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墨書 Inktalez
Compared to using a Corpse for the wedding, using a Memorial Photo seems more humane. In ancient times, Corpse weddings were more common, but in modern times, Yin Marriage has become increasingly rare, and very few people still use a Corpse. This not only creates significant psychological trauma for the living party but also requires a high level of skill from the Yin Yang Master, and such skilled practitioners are becoming fewer.
She nodded vacantly at my inquiry and said, "Yes, it's Yin Marriage. I initially opposed it strongly, but my grandfather said it's quite normal. He even promised that after the wedding, he would bless me with a smooth life. But I just can't accept it; I really can't."
I understood her feelings well. As a sophomore student who hasn't even figured out dating yet, being forced into marriage—especially a Yin Marriage—is something anyone would struggle to accept. It’s not just her; even I couldn't simply accept such a situation.
I asked her, "Do you know if it will be with a Memorial Photo or a Corpse?"
She turned to look out the window. Even though there was nothing to see, she continued staring outside as she spoke. "With a Corpse. My dad tried to negotiate for me, saying that using a Corpse would cause me significant psychological trauma and hoped to replace it with a photo. But after hearing what that shaman said, they refused. My grandfather didn't think it was a big deal; he didn't help me at all and even scolded my dad. That’s what hurts me the most. My grandfather has never been very fond of me and has always neglected me. As a daughter, I can’t ask for too much and have always respected him. But now he’s siding with others to make things difficult for me and scolding my dad. I feel so heartbroken; I don’t understand why he treats me this way." After saying this, tears began to well up in her eyes again. Under the dim light, her petite and helpless figure appeared particularly desolate against the backdrop of the train's rumbling.
"I understand how you feel. Perhaps your grandfather has experienced similar situations many times and thinks it's nothing special; it's not directed at you personally." I took out a pack of tissues and handed her one as a gesture of comfort.
She wiped her eyes and said, "I'm sorry for unloading all this on you. It's just that you mentioned you're a Taoist, so I thought maybe you could help me. Just tell me how much it will cost; even if I don't have it now, I'll definitely pay you back double once I earn money in the future. If I really end up marrying a dead person, it will leave an enormous shadow over my life, especially since there’s so much gossip in our small town. How will I face people or find someone to marry later?"
After she confirmed my inquiry about Yin Marriage, I decided on the spot that I would go take a look. I had a strong interest in understanding something I had only heard about before. However, seeing her helplessness made me even more determined to help her. At that moment, sympathy for her plight overtook most of my rationality, even stronger than my curiosity. I readily agreed, "I can go with you to take a look; whether or not I can truly help depends on fate and primarily on the attitude of that shaman since he is the one with real authority over this matter. I'll try my best to persuade him as a fellow practitioner, but I can't guarantee success."
Upon hearing this, she nodded vigorously and said, "Great! Thank you so much! You've given me hope; even if the outcome disappoints me later, at least I'm happy right now. May I ask how to address you?"
"My surname is Liu," I replied. "You have a good mindset; even if you're disappointed, it doesn't matter. As for the reward, let's not discuss that for now; we can talk about it if I'm able to help." I nodded approvingly at her.
Her tightly furrowed brows relaxed as she said, "Brother Liu, my surname is Wu; you can call me Wu X." Then she glanced at her watch and continued, "My family is in Dazhou; we’ll arrive in about an hour. After getting off the train, we’ll need to take another bus for over two hours to get home."
I agreed and said I'd take a nap until we arrived; she could wake me when it was time to get off together. After that, we returned to our own activities. Coincidentally, Xiao Wu's seat was next to mine.
In the early hours of the morning, around three o'clock, Xiao Wu woke me up, saying that we had arrived at our destination. I took off my backpack and stepped out of the train. Xiao Wu was also lightly packed, carrying only a single backpack, clearly just returning to complete her Yin Marriage and not intending to stay long.
Tianxing Town is a town under the jurisdiction of Dazhou Qu County, and it is where Xiao Wu's family resides. This town is not particularly backward; at least in my view, it shouldn't have much to do with matters like dealing with spirits. Yet, it was in this ordinary village that such events were unfolding.
We arrived at Tianxing Town around six or seven in the morning after getting off the train at three. Without stopping anywhere else, Xiao Wu led me straight to her home. Her house was a two-story building with bare red brick walls and wooden-framed windows. The door looked quite worn, indicating that Xiao Wu's family was not well-off. Upon entering, Xiao Wu's parents greeted us first. Her mother fussed over her daughter with concern, while her father looked at her apologetically, as if expressing his helplessness. I did not see Xiao Wu's grandfather there.
Xiao Wu introduced me to her parents without hiding anything about my identity, simply stating that I was her friend and a cultivator who had come along to see if I could help prevent her from participating in the wedding. As she spoke, her grievances resurfaced. Wu Dad lowered his head in silence, while Wu Mom angrily scolded the Xiao Family members and even included her grandfather in her complaints. However, she knew that all she could do was vent her frustrations; nothing would change the situation. It was then that I learned Xiao Wu's deceased fiancé had the surname Xiao.
During breakfast, Xiao Wu remained very downcast. Seizing the opportunity, I asked Wu Dad about the situation and gathered some information. The Yin Marriage ceremony was scheduled for that evening, and the shaman had been invited from outside by the Xiao Family. It was said that he possessed great powers and had been in this line of work for over thirty years; he was currently staying with the Xiao Family. Moreover, the Xiao Family followed his instructions without question. This aligned with my expectations; the shaman they spoke of seemed to be the key.
