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墨書 Inktalez
Second Master was another person, aside from my master, who taught me the craft. His surname was Zhang, and he was not very tall, with a slight hunch. Everyone called him Zhang Tuozi. He was the only person in our village and the surrounding areas known for his exceptional skills in Underworld Cuisine. His expertise was quite diverse; he not only helped people with Yang House Feng Shui but also assisted in finding Grave Locations. Sometimes, he would even help determine burial dates based on the Birth Date and Time of relatives. In short, whenever there was a White Joyous Occasion in the nearby villages, he was the first person to be sought out.
Of course, Second Master had another skill: he painted Mourning Makeup.
Painting Mourning Makeup was an old tradition in our area, considered more of a side job since there weren't many families in the countryside that placed importance on it; it wasn't enough to make a living. Generally, for those who died from illness, old age, or accidents, as long as their features were not distorted and their limbs intact, there was rarely a need for someone to personally apply Mourning Makeup. However, there was one exception: those who died by suicide.
There was a saying in our region that when a person dies by suicide, at the moment their soul leaves their body, they are startled upon seeing their own Corpse, which prevents them from entering the Ghost Path. After death, they would linger as restless spirits; this is commonly understood as the heavy Resentment associated with suicides being more intense than that of other spirits remaining in Yangjian.
Thus, when a person who died by suicide returns seven days after death, if they see their Corpse looking as it did at first glance, they would be shocked again. If this shock reaches a certain level, they would simply drift away. If a Ritual for Releasing Souls is performed before the seven days are up and the coffin is closed afterward, there would be no issues—even burial might not be necessary. However, if the coffin is closed and buried after the seven days have passed and the spirit sees how they looked at the time of death, they would float away. No amount of Ritual Ritual for guiding them would help unless someone like us is called to assist.
Of course, such situations are rare. Generally speaking, after someone dies, their burial date and time are chosen carefully—usually within five days—often selecting midnight for its significance. The choice is primarily based on the principles of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, then considering the time of death and finally looking at the Birth Chart of immediate family members to finalize the burial time. There are also various taboos involved that I won't elaborate on here.
In rural areas, there are three common methods of suicide: first is drinking pesticides; second is hanging; third is jumping into rivers. Houses in rural Villages tend to be low, so jumping from buildings is almost nonexistent.
Each method leaves behind a very different type of Corpse, which affects how Mourning Makeup is applied. I won't delve into that further here.
Nowadays in cities, there exists a profession known as an Embalmer, or Mortician. Many universities now offer programs related to this field. They specialize in applying makeup to Corpses, and compared to our traditional practice of painting Mourning Makeup, Embalmers are far more professional. Their techniques and equipment are much more advanced, often restoring a Corpse to its appearance before death—sometimes even appearing more vibrant than when alive. I have great admiration and respect for this profession. They can make a Corpse look clean and presentable; they allow people to depart this world with dignity. Their work is noble.
Now that I've rambled on about that, let's get to the main point.
Without a doubt, this incident occurred while Second Master was applying Mourning Makeup for someone.
One morning during summer vacation in my first year of high school at the temple... At that time, I had already gotten to know Second Master. While I was doing morning prayers in my master's study room, Second Master suddenly visited. He had a good relationship with my master; they would often gather for bowls of Rice Wine. When they started chatting, it could go on for half a day. Upon seeing Second Master, I quickly stood up to greet him since it was also around breakfast time. Knowing their habits well, I grabbed a large soda bottle to fill with wine.
Second Master said we should just pour half a bottle so each could have one bowl; someone had come by downstairs needing work done.
My master replied: "Acupoint therapy."
Second Master added: "All of it; this time we also need to paint Mourning Makeup."
At that time, I had little interaction with Second Master. He had only taught me some aspects of observing Yin House Feng Shui, but I had never accompanied him regarding funeral matters.
I am a person with a strong curiosity, and this curiosity makes me particularly interested in everything.
Since I truly encountered the Spirit God during the summer vacation of my third year in middle school, my curiosity has only intensified. Especially after hearing about the Mourning Makeup from the Second Master. I had never seen it before.
Interestingly, although the Second Master rarely painted Mourning Makeup, he had done it at least forty to fifty times. There had only been three instances where something went wrong, and one of those times I happened to witness it. Was it truly fate that I was meant to see this?
By the time they finished breakfast, it was already close to noon. The Second Master and I descended the mountain, and along the way, he explained the situation to me.
In fact, it could be summarized in just a few sentences: the deceased was an elderly woman in her fifties who had hanged herself. Besides choosing an auspicious day and time for the burial and selecting a grave site, it was also necessary to paint the Mourning Makeup. My interest was piqued. I asked the Second Master what kind of brush he used for the Mourning Makeup and what materials were needed for things like blush and eyebrows.
