Ghost Pot

Chapter 51

"In our Northeast region, we often encounter weasels or something similar in the villages. Sometimes, we invite a local shaman to perform a ritual, and that usually helps." Old Master Li yawned, as if he was sleepy.

"Uncle, you should rest now. This old woman won't disturb you any longer," the Hakka nanny said, getting up as she noticed what was happening.

"Oh, you two can stay in the west room then, and let Ge Lao Er sleep with me." After saying that, the old man's eyelids drooped, and he stopped talking to them.

Thick smoke still billowed from the kitchen. Ge Lao Er coughed as he fried fish, the aroma filling the air.

In the west room, the Hakka woman placed the urn of ashes in its place, then mysteriously pulled Shen Caihua aside and whispered in his ear, "Caihua, do you want to see your master use 'Zhu You Gong' to catch ghosts tonight?"

"'Lard Kung Fu' to catch ghosts? Where?" Shen Caihua perked up immediately upon hearing this.

"It's right here in this demon's lair village," the old woman replied with a smile.

Chapter 74

The fragrant stewed catfish was placed on the kang table in the east room. The fish were cooked whole, with flat heads and several long whiskers around their mouths. The yellowish fish was sprinkled with some tender green scallions, making it both beautiful and delicious. The largest "female catfish" was placed in front of the Hakka grandmother.

"The fish from the Songhua River at the beginning of the spring season taste especially good because they've been dormant all winter. You can't get this kind of food in the south," said Grandpa Li Dihuo, lying on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), to his nanny and Shen Caihua.

"Hehe, this 'female catfish' was specially given to you by the old man... He won't even let the second brother eat it..." Ge Lao Er said with some dissatisfaction.

The Hakka woman smiled slightly, lowered her head, and sniffed the large catfish. Sure enough, it had a faint, refreshing aroma of meat fat.

"In Taiwan, this is called 'tangshi' (塘虱). It has a sweet taste and warm properties. It can invigorate the spleen and stomach, strengthen the kidneys and bones, promote urination, and treat edema," the Hakka grandmother nodded and said.

Grandpa Li smiled and remained silent.

“But this thing likes to eat rotting human corpses…” the Hakka old woman continued.

Old Master Li's expression changed slightly.

"Therefore, people with allergies are prone to developing something on their skin after eating 'catfish,' which doctors call 'urticaria.'" The Hakka grandmother seemed oblivious to the old man's expression as she continued talking to herself.

Old Master Li coughed twice.

"If there are parasites in the rotting human corpse, they will enter the fish's body through the food chain..." the Hakka nanny chuckled.

Old Master Li's face was quite pale.

“Some parasites in the world can survive being boiled in water at 100 degrees Celsius and still live inside this ‘catfish’,” the Hakka grandmother said, raising her chopsticks.

Grandpa Li stared wide-eyed in alarm.

The Hakka woman glanced at Chen Caihua and said softly, "Caihua, remember, parasites usually hide behind the eyes..." Before she finished speaking, the Hakka woman's chopsticks moved with lightning speed, prying open the "female catfish's" eyeballs, then digging inside to pull out a small "worm-like creature" the size of a matchstick...

The wriggling creature wriggled its bald head, twisted its body, struggled with its short limbs, and stared angrily at the Hakka nanny with its two small triangular eyes.

Shen Caihua was completely dumbfounded, and stammered, "What is this thing?"

Dudu tilted her head and examined it carefully, then whispered in Caihua's ear, "It looks like some kind of unknown worm."

At this moment, Old Master Li's face was ashen, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Haha, little bug, little bug..." Ge Lao Er muttered excitedly.

“It really is, there are parasites…” Li Dihuo said, his mouth dry.

The Hakka woman, expressionless, ordered, "Ge Lao Er, fetch a fire."

Upon hearing this, Ge Lao Er ran to the kitchen and fetched a box of matches. He struck one with great enthusiasm, and the Hakka nanny held the small worm close to the flame.

