Chapter 143: All Things Possess Spirit

I looked toward Village Chief Pan and Xiuying, then spoke, "Chief, are there any large black dogs raised in the village?"

Village Chief Pan thought for a moment, nodded, and replied, "Yes, yes, Xiaobing and Zhang Zi's families both have them. How many do you need?"

"Hmm... Bring over two, and remember, they must be completely black."

Village Chief Pan said okay and hurried out. Xiuying kept staring at me, sweat beading on her forehead, and said, "Great Master, can... can you really save my husband?"

I looked at her and said, "I cannot guarantee it one hundred percent, I can only say I will do my utmost. If I am not mistaken, Dongzi's soul was likely dragged away by a vicious ghost from the netherworld, looking for a substitute."

Hearing the words "vicious ghost from the netherworld," Xiuying could not help trembling and began to cry again. I sighed, walked out of the side hall, and saw Xiaobei standing before a crowd, trying his best to explain everything. Yet these people seemed completely indifferent; some even thought Xiaobei was joking, as Xiaobei was notoriously known throughout the village as an idle and good-for-nothing slacker.

"Hey, let me ask you, Xiaobei, what kind of act are you putting on? We helped out all day, and now suddenly tonight you tell us to go back and say the funeral won't be held anymore. You're something else, treating your own brother like this?"

"Yeah, who doesn't know that our dear Xiaobei is the village's number one parasite living off his parents?"

As soon as those words were spoken, the people around burst into derisive laughter. I sighed, walked over, gave Xiaobei a gentle nudge, and looked at the crowd, saying, "Everyone, please stop while you are ahead. You are all from the same village; why must you be so aggressive and unforgiving?"

With that, I looked at the crowd before me. Suddenly, a voice rang out from the mob, "Who do you think you are? I saw you enter the village at noon, and now you're still here at night. An outsider has no right to speak here."

Once the voice settled, I looked toward the source. It was a young guy, looking to be about seventeen or eighteen, and his tone was quite arrogant. I smiled and said, "I just spoke, so what are you going to do about it?"

I also have a fiery temper. Being cursed at like that naturally made me unhappy, and what I loathed most was hearing the word "outsider," as if we belonged to different countries. Hearing me talk back, the young guy grew displeased as well. He pushed through the crowd, ignoring several people who tried to hold him back, gave a sharp shove with his arm, and stood right in front of me. We were about the same height, staring eye to eye. The guy glared at me and said, "What the fuck did you just say? If you've got the guts, say it again."

I smiled again and slowly repeated my previous words. Cursing, the young guy threw a punch straight at my face. I did not dodge, keeping a smile on my face the entire time. Just as his fist came swinging toward me, Village Chief Pan suddenly rushed over, grabbed the boy's hand, and scolded, "You little brat, what kind of show are you trying to put on? Get lost right now! Zhu Zi, is this your kid? Can't you teach him some manners? If not, I'll do it for you."

Mid-sentence, Village Chief Pan looked back at an adult man. This man was none other than the one who had come to find Village Chief Pan at noon to look at a cow. Zhu Zi awkwardly said he was sorry, stepped forward, and slapped the boy across the face, saying with a hint of anger, "Go home and stay there! Have I spoiled you rotten lately?"

The young guy was still very displeased and wanted to say something more, but Zhu Zi gave him a kick in the backside and said, "Say another word and see how I deal with you when we get home."

Having made a fool of himself in front of everyone, the young guy glanced at me, cursed under his breath, and ran off. I looked at Village Chief Pan and said, "Chief, you hold quite a lot of authority around here."

Village Chief Pan smiled awkwardly and replied, "Not at all, not at all."

I nodded with a smile and asked, "Where are the black dogs?"

"They're out back. I've tied them up at the front gate."

I glanced backward, nodded, and said, "First, disperse everyone. They should listen to you."

Village Chief Pan nodded, turned around, and walked toward the crowd. Though the people looked quite surprised upon hearing what Village Chief Pan told them, they raised no objections. After casting several glances at my way, they all headed back, though who knows what Village Chief Pan actually told them.

