The Forest of Ghosts

Alas, I am no immortal—what could I possibly do? I could only watch helplessly as the ghostly woman wept in sorrow. If only there were no grievances or injustice in the human world! At the thought, I sighed deeply. “Second Sister, please, don’t cry anymore. Didn’t the immortal say it already? She told you to return and wait for her news. When she has word, she’ll notify you herself.” All I could offer this ghost was comfort; thinking this, I stepped forward and gently patted her shoulder.

The ghostly woman finally departed, but my heart would not find peace, though I could not say why. That night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, staring at the stars in the pitch-black sky. Were those twinkling stars above the embodiment of every life? And did the falling meteors represent those soon to perish? These questions circled endlessly in my mind, filling me with confusion. Suddenly, a chill wind swept through, and a vision unlike any I’d ever seen appeared before my eyes.

“Lord Underworld Official, please let me go back. I have a child of twelve at home!” cried a man in his thirties, blood staining his head, as two black-armored underworld officers dragged him to a prison cell. “No. Your allotted time in the living world is over. We cannot let you return,” one of the officials declared brusquely. “Once here, there’s no going back.”

“But, Lord Officer, my time isn’t up! Even King Yama said so—I was only knocked unconscious!” The man’s protest was cut short when the officer shot him a fierce glare.

The underworld officer was terrifying—his face pale as a winter melon, devoid of any color, and his eyes shone green as he glared ferociously at the man, letting out a cold laugh. “Hmph! Who heard King Yama say your time wasn’t up? I say you’re finished, so you are. Get in!” He swung a whip at the man as he spoke.

“Ow! Can’t you be reasonable? Didn’t King Yama and the judge check the Book of Life and Death and see my name and date of birth? They said my time isn’t up!” “You dare argue with me? Stay here till your soul is utterly destroyed!” The officer kicked the man hard, sending him howling into the cell, as if he’d fallen into an endless abyss, his screams fading into nothing.

I woke with a start. “Ah! I thought it was real—just a dream, after all. How terrifying!” I muttered softly by the window. “Thank goodness I’m still alive…”

“That wasn’t a dream. It was another wronged soul crying out to you for justice,” came the familiar voice of the Fox Immortal Lady. I chuckled lightly. “Old Immortal, weren’t you out somewhere?”

She laughed. “My dear girl, you weren’t dreaming. I had the soul’s guardian spirit show you his grievances.”

“Is there some connection between this man’s wronged soul and that of the ghostly woman?” I asked. “Surely we must settle her injustice first before dealing with his?” My words made her chuckle.

“Oh, child, how muddled you are! If the greed of the underworld officials isn’t removed, how could the ghostly woman’s injustice ever be righted?” The Fox Immortal’s words suddenly made it clear to me: none of them could reincarnate because the greedy underworld officials were behind it all! I nodded to myself. But then, what could I, a powerless woman, possibly do about the corruption in the underworld? Now that these wronged souls had confided in me, how could I help?

“There is a path known as the Path of Forgotten Life, connecting the world of the living and the dead. Have you heard of it?”

“The Path of Forgotten Life?” I shook my head at her, recalling only the Yellow Springs Road from legend.

“It is the place where souls whose time is not yet up in the mortal world linger—those who died before their appointed hour, like the woman struck by the carriage. She appears to be in the underworld, but in truth, she is still in the world of the living. She simply cannot return to her body,” the Fox Immortal explained, making me realize that those who die unjustly remain between worlds.

“Then, according to you, if she comes back to kill the one who wronged her, her vengeance would be complete, and she could reincarnate. Why suffer ten years here?” My words made the Fox Immortal Ladies laugh.

“Do you know that every person has three lanterns? As long as these lanterns are not extinguished, not even the most powerful ghost can approach. The three lanterns on a person’s back ward off evil. That’s why people fear ghosts a little, but ghosts fear people even more.”

“Do I have them?” I asked, puzzled.

