Chapter 007: Ghost Hunting

Yejia Village is not large, and there are not many children, but at this moment, they are clearly divided into two groups: one group of boys and another group of girls led by Ye Jing

Strangely enough, after these yellow papers were burned, the fragrant smoke actually drifted westward against the wind

I tilted my head, pondering for a long time why there is not a trace of negative energy on this talisman

... ...

I looked at the dark green bedroom door and curiously asked, "Isn't that ghost supposed to live in the water tank?"

You have a strong intuition. Did you feel as if someone was supporting you that day? Just these two questions. Who did you think it was that day? The master smiled with a hint of mischief.

A sudden gust of wind blew outdoors, sending several stacks of yellow paper on the bench swirling into the air

Two groups of people fought fiercely by the pond in Yejia Village throughout the summer, and the situation was truly dire

To outsiders, this may seem like just an old man losing his mind in the room, but I know that there is much more to it—because I can feel that with the master's movements, the surroundings have suddenly become much colder, causing an uncontrollable shiver.

I did not find her. The master suddenly frowned.

An old man dressed in a yellow robe, wielding a peach wood sword, jumped around energetically. The sword was adorned with yellow talismans, forcing a ghost in white clothing with disheveled hair to flee in a panic. Each time the peach wood sword struck the ghost, it emitted a hissing sound, as if a hot iron had been dropped into ice water

The master set down the peach wood sword and focused on tidying up the yellow talismans on the ground, folding them neatly before carefully placing them into his pocket

I was taken aback: "Wasn't it said that she was in this room?"

Upon entering the room, I saw the master fiddling with the vacuum cleaner

How is she? I asked anxiously

It is rare to see the master speak so seriously, and I also became serious as I walked to the bedside and sat down. The master rubbed my head and said softly: "Originally, I planned to leave after the tenth generation ghost fetus stabilized within you, but it seems that we will probably have to stay here for a while. Ye Family Village is not like a big city; there isn't much to eat or do."

If I remember correctly, this should be the talisman that seals Wang Fengqing.

Regardless of how fiercely I resisted, regardless of how much I cried and threw a tantrum, I was ultimately sent to Baiyangqiao Primary School

I was only eight years old at that time, having never encountered such a situation before, and I almost burst into tears.

A distant friend in the realm of books

I curiously watched from the side as the master held a pure black fountain pen. The pen featured smooth lines, a glossy black finish, and a silver nib, exuding an extraordinary presence. This fountain pen has been carried by the master since I can remember. I recall him mentioning that it was a Parker pen gifted by a foreign friend.

Moreover, the ten generations of ghostly fetuses have not yet stabilized within you; once they truly stabilize, the yin energy from ordinary malevolent entities will not affect you in the slightest

The vengeful spirit vanished, and the master quickly removed the yellow talisman from the sword, folded it neatly, and took out the cinnabar to seal the opening. Only then did he smile at me and say, "Just burn this talisman later, and as for Wang Fengqing..."

As my eye ached, I opened it again and beheld an exceedingly terrifying scene

The master softly recited a mantra, ignoring even the old man Ye calling him for dinner, and turned back to the room

When the master left, I naturally let loose.

When the night was completely dark, the master finally turned on the only light in the room. By the dim light, he pulled out a sheet of letter paper from the desk ladder.

A group of figures dressed in black, with faces devoid of color, are said to be human; however, their forms are exceptionally vague. They hide in the dark corners of the room, wailing with open mouths, their bodies emaciated and appearing on the verge of death. In the center of the room, on either side of the octagonal table, lie two grotesque spirits, their features utterly distorted and repulsive, with their eyeballs having fallen out. They stretch out their hands, incessantly rummaging on the table, seemingly grasping at something.

I scoffed: "Master, you are deceiving me. How did the vengeful spirit from Wang Fengqing's family end up on my back that day?"

The altar was exceedingly simple, with a table made from an old man's small stool. On the stool were three sprigs of fragrant herbs, several stacks of yellow paper, and a peach wood sword. The master, rarely dressed in a complete yellow Daoist robe, stepped forward with his left foot and backward with his right foot, drawing a circle. Holding the peach wood sword in his right hand, he began to move in the center of the room

The master spoke to me again about the matter of the Ten Generations of Ghostly Rebirth, mostly consisting of legends from the countryside

As the master kicked open the dark green door, a sudden rush of dampness surged in, as if someone had splashed a bucket of water onto my back

I looked around and felt much warmer.

