Chapter 006: A Further Exploration of Wang Fengqing's Home

I tilted my head and said, "Isn't it?"

I listened to the master's words, but a doubt arose in my heart. I looked up with a small face and asked, "Why didn't those two ghosts immediately harm us?"

I followed behind, asking questions out of curiosity about what was in the middle of the bag, but the master remained silent.

I have never been able to clearly see Wang Fengqing's appearance; I can only determine from this old photograph that she is a rather fair-skinned woman

I nodded in a way that suggested I somewhat understood, while Old Man Ye's family was even more confused.

Secondly, Old Ye merely cast a slightly malicious glance into the courtyard and nearly met his demise, indicating that this ghost has a clear intention of protection, aiming to safeguard something within the courtyard. So, what exactly is it trying to protect

The master smiled and said: "You guessed correctly. This fierce ghost is very likely acting to protect Wang Fengqing, which is why it harmed others. This also explains why as soon as Wang Fengqing appeared, you, Old Ye, were saved. In other words, this ghost is most probably raised by Wang Fengqing, and even if it is not raised by her, it has a close relationship with her."

It was not until a week later, when the master started working as a sales clerk in a shop in town, that I realized he was making a living...

Upon entering the courtyard, I found it to be much the same as I had seen on that day. However, what caught my attention was that the water in the cistern had completely dried up, and some cracks had appeared on the walls of the cistern. It is to be expected, as it is summer, and no matter how much water was in the cistern, it would have been evaporated by the sun.

The master chuckled as he patted Ye Jing's head, then turned to me and said: "Did you see that? This is what understanding looks like. When will you, you simpleton, be half as clever as Ye Jing? I would have passed on all my skills to you by now."

Unexpectedly, this provoked a sharp reprimand from the master

Upon hearing this, the master could no longer restrain himself and glared at me fiercely, saying: "You little rascal, think again, when was Ye Erluo killed?"

"Eat a stick!" The master was filled with indignation.

"The Ten-Generation Ghost Fetus..." I said weakly, aware that even for the Ten-Generation Ghost Fetus, my master had expended considerable effort to isolate the yang energy of heaven and earth in order to draw it out. Generally, how could ordinary vengeful spirits compare to the power of a Ten-Generation Ghost Fetus? In broad daylight, it would be even less likely to appear

Money is just a tool; as long as it is sufficient, that is all that matters. Do you understand this?

I have only a limited understanding of matters related to raising ghosts, so I can only nod in agreement

I pouted and expressed my dissatisfaction, saying: "Master, you are turning your elbow outward!"

The master snorted coldly, no longer paying attention to me, but turned to Ye Jing and said: "In the future, don't bother him too much! His pig brain is beyond saving!"

When the master raised this question, we were all taken aback, as the considerable amount of information made it difficult for us to fully absorb it

Ghosts are ultimately transformed from humans. Since they seek to harm people, there must be a 'motive' involved. In other words, someone must have violated their taboos for them to take a life.

You are truly fortunate; look at the patterns on the water tank, don't they resemble tree roots? This signifies a fusion with the earth. Moreover, just a few days before your visit, it happened to rain, filling the water tank with rainwater and creating an environment akin to a lake, thus enhancing the function of the ghost-raising tank

I nodded slightly, realizing that Xian Tou Ye Jing was squatting at the door, also watching the object.

Of course, I was also bewildered, murmuring softly: "The world of adults is truly complicated..."

Indeed, it was hung too high; I had to stand on the table to take it down

"Do you know how you escaped disaster that day?" the master suddenly said, "The water tank was indeed the place where Wang Fengqing raised ghosts, but later Wang Fengqing was killed by backlash, and naturally no one added water to the tank. Without water, the ghost-raising tank would not have the distinction between yin and yang, nor would it have any effect.

The master slapped his thigh: "That's right, how could someone who is not gentle and has a bad personality possibly come forward to help when the ghost finds Old Ye? Although he was later killed by the ghost's backlash, his soul was merely bound by the resentment of the ghost he raised, lingering in the human realm. During this time, he might have been infected by the resentment of the little ghosts, but generally speaking, he is not likely to actively harm others, which is why that girl Ye Jing is fine! If you all stay there any longer, it might not be the same!"

Ye Jing turned her small face and looked innocently at her master, who then shot me a fierce glare

At least it is a hundred times whiter than that black-haired Ye Jing! I immediately made a definition in my mind

I jumped up in anger and shouted, "I want to challenge you to a duel!"

