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墨書 Inktalez
Underworld is a form of divination and witchcraft, where the host's soul leaves their body to descend into the Underworld, summoning the desired spirit to communicate with the seeker.
It used to be quite popular, but now its practice is dwindling. With the widespread education in modern science, many have come to regard these practices as superstitions, slowly fading from public memory. In truth, many things that science cannot explain tend to disappear from our awareness, while some scientific explanations seem rather forced to me. But back to the Underworld.
The hosts of Underworld rituals are typically individuals like mediums, Taoist priests, or witches, with witches being the most common. In many places, they are referred to as "spirit mediums," and some regions even call Underworld rituals "jumping the gods."
Regardless of what it’s called, the essence remains the same. Don’t dismiss it; your disbelief stems from a lack of exposure. Those who have truly encountered the Underworld understand its mysteries. Of course, there are also frauds among them. These con artists contribute to the notion that metaphysics is mere superstition, but that is beyond our control. We can only focus on our own responsibilities.
If we can help one person, we should; if we can do one good deed, we should.
It was around the summer of 2013, probably just after seven in the morning when I was awakened from my dreams by a phone call from an unfamiliar number.
I was in a foul mood upon waking up. Before I could snap at the caller, a frantic female voice came through: "Hello, is this Master Liu? I heard from a friend that you can help with soul matters. Where are you? Can I come see you?"
A barrage of questions left my already groggy mind even more confused. I took a deep breath and calmed myself, saying, "Just call me Xiao Liu. No need to rush. What seems to be the problem?"
She replied that she couldn’t explain over the phone and asked if we could talk in person instead. "Where are you?"
I told her I was in Panyu.
"Okay, I'm coming over now," she said.
Before I could ask her to bring me breakfast too, she had already hung up. Clearly urgent, I hurriedly got out of bed, took a quick shower, tidied up a bit, and went downstairs for breakfast. Just as I finished eating, her call came in again, prompting me to rush back home.
She was about my age and shared the same pallor and lackluster spirit as all the victims I had encountered before. However, she had one striking characteristic: she was incredibly energetic. She paced back and forth at high speed near the entrance like she was playing badminton. Since I had never seen her before, I didn’t even know her last name. As I pondered how to greet her, she spoke up first.
"Are you Master Liu?"
Suddenly, I was reminded of a saying: handsome and wealthy men, when they grow older, are called uncles. At your age, you need the Underworld. She asked if I was inviting my grandfather's spirit to communicate with her, and I realized she had done her homework.
I said, "Since you understand, I won't need to explain."
She replied, "Alright, let's go now."
I paused for a moment and said I couldn't do it; I needed to find a medium who specializes in the Underworld. She said she didn't know any mediums.
I told her I did, but they were in Hunan, so we would have to make a trip.
She asked when we should go.
I said the sooner, the better; let's leave now since my hometown is quite far away.
She seemed anxious and didn't even ask where my hometown was. She just said, "Let's go." I looked at her in confusion and joked, "Aren't you afraid I'll sell you off? Shouldn't you call your boyfriend?"
She said she would be on a business trip for a few days and that she trusted me.
I replied, "Okay, I trust myself too. Pack your things; let's go."
She quickly gathered her belongings and then called her boyfriend. She spoke quite assertively; they say Sister Xiang is the most opinionated person in the country. I wholeheartedly agreed—at least the Sister Xiang I know are mostly like that. After hanging up, she asked me if we should bring my grandfather along.
I said, "You have that skill?"
She asked if I didn't have that skill.
I replied, "No need to bring him; we can call a medium when we reach the Underworld. Distance isn't an issue." Then I went home to grab some things and drove my car toward the distant international metropolis of Longhui County in Hunan Province...
Since it wasn't a holiday, the roads were clear. However, at that time, there was no expressway connecting to Guangdong, so it took us about ten hours to reach our destination, arriving late at night.
Thinking it was too late to go home, I found a hotel in the county town and booked two rooms to make do for the night. The reasons I didn't go home were that I didn't want to disturb my parents' rest, I feared they might misunderstand that Miss Ruan was my girlfriend, and I wanted to keep my home address private.
After a tiring day, I slept soundly that night. Since I was in the next room, I believed that under the strong sense of security, Miss Ruan also slept well.
The next morning, after enjoying a bowl of authentic Shaoyang rice noodles, I took Miss Ruan with me. Initially, I planned to go directly to Aunt Wang's place, but then I remembered my master lived nearby, so we decided to visit him first.
My master is someone I deeply respect. Every time I see him, I feel calm and secure. Sometimes I even wonder if there's some spell that allows me to forget all my worries when I'm with him. It’s crucial for me to visit him first; otherwise, he would scold me.
Now, let me formally introduce Aunt Wang.
Aunt Wang is in her seventies, nearly eighty. She is an old acquaintance of my master and one of the most respected figures in the underworld around here. In our area, we call it "jumping the gods," which is a term used in rural villages. It's not meant as disrespect; people in rural areas don't care much about titles. By the way, we also refer to Taoists as Master Shakong.
