First Encounters with the Otherworld

di Alexko KO (Autore)

Alexko KO, 2026

Ning Caichen is a disillusioned tax assessor who has lost faith in the world. Traveling to collect a debt, he takes shelter in a ruined temple in the Western Hills. There he meets a beautiful woman, Nie Xiaoqian, who plays the pipa with exquisite skill but hollow emotion. A keen observer of details, Ning notices inconsistencies in her story and deduces she is no ordinary woman—she is a ghost. Xiaoqian is bound to a demon, the Night Stalker, who uses her to lure travelers so he can feed on their life force. Her bones are buried beneath a red pillar in the temple, and the demon has controlled her for a century. Ning, trained in logic and geometry, refuses to flee. Instead, he analyzes the temple's architecture, identifying the keystone that, if collapsed, would sever the demon's tether to Xiaoqian. Together, they execute a daring plan. Xiaoqian returns to the demon, feigning submission, while Ning dislodges the keystone. The pillar shatters, the demon is sucked into the earth, and Xiaoqian is freed. But without an anchor, she begins to fade. Ning offers her a page torn from his copy of Euclid's Elements. This geometric proof becomes her new anchor, allowing her to remain visible and tangible. She transforms from a hollow specter into a tired, honest woman—the face she wore in life. The two become partners. Using her knowledge of corrupt officials and his skills as an assessor, they travel to Jinhua to confront a usurer who cheats the poor. With Xiaoqian's ghostly aid, Ning blackmails the usurer, recovers the debt, and frees an abused wife. Over time, a deep bond forms between the living man and the dead woman. She sustains herself through his memory and care. When Ning eventually grows old and dies, Xiaoqian stays by his side, and then continues to wander the world—waiting, remembering, and playing her pipa. The story reimagines the classic ghost romance as a tale of mutual redemption: a cynical scholar who learns to feel again, and a ghost who learns to love without manipulation. It blends horror, geometry, and quiet humanity into a haunting meditation on what it means to be truly seen.

• Autore: Alexko KO
• Anno edizione: 2026
• Editore: Alexko KO
• Formato: EPUB2 con DRMFREE
• Lingua: Inglese
• Compatibilità: Tutti i dispositivi (eccetto Kindle)
• Layout: Reflowable
• EAN: 9798233073465