Those who give birth at midnight on the 15th of the seventh lunar month are physically weak and most susceptible to possession by wandering spirits.
That night, a fierce wind howled through the Yao family compound, each gust carrying a terrifying chill. Old Man Yao and his son were ordinary people, yet they saw dark shadows darting around inside the house that night, and they were too frightened to move.
The most terrifying thing was that Old Man Yao saw those dark figures rush into his daughter-in-law's room, and then he heard the baby's intermittent cries, like the baby was about to die.
Although Old Man Yao wasn't one of these people, he had heard plenty of supernatural tales since childhood in his hometown in Northeast China. After slapping his son, who was already dazed, he shouted, "Go quickly! Get the kitchen knife, stand at your wife's door, and shout, 'Don't come any closer! The grievance has its source! Don't come near! Remember to bang the knife against the wall or doorframe, making a loud noise, understand?'"
"Hurry up! What are you waiting for!"
Old Yao turned and went into his room. He took out a yellow talisman from the bottom of a locked ochre-red chest. The imperial talisman was contained in a flame-colored sachet, and a faint golden light flashed when it was taken out.
This was passed down to Old Man Yao by his grandmother. When she passed it on to him, she warned him not to use it unless absolutely necessary, and only to ignite it when he encountered a difficult and unscientific situation.
At that time, Old Man Yao did not believe in these things. He only accepted the item as a blessing from his ancestors, which he could not refuse. It was kept as a treasured item until now.
Old Yao rushed into his daughter-in-law's room with a yellow talisman in hand. He wished he hadn't gone in; the sight that entered nearly scared him to death. A dense mass of dark shadows had gathered in front of the bed, completely obscuring the view, and he couldn't see anything inside. The midwife, whether from fright or something unclean, lay unconscious on the floor.
Old Yao took out a match and lit the yellow talisman. The orange-yellow flame reflected on his wrinkled face, which was filled with fear but which he was trying to appear strong and calm.
Old Yao stared intently at the burning yellow talisman, vaguely seeing a divine bird spreading its wings within it. The bird was surrounded by flames, accompanied by ethereal flute music.
Perhaps overwhelmed by its divine power, Old Man Yao nearly lost his footing. Soon he heard the flapping of wings very close by, and then he felt everything go dark before his eyes, with rolling flames sweeping in from the thick black fog.
A woman with a graceful figure appeared barefoot, two red bells jingling on each ankle. Her long, dark blue hair reached past her waist, as soft as the finest silk. Her features were exquisite, like those of a goddess. The woman raised her eyes and gazed at me, her voice gentle and melodious, lingering long, "Who is it that disturbed my peaceful slumber?"
When Old Man Yao saw this, he realized it was a deity. He immediately pulled his son down to kneel and bowed repeatedly until their foreheads were bruised.
When the woman saw the scene inside the house and the yellow talisman that was about to burn out in Old Man Yao's hand, she instantly understood the cause and effect and did not waste any more time asking questions.
With a slight cast of magic, the shadows inside the house were completely dispelled.
Old Yao and his son were dumbfounded, speechless, and frozen in place. The chickens were playing in the yard... After finally regaining their composure, their hearts were still pounding.
"Thank you so much for your help, my Yao family is extremely grateful."
"Don't call me 'god,' we don't use that title." The woman gave a delicate yawn. "Just call me Ling Guang."
Old Yao dared not call her by her given name, so he called her "Miss Lingguang".
Ling Guang looked around, her delicate brows furrowing, and disapproval surfaced in her beautiful, rouge-colored eyes. "How could the descendants of the Yao family have fallen so low? How could they settle in such a desolate place?"
She paused, then said regretfully, "I'm afraid we'll never be able to get out again."
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