Chapter 002: The Tenth Generation Ghost胎

Old Ye nodded nervously, his face filled with worry

Yejia Village boasts beautiful mountains and waters, allowing me to enjoy myself thoroughly. It was not until lunchtime that I returned to Old Ye's house, feeling ravenously hungry.

It is quite miraculous; the paper figure, thrown by the master, seemed to possess life as it joyfully floated towards the old lady's bedside

The master asked again: "Did your mother-in-law also die from being possessed by evil spirits?"

Upon entering the room, the temperature seemed to drop by more than ten degrees. Although it was the height of summer, the chill was so intense that one could not help but shiver.

"Black dog blood and realgar can ward off evil and prevent ghostly entities from perceiving this world," the master explained

I have followed my master since childhood and have lost count of how many of these stories I have heard. Naturally, I am not afraid, so I innocently asked, "It’s already midnight, why haven’t I heard any sounds yet"

The master grunted, "I already told you that you don't understand anything, just follow me!"

The master let out a sound, said nothing, and carried the vacuum cleaner into the room

The master snorted, perhaps having eaten too much cured meat earlier, his mouth feeling overly salty. He poured himself a glass of water and, after finishing it, said: "You know nothing at all!"

The entire Ye family village is doomed? At that time, I was young and did not anticipate the severity of the situation; I was just incessantly stirring the pot.

I hid behind my master, not daring to approach the bedside, because the old lady's eyes were wide open, staring at me without blinking, her aged and dim eyes fixed intently on me

Yejia Village is situated near mountains and water, making it a place of good feng shui. However, I find it hard to understand how such a location could be haunted by malevolent spirits

The master let out a sound but said nothing further

The master sleeping on the bench grunted twice: "I don't eat plain food."

The master frowned slightly, said nothing, bit his middle finger, and gently touched the talisman. To his surprise, the paper figure suddenly became animated.

Old Man Ye's home has only a fifty-watt light bulb. It is unclear whether the bulb is faulty, as the light flickers and the surroundings are dim. Upon pushing open the wooden door to the inner room, a wave of foul odor rushes toward him.

The old lady's withered face suddenly broke into a smile, and she exclaimed loudly: "Hee hee, let's play!"

The master set down the red star tea jar, his expression serious: "Believe it or not, I am merely informing you of the severity of the situation. You know best about your wife’s condition. Anyone with a bit of ability can see that this ghostly fetus has already transitioned to its ninth generation. The three souls and six spirits have been fully restored. Once your wife and the child pass away, it will be transferred to your daughter..."

Old man Ye just mentioned this, and now he naturally nods in agreement

"Master, isn't willow a material that gathers yin?" I slurped up a couple of bites of noodles and asked curiously. Although I was still young and didn't understand much, I knew that willow gathers yin, and using willow to make paper figures, this combination of yin upon yin, isn't it something sinister?

At this moment, I was also tired, unable to finish a large bowl of noodles, and fell asleep on the bench alongside the master

I made a face at my master, quickly devoured the noodles, and dashed out in a flash. Staying here any longer would drive me to boredom.

At that time, I was only eight years old. I was quite dissatisfied with my master's explanation, so I secretly stepped on the heel of his shoe. The old man let out a yelp and nearly fell over

Master, this is my daughter's hair, I have brought it over, along with her birth date and time.

After saying this, the master calculated with his fingers and whispered, "Do you know what yin and yang are? Yin and yang refer to the disparity between the two. When the utmost yang turns to yin, it contains yin; when the utmost yin turns to yang, it contains yang. At noon, the heavens and the earth transition from the utmost yang to the utmost yin, which means that at this moment, it is the relative utmost yin point. At that time, we will lure the ghostly fetus out.

From the inner room, several shouts rang out, and suddenly I felt a chill sweep over me, causing my whole body to shudder uncontrollably

I was just curious when the old man came running in, panting, holding a handful of hair and a piece of paper in his hand

You little rascal, pay more attention! The master patted my head, helping me to calm my spirit, and then said to Old Ye: "Besides shouting in the middle of the night, are there any other symptoms?"

The tall, thin old man was named Ye Daniu. He had lived a diligent and honest life, never having committed any wrongdoing. His life could be considered relatively smooth, with both a son and a daughter. However, a few days ago, for reasons unknown, his wife suddenly became possessed. During the day, she was fine, but at night, she would scream and shout, causing his son and daughter-in-law to be so frightened that they moved out.

I was filled with doubt, and the master smiled gently while stroking my head, saying with a warm expression: "Actually, I have known for a long time that this is the reincarnation of a ghost from ten lifetimes ago. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have come here to suffer this ordeal. That drop of blood from my middle finger just now cost me ten years of my lifespan." I remember the master's expression, which was tinged with a sense of helplessness and a hint of sadness

The light was still on in a mud-brick house in front of the mountain at Yejia Village

At that time, I was still unaware that this gesture was not merely about drawing blood from the middle finger like in a picture book, but rather about truly expelling one's own vital energy from the body, which could shorten one's lifespan

The master held the vacuum cleaner, yet did not plug it in (in fact, there were no proper sockets to be found in the earthen brick house), and simply swept it around the old lady.

