Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Then we're off. Thank you for your hospitality, Boss Chen." After I finished speaking, I picked up the piece of heavy wood and waved it at Liu Bi. Liu Bi swayed slightly, transforming into a gust of cold wind. Instead of directly entering the wood, it veered around the four thugs and then slipped inside the heavy wooden object. I noticed that all four thugs involuntarily shivered and then stumbled back several steps.
I stored the black Cloth Bag containing the object into my small bag and said to Master Xiao and Sayo, "Let's go."
Once we exited the hotel and walked down the small street outside, Master Xiao spoke up, "The food here is quite good. How do you feel about it, Sayo?"
Sayo smacked her lips and replied, "Hmm, it was delicious. I originally wanted to treat you both to a meal, but it turned into you treating me instead. How about I take you both out for karaoke?"
Just as Master Xiao was about to agree, I quickly interjected, "Wait a moment, Sayo. That female ghost you saw—what if she’s Master Chen's daughter or something?"
After hearing my question, Sayo hesitated before saying, "Definitely not."
"How can you be so sure?" Master Xiao asked in confusion.
Sayo explained, "That female ghost looked very delicate and didn’t resemble Master Chen at all. Plus, she was dressed very provocatively. If it were you, would you dress your daughter like that? You’d at least burn some decent clothes for her."
Upon hearing the word 'provocative,' Master Xiao perked up and eagerly asked, "What do you mean by provocative? Was she wearing a tight-fitting mini dress or a bikini? She wasn't naked, was she?"
Sayo rolled her eyes at Master Xiao and said, "None of those. Just know she was very provocative. Why are you asking so much? You don’t actually like female ghosts, do you?"
There isn't a clear concept of what people wear after they die and become Spirit Gods; most Spirit Gods are dressed in whatever they were wearing at the moment of death. Of course, some Spirit Gods might be dressed in Funeral Garments. This depends on how long it takes for the soul to leave the body and when the handler changes the corpse's clothing. If a person dies and isn't dressed in Funeral Garments within twelve hours, their clothing as a Spirit God will be what they wore before death.
The process of a soul departing does take some time; this duration varies based on factors such as the age of the deceased, their physical condition, gender, etc., and there is no standard timeframe. For instance, young people who commit suicide tend to have shorter departure times for their souls compared to elderly individuals who pass away naturally. In some cultures that emphasize rituals, after an elder dies, their body may be kept for thirty-five days to allow more time for their soul to depart; however, young people typically need to be buried within one or two days at most—children even sooner—ideally on the same day.
Of course, there are cases where bodies are kept for ten days or half a month. Such extended durations are not due to the soul needing that much time to leave but are often because of auspicious dates chosen by Yin Yang Masters.
During the soul's departure process, if the corpse is dressed in Funeral Garments before complete separation occurs, then at that moment of full detachment, the soul has options regarding its attire. Younger individuals or children usually opt not to wear Funeral Garments but prefer their clothing from life. In contrast, older individuals generally choose Funeral Garments. This is why most Spirit Gods I encounter wearing Funeral Garments tend to be older; younger Spirit Gods and child Spirit Gods rarely wear them.
Don't ask me how they choose their attire; honestly, I don't know since I've never died before. Liu Bi knows but I haven't asked it about this matter. To speak boldly, everyone will eventually experience these things; when that time comes, you'll understand.
"Bro is a normal person! Brother Liu," Master Xiao turned around to ask. "Are we going for karaoke or what?"
I shook my head and said, "Sorry, you two go ahead without me. My head is spinning right now. This situation feels endless; I have no idea what will happen next. I'm going home to clear my mind."
Seeing my refusal, Sayo immediately said, "Then forget it! Ugh, you're so boring! I'm going to hang out with my friends."
I nodded, and after Sayo left, I hailed a taxi. Master Xiao followed me, muttering, "Hmph, you're really no fun."
I closed my eyes and leaned back in the seat, ignoring him as I pondered how to dissuade Master Chen from that idea of targeting Liu Bi's Soul-keeping Umbrella.