“Of course. Everyone does. But women, being of yin nature, have weaker lanterns. As for you, because you have the Bone of Transcendence, the ghost was able to capture your soul,” she said, making me shiver with fear. “Will other ghosts try to take my soul in the future?” I asked, trembling.

“Yes, certainly,” she replied. “But you must go to the underworld and rid it of that greedy official. Once the grievances of the wronged souls are resolved, they’ll stop coming for you.” The memory of the ghostly woman made me shudder.

“But I have no powers—how can I possibly fight those officials and underworld officers? And those officers are so fierce…” Before I could finish, the Fox Immortal Lady laughed. “Silly girl! That’s what you have me for. Just go—evil cannot overcome righteousness. With the Bodhisattva’s protection, you’ve nothing to fear from the underworld officers.”

The thought of venturing to the underworld terrified me. “Old Immortal, I don’t even know how to find the Path of Forgotten Life, nor where it is!” The Fox Immortal Lady smiled kindly. “You may not know, but I do! Just follow my instructions and you’ll be safe.” I nodded, trembling.

She raised her hand, from which a white light sprang forth, tapping my head and feet seven times. Suddenly, the light of the Northern Dipper surrounded me, dazzling and beautiful.

The Fox Immortal Lady closed her eyes, murmuring an incantation. My vision blurred, sometimes near, sometimes far. In an instant, everything before me was a white haze. Without realizing it, my soul stepped out of my body. Looking back, I saw myself lying as if in deep sleep, surrounded by a glow of white light. “Come now,” the Fox Immortal beckoned. Like a gust of wind, I followed her out the window to a terrifying place.

Beside the Path of Forgotten Life lay a silent forest, its leaves long withered, only bare trunks remaining. No wind stirred in the woods; only insects chirped quietly, their stillness filling me with dread. I glanced around—no one was there, only flickering green flames drifting from afar.

“Immortal, is that ghost fire we see over there?” I stammered, my body trembling.

The Fox Immortal chuckled. “Are you scared, Xie Lingling? Do you remember your promise? If you break your word, there are places ten times more terrifying than this waiting for you.” She smiled. “Will you help me cultivate, or would you rather enter even more dreadful places?” At this, I shook my head vigorously. “I would never go to those places. I’ll keep my word to you.” The Fox Immortal Lady nodded, smiling.

The Path of Forgotten Life ran along a desolate forest, with a muddy, rutted road overgrown with weeds. Horrific cries echoed from within—wailing, screaming—making my heart pound with terror. In the distance, blue mist rose, casting faint, eerie light that barely illuminated the muddy track ahead.

Ghostly green flames darted among the trees, moaning as they moved. The sound made me stop in my tracks, staring at them in panic.

“Don’t stop, Xie Lingling! If you do, all will be lost. Not even the highest immortals could save you then!” Hearing her words, I steeled myself and walked forward.

A man, his body oozing black-red blood, seized me and wailed, “Oh! My death was unjust! Save me!” His hair was wild, and his green eyes fixed on me with ferocity.

“Let go of me, will you? I’m here to seek justice for you…” I hadn’t finished when a tall woman appeared, so terrifying that I nearly lost my soul.

“I was so wronged! I only wish to live again, not remain here. My soul is about to scatter—please save me!” The woman’s hair was loose, her face deathly pale and unnaturally long, with blue eyes glaring at me and a red tongue hanging to her chest. Her grip was icy as frost, choking the breath from me.

“Ah! You hanged ghost, let go of me!” I screamed just as a thunderous sound rang out.

“Wicked thing, cease your evil! I am here—begone!” The hanged ghost, clutching her shoulder, shot a venomous look at the Fox Immortal behind me before dissolving into a streak of green light and vanishing.

“Xie Lingling, hurry! Do you want to stay in this haunted graveyard?” At her urging, I fled deeper into the woods.

“Isn’t this the boundary between the living and the dead? Why are there graves here? They’re so old, the grave paper has rotted away, leaving only bare mounds—how frightening!” Eerie cries and green ghost fires closed in, wailing and moaning, terrifying me beyond measure. My foot slipped into a deep pit, and with a scream, I plunged headlong into darkness.