The Forgotten Scroll
Lin's hands trembled as he climbed the creaky wooden ladder to his grandmother's dusty attic. The morning sun peeked through tiny cracks in the old roof, making golden lines in the dark space. 🌅
"Be careful up there!" his grandmother called from below. Her voice was shaky but warm, like always.
The attic smelled like old wood and time itself. Lin sneezed as dust danced in the air. He was supposed to be looking for his grandmother's special tea pot, but something else caught his eye - a strange red box hidden behind some old blankets.
Important Discovery!
The box was decorated with weird symbols Lin had never seen before. They glowed faintly in the dim light.
"Grandmother," Lin called down, "I found something strange!"
His fingers traced the symbols on the box. They felt warm, almost alive. Inside, he found an old scroll, yellow with age and tied with a red string.
"Oh dear," his grandmother whispered when she saw what Lin held. Her face went pale. "Where did you find that?"
"In the red box," Lin said. "What is it?"
His grandmother sat heavily in her favorite chair, her eyes never leaving the scroll. "That, my dear Lin, is our family's greatest secret - and our greatest burden." Her voice got very quiet. "It tells about the Jiangshi."
"The what?" Lin asked, sitting cross-legged on the floor near her feet.
The Warning
"The hopping vampires," she explained. "Very dangerous creatures. They wear special robes and hop around at night looking for people's life force to steal." She made a hopping motion with her fingers.
Lin laughed, but stopped when he saw how serious his grandmother looked.
"This is no joke, little one. Our family has kept these scrolls safe for hundreds of years. They tell how to stop the Jiangshi if they ever come back."
As if responding to her words, a cold wind blew through the house, making the lanterns swing. 🏮
"But grandmother, vampires aren't real... right?"
She took Lin's hand in hers. It felt cold. "There are many things in this world you don't know about yet. Strange things are happening in our village. Last night, Farmer Wong's chickens all disappeared. And Mrs. Chen said she saw something hopping in the moonlight."
Lin felt goosebumps rise on his arms. The scroll in his lap suddenly felt very heavy.
"Remember this, Lin - when the moon is full and the air grows cold, that's when they come. The Jiangshi always return when people forget about them. That's why we keep the scrolls. That's why we remember."
Thunder rumbled outside, making Lin jump. Dark clouds had covered the sun, and the wind was getting stronger. 🌩️
"We must get ready," his grandmother said, standing up slowly. "They're coming back. And you, my dear Lin, must learn what these scrolls teach. You must learn how to protect our village."
Lin looked at the ancient scroll in his hands. The strange symbols seemed to move in the dim light. Outside, the wind howled like a hungry animal, and somewhere in the distance, a dog started barking frantically.
His normal life of helping on the farm and playing with friends suddenly felt very far away. Something big was coming - something that had been sleeping for a very long time. And somehow, Lin knew his life would never be the same again.Shadows of the Ancestors
Lin sat at his grandmother's table, carefully unrolling the ancient scroll. The paper was yellow and crispy, like fallen leaves in autumn. 📜
"Gentle now," his grandmother whispered, watching his every move. "These words are over five hundred years old."
Strange black symbols danced across the page. Some Lin could read, but others looked like tiny pictures of things he'd never seen before.
Ancient Wisdom!
The scroll told stories of strange creatures called Jiangshi - dead people who came back to life and hopped around at night looking for victims.
"But why do they hop?" Lin asked, pointing to a drawing of a stiff figure with its arms stretched out.
His grandmother smiled. "Their bodies are so stiff, they can't walk normally. They wear special robes from long ago, when people weren't buried right away. Their families would hire special priests to help the dead bodies hop home!"
Just then, a scream pierced the night air. 😱
"That came from the Zhang family's house!" Lin jumped up, knocking over his tea cup.
His grandmother grabbed his arm. "Wait! Take these." She pressed three red paper talismans into his hand. "If you see anything strange, throw these at it and run!"
The First Attack
Lin raced through the dark village streets. More screams came from ahead. As he turned a corner, he froze.
There, in the moonlight, stood something impossible. A tall figure in green robes, its skin pale as milk. It moved in strange jumps, getting closer to old Mr. Zhang's house.
Lin's hands shook as he held up one of the red papers. The Jiangshi turned its head - its eyes glowed like tiny moons.
"Stop!" A deep voice boomed from behind Lin. An old man in black robes stepped forward, holding up his own stack of talismans. His long white beard moved in the wind.
"I am Master Wu," he said to Lin without taking his eyes off the hopping vampire. "Stand back, young one. This is no ordinary Jiangshi."
Master Wu began to chant strange words. The air felt thick with magic. ✨
The Jiangshi hissed - a sound like winter wind through dead trees. It jumped forward, faster than Lin thought possible. But Master Wu was ready. He threw his talismans, which burst into blue flame in the air.
The creature screamed and disappeared into the shadows, leaving only the smell of burnt paper behind.
A New Teacher
"You have your grandmother's scroll," Master Wu said, turning to Lin. It wasn't a question.
"How did you know?" Lin asked.
"I have waited many years for the scroll to be found again. Dark times are coming, young Lin. The Jiangshi are waking up all across China. Someone is bringing them back on purpose."
Lin thought about the scroll waiting at home. "Will you teach me? I want to protect my village."
Master Wu stroked his beard and smiled. "Yes. You must learn quickly. That was only one Jiangshi - there will be more. Many more."
As they walked back to Lin's house, more clouds covered the moon. The village was quiet now, but Lin knew it wasn't over. He touched the remaining talismans in his pocket and made a promise to himself: he would learn everything he could about fighting these monsters.
