Chapter 002: Strange Events in Yingtan

Wu Lin's son attends a school that is not far away. When we arrived at the school, classes had just ended. The gatekeeper stopped us from entering, but then Old Iron said he was bringing his grandson to school, and we were allowed into the school.

We quickly found Wu Lin's son's homeroom teacher. This middle-aged woman also wore a troubled expression, as one of her students had inexplicably gone missing, and she bore an undeniable responsibility.

The Longhu Gate I am referring to is not the one from the Hong Kong comics, but rather a branch of the Longhu Mountain sect, which is a more orthodox external sect of Longhu Mountain. It is located near Yingtan City in Jiangxi Province. The leader of the sect is said to be a direct descendant of Zhang Ling—Zhang Tianshi, although this is yet to be verified; I am merely relaying hearsay.

The opening has been extended, there are many tasks in the afternoon, and it will be a bit slower.

In the afternoon, Tie Laotou took me to the school where Wu Lin's son studies

Afterward, Wu Lin inquired among all his relatives and friends in the vicinity, but to no avail; no one knew their whereabouts. At this point, Wu Lin was in a daze. Where was his wife? Where was his son? He hurriedly reported the case, but the police investigated for a long time without any results

Iron Old Man glanced at me and said: "Look at your pathetic appearance. What are you afraid of!"

This matter was conveyed to Old Iron by him

Wu Lin heard that his master's friend used to be a traveling merchant, so he came to seek help, thus the matter fell into the hands of me and Old Iron.

The Yinming Stone is a deep black color, smooth to the touch, and icy cold. However, if you possess the ability to see beyond the ordinary, you will immediately notice a small human face within the Yinming Stone, which is the face of the deceased, bearing an expression of resentment

Before the master came to our village, he had not obtained the Yinming Stone. Due to the current popularity of cremation, after cremation, a person's three souls and seven spirits cannot remain in the human realm for long. They must find a host; otherwise, the spirits of the underworld will come to collect them and cast them into the Avici Hell

However, we were relatively lucky; on the way to Longhu Gate, we heard about a strange incident

When I first met Wu Lin, I sensed his overall frailty. At that time, I was only seven years old, not yet of the age to open my third eye. Although my constitution was different from that of ordinary people, allowing me to see spirits and similar entities, I could not compare to those who had already opened their third eye. Nevertheless, Wu Lin's frailty was evident even to me as a child

The method described by Tie Laotou is referred to in our field as "chasing grievances." This involves attaching a crow's feather to an object in front of the vengeful spirit to be tracked, along with a soul-chasing talisman. Through the application of magic, the crow's feather is directed to fly towards the vengeful spirit. The reason for using a crow's feather is that crows are particularly sensitive to the grievances of the spirits of the deceased, which is why crows are often found accompanying corpses. The crow's feather serves as an excellent tool for detecting grievances and resentment.

Upon hearing this, I became even more perplexed and wished to continue inquiring. However, Iron Old Man remained reticent and refused to elaborate further

The so-called "Yinming Stone" refers to stones that are found near the tombstones of men who died before the age of thirty. It is believed that these men, perhaps due to their lingering attachment to the world, harbor unresolved grievances that ultimately attach themselves to the stones nearby. However, Yinming Stones are not easily obtained, as ordinary individuals do not possess significant grievances. Although they may be attached to the world, they do not harbor malicious intent, and thus cannot become Yinming Stones. Only those who suffered from covert harm during their lifetime and are filled with intense resentment may have the possibility of generating such stones near their tombstones.

The possessed Xiaxia clearly hesitated. For a vengeful spirit, entering the cycle of reincarnation signifies the possibility of another life. However, if captured by a traveling merchant, she would undoubtedly be sold to various major sects, forever barred from reincarnation.

I once asked Iron Old Man why we refer to itinerant merchants as such, and why not call them Taoists or Feng Shui masters instead

As he spoke, he walked towards Xiaoxia, having already removed his sunglasses. A faint blue light revealed an imposing aura.

"Master Tie, you must help this time, no matter what." Wu Lin appeared very haggard due to the fatigue from days of relentless travel

I have no need to concern myself with the grievances between you, but the child is innocent. Let the child go, and I will send you into reincarnation; otherwise, I will ensure that you can never rise again. At this moment, Iron Old Man has certainly seen through Xiaoxia's condition. Generally, those possessed by such vengeful spirits find it difficult to survive. However, Wu Lin's son can still be saved.

