I had no idea where he got the sudden urge to tell us a story, but I suspected whatever he was about to recount must be connected to what we were currently experiencing. So, I fell silent, listening intently to see what kind of tale he intended to spin.

Then Nobita added, "No, perhaps this isn't a story. It’s something that happened to a distant relative of mine. I think I used to call her what, Biaojie (older female cousin)? But that person is dead now."

For some reason, the moment he said that, the atmosphere turned heavy.

Nobita continued, "My Biaojie was exceptionally beautiful, like Wang Zuxian, at least before she fell ill. If she hadn't been a relative, I would have chased after her long ago."

I snapped, "Can you get to the point? Stop rambling."

Nobita retorted, "Don't interrupt, I was just getting to it."

He cleared his throat and said, "Because my Biaojie was so beautiful, like a Bodhisattva, strange things started happening to her from a young age. She could see things ordinary people couldn't."

Nie Chuan frowned and asked, "Another poor soul with Yin-Yang eyes."

But Nobita immediately countered, "Wrong. She wasn't Yin-Yang eyed. Yin-Yang eyes can see ghosts, but my Biaojie could see Immortals and Buddhas."

"You're exaggerating. Setting aside whether Yin-Yang eyes even exist, even if one could truly see ghosts, lonely spirits are everywhere and easy to encounter. But Buddhas? Buddhas don't just casually descend to the mortal realm; they are usually reciting scriptures and chanting mantras. How could your Biaojie see them so easily?" Nie Chuan analyzed.

Nobita snorted, "Believe it or not, my Biaojie could see Immortals and Buddhas. According to her, she often saw huge, humanoid shadows darting through the clouds."

Seeing Nobita's serious expression, Nie Chuan stopped mocking and listened closely.

Nobita then said, "At first, my Biaojie only saw these figures flying in the sky; she never saw a real Immortal or Buddha. That is, until she was eight years old, when she inadvertently caught sight of a benevolent, gentle face of a female Bodhisattva reflected in the mirror hanging above her front door lintel."

Nie Chuan and I exchanged glances, both finding the claim incredible.

Hanging a mirror on the lintel, we knew, was traditionally done to ward off any malevolent Sha Qi (negative energy) that might rush into the house, thus symbolizing protection for the home—a very common practice in rural areas across the country.

But we had never heard of a Bodhisattva taking up residence inside a mirror.

At this point, Nobita continued, "Initially, the Bodhisattva in the mirror looked kind and benevolent. But as soon as it realized my Biaojie could see it, it started looking at her with a vicious glare every time, its face extremely ferocious."

Scared, the Biaojie told her parents about it, but all she received was a harsh scolding, being told she was talking nonsense.

After that reprimand, she never mentioned it again. Every time she came home, she would pass under the family door with a heart full of dread.

Ever since she started seeing that Bodhisattva, her health declined; she grew thinner and ate less, developing a poor appetite.

Although her parents thought she was being fanciful, she was still their daughter. Out of concern, they called in the village Taoist priest to take a look.

That time, the Biaojie watched in person as the priest stopped dead at their doorstep, refusing to enter. He turned pale with fright and fled.

It turned out the Bodhisattva in the mirror had been smiling eerily at the priest and exhaling a plume of white mist.

The Taoist priest died of sheer terror not long after returning home; he was found incontinent, in a horrifying state.

Hearing about the priest's bizarre death, the Biaojie's parents finally believed there was something strange about the mirror, so they took it down and smashed it.

After the mirror was destroyed, the Biaojie's household enjoyed a few days of peace, and her spirits seemed to recover; she started eating more.

However, it wasn't long before the Biaojie became perpetually distracted again, and her body wasted away almost instantly.

Around that time, our whole family went to see her. She looked neither human nor ghost, babbling incoherently. Her parents told us that one night she suddenly went mad, claiming that no matter which mirror she looked into—whether it was in the house or the water well—any surface that reflected her image showed the Bodhisattva's grotesque face.

The Bodhisattva was furious with her for destroying its cultivation site and intended to take her away to serve as an acolyte (Tongzi), adding that someone with Heavenly Eyes like hers should never have been a mere mortal.

From that night on, that was the second-to-last time I saw my Biaojie. Later, we heard she was acting strangely, stealing and eating candles from other people's houses daily.

About six months later, we heard the Biaojie was near death, so we went for one last look.

To our shock, the Biaojie before us was impossibly fat, lying on the bed like a giant ball of flesh, unrecognizable, her mental state fluctuating between lucid and deranged.

