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Chapter 047: Summoning Souls
Fatty had developed a gambling addiction, something my grandfather and I were completely unaware of. I had no idea if he had secretly stolen money from my grandfather to gamble, but I had never seen my grandfather give him any money; even for groceries, every penny was accounted for.
I scolded him angrily, "Gambling is a fool's errand! Do you even understand that the more you gamble, the worse it gets?"
Fatty lowered his head, feeling guilty and not daring to say more.
The truth is, I also bore some responsibility for what had happened.
What frustrated me the most was how Fatty managed to change the time on my phone, tricking me into going to Xie Ming Manor in a daze. I ended up encountering something supernatural, a Ghost Marriage, and when I returned, he still had the nerve to complain about me.
"Did you change the time on my phone? Did you sneak a peek at the messages on my computer?"
"No, your computer is password protected. I tried everything but couldn't get in. After Lao Luo punched you and left, I started thinking about your computer password. When I couldn't figure it out, I quietly changed the time on your phone just to mess with you. As for anything else, it wasn't intentional."
What a load of nonsense; it was hard to believe he hadn't meant to cause trouble.
There was no point in dwelling on the past.
I couldn't force Fatty to retrieve the money he lost.
What I needed to do now was help someone summon their soul.
I had to do it quickly to alleviate the guilt weighing on my heart.
Mi Li (Han Mi) had invited me to Xie Ming Manor. How did she end up losing her soul?
I packed my things and took Fatty with me to Han Family Village.
Han Family Village was indeed vast.
Everywhere I looked, it was all Han Clan.
Han Yin was indeed Han Mi's cousin, though I had no idea how many generations connected them as distant relatives.
There were various methods of soul summoning.
The most common type of soul loss involved those who were weak in spirit, often timid individuals.
They were the easiest to lose their souls.
Even an unintentional shout, if loud enough, could cause them to lose their souls.
This kind of soul loss was not serious.
In the evening, sitting at the doorstep, it had to be a close relative. One would hold an egg in one hand, with the name of the soul-loser written on it, and then begin calling for the soul when the night was quiet.
Another type of soul loss occurred when a person was too yin, making them susceptible to being lured away by unclean entities. These entities would take advantage of the situation to invade the soul-loser's body and attempt to reclaim their life.
Han Mi belonged to this latter category.
It was a bit tricky and not something that could be resolved with just a few words.
The fat man collected money without helping others avert disaster; getting beaten was inevitable.
"This is my fault," Han Mi thought.
So, when I was calling her spirit, I put in extra effort.
Of course, aside from me and her, it seemed no one else knew about our meeting.
I felt guilty but also somewhat aware of the situation.
I performed the hand gestures, holding them above my head while chanting: "Buddha above, reciting Guanyin. In front, Li Lao Jun; behind, True Martial Deity. To the left, the Azure Dragon; to the right, the White Tiger. Here I come, seeking the protection of the guardian spirits." After finishing the incantation, I turned around, pointing my sword at Han Mi and shouted, "In this peaceful era, souls lost to the spring platform. Fearful and anxious, spirits scattered in the void. Divine beings protect and support all living things. Depart at once to seek you." Following me was a group of prayer practitioners, wearing Taoist crowns and cloaked in crane robes, raising their dust whisks as they shouted in unison: "Urgent Command!"
Tsk tsk! This spectacle left the Han Clan—men, women, and children—dumbfounded.
One by one, people looked at me with newfound respect and amazement.
Han Mi's biological father led the way with a lantern, followed closely by several of his clan brothers carrying a freshly made sedan chair.
Among them was Han Mi's uncle, holding a weighing pole and carrying a wooden bucket at the end of the line.
With a whoosh, silence spoke louder than words as people cleared a path.
The fat man held a torch to light our way from behind.
A crowd followed Han Mi's father's lantern; one moment they floated over fields, the next they plunged into thickets, then waded through rivers, slipped into alleys, shining brightly one moment and then swallowed by darkness the next.
