Chapter 3, Bone Divination

After about ten minutes, everyone had finished packing and placed their luggage onto the tractor, then gathered together. Daba stood up, holding a wooden piece in his hand, eyes closed, murmuring incantations. The chubby man quietly approached me, lowered his head, and said: "Daba is chanting a spell. This is called wooden piece divination; the wooden pieces he is holding have all been enchanted. There are both new and old pieces, and each piece has been cut to reveal a new side. After he finishes chanting, he will throw the wooden pieces. If more of the new sides are facing up, it is an auspicious sign; otherwise, it is an ominous sign."

I yawned, and since I couldn't understand what Daba was saying anyway, I simply turned my head to look at the villagers around me. To my surprise, the villagers who had been quite enthusiastic towards me just a few days ago, offering drinks and dancing, now seemed to have made a complete turnaround in their attitude.

Consider it as a debt we owe you. Once I return to Shanghai, I will find a way to get you another pair.

I suddenly came to a realization when I heard Fatty Cui mention the female ghost. The fear that had already diminished surged back into my heart. At that moment, I lowered my head and thought that this charlatan still didn't know how to handle the situation. Given my temperament, it was impossible for me to casually discard the charlatan; who knows if the female ghost inside would come out. For a moment, I was at a loss, only calculating that once I returned to Shanghai, I would go to a Buddhist temple to see if there was a way to eliminate this karmic obstacle

I am completely ignorant about the matters of the Daba religion, and the fat man did not have the time to explain it to me before hurriedly walking away. The few of us could only wait by the tractor, and this wait lasted nearly an hour, while the divination location had moved to Daba's house.

After a short while, several villagers came out carrying a large offering tray. Daba had changed into a more formal outfit. In one hand, he held a large piece of animal bone, and in the other, he grasped a bundle of what appeared to be fluffy grass. He approached the large offering tray, first placing the animal bone on it, then bowing several times in all directions, before beginning to chant incantations. At this moment, Fat Cui retreated to my side. Without him as a translator and an expert in Daba teachings, I truly felt lost regarding the situation before me.

While I was lost in thought, Cui Pangzi spoke up again: "In a little while, the villagers will be heading to the town for the market, and they can give us a ride for part of the way"

I took the amulet from his hand and tucked it into my bosom. Half an hour later, with a sense of unease, everyone boarded the tractor and left the village. As we were leaving, I turned back to glance at the Mosuo village, which, amidst the swirling clouds and mist, appeared like a wondrous fairyland, untouched by dust

The fat man's face suddenly turned pale, and he, along with me and several other researchers, had ashen expressions. We had all experienced the encounter with the female ghost last night, and everyone had witnessed Daba's methods. The divination results were unexpectedly ominous, something no one had anticipated, yet no one dared to disbelieve it

The fat man briefly explained, and I nodded repeatedly. At that moment, Daba had already straightened up. I took a moment to glance over and saw that the dark, charred area indeed had cracks appearing, but the majority of them were directed downward, and the cracks were long and prominent

No way ... ...

I whispered softly. Unable to help myself, I swallowed hard. At that moment, Daba stepped forward and began picking up the wooden pieces from the ground one by one. The fat man hurriedly approached to negotiate, and from a distance, I saw Daba's head shaking like a rattle drum, his expression quite serious.

"The Daba religion worships gods," the fat man said softly

Beast bone

I asked curiously

Fatty, what is this for

Cui Pangzi finished speaking and went to greet everyone. I walked towards Daba, only to see him sitting at the entrance wearing his wide-brimmed hat, smoking a cigarette. A knife about one meter long hung at his waist, but he held a few wooden pieces in his right hand. Upon seeing me from a distance, his gaze was sharp as a knife, and he gave me a slight nod without saying a word

Cui Pangzi seemed to understand something, he tapped the divining rod at my waist and whispered, "This rod at your waist is a magical tool used by the Daba sect to subdue ghosts. Daba has locked that female ghost within this rod, in other words, at this very moment, this rod is equivalent to the female ghost. It is no wonder that others would be afraid of you carrying a female ghost with you."

