Chapter 30 - Soul-Capturing Yin House (Part VI)

Zheng Lei remarked, “This car was still here when we left; I really didn’t notice when we got back.”

Hearing this, Chen Shaoxian nodded without further comment.

Upon returning to the courtyard, they were met by a flushed Zhuo Family Member staring at them.

Chen Shaoxian chuckled and addressed Mr. Zhuo, “Feeling much better now, aren’t you?”

Mr. Zhuo nodded awkwardly, at a loss for words.

Chen Shaoxian then instructed the Zhuo Family Member to leave some medicinal soup for Zhang Xinyi’s group and to pour the rest into the toilets, ensuring each one received some. He then asked the Zhuo Family Member to cook nothing but plain white porridge.

When Zhang Xinyi and his group returned, Chen Shaoxian had them finish their medicine. After they had drunk the medicine, he told them to go outside the courtyard gate and not to come back until they were finished. They left with puzzled expressions and returned a while later, their faces red as well.

Once the porridge was ready, Chen Shaoxian had the Zhuo Family Member serve it in a basin at the front door and asked Zhang Xinyi to bring the chicken they had bought. Everyone else stood inside, watching Chen Shaoxian.

He drew a circle around the basin with a branch and then chopped off the chicken’s head, letting all its blood pour into the basin. After these preparations, Chen Shaoxian quickly stepped back.

At that moment, the Zhuo Family Members inside felt as if something rushed past them, stirring up gusts of wind that gradually gathered around the copper basin, swirling around it. The wind carried countless shadows that rustled softly, creating a disquieting noise.

Chen Shaoxian tapped the copper basin three times with the branch and declared to the swirling winds, “The Zhuo family offers porridge in ceremony, I hope all of you will depart quickly after eating.” He then tapped the basin three more times.

As he finished tapping, all the wind plunged into the basin. The bloody water in the basin seemed to be sucked dry, revealing the porridge, which quickly desiccated, turning crispy and brown. Even the copper basin looked much older and worn.

Chen Shaoxian kept his eyes fixed on the copper basin. Seeing only dry rice grains left inside, he immediately asked Zhang Xinyi to bring over the joss paper they had bought. After lighting it, he tossed it into the basin. Then, addressing the breeze, he declared, “The Zhuo family has opened the altar to disperse wealth; please take this money and depart swiftly.”

It seemed as if the wind understood Chen Shaoxian’s words. Inside the basin, a whirlwind formed, curiously only lifting the burnt ashes into the sky without stirring a single spark. Soon, the joss paper was completely burnt.

The wind suddenly stopped, but the rustling noise continued.

Chen Shaoxian grabbed a bottle of baijiu and smashed it around the basin. The bottle shattered, and the liquor splashed out, quickly spreading across the ground to form a circle exactly matching the size of the imaginary circle he had drawn with a branch.

Suddenly, the liquor on the ground divided into numerous small segments, which then began to condense into footprints of varying sizes and shapes on the ground.

Chen Shaoxian pulled a short incense stick, the length of a matchstick, from his pocket and lit it. He then placed it upright on the ground where it miraculously stood on its own.

Seeing the incense stick standing, he addressed the footprints, saying, “The porridge is served, the wealth dispersed, please leave quickly.” He then kept his gaze fixed on the footprints formed by the liquor.

As soon as Chen Shaoxian finished speaking, some of the footprints dissolved back into liquor, disappearing one after another until the liquor merged back into a single mass, leaving only a few larger footprints.

Chen Shaoxian glanced at the incense on the ground, noting that only a quarter remained. He then pulled out a piece of Altar-Stabilizing Wood from his pocket and slammed it onto the ground with force, causing the remaining footprints to vanish.

He exhaled deeply, struck a match, and set the liquor on the ground aflame. After the fire died down, he didn’t bother with the copper basin and quickly retreated back to the courtyard.

As soon as he entered, he instructed the Zhuo Family Members to close the main gate and seal it entirely with the yellow cloth they had purchased.

Zheng Lei approached Chen Shaoxian and asked, “Shaoxian, what just happened?”

Lighting a cigarette, Chen Shaoxian replied, “The Zhuo family’s yin energy is very strong, attracting many unclean things. After feeding them and satisfying their hunger, it’s easier to send them away.”

Zheng Lei asked with puzzlement, “They won’t come back again?”

Chen Shaoxian smiled and said, “These things are very trustworthy.  Once they leave, they won’t return.”

At that moment, Zhang Xinyi approached and asked, “Mr. Chen, the incense just now, was it a spirit-seeking candle? I’ve heard that it can divine the intentions of ghosts and spirits.”

Chen Shaoxian nodded and explained, “It’s not as mystical as you think. It’s merely a tool for negotiation. If it falls over, we fight. If it stands, we make peace. If it burns out, everyone goes their separate ways. Actually, we could have ignored those last few things, but I used the Altar-Stabilizing Wood to scare them off to avoid any complications.”

“Right, Zhang Xinyi, I’m giving you this talisman paper. You and Zhang Xinming need to draw on all the Zhuo family’s mirrors. Make sure not to make any mistakes. After drawing, cover them with cloth,” Chen Shaoxian instructed.

Zhang Xinyi took the talisman paper and quickly called over Zhang Xinming to start their task.

When the area was clear, Zheng Lei pulled Chen Shaoxian aside and whispered, “Shaoxian, give me a rundown. How confident are you in resolving this issue?”

Chen Shaoxian shook his head and said, “This matter is too eerie. Remember the thing we saw during the day? I didn’t dare mention it earlier, fearing it would frighten Zheng Ruirui and the others. That was a Vengeful Spirit Corpse. You’ve heard the stories about people turning into evil spirits after being eaten by a tiger, right? It’s the same with this creature. Moreover, the Zhuo family didn’t actually ask for our help; something else brought us here. We don’t know all the details.”

After a heavy drag on his cigarette, Chen Shaoxian continued, “Whether or not we can solve the mystery depends on tonight. And you need to keep a close eye on Zheng Ruirui and Zhuo Junfan. Don’t trust the Zhuo family members, at least not tonight.” After speaking, he handed Zheng Lei a Bagua Mirror and explained its use.

As night fell, the Zhuo family members started to get nervous.

Chen Shaoxian looked at the sky and then instructed the Zhuo family to remove all the curtains and seal the windows with yellow cloth. Once everything was set, he gathered everyone in a relatively large bedroom and told them they would all stay in this room tonight. The Zhuo family members were actually quite happy to be in the same room as Chen Shaoxian, feeling safer for it.

He ordered people to bring in a copper basin that had been used for burning charcoal. The charcoal fire had long been extinguished, leaving only a thick layer of charcoal ash. He placed the necessary items within reach and told everyone they could take a short rest now but must wake up before midnight. After saying this, he didn’t bother with anyone else and just lay down on the floor to sleep.

The room was filled with the sound of breathing, and while Chen Shaoxian was already asleep, all the other people were staring at the wall clock.