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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
After Zhou Manman was nailed inside the coffin beneath the Wind Stabilizer, I diligently studied the Feng Shui Secret Record. During this time, Huzi visited me several times, and on a couple of occasions, we talked so late that I ended up staying at his house.
Over the years, Huzi and I had lost contact, but after these nights of deep conversation, I finally rediscovered that sense of camaraderie we once shared.
Li Fugui may be a bad person, but Huzi is kind and loyal. He is also much more optimistic than I am. His grandfather noticed our growing closeness and no longer brought up the coffin incident at the village entrance.
I trust Huzi completely, so I shared everything that happened after my graduation back in Futu Ridge with him, including the issues surrounding the coffin. Huzi is straightforward and never plays mind games; he didn't expect things to be so complicated.
Though Huzi wanted to help me, he didn't know how to proceed and felt somewhat guilty. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "How about I ask my grandfather if he can release Zhou Manman so she can be reincarnated? It's not her fault; those people like Huang San'er and Dazhuang deserve what they got."
I shook my head. "Your grandfather won't be able to release Zhou Manman. It would be worse if you went; it might ruin your relationship with him. Zhou Manman is my girlfriend; if anyone is to blame, it's just her unfortunate fate."
"Is there really no way at all?" Huzi asked.
"There is one way," I replied, "but it's not the right time yet. For now, don't mention the coffin to your grandfather. I'm still trying to figure out what's going on. The yellow talisman summons ghosts, and Sophora Wood nurtures them, so I don't think it's meant to deal with Zhou Manman. Perhaps Guo the Blind has some other purpose in mind. Zhou Manman hasn't absorbed any Yang Qi for a long time; her physical body has mostly begun to decay. However, her soul is trapped inside her body and can't escape. Strictly speaking, she's a corpse rather than a ghost; otherwise, she could easily leave her body. Sophora Wood also has the function of transforming corpses, but since Zhou Manman's body already contains a soul, Sophora Wood doesn't hold much significance for her physical form. So I suspect Guo the Blind might want to summon another soul into the coffin."
"Summoning a soul into the coffin? I've heard of a method called 'borrowing a corpse to return a soul.' Could Guo the Blind be planning to extinguish Zhou Manman's soul and replace it with another one? Like his wife's?" Huzi speculated.
I shook my head again. "That's unlikely. If Zhou Manman's corpse remains intact, even if it were borrowed for resurrection, your grandfather and the villagers in Futu Ridge wouldn't let her go; there are too many eyes watching."
"What do you plan to do next?" Huzi asked.
I pondered for a moment before saying, "Wait."
"Wait for what?" Huzi inquired.
"Wait for any movements from Guo the Blind. If he hasn't made any moves or tried to talk to me by the sixth day since Zhou Manman was sealed away, then you can tell your grandfather about the coffin and the yellow talisman and see what tricks Guo the Blind might have up his sleeve by then."
"Alright then, let's do that."
I discussed a strategy with Huzi, and it seemed that waiting was the only option we had in the days to come.
As I expected, Zhou Manman remained silent in the coffin, and the Sixth Guo Blind Man showed no signs of movement. Huzi's bribes to the young guards watching over the coffin yielded no useful information.
There was no sound coming from inside the coffin, and no one approached it with ill intentions; even the Big Black Cat had not reappeared.
Yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that the absence of problems only indicated that something was amiss. It was entirely possible that Guo the Blind's scheme had already succeeded.
I rubbed my fingers together, contemplating every scenario I could think of. Finally, I took a deep breath. It seemed like the only option left was to go all out and let Huzi inform his grandfather!
After hearing Huzi's words, Li Fugui flew into a rage and summoned many villagers to the Wind Stabilizer at the village entrance. Upon hearing the broadcast notification from the Village Production Team, Guo the Blind hurriedly arrived.
"Guo the Blind, you have some nerve," Li Fugui said coldly as he stood beside the coffin.
"Village Chief, I'm not quite sure what you mean," Guo the Blind replied, lowering his head without showing any fear.
Li Fugui stepped in front of the coffin and pointed at its rough craftsmanship, saying, "At first, I wondered why this coffin was made so poorly. I never expected you would use Sophora Wood for a coffin meant for raising ghosts. What exactly is your intention?"
Upon hearing that Guo the Blind had used Sophora Wood to make a coffin, the villagers erupted into a flurry of anxious discussions.
"Sophora Wood for a coffin? Guo the Blind, are you trying to create a zombie?" Old Man Wang exclaimed loudly. He had been close to Guo the Blind in Village and could no longer hold back.
"Yes! The reason for the character 'Huang' in Locust Tree is because this tree belongs to the yin category; it harbors harmful spirits beneath it. As a Feng Shui Master, how could you make such a mistake?" an elderly man from Village questioned.
Listening to everyone's accusations, Guo the Blind appeared unfazed. He replied solemnly, "Many people know that Sophora Wood raises ghosts. This coffin was indeed specially made by me. But think about it: how could a coffin meant for normal people possibly trap a ghost? Especially one with a physical body!"
