Exorcism in Twin Locust Town

Outline for the 100,000-word novel Twin Locust Trees: Banish the Evil

Core Themes

The symbiotic bond between ancient trees and the village, the hidden crimes of feudal clans, supernatural retribution born of human greed, and the clash between traditional beliefs and modern understanding

Character Profiles

Main Characters

Li Jianguo: 45, a villager from Yuecheng Village. Greedy and hot-tempered, he decides to cut down the old locust tree north of the village to expand his homestead, setting off all the supernatural events. Later, gripped by fear, he seeks redemption.

Wang Xiulian: 43, Li Jianguo's wife. Timid and superstitious, she initially opposes cutting down the tree but cannot persuade her husband otherwise. She is the first to sense the old locust tree's “resentment” and becomes one of the main victims of the supernatural phenomena.

Chen Shouyi: 70, the village's “tree guardian.” His family has protected the twin locust trees for generations, and he knows the secrets of the village and the ancient trees. Stubborn and reclusive, he is key to uncovering the truth about the past and knows a few simple ways to ward off evil.

Lin Yue: 28, a young researcher at the municipal cultural relics bureau. Sent to Yuecheng Village to investigate after the old locust tree “bled,” she is a rational materialist who initially questions the supernatural claims, but gradually becomes entangled in the village's secret history.

Li Gensheng: 68, Li Jianguo's father. A taciturn former village Party secretary, he knows some of the clan's secrets and has an ambiguous attitude toward cutting down the tree, as if he is hiding something.

“Locust Spirit”: A supernatural entity embodied by the old locust tree. It is not a “ghost” in the traditional sense, but a convergence of the village's resentment, sacrificial energy, and the ancient tree's spiritual essence accumulated over 500 years. Its form is ever-changing, appearing as a shadow, whispers, or visions, and it acts with the aim of “punishing those who damage the tree” and “warning the village”