In everyone's life, there are some extraordinary events, but what I experienced might be more bizarre than anything you've heard.
And it all started with a "walking marriage" from that year.
My surname is Ba, and my given names are Xiaoshan. When I was young, I was a young man with some education but not yet a formal job. At the age of twenty, I followed a folklore academic seminar from Shanghai to survey the local customs near Lugu Lake. The reason for the survey was because I heard from the 200-plus kilogram heavyset guy Cui Zhen that there was a minority ethnic group there with weak values towards marriage, allowing for one woman to have multiple husbands, which piqued my interest.
After several days on the train, followed by several days on a bus and then a bullock cart, we finally arrived at our destination at the time, a Mosuo village.
The Mosuo people have little contact with the outside world and have their own language and customs. However, because Cui Zhen had previously visited the northwestern part of Yunnan several times and befriended a few villagers in the village, they did not reject us.
At night, a grand bonfire party was held. The Mosuo people, along with a few of us researchers who loved revelry, were singing and dancing.
I remember that at that time, Cui Zhen was sitting next to me, smiling, saying that the Mosuo people had a very unusual custom called "walking marriage."
In general, because the Mosuo people are a matrilineal society, they do not advocate for monogamy. During the day, if a girl fancies a boy from another family, she would send him signals. If the boy is also interested, he would climb through the girl's window at night, place an item as a token on the outside of the window, and can then consummate the marriage that very night. The next day, they would return to their respective homes. If either party suddenly loses interest, they would naturally separate, without any divorce procedures.
I was amazed when I heard this unusual custom of walking marriage, which seemed completely out of place compared to the cities. I suppose there might have been a reason for Cui Zhen to lead the team to the Mosuo village to investigate this matter.
During the bonfire party, I had quite a bit to drink, and my stomach was a bit swollen, and my head was spinning. I got up and walked to a haystack at the back, intending to relieve myself. While in a secluded spot, a figure suddenly walked over. My vision was blurred, but I could see a figure with long hair approaching me, but I couldn't make out the rest.
She walked around me, and I asked with a smile, "Miss, who are you?"
Suddenly, she leaned in, and hugged me. I immediately smelled a fragrance. At that time, I was a twenty-year-old young man and was genuinely bewildered. I scratched my head and said, "Miss, what are you doing?"
She took my hand and led me away. I was dizzy from the fragrance, and as she pulled me, I just followed. We walked for quite some time, up a pair of stairs near the window of a house. I remembered Cui Zhen's description of walking marriage. I beamed, thinking that the girl must have taken a liking to me. There were not many romantic entanglements here among the Mosuo people, so if it didn't work out, I could just leave after tonight.
So, I swayed and climbed the stairs to the second floor, entered the room, it was pitch black all around, and I couldn't see a thing. The girl was standing at the door with her back to me, her long black hair cascading to the ground, wearing the clothes of the Mosuo people.
"Miss, I haven't seen your face yet…"
I smiled and then sat on the edge of the bed. The girl slowly turned her face, and I felt very pleased, thinking that today was my lucky day. But then she slowly leaned over and sat gently beside me. I could still only see half of her face, which looked beautiful and delicate, like a stunning beauty with half of her face hidden behind a lute. Then a fragrance suddenly enveloped me, my head spun, and I fell into a deep sleep.
I had a particularly comfortable sleep, and in my dream, it seemed like I was entangled with that girl for a long time. I felt happy and rejuvenated like an immortal. But when I woke up the next day, I found myself lying in the woods more than a hundred meters away from the village.
I woke up feeling confused, wondering how I ended up in this desolate place after following the girl. Trying to stand up, I felt weak and dizzy. Stumbling back to the village, when Cui Zhen saw me, he asked where I had been the previous day, but I was too embarrassed to say it was my first time.
The field visit was expected to last about a week, and the Mosuo people were so hospitable. After the second day, when I got drunk, the woman appeared again and brought me into the little building. Once again, I didn't see her face clearly, and before I could even ask, the scent overwhelmed me, and I immediately passed out, only to wake up in the little woods again.
The same thing happened for two days in a row, and I started to feel suspicious, so I secretly discussed it with Cui Zhen.
When he heard what I had to say, his face turned ugly, and I insisted on knowing what was going on.
With a grim expression, Cui Zhen said, "In the Mosuo tribe, when the woman can't let go of the man, she goes to seek the help of the old sorcerer outside the village. The sorcerer provides the woman with a kind of scented powder that can win back the man's affection, but each time it is used, the woman's blood must be mixed in. It's a kind of witchcraft in Yunnan. If the powder is used too many times, the woman will die. If her spirit remains, it will linger outside the village, seeking the man she desires and bringing him back to the ghost building for a union. I think you might have encountered something like this."
Hearing Cui Zhen's words, I was terrified, and my face turned pale. But then I thought to myself, it's just a folklore, nothing to take seriously. Maybe I drank too much and had two nights of dreams.
"If you don't believe it, why not try it tonight and drink less," Cui Zhen said, patting my shoulder.
At that moment, crouching on the ground, I thought for a moment and nodded, "Even if I die, I'll be a gallant ghost, not afraid."
