I left them to themselves for the next while. The elderly couple cried and wailed around the minnow for a while before finally quieting down. By this time, the first crowing of the rooster had already begun.
Hearing the rooster's crow, I finally stood up silently, and walked towards the three of them. From a distance, I said, "Chen Gong, Chen Po, it's almost dawn, it's time to send the minnow back. If you have something to say, say it quickly."
The elderly couple looked reluctant, and suddenly said to me, "Xiao Mu, can we ask you for a favor?"
"What?" I asked. "What is it?"
Chen Gong suddenly stood up, earnestly said, "Xiao Mu, I really didn't realize, at such a young age you already have such ability. Earlier, I was wrong to suspect you, I apologize, Chen Gong apologizes to you. By the way, if you can bring the water ghost here, can you also help with crossing over?"
"Crossing over?" I nodded and said, "Chen Gong, I understand your meaning, I will help the minnow cross over."
Chen Gong suddenly wiped away tears, "This child died so tragically, never even seeing the world, and drowned. We must find someone to serve as a substitute to enable him to be reborn. Xiao Mu, as long as you help us, we will be able to rest in peace."
"I see," I said. "Chen Gong, Chen Po, you don't need to say it, I will do it. Since that's the case, if you have anything to say, say it quickly, it's almost dawn and I must cross him over before then."
Upon hearing this, the elderly couple once again began talking to the minnow with sobs and tears. Finally, as the rooster crowed a second time, the elderly couple reluctantly stood aside and gave the minnow to me.
I silently watched the elderly couple, and without hesitation, I began reciting the death mantra.
The death mantra is a mantra used by Buddhists to cross over spirits. Reciting the death mantra is to eliminate the five sins from the spirit, allowing it to rid itself of its offenses, and then enter the netherworld to be reincarnated.
These offenses naturally include the sin of being drowned.
After reciting the death mantra twenty-one times, when I looked back at the minnow, I saw a white light appear above its head. The minnow's body slowly rose and flew into the white light.
Entering this white light meant that the crossing over was truly completed. Seeing this scene, I breathed a deep sigh of relief.
But just then, I suddenly saw the minnow's face turn extremely ugly, and stare intensely behind me.
I was slightly startled and turned to look, only to see a soaking wet young woman emerge from the river, her eyes glaring viciously at the minnow.
From her mouth came a wicked and terrifying voice, "We, who have been dead for many years, have yet to be reincarnated. This newly dead spirit wants to enter the netherworld and be reincarnated. What is the reason for this?"
While speaking, the female ghost suddenly screamed and pounced towards the minnow.
Seeing this, I couldn't help but frown. Ghosts are actually just like humans, they have jealousy and it's even stronger than humans. Moreover, jealousy can make them develop strong resentment.
In front of me, this female ghost clearly saw the minnow escaping from the cycle of reincarnation early and preparing to be reborn, and she was outraged and wanted to destroy the minnow.
But how could I let such a thing happen? After all, I had recited the chant for rebirth a full twenty-one times. Reciting the chant for rebirth twenty-one times is necessary to eliminate sins. Especially, the sin of the minnow being drowned was particularly grievous.
Seeing the female ghost pounce towards the minnow, I shouted, "Minnow, don't pay any attention to her, hurry and go report to the netherworld."
As I spoke, I grabbed the dog hair whip and lashed out directly at the female water ghost.
The dog hair whip is made from the hair of a black dog. The fiercer the black dog, the better, especially one that has bitten a person. The fiercer the black dog, the better it is at warding off evil. At the same time, a whip made from its tail hair is especially effective against ghosts.
As the whip struck, there was a loud crack, and it hit the female ghost's hand hard. She had originally intended to grab the minnow's hand, but the whip caused her hand to recoil and miss.
By this time, the minnow had completely entered the white light and disappeared.
The female ghost suddenly became very angry and uttered a malicious voice to me, "It's all because of you, you meddler. Since he's gone, I'll make you accompany me."
Upon hearing this, I became very alert. Although this female ghost appeared ordinary on the surface, I could clearly feel that her resentment was very strong. It had been a long time since I had encountered a ghost with such strong resentment.
I suddenly said in a deep voice, "If you are already dead, then don't be so unreasonable. What does it have to do with you when others are reborn? Why do you have to interfere?"
"I hate." Her resentful aura suddenly grew stronger. "I hate that I can't be reborn, so no one should think of leaving."
"Fine." I silently nodded. "Since that's the case, I'll take care of you today as well and save the lost souls and wandering ghosts in this area."
"You deserve to die." Her voice became somewhat angry, and after saying this, she pounced fiercely towards me.
Seeing her pounce, I remained calm and stood in place, gripping the dog hair whip in one hand, and suddenly lashed out several times in quick succession.
The dog hair whip is almost irresistible to ordinary ghosts and monsters. After being struck several times, most ghosts and monsters would immediately kneel and beg for mercy, or they would turn and flee.
But at this moment, after I had struck the female ghost several times with the whip, she simply hesitated for a moment, then pounced fiercely at me again. Seeing this, I realized it was not good.
This female ghost was unexpectedly fierce, beyond my imagination. Before I could ponder further, the ghost finally pounced on me, screamed, and suddenly grabbed my neck.
The female ghost in front of me looked like a crazy woman, disheveled and completely wet, even slippery. However, she was terrifying in more than tenfold measure.
As I felt my neck being grasped, I found it difficult to breathe, but I was not panicked. I had faced such situations countless times before, and ultimately, it was staying calm that had helped me out of danger.
Just then, I suddenly felt something else in my bag, and it turned out to be the rope I had used to tie up Chen Ermei. I quickly took out the rope and swiftly looped it around the female ghost's neck. Then I gave a hard pull, tightening the noose, causing the female ghost to release her grip in pain.
Without hesitation, once she let go, I immediately began to circle around the female ghost, swiftly binding her into a bundle. Then, following a pattern, I took out the soul-calling umbrella and began to recite the soul-calling chant.
However, to my surprise, something unexpected happened. Just as I finished reciting the soul-calling chant, the rope that bound the female ghost suddenly made a cracking sound and was instantly torn to shreds by the ghost.
This rope had bound countless ghosts, each time binding one spirit. But at this moment, the rope was torn into pieces. I was astonished.
Meanwhile, because the summoning spell had been completed, but the female ghost escaped instantly, I immediately felt a surge of backlash.
Coincidentally, suddenly, the third crowing of the rooster sounded. With three crowings, all ghosts return to their nests. The female ghost finally turned and ran towards the river, but she did not forget to say menacingly, "Seven days, within seven days, I will make you pay."