The story takes place in Mamao Village in modern southwest China. This closed ancient village retains complete Ming and Qing architectural complexes and shamanistic remains. There is a special geographical phenomenon of "the junction of yin and yang" in the village: the underground river in the cave in the back mountain is connected with the Styx River, and there are bronze slips recording the Ma Maozi ceremony in the cellar of the ancestral hall. On the first or fifteenth day of every month, blood-colored reflections will appear in the wells in the village. At this time, the power of the resentful spirits is strongest.
