Chronicle of Living Things

In the modern city of Wucheng, there is a legend about “living works of intangible cultural heritage.” Objects crafted through traditional techniques and over a hundred years old, such as Suzhou embroidery screens, mortise-and-tenon wooden boxes, celadon cups, and shadow puppets, can develop “spiritual resonance” from an artisan’s obsessions, whether an unfulfilled wish or an unspoken regret. Certain “spirit-touchers” can awaken them. Once brought to life, these objects gain supernatural abilities: Suzhou embroidery can weave illusions, mortise-and-tenon pieces can reshape space, and celadon can reveal the obsessions in people’s hearts. But every time a spirit-toucher uses an object’s power, they are consumed by the obsession within it. At best, their personality changes dramatically; at worst, they become the object’s puppet.