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墨書 Inktalez
As I confirmed that there was no Magnet on the ground, excitement surged within me. At least it was right below, and I wouldn't have to search everywhere. The only thing puzzling me was why it was underground. Suddenly, I recalled the stone slab with a missing corner. Could it really be a tombstone? Was this Container House sitting atop a Tomb, and the owner of this Tomb had not yet departed, or was it an unclaimed restless spirit?
With that thought in mind, I quickly took out a talisman for warding off evil and another to repel ghosts. I affixed them to my Cousin's bedside before turning to leave.
Once outside, I found about ten people waiting, including Master Zhang, who must have finished his arrangements. I said to Master Zhang, "Please wait a moment; you can sit in another room while I find out the cause."
Master Zhang nodded and replied, "Then you get busy. Give me that Fair Scale and the offerings. I'll go take care of that water ghost first."
I felt a twinge of curiosity; honestly, I wanted to see how Master Zhang dealt with the water ghost. However, I knew these matters were not to be observed casually, lest I be suspected of stealing techniques. This was also why Master Zhang hadn’t come into my room immediately after returning; he understood there were things he shouldn’t see either.
Since he brought it up, I couldn’t refuse. I handed him the car keys and let him handle the water ghost.
After Master Zhang left, under everyone's watchful eyes, I approached the stone slab and examined it closely. The lower half of the stone was yellowed and covered in a layer of dirt. The surface was uneven, with a large chunk missing. Upon closer inspection of the chipped area, it was indeed a freshly chiseled opening. I turned to Hua Bin and asked, "Did you guys carve this stone?"
"Yes," he replied quietly. "When we first arrived, the container's placement wasn't ideal; there was a pit over there that wasn't very level, and there weren't many stones around. This stone was standing in the way, so we pried it out and moved it aside. We even used a piece from it to level the bottom. What's wrong with this stone?"
My expression darkened as I asked, "Was it your Cousin who did this?"
"Yes," he confirmed. "Is there really something wrong with this stone? What kind of stone is it?"
I shook my head and told him seriously, "You should have been more careful when setting up the house; this is a tombstone. Not only did you cover someone else's Tomb Mound, but you also moved their tombstone. Moreover, you chipped away at it! It merely frightened you; it could have been much worse. A tombstone is like a front door for the deceased. If your front door were smashed down or removed, would you feel comfortable?"
After hearing my words, Hua Bin and several others grew tense. Shunzi boldly spoke up, "Then it's our fault for disturbing its peace. But we did not mean any harm. Brother Liu, can you help us explain? If there's anything we need to do, just let us know; we will comply without question."
I replied, "Since you caused this situation, you must participate in resolving it as well. However, that's not urgent right now. The most important thing tonight is to move that container; it cannot remain on top of its Tomb Mound any longer. Tomorrow we need to prepare a new tombstone—no inscriptions are necessary since this is an unnamed grave—along with two three-foot-tall Pine Trees and some Joss Paper; make sure it's Joss Paper and not those billions of Hell Money notes. Also, bring over a truckload of Loess with your trailer. Oh yes, it'd be best to get a Roast Suckling Pig as well. That's all for now; get these things ready by tomorrow morning so that I can perform the Ritual tonight."
Without waiting for their response, I took out my compass to check the surrounding directions and calculated the shadow-free spot on this flat ground. I walked over to that location, scattered some Cinnabar Incense Ashes while lighting three sticks of incense to request protection before instructing them to move the Container House here. Then I handed Shunzi four talismans and told him to place them at the southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast positions to ensure peace tonight. Shunzi nodded and called for people to move the Container House.
The leader of the Construction Team remained silent throughout the process. After Shunzi and the others had left, he turned to me and said, "Master, should we also put some talismans in that other room? Also, can we start working tonight? If we can't, we definitely won't meet the deadline. Given what happened this time, we'll have to cover the costs ourselves. If we miss the deadline again, this whole trip will have been for nothing."
I nodded, understanding their predicament. After a moment of thought, I explained, "Just focus on your work. The other room is fine; this Spirit God isn't an evil ghost. It's just protecting its territory. That room hasn't disturbed it, so it likely won't cause any trouble. I sealed that room with talismans because Cousin is inside. Since Cousin is carving a monument, he will naturally face consequences; he is the one the Spirit God is after. As long as he is safe, everyone else will be fine. By the way, tell Cousin not to leave the room tonight."
The leader let out a sigh of relief and said, "That's good to hear. I'll go help out now; if you need anything, just let me know."
I replied, "Just follow my instructions inside and prepare everything as planned. I'll come back tomorrow night at ten. Also, regarding the payment for that senior's work, it can't be delayed; we need to give half tonight."
The leader nodded and went off to help. Watching them rush around in a flurry, I couldn't help but fall into deep thought. This hidden grave must not be from recent years; it was adorned in Funeral Garments, clearly indicating someone had handled the burial affairs. But why had it remained undisturbed for so many years? What was its purpose in guarding this reservoir? The act of carving a monument would surely provoke trouble; evidently, this place was its own Tomb. This suggested that its consciousness still lingered; otherwise, it would have long since become a wandering spirit lost to the winds. So what kind of Obsession or resentment could it harbor? No, if it were merely resentment, it wouldn't just scare Cousin and his group.
