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墨書 Inktalez
I have a cousin named Zhou. He is my mother's elder sister's son, and he is about ten years older than me. When he was young, he excelled in his studies. Back then, the rural areas were filled with wooden houses, and the walls of the main hall were covered with his certificates. The golden awards on the black wooden boards looked beautiful, and he was always our role model.
However, the college entrance examination in the nineties was quite brutal. At that time, it was already impressive to get into a vocational school after junior high school. My cousin aimed to attend university, but only one or two students could be admitted from each school. Despite his excellent grades, he ultimately failed to get accepted.
He gave up on attending vocational school and resolutely chose to repeat the year. However, during that year of repeating, his personality changed drastically. He not only frequently skipped classes but also got into fights everywhere. He even caused a girl to become pregnant while repeating the year. Consequently, he dropped out of school. My aunt's family was already struggling financially, and they had another cousin attending vocational school, leaving them in dire straits.
Seeing my cousin like this, my uncle began to beat him, chasing him all over the mountains and villages. Eventually, my cousin stopped returning home and started living on the streets. Within six months, for reasons unknown, he was arrested and sentenced to over two years in prison.
After my cousin was released from prison, he showed no signs of repentance. Not only did he continue to live a life of crime, but he also gathered a group of thugs to extort protection money around the county town. During this time, he faced many hardships and often got into fights. The seats of a van he used were filled with various weapons, including hunting rifles.
I remember one summer during my senior year of high school when he unexpectedly called me to ask for help in a fight. I told him I didn’t know how to fight, but he insisted it was just to gather some people and watch from the sidelines. I still refused. Not long after that, I heard that my cousin had started running a gambling den. Three years later, he had really made something of himself—he bought a nice car and built a grand house back in our village that resembled a villa.
Then in 2011, my cousin suddenly called me and said, "Little brother, come help me out; I really can’t take it anymore." I was taken aback because we rarely communicated. A call like that could only mean something serious had happened. If he needed my help, it must be related to some ghostly affairs!
I asked if there were spirits involved. He replied eagerly, "Yes! Yes! You need to come see me; I'm being tormented!" Even though we didn’t keep in touch much, my cousin had taken good care of me when we were younger, and his family treated me very well too. Because of this bond, I didn’t want anything bad to happen to him; even knowing that what he was involved in wasn’t good, I couldn’t just stand by.
I asked where he was located; he said in Huizhou. I told him to send me an address so I could rush over.
At that time in 2011, I had just graduated a year prior and had bought a new car that hadn’t even been broken in yet; I hadn’t driven outside Guangzhou or even left Panyu before. Suddenly having to go to Huizhou made me anxious. But listening to my cousin’s urgent tone left me no choice; I steeled myself and set off.
The address he sent was quite remote; even with GPS navigation, it took me a long time to find it. By the time I arrived, it was already dark—at a three-story building in a suburban village. His underling picked me up at the village entrance and led me directly to my cousin's room located on the basement level.
Upon entering the room, I saw my cousin slumped on a sofa with a waxy complexion, dark circles under his eyes, and red eyeballs—completely unlike the vibrant person I remembered him as. His hair appeared somewhat gray against his pale face, and the floor was littered with cigarette butts.
Upon seeing me arrive, he quickly sat up and asked a lackey to bring me a bottle of Wang Lao Ji. I initially wanted to say that I preferred tea, but after some thought, I decided against it.
I asked my cousin what had happened, how things had come to this. He slapped his forehead and lamented that it was all his fault for taking the wrong path; now he was finally facing the consequences! Then, this rough-and-tumble man, who had been around the block, began to sob like a child in front of his younger brother.
I could hardly stand it. Seeing him so emotional, I kept quiet. After driving for several hours, I felt a bit uncomfortable and headed toward what I thought was the bathroom in the back room.
As soon as I opened the door and saw the scene inside, I quickly shut it again and turned back to my cousin, incredulously shouting, "You’re actually raising a ghost?!"
My cousin seemed startled by my outburst, lowering his head like a child caught doing something wrong. My anger wasn’t just about him raising a ghost; it was that years ago he had asked me if there was any truth to such practices. Back then, I was still on the mountain with my master studying cultivation. I had even asked my master about it. He told me that raising a ghost could indeed change one’s fortune, but for every gain there would be a cost. The more one demanded from the ghost, the greater the price to pay.