At this moment, Tie Laotou began to explain: "This incident must be related to the Yinming Stone. The Yinming Stone is formed from resentment. Therefore, individuals close to the Yinming Stone will have specific residual resentment. I just observed Wu Lin and that female teacher; they both exuded a strong sense of resentment. If I am not mistaken, Wu Lin's son must possess the Yinming Stone. If that is the case, then it will be easier to handle. I have a way to find him"

Last Monday, after I sent my son to school, I returned to the shop to help out. I was busy running around until lunchtime when I noticed that Xia (Wu Lin's wife) seemed a bit distracted and couldn't answer my questions. I thought perhaps she was tired from not sleeping well the night before, so I told her to go home and rest. Around 4 PM, I asked her to come back to the shop while I went to pick up my son from school. When I arrived at the school, I found that my son was missing. I asked the teachers, but they didn't know where he was. They said they had seen him during the last physical education class when everyone was free to move around, and after class, he was supposed to go home on his own. But then he just disappeared. I was extremely anxious and searched everywhere. Later, I thought maybe my son had gone home early because he was playing, so I rushed back home. To my surprise, I found that my wife was also missing. They were both gone, both gone... As he spoke, this man in his thirties suddenly covered his face and began to cry, deeply saddened.

This is the first time in my life that I have entered a school, and of course, I did not have many opportunities to attend a formal school thereafter

Old man! What do you know! Do you know how I died? It was because of that wretched woman, who was pregnant with my child and was involved with other men, knowing that I had a heart condition. Every day, she would be affectionate with that man in front of me, causing my heart attack and leading to my death! Since I am dead, that wretched woman and that illegitimate child cannot live! They all must die! Since I am dead, that wretched woman and that illegitimate child cannot live! They all must die!

"Master, what should I do?" Upon witnessing this scene, although I am bold, I am still young, and my legs trembled. This is the second time I have encountered a possession. A normal person, regardless of the circumstances, would always feel fear when faced with a ghost.

Wu Lin is the owner of a local milk tea shop, which is usually located near a friend's house. His business is not particularly prosperous, but he is an honest person, and the neighbors around him all like him very much. He also has a happy family; his son is in the second grade of elementary school, and his wife helps him manage the shop. Their life is quite good.

Standing beside the little boy was indeed his biological mother—Xiaoxia. However, the expression on Xiaoxia's face at that moment seemed to belong to a different person, contorted with ferocity and filled with hatred in her eyes. At this moment, Xiaoxia had already been possessed by a vengeful spirit, becoming the host of this spirit.

After chatting aimlessly for a while, Old Iron pulled me around and left.

The answer given to me by Iron Old Head was very simple: I am in the business of dealing with ghosts and monsters. Although I eliminate harm for the people, at the end of the day, it is still a business. If not a businessman, what else could I be called?

Having taken in a female ghost, I followed the old iron man to Longhu Gate. This was also my first time stepping into this circle, and from then on, there was no turning back.

After listening to his words, Tie Laotou said, "You should go home and rest well. In the afternoon, I will visit your son's school. I will take care of this matter."

Then, the mutation suddenly occurred at this moment

After being possessed, Xiaoxia's face was filled with ferocity as she crazily shouted at the old iron man

This time, it is a disciple from the Dragon and Tiger Gate placing an order with my master, Old Iron, for a Yinming Stone

With the casting of the spell by the old man Tie, the crow's feather, along with the towel that Wu Lin's son usually used, flew up into the air. The old man Tie and I hurriedly chased after the feather, and after about twenty minutes of pursuit, we arrived at a cemetery in Yingtan City. In the distance, a small boy was climbing on a tombstone, his face covered in tears, his whole being resembling a puppet. This small boy was none other than Wu He's son from the library!

Do not rush, I have a general understanding of the situation; you can tell me the specifics later. Sometimes I really admire Old Iron; this old man is particularly serious and composed whenever he enters work mode.

"The bridge belongs to the bridge, and the road belongs to the road. The paths of the mortal world are not for you, a vengeful spirit, to tread upon." At this moment, I truly admire Old Iron; his imposing presence could even leave ghosts in a state of shock.

Then, just a week ago, Wu Lin's wife and child suddenly went missing under mysterious circumstances, leaving without any luggage or a single penny. Wu Lin's son disappeared on his way home from school, while his wife went missing on the same day when she went out to buy groceries. At first, Wu Lin thought his wife had taken their son to her family home, but when he called her family, he received a response indicating that they had not been there.

In Yingtan City, there lived an old friend of Tie Laotou, who was also a traveling merchant. Later, due to an incident during a ghost sealing, he suffered an injury to his left foot, which led him to settle in Yingtan City and withdraw from the circle of traveling merchants

Tie Laotou replied: "A person's vital energy is innate, generally increasing slowly until the age of 30. After 30, the vital energy in a person becomes fixed. Moreover, once vital energy is depleted, it is difficult to replenish. Aside from certain cultivation methods from the Daoist school, only rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures can replenish vital energy and strengthen the foundation. Therefore, you asking me to help him replenish his vital energy is something I cannot do. Furthermore, once vital energy is lost, it is hard to restore. Aside from certain cultivation methods from the Daoist school, only rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures can replenish vital energy and strengthen the foundation. Thus, you asking me to help him replenish his vital energy is something I cannot do. However, the matter we encountered this time should be related to the Yinming Stone we are looking for."

After Wu Lin left, I asked Tie Laotou with confusion, "That man was clearly very weak just now, why didn't you help him treat his condition?"