Chapter 0055 The Wedding Scene
Ms. Bao struggled 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.
Chapter 0055 The Wedding Scene
Just as those people were stunned, the woman was also slapped, screaming "Mommy!" and moving away. A look of terror appeared on the faces of the men and women. The little girl, however, was quite happy. She jumped up and clapped, cheerfully saying, "Big brother, can you do magic tricks? Do another one!"
I angrily pointed into the air and said, "If you strike again, you two can get married by yourselves, and see if I still care about your ridiculous problems!"
The men and women looked at each other, then suddenly started screaming. The elevator happened to reach the first floor, and as the door opened, several people were waiting outside to enter. The people inside fled the elevator with the little girl, running and shouting, "Ghosts!" The people waiting to enter were stunned. They all seemed aware of the previous death incident involving the Bao family and retreated. Fearing they would focus on me, I also pretended to have seen a ghost and ran out.
The security guard in the lobby ran over and asked what was wrong. I pointed back toward the elevator: "There are ghosts in the elevator!" The security guard was clearly afraid of ghosts. His face turned pale with terror, and he shakily pulled out his walkie-talkie to call for help. I took the chance to run out of the unit door.
I walked through the community, constantly looking over my shoulder. Although I couldn't see anything, I could feel that someone was following me. It was an indescribable feeling, not sensed by hearing or sight, but more like a sixth sense. At the community gate, I asked the security guard for directions to the nearest large hotel that hosts wedding banquets. The security guard enthusiastically said: "Go out the main gate and turn right. After about a thousand meters, you'll see two large seafood restaurants, called XXX Grand Restaurant and XX Hotel, on opposite sides of the road. They are easy to find."
Following the security guard's directions, I reached the intersection where the two hotels were located. Today happened to be Saturday, and I was in luck; both hotels were hosting wedding banquets. Large inflatable arches stood outside their entrances, displaying heart-shaped photos with the names of the bride and groom. I walked up to the entrance of XX Hotel and looked at the greeting sign (Yingbin Pai) which stated that the wedding celebration of So-and-So and So-and-So would be held in the XX Hall on the first floor of the hotel, starting promptly at 5:28 p.m. Guests were asked to be seated as directed.
5:28 (Wǔ-Èr-Bā) clearly sounds like "I want to prosper" in Chinese. I checked my watch. There were still five minutes to go. I thought, what a coincidence. This is the place, and I stepped into the hotel.
At the entrance of the wedding hall, there were hired greeters responsible for registration and keeping the gift ledger. I took advantage of the greeters' busy moment and slipped into the hall. This was clearly a rich person's wedding. There was a huge screen at the front, with camera jibs on both sides. Dozens of tables were already fully seated. I forced myself to walk toward a corner table with fewer guests. Someone walked over and asked with a smile: "Sir, are you a relative or friend of the bride and groom? Have you registered?"
I thought for a moment and said, "I'm a former colleague of the groom from a few years ago. I just came to join the fun. I already registered at the door." The person heard I had registered, assuming I had already handed in a red envelope, and quickly led me to a seat at the table. This table was in the furthest corner of the hall. The few people sitting there were clearly not particularly close to the groom, only nodding politely to each other.
The ceremony began. The host was passionate, first inviting the groom onto the stage and asking him several questions. The host must have been highly paid, as he was very skilled, delivering witty remarks that made everyone laugh heartily.
After a few routine procedures, music started playing. Lights flashed across the hall; it was quite a grand spectacle. The bride slowly walked in from outside the hall. By tradition, she should stop at the small gazebo in the center of the hall, and the groom would then meet her and kneel. As the bride began her walk, applause erupted, marking the beginning of the proposal ceremony.
But at that very moment, the bride suddenly stopped, standing still in a daze. The groom was left standing blankly at the front of the stage. Fortunately, the host quickly handled the situation, saying: "Look, the bride is so moved by this touching scene that she can't control herself! Shall we give her some encouragement? Let her find the courage to walk this path of love!"
Thunderous applause broke out. My heart jumped into my throat. I thought, this is going to be something to watch. Please don't let me mess things up. The host then asked: "Handsome groom, do you know what time it is and what you should be doing?"
