Chapter 21

Although I had such a strong feeling, I still couldn't grasp the key point. The only thing I could be sure of was that Old Zhou's nightmare must have a reason. It should be that a wronged spirit had come to seek his help to fulfill a strong wish from its life. If this wish wasn't fulfilled, it would turn into a vengeful ghost and still find Old Zhou, even though he was innocent.

This matter was simple in a way. To dispel the wronged spirit, I could draw a talisman for Old Zhou, set up a small array, or even place iron sand soaked in rooster blood under his pillow to prevent him from having nightmares again.

However, the key was that I had previously said that if the wronged spirit wasn't resolved, it would turn into a vengeful spirit. Although there is a head to the wrong and a master to the debt, in the case of the female ghost who claimed to have helped Old Zhou, if it didn't get a response from him, it would still haunt him.

If I used a forceful method to drive it away or suppress it, it might not be good for Old Zhou. This was because Old Zhou owed a favor to a spirit, and if he didn't repay it, it would be considered 'repaying kindness with enmity,' and the consequences would be even more severe.

Moreover, as cultivators, we should prioritize 'benevolence' in our actions. This was a principle my master repeatedly emphasized before I entered the mountain. Just like dealing with spirits and ghosts, we shouldn't always use force; we should focus on resolving the issues.

So, I hesitated. This matter, which seemed trivial, became difficult for me. After all, in the basement, I had said that as long as that man didn't do anything 'excessive,' I wouldn't interfere.

But, this female ghost strongly clung to Old Zhou, demanding his help, which was a contradiction.

I was deep in thought, and my silence made Old Zhou very uneasy. Qin Hainian, who was straightforward and didn't think too much about the complexities, felt very sorry for him. Seeing Old Zhou's state, she simply turned her bag around, took out a 'doll,' and handed it to Old Zhou.

The doll was carved from wood, with a typical totem style of the Miao village, an abstract smiling doll. To ordinary people, it didn't look beautiful but had a mysterious and eerie aura.

Old Zhou held the doll, puzzled. Qin Hainian, however, seriously told Old Zhou, "Zhou Zheng, this is my treasure. If Grandpa knew I gave it to someone, he would beat me to death."

Old Zhou looked at the doll in his hand, the mysterious smile, and the abstract body. He might have sensed the unusual aura from the wooden doll and couldn't help but push it back to Hainian, saying, "If it's your treasure, I can't accept it."

"Zhou Zheng, with it by your side, you won't have nightmares anymore, and neither cat spirits nor dog spirits will bother you," Hainian said earnestly.

I believed Hainian wasn't exaggerating. Although the methods of the Wu family seemed more bizarre and sometimes even 'evil' compared to the Daoist methods, they were absolutely effective.

Although my dull spiritual sense didn't tell me what the doll was, I had an almost 'abnormal' understanding and memory of certain things. As my master said, I had a photographic memory for these kinds of texts.

From the aura emitted by the wooden doll, I knew that it sealed an infant spirit. An infant spirit is what ordinary people call a 'little ghost,' but in the eyes of cultivators, it's a completely different matter.

To put it in perspective, a 'little ghost' is like a top-tier 'nuclear weapon,' while an infant spirit is more like an 'AK-47.' That's the difference.

However, infant spirits are also pitiful, including children who died young and those who were aborted but had formed and had souls. Those who died young might find it hard to reincarnate, or they might complain about being aborted after finally coming to the world. In general, their aura of resentment is quite strong.

Cultivators usually collect infant spirits, seal them, and gradually resolve their resentment. They also make them do good deeds to accumulate merit, so they can reincarnate again. Not every infant spirit receives good treatment from their 'parents' or a proper ritual.

Therefore, raising infant spirits is quite common, but it's generally not recommended for ordinary people, as they don't understand the taboos and methods, and might end up making things worse.

Of course, for someone like Qin Hainian, a 'witch,' raising an infant spirit is not a problem. Given how much she values this infant spirit, it must be extraordinary. After all, the Wu family's methods are much stronger in this area than the Daoist methods.

For example, a 'little ghost' is a 'nuclear weapon' and is also a method of the Wu family. These branches are more developed in Southeast Asia, and there are more people with real skills in the open. They are not as low-key as cultivators in China.

Before, the concept of Chinese cultivators wasn't firmly established in my mind. After learning Qin Hainian's true identity, this concept, and the world I longed for, finally took shape in my mind.

Hearing that the doll had such miraculous effects, Old Zhou, who had been reluctant to accept it, suddenly became interested and finally agreed to take it. Qin Hainian was delighted, as if Old Zhou had given her a treasure instead of her giving him one.

I sighed and interrupted Hainian, who was about to enthusiastically explain the precautions for keeping the doll at home. I took the wooden doll from Old Zhou's hand and gave it back to her, looking at Qin Hainian seriously and saying, "The Wu family's methods are more spontaneous, with a clear sense of right and wrong, love and hate, compared to the Daoist methods, which are more restrained. Hainian, I understand that you don't consider the cause and effect and only care about Old Zhou's feelings. But you have to believe me, you can't give this doll to Old Zhou."

"Why?" Hainian's face showed dissatisfaction. Her fiery Miao character was evident; she loved directly and would even defy the world for the one she loved. Her hate was also direct, as if she could bite off his flesh.

For Old Zhou, this Hainian dared to show her displeasure, and at the same time, Old Zhou looked at me with a questioning gaze, also confused.

I could only slowly say, "In Old Zhou's dream, didn't the girl say she helped him? I can confidently say that it's true. Old Zhou, when you were unconscious, I guess it was this girl's spirit who risked coming to inform me that you were in the hospital, but then the cat spirit scared her away." As I said this, I glanced at Old Zhou, whose expression changed.

Regardless of the truth, it was hard for him to believe that a female ghost had informed me. I wasn't sure if he really believed what I said or was trying to find a scientific explanation.

But at this moment, I wasn't trying to convince him. I continued, "Old Zhou, no matter how hard it is for you to accept these things, as a brother, I have to forcefully tell you that you must believe this. And you know, this is almost a life-saving favor. If I hadn't found your lost soul, you might have become a madman or a vegetable. I'm not exaggerating."

"It's not an exaggeration. That girl is quite pitiful. I shouldn't have given Zhou Zheng this doll," Qin Hainian nodded repeatedly. She was straightforward and didn't consider the complexities, but once she knew, she would choose kindness.

This was her shining point, the foundation of our group of friends accepting and liking her.

"Um." Old Zhou covered his face in pain and then looked up at me helplessly, saying, "Old Three, I can't remember, I can't remember at all why I became like this. What did I see that night? I have no idea. If I could remember, would that be helping her?"

I was silent. Clearly, Old Zhou had already given me his answer. He wanted to help the girl, but...

I sighed, feeling conflicted. I felt that if I could grasp the key, I might not be so conflicted.

"Old Three, what should I do?" Old Zhou said helplessly again.

"What can you do? Find her." I was also helpless. By 'find her,' I meant finding the girl who was now a female ghost.

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