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墨書 Inktalez
I turned on the light, tidied up my things, and walked to Liu Jian's room, knocking on the door. A cautious voice came from inside, "Who is it? Is that you, Xiao Liu?"
"It's me, Liu Matriarch," I replied.
With a creak, the door opened, reminding me of the sound when I had pushed the wardrobe door earlier. The furniture in this house seemed to be aging quickly.
It was already past three o'clock. Liu Matriarch opened the door and saw me, then cautiously glanced behind me before asking, "How did it go, Xiao Liu? Did you catch those ghosts?"
I chuckled lightly and said, "No, but they won't be coming back. Don't worry. It's just that the house is a bit messy because of me. Liu Matriarch, let's clean it up together."
Liu Matriarch turned to look at Liu Jian lying on the bed, clearly a bit uneasy. I didn't try to persuade her; instead, I turned and walked into Liu Uncle's room. Liu Matriarch eventually followed me in. When she entered the room and saw the pile of things on the bed, she looked a bit surprised. I smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, Liu Matriarch; this is the only way I could do it." Liu Matriarch nodded and smiled back, saying it was fine. After that, she started tidying up.
As I helped out, I asked Liu Matriarch, "Do you know that the piece of land where Grandpa Liu Jian was buried used to be a graveyard?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Matriarch stopped stuffing cotton into the cabinet and turned to ask, "Really? Xiao Liu, I've been married for thirty years and didn't know that place was a graveyard. Should we ask your Liu Uncle about it tomorrow?"
I chuckled and said, "You wouldn't know; Liu Uncle probably doesn't know either. If he did, he wouldn't have chosen such a spot for Grandpa Liu Jian." I had intended to ask if she recognized those seven Spirit Gods but thought better of it; if she did know them, she would have mentioned it by now.
Rural women are quite efficient with their work. In just over ten minutes, she had restored everything I had messed up. After finishing, she asked if I really wouldn't be coming back again. I nodded and assured her not to worry.
I had already decided in my heart that tomorrow night I would visit that graveyard to see if I could send those seven Spirit Gods away one by one. The reason for choosing that location was that there happened to be a large Binding Formation set up there. As long as I sealed off the position where the drum tower's head was located using some means, they wouldn't be able to escape. As for who set up that formation, I had my concerns. However, looking at the items buried underground, they all seemed quite old; after such a long time, the master who set up the formation should have long since passed away.
Liu Matriarch glanced at the clock on the wall; it was still early before dawn. She mentioned that she would go upstairs to tidy up another room and suggested I rest for a while inside. I quickly waved my hand and said it wasn't necessary; it would only be two or three hours until dawn. I could rest outside for a bit and check on things while she should get some rest.
After saying this, I grabbed a blanket and stepped outside. There was a lounge chair outside; the temperature at night was slightly cooler, making it uncomfortable to sleep fully clothed. Covering myself with the blanket felt much better and would help keep mosquitoes away. Mainly because I figured Liu Matriarch probably hadn't slept at all and didn't want to trouble her further. The reason for sleeping outside was that the air was fresh and conducive to thinking and sleeping; plus, having someone like me—a Taoist who wasn't afraid of ghosts—outside should help her sleep more soundly.
Lying on the bamboo lounge chair outside and gazing at the crescent moon hanging above the treetops in the distance, my mind began planning what to do next. Perhaps due to exhaustion, before long, I drifted off into slumber.
The next morning, I was awakened by the quacking of ducks. The Liu Matriarch raised many ducks and would drive them to a nearby stream in the morning, bringing them back in the evening.
As I opened my eyes, I saw Liu Jian beside me, twisting corn. When he noticed I was awake, he patted me on the shoulder and said, "Thanks for your hard work, brother. I’m sorry about last night; my dad and I drank too much."
I rubbed my eyes and replied, "It's nothing. This is something I should have done myself. However, things are not completely resolved yet; I still need to visit that graveyard tonight." Getting off the lounge chair, I stretched and said, "If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way."
