Chapter 33: Spirit-Sealing Charm Beckons Lost Souls

  That bead seemed to have collided with an invisible object and was shattered. I smelled a scent of peach wood shavings.

  Damn it, that little scoundrel Tianji once told me that Tian Laodao's peach wood rosary had been infused with his decades of Taoist skills, which was quite formidable. As long as it hit the ghost, no matter how evil it was, it would scatter its soul. I didn't expect it to shatter when it hit Shen Ye's ghost, showing just how powerful Shen Ye's resentment was.

  I was drenched in sweat, my heart pounding violently against my chest, as if it were going to leap out of my body.

  I heard a mournful cry from Shen Ye's grave, and then I saw a faint wisp of blue smoke appear in the air, rapidly escaping towards the undestroyed solitary mound, disappearing into it instantly.

  The pheasant let out a cry of "Ah......" and fell from the sky, jumping and rolling like a fish that had left the water, its throat making a gurgling sound, in extreme pain.

  I scrambled up from the ground and ran over to where the pheasant had fallen.

  I quickly helped Tiantian up and shouted loudly: "Tiantian! Tiantian!"

  The pheasant's eyes rolled back, and it struggled violently in my arms. I was worried to death, damn it, would the pheasant be strangled to death by Shen Ye?

  Suddenly, I recalled Tian Lao's cold voice by my ear: "Little Shen, let him go, let me handle it!"

  I looked up at Lao Dao Tian and, as he said, gently placed the pheasant on the ground.

  Tian Lao crouched down, using his hand to lift up Tian Ji's eyelids and take a look. He then pinched the philtrum, felt the pulse, and afterwards took out a red medicinal pill from a black pouch he was carrying on him. He pried open Tian Ji's mouth and fed it in.

  Tian Lao saw me staring at the pheasant lying on the ground with a tense expression, looked at me and said: "Xiao Shen, don't worry, he won't die!"

  Since Lao Dao said that Tian Ji won't die, then he definitely won't die, I let out a sigh of relief.

  It was then that I noticed Lao Dao's appearance.

  Tian Lao Dao had a black bundle slung over his shoulder, which was bulging with unknown contents. In his hand he held a round object that looked like a compass. However, I knew it was a Luopan, similar to a compass in function, and generally only those Taoist priests who were skilled in the art could use the needle on the Luopan to locate ghosts drifting in the air.

  Just now he was able to find us, it should be the effect of that compass.

  Looking at Lao Dao's move, I get a feeling of profundity and mystery. The old master is indeed the old master, just revealing a little bit of his skill, it's already much stronger than Tian Ji's small trick!

  Tian Lao's arrival made me feel much more at ease. His grandmother, if he hadn't arrived in the nick of time, Tian Ji's little life would have been taken by Shen Ye... Maybe I would have become Shen Ye's second target, and the two of us would have already become wandering spirits on this Mei Mountain.

  Tian Lao Dao took the package off his shoulder and walked around in the woods, examining it carefully. His face was solemn, making me feel a chill run down my spine.

  It wasn't until about ten minutes later that Old Man Tian finally stopped moving, and I quickly walked over to hear what he had to say.

  Tian Lao cleared his throat and said: "Xiao Shen, this Meishan is really not a place you can come to. Don't come again in the future, do you understand?"

  Damn it, it's all because of Guan Tingting, that girl is so curious, almost got Tianji and me killed.

  "I quickly replied: 'Uncle Tian, I understand.'"

  In an instant, Tian Lao's gaze became profound and distant, his eyes fixed on the two solitary graves in the forest. He said, "There are indeed two strands of resentment condensed above this forest. No! To be precise, there are three, but one is not currently in this forest."

  My heart skipped a beat: "This Tian Lao Dao is really amazing, he saw it at a glance......". The resentment that Tian Lao Dao mentioned was obviously the ghost of Qin Yuer who had just possessed Guan Tingting's body and escaped into the forest.

  Tian Lao Dao continued, "These two grievances, one is very strong and the other is faint, as if it's about to disperse. This faint grievance is probably that white-clothed female ghost I eliminated that day... Just now, you and Bo Guang encountered danger, it was this strong grievance causing trouble..."

  Damn it, Master really is a master, he figured it out at a glance! I couldn't help but secretly admire him.

  I anxiously asked: "Tian Bobo, what should we do?"

  Tian Lao Dao smiled slightly and replied, "Nothing... actually, the ghosts in this world are all those who died unjustly or unwillingly, with lingering resentment. Take this forest, for example, there is a strong resentment in the air right now, it should be a man who died about half a century ago, he died in a big fire, with extreme resentment, and did not reincarnate, wandering in this forest..."

  "Is he a man? Shen Ye is naturally a man..." I wasn't surprised.

  I suddenly thought of that diary from half a century ago, if it weren't for Ruo Wu and Shen Ye's foolish love affair ending in an unclear death, I would have had some sympathy for him. This old Taoist priest wouldn't treat him like he did to Ruo Wu that day, beating him until his soul flew away, right?

  No matter what, Shen Ye is still my elder, I don't want him to turn into ashes and disappear, his soul gone.

