The Days I Walked as a Yin-Yang Master: Secrets and Spirits

Mr. Liu quickly called over Old Wang and invited him to drink. He rushed home, burned a large amount of paper money, and created paper effigies of maids to offer to the Bull Head, Horse Face, and the Black and White Wuchang spirits, asking them to allow Old Wang to stay for a few more hours. As the saying goes, "Money makes the ghosts turn the mill." After receiving Liu's offerings, the spirits had no reason to refuse. After all, they were just ghost servants, and a slight delay in returning to the underworld was no big deal.

If one wonders how ghosts drink, there are ancient records about secret methods for doing so. By stirring with wood from a yin tree, one could drink. Willows are associated with the five ghosts, so Mr. Liu brewed a drink with willow branches and shared it with Old Wang. After about three hours of drinking, Mr. Liu began trying to extract information from Old Wang. Unable to withstand the alcohol, Old Wang finally blurted out the truth: because Liu had revealed too many secrets of fate, he had violated the balance of his own life, and in two years, his time would come to an end.

But Mr. Liu was no ordinary person. He understood that fate could be changed, so he quickly poured more wine for Old Wang and asked if there was any way he could live a few more years. He knew that once Old Wang drank too much, his mouth would be uncontrollable. Sure enough, Old Wang told him that if he stopped eating food from the underworld from now on, he could live three more years, meaning Liu had five years left.

Hearing this, Mr. Liu was overjoyed—it felt like a gift of life! He quickly thanked Old Wang profusely and poured more wine for him. Due to the great yin property of the willow branches, both Liu and Old Wang became extremely drunk. After sending Old Wang off, Liu continued drinking for nearly two more days. However, he remained conscious; the only problem was that the yin alcohol had harmed his body, leaving him immobile. He had no choice but to lie there, hoping to recover.

Fortunately, Liu's wife was kind-hearted and decided to take my grandfather directly to Zhujiakou. If she hadn't, something terrible might have happened, because the previous night, Mr. Liu had used all his strength to give my grandfather the character "Fu" (meaning happiness or good fortune). If he had been a moment later, my grandparents would likely have met with an untimely death.

My grandfather was filled with mixed emotions. On one hand, he was grateful to his brother for his sacrifice; on the other hand, knowing his brother only had five years left to live made him feel sorrowful.

Mr. Liu waved his hand and reassured my grandfather, saying, "Don't worry, my brother. This is all destined. Once we finish drinking and eating, I will help you break this curse."

My grandfather, feeling moved, said, "But how can I let my brother continue doing things that shorten his life?"

After taking a sip of wine, Mr. Liu laughed and said, "As the saying goes, what is destined is destined. Moreover, I, Liu Shuqing, have been studying Taoism since childhood. I cannot claim to have the heart to save all beings, but I always act honestly. I have never done anything immoral. This is simply a disaster that was destined for me. My brother, don't worry. If I don't help you, even if I live five more years, I will only live in regret."

My grandfather and grandmother were deeply moved by Mr. Liu's words, tears filling their eyes. They didn't know what to say, so they could only keep serving him food and drink.

After the meal, Mr. Liu didn't delay and immediately asked my grandfather to take him to the place where the body of the bearded man had been discarded. My grandfather led Mr. Liu to the back mountain, known as "One Slash Cut." The mountain wasn't very high, but many years ago, it had been struck by an earthquake, splitting it into two. One side had collapsed, while the other side remained intact. From a distance, the mountain appeared to have been split by a knife.

Since it had just snowed the previous day, the snow on the mountain was knee-deep, making the climb extremely difficult. They struggled through the snow until they reached the place where the body had been discarded. My grandfather sensed something was wrong. How could the body, thrown there two days ago, not have been eaten by wolves or wild dogs?

Mr. Liu signaled for my grandfather to stay calm. They stepped forward and cleared the snow around the body. During this process, Mr. Liu noticed something odd. He found that the corpse's stomach was unnaturally bloated, which was not typical for someone who had died of food poisoning. When he pulled the clothes off the body, his face turned ashen.

To their horror, the corpse's stomach had been completely emptied. Inside, there was a yellow weasel, more than a foot long, curled up inside the abdomen. The weasel's belly was swollen, and its chin was tightly clamped around the corpse's esophagus, creating a grotesque scene.

My grandfather was so scared that he couldn't speak. He felt cold sweat dripping down his back. Mr. Liu quickly began to perform a divination, figuring out what had happened. After covering the body again, he told my grandfather, "This is a serious issue."

Upon hearing this, my grandfather became extremely anxious and asked what had happened. Mr. Liu angrily replied, "As the saying goes, in times of chaos, monsters appear. This creature is a yellow weasel, which has become a threat in this mountain. However, it is difficult to transform a fox or weasel into a human. The fox transforms by wearing a human skull and worshipping the moon, while the weasel occupies a person's body and controls their actions. This corpse probably belonged to the nearby man, the bearded one. He was killed by this creature and turned into its puppet. Perhaps because of the snow, it went down the mountain to hunt, but unexpectedly, it was killed. The weasel has a strong desire for revenge. The crying you and your wife heard was the weasel mourning its loss. Fortunately, you found me in time. Otherwise, anyone who hears the weasel's mourning will die within three days!"

