Young people today live a comfortable life.
Unlike the older generation who struggled to make ends meet, they always sought thrills after they had eaten and drunk their fill.
From bungee jumping and giant swing rides in the past to parkour and haunted house adventures that have become popular in recent years, there are always people trying new ways to challenge the limits of their nerves.
Especially since more than a decade ago, a "psychic game craze" has quietly emerged on campus.
Ouija boards and other spirit-summoning games have become a form of "social currency" among young people.
It is said that lighting a candle at night to invite a spirit to possess you can help you ask about your marriage prospects, predict your exam results, and even foresee the future.
These games have ridiculously low barriers to entry.
All a pen spirit needs are two red pens and a piece of white paper. A few girls sit around in a darkened dormitory, holding the pens between their fingertips and chanting a few spells they've heard from who-knows-where, and then dare to ask the ethereal "spirit master" for answers.
The Ouija board is even more mysterious, but the way to play it is simple.
It is said that the best time is during the Hai hour (21:00-23:00).
Then you need to light four candles in the four corners of the room (two white and two red, representing the balance of yin and yang).
Then find a porcelain plate and place it over a tablecloth printed with letters, and draw the "Five Poisons Formation" on the edge with cinnabar.
(Scorpion, poisonous snake, centipede, spider, toad) A square piece of yellow paper, about one inch in size, is pasted on the bottom of the plate, on which the participants' birth dates and times are written.
Next, print the 26 English letters and the numbers 0-9 on the tablecloth with gold paint.
And the four Chinese characters “是”, “否”, “离”, and “留”.
Then, take a coin that has been soaked in vinegar for three days to remove its "human smell" and place it in the center of the porcelain plate.
After all the procedures were prepared, the four people sat around the table, with their left hands on the tablecloth and their right index fingers lightly touching the edge of the porcelain plate, palms facing up (the palms are yin and easily attract spirits).
One person chanted a spell in dialect: "Ouija board spirit, Ouija board spirit, from the immortal mountain, those who obey me will be blessed, those who defy me will suffer. Today, I, a humble girl, humbly ask for your guidance. Please take a seat and enlighten me."
While chanting the incantation, you need to keep your eyes on the coins in the plate. If the coins suddenly flip over, it means "the immortal has arrived".
After feeling the porcelain plate vibrate slightly, the person asking the question should state what they want to ask, such as "What is my future husband's last name?"
"Which subject will I fail in the final exam?"
Everyone kept their fingertips touching the plate, without applying force, allowing the porcelain plate to slide freely on the tablecloth.
If the porcelain plate stops on the letter "L", it may indicate that the other person's surname is "Li" or "Liu".
If the game stops at the character "离" (leave), the game must be ended immediately, as this is considered an "ominous sign."
After asking the question, they should all chant in unison: "The Immortal Master has answered. This humble girl thanks you and will return to her original place. Do not linger in the mortal realm."
Then place the porcelain plate upside down in the center of the tablecloth, cover it with a black cloth, and it can be taken away the next morning.
Coins must be thrown into the crossroads (to pay a "toll"), and the porcelain plate must be wiped with white wine three times before it can be used again.
Of course, there are also taboos to be aware of when playing this game.
If someone laughs or sneezes during the game, it is considered "disrespectful to the immortal master," and they must immediately prick their fingertip with a needle and drip blood onto the plate as an apology.
Do not look in the mirror until late at night for seven days after the event, otherwise you may see the true face of the "Panxian" in the mirror.
Legend has it that she was a woman with disheveled hair and a face covered in bruises.
In the milk tea shops and board game cafes around the university town, you can always hear girls gathering to discuss details such as "Ouija board spirits appearing" and "Ouija board spirits taking lives".
Some say they got into their dream school after consulting a "true immortal," while others cried and said they saw black blood dripping from the tip of a pen and have had nightmares every night ever since.
"You guys are really doing this?!" I raised my voice.
"Yeah, all the others played it except me. Now Mengmeng is in trouble, the one who drank milk tea!"
"Mengmeng?"
I frowned and tried to recall that slightly chubby girl who was holding a bubble tea cup and had her nails painted with fluorescent pink.
I asked her, "Why are you all playing this?"
"Well... young people these days face a lot of pressure!"
Xiaoyue rubbed the corner of her clothes, her plastic Crocs making a rustling sound as they rolled on the ground, the cartoon stickers on the shoes chipped off at the corners.
"She said the competition for postgraduate entrance exams is too fierce. People online say that Ouija boards can predict exam questions, and some people have even gotten into top universities like 985 through it!"
Xiaoyue also said that the Ouija board game was considered a "classic activity" in their dormitory.
Her roommate had played it several times before, but it was just the two girls playing.
After the dormitory lights were turned off, we lit a candle, moved the table in front of the wardrobe, and then started playing.
I do know that. Mirrors are considered yin, so blocking them with a wardrobe can "leave a way out."
This time, Mengmeng had an accident because she was playing with several people.
I thought that having many people around would give me courage, and since I was playing in a legitimate shop, nothing should happen.
So Mengmeng found a 'spiritual studio' next to the university town and spent 300 yuan to hire a professional team to set up an altar!
They even said the boss was dressed like a Taoist priest and had a certificate!
What is that?
There are even shops that specialize in playing with this kind of thing?
And a certificate?
Are you kidding me?
Who sent it?
Yuanshi Tianzun?
"Nonsense!"
I glared at them: "Where did you get this expertise? It's all crooked and shady stuff, using your lifespans to make money!"
Even if you don't see anything dirty, your luck will still drop. Only an idiot would play this game.
Xiaoyue's face turned deathly pale, and her lip gloss was smudged from biting it.
"Master, please don't scare me... Mengmeng has been restless ever since that time, and last night she had a high fever of 39 degrees Celsius. She said she saw a woman standing at the head of her bed in the middle of the night, wearing a red dress and with very long hair."
“My temperature wouldn’t come down even after going to the hospital, so I thought of you. But I didn’t have your contact information. I only remembered that you boarded the train at this station that day, so I came here to try my luck.”
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