Master Bai

Master Bai is an elderly local guide whose knowledge of Coffin Village helps Chen Ge's group enter the isolated settlement and survive its taboos.

Biography

Narrative role

Master Bai initially warns Chen Ge away from Coffin Village because he understands the danger surrounding it. When the rescue cannot be abandoned, however, he accompanies Chen, Ol' Wei, and the others rather than leaving outsiders to face the village alone. He interprets local customs, reads ominous changes in the settlement, and repeatedly advises the group on conduct that might keep hostile residents and spirits at bay. (Chapters 287–298)

Inside the village, Master Bai's fear is matched by responsibility. He helps the expedition navigate paper villagers, coffins, ancestral practices, and the Ghost Stories Society's interference, remaining useful even when events exceed the limits of ordinary folklore. His guidance contributes to the group's ability to reach the endangered villagers and escape alive. (Chapters 299–327)

Appearance and personality

Master Bai is an older man with the bearing of someone accustomed to rural dangers and inherited customs. He is cautious, gruff, and openly fearful when the signs warrant it, yet his concern for others keeps him from using fear as an excuse to withdraw. (Chapters 287–298)

Skills and supernatural abilities

He knows Coffin Village's routes, funeral customs, behavioral taboos, and warning signs. This expertise makes him a capable guide and survival adviser, but the story does not establish an innate supernatural power or formal spectral rank for him. (Chapters 287–327)

Relationships

Chen Ge relies on Master Bai's local knowledge during the rescue, while Ol' Wei shares the expedition's protective responsibilities. Master Bai's connection to Lin Guan and familiarity with Jiang Ling's village give the outsiders their essential human link to the area. (Chapters 287–327)

Items

Master Bai uses ordinary village and travel supplies during the expedition, but no named personal artifact or supernatural item is consistently assigned to him. (Chapters 287–327)