Chapter 5

Ghosts, by nature, should return to the underworld after death. However, there are some exceptions, such as ghosts driven by strong attachments. This category is quite diverse, and it is difficult to distinguish good from bad under normal circumstances. For example, earth-bound spirits and hanged ghosts fall within the range of attachment-driven ghosts. These will be gradually explored and presented to you in the future.

However, one thing is common: ghosts cannot pass through walls or fly through the air as commonly believed. They can only walk where there is a path, and they can only enter through doors, windows, stoves, or chimneys. In other words, ghosts can only go where humans can go. This is why, when Taoist priests paste talismans, they only do so on doors and windows.

The road in front of the village entrance is a place where people walk!

The so-called ink line that Liu Shoucai mentioned is a tool used to restrain ghosts.

The formula for it is kept secret, but only from ordinary people. In essence, it is a combination of several highly yang substances.

First, the ink line box must be made from a gourd using the oldest method. The line must be made from spring silkworm silk (which is full of vitality), and the ink must be a mixture of rooster blood, cinnabar (both highly yang), and lead powder. These materials are all related to yang.

Liu Shoucai held the ink line and pulled it out from the gourd, handing it to Badou. He stood on the east side of the village entrance, while Badou walked to the west side.

Both of them placed the ink line 1 centimeter above the ground at the village entrance. Liu Shoucai said, "The path of yang is open, the path of wronged ghosts is sealed!" He then snapped the ink line, which made a humming sound as it hit the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. The red line with a hint of black was imprinted on the ground.

Next, Badou remained still as Liu Shoucai reeled in the line and moved to the second side of an equilateral triangle at a 45-degree angle. He snapped the line again. After that, Badou reeled in the line and returned to the east side of the village entrance. The three lines formed a triangle, effectively sealing the ancient well outside the village entrance.

At the moment they completed the task, the two hundred-year-old willow trees at the entrance of the village suddenly trembled, their leaves rustling. After a couple of breaths, they stopped.

"This old tree is about to become a spirit! It seems to have a close relationship with the thing inside," Liu Shoucai said, glancing at the two willow trees.

Badou looked into the village and said worriedly, "Liu, there's something wrong with the layout of this village."

"You noticed too?" Liu Shoucai put away the ink line and looked down the road into the village. Strangely, he could only see a faint light beyond twenty meters.

"What about throwing Xiaobai in?" Liu Shoucai suggested, thinking it was a good idea.

Badou gave Liu Shoucai a disdainful look and then said, "Xiaobai will go crazy and knock over the basins and water jars. In a village this old, a water jar at the entrance might be an antique from the Song or Ming dynasties. If the villagers don't know its value, you'll lose a few hundred yuan. But if they do, are you planning to kidnap Xiao Jiu or Sister Xiao?"

"I'm planning to kidnap you," Liu Shoucai thought Badou had gone bad, but who had he learned it from? Could it be Niu Jiao Jiao?

"I don't have money; I still owe you tens of thousands," Badou said sincerely, with a look that suggested he was broke and deserved a beating.

Liu Shoucai gritted his teeth. "I can't beat you, but if I could, I'd give you a good thrashing." However, seeing Badou's sturdy build, he decided to hold back.

"You stay here and guard. I'll go in and check out the thing," Liu Shoucai said.

"I'll go in; I can fight," Badou grabbed Liu Shoucai's clothes and said.

"What's the point of fighting? I plan to catch a live one," Liu Shoucai replied.

"Live? Why didn't you catch it earlier?" Badou was confused.

"How could I? Earlier, I encountered a highly yin transformation of six ghosts and one corpse, which were completely mindless. I thought the moonlight corpse might provide some clues, but didn't you notice that Xiaobai said it wasn't tasty? It had no blood or merit, just a mindless corpse. Hehe, that thing tried to push me into the well, which means it has some intelligence. Now, I must catch a live one." Liu Shoucai's gaze fixed on the village entrance, and he continued, "I suspect there's more than one in this village."

"Are you still going in?" Badou said anxiously, grabbing Liu Shoucai's wrist.

"Ouch! It hurts! Let go, let go!" Liu Shoucai shook his arm but couldn't break free from Badou's grip.

"You can't go in," Badou's stubbornness flared up, his eyes wide and fixed on Liu Shoucai.

Liu Shoucai was exasperated. Where did this kid learn to be so stubborn?

"Comrade Badou, I'm just going in to catch a live one. If it doesn't work, I'll find a way to hide in a house until dawn, ensuring my safety. If you're really worried, I'll bring Xiaobai with me, okay?" At this moment, Liu Shoucai had the air of a neighborhood committee auntie, while Badou's stiff-necked expression seemed to be cosplaying a city management officer.

"Or I'll go in with you?" Badou said seriously.

Liu Shoucai smiled bitterly. "Why would you come in with me? You have something to do."

"What?"

"Sit by the well and help me lure the ghosts," Liu Shoucai said.

"Why?"

"I sealed the path at the village entrance, but the well is a ghost gate. The layout of this village is indeed problematic. Look at the stones around the well; they couldn't be this smooth without a thousand years. This suggests there are at least four similar places around the village. I suspect there are similar ancient wells in the other two places, except for the east side. What I fear most is that the ancestral hall is in the center, which would make this place a highly inauspicious area," Liu Shoucai said, pausing and looking worried.

"But how can a highly inauspicious place be inhabited for thousands of years?" Badou finally released his grip.

Liu Shoucai rubbed his sore wrist and said, "I can't figure it out either. That's why I need to go in and see."

"Why not come during the day?"

"Are you stupid? Can you see such things during the day? I guarantee that the two willow trees at the entrance will be gone during the day, and the village will be so peaceful that it will glow!" Liu Shoucai was angry. Badou had been with him for over a year, but he still couldn't grasp the important things.

"I don't understand," Badou said honestly. Liu Shoucai, feeling helpless, said, "You're young; you'll understand later."

Liu Shoucai gave up on educating Badou. The kid was naturally slow-witted, good only at fighting. His other part-time job was almost unbelievable, perhaps also a result of his fighting skills?

Although Badou didn't understand, Liu Shoucai knew why.

It's simple: only at night, when the moonlight is strongest, do these ghosts and spirits come out to absorb pure yin energy and the essence of the moon. During the day, due to the layout of the place, everything that seems unreasonable becomes reasonable. Only on a full moon night can an expert discern the true nature of the place.

This is why Liu Shoucai had to come to this remote mountain village on such a night.

Another reason he didn't want Badou to go in was that once inside the village entrance, it would be like a sheep entering a tiger's den. Without any special skills, relying solely on brute force would only lead to being trapped. There might be other dangerous things in the village, and if he couldn't protect Badou, something might happen. This was a key factor in Liu Shoucai's decision to go alone.

Another reason was that Liu Shoucai had a vague concern that the village was filled with strange spiritual energy. The village entrance faces south, which should be a yang fire qi point, but it is occupied by a well. His earlier speculation that the other two places might also have wells to suppress the qi was now in doubt. All these reasons indicated that this place was extraordinary and highly inauspicious!

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