The Tale of the Ghost Baby

[Prologue]

An old man from Qin Family Village told me: Decades ago, a ghost infant was born to the wealthy Qin family here. It would not cry when starved, and could not be killed even when buried. It could see ghosts. Though the father feared it, he still pitied it and raised it. Later, the father remarried and had a son, whom he spoiled terribly. The boy often bullied the ghost infant. The younger brother liked fighting dogs, and once killed a yellow dog. The ghost infant made the dead dog bite and kill the boy, and the stepmother went mad. It then threatened its father, took a black cat, and left laughing wildly. Before long, its father also died.

Alas! The ghost infant was born inauspicious. How could anyone indulge and coddle it, bringing about such a calamity?

I spoke with righteous indignation, and every guest present was furious, except for one old man who smiled. I found this strange. After the guests left, I pulled the old man aside and asked him about it. He said, "Storyteller, I laugh because you know so little, yet boast so loudly."

I was indignant. "Could it be that you know something about the ghost infant?"

"I do."

"Then tell me."

The old man laughed heartily. "What I know would shock the world. If I told it, who would dare believe me? But it would make a fine story, a tale for a storyteller to tell."

Preface to "Records of Strange Tales from Shannan: The Tale of the Ghost Infant"

[Blurb]

Qin Zhenxie is a ghost infant. He should have died at birth, but a Daoist priest saved him.

Later, that priest saved him many more times, but never once did he truly appear before him.

Qin Zhenxie knows nothing about this person: not his name, his appearance, or his origins.

So why did the Daoist priest save him? They had never met or known each other!

But in the end, he remembers. They had met, a very long time ago.

He had simply forgotten everything.

[Author's notes]

1. This is not a tragic ending, so please read without worry. Qin Zhenxie is the name the gong takes after being reborn; the shou makes his official appearance in Volume Two.

2. Volume One is told from the gong's perspective. Volumes Two and Three have dual perspectives. The main story ends in Volume Four, followed by an epilogue explaining what happens to everyone.

3. Bonus content may appear in the author's notes at random. Feel free to follow.

Meeting is fate. Thank you to everyone who clicked on this story, and to all the readers who support genuine copies! Love you all!

P.S. Feel free to ignore the character cards. They have little to do with the main story.

Theme: Love, hatred, and passion all come from cause and effect.