"A winding small river with murmuring water slowly flows through several villages. The river water is clear and one can see the bottom. Occasionally a carp swims leisurely in the water, waving its tail and splashing drops of water."

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Above the bamboo forest on both sides of the small river, there echoed a dull thumping sound. On one side of the river, stood a nearly bare young man wearing only a pair of shorts, with the water reaching his waist. His delicate features included thick, black hair that fell over his ears, and a slender yet nimble frame. He had a serious expression as he diligently washed the clothes on the rocks with a wooden stick, hammering them repeatedly. He was easy to like, given his earnestness and commitment to the task at hand.

After a long time, the young man finally breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't had time to clean these clothes in days and they had piled up like a mountain. He had been washing them since noon and had finally finished as the sun set in the west.

Watching her hands turn white from being soaked, Mu Yu helplessly pursed her lips and simply used the river water to wash her hair.

After washing her hair, Mu Yu shook the water droplets off her head and walked towards a deeper part of the water. She searched for a suitable spot and stopped, beginning to clean her body.

Mu Yu rubbed her fair arms and suddenly felt as if a hand had gently traced across her thigh and waist. It was extremely cold, and as soon as this thought came to her mind, she startled herself with a shiver. She quickly looked down and saw a long strand of water grass swaying in the water, just lightly brushing against her waist with the flow of the water.

Mu Yu bit her lip, and although she was ultimately a flexible and adaptable person, the idea from earlier had left her feeling slightly uneasy. After hastily showering and changing into clean clothes, she quickly returned to her little bamboo house.

The bamboo house is hidden in the bamboo forest. At first glance, it's quite picturesque. This was built by his parents before they passed away, as they worked in the construction business, building homes for others. They had saved some money. Mu Yu's father had read a few books and wanted to experience the life of a scholar, so he built this bamboo house in the forest. Unfortunately, not long after completing the bamboo house, his parents passed away, leaving Mu Yu alone to guard the bamboo house.

The furnishings in the bamboo living room were quite simple. As soon as you entered, your eyes would be drawn to a painting hanging on the bamboo wall made of bamboo strips - depicting mountains, flowing water, cranes, and pine trees. An eight immortal table was placed in the middle, with some fruits in a plate on top. Four black lacquered benches were arranged around the table, and on the right side of the living room, a neat row of bamboo armchairs were placed.

After hanging up the clothes, Mu Yuliang went into the kitchen and took a bunch of vegetables off the cutting board. She washed and cleaned them before placing them aside. Mu Yuliang thought for a moment, then walked out of the bamboo house and passed through a bamboo forest, where the view suddenly expanded without the blockage of lush bamboo. Fields, houses, and villages were visible in front of her. Mu Yuliang walked up to a plot of land where the rapeseed plants were thriving with lush green foliage.

"He carried some vegetables back to his bamboo house and started a fire to cook."

The day always seemed to turn to black without notice. Mu Yu lit a kerosene lamp in the kitchen after finishing up the last dish. Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew into his collar, making him shiver uncontrollably; it was extremely chilly.

"Could it be that the main door wasn't closed?" Mu Yu muttered, before going to insert the door bolt. The wind in this forest always seemed much colder than in the village.

Mu Yuyu walked slowly into the kitchen and, as she turned her head slightly, she saw what appeared to be a black mist next to the stove. Mu Yuyu shivered and rubbed her eyes fiercely, trying to see clearly.

The black mist in front of the stove became denser and denser, and it gathered without dispersing. It even faintly carried a muddy smell. Mu Yu was frightened, her face turned pale, her fingers tightly clasping the doorframe, her legs trembling uncontrollably. Just as she was about to run, she found that her legs were motionless as if they were filled with lead.

The dark mist gradually took on a human form, with a tall stature and indistinct facial features. Everything was telling Mu Yu that the figure before him was a ghostly creature – he had encountered a ghost! Please note that this is a literal translation and may not be the most natural way to convey the meaning in English, depending on the context of the novel.

