Yin Shou Shu

Chapter 10 Ghost Eye Sheepskin Drum

Ahead, there were wild ghosts blocking the road, and the cold wind gave Ran Qing goose bumps on his arms.

Aunt Liu acted as if she didn't see anything and just walked past the three black shadows.

"Don't go and see, and everything will be fine," Aunt Liu said in a cold tone.

Ran Qing swallowed and clearly felt that the three wild ghosts on the wall were staring at him.

Aunt Liu's words seemed to attract the attention of the three wild ghosts, and they all looked at Ran Qing.

But they just looked at Ran Qing and did not take any follow-up action.

Finally, Ran Qing mustered up the courage, followed Aunt Liu's footsteps down the stairs, and walked past the three wild ghosts without even raising his head.

It is just as Aunt Liu said, if you don’t look at it or touch it, nothing will happen.

Although Ran Qing clearly felt the three wild ghosts' eagerness to move and the chilling coldness gradually approaching when he passed by their feet.

But he got through safely and nothing happened.

In this way, the two of them shuttled through the low, old cement rooms and quickly got rid of the three evil spirits behind them.

The flashlight that Aunt Liu held was the only light in the darkness.

The narrow and winding stairs between the low and scattered concrete houses on the mountainside made it difficult to step on them. Ran Qing almost missed a step several times.

As he walked, he even vaguely saw several dark shadows wriggling in the corner. There really were wild ghosts attracted and following them in the darkness.

But fortunately, nothing happened in the end. He safely followed Aunt Liu to her home, a low concrete house halfway up the mountain.

In front of the door, which was filled with a foul smell, there were piles of water bottles wrapped in green nets and thick cardboard tied with cable ties.

A sickly local dog lay at the door, guarding the water bottles and cardboard boxes.

Seeing Ran Qing and Aunt Liu coming over, the local dog stared at Ran Qing for a long time with its green eyes in the dark. It was a little scary, but fortunately it had no intention of attacking.

The sewage from the gutter flowed along the mountain next to the house, filling the air with the foul smell of sewage.

There were messy cement houses of different heights all around, but the door of Aunt Liu's house was eerie and strangely quiet, with no sound at all.

Ran Qing couldn't help rubbing his arms, feeling a little cold.

Aunt Liu took out the key and opened the door, and a strong and pungent smell of smoke and dust immediately hit her face.

The doorway was eerie, but the room was surprisingly warm.

The strong and pungent smell of smoke was like the smell of incense in a temple, as if a lot of incense sticks were burning.

But when Aunt Liu pulled the cord to switch the light bulb, the dim light illuminated the room, but Ran Qing did not see any burning incense sticks.

Although there was a strange large vat filled with incense ash under the tablets dedicated to Heaven, Earth, the Sovereign, Parents and Teachers, the ashes in the vat were cold and not warm at all.

Ran Qing looked at the room in front of him in surprise. In the dimly lit room, many thin red ropes hung from the ceiling.

There is a tiny bone hanging at the end of each red rope. Densely packed tiny red ropes hang from the ceiling, shaking gently in the air, like a ball of red leeches huddled in the water.

Aunt Liu walked through the little red leeches and lit three incense sticks in front of the tablet in the inner room.

The smell of smoke in the room grew stronger.

It seems that incense sticks are burned in this air-enclosed room all year round, which is why there is such a pungent smell of smoke.

"I'm a garbage collector. My house might be a bit smelly. Please bring a stool and sit down."

After lighting the incense sticks, Aunt Liu walked straight into another dark room, where she heard the sound of rummaging.

In the main room hung with red ropes, Ran Qing was the only one left all alone.

He stood in the corner, carefully looking around the room.

The room was clearly empty, but for some reason, standing under these dense red ropes, Ran Qing felt as if there were thorns in his back, as if he was being stared at by many people.