On the third night, I didn't drink much and went outside the village around eight or nine in the evening. Looking around and feeling the cold wind, I started to think that I might have been overthinking. Just when I was about to turn back, I suddenly caught a whiff of an unfamiliar fragrance, and my heart raced. I tried to move forward, but my steps seemed unsteady, and then I felt a presence behind me. Turning around, I saw the long-haired beauty in front of me again. She seemed to be saying something, but I couldn't understand. The fragrance made me wary, so I avoided inhaling deeply and stared carefully at her face, but it was still shielded by the thick, long hair.
It seemed like she also sensed something was wrong, as she suddenly grabbed my hand. I tried to break free, but my head swayed slightly, and when I came to, I was standing outside the little building.
She held my hand but didn't let go, and this time, she pulled me all the way to the doorway. Her grip was incredibly strong, and I couldn't help but think it might be related to the rumors from Cui Zhen. I shook my arm a few times, trying to break free, and then a wave of anger surged through me, and I stopped abruptly. The woman hesitated for a moment, and as she turned her head, I reached out and suddenly lifted her long hair!
Underneath the long hair, a terrifying face was revealed. On the left was a lovely young girl, while on the right was a horrifying skull. It's no wonder she always covered her face with her long hair, and even what I saw was only the pretty half of her face.
I immediately stepped back, but she held onto my arm, and although I was frightened, I was more desperate to escape. I exerted all my strength and pounded the hand grasping mine.
After a few strikes, I broke free from her grasp, only to see that beneath the thin layer of skin were bones. I had used too much force and fell to the ground. In that situation, I didn't have time to think, I just got up and ran.
I heard the woman behind me seemed to be saying something, but I couldn't understand or didn't want to. I ran several hundred meters in one breath, exhausted and panting, leaning against a tree.
Suddenly, I heard a sound behind me and turned around to see the terrifying woman closely following me with a strange fragrance in the air. I was terrified, and although I wanted to run, it was too late. My legs gave way, and after inhaling a large amount of the strange fragrance, I struggled a few times, and finally collapsed.
This time, I slept even deeper than the previous two times. When I woke up, it was two days later, and I found myself lying in a tent in the village.
Cui Zhen and several other team members were sitting next to me. When they saw me wake up, Cui Zhen hastily asked, "Finally awake. You've been running a fever for days, what happened? How did you end up in a daze in the little woods? We've been looking for you for a long time!"
I was shocked and quickly got up, but I felt even weaker and shook my head, saying, "You're right, I've been marked by the ghost of the woman who practices 'walk-marriage'!"
As soon as I said that, Cui Zhen's face changed instantly!
"Are you sure? Isn't it just a nightmare that you had after drinking too much?"
This was the first time that Cui Zhen had encountered such a thing, and his face was full of disbelief. I hastily recounted the events of the night, and everyone drew in a sharp breath.
"You don't know my capacity for alcohol, do you? Whatever's attached to me, it's definitely not a living person!"
I made a firm statement between my words.
Cui Zhen remained silent, his brow furrowed tightly, and after a while, he said, "The situation has already arisen. I'll go and discuss with some friends in the village to see if there's a way to solve it. You rest well..."
After Cui Zhen left, I lay flat on the ground. Several busybodies gathered around, bombarding me with questions. Some even asked if I felt comfortable with the female ghost. I was annoyed and didn't bother to pay attention to them.
In the afternoon, Cui Zhen brought an old man from the village to see me. The old man's name was Waluer Niuruo, and Waluer was his surname. He was the dabar of the village, which meant he was the wizard of the village. The old man wore a green coat, a hat on his head, and slightly curly, gray hair. His skin was rough like a rock, yet his eyes were as sharp as a soaring eagle in the sky.
In the Mosuo tribe, such villages are called "cang," and each "cang" must have a dabar. Dabarism is a primitive religion that is little known to outsiders.
After sitting down, the dabar glanced at me and then spoke a few words to Cui Zhen. I couldn't understand, but I vaguely felt that the language the dabar was speaking was very similar to the strange language spoken by the female ghost.
After hearing this, Cui Zhen nodded repeatedly and then said to me, "The dabar said that you have been targeted by the 'You.' By the way, 'You' means something like a ghost in our Chinese language."
Sure enough, I immediately furrowed my brow, feeling increasingly anxious and upset.
Then, the dabar spoke with Cui Zhen and finally turned to me and said, "However, the dabar said he can help you get rid of that 'You.'"
At first, I was overjoyed, even to the point of tears, but then Cui Zhen continued, "However, the dabar also said that he can rid you of the 'You' by locking it in an object, and the object cannot remain in their village. It must be taken away by us. As for how to deal with it afterwards, it's our problem. He doesn't care..."
Just as I had begun to feel somewhat relieved, upon hearing this, my heart immediately churned. Wasn't this asking me to take a female ghost home? I immediately protested, "If it doesn't work out, I'll just run away and live in a temple for a year or two." Cui Zhen also knew that I was not willing, so he discussed with the dabar for a long time. Surprisingly, the old man left with a somewhat angry and displeased expression.