I remember that day when the master carried a vacuum cleaner, which was still quite uncommon in China, and we bumped along the way to a rural area in Wuhan, Hubei

The master, having eaten his fill, crossed his legs and said: "You are simply being absurd; it is clear that you are harboring ill intentions!"

The master said again: "Rest assured, a ghost fetus is indeed something only a woman can conceive. If a ghost fetus were to attach itself to a man, it would be of no significant concern"

As soon as the question was asked, regret set in. From the inner room of the earthen brick house, a heart-wrenching scream suddenly echoed: "Hee hee, let's play together!" The voice sounded as if a sharp-clawed cat was hidden in the throat, scratching vigorously.

The master, with a cigarette in his mouth, mumbled: "What do you know! We just need to draw out the ghostly fetus!"

When I woke up, the master was already gone, and I was carried to a bed in another room

Old man Ye rubbed his head, looking at his wife's appearance, full of worry: "Is it a case of being possessed? I remember my mother-in-law also died from being possessed."

I nodded slightly, anxiously standing to one side, surveying the eerie and dimly lit earthen house. With the doors and windows tightly covered by black cloth, the only source of illumination was the flickering 50-watt light bulb, making the place even darker than at night

Old Ye was completely flustered, falling off his stool with a thud. This tall, thin old man clung to the master's leg, wailing, "Heavenly Master, you must save her!"

The master then took the paper figure and led me into the earthen house, where the doors and windows were covered with black cloth

I was so frightened that I lost my senses. At that moment, the master gave me a heavy pat on the back, then sprinkled a clump of dark powder into my nose, shouting, "Return!" My mind settled down, and I no longer dared to glance at the edge of the bed.

Hehe, hehe, come play with me..." The old lady's eerie voice echoed once more

Old Man Ye also wore a look of disbelief on the side

"Disciple, wait a moment and follow me inside," the master said to me with unusual seriousness. "Old man Ye, you stay outside and make sure no one enters the house."

Old Ye looked worried: "It seems that my strength has increased a bit."

The master's paper figure has also been completed, with willow branches used for the internal framework, and the exterior crafted in bright red and green to resemble a young girl

I have never seen the master truly cast a spell, watching curiously from the side

On the second morning, I was awakened by the crowing of the rooster

I was taken aback; in the dimly lit room, a colorful paper figure landed squarely in front of the old lady's bed, staring intently at her in the bed

Old Ye was completely stunned at this moment. After lowering his head for a long time, he finally said: "It seems I have heard rumors about this; it was also around this age that someone died from an evil encounter. However, that was a long time ago, and no one took it seriously..."

At this moment, the old lady's movements became increasingly vigorous, nearly shaking the bed to collapse, and her cries grew more heart-wrenching, with the repeated call of "Let's play together" sending chills down one's spine

Has your wife’s family lived here for generations without ever leaving

At this time, it was nearly noon, yet Old Man Ye was not at home; however, the doors and windows of his house were covered with thick black cloth.

The tall, thin old man opened the door and looked around nervously, asking, "Is this Master Zhang?"

I listened for quite a while from the side before I fully understood what these two old men were talking about

An emaciated old woman lay on the bed, her eyes vacant, her entire face sunken in. Her limbs were bound to the bed with coarse hemp ropes, and the sturdy wooden bed creaked under her movements, appearing as if it might collapse at any moment

Old Man Ye brought me a bowl of chicken noodle soup

It is hard to imagine how an elderly woman, with cheeks so sunken in, could have such wide-open eyes. Her parched skin, along with the unusual yellow hue on her face, makes me hesitant to approach her

The old man shouted loudly as if he had encountered a savior: "I have been waiting for you!"

The paper figure has become much more lifelike; this is something that not just I can perceive, but everyone present has noticed it.

Although I cannot be considered exceptionally gifted, I can certainly be regarded as intelligent, and I instantly understood what my master was saying

Old Man Ye had never seen a vacuum cleaner, but he was familiar with talismans. After witnessing the miraculous scene just now, he was at a loss for words for a long time. Finally, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Master, you truly are a master! Have you eaten, Master? I will go and prepare a bowl of noodles for you"

I had heard many stories from my master, but it was during the summer vacation of 1992 that my master and I first went to catch ghosts

Remarkably, the red power light on the vacuum cleaner, which was not plugged in, suddenly lit up! As the power light illuminated, the small bulb in the room also flickered unexpectedly.

Old Man Ye was taken aback and nodded slightly

I tilted my little head and asked, "Aren't ghosts supposed to stay hidden during the day?"

