Chapter 18: Sunbird Leads the Soul
As Jin spoke, he stood up, revealing his legs in trousers and leather shoes, which made them look even more torn from the floral cloth. And because it was covered by Tan Xiao's mother, Jin was afraid that Tan Xiao's mother would also have some skills, so he didn't dare to shake it off.
How strange! Let me take another look.
Ah Jin held the floral cloth against his head and said aggrievedly, "Your mother turned off the air conditioner, too."
The air conditioner was always on at his place, but Tan Chunying didn't know that and thought Tan Xiao forgot to turn it off, so she turned it off and muttered that this kid didn't know how to save electricity. This almost killed Ah Jin with the heat, and he was cooling down like crazy.
"...You just bear with it first." Tan Xiao was in no mood to care about him. He just turned on the air conditioner and asked Kong Que, "You said my mother lost a soul? I don't see anything abnormal about her. Is this dangerous?"
Kong Xuan looked relaxed, because there was no immediate danger to his life. "Anyone who is in a state of mental distress is often easily frightened, has a drastic change in temperament, or is sleepy all day, which can easily lead to ghosts and demons haunting them. The symptoms vary from person to person, and if this happens every day, it is natural that something bad will happen."
Yes, why there is the idiom "disoriented and dejected"? It is because this is exactly the symptom of losing one's soul. Tan Xiao remembered that his mother had a concussion after falling, and it might be because she lost her soul that she was so careless.
Now you can get a concussion if you walk, but what if you drive and get into a car accident?
This is what Peacock God said, there is no direct danger, but accidents can easily happen.
As for being haunted by ghosts, I'm not really scared. There's a peacock living in Tan Xiao's house now. Who dares to bump into it...
"Then should I perform a soul-calling ceremony for her? Should I calculate the time?" If it were any other time, Tan Xiao would have dared to try it, but because this was a close family member, he became concerned and confused.
He looked at the peacock and suddenly said, "Can the great god summon the soul directly? No, no, let me do it. I need to practice on my own."
Tan Xiao suddenly felt fortunate that he was not a real mascot and that he did not reject Kong Xuan, otherwise he would never have known that Tan Chunying had lost her soul.
Therefore, I suddenly had the urge to familiarize myself with the techniques, which was stronger than the desire for extra points in the college entrance examination.
There are two types of soul summoning: summoning the soul of the dead and summoning the soul of the living. Summoning the soul of the dead is what Tan Xiao did for Lin Yang's second great uncle. Summoning the soul of the living is slightly different, but the ceremony also requires some props.
"Let's go now, we should still be able to buy some." Tan Xiao couldn't sit still and was about to go out immediately. He said loudly to Tan Chunying, "Mom, I'm going out to buy a chicken."
"Your mother ate one of my apples." Kong Xuan followed him and whispered.
"..." Tan Xiao said, "Mom, I'm going out to buy a chicken and apples."
If he were to say, the great god is easy to coax, sometimes a little childish... but still quite cute.
Tan Xiao went to two stores and both were closed, but fortunately they were in the old city area and some people secretly raised chickens in their own yards, so he knocked on his neighbor's door and bought a rooster.
Chickens are very common in Chu witches' rituals and are used in many procedures, from consecration and appointment of generals, to exorcism, to the soul-calling ceremony he will perform. It is said that Chu witches' rituals must involve the use of chickens.
The rooster is also called the "Yang Bird". The rooster crows and the sun rises, which has the effect of exorcising evil spirits. More importantly, this characteristic makes people think of another legendary bird...
That’s right! In Chu Wu’s mind, the chicken is a substitute for the phoenix.
Chickens can guide souls in the underworld.
When Tan Xiao bought the rooster, Tan Chunying was already making mixed cold dishes. The late-night snack culture was very prosperous in Nanchu, so she had no doubt about what Tan Xiao was buying so late at night.
"Oh, you bought a live chicken. Are you going to have roast chicken?" Tan Chunying is also a foodie. Roast chicken has Sichuan and Chongqing flavors and is the most popular midnight snack.
"...Oh, yes." Tan Xiao also entered the kitchen and glanced at Tan Chunying. Because Tan Chunying had lost one soul, the remaining soul would be more easily shocked, so he did not directly say that he wanted to summon Tan Chunying's soul.
Tan Xiao pierced the cock's comb to make it bleed, then used the blood to draw a talisman in the air and said directly, "Mom, look."
Tan Chunying turned around and saw her son chanting a spell to her: "Wandering souls, where can you go? Three souls will return to protect my life, and seven spirits will return to protect my safety!"
He thrust his finger forward and dotted the chicken blood on Tan Chunying's forehead.
The rooster fainted and its soul went to help Tan Chunying to summon her soul.
Tan Chunying taught Tan Xiao this move. She touched her forehead in surprise and said, "Why is it getting hot? Did you develop a new one? What did you add? Let me guess, lime?"
Tan Xiao: “…Yes!”
