Chapter 010: Drawing Talismans to Capture Ghosts

I could no longer bear to watch, turning my head away, feeling quite uneasy. Seeing the talismans drawn by this adept being so effective, it must indicate a high level of mastery in their craft. At this moment, it was certain that Xiao Lian's spirit was shattered. For some reason, I found myself feeling a bit sorry for Xiao Lian. Reflecting on the days I had encountered her, she had never harmed me. The act of killing Da Hei during the bloodbath was also a matter of necessity. As for the death of Liu Genggui, although the means were somewhat cruel, Liu Genggui had previously wronged Xiao Lian, so he brought it upon himself. For some reason, I found myself feeling a bit sorry for Xiao Lian. Reflecting on the days I had encountered her, she had never harmed me. The act of killing Da Hei during the bloodbath was also a matter of necessity. As for the death of Liu Genggui, although the means were somewhat cruel, Liu Genggui had previously wronged Xiao Lian, so he brought it upon himself.

Upon waking, it was already past 8 AM. For several consecutive days, I had been under significant mental strain, but last night I finally had a good sleep. The thing I am most concerned about now is whether Xiao Lian has returned. As I walked to her room and took a look, fortunately, she has not come back.

I hurriedly walked from the room to the courtyard, and now I am quite uneasy about this old fellow. He is so clumsy even when jumping out of a window; can he really be a match for Xiao Lian? If he cannot handle Xiao Lian tonight, then in a fit of anger, she will surely deal with both of us.

"Daoist, please come in and speak." I pulled him into the courtyard and whispered to him, "My mother is easily frightened, so let's be quiet. We mustn't wake her. If she wakes up and asks, you must absolutely not say that there is a female ghost in our house"

I shook my head and said, "No. Daoist, what do you need this for? Are you going to go back and make porridge to drink?"

The entire Helong Village is now engulfed in panic, with villagers discussing the mysterious death of Liu Genggui, claiming they have never seen such a manner of death. Some say it must be due to the misdeeds of Liu's ancestors, and that Liu Xicai is quite unkind despite his wealth; this is a divine retribution, and Liu Genggui's fate is a consequence of that.

I let him into the house and poured him a cup of hot water. The old man was not being polite; he picked it up and took a sip, then asked me, "Do you have any aged glutinous rice at home?"

Xiao Lian's figure twisted swiftly, desperately trying to evade the two beams of light, but it was too late. She was struck solidly, letting out a painful scream. This cry was entirely different from her usual melodious voice; the piercing sound was quite jarring to hear

The old priest was equally astonished at this scene and murmured to himself, "In my lifetime, I have subdued countless vengeful spirits, yet I have never encountered such a bizarre occurrence. It is truly incredible..." After saying this, he did not directly disperse Xiao Lian's soul, but instead lifted her from the ground and took her into the house

Only I know how Liu Genggui died, looking at the three talismans that the old priest posted in my home, I wish Xiaolian would stop coming back to find me, I am just a simple villager, unable to withstand her torment.

I spent this day in torment, and by the time the sun set, I was even more agitated. This is because it is highly likely that Xiao Lian will return tonight, and the old Taoist had also agreed with me before leaving that he would come tonight to subdue the vengeful spirit

The old man said nothing further, took out his special paper and brush, and focused on drawing several talismans on the kang. After finishing, he placed them in his bosom and quietly stayed in the room, observing the movements outside.

As time passes, marked by the clock and the ticking of the book, my heart is tormented. There is little entertainment in the mountain village, and people go to bed early. Now my mother has already fallen asleep. I am alone, hiding in the dark room, occasionally glancing out the window, uncertain whether tonight will bring fortune or misfortune

Old Lady Sun no longer comes out to tell ghost stories to everyone. Every time I see her, her pair of small yellow eyes is always fixed in the direction of my home. My intuition tells me that Old Lady Sun must know what is going on with Xiao Lian

At this time, Liu Xicai's family had already begun the funeral arrangements for Liu Genggui. Normally, the body should be kept for at least three days before the funeral, but due to a series of disturbances, Liu Xicai was already physically and mentally exhausted, only wishing for his son to be laid to rest as soon as possible. Early in the morning, he hired a small "Liberation" truck to transport Liu Genggui's body to the crematorium in the county for cremation

The old man smiled faintly and said, "Let us go inside and talk."

However, life is like this; most of the time, it goes against people's wishes. Around eleven o'clock at night, a tall and delicate-looking "girl" walked through the door, still wearing a pink top and blue jeans, moving as lightly as if her feet barely touched the ground. My heart tightened sharply upon seeing her; it was indeed Xiao Lian who had entered.

As soon as I heard it was indeed him, I felt considerably calmer. I opened the door and saw that the old Taoist was still dressed the same as last night, his tattered robe fluttering in the autumn wind.