"The dabar said you can't run away. That ghost will haunt you for the rest of your life. And if you don't agree, he won't help you anymore."
Cui Zhen scratched his head, and I thought for a long time with a frown. At that time, I was also young, and I always had a feeling of being fearless. Since this matter had already happened and I had spent three nights with the female ghost, was I afraid of her causing me harm again? So, I made up my mind and agreed to the dabar's request.
That evening, at around seven o'clock, the dabar, Cui Zhen, me, Cui Zhen's friends, and some brave researchers walked into a small grove. After listening to the dabar's words, Cui Zhen had someone wrap three circles of red cloth around my waist, then spread the red cloth into the dark thicket at the back. The dabar and his people hid in the thicket.
"The dabar says this red cloth will protect you from the female ghost getting close. One end of the red cloth is tied to you, and the other end extends to the thicket. We will hide in the thicket. The dabar will chop wood in there. That's their way of casting a spell. What you have to do is lead the female ghost backward slowly. Don't answer anything she says, and don't smell any odor. Once in the thicket, the dabar will deal with her. Do you understand?"
Cui Zhen explained a few things, and I looked very unsightly. Before, I wasn't certain whether it was a female ghost combined with alcohol that gave me so much courage. But now that I knew the true identity of the other party, I had to face it soberly, and fear occupied my entire heart.
"Don't be afraid, we're right behind you."
After Cui Zhen finished speaking, he immediately slipped into the thicket. I was left standing alone in the grove, unable to see anyone around, and the weather was still a bit cold. Occasionally, I heard rustling in the thicket. I looked around cautiously, but all I saw was the dark forest.
"Why isn't she coming?"
I felt a strong urge to cut to the chase, having waited for about half an hour. Suddenly, a strong wind blew through the dark grove, causing the surrounding trees to rustle. The huge trees on both sides of the road seemed like terrible guards, and a figure appeared on the dark pathway. Long hair covered her face, and her graceful figure resembled that of a young girl, but now she only made me fearful.
I immediately clenched my fist. Although I was not lacking in courage, at this moment, my legs were trembling with fear. I wanted to retreat, but I heard the shouts from Cui Zhen in the thicket, "Don't run, or all our previous efforts will be wasted."
Cui Zhen's shout somewhat alleviated my mental pressure. The figure with the long hair slowly approached from the opposite direction and soon drew nearer, leaving only the sound of the wind around me. I took a deep breath and tried to hold my breath as much as possible.
The female ghost appeared in front of me, flitting back and forth in front of my eyes, speaking softly, but I couldn't understand or respond. Seeing my lack of reaction, she reached out to grab my arm, but she immediately recoiled upon touching the red cloth wrapped around me, as if she had come into contact with flames.
I took a step back, and the ghost didn't follow, clearly becoming cautious. I furrowed my brow, realizing that if I let her escape here, all previous efforts would be wasted. She was a menace, and while she might not bother me in the future, she could harm others. For some reason, I mustered up the courage and actually waved to the ghost, as if, in the words of my friend, I looked exactly like a pretty girl soliciting on the street. He chuckled from his hiding place.
With my gesture, the ghost hesitated but eventually followed me as I walked backward, waving my hand. I appeared calm, but I was incredibly nervous inside. Throughout history, only ghosts tempt people, not the other way around. As I walked, I continually glanced back at the distance to the trees.
What felt like ten meters seemed like I had run ten kilometers, and I was almost completely exhausted by the end!
Finally reaching the edge of the forest, the chubby man suddenly pulled me back, causing me to fall. Seeing me vanish, the female ghost followed quickly. When I turned around, I saw Dabar and several Mosuo villagers already prepared. In front of us was a large offering plate, with a sun and moon flag next to it. A villager held a handbell nearby, while Dabar himself wore an iron helmet, carried a meter-long knife, and wore a cloth amulet around his neck.
As soon as the chants began, the ghost screamed and cowered, but we ordinary people felt nothing.
"What is he chanting?" I asked in amazement.
The chubby man whispered, "It's called 'Yaomi', an exorcism scripture in the Dabar religion. This scripture is to guide the deceased to the place prepared for them."
I nodded in incomprehension, but I saw the ghost stand up, seemingly dazed, and stagger towards Dabar. As Dabar chanted and made cutting motions with his knife, the ghost moved with each stroke.
As I watched in astonishment, the ghost suddenly stopped in front of Dabar. Dabar pointed a small wooden stick at her, and with a scream and a gust of wind, the ghost vanished in an instant. Finally, Dabar stopped his chant, and the chubby man hurriedly led me over. Dabar handed me the stick, explaining something to the man, who then told me, "Dabar said the ghost is in this 'divine stick', which is a tool of the Dabar religion. He's giving it to you. We'll also take the ghost with us, and we need to leave at sunrise."
I slowly took the stick from the chubby man, feeling nothing unusual as I held it. Looking down, I saw the stick was carved with numerous images of birds, animals, and ghosts, indicating its extraordinary nature.
"Dabar also said that before we leave tomorrow, he will cast a divination for us, so you should be fine now," the chubby man said, patting my shoulder as I paused, expressing my gratitude to Dabar.