"That's true; ghost coffins hold ghosts while human coffins hold humans," Old Man Wang chimed in agreement with Guo the Blind's explanation.
"That's nonsense! If there's a corpse inside that Huang Wood Coffin, it will rise again! If it's holding a ghost, releasing it later will be even more troublesome!" an elder from Village interjected. "In Futu Ridge, we've had our share of ghostly incidents. Seventy years ago during a plague, someone used two Locust Trees from their doorstep to make a coffin. The dead were placed inside, and before long they crawled out of their graves and attacked anyone they saw with terrifying strength! If Old Scholar hadn't happened to be in Village at that time, who knows how many lives would have been lost!"
"Isn't there a talisman stuck on the outside?" Zhang Widow pointed at the yellow talisman on the coffin.
"Yes, the yellow talisman is keeping the female ghost at bay. I've seen Old Blind Man's methods with my own eyes; you can't just blame him!" Old Man Wang exclaimed.
"This method of using Yang Seven Days to transform souls requires the talisman to be placed inside the coffin," Huzi, standing behind Li Fugui, said casually. "Sticking it on the outside will only attract ghosts."
I had shown Huzi the method for exterminating ghosts from the Feng Shui Secret Record, and while he pretended to speak carelessly, I noticed Guo the Blind's fingers trembling when he heard Huzi's words.
Li Fugui looked grimly at Guo the Blind and asked, "Is that true?"
Clearing his throat, Guo the Blind replied loudly, "Indeed, the yellow talisman used to suppress ghosts must be placed inside the coffin. However, Zhou Manman inside the coffin is a living ghost; her lifespan has not yet expired. Everyone knows a bit about that woman’s story—she drowned Immortal, was fireproof, and was trapped in that coffin until recently when Huang the Lame from Dagu Village and I found her hiding place and killed her. That Big Black Cat was raised by her; it saved Zhou Manman when she was on the brink of death after falling off a cliff and protected her. Just a few nights ago, we burned her Immortal in front of everyone. How could such a living ghost be dealt with using ordinary methods?"
"Go on," Li Fugui said coldly.
Guo the Blind continued, "So I used Sophora Wood to make a coffin to deal with Zhou Manman, but Sophora Wood is new wood. In a closed coffin under sunlight, it will generate high temperatures inside. If the yellow talisman is placed inside, it will quickly become soaked and lose its effectiveness. Moreover, for a Feng Shui Master like me, the yellow talisman doesn’t hold much power. Among you are many from the older generation; have any of you ever seen Old Scholar use a talisman?"
"Well, indeed not. Old Scholar is like an immortal; he can conjure fire out of thin air without needing external objects," an elder from the Village said.
Guo the Blind nodded and said, "So where the talisman is placed is inconsequential. The key lies in the Soul Fixation Nail that secures the corpse inside the coffin. The Soul Fixation Nail is a Taoist artifact passed down to me by Old Scholar; with it in place, the female ghost cannot escape."
Upon hearing Guo the Blind's explanation, everyone nodded in agreement. Although they didn't fully understand, Guo the Blind seemed knowledgeable about Feng Shui; after all, what trouble could an old recluse cause?
"You have no proof; what evidence do you have that your method is correct?" Li Fugui questioned.
Guo the Blind replied, "This method is something I saw in a Demon Exorcism Manual while studying under Old Scholar years ago. During the Cultural Revolution, his temple was nearly burned to ashes. Later, I secretly hid several of his destroyed Dao Books; although they are missing pages, they are still readable. If you don’t mind going through some trouble, Village Chief can accompany me to find them. The method your grandson uses is called Yang Seven Days Soul Transformation Method; if I'm not mistaken, it should be a half-baked technique from Huang Bansian’s family in Dagu Village."
Hearing this from Guo the Blind made Huzi turn to me in the crowd with a furrowed brow. I shook my head subtly to signal him not to say more.
But Huzi couldn't hold back his anger. "Grandpa, since it's already been six times, why don't we just open the coffin and take a look? If that female ghost is still lively inside, it would prove that Guo the Blind wants to harm us!"
"Guo the Blind" quickly agreed, "I also think Huzi has a point. Let's open it and see. What do you think, Village Chief?"
"Li Fugui" furrowed his brow, weighing the situation, and then raised his hand to signal several "Brave Men" around the coffin to open it.
A few strong men took tools used for opening coffins and began prying up the nails on the lid.
One of the men, looking tense, glanced at "Li Fugui," who gestured for him to lift the coffin lid.
Taking a deep breath, the man suddenly pushed the lid open. A foul odor burst forth, causing nearly everyone to rush away to vomit.
I pushed through the crowd toward the coffin, but "Huzi" came over and grabbed my arm.
I shook off his hand and looked inside the coffin. Inside lay a corpse dressed in red, with long black nails driven into each limb, exposing the bones at her wrists.
However, her face had completely rotted away, making it impossible to discern any trace of her original appearance.
"Zhou Manman" was dead.
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