1. Secrets of the Old Mansion
On the edge of a small town forgotten by time, stands an ancient mansion. This building has a history of a hundred years, with its mottled walls covered in vines, as if they were scars left by the years. The owner of the mansion is an elderly woman named Granny Liu, who lives alone in this gloomy mansion. Granny Liu was once the wife of the richest merchant in town when she was young, but with her husband's early death and the gradual decline of the family, she was gradually forgotten by people. However, the rumors about this mansion have never stopped. Some say that every deep night, one can always hear the sound of water coming from the depths of the courtyard, as if someone is crying silently; others say that there is a well - known secret hidden somewhere in the mansion - a place that "sprays water", and the water is ice - cold and piercing, as if hitting the soul directly.
The protagonist of the story, Li Cheng, is a young travel writer. By chance, he came to this small town to look for inspiration. As a person keen on exploring strange and interesting anecdotes, he is full of curiosity about this mansion. One evening, Li Cheng strolled to the front of the mansion and saw Granny Liu standing at the door. Her thin figure was wrapped in a thick shawl, and her eyes revealed an indescribable loneliness. Out of politeness, Li Cheng stepped forward to strike up a conversation: "Granny, this mansion looks very historic. Don't you feel lonely living here alone?" Granny Liu smiled faintly, her voice hoarse and deep: "Young man, if you are willing to listen to my story, you may understand that loneliness is not terrible, and what is terrible is those things hidden in the memory."
After the small talk, Granny Liu invited Li Cheng to come in for a visit. The interior of the mansion is even colder and damper than the outside, and an old smell lingers in the air. The oil paintings on the walls have long faded, and the furniture has also been eroded by the years beyond recognition. Li Cheng noticed that in a corner of the hall, there was a tightly closed small door, and a rusty iron lock hung on it. "What's behind that door?" Li Cheng couldn't help asking. Granny Liu's gaze instantly became profound: "That was my husband's favorite study before he died, but I haven't opened it since his death." There was a hint of caution in her tone, as if she didn't want to talk more.
Just as Li Cheng was about to continue to ask, a strange noise came from the direction of the courtyard. The sound was like the collision of water flow against the stone wall, and also like some kind of low - pitched sobbing, which was hair - raising. Granny Liu's face suddenly changed, and she hurriedly grabbed Li Cheng's wrist: "Come with me quickly, don't go that way!" Although he was full of doubts in his heart, Li Cheng still obediently followed her to leave. After returning to the living room, Granny Liu took a long sigh of relief and said in a low voice: "In this place, some things are better not asked too clearly."
As night fell, Granny Liu arranged a simple guest room for Li Cheng. Although the room was shabby, it was still tidy. Li Cheng lay on the bed, and his mind kept recalling everything he had seen during the day - the tightly closed door, the strange water sound, and Granny Liu's hesitant attitude. He vaguely felt that there must be an unknown story behind this mansion, and that so - called "spraying water" place might be the key to solving the mystery.
2. Horror in the Middle of the Night
Just as Li Cheng was about to fall asleep, a slight sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the window. He turned over and sat up, looking at the windowsill by the moonlight, but found a blurred figure slowly moving. The figure had no obvious outline, as if it were just ripples in the air, but it exuded a kind of disturbing chill. Li Cheng held his breath, trying to distinguish whether it was an illusion or a real existence. Just then, the familiar water sound rang in his ears again. This time, it was clearer than during the day and seemed almost within reach...
The next morning, when Li Cheng woke up, he found that the sun was shining brightly outside the window, and the fear of last night seemed to have been dispelled a lot. However, when he went downstairs, Granny Liu looked extremely haggard. She sat at the dining table, her hands tightly holding the teacup, and her eyes wandered. Li Cheng tentatively asked: "Granny, last night... I seem to have heard some strange sounds." Granny Liu's body trembled obviously, and then she squeezed out a wry smile with difficulty: "Maybe it was the wind. This place is old, and there are always some strange sounds."
After breakfast, Li Cheng decided to ask Granny Liu about the past of the mansion again. He carefully mentioned the tightly closed door and the so - called "spraying water" place. At first, Granny Liu still avoided answering, but finally told a long - buried story under Li Cheng's patient persuasion.
