Chapter 13: Making Up One's Mind

  "Old brother, what work do you do? I heard that there is someone here who can drive out evil spirits and catch ghosts, it's very impressive." Dao Zhang's eyes stared tightly at Second Uncle.

  "Hey, you're talking about me, right? I just help others with weddings and funerals, no big deal. Xiao Yu's university tuition isn't enough, so I'm taking him out to earn some money for his tuition." Second Uncle didn't suspect Dao Zhang's words, drank two bowls of porridge, and lay down in the yard to sleep.

  Before long, the meal was finished.

  "I won't disturb you anymore, thank you for your hospitality, sister-in-law, the dishes you made are really delicious!" After resting for a moment, Master Xuanqing smiled and said to Erniang.

  "Look at you, big brother, you've brought the chicken all this way and I should be thanking you. Adding a simple meal with coarse tea is nothing, just come visit us at home whenever you have time." Erniang said to Xuancan while putting away the bowls and chopsticks.

  "Doll, please lead the way, I want to take a look at that Dog Head Slope and see if that Ghost Cave is true or false. I heard two dolls went missing and only one came back alive." Master Xuanclear kept giving me meaningful glances.

  Second Uncle lay down on the bed again with a dazed expression, looked at us once and closed his eyes, ignoring us.

  "Xiao Yu, take this big brother to take a look and come back quickly. Remember to be back in half an hour, did you hear? The sky is not early." Erniang's expression was very serious, but in fact she didn't want me to bring Master Xuancheng with me, perhaps because she was worried that I would get into trouble. These past few days' events made Erniang feel uneasy too.

  "Don't worry, Second Sister, I'll be right back!" I said with a smile to reassure her and avoid raising any suspicions about what else I might be up to.

  "Brother, I'll go with you, I don't want to stay at home." Just as I and Master Xuancheng were about to reach the door, my little sister ran over and grabbed my arm, her eyes staring at Master Xuancheng.

  "It's okay little sister, I'll send him off and come right back. You go back quickly." I pushed the little sister into the house.

  "Alright, you be careful too and come back as soon as possible." Little sister looked at me with reluctance, as if I was never coming back. My heart felt a pang of sadness. Second aunt and little sister really care about me, I must get to the bottom of this or else I'll owe them an apology.

  I walked in front, and Master Xuánqīng followed behind. By this time, it was already afternoon, and the sun had gradually lowered. As we walked, we arrived at the back mountain of my second uncle's house. The back mountain of my second uncle's house is a forest, with no houses around, and many trees have been planted on the mountain. Occasionally, there are a few children herding cattle here. Seeing that all around was quiet and still, with no other people in sight, Master Xuánqīng and I simultaneously stopped our footsteps.

  "Director Dao, have you eaten yet?" I said as a polite greeting to conceal my inner tension.

  "You've eaten your fill, and Second Aunt's culinary skills are quite good. I haven't eaten all morning until now at the market." The Taoist priest narrowed his eyes and smiled at me.

  "Master Dao, do you think my second uncle is really possessed by a ghost?" I asked Master Dao eagerly.

  Xuan Qing Dao Chang didn't answer me immediately, but instead raised his right hand and picked up his fingers.

  "I've calculated that these past few days are yin months and yin days, it's easy for unclean things to stick to you. I see your Second Uncle's appearance, it seems like he's lost his six senses and his soul is gone!" Daochang Xuanqing furrowed his brow as he looked at me.

  "Oh? Lost soul!" I was a bit surprised, what does it mean to lose one's soul. Before, I had seen many similar mysterious scenes on TV, but I never dared to believe that people really have souls.

  "I must not be mistaken, your second uncle is now possessed by a ghost, so he is now the soul of a ghost attached to his body. Your second uncle is still sleepy in the daytime because the ghost is afraid of sunlight, and the daytime sun will restrain the ghost's soul." What Master Xuancheng said made me recall what happened a few days ago.

