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Many things often become clear only after they happen. When Xiao Wu decisively expressed her desire to see, I wasn't too surprised; after all, such opportunities are rare in life, especially when it involves someone she truly cares about.
After Master Wu went upstairs, I led Xiao Wu closely behind him. He didn't even close the door, clearly aware of our presence. Once inside, I noticed he had cleared off the only desk in the room and moved it to the center, indicating it was meant for my Call of Souls ritual.
I nodded at Master Wu and began to arrange the items needed for the Call of Souls on the desk. After greeting Master Wu, Xiao Wu stood quietly to the side, watching my actions without saying much. Once everything was set up, Master Wu handed me Xiao Xiao's Birth Chart along with a piece of clothing that Xiao Xiao had worn. Although the clothing wasn't strictly necessary, perhaps in his mind, it was essential for the Call of Souls.
Finally, he handed me a talisman that I had never seen before. It was undoubtedly what Master Wu referred to as something that could alter a soul's perception of a particular matter in a short time. As he passed it to me, he said, "This talisman doesn't require any incantation; just burn it after the Call of Souls is completed and say the words."
"Master Wu, what should I say?" I asked, puzzled.
He replied, "After you call out, let Little Wu have a chat with it first. Then Little Wu must say 'I will marry you soon' twenty-one times. On the fourteenth time, burn that talisman. After Little Wu finishes speaking, she should step away, and then you take her place and repeat that phrase twenty-one times. Finally, break off the Soul Calling Ritual. It will naturally perceive you as Little Wu, allowing you to take her place during the wedding ceremony."
"Is it really that simple?" I found it hard to believe; it felt akin to hypnosis in human society.
Master Wu nodded and said, "Yes, it's that simple. The only thing to be cautious about is not to mix things up; you must count accurately—no more and no less. Also, Xiao Wu's voice should start softly and gradually get louder while your voice should start loud and gradually fade away until it disappears."
I exchanged glances with Xiao Wu, who slowly nodded in understanding. She began to practice saying the phrase softly at first. After a few tries until she felt comfortable with it, I asked her if she was ready. She nodded affirmatively.
I initiated the Call of Souls. At first, my technique was not very refined; it took me two attempts before succeeding. When the soul was summoned into the room, Xiao Wu was visibly shocked; she covered her mouth with tears welling in her eyes. It was hard to discern her emotions as I felt a mix of feelings myself. Xiao Xiao's soul appeared confused and exhibited significant emotional fluctuations upon seeing Little Wu, almost as if trying to break free from my Soul-Trapping Formation. However, for this New Soul, escaping was futile.
A Spirit God attempting to break free would naturally display a fierce expression. My lack of fear didn't mean Little Wu wouldn't feel afraid; I glanced at her and noticed she seemed inclined to step back. Clearing my throat, I signaled her not to be afraid. She looked at me and I returned her gaze with a calm smile. Wiping away a tear from her eye, she lowered her hand from her mouth and slowly approached Xiao Xiao's soul.
I stepped back beside Master Wu, who at that moment had his back turned to the soul as if searching for something else—this scene seemed routine for him. Moreover, as an insider during my Call of Souls ritual, he wouldn't be staring intently at what was happening.
In just a few short sentences, without much of a farewell, tears welled up even more in Xiao Wu's eyes. She had shed too many tears over the past few days, but this time it was clear that her tears were not born from helplessness or fear; they came from sincerity. Perhaps it was gratitude, perhaps it was reluctance, or maybe it was simply being moved. In any case, this time she shed her tears willingly.
I had been paying close attention to what Xiao Wu was saying while also monitoring the supernatural reactions on the compass. When she began to say that she would marry me soon, the compass's response calmed down, and Xiao Xiao's spirit slowly bowed its head, no longer looking at Xiao Wu with hollow eyes. It seemed that it had achieved its intended purpose. At the same time, I began to silently count how many times she had said it.
When I reached fourteen repetitions, I started to burn the talisman in my hand. At twenty-one repetitions, I raised my voice and said, "I will marry you soon," while walking over to pat Xiao Wu on the shoulder to signal her to step back. Then I slowly recited the next twenty phrases: "I will marry you soon." Throughout this, Xiao Xiao's reaction remained calm; perhaps the talisman had played a significant role.