Then you little rascal, what on earth can come out in broad daylight to harm people

Did I not say from the very beginning that there is more than one ghost in this house

What kind of person do you think Wang Fengqing was before his death? The master suddenly asked a strange question

The master, furious, puffed his beard and glared: "I will beat you to death... Listen carefully, unless one is truly filled with resentment, only then could a ghost possibly risk its very soul to seek revenge in broad daylight. Ye Er, being honest and simple, has spent most of his life as a bachelor; where would he find the time to commit heinous acts? Where would he find the time to offend a ghost that must kill him?"

Another figure, with disheveled hair and dressed in white garments, appeared as if just pulled from the water; I did not dare to look too closely

Ye Jing pried open her mother's hand, stuck out her tongue, and fell silent.

Ye Luhe quickly covered his daughter's mouth: "What nonsense are you talking about, you little child!"

That was dropped when Ye Jing and I were escaping, and I have never been able to clearly see the appearance of the woman above. Now that the master is here, I feel at ease. I exerted a great deal of effort to open the frame and took the photo out.

Suddenly, a drop of blood from your middle finger fell in, clashing the yang energy with the yin energy in the water tank, which would surely cause some changes in the balance of heaven and earth. The water ghost sensed that its dwelling was being harmed and felt unwell itself, so it was momentarily stunned. It was during this moment of distraction that you were given the opportunity to escape

"When you were standing on the table, was there someone always supporting you?" The master suddenly broke into a strange smile

I raise my hands in exasperation; there is nothing I can do about this master whose elbow keeps sticking out.

Old Man Ye's partner had previously had dealings with Wang Fengqing, and now she said tremulously: "Her temperament is quite good, and she appears very gentle"

I noticed that Old Man Ye's face turned red, indicating that he still harbored some resentment over his earlier attempt to spy on Wang Fengqing.

After listening to the master explain in detail, I realized that the situation with Wang Fengqing's family is not simple

At the age of only eight, I nodded in a somewhat understanding manner and asked: "Why is it that the causes and effects related to wealth are the most numerous? What is cause and effect?"

I pouted and said, "Then I want to eat candy, but what should I do if I have no money?"

Just as some people keep guard dogs for protection, there are also those who keep ghosts as pets. If raised well, they can attract wealth and other fortunes. However, this matter is quite sinister, and the average person truly cannot manage it. For instance, the kind of ghost that actively seeks to take lives, like the one in Wang Fengqing's family, is something ordinary people cannot handle.

The master took a sip of the chilled beer and slowly said: "Generally, such vengeful spirits that actively seek to take lives are deeply obsessed, so they only harm people in specific locations and under certain circumstances"

I looked in the direction indicated by the master, and there were the doors to two bedrooms

Ye Jing, though small in stature, spoke with surprising maturity: "In other words, evil spirits, like humans, also require a motive to kill?"

The master seemed to realize he had let something slip, turned his head, and glared at me fiercely: "Go play over there, you little child!"

The ghost that Old Man Ye encountered that night was the one raised by Wang Fengqing. After Ye Erluo's death, for reasons unknown, Wang Fengqing was no longer able to fully control the ghost he had raised, ultimately leading to his own demise due to backlash.

This is the Binding Spirit Pattern, which is the very design that confines that water ghost here. Raising spirits is an act against the natural order, and the repercussions are indeed severe; thus, one naturally refrains from entangling oneself in further karmic consequences. This Binding Spirit Pattern is specifically meant to restrain the spirits that are nurtured, fearing that they might cause disturbances and attract karmic retribution. The master explained meticulously

The master intervened to resolve the matters concerning Wang Fengqing's family two weeks later

The profound words of the master were difficult for me to comprehend, but I know that my life has been salvaged

The master briefly explained the situation of Wang Fengqing's family to us, and I suddenly thought of the matter of using the blood from the middle finger to break the balance of heaven and earth, emphasizing this issue as if seeking credit.

The master is not afraid of dirt and directly uses his hand to clean a specific area at the bottom of the door

I was taken aback: "How did you know..."

Supporting your child is not an easy task. Today, Master will teach you that our ghost-catching is a righteous act, a matter of accumulating virtue. Do not let filthy things like money tarnish it. Moreover, among all worldly matters, the karmic consequences associated with wealth are the most numerous. We must avoid these consequences, lest we find ourselves in hell after death without even realizing it. Master spoke earnestly.

Old Ye and his partner were startled as they listened from the side: "Raise... raise ghosts?"

Old Ye nodded, still feeling a lingering fear

Wang Fengqing's previous husbands must have died, that much is certain, but whether she is fated to bring misfortune to her husbands remains unknown. The only thing that is certain is that Ye Erluo was definitely not killed by a ghost

I was taken aback: "He was out working in the fields during the day, and before the sun had set, the body was discovered... It should have been in the afternoon that he died..."

Upon arriving at Wang Fengqing's home, Master Dada casually walked in like this.