Since the Yin Marriage was to take place in the evening, I figured that someone from the Xiao Family would come to fetch Xiao Wu around noon. Having not slept all night, I couldn't afford to rest any longer. Mustering my energy, I said to Wu Dad, "You should take me to meet that shaman so I can discuss things with him and see if there's a better solution. I'm worried it might be too late if we wait." Wu Dad readily agreed and instructed Xiao Wu to rest at home. "I want to go too," she said afterward, looking at me with red eyes as if afraid I might encounter trouble with the Xiao Family.
I nodded in agreement, and the three of us set out toward the Xiao Family's residence. It wasn't too far from Xiao Wu's home—about three or four miles away—and within a few minutes on Wu Dad's tricycle motorcycle, we arrived.
From a distance, we saw a three-and-a-half-story building adorned with tiles and an avant-garde design; it clearly belonged to a wealthy family in this town. There was a medium-sized open space at the entrance filled with several tables and littered with remnants of firecrackers on the ground. Surrounding it were some flower wreaths and a large black inflatable archway with white lettering displaying funeral couplets. Everything indicated that this household was hosting a White Joyous Occasion.
Inside the Main Hall, benches were arranged around a board where a corpse lay covered by a black-and-white cotton quilt, its face obscured by a towel thrown over it haphazardly. While I couldn't see the deceased's face clearly, I could make out some skin tone; judging by its color, they must have passed away at least three or four days ago. My sensitive nose detected even faint traces of decay lingering in the air despite preservation efforts, which made me feel somewhat uncomfortable. The body had yet to be placed in a coffin—clearly waiting for the evening's Yin Marriage ceremony. Additionally, various ritual arrangements occupied more than half of the Main Hall space, along with paper effigies of men and women evidently prepared for that night's event. A large memorial photo hung prominently in the center of the room; the young man in it wore a bright smile and appeared vibrant—a sunny boy whose life had been tragically cut short.
As we entered, an elderly man playing cards called out Xiao Wu's name. She responded expressionlessly before greeting him as grandfather; he merely acknowledged her before returning to his game without any apparent concern for his granddaughter’s impending marriage to a corpse. The older generation often held such casual views but imposed these attitudes on their descendants—a rather selfish behavior—yet we found ourselves powerless to effectively stop or even criticize it.
At that moment, a middle-aged woman emerged from inside and approached us, grabbing Xiao Wu's hand as she said, "Wu, our Xiao Family truly feels sorry for you; however, for Xiao X’s peace in rest, we can only ask you to endure this for now. Alas, you two unfortunate children." She spoke in our local dialect but it was easily understandable. Her words were sincere; I knew she didn't want things to be this way but leaned more towards her son's wishes even after his passing.
Xiao Wu forced a smile and replied, "Auntie, I understand; it's alright. This is my friend Brother Liu; he's also a Taoist who came to see if he could help."
I greeted Xiao X's mother, saying, "Hello, Auntie. I am a friend of Xiao Wu and also of Xiao X. Please accept my condolences. I would like to meet the wizard you invited; I hope it's convenient."
Xiao Mother stared at me blankly, clearly skeptical about my profession. I assumed it was because I looked too young, which made her doubt quite normal. After a moment, she forced a smile and said, "It's convenient, thank you, young man. I'll take you to Master’s room right away." She then turned and walked toward the stairs.
Seeing Xiao Wu and Wu Dad wanting to follow, I stopped them and said, "I'll go up alone; you two wait for me down here. Don't worry; I'll do my best to handle this." With that, I quickly followed after her.
The second floor had a living room just as large as the one on the first floor, but its decor was quite different. Aside from a table, there was hardly anything else in the room. We passed through this large hall into a bedroom. Xiao Mother whispered to me, "Master was up all night performing rituals and has only just slept for an hour or two. If it’s not something important, should we wait for Master to wake up before we talk?" I didn’t lower my voice intentionally and replied, "I’m sorry, Auntie, but there are some important matters to discuss. Yin Marriage is not a trivial matter; if mishandled, it could harm people." Not only did I not lower my voice, but my tone grew louder with each word.
Xiao Mother thought for a moment and was about to knock on the door when it suddenly swung open from the inside. A thin middle-aged man stood there with a clean-shaven face and wearing a white undershirt. He glanced at me with slight displeasure before turning to Xiao Mother and asking, "What’s going on here?" Before she could respond, I bowed and said, "Senior, I am a friend of Xiao X and Xiao Wu. I have some questions regarding Yin Marriage that I would like to ask you if it’s convenient." He scrutinized me for a moment before turning back into the room and saying, "Come in."
I smiled at Xiao Mother and nodded before stepping inside and closing the door behind me. Once inside, I bowed again and said, "Senior, please forgive my intrusion. My surname is Liu; I've learned a bit about Daoist Techniques and understand some matters regarding spirits. May I ask your esteemed surname?" He sat down on the bed and pointed to a stool beside the writing desk, saying, "My surname is Wu; please have a seat."
This chapter is dedicated to Nalan Xiaoqiao for their generous support. Thank you! Today's update ends here; good night to all friends. If you enjoyed it, please consider voting; I'm very grateful.
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