It is I, the traveler who arrived yesterday

The moonlight outside is dim, and the autumn wind rustles. Occasionally, some twigs and leaves are stirred up, and now and then, the cries of wild cats can be heard, sending a chill down one's spine. Just as I huddle anxiously inside the house, I suddenly hear the sound of the front door being knocked on, "Bang... Bang bang bang..."

My heart suddenly leaped to my throat. Could it be that Xiao Lian has returned? Upon further reflection, that cannot be the case; Xiao Lian wouldn't need to use the main gate to enter the courtyard, she could simply fly in. It must be that old Taoist. With this thought, I gently pushed open the door and stepped into the courtyard, preparing to open the main gate.

When night fell, I locked the front door. I knew this was futile, but it provided me with some self-comfort. It was already 9 PM, and there was not a sound outside. I wondered if Xiao Lian had heard something and decided not to come back. That would be great; otherwise, if she returned and saw these talismans, she would surely treat me like a "big black" and draw my blood.

The old man’s expression darkened as he said, "You really think I’m a beggar. When that female ghost returns, the glutinous rice will come in handy. However, since there isn’t any, it’s fine. Do we have any black dog? When she comes back, we can use some black dog blood to deal with her."

One person and one ghost are having a lively fight in the courtyard. I am truly afraid that such intense combat will disturb the neighbors, and then my family in Helong Village will become famous. What I am most worried about now is my mother; if she wakes up and sees this scene, wouldn't she be terrified beyond measure

I wasn't particularly surprised when I heard that; Xiao Lian is indeed quite formidable, and I am well aware of this. Not to mention the ruthless methods she employed when dealing with Da Hei, the black insects in Liu Genggui's eyes were all raised by Xiao Lian

Who is it? I asked, rushing to the front door.

What! Upon hearing this, Lao Dao's expression immediately changed. He could no longer sit on the kang, so he stood up and walked back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, his demeanor very serious

Time passed second by second, yet Little Lian had not returned. I thought perhaps Little Lian, having practiced for many years, knew that it was dangerous to come back and would not return tonight. However, seeing the old Taoist prepared and confident, it seemed he was certain that Little Lian would return tonight. I silently prayed in my heart, hoping that Little Lian would not come back to find me again; if that were the case, it would be good for her and good for me.

Fortunately, the old Taoist was highly skilled in magic. Although Xiao Lian exerted all her strength, she was ultimately subdued by him. When the old Taoist affixed a newly written talisman to Xiao Lian's forehead, she collapsed to the ground, her body limp. Two streams of tears flowed from her bright, clear eyes, which made my heart ache.

She crouched down on the ground in pain, extending her hand to cover her back, which had been struck by the bright light, her pale face filled with sorrow. The two talismans continued to emit light, eventually forming a halo that enveloped Xiao Lian's entire body, rendering her unable to move.

I wondered what was wrong with the old Taoist. Why did he react so strongly upon hearing that Xiao Lian had killed the black dog? After a long wait, the old Taoist finally spoke: "This is not good. The female ghost that has come to your home is not even afraid of black dog blood. It seems she has cultivated to a certain level; she is a fierce ghost

The old Taoist, seeing that the time was right, swiftly leaped out of the window and jumped into the courtyard, his movements remarkably agile. However, the tattered Taoist robe he wore was excessively large and loose, causing him to knock a flower pot off my windowsill, which shattered with a loud crash. I cursed inwardly, thinking to myself, what are you pretending to be, old Taoist? Is it really that exhausting to walk through the door?

Just when I thought that Xiao Lian would surely be terrified, I suddenly heard a loud bang, which startled me. I opened my eyes to see that Xiao Lian had already broken free from the constraints of the light circle and was fighting with the old Taoist. The loud noise I heard earlier was the sound produced by their clash.

At this moment, the old Taoist had approached Xiao Lian and saw that she was trapped by a talisman, unable to move. The old Taoist sighed deeply and said, "You, female ghost, instead of properly reincarnating as a human, choose to harm others here. Your sins are profound, and I, a humble Taoist, cannot allow you to continue. I will now disperse your soul to prevent you from causing further harm to the world." As he spoke, the old Taoist extended two fingers to form a sword gesture, closed his eyes, and chanted incantations. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, shouted loudly, and pointed his two fingers at the crown of Xiao Lian's head.

I smiled and said, "Daoist, the black dog used to be here, but it was killed by that female ghost a couple of days ago. She bathed in its blood..."

As soon as the old Taoist saw Xiao Lian walk in, his pair of dark eyes immediately sparkled with brilliance, fixating intently on her. The moment Xiao Lian entered the door, she seemed to sense that something was amiss. Just as she was about to turn around and take a look, the talismans that the old Taoist had affixed to both sides of the door last night suddenly emitted two beams of lightning-like brightness, striking directly towards Xiao Lian.