Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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He entered Xiangyin sacrificial ruins in the search box, and several related web pages popped up on Xie Lingya’s phone. He clicked on one of them and saw information about ancient sacrificial ruins in Xiangyin City.
Although the information downplayed it and only said that this was a place where ancient Xiangyin people offered sacrifices and prayed for blessings from the gods, Xie Lingya still felt that something was wrong and showed it to Shi Changxuan.
Shi Changxuan was familiar with the sacrificial rituals. When he saw the accompanying pictures, he said with certainty: “This is an unethical folk sacrifice.”
In ancient times, obscene sacrifices were once common among Chinese people. Sacrificing something other than what it was intended to offer was an obscene sacrifice and was not recognized by the state. For example, offering sacrifices to the One-Legged Wutong was also considered an obscene sacrifice. The One-legged Wutong was not a righteous god, but an evil spirit.
What happened to the female ghost whose soul was trapped in the sacrificial place and was not allowed to reincarnate until she possessed Le Tong’s body and came to Diyang? Why was she looking for a groom?
Xie Lingya suddenly remembered that it was written in Baoyang’s Notes that obscene sacrifices were prohibited in all dynasties, because those miscellaneous gods, including evil gods like the One-Legged Wutong, were deceptive.
It was common in the countryside for charlatans to use obscene rituals to fool the people, gain profits, and collect sacrifices from the people.
The types of sacrifices included but were not limited to money, food… and beauty.
At this time, Shi Changxuan also whispered: “She should have been a woman who was sacrificed during her lifetime, as unmarried women were often sacrificed in obscene rituals. When she was dealing with you, she was obsessed with getting a groom. She may have had an engagement but it was terminated. Then she became a sacrifice or was betrothed to a ‘god’.”
Either way was miserable. Xie Lingya was speechless for a moment. When he saw the sacrificial ruins, he vaguely thought that the female ghost must have had a very tragic experience and had been trapped in the world for at least a hundred years.
“Alas…” Xie Lingya was originally angry because the female ghost possessed Le Tong, but now it seemed that she was also a pathetic ghost who had lost her mind.
They had only speculated on vague possibilities, and there were still many details that were difficult to explore. The dust-covered truth may be even more shocking and difficult to contemplate. There were too many injustices in that era.
Faith made people have faith, but it also made some people lose their minds.
Shi Changxuan returned the phone to Xie Lingya and said, “I will go to Xiangyin on the weekend to worship orphans.”
To worship orphans was to perform rituals to worship lonely souls and wild ghosts so that they could be reborn as soon as possible. Shi Changxuan had always considered that the obscene sacrificial site might trap more than one dead soul.
Hearing this, Xie Lingya’s originally depressed mood improved a little, “I’ll go with you.”
Xie Lingya thought that when his uncle was still alive, he would go out from time to time and perform rituals. In fact, now that he had taken over the Taoist temple, he knew that fewer and fewer people had been coming to him to exorcise evil spirits, and there were not that many people doing rituals. Perhaps, there were still resentful spirits who had been trying to save themselves for a long time and had not been reincarnated. After all, before there was only one person in Baoyang Temple, and his uncle was incapable of doing anything else. In addition, he had some problems, so the business went from bad to worse.
….
Xiangyin City was about two hours’ drive from Qiyang City. Xie Lingya and Shi Changxuan rushed to Xiangyin together and planned to stay in a hotel in the city first.
The official name of that site was the Xiangyin East Sacrifice Site. It was located in the suburbs. There must be people visiting it during the day, and they could only go there at night.
They were just two men. Of course Xie Lingya didn’t think too much and booked a singlr room. After entering, he found that the twin room he wanted had become a double room. He was too lazy to go down and change, so he just made do with it.
It was said that it was a two-hour drive, not including the time for transportation within the city and preparation time. Xie Lingya immediately fell on the bed.
Phytolacca: “I&%￥#*@#!!”
It had gone crazy and he couldn’t hear what it was saying at all.
Shi Changxuan untied the Phytolacca God indifferently and threw it on the pillow. At this time, Xie Lingya also turned over with his face next to the Phytolacca God – the Phytolacca God fell silent in an instant.
Shi Changxuan took off his thin coat and saw that Xie Lingya’s clothes had lifted up a little due to his movements, exposing a section of his waist. There were actually some bruises, which were caused by the hanging ghost last time.
Although he had applied medicine, Xie Lingya’s skin was white and every trace was very obvious. Coupled with the injuries on his ankles, neck and fingers, Shi Changxuan felt horrified, even though this was far from the most serious injury Shi Changxuan had ever seen.
He chose to look away, sitting on the head of the bed and closing his eyes to rest.
