Strange Tales Report
Mu Xi Niang
1 In 2045, supernatural tales descended upon the world, and humanity learned to coexist with them. The World Religious Congress, held every four years, replaced the World Cup as the globe’s most anticipated grand event. With two years left until the opening ceremony of the 6th Tibetan World Religious Congress, regional religious competitions had already escalated into a feverish preliminary phase. The media erupted, the masses grew fanatical, and the spotlight centered on the star teams. In stark contrast were the play-offs, featuring a motley crew of mentally unstable fringe sects, their skill levels wildly uneven. Hungry for clout, they pulled outrageous stunts, earning infamy as their livestreams seethed with more malice than ghosts. Then, during a randomly featured community-friendly match, a newbie accidentally stumbled on camera and quipped: "My eyes are blind." Weak, helpless, and utterly pitiable. New script? Got it. The horde of internet trolls smirked, fingers flying across keyboards, launching another mundane round of cyberbullying against amateur cultists. The next moment—bread crumbs, jump scares, deep terror, negative space… countless horror techniques unfolded in a relentless crescendo, delivering audiences a top-tier spectacle and an outlet for life’s pent-up frustrations. And thus, the gears of fate began to turn... Post-match interviews with veteran fans (tearfully emotional): “My whole family adored that damn bastard. Brilliant, exceptional, the man I most wanted to ruin in my powerless youth. Worth every second of the obsession.” 2 Gu Zhuojiu, director of a mortuary, was tasked with retrieving the bizarrely disfigured corpse of a woman. Broke and resourceful, he opted to carry the body on foot—only to be shoved onto a subway by a gang of fixie riders late at night. Ding dong! The announcement blared— “Passengers, please abide by the Five Riding Rules of Liuxian Metro Line 5.”