Chapter 0054 The People in the Elevator
Ms. Bao struggled a few times but couldn't break free. Just then, I suddenly caught a glimpse of Old Mrs. Bao standing beside the TV cabinet, pointing at me and looking very angry. I was terrified, and my mind instantly cleared. I let go of her hands. Ms. Bao's face was ashen, and she immediately ran back to the bedroom. I looked back at the TV cabinet area; there was no Old Mrs. Bao at all, but I was completely rattled. I quickly ran back to the second bedroom and locked the door.
During the days I waited for the express package, I hardly dared to leave the room except for meals and the restroom. After seven or eight days, the international express finally arrived. I opened the package, which contained the following items: a Spirit-Guiding Talisman (Yin Ling Fu), a blueprint of the incantations, an instruction manual written by Uncle Xie, and a small packet of unknown powder. The so-called Spirit-Guiding Talisman was not a traditional Chinese Taoist paper talisman; it was a small, chained glass tube sealed at both ends with metal. Inside was a small roll of hemp cloth, pattern-side out, with some symbols and patterns drawn in red pigment. The instruction manual detailed the usage and the spirit-guiding process, specifically noting that I was advised to perform the ritual before nine in the morning or around six in the evening.
I found this strange. I had been in this business for over a year, and any matter involving incantations and spirits should be done at or after midnight, as that is when the Yin energy is strongest. Why should this ritual be done in the morning or around 6 p.m.? As I was thinking, Mr. Bao reached out, took the Spirit-Guiding Talisman in his hand, and sneered dismissively: "What the hell is this thing? This is worth 20,000 yuan? Did you buy it at a street stall?"
I told him: "Don't underestimate this item. The piece of hemp cloth inside is a shroud (guosi bu). The drawings and incantations on it were personally drawn by a Thai Arjan master, and the red pigment is the blood from a deceased person right when they passed away."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Bao immediately threw the Spirit-Guiding Talisman away. I quickly picked it up and checked if it was damaged. Ms. Bao glared at him angrily: "What is wrong with you? Wouldn't it be troublesome if you broke it?" I also said unhappily that it was lucky it wasn't broken, or he would have to pay another 20,000 yuan for a replacement. Mr. Bao looked reluctant but dared not move carelessly anymore.
Tattooing the incantations is a troublesome process. Originally, it required a Luang Por, Kru Ba, or Arjan master to manually tattoo it while chanting incantations during the process to be effective. However, Mr. Bao flatly refused to let me go to Thailand, and he wouldn't even come with me, obviously fearing I would find an opportunity to escape along the way. Uncle Xie told me on the phone: "You currently have a mediumistic constitution, so it should still work, just a little more troublesome. The person who tattoos you must be an unmarried male, and he must strictly adhere to four rules for seven days: First, he cannot speak while using the toilet, not even on the phone. Second, he must not walk under or touch women's underwear. Third, he must not sit on containers like jars, crocks, or stone mortars. Fourth, he must not sleep with a woman."
What kind of rules are these? I was very puzzled. Could we even find a suitable person? Ms. Bao and Mr. Bao were also dumbfounded. Tattoo shops were not common back then, and we checked several in Dalian. They either had female technicians or were married men. Only one shop owner was unmarried. As soon as he heard our four requirements, he immediately shook his head and refused, finding it too bothersome. Ms. Bao and Mr. Bao pleaded with him, and he reluctantly agreed, but demanded extra payment for those seven days. Actually, these conditions weren't that hard to meet; they were just an excuse for him to charge more. After several rounds of tense negotiation, we settled on 3,000 yuan, which the Bao family would pay.
To ensure the tattoo master adhered to the rules for those seven days, Mr. Bao and I took turns watching him 24/7, even when he used the restroom. Finally, the seventh day arrived. At midnight that evening, the tattoo master successfully tattooed the incantations onto the center of my back using black ink, following the blueprint.
I then spent another two days memorizing the incantation text. As for the packet of powder, Uncle Xie didn't elaborate much, only writing in the instructions that I should mix the powder in clear water and drink it before the official spirit-guiding ritual, as it would make the process more effective.
Next, it was time to officially begin the spirit-guiding ritual. Ms. Bao first sent her son Yangyang to her parents' house. That evening, around 5 p.m., I put on the Spirit-Guiding Talisman and told Ms. Bao and her husband to hide in the bedroom and not come out. I began to chant the incantation, reciting it three times continuously. As soon as I finished, Ms. Bao and her husband opened the bedroom door and slowly walked out.
