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墨書 Inktalez
I still remember that it was a dark and narrow alley, with tangled wires just a few centimeters above my head and a puddle of black water at my feet, emitting an unpleasant smell. We hadn't gone far into the alley when we were stopped by two strong men. They were disciples of Ajan Master, each robust and trained in martial arts, capable of serving as bodyguards.
Everyone here knew Second Uncle, and after exchanging greetings, they let us pass. At that moment, I felt very nervous, as if I had entered a gang's territory, constantly wanting to cling to Second Uncle's arm.
Ajan Master's home was much smaller than I had imagined; there were no electric lights inside, and it was pitch black. Once inside, we could only rely on a dim candle to see our surroundings. On either side of the candle sat two people; one was dressed in black clothing that resembled a monk's robe but had a strange style. The other wore a simple thin shirt and occasionally gasped in surprise.
Second Uncle whispered in my ear, introducing the man as Ajan Dong, one of the few Black-Clad Achans in Bangkok willing to serve as an Earth Child.
In Thailand, Ajan Masters are divided into white-clad and black-clad. They are different from the Long Pu and Grandma Long found in formal temples; they belong to the layman sect and are not bound by many precepts. Black-Clad Achans are somewhat more cautious in their actions, but they usually act without restraint; as long as money is involved, they will do anything. Those who fall victim to curses are mostly targeted by Black-Clad Achans.
The title "Ajan" is generally used to address someone, similar to a name rather than their monastic name.
I saw Ajan Dong holding a stick wrapped in black cloth with a sharp tip. He was forcefully cutting into the palm of the person opposite him with this pointed stick. The palm has many capillaries, and once injured, it can bleed profusely. Moreover, a stick is not as sharp as a knife; using it to cut someone's hand is akin to torture. Consequently, the man's palm was already covered in blood, and he gritted his teeth in pain, making grinding sounds.
After cutting open the man's palm, Ajan Dong put down the stick and picked up a small bottle from the ground. The bottle contained some liquid that was hard to see in the dim light; later I learned it was corpse oil mixed with bone powder.
Ajan Dong poured the corpse oil into the man's wound, causing immediate cries of pain to fill the room. Ajan Dong scolded him somewhat discontentedly; although I couldn't understand Thai, I could tell he was telling him to be quiet!
The man immediately shut his mouth; he was so pained that sweat soaked his hair and his shirt clung tightly to his body. Not only him; even I felt pain just standing there watching. Feeling uneasy, I asked Second Uncle what was happening.
Second Uncle whispered back, "This man came to request a spirit but didn't want anyone to find out. So Ajan Dong is helping him offer it through his flesh and blood. This way, it's not only discreet but also eliminates worries about forgetting to make offerings and facing backlash."
I felt a chill run down my spine and said, "Isn't he afraid of being consumed by the spirit? And this could lead to an infection!"
Second Uncle smiled and said, "What do you know? Back in the day, there was a Hong Kong star with the surname Zhang who did the same thing with Flesh and Blood Fosterage. He was raised in a finger, and later became famous for playing various villainous roles. Although he never played the lead, he still attracted a group of kids who idolized him, and to this day, nothing has happened to him."
A Hong Kong star with the surname Zhang? A specialist in playing bad guys? Among the stars I know, the only one who became popular while only playing supporting roles is Sing Yeh's old partner, Ng Man-tat. Did he ever have the surname Zhang? But I don't recall him playing any villains. I thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure out who it was. Until last year, when I accidentally saw news online about a star being arrested for drug use, I suddenly realized who Second Uncle was talking about when I first met Ajan Master. It also made me understand that raising a little ghost can bring you certain benefits, but when it's time to lose something, you will still lose it.
Just like what Ni Kuang wrote in Wesley; one of the plots has always intrigued me.