The master knocked on my head and scolded, "Without learning and skills, a ghost is ultimately just a spirit. You also have a spirit within you; how can you come out during the day? Moreover, black dog blood and realgar are merely to isolate the ghost fetus within the old lady from perceiving this world. If the ghost fetus knows that we are making paper figures to deal with it, will it still be drawn out?"

The master took it, examined it, and then inserted the eight characters and hair into the paper effigy. After that, he took out a talisman and affixed it to the chest of the paper effigy

The person who opened the door was a tall, thin old man, with two extremely large bags under his eyes, looking as if he had not rested well for several days

The master held the vacuum cleaner as if it were a precious treasure, fearing it might be damaged. Turning around to take off his shoes, it seemed he was preparing to hit me with the soles. However, after a moment's thought, he decided against it and shot me a fierce glare, saying, "I'll deal with you when we get back"

The master held the paper figure, slightly pinched it with his right hand, and stood with his eyes closed. After a moment, he suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning, and shouted, "Move!" before throwing the paper figure away.

I was standing by, rolling my eyes. Although I was still young at that time, I knew that a woman who looked nearly eighty could not possibly be pregnant

The master led me along the way, knocking on the courtyard door amidst the croaking of frogs on a summer night.

I am young and unable to assist with making paper figures, so I can only follow the master's instructions and sprinkle the prepared realgar and black dog blood around the house in a circle

At this moment, a circle of villagers had gathered outside the wall of Old Man Ye's house to watch the commotion

The master, with a cigarette in his mouth and a mouth full of profanity, said: "You know nothing, a ghost is just a ghost, it has nothing to do with feng shui at all"

I was startled, feeling a chill run down my back

"So do you know how your mother-in-law's mother died?" the master asked again

"The Tenth Generation Ghost Fetuses, Old Man Ye is truly unfortunate. Later, I will use this paper figure to lure out the ghost fetus, so you stand by and do not make a sound." The master said with a serious expression, "The paper figure is a substitute for Old Man Ye's daughter. Once the ghost fetus attaches itself to the paper figure, I will burn it and then force the ghost fetus into your body."

"What symptoms do you think this is?" the master asked, frowning as he took the vacuum cleaner.

I was extremely dissatisfied, holding my lips tight. After a long and exhausting journey, we arrived at Ye Family Village just before midnight. The countryside at night is plagued by numerous mosquitoes, and both my hands and books were bitten, resulting in several large welts.

The power light of the vacuum cleaner, which was not plugged in, surprisingly lit up. This is baffling to anyone. However, Old Ye is a simple farmer who does not know what a vacuum cleaner is, so he can only stand awkwardly on the side and watch the master show off.

The master took a sip of water and suddenly became serious: "Do you have a daughter?" After saying this, he did not wait for Old Ye to respond and continued: "I don't know how many lifetimes of bad luck you've had to encounter a ghostly fetus! Once the ghostly fetus has gone through ten lifetimes and all three souls and seven spirits are gathered, the Ye family village will be finished!"

Old man Ye nodded and bowed as he served two large bowls of noodles, with even more cured meat than noodles inside

Curious, I leaned in to take a look, and to my surprise, the two old men were actually using willow branches to create a framework for paper figures

The master helped up the old man Ye and said: "Even if you don't say anything, I would still save you. Allowing the birth of a ghostly child for ten generations will surely bring retribution. However, there is no need to panic right now. Rest assured, your wife will not die anytime soon. We can discuss any matters tomorrow." With that, he turned over and fell asleep.

I stand by, filled with trepidation, afraid to act recklessly

The master pushed the door open and said: "Otherwise, whose child would come knocking on the door of a haunted house in the middle of the night?"

After speaking, he comfortably fell asleep on the bench in the hall

The master did not elaborate too much on his words

Although the power indicator is dim and fleeting, it stands out remarkably in the dark earthen brick room

"Isn't there supposed to be a great calamity when a ghostly fetus is born?" Old Ye had only a vague understanding of this matter, knowing only that a great calamity would ensue.

With just this gentle touch, the master's complexion turned much paler

I have been following behind, always curious about how the master actually catches ghosts, perhaps using a vacuum cleaner to suck them in

The master nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, "Don't run around; there will be places where I will need you later."

The master fell silent, suddenly stood up, and went into the room to tear down the talisman paper from the old lady's bed.

Only a rustling sound could be heard from outside. When I went out to take a look, I saw the master and Old Man Ye making a paper effigy.

Old Ye also did not believe that things could be this serious; how could a bewitched old woman possibly bring an end to Ye Family Village

After completing these tasks, the master merely nodded slightly, and from somewhere produced a talisman paper, which he slapped against the side of the bed with a loud sound. Only then did the old lady close her eyes and fall into a deep sleep. The master said softly, "It is too late today; let us rest for the night and discuss it tomorrow"

Old Man Ye looked utterly terrified