Maiyi Onmyoji

The Spirit Medium, Madam Wang

Cursing someone with voodoo dolls and black magic? Such matters are deeply sinister. I've heard numerous stories about people falling victim to these dark arts, including a girl at our school who tragically lost her life because of it.I'm a student in the second year, class six, at the city experimental high school. In the seventh class, a group of girls once stayed up late in the dormitory, telling ghost stories. Eventually, the conversation turned to the topic of voodoo practices.Their curiosity piqued, they decided to try it themselves to see if it really worked. They particularly disliked our math teacher, Mr. Gao. Though they didn't know his birth chart, they settled for just writing his name. The next day, during class, they secretly stabbed a doll with needles, chanting curses to inflict stomach pain on Mr. Gao. Miraculously, he indeed suffered a stomach ache.After class, they were frightened and two of them discarded the doll in the toilet. That very night, the two girls went mad, threw themselves into the latrine, and tragically drowned in the cesspit. Consequently, the remaining girls were all expelled.Now, her aunt is performing similar rituals, muttering incessantly, clearly cursing someone. I wasn't too worried, as no one but my grandfather and I know my birth chart. I also doubted the doll was meant for Huang Rong, as she had little connection with her aunt. So, who could it be?In this place, the rules are lax. After telling the security guard I was here to visit a relative, I was allowed in without registration. Huang Rong and I tiptoed to her aunt's side. Her aunt was seriously cursing some "little monkey" and "black cat." Clearly, her aunt was not in her right mind, cursing monkeys and cats!Huang Rong tugged at my sleeve, and we retreated some thirty or forty meters. She seemed troubled, so I whispered, "What's wrong?" Huang Rong, visibly tense, replied, "I think she's cursing you and the police. We should leave quickly." I was skeptical. "How could that be? She's just cursing some monkeys and a black cat."Anxiously, Huang Rong stomped her foot and her chest heaved. "No, my aunt refers to police officers as 'Chief Black Cat' and unruly youths as 'little monkeys.' It's a quirk everyone in the village knows." "Uh..." I glanced back at her aunt and suddenly realized she had vanished. "Quick, let's go!" I felt a surge of anxiety, pulling Huang Rong along. As we looked around, her aunt suddenly emerged from the bushes behind us, grabbing Huang Rong's waist, shouting in panic, "Niece, dear niece, I've been waiting for you! Take me away from here; it's full of demons and ghosts, and I'm so scared!""Ahhh!" "Shuilei, save me, save me!" Huang Rong screamed. I quickly tried to pry her aunt's hands off. When she saw me, her expression twisted with rage. She let go of Huang Rong and lunged at me, clawing wildly, "You little monkey, I'll kill you!""Good grief!" Her aunt, already unattractive, looked terrifyingly demonic as she flailed. I quickly kicked her, sending her tumbling. Huang Rong and I ran, and the security guards closed the big iron gate behind us, calling for backup. Soon, a couple of guards restrained her aunt and took her back inside. We needed to leave quickly.We hurried back to the shop, and Huang Rong grabbed my hand, saying, "Shuilei, I want to see my father. Do you know how?""I really don't," I quickly shook my head. I only knew fortune-telling; I couldn't summon spirits, nor would I dare try. Huang Rong's eyes lit up. "Then accompany me to my dad's friend's house. It's not far; I've been there before."I hesitated, "Rong, it's probably not a good idea. Your dad can't always possess his friends' bodies. Even if you could talk to him, what would you say?"I suspected she simply wanted to ask about her origins, particularly who her mother was. But to go uninvited and talk about possession seemed far too abrupt. At that moment, the uncle from the wreath shop next door leaned over and whispered, "Three doors north of here, Madam Wang can summon spirits. Just give her a hundred yuan and provide the birth chart. It's that simple."Goodness! This uncle had been eavesdropping! He quickly scampered back inside. Though he meant well, it felt intrusive, but at least he was a devout Buddhist with no ill intent.Huang Rong pulled me along to Madam Wang's shop. Upon entering, I felt a chilling aura that seemed to seep into my very bones. I