Chapter 63 The Ghost of Youmeng Lake
The following night.
Dream Lake.
Fan Yue came here in place of her father, Fan Pingwei, to check on the situation.
Logically speaking, for such a dangerous activity, Fan Pingwei could have simply assigned his secretary.
But since it concerned his benefactor, Master Qiannian, he felt that having his daughter handle the matter was the only way to show sufficient sincerity.
Fan Yueke was a bold girl who feared nothing.
He is obsessed with all kinds of ghost stories and horror movies.
Upon hearing her father's arrangement, she was filled with excitement and readily accepted the task without hesitation.
Furthermore, as the youngest daughter in the family, she rarely had the opportunity to appear in business matters.
Her father rarely entrusted her with such an important task, so she naturally volunteered and was determined to do her best.
Of course, just to be on the safe side, she brought three bodyguards with her.
When Lu Jianhong saw that it was Fan Yueke who had come, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
But he quickly composed himself, forced a smile, and warmly settled her in. Then, looking nervous, he followed Master Youxu closely.
This is Fan Yueke's first time visiting Youmeng Lake.
If it weren't for the guidance of a master from a thousand years ago, one would really think this is a beautiful and pleasant place.
The lake water was clear and sparkling, tranquil and beautiful under the bright moonlight.
However, this tranquility had an inexplicable eeriness about it.
Fan Yue belatedly realized that this unrealistically beautiful lake seemed to have been drained of all its vitality.
There were no frogs croaking, no nightingales, and even mosquitoes avoided it.
A chill ran down Fan Yueke's spine.
She immediately sent a private message to the "Master of a Thousand Years" seeking reassurance.
Lu Yao's show just started airing, and she immediately connected with Fan Yueke online.
"Good evening everyone. I regret to inform you that we will not be drawing lucky winners tonight."
The viewers in the live chat, who were full of hope that they would be selected, were immediately disappointed.
[I won 500 yuan in the lottery today, I was so lucky! I thought I could try my luck here on the live stream tonight.]
[Disappointing! I even put on the background music for my lucky draw, and the streamer said they weren't going to draw anymore, sob sob sob]
Seeing the barrage of disappointed wailing in the live chat, Lu Yao almost laughed. "Let's watch an exciting live broadcast today. Mr. Lu has found a Daoist named Youxu to solve the problem of Youmeng Lake. Let's take a look."
I take back my disappointment; live ghost hunting is much more interesting!!
[It's a pity the streamer isn't personally catching the ghost!! But Master Qiannian should provide commentary and explanations, so it'll still be quite interesting to watch.]
Fan Yue can point her camera at the scene at Youmeng Lake.
The moonlight, as clear as water, carried a hint of chill, casting a cold, eerie glow on the lake's surface.
There stood Master Youxu, dressed in a Taoist robe and holding a whisk, solemnly directing the workers hired by Lu Jianhong to set up the thirty-six thick peach wood pillars.
The viewers in the live chat were completely confused and kept asking the streamer to explain.
Lu Yao understood everything at a glance.
She smiled and said, "What this Taoist priest is setting up is the Three Yin Soul-Suppressing Formation."
This magic array is based on thirty-six peach woods, which correspond to the number of the Heavenly Gang. Peach wood itself has the ability to ward off evil spirits and ghosts, and the thicker and better quality peach wood is even more powerful.
Applying tung oil to peach wood can activate its spiritual power while giving it a unique scent that can disrupt the senses of evil spirits.
The red silk ribbon symbolizes vital energy and yang energy, resisting the invasion of yin energy.
Special talismans were affixed to red silk every three feet to enhance the suppressive power of the magic array.
She explained it in detail, leaving the viewers in the chat completely bewildered.
Wow, I don't understand, but this Master Youxu is really something!
If he were a scammer, the streamer would have exposed him immediately.
This Daoist priest, Youxu, does indeed have a somewhat otherworldly and ethereal air about him.
Master Youxu did indeed come from the Xuanmen (mystical sect) and had a certain foundation in metaphysics.
However, time has passed and a thousand years have gone by. The metaphysical schools of that time have undergone countless changes, and Lu Yao could not immediately discern which school he came from.
Before long, the thirty-six peach wood pieces were in place.
Daoist Youxu walked steadily to the center of the formation, his posture upright, and shouted in a low voice: "The formation is complete!"
Lu Yao looked at the time displayed on her screen.
It is precisely midnight, the "Ghost Gate" time when Yin and Yang alternate! (Note: 23:00-1:00)
The vengeful spirits in Youmeng Lake are water ghosts, making it a perfect time to catch them.
However, while the benefits of performing rituals at midnight are enormous, the risks should not be underestimated.
At this time, the yin energy is at its peak and the yang energy is just beginning to emerge, making the activities of ghosts and spirits most rampant.
If the spell goes wrong, it may cause the yin energy to flow back and damage the caster's internal organs.
I wonder to what extent this Daoist Youxu has mastered magic.
As Lu Yao pondered, Daoist Youxu had already raised his peach wood sword and was chanting incantations.
As he chanted, the tip of the peach wood sword gleamed with a silvery light.
"Hurry!" Daoist Youxu shouted, pointing his peach wood sword at the lake surface, and the magic array was activated instantly.
Spiritual energy flowed among the peach trees, forming a pale blue light curtain that enveloped Dream Lake.
[Wow, isn't this better than a superhero blockbuster??]
[Wow, that's impressive. If the streamer can't pick me, I might as well go find this Taoist Master Youxu to do some divination.]
A muffled sound came from the bottom of the lake, and the lake water began to churn violently.
A figure slowly emerged.
It was the ghost of the woman who drowned herself in the lake a hundred years ago.
A century of soaking gave her skin an eerie bluish-white hue, and her wet, long hair clung to her distorted face like seaweed.
His white clothes were tattered and stained with blood after being soaked in the water.
"Why are you disturbing my peace? I haven't harmed anyone."
The female ghost spoke with resentment, each word dripping with blood.
Lu Yao looked at her and whispered:
"The crow's feet at the corners of the eyes are broken rather than naturally smoothed out. In physiognomy, this is called 'the eyes are cut off by a golden knife,' which corresponds to a violent marriage. There is bruising on the edge of the lower lip, and the teeth are turned inward as if biting. This is a sign of harboring resentment. One will endure tears and swallow one's anger all day long, and resentment will penetrate to the bone."
Three hundred years ago.
Sixteen-year-old A-Lian married into the Wang family without a dowry, wearing an old dress and a wooden hairpin in her hair.
Her family was poor, and the Wang family was poor too; even the rats had to be carried away with tears in their eyes.
Neither family could afford the bride price to find a wife, so they hit it off and decided to exchange their sisters for a bride.
When A-Lian arrived at the Wang family's house, she had to pound rice before dawn, and the stone mortar was higher than her knees.
Rice bran flew into her scabbed fingernails, causing excruciating pain, but her mother-in-law, annoyed by the sound of the pestle disturbing her morning sleep, grabbed a clothesline pole and whipped her back.
The worst time was during the hottest days of summer, when her husband, drunk, kicked open the door while she was mending the hole in his pants by the moonlight.
A slap landed hard on her face, a rough porcelain bowl smashed against her brow bone, and a rattan cane lashed her chest...
Countless painful moments, day after day, year after year.
The night I drowned was very quiet.
The lake was like a mirror, reflecting the scar on her face that ran from her forehead to her chin. Everyone said she looked like a ghost, forgetting that she was once a famous and beautiful girl in the surrounding villages.
Ah Lian smiled at her reflection in the water. Only half of the wooden hairpin from back then remained, which she slowly inserted back into her hair.
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