I wasn't a moral guardian; I wouldn't grandly stop other practitioners from Nourishing the Soul. Whether they succeeded or not was none of my business. I had neither the right nor the obligation to prevent others from acting, but if he resorted to unscrupulous means for Nourishing the Soul, I certainly wouldn't stand idly by.
Just because I'm not a moral guardian doesn't mean I'm a pushover.
Once home, I headed straight to my study. After drawing the curtains, I called out for Liu Bi.
As soon as Liu Bi appeared, he said, "Bro, I think that old man is keeping that soul against its will. It seems like it's forcibly locked to him."
"What do you mean?" Master Xiao asked in confusion.
"I'm talking to my brother here; you’re too ugly to interrupt," Liu Bi joked.
Master Xiao jumped up and grabbed Liu Bi's umbrella, saying, "Damn it! If you don't respect me, I'll burn this broken umbrella of yours. Do you believe me?"
Liu Bi flickered and turned into a gust of wind, disappearing before our eyes. Master Xiao's Oiled Paper Umbrella shook in his hand as Liu Bi snatched it away.
Master Xiao wanted to continue the commotion, but I quickly held him back and asked Liu Bi, "What do you mean by forcibly locked to him?"
Liu Bi glanced at Master Xiao with a grin and said, "That female ghost is completely unconscious; everything is controlled by that old man. I noticed that whenever he speaks, he unconsciously makes Hand Seals, and every time he does that, the female ghost moves."
"How does she move?" Master Xiao asked eagerly.
Liu Bi replied, "She trembles, just like this." He stood straight and shivered dramatically. His whole body seemed to be shaking as if he were having a seizure.
I asked, "What does that prove?"
Liu Bi said, "You can't see it, but the expression on that female ghost's face is one of pain. She must be under his control. I think this Master Chen is quite sinister; he might be cultivating a female ghost puppet to serve him."
"Damn! Is anyone still doing this? That sick pervert can really do anything!" Master Xiao began expressing his emotions with his usual crude language.
Throughout history, many have practiced Taoism. With so many people involved, there are all sorts of individuals. Everyone understands the Law of Heaven's Cycle and Karma, yet some only focus on immediate benefits. They often have a carefree attitude of living for today without concern for tomorrow. Ghosts possess abilities that humans do not have; thus, many have been keen on cultivating their own soul puppets—some for convenience in life, some for profit, and others simply to harm others. Of course, there are also those who purely engage in research on Daoist Techniques.
Master Chen was the type of person who just got by, but his research on the art of Nourishing the Soul had grown increasingly melancholic, and now very few people practiced it. Most were focused on corpse oil, used for amulets and nurturing little spirits. I never expected that Master Chen was still engaged in Nourishing the Soul.
The souls that were nurtured typically had a deep connection with the person performing the Nourishing. Such souls were easier to cultivate. If it was a stranger, some form of connection had to be established first, usually through a contract, which could cause some harm to oneself. Therefore, I suspected that the alluring soul Master Chen was nurturing must have some relation to him. The most crucial point was that this chosen soul also had specific requirements regarding its Birth Date and Time.
Liu Bi nodded and continued, "I believe that female ghost must have died not long ago; Master Chen forcibly retained her soul. The Yin Qi around her hasn't even begun to solidify, and I estimate it hasn't been more than six months since her death."
"Can you tell how she died?" Master Xiao asked what I wanted to know.
Liu Bi replied, "I can't tell; there are no obvious wounds on her body. Moreover, there's no indication of any illness."
A young Female Spirit God who had only been dead for half a year—such a short time wasn't enough for her wounds to heal, and without any signs of illness or visible injuries, it indicated that her death was quite suspicious.
Thinking about this made me feel that the situation was becoming increasingly complicated. I said, "Nourishing the Soul has high requirements for the souls being nurtured. Could it be that they found a suitable acquaintance through Fate and used some abnormal means to kill her?"
Thank you for your support! The new book has passed review; special thanks to my Editor Lonesome. It has been uploaded and is currently undergoing final public review. You will be able to see it tomorrow morning.
Comment 0 Comment Count