There Are Ghosts at Midnight

Modern Jiangcheng appears prosperous and peaceful, but under the surface, currents are stirring. As turmoil disrupts the Underworld’s internal order and the underworld authorities face a shortage of staff, tiny cracks have appeared in the barrier between the living and the dead. All kinds of ghosts stranded in the living world, vengeful spirits formed from resentment, supernatural creatures corrupted by cultivation, and even vicious evil entities that escaped from the Underworld have begun hiding in the corners of everyday life. Ordinary people cannot see these sinister beings, but they are easily ensnared by them. At best, they suffer bad luck and illness; at worst, their yang energy is drained, and they die violently.

Since ancient times, the living world has had a lineage of night watchmen, including orthodox Maoshan Taoists, Buddhist lay practitioners, and folk yin-yang masters. These people walk between the realms of the living and the dead, tasked with suppressing evil, dispelling spirits, and protecting ordinary people. But the night-watchman world is a mixed bag: it includes upright masters who save lives, charlatans who swindle people, and wicked practitioners who exploit evil spirits for profit and defy all moral principles. The Underworld, meanwhile, has a clearly defined hierarchy. To fill vacancies and clear out sinister entities that have slipped through the cracks in the living world, it has launched the “Living World Fieldwork” program. It selects people with pure yang destinies and upright hearts, binds them to a Ghost Warden System, and recruits them as auxiliary ghost wardens responsible for guiding lost souls, suppressing evil spirits, and capturing escaped ghosts.

The protagonist, Lin Ye, is one of the selected field ghost wardens. He has no orthodox Taoist inheritance or flashy talismans and magical weapons. He relies entirely on his naturally pure-yang, evil-suppressing bones, rewards from the System, and his calm, levelheaded nature to overcome danger. The story focuses on serious horror, with ghosts that create an intense sense of oppression and a fast-paced, action-packed plot. Its light comedy comes only from the protagonist’s everyday self-deprecating humor, his straightforward interactions with close friends, and the contrasting cuteness of the ghost officials. It never feels forced or overdone, balancing a chilling atmosphere with the warmth of everyday life.