This time, I didn't push the Menstrual Brother for more details about his cryptic mention of the six people. Deep down, I knew exactly what he was hinting at—the death toll in our group. Honestly, at that moment, I really wanted to go over and give them a heads-up about how dangerous this trip was. But then I remembered the Menstrual Brother's earlier warnings, and I chickened out, staying put.
Just then, the chubby guy who'd spoken earlier smirked and mocked, "What a bunch of scaredy-cats! If you're so freaked out, why'd you even come?"
"Shi Guoqing, you looking for trouble?" Wang Xuebing shot up, his face red with anger.
"Bring it on! I'm not scared of you!" Shi Guoqing shot back, his tone full of provocation.
Watching this, I could tell something was off. Their nerves were shot. It wasn't a real argument—more like they were just trying to blow off steam.
At that point, the leader stepped in, "Xuebing, let it go. We need to pick someone to stay back and keep an eye on the girls. If anything happens to us, you gotta make sure they get out safe."
I figured the leader was worried we might hurt the girls if things went south. After all, those four girls were pretty good-looking.
But hearing this, I couldn't help but chuckle. These college kids knew the risks but still went ahead. I couldn't tell if they were brave or just plain dumb.
After some back-and-forth, they finally decided six would go out, and the other five would stay behind to guard their stuff.
These college kids were clearly loaded. They'd brought three computers and seven cameras. Each of the six going out took a camera, while the others fired up the computers. I saw the camera feeds on the screens—they were clearly hoping to catch something supernatural.
Watching those six, I couldn't help but admire their dedication to their art.
After a moment's hesitation, I finally couldn't hold back and was about to get up and warn them about the dangers outside. But just as I was about to stand, I felt a cold stare on my back, like someone was silently telling me to stay out of it.
I turned and met the Cold Brother's gaze. I got the message: don't interfere.
I took a deep breath and decided not to warn them. Since they knew the risks but still went ahead, they'd clearly made their choice. They were asking for trouble, and it wasn't my place to stop them.
By now, the day was fading. As the sun set, the fog around us started to clear, revealing the landscape in all its glory. Despite the creepy vibe, the scenery of the deep mountains and ancient forests was stunning.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, those six each grabbed a camera and headed out.
I'm not sure if it was just my imagination, but as they left with the cameras, I thought I caught a quick, cold smile on Wang Xuebing's face. But when I looked closer, it was gone, replaced by a mask of anger.
"Hey everyone, I'm Lin Feng. As you can see, we're in the valley outside the legendary Baobu Village. It's said that ghost troops roam here at night. Our Chengdu University Paranormal Research Society is ready to investigate!" I watched as the group's leader smiled at the camera before turning it forward.
The mountain forest at night had this eerie vibe that could stop you in your tracks!
Just then, the Menstrual Brother sneered, "They're really asking for it."
I turned to the Cold Brother and said, "Why didn't you let me stop them earlier? We're talking about six lives here!" "Not our problem. If they wanna die, that's on them. We've got our own stuff to worry about," the aloof guy said casually before closing his eyes again, pretending to sleep.
Seeing I was about to argue with the aloof guy, the Menstrual Brother quickly jumped in, "This time, it's really not Jin Chan's fault. First off, we Taoists aren't knights in shining armor who rush to save the day. We believe in cause and effect. If it's a good cause, fine. But if it's a bad one, it'll lead to disaster. These guys all seem to have their own issues. Acting on impulse will just create more problems. You gotta remember…"
At this crucial moment, the mysterious dude called Menstruation Brother stood up, his voice steady and firm. "I'll handle this," he said, sounding totally in charge. "You guys chill out for now. We'll hit the road at sunrise." As he spoke, he pulled out this weird black bottle from a hidden pocket. The second he touched it, you could see this quick flash of pain on his face, like that thing meant a lot to him.
