Chapter 10, Casting Spells

The son is the apple of his mother's eye. Upon hearing my pitiful cries at the door, the mother could not help but move, her body instinctively wanting to rush in. However, my father and the middle-aged Taoist quickly reached out to hold her back, while the old Taoist in the room made no move, simply standing in front of me and quietly observing everything.

The most peculiar aspect is that, under the yellow glow of the jade pendant, the eight talismans that were originally lying quietly on the ground seemed to come to life, slowly floating up. The talismans that formed the Bagua diagram gently drifted to the ceiling, enveloping the entire room from above, with the talismans on the ceiling and the jade pendant on the table leaving no corner of the room untouched.

This is a formation. Although the middle-aged Taoist does not understand the techniques, he has read Taoist scriptures for several years and can immediately recognize that the old Taoist is setting up a formation. However, he does not know the name or purpose of this formation

The old Taoist priest donned a brand new robe, holding a black sword in his hand. He was no longer the disheveled and shabby figure from earlier; instead, he appeared radiant, seemingly rejuvenated by several decades. The entire person looked somewhat blurred, giving an impression of unreality.

Drawing talismans and arranging formations are both essential skills that a true Taoist must master. Today, the old Taoist is setting up a Soul Locking Formation, which is designed to trap all vengeful spirits and malevolent ghosts, confining them within the formation to prevent their escape

In the room, there was originally only one lamp, but at that moment, the flame flickered in the wind, appearing as if it was about to extinguish. This made the dilapidated thatched cottage seem even more eerie and mysterious. The figures of the old Taoist priest and myself became increasingly blurred. My father at the door broke out in a cold sweat, swallowing hard to suppress his fear. At that moment, my mother also trembled as she reached out her hand to grasp my father's. The two exchanged a glance, both with pale faces. They could never have imagined witnessing such a scene, leaving them so shocked that they did not know what to say.

The old Taoist priest scattered the beans, waved his hand at his parents to signal them to move further away, and then turned to light three incense sticks, placing them in the incense altar before him. Next, he pulled on a brand new Taoist robe and took down a dark black sword from the wall. The sword was entirely black, emitting a strange luster, making it impossible to discern its material. On both sides of the blade, there were seven points of yellow light, forming the shape of the Big Dipper.

Having prepared the talisman paper, the old master waited for it to dry. He then took the talisman paper, which had been infused with his blood, and affixed it to my chest. Immediately afterward, he held a sword in his right hand, formed a seal with his left hand, and began to walk in strange steps around the table on which I lay, circling it repeatedly.

In just a moment, the old Taoist stopped his muttering, and his tightly closed eyes suddenly opened wide. At the instant he opened his eyes, his entire presence erupted with an overwhelming force, causing those nearby to avert their gaze. Immediately afterward, the Taoist raised his hands at an astonishing speed to form a hand seal.

After the old Taoist priest arranged the talisman paper, he turned around and picked up a handful of copper coins. After a moment's thought, he set them down and instead picked up a round yellow jade pendant that was beside him

However, what shocked them even more was yet to come. The gust of wind in the room, which had just begun, suddenly became calm. Strangely, such a strong wind did not stir the talisman papers on the ground in the slightest. As the old man ceased his incantation, the yellow jade pendant that had been quietly placed beside me emitted a faint yellow glow. The air in the entire room grew increasingly thick, making it feel laborious to breathe, as if this room were an independent, sealed space where not even air could penetrate or escape. The yellow jade pendant that had been quietly placed beside me emitted a faint yellow glow, and the air in the entire room grew increasingly thick, making it feel laborious to breathe, as if this room were an independent, sealed space where not even air could penetrate or escape.

It was at that moment when a chilling wind, seemingly emanating from the depths of the underworld, began to blow that I, who had been quietly lying on the table, suddenly started to tremble all over. Following that, my limbs became rigid and continued to shake uncontrollably, appearing to be in great pain. Then I opened my mouth and let out a loud scream

The old priest placed the yellow paper on the table, bit through the tip of his right index finger, and fresh red blood flowed from the wound. Immediately afterward, he began to draw symbols on the yellow paper using the blood from his finger

Despite the formation of such a grand array, there was not a trace of fatigue on his face. His eyes sparkled with vitality, and his expression was calm, as if this soul-locking array was merely child's play to him

The handprint is exceedingly intricate, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to distinguish which finger is which. The fingers are intertwined in a manner that forms an extremely complex and bizarre pattern

Taoism generally involves driving away, persuading, and pacifying ghosts, but it does not easily annihilate them, as spirits are the essence of humanity and can be reincarnated. The scattering of the soul is the most tragic event for a person; directly causing someone to be scattered is the greatest sin, contrary to the harmony of heaven. Typically, the approach is to persuade ghosts to reincarnate. Only when encountering truly malevolent spirits do Taoists resort to lethal measures, causing them to be directly scattered and eliminated from the three realms and five elements. Directly causing someone to be scattered is the greatest sin, contrary to the harmony of heaven. Generally, the approach is to persuade ghosts to reincarnate. Only when encountering truly malevolent spirits do Taoists resort to lethal measures, causing them to be directly scattered and eliminated from the three realms and five elements.

