I nodded fiercely, not sure whether it felt like it from the beginning or whether it felt like it as soon as Master guided me like this.
Because at the beginning, two villagers respectively described the image of the female ghost in black robe, especially the person who witnessed it, which actually made me have a rough outline of the female ghost.
Seeing the talisman paper dust in the bowl gradually pieced together into a human shape, it was really similar to the one in my mind. But I told Master that there is still a difference, because according to the villagers, the woman was very tall and wearing a hat. Although the black figure in the bowl is in the shape of a person, the color of the head is different. It's much lighter and doesn't look like he's wearing a hat.
The master said that this is one of the water techniques, called the round light technique. Here, the bowl is used as the circle and the water is used as the mirror. Under the guidance of the mantra, the image in the water will directly present an answer related to the ghost here.
This method can be used to inquire about various matters in the three realms and six realms, including searching for people and objects, as well as evil spirits and ghosts. So whether the person in the water is the female ghost in black robe or not, it can be proved at this moment that there must be a connection between them.
What Master told me was a conclusion and judgment. For me, there were too many processes that I didn’t understand, so I asked Master to explain it to me more clearly. Master said, this round light technique is a kind of water method, and it is also our This is one of the most important means of investigating and asking questions. It is relatively easy to get started, but it is more difficult to master it. Don't be anxious. After this trip is over, this will be one of your introductory lessons.
Before coming here, I still remember the flash of worry that Master had. Presumably at this moment, he understood that he had underestimated me. As this was my first time encountering this kind of incident, I did not shrink back or be afraid, nor did I act recklessly. He must also be very pleased.
The master took out a small handful of rice from his arms, picked seven, and scattered the rest around the bowl. He just threw these seven rice on the water in the bowl. When the dry rice grains met the water, It floated naturally. He seemed to be asking deliberately and said, Dare I ask who the gods are here? I want to maintain the justice of heaven and earth here, but I don't know if the gods will not let me!
The master's voice was a little low, probably because he was worried that the eldest sister would hear him. But he said it so politely, which made me feel a little funny. But if I laughed at this moment, I would probably get beaten, so I could only endure it. At this moment, two grains of rice that were floating on the water suddenly sank. The master spoke again and said that if the gods heard it, they would sink one and then two.
A few seconds after the words fell, the rice grains on the water really sank one after another. This time I couldn't laugh anymore. I thought it was too amazing. Since Master was asking questions, the rice grains followed Master's questions. The words gave a unanimous response. Does this mean that the one controlled by the master's water method at this moment is the ghost manifested in the bowl?
The master went on to say, those who obey me will prosper and those who go against me will perish. If the gods obey me, they will all sink; if they go against me, they will float up to two grains of rice! I looked at the water intently, because I knew that the next movement of the rice grains would almost determine what we would do next. I saw two more grains of rice that had sunk at the bottom of the bowl floating up.
The master said to me expressionlessly, "Now it's fun. This guy is having sex with us. This is fine. Since we have to fight head-on, it's much easier."
So the master stood up, raised his hand and poured out the water in the bowl, and then said to me, let's go, go back and have something to eat, investigate again in the afternoon, and come back to clean it up after dark.
Judging from the master's tone, he should be quite sure about this matter, so I felt relieved. Since I couldn't do anything else, I could only follow the master back to Mr. Liu's house.
During lunch, Master briefly explained the situation to Mr. Liu. He said that based on the information currently available, the strange things in the village should be related to the arrival of the construction team, which is somewhat similar to what everyone initially guessed. , it was indeed caused by the construction team lighting explosives, but it was not because they scared away the leopard woman that the ghosts came out, but because they blew up the cellar of the church.
Some related things in the cellar should have been blown up, and we also found evidence of the existence of ghosts at the scene. However, the female ghost in black robes beside the hill and the grove does not seem to be the one we found at the scene.
Mr. Liu was shocked when he heard this and asked quickly, "You mean, there is more than one ghost in our village?" The master nodded and said, "It's very likely that this is the case. Judging from the strange things you did in the woods before, including the villager who directly witnessed the female ghost, judging from your situation, you were just frightened. Other than that, you didn't encounter anything." What harm. The behavior of ghosts often has a certain purpose, and every time they appear in physical form, they actually need to take a great risk.
So what you encountered feels more like a prank. As for why, I don't know yet. However, the ghost we found at the entrance of the church cellar has made it clear that he wants to go against me. If we don't give in to each other, we will naturally have to fight. This attitude is completely different from the one you met in the woods.