Behind them, a shadow moved between houses. Two moon-bright eyes watched them go. And somewhere in the darkness, more Jiangshi were waking up, ready to hop again after centuries of sleep. 🌙The Forbidden Knowledge
"Hold the talisman higher!" Master Wu called out. "A Jiangshi will aim for your neck - you must protect it!" 🛡️
Lin's arms were tired, but he kept the red paper up. He had been training with Master Wu every day since the attack. His grandmother watched from her chair, nodding with approval.
"Good," Master Wu said. "Now we'll learn about the five ways to stop a Jiangshi:"
• Sticky rice - Jiangshi hate it!
• Mirrors - They fear their own reflection
• Red paper talismans
• Rooster crows
• Special bells that make magic sounds
"But why are they coming back now?" Lin asked, lowering his arms.
Master Wu's face grew serious. "Someone is calling them. Someone who found dark magic in old scrolls like yours."
Family Secrets
That night, Lin's grandmother pulled out an old wooden box. Her hands shook as she opened it. 📦
"Lin, it's time you learned about our family's curse. Many years ago, your great-great-grandfather made an enemy of a powerful dark priest. That priest cursed our family to be haunted by Jiangshi forever."
"Is that why you kept the scroll?" Lin asked.
"Yes, dear one. To protect ourselves." She pulled out a small jade bell. "This bell has protected our family for generations. But now..."
A loud THUMP came from outside. Then another. And another. 👣
"They're here!" Master Wu burst through the door. "Lin, remember your training!"
The First Defense
Three Jiangshi hopped into view. Their green robes glowed in the moonlight. Their faces were grey like old paper.
Lin grabbed his bag of sticky rice. His grandmother rang the jade bell - its clear sound made the Jiangshi pause.
"Now, Lin!" Master Wu shouted.
Lin threw the rice. It stuck to the first Jiangshi's robes. The creature tried to hop but couldn't move! ✨
Master Wu raised his hands and began to chant. Red light flowed from his fingers. The second Jiangshi hissed and backed away.
Lin's grandmother kept ringing the bell. Its sound grew louder and brighter, like music you could see.
"The talismans!" Master Wu called. "Use them now!"
Lin pulled out his red papers. The words he had practiced glowed with golden light. He threw them at the stuck Jiangshi.
FLASH! 💥
The creature disappeared in a puff of green smoke. The other two Jiangshi hopped away into the darkness.
A Deeper Mystery
"You did well," Master Wu said later, as they sat drinking tea. "But this is just the beginning."
Lin's grandmother nodded. "Someone is trying to wake all the Jiangshi in China. They want to use them as an army."
"But who?" Lin asked.
Master Wu pulled out an old picture. It showed a man in black robes with angry eyes. "His name is Zhao. He was once my student. But he chose dark magic instead of light. And now..."
A cold wind blew through the room, making the candles flicker. In the distance, they heard more thumping sounds. More Jiangshi were coming.
Lin held his talismans tight. He was ready to protect his village. But he didn't know that soon, he would have to protect all of China. 🌙The Gathering Darkness
The morning sun barely broke through the dark clouds. Lin watched more villagers run into his grandmother's house. They all looked scared. 😨
"Three more attacks last night," said Chen, a farmer from the next village. "The Jiangshi are everywhere now!"
Master Wu stood up. "We must teach others to fight. Lin, show them what you've learned."
Building an Army
Lin handed out red paper talismans to twenty brave villagers. "Hold them like this," he said, showing them the right way. "The magic words must face the Jiangshi."
His grandmother walked around with her special jade bell. "Everyone take some sticky rice too," she said. "And remember - Jiangshi can't turn corners well when they hop!" 🍚
"We are stronger together," Master Wu told the group. "The Jiangshi may be scary, but they have weaknesses. We will protect our homes!"
The Hidden Truth
While the others trained, Lin and Master Wu studied the ancient scroll. Something caught Lin's eye - a drawing of a dark temple.
"I know this place!" Master Wu gasped. "It's where Zhao studies his dark magic. In the mountains..."
IMPORTANT DISCOVERY: The temple drawing showed how Zhao was controlling the Jiangshi - with a special black jade stone! 💎
"If we can get that stone," Lin said, "we can stop all the Jiangshi at once!"
Suddenly, they heard screams from outside. 😱
The Big Fight
Ten Jiangshi hopped through the village. But this time, one was different. It wore black robes with gold designs. Its eyes glowed red.
"The Jiangshi King!" Master Wu shouted. "Zhao has sent his strongest warrior!"
The villagers formed a circle, just like they practiced. They held up their talismans and threw sticky rice.
"Now!" Lin yelled.
His grandmother rang the jade bell. The sound made the regular Jiangshi freeze. But the King kept coming! 👑
"Lin! Use this!" Master Wu threw him a special mirror. "Show it its own face!"
Lin held up the mirror. The Jiangshi King saw itself and screamed - a horrible sound like broken glass.
CRACK! ⚡
The mirror split in two, but the King jumped back. All the Jiangshi retreated into the shadows.
A Dangerous Plan
"We must go to the temple," Lin said after the battle. "It's the only way to stop this."
Master Wu nodded. "Yes. But Zhao will be waiting. And he has more dark magic than just Jiangshi."
Lin looked at his grandmother. She smiled and handed him the jade bell. "Take it," she said. "You'll need it more than I do."
That night, Lin packed his bag:
• Red talismans
• Sticky rice
• The jade bell
• Master Wu's special mirrors
• The ancient...
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