Arrived at Wangs house, pushed open the gate, He Lao had already gotten out of bed and was washing up in the courtyard. Seeing Cha Wenbin return, He Lao didnt have time to wipe off the toothpaste on his mouth before he wanted to kneel down for Cha Wenbin

  Zha Wenbin blocked him with one hand: "What are you doing, Old He?"

  He Lao was already tearfully sentimental, with a handful of tears and a handful of snot, supported by Zha Wenbin to sit down on a small stool.

  "Wen Bin, I saw my old companion last night. Its true what you said, she appeared to me in a dream and told me to take good care of myself. She also asked me to pass on a message to you: everything is predetermined."

  "What fate? I dont believe in this destiny, I just want to see if heaven can trample on human life!" Clenching his teeth, Cha Wenbin furrowed his brow and slammed a fist heavily onto the stone pedestal, fresh blood spreading along the texture of the pedestal.

  Its unclear whether this man was exhausted from using the law excessively or overcome with grief, but he suddenly fainted. Old He hastily woke up Wang Xin and asked him to help carry him into the sedan chair. Since his daughter passed away, Cha Wenbin had hardly slept a full night. This time, he had a high fever that wouldnt subside, and he fell into a deep sleep for an entire day and night. On the same evening that he fell asleep, another person died in Wang Village...

  Its not a bad thing for someone to die at an old age, its a happy funeral for the villagers. Who is it? Its an old lady from the house diagonally opposite Mr. Wangs house, who was over 80 years old and died in her own bathroom while taking a bath. She wasnt seen coming out for half a day, and when her daughter-in-law went to look for her, she found the old lady lying in the wooden tub with half of her head submerged in water.

  She was a loud-voiced daughter-in-law, and when she saw this scene, she let out an "ah!" and shouted. Half of the villagers were startled by her cry. This old lady was still quite robust despite being in her eighties, and although she had passed away, it was hard for those who were younger than her to accept that she was really gone. They thought she couldnt have died long ago, so they sent someone to fetch the villages barefoot doctor. The doctor took a look and declared her dead, estimating that the cause of death was probably due to soaking in the bath for too long, with water temperature being too high, causing her blood pressure to rise, leading to a stroke, which no one noticed, and she ended up drowning in the water...

  His son is called Zhang Lao Han, hes over 60 years old but still very filial. After the old lady passed away, he felt extremely guilty and announced that he would hold a grand funeral for her. He knew there was a Taoist priest living in the house across from him, so he immediately prepared to go ask for his help with wine and cigarettes. Just as he stepped into the doorway, Wang Xin stopped him, saying that Zhang Wenbin had been asleep for a whole day and wouldnt wake up no matter how they called him, probably because he was too tired, and should be let to rest first.

  Zhang Lao Han reluctantly sought the villages undertaker, first to briefly dress the old lady in mourning clothes and then change into longevity clothes. He also dismantled half of his own front door, took two wooden benches and placed them on top, and the old ladys body was temporarily placed inside his home.

  On the first day of her death, the old ladys status was even higher, and naturally many people came to mourn. Staying up all night is quite torturous, the first half of the night was okay, but the second half was more difficult. At that time, cremation propaganda had just begun, and the old lady had forbidden it before her death, saying that no matter what, she had to lie in her own large coffin, and be burned by fire, or else how could she go to the underworld to find her husband?

  Zhang Lao Han, on the one hand, did not dare to go against his mothers last will, and on the other hand, he was also a honest and simple villager. The people who performed cremations according to the law came down every now and then, saying that private burials were illegal, and if they werent careful, they would get into trouble with the authorities, so he was in a dilemma.

  That undertaker actually came up with an idea, what was it? To set up a cenotaph for the old lady. In ancient times, when generals died in battle, they were often buried on the spot wrapped in horsehide. The family members would put some of his clothes that he wore before into the coffin and bury them together to ensure his peaceful rest. For those who were more particular, they would make a straw effigy, write down the deceaseds birth date and hour, and bury it along with the clothes.

  This method is actually a good one, but theres one thing - after a person dies, their soul leaves the physical body, yet they still miss their own body. If you want to build a clothes mound tomb, there must be one condition: summoning the soul!

  How to deal with the soul, after a person dies, the soul may not be taken away immediately, some will still stay at home for a few days before being taken away by the yin messenger. At this time, let the soul take the grass man as its own flesh and attach it.

  He was taken away on the spot, and had to wait until the seventh day of his death to return to his soul. Tell him that your body is here, and dont look for it blindly in the future! This pile of straw wearing clothes is you!

  The Chinese not only pay attention to the fallen leaves returning to their roots, but also pay attention to entering the earth for peace, so the single reflection is in the tomb, the position of the coffin, and the bottom must be mud, preferably yellow mud.

  This task of summoning souls is naturally impossible for ordinary people, so who can do it? Ah, everyone must have guessed it, Daoist Cha Wenbin, this is his specialty.

