Guiding souls to ask for directions
"Thirteen stations in the underworld? But the story in this letter about a scholar who was possessed by an evil spirit, and his mother calling a Taoist priest and a medium to call back his soul, and then the soul returned and the scholar woke up, seems more like a story."
Among mortals there are those who are born with special abilities, who are in touch with yin and yang, ghosts and gods, and who get the chance to be used by the underworld, and who can travel to the borders of the world of the living and the world of the dead. They are called ghost-walkers.
There are also those who are born with Yin bodies, who know only superficial things but can use talismans and props to forcibly travel back and forth between the two worlds. They are prone to sudden death, so they don't act easily. However, because they make a lot of money, there are often people who pretend to be ghosts and ghosts, and many people are deceived. Later, many people disbelieve and sneer at them.
Yuanli didn't think that Chu Xiao and Xiang Yao were the kind of people who would use files of records from previous generations that looked like stories to get by.
"There's a custom in Nanzhao funerals where images of the thirteen stations of the underworld, along with prayer flags, are hung in the mourning hall. These are often based on legends, imaginative paintings, and annotated with text. If a scholar calls upon the soul, then who's the true or false psychic? Chi Huai's symptoms are very similar to those of someone who has lost their soul after encountering a demon. Since there's no better way, why not give it a try?"
Chi Que was very convinced by what he heard and said hurriedly, "Then, in your opinion, how should we use these thirteen stations in the underworld to call back souls?"
"Our ancestors passed down the tradition that after death, the dead enter the underworld, which is divided into thirteen stations: the Earth God Temple, Yellow Springs Road, Wangxiang Terrace, Evil Dog Ridge, Golden Rooster Mountain, Wild Ghost Village, Bewildering Soul Hall, Fengdu City, the Eighteen Hells, the Blood Pool, the Offering Pavilion, the Lotus Platform, and the Resurrection Cliff. Only after completing all thirteen stations can one enter the cycle of reincarnation and be reborn. The soul of a newly deceased person is called the living soul. After leaving the body, the three souls and six spirits will go to the local Earth God Temple. The second station is the Yellow Springs Road. On this Yellow Springs Road, there are no sun, moon, or stars, no dust below, no Yangguan Avenue in front, and no relatives or neighbors behind. It is said that only after entering Fengdu City can the deceased become a true ghost. There is also a saying that at this time, some people will buy life to snatch the soul. As long as they have not entered Fengdu City, they still have a chance to return to life. Although Chi Huai was near death, he was not completely dead. His slow awakening is most likely due to the lack of soul and spirit."
Yuanli has been in the underworld for tens of thousands of years. Although she is familiar with the functions and procedures of various departments in the underworld, her understanding is not comprehensive. Apart from listening to what her friends who are the ghost messengers in the underworld say, most of her understanding comes from accompanying Cha Suxun to handle official documents.
The thirteen stations of the underworld that Chi Xun mentioned were not even in the wrong order. Coupled with her previous suspicion of him, Yuanli became even more suspicious of whether he retained Heng Jin's memory.
But why would he go to such great lengths to hide his memories from the entire heaven and underworld, and why would he be willing to take such a risk?
"The underworld... the underworld... but isn't that a place only for the dead, Lord Qi? The scholar in the story sought a medium to call back his soul, but we rarely have any connection with the area down the mountain. Some of us have spent our entire lives on this mountain. Where can we find a reliable medium in such a short time?" Chi Que said worriedly.
"A medium or sorcerer can only summon back souls that have lost their way and can't find their bodies. Once the body is found, the soul will return. If the soul is frightened away along the way, if the time limit is exceeded and the soul still hasn't found the body, the person will die."
"According to the adults, Chi Huai has been frightened out of his wits for over three days, but he's still breathing. Doesn't that mean... the situation is different?"
"He didn't die because of the spirits of the plants and trees. A wandering soul that has been lost for too long can easily run into a ghost messenger and be taken away. However, since there is no name in the ghost messenger book, the process should not be so fast."
Chi Xun, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke slowly, "Let's not even talk about how to enter the underworld alive and bring his wandering soul back. How can we even confirm whether Chi Huaishi's wandering soul is in the underworld and which of the thirteen stations it is in?"
"Guide the soul and ask for directions."
Qi Heng's few words confirmed the answer to Chi Xun's question. "Conveying a spirit to ask for directions? I've never heard of that. It seems I can only rely on Master Qi. Just write down what you need and we'll go find it. It will be of some use."
Chi Que immediately dug out Chi Huai's pen, ink, paper, and inkstone from the desk and handed them to Qi Heng. He also used a paperweight to press the paper down. Once the ink was ready, he signaled Qi Heng to start writing. He was afraid that if he didn't do it properly, he would stop writing and Chi Huai would be finished.
Qi Heng wrote for a long time, excluding the things that Ling Xiangyao had prepared to bring, and repeatedly confirmed what he had written, fearing that he had missed something.
"It's a bit long, but the parts I circled are the most important, the things that must be found. The rest are things that can be found. Guiding souls to ask for directions and living souls entering the underworld are both extremely dangerous. The physical body is extremely important. These are all countermeasures that may be useful."
Chi Que stared at the thick stack of papers. He didn't recognize most of the words. He glanced at it and swallowed hard in shock. He said with a pained heart, "Oh my god, how much money will this cost? Chi Huai, I'm afraid I will have to sell all my belongings to save you. You have to come back alive! Only then will you be worthy of me, your brother."