I turned back to Xiaobei and said, "Brother Xiaobei, I'll pretend I didn't hear what you said earlier, but as for what I am about to say next, you must engrave every single word into your heart."

Xiaobei was startled and nodded blankly. I smiled and said, "As for you, go untie those two large black dogs outside the door and bring them into the mourning hall. After that, you can go back to sleep."

Hearing this, Xiaobei was stunned once more. He looked at me suspiciously and asked, "Just like that?"

I nodded. Once confirmed, Xiaobei gave me several weird looks, but still walked over to the large black dogs and led them inside. As soon as they entered the mourning hall, the two large black dogs clearly reacted, their lips slightly curled back. I walked over, patted their heads, and said, "Don't be afraid. The main target hasn't arrived yet; you are not allowed to bark."

Village Chief Pan, Xiuying, and Xiaobei all looked at me simultaneously, each wearing a puzzled expression. Xiaobei stood behind me and said, "No way! You're talking to dogs—can they actually understand you?"

Yet no sooner had Xiaobei finished speaking than the two large black dogs turned their heads, baring their teeth and growling lowly at him. Startled, Xiaobei took a step back. I held the two large black dogs back, smiled at Xiaobei, and said, "All things possess a spirit. These two brothers heard every single word you said loud and clear."

I pointed at the large black dogs. Holding his chest in fright, Xiaobei stammered, "Sorry, my two elder brothers, I was wrong. I'm going to sleep."

With that, Xiaobei scurried away in a flurry, leaving only the three of us and the two large black dogs. Village Chief Pan looked at me and asked, "Xiaoxuan, what do we do next?"

I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall nearby and said, "Ten-thirty... Um, Aunt Xiuying, go right away and boil five eggs, then bring in a bowl of chicken blood. Chief, can you find soul-guiding banners? I need three of them."

Hearing this, Xiuying hurried out, and Village Chief Pan also nodded, saying, "Yes, I'll go get them right now."

I nodded and said, "Be careful on the way. If anyone calls out to you, absolutely do not look back."

Hearing those words from me, Village Chief Pan froze instantly, a look of shock crossing his face as he blurted out, "Xiaoxuan, don't scare me. What if it's you guys calling me? I shouldn't look back either?"

I nodded and said, "In any case, no matter what shouting you hear, just don't look back. If you look back, you might feel a pleasant surprise—though the shock will probably be more stimulating than the joy. Don't worry, as long as your mind is free of distractions, you'll be fine if you go quickly and return promptly."

Finding my words so eerie, Village Chief Pan hesitated for a moment, but still turned and walked out. I smiled and muttered to myself, "Though this is an illusion, the warmth of human affection is still present. Village Chief Pan... is a real man."

As I finished speaking, the two large black dogs rubbed against my right arm, seemingly sensing the aura of the black and white twin fish. I stroked their large black heads again and whispered, "Later, when I go out to summon the souls, malevolent ghosts will surely come to the mourning hall to cause trouble. You two just need to guard Dongzi for me and don't let any vengeful ghosts drag his body away. In this rescue mission, you two brothers are the most crucial part. I'm counting on you."

Having heard my words, the two large black dogs nodded in a remarkably human-like fashion, emitted a few low growls, and walked over to lie down on either side of the coffin, keeping a vigilant watch toward the door. I sat down on a stool and kept my eyes fixed on the clock on the wall. Sure enough, the hands moved at a rapid pace—ten minutes inside this illusion were equivalent to one minute in the real world. Soon enough, Xiuying walked back in carrying a bowl of eggs and a bowl of chicken blood. I took them, picked up a brush from nearby, dipped it slightly into the chicken blood, and drew five talismans on the surface of the eggs. Xiuying watched the entire process from the side, looking rather astonished.

Before long, the village chief also ran back in, placed the three soul-guiding banners against the wall, and leaned his hands on his knees, panting heavily. I looked at him in confusion and asked, "What's wrong, Chief?"

The chief waved his hand, his voice trembling, and could not help dropping a curse word, "Damn it, I almost got scared to death just now."

I was startled and smiled as I asked, "How was it? Was it a pleasant surprise?"

Lifting his head, Village Chief Pan wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Now I truly believe it. To think such things actually exist in this world. Oh, man!"