Standing at the entrance of Han Mi's home, people of all ages and genders shouted in unison, "Mi, come back!"
Another group responded to my command, "Mi, come back now."
I am the Soul Summoner, stationed with the Host Family, always keeping a close watch on Han Mi's movements.
Those left behind at home were anxious and restless. I held my hands in a specific gesture and chanted, "Supreme Star of the Platform, change without pause: Exorcism binds the spirits, protecting life and body. Wisdom clear, mind at peace. Three Souls eternal, no loss of essence. Urgent Command! Urgent Command!"
The Han Clan was united; no one slipped away or cried out in complaint throughout the night.
They shouted for an entire night. By the fourth watch, from afar—likely from Xie Ming Manor—flickers of light began to shine. Soon after, those sent to retrieve souls returned in a grand procession, and people cheered, "They've returned! They've returned!"
I rushed out ahead from the house.
Taking the Wooden Bucket from Han Mi's father's arms, I approached the bedside.
With a swift motion, I knocked over the rice bowl placed beside the bed and wielded my Peach Wood Sword while chanting: "Lingbao Zun, comfort the form. Disciple's Soul, Five Organs of the Mysterious Underworld. Azure Dragon and White Tiger, arrayed in splendor. Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise, guard the form!" After finishing my incantation, I tossed aside the sword and seized the Wooden Bucket with both hands, raising it high to strike down upon Han Mi.
At the same time, I pointed my sword at Han Mi and shouted fiercely, "Life is precious and hard-earned; the white-haired have shed tears until they are dry. You have already returned your soul to its place; your essence must also return to your body. Why won't you awaken?"
Surrounding the bed and at the doorway of the house, everyone shouted in unison, "Awaken! Awaken!"
The force of their voices was like a solemn choir, filled with reverence.
In truth, I was uncertain deep down whether this would succeed; this was a rare large-scale soul summoning ritual that my grandfather had performed only once in his lifetime.
Because of my promise to Mi Li and my vow to protect her, I was all in.
Everything had settled.
I was exhausted.
Slumped in the chair, I stared intently at Han Mi, who remained motionless.
This was the first time I was looking at her directly and seriously.
Her pale face was as transparent as paper, with delicate features that were not inferior to Chi Xinrong.
I truly felt relieved that Mi Li was not Chi Xinrong. Mi, you must wake up. I was anxiously urging in my heart, and so was Fatty.
Han Mi's family was even more anxious.
I believed that if she didn’t wake up, Fatty and I would definitely face legal trouble.
The room was silent; you could hear a pin drop. Everyone inside and outside the room held their breath, fully focused on waiting for the moment Han Mi would awaken.
Finally, at dawn, the crowing of a rooster broke the silence.
Han Mi's Father lost his patience and grabbed my collar, angrily saying, “She still hasn’t woken up. What are you going to do?”
“Uncle, don’t worry. Her soul must have returned; she’s just hesitating for some reason…” Damn it, I wasn’t someone who fainted easily to deceive others. I genuinely felt unwell after spending a cold night in this shabby place without eating anything. Just as I was about to finish my sentence, darkness enveloped me, and I knew nothing anymore.
I didn't want to think about whether it was hunger or something else. At the moment I collapsed, I truly saw Han Mi standing at the door. She looked at me deeply for a moment before turning and running away.
"Han Mi, don't run!" I chased after her, and she stopped. With a beautiful turn, her big eyes blinked seriously as she asked, "Are you Brother Qi?"
I was both surprised and delighted. "You are Mi Li?"
"Yes."
"That's right. From now on, I will protect you and won't let you get hurt again," I said to her sincerely and without hesitation.
Han Mi glanced at the people in the room, then looked at her own self lying on the bed and shook her head, pleadingly saying, "I don't want to go back. It would be so nice if we could just stay together like this."
Her words left me dumbfounded. Was I really going to be a ghost husband with her in this space?
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