After pondering for a long time without reaching any conclusions, I decided to stop thinking about it. I greeted them and prepared to find Master Zhang, wondering if he had finished dealing with that water ghost. With my flashlight in hand, I made my way toward Master Zhang's location and vaguely saw that he had already lit red candles and incense—necessary preparations for the Send Soul Ritual.
When I was about a hundred meters away from Master Zhang, I stopped and observed from a distance. Master Zhang noticed me but made no indication to approach; clearly, he didn't want me getting too close. I found a large rock farther from the reservoir to sit on. Taking out a cigarette, I smoked while waiting for Master Zhang to perform the Ritual. Of course, I didn't turn my head away because at such a distance without light, I couldn't see any details clearly. I kept my gaze fixed on him just in case something unexpected happened so that I could assist him if needed—even though I knew Master Zhang was unlikely to encounter any issues; after all, he was still human and older now—if he were to misstep and fall into the river, it wouldn't be impossible.
During this time, I vaguely saw Master Zhang tightly binding Fair Scale with several thin ropes before tossing it into the river. About three minutes later, he shouted loudly: "Rise!" Then he pulled Fair Scale back; beyond that, I didn't see anything else since I wasn't particularly focused on watching.
After waiting for about half an hour and nearly dozing off, I finally noticed Master Zhang extinguishing the red candles and incense—only the beam from my flashlight remained visible. Knowing that he must have finished up, I quickly stood up and jogged over.
Seeing me approach, Master Zhang chuckled and said: "All done! Help me dig a hole to bury this Fair Scale in the ground so we can head back."
I nodded and took a small shovel from Master Zhang to dig a hole where I buried Fair Scale. After tidying everything up with Master Zhang, we started heading back to our car. Of course, before leaving, I needed to collect that 50 Reward from Master Zhang. The Construction Team Leader had been thoughtful; seeing us return, he brought over the money himself while casually asking about how things went. Master Zhang briefly explained the situation to him before taking the money in hand. After bidding farewell, I first drove Master Zhang home.
Once in the car, Master Zhang briefly explained the situation regarding that water ghost: "That water ghost is just a child who was borrowed by an original water ghost for its soul. The water ghost has no consciousness left; its only purpose is to find a scapegoat for its own Reincarnation. However," Master Zhang continued, "that water ghost had strong fire elements but no earth elements when alive. Therefore, it can only target those who lack water elements entirely—Cousin likely falls into that category as well. It's best not to wander near water; otherwise, trouble may arise later."
I asked: "Master Zhang, didn't Cousin wash himself twice before? Why didn't he attract any water ghosts?"
Master Zhang chuckled and said to me, "This reservoir is large, and the water ghost will take up a fixed position every day. The last two times were just lucky; the water ghost happened not to be in that spot. Didn't your master teach you about water ghosts? He handles them much more decisively than I do. It's a pity you don't learn this Method of Feng Shui."
I felt my face flush and replied, "I have a strong aversion to water ghosts. First, I don't like their appearance, and second, dealing with them is difficult. Most of the time, they need to be dispersed, which I find hard to do. By the way, Master Zhang, what do you need that Fair Scale for?"
Master Zhang explained, "It's fine to tell you; it's used for catching water ghosts. I don't have the patience your master has for using Call of Souls. My method is more direct. The Fair Scale represents fairness and justice, so water ghosts are drawn to it. If they find a fair and just substitute, their Reincarnation path will be smoother. I've cast a Method of Feng Shui and a spell on it to make it seem human, so it will come over and grab hold without letting go. Once it encounters me, it won't have any strength left, and I can easily reel it in. If I can send it off, I will; if not, I'll disperse it."
I nodded, pondering while driving for a moment. Just as I was about to ask him about the Black Funeral Garment elder, I noticed Master Zhang had already fallen asleep and closed his mouth. I dropped him off at home.
The next afternoon, I specifically called Hua Bin to ask if everything was ready. He said the tombstone hadn't been delivered yet but would definitely be prepared before nightfall. I felt relieved.
After dragging my feet through dinner, I hurried back to the reservoir. By the time I arrived, it was already past nine o'clock, almost ten. They were all waiting for me in an open area. When they saw me arrive, Hua Bin came over with Cousin and said, "Brother Liu, everything is ready. How should we proceed? We'll follow your lead." At this point, Cousin looked much better.
I checked the necessary items; everything was complete. First, I found the flattened Mound and then used a compass to confirm its position. Once confirmed, I directly brought a small cart of Loess over to create a Mound shape and then dug a hole to erect the tombstone. I moved the original stone in front of the grave and placed offerings of Roast Suckling Pig and other tributes on top. Around the four cardinal directions, I lit three incense sticks each and placed a red candle directly in front. Then I took out Joss Paper and called upon those who had participated in moving the containers and tombstone to come forward one by one to pay their respects and bow with incense sticks. When it was Cousin's turn, I instructed him to kneel three times and bow nine times before burning all remaining Joss Paper.
After all this last night, it was already past eleven o'clock. I knew that everything was being observed by that Spirit God; it wasn't inherently bad and should remain undisturbed upon seeing this scene. I instructed everyone to stay inside the Container House quietly with their backs turned towards me and not to peek; if anyone did look, we would all be in danger.
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