Volume One, Chapter 25: The Little Devil of Thailand

In ancient times, gods, humans, and ghosts coexisted, and the world was plagued by rampant demons and spirits. Constant warfare between tribes left the people in dire straits. After Fuxi unified the tribes, he reached an agreement with the gods and ghosts to divide the world into the Celestial Realm, the Mortal Realm, and the Underworld, ensuring that gods and ghosts each kept to their designated domains. This brought new vitality to the Middle Kingdom.

At that time, several gateways between the three realms were established, known in Taoist lore as the "Return to Emptiness." The "Great Soy Vat" is one such gateway—a place where humans and ghosts intersect. The "Ghost-Killing Island" serves as the entrance to the Celestial Realm, while the Great Soy Vat acts as the gate to Hell. Not only humans, but even sentient animals cannot cross the Great Soy Vat. For an animal to pass, it must undergo arduous cultivation to lighten its soul; for a common person, crossing is impossible without resorting to crooked or sinister methods.

In recent years, many new species have appeared in the mountains. No one knows where they came from or where they are going, but they have disrupted the natural balance. Deer have begun to eat meat, wolf packs prey on each other, and the ecosystem of the forest has fallen into chaos. A few days ago, the immortals of Ghost-Killing Ridge performed a ritual to drive these mutated animals into the Great Soy Vat, forcing them into the cycle of reincarnation in Hell. Hell, naturally, resisted, releasing dozens of coffins to wreak havoc upon the human world. Those fierce ghosts have already crawled out of the Great Soy Vat, and there is no telling what atrocities they will commit.

At this point, the Tiger King interrupted the Fox Immortal, saying, "Everything in the world follows the cycle of cause and effect. Humans sow the seeds, and animals reap the consequences. It is all karma." The Tiger King’s words struck me as inexplicable; I felt that her true intention was not to speak of philosophy, but to silence the Fox Immortal. Indeed, the Fox Immortal fell silent.

The Taoist asked, "What about the monsters in the mountains?"

"We do not know; they just appeared," the Tiger King replied.

"Then why have all the immortals descended from the mountains today?"

"The horse-riding macaque is roaming the forests again. If we stayed, we would surely die."

The Taoist let out a long sigh and said nothing more. Since the evening is a time of low vital energy, and with two corpses still lying in the tavern, the Taoist told us to carry them out before midnight and cremate them the next day. In the pitch-black darkness, we were too afraid to venture far, so we simply stood at the doorway and tossed the bodies out.

In a daze, I saw the Tiger King staring blankly at the tiger head mounted above the door. Even with her spiritual cultivation, she could not suppress the ferocity in her eyes upon seeing the remains of her kin. I nudged the Taoist, signaling him to look at the tiger head. Without a word, he took it down and threw it outside with the bodies.

Deep in the night, the old hunter told us to rest while he kept watch. I could not fathom the Taoist's motives, but he insisted on staying up with the hunter. Lying on the heated brick bed, my mind raced. My master was right: sometimes, ghosts and demons are not the most terrifying things—it is the human heart that is truly frightening.

Unable to sleep, I got up to find my master. He was whispering to the old hunter. Seeing me approach, the Taoist asked, "Have you ever heard of a monkey that can ride a horse?"

I shook my head. "Circuses have them, but those are trained by humans, not wild macaques."

The old hunter added, "I once saw a great macaque. It was bigger than a black bear, covered in bulging muscle, and its face was so hideously ugly it would make a person weep with fear."

The Taoist continued, "I haven't seen one, but as a child, I heard they possess infinite strength—they can even rip the head off a black bear during a fight."

As the hunter and the Taoist speculated on the nature of these horse-riding macaques, a different possibility occurred to me: mutation. I asked, "Are the machines from the organ facility still there?"

"They are, they’re still humming," they replied.

"I haven't seen them, but someone in our village went to the hospital for an X-ray, and there was nothing left but bone—no flesh at all."

The Taoist slapped his thigh. "Could it be radiation?"

My understanding of radiation was limited to movies, and the old hunter didn't understand it at all. The Taoist tried to explain, and the hunter nodded as if he half-understood. After much discussion, we concluded that the machines used for organ harvesting had been damaged by the hunter, and the released radiation had caused the animals to mutate. This seemed the most logical explanation.

However, Hu Xiaozui poured cold water on our theory. Having woken up, she sat nearby, listening in silence. "Centuries ago, a headless ghost came to these mountains. In life, he was a general whose head was severed by an enemy to claim a reward. Lacking a head, the ghost roams the forests on a black horse."

I asked in confusion, "A headless ghost? What does that have to do with the great macaque?"

"I understand a bit about radiation, but I find it unlikely," she said. "I spend my days in meditation and rarely emerge, but ever since the horse-riding macaque appeared, the headless ghost has vanished."

The Taoist immediately asked, "Does the macaque come out during the day?"

"It does, which is why we say it isn't a ghost, but I feel it is connected to the headless ghost."

The Taoist shivered, his face pale with fear. "I know. I know what it is."

"What is it?" we asked in unison.

The Taoist explained, "That is no macaque. It is a human head—specifically, that of a child. In recent years, people seeking to improve their fortunes have imported 'little ghosts' from Southeast Asia. Some are made into *Kuman Thong* using children's ashes; others involve enshrining the actual corpses of children. These things are uncontrollable and rely on wicked paths. At first, the person uses the little ghost to change their luck, but eventually, they become the ghost’s puppet. It is highly likely that the child’s head has been grafted onto the body of the headless general."

Seeing my confusion, the Taoist explained *Kuman Thong*. Also known as the "Golden Boy" or "Buddha Child," the name sounds benign, but it is a sinister, occult practice. Originating in Thailand, it was supposedly meant to provide for orphaned children who died prematurely—an act of charity. Gradually, however, people began to use them for selfish, wicked ends, and the Golden Boy became the "little ghost" we know today.

Those who commit heinous acts and are abandoned by legitimate gods and spirits turn to raising little ghosts to achieve their dark desires. It is said many in the entertainment industry do this; they don't do it because the gods won't protect them, but because the righteous path requires effort and time. Little ghosts offer a shortcut to power and success.

The creation of a *Kuman Thong* involves using a child's ashes, grave soil, coffin nails, and corpse oil. In layman's terms, the corpse oil is mixed with grave soil to mold a small figure; the child's ashes are inserted into specific parts of the body; and the soul is sealed into the soil with coffin nails. After soaking in corpse oil and being consecrated by a sorcerer, the *Kuman Thong* is formed. Throughout the entire process, it must never be touched by direct sunlight.