For an ordinary person to raise a ghost without strong backing from someone experienced in the field would inevitably lead to backlash over time. The consequences could range from losing one’s lifespan to madness or even death! It was something one must never touch!
I had warned him before—no matter how much he wanted to get rich, raising ghosts was something he should never engage in. He had promised me he wouldn’t take it lightly. At that time, I had just started college; perhaps he thought I was too young and naive to be taken seriously and dismissed my warnings, ultimately believing in the words of evil sorcery and began raising ghosts!
Now that things had already happened, blaming him wouldn’t solve anything. I steadied my emotions and patted my cousin on the shoulder, saying, “Alright, it’s done now. What we need to do is not regret or blame each other but find a way to resolve this issue. First, tell me what exactly happened—start from how you summoned this ghost.”
My cousin composed himself and began recounting the entire ordeal.
He said that back in 2008, he had been running a casino for over six months but it wasn’t as profitable as he had imagined. Although the casino wasn’t large, the daily earnings were still considerable. Being someone who enjoyed gambling himself, he ended up spending his earnings on bets.
After half a year of wins and losses, he hadn’t saved much at all. Occasionally he heard rumors that other casinos were making great profits and always winning without losing—a quick way to make money.
He sought advice from other casino owners, treating them to meals and drinks and even sauna sessions. One of them mentioned that he was raising ghosts for luck. The offerings were simple enough; he even introduced my cousin to a Taoist priest. Although my cousin hesitated at first, tempted by money,
he ultimately disregarded my advice and summoned a ghost to start offering sacrifices in hopes of changing the fortunes of his casino...
More than a year ago, fortune smiled upon him. The casino was bustling with activity, and gamblers lingered, lost in their games, raking in substantial winnings. The spirit he worshipped was responsive to his every request, and the offerings were simple: nine sticks of incense and a bowl of clear water each day, with an extra pair of empty chopsticks and a bowl during meals. However, by the year 2010, the spirit seemed to have lost its touch. Not only did it occasionally cause the dealer to lose money, but it even knocked over the empty bowls during meals.
I suggested that perhaps the spirit had grown up a bit and that his offerings were no longer sufficient. My cousin agreed, mentioning that he had consulted the Taoist priest who had given him the spirit. I asked if the priest had suggested starting blood sacrifices.
My cousin looked at me in surprise for a moment before nodding. "Yes," he said. "The priest said that now I need to add a drop of my own blood to the water every day, and instead of nine sticks of incense, I should offer eighteen."
I nodded for him to continue.
He explained that he followed the priest's advice, and indeed, things improved again as they once had. But unexpectedly, after more than a year, the spirit began to stir up trouble again. Not only did it frequently knock over bowls during meals, but it also shattered them outright. Even more alarming was that it often appeared beside him where he could see it!
I nodded thoughtfully and remarked that perhaps he was asking too much; otherwise, it wouldn't have turned against him so quickly. My cousin nodded silently in agreement.
I asked if he had tried to find that Taoist priest again. He replied that he had searched but couldn't locate him.
I told him that if the priest couldn't handle it, he probably wouldn't want to be found.
My cousin continued, saying that after the start of this year in 2011, he felt increasingly unable to control the spirit. It would often appear at his bedside while he slept, tugging at his hair and even showing up in mirrors unexpectedly, scaring him terribly.
I thought to myself that he deserved it but kept my thoughts to myself. He mentioned searching for the priest for a month without success and decided that since things were like this, he would stop making offerings to the spirit and moved his casino to a different location.
However, what seemed easy in thought proved difficult in practice. No matter where he went, he could always see the spirit beside him while sleeping. It didn't just tug at his hair anymore; it began chewing on it instead. The sound was distinct and unsettling. Worse still, one time while at a KTV venue, he went to the restroom and saw himself in the mirror with a child perched on his chest, bobbing its head as if gnawing at his heart. This sight terrified him deeply. From then on, he could no longer sleep at night; whenever he closed his eyes, he felt that uncomfortable sensation of being devoured.
He had no choice but to return to his original residence and resume offering to the spirit, doubling both the incense and blood sacrifices.