realized that my ghostly energy was entrenched deep within me.Huang Rong called out, "Is anyone here?" The shop was divided into two rooms. The outer room, small with a counter and altar, had statues of deities, while the inner room was dark and eerie. A gray-haired, long-faced old lady emerged from the back. She wore a simple shirt and looked quite plain. Her eyes, however, were a cloudy white, as if veiled by a mist—perhaps she was blind. But she moved gracefully, retrieving a pair of tea-colored glasses and putting them on, revealing that she wasn't blind.These peculiar eyes suggested she might be an extraordinary figure. The color could indicate a special spiritual constitution. In the spiritual world, there are two main types of people with such features: those born with unique destinies and those who serve as mediums, allowing spirits to use their bodies for communication. Madam Wang's white eyes, associated with metal in the five elements, indicated a spirit with a metal attribute. But what kind of spirit could that be? Curious about the true nature of the spirit connected to Madam Wang, I felt intrigued."Nanny, I want to see my father," Huang Rong said, handing her two hundred yuan. "Sure, sure, just need the birth chart," Madam Wang responded. She glanced at me, "Oh, aren't you the new tenant next door?""Yes, ma'am," I quickly replied, halting my calculations. "I brought my friend here."Madam Wang, hearing this, opened a drawer and took out a fifty-yuan note, placing a hundred back on the table. "Since we're neighbors, I'll give you a fifty percent discount. Young man, if you can live in that shop, you must not be ordinary. Keep up the good work; I have high hopes for you." Huang Rong quickly thanked Madam Wang. I, too, expressed my gratitude, puzzled by the compliment but appreciative. After some small talk, we followed Madam Wang into the back room, which was dimly lit. She invited us to sit on a long bench by the door. She lit a candle, sat in a grand chair near the wall, and nodded to us, "Alright, let's begin. Tell me your father's birth chart and name.""Okay!" Huang Rong, slightly nervous, recited her father's birth chart. Madam Wang repeated it, then chanted, "Golden Armored General, please bring him forth." Golden Armored General? What could that be?Soon, Madam Wang shuddered and slowly stood up, only to be seemingly forced back down. "Daughter, my dear daughter!" Her voice changed, becoming that of a man. "Dad..." Huang Rong stood up, tears streaming down her face.Madam Wang's voice interjected, "Speak quickly; you have five minutes." Huang Rong urgently asked, "Dad, who was my birth mother? Why did you never tell me?""Well..." The voice hesitated. "Child, it wasn't that I didn't want to tell you; I feared you couldn't bear the pain at such a young age. Your mother died in childbirth... But you look just like her, and she would be happy to see you.""And, my child, I'm now reporting to the City God Temple. Since you haven't married yet, I must be punished. According to the rules here, parents are jailed if their children haven't married, as it means they failed to raise their children to adulthood. I may not see you for several years."This stunned both me and Huang Rong. We had no idea that the failure of a child to marry could result in such a severe punishment for the parents. Huang Rong was frantic. "Why is it like this? Why must you be punished because I haven't married?""Child, don't be naive. Every realm has its rules. In ancient times, people arranged marriages for deceased young people to absolve their parents of this responsibility. If children don't marry, parents are seen as having failed and must be punished. Unless... Unless you can get married within a month and visit the City God Temple to absolve me, I'll face imprisonment. I've been dead for over twenty days; you have just one week.""Daughter, Shuilei is a good young man..." Father Huang was urging our marriage! My heart raced with a mix of excitement and anxiety. What did I feel? Nervousness? Anticipation?"I..." Huang Rong glanced at me, seemingly reluctant, yet there was an inexplicable determination in her eyes. After a moment, she wiped away her tears and declared, "Alright! Dad, I'll do as you say. I'll marry him!""No!" Suddenly, Huang Rong's tone changed, "Shuilei is my man. Without my permission, you can't marry him!" Oh no! My ghostly bride was here to disrupt things! She was ruining my chance...