Her parents told us she had gained so much weight from constantly eating candles.

But the Biaojie herself believed otherwise. She said it was because the Bodhisattva was summoning her, and things were miserable over there, so she needed to fatten up first, and consuming the worldly incense of humans (candles) would improve her navigational capabilities.

We were chilled to the bone, wondering what kind of Bodhisattva this was that could cause such harm.

That day, the Biaojie suddenly regained clarity. She pointed at everyone present and said most of us were blessed people who wouldn't be claimed by the Bodhisattva. She then expressed gratitude to her parents for raising her, assuring them she was going off to learn immortal arts.

That night, the Biaojie died, her face fixed in an ugly smile. Strangely, every mirror in the house shattered inexplicably that night, even the large water vat used for drinking.

This incident left too deep an impression on my childhood; I can never forget it. May I be struck by lightning if a single word I spoke was a lie."

Nie Chuan and I looked at Nobita's earnest expression and found it impossible not to believe him.

Yet, we also broke out in a cold sweat. That so-called Bodhisattva was more terrifying than any demon. How could such a Bodhisattva exist in this world?

Lost in thought, we couldn't help glancing toward the Bodhisattva playing the zither in the corner, our hairs standing on end.

"The deities and Bodhisattvas we worship are not necessarily all benevolent. Perhaps they are nothing like what we imagine, originating from the Heavenly Court or the Pure Land. Maybe they are just powerful, magical entities that humans dare not offend, leading us to invent concepts like Heavenly Courts and revere them," Nobita stated gravely.

For some reason, seeing him so serious made me feel a pang of unease, as this realization drastically overturned conventional understanding.

After a moment to compose myself, I asked Nobita, "Are you saying this place is a gathering spot for these so-called Bodhisattvas and Immortals? That they are all man-harming demons?"

Nobita shook his head. "I wouldn't say that. This place feels more like a prison. Look at the heavy chains on that iron door; only a prison would be secured so sternly."

Nie Chuan mused, "So, this is a prison built to confine those harmful deities."

Neither of us answered. After a pause, I said, "Whatever the situation, we absolutely cannot let these supposed Immortals or anything like them discover us. That would be extremely dangerous."

Nie Chuan agreed, "Exactly. Otherwise, why would that giant give us these cloaks?"

As he mentioned the cloaks, we noticed Nobita, sweating profusely from telling the story, pulled down his hood to wipe his brow.

Almost the moment the hood came off, Nobita froze. He stared tensely at an approaching monster with ox horns, looking like the Bull Demon King, so terrified his jaw began to chatter, his face turning whiter than paper.

Just then, we noticed that all the surrounding deities and specters who had been drinking and playing music had stopped. The entire world fell silent.

A single second later, countless piercing screams erupted from all directions, followed by shadowy figures lunging toward Nobita.

Nobita remained frozen, legs trembling, completely paralyzed.

I rushed forward immediately, yanked his hood back up, and slammed him onto the floor.

Several dark shapes flew past our backs, slamming into nearby tables and chairs, sending cups and jars flying everywhere in utter chaos.

I used the confusion to grab Nobita's leg and managed to pull him out from a swarm of shadows.

Nobita was gasping for breath, taking several quick breaths before managing to say, "Too... too terrifying. Those monsters' faces... their faces..."

Seeing he was on the verge of tears, I told him to stop talking for now, helped him up, and we quickly moved toward the stairs.

The rowdy monsters quieted down again. Since they hadn't caught Nobita, they became agitated, looking around wildly, trying to locate us.

They must have known about the invisibility cloaks. I saw a pile of small human bones near the staircase—perhaps the remains of unlucky intruders.

Knowing we were inside, they naturally anticipated we would try to escape. Several of the larger figures bolted toward us, blocking the staircase entrance.

This put us in a difficult spot, as we couldn't fight these creatures head-on. We certainly couldn't use telekinesis now, as the cloak’s function was to conceal our psychic energy so we wouldn't be detected.

With no choice, we could only stand near the foot of the stairs, watching the few monsters guarding the exit. Meanwhile, the surrounding Immortals and demons began groping around like the blind, extending their hands everywhere.

We edged toward the corner, trying desperately to avoid being touched.

Nobita still hadn't recovered, his eyes glazed over; the shock had clearly been severe. We gave him a sip of water and helped him steady his breathing until he gradually calmed down.

I quickly pressed him, asking what exactly he had seen.

Nobita gasped out, "That... that Bull Demon King... actually..."

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