Although Tan Xiao is the technical person in the family, after so many years of partnership between mother and son, Tan Chunying feels that her knowledge of chemistry has improved greatly.
"The posture is also in place, but the sound can be emphasized a little more, so that we appear to be more powerful and highlight the atmosphere." Tan Chunying imparted his own performance experience, highlighting a good-looking and stylish, and then looked at the fainted rooster: "Hey, what's wrong with this chicken, is it sick?"
"I don't know. Let's not eat for now." Tan Xiao carefully observed Tan Chunying's expression. She didn't seem to react at all. It was unclear whether her soul had returned or not.
"Then just eat it cold. Go and return the chicken tomorrow, otherwise you won't be able to sell sick chicken." Tan Chunying prepared the dish and said that since there was no roast chicken, then just eat it cold with some lard and vermicelli.
During the entire cooking process, Tan Chunying remained normal.
But when Tan Chunying came back, she only had sequelae of concussion, so Tan Xiao had to look to Kong Que for help.
"The Yang Bird can't find her soul." Kong Xuan was also a little surprised. He walked to the rooster, stretched out his hand and touched the rooster, obviously adding a BUFF to the soul-summoning chicken.
After a moment, Kong Xuan frowned and said, "Has her soul fallen into the underworld ? Why can't we call her back?"
"What do you mean, missing?" Tan Xiao simply hid out of the kitchen and asked in surprise and anxiety.
"God knows nothing, ghosts know nothing." Kong Xuan recited the six-character proverb, but in his mouth, it seemed to have an extra layer of meaning, "Could it be... this is a new formation or a new monster in the human world? I must break it."
He muttered the last few words in a low voice, with a hint of anger in his voice as he wanted to get back at his enemies.
The world is developing too fast, otherwise we would have to compile a new Classic of Mountains and Seas.
Tan Xiao suddenly remembered what Mu Fei said, "Sister Mu said that the road to the underworld also follows the road to the world of the living. Now there are all kinds of main roads, secondary roads, and highways. Could it be that he got lost?"
Kong Xuan: “…”
It's possible. In the past, summoning spirits might only take a moment, but now... it's hard to say.
"Let me search." Kong Xuan thought to himself, just look for it.
Kong Xuan descended to the mortal world with his true soul and deposited it in the divine throne built by the wizard. He borrowed the wizard's body to pass on his magic, but it did not mean that he could not perform his magic. He closed his eyes and walked around in a circle in an instant.
When he opened his eyes again, he still found nothing, but his frown had relaxed. Kong Xuan said, "I can't find it, but your mother's soul doesn't show any signs of being imprisoned, so it's not an accident..." He paused and continued, "Another possibility is that your mother was born like this. Think about it, does she have some signs of being forgetful, or easily distracted, etc.?"
There are people who are born with lost souls, and quite a few of them become idiots. But Tan Chunying is fine, she looks relatively normal.
It seems that she is a bit forgetful, right? Could it be a false alarm? Tan Xiao thought about it and asked doubtfully, "So she hasn't seen you? If that's the case, will she still be easily frightened? Is there any worry about losing her soul?"
"Of course, no matter if it's congenital or acquired, it's all soul loss. Your family has set up an altar with various magical instruments, many of which are old items. Generally, spirits and monsters won't easily cause bad luck, so it's okay. But after the Gengshen day, it's best to bless her with protection. Didn't they say she fell on her head? It might be related. Don't let her be frightened again."
Although Peacock God is sometimes a little naive and looks down on charlatans, he is really reliable in these aspects, which makes Tan Xiao, who is a little anxious for his mother, feel at ease.
That's true. Tan Xiao is no longer bothered by what his mother told him about the mascot. It seems that Tan Chunying also knows nothing.
"Thank you, great god." Tan Xiao thanked sincerely, thinking that he must help Kong Que well, and then thought, "Then I will make a talisman first."
Tan Xiao found some yellow paper, dipped it in a mixture of rooster comb blood and cinnabar, and wrote with the crooked snake's feet. According to the custom of the Chu witch, he was going to write "The phoenix is here" when he picked up the pen.
Before he put pen to paper, he caught a glimpse of a peacock standing nearby, staring at him eagerly. Tan Xiao thought to himself, that was a close call, he was almost used to it, so he slowly started writing: Peacock is here.
Kong Xuan then showed a satisfied expression. If Tan Xiao, as his wizard, had written about the phoenix coming here, that would have been ridiculous.
Tan Xiao dried the talisman paper, folded it up, put it in a custom-made transparent frosted card holder, and stuffed it into the card holder that Tan Chunying always carried with her. "Mom, I'll put a new talisman in your bag. Don't give it to others."
According to Peacock, the sequelae of losing one's soul are generally a drastic change in temperament, memory loss, slow reaction, susceptibility to evil spirits, etc., which vary from person to person. Tan Chunying had been able to get through it safely before. Although demons and ghosts appear frequently after the Gengshen day, she doesn't need to worry too much with Peacock's protection.
"Oh, okay." Tan Chunying responded simply in the kitchen.