"Squeak..." The little insect cried out in pain, glancing at the old man. The old man closed his eyes, his eyes moist, and turned his head to the side, ignoring him completely.

With a cold laugh, the Hakka woman flipped her wrist and placed the little "worm-headed monster's" head on a newly lit match. The worm writhed in pain, and soon its entire body was charred, filling the air with the stench of a rotting corpse.

"Grandpa Li, I've come to visit." At that moment, the village chief's voice came from the courtyard.

"What's that smell? It stinks!" The village chief stepped into the house, sniffed, and frowned as he spoke.

"We're just burning bugs for fun," Ge Lao Er said with a grin.

The village chief looked down at the food on the kang table, smacked his lips, and said, "Old Master Li, didn't you have a couple of drinks?"

"Eat if you want," Li Dihuo replied irritably, opening his eyes.

The Hakka woman smiled slightly and said with a double meaning, "This fish is ready to eat."

Ge Lao Er quickly fetched a bottle of sorghum liquor and two old tea mugs, poured some liquor into them, then picked up one mug, helped the old man lean against the kang cabinet, and skillfully fed him a sip.

"Old Ge's fish stewing skills are truly impressive; he's far superior to those women." The village chief gulped down half a pot of fish, picked up a piece of catfish, and stuffed it into his mouth, smacking his lips as he spoke.

"Caihua, let's go out to eat." The Hakka nanny pulled Chen Caihua out of the room, and they each took a cornbread and returned to the west room.

"Master, what kind of worm is that?" Shen Caihua asked while munching on a flatbread.

"The 'Worm-Headed Barbarian' is a very strange creature from ancient times. They usually live underground and rarely come out," the Hakka grandmother explained.

“Oh…” Shen Cai responded, then asked, “Master, is the ghost we’re going to catch tonight also related to the ‘Worm-Headed Barbarian’?”

The Hakka woman looked at Caihua with approval and said, "Hmm, not bad, you're teachable. By the way, have you memorized the 36 acupoints on the human body that your master taught you?"

“I’ve got it,” Shen Caihua replied.

“Recite it to your master,” the Hakka nanny instructed.

“Yes, Master,” Chen Cai swallowed the last piece of flatbread and began to recite, “There are 36 acupoints on the human body, divided into nine each for death, dizziness, muteness, and numbness. The nine acupoints for death are Tianling, Qimen, Dangmen, Qimen, Xiayin, Naohai, Tianxi, Beiliang, and Jixin; the nine acupoints for dizziness are Taiyang, Wenting, Saijiao, Xuanji, Jiangtai, Qimen, Zhangmen, Weilong, and Yongquan; the nine acupoints for muteness are Jianjing, Yamen, Fengyan, Rudong, Fengwei, Jingcu, Xiaoyao, Wanmai, and Taichong.”

"Not bad, the acupoints are working properly?" the Hakka nanny praised sincerely.

"The nine acupoints are Jugu, Tianzhu, Biru, Quchi, Hukou, Baihai, Weizhong, Zhubin, and Gongsun." Shen Cai recited the 36 acupoints of the human body in one breath, which is the most basic knowledge for martial arts practitioners.

"Master will test you. Where are the two critical points, 'back beam' and 'spine center', located?" the old woman said with a smile.

“The ‘Beiliang’ acupoint is located on the seventh vertebra of the spine at the back of the head and neck, while the ‘Jixin’ acupoint is located on the seventh vertebra of the lumbar spine from the bottom. Both are the nerve centers of the human body and also the weakest points of the spine. These two acupoints are called ‘upper seven and lower seven’.”

"Then what about the 'smiling waist' acupoint for speechlessness?" the nanny asked again.

Shen Caihua immediately replied: "'Xiaoyao' acupoint is located at the end of the lower ribs on the back, that is, the soft waist area of the human body, near the kidneys."

