Final answer:
Malevolent ghosts in Chinese religion are considered to be spirits displeased by neglect from the living, and Daoism introduced rituals to protect and cleanse believers from such entities.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Chinese religion, malevolent ghosts who haunt humans are often conceived of as spirits who are displeased or have been neglected by the living. Cultures like that of China, which practice filial piety, believe that proper treatment and offerings to ancestors are important to maintain harmony and to prevent these spirits from causing illness and suffering.
The Daoist tradition, in particular, introduced the notion of a heavenly bureaucracy that manages these spirits, and rituals such as the burning of confession slips were used to exorcise demons and cleanse sins, potentially quelling malevolent ghosts. This suggests that in Daoist belief, those adherents who conducted themselves properly and were protected by a register of spirit generals could avoid the hauntings of these malevolent entities.