神出鬼没 (shénchū guǐmò) – to come and go mysteriously.

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Night around the lake was ominously dark.

Two night watchmen nervously trod through the forest as close to the water as they dared, casting fleeting glances as though afraid of what they might see. The hands that held the lanterns trembled, and they were silent, as if speaking might bring the attention of something unwanted towards them.

To an outsider, their behaviour seemed unusual. The lake was beautiful. A thousand lotuses bloomed across the still surface, glowing white with the borrowed light of the moon. Even the stars seemed to be reflected across the crystal surface.

But on closer inspection, one would notice the absolute silence - no frogs or insects called, no nightbirds stalked the grass on the banks or the reeds at the edges. The lake might as well have been a graveyard.

"What's that?" one of the night watchman hissed suddenly, swinging his lantern up. The next moment, his companion literally tackled him down.

"Are you insane? What are doing? Don't draw attention to yourself! We just flash our lanterns around and go, no looking left or right!"

As his voice ceased, they heard something.

From the direction of the lake, they seemed to hear the faintest hint of water sloshing, like something was slowly and carefully making its way through the water towards them. The blood froze in their veins and they stared at each other in horror.

"What have you done?" the second watchman whispered.

"Run!" his companion screamed. Surging to his feet and seizing a fistful of his colleague's clothing, he sprinted faster than he had in his life. Driven by fear, they rapidly disappeared through the ferns without looking back.

The movement in the lake stilled and stopped. After a moment, a small figure moved onto the bank, towards where one of the watchmen had dropped a lantern. Its movements were slow and weary, but it eventually came to the lantern and stood motionless for a while, staring at the faint drift of smoke. The lantern had gone out when the watchman had dropped it, luckily, or the vegetation by the side of the lake might have been smouldering into flame by now.

The figure bent down carefully and picked up the ruined paper-and-straw construction, turning it over and over in its hands. Eventually, it put the lantern down with the same level of care, and slowly retreated back into the water.

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"A demon?" the woman repeated with interest, sipping a cup of tea. She gestured for an assistant to come forwards and take some documents from her.

"Or a ghost! Or a monster!" The man sitting uncomfortably in the chair in front of her was pale and sweaty. "The whole town has been terrorised. We can't go anywhere near the lake, our once thriving fishing industry has died, strange things have happened in the town..."

"Maybe it's the lake spirit trying to prevent you from overfishing?"

The man paused. "I never thought of that. Could it be...?"

"Unlikely," the woman responded with a small shake of her head, as she organised papers. The man stared at her, unsure if she was making fun of him or not.

"Miss..."

"Fén(1)."

"Miss Fén, we're really at our wits' end. It's been far too long and no one's been able to help us. We'll take any assistance we can get, try anything."

Miss Fén clicked her tongue and put her paperwork to one side, finishing her tea as she did. She had only just arrived in town the day prior, thinking she had found a quiet place to wrap up the loose ends of her last case, and to rest, and already someone had come knocking on her door asking for help. She interlocked her long fingers and leant on the desk before her to consider her visitor.

In return, her visitor, an older man who sat on the village committee, looked a little flustered. Miss Fén was slender as a willow, with long chestnut-coloured hair and unusual grey-brown eyes. Her whole appearance gave a sense of length and flow, like a slow river. She seemed at home in the rich, earth-toned clothing she wore, the warm and intense colours enhancing her features rather than overwhelming them. Two perfectly round pearls glowed at her earlobes.

The man swallowed nervously, but Miss Fén smiled easily at him.

"Alright, you have my attention now. How long has this been going on for?"

"At... At least a century now..."

Miss Fén stared at him, deadpan. "A century?"

The man nodded helplessly. "Stories from our great-grandparents say that one day the demon... or ghost... or whatever it is... arrived suddenly at the lake. No one knows how or why. They suddenly starting hearing screams in the night, seeing things moving in the water. The only person who ever saw the creature refused to speak. His hair turning white overnight, and he died young too - clearly the creature cursed him because he saw it."

"And now?"

"Nowadays things are much quieter, but only the other night, two night watchman caught a glimpse of the demon as they patrolled near the water. It has everyone on edge, we can't use the water and we fear for our lives, especially the children's."

