Chapter 005: Legal Affairs
Upon hearing this, Steward Liu found it quite simple, so he said to the young servant behind him, "In accordance with the Daoist master's instructions, hurry up and take care of it"
Since Yang Heng woke up, he has already forgotten about the stone ring. Now, he has searched all over his body but has not seen any trace of the ring.
The original meaning of the ritual is that for every tile pierced, the torments of the soul in the underworld are reduced. Once all eight tiles are pierced, the soul can escape the sufferings of hell and be reborn directly.
At this moment, Butler Liu felt a twinge of regret; originally, Wang Dashan had instructed him to go to the county town to find a capable Taoist priest to perform a ritual.
Coupled with Yang Heng's honest demeanor, which instills a sense of reassurance, it was only then that I gritted my teeth and allowed Yang Heng to perform this ritual.
Afterward, some ink paste was applied, and a seal was affixed at the end of this commendation
Those who commit sins during their lifetime will inevitably fall into hell after death. The purpose of breaking through hell is to perform rituals and build merit, using divine light and magical power to dispel the darkness of the other shore, allowing the deceased to suddenly awaken, let go of their obsessions, and thus ascend to the celestial realm, no longer suffering the torments of hell
Upon witnessing this strange scene, Yang Heng could not help but reach out to touch it. In that moment, Yang Heng immediately sensed a difference; although he could still feel the stone ring, it now felt like a mass of gas, unlike the solid sensation of stone he had experienced before
Steward Liu said to Yang Heng: "Daoist, do you see anything else that is lacking?"
Thus, he no longer spun in circles, but instead returned to his work, picked up a peach wood sword, and once again entered the arena
One must not let anything go wrong; otherwise, not only will the spirits not be pacified, but they may become even more ferocious, and these individuals may very well lose their lives in the process
Fortunately, the people nearby are all quite far away and are unaware of such matters; otherwise, they would immediately see through it.
Therefore, Yang Heng could only nod slightly
After everything was completed, Yang Heng ordered his men to set fire to the gold ingots piled on the ground.
However, as the ritual conducted by Yang Heng progressed, a sudden gust of cold wind arose in the courtyard, and this wind grew increasingly stronger, eventually forming a small whirlwind that spun continuously in front of the mourning hall
However, how to use this item, and does it become useless after just one use? This question troubled Yang Heng greatly
Yang Heng discovered that the ring was not lost, and the joy in his heart was simply beyond description, for with this ring, he regained hope of returning to modern society
You may begin now. Place the deceased's spirit tablet and the joss paper in the center of the ground, and then invite the deceased's relatives to observe from the side
Yang Heng felt somewhat anxious, as it was his first time performing a ritual. Therefore, he reviewed the contents of the book he had read a few days ago before speaking: "Place the spirit tablet of the deceased in the center of the spirit hall, then surround it with gold ingots, and place eight tiles outside the gold ingots. I will handle the other matters."
Although he has been battered by modern society, he is unwilling to leave modern society and remain forever in this ancient world
It was not until the sky darkened that Steward Liu returned, leading Yang Heng to a relatively clean house outside, where he prepared some vegetarian meals for him
Yang Heng does not understand these matters. However, in order to appear professional, he still stepped forward and casually glanced at them, then said to Butler Liu: "Not bad, everything is complete."
Yang Heng is currently feeling anxious and uncertain. He knows that this ring is a treasure; otherwise, it would not allow him to traverse different worlds
Only to see Yang Heng pretending to chant a few incantations outside, then coming to a piece of tile that had long been placed there, and directly stabbing it down with the peach wood sword in his hand, breaking the tile.
The reason why Butler Liu is urging so insistently is that it is just getting dark now, and there is not much happening. However, once it becomes fully dark, the deceased Aunt Qiaoyun will likely come out to cause trouble again
As soon as he thought of this, Yang Heng immediately searched his body for the stone ring he had taken off.
Therefore, it can only serve as a formality; as for whether the rituals are effective, he believes it is merely a psychological comfort sought by the deceased's family
Upon seeing Yang Heng, one notices that although his clothes are somewhat dirty, the robe he wears is made of fine fabric
However, this Steward Liu, tempted by the reward money for this occasion, went to take a look after hearing that there was a Taoist at Wang Erdan's home
Yang Heng was somewhat puzzled by the urgency of Steward Liu, wondering if there was really a need to be in such a hurry. We have just finished our meal; surely I should be allowed some time to digest.
However, Yang Heng did not possess such ability. By the time he had broken all eight tiles, the ominous wind had not only failed to diminish but had instead intensified.
It is said that he is reciting scriptures, but in reality, Yang Heng does not even know what he is reciting; he is merely putting on a show by opening his mouth.
However, if it is completed early, perhaps I can still get a night's rest after finishing this ritual
How would Yang Heng know whether it would have an impact? The reason he was able to grit his teeth and come to perform the ritual is that he was forced to read several books while at the Sanqing Temple, among which were various rituals for the salvation of the deceased
However, Yang Heng rarely uses a brush to write, and the few dozen characters he writes are crooked and very unsightly
As the cold wind grew stronger, the leaves in the yard began to rustle, and the sound became increasingly louder, eventually resembling the weeping of a woman.