I also ate my meal absentmindedly, my mind filled with questions

It turned out that Wang Fengqing's home was indeed just as the master had said, filled with "people m.hetushu.com.com"

In my youth, I did not sense the forced smile of my master; I was solely focused on returning home to boast to Ye Jing about today's fantastical journey

The master handed me over to the homeroom teacher and left with a smile

The master glared at me and said, "Didn’t you just say that without water in the ghost jar, how could it have any effect? Is that ghost supposed to stay in the jar and wait to be sun-dried in broad daylight? This bedroom is the yin position of Wang Fengqing's family. Although the yin energy inside is not abundant, it is indeed the most concentrated area in the entire house, and the ghost would certainly prefer to stay there"

Originally, Wang Fengqing was stationed here, and even if these wandering spirits entered, they would be immediately expelled. However, after Wang Fengqing was killed by backlash, this house gradually became a genuine haunted house over the years. Nevertheless, these minor spirits are far weaker than the ones raised by Wang Fengqing. After Wang Fengqing's death, the spirits she had raised were left without care and relied on absorbing the negative energy from these wandering spirits to survive. Over the years, these wandering spirits have also become exceedingly weak.

Due to the constraints of the Ghost Binding Pattern, ordinary wandering spirits cannot enter. However, the Ghost Binding Pattern is not infallible; it has its own methods for binding spirits, but it is somewhat ineffective in preventing wandering spirits from entering. There are always instances where two wandering spirits, by chance, manage to enter and subsequently cannot find their way out.

As he spoke, the master took a willow leaf from the snake-skin bag beside him, brushed it across my eyes, and said: "Don't move, this is to help you open your heavenly eye. Fortunately, your spiritual perception is strong; otherwise, just relying on the willow leaf would not suffice"

"Don't cry! What kind of appearance is that! In the future, you will encounter much more than this." The master suddenly sighed, "You must gradually adapt; such days are yet to come."

You stand on the bridge, admiring the scenery

What is the purpose of the Ten Generations of Ghost Fetuses within me? I suddenly asked, as this has been a question I have always been curious about

What exactly is the Huai character faction? Is it all about raising ghosts?

The person admiring the scenery is watching you from upstairs

After I had been out playing, when I returned home, the two elderly men looked at me earnestly and said, "You should go to school now"

I remember that evening meal, where the master and Old Man Ye were enjoying cold mixed edamame while chatting leisurely in the courtyard

A few minutes later, a loud shout from the master was heard: "Stop!" Moments later, the wind outside ceased, and yellow paper was scattered all over the ground

I raised my head to www.hetushucom.com and saw the master frown. He held a peach wood sword in his right hand and took out a talisman with his left, sticking it onto the sword. Then, he leaped into the doorway as if he were engaged in a fight with someone.

I nodded in a daze: "Where is Wang Fengqing?"

The bright moon adorns your window

I do not know how long has passed; I was almost falling asleep outside when the master finally came out of the room. I could only see that his expression was grave, and his robe was draped over his arm.

I waved my small fists in silent protest

I couldn't help but curl my lips in disdain; that day, Ye Jing's glance back at me startled me quite a bit. This girl is definitely going to get a good scolding from me next time.

Perhaps due to a naturally strong intuition, upon receiving these talismans, I could not help but feel a chill in the palms of my hands

In the midst of conversation, the master had already set up a rudimentary altar.

After speaking, the master dipped his thumb in some saliva and wiped it across my eyes. Suddenly, everything before me became blurry, and the figures I had just seen vanished.

I spat at the back of this old fellow from a distance, and thus began my new life

"You little rascal, I did indeed have that intention at first, but... sigh, never mind, it's better not to say anything about it," the master said, patting my head.

After all the paper offerings were burned, the three incense sticks in front of the iron basin had also just finished burning

Why did the master become so strange after returning

The first floor is the place for classes, while the second floor is the office for teachers

The most important point is, since Wang Fengqing died at home, what about the body

If I had been able to listen attentively at that time, perhaps so many things would not have happened in the future

After three to five rounds, unable to withstand any longer, he was struck on the top of his head by a sword, and then he vanished without a trace

On the second day, early in the morning, the master went to the town to send a letter. I was very curious. Although telephones were not widely available in rural areas in the 1990s, it was not that there were no telephones at all. Why did the master choose to send a letter instead of making a phone call?

I also do not quite understand why this is the case, so I insisted on helping. He smiled helplessly and handed all the talisman papers to me

The master fell silent for a moment, mumbling something under his breath. Suddenly, he smiled and patted his pocket: "It's here, hidden too deeply, but fortunately I found it."

Why does Wang Fengqing raise ghosts

The master pinched his fingers and remained silent for a long time, before finally speaking in a deep voice: "Wait here." He then entered another bedroom

From the tone of the master, it seems that Wang Fengqing should belong to the Huai character faction. Why then does she want to marry into the Ye family village?