"She didn't even ask why?" Kong Xuan said sarcastically, obviously still feeling resentful about the "fraud" of the dignified Chu witch.
"Why ask why I'm trying out and displaying new products? I've been wearing charms on my body since I was a child." Tan Xiao took out a roll of paper tape printed with "Phoenix Arrives Here" and happily showed the "Peacock Arrives Here", "It can also be considered a new print for our cultural and creative products."
Kong Xuan: “…”
When Tan Xiao saw the unhappy expression on Peacock Master's face, he quickly shrank his head. He became complacent and started to show off his products in front of Master again.
After finishing this, Tan Xiao sent another message to Mu Fei.
[Sister Mu, what do you think about the sequel to the Classic of Mountains and Seas?]
Because of Tan Chunying's story and what Kong Xuan said about the changes in the human world and the monsters when he was summoning souls, Tan Xiao suddenly felt more involved. As a native of the human world, perhaps he should actively help improve this new work, rather than just for extra points.
Tan Chunying's near miss caused Tan Xiao to have a slight change in his thinking.
[We are discussing it in a meeting. Haha, you care about it. Don't worry, if you make a great contribution during the editing process, you will definitely get corresponding extra points .] Mu Fei and Tan Xiao have been together for a few times, and they can be considered as some kind of personal relationship. [I also suggested that you are still completing your studies, so you should take this into consideration. Let's try to have the best of both worlds. Don't try too hard for extra points.]
This compilation of information is definitely not a one- or two-year thing, and as someone who has been through it, she doesn't recommend neglecting one thing while focusing on another. But this is her idea. Didn't the ancient Chu witches gather the efforts of several generations to complete the compilation?
[I know, it doesn’t matter.] Tan Xiao’s mentality has changed.
[So, how is your A Jin chapter going? ] Mu Fei asked.
[I was in class and preparing to write.] Everything is difficult at the beginning. Tan Xiao also needed time to prepare and study. He was afraid that his level was not good enough to complete such a work.
[Don't worry, we have a material dog here to help you check.] Mu Fei was obviously talking about herself...
At this moment, Tan Chunying also brought out the dishes. She made preserved eggs with peppers, cold-mixed bean curd, and two bowls of vermicelli mixed with lard.
Each piece of cooked vermicelli is soaked in the sauce, which makes it more moist under the light and takes on a light brown color. It does not require any coding, only sprinkled with some chopped green onions, and exudes a strong and tempting aroma of lard.
Tan Xiao took a big bite and put it into his mouth. The warm aroma immediately filled his mouth. The slippery and soft vermicelli was covered with fragrant juice, exploding between his lips and teeth. He ate a few slices of sour and spicy yuba, which was so appetizing. He was so satisfied.
Kong Xuan knocked on the table beside him.
Tan Xiao paused for a moment, took another big bite, and said vaguely, "Mom, is there any more?"
Tan Chunying was watching short videos and eating at the same time, and said without raising her head: "There is another pot left for tomorrow, you can add more yourself."
"Oh." Tan Xiao ran into the kitchen to feed the Peacock God, only to see that he had eaten up the entire pot of vermicelli with his true soul.
How should I put it? Tan Xiao seriously suspected that Peacock God was thinking about Tan Chunying eating the offerings...
As soon as Tan Chunying came in, she saw that he had finished all the food in the pot. It had only been a short time, and he just poured it into his mouth without chewing it. She was surprised and asked, "Have you become a glutton?"
Tan Xiao: "..."
Tan Xiao: "I'm growing!"
Tan Chunying couldn't help but shake her head. It is said that the stomach of adolescent boys is connected to the stars and the sea. She originally thought that her son's appetite was fine, but now it seems that the time is not right yet.
After eating and drinking, Tan Xiao went to the study and found a copy of "Classic of Mountains and Seas" from the bookshelf.
Tan Xiao made a table, recalling the list categories that Mu Fei had mentioned to him, and also wrote "器精".
Later, I will refer to the proposed content of "Shan Hai Jing":
"There is a server in Zhongzhou, with five machines in one cabinet, containing the data of the Book City and Literature City. It changes into a human form after drinking the Emperor's fluid. At first, half of its body is a machine, and the other half is in a suit and leather shoes. It likes to live in the shade, is born with magic, and is good at data..."
"That's it for now. I wonder if it has any other functions." After Tan Xiao finished writing, he looked at it again and again, changed a few words, and then read it out loud, "Well, not bad, right? I'll come up with a title later."
Kong Xuan nodded slowly, somewhat proudly. The wizard chosen by him must have very good professional skills.
Ah Jin was listening to his own entry nearby and was quite satisfied, but he only pointed out one thing: "It's not just the title, it also has the copy, and a one-sentence introduction?"
Ah Jin had his own ideas about this, and he said eagerly, "Also, can you make my paragraph red and bold? Give it a high recommendation?"
Tan Xiao moved his hands and silently added a sentence after the text: "...full of 'novelistic words'."