  Wu Nai Cha Wenbin didnt wake up until the evening of the second day, and in a daze, he went to the kitchen to wash his face. Just then, he heard three loud firecrackers going off outside: "Boom! Boom! Boom!" What did these three firecrackers represent? Someone in the village had died again, and the villagers who came to help with the funeral had to eat first. Before eating, they would set off these three firecrackers, which was also a local custom.

  He hadnt even had time to put down the washcloth when Cha Wenbin rushed out of the yard. He took a look and saw that it was right across the street, with couplets posted and wreaths placed, people coming and going with dishes and wine, busy and having a great time. The sound of old and young, men and women crying mixed with the shouting of toasting with big bowls, the teasing voices of women and bachelors. Cha Wenbin furrowed his brow and hurried over. Before he even walked in, he saw that He Lao was also sitting at a table, writing something down. As he approached, it turned out that He Lao had been invited to be the accountant for the funeral. In rural areas, when someone dies, everyone has to contribute some money as a sign of condolence. He Lao was a scholar, and everyone knew it. Although his father-in-law and wife had just died, people still respected him and let him take on this role as accountant.

  Cha Wenbin stepped forward, just now he was still loudly playing the wine order, and the people who were laughing and joking suddenly fell silent. Tonights soul-calling play is all dependent on this Taoist priest, but this Taoist priest has a gloomy face as he enters, looking worried and anxious. This strange atmosphere, just now it was fine to eat and drink, but with the entry of the Taoist priest, time seemed to freeze instantly.

  He Lao was the first to get up and rushed over to pull Zha Wenbin out of the yard. Suddenly, a loud "Halt!" was heard from inside, and the lively scene reappeared once again.

  He Lao pulled out Zha Wenbin and hastily asked him how his body was. Zha Wenbin shook his head to indicate that he was fine. He Lao briefly told him about the situation at home, then called out Zhang Lao Han to meet the guests.

  Old Zhang saw that Cha Wenbin had arrived, so he naturally wiped away his tears and forced a difficult smile, begging Cha Wenbin to perform a soul-calling ritual. Cha Wenbin thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

  Zhang Lao Han was overjoyed, and hastily invited Cha Wenbin in to sit down. He poured wine and offered cigarettes, but Cha Wenbin declined them all. He had only one request: for the kitchen to bring out a bowl of plain congee.

  After dinner, the women and children cleaned up the tables and chairs. Most of them were driven back home by their husbands. This was no ordinary ritual; if someone was unlucky enough not to have caught the straw doll, it would land on someone elses body, which would be a disaster.

  Cha Wenbin, as usual, announced that people who were in conflict with the zodiac signs of the year should leave the scene immediately. The remaining people should not stand inside the house either, and at least one path should be cleared at the entrance. Additionally, all necessary items such as rooster blood, quicklime, incense paper, candles, and glutinous rice were placed on the table one by one.

  This time is different from the previous ones, whats the difference? There are two tables, each with a bowl of rice and offerings, candles lit, incense burning. The only difference is that one table is placed in front of the door panel where the deceased lies, while the other is placed in front of the coffin spinning with grass people.

  The two ancestral tablets in front of the case are also different, one is painted and placed in front of the door panel, while the other unpainted one is placed in front of the coffin. The longevity lamp is also lit under the door panel, but not under the coffin.

  Cha Wenbin signaled to others that everyone was standing outside, and when they were about to start, he suddenly felt a blackness in front of his eyes. He shook his head, unsure if he was really tired or what. After standing for a while, he mustered up the spirit, placed the white copper ink box and inkstone, dipped it in cinnabar, and drew the soul-calling array on the ground. This yin soul array requires that from start to finish, the pen tip cannot leave the ground. When there was no more cinnabar, he could only follow the pen holder from top to bottom.

  The people outside could see it clearly, and couldnt help but admire the Taoist priest a little. Zhang Lao Han looked at this scene with some pride, thinking that he had finally saved face by finding a high-ranking person to come.

  The Soul-Gathering Array started from the bottom of the coffin lid and ended with a stroke on the coffin, done in one breath without any hesitation. Even He Lao, who was fond of calligraphy, couldnt help but sigh at Cha Wenbins profound skills. As he painted, Cha Wenbin muttered to himself, and everyone naturally couldnt understand what he was saying. By the time he finished the last stroke, Cha Wenbins forehead was already beading with sweat the size of soybeans, looking extremely strenuous.

  This Yin Soul Formation originated from Miao Territory, initially this technique was an indispensable condition for the construction of the tomb, later it was used by some evil demons to lure souls and cultivate evil techniques. All the elixirs and instruments used in soul-calling techniques are extremely poisonous, so they have always been despised by the orthodox Taoists. Therefore, this technique is also on the verge of being lost. Zhang Wenbin also learned from his masters books, today is the first time he took it out to use, but he doesnt know its pros and cons, he just feels that drawing a single talisman has already exhausted him.

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