My grandfather's mind was filled with unease and fear, but he knew that Mr. Liu would save them, so he quickly asked, "Brother, what should we do?"

Mr. Liu sighed, seeming hesitant to speak. After a moment, he said, "We must burn it first. Afterward, we'll discuss it when we return."

Mr. Liu pulled the weasel from the corpse and instructed my grandfather to find some pine branches to burn it. He also told my grandfather that the body belonged to a poor soul who had died waiting for peace. He advised my grandfather to bury the body in the snow and later choose a proper burial site for it, as an act of kindness. After completing these tasks, it was already noon, and the two of them returned home.

At home, my grandmother had already prepared the meal. When they returned, she quickly set the table and asked how things had gone. My grandfather looked at Mr. Liu, who took a sip of wine, sighed deeply, and finally spoke, "This is not easy to handle because the weasel's actions will affect three generations."

After explaining everything to my grandfather and grandmother, Mr. Liu continued to clarify the situation: the weasel was a brutal and vicious creature, and once it had become powerful, it would never leave any weak animals alive, even if it couldn't finish eating them. After becoming powerful, it developed a strong desire for revenge. If it targeted you, there was no escape. The meaning of "affecting three generations" was that if your generation couldn't avenge the wrong, it would harm your son after you had children, and later, your grandson would be affected. Because there were many yellow weasels on the back mountain, it was impossible to eradicate them completely. This vendetta would only end when either blood was repaid or the fourth generation of your family appeared.

My grandfather and grandmother, upon hearing this, felt cold in their hearts. They looked at Mr. Liu, whose expression seemed to be deep in thought, and they had no appetite left to eat. They could only look at him, hoping he would come up with a solution. After a long while, Mr. Liu slapped his leg, having thought of a solution. He turned to my grandfather and grandmother and said, "My brother, there is only one solution, but it's just a temporary fix."

Hearing that there was a solution, my grandfather, eager for a plan, immediately asked, "What is it?"

Mr. Liu said, "There were originally two methods. The first is to perform a ritual every year at the weasel's death anniversary, and after ten years, this vendetta will be resolved. But my brother, you know, I only have five years left to live. After I pass, I won't be able to protect your family fully. So, I can only use the second method. I will negotiate with the weasel tonight, and then, every year, you will offer incense. I will give you a talisman, which must not touch water. The youngest person in your family should wear it. It will protect your family. But make sure it's always worn, except when bathing. After your grandson reaches twenty years old, the grudge will be resolved. From then on, the weasel will become your family's protector spirit, ensuring that your crops are abundant."

Upon hearing this, my grandfather and grandmother finally felt relieved. Knowing there was hope made all the difference. They quickly thanked Mr. Liu for saving their lives and accepted the talisman. My grandmother later told me that on that evening, Mr. Liu went out alone with incense, candles, and paper offerings, not allowing my grandparents to follow. He returned two hours later, exhausted. He told them, "It's done."

He then had my grandfather find a large wooden board and asked my grandmother to prepare paste. After unfolding the red paper he had brought, they saw that it was inscribed with the words "Yellow Third Grandmother's position." Mr. Liu affixed the paper to the board, and after the first incense offering, he told my grandfather to have a carpenter build an altar to enshrine it. On festivals and special days, they should never forget to offer incense.

My grandfather and grandmother were deeply grateful. The next day, they prepared a banquet to thank Mr. Liu, and when he was about to leave, my grandfather gave him a ride back to Nianzi Mountain.

From then on, my grandparents followed Mr. Liu's instructions. Sure enough, they lived in peace, with no further trouble.

As I write this, many might question whether there are really ghosts and gods in this world. As the saying goes: "Believe, and they exist; disbelieve, and they don't." In ancient times, many supernatural stories were widely circulated, such as those in Records of Searching for Spirits, Zi Bu Yu, and the famous Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio. These authors used supernatural stories to convey their philosophies and moral lessons. I simply wish to write down my own experiences for others to enjoy, so don't take it too seriously.

Some people also ask, if so many supernatural beings really exist, why do we rarely see them today? This thought crossed my mind as well. One year, while visiting a small village in Nianzi Mountain, I sat outside after dinner, listening to the elders chat. They said that in the past, such things were common and widely seen. There were even people with real abilities. But after the liberation, with the emphasis on science and the eradication of superstition, Chairman Mao once said, "Smash all ghosts and monsters!" The Red Guards wielded their "iron brooms" to attack temples, historical sites, and destroy statues of gods. Anything related to the supernatural was torn down. At that time, people's thoughts were extreme, and many supernatural beings were eradicated. This shows the immense power of the people!

In the end, when society's hearts were focused on reverence for the great leader and the pursuit of a better life, there was no room for monsters and ghosts to thrive. Naturally, they disappeared from the world.