Liu Jian jumped up and said, "Wait, wait! Have breakfast before you go. Do you want me to help you tonight?"
I declined, saying that I would go home to have dinner with my parents. It was hard to come back once in a while; I couldn’t waste the opportunity. Saying this, I took out my phone and called my mom to let her know I would be back for breakfast soon.
Liu Jian knew my temperament; once I made up my mind, no amount of persuasion could change it. He sighed and said, "Alright then," as he pulled a red envelope from his pocket and stuffed it into my hand. "Brother, our family is poor and can’t give you much as a reward. Just take this as travel money; I hope you won’t mind."
I didn’t refuse it. Opening the red envelope, I took out a bill and handed the envelope back to him. "Since you call me brother, don’t stand on ceremony. Given how tough things are for you right now, consider this money as a gift for my nephews’ toys."
He insisted on not taking it, but I firmly pressed it into his hands before greeting Liu Grandpa and Liu Matriarch and turning to leave. By the time I got home, the sun was already high in the sky. Youth is indeed wonderful; despite only sleeping for three hours, I had walked over ten miles of mountain roads without feeling too tired.
After a quick shower and finishing breakfast, I went upstairs to catch up on sleep and also called my master to update him on what had happened.
My master was the teacher in this area, so it was most appropriate to inquire about local matters from him. Unfortunately, he was away at the moment; otherwise, it would have been good to invite him over for an on-site visit.
After listening to me speak for a while without saying anything, my master finally responded when I asked if something was wrong. He mentioned that he knew a bit about this matter from the Grandmaster.
I felt a jolt of surprise; while I was aware of this issue from long ago, connecting it to the Grandmaster's generation made me uneasy. After all, the Daoist Techniques from that era were an insurmountable barrier for me. No wonder those talismans were something I could only read about in ancient texts.
However, my master quickly changed the subject. "But you don’t need to worry; it might not be as complicated as you think. Here’s how it goes..." He then began explaining the situation to me.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the young Grandmaster had just started his journey in the field. At that time, our Qiaoling still had a small Taoist temple. Although there weren't many people, it was a place we could call home. One day, several senior figures from the industry came to the temple to discuss matters. The Grandmaster, being junior, was not allowed to participate in the discussions and was instead assigned to a side room to learn Daoist Techniques, with strict instructions not to disturb them unless absolutely necessary.
The Grandmaster later recounted that the discussions were quite heated, with several Senior Masters arguing intensely inside. After a few hours, it seemed they reached a consensus, and the Senior Masters left one after another, leaving behind an exasperated group of teachers who were venting their frustrations within the temple. Not understanding what had transpired, the Grandmaster approached his master to inquire about the situation. His master simply replied, "You will know in due time."
Years later, as the Grandmaster approached the end of his life, he finally mentioned this incident to his own Grandmaster.
One of the Senior Masters specialized in researching reincarnation and longevity techniques alongside his cultivation practices. In my view, those who used spells for reincarnation or extending life were dabbling in some form of dark arts; during that time, the atmosphere surrounding Daoist Arts was still quite intense. Everyone was boldly pursuing methods that could benefit living beings. Thus, this particular Senior Master held considerable prestige at that time.
However, these extraordinary spells were not easy to implement. When this Senior Master felt that his lifespan was nearing its end, he became increasingly radical in his thinking. He believed that extremes would lead to opposites and that Yin and Yang could transform into one another. After death, a soul belonged to Yin; if Yin Qi gathered to a certain extent, could there be revival? This hypothesis was bold and challenging to execute. Nevertheless, he decided to test it himself to see if it could work.
With this idea in mind, this Senior Master informed the other Masters in our area and gathered them at the temple to discuss it further. He presented the specific details of his proposal directly. The plan sounded incredible and seemed unfeasible at least from the Grandmaster's perspective, which led to continuous arguments during that meeting.
This chapter is brought to you by "I Am Hami, You Are Melon," with 111 flowers supporting an update. Special thanks to Nalan Xiaolun for 11 flowers and Maozi927 for the diamond. Good night, everyone!
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