"Your talent is truly exceptional," Dudu said, shaking her head in flattery.

“Talent, these 36 acupoints that cause death, dizziness, numbness, and paralysis are vital points on the body. If struck, you will suffer serious injury or death. You must never be careless in the future. Remember this,” the Hakka nanny earnestly instructed.

"I understand, Master. When are we going to catch ghosts?" Shen Caihua couldn't contain his curiosity and asked impatiently.

"At midnight tonight, Master caught two small 'slugs,' but the big ones are still behind," the Hakka nanny said thoughtfully.

That night, the moonlight was cool and clear, and Yaowopu Village was immersed in tranquility.

Shen Cai lay fully clothed on the kang (a heated brick bed). Although the bumpy journey of the past few days had left him somewhat exhausted, he was extremely excited at the moment. Going to catch ghosts in the middle of the night was simply too thrilling.

We waited and waited, and time passed little by little until finally the hour of Hai (9-11 PM) arrived.

The Hakka woman turned over and stood on the kang (a heated brick bed), gently pulled open the upper wooden lattice window covered with paper, and whispered to Chen Caihua, "The time has come, we can go now." With that, she picked up little Caihua, leaped up, and silently darted out the window.

"I'm going too." Dudu flapped its wings and flew off, hovering quietly in mid-air.

Yaowopu was a small village with only a few dozen households. At this moment, everyone was fast asleep, and faint snores could be heard coming from the earthen houses.

Upon arriving at the threshing ground in the center of the village, the Hakka matron put down her scholarly acupuncture and began explaining the steps for exorcising the ghost: "'The Wriggling Barbarian' is definitely in this small village. It usually hides inside a person's body and often controls the host to come out and move around at midnight, making it difficult for people to detect. However, it also has its own weaknesses. Can you guess what they are?"

Shen Caihua shook his head, indicating that he did not know.

The Hakka woman smiled slightly and said, "It's the sound of snoring. In order to conceal its existence, it tries its best to pretend to be similar to human snoring. If you listen carefully, you can tell the difference."

The nanny wanted to cultivate Chen Caihua's experience and adaptability, so she explained things in the simplest and clearest way possible.

"What does the 'Rubbing Barbarian' sound like?" Shen Caihua asked curiously.

"A person's snoring is the sound produced by the vibration of airflow through the soft tissues of the pharynx. The sound is rhythmic because the airflow is at the same frequency. However, the 'wriggling head' is different. It controls the host to make snoring sounds. The sounds are uneven, and sometimes it will suddenly stop to observe the surrounding movements before continuing to snore. If we pay attention, it is not difficult to distinguish them," the Hakka grandmother explained in detail.

"So, are we going to go door to door eavesdrop?" Shen Caihua asked, puzzled.

“Not bad.” The Hakka woman nodded.

“Some people have dogs at home, and they will bark when they hear noises,” Shen Caihua reminded them.

"So your master will teach you the third move of the 'Zhu You Divine Skill,' 'Walking Corpse,' which will shut all those dogs up," the Hakka nanny said confidently.

"The big dogs and little dogs aren't barking anymore?" Shen Caihua asked, half believing it.

"Of course, first of all, you have to memorize the incantation, '曱曵曶曷书曺曻朁…'" The Hakka old woman clearly recited the witch incantation for 'walking corpse'.

After listening, Shen Caihua immediately repeated it, without any error.

The Hakka nanny nodded in satisfaction, thinking to herself, "This child really understands things quickly; he's much better than that He Wuxing." Then, she explained the key points of the "limb dance" technique, which Xiao Caihua memorized one by one, feeling a sense of déjà vu deep in his memory.

"Alright, we can get started now," the Hakka nanny said with satisfaction.

Chapter 75 of the main text

Under the hazy moonlight, the Hakka nanny led Shen Caihua to the front of the first farmhouse. Suddenly, a black local dog blocked their way, growling in a low growl, its two fierce eyes fixed on Shen Caihua.