Aunt Wang has a very kind appearance and a great attitude. She always has a smile on her face and has never been seen frowning.
I once asked her why she was always so happy and if she had never faced any troubles. She replied that smiling makes you younger by ten years and that everyone has worries; it depends on how you choose to face them.
I called Aunt Wang ahead of time and only mentioned that I would be bringing someone over for a consultation with the underworld. We arrived at Aunt Wang's house just before noon. She practices Buddhism and was meditating at the entrance when we arrived. In rural areas, doors are usually left open during the day, so I didn’t want to disturb her.
After about half an hour, she noticed us at the door and invited us in. I greeted her respectfully, and she poured us two bowls of water. Then she turned to Miss Ruan and said, "Miss Ruan, I know all about your situation." She then took out a piece of paper and a pen and said, "Please write down your grandfather's birth date and name." After that, she went into the inner room.
Once Aunt Wang left, Miss Ruan asked me how the old lady knew her surname was Ruan since I hadn't said much during the phone call.
I was already used to such things; I told her that many things are beyond explanation and that she should just follow what Aunt Wang instructed.
"Are you not going in?" she asked.
"I can't go in. Don't worry, it's fine," I replied.
After she wrote down the birth date and name, she took the paper and entered the room.
I closed the door from the outside and moved a small stool to wait at the entrance. I really wanted to peek inside, but according to the rules, that was not allowed. I suppressed my curiosity and waited outside for over an hour.
During that time, although I couldn't see in, I could listen. For the first half hour, all I heard were various incantations from Aunt Wang, none of which I understood, accompanied by footsteps, clapping hands, and the sound of shaking chairs. I thought to myself that the old lady had great stamina; no wonder she still seemed so lively at her age—it must be quite a physical job. The next twenty minutes were filled with a trembling voice—Aunt Wang's tremulous tone—which I couldn't tell if it was an incantation or not. Later, I realized it was a form of speech used in rituals. It sounded like rapid head shaking while speaking, with her cheeks and lips quivering. The pitch varied wildly, making it impossible to grasp its meaning. Then, for the last ten minutes, an elderly male voice conversed with Miss Ruan.
I didn't pay much attention to the content; first, because I didn't understand Changsha dialect very well, and second, because their voices were too soft. My upright and somewhat handsome image would never allow me to eavesdrop like that. So instead, I stepped outside to get some fresh air.
In Aunt Wang's yard, there were geese. I intended to play with them a bit. However, two of them suddenly chased after me aggressively as if they weren't afraid at all. At that moment, I didn't know what got into me; I just ran away, worried about disturbing the ritual inside. I even dashed out of the yard! To my annoyance, those two geese chased me for about seven or eight hundred meters before proudly returning to their yard. How embarrassing that was! Thankfully, no one saw me.
Once they returned, I slowly made my way back to the Main Hall. Before I could sit down, Aunt Wang led Miss Ruan out.
Seeing me panting heavily, they looked at me with confusion. I awkwardly smiled and said that I had been playing a game with the geese before quickly changing the subject by asking Aunt Wang, "Grandma, are you done?"
Aunt Wang still wore her cheerful smile as she replied that she was finished. "Would you like to stay for dinner? I'll prepare something."
I declined politely. "No need, thank you." Then I handed Aunt Wang a prepared Red Envelope. After chatting for a few more moments, I bid farewell to Aunt Wang and stepped out the door to head back.
I inadvertently caught sight of those two geese looking proudly at me again. Quickly averting my gaze, I walked out briskly; of course, they had no idea why I was hurrying away. And I wouldn't tell them either. It wasn't until we got into the car that I brought up my grandfather's obsession with Miss Ruan.
It turned out that when Grandfather Ruan passed away, Miss Ruan hadn't been able to return in time to see him one last time. Unlike the traditional rural preference for sons over daughters, Miss Ruan was Grandfather Ruan's most beloved descendant.
Miss Ruan had been raised by her grandfather; she treated him very well and would chat with him whenever she returned home, cooking meals for him as well. She often sent him money even while living away from home and insisted on calling him every week to catch up. In this day and age, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say her filial piety was touching. However, when her grandfather fell gravely ill, the family did not inform her until after he had passed away. Heartbroken, she rushed back home and kept vigil for her grandfather Seven Days After Death.
Perhaps due to overwhelming longing, Grandfather did not go where he was supposed to, but instead followed Miss Ruan to Guangzhou. What happened next was what I had begun to recount.
By the way, there was something else that Grandfather Ruan mentioned. A tree not far from his grave blocked his view, making him quite uncomfortable. He asked her to tell the family to cut down that tree.
I asked what kind of tree it was.
She replied that it was a Pine Tree.
I said, "Just cut it down when you get back. Grandfather will bless you with peace and happiness for a lifetime."
...
There is an ancient saying: Among all virtues, filial piety comes first.
In the nature of heaven and earth, humanity is precious; among human actions, nothing is greater than filial piety, and the greatest form of filial piety is towards a strict father.
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