A ten-year haunting mystery in Guangxi City, China, has been solved by two ghost-busting brothers and a crowbar.

The pair couldn’t pass on the distressed price of a five-story building with a long reputation for ghosts. A series of owners had been driven out of the structure by strange midnight banging noises which neighbors attributed to restless spirits.

The decade-long haunting drove the building’s price down to an irresistible $6,500. After picking up the keys, the Chan brothers set out to investigate what natural causes could be responsible for the late-night disturbances.

Visits during the day were fruitless. But at night, the muffled banging was clearly evident — particularly on the lower levels. It was loudest in the first story bathroom. Interestingly, the sounds went away when they pounded on the floor.

So here’s where the brothers reached into their ghostbuster kit for a stout crowbar. After prying up the floor, they discovered a septic tank. Bracing themselves for the stench, they lifted off its cover. Down in the muck, something moved.

One dip net later, they hauled in a pair of 10-pound catfish and eight smaller fry: their offspring. The haunting was over.

Turns out that a previous owner had brought a bucketful of live catfish into the bathroom for cleaning. Somehow, two managed to flop loose and make their escape down the toilet. And there they stayed, flourishing in the septic tank and raising a small family. They were most active at night, the sounds of their splashing and banging amplified through the building’s plumbing.

Questions of ghosts settled, the Chan’s building has appreciated dramatically. It’s now valued at over $135,000 — not a bad premium of a single night of stinky work.

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Link: SINA.com (via Weird Asia News)