Chapter 9: The Old Turtle

A sudden coolness swept beneath my nose, and when I touched it with my hand, I found that I was bleeding from my nose. Upon seeing this, Su Qing hurriedly said to me: "Quick, plug your ears."

As the conversation continued, the surface of the water regained its calm, only to have a massive whirlpool form in the center of the pool, spinning rapidly. At that moment, the cries ceased and transformed into a piercing laughter. As the laughter echoed, many people began to bleed from their noses. Wu Bansian warned everyone to plug their ears, as being injured by this sound could be fatal.

The river is approximately seven to eight meters wide, with a deep pool located in the middle of the river. The water is clear, yet the pool appears pitch black. At this moment, bubbles are rising from the pool, and I unconsciously begin to step back. After staring at the water's surface for a while, I unexpectedly feel a sense of suffocation

Wu Bansian said in a deep voice: "The old turtle, also known as the 'Wang Ba', has likely already attained spiritual enlightenment, and there are many vengeful spirits assisting it. I have already wounded it, and it will surely seek revenge. Before it retaliates, it must be eliminated!"

After a moment, Wu Bansian stopped his actions, shook his head, and said to Grandma Liu, "This thing refuses to come out, Aunt Liu, let us work together to force it out!"

Speaking, Master Wu took out a piece of yellow talisman paper from https://wwwhetushu.com. With a casual flick, he recited a spell, and the yellow talisman ignited spontaneously. Then, Master Wu tossed the burning talisman into the water pool, quickly forming hand seals while chanting incantations. At that moment, the surface of the water began to boil. By the light of the torch, we saw bubbles rising from the water, as if something was about to emerge!

As soon as the voice fell, the laughter abruptly ceased, and the whirlpool also came to a stop. When the water surface returned to calm, a massive black object emerged from the depths. The object was enormous, covering the area of a room, and even before it fully surfaced, it already instilled a sense of oppression, causing my legs to begin shaking uncontrollably.

Grandmother pulled me back and told everyone to quickly leave the pond, as it was about to emerge

At that moment, a bright light appeared in the distance. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a multitude of torches. As they approached, I could see clearly that the entire village had come. They seemed to have heard that we were going to the deep water pool at night, and each one of them volunteered to bring weapons and rushed over. Among them, there were not many who could be of help; most just wanted to join in the excitement. However, they were unaware of the dangers lurking in the water pool, and if someone were to get hurt, it would not be a trivial matter.

Did you hear that? Someone is crying!" I perked up my ears and said to everyone

Upon careful consideration, Su Qing's analysis does hold some merit. After we returned, we did not engage in further conversation and promptly turned off the lights to sleep, waiting for dawn when Wu Bansian would invite the expert back to eliminate the threat

The crowd hurriedly thrust their torches into the ground, covering their ears just like I did. The laughter continued unabated, and Wu Bansian threw several yellow paper talismans into the vortex, bombarding the depths like torpedoes. However, it was futile; the vortex spun faster and faster, and the center had transformed into a black hole

After completing all of this, Master Wu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to us: "Everyone should go back now, and be sure not to approach this pond again. After returning, close the doors and windows tightly, and reduce outdoor activities after dark. If anything strange happens, come find me immediately. That's it, you may disperse now"

Grandmother exclaimed, saying: "I have long heard that the old turtle can cultivate and live for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, knowing the affairs of the past and present, it seems to be true. But why does this old turtle want to harm people? Could it be that the water spirit is in cahoots with it? Why did we not see the water spirit appear just now?"

Wu Bansian took the Buddhist beads from my hand with a swift motion, pressed his palms together, and recited an obscure and difficult incantation. He then cast the beads into the water pool. Instantly, golden light began to appear on the water's surface, accompanied by a series of wailing and howling cries that rose and fell. The river water started to boil again, and the black object sank down.

On the way, my grandmother said to me: "When I asked about rice, the one who conversed with me was likely the old turtle spirit from the pond. However, it mentioned that our family has a favor to him; what could this possibly mean?"

This is difficult to say; in any case, this thing is very sinister. If the master were still alive, perhaps there would be a way to eliminate it. As it stands, it is simply impossible for the two of us to handle it. Tomorrow, I will make a trip to the temple to seek assistance.

Wu Bansian handed me several sheets of yellow paper talismans and said, "That is not a human, be careful, I will find a way to draw it out!"

Grandmother took the yellow paper talisman, said no more words, and began to chant an incantation I could not understand alongside Wu Bansian, forming strange hand signs. After a moment, the water's surface became even more turbulent, resembling a pot of boiling water, continuously bubbling over. At this time, the cries from the water grew louder, becoming somewhat piercing.

Grandmother and Wu Bansian had already beads of sweat forming on their foreheads, yet they continued to chant the incantation, their cries growing louder. The leaves on both sides of the riverbank fell in succession, and the birds hidden in the trees were also startled, flapping their wings and flying into the night sky

Clearly, these villagers did not take Wu Banshen's words seriously. One by one, they patted their chests and claimed they would help us eliminate the threat, yet they did not even know what was in the pond. How could such a thing be dealt with by ordinary people

Upon seeing so many people arrive, Wu Bansian halted his actions, glared at everyone, and scolded, "Who allowed you to come here? Hurry back, this place is very sinister!"

This statement is not incorrect; I believe that any creature practicing against the natural order will face divine retribution. A creature like the turtle should live in the ocean; how could it be found in a small river? Its enormous size could dominate a part of the ocean, yet it confines itself to a waterhole, could it be merely to harm others? I expressed all these doubts in one breath, and my grandmother simply shook her head. Su Qing then shared her perspective. She believes that this old turtle spirit is cultivating against the natural order, capturing souls to extend its own lifespan, lurking in the deep waterhole to evade divine retribution. It controls ghosts to capture souls, but this is just the beginning; it is not too late to stop it now.

Grandmother frowned and said, "I don't know how to cooperate with you"

By the light of the fire on the shore, we can clearly see that something happened beneath the whirlpool. It is a smooth black object with cracks on its surface, which at first glance resembles an old turtle shell. Upon closer inspection, it truly is an old turtle shell

On the way back, I asked Wu Bansian, "What exactly is causing trouble in that water pool?"

It is very simple, just press your handprint with me and recite the incantation. The master should have taught you, right? Wu Bansian handed a few sheets of yellow talisman paper to my grandmother

Su Qing said to her grandmother: "Perhaps your ancestors have shown it kindness. Since this thing can live for millions of years and knows the affairs of the past and present, it should possess great spirituality and understand good and evil. However, it has engaged in such misdeeds. Even if we do not destroy it, heaven will not tolerate it!"

I busily covered my ears with my hands, yet the sound of crying could still be heard, and it was not just one person crying; it was a group of people, including men, women, and children, all crying very sorrowfully