The fat man's sunglasses were brought over from Europe by his uncle, and at that time, he was quite proud of them. This guy wore them and showed off to us for quite a while. He cherished them very much, but unexpectedly today he exchanged these sunglasses for ten amulets

The amulet given by Daba, he said that wearing the amulet might ensure safety. However, this item is not cheap, so I left behind those sunglasses

I am very angry

From the outside, Daba's house looks no different from those of ordinary Mosuo people, but the interior is vastly different. The walls are adorned with the sun and moon flags, and the table is cluttered with a variety of items such as cow horns, sheep heads, and bells. Cui Fatty did not allow me to enter, so I could only stand at the door and peek inside. I could vaguely see a number of wooden sticks in the corner that resembled the divination stick at my waist.

"Can this divination be trusted, Fatty?"

The fat man and Daba talked for quite a while before coming back. Upon seeing me, he said: "Daba said that the wooden divination indicated that something would definitely happen on our way back. I asked him to perform the divination again. He said he could help us use animal bones for divination in a moment, which would be much more accurate"

Before leaving, Daba mentioned that he could perform a divination for us. The divination taught by Daba is quite effective, and opportunities to experience it are rare. Several researchers are very interested. You should come and take a look as well

As he spoke, he pointed to two tractors in the distance, each pulling two enormous iron frames, with wheels tied beneath them. At that time, the countryside had only ox carts and tractors, and the sight of a car would excite people for quite a while.

Early in the morning, it was still a bit cold. I groggily opened my eyes and crawled out of the tent. However, the village was already bustling with activity. Daba stood at the entrance of the village and, upon seeing Fat Cui walk by, began to speak a few words.

I felt something was amiss in my heart, and when Fatty Cui walked over, I couldn't help but ask, "Fatty, what happened to these villagers? Why do they look at me as if they have seen a monster?"

The time spent reciting the incantation quickly passed amidst our anxious waiting. Soon, I saw Daba pressing the tuft of grass he held against the surface of the beast bone, murmuring incantations as he ignited the grass. The grass burned rapidly, but the black smoke that emerged was not dense. Within a few seconds, it was completely consumed, and then, with a gust of wind, the ashes dispersed. Fatty Cui pulled me forward, and at that moment, Daba also focused intently on the part of the beast bone that had been ignited. Within a few seconds, it was completely consumed, and then, with a gust of wind, the ashes dispersed. Fatty Cui pulled me forward, and at that moment, Daba also focused intently on the part of the beast bone that had been ignited.

After chanting the incantation for a while, Daba suddenly came to a halt, then tossed the wooden piece in his hand into the air. I immediately stood up from the ground and stared intently at the distant ground.

This beast bone must be a scapula. After air-drying, the gaps on it will fade. The Daba religion believes that these gaps can guide a certain mysterious power. When the fluff grass is ignited along with a spell, it will activate this power, and the gaps will be extended. If the upward gaps are longer and more numerous, it signifies a good omen. If the downward gaps are more numerous, it signifies a bad omen. The upper part represents heaven and the divine, while the lower part represents the earth and the spirits. Do you understand what I mean?

The matter of the walking marriage female ghost has come to a temporary conclusion, but the Mosuo people can no longer be retained. Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, I was awakened by the fat man, who urged me to pack my luggage.

At that time, I had encountered very few storms, and the matter of the female ghost made me firmly believe in Daba's abilities. At this moment, seeing the divination results made me even more anxious. The fat man also furrowed his brows and spoke to Daba for quite a while. When he returned, he was holding ten palm-sized cloth bags.

I nodded in partial understanding, as I originally thought that divination was all nonsense. Could it really predict my future? However, ever since I saw Daba subdue the female ghost, I have come to firmly believe in his abilities. Therefore, I have developed a particular anticipation for this divination.

However, the result of the divination surprised both me and the fat man greatly

The fat man and I almost simultaneously exclaimed that the wooden divination is an ominous sign, and this bone divination is also an ominous sign. Does this not indicate that the return journey is fraught with danger, possibly leading to a life-and-death situation

Daba used a total of 17 wooden pieces, and at this moment, all the wooden pieces have fallen to the ground. However, to our astonishment, not a single piece is facing outward with a new side, which means that the result of this divination is the worst of omens

Each gaze appeared quite indifferent, as women with children kept their distance from me, while men and the elderly wore sullen expressions. It was as if I were a pathogen, and they feared to go near me.