At eleven o’clock in the evening, Xie Lingya and Shi Changxuan took a taxi to the outskirts and saw the Xiangyin East Sacrificial Site, which was about ten meters long and wide. Because it had not been cleaned up for a long time, and it was not very valuable, there was no security. There was only a new monument placed for introduction.
It was said that there used to be a temple next to it, but it had long been dilapidated and had no shape.
This place did not have a large altar, but at a glance, the two of them could see dozens of lingering resentful souls.
Some had blank faces, while others still had some sense of consciousness, but were deep in the pain of death, repeating movements mechanically. They may have a different past life than the ghost bride, but the pain was the same.
Xie Lingya and Shi Changxuan laid out the tools. The bill couldn’t be moved, so they had to make do with stones, but neither of them were formal.
The so-called Dharma was the mystery in the Tao, which illuminated the universe. Looking for the sound to save the suffering, the dead would ascend to heaven early.
Shi Changxuan put on his Taoist robe and solemnly recited: “…Tao measures sentient beings without intention, and all conveniences are cultivation. If you return to the land of holy wisdom and perfection, you will ascend to heaven and become a Taoist.”
As the ritual process progressed, the lives and grievances of these dull and lonely souls were cleared away and their consciousness gradually recovered. From numbness and resentment to sadness and exhaustion, they had been trapped here for too long, and now they all gathered together.
Xie Lingya turned willow branches into food and sprinkled them for the ghosts to enjoy. After they had a full meal, their throats were opened by the nectar and they all began to cry.
However, as Shi Changxuan lectured, their expressions gradually calmed down, and finally they were saved in the faint auspicious light. Before leaving, they bowed deeply to Shi Changxuan and Xie Lingya.
….
The stone altar seemed to have been washed by clean water, with no resentment left. Xie Lingya sat on the ground. Although he was performing rituals for the orphan souls, he felt as if he had been baptized.
Shi Changxuan packed up his things and sat next to Xie Lingya.
“You definitely can’t get a taxi here at this point, so we can only watch the stars all night.” Xie Lingya joked, “Have you seen it with someone before?”
He didn’t know if Shi Changxuan had ever gone to the wilderness like this before. People who spent too much time in the countryside, with or without a companion, doing such a thankless job for free, would be as lonely as his uncle. His uncle didn’t have a car either, so whenever he went to the countryside, he probably had to do it behind closed doors.
“…” Shi Changxuan looked sideways at Xie Lingya, paused and said, “…No.”
“You must have.” Xie Lingya suddenly came closer and said to the Phytolacca god on Shi Changxuan’s shoulder.
He was so close that the Phytolacca God was too shy to utter a single word.
“Huh?” Xie Lingya tilted his head and lowered his eyes to look at the Reporting God.
Shi Changxuan also froze, Xie Lingya was almost leaning against his shoulder, with a faint smile on his lips, even more extreme than the last time when he came from behind.
Shi Changxuan seemed to feel relieved all of a sudden. This man was unscrupulous, considerate and enthusiastic, cruel and gentle. Shi Changxuan was speechless frequently, but he didn’t want to refuse his approach – just like now, he only wanted to look at him closely and speculate about his intention silently.
Xie Lingya’s eyes met Shi Changxuan’s for a moment. Then he tilted his head and avoided Shi Changxuan’s gaze.
He said very naturally: “Hey, I’m going to take a nap.” I want a Phytolacca god!
Shi Changxuan also suddenly withdrew his gaze, feeling a touch of emotion in his heart. He didn’t know that Xie Lingya was also embarrassed sometimes.
….
Qiyang People Forum
[Qiyang Interesting Stories] Topic: Wuwuwuwu, I saw a ghost again.
Content: Wuwuwu, the poster is still afraid, and only dares to post during the day. Yesterday, my friend and I drove out of town to play. We were driving at night and took the wrong road. When we passed a place in the suburbs of Xiangyin, we heard the cries of many women. It was very miserable. I woke my friend up, but she didn’t hear anything. My friend also wanted to take a look, but I felt something was wrong at the time, so I held her tight. Later, when I checked, I found that the place was indeed an ancient sacrificial site. TAT
1L: I was so scared when I saw the last sentence…
2L: Wait, I am 1L. After replying to the post, I felt that the ID of the main building looked familiar, and my words also seemed familiar… I seem to have replied to a similar post. Are you the one who saw ghosts during the Ghost Festival before?
3L: I also remember the poster, poster, your illness has not been cured yet?
4L: Postmaster, maybe you missed an opportunity to save someone. What if someone is injured?
5L: What kind of injury did she get? After reviewing the question carefully, her friend didn’t even hear it. It’s obvious that something happened to her.
6L: Did you see a ghost again? I told you not to go out at night!
7L: Delusion, identification completed.
….
23L: This is not an interesting anecdote about Qiyang. I suggest you go to the Xiangyin forum.
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