After finishing, I formed hand seals and extinguished the red candles, dispersing the energies involved. With that, the Call of Souls came to an end, and Xiao Xiao's spirit gradually faded from our sight. Xiao Wu was still caught up in her excitement and had not yet come back to herself. I tidied up the items on the table and then said to Master Wu, "The first step is complete; what should I do next?"
Master Wu chuckled softly and replied, "Just listen to me," before turning and exiting the room.
I did not leave immediately. Watching Xiao Wu still in her sorrowful state, I chose not to disturb her; it was better for her to regain her composure on her own. After pulling out a chair and sitting down, I began mentally preparing for what was about to happen next.
"Brother Liu..." Xiao Wu's voice interrupted my thoughts. I smiled at her and asked, "Are you okay?" She nodded and said, "Thank you so much; really, thank you." I understood that her gratitude stemmed from my willingness to take part in the Yin Marriage on her behalf. I replied, "It's nothing; don't mention it. I wanted to see how it goes too. Come on, let's not dwell on it; let's head downstairs and see if there's anything we can help with."
Upon arriving at the Main Hall downstairs, I saw that everyone was bustling about energetically. The position of the corpse had also changed; a large space was cleared in the center with several benches placed on either side and two Grandmaster Chairs set up at the altar. The arrangement resembled a traditional wedding setup from ancient times; however, there were not many guests present for mourning—this must have been intentionally arranged by Master Wu. In the middle stood a wooden frame about human height and shape. The frame was divided into several sections, each tied with hemp rope.
The housekeeper announced, "We will begin the awakening of the corpse in five minutes." After saying this, he lit a large bundle of incense and circled around the body several times before inserting three sticks of incense at each corner of the Main Hall as well as at the head and feet of the corpse.
As seven o'clock approached, Master Wu began to awaken the corpse. Under his direction, three strong men lifted Xiao Xiao's body in three sections into an upright position in the center of the room. A frame was then secured around its limbs and spine using hemp rope. Since rigor mortis had set in, there was no need for separate support for its head. Once secured, two people held onto it while Master Wu and another person helped dress the corpse in Funeral Garment. Once clothed with garments and hat, it looked like an ordinary person without any signs of support visible. Every area that could reveal its true nature was cleverly concealed. If one didn’t know it was a corpse, they would think a living person stood before them; I found myself momentarily stunned.
Then Master Wu shouted something out loud; two ropes hanging from hooks above were lowered down. Each rope had two hooks—one long and one short—one fixed onto a circular ring around the neck of the wooden frame while another fixed onto a ring around its waist. As Master Wu commanded: "Stabilize the corpse," those holding onto it stepped aside, allowing the body to hang straight up. Its toes barely touched the ground as it stood upright in the center of the Main Hall. If one looked at those two hanging ropes, they would see no difference between the corpse and a standing person.
People around whispered cautiously among themselves; those with weaker nerves covered their eyes with their hands but left small gaps to peek through—a self-deceiving posture to witness this ritual. The fathers of both parties sat above with squinted eyes as if they dared not look directly at what was happening. Master Wu glanced at me before waving his hand and calling out: "The wedding ceremony begins." He pointed clearly at where the corpse stood—indicating that I should stand beside it.
With Master Wu openly watching me and everyone else's gaze now turned toward me as well, it was evident that he had communicated with everyone else; they all knew I would be taking Xiao Wu's place for this marriage ceremony. After hesitating for just a moment, I stepped forward; at this point, there was no turning back.
With each step I took, I felt heavier, though I couldn't quite understand why. As I walked, it seemed as if I had truly immersed myself in the scene; my resistance faded away, and all I wanted was to complete this task that wasn't originally mine. Once I stood beside Xiao Xiao, the tension within me completely vanished.
It was serious—very serious. Everyone's expressions were grave, and I became incredibly earnest as well. At that moment, both Xiao Xiao and I faced the door, which stood empty with no one outside. It seemed everyone had intentionally or unintentionally avoided that spot. Master Wu held the rope at the other end of the pulley in his right hand, tying a knot that was hard to decipher. Then he stretched it forward, like a magician revealing that he had nothing hidden up his sleeve. He then announced loudly, "The first chapter of Mutual Support is ready; I'm still writing the second chapter. I'll release it as soon as possible—maybe tonight or tomorrow morning. Thank you to 'I Am Hami, You Are Melon' for the support with 1314 Iron Coins."
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