"Go back quickly! Didn't I tell you not to come out?" I waved my hands repeatedly, thinking these two were so disobedient. However, the couple completely ignored me. They walked to the living room, sat side-by-side on the sofa, and stared at me with an icy gaze. I was inwardly alarmed, knowing this wasn't a good sign.
Mr. Bao spoke: "We are getting married next month."
I immediately recalled what the real estate agency manager had said—that the man and woman who died from gas suffocation were about to get married. I took the opportunity to ask, "Do you have any wishes?"
Ms. Bao spoke: "We want to have a wedding and wear a wedding dress."
Hearing this, I was stunned. How could I grant this wish?
Ms. Bao stood up and said fiercely: "If you don't let us get married, I won't let you have an easy time either." What should I do? I was at a loss, pacing back and forth in the room, anxiously trying to figure out a solution. At this point, Mr. Bao and Ms. Bao were following closely behind me. Wherever I walked, they walked, which reminded me of the zombies in Lam Ching-ying's ghost movies, following the Taoist priest like shadows.
I thought to myself that Uncle Xie must have had a reason for telling me to perform the ritual before 6 p.m. Although the old fox was a bit unscrupulous in business, his mind was absolutely sharp—even Frank Fang was probably not his equal in this regard. But what was Uncle Xie's intention? I felt completely out of my depth. Just as I was racking my brain, a solution suddenly popped into my head. But this method would be extremely difficult to execute, and there was a high risk of me getting beaten up. However, there was no time to think of another way.
I first picked up Ms. Bao's set of keys from the coffee table, slowly walked to the front door, and pressed my hand against the doorknob, keeping my body still. When the Ms. Bao couple stopped right behind me, I suddenly opened the door at top speed, slipped out through the gap, immediately shut the door, and took out the keys to lock it. The couple pushed the door hard. I used my shoulder to hold the door firmly shut, fumbling through the keys one by one, finding the right one on the third try. Mr. Bao reached out and clawed wildly. With no other option, I yanked the door open, kicked Mr. Bao down, and quickly shut the door again, locking it with the key.
The two were still pushing the door hard inside. I slowly walked to the elevator door and pressed the down button. The elevator door opened, and I quickly slipped inside. The elevator stopped halfway. Several young men and women, carrying garbage bags and accompanied by a little girl, entered the elevator, making it crowded instantly. I nervously watched these people. They were talking and laughing, discussing which dish was delicious and which seafood was better. My heart was pounding. I didn't know if the ritual was working.
The little girl was holding a red lantern toy decorated with a Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Prosperity pattern. As the elevator descended, I felt a gust of wind beside me, as if someone had passed by and walked toward the little girl. But there was no one behind me in the elevator. I instantly understood: the two spirits had actually followed me into the elevator. The lantern in the girl's hand was bright red and had the Dragon and Phoenix pattern, reminding the spirits of getting married.
At this moment, the lantern in the little girl's hand moved slightly. The little girl looked puzzled, turning to look at the lantern, then looking to the right side of the elevator. Of course, she couldn't see anything. I clearly knew that the spirits were reaching out to grab the lantern, so I blurted out, "Don't move!"
The young men and women all fell silent, looking at me with confused expressions. I coughed a few times, pretending to look down at my phone. The people exchanged glances. One of the men pulled the little girl closer and asked alertly, "Who are you talking to?"
I quickly stated my innocence: "Not you, not... not you."
"If not us, then who are you talking to?" The man persisted, and the other three men and women were also glaring at me. At that moment, the lantern in the little girl's hand moved on its own again. The little girl smiled, thinking someone was playing a trick on her. I quickly said, "I told you not to move! Do you still want to get married?"
A young woman happened to be standing in that direction. She was furious: "Who the hell are you talking to? Are you sick?"
A man next to her grabbed my collar: "Do you want a beating? You have the guts to harass women with so many people around!" Just as he finished speaking, the sound of a slap rang out. The man cried "Ah!" and stumbled back two steps, a red handprint appearing on his face. He thought I had hit him, shouting "I'll kill you" and preparing to strike.
I repeatedly waved my hands: "It wasn't me! It wasn't me!" The sound of another slap echoed. This time, the man saw clearly that I was several steps away from him, and both my hands were held up in front of my chest, making it impossible for me to hit him.