Immediately, he extended both hands, interlocking his fingers to form a spell. With a loud shout in the air, he commanded: "Go!" As he shouted, both hands pointed towards my chest. At that moment, the old Taoist's brow was tightly furrowed, and his expression was grave, as if he were at a critical juncture in his incantation. Seeing this situation, the three people at the door were so frightened that they did not dare to breathe, merely staring intently at the changes occurring inside the room

Generally, Taoists believe that a person's main soul resides in the Niwan Palace located at the crown of the head. The soul and spirit of a person also exit through this Niwan Palace. After death, the soul and spirit leave from this place. If this area is invaded by malevolent entities, the person is rendered incapacitated.

The strange changes in the room left the parents at the door dumbfounded, their jaws nearly dropping to the ground. Even the middle-aged Taoist was wide-eyed in shock, unable to fathom that this peculiar old Taoist living in the back mountain possessed such miraculous abilities

Immediately, a faint white light silently floated out from the location of my Baihui point, which is situated at the top center of the head. In newborns, the Baihui point is quite thin; sometimes, one can even see it pulsating as if it has no bones. This area is indeed the most vital gateway to life for a person

However, this formation is a dead formation, because any formation requires a focal point. Without a focal point, this formation cannot be considered a truly active formation

The parents and the middle-aged Taoist could not discern what kind of talisman he was drawing. However, seeing the old Taoist's furrowed brow and serious expression, they understood that this talisman must be of utmost importance

Strange occurrences followed closely after the old priest's incantation. He gestured with both hands, and suddenly, a fierce wind swept through the previously calm room. The source of the wind was unknown, yet it inexplicably darkened the room, bringing with it a chilling and bone-piercing cold. The parents at the door and the middle-aged priest involuntarily shivered as the wind blew through, its malevolence so intense that it felt as if it had come straight from the underworld.

The cries ceased, and I, who had been tense and trembling, gradually became quiet. The wind in the room also came to a halt, yet the gaze within the room remained blurred, and the air was terrifyingly thick.

The phrase "saying goodbye" seems somewhat inappropriate, as the old Taoist's steps resemble those of a drunken person dancing, swaying unsteadily yet maintaining a firm footing. As he moves, he continuously chants incantations, the content of which is incomprehensible to the parents at the door and the middle-aged Taoist. While circling around me, the old Taoist holds the sword aloft with his right hand, while his left hand is raised to his chest, fingers interlaced and constantly shifting into various forms. The content of his chanting remains unintelligible to the parents at the door and the middle-aged Taoist. As he circles around me, the old Taoist holds the sword aloft with his right hand, while his left hand is raised to his chest, fingers interlaced and constantly shifting into various forms.

This loud shout was not a sound that a human could produce; the voice was piercing and hoarse, with a somewhat sharp, feminine quality, filled with a haunting sorrow, akin to the wails of vengeful spirits. It struck the listener's eardrums like a needle, and this sound seemed to possess a certain magic, causing those who heard it to feel a pang in their hearts, nearly bringing them to tears.

Initially, the vengeful spirit of Zhao Xiaoruo entered my body through my Niwan Palace, so the purpose of this old Taoist's ritual is to force out Zhao Xiaoruo, who is hiding in my Niwan Palace

Father's lips moved, wanting to say something to comfort Mother, but before he could speak, a sound from the room startled him so much that he nearly jumped up, the hairs on his back stood on end, and he broke out in goosebumps

At this moment, the old man took out a piece of talisman paper, but this piece of paper was not like the talisman paper floating in the air; rather, it was a clean, ordinary yellow paper without any drawings.

As he shouted throughout his life, the crowd outside felt as if a sudden whirlwind had arisen in the originally tranquil room. The old man raised his arms, standing in the room, as the wind stirred his garments, creating a sense of disorientation and profound mystery, as if this ordinary thatched cottage had instantaneously transformed into a realm of its own, no longer connected to the mundane world.

The old Taoist priest circled around me, moving faster and faster, until all I could see was a blur of his figure. Just as my father at the door was about to be dazzled by the sight and the books, the old man suddenly stopped, standing directly in front of me. He extended his right hand forward, then quickly retracted it, pressing it tightly against his left hand. The black sword that had originally been in his right hand seemed to defy gravity, hovering above my body.

The jade pendant on the table initially emitted a faint yellow light, which appeared extremely gentle and provided a very comfortable feeling. However, it soon became increasingly bright, until the yellow glow from the pendant enveloped the entire room

The old man casually picked up a stack of talisman papers he had just drawn on the table and arranged them one by one around the yellow beans he had just scattered. The yellow beans formed a circular shape, and the eight talisman papers were placed around the perimeter of the beans. From the doorway, the father looked in and saw that the arrangement of the talisman papers perfectly resembled a Bagua pattern

With his hand gestures properly positioned, the old Taoist chanted a few incantations under his breath. He then raised his hands, still forming the ritual gestures, and shouted loudly: Rise!

The old man holding the jade pendant walked to the center of the formation, which was right in front of the table where I lay, placing the jade beside me. He then closed his eyes, muttering something under his breath, while the three people at the door observed his figure becoming increasingly indistinct, as if he could vanish with the wind at any moment

"What is Daoist doing?" the father asked the middle-aged Daoist beside him with some curiosity

The talisman papers floated into the air, completing the soul-locking formation. The old Taoist priest appeared ethereal in the yellow light emitted by the jade pendant on the table, resembling an immortal.

Copper coins and jade are often used as ritual implements in Taoism. The reason this old Taoist ultimately abandoned the copper coins and used jade as the focal point of the formation is that the nature of jade is much gentler compared to that of copper coins, resulting in a significantly lower lethality against ghosts and spirits. This is because copper coins are currency of the mortal realm, having passed through countless hands, and are thus heavily infused with yang energy.