Chapter 10
Finally it was nine o'clock and I stood up immediately. Seeing this, Zhang Song also stood up.
I walked up to Aunt Chen and said, "Aunt, please step out for a while tonight and come back tomorrow morning. Let Zhang Song and I watch over you tonight."
We asked her to step aside because we were afraid that she would get bumped, and that another person would fall down before anyone else could finish what was happening.
After hearing what I said, Aunt Chen went to her relative's house in the backyard and stayed there for the night.
Zhang Song and I walked towards the lower gully entrance. When we came out of the west gully entrance, I suddenly felt a chill.
This has added a bit of gloom to my mood. I hope everything goes well tonight.
Although I have seen those dirty things, I still feel a little uneasy when walking on this road, especially at night.
In contrast, Zhang Song followed me with a swagger, showing no fear at all.
When we arrived at Xiagoukou, there was a crossroads. Maomao and I also walked from here to Niujiawan that night.
In folklore, crossroads are the place where yin and yang meet, and soul-calling is often done at a crossroads. Since the place where Maomao was frightened was not far from here, it was a perfect place to call his soul.
I spread a red cloth on the ground and held down its corners with copper coins. This is called the Soul Guiding Platform, the starting point for Maomao's spirit, while the red cloth I set up at his house is called the Soul Fixing Platform, the end point.
After I finished, I said to Zhang Song, "I'll ring the bell three times, then say a few words of magic. Then I'll walk, scattering rice. When I'm three to five meters away, follow me. Remember to step on the rice."
Zhang Song nodded seriously.
There's a reason why I sprinkled the white rice. In the Yin Fu Lu, it's called the Soul-Guiding Road. It's meant to guide Maomao's soul to follow me and avoid taking a detour. And having Zhang Song walk behind me on the white rice was to destroy the Soul-Guiding Road, preventing Maomao's soul from wandering backwards.
I took a deep breath and stood in front of the red cloth. The spiritual journey of my life began.
I raised the bell and shook it every three breaths, calling out "Mao Jianming" each time. When I finished shaking the bell, I said aloud, "The fetal light is refreshed, the spirit returns to the body; the three souls gather, the seven spirits are forever at peace!"
As soon as I finished speaking, a gust of wind suddenly blew around me, and I clearly felt Maomao's soul fall on the red cloth.
This feeling is very strange. I can't see or touch it, but I just feel that there is a soul on the red cloth, and it is emitting a maomao scent.
Having summoned the spirit, I rang the bell again, walking along while scattering rice on the road. A dozen steps later, Zhang Song caught up with me.
Maomao's soul followed the white rice and was sandwiched between Zhang Song and me. The two of us walked towards Xigou with one soul.
It seems that this soul-calling ceremony is not difficult. I succeeded in calling the soul back the first time and did not encounter any obstacles.
I thought the soul-calling ceremony would be completed quickly, but unexpectedly, an accident occurred when we reached Niujiawan. It's said that we should never be complacent before we succeed, but because of my carelessness, I almost caused a disaster.
You know, after ringing the copper bell for so long, it's not just Maomao's soul that's being summoned. Many wandering ghosts will also be attracted by the ringing sound. These wandering ghosts have been unable to enter the cycle of reincarnation for a long time, and they are filled with resentment. When they finally hear someone calling their soul, they will desperately replace Maomao's soul, perform a play of usurping the magpie's nest, and finally return to life.
At this moment, I felt that three or four wandering souls were walking out of the dark woods.
I raised the bronze bell, shook it vigorously, and chanted: "South Pole Fire Bell, Gold Fire Heavenly Ding. With a single thought, the spirit takes form."
The copper bell in my hand immediately turned into a ball of fire.
I waved the bell at the approaching wandering souls, and a fireball instantly flew out of the copper bell and rushed towards them.
When the flames came into contact with the wandering soul, there was a sizzling sound, accompanied by a few screams.
But these wandering souls did not retreat. After all, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them, so they continued to walk towards us in the flames.
Zhang Song must have sensed something, as he paused and looked around. Maomao's spirit seemed frightened and tried to flee. That's when Zhang Song's role became apparent. He had broken the soul-guiding path formed by the white rice, and Maomao was now trapped between Zhang Song and me.
Seeing that Maomao's spirit was frightened, I also felt a little panicked. I knew very well the consequences of failing to call back his spirit: at best, he would become stupid, at worst, he would die.
And if I fail this time, it will be extremely difficult to summon his soul next time!
I quickly chanted another incantation: "The Moon Emperor shines brightly, the Sun Emperor illuminates. The Four Truths and Three Qis protect my soul and spirit." When I finished, I pointed at Maomao's spirit, and a golden light descended upon him, completely enveloping him.
It’s strange to say, although it was the first time I used these techniques, they were all successful.
After doing all this, I felt exhausted. After using two spells in a row, I had reached my limit. So I quickened my pace, hoping to reach Xigou as soon as possible and complete this ritual.
Seeing this, Zhang Song also quickened his pace and followed me.
Maomao's soul was protected by my magic spell and calmed down. It followed me on the soul-guiding path formed by white rice.
Although those wandering souls were walking very slowly, they were getting closer and closer.
If this continues, he will be caught up sooner or later.
But with this golden light protecting his soul, these three or four ghosts probably won't be able to cause any harm to him.
After walking for about five minutes, the three of us came into view. A small bridge called Maishui Bridge appeared. As mentioned earlier, there's a river running south of the main road to Xiaogangzi, and Maishui Bridge was built to cross it. After crossing the bridge, it was another minute or two of walking before we reached the main road, which brought us very close to Xigou.
As luck would have it, this was a three-way intersection, and going southeast also led to the mouth of the Lan River. My heart tightened, thinking to myself, this is not good. I had completely forgotten about this bridge.
Why do I get nervous seeing this three-way intersection at the bridgehead? It's because it's shaped like an inverted T, known locally as a "dead end road," where ghosts tend to get lost and congregate. We're currently heading southwest, and the northeast fork is known as the Ghost Gate, where the negative energy is even stronger. Worst of all, the mingled energy of people and water above and below the bridge creates a chaotic aura, making it a magnet for wandering spirits.
I rang the copper bell in my hand, and all the ghosts gathered here were attracted. You know, this bridge has been built for countless years, so there are so many ghosts gathered here!
But I couldn't stop. If I stopped, Maomao's soul would also stop. I was really in a dilemma.
Zhang Song and I went up the bridge. The ghosts chasing us were getting closer and closer, but that was secondary. The group of wandering ghosts in front of us pounced on Maomao's soul like hungry tigers!
More than ten ghosts pounced on Maomao. Although blocked by the golden light, he was still frightened and stopped on the bridge.
This won't work, so I shook the bell hard, trying to force him to cross the bridge.
When the ghosts heard the loud bell, they frantically attacked the soul-protecting golden light. It looked like the golden light would be knocked away by them sooner or later.
What's even more terrible is that now not only are the ghosts in the woods gathering here, but a few evil spirits have also come down from the nearby mountains.
We are not far from Maomao's home now, but the golden light has been dimmed by the wandering ghosts in such a short time. I am afraid that it will not be able to reach his home. I have to think of other ways as soon as possible.
In fact, there are many spells for exorcising evil spirits recorded in the Yin Fu Lu, but I have only recently learned it, and my magic power is low. After using the two spells just now, I am no longer able to perform them. What should I do?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
