Chapter 36 - Soul-Capturing Yin House (Part XII)

Chen Shaoxian held a wooden board and a small box while speaking to the others, “This board is made of peach wood, which naturally wards off spirits. And this small box, called the Two-Realm Box, isolates Yin and Yang. However, this isolation is relative. For us, the space inside the box represents Yin. For the female corpse, it represents Yang. The box likely contains the soul and spirit of this woman’s child, trapped within, unable to undergo reincarnation.”

“The soul and spirit of the female corpse can only linger near the coffin, but because the Two-Realm Box is pressed under by the peach wood, and due to its inherent properties, the female corpse is unable to detect her child’s soul and spirit, which is actually right beneath her. However, a mother’s bond with her child is strong. This woman can feel her child’s presence nearby and has been searching throughout the house.”

Chen Shaoxian glanced at the Zhuo family members and continued, “The reason you cannot leave this house is because your own blood is also inside this small box. In ancient times, the Yi ethnic group of Liangshan practiced a form of Sorcery known as Grind-Clothes Binding. To prevent slaves from escaping, their clothes were placed in a specially crafted millstone. Should a slave attempt to flee, a sorcerer would be summoned to cast spells, and then the millstone would be turned, ensuring the slave would return after making a full circle. This method was later refined to possess the power to bind souls over great distances, though it eventually became lost. However, descendants developed a new Soul Binding Curse based on this principle, which also requires human blood as a catalyst.”

Zhang Xinyi spoke up, “But Mr. Chen, we haven’t been affected, so how could this be happening to us?”

Chen Shaoxian nodded but did not answer directly. Instead, he explained further, “Because the Zhuo family members’ blood is in the Two-Realm Box, it has mingled with the aura of the fetus. Likewise, the fetus’s aura has permeated your blood. This has caused the female corpse to mistakenly identify the Zhuo family members as her own child.”

Hearing Chen Shaoxian’s explanation, the Zhuo family members broke out in a cold sweat, instinctively glancing at their relatives nearby.

Chen Shaoxian turned to Zhang Xinyi and his brother and said, “The reason you can’t leave is because of that cooked human head. The owner of the head was hired by Uncle Zhuo. The female corpse thought he came to take her child, so she killed him, turning him into a Vengeful Spirit Corpse…”

Chen Shaoxian paused, looking at the solemn expressions of the Zhuo Family Members, and said, “You need to be prepared mentally.”

After the Zhuo Family Members all nodded, Chen Shaoxian continued, “This Vengeful Spirit Corpse is the food prepared by this woman for her own child.”

Upon hearing this, the Zhuo Family Members and the Zhang brothers all turned pale and rushed out to vomit profusely.

Chen Shaoxian took a deep breath and lit a cigarette.

Even Zheng Lei, who didn’t smoke, asked for one and started smoking. Although he coughed a bit from the irritation, he didn’t throw it away. Some of the police officers, who were smokers, also began to light their cigarettes and smoked in silence. The atmosphere in the Zhuo household was oppressively somber.

After a while, the Zhuo Family Members returned, looking pale.

Chen Shaoxian looked at them and asked, “Shall I continue?”

Mr. Zhuo didn’t say a word, just nodded heavily.

Chen Shaoxian discarded his cigarette butt and resumed, “Zhang Xinyi and Zhang Xinming, after staying overnight at the Zhuo’s. They ate…” He paused, skipping over some details, but everyone present understood. Chen Shaoxian added, “The next day, you also exhibited characteristics of the Vengeful Spirit Corpse, meaning you were considered reserve supplies.”

Zhang Xinyi and Zhang Xinming, already pale, now looked visibly distorted, their complexions turning ashen.

“I am partly to blame for this. I gave you some methods without fully understanding the situation, which angered the female corpse, leading you to cut the flesh from your own bodies,” Chen Shaoxian said, shifting the topic slightly. “And after consuming the flesh of the Vengeful Spirit Corpse, corpse energy began to form within your bodies.”

“As the corpse energy accumulates within your bodies, it transforms into corpse fluid. This fluid will permeate the skin, forming a corpse membrane, which slowly thickens until it envelops you completely, turning you into what is known as a corpse cocoon. When this cocoon finally breaks open, you will emerge as corpse soldiers. These corpse soldiers possess the characteristics of the living, impervious to decay and capable of spraying corpse toxin that can harm others, immune to conventional weapons. Anyone who comes into contact with this corpse toxin will quickly find their body rotting away.”

“However, the transformation into a corpse soldier is complex, not just requiring a living body but also many stringent conditions, which surprisingly someone has fulfilled,” Chen Shaoxian suddenly recalled.

After checking the number of Zhuo Family Members, he exclaimed in astonishment, “This person not only intends to turn you into corpse soldiers but also aims to transform this female corpse into the Nine-children Ghost Mother. Given the heavy resentful energy within the female corpse, she will not only become a Ghost Mother but also a corpse demon that despises all living beings.”

“Corpse demons, due to their nature, were typically powerful individuals from ancient times who placed them in their tombs to protect their burial sites. They have long been extinct, and I am astonished to see a nascent form of one here.” Chen Shaoxian remarked with a sigh.

Everyone felt as though they were hearing a mythical tale, their faces filled with astonishment and disbelief after listening.

Zheng Lei asked Chen Shaoxian, “Shaoxian, what should we do next?”

Chen Shaoxian looked back and said, “We need to sever the connection between the female corpse and the Zhuo Family Members.” After speaking, he wrapped the Two-Realm Box in yellow cloth and returned to the courtyard.

Approaching the coffin, Chen Shaoxian had someone fetch a chisel and placed the brazier back under the coffin. He then chiseled a small hole at the appropriate spot.

As soon as the hole was opened, water immediately gushed out, hissing upon contact with the burning charcoal in the brazier, quickly extinguishing the flames.

After the water inside was drained, the entire female corpse was exposed to the air. As soon as the corpse made contact with the air, its body slightly deflated, emitting a painful moan. This moaning sound was distressing to the Zhuo Family Members, who felt uneasy and wanted to step forward to stop Chen Shaoxian.

Chen Shaoxian suddenly turned and glanced at the Zhuo Family Members, instructing them, “Come here, all of you, and kneel in front of the coffin.”

The Zhuo Family Members approached and knelt down one after another. Chen Shaoxian untied the yellow cloth and placed the Two-Realm Box at the forefront. As soon as the box touched the ground, the female corpse suddenly sat up, fixating on the Two-Realm Box on the floor.

The sight terrified everyone present, causing them to instinctively step back.

Chen Shaoxian walked over to the female corpse and spoke a string of words that no one could understand.

The brothers Zhang Xinyi, who had been trained in Taoism, heard what Chen Shaoxian said and exchanged incredulous looks, their faces not only showing respect but also adoration towards him.

After listening to Chen Shaoxian’s words, the female corpse kept her gaze on the Two-Realm Box, tears of blood streaming from her eyes. She stared for a long while, then slowly turned her head and nodded at Chen Shaoxian.

Once the female corpse nodded, she fell straight back into the coffin with a loud thump. A dark blue mist emerged from her body as it rapidly decomposed and collapsed, turning into a pile of blackened bones in an instant.

Following the collapse of the female corpse, the Two-Realm Box surprisingly emitted the cry of a baby, and the Zhuo Family Members unconsciously shed tears.

Chen Shaoxian pursed his lips, muttering to himself, “Mother’s blood, world-cutting tears, born for her child, yet she perishes; the child cries, lamenting maternal grace, unaware of the mother.” He then shook his head and sighed deeply, but a decision had been made in Chen Shaoxian’s heart.