Muyu gathered his courage and tried hard to recall the method his aunt had taught him. With his teeth gritted and his voice trembling, he asked, "May I ask which immortal taught you?"

"The ghostly figure remained silent, watching with interest as he shivered and struggled to endure."

Mu Yu gritted her teeth and asked persistently:

"What is it that you seek?"

"What brings you here?"

"What do you seek?"

"When will you leave?"

The ghost's chest rose and fell, as if it was laughing. It casually picked up a plate of food from the stove and spoke slowly with an icy cold voice.

"My name is Teng Yi. What's your name?"

Watching the ghosts pass by Mu Yu as if nobody was there, Mu Yu swallowed hard. Although the ghost looked frightening, he had no intention of harming Mu Yu at the moment. Mu Yu turned his head and looked at the dish placed on the table by the ghost.

As if he had thought of something, Mu Yu's pupils suddenly shrank. Could it be that this ghostly creature wanted to have its last meal with him? Mu Yu's back was soaked in cold sweat.

"'Mu Yu? Is your name Mu Yu, right?'"

Mu Yu's face turned pale. Her aunt said that someone called for her at night and she must not respond, fearing that it might be a ghost. Should she pretend not to hear the call of this ghost?

The ghostly figure noticed his stiff body and understood in his heart. "Mu Yu, help me get a pair of bamboo chopsticks."

Muyu casually lowered her hand, but secretly pinched her thigh hard, cursing herself for being cowardly. She had encountered many apparitions since she started keeping track of them, and followed her aunt's advice to burn paper offerings regularly to accumulate merit. There was no reason to fear this ghost, who had no grudges against her.

Mu Yu shifted his steps and picked up two pairs of bamboo chopsticks. He carefully made his way to the table, placing one pair of chopsticks on the tabletop. The ghostly creature was undeniably right in front of him, seated across from him. Even through the distance of the table, he could feel the chilling aura emanating from the creature. Despite his efforts to control himself, his hands couldn't stop trembling, causing the chopsticks to slightly quiver as well.

"Muyu looked at the ghost in disbelief as it picked up chopsticks and used them to pick up some vegetables and put them into its mouth. Wasn't it said that ghosts didn't have physical form and couldn't touch objects? How could it still eat?"

"Could it be that the cultivation of this ghost creature has already reached a stage where it can refine its own physical body? Then why is there still such a strong ghostly energy around him?"

But soon, Mu Yu realized that no matter how he picked, the dish remained untouched. It seemed that the ghost was using its sense of smell to eat.

Walking back and forth three times before taking a step, he entered the inner room and lit a stick of incense.

Perhaps this ghost was hungry and came to his house because there was no one else to offer food to it. As Mu Yu looked at the blue smoke rising from the incense, he took a deep breath and just as he let it out, he turned around only to see the ghost standing behind him, staring at him.

He could feel the kind of bone-chilling sensation that seemed capable of freezing his blood.

"Go have a meal."

"A voice emerged from the black mist. Mu Yu knew the ghost was referring to him, so he quickly responded and fled back to the main hall."

"This ghost..."

Mu Yu's eyes did not move away from the door, and one hand unconsciously stirred the empty bowl with a chopstick. He thought to himself, "Let's try sending the ghost away with paper money for a while. If it doesn't work, I'll endure through tonight and ask Auntie for help tomorrow."

Mu Yu dropped his chopsticks on the table. He wasn't too afraid if the ghost wasn't in sight. Although this ghost was a bit different from the typical little ghosts that he's seen, a ghost is still a ghost, nothing special.

The ghost did not cry out in a mournful voice, "Give me back my life!" So, why be afraid of it? With a determined mind, he took out all the candles, incense, and paper money at home and burned them on the brazier, one sheet at a time.

Tonight, was incomparably long. Suddenly, from a far-off village came the sound of a rooster crowing.