Upon hearing these words, I immediately sensed something was amiss and inquired with confusion: "If the vengeful spirit is meant to protect Wang Fengqing, then why did it kill Ye Erluo? Could it be that Wang Fengqing is raising a spirit and brought it out during the day to harm Ye Erluo?"

Then I ran into the two of you children

Go! Follow me inside to take a look. This ghost being trapped in this house must be due to more than just this one ghost-raising pattern

I nodded. At that time, I was only eight years old and did not know how to describe that fierce ghost, so I could only gesture wildly: "It was dressed in floral garments, with a green face and sharp fangs, its body seemed to be inflated by air. As for the other one, I did not dare to look back; you must ask Ye Jing."

I had previously found these two dark green doors quite unusual, and with the master's indication, my curiosity was further piqued

I stood aside, not daring to interject

Ye Jing nodded knowingly and said in a mature manner: "Although the person may be a bit foolish, there are no issues in other aspects."

Although the situation of Wang Fengqing's family was clear, the master did not immediately go to resolve it, but instead continued to attend to other matters

I curled my lips and silently added in my heart, "Old bachelor, who would want to learn your skills"

That vengeful spirit wants to protect Wang Fengqing?!" Ye Jing suddenly exclaimed

The master continued, "Moreover, even if one were to raise ghosts, taking a little ghost out during the day, isn't one afraid that the little ghost might harbor resentment and then return to harm its keeper? If Wang Fengqing truly knew how to raise ghosts, she certainly would not do something so foolish."

I still regret today why I did not listen to my master at that time, resulting in this burden of karma that I can never wash away

The master smiled and nodded at Ye Jing, saying: "Good child, if you didn't see it, then forget it."

The master glanced at me, did not directly answer my question, but later explained to me in secret that it was because I had the Ten Generations of Ghostly Embryos within me, which could be considered as a Ghost King. Naturally, ordinary ghosts and spirits would weigh their own strength upon encountering me

Consider this: people die for wealth, and birds perish for food. Do you realize how many hands your money has passed through, how much blood and sweat it has absorbed, and whether it has taken anyone's life? As for cause and effect, it is simply that good deeds are rewarded with good, and evil deeds are met with evil.

"The photo you took earlier was hanging up here, right?" The master pointed to the side of the portrait of Chairman Mao.

You see the patterns of flowers and the - diagram - book on the bottom of the water tank, these are the secret patterns for nurturing spirits from their Huai character sect

Only a strange yet beautiful pattern was carved on the door; this pattern resembled a flower, yet was not a flower, resembled grass, yet was not grass, and it was unclear what it actually was.

Two questions left everyone in Old Man Ye's family bewildered

Therefore, the one who killed Ye Erluo must be someone else. As for who exactly killed him, that is not my concern; I am only responsible for capturing ghosts, and I am not skilled in investigating cases

I stood at the door, my heart filled with trepidation, but upon seeing the master's not particularly broad yet exceptionally steadfast figure, I finally calmed my mind

Due to the passage of time, the photograph has long since adhered to the glass of the frame; tearing it away would result in the photograph becoming damaged

I pursed my lips and remained silent, noticing a square frame that had fallen in the center of the courtyard

Old Man Ye passed by Wang Fengqing's house, and just by taking a glance inside, he nearly met his demise at the hands of a ghost, which already indicates several issues

"Did you see two ghosts today?" The master suddenly turned his head and asked me

I followed my master into the room. After wandering around for quite some time, he suddenly began to laugh eerily: "Oh dear, it seems there is more than one ghost here. My obedient disciple, come take a look at this."

Firstly, it is certain that there are ghosts in Wang Fengqing's home, as the resentment lingering above her house indicates that the ghost's activity is confined to that area. However, Ye Erluo died a great distance away from home; why did he not die in the house filled with resentment, but rather outside?

I was curious and moved closer, and indeed saw several strange patterns that resembled the intricate roots of a tree, growing at the bottom of the water tank. I asked out of curiosity, "What is the Huai character sect?"

That day, he went to Wang Fengqing's house in the afternoon, carrying a bulging snake skin bag and holding a cigarette in his mouth

If this water tank is indeed a true Yin position, then the water here would not dry up in just a week. If I am not mistaken, this is the place where Wang Fengqing originally raised ghosts!" The master said as he squatted down by the water tank, his face filled with excitement as he praised, "They even raised water ghosts, what a remarkable thing!"

The master ignored me and continued, "In this way, the matter becomes very clear. Wang Fengqing's family has two ghosts; one is Wang Fengqing herself, and the other is most likely the ghost she originally raised."

The master squatted by the water tank for a long time before finally getting up

You foolish child, you are uneducated and incompetent! Do you really think that water tank is the ancestral grave of Wang Fengqing's family?