han Chinese, but his grandmother, who used to live in a Miao village, still often mixed Miao words into her speech.
Lan He also responded in Miao, “Yes, yes, I know, I’m eating well.”
…
At that moment, in the stairwell.
A small man in a repairman’s uniform cautiously peeked out, very vigilant to avoid being spotted. Otherwise, even the most powerful gu master wouldn’t need to come close; just a slight movement or even a thought could release the gu.
He was not a repairman, of course, but had been hired. A man known in the underworld as Master Lou, who had a small reputation in Beijing, usually led his team to perform divinations, lifespan extensions, geomancy, and soul-summoning. When business was slow, he would use captive spirits to create business. Despite the many experts around, he managed to get by.
However, last time, Master Lou’s setup was disrupted by someone named Ying Shao. The vengeful spirit he sent for revenge was captured by Ying Shao and could not be summoned back. That spirit was the result of Master Lou’s years of effort, and even though he had conceded, Ying Shao continued to play dumb.
The loss was too great to bear and too hard to swallow.
So, he decided to fight fire with fire!
Use gu to deal with gu. Knowing the name of the gu could subdue it.
For example, centipede gu could subdue snake gu, toad gu could subdue centipede gu… Ying Shao raised a golden silkworm gu, which as a gu ghost could control vengeful spirits. So, no more sending little ghosts; find the corresponding gu to deal with him!
Master Lou specifically sought the help of a gu master, leading to this man’s presence. The gu master, considering his status, wouldn’t come personally for such a minor issue but provided two gu insects.
Among Master Lou’s underlings, he had never met Ying Shao, so Ying Shao wouldn’t recognize him. He brought the jar with the gu master’s insects, ready to secretly release them when Ying Shao returned.
But it seemed that both residents of this floor had come back simultaneously, one entering the left apartment, the other the right. He had only heard Master Lou’s description of Ying Shao’s appearance, so he couldn’t recognize him at a glance.
However, Master Lou had checked and told him Ying Shao lived in 1801, the apartment on the left, very clearly.
Seeing no door numbers but knowing the directions were easy to distinguish, he listened to their conversations. The one on the left spoke with a northeastern accent, the one on the right in Miao…
Master Lou didn’t specify Ying Shao’s origin, but it was clear the one speaking Miao was the gu master!
A sudden realization struck him—Master Lou’s “left” might refer to the left side facing the building, but once inside, coming out of the elevator, the direction would be reversed. That was the only explanation.
Nodding, he nearly made a mistake but now understood.
Author’s note:
Lan He: Just seeking basic sustenance and firmly resisting stereotypes!