  "It's true, my second uncle came back a few days ago and was particularly spirited at night. The day after he finished the Buddhist ritual, all the dogs in the village were bitten to death. Last night, all the chickens in our house were bitten to death. During the day, when I saw my second uncle, he was still licking chicken blood from his hand." I told Master Xuanclear about all these abnormalities over the past few days, and what he just said seems to confirm my second uncle's abnormal behavior.

  "It seems I didn't guess wrong, is there anything else you want to tell me in detail?" Xuan Qing Daozhang looked at me with concern.

  I told everything about Second Uncle to Master Xuancheng, and also the several children who came from the city a few days ago, two of whom went missing and one became mad.

  "What? The two children disappeared and turned into white bones?" Xuan Qing's brow furrowed. I spoke while breaking out in cold sweat, and the back mountain suddenly swept up a chill wind, causing me to shudder.

  "It seems that this ghost is indeed very fierce and cruel, actually eating human flesh and gnawing on human bones. Boundless Heavenly Venerable! It seems that if we don't eliminate the disaster, he will harm even more people." Xuan Qing Daozhang glared forward in anger, apparently a man who hated evil as much as he hated himself.

  "Daozhang, what should we do now? How can we make my second uncle normal again?" I anxiously asked Daozhang Xuancan.

  "Doll, just now when we were eating, I saw your Second Uncle Yin Tang's face turn black, his six senses were disordered, and his eyes were dull. It seems that the ghost has already absorbed a lot of yang energy from your Second Uncle's body. If you don't drive out the ghost in time, the evil spirit will eventually suck dry your Second Uncle's yang energy, and when that happens, your Second Uncle will become a fierce ghost and will harm you all!" Master Xuan Qing looked at me seriously, and after hearing his words, my heart felt a chill.

  "Daozhang, you said you want to exorcise the ghost. Isn't that the same as killing my second uncle? What if the ghost isn't exorcised and my second uncle dies?" I really wasn't doubting Daozhang's abilities, after all, my second uncle had raised me for so many years, and if he died, I would definitely be heartbroken.

  "Foolish child, I know it was your Second Uncle who raised you, but don't forget that you also have a Second Aunt and your little sister. If your Second Uncle becomes a malevolent spirit, your Second Aunt and little sister will suffer too, and by then, I'll be powerless to change the course of events!" Xuan Qing Dao Zhang closed his eyes and stroked his white beard.

  At this moment, I realized that the Daoist priest had transformed back to his original appearance when we first met. He was dressed in a complete set of Daoist attire, and the peasant clothes he wore earlier were nowhere to be seen. Looking at the resolute gaze in his eyes, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of admiration for him.

  "Since you're so confident, I'm asking you to go now and exorcise that ghost so my second uncle can return to normal?" Looking at Daozhang being so confident, I really got anxious.

  "You little brat, if I were to go and kill your Second Uncle right now, that ghost would be able to leave his body. If I wanted to collect that ghost, I would have done so long ago!" Daozhang's words made me shudder all over.

  "Kill my second uncle! That's not okay! I saw on TV that Taoist priests drive out ghosts at a specific time, right? I don't want my second uncle to die like this."

  "Haha, you're quite knowledgeable. I was just scaring you earlier, actually to avoid hurting your Second Uncle, for now the best plan is to wait for an opportunity and set up a Heaven and Earth Net Yin Yang Formation to capture that fierce ghost, after capturing it we need to put it in a Soul-Calling Bag for 49 days to let it turn into ashes, otherwise it will find a new host body to harm humans." I was a bit confused by what Master Xuanxu said, after all this is a professional field and I only know a little about it.

  "So how can you set up a formation? Do I need to help you in some way?" I scratched my head.

  "Doll, the arrangement of the law array requires yin and yang to be adjusted. I will draw talismans all over your second uncle's house, prepare a ghost-expelling altar, and hang black threads on doors, windows, and all exits so that ghosts can't get out. These are all methods used by Taoist priests to expel ghosts. When the time comes, you'll understand naturally. If your second uncle leaves home, tell me, and I'll go prepare!" Daozhang Xuanclear said with a serious expression, which made me admire him greatly.

