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墨書 Inktalez
Every person possesses Three Souls and Seven Spirits. The three souls typically reside above three feet from the ground, which aligns with the saying, "Above three feet, there are deities." After a person dies, their three souls do not immediately depart because there is still a breath of life within the body. As mentioned earlier, Wei Qiuxi had also experienced this; they relied on this breath of life to perform rituals as Corpse Drivers. Therefore, once the souls realize that their physical body still has yang energy, they will not leave. They will hover around the body for seven days before they can be certain that they have died and are willing to follow the Soul Reaper to Reincarnation. This is what we commonly refer to as the Seven Days of Mourning.
People like Xiangxi Bastards are peculiar; they are individuals whose fates clash or have some connection in terms of destiny. Generally, the one with a stronger fate will cause the other to die. Because of their connection in destiny, the soul of the deceased may mistakenly believe it is still attached to its own body, thus causing it to attach itself to the Bastard's body for seven days. If during this time the Bastard strays too far from the deceased's body, after seven days, the Soul Reaper will be unable to find the deceased's soul. The deceased then becomes a wandering ghost, unable to reincarnate.
Thus, people like Bastards are greatly feared in Xiangxi. It is no wonder that no one in this house has shown Wei Ning and the others any kindness; they regard them as Bastards.
Wang Tuozi glanced meaningfully at those around him and chuckled ominously, "Originally, I had no intention of getting involved in this murky water, but you all insist on showing off your skills before Guan Gong. Very well then; I shall play along with you. I am a Bastard myself. I think it’s you who have encountered something sinister."
"No, I want to go back. My mom must be waiting anxiously at home," Wei Ning shook his head.
Wang Tuozi pulled Wei Ning aside and said mysteriously, "Disciple, do you want to see a good show?"
"What kind of show?"
Wang Tuozi assumed an enigmatic demeanor and replied, "A very entertaining game. Do you want to play?"
As soon as Wei Ning heard there was a game involved, he became interested: "Sure! What game?"
"A ghost-catching game."
"Let’s go check on that dead baby and see what’s wrapped up in its swaddling."
"Oh." Wei Ning responded and stealthily approached Guo Cui's corpse when no one was paying attention. He quickly lifted the dead baby's clothing and returned with his tongue out, exclaiming, "Inside is a large piece of red cloth! It seems tightly wrapped."
"Hmph, just as I expected—Red Cloth Wrapping the Soul—a despicable tactic from Maoshan. When I arrived here, I sensed something was off; at first, I thought it was merely coincidence. Now it appears someone has done this intentionally."
"Master, what is Red Cloth Wrapping the Soul?"
"Wait, I'll explain later. Follow me." Wang Tuozi pulled Wei Ning around the house, eventually stopping in the center of the main hall. He bent down and scraped the ground with his hand, revealing what seemed to be a needle so fine that it was almost invisible to the naked eye. Wang Tuozi pulled it out; it appeared to be made from some kind of animal bone. He brought it to his nose and sniffed it, murmuring, "Indeed, it's soaked in corpse oil. No wonder there's such heavy Evil Energy in this house; someone has set up a Killing Formation here. It's no surprise that this family has met with misfortune—one wonders who they have offended for someone to go to such lengths against them."
"Killing Formation?"
Wang Tuozi tucked the Bone Needle away and led Wei Ning to a quieter spot, lowering his voice to explain, "Since you've already taken me as your master, it's only reasonable for me to teach you some techniques."
"Who took you as my master? How shameless! My grandfather is so powerful..."
Wang Tuozi chuckled dismissively and said, "Let me explain it this way: this object is called the Yin-Yang Spike, consisting of two parts—one for Yin and one for Yang. Metal gathers Yang energy, while bone gathers Yin energy. If I'm not mistaken, there's a Yang spike hidden in the beams of this house. This is a common method used in Maoshan to set up formations."
"In this world, everything has its Yin and Yang. The circulation of Yang energy occurs in thirty-six cycles, forming thirty-six constellations. Evil Energy circulates in seventy-two cycles, known as the seventy-two Earthly Fiends. The saying goes that solitary Yang cannot thrive and solitary Yin cannot endure; only through the Yin-Yang Cycle can one ensure peace in their home."
"So what use does this Yin-Yang Spike have?" Wei Ning asked with growing interest.
"In Feng Shui, we talk about the 'Yin Eye' and 'Yang Eye.' What I just showed you is the location of this home's Yin Eye. Someone has placed a Yin spike there, obstructing the Yin-Yang Cycle within this house, effectively setting up a Killing Formation against those living here. It's no wonder something terrible has happened."
"Are you saying that this mother and child were murdered?"
"Of course, but it's not entirely that simple. While the Yin-Yang Spike is powerful, it doesn't directly kill people; rather, it slowly absorbs the Yang energy from within the house, causing illness over time until it eventually leads to death. Guo Cui hanged herself; clearly, she wasn't killed by the Yin-Yang Spike—but she certainly died at someone else's hands!"
"What do you mean?"
"Did you notice Guo Cui's shoes just now?"
"Mm."
"What's different?"
Wei Ning looked closely but couldn't find any clues and shook her head.
"Take a closer look at her shoelaces to see what's different."
Wei Ning examined them again but still shook her head.
Wang Tuozi, no longer teasing, said, "Normally, if someone ties their own shoelaces, the left lace will always be on top. But Guo Cui's right lace is on top."
"That's true," Wei Ning observed closely and asked, "Is this also a Maoshan technique?"
Wang Tuozi shot her an annoyed glance. "That's common sense."
He continued, "So, I paid special attention to this detail. Since Guo Cui's death, no one has touched her shoes. Therefore, I can conclude that someone else tied Guo Cui's shoelaces. It's even possible to speculate that Guo Cui was murdered, then had her shoes put on and was hung from the beam to create the illusion of suicide."
Wei Ning nodded, beginning to see Wang Tuozi in a new light despite his unremarkable appearance.
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