Mr. Liu hurriedly asked, could that be a lie to you? Maybe the ghost you found was just to scare you and play a prank? The master shook his head and said, that's impossible. Circle Light Technique is like borrowing an eye to peek at other people's secrets. Since it is a secret, it must be something that is hidden and not revealed. Since it is hidden, it must be something hidden. Real thoughts, in other words, since they say they are going to go against us, they will definitely go against us.
So I suggested to Master, should we also go to the edge of the woods where the ghost was first witnessed? In this way, by checking both sides together, we can prove whether the master's guess is right or wrong. Master said we must go, and we will leave after eating.
He turned back to Mr. Liu and said, "Excuse me, old man, you will show us the way later."
After lunch, under the guidance of Mr. Liu, Master took me to the location of the incident. This is the pass of a small hill. On one side is another slightly higher hill, and on the other side is a forest. The forest covers the entire hill and stretches to other mountains. Although the locals call it a small forest, it is nothing like it. Not small. This place is the only way in and out of the village. The narrow passage can only pass two bullock carts in parallel.
Mr. Liu told us that they escaped from the grove that day and hid where we are now. It was also in this place that the villagers first witnessed the female ghost in black robe.
However, several subsequent sightings were not at the current location, but they were not far from here. The master looked around, then leaned to the edge of the grove and smelled it with his nose.
Then the master returned to the roadside and took out a stack of paper money from the bag, a small wooden sword as long as a dagger, a red token with black inside, a small wine glass, and a hand ringing a bell. I know this bell. It is the bell that Master asked us to take home when my uncle's teahouse was haunted.
I saw Master dividing the paper money into three piles and arranging them in a triangle shape. Then Master lit three sticks of incense and inserted them on the curb behind the three piles of paper money. Then the master picked up the small wooden sword and passed through the smoke from the burning incense. The smoke began to swing with the swing of the small wooden sword. The master clasped his finger in his left hand and placed it flat in front of his lower abdomen. He stepped with his feet and chanted a mantra in his mouth along with the dance of the small wooden sword.
Because the tone of Master's chanting is a bit like singing, but the words are obscure and difficult to understand, the general meaning is that something is listening to my command. Then the master placed the small wooden sword flat on the three piles of paper money, took out a small handful of rice grains from his arms, and put it into the small wine glass. He bent the middle finger and ring finger of his left hand, stretched out the thumb, index finger, and little finger, and put the rice in it. Holding the small wine glass in his hand, his hand turned into a wine glass holder. Then the master held the token in his right hand, used the token as a pen, and wrote something on the rim of the wine glass in his left hand.
Judging from the movement of the pen, it seems to be writing a spell. After finishing writing, the master put the token back into his arms, grabbed the rice in the small wine glass five times with his right hand, sprinkled a little on the southeast, northwest, and then placed the wine glass rim down on the pile of paper money. At this time, the master was still holding the finger with his left hand, and started to ring the bell with his right hand, and his body also followed in a small circle.
This is not the first time I have seen Master do this. Before that, Master would take me to do odd jobs for many casual jobs. They all looked similar in style, but this was the first time I saw him use wood. Things like swords, tokens, and bells.
Then the master stopped and said to me and Mr. Liu, let’s wait a moment. I have already sent someone out to check. It seems that there must be a ghost in the forest now, but this ghost is wandering around and has no whereabouts. If we wait, we will be gone. There is no deadline, but since this ghost appears repeatedly in this area, it can only mean one thing.
Mr. Liu and I asked in unison, what's the problem? The master said that either there was something nearby that it could not abandon during its lifetime, or its tomb was buried here.
Mr. Liu said, "But that's not right. Even if our locals died and wanted to be buried, they would not be buried in this kind of woods, because when the leaves are leafy, the woods are almost as dark during the day as they are at night." Yes, we will never bury the dead in a place where they can’t see the light.
The master said that of course he knew these customs. If a grave was really found in the woods, it meant that the person who buried the dead did so deliberately. So either he hates this person and wants this person to not see the light of day after death. Either this person died in a strange way and is not easily found buried here.
Master's words made us all speechless. Master added that no matter which of the two situations, it is easy for the deceased to accumulate grudges. Once grudges are accumulated, it is reasonable to cause a ghost.
Mr. Liu stammered and asked, "So...who did you send to investigate this matter?" The master smiled and said, they are not people, they are my soldiers and horses, five rampant soldiers and horses.
