PCJ – Chapter 45 Shocked (Part 1)

Liu Tongmao immediately tightly grasped his grandson’s hand. “Jiaohua, can you really cure Xizi’s illness?”

“Dad, how can we take a child’s words seriously? That day when Guo Daogui from Daoist Temple came, there was no solution,” Zhao Lanying said, frowning.

“What do you know! That day if it wasn’t for Jiaohua; Xizi would have already gone,” Liu Biao glanced at his Wife, “What kind of Daoist is Guo Daogui? He doesn’t even have a godfather’s badge. He specializes in deceiving and swindling in the village. But Jiaohua is different. If it wasn’t for Jiaohua noticing something that day, why would I pay attention to Xizi?”

Liu Tongmao also quickly said, “Jiaohua, whatever you need, just say it.”

“I need a clay pot, three copper coins wrapped in paper, a ball of thread, some scraps of cloth, a piece of tile, an egg…” Zhang Jiaohua listed the items he needed for the ritual.

Liu Tongmao and Luo Dongzhen quickly went to prepare the things Zhang Jiaohua requested.

In the yard, Zhang Jiaohua set up incense and a shrine, and began to pray, performing the Five Dragon Water Method. He walked in a specific pattern, made hand seals, and recited incantations: “Clear water, sun and moon shine, the Big Dipper hidden within, the Three Platforms descending, with the sprinkling of divine water, calamity departs and blessings arrive…”

He then proceeded to draw forbidden charms, invoking auspiciousness from the Purple Microstar and inviting the assistance of the Southern and Northern Dipper Stars.

Next, holding the “forbidden jar” in his hand, Zhang Jiaohua chanted: “Today, Zhang Jiaohua seals the Yellow Altar, passing incense once, ancestor concealed, passing incense twice, master concealed, passing incense thrice, disciple personally conceals.”

This involved sealing the “forbidden jar” in three locations: the Pangu Grand Hall, the General’s Hall, and the Jade Emperor’s Great Hall.

Then, Zhang Jiaohua grabbed a handful of rice and placed it in the jar, chanting: “Ancestors providing grain for a thousand years, master providing provisions for ten thousand years, enough to last for thousands of years, unending for ten thousand years.”

The Liu family and Zhang Youping watched anxiously from the side. Zhao Lanying didn’t dare to object further but remained silent, anxiously watching the child lying on the bed, her brows furrowed.

Liu Qiaoye tightly grasped her clothes, fervently hoping that her nephew would be cured by magic. As for what trouble might arise after curing her nephew this time, she didn’t want to think about it.

Zhang Youping also felt deeply moved. If someone had mentioned such things in front of him before, he would have surely criticized them. But since his son had acquired these abilities, he began to understand these mysteries.

Liu Biao watched his nephew strangely pacing in the yard, his steps peculiar, appearing mysterious as if each step could trigger something mystical.

Liu Tongmao had seen a real Daoist perform rituals when he was young, and what his grandson was doing now was very similar, but also somewhat different. It seemed that his grandson’s method was more proper and formal.

Experts focus on the details, while bystanders focus on the spectacle. Liu Tongmao and the others naturally couldn’t understand every detail of Zhang Jiaohua’s ritual or the incantations he recited. They could only sense based on what they observed.

Zhang Jiaohua held the Seven Ancestors Decision in one hand and a copper coin in the other, chanting: “Requesting the guidance of the Three Masters, the temple king and the earth deity, incense smoke reaches the ancestors, the master, and the disciple personally, receiving the three souls and seven spirits of someone, the five gods and six temples, the sun soul in the head, the two souls in the waist, the three souls in the feet, returning to the body and life, souls not wandering, spirits not moving…”

This Seven Ancestors Decision was the most critical part of the ritual. Zhang Jiaohua rapidly chanted the incantations, his lips moving so quickly that others couldn’t hear what he was saying clearly. His steps also quickened, until only a shadow could be seen floating in the yard. The sound of his voice, footsteps, and the rice grains tumbling in the jar merged into a more mysterious sound, making the occult seem even more enigmatic.

At some point, it seemed that fog had risen in the yard, everything becoming blurry. It felt as if a change had indeed taken place.

Unbeknownst to them, Zhang Jiaohua had already collected the three souls and seven spirits three times. Each time, he would ask if the ancestors had received Liu Xizi’s three souls and seven spirits. If not, he would collect them again. After three collections, the ritual finally concluded.

When the ritual ended, Zhang Jiaohua wrapped the egg in paper money. Once again, he requested the guidance of the Three Masters, sprinkled the Five Dragon Water, and recited incantations: “Clear water, sun and moon shine, the Big Dipper hidden within, the Three Platforms descending, with the sprinkling of divine water, calamity departs and blessings arrive…”

After reciting the incantation, Zhang Jiaohua placed the egg into the forbidden jar.