  "Remember! These few days, absolutely do not let outsiders go to your home, lest that evil spirit harms people. You must also inform your second wife and little sister, when I am performing the ritual, have them hide far away, otherwise the evil spirit will kill them!"

  I was terrified in my heart, if something went wrong, it would not only cost Second Uncle's life, but also put Second Aunt and Little Sister's safety at risk.

  "But Master, I have one thing that's unclear to me. My second uncle is also a Daoist who can drive out evil spirits, so how could he be possessed by a ghost?" This question has been bothering me all along. I had always held onto the hope that my second uncle would be okay because he was also once a Daoist who drove out ghosts. My second uncle and I have gone to many villages together to drive out evil spirits without any problems, so why didn't it work this time? Moreover, how could a Daoist be possessed by a ghost?

  Xuan Qing Dao Chang seemed to see through my thoughts.

  "Doll, this is what they mean by 'the higher the Tao, the more evil spirits there are!' One thing suppresses another! Your Second Uncle is indeed skilled in exorcising evil spirits, and dealing with those mischievous little ghosts is a piece of cake for him. However, malevolent spirits are a different story altogether. They often harbor deep-seated resentment, and if one's Tao is not strong enough, they will end up being counterattacked by the spirits and possessed by them!" The Daoist priest's words were like a wake-up call to me, and I realized that you can't walk along a riverbank without getting your shoes wet.

  "Thank you, Master Dao, for helping my Second Uncle. If you can help him get rid of the ghost, I'll be willing to serve as your servant!" As I said this, I knelt down and knocked my head three times on the ground.

  "Doll, driving out demons and guarding the way is my duty. When I first learned from my master, he also told me that it was not necessary to make such a big fuss, so hurry up and get up. If you really have a kind heart, go home and find an opportunity to tell your second aunt and little sister about your second uncle's possession by the ghost, so they can be prepared. If something unexpected happens, I won't be able to help." The Taoist priest bent down and helped me up.

  "Dao Zhang, if my second uncle goes out one day, I will definitely tell you. But where do you live? How can I find you?" Dao Zhang took out a pen and wrote his phone number on the palm of my hand.

  "Dolly, when the opportunity arises, be sure to give me a call. A chance like this won't come again if it's missed. I'm currently staying at the market's guest house, so if you can't reach me by phone, just go there and look for me."

  "Thank you, Daozhang! As soon as I have any news, I'll give you a call!" I felt a lot lighter in my heart. If Second Uncle recovered normally, then Second Aunt and Little Sister would also be out of danger.

  Watching Xuan Qing's back view going far away, I also quickly walked back.

  "Brother, why did you take so long? Has that person left?" As soon as I pushed open the door, my little sister skipped over to me with a jump, and looking at her clear eyes, my heart felt a pang of sadness. If something were to happen to my uncle and aunt, wouldn't my little sister become an orphan?

  "Oh, it's nothing. I sent that person to their destination and then headed back. On my way back, I happened to see my high school classmate Ah Ming, and we chatted for a bit." As he spoke, he walked into the house, where Second Aunt was feeding the large rooster they had just bought. Second Uncle looked up at me with half-closed eyes, then lay back down, dozing off again.

  I don't know what's wrong with him, but from yesterday till now, Second Uncle still likes to lie down motionless.

  "Second Uncle, what's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable? Why are you still lying in the courtyard? The cool breeze has started to blow. Let's go into the house and rest," I pulled Second Uncle's arm, but he didn't respond to me and continued to doze off.

  "Xiao Yu, I'm hungry, I want to drink blood, is there chicken blood? I want to drink blood." Second Uncle started talking nonsense again, with his eyes closed but not looking at me. This matter can't be delayed any longer, if we don't tell Erniang and Xiao Mei, something big will happen in the future.

  I must find an opportunity to tell Erniang and Xiaomei about the matter of Second Uncle being possessed by a ghost, otherwise they will be in danger. Master Xuancheng has come home to perform rituals and needs their cooperation, but Second Uncle sleeps at home every day, so how can I talk to them?