The Cursing Brush

Lin Mo, a horror novelist whose books aren't selling, unexpectedly obtains the relic of Shen Qingyun, a Republican-era female writer, during a debt crisis: The Netherworld Notebook. This eerie journal carries a curse: "Write a ghost story, summon a ghost." Anything written in it will become real within 72 hours, and the more realistic the story, the more likely the author is to be haunted. To make ends meet, Lin Mo uses the notebook to overcome his writer's block, only to become embroiled in paranormal events: a water ghost comes seeking his life, a shadow appears in the mirror, and the Shadow Lady stalks him. The people around him are drawn into danger one after another. As his investigation deepens, he uncovers how the notebook was born of Shen Qingyun's obsession and collective fear, and faces an attempt by the extremist group known as the Cleaners to seize it. In the end, Lin Mo joins forces with his girlfriend Xiaoya, who has Yin Eyes, and Xia Wan, a policewoman, to enter the "world within the book" and confront the source of their fear. They dispel the curse through understanding and redemption. Though Lin Mo loses his ability to write, he uses his own experiences to help others, showing that fear and hope can coexist in life.