The Second Master replied that this time it was relatively simple; there was no need to touch up the facial features. The main material used was lead powder. He wondered why I was asking so many questions, saying that I would find out when the time came.
At that time, I was still young and afraid of getting scolded, so I didn’t dare to be mischievous. The Second Master was not very talkative when he had been drinking, perhaps fearing he might let something slip. So I didn’t press him further.
The Deceased's Home was not far away. When we arrived there in the afternoon, after the Second Master finished preparing the grave, he spent the rest of the day calculating the Birth Date and Time to identify relatives who needed to avoid attending the funeral due to incompatible dates. During this time, I learned a lot; although the Second Master usually appeared serious, he taught things clearly and understandably without hesitation. After finishing, he tossed me a set of keys and instructed me to go home and fetch his supplies for painting the Mourning Makeup. I asked him when he would paint it, and he said it would be done at night.
I questioned why he wouldn’t do it during the day since nighttime felt so eerie.
He provided a very convincing reason: he had been drinking and chatting with my master in the morning, then opened the grave in the afternoon while everyone was gathered; there simply wasn’t any time left to paint during daylight.
I found myself speechless.
After dinner, around seven or eight o'clock, it was completely dark outside.
The Second Master took my hand and led me into the Victim's Main Hall. Just like other funeral arrangements, on the right side were Longevity Woods placed on three benches. In the center stood two long Eight Immortals Tables adorned with incense burners, rice, fruits, meat, and other offerings. As for Ritual Taoist practices, I hadn’t yet delved into them deeply. The only difference was that the Corpse wasn’t inside a coffin but laid on a board to the left, covered with a thick black blanket and topped with a white towel on its head.
Inside the room, there were originally two Vigil members. The Second Master told them to go rest for a while, saying they would call them once they finished applying the Mourning Makeup.
After the two left, the Second Master closed the door as he needed to teach while he worked. He opened a box and began preparing, mixing some colors and moistening his brushes. At that moment, I was just a naive kid. Watching the Second Master prepare, I clasped my hands together and bowed three times to the Corpse before lifting the towel that covered it.
The moment I uncovered it, even though I was mentally prepared, I was still startled.
The Corpse's face was pale, yet there was a hint of red, perhaps from congestion or the lighting. Its mouth was wide open, with a bit of tongue sticking out. The eyes bulged, and the lips were purple but not yet black. The twisted features created a horrifying sight that made my scalp tingle. After taking a quick glance, I immediately covered it back up, repeatedly apologizing.
The Second Master remarked, "I told you not to mess around. Go get me a basin of hot water."
I rushed out, the image of that expression lingering in my mind. Compared to Spirit Gods, I feared this expression even more; of course, I was still quite young at that time.
After bringing back the hot water, the Second Master instructed me to remove the towel from her face and soak it in the hot water for a while before placing it over her eyes to help her close them.
By the time he spoke, he had already finished his preparations and stood beside me directing my actions.
Still shaken from earlier, I hesitated and said to the Second Master, "How about you do it?"
He replied, "What’s wrong? Are you scared? What are you learning from us if you can't handle this?"
I couldn't stand being provoked like that. Gritting my teeth and narrowing my eyes, I removed the towel from the Corpse's face again. Quickly diverting my gaze, I tossed the towel into the basin filled with hot water and started stirring it. After wringing it out slightly and folding it into a strip, I placed it over the deceased's eyes. The towel was hot; due to thermal expansion and contraction, a gentle push was enough to close the Corpse's eyes.
After about a minute of holding it there, the Second Master noticed I was still trembling and said, "Let me take over."
I sighed in relief; thankfully he didn't make me close the deceased's eyes. I quickly stepped aside as he removed the towel and swept his hand over her eyes in a manner similar to what I'd seen on TV. However, he moved slowly and recited incantations simultaneously. Although he spoke in his native dialect, I still couldn't understand him; but that was normal.
As Second Master unveiled the towel, he casually handed it to me. I continued to dampen the towel.
Next, we needed to keep Corpse quiet.
First, we had to apply the towel, then with my right hand pinching the philtrum and my left hand supporting the chin, I slowly closed the mouth. This was a procedure that Second Master handled with ease, and it was relatively simple. However, at that moment, something shocking happened that left both Second Master and me stunned. As he forcefully closed the mouth, the eyes of the Corpse slowly opened. Unlike in television shows where eyes snap open suddenly, in reality, as the mouth gradually closed, the eyes followed suit and slowly opened as well, with the eyeballs seemingly moving slightly, though barely noticeable.
I saw this clearly, but my heart raced. Could it really be a case of corpse trickery?
I quickly tugged at Second Master and said, "Could it be a trick?"
Second Master steadied himself and replied, "There's a problem; we need to leave." Without looking back, he pulled me out of the Main Hall.
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