Chapter 6: Take Action
Of course, this must exclude the intestines dragging on the ground and the internal organs faintly protruding from the abdominal cavity
When dealing with a corpse possessed by a malevolent spirit, one must not act recklessly. It is essential to first confine the spirit within the body, and only then can other methods be employed to resolve the issue.
If someone counts carefully, they will definitely find that there are a total of 49 incense sticks, each spaced evenly apart, perfectly encircling Luo Dahai.
The five major schools taught by the old master seem to differ from the other five major schools of Xiangxi
Zhang Liguo and Zhou Yang just wanted to stop me, but I shook my head to signal them to wait.
"Can a corpse still speak... Is this a case of resurrection...?" Zhou Yan is still showing off his knowledge, truly believing that reality is the same as in the movies
At this moment, I cannot afford to be soft-hearted; if I let my guard down, all my previous efforts may go to waste
"Come and take my life!" Luo Dahai continued to roar, his face contorted with rage, quite terrifying. If it weren't for Zhang Liguo still beating the gong, he would probably have rushed over to confront me.
The Chen Zhou talisman is also the same size as Taoist talismans, but the talismans taught to me by the old master are quite different; the largest talismans measure three feet three inches in size
I struck the gong and shouted: "You ancestral spirit of the fraud! This is clearly possessed by an evil spirit!"
"Take the dagger off my waist, quickly," I said. Zhang Liguo nodded, reached out, and drew the dagger from my waist.
At this point, are you still trying to scare me? It seems I really need to serve you some proper dishes to try
As the conversation came to a close, I raised my head and found myself nearly face to face with Luo Dahai
Upon hearing what I said, without a moment's hesitation, he opened his mouth and shouted: "Luo Dahai is a grandson! ! !"
Although my mind is in chaos, the remaining rationality tells me that if I do not strike the auspicious gong now, in one minute I will surely have to join the old man.
There are two reasons for Zhou Yan to say this. First, I cannot ascertain whether this evil spirit is Luo Dahai or the ghost that caused his death. Second... well... to divert the evil spirit's target of hatred...
The sun and moon shine brightly, directly reaching the underworld; the ancestral master bestows the law, eradicating evil hearts. Those who haunt the mortal realm have nowhere to hide; malevolent spirits and demons are annihilated and extinguished.
Apart from the spells taught to me by the old master, it seems that in all of China, the only ones that can rival the size of Taoist talismans are the rare incantations found in the southwestern region.
Do not come over; it is sufficient for me to be here
Luo Dahai seems to be very afraid of the sound of the joy gong; whenever I strike the gong, he inevitably stands at the door of the study without taking another step.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
I placed the talisman paper on the ground, took out a large handful of incense sticks, and respectfully knelt before the talisman paper, reciting softly.
Thank you, I confirmed it through your words. I set the signing pen aside and carefully tore off the part with the talisman drawn on it, thus completing a three-foot-long rectangular talisman.
There is always a way out for those in despair, or should we be grateful that Luo Dahai showed mercy?
Three feet is equivalent to one meter, so one can imagine how large that talisman is
Luo Dahai merely took a few steps back, and now he has returned to normal, charging at me while roaring incessantly. The expression on his face has changed; it is not filled with anger, but rather with a sense of resentment
I gritted my teeth and shot a glance at Luo Dahai, my anger flaring up intensely.
The handover of work went exceptionally smoothly. After Zhang Liguo helped me untie the rope that was securing the God of Joy gong around my waist, he took the gong with astonishing speed and began to strike it with all his might.
Perhaps it was the anger from my ambush that made the sound of the gong from the auspicious deity more deafening than usual, even startling Zhou Yan and the others.
At this moment, Luo Dahai no longer exudes the previous aura of authority; his face, once filled with resentment, has now transformed into one of pain. He stands merely three steps away from me, yet he is utterly unable to make a move, instead clutching his head tightly and trembling in place.
As I placed down the last incense stick, Luo Dahai suddenly let out a loud howl, startling me so much that I shivered, and my calves went weak, nearly causing me to sit down on the ground
"It is angry," I replied simply. "It harbors resentment and anger; it needs to vent, and isn't this venting happening right now?"
As the roar fell, the dagger in my hand plunged fiercely into the top of the talisman, instantly piercing it through, with the tip of the blade embedded half an inch deep into the ground
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan furrowed his brows, clearly beginning to ponder who the evil spirit within Luo Dahai was.
"You come and strike the gong, remember not to stop, the rest is up to me." I also became fierce and said to Zhang Liguo: "You take the dagger and cut your index finger to draw some blood, remember, both sides of the dagger must be smeared, then throw the dagger on the ground, and we will make the handover."
Hearing this sound, Luo Dahai's body trembled, and he suddenly turned his head towards Zhou Yan and Zhang Liguo, staring at them fiercely and roaring: "Come and take my life!"
As expected, seeing that I did not move, Luo Dahai's expression turned sinister again: "Die! I want you dead!"
"Uncle Zhang! It's Zhou! Hurry over!" I shouted, and Zhou Yan along with Zhang Liguo did not dare to delay, quickly running to stand behind me, seemingly frightened as well.
"Wood, why do you call Uncle Zhang to cut your hand?" Zhou's curiosity seems to flare up anytime and anywhere, which is also one of the reasons I often want to hit him
Zhou Yan cautiously looked at Luo Dahai and asked, "Why does he always say this one sentence?"
