I stared blankly at Su Mingyang, who was fast asleep, hugging my leg.
It was breathing, had body temperature, and was drooling while talking in its sleep.
This doesn't look like a dead person!
I checked his breath with my hand in front of his nose, and he was still breathing.
The carotid artery was also pulsating.
It would be absolutely impossible to mistake the spot on his neck.
After all, I've dealt with corpses since I was a child. Do you think I don't know whether it's livor mortis or not?
How can livor mortis appear on a living person?
Seeing that Su Mingyang's saliva was about to drip onto my leg, I kicked him so hard he fell over twice.
At first, he complained angrily, but when he heard me say that he had lividity on his neck, he was terrified.
He kept taking pictures with his phone while pulling on her collar, and eventually he simply took off all his clothes.
Not only his neck, but also his body had many bruises the size of coins.
"Old Chen, am I...am I dead?" Su Mingyang's legs were shaking.
I said I didn't know either, and told them to hurry up and ask Master Jin at the Rebirth Pavilion.
As soon as I finished speaking, I noticed that Su Mingyang was staring at me as if he had seen a ghost.
"Old Chen, you...you have lividity on your neck too."
I pulled my clothes up to my neck and looked down at my chest.
On his chest, which should have been a healthy skin tone, irregular bluish-purple patches were now faintly appearing.
Does this mean that Su Mingyang and I are already dead?
We just don't know it?
I heard my grandfather say that when a person dies, the separation of the soul from the body is not instantaneous; consciousness will linger in the body for a short time.
Therefore, the deceased did not initially know that he was dead.
The soul returns on the seventh day after death, witnessing the grief of relatives and the strangeness of familiar places, but can no longer have any substantial interaction with the world it lived in.
Or perhaps they experienced a series of supernatural or paranormal encounters before realizing they were dead.
"Oh no, oh no, what will happen to my mom if I die?"
Su Mingyang spun around aimlessly like a runaway top.
For some unknown reason, he slapped himself hard, howling in pain until his face was swollen.
Su Mingyang covered his swollen face, muttering in confusion, "Now that I've turned into a ghost, will it still hurt?"
I tugged at him: "Stop guessing. If you don't understand, go ask someone who does."
...
When we returned to the Rebirth Pavilion, Master Jin was already waiting in front of the square table, wearing a black robe.
Huang Xiangu hadn't changed her clothes; she was still wearing the same ones we saw today, only her hair was down.
Upon seeing Master Jin, that coward Su Mingyang rushed over, shouting incoherently, "Master Jin, help me! I have freckles!"
Jin glared at him irritably: "This is a paper-burning shop, not a beauty salon. If you want to get rid of freckles, go to a beauty salon!"
No!
Su Mingyang gripped Jin Ye's hand tightly, ripped off his collar, and brought his neck close to Jin Ye's face.
“It’s not melasma, it’s rigor mortis. Both Lao Chen and I have it.”
Jin took a closer look and couldn't help but gasp: "This situation is more serious than I imagined."
Huang Xiangu frowned and muttered to herself, "You're all wearing bracelets, so this shouldn't be happening."
As she spoke, she seemed to suddenly realize something and abruptly grabbed my hand.
In an instant, her face turned deathly pale.
"How did this bracelet get like this!" Huang Xiangu exclaimed in surprise.
Upon hearing this, I subconsciously looked down at the bracelet.
I hadn't noticed before, but now I realize that the bracelet has turned light gray.
Upon closer inspection, one could see that the bracelet was covered with fine cracks, resembling a spider web.
"Where exactly did you go today?" Huang Xiangu stared at us sharply, her tone full of accusation.
I quickly replied, "I didn't go anywhere special, I just took a shower and then went to the Martyrs' Cemetery."
Upon hearing this, Jin frowned even more and pressed, "Did you go to a small hair salon to get your hair washed?"
Su Mingyang hurriedly waved his hand and explained, "It's not that kind of place. We're going to a proper hot spring hotel."
Huang Xiangu stomped her feet in anger: "You really can't leave out a single word! Wearing this bracelet, you are strictly forbidden from going to places like nightclubs and massage parlors, where yin energy is strong and yang energy is mixed, and evil spirits are easily attracted. If you go there, it will be useless!"
wipe?
How would we know?
We remembered that Master Jin had said we needed to take a bath and burn incense to cleanse ourselves of impurities before the 'passing through the underworld' tonight, so we went to a sauna.
Fearing they wouldn't get properly clean, each of us spent 60 yuan on a body scrub, which almost rubbed our skin off.
"Master Jin, is there any hope for us? Are Old Chen and I already dead?" Su Mingyang's voice was trembling with sobs.
Jin didn't answer immediately. After a long silence, he said, "Whether there's any hope or not, we'll only know after we bring up the thing that's been harming you!"
It seems that even Mr. Jin is not entirely confident.
I'm alright; I don't have much of a fear of death.
That good-for-nothing Su Mingyang was already crying.
At this moment, Grandpa Jin took out lime and drew a circle about two meters in diameter around the square table, then placed the soul-summoning banner in the due south direction of the circle.
Then, a bronze mirror, a yin-yang water bowl, a glutinous rice bowl, four black candles, and several dishes were placed on the table in that order.
Su Mingyang gently tugged at my sleeve, staring at the four black candles, and asked, "Why are these candles black?"
I said, "I've heard my grandfather say that white candles represent holiness and salvation, while red candles mostly represent joy and auspiciousness."
Black candles, also called 'yin candles,' are the keys to connecting the realms of the living and the dead. During 'passing through the underworld,' they are placed in the four cardinal directions (east, south, west, and north), signifying that all paths to the underworld are open.
As he said this, Mr. Jin lit four black candles.
Then I, Su Mingyang, and Huang Xiangu sat down in our respective places.
Su Mingyang and I sat side by side in the due east position corresponding to the Zhen trigram.
The Zhen hexagram symbolizes thunder, and the east is where yang energy first rises and life begins to stir, like the first rumble of spring thunder.
Our position here is like borrowing the power of the Zhen hexagram, using our own yang energy as a foundation, and at necessary moments using our yang strength to stabilize our souls, so as to prevent evil spirits from seizing our souls.
As for Master Jin, he sat steadily in the due south direction, which is governed by the Li trigram, holding a soul-summoning banner.
The Li trigram symbolizes fire and also represents the meaning of punishing evil.
Master Jin was stationed here, overseeing the rhythm and process of the entire 'passing through the underworld' ritual.
Huang Xiangu was sitting in the due west position indicated by the Dui trigram.
The trigram Dui represents a lake, and in the alternation of Yin and Yang, the west is a place where Yin energy gradually increases.
Her sitting here is like a bridge connecting the realms of Yin and Yang, making her body and soul more susceptible to being approached and possessed by evil spirits in this place rich in Yin energy.
This opens the mysterious passage to the underworld, allowing the consciousness of the living to briefly travel between the realms of Yin and Yang.
With everything ready, Master Jin handed me a blank birth chart: "Write the female corpse's name and birth date on it."
When he said that, Su Mingyang and I were both dumbfounded.
Yes, we have no idea what her name is.
How do I summon this soul?
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