The situation improved slightly but still persisted; from then on, he could never sleep through the night again. He lay awake until dawn each day and managed only brief moments of sleep during daylight hours. Whenever he did fall asleep, nightmares would wake him immediately.
In less than two months, a man who had been wandering the underworld had been tortured into this ghostly state.
I reproached him, "Cousin, why didn't you come to me sooner?"
He replied, "Little brother, I didn't listen to your advice back then and felt too ashamed to seek you out. It's only now that I truly can't bear it anymore that I dare to talk to you."
I said, "We're family; there's no need for formalities. It's good that you reached out in time. If it had been any later, I wouldn't have known how to explain things to Aunt!"
My cousin looked at me excitedly and said, "Little brother, if you help me resolve this issue, I promise I will never touch such things again."
I responded, "Not only should you avoid these things, but also steer clear of gambling and anything related to the underworld. With what you're earning now, you could easily make a good living doing something legitimate."
He hesitated for a moment before saying one word: "Alright."
I said, "Before the Spirit God, this is not a game. If you have any regrets later on, you'll face even harsher consequences."
He nodded, seemingly aware that he couldn't bear the weight of such repercussions.
I said, "Good, then let's get started..."
After reaching an agreement with my cousin to tackle this problem first, he asked me how we would proceed. I told him to just follow my lead and not to be afraid. He replied, "It's fine; I've gotten used to it."
I initially thought about suggesting we eat first, but seeing my cousin's condition left me with no appetite. Dealing with a little ghost was different from handling an ordinary Spirit God.
First, we needed to sever its connection and destroy its place of residence. I stood up and walked into the restroom stall. As soon as I entered, I felt an overwhelming presence of Yin Qi. A shiver ran down my spine as I noticed an altar with a glass container on it. Inside was a wooden doll and two red candles still burning. The incense burner had six sticks of incense that hadn't finished burning yet, along with a bowl of clear water that had two drops of blood in it. The exhaust fan whirred loudly, mixing with the smoke in the restroom and casting eerie shadows in the dim light of the red candles—just like a scene from a horror movie.
When I saw the Puppet inside the Glass Container, I immediately breathed a sigh of relief, as this type of spirit was the easiest to handle among all the spirits.
Now, let me explain the method of refining this spirit. There are many ways to refine spirits, each varying according to different needs and levels.
The refinement of this spirit belongs to the most basic soul-snatching technique, originating from the Maoshan Sect. A Deceased Child under the age of twelve can be refined into a spirit within seven days after death. A sorcerer who specializes in refining spirits will first inquire about where there are children who have died young. Then, they will find a way to obtain the name and Birth Chart of the deceased child. After the burial, they will sneak to the child's grave after midnight on the seventh day after death, using a pre-cut Vine Stem. They will then burn incense and recite incantations to summon the soul. Once the Vine Stem has grown lush, they will perform another ritual to bind the soul to it. Afterward, they will cut the Vine Stem and take it home to carve it into a doll shape, inscribing the Deceased Child's Birth Chart and name on it, painting its eyebrows with black ink and its mouth with Cinnabar, before sealing it in a Glass Container. Thus, the spirit is refined!
The spirit will grow larger with the offerings from its master; a powerful sorcerer may even cultivate it into a ghost king. However, the sorcerer will inevitably suffer backlash. Not only will they live in solitude, but their Lifespan will also drastically decrease.
The spirit my cousin raised has been nurtured for over three years now; I have no idea how much it has grown. However, based on my cousin's descriptions, I felt it should still be within my capabilities.
I first used Ink Fight Line along with red rope to set up a Binding Spirit Formation with an opening around my cousin. I sprinkled some incense ash at the opening and instructed him that once he saw footprints in the ash, he should pull the red thread tight.
I returned to the bathroom and poured out the clean water from a bowl, instructing my cousin to pour a small bowl of gasoline into it and then remove the incense stick. In the incense burner’s ash, I buried three consecrated copper coins.
First, I cut off its incense offerings; copper coins are powerful talismans (round on the outside and square on the inside—objects that spirits fear), and since these coins have passed through many hands, they are filled with strong Yang Qi. Then I smashed the Glass Container to take out the wooden figure and directly recited incantations while placing it into the bowl of gasoline to burn it, driving it out of the bathroom.
