Some people believe the existence of ghosts and some people are afraid of ghosts. Today we will tell a story about the three tricks of ghosts usually use and maybe after it you won’t be scared away by them.
The story is from the book What The Master Would Not Discuss 子不语, a collection of supernatural stories compiled by Yuan Mei 袁枚 during the Qing dyansty 清朝 published in 1788.
The story says Lord CaiWei 蔡魏公 always told people ghosts only have three tricks : the first is seducing people; the second is blocking people; the third is scaring people. People asked, “what does that mean?”
Lord Caiwei said, “for example, my cousin Mr. Lv 吕. One day he was walking on the street during the night. He saw a beautiful woman with make up walking really fast with a rope in her hands. The woman saw Mr. Lv and hid among the trees along the road.
However her rope left on the road. Mr. Lv picked up the rope and smelt it. It smelt weird and he realized the woman was a ghost who died by hanging herself. ” This is the first trick – confusing people. Mr. Lv put the rope in his pocket and kept walking. The woman walked out of the trees and blocked his way. If he walked to the left, she blocked her on the left and if he walked to the right, she blocked him on the right. This is the second trick – blocking people. Mr Lv didn’t care and walked straightforward.
The woman shouted and transformed to a long hair bloody ghost with her tough hanging out of her mouth and jumped towards him. Mr. Lv smiled and said, “you already did two of your tricks – seducing and blocking me. Now you are just trying to scare me away. I am not afraid you. What else can you do? ”
The ghost transformed back to a woman and knelled down in front of him, “I used to live in the city and after an argument with my husband I hung up. Today I heard a woman is having a conflict her husband and I am on my way to replace her so I can reincarnate. Now you got my rope I can’t reincarnate any more. Please help me sir. ” Mr. Lv asked “how can I help you?” The woman replied, “please read the Buddhism reincarnation script.” Mr. Lv read loudly, “what a beautiful world. No limit. Come and go. Why bother to find a replacement. If you want to go, why not just leave.” The ghost heard and understood something and disappeared.
Mentioned：
子不语 What The Master Would Not Discuss
Chinese Mythology Podcast 