Miss Fén leaned back in her chair and gazed out through the window without seeing anything, her slender brows furrowed in thought. Her hand unconsciously drifted down to the flask at her hip, and she absent-mindedly tipped some of its contents into her mouth. The man held his breath and watched her closely.

"Aside from the gentleman who died early, has the ghost done anything else?"

"It continues to frighten us and -"

"But it hasn't actively harmed anyone?"

The man sniffed but grudgingly agreed.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Mm." Miss Fén's grey-brown eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "And that's all you know?"

"That's the general gist. Everyone has their own stories but they all say the same sorts of things. People being frightened near the lake, screams and cries at night. Oh..."

"Hm?" Miss Fén quirked an eyebrow.

"They say that since that day, lotuses have bloomed across the lake. They were never there before, only reeds and sedges. But now, there are giant white lotuses at all times of the year."

"Hm," Miss Fén said again, this time with an air of knowing. She returned to gazing out through the window. "What have you tried so far?"

"We've tried exorcisms from priests of all sects and denominations. We've tried hunting the demon with various weapons, but everyone is too frightened to look at it properly after what happened to that other man, so we've never succeeded."

"Have you hired other demon hunters before?"

"We've tried, but most of them laugh at us, either because... Well, you're right, the demon has never really done much. Or because they feel the job is beneath them..."

"So you're asking me to take on a job that's beneath me?" Miss Fén asked with a smile. She took another sip from her flask.

The man turned pale. "No no no-"

Miss Fén flashed her teeth in a smile, her canines a little longer than expected. It was as though a sleepy lizard had momentarily revealed itself as a dragon in disguise.

"I believe you have a ghost on your hands, not a demon, and I will accept the job."

"You will?" The man seemed stunned.

"That poor ghost needs to be moved on to its eternal rest. It must be very tired." Miss Fén stood and retrieved a slip of paper from a bag by the desk. The man was surprised to find he had to look up a little to see her face.

"My fees," Miss Fén said, handing him the paper. The man grimaced at the cost but nodded.

"I will bring this back to the village Elder, but I'm sure this is no problem. When can you start?"

"There's no time like the present." Miss Fén smiled and retrieved a sleek travelling straw hat from a hook behind the door. "Which direction is the lake? I want to see it now."

The man immediately looked nervous again, but he did not dare question the bold Miss Fén. He pointed. "In that direction, but please be careful."

Miss Fén laughed and showed him out of the little house she was renting for her stay. "Of course."

She closed the door behind him, and sighed. Dealing with people was tiring to her. Ghosts were much better. She reached for her flask again to find it was empty.

Refilling the flask was the start of her preparations. Then, the basics - a belt of herbs and powders in vials, salt and rosemary, sticks of cinnabar, a pouch with slips of yellow paper. Into another pouch she slipped a bronze bell the size of her palm and a glass vial filled with some darkened liquid. This she shook critically before stowing it away, making a note to gather more. She buckled a silver knife sheathed in a strange blue leather to her belt, and sprayed rose water over her face and neck.

Finally, Miss Fén, Demon Hunter, donned her straw hat.

With an approving nod and a tilt of her hat, she sailed forth to find herself a ghost.

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In the afternoon sun, the water of the lake glittered peacefully. A gentle breeze stirred the white lotus blooms, creating a beautiful, tranquil scene. One might set out a picnic and compose poetry here.

Miss Fén stood easily by the water's edge, her long ponytail gently flowing in the breeze. She stood with her arms crossed and a stalk of grass in her mouth that she chewed contemplatively. She bent and dipped her hands in the water, taking an experimental sip.

There was nothing to suggest demonic or supernatural activity. The sun was warm, the water was clear but deep. In short, everything looked perfect.

A little too much so, perhaps.

Miss Fén's eyes narrowed.

She could sense behind her the watching eyes of villagers who had tried to secretly follow her to the lake. They had no concept of stealth so their efforts were in vain, but Miss Fén had not bothered to confront them.

Suddenly she let out a strangled yelp and fell forwards, her red-brown robe instantly soaking with lake water and deepening to a blood colour. The watchers gasped as one and huddled anxiously together. What was happening to Miss Fén? What should they do?

