The Pacification of Ghosts - Chapter Eight: Defeated at Slippery Formation, Meeting the God of Poverty

After transforming the Poor Ghost in Five-Li Village, Zhong Kui received urgent news of a strange military formation appearing near the village outskirts. Local militia who tried to investigate had been repelled by an invisible force that made them slip and fall repeatedly.

"It's called Liu Zi Zhen (溜子阵 - The Slippery Formation)," Han Yuan reported after questioning witnesses. "Anyone who enters loses their footing, both physically and metaphorically. Brave soldiers become cowards, wise men become fools."

Fu Qu scoffed, "A formation that makes people clumsy? That sounds more annoying than dangerous."

But Zhong Kui sensed something deeper. "This isn't just about physical slipping. It's about losing one's grip on certainty itself."

As they approached the formation, the very ground seemed to shift and flow like water. The air itself felt slick, making it hard to grasp weapons or maintain stance. Even thoughts became slippery—difficult to hold onto any single idea.

"This is... unsettling," Han Yuan admitted, struggling to maintain his usually sharp strategic thinking. "I know we came here for a reason, but I keep forgetting what it was."

The formation was maintained by Slippery Ghosts (滑鬼) who had mastered the art of evasion in life and perfected it in death. They appeared as constantly shifting shadows, impossible to focus on directly.

Zhong Kui's team tried various approaches:

• Direct assault: Their attacks slid off the ghosts like water
• Strategic planning: Plans became confused as soon as they were made
• Spiritual binding: The spells couldn't "grip" their targets

For the first time in their campaign, Zhong Kui faced complete failure. Every technique, every strategy simply slipped away. The team was forced to retreat, battered not by violence but by futility.

"How do we fight something we can't even properly perceive?" Fu Qu asked in frustration.

In their moment of defeat, an unexpected figure emerged—Qiong Shen (穷神 - The God of Poverty). Unlike the Poor Ghost they had just dealt with, this was an actual deity, ancient and powerful but deliberately humble.

The God of Poverty appeared as an elderly man in patched robes, carrying an empty bowl. Despite his shabby appearance, he radiated a strange dignity.

"Judge Zhong Kui," the god spoke with surprising authority, "you cannot defeat the Slippery Formation with force or cleverness. You're trying to grasp water with your fists."

"Then how?" Zhong Kui asked, setting aside pride to seek wisdom.

"By embracing poverty—not of wealth, but of certainty. The formation feeds on your need to be sure, to stand firm. What if you became deliberately uncertain?"

The God of Poverty explained his unexpected philosophy: "People think poverty is about lacking things, but true poverty is about lacking attachments. When you have nothing to lose, nothing can be taken. When you claim no ground, you cannot slip."

He demonstrated by walking straight through the Slippery Formation. The ghosts' power had no effect because he wasn't trying to maintain any position—physical, mental, or spiritual.

"You're too rich in certainty, Judge Zhong. Your divine authority, your righteousness, your mission—these are wealth that the formation exploits."

To pass through the formation, Zhong Kui had to temporarily abandon his divine authority and certainty. This was deeply uncomfortable for someone whose role was to be an absolute judge.

"I must become uncertain about justice?" Zhong Kui questioned.

"No," the God of Poverty corrected, "you must be uncertain about your monopoly on justice. Others might also be right. The ghosts might have valid grievances. Your way might not be the only way."

This was a profound challenge to everything Zhong Kui represented.

Following the God of Poverty's guidance, the team adopted a mindset of "productive uncertainty." Instead of trying to maintain firm footing, they flowed with the slipperiness. Instead of grasping for clarity, they embraced confusion as a temporary state.

Moving like water through water, they passed through the formation. The Slippery Ghosts were confused—their power worked by making the certain uncertain, but these intruders were already deliberately uncertain.

At the formation's center, they found the source: a Ghost of Doubt who had died never being sure of anything and now spread that uncertainty to others.

Rather than destroying the Ghost of Doubt, Zhong Kui recognized its value. "Doubt isn't evil—it's the beginning of wisdom. But paralytic doubt that prevents all action is harmful."

With the God of Poverty's help, they transformed the Slippery Formation from a trap into a training ground—a place where overly certain people could learn humility and flexibility.

The Ghost of Doubt agreed to serve as a teacher rather than a tormentor, helping people distinguish between healthy skepticism and destructive uncertainty.

As they departed, the God of Poverty offered a warning: "Your next challenge awaits at Peach Blossom Mountain—two brother ghosts who represent extremes of brotherhood, both toxic in their own ways."

Continue reading: Chapter Nine: Collecting Two Brothers at Peach Blossom Mountain