Chapter 58: The Thunder Pool (1 / 1)

Though Zhao Na was still sitting in the middle of the Bagua formation, under the dim glow of the ever-burning lamp, I saw her turned to the side, holding a rag doll in her arms. What was more shocking was that her chest was half-exposed, and the doll's face was pressed directly against her breast — she was breastfeeding the doll!

She hummed softly, her voice eerie and sweet at the same time:

"Little baby~ time to sleep~Close your little eyes~Mommy's here~ no need to cry…"

Aside from that chilling lullaby, the entire room was deathly silent — even the wind outside seemed to have stopped. The melody echoed repeatedly as Zhao Na gently rocked back and forth, as if truly soothing a child to sleep. Milk had soaked the doll's face.

The sight made my hair stand on end. I swallowed hard and activated my Clairvoyant Eye to get a better look. Zhao Na's three spirit lights were still present, and she showed no signs of demonic possession.

But as I circled around and saw her face from the front, my heart tightened — her pupils had turned a ghostly gray. She had clearly lost her soul.

I rushed to the ritual altar and checked everything. The ever-burning lamp was still lit. The instruments on the altar were all in place. Even the ash I had secretly scattered around the area was undisturbed. That meant the Muffled Ghost hadn't arrived — otherwise, it would've tampered with the setup.

But when I checked the Bagua formation again, my heart dropped. One of the copper coins on the mountain position had shifted half an inch. That tiny shift had opened a path of life within the formation — an escape route for the ghost.

I heard the faint sound of running water. Zhao Na must have gone to the bathroom earlier — and during the Heavenly Dog Devours the Moon, all yang-based protections weaken. That's how the Muffled Ghost got through.

But it was too late for blame now. I stared at her swaying figure and murmured:

"Zhao Na, oh Zhao Na… Why didn't you just listen to me? I told you not to leave the formation. Now you've let the ghost snatch your soul. I don't know if I owe you from a past life or what, but after saving you this time, we'll be even. No more debts between us."

Muttering to myself, I returned to the altar. In the countryside, kids often lose their souls due to fright or spiritual clashes. Traditionally, someone would wave their clothes on a bamboo pole and call their name to retrieve the soul.

But Zhao Na was different — her soul was taken by the Muffled Ghost.

I had intended to lure the ghost after fully preparing the ritual, but it had already arrived.

According to Yin-Yang mysticism, the soul needs a physical "anchor" to prevent it from being stolen completely. I set up the Five Emperor Coin Formation, lit a Soul-Summoning Incense, and sat cross-legged. As long as the incense remained lit, I would be safe.

I emptied my mind. The moment I closed my eyes, I felt myself drifting. My vision changed, and I could see everything within hundreds of meters around the complex — my soul had left my body. I looked down and saw myself sitting there cross-legged.

I quickly searched the surrounding area. After several loops around the apartment complex, I finally spotted Zhao Na at a playground, pushing a child on a swing.

But this child had no facial features.

It had the size of an infant, but its actions were like that of a 5- or 6-year-old. The giggles it let out were deeply unsettling.

"Mommy, push me higher, okay?" a clear voice rang out.

Zhao Na looked dazed, her body sluggish. Yet she replied softly:

"Almost there… just a little more…"

Many people have experienced an out-of-body feeling in nightmares — floating, directionless, then a dizzy awakening with cold sweat. That's a form of soul detachment. But using Soul-Summoning Incense, combined with the Clairvoyant Eye, allows a Taoist to navigate the spirit realm — although only for a short time. Damage in this state can lead to mental disability or death, which is why this method is rarely used.

Knowing my soul was weak, I didn't dare delay. I dashed toward Zhao Na.

The swing stopped abruptly. The faceless child turned to me — horrifying.

I calmed myself: We're both spirits now. What's there to be afraid of?

I shouted,

"Zhao Na! Snap out of it and come with me!"

"Who are you?" she stared blankly.

The baby ghost said softly,

"Mommy, push me faster, okay?"

My heart tightened. That was a call to the grave — "faster" meant hurry up and die.

I had no time to explain. I shouted,

"I'm Zhang Dabao! I promise to get back together with you! Come with me now — that thing's not our child!"

"You want to die!" the ghost's voice turned cold.

It lunged at me — but I barely dodged. As a soul, I couldn't fight back. If it touched me, I was done for.

Thankfully, Zhao Na's eyes began to clear. She stammered:

"You… you're Dabao?"

I yelled again,

"Come on! Don't stop! Get over here!"

She hesitated but began to run toward me.

The baby ghost wailed,

"Mommy, don't leave me, Mommy!"

Zhao Na slowed.

I panicked. The whole point of this was to bring her soul back. The Muffled Ghost couldn't hurt her — it needed her to voluntarily surrender her life.

But I was fragile like paper. One blow and I was done.

I screamed at her until she finally shouted:

"I'm not your mother. I'm sorry!"

The ghost's sorrowful wails pierced the air. I actually felt a pang of sympathy — a strange urge to stay with it.

But that dangerous thought was cut off by a spinning dizziness. The world tilted. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my body. The Soul-Summoning Incense had burned down by half.

I exhaled. Barely made it. My guess: the incense sensed I was in danger and forcibly pulled me back. If I'd gone too far, I might not have made it at all.

I turned to Zhao Na — her eyes were bright again. Though her clothes were soaked, the creepy look was gone.

She buttoned up and walked over:

"Dabao… was that real just now?"

I waved frantically,

"Stay in the circle! The Muffled Ghost isn't gone yet!"

"Okay, okay," she nodded, eyes darting nervously."What should I do?"

"You're related to that ghost. I need you to lure it. Bite your finger and drip blood in the east, south, west, and north directions."

In life-or-death moments, pain doesn't matter. She did exactly as told.

I grabbed the Seven-Star Sword, stomped in ritual stance, and shook the Kirin Wind Bell. As its crisp chime rang out, the air grew warmer.

Thanks to the Fishing Net Formation I set up earlier, the Muffled Ghost was already trapped nearby.

The bell's rhythm grew faster. The freezing air felt like it was lifting.

I slammed the bell onto the altar. The atmosphere instantly thickened.

Staring at the talisman paper before me, I drew with the cinnabar brush and chanted:

"Heaven clear, Earth bright, by divine law take flight.Bloodbound soldiers, heed my decree,Seize the child ghost — obey me!By divine command — swift as fire — execute!"

As the final stroke landed, I bit my finger and pointed at the charm.

Boom — the talisman ignited into ashes.

A chilling wind rushed through the room. The ever-burning lamp flickered violently. The air grew thick with tension.

I had summoned spiritual soldiers bound by blood to arrest the ghost. But my power was limited — I couldn't hold them long.

Without delay, I drew a second charm and stuck it on the floor near Zhao Na. Then, using 28 copper coins, I laid down the Thunder Pool Formation.

This Thunder Pool had a storied origin — a method specifically designed to trap malicious ghosts.

According to the I Ching, daytime belongs to yang, nighttime to yin. Evil spirits can only roam at night. Ancient astronomers divided the night sky into 28 lunar mansions, each containing constellations.

The Thunder Pool recreates those 28 constellations around the ghost using 28 coins, forming a celestial prison — a false sky it cannot escape.