The discomfort only subsided when Aunt Six came out with a small wooden box. "It's time to start," Aunt Six said, holding the small box and sitting down in front of the tablets of Heaven, Earth, Emperor, Parents and Teacher, and taking out the items from the box one by one.

There were a few broken incense sticks, a few bundles of incense sticks, a shiny and reflective bronze mirror, and some miscellaneous items such as brushes, ink bottles, old silver coins, and large batteries.

Aunt Liu was rummaging through the junk, sorting it out as she spoke.

"Reflecting those dirty things in the mirror can burn them and keep them away. Of course, it can also anger them sometimes. How you use it depends on you."

"Also, glass mirrors are too easy to break. This bronze mirror is better. I'll lend it to you."

As Aunt Liu spoke, she handed over the palm-sized bronze mirror.

The all-copper mirror was polished to an extremely smooth surface. Although it was not as clear as a glass mirror, it could still reflect Ran Qing's face.

Aunt Six handed over a handful of cheap incense sticks: "You don't smoke, and it seems you don't like the smell of smoke. Later, hold these incense sticks in your hand. No one likes the smell of these incense sticks, so they are at least useful."

As Aunt Liu spoke, she took out a large kettle, opened it, and poured the water over Ran Qing's head.

The ice-cold water poured from head to toe, and Ran Qing was instantly soaked.

Fortunately, it is summer now and it is not very cold.

Ran Qing was a little surprised, but he saw Aunt Liu put down the kettle and said, "Most ghosts don't like cold water. Water can also block out smells. If you get yourself wet in it, many ghosts won't be able to smell you."

Seeing Ran Qing raise his hand to sniff the water on his body, Aunt Liu said, "Don't smell it, it's just tap water from the pipe, it has no smell."

As she spoke, Aunt Liu took out a square little drum from the small box of miscellaneous items.

The drum was made of an unknown material, and a strange pattern was painted on the drum surface, which looked like a lot of chaotic eyes. But these chaotic eyes seemed to form a ferocious face.

The moment he saw the small drum, Ran Qing's heart skipped a beat, and he felt an inexplicable chill of fear. Those eyes, outlined with crude lines, were clearly drawn so crudely, but upon closer inspection, they seemed to come alive. In a trance, they even seemed to be moving, observing Ran Qing.

A chill spread to Ran Qing's back. He felt as if he was really being stared at by countless pairs of wriggling eyes, which was a bit creepy.

Aunt Liu seemed unaware of Ran Qing's abnormality. She placed the small drum on her knees, raised the equally small drumstick, and said to Ran Qing.

"I'll take you in after I beat the four drums."

"After you go in, go out on your own and look for your dad outside."

"No matter what you see or hear after you go out, don't make a sound. Until you find your father's soul, bring him back."

"What you have to do is simple: don't touch anything and don't talk."

"Leave the rest to me..."

As Aunt Liu spoke, she took out two red candles from the small box, placed them at her feet, and lit them with matches.

Then he took out a handful of broken hair and burned it on the flame of the broken candle.

She didn't even know when she cut Ran Qing's father's hair.

As the strange smell of burning hair drifted through the room, Ran Qing vaguely felt that the red ropes hanging above his head were shaking slightly, and it seemed that many small and noisy noises were making.

He couldn't help but ask, "Sixth Aunt, where should I go to find my father? To the underworld?"

When he mentioned ghosts, he instinctively thought of the legendary underworld.

But Sixth Aunt, who was sitting in front of the tablets of Heaven, Earth, Emperor, Parents and Teacher, laughed strangely. The dim light fell on her face, and because of the angle of the light, half of Sixth Aunt's face was hidden in the shadow.

Her laugh was a little creepy.

"...Do you think that if there really is a hell and the Black and White Impermanence, can those filthy creatures out there still run around?"

As she spoke, Aunt Liu raised the small drumstick and gently tapped the small drum on her knees.

thump—

A dull drumbeat suddenly spread throughout the room.

(End of this chapter)