Chi Xun curiously took the list from Chi Que's trembling hands, looked at it, and asked, "When do you want it?"
"At the latest, at dusk." Qi Heng instructed Chi Que again: "My people will bring something later. Ask them to take you to find it. They will pay for it. But there are some things that only you can get quickly, so I'll need your help."
Hearing this, Chi Que bowed deeply to Qi Heng with tears of gratitude. With a slight soreness in his nose, he said with tears in his eyes, "Thank you very much for saving my life, Master Qi. If there is a chance in the future, my two brothers will work like slaves for you to repay you."
Qi Heng helped him up and said, "You don't have to repay me. Everyone in this room is trying to save him, including you. Now, go find something quickly."
Dusk fades.
The sunset glow had not yet completely disappeared, and the crescent moon had already quietly revealed its tip. Beside it, a few stars were faintly shining.
Chi Huai was already sweating and panting when he rushed back with Xiang Yao and the others. Without waiting for a short rest, he saw Qi Heng and the others setting up the venue, and he immediately put down his tea and went to help.
Qi Heng had to draw the formation and spells to guide the souls and ask for directions himself. Since he couldn't help, he could only wait. It wasn't until the rosy glow gave way to the night and completely disappeared, and the bright moon had climbed high in the sky, that he was able to make thorough preparations.
Chi Xun picked up a yellow paper talisman and examined it while asking Qi Heng, "When are you going to summon the soul to ask for directions?"
"Right now, we've already wasted too much time with our hasty preparations. We need to find out the location of the Bewitching Soul as quickly as possible. This is the last night of the three-day period."
After moving the wooden square table to the front of Chi Huai's bed, Qi Heng took out two black and white porcelain bottles from the box brought by Xiang Yao, and used the black and white powder in the porcelain bottles to draw strange patterns and characters on the table.
"No matter what you hear or see, don't make any loud noises or move around, and don't open the doors or windows. Let's get started."
After finishing the painting, Qi Heng placed the heavy bowl of glutinous rice in the center of the black and white Tai Chi diagram. He then lit three thick incense sticks and held them in his hands, constantly changing the positions of his hands to form seals. Although it looked dangerous, he was not burned by the incense at all.
Qi Heng kept muttering words that were incomprehensible, and his speaking speed would increase with each repetition.
The originally calm night was suddenly blown by a strong wind, and the insects and birds in the mountains and forests seemed to gather around Chi Huai's house. The sound of birds flapping their wings was amplified in his ears, and it was extremely clear, but no birds were seen.
The hearing and attention are gradually amplified by the tension. The slightest noise or abnormality can be immediately detected at this time, and even the fear is amplified.
Chi Lu kept swallowing to relieve her nervousness, holding Chi Xun's arm tightly, and recalling almost all the sad things in her life, trying to divert her attention and ease her fear.
Qi Heng repeated the operation three times, but Chi Huai, who was lying on the bed, still did not respond.
It wasn't until the fourth time that Chi Huai suddenly opened her eyes and let out a girl's silver bell-like laughter, which gradually turned into a sharp and piercing cry. She kept scolding, "It was my brother and father who threw me into the frying pan! Mother, save me!"
Qi Heng saw that something was wrong, so he dipped his finger in the black dog's blood and stuck the yellow paper talisman on the left side, muttering other spells.
The woman screamed in more and more pain, repeating over and over again: "Dad and Mom, please don't eat me, it hurts, the oil pan is so hot! Mom! Ah!" As the woman's last scream disappeared, the house temporarily became quiet, and Chi Huai also closed his eyes.
After sending the summoned wandering soul away, Qi Heng's forehead was already covered with sweat. Just as he was about to pick up the yellow paper talisman to continue summoning souls, he looked at Yuanli beside him and couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Are you scared? Do you want to take a break?"
Yuanli shook her head without saying a word. Instead, Chilu asked tremblingly, "That is, that is, what is it?"
"The souls of those who died unjustly, because their lifespans on earth have not yet ended and their resentment is too deep, they are unable to reach the underworld and pass the thirteen stations. Their memories gradually fade, and they forget everything, until only the memory of their murder remains. They are repeatedly tortured by the fear and even resentment of death. Over time, they become earthbound spirits."
After patiently explaining, Qi Heng fixed his gaze on Yuanli and said, "The summoned spirits are uncertain, but as long as they are all sent away safely, everything will be fine. Don't be afraid, I'll continue."
After saying that, Qi Heng threw away the incense he had just dyed, took out a new incense, lit it, repeated the previous actions and spells, and continued with the next summoning.
And several times in a row, either the brothel madam or the paranoid pervert was summoned, and the beads of sweat on Qi Heng's head gradually became bigger.
Chi Xun couldn't bear it any longer and stood up, saying, "If you keep trying, you'll pass out before the soul-calling and asking for directions is even over. Otherwise, the pervert I just summoned might take over your body and go out and fool around, ruining your reputation."
Seeing that Qi Heng stubbornly sat there motionless, and even wanted to pick up new incense to continue summoning souls, Chi Xun pulled the weak Qi Heng up from the stool.
Qi Heng had very little strength left, and who knew where he got the brute force from? He pulled Qi Heng up from the stool like a chicken, and he almost fell. Fortunately, Chi Xun easily grabbed him and pulled him back.
"Just sit back and watch."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