  I was just about to plead for mercy, but my thoughts were apparently transparent to Tian Lao Dao. He said: "Little Shen, don't worry. Although this man's ghost has been causing evil and almost killed Bo Guang... however, I know you have a certain connection with him... so, on your account, I won't eliminate him! I'll just capture him and help him reincarnate as a human."

  It seems that not all Taoist priests are so cold-blooded, at least Tian Lao is not. I put my mind at ease. Thank Tian Lao.

  Plum Old Road Linzi quickly opened.

  I saw him sticking yellow paper symbols all over the trees around Shen Ye and Ruo Wu's two solitary graves. He told me that they were spirit-calming charms, which could calm down the restless spirits who wanted to escape.

  After the entire setup in the forest was complete, Tian Lao took out a white skull from the black package. When the skull was taken out, a cold and eerie aura quickly spread, causing me to shiver.

  Tian Lao Dao saw my fearful appearance, and smiled slightly, saying: "Little Shen, don't be afraid. This white jade-like skull is one of my important magical instruments, after being refined by the ancestors through generations, it's very suitable for a wandering spirit to temporarily reside in. Later I will summon that man's spirit out and seal it into this skull..."

  Tian Lao's words are like laws in my ears, and they don't sound like Tian Ji's petty tricks at all. They are reasonable and well-organized, but lack any actual combat experience.

  I concentrated on watching Tian Lao Dao perform his skills.

  Tian Lao Dao placed the skull in front of Shen Ye's grave, took out an incense burner from his bag, lit the soul-calling incense, and bowed three times to the skull with great respect. Then I saw him take out a rod-like object, striking the skull while reciting: "Soul, return! Why do you linger in the mortal world? What is it that makes you stay? Leave behind the joys of life and depart from evil. Soul, return! The east is not a place to rely on. Humans live for a thousand years, but only the soul is eternal. On the tenth day, the golden jade will be released. All these are habits, the soul must let go. Return, oh soul! Do not linger...".

  About a minute later, I saw the skull tremble slightly, and then I saw a wisp of fine smoke like a wandering thread emerge from Shen Ye's tomb and drill into the skull.

  The old man's hand, which had been knocking on the door, suddenly stopped and quickly covered a pig-like object over the skull's bone hole.

  Tian Lao Dao carefully put away the skull, and said to me: "Alright, this man's vengeful spirit has been successfully summoned into the artifact using the soul-guiding technique. From now on, there won't be any more evil spirits or malevolent ghosts in this forest..."

  Tian Lao Dao said as he was about to beckon me to leave with the wild chicken on my back. He suddenly seemed to think of something and stopped again, furrowing his brow tightly, and said to me: "Xiao Shen, no! My compass is jumping wildly, could it be that the ghost we just left has returned to the forest?"

  My heart is racing, no way? If Qin Yuer's ghost returns to Mei Mountain at this moment, it would be like a moth flying into the fire, seeking its own destruction...

  Cold sweat seeped out of my forehead, oh no! How can I persuade him?

  I anxiously and stutteringly said: "Uncle Tian, forget it... what's important is that we save Bo Guang, who cares about the ghost, let's just not come to this mountain again next time..."

  Tian Lao saw me shivering with fear, thinking that I had already been scared out of my wits, and didn't insist on it anymore. He replied: "Alright? If the ghost doesn't bother me, I won't bother the ghost, so let's just spare it for now... hoping it will behave itself and not come out to harm people..."

  The paddy frog lying on the ground seemed to wake up, but looked extremely weak. He whispered: "Dad... I thought I'd never see you again..."

  "Good-for-nothing! You're truly unworthy of being a descendant of the Tian family. Not only have you been haunted by evil spirits multiple times, but you also don't have any fighting ability to speak of. Don't humiliate yourself here anymore, come back home with me..."

  Tian Lao Dao scolded Tian Ji severely, how dare Tian Ji respond? Struggling to get up, he fell again.

  I couldn't bear it, so I ran over and carried Tian Ji on my back. I said to Old Man Tian, "Uncle Tian, let's go!"

  Tian Lao Dao put on a sullen face and let out a cold hum as he walked ahead.

  After leaving Mei Mountain, I put the pheasant in the back seat and lay down, asking Lao Tian to take the co-pilot's seat, driving the car to send them back to the Tian family's paper shop.

  As I was leaving, I asked Tian Lao: "Tian Bo Bo, is Ba Guang all right?"

  Tian Lao Dao coldly replied, "Don't worry, I've already given him the Corpse-Expelling Pill. The corpse poison in his body will be completely eliminated soon. You can rest assured and go back..."

  I thanked Old Tian and didn't drive back to the Shen family's old house. I wanted to see Qin Su'er, I wanted to tell her about seeing her sister Qin Yu'er's ghost.

  I called Qin Su'er's mobile phone, but no one answered.

  I'm in trouble, what to do? Go to No. 18 Meihua Santiao Street to find her? I don't want to see that old witch Ma Guipo again; besides, it's only five o'clock now, and I may not be able to meet her even if I go!