The Soul-Suppressing Art of the Huaxia

The female ghost cast a pitiful look at my grandfather, and then, trusting him, she handed the child to him.

However, the moment my grandfather's hands held the child, he immediately cried out:
"This is not right!"

The female ghost looked at him in confusion and asked:
"Is there a problem, Grandmaster?"

My grandfather slapped a talisman onto the child, and only a "sizzle" sound was heard.

In a panic, the female ghost snatched her child back, looking at it with sorrow.

What had initially appeared to be a child had turned into a motionless piece of wood in my grandfather's hands.

The female ghost was stunned, her gaze dropping:
"My... my child..."

My grandfather said to her in a stern voice:
"Do you know why you cannot reincarnate? Because someone wants to prevent you from reincarnating, and from going anywhere. The object in your hands is Sandalwood, which specifically absorbs yin energy. Fortunately, you met us today. If this had gone on any longer, I'm afraid you would never have been liberated."

Only now did the female ghost snap out of it, her eyes still filled with doubt.

Before she could reply, my grandfather walked over to the grave.

After observing it, he retrieved a talisman:
"Look at this..."

We stepped closer to examine it, as did the female ghost.

To resolve our confusion, my grandfather said:
"This is a Deity-Suppressing Talisman, used to suppress souls to prevent them from returning for revenge."

"Who harmed you?" he asked.

The female ghost shook her head in confusion:
"I don't remember."

Hearing this, my grandfather sighed, then proposed an idea that sounded bizarre to me:
"If you don't mind, can I... dig up your grave?"

Our jaws dropped upon hearing my grandfather's words. My grandfather looked at the female ghost, then continued calmly:
"Since they didn't want you to return for revenge, they must have tampered with your coffin. I only want to help you."

The female ghost hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded in agreement.

In truth, her grave was very easy to dig, as it was a dirt grave. After digging down just three inches, the coffin was revealed.

My grandfather used his hands to brush away the dirt and rocks on the surface.

Then he leaped out of the grave pit:
"Indeed, someone has tampered with the coffin."

The three of us stepped closer to observe. My grandfather pointed to the coffin lid and said:
"Look, all four corners of the coffin have been nailed shut."

I had heard about nailing a coffin shut to suppress souls. Legend has it that in the southern regions of Huaxia, there is an ancient custom. If a person dies an unjust death, nails are driven into the coffin lid to prevent them from returning for vengeance. The nails must be made from banyan wood, as this prevents the soul from entering reincarnation.

How could such a bizarre and cruel ancient art still be passed down? My grandfather said no more, immediately prying open the coffin lid, and then observed the skeleton, which was almost completely devoid of flesh.

There was a nail in her forehead, nails in both of her palms, and her feet had been nailed down tightly.

Seeing this, my grandfather's eyes widened, and he muttered:
"One nail to suppress the mortal realm,
Two nails to lock the demonic soul,
Three nails to shroud ghosts and gods,
Four nails for the platform of ten thousand tribulations."

I quickly asked my grandfather:
"What does this poem mean, Grandfather?"

My grandfather replied:
"These four nails trap her soul here forever, while also shrouding her from the Black and White Impermanence, making it impossible for the deceased to reincarnate..."

I cried out:
"How cruel!"

The female ghost stood to one side, her figure looking as though it could vanish at any moment.

Tears welled in her eyes, and her entire body began to tremble. She seemed to be in immense pain.

My grandfather quickly asked:
"Did you remember something?"

She nodded and replied:
"It was my husband and his mother who killed me..."

Saying this, even though she was already dead, she still trembled with fear. Perhaps that terror could never be erased in this lifetime.

Su Er stood beside her, wanting to comfort her but having no way to do so.

The female ghost continued her story:
"After I married into his family, his mother made things difficult for me in every way, simply because of my poor background. At first, he defended and protected me, but over time, he listened entirely to his mother, beating me even though I was carrying his child. The climax was that time when they suspected I had stolen his sister's necklace. They beat me mercilessly, ignoring my pleas and explanations. After I fainted, they poured poison into my mouth and claimed I had committed suicide..."

With that, she broke down completely, weeping uncontrollably. I wanted nothing more than to punch that man so he could never harm another girl.

My grandfather said angrily, "Come, let us seek justice."

Hearing this, the weeping female ghost was startled and pleaded:
"Grandmaster, everything has already passed. Even if we investigate, I won't gain anything, and it will only bring misery to the living."

My grandfather frowned and said, "Do they not deserve to be punished?"

The female ghost clasped her hands and bowed, pleading:
"The net of Heaven is vast; though its mesh is wide, nothing slips through. Grandmaster, they will surely face retribution for their evil deeds. Now, I only beg you... can you help me find my child?"

My grandfather sighed and nodded:
"Very well."

That day, following the female ghost's directions, we found a nearby house. In front of the house, a woman in her late forties was sweeping leaves.

Since Su Er was a girl, it was more convenient for her to initiate the conversation:
"Hello, I am an acquaintance of Xiao Heng (the female ghost's name). Is she at home?"

The woman stopped her work.
"Xiao Heng passed away seven years ago. Did you not know?"

Su Er lowered her eyes and sighed, "She passed away? Then where are her husband and child?"

The woman looked at Su Er again and replied, "Not long after Xiao Heng died, her mother-in-law died of a heart attack, and her husband was struck dead by lightning."

Truly, evil begets evil; those two had already paid for their karma. From afar, a child ran over, his eyes innocent and pure:
"Grandmother, I'm hungry."

The woman picked up the child, looking at Su Er with some sorrow:
"This is Xiao Heng's child. Fortunately, the midwife managed to save the baby in time."

Our hearts felt heavy. A cold wind blew, and when I looked closely, Xiao Heng was already standing beside the child.

A soul standing under the sun would surely be scorched, but in exchange for a final meeting, it was worth it.

Su Er said to the woman:
"Xiao Heng did not commit suicide."

Hearing this, the woman almost lost her footing, her eyes filled with grief:
"How do you know?"

"We are exorcists. We met Xiao Heng yesterday, and she told us the whole story. Now Xiao Heng has been liberated, and she is standing right next to the child."

Instead of being afraid, the woman reached into the empty air as if trying to hold Xiao Heng:
"Xiao Heng, can you hear me? I am still taking good care of Xiao Bao. Rest assured."

My grandfather formed a hand seal, and a talisman flew toward Xiao Heng. Under the sunlight, she actually manifested.

The woman embraced Xiao Heng, trembling constantly. She wept:
"Auntie, I am so grateful to you. From now on, please take care of Xiao Bao for me..."

The woman looked at the child in her arms and said softly:
"Xiao Bao, this is..."

"This is your aunt." Xiao Heng interrupted the woman.

She did not want the innocent child, who had just met his mother, to face another painful separation.