The groom said excitedly: "My darling, I'm waiting for you here. Come!" Everyone's gaze was fixed on the bride. The bride's expression slowly changed from shy and excited to blank, and then to one of immense sorrow.
The guests fell silent, looking at the bride in confusion. After a few more minutes, the bride started to cry, looked around the hall, and said, "I've dreamed of getting married."
Everyone burst into laughter again. The bride continued to cry and said, "But I... I really don't want to die!"
The moment she said that, the hall erupted in astonishment. Everyone was stunned. The groom and both sets of parents looked shocked. Only I understood clearly, and my heart was pounding almost out of my chest. I thought, am I ruining someone else's big day? Will this cause me to lose spiritual merit (Yin De)? If I get caught, will they beat me to a pulp?
No matter how skilled the host was, he likely hadn't seen a situation like this. He paused for a few seconds and awkwardly tried to smooth things over: "The bride must be saying she's happy to death! Today is her joyous day, everyone! Am I right?"
The guests nodded, all assuming they had misheard. Wiping her tears, the bride slowly started walking forward. The host sighed in relief. Just then, the groom's body trembled violently, shaking uncontrollably as if he were electrocuted. The host was startled. He pulled the microphone away and whispered something, presumably asking the groom what was wrong.
The groom took several deep breaths, calming himself down. The host quickly said: "Now, let the groom bravely walk up and propose to the woman he loves the most!" The groom paused for a moment, tears streaming down his face. The groom's mother, sitting nearby, reminded him, probably telling him to control his emotions and not cry. The groom went down the stage and slowly walked toward the bride. The two looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds, then suddenly embraced and started weeping bitterly.
Now, the entire audience was baffled again. The host was also flustered, looking toward both sets of parents. The bride's father couldn't help but walk off the stage and tried to persuade the couple to stop crying. The bride forcefully pushed him away: "Go away! What does this have to do with you?"
The whole hall was in uproar again. The bride's father lost face, whispering angrily, "What on earth is wrong with you? Is this never-ending?"
The bride cried: "Uncle, please, just let us cry for a while. Only by fulfilling this wish can we finally move on!"
The groom's father asked suspiciously, "What wish? Where are you going?"
"To report to the underworld (Yin Jian). It's for this wish that we haven't been willing to leave for so long, and we even scared the old lady of that family to death. That old lady's spirit won't disperse and keeps fighting with us every day..." The bride sobbed as she spoke.
This blew the lid off the situation. All the guests stared at the bride in shock. Even the host couldn't handle it anymore and quickly ran to confer with both sets of parents. The parents rushed off the stage to pull their respective children back, but they couldn't move them at all. The bride shouted loudly. All the lights in the hall suddenly went out. Since the hall had no windows, it plunged into complete darkness.
Many people screamed in terror, but some suspected it was a deliberately arranged effect for the wedding and cheered loudly. The groom shouted loudly: "No one stop us!" The two embraced tightly. Several young children were afraid and cried and screamed. Some timid female guests also shrieked continuously. The hall was in complete chaos. Security guards and the hotel manager rushed into the hall, and they were all terrified by the sight—they saw both sets of parents already lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth.
This made the confusion worse. Guests rushed toward the exit, some getting knocked down. Tables and chairs were tilting; it was a total mess. I took advantage of the chaos, squeezed through the crowd, ran up to the bride and groom, and said, "Your wish has been fulfilled. Go now!"
The two slowly separated, looked at me, and smiled. Under the swaying beams of the flashlights, that smile looked utterly bizarre, sending chills down my spine. Suddenly, the two collapsed onto the ground simultaneously, lying motionless as if they were dead. I quickly ran out of the hall and hid near the hotel entrance, watching the guests fleeing in a panic.
I ran across the street and watched the chaotic crowd spilling out of the hotel. I thought that should be enough, so I ran back to Ms. Bao's house. Later, it was said that this strange incident even made the Dalian newspapers at the time. I don't know if any Dalian residents still remember it. It could also be found online at the time, but I don't know about now.
As I entered the unit lobby, I saw the young men and women who had been in the elevator earlier chatting with the security guard. When they saw me walk in, their faces turned pale, and they quickly backed away. I smiled inwardly, putting on a very serious face as I stepped into the elevator.