Trembling, Miss Fén managed to draw a piece of paper from her pouch and began to desperately make markings on it with a piece of charcoal. She staggered to her feet, the paper clutched between the second and third fingers of her hand, muttering strange words under her breath.

A sudden cry of pain escaped her lips. The hidden villagers, their nerves at breaking point, stumbled back several paces.

With supreme effort, Miss Fén renewed her chanting. The paper in her hands seemed to melt and suddenly, a huge blast of energy seemed to explode from nowhere, sending the watching villagers tumbling backwards!

Struggling upright, they turned to find Miss Fén racing towards them.

"Run! I can only hold it off for a few moments!"

The villagers ran in blind panic from the lakeside to the safety of the village. As the last villager disappeared from sight, Miss Fén suddenly stopped, perfectly calm and composed, and addressed the lake aloud.

"If I made it look too safe and easy, they would all be here in a second to disturb your peace. I've scared them off now, won't you come out?"

There was no response. The sun still shone warm and bright, and the white lotuses drifted serenely on the lake, but Miss Fen received no response. She shrugged acceptingly.

"Perhaps you only come out at night, so I'll come back then. See you later, little ghost!" She turned her heel and marched away, her dress already remarkably dry.

In the lake, between the lotuses at the furthest end, a pair of dark eyes appeared above the water. They watched avidly as Miss Fen left.

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The village was in uproar.

Miss Fén stumbled in behind the other villagers a few minutes later. Although dishevelled, she looked triumphant and placated the villagers.

"Not to worry, not to worry. I've dealt with things like this before, no problem. But it is too dangerous for ordinary people to go near. Until I have exorcised the ghost, please keep away from the lake!"

The villagers nodded fervently and excitedly. The ghost would be gone soon! They could use the lake again, for the first time in one hundred years! Miss Fén took a dramatic swing from her flask and the villagers wondered what kind of hard liquor she was consuming after such a frightening experience.

"I'll finish the job tonight," Miss Fén announced. "Everyone must absolutely stay inside."

The villagers were cheered up endlessly. They rushed to thank Miss Fén. The village Elder offered to pay Miss Fén in advance, but she magnanimously accepted only half of the full payment, saying she would take the rest after the job was done. Then she returned to the house she was renting and called out for the girl who had been assigned by the Elder to assist her.

"I need you to bring me some things. Some decent rice wine, some incense, and a lantern. And if anyone is slaughtering a chicken for dinner tonight, the chicken's blood as quickly as possible. Best if it's a black chicken," she added thoughtfully.

The girl swallowed her questions and repeated the grocery list back before promising to retrieve the items.

Once she left, Miss Fén counted her money with satisfaction, then pulled out a pendulum and a board which she also placed into her small bag. She sat back in her chair, slender brows creased in thought.

Something still didn't seem right about the situation. Other than the abnormal lotuses, there were no other typical ghostly signs, such as ectoplasm, chilled air or strange sounds. If it weren't for the terrifying apparition that frightened several years off a man's life, Miss Fén might have thought she was dealing with some sort of nature spirit.

It didn't appear to be a demon. Demons would not suffer anyone who annoyed or disturbed them to live for much longer than a few minutes. The most likely conclusion Miss Fén could draw was of some kind of gentle and timid ghost that was frightening away villagers to keep itself safe, like a hissing kitten.

After thinking for a moment, Miss Fén put a few more items in her bag, refilled her flask, then threw herself on the bed. She had enough time for a nap before her date with the ghost tonight.

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The creature lay at the very bottom of the lake. If it didn't concentrate, it could not stay there - its body would float about aimlessly. Each hand had been pushed under a heavy rock to assist with the submersion.

The water around it was clean and still. But in its mind was a different kind of water, the grey-brown of a slow river, the grey-brown of Miss Fén's eyes, peaceful on the surface, deep and powerful below.

I'll come back.

How long had it been since someone had spoken to it in this way? It couldn't remember. It didn't even know who it was, or what it was. It didn't even know what to call the feeling that was creeping up inside its heart.

Is this, perhaps...

Hope?