This move totally caught High-Cold Brother off guard. He'd been keeping his cool with his eyes shut the whole time, but now they popped open in surprise, clearly shocked by what Menstruation Brother was doing.
Muttering stuff like "What a waste, man, what a waste," Menstruation Brother started sprinkling this dark powder around us. While he was doing this, I couldn't shake this creepy feeling like someone was watching us from somewhere.
I quickly turned around to check it out, but there was nobody there. Just those college kids glued to their phones, completely unaware of what was going on.
Was I just imagining things? It didn't feel like it, 'cause that feeling of being watched was super real and intense at that moment.
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Here's an expanded and more conversational version of the annotations for Chapter Five in Volume Two:
Karma of Cause and Effect
- Core Principle of the Taoist School:
Basically, if you do good stuff, it'll take seven lifetimes before you see any rewards. But if you mess up and do something bad, you'll get hit with "karmic fire burning the body" right away.
- Modern Take:
Think of it like the law of conservation of energy, but for the spiritual world. And if you try to mess with someone else's fate, it's like creating a quantum entanglement effect—things get weird and connected in ways you can't predict.
Red Scorpion Powder
- What's in It?
It's made from the ground-up tail of a Fire Scorpion from Tianshan (great for pain), ash from lightning-struck jujube wood (gets rid of yin toxins), and some purified stuff from old WWII sulfa drugs (kills bacteria).
- Side Effects:
Your wound will heal, but you'll end up with a scorpion-shaped scar. Oh, and your pee will glow green for three days. Yeah, it's a trip.
Peeping Yin Eyes
- Why You Feel Watched:
That creepy mural in the Taiyin Palace, "Night Parade of a Hundred Demons," isn't just art—it's alive. Each painting is actually a sealed evil spirit called a ch'ang kuei.
- How to Deal With It:
Grab a carpenter's square and draw a closed circle on the ground. Then press your tongue against the roof of your mouth to block the yin energy. Sounds weird, but it works.
Netherworld Ashes
- What's Really in That Black Powder?
It's ashes from the first cremation in a crematorium, mixed with realgar powder and crushed black dog teeth.
- What It Does:
It creates a 3-meter bubble that keeps you safe in the world of the living for about 6 hours (from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.). Handy for those late-night ghost encounters.
Quantum Wraith
- Science Says:
Those "Yin soldiers" you've heard about? They're actually high-density plasma clusters. And the怨气 (resentment energy) they give off has a magnetic field as strong as an MRI machine (0.5 Tesla).
- How It Kills:
It messes with your brain waves (specifically the alpha rhythm, 8-13 Hz) and causes your heart cells to freak out. Not a fun way to go.
The Yin Array
- Hidden Tricks in the Building:
Under the floor tiles, there's a nine-grid Bagua copper mirror array. And hanging from the crossbeams are 49 soul-guiding lamps.
- What Sets It Off:
If 13 living people are in the same place and their blood oxygen stays below 90% for 10 minutes, things get spooky real fast.
Substitute Death Contract
- Student Team's Secret:
Each person has a "borrowed life charm" stuck on the back of their neck. The order they die in is based on their birth date and time, but in reverse.
- How to Break It:
Find the person wearing red in their zodiac year and draw a reverse charm on their chest. It's like a life-saving cheat code.
Soul-Capturing Screen
- Weird Tech Stuff:
The camera's CMOS sensor can pick up the infrared spectrum of spirits (at 950nm). And your laptop's hard drive? It can temporarily hold a spirit.
- Warning Signs:
If your battery's stuck at 13% and your screen's got snowflake patterns with a nasty smell, you've got a ghost in the machine.
Overall Idea:
These notes give a scientific spin to all the spooky stuff, mixing quantum physics with old-school magic. It's all about how just observing something can mess with it, setting up some serious clashes between tech and the supernatural. Plus, the way drugs and gadgets are used shows how ancient wisdom has evolved—or maybe mutated—in today's world.
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