The alien mentioned that every action humans take throughout their lives—such as breathing, heartbeats, chewing, and even thinking—has a limited number of occurrences. For example, if you set a limit of ten million steps for walking, once you reach that limit, your legs will either suffer from illness, get hit by a car, or fall down the stairs; in short, you will no longer be able to walk.
If your heart is set to beat ten million times, then when it reaches that limit, your heartbeat will stop immediately—that means death.
Some people may have exhausted their thoughts but still have remaining heartbeats; they end up in a vegetative state.
Theoretically speaking, humans could achieve immortality. As long as one understands the method, they could take someone else's occurrences for themselves.
This theory sounds very sci-fi, but if you think about it carefully, isn't it just saying that fate is predetermined? Otherwise, how could it be explained that someone gets hurt from being hit by a car or falling down stairs? Such accidents cannot be explained by medicine. Therefore, I have always believed that a true novelist must possess an alien's mindset; otherwise, how could they write about Taoist concepts and mortal thoughts in such a sci-fi manner?
Of course, these eight words are inherently paradoxical because you don't know if the "heaven" you win against is truly given to you by heaven.
Raising little ghosts is similar; what you gain may actually be what you were meant to have in this life—just arriving early. If you wait patiently, perhaps in the following decades, it will flow steadily and allow you to enjoy it slowly.
While talking with Second Uncle, Ajan Dong had already poured all the Corpse Oil down. He held the man's palm and quietly recited an Invocation Spell. The man trembled all over but gradually calmed down after some time. When Ajan Dong released his hand, I was astonished to see that the man's palm, which had been cut open by a stick, had become perfectly intact. This was incredible; just moments ago I had seen him bleeding profusely!
Second Uncle didn't have time to explain this to me before he saw that the man had gotten up and hurriedly stepped forward to join his hands together in greeting Ajan Dong. They communicated in Thai for a while; I couldn't understand them and could only look around.
In Ajan Dong's room, there were only a few simple cabinets with some doll sculptures on top. At that time, I didn't understand Kuman and little ghosts; I just thought these were children's toys.
Those who completed the Flesh and Blood Fosterage quickly left. Watching his hurried figure disappear, I never thought that one day I would have any connection with him. However, things are always so coincidental; amidst the vast sea of people, we met like this.
Ajan Dong approached, bringing Second Uncle to the cabinet I had just examined. He pointed at several sculptures and various odd items; for each one he pointed out, Second Uncle picked one up. I then noticed that Second Uncle had taken out a black cloth bag at some point. Soon, the bag was filled, and Second Uncle handed it to me before pulling out a bundle of Thai baht from his pocket and passing it over.
Ajan Dong accepted it without hesitation and then returned the gesture. At that moment, I felt that Ajan Master really understood manners and didn’t seem very evil.
Afterward, we left Ajan Master’s home. As we walked down the road, Second Uncle proudly said, “So, how was it? Did you find it eye-opening? Was it worth the trip?”
I pretended to be dismissive and said, “What’s so eye-opening about it? It’s just like cutting without cutting. Our doctors back in the mainland can cut open your belly to put in a piece of gauze, throw in some tools, and take them out after a few months.”
Second Uncle playfully tapped my head and laughed, scolding me, “Don’t talk nonsense! If Ajan Master hears you, he might put a curse on you. By then, it won’t just be gauze and tools in your belly; you’ll be itching from all sorts of bugs biting you.”
That said, it was my first time seeing Ajan Master and witnessing the process of raising a spirit. Although simple, it made my ordinary life feel much broader.
Sitting in the car, I curiously opened the black cloth bag. After glancing inside, I casually picked up a Mud Doll and asked, “What are these for? I saw you gave him a lot of money.”
Second Uncle explained that these were spirits ordered by clients that would be mailed back to the mainland after some time.
I was somewhat puzzled and asked, “Why wait for some time before sending them?”
Second Uncle chuckled and said, “If we give them right away when they want them, it makes us seem too eager. It’s like being a woman; if a man gets something too easily, he won’t value it as much. It’s better to delay a bit.”
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