Just a few seconds later, my cousin shouted from inside: "Little brother, it's done! It's in!" His tone was quite urgent. I thought to myself that he was used to this by now; why was he so agitated? Nevertheless, I hurried over to check if the opening was sealed properly.
After confirming everything was in order, I knew that the spirit had entered and was now clinging to my cousin's back, though I couldn't see it. But that was fine; I had ways to know where it was.
I told my cousin not to move or close his eyes; he could look anywhere he wanted. Once he understood my intention, I began sprinkling flour lightly over him.
Only his back remained free of flour. This meant that the spirit was clinging to his back because it had nowhere else to go. With an external Binding Spirit Formation in place, I didn't need to worry about its escape.
However, even if it retaliated, it would be beyond its control. It wasn't unforgivable; my master always taught me that if possible, one should avoid violence when sending spirits away and use force only as a last resort. Everything in this world deserves respect.
I began with the Soul Requiem Spell, followed by Send Soul, just to test whether it would respond to me. Watching my cousin's back as the white mist swirled around him, I realized he was still quite agitated, clearly unwilling to leave and not taking my warnings seriously at all. I soon understood that this was a minor spirit, one that had been nurtured for over three years, and it was no ordinary spell that could resolve this. Moreover, the spirit lacked intelligence; it instinctively sought what it needed and would not cooperate, leaving me with no choice but to take stronger measures.
Here, I decided to use the Willow Branch to draw back, taking out a Willow Branch and a small Peach Wood Dagger from my bag. "Hang in there, cousin; this might hurt a bit," I said.
He nodded and replied, "Bring it on."
With my left hand forming the Wuzi Jue and my right gripping the Willow Branch, I began striking his back. After about three minutes of this, the spirit finally calmed down; it seemed like it was ready to compromise. I stopped striking and went into the kitchen to grab a bowl and chopsticks along with some rice and a bowl of water, setting up the Water Bowl to see if it was willing to be sent away. The chopsticks fell over—clearly not enough. So, I picked up the Peach Wood Dagger again and started poking my cousin's back.
After about five minutes of this, the spirit was completely quiet.
My cousin exclaimed, "I'm about to die from the pain!"
I reassured him, "It'll be over soon."
Then I set up the Water Bowl again; this time it indicated that it was willing to leave. I removed the Binding Spirit Formation and began the Send Soul process (I won't go into details), then instructed my cousin to have someone prepare more Joss Paper.
About ten minutes later, the spirit was sent away, and I let out a sigh of relief.
"Brother, it's done," I said.
He slumped into his chair and remarked, "I feel so much better! Thanks a lot!"
At that moment, the assistant who had gone to buy Joss Paper returned. I told my cousin, "You should sincerely offer this; kneel down and burn all the Joss Paper for it as an apology."
In truth, this wasn't strictly necessary; it was just something we owed it. I also knelt down and recited the Buddhist Rebirth Mantra three times because this is the gentlest way of offering peace to spirits.
After everything was done, I took some ash from the Wooden Dummy and burned an Exorcism Charm to give my cousin to drink.
I said, "Brother, it's over. Remember what you promised."
He nodded vigorously. I knew he would keep his word; this time, the consequences were something he could hardly bear.
He definitely wouldn't dare to take risks again!
In fact, that was true. However, what troubled me was that after shutting down the casino, he opened an internet café in our county town, which now had over 300 machines. I heard it was quite profitable. Sigh, I could only comfort myself that it was better than running a casino...
The story ends here, and let me take a moment to educate everyone about these methods of changing one's fortune through the spirit world.
Raising a small ghost, the Five Ghosts for Wealth, and the Thai Guman Child are some of the popular modern methods for altering luck. These methods can yield good results for those who use them in a short period of time, but there’s no such thing as a free lunch. The luck you change is essentially borrowed luck, and usually, you gain five points only to lose ten—it's not worth it. Moreover, if things go wrong, the consequences are beyond your control.
So I advise you, no matter what, do not take this step. Even if your Daoist Techniques are profound or you have a master who will never abandon you with their advanced skills, do not attempt it. The things of the spirit world are truly not so easy to handle...
Living life means controlling your own fate to be happy—doing what needs to be done at the right time. Living steadily and grounded while enjoying each day—what's wrong with that?
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