It turned out that decades ago, Granny Liu's husband was a scholar obsessed with Taoist magic. He spent a lot of time studying how to communicate between the yin and yang worlds through the power of water, and built a special altar in a secret corner of the mansion. It was said that this altar could cause supernatural phenomena and even make the dead appear briefly. However, an accidental experiment led to a disaster - the altar got out of control, and the gushing water turned into some unknown existence, swallowing all the people involved in the experiment, including Granny Liu's husband. Since then, the mansion has been shrouded in a strange atmosphere, and that "spraying water" place has also become a taboo in people's mouths.
After hearing this, Li Cheng was both shocked and excited. He realized that this mansion not only carried a tragic history, but also hid some mysteries beyond reality. In order to uncover the truth, he made a request to Granny Liu, hoping to personally enter the closed study for inspection. After some hesitation, Granny Liu finally agreed to his proposal, but repeatedly warned him to be careful.
3. The Appearance of the Water Spirit Curse
That afternoon, Granny Liu took Li Cheng to the tightly closed door. She used an ancient key to unlock the chain, and the moment the door was pushed open, a bone - chilling cold air rushed over. The study was dim and narrow, and the surroundings were piled with yellowed books and dusty instruments. Li Cheng carefully searched and soon found a yellowed manuscript in the corner of the wall, densely written with obscure words. At the same time, the familiar water sound rang in his ears again. This time, it was clearer than ever, as if coming from another world.
Just as Li Cheng was concentrating on reading the manuscript, Granny Liu suddenly screamed. He looked up and saw a pool of water constantly expanding on the ground in the center of the study, and the water was black, emitting a strong stench. Accompanied by the spread of the water stain, the temperature in the whole room dropped sharply, and the surrounding items began to vibrate violently. Li Cheng realized that the situation was not good, and quickly pulled Granny Liu out of the study.
After returning to the living room, Granny Liu collapsed on the chair, her face pale as paper. "This is retribution," she murmured, "We shouldn't have disturbed those already - rested souls." Li Cheng fell into deep thought. He knew that this was not just a simple visit, but a confrontation with unknown forces. He didn't know what would happen next, but he could be sure that this adventure had just begun.
Under Granny Liu's leadership, Li Cheng stepped into the long - closed study again. This time, they both held an oil lamp in their hands, and the weak light flickered in the darkness, casting two long shadows. Everything in the study seemed more disordered than last time, as if some invisible force was deliberately disrupting the order here. Li Cheng's eyes quickly swept across the classics on the bookshelf, and finally stopped at a huge wooden table. A thick scroll was spread out on the tabletop, and its cover had rotted, and only a few vague characters could be vaguely seen: "Water Spirit Curse".
"Is this your husband's research achievement?" Li Cheng asked softly, with a mixture of awe and curiosity in his tone. Granny Liu nodded, and a complex look flashed in her eyes: "Yes, this is the magic collection he compiled after many years of hard work. He believed that water, as a medium, could connect the human world and the other shore, and even summon the souls of the dead. But he didn't expect that he would end up killing himself in the end."
Li Cheng opened the scroll, and most of the words inside were written in classical Chinese, accompanied by complex talisman patterns. He tried to recognize the content, but found that many paragraphs involved taboo knowledge, such as "Soul - Summoning Spring", "Gathering of Vengeful Spirits' Water", etc. These words made his heart tremble, as if touching some unspeakable field. Just as he was immersed in reading, a faint dripping sound suddenly came from his ear, like raindrops falling on the roof, but with a certain regularity.
"Did you hear it?" Li Cheng raised his head and held the oil lamp high. He found that on the originally dry floor on the other side of the study, several drops of water had actually emerged, and they were still increasing. Granny Liu immediately became nervous, and her voice trembled slightly: "Quickly close the book! We can't stay here for long!"
However, Li Cheng's curiosity overcame his fear. He insisted on finding out the source of these water droplets, so he carefully walked towards the direction of the water stains. As he approached, he noticed that the temperature of the surrounding air was dropping sharply, and even the flame of the oil lamp in his hand began to become weak. When his feet stepped into the range of the water stains, the ground suddenly sent out a slight vibration, and then those water droplets actually gathered into a thin stream by themselves, winding along the floor.
