The Xun Yin Jue utilizes clothing or hair from the deceased as a medium, combined with the unique techniques of an Yin Gua Shi, to ascertain the recent movements of a corpse. As long as the medium has not been separated from the deceased for more than three days, the body can generally be located.
Fortunately, Zhao Defu's son had not been dead for long. If they had come to me a few days later, this method would no longer have been effective.
"Go find a piece of clothing your son wore after he died, or some of his hair. The item closest to the time he went missing is best."
In a short while, Zhao Defu's wife produced a red sweater and a pair of dark green trousers.
"Little Master, are these two items acceptable? The clothes and pants were worn yesterday during the ghost marriage. Can you use them?"
I nodded. "Perfectly fine. Later, no matter what you see, do not make a sound."
Zhao Defu and his wife both nodded, indicating they understood.
Then, I took three incense sticks from the table and broke two of them off at the top third.
I also took out a Xun Yin Talisman from my robes, lit it, and used the talisman smoke to roast the three incense sticks until the yellow paper incense turned a dark green.
Next, I lit the two broken incense sticks and inserted them into the sweater and trousers respectively. I handed the remaining intact incense stick to Zhao Defu.
"Hold the incense, don't let it go out, or you won't find your son's body. Do you understand?"
Zhao Defu nodded quickly, indicating he understood.
"Humans have paths, ghosts have gates. Three incense sticks seek the Yin person. Only ask for the path, do not disturb the soul. The distance of the journey awaits the seeker. Absolve!"
As I finished chanting the incantation, the incense stick inserted into the red sweater immediately extinguished. The other stick burned rapidly, turning to ash in an instant.
Seeing the result of the incense burning, I couldn't help but be stunned.
I had used the Xun Yin technique before. This method, recorded in the margins of the Yin Scripture, was a supreme art that had always worked flawlessly. Why had it suddenly failed today?
Zhao Defu looked at the rapid burning of one incense stick and the extinguishing of the other, a hint of fear in his expression.
"Little Master, is something wrong? Why has one incense stick burned out and the other gone out?"
This was the first time I had encountered such a situation.
In the past, if an incense stick extinguished, the person would leave and never look back.
However, today I was determined to find Zhao Defu's son's body and get paid to leave Molu Village. I had already broken two rules, so one more wouldn't matter.
With that thought, I casually explained to Zhao Defu.
"Xun Yin and divination use three incense sticks. If one thing doesn't work, don't panic..."
"This is the rule for my divination. The first is to pay respects to the spirits. Only when the spirits have absorbed the incense will they willingly help find your son's body. If the incense doesn't light, this matter becomes difficult."
Hearing my explanation, Zhao Defu's suspicious expression finally faded.
I performed the Xun Yin technique again.
This time, both broken incense sticks were lit. However, one burned very quickly, turning to ash in an instant. The smoke from the other hovered in the air, taking on a dark green hue and circling the tip of the other incense stick, subtly drifting towards the courtyard gate.
I picked up the remaining broken incense stick and said to Zhao Defu's wife, "Aunt Zhao, I will go with Uncle Zhao to find the body. Please hold the incense you have carefully and do not let it go out. If the incense is about to burn out, quickly replace it. Do you understand?"
After Aunt Zhao agreed, I turned to Zhao Defu and said, "Stop standing there. Hurry and come with me to find your son."
As we left the courtyard, the smoke from the Xun Yin incense in my hand kept drifting towards the west of the village.
The dark green smoke floated in the air, resembling fireflies, and was quite beautiful.
Zhao Defu stared in amazement. "Little Master, what kind of skill is this? How can you summon fireflies?"
I didn't explain. If I told him that these things that looked like fireflies were actually unconscious spirits, wouldn't he wet himself from fear?
The further west we walked, the more dilapidated the village became, and there was a chilling sensation.
Along the way, apart from the occasional cry of a wild cat, it was eerily quiet.
This made me alert all twelve senses, fearing any unforeseen events.
Just as we were about to leave the village, Zhao Defu grabbed me, startling me and nearly causing me to drop the Xun Yin incense.
"Damn it, what are you doing? Don't you know startling people can kill them?"
My shout also frightened Zhao Defu. His already pale face turned even whiter.
"I... my stomach hurts, I need to go to the toilet?" Zhao Defu stammered.
"Can't you hold it? We're about to find your son, you..."
"No... I can't, I... I really can't hold it any longer."
Hearing this, I couldn't help but curse inwardly, truly useless.
"Hurry up and go."
Watching Zhao Defu bolt away, I frowned.
"Even with a stomachache, you don't need to run that fast, do you?"
After waiting for a few minutes, Zhao Defu still hadn't returned.
Seeing the Xun Yin incense nearing its end, I gritted my teeth and continued forward.
Before I could take a few steps, a black shadow suddenly flashed before my eyes.
I instinctively shone my light, but apart from some swaying weeds, there was nothing.
Looking at the rustling weeds and sensing the surrounding energy, I found nothing unusual.
I told myself it must have been a wild cat.
"Meow!"
Indeed, a cat's meow came from not far away, confirming my judgment.
Following the smoke of the Xun Yin incense for another few hundred meters, I arrived at the gate of a dilapidated house.
Two moss-covered stone lions stood before the gate, one of which was missing a small portion of its head.
The main gate was an old-fashioned inward-opening type. One of the door panels lay on the ground, while the other still hung on the gate, appearing to have fallen not too long ago.
Shining my flashlight at the spot where the plaque should be, it was empty. I had no idea whose residence this was.
The smoke from the Xun Yin incense in my hand drifted directly into the gate, indicating that Zhao Defu's son's body was likely within this ruined courtyard.
Just as I was hesitating whether to enter.
A gust of cold wind blew out from inside the gate, causing me to shiver involuntarily.
This cold was different from ordinary cold; it was a bone-chilling, piercing cold, like taking a cold shower in the depths of winter.
My heart sank, and I had a bad feeling.
Because within this cold wind, there was a trace of Yin energy imbued with obsession.
An ordinary person would only think it was a cold wind.
But I was an Yin Gua Shi, most sensitive to Yin energy and obsession.
Moreover, Zhao Defu's son had not been dead for long, less than a week in total. He could not have formed Yin energy; at most, there would only be a trace of deathly aura.
Just as I was about to retreat and turn to leave.
I felt a strong push from behind, forcing me to step forward.
I desperately tried to control my body, but the force behind me was too great.
Coupled with the suddenness of the event, before I could react, I felt myself slip and roll forward.
"Bang!"
I looked back and saw that I had entered the house. The half-fallen door panel behind me had somehow stood upright, completely blocking the entrance.
I tucked my flashlight under my arm and rushed to push the door, only to find that it wouldn't open no matter how hard I tried.
"Damn it, I've been tricked."