Although this ritual is quite simple, its power is, in fact, very great according to the introduction
In just a quarter of an hour, all the ceremonies were already prepared
In fact, when performing rituals, one must recite the corresponding scriptures while circling.
It was this action that restored hope to Yang Heng's previously frustrated heart
The travel concierge, having made all the necessary preparations, said to Yang Heng: "Daoist Xitan, shall we begin now?"
Yang Heng stood there nodding, then nervously walked to the back of the offering table. He first picked up a brush and wrote a text on a piece of yellow paper.
As for Yang Heng, who is currently in front of the mourning hall, on the surface he appears to be reciting scriptures for the deceased, but in reality, he is pondering how he has traversed here
He then cautiously looked at the ring finger of his left hand
It now appears that this Taoist priest is nothing more than a silver-plated wax gun head
The female ghost roared as she lunged towards the crowd in the arena
This prevents the female ghost from approaching at all
At this moment, Butler Liu, standing nearby, was already trembling with his legs, feeling a slight chill in his groin
This left Yang Heng feeling extremely anxious; without the stone ring, would he have to spend his entire life in this unfamiliar world
After that, Yang Heng circled around the lit ingot, chanting scriptures as he turned.
It is getting late, let us prepare now
He is well aware that it is likely Aunt Qiaoyun who is causing trouble, but today she has arrived a bit earlier than usual
However, there is no time to consider these matters now; for the time being, I must earn this sum of money. Otherwise, before I even return to modern society, I fear I might starve to death.
Yang Heng, upon reaching this point, feigned an air of great expertise and said: "With my magical powers, even without family members to see me off, I can still escort this spirit to the other shore"
However, just as she approached the crowd on the field, a red light emanated from Yang Heng's embrace, keeping her outside the circle
Yang Heng squinted his eyes and glanced around the funeral hall, discovering that there was no one else present except for a little maid who was continuously burning joss paper.
Yang Heng was taken aback by this scene, wondering what was happening. How could a solid ring have turned into an illusion?
The majority of the funeral rites are overly complex, and Yang Heng can hardly remember them. The only one he remembers is one of the simplest rituals for delivering souls—breaking the hell.
After completing the document, Yang Heng reflected for a moment and felt that merely writing was insufficient. For the sake of caution, he took out the copper seal that the master had given him after he received his credentials from his bosom.
Yang Heng is currently dressed lightly, and feels extremely cold as the wind blows against him. He is thinking about finishing this ritual quickly so that he can return indoors and warm up.
However, although Yang Heng is a true Taoist, he has only been a monk for a few days and cannot remember those scriptures at all
It seems that this ring is not a physical object, but rather an illusion.
Then may I ask when the Daoist priest will hold the ceremony and perform the rites
After Yang Heng had dinner, Butler Liu brought him to the front courtyard again
At that time, he was in the Sanqing Hall, and he merely took a stone ring, which immediately brought about his retribution
Yang Heng looked up at the sky, estimating that it was probably around 7 o'clock, and thought it should be about time.
However, these were Yang Heng's inner thoughts, which he did not express verbally. After all, it was their money, and the timing of the rituals depended on the host's wishes
With a command from Steward Liu, three or four young servants sprang into action
There was already an altar set up there, adorned with various fresh fruits, candles, and joss paper.
It was discovered by Yang Heng that, at some unknown point in time, a stone ring had already been placed on his left ring finger
On the ring finger, there is currently a stone ring being worn
Upon hearing this, Steward Liu finally nodded in satisfaction
Upon hearing this, Steward Liu felt somewhat troubled, "Daoist, my master is deeply saddened and is afraid he cannot attend the ceremony. I wonder if this will affect the proceedings of the ritual"
Standing outside and watching the ritual, Butler Liu could not help but shiver at the sight before him
The faint sound of crying has now become very clear, as if everyone present is continuously weeping in my ears
Yang Heng still spoke in a very professional manner: "There is no problem at all. If family members come, that is naturally good, as they can accompany the deceased on their final journey. If they do not come, it is also nothing to worry about."
Now that I think about it, could my own time travel be related to the stone ring worn by that Original Heavenly Sovereign?
The general meaning is to report to the underworld that a soul has been sent there by him, and that they should be well taken care of.
Meanwhile, in a place unseen by Yang Heng and the others, a female ghost with disheveled hair was continuously howling.
Upon seeing Butler Liu, Yang Heng nodded and immediately asked, "Daoist, how do you suggest we arrange this?"
Thus, Yang Heng remained distracted, pretending to be engaged.
In a moment of deep frustration, Yang Heng could not help but clench his hands tightly
Yang Heng, who was performing the ritual in the venue, although shivering somewhat from the wind, was completely unaware of the surrounding situation; he merely thought it was a late evening breeze
However, what is strange is that this ring appears to be the same as before, yet it also seems somewhat ethereal