During the Southern Song Dynasty, a young merchant named Hong Qi lived in Lingyou City. He lost his father in his early years, and depended on him with his mother. He opened a grocery store at the entrance of the village. The business was pretty good.
Hong Qi is a filial son and is obedient to his mother Zhao's . Zhao likes to plant flowers and plants on weekdays. At the door of her house, there are two vigorous willow trees. These two willow trees were planted by Zhao after her husband's death. Willow and "Liu" are homophones, which contain her longing for her husband and also means to keep her fortune for her son Hong Qi.
Zhao is very concerned about these two willow trees. He goes around under the trees almost every day, and always jokes that after he dies, he will move one of the willow trees to the grave to shelter her from the wind and rain.
I thought it was just a joke, but I didn’t expect that in the spring of the next day, Zhao unfortunately died of illness. Hong Qi was heartbroken. After finishing the funeral for his mother, he moved one of the willow trees at the door of his house to her grave according to his mother's last wish.
Seven years have passed in the blink of an eye, and it is Qingming Festival again, but before that, something strange happened in the village. That is the number of heart-drilling insects. The so-called heart-drilling insects are actually a folk name for Tianniu . This kind of insect likes to drill into the deep roots of willow trees, eat their trunks to make a living, and lay eggs in the center of the trunk. However, these insects have little impact on the crops, so everyone doesn't care much.
In addition, many people found that their graves had collapsed when visiting graves, as if they were poked from the inside. During this period, the villagers also had a strange dream. In the dream, they all saw their deceased relatives, but they were all very anxious, as if something was about to happen. Some people also found that their relatives' heads disappeared, as if they were pulled away by something.
Hong Qi heard many rumors about this matter, but he did not take it seriously. Since the increase in the number of heartworms, he would go to the cemetery to maintain willow trees every day to prevent them from being invaded by heartworms.
On the Qingming Festival, Hong Qi came to the cemetery with tributes, and halfway through his way, he met his friend Achen. Achen's mother and Zhao were good sisters during their lifetime, and their graves were very close. However, Achen did not go to burn incense this time, but was planning to repair the grave for his mother.
It turned out that not long ago, Achen also dreamed of his mother. His mother told him anxiously that something was going to happen to his grave, and told him to be careful recently and not to wander around the grave. Achen was a little worried. When he went to the grave, he found that his mother's grave had collapsed. For this reason, he packed up his things and prepared to help his mother repair it.
Soon, the two came to their deceased mother's grave. Fortunately, over the years, Hong Qi was very concerned about his mother's grave and had no problems. Just as he was putting the tribute, he suddenly heard Achen's screams and scolding: "You little beast, you dare to dig my mother's grave, get out!"
Hong Qi approached and found that it turned out to be a black wild dog was constantly digging in front of Achen's mother's grave, and a big hole had been dug. Achen was so angry that he picked up the wooden stick beside him and hit him on the head. The wild dog was beaten so hard that he screamed, his mind was a little confused, and he was staggering when he walked.
However, Achen did not let it go, and he was still chasing him with a wooden stick. He was about to beat the wild dog to death, but Hong Qi hurried forward to stop him. He also said that he was really disrespectful to kill animals in front of the deceased. He tried to persuade Achen to comfort him and let the wild dog go, but at this time he didn't know what a great disaster he had let him go.
After returning home after scent, Hong Qi, who had been working hard for a day, fell asleep and he also dreamed of his mother.
The mother still looked like she was at the death, but her face was pale and without a trace of expression. She walked to Hong Qi and whispered: "Son, the root of the willow tree is almost pierced my coffin. I can't sleep well. You go to the grave tomorrow and cut off the willow tree."
Hong Qi didn't think much after hearing this, and nodded immediately agreed. Before leaving, Zhao raised his mouth again and asked him to cut off the willow tree at the door of his house.
The next morning, Hong Qi came to the cemetery with an axe as his mother wanted. But when he walked to his mother's grave, he saw a traveling monk looking around the willow tree. Seeing this, Hong Qi stepped forward and wanted to help the monk cut off the tree. However, the monk's face changed drastically and he said to stop him, "Don't, don't. If this willow tree is cut down, the people below will not be able to be saved!"
Hong Qi was confused after hearing this and hurriedly asked what he meant. The monk didn't explain, but just led him back to the village and came to Achen's home. But as soon as the two of them walked to Achen's door, they heard a shrill cry. Then Achen's wife rushed out and prepared to find a doctor. Seeing this, Hong Qi hurried into the house to check the situation. Only then did he realize that Achen was still doing well yesterday, but his face was pale, his eyes were closed, and he was unconscious. No matter how his family called, he did not respond. In addition to him, there were also many coma in the village without reason.
The monk said that the reason why they were unconscious was completely a zombie. The so-called zombie ghoul is actually an evil ghost who specializes in gnawing on corpses. They are active underground and eat the brains of the dead. Once they obtain enough spiritual energy, they will bewitch people's minds and eat the souls of living people. Achen and others must have been caught by the zombie ghoul.
This ghoul is very good at doing, and can harm living people, which means that they have cultivated their entities and are about to become spirits. Coincidentally, the ghoul would turn into a wild dog during the day and wander around the cemetery. The wild dog that Hong Qi let go on that day was the transformed ghoul.
However, zombie ghouls have a weakness, that is, they are afraid of willows. Willows are also called "ghost terror trees". They have the function of shocking ghosts. As long as ghouls have not yet become spirits, they will still be afraid of willows. As for the extra heartworms, it was also the work of ghouls, just to destroy the willow trees in the village. Last night, it was not his mother who taught Hong Qi's dream, but the ghouls pretended to be. Once he cut off the willow trees in front of the grave and at the door of his house, he would be in danger.
Hong Qi was shocked after hearing this and hurriedly asked how to solve it. The monk pondered for a moment and said that the ghoul would come again at night. Seeing that Hong Qi did not cut down the trees, he would definitely hold a dream again. However, the distance for casting spells by dreams is limited. At that time, Hong Qi only needs to delay time in the dream, and the monk will find his body.
As expected, at night, Hong Qi dreamed of his mother transformed from a ghoul. She blamed Hong Qi for being disobedient and not cutting off the willow tree. However, Hong Qi deliberately changed the topic and kept talking about his childhood. When the ghoul noticed something was wrong and wanted to pounce on Hong Qi, it was too late.
The monk in reality has discovered the hiding place of the ghoul and pierced its chest with a willow . After the death of the ghoul, Hong Qi suddenly woke up from his dream.
Not long after this incident, the unconscious villagers in the village woke up and the number of heartworms became smaller. As for Hong Qi, he would never dare to make up the two willow trees any more.
