A Yin-Yang Taoist's Notes

"The Yin-Yang Taoist"

Chapter 1: Encounter with a Ghost

Late at night, the highway was like a winding intestine inside a gigantic beast of darkness, and Li Feng’s car sped along it like a solitary beetle. He had just finished a long, exhausting shift of overtime. His eyelids felt as heavy as lead, but his longing to get home kept him going. Beyond the car windows stretched endless darkness, without a single star. The trees and fields he knew so well by day had blurred into monstrous silhouettes, their shapes clawing at the night.

Li Feng turned on the radio, hoping to break the eerie silence. A burst of static came from the station, followed by a low, somber tune. The music seemed to hold some kind of power, making his heart beat faster despite himself. Frowning, he reached to change the station. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a white figure in front of the car.

He instinctively slammed on the brakes. The tires shrieked against the road, sounding like a ghost’s wail in the still night. Once the car stopped, Li Feng’s heart pounded like a drum, and cold sweat instantly broke out across his forehead. He sat in the driver’s seat, gasping for breath and staring tensely ahead. It took a long while for him to collect himself. Then, trembling, he opened the car door.

The air outside was bitterly cold, and he shivered. He cautiously walked to the front of the car, shining his flashlight over the road. There was nothing there but swirling dust. He circled the car, checking the tires and undercarriage. Everything was normal. “Was I so tired that I started seeing things?” he muttered. His fear eased a little.