Chapter 140
Chapter 140
In the written form of *wu*, the upper horizontal stroke represents Heaven and the lower one Earth.
Humanity stands between them, communicating with Heaven and Earth.
In the ancient divine land, a wu shaman was capable of bringing down gods through dance.
They presided over sacrifices to the Heavenly Emperor, ghosts, and gods; prayed for blessings and protection from calamity; and practiced divination, astronomy, and calendrical arts.
The shamanic tradition stretched back into remote antiquity. Before the rise of Daoism, shamanic rites were the only means of communicating with the power of nature.
They were nothing like what people imagine today-charlatans who pretended to channel gods and ghosts for the sole purpose of swindling others.
Still less were they the wicked witches and harmful magic found in Western culture.
Deaf Granny chanted louder and louder.
By the end, it seemed that her ancient, desolate voice was the only sound left between Heaven and Earth.
As her chanting continued, the yin energy in the courtyard grew ever denser.
The temperature fell again and again. It became so cold that the half pot of instant noodles hanging from Eighth Master Chang’s tail froze solid in an instant.
Chen Daji hopped about from the cold, a layer of frost coating his eyebrows.
From a distance, he looked like a miniature white-browed Lu Zhishen.
Together with the nosebleed frozen to his face, it made Chen Daji look even uglier at a glance.
“E-E-Eighth Master! C-Coil around me! I-I’m going to freeze to death!”
Eighth Master Chang was busy mourning his half pot of noodles and had no patience for Chen Daji.
He shoved him aside with an irritated sweep of his tail.
“Get the hell away from me!”
“I might not have gone to school, but I’ve heard people say my kind are cold-blooded animals.”
“If I coil around you, won’t you just get colder and colder?”
As they spoke, the surrounding yin energy thickened until it resembled black fog.
Countless figures crowded together within the haze.
Even Chen Daji, who had never opened his Heavenly Eye, could make out all kinds of horrifying forms.
Some had livid faces and blood pouring from all seven orifices.
Some had long tongues hanging to their chests.
Some were missing arms or legs.
Others had their organs and intestines spilling from their bodies…
There were too many grotesque varieties to list.
They shoved and cursed one another.
Some even bared their teeth and tried to attack the “people” beside them.
At that moment, Deaf Granny stopped chanting and gave a cold snort.
“Before the Spirit Seizure begins, this old woman will establish one rule. Determine the victor and no more. You may not damage another ‘person’s’ soul!”
“Still less may you devour one another and destroy another ‘person’s’ life!”
After speaking, the old woman handed the Immortal-Binding Rope to Hua Jiunan.
“Precious grandson, watch carefully. If anyone dares violate the rule Grandma just set, whip them hard!”
“If they die from it, they deserve it!”
Chen Daji could never resist joining the excitement.
Shivering violently from the cold, he struggled for a long time before managing to pull the slingshot from his pocket.
Then, with practiced ease, he punched himself hard in the nose with the back of his fist.
“Y-You’d better l-listen to my grandma.”
“O-Or I’ll shoot you in the c-crotch!”
The broken remnants of souls within the black fog cast greedy looks at the four paper warriors and horses covered in shamanic script. Then they roared and sprang into motion.
Every one of them began madly attacking the “people” nearby.
Those on their feet punched and kicked. Those who fell shoved and bit.
They looked nothing like human beings.
They were more like starving beasts that had spotted prey.
As the fighting went on, some remnants of souls succumbed to their vicious nature. Forgetting Deaf Granny’s warning, they began devouring their opponents.
Hua Jiunan cursed furiously. “You beasts dare?!”
The Immortal-Binding Rope turned into a long whip and whistled through the air, sending every rule-breaker rolling and howling.
Chen Daji might have been trembling all over like Second Wu next door, but his aim, honed by years of smashing other people’s windows, remained unerring.
Another offender took a shot directly to the crotch and leaped around in agony.
Deaf Granny laughed and scolded him.
“Second Grandson, why are you such a wicked brat? Can’t you hit them somewhere else?”
Chen Daji scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.
“F-Force of h-habit.”
“G-Grandma, I-I’ll remember next time!”
Master Kongchan could not bear the sight. He pressed his palms together and chanted the Buddha’s name.
“Namo Amitabha. All beings suffer. All beings suffer!”
Deaf Granny shot him an irritated glance.
“Old monk, put away that false Buddhist mercy. This old woman can’t stand it!”
“Every one of these beasts committed countless crimes in life, from bullying men, assaulting women, and violating others’ chastity to murder, arson, and collusion with foreign enemies!”
“That is why Heaven and Earth rejected them in death. The underworld would not accept them, and the City God would not shelter them.”
“They must suffer day and night a thousand times the pain they inflicted upon their victims, until every last karmic sin is erased.”
“This old woman has already shown them immense compassion by granting them a chance at Spirit Seizure!”
“If you don’t believe me, ask the sinful beasts yourself!”
Before Master Kongchan could speak, however, the wandering ghosts continued tearing at one another and roared in unison.
“We are guilty!”
“The Old Immortal has taken pity on us! The Old Immortal is merciful!”