The Hakka woman extended her two ring fingers and chanted a spell over the black dog: "曱曵曶曷书曺曻朁..." The black dog shook its head vigorously, its limbs went limp, and it slowly lay down on the ground. Its eyelids gradually closed, and after a while, it began to snore softly and fell asleep.

"The 'walking dead' technique can temporarily block the brainwaves of a person or animal, causing them to lose logical thinking and the ability to distinguish right from wrong. It can even make them act according to the practitioner's will, just like the hypnosis studied by Westerners. It's just that Master's 'Zhu You Divine Skill' is even better," the Hakka grandmother explained patiently.

They squatted down under the farmer's window, listening intently to the sounds coming from inside the house.

Two different snoring sounds, one loud and one soft, came from inside the room. Shen Caicai was completely confused and looked at the Hakka nanny with a questioning gaze.

The old woman smiled slightly and whispered in Shen Caihua's ear, explaining, "The sounds of the world can be divided into five tones: 'Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zheng, and Yu,' corresponding to the five internal organs of the human body. The spleen corresponds to Gong, its sound is slow and gentle; the lungs to Shang, its sound is quick and clear; the liver to Jiao, its sound is long and drawn out; the heart to Zheng, its sound is powerful and bright; and the kidneys to Yu, its sound is deep and subtle. Listen, there are two kinds of snoring in this room, belonging to two people. The louder one, while initially loud and deep, upon closer inspection reveals a harsh and coarse sound, produced by the Zheng tone. His breathing is short and trembling, and he occasionally lets out a muffled fart or two. His heart rate is irregular." The man's movements were disordered and he appeared exhausted, suggesting he was a foolish middle-aged man who had recently engaged in sexual intercourse. The other man's snoring was soft and drawn-out, continuous and unhurried, the qi of his spleen circulating through his kidneys like a babbling brook, a gentle, murmuring sound – the Gong and Yu tones – indicating he was a middle-aged woman. Listening closely, one could hear smacking sounds, like the lingering aftertaste of something delicious, indicating satisfaction and a feeling of fullness, suggesting she thoroughly enjoyed the recent sexual encounter. Therefore, it can be concluded that these two are a married couple, not the 'slut' we are looking for.

The old woman's words left Chen Caicai completely bewildered and confused.

The two quietly left that house and walked to the three mud houses under the old poplar tree.

“Talent, use the third move of the Zhuyou technique your master taught you, ‘Walking Corpse,’ to deal with this family’s dog,” the Hakka nanny said, standing to the side with her hands in her sleeves.

Shen Caihua nodded, tiptoed closer, and nervously stared at the large wooden doghouse next to the gate.

With a "snort," a huge dog's head suddenly peeked out from the small door of the doghouse. It had brown fur, a lion's nose, and a pig's mouth. It yawned several times and sleepily glanced at Chen Caihua...

Shen Caihua, full of energy, pointed two ring fingers at the big brown dog and opened his mouth as if to chant the "walking corpse" incantation. But upon closer inspection, he found that the lazy dog had already fallen asleep and was snoring evenly, with drool dripping all over the ground.

Chen Caihua looked back at his master with satisfaction, then slipped to the wall and pressed himself against the window to listen closely.

A series of grinding teeth sounds came from inside the room, followed by vulgar snoring, interspersed with a few indistinct mutterings in his sleep: "Slut... I can't swallow... this..."

"This is a big man," Shen Caihua thought to himself. At that moment, the old woman squatted down close to him.

“Listen, this is a young, strong, single man who has drunk a lot of alcohol. His snoring is deep and resonant, full of kidney energy, and his tone is Yu, indicating a strong liver fire. The rhythm is from Qingjiao to Huangzhong Yu…” the Hakka nanny whispered.

"Pfft pfft..." The man suddenly let out two muffled farts, the sound of which was quite obscure.