A charlatan exorcist who pretends to see ghosts, and a black-clad skeptic who believes in neither ghosts nor gods.
A mystery-solving story.
The Thread of Longevity
The storyteller said, "There is a marriage arranged in Meilu City.
The eldest son of the Gongsun family is to wed Xing'er, a girl from Fushan Village.
A wedding, a joyous occasion. But Fushan Village is dirt poor, and the matchmaker says Xing'er is marrying above her station.
What do you think, everyone?"
Someone replied, "I don't believe it."
The storyteller smiled. "Everyone knows the men of the Gongsun family never live past twenty-four or twenty-five. The eldest son is twenty-three this year, and Xing'er knows she won't enjoy a comfortable life for long.
On the day of the wedding, the bride lay on the bed, unwilling to marry.
The young master of the Gongsun family went to fetch her himself, but she still refused. That is, until he lifted her veil.
Can you guess what he saw?"
Someone answered, "I guess the bride beneath the veil was dead."
The storyteller's face turned grave. "The bride beneath the veil had no head."
Everyone gasped.
The storyteller continued, "Xing'er had become a headless corpse."
Someone suddenly realized, "A headless corpse? Isn't that how the young master's father died?"
The storyteller said, "This marriage was arranged to bring good fortune to the young master. Xing'er was taking his place in death."
The River-Taming Demon
The Bewitching Spirit Talisman
The Flame-Sun Sparrow
The Devil's Demon
Journey to Paradise
Theme: Evil never triumphs over good