As the saying goes, a cornered dog will jump over the wall, a frightened rabbit will bite, and when a person is in a desperate situation, it is truly the time to unleash their potential
I continued to draw the symbols without lifting my head: "It is estimated that it is, but it may not be certain; it could be that the evil spirit that killed him has invaded his body."
It can be seen that the spells taught to me by the old gentleman are not necessarily from the five major schools of Xiangxi; I suspect that they are indeed something passed down in his family
The charms used in the Xiangxi region are mostly from the Chenzhou style, while the charms that the old master taught me to draw... how should I put it...
At this moment, Zhou Yan and the others noticed a strange phenomenon. While I was reciting the incantation, Luo Dahai trembled incessantly in place as if he were on drugs, no longer shouting for his life, but merely shivering uncontrollably
His hands were gripping my neck, while my hands were quite free, allowing me to strike the lucky gong hanging at my waist
Zhang Liguo remained relatively calm, glancing back in fear at Luo Dahai, who was standing at a distance and glaring fiercely at us. He quietly asked me, "How do we deal with him?"
It seems my previous conjecture was correct; the entity within him is indeed a malevolent spirit
Let me put it this way: the common Taoist talismans are typically made on paper that is no more than one and a half feet in size. The talismans used by Lin Zhengying in the movies fall within the realm of Taoism
In ancient times, the divine physician would use reeds as a mat and straw as a dog. When a person fell ill and sought medical help, they would face north and chant incantations, and in ten words, they would be healed. This is the origin of the ancient shamanic practices.
Is this ghost Luo Dahai? Zhou Yan asked
Before they could regain their senses, I had already stood up, holding the talisman paper and incense, and walked a short distance in front of Luo Dahai.
At the moment Luo Dahai released his grip, I also collapsed onto the ground, covering my mouth and coughing incessantly. My face had already turned a shade of blue and purple due to lack of oxygen. It was then that I truly understood how vital air is to a person
Even if this ancestor is temporarily trapped and unable to move, do you dare to say that when entangled face to face with him, you feel not the slightest fear in your heart
He does not look like a dead person at all; rather, he resembles a living person.
Do not think that this auspicious gong can handle Luo Dahai; if you want to deal with this life-threatening ancestor, you must be willing to risk your life just like him
The heavens are clear, the earth is spiritual, with one finger binding the talisman, another finger breaking the heart, three fingers at the ghost gate locking the divine, four fingers trapping the evil spirits in this hall, I serve the ancestral master, urgent as the law commands
Coughing, I looked up for a moment, and my heart sank.
If the evil spirit is entirely focused on me, it would not be easy for me to exert my abilities
As I recited, I placed the talisman paper on the ground, while slightly crouching, my hands tightly gripping the dark bronze dagger
This passage is a record of the art of incantation as found in ancient texts. The art of incantation, also known as the science of incantation, primarily focuses on healing techniques. The talismans used can vary in size, with the largest incantation talisman I have heard of measuring no more than 2.2 feet, which is 1.1 feet smaller than the talismans taught to me by my elder.
I know I was wrong! Please forgive me!" Luo Dahai shouted hoarsely, his tone filled with pleading.
Ghosts are truly unreasonable, taking lives? Do I owe you something? You want to strangle me the moment you make a move?
Zhou Yan, one might say, is charmingly naive; on the other hand, one could also describe him as someone lacking a certain sharpness of mind
When the living room was in disarray, I seized the swaying God of Fortune gong and struck it fiercely with the wooden mallet
The auspicious gong not only serves the purpose of driving away corpses but also possesses the efficacy of warding off evil spirits. Although its ability to repel evil is not particularly strong compared to other methods, it is still sufficient to intimidate a recently deceased soul like Luo Dahai, preventing him from recklessly coming to confront me.
I certainly do not possess the ability to see spirits; if that ghost were to escape, it would truly be a wild goose chase. Where would I even begin to look for it?
I placed the incense head facing Luo Dahai, while the tail was directed outside, and I circled around Luo Dahai, arranging a circle of tribute incense.
Do you want to play with me? I cast a fierce glance at Luo Dahai, took out an ordinary ballpoint pen from my jacket pocket, and began to scribble on the yellow paper.
"It's nothing, just a special ritual." I replied dismissively, suppressing the thought in my mind that "I am afraid of pain, so I let him do the cutting for me."
I silently picked up the dagger from the ground, quietly walked to the side, opened my backpack, and took out a square piece of yellow paper, approximately one square meter in size
Clang! Clang! Clang! I am striking the joyous gong with all my might, not daring to show any sign of pause, fearing that this Luo Dahai might come over and challenge me to a duel
A life-threatening ancestor is trembling right in front of you; how can you not be afraid
I shook my head, suppressing the fear within me, squatting on the ground, placing the incense sticks one by one on the floor
I obey the command of the ancestral master with utmost urgency
Before Zhou Yan and the others could react, I suddenly heard Luo Dahai behind me let out a piercing scream. He tightened his grip on my hands but then released them, retreating frantically.
Zhang Liguo did not think much and simply followed through. He was not foolish; he just lightly made a small cut on his finger and repeatedly smeared the blood on the blade of the dagger.
"Why not just ask him?" I said with a chuckle, my eyes darting as I refrained from letting Zhou Yan see the mischievous smile on my face. "Just shout 'Luo Dahai is a grandson' and see if he reacts."