After resolving the matters concerning Wang Fengqing's family, we returned to Old Man Ye's house

"Disciple, come here." The master put down the vacuum cleaner and smiled at me.

The master moved with such agility that I couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. However, I only saw the master dancing about alone. I simply turned around to pick up the willow leaf that the master had discarded, applied it to my eyes, and under intense concentration, I was surprisingly able to see the situation of the battle clearly

It seems he has seen through me. As the master set up the altar, he looked up and smiled, saying: "You wouldn't understand this, would you? Minor spells require an altar for invocation. However, for a malevolent spirit like the Ten-Generation Ghost, ordinary spells are utterly ineffective. Setting up an altar for invocation would naturally be of no use and might even provoke the entity, leading to significant trouble."

The master danced amidst the swirling yellow paper, occasionally thrusting the peach wood sword a couple of times, and at times taking large strides as if crushing something beneath his feet

You have adorned someone else's dream

The master took out the last two talismans from his pouch. The icy sensation of one of them was not even slightly stronger than that of the previous few. I knew this was the talisman used to seal the malevolent spirit. However, when I received the other talisman, I felt no trace of coldness at all.

The master continued to burn silently, and I suddenly asked out of curiosity: "Isn't it said that these little ghosts are to be sent to the monk's temple for the monks to perform a ritual of liberation?"

Upon hearing that I would be living in Yejia Village for several years, I immediately felt a surge of happiness. Everything in Yejia Village is incredibly fresh to me, with its beautiful mountains and waters. Especially in the summer, catching fish and shrimp is a delightful experience, far more enjoyable than in the city.

The school is located far from the village. When I was escorted there by the master, I realized that it was a very small school, with a playground that was pitifully small, and it consisted of only a two-story teaching building

I whispered, "What about Wang Fengqing and the ghost she raised?"

As long as you are happy. The master patted my head again

Who exactly killed Wang Fengqing's husband, Ye Erluo? Why did they disguise it to appear as if he was killed by a ghost?

However, in the blink of an eye, it was the end of August, and Ye Jing was taken back to her home by her mother. The village became much quieter during the day.

I suddenly became curious; it is the first time I have seen the master appear so serious and scholarly. Even during the incident of capturing the Ten Generations of Ghost Fetuses, he was not this formal.

All the ghosts in the house were captured by the master, and the entire room suddenly became bright. Even standing in the middle of the room, one could feel the sweltering summer heat

"It is estimated to be in that room," the master said, pointing to one of the bedrooms.

"Useless!" The master simply spread his hands, "The Ten-Generation Ghost Fetus is an evil object, not something good. You naive child think it's like inviting a deity? That's not right; it does have some benefits. After you have the Ten-Generation Ghost Fetus within you, ordinary ghosts and monsters cannot approach you, which is equivalent to a small talisman for warding off evil"

"Wait a moment, I need to first deal with the spirits in this room, and then I will address the remaining two," said the master as he took out a peach wood sword, yellow talismans, and other tools from the snake skin bag.

Who is this to be sent to

The vengeful spirit attempted several times to rush out of the house, but was stopped each time.

The children in this area all attend school here, you have plenty to enjoy! The master smiled with squinted eyes

Go back, there is nothing here.

The entire village was bustling with activity, and in no time, I became familiar with the children in the village

This is the final writing of the master on the letter paper, a poem, "Fragment" by Bian Zhilin. The handwriting is beautiful, delicate as if written by a young girl, in stark contrast to the master's appearance.

Do you really think it has run onto your back? That girl Ye Jing only sees illusions; you will feel as if you are being haunted by a vengeful spirit. The real reason is that your spiritual perception is too strong. Even if you hadn't dripped your blood into the ghost-rearing jar that day, you would still have been able to walk out confidently.

The school was quite small, with only one class for each grade. Therefore, when I stepped into the third-grade classroom, I encountered my greatest "enemy" in this life—Ye Jing

At that time, I thought it was boasting; the two of us, master and apprentice, were so poor that we couldn't spare a dime, and a Parker pen cost several thousand.

The little demons from earlier have been sealed in talisman paper. I will take them to the temple another day and have a monk chant scriptures a couple of times for their liberation, and then this matter will be settled. The master patted his pocket

Various doubts swirled in my mind, leaving me completely disinterested in eating. I merely took a few hasty bites before returning to the woodshed under the disdainful gaze of Ye Jing.

The master instructed Old Ye to place an iron basin in the center of the courtyard, and then lit three sticks of incense in front of the basin, igniting the yellow paper that contained the imprisoned spirit, one sheet at a time.