"They are moving..." Granny Liu exclaimed in shock, obviously unable to hide her fear. Li Cheng squatted down and touched the flowing water line with his hand, and immediately felt a bone - chilling coldness spreading from his fingertips to the whole body. What's more horrifying is that he clearly saw a semi - transparent figure emerging at the end of the water line - a woman dressed in ancient clothes, with a blurred face, but exuding a kind of resentful aura.
4. The Mystery of the Altar
"Who are you?" Li Cheng summoned up his courage and asked, and his voice echoed in the empty study. The woman did not answer, but slowly raised her arm and pointed to a wall in the depth of the study. Following the direction she pointed to, Li Cheng found a beautifully carved stone tablet embedded in the wall, covered with patterns similar to talismans. At this moment, Granny Liu seemed to remember something, and her face suddenly turned pale: "That is... the core of the altar! The experiment back then was carried out there."
Li Cheng decided to further explore. With Granny Liu's help, he moved the debris in front of the stone tablet away and revealed a hidden mechanism. When they pressed the mechanism together, the wall slowly cracked open, revealing a narrow passage. At the end of the passage, a pool of emerald - green water could be vaguely seen. The water surface was as calm as a mirror, without the slightest ripple. A faint stench lingered in the air, making people involuntarily hold their breath.
"Is this the 'spraying water' place?" Li Cheng murmured to himself, and at the same time felt a kind of inexplicable sense of oppression. Granny Liu shook her head again and again, and forcefully grabbed his sleeve: "No, we can't go any further! It's too dangerous here!"
However, Li Cheng did not retreat. He carefully approached the pool, trying to observe its mystery. Just as he bent down to gaze, the water surface suddenly rippled, and then a strange picture was reflected - a man knelt on the ground, calling out something in despair. Then the picture changed, becoming a scene of a group of people holding a ceremony around the pool, their expressions twisted, as if crying and laughing at the same time, like ghosts.
"Is this... a picture of the past?" Li Cheng looked back at Granny Liu in surprise, but found that she had already burst into tears. "It was my husband... and other people who participated in the experiment." Granny Liu choked and said, "They all died here, swallowed up by that power."
As soon as the words fell, the picture in the pool suddenly changed dramatically. The originally calm water surface suddenly rose up huge waves, and countless black shadows rushed out from it, pouncing on the two of them. Li Cheng instinctively protected Granny Liu, and at the same time shouted loudly: "Run!" The two fled the passage in a hurry, and the sound of mournful and shrill came from behind them, as if there were countless vengeful spirits chasing them.
After rushing out of the study, Li Cheng and Granny Liu fell to the floor of the living room, gasping for breath. Granny Liu trembled all over and could no longer support herself, leaning back on the chair and closing her eyes. Li Cheng took a long sigh of relief, but the doubts in his heart became even stronger: Why are these ghost - like existences so persistent? What are their goals? More importantly, is all this really related to Granny Liu's husband?
In order to find the answer, Li Cheng decided to stay in the mansion temporarily and continue to investigate this series of strange events. He promised Granny Liu that he would try his best to help her solve the mystery, and at the same time hoped to complete a shocking work by taking this opportunity. Although Granny Liu still had some concerns, she finally acquiesced to his request.
A few days later, Li Cheng found more clues in the study. He read through the notes left by Granny Liu's husband and gradually pieced together a complete truth. It turned out that the failed experiment was not just a simple academic pursuit, but because Granny Liu's husband attempted to revive his deceased daughter through the Water Spirit Curse. However, due to an operation error, he not only failed, but also released a powerful vengeful spirit energy, making the whole mansion a cage for the dead souls.
At the same time, Li Cheng also noticed that whenever night fell, the water sound in the mansion would become more frequent, and sometimes accompanied by low - pitched chanting sounds. He guessed that these sounds were probably manifestations of vengeful spirits trying to communicate with the outside world. So he began to record these phenomena and tried to analyze their patterns.
